qilin Aunt Ci [Ready]

[Bellosh]

Name: Lai Ci (translates to "Pretty Porcelain")

          AKA: “Wrathful Guardian of Fortune”

Sex: Female

Age: Elderly mare

Species: Qilin

Eye Color: Purple

Physique: While seemingly old and frail, Aunt Ci is still alarmingly flexible and otherwise spry. Antlers are a bit on the short side.

Coat: Light gray fur with light blue scales

Mane/Tail/Tuft: Hair is short and frizzled in a somewhat curly manner. While mostly dark blue in color, portions appear less saturated as per usual with old mares.

Accessories: Wears a pair of round spectacles

Occupation: Owner of "Aunt Ci's Antiques", which sells all sorts of antiques... and other treasures

Residence: Downtown Long Kong, right above her shop

Cutie Mark: A white vase (with very subtle blue tinge) adorned with a dark blue depiction of a serpent dragon.

 

History:

 

If you asked Lai Ci about her life story, she’d claim that it is nothing remarkable. Born in rural Spring Blossom Town, she lived in a crowded household for most of her early life. During one fillyhood misadventure in the market, she ended up accidentally shattering a precious Ming vase which a pottery merchant was attempting to sell. As penance for her recklessness, Ci agreed to become that merchant’s assistant until she had earned enough coin to pay off the damages.

 

As it turned out, Ci was quite adept at that line of work, eventually earning her a Ming vase cutie mark. When she was old enough and had saved up enough money, the young mare decided to try her luck in the big city: Long Kong. The rest of the family wanted her to stay in Spring Blossom, but Ci was was always the sort of stubborn qilin who never took for an answer.

 

The first few years of running a store were pretty tough. Aside from the usual challenges of figuring out how to keep a store running afloat, Lai Ci ran afoul with the local Triad. Too hot headed to pay any sort of “protection money”, the mare ended up having her store completely ransacked. Not intimidated by the thugs, Ci simply took martial arts and dragonbreath classes in the hopes of scaring them away. The second time the Triad came, it took a bigger gang to trash the shop.

 

Still, Ci persisted and remained as defiant as ever. The third time she was accosted by the gangsters... urban legends claim her rage was so fierce and her fighting abilities beyond compare that the entire Triad was sent packing! Whatever actually transpired that day, troublemakers have stayed clear of the so-called “Wrathful Guardian of Fortune” ever since.

 

Now a qilin in her old age, Aunt Ci is a pillar-stone of both her community and her extended family back in the countryside. Having made a good life for herself in Long Kong, the auntie loves playing host to her younger relatives... provided they help out at the Antique Shop and pay their elder proper respects.....

 

Unique Traits:

 

Aunt Ci sells all sorts of curios at her rather cramped, no-thrills antique shop. Aside from the prerequisite Ming vases, most of the other items are of a valuable and fragile nature (the shopkeeper requires quick reflexes to prevent clumsy browsers from dropping something). In general, one should expect to find any random thing imaginable from collectible manhua magazines to lost talismans containing untold power.

 

Anybody who messes around in Aunt Ci’s store should expect to be struck by Aunt Ci’s broom, which she wields as expertly as a warrior armed with a staff. If the urban tales are indeed true... then a strike from the old mare’s broom is strong enough to cause earthquakes. It’s also said that when sufficiently angry, Aunt Ci spews out blue flame hotter than the bellies of the most ancient and wisest of dragons. Oh, and apparently, the bristles on the auntie’s bloom can transform into the very same blue flame at will.

 

Of course, all that is probably just nothing more than gross exaggeration. Probably.....

 

Character Personality:

 

When dealing with a prospective customer or is otherwise in a position to be needed by others, Aunt Ci can be sickeningly sweet (aside from an occasional interjected warning to NOT BREAK ANYTHING). Compliments pour out of her mouth as she tempts and guilt-trips her way into making a sale. Aunt Ci charges exuberant amount for everything in her store, but derives competitive pleasure from a good round of price haggling.

 

Aunt Ci is the sort of old mare who believes she knows best about everything. There are times when she randomly begins ranting about how young people today aren’t as filial and respectful as they were back in her day, how they got it easy compared to Ci’s generation. If the auntie thinks someone isn’t doing enough to care for their family or settle down to find a loving spouse, she won’t hesitate to make her thoughts known.

 

Partially from her background as a rural qilin plus from deliberate efforts in appealing to tourists, Aunt Ci is surprisingly knowledgeable on such subjects as herbal remedies, the mysterious ways of the majestic Long, and other folklore. The old mare also believes herself to be a good matchmaker. For no money, Ci is more than happy to provide these services to neighbors and other acquaintances... but they better be prepared for the day she calls in favors!

 

Character Summary:

 

If you’re not there to buy an item from Aunt Ci’s shop... you best be on your way.

 

.....

We’re not kidding here.

[RainbowFoxxy]