Kyou Shou
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About Kyou Shou
Kyou Shou was born in the Kunlun Shan, an important location in the Chinese Mythology, considered as a mystical location where many creatures of the Chinese Mythos can be found. While not much of her past is known, and may have to be inquired to her in order to find out, one thing that she generally makes known is that she no longer lives in Kunlun Mountain, instead having at some point of her life moved to Mount Qiyun, where she became the guardian of one of its many Daoist temples, along with her twin sister Kyou Kim. A Huli Jing - a Chinese interpretation of Kitsune - Kyou Shou has lived long enough to acquire a Human form, and stands as a rather lovely woman of above-average height, feminine curves and delicate appearance. Typically, one can find a pair of fox ears atop of her head, as well as a single tail behind her, though one might surmise that it might not be the real number of tails that she has. Her hair, ears and tail share the same coloring, a very dark brown that is almost black, greatly contrasting with a pale, pinkish skin. Her looks are generally compared to her sister's, and due to being twins the two can often be mistaken for each other, although certain aspects of their body language, personality and way of dressing do allow them to be far more easily distinguished. A woman of soft-spoken voice, delicate and calm mannerisms, peaceful demeanor and almost demure behavior, Shou typically stands as the placid half of the twins, with her sister Kim being known to be more lively and mischievous. Deep within however, she does share many of her sister's traits, and they occasionally surface in certain moments, but for most part she does maintain the image of a mystical, peaceful and charming woman. While more subtle in her affections than her sister, those who pay attention to her body language, her way of speech and such, will find that she can be rather expressive in her own subtle way. Much like her sister, most mortals - and several beings beyond that - tend to find her very beautiful.
Overall, Shou stands as the Yang to Kim's Yin, though like in the concept of both energies, both sisters carry aspects of each other within themselves, with Shou's Yin manifesting in more rare or necessary occasions than her sister's, or in more subtle ways. While a generally benevolent, friendly and generous being, Shou does have her own small moments of mischievousness, but is often known for putting the blame of such things on Kim, as she is often more prone to doing it anyway. An open-minded, intelligent woman of vast depths, Shou is capable of socializing in quite pleasant fashions, adapting well to both light-hearted situations or to more difficult ones, and often acts as the voice of wisdom and reason between both sisters, where Kim is generally regarded as the voice of action and forwardness, all aspects that tend to varyingly become important in their duties. Due to their intricate, deep relationship, both sisters get along in an excellent manner, and they usually know well when each other's strong points may shine the best. Where Shou relies on Kim's sharp instincts to know when to act and move, or when not to, Kim relies on Shou's deep sense of reflection to know when it may be wiser to give pause and act with patience. However, one thing that is a reflection of each other in the sisters is their protective instinct. Few have ever come to not regret having tried to bring harm to either sister only to find themselves being viciously suffering in the hand of their sibling.
While she does pointedly avoid speaking in excess about religious themes, Shou is very knowledgeable on Daoism and its themes, as well as the mythos surrounding Chinese culture. This comes from not only living and guarding a temple, but by the influence of her constant interactions with followers of Taoism. She carries a deep sense of gratitude towards the Temple where she and her sister have been harbored in their younger years, following a vicious attack by a powerful Yaoguai who wished to devour the twins. This manifests in their life-long vow to protect the Temple and its inhabitants from harm so long as they exist. The Temple is known to serve as a small shelter for other adopted siblings of theirs, generally other beings of Chinese Mythos, most of them acting as servants to the temple and aiding the sisters and the local Humans in maintaining its legacy and preservation. Together, Shou and Kim have been known to viciously and aggressively repel many of the Yaoguai who have sought to make meals out of the local Priests, and with the passing of the centuries, most of them have learned to understand that so long as the twin sisters remain as the loyal guardians of the Temple, no Yaoguai will ever set food upon its sacred grounds.
In general, Kyou Shou is a woman who seldom acts in a way to bring harm to other fellow living beings, but she is also incredibly determined and ruthless when it comes to dealing with enemies or with those she perceives as genuine threats. When angered or truly provoked, she's known to be genuinely vicious and aggressive, to the point of cruelty at times. At times, this also reflects in her more intimate affections, and she regards herself as a fairly aggressive lover when it comes to that. Shou also has a genuine curiosity towards Humanity as a whole, often opting to go on long travels in periods where the Temple is safe. Alongside her sister, they often blend with the mortal world in order to learn more about its culture, its growth and changes. One interesting aspect of hers is that she tends to be a little slow when it comes to understanding human technologies, and despite having a cellphone, she is often seen using it much like an old person would. It contrasts with her sister Kim, who seems to grasp such concepts much faster. On the other hand, Shou is usually more knowledgeable on things of mystical nature and generally has an easier time understand different religions and mythologies. She is often found reading books and stories, and has a small, interesting knack towards drawing. Shou has the habit of drawing a facial sketch of every individual she knows for at least a few conversations, and generally preserves them as precious memories of their meetings.
Powers and Abilities
A Huli Jing is a fox spirit from Chinese Mythology, and is sometimes also known as Jiuweihu, and bears a degree of resemblance to Japanese Kitsune. Where Inari Okami stands as the representative deity for Kitsune, Húxiān Niángniáng stands as the matron for the Huli Jing, and although both Goddesses are supposed to be different entities, they carry a few similarities in their duties. A Huli Jing is a nine-tailed fox, generally hailed from the Land of Green-Hills, North of Tianwu. A distinct difference between Huli Jing and Kitsune lies in the former being generally a single, non-divided species capable of being both benevolent or malevolent beings, a balanced representation often seen in Daoism, where Kitsune are often divided between Zenko and Yako (also known as Nogitsune). It is unknown if a Huli Jing is born with a single tail or all nine, as most tales speak of them already bearing all nine tails. As a Huli Jing, Kyou Shou carries many of their abilities, among them the most outstanding one being an immense aptitude towards magic and general spellcasting, and she's generally regarded as a peerless caster.
Able to utilize a myriad of magics, ranging from enchantments, illusions, transformations, curses, and even outright aggressive or defensive spells, she seems to stand as an excellent example of a successful spellcaster, though one might question if her melee abilities are anywhere on par with that. Despite not being fond of tangling in melee combat, Shou does have strength, speed and endurance considerably beyond that of regular Human beings, and more comparable to those of metahumans instead. It is hard to discern her actual number of tails, as she usually only leaves a single one in sight, and an incredibly powerful glamour acts as a protective layer that prevents the actual number from being easily discovered. The same glamour also masks her aura to a point where one could very easily assume her to be a single-tailed Kitsune. This is often used as an advantage against enemies that would underestimate her, and attack her without being truly aware of her combat capabilities. The nature of her magic seems to originate from the Tao practiced by Daoists. Manifesting in the form of a divine power of sorts, one deeply interwined with life and nature, the Tao is a highly versatile form of magic, not known to many outside of China but nonetheless incredibly efficient in the right hands.
Gallery
Shou depicted in a mischievous mood
A more flattering piece from her wardrobe
Shou in a more flirtatious mood
Links
Ps.: None of the utilized images is my own. Will happily provide links and credit to the artist of each individual picture if interested in seeing more of their works.
