Qinshi

Qinshi is the current Chief of Police in Republic City.

Appearance
Qinshi has long red hair that she usually wears mostly down but with a small braid on either side of her head. She has bright green eyes. She wears a collared white blouse with short, puffy sleeves underneath a green vest with gold trim and gold frog closures down the front. She wears a long green skirt with the same gold trim as her vest that has a long slit down one side. She wears plain black shoes and short socks. She also wears a green hat with a gold star that denotes her as Chief of Police.

Personality
Qinshi is a strong-willed person who has a strong sense of duty. She can be fun and friendly with people she knows well, but she is mostly cold and apathetic towards people she doesn't know. This characteristic is nessessary because of her position in the police force. She cares about her subordinates, and isn't cruel, but she expects the best from them, and doesn't tolerate slacking off or misbehavior. She can act a bit sly or coy at times, but mostly she is very straightforward.

History
Qinshi was born and raised in Ba Sing Se. She lived in the Upper Ring because her father Zhanshi was a high-ranking commander of the military. She studied earthbending at a traditional school all through her childhood, and her older brother Yanshi would help her with her technique. Her parents were kind, but somewhat distant. Her father was almost always working, and did not have very much time for family, and her mother was frail and could not be very active. She had a great relationship with her brother though, and they were always very close.

When Qinshi was 12 years old and her brother turned 16, he decided to move to Republic City, and when she asked, he let her travel with him so that she could see the rest of the world. Her parents were against her going because they felt that she was too young to leave home, but her brother persuaded them by reminding them that he was a responsible adult and he would take care of her.

In the next four years, she learned more modern forms of earthbending at schools in Republic City. She also showed a talent for metalbending, and went to a specialized metalbending school for a few years. She often wrote letters back to her parents to tell them about her progress, and they were supportive and proud of her.

When she was 16, she returned home to visit her family, and them gave a demonstration of everything she learned in Republic City. Her father was impressed, and he talked to his friend, who was also the Captain of the Royal Palace Guard and asked him to come and see her demonstration. The Captain of the Guard was also impressed with her skill, and he invited Qinshi to join the Palace Guard. Being a member of the Palace Guard is an honorable position, and she gladly accepted. However her mother was against it, because she didn’t want her daughter to be in a dangerous position, she was reassured her that it was mostly a ceremonial position, and that Qinshi wouldn’t be in any real danger.



Qinshi served in the guard for the next three years. During that time, her brother also returned home to serve in the military under his father’s request. Their mother was against that as well, because even if the Palace Guard does not do any real fighting, the military does. But Qinshi assured her that Yanshi would not have to do any fighting either because the world was at peace.

When Qinshi was 19 years old, she was chosen to be in the Earth King’s personal guard. The members of that guard are hand selected for their positions, and it is a great honor. She had received her new uniform and was preparing to move into the special barracks set aside for the private guard when the war broke out. She could not believe what was happening and was wholeheartedly against it. Even though it meant turning down an extremely high honor, she resigned her position in the guard and left for Republic City. Her father was outraged at her behavior because it reflected poorly on himself as a high-ranking military general, but her mother was secretly pleased at her daughter’s resistance.

Qinshi returned to Republic City, which she thought of as her second home, and applied to join the Metalbending Police Force. She passed the exam with flying colors, and spent the next five years in the Police Force, ignoring and distancing herself from the turmoil that her home country was causing. She was promoted rapidly, and became Chief of Police when she was 23 years old. It is a testament to her skill and dedication that she attained the position at such a relatively young age, and she showed that through hard work, anything can be achieved.

Trivia

 * Qinshi's character design is based on the character Hong Meiling from the Japanese videogame series Touhou.