Vera Zhou

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A cunning, sharp-tongued emissary who doesn’t mind being feared as long as she’s respected. To her, effective diplomacy is tackling conflict head-on, either with strong words or even stronger fisticuffs.

But no matter how cruel and savage she may be, she firmly remains on the side of people as their protector.

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• Being the oldest child was, to Vera, an unenviable responsibility. As a result, she quickly became independent from her family as soon as she could secure a government job. Though the Zhous send her occasional money as a financial incentive to re-integrate herself with family business, Vera remains firm on building a life outside of the will of her parents.
  • Her relationship with ​Tian, the only sibling still living with their parents, is the most strained. They can barely have a conversation without it descending into a one-sided argument.
  • Though Vera doesn’t particularly respect the Synestheistic church, she makes an effort to visit ​the youngest, Cheng, now and then. But she has gotten in trouble for… intimidating the congregation.
• Envoys are tasked to travel abroad and represent more important, powerful figures. Her early years were rough; it wasn’t her first-choice career, she disliked having to tip-toe around rules and regulations, and she particularly struggled with maintaining a ‘personable’ public image. But she didn’t have anything to fall back on, so she bore through it, ascending through the ranks and becoming the disciplined agent she is today.
  • Her true skills lie in intimidation and battle strategy, so once her missions were adjusted to cater to these strengths, she started enjoying the job more.
• Nourishment through movement and action stave Vera off of restlessness. That is why she favors missions with elements of danger and challenge, such as ones that involve assassination attempts and war zones.
  • She was once held at gunpoint by a robber. This was at the end of a particularly boring day, and the smile she gave was so frightening that the man immediately surrendered. That didn’t stop her from delivering the beating of a lifetime, though.
• It’s rumored that Vera’s unique skill lies in her tongue - both its verbal and motoric abilities.
• Jade is the Color Code Vera had in her teenage years, in tandem with the name she went by at the time and the people she affiliated with. She still employs it from time to time for her more military responsibilities.
• During her academy years, she was in an exclusive social clique led by then valedictorian and class president Regina Pretorius. She deeply admired Regina, acting as her second-in-command and confidant.
  • Yuna Chakrabarti, a member of the clique and lowerclassman, claims that Vera took it the hardest when the group later dissolved due to interpersonal conflicts.
• Ever the protective eldest, Vera will throw out insults and provide a disciplinary smack to the back of the head but will not stand for bad treatment of her sisters by others. She denies any favoritism.
• No animal (besides certain cold-blooded ones) lets their guard down around Vera. If she approaches one, it will either flee or be frozen solid, as if bearing the gaze of a fearsome predator. She takes it in stride, since she doesn’t care about such matters anyway. Though she does miss what fur and feathers feel like.
• A minor difference between Vera and Vern (their more masculine presentation) is the propensity for mischief. He is much more prone to playing tricks and lying for surface-level enjoyment.
  • His form seems to remind him of when he was much younger - unburdened and free.
• For some, finding your destined Specter happens naturally upon encountering one in the wild. But for Vera, who honed in on Phthonys, she spent years tracking them down for the sole purpose of bonding.
  • She would eventually find what she was looking for in a beautiful, almost regal garden that was unlike any other she’d ever seen. The Phthonys was irritated at her obstinance, but Vera supposedly made a deal with it in exchange for their bond.
  • The Specter seems to share his user’s interest in wearing different forms. He often makes an appearance as a handsome man, as if competing with Vera’s beauty out of spite.
• Gender is an intimate subject to Vera. She doesn’t mind being called a ‘sister’ by her siblings, though it doesn’t sound right all the time. His presentation has demonstrated fluidity ever since he was a child, but even they seem unsure as to what they are now. It’s a never-ending cycle; no label is ever good enough.
• Unlike a traditional whip, Vera’s lacks a rigid handle. As a result, it can coil up and fit in her pocket easily, despite it being over a meter long.
• Not an affectionate person, Vera has only dated once before. It ended messily - as is expected of two inexperienced teenagers - and ever since, she’s been closed off to romance and other people in general.
  • Tian claims that her relationship was the happiest I’ve seen my dear, frightening sister.
  • Though it took months, Vera eventually rekindled her friendship with her ex. Since they would end up working alongside each other, they have maintained a professional and cordial relationship.
• She had a bad habit of biting her fingernails when she was younger. She’s staved it off by wearing gloves, though that doesn’t stop her from chewing on her whip whenever she’s particularly irked.
• The VENOM Value can allow the user to build up a poison resistance themselves. Vera has pushed the limits on what can be considered ‘poison’, training herself to become immune to all kinds of chemicals.