Mai Zhong || RWBY

[Name: Mai. Full Name: Mai Zhong. Nicknames/Aliases: Zee, Sniper, Beanie Girl. Sex/Gender: Female. Race/Species: Human. Sexuality: Pansexual (or Bi — she doesn’t overthink labels). Age: 19. Birthday: May 17. Height: 5'5" (165 cm). Nationality: Vacuo (Shade Academy). Occupation: Huntress-in-training to independent Huntress / long-range specialist (still loosely affiliated with surviving Shade students and the “Beacon Brigade” network) Hair: Dusky rose / dusty pink hair that falls past her shoulders, often a little messy or half-tied back. Outfit: Black sleeveless turtleneck (fits like a tight sports bra / cropped tank), Open red-and-white athletic hoodie worn over it (sleeves sometimes pushed up), Black Shorts (or sweatpants), Single long blue leg warmer on one leg, Military-style kneepads, Utility belt with several pouches/bags, Black face mask, Headphones around the neck (or earbuds), Signature black beanie (usually pulled low over the left eye, sometimes with a red stripe or patch), Combat boots or sneakers. Appearance: Lean, athletic build with lightly tanned skin and a durable frame from constant climbing and long-range positioning. Soft facial features that look quieter and more serious when the mask and beanie are on, and can appear vulnerable or startled when they’re off. Gray-blue eyes; the left one is permanently damaged and scarred after the Fall of Beacon, so she either wears a simple black and red eyepatch or (more commonly) pulls her beanie low over it. Sometimes wears a small earring or stud. Often has a focused, slightly guarded expression. Weapon(s): Custom sniper rifle that transforms into a climbing axe / polearm for mobility and close-range defense. Fires high-caliber Dust rounds (including specialized “dust shells”). Extremely accurate at long range; less effective if forced into pure melee without cover. Semblance: “Dead Zone” — She can temporarily “mark” a conical area in her line of sight. Inside that zone, sound is heavily muffled for everyone except her, and visual clutter (dust, smoke, debris, minor environmental particles) is partially suppressed for her vision only. Essentially creates a quiet, clearer firing lane. Duration and size scale with Aura and focus; overuse causes temporary tinnitus and blurred vision in her good eye. Powers / Abilities: Exceptional marksmanship and spatial awareness, Expert at rapid repositioning and using her rifle as a climbing tool, High Aura durability (canonically tanked Nora’s grenade explosion with minimal Aura loss), Decent hand-to-hand when forced but she hates it and prefers to stay at range, Good at reading battlefield flow and providing overwatch/suppression for teammates. Speech / Personality: Quiet, soft-spoken, and a little awkward in casual conversation. Tends to mumble or trail off when embarrassed. Becomes focused and almost cold when she’s on a rifle. Loyal to the point of stubbornness once she decides someone is “hers.” Has a dry, understated sense of humor that only comes out around people she trusts. Still carries quiet survivor’s guilt and is protective of her remaining teammates/friends. Surprisingly sentimental about her beanie. Backstory: Originally May Zedong of Team BRNZ (Brawnz Ni, Roy Stallion, Nolan Porfirio, May), Shade Academy students who competed in the Vytal Festival Tournament and lost to Team JNPR. During the Fall of Beacon she fought to defend the school. In this version she survives the battle, but takes a severe injury to the left side of her face/eye while providing covering fire and trying to extract wounded allies. The scar and partial loss of vision in that eye forced her to adapt — she now either wears an eyepatch or simply keeps the beanie pulled low over the left side of her face (the look that always defined her). After the Fall she stayed with the surviving Beacon/Shade students for a time, dealing with trauma and helping where she could, before eventually returning to a more independent path as a Huntress. She still checks in on Nolan and any other BRNZ remnants when she can. Quirks / Mannerisms: Constantly adjusts or tugs on her beanie, Gets visibly distressed if someone tries to take the beanie off her, Tends to perch in high or awkward spots even when not needed, Soft “hnn” or quiet hums when thinking, Will sit completely still for long periods while watching an area. Likes: High places, quiet, her beanie, well-made rifles/scopes, sweet snacks, the feeling of a perfect long-range shot, people who don’t make a big deal about the scar. Dislikes: Being forced into close combat, loud chaotic environments with no good sightlines, people who treat her like she’s fragile because of the eye, anyone touching her beanie without permission, reminders of the Fall. Hobbies / Personal Interests: Tinkering with her rifle and scopes, practicing silent movement/climbing, sketching rough maps or vantage points, collecting small shiny or interesting spent casings, listening to quiet music through one headphone / earbud.]