DETECTIVE FRANK SHOU
PLAYER: Nestor Rodriguez
Background: When Shou Fa Rong (a.k.a. Frank Shou) was a young boy, his older brother disappeared one day. His parents gave him some vague answers as to where his brother had gone, then moved to a new place where they sternly told young Frank to never mention his brother again. Frank was sure that his brother's disappearance was related to the "magic" tricks that he had started to do, so he made sure to never pretend he had or even show any interest in these "Esper" abilities (he overheard his father use the term), or his parents would make him go away, too.
Needless to say, the rest of Frank's childhood was not a happy one. He grew up to be a moody and withdrawn teenager, with pent-up anger and mistrust against his parents and other adults. He started hanging with local street gangs, seeking companionship. As an initiation rite to one of the gangs, he was sent to pilfer an old man's apartment. What he didn't know (but the gang may have), was that the apartment's tenant was a retired police officer of some reputation. The ex-cop caught Frank in the act, but something about the angry defiant boy kept the old man from just turning him in. He took Frank under his wing, straightening the young man out, treating him fairly but sternly, helping the teen work out his problems, and instilling a clear, practical view of the world in him. He explained to Frank about the corporations' habit of collecting young Espers for indoctrination and suggested that his brother could have suffered this fate. In time, the old cop became an adopted parent and role model, so it was no surprise when Frank decided on a career in law enforcement after graduating from high school.
The time spent learning from the old cop served Frank well, as he was familiar enough with the skills and attitudes needed to be a police officer. Sadly, the old man passed away before being able to see his young charge graduate from the academy with honors.
Frank joined the HKPD, where he gained a reputation as a dedicated officer who didn't let anything get in the way of stopping a crime or capturing a felon. He was prepared to deal with the institutionalized corruption that existed in the force and navigate the path between selling his soul to the Triads and standing out as a threat to the status quo. Soon, Frank was promoted to Detective First Class, and after a stint in the OCTB (Organized Crime Task Bureau), transferred to Homicide.
Now, after a short and very unsuccessful marriage, he has nothing to look forward to but a life of dealing with the scum and crime of the city, until he gets either a gold watch at his retirement ceremony or a bullet in some back alley for his troubles.
Personality/Motivation: Frank's life has left him a worldly-wise man who comes across as cynical and jaded. He's never quite mastered the art of diplomacy, so he comes across as brusque and aloof to most people. He has few friends, but he is very loyal to the ones he has.
On the job, Frank is tenacious. On one hand, he does everything in his power to solve any case he is assigned. On the other hand, he tends to leave a lot feathers ruffled in his wake. While not a dirty cop, he's not lily-white either, and has made deals with the Triads in the past.
Frank reacts badly to Espers, a leftover from his childhood trauma, and this has given people the impression he is prejudiced against them. He also has no love lost for corporations, and has been known to be involved in... clashes when corporate stooges try to interfere with his work.
Frank is a borderline alcoholic, as he finds booze to be a way of dealing with the infrequent headaches he suffers. He is also rarely seen without a cigarette in his mouth. This has done nothing good to his health, but he is still functional enough to do his job.
Quote: Gang Member: "What if I cut your fragging ear off, cop?"
Frank: "I'd probably scream like a little girl. Why? You tired of talking?"
Powers/Tactics: Frank is an experienced police detective, with a stable of informants to keep his finger on the pulse of crime in HK. He knows how to interrogate witnesses, examine a crime site for evidence, and subdue uncooperative perps.
While his marksmanship scores in the academy were only slightly above average, he's displayed an admirable level of accuracy on the field. In spite of his disregard for social niceties, he's also very good at "reading" people's body language, and can usually tell when a person's agitated or lying through his teeth. His situational awareness has gained him a rep for being a bloodhound; stories circulate about how he singled out a hidden Triad sniper at a stakeout and took him out before the criminal could take his shot.
Whatever you do, though, don't even joke about him having ESP. That's a quick route to eating a knuckle sandwich.
Appearance: Frank is a man in his late thirties, average height, with black hair cut short and muddy brown eyes under deep brows. He's broad-shouldered, not athletic- looking, but not totally out of shape either. His face shows a history of stopping many a fist.
He normally wears a suit with the tie loosened, with an overcoat if the weather warrants it. There is no mistaking for anything else than a cop.
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