Alaina Zaephord

> "*Hehe. Back in the Olympics, whenever we had to be partners with anyone, the first thing we had to learn about was each others limits.*"
> ― Alaina Zaephord
>
>

Daughter of York Zaephord, an Earth army colonel. Intended to receive military training, but ultimately played to her passion as an athletic star. With the help of her dedication and her over-zealous manager, she became a sports idol in the Republic of China. While she's no soldier, Lana felt compelled to participate as an AA test pilot to strive for grander physical feats and to make both her country and her father proud. Was enlisted into the AA testing program thanks to her father's connections and streamlined physical prowess.

## Appearance

Lana has the typical marathoner's body, being quite lithe and lean. Only the tone in her abdomen is the tell-tale sign that she even does any exercise at all. She stands at a modest 5'2 with a milky olive complexion. Freckles dot across her cheeks under her emerald eyes, which have a hint of a monolid. She sports a short, low-maintenance, raven-colored bob with a streak of reddish-pink across a section of the fringe.

## Personality & Interests

Energetic and chipper, Lana aims to do every action at 110%. She is very friendly and aims to have jovial relationships with all those around her. Doing everything with a big smile is the way to go, however she does care greatly for what her family, friends, and people of authority think of her. Like a puppy dog, validation (or lack thereof) can be her best or worst motivator. She finds value in ranks and pays respect to them - part because she finds it right, part because she wants to get on everyone's good side. Overall, Lana's greatest strength is the determination to keep going, however she just as easily can be knocked down in a moment of weakness.

### Interests

Above all else, Lana is an athlete. Her hyperactivity finds solace in physical activity and she gets a great sense of satisfaction when reaching a new milestone. She's tried nearly every sport under the Earth's sun. Rollerblading was her first love, football was her second. But running was her greatest love, and also the one she was most talented at.

Lana is also a fan of theatre and film. She finds shadow puppetry plays to be just as enjoyable as action and romance movies. Lana is particularly a fanatic of the action-martial arts franchise, Kin of the Kingdom.

Lana likes rock and pop punk. Her favorite bands are The Rottiecocks, Run Crocker Run, and Virgo (in which an ex-boyfriend is a guitarist). Her favorite foods are burgers, ice cream, lettuce wraps, and pork buns. Her least favorite foods are rice porridge, string beans, and bread pudding.

## Skills & Abilities

* **Running:** Lana is an Olympic-class marathon runner, built for running for long periods of time. While her speed lacks in comparison to those of her ability, she could easily outrun most anyone, and definitely for longer.
* **CQC:** While not as honed as her running skills, Lana is still greatly proficient in close-quarters combat. Her speed and small size make her a more difficult target to hit. She mainly bases her technique off the technical efficiency of sanshou, as well as the quick-footed energy of snake fist. Lana is also trained in utilizing the qiang.
* **Sociability:** Having fame, a firm father, and a value for ranking, makes Lana especially proficient in ass-kissing.

## History

### Prior to the Menaulion

#### A Balanced Upbringing

Lana was born on August 18th, 0360 PC, in Tianjin, China. Her parents: York Zaephord, an ESU corporal, and Feng Hua Zaephord, a chemistry professor. Both were motivated to be the parents of a good child, alternating between firm discipline and practically spoiling their daughter. More than anything, York was determined to hone Lana to the best of her abilities, meanwhile Feng softened Lana’s upbringing by nurturing her and teaching her the importance of a smile.

#### Hand of Fate

They were a relatively normal family, until the year of the Six-Month War. York had left home to fight for Earth, during which, Feng died from a fatal chemical accident by an alleged Martian terrorist in the lab. By the time York had come home, Lana was the age of 11, now without a mother and with only the lamenting husk of a father.

Since then, York took a great interest in doing the job of two parents; this only meant double his preferred upbringing for Lana. They moved to his home turf of Mississippi. She received a lightweight version of military training and etiquette, in which they found her talent in athleticism.

#### The Olympian

Middle school was when she first started participating competitively, consistently ranking in the top three in track and field. Instead of searching for colleges, Lana was permitted to move back to China to train for the Olympics. She finally got to participate at age 20, winning China two silvers and bronze medal in the 3000m, 5000m, and 10,000m run respectively. At 24, she rectified her record by bringing home gold medals all across the board. Her desire to remain active in marathons outside the Olympics and her volunteer work only continued to raise her notoriety. Next thing she knew, Lana became a role model for her country.

With her dream already accomplished, she sought to chase a new one. To reach a new ceiling. She had overheard from her father at work about a test pilot program for Martian AAs, and with a few strings pulled on her father’s part, he begrudgingly opened the door for her.