Gensoukyou:Mai

Background
(Pending rewrite!)

Mai, being a resident of Makai, was "born" in the sense that she was created by the goddess of Makai, Shinki. Mai spent the first few years of her life fairly isolated, and hesitant to reach out and meet others. Soon enough, she was introduced to Yuki, who she was told was her younger sister. Mai didn't openly show it, but she didn't initially like the prospect of having other family to worry about.

Over the years, Mai kept up her studies, practicing and refining her magic to bring out her full potential. She had a mentality that she had to keep an eye on Yuki a lot of the time due to being a bit older, and generally thought she eclipsed her younger sister in terms of magical skill.

The Mystic Square incident was a bit of an eye opener for her. Her home was suddenly being invaded and she found herself alongside her sister against four powerful opponents. She gave it all she had, but it wasn't enough and was shot out of the sky, losing consciousness upon hitting the ground.

After everything was said and done, Mai resolved to strengthen her bond with her sister, believing that they could be a lot more effective if they actually coordinated as a team. She grew more attached to Yuki as a result, less as a guardian and superior, and more of an equal and a friend.

Her initial reaction to everything that happened to her home was rage, but in retrospect, she began wondering if there was a valid reasoning for the sudden invasion. If she meets the quartet or any member of it again, one of her first questions will be a clarification on why the Mystic Square event even began. She doesn't carry as strong a grudge anymore, as things have returned to normal since the event, but at the very least, she wants a rematch.

Personality
By nature, Mai is not a good person. She has the capability to be ruthless, cold, calculated, and deceitful to achieve her goals. The only people keeping her from acting this way are Yuki, her sister, and Shinki, who she has the utmost respect for and undying loyalty to.

While her true nature is suppressed, typically, she's quiet and will rarely speak up without something meaningful to contribute to a group conversation, or on some occasions, a bit of snark. She is generally also tactful in her speech, but if pressured into a corner, she might start bluffing about a supposed advantage she has, but will not lose her cool in most situations. She's very patient and also tries to understand every side of a given argument. She is also very respectful of others opinions, and bears no ill will toward individual species.

She builds friendships slowly, but is very protective of those she decides to trust. She's not the type to hold a grudge, but hurting her in underhanded ways is still very ill-advised.

An indirect result of wanting to learn the causes of the Mystic Square incident caused her to become a bit more interested in Gensokyo as a whole. She would like to spend some time learning more about the realm.

Sometimes her true nature can show itself in bits and pieces. The thought of accepting offers that boil down to "more power but at a price" will cross her mind before remembering that Yuki and Shinki would likely be very upset if she accepted it.

Power/Combat
Mai has spent most of her life refining her proficiency in ice magic, and has arguably become one of the best ice specialists in Makai. She prefers fighting with a defensive, opportunity seeking style, and has found creative ways to use her frigid power. Frequently she'll create shields or walls as a defense, or if the situation calls for it, she can surround her arm in ice to turn it into a sharp blade. When paired with Yuki, she plays a supportive role creating opportunities for Yuki to attack, applying pressure and using area denial to the pair's advantage. Her wings also enable her to be more mobile than her sister. Infusing her wings with ice magic can allow her to create gusts of icy wind to chill an opponent, usually slowing them down to make them an easier target. She is barely affected by cold temperatures.

Spellcards
Ice Sign [Crystal Stalagmites]

Ice Sign [Icicle Spear]

Ice Sign [Icicle Crash]

Freeze Sign [Ice Beam]

Freeze Sign [Blizzard]

Freeze Sign [Ice Armor]

Black Ice [Black Hailstorm]

Black Ice [Glaciate]

(Placeholders until I can think of descriptions)

Major

 * Yuki: Her sister, and the only person Mai puts all of her trust into. After the events that led to her defeat at the hands of Reimu and company, she strengthened her bond with Yuki and found more effective ways they could fight as a team. Yuki is also the main reason she became a better person than how she was. They live together in the same house in Makai.
 * Shinki: Held in high respect, due to being the deity that created Makai in the first place. Mai was trained by Shinki at an earlier point in her life in order to get her started on refining her magic to one focal point. Now she looks up to Shinki as a divinity, but she still fondly remembers the brief mentorship. She will not do anything that will disappoint her unless pushed too far off the deep end.
 * Rinrakunoyoujin Kageki: Met in the Frozen Fields with an offer to help Mai control the black ice she was fascinated with at the time. She wound up coming under his wing, looking to him as a sort-of mentor figure for the time being. While somewhat wary, she seems to also trust him, but will not hesitate to back out if she feels things go too far with this mentorship if Yuki becomes too concerned. With recent developments forming a political bond between Kageki and Shinki effectively making him a king, Mai seems to be more inclined to let her guard down around him now. Even so, her loyalty is still to Shinki and Makai first, with Kageki and Daraku no Rakuen second.

Minor

 * Reimu Hakurei and Marisa Kirisame: Fought during the Mystic Square incident. Mai would like a rematch with both of them on more friendly terms, now that she's improved since then.
 * Yuuka Kazami and Mima: Fought during the Mystic Square incident. Unlike Reimu and Marisa, Mai would prefer not to encounter these two again.
 * Cirno: Met in Gensokyo, and has played with her a few times. Mai considers her...an acquaintance, at best.
 * Sariel: Encountered on a few occasions. Mai was given a reminder on one occasion that she can't always get what she wants alone, and she took the advice to heart.
 * Momiji Inubashiri: Met on Youkai Mountain a few times. Seems to be on friendly terms, as long as Mai doesn't insist on going up the mountain.
 * Kareru Mayou: Met in Daraku no Rakuen. Hasn't spoken with her past introductions, so the ice witch has no opinion on her quite yet.
 * Rinraku no Chamena Ko: Met in Daraku no Rakuen. She doesn't seem to mind the fairy much, finding her to be somewhat entertaining at times.

Trivia

 * Mai's hair actually does extend to an inch or two below her shoulders, but she uses a bit of magic imbued into the bow in her hair to make her hair appear short. Removing the bow will make her hair return to its normal length. The reason she does this is to lessen the chance of her hair catching fire while fighting with Yuki.
 * Calling her a "fairy" and/or comparing her to one is a surefire way to piss her off.
 * She enjoys playing games of luck, and carries a "lucky coin" on hand at all times.
 * Her powers are strengthened during blizzards and hailstorms. They're weakened during Summer due to the heat.
 * She does not drink alcohol unless in a social environment, like a gathering for dinner. Even then, she is very cautious not to get wasted; she'll drink one or two glasses at most.
 * Mai takes a lot of pride in her wings. She works hard to keep them looking nice and doesn't like people trying to touch them unless she trusts them.
 * Maple Wise
 * Forbidden Magic (Theme when paired with Yuki)