- Traditionally, Baise is pronounced "bye-sir". However, so many Plumerians pronounced Baise's name incorrectly that he (and the rest of the China family) now know him as "base". The name Baise means "hundred colors", and he fits the meaning well with his brilliantly-colored fur. The meaning, however, is not the only reason that Baise was given his name. Aside from being a Chinese city, Baise is similar in spelling and pronunciation to Basil, Cheerio's close friend and roommate. His very name is a tribute to the shy, humming Plumerian.
Age: Six years old
Personality:
- Baise has always been quite a unique child. While he is curious and adventurous, very typical traits of Plumes his age, he is as unusual as they come. For starters, he always appears anxious and on edge. Always. Even in his own home, though he knows he's secure, he twitches and glances over his shoulder. He also has very little perception of others' emotions. Unless they are downright sobbing or bouncing off of the walls, subtle cues that would easily be picked up by any normal Plumerian fly right past him. He simply doesn't understand body language and facial expression. However, he is not emotionless himself. While it takes a lot to make him genuinely upset, he often becomes quite irritable and grumpy. This is especially true when he is forced to do something against his own will. For the most part, though, he is a fairly content Plume.
Baise is also incredibly nosy, and feels the need to stick his nose in everyone's business, whether or not he truly cares about it. This leads him to ask very insensitive questions. If you happen to reveal to Baise that you recently had a heartbreak, he'll immediately ask you why without even an "I'm sorry." Many perceive Baise as being intentionally rude and impolite, and though Lina often scolds him for it, he simply doesn't know how to be sympathetic. And his social troubles don't end there. Baise becomes even more awkward around Plumes his own age (Xiamen being the only exception), and steers clear of them no matter the cost. Because of this, he has very few friends, leading him to become quite independent at such a young age.
Hobbies:
- Herbalism
Herbalism is Baise's one true passion. If asked what drew him to his unique hobby, he couldn't pinpoint exactly why, but he will tell you that he has always loved the smell of fresh herbs. Once he began to grow an herb garden to have all of those wonderful scents close to home, it just took off. He received many handbooks from his parents, who were grateful that their son had found a true interest, and began studying herbal medicine. While he still believes somewhat in modern medicine, he swears by his various concoctions for colds, headaches, and aches and pains. And those who are willing to try them swear by them too. Baise is quite a gifted herbalist, and aspires to one day make a profession out of his passion.
- Gardening
Even before he started making a use of them, Baise was fond of growing herbs. His aromatic herb garden is treated like his own child- he waters it by hand, pulls weeds daily, and fertilizes it regularly. His plants are always alive and healthy, even in the most desolate conditions. He often harvests these herbs for his herbalist purposes, but it pains him to destroy the plants that he cares for so well. His most prized posession, his lavender plant, he doesn't touch. He claims that every time he picks off a bit, it loses some of its beautiful smell.
- Reading
Every morning, before heading out to his garden to water the herbs, Baise reads the newspaper. Though he is young, he has an extensive vocabulary and very good reading comprehension, so he understands most of the articles. He also enjoys reading in his free time (especially when a concoction of his doesn't turn out as planned and the house smells like burned basil, and Lina sends him to his room). He mostly reads his herbalist manuals, though he does enjoy Science Fiction and some Nonfiction. Lina and Cheerio buy him novels regularly, glad to see him doing anything not related to herbs. Because of this he has an extensive library in his bedroom.
Accesories:
- Messenger Bag
Baise takes his brown velvet-and-leather (though it's only faux leather) messenger bag wherever he goes. Lina and Cheerio bought it for him as a birthday present one year, hoping that it would help him contain his various herbs, books, and knickknacks. Since then he has sewn on many makeshift pockets to the front which contain vials, jars, and other containers filled with herbs. Underneath the flap is a larger pocket which he uses to store half a dozen reference books, as well as other small toys and objects that happen to fall in there.
- Rice Hat
Baise wears his rice hat when he's out in the herb garden, in order to keep the sun off of his face. He's not quite sure when or how he acquired it, but he greatly admires it and the culture associated with it. It's snug, cool-looking, and keeps the sun off of him perfectly. He would love to wear it more often, but he would feel too insecure about it. Either way, his fondness of Asian culture makes his hat a cherished accessory.
- Jade Pendant
Baise, being slightly superstitious, carries a round jade pendant with him at all times. When it is not thrown to the bottom of his messenger bag, he strings a black cord through the square opening in the center and wears it as a necklace. He swears that it brings him luck, though he's not a particularly lucky Plume.
Pet:
- When Baise was 4 years old, he found a large, 3 inch grasshopper in his herb garden. He immediately removed the pest from his garden, but thought it was lovely and decided to keep it. He trapped it in a large glass jar (he has since transferred it to a large terrarium) with a handful of grass, dirt, and leaves, with a bottlecap full of water. After researching a grasshopper's diet, he also threw in a few kernels of corn. He has kept it ever since. He refuses to name the grasshopper, insisting that it's silly to name something that can't recognize its name, but he does admire his vibrant little pet. Just staring at the insect provides him great entertainment when he's stuck inside.
Relationships:
- Xiamen
Xiamen is Baise's best friend, and the only Plumerian his age who he feels comfortable around. Though her obsession with rabbits is one that he'll never understand, he loves his sister with all of his heart. Their relationship is quirky and odd at best; he refuses to call her by her nickname, Amoy, and they get into seemingly constant arguments (which usually end up with Xiamen crying). But in the end, they know that they could never abandon each other, even if they wanted to. Baise is fiercely protective of his sister and he hates to see her upset (on the rare occasion that he does actually pick up on her feelings), even if they had just been bickering. Though their bond as friends and as siblings is often strained, Baise knows that his sis will always have his back. And he will always have hers.
- Cheerio
Baise, while he loves his father and has a great deal of respect for him, finds it quite hard to be around his parents in general. They're both so extroverted, so outspoken, and they clearly don't understand their awkward, quiet child. Cheerio in particular is always trying to get his son out into the world, trying his hardest to convince him to make friends and flirt with girls. While his father's attempts are only out of love and slight concern for antisocial Baise, they aren't too appreciated by the receiving end. While Cheerio loves his son more than anything, and tries desperately to understand him, they're complete opposites.
- Lina
Lina is a bit more understanding of Baise, and seems to have accepted that her son is never going to make much progress in becoming any less socially awkward. It does concern her, however, that Baise is so independent. Lina would love nothing more than to fuss on Baise all day long, but he's usually out and about doing research or reading the newspaper, or occasionally tagging along on Xiamen's adventures. She must ask him a dozen times a day, "Do you want to talk? Or just sit down with me?", but she usually receives a brisk "No". While Lina loves her children equally, she does worry quite a bit about Baise.
- "Uncle" Basil
Basil and Baise have always gotten along. Basil felt an attachment to Baise from the beginning; after all, he's his namesake! Though he had a fondness for the entire family, Baise is more than his friend's son. He's so much like adoptive family that Baise has taken to calling Basil his uncle, and it's not clear whether or not Baise actually knows that he isn't. The two are so close because they are both introverts who were and are dragged out to parties by Cheerio. There is no denying the bond between the two.
