Jin Banksee: The Troublemaker

The doctor gets back with some updates and observations. He asks me about my diet, sleep schedule, and medical history. He explains that they still haven’t found any reason for my stomach pain. Since it was so severe, I’m going to stay overnight for observation, like Mom said. In the morning, Doctor Peterson’s going to have me take a few tests. He wants to do an MRI, and some other thing, which, to my delight, will involve my eating radioactive eggs.

Cool… Can we say ‘lamest superhero origin story ever’?

Sample Chapters

Jin Banksee

Sign: Virgo.

Signature scents: Lilic and/or rose.

Aesthetic: Girlie girl next door.

Song: “Dreams,” (Lanie's Version). Originally written and sung by Stevie Nicks.

YouTube: Jin Banksee | PD: Grinning Dragon

Spotify: Jin Banksee | PD: Grinning Dragon

I’m gonna start this post with a statement:

I love GenZ!

I know.

Us Millennials are supposed to hate the generations after us. It’s like, a time-honored tradition, but I make no apologies. I know people suck in every era, but some of my favorite people in the world are young people. My oldest nephew and my youngest niece are GenZers. Then, the kids at the middle school and numerous coworkers I’ve worked with have given me new hope in what’s to come.

Why, just the other day, a rather short person served me my coffee. As I mosied toward the drive-through window in my car with Shorty following beside me after taking my order, we participated in a particularly engaging conversation about greed and tip culture.

I left Dutch Bros with a heart sharpied on my cup, and a fortified motivation to continue on with my day. All of that just to say: Jin, and most of the characters in this series are GenZ. I hope I’ve done the generation justice.

Now onto my introductions.

Jin’s just a girl in the world.

At five-foot-four she’s about as tall as Dominic’s thumb, (exaggeration).

Her ancestry, (though not specifically mentioned in the books), traces back to Ireland. Her most defining features tend to be her honey-colored hair, and hazel eyes that almost match it. She was raised in New Orleans, but after her dad, Jimmy, left, she and her mom, Rachael, moved to Washington State.

Jin gets some of her more outdated tastes in music and movies from Rachael, a professional millennial, and from her aunt, Rhonda, a devoted GenXer.

For all intents and purposes, Jin is exactly like millions of other sixteen-year-old romantics.

She would rather befriend dragons than slay them. She likes art, and music, and reading, and singing, and history. Pining for an era she’s never known. Believing she’d fit in better anywhere but here.

She wants to travel. She wants to go to a good school. She has dreams, and aspirations, and a sunny outlook. It’s her ongoing battle with Type 1 diabetes that gives Jin a unique perspective of the world, and in some ways has forced her to grow up a little faster. In some ways, she is highly logical and intuitive. In others, she is annoyingly naive and dizzyingly stubborn.

She is almost completely unaware of the fiery inner power she possesses – a light that attracts both friends and enemies like a beacon.

Her father’s sudden absence following her diabetes diagnosis, her nightmares, as well as past experiences with bullies at the middle school in Coupeville have led Jin to believe that there could be something wrong with her. Next to Dominic, her deepest desire is in wanting to make a positive difference in the world, but her ongoing fears persist.

She fears the monsters of her own mind, manifested in the terror of a burned forest and a horrific, grinning dragon. She fears the disease that’s taken hold of every decision she makes, and every meal she eats, and every beverage she drinks.

…If there’s one thing Jin doesn’t fear, it’s Dominic Spencer, even if she should.

Later, she fears losing Dominic more than she’s ever feared illness or dragons. Although it can be said that it is her love, not her fear, that would make her risk anything and everything, not only for Dominic, but in the pursuit of finding herself, and answering questions that may not even have answers.

On the surface, Jin is modest, quirky, observant, and unabashedly girly, but her inner world is one made of hope, deep contemplations, and the kind of daydreams only true dreamers can manifest.

Funny. Weird. Playful. Loving. Humble. Curious. Bright. Bookish. For each of her best attributes, Jin is just a little too trusting.

For her role in Grinning Dragon, I think that some of her greatest challenges lie in beginning to see the world for what it can actually be, and still maintaining the sweetness and innocence that defines her. Yet, one of the coolest things about Jin Banksee is that she’s an excellent example of how hard doesn’t equate to strength. How emotion doesn’t mean weakness. While she is indeed girlish and sweet and innocent, she is also quite a force of extraordinary might and unstoppable perseverance. In fact, she might be the only person who doesn’t see herself for what she truly is. At least, not until Dominic Spencer strolls into her life.

Despite the light she holds within, his presence is the sunshine that illuminates her. Dominic recognizes Jin with such truth, with such urgency, with such acute precision; it gives her no choice except for to begin examining herself.

As time goes on, she doesn’t merely see the reflection in his eyes. She starts to recognize the girl looking back from mirrors, as well.

Jin’s feelings – her obsession, her passion for Dominic are only a few of the things that compel her deeper into her journey of self-discovery. There are plenty of people who walk with her along this path.

Her best friend, Izzy Finch, is Jin’s own personal cheerleader, (but don’t ever call her that).

Izzy’s always known and supported who Jin is. And of course, there’s Jin’s new art tutor, Dexter Perrine. He develops a rather obvious (to readers) admiration for her, and this admiration is another catalyst in helping Jin to understand herself better. There’s also the nightmares… Verging on a terror so real, it seeps into her waking world. Such occurrences leave Jin with nowhere to go, except for beyond – spurring her to reach out, and consider that there’s more to her own mind, and to reality than she could have ever imagined, just like the girl in the mirror. Either that, or she’s crazy...

The romantic dynamic that Jin has with Dominic is initially one of uncertainty. She’d settle for being his friend, but that wasn’t an option for either of them. Not from the moment they saw each other. Even so, in Jin’s head, how could someone as spectacular as Dominic Spencer be interested in her? And why?

The ‘why’ is what gives way to her suspicion and ambiguity. Suspicion and ambiguity over-ridden at every turn by complete and total infatuation. Jin isn’t exactly a shy person, but the way he looks at her is guaranteed to active timid moron-mode. Something about Dominic brings out the gentlest, most compliant side of her, and she can’t help but to trust him.

Their relationship can easily be described as puppy love. Icky, ewy, gooey, teenage love. First love. Last love.

Slowly, doubt and suspicion subside into powerful admiration and mutual adoration, paving the way for those most wonderful tropes.

• Who Did This to You?

• You Push Me to Be Better.

• Friends to Lovers.

• I Will Burn the World For You.

• I Will Save the World For You.

• I Trust You With My Back.

• Tension.

• Yearning.

• Forced Proximity.

And more…

In summary, my favorite thing about Jin is that she is exactly as she seems. Smart but naive. Kind but honest. Persistent but gentle. Strong, and soft.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my deep dive into Miss Banksee. Troublemaker. Dreamer. The Girl in the Mirror.

Does Jin seem like someone you could relate to? Why, or why not?

Next week, I’m excited to show you a behind the scenes peek into the mind, soul, and personality of Dominic Spencer.

See you then!   

And lest you've forgotten since last time: Life is ART. Live it!