Post by Gia on Aug 8, 2009 20:43:34 GMT -6
Name: Zhai Li
Age: 36
Appearance: Zhai Li is everything a noblewoman should appear to be. She is of average height, standing around five feet four inches. She has the typical, straight black hair of most in her nation, and is lucky enough to have developed any gray hair yet. Her skin is as pale as her hair is dark, and her eyes are the typical amber. Her body is thin, even after having a baby, but is not blessed with the sumptuous curves her daughter has. Instead, her body is thin, but not too thin and her figure is still pleasant. She is normally dressed in the finest clothing the Fire Nation has to offer, something expected of a woman of her status, so of course, she thinks nothing of it. She rarely smiles, but when she does, it lights up her face.
History: Zhai Li was born the only child of two nobles – Tomiko, a proud Fire Nation soldier, and Kyouko, a beautiful noblewoman. Her father spent a good deal of her childhood away, fighting for the greater good of the Fire Nation. She grew up thinking nothing but pleasant thoughts about the place in which she was born. Kyouko took every spare moment to make her daughter grow into the perfect noblewoman, instilling in her the beliefs she felt she needed. While still allowing her a social life, Zhai Li’s mother taught her how to dress, look, and act the way a woman should act – proud, beautiful, but never speaking out against a man in public. She also taught her how to cook, clean, and raise children, for it the belief of Kyouko that a woman’s place was in the home. Zhai Li also grew up believing while men should fight for their country, that was not a woman’s place, and a true noblewoman should not firebend. It simply wasn’t proper.
That was how the young woman’s life went, and for Zhai Li, it was fine. She got to go to school, and see friends, while still listening to everything her mother told her. When she was sixteen, a new phase in her life began. While Zhai Li had noticed boys, she had never thought of dating one. She was far too busy at home to be dating boys. However, her parents sat her down one day and told her she was to be engaged to a boy her own named Makino, the son of Akira, an old friend of Tomiko’s. Zhai Li had no arguments, for that was not a child’s place to disagree with her parents. When she met Makino, she was dumbstruck. He was handsome, strong, and always sweet to her. They engagement lasted two years, in which they took the time to get to know each other. It made their married life easier, because they truly did fall in love.
Shortly after their marriage, Zhai Li became pregnant. When the baby finally came, it was a baby girl. Both Zhai Li and Makino were as happy as they could be, and they named her Karena. However, the new mother was not happy when at a young age it became apparent that her beautiful daughter had inherited her father’s Firebending skills. Zhai Li tried to teach her the same things that her mother had taught her, but to no avail. Karena was her father’s daughter in virtually every way. There was nothing of Zhai Li in her, except in Karena’s smile, something just as are as her mother’s smiles. Nonetheless, Zhai Li expressed her displeasure in private to her husband about him teaching her how to firebend, but Makino did it anyway as Zhai Li tried to make her into a proper young woman. It was difficult, and quickly becoming a lost cause. Zhai Li even told her daughter at one point, “Any man would look at you, and say, ‘Yes, I’d marry her!’ and then you’d open your mouth, and they’d run in the other direction.”
Zhai Li and Makino had nearly given up hope that marrying off Karena would ever be possible, until Zhai Li walked into a shocked but happy Karena, and her proud father. He then proceeded to tell her that Fire Lord Ozai had asked to marry off Karena to his own son – and the future Fire Lord – Prince Zuko. The family was very happy, but that was to be short-lived. Karena had wanted to please Zuko, but he didn’t much like her. Things started off the wrong foot, and they did not get better. The engagement wasn’t off, of course, but Zhai Li had hoped that her daughter and her fiancée would be as happy together as Zhai Li and Makino were. Of course, Zuko was banished a few months later, and Karena shortly followed, her temper finally getting the better of her.
It broke Zhai Li to pieces. Despite her harsh treatment of her daughter, the woman had loved her dearly. Makino tried to make her happy, but nothing could lift his wife’s spirits and nothing could change the fact that Karena was gone for good. Ozai had told Karena that she would only return when Zuko did, and since Zuko was after the Avatar – who hadn’t been since in a hundred years – there was hope of seeing her again. Makino even bought her koi fish in a glass tank to take care of, but it didn’t help. Yes, Zhai Li had liked the present, but what she really wanted as her daughter back. That, unfortunately, was not going to happen.
Zhai Li’s belief in the Fire Nation died the day their leader banished her young daughter along with his own son after an Agni Kai with the boy. She was not ignorant when her husband started a Resistance, bent on getting both Ozai and his daughter off the throne and instilling the banished Zuko instead. While she didn’t participate, she did agree, and was very worried for her husband all the same. It was dangerous, what he was doing, especially since he relied on the others to protect him. With the injury he’d received in battle, if the soldiers came for him, there’d be little either of them could do. Zhai Li hasn’t met many of the members of the Resistance at all, but she has met some briefly, including Takeno, one of the rising members.
Personality: Zhai Li is a strict, stern woman has a very low understanding of people who go against her beliefs. When it comes to her beliefs, she believes them very strongly. She is a true noblewoman at heart, and believes that a woman’s place is to get married, have children, and run the home. She’s not always very understanding of people until she’s forced to see things the hard way. Zhai Li is very frank, though, and will probably tell you her opinion whether you want to hear it or not. Regardless, she is still a very caring and love person at heart, and will feel each loss of a loved more keenly than others, and will worry more, as well.
Age: 36
Appearance: Zhai Li is everything a noblewoman should appear to be. She is of average height, standing around five feet four inches. She has the typical, straight black hair of most in her nation, and is lucky enough to have developed any gray hair yet. Her skin is as pale as her hair is dark, and her eyes are the typical amber. Her body is thin, even after having a baby, but is not blessed with the sumptuous curves her daughter has. Instead, her body is thin, but not too thin and her figure is still pleasant. She is normally dressed in the finest clothing the Fire Nation has to offer, something expected of a woman of her status, so of course, she thinks nothing of it. She rarely smiles, but when she does, it lights up her face.
History: Zhai Li was born the only child of two nobles – Tomiko, a proud Fire Nation soldier, and Kyouko, a beautiful noblewoman. Her father spent a good deal of her childhood away, fighting for the greater good of the Fire Nation. She grew up thinking nothing but pleasant thoughts about the place in which she was born. Kyouko took every spare moment to make her daughter grow into the perfect noblewoman, instilling in her the beliefs she felt she needed. While still allowing her a social life, Zhai Li’s mother taught her how to dress, look, and act the way a woman should act – proud, beautiful, but never speaking out against a man in public. She also taught her how to cook, clean, and raise children, for it the belief of Kyouko that a woman’s place was in the home. Zhai Li also grew up believing while men should fight for their country, that was not a woman’s place, and a true noblewoman should not firebend. It simply wasn’t proper.
That was how the young woman’s life went, and for Zhai Li, it was fine. She got to go to school, and see friends, while still listening to everything her mother told her. When she was sixteen, a new phase in her life began. While Zhai Li had noticed boys, she had never thought of dating one. She was far too busy at home to be dating boys. However, her parents sat her down one day and told her she was to be engaged to a boy her own named Makino, the son of Akira, an old friend of Tomiko’s. Zhai Li had no arguments, for that was not a child’s place to disagree with her parents. When she met Makino, she was dumbstruck. He was handsome, strong, and always sweet to her. They engagement lasted two years, in which they took the time to get to know each other. It made their married life easier, because they truly did fall in love.
Shortly after their marriage, Zhai Li became pregnant. When the baby finally came, it was a baby girl. Both Zhai Li and Makino were as happy as they could be, and they named her Karena. However, the new mother was not happy when at a young age it became apparent that her beautiful daughter had inherited her father’s Firebending skills. Zhai Li tried to teach her the same things that her mother had taught her, but to no avail. Karena was her father’s daughter in virtually every way. There was nothing of Zhai Li in her, except in Karena’s smile, something just as are as her mother’s smiles. Nonetheless, Zhai Li expressed her displeasure in private to her husband about him teaching her how to firebend, but Makino did it anyway as Zhai Li tried to make her into a proper young woman. It was difficult, and quickly becoming a lost cause. Zhai Li even told her daughter at one point, “Any man would look at you, and say, ‘Yes, I’d marry her!’ and then you’d open your mouth, and they’d run in the other direction.”
Zhai Li and Makino had nearly given up hope that marrying off Karena would ever be possible, until Zhai Li walked into a shocked but happy Karena, and her proud father. He then proceeded to tell her that Fire Lord Ozai had asked to marry off Karena to his own son – and the future Fire Lord – Prince Zuko. The family was very happy, but that was to be short-lived. Karena had wanted to please Zuko, but he didn’t much like her. Things started off the wrong foot, and they did not get better. The engagement wasn’t off, of course, but Zhai Li had hoped that her daughter and her fiancée would be as happy together as Zhai Li and Makino were. Of course, Zuko was banished a few months later, and Karena shortly followed, her temper finally getting the better of her.
It broke Zhai Li to pieces. Despite her harsh treatment of her daughter, the woman had loved her dearly. Makino tried to make her happy, but nothing could lift his wife’s spirits and nothing could change the fact that Karena was gone for good. Ozai had told Karena that she would only return when Zuko did, and since Zuko was after the Avatar – who hadn’t been since in a hundred years – there was hope of seeing her again. Makino even bought her koi fish in a glass tank to take care of, but it didn’t help. Yes, Zhai Li had liked the present, but what she really wanted as her daughter back. That, unfortunately, was not going to happen.
Zhai Li’s belief in the Fire Nation died the day their leader banished her young daughter along with his own son after an Agni Kai with the boy. She was not ignorant when her husband started a Resistance, bent on getting both Ozai and his daughter off the throne and instilling the banished Zuko instead. While she didn’t participate, she did agree, and was very worried for her husband all the same. It was dangerous, what he was doing, especially since he relied on the others to protect him. With the injury he’d received in battle, if the soldiers came for him, there’d be little either of them could do. Zhai Li hasn’t met many of the members of the Resistance at all, but she has met some briefly, including Takeno, one of the rising members.
Personality: Zhai Li is a strict, stern woman has a very low understanding of people who go against her beliefs. When it comes to her beliefs, she believes them very strongly. She is a true noblewoman at heart, and believes that a woman’s place is to get married, have children, and run the home. She’s not always very understanding of people until she’s forced to see things the hard way. Zhai Li is very frank, though, and will probably tell you her opinion whether you want to hear it or not. Regardless, she is still a very caring and love person at heart, and will feel each loss of a loved more keenly than others, and will worry more, as well.