Post by Gia on Jul 13, 2010 20:25:33 GMT -6
ADMIN NOTE: This is a notice to say to all RPers in this thread that this thread will be closed in two day's time. Please be prepared to switch threads or end your RP before then. Don't worry, a link to this thread will be provided.
Zhai-Li had been sitting there, thinking of the many scenarios that could explain why Ozai would want to see Makino. Shio spoke, and his words brought her mind out of that, and had it thinking about much happier times. For they had been happier times before her daughter had been banished. “She was like her father in every way,” the woman said to her young charge. “There is not a drop of me in her.” That probably served her well now, but back then, when Karena had still been living with her… it annoyed her mother to no end. Her daughter had not been a proper woman. She would rather be out learning to fight than at home, learning how to be a woman and take care of the home! Princess Azula could Firebend all she wanted; it was not the noblewoman wanted for her daughter.
“My mother raised me to be a traditional noblewoman,” Zhai-Li explained to Shio. “By the time she died, Karena had already been born. When I was growing up, she taught me how to cook, clean, take care of the home, take care of a husband, take care of a child… She told me that was what a woman should be like.” The noblewoman remembered each lesson in detail. As a child, she had not found them interesting, per se, but… they were what were expected of her. Growing up as the child of two people of noble birth, these were things expected of a noblewoman, and future wife of a nobleman. “Karena, well…she ignored every lesson I tried to teach her. No matter how many times I tried to explain to her that she was a woman, she’d be a mother and a wife someday!” The dark-haired woman sighed. “She never wanted to listen.”
The times that Zhai-Li had managed to get her daughter to attend to lessons without arguing with her, the young Firebender had zoned out. She had probably been thinking about the newest move that her father had taught her. “She was too outspoken, too argumentative for a woman,” Zhai-Li continued. “I tried to explain this to her. I even told her once, as she got older and interested in boys, that no boy would want her because of her attitude.” The dark-haired woman shook her head as she remembered the scorn Karena had given her when they had all these conversations. “I regret it now, but I still believe what I told her.” The woman sighed. “Makino and I thought that no one would ever marry her, no one would want to…” She and her husband had many conversations about that, too once Karena reached her teen years.
“Our marriage was arranged when we were sixteen. Yes, we had an arranged marriage, though we fell in love during our two year engagement,” Zhai-Li said to Shio as she continued to talk. “I didn’t expect Fire Lord Ozai to come to his old friend and ask that our daughter marry his son.” That had been a happy day, though it had ended badly. “Karena was thrilled; she’d had the biggest crush on Zuko.” A sigh escaped the noblewoman’s lips. “He didn’t like her though. Judging by the rumors, he must now, but back then… she annoyed him so much.” The dark-haired woman glanced out the window, her amber gaze taking in the palace that overlooked their house. “The first dinner that our family had with the Fire Lord’s, well… it ended with Zuko and Karena screaming at each other.” She let out a light laugh. “It’s kind of amusing now, but at the time, Makino and I were horrified.”
Why wouldn’t they have been? After all, Karena and Zuko were going to married on his sixteenth birthday. Makino and Zhai-Li had fallen in love during their engagement. What if those two didn’t? It had been horrifying for the young woman’s parents. The noblewoman couldn’t imagine being married to someone you hated, especially with the position that the two would be in. “The next few months before their banishments didn’t go well. Obviously things have changed since then…” A sigh escaped the dark-haired woman’s lips. “She was a gifted firebender, powerful, I just… never thought a woman should fight. I allowed it because Princess Azula was a prodigy.” Her eyes drifted back to her young charge. “I didn’t know what I know now, though I wish I did.” She realized she’d drifted off. “I’m sorry, I think I’ve rambled a bit from your original question. I’m sure I’ve answered it, but I’ve probably told you more than you wanted to hear.”
Zhai-Li had been sitting there, thinking of the many scenarios that could explain why Ozai would want to see Makino. Shio spoke, and his words brought her mind out of that, and had it thinking about much happier times. For they had been happier times before her daughter had been banished. “She was like her father in every way,” the woman said to her young charge. “There is not a drop of me in her.” That probably served her well now, but back then, when Karena had still been living with her… it annoyed her mother to no end. Her daughter had not been a proper woman. She would rather be out learning to fight than at home, learning how to be a woman and take care of the home! Princess Azula could Firebend all she wanted; it was not the noblewoman wanted for her daughter.
“My mother raised me to be a traditional noblewoman,” Zhai-Li explained to Shio. “By the time she died, Karena had already been born. When I was growing up, she taught me how to cook, clean, take care of the home, take care of a husband, take care of a child… She told me that was what a woman should be like.” The noblewoman remembered each lesson in detail. As a child, she had not found them interesting, per se, but… they were what were expected of her. Growing up as the child of two people of noble birth, these were things expected of a noblewoman, and future wife of a nobleman. “Karena, well…she ignored every lesson I tried to teach her. No matter how many times I tried to explain to her that she was a woman, she’d be a mother and a wife someday!” The dark-haired woman sighed. “She never wanted to listen.”
The times that Zhai-Li had managed to get her daughter to attend to lessons without arguing with her, the young Firebender had zoned out. She had probably been thinking about the newest move that her father had taught her. “She was too outspoken, too argumentative for a woman,” Zhai-Li continued. “I tried to explain this to her. I even told her once, as she got older and interested in boys, that no boy would want her because of her attitude.” The dark-haired woman shook her head as she remembered the scorn Karena had given her when they had all these conversations. “I regret it now, but I still believe what I told her.” The woman sighed. “Makino and I thought that no one would ever marry her, no one would want to…” She and her husband had many conversations about that, too once Karena reached her teen years.
“Our marriage was arranged when we were sixteen. Yes, we had an arranged marriage, though we fell in love during our two year engagement,” Zhai-Li said to Shio as she continued to talk. “I didn’t expect Fire Lord Ozai to come to his old friend and ask that our daughter marry his son.” That had been a happy day, though it had ended badly. “Karena was thrilled; she’d had the biggest crush on Zuko.” A sigh escaped the noblewoman’s lips. “He didn’t like her though. Judging by the rumors, he must now, but back then… she annoyed him so much.” The dark-haired woman glanced out the window, her amber gaze taking in the palace that overlooked their house. “The first dinner that our family had with the Fire Lord’s, well… it ended with Zuko and Karena screaming at each other.” She let out a light laugh. “It’s kind of amusing now, but at the time, Makino and I were horrified.”
Why wouldn’t they have been? After all, Karena and Zuko were going to married on his sixteenth birthday. Makino and Zhai-Li had fallen in love during their engagement. What if those two didn’t? It had been horrifying for the young woman’s parents. The noblewoman couldn’t imagine being married to someone you hated, especially with the position that the two would be in. “The next few months before their banishments didn’t go well. Obviously things have changed since then…” A sigh escaped the dark-haired woman’s lips. “She was a gifted firebender, powerful, I just… never thought a woman should fight. I allowed it because Princess Azula was a prodigy.” Her eyes drifted back to her young charge. “I didn’t know what I know now, though I wish I did.” She realized she’d drifted off. “I’m sorry, I think I’ve rambled a bit from your original question. I’m sure I’ve answered it, but I’ve probably told you more than you wanted to hear.”
