Welcome to Gaia! ::

NAME Li Ren Zheng
MEANING "A solemn beauty." Hardly.
GENDER Female
AGE 17
PLACE OF BIRTH Fire Nation
OCCUPATION Unemployed. Li Ren aspires to join the Fire Nation military, however breaking into the boys club isn't an easy task. Currently she splits her time between training and attending important social functions for the sake of her family.

APPEARANCE Dark mid-back length hair is worn in a simple up-style and ornamented with a dragon hairpin. Golden brown eyes. Pale skin. Her build is tall and stocky for a girl. She binds what little chest she has.

BACKGROUND The latest in a long line of struggling nobles, Li Ren's father has big plans for her. A Colonel in the Fire Nation army, he's arranged for an advantageous marriage between his daughter and the son of one of the Fire Lord's War Ministers. Unfortunately for him, not only does she find her betrothed boring, but she wants to join the military herself.

Though her father is a strong bender, Li Ren follows in her mother's footsteps. What she lacks in bending ability she has more than made up for with her proficiency with the dual chakram.

While not wildly rich, Li Ren could purchase most things without hesitation. Being from a noble family, she is indeed more wealthy than most people, though her wealth is not as limitless as she might think. Her family has spent far more extravagantly than they should have in the past, in an attempt to compete with other noble families.

PERSONALITY Meeting Li Ren on the street, you would be surprised to find out that she can be almost single-mindedly focused on her training and attaining her goal. Li Ren's public persona is rather laidback and playful, frequently chatting up others and flirting for the sake of attention. You could almost call her a rich playboy except for the minor detail that she isn't a boy. Of course, this really does seem to be a minor detail and that Li Ren was born a woman at all seems to be some sort of cosmic mistake. Her entire demeanor seems a little masculine, but less as an attempt to prove something, and moreso because she finds acting the part of a traditional noble's daughter to be boring.

Though Li Ren fancies herself progressive for the fact that she wishes to become more than just a man's wife, she is actually woefully ignorant of the living conditions of the vast majority of people. It's not that she has ill intentions, but rather that she simply has never thought much about it. Thanks to her upbringing, her world doesn't extend much farther than herself and her personal problems and she has a lot more to learn about other people than she realizes.

[1] Li Ren is betrothed to Zan Minh Kwei, the son of one of the Fire Lord's War Ministers, to help regain the prestige of the struggling Zheng family.

[2] Li Ren meets Rin-ji when she is visiting Young Lady Yuan and Rin-ji is a servant for the Yuan household. He spills tea on Li Ren and she gives him a verbal lashing.

[3] Li Ren encounters Rin-ji a couple years later in the marketplace in Hiyama. Rin-ji has runaway from home after accidentally setting Young Lord Yuan on fire. Li Ren recognizes him and they eventually come to blows until the city guard throw them out of the marketplace. (Do I Know You?)

[4] Following Razuten's disappearance, Li Ren and Rin-ji come to an understanding of sorts. She purchases a jade bracelet for him, similar to how she showers girls with presents. Li Ren agrees to help him find a new bending teacher so they can both pursue their dreams of becoming their own lords. (Lost Opportunities)

[5] Li Ren meets Tsai Shen at Khutulan's combat school and spars with him. They don't get along well initially, but become friendlier as the months pass. (Switches & Sweat; Touch Me, It Burns)

[6] Li Ren and Rin-ji's search for a bending teacher comes up dry. Li Ren's emotional turmoil over her attraction to Rin-ji causes her to verbally lash out at him and the two leave on bad terms. (One Door Closes, A Bunch More Do Too)

[7] Zan Minh comes to visit and in preparation Li Ren visits the bathhouse where Rin-ji has become employed. After faking a noblewoman's rage and chasing the other attendants away, Li Ren and Rin-ji are able to talk and make amends. Li Ren agrees to train Rin-ji in combat, theorizing that her fighting style is similar to firebending. (Clean Consciences)

[8] Li Ren and Rin-ji meet, spar, and Li Ren ends up giving in to her feelings and kissing Rin-ji. Unfortunately she panics and accuses him of touching her uninvitedly and runs off. ("I promise I won't hurt you." "Liar." )

[9] Li Ren spends the next several months avoiding Rin-ji. During this time Zan Minh's visits become more frequent and Li Ren begins to lose her spirit and give in to the inevitability of following her parents' wishes. (Bad Habits)

[10] While out with Zan Minh, Li Ren runs into Rin-ji for the first time in months. Afraid to infuriate Zan Minh and her family, she allows Rin-ji to be arrested for disturbing them. (An Afternoon Stroll)

[11] That evening, Li Ren sneaks out of her home and has Rin-ji released from prison. Tempers flare before the two have a second, far more successful kiss. Their happy euphoria is interrupted by Li Ren's terror at her parents discovering her disappearance, especially as they are highly displeased by the afternoon's events. (Behind Bars)

[12] Li Ren's uncle becomes suspicious of Li Ren's recent behaviour and change in mood.

[13] Li Ren and Rin-ji resume their training together. Li Ren's uncle follows Li Ren and discovers her relationship with Rin-ji. (Hide and Seek)