Moral Support

[willbiteback]

Though she had only done it twice so far (once to the place where she had met with Zuko, and then back again), worldhopping was not Ursa's favorite activity. It was dizzying, disorienting, and cold-- though, from what she had gathered, that had more to do with Jack Frost's methods than with the trip itself. Still, she admitted, it was a small price

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[willbiteback]

Ursa took it-- shaking it firmly, yet politely. "I'd like to thank you again for inviting me here," she said. "Living in exile doesn't give me very many opportunities to chat."

She leaned back in her chair slightly, giving the laptop a glance. "Is this a 'computer', then?"

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Ursa was slightly taken aback by Vanessa's outfit, though she hid it well. Though the Fire Nation had a hot, tropical climate, skimpy, form-fitting clothing wasn't the norm. She herself wore a simple red dress-- similar to the sort of thing she had worn while at the royal palace, though much less elaborate.

"Hacking locks...?" She remembered some of her own seemingly locked conversations-- had people been getting through them, too? "Do a lot of people have this ability?

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"Information?" She looked startled for just a second, then realized that Vanessa probably wasn't talking about the secrets and intrigue that she undoubtedly saw behind people's "locks". Feeling rather silly, she corrected herself with a small chuckle. "I suppose it depends on what you're interested in hearing about."

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"He burned him," she said shortly, feeling anger bubbling up inside her once again. "He tricked him into an Agni Kai-- a firebending duel-- and then burned him when he refused to fight." Ursa knew that she was getting emotional, but this was her son that this had happened to. She didn't know how long it would take for her to be able to think of the incident without wanting to strangle Ozai, but she had a feeling it would be a long time.

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"He claims that it had to do with respect, and honor." She spat out that last word. "But I find it hard to believe that a man who would burn his own son could have any conception of honor."

Ursa looked Vanessa in the eyes, completely serious. "Ozai has always placed a great deal of importance on proving his might-- even to those who are weaker than him." She knew the reasons behind this, of course-- at least some of them-- but she decided not to share them at this point in time.

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... Well. That question was bound to have come up sooner or later. "It was an arranged marriage," she said simply. "He was the son of ruling Fire Lord, and I was the daughter of a successful general from an important noble family-- everyone on both sides of the agreement was thrilled with the match."

Ursa paused for a moment, then continued. "We were happy at first. Ozai was always... driven, and could be very hard and fierce when he wanted to be, but not at all to the degree that he is now. It seems the years have changed him, as they have all of us." Another hesitation.

"I would say that we were happy until Azula was about three years old. That was when she first discovered her firebending."

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"Azula was talented. Too talented." Ursa's expression grew apprehensive... and perhaps just a little regretful. "Ozai immediately took her under his wing and began to groom her into the perfect heir, completely forgetting that he had another child as well. The fact that Azula took after him in so many ways... well. That just complicated things further."

Ursa examined Vanessa's face. She wondered how much this woman really knew about Azula. Not that she knew much herself anymore, of course, but the things she had heard from Zuko hadn't been good.

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"I'm perhaps a little hungry." She didn't look surprised by the sudden topic-change-- on the contrary, she looked a little relieved. "But I wouldn't make you pay. I did bring a little money myself."

Ursa reached into her pocket and pulled out a small cloth coin purse, showing Vanessa the coins inside. "I doubt this world uses the same currency that we do, but if gold is valuable here..."