Chapter 1/Snake Eyes/Ashima
The cold night air had barely set in, but it was refreshingly cool already, now that the sun let up. Though, really, it hadn’t been that hot a day to begin with. And whether or not the sun set, the eerie yellow of the barrier remained. So really it didn’t make much of a difference at all, did it? Gods, she really hated that thing. She liked the sky, it was big and empty and when you were up there everyone else seemed like ants and the world could fit in your hand. She liked watching the clouds and the stars, secretly, because it was sort of a lame thing to do. Kinda centered her. Or something. Whatever, whatever, it was still visible, but the ugly yellow tint really turned her off from wanting to even see it, and she already knew she couldn’t fly as high as she wanted, so that settled that. With that crossed off her list though, she had more free time to fill and this evening she had decided on gambling. Had to be somewhere in this village she could, right? And the people who might want to would start coming out by this time usually. Hard day at work, maybe the spouse yelling at you, what else was there to do than get to the pub, or whatever else they had? They’d had plenty gambling in whatever that ex towns name had been. Sailors. Always seemed willing to have what fun they could on land before heading back out to sea. Made them instantly likable to Xiang, like, play some dice, maybe get a black eye, never have to see them again. Sounded good to her. Though they didn’t exactly have any where she was from. Only one of the things Jado was ahead in, she guessed. No helping that.
There weren’t exactly any sailors in this small time village, why would there be, but she was indeed quick to find a group setting up for a quick game of dice. Looked like a bunch of workers. Farmhands. Farmers. She wasn’t sure about the difference, but it didn’t matter, right? Point was, there was gambling, there was booze, and it was happening in an alleyway on top of a barrel, just the sort of atmosphere she liked. The only thing missing was the ever present threat of law authority catching them, but she guessed the empress and her kind were busy destroying towns, so she wouldn’t want her to overwork herself here. Couldn’t have everything. The looming sense of death and despair would have to do.
Despite what her behavior may suggest, Xiang was quick to make friends, if she bothered to. She knew how to get into a game, she brought something to drink and excitement, and soon enough it was all about her. She would be lying if she said she didn’t enjoy the limelight. And the loud laughter, cheering and curses distracted her better than anything else did. For once her grin was not predator like, but simply joyful, though sharp and aggressive even in this state. She wasn’t here to hurt anyone in the same way a shark may only give curious love-bites, but the best part about this sort of circle was that no one would even care if things got out of hand.