Plink, Plink.
The sound of rain falling on the tin roof would have lulled anyone to sleep, but Aquene just stared out the window, her shoulders tense. Ever since she had come to live in Republic City she had hated the rain. Well, not from the very beginning, but she had her reasons.
The deep red of her tea drew her eyes down to the cup she held, the warmth from it long since gone. How long had she sat in Jade's tea house and stared at the downpour? Older patrons had commented on it, saying that the rain was going to last for a few more hours.
Aquene gave a deep sigh and got up. The fates were against her, she decided. After paying Jade for the last several pots of tea she turned up her collar and grabbed the umbrella she had brought.
Common sense dictated that she needed to head home and just crawl into bed. Yet the Equalist knew she wouldn't be able to sleep. Instead she walked the city, her mind numb.
Perhaps she should have paid more attention, at least to the direction her feet were leading her. The only reason she finally noticed was because she ended up standing at the edge of a dock that faced Air Temple Island.
It wasn't the first time Aquene had ended up here during a storm, and it wouldn't be the last. She tilted the umbrella back so she could see just the vague impression of the island. With how hard the rain fell there was barely an outline.
How nice it must be to live there, she thought, with no ties, being a pacifist, and raising your own meals. Having a group of people that were essentially family. And without the darker ties that the Equalists had, she thought. Her hold on the handle tightened before she turned her back to the island.
No, she had made her choice already. The path of darkness and revenge was the one she had taken, and Aquene knew she was already damned no matter what she tried to do to make amends.
Still, she thought with a bittersweet smile, it was a nice dream, as unrealistic as it was.
