Blood dripped from her face. Every step sent small vibrations through her body, and with those came pain. While nothing in her body was broken, much was bruised, and the morning would bring some serious soreness. Jia was exhausted. And she was elated.

There were feelings as sweet as that rush of exhilaration that came from a good fight. It was even better when she won the fight, as she had tonight. It had been a hard bout against a fellow dock worker, a particularly tricky Waterbender. It was surprising, how much a whip made of liquid could hurt when used skillfully. But, no amount of fancy whip waving could protect from a well-applied rock to the face. So Jia had been victorious. Her prize (besides the injuries) was a sack of yuans, that night’s pot. And of course, she had immediately made the decision to spend her earnings on as much alcohol as she could drink.

Jia did not often frequent the Golden Fan, but had had a good time every time she had stopped by before. So it was there she went, looking forward to good drinks and (hopefully) pretty women to keep her company. She was gunning for both, but would take either. Both would work to soothe her pain.

Jia entered the Fan, and immediately was hit by a wave of sight and sound. The saloon was crowded tonight, filled with gamblers and drunkards. Money was bet, money was lost, and booze flowed steadily to make that loss sting less. It was the perfect place for her to be right now. Jia approached the bar and, signaled the bartender, and ordered some whiskey. As she waited for her drink, she tried not to bleed on the bar.

Ling raised an eyebrow as a bloodied woman walked in; normally, people didn't get bloody until they were leaving the Fan. Her detective skills kicked in uncalled for: considering the location, the woman was either mugged or was in a betting fight. Since she hadn't come into the Fan screaming about thieves, and considering she was making her way to the bar, it was likely that she still had her money. Ling was entirely unsurprised when the woman took a seat nearby. She ordered a whiskey, and the grey-eyed woman took an immediate liking to her. Flashing a the gap between her two front teeth in a wide grin, she reached over and handed the woman her handkerchief.

"Nice night for it, huh?" she said amicably, wiggling her index finger at herself to reference the woman's injuries. "You look like you had a time." An appreciative glance up and down for the woman's physique... and such... and Ling kept on grinning. "Hopefully your opponent looks much worse."

The bartender was finishing up a drink for another patron, so while Jia waited for hers she mentally catalogued her injuries. She'd heal, of course—helped by the services of the very Waterbender she'd just defeated, who was a decent healer as well as a skilled fighter. But that would take time, and in the meantime she didn't want to be groaning like an old woman. Unfortunately, there were enough bruises forming to make that likely. Still, it was worth it for the rush that victory brought her. She had lost the last two fights she'd been in. With this win, she was back on top.

Jia looked up as something entered her field of view: a handkerchief. She took it before bothering to look at who offered it. Dabbing at her forehead to get blood out of her eyes, she looked over at the unexpected good Samaritan. She was immediately drawn to a pair of captivating blue-grey eyes and a gap-toothed grin. It seemed the spirits were feeling generous tonight. First she won her fight, and now she just happened to sit down next to a pretty woman—and a helpful one, at that? This night just kept getting better.

"Thanks for this," Jia said, indicating the now heavily blood-stained handkerchief. "Don't think you'll be wanting it back, though." She offered the woman a grin of her own, then turned back to bar for a moment as the bartender presented her whiskey. She picked up the glass to drink, but stopped as the woman next to her continued.

The comment about her opponent made Jia let out a bark of laughter. "He certainly does!" she replied. "He'll be having some trouble lifting boxes with the rest of us at the docks tomorrow." She shrugged. "That's what he gets, I s'pose. Shouldn't have fought me." She lifted her glass and sipped at her whiskey, but then grimaced as the alcohol came into contact with a split lip. She shook her head to banish the pain and refocused on the conversation. "So do you carry handkerchiefs for any bleeding sap who walks in, or did I just get lucky?"

Ling took a swig of her drink, relishing the burn in her throat. Coughing after a shot of whiskey was for amateurs. "Keep it," she said with a wave of her hand. Handkerchiefs were easy enough to replace.

"So do you carry handkerchiefs for any bleeding sap who walks in, or did I just get lucky?"

The short girl laughed merrily, the cowlicks on her head bobbing up and down. "Just the really attractive ones," she said with mock-solemnity, meaning her words. The woman across from her was well built, her short hair gathered in neat little spikes at the top of her head. It was an unusual look, but Ling found herself quite appreciative of it. Somewhere inside her, a small voice begged to be carried away to a hero's paradise.

She took another drink, emptying the glass and slamming it back down on the counter; then she held up a finger to request another. Turning to her bruised companion — who was looking a bit better now that the blood wasn't streaming down her face — the woman held out a hand. A trained eye might have noticed that the sleeve of her coat moved unusually; it would have to be a very keen observer indeed, as her sleeves hid small knives kept in place by a little trigger system meant to be as obscure as possible.

"I'm Ling," she said by way of introduction, flashing her smile once more.

Jia nodded her thanks as the woman told her to keep the handkerchief, still dabbing at the gradually decreasing flow of blood on her face. She'd never been the type to carry a handkerchief on her person—they were far too hoity-toity for her—but she might have to start doing so if she was going to make a habit of walking around bloody.

Her smile grew as the woman called her attractive. "Good to know that I still look good, even like this. You should see me on a good day." She winked then before downing the rest of her whiskey and signaling the bartender for another. She was planning to drink until she passed out or found her way into someone else's bed, whichever came first.

Jia took the offered hand in her larger one, shaking firmly. "Nice to meet you, Ling. I'm Jia." She waved a hand to indicate herself. "Think it's pretty clear what kind of night I've had. What about you?" She cast a dismissive eye around at the rest of the Fan's patrons. "You're too pretty to be hanging around these lowlifes."

"A gal could get used to all these compliments," Ling replied with a grin. Jia was a lovely, very attractive woman; she hadn't been lying when she had complimented the woman earlier.

"The Golden Fan is my home away from home," she said, her tone taking on a dramatic quality and a strange, somehow rough yet lyrical accent as she gestured to the room. "Once, when I was a wee lass, I made the mistake of falling in with some ruffians. The folks here at the Fan took pity on me when I stumbled in, much too young for a drink or the trouble that was after me."

She grinned wider, procuring a very old, well-used deck of cards from somewhere on her person. "Now, I've got me a regular stool at the bar and a special booth in the corner for when I want to play a friendly round or two of cards." The emphasis on the word 'friendly' was intentional; not all of her games were friendly, and most of them involved a two person con between herself and a willing member of the waitstaff. With deft movements and very obviously skilled, dexterous fingers, she shuffled the cards before plucking a 'fire lord' from the deck without looking. She held it out to Jia between her index and middle fingers, her eyes dancing.

"Not everyone appreciates a good card game, sadly."

With a flick of her wrist, she made the card disappear. Sleight of hand was one of her favourite methods of impressing people, and Jia was no exception. She wiggled her hand to show it hadn't just been palmed, turning it back and forth.

"Have you been here before?" Ling asked curiously. She knew a vast majority of the patrons at the Fan, and Jia to her recollection had never been one of them. "I'm sure I'd have remembered someone with your..." Grey-blue eyes took a leisurely trip to the floor before flicking back up. "... presence."

Ling grinned, and as she did Jia noticed a smattering of freckles across the woman's nose and cheeks. She was pretty sure her heart skipped a beat right there. Ling was far too cute.

Not only that, she was funny too. Jia couldn't help laughing at the voice Ling put on to answer her question. Given that, it was hard to tell if her story was true, but Jia could believe it. Perhaps she making a snap judgment, but Ling seemed like the type to enjoy a good scrap every now and again. When she pulled out a deck of cards, that just confirmed that engaging in conversation with her had been a good idea. Jia wasn't very good at cards—she had never managed to grasp the concept of the "poker face"—but was always up for a game. Fun was always worth having, even if it meant throwing away some money.

As Ling shuffled the cards, Jia tried to follow her movements, but quickly lost track. She glanced away just for a moment as the bartender brought her second drink, but then she was immediately focused back on Ling. Her hand reached up to take hold of the "fire lord" card Ling presented to her, but before she could, the card vanished. Her eyes went wide at that, fixating on Ling's hand to spot the source of the trickery. Try as she might, though, she couldn't figure it out. The card was just gone.

Jia let out a low whistle. "That's impressive," she said, nodding with a smile. "Cute and magical? You're the whole package." She sipped at her drink as Ling asked her a question. When she had finished, she set the glass down on the bar and signaled for a third.

Ling's comment about her appearance did not go unnoticed. Jia grinned at that. "Nope. First time here. Some of the people I work with told me about this place, and I figured, fresh off a good fight—which I won, by the way—it sounded like a good place to celebrate. Don't think I'm drunk enough yet to say for sure, but if the past few minutes are any indication…" She winked at Ling. "I think it was a good choice."

The day was getting better and better. Ling downed the rest of her whiskey and gestured for another. She propped her cheek up against her hand, her elbow resting on the counter top.

"I suppose I owe those folks a round of drinks," she said, her eyes dancing. 

Just then, there was a loud wooden tap from the back of the saloon. A young man had seated himself at the rickety old piano, followed by an old woman on an upright bass. One of the waitresses had changed out of her serving clothes into a silky, sequined red cheongsam. The lights in the saloon dimmed as a spotlight focused on her. Her throaty, crooning voice floated out on the wings of the tinkling piano notes as various patrons hooted and hollered. 


... The minute you walked in the joint
I could see you were a man of distinction,
a real big spender...


Ling glanced at Jia out of the corner of her eye, thinking to herself the other woman would look really good in a form-fitting cheongsam. Vaguely, she wondered if Jia could sing. Ling couldn't, personally (aside from in the bath where everyone magically sounded like a record-producing singer).

She scooted her stool a little closer to Jia; the music and hollering had made it harder to hear the people next to you. "Men are so predictable, don't you think?" she asked, testing the waters. It was always a gamble when Ling flirted with a woman; far too often for her liking, it never went anywhere. The women flirted while intoxicated, drunkenly giving Ling their contact information. When sobriety and the inevitable headaches hit the next morning, it was far more common to hear the slam of the phone receiver than it was to hear a happy greeting.

Jia might be amiable now, but maybe she was drunk on victory and the strong whiskey the Fan served.


... Good looking, so refined.
Say, wouldn't you like to know
what's going on in my mind? ...


The bartender delivered her next glass. Taking a sip of liquid courage, Ling scooted even closer. Not so much that she invaded personal space inappropriately (hopefully), but enough to show an interest.

"That said, they aren't wrong. Xiao is really killing it tonight."

...Hey big spender!
Spend a little time with me!

Jia downed her third drink, and as she did, she remembered that she hadn't gotten the chance to eat dinner yet. So, she was drinking on an empty stomach. If she continued in this vein, she'd wake up full of regret. She knew this, and yet didn't really consider cutting herself off. Making bad decisions was something she was good at, and dealing with the consequences was part of that. Besides, being drunk was too much fun to stop just because of how things would turn out in the morning. That was future Jia's problem. Right now, she would do as she wished.

Then, suddenly, there was music. Jia couldn't help but stare at the singer, transfixed by the woman's cheongsam. She'd never worn one herself—she'd never felt it was a look she could pull off—but always appreciated the garment on other women. The cheongsam hugged the body in all the right places, and the one this singer wore was particularly fetching, covered as it was in sequins. As the woman swayed from side to side, caught up in her performance, the spotlight caught her sequins and made them sparkle. The woman spun in a circle, and it was as if, for the briefest moment, she'd caught fire. It was dazzling.

Ling was by no means uninteresting, but it did take Jia a bit of effort to tear her eyes from the performance. She took a moment to think over what Ling said, her brow wrinkling. "Don't know that I'd call them predictable," she finally replied, slowly. "Think I'd just say that they're boring. Too focused on looking the toughest no matter where they are." She rolled her eyes. "It's exhausting. Women are much more fun."

Ling said something else, but just as she did the music switched gears, the pianist attacking his keys with more zeal as he and the bass player launched into a faster, jazzier number. A cheer went up from those gathered in the crowd, and a couple tables near the musicians were cleared away to make space for an impromptu dance floor. Soon, those not yet drunk enough to be tripping over their own feet and those too drunk to care were dancing with reckless abandon. Jia watched them for a moment, then turned back to Ling. She jerked her head toward the back of the saloon. "Wanna dance?"

Ling felt her heart skip a beat when Jia offered her a hand to dance. She slammed the rest of her whiskey and leapt out of her bar stool. She teetered a moment as the sudden movement messed with her equilibrium, but steadied and grabbed Jia's hand in her own pale one. As Jia pulled her closer, Ling felt her blade mechanism wiggle as it bumped against the other woman's arm. She ignored it, pulling her best benign poker face.

The tune was catchy, and Ling found herself grinning like a fool as she attempted to dance. Admittedly, her skills weren't great, but no one seemed to mind particularly. She was just thankful that she managed to avoid stepping on Jia's feet. Mei-zhen was a much more accomplished dancer than she was; the last time she actually danced properly was when their father was still alive.

Out of nowhere, someone pulled a tin wastebin up on the stage, upending it — luckily, it was mostly empty — for an impromptu drum. Ling laughed. Drunkards, the lot of them, but every night was loads of fun.

She wiggled as best as she could to the tune. "Sorry!" Ling said with a sheepish grin. "I haven't danced with a partner in years."



OOC: Ling absolutely dances about as well as Shepard, for reference.


 

OOC: Hey, The Shepard is a classic.

Jia's grin spread as she saw how eagerly Ling accepted her offer. She noticed the other woman's slight unsteadiness, but said nothing. Truth be told, she wasn't exactly the picture of balance when she stood up, either. While Jia wasn't a lightweight, three drinks in rapid succession were taking a bit of a toll on her. She felt something strange bump her arm as Ling took her hand, and her eyebrows rose. "You got something up your sleeve, or are you just happy to see me?"

Ling might not have been that great of a dancer, but Jia wasn't much better, especially tipsy as she was. She waved away Ling's apology. "Don't worry about it," she replied. "I haven't danced, period, in a while either. Never been graceful enough to really pull it off. And drunk as I'm on my way to being, and me being the one leading, I'm surprised I haven't accidentally crushed your toes yet." As they moved, the sore parts of Jia's body loudly complained, but she paid them no mind. She was having far too much fun to be distracted by pain.

The song came to an end, and Jis stopped to take a breath, a slight sheen of sweat on her forehead. She smiled at Ling, her eyes shining. "You know, you're not bad at this, even rusty. I'd love to see how good you are when not out of practice."

OOC: Please excuse the minor assumption that Jia will follow, I wanted to move the thread along.

Ling smiled back, wheezing a little from the exertion. She was far from out of shape but dancing and brawling used entirely different muscles it seemed. "Thanks," she said.

The impromptu band struck up another fast paced song but Ling shook her head, her cowlicks fluttering. "I need a break," she said chuckling. "How about we relax and have a bite to eat?" She gestured towards the corner, stage right of the band, at her usual booth. She slipped in and motioned for Jia to do the same.

Once they were comfortably seated, a server materialised at her elbow. She grinned at Ling with familiarity, asking with a lilting tone what they wanted.

"Gimme a mint julep, and.. hrm... those little sausages in those flaky rolls and ... how about some takoyaki?"

Ling turned her attention to the darker woman after she ordered. "So," she said with a grin, resting her chin in her hands. "Feel like telling me about yourself? Likes, dislikes; hopes and dreams; your opinion of long walks along the shore during sunset?"