TWO | THE GIRL ON THE SHIP. ( the boy in the iceberg, part two )
❝ that's the way every day goes every time, we have no control.
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if the sky is pinkand white, if the ground is black and yellow.❞
IN ANOTHER LIFE, Kasumi had definitely been a gambler. Or a con artist. Or whatever profession specialized in beating men at Mahjong.
"Good lord, Kasumi? Again? Give this old man a break!" A bearded, portly man groaned, sitting across from her.
Kasumi chuckled, leaning back in her seat. She was smug after another win in a row. "You're no old man, Iroh. Don't flatter yourself." She blew a dangling tendril of dark hair out of her eyes.
Kasumi was an elegant, slender sixteen year-old girl. Tawny, almond-shaped eyes and a sharp face made her look much older than she was. Inky black hair was tucked behind a crimson headband, with two wayward strands falling in front of her face. Her features were cold and dull. She liked them that way. It gave her the upper hand in games like this, where frustration made you swell like a balloon.
The two guards that Kasumi forced into the game complained under their breath. So far, she had three wins, and everyone else had zero. Iroh, the wizened companion Kasumi had on this ship, was too nice to refuse her another game (and secretly really, really wanted to beat her—although he might be going easy on her) and the guards were obliged to do whatever she told them to, so it wasn't like any of them could quit. She didn't know why she was so good at Mahjong, or what it took to be good at Mahjong, but Kasumi had it all. And she wasn't going to waste her time losing at life when she could be winning at this.
Kasumi started to collect all the other players' tiles, eager to win another game. "Woah, woah," Iroh held his hands in front of her. "Why don't we take a minute to appreciate the beautiful scenery before we go another round?" He suggested with a cheesy smile, kind eyes crinkling at the sides.
Kasumi rolled her eyes, a smile hinting at her lips. "Oh Iroh, stalling won't get you very far," She quipped, but let her eyes wander anyway.
Iroh had good reason to compliment their surroundings. They were sailing through an icy sea close to the South Pole, ice caps standing imperially on both sides of the ship like their own personal blockade. The smoke wafting out of the ship's chimney felt so gruesome to watch as it vanished into the cool, cerulean sky.
Her people were supposed to hate places like this, places with snow and cold weather and simplicity. Kasumi found it peaceful. Well, as peaceful as you could get when you're stuck on an ugly black boat miles away from your family.
