Xian Xiao
Elementalist
Snow pressed thick against the cantina windows, the storm outside turning the world into a restless blur of white and wind that swallowed the street and softened every sound beyond the walls. Inside, however, the air held a steady warmth that wrapped around Xian Xiao the moment she stepped through the door, letting it creak shut behind her as she brushed the snow from her coat.
She pushed her hood back, shaking loose a few damp strands of red hair that clung stubbornly to her cheek before tucking them behind her ear. Her black eyes adjusted slowly to the lantern-lit interior, where the glow was softer and kinder than the harsh winter light outside. The room smelled of wood smoke, sweet spice, and something rich simmering in the kitchen. An aroma that settled her shoulders almost instantly.
Valskar had a way of being brutally cold in the open air and unexpectedly gentle once you crossed a threshold. The little frontier settlement had grown around the hyperspace lanes like frost gathering around a lantern flame. Stubborn, bright, and determined to endure the long winter nights. This cantina looked as though it had been part of that endurance for years.
Heavy beams stretched across the ceiling, their surfaces darkened and scarred by age and smoke. Lanterns hung low over wooden tables where locals sat in small clusters, their conversations quiet and unhurried, as if the storm outside had convinced everyone to speak in softer tones. A few offworld travelers had claimed the back corner, their thick coats piled beside them while they warmed their hands around steaming mugs.
Xian made her way toward the counter, her boots thudding softly against the worn floorboards that had clearly weathered countless seasons. She slid onto a stool and rubbed her hands together, trying to coax warmth back into her fingers after the long walk through the snow.
"Hot chocolate, please," she said, her voice low but steady.
The bartender gave a short nod, already reaching for a tin behind the counter with the practiced ease of someone who had served the same comfort to countless cold travelers.
While she waited, Xian rested her elbows lightly on the bar and let her gaze drift around the room with a kind of idle curiosity. Snow tapped rhythmically against the windows, a soft percussion beneath the murmur of voices. Somewhere behind her, a chair scraped across the floor, followed by a laugh that sounded like someone trying—and failing—to make a joke land.
It felt…normal. Comfortingly, quietly normal.
The mug arrived a moment later, steam rising in delicate curls from the dark surface. Xian wrapped both hands around it immediately, letting the heat seep into her fingers and chase away the lingering chill that clung to her skin. She released a slow breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, the warmth settling into her chest.
Perfect.
She lifted the mug and took a careful sip. The sweetness bloomed across her tongue, warm and rich, exactly what she had been craving since she stepped out into the storm.
Leaning back slightly on the stool, she kept one hand wrapped around the cup while the other rested loosely against the counter. Her eyes wandered across the cantina again, taking in the strangers scattered throughout the room without focusing on any one face for too long. They were just people. The travelers, locals, workers, wanderers, and each was wrapped in their own small stories.
Just another night.
Outside, the storm continued to howl across Valskar's frozen streets, but inside the cantina, the lanternlight held steady, casting warm gold across the wood and stone as Xian quietly savored her drink and the rare, uncomplicated peace of the moment.
Xiaoyu
She pushed her hood back, shaking loose a few damp strands of red hair that clung stubbornly to her cheek before tucking them behind her ear. Her black eyes adjusted slowly to the lantern-lit interior, where the glow was softer and kinder than the harsh winter light outside. The room smelled of wood smoke, sweet spice, and something rich simmering in the kitchen. An aroma that settled her shoulders almost instantly.
Valskar had a way of being brutally cold in the open air and unexpectedly gentle once you crossed a threshold. The little frontier settlement had grown around the hyperspace lanes like frost gathering around a lantern flame. Stubborn, bright, and determined to endure the long winter nights. This cantina looked as though it had been part of that endurance for years.
Heavy beams stretched across the ceiling, their surfaces darkened and scarred by age and smoke. Lanterns hung low over wooden tables where locals sat in small clusters, their conversations quiet and unhurried, as if the storm outside had convinced everyone to speak in softer tones. A few offworld travelers had claimed the back corner, their thick coats piled beside them while they warmed their hands around steaming mugs.
Xian made her way toward the counter, her boots thudding softly against the worn floorboards that had clearly weathered countless seasons. She slid onto a stool and rubbed her hands together, trying to coax warmth back into her fingers after the long walk through the snow.
"Hot chocolate, please," she said, her voice low but steady.
The bartender gave a short nod, already reaching for a tin behind the counter with the practiced ease of someone who had served the same comfort to countless cold travelers.
While she waited, Xian rested her elbows lightly on the bar and let her gaze drift around the room with a kind of idle curiosity. Snow tapped rhythmically against the windows, a soft percussion beneath the murmur of voices. Somewhere behind her, a chair scraped across the floor, followed by a laugh that sounded like someone trying—and failing—to make a joke land.
It felt…normal. Comfortingly, quietly normal.
The mug arrived a moment later, steam rising in delicate curls from the dark surface. Xian wrapped both hands around it immediately, letting the heat seep into her fingers and chase away the lingering chill that clung to her skin. She released a slow breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, the warmth settling into her chest.
Perfect.
She lifted the mug and took a careful sip. The sweetness bloomed across her tongue, warm and rich, exactly what she had been craving since she stepped out into the storm.
Leaning back slightly on the stool, she kept one hand wrapped around the cup while the other rested loosely against the counter. Her eyes wandered across the cantina again, taking in the strangers scattered throughout the room without focusing on any one face for too long. They were just people. The travelers, locals, workers, wanderers, and each was wrapped in their own small stories.
Just another night.
Outside, the storm continued to howl across Valskar's frozen streets, but inside the cantina, the lanternlight held steady, casting warm gold across the wood and stone as Xian quietly savored her drink and the rare, uncomplicated peace of the moment.
Xiaoyu
