<hr/><div class="floatleft">(http://stagevu.com/img/thumbnail/swvwoeuxayeebig.jpg)</div><br/><strong>Name:</strong>Jia Li<br/><strong>Faction:</strong>Unknown<br/><strong>Date:</strong>May 3rd, 1876<br/><strong>Time of Day:</strong>morning<br/><strong>Location:</strong>Gomorra<br/><strong>Tagged:</strong>Hopefully nobody<br/><hr/><br/>The morning sun had not been up long, but for some the day was already well past the start.  Darkness had still breathed life when Jia Li had awoken that morning and darkness had still threatened when she set her silken slippers to the dirt packed walkways of Gomorra.  Dusty streets proved her path as she moved from one business to the next.  Small fingers tapped at doorways for particular customers, securing their belongings and handing out a handwritten note.  Each note was written in English by another with notations beneath scrawled in her native tongue.  Such a method allowed service member and client to read the ticket that would be given later at return.  Jia Li did not understand much of the commentary that came from seeing her native language written down for Western consumption and truth was she did not care for their opinion otherwise.  To her mind their words seemed far more ridiculous than her own lettering.<br/><br/>Small fingers were wrapped around hangers when the bells tolled out their message.  Almond eyes that many laughed never seemed open turned to stare up at the source.  Curiosity was a greater burden to her than the clothing clutched in her hand and a burden not so easily disposed.  Quick movement brought her silk slippers down along the dirt paths of Gomorra.  Such paths she navigated every morning and evening in less light than the rising sun offered.  So with such a guide at her disposal the path was quickly made to her place of employment and her load deposited without ceremony.  Fu Leng’s Dry Cleaning was a nearly furnished and established business and Jia Li their newest employee.  That they had extended such faith to her meant a great deal, but she also knew that remaining in their employment was not her destiny.  A rapid chatter ensued as she rushed out the doors.  More tickets were waved in her wake, but Jia Li was out the door before anything could be made of the demands.  Ahead her curiosity burned and her need to know melted all concerns of being unemployed.<br/><br/>The job required more traditional garb than truly fit the setting of Gomorra.  Jia Li often preferred the Western clothing when moving about town, but Fu Leng’s wanted a more distinct appearance.  The reason behind such a choice was lost on her.  Truth be told though she would never be mistaken for a native born member of this town no matter her clothing.  Forgotten amongst a crowd perhaps, but people could pick her out as different if they took notice.  Running among the streets did mean she was not required to wear the more body hugging garments like her counterparts at the store, but the style of the cotton garments still stood out.  The trousers hung loosely on her body, failing to fit snuggly as man of those in the West.  Instead her clothing was held to her with a sash of deep burgundy.  Such a deep burgundy also showed itself against the top which was more wrapped around her body than the clothing of the West.  The main color of the dye used was a deep blue with the burgundy to accent.  Yet beneath the clothing was a touch of color as yellow lining could be seen, set for her own vanity.  Jia Li could not abandon her simple love for color so easily.  Dirt and grime may have diminished the outerwear of her clothing but the yellow would remain pristine for so long as she could manage.<br/><br/>Voices touched her ears and she ceased her movement.  Slender and small, she bent down to tuck against the building.  Male voices from the sound of them and people with confidence to spare with their position came across to her ears.  Foreign words she struggled to comprehend pressed into her thoughts but she recognized some as important.  A face etched with the signs of her ancestors bent forward to hear more.  The small nose at the center of such a face wrinkled upward making the unusual feature of freckles more outstanding.  Dirt marred the pristine nature of her face and lips that might be considered full set themselves into a thin line.  Black hair was tied into a thick braid and set down the inside of her cotton jacket.  A small cap was set atop her head, the only mark of western clothing she wore.  The bill was tugged down across her face and to a casual observer Jia Li might well appear to be a boy playing on the early morning streets.<br/><br/>Then she was off to move back into the shadows of town streets and hide beneath the blessing of obscurity.  Eyes darted around the building that the men had entered, hiding beneath the dark almond shape and the shadow of her cap.  Hands tucked down into her jacket and her hurried steps were meant more to make any attempt to connect her with the building a loose one.  Jia Li had already spotted her point of entry and knew well that such an entrance would be unusual to an onlooker.  First to ensure privacy before the attempt was made.<br/>