((Logged 1/2/2001))

The Lucky Avenue Bar
This is a small, quaint little bar, cooled by two small ceiling fans, and broad 
and wide enough for a decent amount of seating space.  A small rocking chair 
sits in the back next to a small barrel; but the pale blue stone bar dominates 
most of this room.  Decked with liquors and cheap wines, it stands open for any 
and all who wish to come by.  A shaded <stairway> in the back leads upstairs.  A 
worn wooden <door> leads out.
Contents:
Miriam
Kale

The Dazil tavern seems...listless today. Most of the patrons are quiet and 
sullen, and Kale sits in a corner, sipping his drink slowly. The normal 
bartender is out...having been badly wounded by a rampaging Kislevi commander, 
and the bar is quiet.

Miriam enters without fanfare, without a soldier at her side or even more than a 
hesitant hand to her mouth as she looks around. Unlucky... this was not the same 
barkeep. But she has been away for so long, and this unfamiliarity shows as she 
weaves her way slowly through the tables and chairs. As her eyes falls upon a 
distinctive dragon-shaped humanoid, though, they perk up slightly. She offers a 
wave with closed fingers, timid despite all the factors which could support the 
opposite.

Kale looks up in alarm as he hears the door open, his eyes wide with worry. He 
relaxes, though, as he sees Miriam walk in. "Hey...I haven't seen you in a 
while. Have a seat." Kale's tail flicks out, and pulls a seat up.

Miriam smiles a little, walking over to the seat, and setting down her courier's 
pack upon it--not that she needs to claim it, truly, against the hordes of 
ravening drinkers who might be /just/ out of sight and ready to fall upon open 
chairs. "Thank you, Kale. I haven't seen you myself either for a while." A 
repeat performance of that little smile, half covered by her hand, and she nods 
towards the bar. "Would you like me to get you something while I'm up?"

Kale shakes his head, ears twitching. He taps a half-filled glass of some 
unidentifible dark liquid. "Nah, I'm good. So, how've you been? It's been a bit 
hectic around here."

"I've heard!" Miriam laughs, some animation coming back into her features as she 
does. Walking towards the bar, she waits patiently for her order of wine to be 
filled before she returns, pulling back the chair and setting the satchel gently 
on the ground between one foot and the chair's leg. "I haven't had a chance to 
stop by in a while, I'm afraid." She wrinkles her nose. "I can't believe they 
actually asked to ID check me when I parked..."

Kale winces at the thought of ID checks, then shakes his head, ears drooping. 
"Don't remind me...what's scarier is that if you had come earlier, I would've 
been the one doing the checking!" 

Miriam had started to take a sip of her wine, but her eyes widen at Kale's 
words, and she sets the glass down half an inch to look at him. "You... 
/didn't/, did you? I would never have expected it." Although her voice sounds 
astonished, she suddenly breaks into a smile again, almost a laugh. Small wonder 
she's on the surface at the moment... with Seraphita rolling around, Solaris's 
cheerfullness index must be overfull. "I expected you to stay with Dakota."

Kale laughs. "I did...though I didn't have much choice at the time. It's worked 
out well, though..." Kale takes a sip of his drink, then puts it back down, the 
glass softly clinking. "Dakota has stayed with me...surprisingly enough. She's 
in Nisan right now...god knows how I've kept her and Commander Joseph from 
killing each other, though." Kale shakes his head at the thought.

Miriam giggles at the admission. Someday, something will surprise her without 
that reaction... but not yet. Shaking her head faintly, Miriam takes her sip of 
wine at last, adding another for good measure before the glass has time to do 
more than begin its descent back towards the table. "She should be doing all 
right, I hope? I'm glad you're keeping track of each other." The thin wineglass 
finds the table, and Miriam's fingers play at twisting it back and forth by 
fiddling with the stem. "How was the experience for you?" Not why, or how. 
Miriam doesn't need to ask about those things.

Kale grins toothily. "She's doing well...though I wish she'd stick around her 
more often." Kale's tail taps the ground as he contemplates her second question. 
"You mean joining Gebler? It started out as..well...painful, but It's gotten 
better. God knows how, but I've made corporal." Kale drains this glass, and 
thinks for a moment. "Heh...I even got an invitation to join Cobolt Wing! Though 
I couldn't except it..."

Oh... As quickly as glee arises in Miriam, so does it temper down into 
restraint, the slower awareness of occasional regret through the bright glee. 
"Isn't it funny how Gebler can be a good experience? If you joined Cobalt Wing, 
do you think we'd see each other more often?" Her fingers tap their shortly 
trimmed nails upon the glass, making slight pinging sounds. "Why didn't you join 
Cobalt?" The smile returns halfway, in this question phrased with a flicker of 
gold dancing through her eyes, curiosity and rationality bordered together.

Kale sighs. "Yeah...it is. I would have trouble keeping in touch with 
Dakota...but she was fine with me going." Kale stares down into his glass, and 
his ears drop. "The real reason is that in my...less settled days, I gave a sand 
pirate a lock on Major Asher's gear...he would've been blown out of the sky if 
that Ryu kid hadn't interveined."

Miriam keeps her wine from settling by stirring the glass with that same, 
circular motion of fingers about the base of its stem, the liquid rippling 
hypnotic patterns against the light that breaks against its surface. "I know," 
she smiles, the full force of her pleasure returned. "You caught me in that!" 
The addition is laughed; while another might use the same force of emotion in 
annoyance or vengence, Miriam simply seems.. to be wired completely /wrong/ on 
the response scale. Pausing in her giggles, muffled slightly behind the base of 
one wrist as she tries to keep it from disturbing the other patrons, she 
manages, "Then I went to get repairs and almost got shot and hurt after that... 
it was pretty funny." Taking in a breath after her fit of laughter, she sighs 
happily, teeth gleaming in a grin. "Is Asher still upset at you?"

Kale blinks. "Do you mean...you were in one of those gears?" Kale groans, and 
his ears go flat against his head. "I am so sorry..." Kale shakes his head. "My 
idiocy aside, I don't think so...but the commander here seems rather hell-bent 
on keeping me in Dazil. I wouldn't put it past him to make an issue of it."

Miriam waves her hand in negation of worry, the long sleeves of her jacket in 
all her clothes lapping at her knuckles and folded into the fist of her hand; 
she is easily identified by her comforts. "No, no, don't worry about it!" she 
laughs, voice chiming in innocence, despite the possible gravity of the past 
situation. "I'm fine, and my Gear was fine after only a few repairs. So Joseph 
is keeping you in Dazil? Do you want to stay here?"

Kale thinks a moment, and shrugs. "Honestly, I don't know...it hold memories for 
me, but It wouldn't hurt to get away." His ears twitch for a second, and he 
sighs again. "I don't even know what I want have the time...sad, isn't it?"

Miriam is held back from finishing her wine, although she eyes the last inch 
steadily for a minute or two. Finally, she does tilt back the glass, and drains 
it to the bottom, not setting it back down again but instead rolling it in her 
fingers. "If you want to leave any time, then just let me know," she adds 
lightly, pushing back her chair and standing at last. "Don't worry about not 
knowing what you want though, Kale. None of us really do. Life's kind of funny 
that way, isn't it?" Shaking her head, pale hair dancing under the low light of 
the candle-filled tavern, Miriam sighs. "I think I have to go back now. Send me 
a message sometime, if you want? If you're around on Gebler now, then you 
probably have access to the notification services." Waving with the same, timid 
gesture of the closed hand--despite the openness of her cheer--Miriam waits for 
Kale's response before leaving.

Kale nods. "Thanks, Miriam...I'll drop you a line. Who knows? Maybe I will join 
Cobolt wing." Kale's ears twitch, and  he waves to Miriam.