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WHO: Tali, Jaime Lannister, possibly Martin Septim ... and anyone else who wants to drop in!
WHERE: Tom's bar!
WHEN: Wednesday night.
WARNINGS: Emergency induction ports and possibly gross sobbing
SUMMARY: Tali's had a hard couple of weeks.
FORMAT: Quick!

[If her video post wasn't a clear enough indication, Tali is currently attempting to stop being sad about the departure of the vast majority of her friends from home by sterilizing her entire body with liquor.

Fortunately, most of the drinks have been sweet and heavy on the soda -- that means she's not going to poison herself, just have an extremely unfortunate hangover the next day. The alcohol isn't making her any more jovial, though, it's just making her slump down on her chair and stab her straw into her drink.

At least she isn't talking to herself yet.]

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[ He's actually there at a pretty reasonable time, Martin in tow! And, bonus points, dressed like a normal guy in a nice button-up shirt and not like a knight in shining white armor. It doesn't take him long to spot Tali, and he slides into a seat next to her, a drink already in hand. ]

Who were they to you?

[ it's kinda like a greeting, right ]

[ Martin wishes looking after inebriated people wasn't old hat for him, but it is, an occasional task taken in Tamriel due to his priestly duties. Luckily, he doesn't look the part today, more akin to a college professor seeking a pick-me-up after a particularly stressful lesson. His greeting is wordless, a nod of his head, sliding into the other seat next to her. ]

[She considers it sad that Jaime is one of the people she's actually been seeing the most in the last little while, but ... well, it's too late to get out of him being here now.]

It depends which one you're talking about.

[Totally not evading the question.]

Let's have both. We have the time, I think.

[ He signals the bartender, for another drink for Tali and one for Martin. ]

[ Apparently the bartender thinks Martin is a lightweight—he's handed the greenest, most aromatic drink he's ever seen, dusted with salt crystal at its edges. At first, Martin scrunches up his nose at this oddity, but one sip in and he stops complaining. It tastes like lemon, not alcohol! This is delicious! ]

[Tali gets a strawberry margarita to match, and she doesn't complain either. She just sort of ... frowns.]

Grunt was a child -- not in a mean way, but he was inexperienced. He meant well though, most of the time.

Garrus...

[She sighs the ... wistful sigh of the heartbroken or something.]

He was a good man. I'll miss him.

[ Oh yeah, he knows that sigh. He cocks a brow, sipping at his totally manly ale. ]

A good man to warm your bed?

[ Choking on a lemon-lime concoction is the worst, the way it adds a burn as your throat contracts. Martin coughs a couple of times, then says, voice thick in disapproval. ] Must it always be sexual, Jaime?

[Unfortunately, she can't hide her blush in this form.]

Jaime doesn't seem to be able to think any other way.

[And she doesn't answer, she just takes a long sip of her drink.]

[ And Jaime shrugs, totally unbothered by Martin's disapproval and Tali's evasion. Which, by the by, is plenty of answer enough, alongside that blush. ]

I only wanted to be completely sure I knew the situation. [ He tosses a wink at Tali. ] And now I do.

[ Martin absentmindedly stirs his margarita, fully aware that it's up to him to offer solace. ] You are right to remember your friends. Don't forget them, because they won't. But take solace in the fact that, wherever they are, they will treasure their memories with you as much as you treasure yours with them. [ It's sappy, yes, but Martin speaks with the solemn, genuine hope of a priest. ]

[She purses her lips.]

Well, I didn't remember anything from this place when I returned home. I can only imagine that -- it will be the same for them.

I'm just glad that we'll -- see each other again whenever I return home too.

[She shoots a glare at Jaime.]

And no, I don't think you could understand.

[ yes good this is why he brought Martin, he'll say all the gross crap Jaime wants nothing to do with. ]

You might explain it, then. [ Another sip of his drink, and then as if it's just dawned on him: ] Perhaps it would help.

[ Divines, Martin didn't know that. Now his words are nothing but platitudes. Instead of offering more meaningless wisdom, he continues to drink, downing the rest of his margarita, then asking for another.

Something that tasted more of juice than alcohol wasn't dangerous. ]

[Tali is at least still working on the second half of her drink. She offers an apologetic smile to Martin, though.]

Sorry. But -- that's the way it is, it seems.

I don't know what there is to explain. We were more than friends.

[But they hadn't had much time together to do ... all that much.]

[ He's hardly listening to her exchange with Martin. He'd tuned most of it out as soon as Martin had begun making sympathetic noises. But he's more than willing to listen to Tali's explanation of her relationship with this Garrus. ]

Then what more is there to understand?

[ Martin knows well she's past the point for soothing words. What she needs is to have a good cry, let all those emotions pour out. Those who loved lost ones, either to fighting or disease, did it often at the chapel, and at the end, they were better for it. Being told that only time cures heartache isn't what most people want to hear, they want a salve right there and then.

With a nod, Martin acknowledges Tali's smile, reciprocating with quiet smile of his own. ]

It wasn't just -- a tryst. We'd been through a lot together.

[She's trying to articulate they had gross smushy feelings, okay Jaime. Except that Garrus has Shepard at home, so that's -- a non-possibility.]

I know it must be hard to think of caring about someone except yourself past using them to your advantage, of course.

[...okay, so maybe she's getting kind of defensive and surly.]

[ Wow, kinda caught between a rock and a hard place, there. Sure, he could admit he's spent the better part of his life caught up in a passionate romance with his twin sister... but instead, he downs the rest of his drink in one go. ]

It's truly terrible. Not many can sympathize with me on that, but I'm glad to see that you're different, my lady.

[ Yep, totally ordering another round. Who cares if Martin hasn't finished his second and Tali hasn't finished her first (first since they got there, at least). ]

[ Martin looks from Tali to Jaime, unsure if he should step in. Clearly, he's here to keep the ~~children~~adults from tearing at each other through sarcastic digs. ] Come on you two. We're not here to insult each other.

Edited 2012-06-14 18:15 (UTC)

Really? That seems to be what happens when people drink. And Jaime -- I think you point out often enough that I'm different, you should know better.

[She finishes off her current margarita in favour of the new one being prepared by the bartender.]

Martin. [ He leans out past Tali, just enough to fix his frown on Martin. ] I would think you know me better than that. Why else should I ever leave my bed in the morning?

[ And to Tali, with a smile: ] But you're right, of course. Tell me, will your points continue to be so astute if you continue drinking, or will they begin to dull?

[ To Tali, mouth pursed. ] Not necessarily. [ He, for example, was a happy drunk. Not that anyone would see that tonight. ]

To flip your hair back and forth as you remove your helmet. [ Martin raises his margarita, taking another sip as he flashes Jaime a smile, amused. ]

It took me ages to figure out what to do with my hair.

[It's absent, but true -- she's used to not having to think about such things.]

And I'm sure that my points will just dissolve into nonsense at some point. Hopefully one of you will be ushering me back to the MAC by then.

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