All the world is waiting for the sun

ira

With the curfew still being in place (for now) and still preventing the bar from being opened until late at night, they had eventually just settled for opening earlier in the afternoon, even if it often meant a bit of a slow start with most people being busy with their own jobs. However, there's always someone finding the time no matter when in the day it is. A handful of people are gathered around one table, muttering between each other about recent and current events, another one is seated at one end of the bar counter, having a quiet conversation with the bartender.

Ira is keeping herself busy at the other end, currently using the calm as a chance to reorganize bottles under the counter. Usually she prefers it when work is more busy, but after having been gone for almost all of Drenak she for once doesn't mind the slower start. At least she finds the slower hours at the bar way more entertaining than at the diner where she works during the earlier parts of the days. That place often manages to bore her out of her mind even during busier times.

She straightens up to have a look around the room to make sure she isn't needed anywhere, and is just about to dip back down into the storage shelves when the front door opening grabs her attention instead. The sight of the familiar face brings a friendly enough smile to her own. "You survived the rain... And whatever else that's been going around. Hi." She throws a quick glance over to the bartender, but he just gives them a small wave and continues his own conversation. Clearly leaving her to deal with this one on her own.

"What can I get you? Please, something simple. I'd hate to drag Adrian away from his very important conversation to mix you something advanced." She says with a teasing smirk, causing the bartender to just shake his head with a small smile.

Mikolaj snaps out of his reverie, his head turning from the empty space in front of him, to Ira. He blinks, perhaps a little slower than strictly necessary, and shakes his head.

"Survived? Oh, uh... Yes, though just barely. Simple. Hm... I don't suppose you have coffee?"

Mikolaj stirs on his stool, smiling a stiff smile that doesn't quite reach the dark lines under his eyes. His face looks disheveled, much like the rumpled blue boilersuit he is wearing.

Mikolaj

ira

She tilts her head to the side and gives him a curious look as he comes over and takes a seat at the other side of the bar, though before she gets a chance to comment about how tired he looks, he asks about the coffee. "Got some around usually for drinks, so it won't be scalding hot. Might work well enough for you anyway."

She gives him another friendly smile and then sets to work, quickly fixing up a tall glass of iced coffee with some sweetened syrup mixed in just to take away the bitterness. "Can't tell if you need something stronger, or if that'll just knock you out. Just let me know." She adds with a wink, nudging one of the nearby whiskey bottles as she places the glass down in front of him. "You do look like you've had a rough day, though."

Mikolaj smiles again, a bit more genuinely this time. He shakes his head firmly, and rubs at his eye with a knuckle.

"Cold is fine. I am only there for the... The stuff. The caffeine."

He nods along as Ira speaks, his smile lingering as he listens silently, even as his eyes get a bit of a faraway look in them. Eventually, he opens his mouth. Closes it. Then opens it again to speak.

"Not rough, just... Long. I mean... Maybe you know, some days just feel like they never end. I've no idea how long I've been on my feet, but... Probably too long. I think..."

He huffs. Like a laugh that didn't quite make it.

"I think now is a terrible time for me and something stronger to get together. I would, I suspect, fall asleep on your bar."

Seemingly proud of his conclusion, Mikolaj wraps both hands around the tall glass, and takes a sip. He looks thoughtfully into the foam, and then blinks his eyes slowly.

"Something I did not consider. Cold is best. You never want to be warm when you are sleepy, because... Then you fall asleep. This is perfect."

Mikolaj

ira

There's a nod of understanding at the never-ending days and she slides the bottle further aside with a soft chuckle. "No whiskey for you then. Would have to find some people to carry you out of you fall asleep here. Don't really want to have to throw you out either." Sticking with alcohol free caffeine might be the best option after all.

"But yeah, long days..." A small sigh leaves her as she starts to move some glasses about behind the counter just to stay busy. Or pretend to, at least, as said glasses are already in order,  so she's basically just reorganizing them to not just stand and stare him down while they talk.

"Got a lot of those as well. Sometimes it doesn't seem to matter how busy they are, they still manage to never end. At least I'm spared the excitement of having to stick my fingers into broken fuse boxes." She sends him a teasing look as she briefly glances up from her work.

As for for the comment about warmth making one fall asleep when sleepy, she tips her head this and that way before nodding in agreement. "Might have experienced that." She mumbles and doesn't give any further details about it, keeping her thoughts from drifting away to her resident furnace.

Mikolaj nods slowly, and looks up from his coffee.

"Old fuse boxes aren't as exciting as one might think. Or... "

He smiles again.

"...I guess you could say that if they start to become exciting, something has gone wrong. Most of what I-... We do right now, is water damage. Shocking, I know.

It has been this way for as long as I can remember. I mean, no sense trying to fix anything during the flood, right? It'll just break again a few days down the line, you're just wasting your time. But now?... Now everyone wants to uh... Restock and rearm, that make sense?"

Mikolaj stiffles a yawn. He gives a bit of a huff again.

"Just miss the folk I usually work with is all. Fewer hands means more work. But I shouldn't complain - Gives me something to do."

Mikolaj pulls a gray rag from his boiler suit and wipes his hands absentmindedly. Then he wipes the moisture off the sides of his glass, just for good measure.

Mikolaj

ira

She shakes her head with a huff of a laugh and a small amused smile as she picks up on the shocking pun, but then nods again with a soft hum. "Yeah, just the way of this wonderful Drench life, right? Things break, we patch it up when it stops breaking and then spends a moment in peace before it repeats. Though I really shouldn't complain much, since I've been having the luxury of living above the flood zone for half my life." After sending a glance towards Adrian at the other end, still busy with his own patrons, she leans forward a bit on the edge of the counter.

"Though I've recently moved sort of back into it, so it'll probably be back to dealing with the water next time Drenak opens the waterfall on us." She keeps her voice a bit quiet, as if to make sure Adrian won't be able to pick up on anything. The nosy bartender will just have to survive without that bit of gossip for a while longer.

She usually doesn't share much of herself with the patrons either, but when it comes to the local regulars she's had the chance to speak a bit more too, it feels more alright to share a little bit than just being the one listening and nodding along.

Pushing away from the counter again, she goes back to moving the glasses around and sending Mikolaj brief glances. "How come you're missing people, though? I guess they're not around, but why? Just busy with other work, or...?"

Mikolaj nods along, as he twists the rag between his hands. The right side of his mouth twitches in what might have been a short-lived smirk.

"It would have been nice, but no. Most are recovering from the algae. I uh, dodged a bullet there. Haven't got sick yet, but... Means I get to pull harder for the people who have. Don't mind it at all, just... Hope they get better soon, you know? They're family, so."

Mikolaj furrows his brow, and rubs at his scalp. He glances up at Ira.

"Born lucky, I guess. Good on you for living outside the flood zone though. Can't uh... Say I'd want to go back into it, so I hope it is... That thing. Working out for you?"

Mikolaj

ira

She pauses again when he mentions the algae, but doesn't look up this time. Only remaining still for a second or two, then goes back to moving the glasses. Now shifting them back to where they were standing to begin with, all just to be busy with something. "I managed to keep away from the worst of that algae thing as well. Seen some that weren't so lucky, so really hoping some solution is figured out sooner rather than later."

After quickly scanning the room to make sure she isn't needed at a table, she finally looks back to Mikolaj and offers him a gentle smile. "Hope your family will be alright too. Just tricky when the water is the main issue. Difficult to avoid. And well..."

She gives a small shrug, another smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Wouldn't call me born lucky. Used to live in one of the worse areas as a kid before we managed to move up a bit. But... I'd say things will work out. It's not like I'm moving back to the worst parts at all, might just be a lil bit more vulnerable to the floods." Her smile turns into a hint of a smirk and her gaze once more returns to the glasses she is moving about. "I'll be in good company, though and I care more about that."

Mikolaj smiles back, and he sips his coffee, before wiping the glass down again.

"I am sure they will work it out. And, boiling the water seems to help..."

He hums.

"You have the right idea, either way. Doesn't much matter where you are going, as long as you are in good company.

But, if you run into any trouble with flooding or electronics or... You know, anything at your new place, you can come by the shop. We're a whole gang of folk - Do most things. One of my sisters do carpentry, if you need... I dunno, wooden stuff. I was never any good at it, so I'll let her sell it to you. Anyway - Just ask for Enver Marsh - That's my uncle. He'll set you up with anything-..."

Mikolaj nods along, the last bit of his sentence coming out as another yawn.

Mikolaj