One Sip at a Time

[Neron]

Sunlight streamed through the large paned windows of the coffee shop. Their warmth and light seemed to drift down onto a certain girl. Her black hair shone brightly. It fell all about her form, over her shoulders and in front of her. In her elegant slender hands she held a coffee cup. It's soft chocolaty minty smell drifted around, only adding to the delightful sense around her. Here was a place that she often went when she wanted to chill for a day. The smell was invigorating, the environment calming, and the product, delightful.

The cup slowly rose to her lips as she took another sip. It was nice to just relax, especially after all the calculus and other subjects she had been taking. It had been an exhausting year. Her gaze drifted to the window and seemed to grow distant. So much had happened over the past couple days, it was strange. Her thoughts drifted here and there, lingering over some thoughts, and whizzing through others. It was nice to just think.

[saerwen]

Everything smelled like coffee, or other drinks that were less intriguing. Sometimes it was so strong that it warded off visitors, but today it was just right. How was it that this place, full of untested trinkets was so calming to ones spirit? Damion had asked himself that question a few times before. He liked to come to the cafe...He didn't know why, but he did. He had never tried coffee, and had heard from Jaedon that it was disgusting stuff, so he stuck with his Green and Mint tea mix. He was fixing to go and find a table or plushy chair to inhabit when he saw a familiar face amongst the inhabitants. It was Miriel. She sipped her drink as she sat and relaxed. Everything was serene in here, specifically her face.
He didn't want to disturb her, but he really wanted to talk to her. He wanted to get to know her better. He wanted to understand how she of all people became friends with Jaedon and Neron. Both had similar attributes to them, and both had some fiery temperaments, but how had one girl who seemed so sweet, managed to become mixed up with two utterly dark figures. As much as this puzzled him, what puzzled him even more was what on earth she was that she could strike Neron as scary, and have healing powers. When Neron had said that in their earlier meeting, Damion had brushed it aside for the moment, but it had returned to puzzle him, and so he was curious now. Was Neron being facetious, or had he been serious, and if he was, how so?
Still not wishing to interrupt Miriel he began to walk over to another chair, almost praying that she would see him so that they could talk for a while. However, the other side of him wished that she wouldn't notice him so that he wouldn't disturb her from her silent and peaceful reverie. He hated to admit it, but she was most beautiful when she was like this, calm, reserved, and not worried about anything. He continued to glance at her figure in passes of time, quick, scanning looks that gave him a constant understand of her. Her grace seemed so captivating. He continued over to a chair.

[»Míríel«]

Miriel face light up as a smile formed on her lips. Memories of first meeting Jaedon and all the fun they had together ran through her mind. But then, before her reminiscing could continue a flash of white caught the corner of her eye. That could only be one thing. Her face turned from the window and focus on Damion. His white features made him stand out in a crowd like a white rose in a bunch of red ones. His smile grew brighter as she called out, "Damion, over here!" She was delighted to see him, truly. Perhaps they could get to know one another better. Especially without Neron or Jaedon tussling around with each other like puppies.

It was funny that out of any place Damion had chosen here, and at this time to. It seemed as though fate had let them meet here. ""So are you here for the coffee or the environment?" She asked him. even though this was her secret little haven, she wasn't upset about one of her friends finding out about it.

Lifting the coffee to her lips she took another sip, savoring the warm and minty flavor. IT was delightful, so refreshing. She liked the contrast of the cooling mint to the warm coffee, it never got old. Miriel remembered Jaedon trying coffee, now that was funny, one reason why she never came around here, she hated the black drink.

[saerwen]

Damion gave an inward sigh of relief as Miriel called him over. He came over with a smooth walk, care-free and happy. A grin as big as ever before lit his face. His icy blue eyes shone with the cheer of a free day to himself. He gazed at her, those ice-like eyes looked at her with wisdom, that seemed far beyond his years, but it was not surreal or strange, it seemed deserved...earned was perhaps the better word. He knew that his appearance made people view him strangely, white hair and almost clear blue eyes were a strange combination. His pale skin did nothing to help, only his cheeks stayed pink with robust exercise and his hands tan and rough from work. It was strange to see someone so fine-looking with such hard worked hands. They were calloused and rough, but gentle and caring. Strong in their own way, physical strength seemed to escape them.
His sat down at the table with Miriel, then straightening his brown vest out, and straightening up his baby blue collared shirt that was underneath. This was not to impress Miriel, it was habit. He didn't know why, but that was what he had become used to. "Oh, only for the environment, my dear. It is soothing to ones soul. And you, I can tell that you come to enjoy the riches of both." He laid the book that he had brought with him from the library down on the table without thinking about it. It was titled, "Magic in Foreign Lands: A Guide to the Sorcery and Myths of Other Cultures." On the front it had a mixture of alchemy symbols and strange phrases from certain chants. He was still researching for Jaedon and this book had caught his eye, and he had begun to devour it with keen interest. He hadn't thought about any questions popping up about it.
"I hope that I am not interrupting an occasion that is too important." he smiled sweetly as he took a drink of his own strange mixture of drink. The minty flavor mixed with the bitter one of the green tea in the most perfect way ever designed. He tried to suppress the sigh of quiet joy that filled his soul as he inhaled the aroma that flew up from the cup. He then looked to Miriel.

[»Míríel«]

Miriel watched him straighten his clothes with amusement. He was like a bird whose every feather had to be in place. She had seen Neron do that, but very rarely. It was only when he forgot about himself did he straighten and care about his clothing or how his hair was. But this was extremely rare, and didn't happen at all. So he always walked around, hair tousled by the wind, and clothes that were never neatly in place. Though that didn't mean he looked dirty or rough, he just had a wild touch to him, a mystery.

Miriel smiled at Damion's answer. "Yes, I do enjoy this place, the coffee is excellent..." she smiled down at her cup. It was worth every penny she paid for it. Her green eyes flicked up to his before looking down at the book that had been placed before her. an eyebrow arched with curiosity, what was he doing with that book?
"No, you are not interrupting anything at all. Just idle thinking that's all. I hope that I'm not interrupting your...studies." She motioned with her head to his book. "Interesting choice." she smiled crookedly before a delightful scent came to her sense. It was a minty flavor, and it was coming from Damion's cup. "That smells delightful, what is it?" She was ignoring the curious glances of the people around them. Indeed, they probably looked like a strange pain. One was so light and she was a stark contrast of dark and light blended together. Without even knowing them she could tell that the normal humans could sense something different about them both. But the aurora about them was mysterious enough that the humans didn't dare come near and ask. Instead they glanced curiously over, and got their beverage of choice, and then left with one last glance at them.

[saerwen]

Damion smiled as she mentioned the coffee. He had never tried it, and was slightly curious, but he was also scared. Even though he seemed willing enough to try anything, he didn't like trying new food. He would never say anything about it, but he was always rather hesitant. He didn't know why though, because whatever he tried, he ended up liking alot. He would always remember it, and want it at some point later. He wished that he could go back to all of the places that he had been and try the food all over again so that he could remember what they all tasted like. That would be a fun report to write. All the different foods of the world.
"My studies? Oh my... it's more like my project that I have no reason to do. This is a very interesting book though. Did you know that voodoo is actually a combination of religions with an African twist on it. The only reason that voodoo can actually work, as in with the dolls, is because of magic. I never thought that I would miss seeing an incredible creature like a witch doctor, but the witch doctors of Africa are really a sight to be seen. This book has reminded me of a lot of things that I used to do and see. I find it very practical and enjoyable. However, that is my own defiled opinion.
When Miriel asked what on earth the tea was he couldn't help but smile. "It's a concoction that an old friend taught me." he smiled and took on a far away look as he remembered. "He was an Brit who had gone to live in China. He said that he always longed for the refinement of Mint tea from his wife's garden, but he had come to love the urban taste of green tea just the same. I asked him why he didn't try mixing the two. The next time that I came back to see him, there he was, the perfect mixture. I request it special every time that I come in here. They make it splendidly well, but not as well as the inventor, I am grieved to say." He smiled, knowing that she would be asking plenty of questions soon enough.

[»Míríel«]

Miriel couldn't help listen to Damion without resting her chin on her hand. Her eyes glittered with interest as she sat mesmerized by his story telling. "Well then, when you are done with that book you must let me have a crack at it, it sounds interesting. But you were in Africa? How interesting! I bet that was a place to see many surprising things." Her posture leaned back as her eyes grew dreamy. "where have you not been? Africa, China, here? Seems like you have quite an interesting past." she smiled at him. "You must share sometime."
When he talked about his tea she couldn't help but laugh at his laugh comment. "when is anything as good as the creatures work? There is something special about the inventor, a special touch perhaps, or a secret he doesn't release. But there is always something more magical about his work than a remake of it." Her head shook as she cleared the thoughts from her mind, "Forgive me, sometimes I go to deep into things." She smiled again. "I will have to try your concoction some time. I love mint, so no doubt I will fall in love with it. Usually I just satisfy myself with A peppermint mocha." she looked at her drink. "Though not as exotic as yours, perhaps, but it has a soothing flavor. The chocolate and the warm coffee blends with the mint quite well. It gives you a smooth cooling, but warm feeling as you drink it; very refreshing, even on the hottest days."

[saerwen]

Miriel marveled on how many places he had been. He started laughing when she asked where he had not been. "I'll share whenever you feel that you have time to listen to such grand nonsense, my friend, and as for your question, which is a fair one, I grant you, the answer is that I have been all over the world time and again, missed a few places along the way, but made sure to keep in touch with every friend I meet and fear every enemy I fought." He sighed as he gazed out the window, "Life seems so much more like a gift when you notice how small you are compared to such a big world, filled with such wisdom and love. 'Tis a gift that many cultures have forgotten, especially the modern cultures."
He smiled as he watched Miriel laugh at his strange mixture. He enjoyed making people laugh, and Miriel had a charming laugh, full of glee. "Well, in my experience, there is such a thing as perfection in cases where the first product was not so, but as I said before, his mixture was of the most perfect and glamorous kind. He was a chemist who liked to play with potions and pots of boiling matter. I found that tea suited him very well." he chuckled at his last statement. "And I also search too deeply for things. My crime against Jaedon is always over-thinking her jokes and fun. It is that fatal flaw that leads to my utter downfall, but her laugh, and is therefore much more worth having as a quality. So please do not apologize."
"I will make it for you sometime, maybe on a night when you need something to cheer you up, after a hard days work." his smile faded. "Those seem to come around much more often now days. Why can't life be simple like it was?" Then he got a sheepish smile. "I'll confess that I have never had coffee before. This is probably because my main source of help in this area is Jaedon..." his eyes sparkled as he thought about how Jaedon abhorred the black drink. She wouldn't drink anything that even remotely looked like coffee. "Speaking of our little black friend, I was curious as to how you two met. I figured that I would get further in asking you instead of it being the other way around." He gazed at her with interest and curiosity now.

[»Míríel«]

"That is very true..today the people of this world is so focused on them self, it's pitiful. They don't appreciate others like they used to. Nor to they care to understand. Without others, nobody would survive very well. It's hard to do everything by yourself." Miriel listened to him before she smiled pleasantly, "I doubt the stories are as boring as you make them seem." She was beginning to like this Damion, he had a purity about him, a pure heart perhaps. One that would do anything for his friends, even sacrifice himself for their amusement. Not many people had the strength or the will to do such a thing.

He started talking about the tea, and making it for her she smiled again at him. "That would be delightful, I'm sure. I'm sure it would cheer me up." Her smile faded slightly, "It does seem that those times are coming at an increasing rate. Hopefully..." Her eyes shifted to the window, "hopefully, they will start to settle down." A distant look grew in them as she continued. "If times were as simple as they always were, then we never would learn to grow. If trees didn't have the wind then they wouldn't have the strength to support themselves, or provide shelter for others. If we never had to learn things the hard way then how could we guide others in leading them away from the mistakes. It's a strange thing, but if we never got hurt, then would we really appreciate love?" She shook her head, she had gone off again, this place usually did that to her, it relaxed her so that she could truly think. At the mention of Jaedon and the coffee the smile returned to her eyes. "You must try it, it really is a treat. You will never know if you like something until you try it. Perhaps when you are tired and sad I will give you some." She grinned. "Though if you end up following Jaedon's tastes that might not be the best thing."

At the mentioned on their meeting Miriel's eyes grew distant once more, but her gaze dropped to her coffee. Its smooth brown surface was erupted as she started swirling it around in her hands. "How me met..." Her mouth curved into a curious line. It wasn't exactly a smile, though it looked like one. But it was her eyes that gave the whole expression to be cloaked in mystery. "That was a long time ago." She stared harder into the swirling drink. "I believe it was on the streets, it was a curious meeting..for..." She sighed and shrugged. "Jaedon was sent to kill me." Lifting her coffee she let the liquid touch her lips and took a sip of the warm liquid. Her body was relaxed. In fact her tone had been so even you would have thought she had stated something about the weather, or how pretty the flowers, or how great the coffee. If you hadn't been listening the words and the tone wouldn't have connected and you would have thought you had misheard.

[saerwen]

"Oh, dreadfully boring. If you have ever been to Africa than that is all of the excitement that one could ask for. The people there are such interesting folk that life is so dull now." He chuckled as he thought about the lie that he had just told. He was not hiding that it was untrue, he knew that Miriel would be able to see that he was joking.
Damion listened as she thought out loud. He liked how she did it without warning. It was like he was getting a little piece of her mind. He smiled as he looked at her, giving his attention in the fullest measure. He was good at listening to people, and he liked to listen. It was a good way to get to know people better and to relate with them. "Ah, now I know that I am in good company, for there is wisdom on the far end of this table." he spoke jovially and smiled as she finished her open thoughts. "I agree. Without pain, there is no pleasure, and without trials, there is no love. Just as there is such a thing as love, there is such a thing as hate, contradictories that cannot exists without each other. That is the side of reality that seems so twisted, but in truth, keeps the world balanced. The only way that we have a definition of love is because there is hate, because there is pain, we know pleasure as we see it in our lives. That is why I will never support world peace. As much as I hate fighting, without controversy, the world will fall apart from the peaceful place out. There should never be an extreme of either, but so often there is. That is the source of corruption. True corruption is not chaos, it is the lack there of." he had sobered greatly, and was now staring down into his cup, noting the vibrant green color of the mixture. It seemed to display life itself in his mind. What an incredible creation! He continued to marvel at it.
"I suppose that one day I will try it. Perhaps as I will introduce green and mint tea, you can introduce me to some kind of coffee that is superb to your own tastes. I am sure that Jaedon would mind if I actually took after one of your pleasures seeing as how you two lovely ladies are friends." he smiled as he lifted his own drink to his lips. He took a sip as he started to listen to Miriel again. He noticed that she grew very quiet, very hesitant. He couldn't read her face, it was a mixture of emotions that he could not decipher, this was not going to be what had expected of their meeting, but then again, considering that it was Jaedon they were talking, he really didn't know what on earth to expect. Damion took a sip of his drink while he waited for the explanation. When she said the facts, Damion almost spit his drink out. She said it so calmly, like there was nothing in the world that was strange about it, or shocking. "Did I hear you right? Jaedon was sent to kill you? You met her while she was an assassin? Sent to kill you?" he was in complete shock. He had known that Jaedon had done a few jobs for men of various states in life, and that those jobs were of a dark nature, but he knew not what they had been. He had always thought that it might be assassin work, but he had never gotten a confirmation from Jaedon. Damion shook his head in disbelief. "And I thought what she did to me was bad... So what happened?"

[»Míríel«]

Miriel laughed, "oh really now, well then I'll make sure to mark Africa off my list. Can't have it stealing all the joy from my life." She smiled brightly as her tone was joking. Strangely she was enjoying this conversation more than she could have dared to expect. It was nice to just relax. Usually if she was talking to Jaedon she had to be on guard against mind tricks, or if she was with Neron she had to watch out for his stinging remarks that always seemed at the ready. But here, here they were just having pleasant conversation.

"Nicely said Damion." Miriel gazed at the white figure before her. "It's nice to see someone else of the same opinion. It is sad how many people never think about it this way and only see one said of the coin. It gives a twisted view on life, in order to understand you must see the whole picture."

"No, Jaedon wouldn't mind, though I'm sure she may not understand you taking up such a "vile" drink. Perhaps she will come and try it once more, though I doubt it would do her any good." Miriel shook her head, "She has the poorest taste of anyone I know." She looked up with a mischievous glimmer in her eyes.

"What happened eh?" Miriel's looked into the swirling brown liquid as she continued to move the cup around and around, creating a cortex in the cup. "Well...Let's just say...." The coffee cup was put on the table as Miriel's green gaze looked up at Damion. "She found me a bit to much to handle." Miriel lifted the cup and took another sip nonchalantly. "Now you have peeked my interest, what on earth did Jaedon do to you?"

[saerwen]

"Yes, if people could only see both the good and the evil of things then life might be better, but the only problem with that theory is that the extremes are put on one side. Right now, everyone sees the wrong side of the coin, we would wish that everyone could see both sides... That would make it to where there is nothing to balance anything, and yet again... Chaos would not exist. Everyone would do the same thing, believe the same things, and do the same thing. That would mean no free will. What a horrid life it would seem." Damion looked into his cup, and then smirked. "It's a bloody shame that things in the world can't be as simple as they should seem. Why do people and their beliefs have to make things so complicated? Because we all want freedom..." He got a far away look as he stared into his drink. He looked like he was gazing into a distant land that was all inside of his cup. One could almost have seen the memories rolling through his mind like a slide show. As more memories came around, a haunted look seemed to fill his eyes, but only his eyes. They seemed to cloud with fog from a dark place, like the kind that fills a graveyard. But then all at once it went away as he spoke again, "...freedom to fly."
When Miriel mentioned Jaedon's poor taste Damion just started to laugh at the thought. "Yes, I am afraid that the poor dear does have some trouble in taste... However, in friends she chooses very well it seems." Silently Damion began to think about the turn of new events.'That is the only thing in which I feel that Jaedon can actually pick right, even though her growing attachment to Neron is disturbing... Miriel is plenty redemption for such a mistake.'
Damion was still in shock as he listened "Too much for Jay? You are kidding me? What did you do to her? I haven't known anyone that could wiggle their way out of her little mind traps, and her skill with her swords is absolutely impeccable. However, I am not much one for person hand to hand combat, so I would not be the best of judges."
He had calmed his features as he took another sip of his tea. When she mentioned his experience and her curiosity he simply raised an eyebrow. "Oh..." he sounded a little dismayed. "I met her when she was not so kind as she is now." He got a cold glimmer in his eye. "She deserved the name of witch when I met her. It wasn't long after she had killed one of the phoenix crime lords in the undergrounds. Everyone wanted her spread out on a silver platter." He again looked as though painful memories were flashing through. "I was in the underground assisting a friend, who we soon discovered was on her hit list. She was sent to seduce me so that she could get to him easier. She found me at the perfect time, in an alley way, alone, and cornered without the use of magic by 5 very elite fighters. She pulled me out of the situation, and then, started to play some rather cruel mind games with me. I was so tired and broken by then that I had no strength to stop her. She found me easy prey, drugged me, and then went for my friend as I slept on the small cot in her tiny apartment, with no way to know where I was, or how to get out. She left me there, and when I found out that she had gotten to my friend, I went on a hunt for her. When I finally caught up to her, she was in Japan, working for someone on the underground again. That was where I finally beat her, and we became friends,even though it was very hard to tell who won, she gave up."

[»Míríel«]

Miriel smiled as she clasped her hands in front of her. " Very true, unless you let them see the side of the coin. Then you see the two sides melding together in harmony. For without both sides you wouldn't have a coin. But it seems that few can see the side of the coin." Flicking her hair to the side she unclasped one of her fingers to run it through her long locks. "To many like the flat surface of the coin where it is easier to see the support around you, few stand on the edge where they can see not only both sides, but what is before them, but the edge requires a clear head to stay balanced on." Her hands returned to their clasped position. "As for freedom, if everyone had it then how would anything get done. Freedom is great within bounds, or it doesn't work. If you had freedom, when would you work, and you would only work on your schedule. If the roads were ruled by freedom then who would listen to the red and green lights? Everyone would go when they wanted." When he mentioned the flying part Miriel bowed her head and her finger traced a figure eight on the table. "Now that, is something I think everyone should have. To stretch your wings and fly, leaving all your cares and worries behind you in the dust. To feel the wind underneath your wings..That is something that never should have been or should be taken away."

Miriel's cheeks flushed a slight pink as he referred to Jaedon having good taste in friends. It was out of slight embarrassment but also delight that he thought her a good friend for Jaedon. If she had been in her true form her feathers would have been ruffled in delight but her face would have been tucked behind one of her wings in embarrassment. "Yes, I must say she had a great talent for that." Miriel lifted her head with cheeks still flushed pink and looked Damion in the eye before dropping her head once more.

But the embarrassment didn't last for long as Damion went on to the next subject. "Yes, Jaedon is very good with the sword, or rather swords she knows how to wield them tolerably well. She was a pleasure to fight against." even though Miriel wasn't known for being a good sword wielder she was pretty good. It was the strength behind her blows which had, perhaps, caught Jaedon off guard. But Jaedon was the better swords-woman and she got the sword from Miriel after a while. "Mind traps for me usually aren't hard, especially against an enemy. It's the ones laid out by friends that I have a hard time resisting. I place my foot in them knowingly."

Miriel ar first listened to Damion and his past with relish until he mentioned the Phoenix crime lord that died. Without disturbing Damion her head slowly lowered until her face was no longer seen. She listened in horror, not at the fact of what Jaedon had done to him but at the memory. Her eyes grew distant and as soon as she finished she flashed him and empty smile and got up. She needed to breath for a moment. Picking up her cup she rose and walked slowly to the trashcan. Throwing away her cup that still had some of her coffee in it she stood there for a moment, gathering herself. Turning back there was no sign of anything bothering her, her face was serene and light with a bright glow, as always, though her eyes seemed a bit distant, there seemed nothing out of place. Sitting down she faced him as a smile formed on her lips, "It's strange how you have to defeat or some close to defeating Jaedon to be her friend. It's almost as if she respects those who have the will power and skill behind them to defeat her. Though, I must say, not many have been able to do it. " She sat in silence for a moment before she stood up abruptly. "I guess I better be going, I have been here for quite some time." She took a couple of steps away before turning to Damion, "We must meet again sometime I really enjoyed our little talk." She smiled and waved before she exited the cafe. As her back turned to him and she walked down the street a single tear fell from her cheek. That Phoenix lord that had died had been her father.

[saerwen]

Damion was at a loss as Miriel got up suddenly. "Did I say something that offended her, is she in trouble, or just tired?" When she left, he didn't see anything that said she was offended, just a little out of spirits. It happened so fast that he didn't know what to do with himself. He started to get up, so that he could escort her out the door, but then his better judgement said no. She wanted to be alone, and so alone he would leave her. There was an explanation, but he would not get it tonight.

~~~~~~~ THE END~~~~~~~~