Captain Olathia Windgrave

An Outside View

Gabriel swiped the rag across the bar, the sound of the bustling Dalaran streets tricking through the door behind each patron who entered, a brief nod from the bartender could sometimes be caught but for the most part he kept his head down, mixing drinks and cleaning.

Occasionally a regular customer would wander in and greet him warmly, Gabe joked that bartenders see their customers at their lowest, sometimes those would climb out of their sorrows while others remained in the pool of tears and alcohol they drowned their feelings in. Even fewer touched the staff in a lasting way, today one of those few stepped through the doorway.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw her, an odd sight given her lack of armor and the soft smile gracing her features. He watched in stunned silence as she signed quickly to the bewildered hostess, a new hire since the last time the Paladin had visited the establishment. After a moment the hostess led Olathia away to a table a ways off in the busy little restaurant, and sat her with a void male. Gabe's brow lofted and he looked on thoughtfully, pulled away only by a refill at the bar in front of him.

His mind wandered as he worked, the blonde woman had been one of those who touched the staff as they watched her evolve through her trials, merely seeing the low end of her fight from outside eyes. He could picture her clearly stumbling into the bar with tear stained cheeks, her adolescent lion guardian pacing outside the window nearest the bar. She had looked ragged, dark alarming circles beneath those jade colored eyes as though sleep had been the one to abandon her.

He recalled her appearing like this almost every night, her hands working to communicate but unheard by the staff who could not understand, eventually he had gifted her Paige, the trusty book which allowed them to finally understand the woman. He chuckled to himself seeing her here now brought back a flood of memories, both good and bad.

She lifted her hand to wave at him from around the newer waiter and with a knowing smile he nodded and set to work, beckoning the waiter over to inform him of her guests preferences.  

"What's the gentleman want?" he asked as the apron clad male approached.

"Dalaran Red, she didn't-"

"I know what she wants." he interrupted, the first glass already filled with a sweet rose wine, he quickly filled the order for the Dalaran Red and placed it on the tray. He then pulled out a large bowl, turning he plucked a bottle from under the normal offerings and uncorked it, filling the container with a hefty amount before returning the cork and bottle to its place. This he snapped a finger to another wait staff to come get. 

"When they go to order food simply hold up three fingers, I'll get the order placed when she responds."

"So she's a regular?"

"Yes, one of our favorites, you take good care of her. And you bring -both- of their checks to me, its on the house."

The new hire nodded spinning on his heels he headed for the table with their drinks, completely confused as to the bowls purpose as a more seasoned worker scooped up the bowl and headed outside with it.

Gabriel grinned at the Winged Lion whose snout was pressed firmly against the glass window closest to the bar, his large tongue licking the transparent surface at Gabe's notice, quickly he became distracted by the offered bowl and disappeared from sight.

The bartenders ears perks at the odd laughter from her table, eyes peering at the void male it had come from watching them closely. Sure it wasn't really his business but as a regular customer he knew plenty about the poor blonde's past. Countless nights of drinking the pain away over the loss of not only her squadron but her lover, drew the staff close to her, sympathetic and unable to aid other than provide service she wouldn't forget. 

He watched her now, her shoulders bouncing in laughter, rosy cheeks and a smile nearly constantly spread across her face.

The cook, having heard from another waitress, stepped out from the kitchen, his eyes wide as he caught sight of the Captain at her table. He kept a close eye on the waiter as he held up the three fingers and she responded with two, before the male returned the order had already been placed for the Paladin.

"He wants the Chicken wrap plate and she-"

"Two, I know." the cook cut in, scuttling back into the kitchen.

 Gabe couldn't help but laugh as he peered around the room, it was clear on the faces of anyone who had been here during her first visits that this visit was a celebrated surprise, Korina and Jobila were huddled in a corner crying happy tears as they held each others hands and watched what they could only assume was a date. The hostesses were mid shift switch and the replacement stole glances whenever he could, having been a new hire himself when she began dining there. The cook was singing in the kitchen, a sound Gabe hadn't heard in a long time, and he himself had a little more bounce in his step. 

Sometimes an outside view is the best.