every story must grow old;
LOCATION: the druken seagull, the wharf TIME & DATE: 5th march, morning CLOSED STARTER: @100boxties
Conrad never became much of drinker, however being someone that was raised among sailors, he was bound to pick up even just a little bit of the habit, even if he did his best in order for it not to take over his whole life like he has seen happening with many men. He remembers the old days, the mornings spent at sea and seeing the sun rise above the horizon and in between the waves, the cold that struck his face and his first sip of coffee mixed with alcohol, it was bitter and his face had not let him lie to the other men - they had laughed at him, but ultimately he was one of them, the mockery came as fast as it went.
His life was different now, it had changed over the years and yet he still recognized the familiar faces of the men he often used to hangout with, back then he had been just an annoying little kid, eager for some adventure, wanting to feel useful, now he was all grown up and had other responsibilities - every men could understand that and there he had never felt an ounce of judgement, at least not when he was at this bar, maybe it was the fact that they didn't care enough, busy with their own lives, maybe it was the alcohol, either way Conrad was comfortable.
Or at least, he was, until he heard some raised voices and soon enough the glass holding his beer had been shattered in a million pieces as soon as a man's face met the balcony. It wasn't surprising, but it never ceased to shock him how easy fights could break out at the druken seagull, everyone was used to it and it was often said to be part of the charm and yet they never lasted long, no one ever let it escalate to levels that could not be contained - which is why Conrad immediately stands up, that being his first mistake, because as soon as he is behind one of them men, an elbow came straight to his face, leaving his disoriented for a small moment "mother - hey, break it up" the impact came out of nowhere and the pain felt in a second, but he was grateful that he had learned how to take a hit otherwise he would be already crawling on the floor, but instead the adrenaline came in as he and other men tried to pull the two apart. That was his second mistake, because as soon as he attempts to do that he catches a glimpse at a very familiar face, of someone he used to care for as if it was his own family.
