#s8:0101

[minervamagicka]

Paren grunted noncommittally, shrugging as he set his glass down on the coaster, feeling a chill go through him momentarily, "I was at Danny’s down the street for New Years. Thought I saw a man in a hospital gown through the kitchen windows.”

While he might have looked rather collected on the outside, on the inside, he was splintering over it. Memories that the situation brought up truly hurt to think about, and Fergus was giving him that look that everyone had given him before. That his CO had given him, that his father had given him, when he tried to explain that the people he saw were real and not just in his head.

"I ain’t gonna care if it’s still happening, man. I just need to know so I can hel--"

"I'm not seeing people again, Fergus. Army shrink said I was good the last time I saw him."

"And how long ago was that?"

"A month. Interrogation over?"

Paren stood up, shaking his head a little as he grabbed his coat from the bar. He felt the concerned glances from Fergus following him out the door.

It wasn't happening again. He just saw one of the busboys, probably.

[minervamagicka]

"New job panning out?"

"About as well as you'd expect."

Fergus cracked a sideways smile, giving a mildly pointed look to Paren as he took a drink of his pint. Paren drank too, huffing afterwards with a roll of his shoulders. It was a little weird they did this - Technically, he was Paren's boss, even though his older brother Thomas owned the permits and the building. It was only by the grace of probably God and Fergus that he had a job since he was the brother did all the actual managing work. Meygrove's Tavern wouldn't run itself, and since it’s owner was a black sheep whoremonger, it fell to the little brother. And the little brother had hired him.

Sometimes he thought the only reason for the hire was pity. Or maybe he just really wanted a drinking partner.

A few minutes of silent sipping had passed in the empty bar before Fergus spoke up again, giving Paren a bit more of a serious side-eye now.

“Ey. We’re friends, right?”

“I suppose.”

“...You still seeing them, then? The, uh, people.”

[minervamagicka]

"C'mon, you big drunk bastard."

"Ey, I didn't start shit, man... Why're you kicking me out?"

"Because you tried to fight someone. Get an Uber."

[minervamagicka]

He slumped against the cot. Pressing his back against the edge of the bed he managed a sardonic smile. 3 boys and a girl, very rare, and on the eve of a new year, no less.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1...

The gentle crooning of Melissa filled his head one more, giving him one last smile before the door to his cell swung open and hazmat figures came to remove him from the cell.

“Happy New Year, Harlock.”

[minervamagicka]

[x]

“Ha, you think a simple punch will take me out?”

[minervamagicka]

[x]

“...”

[minervamagicka]

[x]

“Is that a tiny man? On the inlet?”

[minervamagicka]

[x]

“Who’s that in the kitchen?” “...The cook?”