The next day he woke up with a terrible hangover. He groaned, hating every slight movement of his head that brought another wave of pain. He barely remembered the night before, only knowing he needed to apologize to the poor bartender. Had he ever caught the man's name? He didn't know.
When he approached the bar he saw that very same bartender outside smoking a cigarette. Internally, he was relieved he could do it outside, privately, away from other patrons. He saw the man's unusually red eyes watch him approach nervously.
"Hey. . ." Daniel leaned on the wall beside him. "I'm sorry about last night. Damn liquor." He said cautiously with an awkward smile. He didn't want to upset him. The man already had this look in his eyes he couldn't quite place. Almost like sadness, but soft like he knew something Daniel didn't. Then Daniel's eyes drifted down toward the cigarette. It looked hand-rolled, but the smoke smelt unusual.
"It's okay." the bartender said, breaking his silence. Daniel stared for a moment more, unsure of what to do. The man saw his unease and offered him the cigarette. Daniel stared for only a moment more and took it, taking a long drag. His eyes widened and he coughed. That wasn't a cigarette, he deduced it to. He wasn't used to the taste of the not-cigarette. "Holy hell, what is that?" He said, handing it back to the bartender. The man's expression softened lightly with a grin pulling at the corner of his lips. "It's marijuana." Daniel cocked his head to the side in confusion. That little act drew a laugh, a true one, one that sounded so familiar and comfortable, yet he didn't know how he knew it, from the bartender. "It's like tobacco, only better. It makes you feel good if you smoke enough." He said with a chuckle.
Daniel watched the man take another long drag, then he handed it back to him. "You know, I never got your name, sir." Daniel said, taking another hit. He didn't sputter as much this time. "Sho. My name is Sho." He smiled. "Good?" Daniel nodded. "Yeah. It's good once you get used to the taste." He joked. "Strange name you got, never heard anything like it before. Mine's Daniel." Sho nodded his head like he'd already known. "Why don't we continue this conversation at my house? Away from the curious drunkards." Daniel nodded with a grin and they walked the short distance to Sho's house, passing the marijuana cigarette between each other as they introduced themselves through conversation.
YOU ARE READING
A Bloodborne Tragedy
عاطفيةAn outlaw walks into a bar after a risky robbery and is greeted by a strange looking bartender who seems to know about him more than a stranger should. Who is he? Where is he from? Will any of the questions running through Daniel's mind get an answe...
