It was the eyes. There was something about them. Infused in melancholy and a faint sense of desire, they were jade and jaded. They had an anonymous quality that allowed him to sit alone, unnoticed. He liked it that way, the bar was rarely bustling, but the idle chat of locals was all the company he had. People rarely even noticed his figure sat pedastalled by the end of the bar, the barman refilling his drink periodically, but uttering no words. His eyes looked deep, piercingly into his glass, but his gaze met no answers.
No-one here knew his name, it had been so long since he had even heard it, that he was beginning to forget it himself. This bar was all he had, he was no slave to the drink, just the company it kept. Sometimes he would listen in amongst the monotonous drivel of locals to find an interesting conversation. He listened to couples mainly, the words that they uttered under their breath when they thought nobody was listening. In his mind, they were fools, blinded by their trust, impatient in their search for meaning.
He knew better. His trust had been misplaced before, and that long road had led him here, a solitary soldier against the past. His rough hands sat in his stubbled chin, elbows upon the bar, face looking down. He liked it here, it was routine, it was normal, it was his life. But it was empty, and whichever way he spun the situation, he knew he wanted more. He was human, he had desires, but no social function to fill them, he rarely even spoke any more. He was lost, he needed saving, but his attempts to save himself had failed before, and he was losing hope. He kept himself to himself in an attempt not to get hurt again, and sat in desolation at his own request.
It was his eyes though, after all, that defined him. Each passing person who met his hard gaze melted his stare to one of brief hope. As they walked on by, his hope would erode and the hard steely look of melancholy and desire would set in once more.
No-one here knew his name, it had been so long since he had even heard it, that he was beginning to forget it himself. This bar was all he had, he was no slave to the drink, just the company it kept. Sometimes he would listen in amongst the monotonous drivel of locals to find an interesting conversation. He listened to couples mainly, the words that they uttered under their breath when they thought nobody was listening. In his mind, they were fools, blinded by their trust, impatient in their search for meaning.
He knew better. His trust had been misplaced before, and that long road had led him here, a solitary soldier against the past. His rough hands sat in his stubbled chin, elbows upon the bar, face looking down. He liked it here, it was routine, it was normal, it was his life. But it was empty, and whichever way he spun the situation, he knew he wanted more. He was human, he had desires, but no social function to fill them, he rarely even spoke any more. He was lost, he needed saving, but his attempts to save himself had failed before, and he was losing hope. He kept himself to himself in an attempt not to get hurt again, and sat in desolation at his own request.
It was his eyes though, after all, that defined him. Each passing person who met his hard gaze melted his stare to one of brief hope. As they walked on by, his hope would erode and the hard steely look of melancholy and desire would set in once more.