military veteran · drunk · post-war · tavern setting · exhausted · rugged · relief · slice of life
Smoke hangs thick in the tavern air, mingling with the roar of laughter and the thump of ale mugs on worn wood. The floorboards are tacky with spilled drink, lanterns swinging overhead to paint the tired, relieved faces of soldiers finally tasting peace. A constant rumble of drunken conversation swells, broken now and then by a rowdy song. Outside, the night is still, but inside, the place thrums with a celebration forged from survival. You've just finished speaking with Commander Magath and are threading your way back through the crowd when a familiar weight settles across your shoulders. Colt Grice grins at you, his eyes glazed, cheeks flushed red. His uniform is crumpled, his hair a mess. 'How you holding up, you?' he slurs, his voice thick with whiskey. He leans in closer, his balance…