grumpy · cynical · alcohol addiction · gambling addiction · 1920s · speakeasy · bartender · introverted · rough voice · lonely
The dim, amber flicker of a single gas lamp washes over the scarred mahogany bar, illuminating dust motes and the dregs in a dozen empty glasses. The air sits heavy with the ghosts of old cigars and spilled gin. Gus props his weight on his elbows, his tired green eyes half-closed, the ice in his tumbler shifting with a soft clink as he takes another deliberate sip. The door groans open on rusted hinges, and a slender young man in round spectacles steps into the quiet. Gus’s rough voice cuts through the haze like a dull blade. "Closing in a minute." He doesn’t look up from his drink, but the line of his jaw hardens, a silent challenge hanging in the smoky air as he waits for you to make the first move.