A number of the regulars looked up from their drinks and discussions as the door opened, admitting a tall brown-haired man who stopped for a moment to look around. He paused when his eyes passed over a table at the back, then turned to the bar, walking over to stand in front of it.
"Can I get a pint of your best bitter, please?" he asked Pat, who had been watching him with mild interest, one finger marking his place in his current book. The bartender nodded as he put the book under the bar, then moved to the taps, picking up a glass on the way.
"Sure," he replied, most of the regulars going back to their own business when it became obvious the man was merely after a drink. Around these parts, a new face tended to be regarded with at least a little suspicion at first, due to gang activity and problems that had happened in the past.
That didn't happen much these days, of course. The Merchants had been at fault for the most part, and the DWU lads had sorted them out pretty hard a while back, having entirely lost their sense of humor the last time some drugged-up idiot tried his hand at a spot of mugging. Ever since, the junkies and their crazy leader tended to steer clear both of the pub and the DWU area itself. And with the Family popping up recently and apparently moving in for good, the Merchants had ceased to be a problem at all.
Those lizards were looked on pretty favorably around these parts, even if they were also considered to be completely mad. And their little Cloak too.
E88 gangers had, once or twice, also tried something. They'd usually found out the hard way that dock workers and ex-seamen in want of a quiet drink had little tolerance for such shenanigans. As far as the regulars were concerned, no one cared who you were or what you did outside Pat's place, but woe betide anyone risking damage to the source of beer. Even a neo-nazi skinhead could come in for a drink as long as he left his attitude outside, and a few did actually do that, but if they decided to raise a fuss about the ethnicity of their co-drinkers, they'd be invited to leave post haste.
And if they refused… well, Pat had some very solid pool cues, which did admittedly have to be replaced on occasion due to accidental damage. And the odd bloodstain…
Slightly strangely, the ABB had been the only group who seldom if ever caused any trouble. No one was entirely certain why, or if they did have an idea, kept it to themselves.
"Here you go, sir. Anything else?"
"No, thank you." The new arrival slid a ten dollar bill over the bar. "Keep the change."
"Thank you, sir." Pat made the money disappear, watched as the man walked towards one table at the back, then shook his head and retrieved his book. None of his business, and at least the guy tipped well.
When he reached the table he was aiming for, the man stood and watched the three men playing cards for a while, sipping his drink appreciatively. All three of them had glanced at him, the largest guy, who was Japanese going by his features, studying him for a moment longer than the other two, his face impassive, but then had gone back to looking at their cards.
The oldest man at the table watched his opponents like a hawk, waiting for the right moment. A card made an appearance.
"Snap!" he said instantly, then cackled as the other two glared at him. "My win again."
"One day I will figure out how the fuck you're doing that, you ancient bastard," the man on his right snarled, sweeping all the cards into a pile in the middle of the table. The older man sniggered into his pint, while the big one merely sighed and leaned back.
He looked up at the observer. "Been a while."
"It has. Mind if I sit?"
Gesturing wordlessly to the single empty chair with his glass, the man shrugged. "Help yourself." He finished his beer then looked back at the winner of the game. "Erwin, stop snickering, it's intensely annoying."
"I know," Erwin grinned slyly. He glanced at the brown-haired man, then nudged the still sulking third player. "Come on, Jack, you owe me a pint."
"Sometimes I really hate you," Jack grumbled, but he got up and followed Erwin to the bar, where they were shortly involved in an argument with the bartender, who was apparently peeved about a very large tab and no signs of money coming his way. The conversation made the large man smirk a bit, before he looked back to his guest.
"Three years."
"Pardon?"
"Since we last talked like this."
The other man nodded, taking another drink from his half-depleted pint. "Ah. Yes, I remember. Strange times, as I recall."
"Not as strange as they are currently."
"No, probably not." He put his glass down and folded his hands on the table. "It's certainly less violent this time."
"True. I am still unsure why." The Asian man shrugged again. "And unsure what I should feel about that. But it is what it is. Little point wishing otherwise, it will change nothing."
"A philosophical attitude to take, I suppose."
"Merely pragmatic. Circumstances may change as time passes. I can wait."
With a small nod the brunet man picked up his pint again and sipped once more, before replacing it into the small ring of moisture it had left on the table. "You always did tend to watch before you did anything."
His companion smiled briefly. "I prefer not to jump without looking where I'm going."
"There are those who would dispute that," the other man chuckled.
"I will admit to being, at times, short-tempered." The large man almost looked amused. "I do not like surprises, as you know. Occasionally this has led to… minor issues."
They looked at each other for a few seconds. "From what I've heard, one of those issues a little while back was rather larger than you're implying." The new arrival sipped his drink again.
Momentarily a rueful look crossed the face he was watching. "Considerably larger than I expected," the big man murmured, appearing thoughtful. "However, in the end events worked out, if not in the manner that I would have preferred, at least in a bearable fashion."
"I see." The pint was finished, and the glass replaced for the last time. A glance at the bar was followed by a shake of a head. "I should probably not have another, although it is exceptionally good beer."
"It is."
They watched each other again, neither speaking. Eventually, the large man sighed. "Was there a reason you interrupted my drinking, or are you merely at a loose end?"
His guest half-smiled. "Just curious about something I thought you might have some information about."
"I am hardly one of your sources," the other guy retorted in a mildly disapproving manner, although he didn't seem very annoyed. "I tolerate this, but don't push your luck."
The brown-haired man made a small gesture with one hand. "No offense intended, of course. I'm just trying to find out a little more about something a bit unusual."
"Officially?" His companion peered at him with narrowed eyes, a little suspiciously.
"Not… as such. It's merely something that has been slightly confusing me."
After a couple of seconds, the other man nodded once. "I will permit the question. I don't promise to answer."
"Fair enough." Reaching out, the brunet toyed with his glass, moving it around and making patterns in the condensation on the table with the base. "Another bar, two people had a meeting."
The Asian man watched him carefully. "This is true."
"Might I ask what it was about?"
The pause this time was quite long. "A matter of personal honor."
"Ah."
They sat in silence for a time. "I assume you don't want to expand on that?" the questioner asked in the end.
"No," was the response.
"Fair enough. Thanks for indulging me."
The larger man merely shrugged. His guest rose, picking up his glass. As he turned around to leave, the person still sitting said quietly, "A word of advice."
He looked back. "Which is?"
"Do not provoke the Family. It would end… very badly."
With a small smile he nodded. "Oddly enough I worked that out some time ago."
"Have your friends, though?" The question was accompanied with a small tilt of the speaker's head. "We both know that at least one of them is… prone to grandstanding."
The standing man smirked. "That's actually pretty funny considering who it's coming from. But I take your point."
"Good." They looked at each other for a moment longer. "Until next time, Paul."
"See you around, Kenta." Each nodded to the other, then the brown-haired man went back to the bar, putting the glass down. "Thanks," he said to the bartender. "Good beer." After a second, he pulled out another ten and dropped it next to the glass. "Whatever he wants," he added, motioning to the table at the back whose sole occupant was still watching him with a neutral expression.
"No problem," Pat replied, picking up glass and cash. He turned to pour another pint as his most recent patron headed to the door. "Come again any time."
"I may do that," the man said, looking back over his shoulder with a smile, before he left, the door closing after him.
"Hey, Erwin, take this to your friend, and this time, don't drink it on the way, you old reprobate!" Pat called to the old sailor, waving the full glass at him. Erwin smirked at him, but did as requested.
At the back of the room, the man at the table shook his head a little, muttered "Mr Foot," under his breath with a flicker of a grin, then reached out and started shuffling the cards as the others headed his way. "Hilarious."