texted3times | The Devil's Nest [Thursday Evening]

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The Devil's Nest [Thursday Evening]

Eric was opening the club tonight, a move that kind of shocked the DJ when he arrived five minutes late.

After being assured Eric wouldn't eat him this time, the DJ promised to play whatever Eric wanted.

Turned out the DJ didn't have ancient Norse ballads.

The new DJ would be there tomorrow. Tonight you were subjected to the contents of Eric's iPod.

There were plenty of ancient Norse ballads on that.

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Irina wasn't sure to look for Jack, but there were only two bars in town and she was going for the one that smelled better. She ordered a straight vodka and sipped it appreciatively. It had been a long time since she could enjoy a drink.

Jack ... couldn't properly explain why he was at work today, but he was going to justify it with the thought that no one needed to explain why he needed a drink after spending the evening chatting with someone who was meant to be dead.

He's gotten Tiny to mix him a vodka tonic before he realized the dark-haired girl across the bar was .... exactly who she reminded him of.

So this was to be his haunting, he thought grimly, and went over to say hello.

"Zdravstvuj, Miss Belutsotskerova," he said. One hand was around the glass; the other was in his pocket so it wouldn't shake. "I'm sure you know this is a surprise."

Edited 2013-01-31 21:08 (UTC)

"Why are you being so cold?" Irina asked uncertainly. "I thought you had called me. I came because you dreamed of me."

"I was going for self-controlled," Jack admitted, and set down the glass to sweep her into a hug. "I never ever thought I'd see you again, you know."

Edited 2013-01-31 21:50 (UTC)

"I didn't expect it either," Irina told him as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "Sebastien missed you, I could tell, but when the war got to Russia I had to leave him and -- my life moved on."

She didn't sound upset; it had all been a very long time ago for her.

Edited 2013-01-31 21:56 (UTC)

"But we must have wanted it," Jack mused. "Or --"

He shrugged. He was done questioning what the island wanted for him; it was time for a topic change.

"How did your life move on?"

"I joined the Russian army," Irina answered easily. (Jack realized as she spoke that somewhere along the line, her English had obtained more fluency than she ever had in life.) "They trained women to be snipers, and I did that. But" -- and here she scowled at her vodka -- "I died of tuberculosis. Stupid. You did not know?"

Jack shook his head. "I didn't look," he said. "I know everyone I knew before coming here is dead, but the details -- it does no good for me to have them in my head."

A sniper. He studied her. "You were brave."

"I am. You are too," Irina nodded. "I am sad I only get to be here for a little bit."

"Ashley said two days," Jack remembered, then added: "Ashley Williams, another visitor like you. She's my housemate's ... guest."

Off her look, he amended, "Not that kind of housemate."

Edited 2013-01-31 22:23 (UTC)

"I said nothing!" Irina protested, with a giggle. "You have an imagination. But I want to hear everything about your life here."

"And I want to tell you," Jack said. He ordered another vodka -- straight this time -- and settled in for a long getting-to-know-you-again session.

After Emma was done having her own freak-out over her visitor, she decided she should probably speak with the other normally-deceased person she knew that was at the bar.

"Irina." When Tiny wouldn't give Emma a vodka to match, she flipped him off. "Is there some disaster that has sent you fleeing to our scenic shores, or is this a social call?"

Emma didn't really think of Irina as dead. Because, well, with so much time travel on the island, lots of people were from time periods where, if they returned home, they were already dead.

Irina squinted at Emma just for a moment, half making sure she'd understood the quick English and half deciding what to say.

"It's a ... chance," she finally said. "Some of us are only back for a few days, and I came back to visit Jack. I did not know you would be here too, but I'm very happy to see you."

Emma glanced toward a blond boy in another part of the bar. "So you're one of those visitors," she said, before returning her attention to Irina. "I had a sense I had to be here, so I came. And discovered I've got a visitor of my own."

She gave the other girl a smile. "I'm glad Jack has someone here to see him."

"I don't know why me and not one of his sisters," Irina admitted. "But -- it's good to see him and see his world. I thought of him often after he left with you."

She followed the girl's glance. "Who was he to you?"

"My brother," Emma answered. "And for probably the same reason you felt called to Jack; because we miss the people who we love best."

"Jack's life with his sisters was closed a very long time ago, so he has nothing to miss. There are far more might-have-beens with you."

Irina nodded, face unreadable. "And you have might-have-beens with your brother," she said. "I think you may be right. I wondered about it too. What it would have been like if Jack had stayed with us in Moscow."

"That makes two of us, then," Emma said, and resisted the urge to glance toward a particular set of blond curls. "Sometimes I wonder if it would have been happier for him in the long run, with you and Sebastien, although I know this was the safer option."

"He won't die in a war," Irina said, and she let her gaze linger on those curls. "So many young men did, at home. This is the better life."

She paused delicately. "Does he -- seem happy?"

"I think so," Emma offered. "I know it makes him happy that he doesn't have to hide who he is, for the most part. He has friends, and school."

Irina smiled. "I had to ask him directly before he told me he was a Jew, you know," she said. "He hid so much all his life, so this, you -- they are good for him."

"I'm not much good for anyone; everything Jack's accomplished, he's done himself." Emma looked back at Christian again, who seemed determined to flirt with Tiny. "When we were students here, there was a whole gang of us. Did you know that? We were terrible. Me, Jack, Alex, Effy, Rose, Valentine, Karla, Ronan, Tony... it's not like I get credit for anything."

"What don't you get credit for?" Jack asked with a smile as he appeared at Emma's elbow. "I see you already found Irina."

If he'd been listening, his expression didn't show it.

"For you being a terrible, horrible boy, who leaves his guests unattended and lets pretty girls swoop in and steal them," Emma lied without effort.

The Devil's Nest [Thursday Evening]

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