Devil's Nest, Monday, April 15

[bitten_notshy]

Jack had thrown himself into as much normalcy as he could find since he got out of the dungeon -- errands, housework, catching up with his homework and making excuses for the classes he'd missed. Any reason to stay busy he could find, he took. The last week didn't bear too much thinking about.

But round about sunset, it occurred to him he likely wasn't the only one on the island who needed to forget, and that alcohol was an excellent aid to memory loss. He went to the club and took his place behind the bar. Tiny was scowling and the DJ was playing the complete works of Miley Cyrus: It was good to be home.

[OOC: Open, but no OCD because late.]

Comments

[playsforkepesh]

Oh yes. Alcohol for Sam, please.

She entered, smiled, paused and guessed, "Jack, right?" Excellent; he'd seen her in the dungeon and probably wouldn't judge her for wanting to drink heavily tonight. "I'd like a gin and tonic, please."

[bitten_notshy]

"Of course," Jack said, smiling slightly. "Regular size or should I make it in a larger glass?"

He'd been mixing his drinks in milkshake glasses.

[playsforkepesh]

"You sound like you already know the answer," Sam said wryly. "The larger, the better, if you don't mind."

[bitten_notshy]

"Had to check, didn't I?" Jack found a pint glass and filled it with a gin and tonic, rather heavier on the gin than the recipe required. He slid it across the bar to her. "No charge. I think we all deserve a free drink after last week."

[playsforkepesh]

"Thank you," Sam said gratefully before taking a long sip. Oh, that was the stuff.

When she set the glass down, she asked, "Have you ever been told that your music here doesn't quite match the decor?"

[bitten_notshy]

"The DJ secretly hates all of us," Jack said. "Except it's not much of a secret. When Eric's in we can talk him down to something less painful, but -- I haven't bothered today."

[playsforkepesh]

"Other priorities on your mind," Sam said knowingly. "I can't say I blame you. I don't exactly mind it, anyway. Even terrible music is something we didn't have for the last week."

[bitten_notshy]

"Exactly. I have no idea how we made it out sane," Jack said, matter-of-fact. "Confined with not enough food or sanitation and things that wanted to kill us just outside -- shouldn't we all have been rocking back and forth and gibbering?"

[playsforkepesh]

"You're right," Sam said, considering it. "Well. I suppose it's possible that everyone stayed sane just by sheer force of will of not wanting to be the first to go crazy. It's not an especially enviable position."

[allie-vamp.livejournal.com]

Allie was still feeling the effects of the morning's conversion with Kaidan when she woke up. She was quiet and looking slightly guilty when she took a seat at the bar.

[bitten_notshy]

Jack glanced her over, taking in her apparent mood, and smiled at her. The dungeon had been rough on both of them. "Hello," he said. "I wasn't sure you'd be up and about today."

[allie-vamp.livejournal.com]

"Habit and being stubborn," Allie replied with a wry smile. "It feels better getting things back to normal. Plus I wanted to talk to you."

[bitten_notshy]

"Oh?" Jack's voice was soft, but he was wary. He didn't want to have to think about killing Allie again,

[allie-vamp.livejournal.com]

She looked guiltily down at the bartop. "I wanted to say I'm sorry for asking you what I did. That wasn't fair or right. I know that now."

[bitten_notshy]

Jack shrugged. "You didn't know how soon we'd be out," he said. "I hated being asked, but I'd rather you did that than try to hold it in and end up a killer. There were enough of those there as it was."

[allie-vamp.livejournal.com]

"For everyone you killed, it seemed like a half dozen more popped up." At least that's how it seemed like when Allie and Kennedy had gone after the zombies.

"You're right, I didn't want to be one of them. But I probably should have talked it out more. And not just with you."

[bitten_notshy]

"Don't worry about it. I'm not angry at you," Jack said. "Or on the verge of some huge mental breakdown because I might have theoretically needed to kill you. Honestly, Allie, if I'd had the first inkling we'd been down there long enough for the moon to matter I would have put a bullet through my own brain. We owed the others life, whatever that life is like."

[justlurkinghere]

Stiles was still the mansion. Which meant Derek was sneaking out to get some breathing room.

And going to the bar.

Yeah, that was normal. "Jack."

[bitten_notshy]

"Derek," Jack returned, with a grateful nod. "I -- hi. Thank you for not staying dead."

Which was a weird way to word it, but it was what he meant.

[justlurkinghere]

It was really weird, but then again... their lives.

"It was... yeah." Something.

[bitten_notshy]

"Don't do that again." Jack was kidding -- but he wasn't. "You wrecked Stiles."

[justlurkinghere]

"He hasn't left the house." THIS WAS CONCERNING. "I have watched so much Real Housewives since we got back."

[bitten_notshy]

Jack guffawed at that. "Good to see our time in a dungeon hasn't changed his taste in television."

He was glad Stiles wasn't leaving Derek alone. No one who just came back from the dead should be left alone.

[justlurkinghere]

HE WAS INVESTED NOW, JACK.

"I had to go out a window to get here alone."

[bitten_notshy]

"... did you at least leave a note?"

Jack didn't want to panic Stiles.