fandomtownies | The Devil's Nest, Friday Evening

Where there was an Allie

"Hey, Allie," Kaidan said, his eyes darting briefly towards the weird... conga line thing. "Beer me?"

Tiny, despite his fondness for glassware architecture, did remember his primary job. A glass of something cold, frosty, and Canadian quickly appeared on the bar in front of Kaidan.

"Am I glad to see you," Allie said with a smile. "I was all set to defend myself it the little monsters made a move this way." Her sword was hanging in clear view on the back of a nearby chair. "But now you just do your thing and I won't have to worry about getting blood off the bar."

Kaidan let out a breath. "Throwing gremlins off your stage seems to be turning into a full-time job," he said. "Jack had a similar problem."

She eyed the gremlins, wondering if they were plotting something after all. "I can talk to Eric. Maybe he can put you on the payroll. Or at least comp your beer."

"Or at least let me open a tab," Kaidan said wryly. "You really want them out the door?"

"Nah, they're not hurting anyone." Allie paused, watching as one approached Tiny at the end of the bar, chattered at him while handing him a fist full of cash and then scurried away with a tray of colorful shots. "And for the moment they're paying customers. Let them be. For now."

But one wrong move and they were out the door.

"So, how have you been? Admiral?"

Kaidan let out a huff that might've been a sigh or a chuckle. "Still just a Staff Commander," he said. "But I've been okay. Probably heading back during the break, but I've still got time."

She nodded, because it only made sense. "Anything interesting? Or will they tell you when you get there?"

"I'm just checking in," Kaidan said with a light shrug. "They'll put me somewhere."

"Well hopefully it'll be interesting enough that you're not bored. But not so interesting that you wind up running for your life if that makes sense?" Allie asked.

"It makes sense, but it's probably not gonna happen," Kaidan said wryly. "'Running for my life' missions are, uh, kind of a big part of my job."

"And you wouldn't change it would you? Maybe become a librarian or something?" Then again, Allie had met the school librarian. Boring wasn't a word that came to mind when she thought of him. "I am only teasing by the way."

Kaidan had started to protest, but-- okay, kidding. He chuckled instead. "No," he said, "I think I'm okay with what I do."

"And you do it well if we're supposed to believe that weekend. Which...do you think that that's all possible? That that's what's going to happen?" she asked. "Or is it like the kids turning up. Just a possibility?"

Kaidan shrugged. "I don't know if I should be making any predictions right now," he admitted. "It... mostly feels like a dream, really."

"I remember that I'd made it home. And that you wanted me to visit. I suppose that's not such a bad future if we're still talking in twenty years." It was better then being dead.

Kaidan's mouth quirked briefly. "I think we were rebuilding from... something. But the details are pretty vague. Keeping up contact with you, though-- yeah, that's not bad."

"Good things to look forward to hopefully." Prepare for snow, someone was being vaguely optimistic. Poor Allie, if only you knew what the future really held.

"I don't know," Kaidan said, because he was a more cautious person at heart. "I hope so."

"Well in twenty years I'll buy you a beer and we can decide if it really is good. But for now, I'm focusing on a more immediate future. The Fall and the end of these short nights," she grumbled. "I feel like I no sooner get up then I'm heading back to bed again."

"That's gotta be annoying," Kaidan said with a little wince. "You can't... stay out and use an umbrella or something?"

"For an hour or two maybe, thanks to Kanin insisting I build up a tolerance," Allie explained with the barest smile at the memory. "But it's wearing. I'll get weaker, slower, until I have no choice but to sleep. Maybe in a few decades I'll be able to last longer. But for now, I'll just look forward to December."

"That's rough," Kaidan said sympathetically. "I'm sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry for. It's annoying and inconvenient," she answered with a half shrug. "But it's still better then being dead...er. Or a rabid."

"True," Kaidan admitted. "Still... I keep hoping there's something we can do to make your life easier."

"This is easy," Allie replied. "I'm not hungry. I've got a roof over my head, hot running water, all the books I can get my hands on. Friends. I really shouldn't be complaining."

"I should have brought the cat," said Éponine, eyeing the gremlins suspiciously.

What, context? Who needed that?

"What cat?" Allie replied, asking the obvious question.

"Mine, of course." Éponine flung herself down carelessly onto a barstool, still watching the gremlins. "She's too small yet to deal with all of them, but may as well get her used to --"

She finally got a good look at what they were doing and barked a disbelieving laugh.

"Or perhaps not, as it'd be a shame if I chased away your customers."

"Why would you have a cat?" Sorry Eponine, pets weren't really a thing where Allie was from. In fact the cat would have made a good dinner.

It was probably best not to ask what had happened to the cat Éponine had as a child. Not that she knew, either. Her father hadn't bothered to tell her.

"For the company, d'you see, not to mention keeping the pests at bay," she explained.

"I suppose," she said somewhat dubiously. Never mind that she was on a first name basis with the flamingos in the park. "It's not something I ever really considered."

"S'pose it was too much of a luxury, hmm?" asked Éponine, her lips twisting into a bitter imitation of a smile. "I understand, I do. What's the good of taking on something else you'll only have to feed?"

"Exactly. It was hard enough keeping Stick and I fed," Allie nodded. "There weren't all that many cats around anyway and the ones that were were wild and wary. Not exactly pet material."

"Have you ever thought about getting one now?" Éponine wondered.

"I haven't, mostly because I never really thought about it," she admitted. "There's not really any sort of rat problem at my apartment."

"There isn't one at my place either," Éponine replied quickly, trying to sound very dignified about it, "and there's less likely to be one now."

She shrugged and looked down at her hands, idly tracing patterns on the bar top with a fingertip.

"It's nice to have something around that seems to be glad to see me when I come home."

Now that was something that Allie could relate to. Especially now that the longer days and much shorter nights had limited her ability to be out and about. She'd never admit it, but she was feeling a little lonely. "I suppose that would be nice. Someone to talk to. Even if they don't answer back."

It made Éponine miss her sister, actually; if there was anyone who'd ever been glad to see her come home, especially after she'd run off for a few days, it was Azelma.

She laughed instead, choosing not to think about that and the accompanying guilt at leaving her behind, leaving her to deal with their parents' ill mood alone.

"Especially if they don't answer back, good lord."

"I don't know, on this island? After some of these weekends? Don't be surprised if that changes one day," Allie laughed.

"Christ," Éponine blurted out, then looked slightly apologetic. "I didn't think about that. Well. I'm sure to get an earful if that happens."

She talked to Alouette a lot.

Here be gremlins

Where there might be a Viking vampire.

I'm around but things will be slowish till this evening. Too much RL stuff to do.

The Devil's Nest, Friday Evening

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The Dance Floor & Lounge

The VIP Area

OOC