2nd Floor Common Room, Monday Night

[bitten_notshy]

After the disaster that was his encounter with Emma, Jack did what he had wanted to do to start with. He went home to Sebastien at first light on Sunday.

Thirty-six hours later, he was back in Fandom, well-scrubbed, missing a bit of blood, and considerably more philosophic about the whole thing. He hummed to himself absently as he flipped through channels on the television. It almost all seemed idiotic, but he supposed that was a part of this time.

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[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

Alex wasn't sure if he'd been to his floor's common room yet but, upon seeing someone in there, he decided to have a go at it. Why not? Better than staring at the walls.

He gave the other guy a nod as he slipped in, glancing at the television as he moved. His social skills were expanding by leaps and bonds. Really.

[bitten_notshy]

A font of chatter, this one was. Jack raised his eyebrows in greeting and passed the remote over anyhow. "If you can make it play something that won't make my brain melt and pour out my ears, you'll improve my night considerably."

[not-jaded-yet.livejournal.com]

Jennifer came into the common room and plopped down on a couch. She was a little sweaty, as she'd gone out for a run. She'd noticed she'd been getting a little pudge from not working out as much as she had when she was in dance training, and... well, no time like the present to keep good habits.

She waved at the boy she didn't know. "Hi," she said.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"That's just about anything these days," Alex said, snagging the remote and hitting a few buttons. "Television is crap, crap, porn, crap and soap operas."

[bitten_notshy]

"Hi," Jack said, eying the sweat. "Was something chasing you?"

[a-demosthenes.livejournal.com]

Drifting had been working well for Valentine, and, as she came into the second floor common room, laptop tucked under her arm (as if it needed saying), she could easily feel that the trend was keeping up.

"Hey." She gave a general wave, taking a seat.

[not-jaded-yet.livejournal.com]

Jennifer chuckled as she shook her head. "No," she said. "I think that might've improved my time, though."

[bitten_notshy]

"And the ... genre things Mitchell was talking about in class Friday," Jack remarked, finally placing why Alex looked familiar. "You're Griff's roommate."

[bitten_notshy]

"Hello," Jack said, with a smile that was, in part, grateful he hadn't run into Valentine the week before because it was nice to have one female friend he hadn't complicated things with. "//How's the German?//"

[bitten_notshy]

"It generally does," Jack said as if he ran at all himself. "I don't think we've met, have we? I'm Jack."

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"We meet before?" he asked, glancing over at Jack in an attempt to recall. It wasn't much of an attempt but he did try. "I'm drawing a blank if we did."

[a-demosthenes.livejournal.com]

Valentine gave a smile back. "//Good,//" she informed him, a little bit of pride in her progressed. "//Made mistake: chef at work is German. Makes it the only thing I can...//" She paused with a wrinkled nose to make sure she got this next part right, "//speak. While there.//"

[bitten_notshy]

Jack shrugged, not displeased to fade into the background. "We have class together and you live next door. I've seen you. It's Jack."

[bitten_notshy]

"Immersion" -- which he said in English -- "//is the best way to learn. You sound good for a beginner. Where do you work?//"

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"We live next door to each other?" Showed how much he noticed things that didn't matter to him. Maybe he'd make it a New Years Resolution; work on noticing things. Or not. "Alex Karev. Didn't realize we were neighbors."

[not-jaded-yet.livejournal.com]

"Jennifer," she introduced. "I'm usually pretty good at names, so I'm thinking you're right."

[a-demosthenes.livejournal.com]

Valentine listened carefully, and then grinned, because the answer was a word she knew easily in German. "//The hotel,"// she answered in a nod. "//Wednesdays//."

[guardianborn.livejournal.com]

Yep. Still trying to avoid that whole being alone and thinking thing, and the lure of voices and tv drew her in. Interesting crowd too, and she almost hesitated at the door before deciding on going in.

"Anything good on?" she asked, finding a chair to sprawl across. Graceful. Trained fighter, that one.

[bitten_notshy]

"I'm 222," Jack said, and then, because Griff had mentioned it, "Not the one who snores."

All he knew about Alex was what Griff and Fiona said and what he'd seen in class, which wasn't much, so he was curious abotu the other boy.

[bitten_notshy]

"Jennifer," Jack repeated, smiling. "I am too. Though there does seem to be a glut of Jacks on the island, from what people tell me."

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Jesus, that's actually a person?" Alex asked, attention away from the television now. "I thought your air conditioner was just fucked up."

[bitten_notshy]

Rose got a hesitant smile, since Jack knew he was fine with what had happened between them but wasn't sure she would be. "Not that I can tell," he said, offering her the remote. "Prove me wrong, Rose."

[bitten_notshy]

"Now I'll have to find the hotel and come bother you," Jack said, back in English. "Is it interesting work?"

[bitten_notshy]

"Its name is Esmerelda Weatherwax," Jack said. "The woman, not the air conditioner."

He didn't know what an air conditioner was. Details.

"I'm lucky enough to sleep heavily."

[guardianborn.livejournal.com]

"Oh, sure, blame me if I can't find crap," Rose teased, reaching out for the remote and giving him a wink.