Svetlana Sergievskaya causes lyrical chess wars (thegirlisme) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2015-08-20 11:48:00 |
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Pretending to be happy was almost like having two jobs. By night and day he was Officer Grayson, and on the internet he was supposed to be a regular guy. Okay, three jobs. Dick didn’t really take breaks anymore, he didn’t see much point. It left him far less time to consider calling up Zatanna again. It was nearing midnight, and there were few options to be had for food. Most of them were bars. Technically he was no longer on duty, but that didn’t change the fact that he still wore his wind breaker. He didn’t care who knew he was a cop, it wasn’t like it was a secret.
He was the job. There was nothing wrong with that. They were all the job. Most of them just chose to go home once in a while, Dick however didn’t feel like his apartment was home anymore. Home was supposed to be a place where you had people who cared about you, his was just a roof.
The dark haired young officer hadn’t realized he’d wandered into the small Russian district of Orange County where one of the all night diners he used to frequent before pissing off half of the Russian mafia existed until he got to the door of the place. “Huh..auto pilot is strong in this one.” He mused to himself as he motioned one to the older almost grandmotherly type waitress handling the seating and greeted him with a familiar Russian phrase that he spoke back and gave the woman a hug before setting into a booth alone, minding his own business. He was well aware the Mafia made frequent appearances in this side of the city and his reputation with them wasn’t stellar, but honestly he couldn’t care less.
While Dmitri was doing better, there were some nights that Svetlana grew worried and so had to go out and search for her brother. Tonight had been one such night. After staying at his apartment until she was certain he was going to stay asleep, the blonde woman left and started the walk back to her own apartment. Had she eaten that day? She couldn’t remember. There was a good chance she had forgotten lunch, and given her search for Dmitri….
Well, she might as well find something to eat. Which was how she ended up at the 24 hour diner. Not too many people, which was either good or bad. She knew the reputation of the area, it was hard not to given her work. So either not a lot of people was good because it meant less chance of running into trouble. Or it meant something might be planned and so people were keeping their distance. No matter though, Svetlana was reckless in a quiet way.
Smiling in greeting to the waitress, Svetlana went to a booth. Okay so it was the one near the police officer. She wasn’t completely reckless and she did have enemies from her work and the threat of Stahma and Molokov. Not to mention she thought she recognised him from the network. She might not post often, but she did pay attention. Interesting. But right, putting in her order in Russian before looking out the window in thought.
Dick was content to be alone really. It was part of why his autopilot had clicked onto this place. It was out in a little crap hole area of Orange County not many decent folks visited. Reminded him a lot of Russian Bludhaven if he was entirely honest. He didn’t figure he’d be spotted by anyone even remotely familiar save his mafia friends.
He was wrong. He looked up from his overly strong coffee to spot a familiar woman. For a moment he watched her before standing and moving toward her to get a better view. “Svetlana Krylova? Is that you?”
Or she could be approached. By said person she thought she had recognised. And now that she was actually looking at him, she realised that it wasn’t the network she knew him from (no, she was still pretty certain on that one), but that she had seen him in the precinct for her victim advocacy work.
“Officer Grayson, hello. I would not have expected to see you here.”
Always polite, that was Svetlana. She was known as being composed and put together. At least she liked Dick from the few times their paths had crossed in a professional manner. This was the first time she had seen him out of a work setting.
“This place has the best dumpling soup.” He admitted with a shrug and a little white lie. Nobody needed to know his inner turmoil. Plus he wasn’t wrong, the place had a good reputation for such a bad area. “I could say the same for you, it’s pretty late..” This area wasn’t so kind to anyone, much less women alone. He’d nearly gotten his wallet stolen on his way over, he couldn’t imagine Svetlana wandering around at this hour.
“Everything all right?” He couldn’t help it, chivalry wasn’t dead in him just yet when it came to anyone needing help, men or women alike.
“That they do.” There wasn’t much to suspect, though Svetlana still did quirk a brow given her ability to read people. But she wasn’t going to push. Besides, he was saying the same could be said for her. She at least was Russian, so it made more sense that she would seek out familiar food in a strange country. She was used to being in the country but she did still seek out familiar food that she herself didn’t have to cook.
“I was visiting my brother and it’s on the way from his apartment to my own.” White lie given she had been actively looking for her brother, but the truth that the diner was between his apartment and her own. “But yes, I’m fine. Thank you for asking.”
“Mind if I join you? Food is usually better with other people.” He wouldn’t mind taking the check either if allowed. Svetlana was an interesting woman, there would rarely be a time he wouldn’t mind just listening to her talk. He was ironically at home around Russian accents, never mind his recent issues with the mafia. There were quite a few of them growing up around the circus. The ring master had been a portley Russian man. Dick had even picked up a bit of the language on the road.
“I’m glad.” It seemed they were both holding back truths, but he barely knew her yet. He wasn’t about to pry into her business just yet. Should she decide to confide in him, maybe then they’d talk
“Not at all, conversation over a good meal is always enjoyable.” And so she motioned to an open spot for Dick to sit down. There usually wasn’t time to talk with the detectives and officers on anything other than a case, giving statements and contact information for follow up. So middle of the night in a Russian diner? Sure. Why not. She wasn’t sure where the conversation would go, but it wasn’t as if she had any plans on sleeping. And random conversation was always quite enlightening.
She doubted it would get too deep, Svetlana was the type to keep everything closely guarded, and what she had observed of Dick, though really it was only in a work environment, he seemed similar. Though people who just spilled all their secrets at a first meeting confused the Russian woman as it were.
He slid into that open seat and waved a notice at the woman who’d served him before so she’d know where he went. Not like there were terribly many people in that diner that late, but all the same he wasn’t a jackass. He considered other people.
“Heh, I’ve been attempting to learn Russian again.” He’d learned it once as a kid, but he’d never really used it so it faded away. It might have been handy in getting the mob off his back some day-but he doubted he’d ever really shake them. They were connected to Raven, and apparently he’d wronged them.
“Oh? Well if you ever need help, I am happy to.” It wasn’t like it would be hard to. And while she could help Jonathan, that was more Russian immersion through delis and the like. He had someone else doing the lessons, she was just there for support mostly. Not that she minded.
She of course didn’t know about the angering of the local mafia or their tie to a friend of his. Though before much else could said in that moment, the waitress came over with their food. A smile and thanking her in Russian, Svetlana turned her attention back to Dick and the conversation at hand.
“Yeah. I learned it once as a kid from the tutors I was given-but never really used it before recently.” He admitted with a small shrug. It had been a long time since he had an excuse to, but with Raven’s family ties he seemed to be having more and more reason to relearn lately.
When the food arrived Dick had zero hesitation about digging into his. He was starving. He really hadn’t been taking care of himself very well lately when it came to food and eating. He probably should have been more on top of that, but when he got in moods it was hard to break out of them at times.
“Well as I said, I will be happy to help if you want.” She certainly hadn’t expected to know that people would randomly teach kids Russian. Not if they had no real reason to learn it. That was rather interesting. Or the tutor was just interested in the language.
Food in front of her, Svetlana started to eat as well. While she wasn’t going into it as quickly as Dick, she often did forget to eat depending on work or Dmitri. Which was why she was here this late in the first place.
Bruce had done one thing for Dick, made sure he had a world class education. He nodded. “That would be helpful. My days off are pretty sporadic though, depends on the week, the alignment of the stars, the psychotic levels of the criminals on the streets when they happen, but I can pay you if you want?” Money wasn’t a real issue now that he didn’t have anyone else to spend it on.
“Seems like very specific requirements for a day off. Though I understand that.” While Svetlana had her ‘official’ hours when she was at work, it was well understood that she never truly was off shift. No. If she was needed, she would answer the call, regardless of time of day or if she’d been sleeping or not. “I do not need money though, but thank you.” Really, she just wanted to help and there was something soothing in a way of getting to speak her own language. True, it would be as tutor or teacher, but it was still something. It was why she tried to go to Russian owned establishments at least once a week.
He smiled at that sheepishly and nodded. “Married to my work, what can I say?” It was obvious the guy was a bit of a workaholic, but maybe he’d be able to even things out one day soon and get some of that so called balance everyone talked about. Until then he’d enjoy his late night diner runs and roof top dives to the best of his ability.
“Here’s my card, my personal cell phone’s here. We can set up a tutor session when you’re able?” He pointed to the number that was already pre-circled. Another reason he ended up working strange hours, he didn’t like people having to rely on getting through the automated systems the department put up-so he tended to give out his personal cell phone.
The rest of the dinner he mostly made small talk, asking her all sorts of various questions. It was just instinct as a cop, and a talker of a family of writers. He wanted to know details and he wanted them face to face rather than through a computer, this sort of thing made him happy. It was soothing on his nerves, eating with company.
“You are not the only one.” Sometimes it seemed that was all Svetlana did. Oh she would meet up with Duncan or Helena or Jonathan, yes. Find chess boards and play strangers. But most of the time, it was either work or worrying about her brother. Just as she could understand working strange hours to keep people from needing to go through a hotline number. Anyone she helped had access to her mobile number should they need her for anything.
Pocketing the card, Svetlana handed one of her own over to Dick, nodding at the comment. “That we shall then.” It probably wouldn’t be too difficult to figure out tutoring sessions.
While Svetlana did tend to keep more to herself, to not talk as much as others, she could easily answer questions, especially as it was simply small talk and nothing too deep probing which would have made her put up any barriers. And it was nice to not eat alone, there was a sense of familiarity, of people seeking out companionship seemingly unconsciously.