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Sherri Salvage | Scheherazade ([info]withinastory) wrote in [info]bellumlogs,
@ 2010-05-15 15:49:00

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Entry tags:scheherazade, sultan's daughter

Who: Sherri and Joss
What: The Reunion
Where: The entrance to the lobby
When: Early afternoon
Warnings: Most likely a lot of squealing.

Out of all the boxes of disassembled furniture stacked in the back seat of Sherri's car, she had decided it was the most practical to take care of the biggest one first. Really, she probably should have made an effort to meet a neighbor and beg for help carrying the futon in, but the box (and, to be honest, the frame inside) was already ragged enough that she didn't think it would hurt to just drag it. The mattress was another matter, and not one she was looking forward to dealing with.

She'd wasted no time moving in after signing her lease, having tossed her two suitcases into the empty apartment before heading out to find the cheapest furniture possible. She wouldn't exactly be living in the lap of luxury once she got all her purchases inside, but she would have enough to get by (as long as she could get everything in without breaking it), and that was enough for her.

The likelihood of getting everything in undamaged, however, was getting smaller by the second. With a small, determined huff, she tugged the box along another few inches, backing toward the door to the lobby. Oh, shoot... did it open out or in? She couldn't remember for the life of her, and she didn't want to risk losing her grip by turning around to look. She'd deal with that when she got there, she supposed.


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[info]sultana
2010-05-15 10:27 pm UTC (link)
It wasn't often people were able to shock her. After all that was her job - say and do the thing that was least expected, so they'd pay attention. She was well acquainted with jaws dropping and people actually gibbering in shock - Bellum Letale seemed to make it so that she did it every other day.

"Sherri?" It was young and far too high-pitched, but Joss didn't try to fix her act. She slipped the rest of the way around the door and stepping around the box. Her arms went to the other girl's shoulders as she stared. "What are you doing here? I was looking for you and it's been months and-" Joss barely cut herself off, throwing herself at her. The hug was tight and desperate, enough to say that Joss had missed her - even if she hadn't done so with words. Her mind simply couldn't keep process that she really was here.

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[info]withinastory
2010-05-15 10:34 pm UTC (link)
Sherri caught her without thinking, mind still trying to catch up. "Oh my God, Joss! I'm... what are you doing here? Do mom and dad know where you are?" There was no way they'd approve. Then again, they probably approved of her even less, at the moment, since she knew they had no idea where she was.

Before they could even get into that conversation, she tried a quick derail. "You look so good! What have you been up to?"

She would explain everything to her little sister eventually. The sidewalk, however, just wasn't the place.

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[info]sultana
2010-05-15 11:43 pm UTC (link)
For a brief moment, Joss wanted to press the questions - there were more, already coming, asking why and how and more importantly what about me? but she let them drop with her sister's attention on herself. It couldn't be helped, as she had her weaknesses and apparently she did care about what happened to her.

Joss pulled away, a hand self-consciously going to her knocked out of place glasses and her hair. Hadn't she had pain on her face when she came down? "Loads of things," she said, a normal hint of a taunt coming into her voice. Explaining what would take forever though and she didn't want the dirty out in public for one. Had she told the building about Sherri? Shit.

"You moving in?" She didn't wait for an answer, moving to give a hand with the box Sherri had been carrying in. Inside, up, and away. "I want to see where you are. Some of the people here are fucking batshit-" A glance, almost waiting to be told not to swear. It was the only reason why she did it after all. "I'm in 204."

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[info]withinastory
2010-05-15 11:53 pm UTC (link)
"No, I just decided to lug this thing around for fun." Sherri's tone wasn't biting, just warm and fond. "Of course I'm moving in, you goose."

The number went right over her head, at first, but when she tried to remember the number on her own door, she laughed. "You're kidding! I'm pretty sure I signed paperwork for 205." It seemed she was being thrown back together with her sister with a vengeance; their rooms at home hadn't even been that close together.

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[info]sultana
2010-05-16 12:16 am UTC (link)
Joss kicked open the door with one foot, leading the way in. By now she was used to the building and though the bullets in the walls were neat, she didn't stare too much at them - nor the bulletin board with too many announcements of the building's danger. Puh-lease, it was never that bad.

"It's almost like they're right about the building," Joss huffed, more out of breath from carrying the box than put out. She adjusted her grip and tilted her head to the stairs. "You can't take the elevator, it never works. Help?" She struggled with it once more, just at the foot of the stairs.

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[info]withinastory
2010-05-16 12:23 am UTC (link)
Sherri hurried after her, grabbing the other end of the box. Good thing it was only one flight, if Joss wasn't just exaggerating about the elevator. Of course, if the elevator did actually work, she was pretty sure Joss wouldn't be masochistic enough to insist on the stairs.

"Thanks for the help, I don't think I could have gotten it up alone." Sherri smiled at her sister, really hoping that she could be pleasant enough to delay the inevitable confrontation about where she'd been until they were safely in her apartment. "What do you mean, about them being right about the building?"

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[info]sultana
2010-05-16 12:30 am UTC (link)
Joss took the backwards end, making it up slowly but at least with no slips. She'd never been one to take the elevator if she was on her own and carrying nothing anyway - too few floors and more chance of seeing people if she was on the stairs.

The smile was more than eagerly returned and Joss let her head bob, until the question. Her face screwed up in an expression that would be overexaggerated to anyone not used to Bellum. Really, the insanity called for it. "People here think it's the reason why everything's crazy. Versus you know, smart asses and coincidence." She shrugged, making it to the top of the stairs and going down the hall. "Elevator doesn't work, strange things happen, everyone thinks they're a character from a story-" Her laugh was a bit forced, but hey, it usually was in company. "I'm sure you'll find it interesting." Joss, personally, still went with her drug theory - at least, she thought she was. Sherri showing up was just a bit unnerving.

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[info]withinastory
2010-05-16 12:39 am UTC (link)
Aside from the 'character in a story' comment, Sherri was more than willing to chalk it up to paranoia, herself. "I suppose interesting is the word." Surely they didn't really believe that... she'd try not to let it keep her from getting along with anyone, anyway.

Sherri placed her feet very carefully, taking a moment to resent gravity as she tightened her grip on the box. At least the end of the staircase was close, and nothing else she had to carry in was that large.

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[info]sultana
2010-05-16 12:45 am UTC (link)
"I think it's insane," Joss said, watching her reaction. Her sister should at least believe her, when she said it couldn't be real. It was just a fucked up trip on that full moon - nothing more. "Like, they have this neighborhood watch? They're actually patrolling like this is a war zone."

Joss led the way down the hall, stopping in front of 205. Her grip on the box moved around it and she looked up, "I'll take it, you get the door?"

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[info]withinastory
2010-05-16 12:59 am UTC (link)
Sherri moved around her and unlocked the door, then held it open for her. "Just dump it right inside... and go wash your face." She'd held back on the nagging while they were in public, but hopefully Joss would have missed her enough that she would find it endearing. They had enough to talk about without getting into a spat about that.

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[info]sultana
2010-05-16 01:07 am UTC (link)
She dumped it inside, a bit more carelessly than needed. Hopefully there wasn't anything too fragile inside. Joss's hands went to her hips for a moment, almost protesting before she headed to the kitchen. Sherri really was the only person who could get away with that.

Her eyes went over the empty apartment after she washed her face in the sink and she dried her hands on her pajama pants. The sleeve of her coat took care of her face, but she didn't care that much if it was a bit wet.

"Where've you been?" The question came out before she could stop it and she had to bite her lip to restrain the others. She had Sherri right here - Joss wasn't going to go anywhere until she had answers. She could let her usual acts drop or at least shove aside for now - later, if this got bad, she'd head out to the clubs again.

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[info]withinastory
2010-05-16 01:14 am UTC (link)
Better to just get it over with now, Sherri thought. It would have been better if there was somewhere for them to sit and talk, but it really wasn't fair to ask Joss to wait. She lowered herself slowly to the floor, sitting cross-legged.

She patted the floor beside her, only half expecting her sister to sit. "Here and there. Really, I haven't been in one place for very long since I left home."

It was a good thing that Joss probably had a lot of questions, because Sherri wasn't even sure where to begin explaining herself.

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[info]sultana
2010-05-16 02:58 am UTC (link)
Joss didn't hesitate, sinking to the floor and mimicking her position. Her arms crossed below her chest and her head tilted to the side. Sherri was a storyteller - she expected a good explanation. Something that would make sense as to why she'd abandoned her. (Because it was how Joss viewed it.)

But the explanation didn't satisfy her and Joss pressed on. "Where? The world's big-" Her mind went back to her conversation with the Southern girl the other day - it didn't matter where one went as long as they did go. Joss frowned, then let the questions come. "Where'd you go at first? How'd you find out about the building? Why'd you pick here? Why did you-" Her breath caught and she had to swallow and begin again. "Why did you go?"

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[info]withinastory
2010-05-16 03:40 am UTC (link)
Sherri straightened her spine and rested her palms loosely on her thighs, getting comfortable before she started talking. The last question... that was the important one and, she supposed, the beginning of the story. "He wasn't a good man. I couldn't prove it, of course. There was no proof, just things covered up that shouldn't have needed covering. I just knew it, but dad would never have believed me. After all, he was Leroy Preston, how could he do anything wrong?

"I left because I had to, because if I had stayed I would have been marrying that man regardless of my feelings about it. It might have turned out just fine in the end, but I couldn't take that chance. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but no one could know. I couldn't risk word getting back to dad.

"My first stop was in a little town in Idaho. There was no real reason to stop there, except that I had to fill my tank, and have a hot meal. After that, I just stayed. I found a job at a used book store, and a little apartment, and I was getting by. Of course..." Her lips twisted into a wry smile. "Our father had to choose a man who traveled to marry me off to. Someone brought in fliers about a revival in the area, and I saw his name and knew I had to leave.

"I kept moving east from there. Again, I'm not sure why. I was just drawn in one direction, and I didn't see a reason to turn another. I would stop and work again, but he always seemed to be following behind me, and I would always leave. I'm not sure why here, except that it's about as far east as I can go. This building was the first that had a vacant apartment in my price range, but I'm really not sure why here, either. I'm glad that I am here, though."

There was a lot Sherri had left out. She hadn't mentioned her fear, how many times she'd nearly turned back, how she was less and less certain as time went on that she was right about the man she had been engaged to. She hadn't mentioned the times her car had broken down, or when she hadn't been able to afford to eat. Joss didn't need to know about any of that. She reached out and took her sister's hand. "It was never you that I was trying to get away from."

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[info]sultana
2010-05-16 04:06 am UTC (link)
Sherri had always been a wonderful storyteller - even when at her most wild, Joss could calm down during a story. Her shoulders relaxed slightly as she listened, processing it slowly. It was almost like old times - minus the fact that they were sitting on the floor of an apartment in New York and the story was actually about Sherri.

There was a long pause when the story ended and her hand was taken. Joss blinked, finding herself ready to tear up - again. Crying unless it was on purpose didn't suit her; she wasn't really a child after all. She squeezed Sherri's hands, confessing, "Preston kinda seemed like a schmuck to me." Maybe. She hadn't paid too much attention to him before other than the guy who'd fix things by marrying Sherri. Picturing him now though? She couldn't definitely see it.

There was a pause and then she said, a bit more quietly, "I really missed you." It hurt to say that - it had been worse than when she'd been shipped off to England. At least she'd known why she'd been banished then. Saying she'd needed her was too much and Joss shook her head, pulling her hand back. "That's why I came. Sorta. Mom and Dad went berserk."

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[info]withinastory
2010-05-16 04:23 am UTC (link)
"I missed you, too." Sherri took a deep breath. "But I'm here now. That's what matters, right?" She could well imagine how 'berserk' their parents had gone, and while she felt bad for leaving Joss to deal with it on her own, it seemed her little sister had done a much better job of standing up to them than she had.

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[info]sultana
2010-05-16 04:53 am UTC (link)
Joss' mouth quirked into something that was almost a smirk. "Sure. If you don't run anymore." She paused, looking down for a moment before looking up. "And...they know I'm here. But I won't tell them, if you don't go."

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[info]withinastory
2010-05-16 05:01 am UTC (link)
Could she promise that? Sherri knew that, if Leroy Preston came to town, it would be hard to resist the urge to move on rather than risk bumping into him. Still, it wasn't just anyone asking. It was Joss. She knew that there were likely still a lot of things they needed to talk about, and probably some arguments in their near future, but...

She squeezed Joss's hand once more. "If I'm going to stay, I need to finish dragging everything on my car. I'll take you out to eat if you help me get my mattress up the stairs." Not that she wouldn't anyway, but she could at least pretend it was a valid bribe.

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[info]withinastory
2010-05-16 05:02 am UTC (link)
((Also, out of* the car. Oops.)

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[info]sultana
2010-05-16 05:08 am UTC (link)
Joss squeezed it back, fully grinning. For her it was good enough - and if she took off again, Joss would follow her. That was a given, if she was just down the hall. "Deal!" She pushed herself up from the floor, giving her sister a hand before tugging her towards the door.

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