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Brian Jenkins | Dr. Jekyll ([info]tooth_fairy) wrote in [info]bellumlogs,
@ 2010-06-04 22:18:00

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Entry tags:dr. jekyll, scheherazade

Who: Sherri and Brian
What: Meeting!
Where: The doors/lobby of Bellum
When: Friday afternoon
Warnings: Super extreme politeness and civility

A warm breeze swept the edge of his jacket as he walked, threatening to drag him forward if he walked any slower. Brian was used to being egged on by other pedestrians, but this was the first time that the actual weather seemed determined to get him to walk faster. His strides were long and loping, his shoulders hunched just slightly as he went. Though he was a tall man, Brian Jenkins didn't carry himself accordingly. He looked shrunken. Smaller than he should. His mother had scolded him for such habits when he was a boy, and it seemed they stuck. He felt bad for her.

It was strange for him to be finished with work so early. The sun was still in the sky, not threatening to set yet, and the streets were clear of Friday night party goers. But he had had two patients cancel, and there were none waiting for a dentist. The secretary, Matilda, had practically shoved him out the door as he peered around the waiting room, looking for one last patient to work on. He almost felt lost now without the constraints of work to hold him down. Now what would he do?

Brian didn't like free time. Free time ultimately devolved into something unpleasant. He spent most of his time alone - and would continue to do so, given his recent move - and he spent most of his time alone thinking. Thinking wasn't always good for Brian. If he let his mind wander, it would take him to terrible places. He would get on the internet and search Web MD over and over again, then sit on the Amazon page for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders for at least an hour before once again deciding that purchasing it would cement the fact that he's insane. And given the forum posts that his neighbors had made, he would only be getting crazier as time went on.

He had so little to look forward to.

The building he now hated came up quickly, and before long, he was at its doors. From a few yards away, he could see a girl struggling with one of the front doors, a number of plastic grocery bags hanging from her arms. Frowning, he trotted up towards her, slipping a hand between her and the door and pulling it open. "Here," he said, glancing down at her with a faint smile. "You need some help carrying those?"


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[info]withinastory
2010-06-05 06:48 pm UTC (link)
"I'll trust your judgment." Tilting her arm to reposition the bags again, Sherri finally acknowledged the necessity of looking forward when she reached the first step. Falling up the stairs during a first face-to-face meeting would be way too embarrassing. "Oh, and I live on the second floor, so I promise your chivalry won't hurt too badly."

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[info]tooth_fairy
2010-06-05 06:52 pm UTC (link)
He followed her up the stairs, inclining his head towards her as she mentioned where she lived. "It's not a problem," he said simply. "I'm happy to help out." And it was true. Though a lot of his smiles were false, and he felt more out of sorts with people than in sorts, he did genuinely enjoy helping them. It was a small, temporary band-aid over the enormous nothing that usually consumed him. "And I'm one floor up from you, so I've had to carry things further than this when I was moving in."

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[info]withinastory
2010-06-05 08:00 pm UTC (link)
Sherri winced. "By yourself?" Hopefully none of it had been that big... or his bed had come in more pieces than hers. "It really is a shame about the elevator not working."

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[info]tooth_fairy
2010-06-05 08:02 pm UTC (link)
He looked at her plainly. "Yes," he said matter-of-factly, as if it only made sense that he be the only person to move things in. Really, who else would have done it?

At the mention of the elevator, he nodded. "Yeah, it makes life a lot harder than it needs to be." He paused, glancing over at it with a wrinkled nose. "Does anybody even know what's wrong with it?"

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[info]withinastory
2010-06-05 08:21 pm UTC (link)
"To be honest, I've never actually asked for details." Sherri was trying to limit how many weird things she had to take in at a time, and so far the elevator hadn't been high on her list of priorities. "I'm not sure who to ask, and fairly certain I probably wouldn't get a straight answer if I did." Besides... if she didn't ask? She could go on pretending it was a normal malfunctioning elevator.

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[info]tooth_fairy
2010-06-05 09:02 pm UTC (link)
That was probably smart. "Yeah, I don't think anybody in this building likes to give straight answers," he said lightly, rubbing his chin. "But it'd be nice if it got fixed. I can't imagine living on one of the top floors with it broken like this. Especially on move-in day." He shook his head, frowning. "That's just rough."

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[info]withinastory
2010-06-05 09:30 pm UTC (link)
Sherri stopped in front of her door, digging in her purse for her keys. "A couple of floors is okay, but I think if I was living any higher than, say, the fifth floor, I'd be protesting." Keys found, she put her bags down so she could unlock the door. "Oh, and this is me!"

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[info]tooth_fairy
2010-06-05 09:59 pm UTC (link)
He nodded. "Yeah, I don't think I could handle anything much higher." Brian didn't like being on high floors for very long - he enjoyed having the ground close. It made him feel safer.

As they reached her door, he nodded, setting the bags down. After all, there was no way she'd want a stranger traipsing into her apartment with groceries. That'd just be weird, especially in this place. "Well, okay," he said, smiling. "It was really nice to meet you in person, Sherri." He thought about extending a hand to shake, but realized that she'd probably end up strangled by grocery bags if she tried to take it. So instead he just offered her a slight wave. "I'm sure I'll see you around."

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[info]withinastory
2010-06-05 10:04 pm UTC (link)
"Would you like to come in for some coffee?" Sherri hadn't realized she intended to make the offer until it left her lips, but it just seemed polite. "As a thank you for helping me carry my groceries. I have the coffee, creamer, and sugar in here somewhere."

She thought desperately, trying to remember if her apartment was clean enough for company. The futon was in couch form, and she thought she remembered switching the sheets out for the cover. The desk was maybe a little messy, but not too bad. Yes, she was okay. Her forehead, wrinkled briefly in thought, smoothed and her smile transformed from slightly panicked to genuine.

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[info]tooth_fairy
2010-06-05 10:06 pm UTC (link)
It was hard to tell when people were being serious or just attempting to be polite. He watched her for a moment, mildly concerned by the wrinkle in her brow. However, she seemed genuine enough. And it was probably a good thing for him to get out of his apartment and talk to a human being every now and then.

"Okay," he said, nodding slightly. "That sounds really nice." He smiled, picking up the groceries he had been carrying and following her inside the apartment. "Just tell me where to put these."

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[info]withinastory
2010-06-05 10:11 pm UTC (link)
Sherri glanced around, breathing a sigh of relief when she realized she'd straightened up more than she thought. "Oh, just put them on the tile. Have a seat, make yourself at home!" She deposited her own bags on the tile as directed, then started digging through for the coffee.

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[info]tooth_fairy
2010-06-05 10:14 pm UTC (link)
"Thanks," he said, setting the bags down and taking a seat at the kitchen table. His gaze skipped around for a few moments before he glanced back to her in the kitchen. "So where were you before you cam here? This your first time in New York, or did you just need a change from a sane apartment complex?"

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[info]withinastory
2010-06-05 10:22 pm UTC (link)
With a laugh, Sherri deposited the Folgers on the counter and started setting up her decrepit flea market coffee maker. "Yes, this is my first time in New York. I'm from Washington, originally... the state, not the capital."

Coffee safely brewing, she started putting away the groceries that needed to be refrigerated - the rest were pushed aside to be dealt with after her guest was gone. "What about you? How long have you been here?"

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[info]tooth_fairy
2010-06-05 10:29 pm UTC (link)
He'd never been out that far west before, but he supposed that you didn't get much more west than Washington. So he just nodded. "Wow, that's quite a hike." Which was true.

As the smell of coffee began to fill the apartment, he leaned back in his chair. "I've been in the city for about three years now. The rent at my last place was getting ridiculous, way more than it was worth." He shrugged. "So I thought a change in location would help." He left any bitter comments unsaid. There was no reason to berate this nice girl with all of that. "We'll see."

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[info]withinastory
2010-06-05 10:39 pm UTC (link)
"I didn't make it all at once, there were a few stops between there and here." With everything put up, she started setting up the table: a mug for each, and the creamer and sugar in the middle. She took the chair opposite his, keeping an eye on the coffee pot. "This is the first place I found that I could afford, when I got here. I know you've been told that a lot of strange things happen here, but... they're not all bad things." At least, if she was being generous. She had found her sister, after all.

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[info]tooth_fairy
2010-06-06 12:28 am UTC (link)
He shrugged. "It's always good to make a few stops. You miss things if you don't." He was such a hypocrite - Brian hated making stops. He hated smelling the flowers, he hated all of it. Because it wasn't real. Reality, to him, often felt like a piece of paper that was hanging by tape from the ceiling. He wanted to rip it apart. He wanted to pull it down and reveal what was hiding behind it, but he couldn't. Every time he tried, something stopped him. He almost feared that this building would push him to the limits of that tenuous relationship, judging on the forums' history.

Though he smiled at her reassurance, it was false. Fake. Imitation. It barely reached his cheeks, let alone his eyes, and it didn't move the way a smile should. "I should think not," he said, his voice almost genuine. "Nothing is all bad in life." If only he could start believing that.

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[info]withinastory
2010-06-06 02:03 am UTC (link)
It was a relief when the drip stopped and Sherri could jump up and grab the pot of coffee, serving them both. Talking about the strangeness of the building with someone who hadn't experienced it... it was so awkward. She didn't know how those who issued all the warnings could bring themselves to do it. "Here, how do you take yours?" Playing hostess was a familiar, comfortable task.

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[info]tooth_fairy
2010-06-06 02:22 am UTC (link)
He accepted the coffee with a smile. "Thank you," he said, inhaling the delicate aroma. At the question, he reached for the creamer she had set out on the table, pouring a bit into his mug. "A bit of cream, no sugar." He laughed dryly, replacing the creamer and stirring his coffee with the provided spoon. "I don't know many dentists that take sugar in their coffee, come to think of it."

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[info]withinastory
2010-06-06 03:18 am UTC (link)
"I hadn't thought about that." Sherri laughed, as well, softly. "It makes sense. I just can't drink it without." She readied her own, heavy on both the cream and sugar. "So, you said you're a specialist, right? A..." She tapped a finger against the side of her mug, failing to remember the word he'd used. "I'm sorry, what was it, again?"

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[info]tooth_fairy
2010-06-06 04:12 am UTC (link)
He shrugged. "It's habit, I guess. My dad's a diabetic, so growing up we never had much sugar around the house. You get used to it." As he sipped his coffee, he watched her finger tapping the side of her mug. He wasn't sure why he zoned in on little details like that, but it was the little things that kept him most rooted to the world around him.

At her question, he glanced up. "I'm an endodontist." He paused, a wry smile showing. "A root canal guy."

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[info]withinastory
2010-06-06 05:07 pm UTC (link)
"Oh." Sherri shuddered. "I hope you aren't offended by the fact that I never want to see you at work, now." Aside from having her wisdom teeth removed, she'd never had any serious dental work done... and giving a potential friend business was not a good enough reason to start.

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[info]tooth_fairy
2010-06-06 05:40 pm UTC (link)
Laughing, he shook his head and took a sip of his coffee. "Not at all. Nobody wants to sit in my chair, I don't take it personally." He smiled. "I do do routine exams on occasion, though." He shrugged. "But don't worry. I'm sure you won't need to ever see me." He took another sip of his coffee, setting it down. "When you talk, you show a lot of teeth." He gestured to his own mouth before smiling. "They look very nice."

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[info]withinastory
2010-06-06 06:29 pm UTC (link)
Sherri's cheeks heated... well, now she'd be super conscious of how widely she was opening her mouth when she was talking for a few days. "Thank you. That definitely means something, considering the source." She took another sip of her coffee to cover her embarrassment - she'd never been very good at taking compliments.

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[info]tooth_fairy
2010-06-06 06:43 pm UTC (link)
Her embarrassment was, for some reason, funny. He chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm glad to offer my expert opinion whenever it's needed." Taking another sip of his coffee, he sobered slightly. "So what do you do for a living, Sherri?"

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[info]withinastory
2010-06-06 06:50 pm UTC (link)
"I'm working in a used book store, right now." Sherri smiled and shrugged. "It's not as glamorous or useful as root canals, but it pays the rent." For some reason, she felt compelled to add, "When I have the money, I'm going to finish up my last semester of graduate school. I'm getting a degree in library science."

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[info]tooth_fairy
2010-06-06 07:29 pm UTC (link)
The idea of root canals as glamorous made him chuckle. There was nothing glitzy about pulling rotting pulp out of a tooth. But it was almost nice to talk to somebody that didn't immediately see him as strange because of his given profession. He couldn't help it if he was just damn good at it. "Library science? That's really interesting," he said earnestly, taking a sip of his coffee. "I don't know much about that, what all does it entail?"

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[info]withinastory
2010-06-06 08:45 pm UTC (link)
It was nice of him to call it interesting, but Sherri had a feeling that wouldn't last after the explanation. "Mostly, just learning how to run a library. Cataloging, developing collections, and the ethical issues. Really, it's something that only someone who really loves books could stay awake through." There had been some classes where even Sherri had trouble staying awake.

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[info]tooth_fairy
2010-06-06 10:05 pm UTC (link)
Honestly, Brian knew very little about libraries. He knew that they had books, and that late fees could really screw you over. But he didn't know how they were organized beyond the Dewey Decimal System, which he knew vaguely had to do with numbers. Though it perhaps didn't seem to be all that interesting, he listened intently anyway. It was, after all, only polite.

"Well, what matters is that you're interested in it. It sounds pretty neat, actually." He smiled. "I think people take libraries for granted. They're such a staple in any neighborhood, it's like...they just show up, pre-formed, and run themselves."

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[info]withinastory
2010-06-06 10:45 pm UTC (link)
"The sign of a well-run library." Sherri nodded in approval. "Everything goes so smoothly that it does seem to sort of run itself." Well. That was work covered, and if they were going to talk about the weather it should have been done outside... and it was such a relief to take church off the list of things to talk about at a first meeting. She couldn't think of any other topic that didn't seem too personal, though; keeping smooth conversation going always seemed so easy when she'd been watching her mother do it.

At a loss for anything else to say without prying too much into Brian's personal life, she went for the basics. "Would you like more coffee?"

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[info]tooth_fairy
2010-06-07 01:14 am UTC (link)
At her mention of a well-run library, he smiled faintly. That was the sign of a well-run everything. A well-run life looked too easy to be real. His fellows thought that he had one of those - simple, effective, easy. If he could convince other people that everything was okay, maybe it would be.

Finishing his cup of coffee, he smiled at her offer for more. "Thanks, but this was more than enough." He knew when it was time to cut a social call short, and this was the perfect time. Standing up, he picked up his cup and spoon and set them down gently in the sink. "It was really nice talking to you, Sherri. I'm glad you're settling in here nicely. It's encouraging."

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[info]withinastory
2010-06-07 04:21 am UTC (link)
"Give it some time, and you'll get settled in, too." Sherri rose with him, drifting toward the door. "It was nice to meet you in real life, Brian. We'll have to do this again sometime." She meant it, too. It was nice to spend some time with someone mature, sane... normal.

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[info]tooth_fairy
2010-06-07 07:07 pm UTC (link)
Her reassurance made him smile. He could only hope it was as easy as she made it sound. He lingered by the door, keeping his smile as she spoke. "You, too. Yeah, this was great. If you ever need any help carrying anything again, just let me know. I'm in 302." He gestured upwards as he named his apartment - it was a weird human habit he had.

"Have a great afternoon, Sherri." Giving her a slight wave, he backed through the doorway and left down the hallway, headed for the staircase. The sheer fact that there was somebody this nice in the building gave him the slightest bit of hope. He'd take that for now.

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[info]withinastory
2010-06-08 01:59 am UTC (link)
Sherri waved back, then closed the door behind him. For once, she had met a neighbor without some sort of crazy building happenstance being involved, and she at least thought it had gone well. She wouldn't call it a friendship, not yet, but Brian seemed very nice. Of course, things would change the first time he saw the building do something crazy, but for the moment she would just be happy that something had gone right.

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