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Gabs! ([info]i_luv_shoes) wrote in [info]bellumlogs,
@ 2010-07-11 22:21:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:glinda, rapunzel

Who: Gabrielle and Isobel.
What: Witchy things, protective sleep charms, girl things, When Harry Met Sally and ice cream? Maybe not that.
Where: 906.
When: I like 'nowish,' let's go with that.
Warnings: Crying!Isobel? I don't know. Probably not much.



It's not like Gabby was doing much of anything anyway, besides sitting on her couch making more tooth fairy boxes for Brian. Therefore, when she checked the forums and discovered that someone needed help sleeping, she thought it would be a good exercise in relieving boredom as well as cracking open the spell books.

The sleep charm itself hadn't taken long to make. She first lit a few candles and wrote down the wish with blue pen, on a piece of paper - wishes for Isobel to succumb to a deep, peaceful sleep. Sprigs of rosemary, thyme, and lavender went onto the paper, which she rolled up into a tube. Those herbs were selected because rosemary and thyme prevented nightmares, and lavender was used for protection.

"By the power of three, so let it be.
Bring healing deep sleep here to me."

While knotting white ribbon around the charm, she repeated the saying - over and over again - until she had knotted the ribbon three times. Then all that was left to do was drip some candle wax onto the ribbon knot to seal it to the paper. Satisfied, she blew out the candles once the charm was charged completely.

Tucking the freshly-made charm and a white candle into a bag, Gabrielle set off for Isobel's apartment. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but obviously the girl was desperate for help since she made a public forum post about her distressing lack of sleep. And she had seemed pleasant enough - which was a rarity around here. The only people that Gabby had really liked had been Brian, Bran (Dark and Mysterious Raven) and her next door neighbor, Gina. The rest of the people she encountered were horribly rude and seemed to have a sharp object permanently lodged up their anus.

Oh well. She sighed and knocked on the door, waiting for Isobel to answer.


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[info]nineteen_stars
2010-07-12 02:30 am UTC (link)
It didn't take long for Isobel to come to the door, and when she did, she was sure she was a sight for sore eyes. There were dark circles beneath her eyes, and while she was normally on the slender side of the spectrum, the way her collarbones jutted out against the thin cloth of the tank top she wore was most likely not completely normal. But she had a ready smile on her face, strained as it was, when she finally did open the door. "Gabby?" she asked, though really, who else could it have been?

Her apartment looked mostly normal, but there was a curious stain in the shape of footprints leading from the kitchen to the front door, and by the reddish hue to it, there was really only one thing that it could have been. Normally, she might have tried to scrub things out, but she just couldn't bring herself to think that hard about anything. Breathing was hard enough.

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[info]i_luv_shoes
2010-07-12 02:41 am UTC (link)
"That would be me." Gabby offered a smile in return - although it was a sympathetic, pained smile. Yikes! The collarbones jutting out made the girl look positively ghastly, and the haggard appearance to her face, the paleness, wasn't helping either. Perhaps Gabby should have brought that carton of rocky road she had stashed in the freeze for emergencies. "It's nice to meet you, Isobel. Are you - " Then she noticed the bloody footprints. "What on earth happened?" Asking if the girl was alright wasn't helpful - clearly she wasn't.

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[info]nineteen_stars
2010-07-12 02:46 am UTC (link)
Her smile faded soon after as she let Gabby in, self-consciously tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear as she closed the door behind her. "I... broke some dishes in the kitchen. A-all of them, actually, and accidentally stepped on the glass." She didn't look at Gabby as she said that, instead making a beeline towards the couch in the living roo to sit, patting the other cushion as she curled up in the corner of the piece of furniture.

"If I had thought someone... was coming over. Earlier. I would ahve cleaned them. I'm sorry things are... just a mess."

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[info]i_luv_shoes
2010-07-12 02:55 am UTC (link)
Eh? Well, Gabby didn't believe that for a second but whatever had happened, it was something Isobel didn't want to talk about - and were it Gabby's bloody apartment, she probably wouldn't have wanted to discuss it either. "It's fine," she said, going to sit down on the couch. Bloody footprints gave a place...character? This building was certainly strange, however, that much was apparent.

"You just need some sleep. And something to eat," she added, surveying Isobel's skinny frame. "When was the last time you ate?"

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[info]nineteen_stars
2010-07-12 03:09 am UTC (link)
And to not be reminded that he died every time she walked into her bedroom. But Isobel didn't say anything about that, instead just hugging one knee to her chest, shoulders hunched in slightly. "I... I don't remember. I think I had... tomato juice the other day? Maybe?" The days were blurring together in an uncomfortable blend that she was having problem deciphering. "It's been..."

Isobel trailed off then, her free hand reaching up to press at her eyes, a breath escaping her and along with it a quiet whimper. When she pulled her hand away, her cheeks were wet with tears and she hugged her other knee to her chest, pressing her face in against them. Her chest felt tight and it was hard to breathe, and she really, really didn't want to break down in front of a near-stranger.

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[info]i_luv_shoes
2010-07-12 03:20 am UTC (link)
Gabby set the crocheted bag she had brought down on the coffee table, turning to face Isobel. This wasn't just about broken dishes, as cute as the set may have been! But she didn't press for information yet. "Well, that won't do," she said as a matter-of-fact, rummaging through her purse until she found a packet of tissues. She unfolded one and handed it to Isobel. "You stay here and I'll make you something real to eat - " Toast if nothing else; there had to at least be bread in the kitchen. "And then we can see about you getting some sleep, hmm?"

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[info]nineteen_stars
2010-07-12 06:24 pm UTC (link)
Isobel looked up at the sound of Gabby's voice, rubbing at her eyes again before she took the tissue with a small smile. "You... really don't have to do that. I'm not hungry and... I don't think there's much in there, to be honest. In the kitchen, I mean." Hands busied themselves folding the tissue over and wiping her eyes with it, refolding it again and pressing back into the corner of her couch with a quiet sigh.

"Just... havin' someone here helps right now. Get my mind off of things."

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[info]i_luv_shoes
2010-07-12 06:43 pm UTC (link)
"I'm not going anywhere," Gabby promised, patting Isobel's arm. "You need to eat! It'll just take a second. I'll figure something out, even if I have to work my magic." Well, she didn't mean it in that way, as she was sure she didn't know any spells that could conjure up a Thanksgiving dinner, but there had to be something to work with.

She left the packet of tissues on the coffee table, even though the kitchen wasn't far, and true to her word was back in a minute or so after toasting two slices of bread and spreading jam on them. The butter looked questionable but there was milk in the fridge - after a sniff, Gabby determined that it was good, and the expiration date hadn't passed yet either. "So do you want to talk about anything?" she asked as she set down the plate and the glass of milk. "Doesn't matter what it is. I have lots of stories."

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[info]nineteen_stars
2010-07-12 06:51 pm UTC (link)
The quiet sounds of Gabby flitting about in her kitchen were comforting in a strange way that Isobel knew she couldn't explain. Wiping at her eyes again, she just listened to the soft sounds, looking up when Gabby came back in with the toast and milk. Almost as though signaled by the sight of food, her stomach gave a loud growl causing Isobel's eyes to widen in surprise.

"Guess my body is telling me something," she said a bit sheepishly, leaning forward to take up the plate and balancing it on her knees. A small piece was torn off and chewed quietly before she answered Gabby's question. "And... I really don't know. I'm just... my head's just not here and I know that I'm really not the best company right now." Her shoulders shrugged up and she tore off another piece of toast, licking the jam off before eating the bread with a soft sigh.

"Has... anyone you ever cared about died?" she finally asked, lifting her eyes to meet Gabby's.

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[info]i_luv_shoes
2010-07-12 07:01 pm UTC (link)
Gabby smiled warmly - one of her rare, genuine smiles. She couldn't quite put her finger on why, but taking care of someone made her feel fulfilled, in ways she had searched for and never found, despite her attempts to find the way through drugs and alcohol and sex. "It's alright," she said, folding her hands on her lap. "I won't leave 'till you fall asleep though."

If she was surprised by the death question, she didn't show it. "Oh sure," she nodded. "My grandma, when I was young, for starters. But as I was growing up - my dad's a pediatric surgeon - well, I was really close with a little boy I used to visit in the hospital. His prognosis wasn't good but I liked to think I made the time he had left a little more bearable. It's difficult, isn't it? To lose someone you care about."

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[info]nineteen_stars
2010-07-12 10:17 pm UTC (link)
Half the toast was nibbled on before she sat the plate down, reaching for the glass of milk to hold it in her lap with a soft sigh, looking down into it for a moment. "I've... never lost anyone I cared about before. My parents and grandparents are still around and I've never even been to a funeral before." Isobel bit her bottom lip, looking back up towards Gabby, her expression incredibly sad.

"Ever see someone die before? Like. Them taking that last breath with you watchin'?" Her words were incredibly quiet, a bit broken around the edges.

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[info]i_luv_shoes
2010-07-12 10:28 pm UTC (link)
"Never?" Gabby asked, tilting her head a bit. "Death is the natural course of things. I'm not sure I believe that there's always a 'reason' for it though and...no." She shook her head. "I've never seen anyone die in front of me. Have you?" Though the bloody footprints were starting to take on a whole new meaning, and conspiracy theories were running wild.

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[info]nineteen_stars
2010-07-12 10:33 pm UTC (link)
A sip of milk and a small nod of her head came as her only answer, and she seemed to shrink in towards herself a bit more. The white socks she wore with her lounge pants had spots of red on the soles, visible when she shifted just a little bit to the side. Holding the glass of milk to her chest, she looked off in the direction of her bedroom, laying her head against the back of the couch.

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[info]i_luv_shoes
2010-07-12 10:53 pm UTC (link)
Hmm. Gabby clearly walked into quite the traumatic experience here. Someone died...in Isobel's bedroom. Well. It was clear that the girl was about due for some new furniture and bedsheets, but that could come later!

"Oh honey," she sighed, reaching over to stroke Isobel's hair. "Look, you need to rest. Don't go in there, just stay out here. Do you...want to talk about what happened or no?"

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[info]nineteen_stars
2010-07-12 11:01 pm UTC (link)
She leaned in to the touch, eyes falling shut with a soft sigh. "I can't... just sleep," Isobel said after a moment, eyes opening slowly to look up towards Gabby, focusing on her for a moment before she looked way, past her and over her shoulder. "When I do, I just keep... seeing what happened, over and over again. And it just feels like I'm never going to forget it. Never going to be able to close my eyes without seeing it all over again."

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[info]i_luv_shoes
2010-07-12 11:13 pm UTC (link)
"It'll be alright..." She couldn't promise that for sure, but she could at least promise that Isobel would be able to get some sleep, healing sleep, where she wouldn't be torturing herself like this. Was the cause of death murder or something else? Gabby decided it had to have been the second one. She barely knew the girl, but it just didn't seem right, to view her as a killer.

She opened the bag she brought and took out the charm, plus the white candle. "Just place this under wherever you sleep. Let's try the couch, okay?" Gently, Gabby pushed the charm underneath, still within range for grasping so Isobel wouldn't have to move the entire couch. "Then, every night, as you're getting ready for bed you light this candle. Leave the charm where it is though. That's all you have to do. It's already charged for tonight. Do you...have an extra blanket or anything?" She didn't see one around, and didn't want to just root through Isobel's closets.

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[info]nineteen_stars
2010-07-12 11:20 pm UTC (link)
She was quiet as she listened to Gabby's instructions, nodding her head before finishing off the last few drinks of milk and putting the glass on the coffee table beside the half-finished toast. "And you really think this will help?" Isobel asked, a bit of hope in her voice, though it was hard to pick out with the absolute sadness that tinged everything about her.

"And... There's one on the foot of my bed." She tilted her head to the side, a hitched little breath escaping her before she made a quiet noise of grief. She was pushing herself up then, almost scrambling for the bathroom to crouch next to the toilet, retching. The thought of the milk, the toast, it had been good as she was eating, but every time she thought of what had happened, her body and soul seemed to want to turn itself inside out. "Sorry... sorry..." she whispered as she coughed, turning her head and resting her cheek on the toilet seat, tears rolling down her cheek.

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[info]i_luv_shoes
2010-07-12 11:28 pm UTC (link)
Gabby went to get Isobel a glass of water, kneeling beside her on the bathroom floor. "Just drink this," she commanded - not planning on leaving until she at least had some water in her system. "You can't keep starving yourself like this," she scolded, and yes, she knew she was being hypocritical but those days were long gone and this was the present. Isobel needed to eat.

"Come on, back to the living room." She helped Isobel up, making sure she got to the couch without any more vomit or blood, then fetched the blanket. "I'm absolutely certain that what I gave you will help," she added, nodding firmly. "Now get comfortable here. I'll sit with you 'till you fall asleep."

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[info]nineteen_stars
2010-07-12 11:33 pm UTC (link)
She took a drink of the water, managing to get down nearly half the glass before she pushed it away, letting herself be helped up to her feet and back to the couch. Settling back in, she curled up against the corner, resting her head on her folded arm, eyes half-open as she lay there.

"You don't... have to do this," Isobel said softly, eyes drifting shut. "You... don't even know me. Not really." There was a quiet sigh and she curled in a bit more. It was hard to struggle against what the body wanted so much.

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[info]i_luv_shoes
2010-07-12 11:39 pm UTC (link)
"I know I don't have to. But I want to," Gabby replied quietly, tucking the blanket all nice and snug around Isobel. She sat next to her curled form on the couch, patting the blanket where her legs were. "We all need help sometimes." She hummed softly, and maybe it was silly, but it was one of her favorite lullabies - something her mother used to sing to her when she was a little girl.

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[info]nineteen_stars
2010-07-12 11:43 pm UTC (link)
There was something about the words and the lullaby that followed that managed to calm her. She shifted again, pulling the blanket up towards her chin and tucking her head down against it, a murmured 'thanks' whispered into the fabric. Isobel went quiet then, lulled by the soft humming, and it wasn't long until she had fallen asleep, her features relaxing and her breath evening out into something not so stressed.

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