InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Not a lesbian, but a big fan.."

Ella Claire Gainsborough {Beauty} (bookshelved) wrote in bellumlogs,
@ 2010-01-12 11:10:00

Entry tags:

beauty, black forest witch

Who: Ella and ~~Vaughn~~ Leah
What: A new living arrangement
Where: 905
When: Immediately after this
Warnings: ~~Internal Vaughn crazy?~~ None

Ella was sitting at the typewriter in the guest room, working on chapter two of her novel, when the knock came. She'd taken to writing on the old machine - after hunting down ribbon for it. There was something real about writing this way, something immediate, and despite the strikeouts and the scribbles, she liked it.

Chapter Two
She didn't know his name, but in her mind she called him many things: friend, confidant, confessor, teacher, mentor and muse. She stopped there, because it seemed macabre to feel anything more for someone who was dead. Because there was one thing she was certain of: there was no life remaining in this apartment she'd stumbled into. It was as cold as a grave and just as permanent. Even with all that, she knew she was going to think about him that night when she found the warmth of her bed. Even as she denied it in her own mind, she knew this man would not pass from her thoughts like sand through a child's fingers. Not this man. She tried to imagine his face wh

When the knock came, she thought it would be Ed. Ed who she'd pushed too far.

She wasn't sorry, if she was honest with herself. Sometimes tough love was important, and she thought that might be the case with Ed. She didn't exactly understand the loss that must come with not being able to play music, but she could imagine what would come of not being able to write. She also knew that if that happened to her, if she couldn't read or put thoughts to paper, she'd have to find another outlet for that part of her. If she didn't, she would go crazy with it. Ed was doing that, she thought, going crazy with it. So Ella wasn't sorry for the tough love; not if it helped in the end.

She hadn't heard back from Daniel, and a futile hope bloomed as she walked to the door that it was something from him. That he'd found her address somehow, sent her something back here instead of at the Publishing House. She laughed at herself. Ella, you're not a princess in a fairy tale, and men are not princes on horses. They don't hunt down your home address just because you send them Jane Austen books, she reminded herself, but it was an entertained smile that was on her lips when she opened the door.

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	shebringscurses 2010-01-12 05:16 pm UTC (link)
	Her eyes were sad when the door opened. Relieved, but sallow. An industrial military backpack hitched over her shoulder, something she'd filled in the 1st floor apartment before coming up here. Vaughn looked up with a sigh. "Hi." (Reply to this) (Thread)

bookshelved
2010-01-12 05:19 pm UTC (link)

Leah was the one person Ella wasn't expecting to see. They had plans to meet, but not here and like this. And definitely not with Leah looking sad and hitching a backpack higher on her shoulder.

She moved aside immediately, not wanting Leah to feel unwelcome, and she waited for her to walk inside before saying anything.

"Something happened?" she asked, even as she closed the door.

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	shebringscurses 2010-01-12 05:28 pm UTC (link)
	"He killed himself." Before she could say anything, that came out. Just those words before she ran pale hands over her face and dropped the bag to the floor. "I don't know what to do." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

bookshelved
2010-01-12 05:33 pm UTC (link)

Ella stared for just a split second, because no matter how many books you read or how many movies you see, you never actually expect someone to show up at your door and say something like that.

She moved toward Leah a moment later, and she took her in her arms and hugged her, knocking the backpack off the other woman's shoulder. "Who?" she asked quietly, hugging, offering comfort, because this was her sister, and she was hurting, and that was the only thing Ella would ever think of doing in such a situation. "Who, sweetie?"

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	shebringscurses 2010-01-12 05:52 pm UTC (link)
	Vaughn only shook her head. Pressing her cheek into the fixed warmth of Ella's neck. Obviously incapable of talking about it. Or just unwanting. She drew back a bit, smiling weakly and brushing some sickly blond out of her eyes. "Is that spare room still available?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

bookshelved
2010-01-12 06:03 pm UTC (link)

Ella nodded instantly. "Of course," she said, brushing the rest of Leah's hair from her eyes. "For as long as you want," she said without even thinking about it. Leah needed her, and Ella wasn't about to turn her away. When she was ready to talk about it, Ella would listen. This was one time she wasn't going to push. If someone Leah cared about had died, that wasn't something for Ella's curiosity.

She took both of Leah's hands in her own, and she squeezed them warmly. "Let me show you," she said, and she tugged her toward the hall.

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shebringscurses
2010-01-13 07:10 am UTC (link)

Things had grown increasingly complicated in the last few weeks. Events continued to pile up against each other, and Vaughn was forced to adjust or fall behind in the rubble.

She didn't know what to do about Daniel, but she moved ahead blindly. She couldn't processed what had happened with Kane, she just had to walk away.

All of these things could be dealt with later, understood later, worried on later. But first, she needed Ella's cooperation. Which came in the form of hand holding and some makebelieve sisterly law that said Thou Shalt Let Strangers Live With you.

"Thank you." She walked with her toward the hall.

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	bookshelved 2010-01-13 07:15 am UTC (link)
	Ella led Leah to the guest bedroom with its romance papered walls and its old typewriter. She looked at her, even as she tugged her hand and pulled her forward. "It's home, for as long as you need it to be." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	shebringscurses 2010-01-13 07:25 am UTC (link)
	"I don't know what to say," she murmured as her focus drained the papered room. Vaughn was relying on Ella's naivete and the illusion of sisterhood, but at the same time.. she was dumbfounded by it's existence. "This means a lot, Ella." She vaguely understood that things could have been different for them once. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

bookshelved
2010-01-13 07:30 am UTC (link)

Ella smiled. "It means a lot to me too, having you here," she admitted openly, absolutely meaning her words. She squeezed Leah's hand again, reassuring. "I'm sorry about your friend," she offered. "And if there's anything I can do, anything at all, don't hesitate to ask me. I'm very easy to live with, I think, as long as you don't mind the eternal clutter and clacking of typewriter keys."

"I'm very glad to get to know my sister," she added with raw feeling; there was no doubt as to the truth behind her words.

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	shebringscurses 2010-01-13 07:40 am UTC (link)
	"If you can let me know what I owe you.." There was a slim gesture of her hand at the words. "For the room and anything else, I'll get you the money soon." Unlike so many of her promises, this one wasn't empty. Something in Ella's tone causing a reflection of sincerity. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	bookshelved 2010-01-13 07:43 am UTC (link)
	Ella's return smile was genuine. "Whatever you cam give me is fine. There's no rush, and there's no absolute amount. I'm not the landlord, Leah. I'm you're sister, and we're family, and I very much want to help you." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	shebringscurses 2010-01-13 07:52 am UTC (link)
	"Still," the word was a plead for Ella to be reasonable. Her pale eyes tight with insistence that Ella not make Vaughn take advantage of her so easily, so early on. "I'd like for it to be fair." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	bookshelved 2010-01-13 07:56 am UTC (link)
	Ella caught the pleading, and she took it for pride, which she understood. She nodded. "Five hundred dollars and half utilities," she offered. It was less than half, but the room was small, and she didn't know how much money Leah brought in. "Where do you work, Leah?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	shebringscurses 2010-01-13 08:05 am UTC (link)
	"That sounds perfect." Vaughn conceded a smile before taking a seat on the edge of the white bed. Whatever had brought her to Ella's door, it left Vaughn looking a little exhausted. She looked even paler with the backdrop of faded paper behind her. "I work for the school district." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	bookshelved 2010-01-13 08:14 am UTC (link)
	"You're a teacher?" she asked with a smile. "Well, teacher, you'll excuse me if I leave you to get some sleep. You really look like you could use a nap and some time to get settled." She smiled warmly. "I'll order us some takeout when you wake up," she offered, and she smiled again, closing the door softly and giving Leah some privacy in her new room. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

shebringscurses
2010-01-13 08:21 am UTC (link)

When the door was shut, Vaughn immediately curled up on her side. But her eyes didn't succumb to sleep, they remained wide and worried. It was easy to drag Ella into this mess she'd caused of Bellum.

Her only concession when she finally did fall asleep for a few hours, was that she was Leah here, not Vaughn. The difference was minor, and only something she bothered with for Ella.

Besides, Ella knew nothing at all of Daniel. What would this hurt?

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