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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 3:08 am
Empty, hollow, cold, and mostly numb. That was how she felt. When he spoke, it only got worse. Armagnac was still hissing, and Sherry... refused to let go of that resolve she'd started to muster. If she thought about it later she might call it pride. Or desperation. Or worry.
"You're wrong." It didn't even matter if he hated her, or believed her or whatever. She couldn't leave while he was like this. "I never hated you, and if I did...if what you say were true, I'd be gone already. Hell, I'd have not shown up here to spend time with you. Jake. I don't know who you're remembering, but it's not me."
She didn't move.
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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 3:20 am
Letting out a frustrated groan, he grabbed her wrist, dragging her to the door.
"I don't CARE who you are. You're just like them. Of course you want me to believe you. To trust you. But no. I won't be so naive to let you trick me again. You may be persistent, I'll give you that, but I'm done. I won't put up wih this anymore. I know what you're up to, and what you're planning. You're not my friend. You never were. I'm sick and tired of it. It's easier to not trust anyone. To not get hurt. I won't let myself get hurt anymore. I won't let YOU hurt me anymore."
His hand was on the doorknob now as his grip on her wrist tightened, prepared to fling her out once the door was open.
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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 3:35 am
Sherry did not enjoy being manhandled like this. Nor did Armagnac enjoy her hunter being such. The pit inside Sherry's chest grew, the chilling numb stronger somehow, and in her head there was nothing but rage.
"Give me one good example of me hurting you. What have I done that was so bad?" She turned on her inner five-year-old and had her heels in the floor. "Was it when we played Jenga? When we were turned to minipets? When we went shopping and had lunch? Or when I paid so you could have that knife you keep waiving in my face? Or when you kissed me in the Tear, or when we laughed after beating some monster? Or the night you came and asked for a second chance and I gave it to you without question?" She was talking fast, expecting him to cut her off.
"I don't know who 'they' are, but I'm not them. I'm just me." She place her hand over his on her wrist. She would have given him a pleading look, but she was pretty sure the tears hid that. "And you're hurting me."
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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 3:50 am
Hand still on the doorknob, he paused, turning to look at her. "I don't know who you are or remember any of that, but fine." He let go of her wrist and crossed his arms. "If what you say is true, I'd like to know why you're so persistent. If I'm the one hurting you, why are you trying to stay? Would you not be better off leaving?"
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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 4:00 am
She might have been a little stunned he'd not tossed her out, but she tried not to show it. "Because I'm stubborn like that," she muttered. "You're the one who was talking about resolve earlier, and you were wrong. I do care about you, and I'm willing to fight for my feelings. Whether you believe them or not." She was red, but given the situation, that wasn't unusual.
Her eyes stayed on him, but her face might have softened with worry. "Besides, I'm worried about you. One minute you were fine and the next you were scary angry. You've... never really done that before, and it scares me."
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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 4:13 am
"Oh?" Uncrossing his arms, he slammed them on the door, one on either side of her as he leaned in. "And how strong are these feelings of yours? If I were to violate you right here and now, would you still be thinking the same thing?" He leaned in even closer, breathing on her now. "Please. Show me this resolve of yours." His voice was like a purr, eyes menacing. Taunting.
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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 4:26 am
She'd flinched, but some reflexes can't be stopped. She didn't avert her gaze. Between the hole in her chest and the dragon in her head she almost didn't care. "I don't know," she replied. It was honest. "I can't be with someone who would hurt me like that, regardless of how I feel about them."
She exhaled slowly, shoving the images Armagnac had started projecting out of her brain. The weapon wanted blood, badly.
"But you wouldn't." She trusted him, that still hadn't changed.
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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 6:32 pm
He stared at her, not moving, and then his hands, which were approximately at the height of her shoulders started moving down, lower and lower, until...
"Good."
One hand on the doorknob, the other grabbed her wrist again as he pulled her away from the door so he could open it. "At least you're not a complete idiot."
With a twist, the door was open, and he stood to the side, eyeing her. "The only reason I wouldn't do it to you is because I have no interest in you. Now leave."
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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 6:59 pm
She stood there, staring at him. There was no relief when he didn't hurt her; she'd known he wouldn't. His words didn't even hurt, if that's what he'd intended. She was too numb for that. Numb and worried. He was off, and that scared her.
Sherry swallowed, pushing away another image Armagnac was delighting over. Blood was not what Sherry wanted.
"I didn't do anything wrong." She took a step back, definitely away from the door. "I didn't do anything, and you snapped." He was sounding paranoid, she could see that now. "I don't want to leave until I know you suddenly decided you hate me."
Worried. She was scared and worried and numb.
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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 7:04 pm
"Because I don't WANT you here." He growled, stepping forward to grab her wrist. "What do I have to do to make you LEAVE?"
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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 7:09 pm
She stepped back again. "Explain to me what I did. What are you remembering?" She tried to keep the pleading out of her voice, but at least she wasn't crying. Convince me you haven't cracked completely.
Armagnac was not helping Sherry think.
"I didn't do anything to hurt you, Jake. Why do you think I did?"
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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 7:13 pm
Nothing he did was working. Glaring at her, he let go, and turned. "Fine, if you won't leave, then I will." He grabbed the doorknob, closing the door behind him as he stepped out.
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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 7:26 pm
Everyone in this situation was being super mature. ...At least one of them had stopped threatening violence. Sherry had a feeling Armagnac would never stop wanted Jake dead now.
Sherry stared at the door. She could follow him. Chase him down and try to make him talk to her. She could leave and go back to her room and ignore the whole things. She could leave and go the infirmary and report him erratic behavior.
She let out a long, slow breath, suddenly aware of silent it was in that room. Silent and empty. It matched that hole in her heart rather well, except for the fact that the room was warm. Warm and empty was worse than cold and empty, though. At least it was right then.
Sherry sat down on the bed. She was patient, she would wait. It might not have been her place worry about him like, or stay there and bother him, but she'd decided to do it.
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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 7:43 pm
Hopefully she wasn't planning on waiting long.
With the door behind him, Jake clenched his fist, his heart filled with anger and malice. He didn't understand. Why was she so STUBBORN? She was... she was just like them. They pretended to be friendly to him, got him to trust them, and then... they turned around and betrayed him. He was sick and tired of it. Sick of being used. Sick of being tricked. He wasn't going to make the same mistake twice, and he had made it quite clear to her, hadn't she? So why didn't she leave? And why... why didn't he want to leave?
Slumping to the floor, he rested his back against the door, drawing his knees to his chest as he rested his forehead on them. The motion was sort of nostalgic; bittersweet. He didn't understand.
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Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 7:56 pm
Sherry didn't understand, either. She didn't understand being forgotten. She didn't understand how he could have agreed to try a relationship with her when she'd been nothing but a ball of tears for the couple of days that he knew her. She didn't understand why he would suddenly hate her.
The lindwyrm was a writhing mass of rage in her brain.
No. Not now, not ever. Sherry sighed. She was exhausted, but at least she'd stopped shaking. Adrenalin and fear, so useful and yet so not. The numbness had started to ebb, too, and she willed it to come back. Numb didn't hurt.
She wasn't sure how long she sat there. Not using her phone limited her sense of time, and that was inconvenient.
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