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 Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 12:04 am
Following Jake's advice, he kept his face well hidden by his hood, tail wrapped tightly around his waist with the glowing end hidden underneath his shirt, his hands shoved into his pocket as the hunter coat billowed out behind him. Why Jake didn't just lend him his trainee coat was beyond him, but he was already almost at Sherry's room, so there wasn't much point.
Looking around to see that no one was watching him, he raised a hand, and knocked on the door, and shoved his hands back into his pocket, eyes cast downward to avoid any glances his way.
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Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 12:14 am
Sherry woke at the sound of a knock. Crap. She'd fallen asleep, and she was pretty sure someone was at the door...Armagnac! Sherry looked around the room, even though there would have been no way to miss the golem. Armagnac wasn't in the room. Sherry's box was still on the floor, but the lindwyrm was missing.
Could that be what the knock at the door was about? A missing golem? Sherry checked the time as she rolled off her bed. No, Armagnac still had well over an hour and a half of time left. Sherry hadn't been asleep that long. Maybe someone had found her weapon?
Sherry opened the door. "Yes?" Her hand tensed on knob. Not only did she not recognized whoever was standing in front of her door...but...something seemed off. But that coat.
Sherry stared.
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Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 12:22 am
The moment the door opened, Chester planted his hands on Sherry's shoulder, pushing her back slightly as he slipped into her room and closed the door. Dammit Jake, making him self conscious of his own looks.
He pulled off his hood and uncurled his tail, giving Sherry an awkward wave and smile.
"Sherry, is it? Hi, I'm Chester, Jake's weapon."
He glanced at the coat as the life trainee was still sorta staring.
"...Yah, I dunno why he made me wear this."
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Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 12:27 am
"Um," Sherry didn't quite know what to do when this odd stranger let himself into her room. She didn't even have Armagnac to summon. Damn.
She stared at the intruder began to uncover himself. Something in Sherry's brain noted a particular shade of green, but before she had time to process anything her guest was speaking.
She didn't bother hiding her sigh of relief. "Chester? Oh, thank heaven. I thought...I don't know what I thought." She shrugged.
"What are you doing here?" It was...the only question she had at the moment.
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Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 12:36 am
He blinked.
Oh. OH. WOW he was incredibly slow.
... Jake was going to laugh his a** off when he heard about this, wasn't he?
Flustering, he waved his hand, and then smacked it against his face.
SMOOTH.
"I, uh, yah, sorry about that. I didn't realize... how awkward that would have been, since you don't know who I am, and I just barged into your room, and... yah ok I'm going to shut up now."
He paused, recollecting his thoughts, and then pulled off the hunter coat. It was awkward wearing it.
"I... wanted to talk to you about Jake."
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Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 12:41 am
Sherry let out a nervous laugh. "No, it's...I should have realized. I've seen weapons in golems before. But we've also had things in the halls so..." She waved her own hand, doing her best to brush the subject away. So what if she'd been a tiny bit scared. He didn't need to know that.
Especially since... "Jake?" Sherry stiffened. "What about Jake?"
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Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 12:46 am
Chester frowned.
"No, I should apologize, I..."
He then understood how different it was to look at things from a perspective, and to actually be involved in it. Watching Jake interact with others, he was able to give his own input on things as he could look at it from a distance, but now that he was actually involved... it was a lot different.
He heaved a sigh, clearing his mind, and stared at Sherry, neon green eyes seeming to see right through her.
"Tell me... do you still have feelings for him?"
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Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 12:59 am
Sherry shook her head, out of politeness as much as anything. Weapon's in golems wasn't overly weird, but she hadn't interacted with many outside of Armagnac. None in fact. And this one, Chester, he was with Jake and... She blinked at him. "What?" Something fluttered in her chest, and her stomach seemed to drop. Pain crowed in at the edges of the void she suddenly felt. A chill, empty void where her heart should be. In an emotional sense, anyway. "Why would you ask me that?" She let a hint of ice seep into her voice. Letting her defenses down would only leave her wounded. "If Jake sent you here to tell me to leave him be, then don't bother. I have no intentions of 'seeking him out'." Her eyes held his for half a second, then she averted her gaze. She hoped her face didn't show her pain.
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Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 1:22 am
You can't hide anything, Sherry.
Those eyes saw right through your armor.
"Hey hey, no need to be hostile,", he replied, raising his hands to show that he had nothing up his sleeve... figuratively speaking. "You forget, I'm not Jake, and though he did send me here hoping to tell you to give up on him, I wanted to come here for a different reason, so let me ask again. Do you still have feelings for him?
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Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 1:32 am
Sherry bit her lip, doing her best to squash the emotions bubbling up again. Damn. Chester had a point. He was not Jake. Sherry still didn't know him, though.
She sighed, and let her arms cross themselves, again, more of a self hug than anything. Three times she'd voice her feelings to others (though Armagnac hardly counted) and look what it had gotten her. She looked back to the....what was he again? Sherry wasn't sure.
"I...Yes. I do." Best just to get it out and over with, she decided. She shook her head and waved a hand. "Ok. Happy? You guys don't have to worry about it, though. I'm not...I'll forget about eventually."
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Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 1:39 am
Tail flickering, Chester smiled, glad that she was honest with him, and that he wasn't too late, but that last part had him worried.
"Do you... want to forget about it? Would you be happier if you did?"
His voice got quieter, as his eyes were downcast.
"Would you be happier... if you had never met him?"
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Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 1:52 am
"I..." Sherry looked at the floor and bit her lip. What the hell was this? Chester just shows up at her room and starts quizzing her on how she feels? She'd been doing well that day, too. Not angry and not sad, just fine. But now...She sighed. What did it all matter? It wasn't like anything was going to change. None of it mattered. So there was no use in lying.
"No." She shook her head. "I don't want to forget about him, I don't know if I can, truthfully." She shrugged. "Doesn't matter though. I had fun, but that's over and done."
Another sigh as she studied the floor some more. "As for never meeting him? Who knows? That's not how things happened." She shook her head. "But none of it matters. He's made his point. He didn't need you to come and double check it, ok."
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Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 2:09 am
"Sherry..."
He desperately wanted to embrace her, to tell her not to give up hope, that everything would work, but it wasn't his place to do those things. Dammit Jake, why did you have to make such a mess of things?
Something inside of him ached. His heart? Did golems have hearts? Several emotions swelled up inside him also. Fear, sorrow, grief... and even hatred. Why was Jake doing this? He was only making it difficult for the both of them.
"Sherry, like I said, that's not my intention. All I want to do is fix what he stupidly broke, and he left such a mess."
His gaze became distant as Chester fiddled with the coat in his hands.
"If you had a choice, would you turn back time, and wish you hadn't met him? Or that you hadn't confessed to him? Do you really think that would solve things, keeping your emotion bottled up like that?"
His grip on the coat tightened as Chester grit his teeth.
"I know it's not my place to ask this, but if I may... what do you see in him? Why him? Why not pick someone else? I guess... what I'm trying to say is... Why do you like Jake?"
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Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 2:26 am
She almost laughed. "Fix it? It can't be fixed. There's nothing to fix. Jake basically said it himself. There never was anything. No friendship, and certainly not...."
She shook her head decided that sitting down was a good idea. It wouldn't do to fall over or something. The part of her that ached and felt empty was starting to feel sick. Why was he here asking her these questions?
She sat there, silent, for several moments. "No. I wouldn't change anything. That would be giving it all up. And that...." She shook her head again. She didn't want to give it up. She'd liked the way being around him made her feel. As for not telling him? "Though I suppose if I never told him, he might not hate me. I didn't want to make him angry." Sherry found herself sighing again, and choking down something close to a sob.
Pulling her feet up onto her bed she hugged her knees and looked at Chester. "Why? I don't know. I just...when he's there...." Why couldn't she find the words to sum it up? "Have you ever seen him laugh? Or watched him concentrate really hard on something? Or...." She was looking at the floor again. "I don't know. I just do. He's just...him."
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Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 2:53 am
Screw boundaries.
Before he could stop himself, he stepped forward, wrapping his arms around Sherry and hugged her tightly.
"If it makes you feel better, cry. Just let it out. And while you do that, do you mind if I tell you a story? You have to promise not to tell anyone else though."
He paused, and sat down beside her, tail curling around the life trainee. He didn't wait for a response before he continued.
"Do you remember that very first mission when you met Jake, and you two were fighting one of those Insanty creatures? Both of you barely pulled through, and you actually passed out before we defeated that thing. It was Jake who carried you to the relief tent. Don't try asking though, because he'll just deny it, but I see what he sees, so what I'm telling you is the truth. I wouldn't make this up. And do you remember when you confronted him about dying, how you wanted to make it your duty to make sure he stayed alive, but he kept trying to push you away? In a way, I guess he's also doing that now, but it's not because he hates you."
Chester turned, giving Sherry a sympathetic smile.
"To be honest, he'd never tell me these things straight out, but he tends to think out loud, so it's hard for me to tune it out. Jake came from... not such a pleasant past, and there were several things he regretted. Someone dear to him got killed, and even to this day, he continues to hold himself responsible for it. It's because of this he's deliberately trying to push you away. He thinks doing so will protect you, that he's not good enough for you, and by pushing you away, you'll learn to give up and find someone else. But I guess he didn't know how powerful true love is. It's not something you can sever just because you want to. This isn't any easier on him, but he's so stubborn and arrogant, he won't listen to a word I say."
There was a distant look on the nergal's face as his lips curled into a faint smile.
"But I guess that's one thing I can admire him for. He might be doing everything wrong, but he's not a bad guy at heart. When he laughs, when he cries, every emotion is genuine. I'm glad that you can see through that exterior and see him for who he really is. That makes me really happy."
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