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| Dead Men Walking | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Nov 28 2014, 02:20 AM (71,047 Views) | |
| Make-7-Up-Yours | Mar 5 2015, 01:52 AM Post #436 |
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Is that so?
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Randall fidgeted nervously. Public speaking was something he had gotten used to; but a eulogy was something else entirely. He had never had to give a speech quite like this before; he had hoped he would never have to. But now, with a glass filled with scotch whiskey, it was time for him to do it. He needed to say something for Mac. No, he didn't even need to. He wanted to. Randall made the motion to stand, but realized all eyes were already on Willow. "I'm not gonna say much, because I'm pretty bad at this. B-but I didn't know Mac well. Back at the lodge, I wasn't really all that helpful or useful, but Mac was always trying to help someone. And I r-respected him for that. He was always trying to distribute supplies, look out for our safety, and settle disputes. I don't know where he found the energy for it all." Willow laughed nervously. "Someone once told me that he used to be a security guard. I later found out that wasn't true, but I always thought of him like one anyway, I guess. Because he was always there, looking out for everyone and keeping the peace. He was brave, dependable, and loyal. But more than that..." For the first time in the speech, she intentionally paused. She looked down at the table in the center of the room, shaking her head slowly. "B-but more than that... he was a friend. I don't know what you were trying to say to me the other night, Mac... but this one's for you." Willow completely bypassed the sipping stage of the drink and downed the entire shot in one swig. Her face contorted in what was clearly disgust before she swallowed and let out a long sigh. And with that, she sat down. "None of us really knew Mac that long." Randall was quick to follow up. He rose to his feet, to get everyone's attention on him. He still wanted to speak. "And I hope you don't think I'm being egocentric when I say I think I knew him better than most, since he was always volunteering to help around the lodge in whatever way he could. I think the first time I met him, he was giving Kelsey a Milky Way that he had smuggled out of the supply room." Randall smiled sadly at the memory. "And from there, I quickly came to learn that was just the man Mac was. He was a big man with an even bigger heart. When times were hard and the future uncertain, Mac was always the first one to lend a hand and the last one to give up; it didn't matter if you were his friend or his enemy, he would be there to pull you up when you fell down and we were all better because of it. He came to us in a search for his missing family, but ended up becoming a part of ours." Randall raised his glass in the air and looked towards the ceiling. "I don't know if I can call myself a Christian anymore... so wherever you are now, Mac, I hope you've finally found your family." Unlike Willow, Randall only took a sip of the whiskey; he figured he might want to save the rest in the event someone else wanted to speak. He expectantly glanced at Glenda, who sat beside him, but she quickly shook her head. "I'm not much one for the spotlight." She simply stated. "I couldn't do Mac justice." |
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| DoctorYerishi | Mar 5 2015, 02:11 AM Post #437 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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Jeff nodded along to Willow and Randall's words, and when Willow mentioned the other night, he thought back to it. That must have been when he apologized for roughing him up and asked to speak to Willow alone. Looking back, Jeff had a good guess what he was trying to say. He must never have gotten it out. After Glenda declined to speak, Jeff looked over to Eli. Like Brandon, he had only known Mac for a few short days, but Jeff remembered that he was with him when they pulled him out of that locked room after the chaos at the lodge. It seemed to him that he liked the guy, and that Mac had definitely come to look up to him pretty quickly. Eli looked kind of haunted -- he had since they assembled. Every time Jeff glanced over, he found Eli staring at the wall. He wondered what that was about. Eli seemed to recognize that it was his turn, though, and he stood up. He shook his head slightly for seemingly no reason -- Jeff had noticed that was a habit of his. He must have been in his head a lot. "You didn't deserve what happened to you," Eli said, looking past the group. "Rest in peace, Mac." With that, he downed the shot like Willow did and he sat back down. Jeff downed his in solidarity. When no one was standing, a silence descended on the group. "Okay," Jeff said out loud. "What now?" |
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| Strompy | Mar 5 2015, 05:09 AM Post #438 |
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More posts, more Busey.
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"Breakfast." Brandon said simply and downed his drink. He exhaled as the burn crept up his throat, reminding of better times. His first drink was scotch, at Kyle's 21st birthday. He also hooked up with Sandra that night but couldn't remember it. He didn't remember much after he got into the vodka, but apparently he made a complete ass out of himself. "There's a good chance of finding rabbits around here. Some fresh meat would be great. With all the cars and people gone might even find something bigger. What do you think?" he asked Randall, picking up the .22 rifle and playing with it uncertainly. His real motive was simply to let everyone take a break just for a few hours. It was a good thing Randall grabbed the .22 back at the border, anything larger wouldn't leave much rabbit left to eat. |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Mar 5 2015, 06:01 AM Post #439 |
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Is that so?
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"I agree." Randall agreed, something as surprising to him as it probably was to some of the others. "The past 24 hours have proven how dangerous it can be out here. I don't want to risk driving us all into something like that again without a little extra rest and supplies." He meant it too. What if they encountered another group like the one they mat at the bridge? With everyone as battered as they were, they wouldn't be able to put up as much resistance. They could lose more lives, more supplies, even the cure. For real this time. Even when he thought they were being careful, they still made the reckless mistake of walking into a trap; a mistake that ultimately cost Mac his life and almost cost several others. Randall was not willing to make that mistake again. They would take as long as they needed to reach Chicago; the cure was useless if nobody was able to deliver it. "Begging your pardon..." Maxwell interrupted with a slight raising of his hand, but waited for a few seconds before continuing his train of thought. "What's up, Max?" Randall asked. "You see, I am aware that my assistance may not be welcome, being a relative newcomer here and after the unfortunate loss of your companion; but I do believe I should inform you that I am relatively familiar with our location. I was born and raised in Hamilton, northwest of here, which, indeed, is part of the reason I was trying to get into Canada in the first place." Maxwell paused to clear his throat. "What I am trying to say is that I am reasonably familiar with the region; while I am a rather lousy shot, I do wish to be of any assistance that I can." "We will probably have need of that. Thank you." Randall replied, apparently genuinely thankful for the aid. "Maybe you could look at my shoulder, too. It's been killing me since yesterday, we never had a chance to do anything about it." "With all due respect, I am hardly a doctor." Maxwell retorted dryly to Randall's amusement. "I informed you of this yesterday. But I suppose, as you said, I am probably more qualified than-" "That's fine." Glenda interrupted him. "I can tend to his shoulder while the others are rabbit hunting. I think all it needs is just some cleaning." "As you request." Maxwell was quick to leave Glenda with that responsibility. "Wait, but what does that leave me doing then!?" "With your injured leg, there isn't much you can do. Don't worry about proving your worth so much; your time will come." Randall assured him. "I-I suppose you are correct..." ********** "Going hunting the day after being shot in the stomach, huh?" Willow asked Brandon. "Not gonna lie, Brandon, that's kinda badass. Are you sure you're up for that?" While her father talked, Kelsey approached Brandon. She was never very good at talking to people she did not know well; even in school she had been known for being generally quiet around new people and taking time to warm up to someone. People like Eli were a little scary to her, but she liked Brandon and Willow; they had both always been nice to her. She didn't say anything to get his attention immediately; she simply waited until she was noticed by him, then waited for a few seconds even beyond that while she summoned the courage to ask Brandon her question. "Are you really going to hunt rabbits?" She finally inquired. "Can I go with you? I want to learn." |
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| Strompy | Mar 5 2015, 08:17 AM Post #440 |
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More posts, more Busey.
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"Yeah, it's not so bad." Brandon responded to Willow, smiling at the compliment. That was a lie. An obvious lie. You dumbass. It hurt like hell and he just wanted to lie down and be nursed. That wasn't really an option though, even at "rest" there were things to do. At least hunting some tiny rabbits wouldn't be too strenuous. The area nearby was flat and grassy, broken by the occasional thicket. They'd find some. Brandon's smile broadened to a grin when Kelsey asked to come along. "Well yeah, of course I'd love that. If that's okay with your dad. It's still pretty early, if we leave soon we may still be able to catch some rabbit tracks in the morning dew before it evaporates." he said looking at Randall with an expression that said "I'll keep her safe." Inspiration struck. "Willow, you're a good shot with that ruger, you should come with us incase we find something bigger." he said matter-of-factly. |
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| DoctorYerishi | Mar 5 2015, 10:26 AM Post #441 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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"I'm in too," Jeff called out, jogging up to the group. When he stopped, he gave Randall and Kelsey a friendly if awkward nod, then turned to Brandon and Willow. It seemed to him that Brandon might have liked some time alone -- or close to alone -- with Willow, but at the same time, Jeff couldn't claim to much care. He was more concerned with getting himself up to speed with the others fighting-wise. "You remember what we talked about?" he asked. "This might be a good experience-gathering opportunity if we run into any of those motherfuuuuu..." He trailed off when he remembered that Kelsey was nearby. He glanced at her nervously, and tried to think of a save. He couldn't. "...ckers," he finished. |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Mar 5 2015, 02:04 PM Post #442 |
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Is that so?
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"Motherfuckers!" Kelsey yelled her new word with pride. His girl was growing up in this world. In the old world, he would have had enough problems with his little girl proudly screaming cuss words and going hunting. But this was the world now; and as much as he would like to, protecting her was a disservice. He remembered before they left, Kelsey had come up to him, much like she had Brandon just now, and told him she wanted to come too, because 'Mommy wanted me to take care of you.' He knew Kelsey knew what happened to Elaine; but neither party could say anything. In a way, this was his way of honoring her memory -- by training the little girl she gave her life for how to survive. "I suppose you guys should be fairly safe out there." Randall agreed. "Just look out for each other and be safe." "Yeah, I don't think sitting around will do me any good anyway." Willow admitted. "Besides, someone needs to keep an eye on you so you don't do anything stupid." She paused and tilted her head. "I mean, stupid because you hurt yourself. Not because you normally do... stupid things... I dunno." |
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| Strompy | Mar 5 2015, 06:30 PM Post #443 |
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More posts, more Busey.
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Stupid things. Handsoap, Brandon mentally cringed. "Well, okay, let's get going." Brandon said happily leading his band of hunters onward. The dew still clung to the grass outside. Their breath condensing in the cold air, like little flashing lights to anything sharp enough to spot it. After they had walked for a few minutes Brandon signaled to stop. "Okay. Rabbit tracks." he introduced the lesson. He knelt down and with two fingers he began painting tracks in the dew. The grass here had been kept cut until very recently. He guessed this area was some kind of golf course. That would make tracks easier to distinguish. His drawing was of two roughly oval shapes parallel to eachother, and behing them in the middle were two roughly circular shapes, one behind the other. "The long ones are the back legs, if those prints are in front of the smaller front legs that means they're hopping in that direction. Think about how a rabbit hops and you can see it in the tracks. Front legs forward, back legs forward, front legs, back legs." he explained, illustrating the movement with hands. "Keep an eye out for these." he said, aware that there were prints ahead of them but wanting Kelsey to demonstrate her new knowledge. ... Julie quietly finished her drink before getting to her feet. "You guys wanna help me check the rest of this place out?" she asked those present and strode off without waiting for an answer. First stop would be the little building to the left of the house. It looked like a workshop or something. Probably some tools in there, might find something useful. Maybe some gas or something. There was a padlock on the door stopping her. With her busted wrist she wasn't breaking that off any time soon. |
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| DoctorYerishi | Mar 5 2015, 08:18 PM Post #444 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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Eli, shaken from the memorial, was still for a while before he thought to follow Julie. He found her at the workshop to the side of the house near a locked door. He considered it and adopted a thoughtful expression. This was his area of expertise, he should be able to come up with a solution. "I guess we forgot to pack bolt cutters, huh?" he asked rhetorically. "A screwdriver and a hammer would also work. Of course, if those things are anywhere around here, it's probably in there. Classic Catch-22." He thought about the problem for a few moments longer. He recalled a technique an old associate of his used and tried teaching him. "What about a paperclip? Think we can find one of those?" |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Mar 5 2015, 08:30 PM Post #445 |
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Is that so?
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Kelsey leaned over and looked carefully at the tracks. In cartoons, tracks were also so clearly imprinted on the ground, but in real life it was not that way at all. It took her a few moments before she could make out entirely; they were far more subtle than she imagined them being. But, with Brandon's help, she was able to see the tracks more easily. From both the longer hind legs and the smaller front legs. After a few more moments she could almost visually the rabbit moving, including the direction it was moving in, simply by looking at the tracks. In a way, it was kinda cool. "It went this way." She was fairly confident in herself as she pointed. "Not bad, kid." Willow smiled as she gave the compliment. |
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| Strompy | Mar 5 2015, 11:31 PM Post #446 |
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More posts, more Busey.
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Brandon gestured for Kelsey to lead on. She followed what was left of the tracks attentively. After a short distance the tracks disappeared into a thicket. They wouldn't be able to walk through it, and even if they could they'd risk startling any rabbits in there. A breeze was begining to stir as the morning warmed up. He lead the group downwind around the thicket. Out in the open in the other side was a small group of rabbits. Three of them were grazing while a fourth was on lookout. The lookout would go first. Brandon motioned for the others to stop and get down. He did the same. "Okay, there's four of them. See them? That one guy standing up is the lookout. What he does is stand there all day while everyone else eats. Because he's there all day he starts to build up a huge pile of poop. That's how you can tell you've found a place rabbits like to use. They'll keep coming here again and again until something changes. Even after I shoot this guy they may come back after a few days." Brandon whispered. The shot was too far for Kelsey, forty yards. He would have given it to her for practice but they needed the meat. Once they had a few she'd have her chance, and Jeff too. Brandon stilled his breathing and focused. With a pop he struck his target. If he had a scope he would have shot it in the head. Instead he hit it in the vitals. It leapt into the air and thudded back down softly, it kicked wildly turning in circles on the ground in a mindless panic, the shot was good though and it didn't take long for the thing to die. The others sprinted toward the safety of the thicket, but also unknowingly toward the danger. Brandon stood and chambered another round. POP It wasn't a clean shot. He hit it in its midsection and it tumbled from the impact. As soon as the shot connected Brandon starting sprinting towards the creature. It hobbled its way toward the thicket as Brandon closed the gap. He managed to grab it by the leg before it disappeared into the undergrowth. Firmly, he took its back legs with his right hand and placed his lrft thumb at the base of its skull, wrapping his other fingers underneath its chin. With a whipping motion he jerk hard on its back legs and twisted it head upward and to the side. There was muffled pop and felt its neck break. It had been years since he'd done it so he was a little worried he'd make it worse for the thing, but it went limp. If it suffered after that, at least couldn't see it. Two rabbits. Hardly sufficient for nine people. Brandon thought two more at least would be good enough. He held up the two rabbits triumphantly walked back to the others. They hadn't even been out an hour and they already had two. There would be others nearby, they just had to be quiet and alert enough to spot them first. "Next rabbits we come across, they're all yours. Kelsey can take the first shot, and then Jeff, you see if you can nab one as it runs for cover. That's kind of throwing you in the deep end but it'll at least give me an idea of your aptitude." he explained. ... "A paper clip? You really are a full blown criminal aren't you? Preeeeeetty hot." Julie laughed. "I'll see what I can find, sexy pants." she said walking off toward the house again. Where could she find a paper clip? Her parents had kept a lot of documents and things by the phone in the kitchen. Sure enough there were bills, pens and almost illegible notes by the phone. She rummaged through the mess of papers, many letters addressed to Mr. M Russel. She blanked the name and the life it was attached to from her mind. There it was, a paper clip. She gave a little singsong whistle to get Eli's attention and tossed the clip to him. |
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| DoctorYerishi | Mar 6 2015, 03:21 AM Post #447 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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“That’s pretty fuckin’ gross, dude,” Jeff said as he rose to his feet from his prone position by the thicket. He arched an eyebrow in disgust as he watched Brandon work. He had never been hunting, and had certainly never seen an animal’s neck wrung, not even on TV. It was almost enough to put him off eating it. Almost. “I think this is how people become vegans,” he said , then looked at Kelsey. He realized he had just swore again. “Oh shit, sorry Kels. Don’t say fuck, that’s not a nice word.” * * * Eli gave Julie a tentative smile back as she headed back to find a paper clip. He enjoyed the compliments, and was amused by her flirtatiousness, but the business with Mac was still too heavily on his mind. Throughout Jeff, Willow and Randall’s eulogies, he kept seeing the pale face of that kid he killed, and feeling alternately righteous and regretful about it. It was hard to process. When Julie whistled, he snapped to attention and easily caught the paperclip in his palm. Then he focused, thinking back to the lesson his old friend had given him, trying to remember what he said. By the time Julie was back by his side, he started to narrate his thought process – seemingly as a lesson for her, but it also jumpstarted his memory. “Okay, first thing is you break it off in the middle like this,” he said, stretching it out and then snapping it in two. “Then you want to make two L’s. Watch.” He bent the two individual pieces into shape. They were now ready to serve as low-end doubles for the lock-picking tools he now wished he brought with him from Florida. “One of these is your torsion wrench, the other is your pick. We’re gonna force the wrench hook-end up into the lower part of the keyway. Like so.” Again, he demonstrated, shoving the broken paper clip in there pretty tight. Then he bent it down, getting some torque. Then, he inserted the straight end of the other paper clip into the lock, right under the pins. “Okay, okay,” he said, pleased that the makeshift wrench hadn’t fallen out, and that the pick has room to slide in and out freely. “So far so good. Now for the fun part.” He started applying light clockwise pressure on the torsion wrench, and then started gently jiggling up and down on the pick. He bit his lip lightly as he concentrated. It took him longer than he would have liked, but the lock eventually popped open. Eli smiled, more genuinely this time. “Aaaaand... alakazam,” he said, taking a step back. |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Mar 6 2015, 03:43 AM Post #448 |
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Is that so?
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Willow tilted her head to the side at the display, her face cringing slightly as the rabbit's neck audibly snapped. "Yeah, gotta agree with Jeff on that. Seeing it on TV and seeing it in person are kinda different. I think I liked it better on TV." Kelsey nodded; "Don't say fuck, it's a bad word. Got it!" "Do you really thing swear words are the biggest thing to worry about?" Willow turned to Jeff. "I don't think Randall really cares about it anymore. I mean, considering everything else going on, a little f-bomb doesn't seem like a big deal to me." She paused, before raising an eyebrow and giving Jeff a lop-sided grin. "Oh, and you also said shit." ********** "Wow, that is quite impressive!" Maxwell seemed to appear from nowhere and suddenly commented on Eli's handiwork. "Then again, mayhaps it only looks impressive to an academic like me who had no time to dally in such low-brow activities and-" He thought he could feel Eli's body tense up; and Eli was a bigger guy than Maxwell was. "And I really wish I had. It would probably serve me much better than my PhD right now! It turns out the best use for classic literature these days is as a blunt weapon. And somebody please say something so I don't feel awkward anymore." |
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| DoctorYerishi | Mar 6 2015, 04:25 AM Post #449 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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Jeff smirked at Kelsey's exclamation, then at Willow. "Yeah, I realized," he said, light-heartedly. He turned back to Brandon. He drew his Ruger from his waistband and aimed it skyward. "So when I shoot this future bunny, I'm using this?" he asked. * * * Eli's smile was tighter by the time he directed it at Maxwell. He didn't let him off the hook so easy, though. Julie would probably be the better candidate for that job. |
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| Strompy | Mar 6 2015, 06:30 AM Post #450 |
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More posts, more Busey.
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Brandon gave a sympathetic smile at their squeamishness. He wished he could say he was always so controled and at ease with it. Truth was he cried the first time his dad took him hunting and wouldn't eat meat for over a week. Of course, he was eight at the time. He made his peace with it soon though, the way he saw it hunting was a way fairer way to get meat. The stuff from the store came from animals that were born and raised specifically to be slaughtered, like their ancestors going back countless generations. Wild animals were free, and even if he had an obscene advantage in the hunt at least the animal's death wasn't a gaurantee. As for breaking its ndck, that was a mercy compared to dying from a gut shot. He had some insight into that now. "If we can get close enough, yeah. I was thinking I might even be able to spook the other two out of this thicket. They'd be coming right at you." Brandon pondered out loud. He considered the thicket. If he, Willow and Kelsey all started stirring things up from different angles they could have more control over where the rabbits run. "You wanna give it a try?" he asked. ... Julie giggled at the awkward pause after Max spoke. The man was so incredibly strange it went beyond endearing, past unnerving and right back to endearing again. He was unbelievable. She lost control of her giggling and snorted a little bit. |
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