Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Oct 10, 2020 21:35:26 GMT -5
( Oh, shoot. I just realized I switched Grant to Devon somehow. MY BAD. xD )
Robert looked at Parker as if seeing him for the first time, but after a moment he answered almost cautiously, "Uh, yeah. Mostly just one girl. Lady Keizera, right, Solaris?"
Grant, still looking a bit peeved, crossed his arms. "Don't forget Cassie. And Fiona. And —"
"Alright," Sol cut it. "We get it. Girls made me nervous. Can we change the topic now?"
Robert chuckled. "To what? Your poor etiquette skills? Watching you try to play the part of a prin —"
"How about," Sol interrupted again, " we talk about why Jupiter dragged you two out here just to collect his demoness? Uh, I mean, fiancee?"
The two men exchanged a look. Grant shook his head, but Robert shrugged and turned back to Sol. He looked a little sheepish. "He wanted backup in case he decided to, ah... 'teach you a lesson.' And that's a direct quote."
Sol rolled his eyes. "Of course he did," he muttered.
~ • ~ • ~ ( Seth: *sighs* Right. That. *sulks off to find last post* )
~ • ~ • ~ ( ...could you? You're always so much better and quicker than me. 😅 )
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 11, 2020 13:36:19 GMT -5
(Lol, that literally happened to me and Ian. I originally had his name as Ivan, but then when his name was brought back up, forgot what I put and instead of going to look for it, I just put Ian, and it's stuck not. XD)
He had to admit, despite the unpleasant tones used in the giving of the information, Parker was amused by this fact. He couldn't picture the smooth, confident captain ever being nervous around girls, though he guessed that was normal for everyone with whomever they had crushes on. He had been sort of that way back when he was crushing on Warren. "And why would the prince need back up? Didn't he train in the army as well?" Parker asked.
~*~*~
Anya walked inside, and spotted Maria and Aidan already in the kitchen. As they entered, her mother looked over at them. "There you two are," she said, smiling. "Oh, and look at these little babies!" While Seth had managed to go on and give his two back to Star, Anya stopped and let her mother take one of the little sleeping bundles from her.
"They've had a big day," Anya said, smiling as she gently pet the one she still had. "But I'm sure Aidan has already filled you in on those details."
~*~*~
(Sure! ^^)
The rest of the day was uneventful. After lunch, Kyra had put all thought of the business with Callum aside. As her last act of guide and caretaker for the Veras, she had offered to go find Pam, a half dwarf woman who was in charge of finding room for all their newcomers, and have her show them to the tents in which they would be staying. Not that she minded caring for Seth's family (minus Callum), but she had enough with work for one week. It was time she stopped and did absolutely nothing for the rest of the day.
Of course, that would also mean leaving Morgan to his own devices. She didn't want to leave him alone. In fact, she wanted to show him around, show him the world she had come to know in the last seven years. But she knew better than that. Already, the woman had snapped at him more than she would have liked. Her patience and civility had worn thin. It was best to go sleep and stay away from him for a bit. Then try and see what would happen between the to of them. So, Kyra had retreated to her own tent, hoping for rest.
For an hour or two, she did just that. Sleep came to her, but it wasn't the deepest of sleeps. The dreams she had were nothing but replays of the past two days, and mostly of Morgan at that. It did little to help keep her asleep when all her dream self was seeing the man, pulling her towards him as if she had never left Ilirea at all. When she woke, she cursed herself more than anything. This was why she hated being idle. She didn't want to have the time reliving old memories or fantasizing over new ones. They did nothing but distract her and bring up old fears she didn't want to be reminded of. Before it was easy enough to ignore. But now? With Morgan so close and yet miles away from where she wanted him to be? It was torture.
Sleep long forgotten, the young woman left her tent and went out searching for something to do. Half of her hoped to run into Isayo. Swapping gossip with the werecat would be better than nothing, but she knew the only way to find him was if he found her. That was just how he worked. It was fine, for her feet carried her over to the training grounds where a couple other Rebels were mock fighting. Wooden practice weapons thunked together with every impact, and, seeing a couple of others simply standing by watching, decided to join in. And that was where she spent the rest of the day until evening rolled around. Sweaty and tired, Kyra returned the practice weapons, exchanged a bit of small talk with the woman she had been practicing with, and soon found herself walking with the woman towards the tent that held the camp's makeshift bar.
It was around this time when Ian managed to track down Morgan. He had been in and out of the settling in process with the Veras. Partly to speak with Cami, and partly to speak with Morgan. He had known of the Rider spy they had in Genevieve's ranks, and he was curious to know what kind of man he was, especially since he had seemed so close to Kyra. So, as the evening drew near, he had tracked down the other male, wherever he was, and called attention to himself. "Hey, Morgan. You got a minute?"
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Oct 11, 2020 15:05:45 GMT -5
( Did you? I didn't even notice. xD My Grant/Devon slip up wouldn't be the end of the world, except I already have a Devon, from the YRP. I guess this is a sign that I m approaching "too many" characters, I'm starting to mix them up in my head. xD )
Robert blinked, then slowly slid his gaze to Sol. Their gazes locked, silent messages passing between them before Robert suddenly turned back to Parker with a grin. "Of course. All princes get basic combat training. But Solaris was actually raised among the soldiers. It's given him an edge — not that Jupiter would ever admit that."
Grant snorted. "Not that much of an edge," he argued, no doubt for the sole purpose of being contrary. "Prince Jupiter's instructors were much better than common foot soldiers. Just because he didn't surround himself with lowlifes while training doesn't mean he didn't train just as long or hard."
Robert just shrugged, not as interested in arguing as his friend apparently was. "If you say so. In any case, Jupiter likes to be on the winning side. Three against one gives him that."
~ • ~ • ~ "Yep!" Aidan agreed cheerfully from his spot at the dinning table. He had a plate of cheese and crackers in front of him to "tide him over." He had already made a good dent in the little pile, despite regaling the days activities to Maria anytime his mouth was empty.
Seth chuckled as he entered the kitchen. "I'm surprised you made time, seeing as you're eating — again."
Aidan grinned and shoved a whole cracker, topped with a slice of cheese, into his mouth.
~ • ~ • ~ After lunch (during which the Vera women tried to get Callum to tell them what had happened in between fussing over him), Morgan accompanied Pam and the Veras to their sleeping quarters. Part of him wanted to stay with Kyra, but she had seemed in a hurry to get away from him, and his reasons were purely selfish, so he let her go without a fuss.
They were given two slightly bigger tents, one for the ladies and one for the men. Callum didn't look too pleased about sharing a room with Morgan, but he didn't say anything about it. He entered first, picked the cot on the right by dropping his bag on it, then spun around.
Morgan, in the process of pulling his own bag from his pocket (it, like his sword, had been shrunk for carrying convenience), paused. "Yeeeeees?"
Callum crossed his arms. "What's happening with Seth?"
Morgan tossed his bag onto the bed, muttering the Ancient word for "grow" so that when it landed, it was its proper size. "Right now? Nothing. Nobody knows where he is. Lawrence is contacting the big boss, to ask him to come here so I can speak with him and plead Seth's case. If he agrees to help Seth, then Kyra and I are going to go find him."
Callum considered that, then nodded. "Fine." He started to turn away, but stopped when he saw Morgan heading for the tent flaps. "Where are you going?"
"To explore," Morgan replied jovially. He paused to look back, holding the tent open with one hand. "Wanna come?"
He asked expecting Callum to scoff and answer with a resounding "no." So he was understandably shocked when instead, after a brief pause, Callum said, "Yes," and slipped out the door Morgan held open.
It took Morgan a few seconds to shake off his surprise and follow. Cami joined them as well, leaving Cresseida alone to rest. The three of them then spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the sprawling Rebel camp. They got lost a few times, but Cami and Morgan were friendly and charming enough that asking for directions was never hard. They dispelled a lot of wary looks that way too. Callum, not so much. He wasn't rude or anything. In fact, when spoken to, he was very polite. But he also wasn't exactly friendly, and he didn't go out of his way to talk to anyone. Mostly he was just Morgan and Cami's silent shadow.
The camp was too big for them to see it all in one day, but they still managed to see quite a bit. They even found the training grounds and watched the Rebels practice for a bit. Morgan kind of wanted to join them, and he could tell from Callum's expression that he felt the same. But then Morgan spotted Kyra among the practicing groups, and not-so covertly convinced the Veras to leave and explore somewhere else.
After that, Morgan's good mood was a little forced, though luckily the Veras didn't seem to notice. When dinnertime rolled around, the trio made their way back to their tents (all secretly or not-so secretly proud to have found them on their own) to collect Cresseida so they could go to dinner together at the mess tent.
It was here that Ian found Morgan. The venturing trio had encountered him a couple times during their exploration, though Callum always made sure the man didn't stick around long. Now, the Veras were already on their way to a table. Morgan started to follow them when he heard his name. "Sure," he said easily. "What's up?"
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 11, 2020 17:59:18 GMT -5
(Lol, that would be a good sign if I saw one. XD)
"Well, he clearly didn't think it through very well," Parker stated. "I mean, what if the rest of the crew were still onboard? If he tried picking a fight then, he'd be facing thirty or forty people all ready to protect their captain. Not to underestimate anyone's fighting abilities, but the odds would be greatly in Sol's favor then."
~*~*~
"Oh, you stop teasing him. He's a growing boy," Maria chastised, but there was no actual rebuke in her words.
"Has Papa and the others gotten back yet?" Anya asked.
"Yes, they have. They got back just a few minutes ago. Your father and Felix are out checking on the barn, Ryner's upstairs. Dinner will be ready in just a few minutes."
~*~*~
Ian came to a stop in front of Morgan. He glanced briefly towards the direction in which the Veras had gone before returning his attention to the other man. "You've had a rough couple of days, so I thought you might like a chance to unwind," he said, smiling. "While the food here is good, sometimes you just need a good drink. I wanted to see if you'd be interested in heading over to the bar. If you're up to if, of course."
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Oct 11, 2020 18:41:25 GMT -5
( And yet, I still have so many more in the works. xD )
Grant looked like he wanted to hit Parker. He settled for a sneer. "Why do you think we waited until the crew left? That wasn't coincidence. We were going to wait until you left too, but Jupiter didn't think you were worth avoiding." Grant made a show of looking Parker up and down. "Do you even have any training?"
"Why don't you come find out, Grant?" Sol challenged mildly. "I don't think you've been beaten by a mere peasant before. Maybe this time you'll finally learn some humility."
Robert coughed into his fist to disguise a laugh while Grant shot Sol a glare. Then he looked at Parker again, reevaluating the threat Sol had painted him as. He still didn't look convinced Parker could do any damage, but he also didn't take Sol up on his dare.
~ • ~ • ~ "A growing boy with a hollow leg," Seth responded. He pretended to try and steal one of Aidan's crackers, making Aidan slide his plate out of reach and slap at Seth's hand. Seth laughed and ruffled his hair. "Ungrateful brat," he said affectionately.
~ • ~ • ~ Well, that was unexpected, though not unwelcome. "I'm always up for a good drink." He glanced from the Veras to the food and back to Ian. "Alright, I'm game. We leaving now?"
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 11, 2020 20:01:10 GMT -5
(XD I don't know how you do it. I'm over here struggling with the few I have, and you're just making them like it's nothing. XD)
That comment made Parker's jaw clench, a spark of anger in his eyes. Formal training? No, he didn't have that. However, he was sure he had more ability than Grant had given him credit for. He unconsciously held himself straighter. "And if I were you, I'd be more careful with your words," he said, a challenge in his eyes. "Would you like to find out? After all, what would you have to lose against a peasant?" He said the last word with more bitterness than he had intended. It was what he was, so he couldn't be too sore about being called it. And while he knew Sol hadn't meant it to be an insult, it still stung, fueling the anger that burned in his stomach. Now, he wasn't a fool. Grant would beat him in a fight despite his training from Sol. Did that mean he was going to back down? No.
~*~*~
Maria looked over at the boys and smiled affectionately. She'd grown fond of both Seth and Aidan, and to see them interact was like watching her own children. It was also clear to her how fond the young man was of the boy, and the care he took of him. "I take it you all had a good time on your outing today," she mused, glancing to her daughter. No matter the answer, she noticed the change in Anya, how she smiled more genuinely, how the sadness had left her voice. Whatever Seth had had planned, she knew it had worked.
~*~*~
Ian smiled. "Whenever you're ready," he answered. "They serve food at the bar, but nothing like you get here, so if you want a proper meal, I'd suggest getting here. If not, we can head on over now, hopefully before it gets to crowded."
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Oct 12, 2020 12:01:54 GMT -5
( Honestly, I don't know how I do it half the time either. When I need a new character, they just kinda come to me. xD )
Grant narrowed his eyes, then smirked. "I don't think so. It would be a waste of my time. You might be able to throw a punch, but I would still end up wiping the floor with you. I don't need to fight you to know that."
~ • ~ • ~ Aidan raised his hand as if Maria had asked a question instead of simply making an observation. "I did! I did! And Seth said he's gonna teach me to fly tomorrow!"
Seth paused on his way to wash up and turned back to Aidan. "Whoa there, kiddo. I said I'd take you flying again soon. Not tomorrow, because tomorrow is the Festival, remember? There won't be any time for flying."
"Dawwwww," Aidan whined. "But I wanna fly some more!"
"I know you do. As soon as the Festival's over I'll take you out again, okay?"
Aidan pouted, but agreed.
~ • ~ • ~ Morgan considered. For him, the question wasn't so much did he want a proper meal, but did he want to get shit-faced? He could get that wat no matter what, but drinking on an empty stomach would get him there faster. And yet, as tempting as that sounded right now, he dismissed the idea. "I'll get something quick from here," he said. "You don't have to wait for me if you don't want to. I'm sure I can find my way over in a bit."
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 12, 2020 18:53:06 GMT -5
(I wished that happened with me. XD)
That only stoked the flames. Parker's fists clenched, and he started forward. Grant was right, but was he about to let this arrogant ass get away with it so easily? Not a chance.
~•~•~
Anya smiled slightly. "Don't worry, Aidan, the dragons are going nowhere," she assured him. "And if he doesn't have time, then I'll take you. Okay?"
~•~•~
Ian nodded and shrugged. "I'm in no hurry. I might do the same while I'm here. The food smells better than usual,", he said with a chuckle. "I'll meet you by the entrance whenever you're done."
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Oct 12, 2020 20:03:58 GMT -5
( You say that now, but you'd change your mind real quick if you ended up with so many you started losing track. xD )
Sol almost let Parker prove himself right then and there. But he knew Grant, and Parker attacking was just what he wanted. It was why he had egged Parker on like that. Sol wouldn't give him the satisfaction. So when Parker started toward the prick, Sol blocked him with one hand on his chest. "You need to get your facts straight, Grant. It's our time you're wasting. As usual."
Grant's smug look turned furious. "Why you—"
The door to Sol's quarters slammed open, and Prince Jupiter came storming out. Sol slowly lowered his hand from Parker's chest and turned to face the prince fully. "Jupiter. You sure took your time. Hope you weren't doing anything untoward in there."
"Silence, pauper," Jupiter snapped. "Rob, go fetch the carriage. You," he said to Parker. "Gather the princess's things and bring it —"
"I'm gonna stop you there, prince," Sol mocked. "Parker is not a porter. Tell your demoness to carry her own bags. Better yet, what bags are you talking about? Nothing in those rooms belongs to her except for the evening gown she was in when I rescued her."
Jupiter glared at him, but his tone was calm, if snide, when he said, "Really? So all those dresses are yours, huh? I knew you were a disgrace to men everywhere, but I never thought you'd stoop so low as to wear women's clothing."
Sol gave a bland smile. "Funny. Those are trophies, dear prince. But if your pretty princess wants to wear the dresses of courtesans, then by all means."
A shriek from his room answered, revealing the princess herself standing in the doorway. "How dare you!" she shouted. "How dare you dress me in, in... such filth!" She shrieked again before spinning and hurrying back into the room.
Sol blinked innocently. "Was she standing there the whole time? Oops."
Jupiter shot him a look of disgust and went after his fiancee.
~ • ~ • ~ Aidan frowned. "Why wouldn't Seth have time?"
"That's not the point," Seth told him. "What's the polite response to Anya's offer?"
Aidan smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Anya. Thank you very much for the offer. Even if Seth takes me, you can totally come too."
~ • ~ • ~ Morgan nodded. "Cool. See you there then." He quickly got his food and joined the Veras at the table.
"What took you so long?" Cami asked.
"Why were talking to Ian?" Callum demanded.
"Cami and Callum," Cresseida chastised. "The boy just sat down. Let him eat and mind your business."
Cami looked sheepish; Callum look peeved. Morgan grinned. "Thank you, Cresseida. But it's alright. Nothing secretive happened. Ian just invited me out for drinks later. I said I'd go."
What followed was an inquisition turned conversation turned argument, the result of which was a pouting Cami (both her mother and brother said she couldn't go), a irritated Callum (when wasn't he irritated?), and an exasperated Cresseida.
After they had all eaten, Morgan bid the Veras good night and headed off to meet Ian.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 12, 2020 21:16:02 GMT -5
(Lol, yeah, I probably would. XD)
Parker stopped when Sol's hand shot out to bar his way. He half wanted to shove him away and go for the man who was far too smug for his own good. But he had enough sense not to let his temper do anything to make things worse for Sol. A fight would just make things worse for him more than anything. Taking a deep breath, he did his best to reign in his anger. It worked, until Jupiter came out of Sol's rooms and started speaking. Never had he thought he'd be ordered around by a prince, but the man did not enjoy it whatsoever. A brief look was sent Sol's way when he was told to go fetch the princess's bags, half to see if he had to actually do it and half as a measure to make sure he didn't say anything to start a fight with the prince.
So when when Sol explained the dresses in his room, he was too amused to see them knocked down a notch to really question why he would keep the dresses of lovers on the ship. He watched the two disappear once more, he muttered, "I thought you wanted them gone, not head back inside."
~*~*~
Anya had to laugh at that. "It's okay. I'm not as cool as Seth, I get it," she said, going over and ruffling the kid's hair. "But I appreciate the offer to join you. I might just do it. Corrik and I could use the practice anyway."
Maria watched them with barely contained laughter. She remembered all too well trying to teach all of her kids manners such as Seth had reminded Aidan of, and it was funny, at least to her, to see the young man teaching the boy, and doing it so well. "Well, flying plans aside, you two go wash up," she said, handing Anya back the puppy so she could finish dinner. "We'll be eating soon."
~*~*~
Ian had snagged himself a light meal for himself and found a group of friends he sat and ate with. The table wasn't too far from the one Morgan and Veras, so he wasn't too worried about missing the Rider when he finished. It didn't take too long, and by the time Ian finished his food, he noticed that Morgan was standing and making his way towards the door. He caught up with him just as they stepped into the evening air. "Alright, now we can head and celebrate making it back in one piece," he said, grinning. "You've got nothing planned for the morning, right?"
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Oct 12, 2020 21:39:51 GMT -5
Sol sighed. Keeping his voice low so Grant wouldn't overhear, he replied, "Yes, I do, but I also don't want to lose an investment. Those dresses are worth a lot of money."
~ • ~ • ~ Aidan grinned. "Okay." Then, as soon as her back was turned, he quickly smoothed his hair.
Seth, the only witness to Aidan's not-so subtle move, suppressed a laugh as he faced Maria. "Yes, ma'am," he told her, then followed Anya from the room.
~ • ~ • ~ Morgan caught movement in his periphery and turned to find Ian hurrying up. He grinned. "Nope, nada. Let's go have some fun."
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 13, 2020 6:07:11 GMT -5
Parker glanced over at Sol, curiosity sparking. However, he would wait until the royals had left before asking about that. Grant and Robert here might snitch on them if they started talking about it now. So he simply nodded and let the matter drop.
~•~•~
Anya placed the two puppies done beside the rest of them, smiling as they all cuddled close to Star, either nursing or asleep. Straightening up, she turned to Seth. "You can go on and use the bathroom first if you want. I can wait and help Mama with dinner before."
~•~•~
"That's the spirit," Ian said, patting his back and grinning as he led the way to the bar. "Our food might not be anything to brag about, but we'll be damned if we don't have good alcohol. For some of us, it's more important than the food. You'll know those people when you see them. They'll act like they're the queen in there."
It was a short walk, for Ian at least, who was used to the layout of the camp. The bar wasn't located too far away from the mess rent. Reason being so no one would have to carry the food supply back and forth all over camp when the bar needed something. As they approached the tent, music drifted into the air, followed by laughter. It was too early for anyone to be drunk and no arguements had formed. That would come later.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Oct 13, 2020 14:29:43 GMT -5
Thankfully, Jupiter and his bride-to-be didn't take long this time. Within minutes, Princess Arabella came marching out of Sol's rooms in a gown that had once no doubt been absolutely gorgeous. Now, it was torn and dirty, and likely the reason for her pinched expression. Or perhaps that was all for Sol. She stomped past him without even a glance.
Jupiter nodded to Grant, who nodded back and hurried to escort the princess to the carriage, which was just pulling up alongside the dock. Jupiter watched them until they were off the ship, then turned his gaze to Sol.
"You can collect your payment when you visit for Solstice," he said coolly, in the voice of a prince.
Sol went rigid. "I wasn't planning on attending Solstice," he said carefully.
"Too bad," Jupiter snapped. The princely act hadn't lasted long. "You're late, so I had the money sent back to the palace. I had half a mind to not give it to you at all. Cleo convinced me otherwise, but if you want it, you have to come get it. Which you can always do now," he added with a knowing smirk. "Ride back right now, with us. You'd get your money quicker that way."
Sol clenched his jaw and slowly shook his head.
Jupiter shrugged, unconcerned. "Suit yourself." He started walking toward the gang plank. He shot Sol a smug grin over his shoulder. "See you at Solstice, brother. Be sure to wear your prince clothes." Then he left, whistling merrily.
Sol didn't move for a long minute, his body coiled tighter than a loaded pistol. Then, abruptly, he stalked off toward his wide open quarters.
~ • ~ • ~ "Are you sure? I don't mind waiting." Seth knew it was probably pointless to offer, but he couldn't help it. "Ladies first" was practically his religion. Well, not really, but he grew up hearing it often enough that he abided by it whenever possible. Plus... Anya would always come first for him.
~ • ~ • ~ Morgan chuckled. "I would expect nothing less from a bunch of rebels," he replied. He followed Ian, taking the chance to memorize as much as possible about the route. He would probably have a hard time recalling anything once he was drunk, but any little thing might help him get back to his tent later.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 13, 2020 20:16:22 GMT -5
Parker glanced over at the royal couple as they made their way once more, and hopefully for the last time, from Sol's chambers. Seeing the dress that the princess wore, it wasn't hard to see why she would have asked to borrow the other dresses. Whatever had happened to her, it was clear that it hadn't been any better than what he and the others endured on the slaver's ship, if not worse. With that in mind, the man couldn't help but feel a little bad for princess. Royalty or not, no one deserved to be in that sort of situation.
While Jupiter and Sol talked of payment, Parker stayed silent. This was not a place for him to make any comments. He'd already nearly got himself into one fight, he didn't need to start another with the prince. So he waited and listened, his curiosity and confusion growing the more they talked. Sol was invited to the palace for Solstice? That made a little sense. After all, he had trained in the army, and must have served the royal family for a little time before moving to the navy. With that came some perks, one being invitations to royal events. Of course, that was his reasoning until Jupiter's parting words were set free into the air.
Brother. Confusion turned to shock, barely contained as he turned his gaze to Sol. His mind was running on overdrive, searching the history lessons he had sat in with Anya and Jan. The king had one son during his first marriage, which was Jupiter. Then, when his mother died, he remarried and had a couple of other kids before he too passed away. Had Jan ever mentioned the other kids' names? Surely he did, but he couldn't recall him mentioning Sol's name. Unless, of course, Sol wasn't his first name? Then again, the topic did stray a little bit at that point, so they might not have even been told of the other's names. Not to mention, the names of the princes and princesses should have been household knowledge, so Jan might not have even thought it was important to say them.
He opened his mouth, ready to ask for some clarification, when Sol turned and began to walk away. "Sol?" he called out after him. Parker didn't follow. Something told him that chasing him down would only make things worse. So he stayed put, watching as the captain headed for his rooms.
~*~*~
"I'm sure," Anya said. "I've been neglecting that lately, helping her, so I'll wait until later to go clean up."
~*~*~
"The bar's only the start of it too," Ian stated, chuckling as he entered the tent. Inside was lit about the same the mess hall, but there was a considerable more smoke filling the air, making a much more hazy atmosphere. Ian lifted a hand in greeting to a couple of friends and hailed one of the servers as he went to claim a free table. Upon sitting down, the Rider took a quick glance around the room. His scan stopped when he noticed Kyra sitting at her normal spot by the bar, knocking back some kind of shot and placing the glass back onto the table. "Seems someone else has a head start on us," he commented, nodding towards her.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 14, 2020 5:52:50 GMT -5
Parker was torn between trying to get this situation sorted out and just doing as he was told. There was a growing swell of disappointment when Sol wouldn't even look at him. Did this change things for Sol? "Y-yes, Captain," he answered instead, finding nothing else that he could say that might change the situation. He lingered for just a moment longer, hoping that Sol would give some sign that it wasn't him he was angry at before turning and walking down the gang plank.
~•~•~
A small smile formed as he tugged her hair. It was becoming a common thing for him, and Anya just accepted it. With a final scratch to Star's head, she went back to the kitchen to wash her hands and prepare for dinner.
(We can just skim over dinner unless you had a topic of conversation you wanted to have them talk about.)
~•~•~
"All the time," Ian answered as the server came around to get their order. He ordered a whiskey for himself and let Morgan choose his own. Then waited until the man was gone before he continued. "Although, the majority of the camp comes here whenever we've got nothing to do either. But she'll come here and unwind, find a hook up every now and then."
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Oct 14, 2020 10:25:23 GMT -5
Sol almost called Parker back. It wasn't his fault, and he deserved an explanation. But right then, Sol just felt drained. Part of it was the conversation with Jupiter and interactions with those from his past, but mostly it was the thought of attending the Solstice at the palace. He hadn't even gone yet, and he already wanted to leave. That didn't bode well for the actual day.
So Sol didn't call Parker back. He watched him go, then turned and went into his rooms to clean and organize the mess Arabella left behind.
( You wanna do something with Parker, Quill, and Mason, or just skip to later? Most of the crew will be staying at an inn tonight, but you can have Parker come back to the ship if you want. Maybe he can be drunk? Or at least almost there? xD )
~ • ~ • ~ ( Naw, skipping is fine. ^^ We were going to have them go to the barn and do some chores, right? Or visit the kittens? Or both? I can't remember. xD Or should we just jump ahead to the Festival? )
~ • ~ • ~ Now that was something Morgan didn't want to hear about. Kyra admitting to it was one thing; having Ian confirm it was another. Morgan desperately hoped he wouldn't have to watch her seduce some stranger into her bed. He wasn't sure he could stand it. And that wasn't just jealousy talking.
Morgan had to commend his acting skills when he continued the conversation as if "Kyra" and "hook up" had never been put in the same sentence. "I guess that's understandable. Exactly how often do most of you get to go on a mission? And what do most of your missions entail?"
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 14, 2020 11:18:16 GMT -5
(*intakes a breath* Can Mason and Quill get him drunk? XD like Parker might still be a little subdued, so they try getting him to loosen up. They might have planned to keep an eye on him, but he manages to get out and head back to the ship anyway. XD)
~•~•~
(They were going to make a spot for Star and the pops in the barn and have Aidan ask parson questions. XD)
~•~•~
"As often as Lawrence sends us out,"Ian answered. He'd been watching Morgan's expression, just to gauge the man's reaction to the previous statement. After all, the other Rider had dragged her to the bedroom of the safehouse, o boy for Kyra to emerge later and bot come back for the night. He assumed the man tried wooing her and it didn't end well. "Most of us Riders hardly do much, unless a job needs magic and more skill to complete. Otherwise, we try not to have the dragons out and about. Now, there are those whose dragons are fine with their Riders leaving for missions without them, I've done it a couple of times, but for the most part, we stay and protect the camp or are the back up if needed."
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Oct 14, 2020 17:43:57 GMT -5
( Okie dokie... )
~ • ~ • ~ ( ...and okie dokie two. xD )
~ • ~ • ~ Morgan considered. He wasn't really into manual labour, but it beat doing nothing. Leaving Kyon behind, however... that wasn't very appealing at all, for either of them. If it was just some day trip, with minimal risk and little to no danger then it would be whatever. They were apart for things like that all the time at home. But out here, where every mission had the potential to go bad? Morgan was confident in his skills and abilities, but he always felt better having his dragon around for backup, or a quick escape if nothing else. So he settled with, "Thanks. I'll think about it." Who knew? Maybe after a few weeks of boring manual labour, he would be more willing to leave Kyon behind for a mission.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 14, 2020 18:36:55 GMT -5
Parker did his best to go about the rest of the day as normal as he could. First stop being to get a decent shower. Sure, it hadn't been that long since he had bathed last, but he was still going to take advantage of the ability to shower while they were at port. Once done, he went to go hunt down Mason and Quill. Before they had left the ship, the three of them had mentioned a couple of the places they might stop by, so hunting down the to older men was only a matter of locating the places they had mentioned.
As much as he tried to act normal, dodging the jokes they gave for having stayed on the ship longer than he had told them he would. He smiled and rolled his eyes, doing his best, but the lingering sting of being dismissed by Sol earlier still clung to him, as well as some guilt. He hadn't done anything, per say, but he couldn't help but think that if he hadn't actually stayed on the ship, then he wouldn't have heard Jupiter bring to light a fact that Sol didn't want anyone to know. And he had done very little to do much to help him in the situation either. Should he have tried to stay and talk to Sol instead of leaving? Perhaps he should go back early and see if he's okay?
~*~*~
Dinner in the Dorreh household that evening went by about as normal. The conversations were still a little subdue, but having Aidan there helped. The boy had plenty to say, especially with Maria constantly asking him stuff and making him feel welcomed at the table. In fact, everyone was so used to the boy joining them for meals that even the rest of the Dorreh brothers were starting to include Aidan in the playful sibling banter.
When everyone was finished eating, the sun was starting to set. Maria, who had never liked the idea of Aidan sleeping on his own in a shed or on the street, extended the offer for the boy to spend the night with them. Of course, Marcus brought up the question of where the dogs would stay, but even he knew the answer to that. He didn't object to lending his home to another guest, and he had no problems with Star or the puppies. Especially not after how hard the boy had tried to sell his pitch on why the family needed a new sheep dog. The only requirement for them staying was that Aidan would have to be the one to fix up the dogs a spot in the barn, which was no problem at all. So, as soon as the sun was setting, the three of them, Anya, Seth, and Aidan, herded the puppies out to the barn to settle in for the night.
~*~*~
Ian nodded. His eyes roamed back to where Kyra was sitting. There was another woman sitting beside her, he thought it might be Juliana. Had he been alone, he would have gone over to try and talk with her. However, he was in the middle of something else in the moment. "So," he started as he took another sip of his drink, "you and Kyra seemed to have gotten off on a good foot. How'd that happen?"
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Oct 17, 2020 21:33:08 GMT -5
Mason and Quill were pretty much their normal selves during the first half of the afternoon. If they noticed Parker's poor acting skills, they didn't let on. That is, until dinnertime rolled around.
"Alright, that's it," Mason stated, rather abruptly. He grabbed Parker's arm and started dragging him down the street. "It's suppertime, and you're getting some good alcohol in you. Your dreary attitude is boring me to tears."
~ • ~ • ~ Aidan spent the short walk to the barn helping Star guide the puppies the right way. Their nap over dinner proved more than enough to give them one more burst of energy, and they kept getting distracted by every little thing between the house and the barn. Seth thought about helping, but in the end decided to let this be one last outlet, so both boy and puppies would be guaranteed to sleep through the night.
~ • ~ • ~ Morgan blinked. He had been wondering when Ian would broach this subject. "We grew up together," he answered. "Back before she joined the Rebels and I bonded to Kyon. I haven't seen her since we were sixteen, but you don't just get over that kind of bond."
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 17, 2020 21:52:40 GMT -5
Parker turned his surprise gaze towards Mason as he was pulled down the street. "What are you talking about? I'm fine," he said. There was no point in fighting. He was trapped, and it would be easier to just follow as best as he could. However, the mention of alcohol concerned him. I doubt that
~*~*~
Anya led the way to the barn. Corrik, who was laying off to one side of the yard, provided a natural barrier in one direction so the puppies wouldn't run too far away. He watched the group in vague amusement until they reached the barn. Flipping on the lights, the young woman walked over to the nearest empty stall. Used previously for horses, all it needed was some fresh straw and a water bucket for Star, and everything would be set. "Aidan, there's a pitchfork in the closet at the end of the barn," she told him. "Go grab it while Seth and I fetch the straw. Then I'll show you how to fix up the stall."
~*~*~
Ian nodded slightly. "That'd do it, I suppose," he said. Another swig of his drink was downed before he continued. "So you probably have an idea why that woman has it out for us Riders, huh?"
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Oct 17, 2020 22:15:30 GMT -5
"You are not," Mason argued. "I'm not going to ask why, though you should know that, joking aside, Quill or I will listen if you want to talk about it." Quill nodded his agreement, though he ket Mason do the talking; he was better with directness. "But until you do want to talk, the best cure for your mood is some good ale."
As he said it, the crew's favorite tavern came into view before them. The Ocean Dancer was probably the nicest place on the block — and the nicest tavern in the city. That didn't stop the inside from sounding like any tavern: loud, boisterous, and wild. Once inside, however, it became clear the draw to the place wasn't just the good ale, but also the seductively clad women milling around.
~ • ~ • ~ "Right!" Aidan darted off without a backward glance.
"No running with pitchforks!" Seth called after him. Gods only knew what damage the boy could do, to himself or others, with one of those. Once Aidan shouted back that he'd heard, Seth left him to it and followed Anya to the hay.
~ • ~ • ~ ( Is that something Morgan would know the real reason for? Or something Kyra has kept well hidden? )
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 17, 2020 22:33:48 GMT -5
(Lol, wrong bar to bring him too. XD)
"I know, but, really, I'm fine," Parker said, even though his own voice sounded only half-hearted. He would be fine. He'd get over it. He would find a way to smooth things over with Sol, hopefully. Besides, Sol had told him not to mention anything that happened to anyone. So even if he had wanted to talk, het couldn't. But maybe Mason was right. One drink wouldn't hurt him.
Walking into the tavern, Parker could appreciate the care that had been put into the place. It was a fine building, much nicer than the one they had visited at the last port. It was a lively place, filled with laughter and conversations... and apparently female company. The older brother in him wanted to go tell these women to go put on something more reasonable and to swat off the particularly obvious creeps in the place. However, he knew he shouldn't do that. "I take it you two come here often?" he commented instead, glancing over to his companions.
~*~*~
(No, he wouldn't know. She didn't make the decision to not date Rider's until after Morgan became one, and even then she never brought it up and discussed it with him. So he wouldn't know anything about it.)
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Oct 17, 2020 22:55:54 GMT -5
( Yeah, well, they're not trying to get him a date. They just want to get him drunk. xD )
"Yep," Quill agreed. "Teirm is our usual port, whenever we have to be land bound for any length of time. And this —" He spread his arms to encompass the whole place. "— This is our favorite haunt. Best food. Best drinks. And —"
A squeal interrupted him, and two pretty blondes came hurrying over. "Quill! Mason!" they greeted warmly.
Mason shot Parker a smirk as Quill happily stepped forward to greet them. "And the best ladies," he finished.
~ • ~ • ~ ( I think you forgot somebody. xD )
~ • ~ • ~ ( Oh, good, so I'm drawing a blank because there's nothing to draw, not because of a faulty memory. Phew. xD )
Morgan looked down into his glass, realizing he hadn't drunk any of it yet. He rectified that before answering. "I wasn't aware she had anything against Riders," he said honestly. "But then, I'm the only Rider I've seen her around, besides you. And the attitude she gives you has just seemed pretty on par for Kyra in general."
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 18, 2020 11:40:37 GMT -5
(I know, but still. XD)
Parker took another glance around the bar, taking in the details of the establishment, when there was a squeal interpreted Quill. Turning his attention to find the source, he noticed the two blondes coming their way. They were lovely ladies, he could see that. He could also see how his friends would be pleased to have them as company. However, there was no similar attraction for him by their appearance, but he was curious as to who they were. "They must truly be the best if they can put up with you two," he joked.
~*~*~
(Whoops. XD)
Anya smiled as Aidan set off. "You can stay down here. I'll toss you the bale down," she told Seth, walking over to the ladder that would lead up to the loft. Empty a month ago, the newly repaired loft was not full of hay that would be used to feed and bed the animals inside the barn during the snowy winter months.
~*~*~
(Lol, yep! You're good. XD)
Ian scoffed. "Well, yeah, she acts like that to pretty much everyone," he said. "That's nothing new. I'm talking about why does she bother going for random nobodies to take to her bed and not Riders? I've been trying for three months, and that woman keeps shooting me down. Always claiming she doesn't get involved with Riders? Like, what the hell is that about?"
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Oct 18, 2020 13:08:21 GMT -5
( Maybe they think they can convert him... xD )
"Ha." Mason nudged him and rolled his eyes. "No. Well," he reconsidered, "they are, but that's not how they 'put up' with us. They're friends. Most of the crew consider Rita's girls — and guys — friends."
~ • ~ • ~ ( xD )
Seth nodded and positioned himself at the base of the ladder. He listened for Anya's movements but watched Aidan. He was returning with the pitchfork, and he looked like he was resisting the urge to swing it around like a sword. Seth hid a smile.
~ • ~ • ~ Morgan opened his mouth, then shut it again with a simple, "Huh." That was interesting. Also slightly irritating, knowing without a doubt that the guy across from him had been hitting on Kyra. Then there was amusement, knowing Kyra had shot him down each time. And that brought him back to interesting. Kyra had never shown an aversion to Riders before. Heck, she had taken Morgan to bed plenty of times in the past, before and after he became a Rider. Granted, the "afters" were few, seeing as they had a fight and she left soon after Kyon hatched, but still. He wasn't the reason she was avoiding Riders now, was he?
Not willing to share any of these thoughts, Morgan took a drink before saying, "Maybe it's not Riders in general she avoid. Maybe she just doesn't like you that way."
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