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 Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2009 10:09 am
At first, Yossarian was so surprised by ANY vaguely 'innocent' life form in the tent that he didn't even notice something amiss about the girl-- but when Slimy Eye introduced her just moments later, it did hit home-- and it hit home hard. Even if there were no child services in Zanadu, surely, NO ONE of an even VAGUELY INTACT conscience would let her stay with a psychopath that... that...
God, the thought horrified him-- and why hadn't SHE run away if what he thought was the case?! Had he eaten the self-preservation right out of her?!
He probably looked vaguely horrified and didn't even know it, but thankfully. Hanna had the good sense to jab an elbow against his ribs and snap him out of it, putting on her kindest smile and stepping forward to greet their littlest patron... on her own level, of course, with bent knees.
"That's a very pretty name," she said with complete earnestness in her tone, "it's an honor, Lunch. My name is Hanna, and that would be Jade--" She took a moment to gesture to each among the group as she noted them. "... Then Mister Yossarian, Mister Kanda, Miss Asteria, and Miss Shae."
Yossarian had tensed a bit at his own introduction, and that was the first time Shae actually showed a response too, as something of a... well, not quite a flinch or a wince, but something subconscious and in-between. She did, however, force a weak smile of her own, and simply said nothing in turn.
She was staying as far out of things as the small (comparatively to, say, open space) would allow and trying her damnedest to not show the unnerving, but oh, was that every difficult.
It didn't help that the side of the tent she was half pressed against happened to be shuddering and howling from the sandstorm outside, either. Her poor lungs were still trying to choke up the lingering grit from that thing.
"... Do you need help getting down, Sir?..." If nothing else, though, at least she could divert her attention to seeing if poor Kanda needed 'assistance' getting down off of dear, sweet, smelly Fabio.
(He'd have the saddle sores from hell if he stayed up their from dawn 'til dusk.)
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Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2009 11:15 am
And if anything, Asteria also had a sense of...well, the whole thing sat a LOT worse with her, her body stiffening at Yossarian's side, but also having to keep herself from frowning with disapproval at their 'host' and the state of his daughter. fjasdfl;.
No really, that was the only way she could put it. adsjflkasdf. YOU DID NOT EAT YOUR DAUGHTERS. Though she did have to question just how related the kid was to him. They... didn't look alike at all. Was it a case like Roselyn only SOMEONE UNFORTUNATE HAD PICKED THIS LITTLE GIRL UP?
And s**t, was kind of a name was 'Lunch'? THat was like.. advertising how much of a MONSTER he was.
fajsdfkadsf. Yeah, her tail was doing that thing
where it prickled up. Quite noticeably. She suddenly was feeling... 50% less safe.
Which was saying something considering how safe she normally felt with Yossarian nearby.
Lunch practically RETREATED into hiding her face against Zeane's side when Hanna came closer, her ears flopping against her head and frowning miserably. Waaaaaah! Scary peopllllllllllle!
She sniffed a bit and frowned at Hanna, but said nothing otherwise, just following everybody as they were pointed at with a sort of pathetic look.
Zeane didn't seem to mind in the least, just patted his 'daughter' on the head. "We don't have company often, and given the basics of company around here, she's not had much good experience with strangers, so you'll have to forgive her manners."
Kanda frowned lightly at Shae's offer. OH YES, THROW HIM DOWN ON HIS BUM LEG. It would be fantastic..however....
"I think 'getting down' right now would be nice..."
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Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2009 2:40 pm
Yossarian didn't even want to consider the possibility of that "Lunch" actually being Zeane's legitimate (or illegitimate) child, too horrified by the thought of any poor woman suffering the guy's company for an extended period, let alone-- ... yeah, he didn't need to let his brain go there. It was downright repulsive.
"Oh, it's alright," Hanna didn't seem at all fazed at being shied away from, however, just politely straightening back up (with a cough of her own; she wasn't immune to the sand either) and cracking her spine with a good self-inflicted whack on the back. "Still, lovely to make your aquaintence," she informed the little girl, before glancing up to Zeane. "And on that note... I don't think I ever got your name, Good Sir..."
Yossarian really didn't WANT to know the guy's name-- so he decided to not even listen, park his rear ON THE GROUND (well, on a little box of supplies that could hold his weight), and keep his sword rested against his shoulder for some good old-fashioned idle looming.
He didn't need to speak. He didn't want to speak. All he wanted was to keep Aster close and RUN THE HELL OUT as soon as things cleared up. Period.
"... Right..." But at least Shae had something to do in the meanwhile, and helping a gimp down off a horse was certainly no easy feat for someone so... er... diminutive by comparison. Still, though, she'd steadied Fabio and helped support him as he slipped down, with whatever strength was left in her, and even kicking over a bag of bedding as SOME makeshift seat for when he was down.
It was terrible, this feeling of helplessness... but surely, they were pretty safe in a group, right?
Of course the wind had to pick up outside TENFOLD right then and cause the whole structure to shudder violently, which made HER shudder and tense in turn. Were tents here even sturdy enough to survive such weather?
"... I despise this place," he'd muttered under his breath, ears setting back.
And just how were they supposed to PASS THE TIME in here, anyway? Chat? He didn't want to CHAT!
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Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2009 8:46 pm
Had they not been in the wrong place for it, Aster would have tossed herself into Yossarian's lap to purr and wibble and tell him to SOMEHOW convince her to not kidnap the child out of her own self-loathing issues (which were only out of a 'GIT OUT OF HEEERRREE' feeling she had in her stomach). Not to say it wouldn't have been adorable for Yossarian to have to be distracted with brushing-down her fussing....
but it would have been inconvenient. So she just sat down next to him and leaned her head against his sho-fjadls;fkjd;fklasdf!!!WINNNDDDOOOMMGGGGGGGGG!!
Her tail puffed up IMMEDIATELY when the tent shook, but somehow keeping herself from latching desperately on to Yossarian's arm as well. She needed.. a distraction... But not a big one, because she was jusfjajlfk. She felt out of place. She really really REALLY felt out of place.
Hell, she probably wouldn't even SLEEP that night, no matter how latched to Yossarian's chest she was. She'd have to be freakin' KNOCKED OUT. Nnnngh. Yep, she was practically radiating with her 'DNNNWWWWW' she had going there.
Yes, because one hand was being used to keep him UPRIGHT ON ONE LEG AND fjasdl. It was all a bunch of FAIL to him, to be perfectly honest. Just..djfl. He definitely was enjoying himself less and less, but being FREED from the horse (which had proceeded to just chew on his hair instead) was a nice change, settling in to try and get the feeling back into his butt.
"Thank you."
He actually sounded PAINED to have to be assisted in such mundane things, but it wasn't as though Kanda didn't APPRECIATE Shae helping.
HE REALLY DID APPRECIATE HER HELP
HONEST.
SRSLY. :CC
"Donner. Zeane Donner."
The mench waved his hand nonchalantly, before he 'shoo'ed his daughter off with some sort of whispered task, which Lunch was more than HAPPY to flee from the group to jump on top of getting done, before he himself sat down in what seemed to be.. a very normal place for him.
Obviously, the tent was very much established by his habits. Or his mealtime tendencies. There was quite a bit of possibility involving all of it, really. "You're free to go wherever amongst the two tents. They tend to hold up rather well to the bad weather and I have no skeletons to hide."
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Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 10:54 am
He was secretly thankful for her better sense against latching completely right then, knowing that a display of such obvious attachment would only make her seem that much more vulnerable (and prone to being handy leverage) than she already was. It meant bad news if Zeane wanted to pull anything... which he'd prevent at all costs (or try).
He had, however, been merciful enough to at least discretely take her hand. Just having something, anything to cling to, would be enough... right?
And he could keep his other palm rested on his sword, just in case.
Shae had made certain to get that 'seat' ready to accommodate poor Sir as soon as he was down, too, knowing full well just how miserable the guy was from a glance alone. His 'male independence' ego must've been suffering indescribably to show such weakness in front of not only companions, but the man he'd-- ...
... Just what was his past relation to 'Zeane', anyway?
"O-of course," she choked out as calmly as she could, so as not to distract a certain therapist, who kept on gossipiing.
"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you now officially, Mister Zeane Donner," she mused, perhaps the only person in the world (sans Jade), who would be happy for such a thing. "And if I haven't mentioned before... we do thank you for your kindness. It'd be horrible if we were stuck out in the storm."
"... I'd nearly rather brave it," Yossarian had muttered under his breath right then, bitterly.
"Is this behavior from Onity common in the early spring?... How long does it usually last for?"
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Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 5:15 pm
Hey, she could handle (no pun intended) only having a hand to latch to. Prrprrprrr? Okay, more discreet 'prrprrprr', as she was trying to not look TOTALLY DEPENDENT ON YOSSARIAN FOR HER SAFETY AND SANITY AND fjdas;ldkfjldsf. Even though she was such. Booo!
And more boooooo!
"Any idea how long these sand storms last?" she inquired, looking to Yossarian and frowning lightly. Whine whine prrprrrrrrrrrr? SHE DIDN'T LIKE IT OUT HEEERRREEEEE. IT WAS SANDY AND NASTY AND ZEANE WAS A FREAK.
"Mmm, I'm sure your colleague there could have told you plenty about it." Zeane offered, motioning one hand towards Kanda -- who immediately stiffened up and hissed in the mench's direction. BEST FRIENDS FOREVERZ, RITE?
Probably not.
"If I recall, he spent a few years here. Not often someone who knows they'll be targetted hangs around."
Kanda just frowned at Zeane. BOO AT HIM TOO! "Onity used to be a constant thing. It was always active up until our military's tactics threw it off of it's roster. So I would say that there are no bets on it's behaviour."
Jade sighed dramatically. "Oh dear, that definitely couldn't be helpful in the least."
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Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 11:47 pm
So then, even the guy who should've been more knowledgeable than anyone didn't have a clue how long they'd be stuck there. Great. That just made Yossarian feel worlds better about this whole dreadful debacle, one hundred percent!
... Except not.
"You really think so?" he growled in Jade's direction, making no effort to guard his frustrations-- a fatal mistake, he realized, when Hanna gave him this look.
"Now, I doubt that kind of pessimism's necessary, Mister Yossarian," she chided, "sure, it's a little unfortunate that we're stuck here, but grousing about it won't make the time fly any faster."
"No, though it might assist me in coping with this mire of wretched woe."
"... Well, if that's the therapy you're after, I suppose..."
"............"
O SHI-- ... he'd just spawned that word from her mouth and he didn't like it; he didn't like it one bit. No, the last thing Yossarian wanted right then was to have some twisted therapy session in front of the resident psychopath (or Zeane, who was almost as bad).
Again, the exterior of the tent shuddered as a great wind rushed past, and bits of sand skittered through the barest cracks in the floor. Even Shae, trying to hard to remain unshaken, winced ever-so-slightly at the sound of it. This kind of weather... wasn't something she remembered being so violent from her own previous trip here, and probably for the better, too.
Sure, Onity had had its wild moments, but not-- ... or hell, maybe her memory was just foggy from back then. She couldn't say much of anything with great certainty.
"So then..." Hanna, meanwhile, eventually digressed when there was an odd pause after her last statement, "anyone up for a game? Something to do so this wait's not so wretched?"
Oooh, Yossarian had glowered at her right then, but alas, its effect was lost upon the woman in her apparent cluelessness.
"... There's... nothing wrong with silence, Ma'am," Shae pointed, kindly, and quietly.
"But all things are proper in moderation," she immediately was told, "... and you, Miss Shae, have been as silent, if not more so, as Mister Kanda recently. I'd say that's bordering on excess!"
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Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 7:31 pm
Aster jumped a little bit at Yossarian's sudden grouching, letting out a very (VERY VERY VERY, SHE DIDN'T WANT ZEANE TO TURN INTO A WOLF, DAMMIT) whine, but didn't push the envelope, just settling for leaning her head against his shoulder. THough she DID prickle a bit when Hanna mentioned therapy. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
NO MORE THERAPY PLZ.
PLLLZZZZ. Aiiieee! Though she didn't puff up too much at the mention, just purring weakly at her spot. Prrprrprrr. WAS ALL BETTER IN THE WORLD YET? Nope. They were still in the middle of sandy DOOM and she was getting cold and bleh-ish from all of it going everywhere. SOB SOB.
She was going to end up with a majorly SANDY BUTT. fsdflk.
SHE DIDN'T WANT TO BE ALL SANDY, SOOOOBBBBBBBBBB. "I think I see why the locals cover up the way they do..." GRUMBLEGRUMBLE.
"I do think our companions are rather tired at the given moment. How unfortunate. I would have thought it hadn't been that long of a day yet." he mused, shrugging his shoulders a bit, before taking up a seat himself. "However, a bit of time-passing activity wouldn't be all to bad at the given moment." he agreed, waving a hand nonchalantly.
Kanda.. was less thrilled by the suggestion, frowning immensely at the DEVILDUO, before he sighed and shifted a bit on his seat. If Shae wanted to be quiet, he didn't care -- silence didn't bother him.
Too much talking DID bother him, however. Boooo. "There's nothing wrong with silence." he stated flatly, looking towards Shae with a slight.. tinge of worry -- WAS ALL WELL IN HER WORLD, DID HE NEED TO BE WORRIED YET?
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Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2009 12:37 pm
"..." So what, she'd just assumed that the locals dressed in ratty canvas cloaks because they wanted to until now? Really? Had the situation been more appropriate for such a thing, Yossarian might've smacked his palm against his forehead right there in front of poor clueless Aster, just resigning himself to sigh instead.
"Mm, must be," Hanna was forced to settle on when no one else, sans Jade of course, stepped up to answer the call of her suggestion, teetering over to perch at her her partner in crime's side, looking almost... deflated. "I guess we'll just have to sit and wait things out, then... How painfully dull."
Tick, tick, tick, tick... One could practically hear the seconds crawling by as silence descended, couldn't they? Not that Shae's ears were unused to the sound; if anything, she sought an odd comfort in the dull rhythm. It meant she was still alive and kicking a-- ... oh, Sir was giving her one of those concerned looks, and she'd only now noticed.
"Hmm?..." Sure, she might've still felt a little shaken over... certain things and all, but that didn't mean she was about to fall apart, either! Thus, she just gave a quick nod and mouthed a soundless 'I'm fine' instead, forcing some... weak, feeble semblance of a smile.
She was.
... No, really, she was okay-- or at least, as okay as anyone could be in that position. Her throat was dry, her lungs were full of sand, her heart was still aflutter and she had countless things on her mind, but it wouldn't be the end of her, and so long as she could make it until the sandstorm ended, that was all that mattered.
Waiting was all they had left now... right?
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Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 10:16 am
HEY, SHE DIDN'T REALIZE THERE WAS GOING TO BE A SANDSTORM ASSAULTING THEM, OKAY? SHE DIDN'T KNOW GEOGRAPHY ;AAAAAA;. THough any such distress of that nature was not to be, as Yossarian had masked the 'Oi vei, I <3's a st00pid woman' rather well which just left Aster and her ST00PID STATEMENT to just purr and at least TRY to be comforted despite the rattling of the tent.
Sniffle sniffle.
She didn't like being in the middle of sandyville with wind going everywhere and TRAPPED WITH A CANNIBAL. Not that she knew exactly what that meant.. however, Aster at least did find the distraction of her book, pulling it out of her bag to flip back to the page she'd been on last.
"How much longer do you think it will be before I need a new one?"
Jade just sighed wistfully and patted Hanna's hand. "It's unfortunate, really, but perhaps that will be best for our companions. Besides, we can always keep our host entertained in the meantime. I'm sure he's not got much else to do either."
Zeane chuckled. "Normally I don't get company at all." he mused, just as his 'daughter' returned from the other tent, a bag over one shoulder -- which was offered to her 'father' quite graciously.
Lunch earned a tousle of her hair for her efforts. "Good girl. This means we can get started on some cooking, mm?"
Well, if Shae said so, he wouldn't push it. However, he did have to say there was SOME boredom to come with just sitting around like a ...fish that was only partially dead, on his end.
But he also wasn't ready to jump to his feet and start some sort of wild partying either. Boo.
"I think we need to tone down how much 'excitement' we have going for ourselves..."
Oooh~ ON THAT NOTE. Jade butted in. "So, how is it you and Mr. Donner know each other again?"
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Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2009 4:39 pm
"Hmm?... " Yossarian had been focussing so completely on just hunkering down and putting his brain into standby for the long haul right then that he nearly missed her question, blinking back out of whatever forced daze and looking back at her.
"... A week or two, I suppose," he just settled on mumbling, for lack of anything better. Truth be told, he didn't have a clue how long it would be before they finished the story; Catch-22 was a long book after all, but... well, he figured they'd just pick something else up whenever they got where they were going, and by that point, anyway, she should've been proficient enough to blow through easier reading in no time flat.
"I'll locate something appropriate once we've passed the threshold of the southern borders," he added blearily, trying not to sound as 'worn out' as he as inside... but more or less failing. It wasn't her, of course; he just wanted to be off and away from this hellish place as quickly as possible, and that didn't look like it'd be happening any time soon.
"Such a shame, there," Hanna seemed entirely sympathetic to poor Zeane's lack of houseguests (as if there was some great mystery WHY), but changed her tune on a dime with Jade brought up something most curious, and smiled, slyly. "I'm a little curious there too, actually-- care to share, Mister Kanda?..."
Oh, for the love of-- naturally Shae could feel that twinge of anguish from being suddenly put on the 'spot' (by proxy, anyway, even if it was actually Kanda's issue) and struggled not to fidget or look too unsettled.
Why on earth were those two pressing these uncomfortable subjects? It would only cause them trouble!
"... R-really, I don't think that's necessary right now--" she'd tried to divert them with, but Hanna wouldn't have any of it.
"Oh, I never said it was necessary, Miss Shae! Just idle curiosity, that's all."
"......" That... didn't help her at all.
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Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2009 5:17 pm
Oooooh, it didn't really look like she had that much of her book left to HER.. but if Yossarian thought so, he was PROBABLY right. Alas. She was such a slow reader, but sometimes it was called for when she didn't know words... like too often she'd copied the letters of words she didn't know (sometimes backwards, alas) to harass Yossarian with a LIST OF UNKNOWN WORDS about later.
HALP HALP.
But at least he was there NOW to be harassed with the book.. when needed. So far she was at least able to pick things up by context. SHE FELT SO ACCOMPLISHED.
ALAS
IT WAS FANTASTIC.
She just wanted to get more reading material. AS MUCH AS SHE LOVED HEARING ABOUT THE ADVENTURES OF THE MAN-WITH-HER-LOVE'S-NAME. But it was a good 'wind down' activity for her, more than happy to let conversation die off between them to read and lean against his side.
Zeane was more than happy to fill in the FABULOUS TALE OF..OF... stuff. In fact, it went right back to him tapping his eyepatch. "I guess I was too subtle about it last time I answered that."
...
...
HINT HINT. AH HA HA.
Kanda frowned at it. "It's as he says. We had a very..unique altercation with resulted in a very sharp implement in his eye. Not a very long implement, however... as his eye is still.."
er..
there..
"..and his brain didn't get pierced."
YUCK.
Jade seemed utterly FASCINATED by this, 'hmm'ing lightly and tapping his fingers against his chin. ORLY? "Yet you let us into your home?"
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Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2009 9:29 pm
... A unique altercation, was it?
That was, quite possibly, the dodgiest explanation of a bloody brawl Yossarian had ever heard and, had the situation been more appropriate, he probably would've laughed at his fellow swordsman's expense. Seriously, Kanda wasn't the type to tread so lightly on things, was he? He hadn't thought so before, anyway...
Of course it wasn't that difficult to translate; there'd been a battle with some knives, one guy had stabbed the other enough to screw his eye up, and somehow, they both lived through it.
"Huh, sounds very... unique... indeed," Hanna commented, just as unbothered as Jade. "Well, Mister Donner, we do thank you for the patronage regardless! It's--"
"This isn't something we should be discussing!" Shae, much to the therapist's surprise, was actually brave enough to interrupt her right then, almost bordering on distress... for as stoic as the girl was, anyway. "I mean... it's not appropriate a-and it's not relevant right now... Why are you pushing it to this extent?..."
"..." Yossarian was almost impressed (and certainly surrprised) by the little outburst, and a few moments of silence followed, with only a little whirring on Del's part to break it.
(And of course the bravery had all drained instantly after the fact from the source of the outburst, who paled a shade and just stared at the sand on the ground.)
Then, Hanna sighed.
"It was only harmless conversation, Miss Shae," she said, sounding almost... exasperated. "What... are you afraid of facing the past?"
"..........." That was a pretty damn loaded question, and one met with dead silence.
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Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 12:44 pm
Was ASTER would have been more worried about, was the fact that Kanda was dancing around the reason WHY they'd gotten into that fight.... and why Kanda hadn't just said 'I stabbed in in the eye'... it was very suspicious from where she was sitting. But she knew better than to voice that opinion, instead just settling on what she'd decided to work on.
Though the subject of Zeane actually 'making dinner' of some sort made her stomach churn uncomfortably for some reason.
Hmmmmmm...
Jade 'hmm'ed lightly. "Well, I would say that I hope neither of you attempt to revive such a battle." he mused, earning a laugh from Zeane, who had gone about fishing out his dishes and all those other good things.
Ah ha ha.
"I have no reason to get revenge for it. I rather thing I deserved what I go." he answered, waving a hand nonchalantly as he went about fishing out some various... and very strange looking plants to get started with his cooking -- which Lunch was more than happy to help with, purring while she worked on peeling potatos.
Kanda, on the other hand, just frowned at Hanna. Boooooo.
"There are simply more interesting things we could be discussing than whether or not the past is coming back to haunt us or whatever childhood trauma. Or whatever else."
AH HA HA.
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Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 9:41 pm
She wasn't alone in the churning of stomachs, either; Yossarian's, too, had given a peculiar and foreboding lurch when he realized just who was handling the 'meal' and, for a split second he instantly regretted, the dark male actually felt he would've preferred Jade at the culinary helm instead. Seriously... WHAT HAD GOTTEN INTO HIM THERE?
WAS HE LOSING IT?
But the rushing wind outside stirring again distracted him from that horrible thought, and he shook it off internally, telling himself that his grimace was just from the failing situation in general and nothing more.
It could've been worse. At least he wasn't in the same awkward crippled position of a certain other male in the group.
Shae, of course, wanted nothing more than to agree wholeheartedly with Kanda on the sentiments of CEASING this damn miserable conversation already... but no, she'd said her piece already, and her courage was shot, and all she seemed capable of doing was sitting there, silently, and staring lamely at the ground like a beaten dog.
They'd eat, and then the storm would magically end, and then they'd go... right?
Wasn't that the way it had to turn out? Or maybe just the way she wanted it that way.
Tick, tick, tick... Hell, she was even losing the fight against fidgeting.
"Oh, if you say so, I suppose," Hanna had, however, relented... which was just a minor victory drop in the failpool. "But anyway! Is there anything I can assist you with there, Mister Donner?..."
And what were they having-- HUMAN FLESH?
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