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                                            1.
                                            >You ruffle the page in your book with an index finger and a thumb.
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                                            2.
                                            >Page 309. Not too long, and you're finally finished with this damn thing.
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                                            3.
                                            >It's a real slog, too.
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                                            4.
                                            >"Hiiii Anon!"
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                                            5.
                                            >Oh God. The blue one.
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                                            6.
                                            "Mm."
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                                            7.
                                            >She's smiling. You can see it out of the corner of your eye.
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                                            8.
                                            >You risk a quick glance. It really is quick - you know it.
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                                            9.
                                            >You were always good at these kinds of things. That's probably why they hired you.
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                                            10.
                                            >But she was quicker.
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                                            11.
                                            >"Hi!"
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                                            12.
                                            >She moves closer to you. Kind of too close, but it's clear she doesn't know.
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                                            13.
                                            "Mm. Hi."
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                                            14.
                                            >You're sitting squarely at the end of a small red loveseat, arms folded flatly into a comfortable reading position. The blue-haired one takes clear advantage of this and sits right next to you.
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                                            15.
                                            >"Sooo..."
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                                            16.
                                            >You dog-ear your book and put it on the table to the side. There's no getting out of this one.
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                                            17.
                                            >You're facing her now. It's an awkward position to face someone - almost like the both of you are in a play.
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                                            18.
                                            "What's up?"
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                                            19.
                                            >She smiles at your full attention. Sonata, that's her name. Sonata Dusk.
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                                            20.
                                            >"Can I ask you something?"
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                                            21.
                                            >You stiffen and attempt to fix the crick in your neck. Sonata was rarely on the listening end of a conversation.
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                                            22.
                                            "Sure. What's up?"
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                                            23.
                                            >"Well...I was just wondering...we never...us three, I mean...we never..."
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                                            24.
                                            >She's unnaturally bashful. You hope the reason won't make you too uncomfortable, but this girl has a knack for doing just that.
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                                            25.
                                            >Sonata laughs nervously. Again, strange. You've never seen her nervous before. She looks away and back at you with a flash.
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                                            26.
                                            >"You wouldn't eat us, would you?"
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                                            27.
                                            >You lean forward slightly, flabbergasted.
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                                            28.
                                            "Wh...what?"
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                                            29.
                                            >"Well...ya know..."
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                                            30.
                                            >She tugs slyly at her ponytail.
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                                            31.
                                            >"Aria said that you eat people. During Christmas, I mean."
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                                            32.
                                            >You try to form words but they won't come out. You couldn't formulate a sentence that doesn't start and end with 'what?' anyway.
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                                            33.
                                            >Sonata leans forward again, blushing. Is she...trembling?
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                                            34.
                                            >"I don't taste good. I taste like blueberries."
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                                            35.
                                            >You put your hand up to your chin in thought.
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                                            36.
                                            "Well - I actually kind of like blueberries, to be honest."
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                                            37.
                                            >She chirps out an adorable 'eep' and scoots back feverishly to the other end of the loveseat.
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                                            38.
                                            >This makes you smile. Maybe you could have some fun here?
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                                            39.
                                            >You grin and shuffle closer to her. Grinning is something you never do, and she seems to notice.
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                                            40.
                                            >Sonata is shaking like a motel mattress. Her lips are pursed.
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                                            41.
                                            >You're right next to her now. Her head is leaning back as yours is leaning forward.
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                                            42.
                                            "You know what? Don't. Move."
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                                            43.
                                            >The poor girl is petrified. Mouth open, she tries to scream but it takes a few seconds to come out.
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                                            44.
                                            >"AAAUUUUUUUUGH!"
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                                            45.
                                            >Sonata falls to the ground with a thud and darts away.
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                                            46.
                                            >Passing her as she rushes through the doorway is a certain purple-haired troublemaker.
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                                            47.
                                            >You face her as she enters.
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                                            48.
                                            "I eat people? Really? And she believed that?"
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                                            49.
                                            >Aria smirks and walks around you into the master bathroom.
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                                            50.
                                            >You give her another couple seconds but she doesn't respond.
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                                            51.
                                            >Picking up your book, you feel a smile creep towards the edges of your mouth.
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                                            52.
                                            >Now, where did you leave off?
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                                            53.
                                            
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                                            54.
                                            >"Go on."
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                                            55.
                                            >Adagio sharpens her gaze at you and flicks her hand towards the blue-haired girl crouched over in the corner.
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                                            56.
                                            >Sonata is clearly wary, but your repentant grimace seems to catch her off-guard.
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                                            57.
                                            >You clear your throat.
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                                            58.
                                            "-hem. Hey...Sonata."
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                                            59.
                                            >Adagio ribs you hard with the tip of her elbow.
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                                            60.
                                            "*Mrs.* Sonata. Mrs. Dusk."
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                                            61.
                                            >Sonata can't help but giggle. Your uncomfortable demeanor is amusing her.
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                                            62.
                                            "So...how 'bout them Bears?"
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                                            63.
                                            >Sonata is caught off guard but giggles again at this.
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                                            64.
                                            >"Hehehe. I think they're gonna go all the way this year."
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                                            65.
                                            >Now you smile. You taught her that one.
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                                            66.
                                            >Adagio ribs you again. This time it hurts.
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                                            67.
                                            >It would seem that the air is more comfortable, however. Even the orange-haired girl couldn't put a stop to that.
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                                            68.
                                            >Sonata cocks her head almost playfully to the side. You use this moment to get your point across.
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                                            69.
                                            "Hey, so...Sonat - Mrs. Dusk. I just came here to apologize and let you know that I...uh...don't eat people."
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                                            70.
                                            >The blue-haired girl frowns and furrows her brow. She punches you - not hard, but hard enough.
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                                            71.
                                            >"What? You jerk! I thought you were going to eat me!"
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                                            72.
                                            >You look away from her.
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                                            73.
                                            "Yeah. Sorry. It was just a joke. People don't really eat other people. At least...not most of them."
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                                            74.
                                            >Another rib from Adagio. You were ready for this one.
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                                            75.
                                            "Nobody near us, anyway."
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                                            76.
                                            >Sonata appears unconvinced. Luckily, Aria chimes in.
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                                            77.
                                            >"Yeah, sorry Sonata. It was just a joke."
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                                            78.
                                            >Sonata's gaze flits from you to Aria to you again. She pulls her lips together in a pout.
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                                            79.
                                            >You would never tell her, but it's actually pretty cute.
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                                            80.
                                            >The anger subsides from Sonata's face. Her head lowers a bit, making it kind of hard to tell how she's feeling.
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                                            81.
                                            >"You...you really...I really am that dumb, huh?"
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                                            82.
                                            >Uh-oh. She raises her head but won't meet your eyes. It's damage control time.
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                                            83.
                                            "Hey."
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                                            84.
                                            >That was louder than any of you were expecting.
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                                            85.
                                            >She looks at you immediately, a bit confused.
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                                            86.
                                            "You're not dumb. Don't say that about yourself. You just aren't...from here, you know?"
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                                            87.
                                            >Once again, Sonata appears unconvinced.
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                                            88.
                                            >"No...no, I'm just...you don't know me."
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                                            89.
                                            >Aria thankfully takes the reigns again.
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                                            90.
                                            >"Look, Sonata..."
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                                            91.
                                            >Sonata huffs. Aria puts a hand on her purple forehead and seems to try and strangle the words out.
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                                            92.
                                            >"You're not dumb, okay? You just don't wanna learn."
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                                            93.
                                            >A second huff. You take another stab at it.
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                                            94.
                                            "More like...you don't have anyone to teach you. When I was a kid, I had my parents, you know? They taught me everything - pretty much."
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                                            95.
                                            >Sonata lifts her head up a bit. You decide to pounce on this.
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                                            96.
                                            "You know? And if you had someone like that-"
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                                            97.
                                            >You crane your neck and gesture at Adagio and Aria.
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                                            98.
                                            "-then you could figure these things out in no time."
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                                            99.
                                            >You smile optimistically at the blue-haired girl. It seems infectious, because soon her frown is lifting. She looks into you deeply now.
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                                            100.
                                            >"Can you teach me?"
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                                            101.
                                            >Uh.
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                                            102.
                                            "Well...I...I mean....Don't you think your sisters...?"
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                                            103.
                                            >Her smile curves down slightly.
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                                            104.
                                            >You try and pivot out of this, but...
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                                            105.
                                            "...Maybe...one of them...?"
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                                            106.
                                            >She's giving you the ol' puppy-dog eyes. For the dumb one, she can really put you under her spell.
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                                            107.
                                            >You try to murmur out another defense - anything.
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                                            108.
                                            "Mm...well..."
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                                            109.
                                            >The eyes.
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                                            110.
                                            "Ah...okay."
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                                            111.
                                            >Sonata brightens up almost immediately. She shakes her balled hands into the air akin to a girl having a seizure.
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                                            112.
                                            >"Yay! Thanks Anon. I won't let you down, I promise."
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                                            113.
                                            >In a manner oddly unbefitting, Aria tries to slink away unnoticed. She's soon caught by Adagio, who glares at her until she mumbles a quiet 'sorry' somewhere in Sonata's direction and makes her exit.
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                                            114.
                                            >Sonata is pacified, however, and that's what counts. Adagio turns her gaze to you.
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                                            115.
                                            >She's almost...looking through you. Then her eyes seem to focus.
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                                            116.
                                            >"Don't go along with what Aria tells you, Anon. You'll live longer that way."
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                                            117.
                                            >The orange-haired girl departs through the kitchen and disappears into the hallway adjacent.
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                                            118.
                                            >You turn to Sonata, who is shaking from excitement.
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                                            119.
                                            >"Hey Anon! I gotta go to the little siren's room, but after that let's get started!"
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                                            120.
                                            >She zooms across the living room like a blue torpedo and swerves left of the front doorway and out of sight.
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                                            121.
                                            >You sigh and comb a hand through your hair. The follicles are greasy. It's been a couple days since you last showered, and longer since you've shampooed.
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                                            122.
                                            >Outside, you spot a small, dead patch of grass that occupies your attention. You're having trouble identifying it in the pale light of the back porch - and through the window, no less.
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                                            123.
                                            >On your right is a watch, a Casio W-70 with a slightly faded screen.
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                                            124.
                                            >It's 8:31.
 
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