[OOM: Upstate New York.]

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*Raph has been awake for hours. In truth, he hasn't been sleeping much since they set up the tent in the middle of the Upstate New York State Forest. He's always the last to go to bed, and the first one up in the morning. And when he sleeps? He sleeps. Nothing short of Armegeddon will wake him up.

Currently, he's seated high in a tree watching the day go by. Two apples are pinned to three through the center blade of his sai, and he's carving up a third with a throwing knife.

Down below there is a kettle of water being kept warm by a slow roasting campfire.*

Comments

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Andrew emerged from the tent with a languid yawn, his hair sticking up at odd angles as he scrubbed the sleep from his eyes. He blinked groggily at the fire and then looked around.

He looked especially woobie-ish, as one is never so woobie as when one first wakes him.

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Mornin'.

*Comes the call from up. Way up. Like, really way high up.*

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Andrew's head lolled back and he blinked up at the treetops.

"You are so weird," he mumbled mostly to himself, and then set about making himself some coffee.

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*He chuckles, and then goes silent.
Woooosh
Thonk
And a sai embeds into they'd been using as a outdoor couch. Before the apples on the center blade can slide down to rest against the log, Raph lands next to Largeman.

It's as if he'd just walked out of the tent, and not jumped, swung, and dropped through 200 feet of branches.*

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Andrew blinked at the sai, and then over to Raph.

"Next time, let me get some caffiene before you do that shit," he replied, and then sat down on the log with his cup. He yawned again, wide and toe-curling, before he sighed and took a sip.

"I have to say," Andrew spoke, when his brain could function more clearly. "I don't remember you ever being in this good a mood this consistantly before. Should done this long ago, I think."

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Gotta keep you on your toes, right?

*Raph merely smirks. He can remember plenty of times he's been this happy for this long a duration.
It's just that they mostly involve girls.

Raph pulls the sai free, and removes another apple. He plops down on the ground by the fire, and begins to dissect the fruit.*

You ain't known me that long. 'M happy a lot of the time, I just don't yell about it from the rooftops, that's all.

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"I came in at a bad time," Andrew agreed. "Still seems weird. Not bad, though. I'm glad, because that was the whole point of this thing. It's just good to see you not stressing the fuck out over something or another."

He took another sip. "This coffee tastes like ass." It was instant.

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*Not only was it instant, but Raph has the uncanny ability to burn perfectly good water. There's a reason he doesn't cook. That would be it.*

What about you? Still noisy?

*Raph gestures towards his own head,...with the knife of course.*

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"Little better. Can't help but think about Sam, though. I feel like a fucking asshole for kissing Mel. It was stupid... all of it was stupid. My coping skills are for shit, man."

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*Raph settles back uncomfortably. He fidgets, knowing a thing or two about unwanted, unasked for kisses. First Faith...and now...hoo boy.

He pales.*

I uh...I dunno. For someone who ain't had to cope before, don't think you're doin' too badly.

*It's a shame that didn't come out nearly as confident as he'd intended.*

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"You're shit at lying, man, you know that?" Andrew chuckled. He took another small sip of the coffee and then gave up on it, tossing the rest of the liquid into the underbrush.

Andrew arched a brow, because Raph's quip back hadn't come as quickly as expected. "Something wrong?"

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*He makes a face that might be construed as a No, but might also be heartburn.*

So, you talk to Mel after that happened? Things okay now?

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"Seem to be," Andrew shrugged. "Still kind of weird, but I guess that's to be expected." He stretched and pushed his hands through his messy hair.

"So, when you planning on confessing? Because my ass is starting to go to sleep from sitting on this log."

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april kissed me.

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Andrew was mildly confused.

"I'm guessing that's a bad thing."

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*Raph looks up finally, a look of DUH clearly displayed on his face.*

Bad. Wierd. Fucked up. Bizzare.
Take you're freakin' pick.

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"Why?" It was a legitimate question. Andrew knew zip about April. "She seemed nice. Aside from her smacking me."

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She's April.

*Really, isn't that reason enough?*

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"And? It's not like she's your sister or something."

Oh, gee, another hot chick wants on your jock. What a terrible life you've got.

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No, it is like she's my sister. My sister an' my mother.
You know what? Never mind, you wouldn't get it anyway.

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"Not if you don't tell me, you're right," Andrew replied, nonplussed. He sighed, rubbing at the back of his neck.

"Okay, so. You see her as some kind of mother-figure, but obviously she doesn't quite agree with that. Was it more than a kiss, or...? I mean, what were the circumstances? You want my advice, you need to give me something to work with here."

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*Raph sort of collapses in on himself, just a little.
So much for the lack of stress happiness, right?*

She'd just clocked me because I'd just...i'd just told her 'bout home.

An' then she leaned over an'...you know...kissed me.
Which was stupid 'cause she'd split my lip.

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"Huh," Andrew sounded, thinking. "You think maybe it was just the heightened circustances that brought it on? If it was as emotional as it sounds like, it wouldn't be that crazy. If she was, like, torn between wanting to help you and hurt you, y'know what I'm saying?" He shrugged. "Did you like it? Is that the issue here, or is it just that you think she wants you now?"

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I don't know what to think. An' I don't know what to expect when we go back. I mean...crap.

*Raph thinks back to the days when he was small. Not young, small. He remembers her holding him. An no matter how frustrated he'd been then, he remembers her, and feeling safe.*

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Andrew nodded sympathetically. "Right. It's just kind of been thrown at you, out of the blue." He chewed at the inside of his cheek a moment. "Maybe it's a good thing, though. I mean, if it's been there, but you didn't know. Weird time for it to come up, but it makes sense, if you think about it from a psychological standpoint."

Andrew hesitated. "Maybe it's not as bad as you're making it out. These things usually seem bigger than they are, right? And the good news is that other than beating the shit out of you, she didn't freak out, right? I mean, she's still around and all... and kissing you." He coughed, trying to not smirk.

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Oh yeah, she seemed great after I had to pick her up off the ground and console her for hours.
Right as freakin' rain.

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"But she was there," Andrew pointed out. "That's no small thing, man."

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Yeah....i guess. It's just gonna be awkward, an' I hate awkward.

*He finishes the apple, wipes the blade of the knife on his pant leg, and then throws it into the tree trunk next to the sai.

Nah, it'll be fine. It's like you said, an' emotion thing.

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Andrew smiled almost blythely, but didn't say anything else.

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G'head. Write it on your calendar.
Raph says I'm right.

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"Oh, I plan on it," Andrew smirked. He coughed discreetly, and it might have sounded like youlikeher.

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Cute.
*Raph rolls to his feet and stands.*

Whether I do or don't, it don't matter. 'M spoken for.

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Andrew rolled his eyes right back, but didn't say what he was thinking. He was not going there, not on vacation.

He was, nevertheless, smug. Because that might as well have been a yes.

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*Raph stretches and walks back into the tent.
A few seconds later a green three fingered hand attached to an equally green forearm lands in Largeman's lap.

It's hollow, and made of foam latex, but Large might not pick up on that at first.*

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Andrew jumped a bit at the hand on his shoulder, but when he turned and saw it, and then the body it was attached to, he literally fell off of the log with a screech.

It wasn't that girly of a sound, really.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!"

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Well you do such a good job of walkin'round in my head, I thought maybe you'd get a kick outta walkin'round in my shoes too.

*Raph holds up a pair of knee high foam rubber boots. They are green and resemble the calves and feet of something green with two toes.*

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Andrew glared. "Oh, you're a fucking laugh riot, you know that? Really. You should do stand-up." He picked himself up off of the ground, brushing off his boxers.

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Specieist.

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"Oh, yeah, you caught me. Better call the ACLU," Andrew smirked. He paused, looking self-important all of a sudden.

"Besides, I know something you don't."

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Oh yeah? What's that?

*Says a Raph expertly spinning a sai while wearing the other green three fingered glove.*

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"It says 'balls' on your face," Andrew quipped as he sauntered past and back inside.

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*Raph holds up the pommel of the weapon, and looks at his reflection.*

Muthafucker.