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 Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 4:45 pm
”Ah, that’s a shame. Nevermind. Sounds like you’re pretty much under control. Shouldn’t have expected anything less. Hm, that means we really do have three hours to spare. We’ll have to play a game of Monopoly or something equally time consuming.”
He watched the world go past through the window; noting any interesting shops. This wasn’t an area he came to often. “If they don’t turn up, our evil twins can drink all the wine and have a Merry Christmas.”
He smiled. “Though I’m sure they’ll turn up. Who the hell doesn’t come to a Christmas party? Even I’m here.”
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Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2009 10:59 am
Banyan had to agree. Even Hunter. EARLY, even! That was a but confusing. Apparently he'd gotten word but no one told him the time. She wondered if others would just start showing up early. Surely not as early as Hunter.
Surely...
"Monopoly? Honey, how old do you think we are?" she laughed, signaling a turn on a stop. "In any case, I don't have it. Are you familiar with Egyptian Rat Screw? ... And, no, it's not what you think it is so don't bother asking if I'm from Egypt."
Banyan took the turn and headed into a tucked away district of little shops. There was a small grocer, an eccentric looking shop with a fortune teller's palm painted on the window, and the deli. It was an odd combination, but explaining how the fortune teller got to set up shop between two food shops would've taken ages to explain.
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Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2009 3:20 pm
The Raccoon idly scratched his chin. It was rather odd really. He’d expected to be given a very cold welcome or tossed out into the snow. Instead he was enjoying himself while being driven to pick up supplies. For him, it was a surprisingly nice turn of events. He didn’t feel the need to constantly tease or be on guard with Banyan and so was able to relax.
If the others didn’t turn up on time, well, they’d be getting a call. This was going to be a great Christmas party whether they liked it or not.
“What, you’ve got a problem with Monopoly? I’ll have you know it’s a very technical game.” It was Hunter’s turn to laugh as the image of ‘Egyptian Rat Screw’ flew through his mind. “Never heard of it; but I sure do like the sound of it. When do we start?”
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Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 12:54 pm
"It's a game you play with just a deck of cards," she said, pulling into a parking space. Her parallel parking leaves something to be desired. "What decides the winner is who has all the cards by the end of the game. The fun part is all the slapping you do to get them."
With that she turned off the engine, unbuckled and then began rummaging through her purse for her pile of receipts and pick up tickets.
"Maybe we should just grab one of each wine," she said, pulling open an inner clutch purse and counting out bills. "I've got enough for everything but the really expensive stuff. Champagne's too formal and frilly, anyway. No one's dressing up for this. God, at least I hope not!"
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Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 2:38 pm
“Well, sounds good to me. I’m always up for a game of cards.” As she stopped the car he unbuckled his seatbelt, opening the door and sitting half in and half out of the car as he waited for her to get stuff together. “A red and a white would do. They hardly need anything fancy.”
He chuckled. “Oh, a few of them might pretty themselves, but I think they know it’s a casual thing. Clearly I didn’t try dress up for the occasion... though these pants are new.” The raccoon slipped out the car, closing the door and rapping on the window. “Let’s go Banyan.”
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Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 2:58 pm
"Hold up, Mr. New Jeans," Banyan said, rushing out of the car and grabbing her keys at the last moment. Locking herself out of her car would've been horrific... Well, late for her own party, in any case. "How can anyone tell they're new if they're pre-stressed or whatever it is they're calling it this day. Distressed? Huh, if you want distressed they could pay me the extra thirty dollars you pay for them and I'll just wear them continually for one month. That'll put the heart shaped fade on your cheeks, believe me."
She didn't understand the appeal of jeans whose seams stayed so dark when the part where your buttocks sat were faded almost to white. It sometimes seemed like someone's rear hanging out with the weirdest looking thong. Particularly on the big girls who wore them too tight anyway. There was nothing sexy in a denim induced wedgie.
"We can pick up something to mix into the eggnog, too. Or something for the soda. I'm all out of rum and vodka," she noted. "There's not Xerox machine at my place, so there isn't much to keep people entertained without something mixed into the refreshments. What'll I serve the kids?"
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Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 3:29 pm
Hunter blinked, staring at the rat Hyte for a moment before giving a lopsided grin. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I picked these up for $10 at the local cheapo clothes store. I don’t need any patches on my a**; it looks good enough anyway.”
When it came to clothes Hunter was all about cheap clothing that wouldn’t fall apart too quickly. A top, some pants, what else did a guy require? He did spend half his time off in the middle of nowhere roughing it. It would have been ridiculous to spend a lot of money on snazzy jeans when he was just going to cover them in dirt.
“Get them raspberry lemonade. They always like that stuff... I think. Oh goodo, all the adults can get themselves plastered.”
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Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 4:25 pm
"Lemonade will work, the older kids can spike it with vodka."
Banyan regarded Hunter's rear end. It wasn't a bad rear end... it was everything attached to it that she often wanted to take a socket wrench to.
"You said new, you didn't say 'that trendy slept-in look'," Banyan laughed, throwing up her hands. "You do, too, need a patch on your a**. It should read 'Exit Only'."
She stuck out her tongue at him and pushed forward to open the door. She was greeted by name when the older gentleman said he'd go get her party tray from the back room. There was a tiny old woman who was the owner's wife decorating a display case with plastic poinsettias and garlands before the deli meat trays went back in. As usual, the old woman started asking when Banyan would give her grandchildren. The couple had declared her their daughter since they had no children of their own.
Only this time she looked to Banyan and then expectantly at Hunter. Banyan facepalmed loudly and her ears went from attentive to completely humiliated.
"No, no, momma!" Banyan waved her hand at the old woman frantically, but the old woman pretended to ignore her.
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Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 4:43 pm
“When I said new, I meant I bought it yesterday. I hardly need to explain what sort of new it is.” Hunter huffed, tail flicking. It wasn’t long before he was grinning again and he shook he head as he made followed her inside “Whatever.”
The Raccoon inspected the small deli, checking out what they had available. He picked things off the shelves and then put them back with either a thoughtful flick of his ears or a distasteful wrinkling of his nose, only turning when Banyan began protesting. Hunter quirked an eyebrow and then gave a wide smirk as he caught on to the look in the old lady’s eyes.
He wandered over, winking at ‘momma’. “She’s so shy isn’t she? Banyan my dear, aren’t you going to introduce me?” She was going to kill him for this.
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Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2009 2:56 pm
"This is Hunter, momma," Banyan sighed, shoulders going slack. "He's not my boyfriend, he just showed up to the party early."
The little old woman then began insisting if Banyan didn't find a man "in time", then she'd force Banyan to marry her husband's younger brother. This must have ve been the same conversation almost verbatim that the old woman had given her every single time Banyan came to visit. Given Banyan's large sandwich habit, this was practically twice a week. Banyan could only nod and wait for the old man to return with her tray. She rubbed at her cheeks with one hand, now gone red and prickling from embarrassment.
"You're terrible," she swung her denim purse at Hunter. "And that's not a compliment. If you want to give Momma Georgina grandchildren, we'll just pick up a litter of raccoons from a tree and say they take after you."
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Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2009 7:14 pm
Hunter looked like he was enjoying himself a lot as ‘momma’ felt the need to go one and on about Banyan having children. He nodded sympathetically to her whenever she happened to look in his direction, but couldn’t help the odd chuckle now and then. He almost wanted to give her a kiss on her very red cheeks just to make himself the subject of every conversation she ever had with the deli lady. Lucky for her, Hunter decided that it might sour the rest of evening. Forced kisses were not something women appreciated.
He batted away the purse with a grin. “Oh come on, they’d be cute, right? With little raccoon tails and little ratty ears. How sweet they would be.” He scooted towards the door, opening it up so she could make it out without dropping the trays. “I’m sorry to say I do take ‘terrible’ as a compliment. I’ve certainly been called much worse.”
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Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 2:18 am
Julien could barely believe that it was mere hours before the party begin and they were frantically scouring the small neighbourhood for a bottle of wine - Maxwell ran a bar for goodness sake! It only shows, he reflected grimly, we need to get out more, if one can forget to bring a bottle to a party when you work at a bar.
He was sure they'd been going in circles for a while now, so it was with great relief that they turned a corner and happened upon a remote cluster of stores they hadn't seen before - a grocer, a deli...and a fortune teller in between? No matter - the deli might have wine.
"Hurry, Maxwell!" or they would be late!
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Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 2:35 am
"There's nothing to hurry for." Maxwell said, catching up with the darting bunny. "We're hours early. Hours, Juli." He was contemplating the little deli when its door swung open to reveal a scruffy raccoon on two legs - the only one he knew the name of, at any rate - and...
...and...
...together with...
"Banyan!" He was there lightning-quick, seizing her shoulder and pushing the door into Hunter's face. "Please reconsider!!!"
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Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 8:52 pm
Banyan's jaw went slack and her eyes may well have come near to popping out of her skull. The old woman behind the counter was clearly enjoying this for she didn't get this kind of excitement anymore. Momma Georgina was practically applauding when Max burst in. Her husband came back to the front, clutching the party tray and looking amazed that Banyan had not one man but two. He began to wonder if his younger brother even stood a chance now, shaking his head in disbelief and looking at Banyan as though it were her own fault.
"I haven't even gotten to the consider part!" Banyan threw up her hands. "What's there to reconsider!? The only think I'm reconsidering is why I insist on doing this party sober!"
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Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 10:23 pm
Quite suddenly Hunter had a door in his face and his tail fluffed out in indignation. He had never officially met Maxwell, though from what he’d seen at a distance, he had already made a mental note that the smug looking feline was not worth his time. Given three seconds together he had been fairly certain he would want to throw Maxwell off a building. Apparently his assumption had been correct.
He shoved the door back at Maxwell, looming behind Banyan with a very irritated expression. “You’re in our way feline; back off.” He huffed before looking down at the rat. “Why don’t you grab those trays so we can get out of here? Wouldn’t want to miss any of your guests now would you… at least any of the good ones.”
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