((No worries.))
Maf chuckled along politely, setting Jennifer at ease. Then he swallowed, and talked about how he was glad that nothing serious had happened to anyone. Jennifer felt the same way. People getting hurt-that was never good.
Then he thanked her. She didn't know what he was thanking her for. Maybe saying he was nice? That wasn't really anything special, though. Anyone would agree that he was a nice guy, given his concern for people he'd never even seen. It was something really rare in a guy their age.
Are you going to say something, or just analyze his character?
"Oh, uh, um, You're welcome," Jennifer stammered.
Maf gestured at the food, seeming to ask what she thought of it.
"Um, thanks again for the food," she said, "It's wonderful. I don't mean to be eating all your, um, dinner. Sorry."
There you go again, apologizing for things you don't have to. He offered. You don't need to apologize for taking him up on it. It's not like he'd have made the offer insincerely...
Anniversary Party
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MurderWeasel
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Pigeon Army†
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Maf polished off the last of the pork and began rummaging in the bag for the beef and black bean. Finding it, he pulled it out, opened it, and began devouring it with the same speed and skill as he had the pork, his chopsticks flying between his mouth and his box.
"Um, thanks again for the food, it's wonderful. I don't mean to be eating all your, um, dinner. Sorry."
"No worries," Maf said quietly between mouthfuls. Jennifer's need to apologise struck Maf as peculiar, and while he wouldn't be so judgmental as to ask her why she did it, he pondered it for a second as he chewed on a piece of broccoli and watched the traffic move in front of him oh damn...
Maf quickly closed down the lid to the food and placed it back in the bag. Not wasting any time, he slid the gearstick into first and began to roll forward, slowly pushing down on the accelerator. The car in front of him lurched away, and he followed carefully, hearing the occasional cruuuunch of broken window glass under the tires. He looked out his side window to see one of the cars that had been involved in the crash being towed away, the front passenger's door buckled and barely fitting in the door frame.
"Lucky," Maf mumbled, and he turned back to the road, shifting the gearstick into second.
"Um, thanks again for the food, it's wonderful. I don't mean to be eating all your, um, dinner. Sorry."
"No worries," Maf said quietly between mouthfuls. Jennifer's need to apologise struck Maf as peculiar, and while he wouldn't be so judgmental as to ask her why she did it, he pondered it for a second as he chewed on a piece of broccoli and watched the traffic move in front of him oh damn...
Maf quickly closed down the lid to the food and placed it back in the bag. Not wasting any time, he slid the gearstick into first and began to roll forward, slowly pushing down on the accelerator. The car in front of him lurched away, and he followed carefully, hearing the occasional cruuuunch of broken window glass under the tires. He looked out his side window to see one of the cars that had been involved in the crash being towed away, the front passenger's door buckled and barely fitting in the door frame.
"Lucky," Maf mumbled, and he turned back to the road, shifting the gearstick into second.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Pigeon Army. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
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MurderWeasel
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Maf finished the pork, then moved on to the next item in his bag as Jennifer thanked him and apologized. He attacked his food fairly vigorously, pausing to say "No worries".
Then Jennifer turned to look and saw that the traffic was moving again.
Oh my fucking god he's not going to see everyone moving and we're going to get hit and die and calm down.
Maf had things under control. He closed up his food and started the car moving, very smoothly in Jennifer's estimation, not that she really had much to base her opinion on. They moved forward, following the other cars. Maf pointed out how lucky the drivers in the accident had been as one of their cars was towed past. Jennifer winced as she looked at it. It was all crushed up. She could hardly believe that people survived that sort of thing on a regular basis.
"Yeah. That looks pretty bad."
She had never been in a car crash, and hoped to keep it that way. Car crashes were really horrifying. They meant losing all control, all ability to protect your own life. It was one of the reasons she preferred to walk most of the time.
That brought up unhappy thoughts.
"So, um, you ever, um, been in a crash?" she asked, instantly regretting it.
Then Jennifer turned to look and saw that the traffic was moving again.
Oh my fucking god he's not going to see everyone moving and we're going to get hit and die and calm down.
Maf had things under control. He closed up his food and started the car moving, very smoothly in Jennifer's estimation, not that she really had much to base her opinion on. They moved forward, following the other cars. Maf pointed out how lucky the drivers in the accident had been as one of their cars was towed past. Jennifer winced as she looked at it. It was all crushed up. She could hardly believe that people survived that sort of thing on a regular basis.
"Yeah. That looks pretty bad."
She had never been in a car crash, and hoped to keep it that way. Car crashes were really horrifying. They meant losing all control, all ability to protect your own life. It was one of the reasons she preferred to walk most of the time.
That brought up unhappy thoughts.
"So, um, you ever, um, been in a crash?" she asked, instantly regretting it.
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Pigeon Army†
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Maf turned a corner, the crash slipping out of sight as they drove down a tree-lined avenue. Must be only a couple of blocks away from her place, Maf mused as he shifted down a gear. The day's dull sun trickled through the trees, giving the avenue a slightly modest appearance. Maf slowed down as he reached the end of the road, looking to turn right, when -
"So, um, you ever, um, been in a crash?"
Maf could tell Jennifer had regretted asking that question before she even finished it, her voice speeding up and dropping in volume as she followed it through to the question mark. He laughed a bit, and then shook his head. He was a good driver, and his parents would kill him if he damaged the car, given how much it had cost. He turned into the next street, another tree-lined avenue.
"Nice neighbourhood."
"So, um, you ever, um, been in a crash?"
Maf could tell Jennifer had regretted asking that question before she even finished it, her voice speeding up and dropping in volume as she followed it through to the question mark. He laughed a bit, and then shook his head. He was a good driver, and his parents would kill him if he damaged the car, given how much it had cost. He turned into the next street, another tree-lined avenue.
"Nice neighbourhood."
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MurderWeasel
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Maf shook his head, laughing a little, making it clear without speaking that he wasn't mad. It put Jennifer at ease for some reason, more at ease than she'd been the entire conversation thus far. She'd been pretty worried about sounding stupid, worried she'd annoy Maf or something, but now she'd gone and said about the stupidest thing possible and he'd just laughed it off, not even with a mean laugh.
Just don't make a habit of saying stupid things to get the awkwardness out of the way. It'll backfire right away.
They were getting close now, really close. Jennifer's family's house was by no means the nicest on the block, nowhere near, in fact. It was a bit old and beat up, and looked a touch dated next to its more modern neighbors, but it was a house, which was more than what they'd had before moving here. It had plenty of room for everyone, with Jennifer's older sister away at college, and it was located within a couple of miles of everywhere important, which was very convenient. All in all, it blew the apartment they'd had until two years ago out of the water.
Maf complimented the neighborhood, and Jennifer replied with a simple, "Thanks."
As they got a little closer, she pointed to her house and said, "It's that one. Um, thanks again for the ride. And the food."
Just don't make a habit of saying stupid things to get the awkwardness out of the way. It'll backfire right away.
They were getting close now, really close. Jennifer's family's house was by no means the nicest on the block, nowhere near, in fact. It was a bit old and beat up, and looked a touch dated next to its more modern neighbors, but it was a house, which was more than what they'd had before moving here. It had plenty of room for everyone, with Jennifer's older sister away at college, and it was located within a couple of miles of everywhere important, which was very convenient. All in all, it blew the apartment they'd had until two years ago out of the water.
Maf complimented the neighborhood, and Jennifer replied with a simple, "Thanks."
As they got a little closer, she pointed to her house and said, "It's that one. Um, thanks again for the ride. And the food."
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Pigeon Army†
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"It's that one. Um, thanks again for the ride. And the food."
Maf peered out the windshield as he saw the slightly rough-looking house appear from behind a clump of bushes on the sidewalk. It wasn't a bad house at all - Maf would've known, his own house being a very similar one in a less-than-similar neighbourhood. After all, the currency exchange rate between Fijian and US dollars back when he and his family arrived in the country, coupled with the dirt-cheap price they had sold their sugarcane farm for just to get out of the place in 1995, had meant that they hadn't been able to live as comfortably as they had before the riots.
Maf pulled up to the sidewalk outside the house, sliding the gearstick into neutral and turning to Jennifer. "Here you are," he said with a small smile. "And no problem. Just...don't get involved in that again," he said with a slight chuckle as he referred back to the parking garage showdown.
Maf peered out the windshield as he saw the slightly rough-looking house appear from behind a clump of bushes on the sidewalk. It wasn't a bad house at all - Maf would've known, his own house being a very similar one in a less-than-similar neighbourhood. After all, the currency exchange rate between Fijian and US dollars back when he and his family arrived in the country, coupled with the dirt-cheap price they had sold their sugarcane farm for just to get out of the place in 1995, had meant that they hadn't been able to live as comfortably as they had before the riots.
Maf pulled up to the sidewalk outside the house, sliding the gearstick into neutral and turning to Jennifer. "Here you are," he said with a small smile. "And no problem. Just...don't get involved in that again," he said with a slight chuckle as he referred back to the parking garage showdown.
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MurderWeasel
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Maf pulled up to the house, brought the car to a stop, and acknowledged Jennifer's thanks. Then he told her not to get involved in his problems again, in a way that made her think he might be worried about her.
She wasn't sure quite how to respond to that. Should she tell him to be careful? She hoped he would. Things had looked like they were going to get pretty unpleasant there. That would sound too weird, though, and rather patronizing. Should she tell him that she'd do whatever she pleased? No, that would be way too confrontational, and besides, it wasn't like he was treating her badly or anything. He was giving her a fair warning. Should she tell him to bring a friend? That would be awkward, and sound like she was not only expecting him to start a fight but also to need help.
Say something. Don't just stand there like an idiot.
"Um... Alright. Thanks again."
Oh way to fucking go. Just sound like you don't care. Just fucking great.
Still, there was nothing she could do now. Besides, she should probably be getting inside. She didn't really want her family to see her loitering outside some guy's car. The inquisition that would follow (well-intended though it would surely be) was not really something she wanted to deal with.
"I'll, um, see you around school then."
With that weak parting, Jennifer made her way to the door, tried to open it, discovered it was locked, fumbled her keys out, almost dropping them in the process, unlocked the door, turned and waved, and went inside.
((Jennifer Perez continued in Just Another Night))
She wasn't sure quite how to respond to that. Should she tell him to be careful? She hoped he would. Things had looked like they were going to get pretty unpleasant there. That would sound too weird, though, and rather patronizing. Should she tell him that she'd do whatever she pleased? No, that would be way too confrontational, and besides, it wasn't like he was treating her badly or anything. He was giving her a fair warning. Should she tell him to bring a friend? That would be awkward, and sound like she was not only expecting him to start a fight but also to need help.
Say something. Don't just stand there like an idiot.
"Um... Alright. Thanks again."
Oh way to fucking go. Just sound like you don't care. Just fucking great.
Still, there was nothing she could do now. Besides, she should probably be getting inside. She didn't really want her family to see her loitering outside some guy's car. The inquisition that would follow (well-intended though it would surely be) was not really something she wanted to deal with.
"I'll, um, see you around school then."
With that weak parting, Jennifer made her way to the door, tried to open it, discovered it was locked, fumbled her keys out, almost dropping them in the process, unlocked the door, turned and waved, and went inside.
((Jennifer Perez continued in Just Another Night))
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Pigeon Army†
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"Um... Alright. Thanks again."
Jennifer had waited a few seconds to stammer out that non-committal statement, but Maf didn't mind. At least it meant she thought about what she was saying before she said it - something far too few people did at Bayview, in Maf's opinion. Too often he'd have to step in at parties or after games because someone he knew had said the wrong thing without mulling it over first, and it was nice to know someone else out there didn't vomit out whatever came to mind.
His passenger lingered a second before saying she'd see Maf at school, to which he nodded slightly. With that, she walked up to her door and, after a long and amusing fumble with her keys, let herself into her house. Maf smiled as he watched her - she seemed like a nice girl, if easily flustered. Turning the key in the ignition, Maf's Honda roared into life, and he pulled back out into the avenue, watching for anyone coming out of nowhere on foot or two or four wheels. One could never be too careful, Maf knew - and given today's events, he was going to have to start living by that sentiment religiously.
((Maf Tuigamala continued in The National Anthem))
Jennifer had waited a few seconds to stammer out that non-committal statement, but Maf didn't mind. At least it meant she thought about what she was saying before she said it - something far too few people did at Bayview, in Maf's opinion. Too often he'd have to step in at parties or after games because someone he knew had said the wrong thing without mulling it over first, and it was nice to know someone else out there didn't vomit out whatever came to mind.
His passenger lingered a second before saying she'd see Maf at school, to which he nodded slightly. With that, she walked up to her door and, after a long and amusing fumble with her keys, let herself into her house. Maf smiled as he watched her - she seemed like a nice girl, if easily flustered. Turning the key in the ignition, Maf's Honda roared into life, and he pulled back out into the avenue, watching for anyone coming out of nowhere on foot or two or four wheels. One could never be too careful, Maf knew - and given today's events, he was going to have to start living by that sentiment religiously.
((Maf Tuigamala continued in The National Anthem))
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Pigeon Army. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.