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       #Post#: 771--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Natalie's Studio
   DIR By: Mascii
       Date: August 20, 2013, 10:54 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Natalie Aldis
       "So..you really have no idea who sent them? Shouldn't you
       recognize the handwriting or style or something?!" Natalie
       really liked the idea of secret notes, of some unknown guy
       sneaking up to her locker, checking every which way to make sure
       no one was looking before slipping a heartfelt letter through
       the holes in her locker.
       Erin made a face at that. "What? I don't know guys' handwriting.
       I barely know your handwriting. And the style sounds like
       someone who likes books by dead guys, which kind of doesn't
       narrow it down if you look around at most of the guys in our
       years...." She paused, then observed, "We have a weird group of
       guys, Nats. Hot, but weird."
       "Hmmm..." Natalie pondered that for a moment, then nodded,
       "True, true...I mean, just look at Clarence. Looks and talks
       like a jock, but to be honest, he's a big mother hen. And he
       gets all weak in the knees and giggly when you tickle him on--"
       She glanced over at Erin, laughed, then stopped. She reached
       another hand into her bag of Cheetos, then decided to get up and
       grab a soda. "Anyways. They're all kind of like that, aren't
       they?"
       "And what exactly happened with Amane, anyways?"
       Erin couldn't hold back the groan. "Eugh.... we just... talked
       today. It wasn't fun.... she cried, and I yelled, and it was
       stupid and sucky, but... I mean, everyone was harping on me
       about how I was treating her and all..." Erin let her words
       trail off, looking conflicted.
       "What." Natalie said, little question in the singular word. It
       was more of a statement of disbelief, and it earned a roll of
       Erin's eyes.
       "Nataliiiie," she drawled out, taking her friend by her hands
       and pulling on her. "I didn't come here to rehash all the crappy
       things that happened! I came here for you to distract me with
       your awesomeness, so doo iiiit!"
       Natalie stared at her friend for a moment. Should she tell Erin
       what she really thought of the situation? Should she tell her
       who she suspected was leaving the notes, who caused all the
       troubles that plagued her recently?
       It didn't really feel like her place to say, even though she
       desperately wanted to. Natalie made herself switch gears, for
       the sake of Erin. "Okay, then. Mouse Trap while we watch a
       movie! I feel like watching something fun! How about Psycho?!"
       She grinned at Erin, her smile stretching from ear to ear.
       #Post#: 780--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Natalie's Studio
   DIR By: GGJ5
       Date: August 30, 2013, 9:44 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Erin Spenser
       "We have a weird group of guys, Nats," Erin observed. "Hot, but
       weird."
       "Hmmm..."  Natalie seemed to think about that for a minute. Erin
       started playing with the hem of her shirt absently. "True,
       true...I mean, just look at Clarence. Looks and talks like a
       jock, but to be honest, he's a big mother hen. And he gets all
       weak in the knees and giggly when you tickle him on--"
       "Ah!" Erin hid her mouth behind her hand, giggling. "I dunno if
       I should hear that!"
       Natalie laughed, then busied herself with some of the snacks.
       Normally, Erin would be tearing into them, too, but she still
       felt too sad inside to be able to enjoy them. "Anyways. They're
       all kind of like that, aren't they?"
       Erin thought about the guys she'd grown closest to. Or the ones
       she wanted to be closest to. She thought about the way Clarence
       tried to woo Natalie by quoting some fantasy novel. She thought
       about how Corzen liked to talk like he was writing poetry, or
       was secretly from a Jane Austen novel (but that just made her
       feel sad again). She thought about how Yukito would go hours
       without saying anything, but the moment someone mentioned
       something he could really get into, he'd go on an adorable
       mini-rant about it. (And that just made her even more sad,
       because Erin was 90% certain she couldn't elicit that kind of
       response from him ever, at this point.) Aloud, she just sighed.
       "Yeah...."
       "And what exactly happened with Amane, anyways?"
       Erin couldn't hold back the groan, shifting uncomfortably in her
       seat. "Eugh.... we just... talked today. It wasn't fun.... she
       cried, and I yelled, and it was stupid and sucky, but... I mean,
       everyone was harping on me about how I was treating her and
       all..." She gave up trying. Restless, Erin walked back over to
       some of the snacks and dug through them, even though she wasn't
       hungry. She just needed to move.
       The disapproval in Natalie's voice was evident. And really, part
       of Erin still agreed with her. She still thought that Amane had
       been doing everything wrong, that she didn't have any business
       breaking her word to Yukito and pestering him the way she did.
       But she didn't like being badgered so much, either, and being
       made to feel guilty. Feeling guilty was the worst. So if
       apologizing got people off her back, it wasn't so bad... At
       least, that's how she tried to justify it.
       But talking about that wasn't why she'd wanted to be with
       Natalie today. Natalie was supposed to distract her, to make her
       feel better, to be on her side for whatever she needed.
       "Nataliiiie," she drawled out, taking her friend by her hands
       and pulling on her. "I didn't come here to rehash all the crappy
       things that happened! I came here for you to distract me with
       your awesomeness, so doo iiiit!"
       "Okay, then. Mouse Trap while we watch a movie! I feel like
       watching something fun! How about Psycho?!" Natalie grinned, and
       a chunk of the heavy lead feeling inside Erin dissipated.
       She made a face as Natalie's movie suggestion registered. "Huh?
       Isn't that some old black and white movie? But black and white
       movies are so boooring! What 'bout Zombieland or something?" She
       pulled the top off of the Mouse Trap game. "I'mma win! Wait--"
       She looked over at Natalie quizzically. "Can you even actually
       win this game? 'Cause I just used to put it together and then
       take it apart... and then play with the little silver ball
       thingy. I don't think I ever actually played it." She glanced
       upward, like the memory would pop up in a cloud like in the
       movies. "Hm. Well. Anyway, I'll still win."
       #Post#: 790--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Natalie's Studio
   DIR By: Mascii
       Date: September 11, 2013, 9:45 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Natalie Aldis
       "Nataliiiie," Erin complained, tugging on Natalie's hands like
       some child that wanted to go buy ice cream and their mother
       wouldn't take them.  "I didn't come here to rehash all the
       crappy things that happened! I came here for you to distract me
       with your awesomeness, so doo iiiit!"
       "Okay, then. Mouse Trap while we watch a movie! I feel like
       watching something fun! How about Psycho?!" Natalie grinned,
       determined to change the mood as soon as possible. Erin, she
       knew, would eagerly comply. It was just how they worked.
       "Huh? Isn't that some old black and white movie? But black and
       white movies are so boooring! What 'bout Zombieland or
       something?"
       As if the suggestion was an appalling, difficult one, Natalie
       rolled her eyes and moaned out a heavily accented, "Fi-i-ine, if
       you want." Natalie pulled out Zombieland - although both of them
       had already seen it multiple times - and placed it in the DVD
       player, while Erin dug into the Mouse Trap box.
       "I'mma win! Wait--" She looked over at Natalie quizzically. "Can
       you even actually win this game? 'Cause I just used to put it
       together and then take it apart... and then play with the little
       silver ball thingy. I don't think I ever actually played it."
       "Oh my God, Erin, are you serious?!" Natalie was caught
       somewhere in between laughter and dismay, her eyes widened and
       her jaw dropping. "This was, like, the best game ever, right
       after Hi Ho! Cherry-O, okay? This game is the real deal. Just
       nerdy enough without having to use your brains, and you win
       essentially by catching the other player's
       placemaker-mouse-thingy.  Think of it like that movie with the
       guy who plays Timon and that other guy! Um...Nathan...Nathan
       Fillion...Nathan P...Pl....I dunno. Timon." She was gesturing
       wildly as she spoke, taking breaks to pull out pieces and
       placing them around the board before Erin could ruin it and
       place it all helter-skelter. The silver ball was hiding beneath
       one of the pipe pieces, and nearly fell off the table, so
       Natalie had to lunge to catch it and place it in the corner of
       the box to wait.
       "Hm. Well. Anyway, I'll still win."
       "I CALL THE RED MOUSE!" she bellowed, holding the piece in one
       hand and pumping her free fist into the air. Then, she moved the
       piece closer to her face, sending it an endearing little look at
       she cooed, "Hmm..what shall I name you, cutie? Maybe I'll name
       you Madam Veronica Sky." She considered a moment, then nodded.
       "Yup, and this mouse's tail is broken off..." she pointed to the
       green one, "The neighbor kid chewed it off. We'll call that one
       Lilith." A short explosion of laughter escaped her at the sound
       of her own joke. She adjusted into a cross-legged position in
       front of the board, her second can of soda hissing as she opened
       it. "You can go first, because you're the youngest, baby-face."
       #Post#: 801--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Natalie's Studio
   DIR By: GGJ5
       Date: September 15, 2013, 3:41 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Erin Spenser
       "I'mma win! Wait--" She looked over at Natalie quizzically. "Can
       you even actually win this game? 'Cause I just used to put it
       together and then take it apart... and then play with the little
       silver ball thingy. I don't think I ever actually played it."
       "Oh my God, Erin, are you serious?!"  Natalie seemed genuinely
       shocked, and Erin just shrugged, giving a little laugh herself.
       "Yeah... it was fun enough playing it my way that I never played
       it the box's way!"
       "This was, like, the best game ever, right after Hi Ho!
       Cherry-O, okay?"
       "I never played that one the right way, either! I threw the
       cherry-things at stuff!" Erin interrupted, laughs coming more
       naturally now. Natalie always knew how to make her feel better.
       "This game is the real deal. Just nerdy enough without having
       to use your brains, and you win essentially by catching the
       other player's placemaker-mouse-thingy.  Think of it like that
       movie with the guy who plays Timon and that other guy!
       Um...Nathan...Nathan Fillion...Nathan P...Pl....I dunno. Timon."
       Erin cocked her head to the side, giving Natalie a look of pure
       confusion. "Mouse Trap is like The Lion King? Like, Scar wants
       to catch Simba, or Timon and Puumba want to catch bugs?" She
       mimed grabbing bugs out of the air. "Nom--nom-- NOM!"
       Natalie frantically worked at setting up the game--  at least
       Erin assumed that's what she was doing. She gave an exaggerated
       frown, crossing her arms.  "Hm. Well. Anyway, I'll still win."
       "I CALL THE RED MOUSE!" Natalie shouted, snagging the little
       plastic thing and sending a cheer into the air.
       "Then I'll get yellow, because it looks like CHEESE AND BUTTER!"
       Erin shouted back equally, taking the yellow mouse and poking it
       in Natalie's direction. "Pow-- pow! Cheesy butter mouse-gun!"
       Natalie was busy babying her red mouse friend. "Hmm..what shall
       I name you, cutie? Maybe I'll name you Madam Veronica Sky."
       Erin scoffed, rolling her eyes. She looked at her yellow mouse
       and said, "She really thinks naming it such a flowery princess
       name is gonna help her win? FEAR ME AND MY CHEESY BUTTER
       MOUSE-GUN! His name is PLUTO VAN ROMANOV and he is feared in at
       least TWELVE COUNTRIES! Ha-ha-ha-ha!"
       "Yup, and this mouse's tail is broken off..." Natalie observed,
       pointing at the green one. "The neighbor kid chewed it off.
       We'll call that one Lilith." They both burst into laughs.
       "You're evil!" Erin shouted, still giggling, as she snagged a
       can of coke from Natalie's stash.
       "You can go first, because you're the youngest, baby-face."
       Erin made a face at that. "I don't wanna be the baby, though. I
       wanna doooo stuff, like you, and everyone else!" She took her
       turn and rolled her die. "I got a five! Does that mean I get one
       of those cheese pieces? Oh!! Can we use real cheese? Like those
       cubes... Mmm, cheese cubes...." Erin pulled the tab on her soda
       open. "Hey-- how fast can you drink yours? I bet I can drink it
       faster than you!" She didn't wait for an answer from Natalie,
       just started a rapid countdown: "THREETWOONEGO!" She lifted the
       can to her lips, took a deep breath, and chugged. Thankfully,
       she didn't need to stop for another breath, and it was
       definitely easier than she remembered before her Enhancement.
       When the can was empty, she raised it above her head and yelled,
       "Done! Eugh... and now I feel full... But I still beat you!"
       (Even though she hadn't checked, Erin still decided to argue
       that she'd won.)
       #Post#: 818--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Natalie's Studio
   DIR By: Mascii
       Date: December 20, 2013, 5:00 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Natalie Aldis
       "Hmm..what shall I name you, cutie? Maybe I'll name you Madam
       Veronica Sky."
       Erin scoffed, rolling her eyes. She looked at her yellow mouse
       and said, "She really thinks naming it such a flowery princess
       name is gonna help her win? FEAR ME AND MY CHEESY BUTTER
       MOUSE-GUN! His name is PLUTO VAN ROMANOV and he is feared in at
       least TWELVE COUNTRIES! Ha-ha-ha-ha!"
       Natalie laughed, throwing her head back with the effort. "Yup,
       and this mouse's tail is broken off..." she observed, pointing
       at the green one. "The neighbor kid chewed it off. We'll call
       that one Lilith." They both cackled with hearty laughter, the
       kind that echoed through the room and into your chest.
       "You're evil!" Erin shouted, still giggling, as she snagged a
       can of coke from Natalie's stash.
       "Hmmm...yes, quite," she said with a smirk.   "You can go first,
       because you're the youngest, baby-face."
       Erin made a face at that. "I don't wanna be the baby, though. I
       wanna doooo stuff, like you, and everyone else!" She took her
       turn and rolled her die. "I got a five! Does that mean I get one
       of those cheese pieces? Oh!! Can we use real cheese? Like those
       cubes... Mmm, cheese cubes...." Erin pulled the tab on her soda
       open. "Hey-- how fast can you drink yours? I bet I can drink it
       faster than you!"
       Without waiting for an answer, Erin started counting down -
       "THREETWOONEGO!" And started chugging as best as she could.
       Unable to ignore a challenge, Natalie raised her own, rushing to
       keep up with Erin, but choking halfway and needing to cough
       before continuing. Needless to say, Erin won.
       "Done! Eugh... and now I feel full... But I still beat you!"
       "Ch-" she hacked through her coughs, "Ch-cheater!"
       #Post#: 822--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Natalie's Studio
   DIR By: GGJ5
       Date: December 21, 2013, 3:42 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Erin Spenser
       "You can go first, because you're the youngest, baby-face,"
       Natalie commented, making Erin twist her face as if she'd just
       tasted sour lemonade.
       "I don't wanna be the baby, though. I wanna doooo stuff, like
       you, and everyone else!" That was one of the things that was
       making her so angry, so grumpy, so mad. Did Natalie really not
       get that? Erin glared at the dice, rolling them, and trying her
       best to not let that anger rise out. When the dice landed, she
       counted the dots and said, overexcitedly, "I got a five! Does
       that mean I get one of those cheese pieces? Oh!! Can we use real
       cheese? Like those cubes... Mmm, cheese cubes...." Erin pulled
       the tab on her soda open. "Hey-- how fast can you drink yours? I
       bet I can drink it faster than you!"
       Without waiting for an answer, Erin started counting down -
       "THREETWOONEGO!" And started chugging as best as she could.  She
       saw Natalie in the corner of her eye join in, but she knew she'd
       gotten a good enough lead.
       "Done!" Erin announced over Natalie's choking sounds. "Eugh...
       and now I feel full... But I still beat you!"
       "Ch-" Natalie hacked through her coughs, "Ch-cheater!"
       "Not a cheater, you just weren't listening, so there!" Erin
       stuck her tongue out at Natalie and finished up her turn on the
       game. "Oh, I need the first piece now...!" Erin fished in the
       box until she found the part she was looking for and placed it
       on the board. "Okay, your turn!" Bouncing on the balls of her
       feet, Erin looked at Natalie expectantly. She knew she was being
       over the top, but now it was on purpose. She didn't want to be
       sad over stupid stuff. She didn't want to be sad because of
       stupid boys anymore, or being left out, or being the baby. So
       she would, at least for now, go the opposite route, and maybe if
       she acted that way enough, she'd feel that way.
       #Post#: 823--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Natalie's Studio
   DIR By: Mascii
       Date: December 22, 2013, 8:44 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Natalie Aldis
       "Ch-" Natalie hacked through her coughs, "Ch-cheater!"
       "Not a cheater, you just weren't listening, so there!" Erin
       stuck her tongue out at Natalie and finished up her turn on the
       game. "Oh, I need the first piece now...!" Erin fished in the
       box until she found the part she was looking for and placed it
       on the board. "Okay, your turn!" Bouncing on the balls of her
       feet, Erin looked at Natalie expectantly.
       “Fine, fine, fine,” she said, quickly moving her mouse along the
       trail, adding another piece to the 'mouse trap' they were
       creating. “Hey, Erin. Weird question, since I'm already past
       'sugar high' and into 'weird sugary contemplation'. What are
       your thoughts on the afterlife? Like, do you think once you die,
       you go someplace, or that it all just ends there?” She paused a
       moment, her face thoughtful, then let out a giggle that bubbled
       into a full-on laugh, “That's a weird question. But you know,
       our mice's ultimate demise made me think of it!”
       #Post#: 829--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Natalie's Studio
   DIR By: GGJ5
       Date: December 22, 2013, 11:16 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Erin Spenser
       "Not a cheater, you just weren't listening, so there!" Erin
       stuck her tongue out at Natalie and finished up her turn on the
       game. "Oh, I need the first piece now...!" Erin fished in the
       box until she found the part she was looking for and placed it
       on the board. "Okay, your turn!" Bouncing on the balls of her
       feet, Erin looked at Natalie expectantly.
       “Fine, fine, fine,” she said, quickly moving her mouse along the
       trail, adding another piece to the 'mouse trap' they were
       creating. “Hey, Erin. Weird question, since I'm already past
       'sugar high' and into 'weird sugary contemplation'. What are
       your thoughts on the afterlife? Like, do you think once you die,
       you go someplace, or that it all just ends there?”
       Erin didn't attempt to hide her bewildered expression.
       "Wha-a-at?" She giggled, shaking her head. "Where'd that come
       from?"
       Natalie was quiet for a minute, then joined in Erin's giggles,
       slowly growing to laughter. “That's a weird question. But you
       know, our mice's ultimate demise made me think of it!”
       "That's the weirdest reaction to sugar ever!" Erin declared,
       playfully leaning close to Natalie's ear, pretending to peer
       inside to see her brain. "Nats, you all right in there?" she
       called, still giggling.
       "Buuuut I will be nice and humor you," she said with an impish
       grin, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "Hmm."
       Swaying a bit as she thought, Erin worked her mouth before
       speaking. "I always thought that if there wasn't anything later,
       then life would be pretty meaningless. If there wasn't anything
       bigger than just this, then really, we're just wasting time
       existing, and I don't think we would've made it this far if we
       were just existing. My dad says something like,  'Each moment in
       the present is really just one more moment of eternity.'" She
       mused for a second, trying to once more wrap her head around the
       idea. It was something discussed at the dinner table, of all
       places, more than once. Her parents liked to talk about intense
       topics like life and death and the meaning of existence and
       stuff, and it got even more deep at big family get-togethers.
       Somehow she was born into a family of nerdy brainiacs, and the
       thinky-gene skipped her entirely.
       Erin decided to let go of the philosophy for now and share her
       own thoughts, pure and simple. "And I don't think there's a way
       to kill a spirit. You can kill a body, but the spirit doesn't
       get killed, it just keeps going. That's why you have ghosts and
       stuff, because they just keep going, but sometimes in the wrong
       places, or maybe they don't know their body doesn't work
       anymore." She shrugged. "Ew, now I feel all gloomy and
       serious...." Erin made like she was shaking off the gloom like a
       dog shakes of water. "Get it off!" she cried, unable to keep a
       straight face, spilling into giggles. "Hey, what if we told
       ghost stories? Or watched one of those creepy movies?"
       #Post#: 832--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Natalie's Studio
   DIR By: Mascii
       Date: December 24, 2013, 5:06 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Natalie Aldis
       “Fine, fine, fine,” she said, quickly moving her mouse along the
       trail, adding another piece to the 'mouse trap' they were
       creating. “Hey, Erin. Weird question, since I'm already past
       'sugar high' and into 'weird sugary contemplation'. What are
       your thoughts on the afterlife? Like, do you think once you die,
       you go someplace, or that it all just ends there?”
       Erin didn't attempt to hide her bewildered expression.
       "Wha-a-at?" She giggled, shaking her head. "Where'd that come
       from?"
       Natalie was quiet for a minute, then joined in Erin's giggles,
       slowly growing to laughter. “That's a weird question. But you
       know, our mice's ultimate demise made me think of it!”
       "That's the weirdest reaction to sugar ever!" Erin declared,
       leaning close to Natalie's ear, pretending to peer inside to see
       her brain. "Nats, you all right in there?" she called, still
       giggling.
       Natalie laughed harder, playfully pushing Erin away and
       shouting, "Sto-o-op, Erin! You're so cruel to me-e-e, shouting
       in my ear and stuff!"
       "Buuuut I will be nice and humor you," she said with an impish
       grin, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "Hmm."
       Swaying a bit as she thought, Erin worked her mouth before
       speaking. "I always thought that if there wasn't anything later,
       then life would be pretty meaningless. If there wasn't anything
       bigger than just this, then really, we're just wasting time
       existing, and I don't think we would've made it this far if we
       were just existing. My dad says something like,  'Each moment in
       the present is really just one more moment of eternity.'" She
       paused a moment, considering the idea a little more, and
       actually taking it a lot more seriously than Natalie had
       expected. "And I don't think there's a way to kill a spirit. You
       can kill a body, but the spirit doesn't get killed, it just
       keeps going. That's why you have ghosts and stuff, because they
       just keep going, but sometimes in the wrong places, or maybe
       they don't know their body doesn't work anymore."
       "Hm...." Natalie mused, "That makes sense. But it makes you
       wonder what happens to you, right? Like. I don't think a spirit
       is something you can measure or truly contain, it just gets a
       little grounded for awhile. But then again, doesn't that just
       seem like something we try to believe in, just to make ourselves
       feel better? Like Santa Claus or something? I mean...you can't
       really lock down a spirit."
       She shrugged. "Ew, now I feel all gloomy and serious...." Erin
       made like she was shaking off the gloom like a dog shakes off
       water. "Get it off!" she cried, unable to keep a straight face,
       spilling into giggles. "Hey, what if we told ghost stories? Or
       watched one of those creepy movies?"
       "Sure!" Natalie chirruped brightly, having received an answer
       from Erin. She plopped down in front of her pile of DVDs,
       yanking out a pile that was exclusively horror. "Which one?
       Which one?" She queried, holding up three or four of them as if
       they were playing cards.
       #Post#: 837--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Natalie's Studio
   DIR By: GGJ5
       Date: December 30, 2013, 1:40 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Erin Spenser
       Erin told her what she thought, what she'd gleaned from the
       weird holiday dinner conversations with her family, how she
       understood things. True, she didn't really understand much, but
       she still gave it her best, because when it came to life and
       death stuff, well, it was kind of life and death. So, Erin gave
       it her best effort to explain the little she understood,
       fiddling with the board pieces as she added, "And I don't think
       there's a way to kill a spirit. You can kill a body, but the
       spirit doesn't get killed, it just keeps going. That's why you
       have ghosts and stuff, because they just keep going, but
       sometimes in the wrong places, or maybe they don't know their
       body doesn't work anymore." That bit she knew her dad didn't
       think was right. He didn't believe in ghosts. But it made sense
       to Erin, and she knew at least her mom agreed with her. And
       anyone who'd had a creepy ghost-like experience.
       "Hm...." Natalie mused, "That makes sense. But it makes you
       wonder what happens to you, right? Like. I don't think a spirit
       is something you can measure or truly contain, it just gets a
       little grounded for awhile. But then again, doesn't that just
       seem like something we try to believe in, just to make ourselves
       feel better? Like Santa Claus or something? I mean...you can't
       really lock down a spirit."
       Erin pursed her lips, thinking. "Well, even Santa came from a
       real person." She twirled her mouse around on the board, making
       him tap out a rhythm to the song in her head. "And I heard once
       about this experiment some dude did to see if he could measure a
       soul. He'd weigh someone just before they died and then right
       after, and there was a difference in the weight, he couldn't
       find any reason for it-- no gross dead-person fluid or gas or
       anything. So he thought that that might've been the soul leaving
       the body or something. I think it was the soul, anyway." Erin
       shrugged.
       "Ew, now I feel all gloomy and serious...." Erin made like she
       was shaking off the gloom like a dog shakes off water. "Get it
       off!" she cried, unable to keep a straight face, spilling into
       giggles. "Hey, what if we told ghost stories? Or watched one of
       those creepy movies?"
       "Sure!" Natalie dove for the DVDs, pulling out a stack that
       radiated creepy, even from just the cases. She held them out to
       Erin, who kneeled down to examine them. "Which one? Which one?"
       "Hmmm..." She made a show of "thinking" hard over the choices,
       reading each title aloud and frowning at the covers. "Hmmm.... I
       want this one!" She pulled out the last one from the stack, the
       cover looking particularly creepy to her. "And we have to turn
       off the lights and get out blankets and chips!"
       She grabbed what she could find around the room to help Natalie
       build their horror-movie-nest. "Are there ghosts in this one?"
       she asked, nestling down. "'Cause since you brought up the whole
       spirit thing, I really wanna see a ghost story..."
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