We're All Adults Here... Let's Chat.

Trapped. Knees, ankles, arms. Curiously enough, not hands. Crude. Free now. Is it mad to pray for better... hallucinations? Now that I see this place for what it is, it's crude. Like a high schooler stitching together plagarized bits of literature for a report. You barely know what you're doing with this whole thing, do you? You're a child gluing together bits of colored paper in preschool and hoping it makes a picture.

Funny, that. I'm not sure how I can tell, anyway. I see the seams of your stolen bits or "reality" though.
Shepherd, was it? It hurts oh god, it hurts, but now I'm laughing. It's a high, manic sound, and I can barely stop it, even to breathe. You're going to want to hurt me more for that fact, aren't you? You don't strike me as the kind that likes to be laughed at, Shep. Too bad. I rather like laughing, and even if it hurts, I don't see myself stopping for a while.

I'm going to find them, and we're going to get out of this. Maybe I'm a mouse, maybe I'm useless, but I'm learning. And almost nothing you can do will stop that. For better or worse... With the way things are going, I feel sure worse on one level or another. Well, I can think of a few thngs, but no matter.
I'm the weak one, right? I'm the weak one. Go for the weak link. Heh.

Come on, then. Let's talk.

I've been seeing that thing off and on a few times while we've... I've been here. At the moment, I will not dignify it with a name or even a gender. I am tired. I am tired and it is wrong. Forever watching. Wearing things down. Even here, things warp around it, tearing and.... I hope Tia and Blake are okay. At the moment, if they found some way out and left me, I wouldn't hold it against them. But when would I ever?

...Tia won't leave without me, though. Even when maybe she should.

No. Not going to think that way. Not going to think that way. Shep, sweetie, let's have a chat.

Roller Coasters

So Tia loves amusement parks right? She gets a thrill from roller coasters and she loves the park food and the little games where you can win things, plus the little souvenirs. She's got a really soft spot for those little key chains you can get with the little logos from each amusement park. She's got one from Disneyland and California Adventures and Magic Mountain and Universal Studios, and pretty much every other theme park in California too.

Not to mention all the coasters in Las Vegas she's quested to ride, and the trip we took out to Florida just for Legoland. And when we went to Paris? We were at Disneyland Paris before we made it to the Eiffel Tower. She's got a fondness for Amusement Parks. I think I've made my point.

Anyway. She needs to relax a little, and maybe Lissie'd be able to let go a little, so we're taking a break and popping into an amusement park tomorrow. Hopefully Tia'll come back with a new key chain to clip onto her collection and it'll be a nice day off. Not that days 'off' really exist, but a day without driving and relative happiness would be appreciated by all of the party, I'm sure.

We're Out

Sorry Hope people. Sorry everyone, but after yesterday I think it's time we moved on.


I talked with Lissie about it and she agrees.


There's some things we need to move past - literally and figuratively both.


Hope has been a wonderful place for us. We've grown and learned here and we may regret not staying longer later on, or we may not. But it's been plenty a while, it's been fun, and this is a sort of "See you later everyone!"


We'll be back. Or we'll see you all again. Or something.


We'll work it out. Thank you.

No.
Nonononono. He's not here. He's not anywhere.
The man that I feared is dead to me. May he never cross my path. The man that I feared died to me years ago. The man that I feared is dead to me. The man that I loved is all that remains. The beautiful. The positive. The time before I feared him. The man that I feared is dead to me. May he never cross my path.
It's not him, just someone who looks like him. It has to be. Logic.
Fuck.

To Conclude

A genius with electronics had arrived at Hope when I was looking through the Helikite, whose name I later found was Alex, one of Elaine's rescues. He's a real wiz though. Found a camera on the kite, and it would've taken me twice as much time to decode all that nonsense that was on it. Little thing tried to crash my built like a solid block of concrete laptop.

That was cute.

Not to worry though, we managed to figure out the files and see what all was captured. It was interesting to unlock and everything, but I really didn't care for what we found on it. And I don't think that needs much more clarification.

It's in Elaine's hands, and she's capable enough to take care of it. So we're going back to normal socializing and such here for a while.

Tia's invaded Lissie's for a bit, after Marie's post this morning she wasn't feeling so hot. I'm going back to working from home now and finishing this program I had on hold whilst I finished the camera project.

So that's pretty much it.

Oh, and tomorrow Tia and I have 3 years behind us. So there's something special I have planned. Should be fun.

Good morning, sweeties

And your unmatched taste in people to care for continues to serve you so well, Elisa.
You make me sick.
People "love" you?
Love you?
You who abandons people and breaks promises?
You who doesn't even believe you deserve notice, much less love?
Oh yes, I remember those talks, Elisa.
What did you do to make dear Michael slip?
Why was 'he' thanking you, darling?
Oh, I imagine you'll say it's none of my business, of course.
But you've stopped replying to my emails, and I just had to check on you.
After all, I'm your responsibility, right?
Ha.
If that's what makes you feel like you're any better than me or anyone else.
Oh, and Tia?
That post was fucking saccharine.
Not your drunk little fuck-up, but that was amusing in itself.
As was the thought of the two of you mugging someone.
Don't worry, Blake, I feel sure things are going to be just dandy.

Agh, people

Okay, we've had people at Hope all along, but it oddly feels more... full at the moment. Or maybe it's just my head. I don't know. August and Doc arrived yesterday, and today, Elaine and Shaun got back with the kids that they and Konaa went after. Not that I mind. I'll probably just hermit myself away again for a bit.

I'm glad they were able to get at least some of the kids away from there.

There was also a slight incident yesterday, before Doc and August showed up. A... guy with a kite with recording equipment attached to it. Tia and I dealt with it handily, with some support from Lucas. Guy claimed to be a student studying meteorology for college. We confiscated his equipment. I did rather try to be polite and diplomatic, but he freaked.  Well, people can fuss as much as they like, but in this case, I freaking love private property laws in Texas.

Blake's taking a look at the equpiment from the kite, and will probably take it to someone who knows more about the device that it's supposed to be. He does say it looks rather patched together, though, so we're doubting it's a piece belonging to any professor.

All in all, at things weren't exactly boring while Elaine and Shaun were gone, but they weren't bad, either.