- 16 - Finishing a good book is like leaving a good friend.

[toobravehearted]

[[Backdated to Halloween afternoon.]]

[ It's been rather quiet from this quarter as of late. That's not necessarily a bad thing. The Doctor has had to wait a little... Waiting he can do. He can bide his time and Time is his business after all. No, he doesn't mind waiting at all.

Endings though. Finalities. Goodbye's. Last pages. Postscripts and signatures. He doesn't like those and there's been so many of them. One after the other after another, oh, THAT doesn't end. People will come and go, and their paths cross briefly or a bit longer and then they're gone, it is a fact of life that he is well aware of. But here it feels so final, like the last stroke of a pen at the bottom of a page.

Is this what Paradisa will do to him one day as it has to others? Finding himself writing notes and postscripts in preparation for the day when the castle has had enough of him? Or did it do that once already?

He's in a spot that's becoming one of his favourite places, the landing that over looks the lobby. Hands flat on top of the stone wall, the Halloween decorations below are just that and feel tawdry, hollow, and mocking his mood. He finds a familiar anger bubbling up again. That won't do. Not now. Not when his journal only just repaired itself, because damn the castle if he didn't throw it hard enough to lose its cover and break the spine. Childish and petulant.

There are no endings. He will refuse them. There is always time and there are no endings, no goodbye's.

It's still a few minutes more before he addresses the journal, though. His tone doesn't carry his usual measure of brightness. ]

Good afternoon. I-.

It's the Doctor here, usually the one in the cricket jumper. Well, I'll get right to the point and save us all some time for today's festivities, shall I, for I'm more than aware I'm not the only one dressed in new clothes again.

( Filtered: anyone previously affiliated with Code Blair or who would like to be. )

( Filtered: Tenth Doctor. )

I would appreciate it, I really would, if comments on my attire today could be kept to a minimum. Yes, I know it's likely a lot to ask, and yes, I do understand the humour of operating scrubs, a white lab coat and a stethoscope, thank you. [ Not to mention that rather snappy name tag of 'Doctor McLovely'. There's a pause before he continues. ]

In the meantime, if the children or anyone else interested has had enough of sweets already today, I have left a basket of apples in the lobby. Far much better for your health and you know what they say about apples.

dictated/action- After Halloween

[his_nemesis]

[Harry is dressed in what looks to be like some sort of feathered costume with a griffin's head over his own head. He pulls off his griffin head piece to reveal an unkempt wizard underneath. His glasses askew, he motions towards the pages of his journal. He had aimed the night of Halloween, to go as Buckbeak, the Hippogriff. Why not? He was a wizard, so dressing as something magical suited him more than anything else.]

Excuse me, but has anyone seen a large bag of sweets anywhere? I left them at the top of the staircase near the castle entrance on Halloween night. This was after I trick or treated with some of the other castle residents. When I realised I had lost the bag, it wasn't there any more. The bag is made of cloth with a pumpkin over the front of it. I would really like it back, as I collected a variety of different sweets in the evening.

Oh. Also, thanks for the Cloak, Remus. I know now that it is safe in your possession and not lost any longer. [He pauses and finds himself smiling somewhat. He resists the urge to sneeze, as some of the feathers from his costume tickle his nose.]

That's about it, really. A bag of sweets in a bag belonging to Harry Potter. That's me, if nobody knew already.

(no subject)

[willrememberthat]

Halloween was fun! I wonder if that was the castle making up for what happened earlier. I even got a cool costume.

Thanksgiving is this month. I wonder if we'll get another party...

( Jesse )

action/dictated- One pensive hobbit

[unexpected_adventures]

[Bilbo isn't his usual chirpy self on the other end of the journal. In fact, he feels rather empty, as he's lost one of his closest friends and family members. The news of Frodo leaving had hit home worse than Bilbo had expected.]

I don't think it will be the same without him. [Bilbo bites into the teacake Frodo left him, in the letter he got.]

We Baggins are meant to stick together and yet, he has gone. I feel like a big hole inside of me has opened up. [Are you being silly, Bilbo? No, he was a good friend and relation.]

I just feel a little lonely right now. I know nothing can bring him back but....it doesn't feel right without Frodo. He was such a kind and wonderful hobbit. [Bilbo sighs and bites into more of the cake. Had the Ring anything to do with it?] I just hope he goes onto somewhere and has a nice life, as all hobbits should. Free of danger and worry. [Tough luck, Bilbo. You have to get a big jewel from a dragon and help a dwarf prince gain his kingdom back.]

TENTH SHOT

[dog_eat_dog]

( Ellie, Joel, Lee, Ben, Clem, Jesse, Carley )

Station Fifty-five

[courageous_wit]

[Hermione is very nervous. She's never done anything like this before, but she knows Mark would want people to continue speaking out and talking hard. She can't spin words in the same way he can, but she can at least honor her friend with this broadcastl.

So it's not exactly 10pm on any given night. That's something people grew to expect, and another thing Mark taught her was to shake people's expectations to the ground. Surprise them with something new and different. They're also not going to hear Mark's voice, or even Hermione's. It's a spell she put on her voice box so it's difficult to tell whether she is male or female.

Wherever you two are, Mark and Nora, this broadcast is for you.

First she'll lead in with an awesome song]

Listeners, we at Paradisa have gotten used to a certain routine. Even when listening to the radio. Most of us at one point or another tuned in to Hard Harry's show. He was faithful even when times were hard, even when things got frightening for us all. And we thank him for that.

But there are some things we're tired of experiencing over and over again. People disappearing back to their homes or possibly even some alternate reality where they get false memories. Deaths and horrors that we suffer and somehow move on from. The face of Paradisa changing, making us believe we're in a different time or place. For those who've been here for years, it's gotten to where we're jaded by it.

And I don't know about you, but I'm tired of it! I'm so sick of this place playing with my friends. I'm tired of seeing people I care about reach their breaking points, and although they may be going back home it still hurts when they're not around anymore. You may be asking: what are you going to do about it?

I don't know. So what if right now all I can think to do is be angry about it? Maybe all I have is my voice. But I learned some time ago that voices can give people hope. Hard Harry gave me hope when I started listening to him and maybe I can do the same. I don't know what I can do about anything, but this is my effort. Paradisa, this may be all I have right now, but we've all learned you never know what's going to happen next.

[and she plays a song to end the broadcast. Merlin, that was the most frightening thing she's ever done. She hopes Mark and Nora were out there listening, and are proud. Or at least impressed]