I'm echoing all your philosophies;

[letmelive]

Ever since exposing GLaDOS's true function, Claire was starting to remember people she'd forgotten. It was kind of weird, some things had clicked back into place immediately, but others had taken time to recall. And since she became aware of it, there was a constant feeling on the edge of her mind that she was still missing something and it was important, but she just couldn't get a grasp on it.

That, of course didn't stop her from trying. She was determined to remember what it was, even if it didn't seem like Stacy quite wanted her to. All this excess thinking left her wandering around with a slightly spaced out look, however, and she'd been more than a little distracted. So when she was interacting with the kids in her class she had to push it back, which made it harder for her to try to get a hold on it, again.

So, anyone happening to wander through hydroponics may come across Claire sitting in one of her favorite spots, back up against a tree. She's half watching Boon run around and throwing a ball for him, but for the most part she's off in her own world.

Comments

[in-venting.livejournal.com]

Sherry flopped down beside Claire, and rested her head against the arm that wasn't throwing a ball for Boon. While the little girl was normally perfectly content to sit in their room and read, or study, she had decided to spend a little time with Claire.

Besides, her mother's unusual spaciness had worried her. Maybe her mother needed to be spending a little more time recharging with her dad, or something. Or maybe she was feeling sick. "Hi, mom."

[letmelive]

Claire barely stopped herself from jumping when Sherry was suddenly next to her, but that was mostly because she'd been paying so little attention to her surroundings that even her daughter's voice took a moment to register. Granted, when it did, she turned her head and looked down at the little girl, giving her a soft smile and shifting so she could hook her arm around her.

"Hi, sweetie."

[in-venting.livejournal.com]

Sherry looked up at Claire and pursed her lips. Yes, she was definitely acting strange. "I got bored staying in our room, so I thought I'd come looking for you." She pushed her hair from her eyes and settled against Claire. "Is everything okay?"

[letmelive]

She barely managed to keep from grimacing when Sherry asked if everything was okay. Of course, Sherry was a clever girl and would notice if her mom was acting odd, but Claire had hoped she wasn't being overly noticeable.

"Everything's fine. Why wouldn't it be?" technically it was fine, she just felt like something was...missing.

[in-venting.livejournal.com]

"I don't know. You've been staring off into space a lot more." Sherry had been used to that with the Birkins, but usually it was because they'd long-forgotten their child and were thinking of some new science experiment of one kind or another. So that faraway, spaced-out look... Sherry knew that well.

"I was just wondering, that's all."

[hero-sting.livejournal.com]

Chris much like Claire was, thinking about people forgotten in his memory by Glados. Slightly confused and even a bit angry, he had gone to the hydroponics to think on his own. Quietly with very little interruptions was how he felt at the moment. Sitting down at a nearby tree, he just stares at his Advent Deck in his hands, lost in thought.

"Well... I suppose I should talk to somebody about these weird feelings I have, the memories. But Billy has enough problems to hear mine..."

[letmelive]

Boon detects the new presence before Claire does, and instead of returning to his mistress beelines for the new person instead, barking playfully, which in turn forces Claire to pay attention and finally notice someone else nearby.

"Sorry! is he bothering you?" she called out a little sheepishly, moving to push herself up and prepare to collect the puppy if he was being intrusive.

[hero-sting.livejournal.com]

Chris momentarily startled, looked down and to the side of him and spotted a young redheaded woman and a small dog. "No, uh... It's fine. You're uh, Claire Redfield right? I just needed some time to think."

[letmelive]

"That's why I'm down here too," Claire replied automatically, smiling a little while scooping Boon up, settling his barking. "And I am Claire. You're Chris, right?"

[hero-sting.livejournal.com]

The last words Claire said surprised him a little bit. It was difficult but he was able to avoid a salute. From what little he knew of her, Chris knew she was a fair person. "Yes, ma'am. I was just... How did you know who I am?"

[greennotgold]

Sometime while Claire was sitting by that tree, Fletcher Tringham and Jujube the Puppy wandered into Hydroponics. The boy was carrying a bag slung over one shoulder containing several gardening supplies. He was not, however, carrying a leash; Jujube wandered on his own.

Jujube caught wind of the woman under the tree and bounded over to her, barking. And Fletcher followed. "Ack! Jujube...!"

[letmelive]

Claire looked up at the sound of an unfamiliar bark, before she had a lap full of puppy. She looked surprised for a second, not really expecting another dog besides her own to come visiting, but she got over it quick enough, laughing a little, which only increased when Boon came back and immediately jumped on her too, not really the type to stand by while someone else was having all the fun.

Trying to hold both animals at bay she looked up and noticed Fletcher, and smiled.

"I'm guessing this little guy is yours?"

[greennotgold]

Fletcher smiled sheepishly. She wasn't mad, so that was good. She even had a dog of her own. Maybe Jujube could have a friend...

"Ah, yes, ma'am. I'm sorry, he's really excitable..."

[letmelive]

"Don't worry about it," she replied quickly, all the while tryin to keep the two dogs from knocking her over backwards. "As you can see mine's kinda a handful, too."

[greennotgold]

Fletcher shook his head and leaned down to pluck Jujube up into his arms. "He's really cute, at least... What's his name? This is Jujube."

And now for something completely different

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"You stupid... sucky... tree... thing!"

A girl carried a book. The book was yelling. At a tree thing.

"None of you fruit even has ONE star! How dare you give me these fruit things of such inferior quality?! I'm an Overlord! I demand better fruit for reincarnation!"

To reiterate: The book, five by three or so, has a face, and Crispin Freeman's awesome a very commanding voice. And it is yelling at a plant.

Let's hope Claire didn't want quiet alone time.

[letmelive]

Well naturally she had wanted quiet time, but that was a rare thing some days, on this ship. She was pulled from her contemplation by the yelling, and after a moment she frowned, pushing herself to her feet to investigate.

The... book, was, admittedly, not something she expected. And she just stood there, staring with her mouth hanging half-open.

Of course, Boon heard the racket too, and he was a lot less shy about investigating.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Zetta continued his angry rant at the plant more than really seemed reasonable, not in small part because he's yelling at a plant in the first place. The end of that tirade came abruptly, though, as the minion hauling the book around turned as Boon approached. The book abruptly found himself looking at one of those... things, that they didn't have in Netherworlds.

"What the hell are you?" Zetta asked. Not really mad; mild profanity just came naturally to him. On this ship, who can blame him?

[letmelive]

in response to the book talking at him, Boon let out a short growl, before starting up his barking again.

Claire would honestly interfere if she could think of anything to say.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"What kind of an answer was that?" Zetta demanded. So far everything he'd met that wasn't overtly part of the ship was sentient. He'd assumed this thing was too. "I don't speak that language! Isn't there supposed to be some sort of translator here?"

Scowling fiercely, the Overlord listened to the barking, trying to piece it out intelligently. Something... fell down... well....

"No, that can't be right," he muttered.

[governmentninja]

"Penny for your thoughts?" Oh, hay, look. You have company! And have had company for a few seconds already.

Yes, Leon could be stealthy when he wanted to be. But he got the feeling that he could've rolled up in a tank, and Claire probably wouldn't had noticed him anyway.

Either way, he was there now, crouching to pet Boon, who had come over to say hi.

[letmelive]

Claire blinked slowly at Leon's voice, turning her head to look at him, before smiling a little and shrugging her shoulders.

"Believe me, if I knew what I was thinking about, I'd be happy to share." A little bit cryptic, but she didn't really know how else to put it.

[governmentninja]

"...okay?"

That was bizarre, even for Claire. He really wasn't sure how to interpret that.

He sat down next to her, giving Boon a few more scritches before sending him off to play.

"Is something bothering you?"

[letmelive]

"Kind of," she sighed, looking away for a second before glancing back at him. "Ever since we started getting memories back of people that GLaDOS has...taken, I've been feeling like I'm missing something obvious, but I can't put my finger on what it is." She shrugged her shoulders a little uselessly, before leaning her head against his shoulder and making a face.

"It's kind of distracting." In a gigantic 'may accidentally walk into an airlock and not notice' kind of way.

[governmentninja]

He looked at her a little worriedly. "Like you remember that you forgot something?"

Had GLaDOS or Stacy punished them for what they did?