#neutralcamp

@neutralcamp SAID: 3b!!!!! >;)      /      EXPRESSION MEME. / ACCEPTING.

Stanford thought he’d been imagining the details of the old laptop; the wear and tear it portrayed as his great nephew displayed it to him. He had been on the fence, though dismissive - after all, this couldn’t very well be the same device, could it? And so, against his instincts, he’d assisted in Dipper’s venture. Came up with numerous passwords that could crack any modern piece of technology, more than enough for something so primative.

But upon its opening, his eyes had been drawn to its top. A plaque, obscured by dust, had caught his attention, and as Dipper had tended to typing the passwords - with Ford’s occasional words of encouragement - his hand lifted, reached out. The man is expressionless behind the boy’s back as he dusted off a familiar initial, feeling a pit of dread in his stomach. And then his whole world stopped. Memories, possibilities - all ran through his head. Of everything they’d worked for, everything he’d done wrong, the anxiety of the laptop being in such a state. Abandoned.

Why would it be abandoned? What had Ford done?

And his eyes widened at the words from Dipper. It seemed he’d muttered his thoughts aloud, and he tensed, gaze glancing at the notebook in which they’d drawn up the index of passwords...

...and scrambling it up.

Any other curiousity would have been fine. But this one... this one... his own shame aside, if Dipper dug any further, it could put him in danger.

     🌺ℰ𝓂𝒾𝓁𝓎;;– She had just barely finished getting home after buying some groceries for the day-- It had been a really long time since the incident with Lena’s disappearance, years, actually. And she still found herself looking at the photo of them sitting on the front door table, just staring at it and blanking out. She was so tired of trying to check-in and be told only the same drivel she’d been hearing.

     But there was another part of her that felt like that would just be giving up-- And she’d told them not to give up on Lena, why would she? How could she?

     Knock, knock.

     Thoughts interrupted, she sighed and turned to answer the door... Probably one of the neighbors coming to ask her how she was holding up agai-- That voice... There was a second she felt like time stopped completely. She began to wonder if her brain was playing tricks on her and in response, her hands came up to gently touch the other’s face.

“ Seems Dipper made good use of the old copying machine experiment ... ” Ford noted aloud with amusement, holding up his hands peaceably to demonstrate he was unarmed ( and not carrying a flask, should they be worried about him dousing them ). “ It’s alright, boys. I’m a friend. You can come out. ”