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Sometimes, dreams can be torture.

At least there's a trade show coming up. It'll be a nice distraction.

So I have an assistant now. A real, live, actual assistant. Someone to help me keep track of my meetings, to order parts, to file patent applications and do follow-ups. It's pretty amazing to have someone helping me with all of this. I'm getting so much more done now!

...it's only been a week. Where has this been all my life!?!

Home sweet home.

For my employees, I do apologize for disappearing for so long - I had a bit of a family emergency I had to take care of and then a personal emergency when I got back that I'm still trying to drink away, thanks to this hell town. I'm back for good now, and ready to get back to work.

For anyone new: Hello. I'm Lena Luthor, CEO of L-Corp. We're still hiring, so I'd be delighted to speak with you.

Elsa

I'm sorry for my absence, but I'm back now. I'm ready to see any new designs for our headquarters whenever you're ready to show them.

It's not even October, but there's a blizzard at my offices. There's already six inches of snow on the ground.

Wow, so um... I've just been told that I need to hire an assistant in my job. Like, at my job. My work. So, yeah. Anyone know where I can find ... like, applicants? People who are looking for a job?

Ugh. I'm actually really good at what I do. I'm just bad at this part.

It's hard enough dreaming of relationships with people. These intricate and complex relationships where the feelings just ... creep in.

And then watching them die because of something you did, someone you crossed. I've never wanted to internet stalk someone this much before.

Preparing to move would be a lot easier if random belongings weren't showing up in my room.

Is it too early to be watching The Nightmare Before Christmas?

Is there such a thing as too early to be watching The Nightmare Before Christmas?

There's this giant thing attacking Future Industries. I've rigged up a Telsa coil that's keeping it at bay but I don't know how long it'll hold up.

I punch and shock things, human sized things. This is way out of my league.

Okay, so. I am officially on the dream train.

And I can't really complain, I guess? Overall, my other life is pretty cool. Master of three out of four elements aint bad. Plus I got this cool winter outfit that I will have literally no use for in California.

I do have a... concern, though. I tried to take a shower this morning, and the water was all... wonky? Like, shooting out in different directions and not at all falling down like it usually does and now I have to clean the bathroom because it looks like it's been through a typhoon.. I'm not stupid enough to think that there's no connection between my being able to control water in my dreams, and water here being totally out of control.

Not cool, dreams.

Lets make this a proper competition.

Future Industries is always looking for fresh blood, particularly among women and girls. We're prepared to meet or exceed any salary the competition has to offer.

In addition, we offer free medical and dental coverage, credits and scholarships for advanced schooling, and paid internships for those just starting out, with room for advancement. We're also in need of two new department heads. Which leads me to my next announcements.

We've begun preparations to build a fleet of airship, for both commercial and personal purposes. They'll be cheaper and faster than conventional trucks or cargo ships for all but the largest cargo. We expect the first six to be available later this year. Three prototypes are currently available for viewing at our publically accessible race track. One luxury liner, a cargo hauler, and a model suitable for tourist applications such as the Grand Canyon, or people transport. I've taken to calling that one the skybus.

Additionally, FI is building a new advanced particle accelerator. When complete, it will be one of the largest in the world, available for both research and practical applications at low cost to scientists.

I've come to the conclusion that I've been wasting my life.

(Before you stop reading: Don't. I assure you, this is not another mopey, self-reflective post about the love and loss and dreams we don't ask for. It's an offer.)

It's true. I've been wasting my life, toiling as just another staff engineer at yet another fortune 500 company with an impressive name (no offense, Mr. Stark), and not doing something real with the knowledge and talent I possess. There's more to life than being trapped in a lab, being told what to make.

So, I won't anymore. As of today, I'm free to announce the creation of L, Incorporated (or, L-Corp, if you will), a technologies start-up that plans to modernize the industry from the ground up. And, frankly, I need you to come with me. I have investors, inventors, and connections already forged, but I need more.

Engineers: Whatever you're being paid currently, L-Corp is prepared to double it. If you're someone whose name and work I recognize, I'll triple it.

Students: If you are in any of the STEM fields, I'm willing to offer a merit-based paid internship.

Anyone else: If you give me a reason to hire you, I will.

Apply now at lcorp.com, but be sure to mention to me that you plan to do so. I'll make sure my hiring staff knows that we've spoken previously.

Thank you, everyone, for your attention.

Okay, so I guess I'm not dead. That doesn't mean things aren't going to get worse, though.

Do you ever look at yourself in the dreams and think, "Please don't" only to know damn well your dream self is going to do what you told him not to do? Because that's basically me every time I have a dream anymore. I'm really tired of it, too. I'm tired of watching myself do things that will eventually hurt the people I care about, that could kill them. I know I'm angry at Olympus and at the gods and...basically at everything, but can't I just have healthy coping mechanisms for once instead of "Destroy Olympus and probably end up killing all of humanity"? It would be nice for a change.

Maybe I could get therapy? A hobby? Anything? I seriously would like to not use my dad being a neglectful asshole as an excuse for my behavior because it's a really piss poor excuse.

Oh my god, I wish to strangle my brother. He does not think before he acts! He just goes in without thinking of the consequences of his actions. He assassinated the owner of the Bank of England, who was a Templar, and subsequently broke the bloody bank. England's economy could have collapsed had I not recovered the stolen plates that were being used to create counterfeit money. As usual, I must fix the messes he makes around the city.

To clarify, this was in my dreams, he hasn't actually done that in this life. As far as I know. Perhaps I should make some calls and ensure that he hasn't sent England's economy into a tailspin or done anything else stupid that I have to fix.

You know, I'm a little jealous of all you guys. I keep having this recurring dream about my dad turning into an eagle (which seems like a really bad Native American joke, really) but all you guys get to experience whole different lives? No fair.

The heat has me hallucinating. Yesterday, I could have sworn I saw a guy pry open a fire hydrant with a wrench and start drinking out of it. People don't do that, right? ...Right?

Anyway, I'm starting to wonder if California is the place for me. I'm from Canada, and I'm Inuit. We're built for the cold.

My mother called, did a spot-on impression of her dream self, and now my whole family's visiting for the Fourth of July. So, four days from now. Three extra people. In my two bedroom apartment. I'd like to say that I don't know how it happened, but I absolutely do: She manipulated me by dangling her approval in front of me like a gift. Either I need to grow some thicker skin, or that woman should join the CIA.

Probably both.

Hey everyone!

I'm Korra, and new to the OC, so I need a few new people to meet! Valarnet seems like a good place to start.

I just transferred to UC Irvine, and I'm majoring in International Relations. Really, though, I'm a soccer player through and through. I had a minor injury and took the year off, but I'll be back on the saddle soon.

Let's be friends!

I want it to be clear that I do not like musicals. I don't find them fun or entertaining, so much as a lot of... unnecessary noise. I find that life doesn't need extraneous singing.

So can someone please explain to me why I a.) suddenly know all the words to this song, b.) am singing near constantly today?

Well, shit. Dreams again. I'm on the floor below Eph, Setrakian, and the others and I'm supposed to turn on my device so the Master will be stunned and they can just knock him into the lead box. My device isn't working. I fiddle with it, do some rewiring, and all the while my guys have to fight an extremely strong Strigoi. Finally I get it to work and Quinlan puts his daddy away, hopefully for good, but when I get up there I see Eph is hurt. Bleeding. I volunteer to stay with him while the others dump the box into the ocean, but Eph tells me they might need someone who can operate the device. I go with the others to drop the box in the ocean. That's where my Dream ends. Somehow I don't think the plan will go very smoothly.

Strigoi never die out quietly and they certainly won't let their Master be imprisoned for all of eternity.

I've never really understood the appeal of posting all of your personal information online, but I can't fault a good communication tool if it means not turning into a recluse that recycles her own urine. Which I'm not, by the way. No matter what my brother says.

Er, anyway. Hi, Orange County. I'm Lena. I'm an engineer at Stark Industries (For now. If I don't find a more efficient cooling mechanism for this generator I may be out of a job soon). Please help me find things to do that aren't just work, so that my brother will get off of my back.

My daughter turned eleven yesterday. I really need to brace myself for these pre-teen years. And puberty. These are some of the times I have dreaded. I shall simply assume that this is karma coming back to bite me for when I was her age.

My neighbor in the Dreams is alive! I don't really understand how, but she ended up in the Otherworld hospital. It took me a while to find her and along the way I was attacked by wheelchairs that moved themselves. I'm going to say that getting run down by a wheelchair with no one in it has absolutely no dignity to it. Also, the monsters here make this weird noise like a belch when I hit them. As terrifying as they appear, it's really hard to take them seriously when they make noises like that.

I want to go to there.

Dear O.C. - Let's not do that again. EVER.

With this current administration, I often wonder if I would be better off moving back to London. I've got a lot here, but these assholes that somehow got elected into positions of power worry me a great deal. Ugh. Time to binge on chocolate and hard liquor.

It's all fun and games until someone gets a frozen water balloon to the head and starts bleeding.

After a break for about a month, the Dreams have come back. In them the hole in my bathroom closed up. It looks like someone poured cement over it or something. So now I'm really trapped in the apartment and I have no idea what I'm supposed to do. I never thought I'd understand what a bird in a cage feels like until now.

I know I shouldn't be freaking out about this. It's not like I'm trapped in my apartment here, but I kind of am.

My dreams know how to hit me where it hurts. Last night me and the others were preparing to box up the Master and Vasiliy said something about me sleeping with every other person I met. I called him a sanctimonious, hypocritical prick and sort of... Walked away. Apparently things aren't good between us. I hope this doesn't fuck things up with the Master.

I think that there should be some kind of meet up for those of us with mechanical skills. It might be fun! We could build things. Have contests!

How is it Easter Sunday? I started working on a project Thursday night, and the next thing I know it's Sunday.

I need to get out to the beach. The weather's getting nicer and it's calling to me. I've spent far too much time indoors and behind a desk. Catch some rays, up my vitamin D level, all that. It's got to be good for your health, right?

How many of you are getting out there?

I dreamt again. It works! My device works! Eph and I took it out into the field. We turned it on in the middle of a crowd of Strigoi and they just stood there, stunned. Eph held his silver blade up to one's cheek and it just stood there while the silver burned its skin. We disposed of them quickly and easily and headed to Setrakian's to tell him about it. The rest of the gang was a little skeptical, wondering if it'd work on the Master, but I don't doubt it will. We're going to stun him and put his sadistic, world-crushing ass in a box where he can't hurt anyone. Taking care of the rest will be child's play.

I'm certainly not complaining, because who could complain about their problems disappearing without a trace.

But it certainly is odd that my dream pregnancy has just... disappeared, presumably to never be spoken of or acknowledged again. These dreams sometimes make me feel as though I'm going mad. Did it even happen, or was it all in my head?

Can't believe it's that time of year already. Happy Pi Day everyone! Now who can tell me who's got the best pies in the county?

Ugh. I'm ashamed of my restraint or lack thereof. Last night in my Dreams I threw myself at Eph. Yes, he's been good to me and things have been building, but I get the sense that this is a rebound and I just don't do rebounds. Not in this world, at least. The next morning I took the opportunity to scare him while he was taking a shower and we wound up taking a shower together. Things move fast, I guess.

Afterwards, who should show up at our door but Vasiliy? He pleaded with me to leave the city with him, said it was falling and that we were better off just leaving. I told him that I really believed I was close to developing a weapon that would stop the Strigoi. All he had to say was "At least I tried." He sounded heartbroken. I think he thinks I'm going to die. I wonder if I am.

Out of everything that carries over from these dreams, please tell me pregnancy is not one of them.

Well, that was an unexpected turn my dreams took. Apparently I may actually end up happy. Or as happy as my dream self possibly can be. She has a girlfriend now. Though this is assuming that I don't mess it up. Me and happiness don't go together in the dreams very well.

The powers that be saw fit to make me snooze right through Valentine's Day. I'm told the hospital is keeping me tonight for observation and then I'll probably be discharged in the morning if nothing funny happens. Too bad. I was looking forward to some quality jello salad.

In spite of half-Strigoi pricks telling me it's unimportant, I've been furthering my research on Strigoi communication in my Dreams. Eph and I both decided that we needed a sample of the Master's 'voice', but where to get it? Well, where else but the flight he flew in on? The bloody black box aboard that plane that flew into JFK airport and doomed New York City to be ground zero of the vampire apocalypse. Unfortunately, to get to JFK you have to go through a heavily infected part of the city. Everything has fallen apart. People killing other people for food and supplies. It's horrible. Luckily, Eph has a taxi cab with plenty of gas and he was driving me and Quinlan through the zone to JFK.

And then I saw a family with small children having guns pointed at them and I wasn't having any of that bullshit. They told me to stay in the car. I didn't. I tried to get the assholes holding the family up to drop their guns, but wound up in a stand-off with guns pointed at me. I must have blinked or something, but it only took an instant. Suddenly Quinlan was out of the car, killing those assholes with surprising efficiency with his sword and stopping to lick the blood off of the blade. The family we saved ran off in terror and Quinlan scolded me before we got back in the cab.

Very surreal. I think a vampire, a half-vampire, just saved my life.

I've finally overcome my New Year's Eve hangover. Hallelujah. I don't usually party myself into a stupor, but 2016 was brutal and 2017's birth needed celebrating. I don't think anyone on here will argue against that. There were some bright spots, of course. Beautiful bright spots. I suppose that's the key to surviving any year, though, isn't it? Finding the silver lining. What good things happened to all of you last year? Alternatively, what are you looking forward to this year?

I've a road map for Future Industries for this year that's very ambitious. If we get even half of it done I'll be happy. We're going to reach for the stars!

Bo

I want to do a shoot soon, can you clear the time?


Kit

Did you enjoy the fireworks last night? ;)

I uhm.

Nearly burned down my bedroom this morning, then blew out the window on accident with airbending.

I've always wanted to know what it was like to be the Avatar and it's hard to describe what this feel like. Except now I understand my dream friends a lot more.

We've done so well this year I've given everyone some nice bonuses.



Kit

Got any plans next week? Or the holidays in general?

I hate to admit it, but work has definitely dried up in this economy. I mean, even in good old Cali, fewer people are hiring private jets, so piloting isn't paying what it used to. So...back to the job market. I have got to cover rent and I don't want another roommate right now but if I have to...

Anyone have any leads for a highly qualified pilot and mechanic?

More Dreams. I made my way back to Vasiliy's apartment but he wasn't there, only Ephraim, the doctor. He and I have both been on a liquid diet, if you know what I mean. Grumbly drunks. He was kind enough to listen to me talk about my night terrors. He's been having them as well. His ex-wife is a Strigoi, too. A sentient one like Eichhorst. She killed our friend Nora and stole his son away. Apparently mine trump his, though, because he was willing to give me his stash of pills. One bottle for when I want to sleep and one bottle for when I want to stay awake. He also showed me a taser he found, explaining it would incapacitate a Strigoi for about ten seconds. That would be all I'd need...

I wonder if I should start getting into air races, but that might take up a lot more time than I'm willing to give. But my company could maybe sponsor some lucky female pilot, I think.

I've been working on another project. The problem right now is a light enough power source, but I think I can get it.

Take an unintentionally long nap after work, Dream of lopping off the head of a former friend and associate. Goodbye, Braden. You were a dick to me, but I still felt horrible about ending your life. He was infected. Pretty far into turning, too. The others weren't going to do it and when they saw me do it they were horrified with me. They're not going to survive in that world and it pains me knowing that.

I left them. I wasn't going to stick around with people who were so quick to abandon me. I assume I'm heading back to find Vasiliy and the others if they're still around.

I've been such a mess in the Dreams. Sleep deprived. Every time I try to sleep in my Dreams I dream of Eichorst and wake up choking, remembering the collar. I think I might be going bonkers. I'm considerably better off in this world, though that asshole does haunt my thoughts from time to time.

Just as I expected, there were Strigoi in the apartment Braden wanted to loot. Two of my friends are dead and the rest fled the scene. I'm cornered and out of bullets, but I have my sword. I've gotten out of worse situations before.

Just a reminder to everyone that Monday is Talk Like a Pirate Day 2016. I'm expecting eye patches, scarves and gold teeth, jsyk.

And if anyone wants to join me? I'll be at [Krispe Kreme Location] picking up my dozen free donuts, thanksverymuch.