17 April - Earth Bet
I had my first BBQ where I was the the guest, not the hanger on. It was nice. Connor was an absolute hit, and I don't think anyone noticed him stealing a cookie from a table he shouldn't have been able to reach.
Amy was confused about the steak, but eventually said it was safe to eat. I wonder what confused her.
Nappies should be classed as biological warfare. Note to future me, keep a close eye on Connor when he's having fun, as he will ignore his potty training. As least I have my cleaning power, so I didn't need to deal with cleaning him up.
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It's just gone 10pm when I finally carry a sleeping Connor into dad's house. I ended up chatting to Crystal, Amy, Victoria, and one of Crystal's neighbors after Connor's accident, and only noticed the time when Mrs Dallon came out to tell Amy and Victoria they were leaving.
As I'm walking through the lounge, the light flicks on and dad stands up from the couch. I almost laugh when he spots Connor in my arms and swallows down whatever he was going to say first. That only lasts for a couple of seconds before he whisper shouts, "And where where you young lady?"
I stare at dad as my good mood is quashed almost instantly. Icily, I say, "If you must know, I was at the Pelham's for a BBQ after they offered me a safe place to sleep last night." I frown as dad winces as though I kicked him, but turn the question around, "What about you, shouldn't you be asleep, as you have work in the morning?"
Dad grumbles, "I'm going to see Selene later."
I point at the clock, "Well, don't forget the canyon opens up earlier from the grasslands…"
I trail off as dad blanches and runs upstairs with a clatter of boots on the stairs. Frowning, I lay Connor down on the couch and cover him with a throw while I head into the kitchen and unplug the microwave so that I can plug in the extension lead that powers our aging computer.
While it's booting up, I put the kettle on and slip into my inner world and begin an exercise that I perhaps haven't been as diligent at as I should have been. Namely inspecting the world and getting to know it. As I head further into the forest I avoid the lightning blasted trees and the spiky brambles that surround them that put me off exploring last time I was here, as I'm not yet ready to deal with the aftermath of mum's death just yet. I also avoid the marshy area that neighbors it, with the occasional bramble reaching into and out of it.
Experimentally, I touch one of the brambles and wince as I hear Emma sneer, "What? Are you going to cry yourself to sleep for the next two weeks?" mixed in with my memories of Aunt Zoe sitting beside me on the bed as I held Penpen and cried myself to sleep. I stumble backwards and land on my ass as I slip in the boggy ground. As I watch with dread, the brambles seem to reach out towards me as a new growth splits off despite the fact it's deep winter.
Scrambling backwards, I scream "Selene, goddess of the moon!"
A moment later, Selene scoops me up into her arms, "What is troubling you child?"
With a shaky finger I wordlessly point at the brambles. Delicately, Selene walks through the mud and reaches out to touch a bramble. Just before she makes contact, she looks down at me and asks, "May I?"
When I nod, she reaches out and touches the bramble before withdrawing and carrying me out of the mud. Once we're back on firm ground she lets me down before drawing me into a hug, "Oh Berenike, I had hoped that you would find more pleasant associations before you came across something like that."
I look up, "What is it?"
Selene smiles at me as she says, "What do you think it is?"
I force myself to look at the brambles that seem to be making a beeline out of the marshy ground, "You said pleasant associations. Does that mean it's an unpleasant association? And when I touched it I got two memories mixed together. Does that mean they're my memories?"
Selene shakes her head, "No child, they are not your memories. They are a representation of how your memories link together and color each other. Look around you what do you see?"
I look around, "I see a forest that could be anywhere in New England."
As I look up at Selene, she has a patient expression on her face, so I let go and walk over to one of the nearby trees. When I put my hand on it, nothing happens, so I frown and try to touch it with my magic. It's surprisingly hard to reach into it, until suddenly.
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"Taylor! Emma! It's time to go!"
I look over at mum as Emma pushes me into the sky once more, "But mum! We're having fun."
Mum walks over to stand in front of the swings and taps her chin, "Well, I was going to take you for ice cream. But if you'd rather play on the swings…"
As I swing backwards for a third time, I spot Emma running around the swing to stand beside mum, a huge smile on her face. "Emma! Help me! I can't stop!"
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I tear my hand away from the tree as I feel the prickle of thorns around my legs. Tears streaming down my face I turn back to Selene, who is looking at me sadly, "Are these my memories?"
Selene watches me with a neutral expression as I carefully climb out of the new brambles, and walk over to cling to her. "I haven't been to that park for years. There weren't brambles there before… You said associations, are they there because I remembered mum died? That's why I need to know every blade of grass isn't it."
Selene nods, "It is. I wish I could spare you this, but if you do not know yourself…"
I look over at the lighting blasted trees, "I'm going to have to deal with those trees, aren't I."
Selene nods, "While you still have a mortal mind that can deal with them."
I look up at Selene's face and pull her into a hug, "Does that mean that you cannot do that yourself?"
Selene nods, "It is the curse of the gods. To remember each day as if we were living it. Already the brambles around that tree are receding."
I look back at the tree, and the brambles have indeed started to die back. "Are all the associations so obvious?"
Selene ruffles my hair, "That is something you will understand better if you discover the answer on your own. But I believe your kettle is about to boil."
My eyes wide, and before I leave, I quickly ask, "Is Catlin finished yet?"
Selene shakes her head, "She is waiting to take a group of scientists to the first world at midnight. She knows you are back home."
I shake my head as I'm about to leave, "I'm not, this is just dad's house."
As I step back into my body the kettle begins it's pre-whistle splutter, so I quickly lift it off the heat and turn the gas off as I sit down and start up the browser so that I can log into PHO. A moment later I click on the PM button with its little 1k+ red bubble, and remember why I haven't logged in since late last year. Logging out again, I think for a few minutes before clicking the 'not me' link on the login page and starting the process of signing up for a new account as Berenike.
Almost immediately little red text appears above the username box
You are attempting to sign up using the name of a known parahuman. If this is you, create a new account using the random username generator and message one of the admin team. They will provide details on how to verify your parahuman identity.
"I wonder how they deal with capes that sign up before their debut?"
Almost as soon as the words leave my mouth, I stand up and peer into the lounge in case I woke Connor. When he doesn't move, I sit back at the computer and take a sip of my tea and start going through the process of signing up for a new account. Which leads me to creating a new free Dracotech email account.
Finally I'm signed in on my 10 days probationary account. Reading through the automated PM, apparently it's because I've signed up with a free email account. Apparently, I can get the status lifted early if I get verified by signing up for a paid account with a credit card, or messaging the admins with the title 'capename verification requirements in Cityname, Statename, Countryname'.
After I've done that, a message pops back that looks like it's very automated
Greetings Berenike, apprentice of Selene,
PHO will accept the following forms of identification in order to claim the Berenike username and the verified cape status.
A scan of a PRT affiliate ID
An unreleased photo of you demonstrating your powers with a known Protectorate or Ward hero
A photo of you demonstrating your powers outside Model Mayhem at 354 Northview drive holding the morning edition of the The Washington Times OR the Brockton Broadsheet AND the letters AX73BB83 written on a sheet of paper
If you are unable to provide either of these, please contact a moderator to discuss methods you are able to use.
Thank you
The admin team.
Well, that seems simple enough. Once I get my allowance or become an affiliate that is. I quickly jot down my new e-mail address in the front of my current diary just in case I run into a hero with a smart phone.
I then get lost in Brockton Bay boards, first with some photos of me standing outside the Pelham's with the buffalo thing hanging behind me. Then when a hunter says, 'It would have been easy to kill it with a rifle.' Armsmaster of all people posts a video of Miss Militia shooting a square of its hide with a variety of rifles until the paper target behind the hide is finally pierced.
Holy shit, I didn't think it was that tough.
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I'm looking through a thread dedicated to the 'mysterious teleporting cat', where people have posted videos of Spike hunting across the Docks, when Catlin appears in the lounge and tiredly lifts her veil.
As soon as I recognize her, I lower my spear and walk back to the computer while she walks into the kitchen. As she takes a seat I closes the doors to the lounge. "Would you like a cup of tea?"
Catlin nods, "Please. It's been a long night."
I nod and put the kettle on, "Anything you want to talk about?"
"Once I find out how Connor's doing."
I smile, "He's fine, I left him on the couch. We had one accident where he was having too much fun to ask for the potty. But that was easily dealt with."
"He's a real sweetheart, except when he's not. I have an affiliate ID, so you should be fine getting your own. They don't ask you to sign anything, or ask you any questions that I think you'd find objectionable."
"That will make getting verified on PHO easier."
Catlin chuckles, "I hadn't thought of that."
I grimace, "I have a few thousand reasons to want a new account. And a few new reasons to want to start using PHO again."
Catlin nods, "Your kill?"
I shake my head, "No, just some new friends, I've got their PHO handles. I'd also forgotten just how much people my age talk about stuff they've seen on PHO."
Catlin nods, "It was the same when I was at school. Once I left, it tended to be gossip about what was going on the streets. But that's probably because of where mom lived. They'd never put that stuff online, as it's a quick way to end up dead or worse."
"Did getting the affiliate ID take long?"
Catlin shakes her head, "Not really, probably an hour tops this afternoon, once they found the right paperwork for me. I've got a course on NEPEA-5 booked, along with plenty of hints that I should really consider joining the Protectorate instead. They were nicer about it than the ABB, but it was still the same talk. No, most of my time was spent with them trying to prove I was crazy while we were waiting for the canyon to open up. That was until they got into the jungle with their hazmat suits and grabbed samples of just about everything they could find. I even chopped down one of the trees for them. I'm just glad that Selene was riding along with me. Oh, while I remember, don't mention being able to read minds."
I frown, "Um, why?"
"Selene can, and she doesn't trust a lot of the staff we met."
"Corruption?"
Caitlin shrugs as I pour hot water into a mug with a tea ball and hand it to her, "She didn't go into details. But the two Lieutenants we met were fine. A Commander Calvert has a brain that's too big for a mortal, so do Assault and Battery for that matter, I met them too."
"I'm not sure if I'm just tired, or if I've spent so much time with Selene in my own head, but I know I should be upset she's been reading minds."
I watch the crescent moon light up on Catlin's forehead for a second before it vanishes again, "Selene just said she'd talk to you about it when you visit."
As Catlin yawns, I stifle a yawn of my own. "Catlin, go and see Selene and get some rest for a few days, I'll still be here when you get back."
Catlin yawns again, "I might at that."
"Go on, take the tea with you."
I yawn widely as Catlin disappears, and go back to finding out where Spike's been roaming as I open the lounge doors.