Thank you to everybody who read or reviewed the last conversation. You're all fabulous.
Day 209: Joy to the Jeremy free world
From: Kevin KR
To: kitten_loverJJMU
cc: Elizabeth_Chen
Time arrived: 9/19/2260 00:00:01
Subject: How are you enjoying your Jeremy free world?
Hey, Liz and Kevin, here. Although Kevin is typing or rather dictating. Liz has a toddler that she's trying to feed breakfast to before we must drop her off at daycare. A toddler who likes to lick the microphone, so even voice is not an option for Liz now. Classes have begun again. So now we get homework and baby feeding. A fun combination.
I feel like you would've got the video files of baby D covering the evil country club moms of Sandy Springs with blueberry preserves by this point. These emails are so out of sync. I wish I got your tidbits about your grandfather before we ventured down to Atlanta, but it arrived a few days too late.
There were some complications, such as your grandfather having us arrested. Thankfully, your grandfather is very afraid of Shawn and my mom. So, we didn't stay locked up for long. Now Sean and the moms are out for blood.
Since the judge didn't crash your aunt's housewarming party, I think he's backing off for the moment. Although to be on the safe side, Shawn and company will be handling the sale of all your aunt's property in Atlanta. Lee may have also got a restraining order.
Liz and I are so sorry your family is like this. Very sorry. You make the Kirks seem normal, which I didn't think was possible, but your aunt seems stable-ish. At least you have that.
Did you get the pictures of her apartment? She actually put up some of your artwork. It looks terrific. You have talent. I'm adding a bunch of art book chips to your October care package. I would ask you if you want anything else, but we must send off the package in a few days for it to get to the ship in time. You will just have to wait for next time. There's probably half a chance you may already be at the Starbase. If that's the case, we should do a chat, and you should bring Peter along.
I (Kevin) sent Peter an email a couple of weeks ago, but I haven't heard back. Although, I did get a picture today of him cursing out his PADD, so I wonder. I know that came from you. Seriously, the video file rule is ridiculous. There's so much sensitive data that you can transmit in an image. We would mention something to the Admiral, but we like being able to get pictures in a timely matter and therefore choose not to rock the boat.
Hey, this is Liz now. Desi is being calm enough for me to dictate some of this myself. Don't be too hard on yourself about the Pav situation. Everybody has a safety crush, even my friend Alicia and she's ace or at least somewhere on the spectrum. Don't feel bad. At least your safety crush was on a person who wouldn't take advantage of you, unlike a certain nurse we know.
Liz, this is not the time to bring up the Christine thing at all. I had no idea Jim had a restraining order against her.
First, you and your brother need to communicate better. Second, even I knew about the restraining order.
We're working on it. Oh, ship. We left the microphone on.
XXXX
From: Elizabeth_Chen
To: kitten_loverJJMU
cc: Kevin KR
Time arrived: 9/19/2260 00:00:01
Subject: Voice rec is evil, and we are unable to recall
Did you know that it's not possible to recall messages using the accounts that Jim created with his own server? We just figured that out. You did not need to know about Kevin's terrible hookup decisions. I don't want to say you're too young because, by the time I was your age, I lived through a genocide and saw so much awfulness. I know you have too, but maybe there's this desire to protect you from the ugly things of the universe. Remember the half your age +7 rule is for your protection. Never let somebody manipulate you into doing something you're not comfortable with.
Pav seeing you as his little sister isn't a bad thing. Although maybe forgetting that you're younger than the Ashleys and doing things that you're not ready for just to fit in is a terrible thing. Don't feel pressure to grow up before you need to. Maybe it is a good thing that Peter is there. You have a contemporary in the program with you right now. When you become older, an age difference of 2 to 4 years isn't that big, but right now it's a lot. You just need to be 12 right now.
At the same time, I'm glad you guys had a talk. I think you needed to know that about him. I hope things are less awkward. Kevin says never tell the Ashleys is that Jim is pansexual. It's better for everyone this way.
So how is being 12? I know your birthday has definitely come to pass by this point. Is school still going well? Is Peter adjusting? I heard you're getting some new classmates. May nobody be as awful as Jeremy. He is in a special class when it comes to his awfulness.
As Kevin mentioned in the first letter, classes are starting. I've been to half already, and I'm doing the other half today. I also have the Kobayashi Maru this semester. I find out today when I'm scheduled. You have to do at least three mockups with your crew before the official test. Also, you are now required to do a paper about tough calls in Starfleet history.
Kevin, being the masochist that he is, thinks that I should interview my mom about her decision to ignore direct orders and save us from Tarsus hell. I feel like I'm more emotionally healthy than that, which is why I'm either going to interview Jim and Spock about the Vengeance Incident or Vulcan, but I have time to make up my mind. Classes just started yesterday, and the essay isn't due until December.
I think the changes to the Kobayashi Maru is our mom trying to make it more useful. It's not about accepting failure anymore, but of understanding that sometimes you are going to be in a horrible situation, and you are going to have to figure out how to get out of there with as few bodies as possible. As somebody who has lived through that type of situation, I don't think the old version did that. I have hope for the new version even if it is three times as much work.
Anyway, write us back when you get a chance.
Xxxxx
From: kitten_loverJJMU
To: Elizabeth_Chen
cc: Kevin KR
time sent: 9/19/2260 12:49:31
Subject: Re: Voice rec is evil, and we are unable to recall
I'm aware. Peter and I found out about not being able to recall a couple weeks ago. 250+ years and voice rec is still ridiculously sensitive. I should warn you that you will be getting a message from Peter. There's going to be a lot of rambling and stream of consciousness. I would say, please ignore, but maybe that's not the right term here. Perhaps you need to know what's going on with him. I think it will help. Peter is handling things better than when he got here, but there are still moments. He is a little clingy.
I kind of knew about Christine already. Mom is loud when she's dictating angry letters to Christine. It's hard not to hear what she is saying. I am not 100% sure they're still friends. Although I think it's been a long time coming. They've been fighting a lot, and the letters are coming less frequently. The last one was mostly ranting about Christine's aunt deciding to have a baby. I'm not going to analyze that rant.
I'm glad I have Peter as well. It's easier having somebody closer to my age, although I do absolutely adore Jay and Ashley 2. Ashley 3 is also becoming a friend. She apologized to Pav about forcing the breakup. He has agreed it's for the best right now because he is not ready to give her what she really needs.
I feel a little less awkward about the whole crush thing. I'm working through it, but I'm glad to know it's normal. At least I'm doing something normal. I can hold a conversation with Pav now without blushing, so progress.
Personally, I would be fine never knowing the Christine thing, but I also don't like the coddling. Part of me is happy that you and everybody else is trying to protect me, but the other half knows that it's not possible to be protected, especially considering the type of family I have. Another part of me wants you to see me as a young person who has already seen a lot. I'm not fragile. I can deal with it. Of course, Margarita will follow up with a question of 'should I have to deal with it?' I'm not sure how to answer yet.
Thank you for sending me the unedited version of the Desi video. I heard everything, including the fact that they all knew what was going on and didn't do a damn thing. I'm not surprised. Not one bit, especially after a conversation I had with uncle Jim. People doing nothing seems to be a thing sometimes. Thankfully Sam's girlfriend and Peter's mom saw the signs and brought him to Dr. Suarez and her wife.
I'm glad Desi covered them with jelly although I wish she threw her toys at them. I hope the stains never come out. I'm officially done with my old friends and their moms. I'm happy. I'm moving forward. I'm so happy my aunt is moving forward and never setting foot back in that place. We can just close the Atlanta chapter of our lives. It's over. We survived. Others were not as lucky. At least that's what Ashley 2 said. She would know.
Thank you so much for sending more art stuff. I can't wait to get to the base in about two weeks. Those books will come in handy. Gina is giving us more independent study time, and I would love to work on my art during that. I tried to look some things up in the curriculum database, but there wasn't much. Apparently, Starfleet doesn't think education in the humanities is essential. This will help.
I'll talk to Jim to see if we can do a live chat with him. I'm not sure he'll be able to swing a video chat, but maybe we can do Starfleet instant messaging. I want to know more about the judge trying to get you guys arrested. On second thought it's probably best that I don't know.
Anyway, lunch is almost over. I must go. Write to me again when you get a chance. I'm sure it will be a while because you're so busy. Maybe things will be calmer in a few weeks. Regardless, send more pictures. All the images you have been sending me have been helping Peter get acclimated to the family. So, keep sending.
To be continued