90 - Letters

Hi Beth!

It’s been months but I promise I haven’t forgotten you. If it was up to be I would have written every month between this and the last one but dad would kill me, as would Gully and a bunch of others. I’m still here and alive and I’m hoping you are too. Goodness that’s a morbid thought, what happens if you write a letter to a dead person….

I looked it up it doesn’t do anything it still leaves and apparently just travels endlessly looking for the recipient. Or depending on who you ask it reaches them in the afterlife which is a much happier thought.

Oh I miss you (you’re gonna read that a lot) you had such an impact on the fam. Dad still occasionally likes to toss in a ‘well I think Beth would blah blah blah’ the way he makes you sound you were a motivated super genius who didn’t stop to breath let alone waste time playing ‘silly’ games. I’m being dramatic, I think he just misses me, I know I miss him, and it’s how it comes out when I ring. I’m the oldest and I know he worries. Gully is blossoming though, I swear whenever I call him he grows at least an inch if not more. It terrifying in a way but also so cool, it’s like watching all his lame bits fall away while for the most part the cool bits get cooler.

Work is, well work is everything at the moment and that is exhausting. I’m learning so much though, in case you’ve forgotten (not that you should have) I’m at awakened fashion working with transferring other designs across species. I’ve actually started now and it’s good. Obviously I wish I could be doing my own designs but I at least feel like what I’m doing matters. SO many of my friends work day in day out without anything changing I get to see my adjustments hit the machines then the shelves. My first alteration I was allowed to do unsupervised was to adjust a dress for a Crystalard a bi-headed bulky species made of organic rock. Dad was so proud he ordered one that he still has hanging up in our house. There aren’t even any Crystalards on our planet he ordered it from off-planet it probably cost a fortune.

I’m so happy he’s proud though, like actually for real proud (or he’s a secret actor), obviously he wishes I was home but I do too and someday I’ll move back closer. But for now it’s me here alone with endless work. Turns out there are a lot of species out there. I stared at that dress I adjusted for a month arranging it for different body types. I was almost salivating when they presented a new design. It’s helped me level though, I’ve branched into various anatomy to help with outfit design, something that was extremely scrutinised by dad. I think that call lasted 4 hours of discussion about if I was ready to commit to this new path and wanted to make it permanent but I do think this is the direction I want to take it. At least for now, but who knows I’m not even twenty I can get it to level 5 without deciding my whole future. Parently though right.

Speaking of I hope you and you mother are doing better, I imagine by this point the whole jail thing has settled down. There is no way you didn’t level up enough to kick some ass there. Oh I wish you could respond, I’m writing about old news to me and this letter isn’t even going to arrive that fast. Get yourself to level 5 what else are you working on. Nothing Is more important than me surely (I joke if you can’t tell). I don’t know I guess I’m going a little crazy here. The perks are incredible. Get yourself an apprenticeship if you can, actually nobody on earth is going to be anywhere near high enough level. By this point I imagine somebody must have --------------. Seriously you need to level up fast, I’ve being doing some reading and quite simply I’m a little worried. Just look after yourself and get that level up okay?

Lighter things lighter things, Oh I designed a cool pin for you, it’s a little butter churn, my friend makes them. I can’t send it quite yet, your planet isn’t open for delivery but when I can it’s coming right over. In the mean time I’m wearing it. Makes me feel a little less alone you know.

Sorry I know I sound a little lonely here and honestly I am. I would never admit that in person but there is something about writing to a distant planet that assumedly can’t reply that feels a little like shouting into the void. The people here are nice enough but I miss my friends from home. We said we would call and we have once or twice. But they are all still there and I’m here and it’s just tricky. Plus everybody here seems so together. Like they know what they want and they are striving for it daily. I think I know what I want and I think I know the route to get there. I just kind of hoping I’d be walking it alongside others, or well a partner. Lots of people out there getting married and I don’t even know if I want that. I just don’t want ot keep coming home to my empty one person apartment.

Maybe I should get a pet, Gully would love that for sure. Dad would be less keen though. Sorry got bogged down in my own thoughts again. I miss you and I’ll write again soon. Keep working on that skill though, I’m getting old over here. Bright thing to end on though Gully is almost at his first Trial day (well almost ish) and I have zero ideas what to get him. I just know it needs to be perfect. If you have any ideas send them my way. Once you can of course :p

Harri XXX

Hi Bethany,

Hope you are doing well, we all are here. This is my first letter figured you had plenty to be getting on with and didn’t need the distraction of my letter. After al a newly integrated planet is I imagine a dynamic constantly changing environment. The money I could make knowing what I do if I arrived on a planet like that, I’d never have to work again. Not that I would stop working, I like doing it and more importantly it gives the kids the right impression.

I have no doubt Harri will have said when she wrote it’s just me and the little’un now. Though he gets less little everyday. He’s gonna end up a strapping lad, who knows how it’s happening his lifestyle doesn’t scream bulky but I guess life makes it’s own plans. He’s still wanting to become a vet, something I’m all up for. I worry though, I think every father does, you’re so young before you hit your first Trial yet so sure you know exactly what life is about and how to live it. I made so many bad mistakes, my parents weren’t around often so nobody gave me any insight. I took so much rubbish, I wouldn’t change things because I love my life now but I want more for my kids. Is that so wrong.

I won’t chat about Harri, I obviously worry but I’m sure she’s given you more of an insight than I ever could. I’m doing alright, the market is going well. I leaned into the dynamic we developed. I even hired somebody else who basically does your job. She has real skill levels backing her up, no offence, but if I’m being frank she’s slightly lacking personality wise. She’s certainly not being invited over for dinner or games but we have a professional relationship. I’m earning more though so that’s the win.

You remember the juggler Jay? He sometimes went around juggling whatever members of the public suggested. Well he’s been working hard on something or other because he hit level 20! Twenty! He hosted a huge party and the whole market was there. I don’t know how many of them you would have known by name but all the faces would be familiar.

He’s left now, he has been hired for something or other and has moved on. I guess it proves passion is more important that the field itself. That and levels levels levels. I can’t quite imagine how a world without levels was for you, I mean from what you’ve said it was awful but that wasn’t about the levels was it. Not knowing empirically who is your superior and who is inferior to you seems dangerous but it must be freeing too in a way.

Guliveneir misses you something dreadful, not that he’d ever admit it or even really interacted with you. He’s not good with people as I’m sure you picked up normally when we had people over he would hide, so eventually that stopped happening. But he’s a little better now, a little more willing to give people a chance and we’ve got you to thank for that so thanks. Maybe we should get him a pet, I’d want nothing to do with one really but if it brought him out of his shell a bit that would be great. Food for thought. Stay safe, and we hope you will visit someday even if I understand how unreasonable of an expectation that is. Maybe when you are higher level it will be easier. I expect great things Bethany, no pressure.

Stilwart