Chương 1014: Day One Thousand And Twelve

Dear Diary, Yeah, yesterday's revelation about Aphrodite's former Worshippers definitely took me by surprise. Also gave me a shit ton to think about. Like, I'd never really understood the purpose of statutory laws before. They always seemed like their sole purpose was to prosecute victimless crimes to me, which is exactly the kind of thing that proto-anarchist me back in the day walked around pissed off about.

Like, if two kids wanna play doctor, why the fuck would anybody want to stick the 'sex offender' tag on them? At worst, they wind up doing some stupidly offensive stuff while they're messing around, but neither of them realize it. Yes, I speak from experience, but holy shit was that boy hot as fuck. Anyway, none of Aphrodite's former Worshippers want to press charges. I kind of expected that from anybody who still Worshipped her, what with not wanting to piss off the person you're praying to when you pray.

But I expected the ones that have switched teams, most of whom switched to the Worship of yours truly, who is all about that Agency and Consent and other good shit like that, would step up and point fingers. Which they most definitely have not. I guess some of it might be what the ladies said, that the people Aphrodite hurt convinced themselves that they deserved it, that they wanted it, that she wasn't the one at fault. Thing is, something about that doesn't feel right to me.

I mean, if I saw some kind of video proof that she gaslit them, straight up told them that shit while they were under the influence of that fuckin' aura of hers, I would absolutely buy into that shit. Not even the slightest of questions, and we'd move on to sentencing. But doing shit to her without any kind of evidence, without an accusation by somebody who had it happen to them, or at least saw it happen to somebody, that just smacks of shit pyramid behavior.

Still not gonna let her out of that oubliette until I'm sure I can keep her under control. The Camden Yards Cadets learned to play Squadball yesterday, the new variation with the lancasters. I can't say they're particularly Skilled, but... No, they're not exactly 'creative' with their play either. They are, however, really good at coming at things sideways. Which I gotta say was funny to watch, what with all sixteen of them coming at each other sideways all at once.

Not, like, literally, but when everybody's tryna get one over on everybody else, and nobody's really playing anything straight, hilarity ensues. Almost no serious injuries, which is pretty rare for Academy Squadball, and almost every single one of them wound up being some Cadet who thought they were slick and wound up breaking their own shit. Typically their noses. Got home in a good mood, despite the black eye I got from one of the Cadets throwing their lancaster like a javelin.

Honestly, I'd have caught it if I hadn't been looking the other way when the throw happened. One of the Cadets screamed my name, I looked, and pop the lancaster hit me in the eye. Surprised the fuck out of me that other than some pain, like somebody'd punched me, and a heck of a shiner, I walked away unharmed. Fuckin' says a lot about my life that a black eye is 'unharmed'.

At any rate, got home in a good mood, which only got better when I saw that Marie had managed to recreate chicken fried steak and delivered it in tendie form. I think it might have been bear instead of beef, because the Alliance still has a shit ton of bear incoming from Kaiju Bear. Then again, I know some of them were pork, and there were some chicken in there as well. She also brought out some chicken fried carrots, yams, string beans, and something else I couldn't place. Beets, maybe?

Deep red color, some kind of vegetable, and frankly deep frying makes everything better. I know technically chicken fried steak isn't deep fried, or it's not supposed to be, but getting fried in a couple inches of oil in a cast iron pan is close enough for my money. The kids loved the stuff, although Ria, Maze, and Lindsey all leaned towards the veggies. So weird, Lindsey being the closest of my girls to a vegetarian other than Ria, and her being the one doing the slaughtering.

Then again, I guess that's not a terrible thing. She's got no skin in the game, so she's keeping the slaughterhouse as humane as that kind of thing can be. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. After dinner, soaking in the bath, I got another ping from Karen. Goddess? S'up, Karen? Kinda funny, when she contacted me with this kind of report, I always imagined she was standing 'at ease'.

Mentally I always put her in her Academy uniform, too, because the Yandere Shobitch Wedding Gown was way, way too distracting. At any rate, her reply came back calm and professional, despite a certain disappointment which I very quickly realized was not aimed at me. I've spoken with some of Aphrodite's remaining Worshippers here in Phileo. I didn't expect them to accuse their Goddess of wrongdoing, but I thought it worth speaking with them. Okay, then. You sound like you got some news you didn't expect?

I definitely felt her nod. So weird, what with her in Phileo and me in the Homestead Bath. I mean, not new, but still kinda weird. Some of them accused former Worshippers of Aphrodite of molesting them. Fuck. What shall I do, Goddess? I sighed. Investigate. Believe the victims, but don't put any kind of horrible consequences on the accused until we can sort out whether it was legit them doing shit, or Aphrodite throwing her Divine woo around and fucking with people's volition.

What shall we do if the accusations hold water? I rubbed at my face, suddenly exhausted. We'll decide on a case by case basis, but I don't want rapists running to convert to Worshipping me because they think it'll get them off easy. Shall we bring them before you, then? Saffron, Marie, and Siobhan, realizing how distressed this shit made me, slid around me, holding me. Yeah. Yeah, that's why I get the big Altar Bed Throne thing, isn't it?

Karen laughed with the smallest tinge of humor possible, almost undetectable under all the relief. It is indeed, Goddess. Went to sleep in the Bath, utterly exhausted. Obviously by the emotional rollercoaster of the past couple days. Dreamt of my ladies singing to me. Not the Doctrine, oddly enough. Lullabies, I think. Sometimes it's hard to make out specific words in dreams. Just... Vibes. And the vibes said, 'sleep, rest, today is done, tomorrow is a new day, another chance for life to be better'.

Weirdest part is that somehow some of them looked to be wearing The Dress. In the morning I asked about that. Dad? You been borrowing my Clergy? He paused, almost like he had to check to be sure. With one exception, no? I blinked, 'cause I didn't expect even that many, really. Which one? Your Wife, Marie. Mostly because... He sighed. Forgive me, it happened while you were amnesiac. I meant to speak to you once your memories returned, but it slipped my mind. Oh, hey, Dad, no big.

I kinda hope you'll let me know if you do, but I know you're not gonna unless there's a good reason. Thank you, Daughter. I gave it a ten count, then thought, mind telling me the reason? Plausible deniability? I blinked, maybe a little weirded. Dafuq? Your daughter wished to speak with The Morrigan. She came to me, asking for disguises, that The Morrigan's wrath not be directed at you, your wife Saffron, or the Alliance. Isnomi came to you? How did she... Marie brought her? With Diana accompanying them.

I made the three of them High Clergy and gave them Holy Garb. Why the fuck did you go along with... Yeah, I was catching on like five seconds after opening my brain lips and spewing idiocy today. Victory? Indeed. So... Menace is in your head now too? I felt him shudder. I don't think she realizes. Either that or she doesn't care. She's yet to call on me like this. Wait, Diana? She is, after all, a rank lower than I. She seemed to accept the connection, and has yet to deny me. I rubbed at my face.

Really hoped I didn't give myself some kinda skin condition from doing that too much. I read her the riot act about making people High Clergy without asking. I... Think that may have been after I did that? I do apologize if I've overstepped. I shook my head. Nah. You had good reason, and they kinda asked you for it. Just try not to forget keeping me in the loop next time? Of course, Daughter. I will try. I know you will. Because you're the best. I know.

Yeah, not a great start to the day, but I tried to shake it off before I hit the classroom with all the kids getting their numerical learn on. Oh! I remembered! Well, okay, I remembered that the whole quadratic thing connected to geometry, so I had the kids learning it graphing shit. Okay, I really hope I haven't fucked that up, too. Guess it's time for me to start doing some late night cramming. Of the Academic kind.