Dear Diary,

"Redemption, second chances, Not a 'get out of jail free', But a chance to do better." Tabitha Diaz, Doctrine of Tabitha, Book of Redemption

We now begin our review of the Book of Redemption, a concept dear to Tabitha, for she has by her own standards failed time and again, yet in each successive instance returned stronger than before, learning from her mistakes and carrying forward, righting her own wrongs where needed as well. She makes it clear to us that Redemption is not given for free, not a way to avoid the consequences of our actions, especially those consequences visited upon others by our actions, or even those visited upon us by others in response. Instead, it is a chance for us to right our wrongs, to heal those we have harmed, to ameliorate the consequences visited on others by our actions and, once we have done so, move forward secure in the knowledge that we have learned, improved, grown, and can make better choices in the future. - Priestess Most High Above All Others, Archmage Imperator Saffron Aetos-Diaz, Commentary on the Doctrine of Tabitha

Yeah, that's definitely one of those things I wanted to get right, and even if folks don't quite get my board game references from back in the day, I think I did okay with this one. Kitten, of course, knocked it out of the park.

The thing I remember from back in the day regarding redemption, or 'forgiveness', or any of that other hippy dippy kumbaya bullshit was how many assholes fucked over a bunch of people, then 'got saved by the Lord' or some other crap. That meant they wound up having to sit in a padded pew once a week until everybody forgot about their bullshit, instead of sitting in a ten by ten concrete box with steel bars on the side, or a two by two by six pine box for the rest of eternity.

Seriously, I get it, we all fuck up. We all deserve a second chance. This whole life is, for me, one big second chance, and I don't want to fuck it up. Telling everyone else 'I get a second chance but you don't' seems like a fuckup to me. But letting jerks who've fucked over a bunch of people skate doesn't sit right either. So, y'know, the basic 'clean up after yourself, and when the mess is clean, you can get in line for another go' seems like the way to go to me. Shit, my girls understand that, and if I had to guess the average age there is around five. Maybe four. Menace brings the numeric average down a little, even if she is pretty much on a maturity level with Ria or Maze in some ways.

Today was quiet but nice. Yesterday after a day of my general normal work, which included taking my girls to school and teaching Math, I brought everyone home to the dining room for dinner. As I sat Marie in my lap and started feeding her soup, I quietly asked, "do you mind that I've been handling the trips to and from work for you guys lately?"

Saffron shook her head, Tallulah did as well, although both of them had puzzled looks that Marie summed up with, "Why Ask?"

"I dunno. I just figure you're all grown assed adults, there's no particular reason you need me to be holding your hand like a little kid crossing the street."

Marie smiled, Saffron chuckled, and Tallulah looked a little lost. Saffron put some tartare meat in Siobhan's mouth, then said, "I think we look at it differently than you, love." When I nodded to her, she explained. "Not only does it seem to take less effort for you in general? For us, for me at least, it's less like 'being led by the hand like a child' and more like 'being carried like a princess'."

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Tallulah nodded and chimed in with, "well said, Imperator. I might also add it's not unlike walking hand in hand with a partner, which is not something I've had much experience doing."

Saffron grinned at me, then turned to Tallulah and asked, "so, Elle, are you enjoying your new experiences with our Tabitha?"

I'm not sure if Tallulah face tanked that or just didn't notice it, but she tilted her head and said, "Elle?"

"Well, you're probably the most traditionally feminine of us all, at least as the wealthy reckon such things, and you are, above all, elegant."

Tallulah snorted. "You've more curve in one breast than I've got in my entire body. Besides, my most common attire is the traditional garb of the Overlord, which is... anything but elegant."

"And yet you wear it with such understated elegance nonetheless."

I didn't remember seeing Tallulah really blush before, but that comment hit home. She looked down at her plate and muttered, "Elle it is then."

Yeah, too cute. I snagged her to help me shower Marie down when we got to the Bath, then helped her clean up before she did the same for me. Little bit weird, showering with somebody taller than me that's not 'Marie taller than me', but still fun, especially because as restrained and 'elegant' as she is, she's got like, no knowledge of what's normal and not. I'm pretty sure I could straight up finger her standing there in the shower and she'd just wonder why we hadn't before. Not that I would. There were kids in the room. Totally thinking about shower sex with her next time the kids are elsewhere, though. Then again, I haven't really gotten to do that with any of the other ladies, especially not one on one.

Kitten?

I'll arrange something at some point after our Maenad is less encumbered, love.

Thanks, KItten!

Floated in the bath for a while, carried every sleepy body down to the bed after toweling them off, and tucked everyone in, myself included. Dreamt of my ladies all snuggled up and forever melting into me.

In the morning I split up all my now normal ways. One of me to play ankle bling for Tallulah. One of me pampering Siobhan and making sure she stayed as topped off with food and water as she could. One of me to keep the Infirmary running. One of me to take the kids to school and teach Math, which split into seven at lunch. Part of me felt like a helicopter parent, but another part just wanted my girls to know I was absolutely there for them if they needed me. I was worried about my ladies feeling some kinda way about me helicoptering, but kids are kids. Especially with the bullshit I read about Hera pulling, I will not hesitate to watch over them or to bring the pain if someone threatens them.

So yeah, other than that, a dozen of me worked to make the Academy a cleaner, nicer place, one of me sat on Treachery Rock tryna catch a glimpse of Imperator Rack, and one of me sat in our chair in our Academy suite office, Saffron on my lap, tentacles holding her in place, massaging her as she worked.

As is our new normal, one of me doing the Maid thing brought her lunch, which I fed to her as part of her lunch time pit stop. When I returned her to her upright, locked position, I realized that despite watching all morning, I hadn't really caught any good angles on my Kitten's cleavage, and I'd started to get cranky about that. So as she turned back to coding, I filled my hands with Kitteny goodness.

"Someone's feeling particularly affectionate today, I see," she murmured without her hands slowing in the slightest.

I settled my mouth alongside her ear and mumbled, "sorry. You mind?"

I felt her smile twitch her ear. "Don't be. Not at all. I remain curious if your hands will remain supportively still or not, though."

Spoiler alert: they didn't.

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