do the right thing

Letter from Tasmania.
The names have been changed.

Dear _____,
I miss you already. It's been a while since we haven't had proper hangouts multiple times in a week!
I'm sitting in the Botanic Gardens with my sister, Ben. It's warm so I'm wearing my bunny skirt and feeling good, though simultaneously emotionally and physically exhausted. Ben is living in a beautiful, massive squat with seven other people (two of whom have kids - Niamh, who is four and Joel who is six). Niamh and I dressed up as princesses on my first day here, while Jeff, her dad, was aving some down time. The next day I got to look after Joel for the day while his mum, Mel, sold ribbons for Aids Day with Tom (Joel was too sick to go to school). We drew rainbows together, played lego, made fruit salad and read to eachother. It was really nice because I'm missing my little brother already. Dave, another housemate (total babe), has a dog who I've been having lots of cuddles with, which is helping me heal about Johann (my dog who died two weeks ago). I think, so far, I've spent more time with Dave than I have with Ben. I find him incredibly attractive but I noticed quite early on that there was a complete absence of sexual tension. We've been having some pretty full-on, gritty conversations (positive nonetheless) and through this he shared the extent of, but not too much detail of, his sexually traumatic past. Very confronting. I don't think I've come to terms with it yet.. but that explains the lack of sexual tension, hey? I've been reading lots. Really enjoying the feeling of being in a full house, in constant company but not feeling up for conversation 100% of the time. So I read in the backyard with sunshine, new pals, cigarettes and gin. The other people that live here are all lovely, but Dave is the only one I have really connected with so far. I read one of his comics yesterday called Slaine. The art is no good but the storyline was excellent, including a refreshingly autonomous and powerful damsel in distress who had to single-handedly break free of her constraints before the male could assist her. Have almost finished that Sophie Cunningham book, Melbourne, that I read a bit of to you at the shack. Still really enjoying it. Also read another comic called the Original Bondage Fairies - fucking hilarious! Hardcore pornographic manga with fairies and bugs; quite overtly non-consenual, but the whole thing is so preposterous that I was laughing real hard the whole time. My eyes hurt though, from reading too much. Think I need to get a higher prescription. Jeff has been giving me massages (...plutonic I hope) and is real good at finding pressure points. So painful and kinda humiliating because he makes me moan and squeal... but I feel like I'm floating afterwards.
I love you. Hugs and a big sloppy kiss
xoxoxxo