Bebe Populous awoke on her second morning in Sunset Valley with a clear sense of purpose.  It was time to begin fulfilling the mission she’d set herself upon moving here, time to see some of the dreams she’d had since she was a young girl come to fruition.

She tuned in to the local cookery channel as she ate her breakfast.  She had a cable subscription to all the best channels: fishing, cooking, gardening, athletics, children’s programming… it was a bit of a luxury but it was one she felt would prove worth the investment.

She had a quick scan over the Sunset Valley Times.  Nothing much of note was happening, some team called the Llamas lost a game – but there was a welcome notice announcing her arrival.  She was pleased; it had seemed a friendly place the previous evening when she’d been out to meet some of the locals and it seemed to be proving even more welcoming than she’d hoped.  The previous evening had been spent playing tag with a group of local men and her mobile was full of a whole bunch of new numbers.  She didn’t have to work for a while, and she fancied some company, so she gave one of the guys she’d met a call.

His name, he said, was Cyclone3 Sw0rd.  She gathered this was probably not his birth name but let it slide.  His name wasn’t important.  She looked at the man standing in her garden, just in front of the seeds she had planted for work.  He wasn’t bad looking; although rather too skinny for her liking.  His hair was a reddish-brown colour and he needed a shave… she wished she could see his eyes, but they were hidden behind some mirrored sunglasses.  Bebe had met guys like Cyclon3 before.  They thought they were creating an air of mystique by wearing shades, growing stubble and adopting strange monikers, but she wasn’t fooled.  She bet he was a bit of a geek, and possibly a bit of a loner.  Bebe was pretty sure Cyclon3 would do just fine…

Bebe soon discovered that last night’s game had had the desired effect.  Mr Sw0rd had fallen for her charms.  A good old game of kiss chase – gets them every time – he just couldn’t wait to collect his prize – and Bebe was happy to give it to him.  She rolled her eyes as he insisted they hold hands and whisper sweet nothings before they got down to business.  Guys were all the same; always thinking they were something more special than they were; always thinking a tryst meant something more.

It was over very quickly and Mr Sw0rd looked very pleased with himself.  Bebe suspected he was somewhat naive and hadn’t had too many girlfriends.  He was tall and lanky and a bit awkward, but at least she’d gotten to see his deep brown eyes at last.  Bebe asked him to leave, saying she needed to go to work.  She was always happy to part with her friends on good terms.  She didn’t anticipate a repeat occurrence of the morning’s activities any time soon but it always paid to keep people sweet.  The odd phone call or chat in the park might keep Cyclon3 thinking he may have another chance, and Bebe had always believed that when men think that, they’ll be butter in your hands…

Her work shift was long and tiring but enjoyable.  She loved looking under microscopes at new plant cells and hearing about all of the developments the lab were working on.  She went home and planted more unusual seeds in her garden to add to her burgeoning plantation.

The next day was a time for Bebe to get her domestic affairs in order.  She’d been so busy working and meeting her neighbours that she hadn’t spent much time on her home life.  There were bills to be paid…

…computers to be repaired, dishes to be washed and floors to be mopped.  Bebe was a strong, independent woman who’d been brought up to be handy around the house.  Her parents had always taught her that to succeed in life on your own terms you needed to be able to cook, clean, garden and repair objects.  That was the path to self-sufficiency.  Bebe believed that this was true, but to her there was more to life, there were so many more things she needed.

As she contemplated her next steps, she felt a wave of nausea hit her and almost as quickly the vomit rose through her body and splashed her newly cleaned toilet.  She’d have to clean that again, before it clogged and broke.

Nevertheless, Bebe Populous was pleased – the sickness wasn’t a sign that she was ill. On the contrary, it was a sign that all was very, very well. Phase one of her plan was in operation…

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