🌼 004

[determines]

Is anybody here good at times tables?

[locked to Light, Kefka, York, and Woody]

My dad died.

[/locked]

Comments

[likethetragedy]

I can help. Do you have a test coming up?

[determines]

Just homework.

[likethetragedy]

How do you want to do this? Run through the table with me?

[She'd offer to stop by but, clearly no one should be visiting Astor. Nope not protective at all.]

[determines]

I know all the ones up to five, plus ten and eleven. And nine, because my teacher taught me a trick.

6 x 1 = 6
6 x 2 = 12
6 x 3 = 18
6 x 4 = 24
6 x 5 = 30
6 x 6 = 36

And I can't remember the rest, but I'm not supposed to look at my chart while I'm practicing.

[likethetragedy]

As long as you know what goes before it you can just keep tacking on six. What's 36 plus 6?

[determines]

42. But we're not supposed to count on our fingers.

[likethetragedy]

Who said you have to? It's just a back up if your memory fails you.

[determines]

Our teacher wants us to memorize them.

[snakeinmahboot]

How you doing, kiddo?

[determines]

I'm okay.

[snakeinmahboot]

Yeah?

[determines]

... No.

But he had to go back to prison and I think he was hurting my mom and taking drugs again.

[snakeinmahboot]

He's still your dad, though. It's rough, I get that.

[determines]

I think my brother's taking it the worst.

[snakeinmahboot]

He's younger, right?

[determines]

He's seven.

[snakeinmahboot]

He's gonna get through it. He's got a great big sister to help him out.

[determines]

... Thanks.

[snakeinmahboot]

You're gonna be okay, too.

[determines]

I know.

[snakeinmahboot]

Atta girl.

locked

[sandinmyboots]

How do you feel about his death?

locked

[determines]

... He was my dad.

Re: locked

[sandinmyboots]

Complicated, huh?

locked

[determines]

Yeah.

Re: locked

[sandinmyboots]

Do you want to talk about it?

locked

[determines]

I don't think so.

Re: locked

[sandinmyboots]

Anything I can do to help?

locked

[determines]

... Maybe not.

Thanks for listening. You're really nice.

locked

[sandinmyboots]

It's not going to hurt your mom, is it? Are you eating well?

I'm glad. Thanks.

locked

[determines]

I'm eating like normal. When she was putting the funeral together Mom was really busy and worried, but Dexter would come over and fix us pancakes. We had them for dinner once, even though they're a breakfast food.