[TellPhone Audio]

[doubled_speed]

So... Listen, I need to apologize to people for what happened last month. The whole 'hey there's young idiot Tommy being an asshole' thing. And the neglecting my work while that was happening.

I dealt with a lot of BS magic shit when I was younger that I had a lot less explanations for and so I didn't trust shit well.

Teach me to be careful what I say.

Anyway, if you need me to do something to, like, make it better, let me know. I don't remember all of the shit that happened or who I saw.

Comments

[doubled_speed]

Thanks. It WOULD have made things really confusing. Though at that age I already liked helping younger kids. I woulda tolerated you more than I did others.

I'm glad I know you again too, LT.

[monochromatically]

Yeah?

[ Well, the boy would keep that in mind if it ever happened again. Still better not to confuse someone, he thinks. But he smiled a little. ]

Is there anything I can do to help with stuff now that you’re back??

[doubled_speed]

Oh man, yeah. I think we need to move ourselves into a bigger store front. Wanna help me look into where we could set up?

[monochromatically]

I wanna help for sure! More room kinda sounds like a good idea, especially with all the stuff that comes through some days.

[doubled_speed]

Exactly. We need storage space for packages that come in late in the day and aren't urgent. And I'm thinking about hiring a tutor for the kids who aren't working.

[Not to mention all the food he wants to store for them. Uniforms. All that stuff.]

[monochromatically]

Yeah! That’d help a lot, and people could drop stuff off knowing it’d be stored safely till we can deliver it. [ He paused, considering the tutor thing. ] Tutors are like a teacher, right? That’d probably be good if they’re nice and stuff. Might be neat to learn important stuff.

Maybe we could look at one of the shop buildings that’s still empty in the market so we don’t go too far from where people are used to finding us?

[doubled_speed]

Yep, exactly like a teacher. Could teach the kids their numbers and letters and other things. So they can get other jobs too.

[Because he knows the kids deserve better work in their futures. He does his best, but people can't support themselves on what he's paying because he's taking care of kids.]

Yeah, that sounds really wise.

[monochromatically]

I bet they’d like that, and I guess I wouldn’t mind too… I know letters ‘n stuff, but numbers are weird.

[ He only knew letters and reading as well as he did because of some help from other kids a long, long time ago… So long, he almost can’t quite remember it clearly. ]

Does it? Someone told me before that I’m kinda wise for a kid. Like an owl.

[ He ended with a little tilted grin to himself. He doesn’t know how wise he actually is, but it’s a funny thing to think when more than one person said it. ]

[doubled_speed]

Numbers are super weird, not going to lie. But useful as you're all getting paid, and I wouldn't want any of you getting cheated.

[Wise, like an owl? Tommy laughs.]

I've seen a hell of a lot of dopey owls. Rats, those are something way smarter than owls. And a lot nicer than most people think

[monochromatically]

Yeah, it seems kinda useful. More useful here, anyway. And it would be good if we all know how to count and track it like the adults do.

[ He thinks that sounds sensible, anyway. Even if he wasn’t sure about the wording, keeping track of the money you made and how to spend it… or budget, maybe? Seemed like it was important for both businesses and just people. The boy blinked in surprise at the laughter, though. Why would people say owls were wise if they weren’t? ]

Really? I didn’t know that. Seen a lot of rats… But I guess I never tried to know any of em either.

[doubled_speed]

Then I'll start looking into tutors.

[Tommy just has to smirk.]

Owls stumble and fumble and eat things whole. Rats are in communities. They try and be fair. They're good creatures.

[monochromatically]

They do…? That sounds really gross. [ And the boy has seen horrors most couldn’t imagine. So that’s saying something! ] Rats sound nicer than people make em seem, I’ll remember that next time I see some.

[doubled_speed]

Yeah. Then they don't even get rid of the parts normal. They spit them all back up as a big ball. They're called owl pelts. It's WEIRD. Cool, but weird and gross.

And yeah, rats ain't too bad. You don't want them in your house, but they aren't bad.

[monochromatically]

Wow… I dunno, I don’t think you’d want an owl in your house either 'cause of how they eat.

[doubled_speed]

Exactly! See, you're pretty smart there kid.

[monochromatically]

Thanks, maybe I am sometimes. Still not smart with other stuff like numbers, but I learned lots about the other stuff since I got here from people like you!

[doubled_speed]

Well then, we can get you smart with them. I'm glad to get you taught. But not by me. I'm not good at this shit.

[monochromatically]

You’re not?

[ Yes, Mono probably had been thinking Tommy was. Mostly because he was an adult and seemed pretty smart about other things. ]

[doubled_speed]

I'm really not, Mono. I just do my best. It's all I can do.

[monochromatically]

Well, your best seems pretty good, I didn’t even know!

[ Maybe they could find someone who was good with numbers to take care of them for the work stuff to help out. ]

[doubled_speed]

You know what they say: fake it til you make it.

[monochromatically]

People say that??

[ Yeah, the kid hasn’t heard that one yet. ]

[doubled_speed]

Of course they do. WHy wouldn't they?

[monochromatically]

I dunno, I just never heard that before?

[doubled_speed]

Well, it's common back home.