“Hey, Litvir, are you alright?” Aster asked as he entered the great hall where the Twelve Anew normally held their meetings. Yet again, Aster had accidentally left his shield there, and, yet again, Litvir was sitting there, at the main table. However, today, Litvir wasn’t asleep, they seemed to be heavily focused on their work.
Litvir didn’t look up from what they were doing. “Hello, Aster. I am busy right now.”
“You can’t spare five minutes to talk?”
“Not really. Homework is important. And mama is busy so I cannot ask them for help right now.”
“Oh…” Aster frowned for a moment. “Can I help?”
“What do you know about the economic explorations that High General Photis adventured in, in a bid to try and cement their position of power? Specifically, trying to instate a privately funded news network to compete alongside local news networks, as well as the more accurate and less biased Skyan networks?”
Aster didn’t really have an answer for that. “Huh. That… sounds… a bit above my knowledge. I’d assume that the plan was to be able to spout propaganda that local news networks wouldn’t be able to argue against, and, since he… they would control the funding, or whoever was in charge, this Photis fellow would be able to control what information went where?”
Litvir grunted. Aster was right, but Litvir still needed to write a reasonably long essay on the matter, and Litvir was swiftly learning that writing by hand was tedious and that they desperately lacked the fine motor skills most other Rethans had. They grunted some more, then displayed some genuine anger as they checked through a nearby book, looking for some facts.
“You’re not doing too good, are you?” Aster asked.
“Oh no, not at all. All work. No play. Am tired. In nine days, I will be two months old. But here I am, doing homework for 16 year old Rethans. Would be fine but most 16 year old Rethans also do not have jobs. Most 16 year old Rethans are also not gods though so it is fine, I guess.”
“It’s clearly not fine. When was the last time you slept?”
“Last week.”
“When was the last time you ate?”
“I do not remember. Food is a distraction anyway…” Litvir sighed. “I recently discovered cheese. As I recounted how much I liked it, Aesop stared at me as if I was an idiot and mocked me. Everyone else knows what cheese is. I am stupid and did not know.”
Aster patted Litvir on the shoulder. “You’re not stupid. You’re learning.”
“Not learning fast enough…” Litvir tutted, then went back to work, occasionally pausing to shake out their hand and readjust the grip on their pen. Aster noticed that Litvir was uncomfortable, trying to write with their right hand.
“Um, question, Litvir, are you right handed or left handed?”
“What does that mean?”
“Do you do things normally with your right or your left?”
Litvir paused, then stared at their hands. “Uh…”
“I only ask because you’re struggling with your right hand, maybe it would be easier with your left hand?”
Litvir stared at their hands some more, then put their pen in their left hand. They were clearly slightly more comfortable, but Litvir’s writing became much messier. This annoyed Litvir and they switched back.
“Maybe I am left handed. But I do not have time to relearn how to write and finish this stupid essay at the same time. I wish I could just type it. Pressing buttons is easier on my stupid hands.”
Aster shrugged, then sat down next to Litvir. “Do your teachers and students know you’re a god? Surely they’d let you type things out or take the odd shortcut or whatever.”
“Not allowed shortcuts. Have to be like everyone else. Everyone else goes to school and gets a certificate then joins a Legion. I cannot be different. Or rather, more different.”
“You’re different no matter what, you can’t sit here and suffer in silence because you don’t want to ask for help.”
“I should not NEED to ask for help!” Litvir snapped, throwing their pen down. “I am a damn god! You all do not need help, you are all fine, so I should be fine! I… I… I…”
Litvir’s anger dissolved into tears. In a very un-Rethan-like way, Litvir put their head in their hands and started sobbing.
“I do not like being alive! I am just a baby and a servant! A stupid dumb baby given adult thoughts and adult duties! And now I am crying! Because I am a stupid baby!”
Aster sighed, then put an arm around Litvir. “You are not a-”
“I AM. EVERYONE THINKS I AM!”
“I don’t think you’re a stupid baby. I think you’re a kid who needs help but doesn’t know how to ask. Also, you’re allowed to cry, you’re having a tough time right now.”
“I am…” Litvir whimpered, slowly calming down. “I do not know what to do though. I have not even started my maths homework…”
Aster thought to himself for a moment. Litvir continued to whimper, wiping tears from their eyes, then picked up their pen and tried to start writing again.
“Litvir, have you actually asked your teachers for help?”
“No. I am… trying not to let people know I am a god. It is… somewhat obvious, but I am trying to be like everyone else, and that means not doing god stuff when I am at school. And as I do not have a parental guardian, I have no one to write in reasons for my absences or my struggles.”
“Well, we need to fix that. Because everyone else has a mum or dad or whatever to help them, and you’re working yourself silly. Are there any teachers or anyone you can speak to, an adult Rethan who will stand by your side and give you a hand? Because, sure, I can help you, Elkay will help you, we’ll all help, but you need the help of a parent too.”
“I… I do not know…” Litvir sighed. “Rethan teachers are very strict. None of them like me. I understand why, I am annoying.”
“You’re really not as bad as you think. You just ask a lot of questions. Which makes sense, because, well, everything is new to you. Are there ANY adult Rethans at all who you can confide in?”
Litvir fell silent. “Um… Kyr Relkir has been very kind to me. But I do not know if they would help me.”
“Have they helped you before?” Aster asked. “I don’t know who this Relkir is, but if they’ve been kind to you before, they might help now.”
Litvir nodded. “They invited me to their Macromera thing alongside Kyr Rethais. They were nice to me and gave me some nice pencils for drawing.”
“Alright…” Aster thought a little more. “Okay so, firstly, we’re going to put this homework to one side, just for a moment.”
“But-”
“I know it needs to be done, but you have lots to do, yes?”
“Yes…”
“What we’re going to do is what I did when I was in school.. Which was about 20 years ago, but still… What you do is, you look at all your homework, and you find out which homework is easiest, and you do that homework first. Start with the easiest and quickest homework, end with the hardest. That way, you at least get MOST of it done. The hard stuff, you can take it to your teacher and say that you didn’t understand, but you have proof that you tried. You get that?”
Litvir hesitated, then nodded again. “I understand. Easy stuff first.”
“Good, good. Secondly, when you get a chance to, I want you to speak to this Relkir person and maybe this Rethais person too… Hang on, Rethais is the High General, right?”
“Yes. They tolerate me more than most.”
Aster frowned briefly. “Either way, I want you to speak to this Relkir guy and ask them to help you find a guardian, or even just ask them to be your guardian. They know the system better than I do, and they might be able at the very least give you some advice. Can you do that?”
“I can.”
“Alright. Last thing, I want you to take a five minute break.”
“But-”
“No, no. You’re stressed right now. You’ll make mistakes. More mistakes. Come away for a bit, for five minutes, take a quick break and clear your head, then come back.”
Litvir took a deep breath. “You are right, Aster. I shall do as you say.”
Aster lifted Litvir from their seat and led them to the exit. “Come along now. Let’s go outside and get some fresh air, alright?”
“Alright…”