#rivervale_lodge

"We're calculating the murder rate of a proper pit trap." He offers. "We can add in a variable of spikes vs. a bottom where you can starve to death, if you wanted to offer her extra credit."

"A pit trap?" She looks over then, "Oh. Mmm that's very clever Symon." A troubled look at something on her face though

He raises a brow. That's not the disgusted or disturbed look he was going for.

"Lily? Is math more fun for you this way?" Sally mae finally asks

"Well, yes, miss Sally mae"

Sally Mae looks at Symon "You know there's credit for tutoring if you do enough of it"

He gives Sally Mae an appraising look. "You do a good job for them. Some people just like a more visual approach. I find it in my games, too. Sometimes I can describe the layout, but it still makes no sense to others until I break out the hex map."

"Fine. You're off the hook if you want to be" Sally Mae smiles "But I might come to you on how to make things more fun for the sluagh we have learning. More than Lily here"

"but what if.... word gets out that symon is a good tutor. then all the other parents want help for their kids... and they hunt symon. so he tries to scare them... but they don't mind being afraid if it means they can get help s they still hunt him, and swarm him... and he's trapped tutoring.. .foreeeeveeerrrr" Lily whispers then echoes "ever ever ever"

He shudders a bit. "That IS disturbing. Please don't." To Sally Mae. "But... I guess if you want my input on potential lessons, I can weight in a little here and there."

"Thank you, Symon. Speaking of which... how's your schooling at the farm going?"

Lily BEAMS as she spooked Symon, but she also stops

He hides a grin, and to Sally Mae, he considers, and shrugs. "Sometimes it's too loud. When everyone starts yammering, it can be hard to focus. But the work is easy. Probably behind what I was doing in AP already. I like the biology, though. They never got to butchering anything in Paschak. Not even fetal pigs."

"Yes, Clem tells me you rather enjoy our uhm.. leavings " Sally Mae tries not to make a face but Symon can feel taht tinge of disgust he wanted come up now

"Oh, yes. Chieftain Clem has been incredibly thoughtful. You see, before I came, they just let the offal slop out into buckets during a pig butchery, to be sorted later, you know, hog casings for sausage and sweet meats and stuff. But now they let us reach up in and wind them out..." Miming the slow pulling of intestines out of an imaginary hanging hog - she HOPES's it's a hog. "And see the placement of the kidneys, the liver, and how the stomach attaches..."

"Oh you are so lucky" Lily says enviously

Despite Clems' boasting of Farm girls being made of sturdy stock... Sally mae is a wee bit green "Symon... you can stop now"

He does, looking amused. "I'll ask if you can watch next time." To Lily.

"Thanks, Symon. You are quite the gentleman, albeit a..." Lily searches for the right word "Visceral one?"

"I'll take it. Hey, you think you're okay with... uh, everything?" His hand rests on the math homework, but his gaze is on Lily, questioning.

Sally Mae says "I think so. I'm just worried I'm falling behind on.." She looks at the kitchen

Lily says "Im fine now thank you"

Sally mae says "Speaking of which." She heads to the kitchen "Thank you again, Symon. Lily good work"

Frank is in the kitchen, cleaning up dishes.

He whispers to Lily, "If things get rough, you call me. Okay?"

Lily looks at Symon "Thank you, Symon. I will. And don't worry. If anyone says you're too nice. I'll just tell them some people want to watch the world burn.. silently. "

And she pats his hand to let him go

He gives her a toothless grin. "I'll bring some of Mom's kimchee over next time. I think you'd like it." And heads out.

FRANK finds Sally Mae going "Oh, Mountain, you're not supposed to be doing this"

"I'm not?"

"Are you a sanctioned Hearth, Hearth in traiining, or someone in trouble WITH the hearth and getting a lesson?"

"No. But I'm a full-grown troll who can make a sandwich and clean up after himself." Frank points out reasonably.

"I suppose I can't fault you for setting a full example. It's just I'm behind on..oh you had to make yourself a sandwich? I told the Hearth I'd be able to teach, learn run my biz AND still be here on time." Alarm

"Sally Mae, my schedule is sometimes erratic, with work. You're doing just fine."

"I dont' know if I am, Mountain. I thought I could have it all as a woman, now I"m wondering i can have it all but none of it right"

Frank nods as he dries his hands. "How is the teaching and learning and business going?"

"I'm not sure I'm getting through to them. Some of the students are tuning out fast. I have to remember they don't love math like I do."

"You have a passion for it, and it's not something everyone shares." Frank agrees.

"And Symon may have taught me a lesson that I need to ..think like the kith that's learning. Make it fit their dreams. I'm not sure I'm enough of a psychologist to get that righht." A shake of her head "All this time I thought Sir Vali was exagerating the headaches of teaching. How hard could it be, I thought"

Frank chuckles. "After all, an 18-wheeler is just a big car, right?"

She laughs at that "yes, well , I think I am a lot more sympathetic to my professors and teachers past now. The business is booming. Even with the Covid, no , ESPECIALLY with it, changelings want to get out and go places"

"Good. How long have you been feeling swamped by it all?"

A blush "Let's just say that jello mold they THINKED I worked so hard on for Pennons? I had clem elder form it to look like that" Embarrassed "I was in a rush. Fortunately I didn't win"

"I've been taking short cuts lately" SHe admits

"Sally Mae." Seriously "You cheated in a contest?"

"No, there was no rule against using elder form to hold the jello stiff. I checked"

She does look embarrassed "Probably should be"

An eyebrow. "Do you -feel- like you cheated?"

"Mountain, do you have to word it that way?" She squirms. Sometimes it's hard for folks to remember that, college student or not, she is still young

"Might want to discuss with with someone else, then." Gently.