[Flashback] Children must learn (Solo)

[Bob Barton]

13th day of Winter 493 AV

"Oh yeah? I will come out, NEVER!" Bob yelled while he slammed the door. Stinking Uncle Marny. Bob wants to go out. And play! Not stay at home and do this studying thing for that education thing. Uncle Marny is not going to win, no. He may have sent Bob up to his room Bob will not open even one book. And he will stay up here and starve to death. That will teach that rotten old man a lesson.

Young boys play right? What was wrong with that? Uncle Marny just started screaming and yelling when Bob walked in with his muddy shoes. But that did nothing to take away the fun that Bob had earlier. As a boy, Bob was as tall as any other child in Zeltiva. Which was probably why that one was one of the most active times in his life physically. Before it became so challenging to keep up with his friends.

The game that Bob played with this friends that day was some strange combination of hide and seek with tag in teams. Strangely enough Bob was chosen as the captain of one team. Little did he know that it was because his friends wanted to see him lose after all those times he won by riding on his teammates backs. They all wanted to test if Bob could actually win a game when he was in charge for a change.

It started off with the picking of teams. As this was the first time Bob really had no idea who to choose. There was his close buddies which will become distant and cold he if failed to pick them, and the winners which would ensure victory if Bob had them in his team. It was a very tough choice for Bob but an easy one to make. Winning will net him the respect of everyone else and even his friends would forgive him for making a good call. So he will make the picks which will help him win.

First Bob needed someone he could trust on his team. So his first pick was one of his best buddies, Rickle. A lot of surprised gasps were heard around him since besides Bob, Rickle was one of the other weak players. Thinking that Bob had thrown the game the leader of the other group gave a laugh and picked one of his best buddies too. Another one of the weaklings of the group.

But after that it all changed. Bob saw the advantage that he still would have the first real pick. He pointed to Huut. A mixed blood Myrian child which travelled with his father to Zeltiva from exile. What Bob knew about Myrians when he was a child helped with his decision. They were tough savages who survived in the jungle. In a game of tag as Bob thought, Huut would help a lot in chasing of hunting down their opponents. It helped a lot that one of the people Huut tolerated for company was Bob himself. Keeping on with the idea that Bob was picking his friends.

It all continued on as intended. For his third choice, he chose the Akalak "boy" Dunrim who was on his back with his father to Riverfall from Mura where he was born. By then it was too late for the other team to know that he was intending to win. Bob knew that the akalak would be taken back to Riverfall to do whatever it was those akalaks would do. Like learn how to fight and stuff. Things for those big, violent people. Bob started smiling at the leader of the other team. With these two monsters behind him the other team will never stand a chance.

The last team member was of no importance to Bob. There was no other good choices for him to pick from. Waving his hands at random to one of the two boys left would be a fatal mistake he will come to regret. But Bob did not put too much thought into that when he said "Yes, yes. You'll do. Not like it will make a difference." The boy was practically steaming with anger that he him being chosen was not done seriously.

[Bob Barton]

The game started. As team leader, Bob had to do the hiding while the rest of his team had to do the seeking as well as protecting him. So it was time for a game plan. "You...and you..." Bob pointed at the Akalak and the Myrian. Those he knew came from the races known for their physical ability. "You two will be the ones tracking down our target and winning the game for us." And then to the remaining two of his team, actually more to Rickle, he told them "You two just have to make sure that we don't lose by letting them get me." Turning his head to look at the other one he continued "I am sure that is pretty easy even for us right?" he asked with outstretched arms. As if making a point.

With everything decided it was time to take their positions. Before they left, the Myrian gave Bob some advice. From the wild jungles. Just what was he trying to ask Bob to do? That was not nice at all. These savages really did not know the limits of civilized folk. And the Akalak was just as bad. Did he really think Bob could do the same things he did? He said it like it was so easy. But for Bob, it was anything but.

Rickle would be the voice of reason where all else failed. After all he had probably grown up the same way as Bob did. "I am always up for a third option..." then looking at the fourth boy "anything...?" Unfortunately everyone else was useless. Telling Bob to just use one of the options of their stronger members. Or maybe just do whatever he wanted to. Apparently as the leader he was allowed to do whatever he wanted.

Bob took Dunrim's suggestion because it was a lot more cleaner. When he thought more about it, it was actually very good. Climbing up to a high place would mean he can see anything and everything. No one would get the drop on him. And if he was able to hide properly no one would see him either. He will win. He will win!

"Alright you two. Go scout, or distract them. Whatever you want to do is fine since the other two will be winning the game for us." commanding his two defenders with a smirk. Not like whatever they do would make a difference. So he might as well let them do whatever they wanted. They themselves should know what their strengths, however little they were can do. And since Bob did not know even with his friend Rickle, he figured that it would be better to leave that decision up to them.

It was time for Bob to do his part for victory. He knew the Myrian and the Akalak pretty well. Those two were from races which relied on action. Bob knew if he wanted them to respect him as a leader or a person, he had to take one of their suggestions and work towards the win. Otherwise the both of them might pummel Bob for the loss after the game. He was not looking forward to that. It seems that the stress of being a leader was far more than a follower.

No one else around but Bob, it was time to take the opportunity to hide. Bob ran to the place that was pointed out to him. "That is tall!" he exclaimed with a gasp. How is he even going to go up that? Where was that akalak when he needed him. Bob regretted the poor decision he made. He knew he was no good at things like this. He should have gotten Dunrim to follow him and show him the way up. Then when he was safe only he would allow him to go hunting.

[Bob Barton]

That tree looked tall. As tall as the building. Was that what the akalak meant by climb? Does Bob look like a climber? If anyone sees how short his legs and arm they won't think so. But the alternative of getting up was... Brrr, Bob did not want to think about that. So at the base of the tree, Bob had his hands up at his eyes to shield him from the glaring sun. That tree looked a lot more bigger up close...

Those branches did not give a lot of confidence either. They looked even skinnier than Bob. Was that akalak really telling the truth? Even pressed for time, some safety tests must be done. Winning would not mean anything if Bob was not alive to gloat about it. But unless he could get another idea it would have to do.

First to see how much weight the branch might hold before it breaks. Bob went and held on the branch with both hands while he tried to pull it down. It bent and bent and bent but did not break. Next stage of the safety test. Bob jumped up and curled his body while still holding on to the branch so that it can feel the full extent of his body weight. Lucky he tested this now because when he did it, "SNAP!" the branch broke and Bob fell down to the ground.

"You need to place your body on the parts which are nearest to the trunk." a small voice advised Bob from behind him. Shocked he turned his head. Only to find the last member of his team which he still didn't care to learn his name. "Fine, fine thanks. What are you doing here? You should be doing...something else?" Bob quickly said assuming his commanding tone. He hardly was the leader and he was going to take every chance he had today to boss people around.

The boy just smiled sheepishly when he answered that as a member of Bob's team he should be around to help. Bob could see no flaw in the reasoning so he continued to climb using the boy's advice. The first step is always the hardest and it took Bob quite a while to convince himself to put his foot on the branch. He even had to close his eyes to make things less scary but when he finally opened his eyes, success! His foot was on the branch and he started climbing. Putting another foot and another hand on the higher branches as he was going up.

But Bob had hardly gone up above his head level when he heard the dreaded sound. "SNAP!" one of the branches which held his foot made. Making him lose his footing and started to fall. Before that happened he quickly clenched his hands which already had their own branches tighter to keep him on the air while his feet were dangling to the ground. "Help...? Bob pleaded more than ordered the boy at the base of the tree.

In his panicked state Bob could hardly hear what the boy was saying. Only seeing his opening his arms and telling Bob to jump. Jump? Was the boy going to catch him? But he looked so small... Bob would crush him under his weight when he landed. He considered it for a moment. But better the boy than Bob. No one in their team would miss the boy so Bob let go off the tree and started falling to the ground.

"BLAM!" Bob fell to the ground hard and loud. At least he had the brains to not fight against the force and followed through to bend his knees to lessen the blow. Bob did end up having to land his hands on the ground as he fell though. To catch him before he fell face first. Glaring at the boy he asked loudly "I thought you were going to catch me!" But the boy kept denying, saying that he was actually telling Bob another way to climb up the tree after he had jumped down. Bob was actually too angry then to be suspicious about the boy smiling as soon as he had seen Bob jumping down the tree to notice the danger that this boy actually presented to his victory. Instead thinking that the boy was laughing at his failure like all the others would.

[Bob Barton]

Maybe the other way would work. But Bob is not going to acknowledge or thank that person even if it worked since he laughed. Bob brushed the dust off himself as he got up and headed back to the base of the tree. Apparently the boy said Bob only had to embrace the tree with his arms and legs and crawl his way up. Sounded simple enough that anyone could do it.

Bob is not one of those treehuggers. Don't ever call him that. But the next thing he did was hug the tree. Tried as he did he just could not fully wrap his arms around the tree since it was a little bit too big. So he just continued satisfied that he at least for his hands behind the tree. At least his legs were long enough. And when he put those around, he was able to hook his feet together giving him a better grip over the tree.

"You got it! Hurry up." The boy who was still there was rushing Bob. Bob didn't need to know that. He already knew what he needed to do. "Wait what do I have to do now?" Bob asked still hugging on to the tree like a hippy.

Following the boy's instruction, Bob climbed. Folding his stomach to bring his hands and feet close before spreading them out to cover distance and take him upwards. It was a slow process. Even the caterpillar he saw climbing the tree was faster. A minute maybe? His arms and legs started to feel the strain of holding on to the tree. Bob got tired. Thinking that there may be another way, he let go off the tree for a second time to drop down.

This time Bob already learned from the first drop. He already had his knees a little out by the time he reached the ground so it would be easier for his knees to bend. Unfortunately he did not take one thing into account. That he was facing directly at the tree. So when he landed he bend his knees to absorb the force and like earlier he leaned forward so he can catch himself. When that happened he accidentally slammed his head on the tree causing his body to bounce and fall on his back.

The laughter increased and when Bob looked back at his direction he saw the boy...with two members of the other team. "Hey, how did you find me so fast?" Bob asked trying to buy some time as he got up. On a knee he got the answer that the member he had been ignoring was a mole out of petty spite for Bob. Once Bob learnt that he cried out "HELP!" hoping one of his teammates would hear him while he started running away from his pursuers. Pushing on his knee to give him that extra boost of speed as he started running towards the trees.

"COME BACK HERE!" some of the kids shouted behind him. But who was stupid enough to do that? To go back is to lose. No, if anything the shouting only made Bob want to run faster. Bob felt his muscles tense like they were thinking the same thing. Faster, and faster they went. The legs moving forward and pressing down on the ground to get him as far away from the trio as possible. Then he saw Rickle coming his way. Again he shouted "Help, help, HELP!" to get his attention.

Bob did not have to say anything because Rickle immediately rushed over when he saw the chase. "Go, go, GO!" he cried when he got between Bob and his pursuers and wrestled with them. Bob looked back and tried to encourage Rickle's bravery. "Good job. Hold them off until I escape even if you die!" giving the thumbs up as he ran. Not a really encouraging thing to say especially at that time. Seeing that Rickle was one of the small, weak kids like Bob and was facing off two kids physically good enough to be chosen as the chasers.

[Bob Barton]

When Bob was running there was a few things on his mind. One was how he was going to have his revenge on the little bastard which backstabbed him. The other was whether Rickle was going to live through this. And finally what he was going to do now since climbing had failed. Bob had to think of something to keep him safe and hidden or else he would be caught soon and lose the game. All this effort would be wasted.

Running and running until he finally lost his pursuers, Bob finally found it much to his disappointment and came to a stop. The second suggestion of the Myrian boy has appeared before him. Bob had to...had to... hide himself. In the mud! The place they were playing at was very damp and muddy which made that plan perfect except for one thing. Bob and Huut had different guardians. While a wildman might love his son for doing something like this, Uncle Marny is going to kill Bob. Hence being sent to his room once Bob returned home.

Rickle was no good. Bob could hear excited and angry shouts behind him about finding Bob to win the game. What other choice did Bob have? Slowly and slowly he crept closer to the mud. Then he shut his eyes. Shuddering at what he had to do next. With outstretched arms he leaned forward and let gravity do its work. Falling in to the mud with a "SPLAT!"

The shouts kept coming closer and closer. And Bob was only half muddified. So he started turning round and round in the wet mud. Hoping to get it all over him before they come. He had already committed to this. And to get caught even after taking such desperate measures would not do at all. So he continued rolling. Getting the mud to spread all over his back first, and then getting them on his body whenever he turned over.

Desperation grew the louder the shouts got. Bob absolutely, positively did not want to get caught. He sat back up and started grabbing handfuls of mud. Then his eyes searched all over his body for spots he might have missed. Slapping the mud unto them. Finally when it was all done enough for him, he scooped the last handful of mud and closed his eyes. "SPLAT!" it went all over his face where he kept rubbing until it all felt nice and smooth. Then he lied on his back again hoping that no one could find him.

Their numbers grew. Not three but there were five of them. Five...that would mean the leader was hiding Bob counted. There was five was the normal count for a team but then there was that backstabber on their side which made six. Five less from six would mean the last as the leader hiding. Well those other members of his team better not be backstabbers and should be doing their job of hunting down the other team leader as Bob commanded. Or there will be hell to pay. If not it just means they lose.

Some of them came really close to Bob. Earlier from all the running and the panic he was puffing and panting a lot. But now, he could barely even think of breathing. They were just too close. Bob could not stand it. He took in a mouthful of breath, nearly choking on some of the mud which was able to sneak in with the air and held it. He was a bit scared that they might even hear his breathing so he had to stop it. Not breathing, eyes shut, Bob was a rock. "I am a rock...no one will see me..." Bob kept telling himself over and over in his mind. He really did feel like a rock. He was not breathing, seeing or even feeling. Only having the mud touch his skin.

Bob was able to get his breath of relief when he heard them leaving. He waited and waited until the sounds of their voice became quieter before he was willing to risk opening an eye. One first, to look around. Then when it was safe, the other which made him yell in pain when some mud dripped in. Luckily by then no one was left around to come and catch him.

[Bob Barton]

In the end the mud experience was well worth it. "Good work team. Now lets hunt down our treacherous teammate." Bob said once they had their victory. They cornered the boy in an alley when Bob gave a satisfied smirk and told his two big brutes who were also angered at the betrayal "You can have your fun with him." He would have wanted to join in, but someone might rat out to Uncle Marny. And it was rare that he could hold such power over anyone more stronger than him. So he took advantage of commanding these big kids for as long as possible to do what he wanted and what he could not do. Well actually he did join in after they were done. When it was his turn he went up to the traitor and with a grin aimed a few kicks at his stomach. "Do! Not! Mess! With! Bob!" he manage to say slipping in a few kicks until Rickle stopped him with something about ending up a murderer.

It was a good day. Bob won a game as leader and got the gloating rights along with it. He was even able to command two kids of the more violent races as well as teach a traitor a lesson. It did not matter he had to get a little tired and dirty here and there. It was overall a good day for him. But someone should have told that to Uncle Marny because as soon as Bob reached home, he was sent to his room.

So then Bob found himself in his room. All the happiness replaced by frustration. He had sworn to himself that he would not study like Uncle Marny wanted. But after a while he got bored. Alright fine, he decided to do something productive. Productive but not studying either. His room was a mess so he should clear it up.

There were tons of things littered on the floor. Bob still had no idea how he was able to walk about without injuring his feet so he started with that. He separated them according to specific categories. Cradling his important items with his arms when he headed to the cupboard to put them in. Then for the trash he could throw away, he took them up and put them in a bag. He would take care of that the next day. As for the rest...where else can he put it he thought to himself. It should be somewhere easily accessible but out of view. Then Bob got the great idea. He started to grab them and arrange into a neat little pile. Which he then started to kick under his bed.

"Kick, kick, kick." One by one the items went under the bed. Until "Clank!" Bob smashed his toe on one of the harder things. "Ouch, ouch, Ouch!" Bob cried out at he ran around his room in pain trying to shrug it off. After that he learned. No more kicking things under the bed. That was a bad thing to do. So he went and crouched on the floor so that his arms would be on the level to sweep his things under his bed.

And even all that cleaning not much time passed. What was Bob going to have to do to pass the time? The evil book started to call out to him. The one which ruins the mind of any child foolish enough to open it. The book...of Math! It was lying there. Right on his bed. And Bob still refused to do anything about it. So he did what he could do. He went up to it and smacked it away with his hand.

[Bob Barton]

The book was not a book. It was actually a file. So when Bob smacked it away, the papers started fluttering around his newly cleaned up room. "No!" Bob cried in dismay. Now he had to waste more time fixing this new mess and fix the papers before his dear old uncle found out about it.

Bob quickly scrambled to the floor to collect all the papers. They were all mixed up. Unless he was able to arrange them all together, Uncle Marny would find out about it eventually. Alright, alright. It was time to try and remember what everyone was trying to teach him about math but failing to get him interested in it. This was a matter of life and death! He had to finish up fast.

The papers started to come together in neat little stacks. There was the addition...subtraction...multiplication...division...and the confusing random combinations in the order that Bob had learned in the past. He was supposed to do all that?!? Uncle Marny was expecting too much from his beloved nephew. Hopefully this was the correct order of things he was supposed to do when he combined them into the one stack to put back in the folder.

He looked back through to the stack one more time to see whether the order was correct. Smacking himself in the head for wasting all his time arranging them because...he spied numbers at the bottom or each page which showed their order. He should have arranged according to that instead of wasting all that time.

Tough. Bob had to split all the pages apart one more time to begin. Hunting down each individual page starting from one, then two, then three, then... Wait! Where is number forty three? That was not good at all. Where could it have gotten to? There was no other loose papers around the ground.

There were only a few logical explanations. There was either a void in his room, which was highly unlikely. Or he must have mixed that paper among his other things. He already went through the stack. Twice! No way he could not even tell numbers which he already knew where to look for. Which would mean...the trash! Bob hurried over to the bag and emptied it on the ground to make another mess where he searched through the pile. There were drawings, writings and unspeakables he had scrapped. But no page forty three much to Bob's dismay.

That took one possible place. And the other was Bob would definitely not put it in the closet. It was just not as important as he thought at that time. So it had to be under his bed with everything else. Brrrr...the reason why Bob put those things there was because he did not see himself getting to those that fast. But looks like now he had no choice.

Bob crawled under the bed and started on this horrible task. "Cough, cough!" It was a little bit too dusty. Maybe after all this was done he would either have to clean up or shift all this stuff somewhere else. But for now he had to look for the paper. Bob struggled to extend his arm right to the end at the wall. Where he started to sweep the things. This time it was harder, heavier. The clutter was grouped together too much and was pushing themselves against Bob. It was a great battle. One right under the bed that Bob would talk about for a long time.

Yes this is how Bob would tell it for years to come. "One day I lost something...something important." Which he means page forty three. But that would not be impressive enough. "So I had to go somewhere. Dark and scary. Alone and unprotected." Actually under his bed but who would be impressed with that? "I got into a fight to get with it. They were small but their numbers...Ohhhhhhh their numbers. They took advantage of it to push me back and out of their domain." Actually? All the stuff he tossed in there. Bob is totally regretting that decision now. "Some of them were even heavily armoured. Not giving me a chance to fight back." Bob kept a lot of junk under there. Like his toys for one. Those are really hard. And painful being made out of various materials like wood and iron. "Finally I was able to strike them all away with one quick swoop and ran away with my prize." He did! Sweeping his arm to the side to knock everything away with all his power until even his fist smashed into the wall. Hard. But at least now all the hard and heavy things blocking the paper was gone. Quickly grabbing it Bob scrambled out of the bed and dusted himself.

[Bob Barton]

Bob finally got it all in order. Pages one to ninety. Now it was time for the final check so Uncle Marny won't see anything is off. Bob flipped through the pages to see if they were alright. Four after three, twenty nine before thirty, stopping at ninety. That sort of thing. But as he did. He fell for the dreaded trap of math. The challenge it provides everyone.

Too bad Bob did not take the questions seriously. Questions which he asked himself surprised. Starting with "If I had three carrots and William gave me three, how much would I have? Of course none. I would have thrown all six away. I hate carrots!" right until he reached "How many mizas I would have left? Why would I even give Selina all twenty of my mizas? I would be left with none. Zero. Nothing!" one way or another, he got the sums down. Just not the way the question would have wanted the answer.

The trap got him more and more as he continued. This time with multiplications. It was not as simple as adding or deducting away so Bob had to get outside help. "You won't outsmart me stupid math!" he roared, not realizing it already happened. Bob needed something to quantify the questions. And then he got it. He returned to the dreaded land of Underthebed and took some of his toys out. "You are now prisoners of the great Bob. So do as I say if you want to live!"

Question time! "If there was three people from Syliras, three people from Sunberth and three people from Zeltiva walking and meeting in the Wildlands, how many would there be?" Thats easy, Bob told himself. As he arranged toys which represented people on the floor. A row of three for each city. "There. Nine people, but..." suddenly Bob swept his hand across the ground again to scatter the toys away. "How are they going to survive the journey through the Wildlands? They all died so zero!" Bob answered with satisfaction. Yes he heard about the wildlands. The dangerous place full of wild animals and bandits. "Actually...maybe three. I heard those Sunberth people are tough... Or six if those people from Syliras were knights..." He reasoned with himself again before going along to the rest.

Finally it was divisions. Divisions because Bob was just too frustrated at the stupidity of the questions to continue on further. "If two tribes of Myrians fought each other, how many tribes would be left alive?" Bob stared at the paper. As if it just suggested something stupid. Was this really math? There wasn't even any numbers! How was Bob going to answer this? So he went back to his toys like the three groups earlier. Arranging them equally so there would be two sides. Actually to make things more interesting, he would balance the sides out too. Bob split all the toys. From the small to big to bigger splitting them for both sides.

It was time to start. Bob sent each toy of the same size against each other. Knocking them off as he did. He did it like a war game too. One side sending up the big ones first and the other one sending the small ones as cannon fodder. But for the latter, he made the small ones try and overwhelm the big ones with numbers. Somehow or another, both tribes killed each other off. "Right, so the answer is that they all DIE!" Bob said to himself satisfied with the answer. Only later knowing that he was wrong since it was supposed to be one tribe. That the tribes would fight to the death and two divided by two is always one. Uncle Marny should have told him that earlier instead of waiting till after Bob had finished the questions.

And so Bob slammed the file, done with as much work as he wanted to. Then he cleaned himself up, going to where his uncle was and throwing the file at him to look it through. "So am I still grounded now?" he asked while waiting for his uncle to go through the right answers with him.

[Oracle]

Name: Bob Barton

XP Award:

• Leadership 2
• Politics 1
• Climbing 3
• Running 2
• Camouflage 1
• Organizing 2
• Storytelling 1
• Mathematics 3

Lore:

• The Dilemmas of Childhood
• Barking Orders
• The Stress of Leading Others
• Regreting Poor Decisions in Hindsight
• Falling...Falling...and Falling Again
• Quick Thinking in the Face of Danger
• Letting Others do your Dirty Work
• Stubbing your Toe
• The Elusive Number 43
• The Battle of the Junk
• Making your Own Logic
• Everybody Dies

Notes: I gave you politics because of the way you reasoned out why you picked who you did for your team and the effects it would have on the outcome within the social group you were in.

Great thread! I really enjoyed reading it. The way Bob works through his problems using his own logic is really amazing. Keep up the great work and I hope to see loads more from you in the future!

If you have any concerns with this please PM me and let me know.

A.S. Oracle

P.S. I can go a little lore crazy so feel free to pick and choose which you wanna keep if you don't want to keep them all.

[Colombina]

Hi Bob,

Since Oracle is learning the ropes, I am going to be a second opinion on this thread and grading. It takes time to get the grading knack down, so bear with us.

Oracle is a very nice person, so she was generous with XP, a little too generous considering the length and depth of this thread. As her first try, I'm giving more than I normally would. Please have your CS reflect these changes:

XP Award:
Leadership 1
Climbing 2
Running 2
Camouflage 1


Lore:

Gang Mentality
The Stress of Leading Others
Basic Principles of Addition and Subtraction

Everyone has a different approach to lores. Mine tends to be pragmatic. If it can't come in useful later or is something intrinsically known, I tend to overlook it. Since these are more judgment based, you are welcome to take one more from Oracle's list that I did not include.