#LexiHexa duo

[fountainpenguin]

🌆 Heroes' Journey 🌆

WordGirl

Pulling back the curtain on a world where mere mortals possess wild superpowers, with a focus on WordGirl and Kid Math's mentor-apprentice-equals relationship. Heavy consideration on how superpowers affect society, with emphasis on found families, secrets, and the mortifying ordeal of being known.

#ridwork guides

What Is This AU?

A slice-of-life WordGirl period piece that expands on the worldbuilding and character relationships seen in the show. Worldbuilding is thoughtful, lightly angsty, but mostly lighthearted with a goal to avoid infodumping and serious angst.

Give it up for Rex trying to hide his powers while more and more people grow convinced he's only hiding them due to abusive upbringing. Shout-out to Becky juggling his superhero training with her fractured social life.

AO3 Series - Heroes' Journey

WG Character Study Series - 28 Million Degrees

All WordGirl 'fics - Any series

WordGirl blog tag - #Satirical vocab alien child show

Posts about Rex and Becky as a comedic duo - #LexiHexa duo

Tone

Serious, but sprinkled with fluff and general tomfoolery. Cute and goofy moments interspersed with light relationship drama. Blends cartoony vibes and a thoughtful take on the worldbuilding.

Ex: Chuck has a broken foot that takes him out of the villain game while he recovers. Becky has to do homework. Yet we still have the Narrator and featured words :)

Characters

Heroes' Journey is a relationship study focusing mostly on Becky, Rex, and Huggy. Parents, friend groups, and neighbors play supporting roles.

Factor It In spotlights Rose Franklin, Victor Best, Eileen, and Granny May, as I figured they could use some extra love. Most villains show up at some point in the Heroes' Journey timeline.

Ships

Canon-compliant within the show's timeline. For me, this means Tobey has a crush on WordGirl, who doesn't reciprocate. Becky has a crush on Scoops, and Scoops/Violet is mutual. Also, Brent/Miss Question, who I definitely don't call [‽] in my head.

Romantic ships are not a big focus in the series as I prefer emphasis on friendships and rivalries, but you'll see romance in the background. Exposition Guy/Exposition Guy's Wife OTP SWEEP! ... Tim and Sally are there too, I guess.

- I write Becky as asexual with no interest in sex, pregnancy, or kids. She loves romance books and would like a fairytale romance, but... her true love is unlearning guilt, taking breaks, and finding peace with herself, I think :)

- Rex sort of has a crush on her, by which I mean he's convinced it's "obvious" the two alien superheroes will end up together. I see them growing up to have a pretty queerplatonic relationship. As he grows, he also develops a crush on Violet (She's kind to him) and Tobey (He uses calculations to build robots; idk what you expected).

- It's important to me that you know Rex is bisexual and when he's an adult, he will tell you this and giggle because "bisect" is a math term and he thinks it's funny every time he says it.

Setting

Fair City, which I've set in the state of Washington (Spotted owls and sasquatches represent!)

"AlgoRhythm" takes place December 1997 and the main 'fic - Factor It In - opens January 1998. This series may range from as early as Huggy's pilot years and Becky's infancy to as late as their adulthood.

Is It For Me?

If you like Becky, Huggy, Rex, the Narrator, thoughtful character relationships, and deeper worldbuilding about life in a world of superpowers, this series may be up your alley! I strive for canon-compliancy for pieces set during show canon.

I try to spotlight less popular characters in the show. Popular villains like Dr. Two-Brains are definitely there, but I try to give folks like Hal Hardbargain, Timmy Timbo, and the Coach their chance to shine as well (both as villains and civilians).

I have no "Becky's family finds out she's WordGirl reveal planned for this story," at least not in Becky's youth.

Major Themes

Expectations, pressure, stability, control, culture, conforming vs. self-expression, envy, trust, pride, guilt, secret-keeping, growth, self-reflection, moving on, and found family

Plot Highlights

- "AlgoRhythm" follows Kid Math as WordGirl introduces him to the Evil Villains Association at an overstimulating party.

- Factor It In bridges the gap between Rex's arrival in "Kid Math" and his cameos in both his Rex and Kid Math clothes in later episodes.

Other works in this series further develop the relationship between straightforward Rex and wishy-washy Becky, with plots ranging from teaching Rex about life on Earth to teaching Becky about the culture of Lexicon and Hexagon.

- Generally, the vibe is that Kid Math is inexperienced and therefore falls for tricks that don't feel WordGirl, so people try to take advantage of him. He gets frustrated when he doesn't understand why he has to follow certain rules and she gets frustrated by his stubborn pride. Shenanigans occur and require problem solving.

- "Flypaper" depicts The Gang in their late teens and young adulthood. Becky is now in college and left Huggy with Rex, who's Fair City's main hero until she returns. She feels detached and uncertain about where she is in life. Also, WordGirl and Super Why speak on a panel together and I badly need you to know.

Ongoing?

I wrote a one-shot in 2018. In 2023, I posted more content. This series is ongoing with infrequent updates at the time of posting.

- On hiatus & in need of buffer building. Intent to finish.

Warnings, notes, and explanations below so readers can learn more about this AU.

👀 Take a Peek

New here? You might like to start with these:

These character studies take place within this universe, though they're not listed as Heroes' Journey content since they focus on side characters:

- "Your family is doing okay" (G - 4400 words) - First meeting of Exposition Guy (Milo) and his to-be wife (Miah)

- "A penny for your thoughts (Oh no)" (G - 7000 words) - A zero-dialogue challenge with Captain Tangent

- "28 Cities" (G - 25k words) - A one-shot series focused on queerplatonic Rhyme and Reason. A taste of childhood with powers vs. without powers. Ongoing, but on hiatus.

Start Reading

Recommended ways to get into the full AU

"AlgoRhythm"

- Get started with a fluffy piece about Kid Math training under WordGirl, then attending a party so she can introduce him to different villains.

- Intro to basics like character dynamics, superpowers, and how Rex thinks

- Fluff, humor, & found family vibes

- Large cast of characters

🗺️ Worldbuilding

- It's rare to be born with powers, but not unheard of. The determining factor is genetics, as is the case with Kid Potato and the Butcher, or the Bests.

-> In-story, there's a character called the Nightmare King: father of Exposition Guy, the Narrator [and his twin], and Invisi-Bill. Their abilities range from semi-omniscience to invisibility, with the Narrator having both.

- Those who have powers are charmed. Doctor Two-Brains is not charmed as he relies on tech, and neither is Captain Tangent, who replies on a curse and his hook.

- Miss Question is not technically classified as charmed due to receiving her powers from lightning. However, she's found acceptance in the charmed community and she can use the label if she wants to. Chuck IS technically charmed, but doesn't identify with the label because he doesn't consider himself to have powers; it's just part of his family history.

-> Chuck would register as charmed on a blood test while Miss Question would not.

- It can take years for powers to show themselves. Most people show theirs as a toddler or during puberty. It's very rare for someone to spontaneously discover powers as an adult. There is seemingly no limit to the types of powers people can have. 1 power is the standard, but some people have as many as 3. It's very, very rare to have more than 3.

-> Rhyme has about 4 powers depending on how you classify things like super strength and durability alongside her super speed and freeze breath. Her dad has wind powers and her mom had water powers. Her family has a long history of charmed genes while Reason's has a long history of none.

- Charmed individuals may study in public school or in specialized charm schools that tailor teaching and accommodations to better suit them. Becky fears that if her parents learn about her flight and super strength, they'll send her to charm school (away from her friends).

-> Becky and Rex are not charmed because they're aliens; their powers follow special rules. However, Becky is "out" as a charmed individual who can speak with monkeys.

- All Lexiconians and Hexagonians have the potential for superhuman abilities. However, these abilities are nullified when they're on their planets, which contain trace amounts of Lexonite / Hexanite in the soil and ground them like average people.

-> Rex was raised with the intention of leaving Hexagon to pursue life as a hero somewhere else. He has the book knowledge for his powers, but no practical experience until coming to Earth.

- During Factor It In, Rex tries to conceal his powers while moving between foster homes, unaware that his caseworker found out about his quick healing and flight. Miah hints to him several times that she and Milo [Exposition Guy] are "a very charm-friendly household."

-> Flight is a rare ability. Miah suspects Rex may be lying low to avoid being traced by an abusive supervillain relative. Beyond that, she's surprised he would hide his powers, as it's not like they're unheard of in this world.

- There's a lot of depth to my takes on Lexiconian and Hexagonian culture, such as Lexicon being more into exploring nature and hunting or gathering food while Hexagon is more into mechanical things and agriculture. Rex is scared of storms because he grew up on a planet that had weather under control, and it's overstimulating for him.

- Both Rex and Becky have synesthesia. Rex can't read because "that's a Lexiconian's job." Also, Hexagon apparently had unicorns and Becky is jealous. My 'fics trickle details like this in over time.

- Last thing worth mentioning is that Huggy grew up with a lot of simians. Some he's on good terms with, others he has rocky history with, but it's generally accepted that Lexiconian monkeys are very intelligent and make great pilots.

- You can also send an Ask if you want to hear me talk about this world. I tag WordGirl content as #Satirical vocab alien child show

📋 Notes & Warnings

- Canon-typical violence (It's taken seriously and people do get injured, but the vibe is what you'd expect for goofy superhero content).

-> Cuts, scrapes, and wooziness are fair game, but no blood or gore. The most serious injury is probably Chuck's broken foot.

-> You should assume all robots are fair game to be destroyed.

-> No serious injuries or character death. Death mentions are backstory only

- Abuse mentions (Adults suspect Rex ran from an abusive home). However, no on-screen abuse besides the basics like family pressure from the Bests and Doctor Two-Brains having a rough go of it.

-> In "28 Cities," it's implied that Rhyme's dad pushed her superhero training pretty far and that she was emotionally and/or physically abused in the process. Reason only hears about this later.

- Rex has canon-typical morbid commentary (which is funny if you take it as "ha ha logic boy" but you could also read it as "Oh that's super dark Rex wtf?")

-> Ex: wanting to tear down the city

- Rare mentions of death (Ex: Rhyme's backstory ("28 Cities") where it's said her dad is a hero turned villain since his hero work didn't pay well enough to provide for Rhyme after his wife died.

More details about Rex's crush on Becky:

Rex sees himself as "Becky's obvious choice in partner someday" and is repeatedly flummoxed when she rejects his elaborate plans to court her 15 years from now.

Becky's asexual with no desire for pregnancy, but as they get older, people definitely try shipping her with Kid Math. She does go out with him in their teens/young adulthood in "A Little Ambiguity," which is a lovely date where no one has childhood baggage weighing them down.

As years pass, a young adult Becky starts seriously debating if she should "settle" with him because there are just so many parts of marrying Rex that are easier than trying to date other people, like the fact that he knows her superhero identity, doesn't think she's fragile, and he can take care of himself in the event that he's targeted.

-> It's the inherent angst of "I don't want kids anyway and I would really like a companion and he knows me so well, but WOW is he going to be so smug about it and I hate that."

It's this weird QPR where Becky's not sure if she feels "love" in the ways it's commonly defined and she's upset and burned out and lonely. Meanwhile Rex has gone on lots of dates, but always felt like she was the clearly logical option. Ah yes, Lexiconian definition crisis meets Hexagonian practicality.

-> I can't even say that I ship them because I Don't Romantically, but I need to study her chronic wishy-washiness & his refusal to look beyond surface-level understanding of things. Do u see my vision?

- All my WordGirl 'fics

- Want more info? Send an Ask!

You can create works based on this AU. Please cite me and/or the AU as appropriate (i.e. for things very specific to this AU). You are free to expand on ideas you've thought of thanks to my AU as a jumping off point. I'd love to reblog or link things to my AO3 works if I see them!

I write content with morally gray characters. Please don't portray my story events or worldbuilding out of context with intentional malice. As in, I request you do not post things created for the specific intention of bashing me or the AU

[fountainpenguin]

Aspects of Rex's / Kid Math's character I really love

The thrilling sequel to my Becky / WordGirl character post, I guess

WordGirl "plays" with her villains in a way that Kid Math just does. not. get. I love how single-minded he is and how he still doesn't pick up on that attitude despite multiple attempts to explain it to him. In his mind, superhero work is serious business...

He just straight-up crushes Two-Brains' ray gun between his palms with this smug look on his face.

There is not an ounce of fear in his body... Always ready to get his hands dirty fighting crime.

He's constantly beaming and putting his hands on his hips. Service with a smile. The only service he provides is teaching times tables and kicking your butt.

That completely unnecessary spin he does when demonstrating how to add "a million plus a million."

WordGirl tries to call a time out on her battle with Two-Brains to talk to Kid Math and he just floats there with a dopey smile :) He doesn't really "get" calling time outs, but he's also a good boy who's ready to listen and chit-chat.

Got gushy and excited when he and WordGirl found out their planets are in the same solar system. Look at him.

Will cheerfully help you with any math equation regardless of how simple it may be... He might be destructive, but he's not mean. He'd be such a kindhearted math tutor; doesn't make you feel bad. He loves numbers and wants everyone else to love them too. This boy is made of pudding and love. Could kill you in the streets; a cinnamon roll with your math sheets.

WordGirl's backstory is that she snuck aboard Huggy's spaceship and startled him into crash-landing on Earth. Kid Math's backstory is that he took a spaceship for a joy ride. Where did he get it? Can he legally drive? Do his parents know he's roaming space? He answers none of this, but he makes a point to imply he was goofing off slkdjf

The hand motions he makes while acting things out during stories... He makes driving motions, he makes stick-snapping motions; he's great. It really makes him feel like this very visual and emotive person which plays so well against the usual stereotypes of logical people (cold, harsh, rude)... He's a friendly guy who just also wants to piledrive you into the asphalt. Love that for him.

I love the little ways he kicks his feet... I love when he tucks one foot behind his other leg... I love his unique little body language quirks.

WordGirl tries to shoo Kid Math away by saying that Fair City "already has a superhero," while she's dressed as WordGirl, after already stating she's from Lexicon, while she is flying, after Kid Math interrupted "an epic battle between good and evil," and he REALLY looked her in the eye and asked who the superhero she's referring to is sdklfj. The glare she gives him leaves me chortling every time.

"It's ME, you absolute coconut."

He's so brokenhearted when Becky doesn't respond enthusiastically to him showing up at school...

He can see through Becky's civilian disguise and it was so obvious to him that he thought it was a joke.

That one little fist pump he does when Becky's super exasperated with him and starts walking off... His excitement cannot be dampened.

Brags about raisins. That's just... such a weird trait. This child will brag about everything from his home planet to himself to snacks.

He just wants to be praised... Give him attention, plz.

Made a point of clarifying that he was still willing to fight Doctor Two-Brains "even though he has a number in his name" as though he assumed WordGirl would worry about that being a problem.

I feel like there's so much loaded in every line of dialogue... like how he specifically says "Is [Doctor Two-Brains] a villain who has a 'thing?'" which really drives home this idea that Kid Math came to Earth fully prepared for superhero duties; he constantly puts up this image of a guy who knows what he's doing even though it's blatantly obvious that he just bumbles into things and I love that.

He is SUCH a know-it-all but he's also, like. a child. And he's such an interesting foil for Tobey, who's a very emotional character. Tobey is a "hot and reactive" boy genius, Kid Math is a "cool and calculating" boy genius. They would drive each other up the wall, I think.

You never see Rex get angry... He always holds his cool. He doesn't speak up when WordGirl consistently slam-dunks him to the floor. He just quietly picks himself up. He doesn't protest when she shoves him out of frame. He doesn't yell, complain, or break down. Even when he and WordGirl disagree, he'll ask for more information, clearly explain the reasoning behind his thoughts, or he'll switch topics. He's very young, but very non-confrontational... and you get the sense that he'd be proud of that if you told him so because he cares a lot about his image and he has such pride in being logical.

He makes one grumble while defending himself for falling for the "Look behind you" act ("it means there's something notable to see") but he just kinda lets Becky push him around... She's not truly being mean, she's just trying to help, and he just yields to her. She's his guide even though he insists that they're equals :) She's his mentor and friend.

There is so much trust in his heart even though he knows basically nothing about her except the fact that her home planet shares a solar system with his. He's so innocent... Not yet burned by the world.

Kid Math bumbles through his words a lot, but his heart and actions are always good-natured... Certified good boy...

He gushes so much over the idea of being adored... He wants love and recognition, your honor.

His idea of showing WordGirl affection was to punch her, sdljkf... He taps her twice as though making sure she "gets it." She reacts strongly, looking like she's ready to slam dunk him again before the security alarm interrupts. At the end of the episode, WordGirl smiles and returns the gesture by elbowing him twice and I love that parallel. Tap tap.

I really like that moment where WordGirl and Kid Math both flinch and check in with each other after hearing the security alarm... It's such a good way to show that they both have the same powers and they're both trying to be on the same page even though she was literally in the process of yelling at him.

Okay this is less about Kid Math's character and more about the episode, but I LOVE how Kid Math ends up in a mousetrap / goop ray combo trap similar to the one WordGirl faced when fighting Two-Brains for the first time in "Squeaky's Machine." The scene explicitly draws attention to the fact that WordGirl is "too experienced" to fall for the early tricks she used to in her younger days, and it highlights Kid Math's inexperience by showing him falling for those tricks, and he's in the same trap... I just think that was a clever parallel.

I really like the dynamic of the ray gun scene where Two-Brains tries to explain Superheroes 101 to Kid Math and KM just sits there like:

That painful delay where Kid Math is staring down a laser gun that will turn him into goop and it takes a very long moment for him to ask for help sdlkfj

The look of shock on his face combined with his little finger splay when he realizes that WordGirl actually DID save him... Slowly processing how close he just came to death, slowly processing what it's like to have someone there for him... Buddy system.

(Also I think it's funny that the cage the henchmen put Kid Math in is smaller than the cage they put WordGirl in... He is little.)

He's constantly in the "on" number brain... He'll just scream "That's a prime number!" or "Two stores!" or mumble "You just said 16 words" or "That's a fraction!" and I think it's hilarious. He just really, really likes numbers... He is, undeniably, the Living Calculator.

I think it's funny that Kid Math's speed trail is glittery while WordGirl's isn't. I feel like she'd be jealous of his sparkles.

WordGirl tends to fly in squiggly motions but Kid Math flies in arcs... just a little detail that I think is cute. WordGirl is such a flighty, indecisive, back and forth person. Kid Math knows exactly who he is, what he wants, and where he's going.

WordGirl tries explaining why Kid Math needs to be careful and his immediate response is to accuse her of being manipulative... Rex, are you okay? Buddy, lower your emotional walls slkdjf

Okay but. Can we talk about that. Can we talk about how Rex was super hype to see WordGirl at school, he was SO READY to have a friend, but his worldview is so painfully black and white that he can't help calling her out on what he considers immoral behavior.

Rex sees nothing wrong with his destructive "You can't have crime if you don't have a city" ideas but he draws the line at lying. From Rex's POV, this is an episode about WordGirl pulling him from his straight and narrow Hexagonian lifestyle and into the morally gray zone. That's SO funny.

Double fist pump when he gets invited to WordGirl's house.

I cannot get over how perfect it is that he wears his superhero costume underneath his civilian clothes... I know Becky does that too but Rex is so blatant about it and it's such a good design choice. Everything about his outfit is a good design choice- I love how he's so similar to WordGirl but has his own unique style, from his eye mask to the way he flies. He's not just a re-skin of the existing hero... He's his own person with his own life, his own design. He's so good.

The progression of Kid Math's attitude from "Huh??" to "Uh-oh, I'm in trouble" in the different scenes when Becky pushes him off screen... He just looks so much more scared the second time... He knows he's disappointing her but he just doesn't understand why. Help him.

WordGirl gave Kid Math two "Let's talk about why this isn't okay" conversations about him blowing his cover and he still said "There's no reason not to tell everyone" skldjf. It's obvious he respects her and values her and wants to learn, but he also will just... Not Do That.

Rex resisting the idea of a secret identity so goshdang hard..... He absolutely doesn't want to be a "regular kid." Honestly fair.

Him...

He's clearly very smart, including knowing the definitions to several words (which he can even define himself, which a lot of characters in this show don't do)... Tried testing a Lexiconian by quizzing her on a definition with the most smug face imaginable... His response to a Lexiconian named WordGirl correctly defining a word was "Not bad."

idk something about the way Rex specifically uses phrases like "get away" [to walk away from adults] and "give up" [to go home and eat dinner] is very... hm. The fact that he didn't know what "hint" means... Someone please teach this boy that it's okay to ask for help and that he doesn't need to run away; there is such an aura of Big Yikes energy around him...

Realized that WordGirl had a catchphrase, so he attempted one himself and it was just "MATH!"

And he looks so disgruntled when WordGirl brushes it off and tells him he'll figure out something better later sdklfj...

The cheerful way he waves at Two-Brains before their fight.

Rex attempts the secret identity thing and still messes up in every conceivable way. He's actually worse at maintaining a secret identity after WordGirl introduced him to the concept, which he TRIES to tell her by pointing out that for him, "it's easier to just be a superhero all the time," and... man idk.

There's so much we can say about WordGirl trying to force Kid Math to fit inside her superhero box when he clearly doesn't want to. She has this perfect ideal of "peaceful family life" and this separation of hero and civilian identities. She takes those things for granted because she's always had her family.

Rex is new to Earth. He doesn't have the luxury of parents who care about him, but she tries to push these ideas of "Eating dinner in peace" and "So you can sneak away and fight crime without anyone worrying about you" on him anyway...

Rex doesn't need to divide his life and put up a secret identity front. He already has no one worrying about him. He's new to this planet. He has nothing. No one. He doesn't want her lifestyle, but she doesn't try to work with him and help him find something that works for him - y'know, like how there are tons of villains who don't have secret identities and they live perfectly normal lives - and instead she just tries to stick Rex in the "you need a secret identity because I have one and I know best" box... Man, I love their dynamic so much. She has no idea she's playing with fireworks, that Rex could explode over this... He's just polite and sweet and good, even though he totally doesn't want her life and he totally disagrees. Ugh, I love him.

The way he clasps his hands during his one little "Sorry I helped a villain" apology...

He's just so expressive with his hands; we love to see it.

Even though he clearly knows Two-Brains is the enemy, he still follows his instructions... He thrives on "being good."

WordGirl told Kid Math he needs to "build suspense for the audience" and his immediate reaction was to pretend he doesn't have arms. Then he played dead by flopping over, sticking out his tongue, and crossing his eyes. I love him so much.

Offered to get back inside the cage when he noticed WordGirl was glaring at him.

His random backflips... He's so playful...

I'm sorry I just find it funny that WordGirl basically told him to go to his room and chill out... She sent him to his spaceship sdfklj

WordGirl: "If the villains knew my secret identity, they would never leave me alone" -- Kid Math: /rolls eyes

LAUNCHES himself into a scene... just. Springs in. Top speed. His favorite way to enter a conversation.

"Hello there, Earth kids! I'm sure not Kid Math at all!! :) Boy, isn't it crazy that neither one of us is a superhero from the Planet Hexagon?? What are the odds?? :)" Who wrote this dialogue, it's my absolute favorite. He's a child. Rex is so incredibly smart, but he's also just Like That.

He just really loves floating... He'll babble to you and start floating in the air, slowly rotating upside-down. He'll sometimes just go up and then down again... He likes floating. We never see WordGirl doing that, so I love how there's another character with the power to fly and he uses it to, like... express himself. Just part of his body language.

He literally makes this face while talking about his plan to destroy the city and I love him so much slkdjf

He even planned it out, right down to citing "amazing superpowers" as the reason that "No one would be able to stop them." Crying.

Seriously can we talk about the fact that Becky tried to stop him by saying "We can't destroy the city!" and in her mind it was obvious that she was talking about the moral reasons why they shouldn't do that, but Rex literally replied "Sure we can!" because he was only thinking about the logistics... it's so good. Show don't tell me that your alien is a product of his ultra-logical culture. Fantastic. No remarks.

His fantasy of tearing down the city includes him getting a high-five from WordGirl... Someone PLEASE give this boy healthy levels of attention; he wants to be someone's hero so badly.

WordGirl tried explaining that hurting people is wrong and he still wouldn't let the idea go, I canNOT with him... he's such a card.

Specifically, I need to emphasize that WordGirl checked in to make sure Rex was on the same page that mass destruction is wrong and he was like "Sure okay whatever" and then immediately got excited about... an alternate but equally destructive daydream. His little "Oooh!!" and the way he taps his finger against his lips kills me.

He's just such a playful little kid... He painted Violet's nose green for absolutely no reason... He's SO wild and dangerous and I love that, but he's kept in check by his innocent desire to be a playful little kid and I love that too.

Went to art class and painted... a math equation.

That shy little kick he does when Violet compliments him and he stuffs his hands in his hoodie pockets; he is SO weak for words of affirmation... Help him.

"Compliments make Earthlings feel good :) ... Which I am!! An Earthling! Not Kid Math!!"

Every little bit of his body language is SO GOOD...

I like how Becky and Bob have only known Rex for three days and the moment he starts stuttering and hesitating while trying to come up with an excuse for where he was running off to, Bob just... facepalms and Becky winces; they have no faith in this kid slkdjf.

Kid Math thanks Two-Brains for giving him a compliment on his witty banter, then checks over his shoulder to see WordGirl's reaction... She gives him a thumbs up.

All those little moments where he jolts and clutches his fists against his chest.

"Did you know about this?? >:/ " about something WordGirl could not possibly have known about.

Narrator presents two options and Kid Math says "I choose both." Can you even imagine arguing with the all-knowing voice in the sky.

Entire city is about to be turned into goop and Kid Math still stops WordGirl and wants to trade the hero task she gave him with one that he likes better... He's such a CHILD.

I like how we still saw him out and about in his superhero costume during "Time Out With Two-Brains..." just doing his own little thing. Living his best life, didn't give up his dreams.

Also he just has the best little background poses:

After an entire episode of chasing love and adoration, he gets to hear the crowd cheer for him and he's so dang excited :) Good for him!!

Fully owns up to his mistakes, but also never apologizes for anything (apart from the minor suggestion he made to improve Two-Brains' plan...) Man, he is certainly one of the hero kids who has ever been. Disaster of a cinnamon roll.

Anyway I love him.

[fountainpenguin]

"Is she bright, so well read? Are there novels by her bed? Is she the sort that you've always said could satisfy your head...?"

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New Factor It In chapter today!

Chapter 4 - “Theoretical Probability”

Read on FFN || Read on AO3

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WordGirl's not the only one who's concerned about having Kid Math around the city, and the villains aren't afraid to let her know it. You know, he sort of reminds them of another insensitive "hero" they dealt with not too long ago. While WordGirl struggles to assuage their concerns, Tobey speculates on her secret identity... though some theories are more probable than others.

(First 1,000 words under the cut)

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Theoretical Probability

.:: January 3rd - Saturday - 4:10 pm ::.

"Take time to predict resulting actions. Then take control."

(Ancient Hexagon proverb)

➕ ➖ ✖️ ➗

Psst! Look for the words insensitive and replacement

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3.46 miles due southeast of the jail, the crooked wheel of a shopping cart rattles and squeals. Ew. It croaks a final plea and finally grinds to a halt all together. The poor shopper behind it tries to force it the last few steps to her van, but the cart bucks against her wishes. A warbled wail echoes over the parking lot, pleading for help. Her toddler bursts into tears. Hm.

Rex lets his super-hearing blur out of focus. A stuck shopping cart? That's hardly his problem. The lady will fix it before he gets anywhere near her. He leans all his weight on the two jail cell bars in his hands, calculating the exact amount of energy he'd need to exert if he chose to bend them, flick Seymour Orlando Smooth on the nose, and pull everything back together before Warden Chalmers finished speaking with Becky further down the row. With WordGirl. WordGirl… Not Becky.

Seymour is still gabbing. Rex tries to listen - he really does - but the invisible cellmate behind him is incredibly distracting. Watching water slosh over unseen hands is something Rex never really thought he'd do. He tightens his grip around the bars. Seymour stands a few inches from his face, fumbling with his fingers as he yaks on and on. Frankly, his vocabulary is lost on Rex's ears.

3.1 miles west, two children on a playground argue over the swings. A ragged little dog barks, chasing a stick that wasn't thrown- or if it was, it was thrown in silence. Its paws kick up a splash of dry dirt. It sprinkles across the sidewalk in a light patter, patter. One little heartbeat is racing especially fast. Is it the puppy's? Impossible to say.

The dog's having a nice time, though. Squirrels bounce through the tree branches in the park, lightweight as they free themselves a mite early from winter hibernation. Or doom themselves to months of suffering. Who knows. Two joggers pant near the site of the new barber shop. Hungry rats scuffle in the sewer. A cat mews in hunger, claws scratching against a door.

A bit farther west, Theodore 3 paces around his bedroom. The shuffled pacing always turned out to be Theodore 3's big feet. He lives with his mother, Claire McCallister, and her home lies halfway between Ms. Question's lair and the Big Left Loft.

Not that it matters, really. After a quick search for buzzwords on the wind, Rex picks up no scheming whispers from either one of them. They're silent. At least, unless they've hidden among the ranks of two dozen homeowners clicking dishes in their sinks.

In the south, the Whammer baps a tired hand repeatedly against either the arm of his chair or a punching bag; Rex can't be sure and doesn't really care, but the reverberation of the sound matches his exact calculations of texture, strength, and size, so the Whammer it must be.

And speaking of sinks… Rex presses a little closer to the bars, legs lifting behind him. Sooner or later, Invisi-Bill has to finish with his hands. And then he'll reappear.

"Come on… Come on…"

Wait. What's that? 2.2 miles away, Violet Heaslip pulls open the lightweight front door to her adorable-as-a-fractal wooden house. She greets the person who knocked instead of ringing the bell, and he says her name in a chipper, gushy way. Gentle windchimes tinkle in the breeze. Her cat lets out a purr. Judging by the newcomer's rapid-fire, cheerful voice, Violet's saying hi to Becky's reporter friend. Rex has yet to pin a name to his face (Wide hat, black hair… He's picking this up, slowly but surely, like an exponential function).

1.7 miles in the opposite direction, the grocery store manager starts to hum along to the music in his store. That prickles Rex's attention, unavoidably. For better or worse. White, bouncing shapes of all kinds began to dance across his vision, reacting to the synesthesia he'd gained alongside the rest of his superpowers after leaving the minerals of his home planet behind. Even when he blinks, the shapes crowd behind his eyelids. They look like sugar on black cloth. Crystal arrangements. Molecule formations.

0.4 miles north. A familiar, drawn-out mumble for help drifts from a side street as the voice's owner makes a small trip to fill up on gas. His wife murmurs encouraging words. The car wheel hits a sharp stone. It flies sideways and bounces off a brick wall. The noise clicks once, but the second click that represents the stone landing simply vanishes in the grocery store manager's song.

0.0 miles away. Here they are tonight in the Fair City jail, soft and routine. You know, Rex has to hand it to the warden- he actually kept to his goal of running a neat, organized ship all week long. Looks like he won't be eating his hat after all.

(Well, he might choose to anyway.)

Each of the 6 inmates he can see have been pinned in their cell behind solid iron bars. Each bar is exactly 3 inches in diameter and spaced 5 inches apart. And all the jail's current residents have been organized in pairs, precisely two to a cell… with the lone exception of the Butcher, who pouts in his titanium-tofu prison in the neighboring room. 3 x 2 = 6. Not many villains had wanted to commit crimes so near the holidays. Who knew?

Seymour finally nails the shape he'd been trying to create with his fingers. He holds up his thumbs and forefingers so they make a rectangle. Rex purses his lips. He gives Seymour a few more seconds to wrap up his cheery, zing-y little elevator pitch (That's what WordGirl calls his ramblings) and taps a finger to his cheek.

"So… it's likely each of my guardians has a card with numbers on it?"

"Numbers on the front and the back," Seymour assures him. "And you can share those numbers with me in exchange for a grand prize beyond your wildest dreams!"

"Well, it is hard to say no to a personalized string of numbers…"

"Don't do it!" WordGirl's voice echoes across the jail. Rex glances over, but she's still busy with the warden. He stays where he is, floating in front of Seymour's cell. Seymour rolls his eyes, drifting away towards his bunk.

"WordGirl's right," says the Narrator. "Sharing your foster parents' credit card number can land you in major trouble. I advise against it."

"Hm. Okay."

[Cnt'd on FFN / AO3 - Links at top]

[fountainpenguin]

"Wherever you are, whenever it's right, you'll come out of nowhere and into my life..."

---

New Factor It In chapter today!

Chapter 5 - “Vinculum”

Read on FFN || Read on AO3

Start from Chapter 1

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It's foster family drop-off time for Rex (AKA Kid Math). Miah does her best to welcome him into the Pirakell home. That means introducing him to her sugar glider, discussing the crushing reality of being a burden to your absent parents, touring his new room, and dairy-free cupcakes! Huh. This is... not like life on Hexagon at all...

(First 1,000 words under the cut)

---

Vinculum

.:: January 3rd - Saturday - 6:16 pm ::.

“Whatever you do, do it devotedly, for in hesitation, you’ll find only weakness.”

(Ancient Hexagon proverb)

➕ ➖ ✖️ ➗

Psst! Look for the words sensory and hesitate

---

It’s a mild January evening outside the home of Miah and Milo Pirakell. Unfortunately for Rex Pemdas (AKA Kid Math), he’s arrived just too late to see the sunset…

The boy hesitates when Clarissa pulls open the rear door of her car. Miah can see that even from her hidden place behind the window blinds. He bites his bottom lip. “Milo,” she whispers, just loud enough for him to hear her from the kitchen. Her husband’s head pokes around the edge of the wall, ponytail dangling past his shoulder. Miah motions towards him with one hand. “He’s here.”

“Right. Uhh… Who’s here, again?”

“Our new foster placement. The 8-year-old boy. We set up the guest room today.” She manages to hold back an eye roll, even in jest. Milo can be spacy from time to time, but Miah has full trust in his ability to offer a safe, comforting home to a foster kid. Milo is a stay-at-home dad to their 3-year-old sugar glider, Misty. He does accounting work, and when foster children stay with them, he runs them to all their appointments. They split most of the chores 50-50, trying to keep their marriage an even partnership (Milo always anxious he’ll come across as sexist by asking her to handle more, Miah constantly fretting that she’s accidentally implied his remote job is any less important than what she does at the hospital).

Milo’s eyes widen like flying saucers. He looks like a lost, goofy puppy peering around the corner, and her oozing heart falls for him all over again. The two of them click like magnets. Always have. Milo is easily overwhelmed by the amount of information pinging his mind on a daily basis, so he leans on her steady form and analytical mind. Meanwhile, running 12-hour shifts as a nurse and midwife three days a week leaves her bitter and drained, so she needs to circle home in the evenings and find his loving arms and kindly soul. They’re a mismatch. He completes her. And he’s adorable, and she wouldn’t have him any other way.

“Oh!” he yelps. “The new foster placement! Right, right.” Milo scrambles from the kitchen so fast, he almost looks like he’s down on all fours. The open halves of his green sweatshirt flap behind him. He brushes his hands down his front. He doesn't leave a chocolate stain even though he was frosting cupcakes. Maybe he just has sweaty palms, not crumbs or icing on his fingertips. “H-he’s out there right now?”

“Yes.” Miah plays her nails very, very carefully against the blinds. She can only see the boy and Clarissa when she presses her forehead right up against the window, and if he looks up and locks eyes with her, he’ll probably think she’s a total stalker. The easiest thing to do is “pretend to be normal” as much as she can. Miah is an expert at passing through life as though she’s insignificant. Ha! She’s ‘Little Miss MIA.’ She sort of prides herself on how few people know her name.

Okay. Back straight. Friendly smile. Not too over-the-top. Is this okay? She checks her reflection over, tongue in her cheek. Chestnut brown hair dangles past her shoulders. She picked out hoop earrings the size of her fists today. Occasionally they snag, but her sugar glider likes to bat at them. It’s sort of her thing. A pink rayon shirt, black jacket thrown on top. Miah tugs the hem down. Quick breath in. Little hop on her toes. She’s totally ready. She watches through the blinds as Clarissa says a few words to the kid, who nods and holds his over-the-shoulder duffel bag more tightly to his side. A star-patterned backpack dangles from his hand.

So this is Rex…

Miah hadn't known exactly what to expect. Rex looks like he survives off veggie platters, dirt bike rides, and pixie dust. It's too dark to get a perfect look at him, but that feels right. He's both rugged and geeky, if it's okay to say that about your foster kid. There's intelligence in those squinting eyes. He adjusts his square glasses frames with all the poise of a kid who knows exactly what he's looking for. He wears a frumpy red hoodie, halfway unzipped to show a hint of blue shirt underneath. There's some kind of white logo printed on the blue, though she can't see what it is from here. Maybe a skull? Or a fish?

He's African American. At least, that's her tentative understanding. Clarissa relayed a few details after she and Milo confirmed they wanted to learn more about the placement. The state hasn't been able to track down any information about his family. Apparently Rex had denied his consent in the DNA test the state had pushed for, which frustrated several of the adults involved, but… Miah can see where he's coming from. Her mom passed away unexpectedly when she was only 13. Though she never knew her father, she'd been so shaken up by the whole "ending up in foster care" thing herself that she hadn't wanted the test either. The thought of getting answers to those lifelong questions completely burned her out.

Case in point: What if her father wanted nothing to do with her, or had remarried and started a new family and didn’t want her, or what if he lived outside the country, or had passed on like her mother had? Every option stung. Then it simmered. Then it burned. That small, twinkling hope that he might welcome her with open arms all too easily drowned beneath her anxiety. Year after year, she still opted not to know.

Rex won’t be the first African American child to stay with them. Although neither she nor Milo share that cultural background, Miah's arranged three small Kwanzaa celebrations throughout a decade of being a foster mom. According to Clarissa, Rex’s past two weeks (or at least a week and a half) have been inside the group home. That can’t have been a fun holiday. 

Just the thought of him ending up there prickles at her skin. Group homes are tightly structured, and if you’re only 8 years old and unfamiliar with the outside world, then sharing your space with several other loud children is probably the most scary thing that can happen to you. Miah can’t stand the thought of Rex spending some of his first weeks away from an abusive home in a dreary place like that… even though it probably was necessary when the state couldn’t even figure out where he had come from or why he didn’t exist in the government’s eyes. But it breaks her heart. Not a single family could take in an emergency placement over the holidays? 

I’d have done it in a heartbeat.

Well. Maybe. But Milo’s messy past, freckled with supervillains who used to use his dad’s home as a meeting ground when he and his brothers were young, leaves him unsteady on his feet once supernatural abilities come into play. This is his home too. Honestly, Miah’s a bit overwhelmed herself… by the fact that he said yes. Milo’s stayed faithful and hardworking even when some of their past placements showed small powers, like talking to birds or adjusting light levels, but flight will be new to them. Especially if Rex decides he doesn’t want to talk about it.

This should be interesting.

[Cnt'd on FFN / AO3 - Links at top]

[fountainpenguin]

He's so little..... The smallest jellybean...

[fountainpenguin]

"You'll learn the definitions of nouns and prepositions; literacy's your mission, and that's why I think it's a GOOD TIME!! (To learn some grammar)"

---

Sharing a crossover piece I've wanted to write for a million years and finally did because I am cringe and free <3

“Flypaper” - One-shot

Read on AO3

---

The panel they’re speaking on starts in two minutes. Super Why hasn’t shown up. If you've never tried looking for a 3-inch-tall, non-invincible superhero in a busy convention center, WordGirl highly discommends it. It's gonna be one of THOSE days...

Also, teen friends sharing a vacation rental get to have wholesome fun at the beach. Life has its bumps and jealousies, but it's beautiful and kind today :)

[Unless you're Roméo Mécano and Tobey almost flings you into the sun, but this ain't about him /jk]

(First 1,000 words under the cut)

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Flypaper

N. - Sticky, poison-treated strips of paper used to catch and kill unwanted pests

---

Huh. So… Even at a superhero convention, she just can't catch a break?

Of course she can't. Two minutes before the "Learning Is Fun!" panel is supposed to start, Kid Math yanks WordGirl from the restroom doorway. He really jerks her too, almost throwing her spine against the water fountains with all the super strength in his 16-year-old body. Her elbow slams the fake white bricks. "Hey!" she yelps. Huggy squeaks from his position on the younger hero's arm and smacks the back of his head. Gently. Sort of.

Kid Math doesn't hesitate. He grabs her shoulders and shakes her back and forth hard enough to rattle her eyes around in her sockets. "Hey," he blurts, STILL shaking her. The word explodes in a bright yellow burst in her head (courtesy of eternal synesthesia). "Have you seen Super Why? He's been AWOL all day. Huggy and I even flew around to check all the flypaper strips, but there's no sign of him. He's going to be late!"

Late is one of Kid Math's favorite words. It's spiky and violet in her brain like a train caboose at the end of the rainbow. If WordGirl could play a reel of all the times her friend has called her phone, kicked in a door, interrupted date night, or slammed his hands down on a counter to ramble on about how if they don't leave in "exactly 4.218 minutes" then there will be heck to answer for, she'd love to. Well… "Love" is a strong word. And actually, watching a montage of his fretting sounds decidedly awful. That's not the point.

"What?"

"No one can find Super Why," Kid Math repeats, fussing with the collar of her cape. His gloved hands are rough, unintentionally aggressive. He's six inches taller than her these days (and his curls add another six inches on top of that). His icy breath smells like chalky candy necklace powder. WordGirl slaps his fingers away. Kid Math floats back, looking queasy. His brows form a carat on his forehead. "Do you think he's hurt?"

"I think I need a few seconds of personal space," she mutters. It's almost too bad that she put her gloves back on after washing her hands. She'd like to flick a bit of water at him. It might give him goosebumps. He deserves it.

Kid Math backs even farther away. Huggy tacks on another statement, gesturing across the convention center with a wave of his arm. Apparently, they've both been looking for Super Why for the last 15 minutes. In addition to the flypaper strips, they've also checked the bug zapper by the main entrance and did a search on ground level for mouse traps. No sign of the tiny superhero hanging out around those hot party spots either. Which is for the best, obviously, but… What's she going to do about this?

Focus. Super Why is missing…

WordGirl presses one hand to her temple, still centering herself after that dizzy shaking spell. It's a bad day for headaches. The lights and noises of the convention center have been pretty brutal on her super-hearing so far. Both she and Kid Math have been checking in with each other every hour, making sure they're drinking water and taking regular quiet breaks outside. She had lunch with TJ at a pizza place down the street. WordGirl tries to pull up the memory of the big glass windows, brick interior, and the scent of tomato sauce and garlic powder in the air. The alfredo pizza with the spinach mixed into the sauce? It's amazing.

Okay. So… No one's sure where Super Why went? Not that unusual; the convention center's pretty crowded and he's easy to overlook. There are a thousand reasons why he could be running behind, from waiting in line for somebody's autograph to struggling to push the button on a water fountain. Being his size can't be easy. He also doesn't have super speed. Maybe it takes him a while to get from one place to another.

"He's late," Kid Math says, drawing close again. Another violet blossom blooms in her mind's eye, back to back with the green circle that represents he in her brain. He's late, he's late, he's late…

Right. Also, Super Why could totally be at risk of getting crushed under someone's foot, but WordGirl doesn't point that out. She, um, doesn't really know Super Why that well and he'd probably get offended if either of them imply he can't take care of himself even at age 18, but… it is pretty weird that nobody's seen him. A flicker of anxiety shoots up her throat. How well has their non-invincible, 3-inch-tall (friend? associate?) been doing two days into the superhero convention without a proper bodyguard?

But she doesn't bring that up. "Calm down, calm down," she says instead. She pries Kid Math's gloved fingers from her arms, firmly pushing his shaking hands down by his sides. He's got hot sweat droplets dripping down his forehead. Kid Math always smells like mangoes and apricots now. Apparently, that scent's natural for Hexagonian sweat after puberty. She's more jealous than she'll ever let on. It's one of the most unfair aspects of his home planet over hers, second only to the fact that Rex grew up next door to a real, actual unicorn ranch. Garbage. Absolute atrocity.

WordGirl lets go of his wrists, drawing in a calming breath. "Hey. Super Why knows not to get too close to the floor. He's probably just in the bathroom, like I was. Let's take a loop around."

Huggy nods, situating himself a bit more comfortably on Kid Math's back. "Okay," says Kid Math, but his shaky answer doesn't peel the frown from his face. That tentative word is sparking and blue. He twists his hands, wrinkling his gloves as though making tiny snowballs. "But I can't find him, and everyone's waiting for us onstage. We're going to be late."

There are worse fates than being late. For example, despite Huggy's search check, Super Why could be inches from touching another bug zapper. He gets way too much enjoyment out of coasting along their edges, playing with cruel fate and bright blue sparks. No joke, but yesterday her heart dropped like a guillotine every time she heard him whoop and spiral. He'll definitely get his hair fried one day if he keeps that up, and he's cheeky enough that it probably won't stop him.

[Cnt'd on AO3 - Link at top]

[fountainpenguin]

When you think a perpetrator needs a living calculator-

[fountainpenguin]

I may have touched my "Factor It In" 'fic again. Chapter 1 goes up June 16th :'D

[fountainpenguin]

“You put your hand out, opened the door... You said, 'Come with me, boy, I want to show you something more'..."

---

My WordGirl fanfic Factor It In is here! It's the multi-chapter sequel to my one-shot "AlgoRhythm", which centered around WordGirl introducing Kid Math to the villains on villain karaoke night. If you liked that 'fic, you might like this one too. Check it out!

Chapter 1 - “Order of Operations”

Read on FFN || Read on AO3

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Summary: Being a 3rd-grade superhero-in-training isn’t easy, especially while bouncing between foster families. While 8-year-old Rexagon Pemdas struggles against his controlling nature and inability to keep a secret, 11-year-old Becky Botsford fights major burnout and a rapidly increasing fear of being replaced. Maybe Fair City doesn't need two heroes after all...

(First 1,800 words under the cut)

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Minor content warning for this snippet - Canon-typical implied backstory trauma (Potatoes, bruises, neglect).

---

FACTOR IT IN

Order of Operations

.:: January 3rd - Saturday ::.

"One must be taught his place if orderly structure is ever to be maintained."

(Ancient Hexagon proverb)

➕ ➖ ✖️ ➗

Psst! Look for the words independent and uneasy

---

It's a chilly winter afternoon in the home of Milo and Miah Pirakell, who have just received a familiar visitor on their doorstep…

HELP!

The word hovers like a sugar cube on the end of his tongue. H-E-L-P exclamation point exclamation point… Milo stands there, as frozen as the snowboy, snowgirl, and snowmonkey in the yard across the street, quietly goggling the woman waiting for him on the front step. She isn't very tall, though the high heels help a ton with that. She smiles back at him. It's a pretty smile, her lips a sparkly glossy pink. Is she as nervous as he is? She's rocking back and forth on her toes, and he can't help but follow every movement.

Sandy blonde-brown hair. She kept it tied back in a bun. Does he know her? She looks sort of familiar, but this silent revelation doesn't stop the panicked heartbeat bouncing up and down inside his chest.

Help…

Maybe he's seen her face smeared across the newspapers or thrown across the TV screens. Is he about to be robbed blind in his own home? Does this woman have some sort of knock-out gas in that briefcase? He tightens his fingers on the door frame, saying nothing, until his wife's careful, loving hands grip onto his shoulder and pull him aside. Like a slug, he oozes at her command.

"Clarissa!" Miah - his beautiful, smiling Miah - pushes the door a little more open. "Please come in. Milo, you remember Mrs. Argent, our case manager with the foster system."

Milo peers at the sandy-haired woman again. Clarissa Argent, our case manager with the foster system. Yes. Yes, he does know her, though he's grateful for the set-up. He's struggled with memory problems all his life and Miah always grants him context like this when introducing someone he might not recall. Name. Job title. Location. Easy peasy.

Yes. He remembers. Her name's been on the calendar since yesterday, and he's been counting his heartbeats all this time. Clarissa Argent has eyes as silver as her surname, and she smiles up at Milo and switches her briefcase to her left hand. She extends the right for a shake. Milo blinks back at her, then uses two fingers to carefully adjust his glasses on his nose.

Clarissa. Case manager. Foster care.

"Would you like to come in?" he asks. His voice trembles when he says it, but neither Clarissa nor Miah mind at all. He grasps Clarissa's hand and gives it a shake. Sweat drips down his palm and smears across the creases of her fingers. He winces, but Clarissa's smile never wavers.

"Thank you so much for letting me visit. I wanted to get right down to it."

"Have a cookie," Miah offers, waving her into the living room. Milo stands blankly by the door, watching them go, until Miah glances back at him and gently motions for him to shut it so the snowflakes stay firmly outdoors. Right. He pushes it shut and locks it out of habit. He always locks the door when he's inside. Fair City is teeming with wild villains who could snap a lock like this in seconds, but it eases the anxiety very, very faintly anyway. Milo keeps his forehead to the door for three seconds, clicking through his memories and trying to remember why they're meeting with Clarissa.

Something's wrong… Help, help…

The girls are already chatting in the living room. Miah just redecorated in October, freshening up the place with a much more modern look. Clarissa hasn't visited since last April, so she's astonished by the changes and has to comment on every one of them. They even replaced the bulging, waterstained wood with nicer carpet.

Help…

Why is she here? This breaks the routine. Milo curls his fingers against the white door, blinking over and over as the world sways beneath his feet. Usually when there's a kid who needs a place to crash for the weekend, they get phone calls. Half the time, they aren't even "real" foster kids- just kids who temporarily lost track of their parents in some sort of villainous mishap like a cheesy tidal wave, a thunderstorm of bread slices, or a giant robot crushing the subway lines.

He's been there. Milo remembers all too painfully the chaos of his own youth, stranded and shocked in the road in the middle of a rainstorm while his house crumbled beneath the weight of potatoes before his very eyes. He'd been home alone after school. He was only eight. He's held a lot of shivering kids in his lap, rocking them back and forth while they watch something happier on the TV than the news. Even if he's fidgety, desperate to stay up to date with this crazy world they live in, and he can't resist flipping through the channels once he's safe inside his own bedroom.

Help…

Clarissa's personal visit does not take his anxiety down. But she's here, with Miah, and there are chocolate chip cookies waiting in the other room. And somewhere out there, one file folder away, is a kid who needs more help than he does. Milo inhales through his nostrils, counts to six, and exhales between his teeth. Though still uneasy, he peels himself from the door and trudges down the hall to join the two women in the living room.

Okay.

You have to take a step down from the hardwood floor to venture into the new living room. Milo does so, keeping his hand braced on the short handrail as he moves. He blinks at the bright lights, blinks at the snowflakes twirling on the other side of the open blinds, and blinks at Miah as she scoots closer to the pillows to make room for him beside her on the gray couch. Pleasantries are exchanged. Small talk. Milo, fidgeting, zones out for part of it, until he hears Clarissa shift the topic to the kid in question.

"He does need a close eye on him. Someone experienced with home security, who won't let him jump down from second-story windows. That's why I wanted to ask you in person. He's a very sharp-minded boy, Mr. and Mrs. M. Pirakell. Very kindhearted."

Milo glances at Miah. She glances right back at him. "But…?" she prompts the case worker.

"Just… extremely independent." Clarissa drums her fingers against the top of her briefcase. "He's a loner. Very detached in conversation, struggling to pick up on social cues. He shows very little interest in anything beyond math, science, and music. Oh, and cross stitch. We're worried that the neighborhood kids he's currently around are bullying him in secret. He keeps slipping out through the windows and coming home an hour later covered in bruises. We were hoping to place him in a home where we can trust he'll be closely supervised, and the Pirakells are always the first to come to mind."

Of course they are. It's who they are. It's what they do. Milo stares at his toes, his heart plummeting towards the floor, even as the Narrator lets out a soft, breathy sigh above him. It's relief and amusement and gratitude all rolled into one, though nobody acknowledges it and the Narrator says nothing else. Miah glances uncertainly at Milo, then carefully speaks on behalf of them both.

"Clarissa… is this kid charmed? Is that why you're here to visit us in person?"

Charmed.

Silence.

"Well, yes."

Help…

"Didn't…" Milo fiddles for a moment with his wedding ring. "Um, didn't we put in our file that we might not be a good fit for charmed children right now?"

Clarissa rocks back and forth in subtle hesitation. Her long fingernails, painted turquoise, tighten in the ruffles of her black skirt. We did, Milo reflects, but says nothing as Clarissa drops her gaze to the file in her lap again.

"I saw you made that request, but… we're still facing a shortage of families, especially with the holidays. He's really struggling to get along at the group home. The staff suspects he and one of the other boys got in a fight just yesterday. If you reject the placement then I'll understand, but I at least wanted to meet with you in person so we could discuss any questions openly and face to face. His status is a little odd."

Help, help…

Miah slips her hand in Milo's then, tightening her fingers around his own. And he's grounded for a moment, firmly planted on the soft gray couch. No one's wailing for him. There are no invisible children on the floor.

There are lots of things he should probably ask. If the kid has siblings who have also been pulled into foster care. If any extended family members are known. If the kid will be transferring schools. If there are special food needs to keep in mind. If he has any appointments with doctors, dentists, sports teams, or music recitals just around the corner. If he likes to walk. Milo does a lot of walking, though Miah prefers long drives along the coast. What's the child's cultural background? Did he have a nice holiday? Are there parental visitations planned? If he and Miah say yes, will the child arrive tonight, and if so, has he had a chaotic morning? All these questions are things he can, and should, probably ask first.

But he doesn't.

Because his heart is pounding and his fingers look like dancing worms.

"Well…" Milo draws in a long, careful breath. He slowly releases it again, lowering his chin to his chest along with it. It does help him focus, but it doesn't calm the rapid kicking in his heart. "Okay, then. If he's charmed, what, uh, range of powers does he have? L-let's put that in the open first, before we talk about anything else."

There. He feels guilty just for saying it. He can feel the Narrator's wispy silence like the breath of a ghost above his head. It makes the hairs behind his neck stand on end. Milo bites his lip, squeezing Miah's hand, and she squeezes back in gentle reassurance. Maybe it's not an unfair question. Even though it nibbles at his skin.

But it's important. It might make a difference. He can't do invisibility again. He can't.

The lines around Clarissa's eyes crinkle with relief. She pulls her briefcase on her lap and clicks it open. Idly, Milo glances at the numbers on the combination when she tilts back the lid. Then he hates himself. Clarissa picks up a manila file folder and passes it over to Miah. "Yes, we've been looking into that… He's been staying in the group home over the holidays. So many families are out of town right now. I promise, I wouldn't come to you about this if I felt there was anything extreme in his file. He only has two powers that we know of. His skin will rapidly repair any open wound… and he can fly."

[ Cnt'd on FFN / AO3 - Links at top ]

[fountainpenguin]

I know this is my 4th Kid Math post of the day, but... I really like how Becky introduces Rex as "my new friend."

5 seconds ago, she was giving him the talk about how he can't just go out and destroy the city, but... he's still her friend skdlfjs.

Doesn't matter how many times she has to explain it to him. Doesn't matter if she gets a bit frustrated and needs a few seconds to take a breath. She might consider Rex a handful, but she still makes a point of calling him her friend.

Idk, I know I made the joke once that "Kid Math realizing there are ways to get attention without murdering people is an important step in his character development" and I am off the wall obsessed with how easily he could tip into an accidental antagonist arc, but... I also want to make another statement that goes "Becky being nice to people when she's just a civilian and it has nothing to do with justice or being a good role model as a superhero, and it's just what she naturally does as a person, is important to me." He needs her and she doesn't give up on him.

"News Girl" emphasized her kindness too and I will always love Becky "Nice to new kids" Botsford. A+ examples of "show don't tell that your protagonist is as nice of a person as they think they are and they really do make an effort for other people." <3

Becky says "We're friends" and Rex says "We're equals..." I love their friendship so much.

[fountainpenguin]

"I should not be left to my own devices; they come with prices and vices; I end up in crisis (tale as old as time)..."

---

New Factor It In chapter today!

Chapter 3 - “Base”

Read on FFN || Read on AO3

---

Rex (AKA Kid Math) is no longer mind controlled, thanks to WordGirl... but since he needs a moment to himself, he retreats to his super secret spaceship hideout. Meanwhile, Sally Botsford chats with Exposition Guy and his wife, who are taking in a new foster kid...

(First 1,000 words under the cut)

Base

.:: January 3rd - Saturday - 1:54 pm ::.

"Analyze yourself at your worst to understand yourself at your best."

(Ancient Hexagon proverb)

➕ ➖ ✖️ ➗

Psst! Look for the words intimidated and integrated

---

SHOOOOOM!

He streaks above the city in a blur of blue. The absence of the Narrator is bitter and haunting. Rex tries not to let it weigh on him. He should treasure these moments. They let him work through his thoughts in private without that infuriating busybody prodding at him with an invisible finger.

Hot chocolate sounds scrumptious in this weather, but the food trucks will have to wait. This mind control belt is going straight to his spaceship hideout before it does any more harm. Rex struggles through the blinding snowflakes as best as he can, wiping melting slush from his eyelashes. Is he over the suburbs yet? The wind lashes him towards the rooftops. He can't see far ahead, and not only because he left the smashed remains of his glasses in that crater. He's too fast. Too cold. Ick. He wraps his hands around his shoulders, decreasing the wind resistance against his body for optimal flight. It's freezing. They didn't have anything like this back on Hexagon, you know. This weather is just all-around awful. Why does WordGirl stay on a planet with such a strong tilt to its axis?

Well… He knows the answer to that question, actually. Her family live here. Her Earth family, anyway. As he veers through the snowflakes, trying not to crash into any buildings, Rex grits his teeth. Family. What a nuisance. Sure, it's easy for WordGirl - Becky - to suggest he settle with an Earth couple. She doesn't remember her parents at all, so switching them out for new ones probably never hurt her.

But the LAST two people he wants to cram into his life are a false mom and false dad. Those titles are acid on his tongue. Becky can build her perilous house of cards, but personally? Rex would rather not create a secret identity around a lie of "having Earth parents" whom he "loves."

So what if he hasn't lived with his mom since he was in his 30s? And so what if his dad hasn't set foot off Lexicon in a century? That doesn't mean they're not his parents. And it doesn't mean it's okay to just replace them with random strangers he's not sure he'll ever care about.

And it's not fair for Becky to make me do that.

But she did.

He can still remember the day, just over two weeks ago now, when WordGirl broke the news about the foster system. They were in the forest, surrounded by the evergreens he'd already grown familiar with. His scooter craft had been damaged in a small fall when it ran out of fuel, just a few days after arriving here on Earth. Rex had crawled underneath it with a couple of good wrenches, scowling hopelessly at the mess of wires and wishing for a pair of pliers instead. Then WordGirl swooped in with her usual hot and fiery swishing noise and he'd jerked up, bashing his forehead on the underside of the scout vessel. Ow. He nicked his forehead on serrated metal. Two seconds later, it flickered with an icy chill and sealed over again.

"Well, good news, Rex! I've found you a warm, safe place to stay for the winter while your spaceship heater's busted. Once the snow melts in spring, Bob and I can take a look at it with you and try to fix it up."

She wore her favorite green sweater, like a fluffy carrot top that concealed a discouraging harvest below. She'd been all smiles as he crawled out from under the scooter, and Huggy had squealed his agreement. You know… It really had sounded like good news at first. She got excited for him. Let's break this down. A temporary family who could check up on him every now and then? Help him get food, use the post office, and get around the city? Great! It would be a nice change of scenery to stretch his legs. He could use a few nights away from his spaceship.

The journey from Hexagon had been a long one. It took him two years. He hadn't technically crashed his ship when he landed on this planet, but he had clipped a few trees on his way down. Then he bashed the starboard side against a giant boulder and broke a few things. You know, maybe that was considered crashing… but he still had his fingers crossed that he could get it up again in no time. He just… needed to wait for spring, so he could stand working outside for long hours without all this icy wind.

The snow hadn't been this bad back then. Just two inches deep (inches are an Earth unit of measurement, equivalent to 2.72 rokurans). The blood raced in his veins, but he'd thought that would be the end of it. Then WordGirl had mentioned foster care. An agent she knew. Some ideas she had. And he'd just… stood there, staring at her silently with the wrench drooping from his hand.

Foster care. With Earth families and other Earthling kids.

"Oh…" What else was he supposed to say? He fidgeted with the wrench and (very slowly) leaned back against the hood of his scooter craft. "Thanks, WordGirl. I appreciate you looking out for me, but I really don't need a babysitter. I'm 51 and I almost graduated top of my class from the Hexagonian Children's Learning Facility. I already picked up some picture books on forest foraging from the library. I know how to start fires and put them out again safely. I'm perfectly fine with being independent while I'm here on Earth."

WordGirl had hesitated then, and he'd remembered a split-second later that on this planet, he wasn't considered 51. Right. He could recognize his age inherently, even across the universe. His Hexagonian blood wouldn't let him forget it. He'd done the math. One year on Hexagon translated to 61.078 Earth days.

But here, the people viewed him as only 8 years old. Rex was pretty sure he'd "turn 9" on this planet sometime this upcoming summer - he'd be close to 53.56209 years on Hexagon if his calculations were accurate - though he wasn't yet confident with the names of the Earth months.

He hadn't relayed any of this to WordGirl yet in case he got the words wrong. January, June, July… March, May… The names danced on a blurry stage like ballerinas encased in ice. Okay, yeah- side note: It still boggled his mind that so many people on this planet could read written words as easily as Lexiconians did. In fact, this whole planet was full of readers.

He still wanted to wait for the right moment to bring up the date. He had time.

[Cnt'd on FFN / AO3 - Links at top]

[fountainpenguin]

"It lives in a world where feelings cannot be defined by words. Oh, set me free from my jealousy..."

---

New Factor It In chapter today!

Chapter 2 - “Tree Diagram”

Read on FFN || Read on AO3

---

It's WordGirl and Huggy vs. the mind-controlled Kid Math and an army of Tobey's robots downtown... Meanwhile, Victor and Victoria watch from a safe distance. Wow. Being a superhero sure seems like it would be the best...

(First 1,000 words under the cut)

Tree Diagram

.:: January 3rd - Saturday ::.

"All that is possible can be made probable once plans have been prepared."

(Ancient Hexagon proverb)

➕ ➖ ✖️ ➗

Psst! Look for the words civilian and resilient

--

Where we left off, WordGirl and Captain Huggyface were in the midst of a grueling fight against Tobey's robots and a mind-controlled Kid Math, courtesy of Mr. Big…

Even gentle snowflakes can feel like spikes of hail when you hurtle through them at Mach 4. They lash her cheeks and bite her eyelids. WordGirl plows through them anyway, one hand up to block at least one of her cheeks. It helps. A little. She's resilient either way.

She veers up from her comet-like charge and floats like a sparking star in the empty space. She plants herself in front of both Mr. Big and Tobey. Her whiplash arrival makes the former flail his arms in shock and the latter cry her name. WordGirl shakes her head, ignoring both, and floats a little closer to the man on the taller building.

"All right, Mr. Big! We can either do this the 'cheap and easy' way, or the 'hard and insurance paperwork' way. Now, stop mind controlling my friend and leave this city alone!"

Mr. Big takes one look at her and jabs a finger at the remote in his hand. Behind him, a bespectacled superhero kid bursts skyward with the husk of a giant robot lifted above his head. He's wearing cyan blue. White gloves. White boots. A yellow belt wraps around his waist, fastening with a hexagon buckle at his stomach. A single green light on that buckle blinks on and off.

The robot groans, flailing its limbs. One foot narrowly misses Tobey on the bakery's three-tiered roof. Its smacking hand almost whacks Mr. Big clean off the ambiguous building. Huggy shrieks, squeezing her neck. WordGirl chokes on a gasp, then steadies her balance in the air. There he is. And even from here, super-hearing or no super-hearing, she can hear Kid Math mutter the same mantra over and over under his breath: "Destroy competition. Construct new billboards. Destroy competition. Construct new billboards…"

"MY ROBOT!" Tobey wails, drawing his hands down his cheeks. "Number 14!"

"All right… Huggy, make a note: add Mr. Big to the list of villains we should never again leave Kid Math to handle alone. At… least not if we're across town instead of enjoying a conveniently placed picnic nearby with our binoculars in hand."

He squeals agreement, wrapping his arms and legs around her torso. Right. Back to business. WordGirl punches her hand into her open palm, thinning her eyes to slits.

"Okay, Kid Math! This chaos is way out of line. Your fractured reality is about to get simplified."

Does that even make sense? Math puns aren't her thing. She can define every word with the gossamer touch of a fairy princess, but that doesn't mean she understands the full complexities of equations and numbers the way he does. Her mind blurs after about 12. Kid Math stares back at her, all glaze-eyed and ghostly.

Then he arches his back and hurls the massive robot directly at her. "WHOA!" she yelps, and twists her flight pattern like a snake. Huggy squeezes with both arms and both legs. The robot (or what's left of it) cannonballs right past them. It plows through an empty parking lot outside a squid-themed restaurant- the one that doesn't serve seafood at all. WordGirl winces. Oops. Probably should have caught that… Tobey screams distress from the roof of the three-tiered bakery, clawing his fingers down his cheeks. Something about a partnership betrayed, and Mr. Big all but confirms this when he yells back from the neighboring rooftop, "My mistake, Theodore! I can't choose what he wants to throw!"

"Number 14…"

Kid Math twitches in the sky, his hands empty but his body still tense and looking for a fight. WordGirl keeps her eyes locked on his face. They can both fly at lightning-fast speed (well… thunder-fast), and dodging him will be a lot easier if he signals a move before he makes it. Thus far, she'd chased her wayward understudy - not that she'd ever tell him he was sort of like her understudy - from the bank to the park to the steakhouse and around through the loop again. Right from the start, it was obvious something was going on with him. His paths were too direct for him to pass as the real Kid Math, because this mind-controlled puppet version of her friend charged straight from Point A to Point B without taking thermal updrafts and wind resistance into the equation. Absolutely ineffective. Totally unlike him.

And of course, the Kid Math she'd come to know over the past four months wouldn't just be flying around destroying billboards and things either.

Or, uh… At least he isn't that destructive MOST of the time. WordGirl winces at the memory of a furious, flush-cheeked Kid Math punching a street sign hard enough to send it crashing through a window. He didn't mean to do that. He just didn't know his own strength yet.

Well, okay. As much as she hates admitting it, maybe she is being a little quick to grant him that benefit of the doubt… Even yesterday, Kid Math (in the guise of 8-year-old Rex Pemdas: the innocent, newly-enrolled 3rd-grade student of Woodview Elementary) had rambled to her on the way to the jewelry store that he had a plan to help the city "go green" before Earth Day rolled around in spring. His plan had involved "relocating" more than a handful of skyscrapers, and he'd been stubbornly reluctant to take "No" for an answer.

"Destroy competition. Construct new billboards. Destroy competition…"

Why she'd even escorted him to the jewelry store was another story altogether, and one that involved Invisi-Bill tackling his first solo crime since WordGirl had met him. The thin excuse to her brother TJ and tagalong Johnson had been "Rex wanted to check out the shiny doorknobs at the library and we need to run really fast to make sure we get there before it rains," to which TJ had rolled his eyes and snarked that Becky probably just wanted to get Rex hooked on Princess Triana novels. He and Johnson had wished their new friend good luck. They sprinted off, and Invisi-Bill had actually made it pretty far down the street before Kid Math had zeroed in on his whistling and-

A dot of green blinks in the center of her vision, snapping her focus back to the battle at hand. Aha! Something they can use. WordGirl blasts forward, arms extended, with her eyes locked on that little flashing dot. Now we're getting somewhere…

[Cnt'd on FFN / AO3 - Links at top]

[fountainpenguin]

Out of all of Becky villain's, I'm of the belief that Rex would get along best with Mr. Big and Leslie. Mr. Big tries mind controlling him once in order to do his taxes but he doesn't even need to since Rex takes joy in doing it 🤣

😂 I'm obsessed with Rex / villain interactions because they're all so good. Some of my headcanons are:

He constantly calls Tobey "Theodore 3" and it ticks Tobey off. Also I have a story about Rex leading Tobey to his spaceship so he can fix some of its broken pieces (like the heater) and Becky just staring into the void like "Why did you do this?"

Rex is obliviously insensitive and so he and Chuck are constantly clashing because Chuck is soft and desperate for WordGirl interactions and Becky just constantly wants to shake her boy. Her little guy. He's dumb.

Kid Potato is already antsy about Butcher being friendly with WordGirl and I imagine that Rex doesn't like being friendly with villains, so Kid Math and Kid Potato actually get along really well by agreeing to hate each other and hold nothing back, they are completely raw and honest with each other in a way Rex isn't with the other villains, and that actually makes them "friends" and Becky stares into the void. I have so many thoughts about WordGirl and Kid Math in the superhero / villain retirement home, you KNOW Kid Math will be a "back in my day" rambler and WordGirl will just be like "Check your blood pressure" sldfkj.

Lady Redundant Woman multiplies, so that's a numbers game... Kid Math with a schoolboy crush on LRW is my favorite, I'm sorry but I love the idea of him squealing and getting excited when he gets to fight her.

Kid Math comes from a metal-based planet and he knows a lot about metal in my view. I cannot get over the idea of like, Kid Math wearing a metal bracelet or carrying a piece of metal or having metal glasses, or metal fillings in his teeth, and Captain Tangent just wrecks him. Not in a horrific way, just in a "oh wait, fighting someone with telekinesis is hard, actually" way sdklf. I think Tangent would leave Kid Math SO confused, because Tangent stops committing crimes while he rambles and Kid Math would just be like "... Is this surrender? Are we done?" and he'd just float there awkwardly.

I have a Factor It In chapter that opens with Seymour Smooth telling Kid Math about how there are numbers on the front and backs of the cards in people's pockets and he can exchange them for a prize and WordGirl just yells from off-screen "DON'T DO IT!" and it's funny to me, please let Seymour follow this kid around trying to make him a pawn. Every single villain who has a schtick of fooling people who aren't WordGirl deserves to get a win over Kid Math.

He would absolutely fall for Granny May's innocent old lady "I've retired, I'm just a bystander" act every time because "She said she changed! Why would she lie??"

He'd totally fall for Hal Hardbargain and the Coach if they tried to sway him for the same reasons. There are gadgets and great deals out there. There is more superhero training to be had.

Rex really just cannot be trusted alone with some of the top villains like Mr. Big and Dr. Two-Brains because he'll willingly put the mind control devices on and he'll walk right into traps, he's the worst.

Kid Math would be confused and answer every one of Ms. Question's questions because he thinks she's truly curious about him and doesn't understand her distraction tactics.

Invisi-Bill, AKA captain "I never work alone," is now in danger if both WordGirl and Kid Math show up on the scene. Good luck, dude.

I see Kid Math as a guy who just wants to punch bad guys and get in physical fights, and I think Big Left Hand Guy would actually be somewhat of a challenge since Rex is so small. WordGirl evades him by darting around him and grabbing him from behind, but I think Rex would just get slam-dunked constantly.

It's already canon that Becky can't recognize Amazing Rope Guy when he's not in costume, and we also know that Rex CAN see through her civilian identity and that she was shocked he was able to (and he was taken aback by her surprise because to him, it was obvious), so I lose my mind over this idea that although Rex is easily manipulated by villains, at least he's good at recognizing them out of costume.

I am very normal about my Kid "Second Best" Math and Victor "Second Best" Best ideas and boy howdy do I have a story to tell about what led to Victor wearing a superhero costume under his clothes in "Best of the Bests" slkdfjs.

Bless Rex, I love him <3 He's a goofball

[fountainpenguin]

This actual boy tho

WordGirl: Okay, how do we stop this evil villain today?

Kid Math: Listen. Hear me out. If we "subtract" all the people, there won't be anyone left who could get hurt.

WordGirl: I'm sorry what now?

Kid Math: I mean, think about it logically! Villains can't take over the world if there's no world to take over.

WordGirl: Rex no

Kid Math: Assert your dominance by destroying the planet so no supervillain will be bold enough to challenge you.

WordGirl: Rex please you are a child go home

Kid Math: You don't need to save the people if you get rid of all the people first.

WordGirl: Rex.

[fountainpenguin]

[fountainpenguin]

Casual fan half of brain: I can't believe WordGirl actually defined an easy word like "hint" in the "Kid Math" episode instead of defining "repartee." It was clearly shoehorned in to meet the "define two words an episode" requirement :/

Writer half of brain: Kid Math didn't know what "hint" meant because he was brought up in a culture that values strength and punishes weakness and he's a genius kid who never had to ask anyone for help in his life until he got to Earth and this is an episode about him wrestling with the values of his culture and finally accepting it's okay not to do everything by yourself I am in actual TEARS-