text - smartphone

[entertainaplanb]

...What earthly good does it do me to know Ben Franklin's lightning rod boosts the energy level of anything you connect to it? How can a lightning rod even do that?

Comments

Video, 'cause he doesn't get tech stuff

[originaloddcouple]

[Isaac just... blinks. At that. Then he attempts to rationalize it.]

Well, it's good to have any information provided to you! Even if it is, ah...

[He sort of wiggles his hand.]

And I suppose Franklin must have just really known what he was doing. I guess.

switching to video in kind

[entertainaplanb]

[Eh, it's easy enough to turn on the video on her phone. So here, have a redhead (her hair's down, at the moment), already in her pajamas for the night. And Becky looks pretty damn confused by this latest flash of insight.]

I guess he did. It doesn't make much sense that a lightning rod would do that, but... I guess... maybe it has wires...?

Yeah, I've got nothing. And it's not like I could even get to the thing anyway. It's probably on display in some museum somewhere that isn't Locke, meaning by the time I got there I'd forget what all the fuss was about. Hardly worth getting myself arrested over.

Video

[originaloddcouple]

[Oh, a lady. Isaac wonders if a married man is supposed to look away from women in pajamas before dismissing it. He's in casual ware, so it's fine.

I'm sure it must! Wires were already invented, right?

It probably wouldn't be too difficult. I don't think museum security is very strong. But if you're going to forget about it, it might not be worth it yet.

[entertainaplanb]

I don't see how it would work without wires, but they aren't exactly standard issue on most lightning rods I've heard of.

[She sighs.] It may not be worth it at all. I'm sure the man made more than one lightning rod, so the odds of finding the right one are low, and if it didn't end up working it wouldn't be worth the trouble.

[originaloddcouple]

Maybe that's what made it special! Wires!

Well, that's a real pickle. Maybe you could hire someone to force you to steal as many as possible! I don't know what you could do with an energy boost, but it might be neat.

[entertainaplanb]

...Why would I want to? [This is Becky's WTF face! Frankly if she needs to zap something she seems to have a ray gun for that.]

[originaloddcouple]

[Isaac's stumped at that. He rubs his chin for a moment.]

Ah.... I dunno. Could be useful. A bit of a hassle, but... Well, a lot of hassle, really. But useful, maybe. If it worked.

[entertainaplanb]

Hardly worth the trouble, I think.

[originaloddcouple]

...Yeah, probably not. But good to know! Maybe.

[entertainaplanb]

Maybe. I just wish I knew what it meant.

[originaloddcouple]

I'm not exactly sure how it all works... but maybe you just need a memory jog!

What exactly do you know about Franklin?

[entertainaplanb]

The usual things. Founding father, invented all kinds of things, started the post office, had a way with the ladies. [Needless to say that last part doesn't work its way into her history classes. She has third-graders, they don't need to know that.]

And, apparently, this thing about the lightning rod.

[originaloddcouple]

He formed the post office? [Wait, focus.]

Maybe it's a sign! Maybe you were a historian, uncovering secret histories of the world! Like, the founding fathers were... nothing's coming to mind, but they were something!

[entertainaplanb]

He did. America's first postmaster general, actually.

[Yeah, Becky's just... gonna give that a side-eye.] I... guess it's a possibility, but that doesn't really square with anything else so far.

[originaloddcouple]

[If Miria was here, she'd probably start imagining postman armies.]

I guess not. Sounds like a lot of paperwork, actually. [He shivers a little just thinking about it.]

Isaac Dian, by the way.

[entertainaplanb]

Oh, if I minded paperwork I wouldn't teach. [She doesn't mind research, either!]

Becky. Pleased to meet you.

[originaloddcouple]

Oh, so you teach! That's interesting. My wife and I run an antiques shop downtown.

Nice to meet you too!

[entertainaplanb]

An antiques shop? That must keep the two of you busy.

[originaloddcouple]

Usually! It depends each day. A bunch of things just... came together, almost too good to be true, and we decided it was the perfect job for us!

What about you? Why'd you become a teacher?

[entertainaplanb]

I did some babysitting in high school and found out I had a knack with kids. [Becky smiles.] Middle school, not so much, but there are other people for that.

[originaloddcouple]

Well, that's lovely! I don't remember making the best decisions in middle school, so you probably dodged a bullet there.

And experience with kids should be useful if, uh... [He actually doesn't want to think about any grade schoolers in the numbers network]

[entertainaplanb]

God, I hope none of my students find this thing. This stuff is too big for nine-year-olds.

[originaloddcouple]

We can only hope. Honestly, this whole thing is still freaking me out. Miria's even having trouble sleeping.

[His eyes shift a bit, making it clear she wasn't the only one not sleeping well. But you know. Manly pride.]

[entertainaplanb]

Goodness. I'm sorry. [For him too, not that he'll admit it and not that she's likely to call him on it.]