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

[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.]