So, it was their week off from school, which meant Joker had spent most of it holed up inside the flight shed, trying to beak Anakin's records
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Eleanor hadn't seen much of Joker, since his birthday party (well ... since later that night, after his birthday party) but she'd assumed he was in the flight shed, obsessing over his teacher's records again.
But now, she had something she needed to discuss with him, and it was going to be perilous trying to ask this question without letting on what she really happened to be after. She'd try her best.
"Hey," she said, rapping on the open door with her knuckles and smiling. "Did someone finally throw you out of that flight shed?"
"Throw me out? They'd better not! No, I'm just taking a break. You know, hanging out, relaxing..." He pointed at the pile of papers on his desk. "Redox equations..."
And, of course, the birds on the holographic screen hanging in the air in front of his face.
"Birds attacking pigs," Eleanor laughed. "No one has been able to explain to me why the birds are after the pigs. Surely a bird can't eat an entire pig."
"Not all at once, anyway," Joker contributed. "Naw, it's not like that -- the pigs stole their eggs, and the birds are trying to get them back. Classic good versus evil, except, you know, with a slingshot." He gave her a smile. "So, hey! What's up? You miss me?"
"Always," Eleanor said. She took a seat next to him on the bed and dropped a light kiss on his cheek. "I didn't know the bird game was a revenge fantasy. I suppose that explains the anger."
Joker grinned and kissed her back. "Mostly, it's a physics puzzle," he explained. "And it's not about revenge, anyway, it's about rescue. Kids play this!"
"Are you suggesting kids can't handle a good revenge tale?" Eleanor asked. "The witch dies at the end of Hansel and Gretel. Cinderella's sisters lop off their own toes. Children love a good morality tale, more so if it's violent."
"I'm suggesting that teaching kids to be violent and get revenge has kind of gone out of style. Seriously, Cinderella's sisters cut off their toes? That definitely was left out of the version I've seen."
"Just curious," Eleanor lied, offering him a quick flash of a smile. Hopefully a convincing one. "Barry's making one and has been asking me questions about it. I've been arguing that if I help, I should get to take it on a joyride."
"Well, yeah, sure," Joker answered. "Sounds like fun." He couldn't put his finger on it yet, but something about this all seemed a little off. "...Why is Barry making a sub?"
"Why is Barry making a gremlin vaccine?" Eleanor asked, lifting her shoulders. "He's Barry. That reminds me, something odd is going on with Barry. He was honking at me yesterday and didn't seem to realize it."
"Perhaps we should go check on him," she suggested. Still very casual. Still very light. "So if you can learn to pilot a sub, does that mean you can teach me?"
She leaned over to press another kiss against his lips. "I'm sure Barry can wait until tomorrow. I may have plans this evening, if the flight shed isn't calling your name."
But now, she had something she needed to discuss with him, and it was going to be perilous trying to ask this question without letting on what she really happened to be after. She'd try her best.
"Hey," she said, rapping on the open door with her knuckles and smiling. "Did someone finally throw you out of that flight shed?"
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And, of course, the birds on the holographic screen hanging in the air in front of his face.
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Someone still didn't have a smartphone.
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She shuddered, slightly, at the mention of her mother. Now seemed an ideal time to change the subject.
"Can you fly a sub?" she asked. "Wait, is it sail a sub? Pilot. Can you?"
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She leaned over to press another kiss against his lips. "I'm sure Barry can wait until tomorrow. I may have plans this evening, if the flight shed isn't calling your name."
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