Puzzle 030

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Father's Day again, is it?

[He's been around long enough to know what this means, and he knows that there's no need to run and take cover from any crazy Mayfield antics. Still, it did make him a little homesick.]

You know, this actually reminds me of a puzzle! Let's see if you can solve it.

"A father and son are talking when the son asks this question: 'Dad, I'm 22 now, but just how old are you?'

The father replies, 'you wanna know how old your old man is, eh? Hmm, well, I'll tell you what. I'm as old as your age, plus half my age.'

How old was the father?"

By the way, does anyone know how to take care of a very, very large sea creature? She's been staying in the lake, but I want to make sure she's well taken care of.

[Because now that Loosha was back, Luke felt like he was responsible for making sure she was safe and happy here.]

[Action - Around the house.]

[On the kitchen table sits a card and gift box for Edward Nigma. Naturally the box is actually a puzzle box, making it pretty obvious who it's from.

Luke can be found outside, tending to the now animate golem standing guard outside the house.]

Comments

[Outside 726 Anderson Lane]

[questionauthority]

[You know? Ordinarily, the Riddler hates Father's Day. More than almost any day of the year. But this one is actually rather nice, all things considered.

As Luke tends to his golem, the door swings open and out steps Edward Nigma, holding onto a half-completed puzzle box and grinning knowingly.]

Question: Who could have possibly left this on the kitchen table?

[Outside 726 Anderson Lane]

[hintcoinplz]

[The voice interrupts his work, and he turns around to see Edward standing there.]

I guess it was pretty obvious, huh?

[Luke grins a little - after all, they're the only two puzzlers in the household.]

Did you even read the card yet or did you skip right to the puzzle?

[questionauthority]

[He brings forth the hand with the puzzle, shaking it slightly from side to side.]

I couldn't help myself. [No, really. That's kind of a problem of his.

Not to worry, though! He's pulling out the card from his jacket pocket now, neatly tearing into the envelope and giving it a read...]

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[The card's actually handmade. The front has a drawing of him and Luke on the front with the typical "Happy Father's Day!" written in bold letters.

On the inside is...

surprisingly not a puzzle. Why? Because it seems he was using the space to write a message. It starts off by saying, "I know we don't always see eye-to-eye on things, but I wanted to thank you for some of the things you've done for me:"

What follows is a list of as many things Luke could think of that he and Edward have done together, from small things like solving puzzles or teaching him to shave, to bigger and more important things like staying with him when he died. At the very end of the list, it thanks Edward for being a good Mayfield father.]

[questionauthority]

[He reads the card once. Then he reads it again, almost in disbelief.

Fatherhood was never really something Edward Nigma had looked forward to. He had grown up resenting his own father. He'd feared the idea of turning out exactly like his old man when it came to having a family of his own. And in Mayfield, he had allowed Enigma, his own daughter, slip right through his fingers. Though he strives for perfection, Eddie isn't perfect.

But even after all the mistakes he's made in the past year or two, Luke still idolizes him. And he's just thanked Edward for being a good Mayfield father.

Perhaps there's still hope for him yet.]

Thank you, Luke.

[There's more he could say, more he doesn't really trust himself to admit aloud, but honestly? Edward's incredibly touched. And it surely shows.]

[hintcoinplz]

You're welcome.

[In a way, Luke hoped that card would serve as a reminder for whenever Edward started to doubt himself. That he did have people to turn to as a "family" when things got rough.

He doesn't say this though, the card says it all really. Luke smiles brightly.]

Well? You've got a present too, you know.

[questionauthority]

[Edward returns his attention to the puzzle box and allows himself a smile, his usual crafty one.]

It appears that I do. Now then. This shouldn't take too long...

[He's just about finished with the puzzle box, it seems! And once he's managed to solve and open it...]

[hintcoinplz]

[And when he opens it, he'll find a couple of movie tickets inside. Seems almost like Luke had a Father's Day all planned out for them.]