Late April 2012, Geneva, Swizerland

[damncompass]

The door opens, probably miraculously on Joshua's living room. The chaos isn't as bad as in the bedroom, but there are notes and papers all over the desk around his computer, and a few books lying on the couch across from the TV.

"Sorry about the mess. One of these days I'll clean. Really."

Comments

[balancingminds]

"Its also one that be finished in time. Beginnings are what's important, no matter how hard they are. I keep discovering that with Erik and my own work."

[damncompass]

"Yeah, I know, Claudia. And yes, beginnings are important. I'm trying to maybe get somewhere." He falls silent as the bus rounds a corner, and they pile off on a side street.

"Right. It's this way." Joshua leads them up a street and around the corner.

[claudiometer]

Don't mind Claudia, she's just following the guy who knows where he's going. Not like she got to do much touristy stuff last time she was here.

[balancingminds]

Charles follows along, looking around and enjoying the languages they're walking by.

[damncompass]

Joshua points out a few things as they walk, slipping into German, realizing it, and checking himself.

Eventually after a short walk, they get to a small restaurant on a corner that advertises fondue. "Here we are. It's become one of my favorite places."

[claudiometer]

Good thing he checks himself. Claudia would've had to call him on it otherwise.
"I am definitely down for some cheesy goodness."

[balancingminds]

"Yes, fondue is one of the best food inventions."

[damncompass]

"Oh, but it is so much more than cheese, little sister." He grins and takes them into the restauraunt where the host grins at him and leads them to a table in the back corner. Menus are provided, in French.

There seem to be three different areas on the menu. One for cheesy goodness fondue with bread, one for hot oil fondue with various meats and veggies, and sweet fondues with fruits.

Joshua explains what's on the menu. "Get what you want, guys. We can try a bunch of different things, or get the same thing and share. I'm rather fond of the emmenthaler cheese."

[claudiometer]

"I never said it was only cheese." Seriously.
"Hmm. Fruit version for dessert, maybe?"

[balancingminds]

"I think a variety of everything would be perfect. Its been a while since I've had fondue but I recall some delicious combinations,"

He starts pointing to ones on the menu.

[damncompass]

"Oh, of course the chocolate one. Charles is right. We should have one of everything." Joshua grins. He waves over the waiter, and orders one of each type, as well as a bottle of wine. The waiter nods, smiles, and wanders off.

"The wine's traditional. I'll take it home if no one else wants it." Shrug.

[claudiometer]

"...Think I'll pass," Claudia says, after considering it for a moment. "Artie'll be confused enough if he calls me and I'm in Geneva. I don't need to be drunk on top of that."

[balancingminds]

"I'll help you drink it. That probably would be wise but another time you should join us or just have a glass,"

She's being careful but she doesn't need to be too careful to the point of not having fun.

[damncompass]

"Artie's going to have to deal." Joshua rolls his eyes. "It's not as if I couldn't get you back fairly quickly. Besides, I'm pretty sure that he's seen worse in his day." Old fart Artie.

It's probably obvious to Charles that Joshua does not like Claudia's boss.

[claudiometer]

"Well then next time get something that isn't sour grapes." That's another part of it; there's not a lot of alcohol she does like.

[balancingminds]

"What would you like, Claudia? And why the hostility to Artie?"

He's never met the man but that's the kind of dislike that takes creating as Joshua seems to try and like people.

[damncompass]

Joshua sighs as the waiter comes back with the wine, and Joshua indicates himself and Charles. Pouring the wine, the waiter scuttles off.

"It's... complicated, Charles. He's the one who pushed me into using the compass before I was really ready. I guess I'm just a bit sore."

[claudiometer]

"I think I'll stick with water for now." Mostly because she doesn't want coffee or tea and is unsure where Europe stands on soft drinks.
"Artie's not that bad, just... overly attached to his secrets. I think the combination of Cold War paranoia and Warehouse super-secrecy hasn't done him any favors."
Claudia also mostly forgave him after she kidnapped him. It's a thing.

[balancingminds]

As he thinks about that, Charles takes a sip of his wine and nods,

"I can understand that. The men I work with at the moment are far too paranoid, it gives me a slight headache. I think its a risk of working with the government. Claudia, you can get a soda, there's Fanta, Coke and more than I knew of."

[damncompass]

Joshua shrugs. "He's... I don't know. I probably shouldn't talk about him. Just... past." He takes a drink of the wine, as the waiter comes, bringing two fondue pots, one cheese, one oil, and a few plates of assorted bread, meat, and vegetables.

"Ah, food!" Much better than talking about Artie.

[claudiometer]

"Oh, okay, Fanta I can live with. They have strawberry?"
(European soda is weird, that's all. They don't believe Mountain Dew needs caffeine; what's the point?)
"Dude, I never said you had to like him. It's just, you know, kidnapping a guy and then establishing a working relationship with him, you make peace with some things." It's not that Artie burned Claudia any less - after all, he dumped her in the tender arms of the foster system. But still.
Mmmmmmm, food. This is where she skewers some meat and veg.

[balancingminds]

Charles pauses as he listens,

"Yes, they do. That can help but doesn't come easily. I'm currently dealing with some personalities that don't work well together. It can be come painful when as I do, I want everyone to like each other."

[damncompass]

Joshua waves down the waiter, conveys Claud's wishes, and the waiter nods, and goes off again, to return at some point with a Fanta.

"From what I've seen, they've all found a way to work well together." Joshua shrugs. "I'm just an outsider. I'm allowed to not fit in."

He pauses for a moment as he skewers some cheesybread. "There has to be some way to get people to work together even if they're really different."

[claudiometer]

"Oh, bullshit you're not allowed to fit in. If you weren't allowed you wouldn't have made it in the door and you know it."
Mmmm, Fanta and fondue.

[balancingminds]

"She does have a point. People show far more with how they act then how they think. And in theory, I could do that but it wouldn't work for the long term."