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]

"I think there's context I'm missing but for now, dessert. How goes the translating?"

[damncompass]

"Slow." Joshua is relieved to have something else to talk about other than what he sees as his failings. "Half the time I'm not really sure if I'm saying what I'm actually trying to say or not. French is an awful language to try and learn on the fly."

[claudiometer]

"Unfortunately, someone else is going to have to do that read-over for you."
Claudia's made sure it makes sense in English, which it does.

[balancingminds]

"I can do that. My French is solid enough that I should be able to catch any glaring errors but you should also have one of your colleagues look it over."

[damncompass]

"Thanks, Charles. I'll definitely take you up on that. My dissertation advisor will help too, but I'd much rather not turn in a translation mess." He's already sent off the English version, but he knows that the translation's mostly up to him.

[claudiometer]

"You're not running it through Babel Fish and taking what you get as truth. You should be okay in the end."
There are worse places to start than muddling through with a dictionary.

[balancingminds]

"I agree. And soon it will be done."

[damncompass]

"Yes. It will be done, and I will be able to figure out what to do from there." He pauses. "I really hope that nothing happens to derail this. I am not confident in my luck in that regard." Oh, Joshua. Now that you've said it....

[claudiometer]

"Then don't tempt fate, brother dear."

[balancingminds]

"Focus on what you need to do and then figure out what's next."

[damncompass]

"One step at a time, right?" Joshua nods. "I'm sure nothing will happen. I mean, what could happen? It's CERN. Nothing'll happen. I've already been pushed off of a balcony."

[claudiometer]

"You are so butthurt about that balcony."
She teases because she loves him.

[balancingminds]

Charles smirks and finishes of the last strawberry,

"Once you're finished, we'll have a dinner on me. I drank a yard once I presented my dissertation."

[damncompass]

"I'd like that, thanks." Joshua grins, but glares a bit at his sister. "Hey, you'd be butthurt too if someone pushed you off of something in front of all of the Warehouse."

[claudiometer]

"No, I'm butthurt because he involved me in identity-theft shenanigans in front of everyone."

[balancingminds]

"But both of those events are in the past and at the moment, we're looking into what can be. He's not here to defend himself."

[damncompass]

"No, I'm not that great at defending myself. I'll be bad enough defending my dissertation." He sighs. "The past should stay in the past."

[claudiometer]

"I do not think he meant who you think he meant."
Mostly, she is in fact over the whole thing. Mostly. She would've liked a chance to kick the guy int he balls before he was dead, but oh well.

[balancingminds]

"Now I'm just confused and we seem to have finished our dinner."

[damncompass]

"I think I'm confused now too. Never mind." Joshua waves down the waiter to get the bill, and pulls out a credit card. "So, what now? I wouldn't mind showing off a bit of Geneva, or I can take you both home."

[claudiometer]

Well. Joshua doesn't have to defend himself for being butthurt, and they were talking about someone who can't participate in the conversation, since he's by way of being Really Most Sincerely Dead. Makes perfect sense to Claudia.
"Oh, like I want to go home just yet."

[balancingminds]

"I'd like to see more of Geneva."

[damncompass]

"That sounds good to me." Joshua finishes paying for the meal, tosses more than a few Euro down on the table as a tip, and leads them both out the door.

Once out, he shrugs, sticking his hands in his pockets and walks down a street. "Stop me if you see some sort of place you'd like to go in."

Geneva has pretty much anything and everything one would want to see or do.

[claudiometer]

Claudia's just in a mood to enjoy the scenery. It is quite nice!
(Also: Brother time. Not to be frowned upon.)

[balancingminds]

"It does. I'm trying to think of the last time I was here and I'm not certain when it was,"

His work kept him busy at Oxford but there were a few trips.