June 2012, Geneva, Swizerland

[damncompass]

The morning sun is breaking through Joshua's windows, reflecting even more off of the five feet of snow that's starting to melt in the June heat.

Inside, Joshua is snuggled up to the woman beside him, sleeping with a smile on his face.

Comments

[damncompass]

"I always did wonder why it got shittier as time went on. I never did like the later stuff. I guess I'm vindicated now in disliking it." He smiles, blushing. "So, I have to ask, have you ever considered writing more?" Yes, that's a fanboy right there.

[timelessinventor]

"I have, but..." Helena sighs. "I rather suspect my writing style isn't quite in tune with what the modern reading public expects from a book, between the sparkling vampires that stalk you in your sleep and the implausible, frightening and simply bad bondage pornography that is in fact a thinly disguised fan fiction about the sparkling stalker vampires." There's that undignified face again. "And really, when I can say the bondage pornography is implausible and I've been out of touch with the scene since 1896 or so..."

[damncompass]

There are a series of faces that Joshua makes, from amused to intrigued, and then back to amused. At the end, he laughs quite a lot. "Well, um, more on that later, but there is totally a market for books in the style of their original authors."

[timelessinventor]

"Yes, and zombies." She rolls her eyes. "I've already got time travel and Martians and vivisection; the last thing I need to do is add zombies to the mix."

[damncompass]

Joshua just snorts. "Zombie, zombie, zombie". He's mimicking her accent, rather poorly.

[timelessinventor]

Helena just stares at him for a moment, then laughs, far more genuinely than she has in ages. "What on earth?"

[damncompass]

He cracks up as well. "Well, it's just a silly word, and your accent made it even funnier." He's beaming and laughing like he hasn't in ages either.

[timelessinventor]

"If you say so." It's a few moments before she really manages to stop laughing, but she's still smiling. "Thank you, darling. I don't think I've laughed like that since the 1890s."

[damncompass]

Joshua just grins. "I'm glad I could help." He laughs a bit. "But in all seriousness, Pride and Prejudice has a billion sequels and sidequels and everything."

[timelessinventor]

"Including, I feel honor-bound to point out at this stage in the discussion, the one with the zombies." She might giggle a little as she says that.

[damncompass]

Joshua giggles. Possibly more than he should. "Well, yes, but that's not the point. There has to be some character that you wanted to write more about."

[timelessinventor]

"...There is something to that." Helena smiles. "A few characters I never truly got a chance to bring into the sun." And she could publish under her own name and everything! Now there's an idea.

[damncompass]

"Exactly." Joshua grins, leaning over and sneaking a tiny kiss. "And, well, you could publish under your name, and everyone would just think you're being cute."

[timelessinventor]

"Ah, but I would know better." Helena smiles. "It's certainly something to consider."

[damncompass]

"I would totally read anything you wrote." That's more than the fanboy talking.

[timelessinventor]

"That could perhaps be arranged, if you're very nice."

[damncompass]

"I can be very nice." Joshua grins at her. That might be a flirt, but he probably doesn't realize he's doing it.

[timelessinventor]

"I'm sure you can." Helena smirks. "But first I'm going to have to write something."

[damncompass]

"And you probably aren't going to start writing something at nine on a snowy Friday morning." Yes. That's definitely a smirk.

[timelessinventor]

"One never knows, when it comes to writers. Though if you had a better idea in mind, I am amenable to suggestions." She's not necessarily flirting out of anything other than habit (which isn't to say she wouldn't be interested - far from it).

[damncompass]

"Well, at some point, we should possibly find you some clothes." He's not minding the view per se, it's just, well... "If we're going anywhere other than my bedroom, you might be cold, considering there's snow out there."

[timelessinventor]

"I hadn't planned on going outside just yet, darling." Besides, would they even be able to go anywhere until the snow's melted a bit? "I dare say clothes can wait, though if you've got something I'd fit in that hasn't been to Egypt, I'd appreciate it."

[damncompass]

"I'm sure I can find something." He gets up, and rummages in a chest of drawers, coming up with a pair of sweatpants and an old t-shirt (Nebraska Debate Team 1994- 1995. "Here. This should work. At least the sweatpants have a drawstring."

[timelessinventor]

"Thank you." She takes the clothes and disappears into the bathroom (less for her own modesty than for his).

[damncompass]

Joshua just sits on his bed, staring at the pin on his nightstand, lost in his own thoughts, in the chaos and the... everything that happened in the past two days.