OOM: Mid-June, 2012, Geneva, Swizerland

[damncompass]

They've been snowed in for three days, and it's starting to get old.

It's not the company that he objects to, as much, Helena is one of the few people who can keep up with him, no matter what he's babbling on about, but it's just that he's beginning to wonder about the state of his food stores.

So as he gets up and goes to open his pantry, he comes to a realization.

"Helena? If we want to eat today, I think we're going to have to brave the rest of the snow. I'm almost out of anything that's not mac and cheese." He opens the fridge. "And I think my milk's gone off too." You'll have to excuse the boy. He wasn't really in the right state of mind last week.

Comments

[damncompass]

"Well, yeah. But still. Advanced physics isn't really everyone's thing." While she's in there, Joshua changes into his typical grey pants and button-down shirt. He figures that he could at least look decent for once this week instead of looking like a slob.

When she comes back out of the bathroom, he's rummaging on the desk in the living room for some cash and his wallet.

[timelessinventor]

He was right; the polo and khakis look does absolutely nothing for Helena. "I could buy some things myself, you know. It's not as though I have no purchasing power of my own." And she certainly left Egypt with her billfold in tow (she'd expected to need an airplane, after all).

[damncompass]

"Yes, but even that aside, you probably don't have any Euros for the bus." He turns and winces. "Right. Clothes for you. Stat." That's just... weird, man.

[timelessinventor]

Oh, she quite agrees with you, Joshua. She could do with some trousers that fit her properly. "You do have a point there. Shall we, then?"

[damncompass]

Joshua leads her out of his apartment, through the living quarters of CERN, waving to a security guard who probably is beginning to wonder how Joshua is constantly getting people into his apartment past him, and out into the sunny Swiss day.

The temperature is fairly warm, but there is a bit of chill coming off of the snow. As they walk to the bus, Joshua can't help but notice that the snow isn't flooding anything. It's just... melting into the air. That's not possible, is it?

[timelessinventor]

Poor guard. At least the source of that headache will be moving soon enough.

Helena follows his lead to the bus stop, but can't help noticing his distraction. "Everything all right?"

[damncompass]

"Yeah. It's just... that snow's melting odd. It's like... dry ice without the wierd fog when it melts." He kneels down and picks up some, but it behaves like he would expect it to in his hand. "So wierd."

[timelessinventor]

"Well, it was brought about by an Artifact," Helena points out. "If no one has to deal with any flooding, I really don't think they'll protest." It's just as well, really. She'd hate to be responsible for that kind of damage, especially to somewhere as nice as Geneva is (used to be, at least, but so far it doesn't seem too different from 1896).

[damncompass]

"True. That's just wierd, though, that Artifacts can..." He pulls a notebook out of his shoulder bag, and starts writing down some notes, not even realizing that the bus is pulling up.

[timelessinventor]

And so she pokes him in the shoulder. "Could your notes perhaps wait until we're on the bus, darling?"

[damncompass]

"Oh, right. Bus." Joshua runs a hand through his hair, and gets on, swiping his bus card, and putting in money for Helena, before flopping down in a seat. "I... probably shouldn't take notes while the bus is going. I'll miss the stop and we'll end up in France or something."

... no, Joshua. France is the other way.

[timelessinventor]

"I think we're going in the wrong direction for that, but you do know where we're headed better than I do." Which isn't to say she won't be looking out the window anyway.

[damncompass]

"Er, yeah. France is the other way. I'm an idiot." Joshua does put his notebook away, however. After a couple stops, he grabs her hand. "This is our stop. There's a few stores around here that I think you can probably find some things in."

They get off of the bus, and Joshua waves at a street of shops. "Your show now."

[timelessinventor]

Helena considers the window displays for a while (no, no, god no...) before grinning and heading into a store with several business-dressed mannequins in the window. "This looks promising. Do feel free to go about your notes while I shop."

[damncompass]

Joshua follows her in, finding a chair, and plopping down with his notebook and a pen. After a couple moments, he's lost in his thoughts and his writings.

[timelessinventor]

Helena's gone for a good half an hour or so (she could do with some new things anyway, quite aside from the fact she has a week to go before they return to South Dakota). But eventually she finds him, now wearing her standard trousers, vest and blouse. "There. That's much better."

[damncompass]

Joshua looks up from his notes and grins. There might be a tiny tiny hint of sappy in the grin. "Now that suits you. I can get things for you if you want." He's... well, he's a bad judge of time and doesn't realize how long it's been.

[timelessinventor]

"Already done." She hefts a couple of bags. "I didn't want to interrupt."

[damncompass]

"Oh. I could have got that for you." He blushes a bit and stands up, sticking his notebook back in his bag. "I was just scribbling. Nothing that important."

[timelessinventor]

"And why would I want to impede scientific progress just so you can pretend chivalry isn't lying bleeding on the doorstep?" Helena smiles. "In any case, I think we can move on to lunch now."

[damncompass]

"It's not completely dead!" Joshua shakes his head, and takes one of the bags from her. "Hey. I don't get to really be nice to people much. Claudia just grouches at me, and, well..." Joshua doesn't actually have that many friends.

[timelessinventor]

Helena rolls her eyes. "It was mostly dead in the 1890s. One would think they'd have given up by now."

[damncompass]

"Hey, we have a few things going for us over the Victorians." Or so Joshua likes to think.

He leads her down a couple streets, making comments about this or that, until they get in front of a fondue restaraunt. "How about some fondue?"

[timelessinventor]

"Oh, trust me, if you didn't have a few better points I wouldn't have tried sticking it out this long." Helena is a woman of action; she could have implemented her plan (or tried to, anyway) much sooner if she'd felt the need. "Fondue sounds lovely."

[damncompass]

Joshua's not exactly sure what to say to that, so he just goes into the restaraunt (holding the door, of course) and gets his usual table by a window. The waiter comes and hands them menus then scuttles away.

"I... I'd translate, but I think your French is probably better than mine, actually."