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

[timelessinventor]

"What's wrong, darling?" Helena, on the other hand, wouldn't know awkward if it hit her in the face.

[damncompass]

"Nothing. I promise." Joshua does awkward like most people do normal. "Just normal awkward."

[timelessinventor]

"Why is awkward your normal state of being? You've no reason for it." Helena smiles. "You're quite an accomplished young man."

[damncompass]

Joshua makes a face and shrugs. "I don't really think I'd call myself accomplished. I have a technically-posthumous Masters' degree, and I'm probably going to fail my doctorate massively. I... I don't really think I've accomplished much of anything except useless science."

[timelessinventor]

Oh, Joshua. How very silly of you. "You helped your sister grow into a remarkable woman. You had enough work in place to be awarded the degree; even James couldn't have done that much for you, if you hadn't. And as I said Friday, the Regents wouldn't have offered you a position if they didn't think you deserved it."

[damncompass]

"I missed most of Claudia's growing up." Joshua shrugs. "I had work in place, sure, but I never finished it." And he really doesn't want to go into the whole Regent thing.

[timelessinventor]

"You were there long enough to make sure she knew she could do whatever she bloody well pleased with her life, and she certainly took it to heart." Helena helps herself to some more fondue.

[damncompass]

"Oh, she really did take it to heart." Joshua rolls his eyes. "She certainly does whatever she damn well pleases."

[timelessinventor]

Helena laughs. "That she does."

[firstprotector]

"She certainly is that." A very dignified man pulls out a chair between the two of them and sits down. "Agent Wells, Regent Donovan." He nods at them both.

[damncompass]

"Uhm, hi?" Joshua notices the pin, so he figures the man is one of his new colleagues, but that does not mean that he's not flustered. "Er, I haven't done anything wrong already, have I?" He just... felt that he should be wearing the pin, even though he wasn't going to anything official.

[timelessinventor]

"...Mr. Kosan." Helena is actually just this side of flustered (she wasn't expecting this, at least not until they got back to South Dakota). "This is a surprise."

[firstprotector]

"I am full of surprises, Agent Wells." He cracks a smile. "I am simply introducing myself to Regent Donovan, and making certain you are both well."

[damncompass]

"Er, hi, sir." Joshua is still flailing. "It's... good to meet you." He reaches under the table and takes Helena's hand.

[timelessinventor]

She holds onto his hand for dear life. "We're both quite well, thank you."

[firstprotector]

"There is no need to worry, Agent Wells. You have done nothing wrong." He smiles a bit.

[damncompass]

"Well, no! I mean, she got whammied, and ran off. Sure, it's probably bad form to Tesla your collegues for no good reason, and then tie one of them to a bed, but that wasn't her." Joshua is a bit animated, still clinging to Helena's hand. "I know she's contentious and all, but why the shit would you chastize her for something that I'm pretty sure we don't chastize others for."

[timelessinventor]

Some of the tension leaves Helena's shoulders (and there is a lot to be said for the fact that Mr. Kosan's sticking with 'Agent'), but she doesn't loosen her grip on Joshua's hand yet. "Thank you both for that. I simply wasn't expecting... anything approaching official company until we got back."

[damncompass]

"Hey! I'm official now!" Joshua pauses for a moment. "And I just embraced my new officialness, didn't I? Erk."

[firstprotector]

"That you did, Regent Donovan." There might be a smirk playing at the edge of his mouth. "Agent Wells, I do not wish to have to explain to Her again that something happened to you." Once was bad enough.

[timelessinventor]

Helena bites back a giggle at Joshua. "Yes, darling, but that's different. You were promoted right in front of me, and you haven't once pressured me to account for myself." She has, but it was entirely her choice to divulge that information - he didn't expect it from her (before or after he got the pin).

"There is that." She sighs. "I don't imagine that was a pleasant conversation for anyone involved." (She wouldn't know. She was a bit by way of being a statue at the time.)

[damncompass]

"You two are laughing at me." Joshua shakes his head. "Hey, just because this having-confidence thing is really new to me, doesn't mean it's funny." Oh, but Joshua, it so is funny.

[firstprotector]

"It certainly was not, Agent Wells." He stands up, nodding to both of them. "I will see you both on the weekend." He pushes the chair in, then squeezes Joshua's shoulder. "I am glad that you have joined us, Regent Donovan." And with that, he walks out of the restaraunt.

[timelessinventor]

"...Well." When he's gone, Helena finally loosens her grip on Joshua's hand. "I suppose that means I can worry a bit less about being re-bronzed." And Mr. Kosan certainly seems to still want her around (to say nothing of the Warehouse Herself, from the sound of it), but she'll keep right on worrying about that bit until the meeting's over, thank you very much.

[damncompass]

"Helena..." Joshua looks horrified. "You do realize that I wouldn't let that happen, right?"

He pauses, and shakes his head. "Really. I'm just trying to wrap my head around the fact that they actually want me rather than just a 'lesser of the evils'."