damncompass | June 2012: Badlands of South Dakota; Ted's Diner

Travelling is hell, especially when you're half-moving anyway. Joshua had decided that he was going to take some books and the Artifact to the B&B, to just have a few less things things to take when he actually moved a week later.

Flights were late, Customs was eying Joshua's papers like they were in Greek, and the closer they got to South Dakota, the more unsettled Helena was. So, when they got to the airport finally, Joshua decided to fuck it, and get the flashiest car that the Hertz place rented: a red convertible something-or-other that suited Joshua's mood just fine. However, to his vast embarrassment, he'd almost forgotten how to drive in the fifteen years that he didn't actually need to. He was able to get the car in gear and going, with a minimum of offers to drive from his Victorian now-girlfriend.

Driving into the address that he'd been e-mailed a couple days ago (how they got his e-mail, he wasn't actually going to ask at this point), he parked (very poorly) and looked around, wondering where the shit everyone else parked, as the lot was mostly empty.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Really?" Joshua looks confused. "I... I've never been that good." He was good in college. National-level good, but he didn't think he was International Organization Mind-Changing good.

"Er, thanks."

As though there's that much difference between the one and the other. Really now, Joshua. "I simply wanted to add that, if you happen to notice anything in the Warehouse's daily operations that needs changing so that things run more smoothly, feel free to do so."

"Wait." Joshua blinks at him a few times. "Did you just give me a licence to troll Artie?"

"Well, you will be the person there with the most authority." He has a very good innocent face.

"I do not believe that innocent face in the slightest." He smirks. "Besides, you never actually answered my comment." Not that he actually thinks he'll get that answer, mind you.

"Agent Nielsen could do with the occasional reminder that his methods are not the only effective ones at our disposal." He smirks. "Besides, would you make those changes if I didn't tell you you were allowed to?"

"Probably not. I tend to try not to make waves." Unless it's to save someone he loves. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

And in that moment, he knows he made the right choice. "Please do. Thank you for joining us."

"Er, you're welcome." Joshua just stands there, a bit dopily as his boss walks off.

Before anyone else can come up to him, (he's not really in the mood to meet or talk to any of his other new colleagues) he walks out of the diner, out to where he's parked.

Helena's waiting by the car, damn near beaming, and certainly the most relaxed Joshua has ever seen her (probably the most relaxed she's been since Christina died, when you get down to it). "Well, darling. I should think that went well."

"Quite well, I would think." He beams at her, wrapping his arms around her and just holding her close for a bit. He's probably almost as relieved as she is.

Helena's not about to protest that decision. In fact, she leans into it. "I still have a job and no one's turning me into a statue again. I'd call it a good day."

"Exactly." Joshua pets her hair a bit. "As long as you weren't a statue, we would have found a way, but I'm so glad you're still at the Warehouse."

"As am I, darling." She smirks. "Though I dare say your line of argument puts a rather... interesting wrinkle into your plans for Artifact research."

He's not exactly thinking along the same lines she is. At least not yet. "Huh?"

Her smirk only grows (he really is worse than Claudia, isn't he?). "Well, if your girlfriend happens to be an Artifact..." Surely even he can fill in the blanks from there.

Joshua's face turns into a huge grin. "Oh, really then? That does make for some interesting research." He leans over and kisses her.

She kisses back, with gusto. "Oh, indeed. You'll have to conduct several experiments. See how the Artifact responds to... different stimuli."

"mmmmmm. Yes. Any experiment is going to have to be conducted carefully and thoroughly." That's definitely a snog.

"But of course." She snogs him in turn. "And you'll have to do many repetitions, naturally. Can't have you forming an incomplete data set." That would just be unfortunate (and a disservice to scientific progress).

"Oh, definitely not. Have to make sure that everything is well-researched and accurate." He's getting a bit breathless in his snogging. Oops.

She snogs right back... but only to a point, and then she pulls away and turns to the car. "But this would be a terrible place to conduct your control experiment. Besides, Theodora already hates me; the last thing we need is for her to interrupt."

"Ugh." Joshua stands there for a moment, and sighs. "You are such a tease, Helena." But more than likely very very right. "She doesn't like me that much either, so we probably should go."

"Yes. We still need to needle Artie, after all." And then they can get on to some Artifact research (is that what they're calling it these days).

"That's true." Joshua takes a couple deep breaths to... calm himself down, opens the car door for her, then gets into the car himself. "Off we go, then." He pauses. "You're going to have to tell me which way to go, you know. I just realized I didn't write down the directions to the Warehouse." And he's not exactly sure if he remembers how to get there from that Christmas.

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