Early August 2012: The Warehouse/Annapolis, MD

[damncompass]

It's a fairly boring day in the Warehouse. Joshua is on his laptop working on some paperwork, and Helena is finishing up a couple case reports at a table.

It's probably just about time for something to happen.

Comments

[timelessinventor]

"But it's not too new to be worth trying. I haven't decided you're boring or not worth the effort or - or whatever it is your mind's telling you this time." Helena sighs. "I still want to try, but we both get lost in our own worlds quite easily. We need to find a way around that."

[damncompass]

"I know." He shakes his head. "I'm... well, my last girlfriend drug me around to things rather like a lost puppy. Besides, we had a couple classes together and we did things." Debate team mostly. And they didn't actually talk much. Joshua was just kinda there most of the time.

[timelessinventor]

"We need to make a point of doing things together, or at least in the same space." Honestly, if a lot of their private time were both of them in Joshua's lab working on their own projects, Helena can't say she'd mind. "Neither of us is very good at sustaining this sort of thing, and I don't want it to fall to bits because of that." She hugs him. "We're intelligent people. We can sort this out."

[damncompass]

"I don't want it to fall apart either." He hugs her back tightly. "We're smart people. We can figure out how to have a relationship." He might be attaching a bit now.

[timelessinventor]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with attaching. "Indeed we can, darling."

[damncompass]

He kisses her, lingering in it for a long moment.

They eventually go to sleep, Joshua's phone alarm buzzing at about eight the next morning.

"mmmmf."

[timelessinventor]

"mmm?" Ah, right. That'll be Joshua's alarm.

Bugger that for a lark. Helena snuggles closer.

[damncompass]

Joshua just pulls her closer. He doesn't have to get up just yet, does he? Because really, this is so nice.

[timelessinventor]

Indeed it is, and it's not as though politicians have ever wanted to get down to business first thing in the morning.

[damncompass]

"rrrrragh." He's more talking to her shoulder than her. "'dwe have'ta get up?"

[timelessinventor]

"Dare say we could put it off for a bit, but not too long." They'll want to talk to people before they're entangled in the messy business of politics, after all.

[damncompass]

"I know, I know. We have to be professional and all." Joshua sighs and slowly untangles himself from Helena. "I probably need a shower before we go anywhere."

[timelessinventor]

"We both do, likely, but we'll get more done if we go in one at a time." Besides, that sort of distraction in a slippery environment never bodes well.

We mean, what?

[damncompass]

Joshua rolls his eyes. "How about I order some breakfast for us and it'll be delivered by the time you're out of the shower?"

[timelessinventor]

"That sounds lovely." And with that, she gathers some clothes and disappears into the loo.

[damncompass]

Joshua orders some fairly basic breakfast, and turns on the news to see what's going on. It's pretty much the same old news, but there is a mention about the state Legislature's special session.

[timelessinventor]

"Anything of note?" Helena says when she emerges from the shower, still towelling her hair (not herself, though; she's already dressed)

[damncompass]

"Nah. Just the special session that we already know about." Joshua gets up. "I ordered our usual breakfast spread. Let 'em in and just charge it to the room. I'm going to shower." He grabs some clean clothes of his own, and goes off to the bathroom.

[timelessinventor]

"Not a problem, darling." Breakfast is indeed delivered while Joshua's in the shower; when he emerges, she's eating some pancakes and bacon.

(The employee who delivered it asked if they wanted any corn flakes as well. She did her best not to laugh in his face, and politely declined.)

[damncompass]

Joshua's just in his boxers towelling off his hair when he emerges. He forgot a shirt, so he just decided to dress outside of the bathroom. He grabs a bit of bacon and a glass of orange juice and leans on the desk. "So, what's the plan of attack? Go to the Capitol and find this woman and... what? Ask if she has anything old that she just got?" Last time he did this, he figured out what the Artifact was before he left.

[timelessinventor]

Helena nods. "That's the shape of it, yes. We may also see if anyone else can fill us in as to secondary effects it might be having - that may help us narrow down what we're dealing with."

[damncompass]

"Right. Well, you're the one with a century of experience here." He munches a bit of breakfast before wiping his hands on a towel and finishing dressing. He's wearing a suit jacket and shirt but no tie, Regent pin firmly on the jacket. It's comforting somehow when he's being all Official.

[timelessinventor]

"And even with that, every case is unique. You can certainly go in with a starting point in mind, but one as... thorough as Artie recommends only bogs you down, in the end." She understands the impulse behind his list of questions, but honestly. "We'll know what to do when we get there."

[damncompass]

Joshua nods. "Well, you're obviously the lead here, miss has-a-badge." He's grinning, though. "Shall we, then?"

[timelessinventor]

"I do believe we shall."

When they reach the capitol's complex, Helena smiles. "Now this architecture feels rather familiar."