Late October 2012: Leena's B&B

[timelessinventor]

Helena has been working on something. She has a notebook, and she's been writing while curled up on the couch.

She'll never truly understand ballpoint pens, but Joshua found a fountain pen for her with ink cartridges, so she can finally feel like she's writing again. It's a lovely feeling.

Comments

[timelessinventor]

"Disconcerting, perhaps?" Helena makes a bit of a face. "Not to mention, likely nowhere near as fun as the traditional method. But I'm sure it's possible."

She shrugs. "Whether any doctor could, Dr. Calder would gladly do the work. It is, after all, her job."

[damncompass]

"Yeah, definitely disconcerting. All of the problems and none of the fun." He wrinkles his nose. "Frankly, kids scare the crap out of me. And I basically raised Claudia."

He shrugs, leaning back on the sofa's arm. "I know, I know. I just feel stupid dragging her all the way out here for my dumb ass."

[timelessinventor]

"It can't possibly be worse than Artie concocting reasons to drag her out here." Not least because Artie was doing so by means of an Artifact, from what Helena's gathered.

[claudiometer]

And then, the front door slams.
"Joshua Alan Donovan, next time you do that and we're going home anyway take me with you, for fuck's sake!"

[damncompass]

"I don't know how well I can take passengers!" He flails, dropping his book and almost falling off of the couch.

Sorry, Helena. Your comments were heard, but he's flailing at his sister at the moment. "I don't want to lose you halfway here!"

[claudiometer]

"Fine, fine." She does take that as a valid reason, though.
"Seriously, of all the job perks to give you."

[damncompass]

He absolutely beams. "Oh, man. Isn't it awesome! I can teleport now, without a compass, and without anyone telling me I can't."

[claudiometer]

"You're absolutely ridiculous, you know that?"
But she's only not more upset because it doesn't involve the compass. And because she'll be able to troll him with it sooner or later.
"Anyway, I'm going upstairs. 'night."

[damncompass]

"Of course I'm ridiculous. Would you want me any other way?" He grins and waves a hand. "You do that, little sister. Sleep well when you eventually do."

[timelessinventor]

Once she's upstairs, Helena laughs. "Well, there's that cat out of the bag. Better now than during a crisis, perhaps."

[damncompass]

Joshua laughs. "Yeah, it is probably better that way. At least she got her shouting at me done now."

[timelessinventor]

"Indeed she did. Did you expect her to do anything less, give your history?" Though she will admit, the circumstances allowed it to be more cheerful shouting than it might otherwise have been.

[damncompass]

"No, I really didn't." He shakes his head and falls silent. Sometimes he just likes being with Helena, even if they don't talk much.

[timelessinventor]

After some time, Helena looks up from her writing and sees that Joshua's fallen asleep. It's probably just as well that he sleep down here and not aggravate his ankle (and in any case, since she knows where he is and that he's not affected by anything, she'll sleep soundly enough); she pulls a blanket off the back of the couch, tucks him in, and heads upstairs herself.