* summon an eclipse, [josh]

SHE SWAM OUT OF TONIGHT'S PHANTASM

* grabbed my hand ,

& MADE IT VERY CLEAR

"THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NOTHING FOR US HERE"

Joshua braced one hand against the bathroom counter as he ran the razor across his face, the water running in the sink creating continuous background noise. He didn't turn his head when he heard the light knock on the bathroom door but invited, "Come in." He appreciated the knock despite its not being necessary. Expecting it to be Nell, he looked toward the door in the mirror that instead revealed Annabel standing with her arms folded and an expression of discontent corrupting her normally cheerful features. "Hey sis," he greeted, setting the razor down and running his fingers over his jaw to find it smooth. Satisfied that he had battled any stubble for yet another day, Josh turned so that he was facing her and leaned sideways against the counter. "You look so pleased to see me, I'm flattered." He arched an eyebrow at her when she tightened her crossed arms and frowned deeper at him. "No, really. I've never felt more loved." Her lip quivered, though by the look in her eyes he assumed it was more out of frustration than upset. "Josh," she said, sounding unamused. "Don't." He had to hand it to her, she kept the whine out of her voice that he would have expected. "I'm serious."

He considered mocking her in order to continue his messing around but decided against it, knowing that now probably wasn't the best time. Suppressing a sigh, he asked, "About what?" She didn't reply immediately, looking around at the walls and the mirror that reflected her sour demeanour. "Ugh. Can we get out of your bathroom first? It's awkward." He snorted and rolled his eyes but gestured out into his room to confirm that he was fine with doing so. "It's a bathroom, Annabel, it's not going to kill you. Besides, at least I've still got all my clothes on." He smirked at her and she whacked his arm as hard as she possibly could, which wasn't that hard considering she was smaller and lighter than he was. "Ew, Josh!" He laughed and shoved her playfully, causing her to glare at him like he'd just committed some unforgivable offence. Huffing, she rolled her eyes and tossed her blonde hair. "Maybe I don't want to talk to you, then. Forget it." Realising he'd gone too far, Joshua relaxed his teasing and caught her arm lightly. "Alright, alright, I'm sorry. What's on your mind?" She shook him off and looked like she might leave anyway so he said, "Seriously, Belle, this is your last chance. The plane leaves in—"

"That's it!" she burst out, stunning him into silence and causing him to blink at her in surprised confusion. An angry noise rising in her throat, she smacked her closed fist against her thigh. "The plane, Josh! That's what's on my mind." He didn't say anything, waiting for her to continue. He was a little unsure as to where this was going and so he figured he would let his sister vent off whatever steam it was she had built up in her small frame before he had to go downstairs and meet up with his fiancée. He hoped Nell couldn't hear the yelling from wherever she was in the house but concluded she probably couldn't. The walls were well insulated and sound didn't carry well even between rooms that were right next to one another, at least not those that had doors. "Why can't I come with you? I never get to go anywhere." Joshua could not help his immediate and rather snarky response of, "That's bullshit, Belle. Mum and Dad have taken us loads of places." She remained looking indignant as she muttered, "Not Spain." He worked his jaw and clenched his own hand slowly, fighting against his temper. "Nell is my fiancée, Annabel. I'm doing this for her, not you. You can't even speak Spanish." He felt a tug of guilt at her expression but stood firm. The fuck didn't she say anything before? he thought in frustration.

His sister opened her mouth to argue further and Joshua gave a sharp shake of his head. "That's enough. Mum'll be here to pick you up within the next half hour and I'll see you when I get back, alright?" When he went to give her a hug she shoved him and left the room, causing the Fire graduate to sigh and run a hand through his hair. She'll get over it. He hoped so, anyway. He'd have preferred parting on better terms but he knew he didn't have the luxury of staying behind to calm her down. They'd need to leave any minute now. He packed the last few essentials, tested the locks and zippers on everything to make sure it they were safely sealed, then headed downstairs and found Nell in the living room. He smiled and kissed her when he drew close, lingering and resting a hand against her waist. "Ready to go?" he asked when he pulled away. He heard the faint slam of a door from upstairs and chewed the inside of his lip. "She's not taking this too well," he said, shaking his head slowly. She's not ruining this for me. "It'll be alright, though. I'm sure my parents have something planned." He would have preferred to wait around and make sure Trish picked Annabel up alright but he knew this would be taking risks. "Anything you need to grab before we head out?" He was quite excited about this trip, even if Annabel wasn't.

SHE SWAM OUT OF TONIGHT'S PHANTASM

* grabbed my hand ,

& MADE IT VERY CLEAR

"THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NOTHING FOR US HERE"

He laughed when she mentioned a fanny pack, shaking his head with amusement. He had a strange and reluctant respect for Nell's father thanks to his help in certain situations, though of course the memory of the second abandonment made him a little bitter toward the man. He'd nearly lost Nell during that time and he didn't have any familial attachments that would soften his anger if that had happened. They were past that now, though, and so he felt nothing other than his amusement. "Please, Nell, I am a walking poncho." He grinned at her and figured she'd know what he meant by that. Raincoats and any sort of equivalent (umbrellas, ponchos, anything to shield from rain) irritated him. Jackets and heavy clothing irritated him. It was all part of being a Fire elemental. He'd need to be careful with his powers when in front of the Spanish mortals of course but in that case he'd suffer a little rain rather than taking extra precautions. "Passport and license, yes. I always keep the important things on me." He carried his details around with him in case something came up for which they were needed. It was always better than making a trip back to his house to fetch them. "Mm, yeah, I was meaning to ask about those. Good thing you saved me the trouble!" He'd been to Europe before and so understood their necessity.

The fact that Nell had packed food did not surprise him in the least. He would have been more surprised to find her having forgot to do so and so Joshua nodded. "We've got a hell of a drive waiting for us," he said. It was the only thing about the trip that he wasn't too thrilled about. It would take over half a day's straight driving to get to the Vancouver airport and that was if they made good time, which was the precise reason he didn't want to waste any time on comforting his sister and making sure Patricia showed up soon. He loved his sister but he was going to have to place his trust in his mother. "I've paid the staff to take care of the pets while we're gone and make sure the house stays in order. I've also given them my cellphone number so they can call if anything comes up." His parents had offered to watch the cats but he figured it was best to take the stress off of them. They still had lives and jobs despite having moved—it wasn't a retirement they'd gone into, just a smaller place of residence. It was still large enough to accommodate all the animals (if Nell's apartment could, anything was possible) but he'd turned down the offer. He trusted the house staff. "Is there anything specific you want to tell them for Pablo? We could leave a note or something." He'd instructed them to take special care around Apache thanks to the cat's blindness and he'd told them to only use the pet food that was already in the house but he didn't know if Nell had other things to add.

Confident that their business was in order, he smiled and then grinned. "I can hardly wait." Joshua offered to drive since he'd looked up how to get to the airport and knew the best routes to take, not nearly as challenged with directions as Nell was. He didn't trust the internet for directions as much as some and so he'd cross-referenced several sources to be sure that he knew where he was going. Apart from his excitement for all the culture and history in Spain, Joshua was also excited because this symbolised a sort of freedom for Nell. She could get across the border now without having to lie about herself, about who she was. They could live without fear of someone finding out. That was part of the reason he'd arranged this whole thing to begin with. When they were on the road, in order to pass some time, Josh started conversation. "So what'll we do once we get there? I'm assuming we'll need to stop in at your great grandfather's, yeah?" He was looking forward to meeting the man, even if he did have the normal apprehension that came with meeting your partner's relatives—especially since the two he had met weren't very fond. Jane had nearly taken him out and Leon had not tried to disguise his displeasure. "Anything you want to check out first, after we do that?"

[Did research on driving times/airports and shit >.> You can decide what city in Spain they're flying to~]

SHE SWAM OUT OF TONIGHT'S PHANTASM

* grabbed my hand ,

& MADE IT VERY CLEAR

"THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NOTHING FOR US HERE"

Joshua did not think much about why she wanted to stop, deciding to ask her rather than agreeing to it and spending the rest of the time speculating. "Mm? What for?" His tone was light and didn't suggest that he was going to argue with her on the subject. He wouldn't mind stopping himself, whether it be for a meal at a roadside diner or to take a break from driving. He loved cars and he loved being on the road but even Josh got bored of nothing but roads for sixteen hours straight. He couldn't indulge in the past-time of staring out the window and watching scenery fly by, either, because he had to watch the road ahead. That was okay with him. He was excited enough for their trip to Spain that he was not going to raise any complaints. "We can stop, though, yeah. As long as it's not for too long—wouldn't want to miss our flight!" They could always try and get the next one but he'd much have preferred getting on the plane and leaving rather than waiting around the airport for hours or longer until the next flight to Spain was available. There was no better way to ruin a trip than cutting your time short. He almost wished they could have spent the entire summer in Spain in order to have more time to sight-see and experience the culture but he'd known in advance that they did not have that much freedom. Both worked, after all. Securing a week off could often be a pain in the backside.

He was entirely oblivious to how strange she found things that to Josh were completely normal. He'd grown up in the lap of luxury and was used to having things that most people did not. He also didn't think that Nell might be a little overwhelmed by all of it. Perhaps he should have been more sensitive to their different situations and personalities but he was not the type that often gave much thought to these things. "Sucks that we missed the running," he mused when Nell mentioned it. He didn't know whether they would have actually participated if they'd gone in time for it but he definitely would have watched something like that. Some cried that it was animal cruelty but he was not an activist. Vegetarian, yes, but that didn't mean he was going to start chaining himself to trees to save forests or participating in protests. "Arm wrestling, huh? Sounds like a real gentleman." He was kidding, though, and smiling as he said it. Arm wrestling was actually pretty fun if your opponent didn't take it so seriously that they stormed off in a huff if they lost or rubbed it in your face for hours if they didn't. He found that it was like that a lot at bars and so stuck mostly to playing pool or the odd game of poker if he wasn't too drunk to keep a neutral expression. "I'm looking forward to meeting him, too. I just hope he doesn't dislike me." He kept his tone light but there was a subtle hint of actual concern lurking in it. That would cause problems.

He nodded when she mentioned a bullfight and museums, having no protest to either of these things. In fact, he looked forward to them as well. "Same here. Especially the museums. Spain has some great art museums that I want to poke around." Hell, the pair of them had named their cats Pablo and Picasso. He was also excited for the bullfight despite the fact that it might be a little cruel. Such was life, it happened. It was an important part of Spanish culture and he wasn't going to miss out on something like that. "Do you know a good bull ring? I know some of them aren't in operation any more, but I'm sure we'll find one." Josh thought about it when Nell turned the question around to him. He couldn't be as excited about the food-tasting as she was thanks to his diet but he definitely wanted to try some of the things that were safe for his consumption. This wasn't important enough to mention (in his eyes) though, so he said, "Well I know I want to see Ronda, if we get the chance," he mused, remembering a picture he'd came across once. It had fascinated him and he definitely wanted to experience the sights. Mountains and cliffs were a part of his life growing up, they were home, so they fascinated him in other places. "Barcelona, definitely, it's architecture is supposed to be amazing. Maybe Granada or Seville. I've always wanted to visit the Alhambra. We could take a tour or something." It had been mentioned in some of the history books he owned and so, naturally, Josh felt drawn to it. "There so much to do. We might have to go back next year, too!" He grinned, more serious than he might have sounded.

SHE SWAM OUT OF TONIGHT'S PHANTASM

* grabbed my hand ,

& MADE IT VERY CLEAR

"THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NOTHING FOR US HERE"

He wondered if her worry about staying in the car had anything to do with her claustrophobia or whether it was something else, though he did not ask. There was no reason to interrogate her when he already knew that he was going to agree to most anything she asked. Joshua never liked to force Nell into doing things she did not want and if staying in the car for long periods of time was one of those things, it would be no exception. "No problem," he assured her. "Besides, it'll be nice to take a little break from driving every now and then." Though largely pessimistic about some things, Josh was certainly capable of seeing bright sides. He wasn't a difficult guy when it came to cooperation with his friends and loved ones—rather, his difficulties arose when he did not like someone or felt uncomfortable with his situation. His gray eyes were amused as he said seamlessly, "But when he does, I bet he breaks the bottle over his forehead like a man." Giving up the façade for a slight scoff, he said, "Can you imagine how much that would hurt?" He was good at the little party trick of opening the bottle by breaking the top off on the side of a table but his forehead was another matter entirely. At the mention of soccer he laughed. "Well that's me fucked, then." He realised that Nell didn't know he actually could play soccer, though not very well, but didn't point it out because he'd been messing around as usual.

He smiled, nodding. "I know where it is, I've seen a map. It's a vacation, we're meant to see as much as we can." Joshua loved vacationing, mainly because it was one waste of time that was worthwhile. Sitting around and watching television made him antsy for he was learning very little and not doing anything productive. Travelling wasn't the most productive thing in the world but at least you could learn about different cultures and experience the sights when you were journeying around. "We'll have the entire week. Still not enough to do everything that I'd like but it'll still give us time." His thoughts went to Annabel for a moment and he realised that she'd be stuck at home with his parents while he was taking trips around the ruins and practising his Spanish in interactions with the locals. He wasn't half bad at it thanks to Nell and he wondered if she'd fare well in Quebec or even France. Canadian French was a little different than the actual language but he figured there were enough similarities that he could comfortably survive in either place. I'd like to see France, he thought. He'd been to Quebec before. "That's true," he concluded of the tour. "I've heard it's difficult to get tickets in the summer, though. Shall I try and book some when we take a break from driving?" He wouldn't mind placing his trust in the locals to show them around. He wasn't too paranoid about travelling in foreign countries—in fact, a little more caution might have done him good, but he didn't have any bad experiences to worry him.

Unfortunately for Nell, Joshua both acknowledged and decided to comment on her wants. "Really? What kinds of places?" He did not realise how difficult it was for Nell to talk about herself, especially because he found her so interesting. He liked to hear about her desires and interests a lot more than he liked talking about his own, though Joshua had no problem in sharing his dreams with her. He was not an open person but there were barely any walls between them. She'd found her way past the nearly impenetrable fortress that was his mind. "We should go on trips like this every year," he said. "Maybe in the winter, too. We could go somewhere warm and get away from the snow for a while." He was entirely serious and both his tone and demeanour suggested this, despite the fact that his gaze was fixed firmly on the road ahead. "There are loads of places I want to see. It almost feels like I wouldn't be able to if I tried." Sometimes he fantasized about taking the entire summer off and going on a round-trip to experience the world. He shrugged. "I will try, though."

[Can I just lol over the fact that her favourite animal is a bull and Josh's star sign is Taurus?]

SHE SWAM OUT OF TONIGHT'S PHANTASM

* grabbed my hand ,

& MADE IT VERY CLEAR

"THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NOTHING FOR US HERE"

Joshua would have placed his hand over his heart if they hadn't been on the wheel in order to mock offence, though he did his best in allowing his tone to convey his falsified emotions. "Was that a disguised jab at my masculinity, Ms. Shepherd? I find I'm quite offended." They worked so seamlessly and easily off one another. It was a comfortable co-existence, one which Joshua thrived upon and respected. He had subtle connections with all of his friends but none were as profound as this. Nell knew him better than they did and vice versa, so they were able to predict how the other might react and take confidence in the fact that jokes would be understood as such. He vaguely recalled a time when he had been unable to joke with her at all but that was far behind them now. "I'll go with the car." He trusted the Spanish locals but he wasn't sure he'd be comfortable relying on hitch-hiking. Not only was he so proud that he hated relying solely on others to get where he needed to go, he also didn't want any danger. There was a thin line between trusting the natives and trusting too much. He was determined not to cross it. He wondered what Nell thought of hitch-hiking and whether she knew of all the horror stories but didn't ask.

"I'd like to see the Kinderdijk windmills in Holland," he said. "Maybe Easter Island or the Amazon rainforests." Some time later, Josh pulled into a roadside stop to fill up on gas, then parking outside of the diner and going inside. Free wi-fi had been very welcome for what he needed to do. His fingers tapped steadily on the keys and he was able to book the tickets without too much of a hassle. Without looking up from the computer screen, he gave Nell the thumbs up and finalized everything, then closed his laptop and flagged one of the waitresses down so that he could order something to drink. He made sure to stop whenever Nell requested it and they still managed to make good time to the airport, boarding their flight without many difficulties. He had almost no problem with flying compared to boats and so he was entirely relaxed as he conversed with Nell. When she went silent to read her material he pulled out a book of his own and indulged. He slept for a few hours as well, since he'd been awake for ages and knew he'd need at least some energy to keep himself going. He found himself glancing with interest around the airport, proud to find he could understand what snatches of conversation he heard. There were some words unfamiliar to him but he had a strong enough grasp on the language that he could get the gist of most things.

He smiled and gave her a light-hearted salute when she left the car up to him. He left Nell's company for a while in order to go pick up the car and called his own family before heading back, wanting them to know he'd touched down safely. He greeted his mother in Spanish when she picked up the phone and they shared a laugh for a moment before she said, "Was your flight okay?" He told her that it was, and they exchanged some other pleasantries in light tones. He learned that his father was not at home and so he couldn't come to the phone. Annabel did, however, almost shyly apologising for her attitude. He smiled, though she couldn't see him. "Don't worry about it, Belle. I'm not upset." He had to cut the call short so that Nell was not left wondering where he'd gotten to but he promised that he would call her when he next had some free time. Joshua yawned as he rejoined the company of his fiancée, nodding. "There's nothing we need to do before we head over, right?" He wasn't sure if there was anything Nell wanted to take care of first. He was ready to go, though he was a patient guy and wouldn't mind a delay. Fuck, I'm tired, though. It would pass. He would invest in something heavily caffienated at first chance.

SHE SWAM OUT OF TONIGHT'S PHANTASM

* grabbed my hand ,

& MADE IT VERY CLEAR

"THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NOTHING FOR US HERE"

Joshua tilted his head toward the sun, the Fire elemental allowing its warm rays to seep through him and fill him with a feeling of energy, vitality. He loved the warmth. He liked the rain in spring, the heat in summer, the colours in autumn, and almost nothing about the winter. It was snowy, it was cold, and he'd take this heat before it any day of the week. He took a moment to admire the verdant scenery around the home as he pulled into the driveway, allowing Nell to take the lead as they approached the house. It was her relative they were visiting and so it only made sense. He was not entirely sure what he was expecting to see when the door opened, didn't really have an appearance in mind when he thought of the man. He was mostly worried about his reception, seeing as he'd gotten a less-than-great one thus far with Nell's family. Though large and grandeur homes were not strange to him, Josh still found himself admiring the taste of the man who lived in this one when he stepped inside. He nodded in agreement when Nell commented on the home, though he did not add in his own remarks. He didn't want to interrupt their greeting, though he found himself immensely relieved by how friendly Juanvi really seemed to be. Why couldn't her whole family be like this? he wondered, the thought almost amusing him.

He was surprised when the man greeted him just as warmly as he had Nell, though Josh was good at hiding such things and so he merely responded with a smile. "It's good to meet you as well," he replied, hoping that the sincerity of the statement shone through in his tone. It was nice to meet a family member of Nell's that didn't want him out of her life or otherwise threatened. The hand on his arm was certainly not the lightest sensation but it was nothing too uncomfortable and so he did not have any reaction to it. "We're all well, thank you." It was strange to be asked seemingly genuine questions about his well-being from someone he'd been quite worried was going to hate him. He now realised why Nell hadn't seemed too concerned about it. "Yourself?" He was relieved that the man did speak some English, even if it wasn't entirely perfect, because while he knew good Spanish it was easier to understand his own native tongue. He laughed and nodded in agreement when the man mentioned the flight, remembering exactly how long it had felt. "It was definitely long, though I didn't mind it too much." He was patient, and catching up on a little bit of sleep had been a bonus.

He noticed Nell glancing at him when her great grandfather offered a meal, dipping his head. "I'm alright with staying a while if you are." If Nell was impatient to get out into the streets of Spain he would not be the one to hold her back but he was hungry from the long flight and definitely wouldn't say no to any sort of beverage that could sate his thirst. He'd gotten tickets of the best available class for comfort and so it had not been a bad flight but that didn't rule out hunger. He preferred real meals to those served aboard planes. "Besides, we could surely use the energy, right?" Not that Nell ever seemed particularly low on that but even she was a human being with a limit. Food would give them extra energy to burn and allow them to stay up longer, stay out later, approach everything they were doing with total vigour. Joshua found that he felt relaxed around Juanvi and didn't feel unwelcome in the house, something that was of further relief to him. He gave Nell a soft smile and a nod to convey this to her, hoping that she knew what he meant.

SHE SWAM OUT OF TONIGHT'S PHANTASM

* grabbed my hand ,

& MADE IT VERY CLEAR

"THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NOTHING FOR US HERE"

Joshua decided that he definitely liked this man. He seemed to radiate friendliness compared to the other relatives of Nell's he'd met and the feeling of being welcomed put him at ease quite quickly. It was amusing to think that Juanvi preferred boats when Joshua would sooner skydive to his location but he kept this to himself. His fear of water wasn't a particularly bizarre one but he still refrained from making it known if necessary. At least he didn't get seasick, which would be a double kick to the gut every time he was forced to board a boat. Motion sickness had never been something Joshua was plagued with and he considered himself lucky. It was common. He shook his head and grinned when the man mentioned wanting to get away. "It's been a long trip and it's pleasant here. I don't mind staying a while." He laughed at Nell's response and also made note of his own absence from the warnings. At least that's a good thing. He and Leon had never seen eye to eye on things but it relieved him to know that Nell's great grandfather was not harbouring any prejudice. Definitely liked him. It was interesting to see him and Nell talking so easily. She deserved good family members. Her father was better than Jane at least but Josh found it hard to forget how close he'd come to losing her.

He was glad for his rigid upbringing and how his parents had instructed him about good manners, never wanting to be that guest in someone's home. The one that treated it like a cheap hotel room and had the place trashed by morning. He was never the sort to disrespect someone's property and he sat beside Nell, taking in the floor to ceiling windows and being reminded of his own kitchen back home. Was it a common thing in mansions? He liked it. Joshua was fond of any place where the light could pour in from outside, the sun lighting the way like electricity could not. "Anywhere and everywhere," he replied, glancing to Nell when she also responded. "Would you really go to Portugal?" he wondered, sounding genuinely interested. Heck, he'd hop across all the borders and travel the world if they had enough time. Vacations were wonderful. "You rib me for wanting to see Ronda and yet you're all geared up to enter another country?" He was smiling, though, grinning actually, and he poked her gently in the ribs when he spoke, a teasing gesture of accusation. He really didn't mind where they went. This was going to be fun. That was all he cared about—that Nell had a good time and that he did, too.

He'd been caught up in the introductions and had completely forgotten that Juanvi wouldn't know about his diet, so he chuckled when the older man announced that he was psychic. He thanked him in Spanish and took some of the cheese and bread, savouring it. He liked most foods as long as they were not meats and so any range of cheeses and breads tasted good to him. The salt of the olives provided a nice after taste. "I definitely want to see some of the art museums," he told her, having known this the moment he considered the idea of them going to Spain. He was thinking in particular about the Golden Triangle of Art, the three museums in close proximity that he'd heard about. He was alright with going anywhere, however, and he said this a moment later with, "I like all museums, though." He waved a hand with an easy smile. Historical museums were of course his favourites, being a History nut, but that was a given. He was okay with letting Nell decide where they could go first seeing as he was in a relaxed and compliant mood.