pictures of you * [Joshua]

Joshua's expression was intense and full of concentration as his gray eyes scanned the pages of the book, soaking in the information like a sponge. He loved to learn new things and expand his knowledge, loved to read about history and science and and culture, anything he could get his hands on, really. He'd never been much of a fiction lover but he'd read that too, provided there was nothing else. He was currently studying up for an essay subject he'd chosen in his history major. It was an opinion based one—those were his favourites. He liked being able to argue his point reasonably through the written word rather than a verbal spat. Joshua was not fond of yelling or bickering. He could handle a casual debate as long as it was casual but others tended to get too intense for his liking. He was not as opinionated as one might assume. He liked to keep to himself and believe what he would. Did it really matter if others thought he was incorrect? Not to Joshua. He flipped the page, too absorbed in his reading to notice the approach of another.

That is, until Ravi announced his presence by flopping down into the chair across from him. Libraries were quiet silent and the sudden noise caused him to glance up. A flicker of annoyance fluttered through his gaze as his concentration was broken but it calmed the moment he recognised the intruder as a friend. "Hello, Ravi," he said pleasantly enough. He might not have sounded the most amiable or approachable but he was fond of the Wind elemental and so did not sound hostile, either. Many underestimated his capacity to be a good and loyal friend. He'd known the other boy for a while despite their quiet personalities taking their sweet time to kick things off. He considered him a friend. They were not as close as he was to, say, Devin or Ace (and certainly not as close as him and Nell), but it was enough that he felt comfortable, relaxed in his presence. "Fine," he responded with a shrug. Though his default answer to that question no matter his mood, he was telling the truth this time. "I was just studying for class. You?"

Ravi's smiling was a bit unsettling to Josh but he didn't bother questioning it. Just because he didn't look like that often didn't mean it wasn't possible to break a grin every once and a while, right? Even Josh could be convinced to expression his cheerfulness in the company of the right people. He had not smiled yet since his friend had approached but his expression could not be called fierce. It was neutral, default, stoic. Waited? Random? What is he on about? Josh was too polite to interrupt with his questions and so simply decided to wait and see if Ravindra would explain things himself. Which he did, a moment later. "Early? No kidding—my birthday isn't until the end of April." He sounded mildly amused but didn't otherwise protest, looking interested. He had been more focused on his friend than on the sketchbook until Ravi brought his attention to it by ripping something out of it. Joshua blinked slowly as something was slid across the table to him, silently pulling it over to his side once it was close enough. What's this, I wonder?

His gray eyes were unreadable for a long moment as he took the sketch into his hands and examined it carefully. It was undoubtedly of Nell, for Ravi was no amateur artist and Joshua had always had a quiet admiration for his work. He'd never been particularly attracted to the arts as much as his friend but he did still harbour an appreciation for them. He could play the guitar and even a little piano but he'd never been into acting, sketching, that sort of thing. He quite enjoyed writing but only because he did it so much for the sake of his essays. "You're skilled," he said, voicing his opinion. Then he looked up. "Though I do hope you weren't admiring my fiancée from afar." Dark brows arched up in challenge. He briefly acknowledged that he'd never told Ravi about their engagement—well, now he knows—and then his lips twitched into the slightest hint of a smile. "Don't worry," he assured him, "I don't think you would do that. Rest assured, though, that if you ever do, I'm going to have to hurt you." The smile faded but the amusement remained in his gray gaze, betraying the fact that his mood was lighter than his words. He trusted his friend and had only been pulling his leg. "Thank you," he added in acknowledgement. He didn't have a lot of friends and he appreciated things like this.

Joshua shook his head and gave a quiet wave of his hand. Though he did not speak, he did not mind Ravindra's presence at his table. Joshua, too, hated it when people interrupted his quiet and solitude—he came to the library to accomplish things, not to hold conversations. However, he'd never known the Wind student to be an annoyance in the library and so did not object to the company. Nevertheless, he appreciated the polite gesture of asking. Some would just assume themselves welcomed and sit down without further ado, making it a little harder to get rid of them than if they actually gave the option. Not that Josh was opposed to being rude, though, for he did not have much of a filter. Had he disliked the idea of Ravi being anywhere near him while he studied, the Fire graduate would have told him so. Even though they got along, it did not allow him a safe pass from Josh's opinion.

A quiet smile touched his lips as Ravi reacted with more enthusiasm than he had expected, attracting the attention of several people in the process—Joshua's gray gaze flicked toward the others in the library and then back to his friend, deciding it wasn't worth it to glare and be snide about things. Ravi had said his name a little loudly, after all, so it was only justified. "Yes?" His tone was quiet and teasing of tone. The smile was more akin to a smirk as seconds passed, the Fire graduate unable to hide his amusement. He found a certain joy from telling people about the engagement in various manners, getting a kick out of their individual reactions. He dipped his head when the Wind asked for confirmation. I'd be a bit of a dick to joke about that, wouldn't I? He contemplated that thought for a moment. Well, perhaps not if he only messed around with his friends. To pull a trick on his family or worse, Nell herself, would be a little different. His mother had been upset with him for waiting to tell her and Josh could only imagine how that upset might have been increased had it all been a careful sham. Plus, that ring didn't come cheap. Thankfully he was not short on cash for though he knew Nell probably didn't care how much money went into it, the ring had been a pricey investment.

"Thank you." He delighted in the fact that most people did not seem to care about their young age or doubt their affections for one another. He cared deeply for Nell and it frustrated him when that was not recognised or accepted by others. Like Lovejoy. The mere thought of the Water graduate made his blood boil and he pushed it from his mind. "Not long," he replied. "It's only been a few weeks." He'd not bothered to call everyone he knew up and inform them of the engagement but he did tell his friends when he met them in passing. It was an important thing in his life and he trusted them with the information. Trust was a big thing to Josh. If you extended your trust to him, he'd respect it, and he would probably learn to trust you in return. He did not tell those he trusted about his personal matters but he was more relaxed around them as a whole.

He went back to his studies for a short while after that, seeing as they were both there for the same reason and there was no point in putting it off. He was comfortable with the silence and did not find it awkward. At the end of a chapter, he glanced upward and said amiably, "So what are you studying for?" His questioning tone was soft but audible. Spending most of his time in libraries and other quiet places (such as classes), it was no problem for him to keep his tone level and light. He was not at an angle where he could properly read the title of the material and wasn't about to crane his neck in order to get a better look. Asking was a lot more practical. Ravi was a friend and Josh was not meek or bashful to begin with. In fact, he was quite the opposite. It had not always been that way but the days of his youth were long behind him. They were not days upon which he often reminisced.