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Joshua comes into Milliways early in the morning, has some breakfast, and then plays a video game on his phone. There are yet again plants and zombies involved.

Eventually, he gets up, goes for a run around the lake a few times, comes back in, and has some lunch.

After lunch, he paces around for a while, muttering to himself, and then pulls out his laptop for a vaguely generic fantasy-world-based video game.

He probably could use a distraction during any of his wanderings today.

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"You seem a little restless", Ichabod observes, half-amused, half-concerned (and side-eyeing the laptop). "Is all well?"

"Yeah, technically things are fine." Joshua pauses his game and looks up. "I'm just being given a fairly prominant science award tomorrow, and I'm hella nervous."

"Ahhh." Finally, something he understands. "You must accept it as a formal presentation?"

"Yeah. It's a hugely formal thing being presented by the King of Sweden." He wrinkles his nose. "I... I'm not used to talking to that powerful of people. I'm kinda from the middle of nowhere." A pause. "And then there's a formal banquet which I have no freaking clue what to do with."

"Now, that I might be able to help you with. Banqueting etiquette is really not very complex. And remember that those powerful people are as human as you are." Beat. "On the assumption that you are in fact human."

"Oh, I'm definitely human. My world might be strange as hell, but as far as I know, we don't have any non-human races." He sighs. "I... well, I've pretty much decided to just keep my mouth shut and watch what's going on with other people, but a bit of help wouldn't go amiss."

"That is, generally, a safe strategy", he agrees, "but I can give you some advice. Presumably there will be several courses?"

"I would assume so. I looked up last year's menu, and it was like... five or so courses some of which I'd never heard of."

Boy's from the midwest. Give him a break.

"The first thing to remember is that cutlery is to be used from the outside in, and will have been laid out accordingly, so that the right implement is in place for the right type of dish."

"Outside in. I can handle that. I just have to remember to use different forks and shit." He sighs. "We never really had much in the way of cutlery when I was growing up. Just... one set."

They weren't crude, the Donovans, just apathetic toward social graces.

"You should not have to really make any decision on which to use, if they have set the table properly and you follow that simple rule. Generally, for family meals, one or two is all that is required."

Joshua runs a hand through his hair. "Yeah. I hope I can keep things in my head."

He pauses. "Sorry, I'm really kinda overwhelmed by this and probably come off as an utter dumbass."

"Not at all", Ichabod says easily. "Being unaccustomed to formal dining has no reflection on your intelligence - and after all, you did win a science award."

David makes note of Joshua's wandering, in between reading bits of Helena's manuscript.
Eventually, he takes the manuscript up to his room (wouldn't do for Joshua to see it before time, after all) and heads for the table Joshua's settled at for the moment. "Nerves getting the best of you, I take it?"

"Yeah. I just... Helena thinks I'm going to be just fine, but I'm so totally not sure. I just... I have to get this thing from the King of Sweden. There aren't actually any kings in South Dakota. I mean, hell. Helena's met Victoria and who the hell knows who else. I... well, I met the governor once."

David doesn't quite roll his eyes. "I'm sure this won't be your last brush with important people. And all things considered, this is a rather low-pressure event. You're not attempting to settle an international incident or briefing someone on earth-shattering events. You're simply being acknowledged for your hard work."
(What he doesn't mention is this won't be Joshua's first brush with important people. If Mr. Kosan hasn't seen fit to mention it yet, David won't ruin his fun.)

Joshua actually looks rather horrified. "Why the shit would I be trying to settle an international incident? I couldn't do that." A pause. "I guess I could see my way to briefing someone, but... argh."

He sighs. "I guess if I have to meet important people, I'd rather it be for what I'm mostly more confident about." Frankly, he'd rather it be for science than leadership abilities or lack thereof.

"I certainly don't know. Presumably there would be an Artifact involved." Really, Joshua. David's not psychic, simply making educated guesses based on what the Regents get up to.
"There you are, then. You get to start with something you know well and build your confidence on the rest of it."

Joshua shakes his head. "Sorry, David. I didn't mean to push you. I'm just ranting."

He shakes his head and eyes his laptop's screen. "I wish I could just... not go, but Helena's threatened me with my boss if I don't, so I kinda have to."

"Quite all right. It happens to the best of us. And don't let Helena fool you on that one - she was terribly nervous before Time Machine was published." Yes, there had been short stories, and they'd gone over quite well. But she kept insisting that wasn't the same thing.
"I'm sure you'll be just fine once you get there. This is, after all, about something you know, rather than completely unfamiliar territory. I'd imagine the general proceedings are widely available, so even for the bits you don't know, you can go in with some idea of the shape of it."

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