"Yeah, it is," Joel says, looking up at Davin with a small smile. "I've only ever really done this with my mother." And with Spencer, but that had resulted in a very different end than it ever will with anyone else and it's one of those things Joel very much likes to keep to himself. It isn't as if he's particularly open about his private life with Spencer for the most part, but that day, that first time, that's only for them. It's something special, something meaningful, and Joel holds onto it close to his heart.

Reaching for the salt, he dumps some into the mixture he's made and swirls it together carefully. It has to sit for awhile, the herbs need to soak up the water, and once it's a little thicker he'll rub it against Davin's front door. For now, though, he takes a compass out of the pocket, then walks around the apartment, putting the candles at the four points.

"I liked her, too," he says once he's seated again, his hands wrapped around his mug. "I was sort of panicked and probably wasn't the best conversationalist, but I did really like speaking with her. She's very matter-of-fact. It helped calm me down." And it made it easier for him to do the things that needed to be done.