Post by Eden Morgan on Sept 26, 2014 20:55:16 GMT -5
In the land of gods and monsters,
I was an angel living in the garden of evil,
Screwed up, scared, doing anything that I needed,
Shining like a fiery beacon.
I was an angel living in the garden of evil,
Screwed up, scared, doing anything that I needed,
Shining like a fiery beacon.
Cartwright: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to a special edition of 'Eden the Odds', and your host for the evening, Pepper Phoenix!
Pepper Phoenix steps out in front of the cameras as Fall Out Boy's “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark” plays out over the speakers, the live audience applauding politely for the woman they recognize from being on the show before. She nods her head, pushing her glasses up her nose and smiling in appreciation at her welcome. Once the song cuts out and the noise dies down, she speaks, her voice ringing loud and clear.
Pepper: Thank you, Rob! This is indeed a special evening. As all of you out there are aware, Eden Morgan was recently named the CEO of the Piercing Media Network, a surprise move revealed by the former CEO, Travis Pierce himself.
Applause, cheers, and whistles again sound, Pepper waiting patiently for the quiet to resume.
Pepper: And now, a young woman who was already on the radar for many 'in the know', has suddenly and almost overnight shot up the charts in the popular interests. Search engines have been trending regularly with topics like 'Eden Morgan', 'UGWC's Sweetheart', 'Piercing Media Network', 'Eden and Travis'. Of course, there have been other searches involving this remarkable young woman, but in the interest of keeping the show appropriate, we'll refrain from naming them.
A chuckle runs through the crowd, Pepper smiling broadly.
Pepper: We at the Piercing Media Network have heard you. We know what you want, and we give it to you. We know you have questions, and we will happily and proudly supply the answers you seek. And so it is my pleasure to welcome Eden Morgan!
Eden's music starts to play again as the cheers, catcalls, and whistles mix with the suddenly thunderous applause as Eden walks out, her red-lipsticked mouth turned up in an excited smile, her dark hair curling wildly about her shoulders and upper arms. She wears a well-tailored dark blue suit, her black heels with their red underbelly clicking loudly as she moves across the stage, waving to those in attendance. She and Pepper clasp hands, kissing each other on either cheek and then moving apart as Pepper takes her seat behind the desk, Eden seating herself easily on the couch. Pepper whispers something to her not picked up by the mics as Eden reaches over, attaching a small mic to the collar of her jacket.
Eden: Wow. That was quite a welcome, thank you so much!
Random person in the crowd: We love you, Edie!
Eden laughs and playfully blows a kiss, the crowd erupting briefly before quieting down. Pepper shakes her head.
Pepper: They really do adore you, Eden. It's amazing to see a fan base who is so dedicated and loyal, but yours is. Jumping right into questions here, why do you think that's the case.
Eden shrugs, giving an awkward half-smile.
Eden: I guess I'm just lucky. But really, I think a lot of it is that... everyone's followed my journey in UGWC. That's the only promotion I've ever been in and this past year and a half, this has been me, from start until now. These fans, anyone who watches, they've seen me at the top of my game and at the lowest of lows; they've seen me make mistakes, and I've made quite a few of those.
She laughs, Pepper smiling briefly.
Pepper: But you're still relatively new to the game, at least compared to the other roster members, and especially compared to the other members of PMN. The success and notoriety you've achieved in this short time is staggering.
Eden tucks a strand of hair behind an ear, almost self-consciously.
Eden: I don't really think of it that way. I mean yeah, at first this was all fun and games, I was so excited just to be mentioned with some of these guys, people I grew up hearing about or seeing on TV. I thought it was all glitz and glam and... I was really just starstruck and in awe that this was all happening to me.
Pepper: And then you won that first Massive Melee. Would you say that was a surprise?
Eden gives a short, sharp laugh.
Eden: I'd say so. I'm not sure who it was more of a surprise for: the fans, the rest of the roster, or myself.
Pepper: Well, you showed them all pretty quickly that you were no one to be trifled with, and you weren't some flash-in-the-pan kid who somehow managed to get lucky and win a title shot. You were the one who ended Jet Somers last title reign.
Eden nods, her expression more serious.
Eden: I was.
Pepper: Moving quickly forward from the past, and I'm sure the fans will forgive me, but I feel this question needs to be asked: considering what happened the last time you faced Jet Somers for his title, how does he feel about you being a part of the High Rollers' match for Sin City? A match that could possibly award you a shot at the title he lost to you last year?
Eden gives a small smile.
Eden: He's--
You've got that medicine I need,
Fame, liquor, love, give it to me slowly.
Put your hands on my waist, do it softly,
Me and God, we don't get along, so now I see...
Fame, liquor, love, give it to me slowly.
Put your hands on my waist, do it softly,
Me and God, we don't get along, so now I see...
Jet Somers doesn't even turn away from the expansive window in his office as he hears the door open and close behind him, content to watch every last inch of the sun slip below the LA horizon. He hears the gentle clearing of the throat behind him, knows she's standing there, and still can't tear himself away from the glorious sight.
“Jet? You okay?”
Of course she would think something was wrong. It was what her mind jumped to, the very first thing. When had someone who was once so positive become so negative? Jet puzzles over the question buzzing in his mind, trying to suss out the exact moment the change he felt became an actual thing to feel. Shrugging, he turns away, resigning himself to the fact that this would be yet another sunset in LA he wouldn't be able to chase. Eden watches him carefully, bright blue eyes concerned. Jet smiles reassuringly.
“I'm fine, Edie. I was just-- considering.”
Eden frowns.
“Considering... what?”
Jet shakes his head and waves it away, indicating she should have a seat on the couch sitting along the wall, Jet joining her. He stares at her for a long moment, his goofy Opie half-grin on his face. Eden cuts her eyes around, finally breaking into a smile of her own.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
Jet shrugs.
“No real reason. I'm just proud of you. Of all of us, really. Ties into what I was considering, sort of. PMN-- we just feel unstoppable right now. We're not just A force... we're THE force. Puppet Masters won't even survive the year. DMW's gone quiet. What's left? What was here before they came and has only become stronger while they've been here, and stronger still when they're drifting away? PMN. The three of us. We're it. That's something special, Edie.”
“It's incredibly special, Jet. I feel it too. It's a rush.”
Jet holds up a finger as if she's just hit on something.
“Exactly. Anyway, what I wanted to ask you-- what are you and Travis' plans for the match?”
Eden shifts uncomfortably under his assessing gaze.
“We'll... probably just work together, I'm sure.”
“'Probably just work together'... now I know you two have some kind of plan cooked up. You always do. So forgive me if I'm not exactly buying the vagueness of that answer--”
“Jet, are you okay with us doing this? With us putting in for this match, I mean?”
Jet frowns.
“Why wouldn't I be?”
Eden looks away from him.
“Well, I'm just saying, it's not like we had to do it. We could have gone with the tag thing.”
Jet grins.
“You kid yourself if you think Travis is at all okay with sharing you with anyone else. And I mean as a partner. If you two were going to participate at Sin City, High Rollers had to be it. So yes, I'm okay with it. And if it means I'll be facing one of you later for the title, so be it,” Eden looks away, Jet drawing her attention back to him. “If I remember correctly, it was just over a year ago when I welcomed you into this company before the match that saw you defeat me for the title. Do you think your welcome has changed any since then, Edie?”
Eden gives a rueful grin.
“You're right. Sorry. I'm being paranoid, I guess.”
“I hear that comes with power, boss,” Jet teases, Eden rolling her eyes as she gets to her feet.
“Yeah, yeah. Speaking of, I have some paperwork to do. Unless you'd like to do it for me?”
Jet holds up his hands, shaking his head.
“Nope, have fun.” He laughs as Eden swats at him on her way out the door.
“Hey Edie?”
She stops, turning halfway so he can see her profile.
“Yeah?”
“That match... Valhalla Burial... seems like a lifetime ago, doesn't it?”
Eden doesn't respond for a moment and then turns fully away from him, pulling the door open before he hears her response.
“That's because it was.”
No ones gonna take my soul away,
I'm living like Jim Morrison.
Headed towards a fucked up holiday,
Motel sprees, sprees, and I'm singin',
Fuck yeah, give it to me, this is Heaven, what I truly want,
It's innocence lost.
Innocence lost.
I'm living like Jim Morrison.
Headed towards a fucked up holiday,
Motel sprees, sprees, and I'm singin',
Fuck yeah, give it to me, this is Heaven, what I truly want,
It's innocence lost.
Innocence lost.
Eden: – good with it.
Pepper: That's fantastic, and it's amazing that the three of you can have a relationship like that. You can tell you really trust each other.
Eden: Of course we do. We've learned from our mistakes. Trust can't live where lies and secrets do. We're completely open books to each other.
Pepper: Now, when you say you've learned from your mistakes, pardon me for going back into something that is likely painful to you, but I have to ask. What do you consider to be your mistakes?
Eden: This is a short program, Pepper, we don't have all night.
Laughter sounds throughout the audience, Pepper chuckling as well as Eden lifts her glass, taking a sip of the cool water there.
Pepper: Alright, fine. What would you consider to be your 3 biggest mistakes since joining PMN?
Eden remains silent for a moment, considering, finally sighing.
Eden: You have to forgive me for the vagueness of my answer, Pepper, but going into detail on some of these things remains... painful to me. More painful than I would like to get into at the moment, and so I'll just say that my inherent naivete either caused or contributed to each and every misstep I've had in UGWC, regardless of whether I was with PMN or not.
Pepper: And yet many would argue that what you consider to be possibly your worst quality is what most of your fans find so endearing about you.
Eden: Well, let's hope they attach themselves on to a healthier attribute.
Pepper chuckles once more, clearing her throat.
Pepper: Speaking of 'attach', I can't help but notice that you and Travis are joined at the hip lately.
Eden raises an eyebrow.
Eden: Lately?
Pepper: And by lately, I mean for the past few months, so much so that many people suspected the announcement Travis was going to make was going to be an altogether different one. So once and for all-- what's going on with you guys?
Eden blushes lightly.
Eden: Well, I guess you could say we're--
In the land of gods and monsters,
I was an angel, lookin' to get fucked hard.
Like a groupie incognito posing as a real singer,
Life imitates art.
I was an angel, lookin' to get fucked hard.
Like a groupie incognito posing as a real singer,
Life imitates art.
Eden stumbles and slams into the wall, her laugh at her predicament dissolving into a plaintive groan as the ache finally moves up her arm and through her shoulder. She rights herself, trying to shove straight off from the wall and resume her walk to her room, unable to because of a weight against her other arm. She moves her arm against the weight pushing her up against the wall.
“Trav, come on, move!”
He responds with a groan, finally looking up at her, his eyes bleary, obviously having to struggle to focus on her.
“Edie? Edie, wha—what are we doin' here? 'Gainst the wall. Wait-- you like it against the wall?” Travis raises his eyebrows, Eden dissolving into a round of laughter. Travis quickly claps a hand over her mouth, moving his face close to hers.
“Shhhhh! You're gonna wake... everybody. All of em'. The whole hall. And then they'll wanna watch,” he finishes seriously, nodding his head as Eden closes one eye and then the other in an effort to focus herself. She reaches up, pulling his hand away from her face.
“Would you stop it, we're trying to get to the room--”
Travis finally stands up straight, Eden almost sliding down the wall at the suddenness of his movement. She quickly rights herself, taking a step forward, then one back, holding on to the wall in an attempt to 'work things out' with gravity. Travis winks at her lazily.
“One room huh? Well why didn't you say so?” he takes her hand, leading her in a wobbly line down the hallway, Eden almost tripping over her feet to keep up with him.
“With two beds,” she calls out to him, Travis stopping momentarily to draw her closer.
“So we get to fuck two up for the price of one. I love the way you think,” he places a kiss on her forehead, starting off again and suddenly stopping. Eden, shaking her head at his conclusions, walks right into his back, almost knocking him to the floor.
“What are you doing, Travis?!” she almost screams at him, causing Travis to reenact the scene from earlier where he attempted to shush her. Eden again, pries his hand from her face.
“You have got to quit doing that, you're smearing my makeup,” she complains.
“Looks like I already did that,” Travis grins at her, and then turns back to look up and down the hallway as Eden attempts to check her reflection in the glass of a window overlooking Las Vegas, the bright lights completely distracting her from her task.
“Edie... I don't know which room is ours,” Travis mutters, defeated, swaying slightly in one spot. Eden holds up a card between two fingers.
“Probably what ever number is on this card,” she responds, Travis reaching for the card, but she pulls it away. Travis' entire body follows the movement, 'The Icon of Entertainment' slamming into the wall again. He grimaces, righting himself as Eden smiles innocently. He holds out his hand.
“Hand over the card, Edie.”
Eden taps her chin with the card, considering.
“No, I don't think I will. In fact, I think I'll take both beds tonight-- myself. You can just sleep out in the hallway,” she finishes, starting off down the hall, her foot turning sideways in her heels. She wobbles for a moment, then continues on, all hope of dignity lost when the hiccups set in. When she hears Travis coming for her, she moves faster, or tries to, until he crashes into her, the two of them play fighting and wrestling, slamming into various doors and walls, and even breaking a decorative end table with a plant on it at one point as they fight over the card. A door suddenly opens, an austere and grouchy looking fellow standing in the doorway.
“I'm calling security!” he announces, then slams the door shut. Eden and Travis look at each other wide-eyed, both pointing to the other.
“Your fault” they both hiss at each other at the same time. Eden looks over Travis' shoulder, spying the room and quickly ducking around him, room card in hand. Just as she's about to use it, Travis reaches over her shoulder, plucking it from her hand victoriously and swiping it through the slot, a lock receding audibly. He turns the handle, letting himself in and then spinning in the doorway, blocks it. It's unclear whether he does it on purpose or his body just kinda fell that way. Eden stands in front of him, arms crossed.
“Oh, so you're not letting me in now?” she asks, jabbing him in the ribs with a finger. Travis covers himself with a hand, a drunken smile forming on his handsome face.
“Tell me Edie... what do you envision?” he asks, reaching out to play with a lock of her dark hair, twining his fingers in it. Eden's eyes narrow, watching him sharply.
“I don't have a vision anymore, Travis. All I see is what's right in front of me.”
Travis pauses to consider her answer, finally giving up and moving aside with a shake of his head.
“Good enough for me.”
You got that medicine I need,
Dope, shoot it up, straight to the heart please
I don't really wanna know what's good for me
God's dead, I said 'Baby, that's alright with me'.
Dope, shoot it up, straight to the heart please
I don't really wanna know what's good for me
God's dead, I said 'Baby, that's alright with me'.
Eden: – an ongoing process.
Pepper shakes her head.
Pepper: That's not an answer, Eden.
Eden: Alright fine. Maybe I don't want to really say anything about 'us' because just maybe I'm a little nervous considering my track record and I don't want to jinx anything.
Pepper pauses to consider her words before breaking into a smile.
Pepper: Well, that just tells me that there's something to jinx. Just gave yourself away, Eden.
Eden sighs and gives a small smile.
Eden: I guess you got me. Very clever.
Pepper: Always. Now tell me, one last question: how are you preparing for Sin City? I know you and Travis train a lot, but is there anything else you're doing?
Eden: We're learning our opponents. Studying them, you might say. I know that sounds very generic, but it isn't. We both have different experiences with each of these men, barring perhaps Zam, and each experience is unique and provides us with more information and a different viewing.
Pepper: It sounds complicated.
Eden: It isn't, really. A very simple dossier with just their basic information and then he and I discuss what we know and what we can expect from each of them based on the matches we've already had with them. It's all very clean, very professional.
Pepper: Sounds like it.
No one's gonna take my soul away
Living like Jim Morrison.
Headed towards a fucked up holiday,
Motel sprees, sprees, and I'm singin',
Fuck yeah, give it to me, this is Heaven, what I truly want.
Jet turns his key to Eden's office, the motion sensors immediately detecting his movement, the lights switching on brightly. Jet exhales tiredly, running a hand through his hair.
“Why can't she just put things back before she leaves?” he grumbles to himself, moving around her desk as he glances over it fruitlessly. He reaches out, pulling the drawers of her desk open, pausing as he opens the bottom one and shifts some paperwork aside. He stills for a moment before pulling the drawer out completely and reaching inside beneath the pile of paperwork, lifting out a stack of manila folders and tossing them on her table. He flips through them, his forehead wrinkling more and more as he skims over the covers before moving them all over the surface of the table until each one, with its picture in the corner, is staring him back in the face. Jet's mind trips over the past few days, the conversations and preparations between his partners filtering through his memories. He then looks down at the writing on the files, Eden's writing, realizing that almost none of what was written had actually made it into those conversations between she and Travis.
So much she didn't say.
Jet takes a seat in Eden's office chair, turning his back on the files and staring out her large window, watching and waiting for the sunrise to fill the room.
It's innocence lost.
Innocence Lost