Post by Incendium on Jan 19, 2021 12:53:11 GMT -5
“I think we got what we needed. You can stop now.”
As soon as she heard it, Eden straightened, the hysterics she’d only just been having gone and in their place utter exasperation now that the camera had stopped rolling. The cameraman gave them a nod as soon as he checked the footage, and the door shut behind him. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see one of the butterflies tenaciously clinging to a dark tendril.
“Is this really the best Holden can do?” she asked scornfully, flicking the offending insect away. She watched dispassionately as it fluttered on unseen currents to the floor below. “He owes me a silk blouse, by the way.”
Gabriel watched, only somewhat amused as his wife blotted at the wet material of her top in dismay.
“I’m not entirely certain this is Holden’s handiwork. He used to be better than this, but then, he was also once obsessed with Alan Wallace, so who can really know what passes through his mind sometimes,” Gabriel mused, looking down at the reveal before them. “The janitorial staff won’t be pleased to say the least.”
Eden sighed.
“You know, when we got the call that we needed to be here at Synergy, despite the fact that we weren’t booked, I was really hoping it would be something worth our while. Even once we found out the setup for how our opponents would be revealed, I still held out hope. I should have known better when they insisted you have a “trusty syringe” to dramatically pop the balloons,” Eden said, brushing some of the lingering confetti from her husband’s shoulders. “No one can ever claim I’m not an eternal optimist. Sometimes, anyway.”
Gabriel’s mouth quirked.
“Yes, well, I know after last week’s clues you’d held out hope that one of our opponents might be Zane returning, but in the end it’s not so bad, is it?” Gabriel asked.
Eden sighed.
“You’re right. It’s bad. Dare we hope that perhaps this was only shenanigans on the part of Holden and our true opponents will be revealed over the coming weeks?” Gabriel continued.
Eden made a noncommittal sound and a shrug.
“Does it really matter who it is? Whoever stands across from us, we’ll burn through them.”
Gabriel nodded and then cleared his throat.
“Are you alright?”
“I could ask you the same thing, couldn’t I?” She answered his question with one of her own.
“You could, but I asked you.”
Eden looked around dispassionately at the wet confetti, the plastic water bottle that had dropped from her grasp, the broken bodies of butterflies that littered the floor that had either been killed during the commotion or had been dead inside the balloon while their brethren fluttered about on fragile wings. No doubt they wouldn’t last much longer either.
“Is this what we came back for?”
“Don’t redirect. You know what I was asking about,” Gabriel said, pointedly.
“If it was Holden, he can’t be faulted. He has no idea. No one does, other than Lucy. And you know why it’s not something I want out in the open. You don’t want it either. While things like this, digs at us, sting? Imagine how it would feel if one of them used that pain against us?” Eden responded.
“Do you truly believe anyone would dare?”
“I would. We both know, either of us would use anything to hurt someone else. It’s why we work so well together and why we were so devastating to each other when we stood on opposite sides,” Eden said, her hand slipping into his.
He squeezed her hand gently, knowing she was right.
“Right, let’s get you back to the hotel and out of these wet clothes, and hopefully we’ll gain some more illumination from Holden,” Gabriel said matter-of-factly.
“Somehow, I doubt it. And the last thing I want to consider when I’m undressed around you is Holden,” Eden replied dryly. Gabriel chuckled in response, the two of them gathering their things and leaving the room with the mess still in place, the butterflies fluttering frantically.
As soon as she heard it, Eden straightened, the hysterics she’d only just been having gone and in their place utter exasperation now that the camera had stopped rolling. The cameraman gave them a nod as soon as he checked the footage, and the door shut behind him. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see one of the butterflies tenaciously clinging to a dark tendril.
“Is this really the best Holden can do?” she asked scornfully, flicking the offending insect away. She watched dispassionately as it fluttered on unseen currents to the floor below. “He owes me a silk blouse, by the way.”
Gabriel watched, only somewhat amused as his wife blotted at the wet material of her top in dismay.
“I’m not entirely certain this is Holden’s handiwork. He used to be better than this, but then, he was also once obsessed with Alan Wallace, so who can really know what passes through his mind sometimes,” Gabriel mused, looking down at the reveal before them. “The janitorial staff won’t be pleased to say the least.”
Eden sighed.
“You know, when we got the call that we needed to be here at Synergy, despite the fact that we weren’t booked, I was really hoping it would be something worth our while. Even once we found out the setup for how our opponents would be revealed, I still held out hope. I should have known better when they insisted you have a “trusty syringe” to dramatically pop the balloons,” Eden said, brushing some of the lingering confetti from her husband’s shoulders. “No one can ever claim I’m not an eternal optimist. Sometimes, anyway.”
Gabriel’s mouth quirked.
“Yes, well, I know after last week’s clues you’d held out hope that one of our opponents might be Zane returning, but in the end it’s not so bad, is it?” Gabriel asked.
Eden sighed.
“You’re right. It’s bad. Dare we hope that perhaps this was only shenanigans on the part of Holden and our true opponents will be revealed over the coming weeks?” Gabriel continued.
Eden made a noncommittal sound and a shrug.
“Does it really matter who it is? Whoever stands across from us, we’ll burn through them.”
Gabriel nodded and then cleared his throat.
“Are you alright?”
“I could ask you the same thing, couldn’t I?” She answered his question with one of her own.
“You could, but I asked you.”
Eden looked around dispassionately at the wet confetti, the plastic water bottle that had dropped from her grasp, the broken bodies of butterflies that littered the floor that had either been killed during the commotion or had been dead inside the balloon while their brethren fluttered about on fragile wings. No doubt they wouldn’t last much longer either.
“Is this what we came back for?”
“Don’t redirect. You know what I was asking about,” Gabriel said, pointedly.
“If it was Holden, he can’t be faulted. He has no idea. No one does, other than Lucy. And you know why it’s not something I want out in the open. You don’t want it either. While things like this, digs at us, sting? Imagine how it would feel if one of them used that pain against us?” Eden responded.
“Do you truly believe anyone would dare?”
“I would. We both know, either of us would use anything to hurt someone else. It’s why we work so well together and why we were so devastating to each other when we stood on opposite sides,” Eden said, her hand slipping into his.
He squeezed her hand gently, knowing she was right.
“Right, let’s get you back to the hotel and out of these wet clothes, and hopefully we’ll gain some more illumination from Holden,” Gabriel said matter-of-factly.
“Somehow, I doubt it. And the last thing I want to consider when I’m undressed around you is Holden,” Eden replied dryly. Gabriel chuckled in response, the two of them gathering their things and leaving the room with the mess still in place, the butterflies fluttering frantically.