an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired

[jamesmadrox]

When most people think about the nature of love, they turn to platitudes better suited for the romance section of a Hallmark store. For them, love is about a fat little baby and a quiver full of heart-tipped arrows, shooting people with the implicit feeling that love is supposed to hurt for all that it's reported to feel good. They think of roses

Comments

[wishesandsmoke]

"That was impressive," Eden said, head tilting slightly to the side as she smiled, "right up to the bit with the sand. Hi." She stood with thumbs hooked into the pockets of her jeans, expression inquisitive. It was better to poke into the business of others than consider her own, after all. Right after the Company files had shown up, she'd had a couple peaceful weeks, and odd as the latest turn of events had been, there was no reason things shouldn't've stayed calm. But that, she guessed, was too much to ask for.

[jamesmadrox]

There was a sheepish air about Jamie's smile as he brushed off his hands on his trousers. "It sort of ruined the effect, didn't it?" he said, running his now sand-free hand through his hair again.

[wishesandsmoke]

"Just a little bit." Eden laughed softly, nodding. "But I couldn't do it with or without the sand, so... still pretty impressive." She'd picked up a few tricks, working for the Company, but gymnastics had never been one of them.

[jamesmadrox]

"My ego appreciates the compliment," he said, grinning brightly, "but it's not that hard, really." Beat. "Well, okay, the freestanding sort of is, just in terms of balance, but if you have, say, a wall or a person holding your legs..." He trailed off, shrugging.

[wishesandsmoke]

"So what're you doing out here?" she asked. "Aside from practicing your balancing act, I mean. Prepping for some kind of island Olympics?" It wasn't exactly out of the question in this place. People on the island always seemed to be training and she'd never been able to figure out for what.

[jamesmadrox]

"More like trying to stave off boredom," replied Jamie. He rolled his shoulders again, trying to work out some of the stiffness. "Beats the rec room at any rate."

[wishesandsmoke]

"Okay, there's gotta be better ways not to be bored around here." Eden's preferred method, especially right now, was zipping up and down in the hovercraft the island had left for her. It was parked not that far away right then. "Not that I can really think of any."

[jamesmadrox]

Jamie laughed as he dragged a hand across the back of his neck. "Yeeeah," he said, "that's the problem. You think that Craphole Island would be brimming with opportunities but it just disappoints you at every turn." He sighed. "And that's how you end up doing handstands on the beach."

[wishesandsmoke]

"Not at every turn," Eden said. "Sometimes there's a nice surprise turn where a big party pops up in the rec room. For the other three hundred and sixty days of the year, though..." Swimming, sunning and being lazy got boring pretty fast.

[jamesmadrox]

"...you end up doing handstands," finished Jamie. He crossed his arms and smirked knowingly.

[wishesandsmoke]

"Yeah." Eden shrugged, half-smiling. That, and avoiding ex-loves and current boyfriends, but she was mostly squared away with Mohinder being around now the initial shock had gone. "Or surfing or looking at dinosaurs or riding around in a hovercraft thing. You miss what you used to do?"

[jamesmadrox]

"Depends which 'what' we're talking a- wait, did you say hovercraft?" Though Jamie had switched topics fast enough to give himself metaphorical whiplash, he'd already gotten over it, and was looking at Eden curiously.

[wishesandsmoke]

"Yeah, it's parked back over that way," Eden said, pointing back over her shoulder like there was nothing unusual about this. "Popped up in January outside my door with my name on it, when everyone was getting all those presents."

[jamesmadrox]

I guess the Island decided I needed a more practical present so that I wouldn't end up in bamboo prison.

"...is it solar-powered?"

[wishesandsmoke]

"You know, I haven't figured that out yet." Eden shrugged. "Doesn't seem to be a gas tank, but who knows when it's from? One of these days I might just drop outta the sky." It seemed like the logical explanation for how the thing ran, though.

[jamesmadrox]

Jamie smirked as he ran a hand through his hair again. I really should get on that haircut. "That's cheerful."