House Always Wins

Holly Earthwind pushed her blonde hair off her face and smiled at the front desk clerk as she stepped inside the massive Las Vegas hotel. It had been a long drive and she was tired. Not to mention there was still people to talk to. 
The young woman stopped at the opulent counter and stared at it for a moment, looking a her own reflection. She was looking older these days. Her last fight with her sister had left her with dark circles of worry under her eyes. For her that was an unusual sight indeed. 
"Is Hermes Vanderbuilt here today?" She asked, jumping slightly when the sound of a tiger roaring sounded so near to her. 
This hotel was not a place she cared to come to, even if she had a fair few friends that worked and did business there. "I was hoping to meet with him before I checked in..." She added, still not really looking at the clerk as she turned her head to see if she could see what the evening's entertainment were advertised. 
She needed something to get her mind off her sister for a little while didn't she?

The clerk looked Holly up and down, then tapped away in her keyboard, long red. Ails seeming no more than a blur she typed so quickly. “Name.” The woman asked icily, glancing past Holly and smiling when she saw the tall man with golden hair and startling blue eyes practically glide across the lobby. “Do you have an appointment with Mr Vanderbuilt?” She added, clearly not thinking this woman could possibly move in the same circle as the man now approaching them.

"Earthwind...Holly." The woman breathed, frowning at the listing for a midnight show that promised something that would steal the very soul from ones body. "He's...an old friend. He'll see me." She said firmly. "What is this..." She pointed to the show. "You guys have lost your minds..."

The woman arches her brow slightly, then slid a keycard across the desk. “You would know.” She replied with a saccharine sweet smile. 
“Holly!” A gleeful voice declares, suddenly sweeping the blonde up and spinning her around like they were children. “You never accept my invitations to come visit!”

"Hermes!" Holly threw her arms around the neck of her childhood friend. "I missed you." She breathed into his hair, glad to have a the reassuring arms of a friend around her in that moment. "How have you been? Tell me you're better than me at maintaining things." She pressed a kiss to his cheek, her dark thoughts about the midnight show gone for the moment. 

Hades sat in the darkness of his cage, flexing his fingers until black and blue flames dances along the floor. It was these short moments that reminded him of home. He was hoping to exhaust himself before the show that night. Then he wouldn't have to perform. She couldn't make him do anything. At least not this time.

Hermes grinned and picked up Jolly’s bag. “You know how it is; the sun always shines on me!” He told her warmly. “How about we dump your bag and then you can tell me why you really came to my charming little city.”

“Oh do stop your pouting.:. I need that brooding nature for the show.” Hades’ ‘owner’ was a tall woman with flowing crimson hair and wicked looking green eyes. She was beautiful, in a sense. All sharp features to match her equally sharp tongue. “You know the sad little girls all love to see you perform, hoping to be the one you choose.” Her lips pulled into a smile that was anything but warm. “If only the knew, my dear boy...” Sje purred, daring to ruffle his hair.

Holly talked through the afternoon and even through a decadent dinner. Her friend let her talk until dessert. The tiny woman was known for her ability to talk but even for her it was a bit much. Finally she sat back and took in a deep breath. "Well, Hermes?  Can you help her?" She asked. The hotel restaurant was quiet, long ago having lost its patrons. The silence worried her. Silence when it came to her sister meant that things weren't going her way.

Hades pulled his head back, his icy blue eyes glittering with hate. "If only they knew." He echoed bitterly. "Where did you find Pandora's box, by the way?" He'd wasted his breath asking her this question before. 
His captor had found his precious box and learned how to use it against him.  She used it to trap the extra souls inside. It was never meant for that.

Hermes was sat back in his seat, watching Holly thoughtfully. “You really want this? Given how... strangeness follows her around, you want me to find her a place here?” He already knew the answer, Jolly was always serious when it came to her little sister. “Then we’re even, right? No more favours owed?”

Hera smiled, in that infuriating way that was only ever meant to make people uncomfortable. “Perhaps you would have. Perhaps if you hadn’t been so preoccupied with chasing Persephone... you may have noticed.”

"Does that mean you won't come around anymore?" Holly asked, sadness deep in her eyes. Hermes was one of her dear friends. She adored him and had since they were small. "Izzy really need this." She added softly, nodding her head after a long moment. "She needs to get back on her feet. Her luck is so bad...I swear." 

"What a loss that was." Hades grumbled, watching the edge of Hera's dress catching flame. His lips twitched as he imagined her igniting in a giant ball of indistinguishable fire. By the time the sprinklers went on she'd be far too gone. At least for the moment.

“Maybe she pissed off a gypsy?” Hermes teased, offering Holly a winning smile. “It isn’t your job to mother her, you know. She was the same when we were children, bad luck just... finds her.”

“You always did have deplorable taste.” Hera agreed, stamping on the edge of her dress. “You know I make you pay for every transgression, child. But the show will start in a few hours, I don’t have the time I would sorely love to spend on disciplining you.”

"Izzy needs me." Holly said, distracted by the sudden change in the room. She turned her head, wondering why things had gotten so heavy. "Hermes...what is..." It wasn't the room itself but one below them. 
The little blonde got to her feet and moved toward the doors of the restaurant, wearing a confused frown. 

Hades stepped into the center of the room, listening to the tittering murmurs coming from women and men from all ages. They were here because of the false promises. They were here because they believed he could make them all feel loved and special. If they were dead...souls...perhaps that would be true but none of these people were. 
"I have a story to tell." He said softly. "About a woman I once knew..." It was then that he worked his magicks, the souls he was pulling from their bodies dancing around the room. "Ahh..there she is." He added, holding out his hand to a dark haired woman in the front row.

Hermes was no longer smiling. He knew what it was Holly felt, just as much as he knew he could do little about it. Ever since that show had stated, something had felt off, but every time he tried to approach Hera about it, somehow he seemed to blank the entire conversation and end up back in his office. “That’s show is terrible, you would be better to go waste time on the slots.”

Isolde was looking up at the man offering his hand to her, amethyst eyes seeming to hold a wisdom beyond the twenty something she appeared to be. It was often what drew people to her, silently coaxing them into unloading all their worries into her. Isolde carried the burden of many strangers on her slender shoulders, with nothing but a pathless life of her own to show for it. All this passed in no more than a moment however. Just as others were drawn to her, something seemed to whisper to her that taking this beautiful strangers hand was her reason for being here at all.

Her statement of her sister needing her never felt more true as Holly pushed open the doors and moved into the main lobby. She didn't want to go but it didn't feel like she had a choice. 

His long fingers slid over hers. This was the part where he was supposed to pull her close and kiss her. But something stopped him. He looked deep into her strange eyes and leaned close. "Save me." He whispered, before leaning back and turning her toward her seat. "I'm afraid you are not my beloved." He said in his usual tone, pushing her toward her chair. "You however..." He turned to a doe eyed blonde and took her with him. "Persephone...where have you been, my lovely?"

Isolde watched the man on stage smile at the woman he now had up there with him. This was how it always went; she was no ones first choice, even her sister thought her no more than a burden. Isolde had always seen things she shouldn’t, things sane, rational people told her simply weren’t there. Now was no different. She swore she saw a strange glow pass between their lips as the man in the stage kissed the woman he has declared his Persephone. Save me... it was likely all part of the show.

"Izzy!" The stillness of the night was broken by the sound of her sister's voice. Molly was marching down the stairs towards her, ignoring the now bright blue eyes that were glued to her slender form. 
The girl in the man's arms stirred and then took in a deep breath, the strange mist drawing back into her body. 
"You fools." The man hissed at Isolde and her sister. "Get out of this room. The show is over. The room was suddenly brightly lit and everyone was stirring, speaking loudly in confusion. The noise was deafening.

Isolde barely registered that her elder sister was there and shouting her name. Though the lights were back on, the dark haired woman was watching the strange aura’s around people in the crowd shift hue, as though confused about who they should be. Her own eyes slowly flicked to the man on the stage, his whispered words to her seeming all the more strange now. If he was the one responsible for all this, a confusion normal people wouldn’t even register... what help could she possibly offer?

"Izzy!" Molly grabbed her sister and turned her around. "What is wrong with you?!" She demanded. She yanked the other woman into the hallway moments before the doors closed behind them.
 Isolde would catch a glimpse of the man's captor reattaching his collar as this was happening. She was firmly dragged until they both reached the front desk.
"I want to see the manager. Now." Molly demanded. Her green eyes were blazing with fury.

“Can I tell him what the problem is?” The receptionist asked calmly.
Isolde was still somewhat dazed, though did let out a quiet sigh. “Moll... can we just go back to my room? I’m beat, I think I need a nap.” She murmured, even yawning midway through the last sentence.

Molly shook her head to both women. She barely noted that her hands were shaking in fury. "Tell him to get his ass out of bed and speak to me now. I will not be sitting until morning." She hissed.

“It’s late, he is... indisposed.” The Receptionist replied, though her slight hesitation to find the right word made it clear what kind of ‘indisposed’ he truly was. “You are welcome to wait until he is done, I ah, mean free.”

"No! I will not!" Molly's voice squeaked at the woman's suggestion. She gripped the edge of the marble counter top until her knuckles were white. "I refuse to be ignored!"

“Really? I would think you were used to it.” The receptionist mocked, though was finally picking up the telephone. “No... no, I know what you said, but... yes... I understand... no, it is urgent.” It was clear from just her side of the conversation that the manager was most unhappy at being interrupted. “Take a seat. He is in his way.” She informed Molly curtly.
“Moll, what are you so tied up about?” Isolde asked her sister uncertainly. “You interrupted a sold out show... shouldn’t you be like, hiding or something?”

Molly didn't move. She was still filled with the dark energy that had gotten stronger as she had gotten closer to the show. She couldn't even ungrip her fingers.
"What were you doing down there?" She asked, her tone much softer as she directed it toward Isolde. "You always make the most insane decisions..."

Isolde scowled back at her sister, feeling like. I thing ever changed. “I was enjoying the show.” She replied simply, though her arms were folded defensively across her chest. “Having fun, you should try it once in a while!”

"Having fun is meeting a few friends for a drink. It's not going to some insane excuse for a magic show! Don't dare try to tell me you didn't sense it too." Molly hissed, leaning in close to her sister as she caught the clerk looking at them. "That was not normal and neither was he. You saw his eyes. I didn't like the way he was looking at you. You need to be more careful!"

Isolde scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Then perhaps you should have gotten there sooner, then you would have been him reject me and pick some other woman to be a part of his act.” She replied, clearly still feeling quite sore about it.
On the other side of the hotel lobby the elevator was on its way down from the penthouse. The numbers flashed by, but to the man inside it seemed to be taking forever.

"Then you're lucky. Something else was happening there and you don't need to have anything to do with it." Molly turned her head to see the numbers flashing quickly downwards and she sighed deeply. "Besides, you're going to be working here. You need to keep your nose clean." She didn't wait for her sister to respond as she headed over to the elevators and stood waiting for the doors to open. She wasn't about to let this man try to avoid her.

The doors slid open before Isolde would have a chance to protest what her sister had just said. Inside a very tall man with shoulder length shaggy hair was still readjusting his clothing, having quite obvious had to replace them in a hurry. For the moment deep, ocean blue eyes simply looked down at Molly, clearly sizing her up.

Compared to the golden man Molly was dwarfed, but that didn't stop her from bellying up to him. "You, sir, need to explain what in the hell was going on with that shit show a few minutes ago. Even your employees are acting strangely about it! No one will say anything about it. Have you seen it?" She grabbed his hand and marched him to a poster and grabbed it, all but shaking it in his face. 

Below them, Hades was settling himself back in his cage. "I don't know what you want me to say. The woman came in and started shouting at someone else. It was very...distracting." He kept his eyes carefully trained on the floor so his handler wouldn't see the truth in his eyes.

The hotel owner was rather amused by the tiny woman attempting to drag him like she was. Who was he to point out she wouldn’t have gotten very far if he hadn’t allowed it? “You woke me up for this?” He asked with an exaggerated yawn, seeming entirely uninterested in the issue at hand. “I don’t attend every show we have here, I’m a busy man.” He added.
Her sisters outrage was the perfect distraction for Isolde to return to the stage, feeling she had missed something important.

“Distracting? You mean like that woefully low hanging fruit you sent back to her seat?” Hera snapped. “Don’t think I didn’t see!”