The month had gone by quick enough. It almost seemed to fly by really. It felt like just yesterday when Desmond took off his mask, memory still fresh in Elaine's mind. But when that time came, they did return and fly back to the mountain town of Froenburg. It had seemed the exact same since they had been there previous. It didn't feel as cold as it had been last time, but it was cold none the less.
"So, 'ow is this door supposed to work?" Elaine asked Desmond as she looked at the cave entrance. Unlike the last time it was here, all rubble and debris covering the entrance had been removed, leaving the cave perfectly accessible. She did notice a certain mark around the rim of the cave. The kind some kind of secret door would come out of to hide something from public eyes.
It was just her and Desmond standing outside in the evening sun. Raymond had gone to town to pick up supplies and after that, he would be doing a little maintenance on the Bostonius. At least, as far as Elaine knew.
"It's quite simple." Desmond held up a long, metal rod with a spiked end and a wooden stick-like leaver near the top of it. "The entrance responds to the remote control here. Watch." Desmond gently tugged down on the leaver, and there was a faint rumbling sound as the newly installed hidden door of the cave came down. It looked like a thick sheet of ice and when Elaine touched it, it felt just as cold. "It's inconspicuous enough to keep the entrance hidden, and should keep us safe while we're inside." He sounded very proud of himself as he said this. Not as smug as he would have as Descole, but the pride was still in his voice.
"It is impressive," Elaine admitted with a small nod before she looked at him. "'Ow do you even manage to get stuff like this made without raising an eyebrow or two?"
"You'd be very surprised to see how many people are willing to keep quiet for a certain amount of money," Desmond explained dryly. "Then again, those that did ask soon learned not to when I brought up their families."
"What?!"
"I didn't touch a hair on their heads. It was an empty threat. I told you before." Desmond rolled his eyes a little at Elaine's small, indignant shriek. Elaine grumbled to herself as she rubbed her arms in an effort to add some warmth to them.
"Is that controller the only way to open the entrance?"
"No." Desmond took what looked like one of those beepers to open cars from a distance out of his coat pocket. Clicking on it, the entrance opened once again. "The bigger one is staying outside. It will be hidden."
"By what?" Desmond turned to give her a smile.
"You get to make a snowman."
"… Pardon?"
"See the leaver? It resembles a stick, does it not? We stick it inside a snowman and it will be the perfect disguise if I do say so myself." Elaine looked to the controller before back up to Desmond. A frown still on her face.
"But, won't someone find out eventually?"
"Try and look at it from this perspective, Elaine," Desmond said. "If you found out the entrance to the cave was not real ice, would you honestly expect a snowman to be the key to gaining entrance? Also, keep in mind that we are in snowy mountains of Russia, where I doubt the snow will melt anytime soon, and that Targent usually send out grunts before anything actually serious. Grunts who are, from my experience, not usually all that bright."
Hearing all that out, it didn't take too long for Elaine to agree with Desmond. It was well thought, and she could mostly see the logic of all. "I suppose you 'ave a point. But why exactly am I making the snowman? Specifically, on my own?" Elaine had a lightly teasing smirk grace her face. "Are you terrible at making snowmen or something?"
"Don't be ridiculous. Anyone can make a snowman," Desmond scoffed. "I just plan to set some stuff up in the cave, and thought you would prefer to do the more entertaining job," Desmond went on as he walked a little away from the cave before he stopped, raised the controller up a little and drove it sharply into the ground. After making sure it was in firmly, Desmond picked up the bags he and Elaine had been carrying. "You can make a snowman, can't you?"
"Of course I can." Elaine rolled her eyes as she walked over to the controller and Desmond.
"Good," Desmond said back as he gave a single nod. He looked to the cave entrance before looking back to Elaine. "I'll be back to check on you as soon as I can. Don't wander away." After that, Desmond made his way towards the cave, leaving Elaine alone.
She looked behind her, down the path that led to Froenburg. About two and a half years ago, Elaine possibly would have run there looking for help of some kind. Now… Well, now was different. Things change in unexpected ways. Some more than others.
But there was only so much Elaine could think about the past without it feeling like some sort of repetition, so she began her work on build the snow around the snowman. It would have been easier if Descole had waited until the bottom and torso of said snowman was finished before stabbing the controller down. Then she could have worked on rolling snow into big balls at a time. Instead, she had to scoop the snow and plant it around the controller and as it piled up bigger and bigger, patted it down here and there to give it a more rounded look. Her fingers were freezing, and there was a sensation of needle pricks on them. But she just classified it as a motivation and continued to move on with the work.
It took time with the first two balls. The last ball for the head however was the easiest since she could just roll the snow up until it was big enough for the head, and when it was done, she put to right on top of the entire thing.
It looked okay in the Frenchwoman's eyes. It looked a little bare at first, but Elaine was able to find a stick similar enough in appearance to the controller's leaver, and it wasn't too hard to find enough stones for its eyes and face. It still looked like it could have used something though. Maybe a carrot nose and a scarf? She'd have to try and get around to that at some point.
But she was done, and entrance was still open for her, so Elaine rubbed her hands together quite rapidly in order to gain some warmth and abandon the numbness her fingers have gained.
She was a little surprised when she saw Desmond coming from the tunnel, not too far away leaving the entrance.
"Ah, Elaine. I trust you're finished?"
"Oui, and I'm freezing," Elaine muttered, still rubbing her hands. Desmond looked at them for a moment before he took them and held them between his own warm hands.
"Well we better get inside then. It would be useless to get frostbite."
Elaine had been relieved to enter the cave, the familiar sense of light warmth washing over her along with the sense of small excitement.
Entering the cave chamber, Elaine's attention was first to the girl in the ice block before she noticed that on the ground there was a blanket laid out with some food and an ice bucket with wine in it. The bags with the supplies were placed near a rocky pillar as well as the two sleeping bags.
Elaine raised a brow towards Desmond in regards to the small picnic.
"Ah, yes well…" He paused to clear his throat. "I thought, we never did get around to celebrating being the first ones to be here, so why not make this evening a little special before we start working tomorrow."
"Are you sure this meant to be some kind of date?"
"I suppose it could also be considered that. Depending how you look at it."
"Well the food does look good," Elaine admitted as she walked over and sat down before helping herself to some buttered brown bread.
"Of course it is. Raymond did make it," Desmond said as he quickly joined her.
"He would 'ave to. You'd probably burn anything you tried to cook or make it poisonous," said Elaine. Desmond rolled his eyes as he took out the wine (white wine) and began opening it.
"You make it sound as though I can't look after myself."
"From what you 'ave told me of your life, I believe that may be the case," Elaine nodded. "Or at least, not capable of cooking and feeding yourself."
"And you're an expert?"
"Considering 'ow my mother encouraged my brother and I, as well as Madeline, to 'elp 'er with cooking now and then, I would say I 'ad a basic understanding 'ow to cook before leaving primary school." Descole gave her a look. "She didn't let us use the stove until we were ten, and even then only with 'er supervision. I always said it was to keep Philippe from burning the 'ouse down." Desmond gave a small chuckle before he held a glass out for Elaine who accepted it.
"I never got the chance to learn how to cook for myself really. I think I tried one time to cook when I was a child but it didn't work out."
"I wonder why, if it's you." After a moment or so, Elaine asked,
"So what exactly will we do if by some chance the girl is alive and we get 'er out?" Desmond looked to the ice for a moment before replying,
"I suppose we'll ask her questions and see if she can answer them. I'm not sure what else there would be for us to do until she is out. But we'll have to actually see if she is alive or if it's even possible to release her."
"It might be. I doubt there's such a thing as unbreakable ice."
"True, but assuming this is indeed related to the Azrans, we can't necessarily say it will be easy. We'll have to do everything possible." Elaine gave a small nod before sipping her wine.
"… I 'ave to admit, I do like this idea. It was… sweet of you," Elaine said.
"Well, we are lovers. I think it's only appropriate for me to treat you as such." Hearing this, Elaine couldn't stop herself from giggling lightly, even when Desmond gave her a look. "What's so funny?"
"Lovers? You make it sound like we're 'aving sex. Maybe I'm being childish to giggle about that, but I would 'ave thought 'boyfriend' and 'girlfriend' more appropriate."
"They sound childish," Desmond muttered. "Childish and something said by teenagers. Lovers always sounded better in my opinion anyway. It sounded more… close and metaphorically intimate, I think."
"Not everyone would think that, Monsieur."
"Perhaps, but we're not everyone. Are we."
"Of course not. It would be a disturbing mess of incest," Elaine said in a flat tone. Desmond actually chuckled a bit at that.
"I suppose it would be then." Elaine picked up a mall cake with cream and was about to take a bite from it before she paused, before grinning towards Desmond.
"Open up~." Desmond looked at Elaine with a raised brow. After a moment or two, he gave a small smile and opened his mouth as told. Elaine then smirked and pressed the cake quickly against his nose to leave cream on it before eating the cake. Descole looked taken by surprise before lightly scowling, though there was a playful edge to it as he wiped the cream off his nose.
"That was just plain cruel, Elaine."
"Maybe. But I don't really care to much about that, Desmond," Elaine replied, giving an uncaring shrug. She reached for another cake, only for Desmond to grab the plate and hold it away from Elaine as he smirked. "'Ey…"
"You had it coming, dear~."
"Give them back, I want one," Elaine whined.
"I'll feed you them, but that's all you'll get."
"You'll just do what I did."
"And it would be justice."
The idea for the next Omake Theatre is a good one, and I'll do it as soon as possible :)