Talisman Hotel de Charme
This stylish 'boutique' hotel, located in the heart of Cairo, was where one might find the controversial stable fashioned after the Seven Deadly Sins, known in some religious circles as the Seven Plagues of Mankind. The Seven Deadly Sins, or just the 'Sins' for short, had opted for this unique and central hotel to be their respective home away from home, as it were, allowing the group leader as it were, Synn, to handle their reservations and where they might be staying during their time in Egypt. Synn had confided in Gabriel that he had chosen the Talisman, located on the fourth floor of a more traditional building, because of it's location as opposed to it's luxury -- although it was quite comfortable and stylish in it's traditional sense of Egyptian charm.
It was located on a small street, so it allotted the members of the stable more privacy to themselves, and quiet for Despayre who was prone to fits at any given interval without warning. It would be best to keep such a risk at a minimal distance away from prying eyes should it occur. So, with large, comfortable rooms and acceptable emnaties, there really was little to not like about this 'oasis' as it were in such a bustling place like Cairo.
It was still early in the morning, but the heat was already rising as it was wont to do in a desert nation. Many of the members of the Sins would perhaps have preferred to remain inside of their rooms with either the fans or air conditioning running to stave off the heat, but with little sleep to comfort them and rejuvenate their bodies, the members instead chose to simply get up from their comfortable beds and descend to the lower levels of the hotel to enjoy the complimentary breakfast repast of warm breads or bagels and varied fruits, including kiwi, melons and berries.
All save for one, the only member who had managed to get a good night's sleep. It would seem like many of the others on the SCW roster, the Sins also were not immune to trouble adjusting to the time difference here in Africa.
As Gabriel, his new bride Odette, and Rage chowed down, with Rage grumbling heartily over the lack of bacon, they glanced up at the sound of the small elevator descending to their floor, just outside of the lobby where they were eating. It was an old fashioned type elevator, complete with 'car' and enclosed with a caged structure.
As expected, it was one of the other members of their little ragtag group, Despayre, standing inside as the elevator came to a complete stop. The little guy hurriedly pulled the cage door open and rushed out before he spun around and slammed the cage door closed again. He watched the elevator 'cage' with a critical eye before he backed away from it slowly and maneuvered his way closer toward the lobby table where his friends were seated at.
"Problems, Despy?" Odette mused with a smile, lifting a piece of kiwi toward her full, colored lips.
"I don't trust that thing!" Despayre said, eyeing the elevator warily as he placed Angel down on a chair to call 'his' own before plopping down in a fifth vacant seat. He gave it one final look before turning to Odette and shared with her a conspiratorial whisper, "It's not right." He added with a tapping of his forefinger to his temple.
"I see." Odette said and she sat back, not quite understanding Despayre's mind frame or way of thinking, but then again, who did?
"Is Bernie here yet?" Despayre asked of his Bosom Buddies partner. "He hasn't arrived yet?"
"`Fraid not Despy." Gabriel answered. "Last Synn heard, B was still on his way with Nick."
"Nick's coming with him?" Rage frowned. "What the fu... why?"
"Did you expect him to make the trip alone?" Gabriel asked. "The guy's probably end up in Bouvetøya."
"You look rested." Rage finally observed with a frown, directed at Despayre. "You get much sleep?"
"Uh huh!" Despayre nodded eagerly. "Slept the whole night, thanks!" And just as quickly, Despayre leapt to his feet and hurried over toward the table that was being replenished by staff with fresh cuts of fruits and bagels.
Rage looked to Gabriel and asked, "How the hell is he managing to be the only one out of us getting any sleep?"
"His meds." Gabriel answered without having to pause to give the answer any thought. "Some of them help make his drowsy as a side effect and Synn told me one of the others is specifically to help him sleep through the night, no matter what time zone we're in."
Rage scoffed, "Lucky! Maybe I should see if I can bum one off of..."
But before he could finish his thought, the group heard Despayre bellow out from the 'breakfast buffet', "HEY WHERE'S THE BACON!?"
Rage nudged Gabriel and pointed back in the kid's direction with a look that just screamed, "See?"
"Where's Dad?" Despayre asked as he soon returned with two plates, each piled high with pieces of cut fruit and bagel bites. One he placed in the chair in front of the teddy bear's plush lap, the other he kept for himself and sat down. "He left me a note that he had to go to Giza first thing and let me sleep in. How come he went before we do'd?" His face grew serious, "He's not going on a tour without us, is he?"
"No, Despy." Gabriel assured his 'little brother'. "Synn said he had a bit of a surprise for everybody and wanted to head out to see if he could arrange it."
"Okay!" Despayre chirped, his mood immediately elevated at the mention of a possible 'surprise' for not only him, but all his friends as well. Surprises are best when they're shared, after all. (Surprises, not presents! Then it's every bear for himself!) Despayre started to say something else when he glanced up and his face lit up as Synn entered the hotel lobby, looking tired but none the less, ready to give this day his undivided attention.
"He's back!" Despayre shouted as he started to jump up, but then caught hold of his plate before he tosses the contents everywhere. Under most circumstances he might have just done exactly that, but Synn had taken him aside and stressed that he was to be on his best behavior no matter what while on this tour. Egypt, after all, was a far more strict nation than was most of the other places that the stable of Sins had toured in previous times.
Despayre placed the plate on his chair carefully and raced over to Synn, grabbing his father in a loving embrace before he started patting him down.
"What's this about?" Synn asked as Despayre finished and stood upright, his eyes bright.
"The surprise!" Despayre answered. "Did you get it? Whatever it is?"
Synn turned his head and leaned back at the waistline to look at the three remaining people sitting there and shook his head, "Someone has a big mouth!"
"It was Angel." Rage mused in answer to this charge and Despayre looked indignant.
"It was not!" He bit back in retort. "Gabriel told me!"
"Thanks Despy!"
Despayre saluted his 'big brother' and turned back to Synn who sighed.
Synn said, "As for the surprise, it has to do with our tour today. A bit of good news as well as bad."
"Bad news first." Odette said as she leaned back on the arm rest of her chair, snuggling closer to her husband. Despayre nodded in agreement.
"The bad news is that they only sell three hundred tickets a day on the tours inside of the Great Pyramid." Synn said as he reached inside of his pants pocket and withdrew his wallet. "The good news is..." He opened his wallet and smiled as he held up five tickets.
Despayre let out an excited 'whoop' of delight, grasping the tickets from out of his dad's hands and counted them. He frowned, then recounted them and looked up at Synn.
He said, "There are only five tickets."
"Yes?"
"There are six of us." Despayre stressed, pointing out to each in turn -- including Angel. "Angel gets to go inside too, right?"
Synn sighed, rubbing his chin, "Yes, indeed he does ... but he does not need a ticket to do so?"
"Really?" Despayre then nodded. "Oh of course!" He looked over to Rage, Odette and Gabriel and said, "Teddy bears were worshipped in ancient Egypt, after all."
"Really?" Odette played along. "I never knew!"
Despayre nodded.
Rage piped up, "I thought that was cats."
"Poopular misconception!" Despayre waved that particular claim away as insignificant. "Let's go!"
He started for the doors to the hotel before Synn grasped him by the arm and reeled him back before he could manage a get away. "Hold on there sport!" Synn called. "We have time to get ready and get our stuff packed! This is going to be an all-day thing so I'd prefer we be ready. And you" He looked directly at his son. "Have to load up on sunscreen."
"Awww!"
"No arguing." Synn put his foot down. "The sun here is harsh and you burn easily with that skin you got from your mother."
"Okay." Despayre nodded sullenly, not about to put a trip to the Pyramids, and perhaps even the Sphinx, at risk. "But Gabriel does too if he's going to wear shorts! You've seen his legs!"
Gabriel immediately frowned and turned to Odette and asked, "What the hell is wrong with my legs!?"
<img align=right src= "http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TIBCjaFNcRk/URfyA3afxeI/AAAAAAAAQ2Q/4-Mm0IqFjsM/s1600/pyramid+of+cheops_4_giza_wallpaper_hd.jpg" height=416 width=312>
Located not too far from the city of Cairo was the Giza Necropolis, an archaeological site on the Giza Plateau. It is complex of ancient monuments includes the three pyramid complexes known as the Great Pyramids, the massive sculpture known as the Great Sphinx, and several cemeteries.
This last remaining remnant of the seven Wonders of the Ancient World was a world-wide phenomenon and attracted thousands each year to Egypt to bask in the wondrous nature of a world that was far advanced beyond its time, a place and time that once was, and would never be again. This one time, it was not the normal yielding of Synn and the others into doing something that Despayre specifically wished to do. No, this time each member in turn had an interest in touring Giza and witnessing these wonders for themselves. Well, perhaps not everyone. Rage had shown a great deal of reluctance at attending with the others, citing Despayre's penchant for causing some kind of unintended mischief when out in public.
Despite Synn's assurance that nothing would happen this once due to his extended chat with his son, Rage was no less wary but finally was prodded into going along. Deep down, he knew that if he had still refused and went back home in the States after the tour, he would perhaps regret it. So here the 'Sin of Wrath' stood stoically, arms folded over his barrel chest and eyes hidden, like the others, behind dark shades as the scene opened up before them.
Across the ways was a small bazaar of camels where men in colorful robes and sun dried skin were busying themselves renting camels to tourists to eke a bit of extra income from the visitors. Yes, in case you were wondering, this is indeed where things got a bit more to normalcy as Synn quickly succumbed to Despayre's hysterics that he and Angel wanted to ride a camel 'soooooooooo' much! Gabriel had always teased his friend and mentor without mercy that 'whatever Despy wanted, Despy got' and this was yet further evidence that proved that belief true. (There was really no denying it, even if one wanted to. Synn admitted it, and even Gabriel found himself spoiling his little brother left and right!)
Despayre watched as Synn spoke with the man in charge on renting this particular 'ship of the desert', and the little guy was absolutely beyond excited as his face was shining and his hands gleefully fidgeted as the man and his father finally returned toward him, the man leading his camel by a harness. They watched with smiles (Rage's very well hidden!) as the camel was stationed in front of Despayre and Synn and the man proceeded to assist him in helping him up onto the camel's backside, with specific instructions told in broken English from the man to Synn, and relayed from father to son.
It was difficult if not damn near impossible to deny Despayre's gleeful face as Synn held Angel up to his 'grabby hands' and Despayre secured his 'bestie' to his front atop the woven fabrics draped across the camel's backside that he sat upon. This way Despayre could use both arms to safely hold on as Synn gave the man his thanks and led the animal and its rider(s) back over to the group.
Gabriel stood upright and shook his head but he knew Despayre was having the absolute best time of his life and forging a memory that perhaps would never be forgotten. Gabriel, like the others, stepped carefully forward toward the camel and their hands found it's fine, yet coarse fur, and they rubbed it gently to 'make nice' for the benefit of the rider; in this case, Despy. As much a lover of animals as Despayre, Odette was much more enthusiastic about getting close to this adored animal of the desert and Gabriel had a funny feeling that he'd be renting one before the day was through for a certain Missus.
Gabriel then asked of Synn, "So, how much did that cost you?"
"Nothing." Came Synn's answer.
"Nothing?" Gabriel frowned. "How the hell'd you work that out?"
Synn cleared his throat, and after a moment's pause, said, "The man recognized Angel."
Gabriel, Odette and Rage blinked, then looked at the man who had his brown eyes glued to the teddy bear in an adoring fashion, then the three looked up at Despayre who was leaning forward at the waist, hugging the hump and nuzzling the camel's fine fur. His gray eyes peeked over the hump and twinkled with good natured mischief.
Gabriel looked to his wife and sighed, "He's not going to ever let us forget that, is he?"
Odette merely shook her head in the negative and silently mouthed "No.".
It was later in the day, and finally time for the tour they had each in turn been waiting for -- again, except for Rage. Despayre had whined quite considerably about having to leave 'his' camel but he was promised one more ride after this special tour had concluded. Despayre, like many who came before him, had wanted to climb up the pyramid on the outside, just for fun, but he had been stopped by his father before he made the attempt, and informed that doing so was quite illegal now -- for him as well as Angel. Despayre just frowned but accepted this, quite unused to being told the word 'no'.
The tour itself had started when the line of people, Despayre right at the forefront with Angel in is arms and his father directly behind him with his hands securely on his son's shoulders so as the better to keep track of him.
They moved beyond a wooden frame and up a set of steep, stone stairs that were almost vertical as they rose to the vast interior of the Great Pyramid. Despayre wisely used his hands and feet to better climb, with Angel secured piggy back, as those behind him steeped with bended knee carefully up the rise.
"My knees are never going to be the same." Synn said, then added, "One word out of you Gabriel about Shipman and I'll seal you inside of a sarcophagus myself!"
Once they finished their initial ascent, they arrived inside of what was known as the Grand Gallery that seemed to span on endlessly both in length as well as height, the walls in an almost triangular and saw-like pattern. The miracle workings of the ancients was perhaps no more evident than in this very chamber as the tour guide informed the group, quietly, that this chamber was built to reflect sound, and as a demonstration, he breathed closely toward the wall and the soft hum vibrated throughout and grew louder as it went on.
Despayre watched him closely, then looked at the wall, but whatever he had in mind was halted by his father with a silent hake of the head, and thus the tour went on.
Next came a chamber where lied a stone sarcophagus, empty, and a select few members of the tour group were allowed to climb inside and compare the fit of whom would have spent the afterlife in this stone crypt as compared to their own body. Only two of the invited were willing, and Despayre himself whimpered and moved behind his dad, refusing to watch. His own ordeal almost two years ago when he had been locked inside of a coffin during a haunted House encounter still haunted him to this day.
From there on, things almost took a turn for the worse as they entered the small, narrow passage that would take them to the Queen's Chamber. This stone tunnel, solid limestone, smoothed over and barely three feet high, had to be maneuvered through on the hands and knees, or when bent at the waist. Seeing this and halfway through, Despayre suddenly froze and started to gulp in the oxygen.
"Joshua?" Synn spoke up in concern, and the effects of the narrow tunnel had started to work on his son's fragile mental psyche.
"Is he okay?" Odette asked from further back, and Synn moved closer but the narrowness of the corridor made it difficult for him to do so. A light sheen of perspiration glistened on Despayre's fair skin and he closed his eyes tightly and shook his head.
"I don't like this." He whimpered. "I want out. I want to leave!"
"We are almost finished, Joshua." Synn whispered, his large hand massaging Despayre's shoulder in an effort to calm him.
"is something wrong?" The tour guide backed up to ask and Synn addressed him.
"He's having some trouble with the tunnel's narrow walls." Synn explained. "He wants to leave and it might be best if I get him out of here."
"Not to worry." The guide assured him. "The Queen's Tunnel chamber ends and connects with the main entrance. If he can last a few feet more, the tour will be almost at an end."
"Joshua? You hear that?" Gabriel whispered. "Can you do it?"
Despayre drew in a deep breath and shuddered, but without verbally answering, he clenched his eyes shut as tightly as he could and hurriedly crawled forward, wanting nothing more than to be out of that narrow tunnel.
And indeed it was as the guide promised, and after almost four hours inside the last of the Seven Wonders, the tour group arrived in the same passage where they had climbed up at the very beginning, and they started their way down, Despayre moving as quickly as he could in order to get outside.
Once outside and in the fresh air, they moved around to breathe in the air and note that the day had moved on and the sun was just beginning to set across the horizon.
"Despy?" Gabriel approached him as the little guy's eyes fell upon a mummy on display with armed guards nearby. "You going to be okay?"
Despayre, his eyes never leaving the mummy, fixated with a fascination, nibbled on his fingertip and nodded. He then took a few steps closer toward the mummy, but wisely kept a respectful distance away from it. The group watched him as he reached into his (Angel's) fanny pack and pulled out a small, paperback copy of the fabled Book of the Dead, a little souvenir Gabriel had bought him at the start of their stay in Cairo.
"Christ..." Rage muttered. "Is he really going to try to...?"
"Don't spoil his fun." Odette spoke up, reprimanding the big man. "Besides, Gabriel was the one who encouRaged him to give it a try."
Rage turned and looked at his comrade, the 'Sin of Greed', and shook his head. Gabriel just smiled and shrugged with an indifferent innocence.
"What?" He asked. "What harm ever came from reading a book?" And he turned back to watch as Despayre looked between Angel and the pages of the book, mouthing words silently and correcting himself.
"You never saw that Brendan Frasier movie, have you?" Was Rage's only reply.
"Did he write notes in the margins of the book?" Odette asked, standing on her tip toes to try and get a better look.
"Looks like." Gabriel said. "Wonder why."
"I'm assuming Angel made some corrections to the Egyptians' work." Synn stated with a coy smirk.
They then turned their attentions back as Despayre let out an audible huff and snapped the book closed and flopped back over to their side.
"What's the matter Despy?" Odette cooed. "It didn't work?"
"No!" Despayre moped. "I think Angel got his wires crossed or something!"
"Well, you tried." Gabriel moved up and draped an arm around Despayre's slim shoulders. "That's what counts."
"I guess." Despayre sighed, then he glanced up and his face lit up with a fresh smile as he saw 'his' camel waiting with the man who had rented it holding onto the harness.
"Go on." Synn said. "One more ride before we go."
Despayre let out a 'woop' of excitement and raced over toward the camel, and the others picked up the pace to catch up.
Back behind them, the guards beside the mummy, kept a close eye on their surroundings, watching both tourist and archeological worker alike. neither saw the ancient, withered hand slowly rise to touch their shoulder...
"I have to admit that I had reservations before this tour of Africa first started, but the more things happen, the more I believe we made the right decision in taking part. Last week was evident enough, when Joshua Acquin and Lucian Frost decided to open their mouths and make the mistake of being themselves. Acting as they did, they made a big enough mistake in insulting Big B and Despayre, but insulting Angel?"
"Tsk tsk, gentlemen, I would have thought even men with as limited an IQ as you have would have known better."
"But that is neither here nor there. Despayre and Big B are not scheduled to oppose the Tag team Champions, at least, not yet. That will come in time. No, for now the two young men known collectively as Bosom Buddies are set to take on the former champion, Jon Dough, and his brand new partner, Connor Murphy."
"I have to wonder, what is it about Jon Dough that seems to cause people to leave his side with such regularity. For Frost to leave his side and align himself instead with Joshua Acquin, rather than continue on with his current reign with Jon seems off, to say the very least. It makes one think of the old adage, 'Where there's smoke, there's fire.' So there must indeed be a reasoning behind someone turning their back on Jon. Still, I have to admit that he perhaps has found for himself the ideal partner in Connor, and wisely aligned himself with NXT, a team preordained to rise from the ashes like a phoenix, only in this instance, the phoenix is threatened to burn once again."
"Joining NXT was wise. I once saw that team as the only that could even come close to holding a candle to the Seven Sins, but it remains to be seen if a past such as that can be corrected and returned. This is not the NXT of old that boasted such fine established talents as Jordan Williams and Ben Jordan, but it has become something of a newer establishment, with newer talent hat has yet to be entirely revealed."
"So be it."
"If the Powers That Be wish to test the mettle of Despayre and Big B, one of the fastest rising tandems in the current tag team division, against NXT to see where they stand, then that is fine. If the Higher Ups wish to build the core of the tag team division up and base it around such tams as the Bosom Buddies, Guns Fore Hire, and whatever Jon and Connor will refer to themselves as, then we welcome it. The tag tam division can only benefit from the strain of such combinations opposing one another, each eager for the victory to prove themselves the better and move on to eventually claim the gold that is around the waists of two fools with an inflated sense of self importance."
"Jon Dough, you have been through a great deal in the past number of weeks, and I almost feel sorry for what is about to occur on Sunday in Cairo. Almost. I have no qualms at all in encouraging Despayre and Big B to fight hard and use you and your new partner as a stepping stone to bigger and better things, so that they might rise to the pinnacle where they belong."
"And you, Connor. Your aspirations toward the Roulette title not withstanding, this weekend you find yourself in unfamiliar territory as you step a situation where not only do you have to depend on a second man, but they find themselves having to depend on you as well. It;s not as settling a thought as you might perceive, Connor. Where the Bosom Buddies will have the edge in experience and friendship, the same can not be said for yourself and Jon. This weekend, you will take two steps forward, yet one step back in your lofty goals, and Despayre and Big B will edge that much closer toward their inevitable destiny."
"You two will simply find yourselves in the back seat, with an uncertain future being all that is laid out before you. Don't mistake the pleasant personalities of either Despayre or Big B once that opening bell rings. Not unless, of course, you want your aspirations to lie buried in the sands of Cairo, along with everything else that has been forgotten over the centuries."</color>[CODE]
