discedo_ooc | scientists' POV - holden and lolita

"That's not mistletoe."

So Lolita had found the surprise lurking in the doorway. Holden didn't look up from his work, clicking through a few applications. Minimizing something; was it the same file that she had tried, unsuccessfully, to access? "Then I suppose you'll have to educate Green on the subject."

"She would not have hung a venus fly trap from the ceiling, mister Holden."

"Ah. That." A pause. "It's a nice touch, all the same. Very different." Lolita was silent in response; she had never seen him this way. It was almost...cheerful, though perhaps not quite. Manic, in a way; he hadn't stopped working in hours. Days, perhaps. It was always like this between them, long silence and meaningless words. There was much to discuss: the strange transmissions, Green's health...

Somehow she couldn't. She remained, even now, distant and cautious of this strange man.

It was a while before she spoke again.

"You've been quite generous with gifts, it seems." He looked up then from the keyboard he had been using, eyes on her for a moment, eyebrows lifted.

"Ho ho ho."

"'Tis the season, I suppose?" He didn't answer, going back to his work. She took a step closer. "...What are you doing?" He pressed a button; a video screen flickered to life, projecting a blank screen.

"Getting into the holiday spirit," he said with a humorless smile. These motions were meaningless, something to pass the time. Something to satisfy curiosity -- both his and hers. He continued typing, paused, pressed another button. The video screen began projecting an image.

Somewhere in the city, a video post began recording on its own.