Thread: The Gift. (Attention: Emma 12-18-09)

30 minutes pass with no reply when Emma finally walks into the bar. Wearing a simple black dress, pearls and heels (http://www.theansweris12.com/elvisreallyrocks4/cnb.jpg) red hair in a bun save for two long bangs hanging down and framing her face.

Walking over to Constantino folds her hands (which are holding a matching black hand-held purse) in front of her and draws a long slow breath before saying, "You said a night on the town... I hope you didn't mean working because... I'm not really dressed for it."

Constantino will note that the small heart shaped locket that is usually around her neck is missing tonight.

Constantino smiles as she enters. The second time he has seen her in a dress, its a good thing the cold doesn't affect vampires.

"I can see that!" exclaims Tino. "Looks like you've been out with Renata and Sophia, spending all of my money."

Returning to a more serious look he continues. "But you do look wonderful tonight. So if you are ready, your carriage awaits."

A horse drawn carriage popular for christmas sight seeing in major cities, pulls up just outside and behind the limo. Tino slides a hundred across the bar to tender who is now on the phone asking someone to come into work tonight. Constantino will slip off his long-coat and drape it over Emma's shoulders to keep up appearances as they head for the door, assuming she is ready to leave.

Emma watches Constantino drop the hundred on the bar and her eyes widen. "You don't need to do that..." She says softly as they leave, she clearly meant to continue on about why but she sees the carriage and stares at it for a moment, unmoving as he puts his coat around her to 'keep her warm.'

She turns to him, supernaturally green eyes probing his as if searching for some hidden answer to this situation. Her head tilts to the side slightly and she blinks. He will make note of the blinking because up until that moment she hadn't since walking into the building.

"Thank you." she whispers looking downward. Her long pale fingers wrap around his hand as he helps her into the carriage. Tiny snowflakes fall gently as they sit down and the Brujah looks up.

Settling back against the seat she brings her eyes back down to her companion and pulls his coat tight around her shoulders, seeming to sink into it as she does.

"I bought the dress for a special occasion that never happened..." she hesitates and adds, "a lifetime ago. Figured that a man asking me out for a night on the town for the first time in ... well, a very long time, was a good enough reason to wear it."

As she stands and looks at him before getting into the carriage, Tino has a cocky confident smile. "Something tells me you never thought you'd see the day that I wasn't engulfed in my business?"

He helps her up and lets her be seated before turning to get the complimentary hot cocoa. Handing her a mug and taking a seat himself he checks his watch. "Your gift will be ready in one hour. Jacques here, is going to give us a tour of downtown and promises we will see things in a different perspective for tonight." The carriage starts off and the limo follows a few meters back with its flashers on. The gently clickety-clack of the horseshoes juts out over the background noise of the city. Tino leans his head back and stares up at the lights on the surrounding buildings. Turning to look at Emma he begins to speak and hesitates for a moment before finally looking back up at the lights.

After a few more moments, he says what he started earlier. "I think your Uncle Quinn assumes I'm up to something. I asked him a question before you arrived and he just looked at me like I was mad." Tino chuckles slightly. "That's why I had to tip him so well, he obviously thinks I'm up to no good," he smiles wryly. "But he still did what I asked. He's a good man, I look forward to dining and drinking with him."

"Uncle Quinn is a busy body who thinks you're either using me and or I'm sweet on you. His wife told me as much. I've told him to butt out but he's never been very good at listening when it comes to what he thinks will make his family safe or happy. He's very bull headed but his heart is in the right place."

Looking into the street, Emma's eyes track the holiday lights with a vaccant expression. "I'm glad he can't really understand what it is I'm going through. He would have killed me by now, I'm sure." She blinks again.

"It's kinda pretty... like a snowglobe I use to have as a little girl. Thomas and I broke it when we had a fight one afternoon and I cried for a week." Emma sounds as though she could be talking about the dow jones for all the emotion she puts into her words.

Constantino looks at Emma the whole time she speaks, studying the movements and tone of her voice. Its too late...No! Dammit! ...maybe its not, it took drastic measures to pull me back from the brink. Maybe this will do the trick. Glancing to the side he notices the carriage pulling off to the side in front of the newly acquired lot.

"This is where we get off, my lady." Tino smiles again hoping to lighten the mood just a bit before he attempts to tug at her heart strings. Exiting the carriage first he will turn and help her down before tipping the coachman with another hundred. Constantino holds out an arm for her as the carriage pulls away. The driver of the limo that trailed them all the way here exits his car and stands to the side waiting for his signal. The sounds of carolers can be heard in the distance and drawing ever closer.

Constantino leads her down the path to the center of the lot where an eight foot tall object is covered by a large silk drape. Tino nods to the driver of his car and the man moves around to behind the object as the carolers draw even closer. If she listens closely a familiar voice or two may be picked out of the crowd.

Turning again to face Emma, his face is sympathetic. "I hope this gift does what I intend. Its a risk for me, not knowing how you will react. I never take risks unless the payoff far excedes the loss. And seeing as you are not wearing your locket tonight, I'm sure this is a risk I have to take... I've told you before that I can't thank you enough for what you... and your family..." The carolers move in around them, but stay a safe distance away as to not crowd the two. Emma can note in their hand held candle light that they are her family from Slugger's. Rose, Gallaway, and Uncle Quinn lead them. The song is "Hark, the herald Angels." Constantino nods to the man behind the object again. "...do for this city. I believe it is time, that people remember. Merry Christmas, Emma."

The drape is pulled back and the statue and stone base is revealed. The names of officers from the Lamar Police Department are carved in the stone beneath the life sized statue of a former Officer, the one Emma is most familiar with. There is a small font at his feet and Constantino steps forward producing a butane lighter and sets the eternal flame to life, before turning back to see Emma's reaction.

Emma walked coldly up to the statue, looking up to his lifeless stone eyes and stared. Her silent thoughts her own as the snow flakes fluttered down onto the dark shoulders of Constantino’s coat. After a full minute and ½, she collapses to her knees, her head hung in shame.
　
Squeezing her eyes shut tightly, she buries her face into her hands. Quinn, wisely, leads the carolers away, giving Constantine a meaningful look before he goes. Another minute passes in silence and is broken when Emma questions, “How can I fight what I am … fight my own blood for Christ‘s sake? She’s right… I can’t do this forever.” she looks to Constantino, red tears glazing over her emerald eyes.
　
“My world is gone and this is all I have left.” she motions to the statue accusingly. “Cold, emotionless stone!” Her bitter words slicing the peace of the night like a knife, a single red tear leaks down her alabaster cheek, thankfully too far from the street or any building to be easily seen by a passerby.
　
Dropping her voice so not to be heard by anyone but Constantino she continues, “A record of events… that’s what they’ll think of me in the future … if they think about me at all. Just like her, only useful to them because of her mysterious power and what she can remember but nothing else. This,” she motions to the statue. “… it’s my fate and here I am crying like a kid and why the fuck should I? Why should I cry for any of it?” Passion rises in her tone again, “I didn’t REALLY know Alex Stone … a simple action made him similar to my brother but for all I know he was as much a monster as anyone. And Cicero? I bet he would have turned on me as easily as any other kindred even though I BEGGED her to talk to him, to trust him as I did… to let him come to the farm and learn the truth despite the fact that he was old enough that his sire was possibly one of her ACTUAL enemies and LOOK how that ended!” she grits her teeth and shakes her head, casting aside the thoughts that build so much rage in her.
　
“You know what? Fuck Cicero… fuck all of them.” She shakes her head. “In the end they’ll do what they have to, just like you and me and I’ll be here still, unaffected by any of it… no matter what I do or what’s done to me … life, death,” She swallows hard and chokes the word out as she looks at her dress, “…or love.”
　
The wind begins to take on a bit of harsher edge and the city seems eerily quiet, even in the lands of the dead, as she asks, “Why should I want to hurt, Tino?” She seems to forget formality utterly, speaking the nickname she has heard only his family use. “I’m alone.” The solemn and hopeless statement seems to echo even in the lands of the dead.
　
“No one left to care about who I know won‘t turn on me if the situation was right, no one to love or to love me in return.” She looks up to Constantino, “Everything dies, fades away… you know that better than anyone.” she wets her lip as her chest shudders with an unreleased sigh. “Why the hell shouldn’t I want to never, ever, feel anything ever again when all that’s left is ...” she shakes her head, her mouth slightly agape, like a child asking for some sort of answer… desperate for one.
　
“She’s right Tino. The world is ashes.” she looks up to her father. “What’s the point of remembering how love or laughter felt when you live every night without it? Maybe it’s just better to remember that there was love… and never be forced to feel what it means to live without it.”
　

Constantino closes his eyes and bows his head as she collapses to the ground. Looking back up and over to Quinn, he shakes his head, and mouths "I'm sorry" silently to the crowd being ushered away. He motions to his ghoul to get back in the car before turning his attention back to the woman on the ground. I failed. How the hell did that happen? I pulled out the emotion, but failed to reach the mind...so far...

Tino reaches into his pocket producing a red handkerchief, expecting it would be needed, but hoping it was tears of joythat would need to be wiped away. Sitting down on the ground beside her as she carries on. He loops an arm around her shoulder and pulls her closer to him. Constantino holds the handkerchief loosely in case she wishes to use it, he doesn't say a word. He doesn't interrupt, just listens and sits beside her. That Stone fellow sure effected a lot of people. Cicero, moved far too quickly, patience could have helped him. ...Nobody wants to hurt, but its the only way to stay connected. ...you are not alone. His mind searches for the answer. There!

"That is where she is wrong. The world is not 'ashes.' The world only forgets the ones who let it." Constantino forces a sigh. "I felt like you do now when I first came here. You remember the first time we met, you had that fire in your heart, and I just sat there and looked at you with an arrogant smile. It was the only thing that gave me any sort of direction, the game, a move here, a lie there, someone calling me a prick." He pauses and smiles a bit to see if she caught the playful jab. "But at the end of the day, it just didn't matter...I'd continue and wait for the next little facet of the game to play. And then I started seeing how my mood, my callous acts, my embrace of death, effected those around me. Kirsi was panicked, Cici was scared, and Emelia..." He closes his eyes and pauses. "...Emelia was in pieces." She doesn't know Emelia. He stops again, realizing that although she knows that little rumor of the families incestuous nature to be true, Tino never explained how it effected him. The silence lingers for a couple of minutes before he continues.

"I don't pretend to have all of the answers, Emma. Obviously I couldn't answer this question." Tino gestures at the statue. "But I do know what I see. Its not a matter of nature, its a matter of souls. If you look at anyone who has passed on, in the next life, they cling to their feelings, their memories. They have to just to survive. The feelings may hurt, they may be painful at times, but the point is...they still feel. And then there are those who give up on the feelings, the ones who find it too difficult to hurt, even for a moment. The moment they quit on those memories and feelings, they are consumed. From that point on its a one way path, and at the end of the road lies nothing."

"I can't tell you why, that's one of the answers I can't find. I can't make you feel, I can't find you love...hell I can't even find my own right now. But I can tell you, that once you stop looking...there is nothing left."