Participants:
| Scene Title | Another Year Alive |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Watching the New Year roll in without Times Square. |
| Date | Dec 31, 2010 |
Elisabeth's Apartment, Dorchester Towers
The curfew in effect as it is means that Times Square is not brimming over with people this New Year's night… nor has it been in four years. Elisabeth has the television turned on to one of the main stations, which instead of broadcasting the ball dropping in Times Square is covering Washington DC's and Boston's celebrations. She'd originally planned on being at the Factory tonight, but instead she signed out and headed for her apartment with her ever-present pager and cell phone. Curled up on the couch with a glass of wine in her hand, the bottle on the floor at her feet, the blonde is settled in. Her expression is thoughtful as she sips from the glass — not distressed or pensive, just lost in her own musings.
"It's kind've sad, isn't it?" A quiet statement from the door as Cardinal walks into the living room without opening the door; his own gaze pensive as it lingers on the television for a few moments, "It's always been Times Square for as long as I can remember, and now… well." A snort of breath, "Heil Petrelli, I suppose, although I wonder if even he's got a hold of the reins any more."
He's dressed— casually. Jeans, a t-shirt, jacket draped over them. Not for business of either type, tonight.
She jumps just a bit, but the soft smile that quirks the corners of her lips as she turns to look over her shoulder at him is welcoming. "It'll be back," Elisabeth replies with certainty. "New Yorkers never give in." She's wearing a pair of comfortable slacks and a 3/4-sleeved pullover with a pair of slippers. Clearly not intending on going anywhere tonight unless required. Blue eyes study him a moment and she asks softly, "How are you, love?"
"I've been better," admits Cardinal with a shake of his head; shrugging off his jacket, he drapes it over the counter near the kitchen before walking over towards the couch, "I could be worse, though, so hey— that's something. How're you doing?" It's onto the couch beside her that he drops himself, looking back at the television for a moment before snorting, "Boston. Jesus."
Elisabeth laughs softly. "Indeed. Boston." The derision in her tone is clear, and only a born-and-bred New Yorker can say it with such acid. Because we all know that nowhere else in the world is quite as good as New York. She offers her wine glass as he sits down, shifting her knees to the other side so that she can lean her head on his shoulder later. "Want some?" The offer holds no ulterior motive — she simply doesn't feel like getting up to get another glass.
Cardinal's arm slides along the back of the couch, brushing against her shoulders as she settles in beside him. A faint smile quirks to his lips as he reaches over to accept the glass, murmuring, "Thanks…" A sip's taken, his eyes closing briefly, "So how's everything going with you?"
To tell him or not to tell him? Elisabeth shrugs slightly and opts to leave him, for now, in the dark about things he can neither address nor fix. "Could be better," she opts to admit softly. "I'd thought 2009 was rough," she smirks ruefully. "2010 has been something of a bear too. But you know what? It's a whole new year in a brave new world… " She trails off and then says, "And I'm going to take it as hopeful that the world's still here and that we're still here." She looks up at him and busses his cheek lightly. "Taking pleasure in the small things."
"This coming year's going to be the one for all the marbles, I think…" Cardinal closes his eyes, leaning in against the brush of her lips briefly, "…one way or another. It won't be an end, no, but I think that what we do this year… is gonna matter most of all. A brave new world indeed."
There's a soft sigh as Elisabeth rests companionably against him, stealing back her glass to take a sip from it. "I read something once… it was a guy — I can't remember who — and he said, 'Live each day as if it were your last. The past is over and gone. The future is not guaranteed.'" She rests her forehead lightly on his jaw. "Precogs can see what's coming at us if we remain on the path we're on. Probabiliy manipulators like Edward Ray can see what might come for us based on the variables they know about. The thing is? People are variables in and of themselves. I think the mistake Dick has made is to forget that sometimes…. taking the road less taken makes all the difference. If we're always reacting to a future we're afraid of, we're doing no one any good. We need to go back to acting — making the best decisions we can based on the now, not the what-if. I think that's where we tripped."
Cardinal surrenders the glass, his fingers rubbing against the side of his face as he looks to the television; not really seeing it, but it's a convenient place to rest his eyes as he works through the conversation. His cheek rests on the top of her head as he murmurs quietly, "I think he's given up acting altogether. This year… this year I'm going to move that mountain, finally. One way or another. And then— then it'll really be a new frontier. New chances."
She smiles, propping the glass on her leg while she listens to him. "I agree," Elisabeth says quietly. "He's become afraid of the future; he'd rather have the evil he knows than the one that might be out there. I was sitting here thinking before you came in that… 2010 was always going to be a dark year. And 2011 began as one too, from what I understand. And then certain people were freed from Moab and the tide started turning. The Columbia 14 was a pivotal event sometime in the spring, if I remember right. So…. you're right. This year will be for all the marbles in some ways. Because we created the mountain that needs to be moved with our own reactions to a future that was coming. Now it's time to blow it to smithereens."
Liz adds softly, "And I still think I'm probably your ace in the hole with that. A wild card."
"No…" Cardinal's head tilts back, and he closes his eyes, saying quietly, "…the world is. Pretty soon we're going to find out if the people've the world still have the heart to take the world back, or if they're just going to sit and let it burn. Because if we can't get the people behind us… there isn't any hope at all."
Elisabeth moves to set her wine glass back over on the coffee table and returns to her position curled into his side. Her free hand reaches up then to stroke his face. "Faith, lover. You are taking the road less traveled. At this particular moment, I'm living on the road less traveled. Have a little faith, okay?" She won't tempt Fate by saying the can't make it worse, but…. there's only so far down that one can go before they have to start bouncing back because the world generally exists in balance. And we're nearing rock bottom if you ask her. She rests her head in the curve of his neck, her attention drawn for a moment by the Talking Heads in Washington commenting on the celebrations out on the Mall and the fireworks display that is expected. She grins a little. "You ever been down in Times Square when the ball drops?" she asks.
"Mnm." A noncommital sound regarding faith which he seems to have in short supply at the moment. Or perhaps he's just trying to pretend he doesn't. Would he be risking everything on it if he truly didn't believe it'd work? Cardinal watches the television personalities chatter on, murmuring, "Yeah. A couple've times. Usually get a better view from the rooftops."
"Oh, I bet you do," Elisabeth says with a chuckle. "It's not quite the same this year, but I remember the last time I was down there was 2005. And there was this sense of… hope." Her hand slips down to his chest and she simply hugs him. "My New Year's wish for you, Richard Cardinal, is for you to remember the beauty. To take a moment now and then to remember what you saw behind the lens of a camera in a sunset few other people had the opportunity to see." His box of pictures, the ones she found after he 'died.'
"You know, I don't even have a camera anymore?" A wistful note to Cardinal's words as he looks down at her, "I haven't even been able to tend my gardens. They're probably all dead by now, honestly, if they haven't grown wild or anything…"
"Well…. see, now I know what to give you for your birthday," Elisabeth murmurs with a smile. "And if you wanted, when it warms up, I could help you replant," she offers softly. "At least the ones I'd be able to get to, since I know you have a habit of putting them in less-than-corporeally accessible locations." The gentle hint of a tease.
"That's half the fun." A grin crooks to Cardinal's lips, and then he looks back to the television, "How's your dad doing?"
"He's doing all right," Elisabeth replies, laying her head back down to watch with him. Midnight is fast approaching and there's a band on the Mall gearing up to play when the fireworks take off over the Washington Monument. "His girlfriend convinced him to take her on one of those New Year's cruises, so they flew out yesterday to spend the New Year somewhere in the Caribbean, I think. It's nice to see him enjoying himself. My mom would approve."
"A girlfriend?" Cardinal's brows lift just a little in surprise… and then he nods a bit, looking back to the band, his fingers absently brushing along the side of her neck as he murmurs, "That sounds nice. I miss the yacht, sometimes."
She grins. "Well, …. I don't know what else to call her. His friend with benefits seems disrespectful!" Elisabeth laughs. "He's been hanging out with one of the ladies that he and my mom used to socialize with. My mom always thought pretty highly of her, so…. I think she'd approve." She goes quiet with his comment and then chuckles. "You do realize with the income that you technically take home from the contracts Redbird brings in, you could buy yourself a boat. Probably pretty soon here." The business is not hurting. It's not making him a millionaire, but it's definitely not hurting.
"I haven't the faintest idea how to pilot a boat," Cardinal admits, rubbing his jaw a little in consideration of the matter, "Bebe always piloted it… or Allen. I suppose I could take lessons. It never looked that hard."
"I'm pretty sure I can't help you there," Elisabeth admits with a smile. "I've been on a couple, but never tried to drive one or anything." She points as the last one-minute countdown pops up. "Check it out, love… we made it."
"Another year alive…" Cardinal shifts a bit to turn towards her, looking down with a faint and crooked smile, "…let's hope we make it at least one more, hm?"
Elisabeth looks up and grins, leaning up to kiss him very softly. "Happy New Year, Richard."
The kiss is returned softly, lingeringly, and as it breaks Cardinal murmurs back to her lips, "Happy New Year, Elisabeth."