Participants:
| Scene Title | Have Faith |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Ethan catches up with Munin in Central Park. |
| Date | October 29, 2008 |
Central Park has been, and remains, a key attraction in New York City, both for tourists and local residents. Though slightly smaller, approximately 100 acres at its southern end scarred by and still recovering from the explosion, the vast northern regions of the park remain intact.
An array of paths and tracks wind their way through stands of trees and swathes of grass, frequented by joggers, bikers, dog-walkers, and horsemen alike. Flowerbeds, tended gardens, and sheltered conservatories provide a wide array of colorful plants; the sheer size of the park, along with a designated wildlife sanctuary add a wide variety of fauna to the park's visitor list. Several ponds and lakes, as well as the massive Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, break up the expanses of green and growing things. There are roads, for those who prefer to drive through; numerous playgrounds for children dot the landscape.
It's been a long night. And Ethan has been a busy boy. But now, he's set to cleaning up messes. He's looked in a few places, but now he has come to a park. Where does a bird girl go when she has no place to go? A place where there are birds, most likely. So Ethan has taken to Central Park. It's very late night. The Wolf is prowling in the park, a small flashlight in his hand as he looks around. He is dressed in a red sweatshirt, with a hood over his head, and a brown leather jacket over it. The man is on the hunt, there is a situation and he's going to rectify it even if it takes all night.
Birds don't often take wing at night, and neither does Munin. If today had been like any other day, she'd be curled up on Ethan's couch back at Dorchester Towers, her small body wrapped snugly in fleece blankets. Instead, she sits on one of the memorial benches at the edge of Turtle Pond, wide awake with only her pea coat and scarf to protect her against the evening chill. Seated on the back of the bench is a large black raven, its feathers ruffled in a manner that makes it appear even bigger than it really is. The bird notices Ethan before Munin does, and lets out a low croak to herald his arrival.
"'Ey Bran." Ethan says in greeting to the raven as he nears the bench. The flashlight is clicked off. Taking a deep breath, the Wolf exhales a lot of steam. The wolf moves to the bench, "Mind if I sit?" Ethan asks softly of the woman, giving her a polite look.
Bran side-steps, making room for Ethan on the bench without waiting for a yea or nay from Munin. He's familiar enough with Big Man to know he means the Little One no harm. "It's a free country," Munin responds, her voice soft, subdued, "or so everyone here keeps telling me."
Taking a seat next to the woman, he places hs elbows on his thighs and clasps his hands together between his knees. "We made quite a mess back there, Muni." The older Brit says lowly, meaning both physically and metaphorically.
Munin turns her head just enough to get a better look at Ethan and, more importantly, the expression he wears on his face. She can only see so much in her peripheral vision. "I'm not mad at you anymore," she says, and the lack of ferocity in her eyes suggests she's telling the truth. This isn't the same woman who stormed out of the apartment several hours ago. Now that she's had some time to reflect on what happened, her anger has been replaced by what sounds like sorrow. "I just wanted to be alone for a little while. That's all." Or at least as alone as she can be in a city populated by thousands upon thousands of feathery friends.
"Gabriel's with us now. He says 'ello." Ethan says softly in response. A small gift he tries to give her. Leaning back on the bench, Ethan lifts his arm and slowly, if she lets her drapes it around her shoulders. "Muni. You may be having second thoughts.. A crisis of conscience. But you have to trust me when I say, as long as you stay by my side, I will always protect you." The Wolf says to her quietly. We are your family Munin. You are my family." The man says trying to impress it into her. "Your home is with us. Do you believe that?"
Munin is silent for what feels like, at least to her, a very long time but can't be more than a few moments. When she speaks again, the volume of her words is louder than it was before. Stronger. "I know that," she says. "You an' Amato, Elias an' Wu-Long — even Sierra. You're all I got. I never wanted you to think I was ungrateful for what you done, but ever since Kazimir brought in that new fella? Adam Monroe. The way he talked down to us that night. The things he said…"
Ethan attempts to pull the young woman in to him close, trying to comfort her it seems. He listens to her fully and nods when she speaks. He doesn't respond immediately, he mulls over her words, making it look like at least he is pondering what she says. "The boss always speaks like 'e's from a fuckin' riddle book. What's the problem?"
"What if he stops seeing me as something useful?" Munin asks, reaching over to place one of her small hands on Ethan's much larger one as he pulls her against him. "What if he recruits someone who can do the same things as me, only better? You seen the news. We all seen it. He's not just going after the dangerous ones anymore. He's going after innocents. Children too little to do wrong. One of these days, I won't be an asset anymore, an' then—" Munin can't bring herself to finish that sentence. She doesn't even want to think about the implications.
And then, Ethan will be behind her pulling the trigger. He finishes her thought in his head. He makes no motion to betray this thought, but it has run in his mind. Though he prefers not to think about it. Giving her hand a gentle squeeze, he looks over to her and visibly softens his features for her. ""e's makin a utopia. Makin' it safe for everyone. Makin' the world a better place. Sometimes.. it may not seem like it. But what has to be done, has to be done. He will not kill you Munin, you are his people. No one would work for the man if he had intentions of killing them all once they're done with the work. He's keeping around the faithful, the loyal." Ethan says assuringly. Bringing up the arm that is around her shoulders, he places his hand on her head and tries to ease it onto his shoulder. "When I was just a kid.. I killed my uncle. They say it was an accident.. But I killed him." The man confides, looking at something far away. "I killed him because he beat my cousins, and my aunt. He beat them so severely.. If he was still around they'd surely be dead. No one would go to the police, and no one would believe me. I had to do something wrong.. to make something right."
Ethan's experiences as a child are something that Munin herself can relate to. She remains silent, stoic as he tells her his story, saying nothing. Only after he arrives at his conclusion does she allow a small, sad sort of smile to touch the corners of her pale mouth. "How do you know Kazimir isn't like your uncle?" she asks. "How do you know he isn't the one who's a danger to everyone around him? There's no such thing as a utopia, Ethan. Not in real life, anyway. The closest you'll ever come to one is listening to Amato preach the glory of Heaven — an' even that's fiction, innit?"
Lowering his head for a moment, Ethan glances up to her, matching her sad smile. "I guess that's faith then." He shakes his head with a shrug. "For all Amato's fuckin' blabbering, there's probably one thing. We've got to 'ave faith. I don't know what's gonna 'appen Munin." He gives her hand a squeeze. "But I'd like you to be with me, when I find out. How d'you feel 'bout that, Princess?" He asks, giving her another look.
Munin nods as she turns her head, burying her face against Ethan's shoulder and giving his hand another squeeze in return. Faith is still such a foreign concept, even after all the years she's spent hiding in Amato's shadow. If it weren't for the man sitting beside her and the fingers interlaced with her own, she'd have a hard time justifying the next two words that come out of her mouth. "I'll stay."
"Let's get you home kiddo." Ethan murmurs into her ear. He looks over to Bran and gives him a wink before slowly standing, half picking up the woman next to him. No need to report this to Kazimir. Just a dinner a few of them had together. Nothing went wrong, no one ran away. No problems at all. He keeps his hand in hers and plants a kiss on the top of her head once they are standing. Then, he will usher the young woman back to his apartment.
 October 29th: Between Devils |
Previously in this storyline… Next in this storyline… |
 October 29th: Honeysuckle |