Snow had fallen, snow on snow

[Christine Daye]

Smiling happily, Christine leads Helen out of the parlour and up some back stairs hidden behind the panelling in the corridor. The stairs come out at the upper balcony, commonly known as the Gods.

This far up, the stage seems very far away, even though it's hidden behind its thick, red velvet curtain. But this is not the final destination. Christine leads onwards, through another door by the side of the stage, into the gloom of the backstage areas.

The balcony is sturdy enough, but the walls are covered with tied off bits of rope, the other ends of which hold up lights and counterweights for scenery.

But this still isn't their final destination. Right against the back wall of the stage is a metal ladder, bolted to the wall. Christine climbs it unhesitatingly, up to the platform that is the highest point on the stage.

From there, one can see the entirety of the stage, and, if the curtains weren't closed, the whole of the auditorium. The platform sways alarmingly as Christine steps onto it, spreads her arms wide, and laughs.

"Here!" she says. "Behold, all the kingdoms of the world!"

[annabelle]

Helen follows Christine curiously. She doesn’t seem to care or pay attention to the unstable platform or the height. She just stares and her gaze darkens.

You have a purpose Christine…something meaningful to wake you up each night…do you know how precious this is? How lucky you are?”

Her gaze focused on Christine’s kingdom and the shadow gets replaced by happiness. Happiness for Christine. Happiness for her own newfound purpose regardless of her pain. Pain was an emotion and emotions were welcomed regardless of their nature.

“Will you sing to me…? Just one song…please…” she asks with hope.

[Christine Daye]

Christine beams with pleasure.

She has no idea where the music comes from. It bubbles up from the deepest part of her soul, raw and aching and desperate and fierce.

She sings:

"I got one hand on the bottle, and one foot in the grave
It's been too long since I stepped, but I, I, I ain't got time to waste
Three long days, boy you'd better break
When that light shines on you
Gonna want to stay forever and a day, but it's the night I belong to
Well the clock keeps ticking, and your time is running out
Well the clock keeps ticking, and your time is running, running, running, running

So, I'm gonna live my life like it's my last damn night
'Cause when the clock strikes twelve, we're all gonna go to hell
Said I'm gonna live my life like it's my last damn night
I'm gonna live my life like it's my last damn night

Well I'm five seconds closer to living six feet deep
There's seven steps to heaven, but that stairway is just to steep
Oh, my my everybody dies, but you know that I don't want to
You get eight long lives, boy you gonna cry when the ninth one creeps up on you
Well the clock keeps ticking, and your time is running out
Well the clock keeps ticking, and your time is running, running, running, running

So, I'm gonna live my life like it's my last damn night
When the clock strikes twelve, we're all gonna go to hell
Said I'm gonna live my life like it's my last damn night
I'm gonna live my life like it's my last damn night

But the clock keeps ticking
Don't pretend that you're ready to go
Well it's ticking down, and slow
I know I'll ever die, is gon' hold me
'Cause I'm running, running, running, running

So, I'm gonna live my life like it's my last damn night
When the clock strikes twelve, we're all gonna go to hell
So I'm gonna live my life like it's my last damn night
'Cause when the clock strikes twelve, we're all gonna go to hell
Said I'm gonna live my life like it's my last damn night
I'm gonna live my life like it's my last damn night"

Then she laughs, and laughs, and laughs and laughs and laughs and laughs and laughs.

((https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My2qJpd1QVI))

[annabelle]

Helen looks at Christine with glowy eyes. A smile of joy and admiration.

The music flowing in her, awakening her soul again... her tired soul, her feather soul, her damaged soul and she gets deeper into the state of mind Christine's voice always inspired.

Cause I'm running, running, running, running...

This is a strange song, one she didn't expect Christine to sing... Suddenly her senses are alert and she looks at Christine with fear. She gets closer but she doesn't touch her. She could drill into her mind and figure out what is going on but...she respects her too much... She wouldn't do that.

"Haunted fae...? " she says with concern and an unspoken question is flowing in the air.

[Christine Daye]

Christine's laughter stops abruptly. She smiles at Helen, bright and serene. For all the world like neither of them is standing on a cramped, rickety, wooden platform, dangling twenty feet above the stage, held up only by chains at the four corners.

"Yes, my Lady of Ashes?"

[annabelle]

The young Ventrue seems unconcerned with her safety but she continues to stare at Christine with a frown.

"Christine...you shouldn't be coming here. I don't know what your healing capabilities are but that's not safe if you don't have any fortitude... " her tone soft.

"Are you coming often here?" her voice calm, tiptoeing.

[Christine Daye]

A faint furrow appears in Christine's brow.

"....this is my domain... I come here when I choose..."

She leans forward, looking out and down to the wooden boards of the stage, so far below. The platform creaks slightly.

"... I promised to show you the magical places... the boundaries... the places on the edge... this is one... do you see?"

Her voice is soft, distant, musing.

Then a thought strikes her, and she straightens, regarding Helen with gentle concern.

"...oh... oh... are you feeling alright? We can go down... if you like..."

[annabelle]

Helen's eye's are focusing on the stage with confusion. There is something manic in her gaze, coming out of nowhere.

"it's so nice here...The platform might break and we can both fall. Our bones will rip our skin and we will stain the stage. But is so nice here Christine. My flesh will heal, will be what it used to, what It will always be.... Unchanged... Unmoved... Young and cold. But what about your flesh Christine? It is so nice up here. "

There is a danger in her gaze.

" Do you enjoy the danger? Do you enjoy the pain? I do..both. Physical pain is a cure, a distraction like no other. You have no fear of being here. That means you have fortitude or you don't mind the consequences... Or both."

Her grin is vicious but her posture alert for any sign of weakness in the platform. Not for her safety no, the fall would have been ejoyable afterall.

[Christine Daye]

Christine beams at Helen.

"You do understand!"

She giggles, high pitched and manic.

"...flesh... what flesh? I am nothing but a vessel for my music... nothing but a madwoman with a harp and a voice to make the angels weep... what is pain? ...silence and sorrow and loss... how many times... how many ways... have I sung to Death? ...so many ways to die.. in the theatre... flying... falling... falling... flying... what's the difference? ...what does it matter? ...an ocean of tears... all gone... gone gone gone gone gone gone gone gone gone gone gone gone gone gone gone gone..."

Christine shakes her head with each repeated word, the shakes getting increasingly more violent until she stops with an effort of will. Another song spills from her lips:

"Clouds moved across and the light slipped away
And there stood an old man dressed strangely in gray
She asked him through closed lips, "Where are you from?
What strange distant country do you beckon from?"

"My name is The Reaper, The Leveler, The Light
I come here to claim you and make you my wife
Lords, Dukes and Ladies all bow down to me
But I've no care for them, I crave only thee"

[annabelle]

The platform moves dangerously.

Helen glances around for ways to prevent Christine from falling. Her emergency plan is set immediately and then she relaxes. Of course, she would have loved to fall but she had important discussions the next day and she couldn’t attend broken. Also, she highly doubted the new Prince would have appreciated her torn body on the stage. She had other means of distraction and destruction, she didn’t need to taint the theatres.

“Christine…the darkness…what is going on? Tell me please…What is troubling you?”

Helen is wondering whether is Christine’s own delirium or the vibes her sensitive mind was getting from Helen. Both were not good.