After the passing of a harsh cold front of weather brought warmer weather around the corner and just in time for the upcoming year. Much warmer in fact that Agnes stood on her balcony with a rum and coke in hand, but cold enough that the drink remained cold in her gentle grip. Blue hues spectated the torrent of tourists beneath her, crawling their way to Times Square in the endless traffic as a distant echo of Auld Lang Syne reverberated from the center of it all.
"What do you think of all this, Chaton?" She inquired of the vampire beside her that entered the balcony space with her.
All the while, Dominic had one forearm propped on the balcony’s railing which held his weight while he leaned against it. A glass of his own was held between his fingertips as an afterthought, dangled just over the railing. The commotion in the city that night was enough to waver his attention for the moment. Tonight, all of New York was pulled onto the street for the annual ritual to bring on the new year.
“-Hm?” The vampire hummed. “Do you mean the festivities? The holiday?” He prompted.
"Yeah. What do you make of all this? Do you enjoy it?" Agnes prodded. She took a similar casual lean against the railing not too far from him.
"I think a reset is healthy every now and then. It gives people some semblance of control over their lives." Dominic's shoulders shrugged. "And you, Chiot? Do you have your resolutions set?"
A reset, she exhaled a slight scoff at the notion. "...I don't normally do resolutions, or the holidays. Feels like putting expectations on myself for the future, which possibly means setting myself up for failure. As for the holidays, ...as a sewer kid, it felt like something meant to be seen from afar, I never associated myself with it...sorta kind of like what we're doing now." Agnes took a sip of her drink before she pulled out her phone to check the time. An hour left. "What about you, Chaton? Do you have resolutions?"
“I could understand watching the holidays come and go from a distance,” Dominic stated. His gaze drifted to the phone screen when it turned on. “I hardly mind setting resolutions. I like to have my goals clear in mind.” The vampire brought his drink up for a sip and turned to Agnes. “You tell me yours, I’ll tell you mine. You have an hour to think about it, Chiot.”
Agnes smirked, and stared back down at the crawling traffic as she thought quietly for a moment. “If anything, I just want to keep the peace and stability I’ve been lucky to have. There isn’t much I’m really working toward to be frank.” Agnes said quietly.
“No goals at all, hm?” Dominic echoed with a skeptical raise of his brow. “Not in your work, not in yourself? Even peace and stability have steps.” The vampire glanced toward the halo of light coming from the city’s center. His voice quieted. “I want 2023 to be a year without ‘personal’ incidents. I want that every year, but I don’t think I have ever wanted it more.”
"It won't, not if I'm around to do anything about it." Agnes said before she took another sip. "It's been about survival for myself for a long time, Chaton. This is the first year I really felt peace...and you helped bring that to me. So, if I were really to set a goal for myself, it would be to become strong enough to protect you."
“There are nine million people in this city. That’s a resolution I don’t get to rest on,” Dom responded. He raised his glass for a drink if only to think a little longer. The glass was set down on the balcony floor and the vampire leaned back on the railing. His arm went around Agnes from behind to draw her closer to him. “You’re everything I need just as you are, Love. Some problems are more complicated than brute strength.”
“My business had its worst year since opening due to my own circumstances; I plan to make Paradox more self-sufficient in the next year. Once I’ve done that, I’m planning another trip.”
She watched him place down his drink and did so as well, Agnes leaned into him as he hugged her from behind. “Enough power can move mountains, my darling. I’ll do what I can to maintain my peace.” She muttered.
Agnes grinned. “Where were you planning to go next?”
The vampire hummed quietly from over her shoulder. “Where would you like to go?” The question was turned to her with an unseen raise of his brow.
“Wherever you have the least business in, that should present some options for you.” Agnes inquired back, turning her head toward him. “I’ll have to think about it if you really want my choice, Chaton.”
“You let me know, and I’ll start planning. If you don’t? Then I’ll surprise you.” The far off whistle of the first fireworks erupting was heard. The city was deafening with the sound of those cheering for a new year.
A new year, new hopes, and new promises.
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