IC Time: June 5, 2007, Evening.
Location: Cullen Residence
Synopsis: Charlene gives up her life of crime and seeks help from Esme Cullen.
Submitted by: Charlene
Jacob pages: You cellphone rings. It's Jacob. "Are you okay? What's this all about?", he's a little frantic… but does manage to tack on an "I'm sorry…"
Charlene pulls up into the driveway in her Accord, stepping out of the car. Her cellphone plastered to her ear. Apparently she drives and talks on her cellphone. "Jake? Yeah. I need to talk to you. First I to stop by the Cullen's. I'll be there as soon as I can." She takes the phone away from her ear and peers at the house.
Long distance to Jacob: Charlene flips open her phone and answers it, listening first "Jake? Yeah. I need to talk to you. First I to stop by the Cullen's. I'll be there as soon as I can."
From afar, Jacob sighs exasperatedly, "Who made you take Lorelei's things…" "She's bout ready to eat you…"
The Cullen House looks just like it always does, pristine, old fashioned in appearance, and the flora is perfectly pruned, the only untouched plants are the primordial trees flanking the driveway and casting a large shadow over the grounds. Esme Cullen is the only Cullen in sight, she's settled on the porchswing, stretched out across it, actually, with a book in hand.
From afar, Jacob lets a little frustration leak into his voice, "Well, it might not wait until we can talk in person, Charlene… there's a pair of very angry pack wolves here that want their things back… and they're almost willing to eat you to do it…"
Long distance to Jacob: Charlene winces as the voice on the phone gets cross with her. "Eat me?!?" She flips the phone shut.
Charlene winces as the voice on the phone gets cross with her. "Eat me?!?" She flips the phone shut. Flustered or shaken, take your pick, Charlene heads for the porch. "Mrs. Cullen….I really need to talk to you." She quickly climbs the steps up the porch, glancing back at the driveway. She's slightly trembling at this point, her breathing a bit erratic.
From afar, Jacob sends you a text: Don't worry, they never would. It's against everything we are. We're the protectors. What do you need?
Esme manages to hear just a little bit of Charlene's end of the conversation. Of course the woman knew when the teen had pulled up. "Have a seat," she suggests, motioning towards an empty part of the porch swing as she sits upright. There's also two rocking chairs in which Charlene can take a seat.
Charlene's phone immediately chimes with an incoming text which she ignores. Taking a seat on the edge of the swing she clasps her hands together cupping her phone in between them, attempting to stop trembling. She stares at you blankly for a moment, wheels turning, attempting to make up her mind which approach to take. "There are people who are threatening to hurt Jake…" she rolls her eyes, "Right. I know." She glances down the driveway again, nervously, "But the might be serious." She leaves it at that for now.
Esme quirks a brow at Charlene's word. "You do know that Jacob is virtually indescructable, right?" she questions gently as she puts her book aside. Her hands flutter a bit, not sure what to do. Normally she'd rest them atop Charlene's, but with them being cold as ice, it's not a good idea. "Who are they?" she questions.
"I don't know who they are." She nods emphatically, "I know that and I think they do too. They still threatened to hurt him." She sighs in frustration, "Well, it's not just him. It's my family too." She looks down at her hands, still trying to make up her mind, "But I need your help till we figure out who it is…"
Esme nearly sits on her hands, instead she firmly clasps them on her lap. "Jake didn't tell you anything about them?" she questions, before shaking her head, obviously Jake didn't. "What do you need, Charlene? I'll do what I can, of course. You and Jakey are family."
Charlene shakes her head slowly, "I haven't talked to Jake about it yet. He's hard to find sometimes." She smiles slightly, almost shyly, embarassed, "I need something from your house. Any little thing but it has to be personal." She shrugs almost apologetically, "It's part of the demands to keep everyone safe."
Esme eyes Charlene now, not a little eyes, but wide eyed. "Why would they need something from the house? What do they look like, Charlene?" she questions, her words are rapid, but not so fast that Char shouldn't be able to keep up.
Charlene glances down at the phone cradled in her hands. "I don't know what they look like, Mrs. Cullen. It was a voice mail. With detailed information on the people they threatened." Looking up again she shakes her head again, "And instructions. The instructions tell me to get something from your house. They don't care how I do it." Again, she leaves it at that.
Esme cringes, crinkling her nose slightly. She knows that this isn't something she can do, not without consultation with the family, but she can't let Charlene get hurt. "Can you tell me what the message said? In more detail. I'm sorry I'm asking so many questions, Charlene, but I need to know as much as I can so that I can help you."
"Not in detail. No." I threw away the phone with the message on it and the emails. I think Father LaRoe has it." Charlene's palms are sweaty and her pulse is rapidly picking up. "It… had a list of people and their addresses and instructions to get personal items from there, leave a note in their place and drop off the items in a dumpster." She looks up at you after tucking her phone between her legs and wiping her palms on her pants. "I.. I can try and get the phone back tomorrow if you want?"
Esme watches Charlene for a few minutes before opening her arms in a motherly gesture. "Come here," she suggests, holding her arms open for Charlene, hoping to reassure the girl. "It'll be okay, trust me. But if you can get the phone, it could be helpful. I'm presuming they mentioned someone in this family, were they specific, or just, in general, a Cullen?"
Charlene slides closer and leans in to get and give her hug, shuddering a bit, whether from cold or relief, it's not evident. "No.. it just says 'The Cullens'. She nods against your shoulder, "I will try and get it back tomorrow, I promise. I'm pretty sure either Father LaRoe or Dr. Lyons has it. They're trying to figure out what's going on."
Esme gently wraps her arms around the teen, taking care to keep any of her bare skin from touching Charlene. "Was there a time limit on this? When do they want everything by?" she enquires, her voice is gentle, likely the one she uses when reassuring her own children. "Again, forgive the questions, I'm just trying to get everything sorted out as is necessary."
Charlene shakes her head again, leaning heavily now against you, "No, no time frame. But I'm trying to keep them busy. I have enough stuff they want for another day, before I might need something else." She digs into her pocket, a bit awkwardly and pulls out a note. "I'm supposed to leave this in place of whatever I take." She hands it to you.
<OOC> Esme says, "What does the note say?"
<OOC> Charlene says, "The note will read: If you want to see your precious item again, meet in the round meadows in the Forks forest on <OOC: date to be determined!>"
Esme nods slightly as she listens, before she takes the note from her neice-in-law. Flipping it open she quickly scans the words. "Odd sort of threat here, actually. I can't imagine that too many people would be overly concerned about a personal item," is given with a quirk of her brow.
Charlene chuckles slightly, nervously, "I don't think they mean bathroom items, Mrs. Cullen." Sitting up she sighs, "No. I'm sure that's not what I'm sending them. I've given them Spencer's CD autographed CD collection, Father LaRoe's diary, and Lorelei's wedding band, I think." She lowers her gaze. "Those kinds of personal items." She smiles weakly. "Anyways, think it over? It will keep them thinking I am doing what I am supposed to…"
Esme hmms quietly. "I'll pass this on, of course, to the rest of the family," she gives, quirking a brow. "You're brother, a priest a… umm Quileute and a Cullen? That's an interesting little group of people they want," is given as she thinks, talking herself through it.
"Oh there's more. Jacob is on the list. And a few people I just don't know. Ramona Vogel for one." Charlene nods as that goes through your head, "And they are threatening him. Go Figure." She shrugs , taking in a deep breath, "It doesn't really make a whole lot of sense." She smiles thankfully, "Thanks. Mrs. Cullen. I'll get that phone to you as soon as I can."
Esme rests her hands back in her lap, after giving Charlene a gentle squeeze. "Jacob can, of course, take care of herself, though I'm still amused by the conglomeration of people they want items from," amused, or probably just curious, actually. "Thank you, Charlene, we'll have someone take a look at it, I think, so that things can be sorted out as they need to be."
Charlene nods, relieved as she gets up from the seat, fumbling for her phone as she forgot she had it there, just barely grabbing it before it gets out of reach. "That would be great. I'll go by the Church first thing in the morning."
Esme gets to her feet, undoubtedly to walk Charlene down to her car. "Be careful, Charlene. I'd hate to have to tell Bella that something happened to her cousin while she was away," is given with a faint frown. "Just, stick with Jake as much as you can."
Charlene nods as she opens the car door to slide in. "I will. Try to anyways." She ducks and slides into the seat. "Thanks again, Mrs. Cullen." She shuts the door and turns over the engine and makes her way out of the driveway back into the jungle they call a lane.
