Brig was trying so hard to help her. Vivienne kept trying to pull away from him, to get away from the flash of memory she had of Hammer when she first met him. She had met, and summarily ignored, by the other Hammerthynns that day and seen them in wolf form, but not Hammer. Not in all these years. Her reaction would have been the same even if it had been 1990 or 2020 - seeing Hammer reminded her of her first impression of him that first day.
Standing behind Vigo's leg, Viv was small, insignificant, and a hairs breath away from death. At ten she knew this. Vigo had horizontally sliced the air with his right hand and sent the Pipers back to the east, away from the burning barn, but Hammer...he lingered, if only a moment, staring at her with that ugly, empty eye socket. He wanted her dead, almost insisted that she should be, but Hammer turned away a second after the others did and followed his father's orders. Viv knew if Hammer had led that raid, no one would have walked away from it, certainly not a ten year old, brand new Vyusher R'asa.
Viv winced thinking of this as Hammer held his hands up, trying to stop her crying. She was crying. When did that happen? Viv stopped pulling against Brig's strong hands and stood in place, looking at Hammer, sixty six years later. He looked sad, strangely enough, having scared her the way he did. He honestly had no idea, but then...
'Neither did I, Hammer.' Gently Brig released her wrists and she dropped them to her side and felt the shame rise up into her cheeks. 'Yeah...'
Wiping at her tears and straightening her hair, she let that terrified ten year old go and regained her composure. The three of them awkwardly stood there for a moment until Brig finally spoke up.
Watch carefully (private)
Continuing from Name of the Game
Viv had a thing about books.
Wearing the same workout clothes from the other morning spar with the Commander, this time in dark blues and blacks, Viv unconsciously scratched at the diamond weave material that covered her from head to toe. It was in four pieces: gloves, boots, form fitting pants and tank. Sitting cross legged on a crate labeled with various official diplomatic labels from Australia with corresponding United States stamps, Viv enjoyed her book as she held it in her hand which was propped up by her elbow on her knee. She was reading intently.
A man standing six foot three was stacking small crates around her, walking back and forth from an SUV with diplomatic plates. His name was Diego and he was from the Elder's compound in Canberra. Turning a page slowly but with great interest, Viv waited for the Pipers to return from their afternoon muster with the Commander. Having just come from her coffee date with Carol, Viv was keyed up from the rather exuberant blond and her story telling skills. The book was having a calming effect on her, so she happily continued reading as the LT, Charlie, and Red approached her first.
Vivienne Sena
13 years ago
Brig Jameson
13 years ago
'I'm releasing the Pipers for the next couple of days. Holiday and all.' Brig turned to Hammer and asked, 'If that's fine with you?'
Hammer nodded without looking Brig, but dropped his hands off Vivienne's shoulders and stood at his full height of six foot six.
'I'll catch up with Diego, see if there's anything else.'
'Of course,' Hammer replied.
Brig wanted to touch Vivienne just then. To give her the reassuring embrace he knew he couldn't give; even just to touch her shoulder as Hammer had done. Instead he took a deep breath.
'Maybe you should,' Vivienne's eyes darted from Hammer to him, 'call it a day?' It was his way of telling her he'd see her tonight and she nodded wordlessly and walked past Hammer and him without a word. They both watched as she left the Tikerak and crossed to the Den till she disappeared from sight. Brig then turned to Hammer who kept looking after her.
'What did she see, Hammer?'
Hammer nodded without looking Brig, but dropped his hands off Vivienne's shoulders and stood at his full height of six foot six.
'I'll catch up with Diego, see if there's anything else.'
'Of course,' Hammer replied.
Brig wanted to touch Vivienne just then. To give her the reassuring embrace he knew he couldn't give; even just to touch her shoulder as Hammer had done. Instead he took a deep breath.
'Maybe you should,' Vivienne's eyes darted from Hammer to him, 'call it a day?' It was his way of telling her he'd see her tonight and she nodded wordlessly and walked past Hammer and him without a word. They both watched as she left the Tikerak and crossed to the Den till she disappeared from sight. Brig then turned to Hammer who kept looking after her.
'What did she see, Hammer?'
Iov Hammerthynn
13 years ago
Hammer swallowed, his mouth dry and arid. Dropping his eyes to the ground, he considered Brig's question. What had Vivienne seen that day?
She saw her worst nightmare, fur matted with her family's blood, glaring one-eyed beasts who were ready to tear her throat out the second Vigo gave the command, if he didn't do it himself.
She saw Hammer's hesitation when ordered to leave the area, the unseeing empty eye glared at her, reminding her that she was half a second from following her dead family.
She saw the devil in him and he was hungry.
Hammer half turned toward Brig but couldn't look him in the eye. Instead he answered quietly, 'I don't know what she saw.'
And then he left.
((OOC Pipers, Hammer, Brig, Vivienne out))
Continues in Just like a star
She saw her worst nightmare, fur matted with her family's blood, glaring one-eyed beasts who were ready to tear her throat out the second Vigo gave the command, if he didn't do it himself.
She saw Hammer's hesitation when ordered to leave the area, the unseeing empty eye glared at her, reminding her that she was half a second from following her dead family.
She saw the devil in him and he was hungry.
Hammer half turned toward Brig but couldn't look him in the eye. Instead he answered quietly, 'I don't know what she saw.'
And then he left.
((OOC Pipers, Hammer, Brig, Vivienne out))
Continues in Just like a star