An Advanced Victorian Steampunk Roleplay discussion
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Vivian's New Start
message 651:
by
Ji Mei , The Meticulous Secretary
(new)
Jul 18, 2013 09:14AM
"That's because it's my favorite shirt out of the all the white shirts I have," Joeri laughed.
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"Why? Because I always steal it?" Vivian asked coyly, taking his hand and kissing his fingers.
Grinning, he playfully he kissed her nose. "Of course. It's exactly because you just stole it," Joeri replied.
"Well, then, Mr Roberts, I'm afraid you shall just have to steal it back!"Vivian kissed his forehead swiftly and sprang up, hoping to get away, giggling.
Laughing, Joeri tried to catch her before she left his side, only managing to brush the fabric of his shirt. Then he darted his arm out again, trying to reach her.
Joeri's hand closed on her wrist and Vivian laughed as she tried to pull out of his grasp. But he had caught her with his machinated arm, and she fell back onto the bed easily, squirming.
A flash of worry crossed his face, but was quickly replaced with a smile. He remembered the last time he had to chase her and how much more stronger she was. But not wanting to make a problem out of nothing, Joeri let it slide. Just managing to pin her, he gave her a kiss.
Vivian tried half-heartedly to wriggled out of his grasp and then gave up, her brilliantly green eyes shining up at him. "I'm not giving it back," she teased, craning her neck up to kiss his nose.There was a bark at her bedroom door. "Oh! Shakespeare!"
Surprised to hear a bark, his grip loosened, almost forgetting the dog's presence. "We mustn't let him worry about you," Joeri said as he moved away to let her get up.
"He's so used to being in here overnight," Vivian explained, "as he usually sleeps in front of the balcony doors."She slid out from under Joeri and rushed to the door. "Hello, baby!" she cooed, stooping and picking up Shakespeare. "Mummy's sorry. Come on, let's go say good morning to your Papa."
While she greeted Shakespeare, Joeri quickly pulled on his breeches. He smiled at the sight of the large puppy. "He will definitely grow into a magnificent companion," he observed.
The pup whined as he squirmed in Vivian's arms, nuzzling her face with his wet black nose as his tail wagged. "Yes, Mummy's so sorry for locking you out," Vivian cooed. "Come on."
She held Shakespeare up to Joeri and the dog wiggled furiously, barking happily.
He laughed, taking the squirming puppy into his arms, rubbing his ears furiously. The pup's fur was soft velvet against his bare skin and his little tongue was licking his arm, tickling him. "What do you think of me, Shakespeare? Am I worthy of living here with you?"
Shakespeare barked and yelped happily in response. Vivian smiled and put her arms around Joeri's bare torso, smiling up at him. "Yes, he definitely thinks so," she laughed. She gave Joeri a squeeze and scratched Shakespeare's back, then walked into her dressing room to change. She picked out a riding outfit - already choosing breeches out of habit from the stables - and shed Joeri's shirt, handing it back to him with a grin before moving behind her screen to change.
After scratching the puppy some more and giving him a small squeeze, Joeri set Shakespeare down and donned his shirt, buttoning it up. He absently hummed the tune of the waltz from the night before, feeling just happy to be there.
Vivian smiled to herself when she heard Joeri humming the waltz time and she pulled on her stockings and underwear, then reached for the corset top she'd chosen. Then she realised there was a problem."Can you give me a hand with the back of this?" she asked, coming out from behind the screen, clutching the corset to her so it would stay up. "I just need help with the middle. It's too loose."
Noticing Joeri's perplexed expression at her plight with her corset top, Vivian laughed. "It's just like lacing up a pair of boots."
((Vivian's outfit:))
"If you say so," he said with a small shrug. Brushing her hair aside, Joeri took the laces and moved them back and forth, making sure they all crossed the same out of habit. "Why is it loose?" he wondered out loud. "Don't you have it laced to where you wear it usually?"
Vivian shrugged and stood with perfect posture as he fixed the laces. "Like I said in a letter, all that physical labour at the stables is toning me down quite a bit," she said. "Physically, anyway, as I don't think it's helped to tone down my personality," she added jokingly. But Vivian was mildly surprised. The last time she'd worn this particular corset top was when she'd first moved in with Geoffrey - back when she was still riding in skirts - and it took a few minutes for Joeri to tighten it so that it wouldn't slip on her frame. She mentally shrugged it off.
When he was done, he kissed both of her tattoos and wrapped his arms around her. "Well, don't get too toned down," Joeri said softly, then he pulled away to let her get into her dress.
((Lol he's gonna be shocked, she's wearing exactly what's shown the picture))Vivian laughed. "I'll try."
She went to her shoe cupboard and picked out a pair of boots, sitting down on a padded stool to pull them on and lace them up before stepping into her riding trousers.
((;) True dat.))He was in the process of tying his tie around his neck when he saw what her outfit was. Raising a brow, Joeri couldn't help but notice how her trousers and corset accentuated her curves even more. "Switching things up, are we?" he asked.
"Didn't you notice what I was wearing when I got home from work last night?" Vivian grinned. Luckily her days off this week coincided with Joeri's surprise leave."I can't work in skirts at the barn," she explained.
With a laugh, Joeri shook his head. "I think it escaped my notice. But I suppose skirts are quite a hassle," he commented, pulling on his vest.
Vivian paused as she pulled on a light riding jacket, frowning slightly. Remembering Joeri's sense of propriety she asked, "Would...would you rather I changed into something else?"
Again, he shook his head. "No, no. You don't have to," Joeri told her with a small smile. "I'm not the one dress yourself, plus you might not want to trust my opinion anyways, like with that wallpaper."
Vivian laughed, then at the mention of wallpaper remembered that she has already finished his room. "I have a surprise for you!" she exclaimed.
"Another?" Joeri asked with an exaggerated look of surprise. "I don't know if my heart can take it," he joked.
Vivian scrunched her face up and him and took his hand, whistling for Shakespeare - something else she'd picked up at the stables - and they made their way down to the reading room. She told him to shut his eyes and then she opened the door. "Open," she said, giving him a squeeze.
He let her lead him, wondering what else was there for him to see as he noticed them moving through the house. At her command, he opened his eyes. Surprised, Joeri looked around at the room. "You sure have been busy," he laughed. He glanced down at her, grinning. "It's amazing."
"If you ever want to sleep down here, the bed's all ready," she said breezily, "and I figured you can relax in here whenever I'm out working while you're here on leave."She folded her hands in front of her. "It's your own private space for when you're here, I guess, is what I'm trying to say." Vivian grinned. "You can banish me from this room whenever you want."
He looked at the bookshelf, noticing the books he left shelved there. Turning to Vivian, he bent down to give her a kiss. "I won't ever banish you, but thank you, Vivian."
Vivian wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. Then her face lit up. "Maybe tomorrow we can go to a bookshop?"
"A bookshop sounds wonderful," Joeri commented with a nod. "I'm sure I could spend all day in one."
As was quickly becoming her habit, Vivian plucked his watch from his vest pocket and noted the time. "Let's pack a lunch and go for that ride," she said happily, eager to be outdoors in the fresh air with her boys.
"Then let's get ready then," Joeri replied as he stepped out of the room and headed towards the kitchen, already moving about the house with familiarity.
Shakespeare pawed at her toe as Joeri went down, and Vivian grinned. "I told you he was wonderful," she whispered to the pup.
***END OF SCENE***
Vivian made it back to her townhouse without shedding any more tears. God strike her down if she ever cried in public. After Dulcinea had been settled in the stables, Vivian had run home. Surprisingly, neither Shakespeare nor Joeri were there to greet her. Bridget came through from the kitchen though. “Miss,” she said, “Mr Walker took Shakespeare for a walk. They should be back soon.”
“Alright. Thank you,” Vivian said absentmindedly, going into the dining room and opening up the liquor cabinet. She took a new bottle of whiskey and headed for the stairs. Her resolve was crumbling, fast.
“Miss?” Bridget asked, alarmed. “Miss, whatever’s the matter?”
Vivian ran upstairs wordlessly.
Once inside her quarters, she shut the door to the bedroom and sank down against it, finally dissolving into a heap of sobs. She opened the bottle of whiskey and shot straight from the bottle for a few gulps, allowing the burning liquid to sear a sharp path from her lips down to her guts. She drank a good quarter of the bottle before getting up, still crying, to set her bottle down on the vanity and tear off her clothes. She felt too constricted, too hot and stiff, too imprisoned. Picking up the bottle once more she sank down onto her bed, hunched against the headboard with her knees drawn up.
She took another swig.
Bert hates me now.
Another.
Ben, probably, too.
Another.
You’re an idiot, Vivian Parthena. You’re a fucking idiot.
Another.
Keep on fucking up and you’ll lose Joeri, too.
Vivian set the bottle down on her night table, her head swimming from shock and anger and liquor. She wrapped her arms around her knees, her grief escaping her throat in ragged, hitching sobs. Self-loathing washed over her like a wave, and she buried her face in her arms, crushing her thin frame tightly against itself into a rigid, tight ball of guilt and shame.
Geoff was away, Ben and Bert both despised her, and she had burned her bridges with Stephen. She only had Joeri and she cried harder when she realised that while she might have his heart and soul, he would be physically away for much longer after these few stolen days. There would be no way after this for her to make a special visit or to get him even a half-day of leave. Until he came home again for another long leave, she would be in this house with just Bridget and Shakespeare for company.
She would be falling asleep in this bed and waking up in it alone.
She would be facing the days alone.
Her worst fears had come true.
Vivian let out a keening howl as her grief took total hold on her, her head thrown back and her throat bared.
***END OF SCENE***
Bridget paced in the front hallway, wringing her hands. She could hear Miss Vivian all the way from her room, crying her heart out over whatever had happened. Mr Walker had told her that Vivian was going to her brothers' for a bit that evening - what on earth had happened over there?She glanced nervously at the clock. Where was Mr Walker? Miss Vivian needed him.
Bridget bit her nails, then stopped herself and clasped her hands in front of her again. "Oh, Miss," she whispered sadly when she heard Vivian's grief-stricken howl shatter the air in the house. "Oh, Miss, he'll be home soon, don't cry..."
Joeri knocked on the door just as a warning that he was entering with the excited puppy, then slipped inside. Despite the walk, Shakespeare was still quite energetic, though Joeri assumed it was the tiredness that kids sometimes had when they still bounced off the walls and collapsed the next second. Seeing Bridget pacing, he looked concerned. "Is something wrong?" he asked, bending down to unleash Shakespeare.
Bridget looked at him, her eyes full of worry. The crying had died down but she was still worried for her mistress."It's Miss Vivian," she told him fretfully as Shakespeare spun circles around their feet. "She came home from Master Bertrand's and she was...oh, Mr Walker, she's been crying something awful, it's only just died down."
"Thank you for telling me Bridget. I'll go see if I can cheer her up," Joeri said reassuringly. He left Shakespeare with her as he went up the stairs. Going to Vivian's bedroom, he saw the door was closed and he knocked gently. "Vivian? Are you all right?"
Vivian was lying on her side staring at her reflection in the mirror. The whiskey had remained untouched since she'd put it down and it had worn off a bit, leaving her throat dry and rough as her head shifted directly into hangover mode without the benefit of sleep to buffer the consequences.She barely heard Joeri's voice, but she replied automatically. "Joeri?" she replied in a small voice.
Not really hearing what she said, Joeri took it as a cue to enter. Seeing her on her bed and the remains in the whiskey bottle, he figured that whatever happened at Bertrand's was bad. Worse than seeing her sisters again. He didn't move further into the room, wondering if she wanted space. "Vivian? I'm back," Joeri said softly.
Vivian didn't look at him but a few tears slide down her cheek. "Please come hold me," she whispered. She desperately wanted to feel something, to feel herself rooted.
At her words, Joeri swiftly went to her side, sitting on the edge of her bed. Gently, he reached out to touch her shoulder and guided her into his arms.
Some srength came back to her and she held him tightly, gripping his arms with her hands. She buried her face in his neck, crying silently, clutching him harder. Her body was still numb from the pain and the alcohol. She couldn't feel him and she cried harder.
He placed his chin on top of her head and just wrapped her in his arms, silent, letting her tears flow. Occasionally he dropped kisses on top of her head and rubbed her back, murmuring soothing words.
When Vivian calmed down, she whispered, "I told Bert about what I used to do...he...he didn't take it very well. And I don't...I don't blame him."
"I'm sorry, Vivian," Joeri told her. He offered her his handkerchief so she could wipe the rest of her tears away. "It must have been tough to make that decision."
"I can't lie to either of them," she told him. "He asked me what had changed and happened in the three years he and Ben were gone. I couldn't lie to his face."She blew her nose. "The worst part is, I don't think he believed me when I told him all of it was gone."
