A shoulder to lean on
Liv: *I had gone out of the apartment for a walk. to clear my head. I don't know what to do. What I should do. My family is pulling me in one direction, and yet.. yet I'm drawn to Marton. He calls to me, to my heart, to my soul. 700 years, and it was him, all the time. I've walked for so long that I suddenly realise that I've walked all the way to Bean's house. I wonder if they might maybe give me a little perspective on things. I knock on the door*
Viggo: *I'm sitting in front of the television, idly flipping through channels, when I hear a knock on the door. Sean is upstairs taking a nap, so I pad over in my bare feet to answer it*
Liv: *waiting nervously for the door to open. what if I'm making a mistake? maybe I shouldn't talk about it. I shouldn't. yes.*
Viggo: *I pull the door open and smile when I see Liv* Livvie! How are you? *I pull her into a hug.*
Liv: *totally faking it. smiling brightly* I'm good! How are you, Viggo? *hugs you, holding on tightly* I hadn't seen you or your wolfish counterpart lately, so I thought I'd drop by.
Viggo: I'm good. Sean's sleeping. Come in. *I pull her into the house, looking at her closely* Now...what's going on?
Liv: Oh, nothing much. *smiles, walking past you* How have you been?
Viggo: I've been fine. But you're too chipper, my dear. What's up?
Liv: *a tad too brightly* Oh, nothing much. Marton and I are having problems with the families that's all. How's Sean been doing? *wandering around touching this and that, not looking at you*
Viggo: *I raise my eyebrow. Problems with the families? That sounds more serious than she's making it out to be* Liv... *I say sternly, walking over and taking her arm* What's going on?
Liv: *will not cry. will not cry* My family's threatening to disown me.
Viggo: Oh, Liv... *I put my arm around your shoulder and lead you over to the couch*
Liv: *stoically* I don't know what to do.
Viggo: *I pull you close to me when we sit down* What does Marton say?
Liv: He says he loves me. *looks at you* But what if he's lying? *remembers all the things my family has told me*
Viggo: Do you think he's lying? *I ask seriously*
Liv: He could be. I mean, he's been around for 6,000 years, what could he possibly ever want with me?
Viggo: *I look you up and down and then look into your eyes* You're beautiful, charming, sweet...why wouldn't he want to be with you?
Liv: I'm nothing. *wretchedly* I'm just a half-elemental. *can hear everything my relatives told me loud and clear* I'm a young elemental by anybody's standards. He could have his pick of anybody in the world. *turns away. softly* I'm nothing.
Viggo: Exactly. He could have his pick of anybody in the world. But he chose you. You're not nothing, Livvie. You're very special.
Liv: I'm just an easy lay, that's all. *shrugs* Desperate. *half-laugh* 700 years... and this.
Viggo: Do you really believe that, Liv? *I stroke your cheek* You don't seem desperate to me. Does Marton act like he's just there for the sex? *That doesn't seem right to me, but. I suppose I don't really know*
Liv: *torn between what Marton says and what my family said to me* I don't know! I just don't!
Viggo: Shh...Livvie... *I rub my hands up and down her back, trying to soothe her* Look at me, sweetie. What does your heart tell you about Marton?
Liv: *stares at you. helplessly* I don't know. I don't know what it says.
Viggo: You have to listen to it, Liv. Stop trying to think and just feel.
Liv: Easy for you to say. *holding on tightly to myself. I don't want to cry here. I can't cry. I've been crying all day* You're not pulled in every direction
Viggo: That's why you have to stop thinking, Livvie. *I say gently, stroking her hair.* I know that one of those tugs is your heart. You just have to figure out which one it is.
Liv: *can't help it. you're being so nice to me, so calm. I start crying, tears pouring down my face silently*
Viggo: *I pull her closer to me so she's resting her head on my shoulder* Shh...it'll be all right. You can get through this, I know you can.
Liv: *holding on and crying. it feels nice to be held onto by somebody I feel I can trust. Somebody who doesn't care whether I'm with Marton or not*
Viggo: *I keep stroking her back, soothing her.* It will be all right. I promise. *I don't know when or how, but it will be, eventually* Just listen to your heart.
Liv: *hiccupping and half-sobbing* I'm-I'm-I'm sorry
Viggo: There's nothing to be sorry about, Liv. *I say softly, still stroking her back* It's okay to cry.
Liv: I've been crying all d-d-damned day. *shuddering and wiping at my face, sniffing*
Viggo: *I smile and reach over for the tissues, pulling some out and handing them to her* Here. It's still all right to cry.
Liv: *wipes at my face* Th-thanks Viggo. *hiccups more*
Viggo: You're welcome. *I smile a little* Now, I want you to start listening to what this tells you.. *I touch her chest* ...and not this. *I touch her head* Okay?
Liv: *nods* Okay. *sniffles*
Viggo: *I wipe a stray tear off her cheek with my thumb* Now...would you like something to drink?
Liv: *nods* Please. *wiping at my face*
Viggo: What would you like? *I move the box of tissues so she can reach it* We have water, or tea, or milk, or... *I pause, trying to remember what else is in the refrigerator*
Liv: Tea's good. *wet smile*
Viggo: All right. *I stand and go to the kitchen where I start water for tea*
Liv: Thanks so much Vig. *lil chuckle* I must look a wreck
Viggo: *I peek my head back into the room and look at her appraisingly* Moderately so... *I laugh a little* You're still beautiful, though.
Liv: Flatterer. *sniffles a little. cracks a smile*
Viggo: It's not flattery if it's true. *I disappear back into the kitchen and remove the kettle from the burner, pouring the hot water into two mugs and grabbing teabags. When it's done, I walk back out and hand one to her with a flourish* Your tea, milady.
Liv: Thank you, milord. *takes the tea. sips it*
Viggo: *I settle back down on the couch next to her* Are you feeling any better now?
Liv: *watery smile* Yes I am. You're good for the soul, husband mine.
Viggo: *I chuckle a little and kiss her cheek* You'd best not let Sean or Marton hear you say that. They're likely to get the wrong idea.
Liv: *chuckle. you make me laugh* They're smart. They'll figure it out.
Viggo: Probably. *I nod in agreement* Now, why don't you tell me what this *I touch her chest again* is telling you.
Liv: *looks at you helplessly* I don't know how.
Viggo: Yes you do. *I say gently but firmly* Stop thinking and just feel. Close your eyes and just concentrate on Marton.
Liv: *closes my eyes and thinks of Marton*
Viggo: Now... *I say with a slight smile on my face* What do you feel?
Liv: He's safe. He's my haven. *wonderingly* He's my anchor. I... I... *hesitantly*
Viggo: Keep going. *I encourage* Tell me what your heart wants.
Liv: I want him. *whispers. almost unbelieving* I love him.
Viggo: *I grin and nod* There. That wasn't so hard, was it?
Liv: *looks at you, glowing. much much happier, as if a weight has been lifted* Thank you.
Viggo: You're welcome. *I wrap her in a loose hug* Now, do you think maybe you should go back and tell Marton that?
Liv: *hugs you back* Yes, yes, oh thank you Viggo. *kisses you hastily and then smiles* Thank you so much. See you! *runs out the door*
Viggo: *I chuckle as I watch her leave* You're welcome! *I call out as the door slams shut behind her*
Viggo: *I'm sitting in front of the television, idly flipping through channels, when I hear a knock on the door. Sean is upstairs taking a nap, so I pad over in my bare feet to answer it*
Liv: *waiting nervously for the door to open. what if I'm making a mistake? maybe I shouldn't talk about it. I shouldn't. yes.*
Viggo: *I pull the door open and smile when I see Liv* Livvie! How are you? *I pull her into a hug.*
Liv: *totally faking it. smiling brightly* I'm good! How are you, Viggo? *hugs you, holding on tightly* I hadn't seen you or your wolfish counterpart lately, so I thought I'd drop by.
Viggo: I'm good. Sean's sleeping. Come in. *I pull her into the house, looking at her closely* Now...what's going on?
Liv: Oh, nothing much. *smiles, walking past you* How have you been?
Viggo: I've been fine. But you're too chipper, my dear. What's up?
Liv: *a tad too brightly* Oh, nothing much. Marton and I are having problems with the families that's all. How's Sean been doing? *wandering around touching this and that, not looking at you*
Viggo: *I raise my eyebrow. Problems with the families? That sounds more serious than she's making it out to be* Liv... *I say sternly, walking over and taking her arm* What's going on?
Liv: *will not cry. will not cry* My family's threatening to disown me.
Viggo: Oh, Liv... *I put my arm around your shoulder and lead you over to the couch*
Liv: *stoically* I don't know what to do.
Viggo: *I pull you close to me when we sit down* What does Marton say?
Liv: He says he loves me. *looks at you* But what if he's lying? *remembers all the things my family has told me*
Viggo: Do you think he's lying? *I ask seriously*
Liv: He could be. I mean, he's been around for 6,000 years, what could he possibly ever want with me?
Viggo: *I look you up and down and then look into your eyes* You're beautiful, charming, sweet...why wouldn't he want to be with you?
Liv: I'm nothing. *wretchedly* I'm just a half-elemental. *can hear everything my relatives told me loud and clear* I'm a young elemental by anybody's standards. He could have his pick of anybody in the world. *turns away. softly* I'm nothing.
Viggo: Exactly. He could have his pick of anybody in the world. But he chose you. You're not nothing, Livvie. You're very special.
Liv: I'm just an easy lay, that's all. *shrugs* Desperate. *half-laugh* 700 years... and this.
Viggo: Do you really believe that, Liv? *I stroke your cheek* You don't seem desperate to me. Does Marton act like he's just there for the sex? *That doesn't seem right to me, but. I suppose I don't really know*
Liv: *torn between what Marton says and what my family said to me* I don't know! I just don't!
Viggo: Shh...Livvie... *I rub my hands up and down her back, trying to soothe her* Look at me, sweetie. What does your heart tell you about Marton?
Liv: *stares at you. helplessly* I don't know. I don't know what it says.
Viggo: You have to listen to it, Liv. Stop trying to think and just feel.
Liv: Easy for you to say. *holding on tightly to myself. I don't want to cry here. I can't cry. I've been crying all day* You're not pulled in every direction
Viggo: That's why you have to stop thinking, Livvie. *I say gently, stroking her hair.* I know that one of those tugs is your heart. You just have to figure out which one it is.
Liv: *can't help it. you're being so nice to me, so calm. I start crying, tears pouring down my face silently*
Viggo: *I pull her closer to me so she's resting her head on my shoulder* Shh...it'll be all right. You can get through this, I know you can.
Liv: *holding on and crying. it feels nice to be held onto by somebody I feel I can trust. Somebody who doesn't care whether I'm with Marton or not*
Viggo: *I keep stroking her back, soothing her.* It will be all right. I promise. *I don't know when or how, but it will be, eventually* Just listen to your heart.
Liv: *hiccupping and half-sobbing* I'm-I'm-I'm sorry
Viggo: There's nothing to be sorry about, Liv. *I say softly, still stroking her back* It's okay to cry.
Liv: I've been crying all d-d-damned day. *shuddering and wiping at my face, sniffing*
Viggo: *I smile and reach over for the tissues, pulling some out and handing them to her* Here. It's still all right to cry.
Liv: *wipes at my face* Th-thanks Viggo. *hiccups more*
Viggo: You're welcome. *I smile a little* Now, I want you to start listening to what this tells you.. *I touch her chest* ...and not this. *I touch her head* Okay?
Liv: *nods* Okay. *sniffles*
Viggo: *I wipe a stray tear off her cheek with my thumb* Now...would you like something to drink?
Liv: *nods* Please. *wiping at my face*
Viggo: What would you like? *I move the box of tissues so she can reach it* We have water, or tea, or milk, or... *I pause, trying to remember what else is in the refrigerator*
Liv: Tea's good. *wet smile*
Viggo: All right. *I stand and go to the kitchen where I start water for tea*
Liv: Thanks so much Vig. *lil chuckle* I must look a wreck
Viggo: *I peek my head back into the room and look at her appraisingly* Moderately so... *I laugh a little* You're still beautiful, though.
Liv: Flatterer. *sniffles a little. cracks a smile*
Viggo: It's not flattery if it's true. *I disappear back into the kitchen and remove the kettle from the burner, pouring the hot water into two mugs and grabbing teabags. When it's done, I walk back out and hand one to her with a flourish* Your tea, milady.
Liv: Thank you, milord. *takes the tea. sips it*
Viggo: *I settle back down on the couch next to her* Are you feeling any better now?
Liv: *watery smile* Yes I am. You're good for the soul, husband mine.
Viggo: *I chuckle a little and kiss her cheek* You'd best not let Sean or Marton hear you say that. They're likely to get the wrong idea.
Liv: *chuckle. you make me laugh* They're smart. They'll figure it out.
Viggo: Probably. *I nod in agreement* Now, why don't you tell me what this *I touch her chest again* is telling you.
Liv: *looks at you helplessly* I don't know how.
Viggo: Yes you do. *I say gently but firmly* Stop thinking and just feel. Close your eyes and just concentrate on Marton.
Liv: *closes my eyes and thinks of Marton*
Viggo: Now... *I say with a slight smile on my face* What do you feel?
Liv: He's safe. He's my haven. *wonderingly* He's my anchor. I... I... *hesitantly*
Viggo: Keep going. *I encourage* Tell me what your heart wants.
Liv: I want him. *whispers. almost unbelieving* I love him.
Viggo: *I grin and nod* There. That wasn't so hard, was it?
Liv: *looks at you, glowing. much much happier, as if a weight has been lifted* Thank you.
Viggo: You're welcome. *I wrap her in a loose hug* Now, do you think maybe you should go back and tell Marton that?
Liv: *hugs you back* Yes, yes, oh thank you Viggo. *kisses you hastily and then smiles* Thank you so much. See you! *runs out the door*
Viggo: *I chuckle as I watch her leave* You're welcome! *I call out as the door slams shut behind her*