InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "I AM YOUR FATHER, LUKE."

Vivian. (vivianthorpe) wrote in toujoursliberer,
@ 2008-07-17 23:10:00

Entry tags:

character_development, harry_fisher, vivian_thorpe

Subject: On the job: 13 years ago.
Who: Vivian Thorpe.
Where: A street in London.
Warnings: Fruity language. Otherwise TBC.
Open to: Harry Fisher.
Backdated 13 years. Vivian is 16, Harry is 18.

It was fucking freezing, and Vivian had already been out here for a good two hours. She'd had one punter, and that was it so far. Hardly enough for supper. Anyway, it was getting late, so there was no supper at all at this rate. She'd have to work through the night, and perhaps beg. Oh, and poor Lil and Benny and the others, they being looked after by Trish, and they'd no doubt be starving...

She forced thoughts of her siblings from her mind as she rubbed her hands together, wandering along the pavement for what felt like the hundredth time that night. Fucking cold. As it got later, it would get colder, and she'd no doubt be able to see her breath soon, and she needed to keep her mind on the task in hand. Her family were Trish's responsibility now, as the second oldest, and Viv had left home to work, which she was currently trying to do. It was important, and not just for the money; more work meant more physical excertion which meant heat. Body heat.

Not to mention, in a sad way, company. For a sixteen-year-old, slight like she was, walking the streets at night wasn't just lonely. It was dangerous.

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social_climber
2008-07-22 10:52 am UTC (link)

Harry looked at her, and sighed. "That's the thing, Viv. That's the thing. You've got no faith in yourself, no self-worth. Doesn't matter about Trish and the rest- you're a princess, you got to start thinking better of yourself, looking after yourself. That's the thing, it's how you start climbing the ladder."

"You wouldn't be the only one not to survive." He said, but shrugged it all off. "I'm not planning to get caught again, Viv, you know that. I've gone through a whipping, and I've spent more time than I'd like to remember of a floating hell. Not planning to get caught ever again." He smiled, patting her once more, finishing off the carrots a moment later. "So, carrots done. What now, chef?"

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vivianthorpe
2008-07-22 11:00 am UTC (link)

"You think I'm a princess?" If Harry thought that highly of her, well, it had to be worth something, didn't it? She had to be worth something, for Harry to think of her like that. She wasn't quite convinced yet, but it was a start. "Even though I'm too skinny and my hair's too red?" She let go of him, leaning against the side and sighing.

"Uhm... 'tatoes next. Got to peel them. Can you do that? I'll do it, I should be, I said I'd cook..." She reached over and took the knife, picking up a potato and very carefully beginning to peel the skin. "See, this is what worries me. If you're out stealing food for me every day, then the chances of you getting caught go right up. I'd rather die than see you hang because you didn't want me to starve."

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social_climber
2008-07-22 12:23 pm UTC (link)

"I think you could be, if you wanted to be, Viv." He explained, "You just have to believe that you are, and have some respect for yourself. It doesn't matter about other people, as long as you look after yourself." Harry told her, reaching for the potatoes, carefully beginning to turn on against the edge of the knife, the peel coming off in curls. "And although you're skinny, that can be fixed. And you're hair is very pretty."

"Do you think I'd get caught so easy stealing food?" He said, laughing, "How do you think I eat every day? Beg, borrow, steal. Well, not beg, just... weasel my way to free meals."

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vivianthorpe
2008-07-22 01:06 pm UTC (link)

Viv listened, trying to take it on board. She didn't want to go through life having no self-worth forever. It was souldestroying. But unfortunately, so was unrequited love, and it contributed greatly to her lack of self-esteem when she pined for a boy who apparently didn't see her in that way whatsoever. She began to wonder what was wrong with her. Was she not pretty enough? Was it the skinny thing? If she ate more, perhaps he'd like her. It was worth a try. "I'll give it a go. No promises, though."

She kicked her leg out absentmindedly and went over to the pail, picking it up and going to the door, chucking the water out. She noticed the dried blood on her own again from earlier, and wiped it off with the cloth. "I still worry about you. How's your arm? Does it hurt?" She glanced back at him, her hair flying a little as she turned her head. It had come out of it's clasp, and she noticed, looking down to search the floor for it, unable to see it. "My hair thing is gone... can you see it? That cost a lot..."

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social_climber
2008-07-22 03:21 pm UTC (link)

"No promises." He agrees, looking over to her and leaning back in his chair, not concentrating on the knife in his hand and completely missing the potatoe in the other, and managing to deeply slicing his thumb. He cursed, setting the knife and vegetable down, and sucking on the wound, cursing again. "Funny you manage my arm." He manages around the digit in his mouth, before getting to his feet. "Lemme have a look..." He said, in responce to her request to find her hair grip. "What is it? What's it look like?" He asked her, getting to his knees to look under the broken table.

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vivianthorpe
2008-07-22 03:31 pm UTC (link)

Viv gasped as he cursed; he'd hurt himself again! She sighed as he got to his knees, kneeling down beside him and taking his hand, not hesitating as she then put Harry's thumb in her own mouth. The taste of blood didn't bother her. "You aren't doing well today," She spoke around his thumb, reaching for the cloth and wrapping it around the digit once she was sure it was clean enough. Out of the corner of her eye, something shone, and she sighed, grabbing her clasp. "There you are." She reclasped her hair, then paused, before climbing under the table, sitting down and smiling out at Harry. "Remember when your mum used to scare me and I'd hide under the table?"

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