The Riff-Raff (Vivi, Harley)

[Lovely]

Name: Vivienne Berkley Aliases: Vivi, Viv Age: 27 Species: werewolf Position/Occupation: preschool teacher Location: New York likeness used: Katherine Heigl

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PIC HERE Name: Harlan Boone Aliases: Harley DOB: Species: werewolf Position/Occupation: Location: New York likeness used: Henry Cavill

[Lovely]

April 6, 2009

He stopped at the stairway at end of the hallway, looking down to the simple street with average traffic, distantly honking horns and the steady beam of nearly-still tail-lights. The scene was nearly like a musical holiday card minus the slush and festive decor though some of the window boxes on neighboring balconies had a few hints of Spring dotting the otherwise drab concrete and brick. He moved away from the view and found his way to the door he'd sought, checking the paper stuck to his sleeve one last time as if the numbers would turn and shift their position on the page and he'd find himself in some other building, maybe some other less-busy part of town or at least knocking on the wrong door. He shifted the dark green satchel once more on his shoulder and reached out to knock solidly.

Marc wasn't expecting company and looked at the intercom on the wall that remained silent, then the door he appeared to try to see through. If couldn't see through it, perhaps he could smell through it. His expression carved deeper and iced over, clearly with an unusual apprehension, or perhaps simple caution that said he recognized the scent, or thought he did. He looked around for Vivienne and her distance from the door. "Stay back," he muttered to her sensitive ears as he approached the door and paused another moment in thought before undoing the locks save for the sliding chain that most would leave latched. He peeked through the gap, shoulders squared and his tone quietly defiant as he looked at the man on the other side in silence, though the deep breath, the test for the scent he thought he knew, challenged the man enough to identify himself and quickly.

Vivi startled slightly at the knock, she'd gotten better with such things but they still caught her off guard now and then. She'd been in her own home when she was attacked, the man had followed her scent there. Marc had changed her to save her life but it was still a little too fresh in her mind and knocks in the middle of the night bothered her. She was in her pajamas on the couch, her lean legs curled beneath her, bare from where the shorts ended. Her blond hair loose and lightly falling over her shoulders, her scars from the attack were noticable to eyes of those like her new family but were fading and would soon be gone. Marc's warning made her tense and her lip curled back in a silent snarl but she obeyed and stayed away from the door. She glanced to the bedroom door to see Tasa pulling on her robe and coming to stand in the doorway, watching Marc.

"Sorry. If you're looking for handouts, you're at the wrong place. The mission is down the street," Marc growled curtly to the man at the door.

Marc's tall, lean form blocked the view of the hall and the man there from Tasa and Vivi's view, but the scent would pass around him easily. It was in some ways similar to Marc's, though it spoke of someone younger and nervous, at least at the moment. If the scent wasn't enough to tell them as much, his voice would. He chuckled, then realized Marc was being entirely serious. "Come on... don't be like that. I thought you'd be happy to see me," he said, though the tone was edged with doubt. He truly didn't expect Marc would be happy to see him... or would see him... at all.

Tasa was a petite, exotic beauty who was also sweet and very strong, she stayed where she was with her silk robe draped around her form. She listened and tested the air for the scent of the one in the hall, though she believed her mate would have no trouble taking care of the guest if he was unwelcome. Her head tipped to the side with the voice and scent, it was somewhat familiar.. he was a relative of Marc's.

Vivi had not been with the couple or thier pack long enough to find the voice or scent familiar, though she did notice it was similar to the others. It seemed that Marc didn't want whoever the man was to come in, but they knew one another. She'd been told to stay back and continued to do so, though she was curious and wary.

"Some balls you have, coming here now. Do you know what time it is? Phones work, so do keys and emails. Intercom worked this morning, but I suppose you bartered your way in the front door, too? Supposed to be a secure building," Marc bemoaned, though he stood back from the door a little and shut it to undo the chain.

For a moment he'd thought the door would stay closed. He heard the chain slide and waited for the door to open again. "It's past dinner which I didn't have after the lunch and breakfast I didn't have, either," he explained at the closed door, loud enough to be heard by normal ears in the apartment next door. "And if I had a number to call you, I would have. It's unlisted, you bastard."

Tasa wandered a few steps from the bedroom and toward Marc though she remained a distance away as he made to undo the chain and let the stranger in. She was there to support her mate, or back him up if needed, or merely curl around him and welcome thier guest once he stepped away from the door.

Vivi looked to Tasa but it appeared the other woman didn't know who was in the hall any more than she did. It made her nervous but she trusted Marc, he'd saved her, turned her, and had watched over her in the few months since. The tank top and shorts she wore clearly showed the light scars which she'd gotten used to and almost forgot in the company of Tasa and Marc. For a wolf there would be no questions as to how or what had made them.

Marc pulled the door open again, glaring at the man before stepping back. "You will not speak like that in my house," he sniped, his fist curling, though his arm stayed at his side as he let the man in.

The man in the hall was shorter than Marc, though still tall with hair as dark as Marc's. He wore his whiskers in a proud outline of a well-trimmed beard and his clothes, though faded, were clean and crisp on his similarly lean form. He watched Marc carefully as he took the first step inside, then the second to be clear of the door and out of reach of the fist he saw tense up. He grinned again, "What? You'd prefer I'd said b*tch instead?"

The two women continued to watch the exchange silently. Tasa waited for Marc to secure the door and turn back to the room before she would make any move to join him.

Vivi had been told to stay back and though still new to this life and the pack, knew Marc was in charge and would not make a move until she was given permission or at least some indication that it was alright to.

"Careful who you call 'b*tch' in this room, brother," Marc said, finally cracking a grin, his arm swinging upward as he reached toward the man. The fist was let loose and the arm swung around in an embrace instead. "You still have a lot of nerve not calling ahead. You're lucky I'm decent."

Marc came at him quicker than he remembered the man could move and he tried to duck out of the way only to find himself hugged instead of tossed into next week with a lightning-fast punch. He breathed a sigh of relief and laughed when he realized he wasn't struck. "You haven't been decent a day in your life," he teased back, returning the hug with one arm as he tossed the satchel down and peeled away from the nearly too-affectionate display. In the next moment he'd come away from the door and Marc, circling a wide berth around him to leap onto the open end of the couch he realized suddenly was occupied. The length of flowing hair, and length of bare legs and the marks over her didn't escape his attention, although anything smart to say did. He nodded and gave the blond girl a kind smile. He hadn't been gone that long, had he? He looked at Marc with eyes full of questions.

Marc sighed and closed the door to secure the locks. "Before any more riff-raff comes running in here..," he muttered as he slid the chain back. "Make yourself at home, Harlan. Ehhht, but don't touch her. She's had her shots, but I'm not sure you've had yours."

Vivi's full attention was on the scene as it unfolded between the brothers, she relaxed some once Marc made his remarks and pulled the other man into a hug. Her eyes stared widely at Harlan as he plopped himself on the couch and she curled her fingers into the pillow beside her. Her grip was not enough to tear the fabric unless someone tried to tug the pillow away, in that case it would be shredded. The man smiled kindly and nodded to her, she returned the gesture though her smile was more shy, unsure about the man who entered what had become her home as well. Her gaze shifted between the man on the couch and Marc, many questions in her own eyes.

Tasa smiled as Marc turned the swing into a hug and welcomed his brother into thier home, she watched as Harlan spun himself to the couch and Vivi's initial reaction to him. Once Marc had the door locked, she flowed to his side and curled herself around him, her hand resting on his chest.

Marc's affection was deepened with the curl around Tasa's shoulder. "You remember Harley, darling? Thorn in my side since the day he was weaned?" Marc teased and his expression had warmed a little though his glare was sharp as he watched the man next to Vivienne.

The comments and the reaction from the girl tilted his head. "She might remember me, but I don't remember you," he said softly as he held out his hand in slow movement to the blonde across the cushions. "Since he's being rude and not introducing us, what's your name?"

Tasa chuckled softly and leaned up to nibble her reply at Marc's ear. "Mmmm.. I do recall you speaking of him. I think you pointed him out to me once at a gathering but I don't believe he stayed around long enough for us to be formally introduced." She turned her own gaze to watch over Vivi and Harley, noticing that the girl hadn't left the room, which she'd done a few times when some of the others came around.

Vivi regarded Harley and his hand for a moment before she unclenched hers from the pillow and slowly reached to wrap it around his. She wet her lips with her tongue and took in a breath which brought more of Harley's scent to her before she found voice to introduce herself. "Vivienne... or just Vivi." Her eyes cast over him, taking in more of his appearance now and realizing he was handsome. Something about his scent was more appealing as well and she didn't fully understand why he smelled better than anyone else she'd met. "I haven't been here long."

"Good to know. Maybe you haven't heard all the horror stories yet, then," he teased with another kind smile. Her scent was wickedly enticing and he tried not to be too obvious - impossible with other wolves nearby who'd know. "Nice to meet you, Vivi. You can call me...," any time you want, he nearly said and paused, catching himself and fixing his words behind his closed eyes a moment. "Just Harley.. that's probably the easiest."

"If he's 'just', then I'm the pope," Marc sniped again, though in better humor as he watched the pair interact. He wondered if Tasa saw it as he did, the attraction, but would Vivi strike out at the man without warning? He whispered to the woman he'd curled himself around. "Maybe a robe and a chaperone tonight, hm?"

Vivi sensed the change in his scent and it drew her to lean a little closer to take more of it in, he would also smell her curiosity and mutual attraction. "I haven't heard any stories about you." She commented, looking to his face with another shy smile as she realized how she was leaning and slowly shifted herself back. She also let go of his hand with a light blush at how she'd held onto it for longer than appropriate for a mere introduction. Harley was doing things to her that she wasn't sure what to make of as this was the first time she was experiencing this kind of attraction.

Tasa chuckled quietly at Marc's first comments and whispered back to him. "If you're the pope, I'm in big trouble." She glanced at the two on the couch and gently shook her head. "If you feel you must.. but I don't think we need to. She's doing well with him and we'd only be in the other room... unless you want to keep him away from her?"

"Want to or need to?" Marc asked, keeping as straight a face as he could manage. Tasa was right, though. They were in the next room and experience had already proven that Vivi could take good care of herself, albeit at the expense of a large cleaning bill. He relented, giving Harley another short glare and a growl of warning not to be overly eager.

He cleared his throat as the growl rolled across the room, reluctantly moving away to the end of the couch and leaving a modest space between them. He glanced back to Marc. He'd been nice enough to let him in, so he shouldn't push his luck, but he really wanted to. "Right, um.. so," he stammered, more shyly glancing back to Vivienne with a shrug. What now? "Talking's painless, right?"

"Want or need? Isn't it almost the same for us?" Tasa stroked her hand lightly over Marc's chest, keeping close and supporting him in whatever decision he made for the little one in thier care, she voiced her opinions and thoughts freely but trusted her mate's choices. "Such as my want for you.. now.." She whispered that hardly louder than a breath to tease him a little.

Vivi pouted a little as Harley shifted further away, leaving more space between them on the couch though it wasn't a huge gap. Her gaze shifted to Marc, looking for direction and asking if she'd done something to displease him. "I..." She paused, glancing from Marc to Harley and then back, her hands were clasped in her lap and she shifted her legs. "If Marc says it's alright.."

"Painless is a good start," Marc grinned. "Let's keep it that way for you both, okay? Welcome home, brother. Don't keep her up late, hm?" He curled more tightly around Tasa and began to turn toward the other room, planning on staying up quite a while with her.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Harley replied flatly, feeling the short fuzz on his neck bristle. He gave Vivienne another glance and his lips moved around the word 'sorry' he kept silent for now. He was dreaming of spending some time getting to know the girl.

Tasa kissed Marc's neck and gave a slight wave to Harley and Vivi. "If you need us.." She brushed her fingers over Vivi's cheek as they passed by the couch on the way to the other room. Tasa's words were a reassurance that Vivi didn't need to be afraid or if she became too confused or excited they would be there for her but that they trusted her to handle herself.

Vivi smiled and reached to clasp Tasa's fingers for a moment, she nodded in understanding and let go. "I think I'll be alright." She wasn't sure how she was able to feel so excited and yet so calm at once, but knew it was something to do with Harley's scent and pressence. She wanted to get to know the wolf beside her but didn't want to do anything that would upset or anger Marc, she hoped that she was reading his signals correctly but was still new enough to have doubts. She glance to Harley and gave him another shy smile. "I'll try not to hurt you." She whispered to him, a little bit of a tease and a bit genuine.

Marc was simply pouting. Four years the man had been away and in less than a minute he'd turned everything in the house around. He was partly thankful however seeing how Vivienne seemed finally comfortable around others, but he didn't want her to become too comfortable or foolish. "If he deserves it, Vivi, you do what you feel is right. Okay? Rest well and we'll get caught up in the morning."

"Nice." Harley sighed and leaned on his knees. "Glad you're in a good mood. You want your paper and bunny slippers in the morning, too? She's safe, alright? I get it."

Tasa nipped at Marc again, trying to get him to stop pouting and to make sure he stayed in a decent mood with the teasing that was being tossed around between them all. "That would be lovely.. my slippers and his paper." She looked over her shoulder at Harley with a slight grin.

"What I feel is right..." She echoed in a soft whisper and smiled a little brighter, her teeth grasping her lower lip as she considered that permission and what Harley said about her being safe. Vivi took a deep breath and her eyes sparkled brighter as she looked to Marc first to let him know she was really alright with being out here alone with his brother and then her gaze went to Harley with the invitation to and hope that they would get to know one another better.

"What if I wanted my slippers? How will I keep my paws warm?" Marc teased further and tugged Tasa into a closer embrace, attempting to whisk her away.

Harley heard the mutter and hoped that Marc had not. The man seemed well pre-occupied for now and he also hoped that he'd stay in the good mood, although he sensed the questions that would loom heavily in the morning. "I'll just bring a whole damned rabbit. Where I'll find one in New York, hell if I know, but it's good. Don't worry about me. I'll just... unpack, I guess," he said, looking at the one meager bag he'd brought with him.

Tasa let Marc whisk her into the other room, she'd only been lingering in here with the others waiting to get him into the other room. She slipped the tie to her robe into his grasp and gently spun herself into thier room, that was her answer to how he could keep his paws warm.

"Unpack?" Vivi was back to shyly biting at her lip and her hand gestured to the doorway on the other side of the room. "There's only one spare room.. if you're staying, I suppose we'll have to share it. I don't have many things, so there will be plenty of room for yours."

"Marc has his way, I'm where I'm staying, I think," he sighed, looking at the couch that would likely be home for a while. "Although I really like your idea better. How long have you been here?"

"You can take the bed.." She murmured quietly as she curled her arms around her knees and glanced to Harley again. ".. I don't sleep in there much.. or much at all.." Vivi's smile was faded and disappeared more as he asked about how long she'd been here. "I've only been here a few months.. how long have you been away?"

"Not the point. You keep the bed. If I have my way, my things, your things... I think they'd be pretty happy in the same room," he admitted with a warmer expression, focusing on her now that Marc had left the room. He looked over the marks that were healing well, guessing why she hadn't been sleeping recently at least. "Not bad for a few months. Are you still scared? I'll be honest. It's been almost four years and this city still scares the crap out of me."

Vivi liked what he said about if he had his way and thier things being happy in the same room, it brought her smile back out a little. Her eyes followed his as he looked over the marks on her that she took a moment to examine as well, her fingers ran over one of them and she nodded her head. "Yes, I'm still scared. Not as much as I was at first.. but I know some of Marc's comments had to do with that. I haven't.. done so well with some of the others."

"Some of the others? Humor me - how many?" He started untying his boots as he asked. He didn't appear afraid of being in the list of the unfortunate, not with the scent he kept turning around on his tongue with each breath he took.

After a moment of silence and biting gently at her lower lip, she did give him an answer. "Five." She told him softly, watching him for his reaction to that but making no indication he would be number six. She liked his scent and even if he stayed on that side of the couch talking to her, she could be happier than she'd been in months.

The second boot thumped to the floor. "Five? That's some good training already. He's a good guy, teaching you so quick like that. Wolves like us, or plain humans?"

Vivi was quiet again and her shoulder shrugged as she chewed on her lip some more. "Wolves... like us.." She spoke quietly, almost as if she were telling him a secret. "I don't.. it wasn't.. he didn't.." She stopped herself and took another deep breath. "I don't believe it was intentional.. to train me.. it just happened. I think he had something different in mind... but... I just.. I didn't like them and they tried to make me.. it didn't work so well for them."

"Heh, well that explains what he meant," he realized, understanding what Marc had meant to tell her about him getting what he deserved. Here he was hoping it was something else... and maybe it was. "For them, but I must be different. You don't smell angry or frightened."

"You are different. I like... the way you smell." She replied, simply, honestly, and little bit shyly as she was sure he could tell from her own scent just what she thought of him so far. The attraction was strong, had been from the moment he sat down but now as they got to know one another a little, she was simply starting to genuinely like him.

His smile was crooked and grateful. "Good. It's bad enough knowing he might rip me a new one over something stupid. Brothers, you know? It's nice knowing someone's out there that isn't trying to shred me. So, um... I guess I have the couch? Here? I can sleep on the floor or wherever."

She folded her arms with a slight pout and her eyebrow arched up. "I already told you, you can have the bed. I don't sleep much.." She chewed at her lower lip, wondering why he'd changed his tune or so it seemed and she felt a bit of a sting from that.. her eyes darkened slightly as she looked at Harely. "I thought we were going to share the room.. but if you don't want to.. you can just take the bed yourself."

"But... we're already sharing the couch and maybe I like it right here," he said, raising his eyebrow in mirror of hers. The grin was altogether dangerous beneath it. "And I'm not taking a bed alone. That's all there is to it. Sorry, but... that would just be selfish of me."

For a moment she was unsure and her face showed it as she regarded him, her tongue passed over her lips and her head tilted to the side. "Then we will have to share the bed." She shifted up onto her hands and knees, leaning to sniff close to his neck and take in his scent.

"Okay, take it easy. You're not planning on shredding me because I... uh...," he paused, ready to defend, but it wasn't an attack he sensed in her as she came closer to him on her hands and knees. Confusion registered slightly until her scent became more clear to him in return. "Because... I might insist on staying right here at least a few minutes."

"Shredding wasn't what I had in mind... If it's alright with you, I'd like to get a little closer." She brushed the cushion next to him, asking if it was alright for her to curl up beside him. "Is.. is this a wolf thing? Feeling like this from your scent...?" Vivi didn't know or understand all the ways of the wolf side she now had, she'd been learning but of course had not found the right mate so she'd never experienced this part of things. "It's like in some ways I already know you."

"It might be? I can't read minds like I can read scents, but... I think that what I'm reading has a headline all over the front page that says it's... definitely... a wolf thing," he agreed, putting his arm up on the back of the couch for her to nestle under. "So hopefully the part you know already is the nice guy that behaves himself."

Vivi smiled sweetly as she moved to snuggle herself beside Harley, her eyes were still dark but her expression was softer. Her hand settled on his thigh and she bit at her lower lip. "I don't know about the behaving part.. your scent draws me closer and makes me want to misbehave.. I want to know more than just your scent.. I want to keep you close. It's like nothing I have ever felt before."