liamxbryne

[liamxbryne]

Some pleasures, Liam had kept for himself. Like what he was holding in his hand. It just proved the higher quality of the can. They were rare and old , and not really tasting that great, but a Guinness was a Guinness. He had a few cans stocked away, and well now that he was settled and the first wave of how unwelcomed he was here and how lucky they let him back was over, he felt he needed a break. That was until a man spoke up and asked if it was what he thought he was. He did not recognize the man, probably came after he left, but that man had spotted something. Now Liam's math just went to the beer and the slight ginger tone. "sláinte" he cheeered , extending the beer to him.

open starter for @liamxbryne

On a mission to hide from his husband or anyone who could lecture him about his bruised ankle, Harry thought the pound could be a nice spot. Or at least it was his plan until he spotted someone already on the bench. Too bad. Ready to leave and try somewhere else, Harry stopped himself when his Irish radar activated itself. No way. No way it was what he thought it was. He couldn't just leave now, he had to ask if he wanted to not ponder the question the rest of the week. Walking closer, he stopped when the man noticed him. "Hi, sorry, is it what I think it is?" He asked, a finger pointing to the beer, rushing the polite part of his sentence to focus on the priorities.

#harry001

[liamxbryne]

The fact that David chose to speak to him, made him smile , more to himself than an actual smile. And David wasn't looking in his direction so , it helped to show some of the relief he felt. He was also not going to argue, with a bow, David would always be a better shot than him, that was just true. As to the question, it was loaded. A lot of possible answers came to mind for the Irish. Some sounded like excuses, justifications , none really got the point across of what Liam was feeling.

David had been on his mind when leaving. Those thoughts were full of regrets, as he played back the events of that night. Again and again and again. Some of it , also was just starting to come back, as he had been in a kind of fugue state. First, the answer was not coming, giving the impression that he was not willing to answer or that he thought David's question was rethorical. The truth was, that talking about footwork, was easy than finding the right words to open that wound between them again, in order to close it and not have it fester.

The Legionnaire put his arms on the fence. "No. " he found his voice. He just decided to be true to himself, be straight to the point. "I'm sorry for what I did to you and what I said to you that night. " he apologized, implying that was the reason why he came closer. He did not know if David wanted to hear it or even consider forgiving him or letting him earn his trust again, but he felt like he owed at least to tell him he did nothing wrong. "I know, you were just trying to help me. " he licked his lips. " and that I - fucked up. " he taped a finger on his arm. He kept quiet, that his rage did not kill David, because it pretty much could have.

David had heard through the grapevine that apparently Liam was back in town and David had some pretty strong, mixed feelings about this. Yeah, he was glad that Liam was okay and safe and back in town and everything because David wasn’t heartless like that. At the same time he also wasn't all that keen on going to see the man anytime soon. When Liam had left, David felt a lot of things. Anger, betrayal, loss.....the two men had developed a pretty good bond during their time here in Redwood. In fact, Liam had almost became like a brother to him. They used to go out on hunts together, shoot the shit, have a laugh or two and overall, just be buddies.

And then he left. That day would live in infamy with him. The fight, the bruise on his jaw.....over a year of being friends and just like that, it seemed over. David resigned himself to the fact that Liam was gone for good and never coming back so he mourned and moved on. That's what you had to do in situations like this - mourn and move on. Friends came and went so fast in today's landscape.

But now Liam was back and David - well, David wasn't quite ready to deal with that just yet. So instead he planned on doing what he did every day when he wasn't hunting - wake up, take Roxy for a walk, go do some physical therapy at the training yard, plan a hunt for the next day and relax. Roxy was running around the training yard, getting her energy out and sniffing around to see if any of her doggo friends had been by before laying on a hay bale to watch as her dad started firing off some arrows with his bow. He fired off a few arrows before he heard a voice behind him - and his shoulders stiffened. Looked like it didn't matter if he was ready to talk - it was happening. "Still a better shot than you," he said without looking over his shoulder. Instead he just adjusted his foot. "Ya come out here just to critique my footwork, Bryne?"

#david001

[liamxbryne]

Liam looked down, and still was not moving an inch. There was nothing in his eyes Vi could read for sure. No anger, no hurt feelings, he just remained annoyingly neutral while facing her anger. He had never used her first name on her, but fair enough he had a pretentious politness. He looked at the tractor tires, then back at the woman, wondering just how she wanted to carry those herself.

"As you wish Miss Wolf, it has been asked to be done today. Hopefully you will be able to complete the task in time. " he stated. He took his leave with a nod, turned away but stopped after a couple of steps and looked back at her by turning his head slightly. "Thank you, Miss Wolf, for being there for Penny. " the thank was said in a more vulnerable voice, with a real appreciation that Penny had not been alone and was being kept safe by fierce characters while he was gone. He continued to walk away from the junkyard.

"The hell you are doing." Vi pushed inside of his space, staring up at him with hard anger. The dog didn't bother her. Liam wasn't stupid enough to let her attack a resident. "And you can shove your pretentious politeness up your ass. You don't get to come here and 'Miss Wolf' me."

The junkyard was technically open source. Even if Vi regarded it as her domain, anybody could come and take what they wanted. Unlike what they kept in the overflow storage, this was just junk and scraps. But Vi would do hell and let Liam take any of it. "It's not your job to fix the front gate. I'm gonna go and fix it. You have no business here, so unless you want me to sock you, leave."

#vi001

[liamxbryne]

Zack just kept going down in Liam's value scale. The man only saw the world the way he wanted to. Not giving details at first rarely meant a lie to normal people, yet to Zack it seemed so. It was telling. Of course Liam gave the lesser details , but that too was not out of the ordinary. He really only confined in Penny and David and that after months of knowing them. Tessa knew him best, and he could feel her biting her tongue in this. Zack did not know him as a man or as an officer, thought of him as a soldier, a liar , a judgement call himself found distateful.

He could have justified himself further, the signal had not been a secret, listening for it had not been either. Those close knew it made him come up here, knew what it meant to him. He knew nothing about him to make that judgement call, nothing had been said to contradict his story. He could have said that , since he was in a hurry, he just told Ermano the minimum. Yet he did not.

The Legionnaire stood up, and calmly came closer to Zack. Still straight as a pole, he stopped in front of the bars and put himself in a resting stance. Now looking slightly down at the man in front of him "I gave you the reason I left, I gave you the reason I came back. If you believe me or not is out of my hands. No amount of details will change that. If you think I'm a danger and do not want me here, then veto it and I'll be on my way again. This is my home, but if the community does not want me, there is nothing I can do but leave and it being my fault." he replied just with the same calm as he did for the whole conversation. He wasn't really moved by the attack on Redwood, places like Redwood were bound to be attacked, it was how the world worked now. He was honest in his decision to come back to his home, but if they did not want him there, he would take his things and leave, with a heavy heart, but accepting that he was no longer a member of this community due to the choices he made. "Will that be all, Sir ? "

Zack listened attentively, tongue still prodding at his canines. That hadn't been the smart choice. "You didn't mention that in your first story, soldier. Don't you think that's an important detail? Awfully convenient you just included it now." Zack stepped closer again, right up to the edge of Liam's space, not really looking for an answer to the question.

"Any reason you couldn't tell Ermano that story, since you notified him that you were leaving? Telling it seems to come pretty easy to you now." Zack stared down at the other man, hands shoved deep in his pockets, staring down at the other man unwaveringly. Both watching for reactions, though the guy had been as emotive as a brick wall so far, and assessing him. He breathed out, slowly.

"The problem ain't that you left without telling anybody that you were, soldier. It's that you didn't tell anybody why. You didn't tell them the story you're trying to sell to me right now." Zack already didn't appreciate people leaving and coming back when they felt like it. It'd been one of the rules with his wolves - you leave, you're out. Redwood ran differently, but that didn't mean they needed to slack. Zack wouldn't let that happen.

"Something ain't adding up, we both know that pretty damn well." Zack's tone was sharp, his eyes narrowed with distrust. When he spoke again though, his voice was still hard, though it'd eased up the faintest bit. "While you were out there, Redwood was attacked. Me and the council worked to keep this place safe. People died to do that. People got hurt. And right now, I got no damn reason to think you ain't just another danger to this place. So cut the crap already."

#zack001

[liamxbryne]

What is your favorite thing about Penny ?

Her eyes, they often show her passion, her gentleness, her love, her worries, her happiness. It is the first thing I see when I snap back or wake up. Plus they are just beautiful , the pigments of green , the slight hue of blue and brown.

#askmemes

[liamxbryne]

What's your biggest regret?

I try to not dwell in regrets or remorses. There are choices and consequences and you move on with the teachings of both.

But to give a regret, I suppose not enjoying time with my parents more.

#askmemes

[liamxbryne]

Why didn't you tell anybody why you were leaving?

It was more fleeing than leaving. Who could have I told without putting Penny in danger ? I had to leave for her to be safe, and me to calm down.

#askmemes

[liamxbryne]

Do you regret coming back?

No , I do not regret coming back.

#askmemes

[liamxbryne]

why do you treat people so disrespectfully? We're supposed to be a community .

#askmemes

[liamxbryne]

Do you still love Penny?

I do ... corps et âme.

@pennykingstcn

#askmemes #traduction: body and soul

[liamxbryne]

To be honest, Liam had not expected anyone to be at the junkyard, let alone it to be Vi. Her anger, however, was welcome to the Legionnaire. It meant that , only one narrative prevailed. They could make him their villain all they wanted, as long as Penny was safe. That was all that mattered. He was not going to take more of her time nor enter any confrontation with Penny's friend. She had every right to be angry with him, because the words he had said before leaving, those words were just unacceptable and unforgivable all together.

Juno came in front of her master, ready to bounce when given the command. "Juno , non , assis." he ordered the dog, who looked up at him then sat by his side. He pointed at the tires. "Miss Wolf, I just need two tires to change the bumpers on the front gate , and be out of the junkyard. I did not know it had become your property." he spoke, not moving , yet not passing by her, even if he could if he wanted to.

starter for: @liamxbryne

location: junkyard

"What the hell are you doing here?" In that moment, Vi wished her shotgun wasn't locked up inside their armory at the precinct. It'd have been good to feel it's weight in her hands as she limped her way over to a person she'd hoped to never see in Redwood again.

Not everybody knew why Liam had left. But Vi most definitely did. Her face twisted in a firm grimace she pushed in close, squaring up to him and certainly not giving a shit that he was almost a head taller than her as she stared up at his face with barely hidden anger. "You better have a fucking good reason for showing your face around here again. Get the hell off my property."

#vi001

[liamxbryne]

There was no reaction on Liam's face or body. A perfect control of body and mind. Not even a twitch of a muscle. However, his mind was forming an opinion on Zack. He was just becoming through his words, his attitude and lack of respect towards him, yet another American Yankee. One of a million he had seen and interacted with before. They all pushed for a narrative, for something to chew on. Provocation, and insistant questionning. Always the same tactics. He wondered, just what the man had done to earn his spot on the Council and what had become of the two previous Council members. He'd have to ask Ermano.

With the accusations and provocations just washing off his back, like it meant nothing to him, because they had no holding ground on him. Liam let the other male finish. His gaze never averting from Zack's, always piercing and straight in his , following his mouvement. "I've notifed a member of the council that I was leaving, Delgado can testify to it, Sir. The signal was picked up after years of silence, and so,as I stated before, I've decided to follow it before it got cold again. As I stated, it was just a loop , someone had brought back online probably raiding the facility before Tessa and I. " he repeated calmy, his voice sure of the facts stated.

General. It'd been a few years since he'd been called that. Zack's eyes narrowed. Liam's body was rigid, gaze unwavering as he went on, like a soldier returning from a mission and giving a report to his higher-ups. Hardly anybody who'd served ever fully let go of it, and the those who'd seen active combat least of all. For some people, there was little outside of it. Semper fidelis.

"Alright, pal." Zack pushed himself off the wall, taking a few, deliberately slow steps towards the other man, but not pushing in his space just yet. "You left Redwood to go get answers. Finish the last mission you were ordered to go on. Like a good, loyal soldier." Zack stopped, opposite of him, cold stone to his back, regarding the other man quietly for just a few moments longer, before he continued.

"You should know what they do with soldiers who decide to go AWOL. And it ain't welcoming them back with open arms and a smile on their faces. Especially not when they're trying to bullshit their superiors." Zack's tone, though hard and unyielding, was calm. No anger. Almost matter of fact.

"You were one of the founding members. You stayed here for over two years, helping to build this place and protect it. And suddenly after all that time, you have a change of mind and decide you need answers, pack everything up and leave. Without telling anybody just why you suddenly decided to go." Zack pushed his hands into his pocket, letting his tongue trail over his canines. "Something made you leave. Make the smart choice now, soldier."

#zack001

[liamxbryne]

Location : Training Yard

@davxdalexander

Making amends was hard when you were the one in the wrong. The relationship wasn't the same. It had scars, it had a passive , it could happen again. Mostly, when a fight couldn't be resolved through communication or time , it destroyed the trust that once was there. Now David had tried to reason with him, to help him , but he was at the wrong place and the wrong time and had just taken the rage of a man hurt at the very core , fiber of his heart. Betrayed by an information he did not know would send him in such a spiral.

He was not very welcome right now, that was fine, it meant no one had found out Penny's occupation, it meant she was safe , and he had two shoulders to take the fault of that night. However, he was happy to see that his old cabin was still free and standing. Nestled between trees, giving a view onto the training yard, it was a familiar sight, even if one filled with good and bad memories. As he leaned against the doorframe, he recognized the silihouette of his friend - if he was still allowed to call him that. A hard swallow and hesitation later, he walked slowly towards the training yard and stopped at a safe and respectful distance. He wasn't sure David would talk to him, he sincerly hoped he would. " You need to correct your left foot... it's making the shots unbalanced." he softly spoke,

#david001

[liamxbryne]

All in the way Liam was sitting, screamed discipline. His back was straight, his gaze unfocused but looked straight ahead. Maybe lost in thoughts, he remembered the birth of this place. How Jason had come up with the idea, how Ermano and him set this up for newcomers. Interrogation had never been his speciality so he rarely did the interviews with newcomer, but he had put more than one in here in order for them to get processed. It was smaller than he remembered, filled with an energy between hope , anticipation and fear. He could feel it oozing from the walls.

Tessa was in the cell next to him, as for Juno, Brady had taken her, because she did not deserve to spend time behind bars. When the door opened, there was a slight eye mouvement from Liam. He took in Zack in terms of weaknesses and strengths. He vaguely remembered Astor from their hunting trips and several discussions they had. He had given him some advice on how to train Juno like Rex. "Not really. " Liam replied not exagerating things, those were simply facts. Life out there, was war. He had been trained for war, it felt welcoming and like home, the harder the terrain and conditions, the more he thrived.

His hazel gaze was focused on Zack's , not breaking eye contact. There was no attempt to intimidate or show off, he always looked people in the eye when talking to them. "General -" he started. They weren't pals, and the title was a gentle reminder of that. " - Redwood is my home. I left to get answers , I found those answers. " He knew it was too vague and would prompt the other to further his questions. "What prompted to come up north when stationned in Latin America, was a signal to gather in Ottawa. Stopping here, I had convinced myself that it was just a loop. However, I needed to know. So , Tessa and I went. It was as expected : they had sent us there for evac, but there was none, no evac, no back-up. Nothing. We took from the base what we could and made out way back. While big cities are now empty of the living, we encountered hostiles along the way , improvised mercenary or otherwise. New Yok State is full of groups fighting each other over crumbs. " he detailed as he was doing a debriefing of a mission. That was only part of the truth, but personal matters did not matter in this and did not concern Astor at all.

starter for: @liamxbryne

location: precinct

The trips down to the precinct were getting more plentiful than Zack wanted them to be. Too many newcomers, the people on the inside being trouble - and now Liam was back amidst all of it. And Zack, in turn, wasn't happy about it.

"Guess life out there on your own was a little too hard for you, huh?" Zack's face was set in a firm scowl as he unlocked the door to Liam's cell and stepped inside, closing it back up behind him. He took a moment to take stock of the man before him. Him and Liam hadn't been particularly close. Zack hadn't been in Redwood for too long when he'd suddenly left, without much of a reason. And now, he was here and wanted back in.

"Pretty sure Ermano already caught you up some on what changed around here, so let's skip that crap. You got a reason for coming back, pal?"

#zack001

[liamxbryne]

Time. He always thought he'd have more time. Time to leave, time to come back, time to face the woman now standing in front of him. Coming back was just as difficult as it was easy. Getting through the gates, seeing familiar faces, sitting in front of the council, all of that was easy, it was protocol, it had rules. It had a frame that was known to him. Resting, putting things away, letting Tessa know he would take care of the horse for them , assuring her that the horse would be fine , all of that was easy.

The difficult part, was the heart. Mostly , because he couldn't pretend. Liam was a tough man, tough as they came. He could endure a lot of pain, stay focused on an objective, may it be raining, snowing , he was trained to endure pain. However, that slap, while in appareance not even that hard, revebrated in him with wave of an immense pain through his being, and he felt his heart tighten in his chest. There was nothing he could do , or say. He deserved it. He closed his eyes , head down in shame or in guilt, difficult to say.

In his mind, an echo of words became very loud. He was remembering their last interaction. Things that were said. The violence of those words. The anger just building up , like a storm unable to break. - A bark - Juno rarely barked. Yet the act of aggression on her master did not sit well with her, and she was voicing her concern. "Silence ma fille" (Quiet, girl) he softly told her. He took a step forward, and dared. Simply dared to put a kiss on her forehead.

@liamxbryne location: stables/farm

Dusk quickly came to see the day off. Penny had spent most of her day tending to the animals - getting them fed, picking up the chicken eggs, brushing the horses. Ronnie had cornered Penny at one point, complaining about the smell from the animals. Theo came to see Faith ... that conversation was an interesting one. Lastly, Joel came to check on the hives. In her mind, it was a productive day. Next line on her list was to get home, cleaned and work with her new sewing machine gifted from Vi.

Closing up the stables, Penny let out a tired sigh. She welcomed the cool breeze drying the line of sweat along her hairline. A shower was needed - desperately. As she started her trek to her home, her quickened pace slowed when she saw a horse pulled by a figure approaching. Mentally Penny recounted the horses in the stables, clearly remembering putting each in their individual enclosures.

"Who the hell..." That's when she saw him. He wasn't supposed to be walking in her direction, pulling a horse. He wasn't supposed to be in Redwood. Period. Penny battled between facing the confrontation or walking in the opposite direction to silently freak out.

But the horse.

Penny and Leigh have the stables set up specifically the way they need it. Any disruptions and they both feel disoriented. Liam going in and messing with their shit was one of the last things they needed. "Fuck."

Being one of the least confrontational people, she had no idea what came over her when her palm suddenly and harshly met Liam's cheek.

#penny001

[liamxbryne]

Love, I have wounds Only you can mend You can mend, oh, oh, oh I guess that's love I can't pretend Feel, my skin is rough But it can be cleansed It can be cleansed, oh, oh, oh

Tom Odell - Can't Pretend

@pennykingstcn

#musings #ftpenny

[liamxbryne]

Halo s02e05: “You’re all I have left.”

#musings