Height: 5'6"
Age: 27 when last seen, would be 43 now
Power: None
Rank: None
Vivian was a great beauty. She was told so since she was a little girl. As a teen, she recognized it as a power she could hold over people, men in particular, if she used it right.
At the time of the Revolution, she was only around 12 years old. She'd been living in the Southlands city with her father who was a repairman for one of the labs.
The Revolution pretty much started and ended in the South. She lost her father, but she was saved and sent to live in the village. Henri was the main force behind this plan. All the humans who had lived in the city and worked for the labs were gathered to be put to work, using their talents to support the tribe that was forming. It was more of an agreement with Henri rather than a command from Henri. (Though did they really have a choice?)
Vivian was meant to learn a trade that would help the village support the tribe that was protecting them. She and her best friend, Rita, both realized that their future would be decided for them. Friends of theirs who were old enough to have children were being married off already to men who could support them, in the village and in the tribe. Both girls made a pact to at least pick their own partners.
Rita chose Frank, the man who ran the bar on the outskirts of town, because though he was gruff, he was really nice. Vivian chose James, Henri's second in command, because she knew he was strong, could protect her, and would provide a life for her. He was really only a couple years older than her (eighteen to her fourteen).
But there were two problems. Henri was against it. It set a bad precident if his people started plucking mates from the developing village. And James was unstable.He was quick to anger and strong, so he often hurt Vivian and his son. When James finally died, Henri took care of the small family in his own way.
Vivian had one other son of course-- Brandon. When she was 27, she left Brandon at the care center and disappeared. Brandon was only seven, Jimmy was 14.
Views on Sex: It's a powerful tool for a woman. The woman controls reproduction, and men are weak when it comes to sex. They're driven by their need and can be convinced of anything.
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Oh! Is Rita Pat's mother?! She would be a valuable source of info about Vivian!
ReplyDeleteVivian really is gorgeous--Brandon's gray eyes. So she chose abusive James, and had Jimmy (fitting name...a Jr.?), and when Henri was taking care of the family "in his own way" she conceived Brandon....
Wow...if she had Brandon when she was 20, that made her a really, really young mother to James. And she just left? Hm...she seems a little cold, a little too calculating.
Squee! Yeah, was it a little obvious? I'm not ruining anything by telling you that you hit it on the nose. Rita is another important mother.
ReplyDeleteHehe, aaaactually, the one who has her eye shade isn't Brandon, though sometimes Brandon's looks like it depending on the light. (That's why I LOVE TS3 eyes! They may be a little creepy, but the way they actually change color is just so fun.)
As for the rest, yeah. She chose him when she was young, she just wanted to be able to make her own choice and unfortunately she chose badly. Rita made an interesting choice as well.
She was a horribly young mother when she had Jimmy. That was part of the problem. Her departure does sound cold, doesn't it? But as always, there is another side.
A character who has never appeared in the story but seems so, so important anyway.
ReplyDeleteVivian leaving her sons does seem very cold but Vivian's world is not ours, I guess. Different societal structure and unspoken rules, although I still wonder if a mother abandoning her children is sort of a universal no-no. What did the people she knew think of her actions? That's rhetorical, unless it's not spoilery to answer.
I know, I'm crazy right? But she's hugely important I think to understanding both boys and this time period/ the time after the Revolution. She's important in another way no one will even suspect. I know I was surprised. But that'll be another story!
ReplyDeleteOh, that's a good question! You know, I never even thought about it. It's never come up. I imagine, for the most part, after the Revolution it was difficult to surprise people. Horrible things happen. And that she ran away from the boys, well, I think in a way most people might have understood considering... well, we'll be getting to that later I think.