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Family is a Four Letter Word

PostPosted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 6:05 pm
by Lady Grace
The stench of greasy ash and ozone still clung in Annie's nostrils. Her body was tight and trembling as a harried fox, expecting the ambush at every turn. It was taking all her self-control to neither run for the docks nor scream out a challenge right then and there.

...that's what those bastards would want you to do. Focus...

The shop had been destroyed, but at least the Cymbr woman was unharmed. For now. But who else might be targeted that I've interacted with?

The Vendel bodyguard drew in a slow breath, forcing herself to unclench her fists. Already, her nails had left impressions in her palms. As satisfying as it might be to thrash every flea-bitten Vesten savage that now infested the city of Altamira, Annie's first duty was to warn her aunt somehow back in Kirk. Worst case scenario, notify the League and/or the Merchant Marines to look in on Trudie's welfare as well.

Then, after such word was sent -- and only then -- start investigating here in Altamira.

Another ragged breath. Annie scowled. It was possible that this was some set-up. That this was some bizarre attack from either a business rival of Trudie's or grandiose, overcomplicated scheming from a Vodacce. But this was far too personal -- this was family.

No. They stopped being family the night they attempted to kill Trudie. And even then, we were willing to walk away and leave them alone. They no longer define me -- I define myself.

Annie Sigurd, devoted niece of Trudie. Bodyguard and Swordswoman. Vendel. That was who and what she chose to be.

I refuse to be stagnant. To be dragged back to their self-inflicted misery.

The cold hate of Idona and Ulf and Peder, the deadness in the souls, the wrath they were proud to embrace. Did they worm their way here to Altamira for their sick revenge? Maybe they got that brute Brom involved....

Annie hissed, fists wanting to clench again. She was HAPPY here -- and they wanted to destroy it! Or worse...

I find out you've hurt Trudie or worse, there WILL be justice. I swear it. Not by long dead ancestors or Theus -- I swear by ME.


Her lip quivered. Not revenge or retribution. Justice. For Trudie's sake and her own.

...may it not come down to that. Please let Trudie be safe...

Annie gave a quick shake of her head, giving the bones in her neck a needed pop. She had resources and contacts in Altamira. Maybe it was time to start making use out of them...

Re: Family is a Four Letter Word

PostPosted: Fri Jun 02, 2017 9:41 pm
by Lady Grace
Children!

Annie felt the bile rise in her throat. She didn't try to fight it, instead turning down an alley way to spit up the acid. Burning and bitter, she slammed a fist against the stone wall, not caring about the pain now. A flap of skin was torn from the back of her knuckles and the blood welled like a tear.

They went after children -- AGAIN!

The funny thing was, Annie barely knew Romeo. What little interactions she had had with the boy were just in passing. She knew about his obsession with the masked vigilante El Vago and his (admittedly VERY silly) fear that Aleski was going to take him to Ussura, but that was about it. As targets that matter went, he wouldn't have been anywhere close to a top choice.

Which made it all the more frightening. Her enemies didn't CARE. Anyone could be a target, anyone could be attacked and Annie would run herself ragged to try to prevent anyone else getting hurt -- or worse. They knew that.

Children. No more...

Time to stop waiting around. No, it was time to bring the fight to those vermin and drag them to justice...

"...time to hunt..." hissed the Vendel.

Re: Family is a Four Letter Word

PostPosted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 10:28 am
by Lady Grace
Annie's face HURT.

Between the tension in her jaw, eyes tired with unshed tears and the migraine throbbing in the back of her skull, she didn't know if she would ever feel safe again. Her breath came out in ragged pulses now -- each one reminding her of the harried baying of wild carrion dogs at her heels.

Her family -- no, the wretches she had the misfortune of being born into -- they were NOT family! Trudie was her family. Those savages wanted her to meekly return to the stagnant hell they preferred to wallow in. To feed on misery and tear down progress all in the name of " Vesten tradition".

No honour to them -- they assault innocents and skulk like cowards in the shadows! Where, then, is their damned 'Vesten honour' of fighting like warriors?!

Another myth, another lie they eagerly drank up when it suited them. But the reality was that they were as treacherous and destructive in every deed as they claimed the Vendel were. And they refused to recognize it.

It's not my responsibility to make them change -- but it is my duty to stop them finally somehow.

And somehow, that meant waiting on what Peter Galvin was able to dredge up at that accursed mead hall. She hoped the bard had been successful (and safe!) in that matter. Regardless, she owed the man a debt. If Galvin had troubles of his own, Annie intended to have his back...

Re: Family is a Four Letter Word

PostPosted: Sat Jun 08, 2019 12:23 pm
by Lady Grace
The hot waters of the bath didn't seem to register with Annie.

Two days. It had been two days since she dragged Peder's miserable hide to the Alcade for his many crimes of assault, arson and terrorism. Two days.

Annie thought she would have been overwhelmed by the twin spectres of grief and guilt seeing her brother (justifiably) arrested. Instead, all she felt was tired and resigned, only dimly aware of the bruises her body had suffered from during his attack. Perhaps she should have been more surprised that he had taken up the crutch of Laerdom during all these lost years, but right now, Annie just didn't care.

In the silence of the bathhouse, all Annie could hear were the ripples in the water when she fidgeted about and her wearied breathing.

Is it over?

She didn't want to dwell on what the answer could be. Peder wouldn't have had the initiative to undertake this campaign on his own, no matter how eager he would have been to blindly prove his fanaticism. He was just the gun -- but their -- (NO!) -- his parents were the ones who primed him and pulled his trigger.

...so be it...

If Annie had to continue to be the target to make sure Aunt Trudie was safe, then so be it. For now, the Swordswoman lingered in the bath, trying to feel anything again.

Re: Family is a Four Letter Word

PostPosted: Wed Jun 14, 2023 11:42 am
by Lady Grace
Theus!

Annie's body...HURT.

Peder had escaped. After all the effort, all the pain, Annie had endured in hunting the terrorist down and dragging him to justice, somehow he had escaped before the "local" (and THAT was still weird to the bodyguard) Vestenmannavnjar of Altamira could strip him of his Laerdom.

And now here she was, with those very same Vesten offering their help in recovering him...

...a year ago, Annie would have swore at all of them, maybe even tried to attack, accusing them of assisting her brother. Vestens? Infesting Altamira? Menaces, all of them!

But times had changed. Annie had changed. Maybe not necessarily for the better, but she had become more restrained in her instincts. And reading people, getting a feel for them, that had been a needed skill. Peder's crimes was a threat to everyone in Altamira -- even these Vesten knew that. And if, somehow, Peder had gotten help, then Annie had a sickening feeling as to who would do so.

So, here she was now. Evening the odds. Accepting help by subjecting her very flesh to be inscribed with Laerdom runes. It had only been a couple of days she had been calling it a crutch. Now her very blood quickened and burned with an unearthly pulse.

Velstand. "Wealth". But the wealth of wisdom rather than that of guilders.

Sterk. "Wholeness". To help steel her body.

Krieg. "Warrior". And to add bite to the blade of her axe.

Theus, let this be enough...