Notes: This is a rough draft I wrote up last night after about five hours. This tale involves Nola and Aideen Doyle, the two younger sisters of Kaleigh in their teen years roughly thirteen years prior to the current date, meant to serve as a tidbit for those who have ever interacted with either character. I like to write little snippets to accentuate the roleplay, and develop the characters in areas where they may not come out in live encounters in-game. Of course, feedback is welcome.
A History of ViolenceSamuel was walking with an unusual spring in his step as he traversed the narrow makeshift corridors of Site 23B. He had just arrived home after a two week jaunt in the Caldari State, purchasing desperately needed supplies for the workers on Pelille VII. A tall, regal gentleman nearing middle age, his bright smile spread easy to the worn miners as he passed by them. One could count the digits on their hand who didn’t know his name on this site, many of whom owed him personally for their careers and even their lives.
When he arrived on the planet some thirty years ago, the Fulosi Corporation was nearly bankrupt, investing a majority of its capital on mining raw materials from the ice planet. All seemed well until the regional economy dipped and the corporation cut back heavily on funding. A surprise raid by the Serpentis, exacerbated by the lack of defenses from the paper-thin budget, left the colony an empty, smoldering shell. When most of the survivors fled, Sam and his newly-wedded wife stayed behind seeing an opportunity where others did not.
A trader by profession, the tall, red haired Gallentean used his various contacts to arrange a merger between Fulosi and a rival corporation on the planet which had suffered a similar fate at the hands of the Serpentis. Although technically a State megacorporate subsidiary, Nikado Mining Incorporated was just as eager to consolidate thanks to Sam’s vision and persuasive charm. The two corporations would later merge into a single outfit known as the Fulosi-Nikado Consortium, and he as their exclusive trade partner for equipment, livestock, and necessities for the planet. Fast forward thirty years, not only had the colony survived numerous raids, but Sam had made a significant fortune and a place to call home.
The shimmer of gold from his wrist chronometer caught the light as he reached out to swipe his card across the entrance panel. A slight frown formed on his face as the door squawked negatively, with served as an unpleasant reminder that he needed to repair that sometime over the weekend. A couple more swipes miraculously rendered a more favorable response, eliciting a light chime of approval as the door slid open. Sam set down his briefcase just inside the entrance as the familiar chatter of women drew a smile to his lips, the scent of freshly cooked food stirring a rumble from the pit of his stomach.
“Sweetie, your father is going to be home any minute now.” His smile was wide as could be as he quietly traversed the narrow corridor leading to the main chamber of his apartment, listening to his wife’s beautiful voice. “Come get your tools off the table so I can set it.”
“Oh-kay”, a soft ethereal voice of a much younger girl replied shortly thereafter.
Sweet Nola, he thought to himself,
you have the voice of angels, a precious gift from my wife.
Samuel took a step into the dining room with an expression of surprise as his eyes feasted upon the magnificent table adorned with a plethora of foods, candles, and other artistic accents that had left behind the unique mark of his loving wife. The air was heavy with the aroma of freshly cooked meats, as the artificial light overhead bathed the room in a warm, blue tint. His beloved wife emerged from the adjoining kitchen in a white jumpsuit, her wavy blonde hair pulled back in a tight bun. He knew she hadn’t stopped to change clothes since she got home from the hospital; she obsessed over these little rituals and demanded perfection over all else.
“Were you planning on having over the militia?” He smiled devilishly as he held his arms open. Rebecca nearly dropped the plates in her hand as she went to set them down at the edge of the table, scurrying over as he scooped her up in his arms. Sam held his wife closely as their lips embraced, relieved to be in one another’s company after weeks apart. Despite living together for three decades, and his profession as a trader often left him away from home for weeks at a time, they always treasured their time together and longed for one another when spent apart.
“Mmm, this is for you, silly.” Rebecca replied as she smiled back lovingly with her arms slung around his neck. He couldn’t help but get lost in her big, ocean blue eyes, so full of happiness and joy. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
“I saved the marching band for our next anniversary.” His wife grinned, but she could tell by the seriousness in his tone that he was only half kidding. Sam had a flair for over-the-top displays of affection that usually left her blushing with embarrassment. He squeezed her waist gently as she rested her head against his chest, simply enjoying each other’s company for a long moment.
“I have some unpleasant news,” she replied, looking up again, “about Aideen.”
His smile faded as his expression morphed to concern, listening intently as she continued, “She got into a fight again. She broke Roochell’s boy’s nose this time and the headmaster says she’s not allowed back.”
“What?!” Samuel questioned with disbelief. Granted, the girl has had her troubles, but she never did anything without provocation. “What happened?”
Rebecca glanced back at the young red haired girl sitting on the floor, her tiny waifish frame surrouned by a myriad of parts and whirring gizmos. The young teen was still in her school uniform, facing away from her mother and father as she hummed quietly to herself, soldering parts together randomly. Her voice was hushed somewhat, “The boy was picking on Nola during mid period. That’s what they told me anyway.”
Nola glanced up and smiled, her big blue eyes and mousy demeanor cast a blissful ignorance that would make any parent melt. Her lower lip was swollen; the side of her face cut and bruised as evidence of wrongdoing clear as transparent steel. The couple smiled back as the young girl turned her attention back to whatever she was doing, maintaining an outward appearance of happiness while inwardly remaining concerned.They both loved their youngest daughter very much, yet couldn’t relate to her cryptic replies and bizarre behavior.
“Can you talk to her?” His wife pleaded gently, “She won’t listen to me. She doesn’t listen to anybody.”
Sam nodded wordlessly with his lips pursed in contemplation. He had returned to a broken home and suddenly came to the realization that he was partially to blame. He spent most of their childhood away on business, and the unshapely fruits had ripened to the point of rotting.
Better late than never, I suppose. Patting Rebecca gently on the back, he withdrew from her loving embrace and started for the bedrooms.
It was no surprise her door was closed, as it always was. Aideen was like a recluse, lurking away in her chamber behind closed doors when not about causing trouble. The proud father braced himself as he opened the door and let himself in. Her room was in tatters, the floor covered with debris from posters torn from the walls, mixed with overturned furniture and debris spread everywhere. There were several obvious indentations in the soft plastic walls, and some had even penetrated all the way through. In the background, through the frantic thrumb of a distorted Matari instrumental solo, the distinct sound of solitary girl sobbing was unmistakable.
Samuel carefully stepped into the room, deftly avoiding the littered rubble left behind from his teenage hurricane as he traced the sound. Nestled away in the closet and curled up tightly with her slender arms wrapped around her knees, the curly haired teenager sat with her head buried face down. Her fists were clenched tightly, mangled and bloodied, still dripping fresh with her own blood.
“Deenie, what’s going on?” Quickly dropping to his knees, still dressed in his expensive business suit, the elder Gallentean held his daughter close as she cried in his arms, stroking her curly red hair tenderly as he rocked her gently. Her tears and blood staining his clothes, he wanted more than anything to understand her. “I heard what happened at school.”
The young girl looked up as she sniffled, wiping away the tears only to replace it with a streak of blood across her skin. Sam kissed his daughter’s forehead tenderly and smiled lovingly, his tone both gentle and soothing, “I don’t care what anybody says, you did the right thing.”
Sniffling, she replied, “Yeah, well mom doesn’t think so. She says I cause trouble and look for fights.”
“You have a good heart, angel.” He continued, brushing the locks of hair from her eyes, “And your mom and I won’t ever agree on this, but you’ll be better off learning this at a young age. You have to fight to protect those you love, because no one else will.”
“But…they won’t let me go back to school now.” Aideen slouched in his arms and head down, feeling defeated despite his words of praise.
He kissed her forehead again with a soft smile, gazing ahead as the wheels began to turn, “You know, I may have an idea. I’m going to make some calls first thing in the morning and we’ll figure something out. I promise.”
Wrapping both arms around her father, Aideen squeezed eagerly in appreciation as she replied in a whisper, “Thank you.”
“Love you, Deenie.” He smiled warmly and nodding his head. “Let’s go eat something, ok? Your mom’s worried sick about you.”
“Is Kay here?” Aideen asked curiously. Like her father, Kaleigh had rarely been around for the last two years.
Samuel shook his head softly, “No, not yet. She’s out in Intaki right now, but she’s going to have some time off between shoots in a couple weeks.”
Aideen’s eyes lit up briefly as she asked another question, this time looking somewhat excited, “You kill any snakes this time?”
He couldn’t help but laugh as he shook his head again, “No, not this time, sweetie. They stayed in their hole. I brought extra company this time since it was such an important shipment.”
She looked up at him with the most eager expression, wide eyed, her long curly locks of crimson covering her dirtied face as she asked excitedly, “Can I come with you next time? I wanna kick some Serp ass.”
Sam scowled slightly, but that expression on her face couldn’t leave him frowning for long. He nodded gently, “Soon. Your mother’s waiting for us, we’d better go.”
Author
Topic: A history of violence (Read 761 times)