Name: Desiree Anne Simone-Lacroix
But only my family... they mostly call me: “Diz.” Hey... I said: 'Only my family...'
Age: 26
I'm the middle child, 2 years younger than my fraternal twin sisters and 3 years older than our baby bro.
Appearance:
I'm a big gal. Almost six foot, and don't ask about my weight, 'kay? I'm all muscle. And I hit. Hard. And often.
I got my Mama's curves, legs n' green eyes; sexy, sharp and a'glintin'.
I got my Daddy's height n' brown hair; wavy n' thick.
I got Granny's nose; I can smell your BS a mile a'ways and sometimes I don't give a sniff about y'all.
I got Pappy's mouth and chin; smart and smilie, but stiff lipped and chin up proud.
What else? I don't wear skirts. If it's camo or black, I like it. I don't mind if it's tight. Cuz, I got a cute ass, ... hahahah...! I got lots of scars on my body. They're not ugly. And all Hells yes, they're very lady-like, 'kay? I'm a god-be-damned Lacroix. And I have my Gran's initials tattooed on my butt. No joke. Ask my family. We all have the same tat.
Origin:
Anthastiln. Hey, c'mon now, I'm a Lacroix, born and bred river gal from the Anth. But right now, me, my sisters and little bro are kinda' out there on our own. I'm in Independence right now. And them... where the hells are all of you...?!
Skills/Abilities:
Tenacity – I just do not give up. Ever. Tell me I can't and I will show ya I can and shove it down your throat. Unstoppable. I don't just train my body, neither, I hone my will with a steady mind.
Combat – I've been fighting all my life. I'm a damned Lacroix for Ol' Missus sake. I'm all geared up for it too. But ya wanna do it one-on-one? Let's do this. I'm one tough bitch. Try me...
Survival – yeah... check the above references, mister...
Stealth – it's how a Cleaner does it. Quiet; It's part of my life. That's why I don't have many friends; they talk too damned much.
Climbing – Like a squirrel... yeah, I'm cute.
- La Laveuse (The Cleaner): You need someone to do the job quick, efficient and quietly. It will be done and the bodies will disappear. It's what we do best.
Equipment:
Combat gear: Short sword, parrying dagger, 'Once' - her repeat fire crossbow, arrows, combat fatigues, bandanna, boots, gloves.
Spy glass and case
Water flask
Hunting knife and honing stone
(the hunting knife is hidden upon her person, all other gear is hidden away right now and not so easily accessed)
History:
I'm a Lacroix girl from the Anth. What else do you need me to say? We have money, property, boats and clout. Elle Veronique Iris-Lacroix. All Hells yes, you know my Granny. She's that Elle Veronique.
I grew up in a whopper of a mansion. It was a restored French colonial from way back when. My maman is Simone Mathilde Elle-Lacroix, and her husband is Trevor, a riverboat gambler owner. Like pretty much all Lacroix children, we barely saw our fathers as kids. Our daddies just married into our family for status and prestige. Maman and her sisters, Joyeuse Helene and Amelie Katherine raised all of us... and trained us to be real Lacroix women. Needless to say you know what kind of river gal I am.
From the time we could walk, we were in the business of learning about the business. You can't keep that last name unless you knew about three things: power, money and influence. Elle Veronique would have it no other way.
You'd think being a Lacroix was like living on easy street, but no, I wasn't the daughter of Auntie Joyeuse, the first born. Maman Joy and my cousins, Monique and Travis were in charge of money. They were the fat cats. Auntie Amelie was the youngest.. Maman Ams and my cousins Roberto, Belle, Cherie and Clarisse were the in charge of influence. They were the political and social darlings. Maman Simone was the middle child and being the second born, her kids were meant to be the handlers of the power. Me, my fraternal twin sisters, Hanna and Danielle, and our little brother Cameron were the ones that made sure things went smoothly. Even it meant cracking some skulls and washing Lacroix hands.
That's where Uncle Edouard came in. That harsh ol' bastard.
The Maman Lacroix's oldest brother was just a scrawny little thing when he was sent to the '29. When he came out, he was some other kind of badass. That badassery was what he taught me, Hanni, Danni and Cam. We were nails and he was the maniacal hammer. He pounded us. Daily. Nightly. And he enjoyed it. He enjoyed putting us through all Hells. But as we got older, the words he said started to make sense and intertwined with the three Maman Lacorix words; they were the wisdoms of Elle Veronique and they rang true.
“You want to make it in this world? You have to take it like a man and rule it like a woman.”
Me and my sibs, we took it like men so our women could rule. We made sure things went smoothly for La Famille Lacroix. Even if it meant cracking some skulls. And washing clean Lacroix involvement by dropping bodies into the Ol' Missus. Years of training, physical, mental and spiritual badassery. Strong, steely and steady. That's what Uncle Eddie taught us. And all the while he taught us to love our mothers and all Lacroix women and men. We keep our own and we keep it that way.
As we grew in infamy, me n' my sibs were feared and many held wide berths for us as we walked the streets in the Anth. It was best you could see us, cuz if you knew what we were about and you didn't see us, you had good right to fear you could be next. And so the life of violence in the wars in the shadows continued and we dominated. Absolutely unstoppable.
That was until someone set us up.
Apparently a paying repeat customer was getting a bit rough with some of our 'working gals' in the Red District. We reacted too late and one of our gals ended up with a bad case of fatal broken neck. Me n' my sibs, Les Laveuses, as we were called, moved in and took him for a cart ride. He ended up with a bad case of washed out into the Ol' Missus river. But all Hells... we were given the wrong mark.
We had mistakenly washed out a relative of River Admiral Carlos Barnes. All Hell yes, that Carlos Barnes.
It all went to burning hell right then and there.
And so what can I say. Here I am. I'm in Independance laying low while mes cousins Roberto, Belle, Cherie et Clarisse and ma tante Maman Ams weather the fustercluck for us. I never really liked Robbi 'cuz he's more than just a giant asswipe, but when he's on his game, playing poker in the socio-political arena, he is an ace. I hope he and his mama pull one out for us. I really do.
Cuz Les Lavueses have been split up and sent our separate ways without each of us knowing each other's whereabouts. Oh mother, but do I ever miss my sibs. I love 'em so much and only hope they're doing okay. It's been only three months but it feels like an eternity. No message from Robbi either. Nothing from Maman Simone or her sisters neither. I have no idea what to do except keep it together.
I'm doing some labour here to pass the time and keep in shape. Farm work. Me. Une Lavuese. A Lacroix for that matter. It's back breaking work, but really, whatever... Compared to what me n' my sibs had to put up with while we were in the hands of notre oncle Edouard? Yeah, it's like a stroll along the river boardwalk. But the waiting... the unknown... no clue about my family?
I never knew such torture.
Psychological Profile:
'“Ya wanna make it in this world?”
Yes, of course I do. It's how I was raised. And actually, I don't want to make it... I will make it. I keep my friends close, my enemies even closer, and my family right up next to me. I don't have a lot of friends. I don't care for watered down trust. Friends are just one letter 'r' removed away from becoming a devil anyway. I don't have time for a girlfriend neither, 'kay? I'm only in it for the Lacroix. We keep our own. We are who we are because of three things: money, power and influence. I intend to keep it that way. It's who we are. Screw everyone else, cuz you'll just get screwed by them. Screw them before they screw you. As you can see I'm a good case in point. I'm here by myself, a ways a'way from ma famille, That's not how y'all make it in the world. Not even close. Man, I miss my sibs...
“Take it like a man.”
This is still a man's world no matter how much man has screwed the world up for us. Mankind. It's how the game is played. It's how history is written. The victors and the victims. You think women will ever rule? The game is played by men. It's all penned by men. That's why the Lacroix play the game and write it like men. That's how we even the playing field. We take all BS like a man. Lacroix women are grown tough. We are raised to make it in the world by living by the rules made by men. Every hit we take by a man, we make sure we hit back even harder just like any man would do. But we do it our way.
“Rule it like a woman.”
All Lacroix have the initials of the current matriarch tattooed on them when they are able to walk. We are taught how to love and respect women first before we learn how to love men. That is how we do it our way. Our last name is Lacroix but we hyphenate it with our birth maman's first name. That's why my surname is Simone-Lacroix so that, not just me, but everyone else knows whose daughter I belong to and represent. Men are fleeting and so we let them be. Seed our women, then get the hell out of our way. We choose the brightest and biggest to breed with. That's why we are so proud of our offspring. Even boys get an even shake... but never as the head of the family name. My role in the Lacroix family is to maintain our power. That's what Maman Simone was dealt. I represent her. I will make it in the world for her. I will take it like a man so we can rule like women. Like we always have. We keep our own and we keep it that way.
But now that things have fallen apart... I'm so lost. I don't look like it, but I'm so broken. Nearly every morning, I always greet our Mamans and my sibs and my cousins. It's killing me to be here without them. I'm nobody here in Independence. I mean, that's okay by me and ally'all are okay with that but... its' so different here.
Like I get it, 'kay? I'm the outsider; the 'out of work lone wanderer' to you, but... why the hell are you so nice and hospitable to me?! I would cut every single one of you down and wash you out in the river without so much as batting an eyelash! And you can see how hard I am in my green eyes. It's like you're up to something... I keep waiting for it. It's been over three months but no matter what, every time I decline going to your soirees, you keep asking me to go with you...! I'm not your family! You just don't ask someone from another famille to join you unless you have ulterior motives to have them over. What do you want from me?! I don't want to get to know you better!
Just let me be, 'kay?
Just let me be...
Relationships and Acquaintances:
All I care to know is those bosses at the farm, Missus and Mister Smith. I don't know their kids' names or the other farmhands' names, but I'm okay with that.