Snippet #2426616

The coins jingled lightly in her pocket as she walked, keeping a steady pace as she followed her mark outside of the festival. It wasn't the first time she'd given up something she'd owned to a stranger. Those first nine years of her life had always felt the longest and her old habits just never seemed to break off. She been taught that her existence was worth nothing and should, to its full extent, be used to make the lives of others better - others that were of a higher standing than her. There was no point in helping out other worthless slaves, was there? Or so she'd been told.

'If someone needs something you have, give it to them.'

'If there is someone you can help, then help.'

'Never make insulting or rebellious remarks.'

She didn't particularly mind living that way as she never really found it to be a hassle; it was simply the way she had been taught to live. However, that did not mean that her life was controlled by those guidelines, especially after ceasing to be a slave. With the city noise fading behind her, the situation became more and more manageable, leaving Ann the only one left picking up on the trail. She rested her arms at her sides and momentarily stopped when the monkey man called out to her. She laughed quietly and began pushing forward again, approaching closer and closer to him. "I haven't given that much thought yet," she smiled weakly. "I suppose you wouldn't mind helping out in that regard?" she joked, stopping with several meters placed between them. Her hand drew near her sword again and she quickly changed the subject of the conversation, keeping her distance as she spoke. "Does the title 'Monkey King' ring any bells? I'm sure someone like you would have some inkling on who that might be."

Ann's hand slid down lower until her fingers wrapped around the sheath. Her other hand slowly motioned to draw the blade slightly out if its scabbard, maintaining focus on the man with the tail. Her voice became frigid and her posture gave a different air about it, despite there only being subtle changes in her stance. "I've been meaning to collect his bounty by the end of today and I was hoping you'd know something about it." Her feet shifted slightly and she drew right shoulder toward the front. "I'm sorry about your loss, by the way," she added in softer tones, though not a hint of sympathy glinted in her eyes. "Thing never go the way we want them to, do they?"