{"Women hold up half the sky" - Mao Zedong. A saying still true in oure modern epoch; for no revolutionary movement is complete without the complete liberation and upheaval of females... Finally, we reach the first ping-pong match's closing round, let's see how the fair @brisby ends this one? Hmm... Of course, I ping the round 'n' she pongs back; let's see how that pong went. Oh it was here all along, go see it!... Today's music-aides: "Remembrance" [1.] and "Treasure Cove" [2.] (Wisp X 'n' Pirate Music, YT).}

- Bardzo dobrze -

Sketchy sketch by me

- Starter by @theironfelix -

[1.]

A tussle of blankets announces lift off to the air, the air so moving out the way as the blankets collapse back unto the bed. But found in new positions, ruffles eek out of the many blankets. Yet not for so long, a body crawled out and soon the wall shared weight with the bed. Hunched the figure was, that tickings soon echoed about the room and getting only louder to figure as it perched on the shoulders and nuzzled the cheeks.

"He, he, he~ What did a thief like me, Saddie the Goat, deserve a precious birb like yah?"

The clockwork, hearing Saddie’s voice echo throughout its mechanism, tap-danced and Saddie’s face cracked a smile with the rhythm her shoulders. But that was superficial as the legs hunched-up, the arms trapping the legs in and her head resting on the knees, the clockwork began to do more than tap-dancing. So launching of her shoulders, the blankets announced and cushioned the bird. Turning to face Saddie, it’s gears slowed and it inched closed but not to her sobs.

"What’s this on me- oj... ‘tis yah, tickin’ birb. Please, come lemme see yah- yah booped me with yer beak! I know what yer tryin’ to ask... but I can’t tell anyone, not because I don’t want to but the mem- mem- memories... Dziękuję, dzięki birb. I am so bless’d to have people like yah~"

With more ruffles, the blankets have all found new positions upon landfall. A mess of gear all played their tunes upon being clenched and stuffed back into the bag; the bag so squeaking in pain with each reassortment and shove in its internal compartment. Achieving such, her face cracked a bigger smile and her tears ceased fleeing her eyes. The green arabesque floor announcing each foot press with a crunch, her hands reached out to her coat but her nose shriveled up.

"Ticky! Yah should’ve been kind to tell me I stunk as well. Dziękuję Bóg, each room seems to have a bathroom; won’t be long!~"

Upon a door screaming first from the slam and then being locked into place, the bathtub soon announced the flow of water with every slap from the water. Elsewhere on the ship, two glasses announced its enjoyment with every slap of water. To then chink upon collision and slurps following soon after.

"I say, oh Aderito mój towarzysz, that you convinced Lady Chestnut just fine."

"Me? nie! Thou did a greater labour in the oration, I merely act’d as auxiliary. Lieu General-"

"Ms Emma is just as fine~"

"H-huh, oj. He he. Okay, but tak. So, where do thou think we shall land?"

"Methinks it fair two ports down this sea. We shan’t land near that province, we shall be the next province over."

"Good call, well I shall see to it that mój towarzysze are doing fine."

"And I too the lumpen-proles, mój towarzysz~"

"Oj Fortuna, I thank thee for blessin’ me with four great lucks. First for surviving the Void, second for freedom and safety, third for a good band of people and fourth for her charming character. If it be not Thou, then Thou hast bless’d her!~"

As two pairs of feet scurry away, down below in the ship a tub gurgles out what it had patiently held for so long. And so while the air still steaming, Saddie’s entire body stretched out and her voice-box praised highly as to give devotion to the holy act that her body felt. Upon retraction, she cozied a lil’ bit up inside the tub before her eyes glanced about the room. With a fresh orange scent digging deep into her nose, her hands conferred with her eyes and her head rested on her still heated clothes.

"Thankfully I cleaned my clothes ‘n’ resett’d the water... So cherubic-n-warm!~... well I gotta check up on the Mister sooner or later. I fo' sho' can smell like those orange fruits when approachin’!~"

And so adorning her body with her undershirt, pirate pants, pirate’s coat, headscarf and her boots, the bathroom doors ached again in pain while the knapsack readied for adventuring. Soon Saddie’s shoulder gave padding to Ticky and her room’s door ached the same pain as heard seconds ago. Taking one second to retrieve and smooch the photo of Garrett, her feet lead the way to Mister’s room. With taps guiding all about the hallways, one feet had nailed a perfect cadence to which the floor noise drowned all the nervous energy felt elsewhere in that body.

"Ms. Chestnut, it be a generous offer to provide this gracious assistance. But Saddie, she be nae a lassie for those arts; she was “born-n-rais’d a pirate, gonna fight-n-die like one” she said so proudly to me. ‘N’ plus, yah already have enough as ‘tis with jugglin’ botany as a profession ‘n’ now aidin’ political elements as-is."

"Well ‘twas worth a shot, do take good care as you’ve done so. Anyways, I can take care of the lumpen-proles and withers to somewhere else. As you say you have a safehouse a port down from here; in any a case, take this."

"Yer, yer, serious? This trinket-"

"I have more all throughout, use it in desperation. Otherwise, if you look closely on the trinket-"

"Instructions to your acquaintance’s domains and sewer routes... I knew the style choice was a bit off with how organized it was."

"And worry not about being caught, I’ve long worked it out and we know anyone that uses that entrance is already friendly. Plus, the trinket contains the only way to access it, until you sketched it down on a piece of paper. Even then, I keep it around you when you meet my acquaintance for extra safety."

"I really can’t thank yah enough, anyways I think yah can unload me-n-Saddie near a sewer pipe and we shall go from there."

"Just watch out- no I think the sewers discharged a few days ago. So it should be safe to travel in, just be on the onlook for toshers; most are harmless and helpful as-is the poor conditions of a sewer. However some are actually petty and masochist; yet if yah follow the route, there shouldn’t be one in sight."

"I’ve heard o’ toshers, used to be friends with a great many o’ them. Sad most died when my previous base of operations was locat’d had their sewers discharg’d in infrequent patterns. Heh, was a tactic to get rid of the buggers who couldn’t survive above ground. Still, a cruel one- ah, why hello Saddie! Yer feelin’ better?"

"Better now bein’ around with a company o’ scallywaggers like me."

"Well sit where I sat, I need to just recount me gear. Anyways, yah smell-n-dress nicer than usual."

"Dziękuję!~"

"Indeed, the scent caught me off from a hallway away~ Plus you definitely look way better, every bit."

"He-he-he, dzięki!~ Anyways, what was it that you-n-Mister blabber’d on about?"

"Well... I thought of a folly about adopting you, but he corrected that folly. Then he had a folly of him snatching rare things in the wild for me, then I had to correct him that it takes a trained eye and we both pondered what you’d sincerely do in his folly world. But then we discussed on reaching my acquaintance, a nice person I say that you can definitely continue your trade under."

"Then I came, heh- do yah see that person o’er there?"

"Where, it’s quite hard-"

"There, they in the blue suit ‘n’ short hair entering into th’ sewer pipe!"

"... Sit down, dearie. I know exactly what you speak, It – how can I say this? It, the one with the blue suit, black suitcase and nice hair, is our collective guardian angel. Always looking out for us, especially when It has an interest on us. But don’t freak out so much now, wait until It speaks to you finally to truly care. Humour It as a shadow, always there but not so important until Fortuna says otherwise... Anyways, who is this Ashley person I so keep hearing being slapped with your name?"

"W-well, Ashl- Ashuri was-n-is a very lovely friend o’ mine. We did cool stuff together: I th’ thieving, she the hexin’-n-magicry. ‘Til she just didn’t come back... I haven’t a clue where she is now, I think she doesn’t either of herself nor me."

"Hey, hey, Popolina’s here, along with your bird. Anyways, I don’t need to know more but this: what was her favorite flower? You know?"

"The bird’s Ticky, but tak... I dunno, she always call me her flower... Heh, I think something crazy like an orange flower or a yellow one that looks wild! Heh, it compliment her dress~"

"I’ll see what I can find in my inventory. But to return back to It as I can see stress all over you even as you cleverly hide such: It is no person to fear, heck It even warned me ahead of time of something in the pier and to investigate it when I got there... Well that’s after I thought hard on what It was trying to say in Its flowery metaphors after metaphors. But to the point again: It will meet you when It decides so, until then worry not."

"I shall manage, still a weird sight-"

"You shall see weirder if you ever put your mind to It"

"I’ll try to remember that, anyways is this where we depart? Wherever It went?..."

"I’m afraid so, but worry not. If I can, I shall meet you and the Mister after I unload some “cargo” elsewhere. If not, then now my acquaintance will treat both of you right. Anyways, come with me and we shall find that flower for both you and Ashley to share together."

Sketch by @brisby

- Closer by @brisby -

[2.]

The young thief spared the sewer entrance one final, calculating glance before following. Beneath her breath she huffed a petulant "Worry not, she says." Saddie gave haste to her legs to keep up with the botanist's pace through the ship's verdant corridors.

Distracted thoughts waylaid her appreciation of the greenery creeping along the walls. Her Ladyship claimed It to be a angel of Fortuna. Though the girl had not known her long, Popolina's judgement had proven worthy of trust. Truth told, 'twould be a boon to have an angel with them to fight the suffering of this world. Mayhap Mister knew of It?

Ticky's beak rat-a-tap-tapping on her shoulder shook Saddie from her wonderings. She reached her finger up to stroke her friend's silver head, "Aye, Aye. What is it, sweeting?"

To her chagrin, the answer came from a doorway behind her. Lady Chestnut's chiding tones echoed out, "This way dear. Keep your head about you now.”

The girl reversed to peer into the lush workroom where Popolina was rifling among pots and books.

The woman summoned the girl to her side with a crook of her delicate finger as she stretched her arm to reach an row of hanging blossoms.

"I’ve lost a handful of my staff to the hungry labyrinth of my ship." Lady Chestnut tilted her head in contemplation, "You know, I’ve often wondered what has become of them." The worried look on Saddie’s face brought a cheeky grin to the botanist’s face. "I’m jesting, my dear!" Her fine brow furrowed and before she added, "Mostly."

Unsure of how to respond to that alarming reveal, Saddie gestured to the workbench littered with vials, wicks, gadgets and books. "Is this where you study your plants?"

"That is a desk for my younger brother. He’s a clever git. Even helped me retrofit this vessel for my collections."

Popolina tipped herself onto one foot with a hand picking a few sunshine tipped flowers with an exultation of victory, "Ah! Here we go! Yellow Goatsbeard!"

She turned with her prize in hand. Handing the clutch of flowers to Saddie she asked, "Could this be the blossom that your Ashley associates with your moniker?"

A crimson that rivaled her sweet witch’s dress broke free of the Thief’s shirt as it raced to her forehead. Knowing her towarzysz and her love of teasing, she nodded. "Aye. Sure as rain be wet she thought the name fitting." Saddie made a note to thank her sweet witch whence they met again.

"It’s indeed appropriate for you, child. Bright, beautiful, wild and stubborn enough to flourish within harsh conditions." Lady Chestnut blinked her moist chocolate orbs and turned to the desk. Hastily, she gathered wicked containers, vials and a trio of parchment packets. "These packets of pressed Goatsbeard are for you and your Ashley to keep. The third is for you should you ever need my aid. Simply send it to any house of learning or library and my associates will see that it finds its way to me."

Touched and attempting to ignore the mist gathering across her eyes, the slip of a girl nodded to the wicked containers, "I be most appreciative. What are those for?"

"Aderito told me of how you were captured. Those damned policja attacking you when you were coming out of the hole." The lady botanist held a wicked container to Saddie with a smug expression.

"Next time, you’ll be ready. My brother made these for me after one nightmare of an expedition where I was nearly left for dead. It contains the extracts from a dreadfully odorous plant and a few other additives. Just light the wick and toss."?With a wink she added, "Anyone in the vicinity when this detonates will be praying for the smell of a dung heap in comparison."

Her eyes darkened with memory and she leaned in, her tone shifting to one of menace. "At that point, your enemies are most easy to dispatch as they are distracted in their misery from the putrid stench. It’s a most... efficient way to deal with the scum who treat others as prey."

For a moment, Saddie considered asking the Lady about the expedition. Then she thought to her own memories earlier. Everyone had something they’d rather not speak of, best to leave it lie. With a harsh clear of the thickness from her throat, she stepped forward and embraced her new friend. Her affection was returned with a tight grip and a cheek laid atop her head. This incredible woman who had saved her, had given her comfort, had offered her a new kind of life and who accepted her as the Thief she was, had entered her life exactly when she needed her.

"Thank yah, Lady Chestnut."

After waving goodbye to their towarzysz on the away boat, Mister and Aderito led the way through the sewer entrance. The stuttered clicks from Ticky’s perch on her shoulder spoke of the automaton’s sadness to be leaving their new found friends so soon - Saddie felt the same. That short time aboard Popolina’s floating garden had been precious; as close as the Thief had felt to having a family in a long time. However, it was over now and today was the time for action, each group had important taskers ahead of them. As this province would feel the flames, hear the revolting screams of freedom for those on the auction blocks ‘afore the day was out and smell the crisping burn the day after.

Mister, standing just inside the sewer’s entrance, turned with a questioning look to the young girl. Was she ready? She nodded, fished Garrett’s photo from her pocket, gave it a smooch and offered the paper to Ticky. A light tap of the clockwork swallow’s silver beak met the famous Thief’s image before it was folded away. Grinning, Saddie strode forward into the tunnel. She made herself a note to begin training the bird in the thiefly arts soon.

The group had been traversing the dank darkness of the winding tunnels with nary a soul in sight when Mister hissed, "I hear voices ahead."

Sidling his lean frame against the damp bricks of the wall, Aderito crept forward to discern if the figures were friend or foe. Readying her blackjack, Saddie exulted in the familiar thrum of anticipation. Were they the acquaintances Lieu Emma had instructed them to find or had they stumbled on a group of patrolling policja? Should the Wither give the word, she’d be ready to deliver a hearty greeting of pain.

Aderito,his finger slanted across his lips, turned to Mister and Saddie and waved them forward. Silent as the shadows, the two slid behind him. His whisper of, "This feels off." was met with inaudible groans. The two men connected their gazes, somehow conveying a plan without so much as a lifted brow. In unison they each palmed a hand in front of Saddie. Their signaled command raised the hackles of the young Thief. She was to stay while they confronted the figures? T'was no chance in Hell that she’d be hanging back while her towarzysze put themselves in danger!

Showing the two men her bared teeth in distaste for their decision, Saddie stashed her jack and darted ahead. The heavy thud of her boots drew the attention of the talking figures. Metal rasps clearing their leather holsters halted the Thief’s progress before the shouts of, "Halt! State your business!" from the closest officer were finished.

The slip of a girl raised her hands wide in a universal gesture of non-aggression. "Whoops! Seems like I be takin’ the wrong path for th’ bakery! Tell me, kind officers..." she paused. The weight of one of Lady Chesnut’s gifts was heavy in her pocket. "... D’ ya enjoy mushroom bread?"

With a sneer, the uniformed man in snapped, "You shouldn’t have come down here, little girl." The men behind him barked deep snorts and chuckles. "Spare us your double-talk. We know your secret little code." His head jutted to the side, his jowls flapping as he cooed, "We even know that your group of friends are going to have a surprise waiting when they land on the other side of the west village."

Icy fingers of dread gripped Saddie’s heart. These damned policja! They had to hurry and warn Popolina and Lieu Emma! She tightened the muscles within her legs, readying for a lurch when from behind the threatening officers came a booming voice!

"But did you idiots think to check every side tunnel on your way here?"

The ensuing chaos ‘twould be a fine story to tell by a campfire. Surprised by the realization that the girl wasn’t their target, four of the officers swung their weapons to the source of the insult. A sharp crack of a whip snapped through the air. Screams from a hand bit by leather set Saddie into motion. She dove to her left. A gun roared it’s release of hot metal. She rolled to her feet to meet a heavyset officer intent on knocking her head to the floor. His massive paws swiped towards her like an angered bear but with half the intelligence behind his dim blue eyes. Too focused he was, on the slip of a Thief in front of him. Otherwise, he’d have seen her Mister come up behind him with a blade. Down her foe fell and she was left to face her frustrated towarzysz.

To avoid the lecture she knew would be coming, Saddie beamed her friend a smile to rival the sun. "See? I distracted him for ya!" The hot coals of his gaze bore into her conscience. She lowered her gaze to the floor, responding with a soft, "Aye. That could have gone better." Mister closed his eyes, his head idly shaking with agreement.

"That it could my stubborn Thief. That it could." He hunkered down in front of Saddie. His eyes, lacking the typical warmth she was accustomed to, met hers. "Aderito and I are going to carry on with Lady Chestnut’s acquaintance. You should make your way to the surface and find yourself another ship." Her immediate protestations were forestalled when he gestured behind him to the bodies of the policja strewn about. "Somehow, news o’ this meeting was given to these bastards and that means we may have someone working against our cause. Your next tasker, from me, is to move on from this place." His brow furrowed and he stood to search the chamber. "Wait…where’s Ticky?"

"Over here!" Aderito’s puzzled voice, a bit breathless from the tussle, responded. "His clicker is working overtime and he seems eager to get a move on." Saddie’s face must have shown her disappointment as he hurried to add, “But not without saying goodbye to you, I’m sure!”

Lips dammed, the young Thief held her hand out to her tiny silver swallow. Alighting on her palm, her clockwork friend whirred a loving farewell and explanation. With a sniff, the girl nuzzled her nose along the automaton’s head. She had always known, somehow, that her birdy would move on. After all, that’s what he’d been made for. To help those who needed it right when they needed it most. Saddie forced back her tears when she placed a final kiss to Ticky’s beak. Understand she may, but the knowin’ didn’t lessen her sadness in having to say good-bye to another friend in the same day.

Determined to keep her oncoming melancholy hidden, Saddie began joking with Aderito as she made her good-byes. He had better pay attention to the clockwork bird or else he’d end up with peck holes like Cookie! Laughing, the Wither picked her up and spun her round. She had to make a return promise to find him something interesting through her taskers. Aderito made sure to tell her that he was especially fond of maps. The young girl thought he’d do better with a gem but he held firm that any jewel would be pale compared to what he was looking for.

Her parting with Mister was short. Saddie gave a plea for him to give her a better tasker to help him with but it was for naught. He promised his young Thief that they’d be meetin’ up together soon and to not forget to use her Goatsbeard packet should she be in trouble. His laughter followed her as she stomped away with embarrassment. Of course he would know about the flower! Saddie’s strong hands gripped the ladder beneath the manhole. Her eyes turned one final time to meet those of her Mister’s before making her way up. She felt as though everything had come around in a circle. How long ago was it that she descended into that crypt to save her towarzysz? It felt like years ago. She felt older, wiser and stronger than before.

The scraped slide from the iron cap of the sewer went unnoticed by the bustling crowd. Their attention was to their conversations, their shopping and the worrisome news of a riot breaking out near the western ports. From within the dark hole ascended a young female Thief. Eyes sharp, she watched the bodies shuffling along the lane before sliding her lithe among them. The clinking bounce of a heavily laden coin purse decided her course for her. Sure, she thought, she was to procure a vessel to sail the winds of Fortuna. Her blade flashed out to separate the strings holding said purse to the merchant’s belt. But, who said she couldn’t have some fun on the way?

------------

Two things as always: we shall now take a break starting from now and this next week, which means the week after next week we will post something. It shall be a one-off a character I've been sketchin' a lot lately!~

"Anyone who knows anything of history knows that great social changes are impossible without feminine upheaval. Social progress can be measured exactly by the social position of the fair sex, the ugly ones included" - Karl Marx.

I think it is fair that I interject this last quote in the last closer for the first ever ping-pong match here that I had with @brisby. So fair that it encapsulates the underlying inspiration for the works I've been trying to work out, and this has been the most explicit since the second round to here. Saddie had been, since her inception, a hypothetical friend to Ashley/Ashuri in the horrid biz of "bad stuff" society irks away from: witchcraft, thievery, wetworks (sorry, this is the safe for work version to a now normalized word on news recently when it comes to people committing one act to another causing death) and so on and so on. Yet as I played around with Saddie, taking it far back to the young-teen scene, did I see a character blossom in my mind with each petal unfolding in all its oddities. And I needed a spirit to capture this (which is to not suggest all my other non-male protagonists are not rebel rousers as well) and Saddie became a perfect candidate to push their very passion of mine forward.

And this cooperation with @brisby was a tricky proposition, not because @brisby dejected the offering (she more than accepted it) but because of where I wished to go and I wished to handle Saddie without falling into the misogynistic tropes that surrounds females in literature. I was more than gladdened that we managed to give Saddie a fighting spirit and a support cast that more than supported her for her being HER and not because she was merely some token teen that I could've replaced with someone else (which I say shouldn't be an air of accomplishment but I know how hard somehow it is nowadays to not internalize misogyny and having a male character coded in female terms). This immense desire paid off with the introduction of a character I've been meaning to get introduced in my fiction-crafting while also keeping quiet on the background details, say gossip and whispers would Emma be ever mentioned. Glad I was able to work her and make explicit the character of Saddie while respecting the constitutionality of their physical location that they wouldn't merge into one (okay there's clearly historical and character differences, but the joke is: they're so much alike that it's hard to tell their character apart whence they start fighting; trust me, never ever dare piss of a farmer's daughter, they'll chew you alive; or so it was in Eastern Europe, I wonder of my Western European counterparts).

But to wrap up this end blurb forcefully: we ping-ponged a real good match and exacted much on the themes as I expected to be the case. Time for me to pick up on the Ashley-Saddie-Cap'n Wither side plot in the New Angel Saga now...