{Memories, how thou can bring back the sweet and sour, the good and the bad, the picture-perfect and hazy. Yet all the same that you sometimes are conscious at the worst and best moments, and the rest unconscious, slowing changing thy details as time passes. And as time passes, so many experiences happen that a memory can be corrupted, compressed, repainted or even re-framed but still thought as the same. Interesting thou be... Today's post is an independent story, yay!~... Today’s music-aides: "Peaceful days"[1.] "Lab Practicum"[2.] and "Steam in the pipes"[3.] (Chrono Trigger and HL2 OST).}

Image by Xyrop on the Ashley (WarioWare) Fan Discord made for me

- Childhood memory -

[1.]

From the horizon struggles a Sun climbing upwards while it battles against the starry sky. Yet soon the first wave of light pushes backs the stars and out comes the Sun that leads the auxiliaries. But equally soon came the travelling cloud merchants, whom upon settling, began shedding of their white, puffy skin. Down somewhere in an attic alcove, a body rolls out of her bundles of wool-sheets and the legs carries her to the window sill. The arms taking charge so soon, so soon elected to work with the torso to rest comfortably on the sill. Now with the eyes scoping out the streets below, she caught the last remnants of the starry sky and her mouth displayed her boredom proudly. For only the hands to punish and gag the mouth, her head cocking back behind her.

Resting like a cherub both were, the Witch-in-training and her Impish-aide. Her cheeks reddened but her smile didn’t waiver, for her mind went on an ecstatic retelling of all the times they helped her land-pirate activities. Returning back her head to the glowing World, she saw white flakes dance about with the wind providing directional guidance and whistling to make audible the live performance. Her eyes scanning for piles of snow, her voice-box grunted as she went back to her bed. Hands taking prisoners amongst the chaos of her hair, all forced to a ponytail. Then her hands moved to the left ankle and untied her headscarf, which resisted being detached from her pirate pants. After the ordeal and tying the headscarf on her head, her hands once again took charge and opened a sack of her favorites: perogies. Albeit, her mind had found it funny that merchants reference them as dumplings, but she figured that perogies was mere pirate-talk.

"H-haauu"

"Looks like someone’s awake finally, dzień dobry Ashuri~"

"Ah. Good morrow to you too, Saddie~... Let Red sleep some more."

"I won’t if yah use yer witchery on these perogies."

"Oh okay. Infern-"

"No! The other spell sleepy head... Ow! Yah magic-pinch’d me."

"Love hurts~ like you always say."

"I mean it not that-"

"Want your dumplings?~"

"... Tak..."

"Good, now lemme do it. Inferius!"

"H-hot hot! Ah! Okay. They’re on the plates."

"Finally."

"Yeah, and finally no burnmarks on them. G-gah, Ashuri!~"

Pounced like a leopard, Ashuri’s hands pincered while her body held down the squeamish Saddie. And so soon the pouncing, so soon Ashuri’s hands rose up and Saddie flinched. With an ancient smile forming on her face, Ashuri yanked Saddie’s cheeks around. And being a cornered goat, Saddie’s hands overthrew and pinned Ashuri to the ground. A dust cloud fled the scene upon impact, yet static was the two bodies that they were deadlocked into an intensive staring contest. But both lost the contest as their bodies collapsed giggling, Saddie toppling over Ashuri.

"Got me good, Ashuri~"

"Yeah, yeah but I dirtied your undershirt."

"And I apologize for dirtyin’-"

"No, no. I can easily magic the dirt away."

"... And making holes in yer leggings."

"Nothing a lil’ weaving can’t fix. Plus, remember, this was due to a random slice."

"D’oh."

"Yeah - so we eating?~"

"Just one thing~"

"Hmph. Hocus-"

"On second thought, eating sounds delicious."

"That’s right!"

And so they resumed their spots on their floor-beds, and so soon Red woke up to eat with the gang. No conversations transpired as all the passions were stirred for the morning; upon each one finishing, each wore their usual street attire. Red merely equipped his trident; Ashley magicked into her red dress with the orange neck-tie held by a yellow skull-talisman, soon taking care of her flowing hair into two long ponytails which made it seemed her hair was moustache-shaped. For Saddie, she equipped her pirate-coat while wrapping up any exposed skin in bandages.

"Hey Saddie, you got my head-band?"

"One that looks like an orange tiara ‘n’ compliments the orange cuffs and tail o’ yer dress? If so, got it... right here!"

"Thanks. Oh! Here’s your bobby pin."

"Wondering where that lil’ fella went. Anyways, let’s get oure feet dress’d and arm usselvan."

[2.]

And so with their bodies moving around, the three would soon travel down the abandoned apartment. Some folk, that thought intelligently as them, smiled and waved at them as they passed by, the three returned the gesture. Reaching the stairs, a smirk formed on Saddie’s lips and she shoved both Ashuri and Red.

"Beat yah to the bottom!"

"Gah!... So you wanna play dirty, Red~"

"Of course, Ashley."

"He he he, yer slow- hey no cheating! Yah flyin’ squirt."

"Bleh!~"

"Alright. Tallyho!"

"W-wah!... Humph. You crazy Saddie?"

"Tak tak tak tak tak- ow. You actually slapp’d me."

"Don’t scare me like that."

"C’mon~ Anyways, since I’m on yer laps- ahhhhhh! Ow..."

"It wasn’t a long fall, such is the creativity of your ways. But I’ll play doctor for you my Thief~"

"Nie, nie."

"Yes, yes. Sit still, crazy... Nothing serious, just bruises; just give me a moment."

"My skin conceals the true pain."

"Your bones, veins and muscles are fine."

"Not that- g-gah... Mmmm. Now wasn’t that hard to give a kiss?"

"Maybe communicate it better you Goat?~"

"Baaaaaaah."

"He he he he. Another one for the hurt Goat~"

"Thanks~"

"Let’s get a move-on, anyways you messed my talisman up again."

"Fix it, fix it. I’ll peak the front door and determine if it’s safe."

"Go ahead."

"... Woah, cześć Mister."

"Ah, Saddie, good to see you. Anyways, leaving again with your-"

"For the last time, she’s nae me girlfriend!"

"Sure, sure, lil’ brat. Anyways, want some maps and places to hit?"

"Yes, ‘n’ keep an eye on oure room again."

"Loot room only or-"

"The whole room, lumpen-proles are goin’ to vacate the alleys; no thanks to the policja ‘n’ weather ‘n’ all that."

"I understand, yeah the snow’s a tell-tale sign. Anyways, I got a mansion plan, cathedral layout and some sketches of an abandoned cultist complex."

"I presume the abandoned part be true to its words."

"Last a land-pirate’s been there, he suspected nothing."

"Nic."

"Nothing. Though he did left before sundown, said he heard weird noises and wished to not humour them."

"I can only imagine~ Anyways, we three can pilfer something from there."

"Ah great, I want to have something returned back on these streets: a gold scepter."

"Bit heavy Mister, ‘specially if we find loot ‘n’ all.

"Ah, but there’s the thing, ‘tis small."

"Alright, done deal."

"See yah by day’s end, Saddie."

"Do widzenia."

"Oh hello Ashley and Red."

"Hello Mister."

"Ashuri!~"

"Right here Saddie~"

"Isn’t it pretty, all the snowflakes dancin’?"

"Not as pretty as you, my Pirate~"

"Oh!~ Well, you maybe a Witch-in-trainin’, but yah hex’d my heart-!"

"He he, gotcha Saddie~"

"Arrgh, fly like the snowflakes or be pepper’d by me snowball barrage!"

"Bomb me if you can."

"Argh!"

"C’mon Red, let’s retreat further and prepare to be a staff-scepter."

"Roger that, let’s go before Saddie makes ture on her promise."

"Run run while yah can, but yah can’t hide from me. Ha ho! I hear that transformation, think a giant snowball stops this pirate!"

"Enough to slow you down~"

"Hee-hoo! Those are some tough ones, but I’m closin-in~"

"Watch out, ærial bomb!"

"Oj nie. Hup!"

"He, he, he. Alright, let's end this; where are we going this time?"

"To a cultist complex, I heard from th’ Mister there be a golden scepter ‘n’ some fine loot."

"Hm-hmm! I like that Saddie."

"Cultists"

"Look: they seem not to come 'til Sundown, Red. If we just get there on time 'n' steal it, then mission accomplish."

"Okay, because I don't want to face another mass battle again."

"I can't even promise that, Red. Anyways, Saddie, got the usual stuff?"

"Got me blackjack, hook ‘n’ rope, flintlocks and this convenient-"

"Shh. Or every other thief will want it, Saddie. Anyways, where’s the general location?"

"Near the posh district, Red yah awake enough to fly us to there?"

"S-sure, by broom we travel!"

Wisping by, dashes of red, orange, purple and grey zoom through the air. Patting her coat, Saddie yanks out a bunny-doll and her cheeks redden upon sight. Tucking it back in, Ashley turns around to only blush back but with a smile, cocked head and closed eyes.

"What is it, Saddie?~"

"Uh-uh. Just the sights."

"Yeah they must be beautiful, but not enough to distract yourself-"

"Hey!... Whatever. Anyways, I forgot to give yah this back."

"What?... Oh, my bunny-doll! Thanks for keeping it safe. Missed you so much. Anyways, much more farther?"

"Welcome. Anywho, actually I think ‘tis that one. The sketch ‘n’ location gels together well. Let’s drop into that hole there."

"Will do Saddie, but prepare the flintlock."

"I’ll also keep an eye on the perimeter as we lower, Red and Saddie."

"As loud as a tap, friendly as a rooftop with guards, cold as a lit fireplace and alive as a leafless tree. Yet, me eyes trick me not; Ashuri, Red, yah see any threats?"

"No."

"What be lurkin' in these shadows that hath yet to reveal themselves? Then again, what do I know o’ cults?"

And so the two passengers' feet landed on the ground, now able to stabilize the human frame. Red morphs back into his impish form and snowflakes stir about here now in the royal throne - crystallizing rot. Saddie's arms nabs a pebble and chucks it at the room, the floor shrieked but move it did not. On upon a nod, the three carefully marched forward to the throne in lieu of not having a scepter, much less a golden one; upon reaching it, nothing of the sorts but mere rot encapsulated by ice. However, Ashley's mind humored the oddity and hexed a fire on the ice, the flame tortured both ice and rot but no key nor secret was revealed.

"The day may be near high noon, but methinks to not hassle on with this room alone."

"Agreed, let's stick together though; those whispers scared even a land-pirate away, imagine if we split up."

"I agree with Ashley, plus more the numbers, the better we can actually toss a room over."

"Aye, plus time's on oure side. Fortuna blesses us all three a slow day. I saw a building o'er there had a hole in the wall, we can bust into it 'n' infiltrate from there."

"Aye, either its hidden or lost in one of these buildings or we'll stumble into the real loot. Let's go Red~"

"Coming Ashley, just this painting is weird."

"We got a minute to spare, Ashley. Let's inspect this painting o'er 'ere... I agree, but let's see what's behind this."

"Stand back. Ahem... Hocus-Pocus!"

"And goes fried the unsaleable art-piece, yet 'ere now reveals a nifty box... In 'ere there's a silver key, anybody seen a silver door?"

"Ha ha ha, no. But I did saw a golden tile under the rug of the throne."

"Really, let's see if Red's eyes are eagle-esque... 'Tis true, Red be correct, yet will this key work?... Alas, 'tis nae that easy but fo' sho' if the colour corresponds to a door, then we have to find a golden key."

"Let's hurry, before your Fortuna decides to suspend her gracious time gift."

And so the three rushed as one and the building's door braced for all its life, yet yelping widely before planting its body on the ground. But the fury still charged the forward, they dodged around the clutter and found a crack in the wall. Again the Hocus-Pocus hex was commanded, and the wall obeyed by crumbling to never-ending pieces. A torch screams to life and roars in the darkness, scaring the dark away as the torch challenges all that even get so near to its coverage. The Witch-in-training seeing a candle had waited to see another before tempting an idea, and so another candle exposed itself after feeling the warm embrace of light. To the amusement of Red and the sudden shock in Saddie's frame, the hallway banished the dark away as the candles revolted in their war cries.

Continuing forth, they looked for any hatch, door or even gate to pass by. Yet none solicited itself, not even closed ones; all hid when the light won the struggle for now, but all were long gone before the light had won. Saddie's lil' blue jingle decided that mental creep was only a warm-up, now it took progressive steps into shaming the thought as mere over reaction. However, the building at last catches the eyes of all three; finally regaining their long misdirected attention, not that it had provided the misdirections while guiding them three; and for capturing the minds, it joyed itself by granting a scene they wished to stumble upon earlier. Red pulls out the silver key and let's his lil' legs scurry him to the door; yet his neck is doubly yanked by the magic of Ashley and the pirate strength of Saddie's arms.

"I'll take it from here, never know with these traps. Hey Ashuri, can yah levitate the table 'n' chuck it?"

"Worth a try... Seems to be working and he-uh!"

"... Well at least yah hast something to work on, mój mał-"

"Saddie, cut it out, or I'm leaving you behind!"

"~Sorry, please don't let yer hair go white!~"

"Okay... Let's try again... and he-uh!"

"Well that's certainly farther, half-way across from here to the door. I guess they didn't want cultists to suffer."

"True, Red, true. Methinks it be safe in spite o' some oddities."

"Well?..."

"Red, th' honours to yah."

"Sheez, took you two long enough. Okay, let's just put you in, turn, twist the nob and... presto!"

"Well, the room's lit 'n' 'tis another throne room. What in th' Peck?"

"Well there's our golden scepter, Red, and a golden key, Saddie. Let at it so we can get outta here."

"Indeed, the hallway robb'd oure time far too long; oh great, the obvious dares to show up right now."

[3.]

"Yeah, that or a gust of wind. But hey, I got an idea: Red~"

"Why did I accept becoming an aide again?"

"Alright, let's get goin’ before we face what that land-pirate hath not!"

"Hang on tight, Saddie, we'll zoom faster than I even can handle."

"Cap'n Morgan, spare me!"

And so the same wisp crew from before had become a zipping crew, slicing through the darkness that squashed the light's rule. Doing insult to injury to the darkness, purple bolts emerging from Ashley's fingertips took charge and arced wherever it felt like as it punished the dark. Sparking another torch, the flame trailed their path but was equally as helping as the lightning bolts - in the reverse direction. Seeing snow that emerged from their entrance, they sharply turned and all flew wildly into different directions while landing at the same snow. All correcting their own bodies, nothing emerged from the familiar dark but seeing the sky had made all their bodies shake harder than cold weather could ever. The starry sky was about to wage its round in the never-ending war for domination over the sky, and the three made a quick trip to the golden tile.

"I got the key, Ashley and Saddie."

"I got th' bag, Ashuri 'n' Red."

"Well go, and see to it what it is!"

"Alright, key's in place and..."

"Another golden scepter?"

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa~ Who dares open my safe! Who dares take what belongs to me! Who dares, who dares?"

"Us three!"

"Fools thou be! So be it! Be it that all three shall suffer, and th' dæmon loosing all powers whence I'm done with him."

"I like yah to try me, yah'll struggle."

"A pirate... No, more than that. I sense that wicked blood stained on thee, but thou not be that. Bah! I shall inquire into thee whence I have enslaved the Witch and drain the Imp's life away."

"You won't even place a scratch on my Saddie!"

"Fine, but kill me with Medieval chivalry for this figure, a ex-Master Mason. Wait, that stench is of holy incense as well. Pirate! Whom be thy mother? But really, had she slain those freaks?"

"W-wait... Yah mean them? If so... yes. She did slay them to save me, risking her life for mines."

"I only haunt this ground if I smell of those freaks, otherwise I am at war with them always. I admit, the grounds isn't what it ought to be - yet a perfect field to trick them bastards. One question? Why must thou take me Golden Scepter, the one in the golden box?"

"Lies hath short legs ex-Master, so lemme tell yah the truth... Money 'n' survival."

"Well, that was the truth. Not the one I wanted to hear, but the one I knew already. I can provide an exact rep- wait that other scepter works as well. Take that and leave mines alone - trust me, no one will survive the serious powers it can emit. Not even I could hold it for a few minutes, but that shall trick the person making the contract... And trick the others buyers as well... What art ye sad, all three of ye younglins?

"I'm Ashley, or Ashuri for Saddie, here... We wrecked your place basically."

"W-what, I say ye three hath done spectacular to go beyond the constrictions of the complex to do what ye three were compelled, yet always choosing to enact, to do. The destruction is cathartic, yet I felt yer hearts act as one, moving as one arm and thy spirits as one. Withal, I shall grant yah a way home. I bid ye farewell and safe travels! God speed!"

"Bye!"

"W-what, how'd yah get up here without even alerting me? I-I."

"Fear nae, Mister. Just luck came in handy today 'n' got us home quick. Anyways, yer scepter."

"Indeed, the rumors were true. Thank yah Saddie, I'll find a way to repay yah back."

"Save that for later, let's make sure infightin' be kept under wraps. Last I need are the policja thinkin' it wise to hear us."

"Aye, well good afternoon and evening to ye."

"Ashuri 'n' Red-"

"We know."

"Yeah... wanna enjoy th' scenery once again, Ashuri 'n' Red?~"

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

So really, I got nothing to truly report on but four things: "ghosting from the net," principles/disciplines, work-loads and vague hinting at what to expect for Sunday.

The former two are interconnected, so let's at it. Now I will be ghosting from Steemit, nowhere else, for a day - so expect it to be the worst when it comes to comms. Why is it this way? Because I have to be principled and have to deal with "rather nice" things. Less cryptically, I have to live up to the principles I have thought through to be right, for me, when I came back to my post. And fo' sho' I won't be having any sorts of "fun" in this blizzard environment, no sir-ree!

Which leads to now work-loads, or the less cryptic explanation. It should lighten up by Sunday or Monday, but my workload is high due to people, let's say, above me deciding I have to do more than what I have been given so far. I refuse to go any further, because my principles and lessons from military comms taught me so. That much I am willing to admit right there, and, regardless, let's not kid ourselves. One detail can bring down entire things, or lead to that collapse/dissolvement.

Now unto something "positive" for the end: Sunday ("because it's my fun day! Woah! I don't have to work day!" But I actually still have to work, yet it will be light yeah). Anyways, it shall be another Bananafish feature - those in the know already know what will happen for the #finishthestory submission and the haiku I got to spend some time connecting back to the #finishthestory while respecting the individuality of the two. Anywho, the one thing I shall explain for the FTS thing is that it'll involve two old character, the Grunt and Dark Myst of Red-Flame, back into the FTS contests. Anyways, spicy prompt @f3nix, but I got the spicy finisher ready for those other chefs. I'll show them the meaning of true pain and how to dissect things properly of which, those creators, should know what the hell they're dissecting. Anyways, initiate Operation Overlord. Roger, understood.

The New Angel Saga:

@theironfelix - Adviser readjustment

@theironfelix - Flipping the Script

@theironfelix - Shu'ualathoi

@theironfelix - Portal Inferos Scriptor

@theironfelix - Connexione

@theironfelix - The Spirits’ Cave Course

@theironfelix - Pretzel's apocalypse

@theironfelix - A childhood acquaintance

@theironfelix - A Divine Intervention

@theironfelix - Incident 111a

@theironfelix - A campfire story for It

@theironfelix - Cap'n Wither

Cited images

- No possible link for the Xyrop drawing -