{Again we arrive at the philosophically rambling preface. So what shall the author write to earn their comment's length recognition? Why does it have so much effect when it should be a norm? How did we come to the age of short attention-spans and why do we just consume content without acknowledgement? Why do we pride our recognition of the internet's vast quantity of content, but recognize the individuality of each post? But why to recognize this when it shall be consumed in the Void of the Net?... This post contains a piece for the Haiku contest by @vdux and now an attempt at a weekly episodic series, it should be obvious why I compound posts at this point. I shall alternate between the "New Angel Saga" and "The Shambler Saga" which I need to pick up writing again... Today's music-aides: "Hard Time" [1.] "Clean Getaway" [2.] "City Nights" [3.] and "Razormind" [4.] (WarioWare DIY Ashley's Records and PayDay 2 OST).}

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- Witchery -

Es otra noche:
una bruja prepara
un malo poción.

It's another night:
a witch within her mansion
brews her mean potion.

另一个夜晚:
一个女巫酿造她
卑鄙的药水。
{This part of the post is for the Haiku contest by @vdux.}

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- Cap'n Wither -

[1.]

All staring at each other, the Agent slimes a tentacle up to rub his aching head. A sense of silence drowns out the forest, yet soon the Agent sticks out the other tentacle to the trio. The Thief takes a step forward, still aching from the night's fight, but soon the impish-aide rushes forward and shakes the tentacle. The Witch-in-training all but couldn't giggle a bit, the night had already thieved her and her friends' bearings. The Thief sighs and paces normally to the Agent, readying her hand for a shake as well. To which the Agent unclasp's the impish-aide's hands and shakes the Thief's hands. Unclasping her hand, the Agent strides forward and the Witch-in-training mirrors the motion; both meeting in the middle and shaking their hands.

Upon the clasp, everyone couldn't but giggle; the signal graphed and all the bodies strode away from the campfire. The moon had finally risen and beamed bright unto the Earth, lighting a path for the four. With the air cooler, the Agent reconnecting the mind with the vocal box asked:

"So it appears that I be proscrib'd to help compensate Its debt to yah. I presume yer the Witch that help'd Mr. Pretzel; withal, I hadn't been able to catch a name."

"Yah better know her name, 'cause it's Ashuri!~"

"I prefer Ashley from acquaintances... And of course she's Saddie~ - my lil' Goat - and he's Red~ - my impish-aide."

As Saddie raised her finger ready to object the "Goat" nickname, Red bounced and exclaimed:

"Yeah! Anyways, we all need to rest; if I can't bother staying awake, there's no way you all can. Especially after all that fighting; heh, seems you had a similar encounter as well... Did you?"

"... Fellow Dæmon Red, I wish I can explain what I saw today; I guess The Void is really that: a void. And I guess ye were attacked by a voidist?"

"Why yes... If we were attacked at about the same time, then what does that speak of everywhere else?"

"... Truth be told, I can't even fathom such if this be merely the beginning..."

"Say, Octopoid. What be yer name?"

The Agent's body self-commanded halt to themselves whiles the rest marched on. Eventually the three marchers caught the error in both noise and space and swung around. The Agent now perfect to pour plaster over and sculpt on had irrationally resumed motion and uttered:

"I... I... do have a name, but that belongs to a body that of which is not this. I am... nameless as this. Refer to me for now as the Agent, it's better that way for now; 'til I wised up to my æsthetic."

And for the first time in this night had they seriously paid attention to detail. For all three noticed the other parts of the Agent: the gas-mask with octopoid eye-ports, high-tech camo gear, a steel helmet and a sniper rifle. With the gazes on the sniper rifle, the Agent's body shivered to still have a sniper after what occurred. But looking at them, they commented that 'twas a ptrs-41 - a Soviet anti-tank weapon. As if a foreign language was spoken within the form of a shared language, the Agent noted that not all the galaxies are aware of what happens in the other parts of the universe. So they said:

"Ah, sorry; the CCCP and this gun are from a different galaxy altogether. Truth be told, last time I was in that galaxy was when the war against the fascists end'd. And I had nae been keepin' up with the politics of such, so I shall keep quiet 'til I investigate what has happened since or when we enter my home galaxy... By th' Rum o' Cap'n Morgan! Hath that voidist caus'd that much damage to this Mansion?"

"Diabolical... I forgot that creature screwed the mansion over... Oh well, I was planning to adventure a bit - should be enough time for the mansion to get repaired. Yet, let's rest."

Everybody but Ashley cheered as they marched unto the mansion and headed up the stairs, Ashley being grumpy over the mansion's damages. The Agent was directed to Saddie's room and the rest hitched it in Ashley's room after all said goodnight to each other. Upon entering the room, the Agent opted to sleep on the floor after slipping off the steel-tipped boots; as they wanted not to damage a perfectly set hammock after remembering last time. For the last time they had slept on one during a mission, a plunge of hot irons came down on them hours later. In Ashley's room, the trio readied for the night: Red cozied up on the bed and began snoring immediately, Saddie took off her combat gear while leaving on an undershirt and her pirate pants on and Ashley magicked her red dress with the yellow talisman into a white nightgown with a red bow on it. With Ashley taking off her tiara and undoing her mustached-shaped hair, the two then went to the bed; soon stopping as they figured it would be a tight squeeze and they had to bunch together. As they began to stare at each other, they nervously laughed and pressed on towards the bed.

With Ashley waving her hands, Saddie bunched up on the bed and wiggled away to maximize Ashley's room. Ashley soon followed and squeezed in; just perfect for the bed itself. With them finding their comfortable bed posture, they soon reconnected eyesight and blushed. Instead of turning around and feigning sleep, both inched forwards and grasped each other to accommodate for limb pressure. However, both realized they had closed the gap but both merely laughed it off as they gave their good nights. With all assuredly asleep, the night played a new tune as it danced again. A tune full of deconstruction of chains by a rattling, skeletal crew with the usual wind flows and forest critter noises.

[2.]

The next morning, the Octopoid felt its chest pounding; yet pounding not in rhythm to the heart but throbbing like a jack hammer. So their eyes flew open and they started sliming across the floor; busting the door open and vaulting over the rail, they managed to get outside and quickly undone the gas-mask breathing-port. Soon black bile raced out of the gas-mask as the Agent was barely stable above the ground. With the mess gone, they reattached the breather but began breathing heavily; attempting to stand up, their body refused to move in its usual quick pace. Returning back to the mansion, they decided to explore; first seeing a hatch open and deciding to descend down into the mansion. Reaching into the basement library, they heard noise and peeked into the room; overhearing a conversation between a beaten-up Saddie and a recharged Ashley:

“Hocus-Pocus!”

“Ha-ha! What a cute flower, Ashuri~”

“You cut it you Goat~”

“Like days of past, when spells only worked half of the time.”

“Heh, that’s true Saddie~”

“Here let’s check the spell book again. Maybe your bewitching personality got in the way of doing the witching.”

“And maybe you’re the missing ingredient I seek.”

“Eep!”

Withal looking somewhat sick, Saddie zipped across the floor with no breaks. Deciding 'twas best to step in now, the Agent snatched and shouldered Saddie as they walked towards Ashley. Though the blows the Agent received from Saddie were enough to knock a human unconscious without a blackjack, the armour and switched off pain network more than compensated for the damage. Along the way, the Agent spoke:

"I see we continu'd the functions all fine, but Saddie here be a tad sickly; heck, I had a black wake-up call."

"That's not good, maybe a potion can fix you up."

"That be good... Oh!~ Here be yer missin' ingredient."

"Yes, lemme just levitate that off of you."

Soon a purple orb appeared in front of Ashley's right-hand pointing finger, and so soon a purple glow surrounded Saddie as she was lifted from the Agent's shoulders. Saddie only replied:

"This be nae fun! I haven't even taken a few paces and so soon I lost! Way to be a killjoy, A-gent!~"

"Sorry, I really thought Ashley need'd a Goat. I shall keep that in mind for next time, you Goat~ you."

"Ha-ha, they only do that as a part of the debt it has to pay off, Saddie!~ Anyways, I'll check up on Red~ and maybe make a quick snack before we leave... Like chocolate?~"

The Agent simply nodded, for which Ashley lowered and released Saddie. Skipping across, the Agent turned to face Saddie and apologized with:

"Sorreh."

"Eh, no biggie. At least now I now yer heckin' strong and apparently pain resistant... well at the cost of my knuckles... Why do I feel so sleepy?"

"Trust me sista, I feel sleepy as well. How be yer night?"

"Sis-sista?~"

"Uh..."

"No-no, I be a lil' surprised receivin' it from a stranger. But yes, I been fine sleepin' but damn did I felt like a boulder when wakin' up. Poor Ashuri~ worried for my bones, she had to violently shake me. Heck I felt something wrong my chest, but nothing that wrong. Yah feelin' me... brotha, sista?"

"Not even I know what I be at this point, so Octo sounds good? Regardless, mines was me throwin' up after expericin' my chest thumpin' crazy... Anyways, yah weren't indeed harmed by that voidist correct?"

Her head tilted down to hid the blush and frown as she gripped her chest again, for which the Octo took the cue and moved the conversation elsewhere:

"I think we gave Ashley enough time to magic up some chocolate. I really wanna taste some good ole cocoa."

She tilted her head up and weakly smiled, the Octo gestured for Saddie to go ahead and both soon exited the basement library. With steps clambering up, Ashley readied her batch that she'd made with Red. Getting close to the basement library hatch, she screamed for them to hurry up. With both arriving, Ashley assumed her neutral face as per usual and stated:

"Finally."

"The stairs be steep, Ashuri~"

"I didn't made them, plus it's good for exercising. Anyways, what took you long you Goat?~"

"Ashuri~ yah know I hate being levitated off the floor, makes me feel dizzy thinking I have any slight control when I have not."

"Well Saddie~ I can't fix that, but you can feel better with some chocolate."

"... Ashuri~"

"Just for you, hoping I did the dark chocolate just fine. Anyways, here's that potion I promised. Regardless, where do you want to explore Saddie?~"

"... Well I think I need to see the high seas, just for a whole week. Will you do so, I mean the mansions screwed up anyways!~"

"Fine, but we need to go to the city for a boat."

"No need, I know where I shored my ship. All we need to do is just heave it to the waters and we'll be sailin' in no time! Imagine a Witch on the waters, Ashley it's perfect for any pirating!"

"Ah, well this potion certainly tastes better than previous ones I came across... Well Miss Ashley and Miss Saddie, I think we ought to go now. But before we go, I must say this was some fine cocoa; so how'd yah did it?"

"Oh some silly ole hex I found in a book. Red~ did most of the cooking..."

"C'mon, really?"

"Sorry for barging in, but we both cooked it. She's really good at it,..."

"Red~ please."

"I'm sorry to interrupt everyone, but this Goat here senses the high seas' calls. So I suggest we hightail out of here and scout the shor'd ship so we can sneak the craft away if danger appears close by."

"Good thinkin' there, Saddie. C'mon Ashley, pride thyself, and Red, stop bein' so modest of yer labour."

With such all departed: Red flew and landed on Octo's shoulders, Ashley blushing even harder while being frozen in place and Saddie grasping Ashley's arms as she yanks her with the group. Leaving the front door, the Herald approaches Ashley and asks for how long they shall be gone and what to do; Ashley replying that at minimum a week's worth of leave and that the skeletons should repair and maintain the mansion. With such, the group departed for a long walk towards Diamond City; the first time anybody would be seeing it after the recent events.

[3.]

As the sun danced across the night and gave the performance up to the moon, the travelers were still marching and displaying no signs of energy lameness. Marching still, they skirted on the edges of Diamond City; Saddie confirming that this was the exact trail as she remembered and they'll see the ship soon. The Agent decided to hum a sea shanty of which Saddie picked up and hummed soon; Red soon figured the general melody and began humming as well. And soon, the neutral-faced Ashley cracked a smirk and hummed along. It had been for Ashley about two week since she had been in Diamond City, she did wonder how her fellow coworkers were after that whole incident.

Yet she soon would stop daydreaming as the humming slowed down and she eyed what they saw. A shore that had no ship, Saddie scratched her head in confusion. Yet their questions were soon fulfilled as Octo announced that a ship was coming ashore. Landing unto the sandy shores, the ship soon stopped and was motionless; the four approached it carefully, assuming that the entire crew was aboard. Reaching closer and sticking to the bushes, they saw a whole camp apparently vacant until the crew came pouring out and filling the site with activity. The Agent was ready to wrestle control of the entire ship, single handed if the act required to play as a decoy, until the Captain came walking out.

Fancy was the stride, awfully too familiar to an old friend of the Agent. Listening in with the gas-mask's tech, they picked up on the captain speaking. The original trio soon shivered with the Agent and soon stopped when they realized the temperature was too warm to be shivering. They turned to see Octo shivering, for Octo heard the sounds of an old friend. To the Agent, this made a lack of sense seeing how a withered corpse won control of a crew like that. Then they humored the Void for a bit; in fact making perfect sense as they had seen many corpses of non-voidists in that form if the corpses were lucky to not degenerate by then. More strange was that only a few corpses like that ever escaped the Void, as Octo remembered rightly so. But with all considerations, the Agent took a gander and pressed their luck; communicating the one thing an old friend could never forget.

They emerged from the treeline and began singing a shanty that only an old friend can ever know. The captain caught the pleasantry in his ears and turned to look at the source, and soon sang the little jingle as well while approaching the Agent. Both fully recognizing the lil' screw-ups they made mid-song had only made them merrier and they began rushing towards each other. Braced together on the floor, everybody including the hidden trio rushed to their respective person; yet both raised their palms to signal the cease of any movement. Dread floated and filled the air as both helped each other up and braced each other; both giving the kissing greet as they stopped bracing and signaled to loosen their tension. In sync, everyone relaxed and dread floated elsewhere; the pirates returned to their duties while the trio approached the pair.

While on the approach, Saddie recognized the ship and she was cranky that someone managed to undo the safety measures. Yet anger turning to a chuckle as she saw it still in good shape and the hull not damaged when the measures were uninstalled. Finally within earshot, they finally heard what they had been yapping on about: the looks of each other and catching up on the time between. The Agent mentioning how the new career revealed more of the universe than did the old career; the Cap'n mentioning the interactions with the Void and how they hadn't really been ripped in half that day when they splintered off. The Cap'n went as far to say that they had been for years trying to reconnect contact with them but soon found themselves in the Void and in constant torture for a seemingly long amount of time. Thus the withered look; yet mattering not as Nature still has yet to punish him for his looks.

When they bunched up together they all retreated to the ship, the Cap'n introduced himself:

"I be Cap'n Wither; I had forgotten my name long ago and that, for all I cared, the Void stole my past but dictated no more my future. So granted another shot at life, I took a new name after winnin' a duel against the previous cap'n of this very same ship. Indeed, 'twas no fair duel as the captain was some grey-skinned angelic freak but soon I won and slain it; damn took weeks to clean up the burning incense smell. 'Twas that time I realized the good effect it had on the crew, apparently they were all hypnotized and were originally following a dame Senior Cap'n: name went along the lines of Cap'n Syrup. Yet they hadn't a clue of her location since the disappearance and, ever since then, I've been hunting them freaks as they are as much of a threat as that damned Void. So say, ye want to spend some time learning how to deal with them!?!... Why the puzzled looks?"

"Old friend~... Humour my story, but I think we've been all dealin' with this threat equally. I with my jobs to repay debts for a person named It, Ashley and Red in a battle that happened yay say at least a half-week ago and Saddie probably by Fortuna's grace."

"Cap'n Syrup?~"

"Miss Saddie, yah know her not?..."

"I do know her, she's the greatest pirate Cap'ns of the High Seas... But she's more than that to me, she's was family to me 'til the day when that same Fortuna decided to let them angel freaks exist on this planet!"

[4.]

"Wait, yah were under Cap'n Syrup's wing!"

"I be more than her fellow young follower, I was blood-kin to her!..."

"... Well, Saddie, to tell yah: I have been lyin' a smidgen on our lack of knowledge on her..."

"Tell me Cap'n Wither!"

"Well Lassie Saddie, pirate taverns suggest her ship has been actin' up impossibly in places where she can't sail that fast nor actually be there to begin with. Thus, she's been rumored to be cursed; suggesting the angelic corruption that has been haunting us pirates is at bay... And everyday I kill another angel cap'n and save another ship, the more I think their rumors to be true; here here that we can save her."

"ARRRRGH!~ Here here to that! For she gave her life to me, now 'tis time I lived up me end!"

"Saddie!~"

"Ashuri!~"

"Where you go, I cannot let you face those New Angels alone. Consider me in... Are you in Red and Octo?"

"Octo? My oh my, me dear friend... Heh, so yah abandon yer old name as well?"

"Indeed methinks, I know not for sure. But for sure, I be apart of this voyage!"

"Count me in! If Ashley goes somewhere, I'm right next to her supporting decisions."

"So it be settled, us five and the pirate mass shall set sail to avenge Cap'n Syrup! Ha hargh!"

And so the pact was sealed, yet rest was needed if the fight were to happen. So while Cap'n Wither didn't retire, he helped the four retire in the ship. Saddie showed Ashley and Red the hidden room and asked if they can lodge in there, Cap'n Wither acquiesced. Leaving the three behind, Cap'n Wither showed the Agent a room to stowe away in for now. Yet the two would immerse themselves again in the conversation they left off at; returning to the hidden room, the three prepared for a night's rest. Yet Ashley asked if she could fly up to the moon one last time so as to appreciate the sight of Diamond City, for which Saddie concealed her sudden shock and let Ashley go. Before leaving, Ashley gave a quick kiss to Saddie and left the room as quick; leaving Saddie to be frozen but soon returning to getting ready to sleep. Examining the room, it had been left untouched and she had a lot to dig into tomorrow morning. Indeed, a whole treasure's worth of gear to save her only Cap'n, the only one she respected with a pirate's salute: Cap'n Syrup. So retiring for the night, she jumped onto the hummock and left the candle lit for Ashley and Red.

Yet tonight would be of no rest for her, and soon she would explore the ship again; yet the chest pains wait for her to be asleep. So, she thought, maybe she could rest easy and think today morning as merely exhaustion. At least for now...

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

Cited posts:

@vdux - Haiku contest

Cited images

Ashley cooking

Withered tree