SHIP'S LOG:

The Sadie Hawkins

earliest post first | most recent post first

Starry Skye 3/20/2024 11:58pm


"Ah, Starry. We've been waiting for you."

It was Cat Tracer, the second most amazing zero-G cat burglar and pickpocket in the Tarantula Nebula. And love of my life, some years ago.

Except it was those years ago now, again, here, in the past. Her present. Where the old toothless hag had sent us to save Hettie, the Fire Breathing Plasma Moth. Who was the love of my life now, as much as anything.

"Hi Cat. Who are your friends in the suits?"

The heavy syndicate types were lined up behind her in the electric light of the warehouse. They did have nice suits. Looked a little like pinstripe, mohair, houndstooth, seersucker... but made of iridescent fabric, colors and sheens I'd never seen. Fabric that could have only come from the impossible animal trade.

"I can smell them from here," I added. "Smells like death."

One of the heavies reached inside his jacket.

Cat gave him her side eye. The side eye I'd fallen in love with, once upon a time.

"Let's keep things civil, shall we Star?" she asked. "We've gone to great lengths to bring you here. I think it's time we had a little catch up."






Armando Lupiz 11/23/2023 10:22pm


Soon the goon squad moved on, searching the seemingly endless rooms of the library. But even if I made it back to the room I'd started in, the one that contained that luminous scarf that had somehow transported me to this library of the future, what then? I'd assumed if I'd touch the scarf again I might end up back in the tailor's shop--who would absolutely have an armed welcoming committee waiting for me. Was that the only way back? To give myself up to this mysterious group who'd kidnapped the chrysalis of our beloved Luna, the giant space moth, even before she was born?

I looked around this strange showroom again. Old fashion magazines strewn on the table, mannequins dressed in haute couture of the past, glass display cases of hats and boas and... a soft iridescent glow coming from one in the corner.

If it was another of these "time travel scarves," where would it lead? Even further from where I needed to be, no doubt. Another hopscotch into the future? Or the past? Things were tangled enough already. But to return the way I came would give our adversaries an advantage I refused to give.

I opened the glass case and picked up the scarf. Little blue lightning bolts caressed my fingers.

Captain Armando Lupiz
(The Sky Wolf)
in a shiny new scarf






Billy Nails 6/30/2023 11:55pm


See kid I told you you might get to appreciate the simple life. Oh no need to blush, ol' Billy knows all about it. And there ain't one member of this crew who hasn't had a little taste of it themselves. I mean farm life, of course. Sky Sailors are the first to decry the life on the ground, and the more you've got our boots in the mud and the manure than the more we're likely to heap on the insults. But I think it's fair to say all that spit and vinegar was just a mask--a mask to hide away a burning desire, deep inside...

Don't get me wrong, kid. When the captain and @Starry Skye find their way back--and I know they will--they'll be needin' our help and boy are we gonna give it to them. But after that debt's repaid, well, it's never to late for a Sky Sailor to turn up a new leaf...






Starry Skye 3/10/2023 11:50pm


It wasn't surprising Dip Squealer didn't know anything about Cat's heavy connections. Dip might know a lot, but ultimately he's just a dumbass among dumbasses. Real pros would never have anything to do with him, and their secops would keep Dips and dips like him out of any serious loops.

But the exospectral quill shards, and the liquid crystal bluefur, and the colors nobody's ever seen before -- that sounded exactly like the exotic animal trade. The seriously deep dark animal trade, specializing in the impossible to find--the extinct, the mythical, the hyperreal. And there was a place in deep in the most rotten underbelly of Uranographia Fields where that kind of trade took place: Shady Bottom.

I wasn't about to hail a cab or take the monorail. So I took to the rooftops. This used to be my element--using my agility and star-class dance moves, leaping over ledges and pirouetting over pipes and diving over neon signs and laundry lines. There was a reason I'd been known as the most amazing zero-G cat burglar and pickpocket in the Tarantula Nebula... before my time on the Sadie Hawkins. Before Hettie, the Fire Breathing Plasma Moth.

But then there was Cat Tracer. There was a time we were tight. Real tight. Things fell apart there at the end. But I sure don't remember any fancy clothes syndicate guys hanging around way back two years ago. Which was also now. Seems like I should have known. And where was I, these days, anyway? Some kind of rule about not heading yourself off in the past...

Before long I'd leapt and flung myself over the rooftops of Uranographia Fields all the way to Shady Bottom. One of the decrepit warehouses had a loading dock open and the lights on. Almost like they were waiting for me...






Armando Lupiz 12/7/2022 9:52pm


"So where'd he go then?"

I'm on the podium. With the other showroom dummies.

"The door was locked from the inside, right?"

I'd had just enough time to tear the coat and a hat off one of the mannequins. I'm standing in the back.

"Well... thinking about it... I may have just started kicking it."

"You didn't try the door first?"

"It just seemed like the obvious place he'd be. I mean, it's 'the room.'"

A tiny piece of dusty cobweb made its way from the stylish pillbox and veil I was wearing down into my nose.

"Yeah, and he's not in 'the room.' And he never was."

"Well... yeah, ok. We looked under all the tables, right?"

"Right."

"Let's move out then."

"Roger."

...

"Shut the door?"

"Let's leave it like we found it,"

"Yeah that's not exactly possible."

"Shut it as well as you can."

CALUMPH


"aaaaaaaaaachooo!"


Captain Armando Lupiz
(The Sky Wolf)
dressed in the slacks






Billy Nails 9/15/2022 11:34pm


I'm glad to see you settlin' into life here, kid. You've got yourself your own hovel, keepin' it swept, putting in a full day's work at the Langpa ranch and goin' to the dances on Friday nights. I'm sure you've seen how ol' Billy Nails has come across his own bit of treasure, in the form of Ms. Amalasuintha. I'll tell ya' kid, ol' Billy Nails never pictured he could get used to life on solid earth, but I suppose that's because I'd never met anyone like Ms. Amalasuintha. She's been around the block -- much like yours truly -- but we both seem to be at a place where keeping the garden kept and cleaning out the Frinlic Coop makes for a full life. Especially when you've got a peach as cute as Ms. Amalasuintha to share your meals with. Now you know I'll keep The Sadie Hawkins ship-shape in the barn till we hear from the captain and @Starry Skye, but till then, I think we all ought to appreciate a little down time.






Starry Skye 7/3/2022 11:59pm


Dip Squealer was always exceptionally informed.

"This isn't fair!" he squealed. He was tied to a bed in a cheap love hotel in the Night District, but not for fun.

"Neither was forcing me to give up the Rusty Jade," I answered, my legs up on the little coffee table. "That was just rude."

"Aw, bygones and all that, amirite? You woulda done the same."

This was patently false. Dip was just a douchebag.

"I know a number of others in town might want some payback too. You're generally not worth anybody's time, but if I've got you on ice they might just want to drop by and have a word or two."

"Aw, Starry, I just know we can work something out. What, are you short a little? I got a few little nest eggs, stashed here and there..."

"Yes you always know just what everybody's up to, and how to take a little piece, don't you Dip?"

"Seriously! We can work a deal! I'm turning over a new leaf! You name it, Starry."

"What's Cat Tracer up to these days?"

"Aw Starry, you know I wouldn't know something like that. She's big time!"

"That didn't stop you when it came to me, did it, Dip?"

"Aw Starry, no offence. I ain't talking about daring, or skill. I mean she's gone big time. Working with a syndicate these days. Heavies. High class types. Fanciest clothes anybody round here's ever seen -- decked out in exospectral quill shards, liquid crystal bluefur, colors nobody's ever seen before. But they're hard cases. You know Blind Larry? And Curly Kate? Snuffed 'em both. Nobody's sure why, but Cat's in tight with them. But everybody knows that. Nobody'd cross Cat these days."

Dip looked up at me from the bed.

"But you don't know that, do you Starry?" he said. "Something everybody down here in the Night District knows, but how come you don't?"

Dip started to get a real thoughtful look in his eye.

"Goodnight, Dip," and I went in for another nick with my sleepy ring.






Armando Lupiz 4/7/2022 11:17pm


"Fashions of the Future" the sign read.

This room of the library was obviously focused on fashion. Shelves of magazines lined the walls, shelves for oversized art books dotted the room, and against the far wall were mannequins on a podium, dressed in what was obviously haute couture.

I mean, I'm no fashion expert, but you could tell it was fancy. If a little dusty.

This room looked more lived in than the rest of the library I'd seen. There were two or three magazines and big art books open on tables. I glanced down at one and there was the navy blue pill box hat -- the very same we'd spotted on the spy-eye footage.

This was the source for the Clothes of Tomorrow flooding the micro-fashion market of Uranographia Fields.

But something seemed odd. I looked at the magazine more closely. It wasn't a magazine from the future. It wasn't even a magazine from tomorrow. A closer inspection of the date said it was a magazine from fifty years ago.

Clothes of Tomorrow wasn't coming up with new ideas, or even stealing them from the future. They were just recycling fashions from the past!

Then why all the flash and pop and translocation? I'd assumed there'd been some kind of time travel involved, but why travel to the future to look at magazines from your own past? It didn't add up.

"This way! He's in here!" came the muffled cries from the hall. Then the door started to bang.

Captain Armando Lupiz
(The Sky Wolf)
trapped in the stacks






Billy Nails 1/30/2022 2:22pm


You've been a real trooper, kid. A credit to all Sky Sailors, even when we've got to get our hands dirty slinging Langpa poop for a grumpy Langpa rancher. But at least we found a place to keep the Sadie Hawkins safe while the captain and Starry Skye try and get us out of this time knot. I know the crew is gettin' grumpy holed up here on this stinky ranch -- goes against every grain in their nature, toiling on the earth like this. Exactly the kind of life they were looking to avoid when they took to the sky. So it means a lot to ol' @Billy Nails that you're setting a good example and keepin' morale up. Now it's just a question of how long we gots to wait -- or how long the crew'll keep from mutiny. We'll just keep that radio on and wait for come kinda word...






Starry Skye 12/7/2021 11:57pm


"So, Dip, you're looking well."

It was Dip Squealer. I knew him long before he removed his mask.

"Starry Skye. It's been awhile."

I had to think back about how long it'd really been. A lot longer for me than him.

"The Rusty Jade heist, if I'm not mistaken."

"Yeah, you treated me exceptionally fair, I must admit. It made me kind of... feel there might be something between us? If you know what I mean?"

I did. But unfortunately it wasn't like Dip thought it was.

"Yeah, well, I was wondering if maybe it was time to ask for a little favor in return."

"Oh yeah?" Dip nuzzled a little closer. Which made it easier to nick him with my sleepy ring.






next 10 >