Men's Second Style

The Ruffian

The kid had earned something of a bad reputation for himself in New Babbage.  He supposed that was due in no small part to his tendency to, shall we say, not always pay for everything he put into his pockets on Market Day.  Also, quite possibly, the fact that, when he did make payment  in actual coin, that coin had not necessarily been earned by way of actual honest labor.  He rolled his eyes and sighed; such distinctions were boring and tedious, and they made him feel tired.  And they were pointless as well, when there was such fun to be had!

Fun like roaming light of heart, fleet of foot and quick of finger through the streets of New Babbage, always on the lookout for opportunities to liberate valuable and useful items from their inattentive owners.  They never saw him coming, felt him close or saw him go—he was a whisper of breeze, a leaf on the wind.  Fun like waiting by the docks in Port Babbage for steamships to arrive, heavily laden with goods from exotic ports of call around the known world.  Sometimes, if he were lucky, for no more trouble than catching a thrown hawser as a ship eased into dock, he might also catch a few coins thrown by grateful sailors made unusually generous by their delight at being on land again, and by the sight of pretty girls in pretty frocks waiting for them on the quayside.  Fun like going to the regular airshows, or just to the steamport, to admire the sleek beauty of the lighter-than-air and steam-powered airships.  Although he was not at all unhappy with his lot in life, he still envied the airship pilots their crowds of admiring fans, many of them often of the female persuasion.

Lately, though, he had noticed the occasional sideways glance that suggested he might have outstayed his welcome.  There was always at least a slight danger of doing so, in his line of work.  He wondered if it might be time to give at least nominal consideration to the prospect of moving on.  In his experience, he had found it always best to keep at least one jump ahead of any significant level of official interest in his activities.  And it was true that fresh opportunities, bright horizons, and green pastures beckoned always just beyond the present circumstance.  It wasn’t for nothing that he always kept his spyglass handy.  He felt for the reassuring lump sewn inside the lining of his jacket—a small handful of coins, mostly bright copper but a few dully gleaming gold, carefully stashed away against just this inevitable eventuality.  Perhaps tomorrow, or even tonight, he would go to the ship’s agent and book cheap, inconspicuous passage to somewhere not far away, but far enough.

In the meantime, though, just one more good score…or maybe two.  He grinned to himself and let his eyes rove over the crowd as it milled about him.  That dandy gentleman over there, his purse was surely full to the point of being burdensome.  He would most certainly appreciate his load being lightened at least somewhat.  Oh, but that cocky airship pilot!  He was paying far more attention to the ladies along his path than to his own person.  The chase was on, and the chase was often more rewarding than the reward itself.

The Ruffian is wearing:  “Laurin” outfit (L$450) by Paco Pooley (22769 Vintage).  Steamkid sneakers and Communicator Box headset by Spikey Timeless (Figleaves).

The Pilot

He fancied himself the world’s premiere master of steam-powered airships.  Whether or not this was true, the objective observer might well wonder; but it had never occurred to him, and would indeed never do so, to question this self-evident truth.  He also fancied himself the world’s premiere master of certain rather more private, amorous, even intimate activities, or at least that the ladies he himself fancied, in turn fancied him in irrefutable point of fact to be.  Ooh!  He shook his head at the convoluted logic.  Truth be told, great pilot and great lover he might well be, but great thinker he was not.

However, blithely unobservant he was also not, at least not entirely.  He spotted the rather unsubtle ruffian from a fair distance, slipping smoothly through the crowd to be sure, but hardly invisible.  If the little rogue thought he was going to make off easily with any of the contents of this pilot’s pockets, the urchin would have to think again.  He quickstepped to the side, zigging where he anticipated the would-be pickpocket would zag, cleverly ending up at the center of a retinue of lovely ladies…quelle coincidence!  Flight goggles flashing in the sun, long black leather gloves gleaming, he boldly chatted one by one with the fair maidens, each more flattered than the last, it seemed, to be the object of his dazzling attentions.

He was sure he had spotted a grimace of disappointment on the boy’s face as they crossed paths in the crowd, surely no closer than three feet.  It was a small triumph, but a triumph nonetheless, and his chest swelled with pride.  From extensive experience, he had learned that even such relatively minor victories could often be a boon to the libido.  He anticipated an evening replete with naughty entanglements with one or perhaps more of this troupe of ladies and knew without a doubt that he was up to the challenge.

It was not until later that he realized that his secret travel purse, full of money and made of beautifully soft doeskin—So Soft You Won’t Know You’re Wearing It! the salesman had asserted…indubitably true and, in retrospect, arguably problematic—was missing.  He searched his person and cast-off clothing with increasing urgency, Miranda and Annabelle waiting in an uneasy balance between amusement and impatience.  In the distance, he imagined he heard a cackle of boyish laughter.

The Pilot is wearing:  “Tony” outfit (L$450) by Paco Pooley (22769 Vintage).  Old Shoes by Fallingwater Cellardoor (Shiny Things).

Vintage attire by Paco Pooley is available at 22769 Vintage (Sunny Island 111, 32, 22).  Some outfit items are also available individually.  All vintage items are 20% off during the Steampunk Hunt, which runs through the end of March.

Check back in the next day or two for the continuing adventures of our heroes (and anti-heroes) in New Babbage!  This was originally supposed to be a single comprehensive feature, but in typical fashion I was overly ambitious, and it just got to be too much.  So, I’ve split it into two separate features.  I think the second half is worth the wait.