starter call , @stormbrained .
❛ sparrow ! ❜ the madam bellowed out, her eyes on the ceiling.
a chorus of gasps ran out among the gathered courtesans as a small child all but dropped down from the eaves, dangling from the beams by their legs. only madam celandine was unfazed, gazing up at sparrow with eyes that promised patience in very limited supplies.
they knew well what it meant. with a sigh, sparrow hauled themselves upright again, balancing on their beam, then scampered down the nearest wall until they rolled and came to a standing stop, arms spread wide in curtsy. the women tittered ; some even clapped and waved little candied treats wrapped in thin paper at them, a promise of future sweet delights. ❛ yes, ma’am ? ❜
❛ do refrain from horsing around during opening hours. anyway, i’ve got an errand for you. ❜ madam celandine jerked her chin towards the open window and the street below. ❛ the lads below say they saw some ragged child wandering up and down the street. go and see what that’s about ; it’ll turn off the clients to see street urchins loitering around the front when they're trying to have a good time. ❜ for just a second, her expression softened at the edges. ❛ find them somewhere to be, so long as it’s not on my doorstep. and be quick about it ! ❜
if there was one person in the aerie whose word would brook no argument, it was madam celandine’s. those were the circumstances that saw sparrow sauntering out the front door, calling out greetings to the bouncers idling on either side of it, and took a look down the street, their head swiveling back and forth.
it didn’t take them long to spot him. the boy was like a dark spot amidst the colorful display of the way of kisses, with his matted black hair and drab clothes and the way he kept to the shadowed corners of the street. at this time, there were no so many passersby, but those that were here skirted around him as though they were trying to avoid some kind of contagion. ragged truly was the way to put it, sparrow thought as they tiptoed closer, taking every step carefully until they were fairly sure the boy had spotted them.
❛ you can’t stay here, ❜ they called out, balancing back on the balls of their feet. they tried for a friendly smile, the innocent tilt of their head that claimed they meant no harm. ❛ say, where’s your pa and ma ? ❜
