Ecstasy: "Sailin' b'neath the Absinthian Skullerfly"
Where ye be from
Ah, so's you're up for a tale, are ye?
Piracy, mates, is in me blood. Afore there was Spaniards bloodying the sweet breeze of the Atlantic, there was powerful pirates sailing the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas. Slapped me ass and gave out me first screech in sweet Cilicia. Bein’ then a Barbary Babe it’s only right that I’d be bawlin’ around with me buccaneer brethren.
I ‘ad me first bout of piracy when I warn’t nothin’ more than a toddlin’ tart ‘bout the skirts of dock-weary hags. Seeing the glistening gleam of sparkle off the choppy clear blue of Calypso’s bay, sure but I wandered away from what coulda been me mam called to the irresistible sparkle so’s I could grab it all up and keep the shiny ta meself. Course, me legs warn’t solid enough fer land nor sea as yet. I ended up nose first into a hollowed dandy whiskey barrel headed for foreign ports. Discovered 2 days later, sloshed, stoned, and sweatin’ 98 proof stink, the galley mutt Brasher “Chops” Flutie, davey jones rest ‘im, cleaned me up and put me right ta werk. Stripey that he was told me ta keep me ‘ead down, wash me face an’ hands, an’ keep me ears an’ eyes open.
Chops may ‘ave been a piss poor cook, not that he know’d it, but he could sling a blade, and the braggart could load and discharge a weapon faster than Cap’n Jas Kurlas could spot the bottom of a grog flagon. While he ain’t ne’er been up fer father prime annual, he took to me like barnacle crap to the keel. He kep me busy as a little spy, slidin’ in an out of cabins and plantin’ me little tyke self behind a bulkhead or sleepin’ in the crow’s nest. I got ta readin’ so’s I could report back on old Cap’n Kurlas letters in and out. I got me first fine brass sector before I got me brass bosom- swiped it right from the sailing master- smarmy jib-lickin’ dog. Sure Chops kep me his secret, an I got to be known as the greedy ghost of the galleon.
Sweet to spend thems early years in shadows- my hands stayed purty soft for a pirate, though. I found me specialty in sniffin’ out the sweetest sparklie plots, and calculatin’ courses. I’d filch the charts, and like magic, treasure run routes would make their way to the sailing master. Course the bilge rat took all me credit. I paid the scurvy wick back by swipin’ his solid gold charting compass with the emerald hinge. Damn near tore the hull out with his teeth lookin’ fer it.
So when the ship sank, we was in the sparkle of Calypso’s eye not 3 leagues from land. Sure but we found a port’o’piracy in the Caribbean there bouts- and after me mates shucked the sailing master up to a rotting barrel and tied ‘im to the fluke afore headin’ ta land - sure’n cause we couldn’t keelhaul ‘im thanks to us being without vessel – the crew dispersed among the natives.
Chops was called to fiddlers green while Cap’n Kurlas was sniffin the bottom of rum barrels tryin’ to acquire a new ship. What Chops done was this- took on a ruddy fat wench in a cooking contest, and, as always too sure of his abilities as ‘e’d been the only cook for years, flubbed the Asian blowfish delicacy and ended up poisoning himself, the wench, and half the crew.
Chops taught me naught but bein’ a pirate, and a nearly invisible one at that. Jack rabbit skeered of bein’ passed off as some jingle-headed barmaid, certain but I shaved me ‘ead, bound me bosom, and I fought me way onto a sloop trafficking goods and learnin’ a bit about some of that magic that comes from ‘round India way.
Sure but me own talents was bein’ wasted below the deck of that rudder wreck, and it warn’t til I passed paths with the keen-eyed Madblade in a fine muck of a bar brawl round Jamaica way. It were a bright hot day, and I’d just beaten this dandy English officer in a game of mathematical and naval strategy who come to take it pretty hard. Set on clappin’ me in irons, I snapped me up some fine English coins in takin’ out some of the Queens’ boys. Cap’n then come up on my side seein’ that there was too many of them squiffies fer me alone. We dispatched them sons of a biscuit eater right quick, then threw back the rum and become better acquainted.
Sure the Blade an’ I came quick mates since she be the first lady Cap’n I’d come on. Course Cap’n warn’t a Cap’n back then, but nothin’s clearer than the Caribbean blue but that Madblade would be hoistin’ sail on a sweet furner one day. Madblade set the ladies ta right, too. Unbound and causin’ waves of their own. Now I’m a Sea Artist of many talents at me Cap’n’s side, sure to be caterwaulin’ “Don’t dunk me junk!”
hello, are you a tattoo collector? or artist.im an artist and collector.we are trying to get a bunch of corsairs to come raid my shop here in yuma sometime soon. you in? lol
Such a brat ye be doin' more research and showin' me up. Aye, well, be that way :P Sea Artist, and now we may hear some noise from Sir Bakin the star gazer sayin' he is better suited to the job. You are makin' my character really look like she got around though.
Bella, ye be havin' t' make friends with Miss Black Bonnie Mulligan. She be the tattoo artiste. Amazing work I've see so far. Amazing! I am lovin' your tale as well. Went back a bit further 'n mine did. Maybe I will add I dunno yet. So much else to do too. Ye din't say what yer position aboard ship was.
Aye, umm, well, looks like I be the landlubber n00b that gummed up the werks.... Mea culpa, no wait that be you. I cannot wait t' read your part in the story.