(no subject)
The Dancing Bones was not at ease.
Oh, the ship itself was fine. Some'd say it was more than fine with a good wind behind her. And the crew was as normal as could be expected when eight out of twelve hands'd answer to "Scabbrous Pete" (two men and one parrot was mute, and therefore didn't answer to anything.) Even the captain, a brute by the name of Persephonous Peter, was making sure to abuse and terrorize his men just enough to make them feel secure in their scurvy-dogness.
But beneath the beating and carousing and lack of exfoliation, a strange sense of anticipation fidgeted on their breasts. Something was coming. Something important. Something...momentous begad!
Without a warning, a dull thud rung out near the prow. Ominous thuds shifted the timbers as something crawled determinedly up to the deck. The men reeled back as a hideous silhouette of writhing hair and shadowy features blocked out the moon.
"What...be the date?" The voice rasped, sounding as though it had taken the rough path up from Davy Jones' Locker.
"It...it be th' 19th o' September..." Scabrous Pete VII stuttered around his gingivitis and conspicuous surplus of abbreviations.
"YAAAAAARG" Shrieked the demonic figure, throwing its head back and exposing the dark corruptness of its gullet. "I lack the time to construct a proper scenario to commemorate this daaaaaaaaaay!" And with an irritated ominous glare, the imp fell back from the rail and disappeared into the dark depths beneath the angry slap of the surface.
The pirates stared at the bubbling ripples, and then at each other. Scabbrous Pete III clucked his tongue.
"Poor lass. Don't she know that prop'r management o' time is essential fer proper privateerin?"
Persephonous Peter shook his head as he absently flicked the gore off of his cat o' nine tails.
"Pers'nally, I blame the video games. They lack the necessary violence that encourages punctuality. Ah well, she had too many tooth anyhow."
Deep in the brine, miles below the surface a shadow shook its fist at the sky. Next year, she'd commemorate this event appropriately. Until then, she had to content herself with traveling to Punxsutawney to have a talk with a rodent about what he valued more...his shadow or his air supply...
Seeya, Space Cowboys!