video;

[touchofcashmere]

[Stede is not very good at video so it is showing the top of his head and the ceiling of the room, but not much beyond that]

Hello! My name is Stede Bonnet, Gentlemen Pirate. You may have heard of me and my daring exploits. But if you haven't? No worries. You soon will. [rogueish smile, not that you can see it. And he's still working on the rogue part anyway so it looks a little as if he's got an icecream headache]

Me and my friend Joel have decided that since we've been taken here against our will, we should form a little band of miscreants! Ne'er do wells! Causing trouble and mischief wherever we set foot until we shake some answers from our keepers or become so obnoxious they set us free.

Between you and me I think it's a great idea!

If we get a huge turnout I might even start taking sign ups, so be prepared to talk about yourselves and your skills and your vision for mischief!

Let's show them what for!

Comments

text

[fatalism]

oh, i wholeheartedly support your endeavour but someone here must be the pessimist to keep things in perspective. don't you agree?

video

[touchofcashmere]

Well there's pessimistic and then there's fatalistic. A pessimist might say: 'oh it's too hard' or 'oh we'll never make it'. ... Which is close to what you said, but the difference that small spot of hope. You never know until you try! No matter how mad it seems.

[fatalism]

if we're speaking in those terms then what about the cost? the small spot of hope is worth it at any cost?

[touchofcashmere]

What cost ...might there be?

[fatalism]

punishment given in return for hoping and failing to achieve the final goal

[touchofcashmere]

Well...well we'll just have to outwit them, won't we?

[he's not sure what's coming or what might come, but he's not going to just lie down and be trapped in a life he doesn't want. Not again]

[fatalism]

and you have extensive experience doing this?

outwitting the authorities i mean.

[touchofcashmere]

So far so good. [he's managed to survive somehow.] From multiple authorities even. English. Spanish. Dive-bar owner. I've got a pretty good track record.

[fatalism]

dive-bar owner? that must be quite the delightful tale.

[touchofcashmere]

It was! There I was, alone except for my faithful scribe and my captured hostage from the naval ship that dared tangle with me. Of course we had to sell him to the highest bidder, but as we stepped into the bar my gut told me:

Yes. Yes this place is dangerous.

And everyone looked up as we entered, ready to tear us to shreds with their teeth and other unsavory things.

Since the bar was full of ruffians, they were, of course, quick to want to assert their terf and their toughness! Which is understandable when a stranger comes to town but even I, skilled as I am in the way of...taverns... was hardly prepared for the brawl that broke out. Chairs flying. Tables smashing. Blood pouring to the ground.

It was quite a mess.

[and pause to check reaction]

[fatalism]

that sounds like quite the spectacle

[ quite entertaining for someone who enjoys watching people dig their own graves ]

and how grave were the injuries suffered by your few companions?

[touchofcashmere]

Oh not so grave, really. Not at all. Our hostage was well ensconced and my scribe is good at hiding.

But the point is, we could have been in very mortal danger if not for my skills.

Anyway, in the ensuing melee, one of the more- unfortunate patrons- knocked over the owner's nose jar and broke it. This drew out the owner... and gosh... huge woman, like a brick wall, absolutely bulging with muscle. She could probably bend a prybar with her eyelashes.

As you can imagine, she was a bit put out, and asked who'd started the fracas.

[fatalism]

i see, i see. and then were the culprits brought to face her justice?

[touchofcashmere]

Well they might have been! But of course I couldn't let them suffer, even though they deserved it.

So I stood up to her and said: I was the one that broke the nose jar. If you must blame anyone. Blame me.

of course she was very stern about that and almost came at me with a knife but my stare was so piercing she changed her mind the last minute and banned me from her establishment.

But one day I will darken her doorstep again, and this time, she'll pour me a drink. [that isn't pickled noses]

[fatalism]

that is quite the tale. you've experienced a lot of adventures

[touchofcashmere]

Oh I have! I'm quite the experienced captain so well qualified to lead this venture.

Are you with me?

[fatalism]

I do not have any talents to bring on board, I would only hold you back