Lighten Up Would Ye?

Hey! AFF.net made the subcategory! YES! *happydance*
Thanks AFF!
In celebration, Chapter Five.

fairyqueen, there are many more chapters, and i'm already working on Part Two, and have a clear story (sorta) for part Three... so there's much more coming. :D thanks so much for reviewing!

oh man, i hope people can FIND this story now that it's been moved...

okay, i'll shut up.

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(1.5)

Jones drew another Categories card and we listed off islands in the Caribbean. Naturally I screwed up first. “Bugger.” Sip.

Clanker got a Cheers card, Maccus hid his card, Davy suddenly yelled “Piss Off!” and in the end Maccus had to drink, “Balls.”

Now the eleventh round, I drew a pee card and hid it. Well, attempted to hide it. Not many places I could put it that wasn’t in direct view of my ‘chair’ so I stuck it between my knees. There were only a few rounds to go, and I checked the status of my rivals.

Clanker was hunched over the table with his chin rested in his left hand and a new full bottle of rum gripped in his right. His eyes were heavy and the corners of his lips were turned up in a sort of bemused contentment. I realized he was the only one who hadn’t had to take any clothes off. His hat was still precariously balanced to one side of his head.

Scowling, head lolling and barely keeping a grip on his bottle, Maccus just looked ridiculous. He kept trying to rest his back against something, only to find there was nothing there and tip forward again. Secretly I bet myself he’d be the next one out. Once in a while the observing crew would steady him and whisper encouragements to him, but he just scowled more and glared at me like it was my fault he was drunk.

It IS my fault!

As for myself, I could barely keep my eyes open and was resting heavily against Davy and not fighting his roving beard anymore. Once in a while a sucker would pinch a bit and it was enough to jolt me awake. I was warm and happy with a belly full of rum and a strong male to sit on, and I was surrounded by people I would currently call ‘friends’, even Maccus, though he didn’t like me much right now.

Jones, whose dratted finger was under my shirt again, this time tracing the hem of my breeches, drew a Ten and closed his eyes in thought for a moment. Then he looked at me, “I thought I knew, but I don’t. How’d ye end up on th’ sssslave ship we picked ye up from?”

I flinched like I was slapped and my entire body tensed up involuntarily as a flash flood of memories ran before my eyes. Jones noticed but was in the middle of his punishment drinks, so he couldn’t pursue.

Before anyone could say or do anything, I reached up and pulled my outer shirt off, shivering at the sudden chill on my skin but thankful that I at least had my chemise on. It was loose and the gatherings near my neckline made for some privacy, so I was thankful. I just had to remember not to bend over too far and keep my arms close to my chest. I handed my shirt over to Bill for safekeeping and refocused my vision back to the table, refusing to meet anyone’s eyes. Davy was staring intensely at my face, making me feel even more exposed than I was. I closed my eyes and took deep breath but it didn’t help. It was difficult to ignore him.

“Let’s continue, shall we?” We will NOT be discussing that tonight, thank you very much.

Clanker gradually took a card and gave two drinks to me and two to Maccus. Funnily enough I was a little grateful for the boost.

“Shit!” Glug. “Hell!” Glug.

Davy’s eyes were burning holes through the side of my head so I finally flicked my eyes to meet with his. While Maccus called a pee-break and was half carried above-decks, me and Davy sat there gazing at each other, silently communicating. His brow knit slightly and his eyes seemed to have changed colour from sea blue to an intense blue-white. I looked down a little and shook my head no. I couldn’t meet his eyes. His arm squeezed a little and I looked back up. I watched as his gaze ran down my now bare arms and collar, scanning the tattoos and old scars. When his eyes met mine again, they were darker. He brushed a very light kiss across my forehead, caressed my jaw with a tentacle, and gave me a small kind smile. I blushed slightly and smiled back. All was forgiven.

Maccus fell down the stairs with a bang and landed painfully on his chest. Clanker slipped off his bench trying to assist him and they ended up in a strange looking tangle before the others lifted them both and placed them none to gently back in their spots. Once again they leaned against each other for support, Maccus putting the boots back on his head and Clanker rubbing his injured arse.

I started giggling uncontrollably and hid my face in Davy’s tentacles to muffle it a little, getting squeezed and bounced as he joined in.

“Oh, shhhtuff it you two.” Maccus grunted, drawing his card and taking a punishment drink. My eyes shot to him in shock for more or less telling the Devil of the Seas to ‘stuff it’… but Davy just laughed even harder, his claw hand repeatedly hitting the table. Bootstrap and Koleniko just shook their heads in disbelief.

“Awww, hell,” muttered Maccus, flipping his card over to show us the King and wearily eyed his half full bottle of rum.

The entire room cheered him on as he tiredly lifted the bottle and with a heavy sigh, started drinking. “Mah-Cus! Mah-Cus! Mah-Cus!” Rum ran down the sides of his face and a boot slipped off his head as he started slipping behind Clanker.

“Uggggh.” SLAM, he hit the floor, and the bottle rolled from his hand to clink against the wall behind him. Communal cries of disappointment resounded as Koleniko tapped Maccus’s leg with his foot, trying to rouse him. Maccus just groaned and twitched a little, totally weakened.

“Maccus? Come on, mate, get up! I got tomorrow’s supper riding on ye!” Penrod cried, bending down and shaking Maccus mercilessly.

“Fook erf… sleeeeeep…”

So with a naked torso and one boot hanging off his head, Maccus was lifted like a sack of potatoes by Koleniko and carried out of the Galley. Bill looked triumphant, so I guessed he was going to get a double supper tomorrow.

“’Night, Boot-head!” I called and beamed in elated amusement. “Three down, two to go.”

Davy scoffed and Clanker laughed. “Ye’ll never make it, girl, only reason ye haven’t fallen down ‘s th’ Cap’n.”

“Yer welcome to my other knee if ye need th’ backin’.” Davy offered with a wink. The crew laughed heartily at Clanker’s uncomfortable blush.

“Errrr, no thankee, sir.”

Bootstrap informed them of their punishment drink numbers and the two remaining men took it without argument.

“E’s right though, I should move. It’s not fair.” I said reluctantly. I really didn’t want to move, he was warm and I was unsure if I could stay seated properly if I didn’t have that arm holding me up. Would be so much easier if I had a chair with a backing…

Davy was livid. “Ye ain’t movin’ anywhere. Yer keepin’ me leg warm.” As if to accentuate his point I got squeezed extra hard and his claw clamped down on my left wrist. Not hard enough to hurt but enough to keep me still. He let it go when he took his punishment drinks, and I rubbed my wrist lightly before taking my own penalty.

Koleniko came back down the stairs chuckling.

“He’s snorin’ like a baby, it’d be sweet if ‘e weren’t so ugly.” He took a seat next to Clanker and let it slide when Clanker leaned against him, not bothered by the prickles on his back. “Awww, I like ye too, mate.” He said, patting poor Clanker on the back.

“Bugger off.”

Round Twelve began with a Categories card. “Animals! Errrr… cat.”

“Shhhheep!”

Clanker grunted “Puppy.”

Giggling at the sound of ‘puppy’ coming from Clanker, I said “Buff’lo.”

“Wolf.”

“Ephalant… lefaphnnnnt… oh balls!” Clanker dragged his nearly empty bottle to his lips and sipped at it.

Davy gave away two drinks to me and one to Clanker, showing him a rare bit of mercy. As I was sipping, his roving elongated finger tugged at the ties of my chemise and I slapped it away with my free hand. Too add even more bizarreness to the evening, he actually pouted, but retaliated.

“Ye fergot t’ curse, lasssss.”

“And someone just said a bad word; drink up, blue-eyes.” I elbowed him lightly in the belly.

The following cursing streak just made the men laugh more. I heard someone say “This night’s gonna be th’ stuff of for years to come.” And I couldn’t agree more.

Bootstrap pre-empted our soon to be rum-less bottles, handing us new ones. I honestly couldn’t remember what number I was on now but by all that was holy, I could barely lift my arms anymore.

Clanker reached out with a heavy arm and slid a card across the table. It slipped out of his fingers but he got it and hid it. I drew and got a King. Once again the gods must’ve been smiling on me, as my bottle was almost empty. I grinned, cussed, and drank the rest of it with ease and took the new bottle in my hand.

Davy drew the final Rule card. Oh no. He glanced down at me in my little chemise and I could just see the light go off in his head. OH NO! He made that pop sound too. I’m doomed…

“New rule, when Isa drinks, she has to kiss me, and when Clanker drinks ‘e has to ‘moo’.”

The entire room bust out laughing again, presumably at both my own and Clanker’s slack-jawed surprise. “Oi, What about you?” I asked.

“As Captain of the Flying Dutchman, I am immune.” He said with smug authority, chin in the air.

“Bullocks!” protested Clanker.

Davy thought a moment. “What if I allow ye to sleep in tomorra’ instead ‘f throwin’ ye out of bed with hangovers like I’d planned?”

Both Clanker and I looked at each other, silently asking. We nodded in unison. “Deal.” I shook Davy’s claw. “Though I doubt ye’d be up early enough to punish us.”

Bootstrap took a moment to calculate our punishment drinks.

Three drinks for me, none for Clanker, and Davy… got ten. He just chugged the rest of his bottle while I waited for my ‘punishment.’ I wasn’t sure if he meant on the lips or if the punishment kisses could be anywhere. I decided to wait til he was done.

He dropped his bottle, belched rather grossly, and looked expectantly at me. My eyes widened. “If ye vomit while I’m doin’ this, I swear to the Four Winds I’ll knock you off this bench and beat you with it.”

“That’s another six drinks, lass.” He said with a very devilish smile, totally not surprised at my boldness. Any other time on this ship, I’d have been flogged for threatening him like this. Good thing he was drunk.

I growled miserably. Not that this was such a horrid punishment but this was a lot of rum! Tactics… get it all out of the way at once.

“Hmmm… Piss, shit, hell, damn, balls, cock, fuck, bastard, whore.” Then I chugged most of my bottle, threw it aside, grabbed Davy’s lapels and kissed the hell out of him.

For the umpteenth time that night the entire room broke into applause and mirth, but it was all just static as our tongues tangled and I let my hands rove. I found myself lifted and positioned so I was straddling both his legs, but somehow our lips never parted. His right arm was even tighter around me, holding me in place while his claw was gripped tightly onto the edge of the table. There wasn’t an inch between us. It felt like he was all around me, multiple kissing fingers sliding around my face, neck, and slowly making their way down my chemise. Knew those things were useful…OH! Daaaaaaaaaaamn…

One voice broke through the static and I let Davy go for a moment, hearing “Two years service and my left nut says they don’t finish the game…”

I chuckled, leaned back a little and looked at Davy’s face. “Good enough?”

It took him a moment to recover, but when he opened his eyes they were the deepest blue I’d ever seen, like the darkest parts of the ocean a girl like me would never see alive. With a rumble he answered, “Good for five.”

Four to go… his eyes fluttered shut again expectantly as I bent forward and took my time kissing both his cheeks, his nose, and just to irritate him, gave him a final chaste peck on the lips. I flashed him a brilliant smile and casually slid off him, reseating myself where I was before.

He was not pleased. His growl resonated off the walls. His claw splintered the part of the table he was gripping.

“Oh calm down.” I chastised, patting his right hand. He rumbled again, obviously trying to suppress a roar. “Whose draw is it again?” I asked, blinking innocently at the other men in the room, trying very hard not to bust out giggling at the steadily more irritated Davy.

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hehehehe, whenever i reread this I have to laugh at the 'knock davy off the bench and beat him with it' line... i get such vivid visuals!

thanks again AFF for making a DJ subcategory! Lets fill it up! and to my loverly reviewers for making me squee.