Last night, the folks at Flying Lab software hosted a pirate party at the Seattle Aquarium; they rented the place out and had game stations set up, swashbuckling music blasting, and the Seafair Pirates along with their mighty ‘sailing’ vessel, the Moby Duck. Notable Flying Lab galley slaves fraxl and gehn were not present as they decided visiting Boston was more important than piratical activities, which says SOMETHING about their priorities. Pft.
After people had a little time to consume food and beverage (I abstained as six bucks for a beer is highway robber–er, piracy!) they had a video presentation in this room from The Pirate Guys (the guys who started International Talk Like a Pirate Day), declaring that Pirates of the Burning Sea is the official game of Talk Like A Pirate Day. The CEO of Flying Lab was supposed to give a short talk after the video, but had had been captured by irate Seafair pirates! 
Their demands were simple: Put them in the game, or the pitiful corporate ‘captain’ would be keelhauled under the Moby Duck that night. My vote was for keelhauling, but since the Earth does not revolve around me (yet), the Seafair Pirates will now be making an appearance in POTBS.
The aquarium folk gave us a nice after-hours tour; we saw them feed the otters and sea lions, and they pulled out a sea otter pelt that was on loan to the aquarium from the federal government for everyone to touch. With up to a million hairs per square inch, the fur is amazingly plush and luxurious. This winter, if the power goes out again, I’m going otter hunting at the aquarium.
After the tour, it was time for another Moby Duck drive-by, meaning that a bunch of us piled unto the Moby Duck, and we went screaming through downtown, siren wailing, shouting at everyone we passed. ARRR! and AVAST! and SURRENDER THE BOOTY! and SCURVY DOG! (at tiny dogs) and PREPARE TO BE BOARDED! and WALK THE PLANK! and just about anything else piratey you could imagine. I called one group of ladies ‘buxom bilge whores’. I invited one gentleman to join the fine porno pirate crew of ARRRdor, Inc–all of it as loudly as I could possibly shout. I’m having a little trouble talking and swallowing today, but I swear that it was all worth it.
As you can see, Moby Duck is like a large parade float that goes entirely too fast considering everyone aboard is standing up and waving at least one arm to threaten passersby.
All of these pictures would’ve been way better in the daytime, I think, but I guess we’re like…night stealth pirates or something. Only with a siren. And lots of yelling.
All ARRRBoard!
AVAST ye scabarous dogs or flintlocked into next week via yer face ye be!
I’ve met this guy on several different occasions, and I still can’t remember his name. Luckily, our Boston correspondents, fraxl and gehn should be able to fill you in if it’s important that you know. I would hate for any of you to lose sleep over it!
Look at those exhilarated faces!
The pirate captain is working his pirate mojo. “Me sword be lookin’ fer a sheath, tis true!”
This is the last photo taken on a discarded camera found near the Seattle Aquarium. One can only assume that the photographer, lovely as she must have been, was…captured by pirates.
