#from the diary of calico jack rackham

[fornassau]

“ I swear. I’m not lying. “ Jack insisted, still worried as to what was to come. He grabbed his phone immediately and sent the message to Charles, then deleted any record of it before the other agents came in. It was them he was truly worried about. He backed up what Flint said about France, a little surprised someone believed him and Chaz for once.

Charles had already boarded the jet. But as soon as he got that message, he was confused. There wasn’t anymore information besides he had a tracker on, and to remove it. Jack hadn’t had the time to do much more than that. “ Fuck. “ He grumbled, looking at his hand as he stood and went to the bathroom.

It took roughly twelve hours to get to Prague. Charles had been jet lagged and exhausted, but he’d made his way to one of his own safe houses. He loved Prague. Lowe, who has been like a father figure to him had loved it too. Maybe it hadn’t been such a great idea to come here, due to the memories, but he found this place beautiful.

He’d managed to take a nap, but he was hungry. His mind was incredibly busy as it tried to work through the possibilities on how he might stop it all from happening and redeem his name. And then.. there was the agent that as far as he knew, was still hunting him. But how had Jack known about the tracker? Fuck, he had a headache.

So he headed for one of his favorite places. The Cathedral of Saint Vitus, and the Chapel of Wenceslaus. He just needed to think, so he went into the chapel. His clothing was a complete 180 of what he wore in Nassau as Prague was chilly. A beautiful coat, a soft blue scarf wrapped around his face. He looked like he fit in as he slid into one of the pews.

“ Fuck.. “ He felt for the top pocket of his coat. He’d left his cigars at the safe house. His stomach growled.

Oh he should be very afraid of Anne Bonny. Jack had the brains but she was the muscle. It didn’t mean he didn’t struggle against the men that had him though, and Anne was furious. Her nose was dripping with blood, and it took four men to subdue her. She snarled. “ Don’t you touch him! Jack, just do as he says! “ She spit blood out onto one of the agent’s shoes.

Jack grumbled. “ I told Chaz we should’ve stocked more boys. Men like you like them. — ow!! “ He was thrown down into the chair in his main office, and any sound of him hurting sent Anne to her feet, scuffling again. But the criminal laughed, his bloodied face coated in a shit eating grin. “ He was right too. You came right into our little rouse. “

[qqueenofhades]

March is Women's History Month and I got myself thinkin' about how grateful I am for the gal pals in my life (of which you are most definitely one!), and I was wondering - what are some of your favorite historical female friendships and why?

Happy Women’s History Month indeed. Let’s get some ladies up in this joint and do some learning.

Below, in (approximately) chronological order:

1. MurasakiShikubu and Empress Shoshi (10th/11th century)

Murasaki Shikibu was a lady-in-waiting to the Japanese empress Shoshi in the late 10th/early 11th century, and is credited as the author of the first novel, The Tale of Genji. She also kept the Diary of Lady Murasaki, which records details of court life and her relationship with the empress, who was her patron and supported her literary pursuits. Allegedly, Shoshi asked Murasaki to write some more stories when she needed something new to read, and they eventually retired together to the country once Shoshi’s son became emperor. Shoshi herself was a shrewd political operator who carefully managed her family and dynasty’s fortunes, became a Buddhist nun, and died at the age of 86.

2. Christinede Pizan and Anastasia (14th/15th century)

Christine de Pizan was an Italian-French author in the late fourteenth/early fifteenth century, who wrote what are often characterized as many early feminist texts and literary critiques. She wrote blazing responses to popular romances written by men (which were often horrendously misogynist) and was in demand as an author; her texts were commissioned by royalty and kept on elite library shelves. She also sought out other women to collaborate with, including Anastasia, who we know only by her first name. Christine praised her as the finest manuscript illuminator and illustrator in Paris, whose work was hotly in demand, and who had worked on several projects for Christine herself.

3. The Rain Queens of the Lovedu (16th century-present)

This is technically about mothers and daughters, but shh, it counts. The South African tribe of the Lovedu has been ruled for centuries by a “rain queen,” whose wisdom passed from mother to daughter, and who was presented with wives by surrounding chiefs in recognition of her magical powers. If it doesn’t rain, the queen doesn’t get blamed, her (male) rain doctors get blamed instead, and any children of her “brides” are regarded as hers. It created a mystical, matriarchical tradition in the tribe throughout generations, though in the 21st century it has run into modern political difficulties.

4. Queen Elizabeth I and Grace O’Malley (16th century)

Queen Elizabeth I needs no introduction, but Grace O’Malley was an Irish pirate queen who ruled around the Connaught area of Ireland in the late 16th century. When she and her sons ran afoul of English justice, she applied to Queen Elizabeth directly for an audience, which eventually happened at Greenwich in 1593. Elizabeth spoke no Irish and Grace spoke no English, so the two women spoke Latin to each other. Grace must have also made quite an impression on her fellow queen, as Elizabeth released her sons and granted her a pardon, as long as she didn’t return to her reaving ways.

5. Julie d’Aubigny and Fanchon Moreau (17th century)

Julie d’Aubigny, or “La Maupin” had an almost ridiculously eventful life. A cross-dressing, bisexual, sword-fighting opera singer, she famously burned down a convent to run away with her nun lover, kissed a girl at a society party and beat all three of the noblemen who challenged her to duels as a result, and had a noted career in French theater. Fanchon Moreau was one of the actresses that Julie fell in love with, allegedly trying to commit suicide when Fanchon took up with another lover. She later died at the age of only 33.

6. Christina,Queen of Sweden and her many female friends (17th century)

To speak of impossibly colorful and interesting 17th century women: Christina, Queen of Sweden was also a cross-dressing expert swordswoman, rider, and hunter who spoke ten languages, ruled as queen of Sweden for twenty-two years, then resigned the throne and went to Rome, was ferociously brilliant and educated, and has been sometimes regarded as possibly intersex or trans, though she denied that she was a “Male or Hermaphrodite,” as she had often been accused of. She was also either bisexual or a lesbian, who had many relationships and friendships with women, including possibly with Gabrielle de Rochechouart de Montemart, a dazzling beauty and wit who was the older sister of Louis XIV’s famous mistress, Madame de Montespan. (Gabrielle’s BFF was also the openly gay Philippe, duc d’Anjou, Louis XIV’s younger brother.)

7. Queen Anne and Sarah Churchill (18th century)

Queen Anne was known for her passionate and long-running friendships with women, as I wrote about in the post above, and Sarah Churchill, the Duchess of Marlborough, was the longest-lasting and most influential of these. Anne was in love with her, while Sarah was more pragmatic about her relationship with the princess and then queen, and used her considerable intellect and political opinions in the early years of Anne’s rule. Their relationship broke down in 1708, at the death of Anne’s beloved husband George, and Sarah’s unflattering portrayal of Anne would hold sway for many years after.

8. Anne Bonny and Mary Read (18th century)

If you’ve watched Black Sails, you know about these two, but their real-life counterparts were probably even more colorful. They were swashbuckling female pirates who drank, fought, swore, and fucked as hardcore as their male counterparts, and who fought to the end when their ship got captured, while Calico Jack Rackham hid below deck. (Sorry, Jack, but Black Sails was definitely nice to you.) And yes, the real Anne and Mary were probably in a relationship, though we don’t know for sure.

9. ElizabethFreeman and Catharine Sedgwick (18th/19th century)

Elizabeth Freeman, or “Mum Bett,” was a slave who sued the state of Massachusetts for her freedom – and won – in 1780, and after telling her former master to get fucked, took a paying job with the Sedgwick family. She raised Catharine as a child, and Catharine later wrote her life story, the reason we know about her. Catharine grew up to be a successful novelist whose heroines often rebelled against the strictures of 19th-century American society, and she and Elizabeth are now buried side by side in the Sedgwick family plot. (Does anyone else suddenly have something in their eye? Just me?)

10. Ada Lovelace and Mary Somerville (19th century)

Ada Lovelace, nee Byron, was the only legitimate daughter of the infamous Lord Byron, a brilliant mathematician, and the founding mother of computer science, along with her friend and colleague, the great Victorian inventor and eccentric Charles Babbage. However, she was tutored in her young adulthood by the equally brilliant Mary Somerville, a prolific scientist and author of mathematical and astronomical papers and textbooks, and they were close friends; if Ada had a pressing mathematical problem, she would stop by Mary’s for a cup of tea and a brainstorming session. Somerville College in Oxford is now named in Mary’s honor, after she died at the age of ninety-two.

11. Victoria Woodhull and Tennessee Claflin (19th century)

They were sisters, but shh, again, it counts. Victoria Woodhull was the first woman to run for president of the United States (in 1872, with Frederick Douglass as her running mate) and she and Tennessee were journalists, stockbrokers, and advocates of free love who fought with Party Pooper Extraordinaire and self-appointed guardian of 19th-century American virtue Anthony Comstock, as is written about in the Historical Hour With Hilary entry above. They lived in New York together and ran Woodhull and Claflin’s Weekly, a newspaper, and gave blazing speeches for female suffrage and equality.

12. Lyudmila Pavlichenko and Eleanor Roosevelt (20th century)

Ukrainian-born Lyudmila Pavlichenko was the best female sniper of all time, serving in the Red Army during WWII and recording a total of 309 confirmed kills. That was a lot of Nazis, and she was very proud of killing them. She was one of the rare Soviet citizens invited to America for a victory tour, where the American press fixated on idiotic questions about whether she wore makeup while fighting and that her uniform made her look fat (no, really). However, Lyudmila also met First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and they struck up an unlikely friendship. Eleanor helped Lyudmila tell the sexist asses where to stick it, and they ended up remaining friends for the rest of their lives, including a meeting 15 years later, in 1957, when Lyudmila was living in quiet obscurity in Moscow.

[fornassau]

that wasn't part of the deal. From Flint for Jack

“ Well, I’ve amended our so-called deal. “

Jack looked tense. He was always tense when he had to deal with Flint. The man was unhinged, he’d do anything to get his way and he didn’t take well to people getting in his way. Rackham knew this in an all too personal level.

“ See this way I don’t feel as if I’m being perpetually fucked in the ass by your egregious, swollen cock. You’d do the same if you were in my position. A 60/40 split of the proceeds is more than fair, Captain.”

@avastyetwats

[fornassau]

“ By MI6! Your bloody government! He was trying to stop Lowe! For fuck’s sake, do you think your men aren’t involved with how badly they’re trying to get in?! “ He looked worriedly at the door, then back at Flint.

“ You have no reason to trust me, but Charles Vane is a good man. An honorable man. A brilliant man that believed he was protecting the world from men like Lowe. I’m telling you all I know. The rest you’d have to get from him! “ He again looked at him with worry. “ I was a constant informant for him and your people! Don’t let them hurt my darling Anne.They can kill me.. but not her. “ Oh the bleeding heart was surely showing as he had tears in his eyes. What could he say to save his skin? He knew Charles would be back to save them should anything terrible happen. They had already discussed it.

“ Prague. He’s taking my private plane to Prague. Find him there and ask him yourself. All right? Do we have an accord? Don’t trust anyone you work for, Flint. You can’t trust any of them. “

Oh he should be very afraid of Anne Bonny. Jack had the brains but she was the muscle. It didn’t mean he didn’t struggle against the men that had him though, and Anne was furious. Her nose was dripping with blood, and it took four men to subdue her. She snarled. “ Don’t you touch him! Jack, just do as he says! “ She spit blood out onto one of the agent’s shoes.

Jack grumbled. “ I told Chaz we should’ve stocked more boys. Men like you like them. — ow!! “ He was thrown down into the chair in his main office, and any sound of him hurting sent Anne to her feet, scuffling again. But the criminal laughed, his bloodied face coated in a shit eating grin. “ He was right too. You came right into our little rouse. “

[fornassau]

Jack laughed. “ I bet you are. Chaz said he wanted to know who they sent to hunt him. He set this whole thing up and you walked right into it like a good mouse looking for cheese. “ He grinned. But he arched a brow when he called him by the nickname he used. Oh ho ho. “ Oh there’s an excellent story there I see.. “ He sucked on his tongue in thought.

But he laughed at his next questions. “ He was right too. You bloody agents are fucking dumb, if you don’t know where it is. “ At that moment one of the backup backhanded him across the face. Jack groaned loudly, spitting some blood out of his mouth. “ If you broke my tooth Anne will have you for violating my visage. “ It was true. She’d fuck up anyone thar hurt Jack. “ And I’m peachy fucking keen with what Chaz is doing. “ He grumbled under his breath, looking to the side. “ He’s trying to stop all this. “

Oh he should be very afraid of Anne Bonny. Jack had the brains but she was the muscle. It didn’t mean he didn’t struggle against the men that had him though, and Anne was furious. Her nose was dripping with blood, and it took four men to subdue her. She snarled. “ Don’t you touch him! Jack, just do as he says! “ She spit blood out onto one of the agent’s shoes.

Jack grumbled. “ I told Chaz we should’ve stocked more boys. Men like you like them. — ow!! “ He was thrown down into the chair in his main office, and any sound of him hurting sent Anne to her feet, scuffling again. But the criminal laughed, his bloodied face coated in a shit eating grin. “ He was right too. You came right into our little rouse. “

[fornassau]

As soon as Flint threatened Anne, he tried to get out of his chair but the other agents forced him back down violently. “ They touch her and I’ll.. “ He growled, hands gripping the sides of his seat. Anne might have been the strong one but Jack was the smart one. He didn’t want anything to happen to her.

But just as he’d muttered he cried out as his mullet was grabbed, lips pursing as he was forced to stare downward at Flint. But then something unexpected happened. Flint ordered the men out. He sat there, mouth bloodied watching the tension between the agents unfold. It looked more and more like Chaz was right. He wasn’t just being paranoid. Something was going on here.

He hissed when his hair was released, trying to gather himself. The usual mouthy man was quiet for long moments, before casting worried eyes at him. “ It is.. just please. Don’t hurt Anne. “ He loved her with everything he had in him. He loved Chaz too. Like a brother. “ Look.. Chaz told us that something is happening right under the country’s noses. “ He sighed heavily. “ Chaz never agreed with how I ran my life but he trusts me, and I trust him. And you.. you might be able to help him. “

He reached his fingers up wiping off the blood and staring at it. “ Chaz was on mission in Russia, tailing a scientist, when he saw men, British men, obviously from its government there making some back alley deal. I think you e realized that he’s a stubborn and persistent fellow. “ He panted. “ He’s loyal to a fault. He knew his own people would try to kill him once he talked to Lowe. “ He stared at him seriously. “ You’ve got the wrong man, Agent Flint. “

Oh he should be very afraid of Anne Bonny. Jack had the brains but she was the muscle. It didn’t mean he didn’t struggle against the men that had him though, and Anne was furious. Her nose was dripping with blood, and it took four men to subdue her. She snarled. “ Don’t you touch him! Jack, just do as he says! “ She spit blood out onto one of the agent’s shoes.

Jack grumbled. “ I told Chaz we should’ve stocked more boys. Men like you like them. — ow!! “ He was thrown down into the chair in his main office, and any sound of him hurting sent Anne to her feet, scuffling again. But the criminal laughed, his bloodied face coated in a shit eating grin. “ He was right too. You came right into our little rouse. “

[fornassau]

Oh he should be very afraid of Anne Bonny. Jack had the brains but she was the muscle. It didn’t mean he didn’t struggle against the men that had him though, and Anne was furious. Her nose was dripping with blood, and it took four men to subdue her. She snarled. “ Don’t you touch him! Jack, just do as he says! “ She spit blood out onto one of the agent’s shoes.

Jack grumbled. “ I told Chaz we should’ve stocked more boys. Men like you like them. — ow!! “ He was thrown down into the chair in his main office, and any sound of him hurting sent Anne to her feet, scuffling again. But the criminal laughed, his bloodied face coated in a shit eating grin. “ He was right too. You came right into our little rouse. “

Charles was actually having a bit of fun. He would have loved to spend time counting those freckles too. Just because this man was here to kill him, didn’t mean they couldn’t have fun first, right? At least that was the rationale when he looked at the redhead in the suit. He didn’t know what was truth and what was lie, but after being so isolated he frankly didn’t care.

He smirked when he put some blame on him. He couldn’t help it if he’d pulled him away from his women and of course the auction which he definitely was not here for. He was about to tell him what he’d like, but he heard that all too familiar beep. So he finished off his drink, licking his lips. “ Oh that’ll be M checking up on you. You should get that. “ He said calmly, which just made him seem all the more dangerous, slowly turning his head. He lifted his own whatcha clad wrist. “ Seems they aren’t too smart about sending the exact same style of watch to agents in the field. “ He tapped his own watch briefly, reaching over to take one of the abandoned martinis, taking a sip, his eyes never leaving his then. Fuck, he had pretty eyes. “ Are you here to kill me, Mr. Flint? “