A Haunted Ship?! Gang-way! Mugiwara Pirates Ghost Closer to the Ghostly Galleon!

[gomu_ningen]

Who?: Monkey D. Luffy gomu_ningen and the other passengers aboard the Chasing Joy.
Where?: Out at sea.
When?: Evening of the 22nd.
What?: The crew aboard finally encounters the ghastly vessel much rumored
Warnings: Language, spooky things, possible harm and/or fatality to characters.

- - - - -

The brig sloop on which the crew had been sailing was finally out in the midst of Crytallis' vast, emerald-tinted waters. Surprisingly, their rations had maintained a steady decline, with enough food for several more weeks despite the ship's Captain insisting on a fourth portion with each meal. Nights had become uneventful, so much so that doubt had begun to fill what little belief that the ship they sought was truly noting more than rumor.

It was on the fourth evening, the sound of the cutting water splitting past the hull of the ship as they sailed. Despite the uneventful nights, the ship's Captain still sat atop the cartoon-ish figurehead of a Behemoth, watching out as a lone lantern lit their way forward as it swayed a few feet above Luffy's head.

He'd mistaken the light in the distance as a piece of the horizon, a glimmer of a distant star and nothing more. It isn't until his small wealth of intelligence discerns that the light was in fact growing closer, an approaching outline of an unsettling color that was more akin to a ripened lime than any sort of star in the sky. The young pirate jumps to his feet, holding to the mast line which connects to the bow of the ship. His eyes widen in the darkness, watching as in the distance he can make out the form of a ship cast in the light of the moon above. Turning his head over his shoulder, he barks up to the Crows Nest and to the rest of the ship.

"SHIP! THERE'S A SHIP! WE FOUND IT! HAH HA HA! WE FOUND THE GHOST SHIP!"

Comments

I. Boarding Preparations - OPEN TO ALL

[gomu_ningen]

After the call goes out, Luffy scurries down the length of the bow of the ship to arrive on the main deck, cupping his hands over his mouth to get the attention of everyone on board.

"Slow the ship down! We're approaching the Ghost Ship! All hands on deck! Right away! You heard me! We're going to get ready to go on an adventure!"

What little light there is from the moon above is briefly dwarfed by the bright spark in his eyes as gleam with excitement at what might be the greatest journey he's had yet here in Crystallis.

[zodiac_brave]

Ramza did what he could to help guide the ship toward their target. His previous voyage at sea with Kidd helped him with the task at hand. At least he could assist in this part of their quest. Against their foe, Ramza did not know how much use his sword and dagger would be.

But let it not be said that he fled from a foe, or abandoned his friends when they called for his help. He reported on deck, ready to venture forth and deal with whatever ghastly ghouls might await them.

[thegreatninja]

Yuffie did absolutely nothing except watching Ramza work. Her eyes were a little more clear and her stomach a little less wonky.

"I think we are suppose to pull that."

She was just pointing up and doing nothing to lend a hand. She didn't want to move around and get sick again, besides she's finally feeling better.

[zodiac_brave]

Ramza was happy to do the heavy lifting on this task. Yuffie needed to sit and keep her strength. He knew how much motion sickness affected her.

"As you command, Princess," he called out, giving the ropes she indicated a pull.

[thegreatninja]

Yuffie was really surprised that he just agreed like that. She stared at the back of Ramza's head for a moment and then shrugged.

It really was better for her to delegate anyway.

[dammit_flynn]

"Take it easy," Yuri replied walking up to them all as well. Of course, Luffy could be heard no matter how far away Yuri was from them. Hell, he didn't even know why he joined this anyway. Though, gathering information, he supposed was one thing.

"What next, princess?"

He might as well play along since doing the dirty work was his thing.

II. Boarding the Ghost Ship - MODs Post First!!

[gomu_ningen]

[nightofthethirteenmoogles]

The ship is as the rumors described it-- A man-o-war without a crew glowing with ethereal light. The are all around it is covered with it as far as the eye can see, and the seas are unchained. Before boarding it, they will have to approach it, which is possible the most dangerous part: the ghost ship will be firing at the Chasing Joy if it approaches too much, and even use mortar fire should the Chasing Joy try to board it from afar. On its end, the Ghost Ship nearly seems immune to damage.

Should they manage to board it, they'll find there is no crew aboard the ship, yet it is like if there were invisible people taking care of the normal tasks of a ship. The wheel is turning on its own as if there was a captain behind it, the sails are being attended to as if crewman were working on them, yet should the characters approach all these things, they will find nothing aside from eerie presences.

[thegreatninja]

"CRAP HOW DO WE GET ON?"

Yuffie thought to use the time mage skill to blink across except that was a lot of water between the two boats that would make it difficult. She really wished she knew more about boats right about now.

"Anyone?"

Thank goddess her stomach was feeling better but this was still a world of suck.

[dammit_flynn]

"How about jumping? Unless you're afraid of a little leap, Princess," Yuri replied with a grin as he turned towards her. Yuri had taken a few more steps ahead of Yuffie and now was staring at the ship in interest.

Honestly, he could care less what would happen since he had been on a ghost ship himself. Nothing good came out of it but he sure as hell enjoyed it for what it was worth. Also, it was nice to see Yuffie not ready to throw up whatever fluids were still inside her stomach.

He waved his hand dismissively before making preparations to do what he suggested.

[not_most_days]

A Man-o-war. It was a long time indeed since she boarded one of these. What she would give to have the Jackdaw and Queen Anne's Revenge backing them up right now. Then again, as individuals these Heroes were as strong as both ships crews. She trusted in them.

But having some cannons trained on this thing still would have been nice.

"Captain. Be sure to keep your course erratic. That will keep us safe from the mortars. Once we get close enough we should be able to swing over and climb up to the deck." The ship was definitely taller than their own. She bit her lip to stop herself from calling orders for the crew to get ropes at the ready. This was Luffy's ship, not her own, even if she knew what she was doing.

[zodiac_brave]

Naval warfare was certainly not Ramza's specialty, but he figured he should try to help generate a solution to their current dilemma.

"Does anyone have the skills to make a shield between us and the enemy ship? A swim across would be too dangerous. We need to get closer before we board."

III. Above Deck - (Not Open Yet)

[gomu_ningen]

Re: III. Above Deck - (NOW OPEN! YAY!)

[gomu_ningen]

He lands with a thud, still in the grip of the ninja who had allowed him to travel such a distance within the blink of an eye. He rubs the top of his head, feeling around the ground for the hat he was so famously known for, plucking it from the unoccupied deck so that it once more rests atop his head.

"Oi! Did we make it?!"

In a panic, he turns his head from side to side to take in the full sight of the cursed ship, marveling at the fact that he is actually aboard the rumored ship with little more than a bruise or two. It isn't until the shots ring out that his visage shifts to a look of worry, watching over the side of the ship on the port side to see the numerous cannons below deck unload their full capacity into the ship he'd worked so hard for. The white in his eyes spreads, the shock of seeing his ship torn asunder while his friends and crew still remain on board.

"Yuffie! We've got to get them off of the Chasing Joy! Or at least have them start sailing away! HEY!! TURN AROUND! SAIL BACK TOWARDS LAND! WE'LL MEET YOU BACK THERE!!"

His voice is barely heard, drowned out by the shattering sound of cannon-fire.

III. Above Deck - (NOW OPEN! YAY!)

[thegreatninja]

Yuffie wanted to take the time to look around the ghost ship but the sound behind her made her turn. The Chasing Joy looked as if it was about to sink.

"Paku is still there!" Except the moogle could fly so that was hardly a problem. She watched as other followed them, their movements noticeable in the space between ships. The Chasing Joy can't get much closer but if it was going down then maybe they could use the ropes from the mass to swing across.

"Hopefully everyone can swim?"

That was all that Yuffie could think of.

[victorix]

Blinking aboard the ship, landing in a crouch shortly after the captain and the ninja, Rikku rises with her brows arched downwards. She's ready to scold his careless actions when the sudden barrage of cannon fire that leaves his crew in peril renders that moot.

Whipping her head around to fully take in the sight of damage the Joy had taken on, the sharp intake of breath is lost to the ringing guns. With her friends facing the options of the perils of the sea or an entire ship full of hungry ghosts she had not hesitated to follow. Jack was a Captain himself, Mary was clearly very sea worthy. She had trust that they would know what to do, but her stomach flipped with fear.

"The cannons!" She looks around quickly at those who have gathered, "If we stop them from this side, fight whatever is controlling them, we give them a better chance!"

[dammit_flynn]

"On it!"

Yuri didn't even wait for anyone else to say anything. From the statement about stopping the canons, the former knight was already making his way to finding out what was controlling them so he could take them out. Brute force always seemed to work somehow right? There's no need to hold back when they were in danger. He preferred that there would be no casualties to be honest.

He moves to dodge the canons and making his way towards the direction they were fired.

"Yuffie! Cover me!"

Sorry Yuffie, he knows your capable and you're the first person he caught at the corner of his eyes.

[thegreatninja]

"YURI! IDIOT!"

Yuffie pulled her eyes away from the Chasing Joy hoping that those on the other ship don't try and fire the canon's not that they are on board the ghost ship. The last thing she wanted to be on was a sinking ghost ship but then this ship seemed to be winning the fight so that was hardly something to be worried about.

The ninja princess blinked a head of Yuri pulling her ghostbusting gun from her hip. She had her eyes on the area behind him while he ran forward. She figured she'd just continue to blink into position with the intent to cover him. It really wasn't so hard but she knew that there would be ghosts the moment they tried to mess with something.

A ship had a crew and even if they couldn't see them they were most definitely there.

IV. Below Deck - NOW OPEN

[gomu_ningen]

Much of the ship looked like an unfinished jigsaw puzzle. Bits and pieces of the floor were littered with holes, sizable gaps of planks uprooted or rotted away. The precarious walk down the deep angle of the stairs took some time, a single file line led by Luffy. Ahead of the small group, he looked every which way, eyes doing their best to look through the darkness until the light of his Poltergust is lifted to shine the way.

A shallow sniff of the air makes Luffy's skin crawl, his body going cold from the stench of death and decay that hangs all around them. Following his initial look of the place, the narrow corridor leaves very little to the imagination. A row of doors on either side expand to the port and aft of the ship, their contents unknown.. for now.

Luffy turns around completely, looking to the next person in line with a disappointed grimace on his face.

"There's nothing here! What kind of boring ship is this? Tsk-!"

[dammit_flynn]

"Who said that ghosts ships would be exciting? I wouldn't be too impatient. Who knows something might just come out when you least expect it," Yuri replied giving the other a raised brow of a glance. Honestly, he wasn't expecting much from it to begin with. It was just a ship and he had been on one similar to this but it had monsters instead of ghosts.

"Anyway, let's keep going. Maybe we'll find some treasure or something highly valuable that we could call mission success with?"

He keeps his cool since he isn't the type to get taken back by the eeriness of a place. He's faced a lot of odd things in his life, thus this wasn't too hard for him to follow and accept.

[zodiac_brave]

"Stay on guard," Ramza cautions as they descend into the dark quarters below deck. He is pretty sure that the mysterious force controlling the ship will lash out the moment they begin to take it for granted, if no other reason than because Ramza's terrible luck dictates it.

"What do your...'meters'...say?" Was that not what the Ghostbusters were forever using to examine things?

[victorix]

"Hmm, good idea." The gun felt safer so she'd focused on clutching that, but a machina that helped track or warn of the ghosts was handy. Grabbing the PKE meter, Rikku began holding the device out carefully. Ahead of them, behind them, and then aiming it at the closed doors along the corridor.

The whirs and ambient beeping only added to the tense atmosphere as she listened for any increase in reaction from the device.

For added fun, watch the fourth pirates of the caribbean movie, no seriously it's good

[not_most_days]

"They were firing on us somehow. If there are cannons then there has to be a crew to man them." Even if they were ghosts, they had to be here. Unless the ship was alive. And given all else they were experiencing perhaps that wasn't entirely out of the realm of possibility.

While the others used their meters, Mary used her Dark Light, passing it around the ship's hold to try to see if anything was lurking about.

She shook her head, not wanting to imagine a ship fighting back against them. A ship in a storm was bad enough on its lonesome. There was a lot of damage a rope could do to a man.

Re: For added fun, watch the fourth pirates of the caribbean movie, no seriously it's good

[gomu_ningen]

It isn't the first time that the pirate has met with an accident, especially as a result of dropping his guard. The slash of the sword swings through the air for the head of the procession, sinking into the chest with enough force to send the pirate back against the rest of his crew. Like dominoes they tumble, the sword pushing a slice into Luffy's chest that instantly spills a dangerous amount of blood onto his front.

He winces, cringing and gritting his teeth as his eyes jam shut from pain. Both arms raise to attempt and cover those behind him, legs kicking out as he struggles to get back to his feet from the surprise attack.

Before him an apparition begins to fade into existence. The eerie green glow ahead of them slowly pieces together, as if a puzzle was being solved before their very eyes. Femur, hip, shoulder blade, the bones began to connect as the pieces were pulled from out of thin air. When they finally assemble, the sword that had struck Luffy now finally had a figure on the other end of it. The glowing skeleton, dressed in what looked like the tattered remains of a sailor's uniform, cackles without the use of a voice box. The unsettling laughter shakes the very corridor in which they stand, the stench of death now looming with greater malice.

V. Back on the Chasing Joy

[gomu_ningen]

Back on the ship, Pakku the moogle has been left to keeping an eye on things until the crew returns. Any and all who find themselves too jittery in the knees are given the advice to remain with Pakku as they do not expect their investigation to take long.

Sitting and shaking like a kernel of corn on a hot pan, Pakku cannot keep silent the sound of his chattering teeth. The air itself reeks of despair and death, the overwhelming feel of dread taking over what little courage he holds to.

"S-S-So is anyone okay with me lifting up the anchor and heading back? T-T-They've obviously found themselves a g-good enough ship to sail back on, r-r-right?!"