Fifteen men on a dead man's chest

[secondcity_npc]

Characters: Knives, Agent Derek, the Doctor, Zoro, Axel, Billy Borden, Sora, Kitten, Spin, Toph, Ebenezar McCoy, Billy Kaplan, Usopp (whew!)
Time: Night - there is no passing of time here
Location: Aboard a pirate ship in the middle of the ocean
Content: Nabbing constellations? Doesn't sound too hard. It's not as if you're looking for dangerous

Comments

[skysung]

Kitten had spent the first minute on board trying to figure out how she'd reached a ship in the first place, swiveling her head back and forth rapidly and assessing the situation. At least there were a few familiar faces here, though she wasn't sure what abilities anyone but the mage might possess. The dragon glared at the captain, scales darkening to scarlet, as the pirate spoke of imprisoning the group; Kitten would like to see him try! No one could imprison a dragon against her will. Tiny tendrils of smoke curled from Kitten's nostrils, though they were probably not noticeable in the dark. Kitten had no love for pirates. Carthaki raiders in the guise of pirates had killed her mother just after Kitten's birth.

And when her anger was echoed far more verbally by the girl who had been seated off to the side looking somewhat ill, the dragon spun back toward Toph in concern. She loped across the deck toward Toph, stopping nervously a little short of the earthbender and hoping the girl's comments would not be met with violence from the crew. She looked toward the rest of the group, hoping that if things turn ugly, someone would step in who had more of a chance at being successful than the young dragon did.

[demon_onigiri]

The fact that the captain of the Flying Dutchman expected the newcomers to follow orders ticked him off. Zoro didn't take orders from anyone but his own captain. If the pirate had not vanished so suddenly, Zoro would have had a sword out ready to fight.

Ignoring the fact that he was wearing the clothes he had worn when he officially became a pirate, he rested a hand on the hilt of one of his swords and warily glanced around, silently observing the confusion of the mismatched crowd (what a dragon was doing there was beyond him). After a minute Zoro's patience began to run thin.

"If no one explains what the hell is going on, I may have to blow some shit up to get answers," Zoro spoke up.

/writes prose in action brackets? @8|;;

[agent_fro]

[It seemed that were enough people vocal enough and angry enough to cause some damage. A few of the others, like Spin and some people Derek didn't recognize, held some tact, but it only took one to start a fight...]

[Derek crossed his arms and tapped a foot to the wooden deck of the pirate ship. People from Chicago had been transported to this ship, the Flying Dutchman. The captain vanished (so that was something), and he had been expecting their arrival and had spoken to their "masters" about something, possibly about their safety. Despite this, the captain didn't know why they were on the ship. They also seemed lost.]

[Those were the facts. What could they do now? ... Besides start a fight.]

Calm down. [Derek wasn't sure which side he was addressing at the moment. Then he looked at the first pirate whose attention he got out of the approaching group.] Sorry. Thing's been tough where we were. Left us tense. Don't know why we're here and weren't told anything. Same with you, right? Starting a fight won't solve that. [He tapped his foot once more before continuing.] Captain said you're off course? ... Need help? [Was that how they were going to be put to work?]

[Please let all those nights Derek had spent emoing on rooftops and staring at the stars be of some use here. And please there be someone else who didn't want to start a fight and was better at negotiations. Derek hated talking.]

[theblackstaff]

Ebenezar watched as the captain (of the Flying Dutchman if things were to be believed) disappeared, and he began to draw in his will. He knew the legend of the Dutchman, but the ship was solid enough under his feet. He glanced at the others who had appeared with him, catching snatches of conversation as he did so.

The solid looking young man who'd mentioned David caught his attention. "Suppose it's likely. Ain't suppose anyone know what the fool thing would--" He paused, turning sharply to the green-haired swordsman. "Hope that don't include the ship under our feet. I ain't looking to swim to shore." Ebenezar muttered something under his breath and the tip of his staff glowed like a burning ember, emitting a warm unwavering light. "And shore don't look close by."

[agentphones]

This whole thing was turning into a big moment of quasi-chaos, and Spin didn't like it at all. The pirates were annoyed, the people from Chicago were even more annoyed, and also by the way the Flying Dutchman. It was very hard to put all this together in his mind while various discussions of irritation were being shot. He cast Derek a surprised glance--it wasn't often he heard the guy talk so much--and tried not to shudder at Ebenezar's mention of swimming.

"Hey, don't make it bad," the younger agent offered with a tight grin. "All we gotta do is figger out what it is we're doin' here. Makin' a fuss will only make it more complicated on all sides of the equation."

I don't even know what format we're using anymore 8D;;;

[8000_followers]

Disappearing from one place and reappearing in another had been bad enough. At least Usopp had had the presence of mind to keep Kabuto on him - not that he ever went anywhere without his weapon anymore - and hadn't been forced into an awkward clothing change like just about everyone else. What was worse was the situation he found himself in: Pirates he didn't recognize, most with guns pointed at their group. He'd started to launch into the standard Captain Usopp pack of lies, hoping to bluff a way out, when the crew started approaching, the words Flying Dutchman showed up, and the captain disappeared.

It was Thriller Bark all over again.

...except smaller. And with less zombies. Hopefully. Disappearing captains didn't help, okay.

He gave a feeble scream that was more of a high-pitched sigh, tried with zero success to keep his knees from knocking together, and silently strung Kabuto. Winding up on another crew's ship was never a good thing, and damn it all, when this went south he was going to be ready.

Prose before... something.

[scarfandknives]

"I'm with Zoro, if we clear out the enemies it'll be a lot easier to figure out what we're here for," It was a simple fact of things: 1. Clear enemies. 2. Meet Boss. 3. Get Treasure. Whatever it was they were here for, if they didn't have to worry about pirates shooting at them, it would be easier.

This would probably be why Knives hasn't put away her weapons sharing her name. Her thoughts of things they could find on the pirate ship also limited her idea that they could just ask nicely for any of it and take it. More than likely the pirates would be less than okay with them taking the food, the shade, the rum. You know, pirates are greedy that way. "I'm sure what we're looking for will be really shiny and probably off color to the background."

[secondcity_npc]

[Once the captain had disappeared, the rest of the crew goes right back to work, a bit more energized now that their unexpected guests had arrived. When some of their "ghosts" made as if to start a fight, some laugh in derision while others look merely confused. The ruckus causes a few more pirates to appear from belowdecks, and quick murmurs and gestures and more laughter are exchanged. The strange thing about all of that (other than the obvious) is that as they flitted from one part of the deck to the next, some of the pirates disappear and then reappear by their assigned stations, seemingly unaware or just unconcerned of the fact.]

[One of the new arrivals on deck, a man a handful of years older than captain himself and looking as if he had just arrived off the set of Pirates of Penzance, approaches the group, a deceptively friendly smile on his face] Our being off-course is thanks to you fine lot. Don't expect to be makin' friends with the captain's crew.

[His smile vanishes into a grimace at their onslaught of questions] I except us to be lost on the seas until Judgement Day if we don't..."assist" in helpin' you ghosts get yer treasure. The captain'll see to it, even if it's a fool's request. [Looks up at the stars, and shakes his head] Here there be monsters, dangerous creatures in the heavens and mayhaps destined to haunt this ship for eternity. [Turns his attention back to the group, and gives them a disapproving los] Supposed you are the ones to make them disappear so we can finally get home, according to the damned bastards who spoke with captain.

[layerofdirt]

[Toph...didn't know what to say. Ghosts? Monsters? Sure, she had been in a tangle with that sea monster with the rest of the gang and the people they had agreed to escort to Ba Sing Se, but that still didn't explain what he was talking about.]

I don't want treasure. I want land. [Toph couldn't see past this wooden, floating prison.] And I don't see how it was us that made you off course. We didn't choose to get stuck on this dump!

[demon_onigiri]

[Zoro returned Ebenezar's sharp glance.] Calm down old man, I'm not planning to kill anyone just yet.

[He swiveled around at the sound of a familiar scream. Zoro wordlessly maneuvered through the crowd to stand by Usopp.]

Looks like we're all going to be stuck here for a while, then, whether we like it or not.

[secondcity_npc]

[As the crew prepares to set sail off into the darkness, the man who had spoken to the group suddenly looks up towards the sky with an alarmed expression on his face. The sea, which had been as flat and smooth as a pane of glass suddenly begins to churn ominously, creating spiraled reflections of the infinite amount of stars overhead even as they themselves are obscured by fire-illuminated clouds rolling in from apparently nowhere. The captain, who had disappeared like a wisp of smoke only minutes, suddenly reappears at the helm of the Flying Dutchman, a fiercely determined expression on his face. Some of the crew peers upwards like the first mate while a handful rush to either the starboard or port sides, looking over the side for something.

Overhead, in the middle of the clouds, the cry of a very large bird can be heard and a form far too big to be even the largest of flying creatures can be seen moving through the clouds, its plummage made of flames. Off the starboard side of the ship, a gradual roll of waves begins to approach the ship - something large was moving quickly beneath the water and the only thing that can seen in the darkness is the glint of fiery light off blue-green scales. Turning aft, a huge darkened shadow - darker even the sea - can be seen just a quarter of a league back, the hardened shell of some creature whose head only slightly appeared out of the water, its black gaze cool and assessing.

But perhaps the oddest thing of all is the last of the beasts - it appears far off but quickly approaches in predator's gait, the fire in the sky and the remaining light of the stars casting lights off its telltale white fur. Nearly the same size of the ship, the tiger appears to be running on the water itself. It pauses only briefly and lets out a roar the causes the entire ship to shudder even if it hadn't suddenly been tempest-tossed.

The captain grips the wheel of the ship, and shouts to his crew:] To the horizon and home, men. Let not these ghosts hinder us!

[A roar of agreement ignites from the crew, and there is a scramble to their stations, even as the four mythological beats of Chinese legend continue their approach towards the ghost ship.]

[theblackstaff]

[Ebenezar looks stunned as the creatures appear] Stars and stones, you're all bigger fools than I thought.

[his hand tightens on his staff as he draws in even more of his will, even though he knows his dampened magic isn't going to put much of a dent in the creatures' defenses. Ebenezar shouts]

We need to capture them! Hurting them'll only make them angry!

Should've brought Ancient Mai.

[burnoutthenight]

Easier said than done!

[It's not like they have nets, or cages or... whatever one uses to catch mythological beasts. Still, Axel's not about to go down without a fight and he braces himself for whatever's coming as he watches the approach of the phoenix. If there's any of the beings that he's best suited to dealing with, it'll be that one.]