**Great Ghost Race Race to the Finish!** and after party!

[highseasmods]

The race back to the floating finish line at Port Chance is perhaps as chaotic as the beginning, with ships blasting each other with cannon fire and desperately try to sink the other as they jockey for position. The day is fine and fair -- but no matter who is in the lead or how close to the finish line you are, a ship black as death with tattered sails will pass right beside you, casting frost on decks and sails before flying over the finishing line and disappearing into mist.

Once the ship is gone the skies clear completely, breaking open to a beautiful blue day laced with sunshine. Crowds on either side cheer wildly, throwing confetti, flowers, discount coupons at nearby brothels, rotting fish heads, and occasionally small flash bombs so be careful of that.


After the winners pull into the docks specifically assigned to them, the captains and/or representatives of the first three crews will be taken up to a series of raised platforms high above the city to be presented with: A golden ship, a silver ship, and a bronze ship respectively.

Then they will be attacked by the presenters and have to run from the platforms or be killed, as per tradition, though they won't be pursued further.

The Fourth Place winner will have their Large Mystery Box handed to them after the winners have escaped and must then fend off their own attackers, as per tradition.

The Tenth Place winner will have the small mystery box placed on their ship in the middle of the night (on the 1st) and have to then roust the intruders before they set the sails on fire, as per tradition.

Everyone else gets a cast iron fish head bottle opener chucked haphazardly at the captain's head. (One per crew)


Afterwards, everyone is invited to a two day party! Lasting until the morning of the 2nd, when the town will gather together and chase out any lingering pirates with pitchforks, swords, and rather unpleasant incendiary bombs. As per tradition.

(Don't forget the talent show running on the 1st! See Musa-mun for details)


Thank you all for coming to the First Annual (for you) Great Ghost Race! Hope to see you again next year!

Comments

[seadevil]

You expect me to believe that?! YOU'RE the one who's been acting strange about this whole business since the beginning! If you're going to make such a fuss about it every time it's brought up, you shouldn't have agreed to it in the first place!

[There's some wisdom to be found in that, but the fact remains that it was Motochika's own idea. Sure, someone else could have volunteered, but his choices were limited to start with.]

[rebellions]

Strange?! FUSS?!

[Needless to say, Ragna is fuming. He feels his anger is completely justified, given how much humiliation he's gone through just so Motochika could grab his stupid treasure. What did he get out of it? Nothing, save for becoming the butt end of jokes moreso than usually, and now the "wife" thing. True, he probably just should've never agreed to it and spare himself the trouble, but who would've thought things would escalate that much? And besides, the captain provoked him. So in the end it's all his fault.]

Maybe instead of yammering all the time you should show me some gratitude for putting up with all this crap!

[It's only a matter of time before they move on to "I sacrificed the best years of my life for you," isn't it.]

[seadevil]

And what gratitude am I supposed to show you, then? I've given you a ship to sail on, I give you your cut of what we earn, I tolerate your endlessly disagreeable personality and to what benefit? If you think any other captain on these seas would put up with your nonsense for as long as I have, you're dead wrong!

[Somehow they've gone past "married couple" to "parent lecturing ungrateful teenager." So varied are their ridiculous arguments.]

[rebellions]

[That escalated quickly, didn't it? Though it seems this time Motochika hit the nail on the head, and the only thing he gets on response is stunned silence. Ragna can't argue any of those─ not when he often finds himself wondering why the captain is letting him stay on his ship despite the frequent quarrels and how difficult he is to get along with. He honestly thinks it's better in the long run if the crew doesn't get too close to him─ hell, it would be for the best if he wasn't with them at all, but in this world he doesn't have the luxury of being picky.

Yet for some unimaginable reason Motochika sees it fit to allow him to continue to sail on his crew not out of necessity, but of his choice.

Deep inside, he's always known he should be the grateful one here, but like many things he's aware of he chose to ignore it; having it all brought up right to his face is somewhat of an eye-opener for sure. The Grim Reaper's expression darkens and he looks away from the captain, feeling the awful sense of guilt forming at the pit of his stomach.]

You're right. ... Sorry.

[Unlike most of the half-assed, empty apologies he makes just to get people to leave him alone, this time Ragna truly means it. There isn't anything else to say at this point, so he simply leaves it at that.]

[seadevil]

[The genuine apology comes as shock. Usually the argument would escalate, but Ragna seems truly chastened, which is the last thing Motochika expected.]

Perhaps I was a bit uncharitable myself. You're a valuable member of this crew when you haven't gotten it in your head to make yourself a pain in my ass. You've come a long way since you signed on.

[It was more "being dragged on" than "signing on," but that's an insignificant detail.]

[rebellions]

[Between smiling and an apology, Ragna acting like a decent human being has shocked more than one person tonight. One could think he must have drunk too much, but the truth is he's simply let his guard down for the evening, if only a little bit. Not a common occurrence, so perhaps everyone should cherish it while they can.

Motochika is not the only one surprised by the turn this conversation has taken; the Grim Reaper blinks at the captain's description, not sure if it's an honest opinion or not. There again, the guy is always honest, so...]

Not my fault your ass gets chafed so easily, Little Princess.

[... At least he seems to have recovered fast.]

[seadevil]

It does not!!

[Civil conversations between the two of them never last long.]

And STOP CALLING ME THAT!!

[Hadn't he at least graduated to "Sea Princess" for a while? Not that he wants to be called that, either. The crew headed by that ninja brat who burnt down Isla Empieza calls their ship that now.]

[rebellions]

[Only when Ragna is feeling generous enough to combine it with the usual "Sea Devil". Which sadly isn't the case at the moment.

The grin returns to his face immediately following Motochika's yell. Somehow, the whole Princess deal never stops being funny.]

C'mon, Your Highness, there's nothing to be ashamed of!

[seadevil]

I'm not ashamed of it! You're the one who turns it into an insult!

[He needs to find some demeaning nickname for Ragna. Wait, no he doesn't. That would be lowering himself to Ragna's level. Except it would serve the bastard right.

A dilemma.]

[rebellions]

[Well, he's still got "wife" in his arsenal.]

Insult? The hell gave you that idea? [You're not fooling anyone, Rags.] I just call 'em like I see 'em, Princess.

[With that said, he raises his hand and... smacks the captain on the shoulder.

Look, he's learned something!]

[seadevil]

[Motochika smacks him back.]

I said to stop calling me that!

[They're going to start beating the shit out of each other soon, aren't they?]

[rebellions]

[That's the most likely outcome, them being the great spouses that they are.]

Make me, Princess.

[s m a c k]

[seadevil]

Don't mind if I do!

[By punching you in the face! (Or at least attempting to.)]

[rebellions]

[Is that one friendly, too? Whatever, Ragna has no intention of finding out and moves to the side, dodging the blow.]

It's cute how you think you can, Milady.

[Since they're already at it, allow him to retort with a 5B kick aimed straight at Motochika's chest. Not a friendly one either.]

[seadevil]

[It's a good thing this isn't the sort of party he brings his anchor to. Otherwise, all of Kodachi's hard work would be getting decimated right about now.]

STOP CALLING ME THAT!

[He's not so drunk that he can't dodge a kick, but too drunk to realize that swinging his bottle of rum at Ragna's head will make it difficult to get more drunk.]

[rebellions]

[It'll be a cold day in hell before Ragna so much as goes to bathroom without Blood-Scythe at his side, but thankfully he's reasonable enough not to draw it over a silly lover's spat.

Yet.]

Weren't you gonna shut me up, Princess?

[He blocks the blow with his arm, and while having a bottle crashed on it sure hurts, it's still preferable to getting hit on the head. The Grim Reaper ducks, aiming a low sweep kick at Motochika's legs.]

[seadevil]

It would be easier if you EVER SHUT UP!

[Motochika manages to dodge enough to avoid having his legs swept out from underneath him, but not enough to avoid getting struck and stumbling back. For that, he's just going to have to grab the nearest (hopefully mostly empty) platter and swing that down on Ragna's head instead.]

I don't think you're capable of silencing that mouth of yours.

[rebellions]

[Sheesh, what is it with Motochika wanting to crack his skull so badly? Ragna manages to narrowly avoid getting hit, but the remains of whatever was on the platter end up being splattered all over him.

Needless to say, he's not amused.]

Sucks to be you, then!

[okay screw being nice

IT'S HELL'S FANG TIME]

[seadevil]

[The assumption is that he'll be quiet if he's unconscious. The difficult part is getting him that way.]

So that's how it's going to be, eh? It's on your head when Kodachi sees the damage you'll do to her lovely food.

[Because if he's going to dodge, it's going to have to be behind a giant sushi boat.]

[rebellions]

[What's that? Common sense?]

Like I care!

[That would require the foresight Ragna sadly does not possess.]

[seadevil]

It's your own fault when she poisons your breakfast, then!

[Then he'll hide behind that sushi boat. If Ragna is dumb enough to attack him through it, it's on his head.]

[rebellions]

[Of course he's dumb enough to do it. His HELL'S FANG tears through the sushi boat effortlessly, sending it flying into the air. He doesn't really care where it lands, focusing solely on Motochika.]

You've got other things to worry 'bout now!

[Like that Additional Attack beast-like shadow raising from the ground right in front of him, for example.]

[seadevil]

Has no one ever taught you not to waste food?!

[Motochika stumbles backward as grazes his shin.]

DAMMIT, RAGNA, NONE OF YOUR BLACK MAGIC ON MY BOAT!

[rebellions]

[Both Sister and Jubei probably have at some points, but like many other things, Ragna tends to conveniently forget them when it suits him.]

Sucks for you!

[He seems rather satisfied with the utter mess he's responsible for outcome so far, so he doesn't continue attacking. For now.]

... This ain't "magic", by the way.

[Not the most important detail here, but he figured he'd clarify.]

[seadevil]

I don't care what it is! Stop doing it! It was bad enough when Xun Yu broke my last boat!

[He's forgiven her because she wasn't in her right mind at the time. Ragna, however, knows exactly what he's doing.]

If you break this one, we'll be using your hide for the sails!