![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mythplaced_logicChapter 2: For Your Own Good!
Summary:
Wherein it is Friday the 13th and the Whitebeard Pirates are very confused.
Notes:
C'mon, we all know Ace is the type to go overboard.
The first sign that something odd was happening was the discovery that someone had removed all of the mirrors from the bathrooms. Being pirates, most simply shrugged and put it up to another of Thatch's pranks, and ignored their potentially ridiculous looking bedhead in favor of getting breakfast.
The second sign that something strange was going on was Izou storming onto the deck in a bathrobe, sanz makeup with his hair hidden in a towel.
His brothers all tried to make themselves scarce as Izou made a beeline for Thatch, currently standing at the railing with a wide stare and vigorously shaking his head.
"I didn't do anything this time, it wasn't me, I swear!" Thatch waved his arms, frantically trying to get away while simultaneously protesting his innocence.
"Someone stole my mirror! All of my mirrors!" Izou only then noticed the staring of the rest of the crew on deck and was quick to turn his glare on them. They all ducked their heads and attempted to make themselves appear busy to avoid Izou's wrath. Thatch was dead meat, was the silent consensus.
"Well if it wasn't you, who was it then?" Izou swung back around to Thatch, eyes narrowed. Thatch hunched down, anticipating his brothers wrath.
"I swear it wasn't me, I've been in the kitchen all night working on a new recipe for Pops, I have witnesses!" Thatch turned pleading eyes to the members of the kitchen staff who happened to be on deck. Looking uneasily at each other, reluctant to be dragged into the storm of Izou's ire, they nodded their heads.
"See! I'm sure we'll be able to find your mirrors soon. Really soon! And you look good anyway...". Thatch trailed off, peeking up at Izou to see if he had calmed down.
Eyes still narrowed and breath huffing out, Izou looked back towards the cabin doors. "Fine, but when I catch the one who did this. They. Will. Regret. It!". He turned on his heel and strode imperiously back below-deck.
"Whew, that was close!" Thatch cracked a grin. "I wonder who managed that one, it takes balls to cross Izou like that."
----------------------------------
By the time lunch rolled around, the crew had begun to notice the other strange things going on around the ship.
Marco could only sigh as yet another report reached him of horseshoes randomly nailed above doorways and even to the floors, causing random tripping accidents as each was discovered.
The most recent issue was the carpenters cursing out the kitchen crew, saying that they were the last to use the ladders to decorate for a party the previous week and now no one could find said ladders. The kitchen crew, irate already because of the harrowing morning episode, yelled at them right back that those ladders had been returned days ago, and they could stick them where the sun don't shine.
The final straw for the kitchen crew was the sight of all of the garlic from the ships stores strung up around the crews quarters, dangling from braided rope above the doorways.
Marco shook his head as he ushered his irate brothers back to the kitchen, telling them that he would handle it. He had a sneaking suspicion that he knew what was going on.
-----------------------------------
Ace wouldn't say he was trying to avoid anyone, but that didn't stop him from quickly looking around the corner and then darting through the dimly lit hallway in the depths of the Moby Dick.
It had taken him months to build up enough rabbits feet from all the stops they had made in port and quietly prepare them for use. Thank goodness he had so much experience hunting rabbits from years past.
Silently making his way through the crew quarters, he tucked a rabbits foot under each of his brothers pillows, patting them down and smiling before moving to the next.
He had saved an extra special one from the giant rabbit he had found while hunting on one of the winter islands especially for Pops, too! That was a lucky find, he nodded sagely to himself, and they could use all of that they could get on this accursed day.
There was still the small matter of getting it to Pops' chair, but he would find a way!
Grinning to himself and skillfully dodging every crack in the floor, just in case, he made his way back out into the hallway.
----------------------------------
"Aaaaaaghhh! What the hell is this?!!!"
Whitebeard looked up from his discussion with Marco just as one of his sons ran onto the deck clutching something in his hand.
"Someone left a chopped up animal leg in my bed! Who did it?" He looked around wildly. "Is this a warning, revenge for that time with the fish skeleton? I told you guys that wasn't me!"
"Calm down, my son." Whitebeard raised an eyebrow at Marco.
Marco huffed a laugh in return and turned to his hapless brother. Just as he was about to speak, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye.
There was Ace, hiding in the shadow of Pops' chair, brows furrowed in concentration as he fiddled with the ropes lashing the chair to the deck. He was so intent on his task that he failed to notice the eyes of all of his brothers suddenly narrowing in on him.
"Ace!" "Ace?" Ace, what are you doing over there?!" Several of them shouted out at once.
Ace froze, shoulders hunched as he slowly turned his head.
"Haha. Hey guys!" He whistled lightly, staring into the air above their heads. "What's everyone so worked up about? Nothing to see here!"
Ace began to shuffle backwards only to bump into something. He slowly turned to look and saw Marco behind him, eyebrow raised.
"Ace, is there something you need to tell us?"
Ace wheeled away from Marco and bumped right into the chair he had been fiddling with. To the shock of his brothers, something large dislodged itself from the back of their Pops' chair. It thumped down and rolled slightly, white fur ruffled by the rough wood.
"Is that a leg?!!" "No, it's a foot!" Various outbursts came from the assembled crew, Thatch and the kitchen staff, and even Izou (somehow now perfectly groomed despite the lack of mirrors) having heard the commotion and come to
investigate.
"It's a Lapin foot," Marco sighed, an amused glint in his eye.
"A rabbit's foot, to be exact."
Ace, a hunted look on his face, sprang for the white furry paw laying on the deck, clutching it to himself. "Pops needs it!" He shook his head, eyes bouncing back and forth between his brothers, the giant rabbit foot, and Pops' chair.
At the last second, a rumbling laugh could be heard, bursting out as Whitebeard couldn't contain himself any longer.
"My son, I understand. I had forgotten those old East Blue traditions."
Thatch spoke up, "Wait a second, Ace? Don't tell me you were the one responsible for all the crazy things happening today?"
Izo turned a glare on his younger brother as the rest began to yell about the various problems experienced throughout the day.
Marco laid a hand on Ace's shoulder. "Ace, do you want to explain?"
Ace looked furtively around once more, before finally bursting out,"You need them! This day is cursed! Who knows what would have happened if I hadn't made sure you couldn't break your mirrors. That's seven years bad luck right there!" He began to babble. "And the ladders, I couldn't leave those lying around, anyone might have walked under them! The horseshoes were a little overkill, maybe, but the rabbits feet were the only way to guarantee things on a Friday the 13th!".
Mystified, the crew looked between themselves and finally up at Whitebeard.
"Calm down Ace, we understand."
Ace hugged the large rabbits foot to himself. "It took me ages to find one big enough for Pops. He needs it!"
Thatch had stood in silence through that meandering explanation and then finally began to grin. "Saving spiders and rabbit's feet for good luck, huh? Are these more East Blue superstitions of yours, Ace?"
Whitebeard reached down from his vantage point and gently tugged the Lapin foot out of Ace's hands.
"Thank you, my son. It has been many long years since I have sailed the blues, and I had quite forgotten what day it was." He tucked the talisman of good luck away and turned towards the rest of his family. Ace turned hopeful eyes upwards, only to blush and turn quickly away again.
The rest of the crew, still bug eyed and confused by this turn of events, clamored for an explanation. As Whitebeard explained to them the story of Friday the 13th, a day believed to be defined by ill fortune for all who grew up in the East Blue, more grins began to break out and chuckling could be heard.
Thatch was the first to leap forwards. "Still so very superstitious, little brother! I had no idea we would go from those crawly menaces to garlic and giant rabbit's feet in so short a time!"
I'm not superstitious!" Ace swore, face steaming red. The entire crew turned skeptical faces towards him this time. "I'm not! I'm just prudently aware of outside circumstances that may or may not effect the outcome of actions on any given day!"
"Riiiiiiiiiight. And I'm a Marine Admiral." Thatch slapped Ace on the back and turned to Marco. "Did you know about this?"
Marco merely smiled. "I may have had some idea, yoi." He turned to Ace. "It might be a good idea to warn people next time Ace." He could see Ace pouting and he laughed. "Just for today, we'll try to avoid as much bad luck as possible ok?"
Ace gave a hesitant smile. "Really? You'll carry your rabbit's feet?"
Thatch and Marco looked at each other as their brothers shook their heads in good natured exasperation. "We'll carry the rabbit's feet alright."
Ace pumped a fist in the air only to hear Marco finish.
"But you'll be the one cleaning all this up tomorrow, yoi."
Ace began to pout again as Thatch grabbed his shoulders and ruffled his hair. "Thatch!" Ace squawked, trying to finger-comb his hair down as Thatch walked away, shouting back,
"at least until next Friday the 13th, little brother!"
As the rest of the crew shook their heads and began to head back inside, Izou came up beside Ace. "And don't forget my mirrors. You can bet I won't." Izou smirked and walked away as Ace quickly turned and yelled after him. "What do you mean by that? Izou? Izou!"
Whitebeard looked on as his sons returned to their normal activities. No one saw him pat the rabbit's foot he had tucked away in his pocket, even as he smiled. He had always thought himself the luckiest of pirates, to have found such a family. But a little extra luck never hurt.
Summary:
Wherein it is Friday the 13th and the Whitebeard Pirates are very confused.
Notes:
C'mon, we all know Ace is the type to go overboard.
The first sign that something odd was happening was the discovery that someone had removed all of the mirrors from the bathrooms. Being pirates, most simply shrugged and put it up to another of Thatch's pranks, and ignored their potentially ridiculous looking bedhead in favor of getting breakfast.
The second sign that something strange was going on was Izou storming onto the deck in a bathrobe, sanz makeup with his hair hidden in a towel.
His brothers all tried to make themselves scarce as Izou made a beeline for Thatch, currently standing at the railing with a wide stare and vigorously shaking his head.
"I didn't do anything this time, it wasn't me, I swear!" Thatch waved his arms, frantically trying to get away while simultaneously protesting his innocence.
"Someone stole my mirror! All of my mirrors!" Izou only then noticed the staring of the rest of the crew on deck and was quick to turn his glare on them. They all ducked their heads and attempted to make themselves appear busy to avoid Izou's wrath. Thatch was dead meat, was the silent consensus.
"Well if it wasn't you, who was it then?" Izou swung back around to Thatch, eyes narrowed. Thatch hunched down, anticipating his brothers wrath.
"I swear it wasn't me, I've been in the kitchen all night working on a new recipe for Pops, I have witnesses!" Thatch turned pleading eyes to the members of the kitchen staff who happened to be on deck. Looking uneasily at each other, reluctant to be dragged into the storm of Izou's ire, they nodded their heads.
"See! I'm sure we'll be able to find your mirrors soon. Really soon! And you look good anyway...". Thatch trailed off, peeking up at Izou to see if he had calmed down.
Eyes still narrowed and breath huffing out, Izou looked back towards the cabin doors. "Fine, but when I catch the one who did this. They. Will. Regret. It!". He turned on his heel and strode imperiously back below-deck.
"Whew, that was close!" Thatch cracked a grin. "I wonder who managed that one, it takes balls to cross Izou like that."
----------------------------------
By the time lunch rolled around, the crew had begun to notice the other strange things going on around the ship.
Marco could only sigh as yet another report reached him of horseshoes randomly nailed above doorways and even to the floors, causing random tripping accidents as each was discovered.
The most recent issue was the carpenters cursing out the kitchen crew, saying that they were the last to use the ladders to decorate for a party the previous week and now no one could find said ladders. The kitchen crew, irate already because of the harrowing morning episode, yelled at them right back that those ladders had been returned days ago, and they could stick them where the sun don't shine.
The final straw for the kitchen crew was the sight of all of the garlic from the ships stores strung up around the crews quarters, dangling from braided rope above the doorways.
Marco shook his head as he ushered his irate brothers back to the kitchen, telling them that he would handle it. He had a sneaking suspicion that he knew what was going on.
-----------------------------------
Ace wouldn't say he was trying to avoid anyone, but that didn't stop him from quickly looking around the corner and then darting through the dimly lit hallway in the depths of the Moby Dick.
It had taken him months to build up enough rabbits feet from all the stops they had made in port and quietly prepare them for use. Thank goodness he had so much experience hunting rabbits from years past.
Silently making his way through the crew quarters, he tucked a rabbits foot under each of his brothers pillows, patting them down and smiling before moving to the next.
He had saved an extra special one from the giant rabbit he had found while hunting on one of the winter islands especially for Pops, too! That was a lucky find, he nodded sagely to himself, and they could use all of that they could get on this accursed day.
There was still the small matter of getting it to Pops' chair, but he would find a way!
Grinning to himself and skillfully dodging every crack in the floor, just in case, he made his way back out into the hallway.
----------------------------------
"Aaaaaaghhh! What the hell is this?!!!"
Whitebeard looked up from his discussion with Marco just as one of his sons ran onto the deck clutching something in his hand.
"Someone left a chopped up animal leg in my bed! Who did it?" He looked around wildly. "Is this a warning, revenge for that time with the fish skeleton? I told you guys that wasn't me!"
"Calm down, my son." Whitebeard raised an eyebrow at Marco.
Marco huffed a laugh in return and turned to his hapless brother. Just as he was about to speak, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye.
There was Ace, hiding in the shadow of Pops' chair, brows furrowed in concentration as he fiddled with the ropes lashing the chair to the deck. He was so intent on his task that he failed to notice the eyes of all of his brothers suddenly narrowing in on him.
"Ace!" "Ace?" Ace, what are you doing over there?!" Several of them shouted out at once.
Ace froze, shoulders hunched as he slowly turned his head.
"Haha. Hey guys!" He whistled lightly, staring into the air above their heads. "What's everyone so worked up about? Nothing to see here!"
Ace began to shuffle backwards only to bump into something. He slowly turned to look and saw Marco behind him, eyebrow raised.
"Ace, is there something you need to tell us?"
Ace wheeled away from Marco and bumped right into the chair he had been fiddling with. To the shock of his brothers, something large dislodged itself from the back of their Pops' chair. It thumped down and rolled slightly, white fur ruffled by the rough wood.
"Is that a leg?!!" "No, it's a foot!" Various outbursts came from the assembled crew, Thatch and the kitchen staff, and even Izou (somehow now perfectly groomed despite the lack of mirrors) having heard the commotion and come to
investigate.
"It's a Lapin foot," Marco sighed, an amused glint in his eye.
"A rabbit's foot, to be exact."
Ace, a hunted look on his face, sprang for the white furry paw laying on the deck, clutching it to himself. "Pops needs it!" He shook his head, eyes bouncing back and forth between his brothers, the giant rabbit foot, and Pops' chair.
At the last second, a rumbling laugh could be heard, bursting out as Whitebeard couldn't contain himself any longer.
"My son, I understand. I had forgotten those old East Blue traditions."
Thatch spoke up, "Wait a second, Ace? Don't tell me you were the one responsible for all the crazy things happening today?"
Izo turned a glare on his younger brother as the rest began to yell about the various problems experienced throughout the day.
Marco laid a hand on Ace's shoulder. "Ace, do you want to explain?"
Ace looked furtively around once more, before finally bursting out,"You need them! This day is cursed! Who knows what would have happened if I hadn't made sure you couldn't break your mirrors. That's seven years bad luck right there!" He began to babble. "And the ladders, I couldn't leave those lying around, anyone might have walked under them! The horseshoes were a little overkill, maybe, but the rabbits feet were the only way to guarantee things on a Friday the 13th!".
Mystified, the crew looked between themselves and finally up at Whitebeard.
"Calm down Ace, we understand."
Ace hugged the large rabbits foot to himself. "It took me ages to find one big enough for Pops. He needs it!"
Thatch had stood in silence through that meandering explanation and then finally began to grin. "Saving spiders and rabbit's feet for good luck, huh? Are these more East Blue superstitions of yours, Ace?"
Whitebeard reached down from his vantage point and gently tugged the Lapin foot out of Ace's hands.
"Thank you, my son. It has been many long years since I have sailed the blues, and I had quite forgotten what day it was." He tucked the talisman of good luck away and turned towards the rest of his family. Ace turned hopeful eyes upwards, only to blush and turn quickly away again.
The rest of the crew, still bug eyed and confused by this turn of events, clamored for an explanation. As Whitebeard explained to them the story of Friday the 13th, a day believed to be defined by ill fortune for all who grew up in the East Blue, more grins began to break out and chuckling could be heard.
Thatch was the first to leap forwards. "Still so very superstitious, little brother! I had no idea we would go from those crawly menaces to garlic and giant rabbit's feet in so short a time!"
I'm not superstitious!" Ace swore, face steaming red. The entire crew turned skeptical faces towards him this time. "I'm not! I'm just prudently aware of outside circumstances that may or may not effect the outcome of actions on any given day!"
"Riiiiiiiiiight. And I'm a Marine Admiral." Thatch slapped Ace on the back and turned to Marco. "Did you know about this?"
Marco merely smiled. "I may have had some idea, yoi." He turned to Ace. "It might be a good idea to warn people next time Ace." He could see Ace pouting and he laughed. "Just for today, we'll try to avoid as much bad luck as possible ok?"
Ace gave a hesitant smile. "Really? You'll carry your rabbit's feet?"
Thatch and Marco looked at each other as their brothers shook their heads in good natured exasperation. "We'll carry the rabbit's feet alright."
Ace pumped a fist in the air only to hear Marco finish.
"But you'll be the one cleaning all this up tomorrow, yoi."
Ace began to pout again as Thatch grabbed his shoulders and ruffled his hair. "Thatch!" Ace squawked, trying to finger-comb his hair down as Thatch walked away, shouting back,
"at least until next Friday the 13th, little brother!"
As the rest of the crew shook their heads and began to head back inside, Izou came up beside Ace. "And don't forget my mirrors. You can bet I won't." Izou smirked and walked away as Ace quickly turned and yelled after him. "What do you mean by that? Izou? Izou!"
Whitebeard looked on as his sons returned to their normal activities. No one saw him pat the rabbit's foot he had tucked away in his pocket, even as he smiled. He had always thought himself the luckiest of pirates, to have found such a family. But a little extra luck never hurt.
