piratejournal | 4th Sheet ☆ Birthday wishes and farewells ♪ [Written] [Action Possible for Crewmates]

[It’s taken her a while to decide just what to say.]

I have some sad news from the Koumyou.

[The handwriting is slow and controlled as if Haruka is measuring her words before she puts pen to paper.]

Some of our crew has gone missing and I’m not sure what has become of them or if they will be returning. [Since Hajime had disappeared before and managed to reappear later it was always entirely possible that this was a temporary problem] If anyone has heard from Hajime Ichinose, Akechi Mitsuhide, or Chousokabe Motochika please let me know at your earliest convenience.

In the event... that they aren’t going to be found here or return I’d like to take a moment to reflect on what remarkable people they are.. and I wish them well wherever they may be now. Hajime-chan tried to keep all of our spirits up with her bubbly personality. She was a truly great friend, not just to the members of her crew but to everyone she met. I hope to see the tradition of the birthday list continuing in her absence. [Honestly Haruka felt a little obligated to keep it up in her crewmates stead. She admired Hajime for how much time she had devoted to others and hoped to emulate it now that she was more accustomed to being in this world]

So I’d like to pause for a moment to wish Itachi-san a Happy Birthday. [Another pause, noticing that the other June birthday was that of another girl who had recently left. She felt some tears welling up, but brushed them aside with the back of her hand.. reminding herself that if they left they’d probably gone home.. and everything was fine. ~~Nevermind that some of her crewmates had expressed a desire not to go home before~~. Saying this outloud.. would have been impossible, so she kept to her script.]

Motchika-san.. Mitsuhide-san... will both be truly missed.

[It was getting to be too much so she tried to end it swiftly]

That’s all I have to say. I guess- for now.

[Private to Hachiken]

[She’s promised Elissa that she’d send a message to Hachiken before... but she had waited, hoping he’d forget the whole being-a-prince or not-being-a-prince argument otherwise this conversation could have started off on poor footing]

Dear Hachiken-san,

[Now what should she even write to start with?!]

I hope this letter finds you well, and I’m sorry if this letter appears too sudden. We’ve only spoken once before. [Moving right along] I’m on a ship called the Koumyou, which ship have you been sailing with if you don’t mind my asking?

Considering we’re all so far from home- it does seem like a good idea to make friends among us and send letters back and forth like this. [She really had nothing much to go on.. knowing very little about him]

So, you like to cook?

I hope to hear back from you soon,
Haruka Nanami

[Private to Gakupo]

[Now that it was just the two of them, it felt like they might want to discuss the matter of the ship and the direction they were going in. Controlling a ship of this size with only two of them..... well... actually. Gakupo seemed like he could probably do it all if he had to! But.. she wanted to check in with him all the same and see how he was taking all this]

Gakupo-kun? [He had been talking about visiting other ships to learn about different styles of music... that left her wondering if there would be some evening when she’d be steering the ship herself? Ah- they’d make it work somehow. She wouldn’t want to stand between him and his dreams.]

They’re... really gone aren’t they? You don’t think I could be mistaken do you?

The ship feels so empty now. [Save for the clusters of articles their resident packrats had loaded the ship with before they’d left.]

How are you feeling?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Oh right. His name had been added to the list.]

Is it really just me for now?

Yes. Just for this month.

[Codi had been the other name on the list]

.. and to be honest I wouldn't have known your birthday was coming up without Hajime-chan's efforts. You should have said something. [She gently teased him]

I'm sorry, that I didn't arrange for something more elaborate than an acknowledgement.

[She looked over to her keyboard, and debated switching to audio. She was still pretty upset from the loss... but.. she did want to use music to help cheer others up. Why shouldn't she start now....]

It might... seem a little silly but I do have a gift for you. Of sorts.

[He didn't even want the acknowledgement, but his brother had been the one to tell the other girl about his birthday, so he didn't think it necessary to ask for it to be removed.

At the mention of a gift, however, he frowns to himself.]

Thank you, but you didn't have to do anything for me.

[If only Haruka had eavesdropped on that conversation, she could have realized that!]

It's nothing really, besides we are friends. It's not so terrible to accept a gift from someone you know is it?

To be honest, I was glad when I saw the first name on the list was yours. [She was no Hajime, and she could be quite shy meeting new people. This would be good practice for later on, and she wouldn't have wanted someone she'd met here to miss their birthday wishes]

[Friends, was it? Everyone used that term so easily.]

I suppose it isn't.

[He wouldn't want to insult her, especially as she's just being kind to him. There's no reason for him to believe she's being anything other than sincere.]

[Well they had been talking more regularly. As regularly as you could in a situation like this, she kind of assumed that he might feel the same way. Hopefully, in time she could prove it to him that they were friends!]

[Taking a deep breath, she switched this over to audio]

[Voice]

[The music started out softly at first but as she grew more comfortable it picked up. It was actually very nice being able to play a keyboard again. It went something like this only not as long and on a keyboard not a full sized piano.]

Edited 2014-06-10 22:18 (UTC)

[He's surprised by the music. He hadn't thought much about having instruments brought on board, but it makes sense now that he thinks about it. Why wouldn't someone like Haruka want to bring their hobby on the ship with them? Music is good for moral.

The tune is unknown to him, and he listens with some amount of curiosity. It's fairly simple, the same general thing repeating, but it's pleasant.]

Ah... Thank you.

[She had thought she might sing along with it, but the words caught in her throat. Haruka was not as strong a vocalist as some of the others back at Saotome Academy so on this day she let the piano speak for her. Music was more than a hobby to her, it was her life's ambition]

[She switched back to writing soon after]

You're welcome- uh.. I don't suppose you've never heard that song before? [With all the timeline differences she should have considered that..] It's a common theme where I'm from called "Happy Birthday to you".

I have not. Thank you for playing it for me.

[A song specifically for birthdays, then. That explained the overall simplicity. Songs like that weren't uncommon in his world, just not identical.]

... It was very nice.

You're welcome Itachi-kun, and thank you.

I hope you get to do something special to celebrate.

I'm not particularly big on celebrations.

Things like this are more than I even expected.

Really? Why not?

[Thinking back on their prior conversations, Itachi had always been fairly reserved. The only time he had been a little more vocal had been when they were imprisoned by the witch. Maybe it was just a part of his personality? Being put on the spot made Haruka feel uncomfortable too. A small gathering- with close acquaintances might have suited him if she'd managed to get a party together.]

Next year, you'll know to expect it so I'll have to find another way to make it more surprising.

I'm simply not one for big to-dos.

[Itachi doesn't care much for the idea of still being in this place a year from now, but he appreciates her sentiment all the same.]

Thank you for thinking of me.

I can understand that. They can be a bit overwhelming at times.

[Haruka can't imagine being here a whole year either but just in case!]

You're welcome. I hope we'll be able to meet in person again sometime too. [You know, without being in a prison]

Perhaps if we check into Empieza at a similar time.

Though I have to wonder what you intend to do about your crew.

4th Sheet ☆ Birthday wishes and farewells ♪ [Written] [Action Possible for Crewmates]

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