piratejournal | [text] - backdated to January 2nd

[Writing is not something Codi usually does when given the opportunity to instead speak her mind, which she prefers, but when it comes to organizing a speech or proposal, there are few better ways to go around it than with a pen, scrap paper, and a couple hours of uninterrupted revision. The final product is transferred into her journal with a surprising amount of care and a confident slant and flourish that monopolizes an entire page.]

[It's also in bold red to start with, which she hopes will draw in the wandering eye.]

Good day, fellow sailors of the seas! If you would please take a moment to read through this proposal I've made, I promise it will be worth your while!

[There are a few blank lines between the first and second paragraphs.]

...If you're still reading this, great! First of all, let me introduce myself--my name is Dakota Perkins, I hail from the Sinewave. Those that I know usually call me Codi; if you don't know me yet, I insist that you do the same! We are all comrades in whatever mass kidnapping event brought us here, so we might as well stay on a first-name basis.

Now, I would like to address a notice that Karen wrote several days ago, mentioning what has been accomplished and what we need to prepare for in the future. After some negotiating, we both agreed that having a welcoming committee for new arrivals based on the issues she addressed would be extremely helpful in keeping all of us better-organized, and to make sure the more recent victims of Davy Jones are kept better-informed. Such a committee would have at least one member from each crew to represent them--preferably the most experienced with this place we're trapped in--and would be tasked with the following:

Keeping track of all crews, their current capacities, shipmates lost and willingness to accept new ones;

Organizing a formal welcoming party--a crew tasked with staying on Empieza during the second week of each month, to make sure new arrivals are kept safe and informed;

Gathering all events, warnings, answered and outstanding questions, and crew information as listed above into one document, which is updated and posted in the journals or on islands visited at the beginning of the new arrival period; and

~~Coming up with informed questions for Dog, based on the individual concerns of each crew and any new information that becomes available.~~ (Maybe when we have more members!)

As you can imagine, this will be quite the undertaking and will require the cooperation of many people! But despite the concerns also addressed in Karen's proposal, I've talked with enough of you to trust that you'll see the benefits of such a system, and that they vastly outweigh the grievances of a couple ill-wishers. If you still have your doubts but are willing to put them aside for the time being, I do have a fail-safe condition that should keep everyone involved in check--and to make sure we all have each others' full confidence. I will reveal this plan to anyone that promises to work in the committee, but no sooner, and in private.

Feel free to contact me at any time if you are interested in becoming part of this group, or if you have any suggestions or concerns regarding it! Be aware that the time to act on this opportunity is short--we should be receiving the next round of arrivals in less than a week, and Dog's update just as soon! Having this committee in place before then would be optimal.

Thank you very much for your attention!

- Codi

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

A pity! They wouldn't be such a nuisance if people bothered to tell them what's going on and where to find a crew, if nothing else. But I suppose, if that's too difficult to do without your captain's permission, I can understand your reservations!

I'd still like your name, so we can keep in touch outside of this group. Or in case you change your mind.

Au contraire, ma petite brioche. Those that end up on the crew are likely to be as green as moss on a rock, which means training and hoping they don't inadvertently send the ship careening into disaster due to a rookie mistake.

As for my name, perhaps you'll learn it somewhere if you're clever--if not, don't worry. I'm always reading.

Just as you were, when you first arrived here? That isn't always the case--I know for a fact there are many people here who have former experience on the seas, and would know how to lend a hand with minimal introduction. Such individuals would be at a premium to crews that need them. If only there was a group that kept track of those people, and made sure they went to ships that needed them most! If only that group knew what ships needed them in the first place!

In any case, I fear you and your captain might sing another tune should some of your shipmates disappear like so many others. An inexperienced crew is better than no crew, wouldn't you agree?

I'm hardly green no matter what sea I'm in. I am as aged as a fine cheese, my dear. Be that as it may, it's not my decision whether or not they come aboard.

[and he trusts experienced men less than rookies. Who knows which way they may turn if the wind takes them]

I wish you luck on your endeavor but you shouldn't invite such ill luck on my crew. It's almost an insult.

[threatening with death would even be less of a curse than disappearing. The thought sends a cold shudder through him though it's not entirely impossible. They'd better not go and leave him alone here. It's too cold to think of. There is a pause as he leaves to fetch their resident pineapple phoenix to drape around his shoulders before continuing writing]

That depends on the crew, miss. There's no guarantee that whomever is brought over won't turn against whichever crew they're on. Be wary. Always. People can be spiteful and cruel and ofttimes it's impossible to tell until the hammer has struck.

I wouldn't wish disappearance on anyone, but so far it's been an inevitability, as much as I hate to say it. It's just one more thing we have to prepare for.

...Which, given that we're all trapped here, means that people will learn to be more trustworthy. People tend to have more forgiving attitudes when they realize that there's nowhere to run.

[a soft laugh that you'll be unable to hear. Though it's slightly pained in any case. Spare him from children. Please. He cannot deal with this]

Don't fool yourself. There's plenty of room to run. A wide open sea. A promise of a wish being granted. Shards for barter or trade. Friendships are formed on the sea, aye, but emnity as well and I wouldn't put it past someone to turn their crew over to the Navy for a step up in the world or a promise of peace. I also wouldn't put it past the Navy to accept such an offer.

Watch out for honeyed smiles, sweetheart, and knives in the dark.

Now dear, if I didn't know better I would think you're insulting me on purpose! An ocean is large, sure, but still finite and far from overwhelming. Distance is relative to how quickly word travels; in my world, you can talk to people on the opposite side of the planet in seconds, trade knowledge and have them act as fast as if you'd been yelling at your neighbor over the fence. Distance means nothing when you have instant communication. Which we do here.

So, let's humor you and say that you come across an unsavory customer that stabs you in the back and runs off. Now what if there was some kind of group that was keeping tabs on all the other crews, which would quickly tip off any loyal parties on that individual's whereabouts? Don't you think that would discourage such actions from taking place?

[beri for beri, he supposes but he can't say her attitude isn't irritating. He should know better by now honestly.]

No. I do not. And frankly you're naive if you think it'll put a stop to that kind of thing. It could drive those people to work together against everyone--or work with something darker. A trapped man is a desperate man. Talk as if you know something when you've spent more than a few months on the sea.

True, there are some people who will be nasty regardless of how much you wave your finger at them, but at least this way we can make sure they don't get away with it. I honestly don't see how chronic deceitfulness is a product of the sea, or how dealing with it is somehow better suited for people who know how to sail; as you seem to think you are more experienced in that field, I'll take your word for it.

[she reminds him of a noble kid or a townsperson, of a town that had never been attacked. Someone who had never had to scrounge for food or run like hell. Well he wouldn't hold it against her]

May your world view never be broken.

[not hold it against... but he's done with her. Life is the best teacher after all]

[There are some benefits to ordering those attacking armies from behind a desk. Wisdom of the front lines is not one of them.]

And the wind in your sails, my skeptical pirate friend. We'll talk again.

[That's what sailors say, right? Yeah, probably.]