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Okay! I asked some questions of the people around the Island and read the entry that appeared in my journal first. I went to that funny statue too. I think I'm prepared to do this now.

Hello everyone. It feels strange writing in a journal that other people can see, but it's a familiar thing at least. Almost comforting. I hope that other people feel that way about it too.

My name is Nitori Aiichiro. I'm trying to figure out where to go from here. I have all this information, but that doesn't tell me much about how someone who doesn't know how to sail can possibly join a pirate crew.

I know how to swim! That's not really useful once you're really far out in the ocean, is it? I mean, unless someone falls overboard. Or you have to dive to look for the treasure. I'm good at cooking too. Everyone has to eat, even on ships, right?

I wish Matsuoka-senpai were here to help me organize my thoughts. He's really good at pointing out what I'm capable of. But I can do this! I can totally handle this situation, even if it's really weird. There's no reason whatsoever to just give up. I'll just find a crew and then

Wait. Everyone can see this. I forgot and gave myself a pep talk. Oh no, that's so embarrassing! Maybe I'll just wait for an answer now.

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Did you even read my-?

[Sigh. Well, obviously Rin had been distracted by not having expected him in the first place.]

I did read the fountain, and talked to some people around the island! I understand that we're supposed to find ruby shards, and what it's supposed to do. But... that's not very...

[He shrugs his shoulders.]

Shouldn't there be treasure maps or something, at least? Are we really just supposed to sail around pointlessly until we stumble upon them?

[Yes, yes, he knows Nitori went there. But he wouldn't put it past him to miss the text and get distracted by the statue itself, or something like that. At any rate, the question was mostly rhetorical.]

You think everybody who buries treasure makes a map and shares it?

[Stumbling on treasure is the best they can hope for. Even stealing, if they have to - but that's all side business at best.]

We should focus on those shards. For the rest, as long as we have enough money to eat, we'll be fine.

[Of course, information about the shards is as hard to come by as anything. But what can they do? There's nothing to it but to keep searching - and Rin's been busy enough learning how to sail and trying to deal with everything that's happened that he hasn't even thought much further than that so far.

It's starting to sink in that discovering a way to find the shards before Things happen again would be ideal, but that's not even what Rin wants to linger on. What happened last time... Nitori needs to know. At least some of it.]

But that's not the only thing that isn't as easy as it seems.

[Suddenly he's oddly serious, glancing at the ground, though he never slows down.]

There are a lot of strange things, in this world.

[Having come that far, he still can't say it. How do you tell someone about the kind of things that have happened over the past few weeks? How can you expect them to understand?]

[Aiichiro feels stupid as soon as Rin responds to his question about maps. It's true, it wouldn't make any sense, but he's only seen this sort of thing in movies! In movies there are always maps.

That's what makes it sink in that he's really even less prepared for this than he thought. It's not just that he doesn't have the basic life skills, but also that the only logic he knows for these situations is based on unrealistic fiction. He's completely lost.

Rin was too when he arrived here, wasn't he? Well, no, Aiichiro knows that his roommate has always been more worldly than himself, considering he studied in another country and everything! Still, though, that's not quite the same as this.]

It... sounds scary.

[The admission is out before he can stop himself, but it's probably nothing Rin wouldn't already expect from his reaction. Aiichiro draws in a deep breath.]

What kinds of strange things, Matsuoka-senpai?

[It is scary. More scary than Rin is willing to face, which is why he doesn't react to Nitori's assessment at all - not to deny it, and not to mock Nitori for being scared of something he shouldn't be. He should be scared. He should be very scared. Maybe that way he'll be better prepared than Rin was.

That doesn't make it any easier to come out and say it. Not having processed it very well himself yet, Rin still feels insane for even considering that these things are real. But they are. They are, and Nitori should know.]

Ghosts. Vampires.

[He avoids eye contact; if Nitori thinks he's crazy, that's perfectly understandable, but Rin really doesn't want to know.]

Zombies and werewolves, too. Giant spiders... [He lets out a harsh breath that might have been a snort under better circumstances.] I don't think there's anything this world doesn't have.

[... Except the Olympics, apparently. Good priorities, world.]

[All of those are things that Aiichiro doesn't believe in. At home, anyway. Here, he's already heard that things are very strange from others, and he knows himself that he's been dragged away from home in a rather mystical way, at least.

Whether he believes in them or not really isn't the point, in the end. Because it's his senpai saying it, and that makes a difference.

In fact, Aiichiro's first thought isn't to be frightened for himself, but rather to remember that Rin has already been here for a while. It's because of that, in the end, that Aiichiro takes a few quick steps forward, his bag bouncing against his side almost painfully, and moves in front of Rin, looking up at him.]

Matsuoka-senpai, you haven't been injured or anything, have you?

[As usual, Nitori's way of thinking is so off that Rin can't even decide what to think of it, throwing Nitori a look that's halfway between annoyed and confused as he's forced to slow to a halt.]

Do I look like I'm injured?

[What is that boy even thinking half the time?! Not much, probably...]

Anyway, this town is pretty safe, if you don't stay too long. But anything can pop up just about anywhere, so.

[For a moment, it seems as if he's leaving the sentence at that - but then he quickly adds something anyway, simple rather than sentimental.]

Be careful.

[And with that, he ignored Nitori's would-be blockade and continues on his way. They have a ship to get to, after all.]

Well, no, but...

[He'd just wanted to be sure. And it could be hard to tell sometimes, right? It isn't like Rin is the kind of person to just let something stop him, after all. Then again, he might not say anything either. Aiichiro made a mental note to pay close attention in the future anyway, just in case.]

I'll be careful, I promise, Matsuoka-senpai.

[His voice is rather grave, taking the words very seriously. But then he steps to the side and starts walking again, and there's a sudden cheerfulness in his tone.]

Matsuoka-senpai is with me now though! And the people on your ship sound really nice, so I'm sure it will be fine. What kinds of places have you gone so far, senpai? Will you tell me all about them?

[Sure, the people on the ship are nice. They're great. They also treat you like a child - but, for Nitori, maybe that's not a bad idea. Let Motochika and Mitsuhide keep him safe. Apart from anything else, maybe it will take their attention away from Rin.]

We haven't visited that many places. Sailing takes forever, and there was a fog...

[Rin chooses not to share details about that fog. He's said enough already, and as much as he disapproves of how Mitsuhide treats him sometimes, the guy isn't evil or anything. Informing Nitori that Mitsuhide turned vampire for a while doesn't seem worth it.]

We visited one island, but the fog was still there. We didn't see much. By the time it cleared up, we gathered supplies and came here again.

Oh. That sounds a little...

[Aiichiro frowns, trying to think of the right word.]

Less exciting than I expected. But I guess most things are probably like that, aren't they?

You'll have plenty to learn, especially at first.

[Rin ignores the question, almost out of habit, to get right to what they're actually talking about - or what they should be talking about, in his opinion.]

Don't think you'll have time to sit around and be bored.

[It's not entirely true, in that Rin has still found time to think about stuff he'd be better off not thinking about. Exhausting as life aboard ship is, it's generally not enough to let him pass out with not a thought on his mind.

Sometimes being used to ridiculous amounts of training is not a good thing.]

That's good, right?

[Aiichiro takes a couple of quick steps just to stay by Rin's side; their strides don't exactly match and he has to work to stay in step, sometimes.]

It's better than having to worry about having nothing to do but be homesick, right? Have you gotten to swim at all since you came here, Matsuoka-senpai?

Nah. I wanted to at that island, but...

[Things were weird, and very dangerous - and Rin was pissed at the time, but not suicidal. He's remarkably calm, really, considering his lack of opportunities for practice. But then, he knew he was doomed when he first arrived here. He's trying all sorts of other ways to at least keep in shape, but swimming -...

It's been more out of reach than ever.]

The harbor here's pretty sheltered. I was planning to give it a shot later.

[Not that he wants to swim with Nitori or anything... He can do it just fine by himself.

But, you know. If Nitori wants to swim, too, it's not like Rin will stop him.]

Can we go now?

[Nitori is of course assuming that he's going with Rin to swim. Of course, they're supposed to be going to the ship, first, but he has his priorities. He might not be as obsessed with swimming as some people, but it's definitely a major part of his life.

Even more so, swimming with Rin would feel normal, and that's what he needs most of all right now.]

Or... I suppose we should go to the ship first. But... soon? I really want to swim!

[The 'with you' is just as loud in his posture and tone as if he'd said it aloud.]

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