We need to head out soon.

That new guy has some interesting ideas. We need to talk strategy.

Dear magical journal thing that I'm feeling slightly more ambivalent towards as of late even though your pages are continuously filled with useless drivel that I can't be bothered to read,

I recently acquired a broom.

It's not as good as my Nimbus back home, but it'll do.

If anyone on my crew needs me — ha — check the skies.

- Draco Malfoy

P.S. I also purchased some chocolate frogs but one of them seems to have gone missing. Do feel free to alert me if you hear any out of place ribbits on board, but really, they've usually only got one decent jump in them so he can't have gone far.

This has been... really overdue, but it's time I finally spoke up.

Regarding the statements I made while under the control of the witch... I am incredibly sorry and regret all of them. I'm sure many of you know that, were I in my right mind, I would never have made such claims. However, as the Captain of the Shepherd, I'm still completely responsible for them.

So, to everyone I threatened, to the other crews I made an enemy of when... not myself, I humbly ask your forgiveness. What was said in the past is in the past... the mission I believe in for my crew is one where we can all sail the seas as friends in safety and harmony.

As for the crew of the Shepherd...

... I owe you the biggest apology of all. I failed you. I attacked you. And even if it wasn't me, I, again, bear the responsibility of what I did. I want to do everything I can to make you all trust me again...

[from here on, Mana's voice begins to crack]

... but at the same time, I don't think I can serve you all to the best of my abilities. I... I and the people closest to me have a lot to work through, a lot to work out, and I... I just need to step away from my duties for a little while and concentrate on them...

I am deeply, deeply sorry. In this time, I'd like to put Jade Curtiss in temporary command once again, until the time I am able to return to my duties...

[she lets out a final, weary sigh. This was something she'd wrote out, and rewrote several times, and this time, she'd done it without asking Rikka for help. The fact a fourteen year old put this together and spoke this way may be somewhat shocking to people...]

That's all. Th-thank you all for your time...

[The voice coming over the journal sounds strained, rough, tired, and a lot of other things that imply its owner should really be in bed and not talking to people. But... it's also a little cheerier than it's been, and maybe that's enough.]

I know everyone's already started to chime in about being okay, and everything that's happened since the attack on the fortress the other day. So... I guess I should start by saying that I'm fine. Really, really tired, and I took a bad blow to my back that will take some time to heal, but I'm mostly okay. It's nothing some bandages and rest won't heal. [Probably.]

After that, though, I think I need to apologize. I said some... kind of careless things earlier. I wasn't really thinking straight, after... some things happened, and I'm afraid I worried a few people. So... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone straight to the journal after everything, and I kind of regret it now. N-not the part about telling everyone that the people had disappeared. Something else. Um... I'm just going to stop rambling about that for now.

I guess I'm just really burned out, and that's a hard feeling to deal with right now. I'm worried, and I'm exhausted, and I hurt, and there's nothing I can really do about it. I shouldn't be restless right now, but... here I am. So if anyone has any advice on not feeling like you've messed up really badly after everything that's happened, I would love it - I kind of need it.

[A short time after this goes up, Rikka's crewmates can find her out on the deck, looking out at the water. That, or preparing to make social calls to make sure her friends are okay.]

[It might not have seemed as such to most dealing with him, or maybe it had as he was seeming to stick his nose into everywhere he could, but Marvelous had not gotten much rest in the last month. He'd certainly slept better than some on these seas, but it had always been the minimum of whatever was necessary. Marvelous could often appear as something of a slouch, but with the last crisis he had seemed wired for anything and everything, working at whatever he needed to attend to on the ship the whole way through.

Thus, if anything was a sign that things were steadily moving back to normal, it was the fact that if anyone on the Murderess tried to see the Captain besides that one discussion with young Link, or Meeps, or whenever his stomach demanded the necessity of food... He may very well be found asleep.

However, docked once more at Isla Empieza, he's finally a bit more cognitive.]

So.

That's done.

I'm hungry. [Again.] And I'm pretty sure after all that crap, I need a damned drink.

Everyone more or less make it out in one piece?

[Hachiken begins by nervously clearing his throat. It's really hard to talk about things and he doesn't feel all that well in the aftermath. But he remembers every little thing.]

I just want to say that I'm, I'm really sorry.

I'm really really glad no one took my invitations to come here because I would have killed you.

[He trembles, the pages ruffle in the journal from his grip.]

I haven't ever-I wasn't in my right mind. I was incredibly weak and worthless and I'm really sorry.

[There's a pause and he swallows. There's a hitch in his breathing, a little bit of panic in his voice.]

I won't ask for forgiveness for what I did, because it's completely unforgivable. Just know that I'm sorry, to everyone.

[WRITTEN]
what does strength mean to you? and how does a person become stronger?

[ACTION]
[Asbel sits quietly on one of the crates abovedeck. It's not really clear if he's in some sort of "time out" or if he's here for his own reasons, but what's plain is he doesn't have any intention of moving. A few hours have passed, and he hasn't so much as gotten up to stretch or even gotten up to his usual antics. Instead, the eleven-year-old appears to be thinking hard about something.]

[He said he wanted to become a knight someday; he still does. But what does being a knight really mean? How can he serve a king and protect a whole country full of people when he can't even protect his friends or his own little brother from danger?]

We're almost there.

To the other crews: good luck. You're gonna need it.

I want to see you all fighting to the best of your strength in there. Your crewmates deserve it.

Let's get them back.

[it's technically signed "Roronoa Zoro" but his handwriting is pretty shitty. Sorry. How's that for a pep talk, pirates?]

PS does the Brig lady deliver booze? I'm almost out and I'm going to need more after this fight is over.

The Shepherd will be setting out for the fortress soon. If there is still anyone on Isla Empieza who wishes to join the attack, we should have room for a few more people.

Apropos of nothing, instant long-range transportation seems to be a reoccurring theme here, doesn't it? The Naviraimants, Davy Jones, and now the Witch... I do wonder how it works. Perhaps something to ask the Dog in the future, since she's apparently quite the magician herself.


[Private to Anise]

Ready to go?


[Private to the Shepherd]

There are a few of you I haven't spoken to at length. I want to know what you're capable of in battle before we reach the fortress.

[written as all the usual entries are though this handwriting is more elegant despite the nervous blotchings here and there]

Greetings, outsiders

My name is um Marshall Evans Earnest Persimmon the second...but you're suppose to call me Meep, I guess. She was actually very particular about it. She's actually very particular about a lot of things. Anyway, Meep is a lot easier to remember, isn't it? Even though I'm rather fond of the name Marshall-- It was my grandfather's name and his before him and I--

But... enough about that. She...she told me when to tell you when to come with the black coral. I've been monitoring the psychokenetic manifestations of power due to my mistress' attacks and given her efforts and the fluctuations in the thaumaturgical field, the barrier should be sufficiently weakened by this Thursday so please be there.

She also told me--ah 'yer only ta be answerin' one question so don't let those bastards push ye around'

So I guess I can answer a question if uh...you have any. Though I don't have half the vast knowledge she possesses.

Since the captain of the Queen's Gambit had vanished and another presumed missing until further notice, I've had to take over. I've never really been in a role of leader before, so to the only crew member that's left, I just hope you can cut me at least a tiny bit of slack. Advice will also be welcome.

Anyway because of this, I thought I should at least ask, but does any crew want to partner up until this whole thing is over? I mean it's just two people on here and that gets a little boring, you know?

[The sounds, however faint, from the journal are cause to hope -- and like it or not, Marvelous has a point about how little they know about this place. Rather than waste resources trying to attack this barrier, then, Sasuke has taken to pacing through the rigging, finally opening his own journal to speak:]

If the sound of the journals means my brother is still alive, I intend to rescue him. If you have combat experience, I am willing to coordinate.

[He doesn't say, but it's implied in his tone: if you don't, stay out of the way.

Because he's keeping himself in check, now, the expanse of the ocean and the captain of this ship's logic holding. But if the noise from these journals doesn't mean Itachi is alive -- he's left a path of destruction behind him before. The witch spoke as if this world meant something to her. He will tear it apart with his bare hands.]

[Four plus one makes five, makes a repeating pattern, makes...]

Son of a...

This is Marvelous! [To say his tone right now is harsh would be putting it mildly.] Anyone out there, if you've got people on your boat that were possessed... Are they still there?

[action - open to crewmates]
( The night wasn't long enough. )

[voice]
It's several minutes later, after she's realized the horrible truth, that she turns the journal to a new page and removes the lock. It was something she could confirm, now. Had to confirm, because this didn't need to happen to anyone else. "This is Rikka, aboard Shepherd. Several members of our crew... the possessed among them are gone, without a trace. My best friends, Mana and Alice... Gaius... Hubert. All of them are gone."

Her voice is dead. The words are coming out, but there's no emotion to them. She doesn't care, beyond the illusion of having a duty to make sure the others were alert. But Rikka... she's lost everything that was important to her. That duty was all she had left to cling to for now.

"In the Captain's absence, Colonel Curtiss has assumed command of the ship. I'm... still recovering, so I'm not much good for anything. I hope everyone else's people are safe. In the meantime, we're preparing ourselves for the attack on the fortress in a little over a week's time. Until then, I'll be... ah, what does it matter?" A hollow laugh. "Nobody's going to be looking for me. Nobody needs anything from me. So I'll just be going now. Good night, everyone."

She closes the book lightly, hugging it to her chest before throwing it against the cabin wall, picking it back up after a moment and glaring at it before tucking it under her arm and returning to her room. All the while, there's one strong thought in her head: 'I will get them back. I'll save them, and they'll never be hurt again. Whatever the cost.' There's a black feeling, a need to hurt and destroy that's so unlike her, and yet it fits her black mood just fine. She's not sure if she wants to go break something, or just lie on her bed and never move. Tired as she is now, it's sounding like the latter; she heads back to her room, puts her head on her pillow, hugs Mana's pillow for dear life, and tries to motivate herself to cry. But the tears aren't coming anymore, and she's not sure what that means.

[He sounds tired. Frustrated. Really kind of pissed off. His voice sounds a bit more clipped than usual, and while no less blunt, a lot more dry.]

Alright, so.

This week.

It's kind of been a shitty week.

I only had one crew member lose it, and it was probably one of the worst ones to do so.

[He pauses a bit, and notes to himself - that actually might have been the case with a LOT of the members of his crew. He didn't want to see what a crazed, homicidal Tojiko or older Link would do. Or Sasuke. Or... ugh, time to stop that train of thought right there.]

We've... [Hn.] Well, our ship's in one piece. We're nearing Empieza. We're stocking up.

Then we're moving out.

I know I've been talking to at least one of you guys about coordinating things. At first, I was thinking we'd have to track this Witch down, but... hey. Got something else to hunt, now.

The most we need to do is not be tripping over each other. Cover different parts of the ocean. And do it as fast as possible. And after that comes the real deal, dealing with the Witch.

If you're a Captain, or if you're in charge of your ship now 'cause your Captain's lost their mind... I wanna talk to you. Won't change whatever we're gonna do even if no one's in with us, but... Hey. It's there.

Meanwhile, if you need a ship to hold up on while all this is going down, or are new and need someplace the go... the Murderess has a bit of room. We'll take the help where we can get it.

I come back here and I'm hearing that a friend of mine has gone off the deep end. And it's not like her - I've met her before and--

I want to join a crew. I'm certain the crew I was a part of isn't here anymore and I'd hate to sail solo. Though, I want to find the ship one Mana Aida is part of and confront her. Allow me to do that and find out what's going on and I'll be willing to stay on afterwards.

I want to get to the bottom of this somehow.

- Ellen

(OoC: OoCly, Ellen's got a crew. This is just so it can be set up ICly. You are free to still poke her and all ^_^;)

Voice

[After a rather interesting run-in with a certain witch, Chandra decides that perhaps it's time to actually use the stupid book. Not that she'd have waited too terribly long, because hell, the idea of a magic notebook is actually somewhat intriguing.

When she speaks into the recorder, there's an odd bubbling sound, and her voice is modulated strangely at first.]

Right, so. I guess this thing works. If it doesn't then I'm talking at a book like a moron.


First of all, I'm new here. My name's Chandra and apparently I'm stuck here like the rest of you. That's...a pretty new experience for me, to be completely honest and I'm not sure how to take it. But then, what can you do.

With that in mind, I guess the normal thing to do seems to be finding some people to sail with and find this weird gem, and I guess that's the next order of business. I'm a Task Mage by trade, meaning that I do all sorts of odd jobs and I often do them with magic. Hire me on and you'll have artillery without compare. I've never found a ship, door, wall, or bad guy I can't take care of, or a mountain I can't craterize. [She pauses, laughing cheerily.] And my favorite way to destroy something is utterly, so...if you've got problems just point me at 'em and stand clear and they won't be problems anymore.

Also, I've been on a ship a few times, enough to know my way around but not enough to get into any real trouble...and if it's physical stuff you need done I'm pretty good for that too. And if I can't? One of my little buddies can take care of it. And if that's not enough, I'm also young, hot, and full of stories. Some of them not fit for children.

[She lets out a little cackle, and the modulation in her voice stops, her tone getting a little bit more serious too.]

Also, that witch that was talking about sending people home? That's a bust. Ignore her. She's just trying to steal energy or something. I destroyed the construct she's using, but I figure it'll be back later on tonight or tomorrow. Also, do yourself a favor and steer clear of the plaza for an hour or two.

Oh, and if you don't like talking over these journal things? I'll be at the bar.

Action:

[And as promised, she can be found at said bar, and never without a drink in hand.]

[At first he'd thought he was dazed and hallucinating from the crash, but he's learned to assess his physical condition quite accurately and, as impossible as it seems, he seems to be quite whole and well. Just not where he was. As fanciful and strange as it seems, the simplest thing to do is accept as a fact that he's somehow been pulled into some sort of alternate world and work from there.

The entries in the journal purporting to explain the situation to newcomers are lacking in much of the necessary information he needs to move forward. On top of that, there is the strange voice offering home when it outright contradicts one of the welcome posts, a post that itself says not to respond to posts that seem anomalous. There's not enough in the book yet for him to judge whether that voice is an anomaly or not, but the shocked reactions suggest it is.

Therefore, he decides that the wisest course of action is to follow the welcome post's advice and find lodging, then to write an entry in the book himself.]

I am one of the "new arrivals." Given the situation, what I require is a position on an established crew and further information about this world and my place in it. I can offer the following skills at the following levels:

- close combat (hand to hand, knives, improvised weapons): A
- ranged combat (firearms): A
- handling of explosives: A
- situational awareness: A
- wilderness survival: A
- assessment and management of personnel: A
- strategy and tactics: A

Further clarification available on request.



[It is, in fact, only a small cross section of what he is capable of, and simplified at that, but it's better to withhold some information, considering he's unsure who exactly will be reading what he writes.]

[the sound of a low, long deep whine could be heard. It's been a little while since the woman's voice came out of his journal and he promptly ignored it after a while. But now he was somewhere near water (you can hear it splashing around) as he talks.]

This doesn't smell like home. I thought I got left behind, but this doesn't smell right. The sea doesn't feel the same. Where is everyone? Captain? My idiot crew? Jean Bart even! Nothing is right. [it's a cast call, sure, but he was asleep at the time he was with them all last and now he's not... there. It's weird.]

[he tapped the journal on the dock he was sitting on, talking to it.] Where is everyone! [his paws went high above his head as he yelled that last part, falling backwards on the deck. SO all you hear is a thunk.]

--------------
[Action: For anyone around, they might have seen a bear in a orange jump suit just yell out into the world and flop back on the deck. Don't mind him, he's just feeling left behind and lost. Maybe he should have read this stupid note in this stupid journal.]