[Truth to be told, Ragna's sense of time is close to non-existent; so far, he's managed to miss his own birthday, his anniversary of coming to this world, and god knows how many other important dates in-between. Even so, there's a time of the year that burned itself into his mind hard enough for him to remember it. Either that it's some sort of self-preservation instinct kicking in.]

So, uh... Anyone know some kinda place where one could hole up for a week or two? Preferably something with no windows or doors. And reinforced walls. Ones that wouldn't let shit pass through... like... something ethereal, for example...

[ . . . ]

... Y'know, in case of emergencies.

[You're not fooling anyone, Rags.]

[There's something "off" the moment Elsa starts speaking, an edge in her speech that wasn't there before. Sharp and cold, almost as if it is ready to slash something at any moment. It's not exactly contained anger, but it's the kind of tone that would suggest that her patience is running low.]

I saw it again, black mist climbing over the side of the ship.

[She doesn't know how long it was around, for some reason there's a span of time missing from her memories, as if she had passed out. But as far as she can tell she's perfectly normal so she doesn't pay attention to it. Neither to the horns that she has on her head across her forehead nor to the black colour of her ice dress. There's an exasperated sigh before some amusement slips into her voice and an unseen twisted smile visits her lips.]

And of course we weren't able to do anything about it. No one can do anything, right? How come that, despite having several people being here for over a year, and having access someone who offers at least one answer to a question per week... We know nothing of real value?

Not that I blame anyone... [Though it doesn't seem as if she will be sorry if people interpret it that way.] But it's a fact that we're practically as helpless as when we just arrived. One would have thought we would have made some progress beyond maybe finding a couple of those shards which we still don't even know if they will really be of use. But, alas, that's not the case. We're still nothing but foreign little ducks in a row waiting to be taken down.

[It's hard to say, due the dark amusement in her tone, if Elsa is frustrated by all this or not. Actually, she's not, except for the part of being unable to protect herself or her companions from the effects of this world. The sole idea of her crewmates getting affected again makes her want to stab someone with an ice spear. Several times.]

Anyway, Straw Hats, isn't it a bit too hot lately? You won't mind if I cool things down a little bit, will you?

[Elsa doesn't really wait for an answer, it's a rhetoric question after all. With a wave from her hand the temperature around a large area surrounding the ship drops to deep winter levels. Besides that, caution is recommended around the ice queen, patches of ice making people slip or be stuck in place due ice on their feet are to be expected at the very least.]

[he is sitting on one of the hermit crab homes with a violin case on his lap]

Brook is gone.

I don't wanna stop missing people, but it's hard. There's a some people I'm gonna see again but a lot of people I don't know.

But even if I'm gonna see 'em again or not, missing them hurts. Like before I was rubber and tried to swallow an orange.

But I don't wanna hurt. I wanna be happy.

So what do you do to be happy?

[anything can help at this point. He pulls the violin out and plays a few screechy notes. It's a tribute. A bad one. But a tribute nontheless]

Another island with nothing to fight. I swear, this world is making me soft.

What're the most dangerous places everybody's been to, around here? I know about the place with the giant spiders but there's some reason we're not supposed to go back there. I don't remember why, but oh well. So what else is there? What's the worst place of all?

...Luffy wants adventure, but I want a challenge.

[Straw Hats may find him hanging around on deck with his journal and a fishing pole, looking a little indistinct in the direct sunlight. And restless. Too antsy to even fish properly.]

[Never before she would have thought that there would be other people with powers or magic, sure, there were the trolls but... They were that, trolls, not exactly humans. Back in her world she truly believed herself to be alone in that regard, until she arrived here and discovered that what was extraordinary for her was pretty mundane for others.

Still she wonders if there won't be other worlds were magic and powers are rare. Or where those who are blessed with them ever fear those powers.]

I know that many of the people who have been brought here have extraordinary powers, some from birth, others gained through different means. But I was wondering, in how many of our worlds are those powers "rare"? Something that most people don't posses, that people don 't really expect to see in others or even that are feared because they could be dangerous. Though I suppose that in any world extraordinary powers or magic would be considered dangerous depending on who wields them.

It's obvious than in this world magic exists, not just in general but in some of the particular islands we have come across. But despite that it seems that having powers is something rare here if we have to judge by the way the Navy reacted to us when they learned that on top of being strangers brought by Davy Jones some of us have powers or magic.

[The letters that show up are all close together, the words written quickly in a scrawl that does not at all look as if it were written by a princess, someone you'd presume to be graceful and elegant. To maybe one person reading this though, the almost childish (or at least very carefree) script may look familiar. Like notes once slipped under a door...]

I guess there's people reading this, so. Okay, I'm just going to ask here. Anyone seen a fountain? Because I've been told by this journal to find a fountain if I want to know why I'm here. Yet there's not one, as far as I can tell. There's a waterfall that's really more like a waterrise. But no fountain.

For a while there I thought this was a dream, except it's even weirder than my usual dreams. Which is saying something as I once dreamed I was Joan of Arc on a quest to rescue a kind but misunderstood dragon while riding a giant talking pig. ...Okay, so maybe it's not weirder than that dream. But it's definitely going in a different direction.

[She's aware that she just used what's basically a magic community correspondence network as her own personal diary for a second there. But moving on...]

Anyway, I'm Anna. For whoever is reading this. And again, directions to that fountain would be reeeeally helpful. Assuming that fountain is going to tell me something important, anyway. Though it kind of seems like I've just been recruited by some possibly ominous force to go on an exciting, sea-faring adventure. Like maybe a race. It looks like that word's been mentioned a lot in these other entries.

[She's only skimmed through what other people have written. Maybe if she'd actually read it all instead, she'd be more aware of what was happening.]

All right, I got a couple questions for the rest of ya - for those who've been sailin' around a lot and seen everything. We got to this rainbow wall, and word has it the candy place is on the other side. Do we really gotta sing to get past it? Lemme know if it works, otherwise we sailed a long way for nothin'.

Now, what was the other thing? Oh yeah. Heard about cloud islands. That for real?

We're waitin' on our crew to get back from the contest thing, so I got time to hang out and trade information. Heard about the new bounties, too. Looks like I got work to do to get the name of Gan Ning of the Bells out there, I've got two younger guys with bigger bounties than me!

[he's not jealous, really. Just full of ego, as usual...]

Maa, well... the wind seems to be dying down a bit.

[though it's still howling outside. He's been in the hold for the better part of three days because, among other things, his sleep mask kept blowing off. An ice shield on the deck was always an option, of course, but when it melted, Coby gave him long dramatic inward sighs and went to get the mop bucket.

So here he is, cross legged in the hold, playing cards, contemplating life and generally trying not to get a crick in his neck]

I hereby petition for a bigger ship. Though I'm not entirely sure which island would be the best choice for that.

[Flips over another card. Diamond. He can't help but think of Diamond Jozu -- Though he is not here. Twelfth Division Haruta, then. Haruta diamond, Portgas spade, Phoenix Marco the club and the hearts were for an entirely group of pirates all together so a high and low joker, then for the two relative uknowns. Fishman Namur. Fourth Divison nee Headhunter Thatch, rumored to have been assassinated by a former nakama but very much alive here. Though perhaps he was in the same boat with Portgas.]

Otherwise, who else would want to make peace with the Navy? [Club. Spade. Heart... he thought he'd shuffled all those out. To the side it goes. There was not a card for Marines of course. They were generally supposed to be the players]

It seems that whatever happened has ended, at least for me. I hope everyone else that was affected has recovered properly.

My memories of those past days are still a bit foggy, it's strange to try to fit them in place at the moment. I wonder if they will become clearer or if I will end barely remembering them like some events of my childhood at that age.

Anyway, I apologize if during those days I was rude or a bother to anyone, especially those who remained in their proper mind. It doesn't seem as if my younger self made much use of the journal and I can imagine why, but it never hurts to be safe. Please, regain whatever my younger self said with a grain of salt and bear in mind the age I was at the time.

[She's not sure how much damage control she can do in those circumstances. Or even if there's any damage control to be done, maybe it really doesn't matter to anyone at all, but just in case... This is the least she can do.]

[After some time of contemplating things: reading and listening to the other voices of the journal, Kuzan decides to add a little mark of himself, just because. The handwriting is neat and practiced if a little big]

It seems that with the nature of whatever is going on, that we are younger than our future self. My future self is a Marine. That sounds like a lot of work, but there is a lot that needs to be taken care of. Since it is my fate, I think I want to use it to change the world.

Do you know your fates? If so, what do you think of them?

-Kuzan (Marine)apparently


[with that he'll get some food from the galley and sit on deck, alternately napping and waiting for responses]


[ooc: replies will come from hie_hie_baby]

Uh... hello?

[A somewhat uncertain greeting from what seems like a young boy comes from the journal, though it shouldn't be a surprise at this point.]

That old ha─ I mean, kitchen lady said I could ask this book something... dunno if it'll work, since I can't use Ars Magus and stuff, but I guess it's worth a shot.

[Ragna still sounds pretty skeptical, and he'd lie if he said he trusts that Kodachi person, but he's growing pretty desperate. His search for his little siblings have brought no results so far, and even as a child, he's not a patient person.]

I'm looking for my little brother and sister, Jin and Saya. They both have golden hair and green eyes... and are probably crying now. Especially Jin. [He's always been a crybaby, that one.] So if you see them, let me know and tell them that brother... that Ragna will come pick them up soon, okay?

... Thanks in advance.

Is this book magic? If it is, can the fairies or magicians who left it here come back and take me home? I think I've been kidnapped by Vikings! My king will reward you for rescuing me, I promise!

Arthur
England

[Everyone who was going to attend to the ball or the other party that there was had already left. Leaving Elsa and the others to take care of the ship and Zoro.

There are many reasons why Elsa chose not to go, among them the fact that she really, really, REALLY didn't want to attend to another ball. Ever. Or at least not until many months had passed. Even if the circumstances were different, there would be too many people for her to be comfortable. Staying on the ship and protecting it may not sound like the best thing to do, but it's important enough for Elsa and she's going to do her best with it.

Doing her best wasn't supposed to involve a "little" unexpected problem, though.]

[Private to Celestia]

Celestia... If it's not too problematic, could you come out to the deck for a moment? I-I would like to consult something with you.

[That background noise that sounded like a rumble? Just your imagination, Celestia. It's definitively not the huge snow golem that Elsa has created and apparently given enough life to guard the ship like a hawk.]

[Open]

To everyone who is attending the ball, please try to be careful and have your fun. Also out of curiosity... Was it ever said how long the ball was going to last?

[She may need to have an idea of when people may suddenly arrive through the Nav after all. Just in case.]

( nightmares come to those who worry )

. . . and jolts awake, staring at the dark. He breathes hard for a bit, biting the inside of his cheek until he can taste blood, knowing he's awake this time. He can hear the others breathing around him and wants to go look at them but... Instead he pulls his hat on, grabs a blanket and goes out to sit on his special seat, taking the journal with him.

After a while he says very quietly]

How do you get rid of bad dreams?

It seems we're all trapped here against our will, though from what I've been given to understand, some have taken it better than others.

[not that he had any jurisdiction here, and he still wasn't sure what to do about that or if there was anything to do]

Still, there's much to do in the sea without resorting to piracy. It is possible to make an honest living even here. [difficult perhaps. And maybe he's talking to the wind. But sometimes in order to study the path of justice, you had to give it a little push]

If you choose otherwise, well, it's on your head.

[one way or the other]

[and at the bottom he has signed "Aokiji" with a steady hand, but also a slight flourish.]

[The feed starts suddenly as Elsa drops the journal and it falls open, she doesn't notice too busy singing. Even as she moves away from the journal her voice is still loud and clear, reverberating in the wind, other noises slip through the journal as she sets to work, releasing her powers to create a frozen land and an ice palace for her to live in from now on. It won't be as easy as back in her world, but her power is just strong enough to allow for it without her having to search anymore.]

♫Let it go! Let it go...
I can’t hold it back anymore.
Let it go, let it go!
Turn away and slam that door!

I don’t care
what they’re going to say...
Let the storm rage on,
the cold never bothered me anyway.

It’s funny how some distance
makes everything seem small,
and the fears that once controlled me
can’t get to me at all!

It’s time to see what I can do
to test the limits and break through.
No right, no wrong, no rules for me...
I'm free!!!!

Let it go! Let it go!
I am one with the wind and sky!
Let it go! Let it go!
You’ll never see me cry.

Here I stand!
And here I'll stay!!
Let the storm rage on...

[Through her whole little musical number her voice is full with emotion, a mixture of happiness and determination beyond herself. Finally, she seems to have found a place to stay and nothing else matters anymore. Even as she's done singing it still doesn't seem that she remembers the existence of the journal, at least not until someone speaks through it again and she hears it.]

[Today Harlock's handwritten can best be described as an angry mess. He's put way to much pressure on the pen he's using.]

Since someone decided to tell the old Ice Queen Dragon Lady to stick it where the sun don't shine the crew and I won't be seeing any of her Weekly entries for a while. Would anyone be so kind to give us a heads up about the Navy or any others interesting facts that come up?

~Harlock
Triton's Mistress

[It's been awhile since they made their last comments to the journal from inside the kraken, and since then they've busted out, nearly drowned getting to the surface, and then probably nearly drowned all over again in their search for land, but they've finally managed to find an island and Sanji has basically been a collapsed pile of shitty jelly on the beach for a good hour or so now.

It's a combination of hunger and the absence of sound (read: Luffy) that finally has him groaning and forcing himself to sit up, plus he figures they should probably update their nakama on their status again, since it's been a good day or two since they've spoken to any of them.

...And seriously, where the hell did Luffy fuck off to?

Well. Whatever.

Sanji tiredly pulls out his journal, flips it open to whatever blank page it decides to land on, and leaves his message.]

Yo. Still ain't dead. On an island who the hell knows where. I think we—

[A sudden, familiar sounding "Wahoo!" interrupts him from somewhere, and Sanji looks around to see a dust cloud in the distance. He stares at it, watching as it gets bigger and bigger.

"SaaaAAAAAAANNNNNNN—"

...Ah, shit. He knows who that is. But.

Is that...?

"—JJJJJJIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!"

Annnd that's about when a big ol' turtle zooms by with Luffy sitting cheerily on the damn thing's shell, until it crashes smack into Sanji and sends the journal flying from his hands.]