I heard something happened recently on an island and it just sounded awful. So I decided I want to go help them, if they will let us. I mean after all it was an outworlder who caused them harm and destroyed there homes, shops and belongings. I would understand them not trusting us any more, but still I want to help.

That is why I decided to sail alone, to help those that need it for a good cause. Be they native or otherworlder. I guess, I am using the journal to ask for those who are willing to help? It's not necessary, but I believe that there are people here who want to do something to make the natives lives much better than they must be now.

I will most likely be there within a couple of days at least, so I'll be happy to meet you then if you would like a meeting.

I can't decide if I hate this place or love it.

[And she doesn't sound happy about that.

It's late at night, and she's in the fighting-top of the foremast. Or, rather, her journal is. It's open on the wood, perfectly safe. She is sitting on the yardarm, balanced in a crouch. Because she wants that reminder of what she is. Of the unnatural abilities at night.]

People change, right?

Supposed to be part of growing up and life and all that bullshit.

[There's something darker in her. Here, she hasn't had to pretend, not for a long time, to be just a normal girl. Those around her know what she is. She has a steady diet of blood, both sheep and enemies. She is what she is.

But by embracing that simple fact, she's begun to embrace the darkness. The violence.

She can feel it settling into her mind, preparing her for the war Claudius wants to fight.]

How do you know when it's going too far?

When does it stop being "changing" and start being "losing yourself"?

[It's not a moral or existential crisis. If anything, it's concern about the lack of one. Because she feels like she should be bothered, but she's not, and that bothers her.]

And how do you know when to stop liking what you see in the mirror?

Let me see if I've got this straight. I've been brought to wherever this is by Davy Jones of all people because I'm expected to look for pieces of a magic thingamajigger that will grant any wish, and if I don't get a ship soon and go hunting for it he'll make me very, very sorry?

When I wake up, I'm definitely going to find Isabela and find out what in the Maker's name was in that stuff she gave me to drink last night. "Grog" clearly is a short version of "magic alcohol that sends you loopy..."

But until then I may as well go along with it. Why not? I like hunting for shiny things.

So now I just need a ship. And some dog food. Not necessarily in that order.

[He's waited long enough (not that he was waiting, per se) that the handwriting on this entry is dark and sharply-angled, as if written by someone very annoyed indeed.]

If any of you finds someone who belongs on my crew and isn't on my ship, you have full rein to throw them into the ocean.

[Okay, let's be honest here. Henry isn't really all that sane normally. But with this pink mist messing with him? Well...]

Eheheh, I dunno what's up with this mist, but I like it! It's all pretty and pink and... and stuff! Pffhaha, it's great! Hee, maybe it's another curse?

I really, really, reaaaaaally hope so, because for some reason curses keep skipping me and it's dumb! Oh, oh! Ha ha, I know, I should do something about it myself!

[Oh no.]

Nya ha ha ha, maybe I could... just curse myself? Heheh, yeah, that's a great idea!

Hey, heeeeeeey. Gimme ideas. For curses. Nya ha ha, come on, help me come up with a great one I can try out!

( action )

[Maribelle is one of the many people on these oceans that has found themselves turned into a child, but she is one of the few who was quite literate at such a young age... well at least as far as this little lady is concerned.]

Dear Diary,

[Her handwriting is impeccable, but it seems she has the habit of saying ever single thing she writes out loud in her child like voice that is so similar to the one she normally has.]

I think I may have been kidnapped by pirates! I've never met a pirate before so I don't know really, but they're everything I think a pirate would look like... and there's the smell of disgusting fish in the air, and the sea, and I know that my homeland is landlocked! I wish I knew what to do, but I'm worried that my father will be terribly cross, and worse yet I think trying to escape on my own may be too dangerous. Later, I must remember to write out some plans to help me escape or I may be trapped here forever!

[With a melodramatic sigh and a few scribbling doodles of pirates being hung, Maribelle finishes her 'diary' entry with her signature.]



[OOC: Responses will come from little_belle and as you may have guessed, Maribelle has been turned into a kid, but only has her memories up to the point of age 7 or so.]

[Voice | Public]

I regret to say Aida Mana and her friends have all disappeared. Hopefully, they are safely back in their homeworld. It seems my crew continues have bad luck when it comes to keeping people around...

Of course, this leaves me with no choice but to succeed Mana's position as the captain of The Friend Ship. [A small sigh.] I should have known suggesting that name would come back to haunt me.

[Written | Private to the Friend Ship crew]

Mana left behind a message for all of us. I will copy it here.

( Cut OOCly for length )

[The following appears in neatly written cursive. Hubert has gotten used to speaking into a book by now, but there's a fair amount he wants to talk about, so it's easier to simply write things down.]

In my world, Ephinea, there is something called eleth. Everything in Ephinea is made up of a combination of wind eleth, water eleth, and fire eleth. Eleth can be channeled into artes, which are like magic spells, I think. But you have to use an ore called cryas for it.

In the world some of my crewmates come from, everything there is made up of fonons instead of eleth. There are seven kinds of fonons: shadow, earth, wind, water, fire, light, and sound. They can be channeled into fonic artes through a person's fon slots. Those are like magic spells, too.

But even though I come from a different world than my crewmates, I found out that I could use fonons too. Isn't that cool? Has anyone else tried to learn something different from another world?

Also, what's a good way to keep bugs away? We're in the jungle and I keep getting bitten. The bites are itchy, too.

[Yeah, this is a bit rambly. But the kid's excited, all right? He's been spending a good chunk of the last month trying to learn how to channel fonons, and it's only today that he's made any sort of significant breakthrough. Granted, he's only doing things like manifesting water droplets as opposed to something more offensively effective (which was the whole point of him trying to learn in the first place), but it's a start.

First fonic test: getting enough control over fonons to take down bugs.]

***

[Crewmates can find Hubert either wading in the sea near the Friend Ship or in the jungle not too far off. He's basically trying to practice his fonic abilities in the coolest places possible -- by which I mean, places where he'll feel a little less like the sun is burning him to a crisp. If he's wading around, he'll be messing with the fourth fonon, and if he's in the jungle he'll be poking at the second or third fonons, which he's been less successful with dealing with so far.]

Those of you who have been here for long -- have you noticed any patterns in who disappears and who stays? One would think seven months of vanishing crewmates would reveal something, but so far it still seems random.

[Someone is mildly annoyed to have found most of his homeworld friends gone.]

One wonders if they all simply returned back home... It would certainly be convenient if all we had to do was wait for Davy Jones to grow bored of our presence. None of this troublesome shard hunting.

Then again, I suppose that would be too easy, wouldn't it?

Hello, everyone! I trust you're all safe! It's been a very dangerous time, hasn't it?

I just wanted to let everyone know that those of us on the ship that was called the "Shepherd" are all alright! Unfortunately... our vessel didn't quite come out of the battle with the Navy unscathed...

Fortunately, we made it to Port Chance, and have successfully attained a new ship! We felt it was best that we step out on our own, so it's been given a new name from the old one... in fact... it was our first mate Jade who gave me the wonderful idea for what to call it!

Are you all ready for this?

Our new ship... is called "The Friend Ship"!

It's such a great name! It works on so many levels! We'll be setting sail on it this weekend, so here's hoping calm seas await us!

[locked to the crew of "The Friend Ship"]

Jade-san wasn't the only one with a good idea! I spoke to Asbel-kun and he suggested we all carve our names or initials on a particular part of the ship! I think that's a great idea, personally, so if anyone wants to do it before we set off, just let me know!

I love you...

( Some stuff that you should really read )

[OOC: Tear and Luke are currently together, so all replies will probably be from them both. Enjoy that!]

[If you're anywhere near the Empieza town square, you might come across a blond young man sitting on the edge of the fountain, examining his journal. Flipping through the pages, turning it nearly inside out, etc.

If you're not there, you'll hear the sound of paper rustling, as well as somewhat intelligible muttering as Guy accidentally activates the voice function.]

..do you operate this? I feel silly talk--

[Some unidentifiable sounds, then, much more clearly:]

Oh, here... Hello? I was told I can use this to communicate, but I've never seen any recording fontech like this before. Can anyone hear me?

[Ahem.] Anyway, the locals have been, ah...less than helpful in explaining where exactly I've ended up. I know the name of the town, but it's not one I recognize.

I guess...if anyone has any info, my name's Guy and you can contact me through the...this book.

[Preferably before he tries to take it apart.]

[audio/action]

[Asch has been stuck on this island for one night and he already hates it. It's not even a particularly nasty island, but this town is full of people who don't want anything to do with him-- and he doesn't want anything to do with them, either. Plus, when he asked about people dying, he got a door slammed in his face. Rude.

Having figured out that the journal is capable of both recorded and written communication, he's taking advantage of it while he lingers in the town square.]

Is there no one on this island who knows how to operate a boat? I have enough money to buy a small ship, but hiring crewmen is impossible. These people won't even take gold for it. This is a seaside community; having no one who will steer a boat makes no sense. They're avoidant on purpose.

[He hmphs a bit.]

Finding a company of competent people is going to be harder than I thought.

[Alice speaks with strained composure. She probably should have just written this out, but...]

Gaius-san has left the ship. He will... he will not be with us when next we disembark.

[She draws in a breath and sighs.] He simply has... things he must work out, I believe. This past month has been hard for many of us, and... I suppose everyone has their own means of dealing with it.

...it would seem that is all, then.

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 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.

[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.

[The first part of the message is just meant for the Shepherds, but Henry doesn't bother to make it private. Mostly because he's still a little too dizzy to remember how to do that again.]

So, uh... One of our doors is broken now. It's the one to Alice's room, specifically. I figured I should let someone know, because I'm pretty sure we should get that fixed!

We'll need to get new wood though, because my blood is on a few parts of it.

And also a piece of it is kind of lodged in my arm. So I don't think we can use that anymore.

[Should he have mentioned that part first? Oh well.]

I really hope that this curse or whatever ends soon! It's not nearly as much fun as the previous ones.