This is for Finnian and Guy- yeah, that's right, I know your names! You guys can consider this your second-round interviews for the crew, and some introductions all around.

( Then there's the meeting coming up at... somewhere? )

So, ROLL CALL!

Just an update- for you guys who are interested from looking at the catalog, or who are gonna be at the big summit, there will be an explosives demonstration to show off our product.

Also, if anybody's looking for a new crew, we're looking for new members. Expect a screening interview from yours truly and a cranky old dude, but we're mostly looking for people to manage supplies, do some healing if necessary, and hopefully people who can defend themselves. And others. -EDIT- AND CHICKS ARE PREFERRED THANKS

( see inside for catalog and ordering information )

Private to L-Elf

As our first customer, your prices won't change, and you'll get an exclusive discount on anything else you wanna order.

[After examining the journal she received, Cinderella realized that it could some how play and record audio messages. Which is just fine with her since she doesn't feel like writing anything down. She's way too annoyed for that and she certainly sounds the part.]

Whoever took me from the airport and dropped me in the middle of what looks like the set of a pirate movie, I'm going to hunt down and shove my high heel up their ass. At least they could've brought my luggage with me! How do they expect a girl to survive with out her Versace, Prada, or Gucci!? [Not to mention her spare gun, knife, and extra ammo that were enchanted so that TSA would ignore them were in there. Those would have been very handy in this place.]

If I end up missing Fashion Week in Milan I'm going to be extra pissed. [Well really, she was just starting a mission but no one needs to know that. Still, it will cause a huge mess back home if she were to go missing before she even starts.] I'm a busy woman, so I don't have time for this crap.

Okay, clearing something up for a friend of mine who insists he's not scared of the ocean.

List of Scary Things About The Ocean:

1. Giant spider crabs

2. Giant spider crabs

3. Drowning

4. Smaller spider crabs, I don't know. Now someone else list things.

[Yes, he did just make a list out loud instead of writing it down. Don't ask. He likes the sound of his own voice.]

[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]

Chemistry is about transformation.

Everything in the world is held together by bonds- bonds which can be broken, but then can be rebuilt into something greater. I suppose the same is true in this world. I hope I have time here to find out. There are lot of things I'd like to explore if it's possible.

...Beginning with this journal. I've heard rumors about what it's supposed to do, I suppose I can conduct an experiment to see if they are true or not. Or these shards I've heard about. It's a lot to take in.

[Blue sky pirates can find Walt on the deck of their ship, staring as he usually does, out over the sea. Probably wondering if there is any place he can get a cup of coffee.]

So I wanted to do some like, 'research'- I don't come from a place with all this magic and whatever, so maybe somebody can help me out. I asked around and heard there's some places you can go that have like, healing springs? and things like that? but one of them at least turns you into a chick, and that's not really what I'm looking for, so...

I know at least that there's people here who can cure injuries and things like that, if you get hurt during a fight or whatever, but what if someone has an actual... y'know, disease? Is there anybody here who knows how to fix that? Or has anybody been someplace here that might have some kind of magic to do something about it?

Hit me up. I want to know where to go next.

[Morning of the 27th]

[Not sure how she managed to get up there as sick as she is, but Haruta is in the crows nest, hidden away all crumpled up and chilling there.]

[In a voice that says she’s reading (or trying to) Haruta talks about... weird facts. She sounds REALLY out of it though.]

Clownfish are born male, and will only change sex to become... a dominant... female. [a long SNORT at that] Namur, is that true? Why would anyone want to cha--no... no.... no never... mind. Don’t wanna know... oh, but some sharks can smell a single drop of damn blood... in like three miles away.

Sharks are real cute.

Some snake is a great actor. It... it tricks its people... i mean it’s predators... by playing dead. They even smell dead. Best they don’t have awesome hair...

This black cat thing...run...s... so fast... that dust kicks up like... like smoke. Like they leave... the world on fire as they run. Stupid narcoleptic fire cats.

There’s a monkey that screams so loud it can be heard from three miles away. I... mmm, I dub it the Luffy Tailed Loud Monkey. Mmm yes. Good. [she coughs, and doesn’t say anything for a few minutes.]

Frogs. I love frogs. I was told a story once.... ‘bout a frog... and a pearl, and it’s a good story. Did you know... group of birds.... it’s a flock. But ... group of frogs? Called an army. An army of frogs. Go frogs! Go to war! [said stronger, almost yelled, before fizzling out and going silent again for a minute]

Frog poison can kill 100 men. Dart froggies can kill thousands... man, frogs are bastards. [Snorts again, and coughs, sounding grouchy now] Says some frog species can poison other frogs, but they eat some tropical flowers... and push food down with their eyes, and get better.

Frogs suck.

[flipping sound of her going through this book faster now, then growls, sounding annoyed.] This book is stupid. Nothing on phoenixes. Stupid...

[ANYONE ON DECK... might want to duck and cover. The book got chucked from the crows nest after that.]

[There is a small growl, then a thunk and silence for a while. She might reply back a little later. If anyone replies to her, but she's sorta out of it for a bit again.]

[Sheep aren't cutting it. The life force of an animal that she can't even bleed dry isn't satisfactory. Not now. It worked for awhile, but now the real hunger has set in. A feeling in the very pit of her stomach that leaves Alex prowling the yardarms during the nighttime hours.

Like now.

If she asked, she could probably get Haytham to cut himself. Pour rich, hot blood into the cup she'd first drank from. But she doesn't trust herself not to attack on first sight and smell of it.

Because she wants more than just blood. She wants life. To feel a living creature under her teeth. She doesn't crave the kill. But to feel something alive. To drink from the source.

And, well. She's a teenage girl. That? She can use to her advantage.]

Evening.

[She lets the instinct and hunger talk more than the girl. The words glide out, half purr and half lilt.

A siren's song to lure hapless sailors.]

Those of you who don't know me? I'm Alex. I've been here awhile. About nine months.

[She chuckles, a low, rolling sound.]

This is going to sound stupid, probably. [Give them a bit of innocence, slightly corrupted but not entirely.] But I'm really missing my boyfriend. Being held, being kissed, being touched.

I'm not looking for anything serious, I promise. No strings attached.

But I wanna have a little fun. An evening. Maybe a day or two. Your ship, mine, some nice little island.

I'm not looking for a boyfriend or anything like that. Promise. You're not going to get stuck with some crazy girl following you around.

I just wanna have a little fun.

[Another chuckle. Sweet, almost embarrassed. Like she isn't setting a trap.]

Anyone interested?

[Private to L-Elf]

I have some product for your crew. Since it's the first batch, I figure we can negotiate on terms. Hit me up.

"The girl went on her knees, and bent over me, simply gloating. There was a deliberate voluptuousness which was both thrilling and repulsive, and as she arched her neck, she actually licked her lips like an animal."

[The words come over the journal very softly, almost purred.

It's late at night, and Alex is perched in the fighting-top with her journal.

There's no hope for sleep, and there's a hunger in the pit of her stomach. It's been growing since she got back in her body, and sheep's blood hasn't soothed it. She's bled them more often than she usually does, careful not to do permanent harm, but it hasn't helped.]

I feel like I could recite the whole book if I tried.

Isn't it funny? The things you remember?

Especially late at night. Little things you don't even remember learning that just creeped into your brain.

WANTED: Someone who can drive- sail? a boat! Or at least is willing to teach two idiots how to!

Seriously. I'm gonna offer a tentative 30% of all takings, to be renegotiated based on the addition of each new crew member (30 is under a third, yeah, but the extra 3% is ours because the boat is gonna be ours- it all works out to be fair, seriously). Contract can be voided at any time, yada yada yada et cetera,

Bonuses to you besides 30% take- my bodyguarding skills, which are top rate (natch) and my partner's science skills, which make him like, a super medic, yo. You'd be our navigator and sailor, or just teacher if that's your deal. Contract is probably negotiable but my partner is a hardass, and I haven't run any of this by him, so fingers crossed, 'kay?

Oh- and personality interviews are gonna be real important. For your safety, not ours.

[The entry opens with a sketch of the fountain on Isla Empieza and a few quick doodles of passersby.]

Greetings, fellow sailors on a strange sea, my name is Ringabel and it seems I now count as part of your number. It's quite a singular situation we've found ourselves in, is it not? It's certainly the first time I've found myself in a world that's completely unfamiliar to me.

As I understand it, the natives are going to get a bit hostile shortly, so I'd like to have a new destination in mind. If anyone is looking to take on a new crew member, I can offer my skills as a navigator, pilot, warrior, magician, and expert on matters of the heart.

(Offers from beautiful women will be considered first.)