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.]

Mm...hello? Anyone?

[so much pained grunting]

Ugh. Damn, there's benders and then there's benders. I'm not doin' that again.

Oi, Booya...ugh. Hazmats. Crew. Guys. Where are all o' ya? Head count, roll call, whatever. This island swallowed me up for a few days and I need to know everybody's okay.

Any sign of our guys yet? We ain't leavin' Deesuko Ballia without good news.

[he has officially woken up in an alley somewhere, well sated but suffering the world's worst hangover ever. Ever.]

I'm not sure what happened.

[He clears his throat.]

I sound funny, my hair isn't spikey anymore and I don't really know where I am. I went to sleep last night with my parrot at my feet but I woke up alone in a weird place.

Am I lost in dream?

[Action for the Friend Ship of Justice crew]

[You can expect Roxas wandering around, rubbing his eyes sleepily and trying to figure out where he is because this is clearly not the Hazmat ship.]

[There is a rustle of papers, before an unfamiliar voice speaks up.]

Tell me about this journal. What is it really?

[There's a pause and a small grunt before Roxas' voice comes through.]

I don't know anything about it.

How about that...interesting tattoo of yours? Hm? [There's another beat of silence.] Aren't you hungry kid? [Another few beats.] Got nothing to say? What a shame. Bring him for execution as a worthless pirate.

[There is a click, the sound of a manacle being opened so they can move him, but it's a mistake. It's followed with a scream and then chaos. Another click can be heard and the sounds of a scuffle. The book hits the ground and there's a few other cries. The silence comes full force and there's a smear of blood on the journal as it's picked up and half shoved into a pocket. ]

[The respite is short because they're banging the door in. The sounds of angry shouting, gunfire and the clang of metal clashing fill the air unwittingly. Footsteps on the ground and a smug voice takes over.]

You're surrounded. Give up and die a much less painful death.

[Roxas scoffs. Surrounded? Please. Anyone near this base would see all at once an explosion of light, accompanied with the screams of people who dare stand in his way. Before the litany of escape is over, an onlooker would see another explosion of light and finally, smoke rising as he gets out of the building. He pulls the journal out of his pocket again, fingers smearing more blood on the pages.]

Lea. [Roxas is breathing hard from exertion.] I'm not sure where I am.

Ugh. I feel like I'm just repeatin' the same mantra as everybody else. What the hell, did Davy Jones get pissed that his outsiders went and won all the big prizes in his stupid race, and go and send half of 'em home?

Although, I'm not entirely sure one of my guys went home. One of 'em, yeah, pretty sure. The other, well, kid's got a habit of wandering off on his own and not really tellin' anybody, so there's a good chance he's on somebody else's ship or even still on Port Chance.

So, just to be sure, if anybody's seen or heard from Roxas lately, lemme know. We got chased off the island before I could do a proper head count and now I'm just hopin' he's either...

[ahem.]

I'm hopin' he's on another ship, Spades or somethin'. I don't wanna think about the alternatives.

Couldn't be too much to hope the big ugly ghost sends us all back where we belong, eh?

Heeey, ladies and gents! How's the race going? We all having fun yet?

Okay, so here's the deal. We're all gonna be back in Port Chance soon, so now's your last chance to put in an order for some high-quality, handmade artisan chocolates available in locally crafted sampler boxes for a limited time only. Usually, these beauties retail for 6 doubloons, but for the duration of this offer, you can have a six piece sampler for 4 doubloons.

Thanks in advance for your business! We're just a start-up right now, so if you'd like to get in on the ground floor, this is the time to speak up.

...okay, so this is probably one of the strangest things I've ever had to say but I think I'd better, all things considered.

No, you're not hearing a ghost- Oh, I think I'm getting ahead of myself already.

Right.

So. I'm not dead. ...this is Gaius, by the way. Wow, how did I ever get used to talking into a book.

[Awkward pause.]

...yeah. That's...about it. Um. Sorry if I worried anyone. To be honest, I wasn't even aware I was gone. Jingles says I've been gone about a month, but I think it's been a little- okay, a lot longer than that for me, so bear with me if I forget names and things, but I'm sure it'll all come back to me.

-although I do hear I have a candy stash somewhere aboard...

He fell off the cloud!! He was...and I...and he...i-if anyone sees a man in the water or any area along the south waters underneath Quarzo Roza. He's ginger with a headband and he wears a black cloak. He goes by the name of Gaius.

If anyone sees or hears from him. Please PLEASE contact me or any member of HazMat.

[Moments later, one would find her hiding behind some barrels in the darkest corner of the galley, crying. It should be understandable though. She literally just watched her closest friend fall off a cloud and get swallowed by the sea. That's not something one could just get over.]

[After the curse ended he was happy, thrilled to be back to his old self but he remembers everything that happened a week ago and his spirits plummet. By the evening, he's sitting with his journal. There's a bit of a clicking noise, fingernails on the pages as Roxas seems to mull things over. He isn't sure what to say.

After a minute he sighs.]

I miss my friends on the Spades.

[He winces a little bit. He's trying to be brave and make new friends but he misses his other friends too. He's never been in this kind of hard place before.]

Sorry Lea.

[He murmurs this finally, because it feels a little like betrayal.]

So hey, anyone out there need a cook? Skill level: Totally mediocre. Specialty: Sandwiches. Charm point: Definitely his winning personality. Other skills: Can set fire to things pretty good, decent babysitter, passable fighter, other less savory skills detailed on a separate resume available on request.

[Okay, so he's shitstirring, but a guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do.]

[there is the sound of the wind and the trilling whistle of an albatross call overhead. Thatch whistles back and there is a splash as something hits the water. Then he begins to ( sing )

[his voice sounds jovial as he sings but that's only because he is. Far from Serenes and he's feeling relief and joy to be out on the open sea. He pulls the net up and there's a clatter on the deck]

I've heard of sea cucumbers but sea eggs is a new one.

[for anyone on the Moon you can see Thatch with a bucket of brightly colored eggs at his feet as he casts his net back into the water]

Why is there a chick in my kitchen?

On the counter.

In a tea towel.

I'm not cooking it and I'm sure as hell not cleaning up its crap, so someone better come claim it or I'm letting it loose.

[Kairi was once again using the journal, like she had done this past week since she returned but this time she could actually recall being here before and all the memories that she had forgotten previously.]

I just had a rather....Interesting week to say the least, but I remember everything clearly now. [She pauses for a moment.]

I have to admit that is was quite an experience and one I honestly wouldn't want to repeat any time soon. I mean one minute one is sinking towards the bottom of the ocean and the next... well you all know what happened next. [She goes quiet once more but for longer than a minute.]

Which reminds me, to those that have died before... Did you ever have something go missing before? Only to then get it back later on? Because I honestly don't recall this happening before and I'm just wondering if it has happened before or not. If not then why the sudden change?

[She was about to close the book when she realized she needed to say something else.]

Oh and also, I need to thank those who kept explaining things to me when I had forgotten. I appreciate it.

[Thatch will spend most, if not all day in his room. Though around noon you may find this journal entry]

I hate all of you bastards. Anyone tries to talk to me and dump them overboard. So just leave me alone, you damn kids!

[On the deck of the Sun, Ace waded through snow, not really noticing it as it melted when he passed through it rapidly. What was notable had been that his hair had taken on a magnificent green color since it was all quickly melting on him. Even his shorts and boots were green. There was something about being a fire-man and burning dye on one's self that made this happen and he wasn't going to be happy about it.]

...Pancakes. [He'd just woken up.]

Zeff, Thatch. Are either of you making pancakes? If so, I'll have a lot of 'em. What time is it, anyway?

Oh, right! Marco! Hey, Marco! You should try out this drink I made by accident.

[Sloosh sloosh sloosh went Ace, as he waded through green slush.]

Thinking about getting that haircut after all. I'm open to suggestions, but hey, maybe I'll just shave it all off and start over!

[Unlike Marco, he's not making idle threats. His hair really is getting to be too long and it's starting to get on his nerves. Unfortunately, if he just goes and gets it cut, he's going to have a riot on his hands, so he might as well give everyone fair warning.]

If you haven't seen it, imagine a handsome young man with the biggest, reddest, angriest hedgehog you can think of stuck to his head and that would be this guy.

Hello hello poppets!

[Oh god, if Marco seemed messed up before, it's a lot worse now. Too many cards removed from his house of well... cards.]

Oi~! And wot 'ave we 'ere then?

A pair of shears!

That's right! It's time to shed this pineapple facade at the roots! Thatch you've got two days to get your big hairy ass back here, or the pineapple hair gets it. [Oh the humanity! Can you imagine Marco bald? Luckily you don't have to, because he has no intention of cutting off his glorious spiky fronds golden locks. No, no. He dyed it black instead. And no amount of speedy return will stop him. BWAHAHAHAH. Namur will recognize the look from when Marco was mourning Thatch and Ace went missing in their own world, but that makes this no less crazy. Especially since if anything, Marco seems a little.... cracked, and even more unstable than usual. And even Roxas could note that a certain fiery blue phoenix has turned black. Maybe he's just trying to fit in with the awesome crow king or something. Ikki, Thatch, Ace, Selphie: look what your absence has done! You turn your back for one second and Marco goes and does something drastic! And even just being there won't fix it back to normal. SO there.]

[He also painted his nails and jabbed couple of earrings into one side, because fuck it. Marco does what he wants.]

[Anyone not in the Spades is encouraged to ask wtf. Heck, anyone IN the Spades is encouraged to ask wtf.]

[And by the time everyone gets back, well Marco has a surprise for you...]

[ooc: replies might also come from fieryblackbird]