Last month, the Hope of the Seas has lost another one of its members. The former Captain Homura Akemi.

As a result we're only two left on that ship. Zeref-san and I, Mami Tomoe.

A ship as the Hope of the Seas is not truly meant to be sailed by only two people, so we're actively searching for new crew members. Two or three at least.

Please contact me if you're interested in joining a crew of pacifists, that would still occasionally defend other ships in danger and is not at all prejudiced against magic users. [Quite the opposite in fact.]

...In the eventuality we wouldn't be able to find enough new crew members, we would be considering joining an existing crew. Could you please let me know if any of you are looking for new crew members? Of course, we'd rather find a crew that shares the same values as those mentioned above.

Thanks in advance for your replies.

This is Mami Tomoe, first mate of the Hope of the Seas.

I just wanted to let everyone know that... if you find a bowl full of heart-shaped candies on your ship, try not to eat them.

Eating those candies might make you end up doing things you didn't w... [She stops because she didn't want a certain crewmate to feel upset by her saying she didn't want to hug him.] plan on doing. Or on saying. Depending on what's written on the piece of candy.

...Oh and for everyone who reads this, especially those who are lucky enough to have someone they love here, don't forget that tomorrow is Valentine's Day. [She gives a bright smile.] Especially the girls, right? [Mami being Japanese, she knows Valentine's Day is the opportunity for girls to tell a boy they like him and hope he'll return their feelings next month on White Day.] I personally wish you all a Happy Valentine's Day, though a bit in advance.

Have a nice day and thank you for you attention.

( [Paper letters are left for Homura and Zeref in their cabins] )

[now here is a familiar voice. Where have you heard it before? Where, o where, have you felt it. Those who are under her spell may not respond and will not want to but others, well, she will have her way yet]

Oh, la!

New faces. Beautiful faces, all. Here in a strange land, all alone. Well don't worry. Hush, my dears, and meet me by the fountain on the jeweled isle. I will give you what you crave most...

Home...

Other people have already presented their greetings and I know that not everyone here celebrates it back home but... For those who do, I'd like to wish you a Merry Christmas.

The cold curse is over, so this wish came true at least.

My other wish would be for this day to be a day of Peace and Truce between us all. Wouldn't be a nice present we can make to each other?

Oh and I have a recipe for Christmas cookies for any of you who might be interested.

[Action for the crew of the Hope of the seas]

[A letter is slid under your door. Your name is written on the enveloppe in Mami's elegant handwriting and inside is this card written and drawn by Mami:]



[And on the other side of the card:]

I'd very be honored if you'd join me in the kitchen at 4:00 pm for a cup of tea and some cookies.

Yours faithfully,
Mami TOMOE

[/end Action]

[[OOC: Merry Christmas High Seas!!!]]

Lovely weather, isn't it? I just love a good winter storm, especially when it leads to an exciting shipwreck.

At an island filled with musical catfish, no less.

[You think Jade is joking? Think again. You can clearly hear singing in the background. Energetic singing about the life of a poor downtrodden cattleberry fish who has survived much hardship and resolved to start a new life. It's quite catchy.]

[How do catfish sing? We just don't know.]

I suppose it doesn't matter much. Most of our crew has disappeared and there aren't enough of us to man the ship even if we could fix it. Which brings me to a more important point -- I have a request to make.

Would anyone out there have some spare room on their ship? There are only three of us, along with some supplies and a few months of sailing experience. We won't take much space, I assure you.

[A child's voice can be heard.] Look! The fish are tap dancing on the water!

...Charming. [A sigh.] A swift answer would be appreciated. Please. At this rate I fear I may go insane.

[The cold has not subsided yet and it doesn't seem about to anytime soon. The only way to keep the cold at bay seems to be staying in direct contact with another human being but... direct contact is not Mami's forte. If only Madoka was still there...

Mami's strategy is to try and ignore the cold. As long as she can still move, still breathe, it's okay. But what about her crewmates? Shouldn't she feel guilty for not helping them when she could?]

I'm sorry to bother everyone but... has anyone found another way to get warm? A way that doesn't entail direct physical contact, I mean?

[Well it's worth asking, right? Though Mami's handwriting is a bit less neat and harder to read than usual. This might be due to the fact that, despite her best efforts, she couldn't manage to prevent her hand from shaking. Her body is shivering almost non stop now.

She wraps the blanket tighter around her frame and reaches out for her tea cup. Unfortunately half of the cup's content drops onto the journal before she manages to bring it to her mouth.]

...Sorry. ...I just spilled some tea on my journal. ...Is it still working?

In speaking with my ever growing crew, it has come to my attention that perhaps what we all need to get us through this little cold spell is a distraction. Now, I'm sure you've all found a great many ways to pass the time, but I was thinking that this could be an excellent time to share some stories. I know I have quite a few myself, and I'm sure you lot have your own to share as well, so let's take this as an opportunity!

Here are a few of my own:

[Here he transcribes his story of the battle of Kannagawa and his ghost story.]

Of course, there are far more where that came from, and I'll be more than glad to share a few more.

How many ships have had people vanish?

Did anyone notice anything unusual before they disappeared?

[Link speaks with an uncharacteristic heaviness and uncertainty.]

As of... [There's a pause, as he's ruffling through notes. He didn't properly prepare this announcement... damn...] six days ago, December 11th on the calendar of this world, there has been no indication of the Go- of Hylia's presence. Even her bird is uncertain as to where she has gone.

...Unless you have seen her. Please, [a note of pleading in his voice] let me know if you have.

[Link delivers this message from his cabin on the Murderess. While it is not unusual for him to sleep in, he hasn't emerged from it all day. He had been assuming that she would return, but when days passed.

Damn. She would not have left the bird behind willingly, would she? It is sitting on Link's lap next to the journal, sleeping.]

[ It's hard to write when your fingers are freezing. After a few unsuccessful tries, Homura opts to go for a voice entry instead, keeping her teeth from chattering through sheer force of will alone. ]

This explains why the Backwater Brig's advertisement last week contained a disclaimer about anti-curse apparel. Perhaps the shopkeeper knew this unnatural cold, or something like it, was coming.

Has anyone found a way to warm up yet? The usual methods aren't working. Any information would be appreciated.

[ That's the extent of Homura's entry. Her crewmates won't find her in her usual spot in the crow's nest; instead, she's holed up in her room, cocooned in her blankets with only her face showing... for all the good that it does her. ]

[Aeolipile Isle had appeared impenetrable as they’d approached it. The tall rocky outcroppings circled it’s entirety, and there didn’t appear to be any sort of natural cove or harbor. The whole thing looked so uninviting that Ciel had doubted whether they would be able to replenish their supplies here at all. With a little scouting and perseverance they’d managed to find the caves that acted as an entryway to the interior.]

None of this is making any sense...

[Ciel huffed, as he held his arms tightly around his form]

For all practical purposes... we’re inside a volcano. [Then since he knew no one could see it, save for his fellow crewmates he continued] I’m literally only a few feet from a vent that’s expelling puffs of hot steam into this chamber....

[Gritting his teeth, you could hear them chatter a little before he spoke again]

So why the hell is it still so COLD!

[Yeah- someone might have been losing his patience. He was however, relieved that no one had done anything special on his birthday a few days prior. He hadn’t mentioned it intentionally so perhaps it would slip by uneventfully]

[ooc: WE MADE IT TO THE ISLAND FELLOW CREW MATES. Aeoplipile Isle is set inside of a volcano and is essentially a steampunk island. The fertile soil allows the inhabitants to grow their own food here, and they've mastered the power of steam. So I'm up for playing out some exploration here if you all are]

DEAR MOST DEFINITELY EVIL JOURNAL THING AND WHATEVER OTHER WICKED BEINGS ARE RUNNING THIS BLOODY WORLD,

IT IS REALLY, REALLY COLD.

RATHER NOT A FAN.

CAN'T FEEL MY FINGERS AND WARMING CHARMS AREN'T WORKING.

NO LOVE,

- Draco Malfoy

P.S. I have a hat back home that's perfect for this weather. I suspect the lack of its furry brilliance is the reason I'm about to lose my ears to frostbite.

[There is no explanation to this post, just a series of a ton of numbers.]

20-15 / 23-8-15-5-22-5-18 / 3-1-14 / 3-18-1-3-11 / 20-8-9-19 / 3-15-4-5, / 9 / 18-5-17-21-9-18-5 / 9-14-20-5-12-12-9-7-5-14-20 / 1-19-19-9-19-20-1-14-3-5 / 20-8-1-20 / 13-21-19-20 / 14-15-20 / 7-5-20 / 2-1-3-11 / 20-15 / 13-25 / 3-1-16-20-1-9-14. // 16-12-5-1-19-5 / 8-5-12-16.

- Marco


[ooc: If your character is good at codes, here's a reference and if you still need help decoding it though your character would be able to easily, send me a PM, an IM @ LittleTigerCC12 or a plurk @ Silverwolfcc, have fun! And your character doesn't have to crack it, or reply in code, half of the fun is in not!]

I am looking for someone I met in the port by the name of Link.

[STILL not so sure what to make of the similarities, but...]

He is young, and... soft-spoken. I am uncertain as to whether he can read. I simply wish to know that he has found safety.

[Mami stares at the page for the longest time. She's been meaning to do this for days but... Even today she's still not sure it's such a good idea but since it's not something she could manage to talk about with her crew, even with Madoka and Homura then...]

I would like to ask all of you here a few questions.

The first one is: If you were given the opportunity to make one wish, one single wish, would it be about yourself or about someone else?

And the second one is: Did you ever regret wishing for something to happen once it had actually become true and it was too late for you to do anything about it?

I undestand those could be seen as very personal questions. So feel free to answer anonymously if you prefer.

Thank you very much in advance for your time.

[She sighs, re-reading what she's just written. Well all what's left for her to do now is wait.]

The sun... didn't rise today. I mean, I'm sure everyone saw already, and it's hard to even see that much through the fog, but... is this what we were warned about? Something in the fog that's going to get us hurt? I don't understand at all. The moon's pretty like this, but... it's ominous. I... wait, what's-?

[Seems like she saw something... what's going on? There's a brief clack of shoes on stone, but only a few seconds pass before she continues.]

He's... something's wrong... hey, wait, what are you doing? Don't- ah!

[The shriek comes out plenty loud enough to be heard by anyone hanging out near the fountain that afternoon; there's a thud over the journal as it hits the ground, then a second thud as Rikka slumps to the cobblestone; the journal stops recording a few seconds later.]

((Journal responses will come about fifteen minutes after.))

Dear magical journal thing that I'm still not convinced isn't completely evil,

Have been stuck in close quarters with speccy git Potter for far longer than I'm used to — thus far I've managed not to hex him, at least. I suspect the urge won't be kept at bay for much longer.

The sun decided not to rise this morning — totally normal, that. Not worrying at all.

THERE ISN'T A PROPER LOO ON THIS BLOODY SHIP, or shower, or anything else — cleaning charms can only go so far!! My hair is hideous.

In conclusion: not dead yet.

Somehow.

- Draco Malfoy

The other day, an octopus gave us something while we were sailing. It sort of looks like this:



But smaller.

Is this something important?

*...It's red, now.