(no subject)

[abundantlove]

Who: The Crew of The Shepherd
Where: Various locations
When: Month of January
What: General crew log
Warnings: None at the moment; EDIT: attempted homicide, violence, and all around insanity, in accordance with the new event
Style: Whichever you feel like
Status: Closed to crew members

And so, at the beginning of January, the Shepherd set off from Isle Impieze back to Green Breeze Island, intent on revisiting what they'd discovered there; there were new crew members after all (in fact, the crew was almost completely different at this point), so there was more than enough justification for it. It would take some time reaching it, but the ship's supplies were well stocked so that wouldn't be an issue at all.

That wasn't the only change, however. The crew had since elected a new captain, and as such, this voyage was a proving grounds for the new status quo.

Comments

The Shepherd - Around the Ship

[abundantlove]

OOC: ((General catch all thread for stuff around the ship while they're at sail. Please put the date your thread is set on in the subject line))

January 4th, Early Morning - Open

[rosettawall]

[As dawn carcks, Alice is already up. One can immediately tell she's not had a lot of sleep, yet one would note she made herself a little scarce the previous night. Otherwise, her expression is an attempt at being calm and even, but she still manages to look a little pensive.

As the sun rises, she mouths the words "who are you" from that mysterious post the previous day, staring cautiously at the ocean. Both of the previous days had been as if the world itself was barking at them...]

I wonder if today will bring with it more of the same...

[abundantlove]

I see I'm not the only one who's uneasy...

[this reply comes from Mana, who walks up behind Alice. There's none of her usual optimism on her face... is this the strain of her new responsibilities?]

Good morning, Alice.

[rosettawall]

[Alice is a bit startled at first, having been deep in thought, but she turns to look at Mana. She attempts a smile, but it falls a bit flat.]

Ah! Mana-chan...

[She looks at her for a moment, perhaps a moment longer than necessary, and then frowns a bit.]

Trouble sleeping, as well?

[wantsarobotgarden]

Good morning.

[Finnian rubs his eyes and yawns slightly, having only just woken up not five minutes ago. Sleeping on a ship was really not what he was use to, so waking up early was something to do when he just couldn't sleep any more.]

Does the rocking wake you up too?

[rosettawall]

Not so much, I'm afraid.

[No, that would be a product of just not sleeping hardly any at all. She was quite awake for all that. She also sounds notably distant and distracted.]

January 3rd - early afternoon?

[bitty_blue_brother]

[The flash of red in the sky had brought Hubert out on deck in curiosity; the waves rocking the Shepherd had sent him scurrying back inside out of fear of being thrown overboard.

But in the wake of the eerie tranquility that had followed those few minutes of chaos, he wanders out again, feeling simultaneously calm yet troubled. Having left his journal inside, he thankfully misses the hissing voice issuing from the pages.

It's a warm day for winter, so -- appropriately bundled -- Hubert remains on deck to enjoy the weather. He leans on the ship's railings, gazing at the horizon. Or rather, in his mind: gazing at what isn't on the horizon.

The sky, after all, is so strangely empty without Foselos stretching across it.]

[abundantlove]

Hubert?

[Hubert would hear Mana's voice as she approached him]

Is something wrong? Can I help you with anything?

[bitty_blue_brother]

Oh. Hi, Mana.

[He seems a little uncertain when he turns around to face her, as though he doesn't know what to say. Or if he even wants to say what's on his mind.]

Re: January 3rd - early afternoon?

[curries]

[It seems like something weird is always happening around here. Ghosts and...more ghosts, and crazy weather, and poles. Sure, some of it set Asbel's heart pounding in his chest, but all-in-all it hasn't been too bad. In fact, life at sea (except for all the manual labor and returns to stock up on supplies) has been kind of interesting, with lots of interesting folks.]

[Asbel yawns and stretches as he makes his way across the deck, clambering up onto the railing beside Hubert so his legs hang off behind him; he doesn't seem the least bit troubled. After staring off at sea for all of five seconds, he grows bored and turns his attention back on his brother.]

What's up, Hubert? You look like you're thinking too hard about something.

[bitty_blue_brother]

[It takes a moment for Asbel's words to register in Hubert's mind.]

Oh...it's nothing. I think it's still a little weird to not see Foselos in the sky anymore.

[You'd think he would've gotten used to it these past few months already.]

January 5th, Evening - Open

[willwork4sugar]

[He hopes tonight isn't a repeat of the previous. It had been hard enough trying to get some shut eye last night, but tonight he's wide awake, even after having sacrificed some chocolate to melt down and mix with some milk. Oh well, on the upside, he found out that those marshmallows Alice had got him made for an excellent topping to that.

Now he leans against the railing, staring out at the seemingly endless expanse of water that was only really visible by the flickering reflection of the moon's light upon the lapping waves.

Water, water everywhere. Definitely not a place the thief had ever envisioned himself to be stuck in.

But that's not what currently makes him restless. He still finds his mind turning to sweets, not that this is unusual, but most prominent has been his desire for cake. Which makes no sense to him, frankly, because it had been his birthday not three days ago and he'd had a perfectly good one made by Mana then.

...was there any leftover? Probably not, knowing him. And well yeah, there was kind of the rest of the crew. Seemed only fair to share a little of it.

...wow, why was he so fixated on cake? It's usually not this bad.]

Wonder if anyone'd complain if I were to use the galley at this time...

[wantsarobotgarden]

Why do you want to use the galley?

[The young man had been in the middle of sorting a few things out on the ship and somewhat fixing whatever mistakes he might have made, which is certainly something as usually Sebastian would fix it. It's a real learning experience.]

[willwork4sugar]

[Gaius turns quicker than he would have meant to, suddenly finding himself on edge. Wow, had he been that distracted that he'd completely missed the other's presence? Not a good habit to develop, especially not for a thief!

Recognizing the kid almost immediately, he relaxes, forcing a smile.]

Pie. Can't sleep, so why not bake?

January 6th, Late Night (or maybe January 7th, early morning; Alice's time table is all messed up)

[rosettawall]

[Alice is in trouble and she knows it.

Talking with Dog the previous day, her suspicions had been confirmed. Something's happening.

She looks terrible, really. She looks sleep deprived and unkempt to a level that was beyond unfitting for a lady of her upbringing.

It was abundantly clear now that her problems these past few days were not a product of simple worry over their fate.

She knows she has to talk to someone about this, she has to lay her cards on the table, figure SOMETHING out...

And when it comes to "figuring things out" there was one person who she knew immediately, once she was certain, she had to talk to.

So, she stands in front of Rikka's door, staring at it, and up and down the hall in unconscious suspicion for several moments. Then, finally, she knocks.]

Rikka-chan...?

[diamondlight]

[Rikka's been worried herself, though not to quite the same level as Alice; that wind was weird, and everyone's in a bad way. That weird threat of closing their journals wasn't helping, either, and she's got a bad feeling about what could come next. But without any more information than what they had...

...was that Alice at her door? At this time of night? What in the world...? She crosses to her door right away, opening it quickly.]

Alice? Are you okay?

Green Breeze Isle - from January 7th onward

[abundantlove]

January 11th [frontdated] - event thread

[abundantlove]

[Mana hadn't slept well since that message she posted. She'd been sure of herself at the time yes, but everything after... especially after Rikka responded to her like that... it had a profound effect on her. Everything in her head focused on why Rikka had responded the way she did, what she had to do, what the voice in her head wanted...

... and then, when morning came, just like that, it became so clear.

She knew what she had to do... Rikka and the others, they had betrayed her... they weren't the precious people she knew...]

Cheryl...

[Mana's fairy partner didn't have to say anything in response; she knew what Mana wanted. Quickly, she took her commune form, and flew into Mana's hands]

Precure... Love Link...

[In a flash of light, Mana transformed into Cure Heart, and with a somber expression on her face, left her room - but not before sending a message to Alice, Hubert, and Gaius.

None of them belonged in this world. Something had been done to them all... they had to set all of them free...

... and there was only one way to do that...]

They all have to die... I love them... and they all have to die...

[rosettawall]

[Before very long, Cure Rosetta was upon Mana. The look on her face was decidedly dark, and even after transforming it was obvious she had been crying a lot.

She was convinced, now, that Henry in particular had been manipulating Rikka. While all she knew was that they'd talked, she had convinced herself that it was something far more sinister than that.

Regardless of it being by force or not, Rikka had been corrupted and set against them.

She couldn't trust anyone but those who heard it, now. That voice. But Mana most of all.]

They've taken her from us...

That magician especially... I should have stopped him before... I had the opportunity...

January 11th; don't mind the icon journal

[omnomnomurice]

[Even as the voice had urged him closer and closer to committing carnage, Hubert had shied away from the thought in the days preceding. There had to be another way to get home, there just had to! After all, even if he wanted to kill someone, he was a weakling. He simply didn't have the strength or the heart for such a nefarious deed. Asbel wouldn't be happy with him for it, either. Not to mention that it was just plain wrong.

But as Hubert wakes up on the morning of the 11th with a strangely lucid mind (strangely, because he hasn't been sleeping well at all the past couple of nights and so has been greeting the days with a fatigue-fogged brain), it occurs to him that surely he owed it to the voice in his head to at least try. If she could get him and Asbel home, then shouldn't he do as she says? Besides, it's always right to obey those with authority. And Hubert has always been an obedient, dutiful boy.

Asbel, decidedly, has not.

Even now he continues to be a wayward sort. That much was made quite clear when he tried to sneak off the ship earlier. It was just like him, defying reasonable measures put in place for his (and others') safety.

Perhaps...he needs to be punished for his insolence, the voice whispers to Hubert.

Yes. Of course. Father and Mother aren't around, after all. So it must be up to Hubert to dole out discipline. Or "discipline," as it were.

Still, the thought of blood disturbs young, innocent Hubert. He passes up the knives in the galley and clambers atop boxes in order to reach two of the frying pans hanging on the wall. There's no need for any more damage than necessary in order to end a life; his reading has taught him that blunt force trauma to the head will do the trick. Admittedly, even as he's creeping the halls looking for his brother (or any other nonbeliever he happens to run across, really), he's not completely convinced of the efficacy of cooking utensils as an instrument of murder (barring knives, obviously), but this is all his tiny form can handle.

It shouldn't matter as long as he does his best, though, right?]

I MIND.

[protectus]

[Asbel's still curled up in bed, which isn't much of a surprise. His head's tilted back so he can peek through the cracks in the boards at any light or shapes showing through. Anything to keep his mind off how weird everyone's been acting lately. At first he thought maybe it was stress or homesickness, but there's just something about it that feels wrong. Almost totally wrong. Especially when they brought him back to the ship after he wandered off. What was up with that anyway? He's never seen Hubert act like that before...]

[Rolling over onto his back, Asbel stares at the ceiling. Colonel Jade's a pretty smart guy when he's actually being serious. Maybe he should go talk to him, see if he's got any bright ideas. Or maybe he should just go find Hubert and ask him straight out. Yeah, it'd be pretty uncool, but he is the big brother here. And if somehow that made Hubert feel better, then it'd definitely be worth the embarrassment.]

[With a groan, Asbel shuffles onto his side and half-heartedly swipes at his bedhead. All right, enough of that. Time to get cracking!]

11th cuz all the cool kids are doin' it

[willwork4sugar]

     His scarcity around the general areas of the Shepherd probably wouldn't have been terribly noticeable unless someone was really seeking him out. When the voice had first started to become prominent in his mind, Gaius had slowly started to withdraw from the others. Not too unusual for someone who was a thief, and that only known by two, maybe three if that Henry-fellow knew him from their world.

     Something was wrong though, he knew it, but at the same time, it didn't feel like anything wrong at all. That wrongness had all but melted away by now. He didn't like to kill, but it seemed the only way to make things right.

     Mana had already sent word. He had a job to do.

     Shadows were like a second home. Footsteps, a whisper. When you were usually employed to get information in dangerous territory, you had to know how to be sneaky, and employed correctly, that also made you deadly. He'd polished off those marshmallows earlier, so he was more than good to go.

     This thief was out to rob lives.

[wantsarobotgarden]

Finnian had been rather nervous of late. He was worried about some of his new crew mates, but he hadn't a clue as to what was going on either. it was quite worrying to say the least.

But he had no way of really finding out, nor could he do much to help if the need was called for it. No. He would try and pretend that everything was okay and just try and get some work done. That;'s what he'll do, do his best at his job and hope to get it right, after all he needed the practice.

Although what to do was another question altogether.

January 8th - Romp on the Island [back-back-backdated]

[curries]

[If they thought Asbel was going to stick around on the ship where he was safe and not check out the island, then they were all crazy! This is what they'd come here for, after all. To check out. the. island. Besides, even ignoring the itch of curiosity and the promise of high adventure, he could really use the chance to stretch his legs.]

[And so Asbel slips away as stealthily as he can. With Hubert's worries, he figured he wouldn't want to come along, but he's still taken a painfuly dull moment to leave a note behind in his room letting them know he's fine and that he'll be back in a few hours. It seems pretty inevitable that someone will crash his party, but if he can manage a few hours on his own, it'll be worth it!]

No big deal, right?]

[Asbel sloshes through the shallows and makes his way up the slowly curving hill, drawn at once by the unusual symphony of the nearby forest. But he has to stop and catch his breath first.]

Whew... So this is Green Breeze Island, huh? Doesn't seem so bad. I wonder why the trees are playing music like that.

[bitty_blue_brother]

[Hubert is dismayed but not surprised when he finds the note from Asbel saying that he's going to be off exploring on his own not long after Mana had just specified that no one was to do any such thing. Naturally, he brought the note to the attention of the young captain, and now he, Mana, and Alice were searching the island for the other boy, covering the area as best as they could without any of them getting lost. It wasn't long before Hubert picked up two fallen tree branches for protection against potential threats.

Now if only there were an easier way to find his wayward brother...]