oh noes

Journal 1

I picked this up the other day! It was just lying there…it looked so shiny, too. Master says he won’t give me any ink, so I’ll have to ask people. I’m lucky I have this…and thank you to the pigeon that dropped this feather!
I think I’m going to call you…Journey? Ehehe…I’m bad at naming, sorry :(

I should introduce myself! Hellooooo :>
My name is Nico! I’m eight years old. I lived with my parents for…three years? I think…I can’t really remember. Hmmm…
But then, I got adopted by a fisherman one day!!! I lived with him for five years. He taught me to read and write and took care of me most of the time :>
He was really poor and we were all on the verge of starving, so I went to Master and sold myself a couple of weeks ago :> I hope Mister Toll (the fisherman!) is doing well. A gold piece should’ve been able to get him through the blizzard, at least…

…He looked very sad when I left. I wonder why? It’s not like I’m dying or anything…

I’ve been here, with Master. He’s very strict and is usually very mean, but I believe in him! I think…I think he’s a good person somewhere inside!

My life here is pretty nice! I’m guaranteed food at least twice a week, which is better than it was with Mister Toll…I hope he changed from fishing. There won’t be many fishies at all, and that’s all Mistress Toll ever tells him…
I hope he stopped drinking that funny juice, too… :/

Anyway!
I get to sleep in this reeeeally big room with bars…it’s almost like a jail. But a lot better!!! It’s usually cramped with all the other people, but there’s always space. People are always leaving, after all.
Most of the time they’re mean, but they’re pretty good people if I just stay quiet and do what they tell me to do. I feel lonely sometimes…the other kids won’t talk to me. I wonder why…
Sometimes the women treat us kids like we’re their children. It usually doesn’t last for long, though…they leave the fastest. But it’s always nice to have company, at least for a little while.
So far, I’ve been doing simple chores and helping out wherever I can - oh, with Master’s permission, of course. Sometimes he looks at me all funny when I ask…but he always says yes. Which is great! It takes my mind off everything. :>
No one else here looks happy. I’m the only one who’s smiling…but when I ask them why, they always tell me to leave them alone. Along with some very colorful words, of course. Ehehe…

I wonder when I’ll get to leave. I’ve heard that you get to leave for a year, to go with someone else and work for them…it sounds fun, to be honest! I’ll go out there someday, too…I just wonder when.
I also wonder why the ones who come back are always so sad-looking…

That’s all for today, Journey! See you tomorrow!
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Master came out today, while I was looking for a good hiding place for you. He was tugging this girl behind him…a really young one. She was crying and screaming and asking for her mama.
Master leaned in really close to her and whispered something in her ear and she quieted down really quick. I wish I had really good hearing…maybe then I could’ve heard what he said.
The other people say that she’s new - that Master just bought her from her mother and someone from the outside’s already decided to take her out. Luckyyyy…no one wants me to go with them just yet. :(

The other people…they also say that going outside is like going to sleep. They say you never know if you’ll have a decent dream or a nightmare. I asked them, “What about good dreams?” and they laughed in my face. What was so funny?
Then, an old lady came by with a box filled with books and she said I could have one. I went looking through the box and I found this book - Hobbs’ Guide to Legends, Myths, Creatures, and Rituals.
So now, instead of listening to me talk about my life all the time, you get to hear about these stories, too. Isn’t that nice, Journey?
We can save the legends and stuff for days with nothing interesting, though. I don’t want to get through the book too soon. And besides, I don’t want to skip ahead of you :>