The Angelic Sea Hare glided smoothly through the calm waters as the first rays of morning sunlight stretched across the horizon. The passengers slowly began to awake, yawning and stretching as the ship gently rocked beneath them, ready to begin another long day at sea.
In one of the cabins nestled within the vessel, Lucien lay sprawled on the couch, sound asleep. Soft snores escaped him, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm as he dreamed peacefully—until that blissful moment was abruptly shattered.
Clorinde, already up at the crack of dawn, had been quietly polishing her sword. She cast a sharp glare at her lazy brother, still snoring like nothing in the world could disturb him. Bored and quickly running out of patience, she stood, marched over to him, and gave him a firm smack across the face.
SMACK!
Lucien's eyes snapped open, his face stinging from the sudden slap.
"What was that for?" he groaned, shooting a glare at Clorinde while rubbing the sore spot on his cheek.
"I got bored—and you were still asleep," she said with a shrug.
"That doesn't mean you had to slap me! You could've just shaken me awake or something." He sat upright with a scowl, annoyed that his wonderful dream had been so rudely shattered.
"Yeah, well, that never works on you—and you know it. You're lazy. As your big sister, I'm not about to let you slack off."
Lucien scoffed. "Since when were you older than me?" he protested. Ain't no way she's older than me!
"I've always known," Clorinde shot back, crossing her arms. "I'm better than you at everything."
"Better than me?" He let out an exasperated breath. "Please, I'm smarter than you."
"No, you're not," Clorinde shot back, her brows furrowing.
"Yes, I am," Lucien huffed, crossing his arms.
"No. You. Are. Not." Clorinde's cheeks puffed with a frustrated flush.
Am I seriously arguing with a three-year-old right now? Lucien groaned inwardly.
"Fine, fine—you're older than me. Happy?" Lucien muttered, waving it off.
Clorinde instantly lit up, nodding with pride like she'd just won a grand prize. He rolled his eyes—he wasn't about to argue over something so trivial. Not with her.
"So, where's our Master anyway?" Lucien asked, glancing around the room and finally noticing her absence.
"She went up," Clorinde replied, pointing with her tiny hand.
"Oh, the upper deck?" he mumbled. "Figures. Leaving two kids alone… sounds like something she'd do." He stretched and let out a small sigh.
Guess I'll have to watch over you, huh? A grin crept onto his face.
So who's the older sibling now?
Clorinde squinted at him. "Why are you smiling like that? I don't like it."
"Nothing," Lucien said quickly, keeping his thoughts to himself. "Say… how about we head out and explore a bit?"
"Yes! Let's go!" Clorinde beamed.
They both rushed to the door. Lucien blinked up at the handle, letting out a quiet groan. Man, I keep forgetting how small I am now… The handle was just above him, but luckily still within reach. He stretched, twisted it open, and the two darted into the hallway.
Lucien made a quick mental note of their room number before chasing after Clorinde. They ran down the corridor, giggling, feet pattering against the floors as they climbed the stairs.
The moment they stepped outside, Lucien was hit with a blast of cold wind. The sunlight may have been bright, but it wasn't doing much to warm the air.
"Gods, it's freezing," he muttered, shivering as he hugged his arms.
"Look, they're playing music," Clorinde said, pointing.
The sound drifted gently through the air—elegant, unfamiliar instruments blending into a melody he didn't recognize, but it flowed so smoothly it made him pause.
For a moment, Lucien simply listened, then looked around. "Alright… first things first—where the heck is Master?" He scanned the crowd but didn't see her anywhere.
"I think she said something about needing a drink," Clorinde said casually.
Of course she did. That actually used to worry Lucien—not just a little, but a lot. The idea of his master being intoxicated was enough to make him uneasy before.
Just that one time back at their old home. He'd been so freaked out, he literally hid from her. He'd tried to say something then, but his voice had still been weak—still hard to use properly.
Later, when he finally worked up the nerve to ask her why she drank, she told him, "I only drink for a little buzz. Nothing more. Drinking too much makes you vulnerable to your enemies."
That answer had brought him some relief. Especially because his father's addiction had ruined so much…
He still felt uneasy. The smell of alcohol always brought back terrible memories—ones he'd rather not relive. So, yeah, he'd be avoiding the bar. Instead, he turned his attention back to the musicians playing their unfamiliar but soothing melodies.
"Brother, aren't you going to look for her?" Clorinde asked, peeking up at him.
"Nah, she'll be fine. C'mon, let's go see what the other kids are up to up front."
They wandered closer, spotting a group of children laughing and playing near the bow of the ship.
Clorinde, however, stayed behind him, half-hiding. She wasn't usually like this. Talking to other kids her age always made her a little shy—but if anyone messed with Lucien, that shyness would vanish in an instant.
Man, this ship is so boring. There's nothing going on. I'm not about to play with a bunch of kids, he thought, sighing in frustration. He wasn't even sure why he came up here in the first place.
Just then, a loud commotion caught his attention.
Two men were shouting at each other, their voices rising with heated fury. What started as a simple argument quickly exploded into a full-blown brawl.
Finally, something interesting, Lucien thought. It wasn't just him—Clorinde and the other children had all stopped to watch as the two men threw punches with reckless abandon.
"You were eyeing my wife, you insolent wretch!" the man slurred, his words thick with drink as he swung a clumsy fist—and missed entirely, stumbling sideways.
"You're absolutely deranged! I didn't even look at her!" the other barked back, giving him a drunken shove.
And then, in the most absurd twist of fate, both men lost their footing and toppled over the railing with a splash, vanishing into the waters below.
"Mon dieu! They've fallen overboard! Pull the emergency line at once!" a passenger cried out in alarm.
A sudden yank on the emergency line triggered a sharp, blaring horn that sliced through the morning chatter like a blade. Conversations died instantly. Passengers froze, then rushed toward the railings, craning their necks to catch a glimpse of what was unfolding below.
Up above, the captain's voice barked through the intercom, and the ship's engines groaned as the vessel gradually slowed. With a heavy clunk, the anchor dropped into the waters below.
The calm of the voyage shattered—replaced by urgency and the cold slap of reality as the Crew sprang into motion, tossing ropes and life rings overboard. Shouts filled the air as they coordinated their efforts, eyes locked on the two flailing figures in the waves below.
"Children, let this be a lesson—this is what happens when you drink. You end up acting like fools," Lucien said, shaking his head.
The kids stared at him wide-eyed, then all nodded in solemn agreement as they watched the men being hauled back onto the ship, drenched from head to toe.
The dunker wife rushed over, apologizing profusely for his behavior—apparently, he'd had one too many. The supposed "victim" waved it off, and before long, the two men were laughing together.
The ship soon rumbled back to life, slowly picking up speed as the captain's voice echoed over the speakers, offering apologies for the delay and assuring the passengers that the man who went overboard would be properly dealt with.
Lucien and Clorinde soon found themselves in a bit of a jam—the younger kids had swarmed them, firing off questions and begging them to play. The little runts were relentless.
Thankfully, not long after, an elderly woman with a kind smile approached the group.
"Would you all care to hear a story?" the elderly woman asked with a gentle smile.
The children's eyes lit up, voices ringing out in unison with an eager, "Yes!"
Lucien let out a quiet sigh of relief and trailed after them alongside Clorinde, settling into the circle forming around her. A distraction was just what he needed.
"There once was an Oceanid who dreamed of becoming human…" the old woman began, her voice weaving gently through the salty morning air.
Lucien only half-listened, catching fragments of the tale—a god who defied Celestia, whoever that was, and was punished for it in the end. Grim choice for a children's story, he thought, arms crossed and brow faintly furrowed as he stared off in thought.
He couldn't help but scoff inwardly. Sounds like pure fiction to me. No way something like that actually happened.