~Author's Notes~
I'm bringing this back! Gonna start off slow and casual again, just to get back into the mood of things. There will actually be a genuine storyline this time, I promise (lol).
Now then, regarding some class changes:
I decided that originally, I wanted to portray DC as an innocent, naive child to the world. So, why not make him SG instead? Also he'll be the shortest out of all of them so. Heh heh. /shot
Since Ara was a new member to the crew, I felt it would also make sense to make her 1st class. As a LH, I would think that she's very childish but has a strong moral, especially in the "justice" sense. But she's not fully mature and doesn't understand the bitterness of reality just yet, which further goes to explain why Ara isn't her 2nd class.
As for Raven, well. We needed someone to manage the cannons on the ship. BM wouldn't exactly work, and RF with his constant battle against insanity doesn't work too well in such a story either. And also, I needed a Transform class just so they don't feel left out. /shot
But that aside, Journey of a Thousand Fathoms is back and better than ever~! I hope you will enjoy this revival, and are excited for the next chapter (which won't be released for a few weeks, if lucky /shot ). To quickly wrap things up, thanks for reading, and I hope to see you here again next chapter!
~ Chapter Three: A New Start ~
Elsword – Rune Slayer
Aisha – Elemental Master
Rena – Wind Sneaker
Raven – Veteran Commander
Eve – Code Nemesis
Pally (Chung) – Iron Paladin
Ara – Little Hsien
Chaser (Chung #2) – Shooting Guardian
Chaser leaned over the wooden ship rail, gazing dreamily down at the sea of clouds below. It was near impossible to see anything other than marshmallow white mists and the occasional speck of deep sea blue. Although the ship was moving at an incredibly fast speed, only a gentle breeze passed by the young boy.
"What'cha lookin' at?"
Startled, Chaser quickly turned around to face the voice.
"A-Ah, hello… …Elsword."
"Captain Elsword." The redhead corrected, laughing heartily.
"I'm just joking. So! How do you find life on crew?"
The blond boy returned his gaze to the fluffy white sea below, attempting to collect his thoughts.
"It's, um… It's… Interesting. Definitely something new."
"That's good. It's always fun to try new things." The redheaded captain replied, laughing.
He ruffled the boy's messy hair, giving him a supportive pat on the head before striding away to who-knows-where, his lips turned upwards in his signature, cheeky grin. As Chaser watched his senior walk away, he let out of a soft huff and attempted to mat his hair down. He tugged lightly at a lock of hair, noticing that it had grown quite long, reaching almost down to his shoulders. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a familiar motherly figure striding pass, carrying a small, cardboard box of numerous charted maps.
"M-Miss Rena!" He called out, though his voice was no louder than a soft peep.
Fortunately, the elf's enhanced ears allowed her to easily hear the boy's soft cry. She stopped and turned to face the young boy.
"Yes? What is it, Chaser?" She asked, a gentle smile upon her lips.
"U-Um… Do you have, um, a blade, or, um, no… S-Scissors? For my hair…"
"Ah, you're looking for a haircut?"
He nodded his head quickly.
"Eh, let's see… I have a pair of scissors you can use, but I'm not very good with hairstyling, sorry~. …Ah! Here, why don't I give you them right now, and you can go ask Pally or Raven for help?" She dug around the box a bit, and pulled out a small pair of steel scissors.
Carefully, she bent down and handed the scissors to the young boy.
"W-What about Miss Eve, or, um, Miss Ara?" Chaser inquired, griping the handles of the blades.
"I don't think Ara cuts her hair very often, but she does seem to know how to keep it healthy. As for Eve…" She trailed off with a hesitant laugh.
"Well, if you have any other questions, feel free to ask~!"
Waving goodbye, Rena continued towards her original destination, box of maps in hand. Behind her, Chaser simply stood, dumbfounded. He had absolutely no prior experience with any sorts of blades, but who to ask? Mister Raven looked very scary, but Mister Pally was probably even more intimidating… He quickly shook his head. 'No! I mustn't cower like this! Mister Raven's hair always looks so messy… I guess I should go ask Mister Pally for help then…'
Pleased that he was able to make a decision, Chaser began to lightly jog towards the dorm rooms, hoping that the aforementioned blond wasn't busy with anything. He quickly climbed down the stairs, making sure not to slip and fall or drop the scissors. Nearing Pally's dorm room, he slowed down, beginning to feel slightly nervous. As he raised his arm to knock on the door, he heard a faint laugh from the other side. Though it was certainly more wild, he could clearly distinguish it as his blond senior, Pally's.
"You're kidding! You actually got Eve angry enough to slap you?"
"Oh, shut up! I didn't know she was a Nasod! I-I thought she was just an ordinary girl!"
The laughs continued, though slightly louder this time.
"Aah, oh… My god, I'm dying, ha…"
D-Dying?! Chaser began to panic, unsure of what to do. Should he run back upstairs and call for someone? Oh, but he might not make it in time… He pressed his ear against the wooden door, hoping that the other person would help out. Hearing nothing more but airy breaths and heavy gasps, he steeled his resolve and pushed open the door.
"A-Are you all right?" He cried, startling the two boys.
Elsword was sitting on a large, soft bed, his legs crossed, his face a mixture between shock, embarrassment and irritation. Across from him, Pally laid on a similar bed, head facing the door, clutching his sides as he tried to collect his breath.
"Ah, hey Chaser." The latter called out, wiping away tears that had formed from the corners of his eyes.
"What's the matter?"
The young boy stared in confusion.
"B-But you… D-Didn't you say you were… D-Dying?" He asked timidly, clutching the hem of his shirt.
Picking himself up, Pally stole a glance at his redheaded companion. Recalling his recent words, he let out a light laugh.
"No, no! That was just a figure of speech, since I was laughing really hard." Pally stated, chuckling lightly.
"O-Oh…"
Chaser felt heat rush to his cheeks. He quickly looked down. How embarrassing…Bowing slightly, he turned to quickly leave the room.
"Ah, wait!"
He stopped, turning around to face his two seniors again.
"Did you need something from us?" Pally asked, his cerulean eyes flickering to the scissors the boy carried.
Chaser nodded his head in response, remembering his original objective.
"Um… M-Mister Pally, could you, maybe, cut my hair for me p-please?"
"Oh, is that it? Of course! Ah, let's head to the deck though, wouldn't want Rena to get angry at us for making a mess now do we?"
Chaser gave a slight nod. Near him, Elsword snickered, grinned mockingly at the tall, blond boy.
"You picked the right person to ask. Pally knows everything there is about hair, don't you Misster Pally?"
Said blond merely scoffed in reply. He got off his bed and strode over to the smaller boy, stretching his arms slightly.
Chaser stepped out of the bedroom as the door was closed. He quickly ran up the stairs, his taller companion closely behind him. Stepping onto the deck once more, Chaser took a deep breath and gazed at the marshmallow sky. He jogged lightly over to the stern and sat down, handing the scissors over to the taller blond.
"This is a nice spot. The wind's not too strong either." Pally commented, taking ahold of the scissors.
He kneeled down behind the smaller boy and began to tousle his messy hair. Scissors in right hand, he gently pulled out a handful of hair and began carefully trimming away at it, letting the cut strands be carried away by the mellow wind. He repeated the process over and over again, occasionally brushing away some persistent strands that lingered on the boy's shoulders. After a few mere moments, Chaser's hair was cut just below his nape. Pleased with his work, Pally ruffled the smaller boy's hair playfully.
"Don't you look handsome." He teased, chuckling lightly to himself.
The boy flushed at the comment. He pulled at a lock of hair, gently sliding his fingers down to the tips. His back hair tickled his neck, but the soft breeze of the wind was a nice new feeling. He smiled.
"Thank you…"
"Pally! Wait!"
Startled at the sudden call, the two blonds turned to face their approaching redheaded captain. Upon seeing the young boy's new haircut, Elsword fell to his knees and pulled his head back.
"Pally, you idiot! We could've sold Chaser's hair for tons of ED!" He cried, collapsing childishly to the ground.
Pally cocked an eyebrow in confusion. His eyes lit up as he recalled that the small boy in front of him was a mermaid who had beautiful, pure white hair. He mouthed an "Oh".
"Well, what's done is done—"
"But don't you see? Even just a lock of hair can get you a thous—no, five thousand ED! And since Chaser's color is really rare… Aaaauuuuuggghhhhh…" He slouched to the ground once more and began mumbling incoherent nonsense about various foods.
Chaser frowned. Were they really just keeping him as a source of money, just like he had thought? He didn't want to believe it but… His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar hand on his head.
"Don't listen to him. Even if we could earn tons of money from your hair alone, we wouldn't do so without your permission."
Chaser tilted his head back, locking eyes with a smiling face and kind blue eyes. He couldn't help but smile in response.
"Mmm… Thank you."
Pally's smile broadened. Picking himself up, he started towards the kitchen.
"Okay! It's almost time for dinner, so let's go and show the others your new haircut!"
Chaser nodded, jumping up to hastily follow after the taller male.
"Wait, wait, wait! You're just gonna leave me here?!"
The taller blond stopped and turned to face his redheaded captain, an unamused look on his face.
"Oh, look, you do care about things other than money."
"Ouch… That's mean…"
His lips back in a smile, Pally placed his hand on Chaser's back, urging him forwards.
"Come on Chaser. If you hurry, Rena might give you Elsword's share of dessert~."
"Wait, no, what?! No, please! Not my food!"
Letting go of the boy's back, Pally began to quicken his pace. Following his lead, Chaser too, broke into a light jog, giggling all the while. A new place, new people, and even a new look. Perhaps he would never have to suffer as a doll in a golden cage ever again…