"What's that, pup? You want to help out?"
Hat Kid nodded. After seeing how the seals were doing their job and the state of the ship, she wanted to make sure this experience was pleasant for everyone.
The Captain thought it over for a moment as he looked down at the little girl, standing firm and with a salute. She seemed like the ambitious, respectful kind of kid that could help out. The seals seem to mess everything up every now and then. Maybe she can fix the messes made.
"Hmph. Eh, sure. Maybe something will get done around this mess of a boat for once. It'd be a first."
Hat Kid quietly clapped, seeming a little eager to start. She could just picture it now: walking around with a sort of vice captain's hat, shown respect by everyone on board for how greatly she helped.
"Alright. You need to deliver drinks, some food, and a few other things. And do it quickly, pup. Oh, and there are some other jobs that'll need doing. So pay attention. Are you ready to start?"
"Heck yeah! Er, sir."
"Good. You can start by getting rid of these boxes for me. It's starting to get messy in here…" He gestured to the empty pizza boxes sitting off to the side. Hat Kid firmly nodded and picked them up, heading to the kitchen to trash them.
Once that was done, she hummed, now questioning how she was going to know where else she needs to be. Then, as if her silent question was answered, she felt her top hat sense that she is needed at the casino.
She dashes over to the desk, where a seal was trying to carry a large pile of chips to one of the roulette tables. Hat Kid quickly helped. "I got it!" She took it over to the Express Owl waiting on them.
"Thwank woo miss!" Hat Kid nodded to the seal with a small smile. Now she was needed at Reception Room.
There, a crow held out enclosed slips of paper to her and said, "Please pass these plain, uncoded messages along for me."
Strange, but these were the Crow agents. They were always suspicious. She looked over to the crows sitting on the far side of the Reception Room and headed over. She handed them over to the Crow, who opened them and said to Hat Kid, "Ah, thank you for these ordinary letters, fellow passenger."
Hat Kid nodded once more, but she had no time to sit down or talk. She was now needed at the desk as she saw a seal wave her over. She goes over and the seal asked, "Awe woo hewlping the captwain?"
Hat Kid nodded and the seal then placed two neatly folded towels on the desk, "Gweat! Could woo pewhaps take this to the guest in Woom 316?"
Hat Kid saluted in a way of silently saying, "You can count on me!" She took the towels and dashed to Grand Lobby. Hopping up the palm trees and to the third floor, she hopped from balcony to balcony until she spotted the guest. A Moon Penguin.
Panting, she handed him the towels. "Oh great! My extra towels. Thanks, kid." She gave him a thumbs-up. Now she was needed at the second floor of the Starboard Wing. No wait, there and the Captain's room? Oh boy…
She dashed down the first floor of Starboard Wing to grab a toolbox, then dashed back to the Captain's room. She quickly grabbed an empty Chinese food box and dashed to the bathroom. Along the way, she jumped through the kitchen and tossed the empty food box into the dumpster. She nailed the shot, of course.
She then tossed the toolbox beside the seal, who was working on a main air duct. "Thanks for the hewlp!" She waved and jumped up to the third floor. Now she needed another toolbox and batteries for the engine room. Oh no, now someone's calling her at the reception desk.
From then on, this job was a lot more than Hat Kid bargained for. She kept running left and right, balancing everything she can balance as she ran to various places. She almost messed up on a few tasks as well. For example, she almost threw an empty pizza box from the Captain's room into the washing machine instead of detergent.
There were a few spots she couldn't make it to in time as well. When the baby seals tried to do the job for her, they, of course, immediately messed it up. This made it worse for her since that just gave her more work.
She was practically doing 6 jobs at once. She was needed in so many places. Needless to say, Hat Kid was stressed. It got worse when she found out the Conductor's grandchildren were out of the Daycare center playpen and around the ship. If she didn't catch up fast enough, a few would've gone overboard. Thank the stars she had a sprint hat on.
Until, after practically doing a marathon around the ship, she heard the intercom go off. The Captain then spoke and said, "Attention. This is your Captain speaking. You can stop now, pup. Come back to Control, I guess."
Hat Kid let out a long exhale and walked back to the Captain's room after throwing an extra pillow at a Mafioso guest. She was panting, sweating, and overall physically exhausted. Nonetheless, she approached the Captain's chair and saluted as he turned to her. He was watching her progress over the control panel's cameras.
"Well, looks like you actually cleaned up more mess than you made, pup. That's more than most of the crew can manage." Hat Kid smiled despite her exhaustion. The Captain actually did seem impressed as he showed a tiny amused smile.
"Why don't you help yourself to something in the Lost and Found? Nobody ever comes back for that stuff anyway." She nodded and headed to the Reception Desk. Oh, she was going to get more than just something from the Lost and Found. She was going to get a relaxing spa treatment if she can. Usually when grown-ups work really hard, they wish for that. Maybe she'll get the privilege in getting one after working so hard.
With the captain's permission, the seals allowed her to look through the cardboard box labelled, "Found L̶o̶s̶t̶ Lots of Stuff!" The second she opened it, she gasped. A Time Piece! How did that get in there? She took it and pocketed it with no hesitation. Now this is what she can call a real reward. Everything else inside was just stuff she didn't want, such as a purple block, a deflating balloon, and an old book called "How to Write Lore in 5 Minutes."
Come to think of it, doesn't Snatcher like old books? She hasn't seen him on her run around the ship. Maybe she could give her BFF a small treat.
As she grabbed the book and headed below deck, she looked around for his crate. Just past the Engine Room, there was the storage area. Large crates of supplies surrounded the room. A few smaller crates were rocking with the boat just like the carts. Thankfully, the giant ones were hooked down.
As she was about to call out for her contractually obligated BFF, she heard jingling. She stopped and listened. No, not jingling...but some sort of chiming. Like a time rift. She followed the sound and, from behind a large stack of crates, she confirmed her suspicions. A time rift. A purple one, no less.
She sighed, knowing she had to take care of it, despite still being mildly exhausted from doing all those jobs earlier. She tucks the book away and places her hand on the rift, disappearing into it.
When she entered, she gasped at the sight and almost covered her mouth in doing so. It was like an underwater world, and not like the one in the blue time rifts. There were bubbles coming out of her mouth and it gave off an undersea atmosphere, but there were also undersea items around as well. Giant starfish, sunken treasure, coral, sea urchins, and seaweed.
An undersea rift. Fitting given she found it on a cruise ship.
She tucks down her top hat and began navigating through. Needless to say, this purple rift was the hardest out of all the purple rifts she has visited. So many tricky stunts and platforms to reach. The giant starfish were weird to step on too. It did not seem to hurt them at least. There were even fire jets! Underwater fire jets! How does that make sense?
But like any other rift, she manages to make it through to the end with nine story pages on hand as well. Tumbling out of a giant sunken treasure chest was the time rift. She smashes it with her umbrella and collected the Time Piece. Two in one day. Not bad.
Once she exited the rift, it sealed shut and Hat Kid stood back upright. She then looked down at herself and blinked in mild surprise. She was soaked. It was like she went for a long swim in her usual outfit. She took out the book she had for Snatcher and found it with soaked pages. When she turned one, it went to pieces. So much for a gift for her BFF.
She then gasped, hoping the storybook she got from the rift didn't get affected the same way. Much to her relief and mild surprise, it was completely dry. The title read, "Lost at Sea." It had a broken ship wheel slightly submerged in water.
She turned to the first page and immediately said to herself, "Ohh, this is about the Captain!" The first page showed what seems to be a child version of the Captain. He wore a blue sailor hat and was in a classroom. There was an elder seal with a bushy black mustache and a captain's hat with a wheel pointing at the blackboard, which had a picture of a boat. He must be the Captain's tutor.
On the next page, it showed a sort of graduation photo. The elder seal was standing on a stool right next to the Captain, who now looked older than his last picture. The Captain held a scroll in his hand and had joyful tears in his eyes. That must his degree. There was a signature on the bottom right corner. Hat Kid couldn't figure out what it said. The cursive was too...cursive-y.
The next page showed the young Captain looking at a board that said, "Ship Assignments." A thought bubble was over his head, showing the elder seal plus him. Maybe he was hoping they would get to be captains of the same ship.
From the looks of the next page, however, it did not seem to be. His crew members were the seals that Hat Kid knew and adored for their cuteness. The elder seal had his own ship to be a captain of.
On the fifth page, it showed both the Captain and the elder seal captain getting on their own ships. The Captain seemed nervous as he watched the elder seal captain go. Was he worried for him or for himself?
The next page was simple. It showed the Captain's ship and the words, "Years later" over it. Seems some time has passed.
On the next page, a worried baby seal crew member was holding up a letter to the Captain. He looked about as old as he is today. The Captain had a thought bubble showing him and the elder captain pointing ahead in their chairs. Seems he had high hopes that this letter meant that they were finally going to meet up and sail together.
When Hat Kid turned the next page, she softly gasped and showed a sorrowful expression. The letter...it had the words, "R.I.P" on it. And it showed what it supposedly said. The elder seal captain was saluting...as his ship sunk. Hat Kid always knew the code of a Captain: good captains always go down with their ship. Honestly, if Hat Kid had to choose whether to live and get a new ship or die with her old one, she'd get out alive. There are people that care about her now after all.
Unfortunately...that's not what happened with the elder seal captain. The Captain looked sorrowful as he read over the letter.
On the final page, Hat Kid looked mildly shocked and heartbroken. All that was on that page was the Captain...sitting in his chair...depressed and with smoke surrounding him. Like he didn't care what happened to him now.
She closed the book and looked down in thought. Losing someone important like that...it explains why the Captain looked so...dismissive and unhappy. She always thought he was just being a bit of a grumpy guy. Sometimes some ship captains are like that. But no, he had his reasons. He lost someone really close to him and thought that life isn't worth caring about anymore.
She rubbed her eyes, making sure no tears will come. She then quietly granted safe wishes to the lost elder seal captain. May he sail well in the afterlife...if it does exist. With a small sniffle, she pocketed the storybook. Least she was somewhat dry now.
She then saw the area around her turn to shadows. Oh no...not now.
"HAHAHAHAAA! FOOOooo–...wait. You? Again?" Hat Kid sighed and turned around, seeing Snatcher behind her. He didn't even make her jump this time. He looked pretty annoyed.
"Can't you, for once, leave me be, kid? I'm trying to haunt some people on this ship." He crossed his arms. Why did she always have to interfere when he was busy with something? And why won't any baby seals or some curious passengers come down here instead?
To his surprise, she quietly replied, "Sorry, I was gonna give you a book but it got wet. I was gonna leave anyway…" She tried to show a small smile, but Snatcher can sense otherwise. She was sad. Was it because he was pushing her away? She doesn't usually get sad when he does that. She just laughs and gets more annoying.
She turned to leave, but Snatcher gently plucked her off her feet by her cape and turned her back around. The shadow atmosphere vanished as well. "Kid, what's eating you? Not like I care, but if it's about the book, that's not a big deal. I got plenty to read."
Hat Kid rubbed her eyes, looking away. "It's nothing."
Snatcher frowned. There was no way she was hiding this from him. He always knew what those two words together meant. "If it's nothing, then why do you look like you're about to cry?"
Hat Kid rubbed her eyes more, getting frustrated with herself. He can't know she found out about the Captain's past the way she did. What if he questions how she found out about his past?
"I'm waiting for a real answer, kid." She knew he won't let her go if she doesn't tell the truth...but she'll need to bend the truth a bit to keep her knowledge a secret. She took a deep breath and looked up at him. He was giving her a sort of parental scowl.
"...Have you ever wondered...why the Captain seemed so sad?"
Well that seemed like a dumb question for him. Why would he care about why old coot looked down in the dumps? But his answer was, "Not really, why do you ask?"
Hat Kid had to watch her wording. "I...kinda learned that...the Captain went through something really bad. Losing someone really close to him. ...What could I do to help him?"
Snatcher blinked. She was asking him for consolation advice? What the peck was she seeing him as? He was no good at this sort of case. Heck, the best he could probably give is love advice: "don't."
Snatcher sighed and lowered himself down, setting Hat Kid down in front of him. "Kid, I'm not good with this kind of thing...but I mean...let's put it this way. If you lost someone you really care about, what would you want?"
Hat Kid blinked and thought it over. When she lost Tim, she felt alone and sad. But after knowing her old home was out there somewhere, she wanted to keep going for them. She wasn't sure if that was entirely true, but it did help. Who knows? Maybe the two people she knew that actually cared about her were still alive and there. But now, she has a lot of people that care about her here.
With that thought process, she looked up at Snatcher. "I...wouldn't want to be alone."
"Then...I don't know. Be there for him or show him there are others that can help him through his problem."
Hat Kid looked back down in thought. Then a small warm smile graced her face. Yeah...yeah, she can do that! She certainly respected the captain and wanted to help him through his struggle. She knows herself what it's like to lose someone. Not to mention the seal crew members were always there for their captain. Despite their screw-ups, they want to do their best for him and make him happy.
Snatcher felt internally relieved, seeing the kid smile. Good, he hated it when she was really unhappy. Only because the aura she would give off when sad was not a great feeling. Not because he cared. No, not at all.
She looked up at Snatcher with the same warm smile and hugged his torso. "Thanks, BFF!"
He jolted and looked down at the kid, his eye twitching a bit. "What did I say about hugs, kid?!"
She giggled and unhugged. He nudged her away and "stood" back to his normal height. "Now, don't you have some other people you should be bothering someplace else?"
She shrugged and headed back upstairs with a wave. Snatcher sighed and gave a half-hearted wave back. That seemed to brighten her mood more as she left with an extra skip in her step. Once she was gone, Snatcher crossed his arms and shook his head. "Kids."
After the exhausting day Hat Kid has had, she personally wanted nothing more but to go to her room and sleep with her extra pillows. But she also had to come up with an elaborate plan to show the Captain that she is there for him just like his crew.
She thought this over at dinner and on her way back to her room. On her way back, however, she spotted the Conductor at the bar. He looked...tipsy. That might be a problem.
She cautiously approached the bar as the Conductor finished his pint and hiccuped. As he did so, he looked at Hat Kid and showed a goofy smile. "Ooh-hoo-hoo. 'ello lassie! How'd-uh-how-how's it going, eh? Ur ye havin' a guid holiday, lass?"
With that thick accent, Hat Kid confirmed her beliefs. He's drunk. At least he didn't appear violent like last time. She sighed and showed a tiny smile as she crossed her arms. "Yeah, how about you?"
"Ah, ah am! No Grooves, no movies. Jist me an' me guid friend reit here." He let out a content sigh as he raised his glass. "This is th' life, eh?" He tipped the glass to his mouth, then realized it was empty.
He looked through the bottom of it and asked, "...Ah wonder what th' rest of th' boat is like…" He hiccupped once more and set the glass down. "Bartender, 'nother round! On th' rocks!"
The seal then stated, "Uh, I'm sowwy sir, but I think woo had a bit too much."
The Conductor scowled at the baby seal. The seal quickly looked to Hat Kid in a way of silently asking for help. Hat Kid nodded and took the Conductor's hand. "If you want Conductor, we can get more drinks in your room."
"Me room? Ah, that's reit! Ah have some scotch in me briefcase." Hat Kid was quietly hoping he wasn't serious. At least he was complying. She quietly took the room key from his pocket and checked the number. 214. Great, same floor as her.
They make their way to the Grand Lobby, with Hat Kid supporting the Conductor best as she can. They would bump into a wall once or twice, but the Conductor wouldn't mind as he chuckled it off and say, "This boat is a wee bit rocky, eh lass?"
Soon, they reach the Conductor's room. To Hat Kid's surprise, it looked like it was barely touched. Come to think of it, earlier he questioned what the rest of the boat is like. Has he really only been to the bar?
Hat Kid hummed with concern as she motioned him to the bed. The least he should do is shower and get in some clean pajamas or something. He stinks like alcohol. She turned on the water in his bathroom to a moderate temperature and went back in the bedroom.
She yelped, seeing him open the bottle of scotch he mentioned and tip it to his mouth. She dashed over to him and grabbed it. "No Conductor, that's enough for tonight."
He looked angry. But when he reached to grab it, he collapsed onto the floor with a groan. Hat Kid sighed and put the cork back in the stinky-smelling bottle. She then hid the bottle under his bed. Least he won't be able to find it where he usually does.
She then helped him to his feet and to the bathroom. "C'mon, let's get you cleaned up." Once in the bathroom, she set him down near the shower stall and grabbed a couple clean towels.
"Okay, I'm gonna go to bed. You clean up and get some sleep, okay?"
He scoffed and crossed his arms. "Ah dun need tae sleep."
Hat Kid sighed. "Please, Conductor? For me?" He looked up at her pleading eyes for a moment. Then with a small sigh, he reached up and tousled her hair.
"Alright…"
She smiled, content with the answer. Leaving him to it, she said a quick goodnight and left his room, leaving his room key in said room.
She entered her room, got into clean pajamas after a shower, and collapsed on her bed. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep.