Open Sea (Age of Adventurers)

The musketeers never looked on the rooftops. Sure, from the upper windows of the nearby homes you could maybe make out his prone figure laying on top of the warehouse but given the dead of night and the lack of lamps that high, it was a slim chance. Despite the chaos below him as the musketeers searched for anyone foolish enough to hide on ground level Ranulfe was comfortable. Above him the clear night sky shone down on him, the moon half full. Beside him the open waters of the Bastore Sea gently sloshed against the stone walls bracing the harbor. It was easy to tune out the clanking footsteps in armor and just think.

He was still stinging from his argument with Ceelia the day before. What was it she had said? It was odd for him to worry about his sisters? It wasn't always like that. He recalled a time when they were younger.
***
"Hi Nii-chan!"

"Hi Nii-chan!"

They spoke in almost unison and smiled at him with a dripping sweetness that was infectious. They were so cute in their matching outfits, standing next to him at the breakfast table and holding hands. The morning was still young and already it was just them at home. They were maybe seven.

"Morning, you two," he said smiling back. They were always so upbeat when they were together.

"Morning you two!"

"Morning you two!"

Ranulfe sighed and rolled his eyes exaggeratedly and went back to finishing the bowl of oatmeal before him while grinning. His sisters giggled and in unison rolled their eyes and put the back of their hands to their foreheads, sighing heavily.

"So what are you going to do today?" he said between mouthfuls of his breakfast.

"So what are you going to do today?"

"So what are you going to do today?"

The mithra giggled again, their eyes shining happily.

"Oh me? I'm going to go eat some bugs in Gustaberg." Ranulfe smiled a bit as his sisters' smiles faded just a bit and there was a distinct pause before they replied.

"Oh, me? I'm going to go eat some bugs in Gustaberg."

"Oh, me? I'm going to go eat some bugs in Gustaberg."

Ranulfe laughed and his sisters did their best to mimic him, genuine laughter pouring through.

"Are you going to copy me all day?" he asked with his tongue in his cheek.

"Are you going to copy me all day?"

"Are you going to copy me all day?"

"I guess so."

"I guess so."

"I guess so."

"Idon'thinkit'sthatfunnysoyoushouldjustquititrightnow!"

"Idon'thinkit'sthatfunnysoyoushouldjustquititrightnow!"

"Idon'thinkit'sthatfunnysoyoushouldjustquititrightnow!"

Ranulfe smiled at his sisters and laughed, the twins in front of him giggling like mad and waiting for the next challenge.

"Okay, I guess you win..."

"Okay, I gues you win..."

"Okay, I gues you win..."

"But that's only because I smell like a galka!"

"Eeeee! Nii-chan admitted he smells like a gal~ka!"

"A big smelly gal~ka, Nii-chan is!"

His sisters giggled and clasped hands over their mouths. Ranulfe rolled his eyes and polished off his breakfast as his sisters held their noses and waved their hands in front of their faces, making over the top faces.
"Ew, he does smell like a gal~ka!"
"A great big stinky gal~ka! Worse than a cho~co~bo!"
They looked at each other just then, seemingly shocked by the inclusion of the big yellow birds.

"A cho~co~bo?

"Yes, a big smelly cho~co~bo!" They turned their attention towards their brother with starry-eyed wonder.

"Do you think he could carry us like a cho~co~bo?" came the question like he wasn't even there.

"Nii-chan!"

"Nii-chan!"

"Carry us like a cho~co~bo!" they shouted in unison, their hands outstretched to their older brother. "You don't want to be carried by a dirty galkan chocobo, though..."
"We do! We're sorry you said you smell."
"Yeah, you said you smell."
Ranulfe sighed and before long the people of the markets saw the hume boy running around with a pair of mithra affixed to his back.