A/N: I know the Titanic curve is kind of cheesy, believe me, but this story has been plaguing my dreams, so I have officially decided to embrace the cheese. Also, I would just like to remind y'all that this is taking place in our world, so the characters are definitely going to be a bit different from the ones you know and love. I'll do my best to keep them in character as far as my idea will allow them to be. One last note, then I'll shut up. Auron will be considerably younger here then in normal circumstances, because it just makes things easier on me. I hope you enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy, Squeenix, or any of the affiliates.
Rikku, Wednesday, April 10, 1912
"Rikku, close your mouth. It's hardly flattering for a lady." Rikku snapped her mouth shut, coming back to herself and looked at Arianna. Rikku heard the slightest giggle from her best friend and cousin, Yuna. Yuna had recently become an orphan and Rikku's parents had taken her in.
"Sorry, mother. I've never seen such a beautiful ship before!" she exclaimed.
Indeed, it was a glorious ship. She was large, with several decks and many windows, freshly painted, waiting for her maiden voyage across the ocean heading to New York.
"Come on, then," Cid said gruffly, heading toward the ship. Her father was a wealthy man, but he had insisted the ship was a bad omen. He believed that the name Titanic was far too close to Titan; a fictional ship that had been rumored to have sank. The only reason they were going at all was because Arianna had thrown a fit and Cid had a hard time resisting his wife. Rikku followed her parents toward the ship, pushing through the crowd with a bit of difficulty. She was wearing a floor length gown, which was proper and also very hard to walk in. At home in New York, Rikku had always worn pants, much to her mother's horror. Unfortunately, she had turned seventeen in London and her mother insisted on burning everything in preparation for Rikku's presentation in to society when she turned eighteen.
The thoughts were pushed from her mind as she came into the ship and gasped. It was as beautiful on the inside as the outside! The walls were wood paneled on the bottom and red on top with fine wood doors every few feet. There were many others trying to hide their expressions of wonder. Rikku didn't bother trying to hide her amazement, though her mother was constantly reminding her to show no emotion. "Emotion is for the poor" had become her mother's mantra.
Rikku waited with Arianna and Yuna while Cid went to talk with a bellboy. She looked with interest at the people all around, talking excitedly about the ship.
"Yes, she is quite lovely."
"I think this will be a pleasurable journey."
"Of course, Titanic is the best money can buy!"
Rikku was snapped out of her thoughts by Arianna taking hold of her arm.
"Come, Rikku. We're going to our cabin." Rikku followed after her parents and the bellboy Rikku had seen her father speaking to. She couldn't help but crane her neck every which way as she looked around the magnificent ship. What especially amazed her was the definite steadiness of the ship. They may as well have been standing on solid ground for all the ship swayed.
"Here you are, sir," the bellboy stopped at a door and unlocked it, handing Cid the key afterward. His accent was so obviously English that she turned to grin at Yuna, who had a hard time resisting the sounds of the accent.
"Your luggage will be delivered to you shortly, in the meantime is there anything I can get for you?" he asked politely, his eyes coming to stop on Yuna. Even behind the polite smile, Rikku could see the mischievousness in his bright blue eyes. She liked him already and, judging by her blush, Yuna did too.
"No, thank you," Cid answered abruptly.
"May I ask your name?" Rikku asked quickly.
"Rikku!" her mother admonished, raising a mortified hand to cover her eyes.
"My name is Tidus, Miss," he answered, shooting the tiniest of grins in her direction before returning his eyes to Yuna.
"My name is Rikku. This is Yuna."
"It's very nice to meet you Miss Rikku, Miss Yuna. I'm sorry, but I've other duties to attend to." With that, he turned on his heel and strode down the hall. Rikku glanced at Yuna, who quickly flushed and looked away.
"Rikku, how many times must I remind you?" Arianna sighed. "Never fraternize with the help. It is bad taste."
Rikku rolled her eyes and made her way to the door that she knew led to the room she and Yuna would be sharing.
She let out a gasp of pleasure as she studied the room. It was just as beautiful as the rest of the ship. She wasn't quite sure why she had expected any different, but she had. The room was done in deep red, with a large four-poster bed in the direct center with deep red velvet hangings. There was a writing desk on the right side and a vanity table on the left. Next to the bed was a large bureau. A plushy chair made of wood and red velvet sat by the door. All the furniture in the room was made of the same wood; so deep brown it looked black and polished to a shine. A plush red carpet covered the floor, matching the curtains that covered the porthole window on the side. Next to the writing desk and vanity table were two different dark doors. One was ajar, leading to a bathroom. The other was closed, but Rikku could only assume it led to the hallway. It was a room fit for a princess.
"Oh my," Yuna breathed, having come in behind Rikku to study their new quarters.
"Let's explore!" Rikku exclaimed. She was determined to see the rest of the ship now. Could the entire ship possibly be this beautiful? How much money must it have cost? Yuna nodded in her agreement and they took the second door in the room, the one that led to the hallway.
It wasn't long before they came to a balcony that leaned out over a beautiful atrium with a gigantic chandelier hanging from the ceiling. There was a grand staircase leading from the balcony to the floor. The stairs came down from two directions and met with a small landing, which led to another set of stairs that led straight down. On the landing between the staircases was an intricate wooden clock with carvings of angels and such all around it. It was quite breathtaking.
"Let's find the deck!" Yuna exclaimed, taking Rikku's hand excitedly.
By the time they finally finished their exploration of the ship and found their way to the deck, the sun was almost setting. Rikku peered over the side to watch the water rush by, gasping and how far down the water was. A loud horn blared from somewhere, causing both girls to jump.
"What was that?" Rikku asked Yuna, who merely shrugged in response.
"That was the dinner alert," a voice from behind them said, causing them both to jump again. Rikku spun around to come face-to-face with a grinning Tidus.
"Oh, hello," Rikku grinned. "Why do they have such an obnoxious alert?" Tidus shrugged as if to say, 'I only work here'. Yuna stayed quiet, staring at the deck as if a treasure map was carved into it.
"We'd better go, then," Rikku sighed. "If we can find it, that is."
"It would be my pleasure to escort you," Tidus said with a quirky grin.
"Thank you!" Rikku exclaimed, digging her elbow into Yuna's side.
At least act human, for God's sake! She thought in exasperation. They followed Tidus' brisk pace through the ship in almost total silence, which was a first for Rikku.
Tidus led them down the grand staircase they'd seen earlier and across the atrium to a pair of double doors.
"Here's where I'll leave you," he said, giving a small, sarcastic bow and disappearing into the crowd. A smiling doorman opened the doors for them, admitting them into the dining room. Again, it was breathtaking. Rikku saw her parents sitting at a table with three people she didn't recognize. Two of them looked to be around her parents' age, what with their graying hair and hoity-toity attitudes. The third had his back to her. He wore what appeared to be military blues, his long black hair pulled into a low ponytail.
"There they are," she pointed out to Yuna and started across the hall.
"Ah, excellent. Rikku, Yuna, I'd like you to meet some of my friends," Cid said as soon as he saw them. "This is my daughter, Rikku and my niece and ward Yuna." He gestured to the older couple. "This is Henry and Andrea Masamune. I know Henry from college."
"Pleasure to meet you," Rikku and Yuna murmured politely.
"And this is their son, Major Auron Masamune." Rikku turned to greet the black haired man, only to look into the face of the most beautiful man she'd ever laid eyes upon. His skin was an even tan color, his facial features sharp and perfect, but that wasn't what really caught her attention. What really got her were his eyes. They were deep russet, holding strength, intelligence, and confidence, staring back at her. The entirety of the Titanic couldn't compare to the beauty that was he.
"Rikku, don't be rude. Say hello," her mother hissed with what Rikku assumed was a tight smile. She couldn't really be sure, because she couldn't bring herself to look away from the wonderful specimen in front of her.
"Hello. It's wonderful to meet you," she breathed quietly. He nodded.
"You as well, Miss Rikku." His voice was nearly as spectacular as his eyes. It was tinted with a southern accent, deep and smooth, a tone that demanded attention and praise.
A black eyebrow quirked over the russet eye.
"It's quite impolite to stare," he said conversationally. She realized her eyes hadn't left his face since she had
first looked at him.
"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't mean…" Rikku looked away at last, sitting next to Yuna, who not so subtly elbowed her in the ribs. When she dared to glance in the major's direction again, he still looked slightly amused. She stared back down at the table, feeling a mix of embarrassment and anger. So she found him attractive, it didn't give him the right to act so arrogant! She let out a small huff of breath, deciding then and there that she didn't like him at all. When her food came, she ate as quickly as was appropriate and excused herself.
She found her way up to the deck of the ship again. It was completely dark out now, and cold, but she couldn't be bothered to find her way back to her cabin and then all the way back up. She could endure the cold.
She walked down the length of the deck, trying to ignore the pulling feeling of the dress on the ground. She felt restless. She really needed to move around! She sighed and stopped at the edge of the deck, looking down to the lower deck to see some third class children playing. She smiled, wishing for her own childhood. She missed that time when life had been so easy. Everything had just been, no questions asked. Rikku had found herself questioning everything lately.
"You look restless." Rikku glanced over to see Tidus leaning against the railing next to her with his arms crossed.
"Am I that transparent?" He laughed out loud.
"Why yes, I would say you are. However, I can also say that I know just the place for a party."
"What kind of party?" Rikku asked suspiciously. If it was something snooty and boring she was going to beat him senseless.
"Well, Miss, it may not be up to your stature," he started sarcastically. She glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then whacked him over the back of the head. He frowned, rubbing the back of his head.
"Are all American girls this violent?" he asked.
"Yes, but I'm the only one daring enough to act upon my violent urges," Rikku said with a grin. "Now, do you honestly think of me that way?" she asked, a bit put out.
"No, not really. You see, if you looked down on those lower then you, we wouldn't be having this conversation, would we?"
"Don't say that," she reprimanded.
"I tell only the truth, Miss Rikku. I'm a cabin boy here, and this is the highest I've been in life. Back in London, I was a street urchin, working hard to make sure that those I promised my protection to wouldn't die. I'm headed to America to make something of myself."
"What makes you think you'll have any more luck in New York then you had in London?" she asked, curious. He glanced at her.
"I don't know Miss Rikku, but I have to try, don't I?" She wasn't sure what to say. Rikku herself had never been in such a position. Her family had been wealthy as long as she could remember. She'd always had it very easy and she knew that.
"You could always get yourself adopted into a good family," Rikku said before she could stop herself.
"Excuse me?" Tidus asked, looking offended.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it to be offensive. That's Yuna's story," she amended quickly.
"What do you mean?" he asked, looking curious.
"Yuna is my cousin, the daughter of my father's sister. My aunt married…below her station. My father disowned her in shame. I hardly ever saw Yuna, but from what I know of her family, they were very poor, but happy. They loved each other very much. Yuna's parents died a few years ago, and my family took Yuna in. My father always insisted that Yuna shouldn't be punished for her parents' mistakes. So she went from barely surviving to a spoiled rich girl. Like me, I suppose." Tidus looked thoughtful.
"I would never have guessed," he said finally.
"She's the sweetest, most humble girl you'll ever meet. She would help anyone who asked it of her, even if it meant her own misfortune." Tidus let out a small sigh and Rikku smiled.
"You fancy her, don't you?" she asked. He grinned at her with a small nod. Rikku grinned back.
"Shall we go collect Yuna and see if this party matches up to our expectations?"
Tidus grinned again. "Let's."
It must have looked odd to the other passengers to see an obviously first class girl strolling along talking animatedly with a worker from the ship. She realized that he no longer wore his pressed black and white uniform, but a pair of brown slacks and a white button up shirt, his suspenders hanging loose around his waist.
"You aren't working anymore," she commented. He laughed.
"No, I get off shift like everyone else. If I were working I can guarantee I'd be scurrying around playing delivery boy to the first class." He paused suddenly, remembering whom he was talking to. "I apologize, Miss Rikku, I didn't mean you…"
"It's all right. I know what you meant," she said. "And please call me Rikku. There aren't formalities among friends." He grinned big again and nodded.
"You really are bad at being first class," he commented.
"My mother tells me so all the time," she sighed.
He laughed out loud again as they made their way into the warm ship and towards Rikku's room.
--
Yes, I gave Auron a southern accent. I'm sorry if ya don't like that, but I do enjoy the thought. So, what do you think? Should I give up now or continue on my quest? Let me know, kay?
