Next morning, Kitty found herself being awoken by Amelia, who was physically shaking her awake.
"Do wake up, Kitty," the Captain asked. Amelia was determined to rid herself of her pink hair as soon as possible.
"Amelia...if I turn your hair back to normal will you please stop trying to wake me up?" Kitty asked around a substantial yawn.
"Yes. Yes, I shall," Amelia replied and playfully sat down on top of Kitty, grinning.
Kitty looked up into her eyes blearily, and yawned extensively again. "All right, give me a second," she said and then murmured something unintelligible to Amelia.
Amelia quirked an eyebrow, then drew her tail about to look at the tuft there, and smiled ecstatically when she saw that it now was auburn again. "Superb! Top-notch," Amelia murmured and got to her feet...much to Kitty's relief. Amelia was a slight woman, but she was´nt a bag of feathers either...
Amelia strolled over to look into a mirror. Much to her approval, her nearly shoulder length hair was back to its normal reddish-brown color. "Ah, thank you, Kitty. Much better," she declared, running a hand through her hair before she headed back out on deck. As she was departing, she heard a sleepy "You're welcome" come from the young felinid she shared her cabin with, who was already half-way back into dreamland again.
Amelia shook her head, doffed her tri-corner hat, and shut the door to her cabin. Once back upon the bridge, she found Arrow standing in his usual place. "Ah ha, back to auburn again, I see," he observed with a smile.
Amelia removed her hat, and subconsciously ran a slender hand through her reddish locks happily. Replacing her hat upon her head, she remarked, "Well, old man, it has been a week, you know."
"Yes, now that you mention it, I suppose it has been at that," Arrow teased and smiled.
Both Arrow and Amelia turned to look back when the door to Amelia's stateroom opened and Kitty stumbled out, bleary-eyed and still yawning. She made her way over to where Amelia and Arrow stood, and said, after a huge yawn, "Good morning, everyone."
"Ah, good morning, dear. Up already? Arrow, has there been another lightstorm recently? I can scarcely believe my eyes," Amelia announced playfully.
Kitty grinned, glad to see Amelia happy again. "Hee hee, Amelia. Hey, what can I say? I couldn't sleep," Kitty said, shrugging. She then smiled at Amelia before taking her leave, and heading down to where Alex stood, and engaged him in some animated conversation.
"Ha! And that girl has the nerve to tell me that she´s not in love with that boy," Amelia observed with a pretend sniff of righteousness, though she could also not hide her smile.
"Ah ah, Captain. Watch yourself. You know how touchy Miss Petro is about that particular subject," Arrow advised. "You do remember your pink hair, don't you, my friend?"
"Well, yes. Of course I do," Amelia remarked brazenly. "But don't you understand how it frustrates me when that girl is so stubborn about this that she cannot see she loves him herself."
"Come now, relax, Captain," Arrow soothed. "As I believe I told you nearly a week ago, we simply must give her some time is all..."
Amelia snorted at that, still frustrated. "I see. Not to change the subject, old man...but are you two are still plotting some match-making of your own for me?"
Arrow nodded affirmatively. "Most definitively, Captain," Arrow replied. "In fact, more enthusiastically than ever, since our Ms. Petro has provided me with some definitive proof of her claims." Arrow immediately knew he has probably said too much to the inquisitive Captain.
Amelia's eyes narrowed and her nostrils flared. "Eh, what's this? What proof are you speaking of, Arrow? Out with it, man!"
"I regret that I may only tell you so much, my friend...Kitty swore me to silence on the details of the matter," Arrow told her. "But, I am able to inform you that you are to meet your soulmate on that fated voyage that occurs in that 'movie' Kitty is always telling of."
"So...the little scamp has proof, eh?" Amelia mused aloud, arching an auburn eyebrow. "Now, that's something I´d rather like to see myself."
Amelia cast an inquiring look Arrow's way.
"Now, Amelia, you know I can´t do that," Arrow informed her steadfastly. "Beside reneging on my word to Kitty, telling you would only ruin the whole surprise you've got in store for you. However, I may provide you a hint now and again when I deem it appropriate."
"I see, well...I shall not ask you to break your word, old boy. Much as my sense of curiosity might like me to," Amelia replied, clasping her hands behind her back, a mild look of frustration in her green eyes.
"Thank you, Captain. I am rather glad to hear that," Arrow said with some relief. Amelia could be rather persistent when she put her mind to it. Their conversation was interrupted when they both looked down to the main deck, where peals of laughter were erupting.
Amelia frowned, seeing her cabin boy, Alexander Dalley, now sporting a blindfold about his eyes while holding something before himself, and moving tentatively towards a picture of a donkey that someone had tacked to the main mast. Amelia rolled her eyes and sighed. "What's that girl up to now?" Amelia groused, nodding to Arrow, who followed her down towards the growing crowd on deck. She and Arrow threaded their way through the crowd of spacers and cadets to find an most amused Kitty and a blindfolded Alex at play.
"Oh, hey, Captain," Kitty greeted her.
"Hmm. Good morning, Kitty," Amelia said, her tone inviting some further response. "Just what are you up to this time around?"
"Oh, this? Well, I´m teaching everyone a game called 'Pin the Tail on the Donkey'," Kitty explained patiently. By now, Alex had finally reached the picture on the mast, and guessing just where he thought the behind of the donkey might be, he attempted to tack on the tail to the picture. While his placement wasn't picture perfect, nor even anatomically possible, Kitty grinned with approval. "Way to go, buddy! That's a new record, Alex," Kitty informed her friend. Alex grinned and pulled off his blindfold, looking at just how he'd done.
"Could you kindly explain this game to me?" Amelia asked.
"Sure!" Kitty said. "Well, first off, I blindfold you, then spin you around a few times to disorient you. Then, I turn you about in the general direction of the portrait there on the mast, and let you go. It's your job to tack that tail---best as you can---to the donkey's behind."
"I see," Amelia replied, not seeing the purpose to this game at all. "And you are teaching my crew and the cadets this...why?" Amelia asked, looking into Kitty's eyes.
Kitty shrugged. "Well, I guess I was just in the mood," Kitty said and looked down to where Amelia's tail was twitching impatiently.
The gathered spacers grinned, much to Amelia's disapproval. "Drolly amusing, dear. Though I wouldn't give up your career as a spacer just yet, were I you," Amelia responded a bit sarcastically. The Captain then turned to the rest of her gathered crew. "Might I remind you all that we will be returning to port in precisely two weeks time. Were I you, I would strive to behave a more mature and responsible, should you care to achieve passing scores."
The cadets paled, understanding her implied threat immediately, and began moving away to get back to work. "Yes, Ma'am!" the cadets replied, scampering away back to their duties aboard ship. Satisfied that her authority was still intact, Amelia turned back to look at Kitty briefly, who still was smiling, and returned to her post on the bridge with Arrow in tow.