Standard Disclaimer
A/N: Thanks for the reviews, everyone!
The evening quickly overtook the day in a sly move. The Voyager of the Seas had not left port yet, but as the moon rose into the sky, the few remaining stragglers boarded the grand ship. Y.R.P had settled in their rather cozy stateroom. The cabin was on the lowest deck...deck two. Earlier in the day when they walked in, they all dropped their jaws. "This room is tiny," Paine remarked quite casually. The room was quite small. There was a door right near the entrance that led to the phone booth-sized bathroom. Two cots were placed in the far end of the room, lying on either side of the window. There was a vanity mirror and a small television, and the last thing compacted inside the room was a closet.
"At least we have a window..." Yuna tried helplessly to make the best of things. She walked in between the cots, drawing back the curtains. Her eyes widened substantially. The water was just a couple of feet below them! Rikku and Paine walked to the end of the beds, and Rikku looked unsure. She stayed quiet, squinting one eye and laying her tongue against the corner of her lips.
"This is like a walk-in closet with a phone booth inside of it..." Paine commented.
"Hey you guys, there's only two beds in here," Rikku stated the obvious. Yuna turned back to face them.
"I think a bunk bed comes down from the ceiling, Rikku. Anyway, the room's just to sleep and to bathe. We're going to be out and about!" Yuna reminded them with a smile. Paine nodded to her, folding her arms. Rikku grinned even wider.
"That's right!" She answered quite happily.
They grabbed their bags, which had been left outside their door. After accommodating the bags in a somewhat empty corner, the girls made themselves at home. Rikku kneeled on the ground and started messing around with the interactive television. Paine grabbed her bag and started rummaging through her clothing. Yuna decided to look into the smaller details. She noticed a plaque on the back of the door, and her eyes skimmed the instructions. "Hey, there's going to be a test drill in half an hour," She informed, them, carefully processing the information.
"We have to put on our life vests and head up to section C-7," Yuna continued to explain, "They're going to sound the short horn six times, and then the seventh time will be a long one. That's all there is to it."
"Sounds easy," Rikku commented.
"Sounds boring," Paine remarked.
"We might as well, considering you never know what'll happen," Yuna advised them realistically. Rikku shuddered at the thought, while Paine just sort of shrugged it off. Time flew by and they found themselves crammed in the small space with "C-7" painted on the ground. Yuna felt extremely claustrophobic. The life vests were rather uncomfortable as it was, but they also had a large group of people around them.
"Ugh, they need to hurry!" Rikku said anxiously.
"How long have we been waiting here?" Yuna asked out loud.
"About twenty minutes," Paine answered with a glance at her watch. Yuna sighed desperately, scanning the crowd. There was no one truly attention-drawing. Suddenly, she saw him. The most attractive man she had ever seen walked right in front of the C-7 group, most likely heading towards his own section. Yuna was breath-taken. Paine tried to avoid caring, but she noticed the shocked expression on Yuna's face. "Something wrong?" She asked Yuna curiously. Yuna heard the question, but it seemed to go through one ear and out the other. When the blonde man was completely out of sight, Yuna shook her head.
"No, no, I'm fine," She reassured Paine, then forcing a convincible grin. The alarm test was over after another horrifyingly boring five minutes. Yuna's mind was stuck on that guy for the rest of the evening. Dinnertime came around, and Rikku and Paine began to notice it.
"Yunie, you're acting really weird," Rikku commented, as they all got ready. Yuna had been blow-drying her hair, and she looked over at Rikku.
"What makes you say that?" Yuna asked her honestly.
"Well, Yuna, you've been "blow-drying" your hair with a blow-dryer that isn't plugged in…" Paine pointed out. Yuna's eyes widened. Had she really? Her orbs scanned the cord all the way down to the plug. They were right…
"Oh boy…" Yuna muttered beneath her breath. The brunette walked over to the bed and dropped down.
'What's up, Yunie?" Rikku asked her, sitting next to the distressed brunette.
"Well, it's nothing…really. It's just my mind, wondering what's going to happen, that's all," Yuna quickly saved herself. Rikku wouldn't let her live it down if she told them about that boy. The girls finally left the room, and they started up to the Dining room. They would have to cross a strip of shops and mini-restaurants called the Royal Promenade. As they walked up the stairs to the Royal Promenade, they were certainly turning heads. It was formal night, and the girls were required to wear their fancy clothing. Yuna led the three, wearing her beautiful songstress outfit. The sequins on her blouse attracted looks in the first place. Rikku was on Yuna's left, and her body was clothed in a green dress ending right above her knee. The cloth brought out the brightness of her lime-green orbs. Paine had actually given in to Yuna's wishes, and she dressed up. She wore a lacy gown colored a deep violet and raven.
The three met the glare of a golden, lit-up sign.
"The Royal Promenade," Rikku read as they passed under the sign. They noticed a lot of activity, mostly dressed-up folk heading towards the dining room. There were a lot of elderly people, but the girls did not fail to notice the younger passengers. Rikku giggled at a few flirtatious winks, while Paine glared at anyone who looked at her twice. Yuna just smiled and continued walking.
"This ship is big enough to have it's own mini-mall," Paine observed, noting the bright environment.
"I heard it has an ice rink! We have to check that out later," Rikku stated with excitement. Yuna recalled a pamphlet she had picked up in the room, and decided to release the knowledge.
"There's a really big theatre, a rock-climbing wall, a few clubs, a gym, a sauna, and a couple of Jacuzzi's," Yuna informed them as they neared the "Carmen Dining Room". They noticed photographers, taking professional pictures of people in front of a beautiful backdrop. "Let's do it!" Yuna said with excitement. Rikku agreed.
"We're not looking this good just to forget about it," Rikku exclaimed. The three waited in line, admiring the fine-looking people who came and went. They gathered in front of the backdrop, and smiled into the camera. The photographer was just about to take the picture, when Yuna noticed him. It was the same blonde from before. He walked into the Dining room in a fashionable suit. Yuna's smile dropped just as the photographer flashed the camera.
"Very nice!" He said, giving them the instructions for when to get the picture card. He brushed them along, trying to fit more people in.
"Let's find our table!" Rikku suggested, anxiously walking into the dining room. There were so many people! The dining room was decorated in a very beautiful style, dealing with a summer-type scheme. When the girls had finally settled in their assigned table, the ship began to depart. Rikku had fixed her eyes on the setting out the windowpanes, and she shrieked with joy when the ship moved. Yuna felt herself turning to look out the window quite often. An older couple that sat with them smiled at them.
"This must be your first cruise," they observed, smiling politely at the girls.
"Yes, it is," Yuna answered them, while Rikku and Paine just nodded.
"I can assure you, you will have a great time," The older man told them. As the candle lit setting brought so much warmth into Yuna, she truly understood the saying, "Respect your elders." She found herself looking around for that boy, once more, but that only brought disappointment. Yuna decided to enjoy the rest of her colorful, luscious dinner.