Crud... truly sorry everyone! I tried to update this one sooner but again... college ; _ ; But fret no more friends I finally updated and hopefully I still remember everything that transpired in our trip *shot*
I apologize early if this isn't as exciting as you expect.. I am truly trying to make things interesting. If things are dragging please let me know!
Apparently my plans would only be at play during later chapters.
Also, feel free to correct me on anything! I cannot exactly do a commentary as the tour guide because I am sure I would get something wrong hahaha!
Please enjoy this update though! I tried to make it longer to make up for my slow progress. Cheers!
Chapter 3: Ice Breaker
His phone vibrated and rang at 07.00, waking the sleepy Fin who tried to ignore it by burying his face under the comforter.
Unfortunately he has set it to ring for an entire hour previously just in case he would attempt just that, muttering under his breath as he pushed the temptingly soft comforter aside and sat up to turn the damn thing off. Scratching his eyes a bit, he stood and took a minute to check what time his tour would be. It won't be long before they dock at their first port of call: Oslo, Norway.
Tino wore his coat and parted the drapes, stepping onto the chilled balcony just in time to watch islets pass by while the ship made its way through the Norwegian fjord slowly. Funny as it is, he still marveled at the view despite living in northern Europe where fjords were common.
The ship itself was not alone in the fjords with a few small fishing boats passing by every now and then. He found it cute as they waved at whoever was outside at that time and he felt good waving back.
Stretching his arms and legs, he smiled at the sky and went back inside feeling pumped. He took a quick shower and dried his hair a bit before wearing the clothes he prepared yesterday. He made his excursion bag filled with essentials last night and all he had to do was eat breakfast and get to the assigned waiting area for the tour on time. So out he went.
Waking up early had its perks and the Fin managed to get himself a four-seater near the window where he can continue to watch the islands pass while he ate. He got himself two plates, one for breakfast and the other for a sandwich he wanted to make to take along with him on the tour.
… Oh c'mon every tourist does that! Grab a pastry, plop it in a zip lock bag and enjoy your day!
He felt flustered looking at the buffet and noting that there is a big chance he would be eating the same thing for the next few days, narrowing his choices to a few favourites where he would end up looking for specifically instead of aimlessly roaming the rows upon rows of food.
Two half bagels, a dollop of cream cheese, a pack of Nutella, crispy bacon, scrambled eggs, breakfast sausage and a cup of hot chocolate seems good.
Eventually Steven turned up and Tino offered him a seat, finding out that the Kiwi had left Jett to sleep in and leave him to rush about later after the other had completely ignored his warnings to wake up already.
"…bloody drongo would still be asleep unless I get a didgeridoo and blow it into his ear or something…" he huffed, biting down on a piece of toast in mild annoyance.
Tino chuckled amusedly. "I'm sure Jett is happy to have someone like you or he may never get anything done. Oh which reminds me I'm sorry if I wasn't able to turn up at the party yesterday. I got lost apparently…"
"Nah that's perfectly fine. We didn't stay for too long anyway… the jetlag seriously got to us… rather me really. It's tough to adjust when you're used to the pace of the earliest time zone on the planet." Steven replied, spreading more Nutella on his toast as he did.
Tino nodded, knowing that New Zealand was ahead of everyone in terms of time zone. "If you don't mind me asking, why come here of all places? It's really far from the south pacific isn't it? Unless you live somewhere closer…"
He watched as the Kiwi looked at him in thought, his head tilting to the side somewhat.
"Hmm… I never really thought about why. I mean we do live in Australia, me having to move there for a job opportunity where I met Jett, we get snow every now and then, we have fjords of our own in New Zealand and even have the southern lights Aurora Australis. So I guess that easiest answer I could give you for now would be… wanderlust." He replied, smiling sheepishly at such a useless answer.
Wow he should really stop comparing him to a sheep he could only imagine how the Kiwi would take offense if ever he brought up the fact that the way his hair curled was bizarre and no amount of gel or hairspray can keep them there and look fluffy at the same time.
"…Ah don't think Tino would wanna talk about lust this early, Kiwi…" a heavily accented voice spoke and Jett's face came into view, grinning cheekily at them. "Good mornin' mate!"
Steven's face turned bright red and for someone who had a calm air to him the guy can switch moods faster than the sun making an appearance in Scandinavia before it disappears, the Kiwi immediately jabbing the Aussie in the ribs and making him suppress a yelp and looking like a kicked puppy.
"…ouch Kiwi not the ribs!" he whined, rubbing his side as he grudgingly sat down next to Tino to avoid getting attacked again.
"I said Wanderlust! Don't just say stuff like that in public!" he hissed, glaring at him while looking around to make sure no one was giving them weird stares.
Jett raised his hands in surrender and apologized at the growling New Zealander and promptly apologized to Tino as well. "Whoops my bad… way to start the mornin' eh? Oh look food! I'll go get some." He practically ran to the buffet to avoid the crosshair aimed at him that was Steven's glare.
His glare followed his friend until he can't see him anymore, sighing and looking at the Fin apologetically while he was nonchalantly munching on his bagel. "Sorry…hope that didn't make things awkward for you. He means well…I think? Though I don't even know what was running through that brain of his…" he said in a soft voice.
It was really awkward for him but he merely shook his head "Don't worry about it too much. Then again, I can only imagine how exciting your trip is with Jett around. He's like a giant ball of energy." he replied, chuckling.
Steven laughed along, nodding. "That's kind of true. Jett actually wanted to go here… especially Finland because of their legendary saunas or something like that and I wanted to see landscapes that aren't dry and humid. I'm still surprised that we managed to save enough. Our parents pitched in but we had to pay for the cruise ourselves."
Tino's eyes sparkled at hearing "saunas," quickly wiping his mouth with a napkin and taking a gulp of water. "…well if saunas are what you're after, I'd be happy to tell you where I usually go to."
"…heh I see things are about to get steamy in here~"
"JETT!"
"Here is your sticker. Please make sure you place it on your person where it is most visible but less likely to fall off. Also please keep your tour voucher ready… your guide will collect them before you board the buses." said the tour staff as she handed him a color coded round sticker after he presented his tour voucher.
Tino spent a moment to place his on the lapel of his coat before heading down the stairs of the Princess Theater where the rest of the passengers going on a tour were gathered. The theater holds evening shows ranging from comedy performances to all out musical productions twice every day to accommodate as many viewers as they could. It gave him enough time to eat and grab a good seat if he ever planned to watch.
Many of the passengers were retirees who were finally rewarding themselves after a lifetimes' worth of work and responsibilities. He waited quietly while others filtered into the venue like an awkward duck surrounded by old happy couples conversing about how handsome or beautiful they still were despite their age.
After finding out about his new friends' relationship, he couldn't help but feel left out; he was on a boat full of couples if not families with occasional kids. Not that he was in a rush however. He practically flew through college without taking interest in someone so what is a few more years of waiting… and possibly looking.
Soon they were asked to stand by group number and sticker color, ushering them to deck 4 where the gangway is. Every passenger needed to have their cruise card scanned exiting and entering the ship to know if for any reason someone was not on the ship by the time they had to depart later on. Tino allowed a few of the older passengers to go ahead of him and spotted Eduard lining up as well.
"Hey Eduard!" he greeted, smiling at the blond.
The other returned the smile, remembering the passenger he had helped yesterday. "Good morning sir. The sky is clear and it's not particularly cold today, perfect for a tour." He told him.
"Please, call me Tino. And I know, isn't it great? How about you? Where are you off to?" he asked, gesturing to the small bag he brought with him.
"I am off duty right now so we have the opportunity to wander around for a while. I cater to the passengers during lunch and dinner originally but since I handled my co-workers morning shift during the previous cruise we switched stations just for today." he explained, letting him go first to have his card scanned and followed right after.
"I see. It's great that you have breaks too!" he said, smiling.
The Estonian nodded. "Indeed. By the way, since you are cruising on your own, why don't you attend the Single Cruisers Meet and Greet? You can dine with us early and then you should be able to get there on time!"
Tino wanted to stare but his group was already moving away from where Eduard was heading to. "W-wait what is the Single Cruisers Meet and Greet?!" he called, trying not to lose the line.
Eduard laughed. "It is what it is! They meet up in the evening! Check your Princess Patter!"
And with that he left, leaving a frowning Tino to jog to keep up with his group.
He had learned that the Symphony Dining Room, one of the restaurants on board the ship, is divided into sections where two or three waiters are assigned to each. Passengers had their own assigned dining time where the table is reserved exclusively for them to use until it is made available for free seating and any walk-in passengers can use it for themselves.
Tino ate there where Eduard was stationed during free seating because the buffet area was too crowded and he didn't want to hunt for a table any more… and that he missed his own assigned seating for getting the venue to the Sail Away Party wrong. Seeing as it was late and most of the passengers have finished dinner, it was easy to spot the blond and he personally catered to him.
Apparently you can enjoy the cruise even more by making friends with the staff… given that too they are friendly enough so that is not always the case. Perhaps he was just lucky. He also got to meet Eduard's friends Toris and Raivis, the Lithuanian he had met yesterday and a Latvian respectively.
Needless to say they made dining all by himself a little less lonely.
A Single Cruisers Meet and Greet. Single Cruisers…
Hmm maybe he will check the patter when he got back, his curiosity growing. His tour only takes a few hours anyway.
The bus seats 40 people but theirs was not entirely full. Tino sat at the back which gave him the liberty to shift around to take pictures and there was always the door located in the middle so he didn't have to worry about leaving last.
A fortress stood in front of the dock where the ship was anchored and he could see several people walking up to a side entrance. If he had time he would probably take a look in there as it was just a walk away. His eyes were locked onto its medieval façade right until the guide had started to speak.
They were on their way to the Norwegian Maritime Museum to see a fully restored surface vessel named "Fram." Norway's landscape was not that different from Finland but then again it was still something new to him. The streets were narrow and made him wonder just how skilled the driver must be to not smash the windows onto trees or grazing parked cars. The way from the pier to the city center was made up of such streets and it took a lot out of the Fin to stop imagining the bus breaking anything.
The birch trees, distinguishable by its striped white bark, were slowly getting their leaves back and common to Scandinavian countries the locals were either riding their bikes or basking under the glorious sunshine, a refreshing drink on hand.
They kept close to the water front, driving along the coast of the Bygdoy Peninsula until they arrived to park by two triangle shaped buildings. Several buses not affiliated with Princess Cruises were also there of course but the number of people around wasn't overwhelming.
Tino brought out his camera and followed the tour guide down the bus and went on with the walking tour, leading them to a viewing platform in front of the museum where the flags of Norway towered over the buildings. What is nice about traveling with old people is the exchange, you take their picture and they will gladly take yours, saving him the time to try and get a photo of himself.
Next they were led into the Maritime Museum where several small Viking ships were on display in a wide space and a few more model ships in glass cases. His eyes barely took in much detail before they entered a dimly lit viewing room. The film had already started so it was difficult to move around when everyone else can barely see a thing. He even gave up his seat for an old woman and ended up standing.
Good guy Tino strikes again!
The film showcased Norway's maritime traditions and innovations of the fishing industry, battling the unforgiving North Atlantic and Baltic seas on hand made wooden boats that were later improved to steel boats. Multiple aerial shots made it possible to see Norway from a bird's eye view, seeing plenty of fishing vessels dotting the coasts that contributed a large part in the economy. To summarize, Tino had never seen that much fish caught by fishermen in a film before other than watching Deadliest Catch on Discovery Channel.
With the film done it was finally time to see Fram which was in an adjacent building made just to house the vessel. Past the glass doors and weaving through the opposing crowd of people trying to exit and enter at the same time, Tino stared at the towering polar ship once it came into view.
It was larger than what he imagined; not taking the time to research on what he was about to see just so that he can be surprised and this was just unexpected. Stairs built on the sides of the building and an elevator brings visitors to viewing platforms. The top floor was where gangways bridge these platforms to the deck of the ship itself and the Fin promptly scurried up the steps, skipping the glass displays on the other levels. He can look at them later.
The beams of this polar ship were meters high; the gap between the highest post to the roof only a few inches apart. The building's lights were also dimmed and a projection of the Northern Lights, the Aurora Borealis, slowly glimmered and dazzled children and adults alike. He can't really tell if his excitement caused his poor decision, wheezing and gasping for breath by the time he got up there. Not one of his bright ideas.
He crossed the gangway, marveling at the sturdiness of such an old structure though it was obviously strengthened and repaired if they let you onto it. He followed some people down steep steps leading to chambers inside the hull, wandering through the network of rooms. The ceiling was high enough that he only needed to bend a little to keep himself from hitting it though the passages were narrower.
Some rooms were decorated with study tables covered with old notebooks and journals, fur coats and displays of equipment during the occupants' voyages like those wooden frames they attach to shoes that look like old tennis racquets. Everything was also clean, the wooden tables and chairs, the floors. It was well maintained.
The lowest level the stairs go leads to an empty room somewhere near the base of the hull where ropes and beams criss-crossed through the open space. Small glass panels enabled him to peer into the innermost workings of the hull where the dusty engine was placed. It was dark down there with lights only streaming through the glass, making it an effort to avoid the bolts on the wooden floor and get back up.
He was finally out, carefully climbing up the stairs and back onto the deck. It was truly a unique experience. When he was about to get off to look at the other displays his ears picked up a sharp burst of sound, looking over at the railing. No one was panicking but he could have sworn he heard it.
BANG
There it was again! The sound was faint but it was clearly a gun shot. His eyes darted everywhere but still there was nothing out of the ordinary. He felt a bit giddy, fingers twitching. It has been quite some time since he had tried and if the people here were not running for their lives then that gunshot meant one thing: a shooting simulator.
He took the stairs again, in a hurry but also careful of where he stepped, back to the ground floor. There were several exhibits on display ranging from educational charts for children to realistic fake stuffed animals of polar bears. And tucked at the corner near the entrance to the souvenir shop was the simulator he was looking for.
He waited for the man to finish, quietly watching him as he tried to shoot for a high score and missed the center by only a few millimeters, earning praises from the lady he was with. Soon it was Tino's turn. It was a simple upper half human shaped bulls eye target traced with LED lights with a single rifle propped by a holder. The highest score of the day was illuminated in red and judging by the scoring the previous record holder had gotten two bulls eyes out of five.
Easy.
He held the rifle near his cheek, eyes narrowing slightly as he concentrated on the little red dot at the center of the target. There were a few onlookers, mostly kids who were also waiting for their turn. Seems like this guy is about to take it a bit too seriously.
And serious he was. Five shots were all he had and by some miraculous miscalculation he missed one but the rest was spot on. The machine chimed and the high score was replaced with his. He won no prize or even had to register his name. All he got was satisfaction, a big smile on his face as he made his way through the souvenir shop so that others can try, and fail, to do the same.
He can be proud of himself once in a while. Practicing in the shooting range near his apartment affected his performance greatly.
Buying a simple refrigerator magnet, the Fin exited the museum and sat on one of the stone benches while waiting for the rest of his group to come out, munching on the sandwich he brought with him.
Their next stop was a short walk from the museum and onto a refurbished old open-deck seating sailing vessel for a scenic cruise along the Oslo fjord. He shimmed his way to a spot on the wooden benches instead of the chairs in the middle for a good view while three groups merged into one to fill up the boat.
The captain untied the knot and with a push from his stick-hook thing, the sailing went underway, passing by houses elevated by wooden planks and drifting away from the main island. Inlets popped up in random places in the peninsula, each occupied by a handful of colored houses and surrounded by smaller wooden boats fastened by wooden poles.
From afar a long narrow white strip can be seen on a hill from where they were; the ski jump "Holmenkollen" that was the highlight of the other shore excursions for Oslo. He would have loved to see that one too but he could only do one tour at a time and "The Best of [insert country here]" tours were exhausting and not something he would prefer.
The boat sailed while the tour guides of the three groups took turns mentioning facts about their beloved country and there were also the silent intervals of just letting the tourist enjoy the scenery while they went as far as they can go before turning around. Tino rested his head on the wooden ledge, watching the sun slowly sinking, eyes half opened. Who won't feel sleepy at such a wonderful sight? And the fact that everyone was dead quiet.
By the time he opened his eyes the boat was already edging near the pier where the cruise ship was stationed, jolting up from his seat and discreetly checking if there was drool on the corners of his mouth. A few locals were fishing by the side of the pier, even small children taking pride of their tiny catches.
They filed out of the vessel, the passengers thanking the captain and the motley crew of tour guides on their way out. He took one last look at the scene behind him before hastily making his way past the crowd and to the fortress he saw earlier. His tour started at noon and ended around four hours later, giving him just enough time to sneak a peek inside. Though the ship was not scheduled to leave until 18.00, he still had the assigned dinner to catch.
Up the hill and through the stone archway, he found himself looking into the cobblestone courtyard of the Akershus Castle. There was an entrance fee to see the entirety of the fortress such as the Akershus Church and Royal Mausoleum yet since he was already pressed for time he was content with just staying by the entrance and soaking in as much detail as he could from where he was and taking photographs.
Not only that but when he turned to venture back down the elevation gave him a better view of the peninsula, something he seems to never get tired of seeing. One last photo won't hurt and then back to the ship he goes… with a little detour to the souvenir shop near the gangway to pick up some potential last minute things.
"Hi there! Welcome to the Single Cruisers meet and greet! There are drinks at the bar if you want any. Please enjoy yourself!"
Tino gave the girl at the door a small smile and nodded his head, gingerly entering Club 6 at Deck 6. He honestly doesn't know what he was doing there. The club looked more of a lounge in the day with several plush seats and coffee tables next to windows where passengers can read the newspaper in peace. He was surprised how the atmosphere changes at night.
They also held scheduled seminars in there from time to time. He was planning on buying a Go Pro Hero 4 that was available at the ship's camera shop, and they were going to have a seminar on of these days as a sort of introduction for potential buyers.
He did have dinner at the Symphony Dining Room to ask Eduard more about the Meet and Greet but the answers he got were not as encouraging as he thought.
"Just how it is aptly called…" the Estonian started. "…it is for single cruisers who want to make friends that they can hopefully hang out with during the cruise. In most cases those who attend are also single, if you get what I mean."
He stared at him for a long time until Toris started to laugh while he collected the plates on the next table. "I think you scared him, Eduard…"
"Did I? But it's true!" he said, chuckling. "They aren't strict with who goes there but those with relationships usually attend to find friends. You just have to be mindful. Other than that, I hear it's fun."
As of that moment he hoped he doesn't look like he was there to hook up, weaving through several people to get to the bar. Whatever he's doing merits a cocktail at least.
The cruisers present do look like they belong in his age group, happily mingling with the few who looked approachable. Then there were small groups or pairs quietly chatting between themselves.
He would usually be the one approaching but then again he also didn't want to just insert himself into the group without being asked, looking around for someone he would talk to.
"I wonder if Berwald is around…" he thought, taking a sip of his drink and sweeping the place with his eyes. Surely someone like him wouldn't be going to these silly things but he was someone he knew that was cruising on his own as well.
He sighed.
Or maybe he wasn't alone. He never actually made an effort to talk to him anyway.
The lights were dimmed to a vibrant blue and purple while upbeat music vibrated throughout the room. To Tino's distress, some also started dancing. It made him look for like an outcast just sitting there.
The meet and greet was a freestyle event. There was no schedule to follow and everyone can do whatever they want and have fun for the night. The only staff there was the bartender and the DJ.
One very effeminate looking blond guy was trying to get everyone to dance, twirling around in his pony themed pink shirt while pulling people up on their feet and ushering them to the dance floor. And he was getting close to Tino.
"Like, c'mon guys! You won't be someone's eye candy if you don't start moving that bod of yours!" he exclaimed, a big grin on his face and hands high up in the air. His new friends cheered with him, raising their drinks.
His green eyes locked onto Tino's violet ones and made his way towards him, dancing with each step.
"That includes you too! Don't think I haven't seen you looking all sulky over here~" he cooed, pulling on Tino's hand.
The poor Fin squeaked. "…I-I'm good here… really!"
"Sure… but really… if you're single you should be ready to mingle!" he stated, managing to get Tino to stand at least. "Now… I don't expect any of the staff to get this party started to it's up to me to do so! The name's Feliks."
He dragged the hesitant Fin nearer to the dance floor, the other letting out a faint whimper. Feliks turned and pouted, placing his hands on his waist. "What are you so nervous about?"
"I-I um… c-can't dance?" he stuttered, pulling on his sweater.
Feliks smirked. "Can't or won't?" he asked.
He gestured to a few other people who looked like they haven't danced in decades, their awkward movements were coupled by giggles and the once divided group was now in a giant circle of slightly drunk young adults.
"No one would laugh at you, you know… I'll personally see to that…" said Feliks, smiling kindly at him and playfully bumping his hips with his own. "Let's see that body moving!"
"It would be a shame to pass this chance doesn't it?" said a voice.
Tino turned and came face to face with Eduard smiling at him. He was wearing a blue shirt and jeans, perfectly blending in with everyone else. "I told you the meet and greet would be fun. It always is."
"I know right?!" exclaimed Feliks. "Fine… if I can't get you to join then I'll just leave it to your friend here to do it for me. Seems you two know each other… not that anyone cares. I know at least 6 other people who snuck out of their parents' line of sight just to be here."
Feliks winked at them and flipped his hair, returning to the noisy band of cruisers and dancing with them.
Tino watched his retreating back before turning his attention to Eduard. "Are crew members allowed here?" he questioned, curious.
Eduard shrugged and pointed to 3 others who were already dancing. "They're part of the staff. It's not exactly allowed… but you looked so distraught when you asked me about it that I wanted to check on you. But seeing as you have already made a friend then I have less things to worry about."
Someone whistled at them and they saw Feliks pouting while he danced, gesturing that they get their butts onto the dance floor soon.
"He's not letting us leave unless we dance huh…" muttered Tino.
Eduard chuckled and slowly ushered the Fin onto the dance floor, making the rest of the group to cheer for them.
"That's the spirit! Widen the circle guys!" came Feliks' voice and the circle opened up for them where things got a whole lot louder compared to where he sat.
The DJ was dishing the best beats in his arsenal and everyone practically left their awkward shells on their seats. Though drinks were not allowed on the dance floor itself to avoid accidents, it wasn't hard to pick up the faintest smell of alcohol.
Tino started to dance awkwardly, feeling shy, then felt someone hoisting his arms up a bit higher and Feliks' face kind of zipped by his vision before disappearing somewhere in the small crowd. He could count about 20 people there all trying to fit in a small space so getting pressed onto someone can't be helped.
Eduard laughed at him, dancing as well. "He's like a hawk isn't he? He'd also make a great fashion police…I don't want him seeing my wardrobe."
Tino laughed loudly, covering his mouth. Feliks' clothes were a bit eccentric but he carried it like it was no one's business.
The spotlights dazzled and gleamed even if the floor wasn't lighting up like conventional dance floors were. Everyone was bumping into one another, laughing it off and one could almost see cliques forming; Feliks seemingly belonging to every one of them.
He spared Eduard a glance, the blond also enjoying himself.
"Hey Eduard!"
"Yes?!"
"Thanks for sort of illegally coming here to check on me!" he yelled over the music.
The Estonian can't say he heard him clearly but he smiled anyway. "No problem! I just don't know when we can lea-"
"CONGA LINE!"
Feliks grabbed Tino's wrist and pulled to place both his hands on his hips. Eduard was then forced to place his hands on Tino's hips and the conga line was formed, making their way around the cramped space and moving tables as they go along.
The young man in front of him doesn't look like he's drunk so Tino just went with it, partly because he's finally having fun, and partly because Feliks' also kept one hand over his so that he doesn't get away while the other was raised high.
Their little break consisted of more drinks, something Eduard had to pass since he technically wasn't a passenger (which he kept secret), and a bottle of vodka that Feliks had bought to share.
Vodka clearly got Tino's attention and mixed his cocktails with a swig or two, relishing the taste. His chance of having any was close to none when he didn't purchase the beverage package. He was seriously reconsidering it.
Eduard became his drink buddy, making sure he doesn't over drink since he has a tour the next day.
He ended up going to bed at 01.00 AM, a little drunk, and had an alarm set up at 05.00.
