Welcome to Gaia! ::

"Could I help you, dear? You look a little lost."

The soft, feminine voice belonged to a young woman who appeared somewhere in her late-twenties or early-thirties. She was dressed in casual slacks and a nice blouse...a blend of comfort and fashion, looking more appropriate for an ocean cruise than for a 'teen help' seminar. She had a kind smile though, and seemed eager to please. Maybe she was a recreational director or something...

"Right this way, dearie!" the woman replied cheerfully, but in a soft voice rather than one of those loud, overbearing, overly-cheery ones that one would expect from your typical 'recreational director'...or whatever she was.

She draped her arm casually around the young woman's shoulders as she guided her down the hall, past many identical doors, all numbered sequentially. "Here we are," she smiled, pausing before a door like all the others, this one labeled with a small, golden '32.' "We'll get you all settled in so you have some time to relax while we wait on the others to arrive. Feel free to unpack and get cleaned up while we wait," she continued, all the while flipping through a ring of keys before finding the right one and unlocking the door.

"Make yourself at home, sweetie," she smiled warmly, holding open the door.

The woman laughed softly, still subdued in volume even if she practically radiated warmth and reassurance. "Yes, I apologize for our sparsely decorated hallways. I thought it would be better to spend our budget on the interior rooms, so the hallway budget was the first to get cut," she smiled, leaving it to Mare to decide how much of that was only a joke.

"We're only picking up a couple passengers here, then we're making a couple more stops down the coast before the trip really begins. You have time to relax and settle in, even get freshened up if you'd like, before we meet later in the dining hall. We'll have a little get-together to meet everyone, then have some dinner. Nothing too overwhelming to begin with; we're starting off slow so you can all be comfortable on the trip." She smiled warmly once more, leaning against the door jam. "Is there anything else you need or would like to ask right now, or would you like me to leave you alone to unpack?"

Nodding her head slightly, the woman smiled. "Sounds like a good idea. Make yourself comfortable, dear. Who knows? You might change your mind on this trip." With that, she bowed and slipped out of the room, closing the door behind her. She had other guests to welcome and the young lady really seemed to need her privacy.

Time passed and eventually, it was decided that all the guests were aboard that were coming and the ship raised the gangplank and set out from the docks. The engines roared to life once clear of the dock and set the ship on its way out to sea.

The intercom system that ran all the way throughout the ship crackled to life.

"First, I'd like to welcome all our guests to the ship. You're all in for a very special cruise! I'm sure it will be...life changing."

There was a pause before the male voice continued speaking.

"At this time, the guests are requested to make their way to the dining hall for a brief, but important meeting. I promise it won't take much of your time, but we need everyone to attend. Hope to see you all there momentarily so that we can discuss the plans for your stay with us."

Luckily for Mare, the ship had clear signs posted on the walls, both of maps of the ship and arrows pointing towards various locations, like the dining hall. Other cruisers were exiting their rooms and filing down the hallway to the staircase leading to the dining hall below. They seemed to be gathering rather quickly, though most of them were probably just hungry and ready to get something to eat.