Ferry to Akala
#34 of All They Knew
Skye was lying in bed alone atop her blanket after getting off the phone with Aaron. They agreed on noon, so Skye would order her ticket to arrive at Akala then. He'd brought her a burst of inner joy, and so did Ruki whenever they spent time together, but something felt as if it were missing, and it began very recently, shortly after Sinnoh. Skye still didn't know exactly what it could be, but she had an idea. She was eighteen now, and along with her aging came independence and a heightened sense of purpose. Skye wanted to have a life away from home, one of her own, and Sinnoh opened her eyes to that possibility. If that were the case- the cause of this brewing phase of depression, it'd only get worse with each day. Where would she go, anyway? Where would she work? This would have to wait until Aaron left. Skye wanted to put her attention toward his week in Alola.
She pulled out her phone and checked the time. "...Wasted an hour in my bed," Skye mumbled. It wasn't like she had the motivation to do much else, however.
Shortly, Ruki entered, having spent some time on the living room couch with Skye's mother. However, he missed Skye, and her mother tended to bore him whenever she wasn't petting him. Ruki had been feeling Skye's disparate demeanor lately, and he wished he could help. He approached her bed so she could notice him.
"Hey," said Skye. A part of her wanted to be alone, but she'd feel terrible pushing Ruki away, and alone was essentially the last thing Skye needed, anyway. "Come up..."
--
At 11 a.m. the next morning, Skye was preparing to leave for Akala within the next hour after showering and lightly applying perfume.
Ruki sat beside her in the restroom, watching her fix her hair in front of the mirror. She had on a pair of white leggings, a long-sleeved pink tee, and her white boots. Casual-sided, but very cute.
"Hm..." Skye turned her head and observed her hair from a few different angles. "Think it's good." With her outfit and hair done, Skye was about ready to leave, but something came to mind while she looked at herself in the mirror. Skye had only experienced somewhat with makeup some years back, and she wasn't too big a fan but remembered what she liked. Skye opened a drawer on the counter she was standing over and took out a small circle-shaped black container. She looked down and noticed Ruki curiously watching. "Just liner... don't want to overdo it." Skye opened it and took out its pen, dabbing the tip in ink and leaning over the counter.
Ruki scooted back to watch from a better angle. He saw her place her index finger near the corner of her right eye, holding it taut while gently, lightly lining the brush across her waterline as not to apply too much.
Skye repeated this action with her other eye, and afterward took a breath as it was essentially held due to concentration. She observed her work, eyeing herself in the mirror. The color complemented her blue eyes well. Skye turned to Ruki. "I don't look like a zigzagoon, right?"
He gave it a moment before shaking his head. Ruki didn't know his way around makeup, but Skye looked cute with that style, although she never wore black.
"Guess we should get going." Skye checked her watch. It was nearing 11:30, and Skye didn't want to be last to board. She had to tell her parents she was leaving, anyway.
--
Close to fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the relatively packed Marina, although the number of present people and pokémon didn't compare to Sinnoh's ferry. Skye got her ticket from the booth by the entrance and stood behind a small crowd under the warm sunlight. "Can't wait to see the resort again. I assume it's changed a lot over the years," she said, crouching by Ruki. "It's difficult to book a room there in the first place. You usually have to a year in advance."
Ruki didn't remember much about Hano since he was young when they stayed, but he couldn't forget the massive structure overlooking an expansive beachfront. Ruki could properly take it in now that he was older.
--
After ten minutes passed, the crew began boarding, and Skye and Ruki were among the first allowed on deck. A few more groups had gathered behind during that time.
"Well, we don't get a room this time," Skye said while leaning against the ferry's railing.
Maybe not, but there were ways to pass an hour-long cruise by. Ruki saw a few people enter double glass doors at the center of the ship into what seemed like a shop. "Nin," he said, nudging Skye's leg.
"What?" Skye looked down at him as he took some steps forward. "Where could you possibly want to go?" Even still, she followed his lead and saw the doors in moments. "Oh... I guess you have an eye for everything."
Inside was a vibrant souvenir shop with many shelved items, rotating stands, and jewelry hanging on a few of them.
Skye approached a stand to the right of the entrance holding cute snowglobes of iconic locations in Alola, slowly turning it with her hand. "Bunch of overpriced stuff for tourists..."
Ruki stood nearby, eyeing a few pokémon plushies in a basket. He hadn't noticed that Skye walked ahead until she called him over, to which his ears perked. Ruki looked around until seeing her crouched beside a pendant stand, and he promptly trotted over.
"Come sit; I want you to test something," said Skye, taking a hanging necklace with a smoothly carved out shard from an ice stone.
He did and let her place it over his head. It fit perfectly around his neck, only dangling slightly.
"You look adorable in it, Ruki. My handsome boy." She grinned, leaning down and kissing him atop his head. "Do you want it?"
Ruki glanced at it and nodded. He'd wear it everywhere he went. It would be his only mundane reminder of Skye, and it looked neat, anyway.
"Let's go pay for it."