>You never thought you'd be so disappointed that you were going on a cruise.

>When you initially received the news from your one of your close friends, you were stoked.
>How often was it that you got the chance to go on a fucking cruise?
>With your current job, not very often.
>Your (arguably better off) friend explained that he'd be covering all the expenses, so you could do whatever the hell you wanted for the four-day trip.
>It all sounded too good to be true.

>When the big day finally came, you quickly discovered that it was.

"Why the fuck didn't you tell me it was a singles cruise?!"

>"If I did, would you have agreed to it?"

"Hell no!"

>"Exactly."

>You resisted the urge to smack the fruity drink out of Kevin's hand.
>You couldn't hate him, because you knew he believed he was doing something nice for you, but the anger and frustration was still there.
>You'd been single since high school, mostly due to you focusing on college and other more important (in your mind) things.
>Kevin always gave you shit for it, but in the friendly, well-meaning way.
>Still, he'd try to set you up with a date every now and then.
>He just wanted you to be happy, and you couldn't really blame him for that.
>Nor could you really blame him for all the shitty ways those dates ended.
>You seriously thought you had some kind of curse placed on you, resulting in every girl you dated just vanishing after (or even during) the first date.
>Eventually, the disappointment just became too much for you, and you gave up on the dating scene all together.
>You told Kevin to stop with the blind dates for a while, and he respected your wishes.

>Or so you thought.

>"Alright, it was wrong of me to leave out the singles part. I'm sorry. Still, it's a fucking cruise, Anon! You can still have fun! You don't even have to hook up with anyone if you don't want to!"

"Never said I didn't want to..."
>Deep down, you were craving a serious relationship. 
>All the rejections and stand-ups had rendered you desperately lonely.
>You wanted to believe that there was someone out there for you, but all the disappointments made you reconsider that philosophy.

>Kevin puts a hand on your shoulder.
>"Look, Anon, don't worry about the past. You'll find someone, alright? And even if you don't, you've still got me. That's worth something, right?"

>You smile.
>Kevin had been your friend since 4th grade for a reason, and not just because he had a trampoline in his backyard.

>"...I'm going to take your silence as a resounding 'yes.' Now, what do you say we get this cruise started and hit the buffet?"

>You can't really say no to free food, so you nod.
>After devouring as much of the buffet as the staff would allow, you and Kevin explore the rest of the ship. 
>It's a bit small, as the trip is only a few days long, but it still has plenty to keep you entertained.
>Restaurants, a sports bar, some dance clubs, a spa, a fitness center, etc.
>Even if you didn't end up with a date at any point, you were still going to make the most out of this free vacation.

>You spend the next few hours messing around, engaging in some cruise activities like bingo and trivia.
>Kevin manages to hit it off with a fox.
>A real fox, mind you; this cruise in particular is a mix of human and anthro passengers.
>You have to give the cruise line credit for being progressive.
>As good as a time you were having with Kevin and his new lady friend, it eventually ended when she asked him to accompany her to her room.
>You told him it was fine if he wanted to go, and the two left the ice cream social eagerly.
>You were happy to see Kevin was enjoying himself, but now you were alone for the next however long he and his date decided to hang out.
>Since you were taking a break from dating, your social skills had all but atrophied, so talking to any other cruise-goers one-on-one was out of the question.

>You resorted to just walking around the various decks, occasionally perusing the art gallery or getting some ice cream on the lido deck. 
>As evening came around, there was still no sign of Kevin anywhere.
>He must've been having a lot of fun with his date.
>You'd be lying if you said you weren't jealous.
>The fun you were having earlier fades from your memory as you ponder about just how lonely you truly are.
>A cruise ship full of single women, and you don't feel like talking to any of them.
>Some vacation.
>Depressed, you decide to head back in the direction of your cabin, passing by one of the dance venues, full of partying humans and furs.

>That's when you hear her voice.

Please don't talk about love tonight
Please don't talk about sweet love

>It's coming from inside the club, carrying out into the hallway.
>Your feet move on their own, taking you into the hustle and bustle.
>As you push through the crowd of dancers, the voice and music become louder.

Please don't talk about bein' true
And all the trouble we've been through

>You don't know what it is about that voice that draws you closer and closer.
>It was smooth as silk and carried the tune of the song perfectly.
>You don't get ASMR, but you have a feeling it's something similar to what you're feeling right now.

Please don't talk about all of the plans we had
For fixin' this broken romance
I've got to go where the people dance
I want some
Action
I want to live

>Finally, you make your way to the front of the crowd.
>You cast your gaze on the stage.
>Front in center is the source of the voice that has you mysteriously entranced.
>She's a bright blue macaw women, wearing a red dress that compliments her curvy figure.
>You couldn't care less about her figure, though; you're more focused on her singing.

Action, I've got so much to give
I've got to give it
I want to get some too

>The other club-goers around you continue dancing, while you stand completely still, watching the macaw perform.
>You can tell that she's really into the song, swaying her hips to the beat as she sings.

I love the night life
I've got to boogie
On the disco 'round

>All you can do is just watch and listen.
>You feel your heart pounding in your chest as the bird finishes her song.
>The crowd erupts into applause and cheer as a human steps onto the stage.

>"Ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together for our very own Jewel of The Sea!"

>The woman gives a wave and a smile to the audience before leaving your sight.
>The band starts up another song, and the crowd gets back to dancing.
>You can't move; you're still processing the events that just took place.
>Your heart is beating like a drunk redneck does to his wife, and your brain is muddled with thoughts of the macaw and her voice.

>You expected to leave this cruise without much of an impact on your romantic life.
>What you didn't expect was falling in love on the first night.

>"She used to be a model! Can you believe that?"

>You snap out of your daze, looking up at Kevin's excited face across the table.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, that's cool."
>You immediately go back to prodding the remains of your soggy waffles with your fork.
>It's the morning after the first night on the ship.
>While Kevin was going on about his night, your mind drifted back to the alluring macaw woman.
>Ever since you saw her that night, you couldn't get her out of your head.
>The remnants of her voice echoed endlessly in your brain.

>"Hey, you okay, dude? You seem kind of out of it."

>Yeah, no kidding.
>"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm glad you had a fun night."
>You avert your gaze, not wanting to look Kevin in the eye.
>That serves to be a mistake, as you suddenly notice the very same macaw sitting not a few tables away.
>She's happily chatting with a few of the band members, but she doesn't seem to notice you.
>You freeze up, nearly dropping your fork.

>Kevin takes notice right away and turns to see just what was affecting you.
>He scans the room for a bit before turning back to you and gesturing to the macaw.
>"Friend of yours?"

>You shake your head.
"No, she's just the singer at one of the clubs. Saw her perform last night and I recognized her."
>You busy yourself by grabbing another bite of waffle, keeping your head down.
>Even without looking at Kevin, you're pretty sure he's gone back to looking at her.

>"She's pretty cute. Why don't you go talk to her?"

"Fuck no."

>"Come on, Anon, this could be your chance. You guys might hit it off."

"And if we don't?"

>Kevin shrugs.
>"There's other fish in the sea. Or...birds in the tree, if you prefer."

>That actually gets a smile out of you.
>A small one, but it's still there.
>You set your fork down and look up at Kevin.
>He gives you a "you got this" look.
>You take a sip of orange juice.
>Fuck it.

>You push yourself up and out of your chair, taking a deep breath. 
>Kevin smiles.
>You begin approaching the band's table.
>You feel your heart starting to pound in your chest.
>Your forehead feels sweaty.
>You think of what to say to introduce yourself.
>'Hey, your show was pretty good.'
>PRETTY good? It was way better than that!
>'Hey, I tought your show last night was amazing.'
>No, too forward.
>You're five steps away from her table.
>Four.
>Three.
>Two.
>One...

>You reach the table.
>Your feet don't stop moving.
>You keep walking.
>You head for the exit.
>The macaw didn't even notice you.
>You just keep walking, not even looking back to gauge Kevin's reaction to your bail.
>You start down the stairs.
>You make it all the way to your stateroom.
>You open the door.
>You crawl into bed.
>You decide to spend the rest of the cruise here.