Alek bites his lip hard enough to draw blood as he looks out the window of the plane. He can't believe that he let Emilie drag him into this.

After she heard the advertisement, she immediately set into work on researching the entire thing, deeming it perfect for Aleksander. Without even asking, she began filling out the questionnaire for it, and he admits that he helped since his schedule was already going to be ruined and he didn't want her putting in silly answers.

Now that he's on a plane heading to the island where this Healing Hideaway takes place, he feels sick about the whole thing.

When Em heard his qualms about the trip, she explained that that was the exact reason he should go, and he didn't quite understand the logic in that.

How is his reluctance to be abandoned on an island, forced to talk to a stranger, and partake in weird activities the exact reason he should go?

Although he wouldn't admit it though, he is excited about the entire thing. He didn't like the strict routine he had, but in his mind he believed he had to follow that routine. Maybe this trip would break him of that.

When Alek realizes he's drawn blood on his lip, he lets it go, curling and uncurling his hands instead. Everything is so new to him, the plane, the island, there's a part of his mind that believes this will be like exposure therapy for him. The other part just wants to jump into the ocean.

His mind is already thinking of all the ways things could go wrong because he isn't currently serving coffee to customers.

Aleksander is glad that they're allowed a day to get used to the island before having to do anything. He picks up the pamphlet from his lap that was given to him. It lists another brief description about the island, very similar to the one on the website, but it also lists a schedule of times that events will be taking place, although it doesn't say which ones.

Alek stares at the schedule until he can see it with his eyes closed.

The flight passes agonizingly slow, and as much as Alek tries to relax he can't, and he remains tense the entire time. The pilot's voice comes over the speaker, informing them that they should buckle their seatbelts as they prepare to land, and Alek takes this as his chance to look at some of his possible matches.

Alek assumes not everyone who fills out the questionnaire gets accepted onto the island, unless they really aren't that popular, but somehow that's hard to believe. When accepted, they give you an airport with a flight ticket, and you're expected to make it there on time or miss your opportunity.

Alek found out he was lucky in the airport that the company chose, seeing as he only had to take a cab to his local one. He overhears someone else on the plane talking about how she had to fly to their airport first, before catching this flight.

He isn't sure how that woman did it, or anyone else if they had to, because Alek can barely handle this flight.

The plane rocks a little and Alek grips his seat until his knuckles turn white.

Alek wobbles into the airport almost an hour later, and his group from the flight are greeted by a man and a woman holding hands

"Welcome to Healing Hideaway. I'm Kathryn."

"And I'm Jim."

"And we'll be the ones guiding you throughout this journey, as well as many of the other staff here."

"Today is your day to get used to being here, take a look around, whatever you need. Today is a you day."

All we ask is that you don't interact with each other too much. This is very much an individual week for all of you. Meeting your soulmate is secondary to the healing you will undergo."

"You already have your schedules and you'll be given your room key as we call your names. Tomorrow you will get the contact of who we believe could be your soulmate."

"We encourage you to get to know them as deeply as possible if you want to be sure of the connection. It doesn't matter that you are only speaking to them for the first time. It's anonymous, and you control everything."

"Thank you," they say in unison.

Alek is impressed with how easily they were able to tag team each part of their speech to say, and he wonders if they ever decide to switch it up a bit. Judging by their hands, they're also a couple, possibly soulmates. There's a small part nagging at him about it, that maybe it's only an act to get the participants into it more.

All Alek thinks of when looking at them is a stereotypical straight white couple, who lives in a middle-class neighborhood, owns a dog and has a nuclear family.

While they did seem to complement each other well, it just seemed a little too well.

Alek grabs his key when his name is called, urging the hosts to go faster so that he can hide out in his room in a panic.

Niel sees the next person called up to go grab their key, and he bounces in place as he waits for his own. His last name, Russell, wasn't doing him any favors. All he wants to do is go explore the island, his room.

While Niel was reluctant before he got here, now he's just bursting with excitement. It doesn't help that he's able to feed of the nervous excitement of the others in the room, and he thinks of how much better it would be if he was allowed to interact with them all.

Niel's old personality begins making an appearance and he isn't so sure he's here for the soulmate anymore and more for the aerial obstacle course he saw in the brochure they handed him.

Soon his name is called and he runs up to get it from the hosts. They seem like a sweet couple, sickeningly so, and he hopes that if he does get a soulmate that they don't end up like the hosts.

It may work for them, but he doesn't think that he wants anyone finishing his sentences anytime soon.

Luckily, it doesn't take long after Niel's name to be called that they're taken to the complex where they'll be staying. The hosts are sure to tell them that the rooms are selected at random, so whoever is in the room next door doesn't mean that the two of you are meant to be.

Niel barely waits for them to finish talking before he begins heading into the complex to find his room, making sure the company got all of his things here properly at the top of his to-do list. He chuckles when he notices one other guy from the group already ahead of him, but frowns when he doesn't even hold the elevator.

He looked familiar, is all that flutters through Niel's mind. Maybe it'll be healthier to take the stairs for once. After all, it is only the third floor.

Panting when he reaches the third floor, a couple of people pass by him at times, and one even pats his shoulder and says, "Don't worry, the activities involve exercise, and I think there's a gym you can use."

Niel scowls at the thought of him being out of shape, but when he remembers that the last time he went to the gym was before he graduated college, he only grimaces instead.

He dislikes the man who decided not to hold the elevator for him, he decides, and he dislikes himself for thinking that taking the stairs was a good idea.

Niel continues moping on like this until he opens up his door with his key and steps inside. The room is designed much like a hotel room, with a bed in the center of the room, pushed up against the left wall, and an entrance to the bathroom right next to that. There's a tv across from the bed and a small table and chair next to the window.

Niel walks over to the draw open the curtains, and one thing he must say that he misses about his new apartment is the view. While this room shows the view of an empty beach, as well as many trees and an inactive volcano, Niel remembers reading from that pamphlet. But this view isn't really Niel's style.

He misses the city.

With that thought in mind, he hopes the person he gets teamed up with doesn't live too far, or at least would be willing to move to him.

What is he thinking, moving to him already? He just got out of a relationship.

Niel digs the heels of his hands into his eyes as he flops back onto the bed. It's going to be a long day.