Flight School: Predator - Chapter 18: Chapter 18

"You're approving this?" Faustes re-read the gist of Viktor's proposal, inclined to think that he was dreaming. "Disneyland?"
Verity laughed wryly, glancing up from the spread of documents across her desk. "Why? Is there an issue with the proposal?"
The hawk hoped he had heard her correctly.
"With the proposal? Yes, everything?" He double-checked the requested location. "Disneyland, a suitable and appropriate representation of human experiences?" Faustes quoted from the text. "Bullshit."
"Let them dream," The vulture waved dismissively, ringing the bell for her meal. "I'd put in a special request if I were you."
Faustes raised a brow.
"Rare, don't you think? Disneyland." V had a difficult smile on her lips. "You've never been there before."
The deputy headmaster returned the proposal with a scoff. "What does it matter to you, where I've been?"
Verity squared her shoulders. "You could always request for permission to assist in the operations. I know Wint has been wanting to see the sights. Perhaps both of you could spend some...quality time together."
Immediately, Faustes was aware of the prominent lack of restrictions uncharacteristic of Verity who prioritized control and order. For all he knew, this could very well be part of a bigger plan. "I hope this isn't one of your games."
"Oh you know it is," the bearded vulture laughed airily, rising from her seat as she did so. "Nothing isn't a game."
"You might as well go," she went on, brewing tea by her desk. "Ensure their...safety, or some sort."
"At Disneyland?" Faustes snorted, however inclined he was towards the idea of spending quality time with his best friend at the resort. It was, for all intents and purposes, a holiday to him.
Verity smiled. "Let them dream."
____________________________
Embarrassed, the sparrow tugged at the other's sleeve. "Am I the only one who doesn't know what that is?" He managed in a whisper, watching as the rest of his class rejoiced madly at the outcome of the proposal.
"Disneyland?" Luka referred carefully and Io nodded. "It's...land."
The sparrow folded his arms with a sigh. "I know that."
"It has...fairies...?" The eagle wasn't too sure about this either. He had a vague impression that Disneyland was magical, and he wasn't one to delve into tales and sorcery in the first place. #nochildhood.
"A-are you sure about that?" Io genuinely believed in his friend, whether or not the description was meant as a joke in the first place. Intrigued and curious, he was about to launch into the next question when Viktor called for silence.
"I know you're all excited," like four-year-olds going to the zoo, "but hear me out on the rules and then we can get to planning."
Dmitri was the first to sit up straight. Naturally, Io hadn't seen him as obedient and enthusiastic about a certain subject. It was the first time he could feel the excitement of the class in his fingers—a buzz in the air.
"On the Thursday of the second week of May," Viktor began, "we will be spending a day at Disneyland."
A chorus of whoops and cheers sounded from the back of the class. Even Lucienne had a grin on her face. As far Vaughn—well—he was trying to contain the impulsive smile that threatened to surface. Slayne on the other hand, had already decided to opt out of the trip when the professor proceeded to announce the next thing.
"You are entitled to bring one prey."
Great. Now where did he put that passport...
*
"Pipa, Pipa!" Io came tumbling, stumbling, crashing like a very excitable sparrow into his old homeroom the next day. "Would you like to come to Disneyland with me?"
Her first reaction resembled his. A blink. "D-Disneyland? Is that a country? I mean I've heard of Greenland but—"
"It's a theme park," he repeated the exact words of Shri who was patient enough to explain. "It has roller coasters. And parades. And candy floss."
"Candy floss?" The canary's eyes were wide. "The pink ball of fluff on a stick?"
"My classmate said they had multi-colored ones. Cool, right?"
Pipa nodded vigorously. "I'd love to go," then she paused. "But are you sure I can...? Like, I have class, and prey aren't exactly allowed on field trips..." Her best friend dismissed her concerns by handing her a very official-looking form.
FIELD TRIP TO DISNEYLAND
Application Form for Prey
"Submit this to Miss Tenner and you're ready to go," he advised simply, anticipation written all over his smile. "Oh, and that's Luka's form you have there. He didn't really know who to invite so I'm giving his to you and mine to Vijay so it doesn't look too suspicious. Like I'm trying to invite the entire class or something," he added sheepishly.
The sparrow's friend looked particularly frightened at the mention of the eagle's name (having not so friendly experiences they've have together, well.
"But I'm...um," she glanced down at her wheelchair, referring to that which she was bound to. "Inconvenient?"
"I asked Jeremiah and he said they had special facilities and that the park's wheelchair-friendly. You might even get to cut character queues," was what he'd heard from his classmates who'd already been there. After all, Io had spent the previous night asking around and doing his research. Ensuring his friend's safety and ease. "No worries, Pipa."
His smile and excitement—very much like her own—was becoming contagious.
_____________________
"No one said a thing about three professors coming along," Dmitri groaned under his breath, directing his complaints to the only one who'd listen to them (aka. Jeremiah, and sometimes Io. Io's no pushover, alright. He expresses irritation when necessary).
"I'm sure it's just to ensure we're following the rules," the kite reasoned with a laugh, brushing aside Dmitri's concerns in a blink of an eye. "I mean, it'd be weird if our Avians came flying out of nowhere. I think the thirty-meter rule is pretty okay. They could perch somewhere safe and you know, watch us have fun," Jeremiah's Avian, circling thirty meters above, was resisting the temptation to...well, drop an accurate shit on her Winged.
"Yeah but..."
"Relax," he massaged the falcon's shoulders and gave the latter a good clap on the back. "They aren't following us around."
Faustes—within earshot—was not one to let anything slip by his radar. "Trust me, none of us want to." Dmitri and Jeremiah spun around guiltily, exchanging a single glance.
"Faustes—sir, uh. We didn't know you were behind us."
"Not an excuse for talking about your professors behind their backs," was the hawk's version of you little shits. "Rest assured. The three of us won't be intruding on whatever fun you guys intend to have."
"Hm." Dmitri didn't seemed convinced one bit, and remained mostly skeptical. "No reason for you to tag along then," he muttered under his breath.
"Only to ensure they're there for us if, you know, something goes wrong," Jeremiah mediated.
The banter ceased upon the smell of freshly baked goods as soon as they entered the Mediterranean Harbor, drawing hungry tummies to the store.
"Breakfast, anyone?" Apparently, everyone wanted breakfast—so much so that Dmitri's question was swept aside and completely ignored.
Viktor snapped his fingers a couple of times to catch their attention (it didn't take very long because yay the power of higher ranked predators ha) and began laying out certain ground rules while they settled around the sheltered outdoor tables.
"Once you're done with breakfast here, you guys are free to roam. Do whatever you like—just no shifting, no picking fights in Disneyland," he directed this at Dmitri, primarily because he was the one most prone to conflict, "and keep your Avians at a distance. We don't want any unnecessary attention just because a swan's walking around the park."
Faustes nodded, adding on to Viktor's list. "In case of emergencies, which I swear to God I'll kill any of you if it happens, send an Avian to this bakery. We'll be here throughout." He signed for Callaghan to hand over a pouch, which contained several strange-looking rectangular cards with magnetic strips. Io was particularly curious.
"Each of the predators will be provided a credit card with a fixed amount inside. Most food carts accept them; some don't. You figure it out yourselves. As for the number of you prey who came on an invitational basis," Faustes turned to Pipa, Vijay and Jiro as Callaghan began handing out the credits, "unfortunately, you will not be provided one. You are however, allowed to ask a predator—preferably the one who invited you—for their credit card."
"Gather here at about six before the sun sets—we'll be having our dinner elsewhere. Yeah, that's it. Have fun."
"That's it?" Abigail's mood was lifted all of a sudden. She turned to Odette. "Wait, that's it? They're not following us around? And here I was thinking how much of a disaster it would be, spending a day at Disneyland with our professors. God."
The swan laughed. "Apparently. Staying here when you have access to the whole of the park...do you think they'd really do that?"
"Callaghan would. Totally, I mean, look at that." Shri joined in the conversation by pointing out the briefcase of essays that Callghan had brought along to grade. "The cast member checking his bag must have done a double take."
*
After a hearty breakfast came someone's impulsive desire to enter the merchandise store right opposite the bakery, suggesting that they purchase some wearable goods before beginning their journey around the park. It wasn't entirely a bad idea. Dmitri—who boasted his second time in Disneyland—was quick to declare the shopping necessary, and the majority of non-Disneylanders (not a word) could not afford to decline.
The group of students walked unsuspectingly into the store.
Here, we have the very first thing that caught Luka's eye: a pair of bunny ears attached to a fluffy headband. It came in every single pastel color a human being could ever imagine.
Instantly, he was sold. A single glance confirmed the fantasies running around in his head and every tempting image of a certain someone in a private room he'd locked away. Unfortunately, all hopes were lost when clever Dmitri decided to direct them to another section of the store.
"Let's get the classics. Mickies and Minnies," the falcon gestured to a wall of character headbands, coming in every form of Disney character one could think of. Meryl was the only one attracted to the tiaras. Lucienne did not want to be identified as a Minnie; and Jing did not want to be identified as anything.
However keen Luka was on directing the group towards the 'Easter' section of the store where various character goods illustrated the theme in different shades of pastel, he...could not find a way to do so. You're insane, Victoria was not giving up her golden opportunity. Look, they even have bunny tails attached to those belts you can tie around your waist! Wait, no. Those furry over-sized jackets with bunny ears on the hood. AND IN PASTEL. Oh god, Luka do something.
"Are you sure about this, Dmitri?" Jeremiah held up a pair of Mickie headbands, staring at the ears. "Swear that you're going to wear this the entire time. Swear now."
"I swear," the falcon announced promptly, taking his headband to the counter without hesitation. "Anyone who doesn't wear these at Disneyland is cursed and a loser. My sister told me."
Jeremiah rolled his eyes in amusement and turned to the quiet prey standing around. "How about you guys?"
Vijay snapped his gaze away from the white Marie headband he had been eyeing and looked curiously at the ground. "Uh, w-well I...my mom says that it's a waste of money to get those things you know you'd only wear once, so."
Pipa laughed. "But that's the entire reason why you have to get it! You're only going to wear it once, ever!" Vijay looked particularly troubled by her reasoning, as though he found perfect sense in it but was unable to comply.
The kite nodded in approval. "She's right. Were you eyeing this?" He unhooked a white Marie headband from the rack and handed it to Vijay. "It's cute."
"No, no ohmygod I can't wear that," he gestured to the pair of cat ears and was promptly backing away. Jeremiah shrugged and added it to the basket Shri was carrying. The osprey stared at the newest addition, looking quite confused that they were suddenly sharing a basket.
While Io was fawning over the variety of original Disney headbands with his roommate, Luka was watching him do so from afar and Pipa (as observant as she was) was watching him watch Io.
Admittedly, their journey had yet to begin. After all it was only the start of the day and they were preparing for whatever, uh, adversities they may have to face at Disneyland. Equipment to blend in was necessary if not crucial for the task. This was an important stage for all, or so Pipa deemed.
She observed the minor glances Luka would give to another section of the store and she, too, was highly attracted by the pastel colors that they presented. The 'Easter' banner displayed above provided a brief but sufficient understanding for the canary to piece together the bigger picture—which she promptly got to work on.
"Io, look at that!" She tugged at his arm and distracted him from a pair of droopy Eeyore ears he had been observing. "There's an Easter section."
"What's Easter?" The sparrow blinked in response. "Those are very pretty colors."
"Right?" Pipa skipped his question and decided to explain later, since several of them were beginning to make up their minds save Slayne who was deciding between a pair of black Marie cat ears or, well, the white ones. Naturally, they weren't for his own use. "Let's go look at those."
"Okay, if you want to," Io agreed easily, directing her wheelchair towards the Easter section being the curious one he was—and the change in pace brought Luka's hopes to new ground.
He thanked Pipa silently. Although yes, he still didn't like the fact that they were so close but, well. The eagle had to admit she was observant.
"What do you think of these?" Pipa held out a pair of bunny ears in the shade of teal. "They're limited edition. We can stand out!"
"Yes, you'll look nice in that," her friend nodded excitably, matching her enthusiasm. "But I think the pink one suits you better. There's a grey one too! That's special."
"No no," the canary pretended to disagree, reaching up to place the pair of bunny ears on Io's head. "Look, the white and teal ones are cuter."
"W-well, not on me, they aren't," he reasoned shyly, taking them off. "I won't be able to wear these around."
Victoria's sharp ears caught on and while her Winged was busy staring at the scene and engraving the image of Io with bunny ears in his mind, she warned him of the dangers. Io is too shy to wear them! What now—think of something you idiot!
Once again, her concerns were well taken care of by Pipa.
"Aw, but I wanted to wear them with you..." she appeared genuinely upset. "It's like a friendship thing. We'd be a match."
Luka was amazed by his desire to see Io in bunny ears (and a tail) all day. He even let this slide!
"I'd be too embarrassed to wear these by myself," Pipa went on as soon as she saw her sparrow friend hesitate. "Please, please?"
"Well I..." Io seemed to glance around shyly, surveying the rest of the store to see what the rest of the group were on to. It was then that he met the eagle's eyes, which he turned away from as soon as he did.
"Alright, but I really don't think it's worth the price," he reasoned with blushy (caution, this isn't a word) ears. "We could get something else that is, um, Easter-themed!"
Pipa had no choice but to comply. After all, there were limits to her acting and she didn't want her best friend to start getting suspicious of her sudden change in personality. It wasn't very characteristic of her to be pushy. "Okay, how...how about these?" She gestured towards a rack of fluffy hoodies in pastel colors. "Look, touch them! Ohmygosh they're so fluffy!"
At this, Io seemed particularly inclined. "You're right," he squished the sleeve and found himself sold. "The zipper's a bunny tail. O-oh, and the hood has bunny ears made of the same fluffy material!" Her enthusiasm was contagious, as one would have already realized. Pipa always seemed to have that sort of power within.
"Okay, so are we getting it?" She prompted timely, and had Luka been used to their close friendship (that would probably take an eternity, really—after all, friendship jealousy wasn't something that simply went away with time) he would have placed her on an altar and worshiped her daily.
Just for that moment.
As Io agreed and the pair proceeded to the counter for payment (apart from rejoicing with Victoria), Luka remained impassively staring at the Easter section as though debating if he, too, should get something to celebrate the occasion. His very lack of expression and movement however, allowed the eagle to bear witness to a rare and very amusing scene.
A vulture (bitterly tentative) approached the Easter section with care, turning occasionally to ensure the absence of witnesses. Having failed to notice Luka amidst the crowd of other Disneylanders, Vaughn was free to observe the shelves of Easter goodies as the eagle watched him. Thoroughly amused.
Vaughn scanned the pastel-filled racks, stopping to consider the bunny-ear headbands before appearing to be severely scarred by the mental image he had in his mind and moving on to the limited edition figurines of Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck.
To Luka (or any observer in this wonderfully wide world), the vulture looked completely out of place. Little did he know that this was Vaughn's seventh time at Disneyland and was probably one of the most loyal and dedicated collectors Walt Disney might ever come across. As a child, he was. At present however, he was trying hard to resist the natural impulses threatening to surface.
BUY EVERYTHING, it said. But the poor vulture would rather jump off a cliff than let himself be caught with any of these cutesy Disney merchandise. NO. No.
The eagle watched as Vaughn very carefully decided on a fluffy Easter-themed key chain featuring a miniature pair of bunny headbands with a pink ball of fluff attached to it, walking away and muttering 'it's limited edition, limited edition' to himself.
So much for self-persuasion.
*
Having sufficiently geared themselves up for a Disney adventure, the group set out for their first ride—the mountain railroad.
"Why's it called 'big thunder'?" Posed Io to Luka as the group made their way towards the ride with Dmitri leading the rest. A map didn't seem to be one of his necessary tools.
"It's...noisy?" Luka answered vaguely, slightly pleased that they would somehow end up walking together at the back while everyone else chatted excitably in twos and threes. Save a vulture and a phoenix, but the latter was too busy with her ball of multi-colored candy floss to speak. She had offered the sparrow a handful of it which he politely declined because she seemed to be enjoying it thoroughly.
Io found it rather endearing that Jing had an awfully sweet tooth, for someone who loved spicy food as well.
"Is it just me, or does the park have several mountains? There's a space mountain. And a splash mountain. And a volcano," he illustrated by pointing out the gigantic man-made volcano that rose above the mid lake. "Where do these mountains come from? Isn't it a little suspicious?"
A condescending snort came from behind the pair and Io turned to see Vaughn rolling his eyes. "Everyone knows that space mountain isn't a real mountain. Tomorrowland is completely different from Mysterious Island."
Luka could not believe he was the core witness of not one but two amusing scenes of the most bitter and cunning vulture he had ever came across.
Io was mildly (and openly) surprised by Vaughn's extensive knowledge. "You seem to know a whole lot about this place. Have you been here before?"
"No," came his immediate response. The sparrow and the eagle proceeded to watch as the crème brûlée evaded social interaction by increasing his pace and zooming off to the front of the group. Not...that he had anyone to walk alongside with.
*
The crew arrived at Frontierland to the most amazing smell of corn dogs wafting in the air and vibrant themed music to match (aside from the distant screams of human beings risking their lives on the thunder mountain railroad). Fortunately for them, the sign beside the ride displayed an estimated waiting time of merely ten minutes—thus starkly presenting one of the main advantages of their early entrance.
"Right, so. Who's scared?" Dmitri stopped the group right outside the line, pausing to check the numbers. "Come on, don't be shy."
Surprisingly, no one responded to his question and if the falcon was in disbelief, he did not show it at all. "Ookaay then, let's go?"
"Uh, wait. Just let me...check the queue for the flying carpets," Jeremiah piped all of a sudden, craning his neck to look at the next ride that was really beyond any normal human being's sight.
Dmitri wouldn't let him off. "Hold on a sec...someone wants to ride the carpets over railroad?"
"I as well, would uh, prefer the flying carpets, Mr. Dmitri," Vijay raised a tentative hand upon realizing that he wasn't alone. "Or the flying elephant."
"Dumbo," Vaughn corrected under his breath. Jing who was within earshot turned to him with a blink.
Shri volunteered to look after their belongings, partly because she was craving the corn dogs sold not far away and both rides didn't appeal to her anyway. Jiro on the other hand, was writing something on his tiny notepad and showing it to Slayne with an anxious look in his eyes. Pipa was the one who pointed it out to Io.
"Aight, those who want to fly the carpets can flock to Jerry. Anyone else who's weirdly hungry after our heavy breakfast," Dmitri gestured sarcastically to Shri and Jing who decided to join her for more food. "Can go as well."
A good half of the group dispersed from the entrance of the ride, leaving Dmitri with the remaining half. "You guys literally do not embody the Disney spirit," he added soon after surveying those who decided to join the line for thunder mountain. "I mean, look at those faces."
"You can't blame Luka," Io shrugged, guiding Pipa's wheelchair towards them before a cast member came over to help. "He's actually excited. Can't you tell?"
No, he couldn't.
"Bet you're just scared Dmitri," Lucienne smirked with a tease. "Thought you preferred meeting the princesses?"
The falcon returned with a smug smile. "Wait and see, princess."
*
"W-wha I—that was," Io managed incoherently after the ride. "I don't know what that was but I could only hear Pipa's scream."
Abigail, who sat beside Pipa on the ride, nodded breathlessly. "Yeah I couldn't even hear myself."
"It wasn't all that bad," managed Aaqil without stammering, albeit appearing quite shaken himself. "Dmitri screamed like a wimp."
"I do not recall," the falcon declined in a heartbeat, leading them away from exit and towards the flying carpets with jellied legs. "Right, let's catch up with the rest and get fast passes to the tower of terror."
At this, Vaughn was not pleased. After all, the tower of terror was not on his list of approved rides. Surprisingly weak-hearted when it came to roller coasters, the majority of the thrillers did not make it into the vulture's list and as a matter of fact, mountain railroad barely made it either.
Vaughn was (for the purpose of literary technique and punny intentions) chained to the railroad of fear. It seemed to him almost fated—him and fear, that is.
Thus, he made an early decision to opt out of the specific ride, and perhaps offer his fast pass to someone who wanted another go. Io's question to Luka which the vulture so unintentionally overheard had, therefore, come rather timely.
"It was scary, but I loved it! You? Did you like it? You barely screamed, I couldn't hear you at all even though you were just beside me," the sparrow pouted in disappointment, turning to his eagle friend. Said eagle friend squared his shoulders lightly.
Io sighed, reflecting on the past five minutes as they made their way to Aladdin's castle. "Unless Pipa was so loud she somehow managed to cover your screams of fear but, well, that might just be plausible."
"I...wasn't really paying attention to the ride," Luka said admittedly, turning away. Io blinked in response.
"Wha—just where was your attention if not on the ride?" He couldn't digest the excuse, but (to Luka's relief) was distracted by the smell of popcorn when Jing and Shri rejoined them along the way. Thank skies for the short attention span of sparrows, Victoria thought on behalf of her Winged, and Jing who overheard, stared blankly.
*
Turns out, everyone else enjoyed the flying carpets immensely. Vijay was reported to have spammed the button for moving the car (or the plastic carpet, for illustrative purposes) up and down, resulting in a very scared and anxious Jiro which hence resulted in the by-product of a quietly concerned but fuming Slayne who was short of teaching Vijay a lesson only because Jeremiah took his side. Breathe I do not because long sentences I live for. Coincidentally—English, I not do.
"Right, so," there it was again, featuring Dmitri's teenaged-tendencies of starting a sentence with 'right'. Just, because. "We'll head over to the tower of terror to get our fast passes before going to the...carousel or teacups. Let's take a vote."
For some reason, teacups won hands down. Pipa voted it because she thought tea was legitimately involved, which somehow convinced Io to vote for the same thing as well and it has come to our bright and sharp minds that whatever Io voted for, Luka would somehow end up on the same thing. Indeed, it would take a genius to figure out such a complex mathematic correlation.
"Right—"
"Can we," Abigail interrupted her classmate to propose a solution to their (and our) pains of hearing Dmitri speak every ten seconds, "change up the pace every now and then because it's kinda unfair that you're leading all the time when some of us have been to Disney as well."
All hail the bald eagle, our almighty goddess and savior.
"Fine," Dmitri rolled his eyes with an exasperated shrug. "You can do it."
"Thanks," Abigail dismissed simply, taking over the head of the group as Shri tagged alongside her and the swan twins mused quietly to themselves. Io didn't particularly mind who led the group as long as they weren't losing their way up down left right, but he took it upon himself to comfort the falcon who seemed rather affected.
Luka was not too happy. Pipa tried to cheer him up.
As the saying goes, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" (or so my social studies teacher used to say at ever start of her lesson back in secondary school), the path to the tower of terror was lined with the most heavenly-smelling food carts. Ranging from candy floss to white chocolate popcorn, churros of different dips and flavors to Disney-themed ice-cream wafers, more corn dogs to smoked chicken legs—
"Poor chickens," the canary lamented to her best friend in a lowered voice. "I wonder what'll they do if they came to Disneyland and saw this. What a nightmare!"
"But Pipa," Io was careful at pointing this out. "Humans eat chickens everywhere...not just Disneyland. My pa loves a barbecued chicken thigh. I...well I used to like them too."
Pipa gasped, wounded. "You did?"
"Yeah," the sparrow nodded quietly. "Doesn't apply to me now. I mean, all I can taste and smell is blood when it comes to meat..."
A single glance at Aaqil, Dmitri and Jeremiah told him otherwise. They were staring hungrily at the smoked chicken legs of a passing couple, looking almost predatory. Yeap, not suspicious at all.
"Hurry up," Shri called over her shoulder and gave the other birds of prey a glare. "We can all have lunch later when it's time. The queue for teacups might get long."
Dmitri dismissed her concerns with a scoff. "Teacups? Queue? You're joking."
She wasn't. Apparently, Dmitri wasn't that much of a Disney expert after all.
"Teacups? Queue? You're joking," Shri mimicked the falcon's previous remark as soon as they arrived at the entrance of the ride having collected their fast passes for the tower of terror (and heard nearby screams of fear). As much as he delighted in the likes of such, Vaughn was not keen on experiencing the tower first-hand. As a matter of fact, he was very much content with sitting outside the gothic-style building and hearing the pleasant screams of others.
"This is insane," Jeremiah said after glancing at the estimated waiting time. "Thirty minutes for a teacup ride? I don't remember Alice being so popular." Dmitri couldn't wait to jump on the bandwagon and start his complaints as well.
"Exactly. Which was what I said in the first place."
Lucienne rolled her eyes. "Don't be such a child. It's an hour's wait till our fast passes, we have all the time in the world."
"I was hoping we'd get to see the Mermaid Lagoon after this," said Pipa to Io privately as she scanned the park map, but was unfortunately overheard by another Disney expert.
"That would be inconvenient. The Mermaid Lagoon is two lands away—that would be a thirty to twenty-minute walk," fanboy Vaughn clarified from behind, successfully scaring Pipa and surprising Io once more.
"You really do know a whole lot about this place," he confirmed with wary eyes and that was Vaughn's cue to regain control over his Disney impulses. "Is it really your first time—"
"Yes," the vulture answered far too quickly for comfort, and to mask his embarrassment, zoomed away from the pair.
*
Dmitri was very pleased with the seating arrangement of the teacups. Since the numbers were awry, he'd somehow managed to land a private teacup with Lucienne, who (although purposefully indifferent) quietly shared his sentiments.
The harpy eagle had chosen a blue teacup and was joined by her friend a moment after, since the previous cup was already fully-filled to the brim (no pun intended) with four—namely, Luka; Vaughn; Odile and Odette. Io, Vijay and Pipa, not far behind, had watched in awe before terming the teacup 'the awkward teacup'.
Vijay was declaring how he had tons back home in New Delhi (awkward teacups) when the ride began with a swirl. Again, no pun intended—I mean, you don't swirl teacups, do you?
"What's this thing in the middle for?" Pipa observed something shaped like a driving wheel positioned in the middle of the teacup. She had initially assumed it was simply there for them to hold on to (and prevent themselves from flying out of the cup because physics and Centrifugal force) but upon further inspection, realized that it spun just like any other driving wheel.
"Maybe it makes us go faster," Vijay blinked, only trying to add to the conversation. He wasn't at all serious.
"Let's try it!" Io had a big grin on his face and Vijay knew he'd made a crucial mistake. The sparrow grabbed the wheel and spun it with all his might, repeating this whenever it came to a stop. Unfortunately for the excitable boy, their teacup didn't seem to go any faster.
In fact, nothing really happened as a result of Io's aggressive spinning—only...
The wheel came off.
It was Io's first time hearing Vijay speak his native language in panic and because he didn't understand, all he could do was observe facial and active expressions, which only included his very, very big eyes growing wide to the extent Io and Pipa thought they were going to pop. The canary was far too occupied with her own hysterical laughter to help the clueless and mildly-surprised sparrow out of his difficult spot. He stared at the wheel in his hands, wondering just how it had come detached.
Vijay sped through several prayers and, as though having come to a certain revelation and point of enlightenment, grabbed the plastic wheel from Io's hands and returned it to the pole it was attached to previously—all with pure force.
"Don't touch it! Don't! Just, just leave it," he had his arms out to prevent the pair from coming any closer to the wheel. "This never happened. We were never here!"
Legend says the teacup still exists in Disneyland and till this day, no one has ever realized the discrepancies of just one teacup.
*
Any brave Disneylander who has had the courage to venture into the Tower of Terror would know that for more than half the time spent on the ride, one would not be able to feel the cushion of their seat.
Beside it being the second time Io had heard Vijay speak (scream) his native tongue in a state of panic (series of prayers), it was the first time Io had heard his fellow Eye curse in Mandarin. The sparrow counted his blessings, wondering just how many native curses he'd get to hear all day when the elevator plunged once more, leaving him floating him air and gasping at the turbulence—heart in his mouth.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Pipa.
"EEEEEEEEEEEE!" Shri.
"HOLY!" Aaqil.
"C'est quoi ce—" Escargot.
"CALL THE FUCKING COPS!" Dmitri the idiot.
"YOU CALL THEM!" Jeremiah the also idiot.
Someone was crying. Poor Jiro.
"It's okay, pet. It's alright—it'll be over soon." For obvious reasons, Slayne.
"ALFJAOWIJDAKSDJAWHOAIWDOJ??" Someone please save Vijay.
"Whoo!" Swan twins.
Io decided to add on with a laugh. "Haha, yay!"
"WTF WHO SAID THAT?" Dmitri screamed just as the ride came to a stop and Io was too embarrassed to admit.
Thank goodness the crew had made the correct decision of delaying any gastronomic (the author of this book had not the confidence to use this English until she checked the dictionary and confirmed that it was, indeed, English) ventures. Paper bags were even provided at the end of the ride for hyperventilating guests or dimwits who decided that having their lunch before the ride was a good idea. After all, it wasn't the Tower of Terror for nothing.
While Io stumbled out of the exit with jelly legs and adrenaline burning the tips of his fingers, messing with his mind, the majority of the Crew was not in a state any better. Vijay was glad that he was the one guiding Pipa's wheelchair, since the additional support was timely and was actually the only thing holding him up.
Vaughn, Abigail and Meryl (the actual Disneylanders who understood the dangers of the ride and were not foolish enough to challenge its might) received them with utmost indifference, as though this was to be expected.
Jiro's eyes were red and puffy by the time they decided to get some comfort food from the nearby carts after the ordeal, and it was only when Io promised him an ice cream churro that he was able to forget the fearful past. Slayne however, was looking mildly upset that he couldn't cheer his prey up despite his efforts to do so, and all it took was one sparrow's understanding to achieve what he'd wished.
As the Crew made their way to the heavenly-smelling food carts not far from the Tower of Terror, Io focused on the insistent beat in his ears; the drumming of a creature in his cage against its bars; its roar so loud, he could, still, feel its tremor even in his fingers; the very grasp of fear and the buzz it triggered from within—
that was the beauty of the emotion,
the acceptance of terror.
As usual, our sparrow understood the importance of every feeling. Sought to understand even the ones that scared us the most, for it, too, was as beautiful as the rest.
*
Having never had a churro in his whole entire life, Io found that he loved it immensely. In fact, it wasn't just the strawberry cheesecake churro that he completely fell for, but the other flavors as well, including oreo (which was Vijay's, he was offered a bite), salted caramel (Pipa's), and the cheese flavored one that Jing decided to get.
Sandwich ice creams (excluding the churro ice cream sandwich that Jiro thoroughly enjoyed) were also part of the gastronomic adventure, whereby the tiramisu flavor became a hot pick amongst most of the crew while some decided on the sea salt monaka (the biscuit was shaped like a seashell, and was a pastel pink aka very aesthetic therefore chosen by Pipa and Vaughn).
The array of sweet street food made the young unhealthy birds crave for something savory—which called for the grilled chicken legs mentioned earlier and chili cones recommended by Dmitri, only found at the Cozy Cone Motel in Cars Land.
Fortunately for the couple of vegetarian prey longing for something warm to fill their tummies, there was a cart selling seasonal vegetable soup nearby, served steaming hot in a mickey-printed styrofoam cup.
Just as Io thought nothing at Disneyland could beat the sou he just had, something else just had to prove him wrong.
It was only on their way to the cozy cones that the Crew passed an interesting food cart labelled 'Alien Dumplings'. Naturally, it piqued the curiosity of a certain tree sparrow, who drew closer to the cart without warning.
"Look guys," he pointed out a sample of the product in the display. "It's mochi in the shape of aliens!" No matter how strange the sentence of interest and excitement might have seemed to any reader, Iolani Tori was right. The food cart featured three alien mochi in a 'Toy Story' cup as its key product, and all four prey were sold purely based on the aesthetics.
"Let's get one to share," Vijay suggested.
"But there's four of us," Pipa pointed out immediately, as though having considered that already. "I don't think they sell the dumplings in any number other than three..." She realized that she might have said this far too soon, because while the four of them had been trying to come up with a solution (and Jiro having to write his thoughts on his notepad), Slayne had already ordered a cup solely for his nightingale.
He handed this to Jiro the moment Pipa finished her sentence, and told him that he could have all three. Jiro appeared thoroughly moved and the three remaining prey took that as the cue for them to turn away and let them have a private moment.
Either way, Io was thinking how Slayne must have known that Jiro would love any sort of mochi dessert regardless, and did not bother considering twice before getting it for him. It was somewhat endearing—
"Eh?" He blinked. The sparrow hadn't expected the cup of alien dumplings that had—all of a sudden, as he was thinking—appeared before his eyes. "Luka?"
Said eagle was found to be the one holding out the dessert to Io, without voicing a single word.
"Um...for me?"
He nodded, and Io took the cup in his hands. "Well, um. You didn't have to, but thank you! Very much," he managed quietly, thoroughly embarrassed since he would have to explain this to his friends who had intended to share a cup of three mochi each. Fortunately for him, Pipa and Vijay were enthusiastic witnesses of the scene and therefore, required no further explanation.
When the sparrow produced his credit card to pay for their alien dumplings, the pair gave him a teasing thumbs-up, as though congratulating him on his free cup. Luka, watching from afar, appeared rather pleased with himself.
This was unexpectedly enhanced by Io's offer to share the mochi, explaining that he would like to save up the remaining space in his tummy for more food later. Luka agreed. Naturally.
"Alright, pick one," the sparrow said, raising the cup and presenting it to the eagle. "One's vanilla, another's strawberry and the last's chocolate. They all sound good anyway."
Luka was having a hard time trying to predict which of the three flavors Io would want the most (and hence he should avoid) when his companion brushed aside his concerns by voicing his favor for all three.
A random pick landed him the choice of vanilla cream filling, unsuspectingly sweet but unexpectedly within his level of tolerance. It was the very day Luka Sullivan discovered his liking for sweets.
Aside the discovery of Luka's sweet tooth, Io offered the other dumpling to Vaughn, who was already keen on buying a cup of his own but figured it wouldn't hurt to steal one from an unsuspecting target. Apparently, Vaughn cannot English as much as his author because he simply did not understand the definition of 'steal'—taking an item of someone else's possession without permission (when Io was, obviously, giving him the permission to).
Either way, he was offered a gamble of strawberry and chocolate—and since he couldn't tell which mochi contained which filling, he made the simple decision to take the one on the right—and popped the dumpling in his mouth.
It was only upon taking a small bite of the amazing mochi and discovering the chocolate filling within that Io realized Vaughn must have ate the strawberry-flavored one. And without any complaints!
The sparrow made a mental note to put this to a test in the future, and Lyra, perched hidden amongst the leaves of a nearby tree, chirped excitably.
*
The Crew's intention after sating their hunger and getting their fast passes to Space Mountain was none other than meeting the Disney characters. Naturally, this had to be accompanied by the purchase of autograph books, especially for first timers. This was an exception for Vaughn Alekseyve, who grabbed the limited edition (keyword) Easter autograph book and began his hunt for the various characters.
Seeking out his targets aka hunting was his forte, as we all know. I mean, he was the victor of the Season games for a reason; and the vulture had to admit, his special abilities came to good use at such times. Searching for Disney characters, yes.
"Let's split up," Abigail suggested before Dmitri could open his mouth and get another free line in this chapter. "I want to see Tiana first."
Tiana was miles away, as far as Vaughn could tell. She and Prince Naveen were currently located at the Liberty Square Bridge, according to the time (because Vaughn's already memorized the timetable, for obvious reasons the author does not know) and it was inconvenient to go and see her at present. Regardless, the vulture did not voice his concerns since Abigail probably wanted to see Tiana first only because she bore a striking resemblance to her, in which the eagle was definitely proud of and claimed her possible connection to a fictional royal family whenever possible.
Having separated themselves into three smaller groups—each having a different area of interest—they set out to collect as many autographs as possible and meet at the entrance of Space Mountain according to the time stated on their fast passes. How Vaughn, Pipa, Luka and Io ended up in the same group...no one but the author knew (well, obviously for narrative pUrPoseS but ukno :>)
Following the vulture's lead, the group of four arrived at the nearby Fantasyland and spotted almost immediately, Rapunzel and Eugene flirting under a parasol. There was, however, Pinocchio just around the corner which Pipa wished to meet first which therefore meant that Pipa, Io, and Luka were off together at once—leaving Vaughn to the couple under the umbrella.
"Hi, can I get your autograph?" Oh! Surprisingly normal.
"Of course," Rapunzel smiled cheerily, receiving the book and pen. "By the way, that is amazing hair you have right there. Do you brush it like I have to every day?"
"Uh," social interaction with fictional characters. Even at this level, it was taxing for Vaughn. In front of prey, sure he had the power but princesses? No. "Yes. I use conditioner."
"Oh! Conditioner? What is that, might I ask?" Rapunzel responded, perfectly in character as Eugene entertained another Disneylander.
"It's. Uh. Cream you use to smooth your hair. Make sure it doesn't get tangled."
The princess appeared genuinely amazed. "Sounds like magic to me! Have you tried singing while brushing your hair? It works magic as well."
"No." Vaughn could not English any longer. "Thank you. I have to go now, goodbye." Good-natured Rapunzel thought nothing of his abrupt dismissal of conversation, and waved a hearty goodbye.
As the vulture turned in the direction of Pinocchio, there was a firm clap on his shoulder. He turned, mildly taken aback that someone had the guts to do so towards a bitter-looking—oh.
"What are you doing here?" The vulture screamed in a whisper. "Aren't you supposed to be waiting for us at the bakery?"
"No, actually," Viktor said amidst attempting to rein in his amusement. "I've got some time to myself as well. Spotted Nox circling from afar and decided to join in the...fun." His step-brother gestured to the autograph book in his hands. "Didn't you already have six of that? One each time you went—oh, I get it."
Vaughn raised a brow. "Get what?"
"It's a tradition," Viktor winked as he took a sip of the vulture's tapioca drink. "Cute."
Vaughn was having none of his step-brother's loving antics as he avoided all interaction and forcibly made his way to the safety of Pinocchio. Viktor followed.
It was only after conversing with Luka and Pipa as well that Vaughn's step brother felt sated enough to leave the scene, claiming that he had yet to have a bite of the world-famous chicken legs and chili cone. Io didn't know what to make of their close relationship. He found it particularly intriguing, yet all the more amusing (careful reminder: no one knows about Viktor and Vaughn just yet).
"Io, Io look. It's the Evil Queen from Snow White!" Pipa was very excited as she tugged on the sparrow's sleeve, pointing out the pale, tall woman in the grandest of colors and a huge crown sitting atop her head.
"I'm guessing by her name, she's the villain."
"Yes, the meanie," Pipa nodded. "But she's really pretty. I told you the story yesterday didn't I?" Yes she did. It was kind of Pipa to give the smol village boy a run-down of the Disney characters and their various stories. Io tried his best to remember them all but...well. Short attention span.
"Can you help me get her signature?" She said to Io as soon as Vaughn had went ahead and was beyond earshot. The sparrow looked surprised.
"Don't you want to speak with her?"
Pipa shook her head quickly. "N-no, not really. She's a little intimidating," she handed over her autograph book and pen, propelling Io in the Queen's general direction. "Please please? Just her. I'll owe you a huge favor."
Io made a quick comment that she needn't owe him anything but was quickly overwhelmed by Vaughn, who was staring at him because the Queen was staring at them, having signed the vulture's collection.
"Hi there," the sparrow went up to the Evil Queen (Snow White's step mother, if one was not aware), wondering if he should take a bow. "My friend would like your autograph."
"Hm," the Queen unfolded her arms and made a brief gesture for him to hand over the autograph book. "Stop smiling. You look absolutely ridiculous."
"Oh," Io drew his lips into a line. "Muhd I meak mike mis?"
"Typical commoners. What an amusing lack of sense. And you've yet to take your bow, I believe," The Queen went on, perfectly in character and Io respected her ability to do so. He bowed.
"You're very good at this," he praised whole-heartedly. "Everyone says it's easy to be a villain but that isn't necessarily always the case is it?" Behind him, Vaughn was already rolling his eyes and looking quite exasperated with typical Io being Io.
"I think sometimes they deserve the credit as well. You know, we always seem to think that a good exists only when we witness a bad. It's like some sort of instinct—that just because there's one side of the story, there must be another. Or maybe it's just a plot device. You're a foil to Snow White, because you existing would create the impression of her being the pure and innocent; it emphasises and further illustrates the good in her. Without you, she'd just be...a nice girl."
The Queen raised a well-practiced brow. "What on earth are you going on about, boy?"
"So," Io was not listening, "Snow White and the prince should thank you for existing. Right Vaughn?" The sparrow turned to his companion behind quite suddenly, catching him off-guard. "We should always thank our villains."
At this, the Evil Queen had a rare smile on her face. It looked to Vaughn like an amused smirk; to Pipa from afar, a predatory smugness; and to Io, just a human smile.
*
Not a single Disneylander was foolish enough, at least, to miss the most popular and anticipated attraction—Space Mountain. And as Vaughn had so correctly advised, it wasn't an actual mountain either. Having gotten used to the feeling of being both terrified, excited and enlightened by the coming revelation of his appreciation of and possible attraction towards fear, Io was one of the eager crew members searching for a next ride—a flurry of emotions—after their adventure in Tomorrowland.
"What do you think of the Haunted Mansion...after the sun sets?" Jeremiah posed to the worst person possible.
"Not today," Dmitri was like nO, but Odette and Odile (having overheard the kite) pounced on the idea, suggesting that they queue only at night, together with the three professors. Surprising enough, the latter part was very well-received by the majority—including Pipa and Vijay.
"Callaghan's going to lose his sanity," Vijay said to Pipa with a mischievous spark in his eye, thinking of all the jump scares the mansion could have in store. Abigail disagreed.
"The line's going to be nasty," she reasoned first, then turned to expert-Disneylander Dmitri. "The ride's not even scary."
"Are you kidding?" Io watched Dmitri shiver oddly, slightly amused. "That ballroom scene get me all the time. It's creepy, alright? Not scary—just, eerie."
Abigail rolled her eyes, proceeding to ask him what the difference was between taking the ride in the day and the night. "It's the same thing." Lucienne was kind enough to end our suffering of baby Dmitri by adding that the atmosphere at night was not one to be missed, since it would perfect the art and beauty of the gothic-style mansion (did I mention (IS THIS A PUN) that Walt Disney had a thing for gothic styles? I mean it's obvious).
Unable to thoroughly oppose the harpy eagle's opinion, the falcon gave in with a sulk. "Fine. Is this conversation finally over? Can we please get the fast pass to Indiana Jones."
"Yes, yes," Abigail obliged with a gleeful smile. And while the swan twins mooned over their work of art in satisfaction, Io could not help but wonder how different a ride would be with their three professors. Was it all that special, really? After all, they were merely...human.
*
It had come to the crew's unfortunate attention—having filled their autograph books whilst waiting for the fast pass queue for Indiana Jones to hit the timing they were allocated on their fast passes—that it was ten minutes to six by the time the ride ended. The point was the sheer impossibility of crossing three parts of the park in only ten minutes in order for them to be punctual. On feet, that is.
A minute's discussion of panic ensued as they hurried towards their destination.
"We wouldn't have been this late if someone hadn't wanted to see Aladdin at the Arabian Coast," Dmitri, of course, snapped loudly. Shri, who had to be the one he was referring to, was trying hard to be patient with the baby of the Crew.
"Stop it. What's the use of excuses at this time? Ten minutes to get there is insane."
"Not if we shift," Abigail pointed out, and none of the predators except Shri and Jeremiah voiced an opinion to disagree.
"Faustes would have our heads if he found out. I respect the rules, so. No. If we're late, we should accept the punishment due," Jeremiah reasoned very maturely. "You get what you deserve."
"No, you don't. That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Why get punished for something you can get away with?" Aaqil snorted and Dmitri held out a hand of approval for him to five. "Let's find somewhere hidden."
"We're not doing any of that," Jing (aka phoenix boss) warned with finality, in which none of them could argue. "Let us hurry."
Although a couple of the crew were keen to disobey, the knew that the sudden heat baring down their backs could only mean the presence of her Avian—severely unpleasant and disconcerting. Io greeted the other Eye with a wave, watching as Sol guided them in his fading light. After all, the sun was about to set.
They were hurrying along (the Crew and their Avians in the sky) when all of a sudden, Io's fluffy hood—the Easter one he'd purchased at the store with Pipa, with bunny ears attached to the hood—was forced onto his head.
"Wa!" He turned around in a flurry, confused and slightly disoriented. The half-finished caramel custard tipo torta he had in his hands almost slipped out. "Luka?"
The eagle was taking stride after stride alongside him when the former noticed Io's hair turning a little pale, before it blanched the color of the moon.
"Your hair," he explained simply, hand still on Io's head—the fluffy material of his hood between his fingers.
The moon phoenix let out a startled gasp, trying to keep up with Luka's stride whilst keeping an eye on Slayne, the one guiding Pipa's wheelchair at the moment (at terrifying speeds, since neither Vijay nor Jiro had the strength left to).
"I-is it glowing?" He tried to look at his hair, and caught a small lock of it hanging out of his hood. Yes it was. "This is bad."
"It's fine," the eagle reassured, tugging the bunny ears lower (no, aBsolUtely noT for his pERSONAL pleasures) so that it covered Io's entire head and half his face. "Just stay like that. We'll figure something out later."
His companion nodded, and the bunny ears flopped as he did.
"Don't worry." And as Io tried to glance up—past the fluffy ears that drooped over his field of vision—he thought he saw Luka trying to contain a smile. He couldn't be too sure. Everything was very warm, and he felt strangely safe.
Confused, the moon phoenix attributed his emotions to the rising of the moon and the safety of the night; the darkness he so preferred, and was used to.
*
"Seven fucking minutes late," timed the deputy headmaster as the Crew came filtering past the outdoor seats of the cafe to gather, having half-ran across the park in an attempt to save their necks.
"Quint!" Callaghan warned under his breath. "Language."
Viktor wasn't taking part in the argument. "It wasn't too bad. Exceeds expectations—since they were never really high in the first place." We see here an appropriate demonstration of passive aggression, a perfect example in which Vaughn probably picked up at a young age. His step brother wasn't that all of a good influence on the sweet and innocent fledgling.
"Catch your breath, we've got a dinner reservation nearby," Faustes laid out stiffly, staring at the floppy ears Io had pulled all the way to the front in attempt to cover his entire head and half his face, possibly wondering if he'd picked up a weirdo on the way.
"Where?" Dmitri asked, only to receive a response that clearly exceeded his expectations—in a good way.
"Club 33."
(It has come to the author's attention that Club 33 at Disneyland is just a fancy dinner place for spiffing members of our society with spare thousands to spend on a fancy membership, but for the sake of narrative and illustration of predatory power, in which case is also derived from the top members of their social order, aka the elites, they, as the class of hearts, get to enjoy the privileges of anything exclusive. Again, long sentences live for I, and do not I English.)
Dinner was as exclusive as expected; as tiny-portioned as a sparrow's meal, and as delicate as Vaughn's emotions. Naturally, it's six-course serving and swashbuckling musical entertainment impressed upon the Crew an outstanding meal, especially among the prey. Io himself, had never been entitled to a fancy dinner as such, or even had the privilege to listen to any live band play as he savored crumbs of...um, pistachio creme anglaise. Whatever that was.
"This is so good," Pipa admitted with vanilla Chantilly cream in her mouth, enjoying her dinner course thoroughly even though the rest of the prey were filled to the brim. "I can have another five of these."
Io turned to Callaghan who was seated across, fixing his hood as he did so. "Did you manage to grade all of the essays, Professor?"
"Marked my scripts? Yes of course," Callaghan said rather proudly. "I am, for one, always on task."
"That's nice to hear," Io responded happily, spooning a nibble of the dessert into his mouth.
"And you, Iolani? Are you particularly unwell? Is the weather far too cold for your liking?" The professor asked, referring to the hood on his head. "Do as you wish. Necessary measures should be taken in times of, well, necessary needs. I do have heat packs however, if you require their assistance. I've brought some just in case."
Surprisingly, Callaghan was the first to question Io's fashion sense, aka the bunny hood. It had come to his understanding that although jackets were common on land, wearing it's hood wasn't as often. Io could only hope that it wasn't attracting as much attention as he thought it was.
*
Disneyland would not be complete without its fantastical show of fireworks and musical euphoria, often featured at the end of the day for some closure to a magical time in the park. It wouldn't sound very surprising then, that the Crew stood huddled together amongst the crowd, watching as fireworks bloomed over Cinderella's castle in the cold.
There was—and should have been—nothing going through the complex mind of a human stunned and mesmerized by a fiery flower in the darkness, as most of us would be. Drawn by blossoms of light, it is, all of a sudden, all that we can see in the short few minutes, ensued by a heavy sadness of departure and the mind's reversion to reality.
It was not uncommon however, to have considered the day's events while watching the fireworks, as many of them did. Although subtle, the Crew understood that it was the first time predator and prey got along in a perfectly human manner, accepting the company and existence of each—free of conditions and consequences. Only being.
How magical Disneyland must have been, then; to have made this all possible. Did such a kingdom really exist? One that lived merely in tales and the minds of the young and possibly naive. It was only in such a kingdom, that a dragon could be friends with a butterfly—and that we could see the rare sight of Vaughn standing, willingly, beside his worst enemy and greatest friend.
It felt almost like a dream.