1.

Chaos in Paradise

“Smile—especially you, Mr. Pluto.”

            Chanyeol’s scowl isn’t as eminent as it should be, his hand lightly resting around the shoulders of a couple that seemed far too old and obnoxious to be in line to meet the famous pup. The heat of summer has got him suffocating under the heavy weight of the costume, and being the tallest one amongst the dubbed SOOper Toon Team, therefore having the, as Kyungsoo would say, utmost highest SOOper privilege to don the bright brown costume.

            “Good job, Pluto! Next in line please!”

            Jongin is wearing his usual cheeky smile, holding on tightly to the phone of Chanyeol’s newest guests up in the air. A small, crying girl greets him, making him twist his facial expression in utter fear.

            “Smile, look here, Pluto!”

            The boy is clad in the staple Disney helper costume, looking fresh and cheery, as any Disney Cast member should be. Chanyeol, on the other hand, wasn’t as happy as the park goer’s assume him to be. Well, when you’re stuck with mascot duty day after day, you would understand.

            “Okay, that’s all folks! Pluto has some other work to do—you may go ahead to Mickey Mouse’ house to meet with our head honcho around here.” Jongin announced his usual script, directing the crowd who had just finished their photo-ops, and were now loosely holding unto their cameras and whatnot.

            As Jongin and Chanyeol bid them farewell, the younger leads Chanyeol back into the Cast Members bathroom, where he quickly discards his head and lugs it unto one of the tables.

            “This—this is madness.” Chanyeol says with a sigh as he wipes away the sweat that had plastered his hair to his forehead. “The heat today is crazy.”

            It takes a while before Jongin bothers to join Chanyeol’s conversation, constantly swabbing his hair to the side in order for the regular parting in his blonde hair to remain as is. Chanyeol scoffs, removing the costume from his tall frame to reveal his white undershirt and boxer shorts.

            “Yeah—crazy. I don’t usually sweat but Soo ordered for costume D today.” Jongin says with a frown, folding his arms over his chest. “Had to change the color of my hair immediately.”

            “Too bad, you must have it so hard.” Chanyeol says sarcastically, slipping on his similar looking costume, lightly draping his bowtie over his shoulders. All he wants to do is to throw the bow on the prettily lined tiles on the floor and step on it until it’s no longer visible to human sight, but he decides against it.

            “What’s wrong with you? Tough day?” Jongin says with a sigh, finally satisfied with his appearance. “You have to get ready for the parade tonight.”

            “Yeah, yeah, I’m just wearing this since Soo was on my back the other day for wearing casual clothes—Disneyland is a no casual clothes policy! If you’re out of your mascot, wear the Disneyland costume!”

            Jongin chuckles whilst padding towards the door that leads to the theme park. “Well, keep your head up, Pluto. Tonight’s show is going to be a doozy.”

            “Why is that?” Chanyeol asks without tearing his gaze from himself in the mirror, his eyebrows scrunched together as he tried to fix his bowtie in place. “Isn’t every night a doozy?”

            “Well—don’t accuse me of eavesdropping but—Soo got a radio from Joonmyeon from Fantasyland that one of the main investors, who thinks that this specific Disneyland Park is, well, , and we have to strictly make sure everything goes right tonight.”

            “Huh, what do you know—we’re going to go out there and try to please at least one person. Not like we do that for the other, let’s say, the other eighty thousand people walking around.” Chanyeol scoffs, finally managing to throw on his red bowtie.

            Jongin shakes his head, planting his hands on his hips. “True, well—I’m heading out. I have to spot for Mickey’s at 2 PM.” He says with a sigh, kicking his shoes to align to his feet. “What’s your schedule after Pluto today?”

            “Nothing—I’m free as the water cups they give away at each store.” He says with a sigh of relief. “I can’t walk around so I guess I’ll head back to the dorms.”

            “Lucky you.” Jongin sighs, placing his hands on the doorknob.

            “Yeah—lucky me for wearing the Pluto mascot all morning—unlucky you for never having to wear the mascot at all.”

            Jongin shrugs with, his cheeky grin gaining entrance back to his face. “Not my fault I’m too beautiful to hide behind polypropylene cotton.”

            “Whatever—go on, you nerd.”

            “This—is very bad.”

            Luhan rubs his temples as he sips the tip of his coffee mug earnestly, his eyes drifting over the screens plastered above him. His eyes are constantly switching from all sides, his eyes doing three-sixties until they can no longer function.

            “What is bad—nothing seems bad to me.” Yifan says in disagreement, his black suit tipping over the edge of the seat. He’s trying to look for whatever Luhan was looking for, which seemed pretty bleak from the way he worded it.

            “You see—that shareholder person or whatever—he’s coming over today right?” Luhan’s eyebrows meet at the center of his forehead, forming a perfect V shape. “Which , since well, we don’t exactly know who he is.”

            Yifan nods in agreement, eyes still plastered unto the screens. “And so?”

            “And—so? Are you stupid—this if very, very bad. We can’t control how people act—we can’t control our guests. If something messes up today—we lose that guy forever. The higher ups are counting on us—you specifically, Mister head-of-the-park, to make it work.”

            Yifan nods. “And where do I come in?”

            Luhan’s face scrunches up to an exasperated look, as if he had just realized he was working with an idiot. “How are you a rank above me again?”

            Yifan just shrugs and leans back against his chair, his eyes still looking through the cameras. “Everything’s going to be fine—the park is well and operational, and I’m pretty sure the cast members are doing dandy. We just let things set into place—and viola! Instant cash, investors and the likes.”

            Luhan sighs in defeat, knowing he couldn’t argue with Yifan. “Okay—whatever you say.”

            “How’s it looking over there, Private Taehyung?”

            “Pretty good sir—already approximately 2 hours, 43 minutes and 29 seconds since the lunch hour started and there seems to be no apparent mess here at Frontierland.”

            “Good, keep me posted. How about over on your side, Private Yoongi?”

            “Tomorrowland looks like —just like my future.”

            Jongdae looks at his walkie talkie and scowls, turning it back to his mouth to retort his underling. “What did you just say, private?”

            “I said—Tomorrowland looks like —news flash, the future is covered in kid’s left over angus burgers and the corpses of my dreams and former endeavors—“

            “—Take things seriously, private.” Jongdae hisses.          

            “Yeah, sorry, boss, uh, kid’s spillin’ his breakfast all over the place—not going near that group since looks like it’s about to go down—literally.”

            Jongdae sighs in defeat, taking his walkie talkie away from his mouth. He shakes his head and looks around Fantasyland, observing his surroundings. “Alright, just, try to clean up? At least a bit? Like, you’re actually paid to clean up you know—“

            “—Yeah, sorry, I was busy throwing my hopes and goals down the Jiminy Cricket trash bins. Will keep you posted, boss. Yoongi out.”

            Jongdae is about to retort, but decides against is as he clutches at his broom and dustpan. It’s been approximately 9 months since he’s been promoted to head cleanliness custodian, and believes he is doing a pretty good job at it, especially as he nods to himself while he peers over the sanctity of his home—Fantasyland.

            He has people down all over the place, and feels the power as he directs and asks for reports from each one, wherein he is far more concerned over the well being of each park rather than anything else.

            And that moment when the supervisor for Fantasyland, Kim Joonmyeon, plucked him out of the bottom ranks and brought him as head cleanliness custodian, he had felt the trickle of the waterfalls from Splash Mountain wash over him with utter ecstasy, the scene replaying in his head countless number of times.

            “Yeah, hello, is this Kim Jongdae? We need someone for the head cleanliness custodian, uh, no one was willing to do it and the previous in position said you’d do just fine so yeah, report to work first thing tomorrow and, uh, sorry wait—no, that doesn’t go there! Put it properly back in the shop beside It’s a small world, ugh, the name of the store? Uh, wait sorry—Oh, Mr. Kim, just report first thing tomorrow. Thanks!”

            From that moment on, Jongdae knew his purpose.

            Long had he wondered, what was the point of sweeping the main streets of Disneyland Park? Did he slowly try to mull over the fact that he will never reach the higher ranks, and remain sweeping floors by smaller parts of the park?

            That all changed on that faithful day, and Jongdae had always felt like Cinderella, with Kim Joonmyeon as his Bibbidi Bobbidi Fairy Godmother—he was indeed the chosen one.

            The chosen one who will cleanse the world of evil.

            “No, absolutely not—no.” Baekhyun says as he cowers towards the end of the dressing room, with Minseok trailing after him. “For the hundredth million ing time—no!”

            “Baekhyun, stop. For the hundredth million ing time—you do this since you’re paid to do this—do your ing job.”

            A pair of strong hands latches themselves unto Baekhyun’s arms, forcing him to come down off one of the make up table’s chairs. The cast member’s dressing rooms were filled up a lot more today, since the park had an extra push to recreate an even better Disney experience.

            “Please, no more. I don’t want to go out there again—not again please—“

            Minseok only shakes his head, make up brushes caught in between his fingers. “No, you’re not getting away today. Get your make up done now or so help me—I’ll end you myself.”

            Baekhyun slumps down to one of the chairs, his back hunched over the make up table as Minseok holds up a wig over his head. “Stay still—Tiffany’s doing the Royal Hall shift—you’re lugging your down at the Parade.”

            Baekhyun cries in defeat as Minseok plasters a familiar looking blonde hairstyle to his head, fixing his make up and clearing away any forms of masculinity left on him as he wallows in his pain.

            For Baekhyun had made a mistake not over a year ago, wherein he had agreed to cross dressing for the daily night parade due to character complications. He was just a simple maintenance guy—and now look where it’s gotten him.

            In a dressing room plastered in make up, a blonde wig, glass slippers and a fantastic looking blue dress that totally highlights his eyes—if he ever even bothered caring about what highlights his eyes and whatnot.

            Oh, the things Disneyland does to you.

            Jongin is tired—dead tired of standing all day, taking endless amount of pictures on discarded phones, which is obviously depriving Disneyland of those 15 dollars for each photo pass. But he works in Disneyland—and Disneyland is a call for happiness and smiles, so he pushes on.

            “Psst.”

            He looks down at the radio strapped to his waste and smiles. The familiar gesture allows him to slip away from the Mickey Mouse photo-op barn and out through the exit, where the Cast Member’s dressing room in the junction in between Mickey’s house and Chip ‘n Dale’s treehouse meet.

            “Hey—what’s up?” He says with a smile, trying to swallow his urge to laugh, as he sees the very well dressed Cinderella unattractively slumping against one of the make up tables.

            “Stomach that cheeky smile of yours—I went all the way from Fantasyland’s underground tunnels in these heels.”

            Jongin shrugs, taking the seat beside Baekhyun. “What’s wrong? Didn’t you like dressing up in frilly dresses and the likes?”

            “No—hell, no.” Baekhyun breathes, his hands half-crawling up to his head for the urge to throw the wig off. Knowing Minseok would have his head like the Red Queen he is—he decides not to. “Minseok got me into it again.”

            “No surprise there.” Jongin says with a laugh, turning into the opposite direction of the distressed damsel. “For what it’s worth—you look stunning.”

            “Thaaaaanks.” Baekhyun says sarcastically, resting a chin on his palm.

            “What time’s your shift?” Jongin asks curiously. “You know you shouldn’t be slipping out of Fantasyland like that. The Royal Hall is packed with little girls with dreams daily—you know.”

            “I know, I know.” Baekhyun sighs. “But Minseok never wants me to be in the Royal Hall, you know that. I’m the Paint the Night shift.”

            “Yikes.” Jongin says, his teeth clenching. “I can see how nervous you are.”

            “Definitely.” Baekhyun nods in agreement. “You know how much I hate those floats—spent a few years ago trying to construct them, for, you know, other people. I made them, I’m riding them—pretty much disorienting.”

            “Yeah, kind of like the saying build your horse, ride your horse—“

            “—There’s no saying like that.” Baekhyun retorts, laughing a bit.

            “I know, but since I’m the almighty Kim Jongin, I can do whatever I want.” He shrugs his hair, flattening out against his forehead. “You better haul your pretty back to Fantasyland—heard the supervisor up there has his head in the clouds.”

            “Joonmyeon? Nah, he wont mind. His head’s pretty much preoccupied by that shareholder who’s going to bust in any moment, probably already in the park as we speak.”

            “Even Soo’s got his underwear on tight for that guy—wonder how important he is.”

            Baekhyun laughs at the remark, looking at himself once again the mirror. “I don’t look anything like Cinderella—this is stupid.”

            “Yeah, you’re prettier.” Jongin says, batting his eyelashes. “You’re like, prettier than Cinderella but not too far behind me, the prettiest of them all.”

            “You’re so gay.” Baekhyun says finally, pushing the chair back to stand up. “Whatever, I’m outta here. Needed different air to breathe, and talking to you is the only way to calm down—thanks.”

            Jongin bows his head a bit, smiling towards Baekhyun’s direction. “No problem, my princess.”

            Baekhyun gives Jongin a final smile before he slips back into the underground tunnels, hurriedly trudging against his heels before Minseok finds out he disappeared.

            “Yixing—I said, you pull this lever, this one and then press this button to start the ride—that’s literally all you have to do.” Jungkook says with an exasperated sigh, turning the contraption across the clueless boy on and off, again and again.  “It’s the easiest job in this entire ride—you have to pull this—then this—then it will literally make the cart move. It’s literally that simple.”

            Yixing is staring intently at the controls, still trying to absorb what the younger boy just said.

            “Did you even listen to me—good God, whatever, I have to get to the maintenance deck in a few minutes before reopening, you better do your job right—we had to temporarily close because of you.”

            Yixing absent-mindedly nods, saluting the stressed boy in assurance. “Yessir.”

            Jungkook only bites his lip in distress, stepping a few steps back. “Remember! The red lever, then the green, then the yellow button!”

            Jungkook disappears into the lower staircases that lead to the maintenance deck of the ride Space Mountain, leaving Yixing to stand behind the controls like a lost lamb. He intently turns his attention away from the blinking lights and unto the upcoming crowd, each spilling from the gates to finally occupy the empty carts.

            He smiles at each on of them, his airheaded eyelids floating all the way up to his forehead.

            “Now what was it again… Yellow lever, blue lever, and then red button—of course I remember, I’m Yixing.” He says with a satisfied smile, letting his hands drape across the buttons.

            “No, no, it was Green lever, Yellow button and then Red Lever.” Sehun says as he ghosts behind Yixing, looking right above his shoulder. “I’m pretty sure that’s what he said—100 percent.”

            Yixing looks at him, as if amazed by his genius. “As expected—the might Sehun-senpai is definitely amazing.”

            Sehun nods and basks in Yixing’s praise, folding his arms over his chest. “Of course I’d remember—I listened really well to Jungkook. I always do.”

            Yixing brings his hands upward to clap seriously, his mouth forming a small “O”. “Amazing—amazing as always. I really look up to you, Sehun-senpai.”

            “Wasn’t it Pink shampoo, Peach conditioner and Lavander soap?” Tao says with a blank face as he rests his chin over Sehun’s shoulder, peering right at the controls. “I could get them at body shop—they’re on sale right now—“

            Yixing tilts his head to the side, taking Tao’s words seriously. He quickly spins around and searches for any liquid substance or soaps that lean into the shades of lavender, but ultimately fails. “But Tao-senpai, there’s nothing like that on the controls. Where are they?”

            All three boys start to peer over the control panel, eyeing each button in search for the right set. The audience from the carts watch them in impatience, some jeering Asian scum and curses that would be blurred out in any forms of media.

            However, the crowd is completely ignored as Yixing, the head of the controls for the entire of Tomorrowland (for some, very odd reason), still tries to figure out to do his job after 3 years.

            “Why haven’t you started the ride? What the—“ Jungkook says in distress, half bowing to the annoyed crowd and half scowling at the three boys huddled over the controls. “ing—Red Lever, Green Lever—“

            “—Yellow button.” Jungkook bares his teeth as he hunches over the controls, pulling all the specific options to start the ride. He hovers right above the yellow button, reaching out to Yixing’s arm as he pulls it to replace his hands. “Press this very specific and easily identifiable button when that monitor tells you to, okay?”

            Yixing nods, his hand just a few centimeters away from the blinking yellow button. “Remember: only. When. The. Monitor. Tells. You. To.”

            Jungkook moves his glances between Sehun and Tao, giving them the same face. “Shouldn’t both of you be in Adventureland—oh whatever, just, whatever I’m so done I’m younger than all of you and I’m stuck on ride maintenance team and what the hell—“

            Jungkook mumbles small curses and witch enchantments as he walks back in the same direction, his feet heavy as the sound of his footsteps echo.

            Yixing still has his finger pointed, ready to press on the button. When the monitor turns on, revealing Jungkook once again, he feels the pressure finally building in him.

            Jungkook shoots a “Now!“ and the elder immediately complies, pressing the yellow blinking button, but not until he hums have a safe trip~~~ come back safe I love you all into the mic, letting his voice echo through the ride.

            “Ladies and Genturmehn, the PAINT THE NIGHT YO YO YO parade will begin at exactly eight-fifty pm. No one is allowed on side walks and must remain within all white ropes at all times PEACE OUT.”

            Jin facepalms as he watches Namjoon make his way with the microphone in hand, the boy comfortable with his legs up on the sound board. “You are unpredictable, you’ll be knocked off points if Kris or Luhan heard you.”

            “Points—who needs them damn points when you have rapping soul.” Namjoon slurs in english, his staple Disneyland costume D far too inappropriate for his current posture. “I like to live the dangerous life—the edge, man.”

            Jin rolls his eyes, turning his head back unto the screens plastered before him. He and Namjoon were the ones in charge of announcements and immediate security, the ones who ordered security around the park if something goes wrong. “Really, they’re especially going to kill you because we’re really out to butter up that shareholder’s arse.” Jin avoids cursing as he turns up a few knobs to adjust the volume of the music in a specific ride, being over conscious about the equality of all sounds to—maintain peace and harmony in the happiest place on earth.

            “I don’t mind—I’m rap monster.”

            “Alright, alright, just don’t crawl in my bed tonight in tears because you were beaten up.”

            “That’s not nice, doll face.”

            “I’m locking my doors tonight.”

            “Hey, sugar pants—“

            “—Double, double locking my doors tonight.”

            “You ready?” Jongin says with a smile as he sits on the float’s base, wearing his costume for the night. Jongin was a great dancer, Baekhyun agrees, and is most definitely fit to be dancing in the show.

            “Ha ha, ready as I’ll ever be.” Baekhyun says sarcastically as he stands tall in the gazebo type float that Cinderella holds domain to, tightly gripping unto the rails in fear of it toppling over. “You don’t think these are going to… give way right? Like, they’re strong enough, right?”

            “How should I know—you’re the one who built them.”

            “Right, right.” Baekhyun says, biting his lip. “But I have this thing where I like it when people reassure me even if they don’t know if its true or not—be a good friend and help a brotha out will you—“

            “—sista—sistarella, actually.” Jongin jokes, smiling. He receives a frown from Baekhyun, sending him into a fit of laughter. “I’m just kidding—you’ll be spectacular. It’ll be fine, pretty sure you weigh less than anything else on this float.”

            Baekhyun nods, his gloved hands meeting together right above his hips. “Alright, I’m ready. Go ahead and get into your position, we might start soon.”

            “Will do, my princess.” Jongin says with a bow, tottering over to the Finding Nemo float, where he was tasked to be nemo for the night.

            Baekhyun fidgets in his place, looking around from time to time. He’s still in the holding area for the floats, wherein colorful floats plastered in lights, each being tested, are lined up and are ready to exit unto the main street. He finds comfort in seeing others seem more stressed, seeing Tao on Peter Pan duty, half sobbing due to the height of the float he was sitting on, he calms down.

            He turns around to see the Mickey Mouse float not too far behind, him being the last on the Disney Princess floats. He heaves a heavy sigh, he hated being near the last since being near the least meant having the biggest impact—and Baekhyun felt like he didn’t have any of that.

            He looks at each of the Mickey Mouse floats carefully, seeing as there was one missing.

            “Pluto…” he says absentmindedly, noticing as no one had taken notice that the dog was missing from the set up. He tries to call out for the maintenance boys who were running to and fro, ultimately catching someone’s attention.

            “You’re Jungkook right? It’s me, Baekhyun—“

            Jungkook stands to attention, his hand rising to his head for a salute. “Baekhyun-sir!”

           Baekhyun realizes that he still is practically the head of the over-all maintenance for the park, and straightens his posture at the boy’s gesture. “Pluto… he doesn’t seem to be in place on the floats—is there a problem?”

            Jungkook swerves and tries to spot the pup, but fails. “Weird—the parade’s going to start soon… I still have to check on the peter pan float since Huang Zitao shook it up too much—“

            “—It’s fine, I’ll get right on it.” Baekhyun immediately lightens up at the idea of escaping his float for a few more minutes, hopping off the contraption with grace. “He’s probably in the dressing room—I’ll be right back.”

            Jungkook says a few words of gratitude before slipping away, leaving Baekhyun to teeter on his heels. The concrete underneath the glass slippers doesn’t actually help his feet as bruised as they are, but knowing how the red queen, a.k.a. Minseok, would literally have him poached for any damage on the shoes, he quickly slips them off and takes them to his hands.

            Baekhyun falters against the dressing rooms as he realizes surely by this time, these dressing rooms would have been empty. He sees that all the lights are off and quickly slips inside, his hand searching for the light switch.

            He feels completely lost in the darkness, just his hands scaling the walls, constantly knocking over bottles of liquids and patches of make up, finally reaching the light switch after a few minutes.

            He’s about to turn it on until he hears muffling, a tad bit disturbing—and loud, too.

            He swallows, turning his head to search for the origin of the sound.

            To his horror, he sees a body splayed right behind the stack of luggage bags that used to be filled with costumes, with the mascot head still firmly attached. The set up looked slightly like a grotesque half-human, half-pluto leaning against the wall, well, basically… touching himself.

            Baekhyun cups his mouth in horror, allowing his legs to stand him up and to quickly allow himself to sprint out of the door.

            Not without accidentally leaving one shoe behind, though.

            Ironic.

            Baekhyun is sweating—that’s never a good thing when you’re a Disney Princess.

            He fans himself with his gloved hand, having the other one wiping away with the tissue that Minseok had handed him earlier on. For some reason, the elder was no where to be found—and at the worst time, too.

            He tries to get rid of the image in his mind, hopping back unto the ride in panic. It’s actually pretty traumatic, seeing your childhood cartoon… touching himself.

            Baekhyun shivers at the thought, gripping tightly unto the metal railings as he steadies himself.

            “Pluto, where the hell have you been?” shouts the Goofy costume, gaining the attention of the distressed boy. The brown pup walks to him after awhile, shaking his head as if signifying that he didn’t want to talk about it.

            Baekhyun swallows, his eyes still following the man in the dog suit.

            “You have to be on time—the party’s about to start!” The goofy costume then does this weird, very inappropriate dance, making Baekhyun gag even more. It’s not that he was disgusted—he was more concerned about the fact that he used to watch these cartoons be silly and happy and, well, be not inappropriate.

            The thought terrifies Baekhyun, making him spin his head back into the forward direction. He mutters in his head that this shouldn’t get to him—he’s Cinderella for the night.

            He feels himself freeze, as it seemed that Pluto face drifts his attention towards Baekhyun’s very specific float. He gets flustered, immediately spinning on his heels to face the other way.

            He finally notices the fact that he’s missing a shoe, scoffing at the sudden revelation.

            “Great, now I really am Cinderella.”

            He practically face palms, thanking the God’s Disney princesses wear gloves. If not, he would have a red circle on his forehead—very attractive.

            “Are you ready, Baekhyun?” Jimin says, giving him the youthful smile he always managed to make. Baekhyun can’t help but smile in return, looking at the boy who was wearing a chauffer uniform.

            “Yeah—I’m ready. You driving the floats tonight?”

            The younger boy nods, smiling. His eyes disappear in his chauffer hat, bright enough to warm a thousand atlantics. “Yep, Jungkook wants to be near me, though. The maintenance team keeps stealing my job—said that directing the electronic floats should be their job. Ever since they incorporated remote controlled floats, I’ve been out of business.”

            Baekhyun softens at the thought, bending down to pet the boy. “It’s fine—go ahead and show them who’s boss.”

            Jimin nods, escaping back into the main controls when he hears the signal that the show was about to start.

            Baekhyun settles down as well, straightening out anything he has to straighten out, maybe even his uality, but he brushes it off.

            Tonight, he has to perform his absolute best—or else, Minseok’s going to have his head.

            “What’s wrong—why do you look so petrified?” Hoseok says from under the Goofy costume, folding his arms over his chest. “Not like you.”

            “How on earth do you even see what I look like from under this mascot head?” Chanyeol lifts an eyebrow, eyeing the Goofy costume across him through the mascot peephole.

            “I have that kind of power.” He shrugs, shifting his weight to the other side. “Did something happen? Any technical difficulties with the costume or are you just a pissing little girl.”

            Chanyeol scowls, ready to swab his paw across the dog’s head. “No—it’s just… I had a, well… problem, and uh, dealt with it in the Cast Member’s Prep room.”

            Hoseok is sent to a fit of laughter, one hand clutching his stomach and the other grabbing hold of Chanyeol’s arm to stable himself. He takes a few seconds retching his laughter out, making Chanyeol’s eye twitch. He was so close, so close to murdering the guy.

            “God—that’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all day.” He says, finally settling down. “So, why are you so petrified?”

            “Well—you see, it seems… A stray princess found it’s way to my hide out.”

            “What—what do you mean?”

            Chanyeol brings out a glass shoe from underneath his costume, peering through a tiny hole that lets him bring out his hands. “Cinderella over there might have seen me… do the deed.”

            Hoseok is sent into another fit of laughter, clutching his stomach even harder that he had to retract it from the costume to bring it inside. He’s almost on the floor before Chanyeol kicks his legs, annoyed.

            “That’s—that’s crazy funny. Some chick—Cinderella, as a matter-of-fact, saw you out of costume?”

            “No… I kept the mascot head on.”

            Hoseok is on the ground now, and Chanyeol is stopping himself from killing him on the spot.

            “Alright… It seems that all systems are go.” Luhan nods, his smile bigger than ever. He had Joonmyeon inspect the floats ahead of time, before the maintenance guys, since he knows how obsessive with perfection Joonmyeon is. The boy was walking in the heat, eyeing each float.

            “Is everything good at the tinkerbell float?” Luhan says, allowing his voice to find its way over to the Tinkerbell radio.

            “All good, over here, sir.”

            Luhan nods, his arms folding over his chest. “How about at the Mickey Mouse float—are we ready?”

            “All systems are go, sir.”

            Luhan feels absolutely proud of himself, nodding as he leans back against his revolving chair. It’s showtime.

            “Lu, what’s that thing over there?”

            Luhan opens his eyes, giving Kris an annoyed look. “What is it now? Another stray balloon? Cotton Candy on the floor? A spill? The custodians can take care of that.”

            “Yeah, they very well are.”

            Luhan is confused, turning his attention back into the monitor that Kris was pointing at, making his face twist in several colors and directions that he was so close to retching out his dinner.

            “Oh —“ Luhan shouts as he runs out of his chair, all the way out the door and into the communications department.

            “Huston, we have a problem.” Kris says, shaking his head as he keeps his eyes glued to the screen.