Nora fled to Tomorrowland, as far away from the two men as she could get. No sir, she didn't need the drama.
She ended up throwing the rest of the cinnamon roll away, sending a little prayer to the sky in apology for its regrettable, not stomach related death, but couldn't handle eating after Gaston's accusation. Seems like you go to see a certain pirate now that I've inspired you to meet everyone.
Maybe she should go to the Haunted Mansion and mourn for her dignity.
It's not like it was that bad...but maybe it was. From Gaston's tone, he knew that she had a crush on him. And it wasn't difficult to add up all the little tidbits, like her Pirate ears and pirate necklace she normally wore. Not to mention the look on her face when he'd mentioned Jack.
She stayed in the bathrooms near Space Mountain for a chunk of time, listening to all the flushing toilets that so represented how she was feeling. Still, it was better than going back outside to that Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow, with its chipper music and overwhelming amount of people. Usually, she loved it, but after that?
Nora hesitantly left her sanctuary after receiving a text from Levi saying he would meet up with her. It was bad timing, but she'd texted him earlier. I'm sorry about the other night. Would you like to meet up after work today? I'm here.
She hadn't seen him since the whole asking if she was egregious thing. She felt bad for avoiding him. Hadn't she promised she wouldn't do that to him? Not that he'd really texted her much over the past few days. Meeting up with Maddie and her own potentially new friends had given her some courage, which Gaston had promptly smashed like the Hulk.
Still, it shouldn't be a problem talking to Levi, right?
Levi found her a few minutes later. He was holding a half-eaten turkey leg, which he'd clearly been eating on his way over.
They sat down in the shade under the Astro Orbiter while he finished. She stole glances at him, skeptical that their meeting would go well after her fiasco with Gaston.
"It's been weird not seeing you," he said after some time.
"Yeah. I've missed having my park buddy."
When he finished his turkey leg, they climbed aboard the People Mover, Nora not minding sitting backwards, knowing it bothered Levi to. She rested her feet on the empty space besides Levi.
The wind blew past, refreshing and cool for once as the electromagnets moved their sleek, blue train. They had the whole train to themselves, helping her be a bit more relaxed at anything she might say.
"I'm sorry for being so...clingy," she said before she could stop herself. "I wasn't myself and I didn't want you to think I was..."
She didn't know how to finish that sentence, but she didn't think he needed her to.
"I'm sorry I didn't say anything the other night," Levi said. "I was off too."
"Any reason?"
"I feel egregious."
He didn't say anything more. She couldn't help but dread his reuse of the word she'd used with Jack, the word she'd repeated to him. "Why?"
He opened his mouth to speak. The People Mover stopped abruptly. They'd made it to the side above the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor. A safety message indicating that the attraction was experiencing an unexpected delay and would be back online shortly—probably a handicapped guest getting on or off the ride.
She turned back to Levi. "Why are you egregious?"
He looked at his lap. "I saw someone I used to know today. I didn't handle it well."
"What, like an ex-girlfriend?"
He eyed her. "No. Like...someone I didn't get along with when I was a kid."
She knew that feeling well. "Did you punch them?"
His eyebrows pulled down. "Does that sound like something I'd do?"
"No." She thought of even lightly punching Gaston's padded bicep as revenge. "But maybe you should."
"I wouldn't expect that sort of advice from you."
"No." But things were changing. She was changing, or at least being tugged in a bunch of different directions. She wasn't exactly sure what she should do. Seems like you go to see a certain pirate now that I've inspired you to meet everyone.
Gaston had put her on edge. Now that she thought about it more, it didn't make sense for him to even know that she was seeing Jack Sparrow, not from her pirate ears, especially when he must have figured that she never got in meet and greet lines since she never went to see him. Or maybe he had more information than he let on. Face characters probably knew each other. They probably hung out, especially when they had to get their makeup done and everything. Sure, they were in different lands, but it's not like there was a multitude of face characters in each park. They'd definitely run into each other from time to time, at least for training or something, right?
Which meant one of three different things: that Gaston was either really clever at figuring out feelings, was just teasing her and didn't know anything, or that Jack Sparrow and Gaston knew each other and Jack was definitely talking about how Nora liked him.
She really, really, hoped it was the second one.
"You okay?" Levi asked.
"Do face characters talk to each other?" she blurted out, hand on her face.
"Uh..." He cleared his throat. "I mean, from what I hear, some of them hang out? I guess they at least know each other's names at the park they're at, but it's not like they're all best friends."
"Do you know if there are any that are really good friends?" Nora continued, as if more information would throw him off the scent, "Like how in Disneyland the actors for Peter and Wendy got married. Which is adorable."
"Are you trying to ask me if Alice and the Hatter are dating? Because you already know how I feel about that ship."
"Nope. Just wanted to know if you knew if any of them are friends. That I might see."
He looked over the side at the castle. "I don't really know who you go see the most."
Why was he going to make her say it? Didn't he remember the torture of the other day?
"Jack. I was wondering, since you're an Adventureland Cast Member and you're probably know him best since you might see him the most down in the utilidor, if you knew who Jack hung out with."
"I think he's kind of a loner."
Nora frowned.
"I mean, one of them. The captains. There are a few and it just depends on which one you're asking about. You know, if we're speaking off the record where it's okay to say more than one exists."
"In the third movie there was more than one."
"That was all in Jack's head."
"Still." She crossed her arms, leaning back.
"Why the interest?" he asked.
Nora looked up at him, realizing how they danced around each other with vague word games. But she couldn't admit to him why. Not now, at least. "It interests me is all. That maybe they're all best friends."
"No. I don't think life is like that."
So maybe Gaston was just teasing her. Maybe they didn't know each other.
The People Mover started up again. "So...what was wrong the other night?"
Nora swallowed. "Nothing. Hormones, maybe."
He looked at her, as if he knew she was lying, before suggesting they ride Big Thunder Mountain next.
She wanted to ask who the guy was that he'd seen that had bothered him so much. She wanted to ask why it felt like they didn't really know each other. She wondered if they could know each other, or if Disney had somehow made it impossible to be friends. Or maybe it was her that made it impossible.
Nora leaned back in the People Mover, the music loop running through There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow. She hit her head on the back of the seat as they pulled back into the landing zone.
She wasn't sure which one was the omen, or if God was chastising her for believing such a silly thing.
Question of the Chapter: What is your favorite land at the Magic Kingdom?
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-Flips