2025-02-16 - Afternoon of Adventure

It is Sunday and Angelo texts back and forth with Christopher to coordinate meeting on the docks. There's excitement there in Angelo's face as he's awake and been up for a few hours now. The greeting comes warm and natural for Angelo extending Christopher a hand. If nothing else is evident Angelo is comfortable around new people and is a fan.

"Heeey Christopher or do you go by Chris? What's comfortable for you?" He gestures to where the park is but then down the side where there's a walkway that looks a pleasant walking path but lives there for the employees to get to and from. "Were going to take the whole tour today. Show you where we kind of come in, get ready for things and report up to the ship. I'm excited to meet you. This is so cool."

And with that he offers, "Lets get out of the coooold. Luckily to keep us warm they got the tunnels to help us get around and a bit quicker to get all the way across the park if we need to." He gestures to the route where they're headed to give some bearings to it. "You ever get to see em before?"

Christopher arrives on the docks with a bag slung over one shoulder that likely contains his clothes for later. For now, he's dressed for adventure, or at least for being hooked up to wires and bouncing around. He's got on some comfortable black joggers, a grey long-sleeved Henley for warmth, and a close-fitting zip-up fleece all for range of motion but also without loose bits like a hood that could get caught in anything.

"I go by either," he says with an easy smile as he walks up to Angelo. He offers a hand to shake in greeting. "Chris is good. And same. I've seen the show a few times. Definitely a fan. And definitely into getting to see all the behind the scenes stuff. And to met one of Aisley's friends."

He falls into step when Angelo begins to lead him down the path toward the tunnels and shakes his head. "I've seen a little of the behind the scenes stuff at the circus tent but I haven't seen the tunnels, just heard bout them."

Angelo walks with him looking surprised and excited that he's gotten to see the behind the scenes at the Circus. "The Circus is such a cool place. My sister just got a placement over there. I was like no way I want to come check it out she was like naw you got your own area. So you're ahead of me on seeing that one." This may or may not be to 100% accuracy.

Listening he seems genuinely interested, "She'd mentioned you both got to hang out and do some cool dream tripping. She's so crazy talented. Neat learning about all the stuff the park helps people discover. I don't make you fly on your own though I promise." He pauses and looks to Chris, "Unless you can do that which is a good thing to know now." He wonders, "What was your favourite part of the Circus peaking behind the tent flaps?"

Then tunnels are unique in that they are their own ecosystem of bustling about, though less adorned and more functionary in design. The smell is a unique situation which Angelo apologizes for as Chris answers. "The one downside to the tunnels is, uh, well you know you are definitely in them. Could be hot and humid though so we got that going for us at least." A small mercy!

"Yeah, I met Spencer, one of the trick riders over there. She showed me a little bit of her training and practice there. It was a lot of fun to get to see some of that. And the horses are beautiful. I got to meet an acrobat or two too while I was there," Christopher says as they walk along, laughing a little at the idea of Angelo's sister telling him to stick to his own area.

Laughing, he shakes his head and says, "Nah, I can't fly on my own. I can walk through mirrors, though. And I can draw on things with my mind and make it last for a while, or only be visible to certain people, which is pretty cool." Then he asks Angelo, "Do you actually really fly? Because it sure looks like it in the show."

The tunnels definitely have a uniquely odd smell to them despite the circulation system that works to keep the air moving. Chris doesn't seem to mind, giving a little shrug of his shoulders. "It's cool to see the underside of things, what's going on, like lifting up a rock and seeing all the little ant tunnels with the ants running around through them."

"Trick riding looks scary like how do I not fall, hurt the animal, or break a neck while being run over by excited hooves? A lot of trust in the horse to be good at that and not bounce you off into the dust I imagine." Angelo is not beyond being mystified by the skills of Spencer's team.

The eyebrows lift and he says "I have only heard of this. I'd love to actually see that. I've been here six months now and things are still surprising me all the time." Answering honestly with a little bit of pride he says "I do. The wings are real. They're not always there, but they are real. It's a different challenge of not running into the wires and knowing where the water cannons are going to go off and that."

As they walk through and find the Wardrobe and ready area with the colourful doors he says "Oh nice! Might need to hire you to help me out with secret messages. That mean you can make tattoos and stuff that don't smudge off?"

Angelo gives the quick rundown on where they are headed "We are going to go this way and swing through River Village where Wardrobe and all things magical and 'fabrical' live like costumes and laundry and stuff. I don't think my brother's there this morning but he sometimes is." he sums up "We hit up here for wardrobe and costumes, hair and makeup. Get our pirate going and then 'yar matey' ourselves over tooo Venture Cove. So we'll grab a locker, store our stuff." He pats his own duffel, "and then saunter over that way."

A number of different persons shuffle around in various uniforms from Court of Portals and Mystic Mountain can be seen, and a woman in a wool layered flannel dress that has escaped River Village stage to come down for a break and a snack! But they are able to change anything if they need to and store the rest with a key like a gym does with better security.

"Yeah, it's a lot of practice and you do still sometimes end up thrown in the dust and people do break toes and things under hooves," Christopher says as they make their way along through the tunnels, taking in the tours and peeking into wardrobe to see the racks upon racks of costumes -- some familiar and some not. "You've only heard of which?" he asks but then looks thoughtful and says, "I've never tried to draw on someone's skin before but I guess I could do a temporary tattoo like that."

He follows along, taking everything in with interest and asking a few questions here or there about whether people get lost in the tunnels, how long it takes to get from one area to another, those sorts of things. And when they get to the lockers, he stores his things and takes the key with him so that he can get back into it after they're done. That goes into the zipped-up pocket of his fleece so it doesn't escape.

There's a small wince from Angelo at the news- he's going to pass on new ways to break things today. "The mirror walking. Never actually seen it." Because his bestie doesn't tell him things like this. If only he knew. "Shit I'll let you try drawing on people. You can draw on me. I think it's neat. It'll probably be shiny like one of those fancy stickers." Given the shimmer on the skin and all.

Angelo is happy to tell the story about people getting lost in the tunnels in spite of any number of signs because so much looks uniform until what is near what else, and how everyone's super helpful about it. He does share, "One time I was flying over the Boo'edwalk looking for the tea shop- good stuff there," he asides, "And I kept feeling a faint buzz like someitmes you can feel magic acting up and it was behind me. I must have chased it for five minutes gettingmyself lost before figuring out I was detecting my own damn wings. The things we learn the hardway, man." He shakes his head pointing out where some of the other shortcuts go and why he likes some of them for food shortcuts.

When they come up on the tunnels that go under Venture cove someone's painted a map with a pirate flag on the wall as if stuck in the sand. Somehow it waves a little bit as if catching a breeze today. Angelo tilts his head "Cooool, that's new." he's impressed and gestures Christopher to join him. "C'mon video selfie. We'll see if it's moving on camera later." It's a fun day and he'll commemorate it for himself too.

"So we are going to hang out down here and you can hear the end of the first show. When we got the all clear we'll take the tunnel and head up above deck and meet Darla who will get us rigged up for the show." in the meantime he finds someone on hand they can ask technical questions to learning about the water cannons recharging several thousand gallons of water to 'blast' up in the show with high powered water jets they're careful to avoid hitting in water actors with.

And the sign is given, "It's showtime for us!"

"Oh, well, I can show you. Maybe after we get done with all of this. There's gotta be a room around somewhere with a couple mirrors in it," Chris says with a grin and a shrug of his shoulders. "Temporary tattoos and mirrorportation," he says, seemingly down for playing with both later. He does chuckle a little bit at the story of Angelo chasing his own wings like a dog chasing his own tail. "That's funny."

Pulling out his phone, he stands near the slightly waving flag with Angelo and leans in with a grin to take a still selfie and then a video selfie of the two of them hanging out by the pirate flag. "It just started doing that?" he asks curiously, glancing over at the flag for a moment before they keep going.

He nods in understanding about lingering down below. It's interesting to hear the show from this perspective, muffled and kind of above them, and to learn about the water jets. He seems to be having a good time already and they haven't even begun. Until now! When showtime is called, he heads on up with Angelo to get rigged up for whatever comes next. "This is going to be great!"

Angelo says "Quite a few" He grins and laughs, "Yeah it felt dumb, but it was funny." He looks up at the art on the wall and says "The mural was there yesterday, but the flag was not waving yesterday as far as I know." He waves back with a quiet, "Hulloooo." hey, just in case.

Heading into the wide area where all sorts of changes can be made there's a set of wooden stairs that have a landing and then head back up above in a hairpin turn. Cresting the top of the stairs it opens onto the deck of the ship. The audience is all out there and Angelo heads up taking the stairs two at a time. The audience seats can be seen from there but it is vacated but for some of the assist crew there in their black outfits.

As if greeting the whole room Angelo calls out "WELCOME to Venture Cove me hearty!" He ooks at teh led screens that surround the place and he asks "Oh we're at the frozen north...can we have a beach?" He asks and the lightsof the horizon fade to night and come back up like a bright dawn over Torguga. "Thaaaaaaaank you there we go. Chris that's our technical crew out there. They give us the amazing vistas to drop the stage in This is Darla and she's our stunt director. Darla, Christopher."

Darla's a bit of a tall redhead of around 44 years old and looks like she does love her job. "So we're going to get some safety lines on you in a bit but for now we're going to let you guys work on going over what the stunts are and make a pirate out of you yet."

Christopher studies the mural with its waving flag for a moment longer and then he is following Angelo up the steps, taking the hairpin turn and climbing to the deck of the ship where he can look out over the audience seats. It's so strange to see things from this perspective, and yet really cool. He stands there for a moment just taking it all in.

Turning around, he looks at the backdrop that changes from the frozen north to a beach scene and laughs just a little bit. "If only it were that easy to do outside." Listen, winter's been going on out there for a bit now and he's ready for a little sun. He lifts a hand and waves to the technical crew. Then he's turning to greet Darla. "Hi, thanks for letting me come out and see all this today. This is really, really cool."

"Okay," he says to Darla agreeably, ready to take whatever instruction she may have to give as far as that goes. "I'm ready to pirate!"

Angelo points upward where the 'sky hole' is currently closed. "We laugh now, but I will be super impressed if it does." Until then we have screens and big holes to fall in." He grins pointing to where they make the deck modular to see through to the room below them they were in where they move a huge crash bag.

"We are first going to learn to fall so we are not afraid to fly later because we know we'll be safe. Landing safely is important. So when we fall our arms are usually out not down so you don't jam anything or buckle your arms under you. It's like a big bean bag of sorts." He points to the hole and says "I'll go, then we roll off to the side and then throw your self in the hole. Big arms not necessary but fun."

He turns noting his feet, pointing and then throws himself backward into the hole like he just got super uppercut. He lands with a thoop on the bag. Grinning up to Chris he says "Your turn!" He moves out of the way and watches.

Christopher leans over to look down into the crash bag and then up at the sky hole that would allow in light form outside if it was open with interest, taking in the set. Then it is time to learn to fall and he nods enthusiastically. He listens as Angelo lays out the plan and then watches as he launches himself backward into the hole, falling into the bag.

Once Angelo has moved out of the way, Chris goes to stand in roughly the same place that he had been and takes a deep breath, and jumps backward, letting his arms flop out with a thwack into the bag as he sinks into it, grinning broadly. "Okay, like.. I could just do that a few more times, too," he admits. It was fun!

Angelo cheers on Chris as he yeets himself into the hole. "You're a natural at this!" He offers a hand out to Chris to help pull him off the very squishy mat and says "Oh we can go a few more times. We're good for that." Angelo takes a couple more runs at it too including a move where he pretends to get hit and spun in a circle before falling into the hole and the classic 'whoops, wrong turn!' drop in.

When they come up Darla's there to greet with vests and what looks like climbing harnesses. "Normally these go under your costume to hide things. If we have someone on rigging we usually have them come in from side stage" She points to a few other 'off stage' spaces for Chris.

"This track here allows you to spin in a circle, do flips. You just want to remember your arms cannot bisect the side ropes so you'll see a few people doing the superman flying with a fist or sword out and that's partly why. We'll let you guys get these on."

Christopher laughs at the compliment and says, "Falling into a hole?" He reaches out to take the offered hand and allows Angelo to help pull him off the bag and onto the mat next to it. "Excellent!" He's like a kid on a rollercoaster the way he dashes back up the steps to the deck to try mimicking some of what Angelo is doing. He pretends to be pushed in once. He pretends to be struck by something and knocked over the next time. Each time he is equally delighted to go ploof into the bag below.

But then it is time for the rigging and he listens attentively to Darla. He nods thoughtfully and then says, "That makes sense. No big arms while on the ropes. Or you'll just smack into them." Which is the opposite of the bag, where big arms are a good thing.

He then gets into the harness with help making sure that everything is fastened and attached in the right places. Safety first!

Angelo laughs and says "Yeah! It's a weird thing to get paid for that's for sure." And the are getting rigged up. Does he have to? No but this is a together project that's the point. "Admittedly I haven't been on the wires really so I'm learning this part with you."

As they get clipped into the rigging to allow more 'free movement' he says "The first thing I would do if I wore these it forget to put the wings away and turn too fast and dislocate one again." But they can move and such!

Darla says "Okay we're going to have your fall in the hole but then 'fly' out. We want to see arms up and we're going to land you over there. hands on hips. Your enemy did not see that one coming. It'll be a soft landing if you bend the knees."

Christopher looks a little confused as to why Angelo is getting rigged up until he says that he is learning it too. "Huh. I mean.. I guess if you were ever going to do a show off the island you'd need to. But you don't have to just because I'm doing it." He doesn't seem to take any offense to the fact that he needs the wires to compensate for not having wingies of his own. Then he grimaces when Angelo mentions dislocating a wing. "Ow, that sounds.. painful. Did you do that?"

Then his attention is back on Darla. "Okay, in the hole.. arms up, hands on hips, bend the knees. Arms up. Hands on hips. Bend the knees." He repeats it to himself once more and then says, "Got it." Then there's another broad grin as he makes his way over to the hole. Once more, he tosses himself in, letting his arms spread into a ploof at the bottom, but then he's quick to bring them in and up, ready for takeoff, if a little nervous about how this is going to go. Mind the wires. Don't spread the arms. Bend the knees.

Letting his arms hand around the wires like a swing he tries to figure out how to answer Chris' question and says "Yeeeees" also most as if it were a question but clarifies owning his mess-up, "Buggy wings are not good for taking off from the water when you're in the water turns out. It was okay after."

Angelo is listening too because he's not used to this and it's interesting to him if the expression is anything to go by. Chris brings up the point of being on mainland and it gives him a bit to think on admitting, "I want to respect the craft so we can do things like this and I don't get someone hurt, or hurt myself later."

For now there's letting someone else control the flight and there's a lot of WOOSH! on the lift, but at least Darla calls it out before they are yanked around like a balloon. The landing is at least soft enough to add one's own drama to it. "Cmon Chris super hero landing!"

"Ouch," Christopher says as he tries to imagine just how that might have gone and rolls his shoulders just a little bit in sympathetic pain. But then there is a whole lot of whooshing going on. Chris is hoisted up into the air by his harness and he throws his arms up and lets out a "Ha hah!" as though he had just gotten the better of his enemies by surprising them with his sudden flight up out of the ship. He remembers to keep his arms out of the way of the wires and when he lands, he brings them down in front of him in fists, remembering to bend his knees so it looks like he's getting ready to rush into battle and punch a pirate! Or a pirate enemy. Or whoever it is that pirates fight. Look, at least he looks ready!

Angelo waits with his phone unzipped to get video of it and Christopher goes flying over there at a convincing speed. Pumping his fist in the air Angelo laughs, "Yaaas! Dude that looked cool." Looking to Darla he says "Oh next up? Okay don't let me smack me into anything." He does his bit from the show but on the wires and still manages the landing but admits, "Man that feels totally different than what I'm used to."

Looking to Darla he asks curious, "I know we had the rigging Fluttersail was using. That still set up? Can we Peter Pan him around the auditorium?" He looks to Christopher wiggling his eyebrows. Per Darla- sure! Though they are going to run through leaping up the decks and jumping off a high thing to a lower deck first. There's no rush and the run through lets them have as many passes as they want. They have the set for a few hours before the later show prep.

Chris laughs as he straightens up and notices that Angelo was filming him. "Nice, I want a copy of that later." Then he moves out of the way so that the landing zone is clear when Angelo gets ready to make his own ump. Wouldn't be good to be standing right in the middle of the way and getting bowled over by a plummeting pirate.

The promise of getting to fly around the auditorium makes him grin broadly. "I have always wanted to be Peter Pan." He pays attention to Darla's directions and he practices jumping from deck to deck. Sure, he doesn't make it look as smooth and practiced as the actual performers, but the fact that he gets to do it at all seems to delight him.

With a bright grin Angelo says "Of course. I want you to be able to keep as much as possible. Check it out you're a total badass!" Speaking of which Angelo says "Oh can we get him able to do the snow pirate fight that jump?" When that's cleared as no big deal he turns to Chris and walks him through the nest one.

"So couple ways this can go, and before you ask no you don't have to actually be a gymnast to do this. If you did not develop this skill at home store bought is fine." The promise is genuine not to judge him o nit. "It's a two step run. The cables are going to pull you up and over that way. Tuck and throw yourself into a somersault and then that can get lowered for the super hero landing-"

He warns with a wry grin, "Don't actually touch your knee to the floor that- that's a souvenir you don't want." Guess how he learned that one. "But we can use this to launch up INTO the sky next and they're going to pull you around. You can put the arms out as your cables will be at your waist behind and above you."

"Snow pirate fight jump?" Christopher asks. Then Angelo is explaining exactly what he's going to do. He laughs at 'store bought is fine' and says, "Oh thank goodness because I think the last time I did gymnastics at all was in like elementary school gym class." The tumble he took through the mirror into his own bathroom at the resort notwithstanding, and definitely not professional.

"Can you show me how that works first?" he asks Angelo, because he thinks he gets the concept of throwing himself into a somersault but he'd rather see someone else that knows what they're doing do it first.

"Okay, that makes sense," he says, about the cables for the flying around.

"Maybe." Is Angelo's solid answer. He unfolds wings in the show and already said as much was the real deal, but this is new to him and just as exciting. "To be clear, as a pirate?" He looks to Chris checking in, "Grandstanding is always encouraged." Their new frined has been doing a good job at teh tehatrics too.

After the all clear from the crew Angelo gets a running start as if he's going to dive into the water. At the edge of the deck he jumps up into a somersault in the air but instead of diving down the cables pull up. He's careful about landing horizontal in the air, arms out and a little behind him. As the harness is rotational he does a little corkscrew spin as the cords pull him along on the circular track, though around a few things.

"Your tuuuuurn it's like the best feeling ever next to someone getting obscure jokes you make and laugh at them!" A high bar for sure.

"Makes sense. A bit of showing off seems like a pirate-y thing to do," Christopher agrees. He watches as Angelo does the running start and then flips into the air and up and around. It's fun to watch from the audience but for Chris it's even more fun to watch it from up close, to see how it's done, and to learn how to do it himself. He's already planning out the jump in his head.

And when his turn is called, he gets ready in the same spot that Angelo did, preparing to run across the deck and dive for the edge. There's no hesitation from him, confident in the wires and the harness and the big poofy bag at the bottom and Darla's expertise. And when he lifts up into the air he pushes off with his feet so that he goes tumbling over. It's not quite as graceful as Angelo but it definitely gets the job done and he laughs brightly as he does so.

"That was awesome!" he calls out as he spreads his arms out and to the sides as he "flies" through the set and around nearby props.

It's a very different sensation for Angelo to be pulled around the theatre but differently fun. This time it's Darla that's filming it and calls up "You're doing great!" She loves her job, but it's hard to not on a magical island, but it's still work. Usually the people being excited are across the water and not within high five range which seems to make it more fun for all the workers.

When Chris comes in for a landing Angelo is there to greet him in celebration and a salute. "Congrats, you're part of the Fae Flight Squad now. I didn't expect so much freedom of movement on that. That's more fun than a zipline. Like the crazy straw of ziplines. How you feeling, man?"

When Christopher comes in for a landing, he gives Angelo a crisp high-five and looks pretty excited, like a kid in a candy store though the candy is adrenaline from jumping off of and flying over stuff. "That was so cool." And when Angelo announces him as part of the Fae Flight Squad, he gives a little salute. "Thanks, Cap'n!" Crazy straw of ziplines is correct. "Feeling great. This has been even more fun than I imagined. Thanks for like, trying it out with me even though you don't need to."

Angelo chuckles, "Absolutely no problem." The last comment brings a chuckle, "Oh yeah I do. The point of doing things with people is doing things with people. This is super great and you're good company. I can see why Aisley raved."

Darla comes over and says "We got that on the good camera don't worry. As we have your contact information Chris we'll make sure you both get copies for posterity. I think we have forty minutes to muck about and then we have to prep for the 5 o'clock on reset. The stage is yours."

Angelo grins to Chris and says "When we're done here we can head below, clean up and then head back up that other tunnel hat comes out behind the shows and head over to Bauchuaaaaaaan."

Darla grins, "Oh get the soup while you're there Angelo. They have one with the baby octopodes in it."

Angelo's eyebrows lift and he exclaims, "I can defeat my very own baby kraken? Awwww nice! there can be only one." he confides to Chris, "As my last name is Kerekes my nickname on the gym team was the Kereken. You ever escape school with a weird nickname?"

Chris smiles a little bit wryly when Angelo mentioned that Aisley had nice things to say. "Yeah, she's pretty great too. And getting to meet you and han gout has been a blast." Darla's promise that he'd get a good shot of what they'd been doing from the good camera has him grinning broadly. "Awesome, can't wait to see it." And then the stage is theirs.

"Okay can we do the flying thing again? With the flip? Because i think that was my favorite part," he says, as much as he also enjoyed falling in the hole. "Then I'm going to be starving." Though he does look only mildly unsettled at the concept of eating soup with baby octopuses in it, quickly pushing it away with a smile.

"Oh, no, I didn't have any weird nicknames. Just Chris. Last name's Shelby and nobody really made much out of that other than to try to rhyme it sometimes." His shoulders rise and fall in an easy shrug.

Angelo laughs and says "Yeah we can. We can totally go flying around the auditorium. Between you and I when it's warmer flying was a fun way getting home end of the day but also an easy way to get sunburned. If you're ever in that position there is no shade that high up in the air. We gotta bring our own." the rigging is all set and Angelo says "Go I'll follow ya." Angelo might have auditioned for the circus but with how much he's happy to whoop and holler zipping around the stadium it's not a surprise they gave him a character part having the joy of a big kid.

When they land Angelo spiced things up and pulls out the stage swords. "Okay we're going to do a cool stunt putting the skills together and Eduard is going to get that all on film right? We can cut a trailer for him? So we'll do some choreography with the weapons and link the things we have together. Sound good? Anyone with a cool Peaky Blinders kinda name has had to have had an improve lightsaber fight with sticks in teh yard correct?" he lets Chris verify this.

"I will keep that in mind if I ever develop the ability to fly," Christopher laughs, though he doesn't seem to be holding out any hope that that's the case. Once the rigging is all set up though, he's taking another go round with a little more control this time, now that he knows what to expect. His flip is better this time around and his flying is a little less stiff as he lets his body relax into it. He trusts in the harness and Darla's work.

And then there are swords and Chris laughs. "Yeah, sure. Let's make a whole production out of it. I'm down." He really is down to learn anything and everything, and that eagerness does not ebb as he's taught the choreography of the swordfighting. "A what now?" No, he's never seen Peaky Blinders.

Angelo answers the most important question first of the Peaky Blinders. "Netflix historic series about the Shelby family where Cillian Murphy is just an absolute badass." He adds with all confidence, "Just like you now." Chris is part of wing club now; it's really that simple for Angelo.

There's choreography Angelo shows him to stand with his back to the hole. "I'll lunge at you, and you fall back into the hole. I will come over to look. You'll get pulled up. The gust knocks me back. You fly around the auditorium back to the ship and you do that swing like this." he demonstrates going low to high in a big dramatic swing but showing where they won't be too close. "And I'll dive off the ship into the bags there. You get to grandstand into the crowd."

There's a wry dimpled grin, "I got to use that one in winter when Cashew was trying to loot something off Blackwood's ship. It looks cool but it feels a lot of fun to do. BUT to do that you'll need the coat. we'll get you the coat here first. It'll fit around the rigging."

"I'll have to look it up," Chris says, now that he knows that there's a show that his name turns up in. "I do like Cillian Murphy." He then executes a little bow at being called a badass. He'll take it. But then there is choreography to learn and he practices swinging the sword and making sure there's enough distance so that it looks convincing but isn't actually going to smack Angelo at all. Then he does a little dance which might be his equivalent of grandstanding. It looks a little silly but maybe it's just practice.

Oh, sweet, the coat! Of course, the coat looks a little silly with his joggers on but it does add a certain je ne sais quoi to the whole thing. And then it is time to put everything into action!

It's no doubt that Chris looks like he's having the time of his life. If this were supposed to be a serious battle, he can't quite manage to make it one. He's full on acting it out, but he's definitely not quite staying in character. And he almost forgets to fall back into the hole. Whups. Does it make it seem a little off-beat and not quite in time with how it's supposed to go? Yes. Does Chris look like he cares? No.

Even when he comes blasting up out of the hole and forgets how he's supposed to swing his sword for a moment, meaning that Angelo goes flying into the water before he actually remembers to swing? It's fine. This is fine. He's laughing when he hits the deck and does his actual grandstanding, waving his saber in the air and shouting, "To the depths with youuuuu!" It is so corny it hurts.

"He's awesome. They're like short seasons but text me when you watch it. I love hearing other people's takes on things." Angelo's in for keeping up on the tv journey. When Chris has the coat on Angelo claps "Veeery nice! You totally look official man!" he shows Chris where he's going to stop on the 'charge' so Chris can react. It's a safe distance away.

ACTION!

Angelo does his best Blackwood impression giving the charge. Chris goes in the hole and when he 'flies' up and out he staggers back watching his nemesis, today's hero Chris, fly around the arena and come back he staggers back and back... The strike doesn't come though so Angelo bails over the side as if jsut avoiding the hero's, um, heroics!

Then there's the line. VERY Belatedly there's a "...nuuuuu!" in response and it takes all he can not to crack up and ruin the audio.

"And that's wrap!" calls Darla.

Christopher can't help but crack up as well, which of course joins Angelo in ruining the audio at the end of their performance, but it does not at all dilute the fun that it was doing it. When Angelo comes back up, Christopher offers a hand for a firm shake and a clap on the shoulder, grinning from ear to ear. "That, was fucking amazing. Thanks for this whole.. experience." Because this was definitely not like anything that he's done before.

Then, it is time to clean up, change up, and head over to Bauchuan. Chris takes a little bit to grab a quick shower in the locker room and change into street clothes -- something a little more presentable for the dinner portion of the date. He has on some black trousers, a dark blue button-down shirt, some nice shoes, and his hair has been tamed at least out of his eyes for the moment. He cleans up decently when he wants to. Everything else is tucked into his bag which he carries loosely in one hand as he meets Angelo back in the tunnels to follow him over to their next destination.

When Angelo emerges it's with a burgundy suit, the top three buttons on the shirt undone and hair that screams: surfer on hiatus. His stuff he's left in his locker for later or possibly tomorrow. There was a shirt in there so it may have been abandoned until forever possibly.

With a bright smile he gestures to Christopher, "You look great! Feeling like you flew around the park a few times now? I don't know about you but I'm ready to eat my way to the bottom of the ocean after that. We are going to back through the tunnels and take the surface entrance behind the fountain. Great for when you just need to get up to the walk but not be trapped behind the stage."

He leads them up into the area behind the stage that has a building facade that they can exit from without ruining the mystique of the park. As Bauchuan is right there they don't have to walk far at all. The excitement is still there as Angelo admits, "I did look some of it up on line so I peeked at the menu but I still don't know exactly what to expect."

As Christopher walks up to Angelo he takes in the burgundy suit and his eyebrows lift a little bit. "Damn, now I feel underdressed." Not that he's poorly dressed. His clothes are nice, if not particularly fancy or designer. He laughs though when Angelo says that he looks great, fingers instinctively moving to run through his hair before he remembers not to mess it up.

He falls into step quickly as Angelo leads him through the sneaky entrance behind the fountain. Grinning, he says, "I bet it's really cool. I mean, like everything else in the park. I haven't seen a restaurant done badly here yet."

Then they are heading inside and the combination of the music with the effects and the storytelling of the space is really pretty impressive. "Wow.. this is nice."

Angelo, always one to take the compliment to heart, preens just a bit. "Aww thanks. You seriously are not underdressed. Also I never judge my friends. If I did that I'd have like none left." There's a wry grin that forms admitting, "They tend to have a lot of big personalities. Seriously you are solid. Let's go get our table."

The evening outside the restaurant is pretty mild all things considered to be winter; a small mercy. Inside one cannot tell at all as they have given the phrase 'climate control' new life. Angelo is even caught a bit agog and he's seen some places. "Duuuude, check out the details in the ceiling." So much carved detail embellished to tell the story.

The floor they're taken over is legitimately floating but so that it moves up to an inch to emulate a ship rocking in the walkway into the dining area. Along the walls picture portals show of a grey sky and waves going by. "This is trippy"

"I don't think I have a very big personality," Chris admits with a faint smile. "I was always kind of quiet." Though he does seem to have a love of adventure even if it wasn't really in his nature to pursue it before now. He follows Angelo into the restaurant and takes a look around, just taking it all in from the murals on the walls to the decorative booths that make it feel like the interior of a ship. "This place is .. yeah, the ceiling is cool," he concurs as they move a little further inside.

"I like it," Chris says as he follows along to wherever their table is.

Angelo pans a look back to Chris with a shoulder bump, "Good, that means we can keep you around longer." Angelo seems to need no convincing to have Chris keep a seat at the proverbial table. Walking to their seat he whispers to Chris "I am trying not to touch everything right now. You're my witness, I'm being good." There is so much to look at though.

Sitting at their table there's a porthole by their table that's a picture frame but also has a 'view' of the ocean outside. A woman dressed for the locale comes by and greets them with a cheery greeting in what should be the 'local language' for the story of the ship and then in English for them to welcome them and discuss where their voyage is going. each part of the dinner 'show' will be at a new port with a new menu to choose from.

After a moment of looking it over Angelo goes with the Himalayan milk tea and lets Chris pick his round one. "It really does feel like we're going somewhere. Okay neatest place you have ever been, what was that like for you?"

"Are we not supposed to touch anything?" Chris asks, not that he's touching the decor either, but not because he thought he wasn't supposed to. He eyes it a little bit more suspiciously now. "Is it fragile?" It's a restaurant in a theme park. He seems to feel like these places are designed to take a degree of wear and tear just because of the traffic. And children. Lots of children.

He orders himself one of the signature non-alcholic beverages off of the menu to start out with and then settles back comfortably, taking in their little "porthole" window and the ship around them before he looks back to Angelo. "Oh, uh... here? I haven't been to many interesting places before now," he admits, smiling a little apologetically. "But it's been a little bit surreal and actually pretty cool. I think my favorite part is getting to meet the people who live and work here and learning about what it's like behind the scenes." Ten he asks, "What about you?"

Angelo says "I don't knoooow, but I'm not risking it." He thinks about it, "It's probably fine. They have to kid proof this stuff right?" He looks at his hands and wiggles his fingers, "If they try to fingerprint me I'll just change em while we make an escape." the grin pointedly suggesting that's a joke.

Listening there doesn't seem to be any judgement but instead a decision of, "Well then we'll have to keep it interesting for you. I feel so honoured. It's like...travel Oscar. and I would like to dedicate this bottle of Ao Yun Shangri-la" totally reading the label as he goes and did not memorize that at all, "to the many mates that got us here. Cheers."

He's trying it. Thinking of the where's the neatest place he's been gets a thought and answers, "Budapest. My family's from there. Grandparents live like an hour from there but when we visit we make the drive and just go exploring. It's really neat to see so many old buildings the many wars skipped over ruining. I highly recommend for the food, the art, and the very cool architecture. Just-" There's a wry grin, "go in summer if you do."

"Pretty sure they do," Christopher says as he looks around and then back over to Angelo, smirking just a little bit as he accepts the Travel Oscar on behalf of the park. "You have definitely kept things interesting. Everyone I've met has. It's been nice to just.. be.. for a while, I guess." Then he chuckles and says "Cheers" and lifts his glass in salute before taking a sip from it.

"Wow, Budapest. I don't think I've ever known anyone from there. That's pretty cool. Do you go there often to see your family?" he asks, clearly interested. "Do you speak the language?"

Angelo starts at the end and says in Hungarian first with a smile that enjoys the company "yes, but unlike my bestie I didn't cheat to learn it." And then in English "We do. We grew up with it at home. We used to go around once a year in the fall before school started. But now you do. So maybe sometime if we do hop over there and make it a bigger trip I'll steal you. Everyone should get the chance to travel especially with people that know where to eat." He says clearing room for the appetizers, "Eating's important."

There's a pause and he looks around the room thoughtfully as there's so much to immerse the diners and back, "After spending four years on my own I like living with my family again, won't lie. What's yours like? You can totally tell them you got abducted by the fae and thrown into a boat now."

Christopher grins when Angelo starts speaking in Hungarian. He has absolutely no clue what he's saying, but he seems fascinated to hear it anyway. "That's super cool. Tell me at least that you were just giving me your grocery list and not telling me how boring I am." He does seem to be joking, because Angelo doesn't seem bored. His eyes widen though when Angelo suggests that he might steal him. "Seriously?" he asks, surprised. "I mean,.. I could.. but you barely know me.."

He too makes room so that the appetizers can be set down, not wanting to get in the way of the incoming food. "Yeah, I bet that's really cool," he says. "Do you have more siblings? Or are all of you here at the park?"

Though when Angelo asks about his family he considers how to answer that for a moment, studying the table before he says, "I don't have any. Not anymore. But my grandmother was great."

Angelo laughs and says in Hungarian, "Two peppers, and maybe some potatoes and garbage bags if you think of it later." With a snicker he says "There you have your grocery list. I promise not to disappoint."

As for not knowing him well there's a look that clouds over Angelo's expression for a moment and admits, "One, because I think everyone should get the chance to do things. So if that's something I can do for someone why shouldn't I?" For him this is simple. He considers the rest and admits, "I don't have a lot of close friends and you don't stress me out, and I like sharing what I have."

There's a snicker "Nah the 3-pack of siblings are all here. No strays." he pauses and admits, "Not that dad's told us about anyways." He listens though as the question seems accidentally loaded. He's still interested, though and agrees, "Grandmothers are pretty amazing. Sounds like you two were close? She have good taste in music she share with you?"

Christopher laughs and says, "I will try to remember that." He repeats it out-loud but mangles the pronunciation a bit, but hey, he tries! "You have definitely not disappointed," he assures Angelo, grinning broadly.

His expression sobers just a little bit when he sees that shift in Angelo's. He then admits, "I can do things. I mean, I have the means to do things. I just haven't, really, I mean, other than this. But yeah I mean, I'd love to see it. If you go and you really want company along, I can get myself there." Then he smiles a little crookedly and says, "I'm really glad that I don't stress you out, because that would make this a very awkward date." A little more seriously he says, "Hey.. I don't have a lot of close friends either. So uh, how about we just agree that we each have one more as of tonight." He offers a hand to shake on it, that little crooked smile returning.

As for his grandmother, "Yeah, she raised me. We were real close. She listened to an impressive amount of Lawrence Whelk reruns."

Angelo reaches across the table and takes Christopher's hand giving it a squeeze shaking on it; a promise, not a grip test from the gymnast. "You're part of our crew now. We fell down a hole together and you threw me off a ship with some lag involved. If that's not friendship I don't know what is and I wouldn't want to know." If anything the blonde relaxes and seems pretty good with this.

"I'll share. As a fair warning my family likes feeding people, so so long as you are not celiac you'll survive any winter pretty well." Lifting his eyebrows he says "Lawrence Whelk is actually buried not far from where I grew up in Santa Monica. A really weird thing for me to grow up knowing, I know. She sounds great tho. I love family that's like, it's ok bébi I got you."

He considers the grandmother story with a curious thought forming. "Not for today but since you're here for however long you want to be here I know there's a guy on the Boo'edwalk that does family portraits. Like no shit can make the spirit of loved ones sometimes visible and hang out. I know that's like kinda a heavy thing but that could be a possibility if you wanted to say 'what's up' and catch up." There's a look of empathy in his expression that suggests not expecting elation, "I know something like that could be a lot but if that is something you're ever up for that maybe we can see about saying hi."

Christopher can't help laugh maybe a little too loudly for a second about the 'lag involved' with his throwing Angelo off the ship. He'd given it his best! He just needed more rehearsal! But then he nods and says, "Deal," as he gives Angelo's hand a friendly shake then releases it. He relaxes comfortably in his seat and says, "I'm really lucky to have met people like you, Aisley, Jett, Elmo. I'm grateful for it."

"I like eating, so I'm okay with that. Gluten is my friend. Carbs and I get along pretty well. And I don't have any food allergies that I'm aware of," Chris laughs. The revelation that the guy was buried not far from where Angelo grew up receives a pair of raised eyebrows. "Huh. That's.. kinda weird but kinda cool I guess. My grandmother loved the music."

The revelation about the guy on the Boo'edwalk has Christopher thinking quietly about that for a moment, even as their appetizers arrive and are sat before them, a sampler of things to try. "I don't think so," Chris says with a shake of his head. "She went peacefully, you know? And I was there. And we said everything we needed to say. Wherever she is, I want her to be happy and you know, not worry about me. She's earned her peace."

Angelo laughs and says "Look a lot of people like to retire to Santa Monica. Some people are just very adamant about it and retire aggressively I guess." It is weird. The first round of food comes by with a story about the port the journey takes them to and what might have been happening at this time. There's an Emperor and also mythical creatures mentioned because it wouldn't be Spellbound if there wasn't.

"Awww hoping the food isn't also enchanted. I'm already shiny and malleable." Before the meal though he listens to the reasons for Chris' decline on that and there's something of a quiet smile that seems glad of it? "Then we won't take that from her. Hey, to your gran and great friends, chapter one."

"Aggressive retirement," Christopher repeats out loud and then winces a little. "I shouldn't laugh, but that is funny." But then his attention turns to their server and their first course of appetizers and the story that goes along with them. It's pretty interesting, and he pays attention, happy to listen.

Looking over toward Angelo he says, "Did Aisley tell her what I said when she mentioned you guys were friends?" He looks a little sheepish, wondering if she did or not.

He seems to appreciate Angelo's sentiments toward his grandmother and he lifts his glass in toast to that, "To my grandmother, and to the first chapter of great friends." He then takes a sip from it and reaches over to move one of the appetizers onto his plate.

Angelo laughs hanging his head "I 'm terrible I know but it is technically true, ya know?" He toasts and makes room for the small plate fare. Looking to Christopher he sets the glass down and says "She did not! She wouldn't say anything about it and I asked and she gave me literally nothing to go off of other than a promise to have fun." He looks around and back to Chris and says confidently snacking on the dim sum.

He waits to hear what it was and then points to the fried dumplings. He pushes the plate at Chris points to it and then to him. He'd say 'you need to try this it's really good' but his mouth is full right now and he's also terribly curious.

Christopher laughs and says, "She said she was going to tell you." Then he picks up one of his dumplings and admits, "I was like, oh, your friend is the really sparkly one? Captain Cashew?" He smiles a little sheepishly. "I mean, it was nothing bad. You're just.. very sparkly. And then I was like oh god no don't tell him that part, just tell him the part where I think he's really talented and I like the show." He then puts the dumpling in his mouth, having said enough.

He notes the plate of more dumplings being pushed toward him and he sets down the one he has bitten and picks up one of the fried ones, scooting it onto his plate for next sampling. He got the message.

Angelo lifts both eyebrows listening as it gets more 'theoretically incriminating'. "She didn't say anything but that she knew you and that you were really super cool and you went on a neat dream adventure!" He laughs, but also looks rather flattered. "I mean I'll take that as a high compliment, totally. Awww, thank you."

As if to assuage any concerns he perks up looking as prideful as ever, it's all put upon bravado really. Bringing up a hand he shakes it like one might to flick water off of it, but instead there's a sparkle trail that builds up with small motes of light faster than it can fade until he stops. Looking to Chris he winks and says "Well you're not wrong. The science says you got it in one. Really think I'm talented though? I appreciate that cause like ya never know." That one little compliment will carry him through the weekend really. "You got a natural knack. You ever want to do more of this we should let the team know cause this has been great."

"Yeah," Christopher says, "She took me to an underwater city in a dream and we got to ride seahorses and dance in the currents and listen to a whole underwater chorus it was.. amazing, really. What she can do is really, really fascinating. Highly recommend it if you get the opportunity." He smiles a little wryly and then says, "Yeah, you are. You make everything seem so effortless. Like it's nothing at all to just zip around like that and do all the choreography without missing a beat and making it look real. I mean, you saw my lag." He laughs.

He then smiles amusedly at the shaking of sparkles and says, "Okay, fair. Science. Or magic. As the case may be." But whatever mild sheepishness he felt vanishes entirely. "This.. has been really, really fun. And we'll have to hang out again soon."