[X] Hong Kong Disneyland
If Sicilia wants Disneyland, then Disneyland she will get. This is non-negotiable. The fun shall be mandatory, to distract from war trauma.
"It's decided." You nod at Little Sis, "To Disneyland!"
It takes a bus ride across the bay, and before long you slowly approach the front gates of the famed amusement park. Sicilia is practically ecstatic, while you and the rest of the team look on in appreciation at the iconic train station and green gates. Well, you and your two longtime friends do. Lorelei, on the other hand…
"… I dunno…" she mutters, crossing her arms, "I don't think it measures up against Disney Island."
Eris shrugs, "Comparing a theme park built in the 21st Century to a whole Entertainment Colony? Seems a bit of a lopsided competition. Besides, this bad boy here is a classic."
"Wow!" Sicilia waves her arms excitedly at the crowd near the front gates, "It's so much cooler than Axis Disneyland!"
That makes everyone pause.
"…Come again?" Theo asks, stunned.
"Axis Disneyland." The small Cyber Newtype repeats, "I got to see it once. It was really small."
Of course it would be, Axis didn't have that much room to spare… wait, no, that isn't the issue here! There was a Disneyland park on Axis?!
Eris, the resident historian, seems just as dumbfounded as the rest of you. At your beseeching gaze, she just shakes her head helplessly. How did this not make it into the history books?!
U.C. 0093-Axis Interior
Bright led the squad onwards. They'd already lost a few men, but even though it was dangerous he wouldn't ask anyone to do something that he wouldn't do. Planting these nukes was of the utmost importance!
They emerged from the tunnel into a large open space, maneuvering their Petit-Mobiles to make room for the others heading up the rear. The cavern was dark and unlit, so it was impossible to tell what it was. Bright shone one of his spotlights into the darkness, but what he saw was… inconclusive.
"Captain!" One of his soldiers called out, "I found the next passage. This way!"
Bright nodded and made to follow. What he glimpsed in the black… that had to have been a trick of the light or his mind jumping to conclusions.
There was no way he just saw a large mockup castle.
Present Day-Hong Kong Disneyland
You smugly grin at the plebians forced to wait in line. You already splurged on tickets, why not go a little bit further and get fast passes? Honestly, it was their own fault.
Also the lines were hellishly long and you had less than a day. Like hell you were going to spend most of your time here in a line.
You pass through the jungle-themed queue, walking swiftly through the empty side while the other is packed with people back to back.
"Hey," Lorelei looked back at the rest of the team as you get closer to the front, "Have you all ever gone on a water ride?"
"No." You wrinkle your nose at the steadily-growing smell of chlorine, "Water slides and such don't play nice with Colony gravity."
She smiles, "Oh, then you're going to have a lot of fun."
You are soaked. The ride was fun, but being this wet is not. It's going to take a while to dry out.
Sicilia is practically giddy, though, and she keeps making animal noises in imitation of the ride's animatronics. So long as she's happy, you guess.
This park is super crowded. A sea of people, with the horizon taken up by fantastical scenery, colorful buildings and faux mountains. It's all smiles as far as you can see… well, as long as you're here, you might as well enjoy it.
You run to catch up to Sicilia, passing by a large Goofy animatronic that you're pretty sure is a repurposed Mobile Suit frame.
This place is pretty cool, you guess.
Lunch is good, a "savory" hot dog with themed foil wrapping and colorful condiments. Everyone else is happily digging in, but you… well, you were the one who bought all this stuff, including the big Mickey cup Sicilia is sucking down soda out of. You saw the prices.
"…Is the food situation on Earth really so bad that they have to charge so much for so little?" You ask yourself quietly. Sure, you knew that the Colonies were net-positive in terms of food production, and the reverse was true of the Earth, but the price of one hot dog here could feed a family of four on Cascadia!
Lorelei looks over your way in concern as you stare at your hot dog.
"Something wrong, Cybele?"
You shake your head, "Just thinking that I should appreciate what I have more, I guess…"
Taking a bite of the hot dog, you note that although it was colorful and marketed as "savory", it's only mediocre in terms of actual flavor. That must mean that the food here is cheaper than outside. Makes sense, people come here to have a good time, not eat. But if the prices here are more affordable than outside…
You look upon the smiling crowds with a new emotion. Pity. Pity for these Earthnoids. It must be hard, dedicating so much of their income to food. Places like this must make life more bearable…
You're sure to savor each bite of your hot dog. Food is precious.
All your life you'd heard of these famed "fireworks". Such things had never been permitted inside Cascadia due to the hazards they posed. Though now, seeing brilliant explosions of light synchronized to epic orchestral music?
You kind of wish your mother and Kaylen could have seen this with you…
"Big Sis!" Sicilia points to the colorful flashes filling the sky, "It's so pretty, isn't it?"
You return her smile with your own, leaning back and straightening your Mickey Mouse hat.
"Yeah. I guess it is."
It's quite late, but you've still got time before you need to be back at the Bellerophon. Spirits are high, you're feeling rather content… yeah, this was a good trip. Eris and Theo are laughing at a shared joke, each balancing a tower of themed hats atop their heads. Lorelei is sporting a shirt she found on a clearance rack, it commemorates a collaborative event between Londo Bell and Disney where LB licensed out Amuro's likeness for a kid's show about the One Year War.
…
Oh yeah, Amuro probably doesn't know that that exists, huh?
"Big Sis!" Sicilia tugs at your new Roger Rabbit T-Shirt, herself clad in a "Shrek 35" dress, "Can we go get dinner? I wanna MacDaniels burger!"
"I am kind of hungry, but the Captain needs us back in an hour. If we take too long…" You attempt to console her, but she shakes her head, her good mood threatening to fade into a temper tantrum.
"No! I want a MacDaniels burger!" She pouts, "I don't like the burgers on the ship! The buns are always too soggy!"
Well… maybe? Is your will strong enough to resist her puppy eyes? But since food outside the park is sure to be more expensive, a MacDaniels meal for everyone might just wipe out the rest of your paycheck!
[] Will not strong enough. Cave to her demands. To MacDaniels with you.
[] Your Will is as strong as Luna Titanium! You shall make haste back to the ship.
Note: This seems like a joke vote. It is not a joke vote. Do not concern yourself with being late to the Bellerophon, you will arrive on time no matter the vote. That being said, there are no major long-lasting consequences to going with one or the other.
