Meet and Greet

"G'morning!" "Morning!" "Hey, how're ya doin"?"

The cheery voice could be heard loud and clear over the bustling crowd of cast members milling about Disneyland's utilitarian, concrete backlot. Pipes overhead hissed and fluorescent lights flickered as hundreds of workers started their daily routines, some carrying pushcarts, others toting bundles of balloons. Amid the hustle and bustle, two small figures stood out, their silhouettes stretching out behind them on the pavement, one iconic, the other, not so much.

Mickey Mouse bounced on the balls of his feet as he walked, taking the time to wave at each person who passed. "Hey there! Beautiful morning huh?"

Behind him trod Oswald the Lucky Rabbit at a much slower pace, the gray concrete walls of the backlot perfectly expressing his mood. The rabbit's ears drooped at half mast as he yawned. He wasn't feeling particularly lucky today seeing as his brother decided to drag him out of bed at 5 am. Oswald was many things, but a morning person was not one of them.

He glanced over at Mickey in bemused awe, wondering just how the mouse mustered up the energy to be so darn cheerful in the morning. The mouse seemed to almost radiate sunshine as he weaved through the crowd, and it appeared to be contagious. Every person he greeted never failed to wave back, their energy feeding right back into Mickey's.

Some of the cast members–the newer ones, Oswald assumed–looked on at the mouse in amazement as he passed. Others just smiled in familiarity and went about their business, long since used to working with the famous star.

They looked at Oswald too, some smiled warmly, a few giving him confused glances. Still they waved all the same and he shyly returned the gesture. Taking deep breathes, the rabbit tried hard to make his demeanour as natural as his brother's, to squelch the nervous fluttering of his brand new heart... He placed a hand over his chest protectively, comforted by the steady beat.

Meanwhile Mickey was giving Oswald a running commentary, pointing out each person they passed. "That's Sam, he works over at the hat shop. And there's Cindy, she's with us for the summer college program. Oh and that's Gloria, she's been working at the confectionary for over ten years now. Sweetest gal you'll ever meet! Hiya Miss Gloria, that's a lovely bow you have there!" The mouse waved to an older woman who blushed, fluffing up the bow she wore atop her white hair.

Naturally, it had been Mickey's idea to bring Oswald to Disneyland's meet and greet, eager to reintroduce his newfound family. The executives at Disney okayed the idea several weeks ago, but Oswald had delayed the visit again and again, each time coming up with another excuse: He and his family were still moving into Toontown, there were boxes to unpack, he wasn't feeling well that day. Unfortunately, Ortensia had seen right through him. Knowing her hunny bunny needed the push, she'd arranged for Mickey to pick him up one morning by surprise, no excuses to be made. The rabbit harrumphed quietly. She and him were going to talk about that later...

Finally they reached a large fence, the divider between the backlot and the park. The other characters had already lined up along the walls, each meeting with their own character attendant. Minnie, dressed to the nines in her matching dress and bow, caught his eyes and grinned, waving cheerfully.

Oswald fiddled self-consciously with his own simple blue pants for a moment, before glancing over at Mickey, who was wearing his yellow bow tie and fancy black coat tails. "Brand recognition," the executives called it. People were more likely to recognise Oswald if he was in his signature "look." Oswald just felt he looked underdressed.

Donald looked up over the top of his newspaper to glance at Mickey and rolled his eyes. "Well you certainly took your time." Muttered the duck. "Probably had to say hello to every single person on the lot" he sniggered to Goofy, who laughed good naturedly.