edgeoflife | Summer Solstice

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Summer Solstice

Summer Solstice Fair

The sun is shining, the Mognet is working again, and the summer solstice fair is here! The WRO hopes to makes this an annual thing, but this is the first year they're doing it. Everything you could ever want from a fair is here and open to the public.

*Fair Rides: Ferris wheels, a mini rollercoaster, that thing that looks like an octopus and spins around--the WRO spared no expense to make sure everyone would have fun here today. There's even a gravity ride that takes you up to the top of a pole and then drops you!

*Food: So much food. So much unhealthy food. Funnel cakes, hot dogs, burgers, ice cream, you name it. And it's all fairly cheap too, since the WRO promised to pay for half of what the merchants sell!

*Carnival Games: And most of them aren't even rigged! The Gold Saucer donated games for the fair and there are so many games. There's your standard shooting games, some basketball games, a dunk tank, hoop tosses, you name it. A few are rigged, though, so buy beware! There's also a few card tables set up in a tent for those who like their games a little less wild.

*Speed Dating: ...yeah, the WRO has no idea. This came with the Gold Saucer stuff, along with a Cait Sith and Moogle mascot pair that will coax anyone they can into sitting down and participating.

*Job Fair: With the influx of new arrivals, both native and Streamers, some employers see a golden opportunity to get some jobs filled! In one corner of the fair is another, mini-fair fill with tables and presentations on various workplaces: the WRO, ShinRa Tech, the volunteer emergency services of Edge, and the Highwind Air Taxi Service, just to name a few. Anyone of working age is welcome to wander in and have a look around.

Of course, the fair is taking up the entire center of Edge, so there's lots more to see and do!

[[Feel free to make your own top levels! Welcome to Edge of Life!]]

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[Upset or not, now he feels kind of... bad, especially as he now remembers the quick comments Zack had made that first day. Rubbing his face, Cloud shakes his head.]

He... Kind of. Not in detail yet, I... forgot. [The expression is more of a grimace than the tentative smile he'd tried for and he just stares at the table for a bit, hands dropping to his lap and digging his nails into the palms of his hand.]

He mentioned it the first day but... [There'd been a lot that day, and not just Zack... But most particularly Zack.] I haven't really made an effort to ask yet.

[Which he probably should, because if he had done it earlier then this could've been avoided. Glancing up, Cloud winces at what he can see from Riku's expression, but trying to come up with something to say his brain is completely empty for several long, awful moments.]

Um... does Zack still use just the blunt end of the Buster sword..?

[Cloud winces again at the rushed, awkward tone, but that's better than nothing, right?]

Few people or not, when practicing with a new projectile weapon, Tseng usually found it best to begin with absolutely no one around for both safety and his pride.

"I'll let it pass this time. Practice hard." Was he annoyed that a kid was playing with a weapon they didn't understand fully? No. He fully supported people of all ages learning a weapons art. He just didn't support endangering others. The Turk nodded politely to the young man and continued on his way without another word.

He's trying, and he does have a polite bone in his body when he needs to.

Riku smiles awkwardly, suddenly very curious about where this rabbit comes from. Talking, cop bunnies... must be a pretty magical world. How he wouldn't mind learning more about it.

"I'll say. It can't be easy for you." He hopes that's not rude. It's just that the gun isn't exactly bunny-sized and looks unwieldy in her paws. She's gotta be pretty strong.

"Well, flatmate. I think we'd try to kill each other if we had to share a room," he mused, chuckling at the thought. "His name is Riku. He's my travelling companion." And also a clone of Sephiroth that I'm raising, but did she really need to know that right this second? What was her relationship with Sephiroth in this world? Was it positive? Negative? Neutral? Better not risk it.

"Ah. Mmhmm. I see." He nodded in agreement. "They're very pushy, aren't they? But hey, I get a speed date with tall dark and handsome from the Turks, so I can't complain, can I?" He's teasing, of course. Rude is attractive, but Zack's not interested. Sorry.

"Life is fine. I woke up in the strangest place the other day and can't seem to get back home, but oh well. That's how life goes sometimes, right?"

Vincent appreciated Tseng self-awareness. It was admirable, especially in such a thick crowd. He rarely tried to actually sneak up on the man. Not that he really snuck up on anyone with any level of deliberateness.

"You were informed correctly. I could put the access the job would provide to good use."

It would also be a comfort, to Vincent, to see the inside of ShinRa Tech. To see that they had really changed. He didn't want to put that concern to words though, as he was certain Tseng would not share sympathy in that regard.

There was something intensely frustrating about Cloud not being as enthused about Riku as Zack himself was. He knew, internally, that it was silly. Cloud had been killed by Sephiroth, and Riku was a clone of Sephiroth. He wanted to snap at the young soldier, tell him Riku and Sephiroth were nothing like each other and he shouldn't judge so quickly. It almost hurt that someone Zack valued as much as Cloud wasn't eager to get to know Riku.

But he schooled himself, took in a subtle breath to get himself under control instead of just flying off the handle like he would have when he was younger. No one understood Riku like he did. No one would in this place for a long time, if ever. He couldn't hold their ignorance against them.

"He's a good kid," he said a bit more curtly than he meant to. "I've done my best to raise him to be a good man." He didn't look at Cloud. He simply watched where he was walking, the smile gone from his face. He was a protective parent when it came to Riku, and he wanted only the best for the kid he called his own.

"Are you hungry?" He asked suddenly, changing the subject. "Should we find something to eat? My treat."

Reno managed a smile and shook his head. "Nah, man -- it's cool. I know. After five plus years, you look different, y'know? Just... a shock, t' see you like this again."

He cocked his head to the side, just looking at Cloud for a moment. "Yer just a kid."

One eyebrow rose and Reno crossed his arms. He was about to give this kid the benefit of the doubt, but that attitude was not doing him any favors.

"I asked you," he stated firmly, a lot less friendly this time. He was not about to let this sharpshooting kid out of his sight to go find his "boss or colleague." If Riku had nothing to hide, he wouldn't hide it.

"So you're really giving it to him, then?" Reno shot back with a grin.

He crossed his arms and looked up at the dolls -- alternating in color where they hung displayed, green yellow green yellow... Gods, they were weird-looking. All chubby and distorted to make them "cute" or something, hell if he knew. It was definitely not the design he would have picked.

Reno sighed. This guy wasn't the first Streamer he'd seen that had looked totally lost. It was one thing to be in a new world; it was another to be in a new world that was so technologically and culturally different from your own that assimilating was a million times harder.

"What... skills do you have?" he asked. "Let's start from there, maybe we can work somethin' out."

He sighed. "Sword-fighting. Dancing. Fighting in wars? Not much else, I'm afraid."

Well. Reno hadn't expected that sort of answer at all. His eyebrows rose and he leaned forward, surprised. "Recently elected president? Seriously?"

This guy? He just looked like some regular dude. Nothing especially powerful or influential about him at first glance.

Well excuse you, Reno. Laguna actually thought he looked fabulous as a Presidential figure. Of course he wasn't in his presidential style garb...

Normally a pair of slacks and a dress shirt he didn't have the decency to tuck in.

"Yes, seriously! Why does everyone sound surprised..? I defeated the Sorceress Adel! Huge victory in the revolution, actually.. the final victory."

He looked quite proud of himself, popping his collar with a smug smirk. "Then I got appointed president! Actually pretty good at it too!"

Yeah, he probably wasn't proving anything, as he nervously adjusts his collar back down.

"Anyway, quick pro quota, right? What's Shinra Tech?"

Reno blinked and gave Laslow a look. "Did... did you just say dancing?"

Seriously? Sword-fighting, warfare, and dancing. That was... wow.

Laslow just gives him a look right back. "Yes, I did. Is that a problem?"

"Let us be frank with each other, then," he prompted. "You are believed to be both a valuable asset and a security risk. Your ties with Avalanche and the WRO put you in a position that could help us and hurt us."

They were both men of action more than words. There was no point in playing silly political games over this. He would be honest with Vincent, and he expected honesty in return.

Honesty is what he would receive.

"You're correct. If I wanted to, I could cause quite a bit of damage to your entire company." Not like he hadn't helped with that in the past. "But I'm told ShinRa has a new face to show to the world and Rufus has hardly failed in presenting it."

Thus far hung in his tone.

"My ties to both are tenuous at best." Frankly, he stuck around Avalanche because of certain people, not all. If there was a need to part ways, he would.

"I've no grudge towards what currently stands as ShinRa Tech. You helped us, in the fight against Sephiroth's clones." Vincent pulls in a breath. "If you hadn't, in the last push.."

It was the Turks that helped Cloud get to where he needed to be, otherwise the an would have been mobbed by three insane silver haired brats. This was the closest they were going to get in the terms of a direct thank you from Vincent.

"The only thing I ask is to not stick me back into a test tube."

One eyebrow rose. "I thought you said elected."

Not that it really mattered to him. Rufus ruled the world, and he'd only been president of a company. Reno shook his head and waved his hand. "Never mind, it doesn't matter here."

He shuffled through some papers, glanced at Laguna again. "We're a technology company -- R&D on new tools, communication, computer systems, et cetera." Alternative energy, even if they weren't really supposed to be playing with that anymore.

"What was the technological level of your last world...?"

"Well, a whole bunch of people agreed to it..?" That was the same right? Elected, appointed.. same thing. People agreed he made a good President and thus far he'd been... good, right? He hadn't had the chance to ask anyone.

Laguna leaned, as if to check out what Reno was shuffling about as he tucks his hands into his pockets.

"Well... I was the president of Esthar, who had the best technology... We had the Ragnarok, which was an airship, that also could go to the moon. That was pretty cool." He tilts his head, thinking. "And Esthar was protected by a massive cloaking shield, so it couldn't be found easily. I mean, I didn't engineer any of it specifically but.."

He shrugs, laughing. "I knew how to use it, of course! I'm more of a writer than an engineer unfortunately but I get things. I knew how stuff fit together. And these phones, really cool."

Laguna whips his phone out which was already adorned with a keychain. A marble wrapped in silver wire, obviously a small materia. But Laguna was focused on flicking through the phone. "I enjoyed figuring this out, its really smart."

Isa chuckled at the mental image of Cloud in hair clips. Little bendy metal barrettes pinning his hair down, with little flicks of it still sticking up despite his best efforts.

"You're better off keeping it as it is now. Or wearing a hat, if you can find one that will fit all that hair under it."

He glanced over to the giant dog plush. "I don't know. We don't really have much furniture yet. But he can hang out on my bed when I'm not sleeping." It would also be there when he's sleeping, but he wasn't about to admit that out loud to someone he's only just met.

Liadrin... No, Reno wasn't immediately jumping to threat conclusion. But he was intrigued.

He smirked, though, and chuckled at Vincent's question. "You think I can just tell you that, Valentine? With an investigation still ongoing?" He shook his head and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Then again, yer Team Cloud, so -- guess you might be a little special."

Reno's smile cracked. "Yeah..."

It was just like old times -- sniping and teasing, arguing and getting over it. Even if they weren't really friends, they were friendly. Reno had never had any major problem with Zack -- guy seemed nice. It made him wonder how much Zack knew, toward the end. About the end.

Maybe nothing.

Reno rubbed his face. "Another Cloud, too? Shiiit... World gets crazier an' crazier every minute."

"Why would I blame you?"

Not like he didn't always do that anyway, or somehow drag Rude down with him. Not like Rude wasn't the first person Reno went whining to about anything, especially feeling ill. But that was just the nature of their relationship. Rude was comfortable.

Reno took the antacids and pocketed them for later, with a smirk that said he knew full well what he was doing. And would do.

"Still... this is nice," he sighed. "I mean, even with the Lifestream kickin' out bodies an' shit bein' weird... it's not, like, end of the world weird? Not yet, anyway..."

Reno wasn't sure if they'd ever have any real downtime ever again, the way things had been going the last few years. But the illusion of it right now was welcome.

"I just hope Sephiroth doesn't come out."

"Incredibly." He chuckled at the compliment. "Don't tell Reno, he might get jealous," he joked in return. Reno wouldn't actually be jealous of it, but Zack might not know that.

"That's life," Rude agreed. "I take it you're the one that asked Rufus about Tseng?" Gossip like that travels fast, what can he say?

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Summer Solstice

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