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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[ Aerith always has a little fun at awkward boys' expense. That's her real talent. ]

I'm pretty good with complicated.

[ 'Try me.' Her other talent is prodding. This is gentler, though. She's glad he's smiling, at least, and she doesn't want to ruin it. ]

...Alright then.

[Don't say he didn't warn you, Aerith. He fidgets a little, the smile disappears, takes a deep breath and... sort of dives in.]

I'm what a lot of people are calling a... a "streamer". But where I come from, things aren't completely different. It's a different version of the Planet. That's pretty much how I know you... or a different you.

Ooh. So some of the other worlds...are actually like this one all over again? Weird. But it means I have a sister!

[ She was an only child and the last of her kind, this is exciting! And then Aerith remembers what happened to her and what might have happened in any world with Sephiroth and that is much less exciting. Her grin falters.

Stop ruining things, Sephiroth. She continues, still speaking cheerfully. ]

How did you two know each other?

[That makes him crack something of a hollow smile. Only Aerith could think that another version of her was a sister. He's really missed her way of thinking and teasing.]

Uh, mutual friend. {Okay, well her and Zack's relationship was a little more than that before, but they broke up and remained friends. That wasn't a bad thing in anyone's books. And he knows what became of this world's Zack. He's just unsure if that's a touchy topic or now.] And we traveled around too.

[He flushes. That sounds like it was just the two of them.] Uh, a group of us, I mean. AVALANCHE...

...Cloud? [ It's only natural for her to try and guess the "mutual friend", but she's also puzzled who it would be. ] Oh, so you know everyone else too! Um--

Well, I think you should meet everyone from AVALANCHE who's here, but you might not want to mention that you met me when you do. It's been a while since we've seen each other, and...it would probably distract them.

[ Queen of explaining, Aerith.

She's slightly worried Riku would end up getting interrogated along the lines of WHERE DID HE SEE HER, which is not what anyone needs. ]

[Riku shakes his head slowly at her guess. It really does solidify his guess that Cloud must be that important here. Seems like everyone knows him here.

But it's the suggestion that he should meet everyone that makes him fidget. His head shaking is a lot more rapid and he looks away.] I don't think that would be a good idea, and not just... cause of that. It wouldn't be the same.

[He blinks. Did she meet the same fate here?] You haven't seen them in a while?

[ She frowns a little at his quickness to shoot down the idea of meeting AVALANCHE; that's a bit of a shame. Considering his appearance though, it might be genuinely uncomfortable for him. She won't push him on it. ]

Um. Well. [ She casts her eyes toward the heavens and then sighs quietly. She probably should just say it. ] Being dead is murder on your social life, you know?

I'm one of the people who was returned to life in Mideel. Which is pretty nice, I'd say. Being able to walk around again is good.

[Being dead...

A small part of him deflates like a balloon, face falling. So in both versions, she dies, more than likely at the hands of Sephiroth here too. That's actually quite heartbreaking.]

Oh... well. I'm glad you came back. [The words are stiff when they come out of his mouth, but he means them and even attempts a small smile.]

[ She watches his expression carefully, sighing again after a few seconds. He doesn't seem too surprised...does that mean her counterpart died as well? Oh, Sephiroth, why. ] Thanks. Sorry to bring up something depressing like that. There are much, much better things to talk about.

[He's hoping that he doesn't look too put out by this news, but somehow, he tries to smile. Aerith, in either of their worlds, wouldn't want him to feel too bad about it. Or so he likes to hope.]

It's okay. I'm just... sorry it happened here too. [There's something in his posture and tone that sounds a bit more relaxed now. He's trying, and aside from teasing the hell out of him, she always had that affect on him.

Oh boy. What does she want to talk about now?] Like what?

Well, you. You know me, or someone very like me, but I don't know much about you. What sort of things do you like? What's your favorite hobby?

[ Background questions have always been kind of iffy for Aerith given her background, and she's pretty sure it'd be the same for Riku. She is curious about him, though...so she asks about preferences. ]

Me...? [How did he not see this coming. Of course she's curious about him. The problem is that he doesn't actually know how to answer that proper. There's plenty of things he likes and doesn't like, but usually it when they present themselves.]

...I don't really have any hobbies. [Unless 'kicking ass' qualifies, but he doubts it does. His eyes wander around the room, clearly unsure on how to answer this question.

A listless laugh as he looks back at her.] I don't like questions like these? Not good at them. But... I like learning new things?

[Gods, that sounds pathetic on so many levels.]

[ Aerith does laugh a little. Sorry, Riku, you're just giving Cloud a run for his gil at being the worst for small talk. ] Well, learning new things can easily become a hobby. Maybe it'll lead you to one.

[Oh boy. That laugh has him planting his head into his palm, cheeks flushing with colour now. Sometimes he wonders why he didn't get Sephiroth's coolness and charm.]

Y-yeah, I guess. I just... I haven't had a lot of time to figure things out.

Well, take a break for yourself! No one knows what's going on here just yet, so we might as well relax.

[ This may not apply entirely to her, as she figures she's probably going to need to be the one to figure out what happened with the Lifestream, but that's all right. She's taking her break now, while getting to meet the new arrivals to Gaia.

She likes this one. ]

Heh, I'm not all that sure that I know how to relax.

[A joke. A bad one on his part. He's never, ever relaxed in his life, mostly because he's certain that being in Mako stasis doesn't qualify.]

I suppose we can, but it'll have to be figured out eventually.

[A beat, and another thought crosses his mind. Talking about figuring this all out kind of bums him out a bit. Not because of the situation or opinions on whether it should be fixed. But the lack of info.]

...I like flying though, if that counts.

That's a thing for you to learn, then.

[ Since he likes learning new things and all. Her expression shifts a little at his comment about having to figure out the situation--eventually.

If he traveled with AVALANCHE...there's no chance he doesn't know what she is. ]

...Eventually, yeah. I don't really know much of anything, yet.
[ A little worrying, since the Lifestream doesn't act up like this over nothing. But she'll figure it out! ...In time.

She smiles wistfully at the mention of flying. ]

I like flying too! Or I think I would. The taxi service was nice, but I really want to go on the deck of an airship, feel the wind rushing past.

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Summer Solstice

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