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!

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"It.. wasn't high up enough to cause too significant of damage, thankfully..."

Devastating the entire world was certainly significant but in the long run, people were alive, people she loved were alive. Cities still stood and people were recovering bit by bit.

She starts to gently wipe the dust off the table, erasing her world away. It was depressing, to talk about it when she couldn't be there to help repair it.

"Bad things happen.. and the ones left pick up and continue forward. I want to continue forward and be strong for the people around me. And.. while I lost everything by ending up here.."

She pulls in a breath, closing her eyes before looking at Cloud and smiling.

"I just need to keep going."

Staring at the now-cleaned table for a few more moments, Cloud shook his head, then looked up to catch Terra's smile, and frowned softly.

"Maybe... it won't be permanent," he said slowly, brushing away the last, thin layer of dust that still clung to the worn table, "if they can figure out what's wrong with the Lifestream that should let you get home, hopefully."

A thought which was pretty unsettling for Cloud; going back would mean going back to being dead, and while there'd been no way to stop it when it happened, he didn't really want that. He didn't belong here, no, but... He pushed that whole train of thought away determinedly.

"... I guess you're right, though," he added quietly, even if he wasn't sure how, but he'd heard the same sentiment before, and Terra probably had the right idea.

Edited 2016-06-28 18:53 (UTC)

Terra raises her hands quickly, shaking her head.

"There are a lot of people who were dead before though. I don't want them to lose this chance at life! If... If I need to start over for good people to get to live again then I want that, I can do that..."

She might want to go home but there would be no way she would do so if it meant people who had the chance to live lost that chance.

"So.." She picks lightly at the grain of the wood on the table. "Do you know what you want to do here...? Have you found any opportunities?"

Cloud felt himself flush when Terra mentioned that there was people who'd been dead who'd come through - there was more than him that applied to?

"Well, maybe everybody won't have to go home, only if you want to?" Of course, there might be no choice - Cloud was sure that whatever was causing this would have to be fixed, because this wasn't normal behaviour for the Lifestream, and that probably only meant bad things for the Planet.

Shaking his head, Cloud glanced away and shrugged.

"I don't know," he said softly, frowning at the people milling about without seeing them, "the place I was employed at before doesn't exactly... exist anymore, I don't think, and aside from that there's not much I can do."

That was a mix of Cloud's usual lack of self-confidence and an honest look at his current skill-set.

"... Not that many will be interested in hiring a sixteen year old," he muttered with a shrug.

Terra notices the flush to Cloud's cheeks. She smiles softly, hoping the same thing he hoped for.. But she had a feeling he was one of the dead come back. She would choose to stay if it meant he could live, certainly. He was very kind.

"I'm sure you have more skills than you think but at the same time..."

She tilts her head thoughtfully. "...You could lie and say you're older..? Or maybe just start at something... entry? Build up some new skills, non-military skills..."

There were a lot of different options. And Terra was glad she had met someone as confused as she was.

"We can work together at finding somewhere. Then we can have at least one friend in whatever new thing we start doing."

Her suggestion made Cloud laugh - a short, startled amusement that nonetheless was genuine, and he ducked his head, hiding his chin and the tip of his nose in his scarf, but probably not obscuring the slightly mischievous smile completely.

"I... did do that. Lie about my age, I mean, when I first got employed." He'd only added a year, but still. Cloud wasn't sure now if they really hadn't cared (not improbable) that he was a year under the recruitment age or if they'd really believed he was just a bit on the small smile.

Letting out a soft sigh, he nodded.

"I think I'm just... I've been trying for a thing for two years and now it's... not possible," gaze dropping again for a moment, Cloud grimaced. Because he was, had been, dead, because SOLDIER didn't exist here or anymore, because this was a different (but same) Planet altogether.

"... I like that idea, though," he said softly, looking back up and nodding determinedly, then frowned briefly, "if you... like people, maybe there's cafés you could check..?"

She laughs softly. He was so sweet, Terra was certain they would be able to et pretty far with putting their heads together. They seemed to have a similar situation going on, being lost without anyone else.

"Its okay. We can try for something else and we can succeed because we have each other." Her shoulder bumps gently against Cloud's.

Ah, a cafe..? She wondered if she'd be able to do that. She knew what it entailed, a lot of people to deal with.. she was certain she could.

"Only if you promise to come with me..? We could work together!"

Zack said things like that so often... it made Cloud smile, just a little, before stared for a moment, opening his mouth and then closing it again.

"... I'm... not really good with people," he said after a moment, and only half meant having to interact at all, hesitating but then adding; "but if you wanted support I could go with you." He didn't know her, this conversation notwithstanding, and he was pretty sure this wasn't what the speed dating idea was for or about, and he didn't know Edge any more than she did but...

This was still, in a way, his world, in a way it wasn't, for Terra.

"You've been great with me?"

She smiles at him, just all warmth and even a touch of affection. She liked him, he was sweet. Terra was lucky he sat down in front of her, because he knew a bit more about this world than she did and it would be good to have.

"Even for support... Then I can support you finding something too! We can work together and both of us will be able to succeed."

He met Terra's smile with a shy one of his own, but he shook his head.

"One person is easier. A lot and..." he shrugged. A place like this fair really wasn't a place he much liked to stay for long. Despite the way Terra had been talking so far, he was still a little startled at the offer, but he ended up nodding.

"I'd... like that," he said and then bit his lip in thought, pulling on his scarf a little, "technically, it probably wouldn't be hard to get at least a little gil by picking up some weapons and going after weaker monsters when they wander too close, too."

That would be close enough to his previous line of work and to SOLDIER, even, and while Cloud was planning on buying weapons and keeping up with those abilities (asking both Zack and his older self for pointers with sword work was an idea), he wasn't sure if that would be something to do in the long run, now.

Wasn't sure he could get what he'd wanted from going to work for ShinRa now, or if he wanted it.

"That's an idea!"

Her hand moves to her waist, before remembering she wasn't wearing her sword today. She pats the place where it should be before smiling.

"I can still use a sword. I could go with you, as back up. And if we work together we can take on larger monsters and get more gil for you."

She didn't care if he had trouble with his own skills, everyone could get better through practice and she had the patience to teach him some tricks and techniques if he needed to learn. But she had full confidence in him if he was a soldier.

"Bigger monsters usually need more than two people... or a SOLDIER," Cloud said with a shake of his head, trying to ignore the familiar sting of failure and not good enough that came with thinking about SOLDIER. It wasn't like it even mattered anymore... with ShinRa in its new form, SOLDIER didn't exist any longer.

"I could ask... some people if it's a good idea," he glanced away, hesitating to mention his older self, because what was he supposed to say? And then there was Zack... Shaking his head, he focused back on Terra, "it could probably work as a backup idea if nothing else works."

It was... familiar, at the least, though he should probably mention to Zack what they were doing, if they did go out with this in mind.

Terra put her arm up, patting her bicep. "You underestimate me!"

She had defeated many monsters on her own in her own world. They were sure to be able to handle anything here. But she understands, it would be best to get some ideas and plans on how to approach the option.

"I think we probably live in the same complex, since all the Streamers were put there. We'll definitely be seeing each other again." She bumps shoulders gently.

Cloud shook his head a little, but didn't say anything. Maybe she was right and he was, but he'd also seen what sort of strength and abilities - especially if you weren't carrying materia - was needed to take care of some of the monsters around.

"Probably," he agreed with a nod; the complex wasn't even partway to full yet, so even if more kept coming it'd probably be a while before the Streamers would start to be put elsewhere, "... hopefully not like this though."

Cloud rolls his eyes, glancing around for the Cait Sith toy, but for now it's nowhere in sight, so he turns to Terra with a small smile.

"Maybe we can get out of here and not get apprehended again." He really wasn't planning on letting that insistent mascot get him at a table again, even if it worked out this time in terms of a conversation that hadn't been bad at all...

Terra looks around as well, frowning. "Yes.. Its.. .very pushy around this table but apparently the other stands aren't as aggressive."

She takes takes Cloud's hand as she stands, glad that this table had at least provided her with a friend. It was good for something after all. If they could escape that is.

"Quick!!" She was laughing. She wanted to try some of those carnival games.

There was a happy declaration behind them, the moogle mascot deciding this was proof their speed dating was working.

Cloud nodded. It was probably pushy because quite a few people weren't going in here willingly, but he'd seen more than a few who'd either sat down of their own volition or had needed only the barest of pushing from the little robot cat and it's moogle mount.

"Ah---" Eyes wide, Cloud stumbled after, caught himself and ran out of pure reflex just so he wouldn't take either himself or both of them down if he fell. Cloud very determinedly didn't look behind or around them as they ran, because then he'd just be flustered at the possible attention at the spectacle they were making out of themselves...

Though, maybe no one was noticing; not a few people were cheerfully running around as well, after all.

At least Terra wasn't pulling him towards the rides, in that case he'd have had to tell her she'd had to try them on her own. Games... he supposed he could do.

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Summer Solstice

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