Summer Festival in the MGU

Wherever you are, whoever you are, one minute you’re at home minding your own business and the next you’ll see a shower of sparkles before you blink and find yourself teleported elsewhere.
The elsewhere, it seems, is an open grounds lined with stalls, pathways and gardens. Lanterns light up the pathways in soft glowing oranges and pinks, and even though it’s evening the weather is warm and enjoyable for a fun summer festival.
As you set off to explore, you’ll find that there are countless stalls with every type of treat you can imagine from a variety of cultures (including some from your own home worlds, strangely), all of which smell delicious and enticing. There are other stalls available with different carnival games as well. Go ahead and give it your all! Win a prize for that special someone, or just keep trying out of sheer stubbornness. Other stalls seem to be selling wares such as clothing, household items, flowers, and other things that can be given away as gifts. It seems that every time you look around, a new stall opens, almost as if this festival is responding to your every wish.
Speaking of wishes, there’s a small cluster of bamboo trees nearby as well, tables set up with baskets of arts and crafts supplies to write your wishes on the colorful paper and tie them to a branch. It’s a sweet thought, no?
And of course, what’s a festival without fireworks? Every now and then fireworks will light up the night sky, bursts of color in fun shapes such as stars, hearts, faces of people you know, whatever! Sparklers and bubble wands can also be found to play with throughout the evening near the viewing gardens. Flowers bloom and cover the area, though the paths lead to several small alcove-like areas and gazebos for those of you who wish to have a little romantic privacy. No matter where you are though, you’ll always be able to see the starry night sky.
Do try to play along and enjoy yourself for the evening. It’s only when the last firework bursts several hours later that you can actually leave anyway. Have fun!
[ooc: you know the drill, past mg characters from any of our past games, please don't make me list them again but go nuts.]

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except uh. hello? what the absolute fuck is going on here. he pauses, unsure suddenly as he gives riku a curious look.]
...what do you mean when?
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And yeah! He's leaning his head to the sides to look at Sora's face? Reaching up, pinching both cheeks and streeetching them some. What HAPPENED to the baby fat? HELP, his best friend!]
You were still a pipsqueak when we started the exam...
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You can't mean...the Mark of Mastery exam? [that was a while ago, hello?]
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Yeah, that. We just started.
[He means that exam, and yes, it was ages ago.]
You're not... You look a little... [Hm. Wow.] ...A little grown up.
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That's because we took the exam a year ago. [squinting.] Is this...another time thing?
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...A year? [Oh boy. He heaves a quiet sigh.] So... you're from the future? Great.
Being almost as tall as me doesn't count when time shenanigans are involved, you know.
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It totally counts! [rude?] But yeah, I guess I am if that's the last thing you remember. We both took the exam. A lot of things have happened since then.
[...more importantly, actually:] Wait, what're you doing here?
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That's not reassuring.
[He uses his arms and elbows to prop himself up a bit. He's frowning. Komory Bat lands directly on Sora's head.]
I'd like to know the answer to that myself. [:\] Someone said this just happens a lot to the people who were stuck playing those weird games. So... I guess that's why I am here.
Somehow, I was pulled into one after our fight with Xemnas.
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They're not wrong...this isn't the first time I've been to one of these things. But that means you were in a place people were killing each other, too? [also wow that timeline is. very far back. yikes.] It's been a long time since that fight for me. Things are totally different now.
[but riku mentioned a murder game and he's suddenly concerned.]
You're okay, right? You guys won and everything went back to the way things should've been?
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It's not...? [He doesn't like that confirmation.] Yeah, I was. [Please don't look at his timeline!!!] I'm... [He pauses to touch his chest.
Why does he have PTSD about never being sure if he's who he really is?!]
Yeah, I'm okay. We fixed everything. There was... a school. It was... there was a story that had been cancelled, [he knows this sounds whack as hell] I think. Because of... a plot hole. It... started thinking on its own? Or something.
It pulled me and three other people there, and made us a part of its story. And then it pulled in everyone else. I was... worried. Once I was myself again. Because I thought I had left you in the darkness by yourself.
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The last time it was a Christmas party. Guess these things will keep happening no matter what. [but he's quiet for a minute as he listens to riku explain, except he's pouting more and more the longer he talks.]
That's different than the Realm. We were pulled to a place that made us lose our memories, and people kept splintering. We had to kill a certain amount of people in order to stabilize it, but it was all just some test from--
[...riku doesn't know mom. right. sora barely knows mom? but.]
--some guy. It was a cycle we'd done a few times and agreed to try one more time. [he looks down though.] I'm sorry. I thought you and Kairi were at least safe again while I was there, but I didn't think something like that would happen to either of you.
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[FUNNY. Komory trills, but continues to cling. This is what Sora gets for being a sunshine.
But yeah, Sora can pout all he wants. It's Riku's turn to do the sour face when Sora starts talking about that place. HELLO? LOSING MEMORIES? Excuse him while his heart fucking drops a bit.]
Could you hold onto your memories for once, Sora? [SHEESH. PLEASE. He's had such a hard time. Your memories. Your Nobody. Your he-can't-remember-that-girl's-name. NAMINE. Everything.] You don't have to apologize.
[He frowns. Somehow... Sora seems a little more melancholy than what he's accustomed to... Hate that a lot.]
You're from my future, right? So... even if that happened to me... maybe the me you know, and the Kairi you know are okay. [He doesn't want to think about Kairi not being okay.] I didn't think about it happening to either of you either. Since neither of you were there.
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I'm sure everybody's okay. Including the me you know. But...maybe they're all the same? So the me you know is actually me, but the you I know is also actually you. It wouldn't be that surprising just to be from different points of time but from the same timeline or whatever. [time travel...things riku gets to look forward to.]
And if that's true then everything will work out fine. No big deal.
[he says, decisively not telling riku that sora won't be going back home. it's cool. no need to ruin anything, even if meow wow squeaks at riku again and bonks into his hands.]
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Oh! Hello, Meow Wow. He looks surprised by the bonk for a second, but then smiles small and lopsidedly. Meow Wow gets some pets.] Hope you're keeping Sora straight. [Someone needs to. :unamused:
Again, he glances up at Sora again.]
"No big deal"? It's always so easy for you to say that, huh. [TELL HIM THINGS, YOU STUPID TWINK. He knows it ain't easy for you to say that, you dumb ho.] If we're together... things will be okay.
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And that's why it's so easy to say. What's wrong with that? [he folds his hands behind his head, looking up at komory instead. ignoring the hard things? ignoring the hard things.] We're always better together. Too bad Kairi isn't here. The festival's kind of fun so far.
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Yeah...
[He twists his head to glance back at the stalls briefly. Kairi would have fun here for sure, especially if Sora was also here to ping-pong their bubbly energy. But he's frowning a bit! Are the three of them ever going to really end up together for more than a few moments?
He misses when they were kids stuck on the island almost.]
Are you going to sit on top of me the entire time? I think you crushed a few of my ribs... plus, I can't breathe.
[Looks like even though he had been pretty emo, he's still refusing to let go of that sass.]
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it's a thought he has too, however. there was such a brief time that the three of them were together again back on their own island and they were all safe. at the time he knew what he had done was the right choice, but now that it's been over a year (and meeting so many other people, and now especially seeing riku again) he's still wondering if he'll find a way back.
but again, riku doesn't have to know all of that and instead he smirks at him.]
You could've pushed me off any time, y'know. [but he does roll to sit back and in front of riku instead of on him. he moves one of komory's wings so he can see as he pops up into a crouch, reaching out for riku's hand to pull him up to his feet.] Better?
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ALSO, STOP, PLEASE CEASE SCOLDING HIM FOR BEING A SECRETIVE EMO WHEN YOU LITERALLY ARE DOING THIS, SORA. He'd be SO MAD if he knew Sora was hiding this from him! In fact, he'd be so mad he would probably (lup voice) say something extremely mean and hurt his feelings.]
You probably would have cried. [Has this Sora grown up from being sad when a certain best friend broodily pushed him away?] Better.
[Without hesitation, he reaches out to grab Sora's hand, using it to help himself up. Komory chirrups.]
Thanks.
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riku doesn't have to know that sora is maybe a little overwhelmed seeing him after so long. shut up. don't look at him. HE IS ABSOLUTELY AN ADULT AND NO LONGER EASILY MOVED TO TEARS. probably. that's exactly the reason he doesn't entirely let go of riku's hand right away either, turning his head a bit to glance toward a row of stalls a little further in the distance of the festival.]
Would not. [it's a belated answer, but he glances back at riku with a grin.] Meow Wow and I were gonna get a snack. Are you coming?
[riku gets no choice, but sora's polite enough to pretend he does for now.]
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This Sora. "This" Sora? It's the same Sora, he reminds himself. This is his Sora, too... only... later. Apparently.]
We get transported to another weird world, and the one thing you can think about is food? I know you're really Sora for sure now.
[Not that he had too many doubts before exactly. His eyes lift around Sora to the stalls. Yeah, he's coming. He's got no choice, and he doesn't want one. Gotta keep an eye on Sora.]
Should we really eat the food here...?
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and yet all he does is laugh while rolling his eyes.]
Hey, the food's usually pretty good. At the Christmas party there was all kinds of stuff that people could take back with them. [but he pulls riku forward. snack time. meow wow wobbles after them.]
It's weird...I don't know what's causing these things to happen, but they've usually turned out to be nice. Like it's just a way for everybody to see their friends again. I've got a few people I want to try to find later. [and here he glances at riku from the corner of his eye.] Do you?
[did you make friends, riku?]
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He makes a little face at the Christmas party details. Not because it's a Christmas party, but because he's literally always skeptical of every single thing in his entire life.]
...
[There's not a bit of reluctance when he lets himself get pulled along. Komory flaps after them, care-free. Sora gets a brief glance of surprise, and then he hastily turns his eyes away. (Don't perceive him...) Though it seems more like he's expecting to find other people trying to wave him down.]
Friends...? You mean ones from the place where you were? Who...?
[HE DIDN'T ANSWER THE QUESTION.]
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on the other hand, he's perceiving just a little as he lifts an eyebrow at that.]
Don't tell me you didn't make at least one new friend. [it's supposed to be teasing but now he's concerned? riku? your friends? that sounds like it would be miserable and yeah okay riku's not like himself who makes friends literally everywhere but??? but!!!]
But yeah. I mean those kind of people. I think they'd probably be pretty mad if I didn't say hi while I was here. [two can play that game, ANSWER HIM!!!]
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I...... made friends.
[He says this exactly like he'd say if he was trying to keep from calling people friends in front of Sora, his best friend.
STOP, LISTEN. Sometimes you struggle to make friends for a long time because you're a huge butt. Sometimes you only have two best friends, and that's all you think you need, and then you get butthurt when you are not THEIR only best friend.]
...how many is "they"?
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simultaneously there is a sense of relief then. riku wasn't as along as he initially thought. that's what matters. he's still not sure why riku's being resistant to giving him details (they're stupid, that's why) but he's not really embarrassed about his own friends.]
Depends on how many of them are here, but two for sure. They were some of the first friends I made in the Realm. [and because he's not a coward:] Lup and Clementine. They have to be here somewhere and I want you to meet them if they are.
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