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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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[This is said in a way like he plans to add something onto it, but he is uncertainly quiet for a long moment. Just, uh, you know... standing here... lookin at your best friend...... holding their hand...]
...I'm glad.
[Well, he can start by being honest first of all. Honest and happy for Sora who receives the kind of love he puts in.]
I wouldn't have doubted you couldn't do it. Somehow, you always manage to find a way to make everything okay.
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but then he says that and the response is a brighter grin. (how else would he respond?) granted the idea that he always manages to find a way is a little uncertain right now, but riku doesn't need to know. honesty begets honesty, but only the parts he thinks won't worry his friends.]
I wanted to make sure I'd make it back to you and Kairi. Even with the friends I made...and even with Clementine, that was the only thing that mattered after a while. I wanted us to be together again someday.
[even if he's in the abyss right now, he couldn't exactly fix things if he died somewhere else.]
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I know. [Not only because this sounds very much like Sora, but...] I felt the same way, too.
[It's embarrassing how much he actually talked about Sora and Kairi the whole time during the school. Even when he didn't remember who he was, he still talked too often about the boy and girl from the beach.
Help them not be glued to each other's hips.]
I couldn't leave you in the darkness. I wasn't going to do that.
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sometimes you meet your best friends when you're four years old and you never want to replace them. it's fine.]
You wouldn't have. I don't know everything that happened at that school, but you always would've come back. [there he goes, thinking the best of riku as always. there's another lingering pause though.] ...do you...want to know what happens? We're not supposed to mess with the world order, but...
[for riku's peace of mind, he's willing to once again say "fuck the world order."]
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His lips part, but before he answers, he looks away uncertainly for a moment. Of course he wants to know what happens. He's worried about Sora. He's worried Sora is hiding something from him in the way of trying to shoulder it alone. He's worried... about their world, about Kairi, about the King.
He's also worried knowing will deteriorate his own trajectory through time.
Finally, he glances back hesitantly at his friend, squinting like he might be able to parse whatever Sora will tell him without making Sora do it.] Sora... [Said in the very Riku way of "Are we even sure about this?" since there have been plenty of times he thought he was sure, did it, and then realized he fucked up. It haunts him.]
...Just tell me... are you okay?
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what should he even say...? riku's from some time in the past that he's worried about. he should ease his mind over those worries first.]
We got out of the darkness. [he doesn't explain how, but that's important. and he pauses again to think.
he's physically probably fine. mentally and emotionally, eh, it's just the price to pay to make sure everyone else is safe and he still after all this time regrets nothing. especially if what he experienced is true and that guy will try to run tests on their own worlds. if his heart is in the same place as sora's...what does that mean?
he's taking too long to answer, so he shrugs.]
I'm fine. I'll be okay.
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Now he gets to go back to his continuum and worry non-stop about Sora (as if he doesn't do this already) because he learned from Sora's future self through omission that things AREN'T OKAY. He knows better. He KNOWS better. His hand tightens around Sora's.]
What happened?
[He knows Sora knows he's onto him. There isn't any point in calling Sora out really. Might as well just dive right into the whys or the hows.]
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How much do you really want to know? [and then, just to clarify:] Things worked out the way we needed them to, and everybody's okay.
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Everybody else?
[Because that's good. That's fine. He also cares about other people, too. He wants to protect his friends, the worlds. But... "everybody's okay" is not "we're okay" in the slightest.]
Didn't you get something from the game you played? Like... a promise, or a wish, or an opportunity. Why didn't you change it? [He sighs.] Just... tell me what happens.
[Can Riku change Sora's fate? He doesn't know. Is he going to TRY? Probably.]
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What was I supposed to do? That guy in the coat said we're in the same place...so if I went back, maybe I'll find him again and I can stop him before he starts messing with everything else.
[this doesn't explain what happened, but it gives context to why.]
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Will Riku ever smile again? He's frowning! Sora had a similar endeavor they did in a way. What is it with all of these games thinking they can just yank them away and make it fine by offering some kind of reward?]
"I"? Are you trying to do it all alone, Sora?
[He's about to kick this boy's ass. FURTHERMORE.]
You still didn't tell me what happened.
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anyway. wow! this is a great friend date, sora loves absolutely crushing riku's spirit in his bare hands. speaking of hand, his grip tightens just a little at that.]
I don't really have another choice, but I'm sure you guys are doing stuff on your side, too. [...] Does the Power of Waking mean anything to you yet?
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[WOW, he really doesn't like the idea behind Sora not having any other choice! (riku voice) well clearly you're fucking DEAD!!! Please, he's begging you to not be a shounen protag for two minutes.
The puppycat may have abandoned Sora, but Komory is still here to whine and droop like it understands the weight of the conversation.
His eyes glance very briefly at their hands when Sora squeezes his before looking up again.]
You mean waking sleeping worlds?
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Not just for sleeping worlds. It's for waking sleeping hearts. You and me...when we took the Mark of Mastery exam, that's what we were supposed to learn. We both learned it, but...I lost it before the exam was over.
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On the other hand, Riku is frowning as usual.]
You... lost it.
[It's not asked as a question, but there is a very pointed way he delivers it that means he wants Sora to explain.]
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...the darkness...it was inside of me. I almost lost to it, but you saved me. [there's a grin then, more subdued than usual but still very happy.] I failed the exam, but you passed.
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To say Riku's face drops is an understatement. It feels like any last little bit of hope in him shrivels up and whines pathetically as it dies. The darkness was inside of Sora?! Sora almost lost?!
This shocks him. Sora? His Sora? NO, DON'T YOU START SMILING. Ooooooo, he hates that.]
...Sora.
[:sob: He doesn't want this victory knowing Sora, of all people, had a loss. But also... what does he really say to that? The look on his face softens.]
Darkness can be places you'd never expect to find it. But I wouldn't ever let anything happen to you. You can... always re-take the exam.
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It's okay. I'm okay. We're okay. [...mostly.] You deserved the title, you know? I knew you'd never let me down and I was...just glad you were safe.
[...] That was a little while ago though. I haven't re-taken the exam or anything but I relearned how to use the power of waking. Both of us needed to master it so we could save some of the others.
[something occurs to him then. sora was so young back then that he barely remembers things, but riku...maybe...]
Do the names Terra and Aqua mean anything to you? Or Ventus...?
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Forget the exam--he's proud of that at least, of protecting Sora. The things that matter.
He gives Sora's hand a squeeze.]
Terra...?
[He pauses and glances into the distance off to the side. His heart flutters. But why?
SOMEONE TELL HIM THE END OF DDD INFO. Also, why did wayfinder mom and dad have to follow the traveling rules and not say their names.
Anyway, he touches his chest with his free hand directly over his heart.]
...friends, right?
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Right. And Keyblade wielders. Aqua's a master just like you. [...okay, no, one thing at a time.] We saved her from the Realm of Darkness. Together. We brought her back to the Realm of Light. Terra was used as a vessel for Xehanort, and we had to free him, too. And Ven...
...I didn't remember for a really, really long time. But his heart's been with mine since we first met them. [sometimes you casually tote around someone's damaged heart for ten years.] We were supposed to learn how to master the power of waking to save people like them.
We needed them to complete the Seven Lights.
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Surprise washes up over his face. Sora is just listing good thing after good thing, but he hasn't forgotten how dodging Sora had been before, or forgotten what Sora said when he asked if Sora was okay. It feels like the rug is about to get ripped out from under his feet the further into Sora's story they get.
One of the most important people to him--something not so good has happened.]
The person you felt hurting. [It's okay if Sora doesn't remember. Sora has... been through a lot. But Riku can't completely forget: soft, empathetic crybaby Sora on the beach.] It's just like you to always try helping everyone.
[He thinks about being inside Yamato while they all tried to help him, and his expression softens. He gets it.]
So Terra, Aqua, and Ventus... Those were who the King was talking about, aren't they? The people hurting. [Is he taking notes for the future? Maybe.] The Seven Lights. It's... him again, isn't it? [Why they're doing all this.] Ansem. Xemnas.
Xehanort.
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[he's maybe stalling, but it's important. the power of waking is important.]
Master Yen Sid said that our exam helped us prepare for a clash of darkness that was gonna happen. We had to bring those three back, and Lea and Kairi were training together to learn how to use their Keyblades. [he does not explain who lea is.]
...it's Xehanort. It's always been Xehanort, even when we didn't know it. He's been preparing for years. There are seven Guardians of Light: you, me, Kairi, Lea, Aqua, Ven, and the King. They were meant to fight Thirteen Darknesses in order to form this weapon called the x-blade...to summon Kingdom Hearts. Xehanort wanted the power to trigger the purge and reset all of the worlds to form one world again. He said the light of Kingdom Hearts would give everyone a new start.
But to get there...he did some pretty terrible things. [ah.] The Organization was meant to be thirteen vessels to be thirteen pieces of Xehanort. But they lost members, so they had to find others. The Xehanort possessing Terra's body tried to stop us before we could even fight Xehanort. [...] We lost everybody. Kairi, Donald, Goofy...the King, Aqua and Ven, too. All of them were swept away and consumed by the darkness.
And I lost you, too. And then myself.
[he should probably just...give riku a moment. but he's close enough that he doesn't want to drag out the rest of the story, instead tightening his hold on riku's hand in a way he's hoping is casual but isn't casual at all.]
When I woke up, I was in a place called the Final World. Chirithy told me that sometimes the edges of sleep and death brush together, so I'd been there before. But this time it was because I'd perished. We all did, but I was the only one who made it to that world. Or I guess Naminé was there, too, as a star. Anyway...once I collected myself, Chirithy helped me find my way back so I could use the Power of Waking to save everybody else. We were all able to come back and keep moving to fight Xehanort.
[there is still. more. to this story. but this is a lot so he does actually decide to wait just to let riku process all of this.]
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Guardians of Light. Thirteen Darknesses. Not nearly as bad as hearing they all got taken by the darkness. Why is saving everyone always resting on Sora's shoulders?]
Sora.
[He offers it gently, comfortingly. There's still more, but he pulls Sora by the hand, closing the gap between them, and then he lets go. He wraps both arms around Sora's shoulders to hug him. It's a reassurance, an apology, but also a thank you, too.]
It must have been hard for you to do all of that by yourself.
[Alone.]
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"...I know the worlds needed our help, and that I had a responsibility as a Keyblade wielder. And I know that if we didn't stop Xehanort and if we didn't help all of those people, everything would have gone wrong. But all I ever wanted to do was get all of us home again. They mean everything to me."
he could make fun of riku for being sappy, say something silly to brighten the mood but...it doesn't feel right. it's sort of like the words weigh on his tongue and make it harder to get them out there, so riku probably shouldn't be surprised by the way there's only a blip of hesitation before sora's returning the gesture.
it's been...a very, very long time, actually.]
It never really felt like I was alone. [which isn't entirely true, but the sentiment is there.] I had you guys with me, even if you weren't there. You're the one who told me to pull myself together, and I did. Without you...I probably would've given up.
[just saying.]
When everyone came back...we split up. We had to fight our way through the Keyblade Graveyard. You fought your replica. We saved Terra and Xion. Saix, too. Or Isa, I guess. And Roxas...got his own body. He came to help us, too. All of us together...we finished it off and went to confront Xehanort, but even then it wasn't over.
[the grip tightens again.] He kidnapped Kairi. He wanted to make you, me and the King fight a younger version of himself, Ansem and Xemnas. Even after we won...he destroyed her. After all that...just to make me fight him. He shattered her heart, but I used my power to go back and save her. She's okay now. Everybody's okay.
[he's quick to reassure him of that, at least. can you believe kh3 has so much going on in the last like three hours of gameplay i fucking hate this canon.]
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I won't ever let you give up, Sora. [He has not let go of the hug, by the way. He wants the promise to be near Sora's ear.] I won't give up either. We'll keep going together.
[Finally, he loosens his hold and leans just far enough back he can give Sora his undivided attention. But close enough for Sora to hold onto still. Imagine having a girlfriend and two boyfriends and continuing to be this gay with each other.]
Everyone's okay... [He frowns. Of course he frowns!] ...but that doesn't include you... does it?
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