NEW YEARS EVE FESTIVAL LOG (WOW GUYS, THIS TOTALLY ISN'T LATE OR ANYTHING...)

[asgardmods]

Who: Everyone!
What: New Years Eve! WUTWUT.
When: Err...New Years Eve. Wut...wut? (December 31st, Day 14, etc.)
Where: The Castle Plaza
Rating: Worksafe. If this changes, PLEASE INFORM THE MODS.

[Look down. Now back up! Where are you? You're in the Castle Plaza, with the Gods your Gods could God like.

[Lively, pleasant music hangs in the air around you as fireworks explode in the sky above. There is a tempting aroma teasing at your nostrils. Where is it coming from? Those long tables at the center of the plaza, overflowing with food you love. Craving anything from home? You'll be sure to find it there.

[Look around you. What do you see? Carnival games. Hundreds of Carnival games, including a dunk tank, and all for free! Carnival games not your thing? Why not give the dance floor a try? That music is awfully catchy, and just look at all those stunning lights!

[Enjoy yourselves, travelers. A New Year is upon us.]

Comments

open for talking or dunking!

[pyritic.livejournal.com]

[ Cloud doesn't volunteer for the dunk tank, and yet he can be found at it a good number of times throughout the festival...dunking the people in it. He's not trying to pick on anyone so he won't go for repeats or the particularly hapless-looking, but he is definitely getting some amusement out of dropping people in freezing cold water. Feel free to catch him by here.

Eventually he's had enough fun that he needs a turn to give back, and he finds himself--yep, in the dunk tank. Still hasn't volunteered for it. There's a brief moment where the disorientation throws him off and he tries to get out, only to be plopped back down by an invisible force. That moment is a trip and it shows on his face, but then he gets a hold of himself and the bewildered expression cools into annoyance. All right, obviously the gods are having a laugh at him (he suspects this is not something new), and he's not getting out of here without getting dunked.

So? Dunk him. It's just water. (Freezing cold...) ]

How about both?

[betweenpaths.livejournal.com]

[Guess what Cloud? YOU ARE SO GETTING DUNKED TODAY.

Riku vaguely remembers seeing someone Cloud-shaped in one of the other worlds. Probably where Sora had to fit off all those Heartless in Hollow Bastion. Not that they've talked or even exchanged names or anything. There was just something familiar about that hair style and the grumpy face.

...Hair that vaguely looks like Roxas'. Huh.

Nevertheless, Riku can't help but feel a little mischievous today. A new year meant happy new beginnings, right? Emphasis on the happy. And really, there was something about that sourpuss expression that was just asking for it.

Never mind the fact that he's a sourpuss himself 85% of the time.

So Riku winds back his arm and lets the ball fly.]

I guess Cloud can manage that once he spits the water out

[pyritic.livejournal.com]

[ Maybe that's why Riku finds the grumpy face so familiar...

Cloud, being Cloud, has at some point managed to wander off mentally into his own little world of figuring out what he's going to do once he's off the board. Should he ditch this joint, keep looking around in case someone showed up...?

...Oh, hey. There's someone at the--

THUD, BULLS-EYE

Cloud's falling toward the water before he quite catches up, but that just means there's a good actual flail with his arms and a wide-eyed look before fffffffffffu freezing cold freezing cold freezing!

He quickly stands up, sputtering a bit before he wipes his face. His hair spikes already fighting the water's drag. ]

... ... ... Lucky shot. [ He is not going to shiver. ]

/o/

[betweenpaths.livejournal.com]

[Riku can't help but snort a laugh or two at seeing the wet Chocobo's spikes. The colour and style reminds him of Roxas, but the wet spiky look definitely reminded him more of Sora and their time at the islands.

Good memories that just for a moment gives him a pang of guilt. He still misses those islands and those times.

Sticking his hands in his pockets, he makes his way over to the dunk tank, smile a little more subdued. Looking for an opening in the tank, he offers a hand. Might as well help the poor sap up.]

Trust me, I rarely get lucky.

\o\

[pyritic.livejournal.com]

[ Meanwhile, there's only one person Riku's coloring could remind Cloud of. In daylight the subtle differences would have been much more obvious, but at nighttime the sight of silver hair and green eyes in a still-young face give Cloud a looong pause after Riku speaks. Did Sephiroth have a brother? No, that was just--ridiculous.

He still bypasses the hand, hauling himself up over the side. Even if it is more awkward. (To be fair, he probably would have been stubborn with anyone.)

Drip, drip, drip... where was that towel. ]

Maybe the new year will brings us all good fortune. [ It's said mildly, so it might be hard for some to pick up--but it's most definitely sarcasm about the festivities. ] Watch out with this. They don't take just volunteers.

[betweenpaths.livejournal.com]

[For the record, Sephiroth would be the worst big brother ever. And whatever's giving Cloud reason to pause, is going right over Riku's head.

Though he backs right off and the refusal for a hand up, stepping away from tank to give the blond some space. Although that means that Riku's not going to help him look for a towel to dry himself with, sticking his hands in his pockets instead. Mister macho man is on his own for that one.]

It'll take more than a new year for that to happen. [Although the second comment makes him raise an eyebrow and eye the dunk tank suspiciously.] Like what? Magic threw you in there?

[pyritic.livejournal.com]

[ Mister Macho Man pretty much deserves it. ] Magic brought us here, didn't it? Guess you'd call it the will of the gods.

...Though it's strange they're interested in a festival they aren't showing up for. [ More of this thing about getting the travellers' emotions? Or are they waiting to show? Cloud looks around as though they might actually appear--oh. Towel. YES.

Forget that train of thought, he's drying off now. ]

[betweenpaths.livejournal.com]

[There's a snort from him. Even after spending a good amount of time in this world, Riku still doesn't believe the whole 'gods' schtick.

He crosses his arms over his chest, leering a little bit. Not particularly at Cloud, but metaphorically at their situation]

Not that strange, if they want their new pets to be happy and content.

[pyritic.livejournal.com]

[ ...better not leer at Cloud, Riku, he will snap this towel at you so fast

Though the wording of Riku's comment stills Cloud for a moment, towel hung over his head, which is probably pretty lucky for hiding how his face twists at it.

"There, Cloud...good boy." ]

I'm not a pet. [ Uttered low and definitely angry. ] None of us are. Even if they brought us here... [ Dammit. Goddammit, there has to be something they can do. ]

[darkbreak]

[He'd like to see you try.

And damnit, Riku hit a sore spot with him didn't he? Sighing, he runs a hand through his hair a little. Him and his big mouth.]

No, we're not pets. We just need to find a way out.

[pyritic]

The guards are blocking the outer gates all the time. There's no fighting them, either.

[ ...Yeah Cloud might have tried this at some point. He did nearly fight the maid. But he does seem calmer now, talking through things practically. ]

What else could there be...?

[ ...Ffff, sudden shiver. It prompts him to towel dry himself a little more. ]

[darkbreak]

[He raises a brow. Sure Cloud looks like he can take on a few enemies, but Riku gets the sense that he was more passive than aggressive.

A frown.] Sounds like you've tried already.

There could be something in the castle, where we all arrived from. A portal or a key. If there's a way to get in here, then there's a way to get out, somewhere.

[pyritic]

[ He sees that frown and raised brow, but he's not exactly apologetic, considering the circumstances. ] I'm sure you've heard enough complaints from people about being taken at a bad time. Couldn't get around and asking didn't work, so yeah. Gave it a shot. [ He didn't say the magical "please". Maybe that was it. ...Yeah, right.

Although the thing with the maid was all frantic, mis-aimed aggression. ]

A "key"?

[darkbreak]

You're talking to one of them, though I haven't been complaining. [He's just bitter about not being able to finally go home, or at least have Sora and Kairi together at the Islands.]

No fighting... does that mean they're unbeatable, or is it something else at work?

[Aww, damn, how does he explain himself? He was thinking about the Keyblade in particular, but he's not going to just spit it out to this guy.] Like a trigger, or a factor.

[pyritic]

I don't know. But...the thing that brought us here might just be the gods themselves. If that's it, we'll have to find our own way.

[darkbreak]

How convenient for them. [His eyes dart to the side to glare at the grass again.]

Still, if that is the case, I don't plan on living the rest of my life here if I don't have to.

[pyritic]

Who would?

[darkbreak]

People that have nothing to go back to.

[Dead, or have nothing else to return to or for. Riku's pretty blunt with this kind of thing.]

[pyritic]

Only if they find something here.

[ Cloud's--skeptical. He hasn't drawn any hard conclusions about the fate of the dead yet and even when you've "lost it all"... you cling to the familiar. Even if it's just in little ways. This place wasn't at all familiar. ]

There's probably some people like that. [ If return was absolutely impossible. ] I don't think most are.

[darkbreak]

Most will find something, or have already. It could just be a matter of who else gets pulled in. Or what else.

[Riku crossed his arms over his chest and shakes his head in agreement.] No, I don't think it's the case for everyone. But I'd know a few people that wouldn't have anything left back in my world who could make something of a life here. They... didn't exactly belong back in mine.

And they can stay, if they wish. I've got other things to deal with.

[pyritic]

[ That--would probably make more sense to someone who knows Kingdom Hearts. To the completely uninitiated, it sounds weird and even a bit high-and-mighty, Cloud glancing back at Riku. ]

More than just getting home?

[darkbreak]

[Trust him. He doesn't mean to be high-and-mighty. That look you're giving him is questionable, Cloud, but enough for him to kind of shrug it off.]

No, going home is important. But, protecting it is even more important.

[pyritic]

Usually you have to be home to protect it. [ It's a subdued tone, though. Sometimes you're at home and you can do nothing to protect it. Sometimes you sabotage what you're trying to protect, just by being there.

He's not really for this topic and he sighs, shifting his weight and thinking of walking away...

...and suddenly finds himself back on the dunk tank seat.

goddammit, gods. ]

[darkbreak]

Usually. But there can be other ways. [Not that he's going to elaborate more on that. It's still a touchy subject with him too.

Or at least it was touchy until Cloud appears back in the tank in a blink, stunning Riku for a moment. Geez, they're brutal here.]

...Want some help out? [Because the only sure way to get out looks like it's through the dunk method.]

[pyritic]

Might be a matter of time. [ For how long he'll keep getting put back in, that is. ]