logsinthenight | but the party don't stop no [open]

Entry tags:

but the party don't stop no [open]

characters: Sora, Link, Naminé (ft. Daylight), Misty, Rosinante, Midge, and you!
location: Just (waves hand at all of Beacon) THere
date/time: Roughly from the 1st up until the 20th of February
content: This is the official Sora Gives Your Character a Valentine In Person post. Please note that if your character doesn't tag in on D or E but you just want to assume that your character got some chocolate cheerfully shoved into their hands without participating in this post, handwave away!
warnings: Again, low self-esteem, but HIGH joie de vivre! Will match tag format!

[ A: Gymnasium; Closed to Link ]

[ Sora would be spending the equivalent of a full afternoon, evening, and night in Beacon's gym what with training with Javert, then more training with the soldier (who is now Soldat but sometimes habits are hard to break, okay), then waiting around outside in the snow because he's so excited to see if Link shows up or not for more fencing practice! It's not a hassle to Sora, though; he really does do much better in life when he has people to meet. Like Link! He comes around enough to make Sora feel good about seeing him regularly. He's gotten so used to watching his lantern appear from the night that even a hint of light in the dark at this time of day is pretty Pavlovian at this point. Light is knowing when you'll see your friends again, he's pretty sure.

Anyway, he's just swinging his legs on this conveniently located seating area near the gymnasium's entrance, waiting for Link to show up. He'll be messing with something on his tablet, focused intently, but he'll pop his head up every so often to make sure he doesn't miss his pal coming. You there, Link? It's him, Sora! ]

[ B: Village; Closed to Naminé and Daylight ]

Okay, so we're looking for a really tall guy - REAAAAALLY tall - and he's got shiny metal armor on, and it's all yellow!

[ Today is a Thursday - some Thursday - and Sora's very excitedly chatting away while he walks Naminé to Day's to begin Spirit Day. If Naminé wants to make new friends, this seems like a good place to do it! ]

Wait, have you met Daylight yet, Naminé? Is this gonna be like the soldier in the church again? [ He's not exactly displeased with the idea! He just likes being able to surprise people, okay? ]

[ C: Bonfire Cabin; Closed to Misty ]

I still say we should do an icebreaker.

[ Now that Sora's wrangled Misty in on his awesome idea to make a B&B for people who are way too confused by literally dying not an hour ago to even think about housing, he's decided to start by taking all of the stale sheets and linens in this cabin next to the bonfire and stacking them all up before giving the place a good top to bottom cleanse. They'll probably add some beds and even some bunk bed style housing later on ~~and yes, they'll HGTV style add a WHOLE! NEW! WING~~, but his main goal until March is to make sure they're ready for lost newcomers on the next ferry and any medical emergencies they might have. (There might be welcome snacks in the works. You never know.) ]

Pick your group meeting poison. Do you like... word association? 20 questions? One of those getting to know you scavenger hunts? [ He frowns while stripping this pillow. ] I guess that'd be pretty hard with just two people. We got the magic thing in common, though! That's a start.

[ D: All over on Valentine's Day; Open ]

[ Nope, you don't get a warning besides perhaps the sound of crunch crunch crunching footsteps in the snow and maybe the light of his star shaped lantern in the distance. He's there. He's been there all along. Or he's trotting up to catch up to you no matter where you're headed on this fine Valentine's Day. And he has a packet of two or three heart-shaped chocolates that he will shove right into your hands. (Or at least he'll try! If his recipient is a little less willing, he is 100% down for just chatting their wall down. Or just chatting. Sora really likes them already.) ]

Happy Valentine's Day! Hope you're having a good one! [ Explanations? None. Context? Don't need it. Friendliness? Maximum. ]

[ E: Landmark; Open to Landmark Residents ]

[ Second verse, same as the first! Although these will be a little less intrusive. They're just a packet of chocolates hanging on every doorknob of the Landmark, tied with some festive pink and red ribbon, the ends curled with a pair of scissors. (The Concierge is excellent at their job and would not tell Sora which rooms are occupied, so he cut the knot and made enough chocolate for everyone in the building to have a bit.)

Feel free to just take the chocolate and run, but there's also a note that says to stop by room 301 if there are any questions (or food allergies - he'll do trades!). One can also catch him in the act of hanging the chocolates at each door, or checking out the bulletin board he's taking care of for Jason, or walking into the night to do his patrols. It's like, whatever. He'll even open with a friendly nod if his eyes happen to catch someone else's. Everyone's a friend he just hasn't talked to yet, after all. ]

[ F: Tavern (Outside); Closed to Rosinante ]

[ This is day five-ish of Sora trying his level best to get into the Invincible to try and fix things! And failing! Sora knows he was technically the instigator of the fight (or he thinks he's much more responsible for the mess, at least), which is why he is still doing the equivalent of standing outside of the establishment and holding up a boombox at 2 am (except with whistling instead of sad 80s rock ballads). He just doesn't want to force his way in if the spirits are not having it. He will keep whistling apologies every so often for like another hour or so, though.

Rosinante, it's been a few days since the lanterns have gone back to normal. Have the repairs gone well? Does he need help? ]

[ G: Invincible (Kitchen); Closed to Midge ]

[ So Midge. Hey! It's been a few weeks. Maybe like two? Three? It's the day after the Night Market sinks back into the lake, anyhow. Sora's been fairly busy for the past few weeks what with moving to the Landmark and the lanterns and everything that happened after the ferry arrived and all, but apologizing to Midge for the lantern stuff has been on his mind the entire time. Among... other things. Phew, have things happened since the last time they met.

Here he is, though. Cautiously opening the door like the first day he was in town, in the same sort of timid voice he had back then. He's not assuming anything! He thinks they might need to start back at square one. ]

Hey. Midge? Are you here?

[ H: Wildcard! ]

[ If we have been planning to have stuff happen OR if you have ideas, please feel free to DM me so I can give you a starter! My plurk is

mawiles for any additional planning needed. ]

[[ ooc: chocolate flavor reference for those so inclined! ]]

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[ Cheryl loves Valentine's Day, and not only because the traditional colors and flavors are essentially her full aesthetic.. but it helps. here in Beacon it seems to be a cheery way to recover from the tragic mess of the previous weeks.

she's not expecting sweets from someone she doesn't know, but her face does light up as he thrusts the packet at her. ]

Merci! Happy Valentine's Day! [ she looks at the chocolates carefully. ] Did you make these?

[ A smile! Good, that's what he was going for. He'll grin and swing his backpack around to his front, snagging another valentine from its depths. He... certainly has quite a few in there! ]

Oh! Uh, you're welcome! [ Sora knows a handful of languages, but French is not one of them. There may be a verbal stumble as he physically prevents himself from saying some random French thing back. ] Yeah, I did. Took forever, but I wanted to do something special. There are different flavors for each message. Do you have, uh, food allergies? I can tell you which ones have peanuts in them.

[ it's okay. Cheryl's French is mostly used for showing off.

she shakes her head at his question. ]

No allergies. I'm sure they're all delectable. Which flavor is your favorite?

[ Consider Sora impressed! Not that that's terribly hard to do. ]

You know, I kinda like all of them? I dunno if that means anything, though. I'll eat anything. [ He opens the one he has in his hand and peeks inside. ] My friend like the ones with peanut butter best! The PBJ ones are kind of overstuffed, but the regular peanut butter tastes like a Reeses. [ He pulls a chocolate out and examines it. Caramel, and the other two inside seem to be orange and Nutella. ] Man, I'd let you try one, but I just started grouping these randomly after a while. What did you get?

[ she inspects her chocolates. ] Strawberry? [ that's lucky. a favorite of hers. ] Mint. A classic.

[ and as luck would have it, the third one: ] Peanut butter. [ that one she tries right away, popping half into her mouth and nodding her approval. ] It does taste like a Reeses! You could start a business. If you can recreate stuff from home... people would be clamoring for that.

[ Ooh, mint! Lucky. He only made a few of those, only thought about it at the last second. He peers at her as she tries the peanut butter and perks up quite visibly as she nods! Phew, a winner! ]

Thanks! I guess I could, although I don't really know what I'd be trading for. Everything here's free. [ Except information, but Sora's not really the chocolate-for-info broker type. ] Anyway, I bet if Midge did the same thing, she'd run me right out the market. Cooking wasn't really my thing back home.

[ Sora studies his own little sachet... Eh, why not, he made tons of them. He'll bite into this caramel one himself. Mm, sugar. ]

[ Cheryl laughs. he's probably right. ] Mhhm, better to not risk crossing Midge. [ she's on Midge's good side, but Cheryl knows a determined woman capable of destruction when she sees one. ]

What inspired you to become a confectioner in the afterlife?

Agreed.

[ Said fondly, though. Midge is the best. At the question, he, uh, scratches the back of his head, swallowing the last of his first chocolate. ]

I wanted to do something nice, I guess? Giving everyone chocolate's sort of elementary school, but... I dunno. I like cooking, and Valentine's Day was coming up anyway, and. [ He waves the hand with the packet in it vaguely. What's less depressing than saying that he seriously needs to keep busy? ] I guess... it's something that I wouldn't have been able to do back home. It's like, why not, you know? Especially if it helps brighten things up around here.

[ things have been rather bleak, and that's starting to feel like the standard in Beacon. if it wasn't enough to be dead, they have to endure strange and frightening happenings on the regular. ]

You should keep it up. We can use all the cheer we can get.

Hey, thanks. [ He smiles brightly. ] Got plenty to go around. A little darkness never hurt me.

[ And for the sake of curiosity... ] Got any plans for Valentine's Day? I'm not holding you up, am I?

[ He does not mean a thing by this, nor does he realize what it may sound like! He just likes Valentine's Day and hopes people are celebrating it with the people they like. ]

[ Cheryl shakes her head to indicate no. ]

My love is still at home, and I in Beacon. It makes for a dreary holiday, even surrounded by friends.

And you?

[ Sobering. Sora's ever present grin loosens a little. Sora's always one for hanging out with friends on a day like today, but it's gotta be tough leaving the love of your life back where phrases like "the love of your life" still make sense. ]

That's really tough. I'm sorry. I wanna hope that we can get you back to your world so you can see the person you love again.

[ And, uh... okay, he can't lose his cool too badly - gotta impress the girl, et al - but he's a horrific liar and he knows it. He'll try to play the embarrassment as honestly as he can, scratching the back of his head and allowing the blush to exist without thinking too hard about it. ]

I, um. There's a girl I like back home, but, uh. Between you and me, she was always kinda out of my league. [ That's the truth, as far as it goes. ]

[ Cheryl's not sure if going home is a real possibility - and if they did, would things have changed? would time have passed?

still, it's nice to dream about. ]

Thank you.We all deserve to be happy.

[ she brightens a bit at the mention of a girl at home. it's not exactly juicy gossip, but it'll do. ] Oh? Do tell. What's she like?

[ It is a nice dream. Sora's very interested in making those dreams a reality! After all, there's no such thing as too early or too late! (Other things can and do go wrong, though. If he can save this nice girl from his fate, he'd like to give it a shot.) ]

Oh! I, dah, uh. [ Verbal embarrassment now! Good, we're evolving. He's never really talked to a stranger about Kairi before! Not like this. ] We sort of grew up together? Red hair, blue eyes, always looks pretty. I think a lot of people think she's quiet and calm, but it's more like she's thinking all the time? And it's really intense? Like, you can't change her mind on anything. [ He scrunches up his nose. ] Always used to tease me when I messed up on something or if I was late for school. She kicked my chair whenever I fell asleep in class, and she'd do that thing where she'd hide behind a door and jump out to scare me. She always checked my homework but she'd make me say please a million times.

[ He thinks for a moment, then snorts and covers his face with his hands. He's making her sound like some kind of demon when she's a literal fairytale princess. ] Oh no, this is all stupid. She's the nicest person ever. Really responsible, always works really hard. She likes everyone! It's just that if you know her, she gets loud and does whatever she wants. [ And he could go on and on and on about how brave and smart and confident and crazy she is. He's a tiny bit smitten! ] Sorry, I dunno if that's what you wanted to know.

[ he's flustered, which is amusing in and of itself but it's clear that he really, really likes this girl. ]

You sound completely enamored. She must be completely wonderful but that's to be expected from a flame-haired beauty. I would know. You can't go wrong with a redhead.

[ which leads her to wonder: ] Does she know how you feel?

[ He's glad that she's taking such a friendly interest in his past - he likes being able to chat harmlessly about stuff, it makes him feel normal - but he's going to start pushing the topic elsewhere. No harm meant! It's just that he doesn't want this chat to be anything but harmless.

He'll look at her for a second, thinking, then smile. ]

I like to think so. If I see her, maybe I'll find out. [ And a deep breath! ] Okay, your turn. Tell me about your Valentine. The one from back home! Also, do you wanna go inside anywhere? Like, I dunno about you, but my hands are getting kinda cold. [ The general store is pretty nearby, conveniently enough! ]

[ she nods. no reason to stand out in the cold if they're going to keep chatting. ] I'll tell you all about her once we're inside.

[ducking into the store, she's reminded of how the general store's odd mishmash of supplies makes her long for the endless depths of online shopping, or even just a single department store filled with clean, brightly lit aisles and neatly organizes shelves. however, the lackluster shopping options doesn't stop her from browsing while they talk. ]

Her name's Toni. She's smart and brave and she makes me brave too. Last summer we went on a road trip from home all the way to LA and back. I'll remember that forever - just the two of us, no school, no drama, nothing to worry about.

She's more level-headed than I am and that keeps me out of trouble. [ well... ] Sometimes.

Toni makes me a better person. I don't know who I'll be without her.

[ "She makes me brave too." Man, talk about ways to immediately endear a complete stranger to Sora in five words or less. He reaches up to brush a finger against his nose, not at all successfully hiding the huge smile on his face. ]

That's so cool. Just you two and the road. [ He puts his hands in his pockets, letting them warm up as he wanders to another part of the aisle, seeing if there are any snacks or drinks he hasn't tried yet. She really needs her, huh? It's nice to be needed. ]

For what it's worth, I think you'll be the same person? I mean, the same better person. [ He looks back at her. ] I mean, you haven't forgotten her, right? Which means you still have her. She's just not here. [ This may be a little crass, but hey, it's how he's rationalizing all of this to himself. ]

[ right - she's the same person, as long as she doesn't slide back into being the person she was, which would be good for no one and especially not for Cheryl. Toni's not around to tell Cheryl when to slow down and when to think twice - but she usually knows what Toni would say.

so maybe it is like having her close after all. ]

Hmm. [ he's given her something to think about for some time. ] It's better than they're not here, wouldn't you say? If the people we cared about were here... that would mean they were dead. Like us. And as much as I miss her, I want her to live a long, happy life. Even if it's without me.

[ Now you're thinking like a Kingdom Hearts existentialist!

He'll double pistol and click his tongue at her before going back to his shelf, perusing the different chip brands. ]

I mean, if we can fix everything and somehow get everyone alive and back home safe, what's the difference between this and just being really far away from home? [ Or this and not being able to go back home again. When he really thinks about it, he was stuck in the same position back in Locke City, too. He was already resigned to never seeing his islands again. Why would death change anything? ]

But, in the meantime... Yeah, I know how that feels. [ A long and happy life without him. In the end, isn't that what he wants? For his friends to be happy. That was always the goal. ] She sounds like a good person, the kind of person to be surrounded with lots of people who care about her. She sounds strong and smart. I know she'll be okay.

... [ And Sora, oddly enough, starts cracking up. ] I'm, um. Sora. By the way. Sorry, I just realized we really did go through it without, you know, introducing ourselves? What a concept.

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but the party don't stop no [open]

D

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