Hugs will go on until morale improves.

[weaver_girl]

Characters: Gai (spandexisyouth), Kagerou (weaver_girl) and YOU
Date/Time: 3 September 2011, daytime
Location: The Bazaar
Rating: PG-13 to cover possible language
Summary: As promised, Gai and Kagerou organise a (somewhat) Sphere-wide pick-me-up in the Bazaar. Reluctant recipients may be chased down by youthful ninja.

[ooc: Make threads, note times, all that jazz. If you

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[spandexisyouth]

Gai waved at Key, glad to see their first customer, so-to-speak. "Hello back! One hug, or two? We have two people to give hugs with and both are glad to give!" He might not have had to say that, it might be obvious, but Gai was good at stating the obvious.

Despite the question, Gai stepped out around the counter. "If you would like a hug from me I am right here!"

[weaver_girl]

Kagerou stood back a little, her hands clasped in front of her, as Key stepped up to Gai and claimed his hug. There was something affable about the man, though she couldn't remember speaking to him in person before.

"Of course," she chimed in. "That's what we're here for, after all."

Early afternoon

[desertshadows]

The booth was certainly eye-catching, a definite change from other areas of the Sphere. Eagle wandered over, looking it over as he went, and offered Gai and Kagerou a grin when he came close enough. "Hey!" he said, lifting a hand. "How's it been going so far?"

[spandexisyouth]

It had to be eye-catching. They wanted everyone to see it!

"Hello, Eagle! It has been going very well!" He glanced at Kagerou in case she wanted to verify that. "We have given several hugs and no one has seemed to have a cold, which is good!" He really didn't want to wind up spreading something through the Sphere. Or to be sick again.

[desertshadows]

"That's fortunate! It must be a good day for hugs, then." Eagle grinned. "May I ask for one now?"

[spandexisyouth]

"Of course you may! And you may even ask for two since there are two of us!" He came around the corner without even asking who Eagle wanted a hug from, reaching out and embracing the other man. If someone wasn't going to say they didn't want a hug from Gai, then he was going to be optimistic and think that meant they did.

Early afternoonish

[awokentospring]

Spring had promised to come by after work and so he did, glad for something cheerful to pick him up. The Adventurers were not much help when the Wilderness seemed to be intent on being blank all the time, so he did not feel he had contributed much with their day's work. Yes, a hug was definitely in order.

"So this is the hug booth!" Spring grinned as he approached the allotted area in the bazaar. "I hope you have both been successful today! The Sphere could always use more hugs!"

Early afternoonish

[weaver_girl]

"There have been a few people!" Kagerou said brightly, getting to her feet. She'd been sneaking a drink of water--not that there was such a throng for people lining up to be hugged that she'd been busy, but it seemed polite to look prepared at all times.

"Did you just come by to say hello, or to get a hug to go with that?"

[spandexisyouth]

"He came for hugs!" Gai beamed. He'd spoken with his son on the journals about this, and had known Spring was coming. "But he gets hugs from me all the time. You may go first, Kagerou!"

Then he gave Spring a thumbs-up. "It has been going very well! I think that maybe we have cheered up some people, and that was what I was hoping for!"

[awokentospring]

"Then you have been successful. Wonderful!" Spring was sincerely glad for Youth and Kagerou. They were doing what they could to bring happiness to the Sphere, which was quite a large goal. He knew if anyone could do it, it would definitely be his guardian and one of the other most welcoming citizens of the Edensphere.

Spring expected his surrogate father to initiate a hug immediate, but when he suggested Kagerou go first he felt his face heat. "O-oh, y-you do not need to give me a hug if you are... tired or anything, Kagerou-san. Really, do not feel obligated..." He wasn't really sure what made him so nervous when it came to hugging Kagerou. He was usually willing to give hugs. But then again, he often only gave hugs to other males and maybe occasionally to Fred. He kind of wondered what that kind of mindset implied about himself.

[seeya_next_life]

Axel had to see this to believe it. He wasn't really sure why he might have doubted that Kagerou and Gai would do something like this, but something about the absurdity of it all just demanded bearing firsthand witness. Of course, that meant getting within hug-radius, so as he approached the booth Axel made a grand show of lifting his arms, crossing his wrists in front of his forehead.

"I'm just window shopping," he said with a snort of laughter. "I had to see this for myself--you two are ridiculous, you know that?"

[spandexisyouth]

A slow smile spread on Gai's face as he saw Axel coming. His voice was just barely audible when he spoke, and his lips hardly moved at all. "His arms are already up and out of the way. I can move quickly enough to grab them if you wish to charge forward and give him a bear hug. And then I shall hug you both."

Then his voice was up to normal volume, and his smile at normal strength. "I do not think anyone here sells windows, and I think everyone already knows that I am ridiculous!"

[weaver_girl]

"It's a plan," Kagerou murmured in return. She could pick Axel out in a crowd even before his height and shock of red hair gave him away; he had a presence she was more than familiar with. Why in the Sphere he would approach their hug booth was a mystery, but as he opened his mouth, the truth became apparent soon enough.

"He means he's just looking, not buying," she said helpfully even as she stepped up to Axel and quite briskly reached up to poke the bridge of his nose with a finger. "I'll have you know we've been doing quite lively business! And I'd rather be ridiculous than a spoilsport, anyway." Her voice was laced with laughter; she knew he wasn't here to ruin their fun, but she had to gently prod him back. It was how he worked, and she's learned to work with him.

[seeya_next_life]

"Just as well," he said; "I'm not sure what I'd do with an actual window anyhow." threading his fingers together atop the crown of his head as Kagerou poked his nose, he gave a watery grin. "I guess I'm not too surprised," he admitted; "this place has been kinda gloomy lately.

"And who's a spoilsport? I ain't spolin' nothin'" he insisted with a feigned glower. Then he pressed his lips together in a slightly-too-serious expression. "If you start up a kissing booth, however, I'm afraid as your brother I will be obligated to intervene."

[azhdarchidae]

An amused Above shook her massive head, keeping the tip of her beak horizontal to eliminate any risk of clipping it against anything. She'd only had to knock it against one unusually tall stall, months ago, to make her reluctant to do that again.

< You really did it, > she said.

[spandexisyouth]

Gai beamed when Above lands. He'd been hoping she'd manage to drop by. "Of course we did!" Now to consider the tactics that would be involved in hugging her... He tilted his head. "Would you come a little bit closer? Can you? And then Kagerou and I can climb onto the counter and hug from there! Anyone who comes by can have a hug!"

[weaver_girl]

This was one of the first times Kagerou had ever seen Above up close. She had of course spotted her in the sky more than once, but to have her actually lean over the booth--and to hear her voice loud and clear in her head--was a world away from seeing a soaring shape overhead.

"Oh, hello. Yes, we did it. Why wouldn't we have? It's not really that big of an effort, even." She hoisted herself to sit on the counter as she spoke. She wasn't sure how far around Above her arms would even reach, but maybe hug her head? Would she consider that an intrusion? Gai seemed assured, so Kagerou might just follow his example.

[azhdarchidae]

< Since you insist. > Above ambled closer on all fours, wing fingers folded neatly against her sides. She angled her neck so it was more or less upright. The long not-fur, reddish down her back, creamy down her front, and with a black band between them, made her neck seem even bigger than it was.

< I suppose there's precedent, with that kissing contest and all, > she mused. < So you'd be Kagerou? Hi. >