Cherry Blossom Evening Party

[wipingallout]

You have received a private message:

Throughout the week, Hamuko has messaged the vast majority of people she's met so far - and eagerly invited them to come meet at Inokashira Park starting at 5pm.

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You're invited to an evening sushi-party-turned-hanami-picnic-party! I've organized a bunch of cognitive chefs and performers to come to that park on the listed date/time.

I've sent this to you because you were part of one of the three teams that helped with fighting Fatalis or rescuing Falcon and Wolf (or are Falcon and Wolf themselves!!) - we've all busted our butts a lot lately, so I think we deserve to have something nice together too!

Of course, the party is open if you have any +1s or more. But before spring turns into summer, let's celebrate what we've all accomplished together!




.🌸˚𑁍.ೃ࿔*:･

The Venue...


Inokashira Park has a lovely river and trail and a phenomenal collection of cherry blossom trees. They're in the tail end of their season, filling the air with petals like snowfall.

In a large open area, Hamuko's arranged a ton of picnic blankets for people to claim and sit down on, though each blanket is HUGE to accommodate people sitting with as many people as they can handle! There are cozy pillows for sitting on too, stacked neatly to be borrowed.

There's a truly humongous row of tables laid out with an impressive amount of sushi presented. With a few trucks nearby, it seems there's a few sushi chefs making fresh platters of it to lay out through the night.

Similarly, there are food carts along the trails if you're not in the mood for sushi and would rather have some more traditional fare like dango, taiyaki, matcha, takoyaki... it's got the place lively and smelling fantastic! There's sake for the adults, and some cherry-blossomed themed mocktails for minors.

🌸𓏲 ๋࣭ ࣪ ˖🎐

Activities

There's a few set out activities besides just chowing down and socializing or walking along the lantern-lit trails under the cherry blossoms! Inoshikara Park has always had cute little swan pedal boats or regular rowboats for 'rental' (not that money matters here).

The area is SO pretty, perfect for taking pictures to have as keepsakes. There's even a booth to claim a yukata and privately change into it, if you want to go the extra mile!

Finally, in lieu of a traditional band or modern concert, Hamuko has picked out a large set of speakers connected to a small karaoke stage and screen - menace the party with your sing-along! Get a little boost to your Guts!!

Comments

[lakebrat]

Oh, so that's how it is. Goro arches his own eyebrows in turn.

"Control yourself, sweet stuff," he manages to say without cracking up, reaching for a piece of nigiri sushi from Ren's plate and offering it to his lips.

[willowandoak]

...and right as he's swallowing his sushi, Goro says that. He chokes, swallows with difficulty, and then starts to laugh, as his eyes tear up from a combination of the choking and sheer, incredulous hilarity.

"Sweet stuff?"

[lakebrat]

It's everything he hoped for and more. But Ren's laughter is contagious. Goro starts to shake with laughter, eyes glinting. "Listen, if you waggle your eyebrows like that in a public place, you're lucky that's all you get."

It is funny, though. He wins again. Magnanimously, he waggles the sushi some more.

[willowandoak]

"Stop with the sushi, fuck—" Still laughing, he grabs it out of the air in his teeth and pulls it all into his mouth. As he chews, he says, "What would I get if I was unlucky?"

[lakebrat]

Crap, he's still laughing. He presses his hand to his mouth in quick delight, eyes shining as Ren eats the sushi from his hand. "Mmm... something that would cost you that nice blue bag, for a start. I'm sure we could scandalise Igor, if we tried."

[willowandoak]

"Hey, I worked hard for this bag. Kind of. Shit, gimme a sec." He tilts his head back and blinks carefully, chasing away the tears of laughter. His eyeliner calls itself waterproof, but in his experience, that's always kind of bullshit.

Once he's recovered, he looks back down at Goro. "Speaking of the bag. I got you a present."

[lakebrat]

Yeah, the blinking. Makeup is a pain at the end of the day, as cute as Goro came to find it once it was attached to Ren.

He looks down at the bag, then back up. The corner of his mouth pulls. "Is that what I think it is? Your mysterious surprise."

[willowandoak]

"Yep." He bounces on his toes. "I told Igor he was a useless sack of shit who made his prisoners solve his problems for him, and he owed us. And he was like, 'Oh, shit, you're right,' and gave me something for the Fatalis team. Here."

He reaches into the bag and draws out a coin, which he offers to Goro.

[lakebrat]

He takes the coin slowly, turning it over in his hand. A butterfly on the inverse, and a stylised letter V on the obverse. Or is it the other way around? Either way, there's no way it's just a coin.

"Silver," he observes, with a touch of irony. "Not gold."

[willowandoak]

"Yeah. Well." His eyes glint cynically for a moment. "Silver for a second-rate reward. If it was gold, you'd want it to do all the stuff the wishing stars can do. But I guess saving every universe wasn't good enough to earn us that."

[lakebrat]

Goro holds the coin up to the light, looking for tarnish. As he thought, the thing is a token, like any coin. "It's more than I ever got from him back home. Or, well. From fake him. What did he say it would do?"

[willowandoak]

"Kind of the same thing as the wishing stars, just... weaker, I guess? He said we could wish on it for a Persona, or an item without any powers, or other stuff if we could think to ask for it." He glances around. "Maybe we could have Igor throw a party like this, if we wanted Igor to host another party for some fucking reason. But he implied pretty heavily that stuff like the training room was off the table this time."

[lakebrat]

Yeah, that... Goro really hates that, actually. He tosses the coin in the air, snatching it back into his fist. "Trinkets. People fucking died, Ren."

[willowandoak]

"Tell Igor, not me. I told him we should all get another wishing star, but this is the best he'd give me."

[lakebrat]

"Yeah." The cold silver cuts into the palm of his hand. "I suppose it just goes to show, doesn't it? Expect payment for some small thing like saving the multiverse, and you get it thrown back in your face."

Like that time Makoto stood beside him, outraged that Ren would demand payment for Kaneshiro's name. Don't you know people are suffering, she'd chided—like a schoolteacher, as much as Goro misses her. But if Ren had taken sides, he'd have been dead.

[willowandoak]

"Yeah," he says, after just one knowing glance at Goro's expression. "Niijimacore." A small smile tugs at one side of his mouth, not exactly a happy expression but not entirely sarcastic, either. "Don't be too down on it around other people, yeah? Let them be happy about it, if they're gonna be."

[lakebrat]

"What do you take me for?" He's been speaking in an undertone throughout. "It's just... I have a feeling we won't be the only ones who feel cheated."

[willowandoak]

"Yeah, maybe." Ren won't be surprised. Magpie in particular seems like he won't be happy about it. But Ren did all he could; to the best of his knowledge, it's not possible for him to actually twist Igor's arm in any way. "I'm still glad you're all getting something."