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.

⋆🌸₊˚⊹♡❀˖°🌸⋆

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

[gorobo]

"Indeed," Falcon murmurs, if only not to let the dead air hang too long. He feels horribly vulnerable- almost just as bad as he had back in the dungeon. It's stupid; Magpie won't be there when- if he ever returns to his own world. Whatever they have won't make a damn difference, and Falcon will still be just as lonely, just as isolated.

Hereward chides him gently, and Falcon huffs.

"Sentimentality on its own doesn't save anyone," Falcon says lowly, "but... losing our- bond," because that's what it is, just the same as what Phoenix showed him, "I can't deny that it accelerated my mental deterioration."

One less thing to keep him going. His grip on his legs tightens.

"... I don't know how to fix this," he admits, practically feeling every word clawing at his tongue. "It's broken, and I-" Go on, say it, Hereward encourages, "-miss it."

[pancakeboy]

The words weigh heavy in his heart. They're what he was skirting around, almost word for word: It's broken, and I miss it. As much as he'll miss Crow, when he's gone for good. Almost as much as he'll one day miss Raven, which doesn't even bear thinking about. As much as he misses....

But he shuts that thought off fast. And, because he's slowly learned what a comfort touch can be, and because he wants to offer something as great as what Falcon has offered, he carefully offers his hand, across the distance between them. Idiot, he chides himself. He'll laugh in your face. He probably has as little use for touch as he does for eating.

He does it anyway.

[gorobo]

The moment Magpie moves, Falcon's hackles raise, briefly. He hates this new, anxious part of himself, far more prominent than it has ever been now that he's acknowledged its existence, but it's... it's Magpie. It's just Magpie, reaching out to him, offering him his hand.

Falcon eyes it, tilting his head. He's gloved, of course, hiding what he knows are human fingers, human skin underneath them. It's... a sentimental gesture. Something meant to comfort, perhaps, but Falcon doesn't feel nearly as well as a human does, mostly enough so he knows when to stop squeezing when he holds something.

It's pointless. Neither of them are getting much out of it. Falcon, because he can't feel properly anyway, and Magpie, because the glove impedes sensation.

Yet...

Before he can change his mind, Falcon wordlessly places his hand into Magpie's, once again looking at the tree. His sensors register the warmth of Magpie's skin, even through the glove.

... Maybe he's imagining it, but it feels like something has mended itself, even if just a little.

[pancakeboy]

It does feel that way—as if something that was in pieces has begun to hold together, veined with gold. A voice Magpie can't hear sounds elsewhere: Seeker, rank 9. And it's resumed its upright position....

He doesn't drag the moment out. Instead, he squeezes, firmer than his usual handshake but not much more so. Falcon's hand feels almost like Crow's, the same soft sense of give with a suggestion of bones beneath; perhaps a bit more rigid, but it's hard to tell. Then he lets go, folding his hands back on his knees, in their gloves.

"If you wanted," he murmurs, across the space between them that feels so much less wide than it did, "I'd be glad to try again. To rebuild what we had. I—" Fuck. He really is going to blush. "I missed you, too. I was concerned for you."

[gorobo]

God. God. this is so- he doesn't know how to handle this at all.

Hereward brushes encouragingly against his soul, and Magpie's presence feels too close, suddenly, even as he pulls his own hand back, tucking it under his knee, shrinking a little into himself. He's seriously glad he can't blush, right about now.

"I- yeah. Yes, I-" he says, rather awkwardly, "-would be amenable to that. I mean-" god, he feels stupid, "-that would be nice, yes."

There's a small pause, and then:

"Thank you. Magpie."

[pancakeboy]

"Thank you." Used to affection as he is, overused by Akechi standards, he draws away in turn to allow both of them space. They walked through the fire and came out the other side, and he offers the tiniest genuine smile. More than anything, Falcon is himself; Magpie values him for what he is, rather than the strange accuracy of his reflection.

"I suppose we owe Crow," he adds, rather more acerbically. "If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have known where to begin. Probably I'd have killed you," he adds, almost cheerily.

[gorobo]

It's a relief, when Magpie draws away, and Falcon relaxes despite himself. Part of him is angry, craves more affection, but- this allows him to think. He feels better, he thinks.

For multiple reasons. A small smile makes its way onto his face- before he lets out a sharp laugh.

"That would've put a damper on things, now wouldn't it?," he hums, vaguely amused. "I probably would've killed you as well, for that."

The words are sharp, but the tone is light. What's a few jokes about murder between- well, friends?

[pancakeboy]

It's one of the things they get about each other, that Magpie can never really indulge back at the Dojima house. "I'm sure it would have been fun. There's no knowing who'd have won. Perhaps it would have spread to take in the whole of the community—which would just about serve Igor right."

Or would it? Where would Magpie be now, without Igor? Dead, probably, with an outside chance of Ren being dead alongside him. Where would Falcon be? Still a slave to Shido's programming inside his skull?

Though he frowns, he's still reserving audible judgement on whether you ever have to hand it to Igor.

[gorobo]

"Wouldn't it?" Falcon chuckles, "perhaps we should, after all."

He is clearly not serious about that.

Though, Igor... Falcon doesn't like thinking of it, because it implies Igor did something good for him, but where would he even be, if he hadn't been taken here? Still Shido's slave, his perfect weapon. Or perhaps the Phantom Thieves would've found a way, regardless. Perhaps he would've been free after all, without any of the baggage that being here has left him with.

But that's rather optimistic. Most likely, he would've been scrap in some kind of facility already, if Shido's plans had gone through. Go through. He still needs to stop that man. Kill him. Take him down alongside Falcon.

... but where would that leave Magpie, and their newly reformed bond? Where would that leave Raven, or Phoenix, or Lyssi, or his own world's Ama-

He'll think about it later. For now, he'll simply enjoy viewing the cherry blossoms, and making dark jokes with someone he... likes being around.

Wanderer, Rank 9