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

[wipingallout]

"Not really. But I want to try anyway, while things are calmer," Hamuko shrugged a bit, nibbling on another piece of sushi.

You know what a Palace signifies?

She'd learned by now, yeah... she'd even seen little glimpses of something... off, with Maruki. Not malicious, not like Ikutsuki, which had her head spinning. He was... different, in a strange way.

"A connection to someone else... it can be empowering and grounding. Especially if that other person is grounded, already. Good influences can make a lot of difference, especially over time... and since I'm one of the few people he never personally hurt, I have a much easier time connecting. Consider me the bollard for his mooring line, I guess."

[unit_8910_wolf]

Zenkichi let out a quiet breath through his nose—not quite a scoff, but not far from one either. His fingers tightened slightly around the wrapped taiyaki she’d handed him, the warmth of it grounding, but not soothing. Not entirely.

"You know a bollard collapses if the pressure’s too much, right?" he muttered, tone clipped but not unkind. "Steel or no steel—if the current’s strong enough, if the mooring line’s strained too hard, it snaps. Or worse—yanks the damn thing clean off the dock."

He didn’t meet her eyes at first. Just stared down at the taiyaki like it might give him some sort of answer if he stared hard enough. Then his gaze flicked up—sharp, tired, and carrying the weight of someone who’d seen too many plans backfire in ways that left real scars.

"I get it, okay? I get why you’re trying. You want to believe the best in people. You want to believe they can change, that they’re worth it. Hell, I envy you for still being able to hold onto that. Or maybe that is Igor's grand goal...by trapping us all here for an indefinite time. I could age ten times over here and I still might not put a dent on Ichinose's plans.”

There was a pause. A beat where his voice nearly cracked, but didn’t. Zenkichi was always too practiced at swallowing those moments before they could rise.

"She still believes in her cause," he closed his eyes as he rested the hand on the taiyaki held on his lap. "It's why she's sticking around Maruki. Their ideals align, me interfering just...skipped a few more steps of pretend."

[wipingallout]

"I do actually think that's why Igor brought us here... to make bonds. To help each other grow and change - and I think, for the better. I'm sure that's why I'm here."

Because she believes wholeheartedly, just like Zenkichi said. She lived by it, and she died for it. Even if she desperately misses her friends and the life she gave up, Hamuko knows she would make the same choice every time.

"On the other hand... if they get close, but Maruki eventually gets pulled away from the ledge, maybe he can help bring her with him, too? That's what I'm hoping for," she said softly. "And... if I have support from friends that are looking out for me, then I won't be ripped off the dock any time soon."

[unit_8910_wolf]

Zenkichi let the silence hang for a beat too long—then clicked his tongue, quietly annoyed at himself.

"Support’s not the word I’d use," he muttered, half under his breath. “It’s more like a net.”

He didn’t look at her when he said it, just kept fiddling with the wrapper of his taiyaki like it might spare him from saying more than he meant to.

"If you fall, someone oughta be there. That’s all."

[wipingallout]

"Heehee. You're secretly a big softie, aren't you, Wolf-pop?" Hamuko teased lightly, giving him a knowing smirk.

It was always obvious. She called him 'wolf-pop' for a reason - he was a doting type of man.

"A cranky old nice man. Who likes sushi and having fun."

[unit_8910_wolf]

"Heh...what?" He blinked at her in confusion, suddenly confused at the teasing and the smirking. A softie? Him? Please- he hasn't been attached or grown soft to anything in a long time, he just doesn't want someone to stick their head into the obvious body of water filled with piranhas. It's a reasonable response! What's that gotta do with...

"-I am not old or cranky," he mutters in annoyance. "Am I? Nah- no, I am as...hip as the rest of you kids."

"I am normal about sushi too. Everyone likes sushi."

[wipingallout]

"Oh yeah? I think it's pretty hip and tubular of you to be nice and care about your friends. You're worried about me, aren't you~?"

She won't argue about everyone liking sushi. It's good!! He should enjoy it while he can!

[unit_8910_wolf]

Zenkichi coughed into his fist, looking away when she keeps pushing and using his own words against him like that!!

"Well excuse me if your selfless heroics does spark an obvious level of concern in me. I am not apathetic," he closed his eyes and shook his head. "I was just letting you know that I will come to clean up the mess which is my job. I swear, being around you kids already makes me age faster than I did back when the actual apocalypse was happening."

He gestures behind at the buffet and the food trucks- "I suppose I owe you because of the sushi platter anyway. And keeping Akane company," he adds just to let her know how being a decent human being makes him a softie. He doesn't notice a bespectacled man in a green yukata, one of the two infamous pscientis walking around in the distance, trying to find a certain someone.

[wipingallout]

"And because you care about me," she added, amused and fond - though her gaze caught sight of Maruki looking around for someone.

Weeeeell, since he didn't have Ichinose with him just then, and he seemed to be looking around... was he looking to talk to Zenkichi?

Abruptly, she raised her hand and waved towards Maruki until he caught sight of them.

"And you'll help me with my plan to help pull Maruki off the ledge!"

[unit_8910_wolf]

Zenkichi let out a long-suffering sigh that definitely belonged to someone at least twenty years older than he was—not that he’d ever admit that part. His fingers lingered on the corner of his taiyaki, thinking of taking a bite. Maybe Akane wouldn’t mind if he stole a bit.

"...Brat," he muttered fondly under his breath. The way she grinned at him, always poking at the cracks he didn’t think were there anymore—it was frustrating in that way only people you liked too much could get away with. He huffed, just shy of a chuckle, and picked at the edge of the pastry.

And then he heard her call out:

"And you'll help me with my plan to help pull Maruki off the ledge!"

Zenkichi froze.

Maruki?

His head jerked toward her like she’d just shouted the word "tax audit" in a crowd. And sure enough—his gaze landed on him. That green yukata, those glasses, that calm, polite confusion as Maruki turned in their direction at the sound of her voice.

Panic didn’t come often anymore. But when it did, it came loud.

"Are you serious right now—Arisato!"

In a single, fluid motion that definitely spoke to years of shadow weapon survival instincts, Zenkichi reached for the picnic blanket with both arms, and—cybernetics or not—bundled the entire thing up in one ridiculous swoop and threw it over his own head. Like some kind of adult child trying to play dead.

He peeked out from underneath the edge of the fabric, eyes wide and burning holes into Hamuko as if to scream, What are you doing?! without saying a word.

[wipingallout]

She just laughed at his antics after hurriedly rescuing her plate from the abduction of the blanket, waving at Maruki to come on over.

"It's a good plan! And I think he wants to stay friendly with you, give him a chance!" she encouraged softly, nibbling on the taiyaki she'd gotten for herself. "Ish g'nna be fiiiine."

[unit_8910_wolf]

Zenkichi muttered something very adult and very inappropriate under the blanket. The kind of curse that was only legal to say if you were over forty, under duress, and physically hiding from your problems.

"This is not happening," he whispered to himself, trying to tuck in a stray corner of the blanket around his shoulders like it might cast Dispel Awkward Situation if he cocooned hard enough. "Goddamn it, Hamuko."

And then—of course—he heard footsteps.

No, not footsteps. That soft, polite shuffle of a man who never seemed to fully walk, just glided forward with the gentle unease of someone who had too many thoughts and too little friction with reality.

Zenkichi braced.

"Ah—Hamuko-san! Thank you again for inviting me,” came the familiar voice, warm and slightly sheepish as always with the slightest bow- sake in hand. "It’s...really nice to see you again. To be honest I have been incredibly busy ever since- you know. I really owe you for letting me invite Ichinose-san over, she's having a great time too."

Zenkichi didn’t move. Maybe if he stayed still, Maruki would think he was a rock.

"I’ve really been hoping to catch up with everyone. It’s... been a long while."

Maruki turned his head toward the makeshift blanket gremlin still sitting stiffly beside Hamuko and blinked.

"Zenkichi-san...?"

The greeting came with a mild but pointed uptick of confusion, followed by a beat of silence as the older man tried, with all his kind-hearted brainpower, to parse the blanket. His eyes flicked to the edges, to the distinct shape of a sulking adult man clearly still glowering under it.

Then—surprisingly, almost nervously—the good doctor smiled.

"...Is this a new kind of... stress relief technique?” he asked, gently curious. "Very...enshrouding."

Zenkichi slowly lowered a corner of the blanket, just enough to scowl at him over the edge like a very betrayed burrito. "...okay, alright you owe me now Arisato."

Maruki’s smile tugged a little tighter with effort. He turned to Hamuko, tone softening. "Ah—if it’s not too much trouble… do you mind if I borrow Zenkichi-san for a short walk? Just to... speak privately. It won’t take long."

There was a pause. Even Maruki looked like he was trying very hard not to look too hopeful.

Zenkichi let out the longest, most defeated sigh known to man as he slowly peeled the blanket off his head like it had personally betrayed him.

"Fine," he muttered, mostly to himself. He dusted off his coat like that somehow made this less humiliating, then stood up with the weary grace of someone preparing to walk into a social landmine.

He turned to Hamuko, not quite looking at her. Give him a chance. "Relax and get rest. Again, I appreciate the taiyaki." It's why I am doing this. No, I didn't get tricked- I am a grown adult. I don't just...do shenanigans.

[wipingallout]

It took. So much willpower. For Hamuko to not laugh at Zenkichi trying to hide under the blanket. To not laugh at his miserable resolution to his fate. To the absolutely pathetic sad puppy eyes Maruki was making, hoping to make amends.

"Have fun, you guys!" she giggled, eagerly waving at them as Maruki whisked Zenkichi away. Heeheehee.

[unit_8910_wolf]

You owe me.

He mouthed at Hamuko as he watched her giggle away while he was...quite literally being whisked away. Goddamnit-

he turned to Maruki, jaw tight, expression unreadable but definitely unimpressed.

"All right, doc. Lead the way."

Maruki blinked, lips parted slightly in surprise. "Ah... of course. Thank you."

He glanced once more between Zenkichi’s stiff posture and the oddly specific wording—a matter between adults?—but said nothing. Just clasped his hands in front of him like a polite teacher.

Zenkichi followed, tucking his hands into the large sleeves of his yukata and muttering under his breath, "This better not be about the blanket."

Maruki: "I, ah... wasn’t planning on it. But now that you mention it—"

Zenkichi shot him a look. Maruki wisely left the joke unfinished.