Cherry Blossom Festival (May 4-6)

[stringmods]

Who: EVERYONE
Where: Central Park (Capricorn Ward)
Summary: Open - Post-event log for everyone!
Warnings: Nothing

The battle was over, and the city was busy licking its wounds and trying to repair for the next few days. Amidst all of this commotion, however, Golden Week continued and with it, the weekend and next Monday was a day off to enjoy the Cherry Blossoms. And despite the fighting that had been going on, Hinito-Ri continued to adapt, and enjoy what little time that they could.

After all, fighting for such beauty did make you a lot more appreciative of it.



Tens of thousands of trees dotted the park's landscape, but it was the Cherry trees that were the stars of the weekend, the pink petals creating a heavenly smell only enhanced by the small stalls that were busy selling hot yakitori (grilled chicken on sticks), takoyaki (octopus balls on sticks), shioyaki (Salty grilled sea bream on sticks ) and kakigori (Shaved ice with syrup, not on a stick).

The prime picnic places were being taken and families grouped together to eat homemade lunches and bento, but there were still many spots and trees to go under should you wish to do so with friends. Townsmen would nod towards you, knowing that you had helped last week, young couples walked hand in hand, and many young students sat under the trees, reading books or playing games.

In the central area, Shinto monks had set up a O-Mikuji area, where you could-- for a mere 10 yen-- hope that questions on love, family or fortune would befall you favorably.

The danger had passed for now. Life continued to flourish.

Enjoy it well.

[OOC - And don't forget to add your character's tag!]

Comments

[greyerrant]

... I rarely smile. Are you doing a task for her, then? You didn't seem like a remembrancer.

[terminally_clever]

I suppose it'll have to do.

[And FLASH goes the camera, the picture sliding out of the front. Fumi takes it in her fingers, staring down at it as the picture begins to focus.]

Yes, that's right. She wanted some pictures of the festival. I understand that the Velvet Room rewards those who take on requests on behalf of its residents.

[greyerrant]

I see. That is correct. Somehow I seem to end up helping people complete these. Buying liquor for those unable to go to the store, that kind of thing.

[terminally_clever]

They all seem to be easy enough requests, at least.

[greyerrant]

For the most part, yes. Strange that they give generous rewards for them.

[terminally_clever]

Different people value different things, I suppose.

[greyerrant]

And what do you value?

[terminally_clever]

Knowledge, and the means with which to obtain it.

[greyerrant]

Knowledge is power.
[ He nods agreeably.]

The question I always ask, and the area where you and I disagree, I think, is the question of the price of knowledge. I value it as well, it orders the world and reduces superstition, but I think there are prices too high to pay, for certain things.

[terminally_clever]

I get the feeling you're trying to tiptoe around scolding me for my behavior during that recent Taurus disaster.

[greyerrant]

Rather, I was building up to it.

I know you were afraid. But... no one helped your plan, did they? And you survived.

[terminally_clever]

[Fumi closes her eyes, sighing.]

...That is the case, yes. Admittedly, I was far from in my right mind at the time due to the zodiac effect.

[greyerrant]

Fear is very hard to deal with. I am not without sympathy.

[ He crosses to her, and will stand close by, strangely without threat. ]

You are a learned person, a scholar. Learn from this, and I think it will be all right.

[terminally_clever]

[Now that she's in her usual frame of mind, it's not really in her normal range of reactions to be threatened by him in the first place.]

Of course. I intend to study the phenomenon and compare notes with others who are doing the same.

[greyerrant]

It happened to me in October, actually. Ovverode my psycho-conditioning and surgeries.

[terminally_clever]

I'm not surprised, given the intensity of the effect and its likely supernatural source.

[greyerrant]

A thought occurs to me, given our mutual experience, and the dangers we know it can cause.

Perhaps you can develop a countermeasure?

[terminally_clever]

It's entirely possible, assuming the source of the effect and the symptoms themselves are the same across each incident. At home, the vast majority of the countermeasures I've been involved in planning centered around the use of either demons with talents specially suited to a specific purpose or the manipulation of an energy source that I'm relatively certain does not exist here in any meaningful way, however, so I'll have to modify my usual approach significantly.

[greyerrant]

That might be advisable, yes. So, what sort of information and help would you need to make something like this happen?

[terminally_clever]

Hard data. Case studies. Ideally both.

[greyerrant]

I suppose it is time for me to ask around amongst the population to find out who felt overwhelming fear during the various issues we've had with those strange... creatures.

[terminally_clever]

Let me know what you come up with.

[greyerrant]

I shall. I'll go and put something up on the network for people to discuss.

[terminally_clever]

Good. You know how to contact me, then.