open | a respite among so many troubles

[complementing]

WHO: You!
WHERE: A Japanese restaurant in town.
WHEN: Forward dated to April 15th
WHAT: Cherry blossom viewing, as well as a belated Lunar New Year party, organized by Minako and Mako! Come relax before (or after) all of your questing.
WARNINGS: None foreseen!



You might have gotten a quick text about a belated Lunar New Year celebration. Maybe there was even a cute emoji attached to it, depending on how close Mako felt to you. But in general, it's time to celebrate the Year of the Dog. He's brought some basic things like dumplings, and baos. But he would've asked for participants to bring more food.

Because what good is a Lunar New Years without lots and lots of food?

He also chipped in a few bucks to help with the drinking situation. Because what's Hanami without... well. Getting drunk.

---

Speaking of getting drunk, what you can look forward to from the Japanese side of the celebration is plenty of beer, sake, and highballs to go around. Drink, be merry, drink some more, and enjoy the sight of sakura petals falling from the trees right above and beyond the back patio. Inspired by their fleeting beauty? There's a little poster explaining what haiku is and inviting you to compose one, with the example haiku the most famous one by Matsuo Bashou: furu ike ya / kawazu tobikomu / mizu no oto.

Or if you don't get full from Mako's food, why not try the restaurant's yakitori too? Or all of their sakura flavored foods. Literally anything under the sun you can think of, they'll have added sakura to it.

Finally, to celebrate the Year of the Dog, Minako has brought Koromaru to the party. Please enjoy cuddles from this good, smart, and energetic pupper?! He will be passing around wrapped packages with some dog themed cookies in them.

Comments

[sakeplz]

[Here. He'll pose for that picture so it's the best! Ta-da~]

We'll have to make sure we're not busy next year too so we can do this again! It's so much fun!

[complementing]

[Jirou automatically adds +10 charm to any picture he's in. Minako loves it.]

I'll keep my fingers crossed for us! [She does it now to show him, and then pauses, starting to count syllables.] I-will-keep-my-fin-gers-crossed.

Thinking of next spring,
I keep my fingers crossed tight.
May all be peaceful.

[sakeplz]

Woooow! You just wrote a haiku like it was nothing!

[No seriously! He's so impressed!]

Can you do another one?

[complementing]

I had a lot of practice in elementary school. Though it was all in Japanese, of course.

[She laughs and considers him for a moment.]

Jirou-san's cup is
Empty, refill it quickly
And keep him drinking!

[sakeplz]

[That gets so much applause from him.]

That's the best haiku I've ever heard! Can I record you saying it so I can watch it later?

[complementing]

[She giggles even harder, nodding as she does but taking a few moments to compose herself.]

Okay okay okay, I'm ready.

[sakeplz]

[Flipping out his phone, he starts up the recording and then nods so she can go!]

[complementing]

[Well since she's going to do this for a recording she might as well ham it up a bit?? Minako nabs a nearby sake jug and raises it up in salute.]

Jirou-san's cup is
Empty, refill it quickly
And keep him drinking!

[And then she offers him more sake.]

[sakeplz]

[He bursts out giggling at the end of the video but he has it and he holds out his cup to get that drink.]

The greatest haiku ever!