recolle | open | a respite among so many troubles

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.

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[Her voice turned marginally less cheerful, and she didn't pick up another dumpling in the meantime.]

I remember not remembering something. It was important, though.

[Nyu made a little frustrated noise, at least as frustrated a noise as she could make.]

But my name's not...I don't remember what my name is. But I'm not Lucy. I'm not that person.

[It was starting to bother her, all the people who kept saying that. She didn't even know anything about that person. She was herself. That was all.]

[The change in behavior doesn't go unnoticed, but Freya's voice remains casual.]

Not askin' about Lucy. I'm askin' about you. [It was a vague question, and one that could go either way, depending on how Nyu answered.] So, no name. Nothing about how, or jobs, or school? Childhood?

[Nyu frowned, looking at her empty hand. There were calluses on it, little scars from cuts she didn't recall. She knew how to speak, just needed to remember how, like snatching back pieces of a dream. Where'd she learn that to begin with? Where did she even come from?]

...I don't remember those things. Minato had to tell me what the city was called. I don't know where I was before.

Mm. [Freya tilts her head a little at Nyu, equal parts considering the girl and simply observing her.]

Well, don't sweat it. If you don't know, you don't know, yeah? I know what that's like, forgetting something important. Best you can do is try to figure it out with the pieces you've got.

You too?

[Nyu was surprised, looking up at Freya and away from her hand.]

When do you start remembering things again?

[That... was a hard one to explain, with it being a fragment from her other life.]

Haven't remembered yet. Only really heard bits and pieces about it from someone else and, [Freya vaguely waved a hand, in some kind of emphasis. For what, she wasn't sure.] what they said kinda fit with all the other broken little pieces I did remember. So it's more of a guess, you know?

All we've got to do is figure out who knows about you.

Oh. [Nyu sounded a bit dejected.] That's...hard.

[Everyone asked for Lucy, no one asked about her until she met them first.]

What if they don't remember my name either? If I don't know their faces, and they don't know my name, then...

[This was making her head hurt.]

Like I said, don't worry your head about it. What good's that gonna do?

You said something 'bout a forest, yeah? Maybe we'll head out that way, if you want.

[The gloomy thoughts in her mind dispersed, like clouds chased away by a breeze.]

Nyu! It was pretty there, too. I could show you where I was, but I don't think that was a good place.

[Freya's smile quirked up a little arrogantly at the corner.]

Don't you worry; I've been through my share of those. You'll be safe with me.

[Nyu mumbled a little, looking at Freya in concern.]

Are you sure? I think it's where I started to forget.

[She shrugged casually.]

Sure as I'll ever be. Don't you want to know what happened?

[Another mumble, this one slightly more distressed.]

I do, but what if it's scary?

[Freya cocks her head, leaning back a bit more in her chair.]

And just how d'you think it'll be scary?

I...don't remember.

[Nyu didn't know about it, so it probably should be scary. But...was it? Maybe she was mistaken.]

I was a shadow...thing there, I think. But I didn't see anyone scary...

A shadow-thing?

[She had turned into a shadow-thing, or... had this not-Lucy come from the shadow-thing? That's a start, at least, even if Freya didn't want to point that out to Nyu.]

You only kinda remember it?

[#Shadows]

Yes. I...looked down at my hands, and just saw black. Something shapeless that looked like hands if I thought about it.

Huh. Shadow-thing in the first place you can remember. Sounds like a lead, to me.

[Another shrug, and Freya nudges the dumpling tray closer to Nyu as a reminder.]

It's on you to decide whether it bein' scary or a clue is more important. [More like determining whether Freya goes with or without Nyu.]

I saw another shadow. [Nyu protested, or...just continued the memory. It seemed so clear in her head still, but she hadn't had a reason to talk about it before.] She ate my flowers. But I don't think she was very scary.

[And now Nyu fell quiet again.]

...I don't know if that helps, though.

A shadow ate your flowers. [Freya repeated dryly.] Can't say it does.

[Why would... you know what, nevermind.]

[look it was a legitimate problem??

...do you still want to go there?

[A curious look in return.]

Not like we've got any better leads.

Don't have to tag along if you're scared, you know.

I'm not scared!

[She blurted out, before she had much else to say. Nyu mumbled for some time afterwards.]

I'm just...worried. [That it could be scary, that she'd see things she didn't want to see.]

[Freya waited, letting that hang for a bit.]

About you? [She asked in a slightly gentler tone. It wasn't easy, wondering if you were really someone else. Kind of like with Retrospec, she guessed, only this time everyone Nyu met was asking for the other girl.]

You, too! [Now Nyu didprotest, instead of ambiguously muddling her words.]

...and a little, about me.

[Nyu shifted and wiggled a bit in her chair, and for the first time deliberately glanced away from Freya.]

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belligerentwarrior - 2018-05-31 01:39 (UTC) - Expand

long_live_the_queen - 2018-05-31 02:04 (UTC) - Expand