Alex of Fairy Tail

Hanami party!

"Listen up, everyone!" Alex turned from where she was sitting at the bar to look at the Master. "Those who call themselves wizards shall ne'er neglect to sharpen their skills! They shall polish their techniques and perform jobs on requests! And they must earn their daily bread! For as there be sunny days, surely there be rainy ones!" Erik joined Alex to watch the Master. "For as there are days in which work is finished quickly, there are indeed naught days but an uphill struggle! However, no matter what happens, tomorrow will always come! And we shall continue to walk the path, as wizards!"The Master lifted his hand in the signature wave that was Fairy Tail. That's what it means to be a Fairy Tail wizard!"

The guildmates followed him in making the wave. Alex laughed, and she and Erik did the wave as well. "Everyone, you've worked so hard this past year!" The Master continued. "And so, in honor of your hard work, tomorrow will be the long-awaited super-fun hanami party!"

Alex grinned while the rest of the guild cheered. "Let's go tell the others!" She grabbed Erik's arm and ran out of the guildhall.

"You're awfully excited about this," Erik commented when they were outside of the guild. "What exactly do you do at a hanami party besides watch cherry blossoms?"

"There's Bingo, music, everyone brings a lunch, and at night, the cherry blossoms turn a rainbow color." Alex smiled. "It's a lot of fun, and everyone is outside enjoying the sun and the company of their fellow guildmates."

"So it's just another reason for Fairy Tail wizards to get drunk," Erik summarized. Alex laughed but didn't deny it. "Sounds like fun." They continued walking back to her house. "So why is this the Fairy Tail salute?" He asked, pointing his finger in the air. "What does it even mean?"

Alex smiled. "It means, even if I can't see you, I'm always looking at you. No matter where you go or what you do, you'll always have me there, cheering you on to be the best you can be. It's what Fairy Tail is all about."

Erik crossed his arms. "I'm starting to get that." He looked annoyed. "Do we need to go to this hanami party, though? Can't we go on a job?"

"We could," Alex admitted. "But there's not a lot of interesting jobs right now. And I want to try my hand at bingo this year. Who knows, maybe I'll win something good."

When they made it to their house, Alex opened the door. "You all don't have to go to the hanami party if you don't want to. But I think you'll enjoy it if you try."

"There's a party?" Sawyer asked, sitting at the kitchen table, eating an apple. "What for?"

"It's the hanami party," Alex explained, sitting down. "Fairy Tail hosts it every year. "It's a great way to spend time with the rest of the guildmates. Does anyone want to go with me tomorrow? I'll need to start making stuff for the picnic."

"It does sound like fun," Jellal said thoughtfully. "I'll go."

"You just want to see Erza again," Sawyer teased. "But I agree. It sounds like fun."

"It's not like we have anything better to do," Sorano admitted. The others agreed. "Do you need any help with the picnic preparations?"

"I'd appreciate it," Alex smiled. "Thank you."

The seven of them spent the rest of the day getting ready for the hanami party. When it got dark, they left the kitchen. Alex stretched her arms over her head. "I think we made more than enough food for this picnic," She said, laughing. "I'm going to have to go shopping again soon to restock."

"You didn't have to make enough food for the entire guild, you know," Erik snorted.

Alex laughed sheepishly. "I guess you're right." They had made sandwiches, different types of salads, Onigiri, and cupcakes. "I may have gotten a little too excited. But can you blame me? I never really have anyone to go to the hanami party with."