[center][img]https://images-ext-2.discordapp.net/external/ykMJ2vk1ilQp8QV1z-CruoKZw5xQwX4ZKW50d7a4Fwg/%3Fcb%3D20190222195549/https/vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/fantendo/images/f/f1/Sakura_Spirit.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/340?width=138&height=300[/img] [h3][color=fff79a]Kasugano Sakura[/color][/h3]
Level 2: 16/20
Location: Edge of the Blue
Word Count: 672
Points Gained: 1
New EXP Balance--- Level 2: 17/20 [/center]

	Sakura continued her push ups, trying to maintain a steady pace. Geralt, the old man, must have overheard her. The things he was saying were not what she wanted to hear. She didn't want to hear that people were going to die, and that they were going to have to kill people. She didn't like hearing about how miserable this quest was going to be. She didn't like having her inexperience thrown in her face like this. 

	Sakura stared down at the grass with a frustrated, dejected look on her fresh faced features. Sacrifices and death. It all sounded so terrible. Sakura had never come into contact with death before, except her goldfish and her first cat, both of which had her crying for months.

	[color=fff79a][i](I don't even know how things are done where I'm from, Geralt.)[/i][/color]

	Up, down, up, down. At this point she was on her thiry seventh push up and had no signs of slowing down or even breaking a sweat. A drop of liquid did hit the grass though, a solitary tear. Red faced with embarassment, she wiped it away without stopping her push ups, briefly switching to one handed push ups to do so. Thankfully Ace Cadet, who as well as having joined in her cheer earlier, told Geralt to back off a bit. He was growing on her quickly, it felt like they might be cut from the same stock. Still, even now he was talking all tactically about alternative plans. Not crying like a little girl. 

	[color=fff79a]"Sorry. I've never done anything like this before."[/color] Sakura apologized quietly. It was clear at that moment that Sakura wasn't some grand heroine who was used to getting her happy, perfect endings, but a kid in her senior year of high school who had some high expectations about what being a hero meant that had just been thoroughly shattered. A real hero. Not someone who just stepped in to help her friends when circumstance demanded it. 

	As the hooded woman pointed out the pirate captain's boat, Sakura figured she had nothing left to add to the conversation. She felt dumb. And childish. Which was even worse because it looked like an actual, literal child had taken the initiative first and was already on her way to the pirate's ship. 

	[color=fff79a][i](Well, come on. If she can do it, so can I. No reason to keep moping!)[/i][/color] Sakura said to herself, feeling inspired by the kid with the hat. It felt like she was popping a dislocated shoulder back into place, only with her emotions. With a sharp, self-reassuring exhale, Sakura popped quickly back to her feet.

	[color=fff79a]"As much as I would like to stick around and explore this town, there'll time for that on the return trip. I'm gonna go with uh... hat kid over there and check out the pirate ship,"[/color] She said, returning to her normal nature, if very slightly muted. Hopefully she could leave before anyone called her out about her slump. Or asked her to leave since she accidentally admitted she was a first time hero. Hopefully no one minded too much. Skip-jogging over to the pirate ship after Hat Kid, she began to feel excited again.

	[color=fff79a]"Permission to come aboard, captain?"[/color] She asked cheerfully, stuffing the urge to do a terrible pirate accent. The last thing anyone needed to hear was her japanese accented Captain Hook impression. Sakura didn't even want to hear it.
	
	[color=fff79a]"I've never been on a ship like this before before,"[/color] She exclaimed, her sneakers thwacking against the wooden gangway. Waving to the captain she took a seat on the railing, her legs dangling over the side. After looking over the side, she glanced back over at Hat Kid and anyone else who had followed her onboard. 

	[color=fff79a]"Do you think he's a real pirate?"[/color] She asked Hat Kid, loud enough for anyone on the ship to overhear. Sakura had acquired all of her knowledge about western pirates exclusively from the Muppets and Peter Pan.