[center] [img]https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/494317685505523714/716021659605270668/EmN5MKm.png[/img] [h3][color=fff79a]Kasugano Sakura[/color][/h3] Level 4: 14/40 Location: The Atomos. Talking to [@DracoLunaris] and [@Lugubrious] Word Count: 1,142 Points Gained: 2 New EXP Balance--- Level 4: 16/40 [/center] Sakura raised one cheek as she listened to Junior explain his take on the politics of his world. [color=fff79a]"This isn't fair! You're like, a prince. Where I'm from there's no more kings and queens. Except for this one really old lady Dudley keeps going on about." [/color] She crossed her arms and tried to think of ways of winning the debate. Suddenly, Junior summoned forth a Koopa to make his point. At first Sakura tried to look unconvinced but her face opened up as recognition flashed across her features. [color=fff79a][i](That's...that's a turtle guy! A Koopa! From Super Mario Brothers 3! What the heck!?)[/i][/color] The revelation had to be put aside temporarily. The Koopa gave a good example of a democracy. Sakura pointed at him and nodded. [color=fff79a]"Yeah, see! A union! You're like a different species of koopa!"[/color] She exclaimed. Things weren't looking good. Sakura really didn't want to lose the debate against this kid but she had no idea what she was talking about. As Junior explained his plan, Sakura shook her head. [color=fff79a]"No-, no, I explained this all wrong. Look- the big problem the ship girls are having-"[/color] Sakura pointed over to Ranger, [color=fff79a]"Is that the Abyssals keep coming back to life. It's a war. So, when the ship girls, l-lose people,"[/color] she stammered slightly. [color=fff79a]"And the Abyssals lose people, the Abyssals always come out on top."[/color] She swallowed dryly, made uncomfortable by talking about the loss of life. [color=fff79a]"S-so...it's like a really gross math problem."[/color] She clenched her fists and shook them up and down, emphasing her point. "So, we, as in everybody here, plus all the other cool hero guys that you haven't even met yet, are gonna go around, beating up all the other Abyssals. All the other Ri-Class's and Water Princesses. And instead of killing them, we give them friend hearts. That way they won't come back to life on the enemy team! They'll be on our team instead. Because they'll all be nice like you two, Bella and Rika." She pointed at the two Abyssals in the room. As she spoke, Sakura began gesticulating wildly. She was doing some kind of visual metaphor with her hands, taking various groups of invisible figures and moving them around infront of her. [color=fff79a]"Because you guys never had a chance to be anything other than mean. You were made to be mean, so if you get a chance to be nice of course you'll be nice because most things are nice if you give them a chance to be...nice! Most people are good, unless something else makes them bad. And if someone is bad but- usually- that's what second chances are for, and then they'll be good. And nice. And some people are really really bad, but that's when you get all the good people together and kick their ass!"[/color] She covered her mouth, looking at Junior. [color=fff79a]"Uh, I meant butt. Sorry. The point is, it'll be a...what's the word...exponential. It'll be exponential growth. Even discounting everyone else, let's say it just started with me. I help Bella. Then Bella and I help two people. Then the four of us help four people. Now there's eight, who help eight more. Sixteen helps sixteen, which makes thiry-two. Thirty-two, sixty-four, one hundred and twenty eight, two hundred and fifty six...and then boom, there ya go!"[/color] She raised her hands in the air victoriously. Indicating the perfect simplicity of her plan. [color=fff79a]"And everytime we do that, we gain one person on our team, and take away one person from their team. Normally I freaking hate math, but that sounds like a good equation to me. It combines two of my favorite things- making friends, and punching people." [/color] She punched the palm of her hand, holding the pose for a second with a confident look on her face. Now onto the conversation about excercise. It wasn't going as well as Sakura had hoped. She wanted to be a physical education teacher, but it turned out teaching physical education was hard. The only person in the room that was interested was Rika. Ranger the actual teacher was probably having a good time watching Sakura flounder. And it was literally Rika's first topic of conversation she'd ever had that wasn't about warfare. So [i]that[/i] didn't really count any points in Sakura's favor. Bella was having a serious power up moment as she stood. [color=fff79a]"Yeah, you can do it! You can-"[/color] Oops. The Water Princess slid to the ground, not having made it the full ten seconds. "H-how long was zat?" Oh no. Sakura winced at the hope in her eyes, not wanting to crush it. [color=fff79a]"That was- that was six seconds. But-!"[/color] “Six seconds!? How!? Zat felt like...like hours!” [color=fff79a]"It'll get easier over time! Over time, over time. You're probably not gonna break ten seconds today. But tomorrow, you could!"[/color] Sakura continued trying to explain the practical aspects of excercise, but she began to wonder if it was getting through. Rika went to do a pull-up on the doorframe and the Street Fighter gasped. [color=fff79a]"Rika! Wow! You're really strong!"[/color] She clapped her hands together. But Junior pointed out something both of the enthusiastic girls hadn't thought about. Immediately Sakura deflated a litte, before Rika even had her blunder that was, admittedly, a little funny. But only because people falling over was inherently a little funny. Junior and Bella began talking about absorbing a spirit to make life easier for Bella. [color=fff79a]"Okay, wait, that's just a shortcut. And shortcuts- oops."[/color] She lowered her raised leg as Junior pointed it out. [color=fff79a]"Shorcuts tend to backfire. There's no substitute for hard work."[/color] She declared. [color=fff79a]"If you absorb a spirit- you might get better at walking, but what if you get worse at being a Water Princess? Or maybe you don't even get that much better at walking. If you do the practice, you get to keep all your current strengths, and then add new ones ontop of that!"[/color] Sakura said. [color=fff79a]"Your body is your most important asset! You use it literally all the time, for everything. Why not make it better? There's no downside to excercise!"[/color] She pointed upward, waggling her finger intelligently. However she blushed for a moment, her eyes looking to the side. She thought about how she was being held back a year in high school. She was absent all the time and then spent the last few weeks of spring trying to help the heroes of the world stop some evil robot guy from taking over the world. Apparently that didn't count for extra credit. It was clear to anyone watching her face that there was some downside she wasn't disclosing. [color=fff79a]"Well...no downsides that are, uh...r-relevant to you guys."[/color] She mumbled. She hoped they wouldn't think about her last few sentences too much and focus on what she said earlier, about spirits and whatnot. Or maybe she could redirect the fact that, now that she thought about it, she recognized Junior's dad from a video game. But she wasn't sure how to segue into that.