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[img]https://imgur.com/hKKzWpY.png[/img] 
[h3][color=fff79a]Kasugano Sakura[/color][/h3]
Level 4: 21/40
Location: The Docks Talking to [@DracoLunaris] and [@Lugubrious]
Word Count: 578
Points Gained: 1
New EXP Balance--- Level 4: 22/40 [/center]

	[color=fff79a][i](Ouch.

	...Well, actually, not that ouch.)[/i][/color]

	Sakura finally returned to consciousness. Her rhythmic, automatic breathing became briefly manual as she inhaled. Her eyes opened and she was staring up at the sky. The space where, just one second before, Karin Kanzuki had been looming over her. At least, from her perspective. She knew she had been knocked the heck out, hard. Normally a friendly street fight didn't go that far. It was Sakura's own fault. She should have given up at that elbow. What was that move, anyway? It seemed crazy. The move was burned into her mind. She wanted to learn it, too. This was the kind of excitement, the reason she loved street fighting. Even the concussion wasn't a huge deal. A day of rest and her ki would take care of it. But, that didn't seem to be necessary. Like she had thought before, not that ouch. It was probably the most restful knock out she'd ever experienced. Had someone healed her? The sky was pretty, so her brown eyes continued to observe it.

	Unfortunately, one thing did sting. She got knocked out by Karin. Again, normally, not a big deal. But now Karin was gone. She was still under that nasty Galeem's control. Which meant she was in trouble. And the way Karin looked at her...it felt like she had lost the respect of Karin. Because she kept trying that trick. The Heart trick. In a way, she was trying to end the fight early. It didn't really matter if it was cheating or not, because Karin thought she was. And that felt bad. Really bad. Especially after how far their relationship had come. To an outsider it might seem like they were pretty soundly enemies, but there was a bond between them. A strong one. One that was weaker, now, perhaps even severed. That sucked. Really sucked. She didn't want to lose Karin's friendship. She didn't want to lose Karin at all. But she had. Both of those things. It was a total, utter defeat. There was a difference between losing and being defeated. Losing was fine, it was part of the journey. But this was more than just a loss. She couldn't stop thinking about it.

	Well, she could, momentarily. Because she smelled junk food. Her stomach rumbled. Sakura turned her head. Bowser and Peach were there. Brineybeard, too. Ranger was back to normal.  Bella and Rika were out in the open, but it didn't seem like there was any danger. The sight, as down as her spirits were, made Sakura smile.

	[color=fff79a]"Something smells good."[/color] Sakura said. Her voice was the lowest in energy it had ever been. Her friend slipping through her fingers like that was devastating. But she was trying to stay in a good mood. [color=fff79a]"Is there, uh, any left for me?"[/color] She asked. She rose into a sitting position, rubbing the back of her head. She wasn't sure what to say. Sakura felt like an apology was in order, for some reason. Did they worry about her? Did they risk something for her? If Bella or Rika had been caught out in the open because of her antics, Sakura would never forgive herself. It seemed like it worked out this time, sure, but...

	The small smile faded. [color=fff79a]"...sorry."[/color] She cast her eyes downward, now knitting her fingers together nervously. Sakura felt small and embarassed, sitting on the ground. She hoped she didn't drool. She hoped they didn't worry about her, or stress out about it. Man, this sucked. 
	

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