[center][h3] [b][color=f49ac2]Sakura[/color] & [color=fff200]Karin[/color][/b]
[b][u]plus Omori[/u][/b][/h3]
[color=f49ac2]Sakura Level 8: 33/80[/color] 
[color=fff200]Karin Level 3: 10/30[/color] 
Location: Eryth Sea 
Word Count: 1660
Points Gained: 3 [@Majoras End] 
New EXP Balance--- [color=f49ac2]Sakura Level 8: 36/80[/color]
[indent][color=fff200]Karin Level 3: 13/30[/color][/indent] [/center]

	Sakura lifted her oars briefly out of the water as she felt Rubick start tugging her boat along. [color=f49ac2]“W-woah. Haha- weee! Thanks, Mister Rubick!”[/color] She couldn’t help but grin ear to ear. She cast a glance over her shoulder at Karin as she was separated from her and began to say something, but just laughed again. [color=f49ac2]“You guys are too much. That’s so funny.”[/color] 

	Karin, meanwhile, was hardly a stranger to this kind of treatment from people who thought they were superior, or even an equal, to her. She proved them all wrong, in time. [color=fff200]”Hmph.”[/color] She hmphed. [color=fff200]”I’ve no issue protecting the rear flank of our troop.”[/color] She ended up near Omori’s boat. When she noticed the mono-colored boy, he caught her attention. She wondered what kind of powers he had. He looked the nervous sort, and she wondered why.

	Sakura realized she was pretty darn cold. [color=f49ac2]”Do you have a heating up spell? Like a dry clothes spell?”[/color] Sakura asked Rubick after a while, squeezing some more water out of her scarf. She really wasn't expecting an answer, And her socks were wet, too. If she was totally honest, all of a sudden she felt like crying, because getting dunked in the water this early on really sucked. She felt stupid. But the thought of crying because she fell into the water so early on made her laugh again. Covering her mouth, she just kept her head down and kept moving forward. Man, she was all over the place. 



	A little while later, Sakura was very startled by the nearby giant sea monster, and she instinctively karate chopped the air several times, almost falling out of her boat again. Karin called out to make sure everything was all right, speeding up. 

	[color=f49ac2]”Oh, my gosh, Ms. Nadia, are you oka- Oh, my gosh, Mister Bowser no!”[/color] She covered her ears and leaned away as the koopa troop got dragged into a confrontation with this giant monster fish. An even more giant sea monster came out of Bowser’s spirit arsenal, eliciting another shriek from Sakura. 

	[color=f49ac2]”Ah! What the heck!”[/color] She just rowed away as fast as she could, very eager to get to shore. Karin rowed by, watching the battle with interest. [color=fff200]”...Yes. I imagine I could kill the creature inside out, should it attempt to eat me. It would be easy. And once it died, it would turn to ash.”[/color]  She nodded to herself, confident in her sea monster slaying abilities. The Biblical Jonah didn’t have the power to punch through an arm’s length of concrete, did he? 

	Once that was over and done, they ended up on shore. Sakura stayed way the hell away from the giant skeleton monster pirate and his pile of gold. That was just asking for trouble. She liked her body in one piece, thanks. The thought of literally stealing gold didn’t even occur to Karin, being as unfathomably wealthy as she was. If she was going to steal someone’s money, she would do it with wit, paperwork, charisma, and espionage. The correct way. Karin was 14 when she brought her first business competitor to tears. 

	Karin once again watched Omori with interest, her focused gaze not entirely comfortable for most people. She watched him loot weapons from the shipwreck. The very prospect wrinkled her nose. [color=fff200]”Hold on. You’re not just…some boy whose just now found a gun, are you?”[/color] She asked. A warrior would already have a weapon. And surely someone with magic wouldn’t pick up some sand-covered gun. 

 	[b][color=dcdcdc]"Hm?"[/color][/b] At the question directed towards him, Omori turned to look towards the source. Oh, she was with that brunette that fell through the mossbed. Karin mentioned the pistol he found the machete with. The boy held up the gun in one hand and motioned his head towards it. [b][color=dcdcdc]"This? Honestly, I wasn't planning on taking it at first. Never handled a gun before, but it didn't feel right separating it from [i]this[/i]."[/color][/b] He explained picking up the machete in his other hand and showing it to her.

	She leaned forward, looking down at the blade with an unimpressed look. [color=fff200]”What skills do you have, if you don’t mind my asking? For fairness’ sake, I shall go first. I am a Grandmaster martial artist and pioneer of Kanzuki-ryu Kakutojutsu.”[/color] She said, fingers delicately splayed across the front of her red jacket. 

	The boy hummed in thought. [b][color=dcdcdc]"Sounds interesting."[/color][/b] Omori noted. He pocketed the pistol in favor of his knife. [b][color=dcdcdc]"I'm no martial artist, but I'd say I'm pretty good with smaller blades. That's why I grabbed the machete."[/color][/b] He twirled the knife in his hand with experienced dexterity. 

	Karin squinted. [color=fff200]"No martial artist?"[/color] She questioned. [color=fff200]"You understand we're going into battle. You need to be lethal with that little knife of yours. It does not matter how proficiently you can carve you and your crush's initials into the side of a tree."[/color]

	For a moment, Karin was met with no reaction. His gaze was almost off-putting. He had even stopped spinning his smaller weapon and lowered his hand.

 	But then, Omori narrowed his eyes. [color=dcdcdc][b]"You underestimate me."[/b][/color] He spoke bluntly. But like a switch, his expression let up. [b][color=dcdcdc]"If you're concerned I'll lag behind, perhaps you can teach me some pointers, given the chance?"[/color][/b] He tilted his head.
 
 	[color=fff200]”Ohoho.”[/color] Eyebrow raised, Karin said her laughter instead of laughing. [color=fff200]”What I do cannot be taught. If [i]you're[/i] looking for pointers and concern, seek the drenched idiot with the unkempt brown hair.”[/color] Swishing one of her golden coils back over her shoulder, Karin turned and strode away. Either he was more capable than he looked, or she could relish in his later failure, knowing that she told him so. Victory is assured, as always, for Karin Kanzuki.
 
 	Omori simply watched her walk off, all smug and such. [b][color=dcdcdc]"...Hmph, interesting lady."[/color][/b] The monocrhome boy said to no one, putting his stuff back in his inventory, then walking back to the main path himself.

 	What was her deal, anyways? Not like he couldn't learn how to fire a gun eventually.


	Meanwhile, Sakura was looking at some bears. Apparently, Nadia knew one of them. Sakura was just very pleased by the cuteness of some of the bears, and in awe of the power of others. In other good news, her outfit was very slowly drying off. Very slowly. 

	Later on Karin and Sakura took their boats to the river's mouth, the path forward being a rocky river ride. [color=f49ac2]”Careful, Karin. That Miss talking bird said the river is like a theme park ride.”[/color]

	[color=fff200]"Of course.”[/color] Karin said, rolling her eyes. [color=fff200]"Do you often take advice from Muppets?”[/color] She asked.
	
	[color=f49ac2]”About as often as you lose boat races.”[/color] Sakura said casually. [color=f49ac2]”When you crash on the way down because you didn’t take my advice, don’t complain to me about your hair being undone.”[/color]

	 [color=fff200]"And when you crash, feel free to pretend that you didn’t because you are already soaked in water. ”[/color] Karin said, already rowing much faster. 
	Sakura grinned and sped up. [color=f49ac2]”I like our banter, Miss Karin. But just because it needs to be said sometimes, you really are one of my best friends. ”[/color] 

	 [color=fff200]"Ugh. Silence. We are racing.”[/color] Karin said, the downward momentum of the water beginning to speed up the boat. Up ahead, the Koopa Troop were taking point.

	 [color=f49ac2]”My heart is full of respect and platonic love for you!”[/color] Sakura called out as the sound of the rushing river muffled her voice. To herself, Sakura snickered, setting her teeth on her tongue. It felt good to say it out loud, though. In the past, Sakura had tried to steer their friendship away from the ‘pretending we don’t like each other’ stage. But Karin was a tough rock to budge on that front. But still, it wasn’t too bad considering once she had shouted ‘compassion is weakness’ and then kicked one of her employees in the face. And that employee was a crucial corner of a human pyramid.

	Karin’s shoulders were hunched and she was focused on winning the race, moving between rocks. Naturally, canoeing was something she had lots of practice with as well. Though she found when she thought to pull a particularly skillful maneuver, she realized she couldn’t do it. Like the skill was locked. Hmm. She did the safer route instead, still fast, but not as fast as she would have hoped. Karin would have to ponder on these limitations placed upon her by the world. She had no doubt that with enough focus, she could break through all of them. Or at least, the ones relevant to their pursuits.

Sakura meanwhile, had very little if any canoeing experience. Eyes and mouth wide, she narrated her entire trip down the river with excited, nervous noises. [color=f49ac2][i]“Ooaaahhh woah woah oaaahhh! Eek! Ahaha- woaaah!” [/i][/color]

	Karin vanished over the curve of the river and Sakura sped up to catch her. She shrieked as she sailed over the edge of a waterfall, only for Steve’s magic boat to stay fully intact and upright. Once at the bottom, Karin was waiting and laughing loudly.

	 [color=fff200]"[i]Ohohoho![/i] How delightful! Miss Sakura, you really will challenge anyone to anything, won’t you? Regardless of if you win or lose, or if you have any experience at all.”[/color] Karin said, smiling.

	 [color=f49ac2]”Thanks, Karin. That almost sounded like a compliment.”[/color] Sakura said, standing up in her boat to stretch her legs. 
	
	 [color=fff200]"Of course. Karin Kanzuki does not associate with mediocre commoners. It is fortunate you picked street fighting to be your hobby, otherwise you never could have been anywhere close to my rival in any other skill.”[/color] 


	Sakura furrowed her brow, really trying to parse that one out. [color=f49ac2]”Thaaanks?”[/color] She tilted her head to the side. 

As Karin nodded graciously and began to take a look around, Sakura asked,  [color=f49ac2]”Um. Where are we, anyway? Are we there yet? I hope there’s another waterfall, I think I’d have more fun this time.”[/color]