[center]
[color=f49ac2]Sakura Level 9: 06/90[/color] 
[color=fff200]Karin Level 4: 26/40[/color] 
Location: Hideout SOU
Word Count: 601
Points Gained: 1
New EXP Balance--- [color=f49ac2]Sakura Level 9: 07/90 (pending) [/color]
[indent][color=fff200]Karin Level 4: 27/40 [/color][/indent] [/center]

	Karin listened intently to Goldlewis’ rundown. [color=fff200]”I see. So this Shinra has corrupted the democratic process. A corporation in charge of an entire nation-state. How nefarious.”[/color]

	Sakura squinted at the back of Karin’s head. [color=fff200]”I’ve done a lot of growing since then, Sakura-[i]chan!”[/i][/color] The heiress reminded her friend defensively, sensing the look. As for the allies they could trust being limited, Karin nodded.

	 [color=fff200]”I simply suspect we may have to dirty our hands a little if we are to locate this Guardian.”[/color] Karin said. [color=fff200]”Favors for favors. We’ll have to act with as much wisdom as can be afforded. We’ll have to meet these groups ourselves in order to learn as much of the truth as possible.”[/color]

	Sakura shrunk a little, smiling apologetically as she was addressed by the sensible Jessica. Rubbing the back of her head, she bowed.  [color=f49ac2]”R-right. Of course. Sorry, ma’am.” [/color] Overall, she was starting to feel a little clammy. Was it getting hot in here? All this morally ambiguous talk about favors and insurrectionists and dirty government was making her uncomfortable. Especially the parts about killing sick people, or people fighting on behalf of sick people. She had no idea what the truth of the situation was, so she kept mostly quiet and just cast her eyes downward. Hopefully when they went there, things would make more sense and a solution would present itself.

	Peach apologized on behalf of the Seekers to Benedict, earning an eye roll from Karin. How to look weak, even in victory. Sakura did that all the time and it bugged her to no end.

	Sakura gasped in frightened delight as an alien reached out of Goldlewis’s coffin and deposited an origami flower on the table. Amazing! [color=f49ac2]”Uwah! Thank you, UMA-san.”[/color] She reached out and took it, observing it closely. She’d never gotten a gift from a space alien before!

	Sakura briefly looked concerned at the idea that there was a weird, invisible thing in the sky she couldn’t see. Holding the flower close, she leaned out the window and squinted extra hard.  [color=f49ac2]”I don’t see anything…darn. Psychic powers are so cool.”[/color] 

	Karin was silent during most of the discussion about Desperado. She had no idea how relevant an institution, group, or even name was in relation to their past in their previous world. Even the idea of a place called ‘Japan’ getting blown up didn’t strike her as troubling other than the evident loss of life. Sakura sweated slightly at hearing all that, but mostly kept her cool under the same thought process. After all…she was from Japan, and didn’t get blown up! But the idea of someone being so strong they could affect the geography of a map was worrying.

	As the SOU people listed off the sectors of the city, Karin wished she had someone to take notes for her. Sakura piped up.  [color=f49ac2]”Oh, uh, Inkopolis doesn’t sound so bad. Maybe we could look for clues at the…sports…center?”[/color] She trailed off her subtle suggestion, realizing her bias must sound incredibly obvious. At the mention and explanation of sky rails, Sakura’s eyes lit up.  [color=f49ac2]”That sounds [i]awesome.[/i]”[/color] 

	Karin nodded at Goldlewis’s and Giovanna’s suggestion. [color=fff200]”Honestly, I’d just be happy to finally have a positive reputation upon entering a town. Hopefully that’ll prevent any more riots or panic forming against us due to misinformation spread by our enemies. Besides, fighting monsters is easy and fun, and this Ever Crisis is helping nobody. And if it is helping somebody then that somebody deserves to be crushed by us anyway.”[/color] With a flick of her royal heir hair, Karin made her vote known. Sakura nodded, standing by her friend’s side.