[center][color=f49ac2]Sakura Level 11: 043/110[/color] Location: Chanko House Edomon, Esaka Word Count: 2,503 Points Gained: 4 New EXP Balance--- [color=f49ac2]Level 11: 047/110 [/color] [color=lightgoldenrodyellow][b]Pit[/b] - [u]Level[/u]: [b]8[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 338/80 [/color][/center] Sakura had earned some cash, here and there, as she made further and further progress into the tournament. So when she was invited to go out to eat at a restaurant, she figured she might, maybe, possibly, be able to afford something. To be honest, though, she was hoping a party member more flush than she would be able to afford a big dish of communal food she could partake in, if only a smidgen. If only Karin was here. Then again, accepting gifts and food from Karin was a surefire way to be gloated at. For Kasugano Sakura exclusively, anyway. Karin was a most gracious host to anyone else in the multiverse. As Sakura approached the meeting spot restaurant, and saw Pit outside it after listening to his direction, she discreetly pumped her fist. Yes! Hot Pot! The perfect party food! Sakura would be eating good today! If everyone pitched in, they could get something great. [color=f49ac2]”Pit-kun!”[/color] She waved over at Pit cheerfully. She jogged over. [color=f49ac2]”I mean, heh, uh. Hello, Gold Team Lead.”[/color] She bowed a little with a grin. Sakura glanced in through a window at the restaurant, her mind clearly already on food. [color=f49ac2]”Our meeting spot is…[i]in[/i] there, right? Not just outside of it?”[/color] She ventured. Hearing the peppy, familiar voice perked Pit up immediately, and he turned in Sakura's direction with a wide smile and an enthusiastic wave in return. And of course when she changed up her greeting, even just for fun, the angel couldn't help but preen. The Seekers were all pretty individualistic, and the nature of this particular mission meant they couldn't work together much, but Pit still took his nomination to heart. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"Yeah, of course! Just waiting for a few more of us to show up first. Then we can all sit near each other."[/color] At least that was the plan. He shot a hopeful look at the hostess, Udon, who smiled serenely back. There had been a brief discussion about it before Sakura had arrived. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"You're the first one! Besides me. I hope everyone else finds it okay..."[/color] it was pretty tucked away, but obviously not impossible to find. And hopefully the others would find it soon, because the scent of the steaming broth and cooking meats was really tantalizing. Pit joined Sakura in peeking inside. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"Have you been here before?"[/color] [color=f49ac2]”Yes!”[/color] Sakura said with a punchy nod. [color=f49ac2]”With some of my World Warrior and Tekken friends, a while ago. Hot pot…”[/color] She put her face against the window. She blinked, pulling herself back into reality. [color=f49ac2]”Don’t worry, I’m sure they’ll find it. If it all goes poorly, I could always jump up on the roof and start shooting fireballs into the sky like a flare gun.”[/color] Sakura said, not knowing where that sentence was going when she started it. Though to be fair, Pit looked rather keen about that idea. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"That'll work! There's no way they'd miss it!"[/color] He recalled that Sakura mentioned earlier she didn't know how to explain how she shot the fireballs, but seeing her do it up close might give him some hints - then he'd give hadouken a try too. Now he was kind of torn on wanting the rest of the gang to show up sooner or later... though he quickly decided on sooner, because he was getting hungry. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"The big pots of soup smell sooo good, I can hardly wait!"[/color] Sakura nodded, rocking back and forth on her heels with her hands behind her back. She turned her eyes away from the sky and back towards Pit. [color=f49ac2]”You ever play Janken in Heaven with the other angels, Pit-kun?”[/color] She asked. [color=f49ac2]”Or Red Hands?”[/color] He blinked at her, and it was immediately obvious even before he replied that he had not. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"I've never even heard of them. They're games?"[/color] he guessed. Then he furrowed his brow, looking around Sakura like she might have hidden a portable console on her somewhere. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"What kind? Red Hands sounds like a fighting game but I have no idea what Janken in Heaven could be! Personally I like platformers and collectathons!"[/color] Sakura raised her hands as if to begin explaining. [color=f49ac2]”Red hands is- eh?”[/color] Sakura looked at Pit and giggled. [color=f49ac2]”N-no, the game’s name is Janken. I was asking if you played Janken, in Heaven. With the other angels. My bad.”[/color] [color=f49ac2]”Maybe you know it. Janken goes like this: [i]”Saisho wa guu,”[/i][/color] She raised her fist, and then put it down three different times in front of Pit: making a fist, a V sign, and then flattening her hand. [color=f49ac2][i]”Ja Ken Po!”[/i][/color] [color=f49ac2]”Rock beats scissors, scissors beats paper, and paper beats rock.”[/color] Sakura said. At first Pit still seemed confused by something she'd said, but it must not have been that important as he just looked at her hands and listened to her explain. By the end of the first game's description, there was some recognition on his face. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"Oh, yeah, I've seen this one before! I never got why paper beats rock though?"[/color] [color=f49ac2]”Paper covers rock.”[/color] Sakura continued. [color=f49ac2]”And Red Hands is where you put your hands out palms down, and the other person puts their hands out palms up underneath them. Then the other person has to try and bring ‘em around and slap the top of your hands before you can pull them back. If you get slapped or flinch and pull away too early, you lose that hand.”[/color] Sakura explained. [color=f49ac2]”Janken is pure strategy and mind games. Red Hands is more execution and reaction, though it has some strategy too.”[/color] Sakura nodded sagely. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"Huh, really? Mind games? Strategy? They both seem easy though,"[/color] Pit said, tilting his head. Unlike Janken (which he knew as simply rock-paper-scissors), Red Hands was completely new to him, but Sakura's explanation was clear and simple so how hard could it be? He glanced up at her, electric green, blue, and gold eyes filled with curious anticipation. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"Do you play them to pass the time or something? I wanna try! Let’s do Janken first!"[/color] [color=f49ac2]”Very well. But just so you know, I don’t hold back.”[/color] Sakura said jokingly, though there was something in her eyes that indicated it wasn’t just a joke. She widened her stance and put her fist into her palm. [color=f49ac2]”We go on the [i]po[/i] in Janken po.”[/color] She instructed. [color=f49ac2][i]”Saisho wa guu, Janken po!”[/i][/color] Sakura cheered, before throwing down a ‘paper’ symbol with gusto. She was guessing that because Pit mentioned he didn’t understand how Paper could win, he would throw down rock due to unconscious bias. Alternatively, he would throw down Scissors due to seeing Paper as weak, but that might be something that someone who liked to pick on the weak would do, and Sakura didn’t think Pit was that kind of person. This kind of demented thought process is the result of losing at Janken fifteen times in a row to Karin Kanzuki. It served her well now, because she was right on the money about Pit throwing Rock as soon as she'd shouted the last syllable. He blinked at both of their hands, seemingly surprised by the result, and then squinted at his fist like it had personally betrayed him somehow. Sakura pumped her fists, very pleased. [color=f49ac2]”Yes!”[/color] [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"Okay, but it's like a one in three chance to win, so...!"[/color] He pulled his hand back, ready for another round. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"Go again! Best two out of three?"[/color] Sakura was eager, but instead she pulled back, rubbing the back of her head and sighing. [color=f49ac2]”Sorry, Pit-san. We only get to play Janken Po once per lifetime. Rules are rules. We can play again if we both reincarnate as ducks.”[/color] She said with a resigned shrug. Waited a beat. Sakura broke with a giggle. [color=f49ac2]”Only kidding. Best two out of three! Then someone gets a point.”[/color] She had happened to hit on one of Pit's core flaws, his gullibility, and for a moment he looked almost distressed at the fact that they wouldn't be able to play the simple game again. The reincarnation bit did a lot to dispel that though, and he'd cottoned on as she revealed the truth. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"Alright! The first point's gonna be mine!"[/color] he said with a grin. No way would Pit pick Rock again so soon, Sakura guessed. But he wouldn’t be so obvious as to pick Scissors to beat her Paper, either. [color=f49ac2][i]”Saisho wa guu, Janken po!”[/i][/color] Sakura said, putting down Scissors to defeat a Paper pick from Pit. Her V-shaped fingers indeed met Pit's palm. The angel sucked in a breath, though he was less frustrated with the losses and more interested to keep going and figure out her trick. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"Okay, never mind, the first point's yours! You're like a mind reader! Go again!"[/color] He waited just long enough for her to get ready before he counted down himself. [i]If I use a Rock to beat the Scissors... but she probably won't use Scissors again, right? But if she thinks that I think she will then... wait, no, if she thinks that I think that then she'd just use Paper! So then I should use Scissors, but then what if she thinks that I think she thinks that I... Agh, I'm getting confused![/i] [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"Saisho wagyu, Janken po!"[/color] In the end he ended up just throwing another Rock. Sakura saw the look on Pit’s face, and figured he would just put the first thing that came to his head. But she thought it would be Scissors, so she put down a Rock, too. [color=f49ac2]”Tie!”[/color] Sakura shouted. A tie wasn't a win, but it wasn't a loss so it was progress! A short laugh bubbled up out of Pit. For as simple as it was, this game was surprisingly engaging. And he was sort of understanding now what Sakura had meant by the mind games. She probably had been reading him before, but if he didn't think about what he was going with until the last moment then she'd just have to guess! ...which brought it back to just being a random one-in-three chance, but even that was a little exciting. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"How many points do you usually play to?"[/color] he asked. [color=f49ac2]”With Karin? Two hundred.”[/color] Sakura said. She looked up at Pit and blinked, because when she said it out loud it sounded insane. [color=f49ac2]”But, uh, how about, uh, ten?”[/color] The two of them continued their game until the agreed upon point threshold was reached. The nature of Janken meant that because each round took only a few seconds, the whole game only took minutes. Sakura still had a lead for a little while, at least until Pit had really committed to his 'strategy' of having no strategy, after which point it came down to luck for the rest of it - save for a few times when they attempted to psych the other out, with varying degrees of success there before randomness took over again. In the end, though, Sakura’s early lead carried her through. [color=f49ac2]”Nice! That’s ten!”[/color] She said. [color=f49ac2]”Hey, you’re pretty good, Pit-kun!”[/color] Sakura said. [color=f49ac2]”But now we’re moving onto the [i]real[/i] challenge. You’re pretty fast, right?”[/color] Sakura said, locking her fingers together and stretching out her arms. [color=f49ac2]”Depending on how good you do at this, I should get you into fighting games.”[/color] Pit didn't feel bad about the narrow loss, though his competitiveness did make him want to suggest going for another ten points. But with another game to try Pit let it go, especially if Sakura was more eager for this one. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"I am! I know I'm gonna be good at this one, so start making your list of fighters to play!"[/color] he said. He shook out his hands in front of him and then stuck them straight out, both palms facing down. His expression was a blend of confidence and determination. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"I'm ready!"[/color] [color=f49ac2]”Back where I’m from, they actually put me in a couple of fighting games. Too bad it didn’t make me rich, though.”[/color] Sakura said, putting her hands under his, palms up. [color=f49ac2]”Okay, let’s go all out! First to ten! Three, two, one, go!”[/color] Sakura waited a beat, and then went to bring her hands around and strike out at Pit. Now, this is the battle of speed and reflexes! Pit's eyes had been open wide, trained on both of their still hands, but as soon as he saw the start of Sakura's movement he pulled his back and watched her slap the open space between them. A life of battle and archery, where spotting, reflex, and speed were necessary, definitely made him better equipped for this kind of game. At least at the start. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"Heheheh!"[/color] he grinned at Sakura, cheeky. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"Now we swap, right?"[/color] [color=f49ac2][i]”Hai!”[/i][/color] She had already put her hands in the correct position, focused. With her hands hovering over his, Pit did not wait more than a breath to flip his up and try to tag each of Sakura's. Sakura pulled hers back against her. [color=f49ac2]”Both at the same time? A bold strategy.”[/color] Soon the two were locked in battle. Sakura drew first blood against her novice opponent by flinching her elbows but not drawing her hands back, causing Pit to draw his hands back too early. After that, though, the floodgates were open. Sakura said hardly a word, her attention fully locked on the battle. She forgot all about the restaurant and waiting for the other Seekers to show up. The two picked up in speed and thus intensity of strikes. Sakura drew her hand back, shaking out the pain, before delivering a counter strike of her own. No way was she going to give up. The time between plays grew. The time it took to get from five points to seven points equaled the amount of time it took to go from one point to five points. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"So this is why its called Red Hands,"[/color] Pit said with a chuckle. Both the tops of his hands and his palms stung from slapping and getting slapped, but it wasn't actually that painful. It was fun, even if the game was just trying to whack each other. Pit fluffed out his wings once (he'd realized that the extra pair of limbs tensed up during this game) before placing his palms out again. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"There aren't any other angels,"[/color] he mentioned. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"You meant the heavens before, right? Like Skyworld? I'm the only one. Sandalphon's the first angel I've ever met besides me."[/color] The Centurions that lived there were a different species entirely, and as an organized army they might play simple games like this amongst themselves (though he'd never witnessed it if they did) but not with their commanding officer. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"So it's my first time playing this kinda stuff."[/color] He glanced at Sakura. [color=lightgoldenrodyellow]"So, uh, thanks! It's fun!"[/color] Sakura only hesitated a moment. No other angels in ‘Skyworld’? [color=f49ac2]”Well, hey, no problem! I’m glad to hear it.”[/color] She smiled, refocusing on the game. In the end, they would probably still be playing by the time someone else showed up. Though Sakura certainly wouldn’t notice.