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[color=f49ac2]Sakura Level 11: 048/110[/color] 
Location: Retrocade
Word Count: 1790
Points Gained: 3
New EXP Balance--- [color=f49ac2]Level 11: 051/110 [/color]
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	–
	At any given moment, the Retrocade could be counted on to supply a constant, yet unpredictable stream of background noise. Tires squealed and engines roared from the racing games, shooting games belted out a torrent of cartoonish gunfire, crane games gave off cheery carnival music, and bowling balls struck down pins in sudden, loud clatters. Smoothing back her indigo hair, Ei tried to shut it out and concentrate. She took a deep breath, adjusted the grip of her thumb, index, and middle fingers on her pusher, and with a deft motion gave the puck its first strike. [i]Clack![/i]

The game was on. It quickly became apparent that Ei's delicate and dignified appearance belied surprising dexterity and hand-eye coordination. Her eyes were sharp, and movements even sharper. Her pusher moved with the grace and precision of a chef's knife as she focused mostly on defense and quick returns rather than geometric trickshots. Of course, given who she was up against, her natural talents were by no means a guaranteed win. Sakura's excellent physical condition and motor skills translated to air hockey quite well, so their game was pretty competitive. For now, though, it was still just a game, with neither side taking it too seriously. [i]Clack, clack, clack, clack![/i]

	Sakura giggled though her teeth, setting them on her stuck out tongue as she ramped up her effort to keep up with Ei's pace. Sakura was extremely competitive by nature, but she could afford to match Ei's effort with something like air hockey. 

Unlike Ei, though, making the puck do unusual, crazy things was Sakura's favorite part of the game. [color=f49ac2]"Winding Mountain Path Attack!"[/color] She called out with gusto, smacking the puck into a wall at high speed. It bounced back and forth from wall to wall as it zipped towards Ei.

[color=f49ac2]"Super Hook Strike!"[/color] When the ball came her way again, Sakura fired it nearly at the far corner, so that it would bounce right towards the goal at the last moment. 

[color=f49ac2]"Nice!"[/color] Sakura was enthused everytime Ei sent the puck back towards her.

After a few surprisingly tense, back-and-forth moments, someone finally scored. Ei reacted impulsively to one of Sakura's trickshots, too fast if anything, and slid her pusher out too fast as the puck zipped by. That left her goal open as the disc then rebounded off the rink's edge and disappeared into the slit. For a split second Ei just stared, not sure what had happened, before the [i]clink[/i] of the disc in her receptacle confirmed her suspicions. "Oh, rats." She pulled the puck out of the machine's underbelly and placed it back on the table, none too bothered. "Let's try again. I have plenty of fight left in me!"

Taking a moment, Ei studied the air hockey rink like a battlefield, though the real battle was reading her opponent. With very few elements in play, this was a mind game as much as it was an arcade game. She felt like she had a pretty good read on Sakura as a person, but what she'd do was a different matter. A test of her reflexes, then. Ei didn't necessarily shine in the scramble, but a decisive first strike? That she could do.

Striking like a bolt of lightning, the lady sent her puck hurtling across the board, bouncing twice with near-perfect precision. "Storm the front!"

Sakura swept her puck across, squeezing the puck against the rim, where it unfortunately clattered right into her own home goal. [color=f49ac2]"What a neutral skip! Are you sure you aren't a fighter?"[/color] Sakura asked with a smile, putting her puck back on the table.

Then she swung her pusher forward, missing the puck entirely in a kind of feint move. She pointed across the table at Ei to see if she flinched. [color=f49ac2]"Ah?"[/color]

Ei tensed, but stopped just short of actually reacting. She couldn't suppress a wry smile as she shook her head. "You're mean."

Sakura tapped the side of her own head. [color=f49ac2]"It's a mental game, Ei-san!"[/color] Sakura swung her pusher around the front of her puck for another fake, did a full circle, and smacked her puck forward. The end result was a hit that was less than impressive as the puck floated towards Ei. The street fighter admitted it with a cheeky shrug. 

[color=f49ac2]"Hey, what's that behind you!"[/color] Sakura pointed over Ei's shoulder.

"Nothing but my past!" There was a chance that this softball was some sort of triple-layered trick, but if it really was just an ordinary fumble, Ei wanted to take advantage. As the puck glided her way, Ei quickly set up her next move, then unleashed a calculated swipe. Her puck zipped forward, just off-angle enough to slide by Sakura's defensive strike. It bounced off the far wall just an inch or two away from scoring, hit Sakura's pusher from behind, and bounced right back into the goal.
	
[color=f49ac2]"Wah!"[/color] Sakura let out a small noise of alarm.

"Yes!" A sudden surge of giddy, almost adorable glee overtook Ei, which she did her best to stamp down as fast as possible as she cleared her throat and straightened her hair. "Ahem! I just mean, this is quite fun."

The puck clattered into Sakura's holding area where she could grab it. Sakura smiled, though her brow furrowed. [color=f49ac2]"...Nothing but your-?"[/color] In the heat of the moment, Sakura's brain shorted out. 

 [color=f49ac2]"Oh, I get it! Right."[/color] She lightly smacked her own forehead and retrieved her puck. She was happy to see Ei so happy, but, Sakura's pride demanded she at least keep up with her opponent. 

Once Sakura retrieved the puck, the game continued, and it wasn't long before the momentum turned back in the martial artist's favor. Ei didn't sweat it, though, and in fact she did not attempt to repeat her more impressive feats from before. Once Sakura got a couple more goals and the two really got into the rhythm of the game, neither managed to score for a while. That gave them both a chance to talk and try to distract one another, playing into the mental game Sakura mentioned. For the most part it was just casual chatter, but out of the blue Ei mentioned something worth her friend's attention.

"Oh, did you hear the rumors?" the lady asked. "One of those Consuls is supposed to visit Esaka today, probably to meet with the city's own. Supposedly it's that short, ill-tempered one who rules to the north and west. Very clandestine. Can't help be curious about whatever they're getting up to, right?"

	[color=f49ac2]"Really?"[/color] Sakura stood up straighter, ceasing her prowling stance over her end of the table.  Another Consul. Getting a little nugget of info like this, Sakura couldn't help but feel a little foolish she hadn't even wondered if Ei might know anything about anything like this.

[color=f49ac2]"Yeah, I do really wonder."[/color] Sakura said. Then, she switches gears. Something about asking questions like this made Sakura uncomfortable, but she had to try. [color=f49ac2]"Like, what do you know about those Consuls, anyway?"[/color] Sakura asked.

 [color=f49ac2]"They're pretty mysterious, but, aren't they supposed to be ruling the world?"[/color] Sakura asked. The thought of trying to Friend Heart Ei passed Sakura's mind. But what if, for whatever reason, Sakura couldn't close the deal? That would be a worst case scenario. She put the idea out of her mind for now. 

"Not much, I'm afraid." As she continued to smack the puck back and forth, Ei mulled over the question. "I suppose. Every city has a mayor, and every nation has a sovereign, but the Consuls do seem shadier than most. No elections, no accountability, no checks and balances that I'm aware of." She pursed her lips as she chose her words carefully, perhaps wary of some sort of surveillance. "I've seen my fair share of dictatorships, but if the Consuls truly do rule from the shadows, I...can't say I have much faith in their governance."

	[color=f49ac2]"Hah. Yeah. Me neither."[/color] Sakura nodded. [color=f49ac2]"Not to mention their boss."[/color] She said, her tone souring as she made a loud series of clacks with the puck as she ricocheted it from rim to rim.

[color=f49ac2]"Ping ping!"[/color] The kinetic action cheered her up again almost immediately. Sakura checked the score. [color=f49ac2]"I wonder how much time we got left on this thing."[/color]

"Boss...?" When Sakura directed her gaze toward the table's electronic scoreboard, Ei saw that she currently had three points to her friend's four. That was not the realization that surprised her, though. "Wait, there's a time limit?" She pulled the puck out from her receptacle and slapped it back down on the table. "Ready yourself then, Miss Kasugano. I have not lost yet!" With determined vigor she wound back and sent the puck bouncing toward her opponent, sacrificing defense for power. One way or another, this would be over soon.

[color=f49ac2]"At the arcade? There's always a time limit, Ei-san."[/color] Sakura said. That had been so obvious to her she hadn't even thought to mention it. Sakura squared her shoulders. [color=f49ac2]"I'm ready for you!"[/color] Any chat about Galeem could wait. Sakura and Ei were playing a serious game, now! 

With a block that sent vibrations shooting up her fingers, Sakura met the oncoming puck with her pusher. The force of the block and the speed of the puck sent it careening back towards Ei! When defense and offense blurred into one, air hockey quickly spiralled out of control.

Alas, it was all for naught. After a few seconds of high-speed action, the air hockey table abruptly went dark, the air current from its surface shut off. Ei let out a groan of disappointment as the puck slid to a stop in front of her; she tried to bat it back at Sakura, but it barely got anywhere before the friction halted it again. "We can count that as your win," Ei declared. "But I'd like to go again and even the score."
	
Sakura let out a sigh of relief, and then pumped her fists. [color=f49ac2]"Good game!"[/color] She said. 

As for Ei's request for a runback, Sakura nodded vigorously. [color=f49ac2]"If you want! I'd never one-and-done someone."[/color] 

[color=f49ac2]"Loser gets first puck."[/color] She said, leaning forward and making sure the puck was at Ei's side before the air ducts turned back on. Why ruin a good time with politics?!