Zoey Boey

①⑨⑥⑧ — a DC/Marvel Pitch

Okay, here we go again. I'm probably gonna try and join this one and I'm probably gonna try to get my character to meet another character ASAP. Or try and get my character to have a previous relationship already established with another person. Can you blame a girl for trying?

World of Light

Kasugano Sakura

Level 3: 23/30
Location: The Atomos. Talking to @DracoLunaris and @MULTI_MEDIA_MAN and @Lugubrious
Word Count: 755
Points Gained: 2
New EXP Balance--- Level 4: 05/40

Everything regarding the Water Princess and Ranger, and this new ship girl, seemed to be working out. She must have missed her introduction. She had big monstrous tails, and a very revealing outfit in a way that sort of dehumanized her. There was nothing wrong with showing some skin but those clothes were clearly just placed on her by somebody else with no regard for what she would actually want.

She ended up feeling quite bad for her. Kamek had given her a heart, and it was clear she wasn't sure what to do with it. She was just a weapon, made to be disposable. It made Sakura sad, so she was going to try and introduce her to concepts like friendship and hobbies!

Junior also had some...pretty bad ideas. "Y-yeah, let's just have Seaplane Tender Water Princess stay here on the Atomos. Man, that is a mouthful." Sakura said, mumbling the last part more to herself.

Princess Peach was somewhere else, and Kamek was going to go looking for her.

"Hmm," Sakura stayed seated, rubbing her chin as she considered the sitaution. "Well, I still feel pretty crappy because I got blown up. I kinda wanna be lazy, y'know?" She admitted with a sheepish smile.

"I'll stay here with the other ship girls and Junior. If that's okay? Maybe catch a nap or something? Just don't forget to come back and get us before getting dinner, okay?" She said.

Sakura would descend down the ramp to wave goodbye to whoever left. "Hi, there, Captain Briney," She said while she was still there. When she realised he might not recognize her, she got awkward and retreated back up into the Atomos.

(I kinda feel bad about absorbing this ship girl's spirit. I hope that if she was still all here, she would be happy with the things I did. I guess...I guess she kinda is me, now, though, right? We combined. So if she wouldn't be happy, I would know...? I don't even know her name. I should ask Ranger about her.)

"Uh, hey Junior," She called up to the turtle boy. "I'm gonna go check up on the other ship girls. Call me if there's trouble, okay?" With that she headed inside to the back bedroom.

"Okay, ladies." Sakura triumphantly appeared in the doorway with a confident smile, stance wide, fists on her hips. I think we need to come up with some names! Heavy Cruiser Ri-Class and Seaplane Tender Water Princess won't do! And maybe we should go shopping. Or maybe I'll go shopping and just bring back a bunch of clothes and we do make overs. Especially you, Heavy Cruiser Ri-Class. I think you need something tough and cool and punk. And blue! It'll match your eyes." She said. "Oh, I'm Sakura, by the way. This is Ranger, and this," She paused. "Is Seaplane Tender Water Princess. Yeah, see? New names. Nick names!"

She sat down on the bed. "Ri-class? Maybe...Ririka? Riri?" She looked her up and down. "Hmm. I don't want to force something on you. It's an important decision! But, it's also one that can be reversed later if you want to change your name." She added.

"And Seaplane Tender Water Princess," she inhaled, and then laughed, out of breath. Her studying eye turned to the Water Princess. "You sound like you're from France. Do you know France? I think a beautiful french name would suit you." Sakura placed her thumb on her chin and tried to think of French girl names.

"...Charlotte?" She said. It was from a children's book. The only other french name she could think of was the name of that old queen that got her head chopped off by angry people. Too grim! Unfortunately, Charlotte also dies at the end of Charlotte's Web. That made her cry so much.

"Charlotte is a pretty name. What do you think, Ranger? I guess we could just call them Seaplane and Cruiser. If we wanted to be effecient. And boring, if you ask me." She crossed her arms and legs on the bed, closing one eye indignantly. "Don't just go with that idea. I feel stupid for bringing it up. I want to pressure you two into doing something cool and brave."

Sakura blinked. She straightened her back, now both eyes closing. "Not pressure in a bad way- pressure in a good way." She declared.

Steelbird Landing [STILL ACCEPTING. 2/4 SLOTS TAKEN]

Yes it's still open. It's super open. I'm not the GM or Co-GM but it's really open, lol. I'm the only one who's even submitted a CS.

《 H. E. R. O. 》

Brooke

Her life was in the hands of a group of children with terrible irish accents.

"Y-yeah. I'm gonna die." Brooke mumbled to herself as Firebird smooth talked his way onto the boat full of super villains. "Had a good run, Brooke. Real good. But everyone's clock has to stop eventually. Some sooner than others. All things considered...coulda been worse." She shrugged.

She couldn't even see anything. So she just kept her head down and kept mostly quiet.

"Ouchie," Brooke complained quietly as her shoulder was accidentally pushed near it's rotational limit by Aria.

Soon, they made their way into the boiler room. Aria saw fit to pull of her blindfold, Brooke opening her eyes and blinking a few times. She took the key and cell phone. "Look hostage-y. Got it. Good luck out there." She said. Her face scrunched up as the blindfold was put back over her eyes.

"Uh-" She said as Patricia left her. Brooke felt around blindly for the back pocket of her jeans, storing the cellphone and key in there.

"...Well," she said to Rumi. "You're a super-genius, right? Sir. E Brum? You been, uh, captured many times before? Not me. This is my first time. I had a pretty good track record." She sighed. She sat back, letting her head hit the wall. There wasn't much to look at in the boiler room, so she just listened instead.

How The Leaves Fall

baah, really? i've seen no evidence of two people blasting ahead, ever! fake news.

okay. i guess i'll sit on my hands for now.

How The Leaves Fall

Well, it's Saturday and I've got nothing to do except RP and play video games. Is posting more than one time per cycle okay? Otherwise Violet's question is gonna be hanging there without resolution for a whole week, lol.

How The Leaves Fall

Emily Dawson

Emily Dawson talking about nothing and everything was as familiar to the students of Westcliffes one and only school as the morning bell. This time, she was one of the first, if not the first, student to arrive to class. Other times she would arrive quite late, having gotten distracted by one thing or another.

On this chilly october morning, the redhead with a chin length bob, died blonde halfway down, had become obsessed with basic arts and crafts. Extremely basic arts and crafts someone might see at an elementary school. Considering not even the youngest were excluded from Emily's conversational machinegun fire, she may have even learned something of it from one of them. And learning it from them had spiralled her gleefully into late night youtube binging.

She had a stack of unsharped pencils six layers high. "Now, the trick-" she said to no one in particular. "Is to balance them on a flat surface. Sounds obvious, right? But this desk is actually a little unbalanced. So if it rolls, that's bad. That means you can't even get the pencil stack one pencil high. Then it's not a pencil stack- it's just a bunch of pencils. So that's why I put my history textbook under the chair. That way the desk is even. Took me a while to figure out it's center of gravity, though."

Then she was using colored paper to make little paper kites. Diamond shapes constructions of paper with two triangles toward the bottom, making it look like a stubby legged cartoon figure. "-and that's why a confederation of internet providers is actually a pretty good idea. A democratization of power among smaller local providers would encourage competition- maybe. Or it could just be smaller internets. I dunno! Wouldn't a Westcliffe Phone Company be so cool, though?" Before anyone could answer her, she held up one of her paper kites.

She raised her voice so that people would pay attention to her. On some level even Emily realised the utter inanity of her words and kept them low, just above a 'talking to herself' voice. But when she thought she had something cool, she wanted to share it."Look, see? This one's Denise. That one's Henry, Delilah, and there's Eli." There were about fifteen paper kite figures on her desk she had made. Almost everyone in the class had them.

They were color coded with colors that Emily thought matched their personalities. And they all had cartoon faces, with big, expressive eyes, cute noses, and single lined mouths. The Denise one was purple. She had a mischevious smile, thick, furrowed eyebrows, and a bandaid on her cheek. The Violet one had make-up on. Her eyes were half-lidded, one perfect eyebrow raised, and she had a small smile on her face.

All of them were smiling, infact, just in different ways. The biggest smile was probably Ben's paper kite, his eyes closed and tilted up like he had just heard or told a hilarious joke. Eli's wasn't looking forward, he was looking off to the side. And his eyes had thin lines drawn under them, like he had just rolled out of bed. A good natured smirk tugged at the side of his lips nonetheless. Lowell's had a pitch perfect recreation of the teethless smile that usually rested on his sharp features. Said sharp features were represented by cheek lines. Emily herself had a light blue paper kite, eyes big, wide, and sparkling. The drawings were simple for Emily was no artist, but very expressive and accurate. At least, accurate to what people projected, not what was deep inside. There was a genuine earnestness in all the cartoon faces that may not match the person they were created for. In Emily's version of reality, though, everyone was themselves, and everyone was happy.

Whenever one of the students got close enough, Emily would extend her hand outward to give them their kite figure. "Basically Orson Welles convinced, like, a bajillion people that Martians really were attacking the Earth. People sure were easy to trick back then, huh? Does anyone wanna join the Journalism club? I'm still the only member so I'm looking for a club president. I don't really wanna be president but I could be vice president." Emily asked, not even looking up to see if anyone was responding. Her sharpie seemed to have run slightly dry. She shook it back and forth before studying the tip of the pen closely. She leaned down, sniffed it, and then blinked in rapid succession, recoiling. A few moments later she was back to drawing, this time attempting to capture the likeness of their teacher.

Word association Game!

cutter

Steelbird Landing 2021 [Open to New Interest]

moving my character over here from the interest check

The Oilburner

Belly Button

Me (looking cute) and my MACHINE GUN! It doesn't work yet but it will! Don't tell anyone that it doesn't work, or else I'll shoot you with it when it's fixed.

---

¤ Age, approximately.
NINETEEN! I'm Nineteen. I counted. I remember the very m-m-moment I was born, y'know! I was there th-the whole time! I can say, without a doubt, one HUNDO percent, that I am Nineteen, Three Months, and TWO DAYS...young.

¤ What Are You?
The Oilburner.

Someone who needs heat, and casts away shadows with light and flame alike. Always trying to "burn the midnight oil" as much as possible.

¤ What defines you?

Sharp. With a capital S.

¤ Who are you?
Hmm...well...I don't even know where to start! At the beginning, I guess. Nineteen years, three months, and two days ago, I was squirted from a vagina. You probably already guess that, that's true for everybody. Unless you got cut out? Anyway my mom's name was Braid and my dad's name was Who-Gives-A-Fuck, I dunno, he wasn't there.

I was actually born in Steelbird Landing, wouldn't you believe it? Back in the bad old days! Braid, my momma, she was a good lady. Real pretty, if you ask me, and smart as a c-c-cookie. The only thing I don't like about her is that she named me Belly Button. I wish she woulda named me Ponytail or Bun, or...Piercing. Something. Belly Button...I guess she thought it was cute? She was that kind of lady, my momma. She wanted me to be smart, she did! I am. Lucky I was BORN smart, pretty sure. Most people in this world are just born dumb idiots, but me, I was born smart, real smart. A f-f-fucking genius. But I still had to learn, just like everyone else!

Now my momma she had it bad. While I was born in S-s-steelbird Landing, she wasn't. My dad, Who-Gives-A-Fuck, (momma never told me his name) was a bad man. A real bad man. Let's j-j-just say that little old Belly Button wasn't a mistake, but she sure as shit wasn't intentional, either. Least not on Momma's part. But she loved me anyway because Momma Braid was the best woman to ever live. Now Gives-A was the leader of a bunch of pricks up north. Holed up in a couple of old city blocks. Anyway they hated everyone and everything. E-e-even each other! And the leader thought he owned everyone. Everyone believed him. S-s-so I guess that means he really d-d-did own everyone? Anyway my momma decided to run away from his DUMB ASS and she took books from the library with her, and she took me with her, too, and I was inside her because I was just a gross little fetus lookin' thing at the time. (I know, because I remember!)

Well he hated that. But fuck him, he's probably dead by now. She ran ran ran, with a few others, and most of 'em made it to Steelbird Landing. And my momma decided I was gonna be the SMARTEST boy that ever l-l-lived! But I was a girl, but she said that's okay, because, again, best person ever.

Aaanyway, so I grew up here! And I read those books every day, e-e-even if I didn't understand them. Momma taught me the few words that she knew. She found picture books for me, alphabet books. And I loved loved loved it, almost as m-m-much as I loved her.

My childhood was lots of books. I r-ran off by myself to scavenge more books. I traded for them, did tasks and favors. Y-you'd be surprised how many people still have books! They just use them as doorstoppers and table-evener-outers and plates or toilet paper.

M-m-my favorite was ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS engineering! Science fiction inspired me! Old pictures of beauty beautiful things that we forgot how to build. Steelbird itself is built on the remnants of an airplane! People u-u-used to get in 'em and, and, like, fly all over the world! Like birds! Once I figured stuff like that out, there was no stopping me. I wanted to be just like those people. I wanted to make great things! So I did! I DID make great things! I'm REALLY REALLY GOOD AT IT! Engineering and CHEMISTRY and MATH and LITERATURE! There's SO MUCH! INFINITE KNOWLEDGE! My appetite for discovery has never been not whet. My momma gave me a book about a caterpillar who ate and ate and ate, until it became a beautiful butterfly and flew away.

That's gonna be me someday.

A-a-anyway, where was I? Oh yeah! I started making toys! Simple ones, out of wood. Then I added m-moving parts that the other kids could move with their hands. My goal was to make things that if you pushed a button something happened, and I d-did that, too. Because, y'see, I'm really smart. And I learned to be smarter.

SOME kids thought they could take advantage of me and take and steal the toys but I set them straight by setting their hair on fire. NO ONE messes with Ms. Button.

That's when I discovered I'm, uh, a bit of a fire bug. It's not that big of a deal, really, nowadays I g-get it out of my system when I'm welding or heating metal. B-but sometimes I need to find a nice secluded spot and j-j-just raze something. Just an itchy itchy itch in the back of my head, I guess, sometimes. I've always liked blowing things up almost as much as I liked making other things. N-now making things to blow up other things up? W-well, THAT IS THE DREAM, IS IT NOT?

Wasn't all fire and brimstone! I looove chemistry. Very necessary for blowing things up. Not quite as good at it, YET. I made a water purifier! It was really shitty and it broke but I'm making another one. I also make bear traps and regular traps and, I guess, uh, infrastructure! I love making things. This post-apocalyptic world makes for g-g-GREAT challenge. Y'know? So many things to learn and do and see- it- it it- it's all too much! I can BARELY CONTAIN MYSELF! Sometimes I just wanna--- EXPLODE! But I can't do that, so instead I blow up other things! Sometimes. Like I said, it's not a big deal, really.

Naturally, as all great women of science do, I wish to SHARE my knowledge with the rest of the civilized world! Unfortunately most people in this backwater town are too dumb. But but but that's okay. My momma helps organize things. I would LOVE LOVE for there to be a library in Steelbird Landing! Best d-day of my life, that would be. I'm working it! Plus, that means everyone would give me their books for FREE! As long as I got to put them back. And I would put my books there, too! And if anyone tried to steal from it- I would just set them on fire!

And I FARM! I try too, anyway- I got help from some of the local subsistence farmers! I made little pulley systems that increase the farming, so you just pull one thing and all of it gets watered. And rainwater collectors! Potatoes! I love potatoes. Potatoes are the best thing in the world, second only to books, second only to Momma. You can use them to eat! And you can use them to make ALCOHOL! And alcohol can be used to set things on fire. And also trade! And also BATTERIES!?!? God isn't real but potatoes are evidence that he really really is!

...I hate the jungle. And all those monsters. Those freaks and savages in the woods like my biological father. And those people who believe in fake gods. Makes me sick sick sick to my stomach. Everything would have been FINE if nobody went crazy. But no! The disasters weren't enough. One day they're all gonna be dead and gone and only the sm-SMART people like ME will still be alive!

I have followers! Friends! They like me! I'm trying to teach people how to r-r-read. Improving literacy rates is vital for the growth of any society! I'd love to get it at at least 10%! The more people who knows how to read, the more people can teach other people how to r-r-read! It's like a disease! But a good one. The vaccination for literacy would be brain trauma, I guess. And I'd be a super spreader! Watch out, I'm contagious! Haha! Wait, no, maybe that's not the best metaphor. Did you know cholera spreads from dirty water?

But yeah anyway, I think people like me. Well, they haven't tried to kill me in a while, anyway. I'm a regular en-en-entrepreneur! I mean I wanna work on cars and everything but..there's too much! Right now I'm focusing on literacy rates! The Steelbird Public Library will take over the world! All the little kiddies will be even smarter than me. Well, maybe not, but st-st-still.

Anyway yeah that's me. You asked who I am and you got me!

By the way...you can just call me Bell, or Button, or Ms. Button. It's- it's fine, r-really.

---

¤ What do you want?
Some day...some day I wanna burn that whole damn jungle to the ground.

After that, I wanna build a car.

Then...? I wanna make a new Steelbird. An airplane! I wanna make a new Steelbird and fly, fly, fly away, far from here. Then I'll return with treasures and knowledge! There's gotta be someplace out there for people like me. I've seen pictures of places where there IS no jungle. They can h-h-help us.

¤ What do you believe?

Truth. Truth truth truth. I think the truth is that we had something really good going and then we all screwed it up. Nature threw a little temper tantrum and all the weak-minded l-l-LUNATICS took the opportunity to go on murderous rampages. Steelbird Landing, and places like it, are the ONLY hope! Every where else is full of BRAIN DEAD MORONS! One day things will get back to how they used to be. I'm probably not gonna live to see it, though, but SOMEONE will, and they're gonna look at a big statue of me and say "Gee thanks, Belly Button, you really had something good going on."

¤ What do you follow?

If you're anywhere near as smart as I am, you probably g-guessed it. That's right! My kneecaps. No HAHA, no, it's my NOODLE, of course! My brain, my mind, that wonderful p-p-pile of electrified grey matter rattling around in my noggin! It's NEVER lead me astray. It IS me, actually. I'm my brain! What else would I follow, if not me my brain?

¤ A scarcity embodied:

(Time. Button has so much she wants to do and not enough time to do it. She was born in the wrong time. She yearns for a time that has past. To her, everything moves so agonizingly slow.)

¤ Basic Instincts:

I always have goggles and a mask. If not on my face, then on standby! Never know when a bunch of small particles are gonna fly in your face.

I always return to my garage.

...And I've got a lighter or a flint and tinder or a matchbox or a tinderbox on me. Just a little something to start a little fire.

¤ Spill Your Guts

¤ What do you most regret doing?

One time one of my fires got out of control. Someone had built a homestead on the outskirts- I didn't see it there b-b-because I was so excited, I really had the itch that time. I don't think there was anyone inside. At least I hope there wasn't. I didn't check. =

¤ Who do you owe?

I owe my Momma everything.

¤ What/Who are you addicted to? What are you willing to do to acquire it?

I'm addicted to...knowledge. Books. Stories. Scrap. I NEED a project to work on. I need to be DOING something, otherwise why am I even alive!?

¤ Who's intentions do you question?

There's a w-woman named Vineleaf that comes around to my garage. She says she only wants to learn how to read but she looks at my gadgets and my toys and my engines. And she looks at me when she thinks I'm not looking. I don't know what she r-r-really wants from me, but sh-she really creeps me out.

¤ Who wants you all to themselves?

People in faraway places. Who-Gives-A-Fuck, probably. They hear about my hands and my brain and they want to get at me but I'm a solo operator! I'm a WOMAN OF THE PEOPLE! NO GODS NO KINGS!

---

Hear the Whispers...

S-s-sometimes, when one of my fires goes REALLY, REALLY HOT, and it's really really dark, and I'm really really all alone, I feel like it talks to me. I know it's not real. I know it's just that nasty nasty nasty l-light, up over my head. But it tells me to keep burning. It feels like I go on fire, too, and it feels good. I feel like I can turn into the King Midas of the inferno, and everything I touch melts away in my hand. I'll drown in the ashes. When it's over, there will only be cinders and peace. A Great Phoenix will rise and rule and soar and look upon my finest work and respect me. The Great Phoenix- that's what the fire says to me sometimes.

It's scary. I don't want the Phoenix to come h-h-here. Only SOME things need to be destroyed. Other things need to be BUILT. And I get to choose. Only me. Only Button.

So I usually bring a book to read while I'm setting fires. Just in case I need to get my mind off things.

OWN WHAT YOU'VE BECOME

The Oilburner? I've seen her in the night, lit by the orange glow of a fire. I hope that little spark doesn't consume us all...

YOUR FATHER RECENTLY GOT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR WHEREABOUTS. WHO LET IT SLIP?

Pr-probably m-m-m-m-me... I...I haven't been c-c-careful. I knew I shoulda had mom ch-change her name! He's...he's not gonna come here, is he..? Wh-w-whatever! Whatever! I'm not scared of him! He comes here, I'll just set him on fire!

YOU'VE SEEN ONE OF THE MONSTERS IN THE JUNGLE BEFORE. WHAT DID IT LOOK LIKE? WHAT DID IT SAY TO YOU?

I kn-know I shouldn't leave by myself. But, I don't like it when other people w-watch me burn things. So...y'know. I have to go. And the fire usually keeps animals away. Usually. U-usua...

Um...well. It was tall. Must have been nearly 6 meters tall. It looked like it was about to fall over. So it...it had to lean on the trees for support. It was narrow, and...mossy. And wet. And quiet. Way, way, too quiet quiet...quiet. I couldn't see it's face, it was t-too dark up there. The flames...didn't reach. It asked me...why.

But there was no way it really knew what it was asking me. Infact- I-I-I was probably just s-suffering from auditory pareidolia! Or m-maybe it's just a habit, from the...human it used to be. I screamed and ran away, and I thought it was gonna strangle me to death with it's super creepy long fingers.

It's not...mad at me, is it? For burning down the jungle? No way. No way. Just a monster. Just wanted to eat me or kill me or...turn me into one of it. I dunno! Just one more reason to INCINERATE THAT PLACE!

YOU HAVE SUSPICIONS THAT ONE OF YOUR "STUDY FRIENDS" HAS ULTERIOR MOTIVES... WHO WAS IT, AND WHAT DID YOU SEE THEM DO?

Vineleaf. Vineleaf, Vineleaf, Vineleaf. Look, I'll say it- she's hot, okay? And m-maybe some part of my h-hormone addled brain is just making things up, so I think I have her attention. But I know what I know, and I think what I think. And that lady is...I dunno! She's weird! She looks at me! I catch her in the mirror looking at me when she thinks I'm n-not looking. And she's so...touchy. I have to stop her from g-going into the back rooms.

O-okay, look, I'm not crazy. I swear she pick-pocketed me. Reached right into my o-overall back pocket and t-took my protractor! I think one time I caught her tr-trying to sn-sneak out with my calculator! I can't be sure, though.

Now, I know what you're thinking: "Belly Button...why don't you just set her on fire? Or ban her from your shop?"

W-well, arson is illegal in Steelbird Landing. And for good reason, don't get me wrong. And well...somehow, she always talks me out of it. Always apologises, always seems so genuine. Maybe she's just dumb? And other p-people seem to like her. I dunno. I dunno what her deal is. I wish she would just leave me alone.

Plus plus plus...well... my mom knows her dad. And her dad, Orchard, helped my mom escape. So even if Vineleaf is a weirdo or a dumbass, I f-feel like I...owe her something? She was just a baby when her dad made the run Steelbird Landing. But in a way, I guess we did it together. I dunno.

SOMEONE HAS OFFERED YOU A LOT OF JINGLE FOR A SPECIAL PROJECT. WHO WAS IT, AND WHY DID YOU TURN THEM DOWN?

Probably gotta be Spider. Sh-she asked me to make a smoke bomb. Spider is kinda creepy. So I said: why do you need a smoke bomb? And she says, to put out fires. Then she asked me if I know much about chemicals. And I said yes. And then SHE said if I know anything about p-putting people to sleep with the chemicals. And I asked her wh-why, and she said it's because she has insomnia. Then she just gives me this big price. Like woah, lady, I ain't even said yes yet. I turned her down, said I was busy. Told her to go see Salamander for her insomnia, if she cares about it so much.

Look...I'm not stupid, right? Smoke bomb? Sleeping stuff? That's biological warfare. You can combine those two things reaaalll easy. Sleeping bomb? Who makes that? Who needs that? Regular bombs, sure. Sleeping bombs? I dunno. Seems suspicious.

SOMEONE TAKES ISSUE WITH YOU AND ALL YOUR INVENTIONS. WHO IS IT, AND WHAT HAVE THEY DONE ABOUT IT SO FAR?

Jerry Fuckin' Can. I hate that guy. Fat bastard. Stupid Jerry. God damn Luddite. Religious sonova bitch. Says that technology was the reason the world went to shit in the first place. Says I'm makin' the same mistakes. Says I'm gonna burn the world to cinders! Fuck you, Can. I'm gonna burn your house down. He threatens me! With his eyes! He doesn't say anything outloud, only to me, when he's alone with me during low hours or when I'm workin. I swear he broke some of my wooden windows. And maybe HE'S THE ONE that tried to steal my calculator!? Or my abbacus!? I dunno! I dunno dunno dunno! I wish he would just go away. And he says I'm an arsonist. Well, SO WHAT IF I AM!? AND HE CAN'T PROVE NOTHIN'!

L-look. I get it. I'm...not like a lot of other people! I j-just wish someone would try and do their thing, instead of being all sn-SNEAKY about it! Just make your move! Vineleaf and Spider and Jerry Can are always snoopin' and sneaking and lying to me and everyone and I just- I just HATE IT! I'm not good with people, okay!? Why do people gotta take advantage of that!? Jesus! I'm not hurtin' nobody!

---

¤Your theme song goes here, if you are so inclined.

World of Light

Kasugano Sakura

Level 3: 23/30
Location: The Atomos. Talking to @DracoLunaris and @MULTI_MEDIA_MAN and @Lugubrious
Word Count: 981
Points Gained: 2, +8 EXP Bonus
New EXP Balance--- Level 4: 03/40 (LEVEL UP pending)

Sakura figured Geralt didn't know what rice was. He looked like a European knight, not a samurai. They didn't have rice over there as far as she knew. He also mentioned his difficulty keeping up with modern technology. Sakura wiped the last of the tears from her eyes and face. The healing, plus her ki, meant she was feeling pretty good already.

"Yeah, I bet it's tough for you! Like the Atomos and these harnesses- they're something out of science fiction! But y'know, I see them, and I can just kind of understand how they work because I've seen them in movies and TV shows. Like, those screens you saw at the bar? They're all over the place where I'm from. But, I don't really understand how they work at all. So all this fancy shmancy tech is just kind of like that for me." Sakura explained, trying to ease Mister Geralt's worries about not understanding tech.

"Also- are you telling me you sang karaoke? That was invented in Japan! I've done it a million times! Aw, man I wish I could have been there to see you and Isabelle do it." She laughed at the totally absurd image conjured in her mind.

"But hey- I bet you know way more about magic than I do! And plus, monsters aren't real where I'm from! So you must know a TON about them considering it's your job to kill them! Which sounds super awesome by the way." Sakura listened intently to the rest of his story. He mentioned several things Sakura didn't know anything about, but she got the gist of what he was saying.

"You're a wayward warrior, just like my master-" she interrupted herself, glumly adding, "-sorry, my friend-" before picking back up with her usual enthusiasm, "Ryu! He travels the world looking for good fights and helping people. And he sort-of lives in a castle, too! I bet sometimes he gets paid in candies, too," She giggled.

At Geralt's question about specialties, she put a finger to her chin. "Hmm! There's SO much delicious food where I come from. Ice cream, hot dogs, pizza, hamburgers, tacos, burritos, curry, french bread. For Japan there's orange chicken, tempura...tofu? I love food. I know a lot about it. I'm a competitive eater, you know!" She bragged, crossing her arms. Sakura gasped, coming to a realisation. "And a cook! I could make you some sushi myself, if you wanted! I know the secret Kasugano family recipe!" Sakura clenched her fists, very excited by this prospect.

She looked over to Ranger, who properly introduced herself. "Ranger! Yoroshiku onegai shimasu! Pleased to meet you!" She took Ranger's hand and shook it vigorously. After that she briefly rose to bow politely before grunting and falling back into her chair.

"Owie. You're a teacher, huh? That's so cool! I want to be a teacher when I grow up! I mean, uh, when I get older. I mean, when I graduate college. I'm an adult now. Not a kid- I dunno why I said when I grow up because I'm an adult. I turned 18 three months ago so- anyway, hey!" Sakura re-directed the conversation away from her needing to explain that she definitely wasn't a kid anymore. She also figured there was something more important, and that was the guest that had just arrived onboard the ship. Sakura smiled brightly. She felt like she understood the Water Princess quite well, having fought her hand to hand.

"Hey! Good to see you-" She put a hand up to her mouth to surpress a giggle as the Water Princess fell over. Sakura's own face reddened, feeling a little ashamed for laughing at her new friend's misfortune. It's not like she could help it. Sakura stood up, ignoring her injures, and skipped over to the Water Princesses' fallen hat. She scooped it up and extended it out to the Abyssal ship girl.

"Of course! We'd love to have you onboard!" She turned over her shoulder, smiling and nodding for Blue team's approval. She turned around, taking the Water Princess' hand to steady her. Physically and emotionally. "And again, it's not your evildoing. It's Galeem. Remember? I know I was talking to Ranger but I was also talking to you. I just, y'know, that was kind of a crazy moment. Sorry, I'm not really good at, uh, saying important things." She smiled sheepishly.

"Here, here, take a seat, take a seat. Let me help you! You can sit next to me, Miss Tender!" Sakura began to drag the Water Princess onboard. Sakura would take the woman's full weight, if need be. With the Kamek clone healing her, the pain was only temporary. She would be insistent in this regard, blowing off any potential concern. When the Water Princess was seated, she sat down right next to her.

Coughing a few times, she glanced over to Ranger who was voicing some pretty serious concerns. Fortunately, Sakura had the answers.

"Don't worry, Miss Ranger! I know this awesome biker lady called Princess Peach! She has the ability to remove spirits from people. If we can just meet up with her on the Atomos, she can take that Abyssal stuff off you. Then your friends won't get you confused." Sakura explained cheerfully. Not many things better than being the bearer of good news.

After all this talking and moving, the teenager inhaled, sitting back in her chair. Listening to everyone else talk, she went to her hands and untied the fighting gloves. Clenching her fingers she tied them together at her hips. Their bright red color contrasted with her newly blued up sailor fuku. Buckling her seat belt across her lap she leaned back and waited to be flown back to Limsa town.