Zoey Boey

World of Light

Kasugano Sakura

Level 4: 07/40
Location: The Atomos. Talking to @DracoLunaris and @Lugubrious
Word Count: 924
Points Gained: 2
New EXP Balance--- Level 4: 09/40

Sakura put her ear against the door, continuing to signal everyone else in the silent room to be quiet. It seemed like the friendly ship girl (that Sakura had also forgotten the name and face of) was dissuaded by the brave little turtle boy. They were having a bit of a discussion. But Junior pulled it off effortlessly, flawlessly, with a total mastery over the art of deception. Or maybe he just knew when to stop talking.

Sakura jumped back as Junior knocked on the door, not sure if it was him. Fortunately, it was him, and Sakura's shoulders sagged with relief. "Phew!" She wiped her forehead dramatically. She opened the door and peaked outside. She grinned, opening the door fully and closing it behind her.

"Good job, Junior-kun!" She scooped him up, span him around and then sat him back down in the exact same spot. "You really saved our bacon." She said.

"By the way, the Heavy Cruiser Ri-Class is now called Rika. And the Water Princess's name is now Bella Navire. Don't forget! I really think it's important. I also forgot who Miss Shropshire was, by the way. Sorry you got embarassed. But it was for a good cause!" She said, turning to go back into the room and hesitating. She pointed a finger at Junior. "...Close the cargo bay doors. Please."

---

"<Man...hope I'm not screwing this up.>" She murmered quietly to herself in Japanese. There were still some things she felt bad about. But she opened up the door and entered, sitting back down by the door. Rika and Ranger were voicing their concerns. Sakura looked between the both of them and tapped her index fingers together. Biting her lower lip, she was nervously evaluating them, trying to figure out how to say what she wanted to say.

"Well, um, yeah. For now, Miss Rika, you two are gonna have to keep hiding. But- but you shouldn't have to hide that like again. Nobody's gonna come onboard the ship. I- I know you're used to the open ocean but you're just gonna have to stick with it." She said uneasily.

She leaned forward quickly, adding on. "Once we meet up with Miss Peach, you and Bella will have to find a place to live that isn't Limsa, or where you came from. Unless you want to follow us and the adventurers, but it's kind of dangerous. We're doing a lot of fighting and a lot of travelling on land." She rubbed the back of her head, unsure.

"I think- I think you need to meet up with Miss Peach to tell her what you know about the Abyssal Fleet. How we can stop it for good, so Limsa doesn't get destroyed. And so that we can progress on our quest to save the world. The worlds. I guess you could tell me? But I-I'm not a leader or a tactical person or anything." She said, shrugging.

She turned and pointed at Ranger and then back at Bella. "Definitely tell Miss Ranger, though! Once we meet Peach, which we will soon, I promise, you can stay in Limsa town. Help the other ship girls. Just remember that you're the only one that knows the truth. About Galeem." As she was speaking, Sakura felt nervous energy build up in her chest.

She really liked these three. And Junior. And Kamek, and Geralt... She didn't want them to get hurt. She felt like if one thing went wrong it would be a domino effect and everyone would get pulled into danger. While she didn't regret her choice, it was her actions that lead to this scenario. The choice to go down and help Ranger's friends escape. Then, to spare Bella. Therefore, it was her responsibility. Anything bad that happened from here on how would happen because of her. And there was something else, too, that she was uncomfortable with. The nature of her new powers.

Rising to her feet she backed up away from everyone and began doing squats. Up, down, up, down. They were perfect form. After that she dropped to her hands and knees, and then supported herself using only her forearms and her toes, going into a plank.

"But- look-" She said, turning her head away from the ground and looking up at the three ship people. "I'm gonna be here the whole time. We can try to have some fun. You guys ever done core workouts before? Or we could share stories. I have a lot of cool stories. And I know about other people who have done cool things." After thirty seconds of planking she lifted one arm and held it straight out, doing a one handed plank. Her harness clanked awkwardly, but she ignored it.

"Like, o to, let's see..." She switched hands. "Okay, wait, hold on. Hold on. I'm sorry. Something's bothering me." She got onto her knees and looked up at Ranger.

She touched her cat ears. "Ranger-san? Is this okay? Is this really okay?" She asked, referring to her absorbed spirit. "What was her name? Did you want her spirit back? I don't plan on keeping her forever." Sakura pursed her lips, briefly glancing back at Bella, who's body was used to kill the ship girl by Galeem. "It- it- I dunno. I dunno how to feel about it. Is it really not a big deal?" She continued tapping her index fingers together nervously.

Blood's Jewels (High Casual Fantasy Revolution)

The Inn

Dareen looked at the boy and frowned. She put the pieces together rather quickly. "Ah, right. Sorry, kid." Dareen said quietly, empathetically. It was all she could offer, given his reticence to talk about it. She didn't mean to stumble upon a bad part of his history. Of course the backstories of lonely children on the street was rarely a pleasant one. Dareen noted to be more careful.

Once she was in the room, it turned out she was wrong. Faeril had been having a shitty day. Dareen wasn't going to compound it by sticking her nose into her business. Mikhail was dropping flies out of the air with his icy aura. Dareen leaned up against the wall a few feet away from him, watching the interaction unfold. Things were tense. In the way that Dareen felt inequipped to handle. These kinds of weird Blood social interactions weren't really her forte. She preferred talking things out with other mercenary groups or village authorities. People who lived in...well, the real world, as far as Dareen was concerned. Not some other world of webs and spells.

The brothers were upset. It was kind of funny. They really did fawn over her. Dareen looked over to Fatima. "I think we need to hear your thoughts." She said quietly. Dareen was under the impression that the Black Widow was the leader of their group, but it was becoming clearer to her that Fatima was the reason all of this was happening.

Steelbird Landing 2021 [Open to New Interest]

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 4: 06/40
Location: The Atomos. Talking to @DracoLunaris and @Lugubrious
Word Count: 505
Points Gained: 1
New EXP Balance--- Level 4: 07/40

Sakura clapped her hands together and then shot one hand forward, creating a peace sign at Rika. "Rika it is! Awesome! Hi there, Rika, my name's Sakura! In Japanese, Rika means 'always strong.'" Then she shook her hands quickly back and forth, a chill running up her spine. "Wow! I just got goosebumps!" She said, beaming. The process of Rika choosing her first name for the first time was one Sakura was emotionally invested in.

As she stood up to make sure everything outside the room was copacetic, Seaplane Tender thought about who she would like to be. She seemed very interested in France. It made Sakura feel bittwersweet emotions. Would she ever get to see France? Maybe. But the fact that Seaplane Tender already had something to think about besides warfare made her young heart soar. Having a dream was one of the best things a person could have.

Sakura turned over her shoulder at the Seaplane Tender as she chose her name. "I- I love it! Bella Navire. Flows right off the-" Sakura peaked back out the bedroom door and gasped in surprise and horror. It was a ship girl with the greenest hair Sakura had ever seen!

Sakura slammed the door and frantically signalled for Rika, Bella, and Ranger to hide in the back corner of the room.

"There's someone coming! A ship girl! Uh oh! Uh oh!" She whisper-shouted, voice quiet and strained. Her heart was beating a million miles a minute. This panic was on a level that surpassed the deadly battle she had recently participated in. Sakura kept her back against the door, holding the doorknob. She was the worst liar she knew. Ranger might know it, from their brief combat encounter on the sea.

"Keep quiet! Shush shush shush! Stop panicking!" She put a finger to her lips and failed to convince anyone that she wasn't panicking. "O tto, o tto, o ttooo...!" She exhaled her fear in her native tongue. This was a situation she couldn't punch her way out of. In other words, it was a situation she didn't have the solution for. If that bright-eyed, affable shipgirl stumbled her way into a room full of Abyssal looking people, what would happen? What Sakura be able to just smack her hard enough before she made too much noise? If she screamed or got a shot off, it wouldn't matter if she got Friend Hearted because other people would come to investigate! A conga line of doom!

"Don't worry, don't worry! I'll keep the door shut! Just stay hidden! Hide under the beds, under the blanket! No, wait, don't! Shush! Shush! Keep your voices down!" Sakura pressed her back against the door, keeping it closed. She held her breath, her cheeks ballooning. Had that green-haired girl seen her? She did, right? She seemed nice. Maybe if Sakura just kept the door shut, she would respect their privacy? But she was a soldier! COME BACK WITH A SEARCH WARRANT, COPPER!

How The Leaves Fall

i am having fun. too bad about lowell though. i already had my emily post mostly written so, wasn't too had to get done, lol

How The Leaves Fall

Emily Dawson

In terms of charmer to charmee, Violet warming up to Emily was like using a flamethrower to light a firecracker. Emily saw Violet enter the room while she was drawing and stacking pencils. As Violet approached, Emily initially assumed the heiress was going to walk right past her. She went to grab her Violet paper kite to try and hand it to her as she passed. But much to her surprise, Violet decided to stop by and have a chat.

"-one hundred percent caffeine power can trigger a fatal overdose, even in small amounts. That's true for most things. If you eat too much salt you dry up and if you drink too much water that's called drowning. Kinda morbid, huh?" It seemed that Emily had noticed Violet's coffee and had latched onto it. "Teens should really only be drinking 100mg a day, and-" At this point her mutterings were cut off by the heiresses perfect entrance. Her mouth gaped and she looked up at the blonde with wide eyes.

"Oh...hi, Violet! What...what am I up to? I'm..." Her hands grasped for a paper kite, finding Violet's...violet colored image. "I'm up to my ears in paper kites, that's what!" She laughed, snorting at her own 'pun.' She looked Violet up and down, taking in everything the heiress probably wanted her too. The wealth and the aesthetics and the everything. Needless to say, Emily was impressed. Her own outfit was a light blue hoodie, a few bracelets, and jeans with holes in the knees. Her own phone was a clam shell that flipped open with satisfying clacks.

"Did you want yours? I made it special." She held it out at arms length, lining up her drawing with Violet's actual face. She giggled proudly when they saw that they matched. "Sorry if you don't like the smell of sharpie. I didn't think to not use sharpie, I should have used dry erase markers instead. But the good news is the paper kite drawing won't ever ever fade." She explained.

World of Light

our power grows

①⑨⑥⑧

don't want to ghost, so i'm withdrawing my interest from the RP. good luck!

World of Light

Kasugano Sakura

Level 4: 05/40
Location: The Atomos. Talking to @DracoLunaris and @Lugubrious
Word Count: 713
Points Gained: 1
New EXP Balance--- Level 4: 06/40

Sakura was taken aback by Ri-Class Cruiser's questions. She hadn't realised just how far out of it Ri-Class was. She opened her eyes and deflated, regarding the Abyssal with sympathy and concern. She really didn't know anything other than warfare. Suddenly Sakura felt like her words had more weight, and she lost momentum.

"Oh...um. Well..." She stammered. Water Princess spoke up, then. She didn't know anything about France.

"Wow. That is crazy. I've heard you speak French. I guess it's just a multiversal coincidence." Sakura mused. Then she nodded over at Ranger, who mentioned not choosing her own name. "Yeah. I didn't choose my name- my parents gave me one. I guess choosing a name for yourself is way harder than I thought it would be."

Sakura dismissed the words "Vichy Dominion," chalking it up to interdimensional coincidence. She turned her attention back to Ri-Class and her question. Particularly, about punk. Sakura hesitated, wondering if she was putting too much on the poor Abyssal. She tried to choose her words carefully.

"Ri-Class, you look tough. And to me, your color scheme looks punk. And punk is being rebellious and cool, and wearing dark clothes and make up and spikes and studs. So something like a cool leather jacket, and jeans, and a tank top. And your giant hand mouths would make you look really cool with an outfit like that." Sakura explained quickly. Then she pinched the bridge of her nose, reeling back in her enthusiasm.

"Sorry, sorry. I don't want to overwhelm you. You can start with something like a t-shirt and regular pants. Especially since you don't even know what punk is. Think about it. Clothes are a great way to express yourself! And you won't really know what name is the right one. You just have to," She sighed, trying to find the right words. "Guess, I guess? Man. This is hard." Sakura got off up on the bed and moved over to Ri-Class, sitting down next to her on the floor and crossing her legs. Sakura looked back over to the Water Princess while Ri-Class thought about who she wanted to be from here on out.

Sakura paused, exhaling. Her brow was furrowed in thought, her lips compressed. She leaned on her knees with her elbows and pressed her knuckles against her chin. This entire thing had become much more important than she anticipated. So she was going to try her best to make sure Ri-Class and Water Princess could build a new identity for themselves.

She looked up, hoping to help Ranger give name suggestions. "There's lots of French names. I just can't think of any on the spot. There's Emilie, and Marie, and Cherie. And Gabriella. I've been to France a couple times, since I like to travel a lot. There's this big tower called the Eiffel tower, in this beautiful city called Paris. They call it the City of Lights. Best bread I ever had! I also had some wine, too, but don't tell anyone. Let's see: Bella? That's a french name." Sakura said. If the Water Princess didn't know anything about France, Sakura felt like it was her responsibility to give her the basics.

Sakura pointed a finger at the ceiling, having come up with an idea. "I got on a boat in France! The french word for boat is navire. That might be a good name? Lots of people are just named after objects. My name means cherry blossom." Sakura said, attempting to reassure the Water Princess.

"So, yeah." She sat up straight. "I'm gonna shut my big mouth now and give you guys a chance to think." She scooted backwards away from Ri-Class and leaned up against the wall. Briefly she leaned towards the door and barely opened it, trying to see the rest of the Atomos. Hopefully no one was giving their ship weird looks. Or Junior hadn't been kidnapped or something. Having this thought she stood up and stuck her head outside the door and glanced around. Junior was still working on repairs from what she could hear. Her cat ears twitched.

Assured everything was normal, she closed the door and got back to focusing on her new friends.

《 H. E. R. O. 》

Pandora compressed her lips as she watched Powers work. Hand on her waist she followed behind, looking around the complex with disinterest. She loomed over one of the guards and poked them in the side with her foot before leaving them unconscious on the ground. The orange-eyed redhead wandered into the server room, squinting at the machines.

"No...no, they didn't." She responded absent mindedly to Powers assertion about computers. He asked her to take care of some incoming soldiers. With a nod she sank into the Earth. Armed guards were easy to deal with on their own. The same strategy worked every time.

The first of the three arm guards was sucked under up to his shoulders. The ground turned to a quicksand like sludge that thoroughly incapacitated him. He could move, slightly, and indeed in a few hours would probably be able to escape. Pandora listened to the vibrations and poked her head out to locate the other two. One of them fired at the ground and hit nothing but hard concrete, before they also met the same fate. The last one Pandora emerged from behind, kicked out the back of their leg and then pulled them onto their back. They sank horizontally into the concrete, the back half of their body trapped. It was an easy affair. S-tier, she was. She looked over the three still conscious guards who would have the freedom to chat with each other if they liked.

Pandora was distracted, though. She returned to Powers and looked over his shoulder. "You wouldn't happen to be someone else in disguise, would you? There was a half an hour there where I didn't actually see where you were. Perhaps you've been swapped out with someone else. Or placed under mind control." She observed him suspicously, trying to figure him out.

"Hmm." She crossed her arms. "Well, I suppose if you were trying to decieve me, it'd probably be easier to drag one of the little runts along. And this is a secret base, with no heroic insignia, from what I can tell. Worst case scenario, this is an official government facility. The goons haven't spoken up about it being federal property." She mused.

"Could be...nuclear codes, or something." She chuckled lightly.

"Well, I suppose if you were trying to betray me I could just fuck off." She turned away and took a few steps into the center of the room, waiting for Powers to be finished.

Brooke

Brooke tilted her head to the side, still blind folded. "Too easy? I like easy, thanks." She laughed. "I'm not in this job for the, uh, challenge. Winning if the only thing that matters." She said. She felt the phone go off in her hands.

"Okay, well, I guess we'll just hope nobody comes in here." She said after Sir E. Brum told her to get it. She took off her blindfold and unhandcuffed herself. She went up to the door of the room and created a hard light barrier up against it, wedging it shut. Then she glanced down at the phone Aria handed to her and glanced down at it.

"Uh, okay. So, not good? I guess we're b-back up? What's the plan, here? If we here gunshots we'll just run upstairs, I guess? And if some guy opens the door, I guess we just" she paused. Reaching into her hoodie she pulled out a protective case, removed it, and then slipped on her glasses. Her misaligned eye drifted into place. "...improvise?" She smiled nervously.