Zoey Boey

One Universe: Unlimited - A Marvel/DC Comics Roleplay

C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T P R O P O S A L

B A T G I R L

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^{_{C A S S A N D R A C A I N ♦ W E A P O N ♦ G O T H A M ♦ L E A G U E O F S H A D O W S}}

C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T:

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This is where you outline your vision for the character including any notable changes or differences from the regularly accepted canon. This should be a short summary that provides insight into where the character is in terms of their overall progress and development.

Cassandra Cain cares! That’s the best part about her. She’s going to be a bit older before she breaks free of her father’s control, at 17 instead of 8. And I was thinking that she would actually do it during this RP. So at the very beginning at least, this will be pre-hero Cassandra who is sent to Gotham by the League of Assassins for her first kill. She’ll do it, and come to realize that she’ll never be able to do it again and flee.

Her development mentally and vocabulary wise is going to be forever stunted by her upbringing and training. She’s going to be mute for the foreseeable future of this RP until there is a timeskip, and she won’t be able to read or understand the vast majority of spoken words at the beginning. And her fighting is going to be limited and unimaginative, a highly trained assassin doesn’t make her a good superhero.

However her martial skill and her body reading is going to be geared strongly to the high end of her feats and into the supernatural, soul reading, calculus-of-the-universe level skill. One Who Is All, that’s what they call her, the best martial artist in the world.

So throughout the course of this RP she will go from the world’s best/worst assassin, to vigilante, and then Batgirl, once she sees the symbol of the hero of Gotham and seeing how people react to it. How it gives good people hope, she’ll want to adopt the symbol herself.

And Gotham is a weird place, full of weird people, so the places of Gotham that Cassandra is going to go too will be weird and lively and surreal, because that’s my favorite interpretation of Gotham.

Cassandra’s first mentor/ Asian Grandma will be Jackie Fujikawa from Shadow of the Batgirl.

C H A R A C T E R M O T I V A T I O N S & G O A L S:

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Why do you want to play this character, what is the driving motivation behind both this desire and the character themselves. What do you hope to accomplish and where do you want the character's story/stories to go?

Cassandra Cain is my favorite member of the bat family tied with Batman himself. She’s a true believer, and I love how focused she is about redemption. And since this RP is freed from the necessary status-quo of comic books, Gotham can actually, y’know, get better! And Batman will be proven right, and the Joker won’t escape 20 million times and kill 2.5 thousand people every issue.

Cassandra Cain believes redemption is possible because if it isn’t, she’ll always be the weapon her father was going to use to take control of the world from the shadows. But she’s not all about the bad guys, she’s about saving the good guys, too. She’s going to try and build something special and fight crime and corruption at the source, not just the symptom. Some people need to get their heads knocked together for sure, but ultimately violence breeds violence, even the non-lethal kind. There’s gotta be love and humanity there, too. But of course, Cassandra, though she does have a good heart, has been separated from those two things for almost her entire life. David Cain, her father, will be present in the RP and I’m also going to go into their relationship in some arcs, and have stuff done with the League of Shadows.

C H A R A C T E R N O T E S:

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I’m not exactly sure who Cassandra is going to kill yet. I could just make up a new character that only is for Cassandra like in the comics, but it could be someone else too if any of the other writers are up for that. To get her more involved in a plot line. I really do just kinda free style these kinds of things because I like it when other people's stuff throw curveballs at me. But yes she is going to be Batgirl and save the day and be the innocent angel/feral goblin child hybrid she's always meant to be.

In the meantime, I’ll write about some of Cassandra’s misadventures while she worked for the League.

S A M P L E P O S T:

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Cassandra Cain stared at her reflection in the river. She dipped her scarred hand into it and felt the cool spring water wash over her hand, and the air drift over her face. A fish swam in the river. She observed how it saw the world around it, and as it hesitated in the waters, she narrowed her eyes and saw its intentions like one might detect a scent. As it darted carefree through the water, it found her hand waiting for it. Scooping it out of the water, she held it within her hands and considered its green scales and how they shimmered in the morning sun. How it had lived an entire life before this, and how, if she so chose, it could live an entire life more.

In another time, in near darkness, Cassandra wielded her curved blade. Shadowy figures moved from place to place, imperceptible. But Cassandra knew where they all were, and she knew where they were going. She could see their forms, hear their breathing, feel their will. It was as if she was seeing herself through their eyes. How they feared for their lives, how eager they were to prove themselves. Redemption. Redemption was all they sought. For one reason or another they had been sentenced to death, and if they could prove themselves worthy by striking her down, they would be welcomed back into the league of shadows with open arms. They loathed her, they were jealous of her, they thought her a monster and an invalid all at once. But she knew that on the other side of one-way glass watched her father, and he knew that this was no deadly challenge- this was an execution. Nothing more than practice. Cassandra was better than them. She would win. In her mind’s eye she had seen her bloody victory like an artist captures a muse. Now all she had to do was paint her work upon the world with masterful strokes. Masterly, Cassandra, she thought to herself in images and concepts. She saw how proud her father would be of her, of how he carried himself, of how admirable and heroic his strength and skill were. And in that moment, she felt him on the other side of the glass. Watching the encounter through enchanted glass that let him and his investors witness his weapon at work.

“Cassandra Cain is no mere martial artist. She is not a girl with a sword. She is death incarnate.” David said, watching her keenly. “She is far, far beyond such small ideas as ‘weight class’ and ‘reach.’” The other investors watched closely.

“Her first language is violence. She knows no words other than her own name and select key words an assassin could use to direct and command her.”

“She has no wants or desires except to make me proud.”

A little girl with her hairs tied up in pigtails carefully rose from her straw mat bed. Scaling the walls like a spider she went to her secret spot in the ceiling that she had poked, one night at a time, with her finger. Pressing her eye against the hole in the ceiling she saw the sea of stars above and wondered what was out there.

“No ambitions. No dreams beyond those of death.”

A young teenager took a stick to the gravel and sand and with a few quick strokes, created an image of a face. A girl with pig tails. Glancing over her shoulder, she hunched over her secret and added a bird. A deer. A fish. The sun. One of her keepers approached and she dashed her work away, concealing it safely within her memory.

“She only knows that she is treated well when she kills. When she does as I say. And thus, when she does as you say.”

A cool night on the shale roof. Her father had discovered her hidey hole and covered it up, beat her for it. And yet here she was, up here, with him, on the roof. And with him he had brought drawings of lines and dots, and when he put them into the sky Cassandra could see the artistry of the stars and the Gods themselves. When she gasped with child-like wonder, she felt strange things pulse through her father’s body. Doubt. A pinch of regret in a sea of dark ambition. Swallowed whole by cold, steely resolve. A rough hand took her by the shoulder and back into the complex below. The girl would never forget that. She never forgot anything.

“She is the perfect weapon, and nothing more.”

A rain of bullets. Her skill is an umbrella. For her father it was like he was shooting at a shadow in the corner of his eye. The gun was kicked out of his hand and a blade was pressed against his throat, and despite himself he smiled as he looked into her eyes. Nothing could be hidden from those two perfect blue spot lights. In that moment he saw her as an heir, a successor, but he had to shove those treacherous thoughts away because no one would accept his grand, monstrous experiment as a leader.

“Watch as she works. Behold her majesty.”

The doomed assassins came at her all at once, but it might as well have been one by one. Their blood was painted upon the dark wood with precise, geometric arcs. A single metallic tone as one of their blades was granted the honor of coming into contact with hers. One by one they fell, but it might as well have been all at once.

“She knows no fear. She knows no love. And she knows no mercy.”

Cassandra considered the fish in her hands and the life it had yet to live. How it wanted to breathe again, and how it didn’t know where its home was anymore. Its simple feelings were written in its eyes plain as day. It didn’t see her, but she saw it and everything its simple soul was made of. As she saw the soul of everyone and everything, and felt the roots of people and knew the hearts of trees. Carefully, gracefully, she submerged the fish in the water and watched it swim away.

Because how could one who knows the souls of others not see the one in herself?

P O S T C A T A L O G:

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Silence, for now.

World of Light

Sakura Level 8: 3/80
Karin Level 2: 7/20
Location: Kanzuki Beach
Word Count: 2351
Points Gained: 4
New EXP Balance--- Sakura Level 8: 5/80 Pending

Karin Level 2: 11/20

Pending

Sakura and Karin’s battle was fast, explosive, and rhythmic. Karin in particular was showing off- she was not all talk. Her movements were strong and well practiced, transitioning from one into the other like she was a blacksmith forging a sword. Her movements were fluid, yes, but she wasn’t relying on speed and agility like Sakura might. At one point, Sakura took a misstep and Karin capitalized. She crouched down and, balancing on one leg, slammed the other into Sakura’s knee. In a split second after that she snapped forward and plunged her palm upward into Sakura’s chest, sending her spinning upwards and backwards through the air.

“Nice one! Incredible!” The totally unbiased referee shouted.

"Thank you, Ishizaki-san." Karin said, smiling.

But Sakura was no slouch either, and she was right back on her feet by the time Karin took less than a second to recover from her mighty blow. The two exchanged fists, palms, and kicks, and Sakura found her opening when she grabbed Karin by the shoulders and swept her leg out from under her, sending her head over heels onto the ground with a slam. Karin rose to her feet just in time to get her shin kicked and chin upper cutted.

Rolling to her feet and getting shoved backwards by a fireball thrown her way, Karin scowled. ”Copying my techniques, are we?"

”I did that one first!” Sakura protested, firing another fireball, and another one, and another one. Karin ducked under one, side stepped another, only to get knocked off her feet by the one sent at the ground that exploded outwards.

Growling, she leapt clean over the next fireball, and did nothing but walk calmly around the next, keeping her back to it. Sakura’s fireball stance changed subtly as she charged up a powerful fireball. Karin jumped preemptively, only to explode mid-air as Sakura launched the fireball at the vertex of Karin’s jump arc.

”Aah!” She curled around the impact just in time for Sakura to ‘catch’ her with another scooping uppercut. Landing, Sakura charged up another fireball as Karin rolled to her feet.

”Hadoken!”

Karin inhaled, and there was a glint in her eye. ”Gracefully!” For a moment she became as water, using her V-Shift. In a blur, she was beyond the fireball and palming Sakura into the sand.
Back-rising to her feet, Sakura charged up another fireball only to get kicked hard in the gut, the sound of electricity shattering glass scattered across the sand. By the noise she made it was evident the wind was knocked out of her.

Karin pushed the advantage, smacking Sakura around a bit. At some point another palm connected with her chin and Sakura was up in the air. Karin bounced her back and forth with a graceful double kick that made Sakura look light as a balloon getting stabbed into with a knife. ”Mujinkyaku!”

”Resenha!” Poor Sakura still hadn’t had a chance to get her feet beneath her when Karin span into her, arms outstretched, smacking her upwards with her palms three times. Both girls rose up into the air and a final palm buried Sakura in the sand. Landing, Karin took her by the arm and flung onto her back. As Sakura attempted to stand Karin grabbed her arm yet again, lifted in, and slammed into her bodily sending a groaning Sakura flat onto her back. This time, she didn’t get up, a grimace on her face.

Karin knelt down and flicked Sakura on the forehead. ”Ow!” Sakura complained, rubbing her forehead as if that was the part that hurt the most. ”What was that for?”

”That was a neck snap. You’re dead. Round one goes to me.” Karin declared, pointing a finger up in the air. ”I can see right through you, Sakura.”

”Doesn’t the referee have to declare that?”

“Round one goes to Karin Kanzuki!” Ishizaki declared, throwing a little white flag. It landed on Sakura’s forehead. She plucked it off and coughed, spitting into the sand.

”Alright, fine. I’ll give you that one. But my neck is not that easy to snap.” Sakura said. ”And anyway- do you have to be so morbid?” Karin let Sakura pull herself to her feet and brush the sand off her back. Choosing not to answer Sakura’s question, Karin considered what she had seen so far. It was good- the skill was there, but that wasn’t the issue before. Sakura’s spirit seemed to be in a better place. Less distracted. More in the moment.

Sakura rose to her feet, feeling pretty salty. And not just because of the ocean water in her mouth. But she had to maintain her composure if she was going to get Kanzuki back.

“Round two! Go for it!” Ishizaki-san shouted. And they did! Things got really fast, really quick. Karin expected another game of keep away and dashed in, only to get caught out by a foot to the face. Sakura made another misstep, walking too far forward, and Karin took advantage by crouching and swiping out her foot again. Only to catch nothing but air!

”Baited!” Sakura declared, lifting her foot over Karin’s and bringing her fist down on her extended leg like a hammer. This time it was Sakura’s turn to smack Karin around, and just when it seemed like Karin was about to defend herself again, Sakura gave up her own advantage just to push for an even bigger one, catching Karin off guard. Karin made a quite undignified noise when Sakura clasped her hands together and jerked Karin’s head backwards with a two-handed uppercut. That was always fun.

Karin kicked Sakura away and wiped her mouth. Sakura began chucking fireballs down the line, only for Karin to leap around and slide under them. But as she closed the distance, Sakura swept her legs out from under her.

”Baited-!”

”Oh, shut up!” Karin said, rising them both into the air with another spiral of palm strikes. Even knocked down, Sakura got up with a smile. Karin hated this feeling, that Sakura had gotten into her head. Of course, Sakura hated it even more when it happened to her, which is how it should be! Karin backed up, playing defensively, and Sakura surged forward, batting a warding kick aside and jabbing Karin in her perfect teeth.

The round would prove to be Sakura’s. Karin rose her fists to protect against a head strike only for her bare midsection to get struck instead. Backing up, she frustratedly found her legs turned to jelly no matter how much she wished them not too. Dropping to her knees she fell face first onto the sand.

“Round two goes to Sakura!” Izhikazi said, equally excited.

This snapped Karin’s eyes open and she pushed herself to her feet just in time to see the back end of Sakura’s infuriatingly adorable joyous spin she often did.

”This isn’t over!” Karin declared. She too had forgotten all about her greater goal of testing Sakura’s will. For both of them, there was nothing but the fight. This was how it always went.

”You got that right. Let’s finish this, Karin.” Sakura cracked her knuckles and her neck.

Boosh, boosh, boosh! Karin couldn’t get close. She was never sure what fireball Sakura was going to throw next. So she just had to grin it and bear it. Sakura enjoyed almost ten seconds of grinding down on Karin’s patience, and only when she was sent skidding backwards from a V-Reversal elbow did Karin finally get in.

Sakura confidently predicted Karin would push the advantage, only for Karin to show restraint. She countered another attack that didn’t come and was once again punished for it, sent flying into the air with a palm. There was a flash of energy and Karin surged forward, sending Sakura even higher into the air before she could touch down. As Sakura tumbled through the earth, curled around the impact point with her limbs trailing infront of her, Karin turned her back to Sakura and practically stepped into her with extreme force. Like Sakura had been hit by a car she bounced and rolled along the beach.

Pushing the offensive, the heiress span forward and brought her palm down hard on the fallen Sakura. ”Oof!”

Sakura jabbed Karin’s nose. Shocked, she put a hand up to it, hoping it wasn’t misshapen, however briefly. Yanking on Karin’s shoulders Sakura flipped her over her head.

As both girls popped to their feet and surged toward each other, there was a long time where neither of them got the upper hand. Despite Sakura’s promise for a swift end, a solid sixty seconds passed where fist collided with forearm, palm sliced through open air, and legs clashed at non-advantageous angles. Ishizaki went from cheering boisterously pressing his fingers against his teeth nervously. The speed of it all was intense, and there was a lot of spinning. Blue sparks of defensive energy- neither one could get the advantage over the other.

And then things went full spaghetti. It started when the both knee each other in the gut at the same time. Sakura jabbed Karin’s face, and Karin palmed Sakura’s forehead. For every block and dodge, there was a meaty hit. The two women really started laying into each other. Sakura’s jaw got clocked and she stumbled backward, laughing oddly, before getting her footing and catching Karin off guard with a kick to the arm that was borderline cringe-worthy.

”Gah! Oh, you little-!”

”Aagh!”

”Oah!”

“Eek!”

“Guah!”

“Bleh!”

”ENOUGH!” Karin roared, and full steam ahead she unleashed a bevvy of palm strikes in Sakura’s direction. Sakura backpedaled dancing between strikes and batting them away. Karin went low with a powerful diving sweep, but Sakura curled up and right over it. Karin span and went to choke Sakura’s collarbone only for her to smoothly disengage. Karin hopped up and brought her foot down on Sakura’s head, only for her to block it.

”RESSEN-” Karin once again exploded like a spinning blade towards Sakura. But there was no impact. Her hand, trembling with power, was thoroughly caught in Sakura’s grasp, her hand around Karin’s wrist. The street fighter’s gloved fist rested by her waist as a loaded shotgun, and for a split second Karin’s determined demeanor slipped, her eyes widening.

Sakura’s V-Trigger that she had been saving burst to life, and Sakura’s form was submerged in an aura of blue flame.

”You’re gonna get it, now.”

Gut punch! Karin’s doubling over was interrupted by an elbow to the side of her head. She took a step back, clutching it, only for her ribs to be jostled by a spinning two-fisted punch that lifted Karin off her feet.

”Full powers, go!” Sakura gathered energy in her hands and slapped it against Karin’s body, causing her to stand up straight.

”Here I go!” Sakura pointed beyond Karin, striking a confident pose. Then she erupted into a spinning maneuver that carried them both a clean fifteen yards, Sakura’s extended leg digging deeper into Karin’s belly five times in a row. ”HOOOOAAAH!” She screamed. Finally they both touched down, Karin’s hands on her midsection, her golden-red eyes thoughtlessly scrambling for an answer.

It seemed Sakura had found her target of choice, and like a hammer into an anvil she dug her heavy fist into Karin’s abdomen with a flourish of pink and blue energy. For a moment they paused, frozen in that moment of impact. ”SAKURA NO AME!”

Breaking the silence, she ripped her fist upwards and into Karin’s jaw, snapping her head back and launching her into the air. Sakura followed through completely, trailing behind Karin’s flailing form.

”No way!” Karin expelled the last of the air in her lungs with a cry of disbelief. Sakura landed easily on her feet, pumping her fists in victory and then crossing her arms. Finally, Karin landed flat on her back, eyes closed.

“She’s not going to be happy about that.” Ishizaki winced, peaking through his big fingers.
Wanna know who was very happy about beating the snot out of one of her best friends? One soon-to-be high school graduate Kasugano Sakura. Jumping for joy, up and down like a pogo stick, she let out an elated cry.

”I did it, I did it, I won, I won! Yattaze!” Beaming, she glanced towards her friends on the beach. ”Did you see me?!”

”...” Ishizaki was already at Karin’s side, somehow already having her on a towel and pillow.

”...Oh, crap, I almost forgot!” Sakura tapped her heart and produced a friend heart. Hurriedly, she rushed over, tossed the big butler man aside, and pressed the Friend Heart into Karin’s chest.

A moment passed, and Karin’s brilliant golden eyes truly opened for the first time since arriving in the World of Light. Her first instinct was to sulk, but the gears were already turning. Her harsh, authoritative, imposing and elegant demeanor melted away as she set a hand on her head and considered her life for the last long while.

”Karin..?” Sakura ventured, tenderly.

”Oh, my.” Karin said, setting a finger on her chin and pondering.She glanced around at the beach, and at Sakura’s friends, and at the blazing ball of light in the distance.

”I…I know right?” Sakura smiled apologetically.

”What on Earth?!” Now Karin was offended. ”Where am I?! What's going on?!”

“Oh, no! Sakura-chan, what have you done?!” Ishizaki cried in dismay.

”Silence!” Karin held a hand up, breathing heavily. "Sakura. You will explain yourself at once."

Sakura glanced over her shoulder at her friend group. "Uhhh...well...uhh." She looked back towards Karin.

"It...it...it's so good to see you, Karin! Really!" She cried out in relief, and wrapped her arms around Karin. The stalwart woman's eyes widened, freezing up a little.

"This is not explaining yourself. This is hugging me."

"I've missed you so much!" Sakura said, tears streaming down her face.

Karin just let this happen, reluctantly returning the hug by patting the other girl on the back. This was not befitting on her image. Karin's generally displeased but tolerating face could be seen over Sakura's shoulder. The glare in her eyes seemed to say- 'ignore this.'

World of Light

Sakura Level 7: 70/70
Karin Level 2: 4/20
Location: Kanzuki Beach
Word Count: 1500~
Points Gained: 3
New EXP Balance--- Sakura Level 8: 3/80 Level up pending

Karin Level 2: 7/20

Level pending

Sakura had hidden the Arashio spirit in the lock box. She saw no reason to make Bella or Arashio’s friends feel worse by confronting them with each other. At least not when the war was undoubtedly still fresh on everyone’s minds. Right? Maybe. No reason to push it so fast, anyway.

But if Sakura was going to get her mind and heart sorted out, she’d need to say everything she’d have to say to the people who needed to hear it. To that end, she tracked down her friend Bella.

She found the Water Princess back at Alcamoth, sitting at a bench in the park not far at all from Juniors warp graffiti and surrounded by her seaplanes like pigeons. Bella wore a fresh set of clothes she gleaned from the city, a sporty sort found commonly in the armory for the Mii Fighters who made up a portion of the city’s fighters. While her fusion with Chicago and a splash of color in her wardrobe did a lot to make the Seaplane Tender look less like an Abyssal, there was no disguising the massive leviathan tail that trailed behind her, currently curled up like a snoozing serpent next to her bench. With that part of her an insurmountable telltale sign of her origin, she could not allow herself to go to Limsa, in broad daylight or otherwise, where the scars of the long struggle against her warmongering kind still hurt so keenly.

It was a bit of a walk, but Sakura once again concluded that teleporting was awesome. Alcamoth was just as impressive as ever. Sakura took a moment to hop through the warp portal a couple times before wondering if there were any negative consequences for doing so and stopping. Then with a bit of a skip in her step, Sakura approached Bella from behind. This would also be the first Bella would see the original Sakura and not her Ship girl self. School uniform and everything.

”Bella-san!” She called out, raising a hand in greeting and jogging over. ”Bella-san, it’s me, Sakura! Do you recognize me?” She put her hands against her head and flapped her fingers like they were cat ears.

The Abyssal brightened up visibly at her arrival after turning toward the familiar voice. “Of course! Cat or no cat, it is still you, mon cherie.”

Sakura laughed and rotated around the front to sit down on the bench. ”Well, that’s good. This is what I looked like back on my homeworld. This whole fusion thing sure is weird, huh? You look great by the way, I love all the glowey parts!” She said poking at one of Bella’s orangey-yellowey bracelets.

“You like it?” The knowledge seemed to set Bella’s heart at ease. “It is a little stifling. I am more used to loose and flowy. But if I look great, then I’m happy.” Picking up on Sakura’s implication, she crossed her legs and continued. “So, this is ze true you. Not very different, alzough, you do seem more formidable. All zose punches and kicks make a lot more sense!” she laughed lightly.

Sakura nodded. It really was a cool outfit. That sci-fi stuff was a look she was considering herself, just because she liked outfits that had glowey parts. ”Yup, this is me, all right.” She flexes her arm, proud to have her muscles back. ”I’m a street fighter. The only guns I like to use are the ones my mama gave me.” Sakura jabbed the air a few times, though they were not very scary punches considering she was sitting down on a bench.

”Shotokan karate!” Sakura exclaimed. She was lively before but she was even more so now. ”It’s basically the coolest thing ever. I should show you some of my moves some time! Though I don’t know how to fight with a giant tail.” She leaned back and looked the thing over.

”Hey. It has teeth, right? Is it rude to ask if you can eat with it?”

Looking mildly amused, Bella shook her head. “Oh, not at all. But yes, it can, zough it is not my first choice. While it may look like a machine, it is a part of me under zat armor, just as much as my arm, or my leg.” She sighed as her gaze rested on the leviathan. “Considering all the others, I am quite lucky to be able to function as a person. Most Abyssals are mindless, violent things, for whom merely living is tantamount to torture. And yet even us Princesses could not think for ourselves. A sad state of affairs, no wonder New Southern took it so hard.” She realized that she was rambling a bit and scratched at her neck nervously. Small talk wasn’t the Seaplane Tender’s forte. “Oh, excuse me, what a morbid subject. The group, and you in particular have showed me such kindness. I’m sure I must sound like a broken record by now, but I truly am grateful.”

”Mm. Mhm.” Sakura said, grimacing good-naturedly. ”I guess the lesson here is you need more life experiences to talk about.” Chuckling, she swung her legs up and down off the ground.

”Speaking of New Southern. I guess I- I guess I just wanted to say that- I’m proud of you. And when we first met, I was a little naive. I thought that the Friend Heart was some kind of magic power that could make anyone my friend. And with you I thought I was proven right. But I just got lucky. Because um, well, my other Friend Heart attempts on enemies didn’t go so well. So I gave you the Friend Heart but you and Rika both…you both chose how to be. Y’know? I really didn’t have anything to do with it. It’s all you.” She hooks her arm under Bella’s in a side hug and smiles up at her. ”If that makes any sense.”

As much as Bella might try to keep her composure, it was hard to disguise the unadulterated joy that suffused her. “If you say so,” she conceded, returning the street fighter’s hug. While she had yet to understand a great deal about interpersonal relationships, especially in the World of Light, she couldn’t help but feel as if Sakura was downplaying her part in all this. The bottom line was that Bella owed her new lease on life to this girl, but if Sakura wanted the Seaplane Tender to feel as if she should be proud of herself, the last thing she wanted to do was disappoint her savior.

“I haven’t seen much of ze ozers,” she told Sakura. “But ze people here are nice. Zey see my tail, of course, but nobody seems to think twice about it. If I ask for directions, or food, or something to wear, zey generally lend a hand.” Bella looked around the indoor park of Alcamoth’s grand atrium, taking in all the green grass, vibrant flowers, and trim hedges as if for the first time all over again. “Is zis how it is everywhere?”

Sakura grinned, glancing around. She had a reminiscent look about her. ”It could be, if we all work hard enough. It sure is nice, huh?” She took a moment to appreciate how nice a community was. Hard to feel homesick when you’re made to feel at home, right?

”Thanks for sticking by us that whole time. It was…really rough. But we looked out for each other, right? What will you do, now that the war is over?”

“You are welcome.” Bella pursed her lips and looked at the ground, as if she’d been thinking about that very same question but had yet to come up with an answer. “I am not sure. Well, that is, I know what I would like to do. I would like to learn how to live like a normal person, and zen to do zat. Fighting is all I ever knew, and I want to do anything else. But I do not know how, or where. Not in Limsa, certainly.” She sighed through her nose, her expression solemn. “My crimes are too great, and zough facing ze consequences would be ze right thing to do…I do not want to face execution, or to rot in prison until I die. Nor do I want to get off on some…technicality or anozer, and live with all zeir justified hate, pretending nothing is wrong.” With her hands clasped in her lap Bella turned to look back at Sakura. “So I want to go elsewhere, far away from zose wartorn shores. But I don’t know where to go, and I do not think I can do it alone.” She said it not as request, but as a resolution, and hoped that sentiment got across. Even so, however, a part of her gazed at Sakura imploringly, hoping that it would be her that she went away with, to start a life anew.

Sakura listened, found herself nodding along. Whatever the law said, Sakura felt that Bella deserved a second chance. But at the end, she found herself unable to meet Bella’s gaze, feeling like she got what Bella intended. Rubbing the back of her head, Sakura looked at the ground.

”Well… I… personally- I-” Her shoulders sank. ”I can’t leave this fight unfinished. There’s still so much I have to do. I have people to find.” She said. ”After everything I’ve been through, I can’t just walk away.” Sakura didn’t want to hurt her friend's feelings but she also couldn’t be untrue to herself. Galeem needed to be stopped.

If she felt disappointed at all, Bella hid it well. “Of course, of course. I wish you ze very best as you persevere onward. You have many more people to save, and I will do what I can with ze life you have given me.” She bowed her head in respect.

”Geez, okay, honorable samurai! It doesn’t have to be goodbye forever or anything!” Sakura protested. ”I’ll come visit you! I’m sure we could figure something out. I’ll be coming back to Alcamoth every couple of days, at least!”

”Like right now I gotta go back to Limsa and kick the crap outta one of my best friends, Karin. Remember that stupidly elegant lady that made me eat dirt a couple days ago? Well it’s payback time. I wish you could be there to see it, but maybe Karin and I can come here and tell you how it went ourselves, huh?” Sakura concluded earnestly.

“Good luck!” Bella said, remembering the stupidly elegant lady well. “Zis time, she won’t know what hit her.”

Sakura wrapped her arms around Bella in a goodbye hug. ”See you later, Miss Bella!” And then she turned and ran back to Limsa.

---

It wasn’t long after that that she retrieved the Spirit that had protected her along the way. Without it, things would have been much harder for Sakura on her journey. To be honest, she couldn’t imagine herself keeping up with the others without it. Once she reached the naval headquarters, she left it with the guards at the front entrance.

”This is Arashio's spirit. Please tell the other members of her squad that she saved lives even after she was lost. Um. Thank you.” She bowed and made her way off to face Karin. That was all she could do. Ultimately it was a borrowed power, and she had no business interfering any more than that. That felt like the most respectful call.

---

And face Karin she did. Sakura felt like this rematch had been a long time coming, even though it had only been two days. Finally she felt like she understood what it took to be a hero. And now that she understood that, she could stop being a hero, and just be Karin’s friend. And being Karin’s friend meant wiping that smug look right off her face. And also, blocking this Ressen Ha. Oops. Karin sailed right over Sakura’s fireball and drove her palms into her face and chest. Slicing through the air Karin formed into a ball and hovered at Sakura’s head height for a moment, before Karin grabbed her head and slammed her knees into it, driving Sakura into the ground.

Growling with appreciation, Sakura rolled to the side to avoid a crushing stomp attack, and before Karin could push her assault she warded her off by firing a fireball into the ground, causing Karin to almost lose her footing.

”Here we go!” She glanced over at the others, some of them watching her fight on the beach. Sakura winced apologetically, a bead of sweat running down the side of her face.”Sorry for all the fighting! I promise I'm almost done!”

"You are no such thing!" Karin shouted, rejecting that idea out right and charging in only to get fireballed in the face.

One Universe: Unlimited - A Marvel/DC Comics Roleplay

@Roman Pretty cool time line.

I'm a little sadge about that so I hope someone picks up Barbara Gordon if she's going to be in the RP as Batgirl. I guess I could just do it myself?

I'm also not sure what you mean by your suggestion- that her assassin name is already Black Bat? Or that's just what people call her at first when she pulls a Gordon and starts running around as an unaffiliated bat vigilante?

One Universe: Unlimited - A Marvel/DC Comics Roleplay

@Roman

Oh yeah? Who's the Batgirl who got her own solo comic run first? That's right, Cassandra! Maybe YOU'RE a part of MY legacy pool, huh???

Ok but seriously XD sure thing. I guess I'm just waiting for the OK before I start shooting PM's at people from broadside. IC I was thinking they could both be Batgirl. I mean if Cassandra puts a bat symbol on and is a girl, and makes no effort to brand herself in any way other than that, I doubt the ppl of Gotham are going to call her "Black Bat" or "Orphan" but maybe we could figure that out. (I just don't like her other two titles. Her most famous name is just her actual name, anyway, lmao.)

I'm doing things different this time and now she's not even a hero yet, let alone having the mantle of Batgirl. so I'm down to just go with the flow

One Universe: Unlimited - A Marvel/DC Comics Roleplay

@Alternax That's the plan I just haven't gotten around to it yet lol, I wasn't sure what direction to take Batgirl. This way she's very flexible plot wise, she can go rogue in the first post or the tenth

One Universe: Unlimited - A Marvel/DC Comics Roleplay

All right, well. Bleh. Here. A character in the middle of an origin story because I like origin stories.

One Who Is All

C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T P R O P O S A L

B A T G I R L

---

^{_{C A S S A N D R A C A I N ♦ W E A P O N ♦ G O T H A M ♦ L E A G U E O F S H A D O W S}}

C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T:

---

^"..."

This is where you outline your vision for the character including any notable changes or differences from the regularly accepted canon. This should be a short summary that provides insight into where the character is in terms of their overall progress and development.

Cassandra Cain cares! That’s the best part about her. She’s going to be a bit older before she breaks free of her father’s control, at 17 instead of 8. And I was thinking that she would actually do it during this RP. So at the very beginning at least, this will be pre-hero Cassandra who is sent to Gotham by the League of Assassins for her first kill. She’ll do it, and come to realize that she’ll never be able to do it again and flee.

Her development mentally and vocabulary wise is going to be forever stunted by her upbringing and training. She’s going to be mute for the foreseeable future of this RP until there is a timeskip, and she won’t be able to read or understand the vast majority of spoken words at the beginning. And her fighting is going to be limited and unimaginative, a highly trained assassin doesn’t make her a good superhero.

However her martial skill and her body reading is going to be geared strongly to the high end of her feats and into the supernatural, soul reading, calculus-of-the-universe level skill. One Who Is All, that’s what they call her, the best martial artist in the world.

So throughout the course of this RP she will go from the world’s best/worst assassin, to vigilante, and then Batgirl, once she sees the symbol of the hero of Gotham and seeing how people react to it. How it gives good people hope, she’ll want to adopt the symbol herself.

And Gotham is a weird place, full of weird people, so the places of Gotham that Cassandra is going to go too will be weird and lively and surreal, because that’s my favorite interpretation of Gotham.

Cassandra’s first mentor/ Asian Grandma will be Jackie Fujikawa from Shadow of the Batgirl.

C H A R A C T E R M O T I V A T I O N S & G O A L S:

---

Why do you want to play this character, what is the driving motivation behind both this desire and the character themselves. What do you hope to accomplish and where do you want the character's story/stories to go?

Cassandra Cain is my favorite member of the bat family tied with Batman himself. She’s a true believer, and I love how focused she is about redemption. And since this RP is freed from the necessary status-quo of comic books, Gotham can actually, y’know, get better! And Batman will be proven right, and the Joker won’t escape 20 million times and kill 2.5 thousand people every issue.

Cassandra Cain believes redemption is possible because if it isn’t, she’ll always be the weapon her father was going to use to take control of the world from the shadows. But she’s not all about the bad guys, she’s about saving the good guys, too. She’s going to try and build something special and fight crime and corruption at the source, not just the symptom. Some people need to get their heads knocked together for sure, but ultimately violence breeds violence, even the non-lethal kind. There’s gotta be love and humanity there, too. But of course, Cassandra, though she does have a good heart, has been separated from those two things for almost her entire life. David Cain, her father, will be present in the RP and I’m also going to go into their relationship in some arcs, and have stuff done with the League of Shadows.

C H A R A C T E R N O T E S:

---

I’m not exactly sure who Cassandra is going to kill yet. I could just make up a new character that only is for Cassandra like in the comics, but it could be someone else too if any of the other writers are up for that. To get her more involved in a plot line. I really do just kinda free style these kinds of things because I like it when other people's stuff throw curveballs at me. But yes she is going to be Batgirl and save the day and be the innocent angel/feral goblin child hybrid she's always meant to be.

In the meantime, I’ll write about some of Cassandra’s misadventures while she worked for the League.

S A M P L E P O S T:

---

Cassandra Cain stared at her reflection in the river. She dipped her scarred hand into it and felt the cool spring water wash over her hand, and the air drift over her face. A fish swam in the river. She observed how it saw the world around it, and as it hesitated in the waters, she narrowed her eyes and saw its intentions like one might detect a scent. As it darted carefree through the water, it found her hand waiting for it. Scooping it out of the water, she held it within her hands and considered its green scales and how they shimmered in the morning sun. How it had lived an entire life before this, and how, if she so chose, it could live an entire life more.

In another time, in near darkness, Cassandra wielded her curved blade. Shadowy figures moved from place to place, imperceptible. But Cassandra knew where they all were, and she knew where they were going. She could see their forms, hear their breathing, feel their will. It was as if she was seeing herself through their eyes. How they feared for their lives, how eager they were to prove themselves. Redemption. Redemption was all they sought. For one reason or another they had been sentenced to death, and if they could prove themselves worthy by striking her down, they would be welcomed back into the league of shadows with open arms. They loathed her, they were jealous of her, they thought her a monster and an invalid all at once. But she knew that on the other side of one-way glass watched her father, and he knew that this was no deadly challenge- this was an execution. Nothing more than practice. Cassandra was better than them. She would win. In her mind’s eye she had seen her bloody victory like an artist captures a muse. Now all she had to do was paint her work upon the world with masterful strokes. Masterly, Cassandra, she thought to herself in images and concepts. She saw how proud her father would be of her, of how he carried himself, of how admirable and heroic his strength and skill were. And in that moment, she felt him on the other side of the glass. Watching the encounter through enchanted glass that let him and his investors witness his weapon at work.

“Cassandra Cain is no mere martial artist. She is not a girl with a sword. She is death incarnate.” David said, watching her keenly. “She is far, far beyond such small ideas as ‘weight class’ and ‘reach.’” The other investors watched closely.

“Her first language is violence. She knows no words other than her own name and select key words an assassin could use to direct and command her.”

“She has no wants or desires except to make me proud.”

A little girl with her hairs tied up in pigtails carefully rose from her straw mat bed. Scaling the walls like a spider she went to her secret spot in the ceiling that she had poked, one night at a time, with her finger. Pressing her eye against the hole in the ceiling she saw the sea of stars above and wondered what was out there.

“No ambitions. No dreams beyond those of death.”

A young teenager took a stick to the gravel and sand and with a few quick strokes, created an image of a face. A girl with pig tails. Glancing over her shoulder, she hunched over her secret and added a bird. A deer. A fish. The sun. One of her keepers approached and she dashed her work away, concealing it safely within her memory.

“She only knows that she is treated well when she kills. When she does as I say. And thus, when she does as you say.”

A cool night on the shale roof. Her father had discovered her hidey hole and covered it up, beat her for it. And yet here she was, up here, with him, on the roof. And with him he had brought drawings of lines and dots, and when he put them into the sky Cassandra could see the artistry of the stars and the Gods themselves. When she gasped with child-like wonder, she felt strange things pulse through her father’s body. Doubt. A pinch of regret in a sea of dark ambition. Swallowed whole by cold, steely resolve. A rough hand took her by the shoulder and back into the complex below. The girl would never forget that. She never forgot anything.

“She is the perfect weapon, and nothing more.”

A rain of bullets. Her skill is an umbrella. For her father it was like he was shooting at a shadow in the corner of his eye. The gun was kicked out of his hand and a blade was pressed against his throat, and despite himself he smiled as he looked into her eyes. Nothing could be hidden from those two perfect blue spot lights. In that moment he saw her as an heir, a successor, but he had to shove those treacherous thoughts away because no one would accept his grand, monstrous experiment as a leader.

“Watch as she works. Behold her majesty.”

The doomed assassins came at her all at once, but it might as well have been one by one. Their blood was painted upon the dark wood with precise, geometric arcs. A single metallic tone as one of their blades was granted the honor of coming into contact with hers. One by one they fell, but it might as well have been all at once.

“She knows no fear. She knows no love. And she knows no mercy.”

Cassandra considered the fish in her hands and the life it had yet to live. How it wanted to breathe again, and how it didn’t know where its home was anymore. Its simple feelings were written in its eyes plain as day. It didn’t see her, but she saw it and everything its simple soul was made of. As she saw the soul of everyone and everything, and felt the roots of people and knew the hearts of trees. Carefully, gracefully, she submerged the fish in the water and watched it swim away.

Because how could one who knows the souls of others not see the one in herself?

P O S T C A T A L O G:

---

Silence, for now.

One Universe: Unlimited - A Marvel/DC Comics Roleplay

blehhh slow down

slow down im trying to catch up lol

World of Light

Level 5: 43/50
Word Count: 419
Location: Sandswept Sky
Points Gained: 1+30
NEW EXP balance--- Level 6: 23/60

Jesse slammed the massive fire flash into the creature, her attack just one of many among the Seekers. In order to escape the searing heat and fall damage, she zipped to the side at the last moment using Evade, canceling out any damage she might have taken.

It was increasingly clear that despite everything, the day was won. Sitting on the ground, Jesse watched as the calculations were made in regards to absorbing the boss’s spirit. Gee, thanks for the help, Ramlethal. Whatever, guess she wasn’t getting paid to actually do the giant monster fighting. Fortunately, Joker had a trump card, as it were. That seemed to be the best possible scenario.

Jesse put a hand to her head and realized she was burning up. “Shit. I need a drink. A cold one.” She stood up and took off her winter jacket and a couple of her other layers until she was just in a tank top, her jacket tied around her waist. Her frugal nature demanded she shrink her winter jacket and tuck it away with the rest of her supplies in her pouch. With her jacket taken off one could see the holster for the Tool Gun, the odd pistol Jesse has taken a liking to almost as much as her Service Weapon. Almost. Well, not almost. But it was still a cool weapon.

“Thanks, Poppi.” Jesse said, stretching her arms. “Shit. That was somethin’ else, alright.” She shook her head, that short little sentence the summation of her experience.

“We’ll just have to win it for ‘em.” She said, thinking about those that she had seen dead, or seen die, along the way. She sighed. “Fuck.”

With that, Jesse got to walking. Polaris shimmered, indicating her path forward.

Midna gave Raiden the low down. Good to have him on board. Gotta admit, I’m not really in the mood for talking right now. Maybe later I could get to know them some more. Like that time at the restaurant. What do you think?

Good idea, right?

I had fun then. I should take some more time off before we move on. Rest is a weapon, that’s what they say.

…Shoulda brought sun screen. You can keep the sun off me, right? After all this crazy stuff, I’d hate to die of cancer instead of being torn apart by a giant monster or a gap in reality as God intended.

A non-committal shimmer of light in her mind’s eye.

Well. That’s reassuring. Jesse thought wryly. Good old Polaris. Jesse’s guiding light.

World of Light

Sakura Level 7: 67/70
Karin Level 2: 1/20
Location: Kanzuki Beach
Word Count: 1500~
Points Gained: 3
New EXP Balance--- Sakura Level 7: 70/70 Level UP!

Karin Level 2: 4/20

Level UP!

The next round had begun, and Sakura was taking on Birdie once again. The two of them were impressive in equal but separate ways. Sakura was no slouch when it came to physical strength, able to hit and carry far about her weight class would suggest, as all street fighters can. But Birdie could throw his weight around and overpower just about anyone if he timed it right. And that chain gave him the reach advantage. But despite his longer limbs and greater height, in many cases it seemed like they were just about equal in range. Sakura was a master of step kicks and spin kicks, and they were faster than Birdie’s heavier limbs. But it couldn’t be said that Birdie had no tricks up his figurative sleeves. At some point, much to Karin’s delight, a banana peel ended up underneath Sakura’s heel and she slipped, arms flailing.

And while he hit harder than her, she had more damage output. He brought his massive arms down on her but she sidestepped, and powerfully roundhouse kicked his whiffing arms in his elbows, knocking them so far to the side he almost had his back to her. She dove in and drove into his stomach with her knee, knocking him clean off his feet. Before he could even hit the ground, she struck him again with her uppercut, easily launching his massive figure even high into the air.

“Wanker!” He swore.

”Wha-” Sakura stopped, baffled. ”What did you just call me?”

Birdie rose to his feet, getting out a comb to straighten up his finely maintained blonde mohawk. “You’re messin’ up my hair!”

"Unsportsmanlike, Sakura. Minus points." Karin said, and Ishizaki wrote something down, barely suppressing a laugh.

”What! His hair’s fine!” Sakura protested. ”It looks the same!” She crossed her arms again, pouting, but also smiling a little at the same time. Like she just got the joke.

”Yeah. Yeah, okay. Ha ha. Real funny. Why do you have to give me such a hard time, Karin?”

"Because, you’ve lost my respect. I suggest you take this endeavor more seriously, Sakura. You’re fighting for our friendship, after all." Karin said with the casual nature of a coiled snake.

Sakura tensed up and clenched her fists. A ray of sunlight passed over her eyes like the reflection of a blade being drawn from its sheath as she refocused on her current opponent, Birdie. To be honest, she had completely forgotten about her initial objective to free Karin from Galeem’s curse. She might as well be back on Earth- and her focus was all the better for it. Nothing in the world existed except winning these fights.

Birdie froze up under Sakura’s glare, his hair mid combing. “Oi. Oi oi oi. Now why’d you have to go and say somethin’ like THAT, Kanzuki?”

"Because a Kanzuki is always honest!"

“Didja have to be that honest?!”

”Look at me, Birdie-san!” Sakura said, and he did. ”I’m your opponent. Don’t hesitate, and don’t hold back. I have to know I’m strong enough.”

“...Okay, girlie. Don’t power up on me too hard here, I’m just-”

”Come on! I’d do it if I were you!” Sakura slammed her fist into her palm.

“Fine! Here we go then!” Birdie reached into his interminable back pocket and produced a whole chili pepper. He downed the whole thing in one bite. With a gleeful cackle, flames spouted out of his mouth.

Sakura, though had the advantage of being cheered on by basically everyone on the beach except Karin. She gave a brief nod and a smile back to the newly arrived Cadet, before refocusing on the action.

Birdie unfurled part of the chain around his arm with renewed vigor and power, and began swinging it with wild technique towards Sakura. She ducked under one swipe and cartwheeled backward over another.

“Not bad!” Birdie brought it around again. It scraped off of Sakura’s raised fore arm with mighty impact. He brought it back around and wrapped it around her ankle, yanking her towards him feet first. ”Oops!”

He stomped on her chest, and was she put into the sand before bouncing out with a yellow flash of energy. As he raised his leg again, she met his foot with both of hers, pushing on the bottom of his shoes until he was clear in the air. He back flipped mid air and landed easily on his feet. Demonstrating impressive agility for his size and build, just as she demonstrated impressive strength for her size and build.

As she popped up to her feet, a little breathless, she rushed forward only to slip and fall on a beer can that had rolled its way towards her. It, somehow, had rolled under the shallow water itself, making it nearly invisible to Sakura.

Sakura growled out a laugh, and Birdie came storming towards her again, whipping out her chain towards her prone form. She rolled to the side of a vertical slash. With a whipping of his hands, the chain sliced through the surf to get at her, but Sakura, only her hands and toes touching the beach, pushed herself up into the air for a fraction of the second so the chain went underneath her. Landing smoothly on the beach she popped herself back onto her feet as she is so prone to do.

Before the next chain attack could even begin, Sakura jumped fifteen feet into the air, front flipping towards Birdie. He swung nonetheless, catching nothing but the space she was just in. Wham, wham, wham, wham! Sakura executed her powerful combo as she had practiced tens of thousands of times before.

The fight was an entirely bloodless affair. Of course, some of the attacks were winceworthy in their power and precision. They were trying to hurt each other of course, but there would be no injuries here. Both fighters would be just fine by the end of this bout.

After a resounding combo, Birdie lumbered to his feet and swung again at Sakura, but before he knew it she was over his shoulders and stomping on the back of his head. Both fighters became separated by distance again from the pushback of the strike.

Both fighters paused, turning to face each other. Birdie rubbed the back of his head, and Sakura bounced from antsy foot to foot. At that moment Sakura knew something that Birdie didn’t: she was about to win.

Blue fire burst from her hands and she followed in its wake. Birdie swung his chain and knocked the fireball aside. He brought it around for another swing and she ducked cleanly underneath it, still advancing. He rolled another surprisingly tough beer can towards her feet through the water itself. But Sakura planted her foot in the ground and soccer ball kicked it to donk soundly in his forehead. She span and launched a precision fireball right into his knee, causing him to drop into a kneel. Grinning, she dove towards him, hopped up onto his raised knee. They made brief eye contact. ”This oughta finish you!”

Balancing on his knee cap, Sakura exploded into a spinning blue razor blade, one foot extended outward. Birdie’s bearded chin snapped backwards again and again and again. ”UOOOOOOH! BUH-BYE!” In a split second she shot her leg upward, her foot moving well past her head and hanging over her shoulder as she back flipped and landed on her feet.

Birdie soared through the air. “Oh, bugger off!” He said, before face planting in the surf. Sakura laughed loudly and pumped her fists up and down repeatedly, before just jumping joyously in the air a few times.

”Did you see that?!” She shouted to her friends on the beach. She glanced over at Birdie. ”Better luck next time, Birdie. You’re pretty good! Maybe you should-” Birdied waved off any further suggestions, still laying down. Sakura shrugged.

Karin clapped her hands."Sakura wins! Congratulations." Sakura bowed.

"You lose, Birdie.” Karin said.

Birdie, face down on the beach, grumbled. “Yeah, I noticed.”

The idea of giving Birdie a Friend Heart slipped Sakura’s mind. She had too much momentum to stop now. She barely had the energy to acknowledge people on the beach, though she did notice Rika, Junior had joined the party again. Karin’s golden-red eyes were laser focused on Sakura. "I suppose you’ll be wanting that rematch after I trounced you and you disgraced yourself."

Sakura swallowed dryly, walking up onto the beach itself. ”Yep.”

"You have my permission to lose this fight. But not to disappoint me." Karin said, the implication clear. Sakura breached the trust of the fight. Repeating such an infraction would be unacceptable. Sakura nodded solemnly.

Sakura glanced around to her friends on the beach. ”Just leave this to me guys. No matter what happens. Okay?” Hopefully they got the message. Sakura wanted to win. She had to beat Karin fair and square. Galeem’s influence or not.

Karin narrowed her eyes, looking Sakura over. "First to two rounds. Ishizaki-san, you shall be the referee.”

Ishizaki punched his palm. “Yattaze! You got it, little lady! Best of two rounds! On my mark! You ready?”

Sakura slapped the sides of her head. Karin brushed her coils of blonde hair over her shoulder. Birdie buggered off to find something to eat.

“Steady..!”

Sakura clenched her fists and put her best foot forward. Karin flattened out her palms, pointed one arm forward, one arm backwards, and kept her elbows close to her body.

“Go for it, man!”

And they did! Sakura was going to wrap this up in time for lunch! She wanted to catch up with her friends again, too.