Swole City

[SINIB]

Roman

"Why are you acting like you know me all of the sudden?  So what, its ok if you do it?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest.  "You know nothing about me!"

Sakura

"I don't need to know you all that well to tell that you're lying." She replied.

[yinsukin]

Roman

"I'm not lying.  Thats what I think.  Strong people hang out with strong people.  Its networking right?" he said, parroting her words from earlier.  "Why bother hanging out with a weakling like me huh?"

The trainer came back into the room with a bag of popcorn in his hands.  Apparently he had left while the two were screaming at each other.

[SINIB]

Roman

"I'm not lying.  Thats what I think.  Strong people hang out with strong people.  Its networking right?" he said, parroting her words from earlier.  "Why bother hanging out with a weakling like me huh?"

The trainer came back into the room with a bag of popcorn in his hands.  Apparently he had left while the two were screaming at each other.

Sakura

"Iunno, maybe I like someone for more than their body, or their use to me to network? It's an incredible thing, you know-imagine, not being hyperfocused on strength, your world might expand!" She laughed before bringing her hands up to her head and making an explosion noise.

[yinsukin]

Roman

"How is that any better?!" he yelled.  "That means i'm only good if i'm useful!  I... I guess thats true though.  Maybe thats why the strong hang out with the strong...."

Roman's eyes furrowed even harder and his lips curled into a scowl.  Although, it looked as if a tear was forming in his eye.  "Yeah we... we could never be friends."

[SINIB]

Roman

"How is that any better?!" he yelled.  "That means i'm only good if i'm useful!  I... I guess thats true though.  Maybe thats why the strong hang out with the strong...."

Roman's eyes furrowed even harder and his lips curled into a scowl.  Although, it looked as if a tear was forming in his eye.  "Yeah we... we could never be friends."

Sakura

Tears filled her eyes as well. "How the fuck did you get that from what I said? Being useful has nothing to do with friendship! It's all about if you enjoy each other's company! Feh." She turned her head, and began to walk away. "Jeez. And to think I liked you."

[yinsukin]

Roman

There was no retort.  In a way he didn't care about getting the last word.  He just couldn't comprehend how a woman who claimed to have earned her power forgot how terrifying it was to be weak.  He couldn't belive this idiot had the balls to say people were just tools.  Worst of all, a sinking feeling in his chest made it feel like she was right.  What if people were just tools and he wasn't good enough to be useful.  But that didn't answer one question.

Why did Yusho care?

And with that, he rushed out of the door, never to be seen again.

[SINIB]

Sakura Edelfeldt

9PM Nexus Time, Day 2

After Sakura left the gym, she immediately pulled out her phone. She scrolled through her contacts and tapped on Edelgard's entry. She leaned against the wall, blinking back tears and shaking her head.

"Fucking asshole."

[YOLF]

Edelgard
9 PM Nexus Time, Day 2

At this time of the day, Edelgard was circling the stalls and halls of the lesser orders in the Citadel, stalking the side-paths and gates, and looking out for where each twisting street went. With Sakura busying herself with something she'd claimed was meant for the two of them, knowing her benefactor could take care of herself, Edelgard had decided to spend the hours familiarizing herself with the layout of this magical fortress of a town, and inquiring after any and everything with all the social tact of a scowling tiger.

When the contraption for communication the young mage had given her made a sound like bells and she turned away to answer it, the front guards of the guildhouse she was bothering heaved a sigh of relief.

"Sakura?" She asked over the line, tentatively careful to not miss the answer.

[SINIB]

Edelgard
9 PM Nexus Time, Day 2

At this time of the day, Edelgard was circling the stalls and halls of the lesser orders in the Citadel, stalking the side-paths and gates, and looking out for where each twisting street went. With Sakura busying herself with something she'd claimed was meant for the two of them, knowing her benefactor could take care of herself, Edelgard had decided to spend the hours familiarizing herself with the layout of this magical fortress of a town, and inquiring after any and everything with all the social tact of a scowling tiger.

When the contraption for communication the young mage had given her made a sound like bells and she turned away to answer it, the front guards of the guildhouse she was bothering heaved a sigh of relief.

"Sakura?" She asked over the line, tentatively careful to not miss the answer.

Sakura

"Yeah. I didn't get very far with what I was doing. Ran into a speedbump. Do you want to hang out, maybe do some shopping?" SHe replied, scratching at her cheek and wiping away her tears.

[YOLF]

Edelgard

She squeezed the phone harder than it was likely equipped to handle. Something sounded off about her. What had gone wrong?

"Where are you?" Edelgard responded, curtly jumping past yes or no .

[SINIB]

Edelgard

She squeezed the phone harder than it was likely equipped to handle. Something sounded off about her. What had gone wrong?

"Where are you?" Edelgard responded, curtly jumping past yes or no .

Sakura

"A place called Swole-City. Ridiculous name, I know." Sakura laughed, trying to hide her emotional state from Edelgard. "Do you mind if I bring you over with my magic?" She asked, reformatting her own clothes more to her liking. "It'll only take a second or two."

[YOLF]

Edelgard

There was a moment of silence. If Sakura paid close attention, she could almost hear her scowl over the meaning of the word "swole", but then, she ignored the drop of cold which fell in her gut and responded. "Acceptable."

[SINIB]

Sakura Edelfeldt

The shadow which had been following Edelgard around burst to life. Its wrapped around Edelgard's waist, and a third hand reached out and squeezed her palm. Then, it enveloped her, and she fell into the black abyss.


She was spat out a few feet in front of her benefactor. Sakura was wearing a low-cut, backless dress which clung to her curves a little too well to be natural, as well as now six-inch heels. She smiled, and wiped off her eyes. "Pretty dumb name for a place, isn't it? It makes you wonder what sort of musclehead designed it."

She chuckled. "It's good to be with friends."

[YOLF]

Edelgard

Edelgard no longer stumbled on the way out. She stepped closer to Sakura, shaking the uneasy lightness out of her head. There wasn't any evident distress in Sakura's finely dressed appearance, but the Forsaken's gaze was drawn to her eyes.

To ask would be to pry when she only needed her here, however, and Sakura had asked a question. "The parlance... unfamiliar. What's swole mean?"

[SINIB]

Sakura

"Ah-it means strong, muscular. They might as well have named it strong city, or muscle city." She replied, wrapping her arms around herself in a sort of nervous hug.

Her red eyes blinked a couple times, staring at her elven friend's face. "So, uh, do you have anything you'd like to buy, Edel?"