Stop and Smell the Cherry Blossoms [Social]

Living in Kina had its downsides. Being abducted as a child and experimented on for most of one’s life was a great example of a downside, if Sakura had to name one. But if one ignored the horrible people that lived within the country’s bounds, Kinda held an abundance of beauty that was positively breathtaking. One such beauty was the flora, cherry blossoms being Sakura’s favorites in particular.

She had named herself after the flower, out of all the names in the world she could’ve chosen, so it was probably no surprise to anyone that she favored them. Their smell brought her comfort and they were calming to look at, she could spend hours walking among them, gently plucking flowers from blossoms to smooth between her fingers as she walked. It was an activity she often took to when she needed to think.

And as she walked through the garden of blossoms, she was definitely thinking. About how to get her revenge on her torturers, about how to bring the Morihana clan to its knees, how she could raze the entirety of the regime that made so many suffer to the ground. But she couldn’t do that here or now, she wasn’t strong enough and she couldn’t get stronger trapped here. She needed to leave “The only relevant question is how…” She spoke softly to herself, bringing a flower up so she could inhale deeply of the scent.

Sakura felt the individual coming close to her before she saw them. She sensed the displacement in the air currents surrounding her, thanks to her horns. It was interesting because they weren’t walking towards her, but flying down to her. It wasn’t often she met someone capable of flight, even within the Morihana’s experiments. But when he came into sight, Sakura’s face immediately fell flat with distaste.

A man, she thought with sarcastic venom, how lovely.

She looked him up and down slowly, sizing him up as though a beast on display at an auction. She seemed to measure the worth of his very soul with a single look, and by the way she stepped past him and continued walking, found him wanting. She wouldn’t completely ignore him, however, speaking back towards him in a voice that was warm, a stark contrast with the look she’d given him seconds prior “I believe that’s the word for it. I have only ever been told I am an Oni, so I go with that.”

He might be a man, but she was interested in how he could fly. She was also interested in what he knew of those like her, more particularly unlocking their powers “What of you? People don’t just go around flying, not even here in Kina. What brand of blood courses through your veins?”

“King? I’ve never put much stock in kings.” Sakura’s voice was light and conversational, the picture of politeness, but the kind undertones in her voice didn’t extend to her facial expressions “Kings are prone to vanity, selfishness and cruelty. It’s one of the many, many pitfalls of men I find.” She sighed whimsically and plucked a cherry blossom from the air, rolling a pink petal gently between her fingers.

“My name is Sakura Morihana but trust me Jynx” She would reach out and press the cherry blossom into his palm pointedly “You and I are nothing alike.” She would continue walking, weaving her way through the garden as she spoke “In any case, my relationship with my so-called clan is nonexistent. They made me what I am.” She held up her hand and her nails suddenly sharpened into vicious talons.

“It was strange magic. Powerful. Painful. I am grateful for the strength it’s given me, and I’d love to show my gratitude to the men who gave me this gift.” Like before, Sakura’s voice was at odds with her facial expression, but now her eyes held a murderous light within them “I want to make them feel everything I felt all those years. Every single shred of it…”

When she turned, her face was split with a million watt smile “So tell me about Tartarus, Jynx. In particular the city’s relationship with Kina, and your own connections to the clans.”

"The title of Overlord doesn't help your case, I'm afraid." Sakura giggled, actually finding the vampire's words humorous now, though he probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference between her false laugh and her real one "It just makes you sound like a villain. Like the monster that normal people would be only so glad to paint you as. But for what its worth, I believe what you say." She paused for a beat, a clawed finger tapping against her chin "Or at least I believe that you believe it. And I think I would like to see you make such a place, where we can be free."

Sakura walked on a bit in silence, just watching the cherry blossoms sway and fall gently down to the earth "So you're talking to me in order to recruit me to your city, that much is obvious, but to what end? Are you truly just approaching every beast you come across extending this olive branch? What's in it for you?" While her questions seemed pointed, her tone didn't display any judgement, only curiosity "You can't expect everyone to think you're doing this out of the kindness of your heart. The people you're asking may think you want them indebted to you while the humans and others that look on may think you're amassing an army, especially with all your talk of genetic superiority."

Sakura smiled softly "Yes, any way you cut it, you'd be seen as a threat. Has that not occurred to you?"