Next days of Ayu's life were filled with reflections on her life choices and silent pondering. She was at the life crossroads but there were no signposts. The school was nearing an end with graduation right around the corner, which only made new questions weigh on her soul. University seemed like an obvious choice, but the financial issue was playing to her disadvantage. Botany Studies Department was something she might not be allowed to attend for prosaic reasons. Maybe she should focus on something else? The future was uncertain, and she simply knew so little... Sun has set and risen many times since she met Callion in the bamboo forest, thinking over and over about his proposition. There was a specific level to achieve while figuring out training and learning on her own, and some branches of knowledge weren't meant for solitary. Physical prowess and the abilities that she developed were one of them - mostly because Ayu had no experience in training. It simply never occurred to her as something she could be skilled at. The Saiyan she met once in East City told her that she was suited for combat with her power level, though she couldn't exactly confirm that statement. It never crossed her mind, but now..?

Would the possibility of learning about her powers bring her one step closer to understanding who she was? That didn't sound too farfetched, but Ayu wasn't convinced in the end. Even if she was aware of her gifts now, no guarantee there that it would suddenly fill all the blanks in her mind and answeres won't appear on a silver platter. Still, it was a part of her, a significant side of her soul. Perhaps Callion was right. If used correctly, Ayu could make a change and work to make the universe a better place. Filling places touched by drought, making sure the level of plantlife raises to give them all clean air and sufficient supplies. It sounded a little cheesy... She was painfully aware that the world was a cold and unkind place - that's why every bit of kindness mattered. In a place that saw every bit of compassion as a weakness, maybe it wasn't a good idea to expose her ability... Yet, on the other hand, sitting idly wasn't making things easier. First, she'd have to get better, but the practice was one thing and theory was another. If she wanted to make the fullest use of chlorokinesis, gaining more knowledge would be in order. Training is needed to have a solid foundation of gained wisdom, otherwise, there's no telling what could go wrong. And that would mean one thing - studying, studying, and studying.

That's why Ayu made a quick trip to the local library, borrowing every book about botany, environment, medical herbs, and medicine she could find. Even though the initial goal was to know more about afforestation, if she was able to influence any plant she sees, that could mean she would have any herb needed within reach. And during a crisis, time was crucial in treating the wounded person, right? Thanks to the pearl she got from her trip to the sea, Ayu was able to pay all the overdue bills and use the rest as her emergency fund - so buying some notebooks and medicine manuals wasn't a big deal. Having enough time to deepen her understanding of plant life around, she transformed her garden into a study room. Small towers of books and notebooks were placed on a blanket, sheets of paper filled with fine handwriting and detailed drawings laid on grass like fallen leaves. The young woman was sitting there, with a book on her lap and notes in her hands, while soft stalks of Saint John's wort were growing under her fingers.

But... What was the deal with the box she found at her doorstep two days ago? The cardboard package turned to be heavy - so heavy Ayu struggled to lift it after founding it on her doormat. To her surprise, the content inside turned out to be a set of clothing. A weighted outfit that when worn, well, let's say the pressure and the sense of being pulled down was unimaginable. Ayu couldn't believe how a set of grey training clothes could be so heavy, and why would anyone leave it for her to find..? Anyway, despite her powers growing she wasn't feeling like her physical strength was matching her small frame. And wearing that was already soring her muscles, but it was better than doing nothing. So with wrist protectors so heavy, that they would make a crack in the ground when dropped, Ayu was sitting straight on the blanket. Reading, focusing her mind on the matter at hand... Let's say that writing her thoughts down was no simple matter with that outfit on and keeping her posture straight was a strain on its own. And yet it still wasn't the main thing that her thoughts were gravitating towards.

How does a body function? The universe was vast, so that question wasn't specific. Ayu's knowledge was limited to the flora on Earth and the little information released to the public that was collected so far about alien races. The solid rock was her being already familiar enough with Earthlings' anatomy and pretty much any plant life here was known to her. But outside of the blue planet? What differs human from Saiyan, biologically speaking? How does Changelings' physique adapt to foreign environments? What other races were there..? To be honest, that amount of knowledge very well could have burst through Ayu's ears... But she stayed on track. It was good to know that she wasn't the all-knowing persona and there was always room for improvement - in this case, focusing mainly on Earth's plants was a challenge enough.

Herbs were growing all year round around her place, in the garden, greenhouse, or even in her bedroom in flowerpots standing on the windowsill. Knowing that with a certain amount of her Ki, she can make any herb develop faster, put her at ease. She'd need a mature rosehip to make anti-inflammatory medicine, and young foliage of ginger leaves to make aid digestion... But that was simple enough. The concoction to help treat poisonings and ointments to disinfect serious wounds was something harder to grasp. One misstep and side effects could prove life-threatening - and that was not her goal. Heal, not damage. Supplements and medicine could interact with each other, either helping with the initial goal or causing harm. That's why knowledge and experience were crucial... And even if Ayu never had a chance to operate in the field during a crisis, she did not wish for that. But looking at the charts and detailed descriptions about removing bullets or sewing back together torn muscles, perhaps it would be better to never see this in person... But just in case, she'd be ready.

That's what this determination was for. It was easy to give up but trying to push through to the best of her abilities - even if not desirable - felt right. Ayu's hand was getting stiff from all that writing from the past few days, but she wasn't thinking about stopping. There be no regrets.

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Power Level - 25,273
Word Count - 1,202
Super Weighted Clothing Equipped
Technique - [ST2] Herbal Medicine