#5 ft 11 1/2 in is close enough to 6 ft.

[bleedingcoffee42]

A few months later...

[lqfiles]

SCORE THAT GOAL! — smau

after your college had announced that all the students were required to join a club and attend it twice a week, you were planning on either a) dropping out, or b) join the art club and pretend to be sick most of the times. that was before you discovered that park jisung is a long time member of the football team. change in plans: you LOVE football.

or in which you mindlessly join the football club in hopes of catching your crush’s attention (and to maybe secretly check him out too) who cares if you can’t even kick a ball up in the air?

football-player!jisung x fem!reader

genre ; rlly just humour, football / sports au, fluff, some angst, pining and eventually mutual pining, probably slow-burn, college au, strangers to lovers.

extras ; teasing and profanity | sexual and death jokes | reader is down bad | jisung kinda dislikes reader and closed off at the start | my knowledge on football isn’t the BEST but i know above basics and enough for this fic | idrc if some of these subject clubs don’t exist this is for entertainment 😸

notes ; 😭 mostly posting this for myself cos i’ve wanted to try a smau for a while now but i hope anyone else enjoys too.

PLAYLIST ; Rising , TripleS — Hype Boy , newjeans — Awkward , SZA — Gasoline , ROSY (FT. LILMONEY) — Attracted To You , Pinkpantheress — Cognac Queen , Megan Thee Stallion — Goodie Bag , Still Woozy — Eyedress , Something About You .

STATUS ; completed! (24.02.24)

profiles (1) | profiles (2)

1 ) donghyuck’s fault

2 ) 20% more insane

3 ) it’s the voices again

4 ) yes captain!

5 ) invest in a priv account

6 ) peach lipton ice tea

7 ) no suicide EVER

8 ) always believe women

9 ) grape & lemon drink

10 ) favourite teammate

11 ) wingman

12 ) jeno’s food provider

13 ) no lunch

14 ) awkward tension

15 ) a simple conversation

16 ) an even more normal conversation

17 ) under my umbrella

18 ) a canon event (ft. Renjun's Black Friday offer)

19 ) feeling submissive and fragile

20 ) woman hobbies & failed courseworks

21 ) man up and break it

22 ) make-up brush vs subway sandwich

23 ) OFFICIAL FRIENDSHIP!!!

24 ) a nice gesture

25 ) NOT my boyfriend

26 ) business exchange

27 ) what about mark?

28 ) winter wonders with you

29 ) JISUNG vs MARK

30 ) my princess (very lame)

31 ) riddle me this

32 ) do you like her? (probably)

33 ) wtf does QUORA know?

34 ) JISUNGxY/N: plan A

35 ) evil out the way, GOOD RIDDANCE

36 ) basketball incidents.

37 ) JISUNGxY/N: plan B (the jisung quiz)

38 ) E-DATING 🔛🔝🔥

39 ) wise words from renjun

40 ) that one sign

41 ) guess it’s a date

42 ) (unofficial) couple goals

43 ) the y/nle argument

44 ) professional over-thinker

45 ) executing major girlboss energy

46 ) the confession prep

47 ) knock some sense into them

48 ) war is over

49 ) knock some sense into JISUNG

50 ) an overdue confession

51 ) be your boyfriend?

52 ) scored that goal!

BONUS:

jisung the blonde

JISUNG vs MARK pt.2

jaemin’s hit tweets

the jeno quiz

one huge polyamory relationship

rating my boyfriend’s hair colours

thank you for reading!

[traintrainingmontage]

🥳 THANK YOU!! 🥳

I've recently reached 150 followers on this blog, and I can't thank you all enough!! 💖 To celebrate, I'm opening prompts: please send me an ask containing a short prompt, from a word to a sentence, and I'll write a little something (TTTE-related) for it!

I'll be keeping these open from now (March 1) until the end of the month, so please feel free to send in more than one (but please don't spam)! I am doing these prompts in the order that I receive them, at a speed of one per day. If you submitted one and it's taking a while, I PROMISE that I will get to it! Every single prompt submitted will have a ficlet written for it!

You do not have to be following me to submit a prompt. This is open for everyone and anyone!

Once again, thank you all, and I'm looking forward to seeing what you send in! 💖✨️

Now on Ao3 as well!

UPDATE: PROMPTS ARE NOW CLOSED! Thank you to everyone who sent one in! I will be finishing up the rest of the prompts in my inbox, but likely not at the pace at which I've been doing them. Still, they will all be completed, so please look forward to it!! Thank you again for participating!

Prompt 1 — Sir Handel, Peter Sam, and Duke: Stories

Prompt 2 — Daisy, Mavis, Rusty, and BoCo: UNO (sequel to Poker)

Prompt 3 — James and Oliver: More Alike than Not

Prompt 4 — Mrs. Last and OC (ft. Peter Sam): Community

Prompt 5 — Peter Sam and Y/N Self Insert: An Ordinary Kindness

Prompt 6 — Bill, Ben, and Nia: Riddles

Prompt 7 — Gordon and Flying Scotsman: Birthday

Prompt 8 — Rusty and Stepney (ft. Thomas and Rheneas): A Day Out

Prompt 9 — Duncan, Peter Sam, and Skarloey: Celebration

Prompt 10 — Rajiv and Charubala: Crown

Prompt 11 — Sir Handel and Rheneas: Bonding

Prompt 12 — Skarloey and Rheneas: Reincarnation (Part 1)

Prompt 13 — Daisy, Mavis, Rusty, and BoCo: Poker (prequel to UNO)

Prompt 14 — Skarloey and Neil: Who I Am Now

Prompt 15 — Donald and James: Respect

Prompt 16 — Mighty Mac (ft. Sir Handel and Peter Sam): Rescue

Prompt 17 — Gina: Trapped

Prompt 18 — Skarloey and Rheneas: Cats

Prompt 19 — Duncan and OC: Prologue

Prompt 20 — Donald, Douglas, and OCs: Sodor-Bound

Prompt 21 — Rebecca and Duncan: Surprising Advice

Prompt 22 — Spencer and Percy: Legacy

Prompt 23 — Skarloey and Rheneas: Reincarnation (Part 2)

Prompt 24 — Ryan and Oliver: Burdens

Prompt 25 — Thomas, Annie, and Clarabel: Fashion

Prompt 26 — Culdee and Godred (ft. Ernest, Wilfred, and Shane Dooiney): Return

Prompt 27 — Jinty and Pug: Sudrians

Prompt 28 — Sir Handel and Duncan: Competition

Prompt 29 — Henry: Overhaul

Prompt 30 — Emily and Edward: Preservation

Prompt 31 — Donald, Douglas, and OCs: A New Start

[thecreaturecodex]

Phygorax

"LionfishXFangtooth Mutant" © Dirk Wachsmuth, accessed at his ArtStation here

[The phygorax is a really neat monster from the Creature Catalogue that also needed a lot of work. In that it can't even actually attack in the original--it can only sting people who touch them, and that is implied to only be willingly when they're wrapped in illusions. Plus, the art is terrible. Possibly the worst piece in a book for which the art is not a selling point, and the flavor text goes out of its way to call them "beautiful". So the concept of "undead fish that cloaks itself in illusions" is the same, but it's gotten a bit of a glow-up in my iteration]

Phygorax CR 6 CE Undead This creature looks like a man-sized fish with eerie, distorted proportions—its body is mostly mouth, but its pectoral and dorsal fins extend out into fans of quills, each with ghastly ribbons of tissue hanging from them.

The phygorax is a bogey of the deep, a fish-like undead that preys on aquatic humanoids. A phygorax has the ability to read the thoughts and desires of creatures around it. It uses this information to wrap itself in illusions and appear as whatever its victim wants, whether that is a piece of treasure, a friendly face or a possible meal. Once the dupe reaches out to touch the disguised phygorax, it sticks itself on its lionfish-like spines, which drain life energy instead of injecting toxins. If the phygorax is outnumbered, it will often flee into the deep at this point, content with a snack. But if the victim is alone or the phygorax is part of a bloat, they will fight with jaws and spines, hoping to extract as much life as possible from their victims. Those killed by its spines have a distressing tendency to rise as new phygoraxes themselves, their body warping and molding into a piscine shape if they are not already aquatic.

Aquatic humanoids are rightfully terrified of phygorax, and they are used as scary stories by locathah and merfolk communities to teach their children to stay close to the group and keep their hands to themselves. Sahuagin may view the appearance of a phygorax as an opportunity to weaponize them, but such alliances are more akin to drawing the phygorax’s attention to targets the sea devils want to destabilize and terrorize, rather than a full-on alliance. Phygoraxes are typically quite vain. They consider their spines and fins to be beautiful and spend most of their time not hunting preening. What little treasure they collect tends to be jewelry; their spines are prehensile enough for them to be able to slip rings and bracelets around, even if the transformation into a phygorax prevents them from using weapons. Interactions between different phygoraxes are likely to be full of catty one-upmanship rather than cooperation.

Phygorax CR 6 XP 2,400 CE Medium undead Init +2; Senses darkvision 120 ft., Perception +14

Defense AC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 14 (+3 Dex, +1 dodge, +4 natural) hp 68 (8d8+32) Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +8; channel resistance +4 SR 21 Defensive Abilities spiny defense

Offense Speed 5 ft., swim 30 ft. Melee bite +9 (2d6+1), sting +9 (1d4+1 plus energy drain) Special Attacks create spawn, energy drain (1 negative level, DC 17) Spell-like Abilities CL 8th, concentration +11 At will—detect desires (DC 16), veil (self only, DC 19)

Statistics Str 12, Dex 16, Con -, Int 15, Wis 17, Cha 17 Base Atk +6; CMB +7; CMD 21 Feats Deceitful, Dodge, Toughness, Weapon Finesse Skills Bluff +13, Disguise +16, Perception +14, Sense Motive +14, Stealth +14, Swim +17 Languages Aquan, Common, Necril

Ecology Environment any aquatic Organization solitary or clique (2-4) Treasure incidental

Special Abilities Create Spawn (Su) A humanoid or monstrous humanoid killed by a phygorax’s energy drain transforms into a free willed phygorax 1 day after its death. Spiny Defense (Ex) A creature touching a phygorax or striking it with a natural weapon, touch attack or melee weapon must succeed a DC 17 Reflex save or be struck by one of its spines, taking damage as if the phygorax had hit it with a sting attack. If the phygorax is under the effect of veil and the creature touching it has not seen through the illusion, saves against this ability suffer a -4 penalty. Creatures striking the phygorax with weapons with the reach property do not need to make a save. The save DC is Dexterity based.

[anerdinallherglory]

Approaching Sun (40)

Author’s Note: It may not seem like it, but I promise this story is “approaching” its end. I’m excited to write the last several chapters, so you won’t have to wait as long for the next one hopefully. Sorry for the wait!

Songs: 1) Butterflies by Tom Odell ft. AURORA, 2) Ghosts by James Vincent McMorrow, 3) Meet Me at Our Spot by THE ANXIETY, WILLOW, Tyler Cole. 

Pairing: SasuSaku

Previous Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39

Chapter 40: Selfishness

It was hours before dawn, the darkness still a shield that protected them from tomorrow, when Sasuke felt Sakura shift under his encircling arm. He inwardly groaned as she made to move away from him, because it meant that she was cutting this short, choosing to break into the soft sleepy realm of togetherness that the dark sky promised them. It had been a night unlike any other, a night of peace and safety as they slept in their bed, in their home, in their village. Sakura’s decision to try to sneak away was as abrasive as the sunrise would have been in that moment. Sasuke tightened his hold, pulling her back into his chest where he curled his body around her as if he could protect the peace of now just by holding her to him. He gave a grunt of protest as she froze.

Sasuke was usually the one who was up all hours of the night, hardly sleeping at times while he traveled across foreign territories. Typically haunted by nightmares and the past when his eyes closed, Sasuke was usually the one beyond eager to greet the next day, the sunrise the only interruption able to halt the endless torment of his mind. It wasn’t until this very moment as Sakura woke first beside him, that Sasuke realized he hadn’t been plagued by dreams of any kind for the last month at least, and he didn’t need to wonder as to why. The why slept beside him, trying to pull away from him and begin the day at an ungodly hour. 

“Are you always going to have this annoying habit?” he whispered into her shoulder, not even allowing the strength of a solid voice to interrupt this stillness. 

“What habit,” she answered back, just as quietly, but the mirthful faux exasperation still made its way through with her sharp exhalation of breath. 

“The one where you sneak away when you think I’m asleep,” Sasuke chided. “This makes at least four times now, I believe.” 

“I have to go and see—” she began, but Sasuke just pulled her in tighter, shaking his head against her shoulder. No. He simply wouldn’t let her go just yet.

“Whatever it is, it can wait until morning. Just stay with me.”

And his own words fully woke him like an ironic nightmare. ‘So please. Just stay with me, Sasuke. And if you can’t, then take me with you.”’ He dug his nose deeper into her shoulder blades, shaking free from those lingering words that had never stopped ricocheting through the echoing chambers of his heart. But he was here now. They were together. And she had agreed to come with him. Sasuke Uchiha was determined to rewrite the story of them from the moment he had made his vows in an underground cave.

“I can’t stay in this bed for much longer if you want to depart the village by sunrise,” she informed him, and Sasuke wanted to say it didn’t matter, but that would be a lie, and she knew the Uchiha well enough to infer that he wanted to leave in the quiet as he always chose to do. “I have to talk to Kakashi…” she sighed, and then added more softly, as if the truth of it was fragile: “… before I leave with you.”

Sasuke stared into her back as she said it, and his heart climbed while his stomach sank with his guilt. Despite his initial resolve to make Sakura stay behind for the sake of her goals, her safety, and the village, Sasuke had asked her to come with him. 

“Come with me, Sakura,” he had requested—a moment of weakness truly, the voice of the starved, desert man—and she had stared at him for a long minute after, as if waiting for him to take the words away again. Sasuke hated that it was in his nature to overthink everything, fail expectations, and create this pattern in Sakura of expecting the floor to be ripped out from beneath her. He hated it, but it didn’t change the fact that she was right to believe it of him.

“What?” she had voiced, expressing that uncertainty. “You’re asking me to come on your mission with you?”

“Yes,” he had doubled down, convincing both of them of what his heart had decided. “Come with me, Sakura.”

“Why the change in heart?” she had asked. “You said—”

“I know. I just—I’m selfish, too, Sakura. I shouldn’t be asking you this. It’s dangerous. But I—just don’t want it to be over yet. I need to find Kaguya, and I want you safe, and I shouldn’t—”

God, he had been a bumbling idiot. Had he ever rambled incoherently in front of anyone before? All of that usually took place in his mind, but this time, he struggled audibly, trying to make her understand with words that never came naturally to the Uchiha. He was only ever eloquent when he was being snarky or vindictive. 

“Stop talking yourself out of it,” she smiled, shuffling closer toward him on the bed and pulling that green cotton comforter that smelled like her up and over their bare skin. “I’ll come with you.”

“I wish you would say no. I’m having a hard time doing what’s best for the both of us right now.”

 “I’ve only ever dreamed of hearing you ask me that,” she had said in response. “Of course I am not saying no.”

But afterward, his thoughts had predictably raced throughout the night as Sasuke over-analyzed his request, the decision to bring his new wife with him, and what that would mean for her and the village. What it would mean for his mission. Was he really allowed such selfishness? What would Itachi think if he knew that Sasuke had committed himself to a similar life of sacrifice, but that his younger brother had faltered. Sasuke had put it on pause, hadn’t he? The moment he had chosen to meet her lips with his own back in Suna.  

“Am I allowed this,” Sasuke voiced the words he had harbored to himself in the quiet after of sex and Sakura’s sleep-induced cadence of breathing, “Maybe I cannot be like Itachi, after all. Maybe I’m still too weak to live a life of sacrifice.”

The back of her head rested back against his shoulder, until their faces became parallel silhouettes. “You’re choices now are not going to interrupt your mission Sasuke,” she whispered, hitting straight to the concerns in his heart. “I’m going to help you, not become a hinderance to you like Shikamaru believes. The four of us—Team 7—we are going to protect this peace together. We all have roles to play.”

And that’s why it was selfish of him, Sasuke wanted to say, but, again, couldn’t find the words to explain it. Because he had juxtaposed her mission with being with him, while Sasuke planned to do both: execute his mission while she followed him. Sakura was so much more than his wife, especially to the Leaf, but Sasuke just wanted his wife to be with him a little longer. The problem was that it would be to her own sacrifice. Sasuke would be forgoing nothing, which felt counterintuitive to his entire goal. He knew no matter what he said, Sakura wouldn’t see it as Sasuke did. 

“And I am taking you away from your role,” he tried to explain, but she shook her head.

“I choose my own role.” 

 Sensing the unspoken monologue of his mind, she turned under his clinging arm to face him. “You’re allowed to be selfish for once—” she began, but Sasuke’s sigh of despondency cut her short. 

“I’ve allowed myself a lifetime of selfishness in a short few years, remember? I only thought of myself and my own goals and caused a lot of pain in the process. Being selfless is a part of my journey of atonement. You were never supposed to be a part of that—”

And Sakura interrupted him this time, stopping his self-critical speech before he could spiral further. Her left palm reached up to the plane of his cheek, staring at him through the dark. “Your future is going to be nothing but sacrifice, remember? Mine too, now. I’m going to be selfish this time, too, because we have nothing but a future of sacrifice ahead of us. The universe will be paid its due of sacrifice in full, I promise you.”

He tried to say more, something about how his past was not hers to atone for, how he wished he could spare her from this life altogether, but she kissed him before he could give voice to any more of his concerns. Concerns even about her safety despite everything she had proven to him recently. Like a persistent gnat, that dread that he would be the reason Sakura was pulled back into danger again now that she was safely in Konoha—it would always be there. But Sasuke was going to eradicate the threat that remained and ease his anxieties a bit by doing so. 

“You can’t take it back,” she whispered. “I’ll continue my work wherever it takes me and I’ll help you with your goals. Just as before. We deserve this.”

She slipped from under his braced arm then, her inhuman strength always catching Sasuke by surprise no matter how many times she had reminded him of her abilities. He tried to blame it on her taking advantage of his lack of an appendage.

Sasuke heard the shower as she retreated into the bathroom down the hall, and he face-planted back onto the pillow in exhaustion. That is until he heard her tentatively call out, “want to join me?”

Sasuke shot straight up, all fatigue suddenly gone and that gentle undisturbed night gave way to the immediate, panicky present. He blushed furiously at that question, staring wide-eyed down the hall. Did she just invite him into the shower with her? Sasuke chided himself for his reaction immediately. He had just done unspeakable things with that woman not five hours ago, but here he was acting like a shy first-year genin at the suggestion that he shower with her.

He didn’t answer, reminding himself that she likely wore a blushing face to match his, even if she was the one brave enough to ask him. Sasuke Uchiha would be damned if he skipped the opportunity. He was still a man, even if his desires for her were kept strictly in the privacy between them. But beyond that, he was more tempted to accept her offer because there was something remarkably intimate about being with someone in such an exposed way that it went beyond comfortability. Sasuke didn’t want to miss out on the normalcy that developed between two people living their mundane lives beside one another, where acts such as showering together were almost as normal as showering alone. He wanted to participate in the mutual lifestyle, even if it wasn’t the sort of routine Sasuke would get to hold on to in the future. The fact that he was even getting the chance to be with someone in such a way, reminded Sasuke of how far he had come and the small miracles he was going to be getting despite that vow of complete selflessness he had made to himself. 

Climbing into the shower, Sasuke had guessed right. Sakura’s face was the same rosy shade as her hair, which was just as lovely all lathered and molded into a crown atop her head. He even noticed how the blush spread down to the back of her neck and kissed the tops of her shoulders. They both locked eyes and immediately dropped their gazes to their feet, pointedly ignoring eachothers’ nakedness as if it they hadn’t just been intimate hours earlier. Their eyes locked again as they looked back up, and Sakura smiled at him reassuringly before she traded positions with him under the showerhead. She was pretending to be unaffected, continuing to massage her scalp and newly-short hair, the soap bubbles running in rivulets along the paths of the loose hair along her nape drawing Sasuke’s attention, and he desperately wanted to run his fingers through it. And to Sasuke’s surprise, Sakura must have been thinking similarly, because she reached up to his own wet black locks immediately and did just that. He closed his eyes as she stood on her tiptoes and began massaging soap into his scalp with two hands. Gods, that felt fucking amazing. 

“Showers were such a great invention,” he announced, to which Sakura agreed, going into detail about how the homes were built with modern plumbing after Pain’s demolition of the Leaf, among other modifications and technological advancements.

The hot water was blissful, a luxury Sasuke did not often receive on the road, unless he was lucky enough to stumble upon a hot spring. Even a daily bath was often a rarity, and so Sasuke was determined to enjoy every second of it. He would enjoy it a lot more though, if she would let him bathe her in return. Boldly, but growing in the increasing confidence and comfortability he was finding with her these days, Sasuke turned Sakura so that she faced the stream of the shower head. 

He moved his hand to her hair, mimicking her washing efforts single-handedly, fingering those pink, bubble woven strands.

“Do you like girls with short hair or long hair?” she suddenly inquired, and Sasuke halted for a moment at the question. Why did she suddenly want to know that? It immediately felt like the sort of question with no right answer, and his internal alarms were going off.

“Irrelevant, considering you’re the only girl I have, or will ever like.” Surely that was the right answer. It was the truth of it, anyway. Sasuke hoped it would be enough of a response to satisfy her, but Sakura pushed on as his single-handed massaging continued.

“This is going to sound silly, but all of us girls at the academy grew our hair out on purpose because we had all heard the rumor that you liked girls with long hair.”

Sasuke raised a curious brow, trying desperately, but failing to recall any sort of youthful declaration of preference. If Sasuke were to guess, he had probably said all kinds of things to ward off silly girl advances. If someone with a schoolgirl crush on him wore glasses, he would have told her he hated girls with glasses. If another girl was short, he would have said he liked taller girls. And so on and so forth. Anything to spurn them and send them on their way. Sasuke had never had a preference for such things. A preference would be admitting he liked anyone for anything at all. And to be honest, Sasuke hadn’t even paid attention to a girl’s hair until one specific day in the Forest of Death. 

“I like your hair,” he admitted candidly. “Especially when you go and cut it off like it’s some declaration of war.”

He could tell she was smiling simply from the way she ducked her head slightly. “I guess in a way, it is,” she admitted. 

Sasuke pulled his fingers away from her hair, curling them in hesitation, before deciding to trace a path in the soap at her shoulder blades, once again creating that symbol on her back. It had begun as a sort of declarative mark, a way to tell the world who she was to him; then that mark had become his hope for the future of his—their—clan; but more recently, tracing that symbol into her back was like a therapeutic reminder to them both. Of the choice he had made.  When he did so now, Sakura laughed, but Sasuke was telling himself in his head: it’s real. This is real. This is happening. I can have this. I want this. She wants this. WE will make it work one way or another and no one is going to take it from me. Fuck complete selflessness. Just like this shared experience of showering with another person, the Uchiha symbol on Sakura’s back was proof of how far he had come from the man of three years ago, the one who would have killed her and Naruto for simply existing and being liabilities to him. 

“So it was just a rumor then,” Sakura stated, refusing to drop her chosen subject even though Sasuke was now miles away from it in his head. It felt like whiplash, coming back to it. “All that time believing such a silly thing would make you like me, when it was power you only ever truly respected.”

Something in Sasuke’s stomach soured at those words and he called upon his years of practiced indifference to refrain himself from flinching. There was truth to her statement, they both knew, and Sasuke hated that he had been that type of person. Looking back on how Sasuke had treated those with power versus how he had acted towards others he believed to be weaker than himself. Had he not sought out Team Taka based on their abilities alone? Suddenly, the Uchiha sort of wished he had been the type of person to have a preference for one’s hair instead of one’s power and ninja ability.

Sasuke wanted to remedy his actions to her, explain it away, but like always, was going to fail miserably, he knew. He settled with trying to emphasize who he was now. “I don’t see people that way anymore. I think you’re the most powerful kunoichi in the world, but I loved you before any of that.” Sasuke wasn’t going to voice that it definitely eased his concerns knowing she was a sanin-level kunoichi who had proved to him countlessly now that she didn’t need others to protect herself. It wouldn’t be beneficial to bring that up again right now. 

She turned back to face him then, once again moving to switch spots with him under the running water. Even though their conversation had taken a downward turn, Sasuke couldn’t help himself from trailing her body with his eyes as they pivoted, and her lower back brushed against his legs. It surprised himself how much of an affected man he actually was, even though he would convince the world he was impervious to such things. Just as Sasuke had admitted to the both of them last night, he would be alone in the near future and was eager to store as many visuals of her naked as he could before they parted. He wouldn’t ask her for anything more substantial now, though. Sakura was coming with him, and he could go back to allowing things to naturally transpire between them, instead of rushing into them like that starved desert man in his mind that Sasuke was having a hard time fighting against and reasoning with. He turned his own back to her when the evidence of his affectedness traveled south, and he disguised the concealing of it with the act of letting the water stream down into his face and over his chest. It was his ninja instinct that told him her eyes appraised him similarly while his back was turned. 

It was obvious she didn’t notice his own elation, because she immediately asked with a bashful smile and redirected gaze, “So you’ve admitted twice now that you cared for me when we were genin. When exactly did that start?”

Oh, shit. Sasuke supposed he had alluded to that twice now—more like confessed it outright. He had angrily disclosed to Sakura in the heat of last night that his growing feelings for her was the reason for his inexcusable behavior towards her. Sasuke had told Sakura that he knew who she would become to him, which is why he had done everything to make her hate him and permanently cut his bond with her in every way possible. He chastised himself silently for admitting that. The truth to her question was that Sasuke couldn’t pinpoint when he had begun to care for her in more ways than a friend. Not exactly, anyway. At first, Sakura annoyed him. Like all the others. Naruto, of course, at the top of his list—but she wasn’t far behind, claiming she was in love with him when she didn’t even know him. He would say he had begun to care about her around the same time he had begun to care for the rest of Team 7. But when did he know that he would come to care for Sakura in a way that was more? The Chuunin exams? When he had woken from the effects of the Curse Mark to find her beaten and at the mercy of three sound ninja, and realized he would mangle and  kill them for it? Or was it before then? Maybe as far back as The Land of Waves, when she thought he was dying and clung desperately to him as if doing so would keep him tethered to this world. Sasuke didn’t know exactly when it had begun for him, and so he avoided her eyes, scrambling to escape answering that question, afraid to not have the answer she hoped for. He reached back to turn off the tap before reaching for the towels beyond the curtain. 

His wife’s persistent silence told Sasuke she’d wait the answer out. 

“Hmm,” he stalled, then decided on an answer that sounded more like his usual self: “does it really matter?”

She immediately frowned, and Sasuke smirked as he began to towel his hair. It was getting too long and was longer than Sakura’s now when wet. Damn he wished he had two hands so he could dry off faster and leave the washroom that much quicker. 

But Sakura was as relentless as usual, deciding to take a guess at it herself. 

“In the Forest of Death? During the Chunnin Exams?” She gasped, as if suddenly realizing something and covered her face with her hands. “When I tried to kiss you on the bench? No, that can’t be right. You were so angry that day, calling me annoying for the first time.” 

Sasuke halted his efforts of toweling his head. “What are you talking about?”

“You’re still going to pretend that you don’t remember that day?! You tried this the night you left, too!” Sakura reproached his forgetfulness. “I’ll never forget when you called me annoying because I was being harsh about Naruto’s upbringing…I thought you were angry because I had tried to kiss you, but I also sort of said some stupid things—” she confessed in a stutter, avoiding his confused stare 

“No,” he clarified. “I remember that part. And calling you annoying. I lied that night and said I didn’t remember that day, but I do. But that’s not the part I’m talking about.” 

She narrowed her eyes at his blatant provocation. 

“I don’t ever remember you trying to kiss me,” he deadpanned.

“Seriously? You asked me what I thought about Naruto, and I gave an obnoxiously embarrassing speech about how I only wanted your acceptance.” She ducked her head in defeat, grabbing her own towels and wrapping them delicately around herself. “I learned my lesson after that day, and I never said anything like that again. Or tried to kiss you.”

Sasuke listened with roaming, blinking eyes as he tried to make sense of what she was saying. “I don’t remember any of that. I do remember being very angry that day because Naruto had—” Sasuke stopped talking abruptly as the pieces suddenly put themselves together. That day had been like any other normal day, until Naruto ambushed him in his room with his shadow clones. They tied him up and Sasuke was forced to watch as Naruto transformed into him, a perfect Sasuke Uchiha double. That damn idiot. 

“What?” she asked, already in the process of adorning her morning work clothes despite the pre-dawn hour. 

“That wasn’t me,” Sasuke smirked to himself. “That was Naruto.”

Sakura straightened in disbelief. “Wait, what?”

“That idiot had transformed into me. Caught me by surprise and tied me up that day. I watched him transform into me and run off. And after all this time, now I know what he did as he pretended to be me.” Sasuke wanted to laugh as if he were a genin genuinely amused by the shenanigans of Team 7 once more. Naruto had pretended to be Sasuke that day because he had wanted to get closer to Sakura, who had almost kissed him because she had been so infatuated with her schoolgirl crush. The idea of it had the Uchiha suddenly grinning wildly. Like a treasure in a time capsule, the revelation came to him like a precious piece of the past. Like the cicada song of Konoha, it made Sasuke feel warm instead of exasperated at Naruto’s trickeries that day.

In contrast, Sakura shrieked as the realization of what Naruto had done dawned upon her, too. “HE DID WHAAAAAT?! That IDIOT!” 

Sasuke grinned mischievously, not passing up the perfect opportunity of teasing her. “You almost kissed Naruto.”

Her mouth fell open. She stuttered before emphatically tossing down her towel on the floor and promising, “I’m seriously going to kill him for that.”

When Sasuke laughed again, Sakura pointed at him with her own devious smirk. “Well, one of us really did kiss Naruto, and it wasn’t me, unless mouth-to-mouth counts.”

Sasuke threw his own towel at her face, his laughter dying immediately as hers picked back up again. “Don’t ever bring that up again. And mouth-to-mouth counts.”

She laughed, peeking under the towel over her head. “Then I guess both of our first kisses were with Naruto. Can you believe that? And I’ve technically kissed several people before you then, as well.”

Sasuke frowned at the thought of Sakura performing that medically necessary practice and changed his answer. “Ok. It doesn’t count.”

“Then I win.” 

“What was there to win?” he asked incredulously.

“Nothing. But there was something to lose. Your dignity. You lose because you kissed Naruto.”

“His wife, the Hyuga girl, begs to differ.”

“You’re right. Kissing the world’s savior is not a bad way to live your life. I guess that makes you a lucky man, then.”

Sasuke scowled pointedly and Sakura giggled, moving toward him in the dim steamy bathroom, fully clothed now while he was still dripping naked. She splayed her fingertips across his abdomen, and he immediately wiped his face clean of emotion. She took the towel in her other hand and wrapped it around his waist to bring him closer to her. “Not as lucky I feel getting to kiss you, the savior in the shadows.”

“I guess that’s true,” he murmured with a smug tilt of his chin. She went in for the kiss and Sasuke reached up to secure her neck, guiding her the rest of the way. Their lips touched briefly, a promise for that natural substantiality, after all. That starvation for connection flared to life inside him like that black, pulsating eternal sun of Amaterasu he had become for her.   

And then a knock sounded through Sakura’s home. They both immediately stilled as Sasuke’s vision morphed into red and purple. Another knock. His gaze flashed in the direction of the doorway down the hall from them, and he quickly identified the two people, their two outlines of chakra concentrations flickering like flames just outside Sakura’s front door. At first, Sasuke was assuming it might be someone from the hospital again, coming to request her presence. One mass was impressive and flickering erratically, a figure dangling on the other as if supported. Sasuke sighed and deactivated his visual prowess, an unnecessary drain on his chakra now that he had a guess at who was at the door. 

Before Sasuke could relay this conjecture to Sakura, the two individuals knocked again and announced their identities themselves. “Sakura?! You in there? Sorry to bother you at this hour, but Lee got a bit carried away drinking again! I heard you were back in the village, are you in there?”

“How often does this sort of thing happen?” Sasuke asked, instantly annoyed for several different reasons: 1) Sakura’s offered kiss had just been interrupted and he had been quite looking forward to that, 2) who in their right mind, because of drunkenness, would casually interrupt her sleep at this hour anyway, and 3) for some reason he would never confess aloud, Sasuke didn’t quite care that Rock Lee was one of the people on the other side of the door. 

“Not often,” Sakura relayed, making to step around him. Sasuke scowled. “But when Lee gets like this, I told him to come to me without guilt or reservation.”

Sasuke couldn’t help but scoff distinctly at that. 

“I owe him this much, remember?” she declared, making for the couch to grab her father’s old set of clothes from the spot on the arm where Sasuke had left them the last time he had stayed over. She tossed it to him as he continued to pointedly display his annoyed expression. “He fought for me in the Forest of Death and has helped me more since. Even without that between us, he is still a Konoha citizen and my patient.”

Sasuke almost asked ‘how exactly has he helped since’ simply because he wanted to know the specifics, but clamped his mouth shut. Do not be an irrational dick, he told himself. He technically owed Lee too, in a sense, for helping her. Sasuke shut the bathroom door as he heard Sakura receive them, Lee greeting her enthusiastically despite his supposed drunkenness, while Sasuke stood close enough to the bathroom door to eavesdrop while he dressed. 

“Sakuraaa?” Lee stuttered, and Sasuke could hear him stumble his way into the small space, knocking his knee ungracefully into the doorframe. 

“Leeee,” sighed an exasperated feminine voice that Sasuke recognized, placing it as the female member of Team Guy whom Sasuke couldn’t even recall having ever had a conversation with before. “Get off her! Sorry Sakura, he always gets like this when he’s had too much to drink, but you know that.”

“It’s fine!” Sakura assured them. “Here Lee, let’s get you to the couch.”

It most certainly was not fine, and Sasuke finished dressing, quite done eavesdropping. He had thought he might sit it out in the bathroom, but not after that exchange.

Opening the door, Sasuke casually strode into the kitchen as if he couldn’t be bothered by any of them. He heard the room fall silent as he pointedly ignored them, heading straight to the kitchen in search of that cabinet where he had once retrieved some medication for Sakura’s hangover not several months ago. 

Sakura didn’t miss a beat, pretending to be unphased by Sasuke’s sudden unexpected passing, as if this was just as normal as Lee showing up to her house, apparently. “What happened exactly?” she inquired.

“It was an accident,” Tenten explained from the other room, stuttering as she recovered from the shock of randomly seeing Sasuke here after so many years of absence. “We were eating with Choji and Shikamaru, and Lee somehow got his drink mixed up with Shikamaru’s. Next thing we knew, he was hanging from the rafters.”

Sasuke clutched the container with the yellow label marked “Cys/Potas,” the same one that Sakura had indicated had been especially made for Lee’s drunken fist. Next, Sasuke grabbed a glass from a nearby shelf and rotated it in his hand as he thought about that particular information Tenten just divulged. Mixed up drinks? With Shikamaru, of all people? Sasuke pursed his lips as he considered that in the context of recent events. Maybe the shinobi world and his latest interactions concerning the spikey-haired ninja had made him paranoid, but Sasuke scowled down at the reflective glass, overthinking the likelihood of that happening with the Hokage’s right-hand assistant. Shikamaru was a genius, and to put it bluntly, didn’t like the Uchiha (Sasuke didn’t really care, because he didn’t like him all that much either), but would he really go as far as to purposefully get Lee drunk, knowing it was a habit for Lee and his companions to seek Sakura’s assistance? What would be the point of such a calculated move? To spy? To interrupt them? To wake Sakura so she would report to Kakashi? To remind her of her critical function in the Leaf and her other male options? Hn. Sasuke wasn’t going to assume any of that, but he wasn’t going to entirely discredit it as paranoia either. 

Sakura didn’t hesitate a second at Tenten’s statement, saying, “Yes, this isn’t the first time this sort of thing has happened. Has he eaten anything?” 

“Yes,” Tenten replied immediately. “He ate two plates before—” she halted when Sasuke came back into the room. 

“This is what you need, correct?” Sasuke ignored them altogether, placing the glass of water and medication he held with one hand onto the table in front of the sofa. 

“Yes,” Sakura answered him, not entirely sure whom Sasuke was addressing, but assuming it must have been her, since Sasuke paced to take up his usual shut-eyed spot against one of the walls, making no effort to talk to either of her guests. Sasuke wanted to tell them that they had gotten what they needed so they could leave now, but Sasuke was reminding himself to hold his tongue because he was trying to not come off as the asshole Shikamaru and the rest of Konoha 13 thought him to be. He may not be doing a very good job at it by blatantly ignoring them, but it was better than the annoyed words on his tongue. 

Tenten didn’t seem to be too bothered by his predictable stony silence, because she said boldly, “So the rumors are true then. You’re back, Sasuke.”

Sasuke opened an eye to acknowledge her, giving her a polite but not out of character, “Not for long.” He could have remained silent completely, but Sasuke supposed he didn’t want to give the rest of Konoha any more reasons to hate him than they already had, especially those connected to Sakura. 

The medicine seemed to be working as Lee began to come out of his drunken haze slowly but surely. “Sakuraaaaa,” he whined again, slumping forward on the couch her general direction. “I know--*hic* that you love Sasuke and all, but *hic*--” he didn’t get further before Tenten slapped a hand over his mouth. 

“Don’t say anything more,” she chastised him, then turned to Sakura. “Sorry, he gets emotional and confrontational when he’s like this. He doesn’t mean half of what he says. Thank you for the medication, Sakura. I’ll take him home now.”

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the words that had come from Lee’s mouth, and the challenging glare framed by those bushy brows of his. Confrontational when drunk, indeed; Lee had acted completely different towards him several months back when he had met up with the caravan Lee had been escorting into the village. He had been full of the ‘spirit of youth’ back then, and very enthusiastic to see Sasuke well. And for the first time since all those years ago, Sasuke remembered Lee’s crush on Sakura. And with that memory, Sasuke suddenly had his answer to Sakura’s question from earlier, too. The first time Sasuke had felt something other than comradery toward Sakura had to have been when Lee boldly—still was bold, apparently—confessed his love for her on that first day of the Chuunin exams. 

And now that Sasuke held Lee’s gaze, the Uchiha remembered that he had felt a deep annoyance for the ninja’s admiration for Sakura, but it had all been eclipsed once Lee brought up the Uchiha clan and proceeded to challenge Sasuke to a fight. Sasuke had also overlooked his annoyance when Lee had stood up for Sakura in the Forest of Death at a time when Sasuke and Naruto had been incapacitated. It was for those same reasons, that Sasuke chose to not say anything more now. He had always respected Lee, even if the bushy browed ninja did still harbor affection for his wife. A couple months ago, Sasuke would have conceded to Lee for Sakura’s attention, even going as far to push her in the other man’s direction, knowing in his heart that Lee deserved her, would be good to her, and might even make her happy someday through his consistent presence—be Sakura’s doting husband and the father of her children.

Not now though. Whatever Lee had wanted to say to her tonight, it would have been three months too late anyway. Even Lee knew it, because the drunken man sighed as he made to stand, picking up the medication to take with him. Lee was removing the excuse to visit her himself and they all recognized that intentional act. “I’m sorry Sakura. For bothering you again, especially at this hour. I’ll try to be more careful in the future.”

“You’re no trouble, Lee. You can always come to me for help. You know that. Tell Shikamaru to be more careful with his drink placement, next time.”

Sasuke glanced at Sakura at that statement. He supposed that he wasn’t the only one who squinted their eyes a bit at the circumstances of tonight. 

And even though Sakura had offered Lee her continued assistance, Lee had still taken the medication with him. And Sakura didn’t insist he leave it behind. 

.

.

.

They didn’t talk about Lee, or much of anything after the two ninja left, really. Sakura had felt uncomfortable, but firm in her practices whenever the two members of Team Guy had arrived at her door. She had to admit she was a little surprised that Sasuke had retrieved Lee’s medication from her cabinet like he was as familiar with Lee’s drunken care as she was, placing it down on the table for him in her stead. But then again, the Uchiha had done stranger, bolder things in the last couple months that had surprised her more. Sakura knew Sasuke well enough to know why he had done it, doing his best to casually, but firmly reveal their relationship to Tenten and Lee (he didn’t have to come out of that bathroom, and Sakura hadn’t expected him to.)

She raced against the growing hour, throwing things randomly into a travel sack, already determined to leave with him. Sasuke watched her stonily with pursed, tense lips. She ignored him, knowing the Uchiha was still having second thoughts about asking her to continue their traveling together even in this moment. She wasn’t going to give him another out. 

“I want to check in with Kakashi once more before we leave,” she announced for a second time, moving through the motions of packing, just as she had done several months prior, and not really paying that much attention to what she was throwing in the bag. 

“Sakura..” Sasuke tried, but Sakura anticipated his words and cut him off instantly. 

“I don’t want to hear it.”

“The Otsusuki—” he began again, refusing not to try one last time to emphasize the primary threat they’d be facing together from this point on. 

 “Can go to hell,” she finished, handing him her rucksack before boldly fisting her hands behind his neck, her palms sliding to the forefront of his cheekbones. In the dim pre-dawn, lantern-lit hour, Sakura searched both of his eyes. “We get to be selfish.” The window that they had left open all night long, gifted them one last Konoha breeze, the cicadas of the previous evening now silent. Not even they wanted to disturb this quiet solitude, but Sakura had to be the one to set things into motion. For the second time this year, she would tell Kakashi that she was leaving. 

Sasuke closed the space between them, taking that kiss that had been interrupted earlier, and Sakura knew this was his way of saying, ‘Okay. Let’s do this, then.’ His mouth was warm and Sakura wanted desperately to climb back into that bed, kiss him into the dawn, and listen to the night give way to birdsong. But Sakura wanted to follow him the rest of the way toward accomplishing his mission more. 

To her surprise, Sasuke broke the kiss, he too preparing for the imminent future. She knew he was eager to be gone from Konoha and to resume the hunt for the Otsutsuki.   

“Meet me at the gates?” she asked, already gasping, but holding her breath like she could cling to the quiet present shared between them if she did so.

“I’ll meet you there.”

And Sakura assumed he had simply agreed. Donning her white doctor’s coat, she sprinted off into the night, heading toward the spot Sakura knew Kakashi would be. 

The pink-haired Kunoichi once again, left her home with a silent farewell, the residence a loyal and waiting fortitude that would forever preserve the short Konoha chapters of their lifelong story together. 

.

.

.

Kakashi was a worldclass ninja, and being a ninja, was not in the habit of being snuck up upon, especially here. It was common for the Hokage to upgrade into more secure housing once they became officially titled as the head of the village, but Kakashi had reallocated the Hokage’s quarters for other purposes recently, taking up residence in his old apartment instead. He had meant what he had said this morning about running out of space to house all the individuals flooding into the Leaf Village. He had given up the Hokage quarters to shocked refugees a month ago, preferring to keep his old discreet lodgings for himself. To everyone else’s knowledge but a select few, he had simply upgraded to something more private.

He sat up at the knock, wondering which of those select few had decided to interrupt his sleep, and then shot out of bed as he registered the night out his window. Because if the Hokage was being sought out at this hour, it must be an emergency. 

But when he opened the door, Kakashi’s anxiety skyrocketed for an entirely different reason. It was Sakura on the other side of it. He looked down at her, her determined expression as she stared into his chest was all he needed to see to know exactly why she was here. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. 

“I’m leaving,” his pink-haired student blurted out, like it had taken her significant courage to do so. And in a smaller guilty sort-of voice, added, “again.”

“I guessed as much,” Kakashi admitted, opening the door for her to come inside. The action gave her pause and Kakashi knew she was thinking he was inviting her inside because his goal would be to talk her out of it. She met his eyes to try to read his face and her emerald irises widened. 

Kakashi sleepily raised a curious brow when her hand went to cover her mouth. “Your mask—it’s OFF?!”

Remembering suddenly that he had chosen to forego the mask while he slept, Kakashi clutched Sakura’s wrist and pulled her the rest of the way inside. When the door was shut behind her, he released her and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “I typically sleep with it off, in the privacy of my own home.”

“Um,” Sakura stumbled over her words, her eyes the size of full moons and mouth hung open like the door he had just slammed to avoid prying eyes. “Why do you even wear that mask when you have a face like that, Sensei?” 

He turned his back on her in search of said mask, cringing internally that she had seen him without it. “It doesn’t fit me, this face,” he admitted finding the cowl and pulling it down over his chin and nose. “It’s my father’s face. The face of the White Fang.”

“You don’t want to see it?” she asked, moving more fully into the room. It was a labyrinth of books, paperwork, and gifts from the citizens of Konoha. He hadn’t known what to do with such items, but didn’t want to throw them out either, feeling it to be highly disrespectful to do so. So, it had become his surrounding, the insulation of his small apartment.

“No,” he confessed, as unaffected by emotion as possible. 

“Then avoid reflective surfaces, but don’t do the rest of the world the disservice.”

He laughed then, enjoying his young student’s playful humor. He would never live this down; she’d never see him the same. Which is precisely why he would wear it to the grave. Kakashi had initially worn it for the reasons he had confessed to Sakura, but it had also just become a part of his persona. Like a pair of glasses or an Anbu mask, Kakashi had grown accustomed to the pressure on his face and now preferred the comfort of something so consistent. It didn’t hurt his shinobi reputation, either, to wear an elusive, intimidating mask. It separated him from his father, distinctly characterizing him as his own person to others. It was quite literally stitched into his identity. 

“But seriously,” Sakura continued, “find someone to show yourself to, Sensei. Just because you’re the Hokage doesn’t mean you need to be alone.”

Kakashi sighed again, rubbing the back of his neck. Is this what it felt like when he interfered in his student’s love lives? “Not really interested in anything of the sort,” he confessed. “Living vicariously through my students is quite enough—”

Sakura wasn’t backing down it seemed, pointing a finger in his direction, “Don’t act like you’re not just as bad as Jiraiya, Kakashi Sensei. You read nothing but Makeout Tactics for years.”

He coughed loudly, suddenly confronted with a behavior that had never been a secret. Everyone knew how much he enjoyed that book series. “A healthy outlet,” he excused, “for a loveless life.”

Before she could say anything more, Kakashi turned the tables on her. “It seems you and Sasuke, however, have chosen to continue traveling together. When do you leave?”

She went from teasing back to serious as she came forward and stood a little straighter. “Sunrise.”

In just a couple hours, then. That soon? Kakashi supposed that this was going to be his last chance alone with Sakura to express his concerns before she inevitably followed the Uchiha back into the wilderness. 

“Sakura,” he began, and he saw her physically brace herself as she searched his eyes for the words he had yet to speak. “I have wished for nothing more than you and Sasuke to be happy. Seeing you both choose each other was the highlight of my year, I promise you. But,”

She ducked her head. “I was afraid there might be a but this time.”

“Recently, there has been some tension where Sasuke is concerned—” Kakashi stated, but Sakura interrupted him. 

“I already know,” she confessed. “Shikamaru told me.”

Kakashi squinted his eyes as he considered that, knowing that his assistant would have not been soft in his delivery of their mutual concerns. He sighed, wishing Shikamaru would have let Kakashi be the one to do so first as the leader of Team 7. He supposed Shikamaru had little faith Kakashi would address it at all for that very reason. 

“But it’s not like that Kakashi. Naruto and I—” she began, but Kakashi waved her panicking declarations away. 

“I know what you’re going to say,” he came forward and placed a hand on her shoulder groundingly. “And I still extend my congratulations to you both. I am happy for you, Sakura. But this time, I’m going to also extend a word of caution.”

She waited for it, and Kakashi could hear her breath catching, her chest tightening as if waiting for impact. 

“I came to the conclusion that Sasuke’s threat wasn’t ingenuine like Naruto claims it to be,” he said and Sakura’s wide eyes jumped to his. “I think Sasuke will always struggle with his nature, and there is always the possibility of his relapse.”

She shook her head, attempting to resume Sasuke’s defense, but Kakashi finished his speech with, “However, I am choosing to have faith—just as Sasuke is, himself—that you and Naruto are enough security in the instance that one of Team 7 may eventually—heaven forbid—be lost.”

“I think that, too, Kakashi. But it will never come to that. Sasuke vowed to me last night that he would never become that way again, even if Team 7–.”

“But it’s not only Team 7 that I am concerned about, Sakura,” Kakashi confessed, stealing himself to admit to her what he had silently worried about ever since the Uchiha’s declarations in Sunagakure. As much as he didn’t want to, Kakashi was going to bring it up. He wanted her prepared. He wanted Sasuke prepared. 

“I don’t understand—”

“A child, Sakura.”

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.

.

In the eclipsing mist-lurking darkness, Sasuke traced his fingers along the Uchiha memorial, finding Itachi’s name carved into the plaque at the bottom. Sasuke hadn’t understood until now that whoever had created the memorial had listed each member of the Uchiha clan massacre and saw it fit to add UCHIHA ITACHI despite his role in their deaths. Sasuke was surprised to find it there, knowing that those who had died by his hand deserved their own plaque apart from their murderer. But whoever had designed it had added Itachi, and Sasuke couldn’t think of any other reason other than that, at the end of the day, it had been determined Itachi was a victim of the Uchiha massacre, too. There weren’t many people who knew about Itachi’s secret, which led Sasuke to conclude once again that Kakashi was responsible for this memorial. Sasuke had missed it the first time he had visited several months ago, but seeing it now made a flicker of guilt spark inside him about his behavior towards Kakashi the past few days. He was still angry with him about his recent actions regarding Sakura, but he appreciated him all the same for his efforts to maintain and honor their rocky back and forth relationship. 

Sasuke sighed as he traced his older brother’s name, feeling like he was visiting his grave for the first time despite the fact that Itachi’s body didn’t lay beneath his feet. How incredible it was that a simple name engraved on stone suddenly became like an open conduit to one’s lost soul where there hadn’t been one before. Like an unexpected winter wind that whipped around you, the ghosts of the past arrived to surround Sasuke, the one from their clan who had survived, the one who had tried to avenge them. They stared back at him now, shadows of their former selves with hollow eyes pacing around Sasuke to survey just what kind of the man the last living Uchiha became. He fixated on the silhouettes of his imagination that felt like home as his fingers found his mother’s and father’s name placed beside one another on the monument just as they had left this world side-by-side. 

“Mother,” he whispered, “Father,” uttering those words for the first time since the night they had left his throat in screams. “I don’t feel so alone anymore. I’m going to be my own man from now on. I’m going to make my own choices for myself, now. Wherever you are right now, I hope you’re together.”

Sasuke suddenly looked up into the eyes of a grim funeral bird, a crow landing to perch on the top of the memorial, a figment in the darkness that cocked its head in evaluative listening. Sasuke stilled, imagining his brother in its place, perched on top of that gravestone and looking down at him with a bone chilling, “Sasuke.” 

“And you, Itachi,” Sasuke whispered among those pacing shadows, acknowledging the ghost above him. “I hope wherever you are, you’re finally free, and that your sacrifice paid for an afterlife of happiness. In the end, I don’t think I want to be like you, Itachi. You gave up all the things you wanted and dreamed about and for what? You were manipulated Itachi. Your sacrifice was for the benefit of a crazed man. I killed him for what he did to you.”

The crow tilted its head as it listened. It cawed loudly whenever Sasuke fell silent.  

Sasuke continued, saying, “Instead of living a life of complete sacrifice, I think I want to simply live my life by doing what’s right. I want some of that happiness now, in the present.”

The cawing turned to words of warning that Sasuke heard in the chambers of his heart. “The Uchiha cannot determine what is right. Their emotions cloud their judgement. The Uchiha have always brought about destruction by conceding to their selfish desires. Selfishness will be your downfall.”

Sasuke scowled at the talking bird, shaking his head in denial at the very words that haunted his heart like his brother’s ghost did now. “I have Naruto and Sakura to live by. I’ll stand by their sides to protect the village. I’ll choose what theychoose. I won’t become what I was. Never again. I’ll spend the rest of my life proving you wrong. Proving everyone else wrong.”

The bird did not speak, but its black beady eye surveyed him carefully as mist curled around them, as if the creature before him possessed a sight beyond the abilities of the Rinnegan. Sasuke suddenly felt exposed as it sized him with otherworldly measure, as if it could discern the very colors of the sins that stained his soul. As if it could scry into the various futures that could manifest according to Sasuke’s life-altering decisions.

Sasuke doubled down, convincing his brother and vowing to himself. “I’ll hunt the Otsusuki because I want to protect my loved ones and the Leaf, not because I want to live up to your legacy of martyrdom. I don’t want to live in the name of vengeance, in the name of sacrifice, or in the name of losses anymore. I think I want to live for me. I want to live for the ones who remain. Is that so terrible?”

And the crow tilted its head in contemplation, before croaking, “Maybe you’re different. Maybe your ties will save you, Sasuke. Maybe you can be selfish if your selfishness means living for others. Maybe it is love that will keep you from falling after all. It was my love for you that sustained me.” And then Sasuke imagined that the crow bowed its royal head, a show of the black plumage crown of the grim, before it cawed in finality, flapping its magnificent wings and bursting from its haunting roost in a loud cacophony that startled the souls of the grave back into the mist of the morning. Sasuke wasn’t sure what sort of answer he was given, or if he had imagined the entire conversation altogether, but he felt lighter. He felt righted in his downward spiral. 

That feeling of lightness continued as the stripe of sun began its rise on the horizon, the warmth of the sun casting out the chill of shadows in his mind as Sasuke headed to that spot. It was its own kind of haunting, that expanse of cobblestone parallel the stone bench on the only road out of the village. The very place where he and Sakura’s first real confrontation took place and the spot where they had met multiple times since. Just a few months ago, it was the exact same location that Sakura had pretty much told Sasuke he wasn’t leaving her behind again. She had chosen to follow without his initial permission. But this time was different. This time, Sasuke wanted to face the ghost of it as he had his brother’s, the painful memory he had created there. This time he would rewrite his wrongs and their history. 

Except that lightness won from earlier was replaced with unease when Sasuke got there as the sunrise fully cast its violet banner in the sky, and Sakura wasn’t there waiting for him. Activating his visual prowess, he looked down the path back toward the heart of the village, but did not even see the essence of her. 

Was this how Sakura had felt that night? Waiting for Sasuke to arrive and fearing that something was wrong? Just as she had done for him all those years ago, Sasuke would wait for her because he knew she would come. And he realized suddenly how easy it had been to tell Naruto yesterday that Sakura would be staying behind in the Leaf where she belonged, but how impossible it now seemed to face such a reality. The Uchiha wasn’t leaving without her. 

.

.

.

Sakura had carried Kakashi’s words like weight in her chest as she had clamored into the medical labs at five in the morning with a newfound vigor. 

“It’s not my place to pry like this,” he had begun when Sakura’s shock had left her speechless. “But as your sensei who knows all three of you best, would you or Naruto be enough insurance for Sasuke, or even you for that matter, if for some reason, a child—your child—was lost to the both of you?”

“You’re right, Kakashi Sensei. That really isn’t anyone’s business,” she had responded steadily and formally. “No one else is being asked what you’re about to ask me to do—or rather, do without.”

Kakashi had begun a long stream of consciousness in an attempt to clarify. “I don’t want to make you promise such a thing, Sakura. There’s nothing I want more for you than that. But I just want you to consider the answer to that question first. You’re not responsible for the path Sasuke takes from now on, so don’t mistake my words for that or let Shikamaru convince you that you are. I wholeheartedly support your choice to pursue this ‘newfound happiness’—as Naruto put it. We can leave the future in the future. I don’t intend to burden you with my worries, but I want you to be informed of the steaks at hand, to protect yourself. Sasuke’s reaction was intense, to say the least. And I know you Sakura. You’d throw away your life to protect him, side with him, or even stop him. Despite what you are to him now, know your worth to the rest of your loved ones. The entire shinobi world of medicine has advanced from your contributions alone. You are so much more than Sasuke Uchiha’s lover or his children’s mother.”

Sakura’s eyes had watered at that, her steely resolve softening at her sensei’s uplifting articulation. “I know Kakashi. I know what you’re trying to say, but you don’t have to worry. I’m being careful. I’m not taking any chances right now either. But I can’t help myself, Kakashi. I can’t walk away from him indefinitely.”

Her sensei had nodded, accepting her answer before his expression had turned a different sort of heavy. The speech concerning Sasuke had been fatherly. This sort of look on his face morphed into a sadness of regret. He had proceeded to apologize to her, for allowing her to go after the Zenshin organization alone back in Suna, saying, “I shouldn’t have allowed you to put yourself in any situation where you might have compromised yourself or felt pressured to—you know—for the sake of the village.”

Sakura had blushed embarrassingly at his apology. “Oh Kakashi, I didn’t.”

“That’s not what Uchiha Sasuke said to me.”

Sakura had waved his concerns away. “You know how dramatic he is. I had it under control. I didn’t do anything extreme.”

“Sasuke wouldn’t be angry without cause. He has a right to be angry with me about it. I should have never agreed to let anyone use such a disguise, especially one of my own.”

She had left shortly after, but not before the Zenshin organization, and those that continued to hunt her at a distance, were discussed in full. She had tried to listen to the Hokage’s concerns, plans, and questions carefully, but Sakura’s brain was planning for the now. Her time had been ticking and honestly, she was sick of caring about the organization known as Zenshin. They had come at her carelessly, unprepared, and with an underestimation of Sakura. She would deal with them when they came to find her again despite how proactive the Hokage was being on her behalf. To Kakashi’s chagrin, Sakura had expressed as much before parting with a tight hug around her sensei’s waist, a special request to keep an affectionate eye on Isao in her absence, and running toward the hospital. 

Sakura didn’t know where they were headed next or for how long, but she wanted to have everything in order. She made more chakra pills even though she had made a batch before leaving Suna, medical supplies for injuries, capsulized more of the antidepressant, H. Perforatum, for further study, and yes, even more contraceptives for both Sasuke and herself. The Kunoichi hadn’t lied to Kakashi when she said she was being careful. Sakura had started her doses before leaving Suna and had consistently taken them, and now Sasuke was, too. She hadn’t chosen to do so for the sake of fearing Sasuke’s future, or because she was under the sick impression that they should sacrifice their happiness in order to protect any part of the shinobi world from Sasuke. She just wanted them both to be ready, and she knew that Sasuke clearly wasn’t any sort of ready from their conversations in the cave alone. She’d cross any other bridges when she came to them. 

Taking a note from Sasuke’s handbook, Sakura began sealing all of her items within a concealment scroll for easier transport. She had just finished finalizing another canvas bundle of medicines and placing it in the scrolls, when she heard the birdsong. Glancing over at the window, Sakura was greeted with the flush of dawn. Stripping her Leaf medical attire and abandoning it in her office, Sakura clutched the scroll and ran. 

It was such an odd sensation, racing the fuschia sunrise, pounding your feet down a stone path you had walked countless times, but now it miraculously felt different. It felt like the path to him. Before, it had been the path Sasuke had chosen to use to walk away from her that night and had done so several times since. She hadn’t been able to walk it a single time in his absence without remembering the pain of that night. But suddenly, it was like it had thawed from time, as if it were beginning at the sunrise after that night, picking up where it had left off and resuming what it always should have been. It should have always been a path they took together. 

Sakura didn’t realize just how nervous she was that he might not have waited for her, until she saw him. Cloaked in black, traveling poncho once again adorned, and Sakura’s pack on his shoulder, a relieved sort of expression passing his features as he saw her. To be honest, Sakura hadn’t expected to see him there, standing exactly where she had all those years ago and where they had rendezvoused once more a few months ago. It clicked for her then, what Sasuke had meant by “I’ll meet you there.” Not at the gates as she had requested. But here. This spot. Before she could stop herself, tears pricked her eyes at the significance. 

She wiped them away as she came to a stop before him, panting from the run. He sighed with a raised eyebrow and Sakura laughed slightly, assuming that he was annoyed at her tardiness. She didn’t care. She was high on the exhilaration of now and immediately chirped an old nostalgic excuse that also happened to be the truth. “Sorry I’m late. Got lost on the path of life.”

There was a mischievous poke to her forehead and Sakura rubbed it with a smile. “Never took you for picking up on Kakashi’s bad habits. I thought something must have happened. You did say sunrise, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, I know. I was prepping some

medical supplies,” she smiled. She felt stupid for how much she was smiling. “We can go, now. I’m ready!” She made to walk past him, giddy with the love she felt for this man and the excitement of their continued journey, however long or short it would be. How different this scenario was playing out from the past. But Sasuke grabbed her fingers lightly with his own. 

“Wait,” he breathed, a whisper on the birdsong dawn that no one would be able to hear but herself. “I wanted to tell you something.”

She turned, that elation coming down like the fall of adrenaline. 

“I wanted to tell you that if I could make the choice over that night—”

Sakura shook her head immediately, wind-blown hair brushing her cheeks as she did so. “I would have you make the same choices,” she confessed. “Because it led us to here and now. I do not wish you would have chosen differently Sasuke, even though it was painful.” 

He smiled sadly, before adding. “I’ve decided something, today. My reason for living is not revenge this time. After all these years, I think I am finally like you and Naruto. Our paths will still be different, but maybe we can walk together sometimes, share them along the way. Like our orbits.” 

And Sakura knew he was referring to the words of that painful night. The words were written into the memory of her soul. 

“My words from that night have not changed,” she smiled. “I still think that I can make you happy. I know that you won’t be able to stay in Konoha with me like I had begged you to. And I can’t promise you that every day will be fun and happy, but our sometimes is better than nothing.”

“I’m attempting to rewrite one of my most shameful moments,” he continued, confidence increasing with her adoring words. “This time, I’m asking you to come with me.” 

“What if you regret it?” She teased, squeezing his fingers with her own. “I’ve been told quite often that I can be annoying.”

“I don’t see that ever changing,” he deadpanned, grunting as he received an elbow to the ribs. 

“I’m not sticking my nose into your business?” 

“You most definitely are,” he dodged her next jab, grabbing her wrist and bringing her closer to him. “But I want you to.”

After a moment of staring into one another’s mirthful eyes, flushed with daybreak. Sasuke released her and Sakura nodded down the path to the gates. “Then let’s go.”

“Hn,” he agreed, shouldering her pack just as he did months ago.

.

.

.

Kakashi wasn’t a snoop, but he wanted—had to— see it for himself. He hadn’t been exaggerating when he had told Sakura he was vicariously living through his students. That moment where Sasuke had reached for her fingers with his own had been a breakthrough in Kakashi’s mind about Sasuke’s character. His words had been too hushed, and Kakashi was now without the sharingan to make out what they were saying, but he knew his students well enough to see it for himself: the tenderness, the regret, and the love they had for one another. Not to mention the degree of playfulness between them that Kakashi hadn’t even witnessed between their genin-selves. 

And, Kakashi couldn’t believe his eyes as they made to walk away. Was that the Uchiha crest on Sakura’s back? He blinked, even going as far as to rub his old, now sharingan-less, eyes. It sure as hell was. Those two sneaks, Kakashi laughed to himself. Well, he now sort of felt like his speech earlier had been a bit pointless. It wasn’t a matter of if they had a family together, but a matter of when. If Sasuke’s feelings had grown enough where the Uchiha had actually gone as far as to marry her despite his resolution of independent atonement, then he would probably do pretty much anything for that woman. And Kakashi knew Sakura and the dreams she had for herself. Kakashi both sighed and smiled as he shook his head in disbelief and awe. 

It wasn’t only Kakashi who had been a silent spectator. Eight anbu landed beside him, the very anbu Kakashi had detailed to follow Sakura while she was in the village. His concern for her safety rivaled the boys’ at this point. The Zenshin who wanted her life was still out there. The Anbu were silent witnesses to the pair’s exchange as well, as they stood beside Kakashi, waiting for their new orders now that Sakura was leaving the village with Sasuke. 

Once his students were out of sight behind the Leaf Village gates, Kakashi performed the summoning seal. There was the telltale poof of materialization, a cloud of white revealing Kakashi’s eight ninja hounds. Pakkun, perched upon Bull’s massive head, looked up at Kakashi past his graying muzzle and misty eyes. 

“Aren’t we a little too old to be summoned for work?” Pakkun complained. “When’s your retirement again?” 

“Not getting here fast enough,” Kakashi answered before saying, “I hate to ask for your help. But this has gotten personal.”

Kakashi divided the hounds amongst the anbu present, giving precise orders for each four-cell team. Two dogs per two anbu was the goal, creating four teams total with the ability to move discreetly but have enough support within the squad, operating just as a leaf village shinobi team.  

One orange-haired Anbu remained after the others received their orders and dispersed, Pakkun quickly attaching himself to the ninja’s shoulder.

“I want to hunt the Zenshin who remain,” Kakashi informed him. “Even if it takes us outside of the village. We will have to be discreet as a whole. Can I count on you to lead this mission and report on these four teams?”

“It would be my honor, Lord Hokage. I would do almost anything for Sakura-san.”

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at that, marking the distinct fox shape anbu mask and orange hair. There were several ninja sporting that color of hair, but Kakashi had a hunch as to who it might be. A ninja with the surname Mizuno. Kakashi knew him to be one of Chino’s exploding human bomb burn victims, and assumed his filial sentiments toward Sakura were due to her recent treatment of his burns. 

“Give any remaining members you discover the same options she gave the others,” the Hokage ordered. “They can spend imprisonment here or be transported to Sunagakure to the Kazekage. There is no third option.”

“Yes, Lord Hokage.”

.

.

.

“Where to now?” Sakura asked Sasuke once they were at the crossroads out of the village and Sasuke came to an abrupt stop. She took the opportunity to tuck the scroll she had been carrying into the side pocket of her bag that Sasuke had refused to relinquish over to her twice now. He had ��plans to store it in his own scrolls soon’ and it ‘wasn’t a burden,’ he had claimed when she tried to take it. 

Sasuke didn’t miss a beat, saying his next words as if it were the most normal conclusion. “Orochimaru’s hideout.”

Sakura, however, tripped over her own feet and came to a stumbling halt. Did she just hear him correctly? “Wait, what? WHY?” 

The Uchiha kept walking down the forest path, seemingly unbothered by her obvious worry, but Sakura quickly caught up to him and grabbed his right arm, gently guiding his body back around to face her. She searched his eyes before identifying the resolution in them. Her shoulders sank at finding it there. This meant that Sasuke knew she would object, but he had a plan in place and was set on it. 

“Is this for your mission?” she inquired, mentally preparing to see that slimy snake of a devil who had taken Sasuke from her all those years ago if it meant furthering Sasuke’s goal to find the Otsusuki. What could Orochimaru possibly have to add to the search? 

Sasuke removed the emotion from his mask, slipping into the Uchiha persona she knew as the shinobi elite that could and would help save the world. “No. I meant what I said about finding the remaining members of Zenshin who are after you. There’s someone there that can help me do that.”

“Wait,” Sakura raised a hand to stop his explanation, a specific red-haired ninja who could identify someone by their chakra coming to the forefront of her mind. He couldn’t mean that woman, could he? “Just wait a second.”

“You can’t talk me out of it, Sakura.”

“Listen,” she began, sighing as this topic was brought up yet again.  “Kakashi’s on it. He plans to hunt them down himself.”

Sasuke turned to continue walking, unphased by this knowledge. “He won’t get far, because I’ll beat him to it.”

She stumbled in front of him, blocking his path with an awkward rub to her neck. “Can we not do this,” she implored. “Please?”

He sighed in exasperation. “You want me to just forget about those still after you? Not do anything about it at all?”

“Yes?”

“What kind of man—and partner for that matter—do you take me for?”

“The kind of man who has already put off his own goals for my sake for a month and a half now. Come on. Let’s leave it to Kakashi, and if Zenshin shows up, we can deal with them at that point.”

He glared at her as her hands found his waist, reaching up under his poncho and tangling her fingers at his back, bringing their bodies close together. It was a method of entreating him that she had used a couple times now. 

“That’s not going to work,” he hissed, an embarrassed blush staining his cheeks despite his harsh words. 

“I’m not worried about them, and you shouldn’t take on that burden either. You have a different burden, and as long as I am with you, I’ll be out of harm’s way. Let’s just leave it all behind, remove ourselves from the equation while Kakashi and his team handle the rest.” It was her turn to blush when the fabric of Sasuke’s poncho came down over her head, entrapping her like a child under a blanket. His smirking face was peaking down into the neck of the fabric as she looked up at him with a crumbling glower of her own. Her smile spread free at her success. This was definitely working.  

“Kakashi’s got hounds tracking them,” she said again. “They’re better at that sort of thing than anyone you have in mind anyway. So, let’s just forget them, yeah?” Sakura did not want Sasuke going anywhere near Orochimaru or Karin. She knew that both of the rogue ninja had helped at the end of the war, but Orochimaru was still suspicious enough of a character that the Leaf kept twenty-four-hour surveillance on him and his activity. Not to mention, how absolutely traumatized she was of him. And Karin, well—Sakura knew how the woman had felt about Sasuke at one point in time and didn’t really feel like facing that awkwardness anytime soon. 

“So where to next?” she practically pleaded as Sasuke searched her eyes and raised a suspicious brow. Did he know where her thoughts had gone to?

After a moment, the Uchiha sighed, and Sakura immediately felt ten times lighter. “The plan after that was to head north, to the Land of Snow.” 

Sakura tiptoed, popping her head through the neck of his poncho like a curious mole sticking its nose above ground. “The Land of Snow?”

“The environmental conditions of the Sunagakure desert helped connect me to Kaguya’s desert realm,” Sasuke explained, staring down into her face as he did so. “It made bypassing the central dimension altogether possible with the help of your chakra pills. In theory, bypassing the center dimension for Kaguya’s Ice realm would be achievable if I could find a similar environment; the Land of Snow is the coldest place in the shinobi world.”

“Excellent,” she piped, already dreaming of snowy landscapes and sub-degree temperatures. She recalled their time in the Land of Snow as Genin fondly, remembering that the land had a seasonal spring now that rivaled the beauty of its frosty contrast. She teased Sasuke by pretending to go in for a kiss, before retreating from his poncho and tossing it over his head just as he had done to her. “To the Land of Snow it is, then.” 

Clutching the fabric with one hand, he dragged the material back down his face, mussing his wrapped head of hair as he did so, and revealing another smirking scowl. She heard him mumble something about her being the death of him as she turned and marched north before he could begin walking toward Orochimaru’s hideout.

[masquerade-of-misery]

Songs for my yumeship 🦇x🦋

I've decided to make a list of songs that I find fitting for my selfship with Lilia 👉🏻👈🏻 1. The Cure - Lovesong

The soft melodies, the bass guitar, the lyrics of the song... Absolutely flawless, and it expresses our feelings perfectly💘

2. Depeche Mode - Always You

When nothing in the world makes sense anymore, when everything is broken, there's always You. My lifeline, my haven. 💘

3. Seether ft. Amy Lee - Broken

"I want to hold you high and steal your pain"...

4. Depeche Mode - In Your Room

"I'm hanging on your words Living on your breath Feeling with your skin Will I always be here?"

One of the most beautiful, most sensual songs ever written.

5. Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile

"I won't let you fall apart" 💘

6. Laufey - Valentine

"The first one to ever like me back I'm seconds away from a heart attack"

7. Skyler Stonestreet - A Little Taste

"Don't stop, I haven't had enough You're mine, 'til the sun comes up"

Spicy Vanilia😏

8. Damien Sebe - New Day

Another spicy one, but it's instrumental.😋

9. Jace Everett - Bad Things

"I don't know what you've done to me But I know this much is true I wanna do bad things with you" 🔥🔥

10. Depeche Mode - World In My Eyes

Closing the spicy line with a DM song❤️

"Now let my body do the moving And let my hands do the soothing"

11. Amir ft. Indila - Carrousel

Back to romance with this beautiful French song. The video I linked to it has the lyrics translated to English :)

12. David Bowie - As the World Falls Down

Labyrinth is an iconic movie that I love so much, just like I love David Bowie, so this song had to be on my list!

13. Evanescence- Bring Me To Life

I know this song has sort of become a meme and almost everyone knows it, but if you pay attention to the lyrics, it's so beautiful. And it fits the love and bond I share with Lilia💘

These line are my favourite: "How can you see into my eyes like open doors? Leading you down into my core where I've become so numb"

and "Frozen inside without your touch, without your love Darling, only you are the life among the dead"

14. The 69 Eyes - This Murder Takes Two (feat Kat Von D)

I just love the vibes of this song. And I'm sure Lilia would love how cool the bass sounds!

15. Evanescence - Even In Death

"I will stay forever here with you My love The softly spoken words you gave me Even in death our love goes on"

16. Chaka Khan - Ain't Nobody

Just... the entirety of the lyrics💘💘

17. Depeche Mode - Here is the House

This song is perfect for our life together in that cozy little cottage in Briar Valley🥰🌲🏡🌳

18. Evanescence - Anywhere

"I have dreamt of a place for you and I No one knows who we are there All I want is to give my life only to you"

19. Depeche Mode - One Caress

"Just one caress from you and I'm blessed"😭😭💘💘

and this part is so Lilia!! "I'm shying from the light I always loved the night And now you offer me eternal darkness"

That's it for now, I'll update the list if I find more songs <3

[pathfinderunlocked]

Assassin Rabbit - CR4 Slayer / Assassin

Weep long into the night, staring deep into the full moon and starry sky. For everyone you know is dead. You killed every last one of them.

Artwork is official art from Rabbit and Steel, by Mino_Dev on Twitter.

Rabbit and Steel bunny-girl number four. Turns out that being an anthropomorphic animal instead of a human isn't totally useless. The extra racial hit die lets this creature qualify for the assassin prestige class a level earlier than a PC could.

Being a tiny creature, she's incredibly good at stealth, so if you use all five of these bunny girls in a single combat encounter, the PCs might think the combat only has four bunny girls instead of five until round 4 when she emerges and uses death attack on one of them. Given the lighthearted nature of a fight against tiny bunny-girls, and the general bullshit nature of assassins as enemies, you should probably make the death attack inflict paralysis instead of death.

She can't really make melee attacks most of the time, being tiny, so she almost exclusively throws kunai from short range. Being tiny, it's relatively simple for her to find cover for the purposes of stealth, and flanking doesn't work on thrown weapons, so after each attack she usually spends her next turn hiding and drawing more weapons as part of her move action. Alternately, if she has a hiding spot close enough to throw weapons from, she might try sniping; her stealth bonus is good enough for it.

The potions of vanish are an alternate option for her to use after running away from enemies, which her Tactician ability makes her very good at. They're mostly useful for fights in larger open areas.

Assassin Rabbit - CR 4

The tiny woman with rabbit features - barely a foot and a half tall - holds a rose close to her chest. She hops through the grass on bare feet at a quick pace.

XP 1,200 Anthropomorphic animal (rabbit), vanguard slayer 4 / assassin 1 NE Tiny animal Init +7 Senses low-light vision; Perception +4

DEFENSE

AC 20, touch 17, flat-footed 15 (+3 armor, +5 Dex, +2 size) hp 31 (2d8+4d10) Fort +6, Ref +12, Will +1

OFFENSE

Speed 50 ft. Melee Hidden Rose +6 (1d3-1/19-20 plus diplopic serum) or kunai +5 (1d2-1/19-20 plus gelidburn oil) Ranged Hidden Rose +12 (1d3-1/19-20 plus diplopic serum) (10-ft range increment) or kunai +11 (1d2-1/19-20 plus gelidburn oil) (10-ft range increment) Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft. Special Attacks sneak attack 2d6

STATISTICS

Str 8, Dex 20, Con 11, Int 5, Wis 10, Cha 5 Base Atk +4; CMB +1; CMD 16 Feats Escape Route, Run, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot Skills Acrobatics +11 (+19 to jump), Disable Device +8, Disguise +2, Perception +4, Sleight of Hand +10, Stealth +22 Languages Common SQ lookout, poison use, tactician Gear Tiny mwk spider-silk bodysuit, Tiny kunai x8 (each poisoned with gelidburn oil), Hidden Rose (poisoned with diplopic serum), potion of vanish (x3)

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Death Attack (Ex) If an assassin rabbit studies her victim for 3 rounds and then makes a sneak attack with a melee weapon that successfully deals damage, the sneak attack has the additional effect of possibly either paralyzing or killing the target (assassin rabbit's choice). Studying the victim is a standard action. The death attack fails if the target detects the assassin rabbit or recognizes the assassin rabbit as an enemy (although the attack might still be a sneak attack if the target is denied his Dexterity bonus to his Armor Class or is flanked).

The target of a death attack must make a Fortitude save (typically DC 8). The save DC is Intelligence-based. If the victim of such a death attack fails the saving throw against the kill effect, it dies. If the saving throw fails against the paralysis effect, the victim is rendered helpless and unable to act for 1d6+1 rounds. If the victim's saving throw succeeds, the attack is just a normal sneak attack. Once the assassin rabbit has completed the 3 rounds of study, she must make the death attack within the next 3 rounds.

If a death attack is attempted and fails (the victim makes her save) or if the assassin rabbit does not launch the attack within 3 rounds of completing the study, 3 new rounds of study are required before she can attempt another death attack.

Studied Target (Ex) An assassin rabbit can study an opponent she can see as a move action. The assassin rabbit then gains a +1 bonus on Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival checks attempted against that opponent, and a +1 bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls against it. An assassin rabbit can only maintain these bonuses against one opponent at a time; these bonuses remain in effect until either the opponent is dead or the assassin rabbit studies a new target.

If an assassin rabbit deals sneak attack damage to a target, she can study that target as an immediate action, allowing her to apply her studied target bonuses against that target (including to the normal weapon damage roll).

Tactician (Ex) Once per day as a standard action, an assassin rabbit can grant the Escape Route teamwork feat to all allies within 30 feet who can see and hear her, even if the ally doesn't meet the feat's prerequisites. This feat allows allies to move through threatened squares without provoking attacks of opportunity as long as they are within or adjacent to each others' spaces. Allies retain the use of this bonus feat for 5 rounds.

[solaireverie]

🏎️💨 THE FORMULA 1 TAG GAME! 🏎️💨:

tagged by @oscar-fastri 🫶

1. Who or what got you into F1?

my family! i come from one of those european motorsport legacy families where we've followed the sport from day one. both my parents are enthusiasts and i grew up watching f1.

2. Who was the very first F1 driver you supported? Do you support them now? Have your opinions on them differed or stayed the same since then?

the first f1 driver i supported would either be sebastian vettel or lewis hamilton. seb is retired now, but i'm still a lewis girlie through and through. i think my opinions have changed a lot, especially when they switch teams, but in my heart i'm still that kid screaming my heart out as my favorite driver drives past.

3. Who’s your current favourite F1 driver?

max verstappen 🦁 if you'd asked me before feb 1st i'd have included lewis but i'm still reeling from the news

4. Is there a driver pairing or pairings you support? What made you attracted to that pairing in the first place?

hear me out: oscar and fernando. it may be unconventional, but i feel like it'd be epic. it'll probably never happen but the vibes would be incredible omg.

but secretly i'll always want to see seb and lewis in the same team 😭

5. Do your parents, siblings or relatives have a favourite driver?

oh. ohhhh boy.

my mum's favorites are lewis and mick, my dad's are max and pierre, my brother is lecfosi through and through, and my sister is a lando fan. my extended family supports various assorted drivers that i honestly don't bother to keep track of 🤭

6. Do you have any favourite races? Are there any that stand out to you the most?

barcelona 2016 and interlagos 2021 are the ones that come to mind. yes, there are others that have been "better" for my faves, but max's first win (ft. brocedes public divorce proceedings) and lewis' insane comeback hold such special places in my heart.

7. Do you have a favourite circuit? Can be from the past or from the current calendar.

i'm legally obliged to say circuit paul ricard and silverstone, but zandvoort, spa, and suzuka also hold special places in my heart.

8. Have you ever been to an F1 race in real life? Feel free to tell us your experience going to one if you like.

i've been lucky enough to go to quite a few 😜 there's a picture of three-week-old me at the 2005 barcelona grand prix that i keep on my desk lmao

i think my most notable experience is that the cars are a lot louder and faster than they seem online. my favorite gp experience would probably be silverstone but spa and interlagos are really cool too!!

btw monaco is a tourist trap. it's kind of boring and honestly it's more of a social event than a race, so if you want to experience the more technical side of f1, it's better to go to another gp

9. Have you ever met an F1 driver in real life?

my lawyer (my cat) has advised me not to comment on this

(yes but mostly in passing)

10. Do you have a favourite F1 car? If so, what is it?

w11 😌 you will never be forgotten, although rocky (rb19) comes close to stealing my heart

11. Do you have a favourite one win wonder?

meeeeeeh. if i really had to choose it would either be heikki or pastor maldonado but nope, no favorites.

12. Do you have any favourite quotes from the F1 world? This can either be inspirational or hilarious.

"i don't apologise for winning" - sebastian vettel

"enjoy the butterflies" - daniel ricciardo

"no regrets, just memories" - daniel ricciardo

"still i rise" - lewis hamilton

not a quote but i really like the il predestinato nickname for charles :)

tagging @papayatifosi @formulahuh @matchnightt @lorarri @presdestigatto @renarots <33 and anyone else who wants to do this!

[sixohsixoheightfourtwo]

15 people 15 questions

tagged in this meme a few weeks ago by @isaksbestpillow!! here we go

1. are you named after anyone?

My first name is the name of a specific figure from UK history! someone a lot of uk people have heard of, but it's unusual to actually have this as a name. I get some incredulity and some people who politely ask where i'm from. I have to say i'm not 100% sure what answer they're expecting.

My tumblr url is a B-52s song which seemed somehow relevant back in uhhh 2013 or whenever it was.

2. when was the last time you cried?

I thinkkkk possibly when i was doing my taxes back in january. These days I tend to cry from stress and anger and frustration but it's really bad for me because once I start I find it VERY hard to stop, it makes my emotions spiral, I get more and more upset, so I really have to squash it down. For me crying is not cathartic, it just ruins the day.

3. do you have kids?

No - BUT - I have a lot of much younger cousins - and I babysit them & help with childcare fairly often so I am quite used to kids. Fortunately my cousins think i'm super fun

4. what sports do you play/have you played?

I am extremely noncompetitive! I was terrible at team sports at school and also had terrible hand-eye coordination. I have been at times an OK swimmer and I played a lot of table tennis in my last couple of years of school with the other four or five people who'd been deemed too useless for netball etc. As an adult I do youtube yoga, I periodically do app-based running stuff like Zombies Run or Nike Run Club. Ideally I'd like to go every day on like a 5 mile walk in an interesting location with a reasonable amount of ascent and descent but in a city it's hard to orchestrate that. Also I put my little cousins on my shoulders and get them to direct me where to go so they can learn the difference between left and right

5. do you use sarcasm?

I think I actually don't! Maybe a little bit sometimes. I tend to me more uhhh. pedantic and literal. tend to deconstruct .

6. what’s the first thing you notice about people?

uhhhhh probably skin texture . or haircut . or I look at their clothes. i don't know . sounds creepy. sorry.

7. what’s your eye color??

I think if you average it out it's brownish / greenish . think filippo berio bottle . maybe a bit browner / greyer than that. I tried to take a picture but it only confused me. Also when you look close enough at someone's eyes you might get flecks of like eight different colours.

8. scary movies or happy endings?

I do watch and enjoy scary movies and I have learned that I have a higher tolerance for them than some people BUT if I must pick between the two - I am team happy ending.

9. any talents ?

Little bit doublejointed! Can play a little bit of ukulele. Good memory. Good cook. Can make cocktails .

10. where were you born?

London, UK

11. what are your hobbies?

cooking, language learning, walking. Tumblr . opening new browser tabs . I'm getting some wine qualifications which is partly work related partly hobby.

12. do you have any pets?

no but my sister & her partner just got a dog and I do feel I am now an auntie

13. how tall are you?

167 cm I think? i think that's 5 ft 6? normal amount.

14. favourite subject in school?

probably languages ........... honestly I don't remember. unfortunately I had a thirst for knowledge and enjoyed most subjects.

15. dream job?

What I do now (print media production work, magazine production work) is pretty good for me

I'm going to do what @isaksbestpillow did and tag the last 15 people in my notes, that seems fun. no obligation obviously! @rociopath @fizzbuzzbananagram @magicmarker @autisticmisabel @starburger @the-omnishambles @itsmapes @youvegotaluckyface @misterhaderach @jestershark @lanninglurksnomore @sirquacklesdefoof @tracybaconnnn @321claratin @alien-ally

[oneunexpected]

This, I think, is my best chapter-by-chapter playlist so far, especially in the last eight or so songs. It's for Marks of Secret, and I hope you all enjoy! Listen along here.

1 - Symphony no. 5, mvt II by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - This is a looooong chapter. It mostly establishes where Gregor’s family is at after the events of Curse of the Warmbloods. I didn’t really have a song in mind for it, and I still don’t. Maybe one day I’ll come back and change this, but for now it’s the second movement from Tchaikovsky’s second movement, because it’s got a little sadness, a little contentedness, a random jumpscare (like the Bane), and this chapter has all of that.

2 - Paranoid Android by Radiohead - The Bane is moody and unstable and so is this song! When Thom Yorke sings, “When I am king, you will be first against the wall,” I think about the Bane and Ripred. Another line I like is “Ambition makes you look pretty ugly / Kicking, screaming Gucci little piggy.” Pearlpelt’s our Gucci little piggy, deluded on all the things Twirltongue’s promised him.

3 - No Surprises by Radiohead - Back to back Radiohead! I struggled with this choice because this chapter covers a lot and has three pretty distinct tonal shifts. I related the line “A job that slowly kills you” to Gregor’s increasing anxieties about his role as the Warrior, both in regards to Ripred’s request he help him kill the Bane, and the specter of the next prophecy, which he asks Nerissa about. The song’s lyrical content is pretty dark, but the tune is sorta peaceful, so I hope this song doesn’t take you out of the chapter’s happier moments.

4 - Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac - I wanted a song about some sort of dark temptress for Twitchtip. I don’t know many. It was either this or Jolene, and Jolene doesn’t seem quite as shadowy as Rhiannon does, so here we are.

5 - May I Have This Dance by Francis and the Lights ft. Chance the Rapper - This song is so sweet, and so is this chapter. It’s about setting down any burdens you carry to just enjoy someone’s company.

6 - Cover Me by Björk - “This is really dangerous / Cover me” are good lines for the first time Luxa really ever asks anything of Gregor. I chose this version over the album version because I like the arrangement more, but you’re welcome to check out the other version, or the remix, which is longer.

7 - You’ve Been Flirting Again by Björk - Luxa and Gregor fight a ton in this book, and I could have chosen this song for any one of those times, but process of elimination sort of led me here. The last verse in particular, “How you reacted was right” followed by “Give her some time, give her some space,” fit well in this chapter. You can almost hear Ares telling Gregor that in the dialogue.

8 - Reptilia by The Strokes - While I chose it mostly just because it sounds like a fitting song for a combat scene, I like the repeating prechorus lines, “Please don’t slow me down if I’m going too fast / You’re in a strange part of our town.” Seemed like good lines for Gregor’s out of control raging here. Lyrically, there’s plenty here to imply the narrator is sort of struggling with himself, and that his partner (or whoever he’s addressing in the song) is losing patience with him, which fit close enough with the aftermath of what Gregor does here.

9 - Just a Game by Birdie - My obligatory Hunger Games soundtrack song for this book. Chose this song for the date subterfuge — Gregor doesn’t know how much of his quick lie reflects how he really feels.

10 - Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap - “All those years / They were here first.” You might know this song from the Lonely Island/SNL digital short “Dear Sister,” one of the greatest gifts to the internet, or from its sample in Jason Derulo’s 2009 classic “Whatcha Say.” Mysterious, creepy, heartbroken, it’s everything I wanted for the picnic bunch investigating the Fount.

11 - Earth by Sleeping at Last - This is probably a little on the nose, since this is a song that uses an earthquake as an extended metaphor, but I think lyrically it works with Luxa really well here. She’s got her tough walls, but like the narrator saying, “Fault lines tremble underneath my glass house / but I put it out of my mind / long enough to call it courage / to live without a lifeline,” this is the chapter where she learns she has to rely on the people in her life, namely her cousins. She needs Hazard the same way Gregor needs Boots. But she needs Howard, too, because as tough as she is, sometimes she needs someone to take care of her sometimes.

12 - Your Best American Girl by Mitski - Gregor and Luxa talk about the date subterfuge, and they both sort of mutually imply that if they weren’t (very literally) living opposite lives, they’d be interested in one another. This song captures that sort of cultural divide and yearning in spite of it.

13 - Shout by Tears for Fears - I’m jumping the shark. I had no clue what to use here. I went with this to try to represent Howard as a moral compass. I got nothing.

14 - Running to Stand Still by U2 - Consider this my return to form, because this was a song I knew I wanted to use from the beginning. This song is about a woman in a lot of turmoil deciding that she’s “gotta do something about where we’re going,” and, well, this chapter is about that, too. On a personal note, this song has been one of my favorites since I was a child, and I really hope you enjoy it. The last verse is so haunting: “She is raging, she is raging / And the storm blows up in her eyes / She will suffer the needle chill / She’s running to stand still.” Luxa’s decision is going to have horrific consequences. But in her eyes, it’s what’s necessary to finally be still.

15 - Joan of Arc by Arcade Fire - Luxa is the Joan of Arc in question here, the Regalian’s “muse,” as the song puts it. Gregor’s upset with Luxa, and he questions his place in the upcoming war, which I thought fit well with “I’m the one with the heavy heart / ‘Cause I’ll follow you.”

16 - The Ruler and the Killer by Kid Cudi - Thank you once again to the Hunger Games for delivering me a song about themes Suzanne used in both series. This is a great song for the version of the Bane we see in this chapter, who is a compelling orator rallying his troops to do something unspeakably evil — even though we don’t know the extent of his atrocity yet. “When I talk, you should listen / All of you belong to me / Come on, we should get it going / Now what I want is specific, hey hey.”

17 - Butchered Tongue by Hozier - How kind of Hozier to release this song last week! We learn a little more about the extent of the Regalians’ colonizing behavior here, and since that’s done largely through discussing the different languages in the Underland (and how not knowing English can be a death sentence for other creatures, as it nearly was for the Scorpions), I thought this song was a good fit. Also, it sounds cool.

18 - Ribs by Lorde - I chose this song for the moment Luxa and Gregor have here, when they’re just enjoying one another’s company, feeling very far from the war waiting for them. Gregor reminds himself soon he’ll leave her land forever, but it’s no comfort. Lorde laughs with a favorite friend “‘til her ribs get tough,” but like Gregor, she knows “that will never be enough” to sustain their relationship in the face of lost innocence and the passage of time.

19 - Redbone by Childish Gambino - Since this song is about paranoia in a relationship and the sense of being surveilled (or even stalked), I chose it for the discussion about the rats that attacked Gregor under the palace, and Luxa and Howard’s anger at Ripred and Gregor for not taking the gnawers’ omnipresent threat.

20 - The Night We Met by Lord Huron - This is Gregor and Luxa’s biiiig fight, the one that clues in Ripred to Gregor’s attraction to Luxa. I chose this song for Gregor’s haymaker, the suggestion that Luxa and Gregor could forget that they ever met each other, mirrored in the repeating line, “Take me back to the night we met.” I also like the lyrics, “I am not the only traveler / Who has not repaid his debt.” When he’s cooling down from the fight, Gregor thinks about how much he and Luxa owe each other, how interconnected their lives have become and that reminds me of those lines.

21 - Never Tear Us Apart by INXS - I think this is a good song about the relationship bonds have and their devotion to one another. I particularly like it for Ares and Gregor, especially because the chorus reminds me of the circumstances of their bonding. “I was standing / You were there / Two worlds collided / And they could never tear us apart.” This chapter is one of the most important moments for Ares and Gregor’s relationship. Ares has to give his trust up completely to Gregor to “let him fly for a change,” as Gregor says, and I think Gregor’s behavior is so touching, whether for his insistence that he be the one to bring Ares in, or the way he rambles reassurances to keep Ares calm. Ares begging Gregor not to leave him is like a punch to the stomach every time I read it. I wanted this chapter’s song to reflect how unshakable their relationship has become.

22 - O Children by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - I won’t try to analyze this song too much because I’d be here too long, but I encourage you guys to go read the lyrics to it, because I think they’re all impactful. One of the verses that led to my selection was “Poor old Jim’s white as a ghost / He’s found the answer we lost / We’re all weeping now, weeping because / There ain’t nothing we can do to protect you.” I see Cartesian as Jim, finally getting the horrific proof of what he always suspected — the gnawers are trying to kill all of the nibblers.

23 - Mothers of the Disappeared by U2 - This song was written about the Madres de Plaza de Mayo, the mothers of the activists and political dissidents forcibly disappeared — that is to say, kidnapped, tortured and murdered — by the United States-backed Argentine military junta that ruled from 1976 to 1983. I encourage you all to read about the Madres, because they were remarkable, and if you’re American, I think this is a historical event you need to know about. I think it is up there among the worst things this country has ever been responsible for. But I digress. I chose this song for its lyrics, a very poetic depiction of witnessing political violence, and the beautiful expression of grief in the music. The last two verses are haunting: “Night hangs like a prisoner [God, what a line] / Stretched over black and blue / Hear their heartbeats / We hear their heartbeats / In the trees, are sons stand naked / Through the walls, our daughters cry / See their tears / In the rainfall.” The picnic squad are the only witnesses of what’s happened, the only ones left to “hear their heartbeats,” and it sets the course for the rest of the series — and really, each one of their lives.

24 - The Unforgettable Fire by U2 - On the nose, but I chose this song to use the volcano itself as the unforgettable fire in question. “Walk on by, walk on through / Walk ‘til you run / And don’t look back / For here / I am” reminded me of Gregor when he’s trying to find the rest of his party or a way out of the ash or… anything, really, to save him from his situation. I don’t know what I’d interpret the “I” to be in that situation. The nibblers? The volcano? His despair? It all seemed to fit.

25 - Fly On by Coldplay - When Pandora dies, Luxa tells Howard that she’ll “fly with him always,” which is what reminded me of this song. The song goes, “Fly on, right through / Maybe one day I’ll fly next to you,” which to me fit well with Howard teaching Hazard how to carry the memory of his loved ones.

26 - Orphans by Coldplay - I don’t know why it seems like any time I use the same artist more than once for one book, I use them back-to-back, but I love this song for this book. Get ready for some serious lyrical dissonance. It’s a happy-sounding song, but it’s about how war tears lives apart. I chose it for the refrain, “I guess we’ll be raised on our own, then / ‘Cause I wanna be with you ‘til the world ends / I wanna be with you ‘til the whole world ends,” which reminds me of Gregor and Luxa at the end of this chapter. The idea of kids who sort of have to raise themselves fits well for both of them, too.

27 - Trouble in Town by Coldplay - Okay, I know three in a row is a little ridiculous. I mostly liked the way this song sounded for Gregor and Ares speeding back to Regalia to warn the city about the impending attack, and because it’s from the same album as “Orphans,” it was already on the brain.

[the-firebird69]

Our son would be looking like this at about 5 ft 11 and 1/2 no about 6 ft 2 midsection would be wider legs will be bigger most of it's kind of close. And the wrists 1/4 inch not wide enough a couple other things to neck is very small. At 642 his neck will go outwards to the back and chest and shoulders about an inch each side slope down outwards.

And we have a reason for showing it. You don't be a 6'2 for a while though at 5 or 6 months or more

Thor Freya

Olympus

Zues Hera

[suspect-percy]

Percy’s Top 35 Albums of 2024 (Plus runners up and EPs):

1. You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed Too- Knocked Loose

Genre: Hardcore/Metalcore

Best Song: Don’t Reach For Me

2. AMERICAN MOTOR SPORTS- BILMURI

Genre: Country/Alt Rock

Best Song(s): Emptyhanded, 2016 Cavaliers (Ohio)

3. a piece of me i never let you find- Cane Hill

Genre: Metalcore/Nu Metal

Best Song: Fade

4. Sundiver- Boston Manor

Genre: Post Hardcore/Alt Rock

Best Song: Horses in a Dream

5. Make Them Suffer- Make Them Suffer

Genre: Metalcore

Best Song(s): Oscillator, Mana God

6. Stampede- Orville Peck

Genre: Country

Best Song(s): Rhinestone Cowboy, Papa Was A Rodeo

7. What’s Wrong With New York?- The Dare

Genre: Indie Sleaze, Electronic

Best Song: Girls

8. Negative Space- Poppy

Genre: Metalcore

Best Song: have you had enough?

9. What I’ll Leave Behind- Void of Vision

Genre: Metalcore

Best Song: Blood for Blood

10. Degeneration- wristmeetrazor

Genre: Metalcore

Best Song: Synthetic-51n

11. Exhibition of Prowess- Kublai Khan TX

Genre: Hardcore

Best Song: Darwinism

12. Coup De Grâce- Seeyouspacecowboy

Genre: Metalcore

Best Song: Lubricant Like Kerosene

13. MEGAN: ACT II- Megan Thee Stallion

Genre: Rap

Best Song: Bigger in Texas

14. Leap of Death- Left to Suffer

Genre: Metalcore

Best Song: Lost In the Dark

15. Half Living Things- Alpha Wolf

Genre: Metalcore

Best Song: Sucks 2 Suck

16. att. - Young Miko

Genre: Latin Trap/Reggaeton

Best Song(s): princess peach, oye ma

17. Cosa Nuestra- Rauw Alejandro

Genre: Reggaeton

Best Song: Espresso Martini

18. HYPERVIOLENCE- Windwaker

Genre: Metalcore

Best Song: Get Out

19. DARKER WHITE- FEVER 333

Genre: Metalcore, Punk

Best Song: PIN DROP

20. Social Grace- Brat

Genre: Hardcore

Best Song: Slow Heat

21. BRAT- Charli xcx

Genre: Electronic/Pop/Dance

Best Song: Guess ft Billie Eilish

22. For Keeps- Too Close To Touch

Genre: Metalcore/Post Hardcore

Best Song: Designer Decay

23. Hot Singles in Your Area- Scene Queen

Genre: Feminism

Best Song: PEG

24. WAS HERE- Stand Atlantic

Genre: Pop Punk

Best Song: KISSIN’ KILLER COBRAS

25. ORQUÍDEAS- Kali Uchis

Genre: Latin Pop

Best Song: Munekita

26. SELF HELL- While She Sleeps

Genre: Metalcore

Best Song: SELF HELL

27. POST HUMAN: NeX GEn- Bring Me the Horizon

Genre: Metalcore

Best Song: liMOsIne

28. GLORIOUS- GloRilla

Genre: Rap

Best Song: GLO’S PRAYER

29. MEGAN- Megan Thee Stallion

Genre: Rap

Best Song: Miami Blue

30. CURE- Erra

Genre: Metalcore/Djent

Best Song: Wave

31. Things Are Different Now- Rain City Drive

Genre: Post Hardcore/Alt Rock

Best Song: Frozen

32. ETHAANG ETHAANG- GloRilla

Genre: Rap

Best Song: Wanna Be

33. GLOOM DIVISION- IDK HOW

Genre: Alt Rock

Best Song: Gloomtown Brats

34. Dark Magic- nothing, nowhere

Genre: Emo Rap

Best Song: Pity Party

35. The Cycles of Trying- Like Moths To Flames

Genre: Metalcore

Best Song: Kintsugi

Honorable Mentions

36. Death: An Anthology- Enterprise Earth

Genre: Deathcore/Metalcore

Best Song: King of Ruination

37. Dopamine- Normandie

Genre: Alt Rock

Best Song: Flowers for the Grave

38. Starfire- Darko US

Genre: Deathcore

Best Song: Starfire

39. The Black- Imminence

Genre: Metalcore

Best Song: Heaven Shall Burn

EPs:

1. Mirror’s Edge- Northlane

Genre: Metalcore

Best Song(s): Let Me Disappear, Miasma

2. Bleeding Star- Kingdom of Giants

Genre: Metalcore

Best Song: Scorpion

[thecreaturecodex]

Runclus Malevol

“Druid” © Vladimir Matyukhin, accessed at his ArtStation here

[The last of my menagerie of Malevols for now. My PCs never encountered Runclus, but were definitely tempted to explore the Indoornesse when they found the portal. Maybe some day.]

Runclus Malevol CR 12 NE Humanoid This humanoid figure is clothed in flowing robes and leather armor. He wears an elaborate crown of leather and bone, all but obscuring his face.

Runclus Malevol, the Man of the Woods, is the most powerful living Malevol, although “living” has an asterisk in this case. Runclus is one of Aristide’s children, and he has died and been reborn repeatedly—whenever he survives long enough to become very old, he ritually kills himself and is reborn into a young body. Runclus has lived 23 lives so far, and this latest body is actually close in appearance and build to his original. Still, he typically conceals his form with flowing robes and a great mask, the better to cast doubt on whether he is alive or dead, both or neither.

Runclus is usually found in the Indoornesse, a pocket dimension accessible primarily through Castle Xyntillian’s extensive basements. Runclus knows other paths in and out, and uses them to collect up a cadre of sinister druids, and to introduce new monsters into the ecosystem. Once these monsters have been thoroughly vetted in the Indoornesse, some of them move up into the Castle grounds proper. Runclus is a devout follower of Lamashtu. He has successfully converted several of his family members to the worship of the Mother of Monsters.

In combat, Runclus typically uses his spells to inflict debilitating diseases or curses on enemies before killing them outright. Although he is a decent melee combatant in his own right, he rarely fights hand to hand unless bolstered with spells, having used his wild shape, or both. Runclus does not fear death in combat, as he has died before; if he is slain, however, he pivots to a more cautious strategy, and remains hidden until his many lives ability has recharged.

Runclus Malevol CR 12 XP 19,200 Human male druid (reincarnated druid) 12 Init +5; Senses Perception +15 Defense AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 17 (+1 Dex, +1 deflection, +6 armor) hp 109 (12d8+48) Fort +13, Ref +7, Will +16; +4 vs. death effects, energy drain, necromancy Defensive Abilities cheat death, many lives Offense Speed 30 ft. Melee +1 falchion +12/+7 (2d4+4/18-20) Ranged masterwork sling +11/+6 (1d4+2) Special Attacks wild shape (4/day, Diminutive to Huge animal, Large plant, Large elemental) Spell-like Abilities CL 12th, concentration +18 (+22 casting defensively) 3/day—excruciating deformation (DC 19) 1/day—major curse (DC 21) Spells CL 12th, concentration +18 (+22 casting defensively) 6th—greater dispel magic, mass bull’s strength (D), plague storm (DC 22), transport via plants 5th—aspect of the wolf, baleful polymorph (DC 21), death ward, rest eternal, righteous might (D) 4th—flame strike (DC 20), freedom of movement, spell immunity (D), spike stones, strong jaw 3rd—cloak of winds, fungal infestation (DC 19), greater magic fang, poison (DC 19), protection from energy, rage (DC 19, D) 2nd—barkskin, bull’s strength (B), flame blade, frigid touch, lesser restoration, stone call, tree shape 1st—cure light wounds (DC 17), enlarge person (DC 17), faerie fire, longstrider, magic stone, speak with animals (x2) 0th—detect magic, light, mending, purify food and drink Domain = Strength (Ferocity subdomain) Statistics Str 14, Dex 13, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 22, Cha 8 Base Atk +9; CMB +11; CMD 22 Feats Combat Casting, Craft Wand, Ectoplasmic Spell, Martial Weapon Proficiency (falchion), Improved Initiative, Natural Spell, Vermin Heart Skills Diplomacy +6, Handle Animal +10, Knowledge (nature) +13, Knowledge (planes) +8, Knowledge (religion) +7, Linguistics +4, Perception +15, Sense Motive +14, Spellcraft +11, Survival +17 Languages Abyssal, Aklo, Common, Druidic, Necril, Sylvan SQ blessing of Lamashtu, exceptional resources, nature bond (domain), nature sense, trackless step, wild empathy +11 Gear helm of the dark druid (mitre of the hierophant and headband of wisdom +4, cursed [Will DC 19 when worn or alignment shifts to neutral evil]), +2 wild leather lamellar armor, +1 falchion, belt of constitution +2, ring of the ram (25 charges), ring of protection +1, cloak of protection +2, pearl of power (1st level), hunter’s tree fort, feather step slippers, wand of cure moderate wounds (50 charges), wand of greater animal aspect (50 charges), scroll of sunbeam, masterwork sling with 20 bullets, unholy water (x3), carved wood and ivory statuettes worth 616 gp Special Abilities Blessing of Lamashtu (Ex/Sp) Runclus Malevol can take the Strength domain and the Ferocity subdomain for his nature’s bond. He also gains excruciating deformation as a spell-like ability usable 3/day, and major curse 1/day, using his Wisdom as his casting stat. These bonuses plus his exceptional resources grant him +1 to his CR. Cheat Death (Ex) Once per day, Runclus may reroll a save against a death effect, energy drain, or necromancy effect before the result of the roll is revealed, or reroll a failed stabilization check while dying. He must take the result of the second roll, even if it is worse than the original roll. Many Lives (Ex): If Runclus Malevol is killed, he may automatically reincarnate (as the spell) 1 day later. The reincarnated druid appears in a safe location within 1 mile of his previous body. At will for the next 7 days, he can sense the presence of his remains as if using locate object as a spell-like ability. If he is killed during these 7 days, she remains dead and does not reincarnate. The many lives ability does not function if the reincarnated druid is slain by a death effect. A reincarnated druid cannot be raised from the dead or resurrected, though he can be reincarnated. Mysterious Stranger (Ex) Runclus Malevol adds +6 to the DC of Sense Motive, Diplomacy, and Knowledge checks to learn about him. Resist Death’s Touch (Ex) Runclus gains a +4 bonus on saving throws against death effects, energy drain, and necromancy effects, and on stabilization checks when dying.

[trkking]

Sar Pass Trek: How to Prepare for This Himalayan Challenge?

The Sar Pass trek, nestled in the enchanting Parvati Valley of Himachal Pradesh, is a mesmerizing journey through an unspoiled realm of natural beauty. Kasol, being relatively close to the Sar Pass Trek, makes it a convenient starting point to begin your trekking journey.This trek unfolds a tapestry of diverse landscapes, from lush green meadows and dense pine forests to rugged alpine terrain and pristine snow-capped peaks. As you ascend through the serene villages and vibrant wildflower-strewn valleys, each step brings you closer to the breathtaking vistas that define this high-altitude adventure.

The Kasol Sar Pass trek winds through enchanting forests, pushing your limits while rewarding you with stunning views at every turn. This trek tests your endurance, but the panoramic views and beautiful scenery make the trek worthwhile. 

A Comprehensive Guide on How to Prepare For The Sar Pass Trek: 

1. Physical Fitness:

Cardiovascular Endurance: Engage in regular cardio workouts like running, cycling, or swimming to build stamina.

Strength Training: Focus on leg strength and core stability with exercises such as squats, lunges, and planks.

Hiking Practice: Hike on varied terrain and inclines with a loaded backpack to simulate trek conditions.

2. Acclimatization:

Gradual Ascents: If possible, include hikes at higher altitudes in your training to adapt to thinner air.

Hydration: Stay well-hydrated and consider acclimatization strategies like drinking plenty of fluids and eating high-carb foods.

3. Gear Preparation:

Footwear: Invest in well-fitted, sturdy trekking boots with good ankle support for trekking in Sar Pass.

Clothing: Layer your clothing for varying temperatures and include waterproof and windproof gear.

Backpack: Choose a comfortable, appropriately sized backpack with enough capacity for essentials.

4. Nutrition and Hydration:

Balanced Diet: Maintain a diet rich in proteins, carbs, and healthy fats to build endurance and strength.

Water Intake: Carry a hydration system or bottles and drink water regularly to prevent dehydration.

5. Mental Preparation:

Resilience: Cultivate mental toughness by pushing your limits in training and staying positive.

Planning: Study the Sar Pass trekking route, understand the weather conditions, and be prepared for the physical and mental challenges you'll have to face .

By integrating these preparation strategies, you'll be well-equipped to tackle the Himalayan challenge and enjoy its stunning beauty while meeting its challenges head-on.

If you've made up your mind to go trekking but are confused about which package to choose from; check out the cool offers Universal Adventures has in store for you! 

What We Offer in Our Sar Pass Trek Package: 

1. Start Point/End Point: Kasol Base Camp (It is 2 KM far from the Kasol Bus Stand)

2. Duration: 4N/5D

3. Maximum Altitude: 13,800 ft.

4. Trek Distance: The Sar Pass trek distance is 50 KM

5. Trek Endurance: Easy to Moderate

6. Temperature: The Sar Pass temperature hovers around -5°C to 22°C

7. Best Time for Sar Pass Trek: May to October

8. Package Options:

Trek from Kasol to Kasol: INR 6,499 per person 

Trek from Delhi to Delhi: INR 8,999 per person 

9. Accommodation: Guest House, Camping, Homestay on Triple or Quad Sharing

10. Meals: Starting 1st Day Dinner to Last Day Breakfast (Veg Meal with Egg)

11. Permissions: All Necessary Permits and Entry Charges

12. Safety:

First Aid Medical Kits

Professional Guide, Trek Leader, and Support Staff 

If you have any doubts or confusion regarding the packages available, feel free to call our toll-free number 8533812266.

Trekking to Sar Pass is a transformative journey where the rugged trails and high-altitude vistas push you beyond your comfort zone, fostering resilience and inner strength.

[mint-moon25]

Emily Blunt - The Place Where Lost Things Go (From "Mary Poppins Returns")

TALKED - 2 - WHO - LOOKS - LIKE - KENNY ROGERS

HE - SAID - ZIP - TIES - WON’T - WORK - CONFIDENT

NOT - 2 - BELIEVE - YOUTUBE - THAT - IT - WAS - A

MANICURED - VIDEO

HE - WANTED - ME - 2 - HAND - OVER - $100 - YES

DESTROY - LOCKS - STUPID - BIMBOS

HAD - ENOUGH - SAME - JERK - AFTER - SAID THE

PRICES - IN - ASHEVILLE - NC - NORTH - CAROLINA

CHEAP - REAL ESTATE - SO - GETTING

SMALL - ESTATE - AND - STABLES

BLUERIDGE - MOUNTAINS

SO - CHEAP - VANDERBILT - CASTLE

AGAIN - NEGATIVITY - FR - HIM - AND

HE - SAID - LIVING - WITH - ME

THE - NERVE - THE - GALL

HOMELESSNESS - WHAT - DID - IT - TEACH - ME

HOW - 2 - SAY - NO

OLD - HISPANIC - MALES - SHORT - WRINKLED

UGLY - PRUNE - TOUCHY - TOUCHY

TOUCHING - WITH - THEIR - BIG - HANDS

SMALLER - HANDS - CLOSE - ENOUGH - LIKE

IT - TOUCHED - PEE PEE - AND - MASSAGED

HISPANIC - MALE - NEAR - BRIDGE - SHOWING

CASH - NO - TRANSLATION - NEEDED - JUST

SAID - ‘NO’ - ‘NO’

LAS VEGAS - NEVADA

CBS TV

SURVEYS - 15 MIN - 45 MIN

NEW - CASH - $50 - $250 - HOW - MANY TIMES

DAILY - AT - MGM GRAND - AS - HOTEL GUESTS

VEGAS - APP

MOST - BEAUTIFUL - UNDERGROUND - MALLS

THE - WYNN - GLASS - SHAPED - FLOWERS AT

THE - LOBBY - AS - NEW YORK

FOUR SEASONS - ASKED - FEMALES - IF THEY

NEED - THE - RESTROOM - WITH - THEIR

‘TIME - OF - THE - MONTH’

OUTSIDE - 25 DEGREES - 40 MPH - WINDS

MANHATTAN - NEW YORK 

YET - SEEMS - WARMER - OUTSIDE - THEY

AS - MEN - HIRE - MEN

DISCRIMINATION - OF - GENDER

HOBO - HOMELESS - MALE - COMPUTER

EXPRESS - HE - WAS - SHOWING - HIS

CHEST - SCRATCHING - HIS - CHEST - HE’

MEANT - ME 

SCRATCHING

ASIAN - BREASTS - LACKING - BREASTS

SMALL - EYES - SMALL - BREASTS

NATIONAL - BASKETBALL - TEAMS 

OF - PEOPLE’s - REPUBLIC - OF - CHINA

BLK - BRAG - THEY - CAN - JUMP - IN 

BASKETBALL - IN - AMERICA

CHINA - FEMALES

6′1 FT - 6 FT - 5′11 FT

CHINESE - MALES

7′1 FT - 7 FT - 6′10 FT

BASKETBALL - OBSESSED - THEIR - HEIGHT

HOW - BEAUTIFUL - CHINESE - GIRLS - ARE

ESPECIALLY - PROUD - OF - THEIR HEIGHTS

SPECTACULAR - BASKETBALL - PLAYERS

AS - BLKS - DECREASING - IN - HOW - THEY

SING - DECREASING - IN - SPORTS - MORE

AND - MORE

GOD - SAID - HOW - HE ENJOYED - INCREASING

THEIR - NUMBERS - NOW - EQUALLY - HE - WILL

ENJOY - DECREASING - THEIR - NUMBERS 

UNTIL - THEY - NO - LONGER - EXIST - YES

SO - MY - PLANS - MAKE - FRANCE - NO 1

AND - KOREAN - GIRLS - HOW - WE - CAN

MAKE - SOUTH - KOREA - HOME - SWEET

HOME - PULSE - OF - MURDER - ROBBERY

HATRED - JEALOUSY - ACTIVATED - WILL

DISAPPEAR - 5 MILLION - KOREANS ...

CAN’T - GO - NOW - 2 - STORAGE - WILL

JUST - DO - IT - TOMORROW - MUST BE

LONGEST - ZIP - TIES - NOT - SMALLER

GOING - IN - THE - MORNING - INSTEAD

PUBLIC - STORAGE - IN - LITTLE - HAITI

MY - SAMSUNG A 15 5 G

DATA - WORKS - AT - MAIN - LIBRARY

THEIR - WI FI

YOUTUBE - NOT - OTHERS - 4 - MUST

HAVE - ENTERED - WITH - GMAIL TOO

THEN - CAN - HAVE - OLD - LIFE - BACK

BUT - YOUTUBE - WITH - WI FI - NOW 2

THE - MOST - HORRID - USING - DELL

COMPUTER - EXPRESS - WHY - THEY

ARE - STANDING - AND - I’M - REQUIRED

2 - ENDURE - THIS - WITHOUT MANNERS

BLK - FAT - OLD - MAN

01 OCT 2024 - AS - HOMELESS - PLACED

IN MENTAL - INSTITUTIONS - 4 - 9 YEARS

CLEAN - STREETS - 4 - WORLD - RUGBY

MEN - KISSING - MEN

LESBIANS - KISSING - THEIR - WIVES

KOREAN - GIRLS - NO - ONE - ENTERED

MY - WEBSITE - ACTIVATION - CODE - IS

ENTERED - FR - A - FREE - APP - SO - ITS

NOT ENTERED - BECAUSE SMARTPHONE

NOT - READY - YET - HOPEFULLY

MONDAY - MY - SMARTPHONE - BUT ME

NEED - TOOTHPASTE - AND - MORE - 2

[pathfinderunlocked]

Andershifter - CR 1/4 Fey & Template

A fey spirit that transforms people unwillingly.

Artwork by Moonshen on DeviantArt.

An andershifter is a tiny fairy that grants what it considers a “boon” to helpless and unaware humanoids it finds.  This boon takes the form of a transformation into a fey-touched creature.  It doesn’t grant this boon to just anyone though - only to mortals that it believes are lost in the wilds and in danger, especially if they’ve found their way into the First World.

An encounter with an andershifter often begins with the recipient of its power awakening from sleep (which may or may not have been induced by the andershifter itself) in a dangerous place to find that its limbs have been partially transformed, and that it has gained a tail, animal ears, horns, wings, or other strange features.  This also affects the target’s mind, causing it to act more like a fey creature and lose its regard for civilized customs and existing responsibilities, as represented by the alignment shift.  The andershifter will typically stick around long enough to explain that it gave the creature this boon so that it could fit in better and survive in the strange and frightening world that it’s found itself in, and then fly away.

Andershifters genuinely believe they are helping people, but the transformation may cause the target to have serious issues if it ever returns to civilization.

A person with enough hit dice to be immune to an andershifter’s sleep spell is likely one that it considers capable of surviving on its own without the andershifter’s “help,” although if it has a reason to believe the person is in trouble, the andershifter will follow the person at a distance and wait for its "beneficiary” to fall asleep naturally.  It should probably sleight of hand to avoid being detected while touching a naturally sleeping target, in addition to the stealth roll to avoid being heard approaching.

Andershifter - CR 1/4

The tiny hovering fairy has animal-like ears and horns, and patches of brown fur covering the limbs of its otherwise blue-skinned humanoid body.  A long furry tail, at least twice as long as the creature is tall, waves in the air behind it, with leaves growing from the end of the tail.  It wears no clothing, but its hair is tied around its neck like a scarf, and it’s holding a sharpened feather that it’s crafted into a tiny spear.

XP 100 CG Diminutive fey Init +2 Senses low-light vision; Perception +7

DEFENSE

AC 17, touch 16, flat-footed 15 (+2 Dex, +1 natural, +4 size) hp 3 (2d6-4) Fort -2, Ref +5, Will +5 DR 1/cold iron

OFFENSE

Speed 5 ft., fly 40 ft. (perfect) Melee quill spear +7 (1d3-3/×3) Space 1 ft.; Reach 0 ft. Special Attacks andershift Spell-Like Abilities (CL 6th; concentration +8)     At will—dancing lights, message, open/close     3/day—extended sleep (DC 14)

STATISTICS

Str 4, Dex 14, Con 6, Int 13, Wis 15, Cha 14 Base Atk +1; CMB -1; CMD 6 Feats Spell Focus (enchantment), Weapon FinesseB Skills Acrobatics +7, Bluff +6, Escape Artist +7, Fly +16, Knowledge (nature) +6, Perception +7, Sense Motive +7, Sleight of Hand +11, Stealth +19; Racial Modifiers +4 Bluff, +4 Sleight of Hand Languages Sylvan, speak with animals Gear quill spear (Diminutive-sized spear)

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Andershift (Su) Once per day, by spending 5 minutes touching a willing or helpless humanoid or native outsider target, an andershifter can transform a creature, altering its body and mind to become more fey-like.  The target gains the Andershifted Creature template, described below.  This is a curse effect which can only be removed on the material plane (or the target’s home plane, if different).  Treat the DC as 21 for the purpose of effects such as Remove Curse; this DC is Charisma-based and includes a +8 racial bonus.

Andershifted Creature Template

Andershifted Creature is an acquired template that can be added to any humanoid or native outsider creature.  An andershifted creature retains all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +0, or +1 if the base creature has no armor proficiencies.

Alignment: Change the creature’s alignment to Chaotic.  Its alignment along the good-evil axis is unaffected.

Creature Type: An andershifted creature's type changes to fey.  Do not recalculate Hit Dice, BAB, or saves.  It gains the augmented subtype.

Senses: An andershifted creature gains low-light vision.

Armor Class: Natural armor improves by +1, plus an additional +1 for every 5 hit dice the andershifted creature possesses.

Defensive Abilities An andershifted creature gains a +2 bonus on Will saves.  It also gains DR 1/cold iron, or DR 2/cold iron if it has more than 10 hit dice.

Proficiencies: An andershifted creature loses the benefits of any armor proficiencies it has.  It cannot benefit from any armor proficiency for as long as it has this template.

Languages: An andershifted creature gains Sylvan as a bonus language, but loses Common and any racial languages.

Spell-like Abilities: An andershifted creature can cast dancing lights at will, and can cast speak with animals twice per day, as spell-like abilities, with a caster level equal to its hit dice.  It can only use this speak with animals spell to speak with animals of the same general type as its shifted form (see below).

Special Abilities:

Shifted Form (Ex) An andershifted creature is constantly under the effect of one minor animal aspect, as the shifter ability, except that this ability is extraordinary rather than supernatural, and cannot be removed or dismissed.  The specific animal aspect is chosen by the andershifter (not the andershifted creature) when the template is gained, and cannot be changed.  Treat the target’s hit dice as its shifter level for the purposes of this effect.

If an andershifted creature gains levels in shifter, hunter, or another class that grants a minor shifter aspect or animal focus, its class abilities stack with those of Shifted Form.  The animal aspect gained from Shifted Form does not count towards the maximum number of minor shifter aspects or animal focuses that the andershifted creature can have active at once.

Wild Empathy (Ex) An andershifted creature gains Wild Empathy, as the druid ability.

Woodland Stride (Ex) An andershifted creature gains Woodland Stride, as the druid ability.

Feats: An andershifted creature gains Fey Insight as a bonus feat, even if it doesn’t meet the prerequisites.

Skills: An andershifted creature gains the class skills of a fey: Acrobatics, Bluff, Climb, Craft, Diplomacy, Disguise, Escape Artist, Fly, Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nature), Perception, Perform, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Swim, Use Magic Device.