#I suppose the Fairies would actually use the equinoxes and solstices

[overlyimmersed]

How Fairies Keep Time

This came from the constellation thing, kill me.

This is 100% headcanon. I had to frickin make this up myself after learning about how ancient cultures tracked time. This could go totally ignored by most since it's been established that Fairies are terrible at keeping time because they're so long lived.

But since my AU introduces the concept of a history keeper for the Fairy Clan, it would just make sense to also have a way of keeping time.

I don't want to use star charts for this because...the fuckin constellation thing...I'm not interested in learning about and renaming every star and constellation that can be seen from Scotland. And I don't exactly thing Fairies would be star trackers anyway, just culturally speaking. I don't doubt that Fairies like to stargaze as much as anyone else, but I don't think they think that hard about what they're seeing, yknow? I think it'd be more like the stargazing we see in the Lion King movies. This cluster looks like that, that one looks like this and it's all just fun and games.

So how would they mark time?

Well I do headcanon that the Fairy Realm and The Fairy King's Forest change throughout the seasons. I haven't illustrated that completely yet because there are images that need to be finished... But I do think the Forest looks different depending on the season. So they can mark the time of year by what's going on around them, like a game of Stardew Valley or something. Just like instant, overnight change to everything. And keeping track of seasonal cycles like that would make it easy to keep track of years, if it were, say, your entire JOB to pay attention to that kind of thing.

This wouldn't exactly tell a Fairy what day of the season it is, but since Fairies don't have agriculture or anything they don't exactly need to know when to plant and when to harvest and those kinds of things that ancient civilizations used this kind of time keeping for. That kind of specific date keeping probably isn't really necessary for them.

I do imagine they have holidays though, so maybe they do need some way of tracking days. But that's not too hard, lunar cycles work for that. 12 cycles in a year, 3 cycles per season. Knowing what phase the moon is in and when it was full last, combined by knowing what season you're in can tell you what day of the year it is.

So a Fairy putting today's date on something might look like "84th of Summer" or "3rd New, Summer". Roughly anyway. The new moon is in two days. Could say something like "3rd Half, Waning, Summer" or "3rd Crescent, Waning, Summer" since the current moon phase is technically a Waning Crescent. But if you just look up at the sky tonight the moon will probably look close enough to new that I don't know how much that specification matters.

As far as the year goes, it would depend on when the Fairies started keeping track of time, obviously. And I don't know when that be exactly. Whenever Gloxinia decided that was something he wanted to know I guess... probably whenever the Holy War started. It's only ever said 3000 years ago, but it's probably not literally that on the button, so I suppose I could pick just about any number between 3 and 4 thousand. I'll worry about that one if it ever comes up...

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Equinox: Winter [6]

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 (here)

“You’re 40?” Sakura repeated. Her mouth hung open as she stared at Ino.

Ino in all her ethereal beauty. With her silken hair and smooth face. She looked more fresh-faced than some of the 18-year-olds that Sakura knew.

“Forty? As in four times ten. Like ten presidential terms back to back?” Sakura asked. Ino nodded, a smug smile curling her lips. She pretended to check her nails as she leaned against the table.

“How old does my dad look?” Ino then asked.

Ino’s father ran the florist shop next door. He was a soft-spoken man with one of those smiles that crinkled his eyes.

“Um… somewhere in his fifties?”

Ino threw her head back, positively cackling. She clutched her stomach. The sound of her laughs filled the air with the smell of sweet, fairy magic. Like someone was baking chocolate chip cookies in the oven.

“Try doubling that,” Ino corrected.

“You’re making fun of me, Ino,” Sakura complained. Ino reached across the table to grab Sakura’s hands.

“Swear on my left tit, he is,” Ino promised her. Sakura’s eyebrows rose.

“Why just the left one?”

“It’s the prettier one,” Ino sighed, glancing down at her chest. They burst into laughter, collapsing against the table. Tears sprang into Sakura’s eyes as her stomach clenched. She seriously began to wonder whether spending this much time with Ino would help her develop abs.

“Okay, why bring up age all of a sudden, Ino?” Sakura queried.

It was almost closing time at the cafe. Sakura often wondered why Ino stayed open so late, especially since it was such a small town. But it was nice to know that at least Ino would be up whenever she needed a late-night caffeine fix.

“My dad’s been saying lately how I’m not a child anymore,” Ino confessed. She yanked her purple apron over her head. One of the strings tangled around Ino’s right wing. Sakura reached over to free it.

“Thanks,” sighed Ino. She folded the apron into a neat little square. She left it in her lap. And then, sighing, she looked at Sakura.

“You know, I’d get married right away if you were a guy,” Ino suddenly told her.

Sakura laughed. “Ino, what?” She picked up the last macaron on the plate between them. It was raspberry with a chocolate ganache filling.

“You’re a good listener, you have a good job, and you’re smart. Plus, you like my cooking,” Ino recited, counting off on each finger as she went down the list. Sakura snorted. She pointed at Ino with the half-eaten macaron.

“Everyone likes your cooking, Ino,” Sakura pointed out.

“Charming, too,” Ino added to the list. Rolling her eyes, Sakura held out the macaron. She fed it to Ino before she wiped her fingers on a paper napkin. She crumpled it into a tiny ball in her fist.

“So your dad is nagging you about getting married, huh?” Sakura asked.

Ino leaned her elbow on the table. “Fairies normally have big families. But Mom died right after having me. I think my dad is lonely… which I get.”

Sakura nodded. She leaned back in her chair, crossing one leg over the other.

“I’m never getting married. It sounds like a nightmare,” Sakura remarked. Ino snickered.

“Aw, come on, Sakura. You’re just saying that because you’re young. You’ll want to settle down someday,” Ino insisted, elbowing her. And then Ino’s smile faded.

“Whoa. Those were some weird vibes I just got from you. What’d I say?” she demanded.

Sakura didn’t look at her. She stared out the window. There was a streetlight across the street. She had parked her red sedan right under it.

A car drove past. The headlights cut white paths on the wet asphalt.

“Marriage and sirens is like oil and water. They don’t mix well,” was all Sakura said.

There was another pause. The song playing over the speakers faded out, waiting to transition into the next track.

“Sorry. Guess marriage is sort of an icky subject for you, huh?” Ino said.

“Yeah.”

“Well, now I know. Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay.”

Sakura ran into Itachi at a holiday party. Which, on one hand was surprising, but also wasn’t. She wasn’t sure which famous designer or singer was hosting the event. All she had heard was that there would be champagne tower and she had decided to show her face.

She felt someone touch her elbow in the crowd. When she turned, so did Kakuzu. He wasn’t above twisting someone’s arm or throwing a drink.

“Hi,” Sakura greeted Itachi.

And he didn’t say anything in return. Couldn’t. He was speechless.

She was wearing a long sleeve bodycon dress. Nothing too revealing. Certainly not in comparison to the other people at this party. But the way her face glowed in the club’s flashing lights was breathtaking.

Kakuzu’s hand slipped off Sakura’s waist.

“Hang on, Bunny. I’ll deal with him,” he muttered. But Sakura stopped him with a hand on his chest.

“It’s fine,” she assured him. When Kakuzu continued to scowl, Sakura gave him a playful shove. “Go. I’ll catch up with you guys in a bit.” She watched him head up the stairs before she turned back to Itachi. She leaned against the railing, smiling at him.

“You okay there, Casanova? One too many drinks?” she asked.

Itachi stared up into her face for a while longer before he uttered, “Hi.”

“Hi,” she said in return, her smile widening.

She reached out to touch the sleeve of Itachi’s jacket. His chin tilted down as he watched her hand.

“Looking sharp. Do you wanna come upstairs? We have a table,” Sakura offered. She pointed up to the second floor.

Itachi’s brain seemed to have caught up to the rest of him. Because his expression began to relax a little. He gestured with his glass to a booth on the other side of the room.

“Sorry. I’m here to schmooze. Especially since we’re moving ahead with the project with… Killer Bee,” Itachi explained. And then his face changed a little.

“…Are you seriously alright with me going ahead with that? I still feel weird about letting him just use your song,” Itachi then asked. Sakura nodded. She leaned in closer so that she wouldn’t have to yell over the music and all the other people.

“It’s fine. I’m not a really vindictive person,” she assured him. Itachi smiled a little.

“Me too. I suck at holding grudges,” he confided in her. They laughed.

Itachi eyed her empty champagne flute. “Well, let me buy you a drink. Maybe hanging out with you will make me look important,” he suggested. He held his hand out to Sakura. The top of his cross tattoo peeked out past the top of his sleeve. Sakura bit her tongue between her front teeth as she considered. She slipped her hand into Itachi’s.

“Sure,” she agreed.

Itachi wasn’t especially intimidating or bulky. He didn’t part a crowd with an evil eye like Kakuzu did. But he did a pretty good job of guiding her through the people. He linked his fingers between hers, glancing back every few seconds to check that she was okay.

When they got to the bar, he helped Sakura squeeze into an open spot. She pulled him into the space with her. They were smushed together, but she didn’t mind. Sakura made eye contact with the busy bartender who gave her a hurried nod as she rushed past. It took a couple minutes for the woman to finally get to her. She looked frazzled.

“Two White Gummy Bears, please,” Sakura told her. The woman looked relieved. Probably that Sakura hadn’t ordered another margarita or, worse, a mojito, which required a million steps. She pulled two clean glasses out and filled them with the expensive stuff. Sakura held out a bill, saying, “No change.”

“Hey. Thanks,” the bartender replied. And then she hurried off to serve the next customer.

Itachi eyed the clear drink. Sakura snickered at him as she grabbed a glass. Itachi had no choice but to take the other one.

“Why does this smell like an actual gummy bear?” he asked.

“Come on,” Sakura urged, slapping his chest twice. She held her glass out, waiting until he clinked his drink against hers. Sakura tossed her drink back, grinning as she held her empty glass up. Itachi copied her. His eyes popped wide open. He had half-expected it to taste like a candle. It was delicious. She laughed at him.

“For courage. I’ve never had a bad night after one of these,” Sakura told him.

“And it’s less embarrassing than ordering a Slippery Nipple. Or a Screaming Orgasm,” she added. Itachi burst into laughter. And then a thought occurred to him.

“I thought I was supposed to be buying you a drink,” he yelled over the music. She leaned in closer to him.

“Like I said. For courage. Go schmooze it up, Romeo,” Sakura told him. She pressed a kiss to his cheek and slipped away before he could react.

The following morning (about eight hours and six drinks later) Sakura woke with a killer hangover on the sofa in Temari’s apartment. She spent the day recovering, because, unfortunately, she had another party to attend that evening.

The holidays were the worst because it required the most socializing. People were sensitive and got offended when she chose to attend certain events and not theirs. Madara helped her get out some parties with plausible excuses. For his Christmas present, she got him a set of expensive crystal glasses for his bar cart.

“Because you’re my angel,” she told him. Madara smirked.

But by the time the winter solstice rolled around, Sakura put her foot down.

“Either buy me a new liver or cover for me,” Sakura demanded.

And so she drove down to Old Pines for the first time in nearly a week. The back of her car was crowded with all the various party favors and presents she had received during the craziness. She was always struck by how easily celebrities spent their money. She had once received five iPads during the holidays as party favors.

As Sakura pulled off the highway, she switched on the high beams. The narrow forest path was much more familiar to her now. She even knew how to swerve to avoid a pothole halfway down the road. As she neared Old Pines, she let out a sigh of relief. She wanted nothing more than a hot shower and then to crawl into her bed.

She switched back to her regular headlights when she entered the town. The radio played low as she turned the steering wheel. The streetlights were on already. But they were almost unnecessary because the base of each light was wrapped with twinkling string lights. The lights were also draped across most of the buildings and houses. They all blinked at different rates, in blues, and reds, and golds, like winks rippling up and down the streets. And as Sakura cracked the window she could smell the fairy magic in the air. Like the fragrance of bread baking in an oven, only spread all throughout the town.

Even though she wasn’t particularly hungry or thirsty, Sakura stopped by Ino’s cafe. But Ino wasn’t inside standing by the counter. She stood outside, garlands of evergreen held up in her hands. Her dad sat on a ladder beside her.

“Hey, Ino!” Sakura called as she got out of her car.

“Oh! Hi! Hold on a sec!” Ino yelled back. Sakura checked both ways before she ran across the street. She grabbed the other end of the garland that was dragging on the ground. She handed it to Inoichi, who smiled down at her.

“Thank you.”

“Yeah. Of course,” she replied.

Sakura helped them hang the garlands on the front window. Ino wrapped string lights around the garland while her dad hung a huge wreath made of holly on the door.

“Solstice is coming, huh?” Sakura remarked. She and Ino took a step back to survey their work. Ino put her arm around Sakura’s shoulders as she nodded. And then her nose wrinkled as she looked at Sakura.

“You seem exhausted. Come inside. I’ve got a blueberry tart with your name on it,” Ino then urged her.

Over the next several days, Old Pines was busy preparing for the winter solstice. They chopped down a tree and placed it in the middle of town. Everyone gathered together to help decorate. Ino was there, distributing cups of warm cider while Tsunade regaled the children with the stories that explained their traditions. Kiba was one of the people helping to erect the tree. He spared her a moment to wave at her, but she didn’t want to bug him.

Sakura jumped a little when a wet nose touched her hand. A smoky, black dog sat beside her. She rubbed her hand over his head once. And then his form shifted, growing taller and taller. Kakashi stood there instead. He handed her a gold ornament. A few bits of glitter clung to her fingertips as she accepted it.

“Hey, stranger,” Kakashi greeted her.

“Hey yourself,” she answered.

They stood side by side. Watching the busy scene. One of the pups threw his head back and howled. Hana whacked the back of his head.

“Knock it off. It’s not even a full moon yet,” she scolded as his cousins snickered at him.

“No, you can’t have a yuletide bonfire in the woods. Are you crazy?” Tenten retorted in response to someone’s question.

Someone began belting out a song in a low voice. He trailed off as he forgot the rest of the lyrics. Laughter and applause rose in response to his valiant efforts.

Sakura leaned against Kakashi a little.

“Are you cold?” he asked her.

“Mm-mm,” Sakura replied, shaking her head.

Kakashi’s arm shifted anyway. She heard him unzip his jacket. And then pulled her so that her back pressed against him. Grabbing either side of his jacket, he wrapped that around her too. Sakura giggled.

“What’re your plans for the solstice, Sheriff?” asked Sakura. They watched as the butcher and his son attempted to untangle a length of string lights.

“Throw the yule log on the fire. Eat steak with the dogs. Nothing fancy,” Kakashi replied. He rested his chin on top of her head.

“Not fancy sounds amazing,” sighed Sakura. She felt like she had had a lifetime’s worth of champagne fountains and gold leaf cocktails. Kakashi chuckled. It tickled against her spine.

“Well, you’re welcome to join us. I’m sure the dogs won’t mind,” he told her.

“What’re you talking about? We’re all going to Sakura’s, Sheriff,” Ino suddenly said as she walked past them to get a fresh carafe of cider.

Kakashi twisted around to look at Ino. That made Sakura swivel too. Which was fine by her.

“Huh?” Sakura and Kakashi said in unison.

“You’re new in town, Sakura. Your house is in the need of the most yuletide blessings,” scolded Ino.

“That’s true. A yuletide celebration invites good luck into your house for the whole year. I’m in,” Tenten agreed.

“Kiba, you can come if you bring your mom’s roast beef!” Ino called.

“What? I can’t hear you!” shouted Kiba in return.

“Cool. It’s decided,” Ino said, turning to Sakura with a wink.

On the day of the winter solstice, Ino showed up to Sakura’s house. She carried a huge cardboard box filled with greenery. Tenten trailed behind her with a second box. And then Hana entered carrying paper bags bursting with food.

They spent the morning decorating Sakura’s house between sips of the town’s best coffee. Ino had even packed freshly-baked muffins sprinkled with vanilla sugar. They hung mistletoe above the door to invite in good fortune and positive emotions. They draped holly and garlands of evergreen from the windows and bannisters. Ino hung a huge wreath interwoven with ivy and holly from the front door. The house was bustling with voices and laughter. It felt a little strange, but Sakura didn’t hate it.

The men began to trickle in throughout the afternoon. Kiba showed up first, bearing a foil-covered pan that held his mother’s famous roast beef. He grabbed Sakura in a hug from behind, making her yelp. Sakura laughed even as she slapped his arm several times.

“You jerk! You scared the shit out of me!” she scolded. Kiba cackled as he pretended to wince under her weak blows. He let out an actual yelp of pain as Hana smacked him with a tree branch.

“Stop flirting and go bring in some more firewood,” Hana ordered.

Kakashi came a little later with plenty of his mulled apple cider. Sakura poked her head out of the house when she heard his car. He waved as he got out of his cruiser. And then he opened the back door. A torrent of dogs poured out of the backseat. At the head of the pack was a tan dog with a red bandana tied around him. Close on his heels was a little pug that huffed and puffed as he struggled to keep up.

Sakura knelt on the gravel, her arms spread wide. Biscuit pounced on her, tail vibrating furiously as he whined and pawed at her. The rest of the dogs arrived and barreled her over. Flat on her back, Sakura giggled as the dogs struggled to receive the most pats and hugs.

The car door shut. Kakashi let out a high-pitched whistle. The dogs parted. Pakkun stubbornly continued licking Sakura’s hand. Bull chomped down on the back of Pakkun’s collar to drag him out of the way. Sighing, Kakashi offered his hand to Sakura. He pulled her to his feet.

“The dogs are… really happy to see you,” was all Kakashi could say.

“Just the dogs?” Sakura teased. Kakashi’s smile didn’t disappear. But it shifted a little. Placing his hand on the back of her head, he pulled her face closer so that he could kiss her forehead.

“I’m one of the dogs too,” he reminded her. He gave another kiss to the top of her head before he headed into the house. When he let out a sharp whistle, the dogs followed after him. Only Biscuit lingered. He looked from his retreating brothers to Sakura. His paws shuffling around. Laughing, Sakura scratched between Biscuit’s ears.

“Okay, okay. I’m coming,” she assured him.

Sakura was a little surprised by how well Kakashi’s dogs got along with Kiba. Bull, in particular, seemed interested in Kiba, who was happy to roughhouse with the bulldog for a bit. He didn’t even complain as Bull drooled on his hand.

When Kiba and Kakashi saw each other, there was a tense moment. Sakura wondered if they would be stupid and do the whole glaring and sniffing routine. Instead, Kiba nodded at Kakashi. Kakashi clapped him on the shoulder before he headed into the kitchen. Sakura didn’t really understand the shift in their dynamic. She was just thankful that it wouldn’t be awkward.

Ino began working her magic in the kitchen. She reheated the roast beef in the oven while Kakashi warmed his cider on the stove. She asked him about his recipe, which Kakashi was happy to explain. Hana joined them to help Ino chop up the ingredients she had brought for a salad.

When someone knocked on the door, everyone looked perplexed. Except for Sakura who went to let the last guest in.

“Sorry I’m so late. Traffic was crazy,” Itachi greeted her as he stepped inside. He handed Sakura a bottle of wine. It was expensive brand. He carried another bottle under his arm.

Kiba and Hana exchanged a look. Kakashi and Ino exchanged a look too. And then Kakashi and Kiba glanced at each other. They said nothing. Kakashi went on stirring the cider. Kiba continued pairing forks and knives together.

Dinner was noisy, not just because of the dogs. They crammed into the kitchen, pulling out a couple folding chairs to squeeze everyone in. Tenten uncorked the wine Itachi had brought, pouring the first generous glass for Sakura. Pakkun wandered over a few times to give his best pleading eyes.

“I fed him before we got here. Don’t let him fool you,” Kakashi warned.

Sakura still snuck him a tiny bit of roast beef before she shooed him away.

Sakura’s worries about it being an awkward night were for nothing. There was plenty to laugh about. Especially because they started off by recounting how Sakura had called Itachi a dildo. Tenten and Hana cackled as Itachi and Sakura took turns explaining their sides of the story. And by the end of it, Sakura was laughing the hardest.

Everyone had seconds and then thirds of dinner. The rosemary bread Ino had brought disappeared without a single crumb left. And the huge hunk of roast beef was gone too.

Patting their overly-full stomachs, they slowly got to their feet to help clear the table. And then they moved to the living room, popping open more wine and a couple beers. Kiba tossed another log into the fire, poking around to make sure everything was distributed properly.

Hana settled on one end of the sofa. Kiba sat next to her. Itachi sat to his left.

Sakura was happy to plop down on the rug. Biscuit wandered over to her. He didn’t seem to need anything in particular. He just turned around a few times before he curled up on the rug, pressed against her thigh. The rest of the dogs were piled up in the kitchen, snoozing on the warm path of floor in front of the fridge. The exception was Shiba, who laid in front of the front door, like a snoring doormat.

“Sakura’s like the dog whisperer. These kids love her so much,” Hana remarked.

“It’s good to be popular,” replied Sakura. They chuckled.

Ino joined them, one of Sakura’s trays laden with desserts. And even as they all complained that they were too full, they all picked at the fruits and the cookies dusted with powdered sugar. Itachi, who hadn’t eaten much during dinner, devoured handfuls of pomegranate seeds.

Kakashi was last. He handed everyone mugs of warm cider. He also gave Sakura the wine she had forgotten at the dinner table. She raised it to him.

“My hero,” she declared. Kakashi smiled before he sat near the fireplace. He stretched his arms over his head.

“Well. Guess we don’t have to eat until next winter,” he declared. He rubbed his stomach.

“Seriously. Time to hibernate,” sighed Ino. She leaned back on her hands.

There was a buzz from somewhere near them. But it was muffled. Hana felt the vibration near her foot. When she shifted it, she found that it was Sakura’s phone.

“Oh sorry. I forgot that was there,” Sakura apologized. Kiba picked it up. He held it out to her. Sakura cringed as she tried to reach forward. She gave up, rubbing her stomach.

“I’m too full. Could you read it to me, Kiba?” she requested instead.

Kiba unlocked her phone. The text message popped up right away.

“Fuck you, Bunny.”

“What?” Ino demanded. “Who’s that from? Who would say that to Sakura?” She seemed livid that someone would dare to curse at Sakura. But Sakura already had a good idea who it was.

“That’s what the text says. ‘Fuck you, Bunny’. Oh hold on. He’s typing,” Kiba read.

“Is his name just a bunch of middle finger emojis and puking faces?” Sakura inquired.

“Yeah. Wait. He said, ‘They dropped my ad campaign. It’s all over the news’,” Kiba recited in a flat voice. Itachi leaned over to read over his shoulder. And then he pulled his phone out. He typed out a few words and began scrolling through the results. Ino looked at her phone too.

“Sounds serious. You have any idea what he’s talking about?” Hana mused.

“Wait. Does this have to do with…?” Kakashi trailed off, too polite to point at Itachi. Kiba pointed at Itachi anyway.

“That asshole that stole Sakura’s song,” Kiba supplied.

Ino held up her phone. The article on screen said, ‘Killer Bee Exposed: Plagiarism. Loses Sponsorships.”

“It’s probably just rumors. All that tabloid news is fake anyway,” Tenten scoffed. Ino shook her head as she continued scrolling. She pulled up several more articles with similar titles.

“No… I got an email from my bosses. We dropped him,” Itachi declared.

“What?” Sakura demanded.

“In light of the serious allegations against Killer Bee, we have decided to cease production of the current project. This does not reflect the values and vision of our company. We cannot, in good faith, support an artist that poses the hard work of others as his own,” Itachi read.

“I thought you just told him to keep it. That you wouldn’t do anything,” Itachi then said, looking up at Sakura.

“I’m confused,” Kiba declared, rubbing his temple. He leaned forward a little further this time. He tossed Sakura her phone. She just barely managed to catch it between her fingertips.

“Me too,” Sakura said.

She checked her emails. There were several messages. That was normal. But in particular, an email from one sender caught her eye. The subject read, “Taken care of”. She pressed on it.

I’m back from Spain. We should talk. I’ll come to you.

P.S. I told you that I’ve always got your back.

Sakura gulped down what was left in her wine glass. She hissed out a long sigh between her teeth.

“Of course,” she muttered, getting to her feet. She headed to the kitchen.

‘Which one of you assholes, snitched?’ she texted the group chat. She filled her wine glass as she waited.

There was a pause. A few bubbles popped up and then faded.

‘My bad. He scares me,’ replied Hidan.

‘You suck,’ Sakura replied.

‘Go die,’ Kakuzu agreed.

‘Hidan, u fuck,’ Temari contributed.

Sakura turned to face the people sitting in her living room. They were all staring at her. Kakashi was already on his feet. Kiba saw this and got to his feet too.

“What’s wrong?” Kiba asked.

Sakura found Itachi. Stared directly into his eyes as she took a long sip of wine. As she lowered her glass, she pointed at him.

“Remember how I said you don’t ever want to meet a real siren?” she asked him. Itachi nodded.

“Well… Merry Christmas,” Sakura declared.

Winter [end]