#three natural ones in a row and then a 10 for a 19

[loquaciousquark]

25 gold and a scroll of Magic Missile.

[matttgirlies]

Matt & Me🎀

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a story heavily based on Priscilla Presley’s Book “Elvis & Me” based in the 1950’s - 1970’s.

fem! reader x singer! matt

disclaimer!! - in no way am i saying matt would ever support or do these kind of things, for the sake of the book certain unethical things do happen at times.

warnings - none

y/nn = your nickname for any confusion🩷

Chapter 17

Late one evening, shortly before Christmas of 1966, Matt rapped lightly on my door and called, “Sattnin, I have to talk to you.” We had a password. Teasingly, I told him he’d have to utter it before I’d admit him. He laughed and said, “Fire Eyes”—the nickname I gave him when he was angry.

He had his old boyish grin on his face and his hands were behind his back. “Sit down, Baby, and close your eyes.”

I did. When I opened my eyes, I found Matt on his knees before me, holding a small black velvet box.

“Baby,” he said.

I opened the box to find the most beautiful diamond ring I’d ever seen. It was three and a half karats, encircled by a row of smaller diamonds, which were detachable—I could wear them separately.

“We’re going to be married,” Matt said. “You’re going to be mine. I told you I’d know when the time was right. Well, the time’s right.”

He slipped the ring on my finger. I was too overwhelmed to speak; it was the most beautiful and romantic moment of my life.

Our love would no longer be a secret. I’d be free to travel openly as Mrs. Matt Sturniolo without the fear of inspiring some scandalous headline. Best of all, the years of heartaches and fears of losing him to one of the many girls who were always auditioning for my role were over.

He was in a rush to show the ring to his father and Grandma and to tell them that we were officially engaged. I didn’t even have a chance to get dressed. Considering our irregular life-style, getting engaged in my dressing room and showing off my beautiful diamond while dressed in a terrycloth robe didn’t strike us as at all odd.

I wanted to share the great news with my parents, but he suggested we wait until we returned to L.A. a few weeks later. Then we could tell them in person; they deserved that consideration. That night, we called my parents and invited them to spend a weekend with us in Bel Air.

On the day they were due to arrive, Matt was as excited as I’d ever seen him. He kept looking out the window, watching for their car. He was dying to show them the ring and almost did the moment they walked in the door, but I managed to keep my hand behind my back until we were all settled on the sofa. The second we were seated, he pulled my hand from behind me and said to my parents, “Well, we just wanted to show you this.”

“What is it?” my father asked, peering at my hand.

“Well, sir, that’s an engagement ring.”

Tears trembled in my mother’s eyes. “My God,” she said softly. “It’s beautiful.”

They were both ecstatic. We loved letting them know that what they’d so long hoped and prayed for had now come to pass. We emphasized the importance of keeping our announcement a secret, asking them to maintain strict confidence even within the immediate family, since the kids might tell their friends at school and then word would be out. We wanted a private wedding, not a celebrity event. My parents agreed with all the plans. They couldn’t have been happier, and all weekend they beamed with pleasure.

In the five years I’d lived with Matt, I would rarely let them discuss marriage with Matt. The possibility of their daughter being hurt was foremost in my parents’ minds. Now they no longer had to worry whether they’d made the right decision in allowing me to leave home at such a young age.

I know that Colonel William asked him to take a long look at our relationship and decide where he wanted it to go. Matt’s attitude toward marriage was that it was final. Although he was monogamous by nature, he loved options. Still, he wasn’t about to let me go. Curiously enough, after his talk with Colonel, it didn’t take him long to decide the time was ripe.

It was his decision and his alone.

In our excitement we made the rest of our plans for the wedding ceremony. It was suggested I find a dress immediately, the reason being that if the news leaked out, we could get married at a moment’s notice. But my search for a wedding dress ended up taking months. Disguised in dark glasses and a hat, I shopped every exclusive boutique from Boston to L.A. where, despite my disguise, I was paranoid enough to think people recognized me. I even spoke with several seamstresses about designs but I didn’t trust them enough to tell them it was for a wedding dress.

Finally someone suggested a little out-of-the-way shop in L.A. Charlie escorted me, posing as my fiancé, and it was here that I found my wedding dress. It wasn’t extravagant, it wasn’t extreme—it was simple and to me beautiful.

I glided out of the dressing room to model it for Charlie, and when he saw me, his eyes filled with tears. “You look beautiful, y/nn,” he said, and whispered, “He’ll be so proud of you.”

It was the February after our engagement. We were driving near Horn Lake, Mississippi, when we spotted a beautiful ranch—one hundred sixty acres of rolling hills. A herd of Santa Gertrudis cattle was grazing. There was a bridge across a little lake, a barn with stalls for horses, and a charming house situated in a prime location. It was for sale.

This was my perfect dream house. I fell in love with it and began to picture Matt and me living there alone. It was small enough for me to handle myself. I could clean it and take care of Matt, bringing him his breakfast in bed in the mornings as he gazed out at the gentle view of Rising Sun grazing in the pastures.

I thought of this ranch as a wonderful way for us to get away from Graceland from time to time. I pictured us saddling our own horses and riding in the early morning or at dusk. My picture was of us alone, without an entourage.

We were determined to buy it, never foreseeing the burden it would become. He wanted the ranch as much as I did, even though James said that at $500,000 it was overpriced. He felt the owner could offer a much more desirable deal and tried to persuade us that financially it was not a good move. Matt’s movies were continuing to decline in popularity and record sales were down. He was averaging a million dollars a film and the money was going out as quickly as it was coming in. Yet Matt’s mind was made up. He wanted it.

James grudgingly went to the bank to borrow money, putting Graceland up as collateral. We bought the entire ranch as was, including cattle and equipment, and christened it the Circle G for Graceland.

We had eighteen horses by then, and all were transferred to the ranch as was the staff of nine. It was the heyday of the commune, but Matt had his own idea about how he wanted us all to live. Since the house on the property was small, he bought individualized mobile homes and designated one to each family. James worked diligently to get permission from the city to put gas and water on the ranch.

“Whatever it takes, do it,” Matt ordered.

Before long, tons of cement were being poured to make the huge concrete foundations for the trailers. It didn’t stop there. He bought El Caminos or Ranchero trucks for each family, even one for the plumber and another for the painter. He spent at least $100,000 on trucks alone.

He continued spending money as if it were going out of style. Alarmed, James literally begged him to stop, but Matt said, “I’m having fun, Dad, for the first time in ages. I’ve got a hobby, something I look forward to gettin’ up in the mornin’ for.”

It wasn’t unusual to see him walking around the property, knocking on doors, waking everyone up, or checking on the horses in the early-morning hours. He was having a ball, and there were days he didn’t even want to take time out to eat—he’d walk around with a loaf of bread under his arm in case hunger pangs struck. He loved shopping in Sears’s basement, buying power tools, knives, flashlights, and other equipment that he would come bearing proudly back to the ranch.

That spring of 1967, we spent a lot of time there, sometimes staying as long as two weeks without returning to Graceland. On Sundays we had picnics and all the girls chipped in on potluck, bringing chicken baskets, cookies, and salads. We rode horses, held skeetshooting contests, and combed the lake for turtles and snakes. There was fun, laughter, and a lot of camaraderie. Once again, our life was a group affair with everyone participating.

Even in my tiny house there’d be guests for dinner every night, usually single guys like Steven and Charlie. Cooking for Matt was easy: I’d just take whatever we were having and burn it. But there were so many others that his cousin Patsy would usually stop by to help me. The guys with wives would have dinner in their mobile homes and then come over for dessert and spend the rest of the evening with us.

There was always a lot of jamming. Matt, Steven Wright, and Charlie Hodge would get together in the middle of the room, harmonizing a favorite song. When they were really going good Matt would yell, “Whew! Hot damn! One more time!” He’d sometimes spend an hour just on an ending because it had “the feel—the ingredients of a masterpiece.”

Just as the entourage had followed us to the ranch, so did the curious. The same ones who gathered around Graceland started turning up at the Circle G and soon—day or night—scores of people were lined up along the fence. Since our little house stood in full view of the road, Matt built a ten-foot-high wall, but nothing deterred them; now they began climbing on tops of cars and roofs of nearby homes. We couldn’t get away from them, and I dreaded driving through the gates.

The dream was slowly turning into a nightmare. The wives wanted to get back to their homes, and the children wanted to get back to their friends and their schools.

Matt liked it when everyone was together on terms he alone specified—and he got upset when they wanted to leave. “Hell, I bought all this stuff,” he said, “and everyone wants to go home.” He resented defections; he’d given the employees everything and they didn’t seem to appreciate it. He discovered that some of the regulars were selling their trucks. They needed the cash more than the El Caminos. Matt couldn’t imagine the financial struggle most people face and he never understood that the married regulars had to consider responsibilities to their wives and children.

Still, he enjoyed giving and sharing even as his own bank account was radically diminishing. An expensive hobby, the ranch had already cost him close to a million dollars and created a serious cash-flow problem. In daily phone calls to the Colonel, James pleaded with him to come up with some work to divert Matt from his spending spree. The Colonel promptly made arrangements for another movie, Clambake. Matt read the script, yet another beach-and-bikini story, and hated it.

James convinced him he didn’t have much choice. “We need the money, Son.” And Matt was committed.

“I don’t wanna leave here, y/nn,” he said. “I don’t want to leave you, the ranch, Sun. Ain’t no son of a bitch gonna keep me away long. That goes for Dad, Colonel, the studios—no one. Their little plot to keep me from spending money ain’t gonna work. If I need money, I’ll go to Nashville and record a few songs. It’ll be better than those lousy goddamn pictures.”

Neither he nor James ever considered turning the Circle G into a profit-making operation. All the necessities for a successful farm were present—tractors, feed, and the finest Santa Gertrudis cattle, bred on the Rockefeller ranch—but he sold the cattle after James advised him that upkeep was too expensive. With professional financial counsel, Matt might have pursued legitimate business ventures beneficial to him and his hobby.

Unfortunately, James and Matt were leery of business matters requiring financial advice. James operated on pure instinct, refusing any suggestion of tax breaks, which he found too complicated to consider. He let the IRS figure Matt’s taxes and had done so ever since Matt had been audited while in the Army and assessed eighty thousand dollars in back taxes.

“Let’s just pay the taxes, Dad,” Matt said. “I make enough money. I’ll make a million dollars and I’ll give them half.”

It was during the filming of Clambake that our lease on the house on Perugia Way in Los Angeles expired and we had to go looking for a new home. After our experience at the Circle G, we were concerned with protecting our privacy, and when we spotted a secluded home nestled against a hill in Bel Air, we thought we’d found sanctuary at last. But privacy was to elude us here as well.

Soon, hundreds of people began collecting on the mountain road directly above us and observing the view below through binoculars and telephoto lenses. We could no longer use our pool, patio, or driveway without looking up at an audience, including reporters and photographers who were having a field day trying to get candid photos and scoops.

The situation occasionally got out of hand. One night when Matt went to Mount Washington to talk with Daya Mata and I was driving to Amber Doe’s (Nate’s wife) for a visit, I noticed a car with bright headlights tailgating me. It was one of Matt’s most ardent fans, a two hundred-pound female who was accompanied by another girl and a guy. Feeling unsafe, I decided to turn around and go home. She followed close all the way and by the time I drove through the gates, I was furious.

Seeing her drive up to the dead-end road above our house, I sped after her, parking my car broadside across the road, blocking her. She was standing beside her car when I strode up and demanded: “What are you doing here? Why are you following me?” She stood there mutely and again I demanded: “Why are you following me?”

“You whore,” she snapped.

Incensed, I clenched my fist and swung an uppercut, hitting her in the face. She landed on the ground, spread-eagled and stunned. I landed on her and the two of us yelled, screamed, and pulled hair until I realized I needed help. I ran back to our front gate and yelled into the intercom, “Someone—Sonny, Jerry—come help me!”

Within seconds Matt came flying out of the house with the guys close behind him. “What is it, Baby?”

When I explained, pointing to the ridge, Matt went charging up the hill. Seeing him coming, the girl and her friends locked themselves in her car. Matt was livid, lifting the car on its springs, bouncing it from side to side. He pounded the windshield, threatening to kill them if he ever got his hands on them or if they ever laid their hands on me.

“I’m underage! I’m underage!” she kept yelling. “I’ll sue you if you touch me.”

It took a lot of convincing from Sonny that she was more trouble than it was worth before Matt would let her drive away.

Matt was so despondent over Clambake that his weight ballooned from his usual 170 to 200 pounds by the time he reported for work. The studio ordered him to take the weight off—and fast. Enter the diet pills, the only way he could curb his appetite and reduce his weight in the short time allowed. Colonel managed to deal with the impatient studio brass.

The morning he was to begin shooting he awoke groggy and went into the bathroom while I was still in bed. I heard a loud thump, then cursing. “Goddamn motherfucking cord! Who the hell put this thing here?”

I jumped out of bed and ran into the bathroom, calling out, “What’s happened?” He was lying on the floor, rubbing his head.

“I tripped over the goddamn TV cord. It was so damned dark in here I didn’t see it. Help me out of here—I have to lie down.”

Although he was dizzy and off balance, we managed to make it to the bed. Feeling a big lump on his head, I called Nate Doe at once, who summoned Colonel William and a doctor. Within minutes, the room was full of people—the doctor, his nurse, Colonel William, and several nervous studio executives. Colonel suggested that everyone but himself wait outside while the doctor made his diagnosis.

A few hours later it was announced that Matt had a severe brain concussion and that the start of his film would be delayed indefinitely. The Colonel decided to use the accident to curtail some of Matt’s other activities. He wanted Matt to abandon his involvement with esoteric philosophies, which the Colonel felt were irrelevant to Matt’s acting career and detrimental to clear thinking.

Matt’s spiritual quest hadn’t gone unnoticed. Everyone from the entourage to film crews was aware of a change in his personality over the years he’d studied with Larry Geller. Matt’s vibrant personality was now passive and he was becoming more introverted. The mischievous games he’d once played on movie sets had been superseded by studious pursuits. Matt buried his head in books that he diligently lugged to and from the studio every day.

The person most concerned about this change was Colonel William. The Colonel felt that Larry’d hypnotized Matt, and his acting and recording careers were suffering as a result. Matt’s “concussion” provided an opportunity to put a halt to the soul-searching.

A few days after the accident, the Colonel gathered Matt and the boys together for a meeting and told them they were burdening Matt with too many problems. “Dealing with one person is one thing,” he said, “but eleven, plus his own problems, is enough for any man to buckle under.”

The Colonel told them that there were going to be some changes, from cutting back the payroll to taking problems to Nate instead of Matt. His basic message was: Leave Matt alone.

“Matt should concentrate on his career,” he said. “He’s an artist, not a shoulder to cry on. Leave him alone, and let him do his work.” The Colonel looked over at Larry; it was obvious that his message was primarily aimed at him. “I don’t want him reading any more books and getting involved in things that clutter up his mind.”

Matt sat and listened like an obedient child, looking down, saying nothing. He did not stand up for Larry; no one did.

Later the Colonel told Matt that he should get Larry out of his life, that Larry used some sort of technique to manipulate his thinking. Matt argued that this wasn’t the case. He was truly interested in his readings.

“You wouldn’t be in this condition if your head was on straight,” shouted the Colonel.

“I’m telling you, Larry’s jamming up your mind.”

I was surprised at how attentively Matt was listening. Matt had always argued with anyone, even me, who said anything against Larry. At one point; it seemed Matt would cut off his right arm for Larry. But now Matt promised the Colonel he wouldn’t spend any more time than he had to with him. He kept his promise. He only used Larry to style his hair and was never alone with him again.

After that meeting, the boys became openly hostile toward Larry, and even Matt began making a few pointed remarks about him. Larry was now the outsider, and he eventually left. Colonel William was elated. His boy was back.

Matt was ready for a major change and it was time to move on. The Colonel said his films were doing badly and he had to revitalize his career. He’d be getting married soon, and before that date he’d have to get his career and life back on track.

After Larry left, Matt locked away many of his books. I told him I was glad, that they were literally destroying us. We were engaged to be married. “Would it make you feel better if I just got rid of them all?” Matt asked. I nodded.

That night, at three in the morning Matt and I piled a huge stack of his books and magazines into a large box and dumped them into an abandoned water well behind Graceland. We poured gasoline over the pile, lit a match, and kissed the past goodbye.

Excerpt from: "Elvis and Me" by Priscilla Beaulieu Presley. Scribd. This material may be protected by copyright.

a/n - engaged!!🎀

[anerdinallherglory]

Approaching Sun (36)

Author’s Note: Hey again! Surprising you all with a new chapter a week apart. I had to cut the last one short and this one short as well, essentially dividing one chapter into three. This doesn’t mean the wordcount is short. This one comes in just under 10,000. But keep your eyes out for the next part. I also wanted to drop my linktree here: linktr.ee/anerdinallherglory so it’s easier to find all my info in one place. Please go and check it out! I am also looking for beta readers for my own personal novel. I’m even considering starting a newsletter or posting it back on Wattpad as a pre-published draft, but haven’t decided on that 100%. I will let you all know as soon as I decide. The tracks I recommend for this chapter: 1) Let Me Touch Your Fire by ARIZONA and 2) Daylight by Crypto/DEIIN. Thanks again for reading! 

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

Chapter 36: Demons

When Sasuke stepped into the brothel disguised as a bathhouse, an empty room greeted him. Not a single soul was in sight, and Sasuke wasn’t quite sure what he was expecting, but the place being deserted was the worst possible outcome. It meant no traces, no answers, and Sasuke dreaded finding Sakura’s trail end in this damned place. It also made his stomach knot at the thought that this might be what the room typically looked like on an average night considering the private and concealed activities that occurred in separate chambers.

Despite the absolute darkness, Sasuke could make out giant undisturbed baths beyond the reception counter, the water a still onyx glass as if the baths were only there to serve as a display, never to be used. And that’s probably exactly what they were: a lie to disguise the truth of what this place actually was. Only Sasuke’s Sharingan could make out the alcove, the inconspicuous hallway in the back that Sasuke crept toward in the shadows. 

His visual abilities revealed the outline of the door at the end of it, where someone without visual prowess might find nothing but a wall. Sasuke placed his fingertips against it to push on the barricade, not detecting any sort of seal or rigging to prevent it from opening. Sasuke wasn’t surprised that there wasn’t considering this particular establishment housed regular citizens and not ninja. If ninja did inhabit the space, Sasuke figured that it was for a short, purposeful visit, not long-term residency. The door gave to his pressure and a faint light glowed through the opening as Sasuke silently slid the door until he had had hairline’s width to peer through. 

A group of women were the first thing Sasuke noticed, all gathered in the middle of the floor, some holding candles in various states of distress. Muffled, crying sounds reached his ears and Sasuke naturally found the dimly-lit faces where the noises originated, paths of light-reflecting tears striping their painted faces. There were also lavish styled chairs scattered throughout the room, some tipped on their sides and others still erect in rows.

A gruff male voice interrupted the women’s soft, plea-filled weeping and Sasuke’s uncovered Sharingan eye instantly narrowed as he located three supervising figures that towered over the distressed girls. They stood just outside of the candlelight between Sasuke and the group they were terrorizing, their shadows passing in front of the light source which made it very easy for Sasuke to trace their movements, even without his Sharingan. Their mistake, Sasuke thought to himself, as the words became more substantial. 

“There must be something else that she said,” hissed one man as he reached forward and fisted one of the older woman’s robes, yanking her forward from the group. The other girls screamed, clutching at the dangling woman and halting her movement forward. One girl was kicked down by the man because she dared to stand before him in an attempt to wrestle the woman from him. “You’re the Mother, aren’t you?!” he spat viscously in her face. “How could you make such a mistake? You let the enemy in, and you will pay for it!”

“We already told the last group of men here,” the woman gasped, tearing at the sleeve of the arm that held her in the air by her throat. “She’s gone to the Land of Fire’s border. That’s all we know. Please let me go.”

“Where?! Where at on the border?” 

“We don’t know!” a fair-headed girl pleaded, crawling forward to the man’s feet to look up imploringly into his shadowed face. “That’s all she said after she took the men away.”

“There must be more,” another man spoke, coming forward to respond to the girl and glare up at the hanging woman, too.  

Sasuke waited, dampening his eagerness to intervene. A situation such as this one was not typically one to cause any sort of reaction from Sasuke, but as his conscience had come back to him over the years after the Fourth Shinobi World War, these types of intimidation tactics on people who didn’t deserve it were the sort that pissed the Uchiha off in an unforgiving sort of way. But he couldn’t be too rash, considering the information he, too, was receiving from the exchange. Unfortunately, Sasuke was still the sort of person who would let that woman dangle for an eternity if it meant that he would get the answers he needed about Sakura’s actions and whereabouts. But at the same time, Sasuke was desperately hoping she knew nothing.

The woman choked, face purpling. She was beyond being able to speak now, her body no longer receiving the oxygen to use words, so the girls huddled on the floor made implorations on her behalf. 

“Stop this! You’re killing her!” 

“Give me more information and she we will live!” the man shouted down at them. “Or stay silent and she dies!” 

Another minute of silent crying had Sasuke’s hand itching toward the door, not certain how much information there was left to learn. Their tactic worked as intended, however, and Sasuke stilled himself once more when a dark-haired girl shuffled forward on her knees, barely old enough to be considered a mature adult. With beseeching hand movements, she disclosed, “I’ll tell you everything. Just let her go.”

“Talk first!” snarled the offender, shaking the matron for good measure. 

“All I know is that she dyed her hair after arriving. She’s in disguise,” she confessed with a shaky voice.

Finally receiving a scrap of intelligence, the man threw the matron toward the group of girls and there was more shrieking as she landed roughly among them, and their hands all scrabbled in unison to catch and break her fall. The matron coughed violently as color began to return to her face. 

“And?” the man enticed the young girl to continue, leaning down to fist her dressing gown next. 

The young girl returned his gaze with a fire that wasn’t there before. Now that she had replaced the matron’s spot in the face of the zealot, she laced her next words with venom. “And,” she murmured. “She’s going to kill every single one of you bastards.”

There was a loud strike against flesh, but the sound was infinitesimal compared to the crack of lightning that suddenly struck and shook the ceiling above them. Everyone fell to the ground at the sound, covering their ears and crawling toward one another instinctively. Even the three men crouched in surprise, but they were the first to recover, casting their eyes about wildly. 

As the three extremists turned to assess the room’s entrance, the door that separated them from the Uchiha was now fully open, the darkness of the hallway consuming all of Sasuke’s person except for his unconcealed blood red eye. When he stepped into the room, the three ninja prepared themselves to face the new threat, which was a mistake, because all three of them locked eyes with red and purple. 

Without a second of passing time, the three men fell back to their knees and their screams were positively delicious sounds as they succumbed to the horrors Sasuke had planned for them in his genjutsu. They would suffer and the chakra it cost the Uchiha to do it was worth it based on their screaming alone.   

The girls scrambled to collect the candles they had dropped out of fear when the lightning had struck, each of them desperate to claim some light to reveal what monster had just stepped into the room with them. When the youngest girl successfully secured one, she brought it to her face only to reveal Sasuke’s dark outline standing before her. When she looked up into his Sharingan, she dropped the candle once more. 

“The devil,” she whispered, speaking the word as if doing so had sealed her fate. “He’s finally come for me.”

Panicked gasps, crying, and prayers fabricated into existence around Sasuke as the other girls beheld the apparition of him for themselves, a phantom of black and red and purple delivering punishment to the three begging men now behind him.  

Sasuke crouched before the young, dark-haired girl, the very one who had revealed information about Sakura to the three anti-peace members, all of whom would soon not be able to remember anything but Sasuke’s katana as it penetrated their bodies over and over. How fitting a description, Sasuke thought to himself as he remembered Itachi, whom the genjutsu he now used was modeled after, how devil-like the Uchiha clan became when they were set on protecting something they cared about.

“Not for any of you,” Sasuke responded coldly, wasting no time to reach for her terrified face over the flickering circumference of the discarded candlelight between their bodies. When he clutched her chin between his fingers, her eyes widened in fear, which was positively advantageous for the Uchiha as he peered through them to search her memories. 

Sasuke moved through this girl’s memories just like the phantom she imagined him to be, gliding through the very sins she committed tonight until he saw the scene he was looking for: Sakura’s face coming into view as she entered into the dark room in which this girl and a man were coupled on a lounge, both still wet from the bath. They were wrapped in one another’s arms, exchanging sweet whispers to each other in the dark. 

Sakura seemed surprised by this fact, as if she hadn’t expected to find them nestling into one another there. Sasuke watched his teammate hesitate for just a moment until a needle sank into the man’s flesh. The girl from whose eyes Sasuke watched his former teammate, gasped at the sudden attack. Untangling himself, the man swung in Sakura’s direction. “You,” he had hissed. “You’re—” he began before falling to the floor lifelessly, incapacitated by the drug that Sakura had injected him with.

Sakura stared down at him for a moment, eyes flashing back toward the girl, before she reached down to flip over the man’s body, so that he could breathe freely. 

Sasuke couldn’t focus on anything other than the raven black of Sakura’s tinted hair. A small part of his heart wanted to linger on the scene, imagine a child with Sakura’s features and Sasuke’s hair. He fisted the emotions and shoved them back, resuming the memory. 

“Hae, what are you doing!?” screamed the girl, scrambling from the lounge onto the floor beside the man. 

“I am sorry, Tabi.” Sakura whispered, biting into her thumb and performing a summoning jutsu that Sasuke was too familiar with. Katsuyu, Sakura and the Fifth Hokage’s summoning familiar, materialized into existence on the spot on the floor where Sakura had pressed her five-fingered seal. To Tabi’s extreme horror, the slug, human-sized, began to encapsulate the man she desperately tried to shield away from the creature. But her hands disappeared into the mucusy flesh of the gastropod, failing to gain any purchase.

“Who are you?! Why are you doing this?” she cried, backing speedily away when the creature began to absorb her hands as well. 

“There’s not much time to explain,” Sakura replied, coming to bend down before the girl. Sakura knelt before the girl, revealing a small canvas bundle of small bottles, needles, and medicines. “I’m not really in this business as I made all of you believe. I’m a doctor and I only have a few minutes to help you.”

When Tabi said nothing else, just stared at Sakura in confusion, she asked carefully, “Do you suspect that you’re pregnant?”

Tabi’s mouth fell open at the revelation and her hands moved to her stomach at the mention of pregnancy. The tears that began to fall from her face was confirmation enough for the medic. She asked her next question. “Do you want to keep it?”

“What?” Tabi asked, wondering how the woman before her could have suspected something Tabi only was beginning to experience the symptoms of. 

“Do you want this baby? There are ways to—”

“Yes, I want it!” Tabi cried, hugging herself and flinching away from the unrolled canvas parcel of vials as she began to see the collection in a new light. “The baby is mine and—” she protested, turning back to the man who was now completely encased by the slug. “What are you doing to him?!”

Sakura’s eyes flicked over to the man and only Sasuke was able to recognize the regret in them. “He’s one of the members of Zenshin,” Sakura informed the distraught girl. “It’s my mission to eradicate the organization.” 

“Please,” Tabi begged, grasping Sakura’s arms with her hands, stilling them over the bag of medical supplies. “You can’t take him. He’s different from the others. We love each other.”

Sasuke saw Sakura chew her lip in thought, rerolling the canvas bag into a tight parcel. He instantly knew Sakura was thinking of him, his face flashing in her mind as she faced Tabi. The confliction there let Sasuke know exactly what she was thinking. Just as Sakura so desperately wanted her own happy ending, she also wanted Tabi to have hers. But her eyes hardened, and she removed her arms from Tabi’s hands. In that very same instant, the slug dematerialized into nothing, taking the man with her to wherever the slug disappeared to. 

“If Toka loves you, he will come back to you once I am finished with him,” Sakura divulged, looking pointedly at her stomach. “Does he know?”

Tabi shook her head, more tears streaming down her face. “I was going to tell him once he left them. He was going to do it soon—run away with me.” 

Sakura nodded and shoved the canvas bundle into Tabi’s shaking hands. “Give these to the other girls and have them follow the directions inside. I don’t know how well you guys are taking care of yourselves here, but there are medicines in here. To prevent pregnancy— and to protect yourselves from diseases. As a medic, I can’t leave here without doing at least this.”

Sasuke flinched at the scene before him, knowing that Sakura had carried that on her person, probably having prepared it in advance for this very mission in this damn brothel, intended for her own personal use. Sasuke had never been so close to wanting to vomit in his life. He wanted to reach through this memory and grab her arm and force her to explain all of this to him. Why would she take such risks for a mission—abuse herself in this way?

“Where are you going?” Tabi beseeched, focused more on the fact that this parting gift meant Sakura’s immediate intentions to depart along with the man she loved. 

“The border of the Land of Fire,” Sakura responded without hesitation as she met Tabi’s gaze with hers. “You can tell that to whoever comes asking questions,” the woman who Tabi had believed was named Hae added. “It’s the truth and it’s not a secret. Let them come.”

Sasuke closed his eyes at the intentional crumb she had left for the enemy. She had probably told every girl who had asked this information the same response. It was obvious that she was luring whoever was left of the organization out of Tanigakure. They had more of a personal vendetta against her now after her actions tonight and would definitely pursue, especially since they believed she was acting alone. It would be perfect for them, to eliminate their Number 1 and get revenge in the same motion. The temptation to chase would be too great.

As Sakura stood and headed back for the door, she turned back to Tabi, who was still kneeling on the ground and clutching the bundle of medications to her stomach, shielding the small flutter of life that had started there. 

When Sakura’s eyes met Tabi’s, Sasuke suddenly felt as if Sakura were looking beyond them, into the memory itself until her eyes met Sasuke’s within. “In case you’re watching this, I can handle this alone. I don’t need your help.” Sasuke felt Tabi’s confusion as the girl failed to comprehend Sakura’s last words. Sasuke, however, knew exactly who those words were for: the Uchiha, himself. So, she knew. Sakura had known that he was here in Tanigakure searching for her. She had predicted that he would track her to this place and perform this very jutsu. 

When Sakura closed the door behind her, leaving Tabi to sob uncontrollably to herself, Sasuke rewound the memory further, past the indecencies between the girl and the man called Toka, until he was watching the same man spin Sakura in front of a crowd of lust-hungry brutes. Sasuke froze the scene before him, eyes narrowing as he memorized each of their faces. One man came forward and grabbed Sakura, pulling her into his lap. His eyes were tightly bound, and the blind stranger leaned his mouth against Sakura’s ear in the dimly lit room. To Sasuke’s extreme dissatisfaction, Tabi had not heard, and therefore Sasuke could not decipher what the man had whispered in his teammate’s ear. Sasuke was beyond disappointed to miss the very words that he would repeat to the man as the Uchiha eviscerated him. The memory of Sakura ended once more as Toka led Tabi away to their private room. 

Thoroughly enraged at what he had just witnessed, Sasuke cursed to himself as he released the young woman’s chin. Tabi gasped when Sasuke retreated viciously from her mind, and she fell back on her wrists away from him. Sasuke’s crimson gaze fell on every girl who clustered in the darkness, gaping openly at him in terror, and he couldn’t help but picture Sakura in all of their faces. They, too, had been feasted upon by the eyes of despicable men, dragged into laps and so much more. In another life and in different set of circumstances, who knows if Sakura might have ended up trying to earn her living doing such a thing, too. He pitied every woman who had no other options. Sasuke would not consider himself a sentimental or feeling person. In fact, he wanted nothing more than to turn on his heel and vanish from the room in the same manner in which he had appeared, letting his fire-style impede the very building in which he stood. But he wavered, glancing down at the tiny swell of Tabi’s malnourished stomach. With his Rinnegan, Sasuke could see the tiny orb of light there. It pulsed like a tiny, throbbing sun.

Leaning fully into the devil character they believed him to be, Sasuke did something very much unlike himself. He took the time to say, “Leave this place and do not come back. Every single one of you.” He turned back down to Tabi once more and said, “Your child deserves a peaceful world. The next generation does not need to suffer for the sins of their parents.”

And then Sasuke, like a demon specter made of shadows, turned and vanished back into the blackness of a hellish night. 

.

.

.

The downpour lasted long into the night and Sakura swore at her bad luck. Sakura had quickly snagged a set of clothing from one of the smaller ninja that she had rendered unconscious back at the bathhouse. Even still, the man’s clothes hung loosely on her thinner, angular frame and Sakura had apologized to the palm-sized version of Katsuyu that clung to Sakura’s skin at the slug’s initial repulsion to the smell of the stranger’s attire. Sakura hadn’t had time to find her original set of clothing once her mission had begun; the tight-fitting robes from the bathhouse had been insufficiently insulated, so Sakura had tugged on one of the radical’s dark pants, black jacket, and matching vest in the presence of one of the horrified girls without explanation as the girl watched Katuyu absorb another person and whisk them away. Strategically, Sakura had even adorned her forehead with the five-spiral headband tucked away in the man’s vest just in case it was slightly advantageous to do so. Sakura had only seen the forehead protector twice before, but more recently caught a glimpse of it in the desert when Mako was thrown the identical headband for successfully kidnapping her. 

With her shadow-colored hair tucked hurriedly under the jacket’s stiff-fabric hood, Sakura pulled the shirt’s loose-fitting collar up and over her nose so that only her eyes and the headband were visible on her brow. She had hoped such a disguise would at least get her out of Tanigakure unnoticed in the night. Surprisingly enough, Tanigakure’s “peaceful” reputation and open access to travelers made it relatively easy for Sakura to locate a small mountain path that exited the village undetected. The kunoichi also allowed herself a moment of pride, because not being stopped also meant that she had been quick enough with the execution of her plan. She had handled any immediate threats back at the brothel, making it out before any other Zenshin members could discover the cookie crumb she had left behind for them to find. 

It was dark, and the rain was merciless as Sakura skirted the side of the mountain, taking refuge from the rain in the dense tree cover that blanketed the landscape. The tree limbs bowed beneath the weight of her hurdles as she bounded from branch to branch, arms thrown behind her as she mercilessly raced toward the border between the Land of Rivers and Land of Fire. Once she had guided her likely pursuers into the Land of Fire, Sakura would be able to handle the rest of them as she pleased, as recklessly as she pleased. She would no longer have to worry about causing any catastrophes in Tanigakure that the Leaf or the Sand might have to take responsibility for. 

She had expected a pursuit. Mako had told Sakura that there were Zenshin members all throughout the shinobi world—eventually, they would come for her, too—but the remaining Zenshin members in Tanigakure would be absolutely desperate to prevent her from reaching the border. But what Sakura had not expected was the speed in which some of them had caught up with her. 

When Sakura had first picked up on the footfalls that those without the sharpened senses of a ninja wouldn’t be able to distinguish beyond the crashing rain against the canopy above, Sakura had immediately halted her movements in the branches. Tucking her body tightly into the bough of a tree, she contemplated her options as the voices began to near her. Considering that it took Sasuke and Sakura two days of leisure travel to reach Tanigakure from Konoha, Sakura was predicting that it would likely take her a fraction of that time to reach the border—which was located much closer to Tanigakure than the Leaf—at the speed in which she was travelling now. If her estimations were right, it would be essentially six hours, four of which had already transpired since her exit. Could she simply outrun them for another two hours? 

Maybe the solution was something simpler, something E-Rank that Sakura hadn’t used since her Genin days. Sakura thought back to her interaction with the second man she had spoken with at the brothel, “the clown” of the group as Rugo had called him. Sakura’s initial target who had asked Sakura questions, investigating if she were “new, new.” Sakura focused on his features as she performed a transformation. The Transformation Jutsu had its flaws, which is why it wasn’t used too often, especially in the presence of experienced shinobi or those who could see chakra with a visual prowess like the Sharingan or Byakugan, or detect chakra signatures like the ninja, Karin. But a confrontation was going to be inevitable regardless of whether or not Sakura could fool them with a jutsu; she would just have to face them head on sooner than she had wanted. If it were the latter, then the jutsu possibly failing was a moot point, so there was no harm in crossing her fingers and going for it. The jutsu wouldn’t have to be flawless to be effective.

She could hardly assess them, the rain a thick sheet between herself and the enemy. There were three of them, all cloaked and protected from the elements. The low number made Sakura suspect that this was one of many search parties and their likelihood of finding her had less to do with their skill at tracking and more to do with fact that at least one group was going to guess her direction of travel correctly and encounter her by chance. She waited until they were practically under her perch to make her choice. 

Without a second more of hesitation, Sakura dropped several feet in front of them, shouting in a voice that had thickened into that obnoxiously loud tenor from the brothel. “I think she went this way!” Sakura didn’t wait to hear a response as she darted forward into the night. 

“Araki?!” came a woman’s voice as she was the first to recognize the man whom was Sakura’s current disguise. The female immediately followed as she continued to shout after who she believed was her fellow Zenshin member. 

“Hurry!” Sakura screamed back in reply but did not slow her pace for them. One of the Transformation Jutsu’s innate failings that made it unfavorable to use, was that it was difficult to converse with others or perform other mental feats because a ninja had to pour a lot of focus into channeling chakra into maintaining the transformation. It’s the very reason why a lot of transformations didn’t last too long; some people were better at executing it than others. It wasn’t overly difficult for Sakura to engage in conversation while transformed, but she didn’t know her enemy very well or their various jutsu and talents, so she decided to take advantage of the chase element of their interaction to avoid super close proximity. 

Like shadowed hounds that thought they had found one of their own kind, they pursued after Sakura, barking after her as their feet collided with the ground, thinking they were joining the hunt when in fact they were chasing the very goose they were after. 

“How do you know she went this way, Araki?” a male voice called up to her through the thundering rain, and Sakura barely made it out. 

“She’s making a run for the Leaf Village, but we have to catch her before she gets too far over the border!” Sakura called back with the same arrogant confidence Araki had spoken to her with at the brothel.

“How did you escape? Weren’t you with the others at the bathhouse? What happened to them?” the woman’s voice called out again, firing questions off faster than the rain could fall from the sky, and maybe Sasuke had started to rub off on Sakura the past couple of months, but the relentless inquiries were beginning to annoy her.

Sakura didn’t know if she should even attempt to respond. She knew very little about this Araki’s personality, other than the fact that he was loud, bold, and talked incessantly as well. But Sakura was not comfortable sustaining an unrehearsed act for long segments, and was unsure exactly what types of ridiculous comments were normal for the man. A little too late, Sakura wondered if Rugo or Toka would have been a better choice to impersonate with their various stoicism in comparison to Ataki; their seriousness would have suited Sakura’s current circumstances better. As a side note to rationalize her choice, Sakura wasn’t too sure about how Rugo’s blindness affected his abilities, and Sakura naturally wanted to steer clear of casting Toka in more of a negative light in case he really was trying to cut ties with Zenshin as Tabi had claimed. 

“We have to move faster!” Sakura deflected, pretending not to hear them as she bounded further ahead of them to create a safer distance between them.

Sakura relentlessly pushed them forward, a shadow before them that they could barely distinguish as it was. She was desperately clinging to the transformation even as she strategically considered her next move. Sakura had crossed the river she and Sasuke had camped at on their second night of traveling together hours ago. She was only minutes away from the border now. For the most part, Sakura had chosen to stick to the same remote path she and Sasuke had taken from Konoha because it was the most recent in her memory and it was a small miracle she wasn’t getting the four of them completely lost in this starless monsoon. At some point over the past hour, she dissected from that trail, travelling northwest for the plains she remembered passing through during a mission with Kakashi, Naruto, and Sai. 

The forest thinned as Sakura neared the space between forests, the sizeable meadow surrounded by rocky plateaus like the very mountain the Leaf was built up against. Seeing such familiar forested landscape, Sakura could have wept in relief. Her lungs shuttered from the relentlessness of her breathing and her legs practically felt numb and cold from the freezing rain, but the pain was absolutely miniscule in comparison to the absolute thrill she felt in her bones when she took her first step across an imaginary line only a ninja who had crossed it multiple times would remember even in the hours just before sunrise. She stumbled to a stop in the knee-high grass, wading through ankle-deep flood waters, stealing herself for what was to come. As much as she wanted to fall to her knees, tilt her head up to face the rain, and not get back up, she couldn’t quit yet. 

The three ninja following her burst from the trees behind, lurching to a halt when they realized their front-runner had finally stopped. “Did you find her!” one called out to her, but Sakura didn’t answer as she turned to face them. Sensing a change, one of the ninja suddenly stopped in his tracks and held his arm out to halt the others. 

“Araki?” he asked, preventing his team from moving any further toward her as she stood unmoving and waiting for them. Sakura wasn’t intending to suddenly act so predatory, her shift in nature causing them to hesitate like all prey before a hunter, but she was just so tired of pretending. She let the transformation fall away and the girl in the group gasped. Sakura could still sense their confusion, and their assessments of her outfit and headband that mirrored their own was almost painful to watch. 

Deciding that the charade was truly well and over, Sakura relieved them of their nervous bewilderment. “Unfortunately, no,” she called back, talking loudly to reach them through the persistent deluge around them. 

“I was wondering why he was being so quiet,” one of the male voices answered, pushing forward to stand in front of his teammates. “It’s her. The Haruno girl. She’s in disguise.” Sakura could hear the girl gasp again before she grabbed onto the man’s arm fearfully to pause his advance.  

Sakura pressed against the inner-pocket of her jacket, whispering, “Are you still with me, Lady Katusyu?”

“Yes, Sakura dear,” the small slug replied, slithering out to greet her despite the rain. “I’m here if you need me.”

“Hang on tight, then,” came Sakura’s instructions as she tucked her back away. “I’ll be sending more your way soon.” 

A laughter broke out near the tree line and Sakura saw one man shove forward, past his concerned and apprehensive teammates. Sakura could make out his flashy, red cloak for the first time now that he was closer in the downpour. “You’ve given us exactly what we wanted—lead us far away where no one can help you, now! I am going to have so much fun beating you within an inch of your life!” 

“What are you waiting for, then?” Sakura goaded, pleasantly surprised when the cloaked man rushed forward despite his teammates’ beseeching council. 

The man charged at her, sloshing his way through the muddy field, and Sakura let him come, let his momentum carry him face first into the punch she had waiting for him. He sailed backward, right into his other male companion and they skipped like scattered stone across the flooding pasture. Even in the dark, Sakura could see the mud [SR1] that sprayed up around them, covering their once distinguishable features in total blackness. That felt so good. After days of secrecy, disguising her power and identity, the release of her physical abilities was positively glorious. Sakura didn’t have a ton of chakra left at her disposal after her repetitive use of the Summoning Technique, but she had the adequate amount remaining in order to take care of these three and anyone who decided to show up later. 

The girl, who had avoided the collision, came for Sakura next, and as she neared, Sakura was able to finally get a decent look at her. Her hair was white beneath her black cloak’s cowl and her brow was adorned with the anti-peace symbol. Sakura wanted to talk to her, ask her opinions and learn her story, investigating her personal vendetta against the peace they had all fought so hard for during the Fourth Shinobi War. The girl quickly began to form the signs for a fire release and Sakura’s eyes widened as the heavy rain suddenly steamed around her as it hit the girl’s body and hissed into hot air. When the floodwaters pooled at Sakura’s feet began to bubble, Sakura cursed as she jumped back and into the air to avoid the boiling water below. At first, Sakura feared that the girl might have the Boil Release Kekkei Genkai, a transformation of water and fire nature energies, but as Sakura began to descend from her fall, the girl met her in the air, and Sakura soon realized that she had a unique fire release that allowed her to direct heat from pinpoints on her body. Sakura’s shielding kick that made contact with the girl’s stomach was instantly scorched through her boot from having touched her, and Sakura hissed. 

“Die!” the ninja screamed, grabbing onto Sakura’s calf muscle with both burning hands and swinging her right into the arms of her knife-wielding companion. But Sakura gripped the man’s arms and simultaneously kicked against the girls’ stomach, deeper into her magma flesh, gritting her teeth at the pain, but directing her immense strength into the blow. The girl went sailing into the trees just as the red-coated man had done seconds before this second confrontation. Using the same momentum, Sakura swung up and over her captor’s shoulders, slipping easily from his grasp. 

She landed behind him, a dark-haired, broad-shouldered man with silver pupil-less irises that reminded Sakura of the Kazekage. She saw these eyes clearly despite the darkness and the mud smeared across his face practically made them glow. The ninja turned on his heel to intercept her next blow, his knife catching her cheek just before he also received the brunt force of her physical strength. 

Sakura could feel the water around her already tenderized ankle start to boil again, and Sakura swore, locating the girl with her eyes. Sakura had to admit that this girl was quite literally making it impossible to remain standing on her own two feet. Even if Sakura summoned chakra to the soles of her feet to walk on the surface of the five inches of saturation, Sakura knew that the water would quickly melt through her stolen shoes completely, so Sakura came up with another solution. She wouldn’t let this girl scald her from a distance; if this fire-nature ninja wanted to land another injury on Sakura, she was going to have to get up close and personal, just as Sakura liked it.

Sakura exhaled when her uninjured hand collided with the ground at her feet. “SHANNARO!” she screamed as the entire landscape fractured beneath her, spiderwebbing across the plain until all the rainwater succumbed to gravity, falling down the sides of new projectiles of earth, and down into the fissures. Sakura perched on top of one of the new pillars like a bird of night, staring down at her three recovered enemies who stared up at her with a new appreciation. 

“You bitch,” the female spat up at Sakura, but Sakura ignored her. She fisted the anti-peace forehead protector on her brow and tossed it down to the three of them. She pulled back her hood and looked up into the sky as it fell on her face, the rain fingering her dyed tresses until streaks of black began to run down her chin along with the blood from her sliced cheek. Keeping it always on her person, Sakura reached into her vest and revealed her own shinobi headband, the red one bearing the Leaf Village symbol she had worn as a chunin. She tied it tightly against her forehead and across the back of her ink-dripping crown and thought how fitting it felt to bear her flag now that she was standing in Land of Fire territory. She saw her enemies’ shocked and exchanged expressions when green regenerative chakra began to glow around her knuckles, her cheek, and the various burns on her leg and ankle, healing the damage in seconds. 

“You guys didn’t do a lot of research on your target, did you?” Sakura called down to them. She couldn’t understand it, the surprise. If they were not originally from Tanigakure, who had been neutral, that would mean they had all fought together in the war. So how did they not know every detail about Sakura? Sakura began to collect various pieces of information in her brain and a realization formed. Most of the members of this organization that Sakura had encountered in Tanigakure so far had not been overly remarkable. Aside from the shade she went head-to-head with in the sands surrounding Suna, everyone seemed to know the bare minimum of Sakura’s power. They knew of her, but not what she was capable of. In fact, they seemed content to hang back and relish in the fear created by their superiors, and Sakura suddenly realized why some of them might be interested in a world that created bitter and stronger generations to follow them. They were those ninja who hung back during the war, who let others—the strong and fearless—do all the work because they could not; it’s why they wanted to mimic conditions that would create strength in other ninja for them to hide behind. Huh, Sakura thought privately to herself. She wondered who exactly was taking advantage of ninja like this to kill off others who stood in their way. Who exactly was the leader?

“We know enough to kill you,” the silver-eyed one spoke, and his voice was raspy and menacing. Even his voice reminded her of the Kazekage, along with the sand-weilder’s path to redemption, and Sakura tried not to be distracted as she imagined this dark-haired ninja capable of a future where he could redirect his efforts into a righteous cause. This type of thinking, while keeping her intentions toward others good, would cloud her judgement now. 

“We have to get information from her first and then deliver her to the boss,” reminded the red cloaked one, whom Sakura had all but forgotten was there after she sent him flying for his bold move to attack first. 

The other two swapped looks of apprehension to one another, as if they weren’t sure they were going to be able to restrain and deliver blows to get her to talk, after all. And Sakura smiled because, she too, knew that wasn’t going to be happening. 

Sakura’s finger bled once again when she bit back into it, and now that the rain had washed away most of her ivory face paint, the Hundred Healing’s seal spanned out across her forehead in black stripes. It was still activated since her very first summoning of Katsuyu, and Sakura could feel the steady drain of chakra from her body that it was costing her to maintain the states of all her captives where she had reverse summoned them back to Katsuyu’s home in Shikkotsu forest. Since Sakura wasn’t having to heal her horde of hostages, but rather, keep them all in an unconscious state, cryogenized in the chamber of Katsuyu’s flesh, the chakra being loaned to her familiar was a trickle, but it was still depleting her already diminishing levels. 

“Are you alright, Sakura dear?” came Katsuyu’s voice from the inside pocket of her vest, the slug sensing her labored breathing and strain on the chakra connection between them. 

Sakura nodded, whispering, “Yes. I have a few more summons in me. If more enemies appear here, I might not be able to hold onto the jutsu. The connection will be severed between us. What happens then?”

Katsuyu’s answer came back as a whisper in the relentless pattering of rain against Sakura’s flesh. “It will take them all some time to come out of comatose. When they do, they will have nowhere to go. The Shikkotsu forest is an endless maze of jungle. They’ll be in the same spot when you come for them.”

“Excellent,” Sakura responded, reaching into her waistband, and withdrawing three vials of sedative. Privately and expertly, Sakura filled three needles with the drug and placed each between her teeth until three needles protruded from her mouth like the fangs of a demon.  Next, Sakura palmed her bloody hand into the top of the jagged steeple of earth on which she still stood and cried “Summoning Jutsu!” as clearly as she could manage with a mouthful of liquid sleep.  

The three human-sized divisions of Katsuyu’s body slithered down the sides of the post and came to a stop when Sakura’s own feet touched level ground once more, the water no longer coagulating around her ankles. 

“Here she comes!” shouted the girl, and Sakura smirked as she sprinted straight towards them through the rain, engaging each one in a pirouette of hand-to-hand combat. 

Just as Sakura had once fought Sasori’s countless puppets on the end of Lady Chiyo’s chakra threads, Sakura took control of her own strings now and navigated smoothly between her enemies’ strikes like a leaf darting on the wind. Deflect, block, strike, defend, parry, punch. The actions were faster than Sakura could even think of which move to execute next, and she let her muscles act on memory alone. 

She could feel the heat of the white-haired girl’s skin every time one of her open-palmed strikes grazed Sakura’s body. She was aiming for the most incapacitating of areas like the eyes, her hands, legs, or any other placement that might cripple Sakura temporarily. But every time the ninja got close to landing a hit on her, the sound of sizzling rain would alert Sakura’s sharp ears to her nearness and Sakura would dodge just in time. Sakura focused on the mud covered, silver-eyed enemy before her, turning to the side to dodge his kunai stab to her stomach. She fisted his own weapon hand with her own and used his own piercing thrust to direct it into the stomach of the red-cloaked shinobi who had come up behind her and fisted her inky, wet hair. She heard his cry at the same moment that the grip on her hair slackened. When the white-haired kunoichi recovered and came at her again, Sakura was ready. Grabbing the silver-haired ninja by the leg as he fell, Sakura swung him like her own weapon, right into the burning arms of his companion. The two of them collapsed into a tangle together, and Sakura’s knee was in the man’s back as she sank his body deeper into the lava skin of the fire-wielding ninja until he began to scream. Sakura used his screams to motivate the white-haired ninja. She would eventually stop her fire-nature jutsu. 

Sakura couldn’t risk incinerating the needle, so she waited patiently, yanking out the syringe of her mouth in the meantime. She saw the girl’s eyes widen at the damage she was inflicting upon her partner, and the melting instantly stopped. Sakura plunged the needle into her neck, followed by a dose for the silver-eyed ninja. [SR2] They both fell unconscious against one another, and two of three Katusyus had already crawled to meet them.  

When Sakura pulled the last syringe from her mouth and turned to face the red-cloaked man who had been stabbed, she was surprised to find him already standing before her in the darkness. He knocked the syringe out of her hand and seized Sakura’s throat, slamming her against one of the pillars of earth at Sakura’s back. The very blade that had lacerated his stomach was now pointing into her navel, still bloody and dripping from his own injury. Sakura’s next move was going to be to knee him directly where his wound bloomed the same shade as his cloak in order to create a safe space between them again. Even if he managed to cut her open, Sakura would use her Mitotic Regeneration Jutsu to heal herself before the blood loss rendered her unconscious. However, his next words made her reevaluate her actions at the last moment. 

“When Mozai finally has his way with you, I’m going to enjoy every minute of it,” he snarled as he pinned her body with his. The knife in his hand dug into her flesh with every word and Sakura hissed at the sudden pain. 

As she reached up to push against his hold on her throat, she choked out, “Who’s Mozai? Is he your boss?” She pretended to weaken at his hold. She needed to keep him talking and feeding her the information she wanted. 

“Someone who will do a lot worse to you than I’m about to do.” His knife suddenly pulled away from her and began to snake up Sakura’s clothing, cutting a trail of blood up her bare stomach. She gritted her teeth against the pain, holding back the instinct to break the wrist around her throat. If Sakura could just get him back on the topic of her choice. 

“He’s nothing without his henchmen. Didn’t you want to know what happened to the others?” she strained to ask next, spluttering the words, trying to regain his attention. 

He laughed, a cruel, wicked laugh that reminded Sakura of the deranged Orochimaru. It was the sort of laugh that alerted her to his madness, the deeper and more dangerous kind of madness that a medic such as herself was easily able to recognize no matter how hard one tried to hide it. “He knows where you’ve run off to, and we will find the others soon enough now that I know your pets have taken them.” He pushed harder against her throat and despite her efforts to remain calm and focus, Sakura’s vision still blackened from the lack of oxygen and her grip on him tightened. In that moment, Sakura barely even felt Kaguya’s small body drop from her clothing. With her squinting eyes, Sakura witnessed the small slug make a dash for the syringe that Sakura had dropped earlier. At the same time, she realized that Katsuyu knew that it was their last dose of sedative and the slug wanted to either protect or retrieve it for Sakura.

The rain was still coming down so hard, a shower soaking every inch of Sakura’s newly exposed stomach. It made the knife he was ghosting her skin with wet and slick as it bounced against her skin, causing knicks and superficial lacerations where it touched. Sakura couldn’t tell if she was only feeling the rain, or the trickling of her own blood. Was it pooling at her feet with the man’s own colors of red? 

“But he won’t mind if I have my fun with you first before he gets here,” came his thickened voice as he placed the hilt of his kunai between his teeth and replaced the pressure against her stomach with his fingers. They caressed her abdomen, smearing the blood there. Sakura realized in this moment that the game of holding back for information was over. 

But before she could act, break his hold on her, and shove him away from her, Sakura’s stomach dropped as her vision came to focus over the man’s shoulder at the shadow that stood there in the rain, red eye flashing as he unsheathed his katana. The rain rendered him nearly invisible in the dark and Sakura sucked in a breath of alarm.

“You’re going to die if you don’t let go,” came Sakura’s hurried warning to the man still inching his hand up her shirt. The vice on Sakura’s throat instantly slackened when a blade came across the man’s throat, not hesitating to sunder the man’s head from his shoulders. Before the damage was inflicted, Sakura’s hand shot out and grabbed Sasuke’s katana just in time, the bite of the blade sliding against the palm of her hand until she stopped its movement completely with her grip. She fisted the quaking blade, and it was immediately abandoned. 

Sakura was powerless to stop what happened next. In the very next second, the man was thrown from her, catapulted near across the field as Sasuke pivoted to ram his fist into the side of the man’s face. Sasuke, too, disappeared as he teleported, switching positions with the bloody kunai the man had possessed. Before the kunai stuck true in the grass at Sakura’s feet, the Uchiha was on top of his victim in a millisecond, and Sakura could hear the man’s screams as she ran toward them in the rain, still clutching Sasuke’s katana in a bloody grip.

“Sasuke, don’t!” she screamed, desperate to reach him in time. Sakura soon realized that the distance the man had been sent wasn’t just a coincidence. It served two purposes: to deliver a harder impact, and to generate enough space from Sakura to give Sasuke the extra second of time to exact whatever revenge he had in mind. The kunoichi spared one minute to find Katsuyu, a bright pinpoint of white in the overwhelming darkness. Beneath the slug, lay the last injection of sedative, and she scooped them both up. 

“Follow me,” she instructed the last of the three summonings of Katsuyu’s body.  

The screaming was Sakura’s only compass in the storm, guiding her to the source of the brutalization. When she finally neared them, two dark obscurities in the night, Sasuke was fisting both of the man’s hands with his single grasp. The black flames of Amaterasu were already ravishing the bones of his ten fingers. 

“You seem awfully fond of these hands of yours,” Sasuke sneered, “let’s begin here, shall we?” The flames spread to the man’s palms and then his wrists, a drawn-out creeping of flickering black that couldn’t be anything other than an intentional deliberateness—to maximize the pain of it. The red-cloaked ninja’s screams were louder than any suffering Sakura had ever heard. 

The kunoichi could see the smirk on Sasuke’s face as she finally came around to face him, and her stomach turned to ice. Even his words delivered a blow to her heart in a familiar way. It was like the Chunin Exams: the ferocity, the visible fury rolling off of him in waves, the embracing of inner-darkness. Sakura had only ever seen Sasuke resort to methods of torture a few times in her life, and the sight struck such fear into her heart. Don’t you see? She thought to herself at the terrifying vision of the Uchiha stooped over the scorching man. Don’t you see what the price of his love will be? 

“Sasuke! Stop! You can’t kill him!” she shouted over the rain and guttural begging, grabbing onto the Uchiha’s clothing, fisting the wet fabric in her fingers. He didn’t budge, just let the fire spread as he watched and drank the pinned man’s screams, as if hearing them would quench a deeply buried thirst. 

When Sakura’s immense strength lifted Sasuke to his feet and pulled him away from the man, Sasuke’s leer twisted into a frown and a different sort of fury filled his eyes. As if Sasuke sensed her impending interference and decided to finish the job before she could convince him to stop, the fire erupted over the man’s chest with a quickening ferocity. At his resolve, Sakura panicked, making Sasuke look at her with two palms to his face.

His dead eyes found her, and he spat a response to her previous demand, “He doesn’t get to live.” 

The earsplitting screams intensified, and Sakura physically shook Sasuke, but he just glared down at her as the flames resumed their feast upon the man’s vaporizing flesh. “You’re not going to do this. You can’t kill someone because of me. I won’t let you go back to that!”

The words broke Sasuke’s carefully controlled anger. “I have spared hundreds today in your name! If it weren’t for you, they would all be dead. One of them can die, and it’s going to be him.”

“This isn’t who you are anymore!” Sakura shouted, willing her words into a truthful existence. She would hold on to him, the Sasuke she loved. The Sasuke who could see reason, act on ninja principles, and not let his emotions override his judgment. Not anymore. As a last attempt, she added. “You can be merciful. You don’t have to kill unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

Sasuke scoffed, choosing not to hide his smoldering ire as he broke eye contact with Sakura in order to survey the damage being done to the man who had attacked her. “It’s necessary.”

When he didn’t say anything else, Sakura demanded, “Spare one more. This is my mission and I need him to live.”

After a moment of deliberation, Sasuke snarled, like an animal being forced to give up its kill, and turned his back to her. With the dying of the Amaterasu, the screams turned into painful whimpers as the man spasmed on the ground. 

Sakura knelt beside the man, who now looked at her with desperation in his eyes. A begging for mercy that hadn’t been there earlier, now glistened with tears. “Remember that I spared your life,” Sakura told him, penetrating the vein in his collar with the needle of the syringe. “Maybe one day, a future version of you will deserve it.” The man’s eyelids fell, and even in his unconsciousness, Sakura could sense the relief that came with oblivion. The third slug had appeared by her side, and Sakura watched as Lady Katsuyu began channeling Sakura’s chakra in order to heal the man’s injuries. They were deep, penetrating wounds that would require intensive medical treatment. The draw on Sakura’s reserves zapped her, real fatigue coming over her now. 

“I can’t hold the summoning,” Sakura relayed to the two Katsuyus, one small and gliding over Sakura’s shoulder, the other encapsulating the injured man as the creature healed his injuries. She was the first to vanish, just like all those summoned before. 

“Don’t worry about me,” came Katsuyu’s small reassuring voice. “I can handle the rest until you arrive. Will you be okay?”

Sakura nodded, “Yes. Thank you, Lady Katsuyu.” With the last of the jutsu released, Sakura exhaled a sigh of relief as the drain on her chakra reserves lessened. She caught her breath, sitting in the muddy grass for a moment. 

When she turned to Sasuke, he was standing over her, silently brooding with an emotionless mask slipped back into place. 

Sakura wanted to yell at him for his recklessness. For interfering when she was more than capable of handling this herself. “You have potentially jeopardized my mission,” she informed him bitterly, rising to stand toe to toe with him. 

He didn’t respond, unmoving as he received her rebuke. Even the rain hailed down on them harder if that were even possible. And then the Uchiha was moving, taking her bloody palm, the hand that had come between Sasuke’s killing blow and his victim, between his fingers. She fisted it rebelliously, stiffening her arm, not quite ready to let her anger go. 

And so he grabbed her wrist instead, pulling her with him toward the circumference of trees closest to them. 

“I can’t leave,” she protested, digging her heals more firmly into the ground. She became immovable. “More of them could be on their way. I need to intercept them.” Sakura didn’t know how many more there would be, or what she was going to do to incapacitate them now that she was no longer able to summon Katsuyu. She would have to dig deep, fight until she couldn’t stand, pummeling them until she knocked them unconscious. 

Still not looking at anything but the wrist in which he gripped as if Sakura could be ripped away at any second, Sasuke confessed. “Every person who was headed in this direction in pursuit of you tonight was handled. I shoved each of them into another dimension.”

Sakura’s eyebrows rose as she stared at him speechlessly. For the first time since she observed him, Sakura noticed his heavy breathing. His Rinnegan eye was closed and the Sharingan deactivated, and Sakura recognized the tell of his exhaustion. He had overexerted himself, definitely a sign that he really had transported an unknown number of men through his Rinnegan’s portal tonight.

“At least for now, let’s get out of this rain,” he told her. “There’s a place not far from here.”

Sakura pulled her hand free from his grasp and Sasuke didn’t move to take it again, accepting and mirroring her own frustration. After a moment, he turned, and Sakura followed the coiled back of the Uchiha into the shelter of the trees, allowing him to lead her from the battlefield.  

[crochet-the-night-away]

Juan Carlos Bodoque (31 Minutos) Crochet Pattern

Materials

Red, White, Black and Orange Yarn (I used a Medium sized yarn) Appropriately sized Crochet Hook (I used a 3.5mm hook) Safety Eyes (I used 12mm) Stitch Markers Tapestry Needle Fiberfill Scissors

Techniques

Magic Ring (mr) Chain (ch) Single Crochet (sc) Increase (inc) Decrease (dec)

Eye whites (x2)

----- Starting with WHITE Round 1: 6 sc into a magic ring [6] Round 2: 6inc [12] ----- Leave a long tail for sewing

Head

----- Starting with RED Round 1: 4sc into a magic ring [4] Round 2: 4inc [8] Round 3: (sc, inc) * 4 [12] Round 4: (sc, inc, sc) * 4 [16] Round 5: (3sc, inc) * 4 [20] Round 6: (2sc, inc, 2sc) * 4 [24] Round 7: (5sc, inc) * 4 [28] Round 8: (3sc, inc, 3sc) * 4 [32] Round 9: (7sc, inc) * 4 [36] Round 10: (4sc, inc, 4sc) * 4 [40] Round 11: (9sc,inc) * 4 [44] Round 12: (5sc, inc, 5sc) * 4 [48] Round 13 -17: 48sc [48] ----- Attach safety eyes and the eye whites between rows 9-14 with 6 stitches in between ----- Sew eye whites Round 18: (3sc, dec, 3sc) * 6 [42] Round 19 (5sc, dec) * 6 [36] ----- Stuff Round 20: (2sc,dec, 2sc) * 6 [30] Round 21: (3sc, dec) *6 [24] Round 22: (sc, dec, sc) * 6 [18] Round 23: (sc, dec) * 6 [12] ----- Stuff Round 24: 6dec [6] ----- Fasten off

Nose

----- Starting with ORANGE 4ch skip one ch from hook and sl st in next ch hdc in next ch dc in next ch ----- Leave a long tail for sewing. ----- Sew between rows 2-5

Ears (x2)

----- Starting with RED 6ch [6] 4sc, 3sc in 5th chain, 3sc, inc, sl st into first stitch (this will be your new end stitch) [12] (3sc, inc) * 2 (the last stitch will be your new end [14] Round 1-19: 14sc [14] ----- Leave a long tail for sewing ----- Sew between rows 16-17 without any stitches in between

Body

----- Starting with RED Round 1: 6sc into a magic ring [6] Round 2: 6inc [12] Round 3: (sc, inc) * 6 [18] Round 4: (sc, inc, sc) * 6 [24] Round 5: (3sc, inc) * 6 [30] Round 6: (2sc, inc, 2sc) * 6 [36] Round 7: (5sc, inc) * 6 [42] Round 8: BLO 42sc [42] Round 9-11: 42 sc [42] ----- Alternating BLACK and WHITE colors every 2 rows Round 12-29: 42sc [42] ----- Add 5sc (This will reset the natural shift of the initial stitches) ----- Stuff Round 30-32: 42sc [42] Round 33: (5sc, dec) * 6 [36] Round 34-35: 36sc [36] Round 36: (2sc,dec, 2sc) * 6 [30] Round 37-38: 30sc [30] ----- Stuff Round 39: (3sc, dec) *6 [24] Round 40-41: 24sc [24] ----- Change back to RED Round 42-43: 24sc [24] ----- Stuff ----- Leave a long tail for sewing ----- Sew the neck to the head between rows 7-15 of the head

Arms (x2)

PS. For the arms, I added wire to the inside for better posing, but it's not needed. -----Starting with RED Round 1: 6sc into a magic ring [6] Round 2: 6inc [12] Round 3: (sc, inc) * 6 [18] ----- Stuff unless you're planning to add wire. Round 4-8: 18sc [18] ----- Stuff unless you're planning to add wire. Round 9: (sc, dec) * 6 [12] ----- Alternating BLACK and WHITE colors every 2 rows Round 6-26: 12sc [12] ----- Stuff. If you're adding wire, insert the wire and then stuff around it. Round 27: 6dec [6] ----- Leave a long tail for sewing ----- Sew the arm to the second BLACK stripe from top to bottom on the body

Legs (x2)

----- Starting with RED 6ch [6] 4sc, 3sc in 5th chain, 3sc, inc, sl st into first stitch (this will be your new end stitch) [12] (3sc, inc) * 6 (the last stitch will be your new end [18] Round 1: BLO 18sc [18] Round 2: 18sc [18] ----- For the next three rounds, I checked which were the stitches in the front and made the decreases there. It was not necessarily the first few stitches. Round 3: 3dec, 12sc [15] Round 4: 2dec, 11sc [13]Round 5: dec, 10sc [12] Round 6-24: 12sc [12] ----- Stuff ----- Leave a long tail for sewing ----- Sew the leg to the bottom-front red part of the body

[paperanddice]

Powerfully imaginative minds can draw closer to other realms in their sleep, dreams pulling forth energy and possibly even active minds. When interacting with powerful magic, these otherworldly dreams can occasionally manifest fully, becoming the creatures known as animate dreams. Incomplete, imperfect beings, they feed upon the imagination and emotion of living beings, with sapient creatures providing far more nourishment than mere beasts.

As such, the animate dream can draw forth these powerful emotions for its food. Its touch causes mental anguish and horror that sustains it, but it gains even more sustenance by putting a creature into a state of horror. They prefer infecting creatures with nightmares, whether waking or sleeping, and even just by staying in close proximity to a sleeping creature they can prompt bad dreams. These proximity dreams are enough to keep it healthy, but are weaker than magically caused nightmares and so few animate dreams are satisfied with such feeding for long, nearly always escalating to more delicious terrors sparked by magic. Starvation doesn't kill animate dreams however, just causing ever increasing pain and distress that results in them becoming more aggressive and hostile.

While animate dreams can choose not to cause true harm in their feeding, few bother with such trouble. Creations of pure id and the erratic nature of dreams, they rarely feel proper sympathy or connection with the victims of their feeding, seeing them as nothing more than easily harvested thoughts. Perhaps the transient nature of dreams means they are never meant to take permanent form like this, and that paradox leads to the horrors an animate dream leaves behind.

While animate dreams are around the size of the average humanoid, their exact appearance is flexible and changes as they feed to take on a form similar to the fears and thoughts of the creature they're gaining sustenance from. The more an animate dream feeds off of a single creature, the more stable its form appears, but there's always some variation in what others see as their own emotions and fears influence how the animate dream appears to them.

Originally from the Pathfinder Bestiary 2. This post came out a week ago on my Patreon. If you want to get access to all my monster conversions early, as well as access to my premade adventures and other material I’m working on, consider backing me there!

5th Edition

Animate Dream Medium aberration, neutral evil Armor Class 19 Hit Points 104 (16d8 + 32) Speed 0 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover) Str 2 (-4) Dex 18 (+4) Con 15 (+2) Int 10 (+0) Wis 15 (+2) Cha 21 (+5) Saving Throws Wis +5, Cha +8 Skills Deception +8, Intimidation +8, Stealth +7 Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder, bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks Condition Immunities frightened, grappled, paralyzed, prone, restrained Senses darkvision 60 ft. passive Perception 12 Languages telepathy 100 ft. Challenge 8 (3900 XP) Force Of Personality. The AC of the animate dream includes its Charisma bonus. Incorporeal Movement. The animate dream can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object. Actions Nightmare Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 40 (8d8+4) psychic damage and the target must succeed on a DC 16 Charisma saving throw or become cursed with nightmares. The cursed target gains no benefits from Long Rests, and it must repeat the saving throw every 24 hours, gaining a level of exhaustion on a failure. Exhaustion gained this way cannot be removed as long as the creature is cursed. The curse lasts until the target succeeds on three saving throws in a row, or its removed by remove curse or similar magic. Spellcasting. The animate dream casts one of the following spells, requiring no material components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 16): 3/day each: dimension door, fear, sleep (as a 5th level spell) 1/day each: confusion, dream, phantasmal killer

13th Age

Animate Dream  Double-strength 5th level spoiler [aberration]  Initiative: +10 Cursed Nightmare Touch +10 vs. PD - 30 psychic damage and the target is dazed (save ends). Natural 14+: The save is a hard save (16+). Natural 18+: The target takes 10 ongoing psychic damage and is helpless as it falls asleep (save ends both). R: Waking Nightmare +10 vs. MD (one nearby enemy) - 15 ongoing psychic damage and the target is weakened (save ends both). First Failed Save: The ongoing damage increases by 5 and the target is confused instead of weakened. Miss: 10 psychic damage and the target is dazed until the end of its next turn. Limited Use: The animate dream can only use this attack when the escalation die is even. Fear: Enemies engaged with the animate dream that have 24 hit points or fewer are dazed and do not add the escalation die to their attacks. Feed on Nightmares: The animate dream regains 2d6 hit points if it starts its turn engaged with a creature that is asleep, affected by its waking nightmare attack, or affected by its fear aura. Flight. Ghostly: The animate dream has resist 16+ to all damage except force damage. It can move through solid objects, but can’t end its movement inside of them. AC 19 PD 15 MD 19 HP 104

[thecreaturecodex]

Godzooky

“Varan-02″ © deviantArt user JSochart. Accessed at their gallery here

[Sponsored by @glarnboudin​. Ignore the “Varan” title, or maybe don’t. I realized that Godzooky may not be Godzilla’s blood relative, but he’s probably Varan’s. For those of you who don’t know, the Godzilla Power Hour was a Hanna Barbera adventure cartoon in the 1970s, which licensed Godzilla but had a cast of other monsters in it. Think Johnny Quest with less racism for the tone. But since it was 70s Hanna Barbera, it had to have a comic relief sidekick. Enter Godzooky:

Godzooky was a cute little dragon-y thing that whined and whimpered like Scooby-Doo, because he had the same voice actor, Don Messick. Think Minilla, but less repulsive to look at. This is my attempt at injecting some fantasy ecology into the concept of “Godzilla’s nephew”. It turned out kind of the opposite of a gray render as far as flavor text is concerned.]

Godzooky CR 7 N Magical Beast This creature is a reptilian biped, with a row of spines and plates along the back, sharp teeth and claws. It has membranous wings growing from between its arms and down its torso.

A godzooky is an omnivorous reptile that lives as a monstrous pilot fish. It follows in the wake of a greater monster and feeds on materials kicked up and carrion left behind by the movements and attacks of its superior. Their attitude towards this greater monster is something like that of a nephew towards their favorite uncle. The monsters a godzooky associates itself with can be anything from a genuinely weaker monster that has an irascible attitude and dominant personality all the way up to literal kaiju. Although they are curious and fairly friendly creatures, the appearance of a godzooky in a town or on a road brings concern—its patron monster may be close behind.

A godzooky is actually a reasonably powerful melee combatant, but they prefer to leave direct fighting to others. Instead, they make hit and run attacks through the air—they are not exactly graceful fliers, but they are speedy ones. Godzookies can breathe a cloud of choking smoke. There are reports of some that can actually breathe fire, but these are likely either mutated or very old and powerful specimens. A godzooky has a versatile vocal range, and they can magnify their calls into a deafening howl. The sound itself is dangerous in the short term. The fact that such a noise often acts as a beacon for a stronger monster is potentially catastrophic.

A godzooky is about ten feet tall when standing on its hind legs, and around thirty feet in length.

Godzooky              CR 7 XP 3,200 N Huge magical beast Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Perception +14, scent Defense AC 19, touch 10, flat-footed 17 (-2 size, +2 Dex, +9 natural) hp 85 (9d10+36) Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +7 Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10 Offense Speed 40 ft., swim 40 ft., fly 60 feet (poor) Melee bite +11 (1d8+4), 2 claws +11 (1d6+4) Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft. (10 ft. with claws) Special Attacks smoke breath, yowl Spell-like Abilities CL 9th, concentration +10 3/day—miserable pity (DC 12, self only) Statistics Str 18, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 6, Wis 14, Cha 13 Base Atk +9; CMB +16; CMD 28 Feats Alertness, Blind Fight, Flyby Attack, Iron Will, Toughness Skills Fly +0, Perception +14, Sense Motive +6, Swim +19; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception Languages Common (can’t speak), speak with monsters Ecology Environment any warm or temperate Organization solitary or pair Treasure incidental Special Abilities Smoke Breath (Su) As a standard action, a godzooky can breathe smoke in a 30 foot radius. Treat this smoke as concealing vision like a fog cloud, and all creatures in the smoke must succeed a DC 17 Fortitude save each round they remain within it, or be staggered for 1 round from coughing. A godzooky can use this ability three times per day, but must wait 1d4 rounds between uses. A godzooky is immune to the choking ability of its smoke, but doesn’t have any ability to see through it. The save DC is Constitution based. Speak With Monsters (Su) A godzooky can communicate through a series of grunts, yelps and whines with any animal, dragon, magical beast, plant or vermin. The level of information communicated with these organisms is equivalent to that conveyed by a speak with animals spell. Yowl (Ex) As a standard action, a godzooky can scream so loudly that all creatures within 60 feet must succeed a DC 17 Fortitude save or be deafened for 1 minute. A creature that succeeds this save is immune to the yowl of a godzooky for the next 24 hours. The save DC is Constitution based.

[petitelepus]

FOX'S WEDDING, PART 12

KITSUNE!RENGUKO KYOJURO X FEM!READER

Summary: It's your older brother's wedding day. Not only does he get married, but you get to introduce Kyojuro to your parents and he has a surprise for you.

Warnings: Kissing

A/N: Female Reader, Kitsune Kyojuro, Kitsune Senjuro, Kitsune Rengoku, Monster Musume!AU

PART 1 II PART 2 II PART 3 II PART 4 II PART 5 II PART 6 II PART 7 II PART 8 II PART 9 II PART 10 II PART 11 II PART 12 II PART 13 II PART 14 II PART 15 II PART 16 II PART 17 II PART 18 II PART 19

A week went and the day of your older brother's wedding came. The wedding was held at this lovely old-style bed and breakfast outside the city, in the middle of the beautiful nature. From what you read, they were famous for their lovely nature walk paths.

You, Kyojuro, and Senjuro had arrived at the place before the rest of the wedding guests, mainly because you were family to the man of the hour and the fox brothers were your dates. Well, Senjuro wasn't a date, but you didn't want to leave him alone in the house while you and Kyojuro were at the wedding.

You had your own room where you could change clothes and stay for the night if you decided to stay and not leave right after the party. An offer you had taken because if you were going to be standing in heels the whole damn day you might as well rest after that properly.

It was an hour until the ceremony and you and the fox brothers were in your own room getting ready. Kyojuro was helping his little brother tie his maroon bowtie while you were getting ready in the bathroom with a stylist, courtesy of your older brother. When they were done with Senjuro's bowtie his older brother focused on his own maroon tie.

Finally, you were ready and stepped out of the bathroom the brothers turned to look at you. Kyojuro's eyes widened at the sight of you in this maroon wrap dress with your hair and makeup done perfectly.

"How do I look?" You asked and your fiance smiled, "You look gorgeous!"

"I look awful, but you know what they say?"

"No, what do they say?" He asked in genuine confusion and you giggled, "Never outshine the bride, or groom in this case."

"To me, you're the prettiest person here," Kyojuro said and you blushed softly, about to deny it but someone beat you to it.

"Listen to your man woman!" The stylist said cheerfully as she packed her makeup case, blow dryer, and straightener.

"You look great!" She took one look at you before leaving to prepare the rest of the guests. You sighed once she was gone and you were about to object but before you could do so the younger fox spoke.

"It's true, "Senjuro said as he shyly stepped forward and smiled a little, "You look beautiful big sis."

You wanted to object, you really did, but it was three against one so you groaned as your blush grew stronger. "Fine, just, let's go see my brother get married and then stuff ourselves with food."

"Sounds delightful!" Kyojuro smiled before asking, "Am I going to meet the rest of your family?"

"Probably and I'm pretty sure that my brothers mentioned you to my parents." You said as you picked the small bouquet meant for you to carry and grinned at the brothers, "Let's go."

The three of you left your room and followed the wedding guests to the garden where the ceremony was being held. Thanks to your relationship with the groom, Kyojuro and Senjuro got to sit pretty close to the front row, close to your family.

As your brother's bridesmaid, you were standing by the altar with your eldest brother and groom's best friends, priest, and such, waiting for the man of the hour to walk down the aisle and get the ceremony started.

"You look nice." Gold whispered to you, but before you could reply, he continued, "Your fiance also."

"Thanks," You nodded, "Did you tell mom and dad about him?"

"Are you kidding? It was the first thing I did when we left your place." You could tell by the tone of his voice that he was being playful but knowing him you were 100 percent sure he really had told your parents.

"Jackass."

"Crybaby."

The wedding music started and you all straightened and smiled as the grooms were being escorted down the aisle. Brams came first in a nice suit and his dark brown beard braided, followed by your brother who was being escorted by your father. As your dad let go of your brother, he patted his son on the shoulder and smiled, "I'm proud of you son."

"Thanks..." Silver was still quiet, despite this being maybe one of the most important days of his life. Your dad went to sit on the front row next to your mother and the ceremony started.

While the priest talked you took a glance at your fiance and his little brother who were sitting there surrounded by your relatives. Senjuro watched the ceremony diligently, interested in your Western ways of getting married, but Kyojuro's eyes were on you. You tilted your head and smiled at him and he smiled back happily.

You looked at your brother and his fiance and you imagined yourself and Kyojuro in their place, staring at each other just as lovingly as Silver and Brams looked at each other. One day you and your fiance would get married also and seal your relationship for good.

"Now, the grooms have written their own vows to each other that they would like to share." The priest said and Brams laughed, "Aye, something short and sweet like I!"

The wedding guests laughed and you smiled also. You were happy to see that your brother's soon-to-be husband had good humor. Even the priest chuckled as he looked at the grooms, "If you may?"

"Aye, I'll go first." Brams nodded as he looked at your brother and smiled, "My love, I remember the night we met like it was yesterday."

"Funny, because I remember you being drunk as a skunk." Silver grinned and the whole wedding party chuckled and some laughed a little louder. You felt your eyes widen in shock. Was your quiet brother actually joking?

Brams smiled, "Aye, ye were the most handsome man in the whole pub and I just knew I had to talk with ye. By Gods, the cold shoulder ye gave me was enough to freeze a blacksmith's forge!"

People laughed and this time you did so also. That sounded more like your brother. Brams also chuckled happily, "Ay but I knew that if I tried, I could get ye and here we are today, standing here before our family and friends as we tie the knot and join our lives together forever."

Your brother nodded, "My turn?"

"Aye," The dwarf smiled, and your brother cleared his throat.

"Brams, you make me happy. You're handsome, funny and the life of the party, and I can't help but wonder what you saw in me that night in the pub." Silver smiled, "But I'm glad for what you saw because that lead us here."

"Of course!" Brams nodded and your brother's eyes softened, "Thank you for not giving up on me. I know I can be a handful, but-!"

"Yer my handful, love." The dwarf said as he squeezed his human groom's hands, "From this day onwards, ye are mine and I am yers."

Both grooms smiled happily and the ceremony moved forwards to the point where your brother and Brams were about to exchange their rings. You watched happily how your brother slipped the ring to his loved one's ring finger and how Brams did the same to him.

"I now pronounce you husband and husband! You may now kiss each other!" The priest said and your brother leaned down and he and his new husband kissed. You wished it would be the first of their many similar love-filled kisses.

Everybody cheered and clapped and you smiled as you watched your brother genuinely smile as he walked the aisle together with his husband. It was time for them to take pictures so the guests started to mingle with each other, your family, and being excited to meet Brams' family and so on. You immediately went to Kyojuro and Senjuro and both brothers smiled as you approached them.

"That was a beautiful ceremony!" Kyojuro exclaimed happily and Senjuro nodded beside his brother, "The vows were very nice."

"They were." You nodded, "I'm happy because Silver looked happy, like genuinely happy."

"Darling!" You flinched as you heard your mother's voice and you turned just in time to be hugged by her, "Hi mom-!"

"It's so good to see you again!" She exclaimed happily as you nodded as you hugged her back, "I'm happy to see you also-!"

"I heard from your brothers that you are engaged also!" She smiled as she pulled away from the hug, "Who is he, or she, and are they here with you?"

Looks like your brothers didn't tell exactly everything to your parents. You cleared your throat and smiled as you carefully looped your arm around your Kitsune fiance's arm and he automatically stepped to stand proudly next to you.

"Mom, this is Kyojuro. He is my fiance." You smiled as you pulled Senjuro next to you also, "And this is his little brother Senjuro. We all live together."

"My, you have many tails!" Your mother was awed as she offered her hand to Kyojuro and introduced herself. Your fiance smiled as he shook your mother's hand, "It's a pleasure meeting you, ma'am!"

"Honey, who is this?"

You all looked and your father joined your company. As soon as you two made eye contact, you smiled and waved, "Hi dad."

"Sweetpea." Your father nodded and Kyojuro acted before you could and shook your father's hand, "It's an honor meeting you, sir!"

"Likewise." Your father nodded and then frowned, "Who are you, again?"

"My name is Rengoku Kyojuro and I'm engaged to your daughter!" Kyojuro exclaimed excitedly and you were both happy but also horrified that he just blurted it out like that.

"I see." Your father nodded and you swallowed nervously as he looked at you, "We don't see you for months and you are suddenly engaged?"

"I..." You swallowed and shrugged, "Stuff happened?"

"Are you pregnant?" Your father asked and you blushed furiously, absolutely horrified that your own father would ask that, "No!"

"It's okay if you are, you don't need to be embarrassed-!" Your mother was saying but you interrupted her to prevent any more false assumptions from happening.

"Oh my God, why everyone assumes I'm pregnant!?" You covered your beet-red face with your hand and shook your head, "No, I am NOT pregnant, there is no way that is possible!"

"I see." Your father nodded, "Good."

"Oh my God...!" You were so embarrassed, standing there between your curious parents and good-willed fiance.

"So Rengoku, was it?" Your mother turned to look at the Kitsune who nodded, "Rengoku is my family name! You can call me Kyojuro if you want to!"

"I see!" Your mother nodded, "What do you do for a living?"

"I'm an heir of the Rengoku family!" Your fiance replied and your father squinted his eyes at him, "So you are jobless?"

"Dad!" You snapped and your father shrugged, "Sweetpea, I'm just worried. If you are going to get married and have kids then how are you going to support your family with your salary only?"

Uh oh.

"Aah, actually... I don't have a job currently?" You looked aside so you wouldn't have to see the shocked looks in your parents' eyes.

"What?!"

"Since when?!"

"It doesn't matter, we are doing just fine so can we please drop the conversation?" You were almost begging at this point for the conversation to be over, but your parents weren't looking so sure about you or your way of living.

"I assure you, my family has money!" Kyojuro suddenly exclaimed, "But if my future parents-in-law want, I will happily get myself a job!"

"K- Kyojuro?" You blinked, shocked as you looked at your fiance who smiled at you, "If it proves to your parents how much I love you then I don't mind doing it!"

Your father nodded, "A real man works to provide for his family. I'm happy to see you are taking it seriously."

"I love your daughter with my whole heart!" Kyojuro nodded, "And I'm willing to do anything for her happiness!"

You blinked as you took your fiance's words into your heart. How sweet and thoughtful he was. He really loved you.

Your parents shared a look and you swallowed nervously. Finally, your mother smiled, "What a relief, we were worried for a second when we heard about you two from your brother!"

"I see your boyfriend is serious about this." Your father nodded, "It's assuring to know that my only daughter is being taken care of."

"I promise, I won't let anything bad happen to her!" Kyojuro exclaimed and you smiled as you grabbed his hand and squeezed it reassuringly. Your fiance smiled at you and you grinned back, feeling more stable and safe than ever before.

The wedding after that went as assumed. You and your family took some photos with the grooms before it was time for all the guests to gather for the cake cutting. You could almost see the drool running down your fiance's mouth at the sight of the three-layer cake. Thank God for Senjuro used his magic to silence Kyojuro's shouts of TASTY.

The first dance was cute and intimate, just what you expected of your older brother and his new husband. You and Kyojuro danced a couple of songs together, but as the wedding approached its ending, you couldn't wait to get back to your room.

"I'm so tired! I'm never speaking to someone ever again!" You cried out as soon as you made it inside your and the fox brother's shared room.

As soon as you stepped inside, you went and collapsed on your and Kyojuro's bed, face first and giving zero care if you ruined your mascara or any other makeup on your face. Kyojuro and Senjuro followed you and closed the door behind them before they started to loosen or take off their tie and bowtie. 

"The wedding was nice!" Senjuro smiled and his older brother nodded, "Hm! The ceremony was both intimate and funny!"

"That will be me and you one day, standing there before our relatives and friends..." You said but then you quieted down as you thought, "Or do you want a traditional Japanese wedding?"

"I'm happy no matter what as long as I get to marry my beloved bride!" Kyojuro exclaimed and while you were happy to hear that, you couldn't help but think about his side of the family also.

His father and mother were both royal Yokais from Japan, wouldn't they want to see their son get married according to the traditions?

"What about your parents?" You asked, "Wouldn't they like a traditional wedding?"

"Hm! Father would no doubt want one, but knowing our mother, she just wants us her sons to be happy!" Kyojuro nodded and you copied him, "Should we invite them here?"

"We can if you want!" Your fiance said but you frowned, "I want to hear what you want Kyojuro. You don't need to agree with me in everything, you are allowed to have wants and needs also."

"Hm!" Your fiance nodded and you hoped you weren't too straightforward to appear rude... But he didn't seem to mind it one bit. "Then, if it's alright with you, I would love to include my parents in our wedding ceremony!"

"Then let's!" You smiled, "We just need to decide when we are holding the wedding."

"Do you have any date in mind?" Senjuro asked as he took off his black jacket and you hummed thoughtfully, trying to come up with a date... But as you tried to do that, you remembered that your brother had just married his own fiance and somehow your mind wandered into your left hand and empty finger.

It wasn't like you and Kyojuro were a regular couple and you weren't sure how proposing happened in Japan, but you felt a little sting when you thought about not carrying proof of your love with you.

"I don't know, I think I'm going to need more time to think about it." You sighed, suddenly feeling like you were trapped in this darn ugly dress of yours, "Ugh, I'm going to change into something more comfortable, if that is okay with you guys?"

"Please, make yourself comfortable!" The foxes nodded and you grabbed your hoodie and pants you had been wearing before you had to put the dress on before going to the bathroom to change and wash off your makeup. While you were there, the brothers looked at each other.

"Did you see the look in big sis eyes?" Senjuro asked and Kyojuro nodded, "Hm! I did!"

"Are you going to do something about it?"

"Hm!" The older Kitsune nodded, "I will!"

"What?" You called from the bathroom, "Did you say something?"

"Nothing, my beloved!" Kyojuro called, "I'm going outside for a moment! I'll be right back!"

"Okay!"

After you changed and came out of the bathroom Kyojuro was gone, but you didn't think much of it. Maybe he had to get something to eat since he couldn't eat his usual portion back at the wedding party. When you asked Senjuro he said that his brother had some things he had to take care of.

You accepted his reply and made yourself comfortable on your and Kyojuro's shared bed, browsing your phone and secretly looking at the different wedding venues around the country and secretly some places in Japan. After doing that for half an hour or a full hour, Kyojuro returned.

"My beloved bride, may I steal you away for a moment?"

"Sure?" You blinked and got up from the bed, but Kyojuro quickly shook his head, "You will need shoes on!"

"Are we going somewhere? It's almost dark out there already?" You asked and the Kitsune grinned happily, "Yes!"

"Are you going to tell me where we are going?"

"No, I'm not!"

"Okay...?" You were suspicious but you decided to trust him as you asked, "Are sneakers okay or should I put heels back on?"

"Whatever makes you feel most comfortable!" Kyojuro replied and you nodded, "Sneakers it is."

As you reached for your shoes, your fiance glanced at his younger brother who was reading a comic book he had brought with him from home, "Senjuro, do you manage if we go out for a moment?"

"I'll be fine so there is no hurry for you two to come back." The young fox smiled and the older one nodded, accepting his brother's reply.

After putting your shoes on, you followed Kyojuro blindly and you soon found yourself outside where your big brother's and his dwarf husband's ceremony was held. Someone had already cleaned all the seats away and the altar was the only thing left from the wedding held just hours ago.

"Kyojuro, what do you have in your mind-?"

"Just follow me, my beloved!" He said and you were confused but followed him as he lead you to one of the nature paths that lead into the forest surrounding the bed and breakfast.

"Kyojuro, I'm not wearing anything that would suit a nature walk. Also, I can barely see ahead of me." You complained, but your beloved Kitsune smiled, "We are almost there!"

"Where?" You asked and suddenly you stepped into an opening in the middle of the trees and you gasped. There were some sort of eerie lights floating in the air surrounding you two, creating this magical glow around the two of you.

"Kyojuro, what-?" You were asking, but he smiled, "I summoned some will-o'-the-wisp to help me!"

"They are beautiful," You murmured in awe as you watched the lights gently dance around the two of you. "Wait, help you?"

Kyojuro smiled as he gently grasped your hand, "My beloved, you do know that I only want your happiness?" He asked and to his joy, you nodded.

"I couldn't help but notice how you looked at your brother's engagement ring when he visited last week to announce his wedding to you." He said and you panicked a little.

"Ah, I was only admiring it, nothing else!" You hurriedly defended your actions, but Kyojuro just smiled, "I had a feeling you would like a ring of your own..."

"No way-!" You gasped as Kyojuro got on one knee before you and you panicked so hard you smiled and laughed, "Kyojuro, I'm wearing a freaking hoodie with a ketchup stain on it and sweatpants!"

"And you look beautiful!" He exclaimed as he reached for his pocket and pulled out a small dark box. You couldn't believe this was happening. You covered your mouth in shock as he snapped the box open and you saw this gorgeous lotus ring with a huge crimson ruby in the center, surrounded by smaller rubies.

"Kyojuro...!" You gasped and the fox smiled, "I know we are engaged, but I wanted to make it more official in the eyes of others!"

Carefully, he picked up the ring and looked at you, "My beloved bride, will you do me the honor and stay with me until it's time for you to become my dearest wife and the lady of the Rengoku household?"

"Kyojuro...!" You almost sobbed as you smiled and nodded, "Yes! Yes, I will!"

The Kitsune was all smiles as he offered his hand to you and you gently placed your left hand over his so he could slip the ring on your finger. It was a perfect fit, just like the two of you were.

"May every person who ever sees this ring on you know that you belong to me!" Kyojuro exclaimed in joy, and you couldn't help but giggle a little bit.

"I belong to you?" You grinned, "What am I, a cat?"

"At least as cute as one!" He laughed as he stood up and you were nearly startled by the loving look in his gorgeous eyes. "I truly love you..."

"And I love you..." You murmured back happily and you were both all smiles as you kissed, surrounded by dark forest and eerie ghost lights.

[druckkugelschreiber]

Writer's Asks

I got tagged by the wonderful @goldheartedsky and am way too excited to do it!!!

1) how many works do you have on AO3?

26 and not counting very fast because posting things is exhausting

2) What’s your total AO3 word count?

517,732 which considering the amount of stories I have posted tells you a lot about the length of them lol

3) What fandoms do you write for?

Anything and everything I hyperfocus on. The Old Guard has the most words, but I also have Marvel, The Walking dead, Dragon Age, Snow White and the Huntsman, Fast & Furious, Alien Series and School for good and evil on there

4) What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

The evil queen and her huntress, Arena, My white Knight, Flower Dances (only cause of the Kudos bug back then though) and Safe & Sound

5) Do you respond to comments?

hell yeah!

6) What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Cottage just thinking about it makes me want to cry.

7) What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Uhhh, I almost exclusively write happy endings, so I don't know which is the happiest. Though I think either the upcoming ending for Freedom or Three times Loghain (almost) broke up with Caliane and the one time he didn't, Callie and Loghain also have a very happy ending together with a baby daughter even

8) Do you get hate on fics?

Not so far, but I don't post a lot of my more 'problematic' stuff

9) Do you write smut?

I do, but not very much, not all that interesting for me to write most days

10) Do you write crossovers? If so, what’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I love writing crossovers, my go to are my marvel crossovers for anything (not many posted though), but the craziest is probably my Hobbit/ TWD crossover which can be found in Jojo's Negan x OFC oneshots

11) Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not as far as I know

12) have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope

13) have you ever cowritten a fic before?

not written, but I used to have like verbal stories with my friend back in middle school. I don't think it would work nowadays with my writing style anymore

14) What’s your all time favorite ship?

SkyeWard, but I don't write about the character ships, for writing, I only write xOCs ships which would then be Andy x OFC naturally

15) What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

"At arm's length" but it has runneth dry, I'd also love to finish "Layers" which I kind of hope I will get to at some point, also "Best mistake I ever made" I really want to finish it but I do doubt that'll ever happen

16) What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue and I think writing action or at least I enjoy it

17) what are your writing weaknesses?

description of surroundings, setting scenes, that sort of thing, I'm continously working on improving describing the very specific images in my head

18) thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I think it's cool but if not provided with translation it frustrates me and pulls me out of fics. Also if it's a language I know, it should be gramatically correct but I know how hard that is to get done in fanfic at least for myself so I usually just put everything in italics and call it a day.

19) First fandom you wrote for?

Warrior Cats, still write for it occassionally, I wrote WaCa fanfics before I knew what fanfics were lol

20) Favorite fic you’ve written?

My Spirit of Vengeance series holds a very special place in my heart. It was the first series of longfics I ever finished and just a lot of long projects in a row I finished in years. A lot of firsts happened with that series an it's my baby.

no pressure tagging @mxanigel @ex0rin @winterbonesthings @poetikat at anyone else who I forgot regularly writes fics, I'm terrible at remembering that and @ziskandra has abandoned tumblr after all D:

[pathfinderunlocked]

Stalblind - CR16 Div

A multi-phase boss fight based on Blind from Link to the Past.

Artwork by OctoDojo on DeviantArt.

This creature is based mostly on Blind from Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, but its name and a few of its abilities are from the similar boss Stalblind from Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds.

A stalblind is a fiery div driven by greed, but also by a desire to be trusted so that it can betray those who misjudge it.  Stalblinds are known to disguise themselves as helpless captives of their own allies and traps, burning any who fall for the ruse to ash when their guard is down.  When a stalblind’s disguise fails, it flies into a rage.

The idea of a creature that has to be defeated three times in a row is pretty classic video game nonsense, but rarely seen in TTRPGs.  The end result here is a creature that not only takes far longer to kill than a normal enemy (making it feel much more like a boss), but also only loses one of its three lives if it fails a save-or-suck effect (which I think is also very appropriate for a boss).

I rarely give enemies spell resistance, but thought it was appropriate for the stalblind heads, since I wanted them to be harder to deal with than their low HP suggests.  Going after the main body and ignoring the stalblind heads should be a viable strategy, and I think the combination of DR and SR accomplishes that.

A stalblind encounter is only considered defeated when players burn through all three of its lives; players don’t get the EXP three times for defeating this encounter.  Stalblind heads don’t give EXP, don’t have a challenge rating, and are not really appropriate enemies to include on their own.

Stalblind - CR 16

A beast-headed creature floats in mid-air, its torso nothing but a swirling cloth, and its arms formed of flame in the shape of massive claws.

XP 76,800 NE Large outsider (div, evil, extraplanar, shapechanger) Init +8 Senses see in darkness; Perception +25

DEFENSE

AC 29, touch 21, flat-footed 20 (+3 deflection, +8 Dex, +1 dodge, +4 enhancement to natural armor, +4 natural, -1 size) hp 171 (18d10+72) Fort +12; Ref +19; Will +15; +2 vs. paralysis, sleep, and stunning, +8 vs. mind-affecting Defensive Abilities div’s grace, three lives DR 5/cold iron or good Immune fire, poison, divination to gather information Resist acid 10, electricity 10 Weaknesses light vulnerability, sunlight powerlessness

OFFENSE

Speed fly 40 ft. (perfect) Melee 2 claws +24 (2d8+6 plus 2d6 fire), bite +18 (1d6+3 plus 2d6 fire) or bite +23 (1d6+6 plus 2d6 fire) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Special Attacks dark breath, sneak attack 4d6

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 19th; concentration +22)     Constant—mind blank     1/day—wall of fire

STATISTICS

Str 22, Dex 27, Con 19, Int 12, Wis 18, Cha 16 Base Atk +18; CMB +25; CMD 47 Feats Ability Focus (dark breath), Combat Reflexes, Deceitful, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Great Fortitude, Mobility, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (claw) Skills Bluff +28, Diplomacy +3 (+8 vs genies matching geniekind type), Disguise +28, Fly +26, Perception +25, Sleight of Hand +29, Stealth +20; Racial Bonuses +5 Diplomacy vs. genies matching geniekind type Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Common, Infernal SQ change shape (alter self or geniekind), geniekind benefits

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Dark Breath (Ex) As a standard action, once every 1d3 rounds, a stalblind can perform a breath weapon attack in a 60-foot line, emitting a dark gas that is particularly harmful to the eyes of creatures accustomed to the daylight.  Creatures within the area of the breath attack take 10d6 damage and are permanently blinded.  Creatures with darkvision take half damage and are only blinded for 1d3 rounds, and creatures with the see in darkness ability are immune.  A DC 27 Fortitude save halves the damage (to a total reduction of 1/4 damage for creatures with darkvision) and negates the blinding effect.  The save DC is Constitution-based.

Light Vulnerability (Ex) If a stalblind is in an area of bright light, it is dazzled and its shapechanger ability is suppressed, causing it to revert to its natural form.

Geniekind Benefits (Su) Even when not using its change shape ability to take on the form of a genie, a stalblind permanently benefits from the effects of the geniekind spell, choosing one of the four types of genies to gain the powers of, but without actually changing its form.  This is not considered a polymorph effect. 

This grants the stalblind a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against paralysis, sleep, and stunning effects, and a +4 enhancement bonus to its natural armor bonus.  It also gains a +2 enhancement bonus to Constitution and a +5 bonus on all Diplomacy checks made when interacting with creatures of the same elemental subtype as its chosen genie.  These bonuses are already included in its statistics.

Additionally, as part of this effect, a stalblind gains other abilities depending upon the type of genie it choose to gain the powers of, as described in the geniekind spell.  These additional powers are not included in the stat block above.  A stalblind can change which type of genie to gain the powers of as a swift action.

Div’s Grace (Su) A stalblind gains a deflection bonus to AC equal to its Charisma bonus.  This is already included in its stat block.

Three Lives (Su) Twice per day, when a stalblind is reduced to 0 or fewer hit points or killed by a death effect, instead of going unconscious or dying, its cloth body falls to the ground and its head detaches, transforming into a stalblind head, a separate creature which acts independently and protects the stalblind.  After 1 round, the stalblind reforms from the cloth body with full hit points, with all conditions and effects removed from it, and all resources recovered except for its uses of Three Lives, as if it were a new creature.  However, the reformed stalblind is missing one arm and loses one of its claw attacks.  The second time per day it uses this ability, it loses both arms and both claw attacks.  (A stalblind’s bite attack never gains bonus damage for being its only natural attack, even when it has lost both of its claws.)

The stalblind heads and the loss of its claw attacks remain until the stalblind rests to recover its uses of this ability, at which point it regenerates its lost limbs and any remaining stalblind heads disappear.

The stat block for a stalblind head is listed below.

Stalblind Head

NE Small outsider (div, evil, extraplanar) Init +8 Senses see in darkness; Perception +4

DEFENSE

AC 27, touch 23, flat-footed 18 (+3 deflection, +8 Dex, +1 dodge, +4 natural, +1 size) hp 60 (11d10) Fort +5; Ref +15; Will +11 Defensive Abilities div’s grace, evasion DR 15/cold iron and good Immune fire, poison Resist acid 10, electricity 10 Weaknesses light sensitivity, sunlight powerlessness SR 27

OFFENSE

Speed fly 40 ft. (perfect) Melee bite +14 (1d6+2 plus 2d6 fire) Ranged eye lasers +20 touch (5d6 fire) Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. Special Attacks eye lasers, sneak attack 4d6

STATISTICS

Str 14, Dex 27, Con 11, Int 1, Wis 18, Cha 16 Base Atk +11; CMB +12; CMD 34 Feats Dodge, Flyby Attack, Great Fortitude, Mobility, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot Skills Fly +21 SQ linked death

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Eye Lasers (Ex) As a standard action, a stalblind head can fire eye lasers as a ranged touch attack against a target within 100 feet.  A target struck by this attack takes 5d6 fire damage.

Linked Death (Su) If the stalblind that a stalblind head serves is killed, the stalblind head immediately explodes, dealing 4d6 fire damage and 4d6 piercing damage to all targets within a 20-ft. radius.  A DC 15 Reflex save halves the damage.  The save DC is Constitution-based.

Div’s Grace (Su) A stalblind head gains a deflection bonus to AC equal to its Charisma bonus.  This is already included in its stat block.

[ancestorsofjudah]

1 Kings 7: 23-26. "The Islands and the Echoes."

23 He made the Sea of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim and five cubits high. It took a line of thirty cubits[o] to measure around it. 

The Sea is "a thread" circular in diameter that connects God to the Creation, serves as a dividing line between life and death, order and chaos, what is unknown or uncertain and what is projected into reality.

The Tanakh "the perpetual water of reality" is found within its basin, which is ten by five by thirty=1500.

Human beings are islands in the Sea, contained in the above dimensions, which have a Gematria of איי.

The basin for the Sea is made of cast metal, not found in nature because to become sentient and know God is an antirely artificial process invented by mankind in order to rise up out of the Sea and ironically find its way back.

24 Below the rim, gourds encircled it—ten to a cubit. The gourds were cast in two rows in one piece with the Sea.

Gourds are split, meaning we must sacrifice aspects of the self we are born with- the urge to be selfish, territorial, dirty, unshaven, etc. if we are to become one with God, we must be civilized, comfortable, clean, healthy and at peace with one another.

This creates a Gemtria of 15,000 gourds= 431, דגא‎‎ daga, "the fishery". Before we can be whole human islands we have to swim as fish:

‎‎

דגה

The verb דגה (daga) means to multiply or increase, but as such it's used only once in the Bible. In Genesis 48:16, Jacob blesses Ephraim, Manasseh and Joseph, and says: "May they increase into a multitude in the midst of the earth" (with which he probably meant the center of prominence). The derivatives of this root are much more common:

The masculine noun דג (dag) and the feminine noun דגה (daga) both meaning fish (literally "the multitudinous"). Fish were caught with spears (Job 41:7), hooks (Isaiah 9:8) or nets (Habakkuk 1:15), but only fish with fins and scales could be eaten (Leviticus 11:9-12). Fish feel the presence of God (Ezekiel 38:20), will exist and be hunted in the new creation (Ezekiel 47:9), but it was forbidden to worship an image in the form of a fish (Deuteronomy 4:18). When Jonah was tossed over the side, a great fish (and thus not a whale) gobbled him up (Jonah 1:17).

The denominative verb דיג (dig), meaning to fish (Jeremiah 16:16 only).

The masculine noun דוג (dawwag) or דיג (dayyag), meaning fisherman (Isaiah 19:8, Ezekiel 47:10).

The feminine noun דוגה (duga), meaning a fishing or a fishery (Amos 4:2 only).

From fish, we become bulls, and crawl out of the Sea:

25 The Sea stood on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east. The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center. 

Bullboys are men who use their horns instead of their eyes. They are aggressive and unable to depart from the whims of childhood. Bulls that face reality become men.

The 12 Bulls are the 12 Noble Qualities broken into Four Directions.

If we number them, here is what we find:

North: What is Hidden by God:

Ruben, leadership. Odem.

Shimon, Law Abiding: Pitda.

Levi, loyatly: Bareket. Enlightenment.

East: What is Revealed by God.

Judah “praiseworthy”: Nofech.

Issachar “dedicated”: Sapir.

Zevulun “honor, culture”: Yahalom.

South: What is Realized by Man.

Dan “judgement, government” : Leshem.

Naftali “justice”: Shvo.

Gad “talent, teaching Ruben” : Achlamah.

West: What Illuminates Mankind.

Asher “happiness” : Tarshish.

Joseph “prosperity”: Shoham.

Benjamin “righteousness” : Yashpeh.

26 It was a handbreadth[p] in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held two thousand baths.[q]

=6554, וההד‎, "And the echo."

There are several ways echoes explain how creation works: external to the mind, within the mind, and how the two states are unified by truth:

Hear O Israel, the L‑rd our G‑d, the L‑rd is one (“echad”)

Deuteronomy 6:4

"We usually think of the cosmic struggle in terms of good versus evil. But according to the Kabbalists, good and evil are but spinoffs of unity and divisiveness. G‑d is the ultimate oneness, and everything G‑dly in our world bears the stamp of His unity. Evil, simply stated, is the distortion of this oneness by the veil of divisiveness in which G‑d shrouds His creation.

Creation, as described in the teachings of Kabbalah, is an evolution from the utterly singular to the plural and dichotomous. The entirety of existence originates as the divine yen to create—a desire as singular as its Conceiver.

But latent in this desire is also another face of the divine—the infinite possibilities implicit in G‑d’s unlimited potential. Thus, the singular desire for creation gives birth to our plural world, a world whose immense detail and complexity bespeak the infinite potential of its Creator.

None of this, in and of itself, is the negative phenomenon we call evil. Yet the seeds for evil are here. Plurality begets divisiveness, and divisiveness begets conflict.

As long as a plural reality still echoes its singular source, divisiveness will not take root and spawn strife; but with the development of each particular entity in the diversity of creation into a self that is distinct of the cosmic whole, divisiveness/strife/evil rears its head."

[stock-cgcr]

A strong U.S. rebound?

U.S. stocks hit four-week highs, with the Nasdaq rising for a fourth straight day and copper rising above $9,100 for the first time in seven months

On the eve of the release of CPI inflation in December, the president of the Boston Fed spoke dovish in favor of only a 25 basis point rate hike in February. European and American stocks rose across the board, with the Nasdaq notching its longest winning streak since September last year and the Dow Jones Industrial Average up nearly 270 points. Amazon rose nearly 6 percent to its biggest gain in two months, 3B Home, a retail group that warned of bankruptcy, rose nearly 69 percent to its highest level since going public, doubling in three days, and Alibaba rose seven days in a row to its highest in six months. Yields on 10-year European bonds generally fell more than 10 basis points as the inflation outlook improved. The dollar hovered at a seven-month low, facing its first technical "dead cross" in two and a half years, and the offshore yuan was at its highest in five months. Gold turned higher in late trading to hit another eight-month high. Oil prices rose more than 3 percent to a one-week high, while European natural gas fell more than 5 percent to a near one-year low. U.S. gas hit its lowest intraday level in a year and a half and is down nearly 19 percent this year.

Us financial markets will undoubtedly have the most important trading day to start the New Year on Thursday, January 12: The US Labor Department will release the December consumer price index at 21:30 Beijing time tonight, the last CPI indicator to be released before the Federal Reserve's next rate-setting meeting.

With last week's cooler-than-expected payroll data fueling speculation that the Fed might end its rate-hike cycle earlier than expected, tonight's inflation report has come into focus early: investors in stocks and bonds will be looking for more evidence to support a further rally this year; And Fed officials have widely said the inflation report is likely to be the key to deciding whether to raise rates by a quarter-point or a half-point next month.

Consumer prices are expected to rise 6.5% in December from a year earlier, down from the previous month's 7.1% year-over-year increase, according to the median forecast of economists polled by media. In June last year, the CPI rose 9.1 per cent from a year earlier, the biggest increase in more than 40 years.

In one sense, the 6.5% median forecast is even relatively high, since the average of media surveys is already much closer to 6.4%.

From a series of market indicators before the CPI data release, the overall inflation cooling momentum is also extremely obvious.

The median survey at the end of last week had originally predicted a 0 per cent month-on-month change in CPI tonight, but the figure has started to move closer to minus 0.1 per cent. Well-known Wall Street institutions, including Goldman Sachs, Bank of America and Morgan Stanley, now expect the CPI to fall 0.1% month on month in December, while Wells Fargo even expects it to fall 0.2% month on month.

Economists now widely expect the core CPI, which strips out food and energy prices, to rise 0.3 per cent in December from a month earlier, up from 0.2 per cent the previous month. Year-on-year, it would rise 5.7 percent, compared with 6.0 percent last month, which would be the highest December core inflation rate since 1981.

According to a chart from the derivatives team at Barclays, "never in the past 10 years has the S&P 500 reacted as negatively to economic indicators as it did to CPI in 2022."

And it is the CPI data that is now so influential that almost all market participants can no longer ignore it. With the December CPI data out tonight, traders expect the S&P 500 to move at least 2% in either direction on Thursday, up or down, according to the latest pricing in the options market.

[yhwhrulz777]

A Bible Devotion - Thursday, November 17, 2022

God Can Speed Things Up

LUKE 8:11 NLT 11 "This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God's word.

MARK 4:26 NLT 26 Jesus also said, "The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground.

To help us understand how God's Word and His kingdom operate, Jesus used a seed. And normally, for a seed to grow and produce a harvest takes significant time.

However, it is also clear that God can speed up natural processes.

Here are three examples from Scripture: Aaron's rod that grew almonds overnight, a plant that grew overnight which shaded Jonah, and the boat immediately reaching the shore when Jesus got aboard.

NUMBERS 17:7-8 NKJ 7 And Moses placed the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness. 8 Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold, the rod of Aaron, of the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds.

The book of Jonah tells of a plant that grew large enough overnight to be able to shade Jonah from the sun.

JONAH 4:5-11 NKJ 5 So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city. 6 And the LORD God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant. 7 But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. 8 And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah's head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, "It is better for me to die than to live." 9 Then God said to Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?" And he said, "It is right for me to be angry, even to death!" 10 But the LORD said, "You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. 11 "And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left -- and much livestock?"

One time Jesus' disciples were in the middle of the lake rowing in a storm. As soon as Jesus entered the boat, they were immediately at land, which was about 4 miles away (a little over 6 kilometers).

JOHN 6:19-21 NKJ 19 So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid. 20 But He said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid." 21 Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.

God is gracious and merciful. So while understanding the seed idea is important, it need not severely limit us when God is involved.

For example: healing is a natural process God created so the human body will heal. However, we can pray for God's power to cause the process to speed up so that healing occurs faster than normal.

SAY THIS: God can speed up His harvest of blessing in my life.

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[hanna-kin]

Swedish facts- school edition

Since you did seem to like my post about swedish facts I thought I could make another one specifically about school.

👑 School is free, even private schools

👑 So is lunch and lunch is actual cooked meals that are served by the school.

👑 You start school at age 6 with grade 0 or förskoleklass which is like kindergarten. Before that you can stay at home (not that common) or go to daycare.

👑 school is then divided into sections. Grade 1-3 (age 7-9) is called lågstadiet. Grade 4-6 (age 10-12) is called mellanstadiet and grade 7-9 (age 13-15) is called högstadiet. These are all mandatory including grade 0. They are called grundskolan or compulsary school.

👑 You start grade 0 the year you turn 6 and you don't have to be six before the school year starts. (This means that unless Wille and Simon skipped grades or were held back they are 16 or about to turn 16 during season 1)

👑 The new school year starts in mid August and is divided in two semesters. You have autumn break in October/november (1 week) christmas break over christmas (around 3 weeks) winter break (sports break) in February/march (1 week) easter break around easter (1 week) and the summer break from june to august (around 10 weeks)

👑 in compulsary school you take a number of subjects, (swedish, maths, English, history, pe, music and the list goes on.

👑 If you have another first language than swedish the school has to offer lessons in your first language so Simon probably studied Spanish in school from an early age.

👑 For högstadiet you can sometimes choose a specific focus like football, English, hockey, dance, music etc. (I did English) and you'll have extra lessons focusing on these subjects.

👑 Most people go to gymnasiet after they graduate from compulsary school. Hillerska is a gymnasium (high school)

👑 You can choose between many many different programs depending on what you like or what you plan to do in the future. Common ones are social science and natural science, econimics, music, dance and behavioural science. All these are meant to prepare you for further studies at the university.

👑 There are also many that are focused on teaching a certain profession. Builder, plumber, decorator, hair dresser, stylist florist, agriculture, cooking school... The list really is endless.

👑 Gymnaasiet lasts for three years (normally) and you typically graduate the year you turn 19.

👑 The grades are F-A

👑 Graduation from gymnasiet is a big deal... so big that if people are interested I'll make a post focused on that.

👑 School days are usually between 8-15 or something like that but nothing is set in stone and your schedule varies from depending on which day of the week it is.

👑 I don't think after school activities are really a thing like in other countries and it doesn't work the same with credits for activities either. I'm not to familiar with it though so I'm not going to go into it further.

👑 At Hillerska things are obviously a bit different since it's a boarding school so they have their rowing team and probably a football team.

That's all I can come up with right now but if you have any questions about school I'm always happy to help.

And like I said on my other post. If you don't want to follow the swedish school system for your fic just do whatever you want. This is just meant to help they are not rules to follow.

And if I forgot something important just fill me in

[paperanddice]

This week's 13th Age conversions are all spiders, so I'll tag appropriately and if you're arachnophobic probably best to skim past this one.

Obsidian spiders are a small earth elemental, literally a spider made out of obsidian. Individually they aren't very threatening, though their legs are razor sharp and their bite will cause small spots of petrification. In massive swarms however, both of those dangers increase exponentially, as hundreds of bites can petrify an entire body, while those sharp legs rip up the body of anyone they crawl around on. Driving these creatures to swarm isn't easy, but greater elemental beings are sometimes able to just command the spiders into action, and in those cases it's incredibly easy for them to rile up a swarm or three.

Tomb spiders are common in areas highly infested by the undead. They exist comfortably with negative energy, and their young are even capable of roughly immitating the effects of it. Young tomb spider broodswarms will take refuge inside of corpses, animating them as mobile defensive structures while feeding on the body's insides. These wandering broodswarm corpses are often called brood mummies, even if they technically aren't undead.

The tomb spider originates from the 4e Monster Manual 2, while the obsidian spider swarm is an original creation of mine. This post came out a week ago on my Patreon. If you want to get access to all my monster conversions early, as well as access to my premade adventures and other material I’m working on, consider backing me there!

Obsidian Spider Swarm  Large 4th level wrecker [elemental]  Initiative: +7 Vulnerability: Thunder Stone Venom Bites +9 vs. PD (all enemies engaged with the swarm) - 14 damage. Natural Even Hit: The target is also stuck (save ends). Natural 18 or 20: The target must start making last gasp saves. On the fourth failure, the target turns to stone. Razor Sharp Legs: Each enemy that ends its turn engaged with the swarm takes damage equal to double the escalation die. Wall Climber. Swarming Resistance: The swarm has resist damage 16+ against attacks that can only target a single creature. AC 19 PD 19 MD 14 HP 120

Tomb Spider  Large 5th level blocker [beast]  Initiative: +8 Vulnerability: Holy Death Venom Fangs +10 vs. AC - 10 damage plus 10 ongoing negative energy damage. Natural Even Hit: The target also takes 2d12 ongoing poison damage if it’s dazed, hampered, stuck, or weakened. C: Web +10 vs. PD (up to 2 nearby enemies in a group) - 5 ongoing negative energy damage and the target is dazed (save ends both). Natural Even Hit: The target is also hampered as long as its taking the ongoing damage. Natural Odd Hit: The target is also stuck as long as its taking the ongoing damage. Limited Use: 2/battle, never two rounds in a row. Wall Crawler. Resist Negative Energy 14+. AC 21 PD 20 MD 14 HP 140

Tomb Spider Broodswarm  5th level mook [beast]  Initiative: +12 Vulnerability: Holy Wave of Spiderlings +10 vs. PD - 5 ongoing negative energy damage. Infest: The broodswarm crawls into a nearby dead body and animates it as a zombie under the broodswarm’s control. The broodswarm gains 9 temporary hit points, a +1 bonus to AC and PD, and the broodswarm can make a spiderling infested punch attack as a standard action as long as it remains inside the body. The broodswarm can exit the body as a move action, losing all these benefits. [Special Trigger] Spiderling Infested Punch +10 vs. AC - 8 damage. Natural Even Hit: The target also takes 5 ongoing negative energy damage. Wall Crawler: Except when the broodswarm has infested a body. Resist Negative Energy 14+. AC 20 PD 20 MD 15 HP 15 (mook) Mook: Kill one tomb spider broodswarm for every 15 damage you deal to the mob.

[thecreaturecodex]

Surnoch

Image © Paizo Publishing

[Starfinder, at least in Alien Archive, has a very broad definition of what an “animal” is. It uses the term for any non-sapient, non-arthropod, even if they have bizarre anatomies or unusual abilities. Like the surnoch here, which can survive in space, shoot jets of acid and see through solid rock. No way is that an animal by PF1e definitions. I made my version an aberration in order to link it to the thematically and morphologically similar somalcygot.]

Surnoch              CR 10 N Aberration This creature resembles a thorny lamprey, with multiple rows of serrated teeth in its open maw. Hooks, spines and other sharp implements grow along its body, all dripping greenish fluid.

Surnochs are strange creatures native to asteroids, airless moons, and other hostile environments.  A surnoch creates a network of crisscrossing, three dimensional tunnels, and races through these in search of organic prey to supplement its otherwise mineral diet. Although their native range is in space, they sometimes make landfall inside of large meteorites that fall to ground, or through the machinations of mages or alien monsters. Since they are parthenogenic and require nothing more than exposure to radiation in order to reproduce, a single surnoch can create a planetside population fairly easily.

Surnochs feed on metals, minerals and organic matter. A surnoch can see through stone like most animals can see through water—sharply over short distances, hazily over longer ones. If a surnoch spots a blank spot, it instinctively knows that it is a metal, and burrows towards it in order to give it a taste. They require radioactive materials or abysium in order to reproduce, and gorge themselves on these when available. Some of what they eat is converted into the strong mineral acids that ooze from their spines and can be fired in piercing jets. What is truly indigestible is excreted as waste—this can include concentrating rare minerals such as adamantine, or excreting of strange alloys found nowhere else. Smiths, alchemists and other craftsmen value the minerals excreted by surnochs, but harvesting them is understandably fraught with peril.

Sages have noted the similarity between surnochs and somalcygots, both void-dwelling, burrowing creatures. The relationship is something like that between apes and humans—the two species are related, with somalcygots having a more developed intelligence, and there is no particular affinity between the two. In fact, somalcygots will usually kill and eat a surnoch if they come across one.

Surnoch               CR 10 XP 9,600 N Large aberration Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Perception +14, see through stone Defense AC 24, touch 15, flat-footed 18 (-1 size, +6 Dex, +9 natural) hp 127 (15d8+52) Fort +11, Ref +13, Will +11 Immune acid; Weakness animalistic Offense Speed 30 ft., burrow 30 ft. Melee bite +16 (2d10+4 plus grapple) Ranged acid jet +16 touch (3d6+13) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Special Attacks constrict (1d10+4 bludgeoning plus 1d10 piercing plus 1d6 acid) Statistics Str 17, Dex 23, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 10 Base Atk +11; CMB +18 (+22 grapple); CMD 30 (cannot be tripped) Feats Agile Maneuvers, Combat Reflexes, Great Fortitude, Improved Vital Strike, Lightning Reflexes, Vital Strike, Weapon Finesse Skills Acrobatics +18, Perception +14, Stealth +14; Racial Modifiers +4 Acrobatics, +4 Perception, +4 Stealth, SQ no breath, tunnel runner Ecology Environment underground (space) Organization solitary or pair Treasure standard Special Abilities Acid Jet (Ex) As a standard action, a surnoch can spray acid at its foes. Treat this as a ranged touch attack with a range of 60 feet and five range increments. When it makes an attack with its acid jets, the surnoch makes a single attack roll, and compares it to the touch AC of all foes in a line out to the maximum range of the acid jet (with range penalties as appropriate). This jet deals 3d6 plus the surnoch’s HD acid damage to all creatures in the line to creatures with an AC lower than or equal to the attack roll. If the damage fails to penetrate a creature’s hardness or energy resistance, the shot is blocked and cannot deal damage to targets farther away. Animalistic (Ex) A surnoch is treated as both an animal and an aberration for spells and effects based on creature type, whichever is worse for it. See Through Stone (Su) A surnoch can see through stone as if it were transparent. It cannot see further through stone than 60 feet. Tunnel Runner (Ex) A surnoch gains Run as a bonus feat when moving through tunnels created by it or another surnoch.

[baoshan-sanren]

Chapter 47

Emperor Wei WuXian And His Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Birthday

Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 Part 1 | Chapter 8 Part 2 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 Part 1 | Chapter 15 Part 2 | Chapter 16 | Chapter 17 | Chapter 18 | Chapter 19 | Chapter 20 | Chapter 21 | Chapter 22 Part 1 | Chapter 22 Part 2 | Chapter 23 | Chapter 24 | Chapter 25 | Chapter 26 | Chapter 27 | Chapter 28 | Chapter 29 | Chapter 30 | Chapter 31 | Chapter 32 | Chapter 33 | Chapter 34 | Chapter 35 | Chapter 36 | Chapter 37 | Chapter 38 | Chapter 39 | Chapter 40 | Chapter 41 | Chapter 42 | Chapter 43 | Chapter 44 | Chapter 45 | Chapter 46

It is always difficult, abandoning XingChen in the midst of a battle.

Xiao XingChen, the former First Prince of the Shan Empire, the notorious Rogue Prince to some, the Blind Immortal to others, whose cultivation had surpassed Song Lan’s while they were still children together, has always hurled himself headfirst into danger, heedless of consequences. Even now, shoulder to shoulder with the Lan Sect Leader, glowing like the sun, he pays no attention to the chaos around him. There is much to be admired in his single-minded focus, in his ability to step forth bravely into the oncoming storms. But Song Lan lives in terror of the day when he may not be by XingChen’s side when needed, the day when XingChen’s impetuous courage propels him into a battle he cannot win alone.

It is illogical to think this way; Song Lan is aware that his fears have very little basis in reality. XingChen is no wilting Prince of the court, who must be held gently and shielded from the storms. He does not need Song Lan to be his faithful shadow; it has been many years since he has needed a companion to watch his back. XingChen is a true descendent of the Immortal Empress, his power and skill near impossible to match.

Still, Song Lan hesitates.

He is aware of the three Jin disciples who must be monitored at all times, but knows nothing of those who had been assigned this task. True to his nature, Nie HuaiSang had offered no information that had not been asked for outright. Still, Song Lan had watched these disciples closely throughout the ceremony, reasoning that an extra set of eyes could not go amiss.

One of these disciples has left the hall in a hurry.

Song Lan sees three Nie disciples follow only moments later, their movements fluid and lethal, as if tracking the scent of prey. A single Jin disciple should be no match for three boys from QingHe Nie, especially those who have been trained under Sect Leader Nie’s heavy hand. But any one of the three Jin disciples could be the person they had been hunting.

This person, boy or not, is far more dangerous than any of them can imagine. This monster, who had killed over three hundred people, will not be so easily overpowered. Song Lan cannot allow him to slip through their fingers again.

XingChen’s profile is immaculately serene. It gives no hint of the power he exerts, not a single whisper of fatigue or distress. 

It takes effort, to turn away from that tranquil expression, and trust that XingChen will keep himself safe.

The small arch leads out into the palace meeting hall. The hall is cavernous and empty, the commotion of the disastrous Gifting Ceremony growing muffled behind him. He had dallied too long; he cannot see the Jin Sect disciple, or the Nie boys who had followed on his heels. Song Lan is intimately familiar with the Emperor’s palace, each hall and courtyard etched into his memory from a young age. But does the Jin Sect disciple know it as well? Does he have an escape route planned, or is he running blind?

In his place, Song Lan would have cut across the empty East courtyard, as the Emperor’s public study is often unguarded when vacant. From there, an easy path through the second Imperial library would lead out into the Imperial Gardens, which would provide the necessary cover, as well as multiple points of egress. Especially now, with the palace having descended into chaos, and the Emperor incapacitated, the Imperial guards are doubtlessly being issued multiple conflicting orders. It may not be so easy to slip past them at the main gates, but it is unlikely that any of the guards would consider Imperial Gardens as a plausible escape route.

An ordinary Jin disciple would not think like this. However, a murderer who had avoided capture multiple times, who knows the palace well enough to perform multiple assassination attempts, would have planned his escape well ahead of time.

The disquiet over the possibility that he had chosen wrong does not last. The clash of steel and indecipherable shouts reach him before he steps out into the East courtyard. By then, one of the Nie disciples is motionless on the ground, and the other two have abandoned their sabers to tackle the Jin Sect disciple, all three rolling in the dirt like they had forgotten how to fight properly.

There is an alarming amount of blood smeared over all three of them, but they seem lively enough, and even the motionless Nie disciple is only unconscious, his chest rising and falling. Song Lan means to step in and grab the Jin boy before the other two suffer the same fate, but there is no safe way to approach the flailing tangle of limbs. Instead, he uses a small trick XingChen had invented for hunting, a thin rope of spiritual power that can bind a person as securely as a set of chains.

He uses the rope to drag the Jin Sect disciple away from the others. One of the Nie Sect disciples, the smallest of the three, uses his enemy’s immobility to his advantage. He kicks the Jin boy twice, each kick ruthless, but clearly uncoordinated, driven by fury rather than any calculated intention.

This is precisely why Song Lan has never been fond of the Nie Sect disciples; they may be skilled and fearless, but their tempers often lead them astray.

“Enough,” Song Lan says, “you should not kick your enemy when he is down. Go see to your friend.”

On the closer inspection, the Jin Sect disciple appears to be much younger than Song Lan had thought him to be. It is difficult to imagine that this boy, who looks no older than fifteen, could have murdered over three hundred people.

Could they have been wrong in their assumptions?

The boy, his left cheek smeared in fresh blood, grins at him widely, displaying two rows of bloody teeth, “You have finally caught up with me, daozhang. I have to admit, I was starting to lose hope.”

“You are behind all of this?” Song Lan says, unable to keep disbelief from his voice, “The slaughter to collect the resentful energy, the assassination attempts, the attack on the Emperor, it was all you?”

The boy’s lips twist into a feigned moue of disappointment, the expression both mocking and delighted, “All these months of hunting, daozhang, and you still know nothing. I can see that the tales of your skills have been grossly exaggerated. How is the Emperor, by the way? Is he mad already, like his grand-uncle?”

The small Nie disciple is a blur of movement to his right, but Song Lan manages to snatch him by the robes while still maintaining his grip on the binding cord. Spitting and hissing like a scalded cat, the boy tries to propel himself forward anyway, nearly choking himself on his own collar.

“You speak of the Emperor again, and I will rip out your tongue,” he growls.

“This one bit a chunk of my ear off,” the Jin disciple says conversationally, “He will die for that.”

“You can act brave now,” the Nie disciple shoots back, “but you squealed like a pig.”

“He will take a long time to die,” the Jin sect disciple says.

“Shut up,” Song Lan says, “or I will let him loose, to see if you do squeal.”

Trying to shake off Song Lan’s grip, the Nie disciple spits on the ground, “I would not bite him again. I have bitten into garbage that tastes better.”

“Enough,” Song Lan says, wishing he had a free hand to rub his aching temples, “go and summon the Imperial guards.”

The Jin disciple smirks, “Am I being detained? What, exactly, will you accuse me of?”

“The attempted murder of the Divine Ruler.”

“But this is where you are wrong, daozhang,” the boy says seriously, his expression no longer mocking or amused, “I have never wanted to kill the Emperor. I only wanted him to meet his full potential. I wanted him to achieve greatness.”

Song Lan does not know what that means. He is beginning to think that this boy is much more disturbed than he appears to be upon casual observation. Questioning him may turn out to be problematic, especially if he continues to spout nonsense.

“Who are your accomplices?” he asks instead.

“You are asking the wrong questions,” the boy tilts his head, unperturbed by the blood dripping from his ear, “you truly are a disappointment. I had expected better. When can I meet the First Prince? I think I would rather speak to him.”

The idea of XingChen being anywhere near this-- creature, with his disturbed talk of meeting potential and achieving greatness fills Song Lan with unease.

“Never,” he snaps, more unsettled by the boy’s words than he wants to admit, “the First Prince would not waste his time in speaking to you.”

The words seem to strike a nerve, because the boy snarls at him, pushing at the binding. His spiritual power is not insignificant for a young disciple, but it is nowhere near Song Lan’s own.

Another assumption they had gotten wrong. It is possible that this boy had committed all the assassination attempts on the Lan Sect. It is even possible that he had been the one to release the arrow that had wounded the Royal Companion. But he could not have murdered over three hundred people without attracting notice, not with his limited power, not unless he had the help and protection of someone else.

“You think very loudly, daozhang,” the boy mocks, “I can practically see your mind struggle for answers. Does it amuse the First Prince when you do this? It amuses me. I think I know now, why he keeps you around.”

Song Lan knows the boy is only trying to provoke him, but it is unnerving to have a complete stranger zero in on his insecurities so quickly. A stab in the dark it may have been, but it is a fairly accurate one nonetheless.

He does not respond, letting the boy mock him until the Imperial guards arrive. Once they have him in hand, however, he does not hesitate to issue specific instructions. No one is to speak to the boy without the Emperor’s order, or the order of General Nie.

It is a logical decision; they do not know who the boy’s accomplices are, or how close they may be positioned to the throne. The boy is clearly unhinged, and skilled at provocation. Keeping him confined and isolated should tamper most of the damage he is capable of causing, especially while the Emperor is indisposed.

Still, watching the boy be led away, he feels unsettled. The boy may be the one they had been hunting all along, but his capture has provided no answers, only more questions.