UNLIMITED.

a decision made for efficiency's sake.    just someplace to sleep.    

these days,  as a permanent resident,  she appreciates its then-overlooked quality  —  namely,  just how well it welcomes visitors.

the corner of her mouth lifting in a half-smile at his question,  she hip-checks her fridge to a close and returns to her side of the couch.    she sets a takeout box on the coffee table,  popping the folded-in top to reveal a neat line of assorted puff pastry.    helping herself to a mixed-berry tart,  she settles back against the cushions with her phone,  continuing her idle scroll down her insta feed.     

"hmm…"    she pretends to deliberate,  gaze sliding up towards the ceiling to complete the presentation: here is sakura haruno  —  pondering.    "i guess it wouldn't be too bad,  having students duck-trailing after me,  calling me  'haruno-sensei,  haruno-sensei!'..."    eyes flitting to his,  she flashes a grin  —    "like yuji-kun does you"    —  then back to the light fixture above,  focusing on the one missing bulb she switched out yesterday then forgot to go buy a replacement for.    

(she needs to do some spring cleaning...)

He reaches for one of the pastries and pops one right into his mouth - nevermind asking for permission. She can chastise him on his manners later. 

“Okay. Let’s see.” 

It’ll be a hard sell. He likes teaching - loves his students, loves the idea that he’s nurturing the next generation and sees the fruits of his labor every day. But even him being there alone is a little unappetizing. 

“It’s very rewarding work,” he begins with a snap of his fingers. “It’s not just my students learning, but I’m always learning on the job, too. You won’t always have the best students, but you’ll like a majority of them if you can meet them where they’re at.” 

He rests his chin in his palm. He thinks a little more. “You’ll have a direct hand in bettering the future. Education is one of the most effective way you can ensure you can do that, you know? And what isn’t cute about being called Sensei by a bright eyed, bushy tailed bunch?” 

A   flutter   of   girlish   giggles   parted   from   rosette   lips,   gaze   gleaming   with   amusement   as   little   soliskins   surrounded   the   man.   They   so   often   behaved   like   curious   children   ....   of   course   they'd   want   to   say   hello   to   an   unfamiliar   face!

"Don't   worry   ...   these   cuties   are   harmless   andd....I   think   they've   taken   a   liking   to   you?"

the following is a collection of sentence starters from shadowbringers, the third expansion of square enix's final fantasy 14. part 1.

sounds like tedious work. but not as tedious as waiting around, i suppose.

look how many people there are!

well, if it isn’t the hero of the hour.

stay with me. focus on my voice.

oh, do not look at me so.

we did everything right, everything that was asked of us, and still - still it came to this.

your time has not yet come.

something vague … yet urgent … calls me to action once more.

every face in this city i know. yours i do not.

pray forgive my less-than-cordial welcome.

come with me. i will answer whatever questions you have when we are somewhere more private.

do you have any idea how much trouble you’ve caused?

i can only beg your forgiveness - matters here forced my hand.

you don’t have that whiff of indolence about you like some folk i’ve met.

we can speak here without fear of being overheard.

what say you? have i earned your trust for the moment, at least?

are you there, my friend?

now, a full and frank discussion in the privacy of my study would seem to be in order …

i’m going to guess you’re new to our fair city?

i see you’re no stranger to honest labor.

should you find yourself confused by the local language or customs, i’ll be here to answer your questions.

i understand it was something of a chore, but ‘twas necessary that you grasp these things before we proceed.

… i am not familiar with that name. is there something i should know?

mayhap we can revisit that mystery another time.

considering the ... circumstances of our meeting, you would be forgiven for doubting my version of events.

i promise i will not rest until i have found a way to help you return home.

you came from beyond, didn’t you? you came from beyond the rift!

what a brave and reckless and marvelous thing you did.

after careful consideration, i have decided to grant you my assistance.

make a pact with me, and the fun can begin.

pray rest and recuperate, and we shall reconvene anon.

we are denied the comforting blanket of night, but may peaceful dreams attend you nonetheless.

i am a shade, cursed to do naught but drift.

this world is beyond saving - like those who try to save it.

do me a favor. be careful out there. this world has had its fill of heroes.

me? i was more worried about you.

i thought i’d lost you.

i may be a stranger to this world, but i will not stand idly by and let innocent people be slaughtered.

what say you, old friend? hungry for another adventure?

thank you again. you saved my life.

there’s naught to be had here but cobwebs and memories.

just look at it … can you imagine a more beautiful city?

disapprove ...? it frustrates me, certainly. that is only part of it, though. the whole situation makes me uneasy.

however unjust this system seems to me, if these people claim to be content with their lot, it is hardly my place to criticize their choices.

i am not so naive as to think there is some miraculous solution to all of this.

there has to be a better way.

'tis fortunate that you arrive when you did, (name).

… is there something i can do for you, friend?

someone must have been eavesdropping on our conversation.

no one here gives a damn about me.

i’m giving you a chance, nothing more. what comes of it is entirely up to you.

i do not regret my decision ... yet i will admit that a part of me wonders if it was for the best.

i thought for certain i was dead.

redemption is beyond us.

‘tis good to see you back. you were taking so long i began to worry something had happened.

what then is a man of mercy to do, but offer the sinner another way to show his contrition?

what in the blazes did you do? they have the entire city looking for you!

i am sorry, (name). there are more important matters to which i must attend.

pray press me no further. i am leaving.

the outrage i witnessed must not go unanswered.

thank you, my friend ... for staying at my side through this whole sordid endeavor.

… (name)? it feels like an age since i last saw you!

i had it under control!

i knew you’d turn up sooner or later, but i had been hoping for sooner.

they either perish … or are warped into mindless abominations.

that’s an exaggeration! and i don’t sound like that, either!

i’ve no doubts she deserves all the admiration she gets. just as you do.

what, and twiddle my thumbs while you work yourself to death?

sooner or later, every single one of them will turn.

i feel just as helpless as before. no matter how hard i fight, it's never enough.

you needn’t have gone through the trouble.

in a place like this, you learn to take what moments of happiness you can get.

it’s never easy, ending a life you’ve cared for.

without a body, we can’t even give her a proper burial.

you weren’t hurt at all, were you?

hurt? there wasn’t even a fight. i was too late. too slow …

you can’t blame yourself for things beyond your control.

forgive me, (name). i couldn’t stay there a moment longer.

(name)? you’ve gone pale …

… i’m fine. we should keep moving.

we were too slow to save them …

there are … things which we can ill afford to lose.

forgive me. i fear the events of the day may have taken their toll.

how quickly you have justified my faith in you.

would you be so kind as to conceal your involvement in this endeavor for the time being?

i expect to be told the whole truth of it one day.

please. i wish to be left alone for awhile.

i promise to find you later, when i feel myself again.

sleep well, (name). i hope untroubled dreams find you.

these are my "private" quarters …

it’s when you charge ahead trying to save someone else that you end up losing those you love.

not that you need telling. i’ll bet you've lost plenty. but i wonder ... what will it cost you this time?

i don't remember when it was that i learned regret wasn’t worth the bother.

you get numb to it all over the years. the lost comrades, the broken promises, the abandoned principles - just more nagging burdens to ignore.

stay your weapon. i am not your enemy.

they tracked me down, and conscripted me to their cause.

i have more questions, but now is not the time.

you are come at a good time. as you may have heard, we have something of a quandary on our hands.

‘twas inevitable they would come knocking. the only question was how soon.

the world is dead, and writhe as we might, like maggots in its rotting corse, it will not be reborn.

i waste my breath. you have made your stance clear.

am i imagining things, or did he just stare straight at us?

while i am grateful for your support, my lord - i cannot in good conscience put your people in harm’s way.

there is, however, much to say, and precious little time in which to say it.

might i trouble you for a word, (name)? outside?

(name)! what brings you here?

i do not wish to show our hand unless absolutely necessary.

so long as hope burns in our hearts, we will fight on regardless.

there may come a day when all hope seems lost. but even should the rest of the world give in to despair - we shall not.

trust you to spoil the moment!

yes? what do you require of me?

there you are, (name)! mayhap you could lend me a hand!

you certainly took your time.

let’s rejoin the others and quit this place.

all this trouble because of me … i’m so sorry …

save your apologies until after we’ve escaped.

it’s quiet. too quiet.

you will regret coming here.

it is for your own protection.

you are made of sterner stuff than the rest. but will it be enough?

as if i didn’t have enough on my hands already …

mayhap there is another way. one which does not require bloodshed.

we should be safe enough here.

it’s good to see you again, my friend. i don't know about you, but it feels like years since last we met.

this is not the sort of place one visits on a whim.

you really have outdone yourself this time.

i’m sorry. thank you for saving me.

why can’t i remember?

the following is a collection of sentence starters from shadowbringers, the third expansion of square enix's final fantasy 14. part 1.

sounds like tedious work. but not as tedious as waiting around, i suppose.

look how many people there are!

well, if it isn’t the hero of the hour.

stay with me. focus on my voice.

oh, do not look at me so.

we did everything right, everything that was asked of us, and still - still it came to this.

your time has not yet come.

something vague … yet urgent … calls me to action once more.

every face in this city i know. yours i do not.

pray forgive my less-than-cordial welcome.

come with me. i will answer whatever questions you have when we are somewhere more private.

do you have any idea how much trouble you’ve caused?

i can only beg your forgiveness - matters here forced my hand.

you don’t have that whiff of indolence about you like some folk i’ve met.

we can speak here without fear of being overheard.

what say you? have i earned your trust for the moment, at least?

are you there, my friend?

now, a full and frank discussion in the privacy of my study would seem to be in order …

i’m going to guess you’re new to our fair city?

i see you’re no stranger to honest labor.

should you find yourself confused by the local language or customs, i’ll be here to answer your questions.

i understand it was something of a chore, but ‘twas necessary that you grasp these things before we proceed.

… i am not familiar with that name. is there something i should know?

mayhap we can revisit that mystery another time.

considering the ... circumstances of our meeting, you would be forgiven for doubting my version of events.

i promise i will not rest until i have found a way to help you return home.

you came from beyond, didn’t you? you came from beyond the rift!

what a brave and reckless and marvelous thing you did.

after careful consideration, i have decided to grant you my assistance.

make a pact with me, and the fun can begin.

pray rest and recuperate, and we shall reconvene anon.

we are denied the comforting blanket of night, but may peaceful dreams attend you nonetheless.

i am a shade, cursed to do naught but drift.

this world is beyond saving - like those who try to save it.

do me a favor. be careful out there. this world has had its fill of heroes.

me? i was more worried about you.

i thought i’d lost you.

i may be a stranger to this world, but i will not stand idly by and let innocent people be slaughtered.

what say you, old friend? hungry for another adventure?

thank you again. you saved my life.

there’s naught to be had here but cobwebs and memories.

just look at it … can you imagine a more beautiful city?

disapprove ...? it frustrates me, certainly. that is only part of it, though. the whole situation makes me uneasy.

however unjust this system seems to me, if these people claim to be content with their lot, it is hardly my place to criticize their choices.

i am not so naive as to think there is some miraculous solution to all of this.

there has to be a better way.

'tis fortunate that you arrive when you did, (name).

… is there something i can do for you, friend?

someone must have been eavesdropping on our conversation.

no one here gives a damn about me.

i’m giving you a chance, nothing more. what comes of it is entirely up to you.

i do not regret my decision ... yet i will admit that a part of me wonders if it was for the best.

i thought for certain i was dead.

redemption is beyond us.

‘tis good to see you back. you were taking so long i began to worry something had happened.

what then is a man of mercy to do, but offer the sinner another way to show his contrition?

what in the blazes did you do? they have the entire city looking for you!

i am sorry, (name). there are more important matters to which i must attend.

pray press me no further. i am leaving.

the outrage i witnessed must not go unanswered.

thank you, my friend ... for staying at my side through this whole sordid endeavor.

… (name)? it feels like an age since i last saw you!

i had it under control!

i knew you’d turn up sooner or later, but i had been hoping for sooner.

they either perish … or are warped into mindless abominations.

that’s an exaggeration! and i don’t sound like that, either!

i’ve no doubts she deserves all the admiration she gets. just as you do.

what, and twiddle my thumbs while you work yourself to death?

sooner or later, every single one of them will turn.

i feel just as helpless as before. no matter how hard i fight, it's never enough.

you needn’t have gone through the trouble.

in a place like this, you learn to take what moments of happiness you can get.

it’s never easy, ending a life you’ve cared for.

without a body, we can’t even give her a proper burial.

you weren’t hurt at all, were you?

hurt? there wasn’t even a fight. i was too late. too slow …

you can’t blame yourself for things beyond your control.

forgive me, (name). i couldn’t stay there a moment longer.

(name)? you’ve gone pale …

… i’m fine. we should keep moving.

we were too slow to save them …

there are … things which we can ill afford to lose.

forgive me. i fear the events of the day may have taken their toll.

how quickly you have justified my faith in you.

would you be so kind as to conceal your involvement in this endeavor for the time being?

i expect to be told the whole truth of it one day.

please. i wish to be left alone for awhile.

i promise to find you later, when i feel myself again.

sleep well, (name). i hope untroubled dreams find you.

these are my "private" quarters …

it’s when you charge ahead trying to save someone else that you end up losing those you love.

not that you need telling. i’ll bet you've lost plenty. but i wonder ... what will it cost you this time?

i don't remember when it was that i learned regret wasn’t worth the bother.

you get numb to it all over the years. the lost comrades, the broken promises, the abandoned principles - just more nagging burdens to ignore.

stay your weapon. i am not your enemy.

they tracked me down, and conscripted me to their cause.

i have more questions, but now is not the time.

you are come at a good time. as you may have heard, we have something of a quandary on our hands.

‘twas inevitable they would come knocking. the only question was how soon.

the world is dead, and writhe as we might, like maggots in its rotting corse, it will not be reborn.

i waste my breath. you have made your stance clear.

am i imagining things, or did he just stare straight at us?

while i am grateful for your support, my lord - i cannot in good conscience put your people in harm’s way.

there is, however, much to say, and precious little time in which to say it.

might i trouble you for a word, (name)? outside?

(name)! what brings you here?

i do not wish to show our hand unless absolutely necessary.

so long as hope burns in our hearts, we will fight on regardless.

there may come a day when all hope seems lost. but even should the rest of the world give in to despair - we shall not.

trust you to spoil the moment!

yes? what do you require of me?

there you are, (name)! mayhap you could lend me a hand!

you certainly took your time.

let’s rejoin the others and quit this place.

all this trouble because of me … i’m so sorry …

save your apologies until after we’ve escaped.

it’s quiet. too quiet.

you will regret coming here.

it is for your own protection.

you are made of sterner stuff than the rest. but will it be enough?

as if i didn’t have enough on my hands already …

mayhap there is another way. one which does not require bloodshed.

we should be safe enough here.

it’s good to see you again, my friend. i don't know about you, but it feels like years since last we met.

this is not the sort of place one visits on a whim.

you really have outdone yourself this time.

i’m sorry. thank you for saving me.

why can’t i remember?

I’ve bolded my favorites.

❝ I don’t understand why you had to bring so many books. ❞

❝ You’re a little old to be filling your head with such nonsense. ❞

❝ I saw a fairy! ❞

❝ That’s not necessary, I can walk perfectly well…❞

❝ Better not go in there. You may get lost. ❞

❝ She’s sick with child. Did you notice? ❞

❝ Those bastards know the terrain better than any of us. ❞

❝ This will help you sleep through the night. Just two drops before bed. Two drops only. ❞

❝ Close the door and turn off the lights, sweetie. ❞

❝ The wound is getting worse. His leg isn’t any better. ❞

❝ Here, the houses are old. They creak… as if they were speaking.  ❞

❝ Why did you have to get married? ❞

❝ I’m with you. You weren’t alone. You were never alone. ❞

❝ Men talked amongst themselves about their fear of death, and pain, but never about the promise of eternal life. ❞

❝ Don’t fuck with me. ❞

❝ You killed him… you killed him! Murderer! Son of a bitch! ❞

❝ Maybe you’ll learn to search these assholes properly before you come to bother me. ❞

❝ Look. This is a fairy. ❞

❝ It’s you! You’ve returned! ❞

❝ I’ve had so many names… old name that only the wind and the trees can pronounce. ❞

❝ You were not born of man. It was the moon that bore you. ❞

❝ Prepare these rabbits for dinner tonight. ❞

❝ He’s nothing but a fussy dandy. A fussy dandy! ❞

❝ They eat more than a couple of pigs, and they never shut up. Not even underwater. ❞

❝ What I would have given to have a dress like this at your age. And look at the shoes! ❞

❝ You’ll look like a princess… ❞

❝ Do you want some milk with honey? ❞

❝ I believed in a lot of things I don’t believe anymore. ❞

❝ When the woods were young, they were home to creatures who were full of magic and wonder. ❞

❝Those sons of bitches are here… and they’re watching us. ❞

❝ They’re losing ground, and one of them is wounded. ❞

❝ These people hold the mistaken belief that we’re all equal. ❞

❝ If we need to kill every one of these vermin to settle it, we’ll kill them all, and that’s that. ❞

❝ Have I ever told you that I was acquainted with your father? ❞

❝ What you’ve done hurts me. ❞

❝ Make her/him/them well. I don’t care what it costs or what you need. Make her/him/them well. ❞

❝ You’re helping the men in the woods, aren’t you? ❞

❝ Do you know a lullaby? ❞

❝ When that man finds out about us, he’ll kill us all. Have you thought about that? ❞

❝ Look. This is a mandrake root—a plant that dreamt of being human. ❞

❝ The thing that slumbers there… it is not human. ❞

❝ I’ll try to make it in as few cuts as possible. ❞

❝ I’m a coward for living next to that son of a bitch. ❞

❝ You’ll meet her; she’s very pretty, even though she’s sometimes sad for many days at a time. You’ll see, when she smiles… you’ll love her. ❞

❝ Listen, if you do what I say, I’ll take you to my kingdom and make you a prince. ❞

❝ God only knows what they wanted, other than to waste our time. ❞

❝ Go ahead, don’t be afraid! This is the only decent way to die! ❞

❝ I’ll make you a deal. If you can count to three without st-st-stuttering, you can go. ❞

❝ Don’t look at him, look at me. Above me there is no one. ❞

❝ All memory of you will fade in time, and we will vanish along with it. ❞

❝ I like having you handy, ____. It has its advantages. ❞

❝ K-k-k-kill me, kill me now. Please. ❞

❝ Magic doesn’t exist! Not for you, not for me, not for anyone! ❞

❝ Please, take me away from here! Let’s just go, please! ❞

❝ The world is a cruel place. And you’ll learn that, even if it hurts. ❞

❝ To obey–just like that–for the sake of obeying, without questioning… that is something only people like you can do. ❞

❝ What must you think of me? You must think I’m a monster. ❞

❝ It doesn’t matter what someone like me thinks. ❞

❝ How long have you been laughing at me? Little bitch! ❞

❝ If anyone tries to get in… kill her first. ❞

❝ That’s what you’ve always thought. That’s why I was able to get away with it. I was invisible to you. ❞

❝ Damn. You’ve found my weakness: pride. ❞

❝ I’m not an old man, nor a wounded prisoner! ❞

❝ You wouldn’t be the first pig I’ve gutted! ❞

❝ Don’t be a fool, sweetheart. If anyone’s going to kill you… let it be me. ❞

❝ We’re leaving. Together. Don’t be afraid… nothing is going to happen to you. ❞

❝ Just a drop of blood. A pinprick, that’s all. ❞

❝ You promised to obey me without question! ❞

❝ Tell my son… tell him what time his father died. Tell him… that I– ❞

❝ No. He won’t even know your name. ❞

❝ You have spilled your blood rather than the blood of an innocent. ❞

❝ She reigned with justice and a kind heart for many centuries ❞