this is not an invitation

Well, wasn’t that a phrase that hit home.  This konoha kunoichi knew a little something about what mattered in this world.  He could respect that fear as it was a fear he once had before an awakening.  The puppet master currently going by Komushi would tap a finger on the front desk before coming up with a thought.

“I had intended on taking all I know to the grave with me, but you are a fellow artist in craft.  I see it in your eyes, Buns.  You pay attention to every detail of the weapons before you, and you feel an inspiration with these weapons may it be to create or master.  I’ll teach you my crafts, my secrets.  In exchange of my teachings, make your name known throughout the world.  Mark yourself in time, itself.”

Tenten could still feel herself trembling. She hadn’t expected to make such a confession, particularly to someone she didn’t know very well. Such a thought was only something she’d ever shared with her teammates, but there was something about Komushi that made her feel as though he might just understand such a sentiment.  The brown-haired girl was a nobody. She wasn’t as striking as Sakura, nor did she have Ino or Hinata’s bloodline. She’d crafted herself. Carved herself. Demanded of herself. Naturally, she was honored to have risen to the heights that she had in her training so far, but years had passed and she was still a nobody. Just the girl who really, really, really liked sharp things. 

Sureeee…we Saiyans have high tolerance to alcohol.“ Trunks stated.” But if you wanna come along I’m totally fine having company over for the night.“ She was probably more intoxicated than him so the least he could do was offer her his place to stay for the night.

Oh, thank god. Tenten wasn’t exactly a light weight, but she didn’t have to spend too much at a bar to get a good ways along, and tonight had definitely been one of those nights. “I mean, if it doesn’t bother you... My place is just such a pain to get to from here and the ground is starting to look comfy. But I swear that I will treat your couch with the utmost respect!” She giggled to herself, nodding vigorously as though to convince herself what she was saying was true. Then, as if she had completely forgotten that she had just said she was exhausted, she gasped and lightly smacked him on the shoulder in excitement. “We could have a movie night! What’s your favorite kind of movie? Can we make popcorn?” 

@sakura-rpblog​

"Ah," Sakura laughed nervously. "Well, I was trying to make dinner and craved badly for ramen. I did follow the cooking instructions as in the packet but I may have tossed the noodles a bit too high."

It wasn't just a bit. That ceiling was way too high for the noodles to land there.

"I guess I don't know my own strength?"

“D-Don’t know your own strength?” Tenten snorted and crossed her arms as she craned her head towards the ceiling, a shit-eating grin still plastered on her face. “I’d say that’s a feat in its own rights. You should totally report that to Tsunade as strength training progress,” she teased as she set down the food she’d agreed to bring along on the counter. It was just a salad and some brownies for dessert. The first, Gai sensei would be proud of. The second, not so much.  “I wonder how long they’ll stick up there for... Wanna do a science experiment? Or is that gross? Can you imagine that falling on someone’s head, though??? Hilarious!” 

Arthur feels the other grabbing his arm, before explaining why she stopped him. “I’ll be fine. I live close by so I’m good. But what about you? If you live too far, I can offer you a room at my place.”

Arthur wasn’t going to let her walk home in the snow after she had drank and wasn’t sure if she was okay to walk alone in the snow.

“That’s if unless you prefer I try helping you get to your place and you let me stay with you,” said Arthur who was giving her some options of what she’d prefer to do.

➔ (arrow), for your Muse deflecting an arrow that was meant for mine.

Tenten grit her teeth together, her face turned into a snarl as she locked swords with the enemy shinobi in front of her. It was rare that she wasn’t able to get past someone’s defenses, but this ninja kept closing the distance, preventing her from using her preferred, long-range attacks. It was almost as though the enemy knew her fighting style a little too well. Worse yet, they were strong. She had trained for years under Gai sensei, but her arms trembled every time their blades clashed against one another. 

Hinata was sitting on the bench, watching couples walk through the park and holding hands. A small sigh left her mouth. Why did she feel like a particularly heavy load has been placed on her on this day?

Grocery shopping was never fun. It had never been. As a child, Sasuke had dreaded the task more so than now, but he couldn’t shake off a lingering sense of unease that engulfed him whenever he realized he was running low on food. 

The first time he had set out on his own, he had been eight years old and utterly alone. He had felt looks on him the moment he stepped out of the compound, and while most of these looks had been filled with pity, it was the malicious ones that had made Sasuke run out of the store empty-handed. A stranger had attempted to approach him, but he had not let it come that far. Pity or evil intent, it did not matter which the woman had harbored in her heart.

Now, more than ten years later, the looks resembled one more so than the other. Sasuke decided not to let it bother him.

He saw Tenten before she saw him. Sasuke enjoyed spicy foods, so it was no wonder he had started towards this direction. Should he turn back? It might make her uncomfortable seeing him here, though Sasuke mostly wished to avoid awkward conversation. Most of his peers regarded him with a mixture of cautiousness and varying degrees of anger. It was best to not rile them up needlessly.

But this time, he had no choice in the matter. He nodded in greeting when Tenten approached. His surprise didn’t last long.

“I was in Earth country,” he told her. “I returned to Konoha yesterday, but I won’t stay long.” He had some minor business to take care off before setting out again. Though, Naruto and Sakura would likely delay his departure by a couple of days. 

Well. Sasuke was as laconic as she remembered, that’s for sure. “Earth country? Really? I was just there a few days ago myself! I’m still finding pebbles at the bo--” Tenten cut herself off as she caught the brand she’d been looking for in her peripheral vision. “There you are!” She snatched the bag off the shelf far more quickly than was necessary before she realized she’d basically forgotten about Sasuke. She let out an embarrassed laugh and held package up for him to see. 

“Sorry. One track mind - well, not really. More of a ‘I’m so excited that these might actually be too spicy for me’ kind of mind right now. A friend of mine told me that there was the challenge going around, right? Apparently, you’ve got to try and eat a whole bowl of these bad boys without anything to drink. My friend said she only managed ten bites before she broke down and had some milk.” 

Tenten could practically feel herself shaking with excitement, but what was even more exciting was the devilish plan that was slowly forming itself in her mind. There wasn’t a whole lot that she knew about Sasuke, but what she did know was that practically all the girls she’d grown up with had had a crush on his ‘cool’ attitude at one point or another. Even she’d caught herself admiring him way back when. How hilarious would it be to watch the epitome of cool turn red in the face and cry over a bowl of noodles?