#hehe gray ghost angst

[floq]

lies that just keep piling up ~

[ladyvesuvia]

[Navigation] [Masterlist]

@firewhiskyss: 🎢 harry with either “That’s a little melodramatic, don’t you think?” or “I’m afraid I’ve been thinking…” “A dangerous pastime.” because my heart can’t handle angst rn 😋☝🏼|| for my 300 followers celebration

Pairing: Harry Potter x Fem!Muggle!Reader

Summary: Being stuck in the elevator is bad enough, but being with a stranger makes matters worse.

Words: 3.9k

Warnings: not proofread, light cursing, elevators, power outage + let me know if i missed anything

A/N: too bad u cant handle angst i could’ve found ways to sneak that into this hehe jk anywaaayy ok i felt uninspired sorry hydagjih

Harry held a bag he did not own in his hand. His shirt was a bit muddied and moist on one side, but he didn’t mind. He stood in front of the eighth door he’ll be knocking on in hopes it was the owner of the bag. It still wasn’t, though.

Instead, a woman his age greeted him with a smile. She was pretty, sure, but she wasn’t what he was looking for. He apologized for interrupting and went ahead to knock on the ninth door.

It swung open, and Harry let out a long sigh.

AN HOUR OR SO AGO

“Hold the door!” said a voice from the lobby. Harry pressed the open door button in haste, the doors doing as it was told to do. The figure rushed inside, hair dripping wet on the tiled floor of the elevator. He kept his eyes trained to floor as she moved his way to press the button to the eighth floor. “Thank you,” she mumbled.

The girl next to him began to dry her drenched hair with a purple towel, patting herself dry. Harry risked a brief glance in her direction — she was wearing a floral one-piece swimsuit which she layered with denim shorts. When she caught his eye, they both inched away from each other uncomfortably. To their relief, the elevator started to move up.

Nobody seemed to be coming in just yet. After all, it was six p.m. and most were probably outside biding their time for night swimming. Harry, on the other hand, just came down to get a box of doughnuts for Mr. Weasley, who he can only assume was changing into his swimming trunks in their hotel room. The rest were probably doing the same.

Harry was waiting for it to reach the ninth floor when the elevator lurched to a stop on the seventh. While Harry refused to meet eye contact with the girl next to him, she was busy trying to convince herself it was alright.

It’s okay, she thought to herself as she made a show of more aggressive patting of her hair in more of an attempt to calm her drumming heartbeat than to really dry it. Another passenger was probably just entering.

But she knew better, they both knew better. The lights above them began to blink in an inconsistent manner. To her dismay, the doors did not open nor did they continue to go up.

They both turned to each other with a bewildered look on their faces. Harry made to reach for his wand, but held himself back. Then the lights went out along with the tiny ones coming from the buttons. Harry froze. He heard the stranger next to him shift, probably wrapping the towel around herself. She had stopped pretending to pat herself now. Harry watched as her as she dropped her bag down on the wet tiled floor and pulled out a bulky gray block from it. Harry stood there awkwardly as if a statue while she kept on fumbling with the block thingy he now recognized was a flip phone. A light glowed from it, her face looking similar to that of a ghost.

She pressed it against her ear, but it seemed to not be working. She then raised her hand higher in hopes of getting better reception to no avail. Harry cleared his throat. The girl’s head whipped to his direction. “The emergency call button,” said Harry.

“I know,” she spat, reaching out for the buttons. But instead of clicking that particular button, she clicked the button for opening doors. Harry noticed she seemed to be shivering a bit even with the towel.

The girl was still dripping, albeit lesser now. She kept pressing the open door repetitively with her wrinkly fingers. Harry remained stiff, unsure if he should use his wand. “What floor are we currently?”

Taken aback, Harry didn’t respond for a couple of seconds until she reached out to his shoulder to check on him. “Oh, er — seventh, I think.”

He then heard her click a button he supposed was for the seventh, then a bunch of other buttons the next.

“We’re gonna die, we’re gonna die, we’re gonna die. . . .” Harry found that he preferred the constant clicking noises from the buttons over her constant reminder of their ‘impending doom.’ It was like fourth year all over again when their Divination teacher Professor Trelawney kept telling him he was going to die an early death. She kept chanting to herself in hysterics.

“Have you tried . . . the emergency call button? The one with the bell?”

“What do you think I’ve been doing?” said the girl. To his surprise, she picked up her bag again and aimed it at the elevator door before swinging it right in the middle. She then started banging her fist hard on the doors, pounding. “Help! I’m stuck! I mean, we’re stuck! Hello? I’m wi —”

“There’s a press to call thing here,” pointed Harry.

“Good,” she remarked as she practically run to it when the elevator made a creaking noise from above. The girl let out a shriek as she fell backwards and pulled Harry down with her. “Lie flat or we’re both gonna die!”

“Why — ?”

“JUST DO IT.” He did. Both of them sprawled their legs and he felt the damp floor wet his back a bit, but he was still weighing the pros and cons of pulling out his wand. Of course, if it were up to him, he’d pull it out in a heartbeat but the Weasleys’ vacation was on the line and he couldn’t jeopardize that by—

The elevator whined, and it felt as if it was moving a bit. “We’re gonna plummet to do our death!”

“Calm down,” said Harry, hardly knowing why he even bothered in the first place because he didn’t know what to say next especially with the girl’s expectant eyes on him. He thought of what Hermione had told them when they first came here, who then attempted to calm the others down about their feelings on Muggle Elevators. “Er — elevators are one of the safest ways of transportation with only the fatality rate of zero point zero-zero-zero-zero-zero-something-fifteen percent per trip.”

“Oh, shut up, stranger,” cried the girl. “There’s still a fifteen in that end. We’re gonna die, accept that!”

“You seem to be the one having troubles accepting that,” argued Harry back. She shot him a glare.

“I haven’t written my will and we’re gonna die. You see — you hear that rumble? We’re slowly falling down and we’re gonna die. I should have — should have taken the stairs. Please, please, please let me live! I swear I’ll start eating vegetables! This is it stranger, we’re gonna die.”

“That’s a bit melodramatic, don’t you think?”

“We’re about to die and you have time to think? Lie with your chunkiest bits on the floor to increase our chance of survival.”

He wanted to argue, but he resorted to inching further away from her and stretching his limbs awkwardly.

“Damn it, you shouldn’t have kept the door open!”

“How is that my fault? If anything, I was being nice,” said Harry.

“Being nice? You just sentenced me to my death and now I’m dying in this cramped space in a swimsuit and shorts that aren’t even for swimming!”

Surprisingly, the elevator whined to a stop. They remained on the floor for half a minute. Eventually, she was the first to stand up. Dusting herself and not meeting Harry’s eye, she smashed the bell button with her finger. It buzzed for a few seconds before a guy’s voice answered.

“Hello,” said the operator. The intercom seemed to be having troubles.

“Uh, hello, hi,” replied the girl.

“So are you currently stuck in the elevator?” Harry could hear the girl turn to him in the dark and call up the look of utter disbelief, as if wanting to reply, ‘No shit.’

“Yes, very much.”

“Okay, are you alone?” asked the operator.

“Unfortunately, no. I’m with . . .” she trailed off, turning to Harry with prolonged contemplation. “With stranger. I’m with stranger. A stranger. With a stranger, I mean.”

“May I know your names please?”

“Uh, sure? I’m . . . Papier Matchen and this is —”

“Har — Neville. Neville Longbottom, sir,” answered Harry. The operator did not respond. “Neville Longbottom.”

“Are you both guests?” asked the operator.

“Yes,” said [Y/N]. “Wait, are you a guest?”

“I am a guest,” said Harry stiffly.

“He’s a guest,” she added, as if in an attempt to keep whatever morale is left high. The operator didn’t respond again. “Hey, uh, operator? It would really help if you didn’t keep disappearing on us.” She chuckled nervously.

“What floor are you currently on?” said the voice with a bit more static.

“Uh, well,” she said, turning to Harry, “last time we checked, it was on the seventh but it moved down a bit and we might be in-between floors seven and six.”

“Alright, thank you. We’re currently experiencing a city wide power outage, and it appears that the back-up battery in Elevator Three has not yet been replaced since the last brownout. We apologize for the inconvenience.”

“Yeah, you should be sorry. So, uh, is any of your authorities gonna come and pick us up?”

No response. She pressed the button again. And again. And again. No sound came, not even static. “Hello? Hi?”

When no one responded again, she slumped to the floor once more, her hair still wet but no longer dripping. “Sit down,” she said, pointing at the spot right next to her. Harry obliged. “You can sit across, I don’t care. I know I smell like chlorine right now.”

Harry sat across from her, leaning back against the wall. She didn’t talk either. This went on for about five minutes until Harry had the urge to do something or at least say something.

“I’m afraid I’ve been thinking,” he started.

“A dangerous pastime, you should be afraid. Go ahead,” she said, gesturing a finger gun his way.

“Shouldn’t we try to get out of this?”

“Who are you, Bruce Willis? Need I remind you that you are Nev . . . Bottom?”

“That’s not actually my name,” said Harry.

“Same, I just said Papier Matchen off the top of my head. Like papier mache but witchy. My name’s actually pretty good, I think. I’m [Y/N] [Y/L/N]. Oh, wait, nope, don’t like it.”

“I think it’s good.” [Y/N] turned on her phone and shone it around until it landed on his face. Harry realized he had kept the box of doughnuts in the corner when she made them sit down. “I’m Harry,” he said when she finally turned off the phone.

[Y/N] turned it on again and directed it to the box of doughnuts. “Are those doughnuts to make us super tiny like Alice in Wonderland or something?”

“Oh, those are for my friend’s father.”

“Let’s eat it, I’m hungry,” said [Y/N].

“It’s for my friend’s father.”

“You have to realize that that is so not a good enough point. We’re trapped in an elevator with no means of communication with that musty man and eating that is the only thing we can do. Unless you want to do something else?”

“Er — What?” choked Harry, clearing his throat. “Okay, fine, uh, doughnuts.”

She made a triumphant sound Harry couldn’t explain, but paid it no mind as she reached out to grab the box of doughnuts from the corner. She set it in front of her.

“Hey, these are from my aunt’s bakery.”

“They are?” asked Harry.

“Yeah! The one across the street from here?” asked [Y/N], to which Harry nodded. “Ooh, you got the one with Oreos? Nice! I helped design those.”

“Okay, uh, can I have some?”

“I thought it was against your will to take some of these from your ’friend’s dad?’” teased [Y/N], but she handed him a doughnut anyway. Harry began to eat just like she did. “Sorry I forced you to lie down here. . . .”

She looked at him, waiting for something. What? Harry furrowed his brows, confused.

“Sorry, I mean, what’s your name again?” asked [Y/N], hints of the chocolate stuck between her teeth and some on her lips.

“Harry Potter,” replied Harry, who debated against himself whether or not he should point it out. After all, she seemed to be having a good time and they just started to lose the tension. “You’ve got uh, something on your, you know.”

“I know,” said [Y/N], but she didn’t do anything about it. “Anyway, can you believe six and seven are lucky numbers yet here we are, stuck in the wretched elevator between them?”

“No, that’s why I don’t really believe in those . . . things.”

“I’d say that’s insulting, but I’m dripping in my swimwear while I’m stuck in the elevator with a total stranger, so fair enough.”

Harry didn’t know how long they were talking, but it just went on. He was pretty sure there were times he even laughed. Harry reached out to grab another doughnut when he realized she was holding it as well. They both let it drop back to the box.

“Oh, no, it’s yours,” said [Y/N].

“It’s okay, you can have it,” said Harry.

“I ate more than you did, you can have it. Just go,” said [Y/N].

“You can —”

“You know what? Let’s just split it.”

[Y/N] ripped it in half, handing him the bigger slice. Just when Harry was going to offer to exchange, she swallowed it whole.

“Too late, I ate my half already.”

“I can see that,” said Harry. He began to eat his own half, savoring it with three more bites.

“Sorry I smell like chlorine again.”

“Eh, I don’t know, it’s kind of growing on me,” said Harry. “I shouldn’t have said that, sorry.”

“On a good day, that would sound like an insult but it’s anything but a good day, so, thank you, I guess.”

The two shared a laugh (and most definitely three) the entire time when the lights turned on. They could see each other clearly now. There was no denying they felt quite vulnerable — like finally meeting an friend you only send letters and emails to for the first time, but she smiled to make it feel lighter.

Suddenly, it started to move up again, [Y/N] kept them seated just in case it started plummeting again. It didn’t, though. It opened on the seventh, as the indicator told them so.

The intercom buzzed once more and different operator spoke. None of them stood up.

“Hi, power’s slowly being restored. How’s everyone?”

“We’re good,” said Harry. [Y/N] smiled in the shadows, tossing the towel in the corner. “Wait, you’re — er — good, right?”

“Yeah, surprisingly so,” she said.

“Good to hear, we’re currently doing the best we can to cater everyone’s needs. Has your, uh, elevator moved yet? Sorry, I’m new here. Anyway, has it?” asked the operator.

“Currently open on the seventh floor, but we’re both going up, all’s good now, don’t worry,” answered [Y/N]. She stood up, taking the towel with her.

“Okay, great, thank you and take care!” said the operator before the intercom buzzed off. Harry and [Y/N] stood there as the elevator door closed shut and began to move up and open again to the eighth.

“So,” started [Y/N], “this is me. My floor, I mean.”

“Right,” said Harry

“Well, I still don’t like elevators and I may or may not ride one ever again so I can’t believe I’d ever say this because it’s hella cheesy but thanks for making it bearable.”

“I feel like I should say, ‘you’re welcome?’” said Harry.

“Oh yeah, you should.”

The door began to close, but Harry pressed the open door button.

“Okay, you’re welcome.” The two shared lighthearted laughter. “Anyway, er — thank you, too. See you around?”

“Yeah, yeah, see you around. Bye.” [Y/N] waved as the doors closed between them and Harry was once again all alone in the elevator.

He noticed what a mess the floor was, and went to pick up the empty box of donuts. His hand went to where he kept his wand to clean up and looked around for cameras and found one tucked in the upper corner. Harry let his hand down and dusted his shirt with his hands when something caught his eye. A beach bag in the corner, resting carelessly.

The door finally opened to the ninth floor. Harry was frozen, looking directly at a long hallway of doors. It took a few seconds until it whirred and shut close. Not knowing what to do, Harry picked up the bag and swung it over his shoulder.

He tapped his foot as he waited for the elevator to go up to the twelfth floor until it began going down again. He pressed the button to the ninth floor again.

Ten.

Eleven. A couple his age entered, probably about to go down. Narrowed eyes landed on him and his dirty shirt and pants, but he paid them no mind.

Twelve. The couple started to talk about their plans on the honeymoon tomorrow. Harry busied himself by playing with the straps of the beach bag. He realized just now it had her name inside one of the straps lazily written with a sharpie. [Y/N], it stated.

Eleven again.

Ten again.

Nine again. The door opened, but he did not step out. Of course, the couple began to eye him with suspicion now as he reached out to press the button to the eighth floor.

Eight. When he stepped out, he heard the hushed but relieved sighs from both of the other two behind him as the elevator proceeded to close shut and go down.

Harry knocked on the first door. A man in his pajamas answered. Harry muttered an apology as he walked away to try the second door. He heard the first door swing shut.

The second door was equipped with a sign on the doorknob saying, ‘Do not Disturb.’ So, of course, Harry moved on to the third. He heard loud sounds of children playing inside. When he knocked, a tired woman carrying a toddler in her arms answered. Harry apologized once more and moved on.

Harry’s shoulder was aching, so he let the bag down and simply held it in his hands.

The fourth door was answered by a middle-aged man holding a glass of wine.

The fifth door’s knob held the same message as the the second — ‘Do not Disturb.’

As you may recall, Harry held a bag he did not own in his hand. His shirt was a bit muddied and moist on one side, but he didn’t mind. He stood in front of the eighth door he’ll be knocking on in hopes it was the owner of the bag. It still wasn’t, though.

Instead, a woman his age greeted him with a smile. She was pretty, sure, but she wasn’t what he was looking for. He apologized for interrupting and went ahead to knock on the ninth door.

It swung open, and Harry let out a long sigh.

An older woman greeted him with a pleasant smile. “Hello, dear,” she said. He took a shot and asked if she knew anyone by the name of [Y/N] [Y/L/N]. Unfortunately though, she did not.

Harry finally made it to the last door. He knocked once more, holding the bag tighter now. A little kid answered, with her parents and siblings in the background, eating pancakes. They did not know of someone named [Y/N] [Y/L/N], either.

Shoulders slumping, Harry made his way back to the elevator. He pressed the up button.

“Excuse me?” called out a voice from behind him. His heart skipped a beat. Wait, don’t skip, he thought to himself.

It still wasn’t her. It was the same girl from the ninth door. “Yes?”

“You’re looking for [Y/N]?” she asked. “[Y/N] [Y/L/N]?”

“Er — yes. Do you know her?” asked Harry.

“Yeah, she’s in the shower. Is that her bag?”

“Oh!” He almost forgot that he was holding it. “Yes, yes it is.”

“I can give it to her,” called out the woman. She closed the door behind her, making her way towards him. When she was close enough, she extended her hand.

The elevator dinged open. Harry was about to hand it over to her, when he decided something else.

“Er — no, uh, I was actually hoping if I could see her.”

She let her hand down, grinning. “You must be Elevadork.”

“Oh, yeah, it’s an inside joke,” said Harry.

“You can wait inside,” said the girl. “I’m Karolina, by the way. She’s just showering because she’s, and I quote, ‘will be too unlovable if smelling like chlorine.’”

Harry chuckled as Karolina led him to their hotel room. It was just like every other room he had seen, then he saw the same towel she had with her just a while ago when they were stuck with only each other’s company.

“He was nice, though. I wouldn’t mind seeing him again. By the way, we’re out of hair conditioner. My hair badly nee — Harry!” [Y/N] tumbled backwards to the bathroom with a different towel wrapped around herself. Harry’s eyes widened, and he turned around.

“He wanted to return your bag and ask you out,” said Karolina.

“That’s not what I actually said,” whispered Harry, turning crimson.

“Honey, trust me, it was definitely what you said,” laughed Karolina, patting him in the back. “You might want to change first.”

“I guess,” added Harry.

[Y/N] rushed to the get her clothes from one of the two beds and ran back to the shower, where she hastily pulled on her shirt and checkered pajama pants.

“She’s done changing, by the way,” said Karolina, patting Harry on the shoulder again as she left to pour iced tea for herself.

[Y/N] led Harry out, earning two thumbs up from Karolina, who was beaming up at the two of them. “How’d you find me?”

“Fate,” said Harry mockingly, as if from a show. She giggled. “I knocked on all the doors in this hallway.”

“To return a bag?”

“Sure, that, too. But mainly to ask if you’d like to get some — er — doughnuts with, uh, me. I really want to bring some up to —”

“Your friend’s dad, right,” [Y/N] cut out. “Are we still taking the elevator?”

“Yeah,” said Harry.

They finally reached the elevator, where they stood side by side.

“Aren’t you going to change first?” asked [Y/N].

“Nope,” said Harry, pressing the down button. He turned to [Y/N], looking at her shirt. “Does that say ‘Treacle Treat?’”

“Yeah, like as in Trick or Treat. See the pumpkin?” She pointed at the bottom part of her shirt.

“Oh, there it is.” The two were laughing even when they stepped into the elevator. They exchanged a knowing glance at the sight of scattered crumbs of doughnuts on the floor, not daring to talk about it in front of one another guest.

As the elevator began to go down, Harry realized he might as well believe in the lucky numbers. After all, if it weren’t for six, seven, and nine, he wouldn’t be here right now standing shoulder up to shoulder with the girl wearing a funky shirt.

Taglist: @gingerale2017 @maybanksslut @hey-there-angels @mrzweasley @gwlvr @booksarealwaysbettersworlds-blog @greenlyblue @henqtic @meiitanoia @catching-the-train-to-hogwarts

[snarkandsarcasmftw]

12 Days Of Christmas, A Masterlist.

Pretty sure that you’ve all figured out that I’m going to be taking part in the 12 Days of Christmas event that the lovely and amazing @champbucks​ is doing this year. If you didn’t know already, well hehe.. surprise?!? This is the first time I’ve ever done anything like this? And I really had a blast. I tried to do things for both my wrestle writing blog @snarkwriteswrasslin​ and my multifandom blog @snarkwritesmultifandom​ for all 12 days. Just to keep them together and so hopefully more people have access to everything, I thought I’d make one masterlist for everything I’ve done that’ll be coming out and post it to my main blog. I don’t always post my writing bullshit on my main, so... I guess this is me, saying happy holidays to all of you lovelies? Enjoy!

I tried not to write too many smutty things, but I can tell you that I... kinda... failed.. at doing so... just a little bit. For the most part, everything below is fluff/angst/comedy but there were a few times where things got a little... heated. Anything that’s mature / has mature themes, triggering themes, etc, is marked with an m or has it’s appropriate warning beside the title.

 I had so much fun doing this!! Thanks again, @champbucks​ for letting me be part of it!

Tagging: @12daysofchristmas​ (in case some of the stories weren’t tagged right / tag doesn’t work bc we know tumblr stays messy af)

~ MULTIFANDOM~

13.12 - Bonfire, Ray Palmer | Legends Of Tomorrow [ heat, m - part 1 of 3 ]

14.12 - Songs | Music, Tim Speedle | CSI Miami [ all i want for christmas is you ]

15.12 - Wrapping Paper, Bucky Barnes | MCU [moodboard + blurb “big red bow”, suggestive-ish.]

16.12 - Snow, Shane Walsh |  The Walking Dead [moodboard + blurb “ let it snow “, ]

16.12 - Snow, Ben Solo | Star wars [ moodboard + blurb “ snowbound” part 1 of  3]

17.12 - Holiday Carnival/Fair, Sweetpea | Riverdale [ kissing booth ]

18.12 - Candy, Reggie Mantle | Riverdale [moodboard + blurb “peppermint milkshake kisses”] 

19.12 - Holiday Party, Juice Ortiz | Sons of Anarchy [ moodboard + blurb “ghosts of christmases past”]

19.12 - Holiday Party, Ben Solo | Star Wars [ moodboard + blurb “snowbound pt2″, fake dating trope ]

20.12 - Fireplace/Stockings, Ray Palmer | Legends of Tomorrow [ gray wool socks, suggestive-ish borderline m, part 2 of 3]

20.12 - Fireplace/ Stockings, Ben Solo | Star Wars [ moodboard + blurb “snowbound pt3″]

21.12- Tree/Decorating, Opie Winston | Sons Of Anarchy [ deck the halls,pregnant!ofc ]

22.12- Cookies/Baking/Gingerbread, Ray Palmer | Legends of Tomorrow [ moodboard + blurb “little gingerbread family″ ]

23.12- Cocoa, Connor & Murhpy MacManus | The Boondock Saints [ moodboard + blurb, “ how the irish keep warm”] 

24.12 - Mistletoe, Lip Gallagher | Shameless [ mistletoe kiss, alcohol tw ] 

~ WRESTLING~

13.12 - Bonfire, Adam Page | AEW [ moodboard + blurb “jack daniels kisses” alcohol tw.]

14.12 - Songs | Music, Curtis Axel | formerly WWE [ moodboard + blurb “santa,baby”]

15.12 - Wrapping Paper, Trent Baretta | AEW [ le tits now ]

16.12 - Snow, Chad Gable | WWE [ melt ]

17.12 - Holiday Carnival/Fair, MJF | AEW [you want to kiss me ]

18.12 - Candy, Switchblade Jay White | NJPW [ moodboard + blurb “peppermint kisses“]

19.12 - Holiday Party, Adam Hangman Page | AEW [ clumsy, alcohol tw ]

20.12 - Fireplace/Stockings, Kyle O’Reilly | NXT [ knee socks & stolen shirts, suggestive]

21.12- Tree/Decorating, Adam Hangman Page | AEW [ trees & traditions,singlemom!oc] 

22.12- Cookies/Baking/Gingerbread, Timothy Thatcher | NXT [ moodboard + blurb “taste test” lightly suggestive]

23.12 - Cocoa, Kevin Owens | WWE [hot cocoa kisses]

24.12 - Mistletoe, MJF|AEW [ mistletoe, alcohol tw ]

[vannahfanfics]

A Place in this World

Category: General Fluff, Angst

Fandom: Naruto

Characters: Ino Yamanaka

Hello, everyone! I wanted to do something for Kunoichi Week (since we all love our ninja ladies)! So, here’s a story for the Day 6 prompt, “Sad Moments”! 

A faint mist drifted through the headstones of the graveyard. The grey-white clumps of condensed water molecules swam through the dark gray stones like wispy-finned fish trawling a kelp garden. They would flit between the mounds, ghosts of once corporeal forms, before they would dissolve into the air without so much as a sound. They fled the oncoming of the sun, which poked over the top of the full-branched oak trees ringing the cemetery; its warm rays would evaporate them into nothingness, which was a pretty depressing way to end, Ino supposed. With lidded periwinkle-blue eyes, she watched the ghostly school of fog-fish traverse the invisible currents between the headstones from the threshold of the iron-wrought gate. 

“I’d better get going. I don’t want to be late for the mission briefing,” Ino quietly encouraged herself. The plastic wrapping around the freshly-cut green stems of the lilies she held crinkled as she clenched her hands. So many times she had visited this place, yet it never grew any easier. It still felt like she was diving into dark black water to sink into a crushing abyss; her lungs spasmed in her chest, screaming for oxygen because she simply couldn’t will herself to breathe. Just as her cheeks would tinge with the faintest hint of blue, Ino would gasp, flooding her ailing tissue with the life-giving air. She stood there just like she had so many times before, panting as the fear and dread crept into her body. “I-I’d better get going,” she whispered again. 

This time, Ino willed her feet to move forward. 

Her mind was far, far away at this point, somewhere amongst the ghostly fish swimming in the mist around her. Yet, muscle memory navigated her to the desired headstone. Her eyelashes fluttered as she stared unseeing down at the rock, which had darkened slightly with the clinging condensation. ASUMA SARUTOBI was carved into the surface in neat characters. Ino pinched her bottom lip between her teeth as it threatened to wobble. No, it never got any easier, reconciling with the fact that her beloved sensei was dead. 

Ino sank to her knees before the gravestone. With quivering hands, she laid the bouquet of lilies at the base of the smooth rock structure. The tears beaded in her eyes like the dewdrops clinging to the grass. The water droplets splashed against her bare calves as she tucked her legs underneath herself. She rested her hands on her lap and just stared at the gravestone. Most of the time, she struggled with what to say. Most people just talking monotonously about their day or sobbed about how hard it was without them when they visited a loved one’s grave. Those sentiments held for Ino, yet somehow she felt like it was a disservice to Asuma. Would he sit there and listen to her blather mindlessly about the humdrum of her daily life? 

“Heh. Of course you would,” Ino chuckled softly under her breath. Asuma’d light a cigarette and listen in silence, with the faintest hint of a smile upon his lips. Ino shifted slightly as her legs began to prickle with numbness, then straightened her back. 

“Shikamaru, Choji and I went to see Mirai yesterday for her first birthday. She’s gotten so big! Her hair is just like Kurenai’s, dark and thick and wavy… Her eyes too, so bright and red. I see you in her smile, though,” Ino smiled wanly as she imagined the funny little girl running around. “Shikamaru and Temari are keeping on with that weird ‘we’re-into-each-other-but-totally-don’t-realize-it-thing,’” Ino laughed amiably. “I wish they would just get a move on and start dating already! It’s so obvious to everyone but them, apparently.” She felt a little silly at first, just talking to a rock, but once the words started coming, they came more naturally. She could almost feel the man sitting in front of her, with one knee kicked up with his elbow propped on it while he took a deep drag from his cigarette. The wispy currents of mist floated around her still, and she imagined that it was the smoke from the orange-and-white bud trailing down from his smiling face. 

“The flower shop is doing well! We just got a new shipment in,” she said with a gesture to the fresh cluster of lilies. “I haven’t decided yet if I want to take it over completely,” she frowned and puffed out her cheeks pensively. “I enjoy medical ninjutsu. I’ve also considered working in the hospital with Sakura, but… I’m just not sure.” With a forlorn sigh, she hung her head. “I’m not really sure of my future at all, Asuma-sensei… When I was younger, everything seemed so simple… I just had to keep pushing forward. The problem is, I’m just not sure what exactly I’m heading for anymore.” She fiddled her feet behind her, digging little trenches into the damp earth with her toes. “I wish you were here. I know you’d give me really good advice…” 

Ino’s eyes became lidded as she gazed sadly down at the stone. It remained silent, though she wished so desperately that she could hear Asuma’s voice drifting out of it. Ino knew that she would have to come to these decisions by herself, but sometimes it was just reassuring to have an older adult to ask for advice. It was something she sorely missed. 

The sun had bubbled over the canopy of the trees to spill its hot yellow rays over the village. The spears of light kissed Ino’s shoulders to spread a soothing warmth over her skin. The mist tendrils had vanished with the oncoming of the sun, not wishing to vanish so unceremoniously. Despite the heat gracing the world, Ino’s heart remained a cold, sad core within her body, making it feel like ice flooded through her nerves. The tears resting in the corners of her eyes finally slipped down her cheeks. 

“I miss you a lot, Asuma-sensei.” 

A breeze rolled in, making ripples across the smooth glass blades. It plucked at Ino’s long tresses of platinum-blonde hair to make it ruffle like the cascading waters of a waterfall. The droplets falling from her cheeks stained her plum-colored skirt a violet hue. Ino wasn’t sure why all the uncertainty of her life was mounting up on her just then, but regardless, it spilled over like boiling water over the edge of a pot. She wiped at her face with the heels of her palms, but the tears continued to stream down. “Nothing seems certain anymore… I know it’s not really that big of a decision, but I feel overwhelmed, just the same,” she lamented. “I love that our future is peaceful and bright, I just… I’m not really sure of my place in it anymore.” 

Ino’s words faltered in her throat, and her nose wrinkled when she smelled the sudden acrid aroma of cigarette smoke. She straightened up and looked around wildly, thinking that perhaps Shikamaru had come to visit the grave as well and had lit up one of the tobacco buds. However, aside from herself, the cemetery was empty. The scent was unmistakable, though; she could never forget that faint hint of smoke clinging to Asuma’s clothes. The familiar aroma wafted around her body not unlike the morning mist, as if it were embracing her. 

“Hehe, you’re right. Of course I have a place,” Ino laughed wanly. How silly of her to think such a thing. Regardless of what the future may hold, Ino always had a place in the Hidden Leaf. The scent of cigarette smoke continued to waft around her as if to agree. She smiled brightly and tossed her hair lightly over her shoulder. “You know, who’s to say I can’t do both?” she reasoned amusedly. “The beautiful medical-nin who moonlights as a florist. What do you say to that, Asuma-sensei?” 

The smoke scent intensified for a second, or at least, she imagined it did. Perhaps the smell was all in her head, but it comforted her nonetheless. “I think it sounds pretty great,” she laughed. She pretty much decided on her own. Still, she liked to think Asuma listened to her and showed her the way in some sense or another. Ino rose with a pleased sigh and brushed the dirt and grass bits from the fabric of her skirt. Based on the position of the sun, Ino still had a good fifteen minutes to report to her mission briefing. “Thanks, Asuma-sensei,” she smiled amiably at the stone. The smoke scent had faded, but she imagined that he was still listening to her. The breeze rustled the lilies sitting at her feet. 

Just like I have a place here, you’ll always have a place in my heart, Asuma-sensei, she thought gratefully. Now. Off to the future! With the sun on her back, Ino strode onward to an uncertain, but definitely bright, future.

Enjoy this oneshot? Feel free to peruse my Table of Contents!

Tag List: @deliathedork​ @searchfortheonepiece​ @kunoichiweek​

[blurred-inventory]

Word of Honor, E1-6

New danmei bc this is delightfully gay! A hilariously huge chunk of this show is outrageously blatant flirting (bc Chinese censorship), and I am here for it!!

ZZS = Zhou Zushi

WKX = Wen Kexing

***spoilers for Word of Honor***

Window of Heaven, Five Lakes Alliance, Beggar Gangs, Ghost Valley, Scorpion Sect... Reluctantly dedicating brainpower to sorting out info about each faction. Granted, most just want the Glazed Armor (MacGuffin??) and revenge for deaths. 

I am enjoying the political awareness and independence that ZZS and WKX possess, since they’re not bound by sect etiquette. Sneaky bois hehe. ZZS and WKX are both aware and persistent about each other’s hidden identities. As shady as WKX is, ZZS is too (if less active about it lol). Veteran morally gray protags is a neat deviation from the typically fresh protags. Plus they’re mentors!! And found family is a great trope. 

The blatant flirting comes across as genuinely caring for his health and wellbeing and more date-like stuff.  See: 

admiring stares

complimenting face and physique and sHoULdEr blADeS

waxing poetic about character

“A-Xu! A-Xu!”

offering to pay for food and drink

inviting back to his boat

the pseudo(?) stalking that’s a bit foolish and a lot endearing

And ZZS’s capable of giving back as much snark and ahhh it’s just very equal and fun. *shoos away the oncoming angst*

[dearlyvon]

Insecurities

Pairing: Jimin x Reader

Genre: Slight Angst/Fluff 

Word Count: 1.7k

Summary: In which you’re absolutely insecure but Jimin doesn’t agree on how you view yourself. IDKKK 

Note: I'm just testing stuff out hehe. This is all just an experiment to see if I could become confident again in what I write lol.

-

It was one of those days that Jimin comes over and the two of you would watch all the latest movies and episodes of dramas that the both of you haven't watched yet. It was hard for Jimin to come by these days since he's an aspiring idol and he became a trainee a few months back. But he still managed to hang out with you  from time to time. 

The two of you were watching a romance type of drama that made you want to scream how obvious it was that the female lead would end up with the guy that was always with her from the start. Even if she was pining over some other guy in the current episode.

It was undeniably warm in your room even if it was pouring outside. You were lying comfortably on Jimin's chest as he had his arms wrapped around you with his head resting comfortably on your shoulder. The laptop was placed in front of the both of you with your pillows near the side of it due to the mini pillow fight you and Jimin had over to see who get's to choose first. Obviously, he won seeing as the two of you weren't watching Suspicious Partner as of now.

By the end of the episode, it got you thinking a whole bunch of negative thoughts. Especially since you just watched a typical romance drama. It's been a little over 8 months since you last had been in a relationship. And that relationship didn't last that long either. 

"Hey, Jimin?"

 “Hm?”

“I’m not worth anyone’s time, aren’t I?”

He looked over to you with shock written all over his face on what you said. “What? I mean it’s obvious that no one wants me. I barely have a love life.” 

“Don’t say that, (Y/N)-”

“To be honest, I don’t think I would even date myself. Look at me, I’m ugly, not slim enough and I’m definitely not smart. I don’t have charisma nor do I have an appeal to guys. I’m socially awkward, have less than mediocre skills in cooking and I don’t have any talents. I’m just a plain gray not-so-unique (Y/N). Plus I laugh like a windshield wiper and I’m always never the ideal type of the guy I like.”

By the end of what you said, the room was silent and you had unwrapped yourself from his arms and brought your knees to your chest while looking at your bedroom floor with glassy eyes.

“(Y/N), you’re not any of those. You’re outstandingly beautiful, you got a perfect body even if it isn’t the ideal body type and god, if I could tell you how many damn times you’ve beaten me in a debate because of all that knowledge you have I would. If you only knew how other guys look at you and wish they get to call you theirs. You are the kindest person I have met. And who wouldn’t want a beautiful, smart, kind and caring person to be theirs?”

He certainly knew he would.

You scoffed and looked up at him with a few tears rolling down your face as you look at him with disbelief. “Would you date me?” You said those words so sarcastically since you knew he would never look at you in that way.

“Yes.” At least you thought you knew. And he didn’t have a hint of hesitation in his voice. Your eyes grew wide as you slowly took in his answer. And realization hit you, it was just to make you feel better. He wouldn’t actually want to. You would know, you fell in love with him long ago. But he never saw you in that light. So you tried to move on. And it sort of worked. Sort of.

“Thanks Jimin. But I know that you will never see me that way. If this just to make me feel better, it’s not working. “ By now, you were on the verge of breaking down. Since the feelings you thought were gone yet again resurfaced. And it’s not helping in any way.

 He scooted over to where you sat down with your hands to your face trying to stop the tears. He took your hands in his. You slowly looked up to him. And you were beyond confused as to why he was crying too. You were about to ask what was wrong and why he was crying but he spoke first.

“Please, (Y/N), stop doing this to yourself. You were always like this ever since we met back in high school. I thought in time, you would become more confident and realize that you’re already perfect. You say you’re the walking epitome of imperfections. But do you know what I see? I see absolute perfection made into 1 person. And I can’t believe I got lucky enough to even be this close to you.”

“S-Stop, Jimin. Just please. I understand that you’re my best friend and that you probably feel obligated to make me feel better. but it isn’t working-”

“Repeat what you said but instead direct it at me.”

He said those words with utmost seriousness in his eyes that you know he wasn’t joking when he said that.

“J-Jimin. I can’t-”

“Why not?”

“Because I’d feel terrible! You aren’t any of those. You’re the exact opposite.”

“Then don’t say that to yourself. That’s how I feel whenever you say those type of things. You don’t know how many times I’d come back to the dorms already missing you and feeling butterflies fluttering in my stomach over the previous activities we do. You don’t know how many times I wake up feeling giddy on the thought of just seeing you and seeing you laugh and smile because of me. You don’t know how many times I think of you praising me and feeling proud of all the accomplishments I achieved. And that thought drives me to be more determined to work harder.”

You opened your mouth to speak but he pulled you to his chest. making your head rest against his chest and his head buried in the crook of your neck. He wasn’t finished yet.

“And all these small intimate moments we have like cuddling, I sometimes think that we’re actually in a relationship and this is how it feels to call you mine. And oh god, don’t get me started on how I had to hold myself back from kissing the life out of you after getting a taste of your oh-so-addicting lips after you got dared to kiss me. And hell, if you only knew how much my pride and ego boosted when I knew that was your first kiss. Fuck, and those times where I see you with other guys and I see how they look at you. I try my hardest to try and stop myself from showing them who you belong to even if there isn’t even an us. Yet, hopefully.”

He felt him smile a little before continuing on.

“And it hurts me to see you like this. And I try everyday to remind you you’re worth so much more than what you think you’re worth.”

By the time he finished what he wanted to say, the both of you were sobbing relentlessly into each other. Part of you was really touched on what he said, another part of you was going blank. It’s still trying to process and comprehend what the hell this meant. 

A while later, the both of you calmed down.And there was just a resonating silence in the room. The atmosphere was so awkward you wanted the Earth to swallow you up. Jimin had his arms already unwrapped around you and you could feel his intense gaze on you.

“(Y/N), please say something. I know you’re probably confused right now, but your silence is killing me.” He chuckled a bit, trying to lighten the mood. But deep down, your silence did nothing but help him think that this was going to end in the worst case scenario he thought of.

“Did you mean all of that?”

“Yes! God (Y/N), you really want me to say it out loud, don’t you? I love you. And how many times do I have to tell you, you’re not any of those and you’re perfect.”

You smiled. You went nearer to him and hugged him. Jimin visibly relaxed under your touch. You went back to your neglected laptop and typed in your password. 

“Wait, what does that make us? Are we like- in a relatio-”

“Shhh. Let’s just figure all that later. For now, it’s time to watch Suspicious Partner.”

And he got quiet after that. But he had possibly the most heartwarming smile on and leaned back on your bed’s headboard. You sat in between his legs and got comfortable on his chest. You pressed the play button and waited for it to load.

“Hey (Y/N)?”

“Yeah?”

“Now that I thought about it, you do sound like a windshield wiper when you laugh.”

“YAH.“

Your tone may sound a bit angry but you can’t help but laugh silently at that. You knew he was only teasing. Hopefully.

“Oh, and Chim?”

“Hm?” You hadn’t called him Chim in a while so he got a bit surprised on hearing you call him that again.

And soon enough, he felt a pair of lips on his cheek. But it was far too soon when you pulled away and cheekily smiled at him. His face was basically a tomato now. The spot where you gave him a small peck still tingled and he swears he could still feel the ghost of your lips on it. 

“I love you too.” 

For the rest of the episode and even in the other shows you two watched, he couldn’t focus entirely on it. His eyes kept glancing back at you if you would do it again but you were far too immersed in whatever was happening to do anything. Once he realized that, he just gave up and basked the feeling of having you close to him and finally being able to call you his, your I love you too ringing in his head over and over again. He liked this feeling. He could get used to feeling this.