𝗌𝗂𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗋𝖾𝗅𝗒.​

i have learned all kinds of things from my many mistakes.

[exanimos]

"guess what i got." his fist is closed around something ( probably ) and presented forward to allow for fair inspection and educated theories. a ninja must see underneath the underneath and this is as good as any other practice.

[exanimos]

"—you've been eyeing my report for a while. something the matter?" aside from the fact that his handwriting looks scrunklier than that of a dog. ... or rather, maybe it is the handwriting of a dog. / @inkpots-n-sass

[exanimos]

that was completely unnecessary and you know it.

“hmm—?” lazy half-turn renders his sly eye-smile a little more palpable. shinobi are trained to be discreet—but indulging in contrary practices has been surprisingly rewarding in its own right.

“whatever do you mean, esteemed ambassador of the sand?” … long-standing senior council member of sunagakure, valued teacher of the fifth kazekage, battle seasoned veteran and master of the wind blade—et cetera. he’s got a few more epithets in store and given that their latest directive seems oh-so-keen on ensuring that their far-traveled guests are respected as is appropriate in light of their alliance’s importance, there’s nothing quite stopping him from correcting unenthusiastic staff members and oblivious townspeople in the most obnoxious way possible. 

“let’s make sure you’re well known enough for our nifty shopkeepers to reconsider scamming you, at the very least.”

[exanimos]

it's because i care about you.

he doesn’t need to ( isn't able to, anyway ) peel himself from layers of sweat-soaked sheets to know that several ears have perked up at the other man’s remark. stifled sniffs are enough of a sign that his quick-witted companions have momentarily deprioritized inspecting their guest for the sole purpose of granting room to an answer in this deafening silence. any answer. he’s not sure what exactly they want him to say—the words he’s got to spare are a precious few, coarse as his throat feels, and it’s no shocking revelation that gai cares … because gai cares about everything ( his colleagues, his students, the grandiosity of nature, the beauty of the little things, the neglected plants on the window sill, youth, the lack thereof, and whatever else ).

right; he just happens to have joined the ranks of puzzle pieces which share an innominate trait that warrant gai's care at one point or another. got assimilated, even. it's not like he's had a say in it. ... though it's not like he hates it either ( these days ). whatever the case, it seems a bit far-fetched to feel special for it all beyond the circumstance that he's infamously difficult to care about by own design ( ... though being up against a challenge junkie puts even that into perspective ).

"... you don't need to."

cue the snide canine huff from somewhere by his mattress' ledge. wrong answer, apparently. a sole, drowsy eye searches what little he can see of his surroundings for the bleared silhouette of the other jounin. "um ... ..." he forces it into focus with a slow blink. "... but since you're here," and likely not leaving anytime soon given whatever kind of man-dog alliance is being formed here without his permission, "i could use some water—?"

[exanimos]

❛  i waited and waited because i really wanted to see you.  ❜

waxing moon lights his path with a modest care one learns to appreciate after countless nights on the road. he's long come to convince himself that he likes it best that way: his silence-clad steps below and a sliver of brilliance in the distance. it's fitting. an acquired habit ... or perhaps a destiny he's never once thought to contest. why should he? it's a little comical in retrospect—that they'd have him shed his anbu title and send him out on a mission befitting a masked squad leader regardless in short succession. he'd like to give recon the benefit of doubt—missions can turn awry at a moment's notice and surprises are a constant in a shinobi's life. even so, there's a question smoldering the tip of his tongue: what difference does it make?

salvaging consciences in a world that celebrates death and despair like a cloudburst in the desert is an enigmatic errand he lacks the optimism to decipher. ... there are others with broader minds, though. maybe it makes a difference to them.

he stops short at the village's gates; inches away from a lantern's flickering gaze. a familiar figure waits underneath the light, right on the other side. "... ..." hard to miss—even from afar. some weeks ago he might've made it a point to re-route his journey home just to avoid an encounter with that over-enthusiastic smile. right now, he lacks the excuse to do so ( ... and the energy ). "tenacity gets you anything, doesn't it—?" a lazy drawl takes the place of a greeting as he crosses the threshold between dark and bright. "... ... ... ... ... got your fill? i still have to report back."

[mcflymemes]

"I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP!" PROMPTS *  assorted dialogue for both sides of the argument, adjust as necessary.

for the "i don't need your help" one

you can get lost.

i thought i told you i had this under control.

you never listen to me.

i was taking care of it.

leave me alone.

are you happy now?

you just stepped in and ruined it for me.

that was completely unnecessary and you know it.

i had it under control.

you didn't need to show up.

can't you let me handle my own shit?

i would have appreciated it if you asked first.

i had it handled!

you didn't need to do all that!

what part of "i don't need help" do you not understand?

they were about to give it to me before you showed up!

i had something going and you ruined it!

what, you mean you don't trust me to handle it myself?

you trained me better than this.

you can't just show up every time and save me.

what's the point in putting me out here if you're not going to let me do it on my own?

i thought you trusted me to take care of this by myself.

you taught me this.

i'm never going to forgive you for this.

that was uncalled for.

what happens when you're not here one day and i have to take care of things on my own?

how am i ever going to learn if you keep stepping in?

i'm not you.

for the "i'm just trying to help you" one

i heard you struggling.

i was just trying to help you.

and this is the thanks i get for trying to help?

things were getting out of hand. i had to step in.

you never would have done that by yourself.

it's okay to ask for help.

it's not that i don't trust you. i don't trust [them].

a minute longer and you'd be dead in there.

i had to make sure you were okay.

of course i trust you. this was never about trust.

i'm not going to risk your life like that!

i should have been there sooner.

if i'd only reached you faster.

a simple "thank you" would suffice.

you could thank me for saving your ass back there.

sure didn't seem like you had it under control.

things were getting out of hand, and i stepped in.

i'm in charge here, not you.

i'm not going to put your life at risk like that again.

we're done here.

i'm not arguing with you.

i saved your life, and this is how you repay me?

i just wanted to make sure you were okay.

maybe i crossed a line back there, sure, but i did it for you.

it's because i care about you.

of course you're capable. that was never up for debate.

you're not ready.

next time, let me handle it.

clearly you need more time before i let you do that alone.

we'll try again tomorrow.

[lvyeshou]

[i was planning to get to more asks and drafts but something at work blew up and the group chat is exploding, also MIKA IS BACKK and i had an awesome time catching up they are sooo cool, everyone say welcome back mika <33333]

[exanimos]

i'm baaaaaak

[exanimos]

❛ !!! KAKASHI !!! How could you do that?! I only have one! ❜ 'bito is tearing up fr fr. he's looking to see if Minato-sensei or Rin is here to witness Kakashi's absolute crime of smashing his strawberry cupcake, but unfortunately for him no one else is around.

"... you should cut down on those anyway," he says, stubborn antagonism camouflaging the fact that he does feel a little guilty about it all. it's not like he'd aimed to flatten the sugary snack. there are only so many ways of passing the time while waiting for their teacher and third teammate to return from running errands ... and target practice just happens to be one of them. unfortunately, targets do tend to break when tanking a fledgling lightning strike head-on ... ... and their shambled parts do tend to dart into unpredictable directions upon impact. let's just say ... one little strawberry cupcake was waiting about in the wrong place, at the wrong time. no harm done.

he crouches down next to its doughy corpse, scoops it up with one hand and lets its remnants slink into one of the cups usually reserved for a refreshment during their shared mid-training lunch break. "... ..." maybe some harm was done, he admits quietly to himself alone while staring down at the mashed mixture. ( ... ... oh well ). he hands obito the cup anyway. "i'm sure it's still edible."

[exanimos]

^ guy who appreciates a balanced diet but also would not hesitate abt throwing a full course meal into the blender and sip it on the go if it's more convenient

[frog-thief]

Kakashi's little angel and demon

ଘ(੭ˊ꒳​ˋ)੭✧ (◣∀◢)ψ

[exanimos]

[ How would Kakashi rate an average day on a scale from 1-10? ]

there's a fun answer and a true answer and we'll obviously start with the former. there's a science to it, of course. a point system, if you so will. petted a dog, +20 points. had to keep one of the kids from blasting themselves off a cliff via rash jutsu experiments, -10 points. got lectured by an academy teacher, -10 points. or +10 points. it really depends. indulged in a contest with gai, +30 points ( regardless of winning or losing ). took a nap without being disturbed or startled awake, +10 points. real-time ptsd flashback in broad daylight, -50 points. aggravated someone by being late, +10 points. made a joke that nobody even took note of, -10 points. speedate his dinner much to the chagrin of local mask-peekers, +20 points. got an upset stomach from eating too fast later that night, -20 points. saw a dog that isn't his, +5 points ( per dog spotted ). got to read at least one chapter of icha icha, +15 points. forgot a key ingredient while buying groceries and noticing too late, -25 points. got threatened by a shark guy, -10 points. got kidnapped by a shark guy, -20 points. and so on! :)

the true ( boring ) answer is that he doesn't think about how his day has been at all. getting up / going to sleep is a routine to him and he moves through most of the day on autopilot ( unless, of course, he's supposed to teach or fight ). he's pretty out of touch with 'the here and now' and needs to ground himself / get grounded consciously to really pause and consider his current state. giving an adequate rating would probably be impossible for him—chances are he'd offer one that he believes would please the asking party.

[exanimos]

support your local hand aficionados @lvyeshou

[exanimos]

come & get advice from ur good ol' sensei today & tomorrow for the cheap price of NOTHING (for literally just about anyone on my dash) or 5ct if you're baki

[exanimos]

His hands have been rugged and scarred for as long as he can remember, maybe even since he could speak. There is not one smooth spot on the skin that stretches taut over his knuckles. Even so, just in the last week alone, they've suffered enough abuse for a typical shinobi's entire career. Where they're not bleeding, they're bruised; where they're not bruised, they're calloused. They tremble where he clenches them into fists at his side — he loathes the way they quiver so; it only makes him clench tighter, till his nails dig crescent moons into the meat of his palm.

Gai can't read the look in his friend's eyes, but if he had to guess, it sat somewhere between pity and vindication — now you know how it feels, or —- maybe he's being too unfair? The burst of cynicism surprises him, and with significant effort, Gai tamps the thought down. No, surely his friend, of all people, would understand.

they say that eyes are like mirrors of a soul; voiceless orators that lay bare the measure of a man, as well as his intent. one would think that foregoing borrowed sight in lieu of an eye that does not reject its owner should make him more transparent to the world—but he's long understood that being made whole doesn't change a thing when physical concerns continue to supersede mental needs. as such, people are still prone to struggling when it comes to figuring him out, and gai is still grappling with adjusting to the new limits his body has decided upon.

"—mm. let's see..." he's no consoler. never has been. he lacks the sensibilities that ensure words of choice will be firm but not hurtful. he lacks experience in discerning when unbiased compassion is more productive than unsolicited advice—as well as the desire to prioritize heart over mind in the first place. he lacks the skill to embrace another person with warmth and ease; shies away from touch, even now that it's become a harmless constant in his life. he likes to think that he understands others well enough ... all while knowing that recognition alone does not equal salvation. ( here's the bitter truth: he's not sure he can help his friend ).

even so, his hand extends with deliberate care; wraps itself around the other's over-tense fingers to goad them into unfurling before nails could break skin. a nimble motion is all it takes for him to slide a wooden handle into the widening gap before his palm makes a swift retreat and leaves gai's hand to its own devices once again. ... freshly equipped with a comb that is clearly not meant for human hair. "... what's with that look? you still owe me, remember?" probably. more than likely, it's the other way 'round but it's not like he keeps track and what's a little lie in the face of one, two, or five small, wet snouts sniffling along the edge of gai's bed, followed by several sets of paws that rise along to make unbridled expectations known. "go ahead and get started on the bunch. i'll be back in a moment."

[exanimos]

@osumaki continued from here.

a flash of yellow fills his vision as the boy draws closer; unruly hair matched evenly with a boisterous grin and uninformed judgment to boot. one thing is for certain: that kid definitely doesn't get it.

"—you've got a few wrong ideas about me," he says with a measured tone that adequately reflects his disinterest in titles and reputation. thinking about it, even he isn't sure who'd bestowed them upon him first: the leaf or its enemies—he only knows that one side's hero is another side's nightmare and his epithet tends to carry nuances of ire and fear when spoken out loud. the fact that his student somehow manages to mistake the cautionary tales attached to his persona for noble fairy-tales is a plain matter of allegiance and juvenile naivety. "... what do you think makes a hero a hero?"

[damage-ko]

Bean incident.

[mikao]

back in my retro anime era with improved floof hair drawing skills