#especially since said kids are space nyas
Text
give a man some chocolate and he permits you to raise his kids. just men things.
1 note
·
View note
Text
wait
(storm section inspired by @ambrosial-tea)
Prompts: Home and Memories
Word Count: 5,901 (hey i think i'm actually starting to get these back to a more reasonable number XD)
Characters: Lloyd and Garmadon
Timeline: Between episodes 13 (Day of the Great Devourer) and 18 (Child’s Play) with some flashback scenes
Trigger Warnings: Abandonment
Summary: Lloyd’s not so great at being patient. It’s not his fault though- maybe he would be better at it if waiting didn’t always end up being so disappointing- if people actually kept their promises. But this time’s going to be different, he knows it. His father will come back for him. And Lloyd’s going to wait.
As long as it takes.
Since I already got two bingos on the sparks board, I decided to switch it up and change to the warm board!
Read on FFN.net
Read on Ao3
Tumblr work under the cut
In the aftermath of the battle, Lloyd only had one thought on his mind.
Cheers and whoops from the citizens of Ninjago City- and the ninja themselves- rang through the air as the realization that the Great Devourer was dead hit them. Lloyd hardly noticed, though. Gripping the handrail at the edge of the building, he peered out over the city. He was around here somewhere. He had to be.
“We did it!” Kai cried, grabbing Lloyd’s hand and raising it high in the air. “We saved the city! The Great Devourer is dead!”
We? Lloyd glared at him, although the fire ninja didn’t even seem to notice. My dad was the one who seemed to do all the saving.
“Ultra!” Cole cried as the dragon landed on the street near the foot of the building. Racing towards the fire escape, the ninja hurried down the stairs and over to the dragon. Cole threw his arms around Rocky’s snout, the others not far behind. “You’re safe, bud!”
As the ninja and Nya laughed and caressed the dragon, Lloyd hung back, feeling lost. This wasn’t right. They couldn’t go on celebrating when someone was still missing.
“Where’s my dad?” he burst out, his voice sounding a lot shakier than what he had hoped for. “I don’t see him anywhere.”
The others exchanged glances. Lloyd hated the way they looked at each other, trying to decide what to tell him, because he obviously wasn’t good enough to know what they were really thinking.
Nya walked over to him, putting a hand on his shoulder and bending over slightly to put herself more at his level. Her eyes sparkled with regret. “Lloyd-”
“Sensei Wu?”
Jaws dropped at Cole’s exclamation, and they jerked their gazes towards where he was pointing. Sure enough, Uncle Wu was sitting in the middle of the street, in a pile of green Devourer goo, looking lost as he pushed himself to his feet. Lloyd closed his eyes, letting his breath out slowly. So at least one of his mistakes had been fixed.
“He’s alive?” Jay gaped. “He’s alive!”
Kai grabbed Lloyd by the wrist, half-dragging him over towards their sensei as the ninja tackled him into a hug. Lloyd reached out to put a hand on his uncle’s back, but paused. He had no place here. Don’t get me wrong, I love the ninja, but… I was never supposed to be part of this. I’m only here because my uncle is their sensei, because I’m their beloved green ninja.
Wu pulled back from his students, grinning- only for his smile to falter as his dark eyes met Lloyd’s red ones. He tilted his head in that odd, knowing way of his. Lloyd wanted to break the contact, but couldn’t.
“Your father is gone, isn’t he.” Not a question, but a statement.
Lloyd let his gaze drop to the ground, remaining silent. His uncle reached a hand out for his shoulder but stopped short when Lloyd flinched away.
“Yeah, and with him, our golden weapons,” Kai growled. Nya elbowed him, hard, and he yelped, rubbing his side and scowling at her.
“Weapons or not, we will see him again,” Wu told him, “of that I am certain.”
“Yeah, only because your dumb prophecy says so.”
Wu flinched. “Lloyd-”
“Do I really have to fight my father someday, Uncle Wu?”
He sighed. “One day, nephew, that time will come. But I can hope that it is not for many, many years to come, when you are much older and stronger and wiser. Until then, we must not linger on the future. You ninja have done well today. You should be proud of yourselves, celebrate your victory for a little while.”
“Don’t worry, bigshot.” Kai ruffled his hair. “You’re the chosen one. And we’re the best teachers there are! You’ll be more than ready by the time the final battle rolls around.”
Lloyd clenched his teeth. Why couldn’t any of them see? He didn’t want to fight his father. He couldn’t. His father had come back for him when the Serpentine had trapped him, even when everyone else had lost hope. His father had been the one to comfort him about their futures, the one to protect him, the one to fix his mistakes with the Serpentine. So what if he had taken the golden weapons? If it weren’t for him, they’d all be inside the stomach of a giant snake right now. Were the ninja really so quick to forget that?
They didn’t know him like Lloyd did. Even his uncle had never seen the side of him Lloyd had seen. His father was a good man who had made bad choices. Couldn’t the same be said for Lloyd? If he had changed, why couldn’t his father?
Don’t worry, dad, he vowed silently. I won’t fight you. I’ll find a way to fix this. To make this right.
You see if I don’t.
---
Lightning illuminated the small room, dazzling Garmadon’s tired face as he carried the blanket over to the couch. Sitting down, he gazed out the window, the pattering sound of rain against the glass both comforting and incredibly lonely at the same time.
He sighed, turning towards the hallway. “I know you’re there, Lloyd.”
A small boy slipped into view, a stuffed dragon hugged tightly against his chest and his wispy, whitish-blond hair a mess as he blinked shyly up at him. “I’m scared of the storm, Daddy.”
Garmadon shook his head, scooting over on the couch and patting the space beside him. Lloyd needed no further encouragement, running up to him and hauling himself up to sit beside him. Lloyd burrowed himself against Garmadon’s side, and he made sure to pull the edge of his blanket a little tighter around his son.
Thunder rumbled loudly, and Lloyd whimpered, gripping tighter onto Garmadon. He waited a moment for the boy to relax before speaking.
“So. Mind telling me what it is you find so scary about storms?”
Lloyd fidgeted. “They’re so loud! And the lightning- I don’t want it to get me, Daddy.”
Garmadon chuckled. “So you’re scared of a little noise and lights, eh? Somehow, I didn’t quite expect that from you.”
Lloyd yelped as another rumble echoed through the air, this one seeming to shake the house with its ferocity. Lloyd’s dragon slipped out of his grip and he quickly snatched it back up.
“It’s just a process of nature, son. There’s no need to fear it. We are safe here.”
Lloyd glanced up at him with wide eyes, and Garmadon sighed.
“It’s like a dragon, Lloyd. The storm is a big, restless dragon who’s bored and wants to play. The thunder is his roar, and the lightning is his fire breath.”
Lloyd’s eyes glowed, and he shuffled anxiously against Garmadon’s side. “Well, maybe it’s not that scary anymore…”
Garmadon huffed a laugh. “Dragons. That’s all it ever takes with you, isn’t it?”
Lloyd murmured something inaudible, nestling his head in Garmadon’s lap. They sat there together in the silence of the room, and long after Garmadon had thought his son had fallen asleep, he suddenly spoke.
“Daddy?”
“Hm?”
“Why did you and Mommy fight?”
Garmadon breathed out slowly. “Lloyd, you know it’s not nice to listen to people when they don’t know you’re there.”
“Sorry.”
“Look, son. There are some things in this world that are more complicated than you will ever know.” Seeing the confused look on the boy’s face, he elaborated. “Sometimes, people say things they don’t mean. Sometimes, mommies and daddies need to take a little break from each other.”
“Is that why you’re sleeping on the couch?”
“I suppose so. But it’s only for one night, Lloyd. We’ll sort things out tomorrow.”
“Oh.”
Garmadon gazed out the window again, running a hand through his thick hair. He tried not to think about the dark roots he had spotted there earlier, staining his deep chestnut hair the color of darkest night.
That was something no one needed to know about yet. The red eyes had already been hard enough on Misako, especially when their son had inherited them. He tried not to think about what that meant, either. The venom wasn’t hereditary, was it? Lloyd showed no signs of the snappishness he had felt as a youth. On the contrary, the child was pure of heart and bright of soul, one of the sweetest people he had ever met. Garmadon couldn’t understand how he had gotten so lucky.
“Did I do something to make you and Mommy fight?”
“What?” Garmadon started suddenly. “Heavens, child, no.” Taking Lloyd’s chin in his hand, he titled it towards him so that they were looking each other in the eye. “Honey, none of this is your fault. This is Daddy’s mistake, not yours. We both love you very much, you know that, right?”
Lloyd nodded, sniffling as he wrapped his arms tighter around him. “Can I stay with you tonight?”
Garmadon rested a hand on his head. “Whatever you need, my son. I will always be here for you.”
---
“Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon, what were you thinking?” Kai ripped the sword off of his back, sending it to the ground with a clatter. “We told you to stay on the bus, and what did you do? Go after a bunch of pirates?”
“Yeah, kid.” Cole crossed his arms over his chest. “You could’ve been seriously hurt.”
Lloyd glared at them. “I was only trying to help! You never let me do anything!”
“Because you’re not ready!” Kai put his hands in his hair, yanking on it in frustration. “Augh, can’t you see? We’re only trying to protect you! What good is all this training if you don’t even make it to the final battle?”
“Lloyd,” Zane said more gently. “You need to take things one step at a time. One day, you will be ready to fight beside us. One day, but not today.”
Lloyd looked away, pushing down the bubbling anger inside of him. This didn’t matter. None of this mattered. If the ninja wanted to treat him like a baby, fine. It didn’t matter what they thought.
All he cared about was his father. He needed to impress him. Make him proud.
“Lloyd? Do you understand?”
“Yes, Zane,” he muttered, avoiding the nindroid’s gaze and instead choosing to kick at a rock. The ninja exchanged hesitant glances, but they didn’t press him further.
Nya sighed. “It’s been a long day. What do you say we get back to the Bounty, and-”
“Sorry! You snooze, you lose!”
The group whipped around towards the Bounty, where the thrusters were powering up as several Serpentine peered at them over the guardrails- as well as a familiar dark figure.
“Dad,” Lloyd breathed, lunging forward- only to be stopped by Nya’s strong arms. He squirmed against her, but she wouldn’t relent.
“Lord Garmadon!” Kai cried. “He stole our ship! I can’t believe he stole our ship!”
“Come on,” Jay groaned. “We just got it back! Can’t it go five minutes without being taken?”
“The Bounty belongs to us,” Cole warned. “We fought for it, fair and square. Give it back, Garmadon.”
The Dark Lord gave a dry laugh. “Like I’d give anything to you.”
Lord Garmadon’s head turned- freezing as he made eye contact with Lloyd. The same eerie red of his own eyes reflected back at him. He longed to say something, anything- but his mouth was dry and words refused to come. He hoped his father could tell what he was thinking, anyway.
Please don’t leave. Stay here. We can work something out. We’ll fix everything between us.
Please don’t leave me again.
For a moment, something that looked like doubt flashed in his father’s eyes, and Lloyd felt hope soar in his chest. My dad might actually- he could-
“You’re getting stronger, son,” Garmadon said, “but never strong enough to defeat me. Give up and turn back now, before it is too late.”
No. Lloyd felt himself fumble as the Bounty rose into the air and flew away, taking his father further and further from him. No, he couldn’t be leaving him again, this had been his one chance to get his father back, to earn his love, but Lloyd had blown it.
I’m sorry, dad. I wasn’t good enough. I let you down.
It won’t happen again. Next time, I’ll try harder.
Next time, I’ll make you proud.
---
Their apartment was quiet that night. As Kai and Nya washed dishes in the kitchen- it was their night for clean-up duty- the others crowded around the TV in their tiny living room, playing video games with the volume low. Their usual yelling was diminished to nothing more than hushed whispers.
Behind them, Lloyd was curled up on the couch, already out like a light even though it was only seven pm. The boy was undoubtedly exhausted from the fight with the pirates earlier in the day, Kai thought crossly.
It took him a moment to realize Nya was staring at Lloyd, too. “Kai,” she asked slowly, working her jaw. “Is Lloyd okay?”
“Why,” he asked quickly. “Is he hurt? Did something happen? Man, I told him not to-”
“No. I mean… do you think he’s been acting a little… odd, lately?”
Kai frowned, turning to look at the boy. His brow furrowed as he slept, the corners of his mouth twitching downward slightly. “I guess. He’s probably just tired from all the training. We’ve been working him pretty hard, as of late.”
“Yeah,” Nya nodded, although she didn’t look like the answer truly satisfied her.
If Kai was being honest, it didn’t feel right to him, either.
---
Misako stormed into the room, dropping Lloyd into his lap with a huff. “That’s it, he’s your problem now.”
Garmadon looked up at her questioningly. “What happened?”
“What do you think happened? He bit me again! So, get him to stop.”
“What makes you think I would be able to make him stop?”
“I don’t know, but the fangs come from your side of the family, so it’s your responsibility now.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“I don’t know, you’re a smart man, you’ll figure it out! I’m going to go make some tea. Good luck.”
Garmadon stared after her but was pulled out of his thoughts as something sharp chomped down on his hand. He glanced down at Lloyd. “Oh, mister. What are we going to do with you?”
---
When Garmadon returned home the next day, there was a plump green dragon plush stuffed beneath his arm. He handed it to Lloyd, who was sitting on the floor, playing with his wooden blocks as he sucked on his pacifier. “Here. Next time you feel the impulse to bite someone, bite this instead.”
Lloyd eyed the plush with interest, reaching out for it with grabby hands and clutching it around its middle, pulling it close. Spitting out his pacifier, he began to babble to the dragon, blocks forgotten. Garmadon picked up the pacifier, eyeing it closely and sighing as he caught sight of the puncture holes.
When he glanced at Lloyd, the boy was chomping down on the wing of the dragon. Garmadon rolled his eyes, crouching down next to him. “Hey, what is it with you and biting things you like? C’mon, bud.” He gently pried the wing out of his mouth. “You’re going to hurt him- uh, it- hey, don’t you think your little dragon friend needs a name?”
Lloyd stared thoughtfully at the stuffed animal. “Buhbuh.”
“No, no, no, he needs a noble, dragon-ly name! Like Blaze, or Windracer, or-”
“Buhbuh,” Lloyd said firmly.
“..Buffy?”
“Buhbuh.”
Garmadon sighed. “The fierce and mighty Buhbuh? That’s what you want?”
Lloyd cheered, hugging the plush tight. “Buhbuh!”
The name wasn’t the only thing that stuck. Over the following weeks, Lloyd fell in love with that dragon. Everywhere the toddler went, Buhbuh wasn’t far behind. In his playroom, in the crib, in the car, at meals, even in the bathroom. Misako had spent twenty minutes one night trying to wrestle the toy away from him before he took his bath.
It had solved the biting issue, at least, although Misako often muttered that he had just traded one problem out for another. He dismissed her worries, telling her that Lloyd would grow out of his dragon phase eventually.
Although, that certainly wasn’t happening anytime soon. As Lloyd got older, he only got more and more intrigued by the creatures. Suddenly, everything had to have dragons- his pajamas, the shows on TV, his pull-ups, and his many, many toys. While his biting habits faded, as soon as he learned to walk, he was tottering around the house, roaring and flapping his arms like wings. Even as his collection of dragon toys and figurines grew, however, Buhbuh was always his favorite.
Garmadon should’ve known better than to think the carefree times would last forever, though. Ever since Lloyd had been born, he had been so much happier- and he was certain that the presence of his son was slowing the spread of the venom. But it wasn’t gone. It was a curse that the damned snake had forced him to bear forever.
He wanted to put it off as long as possible, though. He was happier here than he had ever been in his life, and he didn’t want to lose all this.
He knew if anyone could help him, it was his brother. Wu understood how much he loved his wife and child. He knew how badly he wanted this. He would do whatever he could to help. His teas and meditations had always been helpful in the past, and he hoped this time wouldn’t be any different.
“Do you have everything, dear?” Misako asked, helping him slip on his coat.
He lifted the duffel bag in his hand. “All in here. I’m ready.”
A sharp tug on his pant leg distracted him. He glanced down to see Lloyd, sniffing miserably. “Daddy, why do you have to go?”
Garmadon crouched down next to him. “It’s only for a few days, pumpkin. I’ll be back before you know it.”
“Why?”
Garmadon sighed. “Daddy’s been feeling…” he glanced at Misako, at a loss, but she only shrugged. “… A bit under the weather lately. I’m going to pay a visit to your Uncle Wu so he can help me with my… impulse control.”
Lloyd blinked at him, and Garmadon smirked, realizing that every word he had just said had gone straight over his son’s head. He ruffled his hair, standing again. “Don’t worry about it too much. You’ll be fine. Your mother will take good care of you.”
As he turned towards the door, he stopped at the sound of sniffling. Turning back to Lloyd, he wiped the tears from his eyes with his sleeve. “Hey. It’ll be alright, okay? Daddy will be back soon. You can even call me tonight.” Glancing around, he spotted Buhbuh sitting on the end table and grabbed him, pressing him into Lloyd’s arms. “Buhbuh will take care of you when I’m gone, okay?”
Lloyd hugged Buhbuh tighter. “Okay.”
“Don’t worry, Lloyd. Buhbuh is the best protector there is. And remember, I’m the one who bought him for you. Whenever you see him, you’ll know that I’ll always come back.”
---
“Lloyd, steady!” Jay cried. “We’re wobbling too much!”
Kai yelped, gripping onto Cole’s leg, where he was struggling to balance on Zane’s shoulder. On the nindriod’s other side was Jay, and on top of Cole, Sensei Wu balanced, unfazed. Below them all, Lloyd stood, trembling under all their weight.
“Uh, guys, are you sure this is a good idea-”
“Ahhh! Watch out, we’re going to fall!”
The ninja screamed as they fell to the ground, landing in a tangled pile of limbs. Lloyd quickly wriggled his way out from underneath them, and the others extracted themselves more slowly, groaning.
“You gotta find your balance, Lloyd,” Cole said, rubbing his shoulder where Kai had landed on it. “You have the strength to lift us, but you’re not focusing enough.”
“Well, maybe I’m trying!” Lloyd snapped. “I don’t see you down here lifting all that weight!”
Kai frowned. “Lloyd, Cole is only trying to help.”
“Well, maybe I don’t need help. You’re putting too much pressure on me! I could do way better on my own!”
Sensei Wu put a hand on his nephew’s shoulder. “Perhaps it is time for a break. Let’s get you a drink of water and rest for a bit, then we can try again.”
Lloyd begrudgingly shuffled after his uncle, grumbling under his breath. Kai watched him go with a furrowed brow.
“What’s got the kid acting so irritable lately?”
Jay shook his head. “I don’t know. But he’s starting to get on my nerves. It feels like he’s just being stubborn for the sake of it.”
Zane frowned. “Maybe he’s right. Maybe we are putting too much pressure on him. Supporting the weight of all of us is probably asking too much for a nine-year-old boy, green ninja or not.”
Cole shook his head. “This is the same kid who put a crack through Dareth’s floor. If he can do that, he can lift us. I know he can do it. But he just seems… distant.”
“We’ll keep an eye on it.” Kai waved his hand, turning back towards the training space. “But we don’t have time for his moodiness now. Lord Garmadon is out there somewhere, and he’s not going to wait around for us to sort out our issues.”
---
“Uh, come on boy, we gotta catch up with the ninja, I’m not gonna fall behind again- woah!”
Ultra let out a mighty roar, careening forward with a mighty flap of his wings and sending the reins shooting out of Lloyd’s hands. He only just managed to snag them before they hurtled over Ultra’s heads.
“Easy boy, easy! Look,” he sighed, letting a hand rest gently on the dragon’s off-white scales. “We’re never gonna win this race and save the dojo if you and me don’t learn to work together. Besides, I’m the green ninja. I’m meant to ride you, anyway. Imagine how impressed the others will be if we come back and I’m riding you like a pro! We can rub it in their faces what a natural I am with dragons, heh. What do you say?”
Flame’s head snorted, letting out a puff of smoke, which wasn’t the most reassuring answer.
“Hey, wait a minute.” Lloyd squinted, staring at the vehicles racing through the canyon below them. There was the familiar shape of the Ultra Sonic Raider, but above it-
The ship appeared to have undergone some design changes, but there was still no mistaking the vast, furling sails or the dragon figurehead. The Bounty was in the race.
His father was here.
Lloyd’s heart skipped a beat. His father was here- he could see the black figure now, helping some of the Serpentine to point a cannon at the Ultra Sonic Raider.
Ultra tensed beneath him, but Lloyd hesitated, holding the mighty dragon back.
His dad was trying to hurt his friends. Lloyd didn’t want to get in his father’s way, but…
He couldn’t let him do this.
Lloyd gritted his teeth, digging his hands into the reins. “Okay, Ultra. Let’s put a stop to this.”
Ultra roared, diving towards the Bounty so sharply that Lloyd had to grip onto the saddle for dear life to keep himself from flying off. “Get out of the way!” he yelled at his father. Garmadon lurched back from the cannon, eyes widening, but it was too late. Ultra was already slamming into the ship, sending both himself and the Bounty spiraling.
Snapping up the reins, Lloyd pulled back, steering Ultra up, narrowly avoiding crashing into the ground.
“Woooo! Nice going, Lloyd!”
Kai’s cry sent a flare of warmth through his chest, but it quickly dissipated as his gaze fell on his father, who was barking at the Serpentine as they hurried to get the ship going straight again. He had made the right choice- the only choice- but at his father’s expense.
A wave of panic suddenly hit him. He couldn’t mess this up. He had been given another chance to make his father proud of him, and he couldn’t let this one slip between his fingers.
“C’mon, Ultra, let’s show ‘em what we got!” With a jerk of the reins, the dragon was shooting through the air like a bullet. Lloyd steered him up, and Ultra did a graceful loop through the air, followed by a swift corkscrew.
Lloyd blinked, surprised at how easily his dragon was listening to him. Usually, Ultra was as stubborn as possible, but apparently he enjoyed putting on a show as much as Lloyd did.
“Quit fooling around, Lloyd!” Cole cried from the Raider. “We gotta win this race, and we need your help!”
Lloyd glanced back at the Bounty, but his father wasn’t even looking at him, just waving the Mega Weapon around as he yelled at the Serpentine. Lloyd sighed, guiding Ultra towards the guys. This obviously wasn’t working.
As the Raider sped over the rocky ground below them, it slowly shifted into a softer, lusher landscape- and then came the snow. Lloyd stuck his tongue out, letting a flake land on his tongue.
“Birchwood Forest!” Kai cried. “Oh, we’ll never get through all these trees to catch up!”
There was a roaring of an engine behind him, and Lloyd glanced back to see his father coming in the Bounty, not too far off. I still have a chance! I can still impress him!
“Let me find a shortcut,” he called to the ninja. “Ultra! Up, boy!”
Scanning the woods below, he quickly eyed out a path, then swooped down with Ultra, racing through the trees. “Follow me!”
The turns were sharp, and Lloyd barely avoided crashing into the trees on more than a couple of occasions. But he didn’t, Ultra’s movements swift and precise below him. Lloyd let out a whoop of exhilaration. He was finally getting the hang of this! Ultra was listening to him! Taming a dragon was no easy feat, his father would have to be proud of him now-
Suddenly, Ultra let out a pained cry, and before Lloyd could process anything, the dragon was being yanked backward and plummeting towards the ground. Lloyd screamed, clutching onto the saddle, and Ultra threw his wings around him, sheltering him as they hit the ground with an almighty crash.
---
Lloyd groaned, blinking stars from his eyes as something bumped against his cheek. When it finally came into focus, he saw Wisp’s head staring at him, grunting in concern.
“I- I’m fine, boy,” Lloyd huffed, grabbing at the dragon’s muzzle for support as he pushed himself to his feet. “What in Ninjago just happened? We were doing so well, now we’re going to lose the race!”
Ultra groaned, raising his left foot and shaking it, where chains clanked loudly.
“No, no, no-” Lloyd raced over, examining the cuff and finding long, curved bones secured tightly around Ultra’s ankle. “The Skulkin! They sabotaged us! Those scheming, no good boneheads!” Lloyd yanked desperately at the chains, trying to get them to budge. “Augh, now we’re never going to win the race, and my father will never-” Lloyd cried out as his hand scraped against the sharp edge of the bone. Immediately, Flame’s head was at his side, nosing him away from the cuff and whining softly as he gently licked Lloyd’s scratched hand.
“I… I just wanted to make him proud,” Lloyd sniffed, burying his face against Flame’s scales. The fire dragon felt comfortingly warm in the cold of the snowdrift.
Rocky’s head butted him softly, before carefully taking the edge of the cuff between his teeth and crunching down on it, shattering it into a dozen pieces. Lloyd sucked in his breath, giving Rocky’s muzzle a quick hug before clambering back onto Ultra’s back.
“If we hurry, we can still catch them now! C’mon, boy, we have a lot of ground to make up for!”
---
Lloyd didn’t win the race, but by the time the finish line came into view, he could see the ninja crowding around the golden winner’s cup, cheering. In front of them, Garmadon was yelling at the referee, insisting that he had won and that the ref had made a faulty call.
Lloyd’s breath caught in his throat. His father was right here. Closer than he had been since the defeat of the Great Devourer. Part of Lloyd wanted to run up and hug him, but he knew he couldn’t. That wouldn’t last. He needed something more permanent.
His eyes strayed to the Bounty, resting a little way behind the Dark Lord. With his father out yelling at the ninja and the race staff and all the Serpentine left behind in the Glacier Barrens, the ship was empty.
If Lloyd took it back- his father wouldn’t be able to fly away again. He’d have to stay. They could talk, work things out. As soon as he could get his father to stop running and just listen, he knew he could get through to him.
Lloyd eyed his father warily, but Garmadon was too distracted to notice the giant dragon behind him, as were the ninja. Quietly, Lloyd instructed Ultra forward, and the dragon padded across the ground, climbing up onto the deck of the Bounty.
“That’s not even street legal!” Garmadon was yelling. “My ship was clearly-”
“Your ship?”
His father whipped around, and Lloyd froze as they stared at each other for a long moment.
Please. Please, please, please. Lloyd reached a hand out. “Dad-”
Police sirens sounded behind them, and suddenly two officers hopped out of the car. “Alright, Garmadon, you’re coming with us.”
“Wait!” Lloyd cried, slipping off of Ultra and landing on the ground mere feet from his father. “Dad, it doesn’t have to be like this. You can-”
A screeching of tires, and suddenly Skales was pulling up in his bus. “Look who needs who now!”
Garmadon scowled, turning to go. Lloyd’s brain screamed at him. This was his one chance to stop him. If he did nothing, who knew how long it would be until he got to see him again?
Lloyd lunged forward, grabbing Garmadon’s wrist. The man looked back in surprise. “What are you-”
“Dad. Please. Don’t go.”
Garmadon fell silent, staring at him for a moment. Time seemed to stand still.
Then Garmadon was yanking away, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, son. We both know I can’t do that.” In two steps, he was aboard the Serpentine bus and speeding away.
No. Lloyd felt tears well in his eyes. There were others here, and Lloyd hadn’t cried in front of anyone in a long time, but he couldn’t bring himself to care anymore. His father had been right here. He had touched him.
“Way to go, bud!” Kai whooped, running over to him, the other ninja close behind. “You got the Bounty back- hey, woah, what’s wrong?”
Lloyd quickly tried to cover his eyes, but Kai was already crouched down next to him, pulling his arms away and gently wiping at his tears with the sleeve of his gi.
Jay put a hand on his back. “You’re not hurt, are you?”
Lloyd shook his head, sniffling. “I just… I thought… my father, I thought he would… I thought if I could make him proud, he would stop leaving…” Lloyd choked on a sob, burying his face in Kai’s gi. “Why does he keep leaving? Why does everyone leave? What did I do wrong?”
“Oh, bud,” Kai whispered, running hands through Lloyd’s hair gently. “This is what’s been upsetting you, hasn’t it?”
Lloyd whimpered miserably, and Kai hugged him tighter- his grip so firm, so protective, that it made Lloyd think maybe everything could be okay again, eventually.
“You look at me,” Kai demanded, tilting his chin up. “None of this is your fault. You hear me? None of it. All the people that left you were jerks who didn’t appreciate how amazing you were. They don’t deserve you. We don’t deserve you. But you’re our true family, Lloyd. We will never, ever do what they did.”
“You hear that?” Cole punched him lightly in the chest, his voice sounding suspiciously choked up. “You’re one of us, now, green bean. You can’t escape us, whether you like it or not.”
“Your father will never understand this, Lloyd.” Jay gestured at the group with his hands. “I wish it didn’t have to be this way. You deserve a father who will be there for you, one whose love is not clouded by dreams of vengeance. But that’s how things are. So you’re stuck with us, instead.”
“I’m sorry he couldn’t be here, Lloyd,” Zane murmured. “But we are. And we love you. So if there’s ever something bothering you, talk to us about it. We want to do everything we can to make you feel wanted.”
Nya crouched down next to Kai. “You and me against the world, bud. Remember that? We’re not giving up on you. Ever. So your father can stuff it-”
Zane elbowed her, and she grinned sheepishly. “Sorry. Now’s not the best time for that. But you get my point. I’ll fight stupid destiny for you, Lloyd Garmadon. We all will.”
Lloyd’s eyes welled up again, but this time the tears were happy as he collapsed against them. Five pairs of arms hugged him back, warm and strong and safe.
His father had left again. But that wasn’t what was important right now. His true home was here, with the ninja.
And he had hope it always would be.
---
Garmadon gazed down at the bundle in his arms. His posture was stiff and unnatural, his rough hands as gentle as possible as they supported the weight.
This was easily the most precious thing he had ever carried.
Lloyd stared up at him with wide, curious eyes. Every curve and inch of him was perfect- and he was his. Garmadon could see himself in the curve of his son’s nose or the outline of his jaw, Misako in the shape of his eyes or the hue of his skin.
He still couldn’t believe it.
It had taken Misako hours to convince him he wasn’t going to hurt Lloyd, and now, here he was, carrying his son for the first time.
His son. He loved the way that sounded.
Garmadon shifted his grip slightly, and suddenly Lloyd began to fuss. Garmadon glanced to Misako for help, but she simply shook her head, smiling.
At a loss, Garmadon cradled Lloyd closer to his chest. “Shh, shh, Lloyd, it’s okay. Daddy’s got you.”
Lloyd stopped almost immediately at the sound of his voice, cooing in wonder as he reached a chubby little hand out. Garmadon bowed his head, closing his eyes and letting Lloyd trace his fingers gently across his face.
Garmadon felt the tension ease from his shoulders. This was a person. A living, breathing being, and he and Misako had created him.
Nothing in the world could’ve ever prepared him for the wonderful gift of fatherhood. This was one thing in his life he vowed not to mess up.
“You’re safe, little one,” he murmured. “I will always be here for you.”
#ninjago#ninbingo#my fic#rosie writes#ninjago lloyd#ninjago garmadon#and... there goes my fluff streak#XD#im sorry for those of you who like garmadad because i keep running him into the ground don't i#i do like him i swear#it's just... the angst is too tempting#maybe i'll write something fluffy for him one day#i actually cried writing this one oops#thanks for reading!#reblogs and comments greatly appreciated!
68 notes
·
View notes
Text
any port in a storm
Pixal and Lloyd and the evolving nature of friendship, as highlighted by the regular burning down of your city.
(desperately trying to break through writer’s block and classes again, this was supposed to be under 2k and it is...very much not hdfjkgh but! i’ve been meaning to write for Pixal and Lloyd for a while so here are a whole bunch of feelings about the two of them and s8)
Pixal meets — truly meets — Lloyd Garmadon shortly after his brother’s been blown to pieces.
She says truly, because if you ask her, Pixal will tell you she met Lloyd Garmadon at exactly 8:48 in the evening outside his father’s monastery, moments before a horde of nindroids led there by Pixal herself descended upon them.
But Lloyd argues that since they said about two words total to each other, it doesn’t really count as meeting, and by the time Pixal’s spending the better part of her day with him running high and low around Ninjago City, she’s learned that it’s easier not to press the point.
Lloyd can be stubborn, like that.
She’d first learned that when she’d met him, just after they’d lost Zane. That loss hadn’t lasted long, especially for Pixal, but the immediate aftermath of it had been devastating. She’d watched with blank eyes as the team had fractured, splitting at the seams as they all fled their separate ways, too heartsore and dizzy with grief to do much otherwise.
All of them had fled, save Lloyd. She hadn’t paid him much attention before that point, the surprisingly small bearer of the Golden Power. Of course, he wasn’t the bearer of that power anymore, but his eyes alone had shown the experience of it. There’d been a brief, lost look that had crossed his face as the others had mentioned leaving, before it had been swept under a mask of stubborn, determined blankness. He wouldn’t be leaving. Someone had to stay behind and watch out for things, he’d claimed, even as the loss had bled through his voice.
Pixal hadn’t quite grasped the concept of empathy at that point, but she’d felt something dangerously close to it.
At any rate, the only interaction they’d had alone was brief. In fact, the only one Pixal can truly remember — and her memory never fails — is the quick exchange they’d had in the hospital lobby directly after the battle. The hospital was for Mr. Borg, and for the ninja’s minor injuries.
There was nothing any hospital on earth could do for Zane.
Pixal had found herself next to Lloyd in the waiting room, trying to distract herself from those thoughts while Lloyd stared at the stark white tiling with dull eyes.
“They never mentioned what your power was,” she’d asked him, almost absently. Collecting data, processing information — anything she could do to distract from the crushing grief.
“Oh.” Lloyd had blinked, startling back into awareness. He’d suddenly looked painfully young. “It’s, ah, I guess it’s just green, now.”
It had been Pixal’s turn to blink. “Green.”
“Yeah.” Lloyd had bit his lip, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly, two habits he’ll never quite lose. “I mean — it’s more than that, but it’s like — energy, I guess, is the best way to put it?”
“Interesting,” Pixal had remarked.
“Yeah.”
They’d stared at each other in silence after that, before they’d both been called off to other errands — and then they were having Zane’s funeral and then Pixal was making realizations she never got to tell anyone, and that had been that in her early introductions to Lloyd Garmadon. Quiet, awkward, and possessing an incredible power he hardly even knew the name of.
Looking back, Pixal figures her introduction hadn’t gone much better.
They’d continued as passing acquaintances as time went on, separated by danger and the confines of Zane’s head, and Pixal had figured that’s all they’d ever be. But then their Sensei goes missing and, despite Pixal’s increasing disappearances on Zane as she rebuilds her own body, she’s been given the role of watching out for Ninjago city along with Lloyd.
She quickly learns that quiet is not a term fit for Lloyd Garmadon when you’re trapped alone with him.
************
“How is there not a single station playing actual music?” Lloyd seethes, flicking through the channels almost manically. “It’s two am, who’s gonna be listening to your stupid commercial for toothpaste now, are you kidding me?”
“Statistically speaking, this is the prime time for long-distance driving near Ninjago City,” Pixal supplies, her voice a hint scratchy where it comes through the his car’s radio speakers. “Or, if you factor in the construction in the east district, there could still be traffic from late-night bars.”
Lloyd groans, thunking his head against the steering wheel as another ad screeches through the small space. “Wonderful.”
“Your vocal tones suggest you find it otherwise.”
“Dont trust ‘em, my vocal tones are traitors.” As if to solidify his point, Lloyd’s voice cracks in the middle of his sentence, shooting up an octave higher. Lloyd goes bright red, and thunks his head against the steering wheel again.
Taking pity on him, Pixal aims for reassurance. “It is normal for your voice to break, Lloyd. It shouldn’t last too long.” She pauses, momentarily scanning through another article. “On second thought, this one suggests it could also take two to three years for your voice to stabilize.”
Lloyd gives a strangled moan. “End me.”
“Unfortunately, that would defeat the purpose of why I’m here in the first place.”
Lloyd tilts his head, cracking an eye open as he glances at the camera feed he knows she’s watching him from. “Unfortunately, huh,” he muses. “So you’re saying if Zane hadn’t made you promise to look out for me, you would end me?”
“That — no, that is not — of course I wouldn’t end you,” Pixal backtracks. An odd feeling flickers through her, almost as if she’s lost her place, floundering.
Or embarrassed might be more accurate, she thinks wryly. She briefly considers projecting a a glaring face at Lloyd from the monitor. This is his fault. She rarely stuttered before Lloyd started teasing her at all hours of the morning.
“I mean, you wouldn’t be the first,” Lloyd continues, conversationally. “And if we’re being honest, I’d definitely rather you be the one to off me, instead of like, random bad guy number eighty-five—”
“I know you think you are funny,” Pixal cuts over him. “But casually planning for your death is something Kai listed I was not to let you do. Also, it is not nearly as funny as you think it is.”
“Ouch,” Lloyd mutters, though he looks chastised. “Never mind, you just took me out in one sentence.”
Chastised might be the wrong term.
Pixal studies him through the monitor, then sighs. “I am, however, honored you think highly enough of me to offer the right to murder you,” she gives in.
She’s rewarded as Lloyd breaks into a bright grin.
He still looks painfully young these days, but it’s less obvious. His voice is pitching lower and he wears his hair different, and he’s gained a whip-like tendency to quip at people, as Pixal’s experienced firsthand. Kai calls it sass in grumbling but fond tones, and Nya calls it snark somewhere between the fourth book series she’s sent for Pixal to try.
The ninja have been kind like that, sharing the interests they have in an attempt to make her feel…well, more human, she supposes. Less confined to a voice in a computer. Of course, Pixal isn’t confined to a voice in a computer anymore, but they don’t know that yet. She’ll tell them someday soon, she promises herself. Any day now.
In the meantime, it’s easy enough to keep up with Lloyd by lurking in his car radio, as he spends half his time in there anyways.
************
“You’d think we’d have found their hideout by now,” Lloyd notes, as they wait in a darkened alleyway again. It gives them an excellent view of the major highways, so if the rumored biker gang does show up, they won’t miss it.
If they show up being the key point.
“Whoever their leader is, they certainly know how to keep a low profile,” Pixal answers, closing out another dead end police report in frustration.
“It’s weird,” Lloyd says, propping the notebook he’s sketching in on his knee as he squints at the paper. “Normally the boss types aren’t this quiet. They like to show off, y’know? Make a big scene, dramatic speeches and all.”
“Are you referring to the villains, or yourselves?”
“Touché,” Lloyd snorts. “But still, you gotta admit it’s weird they haven’t even made any demands. What’s their end game here, elaborate advertising for motorcycle design?”
“I would hope not,” Pixal says. “Their color coordination is lacking.”
Lloyd fights back a smile, his pencil scratching as he shifts his notebook again. “I don’t know, I kinda like the punk look.”
“I noticed that, when you tried to redecorate the car.”
“Hey, skulls are cool.”
“They are also conspicuous, especially when they come in acid green colors.”
“Everyone’s a critic,” Lloyd sighs, making a face as he scrubs the eraser across the paper. Pixal tries to tilt the camera further, to see what he’s drawing tonight, but the angle he’s holding it at remains just out of sight.
She could probably guess what he’s drawing, if she tried. The notebook is one they’ve been steadily working their way through on these late-night patrols, the pages filled with little hangman games and Lloyd’s sketches of animals and his teammates. He’s drawn her a few times from memory, and she’s been tempted to ask him to draw her in the new Samurai X armor more than once.
Soon, she tells herself.
“What are you drawing?” she finally asks, curiosity getting the better of her.
Lloyd’s cheeks tinge pink, and he quickly plasters the notebook to his chest, hiding it entirely from view. “Nothing.”
Pixal waits, letting the silence fill with her judgement. “Lloyd, I have seen your drawings before.”
He doesn’t reply, and Pixal tries again. “It gets boring, being stuck with the car monitors for eyes.”
“I know you can hack other cameras,” Lloyd mutters, but he sighs, relenting as he turns the notebook over. Pixal’s eyes rake over the detailed sketch — it’s a comical little thing of her and Lloyd, jammed together on a tiny lifeboat in the middle of a darkening ocean. She can spot the smudges where he’s redrawn her head several times, and the numerous attempts he’s made at his own hair. Pixal studies Lloyd’s portrayal of himself, which is noticeably lacking in facial features. While Lloyd draws the others plenty, it’s a rare occasion that he draws himself, and she can’t help but be curious.
“I thought you were drawing the others again,” she admits.
“They’re on the ship,” Lloyd says, absently. “I’ll draw them when they remember to pull us back in.”
There’s nothing bitter in his tone to suggest it has any bearing on their actual lives, but the lost expressions Lloyd ends up giving their tiny caricatures feel familiar nonetheless.
“Zane has assured me they will be back as soon as they can,” Pixal speaks ups quietly.
Lloyd finally looks up fully, and flashes the monitor a smile. “I know,” he says. “So we better have this thing busted by the time they do, or they’ll never let us run a city on our own again.”
“If only we were truly running the city,” Pixal grumbles. “I could do a better job in two days than the current leaders could do in a year.”
“I’d vote for you,” Lloyd says, sincerely.
It’s a sweet gesture, but Pixal is unable to resist. “You don’t know how to vote.”
“Yes I do, it’s not hard!”
“Really? Then why are you not currently registered in the Ninjago voting system?”
Lloyd makes a strangled noise. “That’s a thing?”
She’s unable to keep the smugness from her voice. “I make my point.” Lloyd scowls, and scribbles a mustache on his drawing of her in revenge.
Pixal thinks it looks nice nonetheless.
************
She can’t really hold it against Lloyd for talking as much as he does, considering she does the same. It gets dull, sitting on patrol for hours on end, and there are only so many hours of light reading they can do before the silence begins to drive them both insane.
Pixal finds herself talking about more useless things with Lloyd than she has in her existence, pointless conversations in circles with each other. She also finds she doesn’t entirely mind. She’s become quite good at quipping back and forth with him, at least. It’s different than the kind of talk she has with Zane, lacking in the depth of feeling with the love they share. Her exchanges with Lloyd are lighter, though that’s not to say they’re less sincere.
For example, Zane hasn’t tried to teach her how to redesign a gi in poor lighting in the early hours of the morning because he’s bored out of his mind, that’s for sure.
“I’m teaching you how to sew,” Lloyd corrects, wincing as he accidentally stabs himself with the needle. “And I’m not redesigning the whole thing, I’m just adding some designs to spice it up.”
“I did not know you were allowed to wear colors other than green,” Pixal comments.
Lloyd pauses, squinting at the monitor. “You’re teasing me,” he finally says. “You’re making fun of how much green this gi has in it.”
“I would never,” Pixal replies, her tone flat and even. “The intricacies of your human humor evade me—”
“Human humor, nice—”
“—unlike the unusually bright shade of green you’ve chosen will fail to evade any eyes of your enemies.”
“I knew you were making fun of me!” Lloyd accuses, then flinches as he stabs his finger again trying to point at her. “And bright colors are our thing. Being subtle is, uh…not. Usually.”
Pixal is losing the battle to laugh at his expression by the minute. “I am shocked.”
Lloyd glares at the monitor, shifting his sewing to rest on his knees as he slouches in the car seat. “How’d you even get so good at sarcasm, anyways,” he mutters. “Zane still doesn’t get it half the time.”
“Perhaps it is part of my glowing personality,” Pixal says. Lloyd gives a huff of laughter, relenting.
“Fair enough,” he says, shifting in his seat again. “Fine, you win. The green is probably too bright, but that’s not the point. I’m gonna show you how to do a backstitch."
Pixal falls quiet, letting Lloyd gesture with the needle as he explains. There are a hundred, a thousand tutorials she could pull up online, digitized knowledge instantly learned on all the countless types of stitches she could use, sorted and categorized in neat columns of use and effectiveness. All of them more detailed, more easily understood than Lloyd’s absent rambling and unsteady hands as he struggles with the end of a knot.
Not one of them will care whether or not Pixal learns the odd way Zane likes to loop his stitches, or will quietly add which stitches knit skin back together quickest.
So Pixal ignores her programming, and does her best to follow Lloyd’s rambling instructions, watching as his scarred fingers tug another thread of dull gold through the green mess of fabric, the city quiet around them.
“You never did tell me where you learned how to sew,” Pixal says, as Lloyd starts up a new thread of black on the other side of the gi. “Was that something the others taught you in training?”
“They’d have to know how to be able to teach it,” Lloyd snickers. “And, uh, no. I taught myself to back at Darkley’s.”
“Oh,” Pixal falters. She’s heard about Darkley’s, both from Zane and the legal reports she’s read online. Neither gave a positive impression of the place. Her mind is suddenly filled with images of a younger Lloyd trying to give himself stitches, and her heart twists.
Lloyd starts, seemingly having picked up on her train of thought. “I mean, I did it for fun, mostly. I like sewing,” he explains. “It’s useful. You can pull things back together, and fix ‘em.”
Pixal is quiet, but she hopes Lloyd takes her silence as agreement with his motive. She likes to think he knows her well enough for that, by now.
************
Pixal finds, somewhere during their fourth month alone, that she’s glad the team elected to stick her and Lloyd together. Not because she doesn’t want to be with Zane — there’s never a moment she doesn’t miss him, and with every day that passes her resolve to keep her secret from him grows weaker, as the longing for actual connection grows stronger.
But there are conversations she can have with Lloyd that she can never have with Zane, and the dangerous thing about spending time with Lloyd, Pixal finds, is that they’re more similar than she’s realized.
“Sometimes I think I’m jealous,” Lloyd whispers to her one night. It’s one of the bad ones, the ones where their enemies struck too sudden to stop, and the mission ends in the hospital. “I think I’m jealous of Zane, and I hate myself for it.”
Pixal is quiet, trying to pick apart the tone of his voice in the words he’s just spoken, and factors in the victims they’ve just left behind at the hospital. She finds herself no closer to an answer.
“Is it the metal skin part?” she finally asks, though she knows that’s wrong. “The, what was it, technical immortality?”
“No,” Lloyd shakes his head. “I’m not afraid of dying,” he says emphatically, his fingers fluttering at over the steering wheel, tapping incessantly with unspent energy. “I don’t want to, but that’s — it’s not what I’m scared of. I’m more scared of how I go out.”
He swallows, and his fingers move to dance over the woven bracelet on his wrist instead, twisting at the tiny beads and tracing senseless designs in constant, steady movement. It’s a motion he does often, and it had puzzled Pixal at first. She’d decided to write it off as an odd tick, a way to spend excess energy.
Now, she recognizes the desperate kind of reassurance that movement gives. She understands too well the need to remind yourself that you can move — that your body will obey you and you alone.
Pixal thinks back to the other factors in tonight’s accident, of the way the drugged man’s eyes had cleared when they’d finally turned him over to the police, the way he’d sworn he’d never do such a thing in his right mind. She thinks of the way the first victim had thrown themselves over their companion.
That victim hadn’t made it to the hospital.
“Ah,” Pixal says, quietly.
She’s silent again, and she thinks back to when she’d met him, the very first time. She recalls the way her programming had rebelled against her in favor of the Overlord, corrupting her body and forcing it against her, twisting everything she was and wanted to be into something different.
She thinks back again, to the searing-hot anger, the terror, the despair as she was torn apart, piece by piece like a machine, burning out at the whims of another. Her end purposeless, her demise belonging to someone else, just like every other part of her.
She thinks of the last glimpse she’d caught of Zane, bright and beautiful as a supernova. Burning with the terrible brilliance of his own, determined choice. Terrible, because the death of something always is. Beautiful, because it was his own. Zane died, not a machine, not a weapon, not a tool of anyone or anything, but as himself. Zane died to save the ones he loves. Pixal could’ve died for spare parts.
Never again, she promises herself. If she goes out, she goes out on her own terms. This time, they choose the end of their own destiny themselves.
In hindsight, it’s the kind of promise they’re both too young to make, but neither of them have ever seen themselves as such, and promises like that are easy.
“Love can be terrible, sometimes,” Lloyd murmurs. Pixal watches him scrub at the blood on his uniform, and thinks how ironically well-timed it is that he finished the stitching on his new gi this morning. “Sometimes I forget how ugly it can be.”
************
The end of their nighttime stakeouts begins with a break-in at Mr. Borg’s tower. Lloyd argues that she should get to call it her father’s tower, if she wants, but the ninja aren’t the only ones Pixal’s hiding herself from.
And then Lloyd gets very tense at the thought of fathers very fast, and they never finish the conversation.
They stay at the edge of the bridge long after the parachute, emblazoned with the unmistakable visage of Lloyd’s father, disappears from sight. Pixal wonders if it’s burned into Lloyd’s eyes, like the way she’s read black spots linger in humans’ vision after they’ve looked at something too bright. The way Lloyd stares at the river, his shoulders tense and his teeth worrying at his lip, she thinks she might be right.
They’re waiting on the report from the commissioner —they’re waiting for anything, anyone who can offer them any explanation of what’s going on. Pixal’s reminded of how much she loathes this kind of waiting.
“It could be—” Lloyd begins, then breaks off, his voice wavering. He swallows, and Pixal can see the way his fists clench tightly from the cameras they’ve put in his car. There’s a fierce part of her that longs to reveal herself, to meet his eyes herself and offer some semblance of comfort. But there’s a time and place for things, and Pixal isn’t ready.
“It could be anything,” Lloyd finally continues, his voice small. “It could — it doesn’t mean anything. It could mean nothing, right?”
Pixal is silent, her mind racing. She’s run the calculations over and over in her head already, scouring the internet for anything related to the bikers. She’s been foolish, she realizes — they both have. Letting the gang go unnamed for so long, thinking nothing of it. Now, with the name flashing vibrant across Pixal’s vision, a part of her wants to let them go nameless just a bit longer.
Before she can answer, Lloyds phone goes off with a sharp ping, just as Pixal’s sensors alert her to the message from the commissioner. Lloyd snatches for his phone like it’s on fire, and Pixal’s already scanning the message frantically, as if she can salvage this if she’s fast enough, save Lloyd from this one pain.
Lloyd’s gotten much better at reading quickly though, these days.
She can pinpoint the moment he reaches the last paragraph, because his breath hitches. There’s a long, pressing pause of silence, Lloyd’s hands trembling as they clutch weakly at his phone. Then it’s punctured by a reedy, wheezing gasp, and Pixal’s suddenly wishing she’d revealed herself after all.
Instead, all she has is her voice as Lloyd crumples, crouching over in visible distress. Pixal’s mind races, recalling everything Zane’s ever told her about his team, the way their panic manifests in different shades. Lloyd’s is quiet but desperate, rapid breathes that stutter as his eyes slide more and more into a frightening kind of blankness.
“Lloyd, please, listen to my voice,” she begs, trying to reach him in the only way she can. “Please, you have to breathe—”
“He’s gone,” Lloyd rasps, unhearing of her words. “He’s s’posed to be gone, it’s supposed to be over, I’m supposed to be done—”
Pixal fights back the sense of overwhelming helplessness. She knows loss. She knows how to finish his sentence. He’s supposed to be done grieving, done mourning, done clinging to false scraps of hope that his father isn’t lost forever only to be met with heartbreak.
And now, to be met with the possibility of something so much worse.
“We’ll stop them,” she tells him, unflinching. “We won’t let it happen.”
Lloyd’s eyes are a vivid green where they stare at her through the monitor, almost ghostly in the misting light reflecting from the river.
He’s silent, but Pixal is, too.
Pixal remembers the way her head had spun when she’d first picked up the traces of Zane in the system, how the world had rushed then steadied, flooding with color as she’d realized he might not be lost after all. She remembers the surging, overwhelming flood of joy, that someone she’d thought she lost might live after all. She remembers being so happy, at even the smallest chance to get him back, because the voice was Zane’s, without a doubt.
She watches the color seep from Lloyd’s expression as his shoulders shudder, the words from the commissioner’s message almost echoing through the air. Watches the terror as the both of them fill the silence.
Will we?
The radio scratches, as if echoing Pixal’s anxiety. Love can be terrible, sometimes. She’s underestimated how it also be so cruel.
************
She’s also, apparently, underestimated how the universe on the whole could be so cruel.
She should’ve revealed herself to them from day one. That way, when Harumi’s corrupted programming suddenly ravages through her like an electric shock, she could be reassured they’d at least be familiar with the person they were fighting.
Instead, she doesn’t even get to scream. Pixal’s only able to force out a desperate, broken warning before she’s lost again, drowning in her own body as she’s forced under. Furious panic grips her as she screams without lungs, bashing herself against the overwhelming helplessness that’s taken over her.
Not again, not again, not again—
Her limbs creak and jolt against her will, lashing out at the people she cares most about, and Pixal can’t even rage back in her own voice. She’s sworn, she’s promised herself she’d never let anyone do this to her again — she’s sworn she’d die before she let someone reach into her head and snatch control away, and yet here she is, frozen as her body’s used to target her friends.
If she could cry, she might.
There’s not much more to say than that. She breaks free, her body her own once again, but by then it’s too late.
************
If Pixal had the same gift of foresight that Zane did, maybe she would have seen it coming. Maybe she’d have remembered how similar her and Lloyd are, and that this kind of pained desperation always yields impulsiveness and mistakes.
She doesn’t, though. She barely even manages to do what she’s trying to, which is convincing Lloyd to join the others while they celebrate their victory. Their off-key singing is something he normally wouldn’t hesitate to join in on, she thinks, and she hates Harumi a little more.
Maybe she’ll try his mother next. The expression on Lloyd’s face screams unapproachable, and remains fixedly sullen.
Almost to her surprise, he meets her eyes as she draws near— it’s odd, being able to meet his back — and his own eyes are dark, from despair over Harumi or despair over his father, Pixal isn’t sure. She’s thinking it might be both, when his eyebrows crease, and a flicker of concern cuts through them instead.
“You good?”
It takes her a moment to realize why he’s asking, but the answer is obvious. Her head tilts downward, and she watches as her fingers curl and uncurl. Her movements, her choices. She lets out an even breath.
“As I can be,” she replies. Lloyd nods, and his eyes are understanding. His lips twist in a scowl.
“She shouldn’t have done that to you. That was a low blow.”
Pixal’s mouth curves into a humorless smile. “That it was. She’s rather good at those, isn’t she.”
Lloyd’s eyes shadow again, and he looks away, crossing his arms. “This isn’t supposed to be about me,” he mutters.
“Yes, it is,” Pixal counters. “It is why I came over here, in the first place. She hurt—”
“All of us, and who’s fault is that,” Lloyd snaps, his arms crossing tighter.
“I would hope you know it’s hers,” she says, holding firm.
Lloyd looks away again, biting his lip, and Pixal shifts anxiously, rolling her wrists. The sensation of control sliding away still haunts her, worse than it had the first time. She should be better than this, she tells herself hotly. She’s lived without a body long enough that losing it so briefly shouldn’t effect her this much.
Curse her programming, she thinks, tapping agitatedly at the banister. She knew she should have reinforce it sooner.
“Hey, um.” Lloyd is looking at her again, hesitant. He twists at his bracelet, and his eyes lose a fraction of that darkness. “Kai made this for me, after Morro,” he says. “I kept shredding the sleeves of my uniform, so he told me to mess with this instead, when I needed to remember that…that I was in control.”
He shrugs, hesitant. “We could make you one too, if you wanted. It helps, having something.”
Pixal lets out a steady breath, despite not actually needing to. The action is grounding, she’s found. “I would like that.”
Lloyd gives her a ghost of a smile in return. “Soon as this is over, then.”
There’s a heavy weight to his words, and Pixal’s eyes narrow.
“Lloyd,” she says. He looks at her, his eyes dark. “Don’t do anything foolish.”
He’s quiet, not meeting her eyes, and this is where Pixal should stop him. This is when she should see the end of the road they’ve been on since they started this, and force him to turn before it’s too late.
“I know what I’m doing.”
She doesn’t.
************
Lloyd is battered and bleeding by the time they drag him onto the ship, a gruesome portrait of cruelty. Pixal is frozen as she watches him writhe in Kai’s hold, his screams cracked and wet as he thrashes erratically like a broken thing.
Nya is already barking orders before they’ve even gotten Lloyd fully on the ship, and Zane is running scans with a horrified, wavering focus. Pixal follows Cole as he carries Lloyd to the medbay with a blank numbness, the rush of wind streaming past the Bounty sails thunderously loud in her ears.
This isn’t Lloyd, she thinks, staring at his crumpled form. Lloyd isn’t this battered, broken shell of a person. Lloyd isn’t hazy eyes that fail to recognize them and frantic murmuring through bloody lips. Lloyd is bright-eyed and gentle and would rather die before he screams the way he does when Cole moves him to the table.
Lloyd is her friend, and this is where that promise they made has led them. She knows why Lloyd set out for the prison, hot on the collapse of his own star. She also knows he wouldn’t have chosen to burn out like this.
Cole calls out for Zane, his voice ringing in panic as Lloyd screeches in pain again. Pixal thinks of quiet words in the safety of his car, and she feels sick. This is the ugliness of love, the terrible, hideous side of it.
And Lloyd would hate it, if he could see himself, if he were any semblance of lucid. He’d hate to know just how much better he was at breaking himself than Morro ever was.
Zane is gentle as he pushes past her, but Pixal can feel the tremble in his hands. He’s every bit as rattled as she is, if not more so — Zane’s heart is larger and softer than hers has ever been, and he cares about each and every one of them with a painful intensity. It’s a cruel thing, to have to pull those same people back together with your own hands.
Kai’s eyes are streaming as he clutches at Lloyd’s wrists, pinning him in place. Zane’s hands waver again over one of the jagged wounds near Lloyd’s ribcage, the green of his uniform already dyed dark in blood, soaking over the careful stitches Pixal watched him put in himself.
Pixal finally finds her footing, reminding herself of the solid wood beneath her feet. She recalls the steady, smooth stitch Lloyd’s scarred fingers traced out for her.
“Here.” She takes the needle from Zane’s hands, squeezing his briefly before letting go. “I can do it.”
She sets the needle against Lloyd’s skin and wonders what kind of stitch it’d take to pull your heart back together.
************
Pixal cannot cry. It’s one of the features Mr. Borg spent hours debating, weighing the pros and cons of giving her the ability before he was truly sure how rust-proof she was. He’d never gotten the chance to, as the Overlord had interrupted him, then Pixal had lost any body to give the ability to cry to, which had eliminated the need entirely.
She cannot cry, but she can hurt, and the rain that streams through her hair, dripping down her forehead spotting raindrops on her cheeks, could be tears if she pretended.
She doesn’t, though, because tears are a waste of water and overall useless in the grand scheme of things. She doubts they’d have helped her fare any better in the battle with Colossi, either.
Tears won’t bring anyone back.
Lloyd cries anyways. She can’t see him, but she can hear it in his voice, the way it wavers and breaks over the radio, nasally tones pronounced.
He’s barely able to gasp a few coordinates to her before he cuts the radio off abruptly. Pixal’s spent enough time with him to envision his scarred fingers snapping it off with a particular desperation, green sparking from his hands in distress.
She reminds herself those sparks are gone, now, bled away into nothing like the vivid green of Lloyd’s eyes had. The thought makes her sadder than she’d expected. She had a joke, about his eyes, she had wanted to make. Now that she has a body, and her own set of glowing green eyes, she’d — there was something he would’ve laughed at, she thought —
It doesn’t matter, now. Neither of them are likely to laugh anytime soon.
The coordinates blink brightly in her vision, and she’s almost surprised she managed to key them in. She’s running on autopilot, she supposes. It could be ironic — she’s been so desperate for control, it’s been so important that she’s the one feeling. Now, she’d give anything not to feel at all.
She lets out a shaky breath, dispelling the mist in her vision left from the rain. She leans forward, just over the edge of the building she’s crouched on, and her loose hair falls forward, silvery and synthetic and horribly tangled. Irritated, she reaches for another hair tie, and her hands falter around her wrist.
Lloyd had promised her a bracelet there. But he’d promised Kai would make the bracelet, hadn’t he, and Kai couldn’t make the bracelet if he was dead, could he.
Pixal blinks, her breath hitching. She’s been so numb to the pain of Zane’s loss, it hasn’t yet occurred to her that she’s losing Kai, too. And Jay, and Cole, and—
She sucks in the same shuddery kind of breath she’s seen Lloyd do, and carefully fists her hand in the area of her uniform above her chest. Her fingers dig in tightly, clutching in a hopeless attempt to feel some sort of comfort she knows she’ll never find.
But perhaps, for these few seconds, she can pretend the action is holding her together.
************
“It was inevitable,” Pixal tells Lloyd blankly, as he rasps out his third apology in the dark cover of their small hideout. “That one of us would fall, eventually. It had nothing to do with you.”
Lloyd swallows thickly. “It could’ve — it should’ve been—”
He doesn’t finish, but he doesn’t need to. Pixal’s hand shoots out, clamping tightly around his wrist, and there’s a beat of gratitude that she doesn’t need to rely on her voice alone anymore.
“Don’t.” Her voice is strung tighter than the tension in their shoulders. “You cannot change anything. You can’t, Lloyd, and you should not wish to — to change it that way.”
Lloyd jerks his hand free, wiping miserably at his eyes. He sets it back down within her reach, though, and if Pixal were any different, she’d take it.
But Pixal isn’t that different from Lloyd at all in the end, and neither of them reach for the other’s hand, no matter how desperately they crave the contact. Fear is more familiar, and it’s easier to give into it than it is the clawing need for comfort in your chest, after all.
“Still,” Lloyd finally whispers. “Still.”
Pixal swallows. She doesn’t disagree. If one of them had to fall, she knows she gladly would have taken it upon herself. She knows the others care for her, certainly, but she also knows her place in the grand scheme of things. They were six before she came along, and even now she’s kept far too many secrets to be fully counted among them.
She listens to Lloyd’s quiet, cracked voice, and she wonders if he’s thinking that they were five before he came along, younger than Pixal got to know him as.
Now they’re three, hollow and heartbroken. Though counting herself as one whole feels like cheating, right now.
Pixal squeezes her eyes shut, and wonders what it’s like to cry. Perhaps it helps, though Lloyd doesn’t look any less miserable.
************
“I was thinking,” Lloyd tells her, during one of the precious few quiet moments they have while trying to overthrow Garmadon and Harumi. Pixal’s turning the tiny tea flower he’d given her over in her hands, a part of her mind already marking articles about flower-pressing, another part wondering if it’s already too late to save the blossom. “About that promise we made, before all this.”
Pixal finally tucks the flower into the pocket of her uniform, pressed close to her chest. If anything, it can be a reminder of the lives that are safe — the life that’s coming back to her, if she has to drag him back from another realm herself. “And?”
Lloyd’s hands twist together. “Maybe we should focus more on staying alive.”
Pixal coughs out a laugh, breathless and startled. Lloyd wrinkles his nose at her, but his eyes are amused, even with their light lost. “I mean, the emphasis would be on keeping everyone else alive, but it’s kinda hard to do that if we’re dead, so…yeah. Priorities.”
“Staying alive should always be a priority,” Pixal corrects him, but she tugs the edge of his armor out of place with a smile.
“Why didn’t you teach me how to graffiti?” she nods at the designs on the green leather. “Or was this another Darkley’s tradition.”
“This is a refined art, called whatever I had on me that showed up on dark green,” Lloyd grumbles, fixing his armor. “I’ll teach it to you when we get out of this.”
“Another reason why staying alive would be a more productive focus,” Pixal points out. “I’ve heard teaching is easier when you’re alive.”
“And I’ve heard you’re a real riot,” Lloyd mutters. “It’s a promise, okay? I promise to teach you how to do cool armor design if you promise not to disappear into another realm on me.”
Pixal nods, adjusting her own armor tighter as screams ring out from a street nearby. “A promise, then.”
She keeps both the promise and the flower, the tiny blossom dried and faded by the time she’s escaped from the prison, heart racing with leftover adrenaline as Zane sweeps her into his arms. She clutches back every bit as tight, listening to his breathless laughter as cheers rise from the streets behind them, the smoke drifting across the early morning sky above them pale against the lightening blue. Pixal buries her face in his shoulder and breathes, tucking the moment away in her heart where it won’t fade. There’s a future stretching out before her, and she’s got the limbs to walk her path on her own, but all she wants right now is the steady ground beneath her feet and the bright laughter of what she’s managed to keep.
Lloyd meets them shortly after, his own promise kept as he tears his gaze from his father, handing him off to the authorities before sprinting for the others. Pixal barely snags a moment alone with him, and even then no one’s particularly keen on letting him out of their sights.
He meets her eyes as they pick their way through the wrecked streets, the city more alive around them than it’s been in weeks. In the dark of the early morning, Pixal’s eyes glow a bright green, reflecting oddly in the windows they pass. It’s always been her preferred color, in contrast to Zane’s bright blue. Lloyd glances at her, his own eerily green eyes glowing back. He bites his lip, but it’s to hold back real laughter this time.
“My eyes were green first,” she tells him.
“Sue me,” he shoots back, before Kai’s throwing an arm over his shoulders again, tucking Lloyd neatly in between him and Nya. Pixal smothers a laugh at the look on his face, and tightens her own arm further where it’s linked firmly in Zane’s.
It’s going to be an easy promise to keep, she thinks.
#lego ninjago#ninjago#lloyd garmadon#ninjago lloyd#pixal#there was a point to this but it got lost in pix and lloyd do arts and crafts#either way i'd die for both these characters#ninjago where is the pixal love i miss her#my fic
336 notes
·
View notes
Note
Ok so in your alien ninjago au. What would you think their reactions will be when they ask about facts about the planet earth and we just say "Well for one the planet earth is about 4.54 billion of years old (idk if this is right or not) " and their just standing there like •^• •-• O-o "wait.... Wait wha-" because like i think Ninjago is only like a couple of thousand of years.
—🌱
PLANT ANON IT'S YOU AGAIN!! You get two asks done in a row! Hooray! Also this is a very fun concept and the ninja would absolutely hear one fact about earth and be so enamored by it that they keep asking for more.
What do you Think of the Earth?
They will go nuts over the fact the earth is that old? "No way, you're messing with us." "No, it's actually that old, and it was created by the Big Bang, which made the earth all hot lava for like three billion years, before it cooled off and stuff began to grow."
"Yeah, but how come Earth is older than Ninjago?" "Well for one ours was created naturally by a collision in space, but Ninjago was created artificially by the First Spinjitzu Master."
Plus, they have never heard of dinosaurs, and they love it. They all have their favorites. They are also sad to learn they all died and became fossils.
"I want to be a fossil when I die." - Jay.
It takes them a bit to process how truly long the Earth has been around; that there was time for it to be hot, cool down, grow life, have it wiped out, then have it grow back in an entirely different way.
Since Ninjago is fairly young, they have a lot less history than we do, so they want to hear all of it.
You tell them stories about all sorts of different Gods from different religions. "You guys don't fight over them? Like, which one is the real one?" "Oh, we do."
Now you have to tell them about all the different wars people have fought. It turns out they don't like them, because they're sad to hear about little Earth Kids hurting each other, so you cheer them up by telling them about the Emu war.
It's upsetting for them to hear about global warming, discrimination, poverty, colonialism, etc. especially since they can't do anything about it. However, they take our mistakes, look at them, and make sure they're doing the best to become something better.
So instead, you get to infodump to them about plants, animals, habitats, and other things about your planet.
"You have plants that eat things?!" You were talking about pitcher plants and venus fly traps.
They all have their favorite things; Cole and Zane like to learn about different plants, with Zane leaning more towards fungi, Lloyd is obsessed with tiny animals and bugs, Kai likes to learn about all the dangerous things, like the Box Jellyfish and the Gimpy Gimpy plant, Nya laughs at how many different types of fish we have, and Jay loves outerspace and constellations.
"Wait, if all the animals we have are the same size to us as the ones on Earth are to you, imagine how small some of them must be!"
Cats and small dogs are suddenly very fun to learn about.
When you finally get sick and you have to explain the human body, everyone is gone except for Zane and Nya, who want to learn and understand better.
Word gets out that humans are filled with germs, and some of them panic until Zane explains to them that the germs are actually not that bad and are actually necessary for survival. "Without the ones in their intestines, they wouldn't be able to digest properly, and get very sick."
Which is why you become suspicious when they start feeding you extra yogurt. "Guys I know I said yogurt helps with the Gut Germs, but I really shouldn't be eating this much of it."
You have to tell them you are double jointed before flexing any joints the wrong way or it will kill them instantly.
Because Jay likes constellations so much, you tell him about astral signs, and he actually goes around and names everyone's zodiacs; both of them. "Zane, guess what! You're a *checks notes* Leo and a Tiger!" "I do not believe I am a feline; nor that my name is Leo."
He works with you to create constellations of his own, then submits them to space research facilities. They like the ideas he submits, and he can't thank you enough for helping him.
Eventually, all your Earth infodumping becomes a daily thing where you wake up with all the ninja surrounding you waiting for a fact of the day. "Guys it's five in the morning I woke up to pee and go back to bed." "Can we have a fact about moths this time?" "Ugh, fine. The Atlas Moth is the biggest one in the world and is the size of my head." "Thanks, (Y/N)! You're the best."
Zane literally spends five whole months creating Earth wifi so he can use google with the others to look stuff up.
If they could visit Earth, they probably would for a little while, but then want to go back home because while they do like the cool things, they're afraid of the more dangerous parts of Earth.
14 notes
·
View notes
Text
Reminiscent (H&F)
(Eyyyyy! Thanks a million to @thelucariosfish for beta-ing! This is for you and @ninjagotree101 for being amazing plasma stans!)
__________________
By the first snowfall, the dragon den was insulated and blocked off enough to help the dragons keep warm but also have access to fresh air. Both dragons assumed their larger forms as they slept on, Garmadon in the center of their sleeping ring. Nya had long moved into the pool of the lower caves since she couldn't stand temperatures that low for long. Skylor is with her, keeping her seal skin on for the winter as she always does since it allows her to remain warm blooded. Even though being half Naga as she was meant she wouldn't hibernate for winter, she'd rather not slip into brumation. Being slow and lethargic all winter is unappealing. Zane thrived in temperatures like this and luckily for him, the cold doesn't affect Cole at all. They were the only ones free to swim about in the rapidly icing over fjord but they do prefer to keep their friends company and spent most of their time in the caves with them.
Lastly, Jay and Kai moved down to their winter nest with the others just before the snow in preparation for the long winter to come. Usually their kind fly south for the winter but where's the fun in that? Besides, the south is always packed with creatures of all kinds. It's both uncomfortable and dangerous. Uncomfortable because territories are so small, especially for harpies like themselves, that if they're not careful how they shift, they'll end up crossing boundaries. Dangerous because of humans. They often roam the south for anyone outside of their kind, either capturing them for sale and worse, or killing them. They aren't the first or last to think of staying back instead to avoid that but not all creatures can handle the winter.
Jay would never be a fan of the cold it seems but he'd take the cold any day over letting his mate go south with him. His mate, an extremely rare and highly valuable Phoenix Harpy wouldn't even make it to the winter lands. Hunters would have long captured him. Jay burrowed closer to said mate, letting him preen the feathers mingling in his hair as he soaked up his natural heat. He smiled a little when his wing wrapped tighter around him, the talons on his other wing busy rearranging and cleaning his feathers. It wasn't long before Jay spaces out again, looking at the light from the fire he lit dancing against the cave walls.
Kai almost got captured once before, just before they finally showed interest to mate with each other. It was before he even knew the others…
<3
Back then, he had been apart of a flock of storm harpies and a rather big flock too. At least 70 strong. Storm harpies stick together like that. The bigger the flock, the bigger the storms they brought. He was the runt of the whole flock. He didn't know where his parents were but he had been adopted by two normal harpies. Ed and Edna raised him until he can fly- but then the Storm Flock decided that they wanted him with them since he was a storm harpy too. Of course Ed and Edna wouldn't have it so they left things up to him to decide. He was just a chick and they filled his mind with adventure and storms and fun! Of course he'd choose them! But then, they left that day and he could never return. Not only didn't they let him, especially with his mastery of lightning despite being no more than a chick, but he was so young, he couldn't dream of remembering where they were. It was agony. His spur of the moment decision cost him his true family. And so, he grew with the group, learning to stay out of the way of the bigger harpies, only being called upon to increase or direct the lightning of their storms. They quickly became the dominant flock of all harpies. Well, all but the Phoenices but they've never come across them before.
Then they did.
"It's dangerous to fly any further. Why are we going through hunter territory?!" Jay had heard one of the lesser harpy say to another as he lagged behind for his safety.
"That's why." The other harpy had gestured to the ground and Jay looked, his eyes wide as he spotted the hunters surrounding a brilliant flame, all of them holding up shields against the heat.
One of the hunters at the back pulled a bow taunt with an arrow then released and a pained scree echoed. Jay's eyes widened once the fire diminished a little, revealing the phoenix harpy standing there, an arrow protruding from his shoulder, blood dripping down from his vividly colored wing. Jay looked at him, at the flock, horrified.
"We- we have to help him!" He found himself blurting out and several of them looked back at him then laughed.
"We look out for the flock and the flock alone kid. That's how things work." A gray harpy said to him and he frowned.
It wasn't like that at all. Everyone in this flock only cared for themselves. They leave the sick and injured behind to die. They were no better than the baser creatures!
"Hurry up, kid. Flock leader will be pissed if you get left behind." One of them spoke as they quickened their wingbeats.
Jay watched them fly then looked down at the Phoenix the hunters were closing in on, seeing them stumble, barely able to stand. His eyes flashed once he made his decision at last.
"No." He says, coming to a hover and they looked at him flabbergasted.
They yelled at him when he suddenly allowed himself to fall, angling his body and adjusting his wings so he could dive faster to where the hunters had pulled out a net. He lands before the bloodied Phoenix then screeched loudly at the hunters, wings flared wide and protectively. This made the hunters pause before laughing.
"What? Little rainbird wanna help out his little friend?" One of them teased but Jay stood firm.
"Get… Get out of… Here…" He heard the Phoenix say then looked back at him.
He was in pretty bad shape. Blood was running from his right eye and heavily from their left shoulder where the arrow was still poking out from and right thigh. He had to stop the bleeding before-
"Ah!" Jay yelled as an arrow grazed his side and he was quick to hold it, dropping to his knee with the impact.
"Last chance. Scram or we'll have a double catch today." The head hunter says with a smirk, walking ahead with a large net.
Jay glared up at him, at them all. He was always being told what to do, when to do it and why. He never was able to make his own decisions and he finally did this time, to help someharpy. He wasn't going to turn back on that decision. He was going to help him if it's the last thing he did! He was more than some tool!
The hunter's smirk dropped once his hair began standing on end. Once all of their hairs did. He looked around then back at the storm harpy whose eyes were glowing now as it stood then began to slowly back up. He wasn't some fool. The aura of danger had kicked in his fight or flight instincts. The harpy screeched loudly and there was suddenly lightning like rain, each flash brighter than the last, the booming thunder muting their screams. Jay turned his glowing eyes to their vehicles, destroying them too, melting the metal with the intensity of the bolts, leaving them as pools of boiling metal. The lighting finally ceased and Jay panted from where he stood, only black ashes on the ground remaining where the hunters once stood. He wavered on his feet from overexertion then shook it off. He looked back at the Phoenix harpy where he had passed out and knelt to check up on him.
He's still alive but he's still losing blood. Without question, he pulled out the woolen fabric he always kept on him, the only piece of his adoptive family he had left. He couldn't risk pulling out the arrow in his shoulder but he already pulled out the one in his thigh and he had to wrap it up. As he did that, a portion of his flock came down.
"That was some light show. Come on. Flock leader is already mad you disobeyed." One spoke.
"No." Jay says without looking back at them, tightening the makeshift bandage.
"What?! Listen here you little-" The female promptly shut up when Jay glared at her from over his shoulder, eyes and freckles glowing faintly as lightning began arching off his body.
"I said no." He says lowly. "I'm not going anywhere with any of you. I've left the flock." He says and the group looked intimidated and terrified.
"You'll regret this! Just you wait!" One yelled as they quickly flew off.
Jay looked down at the Phoenix then looked up, contemplating where he would take him to recover. He had no home after all. He hadn't for a long time. But he couldn't say there. Not when others would come to see why the hunters haven't returned. But he was too drained to fly for long…
Luckily, he didn't have to. A large white dragon had arrived on site and while he was wary, he knew enough about dragons to tell that they were good, protectors of their world. That and he seemed to know the Phoenix. He went with the dragon, only to see if the Phoenix would be ok. That was how he met the others. The centaur, Cole, had come up to him to thank him after his side was bandaged up, thanks to the dragon and a demon who startled Jay. He assumed they went on to take care of the Phoenix harpy.
Cole had brought him to the warm water mer Nya, who was his sister. He found it a little hard to believe at first but then he noticed that when her hair shifts, he could see feathers. She thanked him profusely and he had never been one to be thanked and praised so that was an experience on its own.
"Kai's such an idiot! I told him not to go off on his own! Look where his hard headedness got him!" The warm water mer hissed, tail flicking back and forth in the shallow end of the pool though the worry was clear on her pinched face. "If he dies, I'll bring him back just to kill him." She growled and Jay only blinked at the fierce mer as she continued her angry rant about who he's assuming is the phoenix.
She was like a storm churning, waiting to be let loose. Jay… He liked that.
Back then, he couldn't help but think of how fierce and amazing she was. That is, until he saw Kai. It was an accident really. Or- a planned accident. It was the first night in their lair. A cave that would be considered small for all of them. But it was cozy. Despite that, he didn't feel like sleeping, not when he had so much on his mind. He had wandered out to the front of it and sat there, thinking about the flock, about the hunters, about this group of odd creatures. There was a small green dragon he spotted but he keeps out of sight. They were… Nice. But he didn't want to let his feelings influence him again.
The moment he knows that the Phoenix is alright, he'll go off. He has to find somewhere to settle down, have to consider staying for the winter. He didn't want to go south and risk running into the flock again or hunters. He knew they had their ways. They'd be looking for him. He had to get to a safe place. He had-
"Here you are." Jay jolted as he whipped around to look at the Phoenix with wide eyes, noticing he was bandaged up, but going by the red seeping through the white of the bandages on his shoulder, thigh and face, as well as the fact that he was brought here just a few short hours ago, he knew he shouldn't be out on his feet so quickly.
"What are you doing?! You have to rest!" He insists as he got to his feet, his talons there tapping on the ground lightly as he fussed over the Phoenix.
"Yeah, yeah. In a sec." He says, waving off his concerns with his good wing. "Look, I wanted to thank you for saving my tail feathers back there." He told Jay who blinked then shrugged.
"It's what any decent creature would do." Jay says, glancing away.
"Yeah but decent creatures are hard to find in this day and age." The phoenix says, tilting Jay's chin up with a talon, a flush filling the storm Harpy's cheek. "Especially ones so cute." He grinned and Jay blushed even harder, his heart beating a mile a minute.
"I'm Kai." He whispered softly, brushing his scaled fingers of his left hand against Jay's cheek.
"I'm… Jay…"
And it was all history after that.
<3
"You alright?" Jay blinked out of his thoughts then looked up at his fiery mate.
He smiled then nodded.
"Yeah. I'm good. Just remembering some stuff…" He whispered, reaching up to trace the scar over his eye.
Luckily, they could save it back then. Kai chuckled as he held onto Jay's taloned hand carefully.
"It's been a wild ride all the way through." He mused, nuzzling their noses together. "But getting here was well worth it." He whispered and Jay grinned widely, all but having hearts in his eyes, the chill of winter long forgotten.
"Awww…" They looked across at the mer and half selkie with a flush on their face but they were long used to this.
Their flock was one who supported them always.
"Remember when Kai was trying to finally ask Jay if he would court him?" Cole spoke up from the other pool as Zane adoringly combed his claws through his hair that was only getting longer.
Just slightly past his shoulders now. It makes him look even more rustic and untamed, a look Zane found wildly attractive.
"Ocean's brine yes I do." Nya laughed. "He obsessed over a courting gift so much that when the time came, he didn't have anything but words. Then the idiot got jealous when Jay was asking me what he was doing and scorched off Jay's primaries. Sure his explanation got them together but if the idiot listened to me, he would have known Jay didn't give a damn about gifts." She smirked as Kai huffed.
"Still don't." Jay murmured, pressing a kiss to Kai's chin and the Phoenix couldn't hold back his purring chirp.
Jay laughed then tackles him for a kiss.
"You're one to talk though Cole. I still remember the first time you saw Zane…" Nya teased and Cole's cheeks gained a dark green colour as Zane perked up, interested. "You two were so oblivious! Cole literally just stood there when you washed up, staring at you with hearts in his eyes. And when he finally snapped out of it and helped us hold you up so we could make sure you were ok and you just started up at him and you're both staring like idiots-"
"It wasn't like that at all!" Cole blurts as a blue flush filled Zane's cheeks.
"Then tell us how it happened, Romeo." Skylor smirked and Cole huffed.
"Fine. Yes, I stared but it wasn't just like that." Cole began, all eyes on him.
<3
It was much deeper than that. That day, when Jay had raised an alarm, when they had seen the limp white figure being pushed in by the current, Cole was cautious at first, obviously. He wasn't very trusting and very protective of his new herd. But then Nya turned the figure over and Cole had stared for other reasons. They looked like nothing he's ever seen before. He was so pale, ivory even. The splashes of light blue scales along his body, at his finned ears, his long, almost white lashes were glistening in the bright summer sun. Everything about him had Cole's heart speeding up as his stomach tied itself in knots.
Kai smacking him over the head with his wing snapped him out of it and he finally galloped down into the water, noticing that it was pretty cold. They were checking him for injuries but needed him lifted. He was much bigger than Nya so his strength was needed. He picked him up gently, walking further in the water so his chest would get submerged but he could breathe. As Jay and Kai checked the mer from above and Nya below, he woke up. He blinked up at Cole slowly and the Centaur's mouth went dry at those brilliant, vivid sky blue eyes. It's as if they had captured the clear summer sky.
Zane remembered that day, too. He had been so tired from fighting the current that brought him to their spot that he had passed out from exhaustion. It was so sudden that he had no chance against it. But when he came to, he saw the centaur looking down at him, his brown eyes wide as his coal hair brushed his ears. His strong, lightly stubbled jaw, the gentle look he held, how carefully he held him… Zane had no chance against not developing an immediate crush. Then he spoke and…
"Hi… I'm Cole… Are you alright?" His low, gentle voice asked and Zane blinked, eyes widening as his heart skipped a beat.
He opened his mouth then almost smacked himself when he forgot he needs to breathe air to talk. He was quick to close his gills and take a breath through his nose.
"Yeah… Tired…" He got out and a worried expression crossed the Centaur's strong features before he smiled.
"Well you're with friends now. You can rest easy." He reassured him and Zane was sure he had some kind of sappy smile on his face.
Just like the one he wore now. He purrs, nosing along Cole's neck and Cole returns it with a croon, a clawed hand coming up to pull him closer.
"Hmmm nevermind. We know how it happened and that's all that matters…" Cole murmured, brushing his webbed fingers against Zane's cheek, his heart melting once he smiled adoringly up at him. "You own my heart, snowflake." He whispered to him softly and Zane bumped his nose against his, smile happy and carefree.
"And you own mine, my mighty stallion." Zane teased and Cole laughed, pressing their lips together as his tail flicked back and forth in the water.
"What about you two?" Kai asked his sister and Skylor as Jay buried his nose against his neck, warm and happy with both of Kai's wings around him.
"Who, us?" Skylor says, looking at Nya who grinned at her. "You don't need to worry about that." She hummed, Nya sticking out a red tongue at Kai's suspicious look.
"What does it matter? We all have our partners, they're all here, we all love them and we all know what it took to get here." Zane pointed out, letting Cole nuzzle his neck. "We may all be family but we don't have to share every detail." He spoke then giggled as Cole licked his sensitive ear fin.
"Zane's right." Jay hummed.
"When isn't he?" Cole huffed, proudly.
"When he thought jellyfish would be a good snack for a cold water mer that's completely unequipped to handle it." Skylor pointed out and Zane flushed blue.
"Well I was right! I'm just allergic to stings… And eating jellyfish… But it was tasty!" He defended.
"Maybe so but it wasn't worth the heart attack you almost gave me." Cole says drily. "Luckily the effects and swelling weren't long lasting and the hooks were pretty easy for Nya to remove." He huffed and they laughed at the embarrassed mer.
___________
Jay was soundly asleep that night in the cocoon of bright, warm feathers, not a sound escaping the six. Zane and Cole were asleep at the bottom of their pool, the Kelpie laying on his side with Zane sleeping in his arms, his head resting against his chest, his hands curled close to his mouth with their tails coiled together. Nya and Skylor was very much the same but with Skylors's tail being shorter, Nya coiled her in her tail instead.
But Jay's peaceful sleep was soon interrupted by shifting.
"Hnnn what?" He slurs, blinking his eyes open then looking up at the mischievous glowing amber-gold eyes of his mate.
"Come with me real quick." He says as he stood and Jay whined, the loss of his feathers allowing the cold to chill his feathers. "Shhhh." Kai hushed then hopped out, beaconing him to come along.
"Kai, please. It's cold." Jay whined, wrapping his wings around himself.
"It'll be worth it. Please?" Kai begs and Jay paused, looking over his pleading expression then sighed and nodded.
"Fine." He says, hopping out and walking over.
Kai grinned then spread his wings, flying up to the higher levels of the cliff, Jay biting back his displeased whine at flying when it was so cold as he followed after him. Higher, higher, and higher still, until a sharp left and they were out of the cave systems and in the lightly falling snow mid air. Kai grinned at him then flew towards the cliff top, landing there and looking at him expectantly.
"Alright. We're out here in the cold. What now?" Jay asked, landing before him then wrapped his wings around himself.
"Nothing." Kai says and Jay blinked at him before his feathers raised on end in anger, lightning arcing up over them. "I just wanted to see how much more gorgeous you would look in the snow.” He adds softly and Jay flushed.
"That's still not a good reason to bring me out here." Jay huffed, even though his feathers flattened again.
He shivered as a cold wind blew but then blinked once Kai's warm wing wrapped around him, a low glow starting up around him as he increased his heat.
"You know I love you, right?" Kai asked softly, wrapping both wings around his waist and Jay flushed more as he looked down.
"Of course I do. You're an impulsive idiot though." Jay says and Kai winced. "But so am I, so I guess we fit. I love you too." He adds, looking up at Kai again and he grinned, pulling Jay closer, resting their foreheads against each other as he gently rocked them.
Jay rested his talons on Kai's shoulders then smiled.
"You know, this is kinda romantic." He murmured and Kai grinned wider.
"Good." He whispered as he pressed a kiss to Jay's forehead.
He hummed once he did, both of them out there in the quiet winter night, rocking together as snow lightly drifted down around them. One thing was sure: there's no one else they'd rather be with.
____________
(Me: *is slowly working down my list of things to write*
Also me: OOOH NEW IDEA I GOOTA WRITE THAT
Smh. Anyway I'm actually kinda forming plot with this series. I haz many things to do for the next part. Nao I gotta do one of three other things then maybe a new thing. Well I have accepted my faith in never really finishing my list. Thanks for reading!)
#ninjago#jay#jay ninjago#jay walker#kai smith#kai ninjago#kai#zane#zane ninjago#zane julien#cole brookstone#cole ninjago#cole#nya ninjago#nya smith#nya#skylor ninjago#skylor#skylor chen#ninjago sensei wu#ninjago garmadon#lloyd ninjago#plasmashipping#glaciershipping#amberphoenix#aweebwrites' work
30 notes
·
View notes
Text
Zi-O 35: *chuckles* I’m in danger
(Using the RiderTimeFansubs version today)
Now... it’s show Rider Zi-O Inoue time.
(I’m out of opening jokes guys.)
-
Now that is a Black Widow if I ever saw one. Seriously, lady, you’re creeping me out. I am literally 33 seconds in.
Lady, er, sorry, Yuko, I don’t know what you were convicted of, but. Um. You’re not really giving off the impression of someone who is exactly going to be… okay if you go outside.
I will give Hora kudos for not shoving the watch into her chest, though. Good call. And apparently Another Kiva gets to summon the Real Kiva’s… support? I don’t actually know what those three Fangire are to Kiva, but. Yeah. I’mma go with either ‘support’ or ‘retainers’ for now.
Flip-cut to 2008, with… Woz… creeping on 2008 Yuko. This Is Fine.
Woz. I know you somehow make it into the Gaia Library in FOREVER. I know you don’t get much to do in FOREVER. I have not seen FOREVER yet, that’s next on the agenda.
BUT YOU DON’T GET TO SAY KEYWORD. YOU JUST DON’T.
(But still, kudos for the possible nod to the film having just gotten it’s home release, that’s clever.)
A quick note on the opening. Nothings changed in a few episodes, not since we got Trinity. But I can’t help but be uncomfortable with the fact that they still have the last scene with characters be the section with Zi-O and Geiz back to back, and then turning around and clashing.
It’s right up there with Cross-Z Charge staying in the OP for Build through the entire season, but Cross-Z Magma never making it in.
Keeping something that was relevant, but became quickly outdated. I’d say they should have swapped this segment somehow by at least the end of the Another Zi-O Arc, if not before. … Nah, end of Another Zi-O would be the best place. I was thinking that after Geiz gave Sougo his belt, and that whole shindig, but there was still an amount of animosity after that for a while.
OH NOOO MY HEART! THEY’RE ALL GETTING ALONG AND FAWNING OVER JUNICHIRO’S APPLE PIE! It’s too cute, help!
But really, all four are immediately smiling, and it’s adorable. Woz kind of seems like he’s lost all of his stoic traits from even two arcs ago, though.
…oh no, Sougo’s Space Case tendencies transferred to Woz when they started using Trinity.
That’s the only answer. Sougo’s been increasingly competent, and both him and Geiz are getting better at talking to people… and Woz has become comic relief. Oh no personality blending nooooo…
But that is exactly the right set of reactions to Sougo saying he’s been in love. A+ to Tsukuyomi pointing out that he’s ‘like a kid.’
Sougo: Of course I’ve been in love! :)
Geiz: Oh god you’re telling us about it. End me now…
...HUH. Just realized. Junichiro wouldn’t know about this, would he? Kiva – and thus our past segments – were in 2008, but Sougo came to live with his uncle in 2009. So Sougo’s parents were still alive at this point.
2008 Sougo didn’t have friends, either.
Tsukuyomi and Geiz looking on in confusion, Junichiro messing with his nephew (while also confused) and Woz… continues eating pie. I’m worried about you, dude. Character Decay’s not a good thing.
And we have a customer, interrupting story time!
OH WOW! He’s here to get a watch fixed! That’s a first from a non-Time Traveler! The only people bringing in actual time pieces have been Woz and Mondo – you know, Quiz, remember him?
(Customer thinks the shop may have become a cafe – fair, given the scene he’s just walked in on – and Uncle’s stuck in cat-pun mode. Whoops.)
(I’ve started Decade, and the apparently recurring ‘I thought this was a cafe’ joke from there with regards to the Photo Studio just popped into my head. Nice.)
Yuko is. Scary. She wants to take over the world to change the laws.
:casts a nervous glance over at the Kiva and Ryuki arcs of Decade:
Hora’s got a point – the only female Another Rider was Amane, as Another Blade, and she was selected by Hat!Woz. But… looks like Hora’s still in the ‘looking for a new King’ state. Even Heure seems to have moved past that. Last arc, he was trying to find Hibiki, not a candidate. Interesting.
Customer is a lawyer, and knows that he can’t always be the ‘gallant hero’ that Sougo seems to think lawyers are. After all, he couldn’t help ‘that pretty lady.’ But he’s forgotten something at the counter, and Sougo – good boy that he is – rushes off to follow and return it.
YUKO. STOPPED A CAR. WITH HER FOOT. IN HEELS. AND A TINY SKIRT.
:siiiiiigh: Did we really need that pan shot along her leg? Did we?
No. No we didn’t.
And we didn’t need Yuko being a CREEPER to her former lawyer – aka Customer. She’s got a… really sensitive nose. That’s really creepy, especially since she’s using it to unnerve literally everyone around her. It’s not even an Another Kiva thing – she was doing this to identify the exact wine her former boyfriend had in the cold open.
Yuko Kitajima, okay, so that’s her last name. And her doing this ‘ah, yes, it’s that aroma’ trick is what lets her lawyer know it’s her. So she’s done this for a long time.
Another Kiva has some nice touches – roses at the lapels of her cape, where the chain attaches, the stained glass aesthetic.
HOWEVER. I’m NOT here for the eyes. That bright piercing blue is both unnerving AND doesn’t go with the rest of the look! Not to mention the eyes on her shoulders! NO NO NOPE NOT HERE FOR THAT.
...When did Zi-O drop the ‘dial’ eyes, anyway? Definitely by Another Zi-O, I know that… but the Future Another Riders had them, too. Then again, the years have all been ‘2019’ for the last few arcs. Blade, Hibiki, and now Kiva definitely have said 2019. Huh. Wonder if it’s something to do with that.
Another Kiva: I’m going to be queen, and this world will be ~mine~.
Sougo: Queen? :o
SOUGO! THIS IS NOT THE TIME! DO NOT APPRECIATE THE COLORS! YOU ARE UNDER ATTACK!
Ooh, hey, she’s even got a version of Kivat-Bat on there! Nice!
Sougo, please at least put on one of your armors. Like. Any of them would do, right now. Build would be good! You can tank hits really well in that one! Decade’d be better! But just something to give you defense! This is four on one you fool you are outnumbered
AND NOW you are also outgunned, because she can turn her Summoned Fangire Replicas into their weapon forms. Delightful.
And after getting hit by the hammer, sword, and gun, Sougo’s knocked right the hell out of his transformation. Whoops.
Yuko. Yuko don’t – don’t stand over him like that, what are you doing? No, no, don’t do the chin thing, Sougo’s already a wreck, we don’t need him losing sensibility already! Don’t leave the braincell to Geiz! Nooooo-
Hora: So, a queen, huh?
Yuko: How dare a servant talk to me.
OH MY GOODNESS WOW
Hora’s not having this. Just. Teleports out of the way of Yuko trying to slap her. Good call.
YUKO. FRICKING. Kicks up a manhole cover. THROWS IT LIKE A FRISBEE at Hora.
Hora just TURNS HER HEAD to dodge. All she gets is a cut on the cheek – HORA YOU’RE LUCKY TO BE ALIVE OH MY GOD.
Hora’s gonna do a violence.
(Hey, Heure, back when we met Swartz, you told him not to treat you like a child. So… what’s with you two getting ice cream? That’s. Weird. And creepy.)
HEURE. HORA. GET OUT OF THERE. BOTH OF YOU. YOU CAN DO SO MUCH BETTER THAN THIS.
Cut to evening in the shop.
I can believe this lady did a murder. She certain plans to do some murders now.
The day of the crime she’s ‘falsely’ accused of was April 10, 2015. Just felt like noting that.
(And noting that that fits right in with when a Roidmude could have taken someone’s identity. And noting that we haven’t seen Drive yet.)
(I know there’s like, zero chance it’s connected. Why would they link two different arcs like that? That is, aside from Fourze and Faiz, but that was different.)
(But, you know. Just saying.)
She’s almost definitely going after people who got her imprisoned, there’s no maybe about it. And, er, I can actually understand why Sougo would relate to that, what with. You know. The whole ‘demon king’ thing.
Except that he thinks she couldn’t have done it, because she was his First Love. Woz is all “suggestive raised eyebrows” while Geiz and Tsukuyomi just. They just want the inanity to end.
I fucking LOVE how everyone keeps making cat puns / noises with regards to this story. I mean. Really. She scratched you under the chin, dude. That’s weird.
(Nya.)
Weirdo guy in a coffee bar, insulting the coffee but still coming here, because the waitress is pretty. “Yay.”
Also, he’s got this fancy ring on. That’s probably significant, since P-Bandai’s releasing a ring for one of the Kiva characters. They had Amane wearing the Chalice themed necklace, too, so-
OH LOOK Weirdo’s eyes lit up gold when he was talking about ‘seeing a vision of the end of the world’! And his reflection is a blue wolf! You know! The one from Kiva! That the ring is modeled on! Okay!
Right! Legacy Characters! I somehow forgot that they’d try to bring someone from Kiva back!
Cut to Yuko being creepy at a pier, going after the Chief Prosecutor in her case, right up until Sougo and Geiz arrive.
Sougo’s got one question for you. (Just one? Sounds fake, but okay.)
Sougo: “Why do you want to be a queen?”
Yuko: “To correct the laws of this world, to enforce those correct laws.” (all said with an angry face)
Sougo: “So… it is to help people, then?” (confused)
Geiz: “Oh, for f- That’s not how you should go about it! This is just revenge!”
Geiz has the Trinity brain cell today, and he’s making good use of it!
Oh-ho-hohoho- Hora’s PISSED. She chose poorly. She’s gonna get some revenge of her own.
And now Yuko’s gonna do a violence, because all of them are ‘guilty.’
Geiz transforms, but Sougo doesn’t get that far.
No, he’s just gotten into some weird flashback to 2008.
So, a woman – possibly Yuko, I’m not sure, and ‘Tetsuya’ in one of those swan boats. And then it jumps to 2015. With a (presumably) dead female body… and Tetsuya standing over her.
Right. Sougo’s got time powers independent of the belt. He’s only ever looked into the future before now.
SOUGO! I don’t really care what sort of crisis of faith you’re having, you need to go help Geiz! He’s in a four on one, in an even less ideal location than you were! GO HELP HIM!
What’s this? Something’s going weird up in the sky. First to notice is Swartz, who looks up at the ripples of light. Then Tsukuyomi. (“The two of us aren’t so different after all.”)
And then Garulu. The one on the dock. Who I’d thought was a copy. But, um, maybe not. Maybe that’s the actual one? The real one was talking about a ‘vision of the future’ earlier, after all. But what about the other two Fangire? Are they the real ones? How is Another Kiva summoning them, anyway?
Geiz is knocked out of his transformation – and Sougo didn’t even get to activate his own. He never finished turning the belt before noticing a meteor streaking down the sky. The same one that Garulu was seeing in the coffee bar.
I don’t know WHAT that is that just hit that cliff face, but I don’t like the looks of it.
It – it’s alive? Is it an egg?
No no no NOPE it’s a space egg. It’s got a dude inside. It’s got a kitbash Rider inside. And he’s just blasted everyone down.
Everyone except the very noticeably absent Swartz.
Another Kiva tells him to stop – she is the law here.
But Ginga is from deep space. He doesn’t care about your Earth Laws. He’s going to blast you off of your cliff, too.
(I’m sorry, but I’m having a little trouble taking Ginga seriously with that UFO on his helmet.)
“Alright, let’s go!”
“WAIT NO! WAGA MAOU, STOP!”
“ASK US BEFORE YOU USE TRINITY, DAMNIT!”
Turning into a watch is not fun times.
“There is only one law. Everything dies.”
Yoooo I can take Ginga a little more seriously with those barriers. Yoooooo this guy is WAY overpowered.
Seiji Takaiwa is a god of suit acting~! Making just the little adjustments to show which loser is in control of Trinity moment to moment takes timing.
Also, the only person who can talk is the one in control? That’s. Unfortunate. For them. It’s HILARIOUS for us.
(Tsukyomi, I’m sorry, you don’t deserve to have to deal with these three.)
Nothing they throw at Ginga is working. He’s kicking everyone’s ass. Ass, singular, because bodysharing.
HOO BOY. We have our second female Another Rider… and she doesn’t get to be the main threat in her arc, either. Come on, Toei. … Let’s blame Inoue for this one. He’s here, after all.
Looks like Woz gets a Super mode in Ginga.
Well. At least he didn’t get completely shafted in the power-up regard, once his Character Decay set in.
Justice for Alain. (He! Deserved! Better! Yuujo Burst should have been IN SHOW damnit! Not relegated to the STUPID GOD AWFUL SPECTER V-CINEMA!)
(IT’S NOT EVEN HIS OWN SPECIAL! IT’S MAKOTO’S! IT COULD AT LEAST HAVE BEEN IN THE ‘LEGEND OF HERO ALAIN’ SPECIALS!)
(Yes I will always be salty about how Alain got treated.)
Well! Until next time!
4 notes
·
View notes
Text
TLNM Headcanons
This is the first time I’ve actually shared headcanons (and they’re really dumb). These are for the movie just because I’ve been thinking about it a lot, but I have ones for the series if anyone is interested.
Other than Nya and Kai, Cole and Jay have known each other the longest. They used to be neighbours before Jay's parents moved to the outskirts of Ninjago City.
Kai and Nya don't have parents. They both have jobs to be able to afford their apartment, although Kai insists he could just work two jobs so Nya has more time to study and focus on her grades.
Nya and Zane get the best grades out the group, across all of their subjects (the two of them have a friendly competition going whenever big tests come up, which the rest of the group find terrifying). Jay comes next with pretty good grades, especially in science and IT, then there's Cole and Lloyd (they get roughly the same) with middle-ish grades, Cole does best in art and music while Lloyd's better at english and foreign languages. Kai has the worst grades of the bunch (but not bad grades, he just gets Cs mainly), he's better at hands-on subjects like woodwork.
They often have movie nights at their base. Jay likes romance and sci-fi, Cole and Kai enjoy action movies, Lloyd prefers things with deep stories and morals, Nya likes monster movies and horror (she has nerves of steel) while Zane enjoys kung fu movies as well as animated films.
They argue over who had the most fans. It got to the point they did an online poll about it. Turns out Lloyd had the most fans, he was kind of smug about it for weeks.
They have a team fridge which they all keep food in. It used to get raided during the night so they set up a camera to see who it was. Turns out it was Wu in his sleep.
When they stay late at base after a battle to hang out and work on the mechs they take it in turns to get the food. When it's Kai or Nya they usually get takeout, Cole buys whatever he can find at the local store, Zane cooks for them on this portable stove he has, Jay brings some of his mom's cooking to share and Lloyd gets pastries from the nearest bakery.
After Koko found out about the ninja thing she started visiting their base often. She makes sure they all do their homework, are getting enough sleep, are eating properly and brings them snacks. It embarrasses Lloyd so much.
They have gaming tournaments sometimes. Usually the finalists are either Kai, Jay or Nya. If it's Kai and Nya the sibling rivalry is so thick you could cut it with a knife. With Jay and Kai there's a lot of playful shoving which ends up with one of them falling off the couch. Then when it's Nya and Jay it's a lot quieter, just super tense.
They have found fanfiction of people shipping the ninja together. Most of the time it's pretty funny, except when they ship Kai and Nya together. Kai actually passed out when they first found out, and he didn't wake up for an hour. They were worried they'd broken him.
No matter how old they get the Ninja will always go trick-or-treating. Kai insists they do it, and no one has the heart to tell him no because of how excited he gets.
After the movie the group decided to look after Meowthra, they take turns feeding them and giving them belly rubs. It's basically their mascot now.
Movie Kai -
He's super athletic. It doesn't matter what sport it is, he's tried it at least once. Sometimes it isn't even a sport like dance or cheerleading.
Speaking of cheerleading, Kai tried out for the team at the start of the year since he thought it would be fun. He did a routine to something positive like 'Stick Together' (he didn't make the cut because he was friends with Lloyd (he didn't mind though)). P.S. The idea of cheerleader Kai is my jam!
He tries to get into what his friends are interested in, like he got into music when Cole started talking to the group about it or online videogaming when Jay said he had no one to play with.
He wants to make his friends happy no matter what. Seriously, Lloyd once texted him at 3am saying he was sad and Kai at his apartment in 10 mins panting, holding a shopping bag full of ice cream ready to chill with him.
Kai is incredibly clingy, especially when someone's upset. If he sees someone crying he will hug them for 3 hours straight and refuse to let go.
Clumsy is definitely a word to describe him. No one wants to be his lab partner thanks to what was lovingly dubbed the 'Storage room incident' (they still haven't repaired all the damages).
Despite him loving being a ninja, he's always worrying if something bad is going to happen to his friends. It keeps him up at night most of the time (it's the reason he sleeps in class so much).
Due to his irregular sleeping habits the other ninja have found him asleep in weird places. Such as: His mech, his locker, their double-decker couch, their regular couch, under his desk, the janitor's closet and the fridge (it was summer at the time).
He owns the teddy bear backpack (like from the concept art). He brought it to school a couple times but it got taken by some bullies, who his friends had to restrain him from beating to a pulp, and he hasn't taken it since.
He cares about his hair a lot. He carries around a hair brush with him at all time, as well as hairspray and dry conditioner. Kai also knowns how to do loads of different styles, including multiple kinds of braids.
Like his series counterpart, Kai is afraid of water and cannot swim. The group went to a waterpark once and he had to wear armbands and a floaty ring to go on the slides.
Movie Zane -
Zane has been called 'Mom' by each of his friends at least once, Lloyd does it the most.
When he sings he sounds like a vocaloid (if you don't what this is, look it up).
Speaking of that, he would probably enjoy listening to that music. He finds it relatable and nice to hear a computer singing.
He enjoys really mild food and can't process sugar that well, so he has flavourless food a lot (like his water flavoured popsicles)
He has a vlog about the ninja that they have all featured on more than once. His most popular videos are fail compilations he makes of their battles
He has the best handwriting, like he could a calligrapher it's that good. Jay cried when he looked at it the first time because he thought it was beautiful.
When he first started school he had no idea about personal space. He still doesn't get it now and so he's fine when Cole leans on him a lot.
Zane enjoys when winter comes around. He can't feel the cold that much so he often lends his scarf to Kai when the other is shivering. He can also ice skate which the others found amazing the first time they went to a rink together.
He doesn't sleep that much so he often stays up late messaging Kai on his phone (they talk about the strangest things)
He names every piece of tech he owns. His phone is called 'Yuki'.
During the first month of the ninjas being friends none of them saw Zane eat, since he doesn't need to that often. Until Kai had enough and took him out for ice cream, because he was sure he was going to eat it out of anything else.
Movie Cole -
He listens to music to help him sleep at night, even though he knows it's bad for him.
Cole has no sense of taste, like he'll eat anything, and he can handle really spicy food like it's nothing
He wants to have a song for every occasion, no matter how weird it is, since he thinks life should have a backing track. He constantly asks the others for situations so he can check if he has music for it yet. (He still hasn't found 'being bitten by a snake that was bitten by a spider' for Garmadon, but he's trying).
He will listen to music in other languages, sometimes he looks up lyrics if he's really curious but most of the time he just enjoys how other languages sound.
Cole knows how to play at least 10 instruments, including but not limited to the violin, the guitar, the drums, the flute and the piano.
He often forgets to brush his hair. When he and Kai started being friends Kai almost had a heart attack when he found out. Now the fire ninja makes sure he always has it brushed in the morning, even if he has to do it for him.
When he has to have classes without his headphones on, because the teacher took them or something, he starts humming or taps his foot. Anything to make noise, he doesn't like quiet all that much.
He can imitate phone notification noises. He does it in class when he's bored to see how many people move to check their phone (he caught the teacher out once, and couldn't stop laughing).
Cole's actually blue-yellow colour blind. He sometimes mistakes Jay for Lloyd and vice versa when they're in their ninja uniform.
Movie Jay -
Videogaming is way of life for him. He plays anything. Retro, PC, co-op, shooters; It really doesn't matter to him.
He listens to music while he games sometimes if he doesn't like the game soundtrack or if he needs to get pumped up.
Everyone knows about his crush on Nya, except Nya and Kai. The former because he hasn't told her yet and the latter due to the fact no one knows how he'll react to the news.
Gets sick a lot. It annoys him to no end. His mom is constantly sending him to school with thermoses of noodle soup for colds, and tons of medicine.
He gets stressed a lot. Jay has a habit of overthinking things to the point it hurts his head to think about. He's starting to drink herbal teas from Wu to help with it.
He has kitten sneezes. Everyone thinks it's the cutest thing ever.
He owns like a million scarfs, and they're all knitted by his mom. He refuses to get rid of any of them because of how long she spent on each one.
He is terrified of Furbys, he thinks they're creepy and shouldn't be given to kids.
Jay can actually knit for himself but only makes stuff for other people as gifts.
Movie Nya -
Her grades are the most important thing in her life, besides her bike.
She hates getting ill, because she thinks it makes her look weak and she doesn't want Kai to miss school to take care of her. Even if he insists he can afford time off school.
Was voted: 'Most likely to get away with murder', by her classmates. She wears the title like a badge of honour.
Out of all the ninja she's definitely the most intimidating. Anyone who calls her 'harmless' has regretted it.
Nya enjoys reading in her free time. She likes all types of stories, including manga, comics and visual novels.
She pulls pranks more than most people would expect. It's the reason she didn't get invited to many 'girls only' sleepovers as a kid, due to drawing on people’s faces among other things.
When she found out Koko was Lady Iron Dragon it took her a week to build up the courage to ask for her autograph. (Which is currently framed on her bedroom wall.)
Usually forgets to eat breakfast in the morning, so Zane started bringing her snacks before school so Kai won't worry about her health.
She's super supportive of all of her friends. She's usually the one cheering the loudest for them and patting them on the back for a job well done.
Her dream is to travel the world after they graduate. She wants to see everything the world has to offer, but she always insists her home base will be Ninjago.
Movie Lloyd -
When he's sad he eats sugary food, especially ice cream. It worries his mom so he doesn't do it that much nowadays.
He's a closeted fanboy of anime. Like he has posters and stuff all over his room, which his mom finds adorable, but he refuses to show any of his friends. Kai found out about by accident and started watching shows with him.
Much like his series counterpart, when Lloyd was a kid he had a bowl cut. Cole found a picture of it in a yearbook, they have it hanging up in their base on the fridge.
Up until his eighth birthday he sent Garmadon an invitation to his party just in case his dad actually wanted to come. It broke Koko's heart every time he didn't and Lloyd locked himself in his room.
Jay once said he looked like Link from Zelda. It stuck with him to the point he dressed up as him for Halloween. Everyone thought it was great.
His sense of humour is like 40% self-deprecating and 60% sarcasm, no one knows if he's serious most of the time because of it.
He's jokingly been called Kai and Nya's 'sibling' before because of how protective the two are of him, they don't mind and take it as a compliment. When Koko heard it for the first time she started crying and said she would love to have Kai and Nya as part of the family.
He has tons of mini cacti in his room, because he thinks their cute. They each have unique pots and names. He talks to them when he's lonely and thinks no one is listening.
He sometimes steals food from the team fridge and blames it on someone else (no one has actually caught him yet).
214 notes
·
View notes
Text
21:36pm
11/17/20
You slept on me. Again. But that's okay, at least I know you're not doing anything stupid. Hahaha I have so much words so say but I don't know where to start or how will I express it without sounding so cringy and awful and stupid. Okay, first of all, I love you so much, I'm really thankful for every thing you've done for me. I really really appreciate you. I know you suck at making surprises and making efforts to make me feel happy and appreciated pero ramdam ko naman na mahal mo ko, I know you're not used to these kind of things since you already mentioned na hindi mo naman talaga ginagawa yun but I can see that you're trying, I know we still have a lot of things to adapt and to learn for ourselves kasi nag cocontrast talaga yung personality natin. Sabi nga sa horoscope hindi compatible yung zodiac signs natin haha jk well I'm not really convinced about the horoscope since di naman yun nagpepredict sa atin, tho most of the signs and sayings were true. Hmmm..but as I've said we'll both figure things out no matter what. Kahit una palang feel ko na yung incompatibility natin but we still managed to prolong our relationship until now hahahaha who would've thought. Kahit na ganun parang natututunan narin natin ihandle yung isa't isa hahahaha ang cute lang. I love you.
Alam mo ba sabi ni Nicole last time hahaha naisip nya lang daw buti yung problema ko lang sayo yung maarte mong ugali hahaha sa kanila raw kasi asshole talaga, but I realized na medyo true naman at least you're not a liar and an asshole and hopefully you won't turn out to be like that someday. Kaya ko imanage yung pagiging whiney and sulky as long as I can, but not too much please. 🙄 Pinagsasabihan rin naman kita pag kailangan mo and I'm really happy na tinatanggap mo naman mga sinasabi ko and nagkakaron ka ng improvements after mo masabihan. Very good baby ko. Masyado tayong healthy and masyado akong gf material na very ideal and understanding kaya minsan naiisip what if try ko naman maging toxic just for a change? Hahahahahahahahaha kidding aside, kahit naman may times na medyo dull convo natin never ako nabored sayo, siguro dahil lang sa phase ko or pagka low ng mood ko. Kahit siguro tahimik lang tayo or nagtititigan lang tayo hindi ako nakakaramdam ng boredom ganito ba pag sobrang mahal 😭 char.
But you know what I most like about you? Hindi ka cliché katulad ng iba, you also don't know how to filter and sugarcoat your words before saying it kaya nagagalit sayo si Ira. But I realized na that's just the way you are, kaya siguro kampante ako dahil totoo ka sa sarili mo at totoo ka rin sa mga sinasabi mo, you're always honest about your intention and your feelings. Marami ka narin naiinvest sakin, medyo nakakahiya na. Do I really deserve you? Huhu Okay lang naman yun but be responsible lang, you don't need to do such thing especially pag hindi naman talaga kailangan di ko tuloy alam kung maiiyak or maiinis ako sayo kasi nagsayang ka ng pera sakin. 😭 Pero naaappreciate ko yung ganong actions mo. ☹️ Nafifeel ko yung eagerness na gusto mo ko makasama lalo na nung nag rave tayo. #NotMaterialistic
Anyway, in the contrary pala, I saw you lied once ha binabantayan ko yung series na pinapanood mo sa netflix I don't remember what series yon pero sabi mo matutulog ka tapos nung minomonitor ko yung series on going pa yung episodes na pinapanood mo. Ayos ha. But I let that get away kasi masyadong shallow para pag awayan, but you don't have to lie naman kasi I'll give you time that you need if you asked me. Never naman kita pinagbawalan sa mga gusto mong gawin because that's your personal space. Depende nalang kung gusto mo magshabu. I love you so much and I always want what's the best for you. Support lang ako here. Always.
Happy 6th mahal kong boang. Mahal na mahal mo ko. Ayaw mo kong mawala. Stay inlove sakin. Marami pa tayong pag aawayan at marami ring pag aargue ang pagdaraanan natin na ako rin mananalo, joke. Mahal na mahal kita. Mwalaplap. 😚
0 notes
Text
(Movie) Cole x Reader PT.2
I still can’t believe I wrote over 8700 words for an x reader fanfiction about a lego minifigure. This is what my life is now.
PART 1
You hadn't told anyone what you knew, not even Stephanie, but that hadn't stopped you thinking about it twenty-four seven. It just baffled you! Your crush was also one of the ninja in the secret ninja force. You couldn't believe it. It plagued your mind so much you were becoming distracted at school. It was only Monday lunchtime, yet you'd already been told off for daydreaming three times. You'd also walked into a few other students and even stood in the middle of the corridor for no reason, even after the bells had rung and signaled that you needed to get to class. You were just zoned out completely, and it hadn't gone unnoticed.
"(Y/N), honey, are you alright? You seem off." You blinked and looked up at the four girls staring at you with worried looks.
"Yeah, I'm fine." You smiled briefly at them all and took a bite out of your apple.
"Sweetie, is it what happened on Saturday? Ya' know, with Garmadon?" Oh yeah...he'd almost killed you hadn't he? You'd actually forgotten about the near-death experience. "It's okay that you're scared but like, you can't the fear control your life. Yeah?"
"Steph, honestly, I'm okay. I think I'm just tired."
"Well, the bags under your eyes have gotten a lot worse. You look awful."
"Aw geez, thanks."
"That wasn't a compliment." Oh my god, did she really not understand sarcasm? That was basic too! You sighed and closed your eyes, placing your apple down on the table momentarily as you rubbed your eyes. It's true you hadn't been getting sleep as of recently, and this shocking revelation certainly hadn't helped matters.
"Maybe you should go home, get some rest? I'm sure the teachers will understand." Somehow you doubted it, but you did feel yourself getting particularly sleepy last lesson. You had to prevent yourself from nodding off in perhaps one of the most boring lectures you'd ever had to sit through. Sleep sounded nice.
You only gave a simple hum as you finished off the remains of your apple and stood up ready to leave. You waved goodbye to the girls as they told you to get better soon, then heading off to your locker to collect your things and go home. The corridors were pretty quiet as a majority of students were in the cafeteria. You didn't think you'd ever heard such quiet in a school before, it was kind of relaxing but also felt uncomfortable and weird. You didn't think too much about it as you stopped at your locker and started getting everything together, also not noticing how you were the only person in the hallway. All except for one other person.
As you shut your locker door, it revealed the tall, muscular, raven-haired teen that you had been crushing on since your first day at this school. You flinched and gasped out of fright before settling down after seeing it was only Cole. However, they didn't prevent the blush steadily rising on your cheeks.
"We gotta talk." He leaned against the lockers beside your and looked down at you with seriousness plastered across his face. You couldn't say you weren't expecting this, but you thought he'd wait until the end of the day and then follow you home or something. Maybe he didn't have the patience, or maybe he was instructed to by his leader. Either way, you definitely needed to talk to one another.
"Yeah, okay." You sighed a little and shut your locker, waiting for him to lead the way. Instead, he handed you a bottle of water and a small pill. You glanced down at the items, then at him, then back down at the items again. What in the heck were these things for? You cautiously took them from his hands and examined them.
"What are these for?"
"To knock you out, we can't have you knowing the way to our secret base."
"You can't be serious-"
"It's either willingly take the pill or ill have to knock you out with chloroform and kidnap you. One way or another you'll be unconscious." You had always wondered what being knocked out with chloroform was like...but at the same time, the tablet was in your hand, and you were kind of thirsty anyway. Without another moment's hesitation, you popped the pill into your mouth and threw your head back as you chugged half the bottled water. You put the cap back on the bottle and handed it back to Cole.
"So how long does it take for the-" You never finished that sentence. Instead, your mind completely blanked as you fell into the teenager's arms and immediately went into a deep sleep.
---
When you awoke you were lying on a couch. You blinked a couple of times and groaned as you brought your hands up to your face and rubbed at your eyes. Propping yourself up on your elbows for a few seconds, you exhaled and allowed your vision to come back to you before you sat up straight and let your legs fall back onto the floor. Only then did you see the six familiar figures stood in front of you.
They all had their masks on, Cole included, despite you already knowing his identity. Each of them had a serious expression on their face, a few crossed their arms and other stood with their hands on their hips. It was almost as if they held you accountable for discovering the identity of one of their crew. It wasn't though! You didn't know how his mask had fallen off, but you were pretty sure one of the blades from the crab mech had snagged the fabric upon Cole's release and accidentally taken his mask. That's the only thing you could think of.
"Welcome to our headquarters (Y/N)," the green ninja spoke clearly to you, and the more he talked the more you recognized his voice. "My team and I need to discuss something with you."
"Look, you don't have to worry about me telling anybody, alright? I'm not stupid, you guys have a city to protect and an identity to keep. If I told people it would put Cole's life at stake. I'll keep it a secret, so don't even worry about it." It's silent for a few moments as everyone stands there, the five teammates looking at their leader and waiting for him to continue.
"How can we trust you?" He finally said. Suddenly that's when it clicked in your head.
"Wouldn't I have told people by now if I really wanted to expose you guys? It's been two days, Lloyd." Everyone froze in place.
"How did you-"
"I just realized I knew your voice somewhere. Let me guess, the rest of you are Kai, Zane, Jay and Nya, right?"
"...No?" Jay shrugged and you shook your head. That's when they all groaned and pulled their masks off, each revealing to you their real identities. They looked kind of mad that you'd managed to join the dots so easily.
"Great, now you know who we all are." Kai muttered and scratched his head.
"Yeah, but again, I have no interest in telling anybody. It's better for it to remain a secret." You stood up from your seat and placed your arms behind your back as you peered around the warehouse. All the mechs were in their own little corners, Nya's being on the roof, and the room had other little gadgets in it as well. There was an arcade machine and a jukebox, a games console hooked up to a tv also. It wasn't just a storage place for their weapons, it was almost like a chill-out zone too. You had to admit it was pretty cool.
"Welp, we've already missed the start of class so, might as well hang here until our next one." Lloyd clicked his tongue and walked over to the arcade game. Zane wheeled over to his mech and sat beside a wall, inserting himself into a charger (and making you suddenly realize he was a robot which, honestly, explained so much), Nya and Jay both sat where you were moments before and began setting up a video game to play whilst Kai just joined them on the couch.
That left only you and Cole.
You were sure he was gonna take you back to school or possibly even just drop you off at home if you asked nicely. However what he said next shocked you a little.
"Wanna listen to some of my mixes?" You felt the heat rise steadily in your cheeks as all you could do was nod and follow behind him. He went over to his mech, helping you to climb inside the cramped space and then going through his records. He was surrounded by shelves of this vinyl, one side was his own tracks whilst the other side contained records of a variety of artists. AC/DC, N-Pop Girl, Macklemore, The Kinks, he had a lot of different artists work. A really good mix.
You leaned against the back wall and watched the boy skim over his playlist as he tried to decide a piece to play for you. As he did that you couldn't help but admire his looks. You'd realized he'd put his hair up into a man bun, and you literally felt the butterflies roar in your stomach at the sight. He looked really cool with his hair up like that. You almost wanted to say 'uber-rad' but that felt a little odd to say in this day and age. Unless he still said stuff like that? He seemed like the kind of person who would.
Finally, he pulled out one from the shelf.
"Here's a good one." He said as he passed you a spare set of headphones to put on. You placed them over your ears and watched as the boy giddily pulled the record out of its sleeve and put it on the deck. You couldn't help but smile at the sight of his eyes lighting up and his grin widening in anticipation. He was like a little kid right now; full of excitement. It was so cute.
Suddenly the music blasted in your ears and you jolted in shock. You weren't expecting it to be quite so loud, especially the baseline. Your ears managed to adjust though and you found yourself enjoying the heavy rock music. You bobbed your head up and down in time to the beat and Cole did the same when he sat down on the floor beside you. You didn't say anything to one another, mostly because you couldn't hear anything other than the music anyway, but he knew you liked his music. At least you thought you'd made it clear through your actions. Eventually, the music stopped and Cole got up off the floor to go and change the record.
"That was really good, Cole." You told him with a beaming smile. He glanced at you as he put the previous piece of music back on the shelf.
"Thanks. I take it you like Rock?"
"Oh, psh-" You rolled your eyes and shrugged at him. "I like a bit of everything. You gotta appreciate all the genres there are, you know? Otherwise, all you do is listen to the same thing over and over and over again." The teen grinned at you when you said that to him.
"Yeah, exactly! All music should be listened to, cos' everything has something new to offer."
"Yeah!" There are a few moments of quiet as the pair of you stare at each other, blushing and looking down to the floor after those few seconds slipped by. You couldn't believe you were actually talking to him. You thought that you would never get the chance to talk to the earth ninja or Cole, now here you were talking to both. It was so cool! He was so cool.
"Do you wanna pick a record?"
---
The next hour or so flew by as you both sat and listened to the different bands and artists he had available in his vast collection. There was some classical, some pop, some techno, any genre you could think of, he had. Sometimes you'd even sing along if you knew the words.
"You have a nice voice." He told you once the music died down again, signaling that the song had concluded. You laughed nervously and hid your face as you blushed heavily.
"Ha-ha, thanks. I don't usually sing in front of people."
"You should." You felt your heart explode in your chest and you had to stop yourself from hurling up the butterflies in your stomach. With each comment, he made they only grew more ferocious, and it was starting to make you feel nauseous. "Ha-ha, you're blushing soooo bad."
Him pointing that out to you only made your cheeks turn a darker shade, which as a result made him laugh even harder. You playfully punched his arm with an embarrassed smile on your face.
"Whatever!" Was all you could think of for a response. You blamed Cole for this, of course. Him and his stupidly attractive face, making your brain go to mush. The nerve of him!
The raven-haired teen got up and put the previous record back into its sleeve before sliding it into its place on his shelf. He scanned over the vinyl again before pulling out a new record. You didn't get a chance to see the cover but it looked old and tattered. The moment he placed the disc on the plate, the music began to play and you hummed along to the tune. It was an old song, one you recalled your grandparents singing a lot when you were a child. You could recall the lyrics well enough so you decided to sing along again. And apparently so did Cole.
"I will always think of you." Cole sang the first line as he came and sat beside you, pressing his back up against the wall. You were quite surprised by this; he didn't seem the type who liked singing along with songs. "I see your face when each day's through. And days go past-"
"Oh so fast." You chimed in when the female part started up. The pair of you grinned at each other as you sang along to the music.
"But memories they last~" The song continued and you both rested your heads against the wall behind you, peering at each other in the corners of your eyes. This whole situation was crazy, the more you thought about it. You were sat in the secret ninja force's base, tucked on the inside of the black ninja's mech as you harmonized with your crush. That stuff just...didn't happen. Yet here you were now. What an unbelievable day this was. You quietly recalled how less than two hours ago you had been feeling so exhausted and ready to just go home and sleep the day away, yet now you felt so alive and more awake than ever. Maybe now that everything was cleared up you were at ease. Maybe now that you were friends with Cole you were at ease.
"Summer, Winter, year by year-"
"Year by year.
"I'll hear this song inside my ear."
"Trying to restart-"
"That'd be smart." Back and forth you and he went. Your voices were in perfect sync with one another and the music on the record. As the next verse came up Cole began to sing a little louder with all the more heart. He sang like there was no one watching him, completely forgetting about the other five ninja who weren't that far away from where you both were. They could hear you too, by the way, and they also enjoyed your melodic voice. So much so they'd stopped what they were doing and gathered around the bottom of Cole's mech so they could hear you and their close friend better. Zane even came off of his charging station to come and listen. Each of them smiled at one another.
"Spring and Autumn, up and down, I keep trying to escape this town."
"And I just might-"
"I'll take flight..." You looked up at the ceiling of the mech with half-lidded eyes, waiting a few seconds before singing the final line of the song together with the ninja sat beside you.
"Maybe tomorrow not tonight." The track ended and it was silent for quite a while. Cole didn't get up to remove the record and you carried on sitting on the floor. Instead, you looked at him and he looked at you. No words were exchanged for a little bit, but you swore you felt Cole's fingertips nudge against yours. In return, you slotted your fingers in between his and joined your hands together. He didn't pull away, much to your relief.
"So...my friends and I were gonna go to this sushi bar after school, do you wanna join us?" He seemed a lot more nervous than he usually sounded when speaking, his tone was rather hesitant, almost afraid that you would decline. Of course, you agreed to go though.
---
It had been three months since you'd become a part of Lloyd's group of friends, and two months since you and Cole had gone on your first date. Since both of you were too anxious to ask each other out, the ninja decided to shove you two together at every possible opportunity. And when that didn't work they, Kai rolled his eyes and groaned before saying "will you two just go get a drink together already?" After a small fit of uncomfortable and awkward chuckles from you both, the same day you went and spent the rest of the afternoon in Ninjago city.
You didn't do much, you went browsing in music stores and bought a few CDs before going to his house and getting a drink there. For a while, you just sat on the sofa and watched really bad reality TV shows, until his dad came home from rehearsal that is. The moment he saw you he instantly assumed you were Cole's girlfriend, not that you could really blame him. You were both squashed up next to each other, his arm draped behind you with his hand messing with little strands of your (H/C) locks. You also supposed it wasn't technically wrong. True, it was early days at that point and it had only been your first date, but was there even a technical term for that relationship status? Other than 'seeing each other'? You hadn't heard of one.
Lou accepted you with open arms and a number of times Cole had come home from doing a quick errand, only to hear the sounds of piano and your voice coming from the living room, was enough to make him wish his dad sent him to do more jobs. He loved walking in and your singing to be the first thing he heard.
And now, two months down the line, you'd only grown closer to one another as each day passed.
"Hey, guys!" You shouted from down the corridor as you ran up to him and Jay. They both stood outside their lockers, your boyfriend leaning back as Jay stood upright. They greeted you with a smile, the green-hued male pushing off of the lockers and uncrossing his arms as you approached them both. He walked a little of the way towards you and pulled you into a hug, his nose buried deep in your hair. He kissed your forehead gently before letting you go and taking your hand in his instead.
"Hey (Y/N)." Jay grinned his usual awkward grin at you. You beamed a smile back at him.
"Where's everyone else? I thought we were going to hang out at the sushi bar again before you guys had training."
"We are. The others are-" Jay was cut off by another voice from the other side of the hallway. One you knew too well.
"(Y/N), sweetie," Stephanie hollered at you. "I need to talk to you."
You grumbled under your breath as you rolled your eyes. You'd already told her everything she needed to know. You were hanging out with Lloyd's friends, Cole was your boyfriend, what more could she possibly want to talk about? You heard Cole chuckle as he let go of your hand and motioned for you to go over to your old friend. With one final kiss on his cheek, you wandered over to Stephanie and her lackeys.
"Let's walk and talk-"
"No, Stephanie. Look," You began. "I know we've been friends for years and, don't get me wrong, I still consider you a friend. But...I don't know. I feel like I just get on better with these people."
The redhead didn't process what you were saying at first, she looked genuinely confused. Maybe a little bit hurt?
"What do you mean?" You sighed and crossed your arms.
"You're popular and pretty, and all the guys in this school like you. All of you are," you addressed the other three girls in the group and they all nodded as they paid attention to you. "But I'm not that. I'm not liked at all and I'm a huge dorky loser, kinda like those guys."
You turned behind you only to see that everyone had arrived without you noticing. Even Nya! And that motorbike was so loud you honestly didn't know how you didn't hear it coming. They all waved at you and gave encouraging smiles when they saw you looking at them all. Cole smirked at you and winked, typically. You blushed at his actions before turning yourself back around again to face Stephanie.
"They just get me in ways that you guys don't. And Cole? I honestly don't think I've ever met someone I've had a deeper connection with than him. He's just so wonderful and kind and...a great boyfriend for me. I don't think I'll ever meet anyone like him again." Your friend twiddled her thumbs a bit after you'd finished speaking as she thought quietly to herself. You recognized that look well, knowing it meant she was having some kind of internal struggle. After some time she sighed heavily and glanced down at the ground, shutting her eyes tightly. She refused to look up at you.
"Damn, girl." She laughed a little, but you heard her voice waver. "I guess things have changed a lot for us, huh?"
"Yeah. They kind of have." You laughed back too, suddenly feeling your stomach sink down.
Without any warning, Stephanie engulfed you in the biggest hug she'd ever given you and buried her head in your shoulder. You could tell she was struggling not to burst into tears over this. You had been besties for years and years, but now things were different. Things just weren't what they were in the past. The good old days before this whole 'high school social groups' thing came into play. You'd always been a nerd and she'd always...well, not been. But that had never gotten in the way of anything. It had never mattered. But now it did.
"Promise me we'll still text? And meet up for coffee and stuff?" You wrapped your arms around her and squeezed her comfortingly.
"Of course we will."
Seemingly satisfied with your answer, she pulled away with tears forming in her eyes. She wiped them away before they could smudge her make-up and gave you final smile.
"See you around (Y/N)."
"Yeah." You smiled back. "See ya' Stephanie." And with that final sentence spoken, you both walked away from each other. She went down the corridor whilst you returned to your friends. You felt a little emotional and had to bring Cole in for a bear hug in order to make yourself feel better.
"Woah! You okay?" His hands raked through your hair as you snuggled your head up against him.
"Yeah, I'm okay."
"Mhm, you don't sound okay." He tried to pull himself out of the hug so he could get a better look at your face but you refused to let go. He didn't really want to force you off of him either (which he could easily do) so he let you cling to him for a little and just continued to comfort you. He even gave you a piggyback ride out of school, only for a little bit though. You had to walk the rest of the way.
The time at the sushi bar flew by and before you knew it, everyone had to go to training. You made your way to Cole's house and decided to wait for him there, making yourself a sandwich with some of the ingredients in the fridge. Luckily he had all the stuff to make your favourite sandwich, so you immediately started making it and wolfed it down the second you'd finished. At around the same time, Lou came home from rehearsals. He greeted you and next thing you knew you were both sat at the piano again. Once again he played the keys accordingly as you simply sang along. He'd give you words of encouragement in between each song, telling you where to improve but also complimenting you to even out the good and the bad.
"You have a great voice (Y/N), you just need to project a little more."
"I just don't usually like singing in front of people, especially people with years of experience under their belt. You're really talented Mr. Brookstone."
"Please dear, we've been over this, call me Lou. And compliments aside, thank you, by the way, I've heard you sing so much louder. Like when you and my son do your little duets." You laughed nervously and felt the heat rising in your cheeks. He only arched his eyebrows and smirked at your response.
"That...That's different!"
"Oh really, how so?"
"Cole has a really loud voice so...so if I don't sing loudly, he can't hear me!" Lou seemed unimpressed with your answer, but he was most definitely amused that you'd even give that as a reason. He knew the real reason and so did you, but saying it out loud felt embarrassing. Heck, thinking about it made your heart flutter and left you feeling dizzy and breathless.
He made you feel relaxed and safe, comfortable, even. He never judged you and he always made you feel like you were the most precious thing on the earth. He looked after you and treasured you, made sure you were always okay and did everything in his power to make those bad days better. Singing in front of him was a piece of cake because you knew he loved you and you loved him back. He was your everything.
You started the next song and tried to imagine that your boyfriend was in the room with you, watching you. This seemed to help your confidence as you sang a lot louder than the previous few songs you'd done. About halfway through the song, Cole had returned from training, not that you'd heard him shut the door behind him. He heard your voice though and instantly he felt his knees weaken and his tense demeanor seemed to drip away until not a single drop was left. With a relaxed sigh, he slid his bag off his back and snuck his way to the living room so you wouldn't hear his footsteps. He saw you facing the window and looking out at Ninjago city, your back facing him. His dad saw him and nodded, Cole nodding back. He rested against the door frame and listened to the sweet music coming from you and Lou. He didn't make a sound, didn't move an inch, didn't say a single word until you'd nearly finished. When you reached the last line of the song, the raven-haired teenager quietly crept up behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist.
You gasped and jumped a little, not expecting the contact, but calmed down when you saw it was just your boyfriend's arms that had you in captivity. You steadied your breathing and glanced back at him as he kissed your cheek. Then he twisted your body around so you were fully facing him. Lou left the room, deciding to give you two some privacy.
"That was beautiful." Cole whispered softly. You brought your hands up to his shoulders and planted them there.
"Mhm." You hummed. "You scared me."
"Ha-ha, I did? Sorry. I didn't wanna interrupt your singing."
"I wouldn't have minded."
"I would've."
You chuckled and he rested his chin on your head. You both stayed like that in perfect silence for a long time. Neither of you wanted to move or say anything. You wanted to stay in this moment for as long as possible. This wonderful moment of peace.
"Cake, anyone?" Cole's dad called from the kitchen. So much for staying in the moment, you thought to yourself.
"Yeah!" Your boyfriend replied giddily as he grabbed your hand and dragged you to the kitchen with a spring in his step. He was such an adorable little dork sometimes but that was the reason you loved him. One of the many, many reasons.
#ninjago#lego ninjago#lego ninjago movie#the lego ninjago movie#cinemajago#tlnm#cole brookstone#movie cole#abbyfanfics
59 notes
·
View notes
Text
Better late than never.
January is almost over and I’m just writing my 2019 wrap up. Haha. I guess it’s not Kae if it’s not late. Lol. Maybe because feeling ko Chinese ako kaya ngayon pa lang ang New Year ko. Hahaha. So here it is...
All I thought in the first month of 2019, my year’s going to be plain fucked up ‘coz I lost my mom in the last month of 2018, so I already expected it to be the worst year of my life. But naaaah, God made sure that it’s going to be worth the pain.
In the first half of 2019, it was indeed full of fucked up moments. I consider it the lowest state of my life so far. I lost everything that makes me steady. Quit my job, got cheated on, countless family drama, I was broke af, and I’m missing my mom every single day. I was really hit hard by challenges. But then July 2019 comes. That for me was the beginning of my year. I kept on waiting for the lovelife that I was really praying for. Haha. Little did I know God wasn’t really planning to give me my lovelife yet. Baka kasi kulang pa raw ang self-love ko kaya ‘wag muna. Hahaha. Totoo naman. Pero syempre may patikim naman sya saking landi at kilig. Hahahaha. Thanks for bringing Mcjo in my life. (Sige po thanks na din kay AJ kahit na messy yung ending, lol). Anyway, hindi yon yung importante dito, anubaaa. Haha.
My 2019 is for conquering my fears.
1. Losing everything important to me.
As I’ve said above, I literally lost everything important to me. Lost my mom, quit my job, lose the boy I’ve fought for in 7 years (that’s 1/3 of my lifetime), didn’t have money after I quit my job, my application in public school was sabotaged, and I lost myself once again. Losing all of these in a month (except my mom’s death), literally hit me in the face. I was lost. I really don’t know what to do anymore. I was afraid that I might relapse and will go back to my poor emotional state. But hey, I remembered my family and my friends are still here. I prayed hard for guidance and answers. Then, Thailand happened.
2. Living and traveling alone.
For 21 years, I was living with my family. I must admit, living alone was really one of my greatest fear for some stupid reason-- I don’t know how to live alone. Haha. I’m really used to living in a house where a lot of people will do shit for me ‘coz they can’t stand my mess. Growing up, my mom was always there to tell me what I should do, when should I do it, and how to do it. So living alone in Thailand wasn’t really a piece of cake. It was full of “WHAT THE FUCK? PANO BA TO? TANGINANG YAN.” “ANONG GAGAWIN DITO? TANGINA NAMAN.” Thankful talaga ako nanjan si Aldrin, Ate Tads, Oppa and especially my Kuya Jay to guide me. It was hard but I adjusted quickly naman. I was back on my feet when August 2019 came. In my stay here in BKK, hindi naman ako masyadong na-homesick. BKK is almost the same in PH, just better. Hehe. I figured out how to do shit on my own. I create my own mess? I clean it. I want to get those shoes? That bag? That bedding? That furniture? I HAVE TO WORK AND SAVE UP FOR IT! So I did.
3. Teaching at the primary level.
Funny how I’m a teacher but I’m scared to teach kids. Haha. I know! Ever since I entered PNU, I know to myself that I won’t be teaching at the primary level. Like never! I’m really not good with kids at that age level. Hahaha. My humor is for teenagers. Actually for SHS students talaga. I don’t have enough patience to teach kids. But syempre, I came from PNU so dapat kayanin ko yon. Kinaya ko naman. Got promoted naman agad on the third month of teaching. My students love me naman at some point. Siguro talaga, if you really want to learn something, ikaw din mag eeffort para matutunan mo yung isang bagay ‘no? and eventually, magugustuhan mo na din yung ginagawa mo.
4. Jumping off a cliff, entering a dark cave, and rafting.
You see, I appear to be a strong woman. With this resting-bitch-face, it’s really hard to tell that I’m afraid to try extreme activities. Hahaha. Ganito lang itsura ko pero matatakutin talaga ako. I wasn’t born with strong power when it comes to extreme activities. I’m scared of heights, confined spaces, and unfortunately, swimming in deep waters. Sorry na. Sa totoo lang, overprotective din yung parents ko kaya hindi ako sanay na iniimmerse yung sarili ko sa ganyang activities. Nako, siguro nga kung hindi ko kasama yung ate ko at mga pinsan kong mas bata samin sa mga activities na yon, hindi pa rin ako papayagan ng tatay ko. Hahaha. Solid din ‘tong experience ko before I ended 2019 kasi I got to do it with my family. Catch nga lang no’n ang daming “sana andito din si Kuya N***.” Hahahahaha. Parang mga gago e. Alam mo kung pa’no ako napapayag ng pinsan kong 16 years old na tumalon sa cliff? Sinabi nya “Ate, pag ‘di ka tumalon jan, ibig sabihin mahal mo pa sya!” Siz, walang tatlong count, tumalon ako! Hahahaha. ‘Wag mo ko hinahamon ng ganon, Abby. Hahaha.
5. Taking a risk in LDR.
If you knew me in person, you’d know that I would never try going in a long-distance relationship. Hahahahaha. I didn’t believe that it will work & it’s not worth the hassle. But of course, life has a funny way to show me that I shouldn’t be evaluating something that I have never tried before. So ayun. I tried it with AJ. It started shaky & shady na din naman but I ignored the red flags. Pero the red flags got harder to ignore. Hanggang sa ayoko na. Haha. Hindi na ko nagreply. Is it ghosting? Okay. Haha. But here comes Mcjo. Ughh. This guy. Grabe. Parang magic yung kwento namin or parang formula ng pagkuha ng distance. Distance= velocity x time. From an innocent birthday greeting, I didn’t know he’d mean this much to me. This man showed me that my ideal guy truly exists. That the traits I’m looking for in a man are not just a product of my imagination but there’s really someone that could check all the wants and needs that you dreamed of in a man. Hahahaha. Lol romanticized na naman yung frustrations ko kasi ang layo namin sa isa’t isa. Pero syempre hindi ko maamin na mahal ko na sya kasi hindi pa rin ako sigurado. Hahaha. Tsaka baka hindi ko talaga kaya yung LDR, baka macompromise naman yung work ko. Alam nyo naman ako. Medyo all out. Nakakatakot mag Full-Boyle mode. Hahahaha. Pero my heart is happy. Thank you, babe.
The universe will only show us the plans it made for us when we’re ready for it. Kapag hindi pa, kailangan muna i-delay kasi baka mas may nauna pang lesson na kailangan mong matutunan. 2019 was not really my best year but it definitely made me grow just like I prayed for, and of course, the universe is always extra. It made me conquer my fears. Thank you everything, Lord. Pinatibay mo ko lalo. Wala akong hindi kaya. Jeremiah 29:11 hanggang mamatay! rAwStAr!
- K
0 notes
Text
@fabro-de-omres HOLD UP BESTIE, I GOT ONE LAST FIC FOR YOUR LIST-
Star-Ninja!
Prompts: Siblings and Competition
Word Count: 5,884
Characters: The ninja
Timeline: Snapshots throughout the series
Trigger Warnings: None
Summary: What happens when the loveable gremlin the ninja adopted off of the streets introduces them to Starfarer comics?
Chaos ensues, of course.
Read on FFN.net
Read on Ao3
Tumblr work under the cut
“Take that! And that! Oh, yeah-” Jay leaped to his feet, grinning. “Die, lava zombies, die!”
Level complete. The words flashed across the screen, and Jay whooped. Only one more level and he would beat Zane’s high score.
“You could’ve beaten it faster if you had taken out the little guys first.”
Jay whipped around to see the little wispy-haired kid draped over the arm of the couch, staring at the TV screen with a glazed, listless look in his eyes.
“What are you doing here?” Jay snapped.
“I’m borrrred,” he whined, kicking his legs against the couch. “Can I play with you?”
“No.”
“Can I use the training course?”
“No, you’re not a ninja.”
“Then what am I supposed to do?”
“It’s not our job to entertain you, kid.”
“I didn’t ask to be kidnapped by you,” Lloyd snapped.
Jay felt his face flush. “So you’d rather still be with the Serpentine?”
“Well no, I just wanna have a choice!”
Jay stared at him for a moment. I don’t know his whole story. He’s a kid who’s been dealt a bad hand in life. He exhaled slowly. “Look, Lloyd, you’re just a kid. I know it’s hard for you to understand- but you’ve caused a lot of trouble. The Serpentine are dangerous, and you don’t know enough to deal with them. You just gotta trust us, okay?”
Lloyd sighed dramatically, sliding off of the couch and onto the floor. “Yeah, whatever.”
Jay rolled his eyes. “Can’t you find something to do for a little while? Please? I’ll talk with Sensei about what we’re going to do with you as soon as he gets back.”
To his surprise, Lloyd actually left him alone, and Jay turned back to his game. He knew it wasn’t a very responsible move, but he had never agreed to babysit the kid. Besides, they were going hunting for Serpentine again tomorrow, so it would likely be Jay’s last chance to have some downtime for an entire week.
By the time Jay had finally beaten the top score, his fingers were sore from playing. Flopping onto the couch, he glanced up at the clock. It had been an hour since he had sent Lloyd off, and he hadn’t heard so much as a peep from the kid.
Jay had only known him for a couple of days, but already that seemed like suspicious behavior.
He headed into the storage room that Sensei had scrapped together into a makeshift bedroom for his nephew. Lloyd was sprawled across his mattress, reading a book.
I guess he’s not up to anything. I shouldn’t have been so quick to judge him. Jay turned to leave before stopping suddenly and whirling back around.
“Hey!” he yanked the book out of Lloyd’s hands. “Is this a Starfarer comic? Have you been snooping around in my room?”
“No! I haven’t touched your stupid stuff. Figures, the one time I actually didn’t do anything wrong, you blame me.”
“Have you not heard of The Boy who Cried Wolf?”
“What?”
“Nevermind.” Jay examined the comic. It was an old edition, but not one he owned. Besides, the cover was wrinkled and there were dog ears on several pages. Jay would never treat his comics so harshly. “If it’s not mine, then whose is it?”
“It’s mine. Is it so hard to believe that I don’t steal everything?’
“No, I mean, you like Starfarer?”
“Of cou- I, uh, I mean, Starfarer’s for babies, ha. I’m only reading this because it’s the only book I have and you wouldn’t give me anything else to do.”
“Oh, that’s too bad. I guess I’ll have to go enjoy my Starfarer comic collection on my own, then. Since it’s too babyish for big kids like you.”
“Your what?” Lloyd was suddenly sticking to him like a barnacle. “You collect Starfarer comics?”
“Not just comics.” He grinned as he watched Lloyd’s eyes widen. “Movies, posters, action figures- you name it.”
“No way! Can I see? Please, please? Just for a second-”
Jay put a hand on his shoulder, holding him back. “Hang on, kiddo. I thought Starfarer was for babies?”
Lloyd shifted on his feet. “Well, I didn’t really mean that, I just- I was just testing you!”
Jay raised an eyebrow, smothering a laugh. “Uh huh. If you’re such a master, why aren’t you reading the new comics?”
Lloyd looked down, shuffling his feet. “I… this is the newest one I have. We didn’t really get many opportunities to buy what we wanted at Darkley’s. Especially not a book about superheroes. Because we were super busy being evil and stuff, heh.”
Jay felt his heart twist. Am I really pitying Lloyd Garmadon right now just because of some comics?
Although, when he looked at Lloyd now, he didn’t see the annoying, mischievous son of a villain. He saw a wide-eyed, naive kid looking at Jay with such hope that it was hard not to feel a strong urge to protect him from the burdens of the world.
Jay crouched down next to him. “Y’know what? I’ll show you my newer comics. You can even keep some, if you like.”
“Really? You’re not messing with me?”
“As long as you promise not to treat them like that.” Jay gestured towards the wrinkled comic. “Seriously, dude, you better go wash your grubby little hands before I even let you within five feet of my stuff.”
Jay didn’t think he’d ever seen Lloyd be in such a hurry to do anything.
---
“What’s this do?”
Nya snatched Lloyd’s hand away from the control panel. “Don’t touch that!”
“But what about-”
“Or that! Just-” She took a deep breath, running her fingers through her hair. “Don’t touch anything unless I specifically tell you to, okay?”
“Well, then what am I supposed to do?”
“I don’t know, find something. I’m not here to babysit you, Lloyd, I’m managing the comms. It’s important to make sure we stay in touch with the guys when they are on their mission.”
“I don’t need a babysitter,” he huffed. “Why couldn’t they take me with them? I am a ninja now. I could’ve bashed in some Serpentine heads!”
Nya glanced at him, glaring defiantly in his oversized gi. “I’d hardly call you a ninja, squirt. You haven’t even grown into that gi yet.”
“Yes, I have! See, it fits me perfectly!”
“...Lloyd, those pant legs almost completely cover your shoes.”
“They do not! Uncle Wu said I was a ninja.”
“A ninja in training, at best,” Nya corrected.
“What’s the use of being the green ninja if I don’t get anything fun out of it?”
“One day, green machine. You just have to be patient.”
He groaned loudly, flopping onto the chair. “I hate being patient.”
“No! You? Impatient? Who would’ve guessed?”
“Can’t you at least show me how to turn on the alarms?”
“No. Alarms are for emergencies only.”
“It is an emergency! I’m going to die of boredom!”
“Fine,” Nya relented. “What do I have to do to get you to leave me alone- and stay out of trouble? Can I rent you a movie?”
“Ooh, can I watch Zombies: Back for Revenge? Or Ghost Story? Or Dawn of Destruction?”
“Nope, nope, and nope. Too scary, too mature, too violent. Pick something more family-friendly, Lloyd.”
He pouted. “Kai got to watch those movies.”
“Yeah, well, Kai’s older than you and is responsible for his own actions. If you watch those, you’ll be up all night with nightmares and Sensei will never trust me again.”
“I won’t have nightmares! He’ll never know! Please, Nya.”
“No. End of discussion. Pick something else or nothing at all. Remember, it’s my money paying for the movie here. What about those… space wars movies you love?”
“It’s Starfarer,” Lloyd snapped, although his expression looked considerably lighter. “There’s one I haven’t seen yet…”
After Lloyd showed her the movie and she paid for it, Nya turned back to the control panel and checked for messages from the guys. Still nothing.
She really hated when they left her in the dark like that.
There were sounds of explosions from behind her, and a cheer from Lloyd- she glanced over her shoulder to see him grinning gleefully at the screen as the main characters blew something up. She shook her head- what was it with young boys and explosions?- but she couldn’t stop a smile from creeping onto her face. Glancing over at the comms, she double-checked that no one had said anything.
The guys obviously weren’t taking the effort to communicate with her. It wouldn’t hurt to take a quick break.
Sitting down next to Lloyd, she focused her attention on the movie. It seemed nonsensical and boring at first, but after a bit, Lloyd started explaining things to her, and, to her surprise, she found herself happy to listen. As it got later, his talking slowed, and at some point- Nya couldn’t quite identify when- Lloyd was leaning against her side, snuggling with their shared blanket.
Nya watched him carefully. She hadn’t cuddled with anyone like this since she had been younger, with Kai- but then, she had been the younger one, the one being protected. Now, she was experiencing what she imagined Kai must’ve felt, and despite how annoying he could be, Nya felt a strong urge to pull him close and never let him go.
She understood their reluctance to let Lloyd fight fully now. She didn’t want to ever send him off into battle, especially not the Final Battle.
How could this sweet, stubborn little wisp of a child be the green ninja?
Many hours and three movies later, Nya was afraid to even look at the clock. Rubbing Lloyd’s head, she murmured, “It’s way past your bedtime, kiddo.”
“‘m not tired,'” he mumbled in an obviously tired voice.
“I already let you stay up way later than you should be.”
“Just one more movie!”
“Lloyd! These things are two hours long!”
“I promise I’ll go right to bed after!”
“That’s what you said after the last one.”
“Well, I really mean it this time.”
“No way.”
“Please?” Lloyd suddenly looked a lot more nervous, twisting his hands together. “Just… just until we hear something. From the ninja.”
“Oh, Lloyd.” She put a hand on his back. “It’s okay. They’re okay. Most likely, they just forgot to report back. They do that all the time.”
“But we don’t know that.”
“...Yeah. You’re right. We don’t.”
“Is it always this scary? Waiting for them to talk to you, not knowing what’s going on?”
Nya nodded slowly. “Yeah, a lot of the time it is, bud. But eventually, you learn to trust them. There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t worry about their safety, but I know they are strong and capable and can take care of themselves.”
Lloyd nodded. “That makes sense.”
He still didn’t look quite content with her answer, though. Nya leaned in, murmuring to him.
“Tell you what. What if we watch half of one more movie?”
Man, she was turning into such a disgustingly gross softie for this kid so fast, wasn’t she.
But the wide, genuine smile that split across his face made it worth it.
---
Kai stood in front of the long expanse of bookshelves, stacked with dozens and dozens of comics.
“Excuse me,” Kai gestured to the nearest bookstore employee, and he walked over. “Which part is the Starfarer section?”
The employee blinked at him. “You’re already in it. This entire wall is Starfarer.”
Kai gawked at the wall in utter amazement. There had to be at least a hundred books there. How were these many Starfarer comics even possible?
“Which one is the best one?” he asked the employee.
The man pushed his glasses up his nose, looking increasingly annoyed with Kai’s lack of Starfarer knowledge. “That’s hardly a straightforward question. Starfarer is our most popular franchise, they’re all popular. It’s impossible to pick one book. If you’re looking for our most popular selling comics of all time, that would be volumes 1, 32, 45, and 79. As for comics trending right now, that, of course, would be the most recent ones, 273 through 282. Although volume 13 has seen a sudden influx in readership. If you are looking for those with the best ratings-”
How do I say, ‘which comic is best for my little brother who was just aged up several years, without warning, and I want to help him regain his sense of childhood?’
Deciding this wasn’t going to be helpful, Kai gently dismissed the employee and began looking on his own. He tried to pick out ones with interesting covers, but ended up throwing many of them back after skimming the summaries on the back.
That wasn’t working very well either, and Kai was just about to throw the towel in and grab some random comics and hope for the best- or worse, call Jay and ask for help- when he decided to open one comic to skim it.
This quickly turned into a mistake, because before Kai knew it, five minutes had turned into an hour, and he had completely finished the comic. One comic turned into two, then five. He only was able to yank himself from his reading when he got a text from Zane asking where he was and that dinner was going to be ready soon.
Gathering up a large handful of the comics he had liked, Kai headed back towards the Bounty on his motorbike.
He found Lloyd on his bed, staring up at the ceiling with earbuds in. He pulled them out when he saw Kai, his gaze darting curiously towards the stack of comics.
“I got you these,” Kai said, setting them down next to him. “I know things are… different now, with you being older, but you’re always going to be my little brother. And I wanted you to know that just because you’re physically older doesn’t mean you have to stop doing the things you love. So if you still want to make doodles for our fridge, or make your food into shapes on your plate, or read Starfarer comics, no one’s going to judge you.”
Lloyd picked up a comic, slowly leafing through it. He was quiet for so long that Kai began to worry that he had completely messed something up. But when he finally spoke, he simply said, “You read it.”
“I… what?”
A smile spread across Lloyd’s face. “You read these before you bought them. Didn’t you?”
Kai spluttered. “I- what? That doesn’t make any sense! You have no proof!”
“The pages are creased over here. You always crease back the pages when you have a book. And there’s a slight depression here that shows the presence of fingers. Too big to be Jay’s or Nya’s, and too small to be Zane’s or Cole’s.”
Kai blinked at him. “You pay way too much attention to people, don’t you?”
“Hey, I paid attention during training, y’know!”
“More than we give you credit for, apparently.”
“I just can’t believe I spent all those months trying to pressure you to read Starfarer and you suddenly pick it up when I’m not even forcing you.”
“Shut up.” Kai shoved him gently. “It was a one-time thing. I was only doing it so I could find a comic you would like,”
“Yeah, so it makes sense you would look at them for five hours.”
“How did you- I mean, I didn’t go to the bookstore right away! I was doing other things! I only went there a few minutes before I came home!”
“Oh, yeah?” Lloyd raised an eyebrow. “What ‘other things?’”
“Uh, very important ninja business, like, um… patrol?”
“Cole returned from patrol two hours ago.”
“Well, this was a super-secret different patrol that Cole doesn’t even know about.”
“Really. Does Sensei know?”
“Nope. Just me.”
Lloyd elbowed him playfully. “You’re gonna have to watch all the movies with me now, y’know.”
“No way. Aren’t there like, fifty of those?”
“Twenty-seven.”
“No, thanks.”
“You have to! It’s part of the experience. Wait until I tell Jay you’re into it now.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“You bet I would!” Lloyd looked over at the pile of comics again, examining them more closely. “Nice, these are some good ones. Which ones did you read?”
“Um. The ones I bought?”
Lloyd looked up at him, his grin fading. “But like… not just these, right? You read others? In between them?”
“No… is this supposed to be some sort of poke at me being a slow reader-”
“No! I just can’t believe you read them in this order! Seriously, you couldn’t have gotten it any more wrong! You’ve ruined the whole series for yourself!”
“Oh, that’s such a shame, guess you better not tell Jay, then-”
“Oh, no way, you’re still getting into the fandom. We’re going to fix this. Come look at my comics. We’re going to read them together, and I’m gonna show you how to do it right.”
“Oh, is that Zane calling for dinner-”
“Nice try,” Lloyd smirked. “But you’ve entered the Starfarer fandom now. You’re in it, good and deep. There’s no coming back from this, Kai.”
“Glad to see your psychotic gremlin tendencies weren’t lost in the tea,” Kai grumbled. “Probably the one thing I could’ve gone without.”
---
“Are you out of your mind? The movie adaptions of Starfarer are way better.”
“Okay, there is clearly no hope left for you, Lloyd. The show is far superior to any of the movies.”
“Are you kidding? The budget for the show was so much lower! They just used a bunch of cheap, corny special effects, the movies were much smoother!”
“Visuals aren’t the most important thing, Lloyd. The show had a smaller storyboard team, meaning their ideas were more consistent and developed. The plot is overall much more in-depth in the show, and the extended time also gives them more space to do what they want.”
“It also leaves a lot of space for pointless filler! The movies are more direct. Every scene is important. Whereas I can name half a dozen episodes from the show- and that’s just on the top of my head- that were completely useless and would not change the plot at all if discarded.”
“You’re insane, every filler episode had importance! Some just showed it in smaller ways than others.”
“They could’ve fit the minor details into the other episodes!”
“Yeah, but filler is nice sometimes. Getting some more chill episodes between all the action is good.”
“No way, they’re boring and ruin the pacing. The movies have you on the edge of your seat throughout the whole thing.”
Zane sighed, glancing over at Jay and Lloyd. Their argument was getting increasingly more physical, with each boy attempting to tower over the other- not an easy task, considering they were both short.
“Can you two please be quiet? Or at least take this somewhere else? I’m trying to watch the news to make sure there aren’t any danger reports in Ninjago City.”
Jay suddenly whirled on him. “Zane! That’s it!”
“...What’s it?”
“Zane should decide! Which is better? The Starfarer movies, or the show?” Turning to Lloyd, he added, “Since he’s a nindroid, he’ll be the least biased of all of us.”
“One problem,” Lloyd said. “Zane hasn’t watched either.”
“Well, then, he’ll have to watch them,” Jay shrugged.
Zane glanced back and forth between them. “You want me to watch twenty-seven movies. And all seven seasons of the TV show. Just to help you win a disagreement.”
“It’s actually eight seasons,” Lloyd corrected.
“Exactly!” Jay beamed. “You’ll do great. Get back to us when you’ve watched them all and have formed an opinion. The sooner the better, so that I can prove Lloyd wrong as quickly as possible.”
“Hey! If anything, I’m going to prove you wrong!”
“No way! The show-”
“Okay, okay, I’ll do it!” Zane stood up suddenly, putting his hands between them before another argument could break out. “Just stop fighting. Please.”
“You got yourself a deal,” Jay winked.
Two weeks and over a hundred hours of content later, Jay and Lloyd were staring at him expectantly over the dinner table.
“Well? What’s the verdict?”
Zane blinked at them with glassy eyes. “They were both very good. I enjoyed them. However, I feel like I never want to watch a minute of Starfarer ever again.”
“Seriously?” Lloyd fumed. “We waited all this time for him to not even properly answer the question?”
“Who cares about the question?” Cole grumbled. “Zane was so tired from watching your guys’ dumb Starfarer stuff, he messed up the gumbo.” Cole drew a spoon listlessly through the stew. “This is my favorite meal. I’m never forgiving you guys for messing it up.”
“Starfarer isn’t stupid,” Jay and Lloyd cried at once. They blinked at each other, surprised, and Kai and Nya laughed.
“I think that’s the first thing they’ve agreed on all week,” Nya grinned.
“It won’t last,” Kai murmured to her as the green and blue ninja set on Cole for his statement on Starfarer. “I give them two days to find something else to bicker about.”
---
“Hurry, Nya, he’s almost at the navigation!”
“I’m trying!” Nya bit her lip, an iron grip on her video game controller. “He’s sabotaged the security system!”
“No-”
Game over flashed across the screen, and Jay leaped to his feet, cheering. Nya rolled her eyes, tossing down her controller, while Zane, Lloyd, and Kai watched with disappointment.
“I can’t believe he won again,” Kai huffed. “How is he still undefeated? We’ve been playing this game for weeks.”
“I thought you were supposed to be good at this, Lloyd,” Nya grumbled. “You’re the Starfarer expert. You’ve got so many hours logged on here.”
“I’d like to point out that I’ve gotten closer to beating him than any of you have,” he snapped. “The last time I was only seconds away from winning.”
“Yeah, well, close isn’t good enough,” Kai said. “We need to beat him. Otherwise, it will get to his head.”
“Clearly none of us are going to be winning any time soon,” Nya groaned.
“There is someone who hasn’t played against him yet,” Zane mused. “Someone who has a track record of beating Jay’s top scores in games.”
Five gazes drifted towards the chair on the other side of the room. Cole looked up from his book when he realized the others were looking at him. “What do you want this time?”
“You gotta beat Jay in Starfarer: Alien Invasion 3,” Lloyd insisted, at his side immediately. “He’s undefeated. You know how unbearable he gets when he’s cocky.”
Cole blinked slowly up at them. “I don’t know the first thing about Starfarer.”
“I can teach you,” Lloyd begged. “Just do it. Please. Since when have you passed up an opportunity to beat Jay in something?”
Jay grinned. “Admit it, guys, I’ve defeated you. There’s no way Cole will ever win against me.”
Cole stood up abruptly. “Oh yeah? We’ll see about that. Lloyd, give me that controller. Jay’s about to get a serving of humility.”
For what appeared to be just another mundane rendition of a classic monster-fighter game, it surprised Cole to find it was actually much more complex and engaging.
It would’ve actually been really fun, had Jay not been so ridiculously goated at the game.
“What? Your character is invulnerable to the imperial sludge? How is that fair?”
Jay scoffed. “If you had read the Aliens Strike Back arc of Starfarer comics, you would’ve known that.”
“This totally isn’t fair. You have a bunch of background knowledge on Starfarer that I don’t.”
“It’s not our fault you’re the only one who hasn’t read or watched any Starfarer,” Lloyd said.
“Oh no,” Cole groaned. “You guys are dragging me into this too, aren’t you?”
---
“Where’s my copy of issue 117 of Starfarer?”
Jay looked up from the counter, where he was munching on crackers. “Like I would know, Lloyd. It’s not my responsibility to keep track of where you put your stuff.”
“I know exactly where I put it. But it’s gone now! I left it on my nightstand last night, right next to my bed. I haven’t touched it since.”
“Well, evidently, you have, since it’s not there now.”
“No, I didn’t touch it! Someone must’ve moved it!”
“And? I don’t see how this is my problem.”
“Everyone knows you’re the biggest Starfarer fanboy on the team apart from me, and I happen to be aware that you don’t own that particular comic.”
“I didn’t steal your comic, Lloyd.”
“Oh yeah? Then what happened to it?”
“Don’t ask me!”
“You know that’s my favorite issue, Jay.”
“So? You think I’d take it just to spite you?”
“I think you’d-”
He cut off as Kai meandered into the kitchen, eating crackers and reading a comic.
Lloyd’s eyes widened. “Hey! That’s my missing comic!”
Kai glanced up at him. “You said I could borrow it.”
“I did not! And give it to me, before you get cracker crumbs all over it!”
Kai rolled his eyes as Lloyd snatched it from him. “Alright, fine, take your dumb comic.”
Jay crossed his arms. “I think you owe me an apology, Lloyd.”
Lloyd stuck his tongue out at him, and Jay returned the gesture.
“Hey!” They turned to see Nya strolling into the room behind Kai, elbowing her brother sharply. “You said I could have that comic once you finished it.”
“Seriously, Kai? You can’t go around giving my comic to people without asking.”
“I wasn’t going to give it to her! She’s lying!”
“Excuse me? You literally just said that like ten minutes ago-”
Zane and Cole joined them not long after, glancing around. “Guys! What’s with all the racket?”
“Kai promised me his Starfarer comic after he was done-”
“It’s not Kai’s, it’s mine! And he took it from me without asking and just auctioned it off to Nya!”
“I didn’t auction off anything, it’s not like she paid me for it. Although, that's honestly not a bad idea…”
“What is this, a monopoly?” Jay asked. “We’re not paying for comics we already own, that’s dumb.”
“Yeah,” Lloyd agreed, “especially when they were mine in the first place.”
“Liar! Most of them were mine!” Jay insisted. “I should get dominion over my own comics!”
“Just because you own the most doesn’t mean you own all of them,” Lloyd countered. “You may have more comics by sheer number, but I have more rare comics than you and, overall, my comics have a higher value.”
“I’m sick of you two always deciding everything about Starfarer,” Cole said. “Why can’t one of us regulate the comics?”
“Whoever gets control over the comics is just going to have bias and distribute them to their advantage.”
“I think I would be the most responsible man for the job-”
“Stop lying to yourself, dirtclod, I’d obviously be better-”
“Better than Kai, yeah, if you’re trying to set the bar low.”
“Excuse me?”
“Guys,” Lloyd interrupted, slamming his fists down on the table. “There’s only one solution to settle this. We have a competition. Winner gets control over the Starfarer comics for… let’s say, the next six months.”
Kai cracked his knuckles, grinning. “You had me at competition.”
---
“When you said, ‘competition,’ somehow I was expecting something a little more grandiose than this.”
The ninja had gathered around the kitchen table, glancing down at the box Lloyd had dropped there. Starfarer: Galaxy Wars, it read.
“Yeah, Lloyd,” Cole agreed. “A board game? Seriously?”
“Not just any board game. The most popular, most difficult, most fun game out there. It is truly for the Starfarer master. Part roleplay, part strategy, part trivia- it puts your Starfarer knowledge to the test. That way, we know whoever wins this didn’t just get the win out of chance, but actually deserves it.”
Nya raised an eyebrow. “I mean, I guess. But you better not be an expert at this game.”
Lloyd shook his head. “I’ve only played it a few times, I promise.”
“Okay then,” Kai said. “May the best ninja win.”
As usual, that lasted about five minutes until they were all yelling at each other.
“Oh, come on!” Cole threw down his card. “I got stuck in the Imperial Sludge Swamp again?”
“Ha!” Jay leaned forward, moving his piece across the board, jumping over Cole’s pawn. “Next time you know to pick a character with better environmental perks.”
“Cole’s character is more well-rounded, though,” Zane pointed out. “If you are unable to gather enough energy before the end, it is likely the aliens will take you out.”
“Quit your yapping and let me take my turn.” Kai snatched the dice from Jay’s hand and tossed them- landing a perfect 12.
“You’re cheating!” Nya snapped. “That’s the third turn in a row you’ve rolled higher than a ten. Are you using weighted dice or something?”
“He’s using the exact same dice I just used, Nya.”
“It’s called skill,” Kai scoffed. “Maybe someday, you can be as good as me.”
“Rolling dice is completely based on chance! If the best skill you can boast is being able to roll high numbers, I think I’m doing pretty well.”
“Yeah, well, we’ll see how useless it is once I win this thing and get total control over all the Starfarer comics.”
“Fat chance,” Nya huffed as Kai moved his piece.
“Oh, look at that, I found a pile of scrap metal! I get to roll again!”
“Are. You. Kidding me!”
“Wait,” Zane put a hand on Nya’s shoulder. “He’s right by the alien spaceship. If he gets an 11 or less, he’ll be on their turf and they’ll shoot him down, kidnap him, or confront him, depending on his stats. The only way he could possibly get through this without negative consequences is by rolling a 12.”
“There’s no way he’ll do it again,” Cole agreed. “Nya, this is your chance to overtake him.”
“Let’s see.” Kai grabbed the two dice and shook up his hands. He shook and shook, stopped to blow on the dice, then shook some more-
“Just roll the stupid dice,” Cole snapped.
Kai dropped the dice, and time seemed to move in slow motion. Lloyd held his breath, leaning forward-
And watched as the dice rolled one six, then another.
A perfect roll.
“Cheating!” Nya cried. “Cheating, I tell you! There’s no way this is possible.”
“We can’t let him win,” Jay groaned. “He won’t share any comics with us.”
“Not true! I’ll let Lloyd have one.”
“Only one?”
“That’s better than none at all,” Jay snapped. “At least he’s giving you something.”
“He’s not going to be giving me anything, because he’s not going to win.”
Kai grinned, gesturing at the dice. “Sure, be my guest. See if you can beat me.”
Lloyd rolled, earning a seven.
Jay hissed between his teeth. “Tough luck, green bean- you get injured and robbed by aliens.”
“Actually,” Lloyd said, slipping a card from his pile and slamming it down on the middle of the table. “I don’t, because I play this special ability card, allowing me to pick the number of spaces I travel. I choose 10, landing myself on the abandoned spacecraft. Then I use my character’s high level mechanics skills and use this card-” he slammed down another card that showed scrap metal reserves- “to instantly fix the ship. Then I spend my energy points to get another turn, use the gas from my generator to fuel the ship, and then am able to fly the ship back to the base and restore the artifacts. According to the manual, it would take three days from my location, and Kai, the closest, would take five days in his slower spacecraft, meaning it is impossible for anyone to beat me back, and I win the game.”
For a moment, they were silent, gaping at him.
“How?” Cole murmured. “Dude, how did you do that?”
“He just crossed half the board in one turn,” Kai spluttered. “And I was about to win! That shouldn’t even be possible!”
“How many moves were you planning ahead?” Zane shook his head. “Your strategy appears to be far more complex than any of us were anticipating for this kind of game.”
“I knew something was up when he kept stashing his ability cards,” Jay groaned. “We were all using ours, but he hardly used any- he was saving them up to use them all in a big power move and catch us off guard, the little rascal!”
“You liar,” Nya hissed. “You said you only played this game a few times! This was way too complicated of a plan for a novice player.”
“Technically, that’s true,” Lloyd grinned. “I have only played a few times. But I never said how long I played for each time.”
“You conniving little gremlin.”
“Now, Nya,” Lloyd scolded in a sagely voice, barely able to suppress his laughter, “I’d be careful how you speak to me from now on. If you’re rude, I may not give you any Starfarer.”
“Yeah, this is going to get old, very quickly.”
“I can’t believe it,” Jay sighed. “You never share comics with us.”
Lloyd gawked at him. “Are you kidding? It’s because of my sharing that you guys are even into Starfarer in the first place! Jay was the only one who knew about it before I came, but even he didn’t tell anyone else he was a fanboy and kept stuff hidden in boxes. When I showed interest, do you remember how excited you got? You took everything out, just for me.”
Zane shook his head, smiling. “I still can’t believe you got me to binge the entire series.”
“Or how I spent hours investing in that game and tracking down all that information in the comics just to beat Jay’s high score? Which I crushed, by the way.”
Jay scowled. “For the last time, you beat me by five points! You didn’t crush anyone.”
Cole scoffed. “Someone’s just jealous. If it weren’t for Lloyd, I would’ve never beat you.”
“You showed us all something we love, huh, squirt?” Kai ruffled his hair, and Lloyd pulled away, like usual, but grinned at him, bumping his shoulder gently.
“Remember when you used to get all upset at me for slacking off and reading Starfarer comics during training?”
Kai reddened. “That was different! We were preparing you for the Final Battle, there was a lot to be done.”
“Hypocrites,” Lloyd whispered, giggling as he ducked a swing from Kai.
“Well, what are you going to do now, ‘master of the comics?’” Jay asked. “Hoard all the books to yourself? Read in front of us to taunt us?”
“Tempting,” Lloyd said, “but I think first, I want to play another round of the Starfarer board game.”
Cole blinked. “Lloyd, it’s seven pm. And this took us like five hours to get through the first time.”
The ninja blinked at each other.
“Oh, it’s on!”
#ninjago#ninbingo#my fic#rosie writes#lloyd garmadon#jay walker#ninjago kai#ninjago nya#ninjago cole#ninjago zane#ahhh this is my last bingo fic!#its been so fun thank you all!#I'm especially grateful for Fabro :)#without this event we might've never been anything more than just acquaintances :)#im so glad we're friends now#luv u bestie#thanks for being so supportive and for hosting this event!#thanks for reading!#reblogs and comments greatly appreciated!
29 notes
·
View notes
Last Seen Blogs
oncemorewithfeelingthis
Most of all,
I will not grow up
teachaichun
Untitled
healthisstrength-blog
Health, Strength, Fitness
hybristomentia
⚛️ Dr. Flug is my Supreme Dictator ⚛️
afantasycourt
dear reader,