altrophos

[altrophos]

I am NEVER getting over how they animated Kai’s face in the first episode of season 15 Crystallized, specifically when dealing with Jay.

Because thats one of their first proper interactions in over a year since they almost beat each other black and blue after Nya’s death, because of their own opinions of each others way of mourning.

During the scene when Cole, Zane and Kai went to try and convince Jay to come help them Kai’s facial expression kept changing to show just how mixed up he felt about Jay.

He goes from being bored and unimpressed, tired of dealing with Jay’s antics to worried and compassionate because he still cares for Jay.

He watches his other friends and brothers walk away discouraged and feels disappointed himself.

BEFORE THESEEEE EXPRESSIONS. HE SWITCHES SO FAST INTO LOOKING DISAPPOINTED IN JAY AND EVEN ANGRY AT WHAT HE’S DOING.

He looks soooo mad at Jay but not in the way where he can’t believe Jay is doing this. But in a way that screams how he hates seeing someone do exactly the same thing he once did.

Kai literally saw the version of himself drinking and hurting not only himself but others as he grieved in his own harmful way inside Jay and he hated it. He hated seeing his past in someone he genuinely cared about, and he’s disappointed that after all these years Jay somehow became exactly what he once was when Kai himself grew above it.

Edit: I was wrong guys they didn’t fight before they split up for a year but after when they got together again, so you can actually take this as subtle hinting at what was gonna happen between them and how much this was straining their relationship.

Their different relationships with Nya and different forms of mourning butt heads over and over again, and as much as Kai had gotten a better control of his emotions, he wasn’t used to a Jay who had an even looser hold on his negative ones. Kai was so sick and tired and concerned for Jay with all the added pressure and Jay was so stubborn and hurt and confused with everything that they, two of the most vocally emotional characters, let it out on each other.

Specifically because they, relationship wise as her fiancee and brother, were the closest to Nya. They couldn’t understand why the other was behaving the way they were. Jay believed that Kai, as her older brother and the ones who practically raised her, should be just as big a mess than he is because he knew Nya longer. Kai, who knows Nya far too well, knows she’d probably throw him off a boat and make him swim home if he became as big of a mess again as he was when Zane died.

Aughhh i love analysing these two’s reactions

[altrophos]

"I'M NOT YOUR PUPPET ANYMORE VEX! THAT'S ENOUGH!"

[altrophos]

Isn’t it kinda screwed up how in that Ninjago episode, Cole said “Boys, I get first dibs” when they discovered Lloyd — a child at the time, mind you — was responsible for the things that the gang was arguing about? Imagine how terrifying that might’ve been for Lloyd. His uncle asked him to do these things to mess with the ninja, and he clearly thought it was fun because he started laughing when they were arguing and blaming each other, but he clearly didn’t expect physical violence to be involved because he shut up real quick and stopped smiling when Cole started approaching him, looking like he was actually going to start hitting this kid.

I know it was a kid’s show and all, but come on. It must’ve been at least a little scary for Lloyd to have an adult twice his size, strong enough to lift a boulder single handedly, say that he was getting “first dibs” on him.

[altrophos]

I read Spinjitzu Brothers

(Remember kids before we start this is all for shits and giggles so lets be nice okay? Great! You may continue!)

So who was gonna tell me Spinjitzu Brothers was gonna mess with me or were yall just gonna let me get dragged through the dirt with ZERO warning!

So I kinda sorta binged all the books in a singular night and... damn the FSM is an ASSHOLE! Like idk, if this is controversial but like genuinely he just seems like a not-very-great dude, like Wu is constantly thinking of how he'll get his father's approval and Garmadon is literally spiraling into a depression fueled by a fear of loneliness and turning evil.

Honestly, I find the whole concept of Spinjitzu Brothers because it's a KIDS BOOK where are heroes ultimately fail. They're supposed to be Ninjago cannon accurate and well we KNOW what happens to Garmadon, we know ultimately he ends up giving in to the Great Devourer somewhere down the line. We know the tea doesn't work and that their trip is pointless, all this trauma and effort is really just for nothing.

I find stories like that fascinating, usually stories like this are very centered around destiny and how it's set in stone. Honestly I think Ninjago does use destiny a bit (I mean their ship is called the Destinies Bounty which is kinda funny) like how even thogh Garmadon and Wu are going on the quest it's ultimitly meaningless because Garmadon does in fact sucumb to his fate, he turns evil, fights his son, becomes good only to be broght back to life fully evil. But what I find so interesting is the fact he STILL is trying to be good, destiny is beating him over the head repeatedly trying to morph him into what it wants and he's still pushing it away which I think is neat.

Also I find it interesting how Wu and Morro kinda sorta parallel the FSM and Nineko, aka taking in a kid and training them but ultimately leaving them bitter and angry. Honestly Wu and Garmadon's parenting makes so much more sense after Spinjitzu Brothers, like their father sucked, so they tried to do better but didn't fully grasp HOW so they messed up and sort of stumbled through parenting.

Anyways I'll probably have more thoughts coming soon-ish? Until then, eat, drink water, sleep and PEACE OUT!

[altrophos]

"Kai is not selfish, he is selfless". That's what my friend once said.

There were often phrases from other characters in the series that poked at Kai's selfish nature (which I've never seen?). Poked at the most unnecessary moment... "First you wanted to be the green ninja, now this. When will you start thinking of something other than yourself?" when Zane died. I'm still sure that Kai thought it would be better to lose him rather than the nindroid, but he was misunderstood. "You're just worried about yourself" when Lloyd almost died, but there were huge risks of losing all of their powers and then the whole of Ninjago. I noticed that all this shit follows him literally the entire series, almost right up to season 2 of dragon rising. It seems to me that only Zane didn't call him selfish (that's why I drew him standing aside with his hands down-). And what did everyone get for it? Kai regularly risked his life to save his teammates. They didn't get a bad response, but only "close the gate, don't worry about me."

Damn, even when Kai felt love and affection from his parents for the first time in many years... The only thing Nya said was, "I bet he loves being treated like a baby." Girl...

I'm sure that words don't go away without a trace. Perhaps they haunt him like some kind of ghosts of those who said this.

I want to talk about it, I want to remind you about it.

[altrophos]

One thing I think is interesting about Zane that the fandom doesn’t talk about is his morality, specifically his “the ends justify the means” mindset

There are multiple times in canon where Zane is shown to be absolutely 100% down to throw himself or other people under the bus if it means that it will eventually lead to a better outcome for everyone. Obviously his sacrifice comes to mind but he’s also shown multiple times in both in and out of show that he’s willing to sacrifice his own friends as well if it means that he gets to find out who the quiet one is or something like that.

Even when he was the ice emperor, when Akita confronts him about freezing her people he responds by saying vex told him they were evil and cruel people. He still thinks he’s doing something right and that by getting rid of an entire group of people for the greater good that he’s improving the never realm. Which is something both vex and the staff take advantage of.

It’s a genuine flaw I think Zane has in his character and I’m ngl i kinda wanna see other characters call him out for how damaging that mindset could be. The closest we ever got was in s3 but even then he didn’t really change his mindset just the methods of which he achieves what he thinks is right. I want it to cause conflict with the other ninja who do have to deal with the fact Zane is always willing to put them down if he deems it needed. I think it would be interesting.

[altrophos]

Ninjago Team Medic Headcanons

Wu gave them all basic first aid training, and later taught them some more advanced techniques, but I think everyone has their own specialties.

Kai - Kai treats the serious injuries. He’s the only one who can cauterize wounds, if needed. But other times, he can splint broken or sprained limbs with ease. Kai is the closest thing the ninja have to an official medic. His protectiveness led to many sleepless nights watching videos ranging from treating muscle soreness, to burns, to CPR, to live surgeries. 

Jay - Good at treating injuries during missions, but is prone to… unorthodox methods. If you need something dealt with fast, he is the guy. Accidents in the junkyard and his time on the Misfortune’s Keep taught him how to quickly patch up anything out of almost any material. His methods of sloppy stitches, makeshift bandaging, or increasingly strange ways to prevent infections are temporary solutions, but they’ll keep you alive long enough to get real help. He’s always got fun bandaids stashed somewhere. But in terms of moral support, he’s your guy. Jay is a master of distraction, keeping the others either chuckling or groaning with his jokes while he or someone else works. When he gets very stressed, however, he’ll be dead silent as he treats the wound, looking on with a clenched jaw.

Nya - Nya is the best of everyone at traditional first aid. Before she was a ninja, she did a lot of the patching up after missions, so she’s got lots of experience. Nya is also so good at treating burns that it’s like her second elemental power; back in the day, her inexperienced brother had many blacksmithing accidents in the forge. It’s been established that she can’t access water inside of people’s bodies (cough, water in Jay’s lungs, cough), but if the blood is outside of you… It’s not quite bloodbending, but she can keep her team from bleeding out. She is also helpful during times of rest and recovery, keeping everyone drinking plenty of fluids and threatening them to take it easy. She’s an expert in heatstroke and dehydration because her stupid ninja forget to drink water on a daily basis. 

Cole - Cole’s big hands and strength make it difficult for him to treat delicate injuries like stitching someone up, but if you need a joint popped back into place or a broken bone set, he is absolutely your guy. Most of what Cole provides to his team’s wellbeing is emotional. He gives the best hugs. Kai and Jay utilize his calming presence when dealing with more… tricky wounds. Also: as mud is nature’s sunblock, he’s always happy to provide some to prevent his team from getting burned when they inevitably forget sunblock. 

Lloyd - Lloyd still believes in the magic power of bandages. For himself, and for others. Over the years he’s gotten better at recognizing when to use them and when more serious medical attention is required, but he’d still prefer not to have to deal with his injured team. In a situation where someone gets badly injured, usually Lloyd has many different problems to deal with and the other ninja are happy to take things off his plate instead of making him deal with a downed teammate. When it is up to him, he’s no medical expert by any means, but he’ll try his best. Occasionally, he’ll have to use his powers to combat some sort of magical ailment. 

Zane - Do NOT try and get Zane’s help with an injury. You think his ability to access any and all medical knowledge would be useful? WRONG. The guy sees one of his friends injured and practically shuts down. Dislocated joints? Broken bones? Heck no, he needs to leave the room. Catches a glimpse of blood? He is gone. Poor guy once almost started crying when Lloyd got a bloody nose. The whole situation is a mix of him hating to see his loved ones injured, and also being queasy over blood because he doesn’t have any. All those body parts that he doesn’t have are GROSS. The only thing he’s able to help with is diagnosing illnesses and occasionally pointing out concussions. Even then, it gets out of hand (“You have a mild cough? MY SOURCES SAY YOU HAVE FIVE DAYS TO LIVE.”) After treatment, however, he’s always ready to provide an instant ice pack and physical therapy. 

Pixal - Pixal is eager to help. Do not let her help. Her solution to almost everything-- whether it be a skinned knee or fractured wrist-- is amputation. She has spent years building so many backup prosthetics and just wants to be useful (“please let me implement my prosthetics, Kai, please! Lloyd would look so good with a robot arm!’). She knows hundreds of different options but she feels more comfortable working on machines, so what’s her solution? Cut it off, install a machine. That she can work with. Luckily, the ninja deal with both of the nindroids by having Zane keep her away, successfully distracting both of them from bloody situations. 

[altrophos]

AAHSGDHDHDH SHE SO ADORABLE 💙

Ummm new oc. Kotori 🩵

[altrophos]

wanted to get this done before the spring semester starts

[altrophos]

Kai's the type of guy who would hold onto a blue shell in mario kart for several laps JUST so he can hit jay with it the second he gets into first place.

[altrophos]

With the impending implementation of Project 2025, I suspect that AO3 will come under fire as well. And given that it’s a US based organisation, and the US has wedged itself somehow into every possible thing, I would also suspect that this will have global impacts. I cannot be certain of it - I’m certainly not an expert on political things and Trump remains, frankly, unpredictable - but I have personally found it’s more helpful to prepare beforehand than to scramble to keep myself afloat in the midst of a crisis. Knowing how important our favourite stories are to so many of us, here’s what I suggest:

Readers, I recommend you find your favourite stories again. Go all the way back in your bookmarks. Tell the authors you appreciate them, and you love their work. I think we could all use some nice words right now. If you want to keep the story, I recommend downloading it: here’s a guide on how to do so from the AO3 FAQ. I personally have wanted to take up bookbinding for a hot second; I might print off my favourite fics for myself and figure out how to bind them. The OTW also recommends downloading your favourites - see link below.

Authors, I recommend you keep your manuscripts. Download them onto an external flash drive and save them for a rainy day four or so years from now. Even the ones you don’t like are worth keeping - I guarantee you somebody else likes them even if you don’t. (I’m speaking to myself here, too.) Project 2025 has blatantly laid out a ban of pornography, and they will take that to mean whatever they want it to; I suggest you don’t even keep your fics on a Google drive if possible it’s definitely easier to keep them all online, trust me, I know, but so does the government. Corporations do not care about you: they will sell you out to whoever is willing to pay. Remember also to turn off AI scraping wherever possible, or better yet use sites that don’t engage in that behaviour.

For further reading from people more qualified than I, here’s the OTW’s statement on what their plans are so far.

I hope I’m wrong. I honestly would love nothing more. But more importantly, we will get through this. Humanity has told stories and put blorbos in situations for literal millennia. We’ll see the other side of this.

[altrophos]

Do you guys think Zane buries himself in snow and walks around like a living snow man or no

Do you guys think that Kai visits the volcano he saved Lloyd in and constantly wonders what would’ve happened if he listened to his wants and desires and ran off to grab the fang blade instead of the literal child he was destined to save.

Do you guys think that one of the reasons why Kai finds himself so much more useless at times is because of how he was supposed to be a hero, he was trained to be one, yet in that volcano he was going to do something so unbelievably evil he wouldn’t even deserve such a title anymore? Do you guys think he constantly doubts whether he is on equal levels as the others because of that?

Do you think thats why he cares about Zane so much? Cause Zane was one of the purest, most selfless souls Kai has ever come across and he knows he will never be like that?

Do you remember that time after Zane died in the tournament of elements, when Lloyd called Kai selfish? Do you think that thought, that opinion, was rooted in the memory of a younger Kai looking between a young Lloyd about to die and a blade, and hesitating?

Do you think Lloyd, that Kai, wonders what would’ve happened if it wasn’t the green ninja in trouble?

[altrophos]

Why is he LIKE THIS. get this guy an anxiety and depression diagnosis STAT

[altrophos]

Yes!! I do remember Onceler Morro!! He was created by those in the NNQ Zine, or the 10th anniversary zine, for one of their Weekend Whiplash events.

As far as I can recall, these events were an attempt to get the Ninjgao Tag trending on tumblr!

Here and here are two posts explaining who he was and what was happening behind the scenes to make it possible!

They actually got Andrew Francis to sing How Bad Can I Be! The original video is in the first of the two links! Below is a short animation utilizing that audio!

There's a lot of art and a lot of edits of this guy, and it's super interesting to see! Take a scroll through the tag sometime. :)

[altrophos]

Love love love characters that present themselves as emotionally open social butterflies but the more you see of them the more obvious it is that they’re the most closed off fuckers in the story. Sure, they want to help you with your personal problems and messy emotions, but if you turn that shit back on them, they’ll shut down or deflect every time. Why are you sticking your nose in their business anyway? It’s not like it matters. They’re not a person, they’re just a role being played. They’re the guy who fixes things and saves people. Please ignore the man behind the mask, he’s fine. Everything’s fine.

[altrophos]

Paperrrrr

[altrophos]

I've had this idea bouncing around in my head that I was gonna make into a mini comic, but ended up giving up on bc it was too much work LMAO, that was like .... Falcon origin story and also memory switch origin story I guess. Might as well air it out here in a low effort text post

Basically Zane found an injured real falcon and convinced Dr. Julien to help nurse it back to health. The falcon unfortunately did not make it, and Zane was absolutely heartbroken, as this was his first experience with death and grief. Dr. Julien witnessed this and, of course, felt really bad for his son. Causing him to build falcon, which made Zane feel better. But it also gave Dr. Julien the thought "how would Zane deal with MY passing?" . And thus installed the memory switch