#alcoholic kai ninjago

[abstractpenny]

here's a very unedited rough draft first chapter of a fic I'm working on

Its Kai centric, post-season 3

Strong TWs for: Rape, Suicidal thoughts/attempt, Depression, Alcoholism, and just General Adult Themes

(hopefully capitalizing it so weirdly will help you notice it)

(also, if you find anything awkward or hard to read, lemme know please please please please please please)

sorry its so cringy for like a good amount of it. I feel like putting OCs in fic is just like that. but the ocs are there to propel kai's suffering so its fine right? right?

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After Zane died, Kai tried his best to be there for his family. For his sister. He did, he really did. But when Jay and Cole wouldn't stop bickering, and Nya wouldn't stop yelling, and Lloyd wouldn't stop crying, Kai couldn't do it anymore. Wu definitely wasn't helping either, nor was Garmadon. They just. Locked themselves away.

So Kai got fed up. After a particularly nasty fight with Nya, he packed his bags and left. Left where? He'd find out later, when his feet carried him through Ninjago City as he tried to find an outlet for his emotions. Anything.

When night came, he found himself wandering down an alleyway. At the end of it, he heard people talking and smelled cigarette smoke. Kai kept his guard up as he approached two men, people he would definitely beat up and haul off in cuffs if he were currently a ninja. They turned to glare at him, and he glared back.

"You guys know where a guy could get a few punches in on someone?" He asks through gritted teeth. He really didn't want to beat someone up because he had absolutely zero anger management skills, but here he was.

One of the men laughed, a raspy and mean laugh. "Why ya askin', kid? Those silly lookin' pajama men finally dump you in the guttah?" His face was cruel, even in the darkness.

"Or did ya finally realize how fucked up they was?" The other one piped up. "Throwin' poor guys like usses around while they enjoyed they's glory?"

The first guy got back up in Kai's face, second hand cigarette smoke poofing into the poor boys face as he coughed. "Yur not here on a spy mission, is ya? Cuz we won't tolerates that. Not one bit," he sneered.

Kai rapidly shakes his head. "Nah, man. I swear. Just here to blow off some steam, no ninja shit involved. If they knew I was here, they'd beat my ass and I honestly don't wanna deal with that."

He stood awkwardly as the two men considered him before the first guy relaxed and laid an arm around Kai's shoulders. The fire elemental tried to keep his flinch to a minimum. "Ya not too different from us, y'know? Come on in, boy. Yuh free to do whatevah. 'cept rat us out, 'f course. We'll have eyes on you constantly, don't fuck it up." As he spoke, he walked with Kai to a set of stairs, leading down to a padlocked door with a tough looking man beside it. The second guy followed them as they walked down the stairs. When they got to the door, the man with his sweaty arm around Kai smiled a toothy grin at the bouncer. "He's all good tuh come in, Derry, he's with us."

The bouncer looked Kai up and down for a moment, suitcase and all, before opening the door and moving to let the trio into the loud building. As soon as the door opens, the stench of sweat, cigarettes, blood, and something else hits Kai's nose. It wasn't soon before that something else became very familiar.

The first man led him in and over to the bar. "Ey, Ritchy, gimme a couple shots. Don't care what, just make it light. Kid here ain't have anything much before."

Kai glares over at the man in the seat to the right of his. "How would you know? You don't know if I've drank before." He hasn't, but the guy doesn't need to know that.

He's met with a look, one unamused, from the other man. "It's pretty fuckin' clear, kid. 'sides, it's a compliment I'm yur first." He chuckles raspily. "It's a treat, I promise ya."

Kai continues glaring at the guy before four shot glasses full of a clear-ish liquid are laid out in front of his group. He looks over to his left to find the second guy from earlier is gone, shrugging at the realization. Less stupidity to deal with on his part.

Kai's hand picks up the shot glass as he brings it up to his nose. The scent is strong and his nose scrunches up. "I'm seriously supposed to drink this shit!?" He says a bit too loud.

The guy next to him cackles. "Why'dya think they come in such small glasses. Easy downing. Alls in one go, like this-" He brings the glass up to his mouth and tilts his head back quickly, pouring the alcohol down his throat. When it's all down, he slams the glass on the bar top as he swings his head back down. "Now you try, kid."

Kai hesitantly looks down at the glasses in front of him. No going back now. He lifts the glass and, before he can smell it, slams it back. The vile liquid fills his throat and he almost gags. But it's down as soon as it started and he slams the shot glass back down on the table as he looks back forward and gasps. "Fuck, that's nasty." He sticks his tongue out before immediately putting it back in his mouth at the idea of all the shit that could be in the air.

The man laughs at him. "Yeah, yeah, you'll learn tuh love it. Now, don't waste my money. Ya still have two more." He gestures towards the last to full shot glasses on the table.

Kai gapes at him. "Aren't you gonna have another one?" He groans as the man shakes his head. "Fuck, fine. At least tell me your name, first. I feel awkward taking shots next to a dude I don't even know."

The guy flashes him that stupid fucking toothy grin. "Nevah ask anyone's name here, kid. But since I like ya, I'll give you one of mine. Rippah."

Kai raises an eyebrow at the cringey name. "Ripper??"

The guy- Ripper- laughs loudly. "No shit kid, that's what I just said." He pushes the two glasses closer to the fire elemental. "Drink up, kid. Didn't buy ya them for no reason."

The alcohol shimmers in the lights of the building. Kai scowls down at the glasses before taking one in his hand and downing it before he can overthink it. His throat burns, but he finds he doesn't mind as much as last time. When he's done, he looks back towards the other man. All Ripper does is look at him expectantly, so Kai grabs the final shot glass and gags before downing it.

When he's done, he feels like vomiting. What the fuck is he doing here, he shouldn't be here. He doesn't know what's in these. He doesn't know how strong they are. He's messed up, he should go.

Go where? It's not like there's a home to go back to.

So, instead, he just looks back over at Ripper, a slight frown on his face. "Is that all you brought me here for? To spoon me alcohol? Because that's kinda fucked up, man. You do know I'm still, like, literally a kid." His fists are clenched on the table and his frown has gotten stronger.

Ripper just shrugs nonchalantly. "No need tuh get ya panties in a bunch, kid. I know how old ya are. 'sides, that's not the only reason I brought ya here. Ya obviously need a place tuh stay and ya said ya needed tuh get some punches in, so heres ya go." He gestures towards a big circle in the middle of the building, surrounded by chairs and people. The floor of the circle is dirt, and there's currently two people in the ring, fighting. One of them hits the other over the head, definitely giving him a concussion, and the crowd cheers.

Kai looks back towards Ripper with an intrigued expression on his face. "What do I need to do to get in?"

The Ripper smiles.

----------

Kai walks into the ring in this stupid fucking embarrassing tight outfit as the announcer shouts his name.

'Vs. The Red Shogun, a first timer. Let's see how long he lasts!" The excited voice yells with a bit of sadism in his tone. When he finishes, a horn goes off, signaling the start of the match.

The guy Kai is fighting is a scarred up Hypnobrai who scowls and hisses at him as they circle each other. Finally, the snake goes in for the first punch and Kai moves out of the way, dodging like second nature. That seems to piss off the snake as she attempts to land a few more punches. Emphasis on the word 'attempts' because she lands a grand total of zero. 

Kai laughs cockily at her, grinning widely. "Are you supposed to be, like, hard to fight or something? I thought they were gonna pair me up against someone actually threatening for my first go ‘round." He shrugs as he lands a sneaky kick on her hip. "Guess not."

She hisses even louder and lunges towards Kai. There's a struggle for a few moments as they wrestle, the snake trying to get in as many punches as possible, but Kai ends on top, pinning her down. He's finally given the freedom he needs to let off some steam.

It starts off with a simple punch across the cheek, but it quickly escalates to the point where he's absolutely beating the shit out of the Hypnobrai. She's hissing and growling, but it's doing her no good. There's blood pooling by the side of her head and she's definitely lost a fang, but Kai keeps punching until the horn rings out.

"And the winner is the Red Shogun, by a wild margin! There you have it folks. Maybe we have a new threat to watch out for!"

Kai punches the Hypnobrai across the face one more time, letting her blood soak his hands as he probably dislocates her jaw with a snap, before he stands up and walks away, leaving whoever to take care of her broken and trembling body.

He's shocked at how little regret he feels. Maybe it's because of the growing warmth in his chest from the alcohol, but a little part in his mind knows it's not. He's a bad person, beating up people. At least they aren't innocents, though. They're as bad as him, if not worse. Does that justify it? He doubts he'll ever know, but he needs this right now, so he doesn't care.

Kai walks back over to the bar and sits next to a grinning Ripper. The bartender offers him a towel to wipe the blood from his hands and drink, larger than the shots and definitely more potent smelling.

"Good job, kid. Knew ya had it in ya," the Ripper says in his snake-like voice.

Kai snorts as he picks up the drink, taking as big a gulp as possible. It's easier, now that the alcohol from earlier is setting in, but he still gags. It's nice knowing it'll add to the foggy feeling he's experiencing the world through, so he swallows most of the nasty drink before speaking. "I thought you said they'd throw one of the highest ranked opponents at me immediately." He gulps down the rest of the drink and savors the burn as it goes down his throat.

Ripper laughs loudly. "Kid, they did. That was one of tha top guys. Ya powerful, ya know. And you was holdin' back, we could all tell." He gestures the bartender to get two more drinks.

Kai smirks, a facial expression he's done a thousand times, but now it just feels wrong. Dirty. "Cool." The drinks are placed on the counter. "Uh, am I fighting anymore tonight? I'd like to head back up to that apartment soon. Didn't really get a good chance to figure my way around, y'know? Besides, I need a shit ton of sleep after the day I've had."

Ripper pushes one of the drinks towards Kai, who graciously accepts it and starts drinking it. "Nah. Ya can head up whenevah, kid." He raises an eyebrow as Kai sips his drink, letting the alcohol sit in his mouth before he swallows. Ripper grins wider at that. "Y'know, kid. Yur a natural at this shit. Have a feelin' you'll be chugging it down in no time."

He's met with a glare from the fire elemental. "Yeah, yeah, no need to make fun of me."

"Kid, I'm not makin' fun of ya. Yur downing that 'lmost as well as ya fight. Almost," Ripper laughs.

Kai considers him for a moment, before shrugging and downing the rest of his drink. "I'mma go back. Thanks for hooking me up. I owe ya big time." He stands up, heading out of the room.

Before he's all the way out, he hears Ripper's voice call out, "Say hi to my buddy for me!" And then the cold air of outside is hitting Kai's, shockingly, flushed face. Maybe that alcohol hit him harder than he thought.

He walks down the alley, stumbling every few steps. Okay, definitely hit him harder than he thought. But soon, he's in the apartment building, up the stairs, and knocking on apartment 212. The door cracks open and an eye looks out to Kai. After a few undoings of locks, the door is open enough for Kai to walk in.

"How'd the suit work, kid?" His new roommate asks.

Kai shrugs and starts stumbling down the hall. "'s good." He yawns. "Fuck, I need sleep."

His roommate laughs, a mean undertone to it. "Get some sleep, sunshine. We'll talk in the morning." And before Kai knows it, he's in his room, the door shutting behind him.

The first thing he does is flop on his bed. The next thing he does is wait for the emotions to hit. But they don't. At least, not as much. The alcohol suppresses them, makes his head drown them out along with every other thought.

Kai might not mind this as much as he thinks.

----------

The first time Kai gets blackout drunk is the first time the Ripper pats him on the back.

It had been a rough day and Kai was just ready for the club to open. When he gets in there, the familiar and comforting stench of cigarettes, alcohol, and blood hits his nose and he smiles. He's in his Red Shogun suit, he always is. It does a shockingly good job at keeping people from knowing his identity. He walks over to the bar and sits in his usual seat, eager for the release the drinks usually give him. He knows it's unhealthy and that he's maybe possibly probably getting a tiny bit addicted, but he can't really care at this point.

He pays for the drinks with the money he's been winning. When the shots get to him, he downs them. They're more bitter, more potent, than the ones on that first night. He feels them setting in quickly. When his name is called for the next fight, he's ready. He stands up and walks over to the ring.

It's a human today. Not that Kai really cares. At least, he doesn't care yet. They circle around each other in the ring when the horn goes off.

The fight goes longer than it should, but the Red Shogun never disappoints. When he gets the chance, he leaps in, slamming his opponent on the ground.

He expects the other man to struggle, especially after his head bounces on the tough dirt below, but... He doesn't. He lays there, unconscious. Kai hesitates for a moment before he hits the man. He's not just here to win, after all. He's here to blow off steam. Hit after hit on the unconscious man, reminiscent of his first day here with the Hypnobrai girl. But, this time, he's more aggressive, pounding in the man's skull, almost literally.

The audience gasps and groans for the man, cheering on every particularly nasty hit. Finally, Kai's hand hits the man hard enough across the temple that something happens he wishes he never saw. An eyeball pops out of its socket and rolls, the stringy bits of it following.

In shock, Kai stares down at the man. It's then he realizes the bloody mash on the floor isn't breathing. He feels like vomiting, so when the horn goes off, he leaves the ring rapidly. Now, a smart idea may have been to walk outside and get fresh air, or to go to the bathroom. But Kai doesn't. Instead, he walks over to the bar, getting a familiar towel handed to him as the bartender, Ritchy, looks him over before handing him a few shots of potent alcohol. 

While Kai wipes off his knuckles, he looks down at the glass. He can almost smell it from here. It's clearly one of the more potent alcohols they have. Once Kai's knuckles are cleaned off, at least to the best of his ability, he grabs the glass and downs it all at once, his throat burning with the awful liquid. He gasps for air when he swallows, the drink much stronger than what he's used to.

Ripper comes and sits next to Kai, a proud smile on his face. He pats Kai's shoulder, firm and strong. "Ya did good, kid," is all he says before ordering a few more shots for each of them. "Strongest ya got, Ritchy. On me. Kid deserves it." The shots are quickly served and Ripper downs one of them immediately. Kai looks down at the drinks as Ripper nudges one towards him. "Drink up, kid."

Kai's hand wraps around the small glass as he downs the shot. Then another. Then another. He's quick, just getting it over with. This part is the worst, it's the later he's excited for. When all his feelings get so fucked up and mixed together with the alcohol, he can't think straight anymore.

And that feeling is quick to come, much quicker than with anything else he's drank before. And as the world starts spinning, only a half hour after those first shots, Kai doesn't stop. He keeps drinking, paying the bartender whatever he asks for the drinks. It's late into the night when Ritchy cuts him off. Ripper has already left, and it's just Kai, drinking his last beer in the rowdy fight club. Nothing's really making sense, the room is spinning. But Kai keeps drinking.

When he finds the bottom of his cup, he groans. Maybe it's time to head home. So he stands up and immediately stumbles, almost meeting the ground with his face. He growls and walks drunkenly to the door, leaving the chaotic environment. He finds his way into his apartment building and heads up the stairs, eventually finding the apartment he's been staying in for the past few weeks.

He knocks, the door unlocks, and there stands his roommate. "Ah, welcome home, boy. Good to see you made it back in one piece." He takes in Kai's ragged appearance and frowns dramatically. "You've had quite the night, haven't you. Come on in, I'll take good care of you."

Kai walks into the apartment. He doesn't remember much after that. He knows Ripper was there. He knows he was handed water. He has glimpses of hands roaming his body. But he can't seem to remember the rest of the night.

The morning comes and Kai groans, rolling over. He's shirtless, which isn't too odd, but his pants and boxers are gone. Peculiar. He never sleeps without boxers. He sits up with another groan and a wave of nausea overtakes him. "Holy shit, what happened?" The night is a blur to him. He doesn't remember much past when Ripper bought him those drinks after the fight.

God, that dreaded fight. Kai wishes he forgot that part too. Another wave of nausea hit him, but not from the hangover. The imagery of the man's eyeball rolling on the dirt floor is clear in Kai's muddled mind.

Instead of thinking about it too much, though, Kai ignores it. That's one thing he's gotten good at since Zane's death. Ignore, ignore, ignore. Bottle up your emotions until you can take them out with anger.

Until you can take them out on a guy in a fight club. Until you can kill a man.

Kai shakes his head lightly. No. No thinking about that. He looks around the room and finds a fresh bottle of water. He picks it up and drinks it. It's still a little cold. His roommate must have left it for him before leaving for work.

After taking a while to wake up, sipping on water, and eventually vomiting into the trashcan by his bed, Kai stands up, wobbling as he walks over to get dressed. It's strange that he's naked, but he doesn't put it past himself to strip to his ass while fucked up drunk.

He's quick to throw clothes on and leave his room. The headache is killing him and he feels like throwing up again, but he manages to throw some toast in the toaster. As he nibbles on it, he looks out of the window, to the town below. People are going about their day, families walking happily. None of them know Kai took a life las-

Not thinking about that. With a sigh, Kai finishes off his toast and grabs a beer from the fridge, heading over to the living room and turning on the TV. Not much else to do until the club opens tonight.

----------

Hands grope his body, and Kai's upset this isn't as unfamiliar as it should be. Ripper whispers something in his ear, but Kai can't hear him. He's in another world.

He knows he's not in his right mind, the alcohol overtaking his thoughts, but he doesn't stop them. Maybe he wants this?

It's been a month and half since he first killed a man. He's killed more since. And since that first night, his roommate and Ripper have started touching Kai more and more. It's become almost familiar, part of routine, for Kai to come home and for the two men to immediately jump him.

After he realizes this is going to be a common occurrence, he starts staying at the club later, drinking his sorrows away. Sometimes he'll cry, sometimes he'll fight. But it's always the same when he comes home.

He's pinned to the bed and his roommate takes off his clothes. "Now, boy, you're gonna do something nice for Ripper here. Get on your knees and suck him nice and good."

Kai doesn't want to, but his body moves against his will. He knows how rough they get when he disobeys.

The sex goes on for way longer than Kai even knows. The two men use him, taking turns at some points, sharing at others.

The night ends with Kai riding Ripper. His tongue flops out of his mouth, covered with drool, as he bounces up and down. His roommate makes sure to take a picture of his pretty expression.

When they're finished with him, they leave him laying on the bed, trembling and covered in various fluids.

-----------

Kai misses his family.

He misses his sister’s snark, Wu’s weird and mysterious riddles, his brother's laugh, Cole’s smile. Hell, he even misses Jay and his motormouth.

Most of all, though, he misses Zane.

The last First Master knows how long had made the cavern in his gut grow by ten times the size. Now, staring at the shattered skyline of Ninjago City as it’s rebuilt into New Ninjago City, Kai feels nothing but pain. The alcohol in his blood makes him sway on the side of the building, almost falling, but not quite, only just enough distance between him and the edge to keep him from plummeting.

It’s funny. Kai always imagined that people would do something like this when the sun was setting or rising or even completely out of the sky. He never expected to be in this position, not really, but he especially didn’t expect to be here on such a nice day. It’s one of those days where the wind blows just right, where the temperature is just warm enough, where the sun shines just right. One of those days that remind you of when you’re five years old and free.

Fuck, Kai wishes he could go back. Mom and Dad were still there, still alive. They cared- or at least seemed like they still did. Nya was so giggly, so unserious. She let herself play with pretty pink things sometimes. She didn’t anymore.

A gust of wind blows through Kai’s unmanaged hair. He stopped putting it up a while ago, he doesn’t know exactly when.

The fresh air on his face brings him a breath of clarity. Of peace.

Kai stumbles closer to the edge.

This was his only option, wasn’t it? To fall and fall until the ground caught him and he stopped breathing. If he didn’t, he’d just go back. The club would open and he’d go back and drink and fight and then he’d come home and Ripper would be there and then he’d sleep and rinse and repeat.

His toes are on the edge now. It’s funny. Kai remembers when Mom used to pretend to eat his toes. Oh, how he’d giggle and squeal. The goofy fake eating noise she made when she’d bring his little baby toes up to her face. Fuck.

Oh, his toes are hanging off the edge now, aren’t they. And he’s swaying, isn’t he.

He feels himself going off balance, falling, when rough hands grab his wrist and pull him back. Kai looks back to see Ritchy’s scared eyes looking at him. Why’s the bartender here?

Y’know, the bartender always reminded Kai of Cole. A big buff black dude, quiet but still caring. In Kai’s experience the bartender was sweet on the inside despite his intense job at the violent bar. The fire elemental is pretty sure Ritchy said something about the job paying well, about needing to pay for his daughter's cancer or something, but that definitely could’ve been some alcohol induced dream.

The man’s dark eyes stare into Kai’s and, for just a few brief moments, they’re nothing but two humans, connected beyond words.

Then Ritchy’s letting go of Kai, who found safety near the middle of the roof, and he’s leaving. The air feels warmer now, more safe. Kai stands in it and just breathes.

He’s alive, and that’s more than enough for now.

[imliterallysnakejaguar]

thinking ab zane and kai's friendship fr fr,

how zane admires kai's strengths (and knowledge about people) and expresses it explicitly (straight up asking what certain things mean or why people are doing what they're doing) and he's completely genuine about it. like theres no pity or condescending nature towards it, zane just believes that the others on the team know more about life and people than he does. but kai would take that to heart more than the others.

his parents left without telling him why, he wasn't a very good blacksmith leaving nya's heavy lifting to provide for the both of them, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't become the green ninja. he was even the last of the core four to discover his true potential. kai has never been used to genuine praise. kai probably never truly thought that he was the best at something, or better than someone else. but when zane (a literal prodigal nindroid with a heart of gold) asks him for help and holds him at such a high regard? that hits HARD.

and zane, this assumedly perfect nindroid, never seeming to understand how to get people to like him, or how to understand the meaning behind peoples' words, and kai just understands all of that so effortlessly. and instead of being jealous, he just genuinely thinks 'wow, this guy's so smart!' ???

also the underlying idea of them both feeling responsible for everyone and judging themselves bc they feel like they should have prevented something bad from happening or at least taken the brunt of the attack to protect everyone else,, like ouch. the heavy-hitting guilt and grief, the fear of being the only one left in their family, THEY'RE SO AUGHHHH

[itzred-ovo]

*After Zane's 1st death*

Kai: *drinking at the bar*

Lloyd: does your mom know you drink all that crap?

Kai: *smiles like the alcoholic he is* not anymore

Lloyd: *stares at him in concern*

[theundeadnightmare]

there are some days im re watching season four and realizing that kai obtained the alcholism trait after zane “died” and started whooping ass in an illegal fight club??? but bcs ninjago’s a kids show he wore this fuck ass costume and was on a juice train 😭

[satellitesketchbook]

My version of Kai from Ninjago 🔥

[goldenavenger02]

Prompt: the rest of the ninja finding out about Cole and Geo's relationship. Fluff.

It is a LITTLE angsty. Just a little. I hope you enjoy

When Cole arrived in the courtyard with no warning, Kai wasn’t sure he had ever run faster.

Well, he was sure that he had run faster in stressful situations, but he hadn’t hugged Cole in so long; he was just glad that it felt the same, it felt warm and strong and safe. 

He didn’t want to let go, it had been years since he had seen him but he also knew that the same was true of Lloyd and Zane so he found himself letting go just a few moments later to let everyone else get their fill of hugs in.

Even Wyldfyre, who acted like a feral being towards everyone new and old, was even interested in Cole’s arrival to the point of asking multiple questions about the place Nya had said that she found him, The Land of Lost Things.

Kai didn’t miss the solemn, almost sad look on his face as he spoke about where he had ended up after The Merge. A look he hadn’t seen in years, not since Shintaro.

But the look faded when the subject was changed to Lloyd explaining how the Mergequakes were stopped and everything returned to the happy, bubbly energy that had filled the monastery since Kai had returned.

And as Cole came into his room hours later and laid on the mostly clean floor, Kai was baffled by how everything felt so close to normal, to how it had been after they had defeated the Crystal King.

All that was missing was Jay lounging in the bean bag chair in the corner and playing some sort of Sonic game, only responding to every third sentence and being thoroughly confused when they laughed at his lack of context.

“Has Lloyd started acting as stuffy as Master Wu yet?”

“Nah. He tried to keep the whole monastery in order and broke a bunch of plates in the process.”

“Anger issues?”

“Nah, they fell out of the sink,” Cole’s laugh was infectious and filled Kai’s chest to the point where it hurt long after it faded into giggles that punctured his next sentence, “he’s doing his best, but he’s still Lloyd.”

“That’s good, I think,” Cole mused before sitting up and looking directly into Kai’s eyes, “do you still make edibles and hide them under your bed?”

“Even if I did,” Kai started, smiling as the famous incident of everyone taking his brownies that were just meant for when the long nights got too long and resulting in him simultaneously getting banned from the kitchen unless there was his mother’s or one of Zane’s cookbooks involved came to mind, “there’s that dragon, Riyu. He’ll eat them and either be high off of his ass or vomit on my bed.”

“He’s eaten your edibles before?”

“He’s eaten so many things that he shouldn’t and for some reason, my bed has to be where he gets rid of it,” Kai corrected before laying back down, “do you still have that bottle of fireball in your room?”

“That shit has to be rancid by now, it was opened before the Merge,” Cole shook his head, also laying back down and staring at the ceiling, “I suppose I could always go and get more tomorrow though.”

“We’re a bit old to hide edibles and alcohol in our rooms, I think. Lloyd’s even old enough to drink now.”

“Remind me to take the kid to a bar and make sure he’s not taking straight shots of vodka.”

“Noted.” Kai agreed, even if the idea of Lloyd drinking forced him to slip into the protective role he was so used to when it came to the green ninja.

“Besides, even if Lloyd’s old enough to drink, Sora, Arin and the feral one, they’re still kids. Not to mention the dragon who pukes in your bed.”

“Her name is Wyldfyre, and that was actually way different for her, since she’s usually trying to light things on fire or prove she’s the best. She was raised by a dragon, manners aren’t exactly her thing.”

“She sounds a lot like you.”

“I wasn’t raised by a dragon.”

“No, you were raised by yourself, which might be worse.”

Kai threw a pillow at Cole’s face; the pillow he threw back knocked him onto the floor tailbone first.

“Ouch.”

“You good?”

“Yep, just a sore ass,” Kai confirmed as he maneuvered onto his back and laid next to Cole, the sounds of their breathing filling the silence, “Nya told us when she got back, about the Finders.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, the Formling and the Hypnobri kids, and the Munce and the Skulkin who are our age,” Kai could have sworn that he saw a blush spread across Cole’s face at the mention of the Munce, “do you wanna tell me about them?”

“Fritz, the Formling, reminds me a lot of Lloyd when he was a kid. Adventurous, kind and pokes his nose where it doesn’t belong. Spitz is much more reserved and shy, but loves playing with Fritz and gets himself into trouble a lot because of it. Bonzal…well, I’ve known her for years, but she isn’t very forthcoming. She’s got a great sense of humor though, crochets a lot of blankets and also collects bones.”

“Why?”

“Whenever you ask, she just says they’re extremely useful; but, she wouldn’t hurt a fly so I’m not worried about it.”

“Okay,” Kai nodded while trying to get back on topic, but when he asked “what about the Munce?” he was able to guess why Cole’s cheeks flushed at the mention even before he started speaking.

“Geo. He’s the elemental master of fusion, he turns lost things into these large art sculptures. He’s good with the boys, he makes sure that they’re always taken care of, no matter what. He’s the only one who can get Bonzal to say more than a few sentences. He’s so caring, and funny and…he might be one of the best things that’s ever happened to me.”

“He sounds great,” Kai agreed with a nod before asking, “so, why didn’t you bring them with you? Because the monastery is big-”

“It wasn’t a space issue. First Master, I wish it was a space issue,” Cole’s voice filling with tears made Kai’s heart pang with regret, “whenever they tried to leave, this fog would engulf them and lead them back. They had been forgotten for so long that they couldn’t leave. I only left because I thought I heard Master Wu…but it just led me here.”

Kai reached over and pulled Cole into a hug; he had needed the hug when he finally returned, but given how he tucked his head against his shoulder, he knew that it was Cole who needed a hug now.

They stayed like that until Cole finally spoke again, the sobs evident in his voice as he kept his face pressed against Kai’s shoulder.

“I…I miss them so much.”

“Hey,” Kai finally spoke and cupped a hand around Cole’s face to brush a few tears off of his cheeks, “we found Nya, we found Zane and we found you. We’ll get the others out of there and we’ll find Jay, PIXAL and Master Wu.”

“I know,” Cole agreed, taking in a shuddering breath while wiping his face on his sleeve, “it’s just really gonna suck until we do.”

[doodles-with-noodles]

Oni Lloyd will murder you in your sleep

Original Image from Pinterest

[fanficmaniatic]

Okey… because I feel like every fic writer has a different idea and I lose it every time:

Zane’s age is more complicated and he Is probably like 100 years old at this point BUT, for the others, please explain your reasoning if you can… please?

[catandheadphones]

Here, have some horribly done Morro doodles.

Cause I’m stressed and drawing helps me destress. On top of that, this guy lives in my head rent free. He also invited Kai to crash too. So the result is a page filled with Morro doodles and one Kai. (Yes, I realize I messed up on the proportions but it’s traditional art and I can’t “control z” so whatever’s.)

[spinchip]

NEVER THE DARK

Chapter 10

Read on Ao3

Prologue - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9

WARNINGS for his chapter: Kai feels minor effects of alcohol withdrawal. Kai and Samira drink together, feeding Kais alcoholism. discussions of blood and passing mention of needles. Discussions of death and murder. Chapter art includes depictions of body horror focusing on multiple eyes

WE DANCE ROUND IN A RING AND SUPPOSE// BUT THE SECRET SITS IN THE MIDDLE AND KNOWS

They don’t leave immediately. In fact, Samira insists on dessert- which ends up being the petals off a sweet flower grilled and served hot that she doesn’t stay to eat. 

“I have other things to attend to,” she says pointedly, “I’m the one that keeps this place running. I can’t shirk my duties to hang out with you every time you show your face, Birds. Even if we are best friends.” She grins teasingly at that before her face turns serious again.

“I’ll arrange supplies for your trip and have a room prepared for the rest of you.” She announces, standing with a clap. “You do not need to check in before you leave. Come back in one piece, Birdy.” She says the last part directly to him, pinning him with a stern look that’s soft on the edges.

Kai can’t help the creeping dread that blooms from the center of his chest, a malignant tumor of suspicion and worry that increases each time Samira smiles at Birdy. They were awfully chummy. Didn’t Birdy say Samira was bad news? Then why did they seem so close? The whole situation makes his skull throb. Or maybe that’s just his persistent headache.

“I will return with three funeral flowers.” He promises with a nod.

And now Lloyd is going off alone with the possible double agent. Kai’s only solace is that Samira hadn’t had the chance to speak to Birdy alone, so if he was planning on double crossing them she had no way to know who they were or what they were capable of. If it comes down to it, their elemental abilities might be the card up their sleeve that saves them.

“Wox will return to escort you to your room. For now- sit, eat, talk about me behind my back, I don’t care.” She sweeps out of the room, the click of her black heels fading as she retreats.

Kai rounds on Birdy, pinning him with a sour look he says, “So how dangerous is this mission you two are going on?” At the same time Nya asks, “What else can you tell us about the gauntlet?”

Birdy chooses to engage Nyas question first, “Nothing.” He says, angling his mask towards her, “I did not know the true origins of the armor. I was bluffing.”

“What?” Jay squawks.

Up on the Dias, Barath throws his head back and laughs. It’s a hearty guffaw, one that makes the Ninja jump since they’d completely forgotten the man's presence. He pushes his chair back and trots down the stairs, “Oh, that’s rich! She would be so mad!” He giggles, “Only you could pull off something like that. How’d you know she’d cut in?” He pulls out his chair and throws himself into it, forgoing a spoon to drink his cold soup directly out of the bowl.

“She is from Cloud Kingdom,” Birdy explains, “She cannot allow a story to be told poorly, not one that she knows well.”

“That’s quick thinking.” Nya praises.

Kai crosses his arms, “Can we get back to the matter at hand? Super dangerous mission, remember?”

“Yeah,” Uneasily, Lloyd laces his fingers together, “What exactly are we going up against?”

Barath speaks before Birdy can, “Poisonous gas!” He announces enthusiastically, “Caustic, acidic, deadly- it attacks living cells quickly, burns through skin and bone until you’re dead. Sad.” He takes a moment to make a sad face before snapping out of it, “Not immediately of course. There’s a time limit before it eats you to the point of no return. But it makes your head fuzzy, all disoriented until you can’t find your way out. It’s called the Graveyard, and for good reason! That’s where you’re headed.” He pokes Lloyd in the chest with his unused spoon.

Cole looks at Birdy, ”How are you and Lloyd supposed to go in there?”

“Lloyd will not be going in at all.” Birdy says firmly, “I will go in alone.”

“Birdy’s whole situation, whatever it is, makes him unusually resistant to the mist. Wish he’d let me put him under a microscope! Your mutation must be incredible.” Barath informs them with a dreamy sigh, “He can last longer than any other man brave enough to make the trip- hours, in fact. The mist will get to the point where it will start to eat at his clothes before Birdy here feels a tingle. Please let me dissect you?”

“No thank you.” Birdy lets him down gently.

“You’ve never seen his mutation either?” Nya jumps onto that piece of information curiously.

Birdy answers for him this time, “No.”

Barath leans forward to whisper slyly, “Only one person has seen his face and lived to tell the tale!” He sits back and lets a heartbeat pass, “That’s Samira.” He clarifies.

“We figured.” Kai comments dryly. “You look normal, what’s your mutation?”

“It’s rude to ask about others mutations.” Barath says blithely as he sets down his empty bowl, “Lucky for you I don’t care for manners!” He grabs the hem of his shirt and lifts it up to reveal a torso criss-crossed with scars upon scars, some fresh and pink and others old and faded. they’re big nasty looking things, as if his skin had been brutally flayed and torn.

He points right above his belly button where a teeny tiny protrusion is budding, just barely formed enough for them to be able to tell that it’s a little hand, “Extra limbs! Arms on arms, really. I grow them easy! And I lose them quickly, but it’s for my research so it’s worth it.” He puffs out his chest proudly, “I’ve pet some of the most ferocious animals the realm has to offer! Not without casualties of a few arms, but who cares about that when the pursuit of knowledge is a fine justification.”

He drops his shirt and goes for his dessert, chewing on the leaves absently.

An awkward pause passes, but before any of the ninja can break it the sound of clunky boots fades in. Wox thunders his way up to the cavern opening with a sour look on his face, “Oy, you lot ready to be shown to your chamber? It’s all nice and ready for ya.”

“Wox!” Barath greets pleasantly, “You’re overdue for a check up. Do let me look at your mutation sometime soon, yes yes!”

“Sure thing Doc. Maybe once I’m off duty as these trespassers babysitter.” He sneers the last word as the Ninja stand from the table and approach him.

Nya bristles, “We don’t need a babysitter.”

“No, you don’t, because you shouldn’t even be here. Samira should have thrown you in prison after she first laid eyes on you! But for some reason she likes you,” He swings his head around to pin Birdy with a yellow-eyed glare, targeting him with that last accusation, “Even after you-“

“If you want a rematch, Wox, all you have to do is ask.” Birdy says, but his voice is… off. Monotonous. Dead. It’s like Wox triggered a coldness in his demeanor that the Ninja hadn’t seen before, “Allow me to end this pettiness and stop wasting both of our times.”

The insult makes Wox’s lips curl to bare brutal white fangs, and he responds by crowding into Birdys space, “Oh you can bet this fight won’t be a waste, Butcher. You remember our first scrap, don’t ya? Not so cocky then, were you?”

Birdy takes a step back, and Kai can almost see him snap out of and shake off that chilling persona he’d just worn so easily. He knows for certain that Birdy doesn’t break eye contact with Wox out of fear. His mask tilts toward the ground in some deeper, more insidious shame or guilt, “I apologize for lashing out. We have made a deal with Samira. Please, escort us.”

Wox’s fur, which had stood up stiff and straight at Birdy's initial insult, lays flat again. He backs down too, stepping back out of his space “I spoke outta line too.” He says and even he seems surprised at his words, “Let me show you to your room.” He turns and marches out of the room. Birdy follows him and determinedly doesn't look back at the Ninja. When Kai glances at the others, he sees his own expression mirrored on their face. What was that?

Finally, they were feeling that same suspicion he was.

He leads them back down the hall to a fork in the pathway, taking them into the dark of the new tunnel without missing a step. He pauses briefly as they come upon another fork in the road. He motions to the left path and jerks his head at Birdy, “This is your stop. Down the hall to the left, you know the way. Ila is waiting for you two.” He glances back at the others, “The rest of you will follow me.”

Birdy looks at Lloyd for a moment before they both split off from the group. “Wait, Lloyd-'' Kai breaks away too, going to Lloyd's side. He pulls him into a hug, “Be safe. Don’t let your guard down.” He says it loud enough for everyone to hear, not hiding the dark look he shoots Birdy's way that promises swift and violent retribution if Lloyd comes back with a single hair out of place.

“I won’t.” Lloyd promises, “Don’t get too bored waiting on us to come back.” He gives him a pointed look that Kai knows means snoop around!

He waves to the rest of them as he and Birdy finally disappear into the darkness.

“I have a bad feeling about this.” Kai mutters, continuously glancing back at the path where they parted. Wox’s ear flicks like the words irritate him, but doesn’t comment.

“Birdy has been nothing but helpful.” Cole reassures him.

“I don’t trust Birdy.” Kai ignores Cole's words, running a hand through his Mohawk nervously.

Wox leads them through a series of elaborate interconnected tunnels going up and down and around so many times Kai’s not sure he knows his left from his right anymore. He leads them down another hallway filled with doors and stops at a random door, pushing it open with his foot. The room… is nicer than Kai was expecting. It’s huge and cavernous, with high vaulted ceilings and stone floor. This is no architectural craftsman ship to the walls, just smooth stone that rounds where it meets floor and ceiling. Several bed palettes are set up on the floor layered upon plush carpets and dry purple moss that insulates from the cold floor. There’s a low table on the other side of the room with pillows on the floor as seats, a pitcher filled with water and a stack of cups sitting on top for them. Thin fabrics are hung up around the walls to add a bit of warmth to the sterile walls.

As the Ninja file in, Wox starts on what sounds like a memorized speech, “As you are guests, you are permitted to leave your room at any time and use the amenities offered by the palace as follows: Restrooms, Public Bathhouse, Kitchen, and Library. At your request and with supervision, you are welcome to tour the rooftop garden or the Jelly farm. As your allowance to stay here depends on an agreement between another member of your party, you are not permitted to leave the premises until the deal has been completed. Caphishe?”

“We understand.” Nya nods with a tense smile, “Thank you.”

Wox ducks his head a bit, suddenly shy, “Ain’t nothing.” He says gruffly, looking away from Nya, “Boss asked me to make sure you all are settled, so call my name if you need anything.”

“Well, actually, I am interested in the Rooftop gardens or the jelly farm.” He’d already thrown himself down on a bed mat, but Cole sits up in curiosity at Wox’s words.

Tilting his head, Wox ruminates over the request, “Didn’t expect ya to want a tour so soon,” He admits, “I’ve a few things I’ve gotta tend to, but I can come back in an hour or two and escort you.”

“That’s… very kind.” Kai says slowly.

Wox seems to understand the implication of the words, “Samira appointed me as your lots handler. It’s my job, and I’ll do it well.” He crosses his arms but there’s no fire to the action, “We may be warlords, tyrants, and monsters but there are rules here we follow. It’s just how it is.”

He steps out of the door and does a casual salute, disappearing down the hall before they can ask any further questions. Nya makes sure the door is closed before turning back to the others.

“So this is bad.” She grimaces.

“That’s an understatement.” Kai crosses his arms, flopping back onto a random bedroll.

Cole lays back down himself, “We’ve trusted Birdy to get us this far,” he starts, “We just have to trust him to get us to the end.”

Nya busies herself by dumping the realm of madness water from the pitcher out in the corner and filling it with clean water they can freely drink. That done, she paces for a moment before rearranging the pillows on her own chosen bed. Kai stares up at the ceiling, thinking. He’d just let Lloyd walk away. It’s not like he could stop him- Lloyd was his own person, a whole grown man who could probably whip Kai’s butt in a fight if he wanted to (Damn chosen one special powers…) but the image of him disappearing into that dark hallway plays on repeat in his head. What if Lloyd didn’t come back? And Kai just let him go without a fight? With a stranger? He was being ridiculous, Lloyd could handle himself, especially against someone like Birdy. He would be fine. Kai worried anyway. FSM his head hurt, all he wanted was a drink.

A shadow passes over Kai's face and he opens one eye to Jay standing at the edge of his bedroll. He’s about to ask what he wants when Jay nudges him with his foot, “Scoot.” He orders, looking at Kai expectantly. When Kai stares at him too long he eloquently clarifies, “Scoot over.” with a firmer love tap.

Kai shuffles over and Jay collapses next to him, sighing as he melts into Kais warmth. It’s… nice. It’s been a long time. He puts his palm flat against Jay's back and tries not to think about Zane.

At some point, he falls asleep, because next thing he knows is Nyas hand on his shoulder shaking him awake. “Do you want to go with us to see the rest of this place? Wox is at the door.”

Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Kai dislodges his arm from under Jay's head (waking up the man in the process if the sleepy ow! is any indication.) “I'm coming,” Kai shakes the remnants of sleep off as he stands up, stretching. He would be more snappy with her for waking him if he wasn’t instantly reminded of their predicament. That was the first substantial rest he’d managed to get the entire time he’d been in the Realm. These past few nights he’d felt so restless and off.

Cole lingers on the edge of the conversation. He waits a moment before saying, “You two looked cute.” Which he offers carefully.

“You should have joined us.” Kai says automatically.

Shrugging, Cole averts his eyes, “I didn’t want to ruin the moment.” He admits with a cough as Jay stands, finally dragging himself to the land of the living.

Frowning, Kai squints at him quizzically, “How would you have ruined it?”

Cole pins him with a bewildered expression, as if he can’t believe Kai would even ask. “Nevermind.” he says with a sigh, turning away.

“Hey,” Kai reaches out and takes Cole's elbow, “What’s up? I'm listening.”

“That’s a surprise.” Cole shoots back immediately.

Kai recoils at that, totally lost. Behind him, Jay is looking awkwardly between the two of them, just as lost.

“Let's just drop it.” Cole mumbles, “C’mon, Nya is waiting on us.”

They join Wox and Nya at the door, “Hey, you look nice.” Jay comments, “What's the occasion? Got a hot date?”

Wox, who’s fur has been freshly washed and combed, and who’s wearing a noticeably cleaner looking tunic and wraps, flattens his ears at Jay, “I always look like this. I appreciate hygiene and fashion.” He says with a scrunch to his eyebrows, as if attempting to read off a cue card in his head “And I have a sensitive soul.” He adds randomly, sneaking a glance at Nyas face.

Nya blanches, catching on, “RIGHT. Well! Why don’t we get this tour over with?” She guides Wox ahead of her, turning to shoot Kai a look that screams why me?

“Of course, my lady.” He snatches up the opportunity to link their arms, even if it’s awkward with his mutation, “I’ll start with the bathrooms-”

After a quick potty break and a snack in the kitchens, Wox motions to a large set of double doors, “The Library, but trust me, ya don’t want to go in there. The place doubles as Baraths study, and the good doctor is a bit… unhinged in his work. One second you’re stopping in to say hello and the next the fur on your face is burnt off as a result of one o his experiments.” He scratches at his chin fur irritably, “Let’s move on to the Garden.”

As they turn away, Nya shoots Kai a look over her shoulder before turning to Wox, “So, what do you like to do in your free time?” She asks sweetly, stepping in time with him.

Kai gets the hint as Wox’s attention is centered solely on Nya. He nudges Jay and motions back to the library and Jay connects the dots with a thumbs up. He slips away from the group to go poking around. The pattern repeats in the rooftop gardens, this time Cole gracefully bowing out to poke around the seed beds and strange plants. Kai is given the opportunity to snoop once they cross into the Jelly Farm.

The hallway they’re trekking down dramatically opens up to a massive cave, the ceiling vaulted hundreds of feet above their heads and the floor dropping away into deep black pits. Archways branch off the path they walk like intricate natural scaffolding, some natural but several more are manmade, all looping in on each other. Each pathway connects to others to make large round enclosures, and within each of these floats a massive sky jelly. They look even bigger than Kai first thought they were, the ghostly sheet-like bell nearly bouncing off the ceiling and the arms and tentacles glowing softly far beneath him. Railings made of steel and rope line each of the bridges other than certain access points, where workers covered in strange full body hazmat suits seem to be rappelling down the animals to collect the venom dripping from the tentacles.

Wox motions down a path towards the far wall, a little notch cut out, “That’s Samira's office. Off limits to anyone other than her.” He says warningly as Nya opens her mouth, apparently not smitten enough to bend the rules for her.

Which is Kais' cue to leave. As Nya prods Wox to tell her more about the Jellys, Kai splits off from the pair and expertly sneaks around the occasional worker or patrol before slipping into Samiras office. It’s a short hallway that leads to a heavy wooden door that he picks the lock open easily. Once he’s inside, he closes the door silently and gets to snooping.

Or he would have. He stalls once he turns around to face the room and there, sitting on her desk, is a nicely bottled dark liquor that calls his name. He swallows thickly before snatching up the bottle and immediately uncorking the top- it smells like some deep spice that doesn’t exist in Ninjago, tantalizing and exotic. He brings it to hover at his lips before his rational brain bonks him on the head. No! Now is really not the time, Kai! He scolds himself, setting it down with a thunk and rounding her desk to get a look at the paper stack there. He doesn't read a word of it, glancing back up at the drink.

A taste couldn’t hurt. All he’d wanted since entering this realm was a drink- it was all he could think about. He deserved it, didn’t he? For doing so much? For putting up with that stranger? He flips over the glass that was next to the decanter and pours himself a generous glass before he can think. He dilly dallies again, swirling the cup. He really shouldn’t. He stares at if for a long time, longer than he cares to admit.

He puts the glass down and shifts a stack of papers to the side- it looks like Samiras personal notes. He paws through the pages and grimaces as fresh ink streaks his fingers, lingering on each page until a specific word sticks out to him. The page was dated a handful of months ago.

Birdy scared me today. He lashed out after I confronted him about Farley, I thought he was going to hurt me-

Kai doesn’t process the words, his eyes skittering back over to that drink. He licks his lips. Fuck it.

As he picks up the glass to take a drink, the door opens.

Samira doesn’t look surprised to see him, but she does raise a brow at his actions. Nobody says anything for a long moment before Kai slowly sets the glass down, hand twitching towards the handle of his sword that he kind of can’t believe they let him keep, “Calm down.” Samira rolls her eyes, stepping over to a cabinet shoved against the wall and pulling out another glass from the top drawer, “I’m not upset.”

“You’re not?” He asks as he watches her pour herself a glass.

She sighs and it's a put upon thing, “You’re a ninja. It’s in your nature to snoop, and Wox is woefully easy to distract.” She tips back the drink and savors the taste, “Though I figured I'd find this room ransacked for information, not… used as a refreshment bar.”

He winces but picks up his cup again, “Yeah, well…” He doesn't have anything to say so he just swallows down a gulp of whisky-adjacent liquor.

“Hey,” She warns, “This is for sipping. Savor it.” She orders. When he obliges, she doesn’t quite smile but she does nod her head back towards the main room, “Take a walk with me.”

It is an exceptionally smooth drink, spiced and warm. It still burns going down, but it's a good burn. Kai feels like all his headache and lingering irritation melts away with each sip.

He falls into step beside her as they drink together. She swirls her drink in her cup as people call out hellos to her, “It was chaos when I first came here.” Samira runs her fingers lightly over the rope banister, “You may think my methods are harsh, but please remember who I am dealing with- these people have been exiled for grievous crimes. They cannot think I am soft. My strength as their leader is what makes this place run so smoothly.”

“...Okay.” Kai doesn’t know what to do with this conversation.

She motions him along another path, taking him down a hallway into a room filled with machinery. Vials of paralytic poison sit to one side with several people working around the humming contraption. Kai and Samira watch as bottles upon bottles of glowing pink liquid are fed into the assembly line. It chugs and churns until a measly five perfectly round pink marbles come rolling out on the conveyor belt at the end of the line. Samira picks one up, examining it, “There was no community, no society- just violence and lots of pain.”

“Mutations are hard on the body, Kai. uncomfortable at best, agony at worst.” She keeps the marble and leads him back out to the jellys. She walks up to one- this Jelly is older. Its bell lay flat and thin across its head with scars and tears along the edge, it’s missing a few tentacles and several lures, and it’s a few shades duller than the other animals that fill the room. It’s floating lower than all the rest too, the luminescent tentacles it has left drag across the floor so far beneath their feet. Samira leans against the rope confidently, “I saw Miss Emma here use her poison on a horse-“ She starts, patting the animal on the head where the poison doesn’t seep, “Paralyzed it and ate it right up, and it gave me an idea. She numbs you first, before she eats you. If I could use her poison, refine it just right, maybe I could take that numbness and use it to take away that pain.” She holds up the marble- the pill, “And with a bit of help from Barath, I did it, and I built Oasis around this thing right here. It’s amazing how easy it is to bring people together when pain is out of the equation.”

“Why are you telling me all this?” Kai asks with narrowed eyes.

She sobers up, sipping at her whisky, “After all I’ve been through, Red, I know pain. I can see it.” She takes a moment to really study him, “You’re in a lot of pain, Kai. Aren’t you?”

He looks away, down at the glass he’s suddenly gripping so tight his knuckles are turning pale.

“That’s why you chose to drink instead of looking for information, isn’t it?” She looks at him kindly, face the very picture of a supportive and worried mother.

Kai’s not sure why his hands are shaking or why he suddenly feels so exposed and vulnerable- maybe because he hasn’t been able to drink since they came here, and he’s been deprived of the usual escape into intoxication, but he finds himself talking before he can think, “His name was Zane. He died saving me and I… I was too helpless to do anything to help him.” he blinks down at his cup. He should stop drinking. He throws the rest of it back like a shot anyway.

“Here.” She says gently, handing him the pill, “It works just as well on emotional pain.”

He looks up at her suspiciously, “You don’t want anything in return? I just saw how hard it is to make these.”

“Oh Kai,” She smiles and pushes the pill into his hand, closing his fingers around it herself, “The first one is always free.”

Barath doesn’t blink from where he’s huddled at his desk, writing chicken scratch in a leather-bound notebook when Jay slips in. There’s no way he doesn’t notice him, not with how his large desk directly faces the door, or how Jay immediately side steps into a stack of books and sends them thumping to the ground. For a place Wox had called the Library, there’s not much library happening. There are a few shelves lined along the wall, sure, but most of the books are piled into sections on the floor while the actual shelves are filled with notebooks, files folders, and active experiments or samples. Jay carefully avoids looking at the clear front glass container packed with bags of blood.

That’s the first time Barath addresses him, “Squeamish, Jay?” He sounds more subdued than he had at dinner, the energy in his private lab more serious and careful than the looseness of Samiras grand hall. “It’s quite normal to feel that way. Not used to blood?”

Jay approaches the desk that Barath still hasn’t looked up from, “I’ve dealt with blood plenty, but it’s not something I can get used to.” He laughs awkwardly, “blood belongs in the body, not out of it.” He jokes.

“You would be surprised, perhaps, at how prevalent hemophobia is here. I’ve drawn blood from warlords, serial killers, and much worse who close their eyes as I prep the needle. Seems a bit backwards, doesn’t it? I suppose it's different when it’s their blood.” He finishes his entry in the book and flips it shut, finally looking up at Jay, “I’ve never been frightened of blood! It’s fascinating, really, especially the samples I've seen here. So unique. Would you like to see?” already he’s stood up and strode to the fridge, pulling out a drawer filled with blood cultures neatly labeled.

“Uh, I'm- it’s okay! Really. I mean it.” He laughs nervously, “Uh, shouldn’t you be more careful with those? Whoever organized them is probably gonna be ticked off.” He adds on, raising a brow.

Barath continues to paw through the samples, humming as he picks up a few possible candidates before casually tossing them back. The neat labels on top juxtapose his haphazard actions, “I organized them.” He says blithely, finally picking out a sample he liked and slotting the draw back into place with a slam, “I have never cared much for consistency, Jay. That's why I chose to come here.”

Jay feels his jaw drop, “You chose to come here?”

“Of course!” Some of that energy from dinner spills into his body language, a pep in his step as he approaches one of the large sheets in the room, “Look around you, Jay! This is a veritable garden of Eden- a buffet for the mind. This world is ever changing, ever growing! I’ve learned more here than I ever thought possible. What I thought I knew in my home realm has all been dashed away by this realm's chaos. What I thought I knew yesterday will be wrong today. How delightful!”

He pulls away the tarp to reveal a mechanical monstrosity, several tubes and knobs, cords that lead into a strange metal box. There’s blinking lights and baubles and it takes Jay too long to realize it was a microscope. “I am on the front line of an uncharted world, Jay. My books, my papers, my research is the first of its kind. How thrilling! What ecstasy!” He slots the blood sample into place.

Jay can’t help but be drawn to the machine like a moth to flame. It’s not exactly well put together- the welds are a bit ugly, the machine is over engineered and clunky, but it’s clearly far more advanced than the microscopes Jay had seen in Ninjago. “Did you build this?” He asks, ghosting fingers over mis-matched metal.

Barath grinned with all his teeth, “It took a while to figure it out. I admit, I took some of my old equipment for granted.” He had years here to try new things, and the cobbled together mishmash of it showed. “Are you sure you don’t want to look? The way the mutations affect the blood is quite a show.”

It’s tempting, but Jay felt a little queasy just thinking about it, “I… didn’t come here to talk about blood.”

With a shrug, Barath looks into the barrel himself. He takes a moment to adjust the knobs, “I know that.” He says, picking up a small trigger stick and holding the button. There's a series of several flashes and the box next to the microscope hums to life, printing off several sheets of paper, “You came to snoop.”

Jay blanches, “W-What! No way, I just wanted to- Wox led us on a tour, and the library is free for us to use so- so-”

Barath leans away from the instrument to smile at Jay, “I’m not angry, Jay! Come now, you really believe that Samira, Wox, and I don’t know your intentions sneaking off from the tour like you did? Do you really believe Wox, one of the more fearsome and brutal warlords of Chima, didn’t notice the party getting lighter? We are criminals, Jay. We expect this!” He grabs the stack of papers and scurries back to his desk, taking out a quill and ink so he can begin to carefully label and date each image he took of the blood.

“Oh.” Jay says simple. There’s a pause, “So you don’t mind if I poke around?”

Barath looks up from his work and sizes Jay up for a moment. He takes a break from labeling the papers to lace his fingers together on top of his desk, “I’ll do you one better: Any questions you have, you are free to ask. My mission is the pursuit of knowledge first and foremost, and I will share that knowledge whether Samira wants me to or not. I will tell you the truth!”

Well, that sounds a lot easier than flipping through books all night. He moves another stack of books off of the chair in front of Baraths desk and sits, twiddling his thumbs.

“Well?” Barath prompts.

“I uh… don’t know what to ask.” He admits.

That seems to baffle Barath, “You’re in a world where people grow multiple eyes and it rains acid, and you have no questions whatsoever? Where’s your whimsy?!”

“Okay, okay! Um… So, Samira, is she like- the original banished person? She was here first? Is that why everyone listens to her?”

“Oh, no!” Barath leans back in his far more comfortable looking chair, “Samira is far from the first! But you won’t run into any of those- we call them the Ancients. They are gone now. Dead, mostly, or lost to their mutations long, long ago other than- well.” He gets a sparkle in his eyes, “I have this theory on mutations- it’s physical of course, but I believe a great deal of how and why you mutate depends on the strength of your character and will! The stronger your constitution, the longer you keep your sanity.”

“The last of the Ancients was alive just a handful of years ago. It’s a name you know! Birdy.”

“Birdy…? But Birdy is still alive.”

Barath grins, “The Birdy you know is alive, yes, but he didn't just take that mask from her. He took her name as well- of course, that was not her true name, just the moniker she went by here. She had an iron will and never once bowed before anyone, even at her lowest.” He shifts back to Jay's original questions, “Samira is the leader of Oasis because she is good at bending people to her will, at figuring out exactly what people want, what they need, and how to use that to control them. Samira made these people rely on her, and how she has all the power.”

Jay picks at his nails, dread filling his stomach as he thinks over Baraths earlier words, “Did Birdy- current Birdy... kill the old one?” He asks, feeling a cold wash over him at the idea that Lloyd was out with a murderer.

Barath takes a long moment to think, “Perhaps I should tell you all I know about Birdy.” He says, suddenly solemn, “But you must be warned- this is not a conversation had lightly. Can you handle this truth?”

“I have to know.” Jay says firmly.

Barath begins to speak.

“Oh!” Ila says, startled.

Cole spins around to face her, feeling a hot flush of embarrassment that she’d caught him playing in the dirt in one of the garden's grow beds, “Uh, I wasn’t doing anything weird.”

She laughs a little, stepping into the greenhouse more. The garden sprawled up one half of the palace roof (mountain top?), stairs leading from one platform to the next. They were on the second platform out of three where several large greenhouses took up nearly every available inch of space other than walkways, “You just surprised me,” She says lightly, “I took longer than normal to clean up the kitchen, I thought I would have missed you.”

That seemed… weird. Did she know he would be there? Maybe Wox told her they were going on a tour..? “Were you trying to miss me?”

She pauses too long to be anything other than strange, “No.” She says finally, “Do you like the greenhouses?” She asks politely.

He drops it uneasily, “It’s cool in here, yeah. I’m not familiar with any of these plants, though.”

“I help tend to the garden, I could probably give you a quick rundown.” She offers, stepping up beside him to examine the plant he was in front of.

“No, that’s okay- but I was wondering… If these Funeral flowers are so important, why don’t you grow them here?” He gestures around, “Instead of making dangerous trips into the Graveyard?”

“Oh, well,” She turns around and sits on the edge of the wooden planter, “Funeral flowers don’t produce outside the graveyard, despite our efforts. We tried filling a greenhouse with the fog but it never lasts, and the plants never flower. In fact, come with me!” She stands again and beckons him to follow with one of her tentacles, leading him out one greenhouse and into the next. They weave between planters until they come upon an ordinary looking bundle of green grass. It looks like it would be right at home in a field on Ninjago, “Here they are. Funeral flowers.”

“These?” He squints at the plain green things.

“I told you, they won’t flower. Usually a flower stalk would be right in the middle of these with a white bud, but no matter what we try they just don’t grow outside the graveyard.” She sits down again, “They’re strange, delicate plants.”

“So now you have to trek into the mist for them.” He nods.

“We didn’t used to have to go so far,” She admits, stretching each of her tentacles out like she's working out a sore muscle, “They used to grow right on the edge of the mist- big patches of them. Barath was the one who discovered them. We didn’t know what we know now, and we picked them without thought- but Funeral plants don’t survive a rough harvest. We yanked the flowers, and the roots died, and now we have to travel deeper and deeper for them.”

“What’s so special about them?” He finally asks, sitting next to her.

She tips her head to the side, looking up through the glass ceiling at the swirling red sky, “It’s a cure.” She says seriously, “It reverses mutations, brings back fingers and skin as long as you're not too far gone. One plant is enough for thirty pills, each enough to significantly improve mutation symptoms. One pill can buy you nearly anything you could ever want here, that’s how valuable they are.”

Cole whistles low, “Wow.” He looks at Ila, considers how human she still looks, other than the tentacles, “You’ve had one?”

“Three total over the years.”

“Samiras had a lot more than that, I'm guessing.”

Ila shrugs at that, “I’m sure she has, but I don't know exactly. Samira has looked the same for a long, long time, so I think she uses her supply to regulate instead of cure.”

“Birdy?”

“Birdy has never accepted a cure pill.” She tells him, “He’s got some issues about that stuff.”

Cole quirks a brow, “What, does he not want to owe Samira anything?”

“More like he doesn’t think he deserves good things.”

There’s a pause as Cole chews on that. Birdy had been nothing but understanding and kind to them, even listening to Cole's input when he had it. He hadn’t seen a dark side to Birdy other than maybe his earlier interaction with Wox, but everyone was so certain he was this dangerous, unstable guy. Even Birdy himself.

“What can you tell me about Birdy?” He asks finally.

“He’s courteous and polite,” She starts, “He always offers to help me clean the kitchen, or even cook. He does favors without asking for anything in return.”

She stops, and Cole waits.

“And?”

“...And he’s hurt a lot of people.” She forces out, and then begins to talk.

Nya hangs off Wox’s arm and tries to keep him talking, both of them marching along random hallways as he tells her about the construction they did to reinforce the walls along this particular corridor, “This whole place was a nest, once. Like a termite mound, but for some other animal- we don’t know what. It was long abandoned when Samira laid claim to it.”

She hums along, prompting him to go on when they round a familiar hall. The hall with their room in the middle- Nya glances behind them and there are no Ninjas in sight, “Why don’t you show me the library again?” She asks, leaning against him with a bright smile.

He rumbles out a low laugh, “I like ya, Nya, so I’ll let you in on a little secret.” He leans in a bit, “I know your friends aren’t behind me anymore.”

She jumps away, fully expecting him to be angry at their trickery, but he doesn’t seem bothered at all. Nothing happens for a long moment, they just stare at each other, “...You’re cool with that?”

“We expected it.” He says simply.

“Oh. huh.” She runs a hand through her hair, “Well, thank you I guess. I’m just gonna…” She motions to her door awkwardly, stepping over to it and going for the handle.

“Nya, wait.” He takes a step towards her, “There’s something I need to tell you.”

“Oh, Wox.. um, i’m flattered but I don’t…”

He snorts at her attempt at a gentle rejection, “Don’t worry, darling, that’s not what I was going to say.” He debates for a moment, “I was not lying before, I do like you, Nya. You remind me of someone I once had the privilege to love, but there is no room in my heart for anyone but my better half.” It occurs to her suddenly that all his earlier nerves around her had simply... vanished. He was... pretending? So that she would think she had the upper hand..?

She feels her confusion show on her face, “Then…?”

His face grows serious, “The people of this realm are not good people. I know that, I've seen many of them at their worst… But Birdy is by far one of the most dangerous people here. It is wise for you to cut your losses and leave him, for your own sake.”

“What are you saying?” She feels herself turn pale, sweat beading on her forehead.

“Banishment to this realm is rare now. It doesn’t happen anymore, the people here now are all that there will be. Ever. Yes, we all have our dark and violent pasts, but there is an honor code between us all now- we don’t kill. We fight, we hurt, we steal and we lie, but we do not kill. Those that do are exiled, made to live in the deserts and wastelands… But Samira likes Birdy, so she allows him to break some of our rules. He should not be here, Nya. He is a murderer.”

Kai pockets the pill, unsure about taking it. He wants another drink, But Samira seems less inclined to share her liquor. They walk together for a while longer in silence.

“Birdy and I are not friends,” She says suddenly.

Kai looks over at her, confused, “Huh?”

“He is a valuable asset to me, but we are not friends. I protect him because it is in my best interest to stay on his good side… but I see myself in you, Kai and I must be honest with you. I have to warn you.” She says seriously, coming to a dead stop in a dark corner between the scaffolding walkways.

“Warn me? About Birdy? I knew he was bad news!” He huddles closer to her, eager to uncover the truth.

“You have good instincts, Kai. Bad news is an understatement.” She motions him to follow her and she quickly leads him back to her office, pouring the both of them another glass of whisky to steel her nerves before she lays everything out on the table for him. “This is a place for the realms worst villains, Kai. You don’t know the kind of horrors I've listened to people brag about- but what little I’ve learned about Birdy has eclipsed those stories completely. He was the Emperor to the Never Realm, and while he was in power… he destroyed crops, leaving his people with nothing. His dungeons were always empty because he killed his prisoners before they ever stepped foot in a cell. Devastation, wanton destruction, massacres, genocide- he took part in it all. He didn’t even bat an eye. He decimated his land for power, Kai.”

Kai feels dizzy, sipping at his drink so the burn will center him. Sure, he wasn’t the most trusting, but even he wouldn’t have expected that type of laundry list for the soft spoken Birdy, “But he seems…”

Samira looks down at her cup, face pinching in sorrow, “Not too long ago, only a year and a half at most… he came into Oasis drenched in blood. He had a traveling companion, a fox from Chima…” She looks up at Kai, anguish in her eyes, “He wasn’t a threat to anyone, Kai. Farley wasn’t even supposed to be here. Birdy slaughtered him- we never found his body.”

Kai shook his head because that just… it couldn’t be. Not Birdy. It didn’t even sound plausible!

Samira reaches into her desk and pulls out a photo- it’s obviously old, not taken by a modern camera like the ones from Ninjago. It shows the market on the outskirts of town, filled with people. Ila is at the center of the photo smiling sweetly. Samira points behind her, at a figure in the crowd.

“Look.” She says urgently, “Really look.”

It’s a fox, slender and young, but everything else falls away. Kai’s vision tunnels. Strapped to the foxes hip is a unique copper dagger, blade curved and wickedly sharp, with an amber stone embedded in the hilt.

It’s the same dagger he’d seen Birdy use almost every day since they’d met.

The same dagger he’d used to prepare meals, to shred wood for kindling, to cut away stubborn vines so they could easily walk along the forest path. It’s the same dagger.

“That knife belongs to a dead man, the mask belongs to a dead woman. I know he killed Farley, he told me himself. He’s carrying around trophies, Kai…and I am scared to think that you or any of your friends might be next. I believe you're safe for now- he wants you alive for some reason, it’s important you are alive… but wherever he’s leading you… I don't know, Kai. I worry the next time I see him, he’ll be wearing red. Another trophy.”

Kai swallows down the rest of his cup and shakily pours another.

Birdy was a murderer. A monster.

And Lloyd was alone with him.

[crystallizabethine]

💕💖 HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE!! 💖💕

Here's some Lavashipping art for the occasion!

(This is for the @ninjago-valentine-exchange event; I was assigned Cole/Kai B)

[gracethefoundfamilyfan]

when your fire burns out (the smolder burns on)

[spinjitzu-spy]

Bc Anya is an adult at the start of Ninjago, she does have alcohol on occasion but always waits until she’s by herself and keeps it hidden behind stuff out of the reach of certain ninja-

Until one night when she goes on a late night grocery run (Wu is out for some reason or another, in my mind visiting Mystake) and returns to find the ninja absolutely WASTED. This is prior to them taking in Lloyd, and so Anya comes in to find Kai lying on the floor singing Call Me Maybe, Jay trying to dance but falling on his face, Cole sobbing in the corner, and Zane holding a cup while looking concerned but somehow still standing upright.

Anya stands there for a full ten seconds taking in everything happening around her, then finally asks what the fuck is going on. Nya shouts from her room that they’re drunk and she’s not complicit in this (she did take a sip when no one was looking but thought it tasted gross and shut herself in her room the rest of the night), leaving Anya, with some help from Zane, to wrangle the rest of the ninja into bed. Jay did throw up on her.

Anya probably would have not told Wu anyway since it was her booze, but even after considering ratting herself out, she decided their hangover the next day was punishment enough. She does have a video of the event though, to commemorate.

[abstractpenny]

guys, guys, guys, don't you love shaking around your little guy in your head so hard all day you probably got brain damage, but at least now you have a thousand new plots for them to follow

[jinxed-ninjago]

can. can we agree they're definitely at the very least buzzed, if not actually fucking drunk here

[froginninjago]

Day 133: Fanart for my soon -to-be released fic "I think That I Might Be Beautiful"

TW: Alchohol