#anyways Lloyd didn't even get to be a kid

[miniminttea]

Thinking about how after the merge, Lloyd was alone without even knowing if the others were alive. I'd argue he had the most reason to worry about the others because he appeared at the monastery, the others were scattered. So they others could probably rationalise that the others were somwhere random too. Lloyd tho? He was at the monastery. His home, an important place to them all.

Then he finally sees Kai again and gets confirmation that they all might be out there. He's finally not alone again.

AND KAI FUCKING LEAVES.

So Lloyd is alone again.

I think Lloyd's relationship with being alone, being a ninja and being seperated from the ninja is so interesting.

After rebooted the ninja all split up and only Lloyd stayed. He probably felt like he had to stay as a ninja since he was the green (ex gold) ninja. He had to go out of his way to bring back the others.

The next time they split up was looking for Wu after HoT. This time Lloyd once again stayed in the Ninjago city area and continued typical ninja duties. At least this time we know he and Pixal seemed to get pretty close so he wasn't all alone. It's unclear if the others really kept being full on ninja or if they focused more on looking for Wu.

The first and only time Lloyd ever left the others the ONLY time he stopped being a ninja was when Nya became the sea. He completely left and took up a normal low stakes job because he couldn't handle the feeling that he had to be responsible for everyone.

Then with the merge when no one chose to beseperated, Lloyd still stayed at the monastery, being a ninja. He kept protecting the world. Even when Kai appeared and went to find the others, Lloyd stayed to protect Ninjago.

I just think it's so interesting how the others all seem to quit being ninja whenever they feel they need or want to, but it took Lloyd so much to make that same decision. Plus him picking to be just a simple job working person when he did. He didn't start doing fight clubs or teaching or a TV show or even doing a job with other people. He picked a job all by himself.

I honestly believe the others know they don't have to be ninja, sure they started young, but they know it's always their choice.

Lloyd tho? I truly think he believes he has to be a ninja, has to be the legendary green ninja or he's undeserving of the love and family and everything he has. I think Lloyd has a completely different relationship with being a ninja.

I also believe Lloyd sees being alone as like...a punishment I guess? He was alone so much as a kid. He only really started to be loved and cared for when he became the green ninja (of course it isn't true or related but you can see how his brain would tie them together).

Anyway yeah his relationship with being alone and being a ninja are both so different from the others and I truly think we ignore how often people leave Lloyd. How often he's just left behind while others take time to themselves alone.

AND THE WORST PART

I think he's the only damn person who thinks that, I think all that pressure he puts on himself would be immediately dissuaded by any of his loved one's.

But he's the green ninja, the LEGENDARY GREEN NINJA

He is the son of Garmadon, student of THE Master Wu and grandson of the one who made not just spinjitzu but Ninjago as it is known today.

He is descended from Dragons! He holds the power of Oni.

He walks in the footsteps of giants and he truly thinks he has to fill them.

He is both someone who has to be positive, hopefully and eternally good. An individual seen as a symbol of safety and protection to all.

Yet he's also a weapon, a vessel for incredible power and danger. Not even sure of his own abilities most of the time.

He has to be and thinks he has to be so many things, truly he puts too much pressure on himself.

[dross-the-fish]

Love Never Dies- Thoughts and Reactions

This might end up being split into multiple parts but I am not finished talking about Love Never Dies. I did give it a rewatch to refresh myself and...oof. This play needs to be taken out back and shot because that is what it did to every single character in it. NO ONE looks good. Not even Christine. Let's start there. Let's talk about what this show does with Christine because we have completely reduced this character to nothing but her voice. What does Erik miss about Christine after ten years of pining? Her voice. He just wants her to sing for him one more time. The only thing he ever really mentions about Christine is her voice. Though I can't really fault him because if we're being serious about Christine's character...

What does she have outside of her voice? Nothing. Somehow LND Christine has even less personality than she did in the OG musical. She is a cardboard angel that other people pine over, try to control, or envy. She has almost no agency. I said before, I suspect that Andrew Lloyd Webber hates women and Christine does not come out of that unscathed. She spends pretty much all of the musical being bullied by Raoul, mothering Gustave, or being threatened by Erik when he and she aren't reminiscing about that one time they banged 10 years ago. Seriously what even the fuck was "Beneath a Moonless Sky?" For a song about how two characters couldn't resist each other neither of them seem particularly filled with desire. Christine is recoiling in horror and disbelief and Erik looks like a 15 year old who thinks sniffing his crush's hair is peak sensuality.

Mmmm....sexy. But whatever. Christine says at the end of the song she woke up to swear her love and was ready to dump Raoul but Erik had skedaddled so she ran back to Raoul. You read that right. Christine was going to pick Erik after they banged it out and he left and that is the only reason Christine is with Raoul. Seriously Andy? You're going to make her regret picking Raoul over Erik when she didn't even actually DO that? Erik made the choice for her?

*internal screaming* Erik, seriously, how are you going to be upset that she's moved on with Raoul if YOU left HER? Do you really think you have the right to coerce her to sing for you one more time when you were the one who broke it off? The hell is wrong with you? Of course when Christine resists he immediately goes to threatening her child.

When I say Erik is the WORST I mean it. He is reprehensible in this.

But this is about Christine. We'll get to Erik later. LND Erik deserves his own post.

There's honestly not much more to write about Christine. She spends a lot of time cowering from or trying to appease Raoul. She worries about her son and her death is honestly so unwarranted. When I say ALW's work has an undercurrent of meanspiritedness I mean shit like this. Christine hasn't really done anything wrong. I guess she cheated on Raoul 10 years ago? But well she was going to leave him and only stayed because her first option bailed on her? She didn't do anything to Meg. She's been living 10 years in an abusive marriage and her crazy ex who kidnapped her came back to threaten her kid and coerce her to sing his music one more time. Then she just...gets shot. She dies. It adds nothing to the story that she dies. It doesn't feel earned or justified in anyway. It just feels miserable for misery's sake. It's almost unceremonious the way they ax her off because it's not even intentional. Meg misfires the gun because Erik fucks up in trying to talk her down. Christine's death isn't even about Christine herself. It's about Meg and Erik. It's such a useless and stupid death to give this character. How old even is she? Supposedly she's around 18-20 in the original musical (we're ignoring the 2004 movie that puts her at 16) and this is 10 years later? She's barely 30 but she ends up a casualty to everyone else's vanity, jealousy, and selfishness. I feel like we're supposed to find it tragic but it doesn't hit. It's a meaningless and undignified end to a character that was given no agency over her own life or her death.

[stuckyslut8]

Right where you belong

Summary: lloyd comforts you after a long shitty day.

A/N: THSI IS JUST a comfort drabble i made one day, felt like posting it

warning: fluff, angst, lloyd is a cutie as always.

You felt like absolute shit, you didn't know what to do, you just got fired from your job, it didn't matter , you never liked it anyway, but it still didn't hurt any less, you should've known your boss wasn't kidding on the submission of the work on time. The one time you forget to submit on due this happens.

You didn't know what to do, that's why you were currently on your way back to your apartment, sure you're job paid you good enough to rent out a big apartment in New York, one with a great view of the city, but it suddenly felt lonely. Like you had no one to share your sorrows with, when you entered, you weren't in the mood to deal with your mom , and didn't wanna worry her . Your "friend" Sam from work is such a bitch you didn't know why you still hang out with her, she was partially the reason you got fired.

You opened the door of your apartment, and entered in , expecting silence that you knew you had to wash down with some whiskey along with your sorrows, but instead you found lloyd , the 6 foot moustache man sitting in your couch in an ugly Christmas sweater and loafers, wearing a santa hat,he gave you a big grin. "Didn't expect me did ya sunshine?"

You froze , overwhelmed with emotions, you only remember tears streaming down your face as you let it all out, being cradled again Lloyds chest. "Shh..shh .. calm down didn't know you missed me so much " he joked , but he knew this was about something more than that, he'd never seen you cry before ,we'll except for those stupid movies you'd watch, he'd never seen you upset over real world things.

You wept and wept and wept before you finally told him everything, it was not just getting fired from your job, but your bitch friends, having the worst week of your life, having to spend Christmas alone without lloyd because he had been away for work . "Shh it's okay sunshine...so what that asshole fired you, you'll find a better job at a bigger place, that company was not good enough for you anyway . " He reasoned. Just those words made you feel better .

"thanks Lloyd, that's what I think too, i ...maybe i should leave new york and look for a job elsewhere." Lloyd rubbed your back soothingly, calming you down.

"of course sunshine.....move to masechussetes with me yeah? Move in with me yeahh, I can wake up to you everyday." Lloyd says. You were shocked , didn't expect it from lloyd hansen of all people, you both were just hooking up , never wanting to put labels , but couldn't stay away from each other ,though you both lived in different states, but you always knew he cared for you in his own way, you just never expected these words to come out of his mouth.

"Lloyd.." you smile at his words."I need to find a job in Massachusetts first ..."

"ohh come on ,just be with me I'll take care of ya, you don't need a job..."

"you don't get to decide that if I need a job or not.." though you knew he was just messing with you and trying to cheer you up.

"hmm I know that ,...how bout this,you move to masechussetes with me first and we'll make up for all the most time , and I'll apologize for working through Christmas..."

"you better -" you glared at lloyd playfully.

"oh or course i plan to, why did you think i wore a fucking Christmas sweater and this hat.."

"hmm looks good on on you" you says laughing.

"well thanks sunshine...as I was saying, move to masechussetes first and then maybe we'll look for a job for you." He said placing his hands gently on your hips

"that's not how it works.. lloyd, I need to find a job first , and then move-"

"oh come on you don't even need a job, just stay in my place you'll get whatever you want , you can just stay there painting or reading books all day or whatever it is you feel like doing, maybe me, you can do me all day... And then if you really want to we can get you a job there."

"that does sound like a dream ..but I'm fine i don't expect you to take care of me I can take care of my-"

"yeahh yeahh you can take care of yourself, I know, you're very capable sunshine I've seen it first hand, but just ...let me " he pressed a kiss to the back of your palm.

"I have no problem in letting you take care of me baby...i - " you held yourself back from saying those words though you've both said it multiple times during sex or when you were drunk. It wasn't offical y/n , don't make a fool of yourself,don't make a scene.

"what was that sunshine, complete your words .." lloyd said grinning.

"I love you" lloyd pressed his lips to yours the moment you said it.

"I know babygirl, i love you too ." You allowed your arms around him. "And i want you to be mine, that's all in asking."

"you want me to move to masechussetes?" You ask head still buried in between his arms and firm chest.

"I'd love for you to... but only if you want to, if you wanna stay in new york that's fine too"

"noo i ...I wanna be with you." You said.

"then move to masechussetes?" Lloyd asked hopefully.

"gimme kisses first and maybe put that mouth of yours to good use." You said poking at Lloyds chest.

"well somebody's demanding." While he was already on his knees spreading your legs wide open .

"I've had a shitty day ,I deserve this " .

[sharksandjays]

yup thats right folks. its my monthly jay analysis post.

But now!!! Its about Prime Empire.

Ok guys look. Prime Empire is a terrible focus season. Jay had absolutely no character development and no power development. Nada. Nothin. Its just a “focus season” because he came up with the plan to make the villain good again and had more lines than usual (plus his little “abandoned” speech.)

HOWEVER!!! The Prime Empire shorts do say something. So, as we know, the Wildbrain seasons tend to poopoo on Jay’s character and boil him down to the funny cowardice character who is the weakest of the team. But something the shorts do attest to is the fact that Jay is STILL a ninja! The MOMENT he went into Prime Empire and saw something unjust he stood up to it. He tried to warn people. His desire to protect people goes beyond his job its his identity.

(i'm so sorry for the crappy captions. Youtube's gonna youtube.)And like the meme I posted earlier, he handled himself pretty darn well without the others. He didn't even complain about being alone. He accepted his situation pretty quickly and was already starting to fight against Unagami before the ninja found their way in. (Which you could argue could be because he is experienced with the situation in Skybound.)

And about the League…everyone makes fun of it but i beg yall to think about it for a hot moment. Who all was in Prime Empire?

Thats right. Kids.

When Jay fights the red visors in the shorts, you see the squeals of a bunch of players once they recognize him. Its very childlike and you have to realize that these people are just avatars.

All the people we saw get sucked into the game were kids. Of course theyd flock behind a ninja! And Jay had no problem taking them in and entertaining them and keeping them safe because that was his job! And they all dressed up like him and acted like him because he was their idol!!! And Jay wasnt complaining lol.

Jay acts all unsure of himself most of the time, but Skybound and Prime Empire make it canon that he is a great leader! And an even greater ninja! Sure, compared to Cole he's not as strong. Compared to Nya his personality might not stick out. His power isn't focused on like it is with Kai and Zane...and he isn't the main character chosen one like Lloyd. But these small scenes in his focus seasons remind us that he still was chosen to protect people and is very gosh darn good at it!

I mean, look at him kick red visor butt without even an OUNCE of a complaint about being without powers. (WHILE LOOKING LIKE A SOPPING WET CAT THIS MAN) But yeah appreciate this fight scene please.

Anyways, Jay doesn't get enough credit as a ninja. We forget he was trained for longer than Kai, has one of the most dangerous and powerful elements, is the reason the team can handle intense situations without freaking out, is the master of not one--but TWO chained weapons (known to be one of the most difficult types to master!), and is the ENTIRE REASON THE BOUNTY FLIES??? without ever being acknowledged for any of these! Cut him some slack guys he's awesome. Prime Empire does him so so so dirty.

[sosa2imagines]

Broken Hearts. Part 10

Warnings- Mean exes, angst, kind of hostage situation.

Your heart raced in your chest as you tightly clutched the dummy phone in your hand. Anger and anxiety boiled within you as you mustered the courage to speak. “What are you doing here?” you demanded, your voice cold and firm.

Bucky's dark smile widened as he replied, his tone almost mocking. “Why not, doll? I'm here to eat and meet you.”

Peter and MJ could sense the tension crackling in the air, and they moved discreetly to your side, their protective instincts kicking in.

Peter discreetly turned toward you, his expression filled with concern. “Y/n, who is he?” he asked quietly. You didn't take your eyes off Bucky as you responded coolly, “No one important.”

Bucky's eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he interjected, his tone patronizing. “Now, DOLL, that's not how you talk to your customer.”

Your anger flared at his condescending tone, “Don't call me that.” you snapped.

MJ firmly told Bucky, “Sir, please leave.”

However, Bucky arrogantly ignored her plea and attempted to make an outrageous offer. “Tell you what, you both leave her and work for me and my buddy, and we will pay you triple what she pays.” he said, cockiness lacing his tone.

However, to Bucky's surprise, both MJ and Peter immediately responded with a resounding, “NO.”

MJ's voice rose as she shouted back, “We don't want anything from you or your buddy. Get out.”

Your smirk widened with pride at their firm denial.

Bucky's gaze shifted toward Peter, and you could sense the ominous tension building. With a sly smile, Bucky asked, “What's your age, kid?”

Peter hesitantly responded, “Seventeen.”

Bucky's smirk widened as he redirected his attention to you. “You know, if you ever want tips on how to satisfy a girl, you can ask,” he started to say.

But before he could even finish, your hand connected forcefully with his face, leaving a fiery smack mark.

Bucky's eyes widened in shock and surprise, his hand instinctively going to touch his burning cheek.

Peter and MJ's eyes widened in shock at your bold move, their faces filled with a mix of admiration and disbelief. “Whoa,” Peter breathed, stunned by your reaction.

“Bitch,” Bucky hissed, his anger surging as he roughly grabbed your hand.

Immediately, both MJ and Peter rushed to your side, “Hey, let her go!” they exclaimed in unison, their voices filled with concern and worry. But Bucky just tightened his grip further, ignoring their pleas.

“Kids, leave us alone. We can handle it from here on.” Steve appeared, stepping towards you and Bucky, a serious expression on his face. “We can handle it from here.” he affirmed.

Meanwhile back at Fortress of Solitude

Lloyd couldn't help but break into a cheerful sing-song voice, addressing Nick. “Wake up, sexy Fowler!”

However, Nick, his head resting on the table due to a severe hangover, let out a groan of complaint. “Shut up, and this is your fault!” he mumbled, blaming Lloyd for his current state.

Lloyd chuckled, his eyes glittering mischievously. “My fault? I just wanted my friends to have a good time.” he defended himself.

Nick, his head still resting on the table, weakly protested, “Yeah right. Never listening to you again, and please tell me you didn't make Y/n drink like me and Barber.”

Lloyd feigned innocence, a sly grin on his face, “Nah, I wouldn't do that to Sugar.” Nick raised his head from the table, groaning as he rubbed his forehead. “Good,” he muttered. “Where is she anyway?”

Lloyd smile, his gaze fixed on the still-groaning Nick. “She's at her café. She'll be working for a couple of days,” he informed Nick.

Nick nodded thoughtfully, a flicker of understanding crossing his face. “It will be a good distraction for her,” he concurred. “She needs something else to focus on other than that prick Steve.”

Lloyd chuckled, his trademark smirk playing across his face. “I can distract her better,” he teased, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Nick groaned, rolling his eyes in mock annoyance. “Enough with your dick!” he protested, shaking his head.

Lloyd glares at him, before clearing his throat “Anyway Barnes is back in town.” “What?” Nick's head snaps towards Lloyd, his expression filled with disbelief and anger.

Lloyd continued, his voice grave. “Sugar saw him yesterday, and I saw him too, but I feigned ignorance and asked Jake to confirm, and guess what?”

“He's back with his precious Steve,” he muttered through gritted teeth. Lloyd nodded solemnly, confirming the news. Present time.

Steve chuckled coldly, his eyes scanning the cafe. “Let me do a quick tour of this place,” he said, a hint of smugness in his tone. ��But first, hand over your phones.”

MJ and Peter immediately spoke up in unison, their voices firm and resolute. “No!” they exclaimed, their eyes narrowing at Steve's demand.

Steve's impatience grew, his tone turning more ominous as he threatened. “Come on. Hand them over. I'll give them back, unless you want me to snatch them!” he warned.

MJ and Peter exchanged a brief glance with you, their worry evident. They looked at you uncertainly, seeking reassurance. You offered them a gentle smile, silently reassuring them that it would be okay and gesturing for them to cooperate.

Steve looked around the cafe one last time, his gaze lingering on the counter. “Well, there's only one phone on the counter.” he noted, holding MJ and Peter's phones in his hand. Bucky chimed in, his interest piqued. “What about the office?” he inquired.

Steve shrugged nonchalantly, his tone dismissive. “Nothing, just her purse in there.” he replied, a hint of disinterest in his voice.

Realization struck you suddenly as you recalled where your real phone was tucked away in your purse. A glimmer of hope sparked within you, as you realized the chance to contact Lloyd.

As you discreetly signaled to MJ and Peter by shaking your hand, the one with the dummy phone, their eyes widened as they tried to understand your message.

Oblivious to your ploy, Steve, without even looking, reached out and grabbed what he assumed was your phone from your hand.

Steve confidently made his way to the entrance, his actions deliberate as he flipped the sign to 'closed,' locking the door, isolating Peter and MJ within the office.

Peter's gaze met yours for a final lingering moment, his eyes filled with a silent plea. Sensing his unspoken message, you mouthed to him, “PURSE,” silently instructing him to look for your phone in your purse.

“Come on, doll, have a seat...” Bucky beckoned, gesturing to an empty chair. “We are here to talk.” His tone commanding yet mocking.

Your heart raced in your chest, the pet name he used making your skin crawl. Reluctantly, you took a seat, your eyes never leaving his.

In the cramped office, Peter and MJ huddled together, concern etched on their faces.

“MJ, we have to do something,” Peter whispered urgently, his eyes flickering towards the closed door where Steve and Bucky were likely to be on the other side. “We need to help her.”

“I know,” MJ nodded, her voice filled with frustration. “But they have our phones. What can we do?” Peter frowned, trying to recall the brief interaction before being locked away. “Wait,” he said, his voice growing more hopeful.

“She was shaking the dummy phone,” Peter explained, realization dawning on him. Peter's eyes widened in understanding. “She said 'p-u-r-s'“ he spelled out.

MJ nodded vigorously, her mind racing. “Her purse!!!” she confirmed. “It's the only thing left here.”

MJ quickly dived into your purse, rummaging through its contents, found your phone.

“Damn it, it's locked,” she cursed, frustration lacing her voice. Peter leaned in beside her, his impatience growing. “Type random passwords!” he urged, his voice a whisper.

MJ shot him a glare. “Patience…” she replied, her fingers hovering over the phone. “I think I can swipe the password from the prints on the screen.”

With a few muttered curses, MJ cautiously attempted the password a couple of times until, finally, she succeeded in unlocking your phone.

MJ shoved your phone into Peter's hands, her expression growing worried. “Here,” she said urgently.

Peter quickly glanced at the name on the last contact labeled “Lloyd” and looked up at MJ. “Who's Lloyd?” she asked, curiosity evident in her voice. “I don't know,” Peter replied. “Just check the emergency contact numbers.”

Peter scrolled through your phone, his heart racing, and spotted Lloyd's name under the emergency contact list. His eyes widened as he read his name aloud. “It's Lloyd.”

“Then call him!” MJ urged, her voice filled with desperation. Peter nodded, his thumbs trembling as he quickly dialed Lloyd's number.

“I remember, he was at home earlier with Y/n.”

Lloyd's voice came through the phone, assuming it was you on the other line. “Hey Sugar, already missing me?” he teased, a hint of playfulness in his tone. Nick, sitting nearby, rolled his eyes at Lloyd's typical demeanor.

“Umm...hello sir Hansen” Lloyd's tone changed to one of concern. “Who are you?” he asked sharply. “Who is it?” Nick asks, seeing Lloyd tensed. “Peter,” came the nervous reply. “Peter who?” Lloyd questioned, his unease growing. “May's nephew,” Peter added, explaining the situation further. Lloyd's voice grew tight when he heard the mention of your name. “What are you doing with Y/n's phone?” he demanded.

Peter's voice trembled as he urgently explained the situation to Lloyd. “Mr. Hansen,” he began, his words racing out in a rush. “Y/n needs your help. Some guy named Barnes... and her ex... they're here. They've taken our phones and locked me and MJ inside the office.”

Lloyd's response was instant and visceral. “THAT FUCKER!!!!” he roared. “Sir,” Peter pleaded, “please hurry.”

Lloyd's voice hardened, determined. “On my way, kid!” he replied firmly.

MJ fidgeted anxiously, her eyes darting towards the phone. “What did he say?” she asked, her voice tinged with urgency. Peter relayed Lloyd's words, a hint of hope in his voice. “On my way kid.” he repeated, the term echoing in the air.

MJ cocked an eyebrow, her irritation flaring momentarily. “Why does everyone keeps calling us kids?” she muttered more to herself than Peter, her eyes rolling slightly in annoyance.

Peter just shrugged in response, a sheepish smile on his face.

Nick watched as Lloyd's expression hardened, knowing something was amiss. “What happened?” he asked, grabbing his guns and preparing himself for the worst.

Lloyd's tone was tight with anger as he responded. “Barnes and Steve are at the café. They've taken their phones and locked the kids in the office.” Nick's jaw clenched at the news. “That fucker and his side kick will pay!” he growled, his voice sharp and filled with a promise of retribution.

Part 9- Part 11

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[snugglebugs]

KAI SMITH flip (caregiver-leaning!)

Kai Ninjago Smith is ABSOLUTELY an age regressor are you KIDDING me are you JOKING me. He is BASICALLY CANONICALLY an age regressor!!!!

"I bet he loves being treated like a baby..." (Nya, Season 14, Episode 6, Call From The Abyss)... Yeah he does because he IS a baby. He is THE baby. He is BABY.

His entire traumatic backstory is that, after his parents were taken from him from an early age, he had to step into a parental role for his little sister and become the adult of the family while still being a child himself. He had to grow up before he even really had a chance to grow at all. On-screen, we see that once his parents return and he's no longer forced into that role of responsibility, he canonically regresses into childish habits and language we have never before seen him use or display beforehand.

"Ham and cheese sandwiches with crispy bacon? Oh thanks, Mommy! You're the best! Mm... bacon is the best, too!" (Kai, Season 14, Episode 6, Call From The Abyss).

Conclusion? Kai Smith is the most age-regressor to ever age regress ever I will not take criticism because I am OBJECTIVELY CORRECT.

Anyway!! I think Kai is regresses from 5-9~ years old. We can tell from his diction that he doesn't seem to be a baby regressor (at least in this scene), as he's capable of fully-formed sentences and has the cognitive skills required to play video games, so that leads me to believe he might be a little-middlespace regressor! Kai's parents left when he was around 5, so it makes sense he wouldn't be an infant regressor, but around the little-middle spectrum, regressing into the same range of years in which he didn't have a chance to be a child before.

I don't just think he's an age regressor, though, I also think he's a flip, too! He definitely has some care-giving tendencies built-in to him from having to be a caretaker for his little sister for so many years, and so he pretty naturally slips into the role of a big brother caregiver! I imagine he leans more towards the caregiving side then the regressing side, just because being a caregiver is what he's used to being - what he's always had to be - but that may be prone to change as he becomes more comfortable with his regression! He hates regressing around the other age regressors, especially when they're regressed, because he feels like when they're small he has to be big and adult to take care of them regardless of his own headspace. We can see his caregiver tendencies displayed in... countless interactions with Lloyd. Speaking of...

LLOYD MONTGOMERY GARMADON age regressor!

I am, once again, OBJECTIVELY correct. Lloyd is basically canonically an age regressor. He IS canonically an age regressor. He is, quite literally, a child stuck in a teenager's body -- as in he was a child and then magic age-up tea turned his body into a teenager's but still left him with the mental capacity of a child. Which is the DEFINITION of what an age regressor is!! Bodily an adult but mentally a child!! He IS an age regressor!!!!

And even if that WASN'T the case, he'd probably be an age regressor anyway, because, like. Look at him. He had the weight of the world on his shoulders since he was, like, eight, was unable to be a child because he had to endure constant rigorous training and when he WASN'T training he was undergoing countless traumatic experiences while he was still a child.

Lloyd: Well...The latest issue of Starfarer just came in at Doomsday Comix and it's a limited run, so if I don't go out and get it, it's going to sell out. Last they left off, intergalactic rogue Fritz Donnegan was surrounded by the Imperial Sludge, and if I don't find out if he gets out alright, I think I might have my own doomsday! Kai: The fate of Ninjago rests on your shoulders. As the Green Ninja, you have a giant responsibility to hold. I'm sorry, but you don't have time for such childish things. Lloyd: Other kids get to play and have fun. All I ever do is train...(Season 2, Episode 18, Child's Play)

I don't even think I need to argue my case that hard for why Lloyd is an age regressor. I think it'd be harder to argue why he ISN'T an age regressor, actually. TRY to argue that he's not an age regressor. TRY. I BET you CAN'T.

I don't have much evidence for this one, but I imagine he may be a pet regressor, too! He's an oni-dragon-hybrid, after all, and his heritage have proven to come with strong instincts regarding this animalistic half of his genes, as seen throughout the Oni Trilogy. Even if he doesn't have any physical traits, it's likely he at least has psychological ones. I imagine he growls, gnaws on things, et cetera!

COLE BROOKSTONE caregiver!

Look at him. JUST LOOK AT HIM. The most caregiver to ever caregive ever forever. He has chronic can't-stop-adopting-children syndrome. He's adopted, like, three separate children at this point. It is becoming a problem.

"Huh? Oh, no. Don't make that face. Don't cry. Oh, I can't take it any more. Hey, look at me. Hehe. Yeah. I'm not sad. Ha-ha, I'm not crying. Oh, fine. But this is between you and me. Shine, little glow worm, glimmer glimmer. Hey there, don't get dimmer, dimmer. You like that, huh? Well, there's more where that came from. Glow, little glow worm. Glow and Glimmer—" (Cole, Season 8, Episode 5, Dead Man's Squall)

When his mentor canonically (mentally & physically) regressed into an infant his first and immediate instinct was to adopt and care for them. If that isn't agere caregiver behaviour I don't know WHAT is. HE BECAME THE FATHER TO AN INDIVIDUAL REGRESSED FROM THEIR NORMAL HEADSPACE INTO A CHILD.... HE'S LITERALLY A CAREGIVER GUYS!!!!!! I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE YOU WANT ME TO SAY!!!!!!! I AM JUST STRAIGHT-UP CORRECT!!!!!!!!!!!

JAY WALKER padded regressor!

Jay: Aah! [He picks up a ruined stuffed toy.] Mister Cuddlywomp… [sobs] is a teddy bear I used to love when I was five, but now he's totally lame and—

Cole: We know you still sleep with him.

Jay: And I don't care who knows it! Mister Cuddlywomp... (Season 7, Episode 6, The Attack)

Jay Walker is DEFINTELY a regressor. His personality has been noted to be very child-like and babyish at times, to the point where the fandom (and showwriters) tend to infantilize him, despite the fact that in his own right he can be a very serious character when he need be. As much as I do believe he's an age regressor, it's important to remember he can be very capable and competent character when he's big, too, and not to define him by his regression!

If he's any regressor, it's definitely a padded regressor. Throughout the show, it's become a running bit that he's a bedwetter and has a weak bladder:

Jay: But I don't wanna get wet. I...I only have one pair of underwear.

Kai: Jay, this is no time to be making jokes. The Bounty can only take so much.

Jay: You think I'm trying to be funny? (Season 2, Episode 9, The Last Voyage)

Harumi: Uh, forgive me, but is that... underwear?

Jay: We're usually more organized. Ahem. But our leader got lost in a time-stream. Uh, they're Cole's.

Cole: They're blue!

Kai: You're lucky they're not yellow. (Season 8, Episode 3, The Oni & The Dragon)

Jet Jack: Then tell us, who do these diapers belong to?

Kai: Oh, those are Jay's. Tell 'em, Jay.

Jay: Oh. I have a weak bladder. (Season 9, Episode 2, Iron & Stone)

These are only a few of many, many examples (You can find others throughout the show, such as in Only One Can Remain, The Darkness Remains, Darkness Within, etc) of this bit, and though it's usually spun as a joke, there's no harm and shame in it! I imagine the ninja do actually buy him diapers, and as much they tease and prod, they never actually judge him whenever he has an accident!

ZANE JULIEN caregiver!

"I was built to protect those who can't protect themselves!" (Zane, Season 3, Episode 8, The Titanium Ninja)

I don't know what else you want me to say guys... he said so himself.,,,,,,. was built to protect those who can't protect themselves...,.....

Zane's entire identity is hinged around adaptability. Though I could go on a WHOLE 'NOTHER ESSAY about Zane's relationship with identity, the point here is that he often adapts to what people need him to be! I mean, he downloaded thousands pieces of detective media onto his hardware in order to try to track down the other ninja after they went missing, if called for I imagine he could very easily slip into the role of caretaker (he WOULD download hundreds of resources on age regression to help the other ninja)!

I don't have a lot of evidence for this one beside source: bro trust me but bro. trust me. The Vibes,,,, theyre there

These are just my personal headcanons based on evidence I've gathered from the show - I am in NO WAY saying these are the only headcanons or that they are the "correct" ones!! In fact, if you have DIFFERENT headcanons for the ninja (esp. ones I didn't provide a lot of detail for), I encourage you to share them in the tags, I'd love to hear other's opinions!!!! ^^

If this gets enough interested, I might make a pt. 2, so stay tuned!!

[dals-works]

Lunch

Greenflower if you squint ; for @astro-nomaly

From @dumb-about-legos

Ao3 Version

"Mind if I sit with you?"

Lloyd nearly jumped out of his skin. He looked up to see a familiar dark haired boy holding a lunch tray and looking down at him.

"Brad?" Lloyd asked, not believing his eyes.

"The one and only. So, can I sit or...?"

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Lloyd asked as Brad took a seat across from him, not waiting for an answer.

"Uhm, yeah? Why not?" Brad asked as he began eating his less that appetizing school lunch pizza.

"Oh, y'know, the entire city kinda hates me and you'll definitely get bullied for even sitting on the same side of the bus as me," Lloyd explained with feigned nonchalance. It wasn't that Lloyd didn't think Brad could defend himself (he definitely could, there was a lot of strength packed into his lithe body), but he didn't like the idea of his childhood friend being bullied on his account.

Brad wore a mischievous smile, "Don't worry! I'll give anyone who bothers us the ol' Darkely's Treatment." He pulled out a pocket knife and twirled it on his fingers.

"Brad, I'm begging you, please do not slice anyone open. And put that away!" Lloyd snatched the spinning blade from Brad's hand, which Brad immediately took back and shoved into his pocket. "You're gonna get us expelled."

"Whatever," Brad pshed and went back to eating his somehow soggy and burnt lunch.

"What are you doing here anyways? I thought you're dad wanted you to attend Darkely's?" Lloyd asked, genuinely curious. Brad scoffed.

"Pops said he's 'turned over a new leaf' and that 'attending a public high school will help with my hostility issues.' Whatever," Brad rolled his eyes, "I'm pretty sure that's just a cover so I won't find out he's gone to work for your dad... again." Lloyd cringed, but before he could respond, an all too familiar voice rang out behind him.

"Hey guys, looks like Garmadork recruited the new emo kid into his Dork-Squad," Chen taunted as he came around the table. Lloyd ducked his head, but could see the angry fire in Brad's eyes.

"What did you call him?" Brad stood up. No one else would have noticed, but Lloyd saw Brad reach into his pocket. He grabbed his arm.

"Brad. Don't."

"Aw, looks like Garmadork is trying to protect his buddy. Isn't that sweet." Before Lloyd could even stand up, the sickening crack of Chen's nose breaking had already reached his ears.

~~~

Lloyd sat next to Brad, waiting to be called into the principal's office.

"I'm going to get suspended," he said shakily, staring at the shiny tiles on the floor.

"Nah. I'll tell 'em you had nothin' to do with it," Brad said, awfully nonchalant for someone who was about to visit the principal.

"Then you'll be suspended."

"Won't be the first time. And definitely not the last," he laughed.

[toptophat]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!

(Translation: TopHat just watched Dragons Rising S3 part 1 and she's currently very happy!!)

TopHat's Thoughts on Dragons Rising S3 part 1!!! (SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!)

First things first, I had a great time watching this! I was hyped for weeks!! The fights never fails to impress me and the animation is beautiful as always. And now I'm really excited for the 2nd part, imma talk about the biggest surprise characters before the main guys

Obviously we expected Morro to show up and it seems that even when completely separated in the merged realms, he's still atoning for his actions in Possession by cultivating Wu's teachings and protecting people, which was really sweet to see, and of course his conversation with Arin was expected. I hope that after Thunderfang is defeated, Morro can actually meet the ninja again and team up with them, especially since there's a chance Wu is alive.

Pixal was definitely a welcome return, the team just didn't feel complete without her. It is kinda sad that she didn't realise how long she was trapped for but at least she's reunited with Zane and Samurai X is finally back! I really loved the way she intimidated the Freebooters, made Rapton shit his pants and everything 🤣 anyways, glad my gurl is back!

Dareth made a small cameo and it seems like he's still trying to be a ninja even after all this time! thankfully the Arrakore didn't grant that wish, and it's also nice to see my boi's efforts in restoring Djinjago are paying off, it's looking beautiful!

Now onto the main guys!!

Firstly! No, Internet, Arin was obviously not gonna be evil, he's simply being manipulated by Ras, but he's still kind to others, willing to reason with others as opposed to unnecessary violence and he even rejects some of his teachings and is still on somewhat decent terms with the ninja, especially with Sora and Lloyd, the latter of which he risks his life for in the first battle against Thunderfang. And with Jay/Rogue revealing to the others that Arin's parents are still alive, it looks like Ras was only lying to him and using his emotions against him to fulfil his own agenda.

Sora is most likely to master her spinjitzu in part 2, but it's great that she was able to have that moment to reconnect with her bestie! And it was even interesting that when they were kids, he saved her from literally being trafficked, like, holy hell, idk what else you'd call that! Hopefully the other ninja can tell her that Arin's parents are alive so she can convince him that Ras is using him. No pressure!

Frak was great this season, I may have said it before but it's nice to see some heroic serpentine for a change. Appreciate that he's also trying to get through to Arin, admitting that Ras' teachings are flawed, I feel like Arin could've gotten the same experience under better circumstances

Wyldfyre continues to be goated, it was nice seeing her get obsessed with the arcade games whilst looking for Jay with Kai and Nya, it's also pretty cool that she managed to find a cure for the decay affecting Roby (caused by one of the forbidden 5). Where would the ninja be without her? tsk tsk

Cole didn't really do much in part 1, like, I at least thought we were going to have an episode where he looks too! maybe he'll get to at least do something in part 2?

Zane, as always was my goat, I loved his solo episode with the train (really appreciated the reference in the title) although I did have one tiny pet peeve.... THAT GODDAMN SONG 😭😭😭 don't ask which one, you know exactly which one I'm talking about, how many times has that song played during his fake out deaths??? I wasn't even worried this time, I was like "oh, he's dying again" he did get that cool mech suit though! And him calling Pixal the smartest and most attractive member of the team is just... My heart 🥹!!!

"is this guy bugs? IS THIS GUY BUGS???" - Kai

I really enjoyed Kai especially when he showed his dad side saying "Did Roby break up with you? Let's kick his butt!" And also imagine spending your time and effort trying to beat your buddy's highscore only to have them take it back without even being there, it was a sweet moment but that's gotta suck 😭 bro is not hearing the end of it!

Nya, my goat!! It's great that she finally managed to find Jay, of course not as himself but it's still him! Also if there's one thing I could count on, is her and Kai's banter, even as adults you can't not banter with your siblings! Also it was kinda fun seeing her partake in a wish battle again, only this time the Djinn is on her side and not trying to marry her because she looks like his dead lover and through that marriage granting the Djinn infinite wishes causing her to get hit by a poisonous dart and die only for it to be reversed by her actual lover's wish so that only they would remember what happened!

Oh yeah speaking of which, we finally got more Jay screen time!!! Bro thought we wouldn't notice his goofy ahh, although I did love that he actually was a threat to Ras as the mercenary Rogue, it also seems that Kai was right, Jay was probably like "i sense a disturbance in the force.... DID SOMEONE JUST BEAT MY HIGHSCORE??" It's also clear that he hasn't lost his sense of humour ( guessed from his signature "Hoowah!!!" But the pun works too) also bro hasn't changed one bit 🤣 is his goodness still shattered, cus it doesn't feel like it? But I know they'll find a way to get his memory back I missed him so much 😭

La-loyd and Ras, two sides of the custody battle, it's nice to see that he isn't having those visions so frequently but it seems that he is in a lot of danger from Thunderfang who will definitely be back for revenge. So it also turns out that Ras is lying to Arin about his parents, imagine using an emotionally distressed, grieving child for your own gain 😭 that's 16/17 realms worth of fucked up!! I get that he wants his home back, but toying with a child's emotions and dependence is not it bro... Like I said, I really hope Sora is informed about this somehow, someone needs to tell Arin

The Forbidden 5, man, those fuckers were creepy!! Especially the decayer and the one made of bugs!!! Like, I have a phobia of creepy crawlies (spooders) and seeing the inside of him filled with bugs was just... ewww 🤮 I think they're either dead now or their power was slurped out by Thunderfang, either way I don't think they'll be any trouble for now, they sure were a handful though!

And finally, Mr Thunder "Source Dragon Senpai Wouldn't Notice Me" Fang, I had a feeling he wouldn't be easily finished with in part 1, so they're gonna have to give it their all in part 2! And since the Arc dragon of focus defeated him once, is his natural opposite, and is literally one of the newer Lego sets only for £85.97, we'll definitely see them in part 2!!

Moral of the story.... Don't do bugs, kids!!

Anyways, I literally watched this in one sitting hours ago, I was mad dedicated!!! But I'm glad I got to watch it! And I can't wait for part 2!! Idk if I've said this but DR is a great successor to the original series, because I feel like it's the best of both worlds, Lego obviously wouldn't get rid of the old ninja, that'd be awful for business so this is a good move! And honestly the new additions balance so well off of the ogs making a good blend of old and new.

Dragons Rising S3 Part 1 gets 100 corny lighting puns out of 1

[thecomicsnexus]

TMNT: 40TH ANNIVERSARY COMICS CELEBRATION

July 2024

By Kevin Eastman, Edgar Alan Poe, Jim Lawson, Tristan Jones, Gary Carlson, Chris Allan, Erik Burnham, Lloyd Goldfine, Ciro Nieli, Andy Suriano, Tom Waltz, Ronda Pattison , Tom Napolitano, Steve Lavigne, Paul Harmon, Frank Fosco, Adam Guzowski, Sarah Myer, Luis Antonio Delgado, Shawn Lee, Khary Randolph, Emilio Lopez, Michael Dialynas, Pablo Tunica, Freddie E. Williams II, David Petersen, Ken Mitchroney, Aaron Hazouri, Dan Duncan, Sophie Campbell, Jodi Nishijima, Stan Sakai, and Emi Fujii.

Come and enjoy stories that will remind you of the 40 years of turtle history.

SCORE: 10 *

* Assuming you are familiar with these iterations.

This is a strange read, and curiously, there are three or four highlights for me, and they are not exactly the ones you would imagine.

Spoilers after the break...

The first story by Kevin Eastman is in the Mirage section of the book but... well... I'll leave at that... I wouldn't call it the Mirage we knew.

There is a story by Lawson and Lavigne with the Rat King that... it's fun. But, you know... I wouldn't even try to fit it in canon... the amount of continuity physics you need to bend to place this story is not worth the time. Just enjoy as a new story by these two iconic Mirage artists.

This other story by Tristan H. Jones and Paul Harmon requires more analysis. I'll revisit it on my gang wars video and try to give it more context... but unfortunately... it's just too vague. All I can say for sure is that it happens in the future of that incomplete saga, but the narrator just takes too many artistic choices to be taken at face value.

Also... I believe this is the first official (frontal) appearance of Agent Bishop (unless I got the character wrong, but Jones already tried to introduce him in this saga). I think he is still holding on to it, and I really hope he gets to tell his story. I wouldn't mind a mini-series... just saying!

The Volume 3 story was... not for me. The dialogue alone felt tired.

The Archie adventure was short, eventful, and funny... and it looks amazing too!

In just four pages a new character was introduced and... a new love story was implied! And it's not just a gratuitous cameo... this is a funny sequence.

The Saturday Morning Adventures (the de facto 87 story) looks amazing as usual, but I didn't find the story that interesting. However, it started a theme that would run across most of the stories in this special after this one: Master Splinter.

The 2003 story is a... loose canon?

Hun is Slash, and Shredder is back... so make of that what you want. All I'm going to say is that this felt a lot like watching the beginning of a 2003 episode, with the narration setting the tone.

The 2012 story was one of the least interesting in the previews, but I have to say... it was probably one of the best. It brought back a villain and it technically serves as an excuse to continue the series?

But to me the best thing about the story is the art. I am surprised Ciro Nieli didn't do more comic book work for the Turtles all these years. In fact, if they somehow decided to continue the 2012 universe in 2D in this style... I'm all in. Well, who am I kidding... I would be in anyway... but this looks amazing.

Andy Suriano did probably the most interesting story in the book. Now, I am not sure if his style doesn't translate well to static panels or what the problem is with the comic format... but it doesn't matter... this small story brought in a lot of things that ended on the editing floor after the show's second season was reduced to a few more episodes. There was a rumor about a female turtle, and not only it is here in all its glory, but there is also a brother?

And come on... it's so Lou Jitsu to die with a cliffhanger.

There are two IDW stories. One is another Splinter story, but the other one is perhaps one of the best in this book.

The Ronda Pattison story takes place just before the Armageddon game, and it shows the five turtles in full sibling dynamic (even Jennika). It was refreshing to see these turtles having fun for a change.

There are no stories by the new team, but... well... that's just starting.

[lynn-tged-posting]

tged webtoon ep 172 spoilers and thoughts that are actually very happy about this episode because we got a lot of good panels i really liked the art for this week and more below the cut

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BEFORE WE BEGIN. I NEED EVERYONE TO SEE. JAVIER BLUSHING AT LLOYD LOOK AT HIM THIS IS SO FUCKING CUTE OH MY GOOD GOD ALDKFJLSKJFLSKDJF!??!?!?!?

he's embarrassed at his lord which means he is blushing about lloyd on a technicality which means yes llovier is real. thank you goodnight. HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAA

i am so serious when i saw this panel i started yelling and kicking and smacking every solid object with my hands within a two foot radius. jesus christ. jumpscare of the century in the best way possible. i love this panel so much. javier is very cute. and he's blushing bc of lloyd. WAHOO!

anyway lloyd and his dramatic ass,,, my god he's such a loser goofball /aff WAHAHA it's okay lloyd i think you're cool,,, even if no one else agrees,,, obsessed with how his eyes are a diff color and how there's just smoke slipping past his lips HELLOOO

i think given the chance suho could have been a theater kid or smth. i'd believe it.

more of javier being embarrassed by his lord LMFAOOO GOD THEY'RE SO CUTE AND STUPID

we also got more panels and info about credos!!! yay!!! lloyd's reaction to the rock paper scissors reveal was really good LMFAOOO

it seems like,,, jang-cheol!credos really didn't want to die, not at the hands of the protagonist and certainly not at the hands of his own people, so he introduced korean-style rock paper scissors and gave it enough flair so that the demons would believe it's a proper way of dueling,,, it's a clever n smart solution it just comes across as silly to people who know what it really is AHAHAHA

"that too is a teaching of the great credos" LMFAOOO he probably couldn't really figure out how to embellish it that much so just left it as is HAHAHAHAHA AND JAVIERS "?????" LOL

giggled very badly at how tense this panel appears surrounded by chanting of ROCK PAPER SCISSORS! ROCK PAPER SCISSORS! LMFAO

like,,, this is SERIOUS,,, ROCK PAPER SCISSORS TO DECIDE YOUR FATE,,,!!!! HAHAHAHAHA

AND FINALLY THE PANEL WHERE LLOYD THROWS OUT BOTH SCISSORS AFTER STARTLING THE DEMON I REALLY LIKE THE WAY THIS PANEL LOOKS IDK HOW TO EXPLAIN IT. STUPID CLEVER IDIOT. OF COURSE HE'D DO THAT. CHEATING LOSER. THAT'S SMART. GUARANTEED WIN. I HATE YOU /AFF

and everyones reactions HAHAHAHAA i fucking love how scuffed the legends behind this stuff are LOL

it does make me wonder,,, how these legends even come to be?!? who the hell was writing the knight of blood and iron??? lmfao??? like first the one with the lightspeed runner with the centaurs, and now this??? is credos behind this legend specifically, is this part of the bullshitting he had to do to get the demons to believe him? I'M VERY AMUSED AND SUPER CURIOUS LOL

and then lloyd trying to be cool again,,, you were VERY cool lloyd I LOVE THIS PANEL A LOT IT'S VERY VERY COOL!!! i love love love the composition of the art this week it's great!!!

plus javier's reaction HAHAHAHAHAHHA

i actually really liked the episode this week!! the pacing feels a little bit better than the last couple of episodes, i'm not sure if i can properly explain why i feel that way but it definitely feels better to me! but also, i have no idea whether or not this falls in line with the novel context so others may have differing opinions LMFAOOO

i think in general i really liked the art in this episode, the panels really were super awesome this week! and the overall gags were both hilarious and gave more world-building info (in a very indirect way haha) which i really liked. i always love tearing that stuff apart and coming to my own conclusions about Why these characters do what they do, so that made me happy/satisfied hehe

still thinking about that blushing javier panel. jesus that is like a DRUG. i feel my neurons activate every time i see it. CHRIST

i really really hope the next episodes keep up this pace! i like that they spent time to build up the rock paper scissors punchline/explanation, bc it makes it easier to feel like there are things happening. it was harder in the earlier eps for this arc (specifically 169, where we breezed past the eight demon kings - it felt fast bc while the solution was simple, we didn't have build up or time spent with them!) but now we're actively giving time for the punchline / for the action to run its course, which i really like. YAY!

that's all from me this time, i'm very excited to see what they'll do next,,, finally the railroad will be started!!! see y'all then!!!

[bluestarjay]

Plasma is so loser bf x princess bf, and like,, I think we know who's who, even though they're both definitely losers. I see a lot of polyninja, a lot of lava, and a lot of bruise, but not enough plasma!!! They're so underrated,, here's some early show plasma for the soul 😎

When they first met, they hated each other. Wu had Jay, Cole, and Zane just, like, attack him out of nowhere! Obviously, it was for the test,,, but all Kai had gotten out of it were 3 annoying rivals. And the blue one? His first thought when he asked about his sister was, "Is she hot?" He was annoyed. His job was to protect his sister, and yet she was in the hands of some damned skeletal villains. How had he failed so badly?

Even though he had insisted that he wouldn't become a ninja, that it was just to save Nya, he had found a home at the monastery. He knew it was necessary to stay and help defeat Lord Garmadon. He had his sister and 3 annoying friends. But that was more than he could say he had before.

The most annoying of them was definitely Jay. He never shut up, and he was kinda dumb, but at the same time, he was brilliant. They had shared stories of how Wu had found each of them, and Jay mentioned a failed flying machine. Apparently, he lived in a junkyard and had grown up building things, which was pretty cool. He knew they were similar in that aspect. He, too, grew up creating things, and he was well aware of the patience and skill required for it. Jay, of course, was a whole lot smarter than him, considering that Kai never went to school, and Jay had been homeschooled for the past 12 or so years by his parents, who also happened to be incredibly smart. But considering how much of a genius Jay was, to be able to invent things with a reasonable chance of success, as well as the other artful skills he had mentioned, he lacked common sense. And it pissed the hell out of Kai.

After many months of getting to know the other ninja and a few encounters with Lord Garmadon's son, Lloyd, he could definitely say the other ninja had grown on him. Zane tended to be a pushover and always took things too seriously; he always mother-henned them when they got injured. He was kind, though. Cole was kind of a slob. He wasn't really one to say anything, though, as he was too, but sometimes it was like Cole was another breed. He was way too strong for him, too, so training with him always sucked. Jay wasn't any less annoying, but he had gotten used to nervous ramblings and pessimistic panicking in the face of danger. Seriously, he was a ninja! How was he gonna help save Ninjago if he couldn't handle spiders? But he should probably give him more credit. He was a pretty sheltered kid, living in a trailer in the desert. He had started to cling to Kai when it got too cold, since he wasn't used to the cold weather. At first, Kai thought it was annoying because all he had to do was grab a jacket. But then Zane started to do the same, and it became common to have Jay and Zane sit on either side of him when they played video games so they could bask in the heat he radiated. Honestly, he preferred just having Jay next to him than Zane. Only because Zane was too cold, even for him!

At one point, he noticed that what had been a simple, fleeting crush on Nya had become love for Jay. Jay was in love with Nya. His sister! The thought of it made his stomach ache, and he knew that he wouldn't let Jay go out with his sister, no matter what. Hell, he'd rather let Nya go out with Pythor than Jay!! And it wasn't necessarily anything against Jay. He just didn't want one of his best friends to date his sister!

But they went out anyway. To Mega-Monster Amusement Park?? When they were on a mission there?? He hadn't even given permission!! And then Jay unlocked his true potential because of Nya!! He wanted to be happy for them, truly, but he couldn't find it in him. He didn't know why, but he felt nauseous seeing Jay's glowing form next to Nya, hearing her say, "I like you best when you're you!" Well, no shit! Anyone could've told him that! A voice deep inside his head tells him *he* should've helped Jay unlock his true potential.

Another several months go by, and they've since had to deal with getting Lloyd adjusted to his new life as a teenager and the green ninja. He had a huge role to take, and he felt bad. In those few months, he had come to think of Lloyd as a brother. He was stupid to think he had a chance at becoming the green ninja himself. It was always meant for Lloyd. He knew it made sense; his role, no matter what, would be to protect his younger siblings. He's noticed that as Nya takes on her passion for engineering or mechanics or whatever the hell it is, Jay had worked on his own stuff less. And then when Pixal had joined, maybe he just felt useless? They already had people to take care of fixing their mech and vehicles, and his lightning was useful, but not really for the day to day mechanical jobs Jay tended to help with. He knew this because he tended to watch Jay sometimes. Not because he was being creepy or liked him or anything, obviously! But Jay was the kind of guy who needed some help sometimes. He noticed that Jay was a lot more restless without having stuff to do, so he bounced his legs, which got annoying because it shook the table or his feet tapped the floor a bit too loudly. Sometimes, he'd start drumming on the thing closest to him, which, again, got annoying real quick.

One time, when it was just the two of them, Jay started bouncing his leg and looked really anxious, and kai thought that maybe it was because Nya was fixing something in the next room over, and the clacking of metal and whatnot could be heard. "You good, man?" Jay stopped almost immediately and turned to look at him. Kai had several thoughts about Jay's hair, how it was almost definitely curly, but being straightened every morning. At the time, it had been raining, so even though Jay's hair wasn't quite curly, it was frizzing up and didn't look very good. And to think he made fun of Kai for having damaged hair!! Jay forced a smile, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly. "Yeah, of course! Why wouldn't I be?" "I don't know, you've been shaking your knees like crazy, and you look half dead. Is it the rain messing with your powers? Or Nya?" Jay flushed and looked confused. "It's kind of the rain. Why- why would it be about Nya?" "Uhh well, she rejected you, didn't she?" Jay looked away from his eyes. "And she's taken over your role as the 'smart one' or whatever. She's out building and fixing things, and you feel like we don't need you anymore. But we do. Dude, you're so fucking smart and you don't even know! I didn't even go to school, you know? If you keep bottling everything up, you're just gonna end up hurting someone and probably yourself." Jay looked back at Kai, tears building up. Knowing him, he'd probably just start getting super defensive. "Dude, you just took that whole conversation from 0-100 right there, like, you aren't wrong, but where the hell did you get all that from?? And me and Nya, we just decided we were better off as friends, it's fine. I genuinely don't care all that much, Nya's really cool, and I'm fine just being friends with her! But she's been hiding out with Pixal, and every time I ask if she's got anything she needs help with, or if she's got something for me to do, she insists that they've got it! And I would totally just work on my own thing, but I can't because they're always in there, and it's awkward! Because what I've been doing my whole life, Nya has picked up in the past few months! And now they don't need me, and I feel useless!" As tears silently streamed down Jay's face, Kai wrapped his arm around Jay and pulled him towards his chest. Usually, he wouldn't do this for someone unless it was Nya or Lloyd, but he loved Jay.

He *loved* Jay.

Holy shit was he in love with Jay???

Ughhh, this was so bad!!

He's in love with the boy who was in love with his sister!

They might’ve been just friends, but that was still weird, wasn't it? He'd definitely have to talk to someone about it,,, He looked down at Jay, who was still tucked into his chest, and oh wow, even though his hair was straightened every single morning, it was really soft! Jay had by now stopped crying and let out a long breath. He looked at Kai and smiled. Had Jay always had a scar on his lip? He wondered how he got it. And were those lichtenberg scars on his shoulders; and beginning to creep up his neck? And his eyes, they were entirely brown, but his left eye was partially a deep, dark brown compared to the lighter chocolate color of the rest.

"Kai?" Uhh yeah?" "Thank you."

[thecatundertheladder]

how about fsm's and lloyds first meeting in the fsm lives au?

First of all thank you so much for asking!!! I had a lot of fun writing this even if took ages. Right so I haven't completely figured out when the ninja actually meet Fsm, but I'll get to that later. I do have a rough timeline so probably in between seasons five and six (Possession will obviously get retconned a lot). Garmadon is alive btw.

Lloyd had never really made the connection between his grandfather and the First Spinjitzu Master. Like sure he knew it logically, but there was a real difference between 'my grandfather is the First Spinjitzu Master' and 'the First Spinjitzu Master is my grandfather'. And besides, the guy was dead, as far as he could tell, so it didn't really matter other than 'hey I inherited cool powers and also his arch nemesis'. Honestly, the only things Lloyd knew about his grandfather were that he invented spinjitzu, used the golden weapons to create Ninjago, fought the Overlord, and he had two kids, who happened to be Lloyd's dad and uncle.

So naturally it was quite a shock when one day at breakfast Wu announced that his father was coming to visit in a few days.

What resulted from that statement was a rather long and, uh, productive (not really) conversation (a very loud debate).

Cole: What?! But he’s supposed to be dead! Kai: No no one of my village elders said he just left this realm and would return when we need him most. Morro: Nah grandpa just does whatever he likes. Though he was in another realm last time I checked, at least that's right. Jay: What the fuck does that even mean?!

That ,of course, sparked a whole other debate about why Morro knew that. It got sorted out in the end, eventually, after a few thrown noodle bowls.

But while the others seemed to calm down after that, Lloyd steadily got more anxious. Because this was his grandfather, the man who had created Ninjago itself, and fought the Overlord the first time. Yes, Lloyd had done that as well, but what if he didn’t met his grandfather's expectations? What if he was disappointed in him?

Morro, on the other hand, was pretty excited to see his grandpa again; it had been two years, and despite Morro taking advantage of Fsm's omniscience to inform him about various coming and goings, he hadn’t had an actual conversation, and he had a lot of things to show him as well. But Lloyd had seemed pretty anxious since Wu’s announcement, so, like any good older cousin, Morro cornered him on the way to breakfast.

Morro: What’s up with you? You’ve been anxious ever since dad told us grandpa was coming here. Lloyd, mumbling: What if I don't live up to his expectations? Morro: Huh? Lloyd, louder: What if he's disapointed in me? Morro: As someone who's actually meet him, his expectations are don't die, and don't kill innocent people. Pretty low expectations if you ask me. You'll be fine.

This makes Lloyd feel a bit better, but he's still anxious, and he refuses to talk to anyone else about it because, to him at least, it seems a bit dumb to be anxious about meeting his grandfather when no else is (they are, Lloyd just hasn't noticed).

Anyway fast forward to The Day of The Arrival. Lloyd gets up earlier than usual in order to mentally prepare himself for meeting God. And, since he's expecting to have a few hours before the First Spinjitzu Master arrives, he doesn't really bother to make himself presentable before making his way to the kitchen.

This was a mistake.

Because when lloyd enters the kitchen there's man(?) sitting at the table wearing a black kimono with gold detailing. And Lloyd's first though is 'fuck, its the First Spinjitzu Master' before he realises that the man (? seriously why is it so hard to tell) is in his late thirties at most. So Lloyd's next thought is 'why is this random person in my kitchen?'

Lloyd, suspicious: Who are you and why are you here? Fsm, smiling: I'm your grandfather, and I'm your grandfather. Lloyd: You can't be my grandfather! You're like thirty! Fsm: I am not thirty, I'm a shapeshifter. Fsm, now vaguely concerned: You didn’t know that? Why didn’t you know that?

So, luckily, Fsm, by being themself, manages to almost completely allay Lloyd’s anxiety by getting up, telling Lloyd to follow him, and going to find both his children so they can smack them on the head because come on you two this is Morro all over again (Fsm can't really talk though, his godly domain should really be 'forgetting to tell people important information'). Because he can understand Morro not knowing that Fsm - and subsequently their descendants - isn’t human, but Lloyd is actually related!

Lloyd, meanwhile, is shocked. God, his grandfather, is in his house, looking all of thirty, and stalking through the monastery all while grumbling under his breath about his kids not telling Lloyd something, all while Lloyd trails behind him like a lost fawn.

It’s then Lloyd remembers his pyjamas and bed hair, and he just, internally cringes. Like, c'mon, this is the First Spinjitzu Master, and here he is looking like he just got out of bed (that he actually did just get out of bed is completely pointless in Lloyd’s mind). But something about this thought process must have shown in his face and body language (never mind that Lloyd is behind his grandfather), because suddenly the First Spinjitzu Master (man Lloyd really has to get his name) is turning around, stopping Lloyd in his tracks.

Fsm: Stop that. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I am 25,000 years old, and I have raised two children, I have seen a lot worse than bed hair.

That makes Lloyd blush, but his grandfather is already on the move again, seeking out his children.

Of course, once Fsm does find their children, Lloyd has the pleasure of finding out that his grandfather his half oni, half dragon (“dragoni”, his father says, “easier on the tongue”).

But once Lloyd processes that he’s not fully human (and, like in the show, he’s pretty calm about because it makes a lot of sense when he actually thinks about) he starts to bond with his grandpa and damn the First Spinjitzu Master is not anything like he expected him to be, but honestly, Lloyd is actually kinda relieved about that. He’s a lot more approachable than Lloyd expected, and it seems he’s where Wu and Garmadon got the more, um, eccentric sides of their personalities. Lloyd is still a bit nervous around him, but that slowly goes away over the few weeks that Fsm is staying for.

Throughout those weeks, Lloyd kinda starts to get comfortable around Fsm. Lloyd shows Fsm a bunch of video games (I've decided this includes Minecraft because, listen, Fsm would be great at Minecraft (specifically creative mode) and you can't tell me otherwise), as well as board games, which leads to the interesting revelation that Mystake (Mystake?! Who runs the tea shop?!) banned Fsm from playing uno a few months after it come out because he tackled someone after he had to pick up 16 cards.

Hope you enjoyed!

But yeah I’ll probably do a separate post for the family bonding.

Also I feel like I need to give fsm a proper name at this point. I’ve been calling them imaragami (ih-ma-rah-gar-mi) since I started thing this whole idea up but tbh it’s just a bunch of random syllables put together (I’m kinda attached to it at this point tho). But anyway what do you think?

[riagraie]

Ninjago AU Headcannons

so obviously, this includes OC content. if you don't like OCs, don't read that part/ignore other hc ig?

anyway, this is for my AU of Ninjago, Echoes of the Echoed. The timeline is set to be between Crystalized (s16) and Dragons Rising Season 1. So there shouldn't be any spoilers?

this is just a bunch of random hcs I have for the ninja (and Hanna) in my AU. some of these are adapted from other people, some of them are mine.

Kai

he has naturally straight hair so he uses curlers to put wave in it. by curlers, i mean the ones your grandma uses overnight. he also sleeps in a bonnet

bro wears eyeliner. not a lot, but when asked he will admit to it.

he knows how to cook a meal and is probably the best chef (minus Zane bc Zane is goated) but doesn't like to cook

he is terrified of bugs. any kind of bug, it doesn't matter. he doesn't want to look at them, he doesn't want to be near him, and if he was alone in the monastery and found a spider, the entire thing would be up in flames.

when he gets spooked, sometimes fire will shoot out of his shoulders.

when someone on the team is upset or struggling with smth, he forces them to do self care nights with him

he paints his nails black or red

he's an insomniac, has been since his parents left. it got better around s11 but still struggles with it. when he can't sleep he likes to do blacksmithing. nya and pixal set up a station in the X Cave for him to do it quietly.

Jay

adhd, adhd, adhd, adhd, adhd, adhd-

he doesn't know what his biological mother looks like and he likes to try and imagine it.

the reason his hair curled after s7 is bc of puberty. some people's hair gets curly :/

when he uses his powers his spine will glow blue and have offshoots of the same color that look like lightning. it's sick af

he always carries his yin medallion with him. he might be wearing it, he may be holding it, it may be chillin in his pocket, but it's always on him.

after the events of s15 and then after s16, jay brags about how easy it was for him to grow a beard. it pisses lloyd off.

the eye that he hurt in Skybound(s6) is ever so slightly a lighter shade of blue than his other eye. sometimes it still hurts him and on those days it looks bloodshot and he wears an eye patch.

his favorite kind of art is watercolors.

he's got a wicked spice tollerance

Cole

he forced Zane to teach him how to cook basic things. but, he is a very skilled baker naturally

he's great with kids bc he lets them swing off his arms like monkey bars

cole is black and bc his dad never did, kai taught him how to take care of his hair.

he likes having long hair bc it covers his scar from when he was a ghost.

right after becoming human again, he kept forgetting he wasn't a ghost and kept running into walls and doors

he has seriously considered becoming a streamer

cole is terrified of singing because his mother used to sing him to sleep.

Zane

sometimes he feels what pixal is feeling bc they share a heart

even after nya came back in s16, zane didn't turn on his emotions again until nya convinced him too. he then cried for three hours straight.

he will laugh without hesitation at a dad joke. he will also crack up as he's trying to tell a dad joke

he still has pictures lloyd drew him in s1 until childs play.

he's easily annoyed by people who break traffic laws.

he rarely swears, but swore more when he was pretending to be a pirate in s15.

after figuring out him roleplaying a detective in s12 annoyed Pixal, he downloads and roleplays things for other missions they are on together. like the pirate thing in s15.

he lets kai paint his nails

Nya

unlike kai, her hair is naturally wavy and she used to straighten it from the pilot-s7. then she kinda gave up.

she decided to grow out her hair bc she wanted to look more like her mother, but then hated having hair against her neck all the time and started putting it up.

she can bench press jay and she has a sleeper build

she gets pissed when she sees someone in the arcade getting close to her and jay's high score on the dance machine

she's a light sleeper

she's terrified of snakes

when she's upset about something, she will either beat the shit out of the training equipment (then proceed to fix in in a huff) or just build random things

she's seriously considered building jay a robot dog. but she never went through with it

Lloyd

when he's really happy, sleeping, or meditating, he purrs.

he's got freckles that look like diamonds bc of the dragon scale thing

hes got fangs, his ears are pointed, and when he's pissed or enamored by something his eyes turn red. naturally, his pupils are a bit pointer, aren't as round basically

lloyd knew about his oni form before the events of s16 but never told anyone. he's known about it since s9 when he had a nightmare and woke up to see himself half-shifted in the mirror. he asked mistake about it, she explained, he asked her to not tell anyone, and she didn't. neither did he.

he likes mints because he likes hard candies better, gives him something to fidget with

he's always bustling with energy bc of his element. he can't sit still for the life of him.

he can still control the individual elements of creation as well as water and wind. he found out he could control wind after s5 and he could control water after s15.

when he uses his powers, his eyes glow whatever color they are (red or green) for up to an hour afterwards.

he has super hearing and super smell. he can also partially see in the dark if theres just a little bit of light

he hates ants

he has consistent nightmares. nearly every night. unlike the visions in DR, he doesn't flail for his nightmares, just jolts awake.

he loves photography and has many professional grade cameras. he likes it because he gets to hold memories.

when he's upset at someone, he unconsciously switches to yelling at them in Oni language.

he can understand and read the Harmonizer language but can't speak or write it.

Hanna

she's filthy rich. her parents own a very successful real estate business and a shipping company

she doesn't talk to her parents and doesn't like talking about them

she has an accent bc of being part Harmonizer but she hides it bc it led to a lot of people not understanding her. the closest thing it sounds like irl is a Russian accent.

she sometimes talks in the Harmonizer language, especially if she's frustrated or sleeping.

she can understand and read the Oni language.

after shifting to full harmonizer the first time, the black and gold lines on her skin became visible when human if your close enough to see them

she requires no form of skin care but still joins kai for skin care nights.

she has bad periods and struggles with migraines bc of her powers

she could feel something was off before the crystal king formed in s16. she has a scar on her knuckle from where she punched harumi in the face

she loves sports bikes. she liked going fast and breaking traffic laws. but, safety is her top priority even for herself and never goes out without making sure her and any backpacks are in full gear.

after s15, she had a lot of anxiety attacks

she knew about Lloyd's oni form bc she accidentally walked in on him one day he struggled to mask it.

she is also really good with kids

she heals pretty quickly bc of being part harmonizer, and because of that, most of the wounds she gets scars over.

she hates being in the spotlight

so thats them, let me know what you think. should I do more hcs? let me know ab that too. uhh

hope you enjoyed :D

[destinygoldenstar]

I want to talk about THIS scene from the episode "The Forgotten Element" in Season 4

This was the scene that spawned many Evil Kai AU fanfictions.

(And like... I get it)

As a kid, I was always jaw dropped by this scene, but I didn't understand this scene too much.

Like, what was the point of this Evil Kai AU if it was for a minute and it was resolved so quickly?

They were building this up the entire episode and even before it, so was that all for nothing? Did it not mean anything? What was the point of this anyway?

And then it clicked with me WHY that was.

The problem was that I was only focusing on what's present in the moment and not all around it.

In the moment itself, Kai is holding the staff, it holds too much power, it corrupts him and spills all of is bottled up negative emotions about destiny and the Green Ninja, how he feels about it all being wrong, that he was somehow 'not good enough' compared to a child, and how he should've been the one with all the power all the glory and all the abilities in is veins.

"You had all the power, now it's my turn!"

"Nothing that I don't already feel!"

"I should've been the Green Ninja!"

That's straight up TELLING.

And it makes sense. Kai wanted to be the Green Ninja more than anyone ever since he heard of that prophecy. Ever since he was told he was the Master of Fire by Wu he went from 'do everything for Nya and be a parent' to 'I can be special and worthy in a way I couldn't ever see in myself'. And then it all turned out to be for nothing, Kai being 'special' was all a lie, and the prophecy went to this bratty kid that Kai was tasked to babysit. Then Lloyd would proceed to be very well recognized and Kai was just... the forgotten member that nobody understands the motives of. 'You wanted to take the place of someone who did something sacrificially heroic? How dare you. SELFISH.'

BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT.

This all sounds like a villain origin story that would happen in the season, right?

The build up is all there. The bottled up emotions. Skylor's influence. Chen taunting him in this episode about it and getting into his head about his parents, something that is VERY PERSONAL to Kai.

So if it ended up being just ONE MOMENT and that's it, then this was all for nothing, right?

NO.

Why? Because that's not what this aspect of the episode is about at all.

This was all NOT build up to Kai becoming a villain.

This was about Kai REJECTING that villainous side of him.

He's been 'on the villain's side' at the start of the episode when Chen decided not to enslave him.

Another motif of this episode is what gets said over and over again in the B plot of the episode, that being the prison escape from the Noodle Factory. "The power of positive thinking"

Kai is learning this as well, but it's his own personal battle to come to that. Part of being positive is being positive about yourself.

He's been scolded for being selfish constantly. Again, how dare he want to take someone's place, someone who was better than him in every way and they all knew it. These people are oblivious, they can't read his mind, they're misinterpreting his words, and for some reason nobody apologizes for that.

We've seen him be insecure of his own abilities. When he feels like he can't do something, he goes 'If only I had this ability'. An example being the Digiverse.

Part of the lesson there was that he had to allow himself to have the power he needed to get out of a tight spot. As an old fashion and a devoted brother, makes sense why he'd struggle with this.

And then when Chen gets in his head, it's the same thing again, he's selfish and he wants the power and that's all he cares about.

Everyone is saying you're selfish, therefore it must be true.

And this is the first time Kai ever actually CALLS THE PERSON OUT for accusing him of being one dimensionally selfish.

Yes he falters back when Chen mentions his parents, but that's still a notable step. (And he would continue to call out their accusations in Possession)

The episode consists of Kai being on the villain's side and playing the role of the deceiver. Him being smart by playing the emotions of Chen and Skylor rather than be a logical thinker. (WOW. An episode that doesn't make Kai dumb and instead makes him smart in a way that fits his character. That is sad how rare that's shown anymore.)

And to do that he had to convince everyone that he was on the villain's side and that he has turned.

So THIS moment is not build up to Kai becoming a villain truly, it's a test on this own side of him that he must acknowledge exists. How this way of thinking isn't healthy, it's petty, it's not worth it, and he shouldn't be lingering on something when he himself is capable of so much.

And then NO ONE EVER TALKS ABOUT HOW KAI WAS THE ONE WHO BROKE THE STAFF AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT.

He could just grab the staff again and be corrupted again, and that's it. But HERE, there is no one paying attention to him to tell him what to do.

Which means this is all Kai's choice.

This is Kai CHOOSING to REJECT that villain inside him, and instead proceed to a more positive outlook, one that would benefit everyone.

That's countering all the selfish accusations more than anything else.

As a kid I was confused as to why there wasn't a scene where Kai acknowledged what happened when he was corrupted and how you go from that to 'Kai wants to protect Lloyd'

Him breaking the staff IS that scene. (It's just so fast that it's hard to see on a first couple viewings) He NEVER wants to see himself as that corrupted figure again, and is willingly choosing what role he wants to play now. That's the transition there from that Kai to Possession Kai. (Possession Kai = Best Kai)

This is one of my favorite episodes of the show because of how much justice was done here in so many ways.

[lloydfrontera]

EXCUSE ME SIR WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT

this is literally not true what the hell is lee hyumnin doing

this whole conversation was completely out of character for both of them. in the novel og lloyd is way more crass and rude the entire time, he doesn't even ask about julian himself and he never expresses any regret or apologizes for anything he did out loud.

and he absolutely hates javier. i cannot emphasize this enough, it is never even hinted at that og lloyd ever cared the slightest about javier. nevermind that he wanted to be his friend or felt sorry about breaking his sword and harassing him as kids.

"Fine. Let's hurry. I never liked that jerk anyway. I don't want to bump into him"

"You don't like him?"

"No." Ghost Frontera nodded at Lloyd's question. And in the most obvious tone, Ghost Frontera retorted, "It's not fair for a human to look like that. I hate him. I feel like life is cheating me whenever I see him, and it pisses me off. I've been in a bad mood ever since my father put that bastard on my side to guard me."

does this sound like a man who just "wanted to become friends with him"??

this is history revisionism and i won't stand for it!!/j

and like. does this really look like a kid who just wants to be friends

like. does it.

again javier is six years old here. he saw his parents die in front of him a year ago and then spent an entire winter on the streets fending for himself and is just now finally settling into a new place that was supposed to be safe for him

he looked like this

look at him. he's a baby.

they're not even the same age!! og lloyd is five years older!! there was never a point in their relationship where og lloyd wasn't just a bigger and older kid harassing a child five years his junior!!

and he didn't feel sorry about it. at least not enough to make amends or even apologize.

and the problem with making og lloyd more sympathetic is that it undercuts just how much he'd fucked up. it makes it look like it was just a misunderstanding and that everyone should've just tried a little bit harder to understand him when no!!! they did try they did love him he just didn't care about it!!

and it's especially egregious when the webcomic seems hellbent in making lloyd look like a total dickhead at every moment possible!

making him kick og lloyd into the reincarnation gate??? telling him he sounded pathetic and didn't want to hear him for another second????why are you making your protagonist so fucking unlikable??? what's the fucking purpose of that???? how come the character that acts like a total asshole in the novel gets to be sympathetic in the adaptation but not your fucking main protagonist??????

that's the main issue actually! making og lloyd more sympathetic always seems to be at the cost of making everyone else look worse which fucking sucks!! because he's not meant to be like that!!! that's not the point of his character!!!

not to mention that they completely rewrote og lloyd's wish to not be born as a human in his next life??? like??? at this point you're just. making shit up. not even trying to follow the original source.

this episode was just. bad. nothing i can really rescue about it it's straight up just a bad adaptation

i hate it here lmao

[draw-of-the-moon]

Season 4 anon here with what i promised to write with my brain juice

Kai was lucid, very much lucid. He had to be ! How else would he feel THIS alive ?

"Kai !" A voice screamed out ? Who ? Was it Skylor ? No that sounded wrong. Wasn't she kicking her dad in the face ?

Ah ! That's right ! Lloyd !

Kai wondered if this is how the kid felt with his powers. The energy flowing through him feels amazing ! No wonder Chen wanted the staff so badly ! Kai could go mad for hours with this thing !

Wait. . . Mad ?

No no no no no no no no no !! He needs to focus ! He's losing himself. He's here to stop this cult's plan and save Zane already !

He was the one who grieved the most after all. . .

"Lloyd stay back ! I just need to blow up some more of those guys before I'm done here !" He said with far more glee than he intended. And can you even blame him ? They deserve it for standing in their way ! They took their friend, imprisoned him in this stupid island and made they compete and try to betray each other over it !! They have it coming !

"Kai, please ! Stop ! The staff's power if too much for you !"

"SO WHAT ?" He didn't think he would yell like this. Why did he yell ?? He didn't mean it ! Lloyd is scared, he doesn't want to scare him more, so why ???

Kai wants to take it back but he can't open his mouth. It's grinning far too wildly, why is he grinning ?? Green bean looks like he is about to cry !

"All this time. . . All along you held this power for yourself ! But now ? Now it's mine ! And I'm not letting go of it !" "What do you think you're doing ??"

A new voice called out. Was that Baba ? Why was one of his parents here ? They shouldn't even know Chen's island exist ! Did they follow him ? No no no no no, they shouldn't have followed him over his own stupid mistake, he couldn't protect Zane OR his destiny, this is supposed to be his mess to clean ! But why. . . Why can't he make his body obey him anymore ?

Can anyone even hear him ??

"Hiiiiii, 'Baba'~ ! Didn't think you would have found me ! Are Bama and Mama here too ?? I could take this opportunity to show the new staff that I got !" He is pointing the weapon at his parent ! HE IS POINTING THE WEAPON AT HIS PARENT, NO !! MOVE ! STOP ! DON'T HURT HIM !

SOMEONE PLEASE ! I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS !

Kai shots blasts of energy anyway. No amount of screaming in his own head will do any good anymore. Just make sure to not fall asleep little flame ! Wouldn't want to be snuffed out.

"You know. . . All this time I thought it was really stupid how i couldn't lift the Monkey King's staff. I'm supposed to live to the legacy YOU guys left for me ! It was supposed to be something I SHOULD DO ! SO WHY, HUH ? WHY WASN'T I ALLOWED TO BE GREAT LIKE ANY OF YOU ?? WAS I NOT WORTHY ENOUGH ?? IS THAT IT ??" He couldn't breath anymore, his mind felt like it was suffocating him, did he really think that, did he really kept all of this in himself ?? That can't be right, but he is feeling so tired and the darkness in his mind is feeling so so vast.

"But now ? Ooooh, now I'll show it who's really worthy of what ! Being the Green Ninja is MY destiny ! THE MONKEY KING'S STAFF IS MY DESTINY ! IT ALWAYS WAS !! AND YOU. YOU. ARE. NOT. GETTING IN MY WAY !!!!!" He knows he is still shooting at his. . . Parent ? Kai is starting to slip off in his own mind. Who was friend and foe again ?

Ah, right. . . He needed the staff's power. But why ? He can feel himself losing his mind but he needs it. He needs it, he needs it, he needs it !

Was someone saying something ? Calling to him ? He needs to focus ! Who was he again ?

What was happening, why can't he feel in control ? He feels tired . . . Can he sleep, Mama ? He doesn't mind if the growing and overwhelming hate takes over, he just wants to cry over what happened.

But what happened ? Why would he need to cry ? Is he forgetting someone ?

"AUUUURGH !! STAY STILL DAMN IT !" Was he fighting ? Who was he fighting ? Wait, there's more than one. Were they trying to take his power ? How many were there ?? He needs to get out now !

"FINE ! BE DIFFICULT AS MUCH AS YOU LIKE !! SEE HOW YOU DEAL WITH THIS !!!" He grabbed someone. Who was he ? He felt important. Was this a child ? Why was a child here ? Why are there people screaming at him to put him down ? Why do they look terrified ? Was he missing something ?

He needs to end this now.

But before he could even think to do so. Something blows up behind him. Was there a group of people cheering about. . . A escape ?

Kai is just so tired. . . He can't feel the power in his hands anymore. . .

.

.

.

Was someome rushing to his side ?

HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS !! It's a rough prompt really, but I kinda like what I did !! I wonder how horrified the Chimera Parents would be in this perspective. Especially since I made Red Son be the first one to confront Kai while he loses his mind. (I have a personal headcanon that since Kai walked off his corruption by staff rather too quickly for anyone's liking, that he doesn't actually remember anything he did while holding the staff. Like the object itself was trying to possess him.)

On that note do you think Chimera would try to check for any permanant mind damage that could have been caused by it ? Or any leftover curse energy ? Hell some corrupted energy in Kai !