#cough especially Nya

[l1-b1]

I love drawing the smith sibling’s hair

[toastingpencils37]

One thing I hate about certain shows? When they have a protagonist who is a woman and is a really good fighter, and then those fighting skills are thrown away by the writers constantly to make said woman appear weak. Just so the male protagonists can save said character.

[lit3rallyll0yd]

dating the ninja: series (headcanons) | cole brookstone , zane julien x reader!! ( ≧ᗜ≦) ♡

a/n: okiiii heres part two, coles part seems so long, but they are kinda the same length. I LOVE THESE TWO SO MUCH!!!!

part one !!

warnings: non rly, not that i can remember lol

· He may be the Elemental Master of Earth, but under all those rocks he's a baby boy at heart.

HE.IS.THE.BEST.BOY.FRIEND.TO.HAAAVE!!! 

· First meeting wasn't anything new, you all met through Sensei Wu. You, Cole, Kai, and all the others. At first, you two were nothing but friends. Best friends for that matter...until a couple of years went by and Cole started to feel...different around you.

· He can't really be in the same room as you anymore without having to blush whenever he talked to you, but he was pretty good at hiding that from you. But once you're gone his face is red and you know Kai, and sometimes Jay, teases him for his crush on you.

· He thinks you're the greatest person to ever exist, need anything you go to him and he'll help you hands down!

· Expect a bunch of piggyback rides wherever you two go. Walking around the Monastery? You're on his back. Just making a quick run to the store, he'll carry you he does not think you're heavy at all.

· "It's like holding a pile of feathers." <3

· He can be very protective over you but he just wants you to be safe. He knows you can take care of yourself but he feels like a bad boyfriend if he can't do anything to help you when you need him.

· He also loves to cuddle. He's like a huge teddy bear you'd wanna hug forever! 

· Play with his hair, I swear it makes him feel so much better! All the stress he had rested on his shoulders drowned away when you touch his hair. You usually do it when you two are cuddling, or when he's angry at something and you use that to calm him down. 

· He loves to use nicknames for you, and the one he'll normally use is "Honey" or "Cake" ... Yeah, Cake. He loves cake and you're sweet like cake so boom it works. A rare one he'll also use is "BooBoo Bear." He will also use "Sweetheart" when he needs something from you, you learned that a little while ago.

· He's so scared to leave you alone during missions. There was this one time in the Sons of Garmadon take over, he, Kai, Jay, Zane, and Master Wu were sent to the Realm of Oni and Dragon for a little while and when they returned you were severely injured.

· He was scared to lose you, but when you recovered he gently tackled you into a hug and sobbed in your shoulder, you could feel his hands rub your back and grab the fabric of your clothes when he knew you were there, live and well. 

· He and you have karaoke moments together and it's hilarious when one of the others walks in on it. Cole's red from head to toe and you're just there standing like a statue as you look back from the said person and Cole.

· If it's one of the guys Cole will literally grab a pillow and throw it at them, chasing them out of the room but if it's Master Wu, Nya, or any one of the elders he'll cough nervously as he waits for them to leave. 

· You guys also cook together, but because Cole was banned from the kitchen, 3 times, Zane had to keep an eye out for the both of you if you were a decent cook and can handle both Cole and the cooking Zane will smile and leave the two of you be. 

· There was this one time Cole accidentally lit the inside of the oven on fire and a lot of baking soda was involved. After that, Cole usually just gets store-bought cakes or treats when he feels like it. 

· When you two sleep, he likes to have you in his arms. It makes him feel more confident and he knows you are protected. But that doesn't mean he doesn't like to be held, he loves it, especially by you.

· The covers are over both your bodies and the heat from his hold and the blanket made it feel like an active volcano in the bed. 

· Knowing Cole snores, (canaon) you don't really get affected by it in any way, but sometimes it does tend to get annoying but you say nothing because you don't want to make him upset in any way. Besides, everyone snores it's nothing to be ashamed of.

· In the mornings' Cole is normally unlikely to wake up before you. So you wake up in his arms under the covers, his chest to your back and his face by your neck. You sometimes tend to fall back asleep in his arms or you try your best to get out of bed....but that just normally wakes him up and you have a new problem to deal with.

· His phone wallpaper is the both of you on your first date at a bakery called "Cakes Delight" and you playfully rolled your eyes as Cole's eyes sparkled at the sight of all the flavors and dragged you into the bakery. 

· The photo is you with Cole's phone taking a bird's eye view angle pic. You had a cookie in your mouth winking at the camera giving a single finger gun to Cole's head, (for fun) all while Cole had three cakes on one plate, a smile on his face as it was stuffed with cake while he gave a peace sign for the photo. 

· When you're talking with one of your friends who came to the Monastery to hang out, Cole tends to wrap himself in a blanket and tackle you mid-conversation and playfully whine about 'being left alone' even though he had the guys to hang out with.

· Even though you two are a couple, he can't help but get butterflies every time you do something cute. Sneeze? He's smiling. Becoming clingy? His heart has melted.

 · He is very patient and understanding with you. He doesn't invade any of your personal life unless you talk to him about it. 

· Whenever you are angry he'll try his best to talk to you in the most sweetest tone you have ever heard and comfort you. Calming you down enough for him to be able to touch you and give you a hug.

· Sends you "good morning, my love. i hope you had an excellent sleep. breakfasts on the table for you on the kitchen counter downstairs. I and the other ninja will be outside in the courtyard if you need me to assist with anything you may need." in the mornings when he wakes up before you. he likes to wait until your awake to talk to you and won't bother your sleeping figure unless it's like 12:30 in the afternoon and you're still asleep. (you're just like me fr)

· also his goodnight texts>>

· "good evening, dove. i hope you do not stay up extremely late again so you do not wake up sad or grumpy. we already have kai, we do not need another one. make sure you brushed your teeth, floss, and washed your face. i hear washing one's face helps relax them. i love you to the moon and back. sweet dreams, my love."

· AAHHHHHH HE CARES ABOUT YOUR HEALTH SO MUCH!!!

· you taught him emoctions (or however you spell that word aahshsjbsj) like, "<3, :3, UWU," ETC, and now he uses the '<3' one in almost every text to show his love for you and your heart melts when he sends them and goes like "did i do that correct, my dear?"

· Every morning when he sees you walk into the kitchen, he falls in love with you all over again when he sees your sleepy state. Your eyes are droopy, you have some drool on your lips, and your hair is all over the place.

· While you eat his breakfast he'll pull up a chair behind you and offer to comb your hair (either it's long or short) he'll run his fingers through your hair once detangled.

· Because he can get a bit cold, one being the Master of Ice and two he's a Nindroid, whenever you both cuddle he'll have a blanket wrapped around, mostly you, the two of you as you both chat about your day.

· Tries to attempt a 'wink and walk away' but it just ends with him awkwardly blinking at you while Kai's laughing his ass off in the back.

· He was the first to confess his feelings towards you, with the help from his brothers, but they gave such bad advice he ended up short-circuiting because of how embarrassed he was.

· "I never knew Nindroids could get flustered." Jay joked while attempting to repair Zane with help from his Yang, Nya.

· You giggled as you took Zane's hand, who was lying down on a metal table. 

· "I love you too, Zane."

· His favorite place to kiss you is the back of your hand, palm, wrist, or knuckles. he's grown the habit of just taking your hand and placing it on his lips.

· "Zane, lemme have a turn with the dishes you've been doing every day of this week." You smiled at your boyfriend who sighed softly taking his hands out of the water and drying them. Before he left he turned around and grabbed your hand, turning it to show the back of your hand and pecking it, "I suppose you are right. Thank you, my love."

· Leaves you all red-

· Loves going grocery shopping with you, it makes his day 10x more special knowing he's with you and everything's ok. Sure you once lost him in a Metro but you soon found him...after 30 minutes of looking.

· Zane has an entire memory bank of just you and him stored inside of him while you have a photo album of you two (while ofc you have one for all your friends, including the others, but Zane is special <3)

[page-yerin]

hi there! :> could i possibly request cole brookstone dating headcannons or just hesdcannons in general? i love him so much 😕🫶

𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐒

genre(s): fluff

pairing: cole brookstone x reader

trigger warnings: none

a/n: first request, ty to this anon! hope you enjoy <3

☆ baking and/or cooking with cole would be such a chaotic yet hilarious mess, especially if you’re not good either (zane would have to supervise if that’s the case)

☆ definitely overprotective of you, he will never EVER stand for anyone hurting you :(( he knows you can take care of yourself but he just wants to make sure you’re safe

☆ literally gives THE BEST hugs, he’s like a teddy bear that you will refuse to let go of

☆ he’s the type to eat your leftover pizza crusts (if you’re one to leave them)

☆ he is SOSOSO the type to make spotify playlists about you <33

☆ literally piggy back rides you anywhere and everywhere; you weigh like a pile of feathers to him

☆ his love language is definitely physical touch and quality time.

☆ he’s always looking for ways to touch you, super clingy but keeps his distance if you need it <3

☆ will hold your hand or keep an arm around your waist everywhere you go

☆ playing with his hair + cuddling will literally melt him :( he loves the feeling you touching his hair sm

☆ loves to just be around you, your presence alone gives him comfort

☆ nicknames for you are probably “cake” bc he loves cake and he loves you. perfect (at least for him). “sweetcheeks”, “darling”, and if you’re shorter than him “shortie”

☆ will tease you time to time, he doesn’t mean it in a mean way, but it’s just a way to show his affection. of course, he would never do it if you weren’t comfortable.

☆ karaoke dates omg >>>>>>>

☆ will definitely chase the ninja out if they walk in, but cough nervously and wait if it’s Master Wu or Nya

☆ his snoring doesn’t bother you much but sometimes it may get annoying

☆ especially if you sweat easily, it’ll be SO hot when you’re under the blanket + he’s cuddling you while sleeping

☆ you will have to very literally pry his arms off you in the morning or somehow convince him to let you go or else you’ll be stuck in bed the whole day

☆ overall, he’s such a gentleman and definitely THE best boyfriend

[stealingyourspins]

So if the first Spinjitzu master was the child of a dragon and oni, would it be so far-fetched for the other masters to be dragon children too? Especially with how wonky they are with the timeline.. Like the parents that fought with Wu are probably at least in their 30’s-50’s when the ninjas are born?? Idk I just like to think they’re long lived too.

Or, in which Kai’s self esteem/abandonment issues act up, leaving him feeling unneeded. So dragon puberty combined with getting sick with some fire elemental specific flu decides to throw him into a loop and force himself to be the one cared for, for once in his life. 

-

Kai hasn’t been in a good mindset lately. His siblings don’t seem to need him anymore. Lloyd is (mostly) all grown up and Nya is now a warrior in her own right. He doesn’t have to work in the forge or scrape for odd jobs just to put food on the table. They have a better home than he ever could have dreamed of. They have an allowance. They have a parent guardian that does all the things he shouldn’t have had to do in the first place.

It’s just, the others all have such useful talents. Zane can cook, strategize, and do incredible robot things. Cole had super strength, climbed cliffs like a spider, and was a natural with animals. Jay and Nya could build just about anything they can think of, and Nya always said that his own smith work was shoddy at best. Lloyd was the actual chosen one.

What was he good at other than burning things down?

Kai thought he was past this, past the need to snap out at others and do things alone. He was the last to join the original team. The other three were probably training together for years before he was brought in just because Nya was kidnapped. His entire induction was a trial by fire. It’s just far too easy to fall back into old habits sometimes…

His village was rustic and poor, so far in the outskirts that they didn’t have electric power or indoor plumbing. Nya learned to read before he did,(he still had trouble with it) insisting on her staying in school while he spent all day scrounging up any money he could. Whether from quick jobs or quick fingers. Food was hard to get as a six year old, let alone learning to use the forge with what little he could remember dad teaching him. He had street smarts and improvisation ingrained into him. Thinking on his feet and jumping into action so they could survive another day.

His mood was making him slip, he knew it was but he couldn’t stop it. Sparring against Jay always got him riled up, with all the verbal jabs at his sore spots that normally he could brush off and banter right back. Today he was just angry. Not just his temper but his body feels weird too. Restless, frustrated, sluggish, sore. His skin felt too tight and his muscles ached. His gut and lungs were clogged with soot. His head swims in fog.

Another miss had him slamming into a pillar. Everyone on the side chuckled and it made his chest burn hotter. Kai’s throat rumbled with a growl, a breath of flames licked over his teeth as he abandoned his weapons, loped forward on all fours and pounced, knocking the stunned blue ninja to the ground where they grappled and flipped and rolled through the dust.

Kai’s head lunges forward, teeth snapping together just a second too late to catch an arm. An electric kick to his stomach sends him flying back. Rolling tail over head once, then digging fingers and toes into the dirt till he slides to a stop. Crouched low to the ground, hissing and tensed to pounce again before something black and heavy jumped on his back, wrenching his arms behind him and pinning him in an unbreakable grip.

Kai kicked and screamed and flared his flames against stone skin until falling limp under Cole, exhausted and out of breath. A tickle in his throat turns into a cough, a wad of ash and spit splat on the tiles. 

Cole sighs in relief slowly easing off the other in case he starts up again. Instead Kai keens, tiredly chasing the lost touch. Cole smirks, his fingers petting through the wild hair until the hot head drifts to sleep.

–

“Somebody please tell me WHAT THE HELL THAT WAS ABOUT?!!!” Jay shrieks after watching Kai throw a hissy fit underneath Cole, who was already taking the fire ninja to his room.

“Kai has seemed unusually stressed as of late. Perhaps he is feeling unwell?” Zane says

“Stressed? STRESSED? He tried to BITE me! He went full primal and chased me around like an animal! He grew a tail for Wu’s sake!!”

-

(later after someone goes to check on him, finds his bed buried under a mountain of blankets and clothes stolen from everyone, and runs to Wu)

Wu- “It appears young Kai is experiencing a nesting phase.”

“Nesting?”

Zane- “Nesting. The act of birds or dragons preparing to lay eggs and raise young.”

“He’s pregnant?!”

Wu  “Not necessarily. It is more likely that Kai feels like making one to make himself feel better during his illness.” Wu strokes his beard. “However, if he, or even any of you, decides on a partner in the future it might be possible.”

“He can GET pregnant?? But he’s a guy!”

Wu “Dragons are the very source of creation. Something as small as gender wouldn’t stop a determined dragon.”

“HOW does that work?! Why would he WANT to get pregnant?!!”

“I’ll tell you when you’re older. Maybe a few decades from now.”

-

Is Wu kidding? who knows~ :3 Also would a fever for a fire elemental rise enough to bake the air, and ignite the nest? or douse them into dangerous cold? Having trouble deciding.

[icy-watch]

New season! Season 15!

I really only know a handful of other series that made it to season 15 and ended *cough Supernatural cough*. Anyway.

Crystallized!

I’m guessing crystals will be involved this season somehow.

Those are actually some stones I know the least about. But they’re very pretty.

...are people going to be turned into crystals this season? That'd be neat. And terrifying. Like, nightmarish.

Ok. First episode, Farewell the Sea.

That's actually really sad. Especially since Nya is the ocean itself now. They're really going to say goodbye to her, aren't they. I don't think I can handle that.

She was the second character in the entire series we were introduced to. It's going to be weird not to have her around. And to say goodbye to her forever? Yeah. Ouch.

Let's get my heartbreak over with.

[rpreaperperson]

6: Grumpy Claw

For more : Masterlist

Warning: Mean Ghost...dont he always

Cheeks puffed, eyebrows furrowing, mouth upside down, eyes glaring at certain someone

And that someone ... is the one who push her down the river when they tried to escape from the mercenaries to the river

Her fluffy tail tapping, each time its tapping the person who makes her anger flinch 

“Kitty...c’mon you know he didn’t mean it, he just doesn't want you to get hurt..” Soap coax her to forgive whatever the culprit had done to her

 “psst, what's wrong with her?” Grave whisper at Soap

“uhh well...”.

.

They’re moving on the white building that kept Hassan....well supposed to anyway, all they got a cartel members and no signs of Hassan

But Claw can still smell Hassan around the room as she sniff around the room.

“They must’ve moved him” her ears twitching at the rough voice

“When?”Soap ask

“not long Master, not to mention theres his flag, must I say your intel’s perfect Master Ale” her finger tracing the flag as she glance at Alejandro, nodded in gratidute Alejandro smiled at her

But then a sound of rumbling alert her,and the tense of her body making Ghost alert too

He glancing out the window

“What is it?”

“The army”

“We got reinforments”

“Negative” Claw snapped her head at Alejandro

“They’re enemies?! But..why?! I thought the army –“ Claw shriek ears flatting against her head in fear

“Calm down gatita, These are troops are paid by the cartel. They’re helping the cartel protect Hassan” hearing this making her ease a little bit

“Mutiple vehicles...troop transports. Light armor”

“Hold fire, let them get close” Claw mounting her gun rushing into Soap side, her belly full of adrenaline glancing at each of her Masters

‘So...this is war..although I already feeled one..but why is this one feels different?’

“Weapons free!!”

“Nya?!” She immediately duck when a bullet came through her, annoyed Claw throwing her grenade

“Eat this! KABOOM!”

“Good girl!” Alejandro praise, Clam beamed at the praise

Then the enemy threw a tear gas, yellow gas spread the room hands covering noses and mouths as they started coughing

Especially Claw who was deeply sensitive with her nose, ear flatting she wobbled as Soap grab her back collar, without word he held her close and jumped out the window along with the others 

“Ya okay Lass?” 

“Y-yes Master..” she smile assure him, Soap as usual rubbing her soft hair 

Alejandro who saw Soap’s affection to Claw became a little bit envy of Soap

“Down the hill! We'll lose them in the mountains! Fan out and stay close” following the Colonel order they retreat down to the hill

.

Claw slit eyes scanning around the mountain as she pointed her gun, ear’s twitching wildly 

“Save your ammo Cl-- “her eyes caught something and she lauches her bullet pass one of the soldier head Rodriguez, she shot a sniper who had been aimed them from the ledge

“YEAH! Did you see it? Ma-” Ghost stare stabbed through her skull, a silent scold treatment 

Her ear flopped into her head

“Good shot Claw!” then she beamed at the praises from Alejandro

.

“Ahh so I’ve heard she’s really a good shooter” Grave glance at Claw who still glaring at the person

“And I so proud of her...Anyway” 

.

“You’ve lead us to dead end mate!” nowhere else to go but to jump to the river

“W-we jump from here?” Claw squeked holding her gun close

“Don’t lose your weapon!” Alejandro jumped followed with Rodriguez

“Jump Claw!”

“I-I think -- “

“Bloody Hell .Just.GO!!” Ghost shoved her back, Soap widen his eyes as Claw falling into the river

“NYAAAAAA!!! I HATE YOUUUU MAS--”

Splashh!

.

“Ghost pushed her into the river and she mad at him?”

“more or less, but can’t say he doesn’t deserve it”

“Why?”

“eh..He’s been kinda mean to her today” rubbing under her neck Soap able to making Claw purring in delight

“Master..” the hybrid tugging his shirt

“mm?”

“Am I a bad girl?” eyes went teary as she looked upon his

“Nahhh why you think of that?? LT just havin another grouchy mood, ain’t that right  L.T?!”

“if she could be more obedient then maybe, I will not be this grouchy” Ghost snap at Soap

“W-woah woah hold it there Ghost..calm down” Soap putting his hand up, Grave raising his eyebrow surprised to saw the calm lieutenant be this snappy

“M-master...why did you so meann, I’ll do everything you told me...”

“No!, no you dont..” He pointed his finger at her 

Body trembling irrated , her eyes became teary

“FINE! I HATE YOU MASTER!! I WILL ASK MISS LASWEL TO BE MOVED ANOTHER TEAM!!”

Soap and Ghost stood there in shock 

“.....join me instead?” ask Graves patting her shoulder

“Can I?!

“Yep, ‘sides most of the boys is a cat person sooo..yeah they would be delighted” he smirk as Graves rubbing between her ears

“NO! join me instead Claw! I will give you many snacks as many as you wants!” suddenly Alejandro pop up out of nowhere with Rudy beside him deadpan 

“SNACKS?!” Graves ‘tsk’ing 

“Claw...please you dont have to..” Soaps plead became muted on Claw ears

Her attention completely focused on Alejandro

 then he glared at Ghost 

“....Shit” for the first time Ghost got scolded by Soap

Taglist:  @lilpothoscuttings  @kaoyamamegami

[traffic-light-eyes]

Sneak peek cause I like this interaction

Lloyd coughed. “Well, who volunteers to walk into the creepy hallway first?”

Everyone seemed to find something very interesting to stare at. Even Zane. Nya thinks the floor is very nice at this particular moment. A very nice floor, perfectly undusted and grimy with suspicious moldy bits. Very nice.

“Oh, come on, guys! You wouldn’t make me—your younger, traumatized, fatherless brother—go out into the scary rune hallway, would you? Would you be so heartless to do that?” Lloyd practically swooned, hand delicately placed on his forehead. “Especially when you know what happened the last time runes were involved.”

[ninja-confession-go]

I get really confused anytime someone says MotM is a good season. It's probably my least favorite season BY FAR and really did Cole's character a disservice. Everyone was (kinda) OOC and there was so much wasted potential. Also, Lloyd's sudden distrust of princess (cough.. misogyny) made no sense especially when you see him get over his trust issues in S11. The stuff with Nya fighting over Jay was also very annoying because... she is more than Jay's girlfriend!! But that's her entire role in the season. I also dislike how they ALWAYS pair Nya and Jay together. Let us see other character dynamics please. The Skull Sorcerer is an incredibly plain villain and it doesn't help he was one of MANY twist villains in a row. I always liked the concept of "Master of Earth liberates people in the sky," because usually we associate air and clouds and etc with freedom. It just sucks because the closest thing to a Cole season we got was S5 and also the DotD special, but even then that wasn't a full focus. It was such a huge let down and I have never found myself speeding through a season. It was the worst part of every Ninjago season (not really) rolled into one... super boring too.

.

[girlystories]

Bittersweet

— pairings: various ninjago x female/runaway/slightly depressed reader

Summary: you run away from your abusive and controlling parents, only to almost be killed in the middle of nowhere. mysteriously miraculously you manage to avoid them alive, and stumble upon two amazing siblings. Additional warnings: none. Words: 3k

previous part here

next part here

Chapter 2: The way of the ninja

Kai was training under Sensei Wu for what seemingly was a week. He had to climb the mountain every morning to reach the Monastery, where Wu lived, and had to complete a course. He failed each day, coming back home frustrated, but determined to not give up. He couldn't. He had to save his sister. He had to save Nya. 

One day though, he was more upset than usual. He came back home more silent and worn out. As he sat at the table, he hadn't touched [Name]'s food not once. He only stared at it, playing with it with his fork. [Name] quickly noticed his different attitude. Pursing her lips she managed the courage to ask him about it. 

"Kai?"

No answer. 

"Kai", she called out. A bit louder this time. 

  . . . 

"Kai!"

"What?!", he snapped back at her. 

She flinched, staring at him with widened eyes. She placed her arm close to her beating heart trying to manage her quick breaths. Why was she overreacting? It's not like he hit her or something... 

"Oh, [Name], it's you. I'm so sorry-", Kai said casually but stopped when he noticed her frightened reaction. His eyes frowned in concern. "Are you alright? I'm so sorry! I don't know what got over me", he got up and slowly approached her as he raised his arm to reassure her. 

"N-no, it's okay", she coughed, swallowing the urge to tear up. "Sorry for overeating..." she laughed awkwardly. 

"No, don't apologize. It's my fault. I shouldn't have shouted at you like that, especially with what happened to you that day", he explained. "I-I'm just so worried about Nya... I could've done something, but I-". He rested his body's weight on the table as he slightly slouched his back. He covered his face.

"Kai...", [Name] got up, resting her hand on his back and making circular movements to comfort him. "It wasn't your fault. Neither of us could see that coming. We did everything we could..."

He only lowered his hand down slightly to take a look at her face, revealing his teary eyes. [Name]'s heart shattered at the sight in front of her. She instantly bring him into an awkward hug. If only she could do more...

A pair of arms were wrapped around her before Kai tightened his grip. His head rested on top of her left shoulder as his body started shaking. He took deep breaths, and not long after he broke down crying. They both stayed like that, him bringing [Name] close as she rubbed his back. After a while, he started to calm down. 

As he let go he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, his brown eyes shining from the tears. He didn't even remember the last time he cried. Probably the day he woke up the day his parents disappeared without a trace. He begged for them to return, for his mother's comforting words and his father's reassuring embraces. But no matter what, his cries never reached them. Instead, he got help from the villagers until her was able to take care of himself and Nya. The only family he had left. She made him forget that day. Without her, he had no one. He was all alone. 

"We'll save her. I promise", [Name]'s determined eyes pierced through his hopeless ones, helping him regain back his hope. To keep going.

He nodded, whipping away his tears. "You're right." he looked back at her with a smile. "Thank you." 

[Name] smiled back at him. 

They both then finished their meal and Kai went to his training as she worked at the Shop. Eventually, the sun was setting and [Name] looked at the brunette through the window. He was now on the ground, full of sweat, drinking down the whole water bottle in one go. Her smile slowly faded, as her mind wandered.

Why wasn't she also a ninja? Why didn't Wu train her too? Was she not worthy of becoming a fighter like Kai? She felt a bothersome feeling deep down, like it was eating her whole. As much as she was grateful for Kai she couldn't help but wonder, why was he chosen and not her. Shaking her head she resisted the urge to hit herself. This wasn't about her! This was to save Nya. Why did she always have to make everything about herself? She wasn't worthy of anything anyway. Her parents were right. She isn't needed. She is just a burden to anyone. She should just not get in Kai's way. She'd only bring him down. 

Her thoughts came to a halt as Kai opened the door. He had now a grin placed on his lips, wiping off sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. "Whew, glad that's over!" 

"O-oh", she exclaimed surprised, placing down the helmet she was polishing. "Finished already?" 

"Yep! I'm just about to take a shower." 

She bumped him on the shoulder with a smirk. "Well you really do need one, that's for sure." 

"Are you implying something?" he teasingly asked, returning the look. 

"Nope, I'm just saying!"

He chuckled. "Okay, if you say so! I'm not gonna say anything about you then."

[Name] raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms close to her chest. "What's that supposed to mean?" 

Kai raised his arms defensively as he made his way to the upper floor. "Nothing!" 

"Don't "nothing" me! Did you just say I smell?" 

"I didn't say anything! You said that yourself!" he echoed from upstairs, but [Name] could hear the joking tone in his voice. 

"You're such a jerk..." she murmured, shaking her head. 

"What?!" 

"Nothing!"

 

   Kai came back, but instead of his usual frustrated attitude, he was excited. He shot the door open and raised his arms. That could mean only one thing. "Guess what!" 

The young girl looked at him with anticipation. "Does that mean...?" 

"I passed!" 

[Name] basically jumped in the air and into Kai's arms. Her face beamed and squeezed Kai under her grip. "I knew you could do it!" 

Letting go Kai laughed. "You should've seen it! I had to throw my sword at him while I was basically mid-air - which was so fucking epic - and his face said it all! Just when he was about to add sugar to his tea, I, the one and only Kai, appeared - out of nowhere - next to him and was all like: would that be one sugar or two?" he proudly proclaimed.

"Good job! I can only imagine his face", [Name] laughed. "I told you you would show him sooner or later." 

"Yep! I just need to take some of my stuff and we'll move to the Monastery." Kai said, opening the closet door, and taking out a suitcase. 

Her expression suddenly appeared worried. "Wait..." 

There was silence as Kai was opening his drawer, and placed in his luggage the necessary amount of clothes. He hadn't that many to begin with. "Yeah?" 

"What about me?" 

He turned around, raising a brow. "What about you?" 

"I mean like, will I stay here? Alone?" she rubbed her hands together, looking to the side. 

"Of course not!", Kai approached her, taking her hands under his. "You'll come with me, of course. There's no way I'm leaving you here." 

"Really?"

"Really," he said with a gentle smile. 

[Name] southened under his touch and reassuring words, sharing a smile. 

"Now come help me with my luggage. You know how bad I am at organizing that kinda stuff." 

Laughing, [Name] took a look a the mess her roommate had made. The suitcase had a pile of random clothes on top of it, in no way folded or in order. "You're hopeless, you know that?" 

"Ugh, shut up." he rolled his eyes. 

   As they arrived, Sensei Wu was welcoming. He assigned them their room and advised them to rest. He quickly took notice of [Name]'s wounded frame, as she was still covered in bandages. With a worried look, he asked to inspect it, but also the cause of it. 

"I... was attacked one night."

"And how, may I ask, where you attacked?" 

"I was walking one night, when a group of men followed me, and then - you probably can guess what happened." 

Sensei Wu nodded in response. His gaze was fixated upon her scars as he was applying new bandages. "Remind me where that happened?" 

[Name] was quiet for a bit as she pursed her lips. "Just a bit outside Kai's hometown... I believe it's called Ignacia?" 

"... I see," he finished, not returning his gaze to her. "Why were you alone at night in the middle of nowhere?" 

She didn't respond. Looking anywhere but his piercing eyes she rubbed her right arm, sweatdrops forming on her forehead. 

"Sorry if I pried into your business, dear. You don't have to answer if you don't want to. But if you need anyone to talk to, don't hesitate to come for me for help." he got up from her bed with the medkit in hand. As he made his way towards the door his calm voice echoed through the room. "You should rest. These wounds are no laughing matter. Rest well." he said shutting the door. 

A soft smile appeared on her lips. He had no idea who she was yet he was so concerned for her well-being. Maybe she should tell him about the incident that night. Maybe he could help her with that. Maybe one day. Maybe. 

For clothes [Name] hadn't had to take many since Nya lend her only a pair for the day, since her old ones were bloody, and a pair of pajamas. Not like Kai had that many, just a few sweatshirts and t-shirts, and a few pants. [Name] only had her phone to worry about but was dead because it had no battery. Not that she needed it much. The only people she talked to were, her parents, and her classmates. For school projects, of course. Not because she had friends or something. 

She had asked Kai for a charger but he hadn't any, nor a phone. He informed her that Ignacia was from a relatively poor village. To her surprise, Sensei Wu had a charger. He had some storage with numerous items, but after a while, she managed to find a charger comparable to her phone that worked.

In her new room, she plugged her phone to charge and laid on the bed. The moonlight gave the room some light from the window and she took that as a moment to think. She hated thinking. Too many things to worry about. Too many things to stress about. But this time it was different. She ran away from home. She was finally free. She didn't have to worry about her parents' high expectations and she finally didn't have to care about school anymore. Too much drama. It was filled with selfish assholes anyway. Everyone from that school only cared about themselves. Their fame and their image. And they had found [Name] as their little victim, to make themselves feel better. So they bullied her. But after a while, they got bored. They still teased her, though, from time to time. But most of the time she was just in the background, existing. 

Before she knew it she had drifted to sleep. Her frame to the side, her legs wrapped around the covers, and her arms hugging herself for comfort. An unconscious habit of hers. Her breathing was slow and her eyes were peacefully shut. 

Kai was getting ready for bed, brushing his teeth. Drifting out of his thoughts, he suddenly attacked the air with his toothbrush, talking to himself. "Oh yeah?! Take this!" 

Unbeknownst to him, a ninja, wielding a pair of nunchucks landed quietly near the door. 

"And this!" 

Another ninja, this time possessing a pair of shurikens landed in the corner of the room. 

"And this!", just as Kai exclaimed, he came face to face with a ninja holding a scythe. This led to him noticing the other two ninjas, all dressed in black gi. "Oops..." 

Not wasting any time, Kai attacked the ninja and escaped through the rooftop. The ninja followed him to the floor of the Monastery. Kai then clicked the button on the dragon statue, turning on the training equipment to attack the other ninja. As the fight continued to take part, Kai landed on one of the ninja, making the other two dogpile on them. When suddenly, Wu stopped the fight. 

"Stop!" 

The three mysterious ninja quickly got up without any hesitation, bowing to Sensei Wu, "Yes, Sensei".

Kai frowned his eyebrows, confused. "Wait a minute, they're your students too?", he asked, receiving a nod in response from Sensei Wu. "This was my final test, wasn't i-" 

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! You never said anything about a fourth. It's always three! Three Blind Mice. Three Musketeers. Three—", the ninja wielding the nunchucks interrupted Kai. 

"Uh, what he's trying to say, Sensei Wu, is that three of us have trained together. We're solid", the scythe user explained in a more simple explanation. 

"Didn't look so solid to me", Kai rolled his eyes with a mocking smile, crossing his arms to his chest. 

The whole commotion managed to wake up [Name], as she decided to make her way outside. Sheepishly, she dragged her legs through the wooden floor towards the monastery door. She yawned as her grip was placed on the door, not trusting her balance on its own. "...What's going on?", she rubbed her eyes. 

Everyone turned their attention to her. If she could see through their masks, she would notice all three of them turning a light shade of red appearing on their cheeks. Instead, she only took notice of Kai, who gave her a gentle smile. 

"And who's she?", one of them asked. 

"[Name]!", Kai exclaimed. "You missed an awesome fight! I was literally kicking all of their asses!" 

In response she smiled sheepishly, rolling her eyes at his proud excitement. 

"There's a fifth?" 

She wished. 

"And not to mention, a girl?", the guy on Kai's right asked, making her wonder if he meant it in a good way or a bad way. 

"Master, what is the meaning of this?", the shuriken user calmly questioned. 

Wu shook his head "No, there is not a fifth. But, each of you four have been chosen. Each in tune with elemental properties. But first, ninja, Go!", spinning, Sensei Wu passed the boys, changing their gi, and giving them each a weapon. 

"Woah!" 

"How'd he do that?!" 

"Woah! Look what color I am!", the blue-colored boy exclaimed in enlightenment. 

"Wait a minute, I'm still black?" 

Sensei Wu placed his bamboo stick on Kai, who was now wearing a red colored gi. "Kai, Master of Fire. It burns bright in you".

"Jay is blue, Master of Lightning", he stated, now placing his bamboo stick on the guy standing next to Kai. 

"Heh, that's not all I'm the master of. I do a little inventing. A dabble in model building. A touch of cooking. A little poetry", Jay rambled. 

"More like 'Mouth of Lightning'", the black-colored ninja, grumbled under his breath. 

Sensei Wu saw this opportunity to bring his attention to the black colored ninja. "Black Ninja is Cole, solid as rock, Master of Earth."

Cole turned his attention to Kai. "Nice to meet you, kid. I got your back, and for the record, there ain't nothing in this world I'm afraid of." Bringing his hood down he revealed his medium-length, shaggy black hair, which was swept to the left. He had busky dark eyebrows matching his eyes. He was relatively attractive, to say the least. 

"Except for dragons", the one on the far left simply stated, much to Cole's dismay. 

"Dragons... aren't from this world, Zane. I said in this world..." 

"White Ninja is Zane, Master of Ice, and seer with sixth sense", as Wu spoke, Zane utilized his shurikens before making them vanish. 

Widening her eyes, [Name] gasped. "Woah! Who'd you do that?", she asked, clapping her hands together, not containing her excitement. 

Zane smiled gently at her reaction. "I could show you one day, intriguing one."

Intriguing one? [Name] slightly blushed at the nickname. 

"I sense this one takes things a little too seriously", Kai teased. 

"You too have the gift?", Zane questioned, bringing his ninja hood down. He had pale blonde and a somewhat flat-top hairstyle with sideburns. Similar to his hair he had pale - almost white skin. His shining blue eyes were most noticeable.

The blue ninja - Jay - awkwardly laughed, binging his hood down as well, revealing his short, straight, reddish-brown hair. He also had blue eyes with a notch on his right eyebrow. "He's just making a joke, Zane. Remember what we talked about? Your sense of humor? Huh?" 

"Yes, it was a joke. Haha." 

"You four are the chosen ones who will protect the Four Weapons of Spinjitzu... from Lord Garmadon."

"But what about my sister?!", Kai urged. 

Jay gasped. "We're saving a girl? Is she hot?" 

Kai eyed him a glare and Cole scolded him, "Jay..."

"I-I just wanna know what we're getting ourselves into. Does she like blue?" 

"Back off!" Kai snapped defensively. 

[Name] kinda wished she had an overprotective older brother, further envying their sibling relationship. 

"When we find the weapons, we will find your sister. It is the time! We must go to the first weapon!", the wise old man announced to the four ninja. 

"Whoa! Hold on a minute. You said you were gonna teach us Spinjitzu", Cole protested. 

"Spinjitzu is inside each and every one of you, but it will only be unlocked when the key is ready to be found", Wu paused for a moment. "Come! My feet are tired. Tomorrow, we will take the horse carriage", he said passing [Name] and making his way to his room. 

"Great." 

"Now we have to find the key?", Jay asked, annoyed. 

"Yeah, I'm feeling like he's taking us for a ride." 

"Well, if it means finding my sister, then sign me up." 

"I'm wif you, Kai...", [Name] mumbled, as she hardly kept her eyes open. Lightening her grip on the door she slowly drifted downwards, losing her balance. 

Kai chuckled as he made his way towards her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, helping her on her balance. "Let's get you tucked to bed, alright." 

"Getting a cute girl tucked to bed. I'm not jealous at all...", Jay grumbled to himself. 

"Now now...", Cole reassured him, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at Jay's complaints.

[the-ninja-legacy-whip]

Re reading book 2 and I swear Jesse's first appearance is SO different from how he is now! He appears so Cool and secretive from the Dork I know now! How he walks with his hand in his pockets and talks to Cole or broke up the fight between Olivia and Kai! Did you decide to change his personality through the storie or is this just his true self that gets revealed after hanging out with the Ninja? because he seems to act more dorky with new people too now

"Okay, wait, wait, wait!" Nya exclaims, frantically poking at her bracelet. How can they just fight without analyzing the situation?! “We got a ping about the Shark Activity earlier, and—" "Oh! Yeah, that was, uh, me, actually," says Fuchsia, shrugging as he ducks under the swing of a chainsaw. "I was trying to wait around for help, but these guys were about to start attacking the arcade, so—yeah. I may have jumped the gun a bit.” Fuchsia shrugs with a wide grin, yelping as he swerves away from a swinging morning star. 

. . .

"WAAAAAAAAA!" wails Fuchsia on his way down, still screaming even when he lands in Cole's arms. When he finally catches the amused way Cole's staring at him, Fuchsia coughs and abruptly turns away. "Ahahaha. Um, well…nice catch?" "Thanks. You weren't so bad yourself out there," Cole says, smiling with his eyes. "You're okay, right?" Fuchsia blinks, hoping his blush can't be seen behind his mask. "I, er, uh…yeah! Fine! Totally fine! Super fine. Fine as fine can be!"

. . .

“…I’m sorry, I have a tendency to creep up on people unexpectedly. I didn’t mean to scare you,” the boy laughs, rubbing the back of his neck. “My name’s Jesse Marvell, and I was looking to be the new secretary, if you'll have me.” “You seem a bit…sneaky to be a secretary,” Zane says bluntly. Jesse sticks out his tongue. “Aw come on, don’t be like that! I really can’t help it! But besides that, I am pretty good with people, and organizing things, and memorizing stuff, honest! And, you never know…” Jesse spins around once, stopping only to strike a pose. “…I just might surprise you!”

...nah, always been a giant dork. Though he just has less incentive to try and hide that about him as time goes on (especially because Cole finds it endearing shgfhgfds)

That being said, I did reaaaaally struggle with early!Jesse because I wasn't even sure I could sell anyone on his character (and I kind of had to give myself space to backpedal if it didn't pan out), but sometime in April '22 I just decided to fully commit to the bit because I loved what he brought to the table and doubled down on just going ham with him when I could, and look at us now :V

Also he only reason he broke up that fight with Kai and Olivia was because he was annoyed with them snjhhgfdjhgf (and the meta reason was to let people know he was also in that class lol), BUT it also started the precedent of him acting as the group mediator, as seen in the True Potential Arc (post-Zane and during Cole's), and various points vs the Great Devourer.

And I mean, something similar happened with Olivia–she was far more "cold and calculating" in Book 1, but after her dynamic with Kai kinda took off, she's become the loud, abrasive, snarky individual we know now...and that's why Bridget now exists, to fill in the more analytical aspects of Olivia's role that would've died otherwise T-T)9

Anyway anyway, back to Jesse, I started writing all those sidestories about him to give myself a better foundation for his character even if most of them are Cole-related and to help anchor down the direction I wanted to take with him. Supplementing an existing character's growth is one thing; trying to do it from scratch? Exceedingly intimidating.

But, all has seemed to have gone well! And if nothing else, at least there's visible growth/change! :D

(...and it's not like he isn't still secretive–Kai's onto him for that much ;P)

[goldenavenger02]

i'm getting tired (even for a phoenix)

“I’m still standing because of you,” Jay insisted, getting off of the edge of the bed to seemingly prove his point, “I made it because of you.”

Nya nodded, the guilt still building in her chest as she wiped the tears off of her cheeks, “I want to kill him.”

Prequel to "i'll hold my breath a little bit longer"

Nya traced over the white and red, jagged marks with her thumb as the monitors beeped in her ear telling her “he’s alive”.

Being a ninja was dangerous, all of them knew that. She had taken part in the lessons about field medicine when Master Wu was giving them to the other four ninja, even though it was on her insistence after telling him that she was Samurai X.

And it wasn’t like none of them had ever been in the hospital because of it; she had been in a similar situation with Lloyd less than six months ago, after unlocking her true potential.

But this was different. When Lloyd had been in the hospital, she felt safe and she felt relieved. Morro couldn’t hurt her little brother ever again, Ninjago was safe, and she had found out what was holding her back from unlocking her powers.

The clinic attached to the police precinct was for less extensive injuries then this, but Ninjago City General was apart of Nadakhan’s twisted copy of Dijinjago, so when they arrived on the shore and Jay started coughing up blood before passing out in her arms, this was their only option.

She hadn’t escaped unscathed, but the bruising on her arms from the pirates holding her back from the others and the cut on her forehead from hitting it on the deck as a result of Cole’s wish was nothing compared to everything they had found on Jay’s unconscious body.

There were the injuries Nya could see, like the cut on his left eyelid that had forced the eye to swell shut, the lichtenberg figures on his hands from the powers being too strong within the confines of Vengestone, the bright red circle that encased his ankle thanks to the ball and chain and the split lips from the altitude although she suspected that the swelling had come from the same place as his injured eye.

But she also knew that his ribs were broken to the point that one of them had punctured his left lung, that he had a concussion, that he was so weak that he could hardly walk when Cole had found him and that there was very few spots on his pale skin that were not adorned in some sort of gash or bruise.

It made her wonder just how much enjoyment the crew of Misfortune’s Keep had gotten out of watching someone so light-hearted get beat down over and over again in an attempt to make him break.

Thinking about it nearly made her vomit.

“I know you can’t hear me, but I promise you,” she stopped to bring her hand to his freckled cheek, “we are going to get out of this alive.”

…

They had been at sea for hours.

All they had to their name was a duffle bag of necessities that Jay had grabbed, a duffle bag of medical supplies that the exhausted registered nurse had handed her, the row boat they were traveling in and Jay’s mix of both chivalry and stubbornness as he continue to pull them toward where they would be staying until they could figure out how Jay was meant to word his last wish.

And Nya was sick of it.

She was sick of losing, she was sick of being “the girl ninja”, she was sick of not being able to make her own choices and above all, she was sick of Jay.

It wasn’t that she hated him, the opposite was the truth; their shared love for bad TV dramas, the fact that he was the only one who could make her laugh, how they were so different that their personalities gelled well and worked off of each other. 

And how with each passing day, she couldn’t stop herself from falling more and more in love with him.

But she couldn’t tell him all of that. 

Not when they had a lovestruck diijn chasing them, not when they were in the middle of the endless sea and especially not while Jay still had the idea in his head that they were meant to be together all because of a reflection he had seen in the tomb of The First Spinjitzu Master.

As much as she wanted what he had seen to be true, as much as she loved so much about Jay, she wanted to have a say in it as well; she hadn’t been given a choice with her destiny as the water ninja but that didn’t mean she couldn’t have a say in her relationship.

“Please let me take a turn.” She begged after Jay brought his arms around again and his breathing grew heavy while he pulled in a shrill gasp of air, “if this our way of traveling with a low profile, the least I could do is help row.”

It was bad enough he was being stubborn but just an hour before the bombs had dropped, he had still been receiving care for his various injuries he had obtained aboard Misfortune’s Keep at the small clinic.

Most of the gashes had scabbed over, his concussion was mild, the coloring of the bruising had faded from purple to yellowish-green, he had pushed his auburn curls back down, covered up his freckles again and he was able to open his left eye now, but he could go downhill if he continued to push himself like he was doing at this very moment.

“No, no. I won’t hear it. You saved me last time, this time let me take care of you,” he insisted, pulling in gasping breaths that made her heart twist in worry that one too many rows and his broken ribs would puncture his lung again, “besides, a gentleman would never let a lady row.”

‘There’s that damn chivalry again.’

“Oh, look!” He shouted with a shaky breath, “we’re almost there!”

Sure enough, the gap between their small boat and the very large and very tall lighthouse where Zane’s father had been held captive by the skeletons was closing in on them.

But if she was being completely honest with herself, she was more so excited to get inside and get settled in so she could finally get Jay to rest and keep him from injuring himself more.

‘I would never forgive myself if he hurt himself trying to uphold his bizarre standards about me.’

She was so lost in thought that she only zoned in on the second half of what Jay was saying about how Nadakhan could search all of Ninjago but never find them before reaching her hand towards the water and propelling them forward at a much faster speed then even an uninjured person could row.

In fact, the movement caught Jay so off guard that he fell onto her legs and she waited for a sound of pain, but when he looked up at her with a sheepish grin, she couldn’t help but smile as she spoke, “you said I couldn’t row. I’m not rowing.”

The time between the boat washing up on the shore and the two of them ascending the stairs of the abandoned lighthouse was quick, but not quick enough for her to notice that Jay had offered his hand to help her out of the boat for a brief second before pulling it away and for her to hear his labored breathing as the two of them made their way inside.

Sure enough, everything was empty; they had brought all of the food that had been stored by Julien with them on their way to The Dark Island along with most of the personal belongings but at least they had the reassurance that they weren’t in Ninjago as well as working utilities.

“Actually, it’s a nice little resort,” Jay joked with a chuckle as he set his duffle bag on the table, “vacant for years, yet not a sign of dust.”

It was the same chuckle that came about when he didn’t really find what he was saying funny, more so that he was using his joking demeanor to hide his anxiety about the current situation, a chuckle Nya knew all too well.

Just dumping the contents of the duffle bag out set off an alarm only for the little robot who had served them tea the last time they were there to roll out with a few beeps, jump up onto the table and start putting everything back in the bag.

She couldn’t stop herself from chuckling, feeling the adrenaline that had quickly built up inside of her chest dissipate. “Oh,” she let out a sigh of relief, watching as the robot zipped up the bag, “I forgot Zane’s father liked his toys,” she stopped to turn to Jay, “what did you bring?”

“Oh, uh…” Jay stuttered, unzipping the bag and starting to go through the list, pulling each item out only for the robot to put them back. It would have been amusing if Nya hadn’t noticed how much he was blinking with squinted eyes.

“Enough food for a week, change of clothes, the vial of poison Nadakhan doesn’t know we have and finally, one teapot of Traveler’s Tea, but only just in case all else fails.”

“Great,” Nya nodded, putting her much heavier duffle bag on the table, making sure to keep it neat so the robot wouldn’t mess with it, “do you wanna go over the plan again?”

“Nya, what’s in there?” Jay answered her question with a question, forcing her to avoid his prying eyes to hopefully get him to drop it, but he was persistent, “and why is it in a Ninjago City EMS bag?”

She sighed, and unzipped the zipper before reading out the post-it note that the nurse who had patched Nya up and saved Jay’s life had inventoried everything in the bag.

“Antibiotic ointment, bandages, band-aids, gauze strips, rubbing alcohol, hand sanitizer, nitrile gloves, oral pain killers, ointment for joint pain, a penlight, a thermometer, a spare eyepatch and an oxygen concentrator.”

Jay was silent for a moment, pressing his teeth into his chapped bottom lip; she didn’t know if he would deny the help, or act innocent in pretending that he had no idea what they were for, but he just stood up a bit straighter, cleared his throat and started to go over the plan again.

“Okay, if Nadakhan shows up, we shoot him with the poison. Then when he can’t use his magic, I say my last wish and save Ninjago,” his nervous chuckle returned as he finished speaking, “a wish Lloyd told me is said from my heart, a heart that has no clue what it could be but if said incorrectly could likely make everything ten times worse!”

“You’ll think of it,” Nya insisted, trying to make her voice sound soothing to quell Jay’s anxiety, “you always do. Now, let’s get settled in,” she insisted, taking the two duffle bags with her towards the twin bed in the corner in order to keep the robot from continuing to mess with them, “we could use the peace and quiet to think.”

The air was silent for the next twenty minutes as Nya took off her gloves and started cooking some soup on the small stove; using so little ingredients to try and ration out food as well as fill two stomachs for more than an hour was all too reminiscent of Four Weapons, of her childhood and of Kai.

‘Oh, Kai,’ she realized as she continued to chop the carrots and onions. 

There had been so much going on between the disappearances, Jay getting captured and Nadakhan’s twisted plan for her that she hadn’t been able to take time to fully process that her big brother had been the first of the ninja to be taken.

Kai, who had protected her since day one. Kai, who only became a ninja to save her from Garmadon. Kai, who had stepped back when she became Samurai X because he knew she could protect herself, but also let her know that he would be the first one to take down anyone who hurt her if she needed him too.

She knew she could protect herself, she had done it so many times before…but the assurance that he would be the first to come after her had instilled the same cockiness that he threw around until he found himself in too deep.

Her tears ran down her cheeks and onto the flames of the stovetop which hissed in retaliation to the point where Jay asked if she was okay from the other side of the room.

“Y-yeah,” she wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her gi and continued cutting the vegetables, “just cutting onions!”

‘I will save you, Kai,’ she thought to herself, wondering briefly if her thoughts could penetrate the sword he was currently trapped in, ‘Jay and I will save all of you.’

But after tossing in the carrots, onion and celery, the soup had to simmer and she had to busy herself with her next task on her mental checklist she was keeping, which just so happened to be checking over Jay’s injuries.

“Dinner smells good.” He told her from where he sat on the floor as she walked over, seemingly testing the robot’s functions and patience with the reaction time of setting something on the floor and how fast it would put it away, “I’m calling him Gizmo, by the way. “Robot” seems offensive.”

“Gizmo it is,” she agreed, crossing her arms across her chest as she leaned against the wall and found the courage to ask, “how are you doing?”

“Oh, just fine,” his anxiety made itself known through his sentences instantly, “sure, all of our friends are trapped inside of a magic sword and Nadakhan is probably hunting us down at this very moment but at least we’re all alone in this lighthouse in the middle of nowhere,” his laugh sounded hollow as he put a bag of chips on the ground to watch Gizmo pick it up, “right?”

“Jay, I really think you should let me check you over,” she cut straight to the chase, watching as his shoulder muscles tensed in response, “to make sure nothing is getting worse.”

“Nya, I’m fine-” 

“Just let me help you, please.” She cut him off which instantly caused his mouth to shut in stunned silence.

She tried not to cut him off unless she had to these days, wanting to make sure everyone else got words in even if she wasn’t able to find her own, but after having zero control over anything for days, she couldn’t do it any more.

But to her surprise, Jay sighed in surrender and sat down on the bed so that he was facing her, his right brown eye shimmering in the light of the setting sun before speaking again with a much softer voice, “be careful.”

Nya nodded before opening the duffle bag; she rubbed the hand sanitizer over her palms and the back of her hands, wincing when the alcohol seeped into one of the many small cuts on her hands. 

‘At least I know my hands are clean.’ She tried to look on the bright side as she put on two of the bright purple gloves before turning to Jay and asking, “where do you want me to start?”

Nya knew the logical answer was his chest or his left eye, but she could see just how tense Jay was, how scared he was of her touch.

She had no idea what those pirates had done to him regarding the care of his wounds, or if they had done anything at all, but just seeing Jay so worried about what she was gonna do…

‘If I ever see Nadakhan again, I’m going to kill him.’ 

She knew that being a ninja, she was honor-bound to protect, to only hurt when necessary and that Master Wu would be disappointed with her thoughts of brutal violence.

But she was Samurai X first, and the Samurai had no master. Just a code of conduct based on her own set of morals. 

‘And no one gets away with hurting my friends. Not like this.’

“My hands,” he said at last, peeling off his dirty, black gloves, revealing the white bandages that covered up jagged scars of lightning.

So Nya did what she was asked to do. 

She removed the old bandages, checked for signs of infection, wiped down the wound and reapplied new bandages, moving from Jay’s hands, to his battered ankle, to a particularly bad gash that covered the length of his collarbone and to his broken ribs.

His breathing had evened out quite a bit since the ascent up the steps, which was a big relief to her and she knew that he would still have to rest for awhile even after they got the others back, but it meant that for now, he was safe.

“Jay?” She asked softly, gently putting a palm on his forehead while grabbing the penlight, “this is gonna be bright.”

He nodded silently and she flicked it on, watching as his right pupil slowly grew smaller, but not nearly as slow as the video of a patient’s eye the nurse had shown her after learning she’d be handling most of his care, which filled her with relief about the severity of his concussion.

But, as she looked over at his left eye, his light blue eye, and watched he squinted yet again, she found herself asking a question before she could even think it through while putting the penlight back in the bag.

“Jay? Can you see me?”

Nya wasn’t being specific and if she was being completely honest with herself, as soon as the words left her mouth, she expected Jay to crack a joke or even just be outright confused.

But the words made his face grow slightly dark as he balled his left hand into a tight fist while stuttering, “I-I can see shapes, I can see light but I can’t-” she could have sworn she heard his breath hitch on tears that made her own eyes water, “I can’t see your face.”

Nya didn’t expect those five words to affect her as much as they did when they hit her directly in the chest and made tears spring out of her eyes, tears just as hard as the ones that had fallen as she had mourned Kai.

“B-but it’s okay,” Jay’s voice insisted as he put his bandage-covered hands around hers, making her look up, “I mean, I couldn’t see anything out of it two days ago, so I’m sure it’s just temporary.”

And she wanted to believe him, she wanted to believe him so damn badly, but his voice was tinged with his laughter of anxiety which only made it clear to her that he didn’t even believe himself.

“This is my fault. I sent you after the venom all because I was mad at you for-”

“You were in the right, Nya,” Jay cut her off, gently rubbing his thumb over her worn knuckles, “I should have never lied to you guys about Nadakhan. I never should have made those stupid wishes in the first place.”

“But you can’t see, Jay!” Nya couldn’t stop herself from shouting as she stood up and ran her glove-covered hand through her hair, “so you lied. That doesn’t mean that you deserve to lose your sight! That you deserved any of what those pirates did to you!”

“I’m still standing because of you,” Jay insisted, getting off of the edge of the bed to seemingly prove his point, “I made it because of you.”

Nya nodded, the guilt still building in her chest as she wiped the tears off of her cheeks, “I want to kill him.”

“That makes two of us,” Jay’s voice was just above a whisper as he sat back down on the bed, “do you want to sleep first?”

“No, you take it,” she insisted as she pulled her gloves off so she could go back toward the soup that she could hear starting to boil, before remembering the oxygen concentrator that had been pushed into the EMS bag, “do you want me to set up the oxygen machine first?”

“No, I’m okay. But, you’ll wake me up, right?”

‘Right. Jay’s prone to nightmares.’

“Of course,” she nodded, watching as his eyes fluttered shut and left her alone with Gizmo as company, who was turning off the stove so the soup didn’t scorch.

She found the dishes, which had zero signs of dust or dirt on them and ladled a serving into her bowl before finding a reusable container in another cabinet and putting the leftovers in the fridge; she didn’t want to wake Jay up if she didn’t have to.

As she ate, Nya couldn’t stop herself from watching his chest rise and fall under the two blankets that were already on the bed when they had arrived. 

‘Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale.’ 

Every full breath reassured her that he was alive, every breath that sounded like a struggle made her wonder if she needed to turn on the oxygen concentrator and hold the mask to his face to get his breathing back into its normal rhythm.

On top of it all, she was tired. 

Exhaustion was a better way to put it, with the way she nearly face-planted into her soup and her bones felt too heavy for her to continue holding herself upright.

Even when Gizmo rolled over with a spare blanket clutched in his tiny palm, she shook her head; she had told Jay that he would wake him up if he needed her to and she refused to be useless by falling asleep.

It didn’t help that thoughts of Nadakhan coming in and killing Jay before kidnapping her if she didn’t stay alert swirled in her mind. 

That thought alone was enough to keep her eyes from fluttering shut.

…

‘Come on, Nya,’ slow, bandaged hands wrapped around her arms and pulled her to her feet before gently urging her to walk across the wooden floor, ‘it’s your turn to sleep.’

…

She woke up to the smell of burning food and her teeth chattering.

The wound on her head stung horribly, the bruising made her arms feel like they weighed more than Cole’s weights but at least she was laying down.

‘When did I lay down?’ 

She started to sit up, only for a rust-tinted hand to lay on her chest; the last thing she had been expecting was to come face to face with…Zane? 

But this wasn’t Zane, even if he looked like him. He was not the shiny titanium she had grown used to, and his exposed chest revealed moving gears and what looked like an alarm clock rather than Zane’s closed-off power source.

“Who are you?” She couldn’t hide the shake in her words or the rush of her heart rate as the nindroid took his hand off of her chest to put it against his in an introductory manner.

“I am Zane, built to protect those who cannot protect themselves.”

‘What the hell is happening?’

But before she could ask, or even fully process, that this was some version of one of her best friends, he turned away from her toward the other side of the room and said, “she’s awake, and unless my sensor fell out again, she’s still running a fever.”

“I don’t see your sensor anywhere in here, but I think there’s a thermometer in that EMS bag so we can be sure,” Jay’s voice cut in and when “Zane” moved away, he replaced his spot, “I met him last night, he was living in Julien’s old lab.”

“Okay..” she trailed off, feeling her fear ebb away and renewing the stinging of her forehead, which she started to reach a hand up to only for Jay to hold it instead, “what happened?”

“When I woke up, you were asleep at the table and running a fever. I think the wound on your forehead is infected,” Jay said while scratching the back of his neck nervously, but the fact that her brain felt sluggish at least made sense now, “so I figured that you should be laying down, but after I got you in bed, I heard something downstairs and I thought that someone had found us, but turns out, Zane’s dad had a lab in the basement.”

“And you found a replica of Zane down there?” Nya questioned

“I think “Echo” sounds cooler, but yeah,” Jay’s smile made her feel at least a little better, “and he kept me from burning down the lighthouse with breakfast this morning! And there’s another thing..”

“Oh?” She could tell by his tonal shift that it was not a good thing at all.

“While I was downstairs, there was a mirror where Nadakhan’s face had appeared,” her heart sunk and nausea hit her like a brick as Echo handed Jay the thermometer before walking over toward a small chess table, Gizmo on the other side, “Echo broke it, but I think Clancee wished for him to know where we are, probably not of his own choice, but that doesn’t change the fact that Nadakhan is on his way.”

Nya’s stomach turned painfully as she remembered her anxieties from the night before, of Nadakhan forcing Jay to wish it all away or even just straight up killing him to save himself the trouble of him trying to protect her. 

Of taking her away, of forcing her into a marriage that she could never agree to, of gaining infinite wishes and destroying Ninjago in the process.

“Anyway, I was waiting on you to wake up, but you should use it,” he stopped to show her the teapot, “you should use it and get out of here. I can fight him off with Echo while you hide. Disguise yourself, change your name, anything.”

“You want me to run?” Nya swallowed harshly, “you want me to leave you here? You still have that wish, Jay. You can still stop him.”

“But what if it doesn’t work?” He asked, his hand letting go of hers and going to his hair, “what if I say it wrong, or what if I don’t say it in time?” He pulled in a deep, wheezing breath and ran his hand across his face, “you have to get out of here, Nya. All of this was my fault, all because I saw a glimpse of my future and wanted it to be real.”

She sat up, wincing at the pain radiating in her skull before laying her hand on his bandaged one only to look up and see both of his eyes filled with the shine of tears.

“I ruined your life, Nya.”

For a second, she couldn’t help but wonder if she agreed with his statement. Nadakhan was coming for them, her brother and their friends were trapped in a sword, they were running out of time; but, something about Echo and Gizmo playing chess, the seagulls outside and the sound of waves crashing onto the shore filled her with a sense of hope.

A sense that maybe, just maybe, they would make it out alive.

“But you saw us old together,” Nya insisted, trying to instill any hopefulness that she could muster into him, “so that must mean something. That must mean that we make it out of this together.”

“That’s why you should take the tea, and get as far away from me as possible!” Jay shouted, “I can hold him off, I can keep him focused on the fact he still has to get one wish out of me! He’ll be around me constantly, trying to get me to, um…say the thing,” Nya knew he was avoiding saying the phrase as if it would bring the dijin to them faster, “so that gives you enough time to change how you look enough that he won’t care anymore! He only wants you because you look like Delara-”

“Jay, I am not running away,” Nya cut him off while squeezing his hand to stop his tangent, “I am not letting you get captured, again. I am not letting you become their slave, again. I will never forgive myself for even letting it happen the first time.”

“But I can’t lose you too.”

‘He said there’s a lab. A lab we can build our defenses. A lab that’ll let us hold our own until he makes his wish.’

“And you won’t, because I have a plan,” Nya insisted as she stood on shaking legs and biting back a particularly painful throb in her head, “after all, ninja never quit and Samurai X, well…”she stopped to put her hand to the back of her head, nerves filling her up based on how Jay would respond, “Samurai X is ready to kick some ass. Because between you and me, I’m sick of running.”

But this was Jay, and even if they hadn’t always seen eye to eye, he at least tried to understand her side, so she wasn’t all that surprised when he stood up while saying, “that makes two of us.”

“Now, let’s see this lab,” she told him, taking his hand so her legs would stop shaking, “I want to know exactly how we’ll show Nadakhan that he never should have messed with us.”

[toastingpencils37]

You know the perfume prank Kai did to Nya in Season 1?

Well allow me to make it worse for you watching it.

Zane laughs and then high-fives Kai and then turns off his humor switch.

Meaning that this motherfucker knew Kai was doing it. And I'm pretty sure that just like Kai, Zane knew that Nya was allergic to perfume as well.

(On a side note, this also in a way feels very out of character for Zane, especially Seasons 1-3 Zane. Zane doesn't really feel like the type of person who'd do a mean prank like this, y'know? He feels more like the type of person who wouldn't understand the prank and would wonder why others think it's funny (*cough* Episode 2 *cough*)

Though you could also chalk it up to Zane learning the other's ways. Because let's be honest, in situations like this, the majority of the ninja are assholes in Season 1. Or that Zane's humor switch changes his personality somewhat.)

[flockofcrowsinatornadoofcreation]

Zane headcanons!

• Zane secretly remembers his time as the Ice Emperor. He fights to keep up his cheery, innocent front, but he worries that he might slip. He fears that he could hurt someone if the Ice Emperor returned.

After thinking long and hard, Zane gave Pixal and Lloyd a copy of his shutdown code. He told them it was "just in case", with no further explanation given.

• When Zane gets too emotional, he can short-circuit. One time Jay scared him and he freaked out then dropped like a stone.

• Zane is secretly a fashion icon, but he still dresses like an old man half the time. He doesn't want to overshadow the iconic RGB Siblings.

Example of Icon Zane: "You don't need a rebreather." "Yes, I know, but I like how it completes my outfit😁"

"Zane, you're a nindroid. You have infrared sensors. You have night vision. Why are you wearing glasses?" "I enjoy the aesthetic."

• Pixane stuff!

They absolutely adore each other

When Zane got back from the Never Realm, it was hard for Pixal to let Zane out of her sight for a while

They love to go on dates, especially to cafés during rain/snow storms. They enjoy the aesthetic.

Since Zane gave Pixal half of his heart, they sort of feel what the other is feeling. This is usually limited to extremes, and doesn't usually cross realms. This link persists even after the two get new bodies after defeating the Overlord and getting scrapped.

• Zane and Pixal's completely different attitudes towards the fact that humans are squishier and more delicate than nindroids.

Zane is very much the health-and-wellness type, who is very conscienscious about cultivating an optimal environment for his human friends. Drafts out full meal plans, changes all the lightbulbs in the house because he read online that certain lighting arrangements can elicit certain moods in humans, and he's studied human medicine intensely enough that he could probably get a medical license if he wanted. Kai gets a sore throat, Zane immediately begins researching homemade cough syrup recipes. Cole's got knee pain, instant ice pack and bedrest. Jay is lactose-intolerant and Zane has a conniption if he so much as looks at dairy.

Pixal's reaction, meanwhile, is on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. Constantly overestimates what humans can survive. "I could punch Nya through five inches of steel right? She can take it, she's tough." And "Jay, let's test out my new laser cannon by seeing how far across it'll blast you across the secret base." And "I'm sure no one will take issue if I get rid of all our oven mitts, surely humans aren't so weak they can't handle a hot sheet of metal." It doesn’t help that she usually poses most of her questions about human fragility to Lloyd of all people, who is a half-dragoni demigod chosen one of prophecy, so he doesn’t know either. "Lloyd, it is my turn to cook and I was wondering if four whole ghost peppers is spicy enough for humans." "Hm....maybe add a fifth pepper." "My thoughts exactly." The catch is, since they're all essentially superhuman, they're also more durable than the average human so all of Pixal's dangerous overestimations usually turn out just fine. Except that incident with the peppers. She is still banned from the kitchen after that.

• Zane gets Pixal to make him multiple different bodies for fun occasions (and also its good to have backups) like the ninja go to a fancy gala or something and Zanes like "oh let me get my luxury skin" and he looks exactly the same as normal except now he's rose gold

[weekend-whip]

I’m comin down with something so I wanna ask: what’s it like when the gang gets sick?

(nooooo I hope it's nothing serious!! Get better soon!)

Anyway, the main gang takes sicknesses very seriously, especially because they'll all try to pretend they're not actually sick until they're totally busted. Even being just the slightest bit off is usually enough for one of them to be like "hey, you're not looking so good today, take a break?" and the sick-ee will be like 'nah man I'm good' and then collapse while training.

Zane's usually the main one providing TLC due to being immune from conventional sicknesses...but he's also as strict about bedrest as he is about adhering to school rules. The closest he gets to being sick is when his software needs updating or there's something interfering with his systems.

Cole's probably the one person that doesn't mind being sick because it means he gets to lounge around and be doted on asfghkjgfd. He'll just crawl right back into bed, headphones in, and sleep for a while. Because of this he's also not usually sick for very long; the most he'll be off his feet is for like a day or so, and then it's right back to the grind. (But sometimes he'll pretend to be sick an extra day so Jesse will bring him some extra special homecooked food dfghgf you could've just asked him, Cole)

Jay's probably the most normal one about being sick, and he's the type to wander around in a soft blanket, bemoaning his pain and agony to all within earshot, curled up on the couch watching shows all day, and if he's lucky he can talk Nya into feeding him some soup asfghk. He falls asleep on the couch, and one of the others will carry him back to bed.

Kai and Nya will fistfight their sicknesses. Being sick back in the before-times never stopped them from getting things done (or getting any potentially needed medicine), so they're used to just powering through it. Of course, hypocrites as they are, when the other is sick they'll be doing everything in their power to make sure they rest. Thankfully they have extra hands now.

Lloyd doesn't get sick often either (due to how his energy circulates on top of his melting pot of genes) but when he does he just tries to carry on about his day, but he'll stop talking and just grunts at things. He'll just bump into people when he wants to ask for something, and that usually tips off that something's wrong. They'll ask Lloyd if he wants to rest but he won't say anything because obviously he wants to, but as the Green Ninja he probably shouldn't—and the turmoil's written all over his face so Kai's usually the one dragging him to bed.

Like Zane, Jesse's usually the one doting on others when they're sick, but when he gets sick he just straight up shuts down and turns into a blob that suddenly can't move asdfghjgfd. When he sneezes or coughs, one of his tricks always unintentionally activates (due to using a hand motion to cover up his face) and that has led to some...interesting times. Only likes being doted on by specific people.

Miranda's already under careful watch 24/7, so her getting sick doesn't change much, only that she feels worse and thus is grumpier, especially if Jesse's hovering around because then he goes overboard with the care dfghjkl.

Like Jay, Antonia and Harumi are also pretty normal about getting sick, will skip a day or two of school when needed and just chill. However Antonia will be blowing up Jesse's phone constantly making sure she's not missing anything and Harumi will lose her mind from boredom and the lack of human interaction.

If Garmadon's not around, Olivia has absolutely no problems taking a day for herself and forcing some poor helpless goons to wait on her and bring her snacks, blankets, pillows, and whatever else asdfghjk. If Garmadon IS around–wait, what sickness? She's not sick. Total picture of health. Ready and reporting for duty, Boss.

[insomnya777]

elaborating because i can and a couple people asked me to and we all know that all i need is a little encouragement to get me going

under the cut because i'm a grade-a yapper and this is going to be LONG. like super long. i've pulled up lyrics and songs and everything. <- your final warning

1. joel as sabrina

so no one really disagreed with me on this one and i don't think anyone will just because of the fact that he references her in his videos but like. i'm still going to talk about it because i want to and this is my blog and You Can't Stop Me!!!!!

if you don't know sabrina carpenter, basically just know that she's charismatic & confident & hilarious & gorgeous. plus like all of her songs are sooo him! they're fun and light and always a hit!!! but also can be scathing if they need to be!!!! her humour especially reminds me of him (as a character) because it's like ironic and self-aware but also flirty and silly but also a little twisted and a little mean. in particular i think that the cocky (not the word that describes it best but it's the only one i can think of) side of herself that she shows during her concerts reminds me a lot of joel with his whole "oh i'm so tall and handsome" bit he's got going on

literally like i don't know what more i can say to this. my dude has multiple of her songs in his playlist, he used espresso in his video, and also one of his tools on hermitcraft is named after a lyric. it's canon guys 🙏

songs that i think are the most him + specific lyrics:

espresso — i can't relate to desperation, my give-a-fucks are on vacation

read your mind — oh, i'll be laughing when you say that you really have changed, finally found your way, 'cuz i'm close to your face

tornado warnings — i deserve an hour in a week to focus on my thoughts, not so obsessed with yours i can't hear myself speak

lonesome — if i fall in love with all my problems, will they leave me too?

things i wish you said — nobody gets my jokes, everyone here thinks i'm fucking rude

bed chem — who's the cute boy with the white jacket and the thick accent?!

don't smile — don't smile 'cuz it happened, baby, cry because it's over

good graces — baby, you say you really like it, being mine, so let me give you some advice!

2. grian as taylor

okay this one is VERY personal to me. i am so unhealthily attached to him as taylor. you're probably thinking: but, nya, he literally canonically has an alter ego named after ariana grande! and i raise you this point: i simply do not care

all jokes obviously. i can see why people see him as ariana! especially in her new album, i've listened to it a lot, and i definitely can see some songs that remind me of his character - cough, cough, we can't be friends (wait for your love) - but i've got to say that ariana to me has always been scar (or maybe even a bit of jimmy? undecided) but that's a post for another time

now why i see grian as taylor! i have three main reasons for this actually. as an og swiftie and an og grian fan i may be a little bit biased but just. ignore that. thanks

first of all, i think that they're both kind of starting points, if you get what i mean. most hermitcraft/life series fans start with grian, and then eventually branch out to other creators. similarly, a lot of people listen to taylor swift/know her songs the best out of the genre she specializes in/within the audience her content is aimed towards

secondly, they're also both the most popular within their own branch, and i think they're both the type of artists/channels that you can enjoy without really being a Fan of. almost mainstream (? don't know if that's the term that would work for grian but you get my point). like you don't have to be a diehard grian fan to enjoy his videos, you can just decide one day to pick up one of them, watch it, then never think of it again. does that make sense?

third, i think they both have a lot of variety within their content. taylor's music ranges between emotions and styles, just like the videos that grian makes fluctuates in theme. he's on servers like hermitcraft, where we see him interact with other people and show off his building skills and just be silly. then he's in the life series, which is the total opposite, and then he was also in evo, which is also very different, and so on. his characterization also is very different from author to author, which is, of course, to be expected, but i haven't really seen other people in this particular fandom get characterized so differently to this degree. (it's not a bad thing!!!! i love it i think it's actually sooo fun & interesting that we can take this character and morph it into what we want. like most people don't even realize they're doing it you can only really pick up on it if you're looking for it)

songs that i think are the most him + specific lyrics:

castles crumbling — and you don't want to know me, i will just let you down

begin again — thinking all love ever does is break, and burn, and end

22 — happy, free, confused, and lonely at the same time

call it what you want — and i know i make the same mistakes every time, bridges burn, i never learn, at least i did one thing right

the archer — 'cuz all of my enemies started out friends, help me hold on to you

don't blame me — for you, i would cross the line, i would waste my time, i would lose my mind

hoax — stood on the cliffside, screaming "give me a reason"

this is me trying — and my words shoot to kill when i'm mad, i have a lot of regrets about that

my tears ricochet — you know i didn't want to have to haunt you, but what a ghostly scene

mad woman — what did you think i'd say to that? does a scorpion sting when fighting back? they strike to kill, and you know i will

the prophecy — please, i've been on my knees, change the prophecy. don't want money, just someone who wants my company

3. jimmy as olivia

i'll be real with you, i have considerably less reasons for why i've chosen this. it relates a lot around his interactions with other characters instead of just him as a character + i've taken a few creative liberties here so. cut me someeee slack!

my main reason for this is that jimmy is just the epitome of teenage girl to me (just like olivia). that's probably a little bit of projection on my side because i, myself, am a teenage girl (which i don't know if many of you know? but yes i am a teenager) and jimmy's probably my favourite which leads to me kind of distorting his character a little. but. i don't know. something about the not being taken seriously, the refusal to give up, the insistence that this time will be different just hits me so hard/is relatable. not to get all serious on you

i will say this, though - while sabrina as joel was about both sabrina carpenter the person (or the person that the world knows) and also her music, i think for olivia as jimmy, it's mainly about the music. but you can also relate her relationships with other people (what we know of them, at least) to jimmy's with scott tango grian whatever. i think they do parallel each other pretty well, but, again, that's another post

i also think that jimmy's a lot more sour, not so much guts. olivia's first album revolves around that idea of heartbreak, jealousy, angst. i think his character usually revolves around themes like that. guts, olivia's second album, to me, is a little different. she's grown as a person, reflecting, and she's a lot more confident, too. it shows in her music. i think that jimmy (especially in the life series) is overall very, very sour coded, but then again, there are many songs on guts that definitely can be related to him too.

songs that i think are the most him + specific lyrics:

love is embarrassing — jesus, what was i even doing? 'cuz now it don't mean a thing, god, love's fucking embarrassing

ballad of a homeschooled girl — each time i step outside, it's social suicide

the grudge — i'm so tough when i'm alone, and i'll make you feel so guilty, and i fantasize about a time you're a little fucking sorry

teenage dream — when are all my excuses of "learning my lesson" gonna start to feel sad?

brutal — all i did was try my best, this the kind of thanks i get?

jealousy, jealousy — their win is not my loss, i know it's true but i can't help getting caught up in it all. comparison is killing me slowly

favourite crime — one heart broke, four hands bloody

1 step forward, 3 steps back — i hate that i give you power over that kind of stuff

THE END!!!!! i hope you enjoyed reading this as much as i enjoyed writing this and let me know your thoughts 🫶 always up for some debate!!!

if joel is sabrina carpenter coded (& he is trust) then grian is taylor and jimmy is olivia rodrigo. no i will not be taking criticism but i am fully willing to elaborate