#if lloyd had been allowed to get his wish and live a happy and peaceful life in the place he worked so hard to protect

[lloydfrontera]

sometimes i do feel for the adaptation team of tged when it comes to the relationship between alicia and lloyd because like. they were fighting a losing battle since the very beginning.

either they respected the source material and got crazy people (me) pointing out that the protagonist has more chemistry and relationship build up with his best friend than he does with his supposed romantic interest.

or they change it in the adaptation to make alloyd have more interactions and build up and get crazy people (me) upset and questioning why they're omitting or changing scenes that make lloyd and javier's relationship deeper in the novel to make them seem less close than they truly are.

there's just no winning for them because this is something that is inextricable from the source material

in the novel lloyd and javier's relationship is the core of the plot. whatever they have going on is the heart of the entire thing. and either you accept that and the fact that there's bound to be people who will see it as something romantic and be disgruntled when lloyd is unceremoniously married off to someone he barely knew and did not want to marry for 90% of the novel. or you change it and completely destroy the core of the plot, ruining what's probably the best part of the story.

it's an impossible choice,,,, if you're someone who can't stand the idea of having a protagonist who's a little fruity with his best friend that is lmao

[kittydemon9000]

I wrote a thing for @anxiousworm‘s Spirit Kai au which has been living rent free in my brain for the last however long so ENJOY

In all his years of living, his first memories were both the worst and best of his life.

Granted, he was pretty sure they weren’t actually his first. He always had a vague sense he was missing something, something that came before, but alas.

He remembered standing before a rundown home, something inside pulling him like a tether.

He remembered passing through the door and the overwhelming smell of alcohol and empty bottles that littered the entire room.

He remembered following the tether to a small closet in the back of the house.

He remembered the soft sniffles.

He remembered the burning rage that filled his soul.

But it was nothing compared to when he opened the door.

Curled up in a tight ball was a young child, if he had to guess she was maybe three or four years old.

She looked at him with tear streaked cheeks and water eyes and mumbled a simple question.

“Who are you?”

“I….I don’t know.”

Her name was Nya, and she was the first of many children.

He remembered pulling her into a hug, only for her to disappear.

But he didn’t panic. Something about it felt….right.

He remembered the heat of the fires as they consumed the house.

He remembered the look of pure happiness when he visited Nya in Home, a place where no one but him and those he brought could go. A place where he could raise his Children in peace and happiness.

He remembered the first time she called him Brother, saying that he reminded her a lot of her real older brother, someone by the name of Kai

He was never able to find Kai, much to both of their disappointment.

So yes. They were his worst memories, but also his best.

And after Nya, there were hundreds more children, and he remembered every single one.

Most, he brought back Home, so he could raise them along with the others, but some he gave to new families.

A particular case that stood out to him was an infant. The father was always busy and didn’t care for him, oftentimes going weeks without even being in the same room.

He didn’t know how he knew these things, he just did.

Luckily, he’d found the infant a new home, in a scrapyard belonging to a lovely couple who’d sadly been unsuccessful in having a child of their own. Every once in a while he would check in on them, and they were doing a fantastic job.

Another case was a boy he’d found wandering the snow, lost and confused. He couldn’t explain what it was, but despite the child’s older exterior, he was still young. Very young with much of the world left to experience.

He’d brought him Home, but the boy only stayed a short while, claiming he wished to find his place in the world, and who was he to deny his request.

Then, a few months later, another child, this one running away from a special school. He always hated those places. What was the point of having a child if you were going to send them away to be raised by someone else?

But, alas, there wasn’t much he could do for him. He also brought him to Home, but he too wanted to go out.

Then…..there was Lloyd. Poor, sweet, not-too innocent Lloyd.

He had found him wandering the island, causing mischief as he went. But deep down, he knew Lloyd was never bad, simply misguided. Built up to be this great son of the dark lord, when really he was just a young boy who needed guidance.

He had at first hated Home, wanting to go back to Ninjago, but after a few days and some coaxing from the other children, he loved it. He realized there was no expectations for him there or a need to compete for attention. All of it was freely given.

He would never admit it allowed, but Lloyd became one of his favorites, right alongside Nya.

But beyond the troubles, life was good. His Children were happy, safe and learning from the security of Home.

But then there was the Great Serpent. The first of many tragedies.

So many children were lost, so many more lost their families, and even more were traumatized. Like the young Harumi, who had yet to speak a word since he retrieved her.

Then, there was the Stone Army, impenetrable soldiers who wouldn’t hesitate to kill the children they found.

He saved even less that time. He remembered being so terrified, thinking he’d failed, but actually they had been saved by The Protectors, but more on them later.

Then….there was the Golden Spirit.

The Golden Spirit was a creature of destruction and death and suffering. It’s aura was wicked and dark and threatened to consume him completely. It probably would have…..if it weren’t for the White Protector.

And oh the agony he felt when he was killed. He was tethered to every one of his Children, and losing one was already an unbearable pain. But, the force of his tether snapping was more painful than any time before it. Like he was truly being erased from existence.

Luckily he was returned soon, though the scars remained.

Which led him to now, standing before his Children.

“Who are you?” Cole demanded. “And why are you stealing kids?”

But he just smiled. “It is good to see you again, my Children. I hope life has been kind.”

Jay sputtered. “What are you saying?!? And why are you calling us your kids?”

But he just smiled. But of course, his Children were just confused. They’d been fighting for so long, never having a rest. He wanted to give that to them.

“You have been fighting for so long, it is time for you to rest.”

They went in guard. The leader stepped forward.

“We don’t want a fight. Just tell us why you’re taking children and we’ll go.”

“I do not take the Children. I am rescuing them.” He started. “I help them escape from families who do not love them, I give them places to stay when they don’t have any families at all, I show them the love they deserve.” He paused, looking them all over. “Just like I did for all of you.”

They all froze. “What are you talking about?” Zane asked.

It always hurt when he had to alter their memories of Home, but it was for the safety of all. However, he always kept the fun.

“Jay.” He said. “You were too young to remember, but when you were an infant and I delivered you to your parents, I did not leave you alone.” Jay looked perplexed, so he continued. “You recall the blue stuffed creature that you’ve had since you were young? What did you name it….Mr…..Mr….”

“Mr.Cuddlywhump!” Jay exclaimed. “I still have him!”

“Jay!” Cole hissed, but he was already beaming.

His Child loved his gift. He loved it enough to keep it well into his older years, something many didn’t do. I warmed his heart.

“And Cole.” he turned to him. “When you ran away, I was the one to get you somewhere safe.”

Cole glared. “No you didn’t, it was…...was…..” he trailed off, clearly struggling to remember.

“I had to erase your memories, in order to keep the others safe. You didn’t want to remain at Home, so I took you somewhere safe.”

He turned to the last of his Children.

“And Zane. I found you wandering the icy woods, lost and afraid. I brought you Home, then let you back into the word. Surely you recall a handful of years you cannot properly remember, yes?”

The silence coming from him was telling.

“Why did you let us go?” He finally asked. He felt his smile fall slightly.

“I do not mean to keep my Children captive. They all stay there by their own will. Once they are old enough, or if I find them a family, I let them back into the world. But, every child I have taken in, every single one, I watch over. And the second they need me again, I’m right back there.”

His smile fell away completely. “But I….I failed you. All of you. You were placed in danger time and time again because of my decisions. And in the end….” he looked to Zane. “it cost you your life. But not longer.” His cloak has started flaring up and a few of his fire lights started glowing brighter, but he quickly calmed himself. He didn’t want to scare his Children anymore than he already had.

“But that is why I’m here now. To take you back Home, where you’ll be safe once again.”

“Wait a minute, hold on, we can’t just leave!” Jay exclaimed. “Ninjago needs us to protect them!”

Oh boy, he thought this might happen. His Children were quite stubborn, it seemed.

He waved his hand. “The police can handle it. It is, after all, what they are supposed to do. You are children. Your job is to grow and learn, not protect an entire world.”

They started protesting, but he wasn’t having it.

“Hush now, you will be safe.”

He spread his cloak and carefully let it descend upon the and then….

They were gone. Disappeared and sent to the safety of Home, with all the others.

Hopefully they would get along with the other Children. They were definitely on the older end, but not completely out of possibility.

Nya, now quite far into her older years, would probably show them around. She was the only adult currently allowed in Home, but that may change someday. He never could bring himself to let her go, and it’s not like she wanted to leave either.

He looked to the moon, cursing at how late it had gotten. He still needed to check on a few of his Children living nearby, as well as check on the twins that lived nearby. He had a sneaking suspicion something was going on there.

Life for the Flaming Spirit, as the locals called him, was never over and never dull, and he couldn’t be happier.

[twohundredpower]

@iniquitousideals​ said:

↪                     "Lloyd..." Mithos shifts awkwardly and almost seems to hug himself for comfort, arms crossed over his chest, each clutching the opposite. "you said before that we could be friends, are you... are you sure? It just seems... odd, for you to trust me again."

It had been a while since he saw Mithos last. Though he remembered their conversation being civil, that Mithos was slowly letting his walls down around Lloyd again.. it was a surprise to be approached like this, for Mithos to allow Lloyd to see him so.. vulnerable. But.. he’d always seen the boy that way; someone who, despite how hard he tried to bury his feelings, perhaps felt more than any person he had ever met. Despite the pain he had caused, carried just as much hurt and more. 

And as he stood before Lloyd, he looked so small, so fragile; his thin arms holding himself together, almost afraid to meet Lloyd’s gaze. But if Mithos did happen to spare him a glance, he would find nothing but gentleness in the browns of Lloyd’s eyes; a quiet, yet burning determination that held there as he found the words to say.

“It’s something I want to do, Mithos. I guess it does seem a little weird, considering what happened.. but.. despite everything we went through, I always wished we could go back to the way things were before. When you were a part of our group, when you were travelling with us.. I cherished those days. I never wanted them to end.”

“I don’t know if things can ever be the same.. but I don’t want to ignore you while we’re here together. I don’t want to miss out on any opportunities to be apart of your life again. Maybe you can’t see it, but.. I think you’ve changed a little; being with Martel and Genis so much. You look happier than you ever did before.. and I’m happy for you, too.” His own words slowly allowed a smile to appear on his features, thinking back to how before, Lloyd promised he would be Mithos’s ally for Genis’s sake-- but the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to for theirs, too. Mithos had done many things wrong, and his transgressions couldn’t be forgotten-- but he had done nothing here other than live a peaceful life.. and who was Lloyd to say that he didn’t deserve a second chance to experience it?

Finally reunited with his sister, after thousands of years. Getting to experience love in its purest form. He wondered if Mithos could even feel that he deserved those things-- though Lloyd hoped he did, with every fiber of his being.

“I’m not gonna ask you to pretend like the past never happened, because I won’t do that, either-- but there’s no reason for us to fight anymore.. so I think it’s okay to be friends again. That’s only if you want to be, though. No matter what, I won’t ever push you away if you need me, and even if it takes a while for you to accept that.. I won’t be going anywhere.”

[ariainstars]

Star Wars, the Last 20 Years or Can We Please Try to Stop the Blame Train?

I would like to touch a subject that’s starting to grate on my nerves a little.

Anyone here knows that I disliked The Rise of Skywalker heartily. And I’m not the only person here or elsewhere who tore it to shreds. But I am reading (again) over and over why and how JJ Abrams, Chris Terrio, Kathleen Kennedy and Co. made this mess. Instead of searching for culprits, this time I would like to point out a few things.

I. Star Wars Prequels

Jake Lloyd, Ahmed Best and Hayden Christensen had to endure awful harassment in their time: the audience largely vented their frustration on them because when the prequels hit theatres, they did not get the Star Wars they had wanted. Politics are a dry subject, and young Anakin and the Jedi Council were all too human to be liked by fans who expect coolness in a hero more than everything else; which is probably why Darth Maul is a huge favorite although we hardly learn anything about him and he says almost nothing. Ditto Obi-Wan although he is clearly not suited to train Anakin and it’s him who maims him and leaves him to burn in the lava. (Until I saw the film, I had always assumed Palpatine had tortured Anakin to push him to the Dark Side.) 

The prequels’ messages in general were not liked: the Jedi were not perfectly wise and cool wizards, the Old Republic was stagnant, Anakin was a hot-headed, frustrated young man desperate to save his wife and unborn children. The films do not want to excuse what he did; however they portray him not as a monster but as a human being who was under an almost unendurable pressure for years and years until he finally snapped.

These messages may not be “cool”, but they were realistic and most of all, humane. Portraying the Jedi as well as Anakin as powerful, flawless heroes and the old Republic as a just, prosperous and balanced place would have meant undermining a central theme of the original trilogy: the former generation could not have been all that powerful and wise, else the collapse of their world and the failure of their convictions would not have happened in the first place. It is a sore point, but still twenty years later Obi-Wan and Yoda denied that Vader was human and expected Luke to commit patricide. 

All of this goes to show that the Jedi’s moral standard was flawed and their attitude not rooted in compassion and pacifism the way they claimed. In the end, what they cared about was winning, no matter the cost. In this, they were no better than the Sith.

~~~more under the cut~~~

II. Star Wars Sequels

J.J. Abrams, Kathleen Kennedy, Bob Iger and company were the ones who introduced the Star Wars sequel trilogy and with it its themes, characters, setting etc. to us in the first place: I think we should give them credit where it’s due. Rian Johnson made a very beautiful second chapter with The Last Jedi, but he did pick up where the others had left. 

Kelly Marie Tran made experiences similar to Jake Lloyds or Hayden Christensen’s when The Last Jedi was hit theatres. She was disliked for not being “Star-Wars-y” enough, chubby and lively instead of wiry and spitfire, and also taking a lot of screen time while many fans were impatiently waiting for some grand scenes from Luke and / or Leia. 

That Episode VIII, the central and most important one, was called “The Last Jedi” cannot be overstated. Luke was literally alone with the heavy task of rebuilding a religious order that was gone and destroyed long before he even learned about it, and at the same time he had to patch together his own family and atone for his father’s sins. This is a crushing burden for anyone to carry. It was important both for Rey and for the audience to meet Luke to see that he was a good man, but still just a man.

When Luke spoke openly to Rey about the failure of the Jedi Order, it was the first time he ever spoke about it that we know of; this wisdom he obviously acquired only after his nephew’s fall to the Dark Side. Luke has understood that the ways of the Jedi were wrong; but he does not know a better alternative. Force users are still born all over the galaxy, and they have to learn to use their powers - only how? Again, Luke is not to blame. How is he to know, when the Jedi of the Old Republic had lost sight of Balance in the Force for so long that they didn’t know what it actually meant anymore? 

Same goes for Leia, the princess without a realm, who tried to rebuild the Republic after the galaxy had been terrorized by the Empire and devastated by war for many years. She assuredly did her best, but she was only human. That she failed her son is of course shocking, but after the horror she had to endure at the hands of her own father it is not surprising that she would be terrified of her son possibly going the same way. Ben, like Anakin, was crushed under a legacy and responsibility that was by far too heavy for him. The tragedy of his life and the disruption - and in the end, obliteration - of his family was another proof for the failure of the ways of the Jedi. 

All of these lessons until now were not learned from. But let’s be honest: how many of us come from dysfunctional families? If we do, was getting away from them enough to heal the wounds of the past? Did we find out what to give our children on their way in life, or did we fail them because we had not elaborated the past enough to make way for a better future? Such problems are very common, and to heal them is complicated and takes time. A “happy ending” e.g. in form of finding a new family is not enough, on the contrary, it can lead to wanting to leave the past behind, leaving wounds unhealed that will fester their way through our lives again, sooner or later. Star Wars always was an allegory of the human mind, even if deeply cloaked in symbolism. The saga also abundantly takes inspiration from the Bible, and I think it’s not coincidentally said there that the sins of the fathers are visited upon the children. 

As fans, we would have wanted to see films that cemented the Jedi as guardians of the galaxy, with the Skywalker family right at the center. Which in itself is impossible because Jedi are supposed to remain unattached, making the mere idea of a Jedi having a family absurd. If the prequels told us that the Jedi were flawed, the sequels tore down the myth of the Skywalker family. And both trilogies showed that you can’t be a Skywalker and / or a Jedi / Force user and have attachments and a happy family of your own at the same time. At least, not until now. 

 III. Film production

Many fans of old complained because the sequel trilogy implied that the “happy ending” of the original trilogy’s heroes had not been so happy after all and that after having made peace for the galaxy, they had failed to keep it that way. Other viewers however liked the new trilogy and new characters right away and began to root for them. But they, too, jumped on the blame train when the trilogy had ended: expectations were not met, and now director, producers, script writers, cutters etc. are faulted all over again.

The first person coming up with the idea of Han’s and Leia’s only child turning to the Dark Side was Lucas himself. It always was a main theme of the saga that war separates people who actually belong together, like family, couples or close friends; that is not played for mere drama, but because it emphasizes the absurdity of war.

We as the audience do not know how production went - it is very possible that Lucas approved the general storyline, and there is always a whole team on board. It is not easy to purchase such a large and immensely popular franchise; it was to be expected that if things went not the way the audience expected, the Disney studios would be blamed harshly for having “ruined Star Wars”. With the prequels, at least Lucas was still at the helm; it was conceded that maybe he had lost his magic touch with storytelling, but certainly not that he was trying deliberately to ruin his own creation. And the fans who could not praise the Disney studios enough after The Last Jedi came out, now blame them over and over.

The Disney studios have long-term politics to consider and contracts to observe, and we don’t know their contents. We have every right to be disappointed, but I think it’s not fair to blame one or a particular group of persons who are trying their best to satisfy as many viewers as possible. If they simply wanted to satisfy the average dudebro who sees nothing but clichés, two-dimensional characters and Good against Evil - then why did they allow The Last Jedi to be produced in the first place? The studios obviously are aware that there are fans out there who are ready to look deeper in the saga’s themes, who wish to see the Force coming to Balance, who value family, friendship and love over “victory at any cost”, and who do not place the Jedi on some kind of pedestal.

In a sense, The Rise of Skywalker seems like a bow before The Last Jedi: the weakest chapter of the saga followed one of its strongest. Maybe the authors were aware that equaling or even topping what Rian Johnson had created would be next to impossible, so they patched up the open threads of The Force Awakens together with some fan service hoping to be out of the business as quickly as possible.

In retrospect, the infamous podcast with Charles Soule might also be tell-tale: Soule obviously is not elbows-deep in the saga and largely ignores its subtext. Since his The Rise of Kylo Ren comics are quite well-made, I assume that the general storyline did not stem from his own creativity and that he only carried out what he had been advised to do. The production of the whole sequel trilogy may have happened in a similar way. I am not excusing the poor choices of The Rise of Skywalker; merely considering that one or a few persons cannot be blamed in a studio that has thousands of creative minds on board.

I am still hoping for the next trilogy to finally bring Balance to the galaxy, and also into the fandom. Rian Johnson had negotiated the rights for the next trilogy along with The Last Jedi; I assume it is very possible that there was a clause about intellectual property saying that only he would continue Episode VIII’s topics, nobody else. This would at least be an explanation, given the embarrassing, jumbled mess that Episode IX was.

The overall title of the saga assuredly never wanted to inspire the audience to start online wars attacking the studios or the actors or other fans out of the conviction of being entitled to blame someone else’s worldview. The saga’s message is compassion. Both George Lucas and the Disney studios are telling us their story; the idea and the rights do not belong to us. Harping on “whose fault” it allegedly is won’t bring us anywhere; what we can do is make the studios understand that we’re not too stupid not to understand the subtext, the symbolism and metaphysics of the saga beyond the action story. If they listened to the Last Jedi haters, in all fairness they are bound to listen to us, too. 😊

  IV. Will Ben’s story continue?

My husband already warned me years ago that Ben most probably wouldn’t survive, or at least not get a happy ending. As Kylo Ren he had already been the head of a criminal organization for six years at the start of The Force Awakens, but all of that perhaps could still have been condoned within the scope of war. It was the very personal and intentional act of patricide, the killing of an unarmed, forgiving man, who turned him into a damned person. And after the deed, Ben was aware of it. He knew there was no way out for him, he had gone too far.

Many members of the audience did not understand that Kylo / Ben is not an out-and-out villain and that this narrative ultimately was about his redemption. Bringing him back to the Resistance after the Exegol battle alive and by Rey’s side would not have been accepted; how was Rey to explain everything when she hardly understood it herself? How would the audience have reacted to the former head of a criminal organization, a patricide, suddenly standing out as a hero? Remember how in Return of the Jedi Luke asked Vader to come away with him. Now suppose Vader had complied? It would have seemed (and been) sheer madness. Nobody would have believed neither father nor son that the terror of the galaxy had had a sudden turn of heart. Nobody knew that he was Luke’s father; Luke himself did not know Anakin’s backstory; nobody knew what had transpired between Luke and Vader so far. Yes, Ben was young and healthy, but he still had terrorized the galaxy for years and killed his own father. He knew himself that he was damned and could not go back to normality, as Vader did.

Rey was coded as the heroine: narratively, the sequel trilogy was her story. Ben couldn’t become the hero, with or without her, at the very last moment. She usurped power like her grandfather in his time, the Skywalker family was obliterated the way the Jedi were, she takes over another mantle (Skywalker) the way Palpatine did (becoming the Emperor). Balance in the Force never was truly in the cards, it was only vaguely hinted at in The Last Jedi by the Force mosaic in the Ahch-To temple. Balance is a complex and difficult subject; it would have been extremely difficult to develop it in the sequel trilogy together with introducing the new characters and giving the old ones closure.

However: if Ben is brought back in the next trilogy, his sacrifice for Rey will have been his atonement. If his role this time is not that of the villain but of the hero, it would reverse Anakin’s path and make clear that he no longer is the same man. Vader was redeemed, not rehabilitated. His grandson might still have the chance to go that way.

- Luke had promised Rey a third lesson, and it happened. He also had promised Ben to “see him around”, which has not taken place yet.

- On Tatooine, Rey watches the twin suns setting, same as Luke before he met the other half of his soul (his twin sister) again.

- The studios had said that the sequels would be “very much like the prequels”; the prequels were a tragedy where the Dark Side (Palpatine) won that was followed by a fairy tale where the Light Side won.

- The Skywalker saga is closed, so if Ben comes back it would be justified by his being a Solo, i.e. the story of his own family and not his grandfather’s.

- Given the parallels with Beauty and the Beast, the Beast died before the broken spell brought him back, making him a wholly new person - his past identity, purged and redeemed.

- George Lucas repeatedly said that the prequels and the classics belong together as one narrative, with Anakin Skywalker at its center. First news of the next trilogy came up with The Last Jedi. Since there are strong parallels between Ben and his grandfather, we may assume that this six-chapter instalment will be his; Anakin also was left for dead but came back with a wholly different role and name.

- When Anakin was reborn as Darth Vader, he “rose” slowly from the ground, clad in his black armor. Ben fell to the ground abruptly and shed his black clothes, disappearing. This could be another clue. (It was also already speculated that Leia’s body dissolved exactly in this moment because she gave her life-force to her son for him to have another chance to live. Both Han and Luke had done what they could to atone for their remorse towards Ben; this might be her turn.)

- Much as I love Luke Skywalker, I can understand that Lucas did not see him as the saga’s protagonist. The overall arch is not so much about Luke’s heroism than about Anakin’s redemption and atonement. It is unusual because we expect the story’s “hero” to be the one who kills the Bad Guy; and indeed Anakin is, because he kills Palpatine in the end, the twist being that technically he is also a villain though not the archvillain.

- Ben had promised Anakin he would finish what he started. Anakin had been meant to bring Balance to the Force, and he had started a family. Until now, Ben did neither.

- If Ben and Rey are a dyad, i.e. one soul in two bodies, then Rey is in urgent need of her soulmate for her future tasks. She has her friends of course, but none of them gets her the way he did.

So, I still see reason to hope for a continuation, and, hopefully, satisfying conclusion of The Last Jedi’s themes.

  Film production: on a side note…

In the Nineties, Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale were the directors both of Beauty and the Beast and Atlantis: two more different stories are hardly imaginable with regard to everything - drawing style, setting, characters, development, music etc. This outcome can’t have been only due to the director’s choices, there must have been a wholly different idea behind both films right from the beginning. Just saying.

[lloydskywalkers]

So on the incredibly rare occasion that I do write romance, I have the ability to write one (1) single romance and that is all, and that’s Dumb Fools in Love. Which hopefully fits here, because it’s Glass Girl’s namesake day, so i gotta at least try for @speedythecat, it’s what she desERVES.

(happy valentines this is disgusting fluff anyways i love u speedy)

Lloyd likes the way construction paper sounds. It’s kind of therapeutic, the sound it makes as he drags the scissors through the middle. It’s even more satisfying when he uses them to start stabbing gaping holes through the paper, because he went and ruined the stupid heart shape again, and now he’s running out of pink and red construction paper that doesn’t look like he took a vicious katana to it and went crazy.

“Stupid scissors—”

He doesn’t know if Rain even likes pink or red that much, Lloyd reminds himself dismally, as he untangles his fingers from the scissors. Just that they’re thematically appropriate to the essence of the holiday, or whatever, and they apparently must’ve been the only two colors that existed when whoever came up with Valentine’s Day was around. He hasn’t even found actual purple in any of the little cards he’s seen, just some floral lavender.

Lloyd glances down to the pile of pink and red paper strewn across the table in front of him, then back to the instructions he’s printed out for himself. Then back to the paper.

Maybe he can just like, die instead.

Lloyd is about ninety percent sure that he can’t be the only person to ever look up “how to make Valentine’s Day cards” on the internet before, but it still feels like a crushing blow to his pride and an overall dumb move in general as he does.

But he’s only slightly desperate right now, and he really doesn’t want to reach fully desperate, so he’s willing to suck up his pride if it means not totally ruining his girlfriend’s hopes and dreams by giving her a sub-par and ultimately disappointing Valentine’s Day card that looks like he doesn’t even understand the holiday in the first place.

To be fair, though, he kinda doesn’t.

Like, Lloyd knows what Valentine’s Day is, obviously. He’s not an idiot. He’s just…never really participated in it…as a person. It seems like all the others have cute little stories of getting paper cut-outs and candy hearts in grade school (which he can get behind, if there’s candy), but Lloyd’s experience in grade school was general scorn toward anything love-related at all. Valentine’s Day was well out of the question. Lloyd didn’t even know it existed until he walked straight into a street stand that looked like red and pink had thrown up all over it, before being drowned in like, twenty-dozen bouquets of roses.

He’d been an awful brat of a child then, so at the time, he’d dealt with it by kicking the stand over and being totally grossed out. Now, however, he’s left wondering if those bouquets are worth the money, or if he should invest in the slightly bigger ones they sell over on the east side stands.

How the tables have turned, Lloyd sighs miserably to himself, struggling to peel another stubborn strip of glitter glue from his hand where it’s dried there, sparkling mockingly at him.  Finally digging the glue free, Lloyd brushes his hands off and glances down at his paper.

Go for handmade.

Well, that one’s easy, ‘cause there’s no way Lloyd’s physically bringing himself to walk into a store and buy Rain some cheesy card with a bunch of generic hearts on it. This, of course, leaves the problem that Lloyd now has to come up with the card, and the only thing that’s coming to mind are generic, cheesy hearts.

Hmm. Lloyd taps the edge of the table, humming beneath his breath. He can draw pretty well, but he’s not like, an artist. Not like Cole is, or anything. Lloyd is a lot better at cartoon characters and funny little caricatures of the others than he is, say, detailed roses or something.

Rain likes cats, right? he muses. He could draw a cat, and then maybe have it holding a heart, or something. That’d be kinda cute, maybe. And then he’d get to make some awful pun like “you’re paw-sitively purr-fect”—

Lloyd slams his head down on the table. Nope. This is why he’s not allowed to come up with the idea himself. He’s worse than all the awful grocery store cards put together.

Something in his nose tickles, and he sneezes, sending up sparkly dust all around him. Lloyd blinks, then bites back a moan. Belatedly, he realizes he’s just dunked his head in glitter dust.

It could’ve been the glue, he tries to comfort himself.

Figuring he’s already doomed, Lloyd makes peace with the fact that he’s just going to live the rest of his day resembling a blond disco ball, and lifts his head to return to task, squinting at what’s next on the list.

Make it personal.

Again, that one should be easy too, because it’s Rain. But what’s supposed to count as personal? Is it like, I-love-you personal, or here’s-a-reference-to-inside-joke-number-fifty-eight kind of personal? Should he do both? He and Rain have too many inside jokes, though, it’ll take him half the day to pick one, and he’s already running out of time. Rain’s supposed to be back at noon, and Lloyd does not have that kind of time to kill.

He drums his fingers against the table-top, staring at the outlined drawing of Rain his fingers have absently started sketching out, right next to his doodles of little cats and a mini-Overlord raging terror on the glitter glue scattered across the paper.

Lloyd frowns at the last one. Oops. Well, he can’t give her this now.

“Is that supposed to be the Overlord? You can’t give Rain that for Valentine’s Day.”

Lloyd jumps half a foot out of his chair and slams his knee into the table just so that his entire leg goes dead, his shriek of surprise strangling off as he chokes on the erupting cloud of glitter dust.

By the time he winds down coughing, wiping the reflexive tears from his eyes and glaring, Kai is just staring at him, mildly concerned and whole lot unimpressed.

“A little warning, please.”

“I’ve been standing here for five minutes, bud, it’s not my fault you’re in dreamland.” Kai glances down at the table-top of scattered construction paper and glitter dust, and his mouth trembles, like he’s holding back laughter. “Are you…trying to make a card, or mass-murdering our construction paper supply?”

Lloyd feels his cheeks go scarlet, and he sputters. “I’m not — no, I’m just—” He waves his hands in the air, wishing he could disappear. “Valentine’s Day,” he finally says, haplessly. “Rain. Card.”

“Ah,” Kai says, nodding. He eyes the butchered pile of paper. “It’s going…good, then?”

Lloyd buries his face in his hands, groaning. “I keep ruining it. I’ve never done Valentine’s Day before, Kai, this is a disaster. Rain’s gonna hate it.”

“Aw, don’t say that,” Kai says, sliding into the chair next to him, patting him on the shoulder. “Rain’ll be fine with…whatever…you end up making. It’s not that big a deal.” He laughs, rolling his eyes. “I mean, it’s not like she’s going to get horribly upset because you butchered her favorite holiday and dump you for some chump with better taste.”

Lloyd freezes dead, his eyes widening. He has not yet considered this option. What if he does ruin Rain’s entire holiday with his awful gift? What if, by completely disrespecting her last name’s namesake — thing — she does get horribly upset and runs off with like, Ariya to the desert or something, and—

Kai blinks, then his eyes go wide. “Lloyd, wait — no, it was a joke, Lloyd, don’t get that look on your face — Nya!”

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

And that’s how Lloyd ends up cornered by his entire team at the kitchen table, covered in glitter dust and currently living out his worst life as they try to decide the best way for him not to totally sabotage his love life in one go.

“Honestly, I never really got Valentine’s Day,” Kai remarks. “I didn’t get the whole grade school experience as much, since we homeschooled for the most part. It’s just a lot of hearts and chocolate and flowers and stuff, right?”

“Um, it’s a lot more than that,” Jay rolls his eyes. “It was classroom warfare. Your like, entire life status was measured by how many Valentines you’d get. It was totally lame,” he scowls.

“I dunno, I always got a whole lot,” Cole muses. “I could never figure out why, though. I wasn’t super popular, or anything...”

They all stare at Cole for a beat, where he stands haloed beneath the kitchen lights in all his wavy-haired glory.

“Hopeless,” Jay sighs.

“This isn’t grade school, though,” Nya says. “This is Lloyd’s actual relationship, which we are helping him with, so let’s hear actual helpful stuff, please.”

“Again,” Kai shrugs. “Flowers. Chocolate. Hearts. Bam, you’re good.”

“For crying out loud,” Jay groans. “How do magazines keep labeling you the smooth one.”

“Hold on, he’s got a point with the chocolate part,” Cole points out.

“Of course, you would choose that part to focus on,” Zane sighs.

“Guys, enough,” Nya cuts over them. “I said helpful stuff, not the most generic ideas ever. I mean, chocolate’s nice, but Lloyd’ll probably eat it all before it gets to Rain anyways—”

“I would not!” Lloyd protests.

“—and the card’s gonna be the focal point, so hearts are covered.” Nya glances down the pile of butchered construction paper in front of Lloyd, and winces. “We’ll, uh, help you with that part. But first, let’s plan.” She tugs a half-torn piece of construction paper toward her, uncapping a marker. “What all does Rain like, for starters?”

“Well,” Lloyd pauses, thinking. “She does like flowers, and — no, no I am not going to ask Lief for help, no way, not a chance.”

“Just a suggestion!” Jay throws his hands up in defense. “He’s her friend, though, so he’d probably have some ideas, y’know?”

“So. Not. Worth it.”

“Okay, okay, geez.”

Nya rolls her eyes, but scribbles ‘flowers — not from Lief’ on the paper anyways. “Good, but that’s still pretty standard stuff. Anything else a little more creative? Something that really says Rain to you.”

“She likes rocks,” Lloyd nods.

The marker squeaks violently on the paper, and Nya makes a dying sound in the back of her throat. Kai breaks into snickering, and Jay whacks him on the shoulder, giggling.

“There you go, bud, perfect Valentine’s gift. Give her a rock.”

“No,” Nya says firmly, glaring at Jay. She then turns the glare on Lloyd, who immediately shrinks lower in his seat. “Rocks, Lloyd, really — okay. Okay, do you know anything else she likes? That’s not rocks?”

“Uh, she likes…glass?” Lloyd says, weakly. “And um, seashells. And tea, and — she really does like rocks, I’m serious! Like, cool ones—“

“You are not giving Rain a rock for Valentine’s Day!”

“A cool rock!”

“That doesn’t make it any more acceptable!”

“Ughhh.” Lloyd slides down in his chair with a dying moan, throwing his arms over his face. “You ruin everything. She likes those little paper cranes, I guess. And, uh…”

“You,” Zane reminds him. “She likes you. Therefore, she will most likely love anything you give her, since it’s from you.”

Normally, Lloyd would just scoff at that, but Zane’s voice is so sincere it actually helps, a little. Lloyd sits up in his seat a bit, his crossed arms loosening. “Well…”

“Yeah! So why don’t you just draw her a cat that says like, ‘you’re purr-fect’, or something?” Jay suggests. “That sounds like you.”

Lloyd slams his head against the table, once again accidentally dunking himself in glitter dust. He can’t bring himself to care this time, because the whole world apparently just knows him for terrible puns.

“Stop being so melodramatic, you’re going to remind her of her brother,” Nya clips. Lloyd chokes on his tongue, and dissolves into a fit of manic sputtering as Kai claps him on the back, encouraging him to breathe.

“—was just a joke, Lloyd, don’t take her seriously.”

“—time and place, Nya, time and place—!”

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

It takes several disastrous attempts and more than a few marker wars — Kai in particular is sporting some spectacular pink sharpie marks along the side of his face, and Lloyd’s got streaking red marks across his forearms as the price for protecting his own face — but Lloyd end up with one brightly-colored, cursive-lettered Valentine’s card for Rain.

He’s feeling pretty confident in it, actually. It says everything he wants it to say, while looking pretty but dignified, and it’s only got one cat on it, so he’s — he’s pretty sure Rain will like it. A lot more than any of his other disastrous attempts, he assures himself. Now all he’s gotta do is grab the flowers Nya made him promise to get, and according to both Wikihow and his family, he’ll have the perfect Valentine. Armed with that knowledge, Lloyd strides confidently for the kitchen table to grab an envelope.

Only to freeze dead when he comes face-to-face with Rain, who’s bent over studying said disastrous attempts from earlier, that he’s left out in full view on the kitchen table like a complete moron.

Rain’s currently got one of his first attempts in her hands, her finger tracing the little design he’d drawn. Her hair’s down right now, all silvery and smooth and falling over her face, so he can’t see her expression.

Lloyd is highly considering running for the hills by like, hurling himself out the kitchen window, when Rain turns around, the end her nose still red from the outside cold, freckles standing out more than usual on her cheeks. Lloyd freezes in place.

She holds up one of the ruined cards. “Are all these...for me?”

Lloyd’s soul makes the executively wise decision to exit his body right then.

“They’re — I — no, they’re for, uh—”

Lloyd’s mind backfires. Shoot, he can’t say they’re for someone else, they’ve got ‘I love you’ and other sappy stuff all over them, what’s he supposed to do—

“They’re, uh, for my grandmother.”

Rain raises an eyebrow. “Your grandmother…named Rain,” she says slowly, reading the name that’s brightly plastered everywhere.

“Her name’s Rain too,” Lloyd tries, weakly.

Rain raises her other eyebrow. She wordlessly holds up one of the cards, pointing to where “Rain Allira Valentine” is highlighted. Lloyd mentally makes a note to murder Kai later as her finger slides down to the “Mr. Rain Valentine” right below, her lips trembling as she tries to hold back a snicker.

“Um.” At least she’s laughing, Lloyd tells himself. She hasn't run off to the desert yet. “I have a better one for you, I swear. Those are just — really, really bad first attempts, which you were never supposed to see, ever.”

Please forget they ever existed, is on the tip of his tongue, but Rain’s expressions softens, her eyes fond as she looks from the cards to him.

“I don’t know, these are…kinda sweet,” she admits, her cheeks going a bit pink.

“Oh,” Lloyd says, his own face heating. “That’s! That’s good, I guess. I mean, this new one’s — it’s a whole lot better, though, and uh…” He frantically rubs the back of his head, trying to get his brain back online and working properly again. Unfortunately, the action sends a tiny shower of sparkles raining from his hand, and Lloyd remembers in horror that he never got that glitter dust out.

Rain smirks, biting back a laugh. “Hold on,” she says, stepping in close. “You’ve got some — here.”

She pushes a hand through his hair, her fingers gently tangling through the thick blond strands before pulling away, leaving her fingers stained in glitter dust. She gives a tiny snicker, then brushes at his hair with her other hand, neatly sweeping a shower of glitter dust from it before carefully tousling his hair back in place.

“There,” she says. “Now you don’t look as much like a disco ball.”

“Maybe I wanted to look like a disco ball,” Lloyd says, petulantly. “Lloyd Disco Ball Garmadon, that’s me.”

“Then I’d have to make you another Valentine’s card,” Rain says, and Lloyd finally spots the envelope she’s been keeping behind her back. “Because I definitely messed up your middle name, if that’s the case.”

Lloyd blinks rapidly. “Wait, you got me one?”

Rain freezes, looking unsure. “Um…yes? That’s kind of…the point, right? You give Valentine’s to people you lo—like—um, love.”

Lloyd’s definitely red now. “I-I probably wouldn’t know,” he finally stammers. “Darkley’s wasn’t too big on Valentine’s.”

Lloyd immediately wants to hit himself, because Rain’s here being sweet and talking about love, and he’s bringing up Darkley’s like a motor-mouthed moron. And now Rain looks sad, and is it too late for Lloyd to pitch himself out the window—?

“Well, lucky for you, I know all about it,” Rain suddenly says, firmly. “You’ll just have to spend the day with me, so I can give you the run-down.”

“That I can do,” Lloyd grins brightly in relief.

“It’s a date, then,” Rain beams, before her smile hitches in laughter. “And you, um, you have more glitter. On your cheek.”

Lloyd wipes quickly at his face. “Oh, come on — did I get it?”

“No, now you’re just — okay, stop, I’ll get it, hold on.”

Rain steps nearer again, brushing her thumb across his cheek once, then again. “There,” she nods satisfied. She doesn’t move back, though, standing close enough that Lloyd can count her freckles, and see every shade of teal in her eyes. There’s a hint of a smile left on her face, and Lloyd swallows. This would probably be like, the perfect time to—

“For FSM’s sake, kiss her, you moron, she’s totally set you up for it—”

Kai’s voice cuts off in a strangled choking sound as Nya throttles him while both Rain and Lloyd go scarlet, and Lloyd makes another mental note to murder Kai a second time later.

“Wanna go out?” Lloyd suggests hastily, his face flaming. “The candy’s probably not gonna be on sale yet, but I bet we can get someone to cut us a deal.”

“Yes,” Rain nods fervently. “Let’s — out. Go out. Of here, sounds good.”

“Great,” Lloyd says, then snatches both their jackets from the hook before fleeing, Rain trailing behind him as they sprint past the others, stifling laughter as Lloyd desperately avoids making eye contact with anyone. Rain’s muffling giggles too, though, and Lloyd can’t help breathing out a laugh as he flings open the doors tumbling out into the chilly February weather.

“So, I have a question,” he says, as their footsteps fall into pace down the street. “What do you think of like, rocks as a present?”

“Hm, I don’t know. Is it like, a cool rock?”

“I mean, hypothetically? Yeah, a super cool rock.”

“Well, if it’s super cool. Then that’d be a good one, I guess.”

“I knew it—!”

[the-penny-dreadfuls]

They once called her “The Most Beautiful Girl in New York City”. With just one look at Olive Thomas, anyone could see that fate designed her for stardom. Her face was carved with fine, delicate features, framed by a halo of soft and warm curls. Long, thick lashes feathered her striking violet-blue eyes, and a demure smile often painted her lips. She was as intelligent as she was beautiful, with a charming personality to boot. During the 1910′s, the world and all its possibilities laid out in front of her. All she only had to grab it. Now, nearly a hundred years after her sudden and grim death, Olive Thomas is one of the most famous ghosts of Broadway.

Miss Olive R. Thomas, affectionately known as Ollie, made her stage debut on June 21st, 1915 when she joined the cast of Ziegfeld Follies in the New Amsterdam Theatre, one of the most magnificent theatres of its time. She performed alongside a cast full of beautiful women, garbed in elaborate and exquisite costumes, for the entertainment of thousands. She became such a popular performer that she earned a coveted spot in Ziegfeld’s later, more risqué show, the Midnight Frolic.

In 1917, Olive transitioned her career from the stage to the silver screen when she starred in her first full-length movie “A Girl Like That”. Up to twenty movies followed with her most distinguished character being Ginger King in “The Flapper”. This role made Olive the first person to portray the iconic 1920′s phenomenon in film. Outside of acting, the rising star aspired broaden her career with more roles both in front of and behind the camera. She dreamed of becoming a director and used her time on sets to study the craft. A director for one film Olive starred in believed that, with her brains and ambition, she could easily turn those dreams into reality.

Life in the movie business was somewhat of a family affair. After meeting in 1916, Olive fell head over heels for Jack Pickford, the younger brother of the famed actress Mary Pickford. The couple eloped during October of that year, much to the apprehension of the Pickford family. Although they were madly in love, their marriage was a turbulent one, packed with highs and lows and lavish gifts in between. They hoped to expand their family once their careers allowed enough time. Olive adored children. She doted over her kid sister, Harriett, her niece, Mary Pickford Rupp, the daughter of Lottie Pickford, and her brother’s son. Olive became the main caregiver of her nephew in 1920 after the boy’s mother passed away. For birthdays and holidays, Olive enthusiastically spent her hard-earned money on spoiling the youngsters. These were special days, after all: no expense should be spared. That was how she preferred to live. Olive embraced life with the joy and optimism of a child and kept her eyes fixed on the future.

Jack and Olive’s once fiery romance cooled to mere embers by 1920. To rekindle their relationship, they set sail for Paris, France in August for a much-needed vacation. Reporters gathered on the ship’s deck to document the send-off. A fury of clicks buzzed through the air as Jack and Olive smiled and posed for the cameras. At one point, much to the delight of their audience, they shared a quick kiss. Afterwards, Olive dissolved into a fit of giggles and leaned in closer to her beloved husband. Little did she know, she would not make the trip home.

Paris was the perfect city for this young Hollywood couple. They loved to cut loose and have a good time, and with their strenuous workload, this was exactly what they needed. Jack and Olive toured the city, taking in its grand sites and nightlife. On September 5th, they hit up multiple hot spots in the Montparnasse area, dancing and drinking the night away. The party continued until 3 A.M. when they decided it was time to return to their hotel room. Olive went to the bathroom to take something to ease her into sleep. The full details of what took place are unknown, but for whatever reason she ended up grabbing a bottle of mercury bichloride and consumed it. According to Jack, he heard his wife scream “Oh, my God!” and he then sprinted to her aid. Emergency personnel rushed Olive to the hospital where she laid bed-ridden for a grueling five days until finally succumbing to the poison after it shut down her kidneys. By then, the mercury bichloride corroded her esophagus and left her completely blind.

Olive Thomas’ untimely passing was one of the first major scandals to rock Hollywood. Throngs of mourning fans attended the funeral to bid the star a last farewell. As Olive’s family and friends tried to make it to the church doors, the crowds erupted in hysterical grief and had to be blocked by police. Chaos swelled to a new level when the coffin was brought outside. Pallbearers were jostled about as heartbroken fans pushed at each other, attempting to snatch funeral floral arrangements for a souvenir. Fortunately, police were able to restore peace once again and Olive was laid to rest in the Woodlawn Cemetery without further interruption. Rumors instantly began to whirl around the strange circumstances of her death. Some blamed Jack Pickford for the incident, alleging it must have been murder. Others theorized the actress became so miserable with her marriage that she committed suicide after a bitter argument, perhaps over Jack’s infidelities. A third telling of events is far simpler. Olive, combined with the night of partying and the darkness inside the bathroom, mistook the bottle of mercury bichloride pills for sleeping pills, stirred the concoction into a liquid, and poisoned herself. The official report sided with this version and ruled her death as accidental.

That was the end of Olive Thomas, or so people thought. It’s believed that her spirit returned to the stage of the New Amsterdam Theatre, where she could once again live out her glory days as a Follies Girl. Disney restored the theatre to its original grandeur in 1997, just in time for the premiere of their animated film “Hercules”. Popular musicals such as the Lion King, Mary Poppins, and Aladdin later took to the stage and captivated adoring audiences. After the shows, when the curtain fell and everyone returned to their daily lives, an eerie atmosphere envelops the theatre. During a night shift in their restoration period, a lone security guard began going through the rows of seats in search for any stragglers. Something caught his eye. He directed his flashlight in its path and caught sight of an individual walking across the stage. It was an elegant young woman, dressed in a glittering green beaded dress, paired with a matching headdress. This mysterious character noticed the guard, and she turned to blow him a kiss before vanishing into a wall. This was the initial sighting of what some believe to be the ghost of Olive Thomas.

Those who have encountered Olive’s lingering spirit describe her as being flirtatious and a bit mischievous. She is known to move objects around and mess with stage props and equipment, such as crewmen’s walkie-talkies. One audience member believed she met Olive during a performance of “Mary Poppins”. The patron needed a booster seat for her child. A woman gowned in attire similar to that of the musical’s time period helped her find the seat, and the family settled back in to enjoy the production. Later, the woman commented to an usher how fun it was that they allowed characters to help. The confused usher replied that they didn’t. It was against their policy to help in the middle of a scene, although they’d be more than happy to during intermission.

To make Olive’s spirit feel appreciated, employees of the New Amsterdam Theatre have hung a photograph of her up at every entrance and exit. Each worker greets her with a cheerful “Hello, Olive!”, and as they leave, they blow her a kiss and wish her a goodbye.

During a 1917 interview with Photoplay’s writer, Jack Lloyd, Olive offered a piece of her philosophy towards life. “Life’s too short and fate too funny to get upstage,” she remarked. “Today they may be showering us with roses on Broadway and tomorrow some fool director who used to be a waiter may be rejecting us as atmosphere in a five-reel five cent feature.” This tragic actress was certainly not one to be upstaged. In both life and the afterlife, Olive Thomas was destined to be a star.

[yuki7900archive]

(Movie) Garmadon x Misako Pt. 2

PART 1

Hope you guys enjoy ^^

"Hey, mom." Lloyd gripped his mother's hand in his, scooting his chair closer to where she lay. Her eyes were closed and she was as still as a statue, it was so weird to see. She was the happy one, the positive one, the one always on the go. Now she was in a hospital bed. A mask was fitted on her face and a blue gown on her body. She was tucked neatly under the blankets with both arms by her side. She didn't respond to anything. Not a single thing.

"Sorry, I'm late. Wu wanted to do some extra training. He's worried that Garmadon might strike soon. It's weird. We haven't heard anything from him in weeks, not since the accident. I think that's maybe why Uncle is worried." No response. Lloyd carried on.

"The other ninja say hi! Kai also said that when you wake up, he's gonna give you the biggest hug ever, ha-ha, his hugs are the best mom, don't you think?" He asked, rhetorically of course. He knew she wouldn't answer him.

A few more seconds passed with nothing more than the beeping sound of the heart monitor by his mother's bedside. Lloyd squeezed Misako's hand tightly and took a deep breath in.

"Ya' know what I don't get Mom?" His voice wavered. "Why did you...you pushed Garmadon out of the way. You ran under that collapsing building, to save the person who-"

He stopped. Took another deep breath.

"He ruined our lives, mom. He hurts innocent people, he hurt you, and he loves you! So...why?" Of course, no noise came from the woman's mouth. She continued to lay motionless as she slept seemingly peacefully. She was fighting a battle that no one could see, in the eyes of everyone else she looked so relaxed and calm but Lloyd knew that really wasn't the case. She'd fought before, but it was the relentlessness of Garmadon rather than life and death.

Lloyd had so much more he wanted to say to her, loads of things. He wanted to tell her that he loved her, missed her and her amazing dumplings, that she was the greatest mom in the world and he was the worst son ever. He wanted to spend more time with her and do stuff with her, stuff they hadn't been able to do because they were both so busy all of the time. He wanted to away with her somewhere, or just go out for dinner or something. Anything! But more than that, he just wanted her back. Wanted her to be awake and happy. He wanted his mom. He already spent his life fighting against his dad, he didn't want to have to lose another parent.

Lloyd gasped when he felt the tears running down his cheeks. He hadn't even realized he'd been crying, but now he couldn't seem to stop. He hiccuped and sobbed as he let his head fall onto the bed and snuggle beside his mother's shoulder. Snot started to run from his nose and his throat clogged up as he tried to breathe and calm himself, however, nothing was working. It just kept pouring out of him. All the emotions he'd kept locked up inside came out in one giant pool of fear, sadness, anger, and regret. He hadn't cried in such a long time. He hadn't let his emotions out in a long time.

He clutched onto his mother's hand even tighter and wept as his thumb stroked her skin. The heart monitor continued to beep in the background, a constant reminder and reassurance that his mother was still alive and okay. That there was still a chance she would make it through all of this. She would heal and recover and, yes, she wouldn't be able to walk for a while...but he'd help her! He'd take care of her and give back all the love and affection she gave him over the years.

It was growing rapidly dark outside as the minutes passed by. Lloyd didn't move from his spot though. If he could he would've spent the entire night with his mom. He would've just lay on the bed next to her, clung to her and stayed with her until she woke up again. Unfortunately, he couldn't. He still had responsibilities and duties as the green ninja, then he also had school to go to as well. He stayed sniffing and sobbing until a nurse came and told him he needed to go home. He said goodbye to Misako, finding it hard to let go of his mother's hand as he slowly walked backward out of the room and left the hospital.

Another hour or so passed, everything in the hospital quiet and still as a majority of the patients slept soundly in their beds. The staff continued their night shifts and got on with their assigned jobs. They were all so busy that they didn't notice what was creeping around in the shadows.

Garmadon.

He used the dark spots to his advantage, creeping along the corridors and stairs to try and find that one room he was looking for. It took him a while to reach it, especially since he was carrying another large bouquet of flowers, but when he did he had a small feeling of dread in his throat. He knew that Misako wouldn't be in the best condition, and he was right. He stopped in his place briefly when he caught the first glimpse of Koko. Despite the room's light having been switched off, the light shining through the window gave a clear enough image for him to see the bruises that littered parts of her body. The cuts had been dressed with plasters and bandages so he couldn't see how bad they were. But presuming by how big some of the plasters were, she'd been hurt pretty badly.

The man tiptoed over to the seat by her bed and sat himself down, checking one last time that no one had seen him come in before saying his ex-wife's name.

"Koko," He paused and coughed. "Listen, I...I uh...I know that if you were awake right now, you'd punch me in the face. I shouldn't really be visiting you, being a criminal and stuff. But I just...I just couldn't, not, see you! You know?" Garmadon shuffled himself a little closer to the ginger-haired woman. He wasn't really sure what to say next, which was odd; he'd planned out everything he was going to say to her before he left. This happened every time he saw her now that he thought about it. His heart would beat louder and all his thoughts would be thrown straight out of the window. He couldn't help it. There was so much about her to love. She was just as awesome as he was, beautiful too. So much so that he couldn't think straight.

"I...I..."He stuttered and looked down in his hands, his eyes widening as he shoved the bouquet towards her. "I got you some more flowers! You seemed to like the last ones, I mean, you never gave them back so, ha-ha..."

He waited for her to take them from his lower pair of arms before remembering that she couldn't, that's when he saw the vase sat on the bedside table near her bed and placed them neatly in there. He made sure all of the flowers stood proudly and to attention, just for her. Her own little army of plants, he chuckled as he thought to himself.

Looking back at his ex-wife, he couldn't seem to understand why his heart hurt as much as it did. They weren't together anymore, they weren't husband and wife, lord and lady, Garmadon and Koko. So...why was he so sad? She'd made it quite clear to him that she wasn't ever going to accept his advances, no matter what he did to try and sweep her off her feet again. If that was the case though, then why was he even here? He loved her? No, Garmadon didn't love things. However when it came to Koko...he would gladly make an exception to the 'not loving things' rule of his.

"Thank you for what you did Koko. I don't know why you did what you did, especially after all I've done, but I promise you...I will repay you someday." His voice slowly decreased to a whisper as he uttered those five words to her. He could feel the burning heat of his flame tears start to collect in his eyes. He wiped his eyes quickly and sniffed before giving a few forced and awkward coughs. Awake or asleep he would never allow Misako to see him cry. He would never live it down.

"I apologize for being so brief but as an evil warlord I have some, uh, evil warlord-ing stuff to do. Very tight schedule and all." The man stood there with two arms behind his back and the other two crosses in front of him. He glanced down at the floor as he said goodbye and started to exit. Just as he was about to leave through the door, he took one final look at Koko with a frown on his face.

He hoped. He prayed. He wished she would wake up soon.

---

The day that Misako woke up again was a joyous occasion for everyone. Kai had given her one of the biggest hugs imaginable, just like he said he would. The rest of the ninja joined in too so it became one big group hug. She was touched, but was also struggling to breathe so they had to cut it short. Lloyd sat beside her on the bed, she rested her head on his shoulder and reached for his hand to squeeze and hold. She was still quite weak and frail but that didn't stop her from beaming a smile and being the most cheerful one in the room.

She was going to be in crutches for a while, the doctor had told her. He said it was most definitely a miracle that her legs hadn't been completely crushed, everyone agreed.

That afternoon Lloyd had stayed with Misako. She didn't want to talk about how she felt or what it was like in that coma, she just wanted to hear about her son. A lot of the questions she'd asked were already answered in previous times where Lloyd had visited her. But she simply had to ask the same question again, just to make sure she'd heard him correctly.

"Yeah mom. We haven't seen Garmadon is ages. Everything's been really peaceful and quiet, not that anyone is really complaining!" She couldn't believe it. He hadn't done anything? At all? That couldn't be true. Garmadon knew how much her son loved her, this accident had got him at his weakest moment. He could've easily attacked, and possibly even succeeded in what he'd been so desperate to achieve. So...why?

---

Thanks to the help of some of Wu's tea, her legs healed a lot quicker than what was originally anticipated. It was amazing how fast the process was, she was sure she'd be out of commission for at least two months, but thanks to his tea she was up and running again in just over two weeks. She wasn't sure what was in that tea but she wasn't going to question it. She was better, and now that she was better, she had some important business to attend to.

She started the day as she usually did, got Lloyd up and ready for school. The second he was out of the door she gathered all of her things, her phone, her purse, all of that stuff and placed it in her handbag. She'd also brought a change of clothes, as she was going to need it later, and shoved them into a large backpack. She'd packed herself an apple for the road too. Then she got her keys, locked the door and took off down to the nearest bus stop.

She hopped on a bus and made her way down to the beach, hiring a jet ski for the day to get to where she needed to be when she got down there. Whilst the bus journey was only 5 minutes, the journey across the ocean would take at least twenty minutes. She went into a changing room, and started to dress into her alternative clothes. She hadn't worn this uniform in years. Whether the head armour was necessary or not she wasn't sure, but it looked weird to wear her old warrior clothes without it.

She quickly consumed her apple in between packing her other clothes into her backpack. She asked the man at the rental place to look after her bag for her, which he did but not without staring in awe at her. Granted, it was rather weird for her to be wearing those clothes on a hot day, so she didn't think too much of it. Making her way down to the pier she jumped onto the nearest vehicle available and drove out into the sea.

The ocean air was refreshing in a weird way. It helped to soothe and relax her. She took deep breaths as she sped along the waves, the water sprayed in her face a little but she didn't care. Nor did she care that her fringe was flapping about in the wind in all different directions. It made her feel alive. She didn't have many opportunities to do things like this, so she was going to make the most of it. And she did, up until she approached the edge of the island where Garmadon's volcano lair stood.

She parked up and slid off the jet ski, parking herself down and beginning to stroll up the beach to the front door. It was quite a trek, more so than she remembered. Her legs started to ache a bit after a few minutes but she brushed off the urge to stop, refusing to accept defeat and take a break when she was only halfway to her goal. That would make her seem weak! She did, however, pause momentarily when she reached the huge metal door that was the entrance to the Volcano. She put her arms on her hips and looked at the lock by the door. It was code activated, irritatingly it seemed there was also no way of getting in other than guessing the code. What would happen if she got it wrong though? It could end horrifically.

"Can I help you," Misako jumped from shock and swiveled herself around to see a woman in a dark navy uniform. Her raven black hair was swept over one side of her face and she had a thin layer of red lipsticks on her lips. Her expression was one of neutrality. She didn't look angry or un-interested just...meh? Was that the appropriate word? How else would you describe a straight face? "Misako?"

The girl in uniform strode over to the door with her arms by her side, her gloved fingers rising up and jabbing against the small keypad on the rectangular box.

"Yes, actually. I've come to see-" Before she could say anything else, an alarmingly loud clunk was heard just as the door began to slowly open. The woman waited patiently until the door had ascended high enough for her to walk under, then she motioned for Misako to follow behind.

The warrior took the chance to look around the lair to see if anything had changed in the past few years she'd been away. She was quite surprised when she saw nothing had changed. She thought for sure he would've made some upgrades or improvements but apparently she was wrong. The corridor was long and had many different paths ways branching off of it. They got about a quarter of the way in before the leader turned a corner and went down a new hallway. Misako trailed behind. She didn't bother with trying to make conversation; she didn't seem like the type who enjoyed small talk.

"Stand there." She pointed to the middle of the floor, just opposite another locked, metal door. Koko cautiously walked in front and stood where she was told, her arms folded across her chest.

"Another code?"

"Yep." Was all she replied with as she typed away at the keypad just a few centimetres away from where the ginger haired warrior stood.

"Does it open the door?"

"Not the one your thinking of, no." Not the-...what did she mean by that? Just as Misako was about to ask, the floor opened up beneath her and she dropped down into a chute. She screamed as she felt herself travel through what was essentially a giant slide. A giant slide that was so steep it was more like she was falling. Soon enough though it started to curve gradually until eventually she was sat down when she finally shot out the other end of the tunnel. She was thrown across the floor, tumbling along as she came to a slow halt on the cold tiled ground.

For a few seconds she just lay there and groaned as she adjusted. She dragged herself up and off the floor, now kneeling on the ground as she rubbed her forehead. She'd just gotten out of hospital, she didn't want to go back in.

"Koko? What are you doing here?" The woman looked up from where she sat and saw her ex-husband stand up from his chair and stare at her in puzzlement. For a good few seconds the pair just looked at each other, and continued to do so as Misako got up from her position on the floor and patted herself down.

"I came here to see you."

"...Why?"

Koko strolled over to him, nervousness suddenly building up in her stomach as she approached him. His expression didn't falter, and neither did his gaze or pose. He remained as he was.

"I was informed you've been pretty quiet recently. Any particular reason?" The warlord shrugged and sat himself back down in his chair.

"I've been busy with warlord stuff." He mumbled and twisted his chair around to face his work desk. As he'd said that, the warrior peered around him and saw nothing but blank pieces of paper. Not a single drawing or sentence had been plotted down. Yes, clearly he'd been very productive.

"Too busy to take down our own son?" Garmadon scoffed, clicking his tongue and tapping a pencil against the table edge.

"What, destroy him whilst his mom was in the hospital? Please. You know that's not my style." Hah, not his style. What a load of trash. He was definitely the kind of person who would completely obliterate something in their weakest moment. Rather than laugh and argue against it, she just went along with the whole charade and nodded.

"You know what is strange though? None of your guards attacked me upon arrival. I would've assumed you'd have men keeping watch." The man shook his head.

"Nah, I ordered my generals to give all their men extra training. I'm preparing for another large scale attack."

"I see. Well...I look forward to seeing you. Things have been boring without you around." This caught the warlord's attention as he peered down at his ex-wife. She said nothing more, giving him one of her smiles. Those smiles he loved so much. He hadn't seen one of those smiles in a very long time. He'd missed them so much. That's when something seemed to snap inside of him and suddenly all these emotions came flooding in.

"Well then, guess I should be going." Just as Koko was about to leave, she felt a strong hand grab her arm and pull her back. She was suddenly caught in a tight embrace, four arms wrapped around her body tightly and a face buried in her orange locks. She gave off a petite laugh and hugged him back. She'd forgotten how nice his hugs were.

"I'm sorry." He choked out. "I'm sorry about the accident. Truly I-"

"Woah, woah, woah! What's this? Garmadon, you're apologizing?"

"It's my fault you ended up in hospital. And when I had to dig you out of that mess I just...it hurt me Koko. In an emotional way." That's when they pulled away from each other's embrace and looked at one another again. Garmadon kept two hands on Misako's back and another two gripping her hands. He wanted to keep her close. This was the closest they gotten to each other (without fighting) in a very long time and he was going to make the most of it.

"It hurt because I saw you and you were so weak. Unable to do anything. I've never seen you that way before. It's truly terrifying. And that's why I owe you. Because you did something for me, something so utterly careless and reckless, despite everything." He had a certain gleam in his eyes as he spoke. One of passion and the upmost seriousness. He wasn't lying. He was being truthful with her. Today was just choc-a-block with surprises.

"If you really feel this way...then..." she paused and cleared her throat a little as she found her voice getting caught. She was getting all emotional now, ugh. That's the last thing she needed. "What did you have in mind?"

Garmadon grinned down at her.

"How does dumplings sound? For dinner I mean." A few seconds passed as Koko laughed and shook her head. Really? He was going to make her dinner? Was this his secret way of getting a date out of her? She was quite sure that's what it was. But this time she wouldn't deny him. This time she'd accept. And she was so glad she did.

He kept to his word and didn't attack Ninjago, they both sat and chatted to one another as they chowed down on dumplings. They threw them in to each other's mouth and chucked them in the air and tried to catch them in their own mouths. They failed horribly but they still had fun, so who cared? Misako told Garmadon all about Lloyd and his childhood, the stuff he had missed, and he listened in fascination. His son may have been his sworn enemy but he couldn't deny, the kid had done well. He was quite proud. He would've made a great warlord but oh well, things don't always work out how you want them too.

The pair sat there for hours and hours as they talked and laughed and relaxed. This was the most fun they'd had around one another in a very long time. It felt nice. Really, really nice. Neither wanted the night to end so Koko ended up staying way later than she had originally thought she was going to. Lloyd was going to be asking her questions non-stop when she got home, for sure. But she didn't care, she'd spent the evening with her ex-husband and had the most fun she's had in years. Maybe one day things could go back to how they were.

She secretly hoped, with a smile on her face at the very thought.

[culturespotting]

Alpacas: Dollars And Sense

Free-alternative mineral blocks can also be supplied. And for the very specific breeder, agricultural extension agents can be introduced in to test the nutritional value of available pasture and hay. Classique Moss (your input here) The cost of feed is a small factor to contemplate. Alpacas only eat 1 to 1.5 % of their body weight per day. When it comes to price, this works out to about 50 cents per alpaca per day. Providing recent water is critical for all animals. For alpaca house owners in northern climes this means making sure water containers haven’t frozen. Automatic heated waterers assist keep water chores to a minimal. As with all livestock, alpacas warrant careful attention to their well being. Annual vaccinations and common deworming are crucial. Routine procedures, corresponding to deworming, might be dealt with by an owner, which matches a great distance towards saving on veterinary bills. The truth is, discovering a vet educated in alpaca care turns into certainly one of the primary chores of an alpaca proprietor. Whereas more vets have gotten acquainted with the breed, their numbers are nonetheless few and far between.

Luckily I had already anticipated the issue and Gary from Popham kindly agreed to take little Roger in. How ironic? Thanks Gary. Roger with Gary far left and me and Qjori far right as Kathy judges the brown championship. Again I am afraid it's all a bit of a blur as Qjori was awarded the Reserve Champion Ribbon. The winner was a an intermediate male, Classical Mileend Prometheus, who I need to say regarded very nice. A bit more fleece on Qjori and who is aware of? It was bloody close although and among the things that the judge (did I mention that Kathy Lloyd is my new favourite decide within the wholewide world?) stated about Qjori really were absolutely fantastic. She really told the viewers that they should all expertise the texture of Qjori's fleece, the handle, she said, was gorgeous. On exiting the ring something occurred that has by no means occurred to me before. Qjori and i had been surrounded by individuals desirous to have a take a look at him, people wanting to touch him, it was extraordinary. A fantastic feeling that I'd very much wish to experience once more! A: Alpaca crias common 15-18 lbs. Supply normally happens throughout the daytime and hardly ever requires the assistance of humans. Twins are extremely uncommon. Cria are weaned at about 6 months of age. Q: What do alpacas eat? A: The alpaca is an herbivore, grazing on grass and munching weeds, shrubs and trees. They course of their food by way of 3 stomachs where special secretions allow the animal to absorb 50% more nutrients than sheep. Low-protien feed is advisable, with additional mineral supplements for females since they are usually pregnant and/or nursing. Q: Do alpacas spit? A: Not very often and usually solely at one another, to signal displeasure at a herd member. A pregnant feminine 'spits off' an inquisitive male to let him know she is disinterested in his advances. Q: What predators threaten alpacas? A: The alpaca is prey to mountain lions, coyotes, bears, and other carnivores. In its native Andes, the alpaca's long neck helps spot predators among the rocks of the mountain slopes.

There are a lot of theories on how best to handle your hen flock each day. It is usually quite straightforward to boost chickens, however you continue to have a variety of tasks - poultry require regular maintenance and their surroundings have to be tended to carefully in order that it's clear and protected. While you do that, both you and your chickens could have a neater life. The work involved in maintaining poultry may be grueling and unpleasant, and some homeowners do not prefer to do it. However once you do the work properly and in a timely means, you might be giving your chickens the residing arrangement that they want. This part will discuss what chicken owners should and shouldn't do for their chickens each day. One in every of crucial chores is to make sure their feed and water containers are all the time full. These two objects are vital for the welfare of your chickens. It is possible to follow procedures that permit the animals to stay as animals rather than as industrial inputs. Abattoirs can forestall animals waiting to be slaughtered from being terrified by witnessing what happens to other animals that had been ahead of them in the queue. Animals might be stunned with electrical shock, to spare them the ache of the cleaver that takes their life. Creating such circumstances would be preventing cruelty. Banning slaughter or mandating vegetarianism have more to do with imposing sure customs on all of society. That is undemocratic and unconstitutional. The foundations violate the Constitution in multiple methods. Fundamental rights to equality, to earn a livelihood and run a enterprise are being thwarted. The liberty to have selection as to what to eat is being curtailed. Livestock is a state subject, and the Centre is transgressing this Constitutional demarcation of territory by means of a free interpretation of its rights underneath a regulation meant to prevent cruelty to animals. Cooperative is being changed with coercive in federal relations. The principles are assured to be challenged within the Supreme Courtroom. A state like Kerala, where even the BJP the RSS dare not oppose consumption of beef, can spare a number of the funds being spent on lavish publicity campaigns for the cause to defend the essential character of the Indian state.

To lift chickens, you will see procedures and adaptations to attend to. One extremely good example is introducing a bunch of “new” birds to a flock of old birds. It is rather like dealing with to merge two restaurants when one is Italian and the opposite is Chinese. Stress will include this. And that's not an assumption but a reality. Admit it, no one likes newcomers. And including these newcomers right into a flock of hens or roosters that currently have specific territories inside their coop might be massive chaos. The newcomers will try and take their place as effectively, and the oldies will attempt their biggest to protect their area. Fret not, for this sort of angle and feud lasts for just a few days. Adaptation can proper now come about. You simply can't avoid this sort of circumstance from rising however you are able to do certain changes that could make all of you happy and stress-free. You can see numerous peace-making methods to help each events alter with each other. Log in or Create Account to submit a remark. Writer: Tom Dewey Chickens are used for so many various causes. Some people select to lift a flock primarily based on the look of the fowl, in order to indicate them in competitions. Others increase birds as pets. More commonly, individuals increase chickens for the meat and eggs they'll present for his or her family. Publisher: David P Fishman What is Egg Candling? Egg Candling is the process of using an illumination source to determine whether or not or not the eggs you may have are fertile. For this, all you really want is a flashlight and a darkish room, although if you want to get really exact and effectively-lit, you must buy an egg candler. Writer: Peter Kitt Yard chicken elevating is less complicated than you might think about. As a first step, you might want to know the way to construct a chicken coop. As soon as the building is over the enjoyable begins, and elevating child chickens could be loads of fun. Moreover it is instructional for youths and has the added bonus of producing farm contemporary eggs right from your backyard. Publisher: D. Michelle Hall Wyandotte chickens are nice birds for somebody looking to lift chickens for the first time. They're enticing birds with great personalities and egg-producing capabilities. Writer: Jaber Ghoneim Earlier than you commit your self into an exciting endeavor of yard elevating chickens, there are a variety of key points to take into consideration for chickens elevating. It's good to clearly define the aim of your flock previous to anything for this may direct the trail you select to take.

Before lengthy it was deposited in the field precisely where we wanted it and it was surrounded by alpacas. I say 'precisely' the place we wanted it as a result of on the time that was exactly where we wanted it. As we speak it has been dragged, pushed, pulled, kicked and nurdled right into a barely completely different place! Not precisely where we needed it as we speak however somewhere different to the place it was. Most unsatisfactory! I haven't any pictures in any way of the trip or the field shelter, so it is all down to your imagination. Yesterday I used to be at residence and luckily Sue was at house with me. Normally this kind of factor only occurs to me when I'm alone. I'm always telling Sue that being me is not the easiest thing on this planet to be. Yesterday she was witness to how I can get myself right into a ridiculous mess in a really short time period. I attempted to maneuver some hurdles and gates to the highest of the boys discipline using the trailer, as I had already got it hitched up for an additional goal. Raising chickens just isn't solely useful but additionally economical in each respect. To raise chickens it's a must to plan a perfect and robust chicken coop for the safety of this home animal. The below are some tips that can focus on the safer side of the chickens. Designing the hen house on a strong paper sheet is important earlier than you set out to build a chick coop. The paper design will provide you with an perception about the dos and don'ts of the chicken house constructed. Weather conditions do have an impact on living beings. So it does affect your chickens. Chickens are liable to extreme weather conditions. That's the reason the scorching heat of the sun, the severe cold and heavy rainfall might cause dying to the fragile chickens. Contemplating this, you need to build the rooster home with effectively ventilation for summers and straightforward to drain the rain water in monsoons and a bundle of straw for warmth in winters. These arrangements will safeguard your chickens from excessive weather situations.