#kai just thought skylor wasn't into him

[kamisama1kiss]

Hiii!! I’m back idk if it’s too early for me to request again, 😭 I was thinking maybe you can do a headcanons for the ninja when their lover Y/n calls them a cute name in middle of battle and for Lloyd it could be “Green Bean” but for Kai “Hotshot” (used by skylor) but I can’t think of the other ninja, maybe you can think of ones for them. The ninja would act like they don’t like the nickname but secretly love it, I really wanna hear your thoughts on this 😭🙏

Honestly, this is a very cutie idea!! 😝🤭 Have been thinking about how to write this one for at least a few days since I got it! It's not the best as I did get stuck on some of the characters more than others 😭🙏

~~~

How they'd react to cute nicknames in probably one of the most unconvinent timings? {Ninjago's Ninjas}

~ Lloyd Garmadon ~ {Green Bean}

He halted in his movements after he heard you call out to him, "Grean Bean, watch your left!" You shouted this being the first time calling him this nickname, "What?" Nonetheless of being confused, he would continue the battle. Whilest he concealed a smile throughout it and would never confess nor agree that he did such.

Would approach you after about how it was most definitely irresponsible with the timing. Let's just say that you did recove maybe a kiss or more than usually after.

Even with how much he denied his like for it he did secretly wish for it to be used on a more casual term rather then open in battle, knowing the enemy would most likely laugh at him and not be able to take him seriously.

~ Kai Smith~ {HotShot}

Having you right behind him as his rock to hold him from bring hurt, "I've got your back HotShot." It's hard to believe he could be irritated, upset, or angry about it, especially as his lover. Feeding his ego as which also pushed him to work even better, confidence rushing through him.

His arm does often rest around your shoulders, even more now. When he knows you're capable of giving out nicknames, your shoulders will meet rest once again.

Wouldn't bring it out up right away, but he would use it against you if you tried anything in the near future.

~ Cole Brookstone ~ {Pebble}

Didn't even think twice about it and just accepted it at the time being, being too busy to worry about nicknames. Even if he'd get a few butterflies in his stomach from you every time.

"Need help, Pebble?" You had asked oh so sweetly, yet he acted as if he didn't wish to hear it. Crossing his arms with a neutral expression acting as if he didnt like it, but deep down, we all know he is just a softie who enjoys giving and receiving nicknames.

~ Zane Julian ~ {Sherbet}

He fully stopped coding and looked over at you. The only word to explain how he looked was confused. "Have you named me after an ice cream sort?" But decided to jump back to what he had to finish either way.

"I turned off the cameras on the first floor, Sherbet." Only informing him about the updates yet being confronted with a more suspicious reaction then intended.

~ Jay Walker ~ {Blitz}

"Catch Blitz!" Was the only words he heard before he was hit on the shoulder by the the nunchucks someone kicked out of his grip. His heart raced alongside his cheeks, heating up but luckily hidden under his mask.

He truly did appreciate and adore nicknames from the one and only you! He was embarrassed that it was in front of others, so he would "complain" about how he didn't like it even when he thought it was adorable. Flared his nose and shook his head when it came to this topic of liking the nickname.

~ Nya Smith~ {Lily Pads}

"Use the water, Lily Pads!" Her eyes widened, but shook it off quickly to continue her main gaol at this moment. She was confused at first but did find it cute, so she decided not to comment until a better time, at least until there wasn't someone trying to kill them was there.

Ended up never even mentioning it, but she looked unpleased about it. Having gotten used to you spitting out cute names here and there didn't bother her too much after a while.

A scowl on her lips about it, knowing it's best to show you that it wasn't okay for the nicknames to be spat out in important timings.

[illusion-of-sea-axes]

How would the other ninja + Master Wu react to see Kai as an Anacondrai?

(CW I drew some partially topless Kai in this. Also. This got way longer than I thought it would)

Well they don't really have a whole lotta time to process that initially. The first time everyone sees it is when Kai shows up on his elemental dragon with Skylor and then they immediately head off to Ninjago to stop Chen. There's time to talk on the dragon ride over the ocean and the brief stops at the underground HQ.

I feel like there'd be much more of a reaction to the Mark of the Anacondrai itself, because it amplifies Kai's betrayal. Him having it suggests he's turned not just to Chen's side, but also joined the Anacondrai cult as well. This would probably mean Nya and Garmadon don't automatically realize "oh he's playing a longer con" even after he winks at them in the snake pit. (It also means Sensei Garmadon sees another parallel with himself and Kai later on, in that they both took on the marks and then later turned on Chen)

I figure that Chen would relish in that and would actively have Kai show off the Mark. So, all the masters see Kai's mark when they interrupt the Ceremony. He has to explain himself to them very quickly after the Ceremony fight to avoid getting attacked (especially if any of them saw him going bonkers with Chen's Staff)

(I do think it'd be fun though if the guards at the factory gossiped about one of the Elemental Masters getting the Mark of the Anacondrai, though, so that the imprisoned masters are all suddenly worried that one of the few left in the fight have switched sides)

Jay would probably make a joke about Kai's new ink, Cole would point out how dangerous his plan was once he hears about it, and Zane would agree. Zane also ices the tattoo to help with the pain and swelling, even if its not as effective after, like, however long he's had it (timeline is iffy but it's not more than like three days I think).

(If you wanna keep the angst going, too, the fact that Kai essentially goes missing while searching for Skylor would probably bring up some doubts in the other masters, and maybe even his own team, about whether he could still be pulled onto Chen's side -especially with Skylor as a possible bargaining chip- at that point.)

Once Kai's been turned into an Anacondrai though, not a whole lot changes. Jay's initial reaction is also jokes because... what else are you supposed to say to your friend who has turned into a snake man? Cole is probably the one to prompt him to try and play with the invisibility ability cause That's a Cool Power, Dude. Generally looking on the upside with it. Zane's got a little bit of scientific interest in the whole transformation.

Lloyd just. Doesn't fully process it. He does promise Kai immediately though that they'll turn him back to normal (because its Lloyd. He feels responsible for his big brother being in this situation even though he shouldn't). He's genuinely relieved when they start turning back when the spell begins to wear off.

Kai does not like Lloyd putting responsibility on turning him back on himself, especially cause Kai betrayed and still definitely feels bad about it and the act he had to put on for it to work.

The Ninja all do pay close attention, though, because they're obviously worried about Kai's well being, but also... What if Kai likes being an Anacondrai (once he adjusts to fighting like one)? What if he wants to stay that way? What if Kai's turning to Chen's side wasn't entirely fake?

Kai sticks close to Skylor during their time as Anacondrai as much as possible because he's kinda freaked out by himself and doesn't want everyone to keep looking at him like.... well, like he's turned into a snake man.

Wu doesn't have any notable reaction to Garmadon as an Anacondrai, but I feel like he'd be very confused and a little freaked out on why one of his students is also one now. He gives Kai a very disapproving look when he learns how it happened because that was incredibly dangerous Kai. He doesn't really scold him though cause 1. Not the time. 2. Kai's plan worked. 3. No one knew that the mark would turn him into a snake.

Also, you didn't mention the folks at Kryptarium, but they almost definitely poke fun at Kai for being a snake now when they recognize him. Pythor finds it very funny that one of the Ninja is now a snake.

The worst reaction to Kai's Anacondrai form is definitely when they land in Ninjago City and people start freaking out because there are Serpentine on a Dragon made of Fire.

[pan-annigans]

Jay x Nya: best ship!!!

Zane x Pixal: they are soulmates and no one can say otherwise.

Kai x Skylor: the two of them balance each other well, plus seeing Kai get all lovey-dovey around Skylor is just cute.

Lloyd x Akita: Akita likes Lloyd for himself and isn’t interested in his status as the Green Ninja, she just might be the one person he could be with without having to worry about keeping up appearances.

Cole x Vania: they’re just great together (as lovers or as friends), their dynamic is sweet and both admire and encourage each other with just simple honest words.

hi!! thank you so much!

I'm going to post art for all of these, along with a few of my thoughts on the ships that have been sent to me. Just for funsies :)

Fun fact, I used to hate Jaya. I thought it was really forced in the canon, and Jay's really obsessive behavior that is the catalyst for all of the events in Skybound always really bothered me? But tumblr has completely turned me around on this ship. They have their moments in canon, but in fanon they're really wonderful. thanks tumblr <3

these two...... 🥺they are really good i will admit. I'm a big fan of glaciershipping myself and I tend to prefer it over pixane, but these two are so lovely to each other and i totally see the appeal. I just wish pixal wasn't so sidelined in the canon fr what were they doing with her character??? let her be around more often let her and zane be sweet together. please smh

SKYLOR ALSO HAS NOTHING TO DO MOST OF THE TIME-- honestly this show sidelines like all of its female characters so hard. but these two are great toooo theyre sweeeet 😊 i just wish skylor was used for more than cameos. i like that she's the only one that can consistently shake kai's ego it's a great dynamic

lloyd and akita!! i'm gonna be so real with you guys i forget about akita so often ;v; which is a shame... i give her the award for most sidelined female character because she existed for half a season. but she and lloyd are sweet! I don't tend to ship lloyd with anyone personally, but i do love that they meet under the circumstances of "lloyd is in a world where his name and status mean nothing so he has no pressure to perform". it's a fantastic break for him. holy shit he deserves it

im gonna be so honest with all of you um. i actually. havent seen MotM yet. i was in the middle of my rewatch, and i got up to the point i stopped, right before MotM, and then Netflix changed their watch policies. and then of course i got busy

but from what i've seen of these two in fanon they seem alright! I usually prefer them in other wlw or mlm ships because of ONE ninjago vine compliation thing i saw with the two of them as this one tiktok and i've never been able to think of them as a couple since then. But they seem like they have a lovely friendship, whether that ends up turning to romance or not!

Thank you so much for sending me an ask, this was a lot of fun and I got to draw a lot of characters that I've never drawn before! To those of you who have sent me asks and reblogs and comments on the original post, I will be working through all of them in chronological order from when I received them in my activity tab :)

[atorchzagreusandtris]

Everyone that knows me knows I love trans Kai hcs because trans Jay hcs make me uncomfy as a trans masc (it's bc of how the fandom has babied him which is actually a big problem in a lot of popular trans hcs for any media </3)

I think Kai has a more compelling arc as a trans man too.

Kai being left to raise Nya because his parents were kidnapped when they were really young, thusly he quite literally has to be the MAN of the household even when he still presented fem/didn't know he was trans and was just seen as the tomboy in his village. He fights even harder to become strong and to protect Nya, it's one of the only things he takes seriously in life.

Kai fights so fucking hard to be seen as not just a boy, but as a man during his teen years.

And then during the Garmadon is back and they're trying to figure out the Green Ninja prophecy arc he fights even harder to become the Green Ninja. He's fought so hard, why can't he be the chosen one? (Note the Morro parallels here because OOUGH... O O O U G G H H H H...) Why can't he be the one to defeat Garmadon? He's fought so hard his entire life for everything he ever wanted. But then Lloyd is the Green Ninja, and when Lloyd is questioning everything he has this great moment of awakening when he realizes that it's been pushed onto this fucking child who was just like him, fighting to be noticed, fighting to be loved, fighting to be seen as a man because LLOYD TRANS HCS ARE FIRE TOO and all of a sudden Kai needs to protect him too. (BECAUSE WAAAAAAAAA RBG SIBLINGS...)

Kai fights and fights to become stronger for others. And when Zane dies in season 3 and Kai joins the fight club, he fights because he wasn't strong enough to protect someone he loved. It's all he knows. Fight. Train. Feelings don't matter if you can punch them out. (Or flirt them out, which... doesn't work most of the time)

And then Kai meets Skylor, who is also just like him... but the opposite. Trans femme instead of trans masc. (Yes, I have Skylor transfer hcs too!) And while PIXAL was also trans (Yeah, another transfem, fight me about it), it's different when it's actually a person instead of... well - a robot. Or nb like Zane... And finally he starts to feel like maybe he's not alone. He seeks her out during the ToE and tries so hard to talk to her, but alas.

and then things fall apart I haven't watched season 4 in forever so i forget a lot of things that happen </3 I have so much more to add to this but for now I'm just gonna let it be because I HAVE TOO MANY THOUGHTS and need to REWATCH NINJAGO to put them down!

[only-lonely-stars]

Reminiscence

Oneshot – (FFN) (AO3)

Summary:

Skylor never really talked much about her childhood. It just wasn't important. Who wants to hear about that? However, a day off with Kai was probably the right time to tell him about the history she's been carrying around… right?

Phone in hand, Skylor walked out of her noodle shop through the back door, latching it behind her. She finally had a day off, and not too soon at all; she hadn't seen Kai in ages. She pulled up her messaging app with a smile.

FROM: Copycat (10:03 AM) TO: Hair Gel Hey, are you free? I managed to have a day off

FROM: Hair Gel (10:05 AM) TO: Copycat yeah, greenie gave us the day off yesterday he worked us until 7 wanna go do something ?

FROM: Copycat (10:06 AM) TO: Hair Gel You want to meat up at the park? *meet The weather's great today

FROM: Hair Gel (10:06 AM) TO: Copycat definitely! I'll see you in a few minutes?

FROM: Copycat (10:07 AM) TO: Hair Gel Copy that.

Skylor put away her phone with a smile. It would be a nice change to see him again; despite being engaged, they had spent little time together recently (of course, it was the noodle shop's fault, having several employees on holiday, but no matter). She rolled her shoulders back and set off on a quick jog, only taking a few minutes to reach the park. As she got to the entrance gate, she spotted a figure in a red hoodie waving to her from across the park. She smiled, waved back, and jogged up to meet him, giving him a big hug in greeting. "Hi, Kai."

"Hey, Sky!" Kai replied, warmly enveloping her in his arms. He kissed her temple, then let her go and smiled. "Long time no see."

"No kidding," Skylor laughed. "Sorry I've been so busy."

"Lots of business?"

"Oh yeah. We've had a lot of people on holiday recently. Plus, those new apartment buildings had a lot of Serpentine moving in." Skylor shrugged. "We had a lot of busy days."

"Makes sense." Kai took her hand. "Are you okay, being around so many Serpentine? I know you haven't exactly had a good experience with them." He gestured to a nearby bench, and they sat. "They've been starting to really come back to Ninjago this past few months."

Skylor sighed. "It's been weird, but I haven't had to deal with too many of them. How's training been for you?"

"Brutal. Lloyd keeps making up weirder and weirder exercises. Who comes up with one-handed burpees while wearing weights?" Kai laughed briefly. "It's working pretty well, though."

"Oh yeah? Your spinjitzu must be getting better." Skylor nudged his shoulder. "It would be nice to be able to do that; just in case any old cultists show up, you know."

"That would be great! It's an amazing skill. But… aren't all those guys in Kryptarium Prison or the Cursed Realm?" Kai's face fell.

Skylor's eyes fell. "There are still some stragglers. They're not really that nice to see– some of them are still really attached to the island." She sighed deeply. "Once, a gang of them tried to take me back. That wasn't fun."

"What? When was that?" Kai exclaimed.

Skylor shrugged. "I think it was last Friday? I'd just closed up the shop for the night."

"And you didn't tell any of us, because…"

"It wasn't an issue! I handled it. There wasn't a reason to bother you about it." She gave him a weak smile.

"Sky, almost being kidnapped and dragged back to the island isn't a bother," Kai responded, giving her an uncharacteristically soft look. A shiver ran up Skylor's spine. Since when was he good with this sort of thing?

"Exactly! It's just– whatever, you know? It wasn't even the first time." Skylor shook her head, combined with another shrug. "I just thought spinjitzu might help me next time." Was it just her, or did the wind feel colder?

"Skylor…" Kai breathed, taking her hand in his. Skylor felt the warmth of his hands, radiating up her body. "You can tell us about this kind of thing. You can trust us– you can trust me."

"I do trust you! I just thought it wasn't important. It's not like someone tried to burglarize the shop or anything."

"Of course it's important! You're important!"

"So? It doesn't matter. I can take care of myself, Kai."

"I know you can," Kai conceded, rubbing her hand comfortingly, "but you don't have to any more. Your safety matters, Skylor."

Skylor looked away, unable to meet his eyes. "I know, and I appreciate that, really. It's just… hard to believe that sometimes, you know? I still feel like I need to escape sometimes, just to be free. I didn't have that for a long time."

Kai nodded. "I get that." He paused, looking unsure. "Do you want to talk about it? Not that you have to."

Skylor chuckled and met his eyes again, managing to smile. "Are you really in the mood to hear about my issues?"

Kai laughed. "I live with Lloyd Garmadon. Not to mention the fact that all the rest of us have our own. It's not so unusual."

"Heh, fair enough. There's a lot to tell, though." She shifted on the bench, inching closer to him.

"That's fine. Do you feel safe? We could go back to your place, if that helps," Kai offered.

Skylor smiled, squeezing his hand. "Even if I felt like I was in danger, it wouldn't be a problem. After all, I have Ninjago's strongest ninja here to protect me." She winked at him, enjoying how he perked up at her comment. "Besides, it's about time I told you." She shifted in her seat.

-----

"My childhood was pretty weird, honestly. Being a kid on the island wasn't exactly terrible, but it wasn't fun either. Lots of adults, not many kids, and near-total isolation from the outside world tend not to be good elements when it comes to mental health." She shook her head. "One of the worst things was how much everyone believed in my father. It was like they thought he was their savior, you know? They hated how much attention I got in public– not that I got much in private, but they didn't know that."

Kai frowned. "They shouldn't have treated you like that. Especially your dad."

Skylor's eyes fell, a tiny smile on her face. "I know, but it's okay. At least he told me some stories about when I was pretty young. He liked to talk about my mother. He always said she believed in me."

-----

Skylor, only a baby, cried very loudly. It wasn't just because she had needs; she announced her presence. As she grasped at the air with her tiny hands, her father smiled uneasily down at her.

"I'm not so sure about this, dear. It's a bit… loud, isn't it?" Chen muttered, trying to soothe her.

"Chen, Skylor's not an it. She's our daughter. You can't just turn off her crying," Skylor's mother said with a smile. She toyed with Skylor's hair, tiredly drinking in the image of her husband and newborn daughter.

"Yes, right, darling. She's very pretty," Chen backtracked, gently rocking Skylor.

"She's not just pretty," Skylor's mother said with a smile. "I have a feeling she will be someone extraordinary."

"I'm afraid I'm going to drop her. What will happen if I drop her? Will that break her?"

"Just be gentle," his wife reprimanded, amused.

Skylor cooed, grasping at Chen's beard. "Ahh, I think she got her lack of hair from me! She wants my beard," Chen laughed. "Dearest, please let go!"

Skylor laughed and let go, happily laying her arms back down and yawning, while conveniently covering her mother's quietly labored breathing. "Be careful with your father, Skylor…" her mother commented.

Chen's face fell. "Are you all right dear? Do you need me to call the doctor?" He knelt by his wife's bedside.

"No, I'm fine. Really," his wife placated, waving her hand. "I'm just tired."

"If you say so," Chen relented, before smiling at Skylor again. "Our daughter will want for nothing. She's a daddy's girl, don't you think?"

"Yes, she is," her mother replied, smiling as her daughter fell asleep in Chen's arms. "I think she's going to be someone very special."

"Yes, she'll be special," Chen repeated. "She will be powerful..."

-----

"Of course, it's not like that lasted. My mother wasn't healthy, and my father knew it. He always said he wished he'd known she was dying earlier..." Skylor laughed quietly.

"That's… dark," Kai commented.

"Yeah, but it's just how it was." She shrugged. "It's not a long story; life on the island got repetitive pretty fast."

-----

Now four years old, Skylor lived a life of happiness, shielded from the bitter truths she would later know. She ran through the hallways of Chen's castle, laughing and playing with a makeshift sword made from two sticks and some rope as she fought off invisible ninja enemies. Panting from her exercise, she ran into her mother's room. "Mommy! Did you see me! I defeated the ninja!"

"Yes you did, darling," her mother said with a smile, before devolving into a coughing fit.

Skylor's grin fell off her face, fear taking root in her eyes. "Are you okay, Mommy?"

"I'm fine, dear," her mother got out between coughs. "Can you go get your father to come here, please?"

Skylor nodded, all thoughts of games gone. "Yes, Mommy…" She ran out of the room, almost ramming into Clouse on the way.

"Be careful where you're going," Clouse sneered.

"I'm sorry Mr. Clouse," Skylor said hastily. "Do you know where my daddy is?"

Clouse sniffed. "Master Chen is currently in a business meeting with an important man from the mainland. He does not have time to be disturbed by children."

Skylor pouted. "Mommy said she needs to see him. She was coughing again."

Clouse rolled his eyes. "He is in his study." Upon seeing her beaming face, he turned and walked away, while Skylor ran towards the study.

Skylor knocked loudly on the door. "Daddy!"

"Is that my Skylor I hear?" Chen called from behind it, opening the door.

"Daddy, there you are!" Skylor ran in, hugging his legs tightly. "Mommy wants to see you."

Chen smiled, picking her up. "Well, let's go see her then!" He turned to the man in his study– a dark, tall man with a curly brown beard, dressed in clothing decorated with feathers and leaves. "If you'll excuse me, I have other business to attend to. Enjoy your trip home! I'm sure your son is anxious to see you again– what was his name, Bolobo?" He grinned widely, giggling quietly. "It would be a shame to keep you from him any longer."

The man nodded and left the room, seemingly frightened. Skylor hugged her father tightly. "Daddy? Mommy was coughing again. Is she going to be okay?" She looked up at him, uncertainty clear on her face.

Chen's smile faltered, no longer reaching his eyes. "Yes, darling, she will be okay. Now, where is she?" He walked out of the office, looking around. "I just can't find the way around this place like you can, Skylor!"

Skylor laughed, pointing down the hallway. "She's there, Daddy! You remember!"

"Ah, yes, there she is! You're quite the wayfinder," he said to his daughter, smiling again. "It's not so easy for an old, old, old man like me." He pushed open the door to his wife's room. "Hello, dear. How are you feeling?"

His wife smiled weakly. "As well as I can." She coughed weakly into her sleeve. "It's getting harder to breathe."

Chen's face fell, mirroring his little daughter's. "I'm calling the doctor again. There must be something we can do."

His wife smiled, shaking her head. "Darling, we've tried everything. Not even mainland doctors would be able to help me. It's almost time for me to go– I can't keep the spirits waiting. The next generation has to have the world and make it theirs."

Skylor sniffed, tearing up. "What do you mean, Mommy? Where are you going?" Chen frowned as she climbed out of Chen's arms and curled up into the crook of her mother's elbow. "We need you."

Her mother sighed, smiling sadly as she cuddled her daughter close to her. "The First Spinjitzu Master needs me too. I have to go meet him. When I do, I promise I'll watch over you. You'll never be alone– I'll love you forever." She kissed the top of Skylor's head, before turning away to cough into her arm. "I love you so much."

Skylor nodded, now fully crying into her side as her father watched, her mother slowly slipping away.

-----

Kai entwined his hand with hers. "Sky… I don't know what to say. I'm sorry– not that that really helps…"

Skylor squeezed his hand, smiling a little. "It's okay. We're kind of the same that way, huh? You found your parents again, though."

"I guess. Do you miss her?"

"...I can't really tell." She shrugged, leaning against Kai. "After she was gone, my father sank into a deep depression, so Clouse took over running the island. That also meant helping train me to be the perfect pawn, all the while taking my father's attention for himself and away from me. Most of all, he wanted a title. All the while, my father started just… going nuts."

"Like how he was when we were there?" Kai asked.

"Yeah. At first it was his war meetings, and then his business with the noodle company. Eventually, even just me snagging some fortune cookies without permission was enough to make him ballistic."

-----

Fifteen-year-old Skylor panted heavily, drenched in sweat as she tossed away a blunt training sword. She pushed her bangs back, hoping to alleviate the heat. "Stupid snakes…"

Above her, Clouse sneered at her from an observation deck. "Sloppy form as always. Name-calling is hardly professional, miss Skylor. If I were anyone else, I might think you didn't care what your father thought of you."

Skylor scoffed. "That was my fastest time yet! He'd be proud of me, unlike you." She shook her head, muttering to herself. "Who does he think he is?"

Clouse crossed his arms. "I am your father's most trusted advisor, and more unbiased than him. It is my duty to make sure his daughter does not make him out to be a fool."

Skylor sighed heavily. "Of course. Can I be done? Michael said he wanted to show me something cool he got during his trip to the mainland." She wiped her forehead again. "It's hotter than a crucible out here..."

Clouse rolled his eyes. "Fine, go on. Don't do anything dishonorable; it would be a shame if you were found doing something… compromising."

Skylor shuddered. "Yeah, okay." She ran out of the training ground, only to stop short as she saw her father, waiting in the hallway. She hastily stopped and bowed. "Father!"

Chen smiled. "Oh, Skylor! There you are. I've been hearing about your training sessions from Clouse."

Skylor's eyes widened. "Yes, Father? I've been working hard, I promise–"

"This can't keep happening," Chen said, cutting her off. "You need to concentrate! From what I've been told, your form and technique have been abysmal lately."

"But Father, I defeated three of your lieutenants today! Isn't that proof that I'm doing well?"

"Top form, Skylor. Top form! You need to work harder!" Chen snapped.

Skylor sighed, hanging her head. "...yes, Father."

"Good, good," Chen replied. "There's also the matter of some rumors I've been hearing. Is it true that you are able to use the power of our guest from a few days ago?"

Skylor blinked. "You mean that man from the mainland?"

"Who else would I mean?" Chen snapped. "Is it true or not?"

Skylor nodded quickly. "Yes, Father. Can I show you?"

"Yes, yes, please do!" Chen responded, clapping his hands with glee. "I'm eager to see if you can do what your mother could, Skylor."

Skylor smiled, scrunching her face in concentration. After a moment, she opened her eyes to see a flower, having sprung to life in her hand. "...I can grow flowers so far."

Chen's smile widened. "Oh, this is lovely! Just like your mother." His smile briefly fell, before he resumed his dramatic gesturing. "It would appear you are an elemental master, Skylor. We can use this!" He plucked the flower from Skylor's hand. "Daughter, I will tell Clouse to start going a bit easier on you, but only if you promise to work very hand and not slack off. You must learn how to use these powers."

Skylor nodded, beaming. "Of course, I promise! I'll work harder than ever."

"Good, good. That's what I like to hear!" Chen sniffed the flower, then dropped it on the floor and walked off. "Make sure to keep your word, daughter!"

-----

Skylor shook her head. "I wish things had been different."

Kai nudged her gently. "Did something happen?"

She nodded. "Lots of things. Over the years, life on the island got worse and worse. I should have realized something was wrong. I should have said something, but I was too afraid to do anything." She shook her head, squeezing Kai's hand and making her free hand into a fist. "Nothing I did was good enough. If I made a mistake, he cheered me on one minute, while threatening me the next. It got to the point where I couldn't meet his astronomical standards."

Skylor growled quietly. "No matter what, I was wrong, and it was always my fault."

-----

Several years later, Skylor panted heavily as she stood at the end of a rigourous obstacle course. She glared at it, shaded her eyes, and looked up a hill at Clouse and Chen. "How was that? Good enough?"

Chen shook his head. "Try again, Skylor. You barely beat your record! You must be the best of the best. Remember the creed of the Anacondrai?"

Skylor groaned quietly. "Only one can remain…"

Chen nodded. "That's right, Skylor. Now, try it again! And Clouse, have someone bring me some noodles! I'm starving up here!"

Skylor scoffed quietly. "Yes, Father." She trudged to the start of the course and launched herself into it again, only to stumble on a ledge and cry out in pain.

Skylor winced as interference rang out through a megaphone. "Skylor, if you will not do this the right way, I won't allow you to participate in the tournament! Try again, or I won't see you for the rest of the day," Chen ordered.

Skylor nodded, blinking away tears, but stumbled as she walked back to the start. Chen shook his head as he saw her bend over in pain. "Skylor, get out of my sight. You're too tired to continue today. We have two weeks left before the tournament begins– I hope you will be able to continue before then." He waved her away, and she nodded meekly before limping away. As she walked away, Clouse met her in a hallway.

"Well, it seems you now realize exactly how disappointed he is. Do you know how much he has bet on your success?" He sneered at her. "Of course, I'm not all that surprised. You've never seemed to amount to much."

Skylor glared at him, putting her foot down fully and wincing at the pain. "You say that, yet he still loves me. You're just a henchman– you don't even have a title of lordship! He'll always choose me first."

"Ah, but that's where you go wrong. I worked my way to this position. All you had to do was be born. Would Master Chen really choose a sniveling little girl over his most proven, most loyal advisor?" He paused for a moment. "I think not."

Skylor laughed briefly before coughing from her heavy breathing. "As if he'd betray his own daughter. If there's anyone he's ever loved, it's me and my mother– not you."

-----

Skylor smiled, pushing the memories to the back of her mind as she refocused on the present. "Seeing you on that ferry was the best and worst thing to ever happen to me, Kai."

Kai blushed. "Uh, what exactly do you mean by 'worst?'"

Skylor laughed faintly. "You turned my world upside down! I had all these new feelings and didn't even understand them– not to mention that you were my enemy. I was supposed to steal your powers and become a snake so I could help take over Ninjago, not help take down my father and defend an entire country." Her smile fell. "When my father suspected I had feelings for you, he was furious at first. And once he calmed down, he told me I needed to use you to win the tournament. He made me spy on the Alliance, with you as my in."

Kai smirked and nudged her. "Hey, don't beat yourself up over it. It all worked out in the end, didn't it?"

Skylor nodded. "Yeah. It's okay now, I think. I don't always feel good about it now, but it's at least better." She let go of Kai's hand and crossed her arms. "Besides, it's not like I hate him, even though my life was horrible. He's dead. It doesn't matter." She glared at the ground.

Kai put an arm around her back. "Sky, it's okay to not think he's a good person. He manipulated you, he… Zane told me once that victims of abuse don't always know what's going on when it's happening. I don't want to label it or anything– I don't know anything about this stuff– but could it have been that?"

Skylor shook her head. "Yeah, it could've. It was abuse, or something like it; no use trying to deny it. He made me a pawn and said he loved me, promising that my mother would have wanted it or that it could get us to the mainland. He dangled that freedom over my head for years; it was all I ever wanted." She growled in frustration. "In hindsight, it seems like it couldn't have been that bad, but it was! And I just can't get over it. Shouldn't I be over it?"

Kai shook his head, murmuring to her. "You don't need to 'get over it,' Sky. It's not going to go away completely, but that's okay. It'll stop hurting eventually, I promise."

"And if it doesn't?" Skylor murmured, pressing up against him.

"It will." Kai pulled her close. "Lloyd always says he feels better after talking about stuff like this. If you need to talk about this again, just call me, okay?"

Skylor nodded, smiling faintly. "Okay. Thanks for listening."

"Anytime, Sky." Kai kissed her hair.

Skylor took a deep breath, stabilizing herself. "Do you want to go back to my apartment? I really don't feel like being out in the city today. We could watch a movie…?"

Kai smiled. "I'd like that. Come on." He helped her up from the bench, and together they walked back to Skylor's apartment hand-in-hand under the midday sun, with lighter yet wearier hearts.

-----

FROM: Copycat (9:47 PM) TO: Hair Gel Hey Thanks for listening to me today. it really helped.

FROM: Hair Gel (9:51 PM) TO: Copycat anytime, Sky goodnight xx

FROM: Copycat (9:51 PM) TO: Hair Gel Good night. X

[zanes-autism]

Skylor PLEASE

Yeah so with the return of Tox and Mr Pale as mini figures in the Lego sets, assuming they are going to be in the second half of season 2, I totally see Skylor coming back especially when Tox is around she is always with Skylor Chen. Not only that, also since the rest of this season will probably continue to develop Kai's character, I think Skylor will help so much with that. I can see it in one situation and this would be funny Skylor takes Tox and Mr Pale to find out what's going on with the whole tournament thing because they got invites or whatever, but when they get to the tournament city there they're surprised to see the ninjas. But Skylor isn't scared just because they are there but because...  

she has a kid with her so she tries to hide her from them. The kid wasn't even supposed to be and came along even though they were told not to. So Skylor have to find ways to hide her but that will definitely not end in disaster.

I thought this be a good thing for Kai's character because they made him a father figure to all the younger Ninja so what if they just give him a little kid of his own (Wyldfyre would be such a good big sister). Also the whole thing with Kailor in Crystalized and the book they really had us thinking they might develop their relationship so I'm just going full speed with this thing cause Kailor is such wasted potential and I really wanted them to do something with it at the end of season 4. I just really want Skylor back that all i wish. Anyway also Kai would definitely just be a full on girl dad and proud of it. __@'-'

[linlovesnoodles]

Heyy!

I'm Lin, a very frustrated ao3 reader, so I've decided to take matters into my own hands. I'm writing a greenflame fic! This is my first fic, but I'm dedicated to finishing it. It's not on ao3 yet, but it will be soon! Here it is:

Kai checked his watch for what felt like the millionth time that day. He scuffed his feet on the floor before glancing at the door Nya had disappeared through ten minutes ago. Frankly, he felt like time had slowed to make him miserable. 

He looked around his new school. Kai had arrived with his sister Nya that morning. He’d promised her he’d try not to get kicked out of this school but he bets he’ll last for a month before getting expelled. 

Suddenly Nya poked her head through the door of the admin building before stepping out, grinning as she held up two keys. 

“Look-ie what I got,” Nya sang, waltzing past Kai. 

Kai sighed, “Who’s my roommate?” The question had been nagging him for a while, sue him.

Nya squinted at an information card, “Dunno. Doesn’t say.” 

“Seriously?” 

“You can find out later, jeez.”

 Kai rolled his eyes and followed Nya down a brightly lit hallway. 

“First Master, could they light this hallway any brighter?” Kai grumbled, shielding his eyes. 

After several flights of stairs and many curses, Kai and Nya found themselves on the balcony that overlooked all the classrooms and dorms of Ninjago High School. Students were milling about the campus, but Kai didn't know where the rest were. Surely, there had to be more. About 600 students attended NHS, Kai knew that much.

 “It’s not a boarding school for everyone,” Nya said, as though she could read his thoughts (she probably could).”Some people live far away and decide to stay here, while others, like us, don’t have anywhere else to go.” Kai hummed softly. That made more sense.

Nya shoved a few papers into Kai’s hands, “What room are you in?” she asked, shuffling through some papers of her own. Kai scanned the paper for his room number. 

“One-twenty-seven.” 

“I’m 114. On the girls’ side.” 

“You’re so far away,” Kai whined. 

“I’ll appreciate the break,” Nya replied, distractedly.

 “Hey!” 

“I only speak of the truth, hermano.” 

Nya started walking again, and Kai, in all his glory, followed her. After even more stairs (because the dorms were on different levels), they stopped in front of room 114. Nya opened the door. Inside was somewhat simple with a small living room and kitchen, and three doors: Two on the left and one on the right. A girl with bright red hair was fixing the pillows. Kai felt that having hair that bright was a crime.

The girl looked up, "Hi! I'm Skylor." She stuck her hand out for Nya to shake. Nya took her hand, ready to introduce herself. But the Skylor beat her to it, "You're Nya, right?" Nya nodded.

"Yeah."

Skylor looked up and down at Kai, "Are you Nya's boyfriend then?"

Nya gagged, "First Master, no. That's my brother Kai."

Skylor's face resembled her hair, which was quite funny and Kai stifled a laugh. Nya elbowed him in the gut before going on about how he's an as(s) and she'd never date him, even if they weren't related.  

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By the time Kai got to his dorm, it was already dinnertime. You might think that it just took a monstrous effort to unpack Nya's things into her dorm, but no. Nya wasn't that type of person. All she carried with her was a few bits of jewellery, some boots, and some clothes, plus some weird bits-and-bobs she liked to tinker around with occasionally. What really took up that time was Skylor, who insisted that they do a personalised tour of the school. 

She took them to the school's pool (not bad), gym (the school was rich), and ice skating rink (seriously?). There was a cafeteria where the students who lived on campus ate dinner and breakfast and a cafeteria where everyone sat together for lunch. She also showed them the classrooms and where they'd take their classes and explained some extra rules for students who use dorms and stay on campus.

 Apparently, on weekends or after school, they were allowed to go into Ninjago City for a maximum of 3 hours and there was a curfew they had to be back by. Kai despised curfews, so this didn't come off as good news. He liked to stay out late and wake up late, but apparently, now he had to be in his room by 10 pm! Boring. 

Nya had shot him a look when Skylor said that, but he didn't pay much attention to that. When Skylor finished the personalised tour, she showed him to his room. She mentioned something about a coincidence before saying that she'd see him at dinner. Nya, the traidora had already left, leaving him to unpack all on his own. 

His dorm was almost identical to Nya's, only different because of the way the couches were positioned and his roommate's belongings were placed. He was just arranging his last perfume bottle on his nightstand when he heard the door of the dorm open. He went out to check who it was and discovered it was his roommate. His roommate looked up from where he was arranging something and grinned when he saw Kai.

"Hi!" he said, his voice smooth and firm. "I'm Lloyd. You're my new roommate, right?"

He looked to be a year younger than Kai, with blond hair and startlingly green eyes. He was dressed in a green hoodie and blue jeans, and he had a pale green streak in his hair (his favourite colour had to be green). "Uh, yeah, I'm Kai."

"Nice to meet you, Kai."

Kai had no social skills whatsoever. He mostly communicated by standing behind Nya and glaring at anyone who dared to lay their eyes on his hermana menor. But he felt compelled to say something to Lloyd, which was odd. "How old are you Lloyd?" he asked. It was a weird question, sure, but Kai normally spat out whatever came to his mind first. Sucks to be ADHD.

Lloyd looked slightly surprised, but he was good at hiding it. "I'm fourteen," he answered.

"Grade 8?"

"Um, no. It's complicated."

"Or you're just a super smart guy."

"Sure."

Kai didn't really know how to continue from this but Lloyd saved them both from awkward silence by asking, "How old are you?"

"Fifteen turning sixteen in November."

"Ha! My birthday's before yours."

"Rude. At least I get to drive before you."

"With a Learner's permit!" Lloyd stuck his tongue out at Kai and Kai laughed.

"You're like the world's biggest toddler."

"Am not!"

A bell sounded. "What's that for?" Kai asked Lloyd.

"Dinner. Come on!" He gestured for Kai to follow him, "I'll introduce you to my friends!"

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They both ran into the cafeteria and Lloyd grabbed his hand and led him to a table (the room got a few degrees hotter precisely when Lloyd grabbed his hand. Talk about perfect timing). Kai noticed that Nya was already there, along with five others. She laughed at something the guy next to her told her. He had curly auburn hair and freckles spread across his nose, with a smiley face badge pinned to his shirt. 

Skylor was talking animatedly to another girl sitting next to her. She had silvery hair and pale skin, with green eyes. Her eyes didn't seem warm and sparkly like Lloyd's, they glowed unnaturally and for a second, Kai thought she might be a robot. He quickly banished that thought.

Lloyd led Kai next to Nya, while he sat next to Skylor. Skylor paused her conversation to ruffle Lloyd's hair and greet Kai. The other girl also greeted Kai, introducing herself as Pixal. Kai barely had time to respond before Nya patted his shoulder, still talking to the other guy. 

"Kai, this is Jay. Jay, this is my hermano Kai."

The guy with auburn hair, Jay, waved and said hi, and Kai did the same. 

"Are you guys Spanish?" a voice said from the other end of the table, sitting next to Jay. So. Many. People.

"Yeah," Kai replied. The guy who spoke smiled.

"Nice. I'm Cole by the way."

Cole's voice was kind and warm, but he looked pretty intimidating. He wore a band t-shirt and had headphones around his neck. His eyes were dark brown and his hair was jet black. Kai got the feeling that Cole was one of the nicest in the group.

"Cole. I like that name," Nya mused, "Reminds me of fresh soil. Dunno why."

Cole laughed, putting an arm around the guy on his other side, "This is my buddy Zane."

Zane smiled. His eyes were a cold, ice blue, but not in a bad way. It was like a comforting cool breeze that drifts past you on a cold day. 

Zane had neatly trimmed hair and was wearing a pale blue sweater vest on top of a crisp white shirt. But the look suited him well, so Kai didn't judge him.

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Dinner was the same in almost every boarding school. You have some options to pick from, you line up, and you collect your food. Today, Kai chose pasta, and so did everyone else, save for some weird people. It was either pasta or grilled chicken with pasta salad (the poor Italians), so Kai's choice was obvious.

By the end of dinner, Kai knew all the people who sat at his table, including their ages and a hobby they enjoyed. The oldest were Cole, Zane, and Pixal, all of them 17. Jay, Kai, and Skylor were all 16 (or turning 16), and Nya was 15. Lloyd was the youngest at 14, but apparently, he started school earlier, so he was in Nya's grade, despite being younger than her. 

Cole enjoyed playing the drums and listening to music, Pixal and Zane liked mechanics (and they were dating. Can't miss that bit of info), Jay liked to tinker around with mechanics, Skylor liked cooking and Lloyd loved to skate ("Ice skating or rollerblading," he'd said). Kai already knew Nya loved to build things, living with her his whole life and so on.

Lloyd had left earlier, though the others told him he was probably just playing around with his cat, Sia (and yes, she is a Siamese cat. Ha-ha. Hilarious.). Lloyd was a cat person. Cute. Slowly, the other students started leaving and by 9, everyone was gone. 

Kai opened the door to his dorm and found Lloyd upside down on one of the couches, waving a little stick with a string for his cat to play with. He was humming a song, but Kai wasn't close enough to hear it. Lloyd's hair was spread out, making a sort of halo around his head. Kai smiled and Lloyd smiled back.

Kai lay in the dark, listening to Sia's soft purrs drifting from Lloyd's room. He could hear Lloyd singing, or was he humming? He couldn't tell. He was too tired. The room was quiet, with some moonlight shining in from a gap in the blinds covering his window. For the first time in a while, Kai slept peacefully without a worry.

I'd love some feedback before I publish it on ao3. See ya!

[a-butterfly1]

==✦CONTINUATION✦==

Part 1- (Lloyd, Kai, Nya, Jay, Cole, Zane)

This is the continuation for my spirit ninjago au (yeah the au doesn't have a proper name yet so I'm just sticking with that) there may be a third part Idk yet, I'm trying to expand a lot but keep my line of thought straight, expecially since I've been playing honkai star rail my imagination as been going on getting a lot of inspiration with that, mostly the paths system the thing is it may not make sence in a timeline because of dates, and honestly I do want to follow that since It makes some sense but I'll see.

==❤︎CHARACTER INFORMATION❤︎==

Skylor Chen Smith

Age- 1000+ (ghost) Died at 96 Height: 5'8½ (1,74m) Status: Kai's wife

A never ending hardworker, Skylor is a dedicated person, even with all that has happened in her life she moves on, "don't let the chains of the past hold you back" is her biggest quote. She still worked at Chen's Noodle House keeping the legacy even after everything, Kai helped even if not has much as she would have liked, but I guess thats a them problem. She is now residing in the cursed realm, the realm of the evil and dead, unfortunately for her the good deeds she practiced were in vain, and even worst for her, her father and clouse were also in the cursed realm, shall she have the pacience to deal with both of them, especially after it got to them that she married one of the ninja, Kai, the worst one in their eyes. Kai visits her in the cursed realm, mostly to hangout and sometimes is able to drag her out of that realm and spend sometimes in the living world.

==꒷꒦︶︶꒷︶︶꒦꒦︶︶꒷꒦==

Morro Wu

Age- 1000+ (ghost) Died in his 20's Height: 6'4 (1,93m)

The people call him "the ashamed" as all that proceeds him as been the shame in his previous actions, a anti-hero. He stills remembers the day he was given a third and/or even fourth chance at redemption, he was in the cursed realm, sulking and poving his power the both new and old ghosts, when Lloyd appered in front of him, he had his arm extanded to him waiting for Morro to take it, Morro was mad but he had to let go at some point, right? So he did, and after a danger in Ninjago that even the Ninja had been spread a little too tin to deal with, Morro joined the battle, but due to him being a little rusty Lloyd gave him a bit of his power, with that the battle was won; to Morro's suprise Lloyd never toke the power back and instead insisted that Morro joined the Ninja becoming the 7th ninja. The rest of the team wasn't too pleased with this, but even soo, who are they to question Lloyd's decision…

==꒷꒦︶︶꒷︶︶꒦꒦︶︶꒷꒦==

Garmadon

Age- 2000+ (ghost) Died in his 1000's Height (Before death) : 7'3 (2,21m) Height (After death) : 6'4 (1,93m) Status: Misako's husband and Lloyd's father

A tarnished name for sure, all that he has are distante memories of his horrible actions; being separated in two halfs after being revived is sure to bring conflict; one remained in the cursed realm, mostly wandering around, missing his family to no end, and the other was destroying anything that could be considered family. When the half in the living realm died, in came the extended influx of memories that didn't belong to him but at the same time did, he didn't know what to make of it the harm and despair he caused after long having accepted what he had done before- it was too much. But in the depths of that new memory… he could only smile; after everything died down and the living Garmadon stayed alongside Lloyd- the father and son moments he had only dreamed of ever being true had become reality, the laughter and genuine love he felt coming from and with his son, made him the happiest man in the cursed realm; after all he was givin a couple 100 years by his families side until he finally passed away, he made sure every moment counted. Even his marrige had healed to some degree. Now, in the present, Garmadon makes sure to have frequent visits to Lloyd, even if Morro is his only way there, the routine is quite fine for the both of them, Garmadon gets to visit his son and Morro always prefered the quiet atmosphere of the island, where the monestary is currently on. And truth be told, Garmadon, for sure, has given both Morro and Harumi a good death stare for the things they have done to his son, reasonably so.

==꒷꒦︶︶꒷︶︶꒦꒦︶︶꒷꒦==

Harumi

Age- 1000+ (ghost) Died in her 30's Height: 5'11 (1,80m)

Harumi, often refered as the "wicked princess", in the living she owns a place in the new and improved "hall of villains", while in the dead she continuasly has an aura around her, even if she emitted regret in her past life, now she was surrounded by people who only sang praises about what she accomplished; after all now the people around her were as morally deranged as she was, if not even more. Unfortunatly for her, or fortunatly for the speck of regret she still holds, Morro had long been made aware of what she has done and due to him having to show that he has some moral grounds to be able to continue have the amount of power he was given, he keeps tabs on her and reminds her that she is supposed to be upset at all the praise. And to the new Garmadon she encountered in the cursed realms? A lot of mixed feelings for sure, either way, Morro just makes sure Harumi doesn't get to close.

==✿ADDITIONAL INFORMATION✿==

Skylor and Kai often just walk around Ninjago and think about the past, very old people style; The others tend to comment on their behavior but their stupidity just gets ignored not a whole lot can bring this woman's confidence down.

Kai was very self-conscious about his old lookin' self, Skylor would just make this man's ego go through the roof at times.

Morro, Garmadon have been living in the same home for a while, Harumi just kinda made herself at home, already knowing Morro from a previous prison visit from Lloyd, and just didn't bother giving a reason to why she was there, and Morro just ended up so feed up with kicking her out everytime that he just gave up.

Lloyd has Garmadon's, Misako's and Wu's graves at the end of the backward, beautifully siting under a weeping, tree very well taken care of. Garmadon often wonders if his body is really there or if it's just a memorial (he doesn't really want to check or ask Lloyd about it).

Many attempts at Morro's life have been made, mostly coming from Nya and Kai (water doesn't kill him persay but it sure hurts a whole lot), Jay just annoys him at any moment given, Cole and Zane give him side glances and try not to be hostile, and Lloyd well, his relationship with him has for sure gotten better, time can often heal wounds left by past actions; they often help eachother without much complain, and if there is, it mostly comes from Morro pretending to be upset.

Morro often pretends to despise Lloyd but he does actually care for him; Lloyd is very aware of Morro's true feelings thanks to the power connecting them both, so he just disregards the behavior.

Morro uses Lloyd as a human shield /aff, most of the times he's just possession Lloyd and hanging around but not willing to interact.

Harumi had a redepction arc inside prison and Lloyd would visit occasionally, sometimes he would have Morro with him, that's how they knew eachother, first time they met tho, let's just say, they weren't all too friendly with eachother.

Yes, Harumi died inside the prison, how? Idk, someone didn't like her I guess.

I should mention that most of Ninjago citizens are completly aware of the Ninja's past, mostly due to Cloud Kingdom just releasing many books each with one of the ninja's story, and after years those books were re-written many times and it may have become a game of broken telephone.

That is also why, the people of Ninjago are to the full extent aware of the Harumi's actions, and let's just say Lloyd's die hard fans aren't too happy.

[weekend-whip]

Ninjago Fic Rec Week: Day 4

Prompts: Fluff / Cole Recs! (i'm sure I'll be seeing a lot of my favorite fics today aaaa)

Fluff Recs-

Good Hair Day: Kai helps Skylor do her hair, based entirely on a headcanon of Kai being good at doing hair (hey, his own style is a choice)

Little Brother: Lloyd realizes the perks of having five older siblings. Lots of sweet family fluff and young!Lloyd shenanigans <3

Nya, Kai, and That One Drink: Including this one specifically because it's probably the most lighthearted thing I've written yet that doesn't involve Jesse snknksnskn, the group goes for takeout in the X-1 Ninja Charger, only for one thing to lead to another and Kai winds up forgetting Nya's drink. What's a brother to do now?

Socks: Wu wearily but delightfully is forced to watch the ninja get way too much merriment out of a ridiculous pair of socks (I, personally, am of the belief that they belong to Lloyd, but—)

Five Times Jay Cheered Someone Up: And the one time he was cheered up in return (i am DISTRESSED that i didn't include this on my Jay list aaaaAAAA)

Five Times Lloyd Was a Pain: And the one time he wasn't. Child!Lloyd for the soul in this one!!!!

There's Insurance For That: In which Skylor gets a taste of the life of a ninja (and learning just how many places they've been banned from in Ninjago) Quite possibly my favorite lighthearted Skylor fic!!!

Cole Recs-

Sick Days: Sickfic, featuring Cole and having to contend with "Being useless", and the doting care

Passing On the Hammer: Cole has a meeting with his grandfather, while Jay tries his hand at being a fisherman and Kai thinks he can do the Triple Tiger Sashay. (Really a fic about Cole and his family's legacy, but Kai and Jay's antics are too hilarious not to mention snksnknksnk)

You're An Excellent Chef, Really *screams loudly* UGNH one of my very favorite fics exploring Cole and Zane's dynamic, will recommend every single time!!!! But, it's basically the duo bonding over cooking over the years. Makes my heart very happy <3

Quiet Weirdo: Cole and Nya friendship fic that the world definitely needs more of!!!!

Adjusting: PILOT BONDING, this time Cole flavored!! Cole's thoughts on his new budding team consisting of a chatty blue guy and the guy that won't stop staring at things. But a guy like Cole has never needed friends anyway, so he's got nothing to worry about, right?

Again and Again: MORE PILOTS BONDING but this time with Glacier! People keep asking me how Cole fell in love with Zane in Legacyverse and my mind always drifts back to a thing similar to this story! My personal investment aside, a nice fluffy fic about how Cole met Zane and they became friends with a touch of pining <3

You Worry Too Much: By the author of Chips and Salsa (another fandom Cole/Glacier classic), here we have a another tale centered around Cole's parents while he was growing up, and though it's a little more about Lou than anyone else, Cole ofc has a huge stake in the story and uwaah I love reading about Cole's family dynamics (both the fluff and the tragedy)

Some Climb Mountains: A retelling of how Cole met Master Wu, always gets me misty eyed because i am a soft soul ;v;

Cole and the Tastiest Broken Glass: S2 Pre-Child's Play, Cole and Lloyd bond over broken things, life philosophy, and candy. Cole and Lloyd sibling duo that the world also needs much more og!!

I'm Sure He Knows: More Cole + Wu bonding that speaks to me specifically, involving a conversation about a certain ghostly wind master who is no more.

Four Times Cole Helped The Guys With a Nightmare: And the one time they helped him. Cole's character at his purest in this one!!!

[the-ninja-legacy-whip]

So How would you rate everyone's intellectual level? From academic to street smarts, combat or hacker level

Kai- Academic: 5/10 (Is always skilled at exactly half his classes, terrible with the other half) Street: 8/10 (learned a lot of his knowledge, well, on the streets, and picked up on stuff while hanging with Chad. Docked points for his occasional lack of common sense, however snksnk) Combat: 10/10 (gets hyper-competent in battle, although didn't quite start out that way—he adapts very quickly, and the more skills he learns and people he has to protect, the more vigilant and strategic he becomes. It's terrifying). Hacker: 1/10 (do not let him touch the computer. it will end up on fire)

Jay- Academic: 10/10 (straight A student, against the odds) Street: 5/10 (is occasionally knowledgeable when it comes to street smarts, but its easily his weakest stat here) Combat: 11/10 (if he gets to really pop off—otherwise keeps himself around an 8) Hacker: 6/10 (can hack in a pinch, but software/coding/inner workings isn't his forte of expertise either...he usually delegates to Pixal and/or Miranda here)

Cole- Academic: 4/10 (could be higher if he applied himself. He does not.) Street: 7/10 (mostly accumulated from hanging with Tox, but this is also the rich boy who thought mud newt was cheap eating—) Combat: 7/10 (beyond coordinating the others, his fighting essentially boils down to 'slam' and 'punch'. His punches are like 12/10 tho) Hacker: 2/10 (he's at least better at it than Kai)

Zane- Academic: 9/10 Street: 3/10 (bless his soul he tries) Combat: 6/10 at lower attunement, 9/10 at higher attunement Hacker: 7/10 (10/10 if he directly plugs himself into the machine, which everyone always tells him not do for obvious reasons snksnksnk)

Nya- Academic: 9/10 Street: 9/10 Combat: 7/10 in hand-to-hand, 9/10 in mech Hacker: 8/10

Lloyd- Academic: 8/10 Street: 8/10 (primarily thanks to Darkley's) Combat: ...we'll just say he can pretty deadly at max ability Hacker: 5/10 (has a 50/50 shot of being successful, but is always guaranteed to at least be able to power on a machine)

Jesse- Academic: 7/10 Street: 9/10 Combat: 5/10 (he wasn't meant to be a fighter, but he gets better over time) Hacker: 3/10 (best he can do is put in a jump drive for Miranda to hack through snksnksnk)

Olivia- Academic: 3/10 (girl y u insisting on going to school for) Street: 8/10 Combat: 9/10 Hacker: 6/10 (has a better shot than Lloyd but less than the "techies")

Harumi- Academic: 7/10 Street: 7/10 Combat: To Be Determined Hacker: 6/10 (eventually)

Miranda- Academic: 9/10 Street: 7/10 Combat: To Be Determined Hacker: 11/10

Pixal- Academic: 10/10 Street: 2/10 Combat: 8/10 (eventually) Hacker: 10/10

Skylor- Academic: N/A (but on par with Harumi) Street: 5/10, eventually bumps to at least a 7 or 8 Combat: 10/10 Hacker: 4/10 (it's mostly intuition though—still better than Kai, Cole, and Jesse individually snksnksnk)

Harleigh- Academic: 5/10 Street: 10/10 Combat: 5/10 (for a pirate/ghost, she doesn't engage in very much fighting...) Hacker: 2/10 (...still better than Kai)

[destinygoldenstar]

So going back to my Hand of Time post where I talked about dialogue, I actually got my GF's opinion on another part of that season. (She's on Sons of Garmadon now. She's also a Skybound lover. You may know that I'm not a Skybound fan, but congrats Skybound lovers, you have another one)

That's the family storyline of Fireboy and Watergirl. (Like, the only interesting thing about the season to me)

We talked about how we both thought it would have been much more interesting and fitting of the messaging of the season if the parents were painted in a negative light, and it wasn't a trick.

I was on board with the idea that the siblings didn't know what happened to their parents and why they suddenly up and left them. I mean, it left these two kids forced to raise each other. KIDS.

That's quite a bit of trauma to leave behind. (Which is why I said I wanted more baby Kai and Nya flashbacks)

And they WERE building up to the idea that these people should NOT be role models or impact Kai and Nya.

From what Chen implied, their parents were probably not the best of people and shouldn't be idolized. These two, especially Kai, have idolized their parents, and everything Kai has done with his life is associated with the legacy and honor of his father. But then it's revealed they're idolizing traitors to the Elemental Resistance and were fighting for a cause that was a danger to Ninjago. These kids shouldn't be idolizing them.

Especially not with what the siblings have become NOW. They're ninja. They're protectors of a land they care about. They have a new found family they could call their actual family if they so wished.

It fits with the time theming. It also adds to what Skylor tells them. Don't be so focused on your rocky past. Don't be so focused on the bad people your parents became. Focus on YOU. Focus on NOW. What do you want to be and what do you want to do NOW?

Adding to the Time Twins being stuck in the past. It'd make the siblings the foil.

...so we're both REALLY not a fan of the big twist of the season, that being that Ray and Maya were good people all along.

It goes against the message that was built up to up till that point. It reverts to the siblings clinging to the past again.

I'm not against their parents ending up being good people who were just protecting their kids out of love, but that's NOT what they were building up to.

And I am especially NOT SAYING Kai should've killed his dad. Absolutely not. Nya could've stopped him and reminded him that this isn't him and this isn't who he wants to be. Again, adding to the 'don't focus on the past, focus on now'. They could even release their parents out of sympathy, but not let them back in their lives. At least, not until Seabound, which could be the parents trying to be better. This could just be their redemption arc.

Cause, in the flashback they showed, they didn't even put up a fight when they could have. They're ELEMENTAL MASTERS. FOR FSM SAKE. They can strike a powerless Krux down. That screams to me that it doesn't change the fact that they abandoned their kids in a garden and left them at a weapons shop to fend for themselves. And it very clearly left a dent on them! For Kai, at least.

I also wish the final blow on the Time Twins was done by Kai and not Wu.

Everyone has said this, and yeah, Kai is the only ninja who never gets to defeat a villain by themself. (And now he never will) Every Kai focused story where he has a villain, said villain is defeated by someone else, sometimes someone with no connection to them. I have NO IDEA why Kai is not allowed to get a W, but the others are. I guess someone in the writers room just hates Kai for some reason.

THIS would've been the PERFECT SEASON to let Kai do that.

At least with Krux. Krux is such a personal antagonist for Kai. This is the man who destroyed Kai's family name and life. This is the man who threatened a resistance he honors. This is the man who signifies all of Kai's past ego. This is the man who took Kai's parents away from him and forced him to end his childhood and be the parent to his sister. This man is a PERSONAL villain to KAI.

So if ANYBODY is going to get the honor to defeat this guy, it should be KAI.

But no. Instead Wu got that honor. Despite the fact that his personal connection to the Time Twins is just "I shouldn't have fought Acronix alone, I make so many mistakes and I like to pretend I'm perfect"

How awesome would that have been to have the siblings stand by a claim like "I'm not what you made of my past. I'm what I am now. I'm fighting for now."

Wu could still get lost in time. Like let's say someone had slippery hands in the time vortex. There you go.

Kai is an awesome character whenever he's allowed to be in the spotlight. He doesn't get to be in it, though. I just kinda wish he, like the other ninja did, got a W that he deserved.

[aeroargonic]

Hi! I hope you’re doing well!

I have a question for you. After the events of “The Mind is Not a Vessel to be Filled”, how do you think Skylor and Neuro made up after the betrayal? Since the next time we see them, they’re great friends? Was there any awkward conversations? Did Neuro hold a grudge for a bit? Did Skylor lose sleep from the guilt of having thrown everyone under the bus?

Sorry I just love the friendship dynamic between Skylor and Neuro and need more interactions and them working out issues.

Also I love your writings!

Hey! Glad to hear that my first Ninjago fic in a long time is still out there inspiring people and giving them a nice story to read! The Neuro and Skylor friendship means so much to me. I headcanon Neuro as having grown up in a very similar situation to Skylor: his father was missing and his mother was quite neglectful, so he understands her hardships and pains and tat kind of turmoil an upbringing like that brings. Their relationship is heavily based on a mutual respect and understanding for each other, knowing how each of their minds works and what makes them different from other people. Skylor needs touch, and Neuro indulges her. Neuro needs quiet, and Skylor gives that to him. To me, they are the queerplatonic relationship of all time.

Honestly, I could fill a whole Tumblr post with ramblings about Neuro and his dynamics with other Ninjago characters but I don't think anybody wants to hear that lmao.

I think the aftermath of the Tournament wasn't super easy on them, definitely the rockiest part in their bond. Neuro probably wasn't as forgiving as Kai was, not that I think anyone blames him. But I don't think he was as mad at Skylor believed him to be. Once he got to understand who the real Skylor was, and not just the persona she put on for the Tournament, a lot of pieces clicked into place for him. It didn't excuse her actions, but Neuro realized why she made the decisions she did and that helped him forgive her.

Neuro in the show is pretty wishy-washy and I think a lot of people forget that. He moves to what serves him at the moment, what guarantees his survival, even if that means drastically jumping ship. I know everyone treats him like the straight man to a lot of the Elemental Masters, but that's what he wants you to think lmao. Neuro is also emotional and easily distressed when put in a tense or uncomfortable position; he struggles to maintain his crafted persona when in the heat of the moment. And in my AU, he definitely got the sense that after knowing Skylor was his soulmate, he couldn't survive without her and she couldn't survive without him. That led to them having some very tough and heavy conversations with each other, but much needed conversations indeed. Neuro, for a psychic, doesn't seem to do mind games and is pretty blunt. He speaks his mind. For Skylor, it probably felt pretty good to finally drop the pretense of pretending to be someone she's not and being able to be open and honest for once, feeling what she feels instead of what others want her to feel. I think that's why these two work so well together: they communicate. They let down their walls to be their true selves around each other. And it's why Neuro couldn't give two shits about Skylor dating Kai (aside from the obvious incompatible orientations lmao), because they've established boundaries and they respect them.

Wow, this got out of hand fast. I'm sorry, I just have so many thoughts about these two.

[cottoncandy1322]

I am feeling so normal right now, 100%, totally...

My brain is spinning between two different shows right now so I'm gonna dump my thoughts here while I eat pancakes at 11pm.

So like wouldn't Loki and Sylvie technically be related or something??? I might be reading too much into them I just don't like their ship all too much. I also don't get how all this...uh...time travel multiverse variant stuff works very well so.

Mobius and Loki are so cute please I love their friendship why can't they just be gay for eachother instead.

It actually kinds makes sense that Loki's first live would be himself(Sylvie) cause...yk it's Loki. It's kinda funny.

Is Cole okay??? My mans did not seem very okay during the scene where he left to follow the mysterious Wu voice and I'm genuinely worried.

Jay is still Jay, loving those videogames, but he also a little snarky with was interesting to see in him. Still hoping he and Cole have an epic showdown.

That red djinn guy was...okay I guess. I'm disappointed my evil pirate genje man wasn't there. I'm still hoping he appears at some point.

You know how there ar a lot of peope upset with Zane being treated more like a robot than a person in Dragons Rising? We could write angst with that and you know I'm right.

I feel like Beatrix and Sons of Garmadon Harumi would kinda get along. Possibly cause some havoc together yk?

I saw a tik tok where some people thought it would be possible Lava ship might happen in Dragons Rising and I just want to say. Kai has a GIRLFRIEND if you didn't know. He's dating Skylor. Kailor(or however the ship name is spelled I forget) is canon. They are dating. I am sorry. Cole can still be gay though so it's not a complete loss.

I supsected something was being planned for Cole after the news of his new power was leaked on youtube. I hope he's okay but I also hope for angst tbh.

Is Dareth getting character development still going to be a thing?? I swear I heard it somewhere. Please say yes. Please. Dareth deserves it he's great.

Does Dareth canonically have powers now?? Does he still have them?? Does he still need to pee everytime he uses it?? Has he used it at all ever since that one episode??

I was excited out of my mind when Jay appears for a single scene. I knew he wasn't going to play a major role in this first season after a couple of tweets I saw posted on yt. I'm excited for him.

Do you suppose Zane and Jay will bond over memory loss trauma? ....We could write angst for that.

Okay that's all for now. Thanks for listening. :)

[fandomsareforlife]

Ninjago DR Season 2 ep 1 reactions (Spoliers)

Also, note that I wrote this as I watched, so I wouldn't flood people's dashes with posts. Also, didn't comment on everything so just a heads up

I have absolutuely no memory of what happened to Imperium at the end of the last season, so I am watching the beginning with Ras and Jordanna like 'huh. Something happened. Let's hope they recap that later cause I don't remember anything"

I like the internet paradoies. You really can tell the writers are trying to either market towards a younger audience who grew up on social media or they grew up wiht social media

Tik Tok Existing in ninjago in canon is not a thing I realized I needed until now

Nor did I expect the MatPat conspiracty theoriest, who is sponsored by Borg (which implied he is alive)

Sora using her powers to bug Arin, and then reassuring him he is just as important to the team is. Hm

Reminder that people lie on the Internet!

Mr. Frohicky; Such a guy, I love him. Also, big Riyu is so so so cute

I have a feeling Lloyd had fallen asleep in the training course many many times beforehand, and was very confused why one of the OG ninja wasn't waking him up

Kai and Zane friendship my beloved :) I like how they're playing empire is it I believe? Also, just as a little thing, but Kai taking over Cole's job of explaining metaphors/figurative language stuff to Zane and failing cause he isn't used to it is just aaaaa

Also, Zane :) That's it, that's the post

Lloyd first sleepwalking and then pouring the tea into the pot is so in character for him

Zane and Kai telling Lloyd he needs to sleep and then Lloyd passing out immediately after, not even getting to the door is so so so fanfiction

Hmmm Lloyd's dream. I don't know why but the only word i can describe it is 'shiny'. Like it feels to bright for what's supposed to be at night, like it should be more shadowy and stuff with the red as a tint? I don't know how to explain it, but it didn't feel...nightmarish and I can't tell if it works

Yes, Lloyd using spinjitzu after the nightmare. We need more fic of this idea. Also, him going to Wu for advice

The feeling when your older sibling/mentor figure is having a rough time and you have very little idea how to approach the issue

"Aren't I supposed to be the teacher here?"

"Dreams can not hurt you, for they are not real" Wanna tell Zane that?

MASTER WU GHOST?

Hmmm the idea of a language being banned cause the speakers were supposedly evil is generating thoughts

Kreel smiling at Arin talking about the night ghost is so funny

The interent addiction, man, they really are trying to say the interent is bad for you.

"People throwing out perfectly good dragons. Shameful." Not sure why I'm surprised by this but I am

Is this Cinder? I am so mad about them getting rid of Ash

Them actually utilizing smoke is pretty cool, I'll give them that much

Alright, so it is Cinder, and apparently he is voiced by the same guy as Acornix, and I knew his voice sounded familiar

"You threw a party and didn't invite me? I'm offended."

Wow, Lloyd's dream being real. Who would have guessed?

Ras and Jordanna are giving me serious Chen and Skylor vibes for some reason. Maybe it't the hair?

Alright, that's my reactions. Don't know when I'll watch ep 2 so yeah

[katsumatsu4]

@squib-2006 happy holidays! Here’s your secret santa gift :)

It was my first time writing skylor, so I hope it’s not too awkward :’)

Operation "Fire escape"

Lloyd didn't have anything against Skylor.

Really! She was determined, resolute and knew how to stood her ground, loyal, trustworthy – what's not to like?

Which is not to say he's going to regret anything he does tonight.

"Why, exactly, are you doing this?" said Cole, eyes following the various items disappearing inside Lloyd's black backpack.

Lloyd grinned impishly. He didn't worry that Cole would rat him out; his silence was already bought with two weeks worth of desserts.

"Ah, it's their first official date. And, as the youngest sibling,"-his face morphed into the display of seriousness so sincere it had to be fake-"it is my sacred duty to make it unforgettable."

---

Okay, maybe the snakes were a mistake.

Lloyd watched as the panicked crowd tried to get away from the love ride. He barely heard the screams, more focused on two figures at the edge of the mass of people. They were scanning their surroundings and the boy knew he has hidden too slow. Shit, they must have noticed me.

He brought it upon himself, to be honest.

Weird lights in the mirror room? Innocent enough.

Smoke bombs in the haunted house? A little suspicious, but easy to wave off.

Kelp falling from the ceiling? Weird, but not that uncommon, the tunnel was filled with water after all.

But fake snakes in the river? Lloyd wanted to bash his head against the wall. That was his signature move! Of course Kai connected the dots!

They stopped looking around, now talking to themselves. He let himself have a silver of hope. Maybe they didn't notice after all...

And then they bolted to the exit.

Startled, Lloyd reacted too slow and before he knew it he lost sight of either of them.

Ah, damn. He had so much more planned.

Oh well, there was nothing he could do now. As far as he was concerned, today's work was a job well done. He went to collect his things around the amusement park.

Now it's just waiting for Kai to go back home he thought mischievously.

---

When they stopped running, they were almost half a city away. Kai leaned against the brick wall, trying to catch his breath. Beside him Skylor was doing the same.

"Think we lost him?"

He shrugged. "I mean, probably? We went fast but kid's pretty resilient." He looked over the rooftops and along the street. Thankfully there was no suspicious flashes of green and black in sight.

Kai shuffled his feet, unable to look up at Skylor. That... wasn't how he envisioned this evening.

"Sorry it turned out like that. I don't know what he was thinking!" he grunted, eyes locked on the ground.

She laughed heartily at that. "What are you talking about? It was delightful!" She smirked and run her hand over his furrowed brow. "I won't forget this day to the end of my life."

He sighed but smiled and looked up.

"Yeah, I should have expected that; of course you would find this psychological warfare entertaining."

Skylor wiggled her fingers comically: "Ooooo, how evil I am! Truly, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!" she finished in a sinister voice.

It was his turn to laugh.

"Geez, no wonder you and Lloyd get along so nicely. True menaces."

She nudged him in the side.

"Come on tiger, we probably lost the kid already, there should be no more surprises. How about we go and find some cafe? My treat."

He puffed indignantly.

She quirked her eyebrow. "Now, before you try to be a gentleman or whatever, remind me. which one of us is the heir to the incredibly prosperous noodle empire? And which one doesn't know what taxes are?"

He stuck his tongue at her. The brow went higher.

"Okay okay, let it be your way, your highness." He bent into the mocking half-bow. "Lead the way!"

The cafe was surprisingly empty for the hour, only a few customers scattered by the tables. The woman behind the counter flashed a smile when they strolled through the door.

"Welcome! What can I get you?"

Skylor stared at the menu, suddenly uncertain.

"Hmm, maybe... Coffee. No no, not coffee. Tea maybe? Ugh.."

Kai snorted.

"You really hadn't think it through."

"Shut up, I was trying to be smooth." She shifted. "It's not like I was visiting places like that a lot, you know." She turned to him. "How about you order first, smart-ass?"

He looked at the board.

"Well... maybe hot chocolate? With double marshmallows."

"Sweet tooth much?" she chuckled and turned to the counter. "The same for me please. But just normal amount of marshmallows please."

"Double marshmallows is the normal amount of marshmallows!"

"Yeah, sure, whatever you say tiger."

The barista gave them a knowing look. "Two chocolates, got it." She gestured to the tables. "Take a seat, I will bring your order in a moment."

Skylor nodded and lead them to the table for two a little on the left. They sat down and finally relaxed. She run her fingers through her hair, trying to get all the green stuff out. She smelled it and smirked.

"Thank the spirits, it's just some sort of seaweed. I was worried it was going to be paint or some other shit."

Kai rummaged through his hair and pulled out some more plants.

"Yeah that was pretty tame compared to what he could do. He must really like you."

"I guess that's good?"

He scowled.

"For you? Sure. But for me it probably means more pranks back home.

"That bad?"

Kai waved it off.

"Eh, nothing I hadn't faced before." Then a shadow appeared on his face. "Unless he convinced others to help. Then it will be a cataclysm." He rubbed his chin. "Maybe i should sleep outside today, just to be sure."

She snorted.

"Come on, you're exaggerating now."

"Yeah, maybe a little. But can you blame me."

Skylor thought back at the snakes in the love tunnel.

"Hardly."

Kai nodded solemnly at that.

"Here you go! Two chocolates with marshmallows, as ordered." The barista winked, putting the additional tray next to the mugs. "And something extra, on the house."

She walked away and they gazed at the tray. There, on the napkins decorated in hearts, laid ginger cookies. Every one looking like two people holding hands.

Subtle they thought simultaneously.

Kai took a first bite, his face lighting up.

"Man, they are good! We should come here more often."

Skylor took one for herself and find out that they were, in fact, delicious.

The munching filled the air for a while.

"Must be fun, huh? Having so many siblings."

He stopped at the question, gulped down the cookie and answered.

"Well, they're a lot sometimes, but I honestly don't know what I would do without them."

She smiled warmly. It was still amazing, seeing their family so close to each other and how much love they had for each other. Compared to her...

She shunned the thought before it could sour her mood and instead focused on the person in front of her.

"Say, are all younger siblings like this,"-she vaguely gestured at the leftover kelp still in her hair-"or is Lloyd a special case?"

Kai snickered.

"Oh, he definitely is not alone in it. You should have seen what Nya cooked up when I tried dating that one guy in middle school. I was finding glitter everywhere for the next month! As for Lloyd, he had a penchant for chaos for as long as I knew him. Have I ever told you how we first met?"

She furrowed her brow.

"What do you mean 'first met'? Didn't the three of you grow up together?"

He blinked slowly, trying to guess where she got that from.

"What? No? I mean, me and Nya did, but we met Lloyd like, four-five years ago?" His eyes widened. "Wait, did you thought we were related?"

"Maybe?! I didn't thought about it, I just assumed-"

"Us and the literal Son of the Dark Lord-"

"Shutupshutup it just didn't cross my mind-"

"Did you thought Garmadon-"

"No, obviously, well, maybe a little, you seemed close-"

"Oh my." He leaned on the table, choking with laughter. "I can't believe you thought Garmadon was my dad."

Her chicks reddened a little with embarrassment.

"Stop it. What was I supposed to think, I barely knew anything about your relationships."

"There there, I'm stopping, see."

His lips quivered with barely contained giggle. She scoffed but decided to let it slide.

"So, what's the story with Lloyd if that's not the case."

He leaned back, thoughtful.

"Well, he tried to imitate his father a lot when he was younger. The evil part, i mean. When we first met he was trying to scare villagers so they would, and brace yourself for that," He made a melodramatic pause. "give him all their candies." He shook his head. "Can you believe the extent of his dreadful deeds?"

Skylor chuckled.

"You're right, I wasn't expecting that. And what happened next?"

Kai smile faltered.

"Well, next..." He scratched his neck, suddenly uncomfortable. "We, I mean me and the guys, took the all the stuff back and kinda left him on his own there."

She froze. That didn't sound right.

"Yeah, I know, not my best decision there. I guess we just... didn't really think about all the implications of a nine year old with no one to look after him." He fell silent for a second, before resuming. "After that he somehow stumbled upon serpentine tombs." He shot her a look. "Though you probably heard that part already? With your dad and all."

She nodded.

"Okay, cool, uh. So, skipping that. Lloyd got in trouble with the snakes, Wu took him in and told us he's there to stay. We were a little annoyed by that, but we began warming up to him over the time. I think Nya was the first to really befriend him though. They seemed to get along pretty good compared to us."

Skylor watched him get silent, mindlessly stirring his drink with a spoon, and wondered if she should say something. Before she reached any decision he took the floor again.

"To be honest, I considered him a little more than a nuisance." Shame was pouring from his words. "But then I had a moment of, uh, clarity I guess. And I realized that I would give anything just to keep him safe." He let out a puff of air. "And that's the story. He's my brother now, as much as Nya is my sister. I just wish it didn't take me so long to get there."

She didn't say a word at first. It was a lot. She could hardly even image Kai being cold to Lloyd, but on the other hand...

"You know, I'm a little relieved."

He looked at her, confused.

"How do I put it? It maybe a little selfish, but I'm relived that even families like yours have their rough moments. When I first saw you all, it was unbelievable to me how close you were. I don't just mean you and Lloyd, but the whole team. You entered a competition designed to turn people against each other, but you still stood together, no matter the cost." She gazed at the window. "I knew my father and I didn't have the most loving relationship, but seeing you... I guess i was jealous. And ashamed, in a way. I thought I could never achieve a relationship like that, and maybe the fault for that was in me. But getting to know you," She caught glimpse of red in the corner of her eye. "Really getting to know you, and now hearing this story, it gives me hope." She turned to face him head-on. "I had an awful start, but I think there is still a chance for me to have something like that. Thank you."

He fidgeted a while before answering.

"You're an amazing person. I'm glad you're finally noticing it." He beamed at her. "Wait, was that a question if you can be part of our family?"

Skylor grunted some vague non-response. He smiled wider.

With nothing else to do with herself, she sipped her chocolate and winced.

"Aw shit, it got cold already."

Kai let his hand engulf in flames and winked flirtatiously.

"May I?"

"Show-off." She grinned and handed him the mug. They watched in warm silence as the liquid slowly boiled, until the small cloud of steam appeared above it.

"Here you go! Careful – it's still hot, you can burn yourself."

She rolled her eyes and reached for her chocolate. The second it touched her hand, she summoned fire to her palm and gasped in faked fright. "Oh FSM, you were right! It really burns!"

Kai blushed involuntarily.

"Oh, right, that. I forgot."

The air around them got significantly warmer.

What a dork she thought with fondness, gulping down her drink.

She set the mug on a table and looked at Kai.

"So, where were we?" she murmured.

She took his hand and kissed his knuckles. He blushed even harder.

She moved her other hand and caressed his face. The guy sitting a table away swept sweat from his forehead.

She leaned to him, eyes locked, hers playful and determined, his flustered but hopeful. Kai's breath hitched and he shifted, eager to meet her sooner. And then their lips gently touched. Skylor felt her blood rushing through her veins, burning like fire. Her heart jolted with joy when Kai deepened their kiss, as trembling as it was. The heat around them was turning uncomfortable, but she could hardly care at the moment, too focused on feeling him so close to her, touching. I wonder if this is his first kiss too she thought when he awkwardly struggled to move his tongue out of the way while she tried to put hers inside his mouth.

They broke apart when the smell of smoke tickled her nose. Looking down, where the moment ago was an immaculate wooden table top, the black scorch marks in the exact shape of three sweaty palms were adoring the surface. She searched for the missing fourth, still on Kai's face, and felt the laughter bubbe inside her chest.

"Well, we should probably leave the largest tip imaginable for that" she finally choked out.

That made him snap out of his stupor. He looked down too and appropriately snorted.

"Yeah." He fished out his wallet and checked out its contents. And then looked at her with a sheepish smile. "Uh, I think that might be a perfect opportunity to use that kingly funds of yours, I'm afraid."

"Probably." She lowered her voice, only now noticing the stares the other patrons were giving them. "And we should do it quick. Before someone asks for autographs. Or calls the police, whatever comes first."

Kai's eyes sparkled.

"You think they will want autographs? I'm joking, I'm joking" he quickly added when she gave him a disapproving look.

She glanced at the half eaten cookies on the tray, an excellent idea suddenly appearing in her head.

"Do you think they would let us have one more order before kicking us out?"

---

Lloyd sat on the couch, reading a comic, trying to look as innocent as possible when Kai entered the living room.

"Oh, you're back already? How was your date?"

At first the only response he got was a tired look.

I know what you did it said.

Oh? And what are you going to do about it? he responded in turn.

Kai sighed and plopped down next to Lloyd.

"You're lucky Skylor had a good time brat" he grunted, last ditch attempt to sound threatening, "or I would have kicked your ass right here and now."

Lloyd rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, sure you would."

"What, you don't believe me? You think I would be above it? Are you ready to temp fate?" With each question his brother pressed harder on him, until Lloyd was practically laying flat on a couch.

"You're crushing me!" he protested and attempted to shove him off. "I can't breathe!"

"If you have enough strength to wiggle around you have enough strength to breath!" Kai shot back, deeply amused, but pulled away. He then got up, stretched and yawned dramatically.

"I'm going to bed now. Thanks to someone," He threw Lloyd an accusatory glance. "that was a very eventful day. I'm out."

He headed to the door, but stopped halfway.

"Oh, I almost forgot." He pulled out a small package and threw it in Lloyd's general direction. He caught it flawlessly. "Skylor says hi. And that the next time you want to tag along just say it before." He winked and exited the room.

Lloyd glared at the package and tore it open. Inside a dozen of little ginger figures were smiling at him, every head adorned with a pair of horns. They also had tails and, upon closer inspection, little fangs.

Subtle.

[kkangkkangie]

Pretty Girl vs. Pretty Boy

     Somewhere under the decks of the Bounty, Nya, Jay, and Cole were outside the TV room, peering through the window. “I knew they were gonna get together.” Nya stated matter-of-factly. “I told you so. Cough up the 10 bucks, Jay.” She put her hand out expectantly. 

     “It’s so not fair—she told you, didn’t she? You guys have your girl talk.” Jay whined but giving Nya the money. “Rigged.” He added with a side glare. 

     “She told me first actually.” Lloyd walked into the conversation, popping a jellybean into his mouth. “Ha.” He added to their surprised looks. 

     “Of course, her “little greenie,” how could we forget?” Cole put Lloyd in a headlock and gave a noogie. Lloyd extricated himself from the hold before sticking his tongue out like a child. 

     “Like you’re any better, Kirby.” Lloyd retorted with another nickname. Cole crossed his arms.

     “The one time I inhaled the chocolate cake—that’s the nickname I get.” He muttered, casting a mock glare to the person inside of the room, who had created the nickname in the first place. 

     “What’s going on?” Kai walked through the hallway, raising his eyebrows at the crowd in front of the room. “Why’re all out here?”

     Nya motioned for Kai to peer through the window of the Bounty. When he peered in, the sight of Minne and Skylor intertwined with each other greeted him. Both were motionless, only the rise and fall of the chest signified their sleeping state. 

     “Wait—are they dating?” Kai interjects with his eyebrows furrowed. “Wait—huh? I thought Skylor was—”

     “Kai, Kai, Kai.” Nya clucked while shaking her head. “Boys. Always so egotistical.” 

     “Hey!” The other ninjas shouted at that statement. 

     “I mean, I thought she was into you too.” Jay relented. “I mean come on, Kai’s decent looking enough.” There was an offended gasp from Kai at the statement, but Nya shushed him.

     “He’s a pretty boy,” Cole relented with a nod of his head. “But Minne—” He turns to the window.

     “She has the mysterious and the hot factor you don’t have.” Nya adds in. “I mean Minne’s pretty and can beat anyone up.”

     “I’m pretty! I can beat people up too!” Kai retorted, spluttering. “I’m literally a ninja!”

     “No—you just cause property damage. Minne’s like—pretty when she’s beating people up.” Nya interjected. The others nod in assent. “Have you seen her? She beats everyone up with like those dance moves—even Cole says she’s the real thing.”

     “Hey—Minne’s got my father’s seal of approval on the first time. She’s 100% the real thing.” Cole interrupted, cracking a smile at Kai’s face. “Come on, hedgehog. They were into each other during the tournament. Everyone saw that.”

     “I was into her during the tournament.” The door opened with Skylor smirking at the group. “She wasn’t till the end.” Everyone jumped at the sudden newcomer. “Hello, boys. Hey, Nya.” 

     “How much did you hear?” 

     “Enough to know that Nya got 10 dollars.” 

     “So everything.”

     “Yep.”

     “Then, Minne—”

     “Oh, you’re not gonna wanna move after training tomorrow.”

     “FSM.”