#kai smith comfort

[kywaslost]

Sleeping With The Ninja

A/N: I guess it’s about time I finally get something posted… I’ve been in this depressive slump for a while, especially because of the way my friends have been treating me, and for some strange reason Ninjago has been my source of comfort, so here’s this. And I made them platonic, idrk why.

Kai: Person A falling asleep in Person B’s shoulder/chest/lap and Person B really needs to get up to go do something but doesn’t want to wake Person A.

Today’s tasks have taken a toll on you. It was a chore day on the Bounty, but around lunch a call came in requesting help from the ninja. You went with Cole to take care of what you thought would be a simple mission, but it ended up taking 5 hours and leaving the both of you bruised and battered. It was a bank robbery, but on a much larger scale than you thought. There were so many ‘villains’ to catch while also protecting civilians. It was a tough task for only two ninja.

You didn’t get back to the Bounty until after dinner and you were exhausted. You barely had enough energy to shower, and it took you twice as long to complete the task and change into something more comfortable. You still had a few chores to do, but Wu dismissed them for you to complete in the morning. You didn’t have enough energy to do anything other than sleep, but it was only almost 7 at night and too early to go to bed.

Stepping into the gaming room to find a way to kill time, you spot your best friend Kai sitting on the floor, sorting through the various video games and stacking them neatly. You quickly walked over to him, sat down beside him, and laid your head down on his lap.

“Oh, hey Y/N,” he greeted with a smile. “How was it?”

You only shook your head, burying your face into Kai’s knee.

“Not well?”

“I’m exhausted,” you muttered, closing your eyes. “ ‘Ma lay here a minute.

Your words blurred together slightly. Kai didn’t say anything as he finished up sorting and stacking the video games.

It didn’t take long for him to finish, and Kai needed to finish a few other chores before he was allowed to turn in for the night. You were still laying on his lap, so Kai said softly, “I’ve got to get up, Y/N. You should go to bed anyway.” Except he didn’t receive a response. Leaning over to look at your face, Kai asked, “Y/N?” Your eyes were closed as Kai noticed you were sound while resting on his lap.

Kai smiled softly, pulling out his phone. He was totally going to tease you for this later. Taking a picture of your sleeping form, Kai set his phone to the side and looked around the room. He had to finish his chores so Wu wouldn’t get on to him, but he didn’t want to move you. You looked so peaceful and you looked really worn down when you first entered the room. Kai didn’t want to disturb you.

There was a basket of laundry not too far away that needed folding. Kai was pretty sure that was Jay’s chore, but surely he’d swap chores around so as not to disturb you. So Kai pulled the basket closer and began folding laundry, careful not to disturb you. He’d carry you to bed later, or wake you up, but for the moment he was going to let you rest.

Cole: Person A falling asleep during the car ride home and Person B carrying them into the house.

The whole team was sent on a long single-day mission, leaving early in the morning and returning late into the night. You were all piled into one of the many vehicles that could carry you and soft music was playing in the background. Lloyd was driving as Kai sat shotgun, talking quietly to keep both Lloyd and himself awake. Nya was passed out on Jay’s shoulder, and Jay leaned over on Zane. The nindroid stared out the window quietly, joining in on Lloyd and Kai’s discussion every now and then.

You sat beside Cole in the back of the vehicle in a peaceful silence. You were curled up with your feet up on the seat between the two of you, drifting in and out of sleep as you watched a movie with Cole on his phone. As time passed, your feet slid off of the seat and your eyes began to droop. Your head now rested against Cole’s shoulder. Sometime later, your eyes closed for good as you slept soundly against your friend.

By the time you’d reached the monastery, you were passed out still, except you had moved to lean against your window.

“We’re here,” Lloyd called softly to those who were still awake or somewhat aware of their surroundings. Nya had just woken up, and Jay was in the process of waking up. As people started getting out of the car, Cole noticed that you were still knocked out beside him.

He contemplated waking you up, but you were hit pretty hard during the mission and he wanted you to rest as much as you could. So, in response, Cole slowly slid one arm under your knees and one behind your back. He pulled you close to his chest and slid out of the vehicle, kicking the door shut behind him.

“Aw, look at Cole being a gentleman,” Jay laughed slightly.

The earth ninja glared at Jay. “I don’t want to wake them.”

Following the others into the monastery, Cole carried you up the stairs and to your bedroom. He pulled back your blanket, gently laid you down, and tucked you in. You began to move in your sleep, and Cole froze. He was afraid he had woken you up, but watched as you rolled onto your side and buried your face into your blanket.

Cole smiled softly, then leaned down to press a gentle kiss to your forehead. He pushed the hair out of your face before leaving you be for the rest of the night.

Jay: Person A and Person B sleeping in the same bed and Person A keeps waking up cold because person B has pulled all the blankets off of them.

Having a movie night with Jay leads to you falling asleep in the same bed as him, his laptop sitting in between the two of you. You lay closest to the wall, back to Jay as you bury yourself in Jay’s blanket. You hadn’t been asleep for long, but you fell asleep before Jay. You’d say your sleep was quite peaceful, or it was until you were exposed to the chilly air abruptly. Opening your eyes, you realized that you no longer had a blanket.

Rolling over, you saw Jay with the blanket you were previously sharing. He was still asleep and didn’t seem to be aware of his actions. You grunted slightly as you pulled the blanket back towards you, enough to cover yourself as you rolled back over and closed your eyes.

It didn’t take long for you to be awoken again by Jay yanking the blankets off of you. It happened several times within the next 15 minutes, and you finally had had enough. Crawling out of Jay’s bed, you stomped over to his closet, pulled out his spare blanket, and made yourself comfortable back on your side of his bed. You closed his computer, tucked it away at the foot of the bed, and layed back down and finally fell asleep for the rest of the night.

When you were awoken by Jay in the morning, he had asked why you had a different blanket. “Where did you even find that?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

You glared at him playfully from where you still lay. “In the closet. You kept taking the blanket we were sharing. I finally had enough so I took your spare.” You lightly kicked him off of the bed. “I’m not sharing a blanket with you anymore.” Your words only made Jay smile with a small laugh, and you couldn’t help but laugh with him.

Zane: Person A can’t sleep so Person B sings them a lullaby.

You weren’t sure what time it was. You remembered leaving your room around 1:45 a.m. but you had been out on the deck of the bounty for a while. You had tried for hours to fall asleep, but you finally called it quits and headed outside to get some fresh air. You hated how you were feeling at the moment. Your body was so exhausted you couldn’t stand, so you resorted to leaning against the railing on the edge of the ship. Yet you couldn’t seem to rest in the slightest.

You were scared out of your mind when a cool hand was placed on your shoulder. Shooting upright and wiping your head around, your fearful gaze met Zane’s blue eyes. The nindroid was kneeling behind you, looking at you worriedly. “Are you alright, Y/N?”

You blinked slowly, then turned your head to look over the edge of the railing. Shrugging, you muttered, “Can’t sleep.”

Zane’s brows furrowed. “You don’t look well. Maybe you should come inside.”

You shook your head. “I like it out here.”

With a sigh, Zane moved to sit beside you, pulling you to lean onto his shoulder. “Then I will stay here with you.”

You hummed contently, nuzzling your cheek into his shoulder. The two of you sat in silence for a moment, enjoying each other’s company. You still couldn’t seem to fall asleep, but you were much more relaxed. “Hey Zane?”

“Yes?”

You hesitated for a moment. “Do- do you think you could do something for me?”

Zane’s voice was gentle as he responded with, “Of course.”

“Could you hum something?” You hoped you weren’t asking too much from your friend, but his voice was so soothing. There would be times when Zane would be driving the team home from a mission, and he’d hum quietly to himself when he thought everyone else was asleep. And if you were sneaky you could catch him humming to himself while making dinner. There was just something about his voice that calmed you.

“I suppose I could.” Zane wrapped an arm around you so you could get more comfortable before he began to hum quietly. You could hear his voice vibrating lowly through his chest, and you closed your eyes to enjoy the peacefulness of it all. For the first time that night, you felt like you could finally close your eyes and get some rest.

After a few minutes, Zane looked down to check on you. You hadn’t said anything in a while, and your breathing had changed. The nindroid smiled softly when he saw you asleep on his shoulder. He thought you looked exhausted when he first found you, enough to make you sick. He was just glad you were finally resting. Zane wanted to carry you back to your room, but he was afraid of waking you, and it was a nice night. He did adjust you, however, so you were more comfortable. Starting to hum again, Zane watched over you for the rest of the night.

Lloyd: Person A can tell that Person B is having a nightmare because they’re making weird noises/motions in their sleep so Person A wakes them up and asks if they’re ok.

Lloyd wasn’t known to be one of the deeper sleepers on the team. In fact, he was probably one of the lightest sleepers out there. It didn’t help that some of his roommates were loud sleepers. Jay talked in his sleep, and Cole snored excessively loud. It drove Lloyd insane on nights when he was exhausted but would be awoken several times due to his brothers, but he touched through it most of the time.

You never really made noise while you slept, and that’s what allowed Lloyd to get a full night’s rest. The two of you were best friends, and the two of you often spent nights together in one of your rooms. Especially during the day, when Lloyd wants to take a nap, he’d settle down in your room for a few hours while you either napped with him, or worked on something quietly.

Afternoon training had finally ended and everyone was either in the process of showering and settling down or getting ready for dinner. It didn’t take long for you to shower, change, and curl up under your blanket while you waited for dinner, and it didn’t take much longer for Lloyd to come knocking on your door.

“Hey Y/N,” the ninja greeted with a gentle smile as he leaned against your doorframe. “Mind if I come in?”

You looked up from your phone and scooted over on your bed, patting the spot next to you. “Not at all!”

Lloyd flopped down beside you with a groan. “Man, am I beat. HIs blonde hair fanned over your pillow, and Lloyd tilted his head up to look at you, still smiling. “Whatcha watching?” He scooted further up the bed, moving to rest his head right above your shoulder to look at your phone. His hair tickled your face slightly, and you could smell his shampoo from the shower he must have just taken.

“Just social media, nothing much,” you answered, turning your phone off and setting it beside you. You adjusted yourself to rest on Lloyd’s shoulder, burying your face on the side of his clothed chest. In response, the green ninja wrapped an arm around you. “I could go for a nap right about now.”

Lloyd’s fell to rest on top of your own. With a contented sigh, he said, “Me too.” The two of you fell into a soft silence as Lloyd pulled your blanket over himself and began to doze off.

It didn’t take long for Lloyd to be woken up by you. He woke up quicker than usual, because you almost never made noise in your sleep, especially soft whimpers and whines. Opening his eyes, Lloyd immediately scans the room for any threats. There seemed to be nothing harmful that he could see. The two of you were the only ones in your room, and you were still asleep beside him. That’s when Lloyd noticed how distressed you were. Your back was to the ninja, but he could still see how quickly you were breathing. Your shoulders shook, and you kept moving slightly.

Lloyd was no stranger to nightmares, and he knew how much it could mean to someone to be awoken and comforted by a close friend. So Lloyd gently wraps his arms around you and turns you around to place your head on his chest again. He keeps one hand around your waist and moves his other to run through your hair. “You’re alright,” he said softly, pressing a soft kiss to the top of your head. “Wake up Y/N, you’re alright. I’ve got you.” It took a lot of gentle caresses and soft words for Lloyd to wake you up, but eventually your eyes opened and you were pulled away from your nightmare.

You weren’t sure where you were at first, but it didn’t take long for you to recognize your best friend beside you, covered by your favorite blanket and watching you with watery eyes. “Are you alright?” Lloyd asked as he placed a hand on your shoulder. “You had a nightmare.”

You took a deep breath, releasing it shakily. You shrugged your shoulders, slowly curling in on yourself against Lloyd. “I think so?”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“I don’t remember it.” Part of you was grateful you couldn’t remember the dream, but you felt terrible for waking your friend. “I’m sorry for waking you up. I know that’s why you sleep in here, cause I never --”

“Hey, don’t be sorry,” the green ninja cut you off, hugging you tighter against him. “I’d wake up a thousand times every night if that meant you’d rest peacefully.” He smiled at the thought. “I really don't mind. And, besides, I think dinner is almost ready. We’d be waking up soon anyway.” He was silent for a moment. “You sure you’re ok?”

“Yeah, I’m alright.” You smiled softly, and added, “Thank you Lloyd.”

“Anytime.”

[kaishandonmyass]

KAI COME BACK🙁 KAI COME BACK😞 KAI COME BACK😿

[kindaasrikal]

Do you think Cole used to help Nya with feeling comfortable in her own skin again and feeling flesh and bones, as well as acting alive again, whilst also helping her keep her form and be more conscious and sure of it after merging with the sea, simply because he gets it?

Ghost Cole you will not be forgotten.

[somelegobird]

Seeing this made me realise how we rarely get to see the ninja just,,, hanging out and being friends. I wonder if that's because it's not considered relevant or important enough to show, or if it's because they genuinely don't.

Maybe they're so overworked and tired from fighting a war they were born into that they almost never sit down with cups of tea and joke about anything and everything. Maybe they're too busy preparing for the next battle to notice how they're spending less and less quality time together. Maybe they forgot how to rest.

[spork-supremacy]

I really wish we got more onscreen time with just Borg and Pixal, because their dynamic is just so sweet and funny to me.

it basically boils down to she’s daddy’s little girl and can get everything she wants and knows it. As well of course that they definitely are the type to spend their weekends hanging out and inventing while catching up on how they’ve been after the previous catastrophe of the week.

Who do you think is supplying her with the materials and equipment she needs to build vehicles for everyone or defences for the monastery?

Think about crystallised and the way she just asked him to help with their illegal operation to steal a highly protected weapon right after Kai said that it would be basically impossible to just call him. Literally one “Mr. Borg we need your assistance” from her and it was a done deal. Like the moment I heard it I immediately just translated it into “Dad, pretty please can we do this very illegal thing with your help.”

I’m gonna say it, the man probably spoils her every moment he can, probably always giving her the latest prototype of whatever he has invented, and dedicates a portion of his earnings into a “Pixal fund”, which is specifically dedicated to helping the ninja with whatever they need because she asked.

No, Pixal does not know it exists she just assumes that it’s a company expense. ( the expense probably listed as “stuff bought so villain of the week won’t destroy our HQ, and all of Ninjago, your welcome”)

Also you know the ninja are taking advantage her connections so hard.

Jay and Nya would beg her to get their hands on any prototype she has received so they can take it apart and study it (would you have me believe that that wouldn’t be an immediate date night?) granted Jay would probably do this more than Nya and would instead just be presenting to her what Pixal gave him and then suggest they take it apart.

Kai would pester her for the latest Borg phone or Borg watch because he needs to be up to date or will die (despite his distaste for new tech in season three he definitely grew a phone addiction and later fell down a hole he can’t dig himself out of)

Cole would ask about any new games in development to be the first to sign up for game testing (that is if Jay didn’t already do it first)

Lloyd probably actually respects the boundaries that would come with having a friend who has a tech genius and rich dad and wouldn’t bother her about it. At most he’d ask for a new car or bike because he crashed the last one. (Thriving with the Lloyd is a barely passable driver and anything he does is up to luck headcanon, there is also a betting pool for how long it takes for him to crash the next thing. Kai is a scary accurate winner)

and Zane…gonna be honest he’s probably just setting up family lunches between himself, Borg and Pixal. You can’t tell me the minute Pixal expressed feelings for Zane that Borg didn’t try his best to make him part of the family.

tangent aside I wish we had more scenes with the two interacting because the show being what it is there is very rare chance to depict a father daughter relationship. I also think Pixal getting whatever she wants without question is funny. I mean it’s not like she abuses that power or anything.

I think.

[bo0neey]

Warm Bodies

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

Pairing: Kai x reader

Fandom: Ninjago

Synopsis: Imagine Kai helping a F!reader with period pains

Type: Imagine bp

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

--- First time:

-Imagine getting an .burst of cramps one night

-So you get up to fill a hot water bottle

-Kai half notices but is too tired to bother with questions

-So he waits and snuggles with you once you're back

-It boggles his mind that you'd need a hot water bottle when you've got him.

-Is Intrigued and in passing questions it in the morning

-You explain your cramps and how a waterbottle makes you feel comfortable

-He already knew the basics of periods (since he looked after Nya when they were younger)

-He tries his best to help through the day by buying you *loads* of chocolate

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

-The following night you still have some cramps

-Kai gets concerned and instinctively squeezes you lol. Like lots of snuggles and kisses on the shoulder too

-You quickly notice how warm his hands are and ease into his hold

-If he tries to move you just hold his hands in place and tell him to quit it

-He has become your personal hot water bottle

-And what's better: he doesn't cool down!

-He understands and happily provides as much support as he can!

-If anything he's well smug that he's able to make you feel better by just holding you.

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

Going forwards:

-As soon as your period starts best believe he's cuddling you as close as possible

-His hands are just the perfect size and temperature <333

-He's learned the perfect positions for his hands to ease your pain

-He knows how much it helps you sleep and in all honesty holding you so close helps him too

-Don't feel embarrassed to ask ever. He feels no shame so why would you

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

I just picture him being a really thoughtful partner who loves physical touch and helping out however he can <3 (Mans just wants to feel useful) ((let's not think about how difficult it would be to sleep in the summer haha))

Also thank you so much for reading! Have a lovely evening/day/weekend xxx

[senseigrace]

Take These Broken Wings and Learn to Fly (Part One)

Lloyd knew that he was a hybrid. He was an Oni, a Dragon, and a human. However, he wasn't ready for all of the changes that came with being a hybrid, both emotionally and physically.

But he would figure it out. He's the Green Ninja.

(Or Lloyd suddenly getting a whole bunch of Oni/Dragon features, and he has to come to terms with it.)

Kai couldn’t help but notice Lloyd’s absence at the breakfast table. 

Maybe missions before breakfast were becoming normal for the youngest member of the team, but that didn’t make them a good idea. Or something that they should be getting used to. 

“Hey, Pixal? Did Lloyd go out on a mission this morning?” he asked as he carried his bowl to the sink. It was Nya’s day to do the dishes. 

Pixal looked up at him, then shook her head. “I am not aware of any disturbances in Ninjago that would require his attention this morning,” she told him. “Perhaps he is still asleep?” 

Kai nodded, but something in the back of his head disagreed with Pixal’s words. It wasn’t like Lloyd to sleep in, and it definitely wasn’t like him to skip breakfast if there wasn’t some sort of mission. 

“I’ll go check,” he said as he tried to keep the worry out of his head. 

He knew he was overprotective of the youngest member of the team, it was something that had come with realizing what his full potential was. His job was to protect Lloyd, everything else came second. 

He made his way through the monastery, then knocked on the door to Lloyd’s room.

He couldn’t hear anything from inside of the room, but that didn’t really mean anything. With the exception of an occasional nightmare, Lloyd was extremely quiet. 

Kai opened the door, and peered in. As soon as he did though, he frowned at what he saw. 

The room was a mess, which was unusual for Lloyd. The sheets were torn off of the bed, a teacup had been shattered, and in the middle of the room… 

“Lloyd?” Kai asked as he walked in. “Lloyd, what’s wrong?” 

Lloyd sat in the middle of the room, his legs pulled up to his chest and the sheets from his bed wrapped around him. He looked like he hadn’t slept in a year… 

Instead of looking up at Kai, Lloyd looked away. 

“Go away,” he whispered. 

A part of Kai wanted to be hurt, but instead, his body was filled with worry instead. Lloyd didn’t act like that. He never pushed Kai away unless something was seriously wrong. 

He didn’t take Lloyd’s advice. Instead, he walked over to his little brother and sat down on the floor beside him. 

“Hey, what’s going on?” He tried to make his voice as gentle as possible, so he didn’t make Lloyd shut down anymore than he already had. 

“I said go away!” Lloyd shouted as he looked up at Kai. 

Kai gasped when he saw his little brother’s face. There was blood on his lips, cuts on his cheeks, and his eyes… 

His eyes were glowing purple. 

Before Kai had a chance to say anything, Lloyd made a noise of distress. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” he repeated over and over again as he reached out to stop Kai from leaving. 

Lloyd’s hand didn’t look normal. Where once there had been gentle fingertips, there were now claws as sharp as swords. Claws that could tear through flesh without a second thought. 

Kai reached out to wrap his arms around Lloyd, the way he always did when his little brother was having a bad day, but Lloyd recoiled. 

“I-I… I don’t wanna hurt you,” Lloyd said as he curled himself into an even smaller ball. 

Kai didn’t know what to do. This had never happened to Lloyd before, he didn’t even know that it was possible. Sure, the kid was some sort of hybrid, but… 

He scooted a little closer to Lloyd, as close as he could be without intruding in his personal bubble. He wanted his little brother to know that he was close by, even if he couldn’t touch him. 

Besides, it wasn’t the first time Lloyd had gone through a phase where he didn’t want to be touched. It had happened right after the Tomorrow’s Tea incident, when his body ached from the sudden changes that had taken place over seconds instead of years. And again after the Overlord had drained all of the power from his body, the only person who had been able to touch him after that was Garmadon. 

So Kai sat as close as he could, a reminder to Lloyd that he was there and that he wasn’t alone. 

Finally though, Kai knew he had to break the silence that was forming between the two of them. “Do you want me to go get your uncle?” 

He wasn’t sure how much Sensei Wu could actually do, but he definitely knew more about this dragon and oni thing than he did. 

Lloyd shook his head, but didn’t say anything. Kai didn’t know if he was scared to talk, or if he just didn’t want to. 

Resisting the urge to reach out and hold his little brother the way he was so used to doing, Kai looked down at the ground and began to count the lines in the polished wood. “Do you wanna talk about it?” 

A soft gaspy sound came out of Lloyd’s mouth. “It started last night,” he whispered. “Eyes first, then the horns, claws, and teeth… My back hurts so bad, I can’t stop my fangs from cutting open my lip, the claws keep scratching me… Kai, I don’t know what to do. I just want m-my dad… I need him.” 

A shuddering sob wracked Lloyd’s body, and Kai watched as his little brother broke down. 

His mind was running a million miles an hour, but it was blank at the same time. He had no idea what he could do to help, but he knew he had to do something to calm Lloyd down. 

Kai resisted the urge to reach out and pull him into his arms again. Lloyd didn’t want to be touched right now, or at least not yet. Doing so would probably only make everything worse. 

But then a thought popped into his head. There was nothing he could do to bring back a Garmadon that loved his son and was there to help at the drop of a hat, but the memories still existed. And even though Garmadon had never told Lloyd anything about his hybrid nature and how it affected his body, he had taught Lloyd a lot about his powers. 

And he had taught him about how to control fear. 

Kai swallowed. There were three ways this could go. 

The first was that his suggestion would work and help Lloyd get through whatever was going on. 

The second was that it would make Lloyd cry even harder, which Kai didn’t really want. 

The third was that it would make Lloyd angry, and Kai had to admit that he didn’t really want to be on the receiving end of those sharp claws. 

“Lloyd?” he began, his voice as gentle as it could possibly be. “Do you remember the breathing exercises that your dad taught you for when you were scared?” 

Lloyd looked up at him, tears still pouring out of his glowing purple eyes. He hesitated for a second, then nodded slowly. “Uh huh.” 

“Do you want me to help you do them?” Kai asked. They were the same ones that Sensei Wu had taught him after they had saved Nya from the skeletons, and he had been having nightmares and panic attacks. 

Lloyd nodded again, then reached out his shaky clawed hand and placed it on Kai’s leg. His hand trembled even as it rested against Kai’s leg, an obvious sign of the anxiety the younger ninja was filled with. 

“You ready?” 

“Yeah.” 

Kai nodded. “Okay. Breathe in, two, three, four…” he said slowly as he prompted his little brother to follow the exercise. “Hold, two, three, four…” 

The exercise was simple. An even amount of inhaling, holding, exhaling, and resting. It was easy for Kai to remember when he needed it most, and was easier to do than some of the longer ones. 

It took a few minutes of doing the exercise before Lloyd’s hand stopped shaking. It took longer for the last of the tears to stop falling. 

But it didn’t matter how long it took to Kai. He would do this for days on end if it helped his brother feel better. 

The claws disappeared at some point. Kai wasn’t really sure when, but all that was left was what looked like long, sharp fingernails. They didn’t resemble the claws that had been there earlier at all. 

When Kai finally felt comfortable with saying something that wasn’t guiding Lloyd’s breathing exercises, he found himself only able to ask one question. 

“When did you last eat, Lloyd?” he asked. 

Lloyd opened his eyes and looked over at him. They still glowed purple. It was a color that looked so familiar on villains like Garmadon, but not on his son… The color barely registered as anything other than evil in Kai’s mind, though he knew his little brother was the furthest thing from that. 

“Last night,” he responded, though Kai noticed it took him a minute to remember when. “After I got home from my mission.” 

That settled that. The kid needed food. 

Kai stood up, then held out his hand to Lloyd. “Let’s go get you some food,” he said. 

Lloyd stared at him, his eyes still glossy with tears even though he had finished crying. Kai couldn’t help but notice the hesitation in his eyes. 

“They’ll see me…” 

Kai felt a surge of protectiveness rush through him. On top of the pain, Lloyd was embarrassed to be a hybrid. Kai had watched him push those parts of him away, but he hadn’t realized the harm it must have been doing. 

But their team wouldn’t bully him, not for this anyway. 

“Lloyd, they aren’t going to make a big deal out of it. They aren’t going to freak out, and they aren’t going to make fun of you,” he said. “Cole was a ghost, Jay was a snake, Zane’s a robot, and Nya was the sea… We’ve all had our moments.” 

Lloyd seemed to contemplate that for a second, and then reached out and grabbed Kai’s hand. 

Kai gently pulled Lloyd up, the blankets that had been wrapped around Lloyd falling down to the ground. 

As they fell, they revealed one last thing.

It was all Kai could do not to gasp. 

Lloyd had wings. 

Wings with golden and emerald scales that glittered in the sunlight that was peaking through the window, wings that would maybe allow Lloyd to fly one day, wings that were so cool it made sense that only the grandson of the First Spinjitzu Master could have them.

And Kai had to admit, he was insanely jealous of them.

Lloyd caught his gaze, then looked over his shoulder. After a second, he looked back at Kai. 

There was a smile on his face, a mischievous smirk. A sharp fang that hadn’t there before was just barely visible. “Jealous?” 

Kai let out a soft chuckle. “Honestly?” he said. “Yeah, really jealous.” 

“Not really a fan of everything else, but I gotta admit… I like the wings,” Lloyd admitted. “Although, my back does hurt a lot cause of them…” 

Kai winced. He remembered Lloyd saying that his back hurt earlier, but he never would have guessed that it was because of the wings. 

“Maybe it’s because they’re just coming in?” he suggested. “I mean, I know you aren’t human, but you’re growing wings.” 

A pained look flashed on Lloyd’s face for just a second, and Kai realized what he had done wrong. 

“Lloyd, I didn’t mean…” he started. He hadn’t even thought about the words he had been using. Sure, Lloyd was a hybrid, but it wasn’t just Dragon and Oni, he was human too.  

Lloyd cut him off with a shrug, and gave Kai a tight-lipped smile. “It’s okay,” he said. “It probably is just cause they’re coming in.” 

Kai swallowed. A part of him felt like he needed to apologize, but he also knew that it would make it worse. The best thing he could do was drop it. Lloyd was already struggling with it today, and he always did better if they didn’t focus on it. 

So he mustered up a smile and hoped that Lloyd wouldn’t internalize the accidental words used. “Let’s get you some food.” 

Kai wasn’t sure if Lloyd was off balance because of the wings or if he just needed something to ground him, but Lloyd held tightly to Kai’s hand for the entire walk to the kitchen. 

They didn’t say anything though, the only sound was their footsteps against the wooden floors. 

When they reached the kitchen, Kai could hear the sounds of Nya doing the dishes. He wasn’t worried about how she would react to Lloyd’s current state, she was always great at using the right words and making the kid comfortable. 

“Hey, Nya,” he greeted as he and Lloyd walked in. 

“Hey,” she said back, but she didn’t turn towards them. Instead she just kept washing the dishes. “How’s Lloyd?” 

“I’m okay,” Lloyd told her as he sat down. “Definitely been worse in the past.” 

Nya turned towards him, and for a second, Kai could see the shock in her eyes. She masked it pretty quickly with a grin. 

“Bet Kai is pretty jealous of those wings,” she said, her voice playful as she walked away from the sink. 

Lloyd’s wings opened up a bit as a slight blush covered his cheeks. Kai wondered if the movement was something that Lloyd had done on his own to show them off more, or if it was automatic. 

“Just a little bit,” Lloyd told her. 

Nya sat down at the table. “They wouldn’t look good on him though,” she said, and Kai allowed himself to not fight their playful banter this time around. “Green isn’t his color at all.”

Nya looked over at Kai and gave him the most subtle nod she possibly could. They two of them had tag teamed Lloyd enough over the years to be able to say things to each other through nods and shakes. 

Nya had Lloyd. Kai could focus on getting him food or anything else he needed. 

So he let them keep teasing him as he walked over to the kitchen cabinets and began trying to find something to make the kid. 

Kai grabbed a bowl and a packet of instant oatmeal. Lloyd tended to crave warm things when he was upset. Blankets to wrap around himself, someone warm to cuddle, warm things to eat… 

It had always been adorable, but now Kai was wondering if it was the dragon inside of him. The dragons that the ninja had owned had all been different, but Kai would never forget the way Flame had always wanted warmth. 

He missed that dragon… 

Kai looked back over at Lloyd. He still looked sad and paler than normal, but in the few moments Kai had been focused on something else, Nya had cleaned up his bloody lip and the scratches on his cheeks. 

The purple glowing eyes were gone now too, his bright green eyes replacing them with a glow that was almost as bright. 

Kai poured the boiling water over the oats and stirred. 

Their conversation had moved onto something different. Something about dragon wings and fight moves. Definitely something that Lloyd would be interested in, though it worried Kai. 

Lloyd’s hybrid nature would put him at risk now that the physical traits were showing up. A pair of tiny horns covered by his blond hair would rarely be noticed, but wings? 

Kai swallowed at the thought. He was Lloyd’s sworn protector, and he would give his life to keep him safe… But the risk was so much higher than before, and he had failed Lloyd before. 

There had always been a target on Lloyd’s back, but would people actively seek out the blood of a Dragon, Oni, and Human hybrid? Especially when some part of that blood was also related to the First Spinjitzu Master?

He tried to push it away. He would leave it in the back of his mind until he was with the rest of his team. Then he could talk to the others and get their opinions on it. 

Would they have to force Lloyd to hide what he was? That didn’t seem fair… 

He knew that Lloyd would take it like a champ. He would smile his golden smile and mask the pain as he was forced to hide away parts of himself that should be free. Parts that none of the other ninja would have been forced to hide away. 

Just the thought of forcing his little brother into that position made Kai feel sick. 

Then Kai remembered what he was supposed to be doing. He was supposed to be taking care of Lloyd. He was supposed to be getting the kid food. 

He carried the bowl of hot oatmeal over to Lloyd and placed it in front of him. Then Kai handed him a spoon. 

“Eat.” 

Lloyd nodded, then began to eat. 

“Have you told Sensei Wu yet?” Nya asked. Of course, Kai knew that the answer was no. He had been the one to find Lloyd like this, and Lloyd hadn’t wanted to get his uncle involved. At least, not at that point. 

“Told me what?” 

All three of them jumped as they turned towards their master. 

“Uncle!” Lloyd exclaimed, and Kai could hear the nervousness in his voice. 

Sensei Wu looked over at Lloyd, and like always, his expression was unreadable. Kai couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or not. 

“I see your Dragon and Oni heritage has caught up with you,” he said. 

Lloyd nodded. “It happened last night,” he whispered. “Kai calmed me down this morning.” 

Sensei Wu hummed for a moment. “Did you get any sleep?” His voice was gentle, and Kai had no idea why he had expected anything else from his master. 

While he had pushed Lloyd to perfection and beyond, he had always been a good uncle. And besides, if Lloyd had Dragon and Oni heritage, Sensei Wu would have had it too.

Lloyd shook his head. “No, Sensei,” he said. 

Sensei Wu nodded. “I see,” he said, then turned to Kai. “Once he is done eating, help him to bed.” 

Kai knew what his sensei was asking of him. He was asking for more than just putting Lloyd to bed and leaving him. He was asking for him to help Lloyd be as comfortable as possible, then stay with him as he slept in case anything else happened. 

Kai hadn’t just tag teamed Lloyd with Nya before. He’d tag teamed him with Sensei Wu too. 

“Yes, Sensei,” he said. 

Sensei Wu turned back to Lloyd. “Get some sleep,” he said. “Then I would like to speak with you.” 

Lloyd nodded, but he didn’t say anything. To which Kai couldn’t decide if he thought that was a good thing or a bad thing. 

Sometimes Lloyd was just quiet, but normally he would respond to his uncle… 

Sensei Wu left the room after that, and it wasn’t long before Lloyd finished his food. 

“Get some rest,” Nya told Lloyd gently as she reached across the table and squeezed his hand. “Use this as an excuse to get a good nap and take some time off of training. You need it, kid.” 

Lloyd nodded, and Kai could tell how exhausted he was just by how slow the movement was. “Okay,” he whispered. 

Kai stood up, then turned to his little brother. “Let’s get you to bed,” he said as he held out his hand. 

Once again, Lloyd took Kai’s hand and allowed himself to be led across the monastery and into his bedroom. 

Kai quickly made Lloyd’s bed, then looked over at the sleepy green ninja. “C’mon,” he said. “Bedtime.” 

Lloyd nodded, then climbed into the bed and rolled onto his side. He didn’t say a word as he closed his eyes. 

Kai walked over to the chair at Lloyd’s desk and sat down in it. If Lloyd needed anything, he would be right here. It was all he could do for the kid. He couldn’t change DNA, he couldn’t change the fact that people would hunt him down for another reason now. 

All he could do was be an anchor. All he could do was be what Lloyd needed. 

It was quiet for a long time, and Kai was completely convinced that Lloyd had fallen asleep, but then he heard his name. 

“Kai?” 

Kai looked up and towards Lloyd. “You okay?” he asked. 

Lloyd didn’t move from where he was still laying on his side. “Do you think Uncle Wu is mad at me?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper as he spoke. 

“Why would you think that?” Kai asked. Sensei Wu had seemed pretty normal to him, but maybe he had missed some underlying tension earlier. 

Lloyd let out a shuddering breath. “He said he wanted to talk to me alone, and all of this wasn’t really convenient, and now I’m supposed to be sleeping instead of training, and…” Lloyd suddenly stopped. 

Kai stood up and walked over to Lloyd’s bed. He sat down on the edge of it and placed his hand gently on his little brother’s arm. “What?” 

“What if he hates me?” Lloyd’s voice was barely above a whisper. “I-I’m an Oni now… I look like one, what if I… What if I can’t control myself? What if I become like Garmadon?” 

Kai swallowed, then squeezed Lloyd’s arm. “He cares about you, Lloyd. He wants you to rest because you didn’t get any sleep,” he tried to reassure him. “He’s not gonna hate you just because you have horns and sharp teeth. You’re his nephew.” 

Lloyd let out a sound that was a mix between a whimper and a sob. “I just wanna be normal again…” 

“I know,” Kai whispered. “I know you do.” 

Kai didn’t remind him that he had never been normal. He was the grandson of a god, the child of an Oni, an Elemental Master, and the Ultimate Spinjitzu Master. His childhood had been ripped away from him, he was destiny’s favorite child… 

The last thing that could be used to describe Lloyd was normal. 

But still Kai sat by him, trying his best to soothe his little brother. He stayed quiet as Lloyd cried out tears that had been held in for too long, rubbed his arm and shoulder to remind Lloyd that he wasn’t alone… 

And when Lloyd’s eyelids finally closed, and his breathing evened out, Kai breathed a sigh of relief. 

“It’s all gonna be okay,” he whispered to his sleeping brother. “I promise. Dragon and Oni or no Dragon and Oni, you’re still our Lloyd.”

[calibrationneeded]

Old but I still wanna post, just some brother shenanigans

[lucin-kun]

It wasn’t leaving my mind any time soon

[kozukatt]

Ninjago x Reader headcanons (Bad Day)

✫Zane✫

✫ Whenever you feel down he would make your favorite food 

✫ If you don’t want to eat then he would save said food until you do

✫ His love language is acts of service so he would clean your room for you, make your favorite food, etc. just to see you smile

✫ Zane believes that the way to the heart is through words so he would constantly give you affirmations

✫ If it’s just one of those days where you can’t get out of bed, that’s fine! He would sit with you and bring you anything you need

✫ Zane is a very respectful guy. If you don’t want to be touched? He won’t. If you want quiet? He’ll be quiet. If you need to be alone? He’ll leave you alone, but will check up on you every hour or so

✫ A lot of times, when he’s on missions, he’ll bring you back a small trinket. Maybe it’s a pretty rock or a picture he found that reminded him of you

✫ As soon as he gets back from being out with the ninja, he goes to check on you. It doesn’t matter how long he’s been gone, you will always be his first priority 

Cole

 Tries to make you laugh all the time but if you don’t, he will gladly sit in silence with you

 An absolute teddy bear when it comes to cuddling. He loves physical affection and will always offer to hold you

 If you don’t like physical touch that’s alright! He will give you space and words of encouragement 

 Whenever you’re feeling down he would try to make you a cake, and inevitably come to ask you for help

 If you have body issues (dysmorphia, eating disorder, etc.) he’s in the same boat as you so he will do anything in his power to make you feel better

 Even if he is a people person, Cole appreciates the quiet things that come with a bad day. Of course he doesn’t want you to have one but is okay and will help you

 If Jay tries to ruin a moment in between you, Cole will glare at him until he leaves before going back and making sure you’re okay 

☯︎︎Jay☯︎︎

☯︎︎ Like Cole,he tries to make you laugh no matter what

☯︎︎ But if you tell him to stop he will always do so

☯︎︎ Won’t ever try to push your limits. If you say that you can’t, he won’t push you

☯︎︎ Even if he is a loud person he’s capable of being quiet when you need it

☯︎︎ Freaks out whenever you have a bad day but quickly gets over it to help you

☯︎︎ A sensitive guy. If you start crying then he’ll start crying

☯︎︎ He’ll offer to play him games with you if you feel up to it and will go easy on you to let you win

☯︎︎ If you want quiet then he’ll be quiet, maybe tinker with some invention he’s working on as quiet as he can

☯︎︎ Boy can’t sit still so he’s constantly moving, which leads him to drag you out of bed and dance when a good song comes on

☯︎︎ If you ever want to play with his hair he will gladly let you

☯︎︎ A very physical person but will respect your boundaries

☼Kai☼

☼ If you don’t want him to bother you he will leave you alone no questions asked

☼ If you just lay on him he won’t object he’ll just let you and rest his arm on your body

☼ He’ll do stupid tricks to try and make you laugh

☼ Will baby you automatically from being big bro Kai for most of his life

☼ Gives death glares to anyone who interrupts your conversation or cuddles

☼ Values quality time over anything else

☼ So. Many. Head. Kisses. 

☼ If you let him he would spike your hair up like his

☼ He’s a hair stylist so he will fix your hair if you impulse cut it but before he’d make sure you’re safe

☼ Sends you memes when he’s out on missions 

𖦹Lloyd𖦹

𖦹 Hes not good at understanding emotions so whenever you’re having a bad day he’ll be confused but understand once you explain

𖦹 Let’s you read his comics when he’s on missions (bro values those things above everything so it’s an honor)

𖦹 Just a kid in an older body so he doesn’t know how to deal with a lot of things but will try his hardest

𖦹 Music is his coping skill so he tries to let you have that too

𖦹 Tries to make you stuff but ends up with glue and paint everywhere

𖦹 The most wholesome guy he will do anything to help you even if it’s just getting you water and food

𖦹 If you want to try on his gi he’ll let you and even let you do a little fashion show for him

𖦹 Buys you thing. Whatever it is you want he gets. No questions asked

༆Nya༆

༆ The aggressive girlfriend we all need but will be soft when it’s needed

༆ Doesn’t take bullshit so you are drinking water and eating food

༆ Brushes your hair for you in bed if you can’t get up 

༆ So many cuddles and affirmations on how good you’re doing and how proud she is of you

༆ If you need to cry? She’s there. You need to scream? She’s there. Whatever you need to do she’ll be there

༆ A massage goddess (if you’re okay with it)

༆ If you start going down that rabbit hole she stops you and aggressively tells you how much you mean to her and may tear up doing so

༆ Can’t stand seeing you like this so she tries to do whatever she can to cheer you up

༆ Won’t let you rot away in your room she will make you come outside if you’ve stayed in bed for more than a day

[ninjas-and-coffee]

went through my dead sketches folder,

[kywaslost]

So i saw that you were looking for Ninjago comfort ideas/requests so...

Could I request Kai, Lloyd and whatever other ninjas or characters you wanna choose comforting teen GN!reader. Like the reader lost their dad to diabetes and just is having a tough time coping( their lashing out, not taking care of themselves, ect.)

- 🦊

We’re Here to Help - Kai and Lloyd

A/N: Hi! Thank you so much for sending in this request! I hope you like it! I kinda rambled on in some parts, so I apologize. I’ve also been busy with my final winter guard performance, and then leaving the country for a bit, so it’s been hard to write but now I’m back!

Lloyd was there when you first heard the news that your father was in the hospital. You were so distressed and worked up that he insisted that he drive you to the hospital, staying with you to make sure you were alright. You didn’t mind him tagging along, seeing as you were too caught up in worrying about your father.

In the end, Lloyd was grateful he stayed with you because when your father took his last breath, the boy could hear your cries from out in the hallway. He wanted to give you alone time with your father, but when he heard your wails, he couldn’t stay away any longer.

Taking you home was one of the hardest things Lloyd had ever had to do. Fighting his father felt easier than this. You refused to leave your father’s side, and Lloyd had to wait until the medical staff sedated you to carry you back to his car. You were out long enough for him to get you home, in bed, and for him to deliver the news to the others. From then on, Lloyd wouldn’t leave your side. He slept on the floor in your room that night, and even then he wasn’t truly asleep. He spent the majority of the night staring at the ceiling or watching you sleep peacefully. If you were going to react to anything like he did when he first lost his father, you wouldn’t be this peaceful for a very long time.

Lloyd was right. The next few weeks were extremely difficult for you. You locked yourself in your room, you stopped showing up to training, and meals were hit-or-miss. When the time came for the funeral, your team was by your side the entire time. Especially Lloyd. He held your hand the entire time and carried around a water bottle for you so you didn’t get dehydrated and miss anything. 

After the funeral, Lloyd worried even more. You weren’t taking care of yourself. You were losing weight, and the dark circles under your eyes grew even worse every day. You didn’t talk as much, and when you did speak, you were snappy and short with the others. It was clear you didn’t want any social interaction, but Lloyd didn’t give you much of a choice. If it meant sitting with you in silence, that’s what he’d do. 

Lloyd’s mental health suffered when his father died after Morro’s attack. It was so bad that Lloyd thought of doing terrible things, and he didn’t want you to resort to the same mindset. In order to keep you safe, Lloyd brought meals to your room, forcing you to eat with him, even if it was just a few bites. You were excused from training but Lloyd would still drag you outside for at least an hour to get some sun and fresh air. He’d even have you sleep in his room, or he’d sleep in yours. If you couldn’t sleep he’d turn on a movie, or tell you stories from when he and the other ninja would be goofing off.

Lloyd is really supportive and is always going to be there for you whether you realize it or not. Go to him, please. He just wants to help :) 

It was after dinner when you received the phone call that your father had passed. You were standing next to Kai on the deck of the bounty when your phone rang and you left for a few minutes to answer it. Kai thought nothing of it and continued staring off into the distance. It was a nice evening, not too hot and not too cool. The ninja had the evening off, and so you and Kai decided to spend some time together getting fresh air.

Yet when you came running back to Kai, diving straight into his chest sobbing, he didn’t know what to think. Wrapping his arms around you, he slowly slid down to the ground to hold you better.

“Y/N, what happened?” he asked worriedly, running a hand through your hair. He received no response, and no matter how many times he asked what had happened, you wouldn’t answer. You were a blubbering mess, sobbing and forgetting to breathe every now and then. 

You cried for a long while, and eventually, Kai thought it was best to carry you to his room so the two of you would have complete privacy. He tucked you into his bed, keeping his arms around you as you cried yourself to sleep. It wasn’t until Kai went to plug in your phone for you that he saw your family’s messages. His heart immediately dropped. He was grieving for you and your family now. He didn’t know your father too terribly well, but he knows how it feels to lose someone so close. 

The next few days were a blur for you. You couldn’t bring yourself to do much, and Kai refused to leave you by yourself, so you spent most of your time in the fire ninja’s room. You refused to eat with the others, and even when Kai brought you food you wouldn’t eat much. You spent a lot of time crying or sitting in silence, and Kai was beginning to worry. He spoke with Wu to get time off so he could stay by your side. The ninja tried his hardest to comfort you in any way he knew how. He made sure you stayed hydrated, turned on your favorite shows and movies, and held you as tight as he could. 

After the funeral, your mood changed drastically. You were a lot more irritable and got angry quicker. And Kai, being the hot-head he is, had to restrain himself from snapping back and making things worse. When voicing his concerns to Lloyd, the green ninja suggested that Kai take you to the training room to release your anger. This resulted in Kai getting the life knocked out of him several times, but he was just relieved he was helping you find a healthy coping mechanism.

You began to return to your normal self long after your father passed, and you had Kai to thank. He was with you through all of the tears, the silent nights, and the quick-temper moments you had been through. He was nothing but supportive, and he wants you to know that he’s always there for you, no matter what.

[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

[sunsetelo]

Writers block is making me go insane so I’m taking requests. I usually write hurt/comfort, angst, whump, fluff, ect.

Jay is the my favorite to write for but I’m open to all characters :)

[xiaoheart24]

A brother's promise 1/2

Have you ever wonder if you knew your closet family/friend good enough.

And were you ever prepared for when you knew more.

When his family looked at Kai they would see one out of four things.

The most often thing they saw was a grown, hard-working, hotheaded person whose ego was as sharp as his wit. That was what they saw in Kai when they were at home, or out where the boy went out of his way to either relax or train and would hang out with the others.

Then other times, very often as they saw the grown hotheaded being, but still often, they would look at Kai and see not the Kai Smith, but instead the Master of Fire. This was usually in a battle, or when being serious was required. This version of Kai that they saw was reckless, but still careful with a serious face. He was the master of fire, who channels the fierce fire and scorching heat to where they needed to go.

Then at different moments, his family would see a wise boy trapped in a teen body, a boy who, despite being seen as reckless and a few times selfless, has a heart deep to help support his family, no matter the situation. Who could surpass the others' strength with ease if required. A boy who isn't afraid to lecture one, if the situation calls for it or takes the role of the grown adult.

So most of the time, they would see Kai as the Hothead brother', that was just his persona, it was who he was, usually. The second thing they could see was the master of fire not as often visible, but still definitely there as the same with the wiser side of Kai.

But then, once in a blue moon, in some truly rare moments, they could see Kai as something else entirely.

Whenever anybody was seriously hurt or in danger, they saw not a specific side of Kai.

They see Kai as rage-filled with a protective aura.

This Kai was as hot and dangerous as the element he controlled, with anger that had the sharp fangs of heat damage and intelligence that always hid behind an easygoing smile. Would break any rule, a dead-fast loyalty to keep his family safe and unharmed. The anger that sometimes comes out when anybody is down for the count and Kai makes their attackers regret ever hurting them.

The first few times they saw that side they'll admit gave them a bit of a scare as no one had ever seen the master of fire so mad, he looked downright feral as he attacked their enemies with precision no one believed he could show.

No matter their thoughts, what came next shocked them even more.

“Come on hurry” Hissed one of the guys standing post in the hallway keeping the hostage in control.

“Be quiet” Another guy growled back fiddling with an explosion device at a metal door. “This takes time”

“Well hurry before the -”

“HALT IN THE NAME OF THE FIRST SPINJITZU MASTER”The attacker turned to the door entry in shock as they saw the ninja

“Really Zane” Jay, looking disappointed. “Couldn't keep it simple”

Zane gave a confused expression. “How so?”

“I don’t know” Jay swung his arm around. “Like HALT!” He snapped.

“But I did,” Zane answered, confused.

“GUYS!” Their green leader interrupted.

“Fight now, talk later” He unsheathed his sword.

They nodded unsheathing their weapons, taking a stance.

“Took the heroes long enough” A guy dressed in all black with blond hair stepped forward.

"Axel Vill at your service" He gave a mocked bow.

“You're just in time” He snapped his finger, and not long after one of the guys stepped up holding a weird-looking gun.

“I've been dying to test it”

Without even hesitating, the man activated the gun and fired a blue, ray at high speed.

Cole and Zane reacted immediately, summoning a wall together but to no prevailed as it shot right through hitting the team.

After a few seconds, the ray stopped.

Jay was the first to react, patting himself down, and then giving his attacker a big laugh. “Hah. Didn’t work” He said proudly.

"What?" Kai said, shocked.

“Doesn’t matter!” Lloyd sprinted forward. “STOP THEM”

The leader only smirked. “Get Them!”.

A full battle war erupted across the room.

Jay went up against their big guy. “Show me some big guy moves,” He teased.

“I’m gonna crush you like the blue bug you are” He clasped his hands together and then sent them down to squash Jay.

He dodges, jumping up high with a grin. “Nice try”

He puts his hands together. “But I think it’s time for some LIGHTNING” He shoved them towards the guy, only to his confusion, nothing happened.

The guy takes the moment of confusion to smack his arm into Jay's chest, knocking him aside into Cole, and making them both roll into a pillar.

“Watch it!” Cole groaned, getting up.

“What’s the deal?” Concentrating hard and trying again, he tries to summon lightning, but nothing happens.

“AGH” The two look up to see their teammate trying to summon their elemental powers, but to no luck.

“How wonderful” Axel was clapping, bringing all the attention to him.

“I see our new vengestone ray is working wonders” Looks of horror came on their faces.

“Took some time perfecting it but with some help it worked like a charm” He gloated.

“Do our heroes have anything to say”

“This won’t stop us,” Kai answered back, determinant.

“Huh… Guess you right” His grin got wider “Unless we up the circumstances”

“LET ME GO” The team freezes upon seeing Nya brought out between the group trying her hardest to get free.

“NYA” Cole reacted fast to hold his fiery brother.

“So gentleman” He moves in front of Nya. “Let’s talk business”

“What you want?” Lloyd growled.

“You to step back,” He grins. “And let us do our job” He pulls out a knife and leans against Nya pointing it at Nya’s neck.

“Or she will meet the first master sooner than planned” He brought the knife closer drawing some blood.

Time seemed to slow down for Lloyd, he didn’t know what to do, he couldn’t risk his friends getting hurt but couldn't allow Axel and his team to continue with their plans. He could have Zane try to hit Axel with one of his shuriken but the knife could cut Nya by accident … or maybe he could have Cole… No, their powers are out and who knows when they'll be back!!

He was at a loss.

BANG!

“AAGH”

The room got silent, all the people were in utter shock at the scene in front of them.

On the floor, Nya sat in shock unharmed, her attacker, not so much. Axel had gotten on his knees cradling his arm, teeth grit to try and hold back the sounds of pain that tried to escape him with the knife lying far behind him.

Click!

The sound drew everybody to the one responsible and who shocked them all.

Right there with a furious expression, Kai stood with an arm outstretched, holding a GUN!!!

He stepped in front of the guy, Axel looked at Kai who didn't move a muscle as he put the gun away and he gave him a look most knew all too well- he was furious beyond normal.

"Don't move"

The doors suddenly sprung open and multiple police officers rushed in and rounded the group.

"POLICE"

Everything beyond that point happened fast between the bad guys surrendering and getting arrested, their explosion device taken care of and things calming down once everybody was checked over.

But

The drama had yet to leave the team as they got home.

The team sat in the living room in the monastery, with stunned expressions.

"DUDE!!!" Jay turned to Kai the second he entered the room.

"Seens, when did you use guns?!" He yelled.

"Jay calm down,” Kai told his brother. “It’s not a big deal”

“NOT A BIG DEAL!!” Jay said in a mocking voice. “You having a GUN is a big deal”

“But…. it isn't” Kai muttered not looking at anyone.

Zane sighed as he walked over.

“What Jay is trying to say is, that we never would’ve expected you to have a gun” He put a hand on his shoulder.

Kai shook the hand on off his shoulder as he took a step back looking annoyed.

“Really,” He asked, ridiculous. “We fought snakes, skeletons, ghosts, sky pirates, the ancient stone army, the dark lord HIMSELF, and the ruler of all darkness” Master Wu came in, the yelling brought him out of his meditation.

“What's going on?!” He demanded.

After a brief moment.

“Um…. the mis-”

“Everything is fine,” Kai interrupted.

“Now if you’ll excuse me” He walked past Wu to the sleeping quarters.

Wu averted his eyes from his students to the door multiple times before landing on his students.

“So about that mission”

[fanficmaniatic]

Half Drank Sorrows

For those looking for a Post-Merger Angsty Lava fic:

Relationships:

Cole/ Kai (Ninjago), Lloyd Garmadon & Kai.

Summary:

But even shields need maintenance, even shields break; And after the sky torn open and took his family away, he can not find the strength to stay. or, Why Kai couldn't stay at the monastery.

Fic under Read More:

      He wasn’t desperate. No, just- shut up.

      It was just a long day. The monastery was dusty like never before, a perpetual state of quiet that used to belong to nights but now extended to every waking hour. The sun could be up, resting, yet it remained. Guess there were not enough people to make the place noisy.

       He punched the dummy a bit harder. 58 days. 57 nights… But who's counting? His breathing was accelerating, he needed to drink water. Another punch, and the wood came back, he blocked it and hit his forearm. Kicked the bottom row, pushed the one in front. It was not as fast as it was supposed to be. But Jay always put off fixing it, so of course everything ended up landing on him. Everyone there knew how to fix the stupid dummies. Just because he had the fire powers didn’t mean he had to fix it. 

      Ha… Fuck it. He kept punching. Some screws were looser than others. He kept forgetting which ones were the fastest coming back, and the harder he pushed the faster the ricochet. He blocked them. Not without the aching of the hit. He should have put some bandages on first. But he needed- What the fuck did he need. 

      The stick hit him in the ribs. Fuck. He needed Jay to not leave the repairs to the moment one of them got hurt. It was counterproductive. He kicked it with his feet, making the wood snap and hit him one last time in the knee before it fell to the floor. The pain was sharp, but he had been stabbed before, this wasn’t bad. His throat was dry.

      The dummy lay broken on the floor. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. Jay wasn’t there for him to complain to him. Hell,  Zane wasn’t there for him to pretend he was fixing something else. It crashed on the wall, and maybe Kai kicked too hard because it left a mark. A voice, high and steady, told him he was an idiot for training barefoot, another one, lower, raspier, told him to shut up and check his bleeding feet. He stepped down hard. He had been hurt worse.

      How funny, huh. He didn’t even bother getting boxing gloves or bandaging his wrist, he just, he- He had been through worse. Worse than this. Worse than a stupid hit of a dummy. Worse than constant silence. Worse than constant empty looks. This was nothing. 

      He had left before. The skin in his hands ached. He didn’t need to focus on them to know it was split open in the knuckles, bleeding scratches on the palms. The blood on the broken dummy had been none other than his. He had woken up alone. The bounty, a place that not once had been quiet, went from being full of strangers and half his team to being in the middle of nowhere. An island Kai never saw in his life. He laid alone. For weeks.

      But he was in the monastery now. Breath -shaking- not half as steady as he would have liked. Shit. Lloyd was in his room. He was not alone. He had not been for 13 days, 12 nights, out of the 58. He just- it was fine. 

      He was fine. He was better alone in the bounty. He didn’t need to be here. Shit. He could leave, he had left before. When- With Zane. He just, he just couldn’t. When Nya- He just got her back- He, He couldn’t see everyone's sad faces before. They went their separate ways. But this time he had not had the choice to leave, he was thrown thousands of miles away, farthest than he had ever been from his home. His hands were shaking. 

      Everyone… Vanished. From being in the upper deck of the bounty to a big shared room that for 45 nights only had one person sleeping inside. One out of seven that slept in there. One out of the eight that considered the bounty their home. He threw the alcohol on his wounds more than passed it on. Maybe it was because his vision was blurry, or maybe it was because he didn’t care. 

      What use were elemental powers for if he couldn’t save them. If he was as powerless with them as he had been without. Impotence ached in his bones. A cracking sensation that went down his arms and made breathing harder. There was always that one. A face that after tragedy would look up to him; look at him like his soul had not been torn open, like he had not lost parts of himself. Ask for a shelter he could not give… But he couldn’t look at them and tell them that. 

      The ugly side of being the oldest. Never the leader, too hot headed for that. Just the one everyone knew would always have their backs.

      A deep sight left his lips when the sting of the alcohol went inside his wound. He didn’t need a stupid dummy. He needed a cigarette. 

      The yard was alone, not like Lloyd would notice. It would be one. That’s it, he could even go out and take a few steps down from the monastery. Lloyd wouldn’t even notice the smell. He just couldn’t get caught looking for one. 

       Perks of being a ninja… sadly everyone else was one too. But- fuck- right, only Lloyd. He was sleeping anyway. He got pretty tired closing the mergequake in the middle of the night. Kai had not bothered to wake him up. Is not like they would talk a lot… there wasn’t much to say right now.

      He ignored the sting on his left foot. Nya’s voice sounded angrier now. “You should have put a bandage at least” but he just headed for his room. He knew he still had a box hidden, from before the- it had to still be there. 

      He stopped a second, Lloyd’s bedroom door was open. His little brother lay face up in the bed, gi still on. He looked exhausted. The same frown he had when Kai found him accompanied him in his sleep. Is like that was the only thing his eyebrows did. It was weird. To see his limbs thrown around, and not his usual -kinda hugging himself- position. Him and Nya slept the same. Kai bit his lip before the pain that went from his chest to his throat could become a sob. His room. The cigarette. 

      He kept it in a shoe box, under a bunch of old comics he didn’t even read anymore. He is sure half of those aren’t even his. But he figured it was as safe a hiding spot as any. He took the comics and magazines away, the paper brushed hardly on the open cuts of his arms but he just threw them on the side. He opened the box only to find a bunch of trash. Stuff he left there years ago he was too lazy to throw away. His breathing became uneven. The box of cigarettes wasn’t there. But a note instead. 

       “Think of a better hidding spot next time, Firecracker.” Followed by a tiny drawing of a blinky face with Cole’s messy hair. He threw the box to the floor with force. Fuck. What does he think he is? It’s not like he had a problem? He smoked some times, yes, and once it got bad but it was once. But no, Cole and Nya seemed to think they could guilt trip him into just- ugh- Fuck.

      At least it was Cole’s note. A note by Nya would mean she threw it away. Cole on the other hand was a dirty hypocrite who would steal his cigarettes. He stomped down to Cole’s empty room.  Fuck him. He always did this. Why did they all freak out when he drank? Everyone else could get a cup once in a while but when he did everyone lost their minds. He could control himself. He didn’t have a problem but everyone else acted like he did. It was only once, once. Yes, damn it got ugly, but it was once! He just sometimes needed to clear his head, and what would twinkle toes know about needing to clear his head. 

      His breathing stopped. At least that seemed to happen. Kai is not sure… is not like- He had trashed Cole’s room. Every cabinet, even the boxes under his bed that were full of old sketchbooks. His hoodies Kai used to steal, carelessly thrown on the floor. He- Cole had- there was a box under Cole’s bed. He had thought… he had thought he found cigarettes. His lips tremble. 

      “Kai…?” Lloyds voice was low, but it was the loudest thing in the room. It dawned on him that the noise should have woken him up. Kai couldn’t look at him, see his sadness, the same frown, the sorrow planted in his expression. His gaze was locked in his hand, the medallion that was being smeared by the blood of his palm. Cole had wanted- he was gonna- “Hey Kai…” Lloyd sounded closer. But Kai couldn’t see him, his back was facing the door, and frankly, he didn’t feel like he could move. A hand touched his shoulder. It wasn't Zane’s understanding, Jay’s never judging pressense, or Cole’s reassurance. The small hand he once promised to protect held him. The sob escaped. 

      Pained sobs broke through the monastery as he held the Yin Yang medallion close to his chest. Pushing it hard against his sternum. Like the pressure could bring him back; like the pressure could make him see his sister again; bring Pixal’s company; Wu’s guidance. Lloyd put Kai’s face on his shoulder, and the sob that Kai left was one of guilt. Because that should be him, he should be the protector here, the one making sure Lloyd was okay, but when has he ever functioned after a loss? He couldn’t stay, he couldn’t stay here when every corner was something else he lost, the family he couldn’t protect. 

      Fuck. Lloyd shouldn’t have to see him like this. This is why he always left,  he couldn’t- Not after Zane, not after Nya. He couldn’t look at Lloyd and pretend everything was okay. Like parts of him were not torn and lost. “... I can’t- I can’t…” He didn’t meet Lloyds gaze, He couldn’t do that to him, finding him in a trashed room was enough, Kai couldn’t let Lloyd meet his face. Not when he couldn’t control the tears; not now when his chest felt so heavy he was having a hard time breathing. 

       He wanted his siblings back, his lover, his sister. He pressed the medallion harder to his chest. He screamed hoping the empty feeling would leave. Get out of his system with a yell that only made his throat hurt. He grabbed his hair and started pulling, anything to make the pain something rational, anything that could make the pain something he could patch up instead of this. This empty hole on his chest that seemed to be consuming him whole. 

      “Hey, hey, no, Kai!” Lloyd’s hand quickly went to grab his. He stopped a second when he felt the medallion but quickly continued his course. Kai fought him, trying to set himself free without having to look up. This was enough, Lloyd shouldn’t see him like this. “Kai, don’t! You are hurting yourself!” His voice was high, he was trying not to cry, he was trying to be strong… for Kai.

       “STOP!” his face snapped up. His throat felt dry. He could count with one hand the times Lloyd had looked at him with those eyes. Glossy, holding back tears. He always hated being the reason behind that expression… A telling of how bad he had screwed up. “Hey… Is okay. I am not a kid anymore, you don’t have to act all tough for me to like you.” The smile Lloyd gave him was sad, but he figures that’s as good as he could manage at the moment. His hand started running up and down Kai’s back, and he did his best to match the motions with his breathing. 

      Lloyd stayed until his breathing was even again. He guided Kai to rest against Cole’s bed -place he would most often sleep in anyways- and took a seat next to him. He squeezed himself closer, holding Kai’s hand, head on his shoulder to encourage Kai to put some weight on Lloyd. It was numb. 

      He tried, very carefully, to start cleaning up the dust in the medallion, without smearing more blood on it. Lloyd squeezed his hand. “Did you know he had been meaning to ask you?” Kai’s breath stopped for a second. No, he hadn't. He had no idea. He made a conscious decision to concentrate on Lloyd’s thumb as it drew circles on the back of his hand. His head was pounding. “I suspected it.” The younger continued once he figured out his brother wouldn’t speak. “I caught him and Nya talking about a trip, I guess he was planning on asking you there.” Kai took a deep breath. This wasn't making it easier.

       “Lloyd.” He had to look at him when he said it, even when Lloyd was already shaking his head, his eyes in their interlocked fingers. “I can't stay.” The shaking was slow, but not less demanding. Lloyd shut his eyes harshly. A single tear fell down; Kai felt his soul shatter. “I’m sorry.”

       Lloyd’s hand squeezed his. Eyes shut hard to keep more tears from escaping, and though his lips did not move, Kai knew what he meant. “Don’t go”, “Don’t leave me”. Kai wishes he could lie and say his words comforted him, but when Lloyd let out a low and pained “I understand.” Kai felt that what little of his soul was there had been crushed away. 

    He brought his brother closer. Hugging him from the side and the hand that once was intertwined with Lloyd’s played with the blond’s hair. “You know I’ll be back, right?” There was a pause, then a nod. 

    Lloyd let out a dry laugh. He forced it, and Kai knew it, but he wouldn’t point that out. “You better.” Kai ignored the pit in his stomach, deciding instead to move Lloyd’s hair away from his forehead and plant a kiss. 

     “I will, kiddo, I will.” Not any time soon. Not for as long as the quiet was the loudest thing in a monastery that should have been full. But he couldn’t say that, Lloyd already knew. He rested his head on top of Lloyd’s, holding his remaining family close. 

      He just needed a break; until the corners became themselves again; until the quiet was not a reminder of the death.