#lair o the bear park

[ambermaitrejean]

Bear Creek. Lair o' the Bear Park. Idledale, Colorado. Photo by Amber Maitrejean

[sunny-milla]

togame jo with a soft and feminine s/o headcannons

Shishitoren’s second in command was brutal, he had a black and white vision of things. Mistakes were not tolerated by Togame, so much as softness easily defined as weakness. So, everyone in Shishitoren was shocked when a sweet thing like you came up to the lion’s den in a cute white dress with pink floral prints, Mary Jane shoes with white socks.

You trodded beside him like a bright light that lit the shadows. You looked like a lone daisy in a field of barren land. Togame had his arm around your waist every time you were in their lair, he made sure no one stared a little funky at you or had a glint of mischief towards you.

Now, one may ask, how did such a sweet girl like you meet him? Togame Jo was a man of his values and customs, sure he ruled with an iron fist by following his leader’s ideals but it does not mean that he’s lost his morals.

You were getting disturbed by a some local thugs who were forcing you to give their numbers and go out on a date with one of the guys who seemed to be the leader. Your wrist was firmly held by the leader every time you attempted to walk out of the situation. Then, your knight in shining armour came swooping in by slamming the guy’s face down to the ground.

After the altercation, you had thanked him profusely in which he simply brushed off. You had insisted on buying him something like a coffee or dinner perhaps but he said he didn’t need something back. So, you had given him some bandaids which you rushed to buy at the convenience store for him.

Ever since that day, you bumped into each other more and more. By the time he knew it, he had taken you out on a date in front of your house, a bouquet of tulips in hand and a rabbit plush on the other.

Togame Jo always found things like plushies or any soft toys silly, he thought they were childish and unnecessary especially when someone’s reaching adulthood.

However, when he noticed your penchant for such adorable things his feet can’t help but wander into Miniso or KENJI. He also can’t help but grab a few plushies here and there, matching ones of course. He can’t help but tap his card when he sees a cute dress on a mannequin that you gawked at the day before.

When Togame Jo first entered your bedroom, he was shocked by the sheer amount of pastel pink on your room. He had never seen that much pink in his entire life. He found it cute— no, he found you cute.

Togame Jo would find his head laying on top of your lap, a pink fluffy headband pushing his hair back, a sheet mask on his face to help moisturise his skin as you said.

Togame Jo enjoyed having you in his lap, not in a sexual way or anything, he liked the close proximity and the warmth shared between your skin. He loved fiddling with the ruffles of your skirt whilst he has you on his lap and draw circles on your back.

Togame Jo would find himself sat in front of your dressing table, foundation on his skin, pink eyeshadow on his eye lids, his cheeks strawberry, his supple lips in a reddish lip gloss. You’d be sat on his lap whilst he held your hips as you put your makeup on him.

Togame Jo would find himself going on cute café dates with you followed by a photo booth where you had put bear ears headband on his head while you had a rabbit one. He’d find himself in the printed photos with a gentle smile which he unknowingly made, his cheeks slightly painted pink.

Togame Jo whose s/o loves to be in short skirts and dresses would be more than ready to pummel anyone down when they made fun of your or made any inappropriate comments. He’s the type of boyfriend who says, “Wear what you want, I can fight.” And he does.

Togame Jo whose phone case is clear, a picture of you in the back-- clearly boasting about his cute girlfriend. Togame Jo's brown leather wallet had a picture of you and him in the amusement park, which he showed off to Sako and Choji.

Dating Togame Jo also meant that you and Choi were familiars, close buddies which he enjoyed but found it annoying when every single date was bombarded by Choji's presence.

Togame Jo who was nervous about what to buy for their first anniversary, everyone in Shishitoren noticed how Togame Jo became more and more irritable like his nerves were laid bare. He was seen mumbling to himself and getting thrown off by every little mistakes his gang mates made. He threw a fistful punch to opponents that carried more aggravation than usual.

Togame Jo who’s walking back home after Shishitoren’s meeting and saw a small shop dedicated for gifts. Togame Jo who saw a cute pair of keychain clearly designed for couples, they were two fuzzy bear keychain with pastel pink and pastel blue ribbons around its neck. His first thought that came to mind was, ‘She’d love this.’ It was like his instinct, knowing what you loved.

On your first anniversary, you got him a new wallet to replace his slightly worn out one. It’s safe to say that even when his white threads has sown its way in his scalp, it will still be found in his back pocket. When Togame had handed you his gift, you leapt at him in joy and he carried you in his arms with ease. There was something about your eyes and excitement that made his heart erratic, he wanted to keep seeing your smile.

[conaionaru]

Moral of the story (Modern Bjorn)

Who knew

Synopsis: As a single father, Bjorn doesn't have much time to move on from his wife Thorunn. When Marjorie Potts stumbles into his life.

Warning: Slowburn, friends to lovers, modern au, Siggy lives, abusive ex

I don't own the gifs.

Unstrapping his little daughter from her car seat, Bjorn made his way to his house. It was new, a gift from his father to have a fresh start. It was closer to Ragnar's new family. Siggy liked being close to her uncles and little cousins.

The five-year-old run after him; her pigtails were bouncing happily as she clutched her stuffed bear in her hands.

Banging caused the two to stop. By the neighbor's house, a car parked on the lawn, ruining the grass. A man stood by the door, trying to get in. But somebody from the inside struggled to keep him out.

"Who is he?" He heard an older lady ask as three grandmas walked by.

"No idea. Never seen him before. The girl lives all alone."

"Maybe an old boyfriend. Mabel. Call the police on him. He is up to no good."

True to their word, the drunken man banged on the door and screamed loudly. "Let go, you, bitch! Fuxking whore, though you could fool me? Moving won't save you, Marjorie!"

Bjorn frowned at the yelling and left his daughter with the three women. He marched to the man just as he managed to rip the door open.

"Stop running!"

"Hey! Let her go."

The man turned around to look at Bjorn stalking towards him. "Don't interrupt. We are in the middle of something."

The redheaded girl used the moment to try and slam the door closed, but the man put his foot in the crack and slammed the door open. The force bashed the girl's head against the wood and collapsing on the ground in pain. She cursed as he raised his arm to hit her, but Bjorn wrapped her arm around his wrist and wrenched him off her.

The flashing lights of the police alerted them that the fight was over. The man ripped himself out of Bjorn's chokehold and pointed an accusing finger at him. The Ragnarsson ignored him and helped the girl up from the ground. "Are you alright? Do you see double?"

"Thanks."

The ginger looked over her shoulder at the yelling men getting restrained by the police. "I will fucking kill you, bitch! How dare you cuff me! Wait till my father hears about this! He will get you all fired! Do you hear me?!"

"Maam." A policewoman called out and walked to Bjorn and his neighbor with a medical kit in her hands. "How about we patch you up, and you can make a statement."

"I can do it here too."

The policewoman nodded and took out a notepad after patching up her head wound. The scratch on her forehead was bleeding a little bit and probably hurt like a bitch. The old ladies carried Siggy to Bjorn, who also had to make a statement. 

During his interview, he heard the girl's conversation with the cops. "He is my ex. Andrew Doyle. D-O-Y-L-E."

"Has he beat you before? Any attacks of any kind? Before or after your break-up."

"During. This is the first time he saw me since we split up. I moved to have a new start."

When all the turmoil slowed, Bjorn was left alone with his daughter and neighbor, who looked at her busted door in disdain. "I know someone who can repair it. I could call him."

The ginger looked back at him and frowned before sighing and nodding. She put her hands in her pockets as she watched the tall, broad man fish his phone out of his pocket while his little daughter runs around him in circles.

She was a cute child with dark brown eyes and strawberry blonde curly hair in two pigtails. Attentive and curious, stealing glances at the strange woman every once in a while. 

"He will come to look at it in two hours."

"Thanks... I don't know your name."

Bjorn chuckled and extended his hand to her. "Bjorn Lothbrok. This is my daughter Siggy. We are new here."

She smiled at him halfheartedly and shrugged, shaking his hand. "Joy Potts. A resident for a month. Welcome to the neighborhood, I guess." She turned on her heel to go into her home, but Bjorn called out to her once more.

"You could wait at my house. It would be safer." Joy frowned at his offer and tried to decline, but Siggy run-up to her, smiling. 

"You could play with me! Or do my hair. My Daddy is bad at it."

"I am not." He tried to protest, but Siggy shook her head and looked up at the ginger with puppy dog eyes. 

Fuck me. "Sure."

And so she ended up in a house way too huge for a single father and his little daughter. The guy had five guest bedrooms! If he rented the thing out, he could buy another car instead of the Mercedes parked out front. But the tall blonde seemed like a good guy, you know, for a rich dude. 

Joy subtly looked over his kitchen as he tried to cook something for all of them. The wine bottle on the top shelf seemed old, judging by the lair of dust on it, and very welcoming. "Do you want some? I could open it." 

She shook her head and smiled sheepishly at Bjorn's confused look. "Just trying to seize you up. You know, if I am not in the house of a psychopath." 

He chuckled and pointed at the five-year-old girl painting behind the dinner table. "I have a kid."

"Psychos have sperm too. I am sure attractive ones have some kids. Ted Bundy made on in prison." She shrugged and smirked at his bewildered expression. He invited her into his home, let him bear the consequences. She was way too fucking tired to tip-toe around him.

"Fair point." He shrugged and stirred the sauce in the pot. Joy shook her head at the technique and walked over to him to peer into the pot.

"Does food involve my stay here?" Bjorn nodded and grinned proudly at his creation that...honestly looked poisoned. "I will pass then."

"It doesn't look that bad!"

"Daddy's right! It smells worse!" Siggy called from her spot on the dinner table and run over to Joy and her father to show them her picture. It was a cute scene of her, her father, and many other people with names over them. Some of the letters were backward. But Joy could make out the words "Ubbe" and "Ivar." The last one looked like an angry troll.

"It's not so bad. I am sure it can be saved." With an unsure grin, Joy tasted the pasta sauce. It tasted horrid, so she spent the next two minutes perfecting the disaster enough so it could be edible. 

The dinner was rather quiet; Siggy ate the spaghetti happily, getting the sauce all over her. Bjorn opened the bottle of white wine, so hopefully, the awkward tension would ease. Joy was never really a people person. She liked her privacy and scandals to be her own business. After her relationship with Andrew, she lost all her friends and wasn't that bummed about it. Moving far away is easier when you had no attachments. No need to burn bridges to keep yourself safe when they were all ashes already.

"So... Why did you move here? Usually, people like you don't move into neighborhoods filled with old ladies. Or is that your type?" Maybe the wine wasn't the best decision, but she always made the wrong choices. So no surprise there, let her big mouth insult the guy that gave her shelter and fed her.

Bjorn just chuckled and looked at Siggy's adorable happy face. "I needed a quiet place to raise my daughter. Far away from my teenage brothers and my dad's new wife. And you? What's a girl like you doing here?"

Joy smirked and finished her third glass of red wine. "Escaping mostly."

"From him?"

The smile dropped from her face. Why was she even shocked at the answer? He did save her from Andrew and heard her talk with the cops. "Him and other people. Rumors, knowing eyes, judgment. It was tiring, and I needed an escape. So I thought, where would no one normally want to move? And I came here."

"No one but me, I guess. Or do I not count as normal? A guy like me? What does that even mean, by the way?"

She poured the rest of the bottle into her glass and swirled the liquid around, trying to sort her thoughts. "A guy that came from money, obviously. Otherwise, you couldn't afford a place like this. And you also invited a stranger you just met into your home. What if I was a psychopath that could kill you?"

"We can't both by psychos, can we? What would the odds be?" They both shared a laugh, Siggy asking for seconds right after. Joy couldn't look at the messy face, so she took a napkin and wiped at Siggy's face. 

"Nooo. I want to be messy. It's like make-up. It will make me pretty." Siggy whined while Joy and Bjorn laughed at her. 

"It doesn't match your skin tone, honey." Joy joked and threw the dirty napkin away. The doorbell rang right after, so Bjorn went to open the door. The man that walked in after him, was tall and lanky. 

He was the one that was supposed to fix the door. So Floki, Bjorn, Siggy, and Joy went to her home to look at the damage. The ginger led them into her living room, where Floki spread his tools and went to hang down the door. She would need a new lock and some damage control, but it would be working within the hour. 

Siggy looked around the room and then settled on the couch to watch TV. After asking Joy to do something with her hair, of course. Bjorn used the moment to look around. Despite her living here longer than him, Joy's house was impersonal. Just easily decorated to pack up faster if needed. 

The Lothbrok understood that she was probably on the run from Andrew, but the house looked so empty. No photos or anything to show that someone actually lived here. One thing that caught his attention were dog tags on the wall. "They were my dad's. Marine."

"My brother wanted to enlist, but our Dad talked him out of it. Said Ubbe wouldn't handle the violence and blood full time. Ivar still holds it over him until now." Bjorn snorted in amusement, causing Joy to laugh too. 

"Annoying little shit, brother? Know what that's like."

"Brothers?"

Joy rolled her eyes and looked at him, resting her chin against the back of the beige couch. "Two. One older, one younger. Annoying, overprotective, and a nightmare to live with as a teenage girl."

"Well, there are 13 years between me and Ubbe, who's the oldest. Bringing girls home was very hard when a little boy is following you like a lost puppy." 

Joy snorted and grinned at Bjorn's confused look. "Boohoo. Poor Bjorn couldn't get it on. My brothers threatened my first boy friend, not even dating, just project partners. The guy couldn't even walk in the same hall as me. My youngest brother banged pots outside my door after I came home from a party for the first time."

"My dad used to blast Queen right next to my ear. Sat there and laughed at my misery when he found me hugging the toilet. I still think he has blackmail material from that time."

Laughing at their pasts was so easy. As if they had known each other for years. It has been a long time since Bjorn could spend time with someone that wasn't family or work-related. "So the door is fixed. It looks like nothing ever happened."

Floki giggled while walking in. Joy jumped up to pay him, but the tall stranger stopped her. "Anything for a friend of Bjorn."

"We aren't exactly-"

"Thank you, Floki. Say hi to Helga and Angrboða for me!" Bjorn cut her off and led the men out, saying something about a playdate between their girls.

Floki looked the tall man over and grinned. "You know, you could bring Siggy tomorrow and ask the girl out. You aren't really subtle."

"I don't like Joy like that. I know her for a few hours."

"Never stop you before, Big Bear." The younger male mock glared at Floki, who just snickered and left.

When he walked back into the room, Joy and Siggy played a card game, and his daughter's hair was in two braids. "Strange fellow, isn't he?"

He shrugged and went to help Siggy win. "Known him since birth. He is my parent's friend since they were all my age. His wife and daughter are sweet, though."

After the game, Bjorn took Siggy to leave, the little girl hugging Joy as a goodbye. He looked at them and sighed. "I wanted to ask you... Would you like to go out for a drink? As neighbors and new friends, nothing serious."

Joy smirked at his stammering and nodded. "Are you going to ask the old ladies out too? I would like to see that."

"Oh yes, I have a knitting lesson planned out with each one." They laughed again and parted ways.

Joy stood there, dreading what would come during the "date." She was in no mood for a relationship so soon after Andrew. Especially after today. But if he really wants to just be friends, then fine. If he ends up in the friend zone, that's on him. 

So the next day, she spent minimal time on her make-up and clothes. If he wants to be friends, he should get used to her looking like a gremlin. But she better ease him into it; we don't want him to get a heart attack so young, do we?

Sitting at the bar and waiting for him felt weird. Joy felt desperate and ridiculous in her jeans and leather jacket. She felt like everyone kept staring, and every laugh felt like it was meant to be about her. 

 'Cause I'm just a teenage dirtbag, baby

Yeah, I'm just a teenage dirtbag, baby

Listen to Iron Maiden, baby, with me, ooh

The song on the stereo made her feel old. It was released in the 2000s when she was a kid. She listened to that song constantly when it came up on the radio and sang along. Now the young people in the bar looked at the stereo in confusion, unfamiliar to the hit. 

"But he doesn't know who I am. And he doesn't give a damn about me." Bjorn sang from behind her, grinning at her shocked expression.

"You sing fine, but your timing's shit." Joy teased as he sat down and ordered a whiskey like her.

"I was held up, spilled something over my shirt, and had to change. But I am here." He grinned at her and froze. What were they supposed to talk about now? The weather? Sports? Since when was he so bad at this?!

Joy looked at him with curious eyes and sighed. "I just want to remind you, no feelings."

"That won't be hard." Bjorn shook his head; Joy raised an eyebrow at him.

"What's that supposed to mean? Am I that ugly?"

"More like I am too busy with Siggy. And I guess you aren't ready either. Moving on from her mom is... hard. I would rather like a friend that doesn't want to see me naked or something from me other than company."

Joy smiled at nodded. "Good. I am not the best adept for that, but your funeral."

"Why do you think that?"

Telling him about her severe self-hate problems and antisocial lifestyle wasn't an option. So she decided to go another route. "Just saying that how we met isn't the best friendship set up. You don't usually see that in movies."

Bjorn shrugged and took a sip of his drink. "Well, this isn't a movie. Or do you see hidden cameras here, huh?"

"You got me there, Lothbrok. So tell me, neighbor... Where are you from?"

"My Dad lives in Kattegat, Mom, and sister in Hedeby. I lived in between and with Dad at the end. What about you?"

Joy played with a strand of her hair, bobbing her head to the end of "teenage dirtbag." 

How does she know who I am?

And why does she give a damn about me?

I've got two tickets to Iron Maiden, baby

Come with me Friday, don't say maybe

I'm just a teenage dirtbag, baby, like you

She looked down into her glass and smiled nostalgically. "We moved from Topeka, Kansas, to Oslo when Mom was pregnant with my big brother. Lived there ever since. So when the shit with Andrew was over, I moved here to Copenhagen. I figured big city, fewer people to know me. But I wanted a quieter neighborhood, so here I am."

"What about work? Do you work here in the city?" 

"Right now, nowhere. I used to bartend before, but right now, I do occasional work. Watching kids, cleaning houses, I tried gardening once. It ended badly."

"So that's why your lawn looks shitty." 

Joy gasped and hit the giggling Bjorn on the shoulder. "What's your job? Profesional asshole? Is that just part-time?"

"A hobby, really. I worked in my dad's company with Ubbe but didn't have time for Siggy. So now I am a personal trainer. So if you want to learn how to beat people up, tell me." She smiled at the invitation and clanged glasses with him.

"To a nice friendship between two idiots." 

"Skol!"

[libbysk8413]

Happy Tuesday! How was everyone’s weekend? Tim’s family left early this morning. It was a great couple of days showing our niece and nephew a few areas of Colorado. I miss them already! 📸 @timscott.82 #lairothebearpark #colorado #river #bearcreek #coldwater #myfeetwerenumb #funweekend (at Lair o' the Bear Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/CRSxYpqryPu/?utm_medium=tumblr

[jordandazur]

Lair ‘o the Bear Park, Morrison, CO

September, 2019

[scip-scipio-a]

A nice BTS shot from a photoshoot I did in 2018. I really do love any excuse to dress up and take photos in a mountain location. #Selfie #Photoshoot #Hair #LongHair #Makeup #Outside #Mountains #Colorado (at Lair o' the Bear Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/B9ageYKDgrX/?igshid=ijbqy7gcmyln

[nativeyoutubesubscribe]

Liked on YouTube: Lair ‘O the Bear Park https://youtu.be/YcacYYTRcCc

[astroi]

"Proliferation Contretemps."

(Part 1)

The fights we, the ninja and my father, have can get a little bloody, but luckily I handle most of the hand-to-hand combat.

“It’s seems like you’ve improved from our last fight, Green Ninja. Have you been practicing?” Garmadon and I circled another like two predators battling for a territory - not completely untrue.

“Yeah, how’d you tell?” I kicked him in the gut. He retaliated with an uppercut to my jaw. Always the damn jaw.

I had to resist saying, “Aw shit man, not again,” instead going with a reliable, “Ow!” Yet another tooth came flying out, the same one as last week.

I glared, “Do you always have to go for the teeth?”

He laughed, “I’m surprised you have any teeth left to lose, Green Ninja.” He paused to study the fallen denticle, “Didn’t you already lose this one?” He held it in his palm as if recognizing it as one of his own.

I, tired and fatigued, admitted, “Yeah, what’s it to you?”

“It’s an implant.” I added to remedy my fears of him maybe connecting the dots.

“This would be some high quality dentistry work, if you were telling the truth.” The sweat formed from our battle pressed my blond hair on my face; I brushed it back under my mask.

“Of course, I’m telling the truth; I’m a ninja.” I spat out some blood. He blinked at it as if seeing it for the first time.

“Aren’t ninja supposed to deceive?” Lord Garmadon scoffed; kids these days: throwing around the word ‘ninja’ willy-nilly.

“Awfully sangria for human blood, isn’t it?” I stared at him blankly.

He clarified almost smug, “Your blood is mulberry-colored not red, Green Ninja – or should I say, ‘La-loyd?’”

I paled, either from the blood loss or the shock, “I-I, what? What are you saying?”

Before I knew it, he had me in a bear hug – or a regular hug? Pressing my arms against my sides, he pulled my mask off with his spare hands.

“Hey! What are you doing?!” He held me so tightly, I wasn’t sure if he’d ever let go.

“We’re done fighting, La-loyd.” He gazed at me with such relief in his eyes as lava-borne flames trickled down his cheeks. The anger and tension on my face had vanished in favor of confusion. I didn’t know what to do; Uncle never taught me about this type of situation, so I rested my head on top of the crook of one of his elbows.

I looked up at him awkwardly, “Can you, um, put me down?”

“No,” His tears landed on me; they didn’t sting like I thought they would, “Not yet.” He held me closer. I couldn’t find it within myself to struggle; I sort of wanted this too.

He set me down soon enough, but didn’t let go. I tried to blink the tears out of my eyes, but that just caused one to escape. Its lime glow alerted Garmadon to it.

“La-loyd?!” His grip dropped, I jumped backwards to regain some distance.

“You’re hurt!” I frowned, and then continued searching for my mask, for it held my headset.

“Yeah,” I retorted with a bitter tone, “You caused that, remember?” In the corner of my eye I saw it, while I completely ignored the hurt expression on his face.

“And, it’s ‘Lloyd’, Dad, not ‘La-loyd.’” I rushed towards it; I had to contact the others.

“No, L-L-O-Y-D; I should know, I named you.”

He noticed me moving toward it, “Hey, stop moving while I’m talking to you, La-loyd.” I picked it up and whispered, “We’ve got a code: yellow.”

On the other lines, they were still occupied with the Shark naval and land forces.

Zane was the first to reply, “Oh no, a code yellow!”

“Oh man, that sucks.” Cole stated bluntly.

“Yeah, sorry, dude.” Nya’s response was muffled somewhat by the water spraying out from her mech.

“A code yellow?! What’s a code yellow again?” Jay asked between breaths.

“So your dad knows? Do we need to fetch you, bro?” Kai confirmed.

“La-loyd! Stop contacting your little ninja friends, and listen to me when I’m talking to you.” The Secret Ninja Force heard Garmadon as he swiped the garb from me, his son.

“Give that back, Dad!” I tried to take it back from him, but he was taller than my max jumping height. He grabbed me and I sunk my teeth in him before I could really run that plan by me.

Despite that, he didn’t let go, which just made me feel more like a ‘Garmadon’ than I had all week, “Uh, sorry. I don’t know what came over me.” I mumbled looking away, unable to rub the back of my neck, I hadn’t bit anyone since I bit Chen in third grade. I wasn’t certain, but biting people didn’t sound very befitting of a ninja.

“Those are good instincts, La-loyd; but your venom doesn’t work on me.” Had he just encouraged me to bite people?

“Ve-venom?” That explained so much, and yet so little. Had that been the reason Chen was sent to the hospital when we were younger?

“Is that why Chen hates me!?” I blurted. Whoops.

Dad hummed as he adjusted his grip and started walking toward his mech, “I don’t know who this ‘Chen’ is, but if you bit him, probably. Our bite, albeit non-fatal, inflicts excruciating pain to its victims.”

“Oh, I said that out loud. Um, I,” I didn’t tell anyone, not even Uncle Wu, about it; but I guessed that someone like Garmadon would probably understand more than he would, “bit him in third grade after he hit me for, uh, having fangs – they had just grown in. He was sent to the hospital afterwards; I thought I gave him rabies or something.” I chuckled a little.

He joined me in my laughter, “Not rabies, but you did give him a neurotoxin.”

“Aw, man,” I groaned, “No wonder he hates me.” He set me down in the spare seat of his upgraded Shark mech; was he suspecting this for awhile? The clicks of the locks on the seatbelts snapped me out of whatever trance or dopamine-induced civility I was just in.

“Uh, where are we going?” I managed to ask when he turned the mechanical shark on.

“I’m going to get your teeth and other wounds cleaned up and – I don’t know – have you spend the night at my place. I’ll call your mother in the morning when I decide on what to do next.”

“You can’t be serious. I can’t ‘spend the night at your place.’ Mom’s gonna kill me!”

“Well, I can’t send you home as you are now that I know who you are. Not in good conscience.”

I squirmed, “You’re evil! And, not to mention, you ruined my life!”

He pressed a button on his console and said rather calmly, “Retreat! We got what we came for! And someone spruce up the guest bedroom on my floor!”

He turned back to me, “How could I ruined your life; I wasn’t even there?”

I hissed in anger. Realizing my mistake, I covered my mouth in shame; Garmadon drew a monstrous side out of me that I tried so hard to push down. He chortled at my embarrassment.

The sun had just set when we arrived at his volcano lair, I gulped when he parked in one of his docks. There was no retreating, so I followed him to a room in the medical wing where he dropped me off.

“Dinner will be ready in an hour, La-loyd. I’ll show you to the dining room then.” He looked guiltily at the bruise forming on my jaw, “Let them treat you, it shouldn’t take too long.” He closed the door.

“Okay.” I wasn’t in a position to really object.

By ‘too long,’ I wasn’t expecting it to take well over 45 minutes.

It started with a skittish medical assistant entering the room, taking my vitals, handing me a plastic cup to urinate in, and then telling me that the doctor will be in shortly.

After that, the doctor arrives in a lab coat that was covered in dark red splotches. She had exam gloves on and her hair tied up in a bun like she was fresh out of surgery.

“Well, hello there, La-loyd.” She greeted me like I was a small child and mispronounced my name like Garmadon – or was that actually how he intended for it to sound?

“Hi.”

“Today, will be taking some blood specimens as we do an overall check-up.” She discarded her gloves into the biohazard bin and pressed a button on the wall. She grabbed a popsicle stick and approached me.

“Open wide, say: ‘Ah.’”

“Ah.” She pressed it to my tongue and nodded.

“Okay, I’m going to disinfect your wound.” She applied a black gel to the gap that was already filled with the beginnings of a new tooth. The gel was cool to the touch for a couple of seconds before it morphed into a burning sensation.

Fiery tears fizzled as they formed and fell, “If it burns, it’s cleaning the area. She filled a paper cup with tap water and looked at it for a moment as if to be debating something in her mind, and then she flung its contents at my face. A loud sizzling sound erupted from my face as my molten tears hardened into some sort of green silicate. She plucked some off my cheeks with a pair of plyers and dropped the gem formations into the cup. She filled another cup with water and handed it to me.

“Swish once the aseptic gel’s done.”

“Can you flick your tongue for me?” I frowned but otherwise complied. I hadn’t done so in years, so the rush of smells that followed overwhelmed me for a second. The blood, the bleach, my sweat; I gagged.

“Oh my, are you okay?” She threw the wood away into the same red bin as the gloves.

I swallowed, “I’m fine. I just wasn’t expecting it to smell so bad.” I flinched when I heard her write something down on her clipboard.

A male nurse entered with a vile and a few needles. She spoke low to the nurse, “Don’t blow any of his veins; in case you forgot, he’s the boss’s kid.”

“Oh, and Mr. Garmadon? We noticed that you’re behind on your vaccines, so we’ll gladly give them to you – your father already consented.”

“What? How would you know that? Do you have access to my medical records?”

“We have our ways.” Hacking, no doubt.

“Are, are you charging for this?”

“Not at all; you’re Lord Garmadon's son. Why would we charge you? Besides, I doubt you have any money to pay with anyway.” Not wrong; I didn’t even have my phone on me – it was still at Wu's with the rest of my clothing and school stuff.

I shrugged as the nurse drew a vile of reddish purple blood. He balked, “You really are the boss’s kid, aren’t you?” I pinched the bridge of my nose and looked up at the security cameras in the corners of the ceiling.

“Ugh, don’t remind me.” He rolled up the rest of my sleeves to give me my flu shot and my Hepatitis A shot.

After he placed the last band-aid and gave me an ice pack, Garmadon entered. Everyone, even the doctor, began to cower. My arms ached too much to move them into any battle stance. I tightened my grip on my icepack; it was starting to burn my hand.

“We-we did everything you requested, Lord Garmadon.” She bowed, he seemed to ignore her in favor of me.

Our eyes met briefly, “Even his vaccines?”

“Yes, sir.”

He stared at me, “Is this true, La-loyd?” Why was he going to take my word above his employees? We were battling not even an hour ago.

I showed him my bandages. He grabbed the hand I wasn’t using to hold my icepack to my face.

“Okay, La-loyd, let me show you where our dinner is.” After we left, there was a collective sigh that came from the room.

After several minutes of silent walking, we stopped at the dinning room. There were only two plates set on the table, despite its length suggesting it could hold at least twenty.

“Here we are, La-loyd! Take a seat right there.” The warlord pointed to a leather seat adjacent to the plate at the head of the table. I sat, but I didn’t bother masking my discomfort.

Garmadon clicked the microphone on his clothing, “Bring the food out!”

He cleared his throat indicating he was about to engage us in small talk, “So, La-loyd, how’s school treating you?”

I moved my chair away from him slightly, “It’s cool.” I said dismissively.

“What about your ninja friends? Do they treat you well?”

“Why do you care? But, yeah, they’re all I’ve got.”

The food came disrupting his window for a response. It was blue lobster with a butter glaze. It came with a side of popcorn shrimp and calamari fries.

I bit my tongue once I had a fry in my hand hoping he wouldn’t notice.

“Why are you doing that? Just eat your food; it's not poisoned or anything.” He noticed.

“Why am I doing what?” I ate a fry experimentally, “Is this squid?”

I bit my tongue again; the food smelled fine.

“Yes, but why are you biting your tongue like that? Are you trying to suppress your instincts?”

I wanted to tell him, but he never had to hide what he was. “What instincts?” I lied poorly.

I narrowed my eyes mumbling, “Well, that’s none of your business anyway, Garmadon.”

“Son.” My eyes darted to him, pupils slits before dilating again.

“You wouldn’t understand.” I ate one of the shrimp; not too shabby, could use some lime juice.

“Or would I?”

I glared, “No, you wouldn’t understand what it’s like for people to be constantly comparing you to someone you’re not.” I cut vigorously into the lobster’s shell. As bits broke off, it made loud crunching and crackling crashes. I winced.

“For people to see you as nothing more than a monster.”

“When people see me, all they ever see is you!” I clenched my fists. The floodgates were open, I couldn’t stop myself from venting.

“To have to constantly push down what feels natural, just so you can go a single day without being picked on or people pointing at you and saying, ‘I bet he’s as evil as his dad,’ or ‘Why haven’t those ninja killed him yet?’ Or, ‘Ninjago would be better off without him around.'” I rubbed the tears out of my eyes, the flames dancing on my hands was almost enough to distract me from the memories I was reliving.

“No one was there to tell me that it was normal to react the way I had.”

“La-loyd, I didn’t know.” He put a hand on my shoulder. I inched away some.

“Of course you didn’t know, you said it yourself: 'you weren’t even there!' You never bothered to know! I lived my whole life feeling like a freak. It sucks to despise your reflection and what you are!”

I started eating a large portion of the lobster, shell and all. It was oddly calming to bite into something crunchy. Garmadon watched me with worry in his eyes.

“I, you’re right.” He broke the silence.

“That it sucks?”

“Yes, that, but also that I should’ve been there for you when you were growing up.”

He grimaced, “But I wasn’t. I’m sorry, La-loyd, but we’re together now.” He squeezed my arm, but it was still tender from the flu shot. Maybe the pain was making me more aggressive than I usually was; Oni blood was weird like that.

“We’re not 'together now.’ Did you seriously think that I would move-in with you just because you captured me?”

“I just thought I could make things right. We can finally make up for lost time. There’s so much I can teach you: how to tie a tie, ride a bike, and, if you're feeling up to it, conquer a city!”

I always wanted someone to be there and do those things with me - well, not the last one - since my mom wasn’t there either, but I never saw that person being Garmadon. It was clear that he was only trying to butter me up to helping him conquer Ninjago. Of course, what was I to expect from an evil warlord?

[linernotesandseasons]

“Summer comes… To multiply…” • #summerforever #longlivesummer #100degreesindenver #babys (at Lair o' the Bear Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf2Pd8cljZE/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thatsnakeman]

Sunset over Bear Creek at Lair O' the Bear Open Space Park Jefferson County, CO (OC) - 1280x856 via /r/EarthPorn https://ift.tt/EGwjy4d

[ambermaitrejean]

Bear Creek. Lair o' the Bear Park. Idledale, Colorado. Photo by Amber Maitrejean

[mywalkabout40]

The Lair O' the Bear

The Lair O’ the Bear

They say that life is all about the little things. I’m not quite sure what that even means, but perhaps my discovery of the Lair O’ the Bear park in Idledale can help me understand that phrase.

See, it wasn’t my planto come to Colorado specifically for this place, it just kind of happened. I needed to pass some time and wanted to opt to be outside. I find a fallen tree overhanging Bear…

[unstuckyourbrain]

A little walk in the woods #hiking #nature #colorado #exploring #seetheworld #hike (at Lair o' the Bear Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/BnOwQ1GAcq9/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1vm1zph7ptcln

[schnitzerphoto]

The best father’s day yet. Thanks for everything @ka_conroy . . . #fathersday #june #colorado (at Lair o' the Bear Park)

[libbysk8413]

8 years. Tomorrow will be 8 years since we said ‘I do’. I can’t believe it’s already been 8 years, but it also seems like yesterday. It’s been an amazing ride of ups and downs, but I wouldn’t want to ride this roller coaster with anyone else! Wubbies @timscott.82 ! #eightyearsofmarriage #eightyears #marriage #husbandandwife #married #anniversary #eighthanniversary #husband (at Lair o' the Bear Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/CPSNHDpLDyY/?utm_medium=tumblr

[jordandazur]

Lair o’ the Bear Park, Morrison, CO

September, 2019