#m-aster-of-spinjitzu

[21st-century-ninja]

Fic rec week: Dynamic Duos/Zane

It's duos and/or Zane time! Today's moodboard is for Kai and the Terrible Tear by @weekend-whip, a Kai & Nya fic!

Nya comes home with tears one day, and Kai takes some brotherly—if not continually difficult—action.

Why you should read: I love the nuances of Kai and Nya's relationship here -- how they're both trying to take care of each other even if they're not quite sure the right way to do it it's so good

Everyone makes mistakes by @miraculous-ninjabird

Kai struggles to process what happens after a battle goes sideways. Nya is there to help. Aka everyone makes mistakes but life as a ninja is rough and Mistakes hit hard. Sometimes there is no good answer

Why you should read: Wingficccccc wingfic wingfic!!!! milws (man i love wing symbolism) in fic and this one combines wings with great emotional beats

Déjà Vu by @the-painted-siren

As Cole prepares for his battle against Vangelis, he finds himself in a familiar position. He should have seen it coming: Vania isn't the first golden-haired youngster he's had to comfort about evil fathers.

Why you should read: the first fic ever in ao3's Cole & Vania tag and such a great one to inaugurate it with! There's great character parallels in this and everyone just is heartbreaking real

the hues of an empty sky by @m-aster-of-spinjitzu

Missing memories, or having two of them for one moment - not quite the same, but if there’s one thing Jay’s leant over the last few weeks, it’s that literally nothing makes sense anymore.

Why you should read: There's never enough Jay & Zane fic in the world and hey what do you know the memory-wonky characters have a conversation! With a more introspective tone this is a really great post-skybound piece

adjust by starskipper

His clothes... don't fit. He's more upset about this than he probably should be. (a drabble set directly after child's play for fluffiness and for profit)

Why you should read: the gb of the rgbs, and the dynamic I always am such a simp for! nya in here is literally goals ilhsm.

[21st-century-ninja]

*crashes through wall* I heard Nya

so!!!  you belong to me, my snow white queen, there's nowhere to run by @knowledgequeenabc is like my go to nya fic i was just rereading this one the other day and freaking out over it again XD it’s a post-s6 fic and it’s just so good I can’t recommend it enough

this grueling cycle by @manjirian @the-inky-isles @woodswolf is a nya and kai pre-pilots fic; granted it’s kind of focused on both of them but Nya is solidly a POV character and it gives her more agency than most Kai-and-Nya pre-pilot stuff that I’ve stumbled over tends to do!!  

idk anyone who hasn’t run into @lloydskywalkers stuff but jic here’s deja vu by her, a mid-s10 ficlet of a convo between Nya and Lloyd that digs a bit into her psyche!

I Am Nya by @justgotluigid (?) is an older ficlet that takes place post-s7 and gets into Nya’s head regarding her decision to go from Samurai to water ninja!! v sweet sibling interactions in this one too and ofc Nya POV :D

Tied Down to This Earth by @legonerd is a perfect drabble that’s not quite Nya focused but it’s close enough I’ve got to mention it here while I can! post-ns15 and Nyad POV

to see; to be seen by @m-aster-of-spinjitzu​ (when will aster return from the war) is a Nya & Pixal-centric fic but once again has a really great Nya voice and focus!  takes place when the ninja are gone but before they realize they’re still alive and deals with the girls + Misako dealing with the aftermath

and then of my stuff I think you’ve read selkie before but here she is again lmao, ready, aim, fire, and also cramming ceiling hung with vines in here bc, while it is background group-focus, the fic and the second chap in particular are Nya-focused and some of my favorite that I’ve written for her :D

Also unrelated to anything at all BUT does anyone have some good Nya fic recs??? Preferably ones that are not necessarily of a romantic nature?? And...not necessarily RGB siblings either but I'll take it; I'm just kinda looking for stuff more focused on her as an individual—

[fabrowrites]

heyy fabro!:D for the midterm writing thing (btw, have fun on midterm!) - prompt: midnight, or just, night and, if you wanna - 💕 (no pressure though, mimicking writing styles is,,, an adventure tbh😂). oh, and for the mood/style, if you don't wanna do the writing style thing - maybe descriptive or introspective:D

hey aster!!! thanks so much!!!

ah the prompt kind of got away from me a bit XD uhh it takes place during the night oof

it was really fun trying to mimic your writing style!  To me, it’s super poetic and meaningful. You seem to really like word pictures and metaphors and contrasting ideas, so I tried to channel those here but I wasn’t able to do it as well as you in the end 😆

want me to try writing something in your style? check out this post here!

---

"Hey, what are you doing?  Aren't we supposed to be laying low?"

If she were a lesser ninja, she might have jumped at his unexpected address.  But she has been aware of her tail ever since she left the base, has heard the light footfalls of someone who knew how to move silently but didn't have the right shoes to completely mask his steps; the quiet puffing breaths of someone who was used to moving quickly but not to the sudden limitations of his own body.

"Good evening to you too, kid," she says without looking up.

He huffs softly behind her, a small, annoyed sound.

"What are you doing?" he repeats.  "You know the Sons of Garmadon patrol these streets.  It's dangerous to be out in the open like this."

"Relax.  I'm almost done, you worrywart."

She surveys the wares in front of her with an eye possibly too critical for the simple dockhand she's playing to be.  At least her hands certainly look the part; they cradle the taper candles with a gentleness at odds with the rough callouses of her hands.  It's the same way she's always picked out items, from new mechanical parts to fresh ingredients at the market.  When they matter, she handles them with care.

"These three, ma'am," she says.

The older woman attending the stand wraps up the candles and exchanges them with her for the money.  Lloyd vibrates impatiently behind her, all energy and unable to control it.  He tags her footsteps as they step back out onto the street.

"Okay, so now are you gonna tell me?"

She doesn't answer him immediately.  

He takes a step closer.  With neon light bouncing off his eyes, he’s a facsimile of his former appearance.  A cruel joke, she would have thought this morning.

A promise, she thinks now.

"Nya?"

"Aren't the lights beautiful?"  

It's something she's always loved about the city.  Back in her small village, light was a far more limited resource.  Lanterns sometimes lit the path for her feet, but far more often, she relied on the stars for guidance.  They hung high in the sky above her head, subject to the whims of the weather, hiding when it was cloudy and vanishing at the approach of the sun.

Dazzling with all its lights, the city is a far better guide than the stars.  

"They're coming back, Lloyd," she breathes softly.

He looks at her, a question glittering in his eyes.

"The others are still alive," she says, she knows.  The planks that were the splintered aftermath of her worst nightmare now stoke a fire within her, one that will not die out.  

She holds up her package.  A candle in the window, burning brighter than any star.  A city, blazing so bright it could probably be seen from space.

"And they're gonna find their way back to us," she says.  "They're gonna make it home."

[rosiehunterwolf]

for the 100 followers (congrats!!:D) event - could i request something about/from prime empire? or smth to do with sacrifice? no pressure!<3

Thank uuuuu friend, and absolutely you can request something from Prime Empire, my beloved. I was very excited for this one-

(Also I’d just like to say that if you haven’t watched the prime empire short “Stowaway” yet, you probably should, for context)

the things i'd do for you

Summary: Scott doesn’t have friends. Friends demand resources and attention- things he doesn’t have to spare. Most importantly, they make mistakes. Scott can’t make mistakes. Even a small one could destroy everything he’s ever worked for.

But when Jay, quite literally, comes crashing into his life, Scott’s left wondering why he suddenly wants to sacrifice so much for some kid he just met.

“Who the hell are you?”

A young man clad in blue grinned sheepishly at him from the other side of his windshield. “Uh… let’s just say I’m not from here.”

The first time Scott met Jay, he wasn’t sure what to think. When a guy lands on your windshield in the middle of a car chase with red visors, there isn’t much time to process. Even if you do get time, it’s spent wondering what in the world just happened.

But, as Scott learned in the coming days, Jay was always one for coming in with a bang. Something that was very problematic when he had landed himself a spot as an ally to Prime Empire’s most wanted.

He was a loner. There was a reason he had spent the past years in solitude, why he dedicated every credit he could get to leveling up his stealth barrier. He had gone thirty years avoiding capture from the red visors, and he wasn’t about to let that end now.

But here he was, tearing through the streets in his car, red visors hot on his tail, with too many people looking, too much attention. Attention and survival didn’t mix when you were on Unagami’s bad side.

Why am I even doing this? Scott glanced over at the guy gripping for dear life onto his car, and he narrowly avoided jerking the car out of the way before a red visor could ram the kid off. I’m risking everything right now. And for a complete stranger?

I only have one life left- one stray laser or wrong turn could end me. Even worse, they know where I am now. Damn, if Unagami catches me now, after everything-

That couldn’t happen. He had to stay alive right now; he had to get out of here.

And that would be much easier without a stowaway on his car.

It was fine; the guy was an NPC. If Scott knocked him off, he would just respawn somewhere else. Then Scott could get away.

But… the red visors were after him. NPCs defying their programming, going against Unagami, were exceedingly rare.

Was there a chance he could be...

He shook his head. No, that was impossible. Scott was the only real person in Prime Empire. He could only assume that Dyer had destroyed the game after Scott had disappeared.

Scott glanced over at the guy. He simultaneously looked both deathly terrified and exhilarated, wind whipping his wild mess of auburn curls in his face. There was a look in his eyes as he gazed back at the red visors, something that reminded Scott a lot of his younger self.

Whatever he was, Scott didn’t feel right just throwing him under the bus- or in this case, his car- like that.

Guess he was taking the hard way out.

“Hold on!” he cried, and his tires screeched loudly as he wheeled around the corner. Man, and he had just gotten his car repaired, too.

But the decision had been made. The kid shot him a grateful grin, and Scott hesitantly returned it.

Scott didn’t let people into his life. Other people meant you had to make sacrifices, and Scott had little to give. Besides, he didn’t know who he could trust anymore. Letting someone in on his hard-kept secrets was too risky.

But as he gazed at the kid, who was bright-eyed, determined, and had a firm grip on his kusarigama as he narrowed his eyes at the red visors, it seemed that maybe some risks were worth taking.

[mitzle]

4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 :D

4. Stop comparing yourself to others, bestie.

5. you’re allowed to have an opinion

6. Accomplishment wise, I once ran a triathlon and raised over £1000 for Cancer Research UK, and I once won first place for vault in a national gymnastics competition as well as 3rd for floor.

7. Buy everything I ever wanted ever

8. Japan. My uncle is Japanese, so him, my aunt, and my sorta cousins have been living there for a while now (usually my Aunt and uncle stay 6 months in Japan, and 6 months in England, but can’t travel bc of COVID). I’ve always wanted to go. I’d think I want to go the main island, Honshu, but the main tropical island, Kyushu, looks so poggers too. But I’d be so happy if I could go ANYWHERE in Japan.

9. I have many, but I think one of them is definitely-

Dont protect your daughters. Educate your sons.

[fabro-de-omres]

🌟🥺

!!! again, the colors aren't exactly perfect but this is my interpretation of your blog!! the star theme came from your header image :D

[goldenavenger02]

4, 5, 8, 10, 13, 25 :D💛

4) favorite character you’ve written

Like, ever? Hmmm… It's either Stiles Stilinski (Teen Wolf) or Lloyd Garmadon (Ninjago) but for completely different reasons. Like, Stiles has a very unfiltered, snarky personality but is also incredibly loyal and protective of his friends which is very fun to toy around with. As for Lloyd, he's a kid who grew up too fast both figuratively and literally and is the "leader" of his friend group. He really just needs some time to be a kid.

5) character you were most surprised to end up writing

Zane (Ninjago). Zane is a character who I like, but is definitely not my favorite and is the hardest character (that I've written) to get correct. So when I wrote a Zane centric one shot earlier this year, I was surprised for sure that I even managed to finish it.

8) favorite genre to write

Definitely angst.

10) write in silence or with background noise? with people or alone?

I have to write with background music or otherwise I get distracted. I have a whole writing playlist, but I prefer scores and Taylor Swift. Anything slow works for the most part though. As for writing with people, it goes either way. I usually write in my bedroom that I share with three of my sisters so there's usually one of them in there

13) your strengths as an author

Dialogue. I'm convinced I could write a whole story with just dialogue.

25) copy/paste a few sentences or a short paragraph that you’re particularly proud of

This is from my story "they've come to get me (and everything's okay)

•••

"I'm going to protect you from Harumi, Garmadon, The Sons of Garmadon, and anyone else who tries to fuck with you. I don't care that you don't want me to, that you feel as though offering yourself as a martyr will make this better, I'm going to," she got off the edge of the bed and started to make her way to the door, only stopping when she heard him sniffle.

"I know your life has been scarred by tragedy. That every time something good happens, something worse has to destroy it. But going into this rebellion, this...resistance, with the attitude of wanting to die for it…" she trailed off, finally turning around to see Lloyd's eyes on her, the tears finally leaving her eyes, "Lloyd, that will kill you. And I am not losing anyone else, not after today."

[ninjago-bingo]

okay, so. uh.

i wasn't even sure if i should write this, bc awkwardness (you don't actually have to reply to the ask, like, this is a silly thing to apologize for because it's such a huge oversight-) but-

so you know how the ninbingo literally only had one major theme, right? like literally one thing that everyone had to follow, other than the prompt, right?

yeah. uh. i just realized that i spent a month working on something, posted said thing, and only realized *afterwards* that it did not relate, in any freaking way, to found family- (this is the 'error 404: answer not found' thing, which was more of an akita character study than anything, oooff-)

i mean, i know it's not like a school project or something, but... sorry, y'all, that was pretty stupid and i-

but also, i'm pretty sure this is kind of funny (i'm torn between cringing and laughing over how stupid i can be sometimes lol), so i thought it'd be nice to let y'all have fun at the expense of my poor memory too😂😭

ah, seriously no worries!! there was more than enough ninja gang stuff in that fic to fall under the category of found family: Lloyd pleading with Akita not to kill Zane? Zane wondering if he can be forgiven, deserves forgiveness, and the rest of the ninja being immediately like "heck yeah of course you're our brother we love you" is a trope that can be so found family and in this essay i will-

so yeah no you're completely fine!!! and i mean at the end of the day this is fanfiction, ya know? don't sweat it and i'm looking forward to reading your new one when i get a break from school!!! :D

[demonicxrocker]

bisexual asexual nya icons for @m-aster-of-spinjitzu

free to use with reblog and credit in your bio; no exceptions

reblogs > likes. spam-like(liking) and/or spam-reblog(reblogging) my posts and you're getting blocked. /srs

[nickelwick]

Thank you @legogeek33, @homestuckinthebutt, @theyneedtherapy, @m-aster-of-spinjitzu, and @goldenavenger02 for answering my post about the post-oni ninjago seasons! I really appreciated that you guys took the time to answer! Now I have an idea what to expect, and needless to say, I’m glad season 11 gets better (not that it’s bad rn it’s just different.) Like you guys said, it seems like fans are pretty divided on season 12 (but one episode is really really good apparently!) but I hope I like it. Now I’m looking forward to the new seasons even more-thanks again!

[ninjago-events]

Ninjago Low Effort Secret Santa 2021 Reveal!

In order of receiver: i.e. person received -> person give

abby-thatsit -> @m-aster-of-spinjitzu

coreys-riffin -> @ninjaslegosmains

destinymanticor -> @going-88mph

error-core-animations -> @jayabound

going-88mph -> @ninjas-go-round/miraculous-ninjabird

jayabound -> @ninjago-happens-here

m-aster-of-spinjitzu -> @coreys-riffin

miraculous-ninjabird/ninjas-go-round -> @destinymanticor

ninjago-happens-here -> @tokaywineandcheese

ninjaslegosmains -> @error-core-animations

sebilini -> @thecoleyghost

thecoleyghost -> @abby-thatsit

tokaywineandcheese -> @sebilini

Thanks to everyone who participated!

[21st-century-ninja]

though she be but little

Hey Merry Christmas @m-aster-of-spinjitzu​!!! I got to write for you for the @ninjagosecretsanta2021​ event, and honestly I had a blast doing this one XD  I know you asked for some hurt/comfort and I did my best to stick to it, but I fear this might have become a bit fluffy in the end.  Anyway, I hope you enjoy this little bit of Colania!  It’s also on ao3 here :D

The sun is warm on his back as he leans forward to capture another wisp of hair.  Cole brushes through the strand lightly with his fingers, detangling and smoothing it before he adds it to the section already in his hands.  When his fingertips brush against Vania’s head again, she sighs and leans back into his hands.

“How’s it looking?”

“Per-itty good, if I do say so myself.”

“Can I see?”

“No, but you can feel.”  Gently, he guides her hand up, up to where the integrated braid presses against her scalp.  She runs her fingers over the silky surface.

“It’s nice!”

“Hey, don’t sound so surprised!  I can be a delicate guy.”

Despite him telling her not to, Vania twists around.  Cole grunts and chases after her head to keep the braids the proper tautness.  “That’s not what I meant,” she says.  “How did you get so good at this?”

Cole guides her back to her original position, readjusting his strands.  “I used to do it with my mom,” he says back.  “But I haven’t got a chance in a while.  Nya’s hair was too short for the longest time, and Kai doesn’t let anyone near his head with a ten-foot pole.  And if we’re being frank, I’m too scared to touch the greasy mop that Lloyd calls hair.”

Vania laughs.  The noise causes Chompy, who’s been napping in another patch of sunlight, to perk his head up.  He stretches like a dog, wings opening up all the way and tail whipping side to side before he glances back in their direction.  Vania coos.

“Chompy!  Come here, good boy!”

The little dragon settles in her lap, head resting on her leg like it’s his personal pillow.  Vania pets over his head and Chompy makes a chuffing noise, snuggling down further.

Cole pauses in the middle of a rope braid.  The sound is painfully familiar, and one he hadn’t realized he’d forgotten until just now.  

He has to stay still for a long moment, waiting out the wave of emotion that sweeps suddenly through him.  “You know,” he says, the words tumbling free from his mouth before he realizes, “I used to have a dragon too."  

Vania perks up.  “Of course!”  She turns around again, and this time, Cole doesn’t have the energy to scold her as the braid pulls free from his hands.  “Rocky, right?  One of my books had a whole page on him- well, him and the other dragons, too.  I always thought he looked the most like a Ridgeback."  

Cole shrugs.  “Maybe he was.  That noise that Chompy made just now- he always made that same noise when I gave him liver and toads.”

"Really?  That’s hilarious!”  Vania bends over to fuss with Chompy.  “Did you hear that?” she asks in a baby voice.  “You and Rocky make the same sounds!  What a good boy!”  

Cole’s smile fractures around the edges.  Thankfully, Vania seems oblivious to his mood.

“What ever happened to them?” she asks, tilting her head back toward him.  “I know he combined with the other ninja’s to form the Ultra Dragon, but it seems like after a while, they just... vanished."

Cole’s heart aches.   He fixes his smile, trying to look normal.  However that’s supposed to look.  “Yeah, basically.  They had to go back to their original home, the First Realm.  But-"  He swallows and reaches for her hair again, needing something to ground himself as he speaks.  “But- when the guys and I got stuck in the First Realm, the Iron Baron- he was the top guy there- his throne… It was them.”

“Them?” Vania asks, before the realization catches up to her.  She gasps out loud, hand flying to her mouth.  Spinning around, she rips her hair from his hands again.  This time, Cole doesn’t bother trying to hold on.  "Oh- oh my gosh, Cole.  That’s horrible!  Are you okay?  I can’t even begin to imagine."

Cole does a little one-shoulder shrug.  “I’m okay now.  It was a while ago.”  Even as he speaks, his heart clenches.  The truth of the matter is that there had been so much else going on that the realization barely had time to register with him before it was shoved away by the more-immediately pressing things.  He draws in a quiet breath, recentering himself.  “Anyway, we put a stop to the Baron’s reign, and Firstborne watches over the realm now, so there’s no chance of it happening to any more dragons.”

Vania is still watching him.  Cole braces himself for her pity, or worse, her derision- it wouldn’t be the first time someone’s reacted to him that way; he’s learned the hard way that the world isn’t kind to men who show their emotions- but she’s just looking back at him seriously, eyebrows slightly furrowed and her eyes gentle.  The pressure in Cole’s chest eases, and he scolds himself.  Of course she’s not that type of person.  

“That’s really good, then,” she says softly.  “I’m glad.  You saved them, Cole.”

Cole rubs the back of his neck.  “Ha, it was all of the guys, not just me.”  He gives her a small grin.  “But thank you.  I’m glad too.”  

“Queen Vania!”

The call comes from the other side of the hedge, some attendant with panic lacing through his voice.  Both of them sigh in unison.  

“I’m over here!” Vania calls back.  “I’ll be right with you!”

Cole stands and brushes the grass off his gi, helping Vania do the same.  Her braids are unbalanced to one side still, but that can’t be helped.  

“Well,” she says, trying for brightness again.  “Duty calls.”  Her face falls.  “Oh, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to see you before you leave.”

“It’s okay.  I’ll be back to visit as soon as I can.”

She smiles up at him, and this time it’s more real.  “You better.”

Cole takes her hand and squeezes it.  “I’ll be counting down the days until I see you again.  Promise.”

 ---

“So when I said “see you again”, this wasn’t really what I had in mind.”

With his eyes covered, Cole can’t see her face, but he still grins at the way Vania's tinkling laugh rings out behind him.  “Is this funny to you?” he demands, making sure to keep his voice on the safe side of teasing.  

“A little bit, sorry.”  Slim fingers press against his back between his shoulder blades, and Cole stumbles forward.  “Oh, my bad!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Cole says.  He holds out his hands in front of him.  “Don’t rush me when I can’t see, okay?”  He was only (a little bit) exaggerating when he tripped forward. The hallway’s not narrow enough for his fingers to brush either wall, and the lack of information leaves him disoriented.  It feels wrong to be led around like this, but Cole trusts Vania and knows that she would never hurt him, so he forces the wrongness down and ignores it.  “I’m dying to know what’s so important that it needs all this secrecy.”

“Well, if you stopped running into walls, maybe we’d get there faster.”

“Well,” Cole shoots back in the same tone, “if you stopped directing me into them, maybe I’d stop running into them so much.”

Vania laughs again.  “Oh, Cole, I missed you.”  They pause, and Cole hears the quiet rustle of her skirts as she steps around him.  “None of the other court members treat me like you do.”

“Is it still hard?” Cole asks, turning his blindfolded eyes in the direction he thinks she’s in.  “If they’re not accepting you as queen, then I can, I don’t know, knock some sense into them.”

“It’s not that.  Honestly, they do respect me.  A bit too much, actually.”  The last sentence is said much softer than the others.  “But nope!” she says abruptly, loud and bright again, clasping her hands together with a dull smack.  “I called you up here for a reason, not to hear about me!”  She steps away, and Cole hears the unmistakable sound of a door opening in front of him.  “Cole, may I present to you your surprise!”  

The blindfold is pulled from his eyes.  Cole squints, blinking rapidly.  They’re in a room of some kind, with bright white light spilling in from the outside window.  It’s nearly blinding, going so suddenly from darkness to light, but as his eyes adjust he sees-

Jaw dropping, Cole lets out what is definitely not a squeal.  “Chompy had babies?"

“Surprise!”

The Ridgeback sprawls in his large form, taking up nearly all of the space inside the tower room- but he’s not the only thing here.  Four or five little forms scamper around his stretched-out limbs, tumbling over his tail and gnawing at his paws.  

Cole presses his hands against his cheeks.  "Oh my gosh, Vania, babies!  Why didn’t you tell me?”

Vania laughs.  When Cole glances back to her, she's leaning against the doorframe, beaming.  “When was I supposed to do that, before or after you vanished off to the jungle for weeks?”

Chompy shifts, and Cole realizes that all the adult dragon mass in the room isn’t just him.  A second dragon lifts their head from where it was resting on Chompy’s back.  She has to be the mother, Cole thinks.  The babies couldn’t have come from nowhere.  

The two dragons chirp and chuff lowly at each other, and then the female turns her head and looks right at Cole.  Cole freezes.  Two pairs of eyes regard him, one icy blue, one glittering golden.  Their combined stare is overpowering, and before he can even really think through his actions, Cole bows his head, averting his own gaze.  

One of the dragons- Cole can’t see which- puffs out a quiet breath.  There’s movement, and when he chances to look up, the two of them aren’t looking at him anymore.  The female untwines herself from Chompy.  Rising and stretching, she pads across the room to nip one baby by the back of the neck.  

Chompy stretches too, settling so that his back legs are pointing out behind him like a dog.  He huffs softly, and the female bumps him with her head as she passes him on the way to the big bay window.  Right before she steps through the shimmering forcefield that replaces the window glass, she pauses and looks once more at Cole.  This time, her gaze feels more intense, more weighty, and this time, Cole holds it.  He doesn’t know if it was the right thing to do, but the female’s tail flicks side to side and something about the motion feels pleased.  She’s the one to break their stare, and when she steps through the forcefield and disappears into the horizon, some of the tenseness in Cole’s shoulders relaxes.  He exhales out loud.  

“What was that about?”

“Hmm, I don’t know,” Vania says, quickly, but Cole isn’t sure if that’s because she’s evading the question or if she’s just eager to introduce him to the babies.  “We can get closer now,” she says, tugging on Cole’s sleeve and lending further credence to the second option.  “C’mon!”

She darts into the room, glancing back to make sure he’s following her.  Cole does at a slower pace, glancing at Chompy from the corner of his eye.  But the great dragon doesn’t stir, doesn’t even lift his head as Cole approaches his children. 

Cole exhales quietly again.  A rush of jitters swells within him as he realizes the trust that’s been given him.  

“Over here,” Vania calls.  She’s standing in the center of the baby-dragon pile, beaming down at each of them.  Most of the babies have stopped fooling around with each other now, too interested in the newcomers.  They bat at the edges of her skirts and try to climb up her dress, but she just laughs and gently nudges them away.  She’s looking for a certain one, and when she finds it, she ahas and scoops it up in her arms.  Holding the baby in her arms like a puppy, Vania bounds back to Cole.  The rest of the babies seem to find this uninteresting and return to their former game.  

"This one's the friendliest," Vania confides, bouncing the baby gently.  "I recognize her because of the dark spots on her head.”  Indeed, there are two dark gray blotches on the baby’s otherwise pale head that make it look hilariously like she has angry eyebrows.  “Do you want to hold her?"

"Can I?"  Cole's hands are reaching out before he finishes his question.  Vania sets the baby gently in his arms.  

The baby dragon shifts around.  When she is finally comfortable, she rests her head on his arm and heaves out a great sigh.  Cole laughs quietly.  Vania does too.

“Pure Shintaran Ridgeback,” she says proudly.  “One of Shintaro’s national treasures.  The dragons only breed when they’re happy and feel completely safe in their environment, but their birth rates have been dropping over the last couple of centuries.”  Her face falls.  “We had no clue why, but knowing what we know about Hazza D’ur now, it all makes sense.”  She reaches out and pets down the back of the baby dragon.  “You’re one of the first outsiders- no, first  persons , Shintaran or not- to see a clutch in at least over 100 years.  Maybe even longer.”

Cole swallows.  He runs his own hand down the baby’s head, solemn, but he can’t fight back his smile when the baby pushes back into his hand.  “Thank you so much for letting me see them," he says.  "I’m honored, truly.”

Vania shifts from foot to foot.  “Actually, I was hoping you'd be up for a little more than just seeing them.”  

“What do you mean?”

“I was wondering if you’d actually like to takeherwithyou?”

Cole chokes on his spit.  “What?" he splutters.  "Wait a minute, can you repeat that?  Did you say, "take her with me?"”

Vania lights up.  “Yeah!  So surprise number two!  You're a dad now!  Yay!” 

Cole's words are frozen in his throat.  The longer he doesn't respond, the more Vania's face falls.  “Wait, no, let me try that again," she says. “So remember the last time you were over here?  You probably don’t.  But somehow, we started talking about dragons, and then like immediately after you left I learned that Chompy had had eggs for weeks without letting me know-”  She makes a sharp cutoff motion with her hands.  “But that’s beside the point.  The point is,” she continues softer, “the babies are almost independent now.  They’re ready to leave their parents, and I just knew you’d be the perfect guy to look after one of them because of how good you were with Rocky and the other dragons.  Not that I'm not trying to replace him!  I know he's special to you- I mean, I can't imagine ever replacing Chompy-"

“Vania, Vania, hey,” Cole says, her worry and the need to relieve it finally unlocking his tongue.  He reaches out and touches her shoulder gently, and she quiets.  “I’m not upset about that- I wasn’t even thinking of that, honest.  I just can’t believe-”  He has to pause for a moment so that his voice won’t do anything embarrassing like crack in the middle of his sentence.  “You mean it?  I can have her?”  His eyes rise like they’ve been magnetized and lock with Chompy’s, who sometime in the last handful of minutes has come closer so he’s standing over Vania’s shoulder.  “You’re okay with this?  Both of you?”

Chompy blows out gently through his nose.  He blinks slowly at Cole like a cat.

“Cole,” Vania says.  When he looks at her, her expression is soft.  “You and your family have done so much for us- not just me and Chompy, but all of Shintaro.  It would be  our honor if you adopted her.”

Cole swallows.  “Then yeah,” he says, and the smile that spreads across his face is as tentative as he feels, still unable to fully believe this is real.  “Yeah, okay.  I will.”

Vania bursts into a cheer.  Some of the other baby dragons look up before dismissing her and returning to their tumbling.  The baby in his arms squirms like she wants to join them.  Cole shifts her so he doesn't accidentally drop her.  

“Does she have a name?” he asks.

Vania shakes her head.  “Not yet.  I wanted to let you decide.”

Cole looks down at the little dragon.  Almost like she senses it, she lifts her head.  Two eyes, the color of liquid gold, meet his underneath dark angry eyebrow spots.  So little, yet so strong, demonstrated by the way she digs her feet into his side when he won’t let her go.  Cole laughs and finally lets her run back to her siblings.  

“Pebble,” he says.  “I think I’ll call her Pebble.”

[fabrowrites]

1, 4, 13, 20, 27 (for the 40 questions for fic writers thing:D) - and i know that's,, a lot, feel free to just choose your favs if you wanna:D

oh no this is great!!! thank u!! :D

1. Describe your comfort zone—a typical you-fic.

ah, my comfort zone is definitely team-centric fic where yes, they have issues, but they love each other and work together to overcome those issues, whatever they may be. My favorite things to write about are mutual trust and respect <3

4. How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Care to share one of them?

lol I’ve always got a bunch of ideas floating around my notes app at any given moment, but in terms of actual, fleshed-out fic ideas that might actually get written, maybe about 4 or 5?  I’m debating writing another time travel fic rn actually, kinda inspired by aloneintherain’s journey to the past BNHA fic XD

13. What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

so this goes for all creative activities, but if you find yourself hating something you’re making, take a step back and leave it alone for a couple of days to a few weeks, even.  In the case of fic specifically, start at the top and read it all the way through without editing.  You’ll find a lot of stuff you like about it and it can help you get a better idea of your overall themes, pacing, and plot development!

20. Describe your perfect writing conditions.

I like to be alone when I’m writing!  I find my brain is the most focused/creative during the morning hours, and I like to listen to music on low when I’m writing.  The music itself doesn’t matter as long as I’m familiar with it :D

27. How do you feel about collaborations?

I’ve only collabed with one other person before, and the project fell through after a while but I’d love to do more sometime!  it would be a lot of fun- literally reach out to me if you wanna collab and you like writing team-as-family stuff, I can’t promise my schedule will be clear but I’m always down to see!

[rosiehunterwolf]

i know i'm a little late, but: 😂 ☺️ 🤨👤 (i know these are a lot, i just didn't wanna send stuff that had already been asked. just choose your fav/s!:D)

Haha no problem Aster!

And actually I haven’t gotten any of these ones yet so IM DOING ALL. ALL OF THEM.

😂 Share your funniest line (or dialogue exchange)

Ngl… it took me a while to find one XD. Not to say my fics are ALL doom and gloom (they mostly are) but the parts I write ahead of time usually are the angsty bits lol. I did find this, though… it’s kinda old and I don’t know when it’s going to happen XD

“I’ll go next,” the Water Ninja announced. She pulled off the gray mask, huffing slightly in embarrassment as it got caught in her hair, and with a final tug, yanked it free, sending beautiful, wavy black hair tumbling down her back. Brushing it out of her eyes, she looked up- and Jay found himself staring right into the stunning brown eyes of Nya Smith.

Jay nearly choked on his toast.

Luckily, no one noticed, because the Fire Ninja, who had just taken a sip of orange juice, spat it out, sending droplets of the orange liquid everywhere.

“Oh, that’s nice,” Nya said, wrinkling her nose.

☺️ Share a happy line

(what are you DOING to me, Aster? Are you trying to conform me to be a fluffy writer? Because IT’L NEVER WORK!! /lh)

“Lloyd and Nya will get it back after they meet up with us.”

Kai perked. “We’re going to see them? In person?” Oh gosh, it had been nearly a year since he had seen them face-to-face, not just over a grainy FaceTime call on a sketchy internet connection. He bit his lip, trying to stop the tears from budding in his eyes. I’m just one, big, emotional mess today, aren't I?

🤨 Share a line that makes no sense out of context

Hmmm…. I think this works for this one?

“Hey.”

Jay didn’t move. “You followed me here?”

“Of course I did. I was worried about you.”

Jay exhaled, pressing his face into his hands. “I love you, Cole, but sometimes, you are just too much for me.”

Glancing up into the mirror, he saw Cole’s frown deepen. “Did I do something to you?”

“It’s not always about you!” The words exploded from his mouth before he could stop them.

Cole was quiet. Jay glanced up again to see the senior staring at him, something glistening in his dark eyes.

Fear.

👤 Share a line that shows a character’s personality

Lloyd didn’t say anything, staring at his feet as he gently swung them back and forth. In the way he was positioned, they didn’t even touch the floor. Kai was reminded again of exactly how young he was.

“Lloyd?” he whispered. “You okay?”

The green ninja remained silent, and Kai tried again. “Look, I totally understand if you don’t want to do this-”

“No.” Lloyd’s voice was quiet, but firm, and Kai snapped his mouth shut instantly.

“I… I have to do this,” he continued, a little more shakily. “If I’m the only one who can do this… he needs to be stopped.”

“I’m really sorry it has to be this way. I would take your place in a heartbeat, if I could.”

“I know you would. But you can’t. It has to be me.”

[mitzle]

MERRY CHRISTMAS MY BELOVED MUTUALS

@lego-sand @m-aster-of-spinjitzu @wait-im-not-out @fishybehavior @ice-emperor-zane

[fabro-de-omres]

i know i'm a little late, but: ☺️🎬👤 (for the wip ask game:D, if these haven't been asked already)

ahh thanks fren!!  no worries i was late with this answer XD

☺️: a happy line!

On a stormy, gray day at the beginning of May, Lloyd Garmadon makes a friend for the very first time.  

🎬: latest line I've written (lol sorry yall this one's from a bangtan fic)

He finds Taehyung’s favorite pajamas and blankets and has them ready for when he gets out of the shower, and it’s only after Taehyung is safely on the couch with Hoseok petting through his hair that the rest of them turn their attention to other needs.

👤: a line that shows a character's personality

Jay sighs. "Can't. I'm not working tomorrow, and I've got a test I need that textbook for in two days."

"Two days?" repeats Cole judgmentally.

Kai has no such qualms. "Procrastination nation," he cheers and gives Jay a fist bump.