#s1 - rise of the snakes

[beegs-bugs]

He’s just a little guy

[coffeeisfortheresponsible]

i think jays short hair was actually peak sue me

woahhh me developing an art style??? crazy

[emerald-cloud23]

i keep forgetting the blacksmiths shop kai and nya ran back in the pilots had samurai stuff, as wu points out, not ninja stuff. of course s1 nya would choose to be a samurai- she knew what armor, weapons etc they had because her brother and her made and sold such stuff! it probably gave her some form of comfort/nostalgia for their home despite no longer living there

[toastingpencils37]

In "All of Nothing" Jay uses lightning to travel down an electrical pole (as the lightning himself) at the beginning of the episode, and then never does so again.

Which is sad, but why doesn't he? Is it dangerous/painful/draining for him to do so? Or is it something limited to the Nunchucks of Lightning that the Elemental Master of Lightning alone cannot do without merging with it?

[penofwildfire]

Idk why we're all so obsessed with Lloyd's age when his bodily age does not matter. Just give him a headcanon for his chronological age and stop worrying about it. I think he was 9 in seasons 1 and 2 and no amount of Tomorrow's Tea is gonna change that for me. It just makes him slightly taller and gives him better hair 🤷‍♂️

[everyfandomsprincess]

Casually scrolling on the Ninjago wiki and I come across this

What?

No, no that can’t be true

Who is this?!

[runningfrom2am]

cold nights // part twelve

summary: may the odds be ever in your favour.

pairing: coriolanus snow x fem!reader

wc: 2.9k

masterlists / nav / requests

tags/warnings: tribute!reader and mentor!coriolanus, r is very sweet (too kind for this world. literally.), sunshine x grumpy trope kinda, he falls first, violence typical for the source material, r is very smart (as she should), district twelve!reader.

a/n: i can't believe we made it to the end of s1! i am so, so excited to move on to the next era of this story! this is a reminder if you love this series and you haven't already please reblog this or the masterlist! it makes such a big big difference for me and my fellow writers know it all too well lol.

my asks are also open to talk about this series! (i do have emoji anons open now too!)

send me any and all of your thoughts! here!

series masterlist // playlist

Coriolanus wakes up, head on the open pages of Romeo and Juliet as people start to flood in, everyone anxious about what would happen to you.

He rubs the sleep out of his eyes, quickly casting his view to the screen ahead, camera view still locked on you. There was no one else for it to be tracking, after all. Except now, you were on Lamina's beam, lying down with your eyes closed. He wasn't sure if you were awake, or when you had even made your way down into the clearing, but you don't move. He can see the steady rise and fall of your chest as you lay with his scarf bunched up behind your head. Tigris was right, you had survived, but you wouldn't have without him. You looked peaceful- not at all like the girl he had seen crumbling apart on the same screen just a few hours prior.

"I feel as though I should inform you, they'll be going in very soon." Highbottom says, grabbing the boy's attention. "But I'd put my money on those boys being dead in there. Congratulations, Coriolanus. This means almost nothing for you."

He walks away before Coryo is even done processing what he had said. He wouldn't get the prize, most likely, but he would still have you.

You don't stir until you hear the peacekeepers entering the arena, sitting up and seeing them with guns pointed in your direction. "Don't move." One of them spits at you and you nod, eyes wide as you raise your hands. You watch as a designated team in different uniforms make their way up to enter the vents, and others spray something over the piles of snakes, stilling those that were still showing any signs of life.

"Is it over?" You ask, confused.

"Not until we can confirm you are the only remaining tribute." One of them answers and you nod, chewing on your lip as you watch the men disappear into the vents.

"Okay... Thank you."

You know what they would find in there, the bodies of the two boys trapped behind your salt line. You could tell them where the boys would be found, but then you'd be outing yourself. You had only confessed to Coryo. Only he could know. Last night, you didn't care. You have to assume he was the only one who witnessed your breakdown, your confession, because if anyone else had, you'd likely be dead by now. You have to hope your secret is safe with him if you want to go home.

The morning drags on forever as you sit there with guns pointed at you from the ground, and Coryo is pacing in the hall. There were many people around, excited to see if you would be crowned as the victor. People were rooting for you, and he was proud of that, but support didn't mean that you were promised a win.

Vipsania and Domitia were the only other two remaining mentors, whispering to each other across the room after they came back. It was eerily silent.

Then, one of the men emerges from the vent, turning all heads including yours as he just nods toward the peacekeepers watching you.

"Alright. Come on down." The same peacekeeper addresses you and you nod, a tear falling down your cheek.

"She did it." Coryo whispers to himself, realization forcing a grin onto his face.

Lucky laughs, clapping his hands together. "She's won! Y/N Y/L/N from District Twelve!" He calls out, making his way over to Coriolanus. "Coriolanus Snow is the Victor of the Tenth Annual Hunger Games!"

Coryo laughs in shock, smiling as the man pats his shoulder. He catches in the corner of his eye as his two classmates storm out, and he's quickly crowded with congratulations and praise.

"I won?" You ask quietly, feet landing on the ground again.

"Yes, they were found." He nods, and quickly your arms are being grabbed as you're led out of the arena.

"Do you know, did Coriolanus get his prize?" You ask them, but your question is ignored as you walk down the hall toward the exit, looking back over your shoulder as the gate is closed behind you.

Just outside the gates, you don't get much of a taste of freedom before you're being pushed into the back of the same truck. Empty. Bigger. Lonely.

"Empty your pockets." The peacekeeper tells you, standing at the entrance.

You do so hesitantly, holding up the compact on a shaky palm. "I'm sorry to ask, but can I have some water? Please?" You ask, once again ignored as the compact is pulled from your hand. "Please, sir, that was a gift... If you must take it can you return it to my mentor? Coriolanus Snow?"

He opens the cold metal, pulling out the piece of paper and unfolds it, quickly scanning it's contents. "That is for him, too. Though, if I had the chance now I would change it." You explain. You knew you both would be in deep trouble if you were caught for what you convinced yourself was no more than salt, and clarity came to you enough to lie about what the compact had contained all this time.

The peacekeeper hums, closing it up again and shoving both items into his own pocket, pointing the gun at you again. "Clothes off."

"Ex-excuse me?" You reply, taken aback by the request.

"Clothes off. Now." He repeats and you nod, swallowing the lump in your dry throat as you begin to slide off your dress, letting it fall at your feet. He moves the gun again, gesturing for you to continue. With trembling hands you remove your underthings, your shoes, and the scarf, placing them on the floor in front of you. He quickly gathers them, taking a step back and nodding to someone outside.

He moves out of the way and you stand there confused, watching as he shakes out your clothes and searches them, when suddenly you're being sprayed down with a hose. You yelp from the fast contact of the cold water pelting against your skin, but it wakes you up. After the initial shock, it actually feels good to be somewhat clean again.

You pant as the water is shut off, catching your breath and rubbing your arms to try and warm yourself again. Your clothes are tossed back into the truck at you before the door is slammed, and you use the scarf to try and dry yourself off a little bit before tying it around yourself the same way Coryo had. By the time you pull the second strap of your dress back on, the truck is moving and you're lurching forward.

You're driving for a while before the door is opened again, and you're relieved to get some fresh air. It was cold in there, and you were shivering in your small dress that was now also damp from your skin.

Once the doors open you're staring down the barrels of more guns as the peacekeepers usher you out and into the train station, right where you were let off all those days ago. Days... or weeks? You don't even know anymore.

"Lay off, why don't you? She's been through enough." A man in a black suit comes into your view, and they drop their weapons and let you go.

He steps in front of you and you wrap your arms around yourself to try and warm up. "Thank you, Sir." You smile, nodding at him politely.

"Nothing to thank me for..." He sighs. "I'm Dean Highbottom from the academy, it's a pleasure to meet you. Congratulations on your victory." Surprisingly to you, he doesn't seem inconvenienced. Someone other than Coryo and Sejanus seemed to be willing to talk to you, to treat you like a human again. When he congratulates you, he sounds sad.

"Thank you, Sir." You nod again. "Do I... Will I be going home now?"

"Yes. In just a few minutes." He nods, gesturing for you to follow him toward the train. "I am extremely familiar with your mentor, Coriolanus Snow." He tells you as you join his side.

"Oh, wonderful!" You force a smile. "I have some things for him, just a note and something he leant to me. I gave them to that man over there. Would you mind making sure they make it back to him?" You point out the peacekeeper as you follow him toward the train.

"I'll see to it that he gets it back, yes." Dean Highbottom nods with a slight roll of his eyes, stopping next to the stairs that would lead you onto the passenger train. "But... if I may offer you some advice?"

"Please." You nod, urging him on.

"Be grateful you survived him."

You want to ask what he means, but the anger you saw behind your friend's eyes that night in the arena would haunt you and you knew that. Surely, that's what the Dean is talking about.

"Yes." You agree, unsure what else to say when he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a stack of cash.

"Take this, your prize, I suppose." He hands it over to you. It must be hundreds of dollars. Maybe over a thousand. With this, you could do so much for your family. "Oh, and Miss Y/L/N... You wouldn't happen to know anything about the rat poison that was in that compact, would you?"

You tense up, tilting your head at him with a confused smile. "Poison? No... All I had put inside was salt." You reply. "Sejanus Plinth gave it to me, with food from his Ma. Salt is good for protection, you know, so I kept it for later. Keeps you safe from evil and harm." You ramble on, panic and shock in your tone. Sejanus had given you salt to put on some vegetables and sandwiches he brought you, but now that you're trying to piece the story together, you don't remember even opening the compact until you were in that vent. Coryo had told you not to open it, so you wouldn't have. Your own memory is confusing you.

"I've heard that." He nods, eyeing you skeptically.

The train horn makes you jump before you can even thank him.

"Go on, now." He urges you onto the train, deciding to let slide however you had came across the rat poison. Clearly, you didn't know what you had done. Or you were convincing yourself you didn't remember. "Enjoy your freedom."

You nod and step up onto the stairs. You were hoping you would get to see Coryo again, it disappointed you that you never would. Maybe it was a good thing you wrote your goodbye note, even if you had survived. "I give you, upon my knees, a thousand thanks." You smile to the man still standing on the ground below you who just nods in acknowledgment before you close the door behind yourself, Coryo's scarf still wrapped around your waist.

"Y/N?" Coryo calls out, walking into the high biology lab. He was told you had something for him, no doubt the scarf and the compact.

"She's gone." Dean Highbottom cuts in, just before Coryo spots him in the poorly lit room.

"I was told-"

"I know what you were told. Here." The Dean tells him, pointing to the metal compact on the table.

Coryo looks at it only briefly before returning his gaze to the man who offered it to him. "Where is she?"

"I wouldn't worry about that, Coriolanus. Your work is done." He explains vaguely. "Were you aware that she cheated?"

"Cheated?" Coryo asks. "How?" He feigns ignorance.

"The boys in the vents didn't die from snake venom, or violently, or, naturally- for that matter." The Dean tsk's. "It was rat poison. Which, before you argue with me, cannot be found inside the arena or even within reach of the monkey cage at the zoo. I checked. So be honest, you have no idea how she got her hands on such a substance?"

"No, I don't." Coryo lies. "But she did what she could to survive- don't take it out on her because she somehow cheated your games. Next year give them uniforms, or up security or something."

"Just thought I'd ask. She told me she got it from Plinth." He waves him off, and Coryo ticks his head in slight confusion.

"Sejanus? No, he-"

"She really... declined, in there." Highbottom cuts him off, making it evident that he at least believed that Sejanus wouldn't do such a thing. "Told me it was only salt. Genuinely, it seemed like she didn't know. Or, she forced herself to forget. A sweet girl like that, it doesn't surprise me that that's how she would rationalize her actions."

"Is she alive? Because if you killed her for that I-"

"You'll what, Mister Snow? I thought you said you just wanted the prize."

"She deserved better." He states simply, swallowing the anxiety building in his throat.

"She does. I agree." Highbottom nods. "Which is why you won't see her again."

Coryo furrows his brow. "I... I don't understand how that could be relevant."

"Oh, I know you do, Mister Snow." His superior replies, a condescending edge to his words.

Coryo snatches the compact off of the table and quickly pockets it, storming out of the room. At least he hadn't been caught for helping you cheat, though he was sure Highbottom knew better. Now, he didn't have the Plinth Prize, and he didn't have you.

When he finally got home, he couldn't help but slam the door behind himself.

"Coryo?" Tigris calls out, excited as she puts down the project she was working on and rushes to the entranceway to meet him. "I didn't expect you home so soon! Did you get to see Y/N?" Her smile fades when she sees his expression. "What's wrong?"

"They wouldn't let me see her. She's already gone." He explains, pulling off his blazer.

"Oh..." Tigris frowns, taking the blazer from him to hang it up. "I know you really wanted to say goodbye. I'm so sorry."

"She'll never forgive me." He shakes his head slightly. "If she's even still alive! I doubt they would tell me!" He laughs, bringing his hands up to rub his eyes with his palms.

"They wouldn't kill her, Coryo. People loved her too much." She is quickly reassuring, reaching out to rub his shoulders. "You did nothing wrong... You did all you could for her. She'll forgive you."

"Not that." He mutters. "It's what I told you. You didn't see the way she looked at me, Tigris. Like... Like I was a monster."

"She was already scared. She was way out of her element. I think now, that she's safe, she'll find the space to see it reasonably." She tries to soothe his worries as best she can. "You're a good friend to her, and she's a kind person. She'll understand."

"But I'll never know for sure that she does."

"You might one day... Don't beat yourself up about it, and don't give up on her."

After a long, two-day journey curled up on a bench on the train, you recognize the building the train is stopping at. Suddenly, all your energy is returned to you as it slows to a stop, and you're already waiting at the door. You hear the latch unlock and you couldn't get off fast enough.

No one you knew were there, not that you expected any kind of greeting party. You inhale the fresh air, once again surrounded by the trees and your own people. You walk out of the train station and down the street, in the general direction of your home. You tried waving at a few folks you knew on the way, but people just stared, for the most part, jaws slack with surprise. They had already grieved your death. Sometimes you were met with a sad smile, but no one wanted to speak to you. You understood. You were used to that after your time in the Capitol.

"Y/N Y/L/N, is that you?" An excited voice called after you resigned yourself to a quiet walk home, twenty minutes from the bustle of the train station. You turn your head to look up at the back entrance to the Hob, a wide smile taking over your face when you see the speaker.

Your friend is already barrelling toward you, throwing her arms around you as your eyes fill with happy tears. It was refreshing. "I never thought I'd see you again..." You sniff, resting your chin on her shoulder as you hug her back.

Rhythmically, your best friend sways you back and forth. "Oh, I know, I know, sweetheart..." She hums, rubbing your back reassuringly. You can hear her voice crack too. "But you're home now. You're okay..."

She lets you break down as she practically holds you up as you cry in each other's arms. From happiness or trauma, you're not sure. "I did some awful things, I regret it all..."

"Don't regret a thing." She shushes you. "You did what you had to."

"No, no... You don't know... You didn't see..."

"I watched, Hun. When I could." She pulls away, placing her hands on your cheeks to wipe your tears. "You did nothing wrong. All that matters is that you're home now."

You sniff again with a slight nod. "I fear too early, for my mind misgives; Some consequence, yet hanging in the stars, shall bitterly begin."

"No... Y/N/N. You're safe here. You are forgiven." She assures you, rubbing your arms. "Now, let's get you home. A good rest will do you well, your parents have been waitin' on you." She waits for you to nod before stepping to your side, guiding you in the right direction with an arm around your waist.

"Thank you, Lucy Gray." You mumble, allowing yourself to lean into her hold.

taglist: @soulessjourney , @that-veela-girl ,  @dreamyysouls , @rockstarbfs , @maysileeewrites , @baybieruth , @kitscutie ,  @fratboyharrysgf0201 , @totallynotkaibiased , @stelleduarte , @secretsicanthideanymore , @bejeweledreverie , @drewsandsebastianswife , @niicole-87 , @queenofshinigamis , @innercreationflower , @nallasstuff , @scorpiolystoned , @iovemoonyy , @thatmarvelchick19 , @wearemadeofstardust0 , @regulusblackcore , @puredreamagination , @fantasticchaosthing , @becauseseaotters , @secretsicanthideanymore

okay suddenly tumblr isn't letting me tag more people than this so i just made some cuts unfortunately :') i just left the max amount of people i could whose users i recognized and see in my notifs all the time :) if you're not on here and you should be i'm so sorry!

also this taglist is closed now!! if you’d like to get a notification when i update, turn on my post notifications!! i promise i won’t spam y'all :,)

[somelegobird]

I got curious so I kinda

Total number of wishes made per season:

Pilot Episodes: 0

Rise of the snakes: 3

Legacy of the Green Ninja: 6

Rebooted: 0

Tournament of Elements: 6

Possession: 3

Skybound: 45

Day of the Departed: 0

The Hands of Time: 7

Sons of Garmadon: 1

Hunted: 0

March of the Oni: 1

Secrets of the Forbidden Spinjitzu: 7

Prime Empire: 0

Master of the Mountain: 3

The Island: 0

Seabound: 1

Crystalized: 6

Dragons Rising s1: 7

Total wishes: 96

In this doc, the seasons are colour coded, I made a "Wishes per Character" list, the rules and guidelines I set for myself are laid out, and there's more interesting and specific graphs.

More specific lists below (Who said it, how it was said, and what episode it was said in).

Rise of the snakes

(Snakebit) Wu: I wish.

(Once Bitten, Twice Shy) Cole: I wish I had a sister like you.

(All of Nothing) Kai: Ugh. I wish I could see me now, because you all just got Kai'd.

Legacy of the Green Ninja

(Pirates vs Ninja) Garmadon:  I wish they were here to show these scaly idiots how it's done.

(Double Trouble) Garmadon: Ninja, today I wish for you to finally meet your match.

(Ninjaball Run) Ed: Oh, we're fine, son. Just wish I could say the same for the old jalopy.

(Ninjaball Run) Garmadon: I wish to rip open Ninjago and make an insurmountable obstacle that they can never surpass!

(Child's Play) Garmadon: I wish to create the power to make you young.

(Wrong Place, Wrong Time) Garmadon: I wish I could go back in time, and make it so the ninja were never formed in the first place!

Tournament of Elements

(Only One Can Remain) Karlof: Karlof wish he never sign up for this. 

(Versus) Neuro: I wish I could've done more.

(Spy for a Spy) Karlof: Karlof wish he had friend like that.

(The Day of the Dragon) Karlof: Karlof wish he could do that.

(The Greatest Fear of All) Skylor: I wish I still had the power to change.

(The Corridor of Elders) Kai: I wish I could say we're not facing an army unlike we've ever seen, but we have, and we know what they're capable of.

Possession

(Ghost Story) Jay: Uh, I wish Lloyd was here for that.

(The Crooked Path) Ronin: I wish it never had to come to this.

(Grave Danger Jay: Oh, I wish we had the Sword right about now.

Skybound

(Infamous) Nya: Aw, I wish we could, but duty calls.

(Infamous) Clouse: I wish for my Book of Spells.

(Infamous) Clouse: I wish...I wish to become mortal again.

(Infamous) Nadakhan: I wish it could be over soon, but right now, you're probably thinking about your last wish.

(Infamous) Clouse: I-I wish it all to go away!

(Public Enemy Number One) Misako: I wish to speak to someone in charge!

(Public Enemy Number One) Misako: I wish I hadn't said anything in the first place!

(Misfortune Rising) Clancee: I really wish he'd warn us when he did that.

(Misfortune Rising) Jay: I wish I never saw my future.

(Misfortune Rising) Jay: Then I wish...I wish I wasn't born in a junkyard.

(Misfortune Rising) Jay: I wish I wasn't poor anymore and could give Nya everything she wants.

(Misfortune Rising) Nadakhan: I wish.

(Misfortune Rising) Jay: I just wish I wasn't alone with you.

(Misfortune Rising) Lloyd: I wish Wu were here to guide us.

(Misfortune Rising) Kai: The only thing I wish is for you to take me back.

(Misfortune Rising) Kai: I wish you could take me back

(Misfortune Rising) Kai: I wish for all of it to go away!

(On a Wish and a Prayer) Zane: For my first wish, I wish that you'll not twist my words, nor find a loophole, but understand the true intentions of the words that I speak, and carry out your will as I've thoroughly instructed.

(On a Wish and a Prayer) Zane: I wish...I wish for it all to go away! 

(On a Wish and a Prayer) Flintlocke: We're acquiring so much land, I wish we had more hands.

(Wishmasters) Dareth: I wish I could tell you the mission is gonna be simple. It's not.

(Wishmasters) Cole: I wish Vengestone didn't stop our powers, but made them stronger.

(Wishmasters) Nya: I wish someone told me we were gonna use wishes!

(Wishmasters) Lloyd: I wish you were a lousy shot!

(Wishmasters) Cole: I wish he didn't have that sword.

(Wishmasters) Lloyd: I wish I was wise like Wu.

(Wishmasters) Cole: I wish us all out of here.

(Wishmasters) Nya: I really wish you hadn't said that, Cole.

(Wishmasters) Nya: Then I wish those clouds would stop us!

(Wishmasters) Lloyd: I wish for a sword!

(Wishmasters) Clancee: I-I wish them away!

(The Last Resort) Clancee: Oh, I wish...I wish...I wish I could see where she is right now.

(The Last Resort) Nya: I just wish I had a say in it.

(The Last Resort) Nya: And I wish we didn't have a lovestruck Djinn chasing us to the ends of Ninjago.

(Operation Land Ho!) Jay: I wish Nadakhan wasn't a Djinn! I wish Nadakhan wasn't a Djinn!

(The Way Back) Nadakhan: I wish you wouldn't say that!

(The Way Back) Nadakhan: I wish to deal with you later.

(The Way Back) Nadakhan: I wish I had those odds.

(The Way Back) Nadakhan: I wish the swords away.

(The Way Back) Clancee: I wish you'd listen to me for once!

(The Way Back) Nadakhan: I wish...for my love to return.

(The Way Back) Nadakhan: I wish you gone!

(The Way Back) Nadakhan: I wish you still! (directed at Zane)

(The Way Back) Nadakhan: I wish you still. (directed at Lloyd)

(The Way Back) Jay: I wish you had taken my hand.

The Hands of Time

(The Hands of Time) Acronix: Oh, how I wish my brother were here to see this.

(The Hands of Time) Nya: Sometimes I wish I was still Samurai X instead of a ninja.

(The Hatching) Jay: Kinda wish we hadn't busted him.

(A Time of Traitors) Kai: I wish I could ask you what this is.

(A Time of Traitors) Kai: Actually, I wish I could ask you anything.

(A Time of Traitors) Jay: Wish we had the rest of the team here to help.

(Secrets Discovered) Misako: I wish Wu could have seen this.

Sons of Garmadon

(The Jade Princess) Lloyd: I wish I knew. 

March of the Oni

(The Darkness Comes) Pixal: I wish the others could see this.

Secrets of the Forbidden Spinjitzu

(Questing for Quests) Cole: I wish I understood what you just said, but I don't.

(Never Trust a Human) Aspheera: I wish to hear you say the words.

(Under Siege) Jay: Oh, I wish Lloyd and the others were here.

(Fire Maker) Kai: I just wish I still had my powers.

(Fire Maker) Kai: I just wish there was something I could do.

(Krag's Lament) Jay: I wish Kai was here.

(A Fragile Hope) Kataru: I wish I could give you some hope, but there is none in this place.

Master of the Mountain

(The Worst Rescue Ever) Vania: I wish I could go with you.

(Queen of the Munce) Murtessa: I wish you to be my king, for even though you have tiny arms and ugly human face, you have a stout heart and are a mighty warrior!

(The Son of Lilly) Vania: I wish you could stay.

Seabound

(Nyad) Nya: I wish we had more time, but we never seem to get a break.

Crystalized

(A Painful Promise) Aspheera: Wish I could help, but your ninja never came back.

(The Benefit of Grief) Dareth: I wish I were a Nindroid.

(The Benefit of Grief) Sally: I wish I could turn off my emotion meter.

(Christofern) Garmadon: I wish to understand it better.

(Christofern) Garmadon: I wish to see if there is any goodness in me.

(An Issue of Trust) Nya: I just wish we had better news.

Dragons Rising s1

(Beyond Madness) Lloyd: I only wish Master Wu was here to properly train them.

(Return to Imperium) Sora: I wish I was anywhere but here.

(The Last Djinn) Sora: I wish for you to help us kick these Howlers in their butts!

(The Last Djinn) Nya: I wish for the Howlers to be gone!

(The Call it Doom) Nya: I wish we could locate the missing Dragon Energy Core.

(Land of Lost Things) Sora: I wish I was.

(Land of Lost Things) Sora: I wish I didn't remember mine.

[paperultra]

sometimes, when you wake up in the middle of the night, you put your head on satoru’s chest and listen for his heartbeat.

ear pressed against his sternum, bare skin on bare skin, you hold your breath and wait for the first beat. lub. then the second. dub. you exhale. lub, dub. s1, s2. atrioventricular, semilunar.

you count his heartbeats for sixty seconds. a sorcerer’s resting heart rate is slower than most, and he is no exception; usually, you get up to thirty to thirty-five beats per minute, unless he’s dreaming, during which it shoots up and climbs higher and higher until you tear yourself away to shake him awake.

(his eyes then open, look up at you briefly, then close, and then he snakes his arms around your ribs and curls into you under the bed sheets and pretends to go back to sleep until the sun rises.)

sometimes, you listen for his heartbeat because you’re afraid he might not have one.

gojo satoru is a man gifted with extraordinary power, and with that power comes the capacity for extraordinary cruelty. you’ve seen it, he’s shown you, the delight that he takes in beating his enemies to a bloody pulp, the way he takes and consumes and pushes simply because he can. he’s hurt you before. he’s hated you.

but he is not a monster. gojo satoru is human, and living humans have hearts that beat.

and so, ear pressed against his sternum, bare skin on bare skin, you hold your breath and wait for him.

lub. dub.

[kinopioa]

It's funny how these are technically 3 different chars

But due to sheer publicity of the latter 2 and bias, no one cares!

Let's elaborate

Rise of Lyric

RoL Shadow is a dick. However his main reason for fighting Sonic is entirely due to him fucking up in releasing Lyric. Unfortunately this is poorly explained, and most only saw the boss fight, so many assume he was just a bully for no reason

Post Final boss however

The teamwork dissing is important, I'll explain

In John Melchior's draft, the game was apparently meant to be more serious, but late dev Sonic Boom's brand was suddenly meant to be a comedy, so another writer took over to insert comedic elements along with prioritizing the *teamwork* gimmick. Whether Shadow was initially planned or not is debateable, but his dissing on it seems to have been the aftermath of this gameplay focus. It's also important to note that Shadow's origin is straight up not mentioned, and he's treated as a familiar

Shattered Crystal was made likely after this shift, hence

Shattered Crystal

So taking place in its own continuity, Shattered Crystal features Lyric wanting to use Amy's archeological knowledge to access ancient tech. Shadow is captured off screen and used as a pawn

When freed, he's confused and aggravated, especially upon finding that he was mind controlled. He however has no true hostility to Sonic unlike RoL, though mad dashes off to find the snake. Lyric in the end after the boss fight is taken out by him, then we get Stixk's crack teamwork speech

Again, Shadow specifies he's a loner, and weirdly states he's superior, but just leaves harmlessly

Meh attitude, though better than RoL in execution. This was written by Warren Graff, Ken Pontac, Tin Guerrero, interesting as it means they were aware of the brand distinction given differences to mainline

Meanwhile the TV Show

TV

Everyone knows of his infamous S1 finale apparence with him coming in on Eggman's villain council, calling them shit and leaving, then aggressively targeting Sonic and beating him up, says the fucking "shame to hedgehogkind" after breaking an IKEA cabinet entirely cuz...

He's evil

Why??? I really don't know

Season 2 is even dumber, you straight up have him want to nuke the entire universe. Again, villainous for no fucking reason

Even for Boom standards this is beyond stupid. He's an anti hero in SC, and nowhere purposefully destructive in RoL

People learned later about mandates from Sega, though it's important to note 2 things

-Shadow being an edgelord is entirely the writer's idea

-Sega barely wanted to use him in general for Boom TV

I can't stress this, for as much as fans pushed the "Sega wants bootleg Vegeta" narrative, nowhere do either writers say they were forced to. It was just them taking cynical piss at the "no jokes" mandate that clearly wasn't hard pressed given what happened, and did the surface level comparison that was common in the early 2000s. For as limiting as he was, they clearly did whatever the fuck they wanted given how much this contrasts with both Boom games

Ffs, they could've just had him petty at Sonic for taking the last burger at meh burger as a concept, there's a better way to have him be a dick

I'm honestly curious if his backstory would've ever been revealed in a later Boom game (hence the show being explicitly barred from making their own), but as we know, Boom was discontinued around 2016 game wise, and the show ended 2017

[rosewalkersjayaforever]

[coffeeisfortheresponsible]

me actually drawing something i said i would draw?? wow miracles do happen

anyways happy to participate in @ammo0648 's DTIYS!!!! loved this prompt and i'm really happy with how this turned out :)))

i also tried to make it season 1 inspired with the outfit and everything of him passing on the torch to lloyd,, and make him look a little bit younger than i normally draw him

please click for better quality i threw a cool texture over it !!

[emerald-cloud23]

ninjago s1 had 5 serpentine tribes, each having a staff

the 5 staffs were needed to reveal the map to the 4 fangblades

i get there's only 4 fangblades because they're inserted as fangs into the snake statue but

i like to believe the tribes fought over which one is going to not have a fangblade and that's why there was this "oh yeah we would've been at war if skales hadn't become the hypnobrai general" from fangtom when he (lloyd) wants to take revenge on the hypnobrai with the fangpyre. cause of when they fought over which of the 5 tribes got one of the 4 fangblades

idk i just

silly snake thought

[toastingpencils37]

I don't know why it took me so long to realize that in Jay's True Potential episode, Kai gave Jay perfume as a prank.

But realizing now that it was supposed to be a prank, it actually really pisses me off that Kai did that. Because he's Nya's brother, meaning he knew about that allergy. And based on how Nya said that she had to leave before the perfume toxins got into her bloodstream & sent her into shock, that means said prank could've really hurt her.

Like, small pranks are fine, but Kai really thought a prank with perfume was a good idea, & he showed no remorse.

[obsessedvibee]

Crescent Moon

This is a random start of a fic idea I had a few weeks ago when I watched the episode of Billy the Kid where Billy falls for Barbara and sleeps with her only to have his happiness crushed when he learns he’d have to share her. (S1-E4) I feel like his feelings for her/the heartache he probably had after her was swept under the rug in the show, so alas, here’s a start to an alternate storyline of sorts. This fic takes place just after that event. This also was a wonderful excuse to give Billy a more romantic heavy storyline.

Word Count: 982

Warnings: none, (eventual smut if continued…)

Pairing: Billy the Kid & reader/“Gail”

His finger traced the rim of his glass, the liquor reflecting his listless face back up at him. An outlaw like him didn’t deserve a girl. He was only kidding himself. It was foolish of him to think that he had found a girl for himself. He should have suspected something was awry when he first stepped foot into the house being all by herself. “The boys won’t be back for a few more days,” is what she told him. There was no way a whole group of men his age wouldn’t be chomping at the bit to have a lay with her. And it was Jesse’s girl! Not that he really knew what significance that held when she was shared between all of them anyway; but she ran to him first when they thundered down the hill. Some nerve Jesse had, pointing a shotgun in his direction as he left.

His blood pressure began to rise as thoughts from that night tried to flutter in. He could still feel the stare of Jesse’s eyes when he put two and two together.

He threw back the rest of his drink, the alcohol burning down his throat.

He had to block it out. He had no reason to feel in the wrong. He set his glass down rather forcefully, catching the attention of the bartender.

“I know that look,” he started leaning in, his breath reeking of a cigar, “you go on across the street here and you ask for Trixie. You’ll forget the gal thats got you like this.” The man patted the counter in exuberance, as if he just told Billy the answer to all his life problems. Billy only managed a nod before the older man waddled away. Tossing up a few bills, he decided to move on, stepping out into the quiet night air.

Walking over to his horse, he began untethering her, gathering the reins in his hand getting ready to mount, when he paused eyeing the building across the street. The idea of putting a different body between him and Barbara was mighty enticing. A dull twinge in his groin gave him the extra push. He could do with getting a load off.

Tethering up his horse to the other side of the street, he walked inside.

The air was thick with smoke, the sounds of chatter and clinking glass coming from around the corner.

“Good evening, young man. Can I help you?”

Minutes later he stood alone in a small room. A little knock sounded before the door opened revealing Trixie. She gave him a small smirk as she shut the door behind her. “Well aren’t you a handsome young cowboy.”

He quickly removed his hat out of habit, giving a curt nod. She grinned stepping closer, brushing her fingertips over his arm before tugging his hat out of his grasp, placing it on the bedpost. She came back, her lips ghosting over the back of his neck, her fingers working his suspenders over his shoulders.

She was heavily doused in perfume, his nostrils burning as it wafted over him.

“Come sit,” she purred, pulling him gently towards the bed.

His skin crawled as he thought of all the other men that laid on this very bed. He tried to shove the thought aside.

Her hands began roaming, gently toying with the buttons of his shirt. The lower she went, the harder his heart pounded in his chest.

She gently coaxed him to sit on the flat mattress.

Once his shirt was open, she moved to the floor between his legs. She smiled deviously as she popped the button on his pants, pulling his fly open. Her hand began to snake its way in when the sudden thought of his ugly step father crossed his mind. How he found him lying with a woman on each side.

His hand shot down, grabbing her wrist.

He was not going to become like him.

“Mr. Bonney?”

She sounded frightened.

He released her, and she quickly scurried away rubbing her wrist delicately.

He had a tighter grip than he meant to.

He cleared his throat, quickly zipping back up and haphazardly tucking his shirt back in, not even bothering with the buttons. He reached for his hat, and stood to leave.

“Sir?”

He glanced her way briefly, a hint of shame warming his cheeks. “I’m sorry,” he stepped towards the door, “excuse me.”

He closed the door behind him, surveying the hall. The air was suddenly too thick with smoke, the noise from the bar a little too loud, the light a little too dim. He rushed down the hall to get back to the cooler air outside. Rounding the corner, he plowed straight into a body. A heavy thud sounded along with a soft feminine gasp, “oh!”

A young lady quickly stooped down to the man he knocked to the floor.

“I’m sorry,” Billy spoke, crouching down to help her get the man back on his feet, “let me help you.”

“I-” the words seemed to die right on her lips when she looked up into Billy’s eyes.

“Is he alright?” He asked.

“My brother has never been able to hold his liquor well.”

He gave a polite nod, before heaving the man back up to his feet, pulling one arm over his shoulders, “where are you taking him?”

She blinked a few times, “um- just down the road to-“ she gestured out the door, “our house.”

He shifted the man’s body to get a better grip, “lead the way.”

She held the door as Billy walked through, the cool humid air blanketing his skin.

“Who are you?” She asked after they walked a stretch down the road.

“William H. Bonney, ma’am.”

She glanced back worriedly as a group of rowdy men left the saloon.

He watched her expression carefully, noticing her distraction, “and you?”

Her eyes briefly met his as she turned her head back around. “Gail.”

Need some Billy the Kid smut? Look no further, check out Humble Beginnings.

Need even more? Check out my other works! > masterlist

[basicallyjaywalker]

Wanna ramble about a moment/character in ninjago you think people need to talk about more?

I don't know who you are anon, but I'm glad you asked!

I am desperate for people to character-analyze Wu. I'm desperate for a lot of character analysis including Nya but since I got a lot of my Nya feelings out with some lovely folks the other night (edit: the other night was a month ago dw about it. this took a minute) I'm going with Wu this time

Master Wu to me is such an interesting case of a character who it is so easy to ignore the bits of the show that hint at his wider issues and traumas. He is a man defined heavily by his family and by his past. A lot of criticism he gets, I think, is due in part to that.

I've mentioned before that I've been rewatching S1 with a friend of mine and intermittently pausing to infodump on them about interesting character things I notice from that season. A lot of that has been Wu-focused because despite having seen RotS dozens of times throughout my life (watching it on CN, watching it on Netflix when only it and Legacy were around, rewatching it with friends) I have only just started noticing the seeds of character written in.

I might also just be reading too much into things, but hear me out

In S1 (and by extension, the pilots), Wu is characterized as your typical old wise teacher. In the first few minutes of EP1: Rise of the Snakes, he is chewing out the Ninja for playing video games instead of training. The line he uses? "Never put off until tomorrow what can be done today."

It's a line that gets repeated throughout the series. In fact, it gets repeated that very episode when the ninja go (pun not intended) to fight the Hypnobrai and a literal pre-teen. At first, it seems to just be a piece of wisdom. Some old proverb Wu's picked up over the years, possibly one he even coined himself. However, in EP7: Tick Tock, Wu tells the story of who, possibly, first told him this.

(Source: Tick Tock/Transcript | Ninjago Wiki | Fandom, highlight added.)

It was Garmadon. Now, I'm not gonna dwell too long on Garmadon, if you spend five minutes talking to me you'll learn he was the first character whose story I obsessed over and I want this essay to be about Wu, but I think he plays a role in Wu's overall story, as does Wu's family as a whole.

Prior to this, Wu and Garmadon's relationship has been more of a sibling rivalry taken to a good vs. evil extreme. We didn't know why Garmadon was evil and we didn't know about Wu and his relationship as kids. However, this scene establishes the backstory. They were, as Wu puts it, "the best of friends." That is, until Garmadon gets bit by the Devourer going to get the katana Wu lost.

Now, I know the Devourer bite was destined to happen because of the Overlord or some shit, but Wu doesn't. As far as he's concerned, Garmadon getting bit was a direct consequence of both his mistake and his cowardice. He lost the katana. He was too scared to get it. Garmadon went over instead. Garmadon got bit.

The scene goes on to show the FSM tending to Garmadon in the aftermath. Wu is watching from behind the door, likely told to stay back, but concerned. And in his POV, we get this intense moment, where Garmadon turns, looks directly at him (his eyes turning bright red for the first time), and says "It's all Wu's fault!"

(This clip should begin at the start of Wu eavesdropping. If it doesn't, skip to 0:58. I highly recommend also paying attention to Wu's body language during this scene.)

The camerawork does a great job of showing how this probably felt for Wu. It zooms in, Garmadon's voice echoes, and the background blurs. We see in the flashback that this is a moment Wu has etched into his memory. Not to mention, he was likely a very young child when this happened. LEGO characters' ages are weird, but Wu in this scene has the Big Eyes, which always seem to be used for characters under 12. We don't know exactly how much older Garmadon is to my knowledge, but he doesn't have the Big Eyes, so he's probably closer to 12 and a few years older than Wu for sure.

Imagine that. Being in elementary school and your older siblings gets hurt. They're acting strange. They're lashing out at your father. Then, they blame it all on you. They're hurt because of you. Wouldn't you internalize that?

I could go on about Wu's relationship with Garmadon, but again, I think I've spent enough time on it and I don't want to only focus on that. It's an important part, but there are others.

Let's talk about Wu's relationship with his dad.

Now, I have not yet read the Spinjitzu Brothers series. I cannot speak to any development of Wu and the FSM's relationship in there. I have, however, read The Book of Spinjitzu and blogged some of my thoughts on it here, including some of what it says about Wu.

For those who haven't read it, first, there is a Google Drive folder floating around with all of the canon spinoff books/graphic novels in it. Here's the link if you wanna read them!

The FSM is an... intriguing figure. I mean, in the series he's basically god? He made the entire world. That's already a very high bar to live up to. Then, in Book of Spinjitzu, there's a few specific parts that, when I read them, signaled that Wu internalized a specific message when he was young.

(Source: The Book of Spinjitzu, Page 3).

Wu does not want to disappoint his father. It is up to him (and Garmadon until he turns evil) to "uphold the legacy of Spinjitzu" and, by extension, his family. He says he was "very young" when this was explained to him. Considering he seems to already be training at an elementary age, "very young" means VERY young.

(Source: The Book of Spinjitzu, Page 16).

Here, we again see Wu being very aware that he has some large burden to carry. Something else interesting here is that the thought of the Green Ninja Prophecy is already weighing on him too. His considering if he might be the Green Ninja is of extra interest because of how the Green Ninja Prophecy and the--I wouldn't call it obsession, possibly fixation?--with who it is factors into his later actions, but we'll get to that later.

(Source: The Book of Spinjitzu, Page 19).

This one in particular gets me because it comes after Wu mentions Garmadon becoming more evil. It is a statement of power. Wu knows that the legacy of Spinjitzu now rests in his hands alone. He cannot let himself fall the way Garmadon did. He cannot disappoint his father. Whether or not the FSM intended it, Wu always knew the fate of the world rested, at least in part, upon his shoulder. He knew this from the time he was a young boy and it remains in his mind to this day.

Now, these quotes are indirect, but they all point to one clear idea: As a child, Wu internalized the idea that he alone is responsible for keeping Ninjago safe. He will play a pivotal role in its history.

There's not evidence in this book that the FSM's was a bad father, per se. However, just because one doesn't set out to harm their children, doesn't mean they won't. I often say Wu has an "Atlas complex," which I have no idea if it is an actual concept but use it to refer to this idea. Wu feels as though he is responsible for holding up the world, much like Atlas. He must keep the balance, he must solve the Green Ninja prophecy, he must make his father proud.

(Source: The Book of Spinjitzu, page 61).

I'm going to get further into what this means for Wu as a teacher to the current Ninja Team, but for now let's look at Wu's first foray into teaching.

Morro. Wu's Biggest Mistake.

That might seem like an overstatement, but it's not.

(Source: Ghost Story/Transcript | Ninjago Wiki | Fandom)

Okay he says regret, not mistake, but I was paraphrasing.

Let's turn back to his quote about his destiny. Wu writes, "Is my life's mission to be the Green Ninja? Or maybe it will be to find the Green Ninja and protect him (or her)??"

From a very young age, Wu was not only aware of the Green Ninja but prophecy but also thinking about his place in it. We see this again when he takes Morro in and trains him.

(Source: Ghost Story/Transcript | Ninjago Wiki | Fandom, highlight added)

A big thing Wu is criticized for here is making Morro believe he is meant to be more. That he is the Chosen One. And Morro, being a young homeless orphan just now given some semblance of power and protection, latches onto that. And I can see it, but when you take into account the above that he was trained from (likely) a younger age than Morro and given a similar level of responsibility, it becomes more understandable. Wu is just doing what he was taught. He doesn't believe that he is harming Morro until it is too late.

This is the entire story, but I'm specifically going to be discussing 1:36 onwards here. I also wanted to add that rewatching this scene made me lay down on the floor! What the fuck! But I digress.

There's a lot going on in this scene. For one, Wu washing his hands of Morro in some ways, but not others. He turns his back on Morro when he tells him that destiny has decided, but looks at him again when Morro storms out. He goes to save Morro from the Grundal, but decides that he cannot "teach those who would not listen." Most importantly, when Morro leaves to go find the Tomb of the FSM, Wu leaves the door open. He waits for Morro to return, but never goes after him. And Morro never comes back.

Wu gives Morro's fate a dismissive response at the end of his ghost story ("I am saddened he was banished to the Cursed Realm") but it's clear he still cares deeply about him in the finale of the season.

Wu's VA in this is phenomenal btw. That "Please Morro!" and "MORRO!" make my heart ache.

Morro believed Wu stopped caring, but he didn't. Even after all he's done, even after trying to destroy all of Ninjago--destroying what Wu had spent his life trying to protect--Wu tries to save him. He begs for Morro to come with him. Morro refuses, Wu watches him perish.

Someone else Wu is close to is gone. Wu again considers himself responsible. Everything is his fault.

And finally, we reach Wu today. A cautious, secretive man. He loves his students, this much is clear. Even as early as the pilots, he drops his wise teacher persona to joke around with them.

As with Morro, he trains them like his father did him. He even uses the same methods his father used when he trains them.

(Source: The Book of Spinjitzu, page 32)

While he is hard on the Ninja, wanting them to succeed and training them to help defend the Realm, he lets his guard down more than it seems he did with Morro. He also learned a valuable message from his experience with Morro when he hides the Green Ninja Prophecy from the Ninja, getting angry when they start to push themselves in the same way Morro did upon learning about it. It's clear he doesn't want a repeat.

Now, I can't speak for later seasons (I will eventually) but this fear of repeats, his students going down a dark path because they're tempted by power or greatness, losing someone else, likely drives Wu not telling them other important information. That is just a passing thought though.

Final notes:

I'm currently in the process of rewatching S7: Hands of Time. I actually got this ask right after finishing EP68: Scavengers, which opens with Wu having a nightmare. In it, he and Misako are walking outside of Yang's temple. While walking, Misako delivers this line in response to Wu reminiscing about the time they've spent together:

(Source: Scavengers/Transcript | Ninjago Wiki | Fandom)

This line, to me, is Wu's subconscious trying to tell him something he needs to hear. It's hinting at what might be his greatest flaw. Wu is haunted by his past, by his mistakes. He finds it difficult to tell others because of both his guilt and his desire to not put that worry upon them. In this very season, he makes the mistake of trying to face his past on his own, and he nearly dies for it.

In the same episode, you see Wu trying to make sure Lloyd doesn't make the same mistakes.

(Source: Prev)

Wu stresses the important of the team. It's as if he sees Lloyd blaming himself for what happened to Wu, sees him doing the same thing Wu has, and is trying to prevent him from doing the same thing. This is further emphasized when, after Wu falls asleep (well, fakes falling asleep), Lloyd says "Wu's mistake was going in alone. So was mine."

Master Wu is, like many characters in this show, someone who is more complex than meets the eye. He is not just a wise, old teacher. He is a man who, throughout his life, has made mistakes and carries the weight of each of them on his shoulders. He is a man who tasks himself with making up for those every day. He is a man who wants better for his students, his family.

Until the day he dies, he will guide and protect his students. And possibly? Even after death too.