#this means like other than Skylor or any of the ninja

[legokingfisher]

“Neuuroo 😁 master of mind👀...! Versus. 👹BOLOBO.👹👹👹 masterof nnature!”

[illusion-of-sea-axes]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[thesinglesock]

Guys, not only is Skylor a playable character in the LEGO Ninjago Movie Videogame, she has the second most skills (just one less than the Golden Ninja), AND she is also the ONLY character besides Lloyd who is a Master Builder. Which is a LEGO Movie exclusive thing and the only reason Lloyd has it is because he got a cameo in the LEGO Movie. Skylor has not appeared in any LEGO movie, and yet they gave her this.

which imo feels like them confirming that she does exist somewhere in the LEGO Ninjago Movie universe. and MAN I'd love to see that.

I can imagine her being introduced as this New Orange Ninja that no one knows where came from, and she gets the main gang's attention by doing a bunch of vigilante justice stuff. She keeps slipping away before they get a chance to talk to her, so they all think she's super mysterious and cool (Except for maybe Lloyd who has trust issues and is very skeptical, which the others tease him about). The weirdest part? They apparently have ALL of the same powers they have. combined.

Around the same time, this new girl starts in the grade above them, and she has some classes together with Kai, who immediately takes a liking to her and starts inviting her to eat lunch with him and his friends. Which is a little clumsy considering they use lunchtime to discuss ninja stuff, but they're being really careful abour keeping their double lives a secret to her by a combination of whispering, speaking in pig latin, and kicking each other under the table when someone is about to let something confidential slip.

To us, the Audience, it is immediately obvious that Skylor, the new girl is the orange ninja, but by LEGO Ninjago Movie logic, no one can figure it out until she herself reveals it to Kai, who in turn lets her in on their secret, without talking to Lloyd first, and there's some slight drama before she gets to start training with them.

But oops!! She's been evil the whole time!! Except not really. She's just doing what her Evil Dad tells her to do, but honestly she's been feeling bad about it the whole time, so it only takes one 🥺"I'm not- I mean, we are not our evil dads"🥺 monologue from Lloyd to fully sway her away from the dark side and turn on Chen. And that's when she reveals that she has one power she kept secret from even him: Being a Master Builder.

also afterwards Lloyd invites her to the secret master builders' club, but that happens off screen and the only indication that it happens is that she gets a small cameo in the LEGO Movie 3. the end.

[nonbinarykai]

righhhhht and she was loyal!!! she loved her dad!! she loved him and he just (would have) let her die!!!!! and later in crystalized (i think the seasons kinda blur together lmao) she talks about wanting a family?? and??? that felt so loaded to me? its not just about wanting the stability (that kai cant give, but this is not about him. i have my own thoughts about the smith siblings and their commitment issues, but thats for later) but family? she just. is a family person. she was INTRODUCED as a family person, and i know ninjago probably sidelining her wasnt some intentional thought out desicion, but i like to headcanon it as her SPECIFICALLY not joining the ninja bc. theyre so obviously a family. and. she just needs to distance herself from that a bit, to find out whi she is outside of a group (*frantically writes a 15k character study following her throughout her journey into self discovery bc FUCK it makes me (someone who grew up in a cult) a bit insane)

and and. the tattoo?? like she was marked along with the rest of his followers, no different than a pawn, a mere minion. does she still have the tattoo?? that permanant physical reminder?? bc chen changed her, irrevocably. even after she turns back from becoming a LITERAL SNAKE AGAINST HER WILL (body horror angst, anyone?) she still has a mark.

i just. i want to give her more love and attention bc god holy shit. AND SHE COULD HAVE REALLY INTERESTING DYNAMICS WITH THE GROUP!!! IF PEOPLE JUST REMEMBERED HER!!!!!

she has to have formed some sort of bond with nya and lloyd after hunted. does she talk to him abt evil dads? i want to see her bond with zane over their love of cooking. does jay ever tell her abt her role in sky bound? they could talk abt their experiences turning into snakes lmao.

and her element is so interesting!!! literally absorbing others powers how cool is that?? what are the specifics? is there a time limit to how long she can use the power once she has it.

anyway this is getting too long but you get it. she needs to come back in dragons rising. she needs to bond with jordana over being ex-cult kids following her redemption, bc that girl is getting redeemed.

(i apologize for any typos i tried to be careful)

Can’t believe you didn’t mention how Cole’s fav restaurant is canonically Chen’s noodles which means he probably has ended up seeing skylor a lot and it’s possible they became friends.

Anyways I agree. I feel like it makes sense that even though skylor was abused she still loved her father. Thats unfortunately why a lot of abused kids stay with there parents to try to make it work. But I also wish skylor had more agency in choosing to go against her father other than “boy told me to”.

Speaking of which I do wish we saw more of skylors social life outside of whatever *he* shows us. It genuinely makes alot of sense for skylor to have some connection to the other ninja in some way. The only indicator of ppl she hangs out with is chamillie and that’s it. I want to see her have a group of friends that are completely detached from the ninja. Like regulars at her restaurant.

[askthatoneanacondraikaiguy]

So I know Nya would start beating people up if they talk crap about Anacondkai, but what does Kai do?

What do the other ninja do?

Early on, the ninja definitely are very protective of Kai (and Skylor, when they're around her) from people who are mean to Serpentine.

As time goes on and more people become attached to their Red Ninja again, the people who are overtly awful to him are outnumbered and usually the crowd will turn on them or shut them down. If someone were to loudly call Kai names in the street, they would be ripped apart by the bystanders.

But Kai's earlier reactions tend to be, just... Nothing. He doesn't know how he's supposed to react, because he's got his own feelings to deal with about being an Anacondrai, and he's a ninja. He is caught between being offended on his own behalf, confused, and in a sort of self-deprecating agreement.

It always feels like it comes out of nowhere to Kai, at least until it becomes normal enough he starts expecting it (which is unfortunate for him). I don't know how to explain it, but it's like when I was a kid and someone yelled "You throw like a girl!" during dodgeball and I was just baffled because I was a girl at the time (and yet I was still insulted).

Jay usually will insult the shit-talker back. No holds barred, he can be mean and he will be mean. It doesn't really help Kai but it usually gets the asshole to go away or turn his attention elsewhere.

Nya usually gives one opportunity for the person to step back ("what'd you just say?") before threatening to beat them up, because she can and she will. Out of all of them, she's the most likely to throw hands about people talking bad about Kai.

Cole will usually purposefully get closer to Kai and wrap an arm around him or put a hand on his shoulder, to make it very clear that Kai is still part of the team, and if you insult one part of the team, you are insulting the rest of the team. This may also include him loudly complimenting Kai's fighting skills or how he handled himself in a fight to drown out the asshole in the corner. Cole is the second tallest of the team and he can be very physically imposing when he wants to be (especially when he's wearing his ninja uniform and you can only really see his eyes)

Zane doesn't ever get physical. He'll either express confusion towards the person talking shit (even if he's fully aware what they meant), ask them to leave, or he'll just ignore them and follow Cole's lead by getting close to Kai and discreetly reminding him that the rest of the team is here for him. He'll also usually try to guide them towards the exit, whether that be a vehicle or an alleyway, so that they get away from the asshole sooner rather than later.

Pixal doesn't necessarily like Kai that much but she's also usually offended on Kai's behalf because insulting Kai and insinuating he's a lesser Ninja or of worse character because he's an Anacondrai makes no real sense to her. Especially as more time goes on and Kai clearly shows himself to be capable and just as heroic.

When she's Samurai X, she probably kicks at least person for being rude about Kai near her.

(Though thinking about Samurai X, Nya assuming Skylor is now Samurai X is extra funny because in order for that to happen, Skylor would have to be using the Element of Form to make herself bipedal again)

Once Kai's been widely embraced by the people of Ninjago as the Anacondrai Ninja and he's more comfortable as himself, he starts reacting more openly to insults and such. Either by brushing them off "i'd like to see you save Ninjago without any legs" or "Wanna bet?" when anyone insinuates he's a bad ninja or bad person because he's an Anacondrai. After enough time, he might even mention the fact the Serpentine actually helped the citizens of New Ninjago City when the Overlord attacked by bringing them down underground.

[abcwordsurge]

hi bee my buddy bee! can you kinassign ninjago characters to some wttt characters? like which character is like who. i havent watched ninjago since i was a little kid,, so i cant remember much but id love you to tell me about it :^]

the absolute delight I felt when I saw this ask was incredible. I had a long car drive this afternoon (well, as of the time of posting, yesterday) and thinking about this ask was the perfect way to spend it. of course, now it's time to write down all those thoughts. this is going to get LONG. (if you want to hear about ninjago, then, heh, you came to the right place.) I'll put it all under a cut. first, though, you are absolutely wonderful and thank you so much for this ask :]

gonna go in order of when I thought of them. which means, first up is my favorite ninja!

--

Nya - Rhode Island

the most obvious reason for this connection is the mutual hot headedness. they are both so quick to anger, and both tend to hold grudges for far longer than is normal.

but it's more than that. both of them feel an urge to compensate for what they perceive as a disadvantage. for Rhodey, of course, it's his height. (he is, as always, very self conscious about his height.) for Nya, it's her gender. I mean, she spent four seasons being excluded from the other ninja for her gender, and for plenty of the other seasons, she was still pushed to the sidelines. of course she has a little bit of internalized misogyny. (side note- I do think that's why she seems so determined to not enjoy traditionally "feminine" things. because she thinks it makes her weak. I'd actually love to write a fic where she goes on a girl's day out with Pixal and Skylor and learns to respect feminity and start dealing with her internalized misogyny. but anyway.)

last thing for this duo: Nya is, of course, the master of water, and Rhodey is the ocean state. it's just perfect

--

Kai - Ohio

the best description I've ever seen of Kai was something along the lines of "he's not hot headed so much as he is reckless and in a bit of a rush." Ohio is much the same. he's called the Florida of the midwest, but he can't quite reach the levels of chaos that Florida sets. he's just... reckless and in a bit of a rush.

beyond that, both of them are definitely comic relief sorts of characters. both are goofy and a little airheaded, and both are pretty intense in a very amusing way. still, both are very friendly and like to be around people (even if they tend to be somewhat overbearing, and tease people more than they might like)

and I would be remiss not to mention their mutual pyromania. that's half the reason I thought of them as a duo so quickly.

--

Cole - Loui

this one's pretty straightforward. they're both very relaxed and down to earth (cough cough master of earth cough). they're both loyal to a fault. although reasonable on their own, if they have the right partner, they can be quite chaotic. for Loui, that partner would be, of course, Florida. for Cole, it could really be any of the other ninja in the right circumstances- but the first to come to mind is Jay. (or maybe Kai. it depends.)

they also both love food. for Loui, this manifests more as making and sharing food. for Cole, it's more so... eating food. (he has tried, countless times, to cook for his friends, but it never goes well. Zane has all but banned him from the kitchen.)

--

Faith - New York

interestingly enough, this is the only pair on this list where I thought of the state first, then came up with a connecting ninjago character. now, Faith is a very minor character, so just so you know, she's a dragon hunter in season nine.

she and York both have massive anger issues, and tend to take them out physically (either by yelling / making general sounds of annoyance, or by kicking things around). they're both quite gruff, pretty no nonsense, don't take crap, etc. neither of them are very friendly, but they're competent, and useful to have around. good people at heart, but it takes a while to get to that heart.

--

Harumi - Nevada

this started as "they're both attractive and they know it." both absolutely have the potential to be villains. it's realized for Harumi, but for Nevada it's more of a theoretical "what if they got bitter at their unfair treatment and to 'fix' things they burned down the entire nation." they're both good actors, and good liars.

the biggest reason I kinassigned them, though, is because in the end, they'd both follow orders. for Harumi, this happens in season fifteen. she always seems to end up in a spot where her freedom is dependent upon doing what's told of her. as for Nevada, well. we've seen it in their joining the table video. they literally have to do what Gov says.

--

Jay - Cali

both of them will talk your ear off if given the chance. I feel like both tend to feel like outsiders, both are desperate to be liked and feel like part of the team, and both are kinda losers (/aff).

Jay is very quick to share what he's feeling, and his attitude is very much "if I think it, you hear it." Cali is this way too, in a sense, though usually it's more facts and correcting other people for Cali. but the main point is that they're both certified yappers.

--

Pixal - Iowa

I absolutely love both of these characters, and both of them are very underrated. they both tend to blur into the background, and they're far too easy to ignore. (which makes sense for Iowa, since there are fifth states and Ben can't exactly give all of them all of his attention, but Pixal? come on, ninjago writers, you can at least pretend to care about her existence.)

however, when they do show up, both of them are genuinely very nice, both are dedicated and detail-oriented, and if given the chance, both can be quite sassy. ("every part of me is annoyed!" is a Pixal line that lives in my head rent free. I love her.)

--

Wyldfyre - Massachusetts

when I started this list, I told myself, "no dragons rising characters," in a useless attempt to not be writing till the sun goes down. but come on. this is just too perfect. both of them are energetic and kinda rude and very impatient, both of them are loud and obnoxious at times (/aff), and both of them are far too eager to start a war.

the real thing though? both of them care so, so much about their family. for Mass, that's the northeast (especially Maine and New York come to mind- "no one gets to kill you but me" is an iconic protective Mass quote). for Wyldfyre, that's Kai and Heatwave. (side note- Kai and Wyldfyre are The duo ever, they're so cute together. if you don't know who they are, I want to be clear, it's like a father daughter dynamic ((Wyldfyre is WAY younger than Kai)), and it's hilarious.)

--

Skylor - Arizona

both are hot, though with Arizona it's temperature, and with Skylor it's, well, look at her. also don't tell me Ari wouldn't have hair just like Skylor's. he would love that long red ponytail look.

also, both are very dangerous. Arizona has his rough terrain and all the animals and cacti that want to kill you, and Skylor has super op powers (they had to change the conditions of her powers in the later seasons because otherwise there wouldn't be any drama- Skylor would just win the war all by herself). however, despite what they could do to either hurt or help people, I think if given the chance, both would be totally chill and, I dunno, run a noodle shop for the rest of their life. and y'know what? love that for them.

--

Zane - Alaska

ok, last one, finally. I at first saw the connection between these two that they are both very cold. they're both quite reasonable and intelligent, not to mention large and basically indestructible. (has anyone counted how many times Zane has died so far? seven, maybe? and he's still kicking!)

in a bit deeper sense, though, they're both outsiders. for Alaska, this is, of course, due to geography. for Zane, it's because he's a nindroid, and despite his best efforts, he doesn't quite understand what it's like to be human. they are different in that Alaska tries to avoid the others and Zane tries to understand and be a part of the others, but nonetheless.

--

alright! this is far, far from a comprehensive list. I didn't do all of the characters- hell, I didn't even do all of the main characters. but that is all of the strong connections I can make between characters, and besides, I think this post is long enough haha. this was so fun to answer, thank you so much for asking this, you are incredible <3 /p

[mislamicpearl]

Random thoughts about Ninjago DR S2 part 2 (first three episodes)

SPOILERS

THE ADMINISTRATION! AGENT WALKER MENTION! Ugh, but if only Arin and Sora had mentioned him in front of the others!

The two of them acted more like actual ninjas in that first minute sneaking around than I think any of the OG ninja have done in 17 seasons lol.

For some reason that "dispel the vapor!" joke made me laugh hard.

Lloyd in the opening using rising dragon technique instead of Kai is both cool and sad at the same time🥲

Not really digging Wyldfyre's new hair style.

Kinda weird how Cole is nowhere to be seen in the first episode and only Zane is shown to have been training with the dragon masters.

Also his kids completely disappeared?? They weren't with Geo either, where'd they go???

Aww Lloyd... just, Lloyd. I love you baby boy.

Nya was going full aunt on Wyldfyre and I'm HERE for it!

KAI SIGHTING!!! Yes I am going to freak out every time they show Kai. Also have he and Bonzle eaten anything since they were sent to the back rooms?? How long has it been anyway?

Tournament of elements and Chen mentioned!

I completely forgot that Geo was an EM, because his power is really stupid...

Also did he just decide to go back and live in the realm of lost things or whatever it's called...?

Woah woah WAIT was that Ninjago City? It still exists??? And it looks normal? Is that where all the missing side characters are???

Hmm, so, Roby... not a fan of this character so far. I mean he's funny but I'm really not big on the whole influencer personality he has going on. At least he doesn't seem to be a jerk (except to his uncle lol)

Oh and he's gonna be the boyfriend/love interest of Wyldfyre the writers talked about huh? (Way to make that obvious.) That's... odd. Too early to judge the ship of course but it's a little strange to see Wyfy swooning over this type of guy (much less that she would swoon over anyone really).

NEW Master of Shade??? WHAT! What about, you know, Shade? He was cool! He was part of the resistance! Lego stop replacing the old characters for no reason!!

And of all the EM's to keep and bring back, you kept invisible man guy? Um excuse me, what about Karloff and Neuro? IF YOU REPLACE THEM I WON'T FORGIVE YOU!

Speaking of, where the FRICK is Skylor???? Like if you don't want her on the show (YET) at least give her a mention or something?? Or explain why she's not there? Seriously, wouldn't the ninja at least wonder if they might run into her?

Or JAY FOR THAT MATTER??? Ugh it bugs me so much that aside from Nya asking Lloyd about Jay in season 1, none of the OG ninja ever ask or wonder about the ones who were missing, or ever make it an objective of theirs to find each other.

Roby: the winner gets to take the loser's powers.

Ninja: What if the winner is evil?

Roby: Nah I have the cup and can take back the powers any time, and you can totally trust me bro.

Seems kinda sus.

Oh, Beatrix's twin sister showed up, that's neat and unexpected! (I forgot she had an elemental power tbh.) Already like her way more than Beatrix.

The Merge apparently: You get an elemental power, you get an elemental power, everyone gets an elemental power!

Seriously, these elemental powers are really becoming like quirks or devil fruits now (@ MHA and One Piece fans). I wonder if Arin's "quake" friend will have any significance moving forward.

Him fanboying over Cole and Nya was cute though.

I know nothing has really happened yet, but SHEESH Cole and Zane feel like they're just THERE. These characters used to have more of a presence even when they didn't have something to do. Honestly I think the cast has just gotten too big for the writers to know what to do with, which is why they keep putting at least one or two of them (usually Zane *grumbles*) in timeout.

Dang, what's happening with Jordana is messed up.

Ngl I'm glad snail guy got kicked out, was never a fan of him.

Definitely intrigued by weird horned geckle hybrid guy (didn't catch his species name).

'"There is an imposter among us!"

JAAAAAAAY WE GOT A JAY SIGHTING LET'S GOOOOO!

[deadmilogecko]

I love that the RGB siblings + Cole have kids now (Lloyd and Arin, Kai and Wildfyre, Nya and Sora, Cole and Fritz, Spitz, Bonzel) but I desperately need the others to adopt a lonely child.

I've decided (because i couldn't stop thinking about it)

Jay - He's got really attached to this one kid (a 9 yr old merlopian girl named Neptune) who's constantly running around the administration, she causes so much destruction and annoyance and he seems to be the only one that likes her. He can't figure out why but he feels deeply connected to her and has kind of stepped in as her father figure. (he subconsciously feels drawn to her as she reminds him of Lloyd before he was aged up) Also she's the elemental master of illusion which is how she causes so much havoc around the administration :)

Zane/Pixal - When they find Pixal she's picked up a set of twin sisters, Keira (elemental master of light, meaning she can make light) and Lucia (elemental master of darkness, meaning she can take light) they're from the realm of madness and hate each other with a burning passion. This is mostly because they see giving as a weakness and taking as a strength so Keira envies Lucia and Lucia thinks she's better than Keira. The only reason Pixal has brought them with her is so they don't get into a massive fight and almost kill each other.

Skylor - A serpentine boy she's named Kia follows her everywhere, she thinks he's around 5 but she can't be sure as he's mute and no one seems to know sign language. He's happy to help out as long as Skylor buys him drawing supplies and at this point they've become family.

Vania - She takes in any people in need and has a group of kids who call themselves the 'sky ninja' they're mostly from Ninjago with the exception of a boy from cloud city. Everyone in this group has a role as one of the ninja and their friends and Vania was honored to find out she was included.

Ed and Edna - It's basically kidnapping at this point but Jay must have at least 100 siblings now.

[snazzilystoopid]

The Ninja ft. Their musical preferences/hcs

Here are my hcs on what type of music each ninja prefers, plus a few extra bits!!

Enjoy hehe

Kai

You'll never find someone who loves rap more than him

His favourite song is Candy Shop and he uses its audio to all the thirst traps he makes 😭

(Yes I hc that he makes thirst traps)

He had a phase where he listened to Pass Out by Tinie Tempah on repeat

He got so embarrassed because he got caught singing along to the Boy's a Liar pt 2

Jay didn't let him live it down for like a week

Other than rap he likes the songs I Love You Hoe, Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Cole introduced those songs to him

He definitely uses the rose gold Beats headphones

Skylor borrows them all the time

Jay

Kpop. Just Kpop.

He legit forced Nya to go out to get the BTS meal with him

Lit by Oneus used to be his favourite song, now it's The Feels by Twice

He HATES Stray Kids

He stans BTS, Twice, Dreamcatcher and NCT

If not Kpop, then The Weekend

Stargirl Interlude>>

Him and Cole woke everybody up singing this song at the top of their lungs at like 2AM

He sings into Nya's hairbrush

When he's feeling extra romantic and confident he'll sing "I just wanna see you shine, because I know you are a stargirl" to Nya

He sounds terrible but she loves it

He owns a bunch of lightsticks

A proud photocards collector

Bash any if his favourite artists on twitter/chirp and he won't hold back. Trust me.

When The Feels was first released he cried like a baby because that day they had a mission and he couldn't find his airpods

The poor boy was so upset he couldn't listen to it but Cole offered his headphones to him

He broke them and Cole nearly smashed his face in but dw Zane fixed it because he's wonderful

Zane

Zane loves classical music, he taught himself to play the violin and he plays it for Pixal in their free time

Classical is his favourite genre, but he's an all-rounder

He doesn't listen to music much so he just has one playlist with a bunch of completely different songs

Loves a bit of Florence + The Machine

Pixal introduced her songs to him

He has so many favourites in the classical genre but outside of it his favourite song is probably Spectrum by Florence + The Machine

He and Pixal dance to the song 2002

It's her favourite song and whenever they go on dates Zane makes sure to play it when they're driving back home afterwards

Cole

He's probably going deaf bc his headphones are on like 24/7 (I also forgot to mention he's a DJ in my Cole hcs)

His headphones are personalised

Evolved from a nightcore kid to a slowed + reverb teen/young adult

The others sometimes spy on him while he's singing to the music when he's alone, because he'll never sing in front of anyone and his voice is angelic

His favourite songs are #brooklynbloodpop and Am I Dreaming (from atsv), but dw he's got WAY more favourites

Fluxxwave, CRYSTALS, Luxxid Diamondz, Kurxxed Emeraldz, yeah those type of songs but slowed + reverb

He loves some soft rock aswell

Slowed songs bring out his romantic side, you'll definitely find him sitting by a window while he's blasting the slowed version of What Do You Mean into his ears

Or you'll come across him laying on his bed with his eyes closed, you can hear the slowed Cruel Summer by Taylor Swift from his headpones even though you're literally at the door

Thats how loud it is

AC/DC>>>> HE LOVES THIS BAND SM HE COULD TALK ABT IT FOR HOURS

He owns a bunch of their merch as well

Nya

SZA FOR LIFEEEE

All The Stars and Good Days>>>>

You can hear SZA songs coming from her room all the time and everyone gets sick of it

Obsessed with Rihanna songs as well

OH NA NA WHATS MY NAMEEE

ahem anyways

She loves it when Jay sings to her even though he sounds like a dying cat

MARINA. SHE LOVES MARINA.

The family jewels, How to be a heartbreaker, Hermit the frog, she could go on and on

Also PinkPantheress>>

It's rare, but she sings along to her songs sometimes and her voice is actually beautiful

Lloyd

ONE OF THE BIGGEST SWIFTIES IN ALL OF NINJAGO

Like 75% of his main playlist is just Taylor Swift

Molly (forgotten remix) is his favourite song

He loves going out on drives late at night while blasting this song out of the speakers

He's almost as bad as Cole, he plugs in his ears with his earphones literally all the time but doesn't play music that loud

Style by Taylor Swift>>>>

Argues with Cole about whether it should be"He looks so pretty like the devil" or "He looks up grinning like a devil" from Cruel Summer

He thinks it's the first one

He also loves Middle by DJ Snake

He used to listen to Galantis a lot but Kai bullied him for it

(Little does he know Kai used to sing Runaway (U and I) in the shower almost everyday)

That is all! So sorry that these are all so random 😭

Their music tastes are really messy and chaotic just like them hehe

I hope yall enjoyed this though 🤭

[coraliix]

North Wind | Lloyd x OC

Chapter 6: Respite

9.64k words

Summary: Mari starts school and grows closer with her new friends. She later meets the green ninja.

A/N: Hey all, so sorry for the delay in posting this chapter — I couldn't get some parts of it right, and even now I still don't like how a few scenes turned out.

Regardless, I hope you enjoy!

(Side note: there is a bit of swearing in this chapter, more so than in the previous ones. It'll probably stay at this level the rest of the fic, with nothing too vulgar.)

——————————

The door bell chimed as someone came into the tea shop. “Welcome,” I greeted as they stepped further into the store. They gave me a polite smile and passed where I stood at the counter, striding over to look at the shelves displaying bags of tea.

Idly, I set about reorganizing the cash register, sorting through the bills and coins my last customer had given me.

It had been almost four weeks since I’d come to Ninjago City, and life was going well. I was settling in with Skylor nicely. I’d even gotten a job — with Skylor’s help.

Apparently, Skylor had an acquaintance that owned Steeper Wisdom, the tea shop I’d entered that first day I came to the city. (With my own bit of research, I learned that it belonged to Ronin — a “former” thief whose work I’d sort of admired, at least in my more naive beginnings of crime.) Somehow, she’d convinced him to offer me a job.

“Skylor, that’s incredible! I mean— how did you do this?” I asked. “I haven’t— I’m probably not the best choice for a new hire.” It was true. I’d never been hired anywhere else and didn’t have much of any work experience as a result.

She smiled at me, crossing her arms with a nonchalant shrug. She simply responded saying, “I have good connections.”

“Connections? You’re not involved with any gangs, are you?” I joked with a wry smile, nudging her with an elbow. When the words slipped out, I paused, unsure why I’d made a joke like that.

Skylor seemed to share the same surprise, red eyebrows raising slightly, but she smiled and laughed a bit. “No. My friends just have trust in me, and by extension, you,” she replied, giving me a warm smile.

I smiled a little at the recent memory, gratitude for my friend rushing through me like warmth emanating from a fireplace.

Once the customer had finished perusing the aisles and paid, I went back to sorting the money. Idly, I wondered if I’d ever meet Ronin. Despite owning this business, I hadn't ever seen the man around the shop. Since Skylor had pulled strings to get me hired, I hadn't seen him for any kind of interview before working, though I doubted he did that kind of stuff anyway.

Then again, people said not to meet your heroes (though I hardly considered him a “hero.”)

The shop didn't have much activity, but I surmised that it usually didn't. Its traditional look left it looking slightly out of place in the growing modern city that surrounded it, even with its bright neon lights.

It didn't seem like the type of place a thief would own. Another hour passed with little to do, but I wasn’t complaining. Soon after I closed the shop, I made my way to Skylor’s apartment.

She wasn’t there when I unlocked the door and slipped inside, but a text she’d sent me a few minutes ago explained that she’d get home a bit later than usual. My reply had been a simple text acknowledging hers.

Skylor had also told me she was bringing back some food from the restaurant for our dinner, so I set out to look over my things for school one last time, taking advantage of the time to change into comfortable loungewear as well.

Anxiety and apprehension pooled in my stomach at the thought of my first day tomorrow, but I comforted myself with the fact that no one here would know who I was. Over a few weeks of chatting with him, I’d learned Lloyd also went to Ninjago High School, along with his friend Nya. His other friends had graduated either last year or the year before, he’d told me.

A small smile rose on my face at the thought of having at least one friend at school. Not that I would’ve minded being on my own again, but it would be nice to know at least one person — someone who didn't know who my uncle was.

The soft patter of rain against the windows brought my attention to the sky, which had darkened slightly. This day was cooler than it’d been this past week, and the rain would no doubt stave off the evening’s lingering heat.

Unbidden and unwanted, the sound of Skylor’s footsteps down the hall drifted into my ears, carried along by the whispers that trailed after me more often as of late. I wasn’t sure why.

It was similar to when the whispers had first awakened all those years ago. When I hadn't been able to control them.

Choosing to ignore what that could mean, I stepped out of my room and grabbed a few blankets from a closet, setting them on the couch and turning the TV on with a flick of the remote. Me and Skylor decided to have one last relaxed evening together before I’d start school — and in her words, “Start getting stressed and burnt out.”

I flopped onto the couch, looking behind me at the click of the door unlocking and meeting Skylor’s slightly surprised face with a smile. “Good timing,” I remarked.

She huffed in amusement, kicking off her shoes and striding over to lay the boxes on the coffee table. “You have a knack for that,” she said, walking away to quickly slip into more comfortable clothes. She didn’t know the half of it.

Once she joined me on the couch, we settled on a comedy and started digging into our food. The movie was good enough, earning a few chuckles from us and coaxing out a laugh here and there.

An hour into the second movie we put on, I felt my eyelids droop. The soft patter of rain hitting the windows and the quiet scene currently playing wasn’t helping me stay awake, but I wasn’t falling asleep just yet. A glance over at Skylor revealed that she was half-asleep, draped over the couch arm and snoring lightly. I nudged her with my foot. “Wanna turn in?”

Skylor rubbed at her eyes, squinting at the screen. “Sure.” She yawned, sitting up and grasping around for the remote. Once she found it, she flicked off the TV, reclining with an exhale as her eyes drifted shut.

I flung the blanket off of my legs before I could be lured into sleep and sat up, joints popping in my spine and neck when I stretched my arms out. I looked back at Skylor, who was starting to doze off again. With a small chuckle, I gently shook her arm.

“Your back will regret sleeping on the couch in the morning,” I warned her, voice groggy with fatigue. “Especially in that position.”

A low grumble was all I got in response. But after a moment, Skylor sat up with a groan, rubbing at her eyes again. “Yeah, yeah,” she muttered to me, wrapping the blanket around herself burrito-style even as she got up. “Night, Mar,” she called over her shoulder, stalking to her room.

The nickname jolted me awake, its familiarity sending a shock to my core.

Hideo had called me that. The abbreviation of an already short name had made me laugh to myself whenever he’d said it.

Pathetic, that small, hateful voice inside my head said. You’re still shaken up by him?

“Night,” I heard myself say in a small voice, though it was too late for Skylor to hear, judging by her closed door. I stood in the living room for a while, jaw clenched and eyes burning. Eventually, I trudged into my room, pulled back the sheets and got into bed. My limbs were stiff as I did so.

Why can’t you just forget it happened? Are you so weak that it still affects you, weeks later?

I forced those thoughts out of my head, along with the ones about him. It wasn’t worth dwelling on. Nothing could change what he did or the fact that I was alone now. The sooner I accepted it and moved on, the better off I’d be.

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and forced my tense muscles to relax. Seconds passed, then minutes, then what felt like hours. I blinked, eyes open and sleepless.

Sleep evaded me. I chased it to no avail; the luring lull of rest escaped my grasp.

Resigning myself to not getting any sleep tonight, I rolled onto my back and stared up at the ceiling. I didn’t know how long I spent like that, eyes blank while I fought to keep my mind from drifting to earlier thoughts.

In the end, I did fall asleep, but I wished I hadn’t.

Waves lapped gently at our ankles, feet wading back and forth in the water and sending ripples through the lake. We sat on the edge of a small dock, pants rolled up to our shins so we wouldn’t get wet. It was a silly precaution, seeing as our hair and shirts were already soaked from splashing each other a few minutes ago.

The moment was quiet. Silent, but comfortable. We didn’t say anything. We didn’t have to.

This day had been a quiet excursion on our own, away from our uncle’s watchful eye. He’d been busy finalizing some sort of deal in Ignacia — it didn’t matter to us. Whatever time we could get away from him, we took.

The small lake near our house had been our favorite spot to go together when me and Hideo wanted to escape reality in the three years after our parents’ deaths. We hadn’t been back here for months.

I could feel that Hideo wanted to say something. Although comfortable, the air was thick with apprehension and unspoken understanding.

By this point, it’d been a month since my uncle started my training. I turned fourteen a few months ago, but my young age didn’t matter to him — I would still be subjected to following his orders and enduring his harsh preparation.

Hideo knew this, of course, but the specific details were kept from him.

I didn’t mind that aspect of this ordeal. I’d rather my brother didn’t know about what I’d have to do under our uncle’s tutelage.

“Mar,” Hideo started saying. “I don’t want to go back.”

I knew what where he meant. Back to the house in the city. Back to our uncle. I felt the same, but I knew we didn’t have much choice. That didn’t stop me from feeling bitter about it, though.

“I know, Deo,” I said. There wasn’t much else I could say.

“Can’t we do something?” His voice was small and quiet.

I turned to look at him, noting the worried crease in his brow. A frown settled on my face at the sight. My brother didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve to feel scared, or guilty about what our uncle was doing or the plans he had for me.

Not for the first time, I cursed the universe for taking our parents from us, for condemning us to a life controlled by a man who wanted nothing more than power.

In that moment, I made a promise — not just to myself, but to my brother, too. “Hideo, look at me,” I said, turning my body to face him fully. Once he lifted his head to meet my eyes, I continued. “He can force me to train and work for him, but I’ll never let him hurt you. I’ll take care of us.”

My tone was firm and unwavering as I made the vow. Hideo’s eyes shined with dampness, a singular tear sliding down his cheek. Silently, I reached out to wrap him in an embrace. He sunk into my arms, pressing his face into the crook of my neck.

A fierce sense of protectiveness came over me then, and I resolved that I’d do anything — everything — to get us out of my uncle’s grasp.

With a gasp, I jolted awake. My muscles were tense, breaths coming in hard and body damp with sweat. It felt like I’d just finished running a marathon with the way my heart raced.

It was silent in the room; the only sound filling the space was my labored breathing and a muffled noise through the wall that told me Skylor was waking too. I bit back the choked gasps that made their way through my throat, forcing deep breaths through my nose.

Distantly, I noticed the stiffness of my cheeks and the bit of water that leaked from the corners of my eyes.

Getting up was difficult, to say the least. I concentrated on getting my breaths back to normal and trying to keep my thoughts from going back and dwelling on the memory I dreamt. Burying the dream away into the back of my mind seemed a good solution. After a few minutes, I slowly rose out of bed. Checking the time on my phone revealed it was 7:23 a.m.

Any bit of exhaustion evaporated — at least for now — as I bolted into movement. Great. First day and I’m already running late.

Even with all my preparation from the past few days, I rushed to get dressed, brush my teeth, and eat. Skylor was already eating in the kitchen when I came barrelling in, her pace considerably calmer than mine.

“Wake up late?” She raised a quizzical brow, taking another sip of her coffee.

A grunt was all I said in response, too busy stuffing food into my mouth to answer her properly. “Can’t believe it,” I huffed through mouthfuls.

Skylor chuckled, no doubt amused by the sight of me rushing around like a maniac. She glanced out the window, looking down with raised eyebrows. “Bus is coming.”

I cursed under my breath, downing the rest of the coffee I’d poured myself. Striding over to where Skylor sat at the small table, I gave her a quick side-hug and slung my bag over my shoulder. “See you later,” I said over a shoulder.

“Have a good first day!” she called out to me. I sent her a quick wave in thanks and I closed the door.

Hearing the screech of tires pull to a stop, I had to rush down the steps to get to the bus, which was already starting to pull away from the apartment entrance. An apologetic glance to the driver and I hastily slid into an empty seat.

My cheeks burned at the exertion and the slight embarrassment, and I sank further into the seat, turning to look out the window as we pulled away from the apartment.

——————————

The ride to school was short — around 10 minutes. It didn’t take long to get there, and once we did, students poured out of the bus. I hesitated near the steps to go inside.

A while ago, I met with the principal to get myself scheduled in time before classes began. He’d told me a student would show me around on the first day a few minutes before classes started, but what if I was too late? How long was “a few minutes”? What if they weren't here —

“Hey, you’re Mari, right?” A voice pulled me out of my brief panic, and I turned around to see a girl with short black hair pulled up into a ponytail.

I took a calming breath before I spoke, offering a polite smile. “Yeah, I am. Are you the guide?”

She nodded. “That’s me. I’m Nya,” she introduced herself, extending her hand with a friendly grin.

The name stuck out to me for a reason I couldn’t understand before I remembered that she must’ve been Lloyd’s friend, the Nya he’d mentioned. I took her hand and shook it. “Nya Smith?” I asked in clarification.

She raised an eyebrow at my question, but nodded. Glancing over at the entrance before looking back at me, Nya angled her head and scanned my face with scrutinizing eyes. I felt like an ant under her stare. It was strange.

“Do you know Lloyd Garmadon?” Her question was bluntly asked, the suddenness of it catching me off guard.

“Uh, yeah,” I said. “We’re friends. You’re friends with him too, right? He mentioned you,” I explained at her bemused stare.

Her eyes seemed to light up with realization at my words. “You met him in Jamanakai, didn't you? You’re that Mari?” she asked again, a devious grin creeping up on her face — though I suspected it was aimed at a certain blonde boy rather than me.

Nevertheless, my smile shifted into a slightly bewildered expression. “Yeah, I did. Does he talk about me a lot?” I joked. A small laugh left me at the thought.

Nya returned my laugh, though hers was notably more hearty, clearly knowing the extent of which her friend discussed me. (I wasn't sure how to feel about that, but I decided it was nice to know a friend liked me.)

“He sure does,” Nya replied with a chuckle, wiping a stray tear from the corner of her eye. “It’s nice that he made another friend.” She sobered at that, a sudden sadness and frustration mixing bitterly in her dark eyes.

Snapping out of her thoughts, she turned back to me, stormy eyes settling back to normal. She cleared her throat. “I guess we should probably start the tour,” Nya stated, motioning me to follow her into the school. I trailed after her, not wanting to lose my way.

The school wasn't as large as I thought it had been, and with Nya’s assistance, it wasn't very difficult to get a general grasp on the building's layout. She led me down the halls to my first hour, which had started a few minutes ago.

Before I went in, she grabbed a pencil and circled the physics class on my schedule. “We have it at the same time,” she explained with a smile. “Sit by me if you want.”

A grateful smile adorned my face at the offer. “Thanks, Nya. I’ll see you then.” She nodded, tossing me a wave before making her way to her own class. With a breath, I entered the classroom, my stomach doing flips as I stepped further inside.

Thankfully, the class passed without any issues. I relished in the anonymity I had now, aside from students’ mild interest in me at being new to the school. My next two classes went by smoothly as well.

Now at my fourth hour, I entered the physics classroom, seeing Nya sitting at a desk near the door. The seat next to her was empty. I glanced around the rest of the room, taking note of the way the other students had subtly spread themselves away from her — not enough to be glaringly obvious, but I still noticed.

A frown settled on my face, but I walked over to sit down next to her.

Nya looked up from her phone, a smile lighting up her features when she greeted me saying, “Hey Mari! How’ve your classes gone so far?”

I returned her smile and gave her a small shrug. “End of the world hasn't happened yet,” I told her, earning an amused smile. Class began shortly and ended as quickly as it started. (At least, it felt that way.) Now it was time for lunch, and I found myself hesitating to leave the room, unsure of where I should go, where I should sit.

Nya saved me from my brief moment of anguish by inviting me to eat with her and Lloyd. Another grateful smile passed over my face and I accepted, starting to follow her out the door.

“You get food from outside?” I asked her curiously. She turned to look at me, her steps unfaltering as she brought us over to the student parking lot.

“Usually,” she answered. “The food here isn't bad, but we prefer to just eat what we want.” She paused suddenly, her foot resting atop the curb when we reached the edge of the parking. “Have you ever ridden a motorcycle?” Her voice was a little hesitant.

I blinked. What was it with everyone and their mother having motorcycles lately? A snort huffed out of me at the thought. She seemed confused by my reaction, and I hurried to say, “Yeah, I have.”

“Oh,” she said. Then her face cracked into a grin. “Great! Let's go. We’ll meet Lloyd there.” She hooked her arm through my elbow and steered me toward her motorcycle — another beautiful vehicle, with its white exterior and elegant print.

The print stood out to me. It depicted Lady Iron Dragon, a woman of legend whose book I’d read countless times. “You’re a fan of Lady Iron Dragon?” I asked, taking the helmet she passed me.

Once again, her eyes lit up. “You know her?”

I smiled at her display of childlike excitement. “I’ve only poured over her book a hundred times,” I joked. “She’s really cool. I’ve loved reading her legend since I was little.”

Nya’s laughter rang out like a bell, her gleeful grin growing. “I’m liking you more by the second, Mari,” she teased, mounting the bike.

After I got on behind her, we headed down the city streets to stop at a small restaurant which was simultaneously connected to a dojo. A green motorcycle was propped up against a sign near the entrance. It instantly caught my attention.

Damn, it really does feel like everyone has motorcycles these days, I thought to myself. “Don’t tell me that’s Lloyd’s,” I scoffed playfully as we passed by it to enter the small store.

Nya snickered. “We all have bikes.” She paused before asking, “Wait, who have you met so far? Out of our circle?”

The question had me thinking a little, trying to remember each of Lloyd’s friends and matching names to faces. I let Nya guide me to a table, noting that she’d spotted someone and beelined a specific way. “I’ve met Lloyd, Zane, Cole, you,” I counted on my fingers, saying that last word pointedly, “And Jay and Kai.”

She nodded, setting her bag down on a chair. “Then you’ve met everyone. Well, almost everyone,” Nya corrected. “Come on, let’s order some food.”

I quirked a brow. There were more people in (what I thought was) their group of six? Following her, I spotted a certain blonde boy standing in line. We walked over to him. Nya tapped his shoulder, and he turned around.

“Nya, good timing. Do you usually get—” he started to say, but cut off when he saw me standing next to her.

“Oh yeah, I forgot to mention,” Nya said, a sly smile on her face. “I invited Mari to join us. That’s cool, right?” Her last words were a question, but she said them like she was daring him to challenge her — or like she knew something he didn't. I didn’t question it.

Instead, I waved — a little awkwardly, I admitted — at Lloyd, offering him a smile. “Hi, Lloyd. Nice to see you again,” I said.

He coughed a bit, an endearing pink dusting his cheeks as he returned my smile. “Yeah, same here,” he agreed, rubbing the back of his neck. “So, uh, are you guys going to order? I just put mine in,” he explained, gesturing to the waiting cashier.

“Yep,” Nya said. She strode up to the counter and told the cashier her order.

I held back, eyes scanning the menu hesitantly. “I’m not sure what to get,” I admitted with a slight frown.

Lloyd gave me a small smile. “Well, do you like sushi? Or maybe soup? The dumplings here are pretty good, too,” he suggested, listing off recommendations. “Not as good as Skylor’s, though,” he added, sending me a wink.

His casual kindness — and that little wink — caught me off guard, but it was far from unwelcome. An appreciative smile crossed my face, and I nodded. “Dumplings sound good. Let’s just hope Skylor doesn’t find out about our betrayal,” I joked back.

He chuckled a little, the pleasing sound making me smile.

After I stepped up to the counter and ordered, we got our food, quickly sitting back down at our table and starting to eat. Lunch period wasn’t long enough that we could be outside for long.

“So, Mari,” Nya started to say. “What’s your next class?”

I swallowed and wiped my mouth with a napkin. “History.”

Lloyd sat up straighter at that. “Who’s your teacher?” he asked. I tilted my head in curious confusion, but answered him anyway. “Mr. Ek.” His eyebrows rose. He glanced at Nya, who was carefully hiding a smile behind her drink.

“I have that class too,” he explained, pulling at the sleeve of his green hoodie.

“Oh, that's cool!” I said, smiling at his nervous mannerisms. “You better hope you’re not sat next to me,” I told him with a chuckle. “I can go overboard with history sometimes.”

He scoffed skeptically. “I know lots of history nerds. You can't be that bad.”

“I prefer the term 'history buff’.”

He snorted at my quip, watching me with an amused smile and relaxed expression. My smile matched his, lips around my straw as I idly sipped from my drink.

Nya clapped her hands together. “Alright lovebirds, we should get going. Lunch is almost over.” Suddenly, our laid back demeanors shifted into something not quite as relaxed. I felt my face heat up at her words, embarrassment — and something else I was not going to acknowledge — staining my face red. A glance at Lloyd revealed he was having the same reaction.

“Nya.” Lloyd muttered under his breath, an exasperated (or flustered?) tone to his voice.

Nya pretended not to hear him. “Ready to head back?” she asked me, rising from her seat.

My mouth flapped open for a few seconds before I cleared my throat. “Uh yeah, yep. Let’s go,” I told her, standing up and gathering my dishes together on the table. I looked back to Lloyd, offering him an awkward smile. “See you later, Lloyd.”

He nodded, pulling at the front of his hood. “Yeah, I’ll see you later, Mari,” he responded, waving goodbye as I followed Nya out the door.

Once we were out of earshot, I caught up to Nya. “What was that about?” I asked her, brows furrowing in bewilderment.

Her lips were curved in an amused smile, but when she glanced at me, she winced apologetically. “Sorry. I just like to tease him sometimes. I didn’t mean anything by it,” she said. She hooked a leg over the bike, handing me a helmet. “Though, it was cute seeing how you two talked with each other.” Mirth filled her eyes as they slid back to me.

I understood Lloyd’s exasperated tone from just now. “Nya, we only met a few weeks ago,” I pointed out. She shrugged, making a promise to drop it. Letting out a little snort, I hopped on behind her. Soon enough, we made our way back to the school and headed inside.

“Do you remember where your next class is?” Nya asked.

Quickly pulling out my schedule, I checked the room number, recalling where it had been. “I think so,” I said.

She squinted in doubt. “I can take you there, if you want,” Nya offered.

But I shook my head. “No, I think I can get there. Besides, you need to get to class on time, you delinquent,” I teased, nudging her with an elbow.

Her brow rose in mild amusement. “Ha-ha. They don’t even count tardies on the first day,” she said, waving at me as she turned to go to her class. I waved back, a small smile on my face. This day had been going well, so far. I hoped it’d stay that way.

Finding my next class wasn’t hard; soon enough I found it and walked inside. Desks were in neat rows, and students were looking at the board to see where their assigned seats were.

Mine was far from Lloyd’s, all the way on the other side of the room. In fact, I noticed that his desk was all the way in the back corner. Only one desk near him had someone assigned to it. A frown dotted my face.

I guess I wouldn’t be able to sit by him, after all. Nevertheless, I walked to my own spot, finding Lloyd’s gaze on me. When our eyes met, I sent him a sad smile. He gave a resigned shrug in return.

However, when the girl who was assigned next to him came into the room and saw where she was seated, there were immediate complaints. “I can’t sit next to him,” she pouted. “This is endangerment. He’ll feed me to his dad’s shark army!”

The teacher didn’t look too pleased with her complaining, but he nodded with a sigh. “I still need someone to sit over there,” he said. “Will someone switch?” His hand hovered over the clipboard, ready to make changes — but his face told me he was skeptical someone would volunteer.

Glancing around, I noticed everyone’s faces were wrinkled in distaste as they stared at Lloyd. It grated on my nerves a bit, reminding me of school back in Jamanakai.

“I will,” I said, grabbing my bag and standing up.

A confused look from the teacher told me he didn’t know who I was. He glanced at my name on the sheet, looking back up with a frown. “You’re the new student?” he asked. I nodded yes. His frown twisted in disbelief, but he nodded and scribbled something down. “Okay then.”

I slung my bag over my shoulder, walking over to where Lloyd sat. I could feel the pairs of eyes watching me as I did so, but I paid no attention to them.

“Hey, Lloyd,” I said to the boy when I set my things down.

His expression was one of surprise. Clearly, he hadn’t expected anyone to sit next to him. “Hi,” he said in reply.

I was consciously aware that people were still watching us with bated breath. An annoyed snort left me as I glanced back at the rest of the students. Turning back to Lloyd, I said, “Looks like now we both have easy choices for project partners.”

A small smile adorned his face, then. It made me smile, too. Once we started talking more, the silence hanging over the classroom dissipated, with people starting to chat with each other again. Distantly, I knew they were still watching us warily, but I never once turned my head back to spare them a glance.

The rest of the class period passed similarly, the two spheres of activity in the room holding their own conversations and atmosphere: me and Lloyd, and everyone else.

When the class was packing up, I quickly took a glance at Lloyd’s schedule, noting that we shared the same last hour, which was also our next class. “Hey, we have literature together,” I told him.

Lloyd glanced down at his piece of paper, eyes flitting over to mine as well. “Oh yeah, we do,” he replied, lips curving up into a smile. “That’ll be nice.”

I nodded in agreement. “We can walk there together,” I suggested, sling my bag over a shoulder.

“Are you sure?” Lloyd asked, hesitance seeping into his face. “I mean, you already— er, people will—” he stuttered. “People will start to think you’re… my friend,” he finished lamely.

A frown pulled my lips downward. “I am your friend,” I pointed out to him. “And I’m not bothered if people take offense to that. God knows I’ve already had to deal with my fair share of crap like this, but I don’t mind doing it again for a friend.”

Thankfully, he smiled at my words, though there was still a hint of something like guilt present in his expression. “Alright,” he yielded. “Let’s go.”

I smiled back at him. Before our first class together, I hadn’t really noticed how people seemed to part their way for him — and not in respect. Now, I was acutely aware that everyone was keeping their distance. Once again, a quiet, angry part of me began to simmer with ire. It was too familiar, the way people stared at Lloyd, with sneers and grimaces on their faces.

Lloyd, for his own part, acted like he didn’t even notice.

(Strangely enough, I thought I could tell that it did get to him. It was in the way he clipped forward, in his tense shoulders, in how he kept his eyes trained away from the crowd. I didn’t know how I knew — I just felt it, and could relate to it, on some level.)

An uncomfortable tension was brewing between us when we entered our last class together. But I didn’t want him to think my foul mood was because of him, so I quickly wiped my face free of any bitter expression. Instead, I flashed him a reassuring smile, and gestured to the array of tables open to sit at with an unspoken offer to sit together again.

Lloyd returned my smile, though his was a bit more reserved. Once he chose a table, I wrote our names down on the clipboard displaying the open seating chart.

It seemed gossip about a new student being friendly with the school’s outcast had spread quickly since our fifth period. People walked into the room and their eyes immediately darted to where me and Lloyd sat next to each other. Some whispered, while others didn’t bother hiding their glares.

I rolled my eyes. Would I have to deal with this everyday? “People are so judgmental,” I muttered under my breath, glaring right back at a particularly mean-looking guy who was sneering at Lloyd.

Next to me, Lloyd let out a sad chuckle. “I know, right?” he agreed, crossing his arms and looking forward.

“I mean, everyone knows your dad doesn’t terrorize Ninjago anymore,” I scoffed. “And it's ridiculous that people are shunning you specifically — as if his actions have any sort of bearing on your own.” My words finished with a bitter tinge to them. Taking a glance at Lloyd revealed he was sitting with tight shoulders and a clenched jaw. I frowned.

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to bring the mood down,” I apologized quietly, eyes falling down to the desk. I silently traced the patterns in the wood, wishing I hadn’t said anything at all. Great going, Mari.

Lloyd peeked at me from the corner of his eye, shaking his head. “Don’t apologize. I can’t expect you to just ignore it. I just…” he trailed off, something unreadable seeping into his eyes. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, the golden locks falling back from his face as he leaned back. “I just wish things were different.”

Lips pressing in a thin line, I nodded in agreement. Honestly, it sucked. Seeing him so resigned and accepting of this, of being shunned and cast out purely because of who he was related to.

Not knowing what else to say, I sighed too, leaning backward until my back pressed into the chair.

The rest of the hour passed that way, with both of us silent and unease crawling under our skin. When the bell rang, Lloyd started packing his things, preparing to head out already. I gently reached out a hand to stop him.

I wanted to clarify that I wasn't second-guessing our friendship after today.

“I…” Suddenly, the words disappeared from my tongue. Instead, what spilled out was, “You don’t deserve it, you know.”

His eyes darted back to me, surprise filling them — most likely matching my own perplexed expression. “Thanks,” he replied softly. Lloyd stood there for another few seconds, my hand still on his elbow.

I retracted it after a second. “I mean it. And just to be clear, this doesn’t change anything. We’re still friends,” I told him assuredly.

A smile — true and bright and genuine — lit his features then. “I’m glad,” he said, eyes crinkling with a softness that (strangely) sent a jolt through my stomach. It was then I noticed how green Lloyd’s eyes were, a beautiful hue of rich emerald.

“I gotta go now. I’ll see you tomorrow, Mari, he said with a grin, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

A matching grin crept up my face, and I nodded with a wave. “See you tomorrow, Lloyd.”

Once he stepped through the door, I realized I should probably be going too. I didn’t want to miss the bus back home.

That thought made me pause, too. Home. When had I started referring to Skylor’s apartment as home? I thought about it while walking through the halls, sitting on the bus, and while climbing the steps up to the apartment.

Steam filled the air, floating from the kitchen all the way to the entrance. Skylor noticed me standing at the door, and started laughing, saying something about how she hadn’t expected her new recipe of soup to produce so much evaporation.

I just stood there, eyes round and glassy.

Home had been with Skylor ever since she got me settled into her own home, since she had brought that plate of potstickers for me when we’d reunited, since that first day we met, when she’d started a friendship with me free of expectations or suspicion.

Skylor’s laughs died down a bit when she realized I was still standing completely still. “You okay, Mar?” she asked, concern dotting her brow even with her lips curved in a smile that held back her laughter.

The sight made me smile, tears springing to my eyes. “Yeah, sorry, I just… Thank you, Sky. For everything,” I said, wiping my eye with a finger.

Her eyes softened, and though seeming a little confused, she smiled too. “You’re worth it, Mari. I’m glad we’re together now. No matter what happened to lead you here.” She stepped away from the kitchen, striding over to me and opening her arms.

I fell into them gladly, eyes squeezing shut as I buried my face into the crook of her neck. Skylor’s arms wrapped around me, hands rubbing gentle circles into my back, the soothing motion releasing that part of me that felt like a weight had been burdening me. Silent tears trailed down my face, but I let them.

For the first time in a while, I let myself relax from the crushing pressure of holding back my fears and emotions.

For the first time in a while, I let myself be free.

——————————

If Lloyd was going to be honest, he truly was thankful for his friendship with Mari. That first day of school, when she’d sat next to him and basically announced herself as his friend to their class — their whole school, honestly — had shocked him, to say the least.

And then she’d surprised him further with her kind words at the end of their last class. It had comforted a part of him he hadn’t realized still ached.

Lloyd smiled behind his mask as he thought back to that moment from a few days ago. It was different from how his friends reassured him — how he reassured himself. He always told himself that it was expected to receive that sort of treatment, but that he did enough as the green ninja that it made up for his father’s past actions.

But here was this girl, who didn’t know that Lloyd was one of the many saviors of Ninjago, and she told him that no matter what others said, it was unfair.

He and the ninja never assumed that everyone in Ninjago would thank (or even appreciate) them for their work in keeping the world safe — hell if Lloyd didn’t know how the government viewed them — but to know that someone ordinary didn’t fear or hate him was a breath of fresh air in a room full of poisonous gas.

Sounds of a conflict dragged his attention away from his previous thoughts to the streets below him. With his enhanced hearing and vision, he skimmed the streets for trouble. He could clearly hear three voices. Two of them belonged to men, while the other was female and —

“I said, leave me alone,” the lady said, and with a punch to his gut, Lloyd recognized the voice. It was Mari.

He flew over the rooftops as fast as he could, sprinting from one building to another. The voices sounded closer, and Lloyd scowled when he saw what the men were. A couple of muggers with pathetic morals and a sense of cocky arrogance.

Landing on the edge of a rooftop, Lloyd looked down, spotting the three of them. The two men were trying to corner Mari into an alley, but she faced them directly, holding her ground and taking a defensive stance. “Hang on, Mari,” Lloyd mumbled under his breath.

Leaping off the edge, he silently landed on the sidewalk across the street and started making his way over, keeping his sword sheathed. Even with his silent approach, one of the muggers spotted him. Not surprising, since Lloyd’s green gi didn't exactly blend in with the urban cityscape.

Regardless, he stalked closer, sizing up the two men. They didn't seem too dangerous — the only threats posed were the knives in their hands. Behind them stood Mari, whose hands were fisted defensively.

“You heard the lady. Leave her alone,” Lloyd warned the two thugs.

They snorted. “And go to jail now? No thanks,” one of them snarked, and then lunged at Lloyd with his knife.

Lloyd dodged it effortlessly, reaching out to pull the blade away and disarm him. A swift blow to his head and the guy was out cold. The other one scowled and glanced toward Mari. In a split second, Lloyd knew what was going to happen. “Get back,” he shouted at her, but it was too late by that point.

The mugger had grabbed her and was pressing his knife to her throat. Mari had tried to escape his grip but once she felt the cool metal on her skin, she stilled.

“Go away. And leave your sword here,” the thug demanded, “or I’ll kill her.”

A glare formed under Lloyd’s mask, and he didn't bother hiding the anger building in his eyes. Slowly, he reached back to pull his sword out of its scabbard, setting it on the ground and kicking it away. His eyes remained trained on the thug’s hand holding the knife, and on Mari as she took shallow breaths.

The man smiled smugly, glancing at Lloyd’s discarded weapon. “Now leave,” he repeated.

Lloyd huffed out a breath. Obviously, he wasn't going to leave. But he needed the mugger to think he was, so he could come back from behind and catch him off guard.

He tried to catch Mari’s eye, and once their eyes met, he sent her a look promising that he’d be back soon.

The criminal pressed the knife tighter to Mari’s neck, and she cried out as blood started to seep down the metal. “Stop,” Lloyd ordered, backing away with his hands up. “I’m going.” With a sigh, he reluctantly left the alley, crossing the street, though he kept his eye on the two of them.

Once he was out of sight — which also meant he was unable to see them, unfortunately — Lloyd hurried to the side of the street out of the man’s view and quickly scaled up the side of a building.

He cursed under his breath when he peeked over the edge and saw that the guy was still holding Mari with the knife to her throat.

“He’s gone, you can let go of me now,” he heard her say. He pleaded in his head for her to stop talking; Lloyd didn't want her to aggravate the man further.

“Shut up.” The man was apparently done scanning the surroundings and believed that the green ninja had left the area, so he released Mari. “Now give me everything you have, and quickly. I’m not stupid enough to believe that green freak won’t show up again,” the mugger barked out. He yelled at his accomplice to get up, but the guy was still out cold.

“Seriously, leave me alone,” Mari said again, looking far too calm for the situation she was in. She even went so far as to cross her arms and glare at the man in distaste. If Lloyd hadn't been so busy thinking of a new plan, he’d yell at her to stop escalating the situation.

“Just do what I say, bitch,” the man spat, his knife dangerously close to her.

Lloyd’s heart started racing, but he took a few, quick deep breaths to calm himself. Panicking would not help the situation.

“Do not call me that,” Mari snapped, growing visibly irritated, arms dropping to curl her fists at her sides. The action made the criminal sneer, stepping closer. For a brief second, Mari looked away from the man to look up at where Lloyd was perched up on the roof.

It was then he realized what she was doing: distracting him so Lloyd could ambush him. He stealthily slid down the wall and reached for his abandoned sword. Doing so let out a sound that announced his arrival as it scraped against the ground, but by that point, Lloyd had already pointed the tip of his sword in the criminal's back.

Mari quickly backed out of the thug’s range and stepped back to let Lloyd do his thing. (His thing being smacking the thug with the flat of his sword.)

It wasn't hard to disarm and restrain the assailant now that a civilian wasn't actively in harm’s way, and Lloyd soon had him kneeling on the ground next to his buddy, who was still lying unconscious on the floor.

Turning away from the two apprehended criminals, Lloyd looked back at Mari. Blood dotted the shallow cut on her throat. Lloyd grimaced. “Are you alright?” he asked her, taking a slight step closer.

She gingerly touched the wound, bringing her fingers away to stare at the blood that came away from the cut. “Yeah, I’m fine.” Her voice was steady, but Lloyd feared she could be in shock.

“Do you need any help getting home?” he offered, glancing over his shoulder to check on the two muggers.

Mari shook her head. “No, it’s okay,” she answered. She cleared her throat, tilting her head toward her assailants. “You probably need to get those guys arrested or something.”

Lloyd frowned. “Keeping a civilian safe is more important to me than doing the police’s job for them,” he scoffed. “They’re already on their way. Really, it’s no trouble,” he reassured, hoping she’d accept his offer. She’d told Lloyd that she lived with Skylor, which admittedly wasn’t that far, but he still wanted to make sure she got home safely.

“I’m good,” she told him again, eyes narrowing. Great, now she thinks you’re being weird. “I can get home fine.”

His fingers twitched at his sides. Blowing out a breath, Lloyd crossed his arms. “I insist, miss. It’s not the safest out here,” he reasoned. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted red and blue lights approaching.

The two muggers had been securely restrained, so he should get moving. He didn’t have anything to stick around for.

Except for her. For some reason, he was reluctant to leave Mari to head home alone.

She still didn’t look convinced with his offer, so Lloyd added, “Besides, I need to get away from this scene anyway.” Mari scoffed, preparing to retort back, and Lloyd gave her a sigh, growing tired with her careless refusal. “I won’t force you to let me drop you off, but I’d rest easier knowing you got home safe,” he admitted with a grumble.

Whatever protest Mari had been about to make seemed to die on her tongue. She glanced back at where police cars approached. “Alright,” she conceded with a huff. “Let’s go. Quickly. I don’t want to deal with the police.”

Lloyd quirked a brow at that, but didn’t say anything. He’d be a hypocrite to say he felt differently.

“Are you alright?” Lloyd asked again after a while of walking. The streets were quiet as they did so, but Lloyd kept a vigilant eye on the streets and up on the roofs. Mari sent him a look, raising a brow. “Your neck. You were bleeding, but it looks like it’s stopped now,” he explained.

She blinked. “Oh yeah,” she said simply. “Forgot about that. It doesn’t hurt too much anymore,” Mari told him, running a gentle finger across the shallow wound.

His eyes tracked the movement. A frown crossed Lloyd's face at the cut, lips pulling down tightly. “You need to be more careful,” he chided firmly. “Especially around these parts, and especially at night. This city isn’t always safe, you know.”

Mari gave him a sideways glance, looking none too happy about being scolded. “I am careful. I just got out of work late. And isn’t it your job to keep the city safe?” she volleyed, stuffing her hands into her pocket.

“We can’t always be everywhere all the time to stop crime from happening at all,” Lloyd countered. Distantly, he wondered why Mari was being so thorny with him.

“That doesn't mean it’s my fault some thugs decided to mug me,” she scoffed, shaking her head.

Lloyd said nothing in return. She was right, but that didn't mean it couldn't have been prevented if she’d been more careful. Nevertheless, he stayed quiet. For some reason, Mari appeared to be growing irritated, and Lloyd didn't want to anger her further.

They continued the walk in silence, with Lloyd scanning the surroundings every so often and ensuring nothing was lurking around the corner.

Eventually, they reached what Lloyd recognized as Skylor’s apartment complex.

“Well,” he said, “good night, miss.” She walked further ahead, not stopping for a second. Lloyd huffed out a breath and shook his head, turning to leave.

“Thank you.”

He looked over his shoulder to see Mari now facing him with hesitance in her eyes.

“For walking me home,” she said. “And for helping me earlier.”

Lloyd raised his eyebrows, a small chuckle escaping him at the sudden change of attitude. “It’s no problem, miss,” he replied smoothly, eyes filling with amusement. “Stay safe out there.” He watched Mari go through the glass door, and once she was inside, gave her a small finger salute before turning away.

His thoughts remained on her as he hopped over buildings and leapt onto the roof of a train, getting a ride closer to the monastery.

The interaction was strange, to say the least. She definitely acted differently with the Green Ninja than with Lloyd Garmadon. Funny, he thought to himself with an amused huff. She’s more prickly with the city's savior than its scourge.

——————————

It was the weekend, and me and Skylor had decided to take a little break from work and school to spend a day hanging out. There were loads of places to go in the bustling modern city of Ninjago, but I was aching for a chance to escape the metropolitan cityscape and relax somewhere more open, so when Skylor suggested a hike, I immediately agreed.

(However, a slight problem arose when I had to wear loose clothes for the hike, exposing the cut on my neck. Convincing Skylor that it was from falling onto the kitchen counter was a struggle.)

Even though we were already halfway into September now, the air was still humid in this area, up atop the mountainous hills far from the city.

The winding path we hiked on provided a good challenge for us. We were a little out of breath from the steep inclines, and I could feel my legs burning from the exertion. (Had it been so long since I’d worked out that I was already getting tired? I’d have to start again sometime.)

We were both fit and in good shape, I deduced — Skylor went to the gym, after all. Still, both of us decided to rest and take a breather after a while.

Taking a sip of my water, I glanced around the area, scanning the surroundings before allowing myself to drink in the beautiful sight we were making our way through. We sat on a couple of boulders that faced the edge of a miniature cliff, a small creek in the glen below providing a calm trickling sound.

“This place is beautiful,” I commented to Skylor after a minute. “I’m glad we came here.”

She smiled, capping off her own water bottle. “I used to come here a lot, before I owned the restaurant. I haven't been here in a while — I’m glad you like it,” Skylor told me, fanning herself with a hand.

I smiled and mimicked the action, feeling sweat sticking my clothes to my body.

At that moment, a breeze drifted lazily through the canopy of trees, providing a cool respite from the humidity. My eyes closed as I breathed in the gust of crisp air.

“That's strange,” Skylor remarked.

“Hm?” I hummed, not opening my eyes yet.

“That breeze. We’re under a canopy of trees,” she explained. “It’s weird that there's wind running through here.”

Opening my eyes, I noticed that her eyes were narrowed a bit, brow scrunched in thought. My head tilted to the side. “Yeah, I guess that's kinda weird,” I agreed absentmindedly. My gaze went back to take in the nice view around us, but I could feel Skylor’s eyes on me. After a while, I stretched my legs out and stood up. “Ready to get moving again?” I offered her a hand.

Skylor didn't move for a second, but then nodded and said, “Yeah. Let's go.” She clasped my hand and rose from her seat on the rock.

The rest of the hike was quite nice. We reached the peak of the small mountain and spent some time relaxing atop it before making the trek back down. By the time we reached the bottom, my legs burned and I was sweating all over, but any stress had been washed away.

All too quickly, our hike was over and we headed back home, washing off the day’s sweat. The remaining few hours before we’d tuck in for bed were surprisingly quiet — since we’d gotten back, Skylor had been in a pensive state.

I didn’t mind the quiet too much. It was a nice way to finish the day.

Once the sun set and the sky had faded into its inky black color, I decided to put on a show. Skylor was still in her room, so I sent her a text from where I sat on the couch letting her know in case she wanted to join.

She didn’t reply, but I shrugged it off, figuring she probably went to bed early. However, an uneasy feeling was twisting its way through my gut, so I quickly sent my whispers to check in on her.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She was sitting on the edge of her bed, and I could feel from the wisps that she was perfectly still and motionless, probably still stuck in that reflective state. I heard her breaths and her heart beating, and relaxed.

Just as I retracted the tendrils of air, I felt her stiffen, and her demeanor changed. My brow creased in thought — and concern — but before I could listen for more, she’d gotten up and walked out of her room. I let the whispers fade into nothing, sending her a perplexed smile.

“You alright, Sky?” I asked, muting the show. “You’ve been quiet.”

“Yep. I’m fine,” Skylor answered smoothly. Her face and tone were relaxed, but I felt that there was something stirring in her thoughts.

I raised a skeptical eyebrow, but turned back to the show. “Gonna join me?” I flicked the remote back to the TV, unmuting it and going back to where I’d left off.

Behind me, Skylor hummed in thought. “Not tonight. But I did want to talk to you about something,” she replied. I paused the show again, turning back to her. She was inspecting her nails, her casual attitude making me think she was anything but.

“What’s up?” I asked. My eyes flickered between the show and her, but I decided watching both wasn’t working, so I turned the screen off completely.

Skylor glanced at me. Her mouth opened, but then closed. Whatever words she’d been wanting to say seemingly disappeared. Instead, what she said surprised me.

“What do you think of the Secret Ninja Force?”

I blinked. “What do you mean?”

She shrugged, striding over to the couch and resting her arms on the back of it. “What’s your opinion of them?” she rephrased, watching me with a careful eye.

My face twisted in confusion for a second, but I humored her question anyway. “I don’t really have an opinion on them, actually,” I told her. “I mean, it’s nice they do stuff for the world and all that. They’re still vigilantes, though.”

Skylor stared at me, her eyes searching me. I shifted uncomfortably under her scrutinizing gaze. “Do you know anything about their powers? Or how they’re able to do what they do?”

Where was this conversation going? I couldn’t read what Skylor’s intentions were with these questions, and that unsettled me.

“Not really.”

That was a lie. But admittedly, what I knew was very little, and I doubted that telling her the truth would lead to anything besides trouble. I trusted that Skylor wouldn’t sell me out to the cops if I revealed I knew something about the ninja — anything that could help the police build their case on them — but I couldn’t afford not to be cautious. Especially because of what happened with Hideo.

My answer seemed to be different than what Skylor was expecting. Disappointment briefly flickered in her eyes. She frowned, but kept her features collected and (mostly) neutral. “You know, Mari,” she said, “I think that the sooner you open yourself up, the sooner you’ll feel truly free.”

With that, she retreated to her room again, leaving me sitting stunned on the sofa.

——————————

A/N: Whew, that was the longest chapter so far (and it definitely felt like it while writing, haha).

Dipped a toe into Mari's knowledge of the elemental powers in this chap, can't wait to dive deeper!

Thanks for reading!

——————————

Previous | Next

[the-ninjago-historian]

Hey! So, a post you reblogged a bit back inspired me to consider making my own fan season and for some reason decided the first step was the intro. And in between messing with that, I was thinking about into the deep, of course, so I was wondering if you had an idea for what its intro would be like/had plans for it, since you talked about animating it a few times. Would it be like the older seasons, a scene for each character next to their name, or more like the newer seasons, panning through the area with shots from the season overlaying various points? If it’s the former, would you stick to just the ninja and Wu or are other characters (*Cough* Vainia *Cough* Skylor *Cough*) now a main enough part of the cast to get a scene? If it’s the latter, what events/locations/characters would you have it tease?

OH MY GOODNESS. HI!!!🤩 This is such a great ask to wake up to! Also, I INSPIRED YOU TO MAKE YOU'RE OWN FANSEASON?!?! I can't believe it. Hehehehe! That's awesome! I'm so happy that I could do that for you! I'm not sure what post it was though. Lol.

Now, your question! The thing is, actually animating it is VERY far in the future. Since I simply don't have the means or skills for it. So, I haven't really given much thought. EXCEPT for the intro! I did a imagine a few scenarios. While it's hard to write down on paper, I'll try to explain some of the basics! First off, yes it would be the like the older seasons. With each character's name popping up next to them. And this would include Wu and Vania! In addition, as their names are shown, the Ninja's corresponding Elemental Beast mentor would also appear behind them. (Either as a silhouette or in full view.) Also, the intro would start on the Deep Lands, then up to the surface world. But describing what it would show on the surface gives away a few too many spoilers than what I'm comfortable showing. So I'll just say it shows Vangelis and his army. And I really can't say what events I would tease, since I don't want to spoil anything with that either. But yeah! That's about it!

Also on a side note, you don't have to come up with the intro first! Especially if you not going to be animating it for a long time. My best advice would be just to figure out what the season is about and then just write out any scenes in your head. That's what works best for me anyway. If you need help writing it, my inbox and dms are always open! I've helped people with their personal writing before, so I'm sure I could help you out if needed!

Thanks for the ask! And good luck! - ✒️🐉

[wolfiegirlxox]

Ninjago Role Swap AU!

This started as an AI!Jay AU that popped into my head while I was trying to go to sleep that quickly spiraled into a swap AU that made me me lay awake for an hour thinking as much through as I could.

My swaps are:

Morro/Lloyd

Skylor/Kai (This one is so unoriginal but Kai is *super* hard to swap)

Benthomaar/Nya (Less of a swap on Nya's end)

Unagami/Jay

Pixal/Zane

Vania/Cole

And, finally Wu/Garmadon

A lil' description of what's up with each character in my ninja lineup, I'll make a separate post for the others.

Morro is the sassy little 13-and-a-half-year-old (he won't let you forget the half, it's very important) adoptive son of Wu. The ninja were initially suspicious of him, given his father, but quickly grew to love him. When he found out he was the green ninja, destined to defeat his dad, he was far from excited but found there were other aspects of being the green ninja he quite enjoyed.

Skylor has spent a large part of her teenage years helping around her dad's noodle shop. She quite enjoys cooking, learning the family recipes, and making the best food she can. When Garmadon offered to train her in her late mother's fire she was hesitant, as much as she wanted to learn her element she wanted to stay and help at the shop. But with some words of encouragement from her dad (Chen is a good dad here and I love it) she decides to go.

Bentho's adoptive family doesn't really like surface dwellers that much, some more fiercely than others, but Bentho has always been fascinated by the surface and longs to go there one day. When he find's out Kalamaar's plan to destroy the surface he knows he has to do something. After a failed attempt to stop him Bentho is visited by a strange surface dweller who says she can give him the power to protect, which he quickly accepts. He doesn't realize what that means until he meets the ninja.

Unagami was adopted Milton Dyer at a young age, the man had always wanted a son but wasn't very interested in romance, so he decided to adopt instead. When Garmadon offered him a role as a ninja he consulted his dad first and eventually decided to join. He was pretty nervous at first as he had never been away from home for so long but thanks to the other ninja's kindness he was able to adjust and the monastery became a second home to him.

Pixal was originally created but Cyrus Borg as an assistant when he started inventing new things to use for his dream of starting a company. After a while he realized that, while amazing, many of his advancements could easily be quite destructive if they got into the wrong hands. So, he got an average, unassuming apartment in Ninjago City and live a normal life with Pixal as his daughter. He did his best to teach Pixal the ways of humans and to value and protect life as best she can. When Garmadon invited her to join his ninja team Pixal was eager for the opportunity to protect both her dad and the rest of the world and easily accepted.

Vania always loved reading any adventure book she could get her hands on, filling her head with dreams of being the valiant hero, dreams that are finally coming true. Vania was as surprised as anyone to find that she was the master of earth but was equally excited to learn how to wield it. The other ninja sometimes find her excitement annoying but eventually find just how endearing it can be.

...So those wound up being much longer than I intended but there is so much information stored up in my noggin, please ask me questions I want to share more.

[ninblahgo]

Hey so curious question, what do you think the EMS reaction to being injured would be?

Hmm.. I'm going to imagine their reactions to accidentally breaking their own leg. (Maybe they tripped or smth)

I'm also going to assume you mean all the other EMs that were at the Tournament of Elements?

Imma ALSOO include the Ninja just because.

Kai:

Probably slipped or failed some epIC NINJA MOVes

Tries to deal with it himself

Actually makes a temporary cast (abandoned child stufdg)

Looks for Zane

Limping obviously

Nya:

She'd just immediately have help by her side. ... probably Kai and/or Jay

But if not, she is a strong woman and shall try to deal with it herself until she can get proper help

Qween

Is that how it goes?

I don't understand society

Cole:

"oW OW Ow ow ow‐"

"Zane? ZAAAAANNE!"

Very displeased with himself

Hopping around on his good leg while trying to find Zane

Jay:

"OOOWWWWW!!"

.....

"AW MAN‐"

More annoyed than anything

*Aggressive limping*

Eventual unending boredom (bc he can't go on missions like that)

Bored bored bored

Zane:

Either repairs himself or someone else repairs him

I don't think he feels pain? Not sure though, maybe he feels a tiny pinch of It?

Lloyd:

Will say "Ow!" Whenever he feels pain

Slowly limping his way around

*sighs loudly in annoyance once his leg is in a cast*

Obviously will have to stay away from danger for a while, so boredom. Very very boredom (it doesn't make sense, I know, I did that on purpose :)))

Skylor:

I can't imagine her breaking her leg-

She'd probably be reasonable and somehow succeed in not making it worse before she can get any proper help

Also she's the fricking Master of Amber

Just uses Gravis's Elemental Power to get around until she's completely healed

Though she'd probably be told a lot not to use the powers and rest or smth

Paleman:

*Holds his breath*

Y'know, when u hold ur breath and wait for the pain to go away? Just me? No? Yes?

"How on Earth did I get myself into this situation."

Would just sit there thinking about what to do before either calling or messaging Neuro

📩 'Hi, my leg hurts a lot'

📩 'I think it's broken'

📩 'What do I do??'

Chamille:

"Oh great."

Very much deals with it herself

As in gets herself to a hospital or something

'Frick the pain'

Probably made it worse

Ash:

Silence

Silently in pain

Messages 'the boys' (/HJ HE'S MESSAGING THE GROUP CHAT OF FRIENDS HE'S CLOSEr TO)

📩 'Heyy'

📩 'I think my leg is broken'

📩 'Im stranded'

📩 'Cant stand'

📩 'Cant walk'

Shade:

"Well this is a huge inconvenience."

Uses his Elemental Power to get around

Very irritated with the situation

'Stupid itchy cast'

Griffin Turner:

"OUCH??"

Would probably become really upset when he realises he won't be able to run for a while

... or walk without crutches

Probably gonna try to use his Elemental Power while on crutches and break his other leg lmao

Neuro:

"Ouch– shoot– FSM—"

Doesn't move

Either calls for help or waits for it

Waits for it as in waits for someone to notice

Another choice is to try and send a message telepathically

Karlof:

I doubt he'd ever break his leg

Bc 1. He can turn into metal

And 2. It's Karlof

But if he did ever break his leg

Then maybe he'll try making some kind of temporary.. thing to keep the broken bones straight

Only temporarily

50% chance he'll succeed

Depends if he takes off his giant metal glove thingys

Jacob:

Instantly calls for help

Poor guy can't really see either sooo..

📱 "Hello, I think I broke my leg– p l e a s e h e l p."

📱 "I can't even see it."

Gravis:

"Ow! Dangit!"

Already floats everywhere

Floated to the hospital like "Hello I require assistance." (I'm not very funny but the line was too boring without the last bit)

Still floats everywhere

Tox:

"UGGGHHHHHH."

Very frustrated

Probably failed a trick or something?

Impatient at first but eventually just accepts it annoyedly

Bad mood

Like‐ everyday

Bolobo:

Wraps his leg in vines

Homemade cast 👍

Okay but he might get a proper cast at some point

Summons vines to help him get around

[parachutingkitten]

Y'all suck at dissecting Kai's character, so I guess I have to do it.

And I'm not even a Kai stan. He's a bottom tier ninja for me, which I guess means you can trust me, cuz I'm not biased, but also why am I the one doing this? I don't know about y'all, but recently on my dash, the method by which Kai fans try to make him sound good is... saying the writers hate him, ignore him, and that he isn't written well? Which... I mean there is a little bit of truth to, but like yikes guys, is this the best you got? Kai is a wonderful character with plenty of attention from the writers, a meaningful piece of the cast when put in secondary rolls, fairly consistent character writing with actual progression and valuable qualities that help the team without having to be the smart one- despite what some posts might tell you.

Let's get one thing cleared up: Ninjago isn't the best written show. By high level Hollywood standards, most the character arcs are kinda weak or too heavy handed, character consistency can be iffy, and most things serve the plot rather than the characters. There is no character you can point to and say "wow, this character is written so well! No complaints!" Nya and Jay were butchered by their weird love plot, Cole's one season doesn't actually give him an arc, Zane's been nothing but the robot numbers guy for like 10 seasons now, and Lloyd seems to be incapable of doing anything but relive the same one piece of dad angst for depth. Sorry, it's true. All the characters suck when you look at it from a large scale writing perspective. So when I say Kai is well written, I mean by ninjago kids show standards- cuz that's the scale we're working on. No, you couldn't drop Kai into a well written drama, but as far as ninjago goes... he's got a lot going for him, and by no means is he the biggest victim of poor writing.

(fair warning, wall of text below)

The title is a bit disingenuous. There are plenty of good Kai character break downs. What I am presenting here is a more positive perspective. On the whole, I will tend to give the writers the benefit of the doubt, and credit for what they do right writing is hard guys. That's what I'm doing here. I don't see much sense in getting mad the writers on behalf of Kai, or any other character. Ninjago is a simplistic ensemble show that works because of the identifiable simplicity of its main characters with some deeper layers hidden underneath if you keep watching. They've given us a damn good show with some damn enjoyable characters, so here are some criticisms I feel are a little flawed:

First, let's get the 'focus' thing out of the way. Apparently there are people saying Kai doesn't have a season yet? Which... what? I mean, I get that the pilots aren't a full season, the first two seasons, though he is the central protagonist, aren't "Kai seasons" as we've come to define ninja focus seasons, season 7, though he gets majority focus, he shares with his sister. But like... did y'all just forget about season 4? You know, the season where he had the title card, was on the box sets, got the love interest, and the majority of the A-plot? not to mention it's the best season don't @ me Like... if season 4 isn't a Kai season, I can make a damn good argument that season 3 isn't a Zane season, and I doubt anyone wants to go down that rabbit hole. I really can't wrap my head around this one. And I get that the fandom hates season 11 for some reason, but like you can't just pretend it doesn't exist. Kai has a consistent arc across 30 episodes in which he takes his powers for granted, loses them, and learns that, not only does he have value within the team without them, but that his element is intrinsically a part of him that he reclaims, bringing them back more powerful than ever, and with new respect for them. That's one of the most solid arcs in the whole series- the location is even thematically connected to his element. That's some good stuff right there! (Quick plug for season 11 if you haven't watched it in a while. Give it a rewatch, you might be pleasantly surprised)

Not to mention the writers give him fun side stuff all the time. Lots of fears of tech and water to overcome, a deep protective streak with Lloyd, becoming a chancellor, having a true potential actually relevant to the plot as a whole, blacksmith responsibilities, befriending dragons, hanging out with his dad. Not to mention actual focus stuff we haven't talked about yet, like his whole "my dad is evil" phase, and his "I might be evil" phase with him and Skylor. And on top of that, even when he doesn't have an explicit side plot, he's always just a fun and dynamic side character to make jokes or give exposition.

Now, into character stuff. Let's start with Kai's hot headed-ness. Some people say he's been loosing this quality, and I will admit, that's true! But those that claim this makes him inconsistent... I strongly disagree. In early seasons, Kai's temper would lead him to snap at his friends or make stupid decisions that set the team back (see episode 2 Zane freak out)- these are bad things. These are character flaws, yes? Now, in newer seasons, people say that he's inconsistent, cuz sometimes he'll be hot headed, and sometimes he won't. I'd say, this is exactly how being hot headed... works? It flares up without warning, and as an individual gets control of it, it'll pop up less and less often because they're channeling it into productive things - like say directing the anger towards an enemy (see season 11 end freak out). Kai has gained control of a character flaw, and though it still pops up on occasion, the fact that it's a once in a while kind of thing speaks to his growth. I have a little brother who has this exact personality, and watching him grow up, I can tell you, this is how it is. He used to snap all the time, and he still does sometimes, but much less frequently, because he's a more mature person with better control of his emotions. This is a good thing. This is overcoming personal flaws. This is progression we're seeing.

And while you're hyper focused on this one aspect of him, things like his cocky confidence haven't changed a bit. I mean, that season 3 bit between him and Pixal, and his season 11 "fire maker" streak have the exact same energy. You can not convince me otherwise.

Another adjacent quality that hasn't been dampened is Kai's impulsiveness. This can be a good quality of his, he'll get into a fight without thinking, getting the jump on the enemy. Good stuff. But, this has become such a well defined trait of Kai's that it has been used in a comedic capacity. This is what happens when a character is extremely consistent to the extent that both the audience and the characters in universe would be able to predict their actions. Kai's impulsivity used to be a more serious quality that put himself and others at risk, and was a big power move whenever he did something rash, but it's become such a staple of the show that it's now being used for comedy. That isn't Kai's impulsivity going away, that's Kai's impulsivity being recontextualized for the sake of the show. The season 9 "Who's stupid enough to jump on that thing" isn't a joke at the expense of Kai just for being dumb, it's a joke at Kai's being so predictably impulsive that everyone already knows he'll be the one to put himself in an insane amount of danger without thinking twice (you know, something stupid that might get him killed). But because in this instance, the danger is warranted, this is bravery. It's a complement to his character- it's what ends up defeating the colossus. Why are some people so bothered by this joke?

Oh right, cuz for some reason people want to peg Kai as the smart one? Look, Kai isn't stupid, none of the ninja are. All of them have smart moments (all of them have dumb ones too) and Kai can certainly handle himself, but "smart" is definitely not one of his defining characteristics- I think some people are confusing smart for his actual strength. Connected to his impulsivity, Kai has very good simplistic instincts. He sees the big picture and looks at the most surface level solution- which when the situation calls for it, that does indeed make him smart. But the same logic that led him to think "This snake has a glowing target on its head, lets hit it" also led him to think "I'm in a video game, therefore I am immortal." Are you really going to look at me and say he figured out Lloyd was the green ninja through logical deduction and a careful consideration of the facts? No. He had a gut feeling, and he trusted it. Instincts- instincts paired with his impulsive following of said instincts is what leads him to solve problems- and sometimes, that can be extremely effective. This goes for other ninja too. Jay isn't the smartest ninja- I would really only classify Zane and Nya as having intelligence define them (hence their ship name). But Jay is extremely creative and crafty. He also knows his was around mechanics, and as such, this will lead him to come up with creative tech based solutions which are smart. But, idk about you, if I had to point to another ninja as being 'dumb' it would 100% be Jay. Kai is a lot of things. He's passionate and determined and confident and persistent. He's a good improvisor, he's powerful and he's charming! These are all wonderful qualities, he doesn't also have to be the smart one. I am the worlds biggest Pixal stan, and she's a smart, sassy, powerful character, but I'm not gonna sit here and tell you she's also hilarious and adaptable and strong willed. She's a straight man to all the ninja's antics, extremely tied to her samurai x suit, and lets people push her around all the time. That doesn't mean she can't be funny, or self interested, but when she does act these ways, it stems from her other more prominent qualities. That make sense?

And while we're clearing up what Kai isn't, please stop characterizing Kai as an overly protective brother - especially romantically. The only two times he's been romantically protective to Nya are in Wu's Teas which I mean, come on and in the pilots when Jay is literally a stranger. For crying out loud, by the end of the pilot, he's smiling when Jay and Nya hug. That's not overly protective, that's just normal, any reasonable person would react this way, protective. And it's such a great stereotype break for a kids show like ninjago, having an older brother who actually trusts his younger sister to be her own independent person who can make her own decisions. I mean, I guess it's fine if you HC differently but like... idk, I don't buy it.

Now, is there still room to criticize the writers? Yes. Hell yes. But not to an extent greater than any other character. Could he have had more of a defined reaction to events of the most recent season that I won't name for the sake of spoilers? Yes. But could Zane have reacted for more than .5 seconds at being an evil war lord for apparently 60 years? Yeah. Has Kai taken a back seat in the past 4 seasons? Yeah. But so has Lloyd- and he's literally the main character of the show. Not to mention two of those seasons have gone to people who had to wait over ten seasons to get one to themselves, and one of them is a 40 minute special. Kai's doing just fine.

Anyway. Kai is great. He's a fun, stereotype breaking, impulsively driven, ball of energy and confidence who gets a good amount of screen time and some fun side plots.

One last thing to clear up: no hate to anyone. This isn't targeted at anyone specific, this post has been a long time coming, I've just seen some weird overblown claims on various platforms over the past few months and I finally sat down to write about it.

I like the Kai content we have. After all, if the writers were really that bad at writing him, then no one would like him.

Wow this was so much longer than I thought it would be. Um... if you have other long winded rants you'd like to see from me... let me know I guess?

[kittydemon9000]

Okay so I was thinking about ToE and had ideas to add for my Not Today Destiny AU(tl:dr, Kai keeps Lloyd’s Green Ninja status secret from everyone and how canon is affected from there)

Also, before we get into it, because there was no Overlord messing with tech, THERE IS NO LOVE TRIANGLE! I am fully subscribed to the theory that the Overlord messed with it in order to split the team up, and it’s stupid that it worked. So no Love Triangle and no Jay Cole Fight. That’s important later.

ANYWAY, with Zane not dead they’d be a bit less desperate to go to the island, and without that incentive of keeping quiet they’d probably immediately go talk to Wu about this weird invite and the fact that other Elemental Masters existed.

Wu would fill them in, explain how Chen was definitely up to something, which has them all go in the first place, and Nya and Wu agree to stay behind to watch Lloyd and defend against Garmadon.

How does this exactly tie into this AU? Well, there were two extra letters sent, one to Kai and Lloyd respectively.

Lloyd’s letter explained how he was also being invited, and if he won he would be awarded some info about his mom. Lloyd knows the ninja would never let him go, so he opts to sneak there and then explain. Better to ask apologies than permission. But don’t worry, he left a note for Nya and Wu

Meanwhile, Kai’s explains how they have found knowledge of who the Green Ninja is, and if he wins he’ll get that info and can do whatever he wants with it.

These two are connected and also important later.

They go to the boat, Nya gets them some hidden trackers to be safe, Kai is secretly freaking out since “How the heck does Chen know???” and then Lloyd sneaks on too. Now, at first everyone just thinks Lloyd is just really short and keeps to himself. It’s not until they land and get to the main room that it finally clicks to Kai that it’s Lloyd when Chen points him out as the Master of Energy.

He of course, is very not happy that Lloyd is here and makes that very well known. The other ninja are equally unhappy while the rest of the EM’s are given a slight Moral Dilemma since yes they want to win, but that means there’s a chance of them fighting a literal child(it’s been….almost a year since they first met Lloyd so he’s about 10 right now).

Lloyd’s room is next to Kai’s, just on the other side so he still shares a balcony space with Skylor. Maybe one of the other EM’s finds Lloyd desperately looking for a Jade Blade and “accidentally” drops it so he can pass.

Later when Karlof is dropped through the floor more than a few cast a glance over to Lloyd, each silently dreading who will have to go against him. Nobody comments when Kai holds Lloyd close and if anyone saw Lloyd sneaking into Kai’s room that night, they didn’t say anything.

It’s that night when Lloyd explains why he came, which makes Kai panic even more. On one hand, he cannot let anyone else find out about Lloyd’s Destiny. But on the other….Lloyd could finally get answers for what happened to his mom unlike Kai who has no idea what happened to his parents

So yeah. Not a fun time.

But it only gets worse from there.

You see, at first each of the ninja let out a silent sigh of relief when they learned they wouldn’t have to fight Lloyd.

Wellllllllll since there’s no Love Triangle and no fighting between Cole and Jay, Chen has no reason to pit them against each other to further split up the ninja.

What he does instead? Changes things so instead it’s Kai vs Lloyd

Now, it’s plainly obvious to everyone that those two are very close, so they’re not looking froward to this next fight at all. Camille honestly isn’t sure if this is better or worse than if she had to go against him

At first, their fight is mostly a verbal one, trying to get the other to take the Jade Blade, with only the occasionally very wide shot to try and herd the other toward the Blade. At some point Kai ends up physically picking up Lloyd and trying to carry him over to the Jade Blade, yelling about how Lloyd has a chance to find his mom and he shouldn’t that up, but Lloyd is fighting him and immediately yells back that he doesn’t want to find her at the cost of his Big Brother and god if that isn’t a knife in the heart of the other EMs.

But Chen, being the bastard he is, decides this is boring because it’s going no where and release the bikes like canon, and then these two fight like a well oiled machine. 

But ofc, we can’t have nice things and the arena starts falling apart.

And Kai….as much as he’s terrified of Lloyd’s Destiny, he even more terrified of loosing Lloyd.

So with a bright smile and a good luck wish, he jumps.

That night when Chen takes away their rooms as punishment, none of them can be mad. They don’t comment either when the remaining ninja drag two of the bunk beds together a curl up around Lloyd. Instead of splitting them apart, it only lets them know that Chen is not their friend. He sees all of this as a game, going as far as to lure a child here with promises of finding his mother and making him fight the family he has left. 

This actually makes their Elemental Alliance work out better this time.

(Also this time Jay fought Ash, then Cole fought Camille(I’m also 99% sure the skating thing was just another attempt to split them up, so again it’s kinda useless here).

Meanwhile Kai does not have a fun time. Clouse is upset since 1) the plan was for Lloyd to be the one to loose, either by Kai winning or making Lloyd fall, since because he’s the green ninja he’s bound to be powerful and 2) because Skylor got attached to this stranger and Chen ordered him to make Kai useful to them. So now he’s trying to keep a very annoying, very loud prisoner while waiting from the Master of Mind to be captured so he can use those powers to make Kai more docile.

Unfortunately, a side affect of Kai being as loud and obnoxious as possible means he spends a lot of his time knocked out, so he has no idea how long he’s been stuck under or if any of his family are stuck under here too. At the very least he shares a wall with Karlof who tries his best to fill him in(when he learns who Kai was made to fight he also gets pretty pissed).

Later when they’re all dropped from the plane, all of them are quick to make sure Lloyd has a parachute. This time the objective is to a “Safe Zone,” but there’s only enough for four of them. However, the Safe Zones are, unsurprisingly, traps and there’s enough for everyone. Once you step in one, it descends, then vengestone cuffs fly out and trap the Master inside.

Skylor ends up finding Lloyd and offers to help him look for one. They end up talking and joking, Lloyd saying how Kai has an enormous crush on her and kept trying to impress her, but Lloyd thought she was good and would like Kai if they didn’t need to fight each other, which accidentally slams her with guilt. 

Some how she ends up slipping, maybe by accidentally revealing how she knows the locations/number of traps and Lloyd realizes she’s the spy which crushes him. He tries to fight her but she just pushed him onto the trap.

Going to the small cult area below, the remaining EMs are brought together. They try their best to keep Lloyd protected but he’s brought to the front anyway. Lloyd asks if they even knew about his mom, to which Chen reminisces about a woman they meet a few years ago who was stealing from them and how they stole some of her things, but they were mostly worthless. They honestly have no idea where she is, which just makes Lloyd mad.

Mad these people tricked him. Mad these people had the audacity to pretend to know his mom. Mad these people made Kai sacrifice himself for him.

However, they weren’t lying About having met Misako. That’s actually how they found out about the whole “Lloyd Being The Green Ninja” thing

But anyway. Chen steals their powers, Skylor is having a moral dilemma, and they start getting ready to Make Trouble in the Noodle Factory

Only this time when they go to steal the staff, they now have to fight Kai.

Only this time for real.

This is the replacement for the Staff Scene. Because of his affect under the Staff Kai…..isn’t really there. Like, he’s just a blank puppet. There’s the tiniest amount of emotion, but his eyes look empty.

At some point the staff goes flying and it turns into a mental tug of war between Clouse commanding Kai and Lloyd and the others trying to get through to him. Lloyd is luckily able to get to Kai enough for him to smash the jewel, releasing the EM powers and the control on him. It gives him the worst headache though.

And from there, canon is mostly the same for a while. The whole time this has been going on Zane has been having dreams/nightmares about an Ice Dragon and finally makes the connection to unlock it. Skylor is still captured, Chen still escapes but now Clouse is still around, Pythor is captured, TIME FOR THE END

This time around, the EMs are able to follow Chen to their base of operations and have the final battle there. They fight, and even though they’re only partially Anacondrai, they’re still hard to fight.

Clouse tries to do the whole “Banish You To the Departed Realm” thing, but accidentally summons the Anacondrai Generals as well, who are very not happy over what these humans are doing.

And yeah. That’s what I got.

I might do more in depth posts for some of the other seasons, not sure. But feel free to ask or submit ideas of your own

[calpalsworld]

Not rlly a hc but *holds out evil Kai from s4* opinionsv 😳

TLDR; evil kai is cool but kai is too much of a good person for me to invest in it!

FULL OPINION BELOW

Ultimate respect goes out to Kai and  Kai fans. Kai is ABSOLUTELY done dirty. End of debate. And I feel horrible for Kai fans because any evil kai moments in the show is DEFINATELY a symptom of writing random things for shock and NOT foreshadowing. Especially because the new writers don’t seem 100% invested in all the old details. They REALLY don’t seem to care about Kai. *rips the writers heads off*

If evil kai is ever REVEALED its either gonna be : A.) At some point he becomes evil because this show will never stop. B.) The writers will see us with our Kai Evil Theories, make it true, claim it was foreshadowed, but it wasn’t really.

Writers may be stupid, but Kai fans are brilliant. And thats my favorite thing about Ninjago. Its reallllyyyy stupiddddd and we can write it better.

But PERSONALLY, I can’t invest in most evil kai fanfic / fan art because I feel like Kai is a very selfless person. He would never betray his friends for something that only benefits himself, imo. I get it, he DESERVES to have a self centered moment and to let that unresolved anger out, but it feels like backwards character development TO ME. 

If Kai becomes evil only due to evil possession or something, its like... fine? But its like... just an aesthetic and doesn’t really mean anything so, its mid to me.

In my headcanon, Kai is naturally a protector and supportive person. In Season 1, they become obsessive over being the best because they don’t recognize that they're already valuable enough to the people around them. They’re paranoid that they need to be better for others. They’re a perfectionist in friendship and ability, and their anger is how they react to any minor failure. The whole “All my training wasn’t to BE the green ninja, it was to PROTECT the green ninja :)” thing basically affirms who they actually want to be. Post season 1 I think Kai becomes a lot more confident.

I DO KINDA have ONE evil Kai headcanon tho!  Yknow how the Ninja don’t know about Elemental Masters until Season 4? A lot of people figure “that was because of bad writing. they probably did know before.” Well I like to imagine they didn’t know because... I think it would be epic if after Zane died, Kai started questioning this whole ninja situation. They don’t want another person to die from it. They need to understand whats going on. Rather than becoming an underground fighter like in canon, Kai starts searching for information on people with elemental powers between S3 and S4. And Kai would even do unethical things like break into museums and archives (too impatient to go through the long process of getting access to the information). Hehe. A little evil! Kai would probably also beat up people for information O_O kinda a vigilante? 

This would be a much smoother introduction to the concept of Elemental Masters, and would REALLY support the fact that Kai wants information on their parents besides the superficial “they are ur parents so u probably care.” PLUS!!! Kai could even meet SKYLOR for the first time while investigating EMs. Maybe Skylor was doing Chen’s dirty work, figuring out the identity of all the current EMs, so the two encountered each other? Kai falls in love with this mysterious figure who steals information before they can.  Did that make any sense? Heres a random sketch of Kai I found

godspeed kai fans! *salute*