The Whitest Boy Alive
••• Burning •••
so many people turn me one way
so many people turn me to stay
never time to have my mind made up
•••••
TW: panic attack
Lloyd's days during the boot camp could be separated into four easy parts;
In the morning, the team would wake, stretch, and then near-brutalise their bodies through hyper-intense training scenarios.
Lunch was spent resting and napping off the intense midday sun. Here, Lloyd would shoot Y/n a text or two. Maybe a full conversation that would end in one of his team members yanking the phone from his grasp and reminding him that he wasn't on vacation.
The afternoon consisted of the team mentally draining themselves in an effort to better their Elemental Powers and then dragging their feet to contribute on making dinner.
And then, before letting his exhausted body crash, Lloyd would spend an hour on the phone with Y/n.
Lloyd... knew he was distracted. And distraction, usually, was something he never allowed himself to be. Distraction was dangerous in his line of work.
But the thoughts of Y/n was intoxicating. She was there when he woke and lingered when he went to bed. When Lloyd should've been focusing on where to place his foot during a sparring session, he was wondering what she was doing at that very moment. When he should've been meditating and clearing his mind, his thoughts gravitated towards her favourite things; what was her favourite colour? What was her favourite song? Movie? Book?
Though, he'd probably get told off for asking the last one. The thought of her face scrunched with frustration made him smile.
Sensei Wu had been growing more and more exasperated with Lloyd's wandering attention. While he was glad that his nephew's spirit had returned (and with more vigour upon meeting Y/n), he couldn't help but catch himself reminiscing the days where Lloyd put the Green Ninja's duties first and everything else, emotions included, second.
He knew that made him a terrible uncle, so Wu never voiced these feelings. He just hoped that Lloyd wouldn't get himself into trouble during a mission.
Breaks were Lloyd's favourite time of the boot camps, which was a far cry from his attitude a year prior. As soon as he was dismissed, he'd beeline it back to his room, where he knew his phone would be waiting with the occasional message from Y/n. He'd ignore the sniggers of his team behind him.
On the Thursday, he was particularly tired and particularly distracted. He'd gotten only a handful of hours of sleep after sneaking out to visit Y/n, and seeing her didn't tamper out the flaming need in his chest to be in her presence. If anything, it only stoked the fire.
Me:
send me a selfie? pretty please?
Delivered
Me:
i miss ur pretty face
Delivered
After a few long, agonising moments of silence, an image popped up on his screen. It was of Y/n, chin half-hidden behind the book she was currently reading.
The feeling that fell over Lloyd and the ensuing smile was instantaneous. He rubbed at his chest to calm the flutter of his heart.
danger magnet☀️❤️:
cant say no to a pretty please
sent 12.34pm
Me:
you're so gorgeous
Delivered
danger magnet☀️❤️:
proper grammar and everything! is this a new tactic of flirting with me? it's working <3
Sent 12.34pm
danger magnet☀️❤️:
thank u <3333 but also
Sent 12.34pm
Lloyd was puzzled at first when the image loaded in. He wasn't as refined in texting culture as others his age; time taken up by duties and training.
His confusion was palpable as he typed out his reply, baffled smile playing on the corners of his lips.
Me:
what??
Delivered
danger magnet☀️❤️:
youve just been uno reversed fool
Sent 12.37pm
Me:
what?????????
Delivered
danger magnet☀️❤️:
:'D
Sent 12.37pm
Me:
ur so confusing
Delivered
Me:
i miss you
Delivered
danger magnet☀️❤️:
i miss you too hero. now i must demand ur face
Sent 12.38pm
Me:
to kiss?
Delivered
danger magnet☀️❤️:
no. well yes but no. photo of ur pretty pretty face, send it. pls. im begging
Sent 12.39pm
Lloyd grinned before holding his phone away and snapping a photo. He didn't usually take photos of himself, if ever, and sent it before insecurity forced him to stall.
Ears a tad too sharp, eyes a bit too unusual, not to mention the fangs he'd begun to be unable to hide or the general paleness. He felt like a monster from a fairytale. Sometimes, he thought he deserved to be. He was born of evil and looked like it, too. No wonder he was more confident in his mask - why was Y/n even attracted to him in the first place?
But Y/n's reply of a million hearts pushed that mounting doubt aside. A giddy feeling erupted through him, and his cheeks almost began to hurt from his massive smile.
🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃
I kept glancing at my lock screen, both for the hope of finding messages but also to marvel at the photo of Lloyd it now was.
Maybe he was a natural photographer or he was just lucky (and incredibly photogenic), but his smiling, handsome face was outlined by the gold of the sun reflecting against the ocean, and the blue surface made the deep green of his eyes stand out all the more. His hair looked like true, spun gold. His nose even scrunched a little, and that single dimple made me want to melt.
Are his freckles darker? Maybe. Made sense, considering how many hours he was spending under the sun. I wanted to kiss him - one for every freckle. We'd be there for a while, but maybe that was my master plan.
I was sure I was smiling like a loon as I leant against the wall behind me, pulling out my phone every other minute just to admire him while the rain poured beyond my shoes. I recalled the kiss we'd shared when he crawled into my bedroom at the dead of night after running away to steal a moment with me - a kiss of longing and relief, of wanting and achieving.
I was glad that I was already leaning against something, because my knees had weakened at the memory. His kisses always made me feel magical.
I had a passing realisation that maybe I thought too much about him, that he was my every waking moment even when he wasn't around, but I'd pushed it away. What was love if it wasn't always playing at the edge of your consciousness? It wasn't as if he completed a Lloyd-shaped hole in my life. Sure, I'd always wanted a romance, but it wasn't the only thing I strived for and it wasn't the only thing I existed for.
Lloyd was a companion I was more than happy to have beside me. He made my days richer, but he didn't complete me. Only I could complete me - that was a lesson my mother branded into me from an early age, and one I was determined to stick by.
I hoped Lloyd was thinking of me, too, wherever in the Endless Sea he was. And I hoped that he didn't have a hole in his life he was trying to slot me in to. Relationships were tricky like that, I'd realised, from my years of reading and observing. Dependant but not too depending, protective but not too protective. It was a balance.
I wondered if I was balancing, or if my weight was leaning too far to one side. It was another one of those questions that eluded me - I wanted to ask, but nobody had the answer.
I shook the heavy thoughts from my head as my friend approached our meeting spot. It was a Thursday and it was raining, which meant that Aaliyah, Claire, Naomi and I were resolved to spend it inside. Namely, catching a movie and going shopping.
A girl's day, since we hadn't had one in so long. Not for my lack of trying, mind you.
Claire had her hands in her jacket pockets and a hood drawn up as she stopped in the sheltered spot beside me. She wore dark eyeliner, the type I wished I could do, and a combo of denim shorts and converse. It was the outfit of 'it's still hot, but it's raining.' My own was similar.
"Hey!" I beamed. Lloyd's visit had put me in a better mood than usual. Claire's dark eyes regarded me oddly as she leant on the wall, but I couldn't blame her. I wasn't usually one to have much energy around people.
"Hey," she replied. She pulled her hood off and slipped her black hair from beneath her jacket. It fell over her shoulders, strands straight like soldiers.
"Bummer about the rain," I said, just to make conversation. In truth, I didn't mind the rain. I loved the smell of a summer rainstorm - of cold water hitting warm concrete and concocting the specific, earthy smell of petrichor. I'd already loved the scent, but now it reminded me of Lloyd, so I loved it only more.
"Yeah," Claire mumbled as she pulled out her phone and started scrolling. Conversation topics died on my tongue. I'd tried, which was unusual anyway, and she was clearly disinterested in talking. She must've been having one of those days. I knew them well.
I turned my gaze back to the car park, content to listen to the rain and keep glancing at my lock screen as we waited for the other two to show.
They arrived a few minutes later, each shielding themselves from the drizzle. Aaliyah's dark hair had gone helplessly frizzy in the humidity while Naomi's damp locks had gone limp. Naomi was the first to pull me into a hug, followed closely by Aaliyah.
"It's been ages!" Aaliyah gushed as we ushered ourselves inside to the dry, busy mall. Her bright-dark eyes fell to me. "What have you been up to?"
There were so many things I wished I could say - that meeting Lloyd had introduced me to an entirely different side of life and that I was somehow tangled up in it. That I had supposed powers and a not-boyfriend who left me hand-made dragon sculptures as tokens of affection. That there was a cursed prophecy with a big fight that I was in, and was terrified of.
So many things to say. And yet, I was able to share none of them.
Instead, I just plastered a smile on my face and replied; "nothing. Same old, same old."
"As if!" Naomi cackled. "Same old? You're dating a boy, Y/n, and a hot one!"
I blushed deeply and itched to pull out my phone, just to revel in Lloyd's prettiness once more. Naomi was right, again. Nothing was the same, and Lloyd was hot.
But I tensed a little; the last time we had a conversation about my love life, Claire had informed me about Lloyd's family and insisted that dating him was the wrong idea. That leant to me crying and wandering cluelessly into a forest alone.
And that was before I grew curiously protective over Lloyd. I would hate to think how I'd react now.
Aaliyah glanced at an unbothered Claire before dragging her gaze back to me. Her voice was hesitant as she spoke, as though walking on glass; "so you are dating Lloyd, then?"
I nodded. An awkward, coiling tension began to grow and solidify in my gut; I remembered where Aaliyah stood the last time we spoke of Lloyd. This was why I wasn't suited to being the protagonist to Lloyd's story. I hated conflict, both physical and verbal. His entire job was about conflict.
Claire's stare didn't break from her phone. Aaliyah's drifting gaze couldn't seem to land anywhere. The awkwardness swelled until a ball of it lived at the back of my mouth.
Naomi cleared her throat to ease the tension. "What movie are we seeing, again?"
I hung back as the others decided on a film, nails clicking together anxiously. Would they really abandon me at school because I was dating Lloyd? I was sure Naomi wouldn't, but Claire had let her opinion known, and Aaliyah usually followed her lead. Was I going to lose my friends just because of a boy?
I nervously crossed my arms, fingers gripping into my own flesh. I knew there was some kind of girl code or bestie code or whatever the hell it was called that chose friends over boys, but what if those friends were... wrong? What if the boy offered more? Offered... better friends with him?
A lump grew in my throat as I thought of his team. Despite our short and only time spent together, I already felt more welcomed with them than I did with the friends I'd had since I was young. And I hurt their leader. Three times.
I didn't want to choose. And I felt like an asshole even just thinking this, but if I had to, it would've been an easy pick.
The others finally decided on a film which was showing soon enough that we didn't have to otherwise entertain ourselves. We bought the tickets and some snacks and wandered to the cinema it wa in.
Naomi hung back. "Hey. You okay?"
I glanced up at her and found a fake smile to pull on. "I'm fine."
Naomi wasn't one to be easily fooled. I was certain that if I had to choose, she would follow me. I'd begun to suspect that maybe Naomi wasn't really as close to the others, either, and was just better than I was at fitting in.
"Ignore them," Naomi whispered. "They're just jealous because you got a boyfriend before them."
"Isn't Claire dating Nathan?"
Naomi sent me a pointed look. "A steady boyfriend."
I didn't even have the energy to correct her use of the word 'boyfriend.' I also didn't have it in me to say that, no, actually that wasn't their issue with me. Their issue was that the boy I was dating was Lloyd Garmadon.
"Why do people hate him so much?" I murmured, despite already knowing the answer. "It's not fair."
"If people didn't hate him, you'd have a lot of competition," Naomi snickered. "There'd be a line for miles."
I hated the thought of competition, and it made my stomach roll with jealousy that I didn't even need to feel. He deserved that, though. He deserved to be adored and cherished by everyone - as Lloyd Garmadon, not just as the Green Ninja.
Naomi elbowed me gently. "Hey. Don't worry so much about it. You know I've got your back."
I sent her a small, grateful smile. "Thanks, Nomes." I shook my head to wave away these pestering thoughts. "How are you going? Got anyone you like?"
Naomi was never one able to hide the way she felt. Her face went a bright shade of red and her blue eyes darted away. I gasped.
"You do like someone!" I gushed. I grabbed her arm and jiggled it excitedly. "Who? Who? Do I know them?"
Naomi rolled her eyes at my enthusiasm. "Can we go back to talking about your love life?"
"Absolutely not!" I chirped. I pulled her closer to me and beamed. "Tell me their name! What do they do? Do they go to your- our school?"
Naomi began to smile bashfully, and I wondered if that was how I looked when I thought of Lloyd; flustered and bright and infatuated, like the thought of him was my own little nebula thriving and turning inside of my chest, a galaxy of giddiness.
"You know him," she said offhandedly, gaze drifting and glossy with thought. "He's... he's really kind."
I filed through the boys I knew - both nameless faces and faceless names. I thought of the boys in our friend group before ultimately dismissing all of them. I knew Naomi like the back of my hand, and not one of them seemed like her type.
Naomi sunk her teeth into her bottom lip, lashes fluttering, and I knew immediately that she had it bad. We stopped outside the cinema room's entrance and Naomi smiled in nostalgia.
"There was one time last year where there was a bunch of gang activity, and I stayed late to study. He found me on my way back from school when it was dark and... walked me home." She shyly hugged her bags of snacks closer to her chest. "And we just talked, y'know? Where you talk and you can't stop because it's so easy with him?"
"Nomes," I gasped. I did know that feeling, I knew it well. I was the same with Lloyd. "That's adorable! Why didn't you tell me about him sooner?"
Naomi gave a half-shrug, though something was concealed in her blue gaze. "I haven't told anyone. I kinda hoped it would just fade on its own, but it hasn't." Naomi's eyes turned to the door. "They wouldn't approve. I'm a hypocrite, I know."
I shook my head. I didn't care if she was or wasn't, only that Claire and Aaliyah's judgement prevented her from chasing after her crush. "Why wouldn't they approve?"
Naomi's flushed gaze lifted to me. "Because he's one of Lloyd's friends. I have a crush on Cole."
My turning mind came to a startled, skidding halt as his face popped up in my head. This was a direction I had not anticipated. "Cole?"
Naomi nodded small. I thought back to the time at the park, where he'd helped her to her feet. Naomi hadn't been flushed with laughter at my humorous misery, she was blushing. And how could I miss the way both of their gazes lingered? Their touch hesitating for a tad too long? It was so obvious!
Of course Cole would walk her home during a wave of criminal activity. It was what he did - but clearly, something a bit more than just that happened between them. Naomi was usually levelheaded and logical, a calm rock to my chronic franticness. For her to reduced to this - another me, flustered and happy and a blushing mess - it must've been serious.
I filed through what I knew about Cole, other than the fact that he was an Elemental Master and in the Secret Ninja Force. There, admittedly, wasn't a lot that I knew about the guy, other than that his smile was always warm and that he was as kind as every one else on the team.
Either way; yes, he's got the best friend seal of approval.
"Oh, Naomi!" I cooed, wanting to hug her but our full arms preventing such a thing. "That's so cute! You should totally go for it!"
"Really?"
"Yes, absolutely!" I nodded enthusiastically. I was positively bouncing at the idea of my friend sharing the same kind of happiness as me - she deserved someone to adore her.
"Maybe." Naomi half-smiled. "I'll see how things go."
"You keep me updated, okay? Promise me," I said seriously. She giggled.
"Promise," she said. We looked towards the cinema when the screen began to play the pre-film adverts. "We should go in."
I nodded and followed her to our seats, where Claire and Aaliyah were both engrossed in their phones. I took one last look at the photo of Lloyd as my lock screen before turning off my phone for the movie that I didn't even really care to see.
And I may as well have sat in a darkened room doing nothing for two hours, because I retained nothing of the plot. My mind kept jumping between Lloyd, Naomi and Cole.
If they started going out, would Cole tell her about his secret identity? Or would Naomi figure it out like me? Did Cole already have a partner or was he on the market? Did he want to have a partner? Did he begin to like Naomi after their walk, too?
I wished I could call Lloyd to tell him all about this crazy new information, but I couldn't spill Naomi's secret without permission and he was busy, anyway. By the time the credits rolled, my head was so heavy that I could barely even recall the name of the film.
I left the cinema listlessly, eyes sore from the screen and mind fuzzy. The others talked about the movie; their favourite parts, their least favourite, and I trailed after them.
Claire wanted to update her wardrobe for the new year of school, so we tagged along on her search through the mall's shops. I tried not to let Claire's constant avoidance of me get me down, but the more I thought about how friendly Lloyd's friends were, the more I realised that she really couldn't care less of me.
And... that was okay, in some weird sort of way. Hurtful, yes, of course, but we could be mutually acquainted while spending time with our best friends. That's what best friends did, right? Sometimes people grew apart, and sometimes people never clicked at all. That was okay.
Though, she could stand to at least acknowledge me from time to time.
... maybe it hurt a little bit more than I thought.
"Hey," Naomi said as we perused the fifth shop Claire had pulled us to. She held up a small sale bag from the store we were in. "I got you something."
My brows knitted as I took the bag from her outstretched fingers. "What? Why?"
She shrugged. "Claire's being a right cow towards you recently and I thought this might cheer you up. It was gonna be for Christmas, but you'd probably appreciate it more now."
"Oh, Nomi." I sent her a grateful smile. "I'm okay, really-" I paused upon seeing the tiny green symbol attached to a keychain at the bottom of the bag. I felt my heart freeze for a second. "Is this a Green Ninja keychain?"
Naomi grinned as I pulled it out to cautiously admire. "Yep. I noticed you started liking them recently."
Liking them was a very loose term. Absolutely and completely in love with their leader was more like it.
My heart relaxed, though, upon her explanation. She didn't know who Greenie really was. I'd had a split second flare of panic that I'd somehow made it obvious, but Naomi's smile was completely transparent.
And then it fell.
"Oh, my god-" her hands clasped over her mouth as a thought struck her. I glanced up at her, alarmed. "Is- is this a weird thing to give you? Because you're dating Lloyd? I didn't even think, I'm so-"
"No! No, not at all," I laughed. I held the keychain tightly in my palm. "It's great, Nomi, thank you."
Naomi didn't look too convinced, however. "You sure he won't get, like... jealous?"
"No way." I pulled her into a tight hug, which she quickly returned. He's going to tease the ever loving hell out of me, however.
After that, Naomi had to leave to pick her little brother up from daycare. I tagged after Aaliyah and Claire for another hour, giving compliments on outfits and offering my opinion when asked. My attention kept gravitating towards my phone, however, as though a text would magically appear just because I kept glancing at it. None did.
After we left another store, my feet were beginning to ache and I was looking forward to going home and getting out of this stuffy, overcrowded mall. There was a bookstore that I wanted to check out on my way home, though. It'd caught my attention three stores earlier and I itched to explore its aisles.
I still needed to think about getting Christmas presents, too. What would Lloyd like? I supposed I could text one of his team members and ask for some ideas, if I was confident enough.
Until then though, and looking for a day when it didn't feel that my feet were going to fall off, I resolved to go to the bookstore and then leave it at that. I could do my Christmas shopping closer to the time.
I turned my attention to Aaliyah and Claire, both of whom had gotten boba from the store across the aisle from us. They both looked tired, too, or at least they weren't speaking as much. Just one more store. The only one I'd suggest all day.
"Can we go to the bookstore?"
Aaliyah looked ready to nod, but Claire dropped her head back with a groan.
"God, Y/n, you're so boring," she grumbled. "I don't want to go look at some stupid books. We got an entire year of schoolwork coming up."
A spear of hurt pierced me through the chest. "... what?"
Aaliyah shot Claire an apprehensive frown. "Claire."
"Honestly, what does any guy see in you?" Claire scoffed as she stirred her straw. "You're no fun at all, Lloyd must be bored to tears. But I suppose it's not as if he's got much to chose from."
"Claire, stop," Aaliyah murmured.
I stopped walking. "Why are you being so mean to me?"
Claire rolled her eyes as she halted before me. "I'm not being mean. You just need to be more fun."
The piercing sensation widened into a gaping chasm. "You're being mean, Claire."
She huffed, as if this entire thing was beneath her. "If that's the way you want to see it." She turned on her heel to resume walking. "Enjoy your bookstore."
I stared after her in disbelief. Aaliyah sent me an apologetic smile before chasing after her, leaving me to turn over Claire's harsh words in the middle of the mall alone.
You're boring. Lloyd must be bored. He doesn't have much of a choice.
I shouldn't have let the words hurt me so bad, I should've reminded myself that she was just a bitter kind of person, a pessimist, but it was hard to stop swords with bare hands.
I... knew that what I liked wasn't typically exciting. I knew that I was timid and didn't like parties or hooking up for the hell of it. I knew that it was probably lame to prefer going to a museum exhibit over going to a concert. But Claire didn't have to say it as though it made me lesser than her.
A sting began to grow behind my eyes. No, god, please. My throat began to close. Why couldn't I have my emotional breakdowns anywhere other than a public space? I blinked hard and started towards the mall's exit, in the opposite direction of Claire and Aaliyah.
Screw the bookstore. I was boring, wasn't I? Maybe she was right about Lloyd, too, maybe I was boring him.
That throwaway thought had a sob building behind my teeth. I couldn't stand the thought of him being bored with me. He'd be too kind to tell me, was too polite to deny me, and I would be boring him until he finally had enough.
I bumped into somebody in a blue jacket just as the first tears bubbled over. I mumbled an apology before darting out the doors and into the pouring rain.
Breathe. Breathe. In through your nose, out through your mouth. You're okay. You're okay.
You're boring.
I roughly wiped my cheeks, though I could no longer tell which were tears and which were raindrops. God, wasn't it pathetic? To be called boring and then break down crying? Part of me wanted to pull out my phone and call Lloyd, but the rest of me balked at the idea of him thinking I was pathetic, too.
At least the streets were quieter, people driven inside by the pouring rain. I didn't have to worry about looking like a blubbering mess in front of townsfolk. I was quick to get soaked, but my only want was to get home and forget this day ever happened.
I shouldn't have said anything. I should've just tagged along with wherever they wanted to go and not say a word. Of course people thought my interests were boring. I was boring. I'd known and been told this for years, it wasn't anything new.
Then why did I let myself hurt so much?
I clenched my eyes shut, warm tears dribbling down my cheeks. This was the worst, I decided, and this was why I didn't talk about my interests. Hadn't I learnt by now?
"Y/n?"
I turned at the unfamiliar call of my name. An old man with an umbrella propped up on his shoulder watched me with a concerned frown, and I tried to place how he knew me. Was he a relative? A family friend? Someone from the military?
That was when I saw his unusually green eyes. Those were Lloyd's eyes. It was his father.
I felt my heart drop to my feet. I'd heard so much about Garmadon, during and after his time as a villain. The love Lloyd had for his dad coloured his words every time he spoke of him. I'd wanted to meet him and ask so many questions.
But not like this.
I hastily wiped at my eyes. What do I do? Say he's got the wrong person? But he knew my face and I'd stopped at my name. I couldn't just run off, that'd be rude and I'd never forgive myself for doing that to Lloyd's dad. Already people were giving him a wide berth and scowling.
"Hi," I greeted, but my voice cracked halfway through and left me mortified. The rain pressed harder, flattening my hair and dripping from my nose. Garmadon looked to the sky with a gentle frown.
"Are you alright?" Garmadon asked worriedly as his green eyes turned back to me. Another wave of tears had me futilely wiping at my wet face. It didn't matter, anymore. My tears were just mixing with the rain on my skin.
I was just about to say that I was fine and make a quick getaway when the door to the tea house beside us opened and a scowling old lady stepped out. Garmadon and I startled as she glared between us.
"Come in, come in," she snapped. "You are making me cold just by looking at you!"
She whipped back around inside with a huff. I sent Garmadon a teary-eyed, confused look, but he just nodded his head towards the door with a gentle smile, taking down his umbrella. "It's best not to disobey Mistaké," he said with a touch of amusement. "She can be terrifying."
Wiping my eyes one last time, I stepped inside the tea house and was immediately punched in the nose by a million different scents - herbal, floral and everything in between. Tatami flooring lined the ground beneath me, and rice paper walls held decorations of dragons and oni. Small tables and zabutons filled the place but all were empty.
"Shoes off, off!" Mistaké squawked. I flinched before hurriedly toeing my sneakers off at the entrance. She gave a satisfied nod. "I will make tea."
I watched her go bewilderedly as she rounded a tapestry and began making tea. Garmadon placed his umbrella to the side and nonchalantly made his way to one of the tables, as though being ordered inside a tea house like it were a hostage situation was an everyday occurrence. Maybe it was.
Garmadon took a seat at one of the tables with a game of chess set up and ready to go. I wordlessly followed, hesitating at the side. I stared down at the ivory pieces - oni and dragon, respectively - and felt bad for getting rainwater on the tatami. I should've just gone home.
"Lloyd speaks very highly of you."
My gaze drifted to Garmadon. He watched me warmly as I hovered on my spot, unsure. His eyes dropped to the pieces before him and looked amongst them, considering.
"Though, I am not surprised," he continued. He picked up an oni-shaped pawn and placed it onto a square. "We have been excepting you for a very long time."
I tentatively took a seat on the plush pillow across from him and winced at the droplets of water running down my back. "Because of the prophecy, right?"
Garmadon nodded. "That's right."
I frowned and moved my own dragon-pawn a tile forward. The rest of the tea shop was empty, and the heavy drapes over the shop's front cut the sound of the few cars that passed on the backstreet it lived upon. Rain collided against its tin roof.
That was probably why I jumped when somebody else entered the little shop, distracting me of our conversation. The man pulled off the hood of his familiar blue jacket, brown eyes wide and gasping for breath as though having just ran a marathon. They landed on me and stepped forward.
My mouth dropped open in shock. "Chen?" This was a day full of surprises - both good and bad.
"Oi!" Mistaké appeared out of nowhere and shook a hand towel at the newest patron. "Shoes off!"
Chen paused mid-step before standing back and toeing off his shoes. He continued toward me and pulled his hand out of his pocket. "Hey. Y/n," Chen greeted between puffs of air. "I was calling for you."
I stared at him. "What?"
"You dropped your keychain," he said, before holding out the precious Green Ninja keychain Naomi had bought for me only a few hours prior. I startled, reaching for my pocket. Sure enough, it was empty.
"Oh." I blinked in surprise and slowly took it from his hand. "... thank you."
Chen awkwardly nodded and stepped back. His gaze darted to Garmadon, and then to Mistaké when she reentered from behind the tapestry with a tea kettle and three ceramic cups. He hovered unsurely.
"Uh..." Chen avoided my gaze. "Can you tell Lloyd I'm sorry?"
Flabbergasted, I quietly nodded. Chen gave a stiff nod to Garmadon and Mistaké before shoving his sneakers back on and high-tailing it out of the tea shop and back into the rain. I watched him go with wide eyes.
Mistaké stared after him with the ogle of a hawk. I dropped my gaze to the tea cup before me, wondering what reality I'd woken up in. My own confused expression stared back at me from the surface of the tea.
"Ah, and the wheels of change have been set in motion," Garmadon hummed as he lifted his tea cup to his lips. I turned my mystified gaze back to him. "Between this and seeing my son the happiest he's ever been, You are a good omen, Y/n."
A good omen. I didn't feel like one. I awkwardly lifted my tea cup to my lips and took a sip of the floral flavour before relaxing at the wave of warmth that flooded through me.
"I'm not so sure about that," I murmured. "I've accidentally hurt Lloyd way too many times because of my clumsiness to be a good omen."
"Your impact is a balanced one," Garmadon said. "Everything in Ninjago is a balance. Lloyd himself is a balance, that is why he is the Green Ninja. That is why he is most like the First Spinjitsu Master."
I tilted my head. "What do you mean?"
"Uchū never spoke of his origins, but he was a creation of balance." Garmadon moved his next pawn. "Good and the bad. You cannot have light without shadow, nor shade without the sun."
Mistaké dropped a towel atop my damp hair. I jolted in surprise before sending her a grateful, tense smile.
"This is Mistaké," Garmadon introduced with an incline of his head. "Mistaké-"
"Yes, yes, I know about Y/n," the old lady spat, swatting away his greetings. Garmadon took another sip of his tea, unfazed by her attitude. "I am just here to keep an eye on you."
Garmadon discreetly rolled his eyes at her jab against his favour. "She does not trust me to keep secret things secret," he explained.
"I would trust a bar of soap more than you!"
My lips turned in amusement as I dried my hair with the towel. I moved my pawn.
"I have looked into the tugging sensation that you and Lloyd have informed me of," Garmadon said as he moved his knight. "There does not seem to be a remedy in the scrolls, but I have contacted Borg who will help create a device that will track your vitals and allow us to know when it happens, if that is alright by you."
I earnestly nodded. A contact with Cyrus Borg?! Elemental Masters really are in their own league. I kept my surprise silent and moved my rook.
"There is no remedy because there was never meant to be one," Mistaké grumbled. Her sharp eyes watched as Garmadon made his next move, knocking out one of my pawns. She looked as though she was going to say more, but kept silent.
"I... saw Skylor the other day," I said as I stared at the board, calculating my next move. "She said that she could feel my powers. Said something about them... being really old."
Mistaké took a shape inhale. Garmadon hummed with a slow nod.
"What do you think, Y/n?" he asked.
"I think it's all a massive prank, honestly," I admitted, making him chuckle. "I'm the most boring person I know." My heart sunk at the reminder.
Garmadon missed nothing. "By chance, is that why you looked upset before?"
I nodded small and willed my eyes to stay dry. "My friend said it. And... said that I was probably boring Lloyd, too." I shook my head in hurt disbelief. "All I asked was to go to the bookstore."
"Some friend," Mistaké muttered.
"I think I can vouch for my son by assuring you that is not the case," Garmadon said gently. "Whoever your... friend is, they clearly do not know Lloyd. You have brightened my son's life." He reached over the board to pat the back of my hand. "Thank you, Y/n. It is nice to see him have a purpose again, outside of his duties."
My face warmed as a small smile bloomed. "He's pretty amazing."
Garmadon softened at my words. It was clear just how much he treasured his son, and that warmed my heart. I moved my knight onto the board.
"He used to be a menace," Mistaké grumbled as she poured herself some tea. "He knocked over all my shelves of tea when he was younger."
I blinked at her. "Really?"
"When Lloyd was much younger, there was a time where he... wanted to follow in my footsteps," Garmadon explained with a pained grimace. He moved his queen. "This was before we all found out that he was the Green Ninja, of course."
I watched him in surprise. "But he's so..."
"Good?" Garmadon smiled. I nodded and picked up my other rook. "Yes, he is. The team turned him in the right direction. But not before he released all the Serpentine Tombs, unfortunately."
My rook dropped to the board and disrupted the pieces. My eyes snapped to Garmadon. "He what?"
"Not his finest moment," Mistaké agreed in a mutter.
I didn't know how to react. Lloyd released the Serpentine? Lloyd - charming, sweet, entirely good Lloyd? I could barely wrap my head around the concept. That was so... surprising.
"He certainly learnt how to clean up after his own mistakes," Garmadon said gruffly. "Try not to hold it against him. He was very young and very misguided."
Misguided? "Of course."
Misguided? As usual, a million new questions popped up. The more I learnt about Lloyd, the more I realised that I knew very little about him. Before I could ask Garmadon what he meant, his phone began to ring.
"Ah, excuse me," he said, before pulling out his phone. I started to put the chess pieces back onto their spots before being disrupted while Mistaké topped up all three cups of tea. "Speak of the devil. Hello, Lloyd."
The pawn in my fingers slipped to the board again, toppling over another knight as my eyes jumped up to him. My cheeks went warm at his smirk and Mistaké's chuckle.
Keep it together, Y/n, damn.
"Fascinating," Garmadon said to whatever Lloyd had told him. "Y/n, Lloyd just called to update me on his progress. He can now use ice and fire simultaneously."
I blinked. "Wow."
There was an audible silence from the other side of the line of Garmadon's phone. Then, Lloyd's little voice. His dad's grin grew and I realised with a spike of amusement that Lloyd was like his father in more ways than just the fangs and eyes - they were both teases.
"Yes, Y/n's with me," Garmadon answered Lloyd's question. "We are having tea with Mistaké."
I slowly continued putting the chess pieces back to their proper places.
"Yes, I will tell her," Garmadon said, before lowering the phone and catching my gaze. "Lloyd says that he will call you tonight. He also wanted me to tell you that he loves you and thinks only of you and wants to marry you and-"
Enraged, muffled yelling erupted from the phone. Garmadon's grin grew massive at Lloyd's frustration. I stared at him in flustered shock.
"Oh - sorry, you're breaking up," Garmadon said, before deftly ending the call. He calmly tucked his phone away and picked up his refilled tea cup for a sip. "Beautiful brew, Mistaké."
"I know."
I stared at both them, unable to find any words to say. My phone buzzing made me jolt and retrieve it from my pocket.
Jesus💗:
DO NOT LISTEN TO A THING THAT OLD MAN SAYS
Sent 3.34pm
I laughed once - still utterly bewildered. Mistaké didn't even look surprised by the chaotic nature of Garmadon's call to his son.
At least he seems to like me. That was a solid positive, right?
"Why aren't you with the others on the training camp?" I asked. "Aren't you one of their Senseis?"
"I am, indeed," Garmadon said, pleased that I knew. "But I had to stay and watch over the monastery and hold classes alongside my wife. It is not often that we get time away from the team - I am sure you know that they can be quite loud."
I grinned in agreement. "It's sweet that you spend time with your wife while they're away."
Garmadon took a doleful sip of tea. "It's what she deserves after the way this city treats her." His eyes grew a little sad, a touch guilty, and it deepened when he looked back at me. "Have you had much trouble?"
"A little," I admitted quietly. "But it's nothing I can't handle."
Garmadon smiled a tad. "You are very strong."
I gave a half-shrug. "Lloyd makes it worth it."
Mistaké gave a grunt of approval as she poured more tea. They shared a look - a warmth of relief and peace, before Garmadon reset the disturbed game of chess.
"I believe it was your turn?" he said.
I picked up my dragon-shaped king.
🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃
Lloyd tossed his phone to the side of the deck of the Bounty with a red face. Break was over, and so was the call.
Dammit, dad. He was going to teach his old man a thing or two when he got back home.
He stretched his arms behind his head as he stalked across the deck toward where his team had gathered for the last session of the day. A familiar, deep-set ache sat in his limbs and he shook them out to limber back up. Push distraction aside. He was back into Green Ninja mode.
I wonder how much Y/n thought was true? Was she... appalled? Flattered? Half of it was true, anyway. And the other half...
Perhaps he wasn't quite back into Green Ninja mode.
"Focus, Lloyd," Wu said wearily. Lloyd's green gaze drew to his uncle. "You must not let a wandering mind disrupt you from your duties."
Lloyd nodded. He knew this. He knew how important it was to keep a streamlined mind. The deep slash across his chest was a solemn reminder of the dangers he and his team faced every time they put on their gis.
His fingers itched for his phone. Had Y/n responded to his text yet?
Lloyd balled his hands into fists and closed his eyes. Streamlined mind. Streamlined mind.
The others split off to practise their Elemental Powers. Lloyd took a seat and called upon his own - ice and earth - an attempt to concentrate on both simultaneously. It took a lot just to bring upon and focus on one power, but two was near-on impossible.
A circle of silt and mud from the seabed gathered before him, building into a solid square of earth on the wooden deck. Ice sprinkled upon it, tiny spikes of icicles gathering in small clumps. He kept the mud churning in its square. The ice would rise and fall with it.
Lloyd flinched when his phone pinged distantly with a text. His mind raced, laden with a million thoughts all at once, and his turning mud and ice fell into a pile.
"Focus," Wu said quietly, passing by silently as he observed his wards. Lloyd's brow knotted in concentration.
Streamlined mind.
The mud built back up into a square. Sweat beaded on his forehead, running down his face in salty rivulets. The beat of the sun began to warm his neck. Ice, he thought. Ice.
Icicles formed on the rolling silt, reaching up with tiny arms of frost before falling back into the mud and disappearing. Ice, he thought with more grit, and the entire square of earth was swiftly encased with a chilly shell.
Jay suddenly snorted. "Lloyd. I think your dad sent you a list of baby names!"
The square of ice and mud suddenly burst as Lloyd's cheeks grew aflame. Shards of ice scattered across the deck and drops of silt followed suit. He quickly leapt to his feet as the rest of his team crowded around Jay and his phone and pointed out their favourite names with snickering looks.
"Get off my phone!" Lloyd seethed, before storming forward to snatch it. Jay yanked his arms back before he could grab his phone, playing keep-away while laughing at the team leader's expense.
Wu tiredly watched on and prayed to his father for strength.