#also the fact that people in costumer service seem so genuinely surprised when you’re nice to them???

[smelly-fozzy]

How do they expect you to get job experience if they won’t give you the job? Like- they can’t train you after they hire you? You already have to go through training and rules, so can’t that be how you get experience??

[lovingkaneko]

Ch.1: The Girl With The Bike (Colt x Mc)

Summary: Colt Kaneko never lost a race, but when challenged to one by a female from another crew, he finds himself to be smitten with her. 

Author Note: I don’t get many reads but I hope you guys actually check this story out! First chapter, let’s goooo. Next part here

Book: Ride or Die: A Bad Boy Romance | Choices: Stories You Play (AU)

Pairing: Colt Kaneko x MC | Ellie Wheeler

Word Count: 2,356 

Rating: VERY N*FW (Sex, Swearing)

Sometimes I genuinely couldn’t understand why my pops trusted that guy, he was a nobody. He was just a high school drop out, but he was kept around for what? The fact that he can drive fast? Bullshit. My dad never believed in me, never saw what I was capable of. So, I sat at the front desk chewing my gum aggressively and waiting for costumers. Nothing interesting ever happened, I’d only ever meet people who knew nothing about cars and were trying to repair something. Yet, Logan got to be part of the crew and I didn’t. I couldn’t help but clench my fists with anger, not hearing a voice calling me.

“Son,” I finally heard and sat up in my seat quickly.

“What is it?” I asked him as I popped my gum aggressively.

“I want you to do something for me,” He said blankly, as always. But still, my heart jumped excitedly at the thought of being needed by him. I kept a poker face as I answered.

“How can I finally be of service to you?”

“Don’t think you’re doing anything big, you’re simply turning in a car to a customer. That’s all I ask,” My dad answered in an expressionless tone.

“A customer for the shop?”

“No, son. You’ll be giving the keys to a member of the Wheelers.”

My jaw dropped unexpectedly, the Wheeler Crew was a well known group. Like the MPC, they also deal illegal cars. Nobody messes with them, their leader is rumored to be a police officer, you’d be in immediate danger. I was shocked my dad came to me with this request.

“Why can’t pretty boy do it?” I asked with a scoff, pretending I wasn’t at all enthused about the job.

“He’s out doing me another job, everyone else is busy. Trust me, you weren’t my first choice.”

I felt anger bubble up in my chest at his words, but I couldn’t ruin this moment I had to prove to him that I was capable of doing other jobs for him. I’d start with turning in a car and then I’d work my way up to more serious tasks. 

“When do I go?” 

“Now, she’ll be waiting for you at the regular dealing spot. You’ve followed me there before,” My dad answered and I nodded.

“I’m on it.”

He handed me some keys and I raised eyebrows when I realized what they had bought. A 2019 Camero, not bad for a car. I got out of the shop quickly, not wanting to waste any more time. I put on my helmet and rode off on my motorcycle. The wind flowing through my shirt was something I would never get used to, the adrenaline pulsing through my body was intoxicating. 

Buildings passed by in a blur, I was going fast and zooming through the alleys of Los Angeles. Before I knew it, I got to my destination. The dim lights in this alley were making it slightly easier to see in the dark night. I couldn’t see anyone nearby, I scoffed. She was probably late, not surprising. 

“Wow, Kaneko sent his son. I’m honored,” said a female voice from behind me. She was leaning on the wall with a bike next to her. But it wasn’t just any bike, she was standing beside a Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle.. My jaw dropped at the sight of it, one of the fastest bikes in the world. The girl’s head turned to look at the vehicle beside her.

“Like the bike huh? Got it last year, a birthday gift from my dad.”

I hadn’t paid much attention to her, I was distracted by the vehicle beside her. But I finally met her eyes and chest tightened painfully. My heart began to beat faster than usual and I felt like throwing up. What the fuck was I feeling? 

“It’s nice, don’t think it’s a bit fast for a girl like you?” I asked with a smirk as I tempted her. She didn’t seem to like the joke, she scoffed.

“What would you know about speed? I could beat you in a race any day,” She raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms.

“I would love to see you try, princess.”

Her eyes looked at me up and down, slowly.

“It’s odd seeing you here, your old man never lets you out to do business,” She pointed out after a few moments of silence.

“Yeah? Well, I’ll be around more now that I can prove myself to him.”

“That’s good,” She smirked, “I’ll be sure to leave a good word in for you.”

I felt my heart twist at her words, if my pops could just hear that I did well with this job, surely he’ll trust me more. If she mentioned to him that I was professional and fit for the job, then maybe I could do more for him.

“Under one condition,” She added.

“What would that be?”

“Only men get to be part of the big boy activities. I’m not sure you’ve got it in you to work for your dad’s business,” She walked closer to me, “You’ve gotta prove yourself to be a man.”

My mind clouded with anger as she taunted me, but my body reacted... Differently.

“Yeah? Well why should I have to prove anything to you?”

“You don’t,” She answered, trailing her words, “But wouldn’t you love to keep doing business with us? If I only requested that you come to the trades.”

My eyebrows raised in surprise, she could definitely make those sorts of requests to my dad. He didn’t have the guts to say no to the Wheelers. 

“What do you have in mind?” I asked as I finally allowed myself to take in the rest of her appearance. My eyes trailed down to analyze her body and boy, I was pleased with what I saw. 

“A few things... How about a bet,” She was standing right in front of me. Even though I towered over her, she still didn’t lose confidence. 

“A bet?”

“Mhm...” She bit her bottom lip gently as she thought for a moment. I wanted to badly to push her up against the alley wall and just--

“A race,” She said finally, “You, me, and our bikes. A quick spin around the block. If you win, I get to tell your dad that you’re the best dealer I’ve met. If I win, well... Let’s just say you’ll have to find out.”

I don’t know how I felt in that moment, I felt a jolt of electricity run through my body, I felt taunted and overall... Turned on.

I nodded slowly, “You’ve got yourself a bet.”

She smirked triumphantly and made her way over to her bike, putting her helmet on. She turned to me and motioned towards my motorcycle. I snapped out of my daze and got on my bike, making sure to slip on my helmet as well. 

The engine of her ride roared into the night and my eyes admired her body. She sat up straight and drove out of the alley to our starting line. I followed her, the adrenaline rushing through my veins. She stayed beside me.

“Whoever makes it back here first wins, it’s an innocent race. Don’t even think of playing dirty with me, little boy.”

This girl pushed every button on me, making me angry and ready to win.

“Won’t have to,” I smirked, knowing she can’t see me behind my helmet. 

“Count of three!” She yelled over the roar of her engine, “One... Two... Three!”

We started driving at the exact same time, I could easily beat her. I’ve never lost a race against another bike. The wind flew through my clothes, I heard nothing but the sound of it. I could see her beside me, her body leaned forward as she laid on the bike to go faster. 

Before I knew it, she was ahead of me by a lot. I stepped on it, quickly making my way close behind her, still not being in the lead. Beside the wind, I finally heard something. She was roaring with laughter, mocking me.

Her voice echoed in my head, “What would you know about speed?”

I’ll show her what I know. I somehow went faster than I ever had, not willing to lose to a cocky bitch like her. My bike drove next to hers, the finish line in sight. She twisted her head to look at me, I looked back at her and could’ve sworn she winked. 

Her motorcycle zoomed ahead, beating me by five full seconds. She slowed down and finally stopped. She parked the bike and took her helmet off, her braid messy because of the wind. I got off as well and placed my helmet on the bike.

“I won, fair and square.”

“Didn’t expect that from a girl,” I answered as the adrenaline of a race still pumped through my body. 

“Well, you don’t know anything about me,” She whispered as she stood directly in front of me. Her gaze was intense and I could see that she was planning something to do to me. But I couldn’t think much, her body was tempting me to do things I’ve never thought of doing. I never thought that having a girl beat me in a race would be so sexy.

There was a dark look in her eyes that made her a thousand times hotter. She pressed her hand onto my stomach, feeling my abs.

“Decisions, decisions... What am I going to do with you?” She asked as she continued to feel me up. Normally, I would’ve just teased her for being desperate. But I wanted her now more than anything. 

I pushed her into the wall directly behind her, capturing her lips with mine. She moaned into my mouth, a sign that she wasn’t expecting me to kiss her. Her hand made its way behind my neck, pulling me closer. Her other hand traveled up my shirt and she roamed around. 

My arms were wrapped around her waist, my hand lowering to feel her ass. I gently squeezed and she gasped into the kiss. I took this as the chance to slip my tongue inside her mouth, she was going crazy for me and I could feel it. 

After deepening the kiss, I finally pulled away and pressed a teasing peck to her jaw. Slowly, I trailed my lips down to her sweet neck, only letting my mouth hover over and breathe on her. She squirmed with need and I finally locked my lips right below her jaw. I gently scraped my teeth against her neck and she whimpered with pleasure.

I continued to mark her neck, loving how she would make the best noises. I went back to her lips and she sighed heavily, missing the contact.

Surprisingly, she decided she wanted to do the same to me. Her lips suckling at my neck, making sure that her bites were noticeable. 

We went back to devouring each other’s lips, hungry and filled with need.

I didn’t expect her hand to trail down to the bulge in my pants, she gently palmed me as we made out. This girl was going to drive me insane, I could already tell. 

“Please,” I whimpered as I couldn’t take it anymore. The voice that came out of me was one I hadn’t ever heard before, I hated it, I sounded so weak. 

“Those are the magic words, baby,” She licked her lips and made her way to her knees. My heart pumped erratically in my chest and I simply couldn’t function.

She unbuttoned my pants and trailed the zipper down, only pulling my jeans down low enough to expose my package. Lucky for us, this alley was fairly dark and everyone was scared of it anyways. We’d be alone for a while.

She pressed a kiss to my bulge through my boxers and I couldn’t help but groan. I felt as she pulled them down and kissed the tip of my erection. Her tongue licked the top all the way to the bottom slowly. I heard her hum in approval.

Finally, she took me into her mouth. My jaw dropped and I let out a moan I didn’t know I was holding back. She sucked harshly and drove me crazy. 

I pulled at her hair and she groaned, sending vibrations onto my cock. I knew I wouldn’t last much longer. I tried to tell her, but my voice was caught in my throat.

“I-- I’m--” 

“Shh baby, I’ve got you,” She whispered, her hot breath touching me made me almost lose my grip.

She went back to sucking and after a few moments, I felt myself on the edge.

“Aww look how I got you twitching,” She smirked as she looked up at me. She finished me off with her hand, I came harder than I ever had and she had only used her mouth. All the girls I had been with in the past barely got me to finish, but I had never felt anything like this.

She pulled my boxers back on and stood back up.

“Not bad, Kaneko,” She chuckled as she leaned back against the wall, crossing her arms. I was still catching my breath and couldn’t say anything. I kissed her again and she smiled against my lips.

“Don’t worry about getting me off tonight, we’ll just have to wait till next time,” She pressed one last lingering kiss onto my lips. She reached into my pockets and pulled out the keys without me even noticing, I was in a trance. She handed me a big case that I hadn’t seen before. It was heavy with cash and I totally forgot we were doing a trade.

“I’ll be sure to leave a good review,” She winked and got back on her bike. She drove off quickly, without letting me say goodbye. I ran a hand through my hair as I stared in the direction in which she left.

I smiled to myself for the first time, it wasn’t a smirk... I genuinely felt content.

[princesskeda]

Heart of the Oni 8-10

After the supposed deaths of their friends and family, Nya, Lloyd, Pixal, and Misako cope with the aftermath of Harumi’s rein and try to move on with the help of some old friends. But not everyone grieves the same way. Meanwhile in the First Realm, the ninja are trying to survive and find a way home. Post S8, this started out as a speculative fiction about S9 but its so much more.

CHAPTERS 8-10

8

              The place they had chosen for the funeral was off the coast of the endless sea.  Something about watching all the waves crash in the starlight calmed Nya.   She heard someone walking behind her and turned, thinking it was P.I.X.A.L with more decorations.

              It was Lloyd.  Seeing her turn caused him to freeze, like a deer caught in headlights. Seeing him had caught her off guard as well.  Ever since that night they had been tiptoeing around each other.  The truth was that Nya was happy that he was ok.  Seeing him on Mistake’s table, back when there was that chance that he wouldn’t pull through seemed like a nightmare.  She cared about Lloyd a lot—they had known each other since he was just a kid, before he had ever been the green ninja.  

              But she was also angry.

              Ever since her talk with Ronin, she had been trying not to be.  And the truth was that she wasn’t mad at Lloyd.  So maybe the feeling she was looking for wasn’t anger, but hurt.

              Why had he gone to face his father alone?  Why had he locked them in that room?  Didn’t he trust them?  Hadn’t he needed them?

              And now, everyone was gone…

              It’s not his fault. Nya reminded herself once again.  There really was no use at pinning blame on any of them.  The true culprit was Harumi.  If it was anyone’s fault, it was hers—everything that had happened was because of her own twisted need for revenge.  

              Nya had been staring at him for a long time, and Lloyd couldn’t read her face.  He was glad she didn’t seem so angry anymore…but he couldn’t help feeling like that didn’t mean he was forgiven.  Not that he blamed her.  He hadn’t forgiven himself either.

              “So…how did the invites go?” He asked, trying to make conversation.  He winced at how awkward it came out. Once upon a time, they could talk freely.

              “Oh. It was fine.”  He noticed a flash in her eyes, as if she was remembering something that had made her angry.  But it was gone as soon as it came, leaving him to wonder if he had imagined it.  She turned her attention back to him. “How are you feeling?”

              “Um, better. Yeah, a lot better.”  It was true…at least on a physical level.  His father had left him in bad shape, but every day he felt his body get stronger with less aches.  

              “And your powers…?”

              “No.”  

              Those still hadn’t returned.  Lloyd wasn’t sure what role his powers had played in everything that went down, but even as his body got better his powers remained absent. It was such a strange feeling to be without them.  

              “I’m sorry.”  

She really did look sorry too.  Maybe she didn’t totally hate him after all. He hoped there was still some kind of chance for their friendship.  He really couldn’t bear losing anybody else.

              “Well…I better go help P.I.X.A.L with those decorations.” She continued, giving him one last smile.  He watched her go over to REX to help their robot friend pull strings of flowers, lanterns, and candles out.  It wouldn’t be a long service, or one that could really give their friends the recognition they deserved.  But P.I.X.A.L wanted to be sure that it was as good as possible.   She had missed Zane’s first funeral, but this time she wanted to be there with everyone else.

              “P.I.X.A.L, you did a great job with all these decorations” Nya said, helping her friend hang flower strings on tree branches.  

              “Thank you, Nya.   There’s just something…human about decorating a place for an event.” Her voice sounded so sad.  

              Nya felt a little guilty, realizing how much P.I.X.A.L had been hurting these last few days.  Knowing her, she probably hadn’t talked to anyone about how she was feeling; P.I.X hated feeling like any kind of burden.   Before she could think better of it, Nya pulled P.I.X.A.L into a hug.

              “What is this for?” P.I.X.A.L asked in surprise. She couldn’t recall any other time in her data base when Nya had hugged her.

              “Because…I know you’re hurting P.I.X.  I mean, we are all hurting.  You shouldn’t have to keep all yours inside just because I’ve been on such a warpath.”

              P.I.X.A.L didn’t answer right away.

              “I just wanted to be helpful…”

              “Oh Pix. You’ve always been helpful.  I can’t think of a single time when you haven’t been helpful.”  They placed Lanterns around the area on the beach where they would have the service.  “But I want to help you too.  Just because someone else wants to help you doesn’t mean that you have become unhelpful…it just means that they want to be helpful…too…um…does that make sense?” Nya never could explain things in the way she wanted. She also felt especially incoherent next to her logical friend, who always spoke in a perfectly clear way.

              “I understand what you mean, Nya.” P.I.X.A.L said, smiling at her.  “And I appreciate it.”

              Misako approached the two girls, who had finished setting up.

              “Not a moment too soon, you two.  It looks like the first people are starting to arrive.”   They turned to see Dareth swaggering down the beach, dressed in his brown ninja costume.    Skylor wasn’t far behind him.  Nya realized she hadn’t seen their red-headed friend in a long time. She found herself wondering how Ronin managed to invite her without anyone catching on.

              “Who else are we waiting for?” Lloyd asked, looking down the beach to catch sight of anyone else.

              “The Walkers.” Nya answered.

              P.I.X.A.L looked confused.

              “But what about…”

              “Just the Walkers.”

              By the time Lou reached home the moon was shining and he was exhausted.  He dug through his pockets for his keys, trying to steel himself for the hours to come in his quiet house.  Perhaps he would write another song.

              He pushed the door open and flicked on the light.            

              “Hello Lou.”

              Lou looked up in alarm.  There, on his couch, a young woman was relaxing as if she owned the place.  Her hair was long and pale, and under it a jagged red scar.  His blood ran cold.

              “Sorry to barge in.  You weren’t at home, see.  But I hate to see you stuck on that doorstep…come on in.” She sounded so polite, so royal…but also deadly. Very deadly.

              Lou heard something behind him and turned to glowing red eyes.  The unknown assailant had a knife to his back.  He slowly walked into his house.

              “I’m afraid we have a bit of a problem Lou. One of your neighbors reported a ninja sighting in the area.  And apparently, she was looking for you.”

              Lou still didn’t say anything, never looking away from the red-scarred witch.  He knew who she was…and what she had done.

              Harumi motioned for him to come take a seat next to her.  He clenched his jaw and, cane in hand, slowly made his way over to her.  He refused to sit.

              “Oh yes, her good neighbor Lou…a performer of the highest quality, was being targeted by a Ninja girl,” she said, voice dripping with sarcasm.  “Of course, at first I thought it was silly.  What on earth would the Ninja want with a performer?  Maybe they just needed someone to sing them their lullabies…I know a good lullaby or two myself, you know.  Anyway, I sent Mr. E to have a look.  And what do you know?  He found this.”  

She tossed a picture onto the table in front of them. Her voice gained a threatening tone.  “How do you explain this picture, Lou?”

              But he was no longer looking at her; in fact, he could no longer hear her at all.  The picture was of the four ninja, with Cole holding aloft the fang blade they had just earned.   He had been so proud that day…so proud…

              The one called Mr. E knocked him to the ground and out of his reverie.   His cane clattered across the floor.

              “Are you even listening Lou?  What connection do you have with the Ninja, and where are the survivors?”  Harumi’s voice had lost its sweetness.

              “I think I know…” a sinister sing song voice came from the back of the house.  A woman with strange purple skin and a high black ponytail walked into the room and over to Harumi.  

              “Oh-ho-ho, did you start playing without me?”  She asked, sneering down at Lou. Harumi took a small picture from her hand. As the former Quiet One looked down at it, understanding lit up in her face.

              “Oh, of course. I should have seen the family resemblance.  You have the same eyebrows…” She crouched down in front of Lou, who had propped up on one arm to continue his silent glare. “…And the same stoic expression.”   She started to laugh cruelly.

              “I never would have guessed Cole came from performing stock, not with that awful voice of his.” Harumi taunted.  “Honestly, we did everyone a favor by silencing him…”

              Lou’s attack almost reached her, but Harumi was faster.  In a single motion she grabbed his arm and threw him across the room.  He hit his trophy table hard, knocking winner’s cups and medals to the ground.  His eyes closed in pain.

              “That explains why Nya came looking for you, Lou. Don’t try to pretend like she didn’t find you…ninja always finish the job.  Well…almost always.”  Harumi was done mocking him; she wanted answers. “What was it she wanted to talk to you about?  Where are the survivors?”

She approached Lou slowly, menacingly.  

              “I could have Ultra Violet convince you to talk….but I must warn you.  She doesn’t play so nice.”  The purple villain’s insane laughter punctuated the threat.  Lou kept his eyes closed.  In his mind, he started to play a song. After a few moments his mind started to slowly drift away…

              “What’s this?”

              His eyes snapped open. Harumi’s voice was genuinely curious now as she stared at something on the floor in between her and Lou. It was a small square card.  In desperation Lou tried to reach it but, once again, Harumi was quicker.  

              “Well, well, well, an invite.  I wonder what it’s for?  Such a pity we weren’t invited…I do love a good gathering.”

              “No…” The one rasped word was the first Lou had spoken all evening.  Ultra Violet kicked him to be silent.  

              “So he was holding out on us after all… should we teach him what happens when you lie to the Empress?” she asked.  Harumi looked down at Lou with victorious contempt.  

              “Poor Lou...staying quiet all this time to protect the remaining ninja, only to let this invite slip.  I’m afraid that means you’ve failed…” her voice trailed off.  She had been walking towards the door, as if to leave, but she paused at the table to pick up the small discarded picture.  She studied it with amusement.

“But I supposed you’re used to that.  Tell me…how does it feel to fail as a father? But I can understand why you’ve been off performing, rather than mourning.”  

She caressed the picture and laughed. “He was so pathetic…so mediocre.” She made eye contact with Lou. “I wouldn’t mourn him either.” She tossed the picture to the side and it landed with the sound of breaking glass.  Her laughter echoed in Lou’s mind long after the three had left him alone in silence.

Lou panted painfully. He tried to stand but found that with his new back injury and no cane, he couldn’t quite make it. He half crawled, half scooted across the floor until he came to the picture that Harumi had thrown.  Out of the shattered glass, he pulled the picture from its frame.  

              It was just a picture of Cole, taken right before he had gone off to the Marty Openheimer’s school for performing arts. He had refused to smile, but Lou had been so excited that day that he had taken this picture anyways.  As Lou stared at it, the feelings he had been trying so hard to avoid washed over him.

              “Oh…son…”

  9

The sun was high overhead by the time Cole and Kai were headed back to the campsite.

              “Oh man…” Cole said suddenly, causing Kai to turn.

              “What is it?”

              “I just realized that we left Jay and Wu basically alone together for the last hour… I just hope that Jay is behaving himself.”

              Kai laughed.  “They aren’t totally alone…I mean, they have a nindroid babysitter at least. And if anything, maybe you should be worrying about Jay in that situation…”

              They shared a laugh.  A group of dragons flew overhead, and the two friends sobered and cautiously watched until they had passed.

              “Isn’t it weird that we used to be good friends with dragons…but now… I guess it’s just hard to know if these are good dragons or not.”  Cole said as the dragons became specks on the horizon.  

              “Yeah…” Kai said, thinking.  Then he looked over like he had just had an epiphany.

              “Wait, that’s it!”

              “What’s it?”

              “How we get home! Dragons can fly into different realms, right?  So all we have to do…”

              “…Is befriend a dragon and convince it to take us back!  Kai, you’re a genius!” Cole said, finishing Kai’s thought.  Kai smirked.  He didn’t get called a genius very often and he decided that he could get used to it.

              They had reached their destination, but the campsite seemed deserted.  A few discarded breakfast skewers were the only signs of their friends.

              “Wait…where’d everybody go?” Cole asked, looking around. He felt panic rise.  They wouldn’t have left…right?  That meant that something happened to them…

              “Huh, that’s really weird…I can’t think of where they would have gone…” Kai said, equally baffled.  Cole was searching the campsite for clues in a near frenzy.

              “What could have happened?  It doesn’t look like any battle went down…but we can’t be sure…”

              Suddenly he heard a familiar sound.  It was Jay…complaining about something.  He sighed in relief and turned to find the source. He caught sight of them in the distance.

              There’s Jay and Zane, he thought as he and Kai ran towards them.  But where’s…

              They stopped dead in their tracks.

              “Is that…Wu?” Kai asked as they caught sight of the figure behind their friends.  

              “I can’t believe it…he got older again! You know, now he kinda looks like Lloyd…back when we first met him…right?” Cole added, shocked by his sensei’s sudden transformation.   Their friends had almost reached them now and they could hear Jay’s conversation more clearly.

“…so all I’m saying is that I know that you were doing it all consciously because toddler body or not, you…”

              “You’re back!” Zane called out, catching sight of his friends.  Jay looked over.

              “Of course, the second we leave is when they decide to show up…” he muttered.  He felt a worm of worry now that Cole was actually…well…here.

              “Guys!  We were wondering where you had disappeared to…” Kai said as they joined up.  

              “Looks like we’re one step closer to getting our old Wu back,” Cole said, rubbing Wu’s head.  Wu smiled back at him.

              “Yes…I suppose we are.” he replied.  He looked to be about 9 or 10 now, and would have sounded more like his old Wu self if it hadn’t been for his high-pitched, pre-voice change speech.

              While his friends all talked and joked together, Jay hung back from the group a bit. He noticed Zane giving him a meaningful look. He sighed and stepped forward.  

              “Hey…uh, Cole?”  His friend turned to face him, looking a bit uncomfortable himself.

              “Yeah Jay?”

              “I uh…um.  I’m sorry.  About before. I…I shouldn’t have said that…”

              Cole looked shocked.  

              “Wow…really?!”

              Jay instantly became annoyed.

              “YEAH really!  Are you doubting the sincerity of my apology?”

              “Yeah…I mean, no…of course not…it’s just…”  Cole held up his hands in defense.  It wasn’t that he doubted the seriousness of Jay’s apology, it was just that it was the first time he could ever remember Jay actually apologizing. He hadn’t expected it…but he supposed it would be better not to point that out.

              “I’m sorry too Jay…I was kinda hard on you… and I shouldn’t have run off like that.”  The two stood awkwardly for a few moments more.

              “So……..we good?” Jay asked. Cole laughed and smacked his back.

              “Yeah, motormouth.  We’re good.”  

              “We’re more than good.” Kai cut in, eager to share his great idea with the group.  “I figured out how we’re going to get out of here!”  

              After he finished explaining Zane cut in.

              “I had already processed that course of action, but that scenario runs into several problems…”

              “Aw man, of course you did.” Kai muttered, suddenly deflated.  He decided it was hard to feel like a genius when there was a nindroid in the group who had already thought of any good idea you could possibly have.

              “To get home, it is not dragons that we will rely on.” Wu piped up.  Such old-Wu words sounded so strange coming from the body and voice of a kid.  The four ninja looked at him expectantly.

              “Ok…so what are we looking for?” Cole asked.

              “It’s not a what, it’s a who.”

              “Yep. There he is.  There’s the old fortune cookie man we all know and love.” Jay said, face palming. Wu ignored him.

              “The person we have to find is the Dragon Master.”

              It was a calm night, and the waves lapped peacefully on the beach.  Lloyd looked at those who had gathered to mourn together.  For once the threatening darkness from the city in the distance was blocked…held at bay by the tranquility of this moment.  It wasn’t a happy moment—far from it—but it was so calm and sincere that he felt some of the turmoil inside of him ebb.

              P.I.X.A.L was passing out tea candles to everyone.   It was silent, but rather than feeling heavy the silence wrapped around them all like a blanket.  Lloyd took his candle and smiled a bit at P.I.X.  She gave a smile back and moved to the next person. Lloyd turned his attention to his candle.  Soon they would light them all in memory of his fallen friends… he frowned as he felt the all too familiar pangs of guilt and grief worm their way into his tranquil state.  Long after this candle had been lit and had died out he would have these feelings of guilt and regret hanging over him.  Part of him wanted to shake loose from the dreadful emotions, but deep down he couldn’t help but think that he deserved to feel this way.  He didn’t deserve to have peace and closure in this moment…or any moment. His eyes closed in pain.  

              He heard the sound of soft sobbing and looked up to see Ed comforting his wife.  

              These are parents forced to mourn the loss of their son...I did that!

              Suddenly he didn’t feel like he could go through with this service anymore.  He felt like he was choking, and looked around at everyone gathered.  Surely they knew whose fault this loss was.  Surely they blamed him as much as he blamed himself. He wanted to bolt.  

              P.I.X.A.L’s voice broke through his panicked thoughts.

              “Tonight we honor heroes fallen in protection of Ninjago and their friends.   We will light these candles now in their remembrance…and lanterns in the years to come. They will not be forgotten.  We will not forget.”

              At the end of her simple statement, she lit her candle.  The others did the same.  

              Nya looked down at her candle, tears silently coursing down her face.  P.I.X.A.L walked up next to her and met her eyes.  After some unspoken conversation, the two of them approached the gently lapping water on the beach.   Together they placed their candles in the waves and Nya used her powers to send them lightly out into the sea.  Nya felt an arm on her shoulder and turned to see Skylor, who smiled sadly at her before placing her own candle in the water.  

Down from them Ed and Edna knelt to add theirs.  Edna continued to softly sob and Ed held her close, eyes misty, as they watched Nya’s little waves carry their candles away.  It was clear that Jay’s loss was still a fresh wound for them.

Dareth set his candle down and gave it a salute as it headed out.

              “Adios, my fellow ninjas.” he drawled sadly.  His salute began wavering and soon he had to drop it so that he could have both arms to wipe across his eyes in an effort to stop the tears leaking out.

              Ronin felt a little awkward about the whole thing. Unsure of what else to do, he removed his hat and set his candle free.  He watched, hat in hand, as it joined the other little lights twinkling off in the distance.  

              Lloyd hung back.  He still hadn’t lit his candle and his eyes were squeezed shut, fighting back tears.  Misako approached and put her hand on his arm, causing him to look up with teary eyes.

              “I can’t.” his voice broke.

              “You don’t have to do it alone,” his mother said with a sad smile. Together they approached the water.

              “Shall we call in backup, boss?” Ultra Violet looked at Harumi, awaiting orders, but Harumi continued to look at the address on the little card.  Without looking up, she waved her hand at her wild companion.

              “If you must.  But we aren’t going to be waiting for the backup.  We’re headed there now. They can catch up.”

              “I was hoping you would say that!” Violet laughed.   Nearby, Mr. E cracked his neck to signify that he, too, was ready for some action.  

              Harumi’s car was large, black, and expensive.  Mr. E took the wheel and Harumi stared out at the moon, pensive.

              She had worked and waited for so long…for years…hiding behind masks, planning each step with precision and patience. She tightened her fist.  So much patience.  That time a few days ago when they had taken control…she had long dreamed of that moment. No, she had LIVED for that moment. There were times when the pieces didn’t click right into place…times when those meddling ninja had almost beaten her. There was a point when she had honestly thought she had lost.

              But the power of revenge had proven stronger.

              She thought of that moment, where she had held Lloyd over the edge of that tram and forced him to watch as he finally lost everything.  Her brow furrowed in anger.  That moment was supposed to one that she looked back on in victory.  It was supposed to be the sweetest climax of her perfected revenge.  

              But it hadn’t been.   She had won…she had accomplished everything she had ever planned. But Lloyd hadn’t been destroyed.  

              How…how could he not be?  She had toyed with his heart, making as many painful blows as she could.  She had caused his own father had beat him within an inch of his life.  He had lost his closest friends while being literally powerless to save them.  She had lauded over his pain, sure that Lloyd Garamadon had been shattered into something that could never be restored.   She was so close to that feeling of satisfaction knowing that even someone as good and pure as the virtuous “Green Ninja” would turn bitter and empty and hateful if faced with enough loss.

              But he hadn’t.

              Fury coursed through her as she remembered that night.  It was supposed to be the night where she gained everything she had ever wanted…but instead it was the night where Lloyd had escaped.  Her plans had worked and she had been victorious in every possible way but one.  But that was the victory she had wanted the most.

              She finally smiled as they drove out of the city and towards the sea. Tonight she would have a second chance at victory.

10

              “What do you mean you don’t know where he is?!”

              Jay’s friends made eye contact as the blue ninja freaked out at now-child-sized Wu, who had informed them that despite knowing that they needed to find the Dragon Master didn’t have any clue on where he would actually be found.

              “You must remember I’ve never actually been here before and next to nothing is known about this realm.” Wu said, a little heatedly.  It seemed that child-Wu had less patience than old Wu, despite still having all his memories and wisdom.  

              “Well, that’s just great.  So we really aren’t any better off than we were before, now ARE WE?!” Jay was almost reaching hysteria point.  The fact that not even Wu knew anything about this place…he was beginning to get the feeling that they were doomed.  And doomed meant never getting home.  And never getting home meant never seeing Nya again!   And Jay had worked too hard and for too long to have everything in that relationship fall apart now!  He wanted to grab Wu and shake some wisdom right out of him…and maybe he would have if Kai didn’t put a hand on his shoulder.  

              “Maybe not, but panicking really isn’t going to do much to help the situation, Jay.” he said.  Jay huffed a breath but did calm down a bit.

              “Master, do you have any ideas on where we should go to begin our search?” Zane asked.  Now that Wu was more…coherent, it only seemed right to call him by the respectful name.  Even if he was still in a small child body.  Zane tried to calculate how long it would be before they really had their old Wu back…but he was finding no patterns or algorithms that could predict the aging rate of their master.  He sighed a little; like everything else in this situation, they were just going to have to find out one step at a time.

              “Well…considering he is the Dragon master, it appears we ought to find some dragons.  If we can find where the dragons are migrating to, I’m sure we’ll find that he is not far off.” Wu said thoughtfully.

              Jay opened his mouth to say something snarky, but Cole gave him a look that cut him off.

              “Sounds like a plan to me, or at least more of a plan than we’ve had so far.” Cole said.  “So our first step is tracking down one of the locals.”

              “Can’t be too hard; they’ve been flying overhead often enough the whole time we’ve been here,” Kai added.

              “But based on the flight patterns I’ve witnessed, there doesn’t seem to be a certain direction that the dragons are going; I am not sure it would be wise to just follow a dragon as there is no guarantee it would lead us to the right place.” Zane said.  “However, if we would like to follow that plan, I can try to sort through my data to determine the most likely time a dragon would be passing by…”

              “Uh…I don’t think that will be necessary…” Jay interrupted, eyes in the sky.

              “Why not?” Zane asked, as the group turned to face Jay.  He urgently pointed upwards.

              “Because there’s one HEADING THIS WAY!”

              Before anyone could have much time to react, a deep maroon dragon dove from the skies and snatched Zane in one claw before rising back into the air.

              “NO! ZANE!” Cole shouted, jumping on the dragon’s other leg at the last second.  

              “Oh, this is JUST GREAT!” Jay yelled, annoyed.  He fired lightening at the beast only to have Kai stop him.  

              “Quit it! You might hit Cole or Zane!” he snapped. Jay glared back.  

              “Well what do you suggest??”

              “We’re losing them!” Wu interrupted, running after the dragon.  He looked down in distain.  His stubby legs were useless.

Meanwhile in the sky, Cole had defaulted to bargaining--as he often did in these situations.   He yelled up to the dragon, still clinging to its leg.

              “Look, Mr. Dragon…I mean, if you’re a Mister….uh…anyways, I don’t suppose you would be willing to put me and my friend down? We’re actually friends to dragons…don’t know if you know my friend Rocky but he could vouch for us.  And while you’re at it…do you happen to know anything about the dragon master?...”

              “I don’t think the Dragon can understand you, Cole.” Zane called unhelpfully from the Dragon’s clutches.

              “Ah, well, would you like to try, Zane?”

              “I would use my elemental powers, but it’s crushing my arms down…I can’t seem to…”

              WHIZZZ

“What was…” Cole started, looking for the source of the mysterious sound.  He didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence, however, because the dragon was suddenly plummeting from the sky.

Jay, Kai, and Wu watched in horror from the ground, still a half a mile or so away.

              “Is it…falling?!” Jay asked.  “What the heck did Cole do?!!”

              Cole and Zane yelled as the dragon hurtled towards the earth.  

              “WHAT’S HAPPENING?!!”

              “THE WINGS!” Zane responded.  Cole looked up and noticed that the Dragon’s wings were caught up in some kind of net.  

              “Oh GREAT.” He said, mainly to himself, and made his way up the dragon’s leg towards the wings. He considered himself a skilled climber, but climbing on something that was spinning out of control and hurtling towards earth was difficult even for a pro.  By some miracle or another, he reached one of the wings.  Engaging his earth arms, he grabbed the bottom of the net and began snapping the ropes binding the dragon.  The ground was uncomfortably close when the combined efforts of Cole and the straining dragon finally broke the binds of the net.  

              A few things happened all at once.

              The Dragon’s wings snapped open, sending Cole flying through the air.  Opening its wings had nearly halting the dragon’s crash to the earth…but not quite. As the dragon crashed to the ground, the impact threw Zane from its claws.  

              Kai, Jay, and Wu picked up their speed.  

              “Hurry it up!” Jay called back to his lagging sensei. It was strange…he never would have dared talk to Wu like this when he was old…but at the moment the little ankle-biter was getting on his nerves.

              “It’s these legs…I may need some assistance.” He looked at Jay pointedly.

              “Oh…no. I am not carrying you…”

              Zane picked himself up off the ground.  He looked at the dragon, which seemed dazed as it shook itself loose of dirt.  He began backing away slowly, still not sure what the creature’s initial offense toward him was.    The dragon didn’t seem to notice him as it took to the skies once more.

              “Oh, great…there goes our chance with a dragon…” Jay complained as he, Wu, and Kai finally made it to Zane.  The nindroid turned and was surprised to see that Wu was clinging to Jay’s back.

              “I don’t want to talk about it.” Jay growled at Zane’s unanswered question, basically dumping Wu in the dirt.  “Where’s Cole?”

              “I…I do not know…”  Zane replied, looking around.

              “I’m pretty sure I saw him go flying when the dragon got its wings in order,” Kai pointed out.  

              “We must find him…and fast.” Wu chimed in.  “It is never wise to be alone in these situations.”

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[lindyhunt]

Can’t Get Enough of Your Favourite TV Shows? Tune In to These Podcasts

Fall is a great time of year, because with it comes cooling temperatures, TIFF, fashion month, pumpkin spice everything, and fall TV season, aka the time when a slate of new and returning shows hits our screens. Shameless is back, The Good Place is back, This Is Us is back, How To Get Away With Murder is back. Murphy Brown—the reboot—just had its season premiere, as did Forever, starring Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen, and Kidding, with Jim Carrey.

So yes, there’s a LOT of new TV to watch. Even so, it’s hard to let go of old favourites. Particularly now, when just watching the news can feel like an assault on our nerves, it’s comforting to be able to return to familiar characters and plotlines whose trajectory we already know. No mean surprises, no sudden deaths, no disappointing narrative turns. The night of the Kavanaugh hearings last week, I watched three episodes of Gilmore Girls back-to-back in some sort of fugue state, Lorelai and Rory’s banter washing over me like a soothing hot shower. And I know I’m not the only one who turns to President Bartlet & Co when we desperately feel like we need a window into a saner West Wing than the one we’ve got right in real life. But when even re-runs aren’t enough (or you’ve cycled through them way too many times to revisit again) there’s yet another avenue of comfort: podcasts. Yep, there’s a veritable gold mine out there of podcasts about cult favourite television shows, in which the hosts dive into the nitty-gritty of it all, recapping favourite episodes, dissecting intricate plotlines, or just shooting the breeze with the show’s creators and cast.

But the nostalgia factor isn’t all these podcasts have going for them. Considering how much TV is at our disposal thanks to streaming services, we now have the opportunity to binge shows we never watched when they were on the air. (Mad Men has been languishing in my Netflix queue for longer than I care to admit.) And as one colleague of mine pointed out, it’s nice to have someone to “discuss” those shows with long after they’re off the air and no one’s talking about them anymore. That’s kind of how I felt even when The Americans was ON the air, because it felt like I was the only one in my friend circle watching the damn thing (your loss). Which is why I especially loved tuning in to its podcast every week, in which the host would dive into the various plot points and developments with the writers, directors and cast.

So whether you’re craving an extra dose of nostalgia or freaking out over a plot twist the rest of the world already freaked out about, like, four years ago, there’s somewhere you can go to scratch that itch. Scroll through for a list of our favourite podcasts about beloved, off-the-air TV shows.

Gilmore Guys The hosts of this podcast are two guys (duh) who share a great dynamic: one, Kevin Porter, is a self-declared superfan and the other, Demi Adejuyigbe (fun fact: he’s currently a writer on one of the best things on TV right now, The Good Place), has never watched the show before. This obviously, makes for great entertainment as the two take the hit show episode by episode, analyzing, quipping about and unpacking everything from its zillion pop culture references to the mile-a-minute dialogue to its feminist storylines. Stars like Scott Patterson, who plays Luke Danes, and Liza Weil, who plays Paris Gellar, also appear on the show, as do the Gilmore Girls themselves.

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Happy June 3rd! Today on the last episode of #GilmoreGuys we talk to Lauren Graham! Thanks for listening ❤️

A post shared by Gilmore Guys (@gilmoreguysshow) on Jun 3, 2017 at 10:00am PDT

The Americans Podcast Warning: you must only listen to this podcast after you’ve watched the episode it talks about because it contains hella spoilers. Hosted by Slate’s June Thomas, the podcast goes behind the scenes of each episode, studying it from various angles. Pretty much every major player on the show has been on the podcast, from the two leads Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell to the showrunners Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields to the costume and set designers, because those elements are as important on a period piece as the characters themselves. This show is so rife with tension, psychological drama, and moral and ethical dilemmas that hearing directly from the people who put it all together really helps to make sense of some of the complex themes it deals with.

The West Wing Weekly Co-hosted by Joshua Malina, who played Will Bailey on the show, and musician Hrishikesh Hirway, this podcast is for all the West Wing nerds out there. It launched in 2016 and is still going strong, “taking a fine-tooth comb to each episode of [the] political drama,” as the New York Times puts it. The podcast has brought on all the big names associated with the series, from show creator Aaron Sorkin himself to director Tommy Schlamme to actors Martin Sheen, Bradley Whitford and Allison Janney. Trump’s antics too much for you? Find solace with this show, new episodes of which drop every Wednesday.

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Last night was so much fun. We couldn't have asked for a better way to end our tour. Thanks to special guest Aaron Sorkin, surprise guest Emily Procter, and everyone who came to the show. 🛫

A post shared by The West Wing Weekly (@thewestwingweekly) on Apr 24, 2018 at 7:48am PDT

Breaking Bad Insider There are dozens of podcasts out there dedicated to this cult show but this is the one to listen to, because it’s hosted by Vince Gilligan, the show’s creator, and Kelley Dixon, the show’s editor. The cast and crew of the series, obviously, make regular appearances.

Buffering the Vampire Slayer Named one of TIME’s Top 50 Podcasts of 2018, this bi-weekly show hosted by Buffy aficionados Jenny Owen Youngs and Kristin Russo wades into all the thorny aspects of this OG feminist show. As TIME explains, the ladies “obsess over how the series upended sexist tropes, analyze the undeniable sexual chemistry between Buffy and Faith and… also wrestle with Xander’s problematic one-liners and Joss Whedon’s imperfect portrayal of women.” The best part though? Each instalment ends with an original song written by the two, inspired by that week’s episode.

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We are BACK!! Alongside *two* episodes we’ve also released *two* songs & our very first vinyl!!!! Featuring @jennyowenyoungs as Buffy & @benthornewill as our Angel (!!), and with a gorgeous cover design by @kristinetuna — you now have music to accompany your tears! 💔😭 You can hear Angel’s song at the end of today’s I Will Remember You episode of @angelontopcast & Buffy’s song at the end of our episode — songs are available today for our patrons & you can pre-order the vinyl using the link in our bio!

A post shared by Buffering the Vampire Slayer (@bufferingcast) on Oct 3, 2018 at 6:09am PDT

Seinfeld: The Post-Show Recap Rob Cesternino and Akiva Wienerkur’s mission was to wade through every single episode of Seinfeld’s nine-season run and they did just that in the three years of this podcast, from 2014 to 2017. Now that all 180 episodes of the cult hit are behind them, the duo is fielding ideas and suggestions from listeners about what they should do next. Their attempt to figure out what their next podcast should be about IS what their next podcast is all about. Er, yes, it’s all very meta. Bizarro Jerry would approve.

Best of Friends Podcast Okay, I don’t know what kind of magical alchemy went into the writing of this show, because its jokes somehow just don’t get old, even countless viewings later. I genuinely believe I will never tire of re-watching this show, and for all the other FRIENDS buffs who feel similarly, this is an amazing podcast to help feed your addiction. Over the course of two years, its hosts Erin Mallory Long and Jamie Woodham waxed lyrical about every single glorious episode of the show, and now it seems, according to this Instagram post, that they’re coming back with more. Stay tuned.