#i just couldn't help but imagine jay with a sword

[lokislytherin]

lookism dnd au?

if you see this and wanna art PLEASE i’m thinking of doing this for nanowrimo and actually making it novel-length and it would be cool to have concept art! of course with credit where credit is due i always give credit

[apopcornkernel]

“the one year later event is mostly a clown carnival BUT i actually love the nightwing brothers in blood arc . they did that for me. complicate your familial relationships!!! no linear healing and no linear love!!!!!!” —me, right before my reread of nightwing: brothers in blood, unaware of the emotional tumult i was about to unleash on myself

an assortment of thoughts after my reread of nightwing: brothers in blood

(omg kalis user jason todd means filipino jason todd— okay yes ik it's a kris and that talia gave it to him and that a kalis is longer, sword length, but let me be delusional for a moment)

fanon and ao3 would have you believe that dick would be reaming bruce out for his behavior in batman: under the hood. it is a delight to rediscover that though dick remains #1 batman arguer, he has not done anything of the sort in regards to how bruce has treated jason's return.

introducing my new fav panel of all time:

And Jason, Jason... God, I wish he had died that night with Batman and Joker...

i lied in the post title, btw. i actually have only one main thought about this run.

i have a proposition to make, batman fandom: dick is actually more wary of Jason then bruce is.

i think—dick heavily dislikes jason for always being able to uncover the old wound. i think as someone who's been there since the start, has seen bruce through his best and his worst, cannot stand this grinning spectre upending all the progress bruce has made with his grief. and! i think a part of dick has always felt unsettled that even he couldn't completely heal that grief. and the one person who could do it (he thinks), the one person who is against all odds alive to do it—what does jason do? he needles the wound open. he won't let it rest. he beats up dick's little brother. he sows chaos all over gotham and dick's new city. he saw bruce drown in the self-destructive depression for years and the one person who might have helped ease it in a way no one else could is too busy cutting a bloody swath through various cities.

i think, also, that this—detachment, if you will, is aided by the fact that dick and jason did not know each other as well as they might have. jason was taken in after bruce fired dick, so nightwing was still taking off solo. they have been able to connect and dick and jason have very cute interactions pre-ditf but it's a drop in the ocean compared to dick and tim's relationship.

there is also, i think, a disconnect between robinjay and red hood jason—his little brother died with robinjay, and whoever the red hood is is almost a stranger

He's someone from a long, long time ago. Black sheep of the family, as it were. His name is Jason Todd. He thinks he's me. This may sound crazy, but... he's supposed to be dead. Twice over.

"from a long, long time ago." and like i said, there's this almost detachment from dick, no (positive) reminiscence of jay's robin days. i do think that dick, wrt jason, is mostly unrestrained by past sentiment—or at least he's better at separating that sentiment than bruce, who although tries to remain objective in his chase against red hood, is also notably shaken, to the point that jason was able to force his hand & drive him to panic, leading to half-thought, panicked decisions that a level-headed batman would not have made (as i think we are all in agreement that bruce would not actively decide to disarm his son via batarang to the throat, especially considering his no-kill rule.)

there's more i'd like to say, but this is most of it—i don't want to drown the dash with batman rambling, but im asking yall to consider it. think about how delicious this dynamic is!! there's so so much to explore!!! and i think it really hammers home just how much the world has changed during jason's death & disappearance 🫣

a final aside before i end this post:

JASON: That's Blüdhaven.

BRUCE: Dick...?

JASON: My God. Is Nightwing there? Imagine that. One son returns from the grave as another enters it... what a fitting ending this has become.

i adore jason's reaction to blüdhaven blowing up in utrh. he's like "my god... 😮 is nightwing there? 🤭 imagine that 😗" HE'S SO SILLYYY. bruce is anguished, having a Time because his exploded son is back from the dead just in time for his other son to also (possibly) die in an explosion—as jason says, "one son returns from the grave as another enters it"—and jason is GIGGLING. i hate him so much <3

[hopepetal]

This was something I wrote after the first session after talking with @periwinklemoonlight about her red life skin, and she said that it would be funny if she was just seven feet tall lol. This is 100% noncanon but it is very fun.

Warnings for blood, violence, death, gore, Elle has a #girlboss moment

--

Jay, I'm going to go meet with Elle. She said she wanted to talk to me. Zera sent the whisper to Jay on their communicator, gripping their diamond sword in their other hand. They... were afraid, if they were being perfectly honest. The red giantess was scary, and their wings twitched apprehensively at the thought of going alone. But they refused to put their bluejay in danger just because they were afraid.

Their communicator buzzed; a sure message from Jay telling them to be careful, maybe even asking if they needed help. Zera elected to ignore it for now. They'd be back home soon anyway. Sure, it was probably bad to go meet a red alone, but Zera had weapons! They had armor and a shield! They'd be fine!

...and a not-so-small part of them still trusted Elle. Zera didn't want to believe that Elle was bad, that she had changed upon becoming red. Elle wasn't like everyone else. She was strong, and passionate, and kind and she was their friend, for goodness sakes! Zera just couldn't imagine her being like one of the other reds. They refused to.

It wasn't a short walk to spawn, not in the slightest. Zera was... directionally challenged, having never learned how to use coordinates. Compasses were easier, but they hadn't exactly had time to make one, let alone connect it to a lodestone. They'd been a little busy with not dying and keeping Jay safe. Still, they eventually made it to spawn, slightly proud of themselves for not using their admin abilities to see their way there.

Elle stood in the middle of that bedrock circle, one hand on her giant ax. The white blade seemed to glisten sickeningly in the light, and Zera had a sinking feeling that it wasn't made of iron. She had changed from her yellow dress to a floor length, elegant red gown that made Zera feel quite under dressed in that moment. But they supposed they had never been one for fashion, and with a shrug, stepped forward out of the forest. "Elle?"

The red name immediately turned, moving as though she was going to pull out her ax. Thankfully she didn't, but the tension didn't ease as the two stared at each other, hesitant to move first. Zera's hand was still tightly holding their shield, because for all that they trusted Elle this was still a death game and if Pearl had taught them anything it was to trust no one-

But you're not Pearl, a small voice echoed in the back of their mind, and Elle isn't like... them.

That little voice was what let Zera calm down, and they gave Elle an uneasy smile as they straightened, forcing their feathers to lie down flat. "Sorry about that. Did I startle you?" They hated how forced the casual tone in their voice was. What had made them this way, so quick to lose trust and forget friendships?

Elle seemed to relax as well, as much as a red life could, at least. She laughed, though the amusement didn't quite reach her eyes. They were a very pretty scarlet, Zera noted. In a horrifying sort of way, red suited Elle. At least she could be murderous in a colour that looked good on her. "A little. I have to be more careful now that I'm red, you know. One slip-up and I'm out for good."

Zera let out a soft breath, nodding. "Yeah, I get it. One of the uh, the Valley Lads went red. And Jay and I watched the whole thing from a distance." It had been a little heartbreaking, Zera couldn't lie. To watch an alliance- no, it was a family- be nearly torn apart by one unfortunate death. Despite their mixed feelings on the Lads of the Valley, Zera wouldn't wish that on anyone. "I think they're doing alright now," they recalled, "just a little shaky."

Jay was nervous as well, given that the Lads were their next door neighbors. They weren't really well-equipped to handle four people if the red of the team decided to target them. But they'd made plans, and knew what to do if the worst came to pass. All that was left now was hoping the worst wouldn't happen.

"Mm." Elle examined her fingernails, picking some dirt out from under them. Her tail flicked lazily back and forth. "Yeah, that's bound to happen when someone goes red. It all goes to-" She mimicked the sound of an explosion. "Well. You know how reds are." The smile she gave Zera was... unsettling. They shifted anxiously.

"So..." Zera glanced up at the giantess, "was there something you needed? I know you said you wanted to talk to me, but you didn't say what about." They laughed, nervousness bringing their voice up in pitch. "I trust you," they hurried to clarify, "it's just... I need to get back home soon."

Home. That was a strange word, for something that so clearly wasn't a home. It was more a hastily constructed base than anything, something Jay and Zera made at the start of the game and added more onto as time went on. They had a little area where they slept and kept everything, but it didn't feel lived in. It didn't feel like home. It was not safe. It was barely secure. It offered a fleeting promise of temporary sanctuary.

This entire server felt dead. And honestly, Zera wasn't surprised. No one here was really living. They were all half dead already, with how they resigned themselves to having one foot in the grave. But that was how death games worked. You survived, you fought, you killed, and you died. That was simply how it was meant to be.

"Oh, right!" Elle stepped forward, and Zera noticed the sort of maniac glint in her eyes. She put a hand on their shoulder, smiling down at the avian. "I was just wondering what you thought of my outfit? It's such a gorgeous piece, isn't it? I made it myself."

Zera let out a shaky breath, not wanting to shake Elle's hand off and be seen as rude. Was that really all she wanted to know? Their opinion on her outfit? Something felt very, very wrong, and Zera couldn't put a finger on it. They supposed they'd answer Elle's question, at least. "It's very pretty," they truthfully admitted, "You did an amazing job. It looks really nice on you."

Elle took a step back, taking her hand off of Zera's shoulder. She gave a little twirl, giggling softly. "Oh, thank you! I've always been a fan of the colour red, even if purple is my go-to. I'm so happy with how it came out... but I do think it's missing a little something."

Zera frowned, confused. It sounded like Elle was trying to imply something, but whatever it was went straight over their head. "Well, I don't really have an eye for fashion, Elle. This should be kinda obvious..." They awkwardly lifted their arms a little in a shrugging sort of motion. "I think it looks fine! Really, I don't think it's missing anything."

Elle hummed softly, the slight smile remaining on her face. "No, I think you're wrong. It's missing a bit of... flair."

Zera is not fast. They never have been on the ground. Their legs were too weak to carry them far, and running was practically impossible. Elle, on the other hand, has both the speed and strength advantage she needs to pin Zera to the ground by the throat.

Zera kicked frantically, their wings trapped painfully beneath them as they flapped in a wild, desperate panic. "Elle-" they gasped out, their heart skipping- once, twice, an uneven pulsing rhythm. "Elle, please don't do this-" They could barely even beg between gasps, struggling for air as tears began to form in their green eyes.

"You know why I called you?" Elle asked, an air of casualness around her as though she were discussing the weather. "Because no one else is as stupid as you are, to meet a red alone. You're too obsessed with your silly little bluejay-" Her voice took on a mocking tone with the word, and she leaned forward, her hair cascading over her shoulders. "-that you just forget how much danger you're actually in."

"You don't have to do this," Zera pleaded, "Please, Elle, we can talk about this! We're friends! We-" They splutter to a halt when Elle tightened her grip on their throat, cutting off most of their air. Their hands shot up to claw at Elle's arm, but the red life didn't seem to care about the angry marks left by Zera's nails.

"Don't you remember what happens when you become red?" Elle practically growled out, eyes shining. "All previous relationships mean nothing. Alliances are shattered. You only want one thing." She pulled out her ax, resting the sharp blade right on top of Zera's chest. "You want to kill."

Elle cut, and Zera screamed. It was eternity, it was too quick to process. It was agony, it was the creeping numbness that heralded the coming of death. It was blood, spilling out of Zera's chest and trickling from the corner of their mouth. It was red, red names red lives red hearts red blood red eyes, eyes shining with a thirst only blood could quench. It was hot tears streaming down Zera's face as their voice gave out from the screaming, it was hot blood pooling beneath them and spreading across the ground and-

Zera did not want to live in the same world as Elle.

In the end, their heart gave out before they died of blood loss, and Zera woke up at their base screaming. The pain wasn't fading, their clothes soaked with blood that stuck to their skin and their hair and it was all around them they could feel it-

"Zera! Zera, please, please calm down, it's okay, take deep breaths- Zera-" Jay. That was Jay. She sounded so frantic, so concerned, and when Zera opened their eyes they could just make out her blurry form standing a little bit away from where they were. "Zera? Are you..."

Zera went quiet, though their breaths still came in short pants and gasps. "Jay," they keened, a desperate cry for aid that just barely reached a whisper. "Jay, I'm so sorry."

"No, no, Zera... can I come closer?" Jay took a few steps closer, blue eyes teary. "Zera, I'm so sorry I let you go alone, I shouldn't have... gods, I'm so sorry. You have nothing to apologize for, it wasn't your fault..."

"I'm yellow now," Zera mumbled, a dull numbness creeping over them, "I'm yellow. If I die again- if I-" They took in a shuddering breath. "I'll be red. I can't..."

"May I hug you?" Jay asked, and wrapped their arms carefully around Zera when they nodded. "Oh, Zera... it's gonna be okay. We'll figure something out, alright? Don't you worry." She gave them a gentle smile, brushing the back of her hand against their cheek. "Boatem birds for life, right?"

Zera sniffled, nodding. "...boatem birds for life."

[greenygreenland]

Sink or Swim: Kai x Reader [kinda angsty]

-tbh i had a tiny crush on Kai growing up

-i still swoon over him when he's cool but like, lloyd has stolen my heart

-you all live in yang's temple still

-as a note, i write for female readers because uhhh yeah plz don't be mad at me ;-; (and either way, you can always change the words around in your head if it bothers you)

Summary: Kai needs help. You're there for him, catching him before he sinks.

Kai's got Lloyd, but who's got Kai?

Ninjago was filled with a variety of perils. Some were easier to see, such as destruction of any population within the premises of Ninjago city. Other times, it was minuscule, like a speck of dust. If you looked hard enough without blinking, you could see it. But most times it was invisible.

The sun was bright today, shining past the swiftly moving clouds as you clashed under its heat. Sparks flew as your katana slammed into Cole's, who skillfully parried your blows. You readied another combo, twisting to the right and faking a slash before spinning and striking to the left.

"Cole look out!" shouted Kai. Cole wasn't fast enough, and you knew it was because he wasn't used to using a katana. His hammer lay on the platform leading inside, right by Jay's side under the sunshine.

You suddenly realised Cole would be split in half if you didn't stop. But how could you when the inertia practically sent you flying towarss him? "Cole--!"

Clang!

Kai parried the attack. He hit your blade with so much force that it was sent flying across the courtyard, thankfully, clattering harmlessly on the ground. You heaved out a harsh sigh and slapped your knees. "That was close. Sorry Cole." He chuckled, giving Kai a good slap on the shoulder.

"For once our Hot-Head wasn't distracted by his 'oh-so-perfect' looks." Cole said. "How did you do that so fast?" Kai sheathed his sword with a shrug. It was odd to see him so quiet, especially around this time in the day. His expression remained relaxed, but it was void of its usual smug smirk. "I don't know, I just improvised."

You can't help the frown settling on your lips. There was an edge to Kai's voice, as if he had just returned from an unseen battle between life and death. He looked normal, yet the way he forced out a small laugh made you cringe.

"I'm going inside, think I might shower." he abruptly announced. "Don't train too hard or you might bake in the sun!" You watched as he fiddled with the strap on his sheath, twiddling it and running it between his fingers. He caught your stare and flashed a fleeting smile your way, yet it didn't feel genuine. "Kai--"

He pretended not to hear you and rushed through the temple doors. Your frown deepened. "He looks upset." Jay rested his cheek in his hand with a snort. "I'll say. He looked like he was thinking hard about something."

"But what?" Cole inquired with a sigh. "Nothing's been happening around Ninjago, shouldn't he be happy about it? He can play video games all he wants now, or, I don't know, talk to Skylor on the phone? Morro's gone and Lloyd's fine now." Zane raised doubtful brow. He took a seat by Jay and leaned his head back against one of the supporting beams. It was an odd sight to see everyone so deeply in thought again, especially since none of you should have been deeply in thought in the first place.

"Lloyd has not fully recovered." Zane notes. "He suffers from mental trauma and is regaining his strength as we speak." Nya hummed in agreement. She set her weapon down with a thoughtful nod and leaned against a supporting beam. "I don't know about you, but he seemed kind of sad. Why don't you talk to him (Y/n)?"

"Yeah, you're his girlfriend so you guys share a special connection." piped up Jay. You cam't deny that. Your relationship with Kai was special, so he told you certain things no one else had ever known about him. Whether it be about his past, or even what he dreams for the future, you knew it all.

Well except this.

You stood up, ignoring the low cracks from your aching body. "I'll be back." You pulled open the temple's doors, gently shutting it behind you as you surveyed the vast room. The main hall was empty, save for Sensei Wu who sat at a table drinking tea. He turned to you, eyeing your troubled expression knowingly. "Kai is in his room." he simply stated. You smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you Sensei."

You sprinted up the stairs, caring not if you skipped the creaky steps or walked right over them. It was quite tranquil in the halls of the quiet temple, yet somehow, it made you uncomfortable. "Kai?" You stopped in front of his door. "Kai--"

Sniffling. That was the first thing that caught your ears. Your fingers paused on the door handle, slipping past the cool metal as you continued to listen to the sounds. You knew what crying sounded like, but this? It was earth-shattering. The way he cried sounded exactly like raw agony. It was painful to listen to, yet you couldn't bring yourself to walk away.

If Kai was suffering, you had to be there for him like all the times he had been there for you, or Lloyd, or Nya and Jay and Zane and Cole.

Your fingers wrapped around the door handle. You gently knocked and peeked inside. He sat on his bed with his back facing you. His katana lay on the floor instead of of by his bed or next to his pillow like he usially did.

"Kai?" Your voice came out as a gentle whisper. "Are you okay?" His crying ceased so quickly that if you hadn't been standing outside listening, you would have thought everythimg were your imagination.

"Yeah." he steadily said. "I'm okay. I just needed to take a break after that spar. It got really intense." He laughed. It wasn't a happy one. If you knew what it felt like to have your organs ripped out, you'd describe it as listening to Kai fake his laugh and fake his happiness. He put on a brave face for the world, and perhaps that was because he knew people relied on him to step up when Lloyd couldn't.

You opened the door a little wider and let yourself in, softly closing it behind. "If something's wrong Kai, you can tell me." He sniffled quietly. "No, I'm fine." He laughed; you didn't miss the quiver in his voice. "I'm just a little tired."

"No, it's something else. I won't judge you, promise."

Kai sniffled and grabbed a tissue from his nightstand. He blew his nose with a shaky breath and tossed the tissue in the bin. For a good minute, he sat there in silence, slowing inhaling and exhaling rattling breaths. You made your way over to him and took a seat at the edge of his bed. He kept his back towards you as he sniffled some more, so you sat there, watching his shoulders quiver.

Slowly, Kai entertwined his hand with yours. He gave it a good squeeze, as if reassuring himself you were still there. You didn't want to say anything to him yet. If you did, you were sure it would break his already fragile tranquility. Thankfully, he made the first move.

"I know you wouldn't leave me," he began, "but sometimes I can't help worrying. What if we go on a mission and none of us make it back? Lloyd almost died, Cole's a ghost.... What if something happens to you? Or--or Nya and Jay or Zane?" He let out a rattling breath that spoke of all the battles you both endured. It was hard to believe you both survived every single one of them.

"Kai, we've lived this long." you said. "Why not longer? And even if one of us does die, life will go on. It always does in Ninjago, and it blooms again into something new." You squeezed his hand. "You're thinking about your parents too."

The quiet Kai stayed in was enough of an answer.

"I understand it hurts. You know, my parents died when I was very little. I don't remember how they looked like, but I remember what I felt. They made me so happy. It was short, but I found it again in you and the others. Even if something disappears, it's never truly lost." You smiled even though Kai would never see it. "Lloyd's still here because you saved him. None of us are going anywhere for as long as we can help it."

Kai's shoulders slumped. A sigh left his lips and he finally turned to face you. What strikes you the most about him isn't the puffiness under his eyes, or the bags and crinkle in his brow--it's the life that's been sucked out of his expression. His eyes were hollow, as if someone had completely wiped the emotion of happiness from existence. The deep frown tugging at his lips is even worse. It's thin, tight, and quivering.

"I-I'm sorry..."

You placed a hand on his cheek. "Kai." It's all you can muster, a name, a look of sorrow, and worry. Howw had you not seen this? How had you missed something so plainly put?

You gently pulled him closer, wrapping your arms around his warm body as the rain fell from his eyes. "You have nothing to be sorry for. If anyone should be sorry, it's me. I should be there for you, but I didn't notice. I love you though and I'm here now." you gently whispered.

"You're not alone Kai. You don't have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. We're all here for you and no one is leaving." His cries started out soft, but with each word that left your mouth, his whimpers grew, gaining and gaining in volume until a heart-wrenching sob ripped through his throat.

Tears gathered in your eyea and you allowed yourself to cry with him. It hurt to think about losing anyone, it hurt to see your boyfriend so battered, so beaten and defeated. What cure could you offer to remedy his pain you shared?

There was no answer to that. And so you sat there, keeping your arms tight around each other as if either of you would disappear. Right now, it was sink or swim. You had to fight the ache and push forward, even if it felt like you were both drowning.

Please don't forget to reblog so this can reach more people! Thank you all for reading!