#animals are just drawn to lloyd

[reveseke]

Random thoughts about the team (+Morro, Wu & Garmadon) specifically & animals.

Ahah no reader content, I got inspired by the last post already for headcanons. So have a random headcanon of the basic Ninjago team with Morro & Garmadon mentions. Wu's canon so he gets to be here for being canonly a chicken owner.

we all know Wu's got the chicken in canon.

Garmadon? Idk, personally don't think he'd be interested in animals. I think snakes freak him out. Maybe during the time if being alive and rid of evil maybe rats and birds, like introduced to him by Lloyd specifically? I do see him as a cat person though, I think he would enjoy a black cat due to the fears and shit surrounding the said cats. (Don't kill them, they're animals, they aren't bad luck.)

I do think Lloyd would be in theory a cat person but would prefer birds to cats. Maybe rats. (I think he's got a bit of distrust in cats.)

tbh everyone except maybe Zane and Nya would like a cat enough to take one as a pet in theory.

I think Nya's good with horses personally. I could see it. Also geckos for some reason.

Kai with an attitude problematic (lighthearted) bearded dragon (any kind of agama really, generally speaking on the standard beardie here). Especially if he entertains the scene and bops his head up and down to mimic the beardie. Said it before he seems like a dog person, but he really enjoys cats imo. (I think he personally doesn't really like horses, unlike his sister.)

Zane is seen interacting with fishes at the start, not going to follow up that sentence. But I think he would be one to like every kind of little animal to learn about them. From centipedes to dogs, to horses and exotics as well.

Speaking of exotic animals Cole and a fennec fox, or a fox in general. Maybe actually an insect like a centipede or amphibian like a frog possibly specifically a toad maybe?

Jay's another bird man(is it a pun in a way?) imo, or maybe a chinchilla or rabbit perhaps?

I think Morro used to take care of strays and birds when he was a child & actually alive. It would be really cool to think when he's still a ghost, just random passed away specifically strays are drawn to him. But he's whole vibe screams snakes to me as well personally.

#ninjago #lego ninjago #ninjago headcanon #ninjago cole #ninjago lloyd #ninjago jay #ninjago zane #ninjago nya #ninjago wu #ninjago garmadon #ninjago morro #morro wu #nya jiang #nya smith #kai smith #cole brookstone #jay walker #zane julien

[bloom-ribbon22]

Bloom's Dinotrux HUMAN AU infodump: D-Bros + Skrap-itt

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I know I already posted them but I still wanna put em here + front facing D-Structs(unrelated note: don't usually do front faces much, I have tried it probably two times and it either ends up looking weird or just not right but I do like how it turned out this time! hmm maybe I should do more characters front facing).

anyways, I've always wanted to infodump share some bits of lore, facts, info, and other stuff of my human AU version of the Dinotrux and I kind of started with the D-bros + Skrap-itt, why? ngl they're one of the most interesting characters to me. soooooo here you go :)

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D-Stroy:

-when D-Structs was born, D-Stroy looked at his parents while pointing at his new baby sibling and asked "mom, dad.... why does he look so ugly?"

-a very mischievous kid back then. he was the ultimate pranker. he pranks a lotta people that he almost lost count of them but his favourite pranking victim is you guessed it! ya boi D-Structs! oh poor poor young, bratty, selfish D-Structs... always having silly stuff drawn on his face when he was asleep and almost getting scared to death everytime his brother just jumpscares him...I'd list more but this is getting way too long lol.

-hair is l o n g and messy af. you can probably store/hide items in there idk.

-has a high tolerance for spicy food and also enjoys eating it.

-even as a kid, he always gets into fights and still does which results to him always receiving new scars/injuries. almost never minds it because with all honesty he doesn't really give a shit what he looks like. even though he is incredibly strong, he knows his limits and also knows he isn't invincible or indestructible so he tries his best not to overestimate his strength and avoid battles if he knows he can't win it.

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D-Structs:

-was already a selfish guy when he was a bratty little kid and a bit of a snitch too. when he was five and D-Stroy would do something to him, even something that's completely harmless like slightly nudging his arm this left D-Structs no choice but to use a move that every older sibling fears "MAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-"

-heavily dislikes the taste of sweets. can't really handle it, the taste of sugar and the feeling of it melting into his tongue is just....sickening, maybe even irritating...in fact, it's unbearable....

-similarly to D-Stroy, he often gotten to a lotta fight even as a kid and still does which ends up getting himself new scars/injuries. most of these fights are pretty much his fault as most of the time he's the one that's starting/asking for it.

-"I'd rather live my life all alone until I die" that's what he thought to himself until Skrap-itt came to his life. story between them was kinda similar to the canon. it was so hard for him to tolerate this talkative and dumb lil pipsqueak but as time goes on he kind of started to get used to his company that it feels oddly weird whenever he's alone... sometimes...after all, Skrap-itt was the only one that gives a fuck about him...

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Skrap-itt:

-short king. you can kick him like he's a football or better yet, pick him up like he's some kind of cat and maybe even put him in a box, seal it shut, and deliver it to any random person. "your order is here"

-a cat person. he understands them, he knows they're not just annoying animals always whining for food 24/7, they are loving and caring too! they're not just, y'know, not that playful...at least..most of the time...he would adopt a cat but sadly D-Structs not really a big fan of pets in his home.

-was the weird lonely kid who often gets picked on a lot and many avoided him because, again, a weirdo and thus lived a pretty lonely life. Smash-itt, Break-itt and Lloyd are often the ones picking on him which would explain why Skrap-itt is so bitter to them when he meets them again, worse part is that D-Structs, though completely unaware of their history, """hired""" them.

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that's all for now, there will be plenty more(and I may add more stuff) and of course I'll make some for Ty and the gang :) fun but not needed fact: I started to type all of this with 11 percent battery and now it's 7 percent....dang

anyways I'm coming back to school at January 3 and I'm scared af sidbdiebsisbisbsisjd-

#dinotrux #dinotrux au #d structs #d stroy #skrap it

[thepeanutbutterwizard]

Venomous Teachings au: the ‘Greenes’

Alright, now we’re talking about Misako, Lloyd, and Mystake!

These aren’t entirely to scale; Mystake in her Oni form is at least ten feet tall. Once I get every main character drawn I’ll do a to-scale height chart.

But anyway, time to go in-depth about this weird little family, who could have a long-form fic entirely to themselves.

Misako was just a few days away from giving birth when Garmadon got called up by Wu. Wu was frantic, claiming that the Skulkin, who shouldn’t be able to leave the Underworld, were attacking the Monastery.

Both Misako and Garmadon were actually suspicious that Wu was setting a trap. They both had noticed that Wu had taken a sharp decline around the time the couple had announced their pregnancy. But, despite his own misgivings and Misako not wanting him to go alone, Garmadon heads to the Monastery after dropping Misako off at Mystake’s tea shop.

Two days later, Misako gives birth without Garmadon present. And a day after that, the first one of the Skulkin Raids takes place. Ninjago City and the Imperial Palace are attacked by an army of Skulkin, lead by a masked figure claiming to be the ‘Dark Lord Garmadon’.

Misako comes to the conclusion that Wu had fully succumbed to the Great Devourers Venom, killed Garmadon, and now he was using Garmadons name for some plot.

With Mystakes help, Misako takes Lloyd and goes into hiding. The two spend ten years constantly moving around, using several different last names, and Misako going by ‘Missy’. The only real constant in their lives, aside from each other, is Mystake. Thanks to her being a millennia's old Oni, Mystake is easily able to keep in touch without jeopardizing their safety.

Lloyd has no idea who his father is. Misako planned on telling him once he got older, but until the plot catches up to them, Lloyd just thinks his father was killed when he was a baby. He has no idea that he and his mom are on the run; moving so often is just normal for him

It’s also a really good thing Mystake’s able to keep in touch, since Lloyd is, well, a weird little kid

The Red Ninja hoodie is official Ninja merch. Misako didn’t buy it. The hoodie on his Human form looks like a Great White Shark when you pull the hood up, and his shoes light up. both were birthday presents from Mystake. His Dragon form is only on two legs for size comparison.

Lloyd starts shapeshifting pretty much from birth. He looked like a normal human baby at first, but as soon as Mystake held him (she helped deliver him in her shop) he unconsciously shifted to his Oni form, which leads to Mystake telling Misako the truth about herself and the FSM family.

He fluctuates fairly randomly between his Oni, Human, and Dragon forms, but at different points of his life he has trends. As a baby, he was almost exclusively Human or Dragon; human bc Misako is a human and Dragon bc of something having to do with Misakos backstory that I’ll get to in a bit. He only shifts into an Oni when Mystake is around.

Once he gets to toddler age tho, Lloyd is almost never Human. Both Dragon and Oni are able to run around from a much younger age than humans, so Lloyd is unconsciously shifting into forms that make it easier to get into things and satisfy his own curiosity.

After getting a bit older, Lloyd shifts between his three forms fairly equally, and Mystake starts teaching him how to shift on purpose, and how to shapeshift into other animals, and eventually people. By the time Lloyd enters the plot, he’s ten, mostly able to control his form changes, and he can shapeshift fairly well.

Fully grown Oni are supposed to have big ole’ manes; Garmadon didn’t have one bc he is severely malnourished from being stuck in the Underworld, but his will grow in eventually.

I always thought Mystake was one of the Oni Warlords that the Masks came from in cannon, so I’m making that a thing for VT.

I have so much lore for the Oni, but that’ll be a post for another day. Right now, I’m going to go into the off the rails backstory I came up for for Misako

Misako was born to a wealthy family in the upper echelon of Ninjagan society, a part of the Clan IronDragon. They’re an old clan of mystic warriors, who rose to such high standing thanks to the IronDragon technique, which is where they got their name from.

The IronDragon technique is a way to boost ones combat prowess via enchanted tattoos. The tattos seal a Spirit to the person its on, the ‘Host’, allowing the Host to use the Spirit as a tool

When the Spirit is in use, it lifts out of the tattoo itself, leaving the ink behind. It becomes a translucent energy construct, and can be used for attack and defense. The Spirits are sapient, but simple; they’re capable of basic communication and speech, and also capable of learning and growth.

But part of the training the Host’s go through involves being able to mentally overpower the Spirit and force them into a dormant ‘sleep’ state, which they’re supposed to do whenever not using the Spirit. This keeps the Spirit from being able to learn and grow. When active, the Spirit communicates with their Host telepathically, but aren’t capable of verbal communication with anyone else.

The Spirit can be anything, but the clan has been using dragons almost exclusively since the technique was created, hence the name IronDragon. Magic naturally extends life, so any IronDragon deemed worthy to receive a Spirit has a lifespan longer than a normal humans, hence Misako looking younger than in cannon.

Eventually I’ll do a more detailed drawing of what exactly Misakos tattoos look like, but for now just imagine this lineart style

With this kind of coloring

In these areas

Most worthy Clan members only receive one, but Misako has two.

Misako is the daughter of the head of the clan, the current Lord IronDragon. She is his only child, but not for lack of trying. The Clan is extremely old-fashioned; its expected for boys to train from birth and earn their Spirits, but highly unusual for a girl to even be considered, let alone trained. In order to keep the leadership position in his family, Misako’s father trained her, pushing her hard.

Most people don’t get their Spirit until they’re around 17

Misako got hers when she was only 13.

Despite this, Misako was still only expected to be a trophy wife, a way to help the Clan. She knew this, and she hated it. So Misako rebelled in little ways; she befriended her Spirits instead of suppressing them, even helping them pick out names (still trying to figure out their names). She secretly studied history and archeology, sneaking out to the Museum on multiple locations.

When she was 16, her parents told her they had picked out a suitable husband for her from another wealthy family. The 17 year old son of the Von Haust’s, Clouse.

((Yes, that Clouse. According to Twitter, his full name is Clouse Von Haust.))

Misako figured that she and Clouse would be forced into marriage; their parents had been forcing the two to be ‘friends’ since they were young. But she hadn’t expected it to be so soon! She gets into a massive fight with her parents, and ends up running away that night.

She took a bunch of her fancy jewelry with her, selling it and using the money to start a new life. She took on a new last name, Montgomery, enrolled in college, claiming to be 18 in order to get in, getting a PhD in archeology.

Eventually, Misako meets the Spinjitzu Brothers, and the rest is history.

My inbox is open to any and all questions!

#ninjago #lego ninjago #ninjago au #misako ninjago #misako garmadon #misako montgomery garmadon #ninjago misako #ninjago lloyd #lloyd garmadon #lloyd montgomery garmadon #dragon lloyd #oni lloyd #ninjago mystake #mystake #ninjago clouse #ninjago clouse von haust #venomous teachings au

[foodfightnovelization]

Foodfight! Deluxe Sound Storybook: Analysis and Discussion

So here it is, here's the book we're going to read together. That's right, I finally got my hands on a copy of the Foodfight! Deluxe Sound Storybook. Now you might be asking what's so interesting about this, since it's clearly a picture book for children even YOUNGER than the novelization's intended target audience, but if you're as fascinated by Foodfight! as I am, it's an absolute treasure. The front cover is made up of various concept art for the film, drawn by Foodfight! character designer Jim George, and the rest of the book consists of absolutely beautiful hand-drawn illustrations by artist Ron Zalme. It's like looking into an alternate timeline where Foodfight! was animated in the style of classic Disney films like Pinocchio or Snow White. Just getting to see versions of these characters and this story that are actually visually appealing is delightful, and it's reminiscent of the early footage of the film before it was retooled into what we know today.

The book inexplicably commands a high price on eBay, which is why I haven't had the chance to talk about it before, but now that I finally have a copy here in front of me (next to the multiple Foodfight! plush toys I own because I'm NORMAL about this movie), it's time to snap, crackle and pop our way into this book and see what lies within.

Now, before I get any further, I'd first like to take a minute to discuss the "sound" element of this book. This is a Deluxe Sound Storybook after all, which means small icons will appear next to words or phrases throughout the story, indicating the reader should press the corresponding button from a soundboard attached to the side. Given these types of books are designed for the very young, I'd imagine the purpose is to help teach word association and auditory learning. Plus, kids just like funny noises! This book in particular contains 16 different sound effects, which the front cover describes as "yummy" seemingly assuming the reader has developed the ability to directly taste sound. Given this is a movie-based storybook, you'd probably assume the sounds are taken, at least in part, from the movie itself right?

Well, you'd be wrong! As you can probably hear from the audio I included of all 16 sound effects (played in the order they are on the soundboard seen above) almost NONE of the characters are voiced by their actual actors, and the rest of the sounds are just miscellaneous foley. While I can't say if this is common for books of this nature, it's interesting to listen and hear just how different the voices are. Mr Clipboard sounds far more menacing and less deranged than Christopher Lloyd's interpretation of the character, Hairy Hold's voice is far more nasally, and Polar Penguin is just portrayed by generic blubbering.

The only character to be voiced by their actor from the movie is Kaptain Krispy, and given that he was voiced by Foodfight! producer George Johnsen in the film, this makes sense as he would've been readily available for recording something like this. Some characters don't even HAVE voice clips- for instance, despite being the main character of the film, Dex is represented only by the sound of a spatula flipping. Overall though, the sounds are remarkably well-done considering they clearly didn't have access to any of the main cast members. You'd easily be forgiven for thinking Lady X and Dan actually WERE voiced by Eva Longoria and Wayne Brady in this, as the impressions are surprisingly convincing. I'd say for what they were trying to do here, they did a great job. Now with that out the way, let's talk about the book itself!

Normally I'd start by discussing the inside cover pages, but there really isn't that much to talk about here. The only noteworthy element I can see is that the copyright date is listed as 2007, whereas the novelization is dated 2008, suggesting this was in the works long before the novelization was. But given that these books take a while to print and publish, and that the Sound Storybook didn't make it to stores until 2008, these dates are fairly non-indicative.

That does bring me to another interesting point of discussion though- unlike the novelization, the Deluxe Sound Storybook was actually published and sold at retail, with various websites and blogs from the time being suitably puzzled as to why tie-in merchandise was being sold for a movie that not only wasn't out yet, but didn't even have a concrete release date. If I had to guess, considering the movie was at one point set to release in 2007, it's possible the Sound Storybook was already printed and shipped out to stores to match that release, only for all the copies to start gathering dust when the movie didn't come out. Retailers, likely not wanting to destroy stock they'd been sitting on for quite some time, sold the books for cheap in the hopes that SOMEBODY would buy them. And thankfully somebody did, which is why we're able to talk about it today! Despite this book being far more expensive than the novelization, it's also far easier to find a copy given it actually made it to shelves, making it easily the most accessible of all the Foodfight! books. So if you ever feel like dropping way too much money on a children's book from over 15 years ago, eBay has you covered.

Just like the movie, the book opens with Mr Leonard closing his store for the night as the last customer of the day leaves, only obviously presented in a way that's far more aesthetically pleasing. Of note is that he appears to be locking the doors from the inside, trapping himself in the building as it transforms into Marketropolis. The man's going to have a heart attack when he sees the what the cereal mascots do after dark... (seriously though, I think it's just for practicality's sake, so we can see both the inside of the store AND him on the same page)

This beautiful illustration is accompanied by some narration from our hero Dex Dogtective, telling us how even though we may think a supermarket is just a place to buy food, we'd actually only be half right. I find it interesting that he mentions you "might recognize him" from the Cinnamon Sleuth cereal box- given at one point there were plans for a real Cinnamon Sleuth breakfast cereal to be released in stores, it seems like they were trying to allude to this while also leaving it somewhat ambiguous in case the food licensing deal didn't come through and no actual cereal ended up being produced. Which is what ended up happening, so it's a good job they just said you "might" recognize him! I also find it funny that Sunshine's raisin packages are the same size as the boxes of Cinnamon Sleuth- who's ever going to need that many raisins? Maybe if you were manufacturing your own Raisin Bran and needed to add two scoops to every delicious bowl, but that's still too many! I always imagined Sunshine Goodness raisins in those tiny snack-packs like Sun-Maid or something, not a giant 17oz cardboard box...

The store transforms into Marketropolis, and I know I've said this already but these illustrations are absolutely FANTASTIC! The character designs look so charming in this artstyle, and it really makes me wish the whole movie could've looked like this. Seeing Marketropolis actually resembling a city at night is fantastic as well, given that it's so horribly lit in the finished film it always looks like it's the middle of the day (despite the basic premise of the film literally being this is what happens when the supermarket closes at NIGHT). Dex and Sunshine look really cute together, and I think it's adorable how he refers to her as "his gal" in the narration. Dex talks about how this is where him and all the other product icons reside, and I can't explain why but I really like the way it's phrased as "At night, this is our world. This where we all live." Dex then goes on to talk about his best friend Daredevil Dan, describing him as "the world's greatest stunt pilot flying squirrel on a chocolate bar wrapper", which is perhaps the most overly narrow superlative I've ever heard. Just how many other stunt pilot flying squirrels are there on the front of chocolate bar wrappers?

Dex goes on to explain that not everyone's as sweet as his Sunshine and that he often has his hands full keeping the aisles safe, as we're treated to another fantastic illustration, this time of him fighting Fat Cat Burglar off with his price-tag gun. I don't have too much to say about these two pages, other than once again mentioning just how much I love the art in this. Part of why I bought the Deluxe Sound Storybook to begin with was so I could share the artwork with everyone, as I simply LOVE how it looks- even Fat Cat Burglar looks great when drawn like this.

Dex attempts to propose to Sunshine, only for Dan to crash his plane while attempting the loop-de-loop, with her disappearing on her way to check on him. What's described here more or less happens the same way in the film, but the artwork depicts it very differently. In the movie, this all happens outside whereas here it's in some sort of restaurant or club. In addition, Dex is wearing his white tux but at this point in the movie he's still in his Indiana Jones gear, and Maximilius is also in a white tuxedo while in the movie it's purple. (However in the case of Maximilius, this is just down to to the white being an earlier look for the character, as on the cover and throughout the rest of the book he's still wearing it)

I have to say, it's crazy how much of this is dedicated to what happens in the first 10 minutes of the movie. We're nearly halfway in, and we've only just gotten to Sunshine's disappearance- not that it's uncommon for storybooks like this to take liberties with the plot, but it does mean the majority of the movie's events are crammed into approximately ten pages and so have far less time to breathe than the first half of the book.

Following Sunshine's disappearance, Mr Clipboard arrives at the supermarket pushing Brand X products, and we're told customers are going crazy for them. While this does happen to some degree in the movie, the art we're seeing here is of a scene that was cut out of the finished film and we've only previously seen in the novelization. In said scene, Mr Clipboard has had a giant Brand X display set up in the store, with a cardboard washing machine that sprays Elixir into the air and attracts customers into buying Brand X products. This scene is important for two reasons- not only does it establish how a washing machine ends up in the store (explaining how Dex and Dan end up trapped in a dryer later on) but it also shows how Brand X's plan is affecting the real world, and the danger it poses to not only the store but to people everywhere as well. On top of that, it's cool to see the way the Brand X display resembles Lady X's tower, as in the movie we don't get to see what it looks like during the day.

Sometime after Brand X's arrival, Dan goes missing and Dex follows the trail right to Lady X. It's here we see yet another scene that was cut from the film and previously only in the novelization- Dex's first encounter with the Xobytes in Lady X's penthouse. (Dex even has two price-tag guns here, something I saw mentioned in the novelization and assumed was a mistake on the author's part as we only ever see him with one in the movie). I really think this scene should've been in the film, as it serves as a proper introduction to the Xobytes, as well as the threat they pose to Dex and the other Ikes.

Dex attempts to fight off the Xobytes with his price tag guns, but he's quickly defeated and wakes up in Lady X's dryer where he finds Dan. The fact that it's a dryer and not a washing machine gives some indication as to which draft of script author Justine Fontes was working from when writing this- the I Can Find It! book (which I covered in a previous post) was based on an earlier draft and had them trapped in a washing machine full of water instead, seemingly changed due to this being too difficult for animators to render. As such, we can hypothesize this book was likely based on the same draft of the script the novelization was, given it's a dryer in both (and later on in the story Brand X are defeated by a lightning storm, whereas in earlier drafts/the I Can Find It! book it's a flood)

Dex and Dan escape the dryer, only to find Brand X is building an entire army of the Xobytes encountered earlier. This scene goes down more or less the same as it does in the movie, but visually looks very different. In the movie Dex and Dan see the army of Xobytes while looking through an air vent, whereas here they spot them from around a corner. In addition, the Brand X War Room looks very different to the way it does in the movie, on top of the Xobytes' poison being green instead of black. However these changes are likely down to Zalme not having any reference images of the room to work with, and so instead coming up with his own version of the design (given even in early footage it looks the same as it does in the final film). In addition to that, some degree of creative liberty is always taken with these kind of books anyway- what looks good on film doesn't necessarily look good on paper, and so you have to come up with something that still looks dynamic and visually appealing as a 2D image.

The book then skips entirely over the part of the plot where they cross the supermarket during the day, visit the Expiration Station, and meet Vlad Chocool, and we instead go straight to Dex and the other Ikes waging a food fight against the Brand X army. While this is a mostly accurate depiction of the battle as it happens in the film, there are still a few changes. For one, Kaptain Krispy and Twinkleton (the blue elephant) are part of the scene, despite both having been rubbed out by Brand X at this point in the film. Granted, the book skips over this part of the plot as well, and they likely wouldn't have wanted to include characters being killed in something intended for very young children, so it's not surprising this change was made. However, it does mean the Ikes are waging a war against Brand X before they've actually done anything to wrong them. I guess Dex and Dan knew they were building an army though, so it was best to just deal with the threat before it became a more serious problem.

Dex gives the signal for his secret plan, and Cheazel T Weasel starts a an electrical lightning storm, destroying the Brand X buildings while the rest of the Marketropolis is safety protected by lightning rods. It's a shame Cheazel only gets a brief mention here- I would've loved to see how he looked in this artstyle, and given he was voiced by director Larry Kasanoff they could have easily got him to voice a line for the soundboard as well. Seriously, how did Lord Flushington get a button on there over Cheazel? One is a toilet frog who has maybe two scenes in the entire movie, and the other is a classic "lovable rogue" character who plays a key role in taking down Brand X, helps save the day, and was even important enough to get his own plush toy. The Brand X Mashed Potato Man is similarly absent from this version of the story, but despite my preference for the character, he isn't particularly relevant to the plot, so this makes sense.

In the midst of the chaos, Dex finds Sunshine at the top of the Brand X tower, and as I'm sure you already know from either watching the movie or reading my analysis of the novelization, it's revealed Lady X had her kidnapped. (I know this is all incredibly obvious, I just like describing the plot of things, okay?) As the building collapses, Dan finally gets the loop-de-loop right and saves both Dex and Sunshine, daring the day and flying away. And damn, I know I've said this at least three times already, but I still can't get over how fantastic these illustrations are! The characters look so charming in this artstyle and they're drawn so dynamically against the night skies of Marketropolis, it's just a visual delight to look at. The one downside to all this is the book's extremely short length- just two more pages and it's over already! I'd have happily read a version of this that was double the length, so we could see how the rest of the characters and story would've looked drawn this way. (We didn't even get to see the Copabanana in this version of the plot) Still, it has all the major beats of the film covered, so let's press on and see how it ends.

Mr Clipboard comes stomping through the store, threatening to destroy Marketropolis. Dex gets Maximilius to use a piece of dental floss as a tripwire, and as Mr Clipboard's head hits the ground it breaks open, revealing he was one of Lady X's robots the whole time. Once again, the Marketropolis is safe, and Dex and Sunshine can finally be together.

This is more or less how the ending goes across all versions of the story (except the I Can Find It! book which Mr Clipboard is entirely absent from), but it does leave out the Lady X revealing she used to be Priscilla Pussly, the Ike for a failed brand of genetically giant prunes, along with Sunshine beating her up so badly her plastic surgery comes undone and she's transformed back into the hideous prune she once was. I'm glad this was left out- as much as I've warmed up to Foodfight! over time, I always thought repeatedly hitting a woman so badly that it destroys everything she's done to feel good about herself was a pretty horrible way to end things. Like yeah, destroy her sense of image and humiliate her in front of everyone, THEN kill her? That's so cruel, aren't Dex and the other Ikes supposed to be the good guys?

Either way, with that we reach the end of the Deluxe Sound Storybook. Despite consisting of an incredibly trimmed-down version of the movie's plot, the beautiful artwork was worth the price of admission alone, and it was truly fantastic to see characters and environments from Foodfight! rendered so beautifully. I'd say it's up there alongside the novelization, meeting the (incredibly low) bar of versions of Foodfight! far better than the finished film. I'm really glad I got to share this book on my blog too- while the Deluxe Sound Storybook has been talked about across various places over the years, nobody made its contents available in their entirety before now. I hope you all enjoyed taking another dive into the fascinating world of Foodfight! merchandise, and shortly after this post I'll make my scans of the book available on the Internet Archive for anyone who wants to check it out for themselves.

If you can believe it, long before I started this blog, all I ever wanted out of Foodfight! was a copy of this book someday so I could see what the movie would've looked like if it hadn't been spoiled before its time. But then I stumbled onto the novelization and realized I just HAD to write about that, then ended up interviewing a cast member, and ultimately ended up getting involved in a documentary that'll satisfy everyone's curiosities about Foodfight! a million times better than the Deluxe Sound Storybook ever could. However, finally getting to discuss what I was originally so fascinated by makes it feel like my blog has truly come full circle. Thank you for joining me on this journey, and I'll see you next time!

#foodfight #dex dogtective #daredevil dan #lady x #analysis #book review #mr clipboard #deluxe sound storybook

[kiwikipedia]

Erron Black, acting mature? Not with Ciel Lloyd and Danver Hakka within general proximity of him. Kotal really should read those resumes before he hires people, now he has to deal with the three most chaotic Earthrealm-ers in all of Outworld. 

*Danver Hakka belongs to @purgetrooperfox | Variants, ID, and taglist below

[ID: An image of three characters drawn in a chibified style, all of them holding their hands in peace signs. The closest figure is Ciel Lloyd, they have darker blue hair tied back in a ponytail with two red clips holding their bangs back, paler skin than the other two, and two scars on their face one of which is on their left cheek, and one across the nose. Their expression is similar to an anime cat's expression with the 'w' or '3' mouth. They have two piercings under their lip and two in their ear. They don a neon green and dark blue coat with fingerless gloves that are black. Behind them in the middle of the group is Erron Black from Mortal Kombat 11. His hair is a grayish brown and covered up mostly by his cowboy hat which is a dark gray-brown with a red band and silver-gray accents. His eyes are disinterested and his face is mostly covered up by a mask with red and gray accents on them. He has a black scarf around his neck, a red puldron set with the top one having gray accents, a black vest over a blue shirt without sleeves, black gloves, and two bandoliers that are brown in color. One of his arms is behind Ciel's head making it look as if his second peace sign is giving them bunny ears. The final figure is Danver Hakka, whose eyes are closed and moth similar to that of a forward slash keystroke. His skin is dark, and his hair is black in color and shaved entirely on the sides and the remainder tied back in a bun. One hand is on Erron's shoulder, though the farthest one makes a peace sign like the other two. He also has fingerless gloves colored black and he wears clothes and light armor similar to Garett from the game 'thief'. It is colored in various blacks and grays and he has two straps and that cross his chest that are a lighter gray. On the side of his head where the hair has been shaved off he has dark green tattoos that are abstract and he has a cut through his left brow. Danver is mostly covered by Erron, as he is the backmost character. All three are outlined in hot pink and white with the words "The Kotal Crew" above them colored in the same hot pink with a white drop shadow. The C in 'Crew' has been replaced with a 'K' to match Mortal Kombat's pattern of spelling. The initial background is a bright yellow with an overlay of neon blue stars similar to what you might find in an old comic. Under the cut are three additional variants of the main image, all the same except for the background with the first being only the blue stars, the second being only the yellow background, and the third being without any background at all. The fourth image is of the trio only. /End ID]

Taglist:

@jedifisto @spaceydragons @purgetrooperfox @spacerocksarethebestrocks @insanelytomato @maulpunk @certified-anakinfucker @d3epfriedangels @iamthespacegeneral @thecodyagenda @dilf-archivist​ @txtalnyx​

Taglist Form or feel free to ask me to get tagged (just DM!)

Buy on Threadless

#Reptile took the picture #Ermac edited it #this is kotal's campaign poster for the next outworld election tm (/j) #Erron Black #Ciel Lloyd (PKOCs) #Danver Hakka (Leo) #Mortal Kombat OCs #Mortal Kombat #Penguinkiwi Creates #Penguinkiwi ocs

[robodove]

I thought in the Asexual drawing that Lloyd was Cole with cow horns and was so confused until I read the tags. So have that knowledge, Cole's a cow now.

I ACTUALLY HAVE DRAWN THEM AS LIKE. ANIMALS BEFORE AND COLE WAS A BULL IN THAT.

This isn't from that, this is a doodle just for u

[brightbeautifulthings]

The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones

"The truth was simpler and more frightening: He did such things because he cared. A person with a knife was one thing. A person with a knife and a cause could topple kingdoms."

Year Read: 2022

Rating: 3/5

About: Mer is the last living water diviner, on the run from an ambitious and wicked prince who's bound her into slavery. When her old mentor shows up with a job that can undermine the prince's power for good, she can't help but be tempted. It's a dangerous heist that requires her particular talent to destroy the magical well that protects the king's lands. With the help of a death-cursed ironfetch, a corgi, and the princess of thieves (who also happens to be Mer's ex-girlfriend), they'll have to risk their lives to reach the well and stop more war and conquest before it even begins. I received a free e-ARC through NetGalley from the publishers at Little, Brown. Trigger warnings: character death (on-page), child/spouse death, suicide, drowning, slavery, torture/branding, severe injury, violence, poison, guilt, self-loathing.

Thoughts: I fell in love with The Bone Houses, but while there's plenty to like about this book, it doesn't fall quite as particularly into my areas of interest (no zombies, for one thing). The Drowned Woods is a more typical fantasy of kingdom politics and overthrowing the wicked ruler, and those are things I actively avoid in my reading. There's nothing wrong with them, but the genre is saturated with that story. I've read it too many times, and it was never one of my favorites to begin with. However, if you are a fan of that, there are plenty of small, delightful details that stand out about this book.

To begin with, Lloyd-Jones's writing is beautiful just on a sentence level in a way that makes me want to read all her books regardless of subject, and the Welsh mythology is always really interesting. I didn't particularly bond with any of the characters this time around, but I think that was more of a me-thing than a them-thing. Mer's history and motivations are complicated and well-drawn, and I'm usually down for a quiet, mysterious male lead who can win every fight but doesn't want to. Their development, both separately and together, is enough to drive the novel. All fantasy books should also have an animal sidekick, and while it isn't quite on the level of zombie goat, I enjoyed the corgi.

Plot-wise, it's rather meandering and slow-moving, and that's not always a bad thing. What I thought was going to be the turning point came a little earlier than expected, leaving the book not quite able to sustain the level of urgency it needed for everything that came after. I have some issues with Mer's ending as well, but that’s more of a general theme issue than a problem with this specific novel. My favorite part of the book was the little nod to The Bone Houses, which probably says enough all on its own.

#book review #the drowned woods #emily lloyd jones #ya fantasy #little brown and company #netgalley #3/5 #rating: 3/5 #2022

[darkhymns-fic]

More Than Puppy Love

Well-known dog therapy organization, Altamira Pet Paradise, is getting a new volunteer! Colette is already drawn to the gigantic dog with the soft whines, his fur so soft that it was like magic.

She won't admit, just yet, she's also drawn to his owner with the kind smile.

Fandom: Tales of Symphonia Characters/Pairing: Lloyd Irving/Colette Brunel, Noishe, Sheena Fujibayashi, Regal Bryant, Zelos Wilder, Seles Wilder, Presea Combatir, Genis Sage, Raine Sage, Phaidra Brunel Rating: PG Word Count: 9991 (I know) Mirror Link: AO3 Notes: Written for Colloyd Week 2022, Day 3: Touch. The idea for this AU is all because of @youlighttheskyart who first put this idea in my head! This whole story very much ran away from me so I apologize for the length, but if you're looking for a detailed modern AU fic with most of the Symphonia cast, and just good dogs, then I hope you enjoy!

--

The new dog’s name was Noishe.

“Oh, is it a rescue, too?” Colette asked with a turn of her head. She was busy feeding a small beagle named Pippy from a bowl full of dry kibble, her little furry friend already more than halfway done. She scratched him behind the ears as reward for his very healthy eating. “We have been stretched a little thin lately…”

Her boss, who had shared with her the news, was also doing his share of their duties. He held several bowls of food in his arms, balancing them perfectly before he set them down to an eager, tail-wagging audience. Luckily, all were well-trained to not jump on him, or get greedy for another dog’s bowl for seconds. (Well, usually).

“From what it sounded like, it might be a rescue… but maybe the same can be said of the owner.” Most people wouldn’t look at Regal and figured him to be a dog-person. But even with his muscles always threatening to rip apart his t-shirt, he was more at home with the other dogs than at the gym. Colette noted it in the way he moved; how he’d always be gentle when picking up a small furry friend in his great hands to get it over a step or two, or how he’d carefully take a paw to clip their nails that had grown too long.

It took her a moment to ascertain his words just then, for Pippy was already begging for seconds and she was trying to calm him down. “The owner? What do you mean?”

“Ah, never mind. Just something I noted from his application, but I could very well be wrong.” Regal then proceeded to carry a calm golden retriever, her snout practically lifted in a smile as he did so. Fur got all over his shirt and jeans, as well as some in his usually somewhat messy hair, but he didn’t mind. “I need to give Sprinkles a bath now. Can you look after things in the meantime?”

“Of course!” She nodded, and just at that statement, a dozen or so dogs gathered at her feet, some already eager to be pet while others laid on the carpeted floors to be comfortable. She giggled at the sight, as well as at the feel of multitude of wet noses pressed against her leggings. “I have everyone here to help me.”

Regal gave her a proud smile. As he turned to leave, he then stopped and whipped around quickly. Tied blue hair, along with golden fur, swayed together from the motion, almost hypnotic in Colette’s eyes. “I almost forgot to mention, but Noishe and his owner will be joining us today, not next week. Can you be sure to greet them?”

Colette stilled in confusion. “Oh, uh, but then what’s the owner’s-?”

Sprinkles whined just then, a soft little keen that made the heart go soft, urging Regal to go back to his task. “Thank you, Colette,” he made sure to say before he left through a door in the facility, leaving Colette standing among the dogs in confusion. Small snuffles and a bit of tapping many paw pads echoed around the room.

She just wanted to know the name of Noishe’s owner…

-

At the Altamira Pet Paradise Therapy Center, dogs weren’t the only animals available for one to see on their visit, even though they were the most common.

Colette always had an affinity for dogs, but she showed just as much care to the few cats they had as part of their volunteer staff, as well as a colorful parrot, and even a few guinea pigs with chubby cheeks that could heal any soul. The majority of such animals were brought in by their owners to help with their volunteer work, depending on the time of day, or just which clients would be visiting the center; from eager schoolchildren to residents from the nearby senior home. She remembered how once someone had even brought in a horse – the sweetest horse that she had ever met, who liked their mane braided!

But today, it was just the dogs – and mainly Regal’s dogs at that. They numbered to a dozen, of varying sizes and breeds, like the giant golden retriever, Sprinkles, and the little terrier pup, Pippy (that Colette had named herself). It was a slow day thankfully, with only a few people needing the services of a friendly dog with even softer fur, and no outside visits scheduled. Their facility was a simple place too, with only a few divided rooms decorated with feel-good posters and such (“Have a fur-filled day!” said one with the photo of a happy puppy – both Regal and Colette knew they had to get it). Most of the dogs were separated from one another so as not to overwhelm people, or over excite the other dogs.

“Sheena!” Colette called out. She saw the familiar face who sat in a plush chair near the back door that led out to the garden, petting a certain orange-furred dog with both hands. “Everything going okay?”

“Oh, Colette,” Sheena gave a small wave, mixed in with a yawn. She must have had another late shift at her job, but even the tired bags around her eyes seemed to dim slightly when Corrine, the dog for her session today, pressed more strongly against her hands. “I’m fine. Heard you might be getting a new volunteer today?”

“Yep. But he hasn’t come by yet… I’m hoping he hasn’t got lost on the way here.”

“Ohh, so you know it’s a guy,” Sheena said with a grin – then paused. “Uh, wait, or did you mean the dog?”

Colette tapped a finger against her cheek. “Well, the dog’s name is Noishe… What do you think?”

“…I…honestly have no clue. What about the owner’s name?”

“Oh, that! Hehe.” She gently turned away another dog, Sebastian, from getting too close to Corrine, guiding him to a nearby nook where some dog toys were placed. “I don’t know at all.”

Sheena sighed – but whether from the answer, or from the feel of Corrine’s fur over her fingers, it was hard to say. “Well, good luck, Colette.”

“Thanks!” Sheena always told her that a lot. It was quite kind of her.

But even when Colette worried for the new volunteer – maybe they had missed the exit? Or did they change their mind at the last minute? Which would be quite sad, as Colette looked forward to another doggy helper – that same worry melted when she heard a large whuff! from the facility’s front door.

She was quick to jog over to it, but not too much! She didn’t want to make the other dogs think she was playing with them, so she mainly power-walked to the door that was already half-opening. “Hello! You must be-”

And what came through the door was the dog, which was, well….gigantic? Big pointed ears, with grayish fur that had a certain shade of green to it in a certain angle of the ceiling lights. With a whine, the dog moved forward, tongue lolling from its mouth.

Also, the dog’s height was just past her waist. If it had stood on its hind legs, it might have been even taller than her. She tried to guess the breed, but he seemed to be mixed. Maybe between a German Shepherd and a poodle? But that didn't explain the big ears…

“Noishe?” she said hesitantly, and was answered with a little whine. Not a sad whine though. Somehow, she could tell.

“Oh my god,” said a voice far behind her. Sheena must not have expected it either. “Is that a dog or a horse?!”

“Noishe! Don’t run so fast! And don’t open doors on your own!”

Colette raised her head at the voice. It was a little loud, but not enough to worry any of the animals nearby. Noishe’s ears perked up, and then a boy dressed in a red sweatshirt and cargo pants (not red) burst through. His brown hair was all tousled, and when he laid eyes on Colette, he waved, all with a wide grin on his face.

“Hey! My name’s Lloyd! Um, Regal said to come here…” He blinked, looking around the room and all of the doggy posters and a paw-pad clock on the wall. “I’m in the right place, ain’t I?”

Something about his confusion, even in a place stamped with doggy accessories everywhere (along with actual dogs) tickled Colette a bit. She giggled into her hand, Noishe’s ears perking up again, but at her voice this time.

“S-sorry!” She cleared her throat. “I mean, it’s nice to meet you, Lloyd. I’m Colette. Welcome to Pet Paradise!”

“Oh, good! So I definitely didn’t take that wrong turn earlier.” Lloyd nodded, seemingly proud of his statement.

“That dog’s so huge…” Sheena was whispering from far behind, but Colette only heard it faintly, distracted by Lloyd’s smiles, and Noishe’s big ears.

It had been a while since someone new had come along.

-

“Noishe can cheer anyone up! He even once got my dad out of a funk when he had trouble with his woodworking last year.” Lloyd guided his dog with one hand on his back as they walked around the small facility with Colette, looking through the different rooms that mainly held a few sleeping dogs, curled up next to each other. He seemed eager to get started on volunteering, answering Colette’s questions with vigor. “And, and! He can do tricks! Noishe, shake.”

Lloyd held out his hand, while Noishe looked up and down with a curious whine. Eventually, he shook Lloyd’s hand – but only after standing on his legs, and holding out a paw to place into Lloyd’s palm. He was also now a head taller than his owner.

“Oh, wow!” Colette said in awe.

But Lloyd looked less than impressed. “Noishe, you’re not supposed to stand…”

Colette knew she was needed to assess the new volunteer and his animal, but she kept finding herself drawn to Lloyd’s eyes, with the same hue as his hair. She shook her head, wondering if she had enough coffee this morning. “And is that why you wanted to lend your dog’s services as a therapy pet? Is he okay with meeting new people?”

“Yeah, he is!” Lloyd gently urged Noishe back on all four legs again, scratching behind his right ear. “Though… I guess I should say that he wasn’t always like that. Noishe used to be scared of literally everyone and everything. It took a while, but now he doesn’t run off or hide under the tables anymore.”

Colette looked at the giant dog with its bright black eyes, tail wagging back and forth at high speeds. She remembered just how easily Noishe had gone through the door, rushing up to her as if he had known her all his life. “I see… Is he a rescue?”

Lloyd hesitated in answering. She could see how he went over a dozen explanations inwwardly, making her wonder why he found the question difficult to answer. Regal didn’t really seem to know either…

“I guess he is, in a way,” Lloyd finally answered. “He’s had it tough for a long time. But he really does like meeting people now. And I think he used to years back before he got spooked.”

They walked through the back doors to an outdoor garden, though with all flowers safely out of reach of any excitable dog. There was a large, open area in the middle, the grass having been freshly cut, and the few remains of squeak toys that had been left outside.

Lloyd noted the details, all while the sun made his hair turn bronze in the light. “You know, I’ve never seen a pet therapy place like this…”

Colette smiled gently. “Mr. Regal has always done things a bit differently. He set up this facility so other people can come see the animals, though we still visit hospitals and schools. All of the dogs are his, too. And he still finds time in his day to play with everyone!”

Lloyd whipped his head to her. “Wait, all these dogs are his? Is this guy rich?”

“Hm, well, he used to be a CEO, I think? I don’t remember for what company… but he stepped down and gave away half of his money to charity and used the rest to build this place after taking in some rescues. And he’s trained all of them to help others now, too!”

She could tell the boy was impressed because she had felt the same! Lloyd looked around the area once again, marveling at the wide space that Regal had created for a gentle connection between human and dog (or cat, bird and guinea pig - maybe a horse or two). “Man, it kinda makes me wonder why he’d want me and Noishe around if he’s got it covered already.”

“But we can always use more help, Lloyd. And I’m sure Mr. Regal saw something in you.” After all, Lloyd had such a kind and warm smile, something she had noticed despite only knowing him for less than an hour.

“Hehe… I think you mean Noishe, right?” Even so, Lloyd stood a bit taller as he spoke, patting his dog on the back. “Though, I guess I forgot some people might be scared of his size, like that girl earlier…”

Oh, that was true. Sheena had been eyeing the giant Noishe since, staying in her corner with Corrine. “She’ll come around! And a lot of kids like big dogs anyway. They’re usually our most popular.”

“Cool! See, Noishe? You’re gonna be popular!”

A happy bark, with a force that made Colette jump just a bit, though not with any worry. “Hehe. Well, we got our beginning questions out of the way… Um, do you think you could show me how Noishe would help someone then? Just keep in mind that he’ll most likely be visiting new environments when he does so.”

She half-expected another trick, or something as simple as petting Noishe. Nothing could quite calm someone down than the feel of a doggy’s fur against one’s skin. In fact, when she saw Lloyd petting Noishe, it seemed that his hand would nearly disappear into that forest of strange green.

Lloyd seemed to catch her gaze, then whistled for Noishe to follow him along, closer to Colette. “Wanna pet him?” he offered, with so much familiar ease, as if they had always known each other. “I think that’s Noishe’s main talent, if you wanna test it out.”

Colette had to do all she could to hide her excitement – she had to maintain being a professional, after all. “I’d be glad to,” she said, then reached out a hand to pat Noishe on his furry head, like she did with all the dogs at the facility.

And it was at that moment, when her fingers made contact with Noishe’s fur, when her palm pressed against a warm scalp, she stilled. It was soft – so soft. Incredibly soft! Noishe angled his head to let her pet more, and she followed that angle, reaching out another hand to scratch right around his neck.

Colette let out a gasp. “He’s…like a really furry blanket!” More pets, and Noishe made a soft whine, but one that asked for more pets, and rang harmoniously in the air instead of in distress. “Wow, just…wow!”

All while she petted, Lloyd crossed his arms, nodding sagely.

“I make sure to always brush out his fur every day,” he stated. “Three times a day! It’s actually pretty relaxing to do. I figure people could do that while they pet him, and I always carry a brush.” He took out said brush, the handle as red as his sweatshirt. “But smaller kids could do this and ride him if they wanted.”

She was only half-listening now. By this point, Colette had already buried her face into Noishe’s fur, so entranced by the very texture of it. “So soft…”

Ah, but she wasn’t being professional! Colette cleared her throat as she pulled her hands away. But her eyes were closed from the bliss of the furry touch, and just the memory of it and… “But, maybe just one more time!”

Unfortunately, her eyes were still closed, and Lloyd must have gotten nearer to check on Noishe, probably to demonstrate the fur-brushing. But she hadn’t really been able to tell the difference at first, because the feel of the softness against her hands was nearly the same! Noishe’s fur was so warm…

“Um, C-Colette…?” She could feel the stammer in Lloyd’s throat.

“Huh?” She opened her eyes, seeing that her hands were not on Noishe’s head like she thought, but on Lloyd’s. Her fingers threaded through his hair, his head lowered, the hairbrush in his right hand.

It took her a few seconds longer to see what she was doing.

“Ah, I’m sorry!” Colette stepped back, mortified at herself that she had just…been petting Lloyd! “I-I didn’t know!”

Lloyd stood up, his face a beet-red, while his dog smiled at the situation. “Uh, d-don’t worry about it! Heh, so, um, does that mean we can volunteer with you? Since you liked Noishe so much!”

Yes, Noishe and…well…

“O-of course!” she said, laughing nervously. She patted down her shirt, remembering the touch on her fingertips.

She wished she didn’t have to be so embarrassing.

--

For the volunteers at Altamira’s Pet Paradise Therapy, the places they would visit, along with the people they met, varied with each day.

Colette wanted to make it easy for both Lloyd and Noishe on their first few days, and had them stay around the center at first. Plus, it was good to have Noishe get to know the other volunteer animals as well! On one day, Nibbles the cat had been around, and even as she was busy cleaning herself, or climbing up on shelves, she didn’t reject a small snout press from Noishe. Colette could have sworn she heard the kitty purr from the affection.

But soon, she saw on their schedule a client they had to visit - one that needed to stay at home instead of a hospital, their condition quite fragile.

“You’re sticking with me then?” Lloyd asked Colette once he was given the address, walking towards a mud-splattered pickup truck where Noishe immediately jumped into the backseat of. “I didn’t want to admit it, but I think I’d be nervous going to this myself.”

“Just think of it as part of training!” Colette reassured quickly. “Also, this particular client sounds like it needs someone like Noishe for them, so it should be good practice, too.”

Lloyd’s eyes lit up at the information before he got into the driver’s seat. “Oh, is it a kid then? Noishe is really great with kids!”

“Actually-” she started, but after fastening her seat-belt, the road got a little bumpy, and Noishe got a little needy, sticking his head from the backseat and getting all the pets he wanted, with Colette giving all the pets she wanted in return.

…And his fur still felt a bit like Lloyd’s hair, which she thought back to with nervousness. But Lloyd hadn’t brought it up since…

She had to admit, once they arrived, that the house was probably much bigger than what most people would expect. Lloyd's stare at the high walls and fanciful iron gates they had to walk through told her that much.

“Oh, the pet people?” spoke a blasé voice once they arrived at the door. A man with long red hair, wearing a slightly opened button-down shirt, and a curious glint in his eyes. Those same eyes quickly landed on Colette, followed by a grin. "Well, nice to see you again, angel. Got us another good doggy today? Maybe I can get my own personal session from you?~"

"Hi, Zelos!" she spoke, completely unfazed by his advances. 

He seemed to size them up before finally noticing Noishe in the center, seated politely, tail brushing against the floor.

“What the-? Is that thing a dog?!”

Lloyd frowned. “Why does everyone keep saying that?”

“This is Noishe!” Colette quickly intervened. "He's new to our therapy center. I think Seles will really love him."

Zelos kept staring, his carefree persona already fading away by the second. "Sure you didn't have any…normal-sized dogs around?"

"Hey! My dog is very normal!" Lloyd called out, already getting aggravated on his very first trip out.

"Oh. So he's your dog. Can't say I'm surprised then." Zelos gave a long sigh, pushing away a few red locks from his face, only for them to fall back against his cheek. "God damn, the fur's gonna get all over the place…Whatever. Seles is in the living room, so let's get this moving."

"...Did this guy even want us here?" Lloyd asked, only slightly under his breath. The home challenged the definition of big, with a needlessly long hallway, the floor tiles looking to be made of marble. "He's acting like such a jerk."

"Ah, Lloyd, it's okay," Colette tried to appease. "He's been using our services for a long time. He and Regal also know each other, and this has been helping his sister with her condition. He’s her caretaker, and just worries over her a lot."

"Huh?" He then leaned down to her, trying his very best to whisper. “If he’s doing all that, then why does he have such a weird attitude?"

"Well…"

"You do know I can hear you as clear as day," said Zelos without turning around. "Like, you're not even trying, bud."

Lloyd flushed, clamping his mouth shut. The expression was cute to Colette's eyes, but she carefully swallowed down her giggles.

The house had taken her by surprise the first time as well; everything looked too fancy to even touch, and she always wondered at a certain great painting that hung by itself in another room they passed by. But Lloyd, even in his own confusion, guided Noishe gently across the hallway, all until they made it to the living room where two sets of couches were set by an open window, and a grand piano stood forgotten in a corner, covered in dust.

A young woman was seated on one of the couches, wearing fine clothes and an overly large sun hat, a rose pinned to its brim. She held an open book in hand, though she wasn’t exactly preoccupied with reading. She was gazing through the window, her hair matching the same shade as Zelos' own. 

“Yo, Seles. Pet guys are here.”

She turned then, a slight wrinkle in her forehead when she glanced at Zelos before turning to Lloyd and Colette. “Please excuse my brother. He didn’t give you a hard time, did he?”

“Aw, so that’s how you say thanks to me for setting these up?” Zelos shrugged, but he went to lean against the piano, his pose so casual he might have started dozing off any second.

It didn’t take long for Seles to single out Noishe immediately.

"Oh. So…that's a new dog then?"

Colette nodded. “Yep. We have a new volunteer.” She tapped Lloyd’s shoulder, who was still reeling from the giant floorplan that was this home. “Go ahead.”

Maybe she was getting ahead of herself to already put Lloyd in this kind of place. But even with his hesitance, he had his smile on, already doing his best to make a good impression.

Walking across the plush carpet, Lloyd brought Noishe who followed at his side. He gave a short whistle, his dog immediately sitting down, ears raised up high. 

"This is Noishe. He's a big guy, but he's also a big ol' softie." He patted Noishe's back before speaking to the seated girl before him. "Wanna try petting him?"

Seles raised an eyebrow. Even with Noishe seated on his haunches, he towered over her by at least a few inches. "If I can even reach up to his head, but I'll try."

“That’s no problem! Here, Noishe.” A soft snap of his fingers, his hand lowered just at the same height of Seles’ face, and his dog followed through. A furry head now within the woman’s reach.

 From his lounge against the piano, Zelos gave a small snicker. “That dog could be your new coffee table, sis.”

Seles sighed sharply at his comment, but it didn’t stop her from reaching out her hands to the dog. Her skin was pale, and her fingers just a bit shaky, yet Colette noted how she had looked a bit better since the last time she had seen her.

It only took a few strokes against the forest of fur for Seles’ disinterested expression to change. “He’s like silk,” she commented, moving her right hand to travel down Noishe’s back. The dog whined in a low voice, with a light rumble in his throat. “Is…is he purring?”

Lloyd chuckled. “Noishe’s weird like that. But it’s a nice sound, don’t you think?”

“Huh…” Seles continued to pet him, all the hard lines around her mouth beginning to fade. Even her shoulders seemed less tense. “It is. He’s a very odd dog. And he has so much fur…”

“The secret is brushing him a lot.” Lloyd knelt on the floor, giving Noishe another pet along his ear. “Noishe likes it, too. So, maybe, um…”

A small slip from his confidence, but when he glanced toward Colette, she motioned to his pockets, knowing what he was offering.

Out came the hairbrush, clean of any stray furs. He held out the handle towards Seles. “The best way is to start from the neck and down his back.”

Seles took a moment. Her sun hat nearly covered her eyes, but Colette could imagine the curiosity in them, and knew Lloyd would see it too.

When she took the hairbrush, Zelos groaned slightly. “Our carpet’s gonna be a mess.”

“That’s what we have Sebastian and Tokunaga for,” she deftly answered. Then she followed Lloyd’s instructions, letting him guide her arm. The brush moved through tangles gently. Noishe stretched out his forelegs, clearly enjoying the sensation. 

But Colette had seen something pass over Zelos’ face; something of relief, the brief shadow of a smile. She walked up to him, and soon that smile transformed into the leering grin that he always seemed to put on. 

“Oh, angel~ Gonna give me that therapy session I’ve been asking for?”

“I was thinking we could do that today for you too actually!” she answered.

Zelos froze, blinking twice before saying, “You serious?”

She pointed towards Noishe who was now lying on the floor, his head settling on Seles’ knees. More brushing against the sides of his neck, Lloyd now sitting back and watching with pride.

“Oh.” Zelos shook his head. “Nah, I’m not really a dog person. Seles is more into animals than me.”

“Hm.” Colette pressed her lips together. “But maybe Seles would be happy if you joined her too?”

 A pause. “I mean…she won’t care if I do. I annoy her, remember?”

“Are you sure about that?” With a bit more assertiveness than she was used to, she took Zelos’ hand to bring him forward. “You can get to know Lloyd.”

“Whoa, getting a little handsy there,” Zelos teased, but she could see the nervousness around his eyes, how they slightly flickered from side to side. Yet after all this time of visiting the Wilder home, she had always thought that more than one person here needed to pet a dog.

And Noishe had the softest fur she had ever felt. Or, one of the softest…

“Hey! You wanna brush him too?” Lloyd took out another hairbrush from his pocket, handing it to Zelos. “You can get the back while Seles takes care of the front.”

“...Do you seriously carry more than one of these? Who does that?” Even as Zelos argued, he still accepted it, kneeling on the floor to get close to the dog. “Everytime I look at this thing, it seems even bigger…”

“Aw, is the Great Zelos scared of a puppy?” Seles smirked, the color in her cheeks brighter now. She even seemed to breathe easier too. “It’s okay, you can let your big sis handle this.”

“Now you know I can’t let that stand!” But once Zelos started to brush, and doing so quite naturally (Colette figured that was why his long hair always looked so pretty), his fingers had made contact with Noishe’s fur. He stopped, blinked, then continued brushing, but slower this time.

“It’s soft, isn’t it?” Colette asked him.

She could swear that the shadows that sometimes lined his face brightened then, that his lips lifted into a more genuine smile. Even his voice was more hushed. “Gotta admit…This feels nice.”

Noishe, who looked to be in doggy paradise, turned his head towards Zelos. Then he leaned forward, giving him a quick lick across the cheek.

Zelos flinched. “Ugh! Slobber!”

“Be nice, Zelos,” Seles scolded, but she was still happily brushing away, humming as she did so.

Eventually, Lloyd got up to leave Zelos and Seles with Noishe, standing by Colette’s side. “So… we did good, you think?”

Colette sported a thumbs-up. “You two did amazing! How do you feel?”

A soft beat before he answered, glancing to the siblings who were now laughing with each other. “Real good.”

Sometimes, certain clients give unique challenges like this. But it was worth it to help people. She was glad to see Lloyd understood that too.

–

Their next visit was to a more public place this time. The Sybak hospital at the north part of town always welcomed volunteers from Altamira Pet Paradise, so that at least Lloyd and Colette wouldn’t be by themselves. 

“You know, hospitals usually have a limit on the size of the pet visiting.” Genis had been a volunteer for a year now, his pet budgie perched on his shoulder. He was looking at Lloyd’s dog with great curiosity. “But dogs usually get a special preference.”

“Hey, Noishe hasn’t done anything wrong!” Lloyd argued seriously. And Noishe was indeed the perfect picture of a pet, seated on the floor quietly as other pets engaged with patients on the lower floor. Genis snickered, moving his budgie to his finger.

“I was just kidding. Although, they didn’t let in the horse that one time…”

“Aw, that’s right,” Colette said with a sigh. “I think the patients here would have loved braiding her mane…”

“Wait, you never told me you have a horse volunteer!" Lloyd's excitement was enough to even get Noishe's tail wagging. "I wanna see it.”

“Maybe next time!” Colette reached for Lloyd’s arm, pointing to an elevator. “We’re supposed to be meeting another patient on the 14th floor. She isn’t able to come downstairs.”

This was also a special case - Regal had asked them specifically to see this certain patient. “I believe she would greatly enjoy seeing Noishe,” he had told them, though he hadn’t expanded much further.

It had already been a few weeks since Lloyd and Noishe became volunteers. Even so, Colette made sure to stick by them, whether it was at the facility, or out to other locations. It was to make sure they were getting used to it. That was all.

And yet, as they gathered in the elevator, as Noishe sidled by Colette's side, inviting another pet she was all too happy to give, she noticed how her heart would beat just a tiny bit faster when Lloyd was close by.

A furtive glance at his face, one that she tried to pass off as checking on the highlighted number of each floor they passed through - but Lloyd had caught the stare. The eyes that she was so fascinated by clutched her in warm bronze. "Something up?"

"Ah, no, just, um…" Another stroke through Noishe's fur, and her nervousness dissipated. But also, Lloyd's easy smile didn't make her nervous for long anyway. "I was just thinking, how long have you had Noishe? Which shelter did you get him from?"

She knew a few, with some that she had volunteered at in the past before working with Regal. Though she believed she would have remembered a dog like Noishe…

"I guess I never told you that," Lloyd said, and it seemed he was also thinking on his answer, as if, maybe, there was more than one choice to give her. But how could that be? "But, I didn't get him from a shelter. I've had him for as long as I can remember."

 "Oh, you grew up with Noishe?" It made so much sense to her now, with just how well they clicked together. "So your parents adopted him from one?"

And somehow, this question made Lloyd look a little nervous, made him shift, as if he would say the wrong thing to her. "It's kinda hard to explain…"

The elevator doors opened then. Just as Lloyd gently tugged on Noishe's leash to lead him, he said to Colette, "Can I tell you later about it? I promise I will. It's just kinda complicated to say it in just five minutes."

Intrigue, wonder, and perhaps a little guilt for putting Lloyd on the spot with such questions; she would have apologized just then if Lloyd hadn't also added something else.

"Also, don't apologize. I can tell you're wanting to." He grinned, the action bringing dimples to his cheeks. "I wanna tell you when I'm able to."

She decided to trust him on that. "Okay. I'll keep you to your promise then!"

After that, it was only a small trip down the hospital hallway, the floors scrubbed clean, and the entire area quiet except for their footfalls. "I think it was room number…" Colette thought aloud, until she saw a doctor, her hair a brilliant silver shine, open a nearby door, its number that had been on the tip of her tongue. "Dr. Sage, it's good to see you!"

"Oh, Colette, and a new volunteer, it looks like?" The woman adjusted her glasses as she studied them both, and then of course, her gaze drew down to Noishe. "Hm. I've never seen such a breed."

Colette never figured that out either… Another thing that she needed Lloyd to tell her!

"Anyway, I heard from Regal that you're here to see Presea. She's still recovering, so please don't overstimulate her." 

She didn't stay long, already heading down the hallway, the door to the room left open. There was just the sharp clack of the doctor's heels on the floors, and a gentle beeping pattern from within the room.

It really was so quiet, and perhaps something about it set something uneasy in Colette. She wasn't sure why.

"Colette?" Lloyd placed a hand against her back, his fingertips just barely touching her shirt. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. We can't keep them waiting." And with that, she might have fully opened the door fully a little too quickly, nearly tripping over herself with the effort. But the sight of the child in the bed, her right arm hooked to the medical device that kept its beeping rhythm, seemed to be enough to distract her, as well as Lloyd.

"Oh, hello," spoke the child - except she didn't sound like one at all. Her voice held the tone of an adult, despite her appearance, her pink hair tied up in twin ponytails. She sat up with a bit of difficulty. "I didn't expect any visitors today."

"We're with Altamira Pet Paradise," Lloyd quickly answered - and Colette didn't realize at first how she had strangely hesitated. She was suddenly so distracted and tired, but Lloyd gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze before he moved into the room with Noishe. "I'm Lloyd, that's Colette, and here's Noishe." A little excited gesture to show off his dog, who gently yipped at the sound of his name. "Your name is Presea?"

"Yes, it is." Presea's blue eyes held a curiosity much like a child, yet still her voice sounded much older. Her white gown was even a bit oversized on her. But she held a steady gaze when she looked at both Lloyd and Noishe. "They usually don't allow animals on this floor so…why now?"

Lloyd didn't know how to answer that, and unfortunately, neither did Colette. But instead of staying in silence, he brought Noishe closer to the girl's bed, assessing her reaction. She didn't move back or turn away, and in fact, seemed to move in closer.

"Do you like dogs?" Lloyd asked her. 

"Hm…I like paw pads," she told him. Her hands clutched the bed sheet draped across her legs, but not in fear. It was as if she was stopping herself.

"You can pet him," he suggested, letting Noishe rest his chin on the bed. "Hm, or better yet, you wanna see his paw pads?"

"Oh…" Presea blinked, raising her head to him. Colette had moved closer by now, and only then could she see the scar just below the girl's collar bone in the shape of an oval. It was as if something had been excised from there recently. "Is it alright to?"

"Of course it is! Here. Just ask him to shake. Easiest way to see them."

Presea paused again, but she looked towards Noishe, finally releasing the blanket to hold out her hand to him. "Shake?"

Immediately, Noishe raised up his left paw, placing it perfectly in Presea's open palm.

"There you go!" Lloyd cheered. He extended his arm then to gently turn up Noishe's palm. "Just so you know, he's a little ticklish here."

"Ah, I see." But even as she spoke, her gaze was solely for Noishe and his soft paw pads. She gently poked a finger against it, and the dog wagged his tail as a result, complete with a soft whine.

"Oh no, did I hurt him?" Presea asked, her tone oddly montone despite her words.

"Nah, don't worry. He's just letting you know it tickles." Lloyd stayed back, letting the girl examine the paw pads as if they were a new discovery. "You can pet him and hug him too."

Presea seemed to consider this, and used her other hand to pet his head. A soft gasp from her, followed by a scratch behind Noishe's right ear. She smiled for the first time, echoing something young in her. "He's so soft…both his fur and his paw pads…Thank you."

It was only later, after they had finally left the hospital, going back to the therapy center to report on their trip for the day, did Colette learn a bit more about Presea. She had been only 12 years old when she had been involved in a terrible accident, one that had sent her in a coma for the next decade. Many had believed she would never wake again, except for the individual who paid for her medical expenses, who also helped further research into her condition - a man named Regal Bryant.

And after looking through her file back at the therapy center, Colette wanted to tell Lloyd all about this, yet still she couldn't shake the feeling from earlier, that strange sadness, hearing the quiet of the halls and the echoes of footsteps far off into the distance. Maybe, because…it had reminded her of another place…

She was clutching the papers detailing their trip, holding them so tightly, until a voice called out, "Colette. Me and Noishe are about to head home… Are you alright?"

She made herself unclench her fingers, finally placing the papers down on the reception desk. "Y-yeah, I'm okay," she said with a giggle. "I'll see you tomorrow then?"

She thought that would be it, until Lloyd, with those eyes she kept finding herself drawn to, said, "If I tell you more about Noishe later, will you tell me more about yourself?"

Colette was speechless for a moment, wondering where such words came from. Maybe he was joking, or playing a prank on her. But Lloyd looked at her seriously, and it was hard to turn away.

"Will you tell me about yourself too?" she found herself asking.

At that, Lloyd grinned. "The thing about Noishe…it has to do with me too. Can't have one without the other. I have to get home but I promise next time for sure." 

He waved to her, though, for a second, she thought he had been about to do something else. Like when he had pressed his hand against her back, so lightly, but so warm.

She almost wished he had done what he wanted to do first, but she nodded. "Then, I promise, too."

--

Their schedules had been packed for the next few days; a classroom of kindergarteners came to visit the center, and had completely taken over Lloyd and Noishe’s time. Though, not that Noishe minded, perfectly happy to give those small enough to ride him, and the children careful to not tug at his fur or ears. 

Colette also had to go out to visit other places that needed their services, from the nearby hospitals to private homes. She was perfect with every dog she handled, and watched over other volunteers who needed both her guidance and patience.

Though this meant her and Lloyd were separated, now fully engulfed in Regal’s work. Until, news came to her on an already quite busy Thursday.

“...Dad?” she whispered as she answered her cellphone, having just gotten back to the center from her trip out. She had not even put her purse down, instead slowly walking behind the reception desk. “Is there something wrong?”

A few moments, her breath held still. She nodded. “Okay, I’ll be there soon. Thank you.”

It's late in the day…Most of Regal's doggies are asleep…The other volunteers can watch over the animals. But who should I bring? Grandmother seems to like Pippy the most… 

But as she moved to leave, she didn't see exactly where she was going - and that was how she tripped over Noishe, who was laying contently on the floor near one of the doorways.

"Waa!" 

She flailed to grab onto something. Instead, a hand caught her around the waist, making her fall into someone's chest. A soft impact, with softer texture. Even with the dog fur that was quite everywhere in the center, she could still find his familiar scent.

"Whoa! Sorry, I was, uh, just trying to catch you." Though even as he said so, Lloyd wasn't moving away, arm still wrapped around her as if her knees would buckle just then. To be fair, Colette wasn’t sure if she’d be unable to stop herself from falling again without his hand.

“Aha…I’m just, really clumsy sometimes.” With a gentle press of her palms against his chest, she gathered herself to stand again on unshaking legs. “I was… in a hurry to get somewhere, that’s all.”

It was hard to expand on it, even when she could see the question hovering in Lloyd’s eyes. Would he ask her? Maybe part of her was aching for it.

“Okay then,” Lloyd finally said, nodding in understanding. “If you need to.”

“...Yeah, I do.” Colette tried to hide the disappointment. It’s not like any of this was Lloyd’s concern after all, and he was probably already busy himself - 

“Want me to drive you?” 

The hue of his eyes caught her, along with his smile. The same smile that always seemed to disarm her, just a little bit. What was it about Lloyd’s smile? Maybe because it was so open and held nothing else behind it. It reminded her of something…

“I don’t have other places to be today, and everyone else here already is being taken care of by the other volunteers,” Lloyd was saying, bringing a hand to scratch at his cheek. Again, that smile. The honesty in it was enough to pull at her chest. “And, maybe I’ve just been working here long enough…but it seems like you need some help?”

Colette was unsure how to answer - because she’s supposed to help other people. Not herself. Why should it be herself when so many others need it more than she did?

She felt something press into her hand. It was a sensation she knew immediately, the wet contact of a dog’s nose.

Colette blinked, looking down to see Noishe’s bright black eyes, the whiskers from his snout, and the long ears that shifted like the swaying of grass in the wind.

Lloyd gave a small laugh at the sight, so warm and sincere in its tones. “Maybe I should ask…do you need Noishe’s help?”

His fur was just beneath her fingertips, and when she reached down to pet him, her legs felt less wobbly, and the strange static buzz in her head since receiving the phone call began to evaporate. She took a breath, in and out, and then another, all while Noishe remained with her.

And Lloyd. But she couldn’t very well reach out to pet him…Not again…

“I need to go to the Iselia Nursing Home,” she told him. “And… I think Noishe would be perfect to come along.” She paused. “He could help someone there.”

It was hard to admit it yet, but Lloyd didn’t push. Instead, he simply nodded, whistling Noishe to his side, and holding out a hand towards Colette. “Let’s get going then. We can beat the traffic rush if we go now.”

His hand was there to keep her from falling. That was why he reached out to her, she told herself. But that didn’t stop her heart racing when she accepted it, his warmth seeping into her skin.

-

Her grandmother seemed happy here, Colette thought.

The retirement home was certainly one of the more expensive in town, a place that had definitely been out of the reach of her father’s savings. But Phaidra Brunel had been beloved by her fellow church members, beloved by the pastors and acolytes, and the parish’s coffers were deeper than any one man’s. They would always make sure one of their most dedicated to their church was well-taken care of.

When they finally arrived, Colette was careful to keep her eyes away from the symbols of worship placed around the walls and over doorways, yet it didn’t stop the prayers that went through her mind by rote. Like a poem that she had been taught to memorize, to focus on the meaning of each word, and each tangibility. 

It was just something she had to go through whenever she was here. Like the echoes of her footsteps when she used to walk the church’s hallways…

“Oh, Colette! You have a new dog?”

The residents of the retirement home all knew her, some even knowing the dogs by name that she would bring, like Pippy, and Dot, and even Sprinkles when Regal had joined her on a few trips. But from some of the seated residents, most of them gathered in the main living room area, with a view of the patio outside and the sunlight streaming in through silk curtains, she could tell a few of their gazes switched to Lloyd who stood next to her.

Lloyd showed no doubt in his voice, already raising a hand in a wave, bringing Noishe to the forefront. “Hey! This is my best pal, Noishe. He’s happy to meet a lot of new people.”

It wasn’t an exaggeration. Noishe was already trotting up to a few residents, even those with unsteady hands who snagged at his collar in their attempts to pet him. A lady in an old-fashioned polka dot dress gushed at his long ears, while a man who needed to wear a special device for his oxygen tank nearby commented on the luster of his fur. Still, one or two of the residents may have held a certain prayer book in their hands. 

“Do you still sing at the choir, Colette?” one elderly man asked, clutching a cane in his right hand while petting Noishe’s head with the other.

“Ah no, Matthew… I’ve been much too busy,” she explained to him, as she had done on her last few visits here. “I’m here to see Phaidra.”

“Oh, she’s right outside, near the garden,” spoke another, though for now, it was hard for Colette to place. Lloyd must have seen her feet shift on the floorboards, or heard the weariness in her voice. He gently tugged on Noishe’s leash, said a few words to the residents and then took Colette’s hand as well. Just outside, they said. It used to be quite easy for her, but the guilt in her had only increased since.

She didn’t really think twice about Lloyd helping her along gently, not until they were outside the retirement home again, with Phaidra seated underneath a bowed tree in her wheelchair, a blanket draped over her knees. A few months ago, she had insisted on just using her cane, but now it was nowhere to be found.

“Chosen?” Phaidra turned her head, and her smile lifted in a sea full of wrinkles. “Oh, Chosen! How wonderful it is to see you.”

She could feel Lloyd stall at the title, could feel herself stall at it - but she pressed forward, reaching out to clasp the elderly woman’s hands in her own. “Hello, grandmother. Father told me you asked to see me.”

“Of course, of course,” Phaidra nodded. Her blonde hair, held up by red clips on both sides of her head, was of a more faded color than Colette’s, as if lightened by the sun. “The church will be having its festival quite soon, and they would absolutely love to have you. I’ve already put in a good word for you. They also loved your hymn singing from years back. Do you still sing, Chosen?”

Colette continued to smile, even as her mind stilled. “I do sometimes. But, Regal still needs me at the therapy center and…”

This was where Phaidra would keep talking, on the new church events she had been keeping track of and oh, please, would Colette not consider going to a Mass soon and-

But instead, her grandmother looked behind her. She felt Noishe’s fur brush her arm, instantly soothing, instantly gratifying.

“Oh my! He feels so heavenly!” spoke Phaidra, releasing Colette’s hands to pet Noishe’s head.

Noishe’s fur was like magic, Colette thought.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t notice you were here too.” Phaidra looked to Lloyd who greeted her with a bright smile. “Is this your dog? He’s as big as a horse!” But she said so with laughter.

“Yeah, he’s mine. I’m Lloyd, by the way.” The breeze tugged at his hair, a few of the fallen leaves gathering at his feet. “He must know you really like dogs!”

Phaidra was giggling, almost odd to hear from someone so aged in years. But she stroked Noishe’s head, gently tracing his long ears with wonder. “He’s so very precious… Did you give this one a name too, Colette?”

She chuckled before she answered - a bit easier than before, now that she heard a name before any title. “He already had a name when he joined…His name is Noishe.”

Colette always wondered if her love of dogs came from her grandmother.

-

Phaidra was insistent on having Noishe beside her, and the dog was only too happy to comply. Underneath the afternoon sun, Noishe laid out on the grass by Phaidra’s wheelchair, pressing his head to her knee as she stroked him with slightly bent hands, the liver spots on her fingers highlighted by the sunshine. 

It was relaxing for them both, enough that Colette felt it was okay for her to step away for a bit, to move to a part of the garden where an angel statue was placed. The vines curled around its body, snagging onto its wing continuously, that had it been alive, would have made it impossible for such a being to fly.

“Colette,” she heard from behind her. Lloyd’s voice didn’t startle her, and she waited until he was by her side, hands in the pockets of his sweatshirt. “You feeling okay?”

“Hm? Um, yeah! I feel fine.” She smiled at him. “Thanks for coming with me to check up on my grandmother. I knew she’d love Noishe.”

She wasn’t sure what she expected, but when Lloyd reached to hold her hand in his, it had sent her heart racing again - but in a way that she found addicting. 

“I promised I’d tell you about Noishe and me,” he said then, flicking a glance to his dog who stayed by Phaidra, his fur speckled from the sunshine that filtered through the branches. 

Colette took a moment, knowing what else this meant. “You did.”

She watched him take a small breath, his fingers twining with hers so naturally. Maybe it was his touch that made her feel more calm, something that she had only ever really felt when running her hand through fur…or through someone’s hair.

“When I was three years old, I was found with Noishe. We were lying on some dirt road that my dad happened to be traveling on… Well, my foster dad.” Lloyd grinned. “I’m adopted. And I guess Noishe is too. No one knew where we came from, or who my parents were. I think it’s, like, officially determined we were abandoned. No one’s ever filed a missing child report for me, so it’s probably true.”

Colette processed the information, unsure what to say. “Lloyd…”

“Hey, it’s okay. I already have a family - just not blood-related.” He squeezed her hand. “And so does Noishe. Back when I was a kid, he was so scared of everything. He barely ever wanted to go outside. I think it’s because of whatever happened to us. Maybe an accident, or someone was trying to hurt us… But I can’t remember anything at all.”

Noishe, the giant dog who continually asked for pets and went out of his way to greet new people. The dog with his strange whines that sounded almost like music when you pet him just right…

“He used to only be able to whine. Not even bark. It took a really long time for him to get braver.” Lloyd raised a curious glance to the angel statue next to them. “I’ve tried finding out about where we might have come from… But no luck. I don’t think it matters anyway. Noishe has gotten better since. Maybe… we’re just better off not knowing?”

Colette held his hand tightly. “But, it’s okay to want to know,” she reassured, then paused. “Ah, sorry.”

Lloyd laughed a little, his teeth showing in a half-grin. “You’re such a dork. Don’t be sorry. I guess it’s not bad to want to know, just…” And then he looked at her, moving just slightly closer as he held her hand. “There’s more important things.”

With that, Lloyd faced her fully, one hand up, his grin wide. “Your turn now!”

Colette blinked. “My turn…?”

“Hey, don’t go back on your promise “Remember? You said you’d tell me more about you after I told you about me.”

Oh, he was right! She had completely forgotten about that.

“Well, it’s not like I have much interesting stuff to say,” she protested a bit.

Then Lloyd took her other hand, clasping it tight. She could see into his eyes much clearer now, the sun shining against his hair, almost tempting to touch.

“Try me.”

Maybe something like this should have made her more nervous, or sent spikes of anxiety through her spine, or laid something heavy on her shoulders. Because, whenever she thought about herself, that was how she felt.

But Lloyd and his touch seemed to make her feel calm instead.

“I just… get a little overwhelmed when I’m here.” Colette took a deep breath. “I left my church years ago and…I just haven't stopped feeling guilty since. My grandmother keeps thinking I’ll come back someday. There was a lot in place for me, for when I took over her role in the church because I was…chosen.” She giggled half-heartedly. “It sounds really weird when I say it out loud like this.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Lloyd reassured, holding both of her hands, urging her to continue.

Another deep breath as she brushed her thumb against his. “But a few years back, I met Regal and saw what he was trying to do… He had so many doggies that helped so many people! And, maybe it was selfish of me but I didn’t want to stay at the church and take up their roles and take vows that just keep me-” She stopped, cleared her throat. “I wanted to do something different instead. Even though I still pray sometimes and remember all the verses. But, it’s not like how it used to be. Regal wouldn’t force me to stay at the center if I no longer wanted to…”

She was rambling. She had never mentioned so much of this to anyone before, only bits and pieces. “As…the chosen in my church, they said I could help people with their charity and prayers but…I wanted to help people in my own way…In a way that I felt more like me.” Another pause. “I’m sorry.”

Lloyd’s voice didn’t let her falter in her guilt for long.

“Why are you apologizing for being you?”

“I…”

She almost felt like she would cry then, and maybe she was, feeling the heat around her eyes. But Lloyd didn’t turn away. “I think you want to pet something,” he said.

She sniffled a little. “Yeah…but Noishe is with grandmother now…”

Something passed in Lloyd’s face; a brief flush on his cheeks, a smile with a tinge of nervousness. “Well…okay, maybe this is weird, but, hear me out! You could always pet…someone else?”

“But who?” They had no other dogs with them…

Even though she already knew.

“Um…Man, you’re really gonna make me show you…” Lloyd took a deep breath, then with quickness, placed Colette’s hands on top of his head. Her fingers went through his hair, which was soft and fluffy.

Oh, she missed this feeling.

“...Okay, this is probably too dumb, sorry,” spoke Lloyd, his face now as red as his sweatshirt. But just as he was about to pull her hands away, she remained locked in place.

“No, let me pet a little more!” Colette was saying. “Um, if it’s okay!”

Lloyd blinked, the red in his cheeks having only increased. “Uh, s-sure! Is this helping?”

“Yeah!” Colette smiled wide, running her fingers through his hair. “You feel exactly like Noishe!”

“I’m gonna take that as a compliment!” spoke Lloyd, laughing with her.

“You must brush your hair a lot…”

“I mean, kinda? I mostly just use gel.”

“Oh, that’s why your hair sticks up like that!” She giggled, pressing her palms against his swept up spikes. “It’s cute.”

“Aw, you’re gonna mess it up a little…”

She was intoxicated with touching him like this, the kind that made her head feel light and her chest full of airy bubbles. Maybe that was why it felt easy to step in closer to him, his face near hers, until she was kissing him before she was aware of it.

It was so light and warm. Her hands still rushed through his hair, slowly, enjoying the texture against her skin.

“I…didn’t mean for that to happen,” Lloyd said, his breath low. “At least, not right now.”

Right. Her grandmother was still nearby. But her back was turned, and Noishe provided her with the best distraction.

“I think now was a perfect time,” she told Lloyd, leaning in for another kiss, seeing his smile before she closed her eyes.

Noishe’s fur was healing, but there was something about Lloyd’s touch that was more magical than anything else.

#tales of symphonia #colette brunel #lloyd irving #colloyd #colloydweek2022 #zelos wilder #seles wilder #regal bryant #noishe #presea combatir #genis sage #raine sage #phaidra brunel #fanfiction #one shot #so sorry this is long this got out of control

[spinjitzuhottakes]

Lloyd Garmadon - A brief look at Shipping and Discourse

Right, figure I'd start off with a bang and light myself up like a firework on new years cause what better way to make my first discussion on this blog than be about Lloyd, one of the most discoursed characters to ship in this dang fandom.

Let me just say this.

I don't actively ship Lloyd with anyone. A lot of the opinions surrounding Lloyd in a romance makes it difficult for me to do so, its even more difficult when Lloyd is the character who gets shipped 90% of the time with a fan oc character. (No shame there if you do that, its just something I've very much noticed.)

However. HOWEVER.

I still have in fact, read and viewed fancontent which contains Lloyd in a romantic or sexual relationship. Some of that content does in fact include ships with the main cast, particularly the main 4.

And yes, some of this content is in fact in the universe of the show, not the movie (which tbh is a whole other topic that I probably will touch at a later point cause I have noticed things about the fandom and the show that were caused by the movie releasing)

Why is that?

Cause the art is really cute and the fanfic premise is really interesting or honestly really sweet.

Anyway.

My point is, is that while I don't actively ship Lloyd with anyone, I still have chosen to read and look at things that depict that sort of thing.

And some of those things? They were pretty explicit and sometimes I did feel the need to scroll and fastforward through the scene.

However I still chose to look at those of my own volition and not just because of the...well content. (not usually)

For fanfics, it was how the story was laid out to me, I was usually drawn to those things due to the premise, sometimes they were pretty grim and tragic in a way.

Why is that?

Something I will honestly admit is that when it comes to fandom fanfic as a whole, Ninjago is a fandom I don't really read E rate smut fics for, it's never been that sort of fandom for me. If I do read something mature or explicit here, it really is honest to god not for the pure 18+ content in there.

Cause good lord, some of those explicit fics honestly need a revision or three.

The fics and content I have viewed and found interesting, usually has to do in some regards to how Lloyd in a relationship (explicit or otherwise) would work and honest to god conflict.

Especially given how much we as the fandom remember the situation regarding the tomorrow tea.

Lloyd's situation with the tomorrow tea actually reminds me of a character in my favourite anime. But i'll get into that in a later topic that talks more about Lloyd's age.

Point is, Lloyd's situation is not really the first time I've seen this happen in media and is one of the reasons why shipping Lloyd is actually quite fascinating even if it gets seriously fucking annoying when I have to deal with fandom.

Now, heres the first hurdle, what about Lloyd's age. He's practically eight/twelve and morally its wrong to ship him.

So...i'm just gonna say this. I actually think to suggest something like that really does a disservice to Lloyd as a whole.

Something that has been stated as canon and what I feel was meant to always be implied by the creators is that when Lloyd used the Tomorrow Tea, He was infact permenantly aged up to be the roughly same age as the rest of the cast. He needed to become their equal storywise. It was basically their way of getting around the fact that they had no idea how to make Lloyd as a 8-12 year old reasonably fight his dad/the dark one and have it not seem seriously messed up compared to what would essentially be a teenager fighting him.

Which even though its less messed up, it still is messed up. Wtf destiny.

For reasons I may or may not also further address at a later date in the same talk about Lloyds age, I also honestly believe that Lloyd needing to age up to be same age as the cast was needed for his development and any concept that deletes or reverses that fact has to have a very good reason to do so, otherwise it just seems like they're reversing an essential part of Lloyds story.

And I enjoy exploring content that touches upon the result of that, because the conflict that can be drawn from that is really interesting! Especially if it has to do with romance!

However this honestly leads into the other elephant in the room. And something that gets reasonably talked about and I understand where the thought comes from.

The power dynamics between age and experiance can seem off and at times uncomfortable when it comes to Lloyd being shipped with any of the Ninja. I understand where people are coming from with that, particularly when it comes to pre season 8 to 10 interpretations of the team and Lloyd. Lloyd is very much still seen by a lot of people (and the fandom) during this time as the youngest in the group even though he is roughly the same age as everyone. (Like truthfully, if anything the youngest he'd be is Nya's age.)

Heck they even joke about it multiple times hilariously enough. s5 and s8 with the voice jokes?

Post s10 though? Its a lot more less of a thing. Aside from the occasional joke about Lloyd not knowing what a VCR is (cause he's the kid in the group you guys remember?.) The would be power dynamic and age imbalance between him and the others is less apparent and I'm pretty sure if someone came into the series post s10, they would only know Lloyd as being the leader of the ninja and the same age as the others and not as that gremlin kid from s1.

That's because that's how Lloyd has been developed into, He's in full context basically just like the others now, like what his movie form is (which is also another topic I'd like to talk about at a later point about how the movie changed the show in a few ways)

The only reason a lot of people think otherwise is due to the fact we have context of previous seasons that truthfully does affect us. A lot of people still see and H/C Lloyd as being a lot younger than the other characters and therefore its morally wrong to ship him with the other Ninja and if you do, you should burn at the stake.

But, that's dumb. Like really dumb.

Exploration of these topics is risky yeah and it can lead to some questionable things. But honestly it shouldn't be completely demonized. These sorts of things can act as a sort coping material for folks struggling on those issues.

It really isn't hurting anyone and if you say its harming you, than maybe you should ask yourself why you chose to read/look at the thing in the first place instead of blaming the person who made it.

Why would you eat the food if you know you hate the taste? Thats like asking for olives when you detest olives

Listen I'm not gonna lie...I've seen some questionable stuff tagged in the Ninjago tag and the fanfic section of ao3. But I knew not to touch it.

Why?

Cause I knew I wasn't for me.

This is a mindset I honestly wish a lot of people in this fandom could pick up. If someone is being a genuine threat to the fanbase then yeah, maybe there's a reason for concern.

However, someone shipping two characters together is NOT that reason. No matter how much you try to tell yourself.

- H.T

#ninjago #ninjagohottakes #Shipping Discourse #lloyd garmadon #ninjago lloyd #Discourse Dump #Antis #lego ninjago

[that-was-anticlimactic]

7 and 8 (disregarding gross ones) for ninjago?

7: least favorite character from ninjago

okay, hmmmm this is hard. okay so, my first thought was vex because i genuinely hate him. like he's not even funny. he's just a terrible person who does terrible things cause he feels like it like... dude??? you're really going to just straight up manipulate zane for no reason other than you're too bitter to have an animal form??? sir??? so like. hate him. you know... okay so like, i was bored last night and made a list of every single ninjago character that i could think of off the top of my head and then looked up a list to see who i missed and you know who i forgot about? fenwick. he's one of those characters that makes me wish i cursed because i wanna call him a little b*tch iuygfcghuiuhgvfghuijuhg oh and ritchie... the only thing that i like about ritchie is that one moment in the speedway five-billion episode where he goes "ninja!" and then jay just glares and goes "ritchie!" that was funny. but he's still a pathetic jerk. okay last one... king vangelis. stupid little piece of-- literally what? sir??? okay first of all: you gave cole more falling trauma by sENDING HIM DOWN A MOUNTAIN AND TRYING TO MURDER HIM so like. that's always a great way to get on my bad side. then, he's a knock off garmadon and like i don't mind but like king vangelis just sucks in general like. sir. you-you enslaved two different populations for YEARS just for vengestone? hm. shady. pretty evil. despicable, actually. plus like... he was going to frame cHOMPY??? LIKE SIR YOU ARE THE REASON YOUR DAUGHTER FELL DOWN A MOUNTAIN??? also he was mean to the upply. and cole. and the ninja. and like literally everyone. i hope he's having fun in jail. tho, i cannot wait to see what the show s going to do with him in s16 !!!

8: least favorite ship from ninjago

okay... other than the nasty ones... idk, i was never a fan of wusako... like... idk, something about then flirting on the dark island in s2 in front of lloyd before lloyd was going to have to, ya know, fight his father just made me 🥴 tho that prolly has a lot to do with my hashtag divorced parents trauma lol ummmm okay so here's the thing: i like bruiseshipping (cole x jay), but i am very picky about who is doing the shipping of them. it used to be like. my ninjago ship and then fans decided to completely mischaracterize jay and make him this smol frail uwu lil traumatized bean when like ??? he is absolutely not ??? and in turn, they made cole big strong himbo obsessed with cake must protecc which is kind of like super racist because everyone draws cole darker than jay--like cole is usually drawn as black and jay is usually drawn as white or with much paler skin. so like. the way people uhhhhh very incorrectly interpret bruise almost made me absolutely despise the ship, no joke. so, mischaracterized bruiseshipping that refuses to explore cole's trauma or acknowledge the fact that cole isn't just jay's emotional support and who refuses to acknowledge that jay is not Anxiety™️: he never was and never will be,,, yeah anyWAYS uhhhh other ships i dislike... cole x vania. they are friends. they are very much so friends. gay and lesbian friends, to be exact. and conya, aka cole x nya. ugh. like, first of all, ninjago didn't handle the love triangle well at all in s3 so i often refuse to acknowledge it because cole is very much so gay, but like... they're just really good friends. they're besties. and that's it. lastly, literally any lloyd ship. lloyd x akita (which is prolly my favorite of the lloyd ships... still don't like it, but i can tolerate it), lloyd and harumi... lloyd and morro... (both of which are really freaking bad for many reasons...). at this point, i think lloyd just doesn't want to be in a relationship. he wants to focus on family and his platonic relationships so much more than romantic ones. he's been traumatized far too many times, imo.

#hilplusterrorss #AHHAHAAHHAHA THIS GOT SO LONG OMG I AM SO SORRY #i have. a lot of feelings. #no but bruiseshippers actually made me hate jay for awhile which is sad because he was my second favorite character :/// #not even just bruiseshippers--the way the fandom characterized jay was disgustingly incorrect and like no one acknowledged it??? #it was just. not good and i could write a whole essay on that lol #anyways sorry this took me some time to get to--i got covid and got angry lol #thank you for indulging me my beloved <3 #corey rambles:)

[your-dietician]

Christina Ricci Says It Was ‘Lovely’ to Work on ‘Wednesday’: Details

New Post has been published on https://medianwire.com/christina-ricci-says-it-was-lovely-to-work-on-wednesday-details/

Christina Ricci Says It Was ‘Lovely’ to Work on ‘Wednesday’: Details

Christina Ricci AFF-USA/Shutterstock

Class in session. Christina Ricci is not reprising her role as the morbid and sadistic Wednesday Addams in Netflix’s upcoming Wednesday, but she will play a teacher at Nevermore Academy, where Jenna Ortega’s version of the beloved character is enrolled.

‘Wednesday’: Everything to Know 

Earlier this month, it was officially revealed that Ricci would be playing Ms. Marilyn Thornhill in Tim Burton’s adaptation, which also stars Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzman, Gwendoline Christie and Fred Armisen as Uncle Fester. (Ricci’s Now and Then costar Thora Birch will appear in a few episodes too.)

“It was super fun. I was really excited to work with Tim again,” Ricci exclusively told Us Weekly while promoting her partnership with Stella & Chewy’s. “I was so excited also to work with Gwendoline. Jenna is so amazing and so good in this part and was so great to work with. And so it was really lovely.”

Christina Ricci in ‘Addams Family Values’ and ‘Wednesday.’ Shutterstock; Netflix

The eight-episode spinoff series was initially announced in February 2021. Ricci previously played Wednesday Addams in 1991’s The Addams Family opposite Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia and Christopher Lloyd and returned for its sequel, Addams Family Values, in 1993.

While audiences await Wednesday’s debut in November, Ricci has also been keeping busy filming Yellowjackets season 2. The Showtime drama became an overnight smash, recently earning seven Emmys nominations.

‘The Addams Family’ Cast: Where Are They Now?

“I mean there’s so many positives with both genres and a few negatives,” Ricci told Us of working in both television and film. “I like doing TV because you kind of get to spend a longer time with the character, and if you do like the character, then that’s fantastic and great. And then I do like movies as well because you do have this beginning and end and a really in-depth** understanding of who it is you’re playing. And so that’s sort of like a warm security blanket, but TV’s not like that. I’m right now growing and learning and changing and developing new muscles. And I do like that about TV that even at my age when I’ve been doing this for 35 years, it’s forcing me to grow and develop new skills.”

Tim Burton Atilano Garcia/SOPA Images/Shutterstock

Ricci plays Misty in the psychological thriller, who reconnects with her former high school peers who (un)luckily survived a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness while heading to a soccer tournament years prior. For the Casper star, she’s most drawn to roles that she’s never come across before.

“I usually concentrate on the character that I’ll be playing when I’m just being hired as an actor. So for me, what I’m looking at is is the character something I haven’t seen before? Will I be getting to grow as an actor? I just always want to do things that I feel are original and unexplored in some way,” she explained. “I mean, obviously almost every aspect of human nature has been explored at this point by art, but you know, there are tiny little differences that can be made to make something new.”

’90s Stars: Where Are They Now?

The show also pairs Ricci with fellow ‘90s actor Juliette Lewis and features Melanie Lynskey and Tawney Cypress rounding out the powerhouse adult cast. Looking back at her career beginnings, Ricci’s advice to her younger self would be: “To just keep concentrating on the things that I do or that I did. … I would tell her to keep sort of leaning into cultivating what she does that’s special that other people don’t do.”

When not on screen, the Lizzie Borden Chronicles alum is also a “big animal lover.” She recently partnered with Stella & Chewy’s for the brand’s “All You Need Is Raw” campaign.

Christina Ricci Jenni Girtman/AP/Shutterstock

She and her husband, Mark Hampton, have a full house. In addition to 8-year-old son Freddie and daughter Cleopatra, 9 months, they have three dogs — Logan, Patrick and Karen Carpenter.

‘Casper’ Cast: Where Are They Now?

“I love all kinds of animals really, but I’ve always had cats and dogs and my main dog, Karen, who I always say is my first baby, I got her when I was 29 and she traveled the world with me and is still with me,” Ricci told Us. “As she got older, I was really interested in making sure that I sort of helped her with really good nutrition that would keep her comfortable and alive for as long as possible. And so I did some research, looked into things, and I found Stella & Chewy and I started feeding her and my other dogs Stella & Chewy. Karen is an old dog now. She seems very active and energized and my younger dogs — their coats are better and they seem healthier and they love the food. So I was excited to partner with them and support this campaign because I really feel very passionately about the product and what it’s done for my animals.”

Ricci sadly lost her cat a few months ago, but she still plans to expand. She gushed: “We are in the process of fostering, of adopting two kittens. So soon there will be five animals in this house.”

Read full article here

[kkandlunareaper]

SPIRIT HALLOWEEN THE MOVIE (2022) • 7/10: This film was a little bit harder to gauge being obviously geared towards a younger audience. However, it is really successful at this sort of Goonies meets Goosebumps mashup vibe it gives. The story gets brushed along kind of quickly as far as character development goes. It would have probably added some depth to go just a bit further into the backstories of our four leading characters, but likely would take away from the lighthearted campiness of it. The acting for kid actors who don’t have allot of titles under their belts yet is not too bad. Allot of the awkward timing and dialogue lies in the incredibly corny writing. There are some jokes in there that would probably even make the kids cringe. Christopher Lloyd makes for the prefect Scooby-Doo type villain throughout the film, and it’s very entertaining to hear him voice the animatronics… and stuffed animals, his character possesses. The cinematography, color pallets and settings of course immerses you in the fall aesthetic pretty instantly. The effects look pretty on a budget, but it gives this late 80s-early 90s hand-drawn on the film look, adding to a nostalgic feeling. It’s a similar feel good Halloween film like Hocus Pocus. It’ll definitely be frightful fun for the whole family! 🎃👻💀 • #kkreaper #lunareaper #spirithalloween #spirithalloweenthemovie #halloween #horror #horrornews #horrorreviews #afrightfuleve (at Regal Cinemas Hamilton Commons) https://www.instagram.com/p/CjQVmOhLGuK/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#kkreaper #lunareaper #spirithalloween #spirithalloweenthemovie #halloween #horror #horrornews #horrorreviews #afrightfuleve

[min-play]

Headcanon that Movie!Lloyd feeds stray cats after school

They love him

#min draw #ninjago #movie possession au #morro #lloyd #cats #animals are just drawn to lloyd #his apartment won't allow pets though

[mudwerks]

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (Killian Enterprises, 1988). Gold Mylar One Sheet.  Jessica Rabbit Style D.

Starring Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Joanna Cassidy, Charles Fleischer, Stubby Kaye, Alan Tilvern, Richard Le Parmentier, Lou Hirsch, Mel Blanc, Tony Anselmo, Joe Alaskey, Russi Taylor, Richard Williams, Wayne Allwine, Pat Buttram, Jim Cummings, Jim Gallant, and Kathleen Turner. Directed by Robert Zemeckis. 

#Who Framed Roger Rabbit #poster #film #animation #art #illustration #Jessica Rabbit #Style D #Robert Zemeckis #Bob Hoskins #Christopher Lloyd #Kathleen Turner #vintage #Killian Enterprises #Gold Mylar #1988 #I'm not bad #I'm just drawn that way

[rosiehunterwolf]

Okay but like- I can’t be the only one who thinks Lloyd is an absolute animal nerd, right?

Like, he probably has a subscription to NatGeo and bingewatches Discovery Channel and Animal Planet on a regular basis.

And like, since energy is like “the essence of life” or whatever, and animals can like sense those sort of things, animals are naturally drawn to him. Like, they’ll be out on a mission and like, 3 squirrels, a possum, and a raccoon will follow him.

(Also, inspired by the movie, he absolutely loves sharks. You can’t convince me that “is it legal to own a pet shark in Ninjago City” isnt in his search history. Also, probably “how to make traveller’s tea” so he can sneak off to the First Realm and find a baby dragon to adopt. He really misses Ultra 🥺)

And the CATS.

The cats love him. So much. Like, he probably gets at least one stray following him home each week. Every time, he begs the ninja to let him keep it. Every time, they say no. “You have too much responsibility as the green ninja,” “you’re too busy fighting villains,” “you’re never around,” etc. All very valid reasons for not getting a pet, but. Lloyd really wants a pet. Like, really.

Eventually, however, after years and years of begging and whining, there’s an injured cat that follows Lloyd home, and they are unable to just turn it out to the streets, where it could likely die, and say “just until she’s healed.”

Guess how well that works out.

So, yeah. They end up keeping her. While she’s under the recovery process, the other ninja absolutely fall in love with her (hypocrites). They give her drugs for the pain, so she’s pretty drowsy during this time, and she doesn’t really resist, but Lloyd’s obviously her favorite.

After she’s healed, however, and they can stop giving her the drugs, and her true personality shines through. She’s like, the sweetest cat in all of existence, absolutely loves Lloyd, refuses to leave his side, loves cuddles, and is the perfect companion animal in every way. She helps him to soothe his anxiety and ptsd.

However.

She absolutely hates all the other ninja.

Nobody knows why. Nobody knows what they did to her. But she’ll hiss at them if they get close, bite their fingers, scratch up their stuff. But then she just turns into an absolute angel around Lloyd, who is completely oblivious to all of this. They want to say something, but… she just makes him so happy.

Like I said, she refuses to leave him, and probably has terrible separation anxiety. This is the thing that all the ninja were afraid of when letting him get a cat, but they can’t go back now. So she just… comes with.

Lloyd is very reluctant at first, because he doesn’t want her to get hurt. But she just digs her claws into the fabric of his gi, perches on his shoulder like some kind of feline parrot, and refuses to get off until the mission is over. Even though Lloyd is worried she’ll get hurt, she’s like, the luckiest cat ever and always escapes without so much as a scratch. They kind of consider her a good luck charm after that, and she comes with them on all their adventures. I’m thinking of calling her Mittens.

#ninjago #ninjago lloyd #ninjago headcanons #my headcanons

[serpentfever]

Rating ninjas based on how tolerant they would be towards serpentine

Kai: 5/10. I blame a lot of Kai’s meanness on his ignorance, to be honest. Though you could probably argue this with all the ninja. Given his comment of thinking the serpentine were just a myth, it doesn’t surprise me that much he’d be scared and hostile towards them, especially when they’re making themselves to be a problem.

Cole: 3/10. Honestly, rewatching s1 it kinda surprised by how much of a disrespectful jerk Cole was towards the serpentine, especially given how often people tend to view him as the heart of the team nowadays. He makes constant mean comments about them, is the one to refer to them as monsters in that first episode of s1, insults their story telling methods (the cave paintings of the Constrictai), and for some reason just struck me as even more hostile than the others.

Zane: 6/10. I do remember Zane making a few distasteful jokes while fighting them, but not that much. And really, especially in the early seasons, a bit of taunting’s to be expected in action shows. It’s also possible Zane was simply following everyone’s lead, blindly trusting everything Wu and the others told him about their enemies. He doesn’t strike me as the kind of person who would judge someone based on their species, but rather their merits.

Jay: 4/10. Slightly better than Cole, but still pretty mean at times. Though given he and his parents both almost turned into snakes, he at least has more of a reason to be a little apprehensive towards them.

Nya: 7/10 I don’t really remember Nya making any insensitive jokes or display any kind of malice outside of the fact that the snakes were their enemies. She also seemed fairly educated about them, but on the other hand, I do have questions about where on earth she found that fangpyre skeleton. Did Nya graverob the bitch??? Though she does get points for being down to kiss Jay while he looks like a snake, that is very promising.

Lloyd: 9/10. I have to give Lloyd points because it was his idea to open the snakes’ tombs to begin with. Lloyd also strikes me as the kind of person who would be drawn to animals most people usually associate as being scary, and by proxy would think the serpentine were pretty cool. And even despite the betrayals, Lloyd never really seems particularly mean towards the serpentine. A real trooper. Lloyd is also a bleeding heart and an empath, and I think he would have a lot of sympathy towards them.

Wu: -10,000/10. This bastard got betrayed by a snake ONCE, over 1,000 years ago, and still holds a grudge. He also played a direct part in sealing them away. “Never trust a snake” more like shut the fuck up.

Garmadon: 0/10. Showed dislike towards the snakes in the comics, and clearly has little respect for them. Like Wu, he also played a part in getting the snakes trapped underground. Problematic fav if I say so myself.

#ninjago #my official tier list take it or leave it #I have a personal idea that the village Cole grew up in has a history with serpentine #which is part of the reason cole seems to hold so little respect for them #After all they were in possession of the Fang Cup #which was using a serpentine artifact as a trophy #really makes you think