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ofmagicandmusic · 2 years

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Finding A Lost Brother - Chapter 1

Word Count: 5.3k

Rating: T

Details: Kai & Nya & Lloyd Garmadon, Angst, Grief/Mourning, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Fights, Consensual Violence, Blood and Violence, Hurt/Comfort, post s3, pre s4, Family Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending

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After Zane's death, Lloyd and Nya are left to pick up the pieces of the team they call family. They attempt to reconnect with Kai but soon notice something's not right, that their older brother might not be coping as well as he pretends to. What is he hiding from them?

Read below or on Ao3

Nya was tinkering on the mission simulator. Only the sound of her tools could be heard as they echoed through the laboratory. It was strange, back on the bounty she’d always craved quiet, wanting time to focus on her Samurai X suit or other tech she was working on. But this silence felt too eerie. It was weird not hearing the boys from the other room. She’d gotten so used to their constant drone in the background, of snarky comments during training or the shouting that came with nightly video game matches. She almost missed Jay’s shrieks, Cole’s constant teasing, and Kai’s yelling, but Zane’s cool comments were what she missed most. Things felt lonely without them all. Misako and Wu were still often around, but Borg Industries always seemed this empty nowadays.

The ding of an elevator broke the silence as Lloyd entered the room. Relieved to see a familiar face, Nya smiled.

“Hey, Nya. Is my uncle around?”

“He just left to get tea with Misako.”

Lloyd nodded and made his way around the room, looking around at all the gadgets she’d been working on. “When will this thing be finished?” he asked, gesturing to her current project of colorful wires and circuit boards.

“I’m hoping it’ll be ready in a couple more weeks, but it’s tricky to create such an immersive simulation.” Lloyd nodded again and made his way to the wide glassy windows looking out across Ninjago City. The emptiness settled over the room once again, both remembering how they’d stood there for the first-time weeks ago, though it felt like years.

“Lloyd, have you seen Kai lately?” It was Nya who broke the silence, looking over at Lloyd from a pile of wires.

“No, I haven’t seen him since he left my dad’s monastery.” Lloyd answered with a shake of his head. Nya picked up her pliers, looking disappointed.

“He hasn’t been answering my calls.” She glanced down, pausing her work. “I hate to admit it, but I’m getting pretty worried about him.”

Lloyd murmured in agreement, walking over to her. Worry and uncertainty were commonplace among the team now…if you could even call it that. In the week following Zane’s memorial the team had quietly shifted apart, each claiming reasons to disappear. Lonely afternoons turned into days, then into weeks and months.

“I just wish he would at least tell me where he’s disappearing off to. He says he’s been traveling around Ninjago, but he’ll never tell me where exactly.” Nya complained. Then thinking of Jay’s announcement of his reality show, “The rest of the guys at least left with a proper goodbye.”

Lloyd placed a hand on her shoulder, the familiar pit in his stomach returning. “He has been taking it harder than the others, but he’ll come around. He probably just needs some time to deal with everything that’s happened. Like we all do.”

The emptiness of the room felt heavy again. Lloyd didn’t know if time would fix any of this. How could they just go back to the way things were? There was no Zane, and nothing could change that. He was supposed to lead them. He’d failed his team then and continued to fail them now. But what could he even do? Lloyd sighed, making a move toward the door, maybe he should wait for his uncle somewhere else. Nya’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

“Lloyd, would you mind keeping a lookout for Kai? Even with all this technology, I haven’t been able to track him.” She explained. It’s like he doesn’t want to be found.

“Sure.” Lloyd answered. It was the least he could do.

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Lloyd kept his eyes peeled as he made his patrols around the city. He had to do more now without the other ninja. He didn’t mind it too much though, it kept him busy and away from worrying about the rest of them. Or thinking about what had become of their team.

He went by his friend’s new jobs every so often. He didn’t talk to them, but it was nice to just see them again. To pass Cole in the trees or be in the back of audience at one of Jay’s shows. He gave Nya updates on what they were all up to. She hadn’t spoken to Jay or Cole in a while for obvious reasons. But still as he looked, there was no sign of Kai.

On Nya’s advice, he went by the Four Weapons first, seeing if Kai had come back to his old home. But there was no evidence that the red ninja had been there, and the forge seemed as cold as he must have left it years ago.

In between training with his father, Lloyd made his way around Ninjago with the excuse of keeping an eye on things. But he couldn’t seem to find what he really should’ve been keeping an eye on. He should have been helping his team. A real leader wouldn’t have let them fall apart like this. A real leader wouldn’t have lost any of them.

After several fruitless searches, he assumed Kai left the city and followed suit, searching everywhere he could think of. But Lloyd returned to Ninjago City a week later, disappointed. In the following weeks, when he wasn’t making up for lost time with his father, checking up on the other guys, or helping Nya and his uncle, Lloyd found himself wandering Ninjago City once again. It didn’t seem that long ago when they’d all first come here, when he was still small. He remembered how strange it seemed to see the massive buildings rise on the horizon just past the empty desert. And Lloyd remembered how the others felt the same, all coming from smaller towns and villages.

It didn’t seem that long ago when they’d returned to the city with shock at its technological advancement. Everything had changed so fast. But the new technology made things harder in the end. Made it so the overlord could hide within the code of the city. They should’ve stopped him before any of this happened. It was Lloyd’s fight, the encore of the final battle. He should’ve stopped the overlord before; he should’ve saved Zane.

Thoughts swirled as Lloyd made his daily walk up and down the streets, a dark hoodie over his usual green to draw less attention. Lloyd knew that ninja never quit but it was beginning to seem rather inaccurate.

Lloyd walked the outskirts of town, slipping in between the boarded-up buildings and smaller apartments where the sand almost touched the street. The afternoon sun coated the valleys between structures. He felt like he’d looked up and down every street in the city. But at least the search kept him busy and away from the growing fear in his chest. What if something happened to him? Lloyd cared about Kai like a brother. What if he never found him? After weeks of searching, Lloyd didn’t think he’d ever have much luck finding Kai unless he wanted to be found. After all, ninja were good at staying out of sight.

Then a bit of red caught his eye. Standing at the corner of the barren street was a man in a red jacket, hood pulled up. The air caught in Lloyd’s chest, too hopeful, but he kept a careful watch, only proving his suspicions more. The height, the jacket, the way he walked, it had to be him, right? He followed the man down the street and through an alleyway, sneaking in behind him as the door closed to an apartment building.

The man looked back, almost noticing him before continuing onward, up a few flights of stairs. He pulled his hood down at the next landing. Lloyd almost gasped, it really was him. Kai’s hair was less spikey, and he looked tired, but he’d recognize that face anywhere. It took all his energy not to run up to him, but Lloyd had to be careful. Kai had disappeared for too long and he could easily do it again. He couldn’t risk frightening him off now.

So, he watched Kai unlock his apartment door, balancing a takeout box in one hand then closing the door. Lloyd found it hard to walk away from his friend he’d spent so long looking for, but he couldn’t jeopardize things just yet.

Still, he found himself scaling the building soon after, climbing to Kai’s window. Careful not to make a sound, Lloyd peaked in, scanning his eyes across the plain room. All he saw was Kai reclined on the couch half asleep and the takeout left on the table. Warmth filled Lloyd’s chest at seeing his brother again. Climbing down from the building he repeated the address over and over in his head as the evening sun set.

He reached for his phone and clicked on Nya’s picture.

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The next morning, Lloyd returned to Kai’s place with Nya. Last night he’d explained how he found him and that he hadn’t talked to him yet. It felt weird to be nervous about such a thing, mere months ago they’d talked constantly. Now things were different, teammates didn’t just disappear.

But they were both eager to see their brother again and were curious about what he’d been up to. Clearly, he hadn’t been playing into the spotlight like Jay, but maybe he’d tell them about his travels around Ninjago if his old texts to Nya were accurate.

The haze of the morning sun faded as they pushed open the glass doors to lobby of Kai’s building. There wasn’t much to see besides a few rows of mail slots and a couple of vacant hallways branching off the main room. A burnt-out lightbulb hung in front of an elevator with an out of order sign. Lloyd took the stairs on the left, Nya followed wordlessly in tow.

The peeling carpet creaked as they made their way to the next floor. He could feel his heart beating faster already, from excitement or nerves he couldn’t tell. Either way, soon they were several floors higher, and Lloyd guided them to the right door, number memorized. He glanced up at Nya, frozen as she stepped forward. Her knocks echoed in the empty hallway.

“Kai? It’s me, Nya.” She tapped her foot with impatience. Lloyd hoped he was home now, that it wasn’t a mistake not talking to him last night. But soon they heard other hurried sounds and then footsteps before the door opened.

“Nya? Lloyd?” The door opened slowly, and there stood their brother, familiar voice tinged with surprise. Kai was dressed simply, a red hoodie over faded black jeans. Though it hadn’t really been that long since they’d seen him, it sure felt like it had. A small smile found its way onto Lloyd’s face seeing those classic spikes and the warmth in his scarred eye. Kai looked past the pair at his door.

“Where are the others?” Kai asked quickly, seemingly on instinct. Lloyd doubted he’d really thought they would be there.

“It’s just us,” Nya answered with a sigh, “do you have some time to talk?” The question rang with the awkwardness of those who weren’t used to being apart.

Kai leaned heavily on the doorway, almost hesitant to step out or open the door fully. It occurred to Lloyd again how tired he looked and how his spikes were droopier than he remembered.

“Uh sure,” he replied to Nya’s question, checking the time on his phone. Kai frowned momentarily before cracking a smile at his siblings. “Come on in.”

Kai opened the door for them before scrambling to shove something away in the fridge and pulling the bedroom door closed. Lloyd figured he wasn’t expecting guests. Still, he was a lot neater than some of the ninja, namely Jay.

A tan clearly used couch sat to their left in the larger space of the apartment. Cheap white blinds hung half open against the window Lloyd had peered into before. Light shone in on the stained wooden coffee table in front of the couch and the old recliner on its other side. Aside from a red shirt laying on the back of the couch, it didn’t look very lived in. Not that things were new, far from it, but they weren’t homey.

His place was small and clearly only had the essentials, but it wasn’t that dirty and was better than their second apartment in Ninjago City.

“So, what’s the occasion?” Kai asked, locking the door behind them. It was clear he was attempting to sound more casual. Lloyd could understand that, everything had changed so much lately, and they all still felt the weight of the loss of their brother.

“Well, someone hasn’t been returning my calls, so Lloyd went looking and we found this place.” Nya explained, “and I gotta say it’s not bad—how did you afford it?”

“Just some different jobs around the city, like when we all first came to Ninjago City.” Kai explained, leading them over to the couch. “Though no kid’s parties this time.” He smiled timidly. Lloyd laughed at the memory of the grand penthouse they’d tried to afford.

“Really? With that bruise I would’ve thought you had.” Nya commented lightly while Lloyd shot her a nervous look.

“Even without the overlord there’s still crime in Ninjago.” Kai shrugged, attempting to look nonchalant. “I may not be a ninja anymore but that doesn’t mean I can’t help if I’m in the right place at the right time.”

“You’re still a ninja Kai.” Lloyd said quietly, though his brother gave no reaction. Either Kai didn’t hear him, or he didn’t want to.

“So, what’ve you two been up to?” He settled down comfortably on the chair on the opposite side of the coffee table. Moving a red shirt aside, Lloyd followed Nya in taking a spot on the couch. It felt awkward being in a space that was not all of theirs, almost like they were intruding.

“Well, you know, new projects, helping out in Borg Tower, and doing some mechanics work on the side.” Lloyd could hear the hesitancy in her voice in mentioning the Tower.

“That’s my sis, always working on something.” Kai answered fondly, giving his best attempt at a smile. The sunlight from the window shone on his face. If they were next to each other, Lloyd knew Kai would’ve pulled her close in a sibling half hug. He was only a few feet away, but it felt like much farther.

“And I’ve been able to spend more time with my dad.” Lloyd added, trying to pierce the heaviness that permeated the room.

“That’s great, Lloyd.” For once, Kai’s smile looked genuine, but there was still a sadness in his eyes. Though knowing Kai’s history with his parents, it made sense. Even with all the issues with his parents, Lloyd wouldn’t want to know what that was like. At least he’d always known his father was out there.

Lloyd looked down, fiddling with the zipper on his green jacket. The room’s emptiness was palpable in the silence. There were so many more that should be here, and one who’s absence felt like sheets of ice between them.

“What about the others?” Kai finally asked, ending the uncomfortable pause. He lacked his usual energy, but his hands were restless against the chair as if itching for something.

“After you disappeared, they sort of… went their own ways too.” Lloyd explained.

“Yeah,” Nya sighed. “It’s weird seeing you all apart.”

“Cole became a lumberjack.” Lloyd said, eager to see his brother’s reaction.

“Really? The Master of Earth spending his time in trees?” Kai shook his head, “I can’t believe it.”

“Neither could I,” Nya commented, “but from what Lloyd says, he seems happy.” Or as happy as any of them ever were now. “And he’s certainly strong enough for the job.”

“Now that’s true, I still have a mark from that one time I tried to arm wrestle him.” Kai smiled at the memory.

“That’s just because he ended up throwing you into the wall.” Lloyd countered.

“Details, details.” Kai said with a wave of his hand, and Nya smiled too. He seemed happier now, Lloyd noticed, one almost didn’t see the heaviness in his posture or the bags under his eyes.

“And then I assume you’ve heard about Jay’s tv show.” Nya said.

“Jay’s what?” The look on Kai’s face was hilarious. “You can’t be serious.”

“I really am.” Nya confirmed, and Lloyd nodded with her. “You really haven’t seen it?” She sent an incredulous look at Kai who just shrugged.

“I’ve been busy.” With what exactly Nya didn’t ask. Instead, she just took out her phone, typing in a quick search before holding it up.

“You really have to see this.” She pressed play. Jay’s voice spilled out from the tiny speakers as he announced the next contestant. Seeing Jay’s bright blue outfit and styled hair, Kai laughed immediately. They watched through several rounds of the show with fond smiles on their faces. Lloyd knew Nya didn’t particularly like being reminded of what had happened with her and Jay, but at least she could somewhat enjoy this.

In the video, Jay flew using his lightning and cracked another pun as he landed on the stage.

“I still can’t get over that outfit.” Kai laughed when the video ended.

“And the hair.” Lloyd chimed in with a smile. And soon the three of them were laughing together. It felt almost like old times, mocking each other’s antics. Though the thought of Jay snagged uncomfortably in Nya’s mind, she laughed with them. It felt nice to simply spend time with her brother and Lloyd (though he was basically her brother now too), they’d all been too distant lately.

So, they continued talking and sharing stories. It made her happy to see Kai smiling again. They’d all been a mess since Zane’s…. Nya still didn’t like thinking it, but since then Kai had reacted the worst. Though he was composed enough to speak at the memorial, that evening there was something missing in him, like a flame snuffed out. Nya accidentally walked in on him crying later that night. Knowing he didn’t like anyone seeing those sorts of emotions, Nya didn’t say anything, though now she wished she did. The next night he disappeared, and the other boys soon followed. Since then, her contact with Kai had been only a few phone calls and some missed texts. All too vague.

That’s what was still bothering her. Yes, she was glad to see Kai again, but something still felt off. At first, she’d assumed it was just the grief. She and Lloyd probably seemed different to him too, it hurt them all. Zane being gone still felt so wrong, and they missed him more than they could express. But Kai seemed even more different, like he was hiding something. She figured it was due to some sort of sister instincts that came from having grown up with him that she noticed. Though he was often good at lying. A couple times when they were younger, he’d hid how hard he was working, and she didn’t notice until it was almost too late. And that scared her. Mentally kicking herself, Nya wished she’d made more of an effort these past couple months. But she’d let herself get too caught up in her own feelings and wanted to be on her own in her own way too.

Nya gave a quiet sigh, trying to pay attention to what Lloyd and Kai were talking about now. But all she could focus on was Kai.

He nodded along as Lloyd told him something, fingers tapping against the chair. That was normal enough, as were the bruises she noticed on his knuckles. Still strange for someone who wasn’t doing ninja business anymore. But Kai was unpredictable, bruises meant nothing. He was probably just training to get his energy out like he’d done before.

But then she remembered earlier when he opened the door. The slump of his shoulders, the exhaustion written all over his face. She noticed how fake his smile seemed sometimes, how it seemed to take a lot of effort to talk to them. He was clearly trying to fake his usual confidence and Nya didn’t know what to make of it. Too much of it could be chocked up to Zane, and surely that was part of it, but that couldn’t be all of it.

And then there was the vagueness surrounding his job. Kai had purposefully avoided telling them exactly what he did. This was strange in and of itself because if it was something good, she didn’t see why he wouldn’t brag about it. This realization only made her more concerned. But throughout their conversations she didn’t bother pressing him on it. It felt stupid but Nya didn’t want to risk him getting upset and leaving again. He could clearly hide from them well if he really wanted to, and it was hard enough finding him the first time.

So, Nya simply smiled along and added little things to the discussion. Maybe she was just paranoid. Maybe they’d just been apart for too long and Kai had changed. Maybe he was still missing Zane a lot and that showed.

But then she saw the bottle. It was empty, half hidden under the old recliner kai was sitting on. She leaned over slightly, trying to get a better look but Kai’s foot gently kicked it under the chair. However, Nya had seen enough, she’d caught a glimpse of the label. It was alcohol.

Confusion and worry surged in her chest. Since when did Kai drink? Sure, he was technically an adult now, but he still wasn’t old enough for that. It seemed weird to imagine her brother grown up in that way, but it fit with everything else. His disappearance, the secrecy, his mannerisms. All she could hope was that it was just a one off, she’d heard stories of grieving people who lost themselves with things like that. She prayed her brother wasn’t one of them.But the more Nya thought about it, the more concerned she became. Why did he disappear? Why didn’t he tell them about his job? Why was he avoiding them?

Something had to be wrong. Kai was definitely hiding something. Nya had the urge to interrupt Lloyd and ask him right then and there, but with how cagey Kai had been, she doubted it would help. They would have to engage in much more subtle tactics.

She looked over at Lloyd, wondering if he noticed the same things. Knowing how much time he and Kai spent together, he probably did. Then Lloyd’s question finally pulled her out of her head.

“Kai, will you come back with us one of these days?” Lloyd said, finally asking what they both wanted to know. The room stilled.

“There’s no team without him.” Kai looked down, “I can’t.” His voice was solemn, and a broken look crossed his face. Suddenly it was all too apparent how far apart they were, how far away they’d been. The heaviness of pain shared hung in the room like thick sheets, pushing them apart.

Finding no other way to break the awkwardness, Lloyd asked to go to the bathroom. Kai pointed to the door on the left. Nya didn’t miss how he tensed at the question, and it turned the gears in her mind once more.

Lloyd got up and suddenly she was alone with Kai. They sat in silence for a moment till Nya finally spoke.

“I know it’s hard. I knew him too, and I can’t imagine what it’s like for you.” She said her words carefully. “But we miss you too, you know?”

Kai looked up at her. His expression was unreadable but there was an undeniable sadness in his eyes. Nya cleared her throat. “I think Zane wouldn’t want us to stay apart. Lloyd’s been talking about getting the team back together.” She watched Kai’s reaction carefully. He seemed to be mulling it over.

“I’ll think about it.” He finally said.

Nya was momentarily surprised at his answer. She had expected him to say no again. Though she realized that he could just be saying that just so she would stop bothering him about it. The silence hung around them once more like heavy fog. Nya wished there was some way to get through to him.

“Are you doing okay?” Nya asked after a few more minutes passed.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Kai answered with a half-hearted shrug, something tensing in him as he said it.

“You sure? Is anything wrong, aside from you know…?” Nya trailed off, not wanting to say it. Kai ignored it knowing what she meant.

“Why do you ask?”

“Oh, no reason. I just worry about you is all.” Nya quickly covered. “And I miss having my brother around. You’d tell me if something was going on right? If you really weren’t okay?”

“Of course, I would. You’re my sister.” Liar. The reassuring expression on his face did nothing to comfort Nya. There was too much she didn’t know, too much that added up into an uncomfortable pattern. She looked up at Kai with a faint smile, trying not to show the concern on her face.

What hurt most is that he wouldn’t tell her. Back when they were kids, they’d shared almost everything with each other. Of course, the only real exception was Kai hiding the more adult things he had to deal with and trying to keep her sheltered. Now, she wanted to stand up and point out what she noticed, to demand Kai tell her what he was doing.

But that wouldn’t get them anywhere. It might even drive them apart, shattering the fragile connection she was trying to keep. Plus, Kai was stubborn. Once he decided to do something there was little anyone could do to stop him. But she couldn’t blame him, she understood more than anyone not wanting to look weak.

“Well, just know I’m here for you. Or if you ever want to talk about what happened.” Nya said, eyes trained on her brother. Kai nodded, shifting in his seat. He looked almost guilty, and Nya mentally added it to the list. If Kai wouldn’t tell her what was up, she had to figure it out herself.

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Lloyd turned off the faucet then reached over to dry his hands. Kai’s strangeness nagged at him. On one hand he was so happy to see his brother that he wanted everything to be perfect, on the other he couldn’t stop seeing signs he didn’t like.

The bathroom was dirtier than the rest of the apartment. It was small with just enough room for the essentials, but that wasn’t what Lloyd noticed. No, there was something else, something red, and it wasn’t Kai’s clothes. Bloodstained bandages were left out on the counter, strewn across the ceramic.

If it wasn’t for the situation, Lloyd wouldn’t have been disturbed by the sight, wouldn’t have felt something sink in his chest. He would’ve just told Kai off for being messy and gone about his day. But this wasn’t the bounty, this wasn’t after a battle. Kai had gotten hurt, and they weren’t there for him. Worse still, he didn’t even want to tell them. Maybe he didn’t even trust them anymore. Something familiar and painful ached in Lloyd’s chest. Several months had driven them further apart than he thought.

What had happened in the last few months that Kai didn’t want to talk about? Sure, there was Zane, but Lloyd could’ve sworn there was something else wrong with Kai since they’d arrived. This only confirmed it.

Kai being as close-lipped about these things as he was, Lloyd knew he wouldn’t get much in the way of an answer soon. So, he really couldn’t be blamed for doing some snooping. He looked around, noticing a red towel hung over the shower. Lloyd pulled back the shower curtain, relived to just see Kai’s normal hair products or their off-brand counterparts. Next, he rummaged through the bathroom drawers, finding nothing more than some hairbrushes, more hair products, toothpaste, and concealer Kai swore he didn’t use on his freckles. Lloyd made sure to put things back so he wouldn’t be suspicious.

Lloyd knew he had to be missing something, though he worried that he was taking too long. Then he noticed the mirror. He realized that it was one of those kinds that had small shelves inside. Curiously, Lloyd opened it. His heart sank.

Inside were more bandages, some similarly stained. There were more medical supplies too, like what they’d have on the bounty only the cheap versions. Why Kai needed all this he didn’t know. Earlier he would’ve assumed that his brother continued being a ninja, but based on his earlier statement, Lloyd doubted that. Small bottles of painkillers also made an appearance, along with other bottles Lloyd didn’t recognize.

He shut the mirror quietly and made his way out the door, trying not to think too hard about what he’d just seen. He had to talk to Nya about it.

Heading back to the living room, Lloyd caught a glimpse of the counter in the corner, a place that couldn’t be seen from the front door. Empty green bottles stood together in rows. Another piece to the concerning puzzle.

Nya and Kai were hugging as he walked into the living room, which was also the kitchen, small as the apartment was. As Nya pulled away, Lloyd could see something sad flicker beneath her content expression.

“Oh Lloyd, I was just saying telling Kai that we should probably get going. I have to get back to working on the tech in Borg Tower.” Lloyd knew none of the stuff there was very time sensitive. He nodded anyway, knowing she probably had a good reason to lie.

“Bye Kai,” Lloyd said, offering a hesitant hug. He didn’t miss how his brother flinched at his touch, but Kai still followed through in wrapping his arms around him. Lloyd forgot how much he missed his warmth, even though he could swear Kai was colder than he used to be. Pulling away, Lloyd gave him a smile, “We’ll have to visit more often. It was good seeing my brother again.” Kai returned his comment with a weak hair ruffle, replying ‘you too’.

A few more goodbyes and final comments later they made their way out of Kai’s apartment. As the door closed, he saw a glimpse of his brother and it occurred to him how fragile Kai looked. They didn’t talk till they were across the hall and downstairs.

“Kai seems different, doesn’t he?” Lloyd finally asked, breaking the hesitant silence. His eyes followed Nya expectantly.

“Yeah, something seemed off with him.” Nya agreed, concern showing plainly on her face. “I wasn’t sure if you would notice, but it’s like he is hiding something. I asked him about it, but he won’t tell me anything!” She threw her hands up in exasperation. Lloyd knew he needed to tell her what he saw.

“I saw--in the bathroom there were bloody bandages and all this medical supplies. I don’t know what he’s doing that he would need all of it.” Nya stopped walking, annoyance turning to worry and fear.

“I saw some pretty weird stuff too.” She mentioned, then let Lloyd continue.

“Also, he had all these empty juice bottles in the corner. Kai doesn’t even like juice that much, so I don’t even know why he would.” Lloyd looked down; brows furrowed in confusion. They had to figure this out and help their brother. Nya placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Hate to break it to you Lloyd, but I don’t think that’s juice.”

#kai smith #ninjago kai #ninjago #lloyd garmadon #nya smith #ninjago nya #ninjago fanfiction #ninjago fanfic #ninjago fic #fanfiction #my fic #kai angst #red shogun #red shogun kai #ao3 #this is the fic I always talk about #its finally ready for posting!!

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radioactivepeasant · 11 days

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Free Day Friday: untitled Jak oneshot/ Daxter Snaps And It Doesn't Go Well

(This takes place right after Jak finally gets to return to Spargus in Jak 3, because I had some Feelings about the Dark Eco Oracle and its well-loved shrine having been either moved or destroyed in Haven. Also for reference: since the original Jak concept art was a cat/foxlike alien child, hence the ears being set so high on his head in TPL, I'm hereby deciding that their species can purr. Because I said so.)

This is Quite Long, so I'll probably crosspost to AO3 later.

TW: panic attack

Jak hadn't been surprised by the summons when he'd returned from Haven. He knew he was in for it. Damas had started trusting him with more and more responsibilities and then Jak had screwed it all up. Running off to Haven and then getting stuck there immediately after? Not a good look.

Honestly, Jak was just grateful he wasn't being "escorted" up by city guards.

Part of him wanted to go in fighting. That's all Damas cares about, right? a small, bitter corner of his heart muttered.

The rest of him was too afraid. He finally knew better than to look to anyone in Haven for affirmation or examples. Damas had been the closest he'd ever come to an authority figure he trusted. What if he lost that, too?

The second his and Daxter's heads were visible in the elevator shaft, Damas was already raising his voice. Perhaps he was simply projecting his voice to reach them, but Jak's stomach twisted into knots regardless, and his breathing became quick and shallow.

"Where have you been?" Damas demanded, rising from his throne. "It's been a month!"

The elevator locked, and Jak crept out onto the pathway like a skittish animal. He didn't meet Damas’s eyes. The confused anger and hurt he'd seen in them the last time flashed in his memory, and he winced. An oppressive silence fell for a few unnaturally long seconds, punctuated by the creak of the water wheel. Damas was waiting for an answer.

It's not our fault, Jak tried to reassure himself, Just another betrayal. We didn't do anything wrong.

When he didn't answer Damas, the king’s expression twisted between outrage and disbelief and-

And disappointment.

"Nothing? Really, Jak?" He took one step down from the dais, clenching his fist at his side. "Why didn't you tell anyone where you were going?"

Daxter took it upon himself to answer when Jak wouldn't -- or couldn't.

"Oh lay off!" he hissed, puffing himself up to look bigger, "Don't you have friends to kill in your gladiator ring?"

"Dax!" Jak gasped. Too late.

The words were already out and a black look fell across Damas’s face. His entire posture went rigid.

"Excuse me?" he asked in a frightful facsimile of calm.

"Daxter, don't," Jak pleaded, but it was far too late for that. When Daxter got this mad, he didn't even hear Jak.

"You heard me!"

Daxter leapt off Jak's shoulder and stood on the first stepping stone as if blocking the way between them.

"You tried to make us kill one of our only real friends, and threw a tantrum when we wouldn't! And if you think I'd trust you with Jak's location after that, those spikes must be diggin' into your brain!"

Jak couldn't breathe.

Either Damas was going to cut them off, or Daxter was going to get hurt, and either way everything was going to crumble. He'd finally escaped Haven and there was going to be nothing to escape to.

His core pulsed, obeying signals he didn't even know his brain was sending. It tried to respond to the fight-or-flight instincts quickening his pulse and shortening his breath. In Haven, he would have gone Dark in response. But he'd used all the dark eco. There was nothing left. Nothing but adrenaline and panic.

A strange, almost echoing sensation pushed at the inside of his skull, and the room spun. He couldn't breathe. His lungs felt like they'd been fused shut. He couldn't breathe!

"Jak!"

Between blurs of brown and green, Damas -- or an unfocused and staticy version of him -- approached rapidly.

As if from another room, Jak heard Daxter snarl, "Stay back! If you hurt him, I'll rip your spikes out!"

"I wouldn't hurt him!"

"You already did!"

It was too much. He couldn't- he couldn't focus. He couldn't find the light eco. Jak's knees gave, and it was a struggle to stay upright. Hands caught his upper arms, preventing him from collapsing entirely.

"Breathe, Jak!"

Damas sounded worried this time.

"You have to breathe!"

"Can't-!" Jak gasped, breath squeaking.

Then the world turned sideways and he was in the water. Or partly in the water.

His legs twitched with the shock of the new sensation, surprising him enough to suck in a deep breath. A compressing sensation against his chest and arms tightened in response.

"Focus on the water. Find your feet."

It took four tries to get his boots on the rocky bottom of the pool. His chest hurt, but he managed another deep breath.

"That's it. You can do this."

A small hand took his, pulling against the pressure around his shoulders, and pressed it against a narrow chest.

"L- like we practiced, bud-"

Oh. There's Daxter.

"Just breathe when I breathe, remember?"

Distantly, he heard Damas ask Daxter, "Has this happened before? In- in Spargus, I mean."

"Don't think about it, warrior," the other voice encouraged -- Damas? Is that Damas? But he's mad at us! -- "Just do as your friend does."

"If Jak wants to tell ya, he'll tell ya," Daxter said sourly. "You and I are not on speaking terms right now."

"...that is understandable."

One by one, his muscles relaxed. His breathing was much too fast, but it was easier to get full breaths at least.

When the ringing in Jak’s ears at last began to subside, he picked up a new sound. It was faint, barely audible at all, but he could just make out a nervous rumble. A laryngeal vibration he could feel through the back of his shirt. With conscious thought on standby mode, Jak's body responded to long-forgotten cues unbidden. His glottis rapidly dilated and constricted with his breathing, creating its own vibrations in a bid to self-soothe. It was how he'd learned not to cry out loud as a young child -- although blessedly, he would never remember that.

It wasn't the first time Damas had walked one of his people through a panic attack in the throne room, and it wouldn't be the last. But this one hurt.

"You're safe. There is no danger here. This is a safe place."

Shame raked its claws down his chest and Pain reached through the incision, grasping at organs and prying bones out of the way.

Jak didn't trust him.

And it was his fault.

"I'm sorry," he whispered- to Jak, to Daxter, to either-

A memory loomed damningly before his eyes. Mar had just started walking, and nearly toppled into the pools. Damas had yelled at him to get away from the edge, and the baby had burst into a loud, terrified wail.

"I'm- was it the shouting? I-"

"I'm sorry, it's okay, it's okay now- I know, I used the Big Voice, Daddy's sorry! You scared me, Bug!"

He hadn't gotten any better after losing Mar, had he? He still shouted when he was afraid. And look how that had turned out.

Damas tightened his hold on Jak and rested his chin on the crown of the boy's head. The apologies were bitter on his tongue, but necessary.

"I...I triggered this, didn't I? I'm sorry- gods, I'm sorry, Jak. I'm- you scared me. I couldn't find you! No one could!"

"You...thought we defected?" he asked through numbed lips.

The panic was slow to fade, still muddling Jak's mind. He couldn't quite make sense of what he was hearing.

"I thought the Marauders had taken you! Or you'd collapsed somewhere in the Wastes where we couldn't find you!" Damas answered. The dregs of that old fear still stained the edges of his voice. He shuddered.

He swallowed hard, interrupting the agitated purring for a moment. "I...did not handle the...situation as I should have. I damaged your trust. And I deserved worse than the silent treatment. I understand that. But to keep it from Sig, too?"

"You can't just run away like that! I- I understand why you didn't tell me-"

Painfully slowly, Jak drew his legs back out of the water and onto the rocks.

"They wouldn't let me," he mumbled. "They didn't let us leave."

Damas shot a concerned look at Daxter, who shrugged and looked away.

Shifting his grip to have one arm around the boy's waist, Damas heaved himself to his feet, taking Jak with him.

This promised to be a very unpleasant conversation, the least he could do was find them somewhere more comfortable to sit.

They were silent for a time, each processing the whirlwind of events. Jak was deeply, thoroughly, confused. No one had ever apologized like that before. Acknowledging his pain and the specific way their actions had caused it? It would be a cold day in hell before Samos ever did anything like that.

He didn't understand.

They'd defied Damas, then run from him. Daxter had just challenged him to his face.

Yet he spoke like a man anxiously awaiting the return of a prodigal son.

"Who wouldn't let you leave, Jak?" Damas asked him, far too gently.

Jak shut his eyes. "Haven."

"Haven?!" Damas sounded horrified. "What were you doing there?! Is that where you've been this whole time?"

Miserably, Jak nodded. "I was just- we were just scouting. Just- it wasn't supposed to be-"

He gritted his teeth.

"They locked down the air trains," he croaked. "And- and there's force fields blocking off the city exits. The only way they'd let us go was if I fought on the frontlines for three weeks first."

Fighting down his anger lest he trigger Jak's panic again, Damas forced himself to ask, "What made you go back to that city in the first place?"

A hostage. His boy- The boy had been a bloody hostage, and he'd had no idea! Damas felt something dark and dense fluttering between his ribs. If he found the person who ordered this, he would drown them in the sands.

Jak winced and passed several looks back and forth with Daxter.

"Ashelin...called me to the oasis," he said at last.

Damas stiffened beside him.

"She want- she wanted me to come back to Haven. After everything they did to me, she wanted me to come back."

He felt the hints of the anxiety returning, and wrapped his arms around himself for comfort.

"Ashelin Praxis?" Damas demanded. He curled his lip. "I might have known. I hope you told her where to shove that offer."

Daxter scoffed. "Oh, he did. Even told her "I have new friends now", which was a little too generous considering what you said to my pal."

Jak gave the ottsel a weary look, and Daxter grudgingly subsided.

"I told her to leave. She- she wouldn't drop it. Said the friends we still had were going to die. That it was my responsibility because of-"

He flipped a hand in the air in frustration.

"I don't know! Dead people I share some common blood with!"

"Pal, I'm pretty sure that common blood stopped bein' responsible for that dump when Princess Scribbleface's darling pappy took over," Daxter grumbled.

"Common blood?!" Damas startled, but Jak had already moved on, hastily trying to explain himself.

"We didn't believe her -- I- I mean, why would we? But when I asked the Oracle in the temple-"

"How did you find the Oracle?!" Damas spluttered.

"The stupid thing called me," Jak growled. He leaned forward and pressed his face into his hands. "Said the whole planet was in danger and my friends would die if I didn't find the catacombs."

He muffled a snarl in his palms.

"I hate them. I hate those rottin' things. They don't tell me when something is a trap. They only tell me what fits their agenda."

Jak could speak to Precursor Oracles.

Only monks were supposed to still be able to do that.

Monks, or Heirs of Mar taking the Trials.

"And...was it a trap?" Damas asked, fearing he already knew the answer.

A painful, wishful image of Jak in the Tomb of Mar wormed through Damas’s thoughts. If life had any semblance of fairness, or restitution, it would have been reality. It was not what he deserved, not after how many times he'd failed the people he cared about. But Jak deserved it. He'd been isolated enough.

Jak's face was like stone.

"All they cared about was getting me into Haven to find the catacombs before that nutcase Veger could. And all Haven cared about was keeping us there."

A deep, ominous creaking filled the room. Harsh shadows stretched and yawned as the terrible old statue beside the dais flickered, then lit up. A suffocating sense of dread filled Damas as he beheld the monolith. It wasn't a real Oracle. It was a shell, made to hold pieces of the water wheel. It wasn't made to have any kind of lights.

Daxter yelped and scurried up to Jak’s shoulder as the water wheel ground to a halt.

The silence was unnatural.

Jak's chest heaved, and Damas feared for a moment that he was going to panic again. But an answering light flickered in the boy's eyes. White, incandescent rage.

"What do you want now? You're not welcome here!" Jak snarled, standing up with a jerk.

"Angry one-"

It said in warning, a rolling, ancient voice that echoed off the stones and twisted in their eardrums.

Jak clenched his fists.

"No! I'm not afraid of you! You're no "holier" than Onin. You aren't even a Precursor!"

A sense of fury shook the room, and the water trembled.

Jak held his ground though his legs shook.

"You can't do anything to punish me," he challenged, angry tears glowing in his eyes. "The worst you can do is withhold information that would protect me, and you do that anyway! If- if you had power at all, you wouldn't have let Veger destroy Crius!"

Crius? Damas vaguely remembered that name. Hadn't he been one of the Bonekeeper's heralds? The memories were fuzzy at best. Father forbade Mother from speaking of the Bonekeeper when they married. Any communing with the patron of dark eco was done in secret, and as a child Damas had only caught her once.

"The dark shrine was all those people had!" the anger was slipping away from Jak now, replaced by something closer to grief. "He gave them hope! He gave- he gave me hope! And you couldn't save him. So what makes you think you can scare me now? Hu'mens are worse than you."

And the Oracle, miraculously, quieted. The waters stilled, and some of the dread receded. Jak fell back to the steps, having exhausted the last reserves of his emotions.

"Yeah! You tell him, Jak!" Daxter cheered, breaking the silence, "About time you put Sparky in his place!"

He ruffled Jak's hair -- the hair he could reach at least -- and leaned against his arm comfortingly.

"Next, we get Loghead!"

The Oracle remained lit, but speechless. All this time, had rebuking the heralds really been an option? Ever the pragmatist, Damas decided to follow Jak's example.

"As the boy said." His voice was quiet at first, but gained courage with each new word.

"This is not a place of seers and soothsayers. Respectfully: we do not require your guidance at this time."

"Heir of Mar-"

the Oracle began, almost wheedling.

Rage loosened his lips and he lost the last shred of reverence he'd held for the messenger.

Jak went rigid and Damas felt an anger of his own. How dare this entity try to leverage his bloodline when the Precursors had turned their backs on him!

"Hold your tongue! Unless you can comprehend the trouble you have caused, keep your counsel to yourself."

Resentfully, the Oracle's eyes flashed.

And with that, the lights were gone. The water wheel resumed its gloomy rhythm. The statue was hollow once more.

"So be it. You wish to hear no truth from me? Then you, Damas of the Wastes, shall hear no truth from me."

Something about the acquiescence -- or threat -- made Damas uneasy. Withholding information again, just as Jak had said. But he had the feeling it was hinting at something important. Taunting him.

Bloody seven hells.

He'd sooner cast the bones himself and call upon the Dark Lady directly as his mother once had than ever deal with that thing again.

"Little wonder you're always so on edge, dealing with that," he said; a poor attempt at a joke.

Jak dropped his face back into his hands.

"I'm so sick of them. Jak do this. Jak go there. Suffer for us, Jak! It's Fate!"

Damas scoffed. "Fate, eh? Wastelanders make their own fate. If this is who my monks consult, it's no surprise that they believe the world is coming to an end."

"They are pretty worried about the creatures in that space ship," Jak admitted reluctantly.

"Bah."

Damas waved it off.

"When the metalheads invaded our world, we survived with or without the Precursors they hunted. We will do the same if these creatures land."

He jostled Jak's shoulder -- shaking Daxter by proxy.

"Ey! No manhandling!"

Daxter slithered away down the steps and into the water. He glared up over the step like a little croc.

"You keep your emotionally constipated hands away from me!"

Damas let out a startled laugh, and Jak shook his head and grinned.

"I...guess you're right. Spargus is pretty tough."

"We are Wastelanders, boy," Damas declared, "We carved out a home in the places where nothing else survives. We'll carve out our fate the same way, with the same tools our ancestors used."

"...with eco," Jak said quietly, as if experiencing a revelation.

"Our minds think alike."

Damas’s wry grin faded.

"Jak...I'm...sorry. That I made you feel you couldn't contact me for help. If I had known you were being held in Haven against your will, I would have come for you."

The boy fixed him with a bewildered expression.

"You would have?" Jak asked, "You're serious. You. Leaving your people to come after me?"

The king met his stare evenly.

"Yes."

"After the- the thing, with the Arena-?"

Damas winced and looked away.

"I. I did not warn you, I was not permitted to. But the final trial of a Spargan is one they are supposed to lose."

Jak bristled. "What?!"

"It's a test of whether they can put loyalty to their city over the commands of a tyrant. Sig wasn't supposed to throw down his gun, he was supposed to goad you into a sparring match." Damas ran his hand over his shaved head. "I should have told him before he went in that it was you. I didn't know that you knew each other, but- maybe he wouldn't have panicked if he'd known it was a Final Trial. Maybe I wouldn't have panicked."

Jak stared at him in disbelief for several seconds. For reasons he couldn't quite explain, he blurted out an accusation with no bite to it.

"What, did you forget I didn't grow up here?"

When he was met with chagrined silence, his eyes widened.

"Oh my gods you did. How?! You're the one that found me out there!"

Clearly embarrassed, Damas shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know what to tell you. There are days when it just...seems as though I have known you for much longer than seven months."

Jak took that statement, turned it over in his mind. The version of Damas in his head wasn't quite matching the one in front of him. Even before things had become strained between them, he hadn't had the context to understand the way Damas saw him. He still didn't- not completely.

"Sorry," he said suddenly, and gestured to the soaked trousers. "I um. I don't usually...not in front of people, I mean-"

He leaned back against the stairs and stretched his legs out before him. The linen stuck to his legs in sodden wrinkles and folds, nearly transparent against his calves. It would dry quickly once he stepped outside again -- and the evaporating water would serve to cool his skin nicely. But for now, it drew his mind to his panic attack.

"Don't apologize." Damas laced his fingers together loosely and leaned his elbows against his knees. "May...may I ask what it was that sparked that kind of fear?"

Jak met Daxter's eyes, down in the water. The ottsel winced. He knew he'd taken it too far. He was just so sick of people acting like Jak was a trained dog with no autonomy of his own. And sometimes his desire to protect Jak’s emotions didn't mesh completely with what Jak needed at the moment.

Jak broke their gaze and began to pick at a scar on his elbow.

"...thought I was going to have to choose sides. Between you and Dax."

"Why would supporting Daxter cause you to panic?" Damas pressed.

"Because," he muttered with a shrug.

He'd assumed without question that Jak would take Daxter's side. Jak didn't know whether to be amused or grateful or just tired.

"Because?"

"Because I- I wanted this to still be home." Jak made a vague gesture encompassing the room, and its occupants.

"This is your home," Damas insisted. He glanced to the empty Oracle with a thoughtful frown.

Something lingered in the corners of Jak's eyes. A concern he wasn't voicing. Did he still believe he could be so easily forsaken?

"If this is where the desert brought you, then this is where the desert meant you to thrive."

But then, he had been cast out of Haven on the flimsiest of pretenses. His faith in hu'menity was shaken. For a moment, Damas considered changing the subject. He could talk about the coming trials, give Jak something else to think about.

Or he could meet him on his level. Show him the same vulnerability he'd so unwillingly displayed.

The words stuck to his tongue, stabbed like needles into the roof of his mouth as he forced them through his teeth.

"I...had a son. Some years ago."

"Had". Was there ever such a horrible word?

"He was like you -- or, he would have been, when he was older."

Under his breath he added, "if he ever got the chance to get older."

Jak's brows knit together, then went slack. From tiny pinpricks in the centers of his eyes, horror flooded out to the rest of his face.

"You have a child?"

After a moment to collect himself, the king nodded.

His head dipped lower, nearly brushing the steeple of his fingertips.

"I did. He was taken from me, by some of the same people who seem to have orchestrated your own suffering."

"I pray that my son still lives but- he was so young. So small. So-"

Damas’s voice cracked.

"So very small."

Guilt played across Jak's face for a moment, then was swallowed up by a deep sadness that welled up from within. Haven was a city of devils. He wondered if Damas’s child had been taken during the time when Praxis was snatching children en masse in his search for Jak's childhood self.

Did that make it his fault that Damas was so bereaved?

"That's-"

That's not fair. It's an abomination. Hurting a kid should be enough to make the Precursors strike you dead on the spot. Errol should've died the first time he put me in the Chair-

Jak's thoughts spiraled out of control, and he had to fight to return his focus to the moment.

"That's terrible."

Inhaling sharply, Damas raised his head and straightened his spine. One warm, callused hand found its way to Jak’s shoulder and squeezed.

He felt his throat closing up, snapping his voice into grating pieces.

"The reason I tell you this is so that you will understand this: It would take more than a little teenaged defiance to make me turn my back on you."

"I lost my son, Jak," he croaked, "I cannot lose you, too."

The laryngeal vibration began again -- from Jak, this time. The nearly autonomous response was as much a subconscious desire to comfort Damas as it was self-soothing. Even so, his chest ached dully. How old, he wondered, had Damas’s son been when he was taken? He must have been so scared! Did he call out for his father? Did Damas call out for him?

"In...war," Damas said hesitantly, "Sacrifices are sometimes required of us. In my case, I had to stay and rebuild the part of the wall the attackers destroyed. To protect thousands from the storms and the Marauders. I knew that, but it still took days for Sig to convince me to send him to Haven in my place."

"Yeah," Jak muttered, "I know about sacrfices."

But Damas shook his head. "It's hardly a sacrifice if someone else chose it for you out of convenience. That's just betrayal."

Silence fell again, but there was no tension to it. A sense of introspection lingered between them, each consumed with his own thoughts. Even Daxter's anger had muted itself -- now overlayed with guilt, berating himself for jumping to fight Jak's battles without bothering to see what Jak himself wanted.

The moment of quiet ended with a crackling of the city radio from which Damas monitored all official channels.

"Oh not now," the man groaned with a most unkingly attitude. "Can I have a moment of peace?"

"No way," Jak scoffed, finding a glimmer of humor in the situation, "You jinxed it by letting us take a break. Now something crazy is going to happen."

Damas narrowed his eyes. "Boy, if you will that into reality-" he warned, with no real way to finish the threat.

The second he picked up the receiver, he knew it was going to be a headache.

"Sire! We've got three different Marauder patrols converging on the city gates! There's a fourth on the radar crossing the river now!"

Daxter pulled himself out of the water and cringed. "How many cars is that?"

"Twelve, at least," Jak gulped.

Damas did not take this information the way he normally would have. He seemed to be fuming as he stood up and stomped up the stairs to retrieve his staff. Jak could hear him muttering under his breath.

His voice rose to something more audible. "I'm not in the mood for this, Egil," he snapped, addressing the thane of the Marauders as if he were present.

"Not the time, Egil, this is not the time to test me! Just got my kid back, got threatened by a bloody Oracle-"

Jak decided, for the sake of being able to focus during a fight, to just pretend he hadn't heard Damas referring to him as his own kid. He could come back to that and freak out later. Right now, there was a fight to be had. He held an arm down for Daxter to use as a ramp, then stood.

"Where do you need me?" he asked.

Damas gave him a searching look. For an instant, his gaze flicked to the lifeless Oracle. That seemed to reinforce his resolve.

"With me," he said shortly. "We're taking the Dozer. You're on the turret gun."

The way Jak's -- and even Daxter's -- eyes lit up almost made up for the hassle Damas knew this skirmish was going to be. He cast one last look at the Oracle before shepherding them to the lift.

Keep your counsel, he thought, and I will keep mine. I don't need your permission to add a son to my House. What of that, eh? The Heir and your renegade Pawn allied against you!

"Hey, maybe I should drive," Jak suggested as the lift began to move."

"Hm." Damas pretended to consider it. "No."

"Why not?!"

"You can't reach the pedals yet."

He could have simply explained that he preferred to drive his favorite vehicle himself. But, the slightest bit giddy at the thought of open rebellion against fate, Damas instead bent slightly to offer a teasing grin.

"What?! Oh come on!"

The elevator sank out of sight, and the water wheel trembled. The statue vibrated and the pools bubbled and boiled with the helpless fury of a falconer whose birds had long since slipped the jesses to fly free. But the boy had not spoken falsley: it was not a Precursor, merely the echo of one's memory. In the face of hu'men defiance, it was helpless to retaliate in any meaningful way. Even withholding the truth of the Hero's identity had been robbed of its intended effect, considering the Fallen Heir and the Hero had gone ahead and reformed the broken bond between them anyway!

The Oracle could not comprehend their motives, nor could it ever hope to understand the complexities of the hu'men mind.

It could only watch and seethe.

#fic prompts #writing prompts #free day friday #jak and daxter #dadmas #king damas #jak and daxter au #headcanon that the final arena battle is a Kobayashi Maru and Jak pulled a Kirk #i named the Dark Oracle after one of the mythological Titans #sneaky reference to sparguscituangel canon where Mictecacíhuatl is the patron of dark eco #tw panic attack #daxter was fully ready to End Damas right there 😂#Jak's species can purr now because the concept art started out vaguely feline #eldritch abomination oracle time!#except instead of humans being unable to comprehend the lovecraftian monster #its the lovecraftian monster that is wholly incapable of understanding humans without succumbing to madness #long post #oneshot

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