Archive of Our Own ^beta

Hi! Can I request a Jay x reader (sorry nya) where they get into a fight about something and it hurts the reader, so they lock themselves in their bedroom. And after some coaxing they open the door and then it’s fluff. Sorry, I’m a sucker for angst to fluff fics!

Of course! I’ve not written a Jay x Reader before, but I’m very excited to try writing his character <333 And I haven’t written angst in a while either, but this will be a good way to get back into writing it. Thank you for the request! I hope you enjoy <3

Pairing: Jay x Reader

Warnings: cussing, angst, yelling and a fight :(

…

Damn. It’s a shame Kai isn’t awake right now. You sigh, frustratedly shoving away a newspaper while wishing the fire elemental would just burn it. You didn’t want to read it anymore. You don’t want to be famous anymore.

Even though the accursed document is farther away now, you can still see the header marked with: “MASTER OF DESTRUCTION IN AFFAIR?”

It sickens you. You want to claw your eyes out. You want to vanish into the void forever. You feel your anger rising as you suddenly yank the newspaper and start shredding it.

“They don’t fucking know, they don’t fucking understand, and yet they- they-ugh!” You suddenly don’t care how loud you’re being despite it being late in the night. What did you ever do to the public, except help save their sorry asses multiple times?! Why must they tarnish your name like this? Is it because you’re a girl? Is it because you just want to be happy? Or is it because the media is too obsessed with your personal life?

You feel tears threatening to spill as you grip your forehead with your palms. You want to leave. You’re not sure how much more of this you can handle.

“Babe?” comes a voice. You sigh. Normally, you’d be comforted with Jay here, but not now.

“What?” you mumble, swiping at your eyes.

Jay hesitates for a moment, and you know he knows that you’re not in a good mood. “We heard you yell. Is everything okay?”

A bitter laugh escapes you as you feel a headache forming. “Oh yeah. Everything’s fine.”

Jay frowns before sitting down next to you. Usually, he would take your hand or rub your back. Tonight, though, he’s well aware of your mood. “Paparazzi being annoying again?”

“Annoying?” you mumble, rubbing your forehead. “Not even close. It’s more than that.”

“I’m here to listen,” he offers.

You sigh. You love him, but…you really don’t want to talk to him right now. You just want to go to sleep and let yourself cool down before you decide to do something rash.

Unfortunately for you, though, you know he’s not going to let this go. And while that would usually be endearing, as of right now…it’s annoying.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” you say simply.

Jay’s frown deepens, and you immediately notice a shift. Why isn’t he accepting that like he always does?

“You never want to talk about anything that bothers you,” he mutters, crossing his arms.

“Is that a problem?” you snap, sitting up straighter.

“Actually, it is,” Jay replies. “You never tell me what’s wrong. And it makes you…it makes you like this.”

“Like what?!” you challenge, using your legs to push yourself away and put some distance between the two of you.

“Closed off and…and mad. And you expect me to just ignore you when you’re upset.”

“Well, it seems like you’ve been ignoring the media lately too.”

“The media? What about it has you so pissed?”

You grit your teeth as you feel your anger level rising. Sure, you never really told him, but you also feel like it’s pretty obvious. He couldn’t have not noticed the dirty stares you were sent while in public. Or the blatant verbal shaming. Which - you’ll give him credit where it’s due - he would speak up about. But how has he not figured it out yet?!

“Everything about it,” you snap. “Considering every fucking article involving me also involves you. There’s nothing about my accomplishments, or my thoughts, or my opinions. It’s just gossip. Just shallow bullshit that I can’t stand anymore!” you yell, standing up and violently swiping all of the torn newspaper off of the table. “I don’t want to fucking do this anymore!”

Jay huffs, crossing his arms as he also stands and glares at you. “Then why don’t you just aim higher?”

You feel your heart skip a beat. He…your eyes widen, and now you know that he knows he struck a nerve.

“Aim higher?!” you yell. “You know what? Fuck you. I’ve done more than your sorry ass could ever do! I’m more than a fucking girlfriend.”

You feel tears pooling in your eyes, but your temper doesn’t allow you to back down just yet. You’re about to add on to your rant when he butts in:

“Well, if it upsets you that much, then how about we take that title away? Then you won’t have to deal with our shallow bullshit anymore!”

You heart stops. That’s…that’s not…no. You were upset, but you didn’t mean for this to happen. You start feeling your head spin as you grip your forehead again, taking a step back.

You need to go. You need to clear your head. This…this wasn’t what you wanted, but of course…your temper got in the way again. And it’s ruined everything. You avert your stare away from Jay and take off running into the hallway.

You manage to make it into your room before you slam your door and lock it, sinking to a sitting position with your back against the door. You curse your temper, and your own self. If only you had just walked away…this would have been avoided. But now, because of your own carelessness, you’ve lost Jay.

At some point, you drag yourself to bed and cry yourself to sleep.

…

You don’t know what time it is when you wake, but you know it’s early in the morning. It’s still dark outside, and it appears that it was a sound that woke you.

You wait for a few seconds, and it happens again. You realize it’s the lock to your room. You quickly realize Jay still has the key to your room. You feel your lip tremble as you hear the door opening, and quiet footsteps approaching your bed before you feel the bed dip.

Soon after, a pair of hesitant arms encircle your figure as you feel Jay’s head coming up next to your ear.

“Babe?” he mumbles, rubbing your cheek. “Babe, wake up.”

You turn your head to face him, noticing that his eyes are red and puffy, much like yours. You already feel your eyes glassing up as you open your mouth to apologize, wondering if you can mend what’s been broken, but he cuts you off with a finger to your lips. You turn so that you’re on your back, and he’s hovering over you slightly.

“I’m so sorry,” he mumbles. “I never…I didn’t mean anything I said. What I said was horrible and…and I promise you that I will never intentionally hurt you like that again.”

“I need to apologize too. I was so angry that I wasn’t wording my feelings correctly, and it sounded like I was mad at you when really I’m just frustrated.”

Jay presses a kiss to your cheek. “The guys were all up when I got back to our room. They demanded to know what happened, and when I explained I realized why you were upset. And I think your frustration is justified.”

“I should have stepped away while I could,” you reply. “I was just…not in the mood.”

“I’m so sorry,” he mumbles, pressing a kiss to your cheek.

“You are forgiven,” you say, smiling as presses his nose against yours.

“Does that mean we’re…?”

“We’’re okay,” you answer, raising your hands above his head so you can pull him into a kiss.

Hihi! I’m the one who asked for the jay x reader thing! I was thinking about a cole x reader thing where the reader takes his hoodie and it’s just big on them. And when he sees them, he has to take a double take. Just fluff, sorry if it’s a bit cliche!

Of course! I hope you liked the Jay x Reader :D Cole is my fave, so this should be cute <3 And it’s always the cliche ones that are the fluffiest :) I hope you enjoy this one!

Pairing: Cole x Reader (pre-dating)

Warnings: f l u f f + some minor cussing

…

You have a predicament on your hands.

It’s freezing cold! You shiver, regretting not bringing a jacket. A sigh escapes you as you stare out into the horizon from the Bounty’s deck. You were waiting for the ninja to get back from a mission. Lloyd, your brother, had brought you here earlier so that you could hang out with your friends, but they had been called away for an emergency. Now you’re quietly awaiting for their safe return, but are freezing in the process.

A few seconds later, you decide to go see if you can find a blanket or something. You dash into the Bounty, sighing in relief as the warmer air encompasses you.

Well, it’s warmer, but it could be even warmer! You set off inside, eyes scanning for anything that could help. Eventually, you find yourself in the gaming room, where you and the ninja had been when they were called. You spot something slung over the back of the couch.

It’s a hoodie!

Uh, well…not your hoodie. Or Lloyd’s. But it’s really cold outside! And you’re not sure how long you’d be waiting. So…it would be fine, right? The ninja would understand.

Mind set, you swiftly swipe the article off of its resting place before shaking it into an unfolded state. The words on the front read:

Rock on!

You giggle, realizing this must be Cole’s hoodies. It’s cute, soft, and greatly oversized, meaning that it’s perfect. You eagerly shrug it on. It’s more like a dress on you, because it falls just above your knees. Additionally, the sleeves are longer than your arms are, which means you can whack people with them. Excellent.

“Yeah!” you cheer before running back out to the deck, enjoying the newfound article of clothing.

“That’s so much better!” you exclaim once you’re out. The cold is no match for the hoodie!

You anxiously walk around the Bounty as you wait for the ninja to return. The computer said they were en route, so they should be back soon. Right? Right.

Minutes later, you hear the unmistakable sound of a roaring dragon. Your eyes widen as you gasp quietly before turning towards the source.

And there they are!

You grin as the ninja despawn their dragons one by one, all jumping off midair in a burst of magnificent light and landing effortlessly.

“Haha! I won!” Jay cheers as he pulls his mask off.

“We weren’t even racing, dumbass!” Kai retorts, shoving the blue ninja’s shoulder.

“Uh, yeah we were,” Jay says. “You guys just didn’t hear me over the wind!”

“Trust me. We would have heard you,” Cole mumbles, his back turned to you. Suddenly you grow nervous upon realizing he’s going to see you in his hoodie.

Suddenly, you feel Lloyd sneaking up behind you. You roll your eyes as you turn around.

“What are you doing?” you inquire, causing his evil smirk to fade.

“I wanted to scare you!” he groans. “You ruin all of my pranks!”

“You pranks are already ruined with how shitty they are,” you tease, punching his shoulder. He whines in response.

“Sorry I didn’t think to drop you off at the monastery while we went. We just kinda left you here,” Lloyd replies with a nervous chuckle.

You shrug. “It’s fine. No harm done, plus you guys had to get there fast. If anything, I at least got some peace and quiet for a while.”

“Mean,” Kai comments as he comes up next to Lloyd. “Hey, is that Cole’s hoodie?”

You feel your face going red as you avert your gaze. “It was the only thing I could find. And I was really cold!” you reply, suddenly regretting your decision a tiny bit.

Kai smirks after he takes a glance at Cole’s expression. “Really? Are you sure that’s the only reason?”

Your mild embarrassment turns into confusion. “What other reason would there be? I was just freezing cold.”

Kai shakes his head. “Never mind.”

You tilt your head, still a bit confused, but you shrug it off. It’s just a hoodie, after all.

“Kai, I’m gonna beat your high score tonight!” Lloyd yells, running inside. This manages to snag Kai’s attention, as the brunet takes off after your brother not long after. You sigh, shaking your head. Morons.

“Oh, uh…you probably want this back,” you mumble, cheeks red as you start to take the hoodie. “I’m sorry that I took it-“

“No, n-no, don’t apologize,” Cole replies, looking away from you.

“Huh? I took it without asking!”

“It’s really okay,” he replies, fidgeting with your fingers. “I’d rather you wear it than freeze while you waited for us to come back.”

A soft smile lines your lips as you study him. He’s still looking away bashfully. “Thank you.”

He nods. “Yeah. No problem. It, uh…it…” he mumbles something that you can’t quite catch.

“Sorry, I didn’t hear you?”

His expression tells you that he regrets letting that last sentence slip. “It…um…looks cute on you,” he confesses softly.

You feel red dusting your cheeks as you struggle to find words. He thinks…his hoodie looks cute on you?

He rubs the back of his neck while you stand there with wide eyes. “Really?”

“Yeah…” he mumbles.

You giggle. “Thanks! I really like it.”

“It’s one of my favorite hoodies,” he notes, smiling.

You smirk, an idea forming as you approach the black ninja before arming your sleeves and whacking him once with the fabric.

“Ow! What was that for?”

“Let’s go inside before you freeze!” you chirp, skipping inside happily.

“Weirdo,” you hear Cole mumble as he chuckles and follows you inside.

Hi!! I was wondering if you could do a fluffy one-shot where either Kai or Jay get sick and end up having to be taken care of?

Okay so I’m not gonna lie, I wrote this one pretty quickly and also I don’t have my glasses on now so there are likely a bunch of typos and I’m sorry about that ;-; I’ll probably go through and proofread later, but I hope it works for now!!

Of course!! These sound so cute <3333 I decide to try Kai since I haven’t written a oneshot for him yet :D I hope you enjoy!

Warnings: cussing

…

Something is very wrong.

You stare in absolute bewilderment at the sight of Kai sitting at the table with a mess of ungelled hair. It’s all flopped over the top of his head rather than spiked.

“Babe?” you question, a frown embedded on your lips as you go to sit next to him.

He only groans slightly. You knew something had been off when he didn’t get up in time for Sunrise Exercise, but seeing him in such a disheveled state? Weird.

You study him for a second, noting that he has bags under his eyes. He seems to be a bit pale too, and that prompts you to press a hand against his cheek.

He turns to you, slightly confused. You use your other hand to sweep his mess of hair back while your other goes to feel his forehead.

“Kai, you’re burning up! More than usual!” you say, eyes widening.

“I’m fine,” he mumbles.

“No, you aren’t, and you are laying your ass back in bed until you feel better!” you snap.

“But I have to train-“

“You already missed Sunrise Exercise, sweetie. Please just go get some rest,”

Thankfully, he doesn’t put up much of a fight this time. You walk him to his room, making sure he gets into bed without becoming lightheaded.

“Okay, I’m going to go get the thermometer. Do you want tea or any breakfast?”

“Butter toast,” he whines. “Please. And some of Sensei’s sick tea.”

You nod, leaning over to press a small kiss to his forehead. “I’ll be right back. Your phone is on your nightstand, so call or text if you need anything, okay? But don’t stand until I get back!”

With that, you run to the kitchen, where you push two pieces of bread into the toaster. After that, you get some water in a tea kettle and position it over the stove eye. Now to wait.

A few minutes later, though, you spot Sensei Wu walking in.

“Good morning,” he greets.

“Good morning, Sensei.”

“Where is Kai? I have not seen him all morning.”

“I think he’s sick,” you explain. “He’s running a fever, and he’s pale, poor thing.”

“Oh, I see. Perhaps consider using some of my Steepy Time Tea to aid in his sleep.”

You nod. “I will. Thank you, Sensei.”

“Of course. Please let him know that we all are hoping for a speedy recovery.”

With that, he hobbles back outside, teacup in hand. You start to finish up Kai’s tea and toast when suddenly you’re distracted by the sound of your phone going off:

Hot Stuff: help

Hot Stuff: i need a hug

Hot Stuff: ;-;

Oh no! You’d better get his snack and tea finished quickly! Once you’re done, you grasp the hot cup of tea securely with one hand while gripping the plate of toast while another. With that, you walk to Kai’s room, seeing him sitting up against the headboard.

“Here you go, babe. The tea is really hot, so be careful.”

Kai shrugs, taking a sip. You should’ve known – hot liquids don’t affect him.

“Eh. Kinda warm,” he remarks with a small smile.

“Try freshly boiled,” you mumble while shaking your head. He sets the cup and plate on his nightstand before he opens his arms.

You smile softly, climbing into his lap and giving him a hug.

“I feel really conflicted doing this,” Kai mumbles into your hair. “Because on one hand, I wanna be really selfish and hug you a lot, but on the other hand…I don’t wanna make you sick.”

“Everyone needs a hug while they’re sick,” you say, noting just how hot his skin is. “Make sure you drink your tea, baby.”

“I will. Thank you,” he mumbles, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead. “Can we watch cartoons all day?”

“Babe,” you say in a fake serious voice. “Of course we can.”

(I apologize if there are mistakes in my letter, English is not my native language) Hi!! How are you? I hope that everything is fine, because I brought you an idea!! Imagine, the Reader is an ancient dragon who can become a human(provided that his fluffy tail and horns remain) x Cole.

The reader takes care of the black ninja, but according to his traditions, for example, the reader gives him precious treasures, can give him a touch of horns or a fluffy tail.

I think that would be pretty damn cute<3

Hello! I’m doing well, thank you for asking!! Your English looks fine to me :D Sounds like a cute idea!! I hope you enjoy!

Pairing: Cole x Dragon!Reader

Warnings: none

…

Score! This is gonna go perfectly with your collection.

You beam as you hold up a set of golden pauldrons – likely Lloyd’s. Or maybe Kai’s. You don’t really remember, nor do you care. The set of sparkling golden shoulder armor had been far too gorgeous for you to resist.

Decision made, you hug to your chest and dash back inside your room, where you close your door and approach your pile of golden treasures. From coins to jewelry to dishes, you had a wide array of items. You’re proud of every single one!

“You go right there…” you mumble, setting the pauldron set on top. “Yay!”

Looking good! Now, there’s something important that you have to do. The thought of the task sends your tummy into a twisty knot, but you have to do it. You frown, shuffling through some of your treasures.

What would he like? I need to pick something special!

With that, you begin searching your pile for something that strikes your eye. Well, all of your finds are dear to you, but you need something special.

After a few minutes of digging, your gaze falls on a necklace that you had found a while ago. Curiosity piqued, you pick it up.

I think this is the one… you think, fingers tracing the charm. It’s a golden lily flower with intricate silver engravings. For some reason, you think Cole would like it.

“It reminds me of him,” you mumble, clutching it to your chest as you remember the day you’d met the Master of Earth. It had been a sunny day, and you were stumbling through the forest, trying to become acquainted with your human vessel. He helped you navigate your new surroundings, and eventually, you realized you valued him as more than a friend. And only now have you built the courage to tell him.

“I will not back down now!” you say to yourself determinedly as you exit your room, initiating your search for the black ninja.

Soon enough, you find him standing on the deck of the ship, silently gazing at the horizon. Your heart begins racing (a sensation you’re still trying to get used to) as you approach him.

“Excuse me?” you prompt, causing him to turn.

As soon as he sees you, he smiles. “Hey! What’s up?”

“I…have a gift for you,” you reply, hands behind your back.

“Another one?” he teases, a sly smile on his lips.

“This-this one is special!” you demand, a strange heat rising on your cheeks. That happens a lot when you’re around him, and you still haven’t quite figured out what it means.

“What’s the occasion?”

“I found a special article of jewelry that strongly reminded me of you when I picked it out. I hope you will accept it as my token of appreciation for you guiding me through this foreign land and accepting me as I am.”

With that, you gingerly place the necklace within his palm. He glances at you before viewing it, eyes widening as he studies it.

“It…it’s a…”

“A lily flower, no?”

“Yeah…”

Your heart beings pounding as he stares at it, still not reacting. Does he not like it?

“Is something the matter?” you question worriedly.

“Oh, uh, no. I…I love it,” he mumbles, grinning with glassy eyes. “It reminds me of someone.”

The tension in you eases as he utters those words. “I’m glad.”

“Thank you,” he mumbles, pocketing it. “I appreciate it.”

“And I…I appreciate you!” you say, throwing your arms around his neck.

“Woah!” Cole stumbles a little but returns the embrace. “I appreciate you, too.”

Hi! Me again, from the sick Kai fic request, which I absolutely loved!

When i saw that there was no Zane ones I decided to ask for one instead 😅.

So I was wondering if you could do one where both Zane and the reader are cooking together and are just all romantic and fluffy. Like a song plays on the radio and they start dancing together a little or a classic back hug while one of them is doing something?

Hello! I’m so glad you enjoyed the Kai one :D I hope you enjoy this one too. I hope it turned out okay considering this is my first time writing for Zane lol

Pairing: Zane x Reader

Warnings: none

…

If there’s one thing you love, it’s your bubble.

When the chaotic nature of the people you have come to love so dearly shows, you realize you need to just take a step back sometimes. Your friends have come to understand this over the time you’ve known them, so they’d often let you have the space you so dearly appreciate.

No one had ever worked their way into your bubble. At least, not before you met a certain Nindroid.

Zane was the quiet ninja - always collected with a logical approach to everything. That was part of his allure when you first met him that fateful day. You were initially too shy to talk to him at first, but after some gentle probing on his end, the two of you became close friends. And many months later, after much nagging from the ninja, Zane asked you on a date. A sweet and gentle date where you had gently kissed his cheek for the very first time - it would only be one of many to come in the following months.

Which leads you to your current position - helping Zane chop an array of veggies for tonight’s dinner as a soft hum emanates from your lips. You hear your boyfriend swiftly working behind you as the loud laughs and shouts from your friends originates from the room outside of the kitchen. A tune plays from the speaker positioned at the end of the counter.

“They’re rowdier than usual tonight, aren’t they?” you remark, swiping a chopped bell pepper off of the cutting board and onto a plate.

“Indeed they are,” Zane replies, tone soft as he works.

You chuckle lightly before picking up the plate of veggies and setting it beside Zane.

“Here you are,” you say. “Is there anything else I can help with?”

Zane smiles, pressing a soft kiss to your lips. “Would you mind washing the lettuce and preparing the salad ingredients?”

“Sure thing,” you respond, grinning.

“Thank you, my love. Your help does not go unappreciated.”

“You’re very welcome,” you reply, sneaking in a kiss to his metallic cheek before you head over to the fridge, grabbing all of the items you’ll need. Once you’re prepared, you begin running the lettuce heads underneath cold water, resuming your hum.

A few minutes later, you notice that a song you enjoy begins playing from your speaker. A small smile creeps across your lips as you feel Zane sneaking his arms around your waist, his chest pressing into your back. He buries his chin into the crook of your neck.

“You enjoy this song, correct?”

“I do,” you reply, relaxing against him.

“In that case, may I have this dance?”

He separates from you, offering his hand. You giggle slightly as you accept his hand. “Of course.”

His larger hand envelops yours quite easily, and he pulls you close as he settles one hand around your waist. The two of you begin swaying to the beat.

Zane pulls away shortly after, his grasp on your hand remaining. He lifts your hand above your hand, prompting you to twirl. You giggle slightly. As classy as Zane is, he could still be such a dork in his own way sometimes.

Soon enough, the song ends and you’re left in Zane’s embrace.

“That was fun!” you chirp, smiling.

“I agree,” he responds, bending down so he can kiss you again.

“You are so cute,” you gush, pulling him in for a hug.

“I am not cute. You are the adorable one.”

“Hush, you. Let’s finish up, yeah?”

Heya! Just discovered your page and gotta say, I love your posts! Would it be alright to ask for a fic where the ninja (or one of them. I'm okay with either all or just one of them) find reader (who is a nindroid like Zane and Pixal) broken (physically) somewhere in a forest and decide to take them back and attempt to repair them and once they do, they find out reader is just a really precious nindroid who has no clue of anything? Sorry if I'm asking for too much. Hope your day is going well and you are taking care of yourself!

Hi! I’m so glad you enjoy my posts <333 Thank you! Such a sweet idea, and it’s not too much, don’t worry :> I hope you enjoy!

Pairing: Ninja x Nindroid!Reader (platonic)

Warnings: cussing

…

Extreme damage to system present. Major AI malfunction. Seek nearest repair unit immediately.

Shutdown imminent. Seek repair now.

Damage too extreme. Shutting system down…

…

Power source detected. Directing flow to central processor…

Success. Damage report in process…

…LOADING…

…15% complete…

…32% complete…

…51% complete…

…74% complete…

…100% complete…

…Report successful. System has been repaired via a foreign source. Sending diagnostic to BORG Industries…

…Complete. Rebooting system.

Online status available in…

3…

2…

1…

You open your eyes, sitting upright with a gasp.

“And she is back online,” comes an unfamiliar voice. You spy three people standing in front of you.

The man who spoke first smiles softly as he places a hand on your shoulder; he has lightly-colored hair with icy blue eyes. “Hello. You are safe now. We found you dismantled in a forest while on a mission.”

“Dismantled?” you wonder, studying him.

“Yes. Many of your processors and sensors were nearly damaged beyond repair. Fortunately, approximately half of our team specializes in robotics and technology. Do you have a name?”

“A…name?” you mumble, frowning.

“I don’t think her old memory banks are functioning,” a raven-haired girl comments with a frown. “Jay, look.”

She hands what appears to be your memory drive over to the boy seated next to her. He examines it for a moment before nodding in agreement. “Yeah, I don’t think she’s gonna be able to get her memories back until we get this fixed. Which, by the looks of it, is gonna take some time. For now, though, the one we have in her now will work ‘till we can get this thing fixed.”

“So you must not remember your name, then,” the boy in front of you comments. “Well, we can get that sorted later. I am Zane, and the two behind me are Nya and Jay.”

“We found you in really bad shape last night, and we’ve all been working to get you fixed since,” Jay explains.

“I…don’t remember anything,” you say. “I only know my model and creator.”

“Yeah, we thought so. Like we said, we’ll have to get your memory drive fixed,” Nya says.

“But do not worry. We will get it fixed as fast as we can, and you are more than welcome to stay with us while it is being repaired.”

“You have my gratitude,” you say. “But how did you find a power source? My model requires a specific version.”

“Zane has a power source that apparently is great for nindroids of all models,” Jay says, chuckling. “No one is really sure what it is, or how it was made.”

“I see,” you reply. “Well, thank you for taking the time to repair me.”

“You are welcome. Now, allow me to introduce you to our team.”

…

That had been about two weeks ago ever since, you had grown to become friends with the ninja as they taught you about all of the things you’d forgotten:

…

“Take that!”

“No…no! Why don’t you take THAT!”

“Hahaha, suck it Kai!”

You observe as the ninja game intensely. While you don’t quite understand what it is they’re playing, it does look like they’re having fun.

“Aw, man…” Lloyd says, setting his controller down as the game ends. “No fair!”

“Yeah, he totally che-HAHAHA! Look at Kai’s score!”

Upon the prompt, you glance at the screen.

C – 56

J – 58

K – 69

Z – 63

L – 61

With that, Kai snickers while Jay and Cole chuckle.

“Ugh, why did you have to tell me what that number means?!” Lloyd pouts, looking away. “You guys are stupid.”

“I don’t understand,” you say as the guys turn to you. “What is so funny about the number sixty-nine?”

They all pause for a split second before Kai breaks out into a devilish grin. Cole sighs, standing up and walking behind you.

“I’m gonna tell her-“

“Nope,” Cole replies, covering your ears. “Don’t even think about it.”

The boys bicker for a bit longer before Nya summons them to the Bounty. With that, the topic is dropped.

“Kai? What does that number mean? You clearly know.”

He chuckles, patting your shoulder. “It’s just a joke. That number is the name of sexual position.”

“Oh. That is quite immature.”

“I know. Still funny, though.”

“If you say so. Thank you for telling me.”

“No problem.”

…

“Hey there!”

You look over to the source, finding Jay sitting in front of the TV.

“Hello, Jay. What are you doing?”

“Playing video games while the others are out. Wanna join?”

“I appreciate the invitation but I have no knowledge of these…games.”

“C’mon over here, I’ll teach you!”

You hesitantly go to sit next to Jay. He hands you a controller, smiling.

“Alright, so we’ll start out with a simple game. Hmm…let’s try Minecraft.”

“Mine…craft?”

“Yeah! Here, let me get it started.”

You watch the screen as it starts loading the mentioned game.

“This game is pretty much just about building stuff. There’s more you can do, but for now we’ll just get you acquainted with the controls.”

“Very well.”

Once the game menu appears, Jay presses a few buttons before another loading screen appears. Soon enough, the game loads into view.

“Alright, nobody likes playing split screen so I’m going to join the world on my phone. While I get connected, practice moving around with the joystick.”

He taps the stick on your controller, pushing it forward. As it tilts forward, your avatar moves straight ahead.

“There you go! Now, see that tree over there? Walk it up to it, then press this button.”

You follow his instructions, approaching the tree before pressing the button. One block of the tree begins cracking.

“There, now you have a block of wood! Do the same thing for the rest of the tree. I should be in by the time you get it down.”

With that, your avatar punches the rest of the tree down before you turn, seeing Jay’s avatar behind you. He crouches up and down a few times before jumping.

“Come on, let’s go look for a good spot to set up base!”

…

After about an hour of playing, you and Jay have made a solid base together!

“We made some good progress!” Jay cheers, grinning. “You did well! Maybe next time we can turn it to easy mode so we can get some mob loot.”

“That sounds fun,” you note, smiling. Jay takes the controller and exits the game. “Thank you for teaching me how to play.”

“No problem! Maybe we can get Lloyd to join next time.”

…

You study Cole’s snack with an intrigued gaze. Zane has told you the negative effects of such sugary sweets, and yet you still don’t understand why Cole continues to eat it.

“Something on your mind?” the black ninja questions, shoveling another piece of cake into his mouth.

“Why do you eat that?”

“Because it tastes amazing.”

“But sugar is not good for you,” you say. “Why eat it if sugar has no positive effects for yourself?”

“Well…that’s true, but sugar is a treat. Almost everyone I know likes sugar. And it won’t hurt you as long as you eat it in moderation.”

“A treat?”

He sets his fork down to gesture vaguely with his next explanation. “Yeah…you know, everyone who works hard needs to reward themselves every now and then. I do it with cake, and Jay and Lloyd use candy. Well, pretty much anything sweet. My favorite is cake.”

“So you reward hard work with food that does nothing for your body nutritionally speaking?”

He sighs and chuckles a bit. “Kind of? But there’s more to it than that. A lot of people really like sweets but know that they shouldn’t eat sweet things all of the time. So, it’s used to celebrate special occasions.”

“I…suppose that makes sense,” you reply. “Thank you for your explanation.”

He chuckles, returning to his dessert. “You’re welcome.”

…

“Why do they call us nindroids?”

Zane chuckles as he chops veggies, turning to you. “That is merely their term for us. I believe Jay was the one to originally grant it to me.”

You study Zane for a moment. “Your design is interesting. It is not registered within Cyrus Borg’s database, and yet…”

“My father was a brilliant man,” he answers.

You smile softly. “May I ask you a question?”

“Of course.”

“You are the only one here who is…like me,” you start. “With my memory drive being repaired, I cannot help but wonder…I feel like I have trouble understanding them.”

He smiles softly. “I know the feeling. And trust me when I say that we have had our fair share of misunderstandings. It is a natural process, one that will sort itself out. Do not let that phase you, for while we are not built to interpret emotion, it is our consciousness that allows us to do so anyways. I think that in itself is a gift.”

“You are right. Thank you, Zane.”

“Of course.”

…

“What are you doing?”

Lloyd chuckles, standing up from his position next to a box of water balloons. “I’m gonna prank Kai.”

“Why?”

“Because he beat my high score!”

“That sounds quite petty.”

“It’s not petty! Here…want to help?”

“Why?”

“It’ll be fun!”

“I suppose so….”

Lloyd grins, kneeling next to his stash of balloons. “The plan is simple. When he comes through the door, throw water balloons at him.”

“Noted.”

With that, you crouch next to Lloyd.

“I fail to understand your petty need to seek revenge for such a trivial matter.”

He chuckles, arming himself with two water balloons. “It’s okay. All you gotta do is throw as many of these at him as you can.”

With that, you two silently wait for the hotheaded ninja to emerge. It takes him a few minutes, but once he arrives, Lloyd smirks as he prepares his throw. The door opens, and as soon as Kai steps out, Lloyd throws his balloon.

“AH! Dammit, Lloyd!”

“Keep throwing them!” Lloyd urges. You sigh, tossing one at Kai.

“Ow, ow, ow, ow! Damn, she hits hard!”

Lloyd cackles as the two of you continue your assault. Kai yells something about messing up his hair as he runs back inside.

“Yes! We won!” Lloyd cheers.

“We did?”

“Yeah! Normally he comes over and tries to beat me up, but I think you scared him away!”

“I did…?”

“Yeah! Thanks!”

…

“Alright, how are you feeling?”

“I believe it will take a bit of time for my system to download all of the information from my memory drive, but I can tell it’s functioning again.”

“That’s good,” Nya says, setting down her toolkit. “Jay managed to get into contact with Cyrus Borg. Zane is going to drop you back off at Borg Tower once your memory is downloaded. Though, we just want you to know that you’re welcome back here anytime.”

“Thank you so much for your help,” you reply, smiling. “I appreciate your hospitality.”

“You’re welcome. Now, Zane is waiting for you. Once you arrive back at Borg Tower, Cyrus Borg will examine your system to make sure that we didn’t miss any subtle damage.”

You nod. “I am…going to miss you all.”

Nya smiles sadly. “We’re gonna miss you too. But we’ll visit, and you’re always welcome to stay here whenever you like.”

With that, Zane enters and informs you that it’s time for you to go. You bid everyone goodbye, realizing that Zane was right. Consciousness is truly a gift, and it’s the different between being a mindless android and becoming human.