Lloyd rubbed at his eyes, but that only made the mild itching worse. As annoying as his allergies were, he didn’t really want to leave Jake alone with that injured leg, though the cat certainly did. Every once in a while Jake would start to squirm to free himself from his grip, but Lloyd tugged him back gently and murmured sleepily. “Hey. You’re nod going anywhere on dat leg. Relax.” Tentatively, he reached out and awkwardly pet the little cat on the head between his ears. Not being much of an animal expert (save for dragons), he wasn’t quite sure if he was doing it right, especially when Jake flinched and tried to pull away. Lloyd stopped, then tried to imagine if he himself was a cat. Where would he like to be petted? Would he like to be scratched behind the ears? Or stroked on his spine? This experience was strangely new and awkward for him, but Lloyd finally began to hesitantly pet the cat like he’d seen people do it on TV. He stroked the calico around his head, shoulders, and back, wondering if he was doing it right. For the first few minutes Jake stiffened and flattened his ears, but by and by, as dusk fell quietly and darkness began to surround the two, the kitten began to relax under Lloyd’s hand. He even went as far as to roll onto his back on the human’s lap and allow him to rub his fluffy tummy. As time passed, Lloyd felt hunger gnawing painfully at his stomach and sleep tugging on his eyelids. Slowly, slowly did his stroke on Jake’s pelt decelerate and his eyes grew heavy. He let his eyes close and listened to the sound of nightbirds calling, crickets cheeping, and Jake purring softly at the touch of Lloyd’s hand.
***
Awww very nice!
Plus you will not believe this! One of our cats had kittens the other day and some of them almost look exactly like you described Jake!!!!
{JAMMERS! -NFM- ONLY!} Okay. I thought I knew the story, but then reading it again I realized that I forgot quite a bit, although now it's coming back to me. I'm glad Tigress is doing it.
“What did you say, Nya?” Jay asked from right behind her, and she jumped. “Ah! Nothing.” She glanced at him. “You were so quiet, I didn’t hear you coming.” “Guess I’ve got a light tread.” He shrugged casually. Sensei Wu cleared his throat and let his gaze drift over the group. “I suggest we rest for a few hours, seeing that none of us here got very much sleep last night.” Nya opened her mouth to protest, but he interjected. “You’ve been working hard all morning, and I think it is about time we tend to each other’s wounds and try to catch up on some rest.” He glanced significantly at Cole. “Some of us need it more than others.” It was easy to see what he meant by that. Cole’s shirt was virtually ripped to shreds and practically soaked by the damage done to his body. He was visibly trembling from pain and exhaustion, though he was stubbornly resisting the urge to sit down and was instead leaning wearily against a pillar. There was a tired, haunted look to his eyes, but he covered it with a fierce scowl, trying to hide his pain from the others. That’s not to say everyone else looked much better. Claw scratches showed through the blanket of soot on Zane and Wu, while Jay’s shirt was ripped, showing the injury on his shoulder through the tear. Nya and Liana were the ones who got off the easiest, but they still carried several stinging scratches and throbbing bruises across their bodies. Everyone was in poor shape. “Cole, you need those scratches to be tended to.” Wu said firmly. His tone invited no argument. “Misako, would you mind helping him—?” He cut himself, suddenly looking lost. He blinked, then tried to regain his composure, though a bit awkwardly. “I’m sorry—Nya, would you mind helping Cole?” Nya hesitated, then glanced at the computer screen. She sighed and said. “Yes, Sensei.” “I can take care of myself!” Cole protested. “Right, and you can reach the scratches on your back, I’m sure. Plus, you don’t know where I keep my first aid kit. Just come on.”
{JAMMERS! -jonmbost & ninjagofanmam- ONLY!} OK, so you know how I'm kind of trying to write "Roots of Earth" as a stand-alone story, seeing that there are new readers and a new community? Well, already it's obvious by the Prologue and Liana's appearance that there will be plenty of references to "Runaway - Cole's Story", though this story isn't really dependent on my first fan-fiction. Newer readers might think so, though, and they might think they missed something when certain references come up -- so, I guess when something familiar to you from "Runaway" turns up, to avoid confusion, could you comment on them in jammers? Of course now I feel like I'm trying to keep naughty secrets. . . I dunno what to do.
She started to lead the way down a corridor, then stopped. “You should come too, Liana. I have some old clothes that you can wear instead of your night robe.” The blind girl blinked, looking a bit surprised that someone was talking to her. Then she dipped her head in Nya’s direction. “Thanks.” “No problem.” “You might as well bring Jay along, too,” Wu added. “He can help you with Cole’s wounds. Zane and I will tend to the computers.” “All right.” Jay said, and he followed the others down a dimly-lit corridor trailing off from the center area. Nya walked down the passage a few feet before opening a storage closet and pulling out a white plastic box. She then lead the way to the loading dock, where the Bounty was presently stationed. She motioned to Cole, and he sat on one of the wooden crates that were part of a pile. Grimacing, he gingerly slipped off his shirt. Nya gasped, and Jay sucked in air through his teeth. “Oh, my gosh. . .” Nya murmured. “Whew,” Jay muttered, looking rather unnerved. “Those things did a lot of damage.” Cole looked down at his bare chest and grimaced. “We need new suits or something. Those claws are like knives, and those cats have at like, four on each paw!” “Five.” Jay corrected. “Whatever.” “I’ll bring up the subject to Sensei.” Nya glanced over at Liana, who was standing nearby with a worried expression on her scarred face. “Jay, you take care of those scratches. Put some hydrogen peroxide on them while I help Liana find something to wear.” Whilst she took Liana by the hand and led her way, Jay asked “Put some what on??” while Cole exclaimed. “Wait—On these cuts?? It’s gonna sting like crazy!!”
{JAMMERS! -jonmbost & ninjagofanmam- ONLY!} OK, so you know how I'm kind of trying to write "Roots of Earth" as a stand-alone story, seeing that there are new readers and a new community? Well, already it's obvious by the Prologue and Liana's appearance that there will be plenty of references to "Runaway - Cole's Story", though this story isn't really dependent on my first fan-fiction. Newer readers might think so, though, and they might think they missed something when certain references come up -- so, I guess when something familiar to you from "Runaway" turns up, to avoid confusion, could you comment on them in jammers? Of course now I feel like I'm trying to keep naughty secrets. . . I dunno what to do.
“Any luck?” Sensei Wu stepped up next to Zane and Nya beside the computer screens. “Nothing. There is no sign of Lloyd, nor of the cat-creatures in Ninjago City. They seemed to have vanished.” Zane replied, concern evident in his voice. What was left of the decreasing ninja team gathered in the main area in Nya’s hideout; the Samurai X Cave. Platforms equipped with computers, driveways, and numerous vehicles stood in the cold, dim light of the cave, where hundreds of feet below them the floor disappeared into darkness, a visual warning to anyone standing too close to the edge. Everyone stood on the main platform; Wu, Nya, Zane, Cole, Jay, and Liana. The shadows of the massive cavern were lit only by the light from the driveway and computers from the large center area. It was the perfect place to hide from the mysterious cat-creatures. Zane and Nya were working together on the computer to search for information; Zane in touch with his falcon to find Lloyd, Nya checking public reports, news media, and city security cameras for any sign of the huge, lion-like creatures. She had discovered some footage from the Lullaby Hotel and nearby streets depicting the monsters yowling and skulking, eventually gathering together, then suddenly splitting up in all directions, running as fast as their paws would carry them. It was nearly as if they knew security cameras were about; they transformed into their feral cat forms as they raced away and disappeared into the shadows of narrow allies and abandoned streets. Though she tried furiously to find more clues and evidence, Nya could not catch anymore than that. At least they weren’t attacking the innocent bystanders or breaking into buildings. It looked as if their target had been the ninja alone. So. . . What had they gained from the attack? Were they looking for something, or someone? Did they want to contact the humans? Did they get what they wanted? Was that why they had suddenly disappeared? What in all of Ninjago did they want?? Nya stared at the computer screen intently and muttered under her breath. “So many questions, so few answers. . .”
AH! This is the point in a book that I read really fast.
“What did you say, Nya?” Jay asked from right behind her, and she jumped. “Ah! Nothing.” She glanced at him. “You were so quiet, I didn’t hear you coming.” “Guess I’ve got a light tread.” He shrugged casually.
* * *
“Cole, you need those scratches to be tended to.” Wu said firmly. His tone invited no argument. “Misako, would you mind helping him—?” He cut himself, suddenly looking lost. He blinked, then tried to regain his composure, though a bit awkwardly. “I’m sorry—Nya, would you mind helping Cole?”
She started to lead the way down a corridor, then stopped. “You should come too, Liana. I have some old clothes that you can wear instead of your night robe.” The blind girl blinked, looking a bit surprised that someone was talking to her. Then she dipped her head in Nya’s direction. “Thanks.” “No problem.” “You might as well bring Jay along, too,” Wu added. “He can help you with Cole’s wounds. Zane and I will tend to the computers.” “All right.” Jay said, and he followed the others down a dimly-lit corridor trailing off from the center area. Nya walked down the passage a few feet before opening a storage closet and pulling out a white plastic box. She then lead the way to the loading dock, where the Bounty was presently stationed. She motioned to Cole, and he sat on one of the wooden crates that were part of a pile. Grimacing, he gingerly slipped off his shirt. Nya gasped, and Jay sucked in air through his teeth. “Oh, my gosh. . .” Nya murmured. “Whew,” Jay muttered, looking rather unnerved. “Those things did a lot of damage.” Cole looked down at his bare chest and grimaced. “We need new suits or something. Those claws are like knives, and those cats have at like, four on each paw!” “Five.” Jay corrected. “Whatever.” “I’ll bring up the subject to Sensei.” Nya glanced over at Liana, who was standing nearby with a worried expression on her scarred face. “Jay, you take care of those scratches. Put some hydrogen peroxide on them while I help Liana find something to wear.” Whilst she took Liana by the hand and led her way, Jay asked “Put some what on??” while Cole exclaimed. “Wait—On these cuts?? It’s gonna sting like crazy!!”
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