Nya opened one box with her name on it and began rummaging through various outfits. “Too dressy—” She tossed back lovely pink evening gown. “Too old—” She threw away a simple cheongsam frock. “Too flashy—” She shoved away a stylish, modern dress. “Too—” She stopped and gazed at the outfit in her hands. The golden phoenix symbol stared back at her from the green breastplate on the red uniform she wore when she was Samurai X. Her shoulders slumped, and she felt an unexpected twist in her heart at the sight of the old outfit. She thought she had accepted being the Water Ninja, but now her mind was flooded with a jumble of conflicting emotions. She bit her bottom lip as she realized. . . she still missed being a samurai. “Nya?” Liana questioned. The former shook her head and shoved the uniform back into the box, along with the pile of other rejected dresses. “That won’t work, either.” “You don’t have anything else? Don’t you have a ninja gi I could borrow?” “I haven’t been a ninja for long; I don’t have many extra.” Nya then said thoughtfully. “Maybe if you didn’t mind wearing a dress. . .” “No way. I don’t wear dresses. Period.” Liana interjected firmly. “They’re not girly, if that’s what you’re worried about.” Nya arched her eyebrows. “I’ve fought plenty of snakes, stone warriors, and nindroids in these.” Liana still looked skeptical. “Is there maybe an old outfit the guys aren’t using? Would they mind?” Nya thought about it. “Probably not. . . I’m pretty sure I can find something they don’t wear anymore. Right now we’re using our Honor uniforms.” She stood up and surveyed the cluttered little room. She saw a box with Zane’s name on it, pulled it out, and opened it to reveal several white gi folded and packed neatly. “One of Zane’s uniforms should work for you. I’m sure he won’t mind. Probably not the one that Lloyd stained pink, though.” She added. “I’m guessing you’re not really into pink, girly stuff.” “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never seen pink.” Liana replied wryly.
Nya looked at her and raised an eyebrow. “I thought you were going to stop being cold.” “That wasn’t cold; that was sarcastic.” A small, playful grin tugged on Liana’s lips despite her cool tone. “There’s a difference.” Nya smiled and gave a short laugh. “Here. I think this will look good on you—” “AUGH! JAY!!” Cole’s voice yelped from outside the ship. Nya rolled her eyes and sighed. “What are they doing?? Get dressed. I’ll be right back.” As she left Liana in the room she muttered under her breath. “Boys.” She trotted away from the Bounty to find Cole shouting crossly at Jay through gritted teeth. “You’re not supposed to do it like THAT!” “What’s going on?” Nya questioned as she walked up to the two boys in a face-off. “He poured a bunch of that stuff on me, and it hurts like crazy!” Cole gestured angrily to his wounds, which were now dripping wet with the medicine, and the long, grotesque cuts were fizzing and turning white with odd hissing noises. “Well, sor-REE!” Jay exclaimed indignantly. “How was I supposed to know how this thing works?!” Nya sighed. “It’s supposed to hurt; that stuff is clearing out the infection. It won’t sting for long. Here.” She took the brown bottle from Jay and opened the first aid kit to pull out bandages and a wash cloth. “I’ll take care of this. Jay, you can help Liana find something to wear if she’s not satisfied with what we found. Don’t go in yet; she’s dressing.” She stopped him from walking in. “Oh. OK. Well, ah. . .” Jay stuck his hands in his pockets and glanced around. “Are my services no longer required? Because I want to see if there’s any sign of those creatures on the city security cameras.” “I already did that, but go ahead. I guess Liana will be fine.” Nya waved him off good-naturedly. “Go on, I’ll take care of things here.” She sat down beside Cole on the crate and poured a bit of hydrogen peroxide into the little white cap. Jay hesitated, then said. “OK, then.” He walked away and joined the others at the computer screens down the hall. The loading dock was quiet once he shut the door behind him.
She was being cold? Did I miss something? Or was it the "I haven't seen pink" comment?
JAY you should know much better than to do a very silly thing like that.
What? This is serious! THIS IS A NATIONAL EMERGENCY!!!
But what do the waffles want from us--? I just realized I already replied to this, and I just wasted another six seconds of some poor moderator's life. Delete this, please.
Nya looked at her and raised an eyebrow. “I thought you were going to stop being cold.” “That wasn’t cold; that was sarcastic.” A small, playful grin tugged on Liana’s lips despite her cool tone. “There’s a difference.” Nya smiled and gave a short laugh. “Here. I think this will look good on you—” “AUGH! JAY!!” Cole’s voice yelped from outside the ship. Nya rolled her eyes and sighed. “What are they doing?? Get dressed. I’ll be right back.” As she left Liana in the room she muttered under her breath. “Boys.” She trotted away from the Bounty to find Cole shouting crossly at Jay through gritted teeth. “You’re not supposed to do it like THAT!” “What’s going on?” Nya questioned as she walked up to the two boys in a face-off. “He poured a bunch of that stuff on me, and it hurts like crazy!” Cole gestured angrily to his wounds, which were now dripping wet with the medicine, and the long, grotesque cuts were fizzing and turning white with odd hissing noises. “Well, sor-REE!” Jay exclaimed indignantly. “How was I supposed to know how this thing works?!” ***
She was being cold? Did I miss something? Or was it the "I haven't seen pink" comment?
JAY you should know much better than to do a very silly thing like that.
Cole gritted his teeth and clenched his knees as he sat bare-backed on the crate and the medicine burned and fizzed in his wide wounds. “Mmmmph. . . ! Is it supposed to do that?” “Yup. Quit whining, you big baby, this stuff is helping you.” Nya responded teasingly as she got out a couple of cotton pads and dabbed at the fizzing white scratches on his back. They fell into a moment of quiet as she tended gently to his wounds. Cole then sighed. “I’m sorry I blew up at Jay.” “You should tell him that, not me.” She continued wiping up the dripping medicine and leftover gore. “Cole. . . Why didn’t you tell us about your friends? . . . About Philip passing away?” Cole stiffened. “I’d rather not talk about it.” “Did you think we wouldn’t understand?” “I’d rather not talk about it.” “Did you think you’d be able to handle it by yourself?” “I’d rather not talk about it.” “Were you just scared?” “What part of ‘I don’t want to talk about it’ do you not understand, water lily?!” Cole snapped. Nya, unperturbed by his attitude, leaned over so she could see his face. He looked away when she pressed gently. “You could have at least told me. We’re friends, aren’t we?” “Of course we are.” He muttered. “I just—” He sighed. “I didn’t want to make you worry. And, Philip was smashed months ago. I didn’t think it would affect anything.” Nya gazed at him for a moment longer, then pulled out the bandages. “I’m sorry he passed. He must have been a good friend.” There was a long moment of silence as she unwrapped the linen bandages, waiting for a response. Finally Cole murmured. “Thanks.” Nya began applying the bandages to the bright-red injuries. “So. . . You know Liana because she’s Philip’s sister?” “Yeah. We traveled together before I met Sensei Wu. Ah!” He grunted when she accidentally bumped one of the scratches in an attempt to wrap a bandage around his chest. “Sorry.” She apologized, then said carefully. “She seems very independent.”
What? This is serious! THIS IS A NATIONAL EMERGENCY!!!
But what do the waffles want from us--? I just realized I already replied to this, and I just wasted another six seconds of some poor moderator's life. Delete this, please.
![[lenny]](http://storage.proboards.com/6672327/images/7elNEqtPK2hcSAiIMFNh.png)
That's always so sad.
