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He already had some impressions, not too positive, about this place. how could a place be called "Land of Lee" without seeming strange? but now that he had his feet on this too perfect ground to be accustomed to by real—or so it was thought—people, his previous doubts, which he had when he learned about this place from the administration, had now increased as soon as he, and the ninja, were welcomed by Lee. or by the Lee's?
it was all so suspiciously under control to his eyes. couples and couples of people opening their doors as soon as the fake sun rose, greeting everyone who passed by on the streets, even if no one was there. but it was a bit improbable in reality, given that they seemed like human alarm clocks, simultaneously bidding good morning to all the neighbors—while he tried not to grab a weapon, leave the house and exterminate everyone he saw for waking him.
the afternoon had arrived, from what the watch on his wrist told him, being the only way he could tell since the artificial sun was still set to midday. the collar of his shirt was starting to bother him, reminding him of the same discomfort he felt in his administration suit. the fabric was tight against his throat and that stupid tag had been tingling him ever since he'd put it on—but still, at the moment he wasn't sure what he was actually doing in front of what looked like a park, completely alone.
or at least, none of the group was with him, since they had decided to split up. not that Jay could complain about this choice, being able to breathe more freely without having to be told he was a ninja all the time.
he had started walking a few residences ago, having heard strange voices, so he approached calmly, when he then found himself where he was now. it had slides and two pairs of swings, with a central playpen that had various other games that more than one person could play. there were also some children, they seemed so carefree about what was happening outside this place.
it was incredible how kids could be so malleable and weak, with no awareness of danger. their only concern being what game they would choose next or remembering that they would have to return to their homes sooner or later.
but for some reason he felt drawn to that environment, hearing the laughter and the shouts, with their voices at maximum volume. Jay couldn't help but wonder if these children were happy just because they were in this fake-over saturated-colored land for their curious eyes or just because they were simple and young. what would they have been like if they had remained in the hell that was now Ninjago City?
what was Ninjago City like when he was their age?
they probably didn't even have a thought crossing their minds, as Jay watched how a kid was squinting in a smile, as he let himself be carried down the slide.
what was his favorite game when he went to the park as a child?
No one in this playground was sulking with sadness or anger, much less any of the adults. no one showed themselves crying, no one dared to yell at anyone else and create chaos, and above all, no one dared to destroy this perfect happiness and sprinkles in the air.
no one could really be this happy in this place. Jay knew it was just weird that nobody was trying to stand up and be against all this sickening kindness. he couldn't bear to pretend to be someone he wasn't, to wear a smile that almost touched his earlobes and to act all friendly with everyone.
he couldn't bear to pretend to be someone he wasn't..
somehow, though, he could see when someone was maniacally overdoing a warm introduction, noticing how few people's jaw muscles would quiver yet still tug at the corners of their lips, or the way they would quickly duck into their homes as soon as they finished a casual conversation. Jay didn't like this place at all, and he had a feeling that not everyone here was truly happy.
but getting used to it is easier than rebelling and he knew it well. until the lies were discovered from the shadows, hopes vanished from his thoughts and when he was sent away from the place where he believed could truly be his home.
the children continued to play before his eyes and a headache was starting to set in as the screams were getting louder and louder against his eardrums. he still had to go back to work and try to find the parents of that orange boy and the colors of that park were starting to make his eyes burn, so he turned around back on his way.
Jay started walking in the opposite direction, choosing another route to look for other nauseatingly kind strangers to ask. I swear, if they don't pay me extra for this—
his eyebrows furrowed as he heard footsteps behind him. Jay continued walking anyway, removing his hands from his pockets. his shoulders tensed, his arms held at the ready at his sides. whoever it was, he would be ready to present his lightning bolts.
"excuse me, sir!" a high-pitched voice said, noticing that the footsteps had quickened.
he wasn't sure if, what seemed like a child from the tone, was talking to him, but there was no one in front of him.. a little uncertain, he turned his head and found himself with a little girl who remembered was part of the group in the park.
turning fully, he paused to look her up and down, raising an eyebrow in confusion as soon as it was confirmed that she was seeking his attention.
Jay looked around, then back at her. her ponytails bounced as she was running to catch up with him. she was wearing a white t-shirt with a classic unicorn on it and some shorts that showed off the scratches on her knees. she had red cheeks and big brown eyes. I'd never seen her before.
"me?" Jay asked, rather stupidly given that it had just been the third time he'd seen there was no one else around.
"yes!" her eyelashes were long and high as she looked him straight in the eye. he felt uncomfortable.
"um..." Jay began, hoping this exchange would end soon, but apparently the little girl in front of him looked at him as if his skin had completely turned gold. or at least he would have looked at some gold like this.
"what?" he asked, tucking his palms back into the pockets of his pants.
"you are the Mr.Blue ninja!" the little girl exclaimed with confidence and enthusiasm, and Jay did the exact opposite, feeling completely mocked.
"I can't believe it," Jay said, closing his eyelids and clenching his teeth.
he absolutely couldn't believe a little girl had followed him and said the same things as the ninjas he was trying to escape-
"the Master of Lightning!" the little girl then said in a more lower tone, imitating a narrator from some superhero movie, before starting to run in circles, making hand gestures and sounds reminiscent of a laser gun.
In his head, there were two plans now:
either, I start walking away now that she's still imitating gestures I've never done—because I'M NOT A NINJA—or...
maybe the second idea is a little too crude, actually... maybe. BUT if she keeps getting on my nerves much longer, i swear I'll change my mind in an instant-
pressing his thumb and forefinger against the bridge of his nose, he forced himself to take a breath "I'm not a ninja." he actually tried to speak calmly, even though his tone of voice still seemed very strained.
"yes, you are! you are Jay, the fastest ninja who can shoot lightning from his fingers! my brother Matthew had a super-gigantic poster of you in his room!" empathizing with how huge it was, she extended her arms out to her sides, trying to reach beyond what her shoulders blades actually could, exaggeratingly making him imagine if.
"ugh.. I can't believe I have to also argue with a kid about this.. but I'm not a ninja." Jay forced himself even more calmly, refraining from getting too nervous as his words passed pressed between his teeth "wait- a poster?"
"yeah! we are both big fans of yours!" the little girl expressed, smiling and showing the gap between her still baby teeth "my brother knows all about you Mr. Jay!"
"I'm Count McCoolguy!" he then said immediately, as soon as he realized she'd repeated his real name again.
how did she know my name?
"uuuhh!! are you on a mission!?" the little girl moved closer to him, looking around and hiding her mouth with her hand, whispering.
well, technically yes.. but-
"no" Jay said frankly, feeling that he was getting tired of this situation "I'm not on any mission kid, I'm just a poor lost guy who was hosted in this beautiful place after the merge" he bowed a little with his back towards her, continuing to keep this fake story with an equally fake and higher voice to be understood by the little girl.
but the little girl absolutely didn't want to believe his words and instead raising an eyebrow "what is the merge?"
Jay opened his lips, but actually no words came out, unsure whether he could actually answer her or not "ask your parents.. uhm- ?"
"I'm Clara!" she excitedly said, smiling again. but then her eyes narrowed, looking around again as if she were a spy, "or should I call myself something else?"
he blinked, not knowing what to do anymore. what was the perfect way to get rid of a clingy child? running away remained one of his main plans anyway.
"look, I don't know and i don't care, call yourself whatever you want, but I'm leaving. I don't have time to waste" and Jay decided to end it like this. his patience was wearing thin, so he turned and started walking again, not caring about the little girl behind.
"but Mr.Blue Ninja! what about the mission?"
and something clicked in his head, metaphorically hearing the ring of the bar of his patience that had reached the limit, a bit like that hammer game where you have to hit a botton as hard as you can, except that it was his nerves going up over the record here.
"I'm not a ninja, there's no mission and I have no idea who you are! can't you figure it out!?" he sharply turned back around, looking the little girl straight in the eye and inevitably shouting his words.
he noticed the change in expression on her face, showing pure fear in her eyes, then fading in something else. her chin wrinkled, her lip trembled and her eyebrows were bent, pointing upwards and in a second, tears rolled down her cheeks.
but he preferred to turn straight again, take the opportunity and get away as soon as possible before the situation could degenerate and he could no longer get out of it.
and then her crying hit him straight through the eardrums. it wasn't a loud, shrill cry like the ones he'd heard from some of the kids he'd seen around, it wasn't annoying. although Jay actually thought it was annoying all this moment, but for some reason it was stronger than him as soon as he heard the strangled sobs and little whimpers that accompanied it.
why was a little girl crying, because he had tried in a thousand ways to make her understand that he didn't know who she was, now stopping him from continuing to walk?
who cares!... she'll forget about all this in a few seconds anyway.
he moved one foot in front of the other, and then the other again.. but did not move forward again. making the mistake of glancing behind him.
when he saw her hands in front of her eyes, awkwardly rubbing her cheeks and eyelids, while her eyes were closed and her open lower lip was letting out a drop of drool, he should have thought it was disgusting, but instead he snorted.
and then he took another deep breath, aligning his shoulders and straightening his back.
rolling again his neck toward her, this time he then turned back with his whole body. in disbelief himself of what he was about to do.
for some reason he couldn't look at her for more than a second, before his gaze drifted back down to the perfectly gray, dirt-free concrete, until he finally reached her, seeing her feet just inches away from his bigger ones.
the little girl may not have heard him, but Jay kept thinking about how ridiculous this whole thing was and how he just wanted to go back to that horrible house they had and sleep as soon as this was over. or better yet, get away from everyone and the ninja again.
"um.." Jay hesitated, noticing how his hand was shaking slightly in uncertainty as it inched closer to the little girl, totally unsure if he wanted to place his palm on her shoulder. "fsm- Clara.. right?"
hearing her name, Clara removed on little fist from her right eye, glancing up at him and showing pure confusion on her puffy face. but she still kept a pout about how hurt she was toward him.
his eyes darted around, hoping he hadn't caught anyone's attention. he searched for any kind of word as he placed one knee on the ground and lowered himself to her view.
"I.. I was wrong to yell at you like that" Jay was trying so hard, really, but Clara seemed to be looking for something deeper.. totally what Jay didn't want "I-"
why do you make it so difficult? just apologize and then you can finally leave!
"I'm sorry, Clara.." and maybe, just maybe, the little girl had stopped crying. snorting back snot, she wiped her tears and nose with the backs of her palms, then wiped them on her T-shirt.
absolutely disgusting.
holding back the true expression he would have had at that moment, he instead maintained eye contact with her, unconsciously raising his eyebrows slowly upward, softening his gaze.
Clara didn't break her gaze, and in fact, it seemed as if she was reading something through his eyes that he couldn't, and then her face relaxed, smiling again.
"why are your eyes red?" and as much as it was a question dictated by curiosity and innocence, it actually caught him off guard, frowning slightly at her question.
how could he answer her without traumatizing her (probably for the second time)?
"my eyes are red 'cause.." for shatterspin, a technique that destroy your soul in a thousand fragments, surely something I could say to a little girl as a bedtime story, yeah "because I put on contact lenses" plausible, right?
"my mom also uses these lenses! but why are yours red?" okay, children are annoying.
"because I liked them"
"they are scary" Clara simply said, continuing to observe the color of his eyes "so cool!"
Jay raised an eyebrow in surprise, realizing that this was actually the first time anyone had said anything about his eyes.. "yeah?"
"yeah! although they're not blue like your ninja clothes"
the tic in his eye made itself known, starting to think he might be the next one to cry in despair.
maybe he could have politely asked her not to repeat any more words that centered around this infamous word 'ninja'? Jay had no idea how to do that anyway, but it probably wouldn't have done that much harm.
even if she didn't give him the time, feeling the presence of two arms tightening around his shoulders without even any kind of warning.
he found himself with her full head of hair tickling his neck and her cheek pressed against his collarbone. his hands were instinctively going to her shoulders to push her away from him, but for some reason he blocked them in the air first.
Jay didn't know what to feel, but he knew it was strange.
at least she's not calling me a ninja anymore...?
a few seconds passed, but she didn't seem to want to let go and he was starting to feel really uncomfortable, so now it was him who moved again his hands and freed them from the air, placing them on her shoulders and doing something this time to actually detach her from him.
she didn't say anything, but she was smiling. she wasn't crying anymore, good.
"okay Clara, you'feeling better now?" he asked genuinely.
"I'm all good, Count McCoolguy!" she winked, and, again genuinely, a grin escaped his control. It wasn't bad.
"then I can get back to finishing my mission" Jay whispered, copying the same way she had hiden her mouth with the hand before, and the light of happiness in her big eyes returned as soon as he winked back.
"okay, good job!" she continued whispering, then turned around once someone said her name. Jay instantly looked up at the new voice too, framing a woman who was probably a little older than him. he then looked back down at Clara once she answered back, greeting her mother.
Clara looked back at him, smiling as she backed away and ran toward her mother. Jay watched her go, not noticing that he had a small smile on his face, until...
"bye, Mr. Blue Ninja!"
when she then repeated that stupid word...
"Oh my—I hate children."