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Written by Grace Able, entertainment reporter.

November 17th 2XXX,

Following the anticipated release of the special mini series 'Day of the departed' and riding on the coat-tails of the wildly successful sixth consecutive season of the entertainment phenomenon, Ninjago: Master's of Spinjitzu, fans of the franchise can expect even more excitement in the coming months. A special announcement was released earlier today on the official Ninjago Entertainment Digger account announcing the start of Production for the company's first feature length film rumoured to release later next year.

Competition for creative control on the movie has been tight, with several big name Directors reportedly showing interest in elevating the world of the Ninja with their own artistic vision. Details relating to the plot and setting of the Movie within the established NinjaGO series-verse have yet to be shared - however the lead actors have already been announced.

It's been revealed that the core series actors will be reprising their roles in the movie - a reassuring mark in favour of the movie's success as all six of the break-out cast occupy slots on EasternInfluencers Top 100 most recognisable celebrities.

Zane Julien | no. 83

[Picture of him in a white button up shirt with a ruffled collar and flared sleeve cuffs. Layered on top is a black corset belt, with detailing embroidered in shimmering blue thread. His blond hair is styled to fall in curtains around his eyes and he's got a visible beauty mark under his eye.]

Starring as the White Ninja, Elemental Master of Ice. Julien is otherwise known for his repeated guest star appearances on the 'Into the Frying Pan' cooking show; his growing portfolio of Broadway musical roles; and he is becoming more recognised as an environmental activist for endangered species in the Northern Nether Isles - speaking up against poaching and unlawful hunting.

Jay Walker| no. 68

[Picture of him with short cropped red hair - he's wearing a white khaki jacket with a tall collar and has aviator shades perched down his nose. His eyebrow still has a slit and he's got a leather book bag thrown over one shoulder and is wearing gloves.]

Starring as the Blue Ninja, Elemental Master of Lightning. Walker has most recently become involved with projects outside of MoS by being a voice actor in numerous animated TV shows and video games; playing competitively in regional and national E-sports championships; and in partnering several Hospitals across the continent to bring gaming carts to ill children.

Cole Brookestone| no. 55

[Picture of him wearing an oversized knitted cardigan with jumper paws holding his head in the chin of his palm. He's got golden light shuttered onto him, giving the photo a soft look. He's wearing tortoise shell glasses with a chain, and his hair is styled to be wavy and fall over his brow.]

Starring as the Black Ninja, Elemental Master of Earth. Brookestone, with an accomplished background in the performance arts, has continued to become a self-published musician who composes his own music and also shares this passion through live dj broadcasts and performances. He's shared that any money made from the broadcasts is then donated to cancer research to fund medications to help his Mother who is a celebrated cancer survivor.

Nya Smith| no. 31

[Picture of her with her hair tied into small space buns with silver tinsel tied into it to make it shimmer. She's wearing chunky layered necklaces, and has a bright off-the-shoulder spray-painted jumper on. Her grey eyes are accented by a vibrant blue eye shadow and she's got black lipstick on for the bold look.]

Starring as the Teal Ninja, Elemental Master of Water. Smith has expressed an invested interest in athletics, and amazes as the most recent national athletic winner and regional winner alongside her teams in swimming and canoeing. She also models fitness clothes and is a partner of Cyrus Borg industries in the STEM development program for young women.

Lloyd Griffiths| no. 22

[Picture of him wearing a grey, unzipped hoodie that has the sleeves pushed up to his elbows and a hood pulled up over a green beanie. His blond hair is styled to be fluffy where it's showing and he's wearing a black tank top, and a thin cord necklace. The finishing touch to the look is a cosmetic cut on his nose to give the impression of a bad boy.]

Starring as the Green Ninja, Grandson of the First Master. Griffiths, widely recognised due to his relation to the Garmadon brothers, has stepped out and established himself as a voice for youth as a Representative for Youth for the United Ninjago children's emergency fund. His acting range has also been demonstrated through his iconic performance in the P. H Craftlove's latest horror film - becoming a stand-out talent in the genre.

Kai Smith| no. 14

[Picture of him wearing a black halterneck jumper. Shrugged on top is a white and red racing jacket covered in brand deals - the matching helmet tucked under his arm. He's leaning against a motorcycle, hair gelled in refined spikes.]

Starring as the Red Ninja, Elemental Master of Fire. Smith has participated in a diverse and impactful variety of Blockbuster movies - noted to be a highly sought after talent and anticipated actor. He has partnered with several designer brands, and has helped design and collaborate his own collection whilst advocating for large companies to stop destroying unsold clothing products and donate them instead. He was also recently voted as Ninjago's number 1 teen heart-throb.

Each of the six breakout actors are stars in the field and outstanding individuals - so enthusiasm and hopes for the movie installment are set high. Wulan and Ichika Garmadon have stated that they have conflicting schedules so they cannot be present to film the movie - however other actors will take the mantle temporarily - the two have elected to continue their series contracts however so the change wont be permanent.

As more news is posted by the official sites, we will keep you updated about all the latest entertainment developments.

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[No.3 | Parkour Tag | 7.5 Million Views ]

[Play]

WARNING: THE STUNTS AND ACTIONS PERFORMED IN THIS VIDEO ARE DONE BY PROFESSIONALS AND TRAINED INDIVIDUALS. DO NOT DO THIS AT HOME.

The video starts with drone footage of the City's main temple. Sitting in the middle of Ninjago central park, the footage shows the transition from clustered greenery and sprawling natural life to raised platforms, tiled paths and intricate stone statues. The sakura trees, whilst not fully in bloom, are sporting flower heads that will undoubtedly blossom in the coming days - and flashes of Koi ponds, vivacious shrines and stringed lanterns are shown as the footage focuses on the inner temple courtyard where a group of people can be seen standing.

The scene transition focuses on the group - where the six 'ninja' are stretching and warming up. They're wearing athletic clothing styled to reflect their character's GI - with the exception of Cole and Zane. Zane's white is accented with a bright pink, whilst Cole's black is broken up by splashes of orange. Notably however, they're all wearing claws on their hands and feet, and have go-pro cameras strapped to their chests.

"Geez - it's so weird seeing this place so empty!" Jay's voice echoes loudly grabbing everyone's attention.

"Right?" Nya agrees from beside him, swinging her arms around her in a wide arc. "Normally its so packed in here that there's not enough space to step without ending up on top of someone."

"That's because we only visit the shrine during the new year to pray," tilting his head, Zane regards the pagoda and intricate carvings with fascination, "It's likely worth coming more often to appreciate the cultivated balance of energy when its less crowded."

Lloyd nods in agreement.

"It definitely wouldn't be empty - but my Mum comes here as often as she can because she finds it easy to meditate in the gardens. Honestly - we're super fortunate to be able to appreciate the shrine whilst it's empty."

They make various noises of agreement, the only exception being Cole who furrows his brows in concern whilst looking between his friends.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm worried about breaking something culturally and historically significant by climbing it like my ass is on fire."

Kai turns abruptly away from the camera to hide his chortle. Upon composing himself, he throws a wolfish grin at Jay. "If anybody here needs to be worried about that it's Jay - his skull is thick enough to crack stone!"

"HEY!" Jay barks his protest and charges at Kai to tackle him to the ground.

The camera cuts abruptly with the intermission message: TECHNICAL ISSUES. The screen fades to black and the instrumental for 'the weekend whip' begins to play alongside the video's title card: Parkour Tag with the Ninja.

The video begins in earnest. The actors standing confidently side by side in front of the pagoda with the string lanterns blowing overhead. Smiling directly into the camera, Lloyd begins explaining the rules of the game.

"Welcome to a one-off, special event hosted by DinGO in celebration of the New Year. We are the actors for the Ninja in the show Masters of Spinjitzu, and today, we will be playing Parkour Tag."

"The aim of the game is simple," Zane continues, "The game of tag will start and end here: at the central shrine."

Picking up, Nya says: "One person will be designated as the tagger, and they will have 30 minutes catch and infect the other players so that they can join their team."

"The arena is limited to the boundary of the central park," a map is overlayed on screen as Kai explains, "both the tagger and the evaders must remain within the boundary or they will be disqualified."

The camera focuses on Jay, "The tagger will be chosen by spinning a wheel and will have a thirty second start time delay to give the evaders a head start."

"The winner will be the first person to make it back to the front door of the pagoda within 30 minutes without being tagged." Cole finishes, the shot bringing a red flag with the word 'finish' into focus.

A name wheel gets pushed into frame as Nya skips over to spin it. "Now to pick who's going to be the tagger!" She pauses, and turns with interest to the boys. "Anybody got their fingers crossed in hopes of being chosen?"

Jay's hand shoots up, " I do! I'm faster than everyone else, so I bet I could catch everyone in like, 10 minutes."

A flurry of token protests and friendly jabs get thrown around as Lloyd laughs disbelievingly - "Really?"

"Really, really! Spin the wheel Nya - I'm ready to chase everyone down!"

With a cackle, Nya obliges and dramatic editing ensues, cutting between their faces and the spinning wheel. The wheel comes to a stop. The tagger's name is shown: Zane.

A wide shot shows the groups reaction. Nya doubles over laughing - accompanied by Lloyd laughing into his hands. Cole is shaking Jay's shoulders as he falls to his knees. Meanwhile Zane holds his hands to his chest and mimes accepting an award, encouraged by Kai's enthusiastic applause. The bombastic scene is enough to amuse the staff too - light peals of laughter from the set getting picked up by the microphones.

Just as suddenly as he falls, Jay hops back up to his feet - "Just you watch - I'm going to be the last person standing and outrun all of you!" He poses with his fist in the air, faltering only when Cole pokes him in the side.

"Just for that I am going to chase you and only you," Jay gasps in offense.

"I'm going to beat you so bad!" Jay sticks his tongue out at Cole. Cole flicks him on the head.

"You're on."

Leaning over to Cole with interest, Zane smiles deviously, casting a sideways glance at Jay "I'll come after you first if you want Cole."

"Ooh!" Kai goads, "Don't underestimate Zane now Jay. This man is ruthless in competition when he wants to be."

Stepping forward, Jay meets Zane's toothy smile appraisingly.

"Winner buys the other the newest Starfarer Comic?"

"Done."

The two shake hands on their wager, eyes bright.

Satisfied with their smack talk, and eager to move forward with the contest, they all move into position. In the corner of the screen a white, thirty minute, timer can be seen - and as the video switches between each person's go-pro, a coloured frame is shown with their name in the corner to distinguish footage.

The countdown begins: Five, four, three, two, one…

A horn blows and the actors sprint through the open gate and tear into the outer shrine grounds - scattering with thrilled laughter and a visible urgency.

Jay pulls ahead of the group, hopping down platform to platform, forgoing the stairs completely in favour of getting through the entrance gate quickest. His steps land lightly in the gravel path, but in favour of avoiding the friction - Jay bounces through the royal garden lightly - narrowly missing the koi ponds.

Cole, seemingly more interested in keeping his promise in getting Jay out of the game rather than winning himself, follows the other boy closely. He jumps the garden wall and perches at the top. Noticing his pursuer, Jay begins to whine and doubles his efforts. Free of the obstacles in the garden, Jay rushes for the exit - Cole but a couple of steps behind as he drops from the wall and chases him with glee.

Meanwhile, Lloyd and Kai seem to be on the same wavelength. Both sprint away from the starting point with the group, but once they're out of Zane's line of sight sight Lloyd ducks down and doubles back to circle around the back wall of the inner courtyard. Kai, on the other hand, veers over to the red gates and scales the leg of the nearest one. Careful to keep his grip, he pulls himself onto the upper horizontal beam and crouches - perched on his toes.

Nya is the only person who runs midway through the temple grounds before she turns to face Zane head on through the open gate. Face open and beaming, she puts her hands on her hips and seems to invite the chase and the thrill of the challenge.

Nya's giddy taunt is answered with a hop and a skip, as Zane's buzzer sounds. Faster than people might assume him to be, Zane bombs it through the temple and guns instantly for Nya - provoking a delighted cackle and some mad scrambling. As the action kicks off properly - the screen freezes in a six way split, dramatic music appropriately playing and the text 'who will win?' in bold.

Ninjago Group Chat

March 3rd

[Lloyd] - can anyone else feel the ground shaking?

[Jay] - my glass is shaking on the table - probably a low magnitude earthquake.

[Nya] - ive just gotten out of the pool, but I couldn't tell you. I cant feel any shaking.

[Jay] - is the water being extra-sloshy?

[Nya] - Depends what your definition of regular sloshy is Jay.

[Jay] - I cant explain it to you, you just have to know.

[Nya] - right

[Lloyd] - its probably not a big deal so I wouldn't worry about it guys.

March 7th

[Kai] - my limited edition elemental fire guardian dragon figure just swan dived off my shelf.

[Kai] - devastated.

[Cole] - Fsm, ive just had to pull all my vinyls down from their walls displays.

[Cole] - sorry about the figure Kai.

[Kai] - its whatever, ive wrapped the rest of my shelf stuff in my bedding so they should be good.

[Nya] - Kai, can you check my room please??

[Kai] - Crap, yeah one moment.

[Zane] - my father was keeping an eye on the seismic reports, so fortunately we were able to put most of our valuables away.

[Kai] - managed to save your dragon Nii.

[Nya] - thank the masters. And the trophies?

[Kai] - shattered into a million itty bitty pieces.

[Nya] - you'd be crying if that had happened.

[Zane] - the earthquake seems to have passed with minimal damage!

[Cole] - not quite, my bass got knocked over and a string snapped.

[Kai] - and flame??

[Cole] - and Kai's dragon.

[Zane] - we can get you another dragon kai, no matter.

[Nya] - these constant earthquakes are so annoying.

[Cole] - let's hope they stay annoying and dont veer into dangerous.

[Nya] - good point.

March 18th

[Cole] - is everyone okay??

[Lloyd] - my mum and I were evacuated from the building because a gas main broke, but physically we're fine.

[Cole] - first master, is it under control?

[Lloyd] - looks like it, im sure it'll be fine.

[Jay] - one of the houses down the street collapsed, but its been empty for months since the old couple passed in winter. My mum's art room also got destroyed, but its nothing that cant be fixed.

[Zane] - My father and I are also okay thank you.

[Zane] - But I must say that im quite worried about the smoke rising on the horizon.

[Cole] - It's probably from the volcano right? I remember reading a few years back that they were forecasting more volcanic activity.

[Jay] - Yeah, it probably is - it stinks of rotten eggs and that coupled with more frequent earthquakes that are rising in magnitude point towards an imminent eruption.

[Lloyd] - Disregarding that for the moment has anyone heard from Kai or Nya over the past hour?

[Cole] - The last hour? No. Kai left ours this morning to help his parents with gardening because the soil swallowed a bunch of their flower beds - but haven't heard from him since.

[Zane] - I was on a video call with Nya before the earthquake, but the signal cut out and I haven't heard from them since.

[Jay] - Shit, shit, shit, shit.

[Jay] - I just checked the live reports on injuries and there's an article saying that an ambulance was spotted near their parents' house.

[Jay] - I've got a really bad feeling that something had happened.

[Cole] - Let's not jump to any conclusions, we dont know that the article is accurate. It could just be a Pap trying to capitalise on the chaos and make a quick coin.

[Lloyd] - My call won't connect to Kai's phone and Nya Isn't picking up.

[Lloyd] - Crap, brb. Getting my mum to call theirs.

[Jay] - Oh first master, what if one of them got hurt?

[Cole] - Don't jinx it Jay.

[Jay] - That's not fair, its a natural disaster so it's natural to be worried!

[Cole] - I'm not saying it isnt, but let's be positive. Maybe their phones got damaged but they're fine.

[Zane] - I've seen how some areas do not have signal at the moment because of affected telephone poles.

[Jay] - they could be helping old ladies across the streets??

[Lloyd] - Kai's been hospitalised.

[Cole] - Fuck.

[Cole] - Are you serious??

[Jay] - oh first master - is he okay?? What about Nya?

[Lloyd] - My mum couldn't get much from Aya because she's panicking, but its not life threatening. Nya, and their parents are unhurt though.

[Zane] - bugger. Bugger it all. Is there anything we can do to help them?

[Lloyd] - no I think we've just got to sit and wait.

[Cole] - did they mention when we can see Kai?

[Cole] - does he need anything from home like a toothbrush? His lucky pillow? Anything??

[Lloyd] - no, not yet. Aya said she'd keep my mum and our parents informed on their group chat as the situation continues.

[Jay] - keep an ear out guys. We can get a care package for all of them done once we know what's happening.

[Zane] - good idea. Let's make sure we're all prepared as well for the next earthquake and potential eruption.

[Zane] - let's avoid any further hospitalisations.

March 20th

Adjusting the mask to sit better on his face, Lloyd was careful to keep his head down and a low profile as he hurried through the food court of the hospital and up to the private wards towards the back of the medical complex. He was tense and uncomfortable, eyeing the journalists and news vans parked outside through the windows like they were vultures circling a corpse.

The halls were busier than usual, but fortunately the casualties and injuries from the earthquake had been minimal and the damage to infrastructure was insubstantial. The nurses and doctors looked tired, and the city beyond the hospital grounds looked tense with the volcanic smoke funneling out across the blue sky above it.

"Excuse me," twisting to avoid the rushing figure - Lloyd glanced at the overhead sign bracketed between sad yellow fluorescent and turned down the right hand hallway. Nondescript pop music played tinnily through the speakers, but the stench of disinfectant was slightly less arresting with the open windows and fresh air.

A final check, and Lloyd was pushing the door open with a light knock. Sticking his head in, the adults in the room - Aya and Kiyoshi Smith - turned expectantly. Seeing he wasn't a nurse they quickly ushered him in and greeted him kindly. He slipped off his mask to hang off one ear, and lowered his bag to the floor, taking stock of the beeping machinery and the static hum of the news channel broadcast on the corner television.

"Oh Lloyd, we were so grateful to hear that you and your mother are all right. Is everything okay with your uncle and the rest of your family?" Her embrace was tight, anxious, but gentle.

"Hi Mrs. Smith, yeah everything's all good with Uncle Wu's side of the family. Everything's all normal for everyone except for the news about Kai," Lloyd looks between them - pointedly keeping his focus away from the hospital bed, "Are you two holding up okay?"

Kiyoshi came forward and squeezed his shoulder tightly with a small, tired smile.

"We're still a bit shocked, still a bit scared - but ultimately incredibly thankful that nothing worse happened."

Nodding, Lloyd scans the room surprised to see Nya absent. Aya notices his surprise and gestures at the door as she speaks.

"Nya's off grabbing Kai a hot chocolate before I take her home for a couple of hours. We need to get the house ready for any further earthquakes and take Feastus out for a walk so he can work out some nervous energy."

"Better go and check up on her honey, she's taking a while." Kiyoshi suggests, rubbing her back. They exchange a glance, coming to a silent agreement. Aya picks up her bag, bids Kai in the bed farewell, and kisses Lloyd's hair before she leaves the room in search of her daughter.

There's an uncertain pause where Lloyd struggles with what to do next. He knows Kai is awake, but he hasn't had the chance to acknowledge him yet. Does he just move around Kiyoshi and move to the bed? Without knowing what he wants to say, Lloyd opens his mouth to speak, but Kiyoshi beats him to it.

"We appreciate you and Koko reaching out when you did Lloyd, and we appreciate how stressful it must've been for all of the boys to receive the news as well," Lloyd thinks he grimaces, which seems answer enough for the older man.

"Between the volcano and now this," He gestures with resignation around the hospital room, " it might be a bit of time before things get back to being 'normal', but rest assured when it is - we'll have everyone and their families over to celebrate good health, community and support."

"That sounds nice Mr.Smith, I'll look forward to it."

"I'll give the two of you a couple of minutes to catch-up, and Lloyd, would you like a hot chocolate?"

Grateful, he nods and finally moves to settle in the chair next to Kai's bed.

Running an affectionate hand through Lloyd's hair, Kiyoshi shuts the door quietly behind him. With nobody else in the private room, Lloyd has no other option than to settle his view on his friend.

Its not a gruesome sight, or even a tragic one. The hospital sheets look recently ironed, the fluorescent white lights have been turned off so that natural light is pouring through the open window shutters. The heart monitor is beating rhythmically, and the IV drip looks like the only fluid being pumped though a rubber tube.

Even Kai, as Lloyd finally builds the courage to look directly at him seems to be in a relatively good condition. His hair looks clean, albeit flat. He's sitting up against his cushions, strong enough to hold his own weight. His complexion is pale, and he's got bruises on his arm from the IV being changed. But Kai's lips are quirked in a small smile as he stares right back at him.

Lloyd is hit by the stray thought that its a lot like how someone might approach a wounded or startled animal, open and still, letting them make the first move. And wasn't that just like Kai?

More considerate of his Best friend than himself despite sitting there with half of his face a tight pink from newly healing skin, pulled taunt by stitches mapping the gash from his mid temple down to his lower cheek. The eye not watching him with thinly veiled concern is hidden with a medical eye patch. Lloyd's heart seized, like an anchor the anxiety of the past couple of days sits uncomfortably under his ribs.

He doesn't even know how to start articulating the tidal wave of everything he's feeling. Floundering, Lloyd ignores the treacherous burn in his eyes as Kai reaches for his hands that are hovering anxiously in front of him.

"Hi," it's a bit uncertain, a bit tired, and a lot fond - and without further hesitation, Lloyd is surging forward to wrap his arms around Kai's shoulders so that he can bury his face in his neck and feel him there. Okay.

"Hi," the response is a bit watery, a bit weak but incredibly relieved. Lloyd's bracing one knee against the hospital bed so that he can hover over Kai without hurting him. The tremble Lloyd can feel from the boy in front of him is telling of how scared Kai must've been, and may still be. It's sobering.

Leaning back, Lloyd settles at Kai's side and sets a ginger hand on his friend's cheek - turning his face to inspect the injury. He wants to ask what happened, but can't bring himself to say the words. Would it be insensitive to probe after such a recent incident? Biting his cheek, Lloyd met Kai's eye guiltily.

"I know you want to ask something Lloyd, I can probably even guess what it is, so c'mon. Out with it." It was impressive how his ability to express exasperation in an eye roll was no less diminished with just half the effect.

"Yeah, it's not the most original question - you'll probably be answering the same thing for the rest of our lives," the sardonic huff from the other boy didn't seem too enthusiastic about the prospect, "How did this happen, Kai?"

Kai exhaled making his longer bangs flare.

"Got it in one," the attempt at levity falls flat. "You know how a couple of weeks ago I moved Nya and I's stuff from the shelves and walls in our bedrooms to stop stuff from falling?" He waits for Lloyd to nod before continuing.

"Well, we were in the kitchen when the most recent quake hit. Pots were falling out of the cupboard, spices were falling off the rack and smashing into the tiles, cook books were toppling yadda yadda yadda…" His impatient gestures lose their flair and slump onto the bed sheet as he continues.

"The issue ended up being that Feastus was getting really freaked out by all the stuff falling - so I was chasing him around the kitchen, trying to shepherd him away from the broken glass and hazards whilst Nya ran to the living room to try and make sure nothing else glass broke so that the dog wouldn't run over it. And then…"

"And then…?" Lloyd prompts, although he has a pretty good idea of what must've happened before Kai says it.

"And then, everything is a blur. I almost couldn't tell you how it happened. One moment, I'm on my feet, the next - I think I trip over a pan, or slip on a metal spatula or something equally as stupid - and then my face slams into the sharp corner of the marble kitchen counter. Something sharp tears through me, and whilst I don't actually remember the landing, according to the nurse, it seems I artfully threw myself into the glass shards."

Lloyd grimaced in phantom pain at the imagined sensations - eyeing the wound and eye patch with a new sense of dread.

"Wait! Your eye does that mean-"

"I'll be able to see fine, thank the master. The surgery I had yesterday did the job of getting everything that wasn't meant to be in me out - and save for the gnarly face scar - I'm no worse off than I was before."

"Right yeah," Lloyd nodded in understanding, "your parents said. But it just, it feels different hearing it from you. You know?"

"I get that," Kai wave's a dismissive hand towards his phone, face down on the table beside him, "and I know that everyone is only going to calm down once I can squint through this migraine to answer their messages."

The reminder of their friends has Lloyd dragging his bag over to the bed side and scrounging around for the gifts he'd brought. "Speaking of our worry-wort friends, I come with many a gift for you!"

Gifts and the mention of positive attention seems to make Kai perk up a bit at least.

The first is a small bundle of get well soon cards and well-wishes from Kai's extended family, his high school friend ground and football friends, their producers, Kai's agent Mrs. Jiang, and of course - a hand drawn card from all of them and a couple of their particularly close cast friends.

Kai whistles at the small but impressive collection, touched at the personal sentiments as he lightly skims through them before setting them aside to properly read another time. Lloyd can't help but jump in teasingly, "You know you'll be reading a novella worth of well-wishes when you get around to your PO box and the rest of your friends, acquaintances and colleagues?"

"Not to mention whatever's happening on all of my socials. How much do you want to bet it'll be like the seventh entrance to the departed realm when I start going through it all?"

"I'm not taking a bet I can't win dude," the next gift is a tub of coffee and vanilla cookies courtesy of Zane and his father Julien. Kai's eye positively shimmers with glee as he excitedly accepts the offering. He seems slightly off-put to not try the baking straight-away, but having the cookies to look forward to makes him happy enough.

"Oh my Master, I adore Zane - tell him he's still my favourite and send it with the picture of the chip advert saying 'tall, blonde and gorgeous." Laughing, Lloyd smacks Kai's leg in defiance earning a performative 'ow!'.

"Hey! I'm the messenger who's come bearing the gifts, so shouldn't I be the favourite? But I'm pretty sure I do have that image saved somewhere on my phone from that viral dig - so I'll tell him you say thanks."

Watching Kai fiddle with the gifts brought Lloyd a sense of calm. He knew for a fact that what some of Kai's current temperament was put on for show, to make sure he went back to the others and helped calm them down. But for the moment, Lloyd would accept at face value that his friend was feeling better. Thoughts of Kai's other half came back to him, and despite having a suspicion already, he asked:

"How did Nya take the whole thing?"

Kai stills, his easy smile taking on a more brittle quality. Lloyd almost feels bad for asking, watching as the other boy sinks into the hospital bed.

"She blames herself. I don't know why, seeing as she can't control how the ground shakes, or how glass shatters. She won't say it to my face but she's probably more upset about all of this than I am." There's a pregnant pause in his speech, before he stutters through his next thought.

"But in a way, I suppose I'm no better than she is. I feel awful about making her worry - especially when she's already got so much going on with swimming, and school, and the media, and the whole mess with Jay after the latest season."

The mention of the vicious and intrusive articles that had been popping up everywhere about their youngest group member made the ever-present nauseous lump of anxiety at the bottom of his throat lurch. It was saddening - how familiar they'd all come to be with feeling guilty on behalf of each other's suffering.

"Like she can't control how the lava flows, or how a dog reacts - you can't control media vitriol, or mob mentality. The feeling will pass Kai - and I agree that the two of you are two sides of the same coin when it comes to processing your emotions. Just focus on yourself and getting better for now - once you're back in top shape, we can put full focus into supporting Nya."

Whether Kai actually felt comforted by Lloyd's assertions, or if he had just decided not to continue pushing the topic - Lloyd couldn't tell. With an ambivalent smile, and a half shrug, Kai guided the conversation away from their problems and instead towards the newest game coming out based on their show.

The chat continues to flow back and forth. Kiyoshi is back a few minutes later with a hot chocolate in hand for Lloyd, and he sits in the chair and fondly reads over the well-wishing cards as Lloyd presents more of the accumulated gifts to Kai.

From Jay? A luxury cashmere yellow blanket that sets Kai off in playful hysterics due to it being his blanket that Jay had stolen, and now apparently felt bad about having during Kai's time of crisis. It's accepted gratefully nonetheless, but with Kai seems resigned to the fact that it'll get stolen again as soon as Jay decides he's more comfortable at night with it.

Skylor's gift was simple enough - some herbal tea's known to aid healing and relaxation - that she'd dropped over to him in a hurry that morning before work, but not before asking him to tell Kai to take better care of himself. The tea is accepted gratefully, with a bag instantly thrown into a cup of hot water to drink.

The undisputed winner, however, seems to be the scuffed MP3 player and wire headphones tucked into a purple case at the bottom of the pile. Cole had uploaded tens of Kai's favourite songs onto the device overnight and had shoved the device at Lloyd with the sentiment that: hospitals are boring. Looking at him now, scrolling through the song selection with bright eyes - Lloyd assumes this is the truth when you're one of the patients.

"It's so sweet that you've all done this, and I'm so happy - but also you guys need to stop being so thoughtful because I'm legitimately worried that I'm going to pop a stitch over smiling too hard."

Mindful of his father's fussing - and trying to keep the smile on his face to a minimum, Kai gathers all of his gifts together so that they're scattered on the bed in front of him and directs Lloyd to take a picture for the group chat.

Grinning to himself, and feeling lighter than he had in days - Lloyd gets Kiyoshi in frame and takes a selfie of the half beaten Kai, his tired father, the assortment of gifts, and himself looking scruffy, but happy.

Ninja Group Chat

March 20th

[Lloyd] - Package received!

[Lloyd] - Kai's cleared of having any long term side effects and is going to heal just fine over the next couple of weeks!

[Cole] - Oh thank the first master, and Nya? Is she okay, she's not been online.

[Zane] - It's such a relief to hear that Kai is feeling better.

[Jay] - kai - 1, Earthquake - 0. But yeah, any news on Nii?

[Lloyd] - Aya messaged Kiyoshi a while ago saying that she's taken Nya back to their home to sort the house out incase there's another quake or if there's an eruption.

[Zane] - Makes sense given what's happened and the fact that they've had their focus split between Kai and preparing for the disasters.

[Zane] - Hope you're feeling okay, @Nya.

[Cole] - Yeah, Nii, take care of yourself as well.

[Jay] - @Nya, get plenty of rest.

[Lloyd] - @Nya, Kai's being sent back with enough Tea and cookies for the two of you to share, and there's a card for you too in the pile we've given him somewhere.

[Lloyd] - Oh! On that note. Kai also says thank you to everyone, but special messages for @Zane and @Jay.

[Zane] - Really?

[Lloyd] - @Zane, [image of chip advertisement with adjectives: Tall, blonde and Gorgeous].

[Zane] - He likes the cookies?

[Lloyd] - He loves the cookies.

[Zane] - :D

[Jay] - What about me?

[Lloyd] - @Jay [image of rat with red fur and edited blue ninja GI].

[Jay] - HEY!

[Lloyd] - He liked the blanket Jay, but we all know it was his to begin with.

[Jay] - It's still a nice gesture! The rat was uncalled for >:(

[Lloyd] - If it makes you feel better, your special message didn't actually come from Kai - it came from me.

[Jay] - That does make me feel better.

[Lloyd] - I have since shown Kai the special message, and he laughed so hard he nearly popped a stitch, so he says he approves.

[Jay] - HEY!

[Cole] - Was the MP3 player a hit?

[Jay] - Don't even begin fishing for compliments COLE.

[Jay] - Of course it was a hit, we're still on the injustice of my blanket being scorned!

[Lloyd] - HIS blanket. And it's not being scorned, he's using it right now!

[Jay] - I feel like I'm getting gaslit.

[Lloyd] - Anyways @Cole, Kai was beyond thrilled - he's been fiddling with it nonstop so it was a good shout.

[Cole] - Glad he's happy despite the circumstances :)

[Jay] - You guys all suck :(

[NinjagoToday] > [Top stories] > [BREAKING NEWS]

Torchfire Mountain erupts and expels several thousand tonnes of tephra and ash almost 10 miles into the atmosphere.

At 2.35 am on the 22nd of March, the offshore strato volcano. Mount Torchfire, experienced a level 4 VEI eruption. This eruption was preceded by several offshore earthquakes, peaking at 5.4 on the Richter scale.

5 fatalities were recorded in the earthquakes as well as 15,000 injuries. No injuries or fatalities have so far been recorded from the volcanic eruption.

The Ninjago Volcanic Observation Unit, NVOU, have issued a risk map closing access to the beaches and industrial shore sites due to the predicted ash fall…

Subscribe to the Newsletter to [Read more]

[Call Log]

[Outgoing: Calling Cole]

Cole: Hi?

Kai: Hey.

Kai: You're awake late.

Cole: Maybe I'm just up really early.

Kai: haha, classic.

Kai: …

Cole: You're up late too. Are you watching the volcano?

Kai: Not much volcano to see at the moment pal. The only thing even remotely visible from the bedroom window at my parents' place is the flow of the lava.

Cole: You can see that over the city lights?

Kai: Eh, a bit. The earthquake knocked off some of the Grid a few neighbourhoods over so It's not as difficult to see as it normally is. How's the view from your Dad's Mansion?

Cole: In the day? Unmatched. In the night? Nonexistent. You know how it is.

Kai: Yep. I do know.

Cole: …

Cole: Right… Well, on the topic of the volcano though, how's your face feeling?

Kai: I don't really know dude, sore? It hurts like a bitch. My skin feels too tight on my face because of the stitches, and I swear to the first master I've never known anything to feel as itchy. I just want to scratch it constantly. It's really starting to piss me off.

Cole: I can't even imagine, that sounds like it sucks.

Kai: You could put it like that.

Cole: When did they say you'll be healed fully?

Kai: A couple of months to be fully healed with nothing but a scar which is inconvenient. But the stitches can come out in a fortnight, thank the realms, so long as I don't tear or pull anything.

Cole: Ouch.

Kai: Yep. Liquid and soft food only diet for a few weeks, no strenuous activity or exercise, and I'm better off not feeling emotions too strongly because raising my eyebrows hurts and so does moving my cheeks.

Cole: …

Cole: And your mental state?

Kai: What of it.

Cole: How're you doing with the whole thing?

Kai: I already told you I'm in pain and pissed off about it Cole.

Cole: That's not what I mean, and you know it Kai. Of all the things you obsess about, your appearance and public image dominate the list. This injury changes nothing about you, your worth or your value in other people's eyes but I have a feeling you won't agree with that assessment.

Kai: …

Kai: You know, I found that message you left me on the MP3 player.

Cole: Oh.

Kai: 'Oh?'

Cole: I didn't think we were going to talk about it.

Kai: Well, I didn't really think so either. But I've listened to it a few times now, and somehow this conversation has lead us right back into the territory of what you said on the recording.

Cole: So you want to talk about… it?

Kai: I mean, it's kind of why I called you at stupid o'clock in the morning. You said a lot of stuff Cole. And some of it, it seems, I don't know… a lot? And I - I need to know what it means. What you mean.

Cole: I'm sorry, was the recording too much?

Kai: Depends on what you meant by it all.

Cole: Shit, Kai.

Kai: What did you mean, Cole?

Cole: …

Cole: Do you really want to know?

Kai: I really, really do.

Cole: It could change things, Kai. It might not be for the better.

Kai: I'll be the one to decide if I let this change things between us Cole. Besides, you had to know on some level that this would change some stuff.

Cole: I guess… Okay.

Kai: Okay.

Cole: It means exactly what you think it means Kai. How you're interpreting it, is how I mean it.

Kai: And how, prey tell, do you think I'm interpreting it?

Cole: You're interpreting it in the way that I mean you're irreplaceable to me. Since we were 13, you've been a constant in my life that I didn't know that I needed. We have petty fights constantly, you forget about tasks mid-way through doing them like its a day-job, and the pressure you sometimes put on all of us to reach your standards of a perfect image makes me want to tear my hair out.

Cole: But you were an instrumental factor in me confronting my dad and setting my life onto the path I want it to be on. The endless ambition you have motivates me everyday to work harder and pour more passion into what I love doing. And the innate star-quality you just have is magnetic.

Cole: I recorded that message because I know all of this, I know you. I know you'll hunt for hurtful messages online to reinforce the insecurities you've no doubt been brewing, and I know that you'll feel lesser for not being as 'perfect' as you want to be. But I said what I said then, and I'm saying what I am now, because you're enough. You've always been enough - moreso in my eyes and in the eyes of countless others.

Cole: So yeah. I guess, what I mean in a roundabout way, is that I like you Kai. And I wanted to support you like you've been supporting me.

Kai: I-…

Kai: That's a lot to take in.

Cole: It's definitely more than I said in the message haha.

Kai: Yeah.

Cole: …

Kai: …

Cole: So?

Kai: So. I think I need a few more minutes to process all of that. But, Cole…

Kai: I.

Kai: I think I'm angry with you.

Cole: …

Kai: No. Actually, I know I'm angry with you.

Cole: Look Kai - we can just try and pretend this never happened -

Kai: Stop. Stop. Stop it. I don't mean it like that.

Kai: Why did you have to tell me this through a hidden recording?

Kai: I mean, it feels like this is such a big important thing - something we've been headed to since the beginning. Like it was this big, open, secret between the two of us. That we knew, and that we were each others no matter what other people labeled us as.

Kai: I mean First Master Cole! We LIVE together - have been living together for months and months and months, and you tell me third hand through a recording handed to me by Lloyd?

Kai: It just feels cheap.

Cole: I guess I didn't really think about that - well, no, I did - but there's a reason I choose to do it this way.

Cole: I don't know if there's really been a moment in the past couple of months where I've been able to think of the right way to start this conversation with you. When we were watching films, or getting our makeup and hair done, during practice, or when running - every moment I've questioned 'is now the right time to say it?'

Cole: But it never was.

Cole: And even though I had it on pretty good authority that you felt the same, the worry was always there that it would go wrong.

Cole: But this week felt like a wake up. And suddenly it seemed so clear. I'll tell you what i said in that recording as much as you want, or need - but those songs and that message are for you to keep as a time-capsule forever. And I know I could've waited to give it to you in person, but it couldn't wait.

Cole: And if you're still mad, then I can accept it, but I also know you'll get over it.

Kai: We'll I'm obviously not cross now.

Cole: [Laughs] You're not?

Kai: No! Now I just feel silly.

Cole: Don't! I think it's sweet, in a twisted Kai kind of way, that you were mad about not feeling romanced enough.

Kai: Hey! It's been a rollercoaster of emotions for me over the past 72 hours okay? I reserve the right to strike this from the relationship history record.

Cole: Mmh - no.

Kai: Boo!

Kai: Fine - but if we're doing this I'm keeping the fit you threw when we were 12 on the record too.

Cole: That is not the same -

Kai: Sure it is!

Kai: [Laughs] Anyway there's one thing I need to make clear to you. If it isn't already appallingly obvious.

Kai: I really like you Cole. I have for a while, honestly. For a lot of different reasons, and because of a lot of different things.

Kai: Sometimes trying to get through to your stubborn ass about something is like talking to a brick wall. But some part of my brain must think that brick walls are good conversationalists, because it's never really been a deterrent to how much I fancy you. You're tough, hard-working, empathetic and people oriented - and I'm lucky that you're one of my people.

Cole: You find me attractive now do you? Do you have a little crush there Kai?

Kai: Typical that I say a bunch of nice crap to you and you focus on the thing about your looks you little egomaniac. For the record, you just called me magnetic, proceeded to say I'm basically irresistible, and you recorded me a soppy love note on an old school MP3 player hidden amongst a bunch of cheesy romance songs that was essentially a sonnet.

Cole: Well, when you put it like that no wonder why you've got a crush on me.

Kai: You're the worst, you know that?

Cole: [Laughs].

Cole: So what do we do now?

Kai: Now? We go to sleep.

Cole: Oh! That's it?

Kai: Obviously not Cole! I just mean for tonight, over the phone. We've been talking for like 40 minutes now and the sulfur-egg smell seeping in through the insulation cracks is starting to make me feel nauseous.

Cole: That's totally fair actually - it hasn't quite hit the northern part of the city yet, but I'm not excited for when it does.

Kai: I'll be home tomorrow evening - so you'd better be there too. I want to finish this talk, properly. And I've got something I want to give you, as a thank you for the MP3 player.

Cole: What am I getting?

Kai: It might start with a 'k' and end with an 'iss'.

Cole: Say less. I'll probably head back to the house early to make sure nothing is damaged and to check in with our neighbours, so I guess, if you can come sooner - please do?

Kai: We'll see what tomorrow brings, now goodnight Cole.

Cole: 'Night Kai. I can't wait for tomorrow.

Kai: Me neither.

[Shake]

[ColeBrookestone | Live • ]

The start of the broadcast is quiet as viewers stream into the lobby. Sitting comfortably in the frame is Cole. His hair is longer, curling around the nape of his neck and falling in a wave over one eye. He taps at his keyboard and checks something on another monitor muttering to himself and scratching his cheek.

“Okay, everything seems to be working. Sound - check, webcam - check, chat - check.”

After another moment, he smiles at the camera, satisfied. “Hello, hello - welcome in. Yes, this is a new setup, I'll get to that in a moment… oh! Wait, mods - I haven't got a mod in chat at the moment.”

He shoots off a message, checks the stream again and settles.

“Phew, okay - sorry for the longer adjustment period today. This is the first time I've tried streaming after the move, so not everything is set how I generally like it to be. But we can use this as a bit of a trial and error stream and adjust stuff from there.”

He reads the messages rolling in from the viewers - adjusts his microphone, and lowers the ambient music as per the chats demands. Multi-tasking and maintaining conversation comes easily to Cole, so the atmosphere of the broadcast balances quickly.

“‘Is this your new setup?’ Yeah! Cool, right?” Cole wheels his chair back and gestures broadly at the room around him. 

The walls are covered in black sound proofing boards, interspersed with vivid pops of orange. A large speaker is mounted in the upper corner of the room, and visible in frame are several guitar and bass heads, a keyboard, an electric drum kit, and some mixing boards. There are records displayed, and on the far wall there are shelves covered with an assortment of trophies, pictures, books and some promotional figures of the Spinjitzu ninjas. The final touch are the warm string of fairy-lights hanging from the ceiling.

The viewers seem impressed and envious of the setup - some complementing the aesthetic, others raving about the instruments and Cole's musical prowess.

"I'm genuinely thrilled with how the decoration has all come together - the last studio I had was great, don't get me wrong, but it was super minimalist and the acoustics were crazy. 'Your last studio looked cooler', maybe. I mean, it's personal preference right? And my Father provided most of the old studio stuff for me, so I'm appreciative for what it was and what it did for me. But this -" Cole glances around the room again with a grin, "- this is all me baby! Full control of the decoration to the brand of instrument and recording arrangement. And it feels so good to be somewhere that feels like home."

"'Why did I move out?'" He shrugs, "Why does anyone move out? I wanted to be more independent, have my own space, yadda yadda." A chime carries over the ambient music; checking his phone, Cole bites back a smile.

"'Who am I messaging?' Your mother." The chat protests the joke, much to Cole's amusement. The phone chimes again, encouraging more probing from the chat. Putting the phone down, Cole huffs in exasperation as the chat is flooded with questions and hypotheticals.

"You guys need to calm down - everyone in Ninjago gets notifications, so stop treating this like a cold case. Besides, I'm not messaging anyone exciting, it's just my housemate. 'Is it the mayor of Ninjago City?' Sure, let's go with that."

The phone doesn't chime again, but Cole seems to hear something that the microphone doesn't pick up. His chair is half turned to face the door before he hears what he's clearly waiting for. Snorting, he stands and crosses to the door, only opening it slightly to stick his head out. The music continues, and the viewers continue to speculate before Cole opens the door and stands aside to let the visitor in.

Kai enters the studio with a drink in either hand, giving Cole a slanted grin as he passes, before he beelines for the chair and settles in front of the camera. The thin strip of scar tissue flashes subtly as he makes himself at home. His eyes flick to the chat, but bounce back to the monitor quickly as the flow of messages moves too quickly to be legible. Hovering over Kai's shoulder, Cole turns the chat to a slower setting, then settles against the back of the chair.

"Okay, hands up how many of you would find it exciting to have me as a housemate? I'm looking for a new tenant seeing as the current one is so unappreciative." Are the first words out of Kai's mouth, sending the already moderated chat into another flurry of activity, much to his satisfaction.

Smacking Cole's arm smugly, Kai nods to the monitors. "See? Look at how many lovely people would like to be in your place Mr. Grumpy."

"Well I was under the impression that I was living with the Mayor of the city - so compared to her, you're kind of unexciting."

The chat seems to protest this as Kai gapes at the camera. "This is what I get for being supportive and watching Cole's streams and bringing him tea." The joking tone is apparent as Cole shakes his head and ruffles Kai's hair in retaliation.

Ducking out of frame to fix the mess, Cole leans to inspect the chat - ignoring most of the spam, but narrowing down the most frequent question.

"'Do you and Kai live together?' Isn't it obvious? Honestly I thought people already knew this - wasn't there an article a couple of months back?" The last part is directed at Kai, now back in frame with his hair organised tastefully back into the fluffy bangs. Fiddling with the last stubborn strand of blond - he hums in thought.

"No I think that one was talking about how Zane and Jay were moving to be neighbours, so people naturally drew the conclusion that we'd do something similar…" Kai trails off as the two boys stare in amusement at the in flood of messages from people particularly enthused by their dynamic.

"Sorry guys - but the geology stream segment and earthquakes discussion isn't scheduled until later, so stop spamming about lava." The statement is deliberately obtuse to wind the viewers in the chat up, but Kai plays it off, pouting innocently at the webcam.

Similarly amused, Cole smoothly switches topics to the broadcast schedule, turning the chair so that he and Kai are face to face. "Okay well enough of that Mister - mind giving me my seat back so I can actually do what I've got planned for the stream?"

Kai makes a show out of sinking into the seat, slipping down it like a flan melting in the sun before he makes grabby hands to be hauled up. Unaffected, Cole does just that and settles against the leather, before he pats the arm chair and invites Kai to lean against it.

Once comfortable, Cole adjusts the neckline of Kai's yellow boat neck shirt before refocusing the broadcast. The chat is still cycling through frenzied messages, which both boys elect to ignore as Cole hands Kai his mug and takes a sip from his tea.

"Like I mentioned already, this stream isn't going to be as polished as the usual ones because its more of a 'settling in and testing stuff' broadcast than a planned music or discussion segment like I usually do. The first couple of hours or so are going to continue like this with an open Q and A thing going. Then I'll briefly open the floor to general discussion about the earthquakes and raising money for people in need. Beyond that, I've got some fun stuff planned like a proper studio tour and a sort of show-and-tell with the musical equipment I've got around here, because I know there's at least a couple of music nerds that follow me that are as interested in this stuff as I am."

Some of the viewers confirm this suspicion, messages sharing that a couple of people have purchased the same make of instruments he's used in the past per his recommendation.

"That's so sick - if you have actually ended up buying an instrument on my word, please tag me or link videos of you playing or using the instruments on my socials. I love seeing people play music, I aspire to have as much of my social algorithm be music as is humanly possible.""It's true, half of what he sends me are videos of people playing piano in public or hitting the drums whilst they're getting glitter and what-not thrown onto them." Kai chimes helpfully.

"I've also been practicing some new songs and preparing covers for some of the more bombastic musical broadcasts - and I've roped some of the others into playing when they've got the time. So those'll get streamed and then I'll be posting them on WeView because I know it's been a while since I've been able to post on there."

"I think I'll probably be the one doing the next cover broadcast with Cole whenever that is," Kai mentions absently as he plays with the frayed denim on his jeans, "living together does have the perk of being able to practice together more often and I think we've got a good selection of songs picked out."

The chat dissolves into a variety of song request and demands, a flurry of discussion about previously posted covers, and some stragglers valiantly trying to ask about original music.

Kai points the struggling comments out to Cole - who sits to attention at the reminder.

"Right!" He snaps a finger and gestures abortively as though trying to get the attention of the hundreds of thousands of viewers behind the screen. "That was the other thing I wanted to mention today!"

Pulling the chair closer to the monitor, Cole switches the screen to display a tab on Digger, so that it's displayed for the viewers in all its glory.

[Repost] → (ColePeteBrookestone) » So thankful for this opportunity and can't wait to move forward on this journey with Ninjago Melody Labels!

(NinjagoMelody) » (The image attached to the message is from a magazine photo shoot earlier in the year. The monochrome image that had been posted on the front cover shows Cole in a designer punk jacket, gleaming with patches, studs and loose threads. Posing against a vintage boombox with glasses perched in his hair blown by an invisible wind and a dangling spike hanging from one of his ears.) We at Ninjago Melody are proud to announce our latest artist: Cole Brookestone. The young musical Polyglot and breakout actor is set to make his debut with us this summer. [59.3k likes] [3k re posts] [1.5k Comments]

[80k likes] [5k re posts] [3.2k comments]

→ See discussion

"This got announced last week! And I did re post this across my socials, but those responses are sort of the generic PR stuff you need to say, and I really want to talk a bit more about it because I am so excited to be able to actually share my music."

Cooing, Kai reaches over to scratch the back of Cole's neck. "I'm so proud every time I re-read this news," reaching over to the console - Kai pulls up the board dedicated to the Ninja's feeds on the website and scrolls through the re post and congratulations the team had publicly shared. "Like its obvious to all of you here how passionate Cole is about music and stuff, but me and the others? We see it you know? On set he's always writing lyrics, or top lines for melodies - and whenever there's a moment of downtime between our schedules he's almost always practicing or playing an instrument. From what I've heard of the album as well, it's really going to make a statement, so please support him."

Cole was trying and failing to hide his flattered smile as Kai spoke, nodding in agreement at the praise. "What he said," Kai laughed as Cole preened at the support he was already receiving. "I don't actually know how much I can share about what's going to come out because I am legally bound by some gnarly NDAs, but I've asked my agent and I'm allowed to discuss some of how I got signed and also some of the broader strokes for what I want to do in the future."

Kai checks his watch from beside Cole, and drains the last of his drink. Nudging Cole he points at the time, "I've got to head out for the thing." Checking his own watch Cole's mouth makes an 'o'.

"Oh - totally forgot about that, okay, see you later." Fussing for a moment, Kai grabs Cole's empty cup - blows the camera a kiss and bids the chat farewell. A torrent of 'goodbyes' whines and complaints kick up from the viewers as Kai disappears from view leaving Cole alone in the studio.

"Hope you all enjoyed the surprise Kai segment, but you're stuck with me now because he's got to go and do one of his many ridiculous jobs." Cole roles his eyes, but subtly checks over his shoulder to make sure he doesn't re-summon his housemate through another inadvertent insult.

Once he's convinced that he's in the clear he turns back to the chat to continue the discussion. Loosening his leather bracelets, Cole hums as he spots another pertinent question.

"'Are you still going to act or are you just going to do music from now on?' Dude, I love acting almost as much as I love music, absolutely none of you have got to worry about my involvement in acting projects." Cole is silent for a beat, considering something before he continues. "And the Ninjago Movie was announced a few months back with confirmation of my involvement. Again, I can't say too much - but I'm already booked and busy with preparation for this production. 'Is it part of a new season of Ninjago?' I think I'm allowed to say that it isn't like Day of the Departed - would recommend watching that if you haven't already because I'm pretty proud of it - and its got the same characters but that's probably more than I'm already allowed to say."

"'You didn't answer the question' - " Cole throws his head back and groans, "It's different." He states with finality. "What we're doing is different end of discussion. They'll probably announce something soon though seeing as disaster relief efforts have mostly calmed down. But believe me when I say you'll know when filming begins."

Brushing a hand through his hair, Cole abruptly spurs into action. "I think this is enough of this segment, I can't read half of what's going on in chat and the other half is still made that Kai isn't here to look at. Mods, do you think you could link the Q and A website so that the most popular questions can get up voted and answered in about an hour? Thank you."

Changing the stream view, Cole pulls up Bluethat and goes to the Ninjago page, and forwards onto the 'hot takes' tab. "While the mods set up the Q and A panel properly for later, I've just decided that we are going to look at some of the stuff people have been saying on here and have a little chuckle."

Cole changes the music, adjusts his hoodie and grins at the camera. "Let's start, shall we?"