Smoke and Mirrors

Bothersome Feelings

,,Have you forgotten who those eyes belong to, Master?"

******

Lloyd hummed a tune as he stitched details into the dark fabric, while occasionally taking a sip of his fruit tea.

As he worked on the top part of his gi, Lloyd thought about his plan.

Okay, before he visits the tea shop, he might as well drop at one of the serpentine locations. The Anacondrai one preferably. Where was it again? Oh right, the desert, somewhere in the Sea of Sand if he remembered correctly.

His research better pay off, because he really wasn't enjoying the idea of traversing through the desert. He's going to need a lot of water for that trip.

Lloyd paused and took another sip of the tea, before continuing on working on his Gi.

If he finds the Anacondrai tomb, what is he going to do? Even if he gets the Anacondrai to join him, or let him join them to be more exact, what should happen next? It's not going to be easy sneaking off into Ninjago city with a tribe of all powerful snakes.

Maybe he should leave the snakes for a bit while he goes to get the tea. Maybe assign them to do something so they wouldn't get too bored.

Perhaps the Anacondrai could look for the other serpentine tombs. Yeah, that sounds like a plan-

Ow!

Lloyd hissed as he accidentally pricked himself with the needle. He quickly checked his finger for any sign of damage. Luckily, the finger appeared to be fine.

Lloyd sighed and picked up his cup, being mindful of the pricked finger. It may not have bled, but it was still sensitive.

He took a sip of the warm liquid and closed his eyes as his mind wandered to another topic.

Tea.

He should probably do some research on it too before going out. There were so many kinds of tea, he might find some other teas that could be useful. Better come in the shop knowing something rather than nothing.

Adding the final stiches to the top, Lloyd pulled back and admired his handiwork. He smiled at the serpent design and the intricate details. The green thread stood out in the black cloth. Lloyd found himself impressed by the work he did. He didn't expect for it to turn out this good, if he was being honest.

Hopefully the serpentine will appreciate the looks.

Lloyd gulped down the rest of the remaining tea and stood up to stretch. He let out a satisfied sigh as he heard a few pops.

He picked up the top part of the Gi and put it down alongside the other parts of it. Lloyd quickly went over them.

There was the top, the undershirt, the pants, the belt, the combat boots, the gloves and bandages.

Everything seemed to be in place, but something was missing...

Right, his bag, along his stash of money. He'll get to those tomorrow, it was getting late.

Lloyd turned off the lights and walked out of the small unused closet. After quietly navigating the dark halls, he sneaked into his room and slipped into his bed.

He couldn't wait for tomorrow.

******

Master Wu took as a sip of his tea as he looked out the window. The night sky was filled with many bright stars. It was quiet, aside from the light snores coming from the sleeping ninja several rooms away.