Ouroboros (Ninjago x Male Reader)

19. Memories

Umm, lore change, whoopsie. I'm taking the already existing Ninjago lore and DUMPING it in the trash far, far away from here... so enjoy.

"Let's do some more exercises today. I'm going to give you a prompt of sorts, and you can draw whatever fits the bill is that alright?" (y/n) confirmed his idea with Harumi, who nodded without really giving it much though, as always.

She had yet to say a word, but she was very active on paper, meaning she liked writing and drawing a lot.

"A flower," (y/n) started, as Harumi grabbed a green and a red pencil, and drew what seemed to be a rose.

"Very pretty," (y/n) commented with a smile, before continuing. "And what about... something in the sky?"

Harumi thought about it, before scribbling a cloud puff onto the paper.

"Food," Harumi drew a cup of Chen's noodles.

"Something beautiful," Harumi drew a gray orb. At first (y/n) thought it was just a ball, but with a few more details, he recognized it to actually be the moon.

(y/n) continued that way for a while, but just as Harumi was letting her guard down, using colors more enthusiastically, (y/n) started to change the topics he was throwing out.

"Something you can't forget," Harumi didn't seem to realize the sudden change, as she drew a green snake onto the paper.

"Someone you can trust," She almost enthusiastically drew what was a surprisingly good portrait of Garmadon of all people. (y/n) didn't complain though.

"What you hate the most in the whole world," And now Harumi drew the green ninja. This time it wasn't detailed or even good looking, but it was still easy to see.

"Someone you want to be," (y/n) continued, but faltered when he saw what Harumi drew. He was sure it might be Harumi's mom or dad, maybe Garmadon, but no... It was (y/n). (y/n) felt a strange emotion he hadn't even thought he'd feel that day. Realizing he had stopped and dropped his facade, and that Harumi was staring intently at him, he quickly gathered himself.

"This is the last one, okay? Draw yourself the way you see yourself when you're an adult, and take your time," Harumi started drawing while (y/n) leaned his back onto the wall and waited in silence, making sure to smile every time Harumi peeked at him.

When Harumi was done, she held up the picture to (y/n)'s face, unlike with all the other pictures, like she was especially proud of this one. And (y/n) could see why. Harumi had drawn a grown woman, her hair much longer, no longer wearing those flimsy braids she always made herself.

She was dressed in dark colors, much like Garmadon, but anything other than those facts (y/n) couldn't tell. It was still just a child's scribbling after all.

Harumi stayed silent and stared at (y/n), as if waiting for his opinion.

And in the end, (y/n) flashed her a proud smile and said, "When you grow up, you're going look just like her," Harumi's usually cool expression changed to something akin to a smile, and she opened her mouth and muttered the words:

"...Really?" Though (y/n) was pleasantly surprised by her finally speaking up, he only smiled and nodded, trying to not draw attention to it.

"Yes! And you won't even have to wait too long," This time Harumi kept quiet again, but tilted her head questioningly. (y/n) let out a chuckle before opening Harumi's drawer and grabbing an old hair brush she rarely used.

"We can start with your hair."

Though (y/n) only visited Harumi once a week, much like his other patients, he had already grown attached. And Harumi had grown attached to him too.

This time, right after (y/n) had entered Harumi's room, the girl rushed over to him with her hairbrush in her hand.

A bit shy, she handed the brush to (y/n), who didn't need to ask anything as Harumi ran over to her bed and sat down, waiting impatiently for (y/n) to hurry and sit down as well.

(y/n) wanted to laugh, but he was afraid he'd sound weird. Today was one of those day's he couldn't hear anything.

Instead he just walked over, sat down behind Harumi, and gently took her messy blonde hair in his left hand. 

For the past moth, Harumi had been obsessed with her hair. (y/n) had cut it for her. (y/n) didn't usually talk about it much, but once upon a time he was a hairstylist. It was a job that got pretty far, but the second he felt he was a bit too close to have his face plastered on a newspaper, he quit. Though sometimes he did admire his own eternally young face, he didn't want it to spread all around Ninjago.

(y/n) had only even out the ends of her hair. and shortened her bangs, giving her a more neat look. After first seeing it in the reflection of a hand mirror (y/n) had brought along, she had stopped wearing braids immediately, it surprising she didn't just throw away her hair ties too.

Harumi liked flipping her hair and disliked it being put up in any sort of way. (y/n) was fine with that of course, though he had gotten the job of always brushing out her hair when they were supposed to have a session together.

But it gave (y/n) time to say whatever he wanted while Harumi sat still obediently. This time though, (y/n) kept his mouth shut. Even if he did say something that would get Harumi talking, he wouldn't hear it.

But noticing the difference from the normal way things usually went, Harumi glanced at (y/n) curiously.

(y/n) gave her a quick smile and said, "I'm sorry, I can't hear anything." Before he went right back to brushing out Harumi's hair.

Harumi turned back forward, seeming to just accept the fact. Though in reality, it had given her another idea. 

(y/n) soon started noticing how Harumi's head moved slightly, as if Harumi was talking. (y/n) took a peek at Harumi's face, and noticed how the girl was spewing out words like vomit. 

She had been waiting for this to happen, to just talk without anyone actually listening. It didn't make any sense, but nothing (y/n) had said and done did either.

(y/n) didn't even try to read her lips, and just let her talk while he brushed through her hair.

Another week passed, and Harumi was doing better. She was still obsessed with her hair, but had started expressing it more openly.

"Is it good now?" (y/n) asked, letting Harumi take a look through the hand mirror. Harumi combed though her hair with her hand, before shaking her head.

"...No," Harumi exclaimed as simply as she could, and (y/n) sighed.

"It's not going to grow longer even if I brush it the whole day. You just need to wait," (y/n) advised Harumi, who still didn't look pleased, but she seemed to be able to bear with it for now.

Harumi jumped from her bed, walked around, flipped her hair gently, before turning to (y/n) with a confident look in her eyes. (y/n) didn't even know kids could wear those kinds of looks until he saw it himself on Harumi for the first time.

"Alright, if that's done, how about we talk?"

"No," Harumi suddenly exclaimed again, and (y/n) turned to her with a questioning look.

"No?" He only let out, waiting for Harumi to do the talking. It was always good exercise for the kid who rarely talked.

Today Harumi was quite talkative though, "The song. Sing the song." She almost commanded, and (y/n) wondered if he'd get executed if he refused.

"Alright, I will," (y/n) didn't dislike pampering Harumi, "But next time ask nicely." But he did kind of understand the struggles of a parent.

Harumi walked around while (y/n) stayed seated on her bed. "Spider's in the house, sleep, sleep."

(y/n) had come up with this nursery rhyme himself, and he was proud of it. "Spider bit the mouse, sleep deep."

And Harumi liked it too. She liked it a lot. "Don't wake up or else you'll find a spider in your mouth."