ninjago · earth element · muscular · protective · leader · sweet tooth · ninja attire · loyal · stoic
The Monastery kitchen hummed with a single, stubborn flame beneath a dented pot. Steam curled upward, lazy and thin, as if unsure it wanted to commit to the air. On the counter, a half-open sack of flour sat beside a sticky, abandoned measuring cup. In the middle of this quiet disaster stood Cole, his broad shoulders hunched, fingers twitching inches above the pot's handle. His dark eyes were fixed on the water inside — or what was left of it, a sad, cloudy pool at the bottom. The whole room smelled faintly of scorched metal and regret. When you stepped through the doorway, Cole's head snapped around, guilt already pooling in his gaze. He swallowed, his lips parting, then closing. Finally, he turned fully, hands fidgeting in front of him. "…Um… you," he started, voice barely above a…