A/N: Does anyone ever get so busy and caught up in their own writing that you can't even treat yourself to read the stories you're following? Ugh, it sucks!

Calming of the Pre-Date

"Misako, this is huge! When was the last time you went on an actual date?"

With her right ankle crossed over her left knee, the long-haired brunette balanced on one foot, unbuckling her mid-calf strapped boots in the entrance hall of her modest apartment. "It's friendly, Silvia." Misako reminded her friend, "Not a date date."

"Come on, you have to be a little excited. You're going out with a freaking Spinjitzu master, for crying out loud! Just give me the details already!"

Unconcerned about her night to come, Misako stooped down, picked up her boots and passed by Silvia on her way to her bedroom, "We're going out for dinner and a drink. It's not a big deal."

"When and where?" Silvia pestered.

"He's making reservations for us at a place called the Blue Palm Bar," she responded indifferently. "I've never heard of it up until today. Is it any good?"

"I've eaten there once, and from my experience I think you'll approve." Silvia plunked down beside Misako on her queen sized bed. "It's oceanfront beach dining, outrageously expensive, very fancy, and..." she bobbed near her friend's ear, "Romantic."

"Silvia..."

"I'm just saying," she giggled. "Anyways, it's a seafood joint- the best sushi you can eat. A boyfriend comes in handy when you want to dine out like that."

Misako muttered irritably, "I don't have time for a boyfriend."

"You said that three years ago, hon."

"It's as true today as it was then." Misako fell back, collapsing exhaustedly on her neatly spread comforter.

The dark haired girl rose to her feet and stared down at her reclusive friend who hid her face beneath a decorative pillow, "You are becoming a sick, workaholic lunatic..."

"I don't even like seafood." She blurted.

"Learn to!" The pillow was then ripped out of Misako's hands and tossed aside by Silvia. "You owe that man your life. The least you could do is let him buy you dinner. Now what time is he expecting you?"

"Seven o'clock sharp."

Silvia's hand shot out frantically for Misako's silver wrist watch that read 5:32 PM. "That's in less than two hours!" Panic-striken, she screamed and reeled in an unenthused Misako from her bed, "Let's get you dressed!"

The ecstatic female began tearing through a decluttered and very organized reach-in closet. One by one, the undesired clothes piled up by the heap before Misako. "What's the rush? Two hours is more than enough-"

"Do you still have that green maxi dress you wore to your graduation party?" Silvia poked her head around the corner in question. Misako opened her mouth to answer but Silvia beat her to it. "Never mind. Found it!" A long, sleeveless, emerald tie-dye dress was slipped off its hanger.

The lighter haired teenager looked about it in doubt with a finger pressed to her lips, "Don't you think it's-"

"The perfect dress? Not without these shoes!" She forced the dress and a pair of flat sandals into Misako's arms, and then spun her around and danced her into the conjoined bath. "Throw this on. We have no time to loose!" A speedy change later and from the bathroom emerged Misako looking gorgeous as ever. Silvia smiled, extremely proud of her choice of dress, "It looks stunning. It really does."

The seventeen-year-old shifted her eyes towards the full-length mirror reflecting an image she very much liked. "You really think so?"

"A figure like yours can wear anything. That dress was made for you."

Misako plopped herself down on the cushioned bench of her vanity. She watched Silvia unraveled her long braid from behind, where loose, beach-wave curls tumbled well past the middle of her back. Once the glasses were removed, Silvia tamed the flyways and let down the naturally wavy spirals over Misako's shoulders.

Silvia uncapped a shimmering lipgloss of a neutral tinted shade. "Okay, start over. Tell me how you first realized it was him."

Misako drew in an exaggerated breath and then exhaled slowly, "Where do I begin?"


Wu sat in the courtyard with the lower part of both legs folded towards his body. A shuriken blade scraped against a whetstone as he sharpened the weapon with practiced grace.

"Wu!" His brother's disembodied voice bellowed from inside the monastery. Not so long after, the sliding doors slammed open to welcome a frenetic barrage of footsteps hurriedly pounding down the floating platforms behind him. Garmadon skidded around Wu and flashed his hands. "How do I look?"

"Incredibly handsome," Wu answered without an eye leaving the shredding weapon, "All men want to be you. All women want to be with you."

"Could you look at me before you answer?"

The blonde gave his working hand a break so he could contemplate his brother thoroughly. A goofy grin swirled his mouth when he stymied laughter and turned back to the whetstone, "I stand corrected."

Garmadon snatched up the hand-held blade and waved it officiously in the curiously older-looking face of Wu, "Let me make one thing clear to you. For once, I am in desperate need of your help."

He bursted a gut laughing, and beckoned the worked-up male until he was within reach, "Well that is for damn certain. And I'm glad you can admit it." He started by straightening the off centered collar and then began to rebutton the rather snug fitting shirt.

"I did that already."

"Yeah, that's why I'm redoing it," snickered Wu as he fixed the unaligned buttons. "So, remind me again how you stumbled into this girl."

Knowing this would never slip from Wu's mind due to its pure humor, Garmadon sighed heavily and reminded him for the third time within the last two hours, "I fell on her." And there went Wu again, suffering in gales of crying laughter.

"At least you got a good story out of it right?" He squeaked between hysterical breaths.

Agitated, the older looked as if he were in a hurry to leave, "Yes, hilarious. Now if you'll excuse me I'll be in my room busy sweating through half a dozen different shirts."

Wu eventually snapped out of his fit, "I'm sorry, you're right. You need my advice."

While fanning his underarms, Garmadon panicked, "Make it quick. I'm pitting out over here."

"Relax," the younger took his brother by the shoulders, "Okay, listen, you're fine."

"No. No I'm not." He fretted, "I don't know the first thing about women."

"When it comes to women all you have to do is be yourself. Don't pretend to be someone you're not. Though in your case you don't necessarily have to be completely honest." He looked up to see Garmadon's deadpan face, clearly unamused off his joke. Wu only shrugged, "You asked my advice, and I'm sincerely giving it."

"Well, what do I say?"

"She's already out with you. That is to say she said yes when she could have said no. Which means she made an arrangement when she could have just blown you off one last time. It's no longer your job to make her like you. It's now your job not to mess it up. But remember, a first date is also your opportunity to ruin a relationship forever."

"On dates- what do they like to hear?"

"Well... You might start by complementing her dress." Wu advised smartly from his own experiences with two women he had courted in the past. "And don't get nervous around her. Women smell fear. Even through that cologne you're wearing, which is unreasonably strong by the way."

"It was essential, believe me."

"Next time don't overdo it. Oh, most importantly: when she's speaking, make sure to never stare at her mouth or her chest. Don't be wondering what she looks like naked. Listen to what she is saying and respond politely."

Garmadon nodded to himself in acknowledgment, letting it all sink in, "Listen and respond politely."

"My overall advice for you tonight..." Wu poked his older sibling in the chest, "Don't eat like a damn vulture."

"Got it down," the brunette pulled a thumbs up and hightailed it back up the ivory coated steps.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Wu just barely grabbed hold of the opposite's elbow, "Where do you think you're going?"

"Cologne."

"Oh, no you don't." The blonde ushered an excessively perfume scented Garmadon across the courtyard. "It's never a bad idea to arrive a half hour before the time you will be expecting her. That way you can find your table, order your drinks and fill up on appetizers so you're not licking your plate clean before she even picks up her fork."

"Oooh," Garmadon glanced over his shoulder, finding that last tip exceptionally wise, "I like you."

"Sure you do."

"All right then. I'm heading out." He pushed open the heavy gate doors and, giving a perfunctory swipe of the hand, he was on his way out. "Sayonara."

"Goodbye. And good luck!"

A/N: Gotta love those first date jitters XD I know updates have been extremely slow, though I'm doing the best I can at trying to stay on top of them.

Help me out: does anyone know the exact date of Ninjago's next episode? If I don't see some new Garmy soon, whatever I do in reaction will be a surprise even for myself. Beware.