Chapter Text
Pale moonlight shone through the window, casting a shadow onto the floor behind the 2 figures. It didn’t help that their only light source flickered on and off with random intervals in between, as the clock on the wall ticked away, each sound echoing in the stillness.
“Garmadon…please. I’m not in the mood for jokes,” The man mumbled, a pile of unpaid bills scattered across the table and his gaze seemingly staring into nothingness.
“I’m serious. I want to get a job.”
Vinny grunted.
“Everything you’ve taught me so far was to help me better understand humans and society. It’s time I put it to use.” Garmadon explained, leaning over his roommate.
“What’s the point…I was already struggling when I was on my own. Then you came. The electric bills skyrocketed. Half my paycheck went into junk food and entertainment.”
The Oni cringed, having never thought of it that way before.
“Plus, you’d probably mess something up and get me sued again.”
Garmadon vividly remembered that evening, when a lady spilled coffee on Vinny and proceeded to insult him for being in her path. He was completely in the right for putting her into her place, or should he say kicking.
“Hm. It’s disappointing to see what little faith you have in me, Vinny.”
The cameraman sighed. “Sorry. Had to get that off my chest.”
"Now, speaking of jobs, I have already decided on the occupation I would like to pursue."
“If it’s being a president or emperor, I don’t wanna hear it.”
“I want to be a cashier.”
“...”
Vinny sat up and turned his head, staring Garmadon right in the eyes.
“A cashier?” Vinny echoed.
“A cashier.” Garmadon repeated with a nod.
“H-oh boy.”
Crash!
…
Warm morning sunlight bathed the apartment room in a warm glow. Soft snores can be heard inside a bedroom, accompanied by a keyboard clicking in the living room.
Clack. Clack.
“Hngh….”
Click.
…
Clack.
Vinny’s eyes fluttered open, the lad awoken by the irregular click-clacking noise coming from the other side of his bedroom wall. He lifted an arm up to block his eyes from the sunlight and turned over to grab his phone.
“Huh…how’d I end up in bed?”
Vinny took one glance at his lock screen, and that alone nearly gave him a heart attack.
Sunday, July 1st
9:34
Jumping out of bed, Vinny nearly dropped his phone in the process. He spun around, casting a quick glance at the window and realizing how bright it was outside. This was not good. Not good at all.
“GARMADON!! I’M LATE FOR WORK!! WHY DIDN’T YOU WAKE ME UP?!” Vinny hollered, snatching his blue jacket and throwing it over his shoulders while simultaneously shoving a slice of bread into the toaster.
"Oh, Vinny. Don't make such a racket. You don't have work today," Garmadon calmly replied, his voice cutting through Vinny's panic.
“What do you mean I don’t have work?! I work 7 days a week, and I was supposed to be in the office by 8!” Vinny shot back, annoyed that his own roommate didn’t know his schedule after living with him for so long.
“And whatever happened to my 35 alarms?!”
“I called you in sick today. You’re not going to work.”
“You WHAT?!”
Unfazed by Vinny’s outburst, Garmadon continued working on the laptop.
Click. Clack. Click.
The cameraman’s jacket slid off his shoulders, flopping onto the kitchen floor. The man marched over to confront the Oni. This has gone too far.
“What are you even- doing on that laptop?!” He demanded, rotating the said laptop to see for himself. Garmadon held his hands up innocently and glanced at Vinny, watching as his eyes scanned the page.
“Is this a…a resume?”
“Hm? Yes, that's what they called it.” The man answered.
“Apparently you need to write one before applying for a job.”
Vinny simply stood there, unsure of what to say, or what to feel.
The document itself was quite short in length and contained many grammatical errors. Guess he never was a good writer. However…
“Work experience…conquerer? Are you serious?”
“Of couse I am. You witnessed it firsthand, did you not?”
Vinny shivered, recalling the tyrannical rule of Emperor Garmadon.
“Education, The First Spinjitsu Master.”
Vinny narrowed his eyes and turned to Garmadon, who responded with a shrug.
“He was my father. What more can I say?”
“Skills,” the cameraman began.
“It’s empty.” Garmadon said promptly.
“I can see that.”
“Ugh. So let me get this straight. Why exactly did you call me in sick today?” Vinny asked, rubbing his temples.
“So you could help me get a job.”
“You know we’re struggling, right? I need to work, Garmadon. You can’t just make decisions for me like that when you feel like it…”
“That’s why I want to get a job.”
“I know, I understand. Just, don’t do this again, okay? All you had to do was ask.”
“Of course.”
“Well, since I’m “sick”, I might as well.” He said, gesturing for Garmadon to scoot over on the couch. He plopped down onto the soft cushions and took the laptop from his roommate.
“First, we need to fix your name.”
“What is there to fix? I am Garmadon, simple as that.”
“First of all, no one’s going to hire Garmadon to work at their store. Second, do you even have a last name?” He asked, highlighting “Garmadon” in blue and pressing backspace.
“Hm.”
“I’ll take that as a no…just, make up a name.”
“Oh, alright.”
“Don’t think too hard.”
“…”
“How about…Don…magar?”
“Okay, good start? I guess.” Clack clack. “Last name?”
“Well, how’s Montgo- no…”
Garmadon frowned.
“Just go with Folson.”
“What? That’s my last name. Fine then, if you really want to…” Clack clack. “...then make a good example out of it.”
...
And after many questions, thinking, and confusion, Garmadon’s resume was completed…except for one thing.
“Picture? Simple, just take one of me right now.”
“Garmadon, as I said, no one will hire a Garmadon to work at their store. You need to shapeshift into a human.”
“Hm. Those people would be fools to turn me down.”
Garmadon surrounded himself in a purple aura and morphed himself into his Sensei variant.
“How’s this?”
“No…can you…turn, like, younger? I don’t think anyone wants to hire a retired-looking old man. No offense.”
Garmadon narrowed his eyes at Vinny, offended by the mention of looking "retired."
“Well, it’s a good thing that when I visited Lloyd, there also happened to be pictures of myself when I was young, too.”
Vinny’s anticipation grew, quite curious to see a younger Garmadon.
The Oni turned away from Vinny and once again enveloped himself in purple. Immediately there were some visible changes, noticeably the man’s browning hair and new hairstyle. Vinny leaned over sideways to try and get a glance at his face.
Garmadon turned back towards Vinny, now younger with dark eyebrows and a scar on his left cheek. Vinny widened his eyes, then opened his mouth. But before he could say anything, he snapped it shut.
Pleased by Vinny's astounded expression, Garmadon couldn't help but smirk.
"How's this?" he asked, his voice slightly higher-pitched.
“I- It’s-”
"It's...?" Garmadon pressed, noticing Vinny's shaky demeanor and reddening face.
Struggling to find his words, Vinny lifted his arm to cover his face.
“Vinny? Are you alright?”
“T- Th-” He began before whipping his head backwards and exploding into laughter.
“AGAHAHGSHAHAHAHAHA!”
Vinny's laughter echoed through the room as he clutched his stomach, almost dropping his laptop. Garmadon looked on, confused, tilting his head.
“What’s wrong? Why are you laughing?”
“It’s th- I-” Yet again, before Vinny could finish his sentence he descended into another fit of laughter.
“Vinny! What is so funny about me?! Speak! Cease your laughter!” Garmadon questioned, growing increasingly frustrated by his roommate’s reaction.
“All you did was shapeshift into a brunette version of your son!”
“No, I didn’t. This is what I looked like as a teenager.” Garmadon insisted, crossing his arms defensively.
"Haha...like father, like son.”
“And not to mention…your voice, pft," Vinny teased, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.
Garmadon's frown deepened, unamused.
"But, jokes aside, you can't look like that. It's way too similar to the Green Ninja. People will definitely get suspicious," Vinny explained.
"Why? We have different hair colors," Garmadon argued.
"That's the thing! You both look almost identical, except for the hair color. And that scar."
"You little... fine. But this time, I forbid you from laughing."
Vinny shrugged playfully. "Can't promise that."
The familiar purple aura vanished as swiftly as it had appeared. This time, the transformation was less dramatic, only making Garmadon appear slightly younger and altering his hairstyle once again.
“Hey, isnt that the same hairdo you had as a Sensei?”
“Yes, why?”
“Wow, you must really like it then.”
“Hm.”
...
“Aaaand, done! Congrats, Donmagar Folson. Your resume is completed. Now all that’s left is to find where you wanna work, applications, and an interview.”
“Thank you, Vinny. I appreciate your help.”
“No prob.”
“And for where i would like to work,” Garmadon began, taking the laptop from Vinny’s lap.
Clack Click Clack. The duo stared at the screen as it loaded, watching as the circular lines swirled and swirled until finally, a page popped up.
“Huh? That place?” Vinny asked.
“Yes. Its location is most convenient, as it is not too far from this apartment.”
“Well uh, me and Gale only just did a session there talking about how the place is going outta business like, last week. I’m not sure you’ll last long there as an employee…” He commented, thinking back at the pitiful store. It was built relatively close to a high school, which in theory should’ve given the place a boost in sales instead of a decline.
“Apparently it was because the cashier who worked there last scared off the customers,” Vinny said. “But if you really want to work there, I won’t stop you. Just don’t make the same mistake that guy did.”
“I would never, ” Garmadon assured the man, smiling.
“Alright then. Submit this, wait for a reply, get interviewed, and you’ll be good to go.”
“Hm.”