#klunk II

[brightlotusmoon]

i love mentally ill girls and their cats

[love-killed-the-superstar]

mikey ask game, 8 and 13!

(these answers will be about 2k3 mikey unless stated otherwise because he's ~my~ mikey. i apologise for the length of these answers, it seems i had a lot to say?! i also apologise for how much i bring up fast forward here, it seems that i'm fixated on it really hard right now.)

8. what’s your favorite dynamic of him and any other character? what makes it your favorite?

It's so hard to pick just one!!

i thought a lot about this, but i think splinter? he's exasperated that his son can be a bit lazy and distracted from ninja training, but still had him specialise in nunchaku, showing that he believes in his ability to master a difficult weapon. splinter surrendering in the battle nexus so that mikey could advance was so heartwarming and honestly makes me emotional to remember. in the first turtle titan episode even though he doesn't understand why mikey admires superheroes so much he acknowledges that his intentions are noble and he needs to follow the path truest to his heart. veering a little more into headcanon territory, i do think that being the most openly affectionate, baby mikey was a master manipulator in terms of melting his rat dad's heart. i can picture him climbing onto splinter's lap every time he sits down and being the most reluctant to go down for naps. and in a particular au i'm cultivating that delves more into mikey's potential romantic life, i think he would go to his father for advice. splinter may not be well versed in romance outside of his soap operas, but he will always be here for his kids when they need him.

(this, of course, makes me very bitter over the flanderisation of their relationship in fast forward. ff!splinter might as well walk around wearing a shirt that says "i hate my lazy video game addicted son" and it breaks my heart.)

honourable mentions for other characters i think he has a great dynamic with: leo, silver sentry, klunk, serling, angel, april, renet and turtle titan ii.

13. what’s something about mikey that nobody seems to talk about that should be talked about more?

tbh i think a lot of people love mikey and have analysed him in just about every way possible and what i end up saying is probably not the most groundbreaking take, but here is something that i've thought about a fair bit but haven't really seen from anyone else?

in fast forward, mikey is depressed. it is handled by the narrative about as delicately as a bull in a china shop, but it's there.

5 seasons of being bombarded with trauma-inducing storylines culminates in temporarily dying, going full dragon avatar mode to defeat the demon shredder and then finally they are able to relax, breathe easy, process some of these emotions - but noooo, instead they get ripped out of their timeline and dropped 100 years in the future with no way home and the studio execs wouldnt let them rightfully lose their shit at cody so instead we see the turtles bottle that rage and slowly descend into semi-flanderised madness. /lh

mikey in particular becomes very sensitive to rejection (see: losing his goddamn mind and going on an all out offensive against turtle titan ii, after being talked down the first time he raged out, because raph made One Comment about how his successor is better at heroism than he is), prone to emotional outbursts, especially anger (remember that iconic clip of him beating up cops and stealing their cars because they pissed him off?), loses interest in his ninja training, maintains very poor hygiene/living conditions, grows addicted to video games, and in rare moments of vulnerability (namely in graduation day of 2105) he expresses that he sees himself as lazy, unfocused, a 'goofball', and undeserving when it comes to being recognised for his ninja skills like his brothers. my man's self-esteem is in the toilet, he is craving normalcy after years of constantly fighting for his life, and his dopamine is clearly critically low because he is dependent on all the fancy material goods of 2105 to be happy. his method of coping with the difficult emotions being stranded in the future has brought up, while still maintaining the silly funny guy routine that his family expect from him, is to bury himself in VR. and why wouldn't he, when among the uptick in mikey roasts over the course of this season we literally hear splinter say the words "where did i go wrong with that boy?" THOSE WORDS STAY WITH YOU WHEN THEY COME FROM YOUR PARENTS. THEY HURT.

he's very empathetic to leo's own depression in season 4, being the voice of reason at the beginning of samurai tourist when raph is ready to fight him. we also see at several points in seasons 1-5 that his loud ego is a front and he is actually very aware of his shortcomings, especially seen in grudge match. in a different timeline where 2k3 wasn't neutered following insane in the membrane, i do wonder if the turtles would have been able to explore their turbulent feelings regarding the 2105 situation. since mikey and leo are often paired up for adventures in 2k3, it would be an interesting parallel to see leo recognising signs of depression in his brother and helping him, imparting some of ancient one's wisdom (and, in the great year of 2105 where mutants are equal citizens and cody has money to burn, finding him a good cognitive behavioural therapist).

i don't think the writers INTENDED to code mikey as depressed / struggling to cope in season 6 - i think it was a toxic combo of writing more 'mikey is lazy/immature/irresponsible and needs to be taught a lesson' episodes than the usual season average + thinking it was a funny social commentary gag to make him obsessive over video games. but i saw a lot of those traits in myself when i was deep in a depression hole. the show has already told us that the turtles' mental states have been impacted by the ridiculousness they have gone through. why would mikey be any different?

I DIDN'T MEAN TO WRITE AN ENTIRE THINKPIECE, BUT IF YOU REACHED THE END, THANK YOU FOR READING. AND THANK YOU FOR THE ASKS!

[theuncleklunkabomination]

Klunkisms, II

Ain't nothin' worth crying for that ain't worth fighting for. If you're willing to complain about somethin', go out and do something about it or quit yer bellyachin'.

In other news, you may have seen that old Uncle Klunk has been a little quiet recently. Don't you worry yer silly little head there, I'm still around.

[brightlotusmoon]

Dear TMNT fandom: What if Mikey adopted an orange cat with thumbs?

(note: Mirage Klunk died and left behind Klunk II in 2005 so there's potential)

[honeysalvatore]

Stardust | Chapter two, encarved |

Summary: Y/N arrives to an unknown place, she doesn’t remember anything about her past life, and the Glade - her new home - is full of unfamiliar faces, except for one.

A/N: After almost two years I came back on here and decided to keep this series going! I know that this chapter is delusional, but i’m really trying to get my skills back... it’s never easy! I hope you guys stick with me, I promise you many things will come in the next chapters! <3<3

Incipit / Part I / Part II

“What did you see?” He just asked, and Y/N gulped the knot in her throat.

“I saw you…” She whispered. “I think I knew you.”

Silence fell between the two of them, and Y/N could hear her heartbeat speed up as she glared at him: the weak light coming from the cracks of the wall was lighting up his features, and his dark eyes were looking down, full of something new. His jaw was clenched, and his eyebrows were furrowed, donating him a thoughtful look that suited him wonderfully. Y/N wanted to say something just to break the awkward silence, but she couldn’t find any words.

Why did she saw him in her dream? And who was that voice she heard before blacking out?

Her fingers clutched the thin blanket that covered her body, and Newt’s eyes were immediately on her, the worried expression never leaving his face; she was staring at him, and couldn’t help but notice how much younger he looked, even though he probably had around sixteen years of age. “You’re staring.” He chuckled.

“I’m sorry, I was over-thinking.” She mumbled feeling her cheeks warming up, as long as her ears, and she put an H/C lock behind one of them. “Are you feeling any better?” She wanted to thank him for changing the topic, but she just nodded slightly, clearing her throat.

“Yeah, I guess...”

His silence was somehow comforting, it was peaceful, and even though she was scared of the place she ended up in, he seemed to be the only person she could trust. “How long have I been out?” The question came out in a feeble whisper, she was scared of even asking. “An hour or so, we were afraid you’d never wake up.” Newt answered shifting from the wall to the chair beside of her bed.

“Why are we here?” She asked again, feeling confident for the first time she arrived in the Glade, and gazed at New’ts expression changing.

“We don’t know, but we call ‘em the Creators,” Newt spoke playing with his thumbs, and Y/N furrowed her brows still not understanding. “They send us a shank every month, a guy, but this time it’s you. ”

“Why can’t we just escape from those walls?”

“We tried,” Newt murmured, running a hand through his blonde locks. “But I can’t tell you things I’m not supposed to, Alby is going to tell you everything.”

“So is he the chief in here?”

“He was the first one to ever put a bloody foot in this place, he knows the Glade better than anyone else.” When he spoke about Alby, Y/N could notice how much he respected him, and she wondered if Newt was the second one to arrive. But she didn’t find the courage to ask him.

Newt inhaled and opened his mouth to speak, but he was cut off by a new voice, that shouted: “Are you shucking kidding me?” Y/N furrowed her eyebrows in confusion when he spoke again, his voice getting closer. “I’ve never seen a girl in this place, and if I ever see one, it means that I shuckin’ died.”

Newt folded his arms and rolled his eyes as a strange guy walked in, his Asian features standing out as much as the amused expression he had printed on his face. But his grin disappeared as soon as he laid eyes on her.

“No shuckin’ way.” He breathed out, his eyes widening in shock. ”Have I reached the Heavens?” Y/N covered her mouth to stop her giggling, and she noticed that the Asian guy was followed by another boy: Gally, with the mean look still on his face. Her smile fell.

“Can someone please make me faint again?” Y/N sneered at him in a sarcastic tone. “I like her.” The Asian boy murmured with a proud tone in his voice, receiving a hard stare from his friend. “I’m Minho, the most handsome Runner in this klunking place.”

“Runner?” Y/N asked, and felt like Minho had just fucked up. “It’s a... bummer, that, uh, that I have to leave you guys...” Minho mumbled and tried to sneak out, but Y/N cleared her throat making Minho freeze on the place. “What’s a Runner?”

“She doesn’t need to know.” Gally sighed. “I think she's a spy.” He spat out like a snake.

Gally's statement made Y/N furious.

Her knuckles were turning white from clenching her fists, and she tried to remain silent by gritting her teeth; she didn't know why Gally angered her that much, or maybe she did: he was an asshole. Her fist was getting tingly from the desire of punching him, but she bit her lip to stop herself from doing that.

"And I think you're overreacting, shank," Minho responded with an amused face, shaking his head. "She's part of the Glade now, she has to know."

“You’re all a bunch of klunking... agh, forget it!” The dirty-blonde haired boy gesticulated with his hands and looked at Y/N for one last time before walking out the room. Why did he hate her that much?

Not that the sentiment wasn’t mutual, but since the first time they met, Gally looked at her with disgust. “Don’t worry, he’s a klunk-head.” Said Minho shaking his head slightly, and Y/N just noticed Newt observing her in silence. “What’s your name?”

She hesitated a little like she had to think about it even though it was the only thing she knew about herself. “Y/N...” She muttered. “I guess.”

“Y/N...” Newt repeated brushing his chin with his index, and Minho gave her a friendly pat interrupting Y/N from staring at Newt. “Then, Y/N, let’s show you the Glade!”

She didn’t want to leave the infirmary.

She felt that by stepping a foot outside someone was going to jump on her, or Gally was just going to kill her already - not that she was scared of him -, but the thought of dying wasn’t the best thing ever. The Sun was slowly going down, and the light blue was replaced by a wonderful pink that coloured that little piece of sky she was able to see. She looked over some boys murmuring something to each other and staring her down. She wanted to go back inside, and sleep for maybe a couple more of years, but Minho was literally dragging her outside.

“Are you nervous?” He asked, and Y/N tried not to snort into a sarcastic laughter, looking at him with the corner of her eye. “Nah, I’m just locked in here with I don’t even know how many boys, I’m fine.” Minho slightly opened his mouth to talk back, but immediately sighed closing his mouth.

He wasn’t bad at all.

As they walked she could feel Newt’s presence behind her, and that kind of familiarity she felt in his scent or movements was confusing her. 

“You got prettier.”

She heard someone whisper and she immediately turned around, almost startled by the sudden husky familiar voice into her ear, but as she turned around Newt and Minho stared at her in confusion.

“Is there something wrong, Y/N?” Minho asked without even blinking, real concern into his dark eyes. Y/N wondered if they really thought she was going crazy and worried to be locked into a hut and to never be freed again.

“Yeah, I just...” She mumbled, biting her lower lip while trying to find a reason for the voices in her head. Am I really going crazy? She asked herself again and continued to walk until the colossal walls were just inches away from her face. She didn’t dare to approach the opening in the walls, but her gaze fell onto some encarvings.

“These names are very important, Y/N” Newt’s voice made her jump a bit as she caressed the encarved letters one by one. Her fingers came across some names that were erased and some that were still fully readable.

Gally

Frypan

Alby

Minho 

Chuck

Ben

Justin

These were just some of the many names encarved onto the stone walls. Her eyes then glimpsed at a name she swore she had heard over a million times before, but in reality, she had just learned about that day.

It was as her heart was just like those walls, encarved with names, but out of all the names only one wasn’t scrawled...

Newt.

tags: @thebookofbella, @badasslevi, @galacticstxrdust, @clevertalewonderland, @bi-myself-forever:

[izcana]

Tommy and the Newt Pt. 5

A rapid switch of perspectives – you should be able to guess whose it is by " Name thought" cues.

***

Minho was tired of Newt's whining. Sure, the boy (Thomas, was it?) was cute, but he was making a big deal out of nothing. Minho was usually very sensitive to his best friend's situation, but his behaviour was just pushing it and overly dramatic.

"Newt, please, just –––"

"I'm going to dinner, have Ava deliver dinner to Thomas."

Minho faked heartbreak. "No 'please'? You wound me!"

Newt rolled his eyes. Sometimes Minho thought that if it wasn't for him, Newt would be acting like a complete animal, with no human emotion except for hopelessness and savagery. There was no saying – if Newt didn't get his klunk together, he would actually become a beast instead of simply looking like one. In Minho's opinion, Thomas seemed the type to care not for looks and only for the person themself, and could be a potential future princess. Or prince. Or whatever.

"Deal with it, bugger."

"But seriously, Newt," Gally interjected. "I think you should invite Thomas to dine with you."

Newt groaned. "Not you too, Gally! He literally told Teresa he hates me!"

"That's probably since you locked his father in a cell and forced him to stay for eternity in exchange for his father's freedom. Give it some rest, Newt. How would you feel if –––" Newt cut him off at "how would you feel".

"Gally, stop giving me the empathy klunk," Newt muttered. "You! Giving me empathy klunk!" It was well known that Newt and Gally used to be enemies. Yes, Gally couldn't attempt anything since Newt was the prince and shucking with him would mean punishment, but he had his ways of getting back at Newt and vice versa. After the spell, there was no denying that Gally...was starting to care. Sure, some suspected that it was mostly having to do with the fact that without Newt, Gally would be stuck as an antique clock forever.

So, Minho took matters into his own hands. "Newt, he might actually like you if you just meet him!"

Newt buckled under the pressure. "Fine."

******

Newt was slouched at the head of the table, his fists on the sides and a mess in general. "Where is he! He –––"

"Newton," Ava said sharply. "You're not going to meet the poor boy with this attitude. My son will be free of this curse, and if he's one step closer when you cooperate with the boy... Be a gentleman!"

Newt groaned. "How do I do that?"

It was Minho's turn to groan inside his head. What happened to the etiquette lessons the late queen had forced him to take? "Back straight, head up, get Gally to fix your hair, anything?" Gally; Chuck, Ava's son who's a teacup; Jeff, who's a dinner plate; Harriet, who's a Piano; and Sonya, who's a feather duster all nodded vigorously. "Woo him!" Minho added. "He has to like you, remember?"

"How am I supposed to woo him?" Newt grumbled.

"Give him compliments!" Sonya yelled from the other side of the room.

"Kiss his hands," Ava gave her input. "Make him blush."

"Ugh!" Newt threw his hands (or rather, paws) up into the air. "Okay..." Newt did his best to put on a smile, but in Minho's opinion, it looked more like Newt was trying to eat him.

"A genuine smile?" Evidently, Ava thought the same. "And practice your compliments!"

Newt sighed. Minho thought it was rather dumb; he should stop being so grumpy and give the boy a chance. Maybe, just maybe, if he did, then the boy will like him. Perhaps they could get his happily ever after...

––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Against his wishes, he was dolled up for Thomas to oblige, dressed in all his regalia. Or, at least, that's what Minho and Gally told him. He knew he looked a fright, courtesy of the mirror near the end of the hall, but he didn't say anything. Newt didn't think this was the most pragmatic of all situations (since he could dine alone, still), but since he didn't think witches were real either, he's not really in a position to refute their claims.

"Will you stop fussing with the sleeves?" Ava yelled, her patience obviously reaching a limit. If there was anything Newt knew, it was to not infuriate Ava. Even back when Ava was a tutor and a servant (that was, before the curse), Newt was always intimidated by her when she told him to do his advanced sums. Besides, she had his parents wrapped around her pinky; Newt couldn't really do anything to complain...

"Fine, fine," Newt grumbled. "Gally, can you just...go already?"

Gally scurried away quickly, but not before throwing one final "you can do this!" look over his shoulder.

I can't, Newt thought. I can't and I'm letting all of you down. This curse is all because of me. What would Mother and Father think of me?

******

"Where is he!" Newt roared at Gally, who cowered. "Why isn't he here?" He paced around the dining room, ignoring the nervous looks the younger ones sent each other and ignoring Gally's pitiful stammerings, not allowing him a moment of speech.

"Newt!" Ava reprimanded sternly. "Let him speak if you are asking a question!"

"He said he wouldn't come!" Gally screamed quickly, snuffing the room into silence. "He said he wasn't hungry!"

"Come on," Newt muttered darkly to Gally. "He'd better be hungry when I get there..."

––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Gally followed on his (now short) legs, and he could see Minho and the others (who could move) were behind. Gally thought this was the worst way to approach things, and if he could, he would've been sweating already. Newt was definitely going to make Thomas afraid of staying here.

Originally, Gally was so sure that the boy would come to no harm in this castle, but now, he's not so certain. This is a battle for Newt's sanity, and no one knew who would win; the beast or the man. Or maybe it was the beast of the man – no one could be sure. Gally just wished things could be back to "normal", if he knew even what that was, anymore.

No, there hadn't been a "normal" for a long time, ever since the late King and Queen. The villages have slipped from the regency's grasp, Newt inherited the throne at the age of 16, and then everything went chaos. Whether that had to do with Newt's past ego or the instability of the kingdom, he didn't know (as much as he boasted, he was still just a servant), but everything went to chaos and the kingdom was in ruins. They had heard from the north and the far south that the towns themselves were okay; they could sustain themselves for a long time beyond.

It was frankly amazing that the villagers had managed to plough their own way through this mess, but then again, the kingdom was doomed anyway. Gally truly believed that Newt could find his true love, but with the way he'd been treating Thomas, it wasn't very possible.

"Why weren't you down to dinner!" Newt roared furiously at the door after raising his fist to pound on the wood fiercely. Minho, having caught up with Gally and Newt, winced. Sonya followed shortly behind, shaking her head dismissively at Newt – similar to Ava's reaction.

There were a jolt and a panicked shriek that followed a thud. "I'm not hungry!" Thomas yelled back at Newt, his voice sounding shaky.

"Newt!" Ava hissed. "You're scaring him!" Thomas wasn't the only one Newt was scaring, Gally noted. Chuck was huddled in his mama (as much as he could as a teacup) and Ava looked mutinous. "You have to be polite! Suave! This is certainly not your idea of a compliment, is it?" Ava scared him, and he was sure Newt was the same. No wonder why Ava had everyone under her pinky – she was proud like a queen.

Newt cleared his throat drily. "Could you come to dinner with me?"

"Ahem," Minho coughed. "We say 'please' in this house..."

"Please," Newt gritted out through his teeth, his voice distorted.

Thomas seemed to have caught that and their chatters, supposedly, since he released a snort of indignation. "I'm not hungry!"

"YOU WILL COME OUT NOW OR I'LL BREAK THIS DOOR DOWN!" Newt bellowed, his voice echoing in the hallways. Everyone winced again.

"Go ahead! It's not my door!" Thomas screamed back shrilly, his voice cracking into loud sniffles and a sob. "It's not like I have a choice, do I?" He added bitterly.

Gally figured it was time to do his portion. "Newt, that boy lost his father and liberty in one day! You should give him some decision."

"I don't think this is the way to win his affections," Sonya added. Her tone implied that she would rather be filling her nails (if she still had them, that is) rather than listening to Newt fail miserably. Equivalent to Sonya, Gally would rather be doing the identical, if not only he had not the slightest clue how to properly file his nails (and there was always the usual "we don't have nails anymore" klunk...great).

Newt sighed. This wasn't going well, obviously (not that Gally expected for it to go well). "Are you going to come out and eat with me, then?" Gally, Minho, Sonya, Chuck, and Ava all eyed each other disbelievingly. Was Newt serious? Did he actually think Thomas would come when he threatened to knock down his door 30 seconds ago?

"No!" Thomas' tone was as disbelieving as their expression exchanges. "Are you kidding me?"

"IF HE DOESN'T EAT WITH ME, HE DOESN'T EAT AT ALL!" Newt howled. The astounded looks of the servants mirrored each other – was Newt seriously doing this?

The tumultuous rackets of the boy sobbing wetly fragmented Gally's anticipations into bits. So far, this wasn't working very well. They needed a miracle.

***

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part VI | Part VII | Part VIII | Part IX | Part X

[crazycolorrainbow]

Cartoon Tags

Avatar The Last Airbender

Aang

Katara

Sokka

Suki

Toph

Zuko

Uncle Iroh

Azula

Mai

Tylee

Zukka

Zukaang

Mailee

Bakoda

Legend of Korra

Korra

Mako

Bolin

Lin Beifong

Opal Beifong

Huan Beifong

Wei Beifong

Wing Beifong

Iroh II

Varrick

Tenzin

Wuko

Weilin

Korrasami

Ducktales

Scrooge McDuck

Donald Duck

Huey Dewey and Louie

Darkwing Duck

Launch Pad

Gyro Gearloose

Drakepad

Fenro

Gargoyles

Goliath

Hudson

Brooklyn

Broadway

Lexington

Demona

Elisa Maza

Owen

Ishimura Clan

Manhattan Clan

London Clan

Avalon Clan

Mayan Clan

Goliath x Elisa

Miraculous Ladybug

Chat Noir

Ladybug

LadyNoir

Adrino

Lukadrinette

Adrigaminette

Power Puff Girls

Star vs The Forces of Evil

Tom Lucitor

Marco Diaz

Star Butterfly

Tomco

Voltron

Shiro

Keith

Lance

Hunk

Pidge

Allura

Coran

Slav

Shlav

Klance

Shance

Sheith

Shklance 

Heith

Hance

Hidge

Klunk

Lancelot

Other

Bevin

Fredashi

Fredsabi

Pompous Pep

[killjoy-fool]

4/7

His legs could barely support his little body as it crumpled to the floor sobbing. His body felt hot. It burned. The light was so bright it all blurred together.  He screamed.

He gasped as he opened his eyes. Throat tight, chest-thumping, he straightened his back in his seat for a moment before curling forward, shoes sliding out as elbows resting on knees.

Nightmares weren’t surprising. He was, after all returning to the same place that caused them. He let out a breath feeling pathetic for the being still so shaken. Minato took the time to calm his nerves. The only sound, the quiet humming of the electricity coming from the rails.

A now steady hand ran through his dark blue hair before he lifted his back up in his seat, sliding back so that only the top of his back rested against the seats. The car was empty, no one else seemed to be taking such a late ride to the city. At least not in his area. Just him and his reflection on the window opposite of himself. Not that it had been his idea to travel so late. The transfer document was for immediate action. He had assumed he would be schooling where he was before more inland. It was his birthday when he was informed, when he told all the faces he would no doubt forget overtime. The next day he packed and handled all the necessary items of the checklist of upping his life and threw away the cards he was given after reading them. It was something he had grown accustomed to. There was no place for him there. It was foolish to assume otherwise.

He grew tired of the silence’s weight and grabbed his earphones from his collar and slid them over his ears. He slept enough, the battery of his MP3 player would last until he arrived.

II

The Moon was high in the heavens, granting pale luminosity to the lands of a rising sun. Adjusting his shoulder as he began to walk, his bag slid under his arm and he worked on fishing out the map he had from his bag. The loud bass blaring into his ears drowned out the many people interacting as he left the station. He lifted the paper between his hands and turned his eyes down, cutting himself off completely from the life around him. All that mattered was his destination. Moving up his arm he bent his wrist so that his watch was visible from under his sleeve.

[11:59]

He looked back to the map and felt a small knot form in his stomach but remained calm. The small tension of anxiety perfectly contained in the pressure of his body. Just as his feet stopped out in front of the station the music in his ears suddenly went quiet.

The lights dimmed until extinguished utterly along with the fading electronics. His vision darkened as his eyes adjusted to the lower light. The hairs on the back on his neck stood as if pulled by the devil himself before he turned to the sky to look back at the Eye that was an Emerald Full Moon.

It was his eternal companion. A life that only he knew he lived. A nightmare come true. A Hell come to earth. Water ran red and thick as blood, technology ceased functionality, and more hauntingly of all, the living beings around him would become an upright effigy, a coffin. A symbol of death.

And yet... it had just become another part of his life over the years. He tried his best to avoid it with sleep as much as he could but situations like this were inevitable at some point.

Turning his head down the sidewalk lined with red and coffins he took a deep breath and began to walk. The dorm wasn’t long from the station at least.

III

Minato stood frozen on his feet outside the door. He blinked repeatedly but it didn’t change the fact there was unmistakably the soft glow of a lamp coming from the window of the student dormitory. In all the years he had been experiencing this phenomenon, no form of technology or electric-powered item ever retained it’s function come the Green Moon.  And yet, here the light was. Brushing against his skin as he slowly reached for the door and pulled it open.

There was light!

Two lamps on either side of the main entryway shone with bright intensity. A clear contrast to the darkness he walked out from. He looked around to the empty room unsure of what to make of this before he reached up and pulled down his headphones finally.

“You’re late.”

Nearly jumping Minato turned his head towards the front desk to the boy that called out to him.

“I’ve been waiting a long time for you.”

Minato’s brow furrowed as he turned the rest of his body. “I wasn’t expecting anyone to.” He said quietly, staring at the boy, just as the boy was gazing back intently at him. Not one muscle moved to betray that. Then a snap and suddenly, as if just opening his eyes, the boy was gone.

“Now, If you want to proceed,” 

Minato spun his head forward and took a step back in apprehension as the boy stood plainly right in front of him. “Wha-!”

“Please sign your full name there.”

“And what exactly am I signing?” He spat out quickly, too taken by surprise to react otherwise.

“A contract. An oath that you’ll take for responsibility for your choices. You know, the usual stuff.” He said 

Minato didn’t move immediately, keeping his eyes on the boy for a moment before he walked to the countertop. He leaned over the document reading and assessing it before looking back to the boy and then picking up the pen to write his signature. When he finished, he moved his hand away to check it over once more.

“No one can escape time.”

Minato looked down and felt himself become dumbstruck as the document that was just placed before him vanished. He turned quickly as the boy closed the folder.

“It delivers us all to the same end.”

He lifted the folder half concealing his face, showing prominently the folder which now held Minato’s signature.

“You can’t just plug your ears and cover your eyes.”

The lights began to dim as the folder vanished like a card in a magician's hand. The boy reached his hand outwards towards Minato as the fading light made the shadows race across his pale skin until it swallowed him completely. And he was gone. As if swallowed whole by the darkness.

“And so it begins...”

Minato stood alone in the dark entryway to the dorm. The sight he had expected to find when he originally arrived. And yet... here he was. Shaking. Questioning. His bag fell from his shoulder and hit the floor with a soft thud.

“Who’s there!?”

This did make him jump with the volume and intensity it was demanded. He turned to face a girl. A student? Her hair was light, even in the dark it stood out and the dim light from the moon betrayed her pink cardigan. He felt his brow furrow deeper as he gazed back. Her breathing quickly became uneven. And he quickly saw why. The slow movement towards her thigh. The soft shimmer of metal. A gun?!

But just as he saw it, she noticed he noticed which he knew was going to push her into a panicked action “Wa-”

“Takeba wait!”

The room stilled as both parties gazed at the newcomer. Another girl. Longer darker hair. It was red he quickly realized as the lights flickered back on suddenly and the music from his headphones once more began to blare against his chest.

That in combination with the third party quickly deescalated the situation.

She stepped forward, heels klunking against the wood floor. “I didn’t think you would arrive so late.”

“Neither did I.” Minato answered quietly looking between the two girls for answers.

“My name is Kirijo Mitsuru. I’m one of the students who live in this dorm.”

Puzzled by that statement Minato didn’t answer immediately.

“...Who’s he?” the first girl asked, leaning closer to the other. Minato felt it was from immediate distrust.

“He’s a transfer student, Arisato Minato.” She answered simply. “He was assigned here last minute. But he’ll eventually be moved to a room in the boys’ dorm.”

“...Is it okay for him to be here?” She asked not hiding her apprehension. He noted.

Yet Kirijo let out a sigh. “I guess we’ll see...”

Quickly feeling uncomfortable Minato shuffled on his feet, grabbed his bag from the floor and slid his hands into his pockets.

“This is Takeba Yukari.” She then continued. “She’ll be in the same year as you this spring.”

Minato looked back to the gun and then the girl as she quietly greeted him. “...Hey”

No doubt noticing his glances now she spoke fast as if thinking quickly. “Huh? Oh, this... well it’s sort of like a hobby. Well, not a hobby but more like...-”

Jumping back into the conversation Kirijo continued for her. “You know how it is these days. It’s for self-defense. Don’t worry though, it’s not a real gun of course.” she said with a smile, an attempt to relieve the tension of the subject. “But it’s getting late. You should get some rest. Your room is on the second floor at the end of the hallway. Your other belongings were already dropped off.” Then she turned his head back to Takeba who, almost as if remembering her line, continued: “Oh... well I’ll show you the way.”

The dorm was quiet. Not unusual for this time of night but with how this night has been so far. He didn’t like it. He followed Takeba quietly, wondering what he got himself into. He just showed up and he was already hit with a barrage of surprises and questions.

She stopped in front of the door, turning to him and waving towards it as if presenting a prize. “This is it! Pretty easy to remember right? Just don’t forget your key or Kirijo Senpai will never let you hear the end of it. So any questions?”

Minato looked to the girl from the door as she finished speaking. “There was a boy before... does he live here too?”

The puzzlement on her face told him the answer before she even spoke. “What kid?” She continued to look at him with a distant glare of uncertainty. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about but there’s no kid here.”

“Right...” He responded before reaching for the knob.

“Can I ask you something?”

He stopped and turned his head to the side to hear her. “On your way here from the station was... was everything okay?”

After a moment he answered. “Yeah.” Then he began to twist the knob. He felt her shake her head. “Nevermind. You look like you’re alright.”

The door slightly ajar now he stopped and looked at her.

“Well, I’d better get going. We’ll talk later okay?” And she began to walk off back down the hallway. He watched for a second and then entered his empty room. He closed the door behind him and let his bag fall from his shoulder.

The blinds were all shut, the bed was empty and all the electronics were unplugged. It was a familiar environment.

Walking over to the mattress he sat himself down, listening to the music ebb out from where his headphones hung around his neck. Then with a heavy breath, he let his body fall backward onto the cushion.

[brightlotusmoon]

Mikey is a kitten all by himself.

In the Mirage issue featuring his cat Klunk dying he was willing to sacrifice anything to have his babby live even a random alley cat, but he couldn't. And then it turned out that the stray was pregnant, and then we got Klunk II.

In 2003 Klunk kind of died in a mass hallucination, and I literally cried, and then I cried when it was over and Klunk was fine.

Pretty sure Klunk thinks Mikey is a cat. Kitten brother.

How would the guys go about their s/o owning a little kitten that would rub against their feet showing deep affection or climbing up on their leg, like clawing on their skin or pants meowing so cutely????

Leo: Leonardo had been trained to keep a cool, steady head. To let nothing bother him, to affect him, and yet when your new kitten began to rub against his leg, he was done for. He could hear the purring coming from the tiny animal at his feet. He looked down and smiled weakly; he felt as though he was rooted to the floor. He didn’t know if he should move or not. You were no help - you were standing to the side, taking pictures of him and your new kitten. He wanted to ask for help, any sort of guidance, but he didn’t want to show he was allowing this small mammal control him and affect him this much. In the end, he resolved to kneel down and stroke it carefully - he didn’t want to hurt it. He was sure with enough time, he’d know how to act around the small animal who had effortlessly captured his heart, just as you had.Raph: Raphael was pretty indifferent to cats. He could take them or leave them. When you mentioned you had brought a new kitten and that he should come over and meet them, maybe being up close with a kitten would change his opinion of cats in general, he merely shrugged and came over. He knew kittens were small but compared to him, the kitten was minuscule. He sat down on the sofa, suddenly feeling incredibly anxious. He was scared to touch anything, even you. You approached him with the kitten in your hands, and even he had to admit the kitten was cute, especially the way it stretched out its arm to touch him. You left the kitten alone with Raphael, much against his stuttering wishes. His eyes didn’t leave the small animal on the ground in front of him, terrified of even breathing in case he hurt it in some way. He tensed up when he saw the kitten take steps towards him then sat in front of them, until it stood on its hind legs to stretch up, its front paws on Raphael’s legs, mewling up at him. Nothing could have prepared him for that level of cute.Donnie: Donatello had been excited to meet your new kitten for days, ever since you had mentioned you had bought it. He had spent hours on the phone with you as you had talked and talked about your new pet. When he finally had a few spare hours, he rushed over to your home. He had come prepared with new toys, some of which he had put together himself. You had been waiting for him by the window you often left ajar for him, the kitten in your arms. Donatello could have died happy right there at the sight of you, the person he loved more than anything, holding an animal that was definitely on par with your cuteness. You and Donnie did a swap - he passed you the small bag of toys he had gathered for the new arrival, and you passed him the small kitten. It looked up at him curiously, Donnie smiled down at it weakly. He knew he had to be careful, to make no sudden movements that would scare it. The faintest tint of pink grew on his face when the kitten started to nuzzle its head on his plastron, purring loudly.Mikey: Michelangelo had fallen in love with your kitten as soon as he saw it. The kitten had big eyes that seemed to follow him everywhere he walked and whenever he sat down on the sofa to cuddle with you, the kitten would waste no time in climbing over him to sit onto his chest. Needless to say, Michelangelo found it very hard to be apart from not just you, but the new member of your family. One evening when he arrived to your home, he noticed you weren’t around which left him alone with the kitten. He made himself at home, falling back on the sofa, putting his feet up on the coffee table. The kitten blinked at him a few times then walked over, pawing at his pants when they reached him. They continued to paw at his pants until Mikey took the hint and lifting them up, nose bumping them and then placing them down on his chest. He didn’t think it was possible for him to fall in love with the small animal on his chest anymore than he already had.

[brightlotusmoon]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Michelangelo's Best Comics, Ranked

Michael Dooney, Mikey And Klunk.

Dooney did a lot of Mirage artwork!

Ah, 'The Path' is listed in that article. The death of Klunk and the birth of Klunk II.

[brightlotusmoon]

Mikey in the 1987 cartoon became friends with a veterinarian and wound up caring for stray animals, including a parrot and a pigeon. In Mirage and Archie, Mikey had several pets. In Mirage and the 2003 series, there was Michelangelo's faithful cat Klunk, whom he rescued from the winter streets (who died in a Mirage issue that still makes me cry, but Mikey got one of his kittens, Klunk II). In 2012 Ice Cream Kitty was meant to be Kevin Eastman's version of a mutant Klunk. So it's literally Canon for Michelangelo to be The Cat Lady of the team.

Oh noice!! Thanks for the ask @tmntloversblog!

Leo:

He would be the one to get a fish, but not just like one goldfish. Leo has an aquarium full of rescued fish.

Raph:

He would have a tortoise, and his name is spike. Raph found him in a dumpster abandoned.

Mikey:

All of the stray cats. All Of Them. They are his babies and almost anywhere in the city he goes a cat will recognize him.

Donnie:

Donnie has carrier pigeons! He built a coop for all of them on an old rooftop, and he has a pidgeon pouch on his backpack in case they find a wounded bird that he needs to bring back for rehabilitation.

[brightlotusmoon]

The Path/Transcript | TMNTPedia | Fandom

[Splinter sits on a chair in the center of a room. There are bookcases on either side of him filled with books and both books and scrolls are stacked around the chair. His walking stick leans against a stack of those books, and in one hand he holds a lily, in the other he holds nunchaku.]

Splinter "Lonely warrior, your path is difficult. Should we strive to be as cold-hearted as our worst enemy? Like your mighty brothers, you too are a warrior born and trained. You, though, are not as steely-edged as may be required... You follow your heart on a broken, curving road to uncertain destinations. Even so, there may still be balance for you. Will you choose wisely? With compassion? Or will you think only of yourself? We shall see."

He's talking about Mikey, by the way. Mikey is the lotus.

And then his cat dies in his arms. But he adopts one of the kittens, Klunk II.

@remmushound this is what's happening in the astral plane with the Multiverse Memories movie screen. Bayverse Splinter has some Feelings to sort through.

Ooooh, I should find the issue of City At War where The Rat King shows up during Splinter's hallucinogens, and Splinter is given a This Is Why You Suck trope speech about why he won't reach nirvana. Haha burn.

[turtle-titan]

GOD YEAH THEY CAN’T EVEN LOOK UP ANYTHING BECAUSE THEIR KNOWLEDGE MIGHT AFFECT THE TIMELINE. i know they know The Journal is a fake now, but do you think it scared them a bit. thinking that they ruined everything?

PLEASE TAG ME WHEN YOU POST and if you need a beta i am Here for it. turtle titan ii and mike deserved to have more episodes so mikey can gain confidence that what he’s doing is impactful and important and the others can see it.

YES why was he not turtle titan in more episodes?? its an outlet for him to protect and interact with humanity without freaking them out too much, not to mention he has all his superhero friends. i love Membership Drive cuz mikey is like “hey we need help! i know a guy :)” and the superheroes came in their hour of need 😭 (granted, they were like,,, kinda ineffective but. i understand the need to nerf your superman knockoff so your main characters can shine).

yeah! the first 5 seasons managed to balance silly with serious but the last two seasons just veered waaaay too far into silly. you can make it More lighthearted than that *gestures at exodus/good genes/insane in the membrane/all the other angst* without completely REMOVING all of it. cuz it feels more like a weird vacation. they’re not too concerned with getting back, they’re just hanging out and having fun :/ which they deserve fun but Now is not the time.

yeah, leo only seemed to train cody, or else try to get the dark turtles to see they can be more than villains (which was an amazing concept but they only had ONE dedicated to the possibility - maybe if we got a second season of FF, they would have delved into it). especially after they “graduate” - he’s grown so much yet we don’t see much, if anything. we don’t even see regression :/ and they took away his scar in the FF/BTTS design :( like he went through SO MUCH and the writers act like it didn’t happen

i know in my heart april took klunk in but that doesn’t negate the fact mikey and klunk miss each other :(

mikey ask game, 8 and 13!

(these answers will be about 2k3 mikey unless stated otherwise because he's ~my~ mikey. i apologise for the length of these answers, it seems i had a lot to say?! i also apologise for how much i bring up fast forward here, it seems that i'm fixated on it really hard right now.)

8. what’s your favorite dynamic of him and any other character? what makes it your favorite?

It's so hard to pick just one!!

i thought a lot about this, but i think splinter? he's exasperated that his son can be a bit lazy and distracted from ninja training, but still had him specialise in nunchaku, showing that he believes in his ability to master a difficult weapon. splinter surrendering in the battle nexus so that mikey could advance was so heartwarming and honestly makes me emotional to remember. in the first turtle titan episode even though he doesn't understand why mikey admires superheroes so much he acknowledges that his intentions are noble and he needs to follow the path truest to his heart. veering a little more into headcanon territory, i do think that being the most openly affectionate, baby mikey was a master manipulator in terms of melting his rat dad's heart. i can picture him climbing onto splinter's lap every time he sits down and being the most reluctant to go down for naps. and in a particular au i'm cultivating that delves more into mikey's potential romantic life, i think he would go to his father for advice. splinter may not be well versed in romance outside of his soap operas, but he will always be here for his kids when they need him.

(this, of course, makes me very bitter over the flanderisation of their relationship in fast forward. ff!splinter might as well walk around wearing a shirt that says "i hate my lazy video game addicted son" and it breaks my heart.)

honourable mentions for other characters i think he has a great dynamic with: leo, silver sentry, klunk, serling, angel, april, renet and turtle titan ii.

13. what’s something about mikey that nobody seems to talk about that should be talked about more?

tbh i think a lot of people love mikey and have analysed him in just about every way possible and what i end up saying is probably not the most groundbreaking take, but here is something that i've thought about a fair bit but haven't really seen from anyone else?

in fast forward, mikey is depressed. it is handled by the narrative about as delicately as a bull in a china shop, but it's there.

5 seasons of being bombarded with trauma-inducing storylines culminates in temporarily dying, going full dragon avatar mode to defeat the demon shredder and then finally they are able to relax, breathe easy, process some of these emotions - but noooo, instead they get ripped out of their timeline and dropped 100 years in the future with no way home and the studio execs wouldnt let them rightfully lose their shit at cody so instead we see the turtles bottle that rage and slowly descend into semi-flanderised madness. /lh

mikey in particular becomes very sensitive to rejection (see: losing his goddamn mind and going on an all out offensive against turtle titan ii, after being talked down the first time he raged out, because raph made One Comment about how his successor is better at heroism than he is), prone to emotional outbursts, especially anger (remember that iconic clip of him beating up cops and stealing their cars because they pissed him off?), loses interest in his ninja training, maintains very poor hygiene/living conditions, grows addicted to video games, and in rare moments of vulnerability (namely in graduation day of 2105) he expresses that he sees himself as lazy, unfocused, a 'goofball', and undeserving when it comes to being recognised for his ninja skills like his brothers. my man's self-esteem is in the toilet, he is craving normalcy after years of constantly fighting for his life, and his dopamine is clearly critically low because he is dependent on all the fancy material goods of 2105 to be happy. his method of coping with the difficult emotions being stranded in the future has brought up, while still maintaining the silly funny guy routine that his family expect from him, is to bury himself in VR. and why wouldn't he, when among the uptick in mikey roasts over the course of this season we literally hear splinter say the words "where did i go wrong with that boy?" THOSE WORDS STAY WITH YOU WHEN THEY COME FROM YOUR PARENTS. THEY HURT.

he's very empathetic to leo's own depression in season 4, being the voice of reason at the beginning of samurai tourist when raph is ready to fight him. we also see at several points in seasons 1-5 that his loud ego is a front and he is actually very aware of his shortcomings, especially seen in grudge match. in a different timeline where 2k3 wasn't neutered following insane in the membrane, i do wonder if the turtles would have been able to explore their turbulent feelings regarding the 2105 situation. since mikey and leo are often paired up for adventures in 2k3, it would be an interesting parallel to see leo recognising signs of depression in his brother and helping him, imparting some of ancient one's wisdom (and, in the great year of 2105 where mutants are equal citizens and cody has money to burn, finding him a good cognitive behavioural therapist).

i don't think the writers INTENDED to code mikey as depressed / struggling to cope in season 6 - i think it was a toxic combo of writing more 'mikey is lazy/immature/irresponsible and needs to be taught a lesson' episodes than the usual season average + thinking it was a funny social commentary gag to make him obsessive over video games. but i saw a lot of those traits in myself when i was deep in a depression hole. the show has already told us that the turtles' mental states have been impacted by the ridiculousness they have gone through. why would mikey be any different?

I DIDN'T MEAN TO WRITE AN ENTIRE THINKPIECE, BUT IF YOU REACHED THE END, THANK YOU FOR READING. AND THANK YOU FOR THE ASKS!

[brightlotusmoon]

TMNT Mirage: The Path

In Discord, a conversation about Splinter being a teacher vs father turned into a discussion about Michelangelo, particularly 2012 and 2003, slipping under the radar, being full of raw power and potential and Splinter not knowing what to do with him.

A lot of hardcore 2012 fans will defend Splinter vehemently, using abstract arbitrary parental traits that don't show a whole picture. Thus, I suggest the classic comic "The Path", which is one of the most devastating issues in independent comics. But before it rips out our hearts, it breaks them by showing that Splinter doesn't know how to teach Mikey anymore. He's too soft for the path of the warrior and is constantly walking two paths, his heart and spirit open for all. Perhaps he can teach his master some things. Leaving Mikey in confused guilt at being unable to please his sensei or be what his sensei wanted.

And then, later on, his beloved cat dies. Mikey chooses to let Klunk go rather than sacrifice another cat's life in a magic ritual. A cat pregnant with Klunk's offspring, as we later learn. Mikey adopts one: Klunk II.

This is my top favorite TMNT Mirage comic.

Master Splinter, over every incarnation, has been many things. He has never been a perfect father or teacher. The AU fanfics I write seek to explore why and how. Example: scenarios in which he holds Mikey back because he does not know how to work with him, doesn't recognize Mikey's needs due to biased assumptions, or misunderstanding Mikey's odd brain wiring that reads strangely to Splonter, ie ADHD and varied emotional intelligences that conflict with being the ninja that is expected.

Tagging @ulisabarbic-blog @fire-fira @arteinthemachine

[brightlotusmoon]

SHE BETTER.

In Mirage, Mikey got Klunk II. In 2003, Klunk presumably grew up and stayed happy. In 2012, Klunk, uh, became an immortal ice cream cat mutant.

Nubbins is our immortal mantis cat mutant.

Awwwww.

Random thought I had because the idea of Mrs.nubbins dying made me upset: because of her mutagen exposure, she lives as long as a mutant would even after being returned to cat. I cannot cope with the thought of her death ever so now she lives forever

I'm gonna cry. You're gonna make the Mikey's cry.

[brightlotusmoon]

Anyway, I finally wrote a continuation but it's sitting in my word files waiting to be edited because I'm never satisfied-

There's going to be a lot of Klunk. A lot of Raph and Klunk. It will be very cute and mostly sad. Also there will be Lucy. Because Klunk II came from somewhere.

I'm doing an RP of the potential fanfic on Discord and it's wild. Remember Dr. Jane Goodfellow from that one episode of 1987, What's Michaelangelo Good For? I gave her four kids. They're students of the remaining Turtles. One is a strong telepath with memory recall who plays visions like a mental movie so the brothers and students have bee able to view the memories of Mikey like episodes. So by the time Young Mikey shows up to help galvanize the charge against Lord Shredder he's well known.

And this time there's Donnie, who after twenty years became colder and full of CPTSD and panic disorders and also a cyborg with lasers in his arm and storage compartments in his leg. Leo is not blind as per canon, but he has cataracts from an injury with increased aura sight. Raph is Raph, because SAINW took directly from that Archie future arc with an old Raph who lost his eye in an explosion. And I might do that.

Hey, who remembers that SAINW AU I was plotting? I got around to writing the first part.

-

The day Michelangelo disappeared, Raphael yelled at Klunk for sleeping on his set of weights. The dumbbells were covered in fur. 

It reminded Mikey to go to that one bodega, the one where the employees literally don't care that they're mutant turtles, where Mike actually made a friend and new comic supplier in one of the cashiers: a young guy who works all night and always smiles, breaking out in a dance after some transactions, who adopts stray cats keeps the ones he can't rehome so now he and his husband own two graybrown and two orange tabbies that somehow all get along. 

They tried not to question. He quietly gave them discounts on everything. 

The day Michelangelo disappeared, the cashier chirped with delight when Michelangelo called to say he was coming over for cat supplies. He went to the back and got the newest issue of the comic they had both been desperately waiting for, the issue introducing a character Mikey had hoped for so much that one day Raph came into the bodega and grumbled that Mikey wouldn't shut up about the character and it was annoying, and so the bodega employee became something of a counselor, because he had the same kind of mind that Mikey had and the same passion Raph had, and he understood both of them. 

His bodega was a powerful liminal space, Mikey had said once, which surprised Donnie, who didn't know that Mikey understood liminal spaces. Mike, looking a little insulted, had said that contemporary comic books had become just as strong and heavy in how it applied words academically with just as good terminology, linguistics, and descriptions as any popular novel. Plus, the beautiful sequential art, the colorful pictures created by talented visual artists just as valuable as the writers, enhanced the exposition in ways faaancy novels didn't. Which had made Raph's jaw drop and Leo's head tilt. Donnie, with a huge grin and a shining expression, demanded a fist bump and asked if he had seen a graphic novel version of a popular chemist's work.

The bodega employee waited twenty minutes after Michelangelo was supposed to show up, and then he called Raph. 

Raphael went out to the living room and frowned at his brothers, who muted their movie and looked at him with concern. 

"Keno called me. Mikey's missing. He didn't show. Keno says there was no evidence Mike was around the bodega."

Their friend was never wrong. 

They geared up to go on patrol. The search might take a while. 

-