#and I guess I project onto Leo so hard that I just became him??????

[builtlikeastickofcelery]

the other night i had a dream that i was leo and the whole family was vacationing on a tropical island except there were these teleport spots that teleported you, so I was trying to teleport to a cool beach or reef or something but only humans could activate the teleporter and I wanted this girl (I went to camp with her) to teleport me and for some reason she was sitting on a surfboard and I think Rupert Grint and this kid in one of my classes who has great hair were also waiting so I was like “i need goggles” and I ran back to the resort which was 100% made of nicely stained wood and full of white people and small children crying there was dragonfruit in flower shapes and just like a whole melon which I took and for some reason I (Leo) distinctly remember HATING dragonfruit but I (dusky) personally love it so that was confusing but anyway I tried to go back but there was an obstacle course and the first obstacle was a 2 foot horizontal jump to some broken stairs and there was an old man facilitating and blocking my view and I could not see the rest of the course and I spent the whole rest of the dream trying to get across. The end. (This is a draft from a WHILE ago)

[lost-walmartbag]

Marjorine x reader p. 2

Playlist- Like the sun

Warnings: N/A

Background: Marjorine helps you ease into being more comfortable around people.

Status: Ongoing

Previous part

Next part

'Leo?'

After you talked to Marjorine you felt happy that you finally had someone to talk to and hang out with. You didn't know what to really do. Do you text them whenever you wanted or only when it was important? It was new to you but you were open to trying to figure it all out.

You walked into school and look around seeing Marjorine at their locker. You slowly walked up to them and they instantly noticed you. They smiled and their eyes lit up when they saw you.

"Hey Y/N. How's your morning?" They asked with a bright smile.

"Um, h-hi. it's ok." You stuttered out making their smile slowly disappear.

"You're really nervous is that how you are with everyone?" They asked softly trying to make you more comfortable.

"Y-yeah b-because I don't talk to many people i-it's hard to not be nervous." You explain looking away. "Eye contact is hard too."

"We can definitely work on that. Don't work we'll go slow." They said with a smile. "How are you with physical contact?"

"I-I d-don't really like being touched." You say holding onto the strap of your backpack.

"Well, that's ok. Sometimes socializing and stuff is hard but don't worry I'll be a good teacher." They said taking your hand causing you to look up and see their eyes were huge and their wide smile.

You couldn't help but blush a bit. You liked them touching your hand and smiling at you like that. You had to look away after a few seconds you couldn't keep staring it just made you so nervous. It was like staring into the sun you just couldn't look for too long but they made you feel warm.

"That was 5 seconds!" They cheered smiling even wider. "That's not bad, and you haven't pulled your hand away. You're doing way better than you said."

Their praise made you blush harder. "T-thank you." You stutter out sheepishly. The bell rang signaling you to go to class, but Marjorie didn't let go of your hand.

"How about I keep holding your hand until you feel like you have to pull away ok?" They asked slowly walking to class hand and hand with you. "How about we talk about something to make you less nervous. When we talked about sewing yesterday you didn't stutter so maybe if we talk about it you'll loosen up."

You nod and walk hand in hand with them to class. "I started a new project last week and I'm almost done but I ran out of fabric for the skirt and I haven't been able to find it anywhere."

"Oh, what did it look like? Maybe we can go to the store after school today to see if they have it." They said walking into class with you and taking their seat but still holding your hand.

"That's what I was looking for yesterday and I didn't see any so I'm scared that maybe they won't get another shipment and I won't be able to finish." You say sitting in the seat next to him. You honestly completely forgot you were even holding their hand as you blabbed on about sewing.

"I'm sure we can find some don't worry." They said placing their head on their free hand.

"Hmm, I guess so. Thanks, Leo." You say smiling brightly at them making their face turn a light shade of pink.

You stayed quiet for a few seconds and it made you realize that you two were still holding hands. You became flustered once more and pulled your hand away.

"You did really good Y/N. That was like at least a few minutes." They praised making you blush and look away. You simply nodded in response.

The class went on normally but Kyle who had watched the entire interaction kept a close eye on Marjorine and you. When class ended Marjorine turned to talk to you but you quickly got out of your seat and left the room without saying bye. Marjorine let out a small sigh and smiled softly to themselves.

"I guess we'll work on that." They muttered to themselves.

"Hey, Butters." Kyle said walking up to him.

"Well hey, Kyle what's up?" They asked with a smile and gathered their things.

"Are you and the new girl dating?" He asked bluntly.

"Y-Y/N? N-no we aren't dating." They said blushing and looking away,

"You guys were holding hands and she called you Leo," Kyle said questioningly.

"O-oh I'm just helping her work on socializing." They said clearly becoming uncomfortable by the question.

"But why does she call you Leo? I thought you didn't like your name." He said

"I-I'm just trying it out." They said looking up at Kyle who had a confused look on his face. "I got to get to class talk to you later ok? Bye."

Marjorine quickly ran out of the class. Maybe it was the sudden questions but now they couldn't stop thinking about you. Would they want to date you? Would you date them? The idea of being with you didn't sound bad but they honestly didn't want to think about that right now.

After school you walk out of the front doors seeing Marjorine standing there and waving you over.

"Hey Y/N! You wanna head out to the store?" They asked smiling softly.

"Yeah I've been thinking and if they don't have the fabric out maybe they'll have some in the back." You say as you started walking with them.

"Oh and this will be great practice for you! You can ask the cashier to check for you." They said excitedly making you stop dead in your tracks and tremble.

"I-I have to talk to her?" You ask your voice shaking

"Hey don't worry we can practice before we get there." They said taking your hand.

The sudden contact made you even more nervous but when you looked up at them their smile put me at ease. You nod and walk with them to the store biting the inside of your cheek.

"Ok so pretend I'm the cashier ok? Just tell me what you would ask." They said.

"Ok." You say taking a deep breath. "H-Hi c-can you check to see if you have any of the silk blue fabric?"

"Perfect just take a deep breath and don't worry ok?" They said opening the door of the store for you.

You nod, letting go of their hand and walking inside. You slowly make your way to the fabric isle and look around not seeing the fabric you wanted.

"Hmm doesn't seem like it's here." Marjorine said with a frown.

"Does that mean I have to ask?" You ask nervously.

"Mhm but don't worry you'll do just fine and I'll be right next to you." They said with a smile.

You slowly walk to the cashier and clear your throat. "E-excuse me?"

The cashier turned around giving you a small smile. "What can I help you with?"

Marjorine stood back watching you talk to the cashier. They smiled as they watched the cashier leave to the back, and you stood there with a bright smile. Your smile made them blush a bit as they see how proud you are in yourself. You turn your head to face them, giving them a toothy smile.

Marjorine felt like their heart skipped a beat and her blush grew deeper. They held up a thumbs up and looked away. They touched their face and felt the heat.

"What's wrong with me?"

A/N: Hey guys hoped you liked this sorry I didn't post yesterday I wanted to change the way my fics first looked and so hopefully they look way better. And like I mentioned before I'm pretty new to tumblr so I didn't know people who reblogged my post before the change would look like the old version even after I changed it. But yeah idk im learning 🤧 so I encourage you guys to read my past fics once more because I did do some editing and especially to my stan fic so yeah. Also, I made a lil playlist for this series ofc you don't to listen to it but these are just some small songs that fit the vibe a bit imo. Got the idea from @n0tangeliccc who again is a million times better at stuff like this and has way better music taste than me. Anyway I love you all thank you sm for reading 🩷🩷🩷

[doctorjuliasato]

[ Midori Francis, cis female, she/her ] — whoa! JULIA SATO just stole my cab! not cool, but maybe they needed it more. they have lived in the city for THREE MONTHS, working as a PAEDIATRIC DOCTOR. that can’t be easy, especially at only 33 YEARS OLD. some people say they can be a little bit PEDANTIC and GUARDED, but i know them to be EXTRAORDINARY and PATIENT. whatever. i guess i’ll catch the next cab. hope they like the ride back to BROOKLYN! 

Tw: Unwanted pregnancy, adoption, trauma

Julia wasn’t born wanting to be a doctor, she didn’t grow up playing doctor, but little did she know it was always on the cards for her. Pushed from a young age to focus closely on her academics she had two choices - doctor or lawyer, and in the end she chose the former. Her father was a well known cardiovascular surgeon and her mother one of New York’s top OBGYN, so it was hardly surprising when their only daughter was said to have her eyes set on medical school (Even if they were telling people long before Julia had any idea that’s what was happening.)

They tended to do that though. The pair of them would decide on something and before you knew it that was exactly what was happening, it was a control thing they loved to have, and it overflowed into every aspect of their daughter’s life. On the most part Julia was a sweet, normal child, she did well in school and didn’t make too many waves that drew extra attention to herself. With a select circle of friends - she was the girl you wanted to be in group projects with because it meant the ball wasn’t going to be dropped, you would have a finished project bang on time, and the lettering on the poster board would be impeccable to boot. Well if you’re going to do something you might as well do it properly, she knew the past of least resistance in her family was to excel so she didn’t put up a fuss. Just knuckling down to do what was expect of her. It wasn’t a miserable existence, did she get to go to as many social events as the rest of her classmates? Maybe not, but she never felt she was being deprived of anything. 

That was until she met and fell for Leo West. The two had been in the same grade for their entire school life but it wasn’t until they turned fifteen that their paths properly crossed and Julia’s eyes were suddenly opened to a world beyond her school books and music lessons. He had an freedom she had never been around before but wanted more of as soon as she’d been exposed, and it wasn’t long before (much to her parents disapproval) the two were dating. Julia’s first romance and it was a total whirlwind of infatuation and codependence they were inseparable and soon became a package deal. Even as she continued to study hard, it wasn’t with the same dedication that she’d had before and both the Sato parents started to notice, concern growing that this boy was turning their daughter’s head in the wrong direction. Not that they ever acted upon that thought - but they certainly made it known to Julia. Leo was due to go away on a year abroad once he finished high school and the Sato parents had already decided that this would be the end of their daughters relationship with him. And just like that he left when summer broke that year and Julia was back to focusing her attention onto her studies. 

Kinda. 

About three weeks later it was discovered that she was pregnant. A total disaster in her parents eyes the girl was made to go through with the pregnancy, hiding it for the most part thanks to her mother’s medical field, and the baby was put up for adoption the moment it came into he world. Never up for debate. Julia never got to hold it, they never even told her what she’d had. Instead she was just expected to go back to her studies as if nothing had happened without any kind of mental health or trauma support, and she did. But she was never the same. By the time Leo came home from his time abroad (which ended up going from one year to two) she had left for medical school so her parents didn't have to worry about the two of them reconnecting.

That was sixteen years ago and even after earning a place at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, a placement at Boston Children’s Hospital, and finally getting a job offer she couldn’t refuse back in her home town of New York, she still felt totally lost. So to combat it she threw herself into her work without letting up for a second, no time to think meant no time to hurt. At least with this career she could help children in a way she could never help her own child, but that didn’t stop her eyes from lingering a couple of seconds longer on kids that came in with features that reminded her of Leos’, wondering what had happened to their son or daughter. 

Wound tight, laser focused, a stickler for detail, and well overdue for everything she’d squished down to the depths of her soul and darkest parts of her brain to come bursting out, there was really no telling when this ticking time bomb was going to go off. 

[shippy-pjo-shipper]

Hasammy ~ Time

"Hello, Hazel Levesque."

This simple word teared the sob out of her throat.

Hazel was standing in a familiar surrounding again, Leo's hands in hers, but still, she never felt so out of place.

She wanted to go back there, on this porch, with Sammy.

Sammy. No matter how old he was, he was still the same. The same smile, the same eyes, the same spark. And with Leo standing right before her, she could finally see how different of him he was, in reality.

He was unique, and she lost him. She lost him because of Gaia, because of her mother, because of Pluto, because of herself... And she lost him to guilt and sadness.

That she could never forgive herself for.

And as the ship was starting to get tossed around, her mind was focused on only one thing. One sentence in one so foreign voice.

"I guess we ran out of time."

Yes. I guess we did, my love.

***

He was running out of time and he knew it. She was almost done. She seemed to be looking for one last thing but once she'd have it, she'd probably leave to never come back.

No, he couldn't let that chance go. He had to talk to her.

He wasn't known to be nervous in this kind of situation before. He knew how to talk to girls, how to make them laugh. But he couldn't help it, he was scared. Not so scared of them that he was of messing something up.

He had done that before already.

He knew he couldn't let this story rule his life. He had been told so. To forget and move on. But it wasn't so easy when just one story, one girl had defined his whole life until now and was the reason thanks to who he had what he had. And didn't have what he didn't have.

No, no ! He had to have faith. Deep down he knew he was being lead toward something great. He knew he left an happiness for another. Maybe this girl was it. Maybe he should stop doubting his gut instinct.

So Sammy Valdez stepped forward and helped his client find what she was looking for. And in the end, they both found much more in each other than they dared to hope.

***

She laughed so much that it hurt her lungs. The first time she genuinely laughed about him since she learned the truth, and it hurt. But in a good way for once.

"Sammy Jr. ? I don't even know why I'm surprised it's just... Of course he did !" Leo laughed along, though it was more Hazel's that passed onto him.

"The Valdez have ressourcefulness and humour, miss Levesque. Not imagination, as it seems." "Seems like you took it all." "Ah ! That idea I like ! You're right I'm almost as imaginative as I am hot. My son's name will certainly more creative, like...Leon." "Junior is too old school ?" "I don't want the kid to get bullied."

Both their looks softened at this. Gods, Hazel was feeling great. Talking about Sammy became less and less hard with the days, weeks and months, but with Leo's return, it was finally natural and true, for lack of a better word. Looking at him now brought her calm and serenity rather than stress and fear of projecting and hurt them both in the process.

She loved how she now took herself looking at Leo and thinking : 'I'm glad he's in my life.'

'I'm glad he's not Sammy.'

Because Leo was his own person, his own wonderful person.

And now, when she looked at him, she could only see the irony that always almost made her smile a sad smile.

He may not have been the Valdez she expected, but maybe he was the one she needed. Just like her life.

And with friends like hers, Hazel knew she could never regret the life she got in the end. She just hoped Sammy had felt the same.

***

"Abuelo, tell me a story !"

He sat back. "A story ? What story ?" "About your life before !" "What ? You mean you're not interested in my life 'after' ?"

Her big eyes widened. "What is that, abuelo ?" He leaned toward her like a magician about to confide his biggest tour's secret.

"It's also known as 'sleeping'." She didn't like this answer, which the blow he took from her pillow let him know.

"Tell me a story about love !" "You already know everything about your abuela and me, Esperanzita." "About someone else, then." "Someone else ?" "Abuela had a boyfriend in school, she told me about him." "She told you about Roberto ?" He made a face. Why did she have to go and talk about this idiot to their granddaughter ?

"I asked her to. Can you ? Did you have a girlfriend ?" "One or two, yes." Yeah, maybe he could let the Roberto story retelling slide.

"What about the first ?" "The first ?" He couldn't help the soft smile that appeared on his lips at the reminiscing of those memories that had never left his mind.

"Yes ! What was her name, abuelo ?"

He looked into her big excited eyes and smiled before tapping his knee, letting her hop on.

"Her name was Hazel Levesque and she was a witch, destined to great things."

***

"HA-ZEL! HA-ZEL!"

In just one clamor of her name, her life had turned upside down once again.

Reyna had left with the hunt and she was now standing in her place.

She didn't know if she should find this funny or sad, but as she stood at Frank's side, before dozens of senators and soldiers, her first thought went toward Sammy Valdez.

Who would have guessed that she'd end up here ? He probably would have. He always seemed to know that she was destined to great things.

She should have believed in him back in the days.

As she was reminiscing on all of that, she reached Bacchus' gardens, just as the sun was disappearing behind the hills. The evening air was hot, the sky was dressed with yellow, orange and pink, and the flowers' scent was tickling her nose.

So many things that always brought her back to the same memory, one that wasn't even hers.

***

Leo would take care of it all. He would take care of her. The older Valdez knew it without even knowing how he did. Maybe he would be the one to find the right thing to say, like he never had.

He was so good with words, and yet he never could bring himself to say those ones aloud when it came to this peculiar girl. So, as always when she was on her mind, he tapped. The same message, over and over again : I love you.

Because yes, he did love Hazel Levesque, this silly, dreamy, idealized kind of love.

And he never got to say it to her. Just like he never got to say goodbye.

So as Esperanza was bringing his stunt double back inside, Sammy looked at the horizon with a certainty that could almost have made him convince himself that he was, in fact, loosing his mind. But as if Hazel was standing right on the other side of this beautiful sunset, he whispered in a voice full of love, grief, joy, hope and humor :

"Goodbye, Hazel Levesque."

***

And on the other side of the sky, the sun, the hills and time, a girl barely older than the one he left answered with a peaceful smile :

"Goodbye, Sammy Valdez"

@them-awesome-rarepairs

[solange-lol]

"why don't we be friends (why don't we make out)" - (1/1)

words: 2,373

read on ao3

—

There are very few people that Nico forgets about. At least, as far as the people that have stuck around with him for most of his life.

He’s known Percy and Annabeth since they were young, remembering watching the two of them chase each other around the schoolyard and purposefully try and get desks right next to each other before they were inevitably separated by alphabetical last name seating. He remembers trying to convince Piper to do his french project and Jason sitting in the halls with him outside of the music room when they wouldn’t want to go outside for recess in middle school. He can still hear the alarm when Leo accidentally knocked over a bunsen burner in their sophomore year chemistry class, and the feeling of paint on his skin when Hazel tripped and sent half of her palette onto him in their art class.

Nico can even recall moments with the people he was never particularly close to, like when Rachel told him she loved him backstage of their winter concert after only having known him for five minutes (in a very lesbian/gay solidarity way, of course), or when Grover spent an entire hour hiding out in their school library to get away from their math sub.

It’s strange now, looking across such a large circle of people piled into Jason and Thalia’s house. They’re all people from his grade (or class , he supposes, now that they’re officially graduated), Each one of them, Nico can remember at least one conversation he’s had with them, one story he’s passed into his closer friend group that is laughed over and then inevitably moved on from.

It was supposed to be a big party celebrating all their friendships throughout the years.

Ironically, so many people that had such little impact on him, in retrospect.

Which is why it comes as a surprise to him when he sees a flash of blonde curls and freckled skin among the sea of people. He’s hit with what feels like a wall of memories of the two of them, laying in the same bed trading quiet secrets, and walks to the store to get an inhumane amount of candy that they can go share at the pier. Images of blue eyes, warm hands in his, and the sound of stifled laughter at midnight feel all too familiar. Nico is stuck on them.

He hasn’t seen Will in years.

It wasn’t exactly his choice. It wasn’t either of theirs, really. They had gone to middle school together, and from the ages of 10 to 14, Will knew the most about him.

And then their middle school graduation came and went, and Will left for a boarding school. Nico remembers, vaguely, Will asking him to come with them.

“They offer more classes, and there are more opportunities for help,” they had said, or something along the lines of it. “And we could be roommates.”

Part of him wanted to. All of him almost went. But it was the same year he lost his sister, and while moving to another state for school sounded like a fantastic way to avoid all his trauma, he had to stay with his family. Not that his father would have stopped him, but Nico knew he couldn’t go. Not yet.

So he stayed, and Will left, and it all worked out fine. They texted every other day, facetimed once or twice a month when their schedules lined up. Will came home for Christmas that year, telling stories about the other kids on their floor and their girlfriend. Then, when he came home for that summer, about their boyfriend.

Nico would listen, then catch Will up about what was going on at his public school. He had gone out on a date with one boy which was nice but didn’t turn into anything, and Will told him he would find someone eventually. They took trips to the mall together instead of the pier, mostly just to get milkshakes and have a place to walk around.

One morning, Will convinced him to bike to the beach in the morning to see the sunrise. The sky ended up being too cloudy, but they still sat together on the empty lifeguard chair, swapped sweatshirts and bagels with cream cheese, and talking about summer jobs and college.

Then Will left for their sophomore year, and school caught up to both of them and whatever kept them going was lost. The most Nico talked to them was through the occasional Snapchat sent to each other or on a group facetime

The last time Nico had called Will alone, it was in a panic to ask advice on how to break up with the boy he was dating at the time because he realized that relationships weren’t really his thing, at least not yet. Will had sat quietly, giving him occasional advice, and mostly just comforted him.

And that was it.

Nico had gotten a new phone later that year, and all their call logs and long text threads were lost into the depths of his phone memory.

It was bittersweet, in all honesty, and pretty painless for the most part. Maybe it’s because Nico never really forgot about Will. There was never any clear ending; no hard feelings between the two of them. He still sees their posts on social media, sees their mom in the store on occasion. He remembers passing Will at their local fair when they came home again for the summer of their junior year with their boyfriend that they were still dating, and then later again the next when he noticed that all posts had been removed from their Instagram including the ones with said boyfriend and nothing but will - they/them in their bio.

He wondered, briefly, where Will had gone when he didn’t even see him in passing over the following summer. Was he still going to the boarding school? Had his family moved out of the state entirely?

It never felt like a friendship breakup. It was clear now, though.

Nico wonders at which point it became one. He didn’t mean to stare at Will as long as he did. Everything had just come washing over him at once, and he was frozen in place staring at the person Nico had once called his best friend.

He doesn’t even realize he was staring until Will looks back. Their blue eyes meet his brown ones, and reality sets back in. The loud music he had drowned out in his daydream came filtering back through his ears, and he stumbles as people shove past him towards the kitchen. Still, his gaze locks on Will.

Neither of them makes a move towards each other at first.

Then, a moment later, Will is right next to him.

“Hey,” they say it slowly, almost like they were testing the waters, like they knew how long it had been since they had spoken.

Nico doesn’t know what to say. His first instinct was to hug them.

He withstands it, though, instead grabbing onto their wrist and pulling them past the crowd of people and into one of the rooms off of the main hall, which was miraculously empty. He can still hear the pounding music, but it was a little bit quieter with the door closed. Quiet enough that he can think again.

“Uh, hi,” Will tries again, and god, their smile never changed.

“Sorry,” Nico says once he realized he had just seemingly dragged them into a secondary location with no explanation. “It was just… loud. Out there.”

“I get it,” Will says, sitting down on the couch pushed onto the far wall and looking back up at Nico. They were wearing a pinkish-orange button-up Hawaiian shirt that looked straight out of their dad’s closet (Nico would know, he’s seen it before) that was half-tucked into mid-rise light wash jeans that were cuffed just enough that you could see a glimpse of where their socks met their Converse. Yellow, possibly the same pair they had bought at the mall two years prior when Nico was there.

They got taller, he thinks vaguely. Nico had too, but Will still has at least half a foot on him.

“So, what’s up?”

“Not much, I guess,” he shrugs, twisting his ring. “I mean, I graduated. I assume you did too.”

Will nods. “I did. Lou Ellen invited me as her plus one. You know her, right? Friends with Rachel.”

Nico nods. Shoulder length, cloud-like hair that was a different color every other week. Wore lots of random thrifted t-shirts over big pants. Loud personality, even louder voice. Band kid. Friends with Cecil; her good grades probably being the only reason he hasn’t been kicked out of the school yet. Once debated the legitimacy of gender binaries with him in an English class.

“Sorry for, like, staring at you before,” he says. “It’s been a while.”

They nod again. “All good. I was staring at you before anyway.”

“You were?”

“Yeah,” Will shrugs. “You’re easy to look at.”

Then, a moment later, “It has been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Yeah. You’ve changed a bit.”

“Have I?” They ask. “I think just my look, maybe. I’m still just as obnoxious.”

Nico snorts. It’s comforting to know they could just slip back into it like this. Like no time had ever passed, and Nico is back in their bedroom creating each other in The Sims.

“Are you still dating Connor?” Nico asks, vaguely remembering the last conversation they had.

“Nah, we broke up last winter.”

“Any reason?”

Will squints a bit like they’re curious why Nico’s asking. It makes Nico blush, immediately regretting saying anything.

“Dunno. We just grew apart,” they say. Then, “Sounds kinda familiar, doesn’t it?” followed by a laugh.

“I didn’t mean to stop talking to you,” Nico says quickly because he didn’t. There are days where he sees Will’s Instagram story or a tweet and knows that even though he could still comment, it wouldn’t quite be the same.

“Life got busy,” Will says. “It happens”

“I didn’t want it to. Not to us.”

“So let's restart.”

Nico blinks. “Just… start over our entire friendship?”

“No, just pick up where we left off.”

“Just like nothing happened?” he asks, sitting down on the couch next to them.

“Just like nothing happened,” Will affirms.

They’re both quiet for a moment, then—

“Do you remember what you told me when you first came out as bisexual to me?”

It was in the basement of Will’s house. Nico had come out as gay a few weeks prior, and when he was talking about the boy he liked, they just casually mentioned it. Being with Will like this again reminded him of something they had said, and something he later found out.

“I think I just, like… told you, right?” Will smiles. “And I said you were a big part of helping me figure out.”

“Yeah. I always thought you meant because I had already come out,” Nico said. “It wasn’t until, like, last year that Piper mentioned you meant that because you liked me.”

Will laughed again. “I figured you didn’t. You were always talking about what bad of a couple we would make.”

“Yeah,” Nico said, and his heart picked up pace as his knee knocked against Will’s by accident. Neither of them moved. “I actually had a massive crush on you for a while. I think I just said that because I wanted to try and get over it, so I wanted you to indirectly reject me.”

“Did you ever get over it?”

Nico laughs. “Not really. But I moved on.”

He notices Will shift closer, notices how their hands are now on top of each other and their legs are fully pressed together.

“Same,” Will says, moving their head closer to Nico’s until their foreheads are pressed together and their breaths mingle. They look at him for any sign to stop, and Nico doesn’t move.

“Good thing we’re starting over then, right?” they continue, practically a breath of a whisper before their lips connect, and god Nico did not think this was where his night was going but no way in hell was he about to stop it. (He’s not sober enough to care, anyway, and seemingly neither is Will judging by the strong scent smell of weed coming off of his shirt.)

Their hands laced together, subconsciously, almost like muscle memory from all the days walking hand in hand down the dock. (Nico wonders if his younger self was ever trying to tell his mind something.) Nico’s other hand comes up to rest on warm skin, brushing Will’s cheek with his thumb like he’s trying to wipe the freckles off.

Will wraps one arm around Nico’s waist, pulling him closer until he eventually just shifts so he’s in their lap. Will certainly doesn’t complain, only tilting their head to deepen the kiss and breaking apart their hands so they can run one hand through Nico’s hair.

They have to break apart after a moment, and Nico can help it when he laughs.

“Guess we were a little dumb when we were younger, huh?”

Will’s breathing heavy, but Nico doesn’t miss the familiar playful glint in their eye. “I don’t know what you mean. You’re still an idiot,” they say, pressing a kiss to the underside of Nico’s jaw, and another one right next to his ear.

He wonders if Will has thought about doing this the same way Nico has.

“Says you,” Nico says. “You were far more oblivious than I was.”

“I’m not the one who said we would make a bad couple,” they remind Will.

“Yeah?” he says, then leans back in to kiss Will again. Their mouths slot together, and god, they’re an even better kisser than Nico ever thought they could be. Something in his mind tells him maybe it’s not relationships he didn’t like, maybe he just knew it wasn’t the right person.

Perhaps Will’s that person he was always looking for.

Nico leans back, just barely so he can mumble “Lucky for you, I’m willing to test that theory,”  against Will’s lips just before they pull him in once more.

—

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[fuckyeahscootmcnairy]

How Scoot McNairy Became One of the Busiest Actors in Hollywood

In a wide-ranging conversation, the actor reflects on working with Quentin Tarantino, 'Halt and Catch Fire,' 'Narcos: Mexico' and 'True Detective' season three.

Over the past decade, few actors have been as busy as Scoot McNairy, but now that the health of the world has forced everyone to slow down, McNairy is finally able to take stock of the work he’s done. McNairy first became a name to watch on the indie circuit as 2007’s In Search of a Midnight Kiss and 2010’s Monsters garnered critical acclaim and numerous awards. But 2012’s Killing Them Softly really unlocked the floodgates for McNairy as Softly filmmaker Andrew Dominik eventually referred him to Ben Affleck for a role in Argo, which went on to win Best Picture at the 85th Academy Awards in 2013

At his Argo audition, McNairy shocked Affleck when he reminded him that they’d already worked together on a 2006 Axe Body Spray commercial. The two actors teamed up again in 2014’s Gone Girl and 2016’s Batman v Superman.

“I think [Ben] was very, very good to me in sort of championing me. I don’t know how much influence he had on the other jobs, but I assume that he did,” McNairy tells The Hollywood Reporter. “So, I just felt really lucky and grateful that I had anyone supporting me. It’s really hard to get people to get behind you in the business, so you don’t take anybody for granted that does so. So, yes, I was and am very grateful to him.”

After two electric scenes with Brad Pitt in Softly, McNairy has also gone on to work for Pitt’s production company, Plan B, on three more projects including another Best Picture winner, 12 Years a Slave, War Machine and Blonde — Dominik’s first scripted feature since Softly.

“Plan B, Dede Garder, Brad and Jeremy Kleiner have just been really, really great to me by just thinking of me for projects,” McNairy explains. “They’ve thrown some really great, interesting work my way. I am fully aware that, yes, they’ve been very, very good to me and have taken care of me. I’m still in contact with Dede, and I talk to her a lot. She’s a really close friend of mine.”

This week also marks the one-year anniversary of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and McNairy is now reflecting on the fact that he’s the only actor Tarantino has ever cast without meeting first. Since McNairy had a small role as Business Bob Gilbert, a character in the film’s fictional recreation of the real-life TV show, Lancer, McNairy credits Timothy Olyphant for bringing him up to speed on the proceedings.

“Timothy Olyphant saw me when I walked on set, and I was sort of a deer in the headlights because I wasn’t able to read the script. And so, he walked over to me and was like, ‘You didn’t read the script, did you?’ and I was like, ‘No,’” McNairy shares. “He goes, ‘All right, cool. Let me sit down and explain to you what’s going on.’ So, he sat down and chatted with me for about 25 minutes in the morning to sort of give me the lay of the land. He was really great.”

In a wide-ranging conversation with THR, McNairy also reflects on Monsters, Halt and Catch Fire, Narcos: Mexico and True Detective season three. He also looks ahead to his work as Rod Rosenstein on The Comey Rule, which premieres on Showtime in late September. He can currently be found on HBO Max’s first original series, Love Life.

Since this week is the one-year anniversary of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, how did the role of Business Bob Gilbert first pop up on your radar?

I think my manager found it and knew that they were casting for it. And the normal circuits of how it works got me in there, I think. I put an audition on tape, mailed it in to them and didn’t hear anything for, like, two and a half months. And then, a week and half, two weeks before the show started, they called me and said, “Hey, they want you, and you work in two weeks.”

And they only provided you with the sides for Business Bob’s scene?

Yeah, my manager requested the role and the sides, and yeah, those were sent to me and put on tape. Just sort of your classic process.

Were they the real sides?

Yeah, what I auditioned for is pretty much exactly what I ended up doing in the movie, I believe.

Was Business Bob loosely based on a real actor or character to your knowledge?

No, not that I know of. You know, it’s funny. Timothy Olyphant saw me when I walked on set, and I was sort of a deer in the headlights because I wasn’t able to read the script. And so, he walked over to me and was like, “You didn’t read the script, did you?” and I was like, “No.” He goes, “All right, cool. Let me sit down and explain to you what’s going on.” So, he sat down and chatted with me for about 25 minutes in the morning to sort of give me the lay of the land. He was really great.

There’s a scene in the movie where Leo’s character, Rick Dalton, rehearses his lines with a tape machine that has his scene partners’ lines already recorded by himself. Apparently, you set up a more modern version of this technique while on the True Detective set, right?

Oh, that was the actual recording of the self-tape... It was standard. If you have two cell phones, one of them you can hook up to a speaker and one of them can record. And so, I would just record the other person’s lines and then leave the gaps in between so that nobody else had to read with me off-camera in order to send in the self-tape. But the gaps between the lines is something that I’ve always done. That’s how I’ve been learning my lines for, I don’t know, 20 years. Just record it, so you can sit there and rehearse the dialogue with yourself.

Once you’re on set, will you grab a castmate to rehearse your lines whenever it’s possible?

Man, I’ll ask anybody. I always have my sides on me, and if anybody will run them with me, then they’ll run them with me. But yeah, I generally like to run it five or six times with somebody before we even walk on the set just to hear it out and hear what they’re doing and whatnot.

After you sent your tape in and were eventually cast, you never met Quentin until you were on set, and if I have the story right, that’s the first time he’s ever cast someone without meeting them first. Has this ever happened to you in the past?

Without meeting them in person? Yes. But usually, there’s a phone conversation or a Skype call or a couple meetings before it happens. You may not necessarily meet them in person, but I hadn’t talked to Quentin or even met him until the day I walked on the set. So, yeah, it’s amazing. I’m incredibly lucky, too.

What was the vibe of the set like?

It was great, man. He’s incredibly charismatic and sweet and nice and funny, and that sort of goes all day long. He’s just really, really entertaining. I think we’ve all been entertained by Quentin, as an individual, for, I don’t know, 30 years. But to actually see him hold court and whatnot was really fascinating to watch. He’s a really, really interesting guy and incredibly talented. And it was just great. I think we shot over two days, I believe. It was quick, in and out. I think a cell phone had gone off the day before I got there, and that was a really, really big deal. And so, you had to take your cell phone and put it into a bucket before you could walk onto the set. That was a first.

[The following question contains spoilers for Halt and Catch Fire.]

Moving to Halt and Catch Fire, your character, Gordon Clark, had one of the most unique sendoffs I’ve ever seen. What do you remember most about shooting that sequence where his life flashes before his eyes?

I remember them telling me about it. I think it was [co-creator] Chris Rogers, [co-creator] Chris Cantwell and [writer-producer] Zack Whedon. And I think Chris told me it was Zack Whedon who came up with this idea of a coma or him sort of fading out, where his life flashes before his eyes. I remember shooting it, and I thought it was incredibly beautiful, incredibly creative and thoughtful in how they orchestrated and designed it. It was really cool. I knew the show was ending, and having your character die in the last season of the show is something that sort of gives you closure to the show, to the role and to everything. It was great, man. I had such a great time working on that show, working with all of those people and with the Chrises. It was one of my first series I ever did. So, it’s definitely one of the most memorable to me.

Is there a Halt and Catch Fire group text?

Oh yeah. We still chat with each other. For sure. I think everybody’s schedules are pretty busy, but we try and get together when we can.

You guys are all doing incredibly well, but Mackenzie (Davis) is already a movie star. Did you see this coming a long time ago?

Yeah, I’ve always thought Mackenzie was incredibly talented, ambitious and just a wonderful person. So no, it doesn’t surprise me one bit that it would be happening for her. She deserves everything that’s coming to her.

I’ve heard a lot of people say that Hollywood feels much smaller once you’re in it. Considering that you and Kerry Bishé played husband and wife on two different projects (Argo and Halt), do you agree with that premise?

Yeah, I’d say the world is really small once you’re in it. It just feels like the older you get, the more you start running into people all over. But I guess it makes sense over time. You meet and meet and meet new people, so there’s more people for you to run into. But no, I definitely think the business is really small. If you work with somebody once, there’s a good chance you’re going to work with them again over the lifetime of your career, if you’re lucky. Once I’d come on board Halt, the Chrises told me that they cast Kerry to play my wife. So, I knew it going into the show, but yeah, I was really excited to work with Kerry again.

The first time I saw you was in 2010’s Monsters, and a couple years later, I heard Affleck singing your praises in an interview, which amounted to three films together (Argo, Gone Girl, Batman v Superman). Could you feel a shift in your career once he supported you as openly as he did?

Yeah, I’m not aware of that article or interview where Ben said those things. But with that said, yes, I think he was very, very good to me in sort of championing me. I don’t know how much influence he had on the other jobs, but I assume that he did. So, I just felt really lucky and grateful that I had anyone supporting me. It’s really hard to get people to get behind you in the business, so you don’t take anybody for granted that does so. So, yes, I was and am very grateful to him.

We just talked about Hollywood feeling small, and I don’t think the point can be better illustrated than the Axe Body Spray commercial you guys did together in 2006.

(Laughs.) When I left the audition room after auditioning for Argo, I reminded him as I was walking out. I said, “Oh yeah, Axe Deodorant.” And he was like, “No fucking way, that was you!? No fucking way.”

As far as Monsters goes, Gareth Edwards has said that you filmed in “cartel country.” Did things get pretty dicey at certain points?

Yeah, for sure. But you kind of feel unsafe every once in a while on any film set. (Laughs.) But yeah, we were a really small crew of, like, seven people, and so there were a couple of hairy situations we ran into in Guatemala and a couple other situations. But for the most part, no. A couple of situations here and there, but granted, how much time that we were down there, no, we didn’t run into that much. And the people of Mexico were all really, really, really kind individuals and really great people. When I worked on Narcos, the Sinaloa Cartel came to set one day when we were shooting on location and just sort of sat there and watched us. They just said, “We’re letting you know that we’ve allowed you guys to be here, so you guys carry on.” I know they’re noted for doing some awful things, but they didn’t seem to be… If you don’t bother them, then they don’t bother you. But Monsters was really one of the funnest movies I’ve ever worked on. I had such a great time.

Since its release in 2012, I’ve been a part of the Killing Them Softly choir, as it’s criminally underrated. Last year, I talked to Mendo (Ben Mendelsohn) about your time together on that set since I want to see you guys team up again with dishwashing gloves.

(Laughs.) Fucking love Mendo.

And he told me a story of how you guys lived together during filming and that you got on each other’s nerves, which you can recognize in the car scene on the way to the stickup. Would you like to offer your vantage point on this experience?

100 percent correct. The two of us met, we made friends really quickly, we moved into a house together really quickly, we were living together and we were working together. And it became this sort of tiff between the two of us. We’d get in these little spats at the house, and we’d be riding to work together, in the same spat, and then, we’d go to work and be in the same spat at work. I love that about Mendo. He dishes it out a lot, but he also can take it a lot. So, 65 percent of it was us having fun with each other, and the other 35 percent was probably frustration. But I think as Ben says, “It’s always great when two people that are working together are getting at each other because that’s usually when the goods come.”

After working with Brad Pitt on Softly, you were eventually cast in Plan B’s 12 Years a Slave, War Machine and Dominik’s Blonde (2021). Around the time of 12 Years, did you get the sense that Brad had become your latest champion a la Ben?

I don’t 100 percent know. However, with that being said, Plan B, Dede Garder, Brad and Jeremy Kleiner have just been really, really great to me by just thinking of me for projects and stuff. They’ve thrown some really great, interesting work my way. So, I’m not quite sure, but I am fully aware that, yes, they’ve been very, very good to me and have taken care of me. I’m still in contact with Dede, and I talk to her a lot. She’s a really close friend of mine.

As expected, your work on True Detective was excellent. Was that role quite the juggling act since you were essentially playing two different characters via 1980 Tom and 1990 Tom?

Yeah, but it wasn’t as hard as what Stephen (Dorff) and Mahershala (Ali) had to juggle with three characters in three different eras. No, we had a really great team of hair and makeup artists. It was also a really great show and script to be a part of. So, not necessarily. 10 years have passed with the two characters, and it’s one of the things that I love about the show. Over these 35 years, you really get to see how much people change over time. I thought [creator] Nic (Pizzolatto), as a writer, did a really good job at showcasing that, explaining that and also bringing the realism to that. So, no, it was fun. I enjoyed playing the same character in different time periods. It’s something I’ve only been able to do once before on Halt.

When you were on set with Dorff, did you guys expect the audience to theorize about your characters potentially having a romantic relationship?

To be honest with you, no. That may be a seed that Nic sort of planted. And I also don’t know what he had said to Stephen. But that was not a conversation that had ever really come up or was talked about with Nic. Maybe that is Nic trying to withhold that information from me intentionally; I don’t know. I haven’t really asked him about it since, if that was his true intention. That was something that I heard, but it’s not something that me, Stephen or Nic ever talked about. At least, they didn’t talk about that with me.

Nic ultimately rejected the theory on Instagram, and he’s never really been shy about shooting down fan theories.

Yeah, I was going to say… I think it’s something that was sort of speculated through the audience viewership and not something that he’d ever really thought about.

I thought your introduction on Narcos: Mexico season one was pretty ingenious. You weren’t originally supposed to narrate the season, right?

I think their first initial thought, if I’m correct, is that Kiki Camarena (Michael Pena) would be narrating from the grave. I think that Eric Newman, the showrunner, had molded over and over in his mind, and it just didn’t sit right with him. The thought was, “If this guy is dead at the end of the story, then how is he telling the story?” Once I was cast to come into this, I think the new idea that they had was, “Oh, well, here’s this new character coming. Maybe he could be the one who’s telling this story.” So, it’s definitely something that came at the last minute before the show was locked.

Narcos doesn’t mess around and shoot Albuquerque for Mexico. Both versions of the show have strived for authenticity by way of locations that actually correspond to the story. Did that set feel more immersive than most?

I mean, it was awesome and crazy. It’s Mexico. It’s full-on down there. I was breaking some glass one day, and I was like, “That’s real glass!” And they’re like, “Yeah!” and I’m like, “Oh, okay. Maybe they’ll put in the sugar glass next.” And they put it right back in. You just slam another piece of glass, and the glass goes in the other actor’s eye. It’s awesome. It’s like making movies the way we made them back in the ‘60s and ‘70s where the shit’s real. We didn’t have as many tricks down there. We just sort of did it as is. So, it was awesome, man. It was really fun filmmaking to be down there, to be doing that in Mexico and working with the filmmakers I got to work with.

Do you get the impression that you give better performances when you’re in a real environment as opposed to a soundstage?

100 percent, man. As a kid, I just didn’t like being inside. So, working on a soundstage is never really as exciting as working at a real house, a real mountain or, obviously, a real river or location and whatnot. So, fortunately, I feel like I’ve been really lucky as most of the jobs I’ve done have all been on location. I haven’t really worked that much on a soundstage. But yeah, your environment’s right there; it’s right there in front of you. You can react to everything around you because it’s real. I find that to be rewarding when you’re in the environment, and it’s less work for you to do as an actor.

Your Narcos character, Walt Breslin, pursued a goal so intensely that he ultimately ended up being reassigned behind a desk. Is there an experience from your own life that you channeled in order to capture how Walt felt by season's end?

Yes, the fear of also having to work behind a desk or having to be indoors for 8 hours a day. That would be a nightmare for me.

Overall, I thought you did tremendous work throughout season two. Are you returning for Narcos: Mexico season three, which supposedly started shooting in secret?

Not sure, really. There's been a lot of talk, but as you know, nothing’s certain until it’s certain. And even then, it can fall apart.

You’ve talked a lot about your struggles when you first came to L.A. and how you were living in your car and couch-surfing. At this current point in your career, are you finally able to say no? Or do you still feel like you have to say yes to almost everything because you remember those early days?

There’s two sides to that question. Yes, I can say no to projects. Some of the stuff that comes my way I’m just not interested in. It’s just movies or scripts that I just wouldn’t go see, that I’m not that interested in. And it’s mostly just based on that: “Oh, I wouldn’t really go see that movie.” But there’s also another side to it too. Like, you sit around for long enough, and I don’t want to sit around. So, after two or three months of sitting around, you say to yourself, “Okay, well I want to go work.” I enjoy myself on a set and working and playing around and exploring characters and exploring blocking and ideas and dynamics of the scene. It’s something I really enjoy doing. So, to sit around and say, “Okay, I’ve got nothing in front of me that’s good,” — I think my attitude more so is, “Let’s take this other thing right here that’s not that good and let’s try and make it good. Let’s do it, let’s get to work on it and get creative and try and make this show or project good.” And so, there’s a certain sense with some people where it’s like, “Well, you know, that person’s overexposed.” You know, crucify me for just wanting to work. I really enjoy my job; it’s what I do, and I’d like to do it as much as I can or am able to do.

Christopher Cantwell’s The Parts You Lose is a really beautiful film. How was that experience and reunion with Chris, Aaron Paul and Mary Elizabeth Winstead?

It was great. I enjoyed the entire time I worked with Chris Cantwell and talking to him. And I just think he’s a really great guy. He has a really kind heart, and he’s a really smart individual. Aaron Paul is somebody I’ve known for, I don’t know, 25 years out here. So I was excited to go work with Chris, Aaron and Mary. I think the film’s really good. If Chris called me up tomorrow and said, “Let’s go work on something,” I would jump out of my chair to go do so.

I rarely root against your characters, but this role was an exception. What did you and Chris discuss as far as your character is concerned?

Chris and I spoke about the character, and we both agreed to not worry about making this guy likable. We leaned more towards mainly making the viewer hate him but maybe hate him so much that you begin to feel for him. Like, it’s not his fault; it's just the life he has been dealt.

Regarding The Comey Rule, the release date has now been changed to late September, but were you as perplexed as everybody else when the show's premiere date slid to after the election?

Yes and no. Unfortunately, the country is so polarized at the moment. So divided. Naturally, that bleeds into large corporations protecting their interests. However, [creator] Billy Ray worked so hard to get this thing done before the November election, and he was promised to get a certain release date. I'm glad everyone was able to agree and that the show will air sooner.

Peter Sarsgaard recently told me that when he plays real people, he pretty much approaches them like they don't exist. Since you played Rod Rosenstein, did you take a similar approach, or did you go down the YouTube rabbit hole and whatnot?

Tough question. I find that it is different for me each time, each job, and each role. Sometimes I like to talk to them, sometimes I don’t. I followed the Russia investigation very closely, so when this job came along, I really felt like I had a lot of data on the players involved. Rod was not front and center in the media on a day-to-day basis. So I was really interested in looking at his body of work. He was the longest serving U.S. Attorney in history, and certain things made him stand out among those in Washington. I did find myself going down a rabbit hole by watching interviews and speeches that he did. I watched some of them over and over. I also had a collage of photos of him with all these different facial expressions. I would just go through them and wonder what the hell this guy must have been going through during all that chaos.

Do you prefer playing real people from the distant past since the audience typically doesn't have a frame of reference for them via video, audio, etc.?

They all are a bit terrifying to play, whether or not the audience has a frame of reference. You still have a responsibility to the audience, the story and the filmmaker to make it real and believable. The audience may not know this person, but it just has to be really specific to me and the director. All I have control over is doing my best to make it real.

Ana de Armas told me that Blonde is quite the movie, and of course, you reunited with Killing Them Softly filmmaker, Andrew Dominik, for it. On a side note, this conversation continues to prove that your peers love doing repeat business with you — whether that's Affleck, Pitt, Cantwell and now Dominik. How was your second experience with Dominik?

I really enjoy working with Andrew. Obviously, he is a very talented director. He is also very entertaining to work with, and I love all his films, so I am happy to have the opportunity to work on anything he is doing. As far as "repeats," I’m not sure. I do like working with people I have worked with before because we know each other, and there is a certain comfortability. Just feels like you just cut through the fat much quicker.

[x]

[acelikesturtles]

“Crushed”

Prompt: #2 (Childhood Best Friends AU)

Warnings: Mention/Experience of Childhood Bullying, Angsty

Word Count: 2,201

A/N: This is from this ask game that I posted a while back and just now was able to fully get around to. This is a little more angsty than it is fluffy at first, but the end result is kinda cuddly and fluffy if you ask me lol. I obviously took quite a few creative liberties with the interpretation (because this is an AU prompt) and the set up was rather heavily inspired from the vibe/aesthetics from the now abandoned fanfiction I wrote back in 2013/14. It was nice to be able to get back into that headset again, I miss that fanfiction a lot actually. That may be why it took me so long to get this finished? Reminded me a lot of what once was and it was healthy to be able to reflect on some of those old creative notions and get some of that out.

The moment Mikey stepped onto his balcony and into the crisp, early summer air, a gust of cool wind hit his lightly freckled cheeks and carried the smell of freshly roasted marshmallows, smoke, and melting chocolate through the breeze. As of only a few hours ago it was officially summer vacation. For Mikey, seeing his three best friends gathered around a small propane fire pit pelting marshmallows at each other gave him a sense of zen that his mother would not be able to sympathize with given the mess and the ruckus unfolding on their balcony that the landlord would surely complain about the next morning.

“Ow! Raph that could’ve cracked my lenses!”

Donnie frowned and removed his glasses to wipe the powder and mess from the right lens with the sleeve of his dark grey hoodie. In an act of childish revenge and in solidarity for the quietest of the group, Leo grabbed a handful of marshmallows out of the bag in front of them and threw them at Raph, only for the quarterback to catch a few sugary bullets in his mouth instead of allowing them all to go to waste on the concrete beneath them.

“Nice try, fearless.” Raph laughed through a half-chewed mouthful of marshmallows.

Mikey sat down on the remaining patio chair, the squeaky green one that he usually reserved for Leo just to annoy him, and began snapping graham crackers over his paper plate while Leo handed squares of chocolate out.

"How was your last day, Raph?" Leo asked, dropping the chocolate square onto Raph’s paper plate. Raph was too busy trying to finish the unintentional 'Chubby Bunny Challenge' he had started. With one clearly painful swallow which almost provoked the turtle to tears followed by a couple hard fist pounds on his plastron, he cleared his throat before giving an unceremonious shrug of his shoulders.

"It was alright. Mrs. Barkley wanted us to write a letter to our future selves er somethin' stupid like that. Kinda lame if you ask me."

"Hey, I thought that was fun, dude, don't ruin the vibes!" Mikey pouted. Even though Raph and Mikey happened to share the same teacher, that didn’t mean that their experience in her class was at all similar to one another. This was in part because Mikey was often pulled for extra assistance and missed some of the in-class instruction. This didn’t annoy him most of the time since he was typically pulled during math class and numbers never failed to make him exceptionally sleepy. "Did you even write anything?" He asked, swatting at a mosquito that had landed on his thigh.

"Yeah sure," Raph waved his hand at him nonchalantly, then leaned back in his patio chair so far that he almost tipped himself over. "Nothin special, just words, you know."

Leo clucked his tongue and shook his head. He was smirking. Leonardo carefully skewered a marshmallow and held it over the gas flame before looking back up at Raph. He had leaned forward in his chair again and was digging in the marshmallow bag for the biggest, puffiest marshmallow that he could find. "Yeah, and what are you gonna do when your mom wants to see it?" Leo asked in a challenging tone.

"Who said she's gonna?" Raph countered back as he stabbed his marshmallow rather aggressively onto his skewer.

While Raph and Leo continued yet again to engage in a pointless discussion about the value of doing busy work, respecting elders and all the other boring stuff that Leo learned from his dad’s dojo, Donnie and Mikey were left to fend for themselves with their friends' arguing voices serving as a backdrop like it usually did. Mikey looked up at Don’s particularly well adapted technique for marshmallow roasting and did his best to try to subtly imitate it. By slowly rotating the skewer in his hands, Donnie would undoubtedly get an even roast on his marshmallow and the perfect, ASMR-inducing crunch when he placed his graham cracker on top. Don had been noticeably quiet for the most part, focused on cleaning his glasses after Raph’s earlier ambush. At first Mikey didn’t think much of his quiet demeanor since, at times, this was normal for him; sitting back and listening to everyone else was more mutually beneficial than blabbing on and on about what he did in his gifted extension classes, especially since the only details and stories that Mikey and Raph found interesting included local “hottie-of-a-teacher” Ms. Carlton.

What made this period of quiet different was how glazed over Donnie’s eyes seemed coupled with an unusually tired expression for a day that was supposed to be nothing but fun with friends. There was some sort of tension bearing weight on Don’s shoulders that Mikey wanted to relieve, even if it meant just being a comfort.

“Hey Don, how was your day?” Mikey asked, breaking the turtle from his trance. Donnie blinked a couple of times before pushing his tortoiseshell glasses up a little on the bridge of his nose with his index finger. He made a face, one that expressed some combination of anxiety and unspoken discomfort over being confronted, then tried to shrug it off.

“It was alright. We didn’t do anything like what you or Raph did.” He said. A light smile tugged at the corners of his lips but it still seemed more tired than it did genuine.

"Course not," Raph chimed in. He had broken away from one pointless discussion for long enough to insert himself into another to escape from Major Lieutenant Leo’s endless lectures. "You probably made like, a rocket ship or somethin'. The USS Nerd-Brain, right?” He joked and nudged him with an elbow playfully.

“No, that was last month's project. Today was just final project presentations, everybody had to do one.”

“That’s what you made the solar energy converter thingy for.” Leo acknowledged.

Donnie resisted the urge to correct his terminology and nodded. “Yep, I got the best grade.”

“Then why do you look so uncomfortable talking about it?” Mikey asked. It was the obvious question that had likely been on Raph and Leo’s minds too now that he had drawn attention to it, but Mikey was apparently the only one with the balls to bring it up so nonchalantly as if it wasn’t going to trigger Donnie to metaphorically slink back into his shell and never come back out again.

A silence fell over the group only punctuated by honking horns and distant ambulance sirens. All eyes had turned towards Donnie who was now fully thrust under the spotlight. He swallowed. After about ten seconds with no response from him other than the appearance of the slightest red tint on his cheeks, he cleared his throat and removed his marshmallow from the flame and set it onto his graham cracker.

“It was Grant. You probably don’t know him, he-” He froze in the middle of a thought and sighed through his nose in defeat. “We...got into an argument.”

“Why?” Raph asked, scrunching his nose up in disgust. “Do I gotta hit this kid?”

Don snorted. “No, I handled it myself. Sort of...ish.”

“Sort of? Donnie, what exactly happened?” Leo frowned.

At first he wanted to dodge the question but he knew that the more he put off answering, the more poking and prodding at the subject matter would result. He closed his eyes, scrunching them up really tight while gripping and lightly massaging his nose right beneath the bridge for his glasses. With his other hand, Donnie grabbed his now completed s'more and took a single bite, feeling that sweet, sugary relief wash over him that had notably been absent before.

"I was presenting my project and there was this girl—is this girl, Lucy," He corrected himself. "You probably also don't know her but, she's kinda pretty and—"

“Woah woah, how pretty we talking?” Mikey butted in. His investment in this story had suddenly peaked. “On a scale of “cute” to “total babe”, how would you rank her?”

“Brunette?” Raph guessed. “Not a brunette, okay. Redhead? Blonde?”

“Totally a blonde.” Mikey snorted and gestured towards Donnie’s face, which despite his best efforts was still managing to grow redder by the second from embarrassment. “Am I right or am I right? She’s a blonde, isn’t she?”

Donnie brought himself back into the focus of his own conversation rather than answering what felt like a silly question given his circumstances. "Listen, I'm not her type."

"Says who?" Asked Raph.

"Says Grant, who told me I'm on his turf." Donnie grumbled under his breath.

"What, he knows what she's thinking?" Raph snorted.

“No, but-”

“Then go for it!” Mikey cheered.

“You don’t-”

“Grant isn’t the boss of you Donnie, you should talk to her.” Leo joined in.

There was a faint ringing in Donnie’s head that grew louder and louder the more he listened to their voices merge into one, all chanting for him to do what he felt like he just couldn’t, drowning out his words amidst a sea of voices that were louder and prouder than his was. It was only a matter of time before the feeling of being ignored became too much, and he had had enough. “Don’t you understand?” Donnie snapped. “Grant doesn’t want me on his “turf” because I’m a mutant!” He took a deep breath in, then slowly released it through his nose, to try and calm down. “She probably thinks I’m a freak.”

Everyone paused and yet again another quiet came over them. Mikey’s eyes drifted down towards the concrete beneath their feet, mind busy with thoughts that he had always kept in the back of his mind that were now plaguing him again. He never liked to think about the fact that their status as mutants hindered their ability to find friends or someday fall in love, but Donnie was saying it too. If the smartest one in their little posse was falling prey to the same cycle of thoughts that he often had before falling asleep at night, what did that mean about the validity of those thoughts?

“Do you know that for sure?” Leo asked, breaking the silence with a calm and collected tone that was so characteristic for his zen demeanor.

Don shook his head. “But Grant does. So do his friends, I mean look at me--look at us.”

“So, we’re mutants,” Leo sighed and pulled his marshmallow from the gas flame. It was perfectly toasted to an even golden brown on all sides and oozed out the sides of his s’more when he put another graham cracker on top. “I don’t believe we’re freaks though.”

Raph gave Leo a look, then laughed. “How do you figure?”

“Well, my dad always says that we can create our own truth,” Leo explained, earning an eye roll from Raphael who again seemed caught in a never ending cycle of lectures that Leo picked up from his dad. “So even if Grant thinks that we’re freaks...we have the final say on whether or not we feel that’s true.”

“Yeah, and what if this Lucy chick thinks that he’s a freak too? No offense, Donnie.” Raph said, patting Don on the shoulder in consolation. “You can’t just make that not true, genius.”

“No, that’s not the point,” Leo countered, then turned to Donnie. “What Grant says doesn’t matter because he doesn’t control how we think about ourselves or what you think is true. You do.”

Donnie blinked once. Twice. He looked down at the concrete again and shuffled his feet around beneath him, feeling a little silly that he had wasted his last day of 8th grade feeling gloomy and sad while looking at Lucy with wistful eyes that felt they had no chance on earth of ever meeting hers in a way that wasn’t just as friends. Was what Grant said actually the truth, or was he just allowing it to be the truth like Leo was suggesting? Would it be easier to stay away from Lucy and let Grant take his swing at her then risk a lifetime of heartache if he was rejected by her for being what he was?

Without warning, two arms wrapped around his slumped over shoulders and he looked up from the ground to see that Mikey had gotten up from his squeaky chair and was fully latched onto Donnie’s side.

“Its okay bro, I think you’re pretty awesome.” Mikey mumbled into Donnie’s shoulder.

“Me too, for the record.” Raph joined in, giving Donnie a playfully affectionate punch on the opposite arm.

A sigh escaped through Donnie’s nostrils chased down by a genuine smile. It was a gradual process, but he was beginning to feel a little better. Maybe Lucy did think that he was a freak like Grant had told him, or maybe Grant was just making it all up. His chances weren’t completely gone yet, and he had the whole summer ahead of him to have fun and forget about people like Grant and focus on more important things like science camp, gifted extension applications for the next semester, and then...maybe working up the balls to say something to Lucy.

Yeah, maybe that was what he would do.

[fullvoidmoon]

Sleepless Nights

Pairing/s: bayverse!Donatello x fem!reader

Setting/Timeline: Halloween, a few years after the Krang invasion, TMNT x The 13th Ghost crossover

Warning(s)/Genre(s): I honestly don’t know :))))

Word Count: 1,456

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Donatello, Leonardo and Master Splinter (mentioned) © Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014/2016 film) © Michael Bay THIR13EN Ghosts © Steve Beck, Robb White Context © me

A/N: This is an entry for @sdavid09’s Tale Teller’s Fright Night 2019, and I got the movie THIR13EN Ghosts.

So yeah, I haven’t wrote anything in almost 2 years. That’s because I still don’t have a laptop to have my writings properly done (using my phone sucks), and life outside of Tumblr keeps me super busy. And I still have some pending things that I need to finish.

But anyway, I decided to finish this one first because Halloween is just about a month away, and it’s my first time writing anything TMNT. So please go easy on me, and I’ve become rusty with my writing!

Masterlist: HERE

Halloween was, and has never been, your favorite holiday.

It’s not because it is the odd one among the known holidays you get to celebrate every year.

It’s also not because of you knowing it’s original purpose before Trick or Treating was introduced; remember the people who came before and molded the world that you live in today.

“You’re really not telling me anything, (Y/N),” the tallest among the turtle brothers spoke to you, his golden hues couldn’t hide his worry when he took a glance at you from his work table, “it’s about that nightmare, isn’t it?”

“I really couldn’t hide anything from you, can I Donnie?” You exasperated as you turn you gaze towards your favorite turtle before forcing yourself to smile and try to ease his worry.

You are okay celebrating Halloween, especially if you’ll be getting free sweets that you can use in making cakes and pastries. However, there’s only one thing that has been keeping you from celebrating the said holiday.

“You really can’t hide anything from me,” Donnie slightly chuckled, leaving his unfinished project and making his way towards you, “you know you can always tell me anything. I’m your favorite turtle, and you’re my favorite human.”

Some say it’s just a nightmare you’ve always had ever since that you can remember. But you know, deep down, it’s not just a mere nightmare.

To you, it’s more like a memory. A memory that is only haunting you ever Halloween.

“I’ve been having this dream, Donnie,” you sighed, unknowingly reaching out for the terrapin’s hands and holding it like your life depends on it, “and it feels so real, that every time I wake up I could still feel that eerie feeling whenever I tried remembering that glass house-”

“Wait (Y/N), did you say glass house?” Donnie interjects, his voice sounded kind of off his usual tone while ignoring the butterflies that invaded his stomach upon feeling your soft hands holding onto his own.

“Yeah, a glass house with Latin writings that filled up most of its walls,” you said, eyeing Donnie as if he knows something that you don’t.

“I just remember a story sensei told us when we were kids,” Donnie somewhat forced a smile to try and ease your worry, “it made us not go up the surface and join the neighborhood’s kids while trick or treating.”

“What was the story about?” You asked after giggling for a few moments, somehow forgetting the question you initially wanted to ask the purple-banded genius, “surely it’s not scary if you’re going to think about it now, right?”

Donnie suddenly became quiet, the humor that once was obvious in his eyes was replaced with apprehension and worry, and it became obvious to you when he turned his attention back to his work bench. You could feel it, that slight tension that built up whenever he became quiet, and you’re worried it might’ve something that you’ve said just moments ago

“Donnie,” you softly called him, placing you hand carefully on his well sculpted arm that you’ve silently wished to hold onto since that faithful night on the rooftop with your childhood friend, April. “I’m sorry if I offended you or anything.”

Donnie let out a shaky sigh, turning his attention back to you as he gave your hand a gently squeeze. “Do you really wanna know?” He asked.

“Yes, Donnie,” you reassured him, giving of a smile that he secretly loved so much, “and if you’re worried, you know that I can’t be scared that easily.” ___

“We’re here, (Y/N).”

Anticipation and nervousness is a bit of an understatement to what you’re currently feeling.

Ever since Donnie told you about the story Splinter had told them years ago, the feeling that you’re having towards your nightmare has started to become stronger.

That there’s more to it than what it seems.

“Sensei said this is the place,” Donnie said as he helped out get of the Shellraiser, making sure he has his gear ready for anything, “and based on the address he gave us, and with the matching coordinates when I searched for the place, this is where the house should be located.”

You wouldn’t be expecting that Donnie would drive you all the way from New York to British Columbia in Canada. You told him and Master Splinter that either you’ll let your nightmarish memories be and hope that you’ll not be dreaming of it in the next couple of months, or you’ll just visit the place whenever you’re not busy.

“The place does look and feel familiar,“ you replied while Donnie helped you get off the Shellraiser, “but I didn’t expect for you to have me come here as soon as Master Splinter gave us the address.“

Donnie rolled his eyes as he gave out a chuckle with a hint of that cute snort that you’ve come to adore, “if it’ll help your nightmares diminish in anyway, it’s better to come here as soon as we can.“

“Even if you’ll get a scolding from Leo?“ You playfully smirked as Donnie then gave you a hearty laugh in return, “you know he would like having one of his brothers absent for your daily midnight patrols.“

“This is more important than patrolling New York City, (Y/N),“ he replied, lightly sighing as he knows deep down that he’ll be in trouble with his older brother once both of you return home, “you know I would do anything for you.“

You’ve reached out and hold onto Donnie’s hands, lightly brushing both of your thumbs over his big knuckles as you gave him a grateful smile. And seeing the light shade of pink that dusted over his cheeks, you kind of guessed that he might’ve also feel the same way as what you’re feeling towards him.

Both of you would’ve loved the moment that’s being shared, if only the circumstances were a bit different than the one you’re having.

“Why don’t we finish what we’ve came here for,“ you chuckled as you slowly let go of Donnie’s hands, “this place is honestly giving me the chills.“

“Y-yeah, you’re right,“ he replied, kind of disappointed that the feeling of your hands holding onto his didn’t last the way he would wanted, “let me go check on my scanners and see if there’s anything that I can find about this place.“

You hoped that Donnie would find at least a bit more information about the place, but seeing that there’s no glass house in sight as what you both expecting to find when you arrived, you felt that driving all the way to Canada was only a waste of effort.

No house, no signs that a house was even built on the place. Just a wide piece of land in the middle off a some sort of a clearing.

“I’m sorry, (Y/N).” Donnie said has he sadly led you back to the Shellraiser. “I’ve tried looking for anything about the glass house, but all that my scanners can pick up is that there was indeed a house built here.”

“But it was demolished or something?” You asked as Donnie got back on the driver’s seat and started the engine.

“I was hoping that it was,” he sighed, taking a look back at the spot where the house was supposed to be standing, “however, there are no signs that it was demolished. I didn’t even find a couple of tiny pieces that should’ve been the remnants of the glass house.“

“So it just vanished.” You said, disbelief clearly obvious in your voice.

“It seems to be, if you’re just simply going to look at it,” Donnie replied, giving you an encouraging smile as he started to drive, “but I promise that I will find out more about the mystery of the house no matter what it takes.”

Halloween was, and has never been, your favorite holiday. No matter how hard you tried liking it, the nightmares have only hindered you from ever appreciating the holiday.

“I sure hope so, Donnie,” you sighed, trying to get a bit more comfortable on you sit for another long hours of driving is ahead of you.

You only hope that this year will be the last of you having many of those sleepless nights. The possibilities may seem bleak, but you know that nothing is impossible if your purple-clad terrapin is there to help you.

Even if a glass house, with Latin texts inscribed on its walls, was standing all this time, looming over the whole clearing as you broth drive away.

And an ominous presence, filled with evil and hatred in all of humanity as it carried its torn straight jacket with a torn cubic head cage, looking right at the leaving Shellraiser.

[vernonfielding]

The lies, the secrets

Story No. 3 of my Season 7 Countdown Project! Also: I’m still taking prompts for future missing scene fics.

Summary: “My time undercover in the mafia was actually kind of lame. I mean, I wanted it to be badass, but I'm good at computers, so I mostly just helped them switch over from AOL.”

The story of how Jake became the mafia’s IT guy. Takes place during Undercover. (Read on AO3.)

What he doesn’t tell any of them, after he’s back, is that going undercover with the mafia is mostly just- really lonely.

Jake spends most of the first week alone in the crappy one-bedroom the FBI hooked him up with in Bushwick, waiting for one of the Ianuccis to get in touch. At night he lies awake on his mattress on the floor, mustard-yellow streetlight glaring through the grimy bedroom windows, and thinks that he’s already failed his assignment, that he couldn’t pass himself off as a disgraced cop for even one night. (The irony does not escape him.)

Then a guy calls Jake’s burner at 3 in the afternoon on the sixth day, and he introduces himself as Derek and says he’s downstairs. It’s now or never. Jakes takes a deep breath and blows it out hard, then steels himself and heads down. By the end of the week, he’s got a pierced ear and a gold-chain necklace and a cigar burn on the back of his neck, just below the collar of his new silk shirt. Years ago, before he’d gotten into the Academy, Jake had thought about getting a tattoo (“yippee ki yay” in calligraphy, very classy) in that spot and he’s grateful now that Gina talked him out of it. The burn was an initiation, and it didn’t hurt as much as he’d thought it would, but the scab is itchy and sometimes when he thinks of the smell of it he gets a little nauseated.

Leo Iannuci sends him out with Derek on a couple of jobs – mostly picking up cash from people they’re extorting from, but sometimes they’re the ones making the threats and Jake hates that part, hates it so much. Derek’s a nice guy, an Academy dropout who seems to shed his tough-guy attitude with his velour jacket every time they leave a bodega or laundromat or some other business where he’s had to smack someone around. Derek always does the hitting, never makes Jake do it, and Jake can’t decide if it’s because he likes the violence or if he just senses that Jake really, really doesn’t.

Either way, he’s grateful, and he has to keep himself from feeling too much fondness for Derek just because he protects Jake from the dirty work. Jake’s gotten that talk from the FBI: It’s natural to think you’re making friends, making connections, they’d said. But you’re not. Don’t ever forget that. Jake is always, always on his own.

About a month in, Jake is at Leo’s penthouse in Flushing, reeking of cologne that one of the Sals had doused him in while another Sal held him down, when Leo swears loudly and slaps the side of his computer, a rickety old desktop with a fan that sounds like it’s working triple-time.

“Motherfucker, it won’t let me fucking update!” Leo slams his fist down on top of the harddrive.

Jake looks around the room but everyone else suddenly seems to have important business on their phones, so he approaches Leo and says, “What’s the problem?”

Leo snarls at the computer. “I had to add some new clients to the ledger and now this son of a bitch won’t save the changes.”

Le’s “clients” could mean extortion victims or dirty cops or assassins-for-hire or any or all of the above. Jake hasn’t seen the ledger yet – he wasn’t actually sure there was one before this moment.

“You want some help?” he says, casually.

Leo finally turns his glare to Jake, staring him down long enough that Jake has to fight to keep from shifting on his feet and curling his hands into fists. “You any good with this shit?” Leo says.

Jake shrugs. “Yeah, I know computers.”

“All right, have at it,” Leo says, and gets up from the desk.

Jake sits, and Leo grips his shoulders, sudden and fast, fingers digging hard enough to bruise. And then just as suddenly he’s let go. He stays behind Jake, though, watching him click through open windows to find the source of the problem. It doesn’t take long.

“You’re using AOL,” Jake says. His voice sounds a little strangled to his own ears.

“Yeah, I guess,” Leo says. “So what?”

“So that’s your problem,” Jake says.

Jake’s definitely not an expert at computers, but he’s always had an affinity for the basics and it only takes him a few minutes to fix the immediate problem – an outdated file type that the desktop won’t recognize anymore. Jake saves the document, which, infuriatingly, is a table someone made in Microsoft Works. It’s so horrifically formatted that Jake can’t help but imagine the devastating stroke that Amy would suffer if she even knew it existed. She would seriously start bleeding out of her eyes.

Later that night, Jake smokes his first full cigar and convinces Leo to let him move all of their documents to a Google drive. By the end of his first full month undercover, Jake’s become the mob’s IT guy. It’s exactly as dope as it sounds. (It’s not remotely dope.)

+++

It takes him a couple of weeks to transfer everything to the cloud; he has to carefully rebuild all of the ledgers in proper spreadsheets. Leo assigns one of the Sals to keep an eye on him, but after the first hour Sal gets bored and retires to the couch to play Kwazy Cupcakes on his phone (the sound effects touch off a profound homesickness that Jake tries his best to ignore). So Jake has no trouble copying the ledgers onto a thumb drive that he later passes on to his handler. It’s almost all the evidence they need. Then it’s just a matter of waiting for the FBI to get its teams in place, to mark the right time and place to take down the biggest targets.

Jake does a few more jobs with Derek, and he just misses getting sent on a drug run that ends in a shootout and two of Iannuci’s guys in the hospital (Jake was back at Leo’s penthouse trying to figure out why his computer suddenly refused to talk to his printer). He knows he’s dodging literal bullets, but that doesn’t mean he sleeps well at night, or that his nervous system doesn’t light up like a Christmas tree every time someone racks a gun near him (which is pretty much all the time – mafia guys love cleaning their weapons).

Jake ends up giving a seminar to half a dozen Iannuci men (plus two women) on file encryption and two-step authentication and he feels a little guilty for teaching the mob how to evade hackers – some of whom will surely be cops – but weirdly, he’s starting to get bored, and he figures none of them are going to remember any of his lessons anyway.

The night before Marco and Angie’s wedding, Jake gets super drunk with a bunch of the guys and he sings “The Longest Time” with Derek, slopping rye whiskey all over their polyester shirts. The next day Jake’s going home. But that night, for the first time in 62 days, he forgets to be lonely.

End Notes:

Title is from Feed the Beast (Bash Brothers).

I know there is a lot of mafia-Jake fic, and that this take is not like the others. But I always thought Jake’s comment to Pimento about what he really did undercover was interesting and worth exploring. I don’t think it means the job wasn’t dangerous or super stressful for Jake, though my version is probably less so than some of the more violent takes some writers have offered (which are just as valid!).

I couldn’t decide if this story should be considered a missing scene for Undercover or Adrian Pimento. It fit better here for obvious reasons, but the revelation is in the later episode. But really, it doesn’t actually matter.

My darling beta @fezzle wisely pointed out that Jake the Computer Wizard doesn’t exactly fit with what we learn about him in Ticking Clocks. My solution/answer to this is that Jake is actually pretty good with day-to-day computer stuff (there’s quite a bit of evidence of this in canon – or at least, evidence that he’s not BAD with computers), but hacking-level stuff is way over his head. That’s why he starts Ticking Clocks full of bluster with the so-called security expert and then eventually has to admit he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Unfortunately, what he actually says is “I don’t know anything about computers.” That could be the writers just forgetting their own canon, but I choose to believe that it actually fits just fine with Jake’s “I’m good at computers” in Adrian Pimento. It’s all about context!

[nothing-but-kpop-dreams]

VIXX Reaction: You waking up after experiencing sleep paralysis (request)

Author's note: i am so so so sorry this requests and other are taking a ridculous amount of time to be done. To be completely honest all the admins and myself are at points in our lives where school and work take priority and we are at a loss of inspiration when it comes to writing. But we are going to donour best to at least get the rest of the requests posted eventually

N:

You’re eyes were closed, you knew they were closed, but somehow you could see everything around you. It was a cool experience really. The only downside was you couldn't move at all.

“So this is what sleep paralysis is like.” you thought to yourself, never having experienced this before.

Although your back was face everything, you could see your alarm clock reading 2:45 am, your boyfriend shuffling in his sleep and a 7 foot tall demon standing at the bedroo. Door. Okay, maybe this whole sleep paralysis thing wasn't so cool after all.

Fear set in in that instant obviously. Your first instinct was to jump out of bed but yeah, you weren’t able to. You weren't even able to scream.

“Fuck” you thought

You fear reached its peak when the demon moved closer

His hooved feet thudded loudly on your floors. He sounded like he weighed a ton.

He moved closer and closer until he stopped at the edge of your bed. He stood there for a long moment, almost taunting you, making you guess what he was going to do next while all you could do was scream internally.

He just stared and stared and stared. Every second that went by his eyes glowed red and it was as if his was growing in height.

He got so tall his horns reached the ceiling.

Suddenly he swung his arm back, and it came flying at you.

It wasn't until now that you were free of the curse and let out a scream for your life.

“Babe quit it!” You could suddenly hear next to you as you sat up in your bed in a cold sweat. Just like that the demon was gone. The lights were on and your boyfriend was squinting up at you in annoyance. “Can you stop with whimpering i can't sleep”he whined again.

“Huh? What? I was screaming! There was a demon right here!” You began to, with extreme detail, explain the sleep paralysis that you just experienced.

“Um…. Wow that's super creepy… even i don't think i can't sleep after that…” He said in a grumble. “You wanna watch some tv? Get your mind off it”

“Yeah, ill to watch it in the living room”

“No! In here dummy.”

“But you have practice in a few hours you need sleep”

“babe i don't care, watch ir in here. It's not like i can sleep anyways after hearing about it.” He said turning the tv on and pulling you close.

Ravi:

“Wonshik! Wonshik wake up!” your sobbing cries woke him up in an instant.

“Huh? What? What's going on?!?”

You were in a panic clinging onto him, “there was this lady on top of you sucking your soul out! I tried to get her off but i couldn't move!”

“Y/n calm down, what are you talking about?” This was too much to take in at 2 in the morning.

You took a deep breath doing your best to get you thoughts together “there was a creepy grudge lady on top of you sucking your soul out! And i tried to get her off you but i could move and i thought you were dead and then she looked at me and was going to do the same to me!”

“O-ok and then what happened?”

You shrugged “i don't know i was able to move again and she was gone and i-i'm just glad you woke up! I thought you were dead!” you whimpered.

He threw his arms around you holding you tight “babe it's okay. It sound like that was sleep paralysis or something! It's fine everything's fine, im okay.” He reassured. “But hey why don't we watch some tv or something and get your mind of the creepy dream?”

Leo:

Even with his eyes closed, the bright light of the lamp on nightstand was able to disrupt his sleep,followed by the sound of labored breathing.

With intense will power, he opened one eye to see y/n sitting up looking shookth.

“Babe you okay?” He barely got out.

“No. Chucky is in here.”

“What?”

“Chucky! He was going to stab me!” Her word came out with such seriousness.

“Chucky? Like the doll in the movies?” He asked with her eyes closed once more trying to get any sleep he could

“Yes!he was on top of me holding a knife! And i couldn't push him off”

“Babe, it was just a bad dream. Go back to sleep!”

“No it wasn't! It was too real to be a dream!”

He sat up. “Babe yes it was. Tell me, how would a chucky doll be in this house?”

Y/n shrugged.

“And why would the chucky doll be after you?”

She shrugged again.

“And you really think i would let a plastic doll hurt you?”

That got a little chuckle out of her. “No.”

“Exactly. It was just a bad dream ok.” He kissed the top her and gave her a tight squeeze. “I wouldn't let anything bad happen to you. We both have work in the morning, lets get some sleep.”

Ken:

His weight was heavy on your chest. Although of small stature, he weighed a ton. You couldn't breath as he sat on you with a demented smile on his face.

You were frozen with fear, unable to push him off or even move your head to scream out for ken to wake up and save you. Your arms were pinned under his legs. There was no way to defend yourself from his hands wrapping around your neck.

He squeezed his hands tighter and tighter. The ghostly figure let out laugh. It was on of pure joy and it sent a chill down your spine.

And then suddenly he was gone. The weight of his body on yours disappeared and you were able to take in air again.

You gagged for air, sitting up to allow your lungs to expand even more.

You leaned over and turned on the lamp to make sure the demon was gone. Now with the room lit, you saw that it really was empty. Everything was how you left it when you fell asleep, even ken lay calm next to you, staring up at you with barely open eyes.

“Y/n, was going on?” He asked in a grumble “turn the light off.”

“No.” You whimpered “ there's a ghost in here or something! It was choking me right now!”

“What?” He asked a bit more alert

“Yes! There was a man and- and he was all black! And he sat on top of me and he was choking me! I kept trying to move and i couldn't!”

Ken looked about the room looking for any evidence of this ghost.

“Huh… well that's not creepy to hear at 3 in the morning” he said sarcastically. “ how about we get dressed and go out for a midnight snack?” He offered as a way to cover up the fact that he was now scared to stay in the room.

(Ignore the gif caption😅)

Hongbin:

You couldn't move no matter how hard you tried. the smoke filled your lungs and the heat intensified as the flames grew closer to the bed. Hongbin was right next to you sleeping soundly , so unaware of the emanate danger.

And what could you do? Nothing.

The flames climbed the walls. The door was charred, your personal belongings became ash.  Your skin burned as you were being suffocated by the black smoke.

And suddenly it gone, all gone.

You were even able to move again. In an instant yo sat up in bed, gasping for air and wiping the sweat off your face.

“Hongbin! Hongbin wake up!” you cried, shaking him awake. “There’s a fire.”

“Wha-what? Fire?” he too jumped up frantically.

Despite his half asleep state, he got out of bed ready to run. “Wait.” he said noticing the cool night air. “There’s no fire.”

“Yes there is.” you said in a bit of confusion, looking around the room and noticing everything was perfectly normal.

“Babe, no there isn't.” he said, taking in a deep breath to smell for smoke. He even went to the door and checked the rest if the apartment.

“But- i could’ve sworn- it’s cuz I’m not joking the flames were everywhere and and i couldn't move and i was trying to wake you up and I couldn’t. it was too real to not be fake!” you felt like you sounded crazy.

Hongbin, put his arms around you and held you tight. “That sounds like sleep paralysis babe. But it’s ok, none it if was real.” he said giving you a kiss on your head. “But let's try to get back to sleep ok? Don;t worry about it too much,. Trust me if there was actually a fire i would make sure nothing happened to you.”

Hyuk:

The presence of the doll was unnerving. You first sensed her in the corner of your room, just standing there oh so calmly as she stared at you with her unblinking porcelain eyes. It wasn't until your eyes met hers that you noticed you were unable to move. No matter how big or small your attempt at movement was, your limbs wouldn't cooperate with your thoughts. You couldn't even speak when you tried to wake up your sleeping boyfriend who was just a foot away.

It was in this state of panic that the doll moved from its original spot. In the blink of an eye she was at the end her your bed, her eyes glowed more intensely in the dark as she stared you down.

Suddenly the lights from what could be the living or the kitchen or whatever else was out the apartment turned on. You only know this happened because you saw bright lights leaked into the bedroom from under the door. You bagan to hear voices. You couldn't make out the words and it didn't sound like anyone you knew, but there were so many sounds of people being in your home.

You continued to try to scream and kick the doll awake and wake up hyuk, but you couldn't move.

The lights from under the door began brighter and brighter and the voice began to to get louder and louder. The lights got so bright, it could project the shadows of the intruders in your homes. You saw there silhouettes on your wall, moving about the apartment. As their voices got more violent, the shadows multiplied and they all began to fight each other. The shouts soon turned into blood curdling screams as it began to sound like a murder was happened right outside your door.

The entire time the doll was slowly moving closer and closer to you until her face was up to yours.

Thankfully, hyuk rolled in his sleep and his leg hit yours, and that somehow broke the curse.

The doll was gone, the lights were gone, the voices stopped, and everything was calm the way it was supposed to be. Even better, you were able to move again.

Immediately you woke up your boyfrind. “Babe! Babe!” you whispered in a hush, paranoid the doll was  still in the room. “Wake up!” you begged as you shook him frantically.

“Huh? What?” he just graoned, barely able to wake up his eys consdiering hte heawvy sleeper eh was.

You proceeded to tell him what eve the heck just happened, very much noticing how craxy you saiounded once you said it all out loud.

He looked up at you, unphased by your words and panicked state. “Babe, chill. That sounds like a bad dream.” he simpley said.

“It wasnt just a bad dream hyuk!”

He rolled back over without a second thought. “Yeah it was, but everything is ok so just sleep.” he said as he knocked out again.

-Admin Boat

[momo-de-avis]

So I read your big personal post and I'm furious. It makes me see red that adults can watch children be treated like ants and feel ok to ignore it. I wanna say I'm truly sorry that you had to go through all of that, and I hope you can grow free-er and free-er from it in the future 💕 A question, though: how can you still keep in touch with them? I'm trying my hardest to leave home and run away from these demons or else I'll never be happy, how and why do you do it? If you wanna answer, of course

Thank anon, your words mean a lot to me and rest assured I may not have the strength every single day to do it, but at least I’m conscious about my effort and just... keep going the best I can. And I do believe one day I’ll manage to look back and say ‘boy, did I grow up’. There are days when I do already and it feels revigorating, to say the least.

And I don’t mind at all answering. I share these things about my life because where I stand I have at least learned a few things (I do have my therapist to thank for that) and by sharing that it might help others.

There’s a lesson I learned with her that became super important in balancing out who I am and who I am with my family. It has to do with that feeling of guilt that comes with the whole experience. Because one thing I did hear a lot was how ungrateful I was, a kid who didn’t care about her family, who wasn’t there for them, etc etc. And because my experience as a kid within the foundation of family can be translated with ‘left to my own, trying to find my own way of surviving and growing’ what that resulted in was forcing me to try and change others.

Which is a lost battle. And that’s what I had to learn the hard way.

To quote my therapist: it’s a dangerous thing to believe you can change others, but it’s important to learn that you can change the environment around you by changing your attitude.

A few weeks back, I was talking about Christmas with her, because she knows Christmas is that time of the year when crippling depression strikes like a goddamn lover, although it’s been getting better with every year. Mostly because ever since I started spending Christmas with my bf’s family (who are the prime example of just... how a family should be, so much it fucking threw me off my balance the first time I met them like---holy shit this is a real fucking family), I finally got the perspective of the two opposites. And I was telling my therapist that there was one thing I learned, given my current situation, that made christmas with my family a lot more bearable.

I can just... leave. Like, if they piss me off, I can just get up and say goodnight and off I go. This isn’t something most people can do, because they’re not given that liberty. But what was new here was that I actually allowed myself to say and believe that. Because my whole life I was dragged back and forth between family shit where I guilt-tripped into taking part of these celebrations and it ruined the experience for me, and it forced me to withstand all of it against my will. So to tell myself ‘you don’t have to put up with this shit, actually, you can just leave’ was a turning point for me.

And this came out of a VERY long process of accepting who those people are. I remember the appointment I had right after Christmas, I told her: I remember sitting at the table with my family and thinking: wow.. I genuinely don’t like these people. I don’t see myself in them at all, and they have nothing to do with me, and I want nothing but distance and the bare minimum of contact. I just don’t fit in.

To learn about who you are in this scenario, you have to learn about who the people around you are. You have to accept that trying to change them will only lead you to more frustration. The best you can do is learn to adapt enough that it doesn’t corrupt you but it doesn’t expose you to danger (it’s basically why there’s an encouragement to let LGBTQ people remain closeted if they choose to out of self-perseverance, even if they have already come out to their friends---because you act a different way with your family, and sometimes that means survival). Now, granted, that’s a hell of a learning process---at best, a trial and error kind. But it’s one of the ways to preserve yourself.

I really had to accept that these people, the way they are, is more than something that is susceptible to change. There’s a whole ritual to the way they exist. My mom is stuck in the past, and she projects that onto both of us---she treats my brother like he’s still a 14 year old in private school, and me like I’m still a teenager, to the point where she refuses to memorize the things that changed about us past that age, like how she doesn’t understand how I don’t like that band I used to listen to at 15. My brother comes up with fucked up rituals that were never there, but exist to paint a picture of ‘how-it-should-be’, of good manners and eloquence, to the point where he literally comes up with memories that never existed (he still believes that we used to eat Fatias Douradas on Christmas, when the entire family has reiterated that my grandmother never even cooked them---and that's is why every single Christmas he buys them, only to throw them in the garbage because no one ate them). That puts me in the position of the old portuguese saying: in the land of the blind, the one who sees is a king. And the moment it snapped in my mind that these people were living a fantasy to cover up for the atrocities they committed against each other, for the fucked up things they’re stuffing in the back of their minds in pure denial, I sort of became at peace with that. Because it gave me more confidence in myself.

When I told my therapist recently about how witnessing my nephew’s behaviour was like watching a script I had written, because I predicted every single thing about it, she asked me why did that matter to me. And I told her ‘because I was validated by none other than myself. It means I understand their dynamic, it means I know now how they work a little better. And I know now there is very little I can do, so I chose to step aside.’

So, to answer your question, in all honesty, there are a series of external factors that came into play. Without them, I certainly wouldn’t have made it as well as I did. The fact that I was so quickly and easily embraced by my bf’s family was a breath of fresh air, and it was the one thing I never got as a kid and what I am so thankful for. It gave me perspective and it’s still teaching me a sense of belonging. That sort of puts my mind to ease, so that when I face my family, I’m more relaxed because I understand my place a lot better, and I understand that the place they want me to fulfil isn’t normal, not for me and I don’t have to fulfil it if I don’t want to.

The fact that I can just get up and leave whenever I want helps a lot. I have accepted that my family is like a retail job. I can only stand that shit for no longer than 8 hours a day, and 8h to me is too damn much. I would say 5h. When I’m with them, it’s never for any longer than that because otherwise I’ll go crazy.

And then there’s bit... In all honesty, I see my mom a lot more than I see my brother (I must see him like, some 5 times a year), and I can tolerate and accept her presence a lot more. I guess I do have the ability to forgive, and that’s what allows me to move forward, because the fact remains that, when you grew up with an alienated mother and no maternal figure to rely on, and as a grown woman you finally see those attitudes your kiddie self wanted so much, you sort of succumb to it. You embrace it because you’ve craved it for so long, even if your inner goblin is screaming ‘IT’S TOO LATE NOW’. Most of the times, my mind is at conflict, thinking: this isn’t right, she doesn’t deserve this. But a part of me just really wants to move past that, forgive and accept that she has her own fucked up way of changing and showing support. There have been moments even when I thought ‘she acknowledged her faults, even if she will never say them allowed or ask for forgiveness’ and that sort of eased me (although I’m a leo... I forgive, but damn I don’t forget).

I think the main ingredient here is that I always felt left out and shunned by my family. But now, I feel like I’m the one leaving them out and shunning them. They don’t know what’s going on with my life, and although they don’t really ask, you can tell at times they try to pry. And I don’t tell them shit.

It’s funny, last session I told my therapist the one thing I would never share with my family was my writing because they never acknowledged it the way I needed it to be acknowledged, and that ruins the experience of writing for me. And that’s a bit how I balance tolerating them while being me. The things that are important to me, they’re locked away and they’re not touching them. All they get to live with is a cut-out version of myself that they think is the person they know, but someone completely different. I let them believe their own conceptions of myself while preserving my own achievements and the things I treasure to myself. 

It’s basically creating the persona they believe I am when I’m with them versus the person I really am everywhere else (trust me when I tell you they get completely baffled when they hear my friends say the most basic shit about myself---like how my mom got dumbfounded when she learned through my godmother that I actually did know a lot of drug addicts and dealers but stood away from using while not being the sort of person my brother is and dehumanize them. She really couldn’t conceive that I was that person because all her life she believed everything I did was because someone else did it and I followed. She is so keen on refusing to accept I do things out of my own free will she’s thrown off her balance when she learns that like, the pink hair thing in 2006 was actually sort of a trend setted in my school lmfao)

(oh shit this got WAY TOO LONG)

[yourfaithfulsidekick]

COMPLETED. This was my first TMNT long-fanfic series! I started this WAY back in 2012 and finished it summer 2017 [yeah....I went on a 2 year hiatus it was bad]. But, it stuck with me. This story truly was a coping skill itself as it got me through a lot. When I first wrote it, until the last chapter-- it was a ride! If you’re interested, check out chapter 1 below and the link for the full story! Thank you!

"Again!"

Man, what I'd do for a nice large pepperoni pizza right about now… Michelangelo smiled at the thought of the delicious masterpiece. Immediately his mind began ticking at the thought of what he could conjure up. Obviously it'll have a ton of cheese! Maybe I could make- HAWAIAN! Now that's a pizza that'll-!

"Focus, Michelangelo!"

Oh, shell! Shaking his hungry mind, Mikey realized that he was now sitting on his shell, sprawled out on the ground. Looking up, Mikey was shot with his infamous brother's death glare. Oh, Leo. I swear, this dude practices how to rip through my soul in his mirror.

"That's the third time this week I won in less than ten minutes, Michelangelo." Leonardo said, scoffing the dirt off his knuckles. He sighed as he reached his hand out to his youngest brother, "How many times do I have to tell you to keep your mind on one thing? More specifically, your training?"

"Uh," Mikey smiled weakly, accepting his brother's hand as he lifted him up. "Just today or this week? Cause' if it was today I think it's about...the third? And if was the week well I really wasn't thinking of keeping score of-!"

"Oh come on, Raph! That was totally uncalled for!"

"Don't be such a sour puss, Don."

"What now?" Leonardo mumbled to himself as he rubbed his forehead. Lately all of his brothers have been a source of both migraines and ulcers. He shook his head as he stormed over to his brothers. Stopping in his tracks, he turned around and said, "You stay here, Mike."

Karai has been awfully quiet for the past few months, the Purple Dragons haven't made any big moves, and the Foot has yet to steep out on the streets since the fall of the Shredder. The pressure of danger popping up, maybe even stronger, at any point pushed Splinter to train his sons much harder. Of course, Leo took Splinter's intentions to heart. Maybe a little too hard, for Leo's sake!

If he were human, he was sure that his oldest brother would have a hair full of grey hair at this point.

Uh-oh! Leo looks even more ticked off than usual! Maybe if I just sneak past using my Battle Nexus Champion ninja skills… Michelangelo watched Leo turn to face the other side of the dojo where Raphael had Donatello in a headlock, shouting something about winning fair and square. Smiling to himself, he took complete full advantage of his situation. Tip-Toeing his way toward the door of the dojo, Mikey could hear Leo and Raph bickering over Don's cries to be released. This was his big break-!

Making a sprint to his bedroom, Michelangelo can't help but embrace the adrenaline rush that consumed him. Pushing himself to run as fast as he could, he finally reached his bedroom door. Shutting it behind him, he sighed of relief. Ha! Made it out alive! Go Mikey, go Mikey! Go! Go!

A loud knocking echoing outside his door interrupted his exhilaration. Oh, Shell. "Michelangelo!" Leonardo was back again for the kill -this time, his voice full blown with authority. "Your training is over when I say so! Get out here right now and finish!"

"Geez, Leo, calm your katanas." Lowering his head in defeat, Mikey opened his door. Before Mikey could plea to his big brother, Leo slapped his brother across the side of his head. Before Mikey could cry out, he suddenly felt his arm being dragged out of his room and down back to the dojo.

"Aw, come on, Leo!" Mikey cried, (failingly) attempting to get out of his brother's grasp. "I'm sorry! Next time I-!"

"This won't happen again." Leo said sternly, giving him a shove into the dojo. Inside, Raph and Don were already waiting. There, Don is leaning against one side of the wall, and Raph being on the other- both his older brothers pouting in their own corners.

"Alright," Leo began, clearing his throat. "Everyone's behavior has been unacceptable these past few days-."

"We don't need a lecture, Fearless." Raph grunted. "Especially from you." Mikey bit his lip to the growing tension in the small room. Lately, things weren't very peachy between him and his brothers. Hell, even Donnie is acting up!

Leo, after Splinter fell ill earlier in the month, took the role of being head of the house. As if Leo wasn't already- er- besides Master Splinter of course! In Mikey's eyes, this meant Leo's big brother's aura/lecture/talks have increased a good fifty percent. Leo has become even stricter with his brothers than usual. Sure, Leo wasn't fond of Raph going up to the surface with Casey some nights. It wasn't until recently when Leo became more persistent with Raph about his time out, with or without Casey. But it wasn't just Raph getting the wrath.

Don, being in his lab even more often than usual, has focused solely on helping Master Splinter have a speedy recovery and his usual calibrations. Master Splinter insists that he just has a simple cold, nothing for his sons to fret over. Of course, Don being his own perfectionist, convinced himself to run every test on his father as possible- just to be safe. Even Michelangelo knew that once Don was head into a project, there would be nothing to snap his head out of it until he was through. Leo, knowing how hard his brother pushes, attempts to pull his brother out of his lab and train more. More like force him to train.

"Believe it or not, I'm going to agree with Raph on this one." Don sighed. "We did everything you asked Leo, it's only morning practice. There's no need to push so hard-."

"No need?" Leo hissed, clenching his hand to his katana.

Oh, shell. Well, yup, aaaand Leo has officially cracked.

Mikey took a step back as Leo walked up to Don. Getting face to face with his younger brother, Leo said, "Karai can be out there planning a way to get back at us!"

Mikey could tell that his oldest brother was trying to hide any emotion in his voice. In a way, he always felt bad for Leo. It was very, very, rare that he'd see Leo calm down and just hang out with them. He tried to recall the last time he just joked and played with his brother. Were we 10? 12?

Leonardo looked over to the rest of his brothers as he continued on. "You think that you'll be able to fight off an entire Foot elite? You think you're strong enough to face Karai?"

"We know you aren't."

Wait; scratch that, now Leo has cracked. Oh, come on, Raph! Michelangelo slapped his forehead as Don cursed under his breath. Well, this is it. It was great knowing my brothers.

Silence fell onto the room.

Donatello stood helplessly in front of Leonardo. Leonardo's head snapped over to Raphael, still clutching his katanas tightly. Donatello placed his hand on Leo's shoulder, gripping it firmly to keep him in his place.

If Raph and Leo don't kill each other now, than the tension in this room will! I totally got to stop it-! Mikey stepped in between Raph and Leo as he put his arms outward toward each of them. Forcing his trademark grin, he coughed a chuckle, "Okay, dudes, look, we're all tired, pretty ticked off and maaaybe even hungry? Let's part on friendly terms, eat some pizza, say our sorries and call it a day!"

Silence fell again.

Mikey darted his eyes to each of his brothers, still attempting to keep a smile. Raph, on his right, was standing firm with his arm crossed. His eyes locked onto Leo's, irritation oozing from his glare. Looking to his left, Leo had the same glance to Raph. Don stood on Leo's right, still holding Leo's shoulder for dear life. Don, being the only one who was looking at Mikey, simply shook his head. Mikey bit his lip as he desperately looked to his brother. Come on, Don! Give me a hand here!

Knowing Don, being the most peaceful one out of them, he probably won't step in until Raph and Leo pull each other's heads off. Leaving Mikey going solo.

Forcing a more cheerful smile, Mikey clapped his hands together. "Okay, then! I'll start then! Leo, bro, I'm sorry I ran off to my room to hide from your demon like wrath and for probably pissing you off even more- BUT, anyway, I am sorry! Now, Raph, apologize for being mean to Leo."

"I ain't apologizin' for shit."

"GOOD APOLOGY, Raphie-!" Mikey smiled, attempting to cut Raph off. "I can almost feel the emotion of sympathy flowing in the wind! Now, Don, you apologize for talking back to Leo!"

Don, rolling his eyes, knew to play along with Mikey's game- or else he won't stop the charade. His voice monotone, he squeezed Leo's shoulder. "I'm sorry for talking back to you, Leo."

"There ya go!" Mikey smiled. His plan was working! Er, well, Raph is too proud for that anyway. I think I even see Leo lighting up a little! Smiling to Leo, he pointed to his oldest brother. "Now, Leo, it's your turn! Apologize for being so strict and fatherly and dominating over us!"

Raphael chuckled as Donatello slapped his forehead. Oops. That one was my bad.

"You're absolutely right, Michelangelo." Leo smirked, deep blue eyes beginning to grow even more intense. He forced a laugh as he continued sarcastically, "Wow! I'm sorry that I'm only just looking out for each of you. Oh, wait! I am so sorry for making you guys train harder so that when you go out in a fight, you won't come back as many times as you've all been hurt. But, I am mostly sorry for being so fatherly. I didn't think caring about my brothers' safety and protection could be so awful."

"You're so full of yourself, Fearless." Raph hissed, stepping closer to his older brother. "You think just cause' Master Splinter has a tiny cold you think you could play master! Well guess what? Yer no master-!"

Brushing Don off his shoulder, Leo stepped closer to Raph. His voice raises higher, the emotion no longer hiding. "Coming from the guy who goes out every night just to feel more tougher and stronger! How does that protect this family?"

"Stop!" Mikey cried, stepping in between his brothers. "C-Come on, guys! I know how much you guys love proving each other wrong but-!"

"Stay out of this, Mike." Raphael warned, shoving his brother to the side.

"Guys, come on." Donatello took a try at stopping his older brothers. "At this rate you two are going to wake Sensei. And he needs all the rest he can."

Ooooh the guilt card! Nicely done, Donnie! Leonardo hesitantly backed away from Raphael and nodded. "Fine. We're done for now."

"Finally!" Grabbing Raphael's arm, Mikey attempted to tug his arm toward the door. "How about we play some Resident Evil, Raph? We always make a good team-!"

"Yer leave me to die and take all the ammo," Raphael shook out of his little brother's grip, "no way in hell am I playin'."

"Aw, come on!" Mikey pleaded, watching his brother stroll to his room. And once he's in there he ain't coming out until dinner...Maybe Don will play with me!

Adrenaline rushed through him as he skipped his way to Don, who was cleaning up the dojo. "Donnie!" Mikey tackled his brother, putting his arm around Don's shoulder. "How about we play? I'll let you be the cool dude and I'll be the chick!"

Half-laughing, Don removed his brother's arm off his shoulder. "Can't, Mikey. I got to check in on Splinter and call April to pick up more medicine." Making his way out of the dojo, he looked back to his youngest brother and smiled slightly. "Maybe you could check in on Leo. You do owe him an apology, you were pretty harsh on him."

"ME?!" Mikey squeaked, raising his hands in the air. Before he could defend himself, Donatello was already gone. Sighing in defeat, Mikey slouched his back and dragged his feet back in the hallway.

Plopping himself on the floor, he leaned his shell against the wall. Pulling his knees up to his chest, he rested his head on his knees. This wasn't the first time he felt that all his brothers were completely against him. Shell, all I wanted to do was help. That's what I…always wanted to do. Why can't his brothers see past that?

I-I know I like to play jokes and act like an idiot sometimes…but don't they see that I'm not an idiot? O-Or do they really see me as just…that. No. Mikey shook off his deep thoughts and pulled himself back up on his feet. There was no way he would let his family see him this way. They'll just think he's whining again for attention.

B-But, I don't! I just…want to make things right for once.

And he knew jus where to start!

Mike quickly paced himself over to Leo's room. His door was completely shut. Biting his lip, Mikey hesitated knocking. Leo usually never keeps his door totally closed, that is, unless he wants privacy. But Donnie's right…

Mikey did his traditional knocking; knocking twice, then again three times. "Leo? Its me…can we talk for a second or are you sleeping or meditating or-."

Leonardo slowly opened the door halfway, leaning himself against the door frame. His arms crossed, he cleared his throat. His eyes finally reaching his little brother's, Mikey was taken back by the look his oldest had. He was exhausted- whether it was mentally or physically (shell, or even both) he couldn't tell.

"H-Huh?" Mikey snapped out of his dazed thoughts and looked back up at Leo. "OH- uh- look, Leo, I'm…sorry about picking on you before. I totally get how freaked out you are over this-."

"As should you." Leo cut off, his voice becoming deeper with authority. "Remember what I told you at the Battle Nexus? If one of us goes down, we all go down. You need to pick up your slack or…" His voice faded as he looked to the ground, then immediately back up. "…or we will go down too."

"What are you sayin', bro?"

"I'm saying…that if you don't stop fooling around and focus on training with me and the others, we can't trust you in a fight."

"Can't trust me?!" Michelangelo echoed, hurt piercing his voice. His brothers, brothers, believed that he'd be nothing but… "You guys think I'm just some kind of…liability to you guys…?"

"I didn't say you were one, Mikey." Leo placed his hand on his youngest shoulder. His voice becoming more comforting. "I'm saying, if you keep slacking off and not working with all of us…then yeah, you're putting us in danger too. And as the leader, I'm not putting Raph and Don in danger too."

What the shell? L-Leo really sees me as that much of a weakness that I put Raph and Donnie in trouble..?

"L-Leo, come on." Mike pleaded, starting to back away from his brother's reach. "I-I mean I joke around with you guys but, when we train I do my part and get it done! Okay, maybe sometimes I get distracted easily a-and I tick you guys off, but I work!"

"Mike!" Leo exclaimed. "Just…get your act straight. I'm not going to tell you again." And with that, Leonardo shut his door. Leaving his youngest drowning in his own brother's words…

./././././././././.

Shutting his eyes tight, he could have swore he heard his brother choke a sob. Sure, his brother was the most sensitive out of them all. And yeah, he took any criticism to heart at times, even while covering it with a joke. But he did it for the best…right?

Leonardo collapsed on his bedside, staring up at his ceiling. When did things get so crazy? Sensei…I-I don't think I can handle all of this not-.

"I trust you, my son. You know your brothers well. You will take care of them. Have faith, Leonardo. Just as I have faith in you."

His heart clenched as his father's words swam around his already filled mind. He knew Raphael was already completely fed up with him, Donatello was too stressed over Splinter's condition, and Mikey…is just in his own world.

At least there, Leonardo knew Mikey didn't have to have the burden of worrying over anything. He can just be himself, laughing, goofing off, cracking jokes, and just acting like things were just the same as they were.

He needs to realize the truth…

Even if it hurts him.

[hostile-southern]

My Favorite Rainy City

Let me start by saying I don’t regret anything about tonight; I had a great time with my Leo Friend–a goddamn wonderful time. I’m so glad I only told him I’d be in town, and he showed up. Everything was perfect. 

Except, I could tell something was bothering him, or maybe I’m projecting myself onto him. He just seemed lost and lonely, and it’s so hard to see him that way. I don’t think he’s doomed to a terrible fate or anything, because he’s a great guy, but part of me wishes I’d had the balls to tell him I thought he was cute the day we met. And, then when we became friends, I wish he’d been single…

Instead, tonight, in a crowded bar, I sat in my power wheelchair, threw back a couple of drinks, and nodded to pretend I could hear him; when all I was really thinking about was this might be last time I see this beautiful man.

And, it’s okay… I’m crying, but I’m not sad. I decided a long time ago he’d be better off without knowing how I felt. Maybe that’s a huge disservice to him (if not me), but it’s hard for me to admit I wish I’d done things differently, because, at least, we got to be friends. I got to know him, and I wouldn’t trade that. Fucking Pisces Moon, making me cry again…

I hesitated to post this, because I feel like a fucking idiot, but I needed this. So, whatever… I guess you’re OK, PM. Anyway, I won’t dwell in this mess. I packed the jeans Preacher Man complimented me on, and I wore them as I entered the city and will be wearing them, as I leave. Call me dramatic, but I’ll never wear them again. If I had the means, I’d burn them, but I don’t belong here–in this city.

Maybe he did; maybe LF does. I don’t. Let’s just say it’s not exactly an accessible place (emotionally but also physically), and maybe that’s part of everything I’m feeling. Still, I loved this visit, and who knows. I could return someday. In some other place, I’m with the people I love, and none of us are dead or sick. I like the thought of that–dammit PM! 

Anyway, anyway, the visit was incredible, and I’ll clean this up and post it when I get home. But, I won’t change the mood of this post, otherwise, because I need to remember how I felt.

[shiningforvixx]

170608 - 용산 (Yongsan) Fansign (6VIXX)

This time around the members were in opposite order from the Ilsan fansign, this time going in birthday order from Ravi to Leo. Also, I don’t know if it was because I had coffee and was more alert than the Ilsan fansign, but I definitely had a bit of nervousness this time;; Plus I picked number 97 so I had plenty of time to grow more nervous. On the other hand, I should have had more time to try and calm down.

Honestly, there’s not that much to do while waiting to go talk to them, and I felt that more distinctly than last time because my number was so late (it goes to 100). I was taking some pictures while I waited, but mostly those ones don’t turn out well (in my limited experience).

Right before it was time to go up, I heard the Chinese girl next to me sigh again, so I turned to her and said “Nervous?” She said she was. Then I asked in Korean if she knew Korean, and she does. We chatted for a bit, and she told me she likes Hyuk. I told her I had nothing to say to Hyuk haha. She said she had nothing to say to Hongbin. Yeaahh, I get that;; Like. I tried to think of things to say, but nothing came to mind? I’m much better with letters I think. Plus they are cute boys, not even considering the fact that they are VIXX. You know? Just me? Anyway…

We gathered our albums and letters and numbers (mine was 97 if you recall) and went to the line to go speak to VIXX. I wasn’t too nervous anymore, but I mostly didn’t have much to say (except Leo to whom I had at least 3 things I wanted to say). The girl right in front of my new Chinese friend was the one that sometimes goes to fansigns and dances/sings for the members. I love that Ravi can’t even watch her when she does her littke performances. Well, thanks to her the line was moving slowly, so I pretty much had plenty of time (too much;;) to talk to them. (I know, how could it be too much? But I’m not great with rambling on about this and that in those situationsㅜㅜ)

Ravi is really a sweetheart. And I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. He is so much more gorgeous in person! No matter how pretty the pictures, they don’t do him justice. (All the members are better looking in person, but I’ll never get over the amazement(?) I felt when I first saw Ravi up close.) So I went up to Ravi and gave him my letters. (I had 2 because one was art that I wrote on the back of and the other was my regular letter hahaha) I embroidered words on paper hearts for each member, and I embroidered “엉덩이 아빠”(Ongdongie’s dad) on Ravi’s hearts. (I stuck these hearts on the outside of the envelopes.) He read it out loud and laughed at it, so that was a great moment. I told him I’m going to busan and he said 수고많았어요(You’ve worked hard…sort of;;). I said Nooo, not reallyㅜㅜ Then I asked if there was anywhere worth going in Busan, and he gave me the most apologetic face and told me he didn’t really know. I never want to see Ravi’s apologetic face againㅜㅜ I don’t want to make him feel sorry for any reason. It almost hurt because he had no reason to be sorry, I was just saying words at that pointㅜㅜ Ravi should always only be happy. (Granted, Ravi makes great expressions during fansigns. I think he exaggerates his emotions so he doesn’t seem so worn outㅜㅜ) I had soooooo much time, so I also told him that he read my letter at the last Seoul concert. He said, “Oh the paper airplanes?” and did a little paper airplane throwing motionㅜㅜ I said yes, and that I was sorry that I called him 라바(Raba) in the letter. He said it was okay and held my hand while looking at me like…I don’t know? The face he makes that seems like he’s saying “It’s okay, I’m just grateful for your support”…or something. Anyway, it was a beautiful expression that made me very happy. (I just realized we’re idiots that were apologizing to each other for no reasonㅜㅜ)

(I always feel awkward with Ravi, but at fansigns I feel less awkward with him than I expect? I think the problem, if you want to call it that, is he has this image of being silly and playing around with the other boys? But he also can be very sincere? I am sort of the same way, and I feel like we both sway into sincere mode with each other. It would probably be less awkward if we could both be in fun mode, but alas, ‘tis not to be.)

Jaehwan…ah Jaehwan is such a cutie. That’s his job I guess, but still. I didn’t really have anything to say to him, but I had an idea of something to do. I asked him if he’d eaten, and he said yes. So I asked what he ate. He said 도시락(lunch box). I told him to eat “this” for dessert and proceeded to make 2 finger hearts and turn them into a hand heart, then offered my hands to him. He sort of laughed at me but took the “hearts” out of my hands and “ate” them. (In retrospect…no even at the time, I felt so dumb for doing that;;)

I had prepared something to say to N because he is great and perfect and deserves all the love in the world. I said 오빠, 저 궁금한 게 있는데요 (I have something I am curious about/want to ask). He looked up at me, and I said 못 하는 게 있어요? (Is there anything you can’t do?) I was trying not to smile, and he was doing the same. He promptly said 운동, sports. So I said noo~ Then he was like “Really? Okay ㅋㅋㅋ” I told him I am going to Busan and asked for a recommendation of where to go, and he recommended two places. The first I don’t recall, but the second was Haeundae Beach. (Because of him I packed my swimsuit and may even wear it for the first time in 3 years //ㅅ//)

Next was Hyuk and just… I don’t know why I feel so awkward with him? I think it might be the Ravi Syndrome again where he is more serious in person than with the members. Also he is a tiny baby but also a MAN?? So how do I deal with that??? I had super extra time, so I told him that I’ve been listening to 안아줄게 a lot and am looking forward to seeing it again at the Busan concert. He asked if I was going to Busan alone but then repeated the question in English. It wasn’t that I didn’t understand him, but I probably didn’t hear him. Ah… it may have been because I said, “Yes, I’m going tomorrow,” and he thought I was answering wrong. But…the ‘yes’ was directed at his question;; Sorry Hyogiㅜ

Bean…I love Hongbin, but there is also a level of awkwardness there. (I’m going to go out on a limb here and just say that perhaps I am the problem and am just an obnoxiously awkward person who projects that onto others;;) Anyway, I gave him my letter that had 친구야(friend~) embroidered on the hearts (on the envelope if you recall). He looked at it and said, “Oh, are we friends?” So I answered 네 (formal yes) again (like during the Fantasy fansign I went to), and I want to smack myself. The whole point of us being friends is to speak informallyㅜㅜ (Yes, I realize that’s technically not how that works, but 99% of the time I end up speaking formally anyway, as proven by my habitual 네) I said I was sorry that my letter was sort of long (it was 2 pages…which I can write to Leo easily, but not really the other members). He said it was fine and seemed sort of pleased actually? He even did a hand hold with me this time! Haha (I think all the other members did too, but I was paying attention to Hongbin because I remember specifically that he didn’t grab my hand at the Ilsan fansign.)

(A note on the letters that I should probably save for the end: I am pretty proud of myself for writing them all a good sized page of words. Not that they were great letters, but I did it. And as I mentioned, my letter to Bean was two pages, but that is because I was explaining how I became a VIXX fan in response to him asking me about it at the Ilsan fansign. Leo’s I of course wrote last because I can always ramble at him more. Poor guy;;)

Leo…I don’t even know. It was such a scramble of this and that. I gave him the same drawing that I gave Ravi. (It was a drawing of LR that I commissioned from the ever-talented and lovely @mireykim whose drawing is pictured above. You can commision her here! ) I told him I didn’t draw it and asked if he knew the artist. He said he didn’t…but maybe it’s just because he didn’t recognize that picture? Who knows. Then I asked him if he knew who a certain letter was sent to, and he said no. (The letter in question has a complicated backstory;;) I told him it was me, and he said, “Really? Thank you!” and grabbed my hand and like…wouldn’t let go? It was really precious and he was looking at me with such grateful eyes and I’m ready to die nowㅜㅜ I then told him that I’m the person that calls him 핑쿠핑쿠 왕자(pinku pinku prince) in letters. He sort of nodded, and I don’t know if it was in understanding and being like, yes I know that person, and it’s you! Or was the nod ah, yes… please let’s not speak of this again. Or perhaps the nod was just to placate me. We’ll have to add it to the drawer of “too many things that will have to remain unsolved about  Jung Taekwoon.” He also asked me where I was from again, haha;; Also, he commented (in English) that I am very tall. I was trying to tell him how tall, but I don’t think he heard, and we were talking about the next thing already. Later, I of course realized I should have sarcastically acted surprised that I’m tall. (If you are tall, you will understand what I mean. What are you supposed to say when people comment on your height? I do realize that I am tall, you know?) Also, why did Leo keep using English with me? Is my Korean worse than I think? Was he just being considerate/showing off? Not that I mind because I love his English. As long as he knows that I know Korean, then we’re fine. (I just remembered that at the end he said, "See you later (my name)!"ㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜ)

(It was frustrating when I was thinking later that night about all the things I could have/should have said to all of them in those awkward moments when the members and I stared at each other in silent panic not knowing what to say….I was probably the only one panicking, but…yeahㅜㅜ)

Let’s see if I remember the missions they had to do… One was Ravi had to do the 탕수육 game with a Starlight with the “word” 빅스타라잇 (VIXXStarlight) and the loser had to grant the wish of the other. (The 탕수육 game is the one where each person says one character/syllable in the word and the other person says the next part until someone messes up.) It was sort of a mess, but Ravi ended up winning. He said that his wish was to grant the wish of the Starlight, so she asked for a hug. When he hugged her Ken said it was too short, and the Starlights agreed, so he hugged her again for a tiny bit longer.

They played a concentration type game that I didn’t quite understand, but Leo lost and was supposed to come into the audience for a minute to have eye contact with us. Him being Jung Leo, however, he was going around really quickly and trolling people with their cameras and was looking at which memeber people’s video camera tripods were pointed at. He also said to not take pictures at one point because, once again, Jung Leo.

They did a game where they had to draw a square and triangle at the same time with both hands. Ravi emceed because (according to him) there was no way he’d be able to do it. Silly little Bean and Leo at the end weren’t very good, but Hyuk was surprisingly good, as was N. Ken…tried and wasn’t bad per se. In the end, N was chosen for first place, so he got to choose the two members who would have to do a pose to…show how close they are I guess? Show their chemistry? He chose Ravi and Hyuk, and when the Starlights had no suggestions for what pose they should do, he decided they should do the thing where they put their foreheads and hands together and then look out at the audience. It was great.

During question time, people kept passing on their questions, and I totally get it because what do you ask that is interesting and hasn’t already been asked before? One person asked if they had thought about their next concept. They were hilariously hedging about and ended up saying that it was a yes or no question and the answer was no. Of course they can’t tell us if they do have a next concept, but it was quite amusing nonetheless. Another person wanted to pass their question and N asked if they could word it as “Can I pass?” so that it could be a question.

At some point, Hongbin and Leo were completely ignoring the current mission/instructions and made paper airplanes and both threw them to see whose plane would fly furtherㅜㅜ

Also Leo kept yawning during the whole fansign. (Actually, they all looked pretty sleepy. It seemed like before each new person went up to get a signature, Ravi would reset his face into pleasant sort of smile so that he didn’t look super tired. Poor babiesㅠ)

I think I’m missing two missions but for the life of me I can’t remember them right nowㅜㅜ

[thatcrazyfanfictionwriter]

Secret of the Sewers: Fast Forward

After the turtles made their declaration to Splinter, they knew that they were in for a rough time. They knew that to prepare them for the challenge ahead, the rat was going to push them past their limits, then keep pushing. It started with Splinter’s decision to choose a leader for the group.

“Your enemies will come at you in numbers that greatly exceed your own.” He had told them, “the best way to combat this tactic is to work as a team, and every team needs a leader.”

Nobody was surprised when he picked Leonardo to be the leader, even if Raph was a bit miffed at the choice. Neither were they surprised when Splinter upped their training greatly. He had already lost one family, and he was not going to lose another.

When they weren’t training, the turtle’s attentions fell on various personal projects. Leo spent most of his free time meditating, trying to strengthen his mind and spirit for his new role as leader. Raph had begun tweaking the stolen motorcycle, making it turtle ready so it could be used on the streets. It was a common occurrence for the red turtle to come down for dinner covered in grease and oil. Donny had several projects to keep him busy. Along with Master Splinter’s request for a way to communicate, which he created the shell cells for, Donny also found time to work on turtlizing the van they’d commandeered, as well as help Hisako with her physical therapy. Thankfully, Mikey was more than willing to help take care of the afflicted human in their care.

With the aid of Donny and Mikey, Hisako’s road to recovery shortened considerably. In time, the emancipated girl Leo had plucked from the dumpster faded into memory. Her once stick-like arms became toned with the muscles of a gymnast. Her numerous scars slowly faded, though they would forever remain a part of her, and her ratty hair grew out healthy and long.

This positive physical change brought a spiritual change to Hisako as well. She no longer feared her own shadow, and she came to trust her caretakers, eventually coming to see them as more than just friends. The turtles became her brothers, and she their sister. Master Splinter grew to be her father, and she became his daughter.

As the weeks turned to months, and the months into years, Hisako proved herself an eager student. She absorbed the knowledge and moves like a sponge, picking up nearly 10 years on ninjutsu in a mere 4, a record that put Leonardo’s dedication to shame. Soon, Hisako was finally confident enough in her abilities to take the test that would recognize her as an official Kunoichi.

…

Splinter sat on his meditation mat, looking out onto the training ground. Donatello and Michelangelo were kneeling on the left side of the grounds while Raphael knelt on the right. From their spots, they watched Leonardo get into a fighting stance, katanas at the ready. Facing against him was Hisako, a pair of beautiful Japanese war fans, or tessen, in her hands.

"You ready Hisako?" Leo asked.

Hisako popped her neck, smiling.

"Oh yeah."

Splinter raised his paw in the air, then brought it down in a chopping motion.

"Hajime!"

Leonardo struck first, his first swipe coming at an almost blinding speed. Hisako quickly dodged it, her smile becoming somewhat cocky.

"Gonna have to do better than that, Leo!"

He struck again, but she quickly rolled out of the way. Getting back to her feet, she opened her fans and swiped at him. Strike after strike, Leo either evaded or blocked with his katanas. During one block, Leo twisted his sword and disarmed Hisako, sending one of her fans flying across the mat. It soared towards Donnie and Mikey, who raised their hands to catch it. Unfortunately, they both missed and it collided with the wall and clattered to the ground. Hisako looked back at her weapon as Leo pointed his sword at her neck.

"Ready to give up?" Leo asked.

"Not a chance." Hisako responded.

She ran forward and performed a jumping kick, knocking one of his swords out of his hands. This put Leo on the defensive as she continued to slice at him, forcing him to dodge every attack and preventing him from gaining room to respond. He quickly leaped back a bit in an attempt to gain the upper hand, but Hisako merely followed his movements. He performed a quick leg sweep, sending Hisako to the ground. However, she managed to hook onto his legs during the fall, tripping him and bringing him to the ground too.

"Nice one." Leo admitted.

"Same to you." Hisako agreed.

Both of them were quick to get back to their feet, preparing their remaining weapons as they charged toward each other. Their respective strikes were so hard that they knocked each other's weapons out of their hands. The two then fell back onto hand to hand combat, trading punches, jabs and kicks with unerring accuracy.

Leo went for a roundhouse kick, but Hisako dropped to the ground in order to duck it. Once Leo restructured himself, Hisako sprang back up with an uppercut to the jaw, knocking him to the ground. As he prepared to get up, Hisako planted her foot on his shell, placing two fingers on his forehead.

"Yame!" Splinter called.

Both Hisako and Leo were panting as the former got off the latter. Hisako offered a hand up, one that Leo gladly accepted.

"Great job, Hisako." He complimented as he collected his swords. "You got me good."

"Yeah!" Raph agreed. "I thought he had you with that spin kick, but you came back strong."

"I guess all those push-ups you've been doing really paid off." Donnie agreed.

"I don't know..." Mikey disagreed. "Near the end, it almost looked like-"

Splinter's tail came up, whacking Mikey across the head hard. The orange turtle yelped as Splinter came forward. Hisako quickly got down on her knees, placing her tessen before her. Leaning on his walking stick, Splinter smiled down on her, a hand behind his back.

"You have done well, my child." He congratulated her, “You have proven yourself a capable warrior, a compassionate soul, and an honorable ninja.”

He pulled his hand out from behind his back, revealing a black tanto with a green sash on the scabbard. Hisako couldn’t keep the grin off her face as she held out her hands for Splinter, allowing him to place the tanto into it. As her fingers closed around it, Splinter placed his hand on her head.

“Hamato Hisako, it pleases me to announce your graduation, and to grant you the official title of Kunoichi of the Hamato Clan."

Hisako bowed, then stood up, looking down at her tanto with a grin.

“I did it.” she said before jumping into the air, thrusting the tanto upwards. “I finally did it!”

Both Leo and Raph grabbed her, hoisting her onto their shoulders as she punched the air happily.

"I say this calls for a celebration!" Raph suggested.

"How's about a run topside and some rooftop pizza?" Donny asked.

"Oh yeah!" Mikey shouted. "Let's do it!"

Hisako grinned, then leapt off of her brothers' shoulders to get a head start, snagging her tessen as she did.

"Last one topside hatched from a rotten egg!" She announced.

The four brothers all shared pleased expressions before taking off after their sister. Before Leo could go, Splinter intercepted him.

"You did not have to provide her with that opening." he told him.

Leo just shrugged before resuming his chase.

"It was worth it!"

…

Hun knelt before his master, his hulking frame just barely maintaining the illusion of calm. Before him, his master paced irritably, an aura of seething rage surrounding the man like a blanket.

"Four years." The master hissed. "For four year, you have had but one task; locate a mere handful of interlopers. And yet, you cannot even perform that simple task!"

The master ceased pacing, his fist coming down on his desk so hard that the various papers flew off of it, fluttering to the ground. The sound of the blow caused Hun to jump violently, his heart racing with fear.

"Master-"

"I will not hear any more of your excuses!" The master interrupted.

Hun flinched, but wisely remained silent. The master then stalked towards him, grabbing his hair and forcing him to look him in the eye.

"I grow tired of waiting." he snarled. "If you do not have these creatures in 48 hours, you can consider your position terminated."

He dropped Hun's hair, the behemoth falling to the ground.

"Do I make myself clear?"

Hun gulped, then slowly got back onto his knees.

"Yes, Master."

…

The turtles and Hisako sat on top of the Manhattan water tower, a large meat lover's pizza balanced precariously on the top of the cone-like roof. All five of them munched on their slices as they stared up at the stars. They were playing the very same game that Leo and Hisako had done on her first adventure to the surface. It had become a sort of tradition now, one that all five of them thoroughly enjoyed.

"I see... a giraffe eating a plate of spaghetti." Mikey called out, pointing to a particular cluster of stars.

"I see… an elephant playing the trombone." Donnie countered.

"I see… an aardvark driving a school bus." Hisako added.

"That's a good one sis, but I think I got one better." Raph chuckled. "I see… Mikey wearing a clown costume."

That elicited a chuckle from everyone, though Mikey decided to throw his pizza crust instead. As the laughter died down, Hisako turned to Leo.

"Alright, your turn."

Leo squinted up at the sky, trying to find the perfect picture.

"I see-"

A clatter in a nearby alleyway drew the blue turtle's attention. He turned, and his eyebrow raised.

"A group a purple dragons breaking into a convenience store!"

Everyone immediately abandoned their pizza, coming over to Leo's part of the tower. Looking down, they saw a gang of about five thugs wearing punk attire adorned with purple dragon insignias smashing a convenience store window with crowbars.

"Don't these bozos ever learn?" Raph wondered out loud. "I mean, how many times do we have to kick their shells before they finally get the message?"

"Well, maybe this time, the message will stick." Hisako commented. "Leo?"

Leo drew his swords, then jumped off the tower. Hisako drew her fans as the remaining turtles readied their own weapons.

"Take it away Mikey." Donnie remarked.

"Cowabunga!" He shouted.

The two punks guarding the window looked up to see the five of them jumping from the tower, landing in the alley before them.

"Make this easy on yourselves, and drop the crowbars." Raph warned.

The two punks gripped their makeshift weapons as they charged at the turtles. One punk swung his crowbar at Raph, who gabbed with one of his Sais. Raph then twisted his wrist, yanking the crowbar out of the punk's hand. Now disarmed, Raph kicked the punk in the gut, sending him into the wall, knocking him out cold.

"Hey," a voice from inside the store questioned. "What was that?"

The other three punks stuck their heads out of the broken window to see the five figures beating on their teammates.

"Oh no you don't!" One of the guys, most likely the leader due to his flashier attire, shouted. "Get 'em boys!"

The other two jumped through the broken window, running towards the five siblings. While his lackeys went to deal with the interlopers, the leader reached into his pocket and pressed a button on a small device emblazoned with a dragon's claw symbol.

Back in the fight, one punk swung his crowbar at Donnie. The purple turtle was quick to duck it and use his staff to jab his opponent in the gut. He then used his momentum to spin his staff around and struck him on the back of the head, knocking the punk out as he hit the ground.

Mikey came up to one punk and grabbed the guy's wrist with his Nunchucks. With a flip, he landed on the guy's back and began making the punk punch himself.

"Why are you hitting yourself?" Mikey taunted, punctuating each question with another forced punch. "Why are you hitting yourself? Why are you hitting yourself?"

The punk tried to throw Mikey off his back, but the turtle merely flipped, using the trapped wrist to pin the punk to the ground.

"Nighty-night!"

With his second Nunchucks, Mikey conked the guy on the head, knocking him out cold.

Meanwhile, Leo was having a sword vs crowbar fight with the fourth punk. Leo's superior training gave them the edge needed to easily knock the crowbar out of his hand. He then used the hilt of his sword to strike the punk on the head, knocking him out. This left the last punk, the leader, all up to Hisako.

"You're going down, freaks!" The leader threatened. "Nobody messes with the Purple Dragons!"

Hisako just grinned, giving the guy a 'come-at-me' motion. The leader charged, repeatedly swinging at Hisako with his crowbar, but the girl just kept side stepping out of the way. Each failed hit seemed to enrage the leader further.

"Hold still, brat!"

He took a wild swing, one that would have knocked her head clean off… if it had connected. Instead, Hisako went under the swing and used her fans to sweep at his legs. The sharp edge of the fan sliced through his baggy pants like they were made of tissue paper. The punk looked down, then at Hisako. She winked, then closed her fan and brought it right up into his face. Blood squirted from his now broken nose as he fell to the ground.

"Punks..." Hisako said with a shake of her head. "May they never grow a brain."

The turtles all stowed their weapons as they tossed the punks into a pile.

"Well, that was fun." Raph remarked. "Though a bit too easy if you ask me."

"Yeah." Mikey added. "They went down way too fast. Guess they couldn’t handle our mad skills"

Hisako’s head snapped up, her mind catching a signal not far from where they were. In fact, there were several signals closing in on their location. The turtles saw her do this and they tensed, knowing all too well what that meant.

“What is it, sis?” Mikey asked.

“I don’t know.” She whispered, gripping her tessen. “But I don’t think we’re alone”

Leo looked up at the opening of the alleyway, a worried expression crossing his face.

"I think you’re right." he told her. “Look.”

Everyone turned to see that a group of motorcycles were parked in front of the alley and an army of black suited men wearing full-faced helmets were slowly closing in. Turning around, the five saw a similar situation occurring behind them. Everyone quickly drew their weapons, forming a circle.

“The motorheads.” Mikey hissed. “How’d they find us?”

“Three guesses.” Raph sneered, giving an unconscious dragon in the guts.

"Doesn’t matter how they found us." Leo told them. "They found us, and you know what to do"

Raph twirled his sai in his hands, a maniacal grin on his face.

"I am so gonna enjoy this."

The motorheads then charged at them from both directions. The five siblings dispersed to take them down head on. Donnie used his staff to vault over two of them before they could even land a hit. Once he landed, he spun around, using his staff to sweep the two guys off their feet. A third one pulled out a small staff, preparing to do the same thing to Donnie. The purple turtle was shocked to see the staff extend to be about the same size of his own, but brushed it aside as the Motorhead prepared to attack.

"A fellow bo staff fighter." he mused. "But can you actually use it?"

The motorhead then spun it around for a moment to demonstrate his skill. Growing impatient, Donnie then ran towards the motorhead twirling his own staff along the way. Finally, the two staffs collided, each warrior blocking the others blow.

Mikey, meanwhile had just back flipped out the way of two motorheads of his own.

"You think you guys are so tough." He asked pulling out his signature weapons. "Well wait till you get a load of this."

With that he proceeded to spin his Nunchucks around showing off to his opponents in true Michelangelo style. The two motorheads just standing there, looking at each other with cocked heads. Mikey continued to show his skill to the motorheads by raising one foot off the ground and moving the spinning Nunchucks under it, a smug smile on his face. Unimpressed the motorheads pulled out and threw a barrage of shuriken at the orange clad turtle. Mikey acted on instinct and used his weapons to block every blow that was dealt him. Once the motorheads stopped throwing their projectiles, Mikey held one Nunchucks in his hand while the other was locked under his arm.

"Is that all you got?" he asked in a very confident tone.

Unbeknownst to him, another motorhead snuck from behind him, raising his staff to knock him to the ground. Mikey fell hard, his head pounding as his opponents standing over him.

"Ok, guess not." he observed.

Meanwhile, Leonardo was engaged in an intense sword fight with one motorhead. He was impressed with his adversary's skills, and was relishing in the genuine challenge the battle offered him. His focus was turned away from the battle when he heard his brother cry out.

"Mikey!" he shouted.

The motorhead used this distraction to kick the blue turtle into a wall. Leo regained his focus enough to see the motorhead running toward him. Thinking fast, he flipped onto a nearby awning, thinking he had the higher ground. That brief feeling of security was destroyed when he saw the motorhead jump up and run along the wall towards him. Leo couldn't believe his eyes.

"Who are these guys?" he asked as the motorhead joined him on the roof.

Raphael had his hands full as well, having to deal with four motorheads at once. Dodging and blocking each blow they tried to deal him.

"You guys got moves, I'll admit." he complemented with half sincerity. "You guys know this one?"

With that, he planted his sai in the concrete, using it as an anchor to perform a roundhouse kick. The move was successful, knocking them all out cold.

Hisako was not as fortunate, being backed into a corner with three motorheads closing in on her. Thinking fast, she slid under her enemies' feet with fans extended, slicing their ankles and causing them to fall to the ground. However as she stood up, she realized one had avoided her attack as he grabbed her from behind. Not to be deterred, she was able to get one hand free and put a mind blast on him.

For the motorhead, it was as if his senses were suddenly turned up to maximum. The dim light of the alley was suddenly as bright as the sun. The sounds of the battle made his ears feel like they were about to burst. The stench of sweat and garbage made him want to gag, and he could taste the remnants of all the meals he had eaten in the past few days.

With her assailant mentally occupied, Hisako brought her fan down on the back of his neck, knocking him down. With this small moment of tranquility, Hisako felt a small ping in the corner of her mind, like her powers were picking up stray thoughts. Most were just the usual babble of New Yorkers dreaming, but one string of thoughts piqued her interest. Following the hypothetical string, Hisako found a familiar hulking figure hiding in a large van, accompanied by about two or three Motorheads.

"Hun..." She whispered.

Back with the turtles Mikey was not holding up well as he was shoved into Donatello's back.

"Say Donnie, is it just me or are we getting our shells kicked?" Mikey asked.

Before Donnie could answer, he grabbed his brother's shoulder and pulled them both down, narrowly dodging a barrage of shuriken.

"Ask me again when we're winning." Donnie responded slowly standing up.

At that moment, he noticed he couldn't see Hisako anywhere on the battlefield. A sinking feeling grew in his stomach as he scanned the alley for his sister.

"Hey, where's Hisako?" Donnie asked.

Having heard the question, Leo looked over his shoulder to see Hisako running towards a nearby fire escape.

"What's she doing?" Leo asked before being drawn back into the fight by two more oncoming Motorheads.

Back with Hisako, once she had climbed high enough on the fire escape, she jumped off soaring through the air until she landed on the roof of the truck she saw in her head.

"Time to draw them out."

…

Inside the van, an entire array of surveillance equipment was hard at work trying to capture images of the turtles and Hisako. He’d attempted to gather intel before using CCTV cameras and security footage, but the video always ended up either going missing or being heavily edited. Thankfully, his van seemed to be doing its intended purpose, providing Hun with many satisfactory images of the turtles. Now, all he needed was an image of Hisako. So far, all images of her were either too blurry to make out, or she was partially covered by the turtles or one of his own men.

"Mr. Hun." One of the motorheads at the controls called. "We lost the girl."

"What?" He demanded.

He shoved the motorhead out of the way, scanning the multiple screens. Unfortunately, the girl was gone. That's when he heard a thud coming from the roof. It didn't take a genius to figure out what the sound was.

"It's her." Hun hissed as he gestured to the Motorhead he had shoved out of the way. "Go get her."

The Motorhead opened the van doors. Before he could take a step outside, a slender hand grabbed onto the front of his jacket, yanking him through the doorway. There was the sound of three consecutive blows, then an audible thud of a body falling to the ground. Hun saw that, then pointed at the remaining two motorheads. They went out the door as well, and though they seemed to put up more of a fight, they too fell easily. Hun sighed, then cracked his knuckles.

"If you want something done right..." He growled.

He came out of the van swinging, his massive fist catching Hisako across the jaw. She went flying across the street, hitting the wall of a building hard and slumping to the ground.

"You do it yourself." he finished.

He grabbed Hisako, hoisting her into the air with ease. However, that was as far as he got before an angry shout rang through the street.

"Hey! Lou Ferrigno!" a furious voice taunted.

Hun turned to the source of the shout and saw that the alleyway was now devoid of the turtles. In fact, only the unconscious forms of his motorheads was visible. That's when he felt someone poking his head with what seemed to be a stick. He slowly looked up to see the four turtles standing on top of the roof of the van with weapons drawn. The orange one was crouched down, identifying him as the one who had poked him. The rest looked pissed beyond measure.

"Give us back our sister!" the red turtle demanded.

Hun just smirked, figuring he had the turtles dead to rights.

"Touch me, and I snap this girl's neck like a toothpick."

Raph was seething in anger and had to be held back by Leo to prevent him from doing something monumentally stupid. Hun chuckled, glad that everything was going according to plan, even if there had been a slight wrinkle.

That's when Hun noticed that Donatello had his hands behind his back.

"You! The purple one!"

Donny looked up with a faux innocent look.

"Yes?" he replied, his voice dripping with that same false innocence.

"What are you hiding?" Hun demanded.

"I'm not hiding anything." He said. "But if I were you, I wouldn't stand in the middle of the road like that."

"And why is that?" Hun asked.

All of the turtles crouched on the roof of the van, as if bracing themselves for something.

"Oh you'll see in about 2.4 seconds." Donnie responded in a coy manner.

Hun raised his eyebrows in curiosity. His train of thought was interrupted however when he was a pair of headlights coming up the road, approaching at about 3 times the speed limit. He squinted a bit to see a strange truck charging towards him. It was about the size of an armored van with green shell-like designs all across it, as well as Japanese kanji for turtle and ninja on one side. On the other, in obvious graffiti font, was the word "Shellraiser!"

Before Hun could react, the van hit him dead on, sending him flying across the street. Hisako was launched into the air when the car hit, so Leo leapt into the air and caught her in his arms. The two landed with ease on the now parked car.

"You good?" he asked as Hisako began to come to.

"Yeah." she responded groggily.

"I make a motion we get out of here before that guy calls reinforcements." Donnie suggested, getting into the driver's seat.

"Agreed. Let's move." Leo ordered.

The turtles scrambled into the car, Leo buckling Hisako in as Donnie hit the gas. The tires screeched as they made their getaway.

…

As the Shellraiser pulled into Renaissance motors, the five siblings finally started to relax. Though they'd been battling New York's street trash for four years, tonight's battle had shown them that they weren't top dog on the street's food chain.

"I'm just gonna say it." Raph commented as he jumped out of the Shellraiser. "That could have gone better."

"You said it." Mikey agreed. "My bruises have bruises."

"Do those guys ever give up?" Donny asked.

Hisako, who was still a bit left of center after her face-to-face with Hun, just groaned.

"They’ve been hunting us for four years, why stop now…?"

"These Motorheads are getting tougher by the day." Leo commented. “Their skills far exceed our own, and if this keeps up, we may not be able to get away so easily.”

"Remember when life was simpler?" Mikey reminisced. "When the only ninjas in New York were us, and where the worst we dealt with were those Purple Dragon jerk faces?"

"Those were the days, Mikey" Raph replied, patting his brother on the shoulder. “Those were the days.”

…

Hun found himself kneeling before his master once more. The man paced around the behemoth, an air of disappointment mixed with unbridled rage surrounding him.

"Perhaps I was too lenient when I gave you 48 hours to complete your mission." The master mused. "It is obvious that you do not have the skills necessary to combat five minor annoyances."

Hun raised his head, praying the footage he had acquired would be enough to keep his head firmly attached to his neck.

"Master, while I have failed to capture the interlopers, I have succeeded in acquiring usable footage."

The Master ceased pacing, an eyebrow raising in intrigue. Hun reached into his trench coat, pulling out a flash drive. The master snatched the drive, walking over to a thin laptop that rested on his desk. Inserting the drive, he witnessed footage of the four turtles fighting with the Motorhead soldiers. His eyebrow arched at the sight.

“Turtles?” he questioned.

“Yes Master.” Hun replied. “There is a fifth member of their group, a human girl, but I was unable to get a clear enough shot of her.”

"I see." the Master said, the disappointment in his voice causing Hun to tense up, wondering what he was going to do. "This is suitable. It would seem you still have a purpose here."

Hun let out a sigh of relief as the Master pulled the drive out of the computer and tossed back at Hun, who barely caught it.

"Take this to Baxter Stockman." The master ordered. "One of his… 'Pets' should succeed where you have failed."

Hun visibly tensed at the idea of willingly visiting Stockman in his lab, but he knew better than to question his master, especially when his position was on such unstable ground as is.

"Yes, Master."

With that, Hun left to see Stockman. Alone, the master pulled up a copy of the footage he had saved to his laptop. The way the Turtles fought his men reminded him of something familiar. Something… from the past.

…

Hun walked into a large building, entering a secret elevator hidden as part of the wall. The elevator descended until it opened up into a large white hospital like area. All around him, there were men and women dressed in lab coats milling about, but one doctor stood out.

Hun!" Stockman called. "Long time no see! How is my favorite patient?"

Hun's growl was like that of a rabid lion.

"I. Am NOT. Your patient, Stockman." He replied through gritted teeth.

"Not anymore, no." Stockman replied with a shrug "But with all of your screw-ups these past four years, I'm almost positive that will change."

Hun's huge fists clenched in anger, but he resisted the urge to punch the smug doctor. He came here for a reason, and if he failed his Master, then Stockman's prediction would come true. Without another word, Hun held out the flash drive. Stockman raised an eyebrow, taking the flash drive. Commandeering a nearby computer, he took a look at the footage. Once he played the footage, it was obvious that he was intrigued.

"Well, well. Aren't these interesting specimens?"

"These are the creatures I spoke of four years ago." Hun explained.

Stockman stroked his chin, examining the photos.

"Hmm, Terrapin Carolina by the looks of the shell design… mutated box turtles… very interesting. I would very much like to examine them."

"Well, you might just get the chance." Hun stated bluntly. "Master wants you to send one of your pets after them."

Stockman grinned at the thought, hitting the print button and printing an image of the four turtles.

"I think I know just who to send."

He turned and walked down a long white hallway towards a large metal door with several large bolts and chains over it. Two burly guards in heavy, full body armor, armed with tranquilizer guns and stun batons, saluted Stockman as he approached a small opening in the door where someone could peer inside.

"Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey." He called. "You awake in there?"

There was a loud thud as the door shook slightly, accompanied by the rattling of chains. The two guards jumped back, aiming their weapons at the opening. Stockman just chuckled as he waved the two men down.

"Congratulations," He called cheerily through the opening. "Today is your lucky day. I have a mission for you."

There was a growl that almost rivaled Huns coming from the other side of the door. Stockman slipped the pictures through the slot, careful to keep his hands clear.

"Find these creatures and bring them back in one piece. Do this, and I'll postpone your tests for a month. How does that sound?"

A large, dark green, clawed hand picked up the pictures as dark red eyes focused on the pictures. Then a guttural voice spoke at a hushed whisper.

"Deal…"