#we finally have a raph pov for this series

[raphmybeloved]

A Nice Day

A little oneshot for @idiot-mushroom 's where we belong au.

Snapper is used to being looked at.

It’s an occupational hazard as a Nexus fighter but even outside of the arena there are very few places he can go without drawing the eyes of others. The giant distinctive helmet and the two body guards that usually flank him don't help.

(Sometimes he thinks big mama wants it that way. That a simple collar wouldn’t be enough and that she needed something big, something impossible to miss so that everyone knows he is hers.)

He tries to ignore the eyes most of the time but it can be hard. Draxum taught them hypervigilance and it's one of those lessons that are impossible to forget.

It’s because of this that he knows he and his brothers are being watched. Not glanced at or ogled like many do when they see a Nexus champion on the streets but truly watched. 

His brothers can tell they are being watched too. He can tell by the small defensive hunch of Orange’s shoulders and the way Red-Eyes keeps rolling his neck to stretch as a cover for him making a sweep of their surroundings. 

They are all ignoring it though because today is such a rare type of day and they don’t want to ruin it. 

Three of them. Soft-shell couldn’t get the time off but the rest of them are free of responsibilities. Free of expectations and due to some sweet talking and bribery they are even free of Snapper's bodyguards for just a few hours to do whatever dumb stupid thing they want.

Currently that thing is trying to see if any of them can clear a fountain in a jump with a skateboard Red-Eyes stole from the surface and an impromptu ramp made from a broken bench. It’s genuine harmless fun and even though Snapper is dripping wet from failing and tumbling into the fountain he can’t stop himself from smiling and laughing.

It would be a perfect day if it wasn’t for the eyes Snapper feels trained on them. 

Still, it's easy enough to ignore until Orange misjudges his landing and although he clears the fountain the board shoots out from under him and is propelled up and through the glass window of a nearby home.

All four brothers wince at the sound of shattered glass and quickly a four eyed yokai woman with the face of a bat exits and angrily storms toward them.

Automatically Red-Eyes slips between everyone else and the angry yokai arms out in a pacifying gesture.

“Ma’am I am so sorry we ca-”

“You hooligans need to leave before I call the police.” The woman says cutting Red-Eye off. 

“It was an accident. We can pay to have your window fixed. Really we are so sorry,” Red-Eyes says. He’s always been the best at interacting with normal people and Snapper is more than willing to step back and let him speak. 

“No,” the woman says walking closer to them. “I don’t want anything from one of Draxum’s lackeys,” she spits and Snapper watches Red-Eye fliches ever so slightly and he feels the anger he’s constantly trying to tamp down start to rise.

“Hey,” he says, stepping between the bat-faced woman and Red-Eyes. “That’s uncalled for, he was just apologizing.”

The woman if anything just looks more riled up.

“Oh I suppose you just expect me to bow down to you then. The champion of the Nexus. Ha! I’ve seen how you fight, you’re little more than a monster,” she sneers. “If there was any justice in the world you would be put down as the beast you are.”

Her words make Snapper physically stumble back. He’s not stupid, he knows what people think of him. He knows that to most yokai he is The Barbaric Kappa. Big Mama’s champion and nothing else. It still hurts a little to have it thrown in his face.

In his moment of hurt Orange steps up. 

“Hey Lady, back off. I don’t know what your problem is but everything was an accident. Someone will come fix your window.” Orange says, anger evident in his tone as he stands on his tip-toes to try to meet the woman face to face. 

For a moment the woman and Orange just stare at each other, then the woman lets out a huff. Orange takes that as a sign of an interaction completed.

Snapper can feel the tension in his body leaving but then Orange turns his back to the woman and both Snapper and Red-Eyes are a second too late as the woman rakes sharp nails across the back of Orange’s skull and everything is happening so fast and someone is screaming and there is blood. Orange’s blood.

(Years ago Draxum and Big Mama both learned to never have any of Snapper’s brother's punished where Snapper can see it happen.)

All Snapper can feel is that anger. The all encompassing rage that both terrifies and protects him. 

At the sight of his brother's blood Snapper loses himself.

He comes too in a jail cell barely aware of anything except Red-Eyes’ voice calm and steady rambling about something. A comic maybe?

“So then Jupiter Jim attacks the thing with an honest to god hairdryer. Like I have no idea how it works but something about the heat throws the creature off enough to- Oh,” Red-Eyes stops suddenly. “You back with us big guy?”

Snapper blinks and takes in the sight of his brother. Red-Eyes plastron and face are splattered with blood, not a lot but not an insignificant amount either. As memory of what happened returns, Snapper whips his head around looking for Orange.

He finds him quickly at the other side of the cell similarly splattered with blood. He remembers sharp claws to the back of his head.

“Orange,” he chokes out. And his brother quickly rushes over.

“Hey hey hey. I’m here. I’m okay, you’re okay,” Orange tells him in a calm soothing voice. 

“Your head-” he starts to ask but Red-Eyes cuts him off.

“His head is fine. Scratches already healed.”

“The blood?”

There’s a beat before anyone answers.

“Not any of ours.”

The cell falls quiet and in the quiet Snapper can’t help but think. He take’s in the amount of blood splattered onto his brothers and then the volume of blood on his hands. An average Yokai can’t lose that much blood. Snapper tries not to think about what that means.

Silence lingers for maybe half an hour before there’s footsteps and a jingle of keys and Big Mama accompanied by a guard enters.

“Oh my sweetest-darling dear,” Big Mama exclaims running straight up to Snapper bypassing his brothers without so much as a glance. She embraces him and despite himself he melts into the hug.

“My poor darling,” she says, still holding him tight. “What a terrible fizzy-wizzle you found yourself in. Don’t worry. Mama will take care of everything.”

He hates the feeling of comfort her words bring. She steps back and takes his hand, pulls him up and starts to lead him out of the cell, Orange following close behind. Right as she leaves the cell Big Mama turns to look back at Red-Eyes.

“Draxum is on his way to collect you.” She says. Red-Eyes isn’t quick enough to mask the expression of panic before Snapper can clock it.

“Don’t worry yourself sweetie-pie,” Big Mama says as she leads him through the police station. He can feel accusing looks from the officers but he tries to pay them no mind as he keeps up with big mama’s personal stride. “It will be like this whole unpleasantness never happened.”

Snapper glances down at his hands, coated with blood and thinks for a second about the Yokai woman.

As he walks out of the station a step behind the most powerful woman in the hidden city facing no consequences for actions he can’t even remember he wonders if the woman who called him a monster was all that wrong.

[yume-chin]

Why me (Leo)

This work was initially supposed to be a small collection of one-shorts / scenarios for all four turtles but when I finished writing for Leonardo I realized that I had written a lot and for this reason I finally published only him.

✧˖°.✧˖°.⟡⋆⭒˚｡⋆✧˖°⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊⋆｡˚

Request: No

Warning: Just a little angst and bad English

Genre: She/her

✧˖°.✧˖°.⟡⋆⭒˚｡⋆✧˖°⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊⋆｡˚

Pov: Leo still can't explain how a beautiful girl like you ended up with him and therefore begins to get caught up in the doubts and anxiety of you that sooner or later you could leave him for someone better.

Version: Bayverse / 2014/2016

✧˖°.✧˖°.⟡⋆⭒˚｡⋆✧˖°⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊⋆｡˚

Text words: 1296

Total words: 1452

✧˖°.✧˖°.⟡⋆⭒˚｡⋆✧˖°⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊⋆｡˚

It all started on a cool evening. All was calm in the streets of New York and the young ninja was enjoying the fresh air on top of a rooftop. All was quiet but Leo's attention was caught by giggles under the street.

Intrigued, he looked out slightly to notice a happy and carefree couple walking and giggling hand in hand. On any other occasion everything would have been normal, but not this time.

The young man was overwhelmed by a series of thoughts that stopped him instantly. "Why would a girl like Y/n be with a guy like him? She's literally a mutant turtle who fights evil but at the same time terrorizes the people she saves. She can't offer him anything, not even a normal date, because we're honestly, there's nothing normal about him."

The ninja's thoughts disappeared when the three brothers called him worried.

"Dude, are you okay?" Mikey asked concerned. "You seem distracted, that's not like you," Donnie added.

"It's ok" the leader tried to reassure "I just… I think it's time to go back to the den, we finished today's patrol" he said heading towards the manhole without leaving any way for the brothers to argue back.

Once they all returned to the den, Leo quickly went to his room, leaving the three brothers displaced for the second time.

"But what's wrong with him?" complained Raph "first he's mesmerized like a fool staring and thinking about who knows what and then he doesn't even give us explanations of his behavior." he added.

"At first I thought he'd gotten sick on patrol but on our way back to the den I did a quick scan and everything seems normal…" Donnie added.

"he was quiet until there was a couple laughing, he looked out to check and then he stopped there… dude… who knows what makes it so strange…" Mikey concluded not realizing to have given important information.

Donnie and Raph looked at each other for a few seconds until the redhead spoke "do you think that's why…"

The purple turned to the door closed by their leader and then answered "probably… otherwise there would be no other explanation for the sudden change in his attitude"

Mikey looked at them questioning "What are you talking about?"

"I understand what Leo has but for now the best thing is to wait for tomorrow morning, so now let's think about going to bed" Donnie concluded and then headed towards his room.

The orange stood there confused and then turned to Raph in the hope that at least he would explain what had happened.

The redhead, however, nodded to him and then also went to his room.

Mikey stood there even more confused but finally went to sleep too, too tired to try to harass the brothers for answers.

The night passed peacefully for everyone, for everyone except Leo, who spent the night thinking about Y/n and their relationship.

The morning arrived and with it Y/n also arrived, equipped with steaming croissants for the boys' breakfast.

By now it was a habit for her to bring the boys hot croissants on Sunday morning and obviously this Sunday was no different from all the others.

The young woman was welcomed with open arms by a happy and hungry Mikey, in fact she didn't understand if the young man's happiness was due to her presence or to the arrival of the croissants.

The fact is that after giving each of the boys present their croissants she was surprised not to see her boyfriend in his usual place.

"Guys, did something happen to Leo? Why isn't he here too?" she asked worried looking at the three brothers.

"It's been weird since yesterday," Mikey began, "weirder than usual," Raph added, "and we thought you might do something to help him," Donnie concluded, pointing to his brother's door.

The young woman nodded "I'll take care of it" she said and then headed towards the boy's room.

She knocked softly but received no answer. Then she knocked again, but still nothing. She knock a third time but still not receiving an answer, she decides to open the door and enter-

The room was dark, but from the glimmer of light she could see the figure of her boyfriend still lying and covered on the bed.

"Love…" she tried to softly call her boyfriend without however receiving an answer.

She stood there for a moment and then approached the bed. "honey… is everything alright…?" she asked now arrived in bed and gently stroking the boy's head.

She didn't receive a real verbal response, instead she felt the boy tremble slightly.

"Leo, please, what's going on? I'm worried… I would like to know what's happening to you and I would like to help you in any way…" the h/c said continuing to stroke the young man's head.

Suddenly the boy sat up and turned his gaze towards the girl.

"Everything ok love…?" she asked extending his hand towards the leader's cheek and starting to caress it with his thumb.

Initially she received no response but shortly after the blue took her hand and pulled it away from his face. "You don't have to stay with me, you know that…?" the boy said.

The young woman frowned "What are you talking about Leo?"

"I'm talking about the fact that you don't have to stay with me, if you've changed your mind now you can tell me calmly. I don't want to force you to stay with someone like me, on the contrary… I'd probably understand you…"

"Did you hit your head last night?"

"I'm not kidding Y/n, why me? Why not another guy? Better looking and more normal than me. A guy who can take you on a normal date in normal places. I can't do all of this. I can't give you a normal life."

"And who ever said that I want a normal life?"

Leo stood silently watching her.

The young woman grabbed his face with both hands and looked him straight in the eyes "I love you for who you are, I don't care about having a normal life and having normal appointments, the only thing I want is to be with you Leo You're just amazing, you're a wonderful brother, a wonderful leader but most of all, a wonderful boyfriend" she smiled kindly "besides who would give me a fun family like yours and amazing dates like yours?" she chuckles making Leo chuckle too.

"What I'm trying to tell you is that I love you with all my being and I would have loved you regardless of what you are, what you were, and what you will become" she remains silent for a moment "maybe if you were a spider I could have have a few issues but no matter what you are all i want and need are you i love you leo ​​and i will always love you"

The only answer she received was Leo who grabbed her and brought she close to him for a long and sweet kiss, a kiss that contained all the love that one had towards the other.

She move away from the kiss Y/n smiled and moved away to take the young man's band. She approached the boy again and tied the blue band around his face and then grabbed his hand.

"I love you so much baby, I'm really lucky to have you in my life" said the young man smiling at his beloved.

"The same goes for me, but maybe now it's time to go to the kitchen if you don't want Mikey to eat your croissant" the girl chuckled still holding his hand and guiding him towards the exit of her room.

✧˖°.✧˖°.⟡⋆⭒˚｡⋆✧˖°⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊⋆｡˚

I was literally about to cry while writing this one-short

I didn't think it would hurt so much (╥﹏╥)

I hope you enjoyed it anyway

A big hug ♡

[dluebirb]

So. ABOUT THAT FIC I PROMISED-

In my defence I got invited to a social function with people I want to be around, so what else was I supposed to do-

minor setbacks.

uhhh @justletmereadmycomics @fanatess @theosb0rnway you guys usually like this stuff?? Here ya go lol

This is part of my Cardinal Rules series, but you don't have to read it to make sense of this! Barely. If you want to get caught up on it, it is over here on Ao3!

Fic link on Ao3: Here

----

The Housing Situation

Mikey’s POV

Mikey had recently concluded that living off warm, half-melted food in a tank was not optimal sustenance.

Don’t get him wrong, Mikey was overjoyed to have any food, given that the entire kitchen was barren, but only so much could be done with fruit snacks, pop tarts, and granola bars. He had a sinking feeling that with another meal, somebody might puke, and he wouldn’t blame them. Meals were always after training, anyway.

“What’s on the menu t’night, Miguel?” Leo asked, sheathing his twin katana and stretching on his tiptoes.

“If you say anything involving fruit snacks for the next month, I swear—” Casey Senior growled.

“Well, we don’t not have fruit snacks?”

Casey Senior grumbled, and Donnie’s mouth became a line.

“I’m getting fast food!” April decided and stuck her bat into her bag, zipping it up and slinging one strap over her shoulder.

“Yay, April!” Leo cheered and raised an arm, still holding one of his swords, into the air.

“Anyone got a request?”

“Anywhere but Wendy’s,” Donnie grumbled.

“Starbucks.”

“We’re not getting JUST Starbucks!” April groaned. “I’ll just raid Fred Meyers. Text me if you want anything specific.”

“No cold stuff unless you can buy a cooler!” Splinter reminded her.

April gave a thumbs-up as she stuck her phone in her pocket. “Be back in forty-five minutes, tops. If I’m not, then I’m probably dying.”

“April!”

“It’s a joke!” she reassured as she ascended the stairs to the outside world.

----

By April's return, Donnie was konked out on the couch, battle shell discarded on the ground next to him.

The small spines on his shell were finally uncompressed and puffed out a bit, no longer flattened to the rest of his shell. Soft snores occasionally came from the vicinity, face twitching slightly as Mikey undid his mask, removed his goggles, and set them aside.

“Yeah, baby!” Mikey cheered quietly with a giant grin as he saw April’s bags.

“Everyone say ‘Thank you, April,’” Splinter instructed them from where he was rifling through what little they did have.

A chorus of ‘thank you April’s rang around the room, and she put the bags down on the remnants of a broken table with a soft thud.

“Yo, Dee! Donnie. Wake up, bro,” Leo muttered, poking their purple brother insistently until the soft snores turned to a singular grunt.

“Nardo.”

“April brought food.”

“Finally! Some good news!”

“You’re welcome, Dee!” April called, cupping a hand around her mouth.

“Yes, yes, thank you, and such,” Donnie muttered, not quietly as he stood, and April could tell that he noticed his apparent lack of accessories but decided to let it be in the meantime.

The group leaned in to inspect April’s relatively simple wares and, save for microwaveable pizzas and breakfast burritos, much of the ‘grab-and-go’ variety. But, such was life.

“Reluctant sigh. Who knew that carbonated beverages could taste so good,” Donnie hummed as he downed one, in a move that Mikey thought was highly uncharacteristic for him.

“I did,” Leo retorted. “And so did anyone with taste, bro.”

Donnie gave him a sharp glare and bonked him on the head with the can before dropping it into a haphazardly labeled ‘recicling’ bag.

“This bag says ‘resi-clean’. Recycling is spelled with a ‘y’, dumdums.”

Raph gave Donnie a light glare in return, and with a black marker, crossed out the offending phrase, and wrote ‘ryclicling’.

“What? No! Instead of the ‘i’, not the ‘e’!”

“Oh, come on! You gotta give Raph something to work with, Dee!” Raph explained, and Mkey couldn’t help but giggle as he crossed out ‘ryclicling’, replacing it with ‘reciclyng’.

“THE OTHER ‘I’!”

“THEN YOU GOTTA TELL RAPH THAT!” Raph shouted back, sweat pooling on his forehead.

“UNLESS SPECIFIED, IT’S ALWAYS THE FIRST LETTER!”

Donnie and Raph gave each other equal looks of frustration and desperation, and Raph finally crossed it out, writing ‘recycling.’

“Oh, thank Pizza Supreme in the Sky.”

Ignoring his brothers, Mikey rifled through April’s bags, which, aside from real food, included three air mattresses, Pez dispensers, and parts of a bed set. Mikey took some paper plates from another of April’s bags.

“Protein bars and dried fruit, as the world intended!”

Mikey smiled to himself and arranged a relatively nutritious plate for each of them. Or as nutritious as one could get with protein bars and dried fruit. Contrary to April’s apparent beliefs, they were not as the world intended.

Though, he realized it might be safer for Casey Junior. The guy sometimes could have taken better to actual food as he did to non-perishables like beans or butter. Mikey had no idea how half a stick of butter was less toxic for his stomach than an excellent old-fashioned PB&J., And Mikey was pretty sure he wasn’t allergic either!

“Say, what’s with the air mattresses in the other bags, Apes?” Leo asked conversationally, and April carefully chewed her dried banana slice before answering.

“Figured that since Mike and Junior still don’t have rooms, they might need somewhere to sleep. You feel me?”

“Touche. Alright, let’s think. Who do we have to house?” Leo asked.

“There’s us four, plus dad, that’s five. I haven’t had time to forge documents for Junior yet, so six,” Donnie rattled off.

“I’m moving back in with my mom until my campus is back on dorms,” April said.

“I am still in my human apartment above you,” Draxum supplied.

“I don’t have a permanent residence,” Casey Senior admitted.

“Well,” April began. “Know what’s great about the apocalypse?” Without waiting for a reply, she continued. “The housing market opens up like movie theaters in summer, and prices are about as much as I paid for all this! There’s an apartment a few doors down from me that I’m pretty sure you could get your paws on.”

“You’ve got papers, right?” Donnie asked the ex-Foot General.

“I was born legally if that’s what you mean. The Foot legally gave each recruit an apartment room.”

“First legal thing they ever did, huh? Regardless, that will do.”

Splinter managed to look pensive while eating a bag of Cheetos. “So the six of us remain, yes?”

Donnie nodded. “And with four rooms between us.”

“Well, who’s got the biggest rooms?” Raph asked, and Donnie typed on his wrist computer as he munched on a protein bar.

“The three of us have rooms about the same size,” Donnie explained, gesturing to himself, Raph, and Leo. “We haven’t unpacked everything, so most places are fair game.”

“Either of you got a preference?” Leo asked, and Casey Junior shrugged.

“I can just set one up in the living room; you don’t have to—” he began but was cut off.

“Nope, nope, nope, nope. We are not couch surfers in this house, Future Boy,” Splinter shook his head adamantly, and Casey put his hands up in defense.

“Ooh! Can I room with you, Dee?” Mikey asked, jumping at the opportunity.

“I suppose so, Angelo.”

“Ouch,” Leo smirked, and Mikey stuck his tongue out.

“I still love you, Leo!”

“Yeah, yeah, ditto.” Turning to Junior, he asked, “You got a preference between me and Raph?”

“I don’t mind,” the human said, if not a little sheepishly.

“Cool. I’m stealing you, in that case. You good with that, Raph?”

Raph gave a thumbs-up. “Raph’s all good!”

“How much sleep are any of them going to be getting?” April asked Casey Senior in a hushed tone.

“By the looks of them? Very little.”

“I take offense to that!” Mikey called, and April chuckled.

“You’ll survive, Mike. Eat your canned peaches.”

Leo’s POV

Leo watched Cassandra and Baron Draxum as they watched April as she nearly submerged herself in a duffle bag. She seemingly found what she had been looking for and straightened her glasses.

“All that for a measly shoe?” Baron Draxum inquired, and April nodded.

“It’s a good shoe! Don’t you two have any packing up to do?”

“We do not live here.”

“Huh. Guess not! Well, let’s go! Grab those bags?”

Cassandra shrugged and took two plastic bags, regaining her footing as April nearly dragged her like a corpse down the corridor.

Meanwhile, Leo made a mental note: blowing up two air mattresses should be done after taking them into any room — particularly a room with a narrow doorway.

Well. Better late than never.

“Okay, turn them the long way… Back up… And run at ’em!”

Mikey and Casey Junior took off at a sprint.

“We can just portal them in,” Leo said, throwing his hands up in disbelief.

“Yeah, but this is still better!” Mikey said as he and Casey rammed their mattresses; they passed the threshold. “Yeah, baby! That’s how we do!”

“Well, you did something, that’s for sure,” Leo muttered and helped Casey up.

“Something cool!” Mikey corrected.

“Sure, Mike.”

As it happened, both mattresses had made it around halfway to the unoccupied area of the car.

“Hey, if it works, it works!” April said, and Leo turned to her. The human looked amused, and a bag slung over her shoulder. Cassandra stood next to her with a few old store bags.

“Are you guys heading out?”

“Yeah, we’ll be back tomorrow. Try not to drive each other crazy?”

“No promises!”

As Leo returned to his room, Casey successfully pushed the mattress to the open part of his room.

“Yeah, we should have inflated those after getting them in the room,” he said, more to himself than to Casey.

“Is here okay?” Casey asked, and Leo looked up.

He’d gotten the tall, thin side of the mattress on the ground, with enough space between it and Leo’s more defined space that there was a decent walkway.

“Stamp of approval!”

Casey lowered the mattress down and put his mask on it. Leo looked at the barren area pensively.

“We should probably decorate, y’know?”

“Huh?”

“You’re living here, yeah? Decorate your space, make it a place you want to be in; you feel me?”

“Uh… Sort of?”

“You’ll get it eventually. We’ll grab and work off the stuff you saved from your other room. Dad’s always got a spare Lou Jitsu poster or action figure here or there.”

Casey frowned like it was a never-before-considered novelty to him. Which, Leo remembered as he half dragged the guy out, it probably was.

Casey’s pile of things, stuffed in a bag marked with his name (which had been crossed out at least three times. Raph was many things, but he was not a good speller) was much smaller than the others, containing a few things blankets, some spare clothes that April had dug up for him a few weeks after the invasion, and some books that Donnie had given him as a “housewarming gift.”

“Take this, and sort out where you want your stuff. You know Lou Jitsu, right?”

“Wasn’t he Master Splinter?”

“More like Dad was him. But yeah. I’m pretty sure Cassandra’s a fan, too. I’ll dig up some old merchandise, and we’ll stick it up, m’kay?”

“‘Merch’?”

Leo gave him a look of shock. “Merch. Memorabilia. Posters and stuff?” No reaction. Leo groaned and rubbed the area where his nose would have been if he had been a human. “When you like a book, TV show, video game, movie, or whatever, you get stuff from that thing. I’ll show you.”

He led Casey back to their room and pointed at his ‘Mad Dogs’ flag and Jupiter Jim figure. “This stuff! That’s merch. Mikey and Donnie made our awesome Mad Dogs flag, and we definitely didn’t scam a guy at JJ Con to let us get JJ figures for cheap!”

“Cool,” Casey breathed and studied them from a distance with interest as Leo perused a spare box.

“C’mon, I swear we head one in here,” he muttered, before pulling something out of it. “Here we go!” He handed two flags to Casey. “Your very own Hamato and Mad Dogs flags!”

He accepted the flags and unfolded them. One was the same flag that Leo had pointed out to him, and the other had a black backdrop with the green Hamato symbol emblazoned on it.

“Woah… Thank you!” Casey exclaimed, and Leo grinned, eyebrows raising at his tone shift.

“Cool, huh? Come on, we’ll hang them up.”

Even after the invasion, Leo wasn’t too sure where Casey fit into their gaggle of weirdos, and he was fairly sure it was a mutual feeling. But dammit if he wouldn’t try to make it work.

It would work out — a bit of Mikey’s undying optimism, his own devil-may-care commentary, Raph’s worrying, Donnie’s weirdly helpful cynicism, and whatever the others had, and there was no way it wouldn’t.

It had only taken a half-meal and what Mikey would have called a ‘bonding moment’ with Casey to get Leo feeling like he could have fought the entire Battle Nexus again, and win.

So, walking alongside the newest addition to their family, as if he had read Leo’s thoughts, (and maybe he had, it wouldn’t have surprised Leo in the slightest) Casey smiled wearily, and determinedly looked at the wall as he held out a fist.

“Well, would you look at that?” Leo smirked. “We’re making progress with you!” He met the gesture, bumping his fist against Casey’s, and blew it into an open palm.

Casey made a soft, exaggerated explosion noise, and Leo could only chuckle.

----

A/N: I finished this not 10 minutes ago... Avid I promise your angst is on its way, I have a Bingo Card to fill up and a handful on generally happy turtles >:>

[turtle-ika]

Ooo! If you're open to 2k3 era fic recs I have.. A lot more than I anticipated when I started this ask, whoops. Sorry for the wall of text lol;;;

Amicitia Revenant (fanfiction.net/u/2180395/). Tbh everything they've written is good but "A Paper Wall" and its related fics are a personal favorite! An exploration of how the boys readjust after Leo comes back from Japan while also trying to turn the new lair into a home.

Calliopechild (fanfiction.net/u/937330/). "The Virtues Of Knocking" and "Trial By Fire" singlehandedly made me love the headcanon of Backup Medic Raph, while "The End of a Melody" is a bittersweet exploration of Karai & her final battle with Leo (character death cw).

NightWalker3 (fanfiction.net/u/322808/ & archiveofourown.org/users/nightwalker/). Lots of interesting oneshots, mostly on FF since not everything has been reposted to Ao3. "Maybe Just The End" is a favorite that's on both, tho!

StillThunder86 (fanfiction.net/u/2596218/). "White", in which Leo takes a risk to rescue a brother from captivity, and the sequel "Colorblind", which is one part flashback and one part recovery. A more lighthearted affair is "Of Booze and Sammiches", a two-shot in which the responsible brothers are irresponsible and deal with the consequences in the morning.

"Getting To Know You" by Vaeru (fanfiction.net/s/5951277/1/), a series of April-centric oneshots set in the early days of knowing the turtles.

"We Are The Klunk" by PlainSimpleGarak (fanfiction.net/s/3836658/1/). The turtles & their family deal with an injured little brother, told from the POV of a surprisingly insightful Klunk.

And for the sake of it, seconding the rec of Flynne's fics!

ooooo nice! thank you so much :D! i'm already in the middle of reading Flynne's fics (the Great Expectations one, which i really love, there aren't enough good April centric fics, and Shatter which is emotionally destroying me... i love it) but i still downloaded a few of the ones you mentioned here in advance :3

[riftid-fox]

I normally don't mention anything related to spoilers, but jfc, nobody has mentioned just yet and I can't take screenshots due to Netflix being an ass, so I'mma point some things out

THIS HAS RISE OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: THE MOVIE SPOILERS, GO WATCH THE MOVIE OR SKIP THIS POST IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE/READ SPOILERS

Now, in the first 4mins if the movie, I don't see nobody mentioning how Future/Adult Leo has Raph's and Donnie's masks around the halt (?) Of his sword, (he also only has one (1) sword, so he can't use his portal jumping mystic power that well) and also, this also really makes a reference to The Last Ronin (Mirage, I believe), or something like that, since I know for sure 3 out of 4 masks are in some sort of weapon, I don't really recall, since I don't read those comics

Not only that, but when the turtles are interrogating Casey Jones (Future Casey Jones? Future boy? Future boy), Donnie mentions Genius Apparel (that seems to be a TM that Donnie himself made. We can also see the logo on Casey's poncho thingy, and in his mask on the lower left corner when we have 1st person POV, ex: When Casey is talking about what to do, and plans to search for April, we can see the scene of his mission changing from "Find artifact" to something else), and not only that, we can also see the logo when the turtles are trying to stop Warren Stone and Hypno-potamus, when Donnie mentions "Get ready to Donnie'd by my mystic tech", his little purple electric wall thingy HAS THAT SAME LOGO

ALSO, IN THE FIRST 4MINS OF THE MOVIE, WE SEE A GIGANTIC VERSION OF S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N FALLING FROM THE SKY, AND WHAT APPEARS TO BE A RESISTANCE BASE BEING DECIMATED

And I THINK I found the way the future turtles go... If you know what I mean.

It seems Raph was the first to go, since concept art points out that Raph was just a mech used by future April, and who could have possibly created all the technology the resistance had? Donnie

So Raph was the first to go, Donnie created Mecha Raph, Donnie was the second to go, and that seemed to caused MANY problems for the resistance, and cause it's doom, Mikey was the third to go, after Leo ordered him to create a time portal to send Casey back in time, and the Leo was VAPORIZED by one of the Kraang mech thingies

Not only that, but like...

In all of the TMNT series (except maybe the OG one) Leo and Raph had always had have this whole thing when Raph ends up either in command of the team and something happens that messes it up. In short, this two had always have a competition (?) Of sorts towards the leadership position.

In Rise, Raph is finally the leader, but Splinter appoints Leo as the new one in the S2 finale, and that causes conflict.

Raph seemed to be angry at Leo for making the team so less... Professional? And Leo is like "Yeah, right, we're fine, everything's fine, what's the worst that can happen?" So we finally have the Raph vs Leo fight that they always have relating to leadership.

Not only that, but on the same fight, we see Leo having a FREAKING FLASHBACK MOMENT, LIKE WHAT THE FUCK!? He was ready to strike Kraang-Raph, but stopped at seeing his brother's face. Not only that, but for a few seconds after that, we can see Leo's eyes becoming smaller and himself looking somewhat disoriented, and like WHAT THE FUCK!? HOLY SHIT! HE HAD A (MOST POSSIBLE) FLASHBACK FROM WHEN RAPH SACRIFICED HIMSELF TO TAKE THE HIT FROM KRAANG, AND I JUST!?!?

Also, in that scene, for a HUGE second, I thought that the tentacle that Kraang used against Leo, that Raph took the hit from, ACTUALLY made a stab wound on Raph's shoulder and I PANICKED SO BADLY JSJSJSJ

Also, the whole "We are the... Teenage... Mutant... Ninja... Turtles!" Hit me really hard and It's one of my favorite scenes of the movie

Also also, what the hell is the shinny blue liquid that April got from her school? Did she explained it and I missed it? Or is it... Wait for it... Ooze! (I know it probably isn't because the Ooze in Rise appears in a neon green color, but like...? What if...?)

There's also the whole "Leo getting his ass kicked and then thrown through a window" thing since the 2003 series, and people have said that the whole movie it's that scenario for Rise Leo but DID ANYONE MISS IT!? LIKE!?!? I CAN'T BE THE ONLY ONE THAT SAW THAT, RIGHT!?

What I mean is, after Casey closes the portal, Kraang starts beating up Leo, and In his last punch against the blue bandana turtle, the whole thing they were standing in caves in, and Kraang sends Leo flying, that really references to Leo getting thrown through a window

Also during this scene, I SWEAR, I THOUGHT WE HAD LOST LEO FOR A HOT SECOND, LIKE HE WAS JUST THERE, AND HE WASN'T MOVING!

Not only that, but the small rock thingy at his back seems very similar to Raph's shell, including the new hole caused by Kraang, and it was shining in a fucking red like light!?! Hello???

Also, LEO WAS READY TO SAY "BYE CRUEL WORLD"?? LIKE, HE LITERALLY SAW THE SHINE OF MIKEY'S PORTAL AND SEEMED TO THINK THAT THAT WAS IT???? LIKE!??!?!?

Also something I would like to call attention to, the turtles were exhausted like, Raph couldn't move his body that well when he went to rescue Mikey and Donnie, Donnie was also really tired, and then Mikey with the portal and then Leo being beaten up??

Like damn bitch, give this kids a fucking rest

Also, when April and Splinter we're testing things to destroy the key, one of them was "Donnie's stomach" and I? Fucking? Lost it?, It was so hilarious wtf

And when the Kraang is gone and the turtles hug, after that there's this scene when a girl is looking at her phone and we can read the messages, one of them, the last one, is "our HEROES 💙🧡💜❤️" Or something pretty similar and I'm like?? Does New York KNOWS about the turtles?? Since when??? (Also, I haven't watched S2 because it's not in Netflix, so don't quote me on that)

Not only that, but when Cassandra sends the pictures to April, the last one has Cassandra giving the middle finger to the Kraang and it's covered up by an emoji

Also, when Leo and Raph and having that moment just after that, the toppings of Leo's pizza change??? Or was it just me???

Also, why didn't we got Casey saying 'Googala'?

And for another HOT second, I thought that Leo was gonna lose an arm, don't ask me why cause idk

And like, Donnie protecting Mikey from the Kraang-Metro monster, when Mikey mentions Donnie's soft shell after his battle shell was destroyed, Donnie smiled at Mikey (or I think he did) for a fraction of a second, as in assuring him that everything was gonna be fine and I can't-

Any WAYS, that was my rant

Main points (or most of them):

Future Leo has Raph's and Donnie's masks on his sword

From what I could gather, in the future, Raph was the first to go, Donnie created a Mech version of Raph (shown in a concept art for the movie), and he himself was the second to go, the resistance fell, and it lead to the first 4mins of the movie, Mikey followed and then Leo

Donnie apparently has a TM, and we can see the logo for it inside Casey's mask, his poncho, and his mystic wall during the Warren and Hypno persecution and in Casey's entire tech (such as his wrist grappling hook when Donnie presses down)

We see some sort of S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. that was turned into a airship of sorts that falls from the sky

Leo vs Raph (that's it, that's the whole point)

Leo seemed to have PTSD flashbacks related to when Raph sacrificed himself to get the hit from Kraang

Leo did indeed, got thrown through a window, but in this case was a alternate dimension rock (and an entire movie...)

We can also see a rock similar to Raph's shell during the whole Leo vs Kraang fight after Casey closes the portal

Leo was ready to say "goodbye world" for a HOT second there

This boys need some god-damned rest

Apparently New York knows about the existence of the turtles?? And are fine with them???

So yeah, thank you for coming to my Ted Talk and give this god-damned movie some support and love!!

[cottoncandythetrashpanda]

Tell us about your rottmnt au ideas >:3

Don't mind if I do!! =D

I'll just list the ones I've either started on or have actual plans for, I've had a few random one off ideas too but I'll save those for if I actually make something of them (or if someone asks about them I guess fhdbdb)

FirST we have Four Turtles Walk Into A Tavern, which is a DnD-inspired fantasy au! The brothers are a party of wannabe adventurers who've been taking small-time local jobs in their town for a while now, and have been doing... Not so great at them. So when a strange, satyr(?) man offers them the quest of a lifetime, obviously they accept. But it ends up being a little more than they bargained for...

Next up is what I'm currently just calling Broken Masquerade AU- taking place post-movie where the world has become fully aware of the turtles, of mutant- and yokaikind as a whole. The fic is going to explore each character adjusting to the new status quo, and/or recovering and helping rebuild after the Krang invasion, and it'll be more a series of connected vignettes than a tightly plotted fic. I have chapters planned for Leo, Donnie, Draxum, and Mikey, though ideally each major character will get their own POV chapter.

Finally we have the one that's least planned out, but maybe most interesting to me-- a Separated-type AU- sorta. Instead of every turtle ending up somewhere different, two of them end up with Splinter, and two with Draxum. Currently I'm thinking Mikey and Donnie with Draxum, and Leo and Raph with Splinter. Don't have much beyond that yet, but I'm working on it! Fhhdh

[wewalkadifferentpath]

Ace-friendly SH Fics: Masterlist

Alrighty folks so strap in, here is the first round of my ace-friendly Shadowhunters fic rec list! It’s so hard to have to navigate fics that should have a canon asexual character, always just vaguely expecting disappointment (cough Raphael). So. All of the fics on this list are ace-friendly in some way or another, whether it’s tagged/talked about or even intended by the author or not- they do NOT invalidate Raphael’s asexuality (using the definition of asexuality as not experiencing sexual attraction, irrespective of feelings toward sex. And while this list does have some aroace!Raphael, it is specifically for ace!Raphael)  This’ll cover everything from ace-friendly smut for my smut-inclined friends (meaning Raphael is not sex-repulsed in those, but still ace) to platonic/solo stuff for those of my friends who are less romance-inclined. I also threw in some headcannons of other SH characters. Let me know what you all think! (Things not under the “smut” category do not have any written descriptions of sex to the best of my memory and brief scan-throughs, but please let me know if there’s something in the general list that should be under smut). If you’re strongly sex-repulsed please use your usual discretion. (And everyone just please read the tags in general).   One final note: keep in mind that this is just a collection of fics that are supportive of asexuality. While these are fics I personally enjoyed/read often, this list is not an endorsement of all aspects of the content (ie. the way other identities are handled, etc.) This list is meant to account for different tastes, just with the bonus relief of knowing asexuality is there. So, here we go! 

(I’m ridiculous and can’t do regular summaries; my comments on each rec- if any- are in the brackets): 

Saphael (without direct mention of asexuality but still unequivocally respecting it):

The Heart of An Adventurer by DustinMcDreamy 

Skyrim/Dark Ages AU: Simon is a simple tavern worker, but he wants more than his boring life. An adventurer stays the night at their Inn and Simon is enamored with both the adventurer and his wonderful life. 

(so this is a lovely person who I’ve been collaborating with and they are honestly such an ally and their stories are wonderful, this one is probably my favourite but you can check out their page for other stuff)

put the boom boom into my heart by idontshaveforsher_yesyoudo

"Or maybe something like soulmates always sneeze at the same time and I cant be sure but me and this kid in my French class just sneezed at the same time are we soulmates or was it a coincidence (proceed w character trying to make themselves sneeze around said person to see what’s what)"

or, the one where simon hates his life and Mr. Immaculate Hair doesn't make it better, until he does

Forgotten at Dusk by halfmast Simon finds Raphael wandering around Manhattan barefoot - things go downhill (uphill?) from there.

(So I think this is the only one I’ve included that’s an unfinished WIP and is also NOT explicitly laid out as asexual- because I can’t guarantee it won’t change in later chapters. It also has one chapter left and hasn’t updated in a while so if that rattles you, don’t touch. But it’s beautifully written and sweet and a neat concept, and so far doesn’t contradict asexuality!)

before I ever met you by izzyasavestheday (stilessexual) “I’m missing something,” Simon went on, voice cracking. “I’m missing someone but no matter how hard I try I just can’t fucking remember.”

Can you find me someone to love? by domoiswatchingyou

They all have one thing in common: they are all bad at love, even when some of them love to deny it. (Saphael and Malec AU WIP) (And I gotta say guys, I beta for this lovely person- and thus actually have a hand in writing the ace parts- and they are a wonderful individual. Asexuality not mentioned as of yet but will be upcoming). 

baby, I’m not made of stone by izzyasavestheday (stilessexual)

“Did I ever tell you that we feel everything? The clan, I mean. If I focus enough, I can tell you who’s sad and who’s angry and who hasn’t been sleeping properly. I can tell you who’s been having nightmares. There are no secrets here.”

i'd spend all nine lives with you by alaricrodriguez

simon gets himself turned into a kitten and raphael can't find his fledgling

(this is just little and cute and there’s no explicit effort made to make Raph ace but I guess I’m kind of cheating since it’s from Simon’s POV and doesn’t come up at all but it’s not contradicted and I love this fic so)

echo series by izzyasavestheday (stilessexual) “Right,” Raphael brought himself to his feet, smooth as anything. “Let’s go.” Simon gapped up at him, “Go where?” Raphael rolled his eyes, impressively, (like he didn’t care, like he didn’t care about Simon, but he was here and they both knew neither of them could ever stop caring no matter how much they continued to hurt one another) and heaved a spectacular sigh. “Home.” -

Saphael (ft. actual conversations about asexuality/the word is spoken):

Somebody out there by mckvch (RaiseYourVoice)

(Road trip fic, which is classic of course. PLEASE read the tags. Could be interpreted as demi/gray ace but I identify as just ace and it fits me just fine. This is one of the first fics I read coming into this fandom, and the first one that made me fall in love with Saphael, and it’s got an insanely special warm fuzzy place in my heart) (Also 27 chapters, so how can you complain about that???) The acing on the cake by mckvch (RaiseYourVoice) 

““Oh, come on, puns are amazing! Tell me your sexuality and I’m sure we will have at least one shirt that’ll appeal to you.”  Simon patted the pile of shirts in front of him and smiled hopefully at Raphael who really wanted to disagree and tell the boy he was wasting his time here but he couldn’t bring himself to.” (pride!fic) (this author has some of my favourite ace!Saphael fics ever, and like an endless supply of them with everything under the ace/aro umbrella) A Lesson in Love series by Malteser24 ”Simon thinks it will be difficult to adapt to their new situation - in which they don't actually hate each other - and Raphael can't imagine their date as being anything but awkward, considering how out of his depth he is when it comes to dating.Instead, they actually have a fairly good time.” like a love song on the radio by eversall 

Simon's a bartender, Raphael plays the piano, and somehow they manage to communicate to each other that yeah, they both want this. 

Rock Solid Panda by OhHolyHell

(Made for pan pride day, “Raphael is actually a thoughtful softie” (and so is Simon!) (ft. ace puns)) Disasters that lead to pretty boys (are worth it) by gayinsight "My friend is out of town and I’m supposed to be taking care of her pet fish but it died and you work at the pet store help me find one that looks the same so she won’t notice!" (this one has a hella flirtatious Raphael making some jokes that imply sexual attraction but it doesn’t actually HAVE him experience it and it’s honestly one of the cutest, funniest little Saphael fics ever so) 

if i ever had your number, i think i would use it by eversall

“You – why is your number in the Pandemonium bathroom?”

(classic meet-ugly sorta vibe) I am a pile of bricks and you are holding a sledgehammer by LiviKate “So when do I get tucked safely back under Raphael’s wing?” “You won’t,” Lily said, wandering over to the other side of the room to get her own drink. “Raphael has a new fledgling now. You’re stuck with me.” Or, when Simon isn't the newest vamp in the clan, he has a hard time sharing.

Promised It All, But You Lied by sirknightmordred As Raphael lies in a magical coma that can't be cured, Simon thinks back to pivotal moments in their relationship. (There IS a warning for fairly descriptive sexual assault, but it’s actually surrounded by bolded words in the story so easy to skip. And it does not attribute his ace-ness to the assault, but it’s also rep for those of us who are ace AND have negative experiences with sexual violence) 

Sing me a Song by Margo_96

the one where Simon teaches Raphael's younger brother how to play the guitar and Raphael is not happy. or maybe he doesn't mind it that much (Okay so this is one that kind of equates asexual to ‘not wanting sex,’ and Raphael does have very strong infatuation so not so much representative of romantically-fuzzy people. Hooweeverr, it’s cute af, and I like Simon’s initial reaction to the coming out, and it’s 8 chapters, so worth a read for sure) until i’m not afraid by angelblooddemondust

(Trans!Simon (which I can’t speak to at all) ft ace!supportiveRaph (which I can)) (read the notes) -

Saphael (ft. smut):

Head is spinning thinking ‘bout by LiviKate 

Simon and Raphael enjoy their time together, even if Simon doesn't really know what to call it.

Or, gratuitous vampire sex with some ace-spectrum themes because there's not enough Asexual Raphael.

(This is a lot of blood drinking, which is not my fav, but it’s brilliant in terms of what a sex-positive ace might look like and how they experience sex- it’s from Raph’s POV, and it’s quite good overall imo. Probably my favourite ace!smut)

Just Pull me Closer by SomeWaywardDaughter  After spending an irritating patrol with Clary and Jace, Simon just wants to get back to Hotel DuMort and Raphael. (so I’mma be honest I was in a pretty sex-repulsed mood while doing this part so I didn’t fully reread it to be sure it’s safe but it’s literally written by a self-professed ace author and I did see reference to the aceness amidst the smut so I’m pretty sure we’re good)

What is Desired by DustinMcDreamy (I’m not going to include descriptions for smut because many of them are potentially triggering in nature for sex-repulsed friends, but this one is a dom/sub sort of thing, pretty hella kinky so buyers beware. It’s messy on the ace-front (the author started the series before Raphael came out, and had to add it retroactively) but there’s some good lines in there in particular for gray ace or demi folks who are experiencing lust for someone for the first/only time, etc.) chasing starlight by  mostlikelydefinentlymad There was no set destination, simply one agreed upon prerogative: drive. (So this isn’t technically smut insofar as there’s no actual explicit description of sex, it’s basically all blood drinking, but it’s a heavily implied metaphor and Raphael’s blood lust for Simon is very reminiscent of sexual attraction, so that part kind of doesn’t reflect how I feel as an ace person. BUT Raphael does not actually experience sexual attraction, the story is quite lovely, and the author is quite lovely as well, so I’d still recommend it)

Caught. by Kalifa (Lol this is short and not super smutty either but it’s like #sexindifferentfeels all the way)  -

Raphael and Other Characters ( back to no smut):

love comes in at the eye by prettydizzeed

The first time he asks Raphael out, Raphael scoffs.

(A Raphael/Meliorn fic- and I gotta tell you I didn’t even ship these two but the characterization is beautiful and the handling of the asexuality is a dream)

maybe we're just gonna live forever, maybe heaven's a mistake by prettydizzeed

Raphael presses the pendant into his palm and looks at Magnus. “How did you become okay with it?” Magnus gives a flourish of his hand. “After the whole ‘half demon blood, scorned by the earth as a monster’ thing, liking boys wasn't that big of a deal.” He sees Raphael's expression and adds gently, “But it's different for everyone.” Raphael looks at his hands. Lets go of the cross. “How do I become okay with it?” Incompatible by NotEvenThat

Raphael wants to know why their relationship works for Jace. As with everything, Jace struggles to talk about his feelings and why Raphael Santiago makes him feel so safe. (I can’t even get over how much I love that this fic makes asexuality seem like a bonus rather than a burden in a relationship- which shouldn’t be rare, but alas)

landscapes by brightclam

(Another Raph/Meliorn, those seem to be popular! Ft. gender nonconforming Meliorn and the tags “Asexual Raphael Santiago” “i shouldn't have to tag that but some of y'all demons ignore that” which made me laugh for like 5 minutes)

- Arospec!Raphael/Romance not Mentioned:

Make Yourself at Home by savannahrunes

Two occasions Raphael Santiago shows up at Magnus's door, each time with something quite important to say. (This is my favourite aroace Raphael fic ever and made me cry both times I read it. Also written by an ace author) (do yourself a favour and read this even if you’re not arospec- although that goes for all of them in this category) (he is legitimately 100% aro in this) 

Unnamed Soulmate AU by http://parabatri-gonebabygone.tumblr.com

(So I couldn’t trace this back to AO3 or even the author’s most recent tumblr but it’s so beautiful and I love this fic so much and the author (in my limited opinion) did an amazing job of having an aroace soulmate dynamic and gah, yes)

Four Times Raphael Santiago Was Kissed, and the One Time He Kissed First by albabutter 

His mother should have had a house full of girls. Instead she ended up with him and his brothers and a rag tag crew of every teenaged hooligan in a five mile radius running through her home. She was quick to grab an ear but quicker to give a hug, and Raphael put up with it as well as could be expected. She gave hugs to the neighborhood boys and kisses to her sons, and the only silver lining was that she didn’t wear lipstick. (honestly this is one of my favourite Raphael fics in general, and I believe the author only intended for him to be ace in this but I definitely interpret it as at least aro-spec as well if not just straight-up aroace)  When’s a monster not a monster? by scalira “He had never heard about something like this before. You either liked the opposite sex or you lived in sin as someone who liked the same sex. But he had never heard of people just not liking any sex.He decided to just let it rest for now, pushing the worry aside till he at least graduated highschool. But then there was a friend, and his name was David.” (*** Warning: there is a fairly sudden mention of oral sex near the beginning. And some descriptions of violence. But this is one of my favourite ace-fics in the way that it explains what asexual attraction feels like for me, and Raph is also  grey-homoromantic so bonus) (this author has lots of varying ace and demi/grayromantic/etc Raphael fics too to check out) Carpe Noctem by UMsArchive  For decades, it seems like unlife couldn't get any better and nothing threatens to take all of that happiness away from Simon. Aside from the passing of time that slowly takes everything away from him. Almost everything. (Listed as demiromantic, but as far as I can remember doesn’t even have kissing by the end so it should be fairly aro-friendly) 

Maybe by mckvch(RaiseYourVoice)

“ Yeah, he definitely didn’t want to kiss girls, ever, but boys...not so much, either.” (arospec Raphael with some ambiguousness about his feelings for Simon) It's Not a Date (Unless I Pay for Dinner) by  Vitamin_Me Clary cancels their date last minute, but Simon ends up having a good time despite himself. (So I don’t think this author really intended on having Raphael be aro or even ace, but while I’m not aro and can’t be sure, I think this fic should be pretty safe even for people who are mildly romance-repulsed. There’s definitely implications of feelings- especially from Simon- but really I interpret it as being this chill, mostly platonic, nice little fic that makes me feel pretty good when I’m sick of all the heavy romance stuff) 18. Play A Musical Instrument by GideonGraystairs

So this is just a tiny drabble amidst a sea of drabbles but I love it because it’s one of the only fics I’ve seen that’s literally JUST Raphael, reflecting, by himself. It doesn’t say he’s ace/aro anything, it just doesn’t have any romantic arc at all) -

ace!Alec Lightwood:

Accidental Fate by allonsyarielle 

There were two things Alec Lightwood knew about himself beyond a shadow of a doubt. The first was that he was gay. The second was that he does not like sex. Through a chance encounter with Magnus Bane, Alec learns about asexuality, and it opens his eyes to a new part of his identity. (okay so this one did sort of equate asexuality with “not wanting sex” but I still included it because I think it’s a frank take on how it can feel to realize you’re asexual, and all of the negative emotions that can come with that) Sleepovers Aren’t Just for Kids by SomeWaywardDaughter Ace!Alec discovery his sexuality (written by an ace author) -

Others SH headcannons: 

Send My Love To Your New Lover by HornedQueenOfHell 

(This one is about ace!Etta, one of Magnus’s old exes. It also does the ace=not wanting sex thing, but the author is ace-spec so it’s got some perspective for sure. And it’s written so beautifully and such a lovely concept. **Warning for ace-phobia and brief sexual harassment) (I cried the first time I read this) El Hijo De Santa Muerte by Gzmoii “He stepped aside, letting Guadalupe in. She walked in with a careful nod, looking around at Magnus’ loft. Magnus snapped his fingers behind his back, hiding the potions and other magical ingredients around the loft. Given that Guadalupe wasn’t a mundane, she wouldn’t be able to notice the subtle shift as everything around the room moved. Guadalupe’s head snapped toward him, “What was that?” She asked.” (So this actually DOES have ace!Raphael, but I’m putting it here because it also has aro!Guadalupe Santiago, which is hella rad) (22 ch and counting) 

You Aren’t Broken by allonsyarielle

(Ace!Alec but also demiromantic!Magnus)

-- -- -- Alright, that’s it for now!  Hope you all got something out of this! If you are one of the authors listed here and you want your fic/name OFF the list, please message me. If you have written an ace-friendly fic that you want included, hmu and I’ll check it out. Depending on demand, I’ll hopefully be doing updated lists every so often, as well as spin-offs (for example, I have a small but growing list of Malec fics that just so happen to have really sweet comments about asexuality, or have ace!Raphael as a minor character). If you want to request any specific type of fic, please feel free to ask me, I’ve literally got folders overflowing. Have a lovely, ace-friendly day! 

[bookstattoosandtea]

Double Audio Blitz

Making Rules & Rules to Ignore (Davey’s Rules Series, Book 6 & 7) By Susan Hawke

Narrated by Michael Dean

Making Rules (Davey’s Rules Series, Book 6)

Length: 1 hour and 49 minutes Narrated by Michael Dean

Publisher: Grape Ape Productions Themes/Tropes: M/M Romance, Daddy/boy, Contemporary Audio Release Date: March 11

Davey’s Rule #53: Daddy shouldn’t be afraid to let his boy top.

Before Davey came to work at Daddy’s Lap and began that crazy list of rules, his future bestie, Sammy, was already living happily ever after with his own Daddy-dom. From the moment they met over a gas pump to the day they were legally able to wed, leather Daddy Raphael Robustelli adored his linebacker-sized boy. This is their love story, as seen through a series of six short vignettes. Witness the moment they met, see the first time Davey came to the club, and so much more. This is a short 20k volume, filled with emotion and backstory for the entire series.

NOTE: This is not a full-length book and does not contain a new couple. This can be read as a standalone but will be most enjoyed by those who have read the series.

This is the sixth book in a series about not-so-perfect Daddies, adorable “boys,” and one sassy brat with an insane list of rules. Grab your fan and tissues because this series comes with both a high heat advisory and all the squishy feels you’d want from a Susan Hawke book.

Universal Link

Goodreads | BookBub

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4.5 stars 🔥🔥🔥 Heat Level: 3.5 🎧🎧🎧🎧 Narration: 4.75

Heartbreakingly Beautiful!

I knew it would make me cry! Raf and Sammy’s relationship was just beautiful and I loved getting to go back and seeing where it all began and how their love grows and evolved. It was a lovely read and made even more emotional because we knew Raf is no longer with us. Reading this book was like looking back on a photo album of the best parts of the life a loved one you’d lost. It was sweet, a little sexy, and heartwarming to read the highlights of their life. It ends with love but also so much sadness as we know there were no more pages in Raf’s story. I loved Raf and Sammy and while I know Sammy has a new love on the horizon, Raf was is first Daddy and holds a very special place in his (and my) heart!

Thanks for reading! For great stories, reviews and more please visit http://blog.bookstattoosandtea.com 📚!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Exclusive Excerpt from Making Rules for Books, Tattoos and Tea

From Sammy’s POV, this is the first time he met his bestie, Davey. 

*****

As always, I was proud when I walked into Daddy’s Lap. Raphael had asked me to help come up with name suggestions for a Daddy club that would be welcoming for boys as well, and I’d suggested this one. When Raphael had asked why, my response had been “what could possibly be more welcoming than Daddy’s Lap?” Daddy Raph had pulled me onto his lap and kissed me soundly before saying that my suggestion was perfect.

Just like the name, the club was warm and welcoming. As I made my way to the bar, I waved at some of the regulars I recognized. Daddy was wiping down the counter and talking to a cute guy.

I didn’t feel bad for noticing he was cute because I was allowed to find other men attractive as long as I told Daddy about it later. That was one of our private rules. He would do the same in turn because it was only fair. Then we’d laugh and kiss each other and say that no cute guy would ever be worth ruining what we had together.

Daddy shot me a knowing wink when he saw me ogling the stranger. “Hey, baby boy! Get over here and give me sugar.” I had no problem obliging and leaned over the bar to give him a kiss before taking a seat on a stool one over from the cute dude. Daddy Raph motioned to him as he introduced us. “Baby, this is Davey. He’s interviewing for the open bartending position.”

I frowned in confusion. “We still have an open position? I thought you filled it the other day.”

Daddy shook his head. “I thought I did too. Until the sucker didn’t bother showing up today for his first shift. I put the position up online, and Davey called me within the hour. That’s why I’m interviewing him here at the bar instead of in my office. Someone has to work the bar today. I had a few other guys lined up for interviews, but I have to say that I’m feeling pretty good about this guy.” He grinned at Davey, then rested a hand on my arm. “Davey, meet my precious boy, Sammy. He’s the co-owner, even if he prefers to be a silent partner.”

When Davey turned to stretch out a hand with a friendly smile, his eyes went wide as he zeroed in on my biceps. I was tempted to flex it, thinking he was admiring my guns, but he spoke too soon. “Damn, that is an amazing tattoo. The striation the artist got on that spider’s back is amazing. Cool 3D effect too.”

I looked at him like he was crazy. “Tattoo? I don’t have any tattoos. I hate pain too much to willingly go near a needle, let alone choose a freaky spi–” I glanced down at the arm he was still staring at and let out a higher-pitched scream than I knew I was capable of making. Seriously, my voice reached a note that even Mariah Carey couldn’t hit on her best day.

I nearly fell off the stool as I scrambled to my feet and waved my arm to make the evil spider fall. “Get it off me! Make it die! Hurry, before it bites me and turns me into Spider-Man or something. Oh my God, I’m going to die! Get it off me! Daddy! Help!”

I was still freaking out when I felt a firm hand settle on my shoulder and a napkin brush against my arm. Davey winked and cupped his other hand over the napkin. “Excuse me a moment, princess. I’m just going to step outside and release this baby back into the wild. He doesn’t deserve a death sentence for having the good taste to try and cuddle up next to a hot guy with muscles. Can’t blame a girl for trying, right?” He held his cupped hands away from his body as he turned to Daddy. “I’ll be right back, Raphael.”

Daddy nodded and motioned for me to come closer while he answered, “Take your time, Davey. I appreciate you giving my boy a hand with his spider situation.”

Rules to Ignore (Davey’s Rules Series, Book 7)

Length: 7 hours and 24 minutes Narrated by Michael Dean

Publisher: Grape Ape Productions Themes/Tropes: M/M Romance, Diva Daddy/boy, Size Difference, Self-discovery, Contemporary Audio Release Date: March 18

Davey’s Revised Rule #1: A good Daddy will love his boy with all his heart.

Davey Hendrickson doesn’t mind being forever single when he’s got his bestie at his side. It’s not that he wants to be single. He’s spent most of his adult life searching for his own perfect Daddy. Even if he’s not naturally submissive, someone that fabulous is obviously meant to be a boy… right? Over the years, he’s dated every type of Daddy imaginable but not one of them could come close to meeting the requirements from his ridiculous list of rules.

After losing his husband, Sammy Robustelli has learned to be strong while raising two children on his own. No matter what life has thrown his way, nothing seems too hard with his best friend and roomie Davey at his side. When the two friends learn that people believe they’re a couple, they can’t help but laugh. The very idea is a big joke… until it isn’t.

It only takes a few wake-up calls before Davey wonders what happens if a guy might be in love with the best friend he can never have. It could never work for a pair of boys in need of a bossy top, right? Except… maybe Davey doesn’t know himself—or Sammy—as well as he thinks.

This is the final book in a series about not-so-perfect Daddies, adorable “boys,” and one sassy brat with an insane list of rules. Grab your fan and tissues because this series comes with both a high heat advisory and all the squishy feels you’d want from a Susan Hawke book.

Universal Link

Audible Link

Goodreads | BookBub

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4.5 stars 🔥🔥🔥 Heat Level: 4 🎧🎧🎧🎧 Narration: 4.5

Oh, Diva Daddy!

I loved Davey and Sammy both separately and together they are a beautiful best-friends-to-lovers-to-Daddy/Boy story. I enjoyed the conclusion of the series and while I picked up on the hints very early on in the series Davey’s Diva Daddy transformation was so good. He’s a very unique character and while I was surprised that he had certain Daddy/Boy presumptions that seemed up like him, his eye-opening moments were fantastic.

I loved that Sammy got another chance at love and I loved that they both talked about Raf and acknowledge his presence. I loved Sammy and his submissive side was handled wonderfully by Davey and while it took a while for them to find their way together and their way to a Diva Daddy and Princess/Boy dynamic they find their way and it’s beautiful.

I loved the series and look forward to more in this world soon!

Thanks for reading! For great stories, reviews and more please visit http://blog.bookstattoosandtea.com 📚!

  This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Excerpt From Rules to Ignore

Davey keeps being told he’s more Daddy than the boy he’s always assumed himself to be. In this snippet, he’s looking for people to agree that the idea is ludicrous. First his “baby stepdaddy” and then his friend Adam, but neither give him the reaction he expected.

*****

Cameron asked about Sammy and the kids, which had me spilling the beans about how the people at the school had thought we were a couple. And how Preston had dared suggest that I, of all people, might not be a boy. “…And to make matters worse, my own chef at the club mistook me for a Daddy, too. Tell me, Cammy-Cam… how weird is that?” I didn’t know why I was dwelling on this so much, but I hadn’t been able to get it out of my mind over the past couple weeks.

He studied me for a bit before shrugging. “I don’t think it’s weird at all.” He hesitated for a moment. “Since we’ve always been honest with each other, I’m going to say this. Have you thought about what Preston said? Maybe try to consider that you’ve never found a Daddy of your own because you’re not really a boy?”

I sputtered, glad I didn’t have a drink in my mouth when I heard that. “For real? You too? I feel like nobody really knows me and that makes me sad.”

Cameron hummed softly, moving his head from side to side. “Or maybe we know you better than you know yourself?” When I gasped at that, Cam held his hand out and started naming off Daddy traits, ticking them off one finger at a time, just like Preston had.

I couldn’t get mad at baby stepdaddy, not when he was so adorably earnest. “Think about it, Davey. You’re protective. When you see something needs to be done, you handle it. I’ve seen you do a lot of kind things behind the scenes and not even take credit. You’re right there to offer help when you find someone in need. I could go on, but I think I’ve made my point.”

“Pshaw, doll. That’s just called being a decent human. For one thing, I’m too small to be a Daddy. And for another, I’m way too fabulous.”

Cam snickered, waving his hands as if he couldn’t handle it. “Davey, you can’t call yourself small when you’re like six feet tall. The problem is that you’re drawn to bigger guys. If you preferred twinks like me, you’d probably have an easier time seeing what everyone else does. Or do you just gravitate toward big guys because you think they’re more Daddylicious and automatically ignore smaller ones that you assume are natural boys? If that’s the case, you need to pay better attention to your clientele.”

Huh? I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to make sense of what he was saying. Cam bumped his shoulder against mine. “I mean it, Davey. Think about it, you’re taller than a lot of the Daddies at the club. Sure, you’re still smaller than one or two of the boys—especially the ones like your friend Sammy—but that doesn’t have to be a problem unless you make it one. Size has nothing to do with being a Daddy, from what I’ve seen. Does it make Sammy less of a boy?”

Cheese and crackers, he had a good point and I didn’t know how to respond. We talked a little longer before I left. Thankfully, that was with a bag full of leftovers. I thought about breaking out the lemon bars while I drove but ended up calling my buddy Adam instead.

As soon as he answered, I had the presence of mind to ask about his new foster daughter before I started babbling about my own drama. After I filled him in on this whole Daddy ridiculousness, Adam didn’t react like I would’ve expected.

When he was silent, I double-checked the light on the Bluetooth. “Hello? Say something, doofus. Can you believe all that crap?”

Adam sighed. He did it softly, but I didn’t miss the soft release of breath. “Honestly? Yes. I totally can. I’ve never wanted to bring it up with you, but I agree with Preston and Cameron. Davey, babe… I truly don’t think you’ll ever find the Daddy you’re looking for because you aren’t naturally submissive.”

My mind was blown, so I blew it off with a joke. “Bottom said what? I don’t know, but I guarantee it wasn’t anything like ‘give it to Daddy harder, boy.’” I snorted, shaking my head at finding myself in the same crazy conversation with yet another person. Seriously, does nobody know me at all? “Adam, you’ve known me forever. Can you really see me turning into a dominant top anytime soon?”

Adam chuckled softly. “I guess you’ve never heard of topping from the bottom, huh? Because that I could totally imagine you doing. Seriously, what does topping have to do with anything?”

I was so stunned that I nearly missed the freeway entrance. “Wait… are you saying what I think you are? There are boys who actually top?”

Adam laughed even harder. “Typical Davey. You get an idea in your head and never look for other options. Of course there are boys who are tops. Your favorite sexual position or preference has nothing to do with whether or not you’re a dominant type. Or even a submissive, for that matter.”

Thankfully my phone beeped right then with an incoming call. “Adam, let me put you on hold. I have another call coming in.”

“Nah, it’s cool. I have to go anyway; Mickey will be waking up from her nap soon. Think about what I said, okay? We’ll talk again soon.” I smiled as I pushed the button, thinking about Adam being a father now. I really need to drop by with a gift for the baby girl. And definitely something with Mickey Mouse on it.

Check Out the rest of Davey’s Rules Series HERE!

About Susan:

As an avid reader and big romance fan myself, I love sharing the stories of the different people who live in my imagination. My stories are filled with humor, a few tears, and the underlying message to not give up hope, even in the darkest of times, because life can change on a dime when you least expect it. This theme comes from a lifetime of lessons learned on my own hard journey through the pains of poverty, the loss of more loved ones than I’d care to count, and the struggles of living through chronic illnesses. Life can be hard, but it can also be good! Through it all I’ve found that love, laughter, and family can make all the difference, and that’s what I try to bring to every tale I tell.

I’m a happily married mom with one snarky teenage boy, and three grown “kids of my heart.” I’m more widely known for my mpreg writings as Susi Hawke; this new name is a departure from that. Whether written by Susan or Susi, the books are filled with that all-important love, laughter, and family I mentioned; the only difference is that this name has no male pregnancy. I look forward to sharing my stories with you, and to bringing more romance and laughter into this world that needs it so very badly.

Connect with Susan:

Facebook Page | Twitter | Instagram

Website | | Facebook Group: The Hawke’s Nest

Amazon Page | Goodreads | BookBub

About Michael

Michael has well over 50 audio book titles currently available for purchase on Audible.com. He is versed in multiple styles and genres including fiction (novels and short stories) ranging from romance to science fiction to crime dramas to thrillers; business strategy books; health and wellness books; and even an occasional children’s book.

Fans of Michael’s narration are welcome to follow him on social media including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and SoundCloud.

If you are interested in working with Michael to produce your next audio book, you can contact him directly at voice@michaelpauley.info

Connect with Michael:

Facebook | Facebook Page | Twitter | Instagram

Facebook Group: Voice of Michael Dean

  Double Audio Blitz with Exclusive: Making Rules & Rules to Ignore by Susan Hawke Double Audio Blitz Making Rules & Rules to Ignore (Davey's Rules Series, Book 6 & 7)