#also “our Michelangelo” so cute I love it

[lara-cairncross]

Hi! how are you? I hope fine!

I wanted to know if you could recommend me some Mikey angst fanfics. I feel like I've read them all and at the same time I haven't, hehe.

Love your fairy AU its verry beautyful

(My english is not the best 😅)

heya! i'm glad you like the au :D

I can definitely give u some recommendations for michelangelo fanfics! can't guarantee you haven't read them already, but hopefully a few of them are novel. also gonna tag @roronoacoldbrew, @desterea, and @appleblondie0397, cuz y'all asked for some mikey recs too!

I'm not gonna include all my recs, cuz that would take ages, but I DO have a collection on Ao3 that has like, ~250 entries. and they're 90% mikey-centric, sooooo there's a lot more there! it's linked at the bottom of this post :D

i'll be your detonator -> rottmnt, 4k one-shot, oh my god this fic/series deserves so much more attention. bad future timeline, follows Mikey being THE coolest motherfucker while having several mental breakdowns and arguing with Leo and missing his brothers a lot. the writing style of this author is probably my favorite on this entire list-- like, I would read a novel written like this!!! please read it oh my GOD. and then message me to tell me you read it so I can have somebody to talk about it with I LOVE THIS FIC SO MUCH

atrophy -> 2012, 36k two-shot. ohhhhh boy this one is NOTHING but angst. follows Mikey reflecting on his life and his relationships with his brothers, right before a suicide attempt. second chapter is his brothers reflecting on their relationships with him as they try to save his life. if I'm being honest, the language is a little too flowery for my taste at certain points? but it's also VERY visceral and graphic, and if you're looking for angst this is literally as angsty as it gets!! like seriously check the tags on this one

1660 days ago -> rottmnt, 4k one-shot human au that isn't exactly mikey-centric?? but basically, follows Donnie's POV after he, Raph, and Leo all die in their family home and stay behind as ghosts. Mikey is a little kid who moves in and is the only one who can see them, and they all begrudgingly adore him. ITS SO CUTE AND IT NEEDS MORE ATTENTION PLEASE. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

over the rainbow -> 2012 x rottmnt, by @vanillavengeance! I think a lot of people have read their other fic (which is also amazing and definitely recommended), but their most recent one is SO GOOD ALREADY and it deserves more attention. Rise!Mikey opens a portal as a tot, falls straight into the 2012 verse, and gets found by Karai-- so he ends up in the hands of the Foot Clan! SUCH good Mikey angst and the relationship between 2012 Raph and Rise Mikey is absolutely adorable, I love them so much :,) 2012 RAPH IS SUCH A BIG BROTHER AND I WILL NEVER SHUT UP ABOUT IT

house away from home -> 2012, AuDHD Mikey rep!! and also anxiety and self-esteem issues and dysfunctional family activities and swufhehnfenhhjrr HEY I LOVE THIS FIC but it does. hit a little close to home. REALLY WELL WRITTEN AND FANTASTIC EMOTIONAL ANGST THO! and also Woody is here :D completed, but the author has it listed as 3/4 chapters, so don't be scared off by that!

choose wisely (or at all) -> rottmnt, 8k one-shot, turtle tots!!! this one is SO CUTE omg-- basically, Mikey is his brothers' favorite playmate, but because he's so little all three of them just kinda??? make him play whatever they wanna play? LIKE ok it's hard to explain but it's literally just a fic about little kids messing around and how being the youngest sibling sucks and learning to speak up for urself and it's PERFECT. THIS IS MY COMFORT FIC. its sweet its fluffy its (slightly) angsty and i love it dearly!!!!

stalling -> 2012, 1k one-shot. VERY short but pure Mikey angst. he stays behind to fight Shredder to give his human siblings time to escape and warn the other turtles :,)

walk with open hands -> 2012, 10k two-shot by @goodlucktai. Mikey gets his hands on one of Renet's time-traveling clocks after Splinter dies, and jumps around the timeline to try and save him. takes some really cool cues from Rise!Mikey's powers! GOD I CANNOT RECOMMEND THIS FIC ENOUGH. like this altered my brain chemistry the first time I read it.

--actually now that I think about it. basically ANYTHING BY THIS AUTHOR IS AMAZING. so much fantastic 2012 Mikey-centric stuff!!! you do have to go back to their older works, since most of their recent fics have been about Rise Leo-- but it's worth it! a few of my other favorites by them are:

the entire give up the ghost series -> 2012 human au where Donnie dies, Mikey is the only one who can see him, and he becomes a paranormal investigator in college because of it;

problem child -> 2012 human/highschool au that's basically 100k words of the 2012 boys fucking around and being family and overcoming difficulties together and Mikey being the most annoying lovable golden-retriever ray of sunshine to ever exist;

traveling so far to get there -> 2012 one-shot where Mikey and Raph end up in a post-apocalyptic world and just kinda,,, chill? until they don't. idk how to explain it but it's really fun, I love how Mikey and Raph's dynamic is written here :D

either way, we're not alone -> rottmnt, 16k one-shot that takes place over the course of the Kraang invasion in the bad future timeline, all from Mikey's POV. another one that doesn't have NEARLY as many hits as it deserves oh my god-- I love love love fics that take a look at this timeline and how fucked up it was! and this is a rly nice mikey-centric one :)

promise -> rottmnt, 8k two-shot by @dysfunctional-doodle. Listen this author has so many amazing Mikey fics from basically every iteration, BUT. THIS ONE. THIS FIC IN PARTICULAR. IS ABSOLUTELY MY FAVORITE. follows Mikey in the good timeline as he grows his mystic powers, with the caveat that he starts seeing visions of the future. I ain't spoiling anything more than that but GOD plz read this one it makes me insane, and the second chapter??? HEARTBREAKING the angst is 10/10. I also really really love this fic by the same author, so that's another one I recommend checking out if you haven't read it before!

big siblings, big family -> 2012, 2k one-shot. this one's pretty short BUT ITS SO CUTE. Mikey gets sick with a virus that only infects mutants, so all his human siblings get to take care of him-- featuring big brother Casey and big sister April and big sister Karai, and hey. hey what if I screamed. i love this concept so much THOSE ARE HIS BIG SIBLINGS!!! AND HE'S THEIR LITTLE BROTHER!!!! this makes me so happy, not super angsty but Mikey does get REALLY sick so you can count it as hurt/comfort :D

orenjinohana -> rottmnt, currently 120k+ words by @geoblitzz and @urlocalllama!! this fic is SO fucking angsty and delicious and terrifying,,, like I would get sick to my stomach with anxiety whenever a new chapter dropped. Mikey catches the eye of a really dangerous yokai and gets kidnapped, abuse and gaslighting and angst ensue. you gotta be especially careful with the tags/trigger warnings on this one tho-- not gonna spoil too much, but things get dark. this fic isn't complete, but it's reached a very natural end to its first arc in my opinion? so you can finish it without feeling like you've read an incomplete fic :) also check the comment section on every chapter if u wanna see me going insane I LOVE THIS FIC SO MUCH

the better half of better things -> 2012, 4k one-shot, ITS SO FUCKING CUTE. Mikey and Leo hanging out at 3am, Leo comes out as transfem to Mikey, sibling bonding ensues. this is another author that I LOVE the writing style of, but this time it's more for their humor??? like the comedic timing in their fics is SO GOOD. this fic in particular is my favorite but they've written some really fun Rise ones too! not angsty at all but as the CEO of baja blast duo I needed to include it lmao

wanting, getting, needing -> rottmnt, 2.5k one-shot. Mikey dies saving Leo during the events of the movie, and everything kinda falls apart without him. this one's pretty short but ngl I LOVE this concept, Mikey is always depicted as the heart of the team in every iteration so it's super fun to see what happens when he's no longer there!

remember your mission -> 2012, 60k words. IT'S A FUCKING MIKEY-CENTRIC PACIFIC RIM AU. I love this fic to death. it's got ANGST it's got COMFORT it's got SIBLING BONDING it's got,,,, MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH. but also the sillies being silly!!! anyway the ending broke me. read this one at ur own risk but like,,, DO ACTUALLY READ IT LMAO and then. once again. yell at me that you did so I can talk to somebody about it. Mikey being able to drift with basically any of his family members??? and the four main boys all being interchangeable because they're just THAT close????? perfection

someone to protect -> 2012, 3k one-shot. Mikey's brothers get turtlenapped during a mission that goes wrong, he gets to be a badass and rescue them, and ends up getting seriously injured in the process. hurt and comfort! yay!

our hearts beat louder (than thunder) -> rottmnt, currently 5k words by @belleyells and still being updated as far as I know! Mikey gets injured during a battle and loses his memory; cue older brothers being worried sick and trying to prevent Mikey from freaking out and being scared of them. I'm so excited to see where this one is going!! it's angsty, but Mikey with memory loss is also just,,, really fun to read about in my opinion ahdhehfhrh

the night at rucker park -> rottmnt, 78k words. Shellshocked fic!!! honestly, one of the few Mikey/Miles fics where I feel like both of them are characterized really accurately? anyway its ~80k words of the two of them falling in love and fucking around and being idiots and-- in Miles' case-- slowly experiencing cellular decay! Yay for angst! I know I keep saying this but GOD I LOVE THIS FIC. IT DESERVES MORE ATTENTION. give it some love plz, it's also one of the only finished Shellshocked multi-chapter fics I could find (coming from somebody who currently has an unfinished multi-chapter Shellshocked fic shhhhhh)

be like your brothers (and never like yourself) -> 2012, 25k words. this is another author who has so many FANTASTIC mikey-centric fics from multiple iterations, but this one is definitely my favorite from them!! Mikey's self-worth is so low that he starts picking up specific traits from each of his brothers in an effort to be more "useful", which. doesn't go very well. very angsty, lots of mikey hurting (emotionally and physically), but also pretty cute at the end! hurt/comfort my beloved mwah <333 I LOVE THIS FIC SO MUCH something about it itches my brain

feed me poison till i drown -> 2007, 8k one-shot. Leo leaves, everything kinda falls apart, aaaaand Mikey ends up being convinced to join the Foot Clan by Karai! and the eventually his brothers find out and everything goes very terribly wrong. and i love it. the ending is also left up to interpretation, so it's a really cool read! not super angsty, but Karai's mind games leave Mikey as an unreliable narrator, and the breakdown of his relationship with his family is really well done :D plus anything with Karai and Mikey bonding makes me happy sooooooo

trust is earned (not freely given) -> 2007, 2.5k one-shot, from the same author as the previous entry I believe? mikey's brothers slowly realize that something is wrong with him-- they can't read his emotions or his actions anymore, he dodges questions, etc etc. eventually donnie realizes that they fucked up and he doesn't know how to fix it! no real resolution, just angst and dysfunctional families YAY

when you can't sleep at night -> rottmnt, 7k one-shot. follows three separate instances in Mikey's life where he had trouble falling asleep for whatever reason, went to his brothers for help, and got all the sibling love and comfort he deserves :D primarily fluffy but there's definitely some hurt/comfort in here, especially for the part that takes place after the events of the movie! this is another comfort fic for me ahdhehfhher it's just. very cute. and it reminds me SO MUCH of my little brother when he was a toddler SO IT MAKES ME FEEL SAD AND HAPPY AT THE SAME TIME RAHHHHH

so, I guess we all have issues -> 2012, 122k, human au. OH MY GOD. LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN EVERYTHING BY THIS AUTHOR IS SOME OF THE BEST SHIT YOU'LL READ IN THIS FANDOM BUT THIS FIC IN PARTICULAR WAS SOOOOO FUCKING GOOD. super fucking angsty, but also a lot of sibling bonding??? technically found family??? basically, the 2012 boys all get reincarnated as humans, but Mikey is the only one who remembers their past lives and the fact that they're siblings. he goes on this whole journey to find out where Leo and Raph and Donnie ended up (kinda? cuz in the end they all sort of come to HIM instead but yknow), and has to convince them of the fact that they were mutant ninja turtles in a past life. so that's fun! also raph is trans and leo has PTSD and donnie is struggling as a child genius AND ITS SO GOOD AND SO ANGSTY AND SO FLUFFY AND ITS COMPLETED SO THERES NO REASON WHY YOU SHOULDNT READ THIS RIGHT FUCKING NOW RAHHHHHH

other fics (specifically mikey-centric) by the same author because i swear to god they're LEGENDARY TO ME:

on the flipside -> rottmnt one-shot where April and the boys get hit with some kind of species-swap spell, and April ends up as a mutant turtle while the boys end up as humans;

exhaust trails through space -> 2012 one-shot where Donnie and Mikey need a fucking vacation from Earth (don't we all), so Donnie gets a spaceship from Bishop and Pb&J duo get to fuck around the cosmos for a few weeks and ignore their problems while actually enjoying each others' company;

(un)reality -> 2012 two-shot where Mikey gets captured by the Kraang during his stint in Dimension X and basically gets brainwashed to the point where he tries to kill his brothers when they finally come for him;

play the fool, pity the fool -> 2012 two-shot with MEGA depressed Mikey, this one in particular is really well written-- his downward spiral into depression, his suicide attempt, and his eventual recovery are all written beautifully and realistically and MMM it's so fucking good;

if i could have it back -> 2012 one-shot human au/apocalypse/zombie au, where Mikey and Donnie get separated from the rest of their family and have to survive long enough to find them again;

these days -> 2012 multichapter, unfinished BUT basically Mikey and Donnie get fed up with the way Leo and Raph are acting after Splinter's death (this fic definitely bashes them a little but it's still a good read), and decide to leave the lair and build their own home away from their dysfunctional family;

division difference -> 2012 multichapter, also sadly unfinished BUT it's about Donnie and Mikey getting separated from Splinter and their brothers as tots and growing up feral-- super intriguing concept, and very well written :DD

the broken and the helper -> rottmnt, 9k words. Mikey playing therapist for literally his whole family except himself and completely burning out. and then his brothers figure that out and talk to him and its all very fluffy and sweet in the end and sometimes that's what i need. not super angsty, but definitely hurt/comfort!

angelo -> rottmnt, 4k one-shot. AUGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH MIKEY GETTING THE NICKNAME "ANGELO" FROM LEO BC LEO SEES HIM AS A GUARDIAN ANGEL. baja blast duo fics you have such a special place in my heart (I need more of them) AND THIS ONE IS JUST SO CUTE IM SORRY. a little bit of angst bc of,,,, movie events? but still very cute :)

consuming darkness -> 2012, 68k words. Mikey messes up on a mission and it ends up getting Donnie seriously injured. he gets blamed by his brothers, internalizes it, gets serious with his training and basically becomes this like??? cold-blooded murderer on a revenge mission??? LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN I am. SUCH a lover stories where a character loses/sacrifices everything about their personality to become what they think everyone wants them to be. THIS IS THAT STORY. and then when Raph and Leo realize what's happened to Mikey and have no idea how to "fix" him??? THATS THE GOOD SHIT OH MY GOD. love this fic inject it straight into my veins. on fanfiction.net instead of ao3 (and sadly unfinished), but it's really good for Mikey angst :3

new tricks -> 2012, 3k one-shot, another one from fanfic.net! this one isn't angsty at all, just Mikey and Splinter hanging and bonding together :D I love it though, it's such a cute little fic and very comforting to read ahdhehfhehfhr

no one is alone -> rottmnt, 23k words currently! follows Mikey dealing with everyone's emotional shit after the events of the movie,,,, except his own obviously lmao so he turns to self-harm as a way to relieve stress and anxiety, eventually gets found out, anddddd his brothers help him through recovery :) it's currently unfinished but still being updated as far as I know, and if you want angst, there you go!

temporal differential -> 2012, 7k one-shot. follows Mikey getting stuck in Dimension X for a lot longer than he lets on, and losing hope of his brothers finding him. this one's part of a mini series that kinda revolves around Mikey's time there? and the aftermath? there's a ton of fics that follow this concept but this one isn't tagged very well and doesn't have a lot of hits, so there's a chance you haven't read it if you're looking for new Mikey angst fics to read! plus mikey gets to be smart :333

breakfast for sensei -> 2012, 6.5k one-shot. WHILE WE'RE ON THE TOPIC OF DIMENSION X. this one's about the aftermath!!! AND it has Mikey and Splinter bonding at 3am so I love it so so so dearly. Mikey struggles a lot with nightmares and insomnia after he gets stuck in Dimension X, and eventually opens up to Splinter about his time there and how LONG he was alone and gets some much-needed advice and love. good angst, good comfort, Splinter being a good dad, love love love this one. plus you get a free breakfast recipe! yay!

we'll burn them down -> 2012, 9k one-shot. OKAY LAST ONE ABOUT DIMENSION X I PROMISE. sunset duo focus-- Raph is the first one to figure out that something is off with Mikey, and he's gotta decide how to deal with it! Mikey gets to be a scary badass after surviving alone for so long, Raph gets to be a worried older brother, and Donnie,,,, gets to be there too i guess lmao like i said it's very much a sunset duo fic. enjoy the angst! the hurt/comfort! it's lovely!

empty canvas -> rottmnt, 43k words. I honestly don't remember a lot about this one, BUT Mikey basically takes Leo's place in the prison dimension after opening the portal to get him out?? very very angsty, lots of hurt Mikey! sadly it's unfinished (and it doesn't seem like it'll be updated anytime soon), but what's there definitely qualifies as Mikey angst if that's what you're looking for :) and ofc lots of worried older brothers, which I adore.

--and then ofc, I have a bunch of my own Mikey-centric fics here! I've really only written for Rise so far, but I'm dedicated to mikey angst o7

and like I said, I also have a whole collection on ao3 dedicated just to my favorite TMNT fics! there's genuinely SO MANY MORE I could recommend, but I tried to stick to ones that are older/don't have as many hits?? Kinda?

The rest of my recs would be in this collection! Most are Mikey-centric, but there's a few in there for the other boys too:

for my rottmnt hyperfix | Archive of Our Own

I should warn you though-- I didn't have my collection moderated originally, so people could add their own fics to the collection if they wanted! but then some weirdo Tc*ster ended up adding their shit to it, and I'm pretty sure there's at LEAST one tc*st fic in there somewhere. I've locked it down since then and don't allow outside contributions anymore, but you might wanna filter those tags out :( I contacted ao3 about removing those fics but I never heard anything back. just a warning!!

anyway. hopefully this is helpful for the, like, five people who ALSO feel like they've read every single Mikey fic in existence lmao

[itz-me-brett-duh]

Part 1 Random tmnt Bayverse questions and my thoughts: Tattoos?

💙❤️💜🧡🐢

(Side note I don’t have any tattoos and I don’t know a lot about them so sorry if my accuracy is bad)

How many do they have? What are they? What do the signify? How did they even get them? Who is the artist? How does did the ink even get through/show up on their skin? Will they get more? Would they like a partner with tattoos?

Leonardo💙:

To my knowledge he has 3 tattoos. Look em up if you want I don’t wanna get in trouble for photos.

On his right shoulder he has like a turtle tribal tattoo. Just a homage to his past and turtleness. On his right forearm he has another tattoo not sure what it is. I thought it might be a shoe print to symbolize the foot clan, but it’s not. He also has a single band. It looks a little like the outer part of a gear. On his left Bicep he has 3ish…more bands two gear ish bands and one or two band with turtles and what vaguely resembles barbed wire. Shows in my mind his restraint in tough situations whether it be from attacks, his brothers, or himself. Over all it seems he has the most tattoos.

Probably will get more that are cohesive with the ones he has. Maybe on his legs if he doesn’t have some already.

I think one or maybe even two of our boys are good at tattoo art. Leo would be a good candidate because he has the skill of the precision and patience it takes to do a tattoo. He would make a hot tattoo artist 😋.

I think Leo wouldn’t care if you had tattoos or not. You are beautiful to him either way. He worships you and you relish the way he makes you feel like a goddess/god.

Raphael❤️:

On his right shoulder/bicep Raph has a tattoo. I am not sure what it is. I have adjusted frame lighting, scoured through the interviews, and fandoms. But I can’t figure out what it is. I thought maybe dragon, cuz that’s cool. But I don’t think it is being that all the other guys have turtle tattoos. It’s not Chinese symbol like his scar. It’s more detailed than Leo and Mikey’s. And with his dark ridged skin it’s hard to pick out what it is. I’m sad cuz he’s my favorite and I just wanna know what it is 😭…

I think his tattoo might be the start of a sleeve tattoo. Might get more like his other arm. Seems like if he doesn’t find love he would get a face tattoo. But idk. But tattoo his who leg but he wouldn’t tattoo his whole body, no matter how much he hates it sometimes.

Raph would also be a hot 🥵 tattoo artist, but I feel like Raph would get frustrated with the time consuming aspect. He’d probably curse himself out if he messes up, even if it’s just a little bit. I feel like he would get impatient just having someone tattoo him.

Tattoos on you though…Raph could go either way. Tattoos are hot. But he also loves an untouched body. When you asked him if you should get a tattoo he couldn’t believe you would wanna ruin your perfect skin. He got tattoos cuz he felt like an ugly beast anyway, so why not. But you, you were perfect the way you were. He’s either a baddie kind of guy or a cutie patootie. Nothing in between.

Donatello💜:

As far as I can tell he has none. I’m pretty sure he won’t get any. Not that tattoos are bad or anything but with living in the sewer he doesn’t wanna run the risk of infection. His brothers can do what ever they want though.

I feel like Donnie would have the technical skill and equipment for doing tattoos but I’m not sure he would actually be the one doing them. He’d probably just be advising his brother of the risks and what to do and what not.

If you had tattoos. Mommy(or Daddy 😘) I view Donnie as more suby or even vanilla (Sorry Dom Donnie fans…😶). He likes it but he knows the risks. Might even get a tattoo because of you. Or you guys are too cute and dorky for each other to even bother with them.

Michelangelo🧡:

Mikey has one it looks like. On his left shoulder. Looks very similar to Leo’s shoulder tattoo. Might be exactly the same but I’m not sure.

He probably would get more. Definitely some cool cursive quotes but would also want little goofy stuff. His brothers would stop him though. Mikey doesn’t always think about the consequences as long as he’s having fun. Like Raph he’s impulsive but it’s not fueled by anger.

It’s pretty obvious Mikey has ADHD, but since I also have it, I feel as if I can understand Mikey more. I feel like Mikey would actually be a good tattoo artist. I know he can’t focus on a mission for a whole 2 minutes but when he really really likes something he hyperfocuses. And he will spend hours in the zone working his magic. Not so good at receiving one though. Had to be held down and scolded quite a bit 😅.

For you though like Leo Mikey doesn’t care. You’re just hot with it without them.

Others💚:

Splinter and April probably wouldn’t know the first thing. Well maybe April, I feel like in another universe she would have sleeves and ride a motorcycle 😍. But in this one she may have a small cute tattoo tucked away here and there. Maybe one on her hip and behind her ear. But she doesn’t know how to give someone a tattoo, not even a stick and poke. Casey probably has a tattoo somewhere maybe on his shoulder or something. Could have a skill for tattoos but definitely not on turtle skin.

[yellowhollyhock]

Thoughts on 1987 tello?

mostly emotions tbh (I love him very much) (thoughts and nonsense rambling under the cut)

He's so dramatic, he loves singing and dancing, if he puts on a trench coat he has to narrate everything in a noir voice,

He is the most likely out of the 1987 turtles to choose violence. He becomes the Dark Turtle and goes after Shredder. He's ready to leave the punk frogs in danger (I don't remember the situation) and when Leonardo pushes that they have to help even if the frogs still try to attack them, he gives the most "well okay you're the leader" shrug. Like 'I explained our strategic advantage to you plainly and it was clearly too advanced for you to understand so I guess I'll be nice and go along with what you say"

it's not uncommon for him to split off from the group because he'll think of something and have to go get the parts for it. He also just goes off alone sometimes, like as the Dark Turtle or when his car got stolen so he stole the car thief's car in order to chase them and was then himself being chased by the police because the whole reason they stole his car was because they stole something else first and the police recognized the car they were in previously. And he refuses to explain to his bros what's going on because he doesn't want them to know the turtle van got nabbed from him after he spent so long fixing it up. Which situation leads to one of my favorite Raph and Don moments (I have a lot of those aksjfjsj)

Donatello, hanging up the phone: Great, now they guys think I'm a crook. Won't they feel bad when they find out I'm only a liar!

Later, when they find out

Michelangelo: I knew Donatello wasn't a crook!

Raphael, feeling the least bad he's ever felt in his life: No, only a liar

I love how much he wants his bros attention, he's so middle child y'all.

Another favorite moment, in the episode where Splinter becomes human for a day, at the start of it when they're all noticing he's sad (im paraphrasing the heck out of this scene)

Raphael, Leonardo, and Michelangelo: Ohh Master Splinter didn't eat his sushi ☹️ Sushi is his favorite ☹️☹️

Donatello: Well of course he doesn't want sushi, who would want to eat raw fish?

Raphael, Leonardo, and Michelangelo: Our Sensei who loves sushi is not eating sushi... this is such a travesty we must find out what made him sad

Donatello: I hate raw fish so very deeply much

He's so stupid I love him so much. And! He is egotistic and can be quick to anger and does sometimes ignore/not notice other people's feelings, but. He is also truly deeply and believably a sweetheart! He would do anything for his bros and he mostly shows his love through actions.

Like when they all wanted Leonardo to lighten up some, and he had a machine that would supposedly (and did in fact) do just that, but he insisted it was not safe and they were not to use it on him (they did anyway but that's not the point akdjsja). Or the fact that he made the health-o-meter. Or when Michelangelo is crying over the stove and he hugs him so gently and pats him on the back "I know" fjksjfj stop it 😭. Whenever the 87 turtles hug I die from the cuteness and come back to life from the cuteness. you know the saying, cuteness killed the cat but cuteness brought it back, or something like that

Or in Donatello's Duplicate where it's shown that besides his inventions he's doing a lot of little household repairs for them, which gets him frustrated when it piles up too much and is why he makes a clone, who turns out to be evil and by the end of the ep he's like 'I was so silly why wouldn't I be happy? I love fixing things and I love helping my family and I'm so lucky I get to do both!' And I definitely have some feelings about them ending the episode this way (the big donatello crossover involving a karaoke night is to address this), but it is really sweet regardless, he really loves them so much

Okay this is half-formed and mayhaps confusing but you gave me an opportunity so here's a thought that's been in the back of my mind. I like thinking about the ways later cartoons drew from 87, especially balancing it with Mirage. Because Mirage Don is the pacifist. He hates guns. In the mirage comic the 03 HATE episode was based on, it ends with a little speech from Donatello about how he feels bad for killing the terrorists, even though they saved more lives by doing it. When Raph wants to go back to NYC to face the Shredder but Leo insists they (he) needs more time at the farmhouse, Don backs Leo up saying "we aren't the keepers of society, Raph. We never were."

And that's very different from 87 Donatello. But at the same time you can see their similarities when a situation comes up in mirage and Raph (and sometimes Leo) go straight to "We gotta help!" and Donatello counters with "Do we? Can we? What if we make things worse" 87 Donatello has that same pragmatism, even if he feels deeply about a situation he's gonna look at it and say What can I do, not necessarily What should I do. (this works in the positive and the negative akdhsha)

... Anyway that wasn't the thought I was thinking of. The thought I was gonna and will now share is like this: you know that 2012 episode where they go into Mikey's psyche and meet a bunch of different Mikeys? What if 87 Donatello's psyche and the different hims are the other Dons

Because out of all of them I feel like he encompasses something from each of them

So it's like

87 Donatello: Welcome to my Mind. You'll meet all the sides of my compelling and complex personality here. This is my nurturing side

03 Donny: Hey guys! Why do you have your initials on your belt buckles lol

87 bros:

Donatello: He's usually much nicer than that. This is my theatrical side

Rise Donnie, has not noticed guests, strumming imagine guitar: past corridor B, down the stairs past the ibis tapestry--

Donatello: This is my sarcastic side. He also usually covers hormonal stuff

12 Don, tongue stuck out in concentration while he draws himself with big muscles:

Donatello: And this is the part of me that likes to annoy Raphael.

Bayverse D, slurping from a juicebox: :)

Raphael: Well that's all fine, but can you show us the Donatello in charge of all that science genius stuff so he can show us a way out of here?

All Donatellos gathered around like a fairy circle: 👁️ 👁️

87 bros:

Donatello: Oh, they all do science. It wouldn't be fair to the other guys to give it to just one.

Raphael: Of course, that makes sense (hates his life rn)

ALSO guys guys I should probably wait to say this since I don't even have a draft yet akdjshaj. But if you've read this far I think you'll appreciate this: Donatello is going to sing My Way at karaoke night 💜

[mygwenchan]

Teena through Zouey's eyes - Famous artworks and movies in Playboyy the Series - Part 3

It's the seventh episode of Playboyy and our two cuties are back together, which also means: Zouey is painting Teena again :D

Zouey continues to use famous pieces of art as his inspiration and this time we've got a bit of a theme going on: Gay Renaissance artists from la bella Italia!

The first reference can be a little bit hard to spot, unless you're explicitly looking for it (and you're still able to concentrate while our two boys are going at it lol). It's none other than Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man!

Ep7 intro scene with different couples - Leanoardo da Vinci, Vitruvian Man

Teena is laying on the ground, arms and legs spread out, just like his Renaissance counterpart. It's interesting to note that da Vinci's drawing shows a man according to the idealized proportions formulated by the ancient architect and engineer Vitruvius. So again we have Teena as a representation of the ideal male body, as I've already mentioned in part 2.

The next scene with them shows Teena and Zouey during a date and I love the fact that Zouey himself tells us which artwork he's trying to recreate: Michelangelo's David!

And indeed we can see Teena posing as the famous statue.

Ep7 Teena and Zouey during a date in the park - Michelangelo Buonarroti, statue of David

Bonus: Cute pouty Teena, cause Zouey is teasing him 🤗

The last scene features three of Teena's portraits in the background: Teena as "The creation of Adam", Teena as "The Thinker" and you can also see Zouey's drawing of the Vitruvian Man.

The conversation between Teena and Zouey pretty much confirms my impression that in the beginning both boys have seen an ideal in each other. And now, after they've weathered the first storms in their relationship, both can also accept each others flaws ("You are not perfect like my dream, but I still like you"). Zouey still loves to call Teena his muse though, because well, once a boy is a simp for the Greek ideal, he'll be a simp for life 👌

On a side note: You can also see other paintings in the background of this scene. I might have actually found the artist of the bird painting! At least it looks really close to this painting of a white peacock. In any case, I think the background paintings are real, but they're just meant as decoration :)

[Part 1] [Part 2]

[lighthousegod]

WHAT IS MY CAT

Hey, so I have a Cat Question (or more like a Cat Request, really) and was hoping the science (??) side of tumblr, or cat identifying side of tumblr, or something like that, could help?

So, I got my cat Mikey (Michelangelo Mayhem Apollo *last name*) in January of 2022. The vets estimated she was about 3 months old. She was found by a family friend we met through my grandma, who is a manager at a vet clinic herself. Unfortunately, her areas of expertise are horses and dogs, so she could only help so much. I'm looking to find out what breeds Mikey may have in her.

Physically, Mikey has only gotten stranger (and cuter, ofc) as she's gotten older. She is a looong cat. She's got longer legs than my roommates' male cat at 1 year old. Her tail is much longer than other cats I've been around too, about the length of her torso. Despite that, she's not very big. She's skinny, and pretty small compared to our medium sized male cat back home.

She's also got big ears. I thought she'd grow into them, but they still look kinda big compared to our other cats. They even have the slightest hint of a tuft coming off the ends, but I think that's more likely to be her long-ish fur.

That's another thing- her fur. I say long-ISH because it's not quite domestic-long-hair-long. The vet called her a domestic medium hair, which I didn't know was a thing. She's a calico, with half of her face being black, the other (right) side being orange, and a cute white strip down her nose leading to her white chin and chest. Her fur pattern is pretty regular for a calico, but that's not even the weird part-

Her fur is CRAZY soft. Like, for the longest I thought my fluffy grey and white tabby, Loki, was the softest I'd ever felt, but she takes the cake over any of mine, or my friends, or any alley cats I've had the pleasure of petting. The best I can describe it is like- you know when kittens are real little? Their coats aren't fully grown in and their fur is almost like down on a baby duck or smth- all fuzzy and soft as a cloud and sticking out everywhere. It's like that, even as she's grown a little, all the time. It lays down mostly now, and looks more silky than downy, but the softness is still there. Still, it's not all that thick. My roommates short hair is so much denser, where as Mike's hair seems so light. I've even had other cat owner friends comment on it, wondering why she was so soft ("but silky? Like, not fuzzy. Loki is fuzzy, but she's silky. Its weird")

Jumping back to bone structure and how long she is, though, she's got a long face, too. Not quite like a Siamese or Oriental breed, her nose is much longer than any of my other cats. My dad says her face looks like a lizard or a dragon, while my other cat's face is like a racoon (Idk man he's weird). Either way, she does have a sort of long, more harsh bone leading to her nose that reminds me of those two breeds I mentioned before, and they do also have long limbs and ears, but she just looks too different from them for that to be all she is. She is definitely a mix.

(If you read this far, here's a pic. Sorry for holding out on you.)

Now, let us discuss Michael's... strange... attitude.

She is a sweetheart. And when I say that, I really mean it. She's very vocal, and greets me every time I open my door. She purrs all the time, even when she's just looking at me. I love her so so so much god.

She is also insane. She yells a LOT. She never (or rather hasn't??) Grown out of that high pitched kitten meow even though she's over a year old. I think she just likes talking. I know Orientals are also known for being super vocal, so maybe that's got something to do with it, but there's more to it. She still acts like a kitten, running around SO much more than my other cats. Her "zoomies" are frequent, and while she isn't attacking my feet under the covers constantly anymore (my first 6 months with her were hell and I have the scars to prove it), she IS still PARKOURING OFF OF WALLS??? AND SHE'S ONLY GETTING BETTER AT IT. I swear she gets both feet on there, catapulting herself off like. On x games mode for real.

But yeah, she still acts like a kitten, mostly. Still looks like one a bit. I have a sneaking suspicion she could be a slow maturing breed, or at least a mix of one with something else, but I'm not sure what breed that would be.

Also, important note: she acts like a dog. She "talks" like one, plays fetch like one (she taught herself), and her romping with other cats really does just seem more like puppy play. She trots around like a little horse too, which isn't that important but it's very cute. And she's just so smart. Like I said, taught herself fetch (which isn't as uncommon as you may think, apparently), and can even PLAY GAMES that she MAKES UP.

Once, when I was at my first university, my dad came up to visit. I wanted to show him she could fetch as she'd just learned recently, and when I threw it she excitedly chased it and... brought it back to my dad instead of me. So, okay, fine, she just doesn't wanna play with me. Be that way. Except, the next time she brought it to me. And then to dad, and then to me again. And it became clear she was doing that on purpose. But soon, she broke the pattern, and picked dad over me again. I assumed we were all done and pretended I wasn't betrayed, but NO. She then proceeded to bring it back twice in a row to ME, and then to him twice, and the me again. Like, I know that's not that impressive. But my other cats don't even know what to do with their toys besides bat them around. It was big for a little kitten to be making up games and shit. Maybe she's just extra creative, idk, but it was wild. She still fetches to this day, until her balls all unraveled and she can get a new one.

Anyway, she's just. Such a weirdo. She's terrified of the car (it makes her carsick, but it didn't when she was younger), and she's scared of outside despite her curiosity(the lady who found her lived pretty remote. I got her because I thought she was affectionate and calm. Turns out she was just sick, and actually is insane! But very affectionate still. My mom has a theory that she fears going outside because she was sick and alone in the cold woods for a while as a baby.)

Alright. I think that's it? Idk I'm long-winded as hell and I'm sorry for that. But I hope someone may know some breeds who are known for her physical traits, and maybe these personality traits as well? We'll see. So anyway, thanks for meeting Mikey! Feel free to call her any iteration of Michael (Myers, Afton, Jackson, B. Jackson, Jordan, whatever floats your boat.)

Here's some more pics :)

[little-mouse-gardens]

Incorrect quotes with my rottmnt ocs

Oc’s : Sunny mora, Marcy mora, Skye mora, Angie mora

Skye : If this plan goes down the drain, where should we regroup?

Angie: The afterlife, I guess.

Raphael : Have I ever told you that I love you with my whole heart?

Sunny : For the love of all that is holy, I am not taking you to Pizza Hut. It’s 2am!

Raphael : Mean.

Marcy : .. .----. -- / … --- .-. .-. -.-- (translation: I'M SORRY)

Skye : What's that?

Marcy : Remorse code.

Skye : I'm even angrier now.

Leonardo : You need a another hobby.

Donatello : I have tons of hobbies!

Leonardo : Fawning over Marcy isn’t a hobby.

Angie: We have to plan, we have to figure something out.

Skye : Angie, when have any of our plans ever actually worked? We plan, we get there, all hell breaks loose.

Sunny : raph, You know, it’s fine to admit you were wrong.

Raphael : *Sipping their drink after accidentally adding salt* I just like the way it tastes.

*angie sneezes*

Michelangelo : Angie, are you sick? Here, let me wrap you in a blanket and hand-feed you some warm soup while holding your hand and giving you hugs!

*baron draxum sneezes*

Michelangelo : Oh my god. Shut the hell up.

Leonardo : I'm very scary.

Skye : You're about as scary as a wet kitten.

Leonardo : Wet kittens are cute, at least I've got that going for me.

Skye : And small.

Leonardo :

Leonardo : ...Yeah, yeah. I guess.

Leonardo : In my defense, I was left unsupervised.

Sunny : Wasn’t Skye with you?

Skye : In my defense, I was also left unsupervised.

Skye : You want some leftovers?

Leonardo : What are those?

Skye : You've never had leftovers before?

Leonardo : No, ‘cause I’m not a quitter.

Skye : Vegetable oil is made from vegetables, coconut oil is made from coconuts, so BABY OIL-

Angie: CAN'T WE JUST HAVE A NICE FAMILY DINNER FOR ONCE?!

Sunny : So Raphael , how did your first time cooking dinner go?

Raphael : Pretty good if I do say so myself.

Sunny : Oo! Okay, what are we having?

Raphael : Alright, so for appetizers, we have a potato.

Sunny : A whole potato?

Raphael : Yes. And then for the main course, we have grilled cheese sandwiches!

Sunny : These just look like big slabs of black.

Raphael : Because that's what they are!

Raphael : And then for desert, we have chocolate.

Sunny : These are just chocolate chips?

Raphael : They sure are!

Raphael : And then for drinks, we have toast!

Raphael : *lifts up a glass of blended toast* Bon appetite!

[tortugas-island]

Introducing the Turtles

My name is Donatello, welcome to our Island, where you can read and watch stories about us Ninja Turtles falling in Love for each others! Yes, you read correctly! But also about other male Fantasy Creatures like Trolls, Orks or Goblins too. All of them cannot wait to tell you their sweet Lovestories. Have fun and enjoy!

Cowabunga Guys! My name is Michelangelo and I want to give you a warm welcome to our Island, where wild Turtles Pirates like me having fun! Honestly … I like my brothers, but Donatello looks sooo cute and I love his nice muscles and legs … and his beautiful face is so … Aw! Sorry, sometimes I´m talking too much. Have fun on our Island!

Hey, I'm Raphael and as a proud Ninja Turtle I train hard and a lot - which I also really enjoy. I don't hang around chatting all the time like Donny and Mikey have been doing lately.

Hi, I'm Leonardo, but you can call me Leo. I'm a Ninja Turtle and prefer to train alone at night. And if it's raining - great! I particularly like that. My brothers have suggested I go on vacation to Tortuga Island - but I've heard it's a pirate island. Anyway - maybe I'll go there too. But don't try to fool me! If I want to go on vacation, I want to do it without bad guys! See you there!

[hyacinthstears]

I vibe so hard. also Leo would 100% pull this and as a fan of both small cute Mikey and badass Mikey this is awesome. although would Raph and donnie be the murdered family or some of Demon Slayers they travel with?? hmmmmmmm...

hey chat do we vibe with Rottmnt x demon slayer

[aprils2ndhandshop]

can i request the 2003 raph, don and mikey with a sweet, anti-social, shy girl? thank you cowabunga!!!

Raphael, Donatello & Michelangelo w/ a shy, anti-social girl ‘03

Sorry King Leo and all my Leo stans!

Summary; how each of these turtles would treat a shy s/o, their plan to approach a shy girl and how their relationship would function in relations to how shy she is. 

Notes from me; hey everyone! I’m sorry for the slow posting, I’m super busy at the moment so it’s hard to work on this blog. I will try to post again soon! Enjoy dudes!

Raphael;

Raph would, in many ways, come to appreciate your humble nature.

In the beginning, his intense observation of your shy demeanour revolved around his curiosity. He became determined to better understand you like you were a mystery he needed to unravel. 

His initial curiosity quickly became romantic the closer he got to you, the more he came to realize how thoughtful the person behind the quietness was. 

Raph being a guy that struggles with emotional intelligence admires your ability to observe and understand the moods and vibes in the room. 

Your ability to read people is something his brothers also admire in you, especially at the thought of how beneficial it would be for their hot-head brother to be able to experience first hand.

"Raph and y/n?"

"Never thought Raphie boy would be into such a sweet, shy girl!"

"Guess love really is unpredictable."

Although Raph enjoys a loud and rowdy time on a special occasion, he much more enjoys the peaceful moments with you. His hostility is something that would solely exist in his training if it wasn't for his insecurity and anxiety; by nature, he is calm and values quiet time.

Everything surrounding Raph has been chaotic since his childhood; he and his brothers clearly don’t lead normal lives - to have something so sweet and soothing is a luxury he can't lose. 

Eventually, the thought of you becomes enough to bring him back down to his sanity, enough to help him sleep through the night and avoid unnecessary anger.

Due to your quietness, Raph becomes much more attentive; he is always sure to address you if something feels unusual.

“Hey baby, you seem off. There something you wanna tell with me?”

"No Raph, I'm okay."

Knowing very well you aren't being honest with him, he scoops you up in his arms and places you into his lap to talk.

Donatello;

Donatello would initially be intimidated by you. Despite being labelled the smart brother, he fumbles a bit with you, struggling to wrap his mind around something so beautiful being so shy and anti-social. 

Being inexperienced with humans, he naturally subscribed to the belief that beauty equates to confidence. This belief drove him to believe that it wasn't shyness keeping you from talking to him - you were simply too good for him.

Of all people, Donnie knew better than to judge somebody by their appearance, yet with you, that proved to be more difficult.

But don't worry he comes around.

"Y/n, I had no idea that was you would be into such..."

"Dorky stuff? You can say it, Don, it's not a bad word."

You bond over common interests, nerdy interests he never imagined you would have, quickly after his fears of a pretty girl disliking him would fade.

Once Donnie can pass his insecurity barrier,  your shyness evolves from intimidating to charming!

He finds our adorable shyness so charming that he develops an inability to ever say no to you - a deadly one.

"Don? Can I eat some of these cookies? You don't think Raph would mind, right?"

Oh no, those are Raph's cookies... He'll kill me.

"Of course you can, beautiful."

Raph was not happy...

Donatello would encourage you to branch out. Although a selfish part of him would love to suck up all of your free time, it's not the life he wants you to live. You're such a sweet girl and he knows you could make friends easily.

When you become buddies with his elder brother, Leonardo, he is over the moon - especially after hearing you open up with Leo and seek advice from him.

"She's good for you, Don. I really like her."

 Initially, Donatello was scared that your shyness would keep you hidden from his family so witnessing you gain their love is super significant for him.

Michelangelo;

Mikey is drawn to you right away, finding your shyness to be endearing and absolutely adorable. From the moment he met you, he wanted nothing more than protect something so sweet from all the bitterness of the world.

He essentially views you as some modern-day princess or earth-dwelling angel.

Although he has a thing for shy girls, he's never really put thought into it and has no idea how to approach you. Being the loud goofball he is, he worries that you'll stray away from him or be discouraged by his bold personality.

He tones himself down just for you.

"Hey, y/n/n!"

"You're Michelangelo, right?"

"Yeah! You can call me Mikey though if you want!"

In the beginning, he is determined to be as mellow and soft around you as possible - he does not want to mess up his chance with you!

This change in Mikey shocks his family. Master Splinter specifically, is touched by his son's compassion, yet he refuses to let it go on for too long. He takes the time to explain how important it is for Mikey to be himself with you, especially considering how much he seems to like you.

"Why would you do that, Mikey? You being goofy would never change how I look at you."

"I just wanted to be sure you'd like me."

"I really like you."

Looking back on how your relationship started now, both you and Mikey get a good laugh from it.

Although your shyness isn't as prominent when you're alone with Mikey, he still appreciates the little hints of your nervousness that pop up from time to time: occasional studders, emotional fluster when he flirts, hiding your face from him.

"You're so cute, angel cakes!"

He fanboys over your cuteness from time to time.

Michelangelo may be a chaotic goofball but his attentiveness towards you was never faked - he wants nothing more than to keep you safe and happy.

[kiirokero]

Outro: Love is Not Over (14)

Pairing: Daycare Teacher! Hoseok x Single Mom! Reader.

Genre: Single Parent! AU, Teacher! AU, Hybrid! AU, Fluff, Angst, Adorable Kids,

Warnings: Swearing, if that needs a warning

Word Count: 2.8K

Note: AFK :’) Oh my god please don’t let this suck in the morning 

Summary: Years after a relationship goes south. You are the single mother of a beautiful 6-year-old golden retriever hybrid who you named Yunho. He is the light of your life. Yunho is everything to you, and you’d do anything for him. But you’re a human. Yunho doesn’t care, he will tell you he doesn’t. “You’re still my Eomma. No matter what.” He says. But you can’t help but feel like you will never be enough for him. You can’t be the mother he deserves. You can’t show him the ropes of being a hybrid, and you can’t teach him things the other moms can. But you try. You try your damn hardest. So, when a handsome German Shepard hybrid comes into your life, helping you and guiding Yunho in a way you can’t, you can’t help the cozy home he sets up in your heart.

Chapter Guide:

Previous / Next

Masterlist

It had rained the previous night.

    Nothing drastic, but it was enough to make the forest around me and Hoseok dewy. Occasionally, a spare raindrop would fall from the leaves above onto Hoseok's head and he’d squeak in surprise, looking up at the culprit tree with a pout and lowered ears. Every time. It was endearing. The way his eyes lit up at any pretty flower we would pass, how he smiled so widely when he put one of them behind my ear, how he vowed to protect me from any scary creatures that lurked in the forest. (If I was being honest, Hoseok was the only one worried about that)

    I came here because I sorted out my feelings and was ready to let them spill, but now I’m second guessing myself. If perfect didn’t exist, then why is Jung Hoseok here? Why is he by my side, rambling about the “macaroni art disaster” that happened last Tuesday, and why am I listening with a smile on my face? Why is he here with me? I spent years chasing after a “perfect life” with a man who didn’t give two shits about me, just to have perfection on legs waltz into my life and wiggle into the heart of not only me, but my son too.

   I was a broken mirror. Still functional, aesthetic, and usable, but compared to the crystal chandelier that was Hoseok, I was nothing but that annoying piece of glitter that’s follows people around since their arts and crafts day at Kindergarten. Why would the crystal want the glass when the crystal is pure perfection?

    Jung Hoseok shattered the image of perfect I had in my head and replaced it with a prettier one. Perfection used to be having a nice house, a nice family, living a debt free life. Perfection was the expectations forced upon me by my family at a young age, and I rolled with it out of fear of disappointment. Then Jung Hoseok showed up with his pretty brown eyes and lovable personality and rocked the boat saying,

“Perfection isn’t perfect. Perfection is what makes you happy.”

   Perfection is what makes you happy, and god did Jung Hoseok make me the happiest I’ve been in years. I wanted to bottle that happiness up and cuddle it to sleep. Every single second he was with me I was happy, and I used to hate it. Now I can’t imagine my life without it...

  “Hoseok, when I asked if you could watch Yunho, I wasn’t expecting to come home to this.” I chuckled. Both Hoseok and Yunho looked like deer caught in headlights, but I could see the small itch of a smile on Hoseok’s face. “But Eomma! I had a sore throat,” Yunho whined, his lips stained blue and his face was slowly turning red.

   “And popsicles cure sore throats?” I asked playfully. I wasn’t mad, no, because I knew that even if Yunho ate popsicles now, he’d still scarf down his dinner. No problem. “...Mr. Hoseok said it would,” Yuhno snitched.

   Hoseok gasped in faux offense, getting a giggle out of the younger hybrid. “I feel betrayed!” He said in an overly dramatic voice, causing Yunho to laugh harder. I couldn’t help but laugh along with them

Perfection isn’t perfect. Perfection is what makes you happy.

   “Did he fall asleep?” Hoseok asked, looking down at Yunho who was currently lost in dreamland, drooling on my shoulder. “Mhm, I guess all that playing at the park tired him out,” I chuckled, kissing Yunho on the cheek, making sure not to jostle him too much. 

  Hoseok looked at us fondly, the slightest of smiles on his face. “What?” I asked with a smile of my own. Hoseok merely shrugged, “The two of you are cute, that’s all,” He said, looking down to kick a rock that was on the sidewalk. I blushed, holding Yunho just a tad bit tighter. “Thank you,” I said. Hoseok looked back at me. 

“You’re a wonderful mom,”

“I like to think so,”

It’s what makes you happy...

   “I can go. You don’t have to feel like you need to keep me here,” Hoseok offered gently. The moonlight that shone through the drawn curtains of the living room illuminated his warm features perfectly. The slope of his nose, the curve of his eyes, the upturn of his smile. I wonder what Michelangelo was thinking when he sculpted Hoseok. Probably something in Italian. 

   I grabbed his hand, dragging him back to the couch. “No, you can stay. If you want to, of course... I’d like to chill with you,” I said with somewhat trembling hands and an erratic heart. “You would?” He asked, stars painted in his eyes. I nodded, sitting down on the couch. Hoseok immediately took the space beside me, one of his arms on the back of the couch behind me and the other on his lap. 

  Hoseok sighed, “Adult time,” He joked. “I’m a single mother. My ‘adult time’ is my nap time,” I chuckled, sinking down into the cushions. “Hmm, well, if that’s the case, should we put on a movie until you fall asleep?” He suggested, one of his brows raised. “What about you, though? Leaving you to explore my own dreamland is a bit rude, don’t you think?” I asked, raising my brow as well. 

   “Then let me ask a followup question. Is it okay if I crash on your couch for the night?” He asked cheekily, as if he knew that I couldn’t refuse him. “Hm, I guess,” I sighed sarcastically. I was unable to hide my smile though. “Great!” Hoseok exclaimed, taking the blanket that laid next to him and draping it over us, snuggling up to me. “Is this okay?” He asked. 

“Y-yeah... This is okay,”

The pancakes I made in the morning with a giggly Yunho and a smiling Hoseok tasted sweeter than normal. 

Perfection isn’t perfect. Perfection is what makes you happy. 

And I hoped I could be selfish just for today to secure my happiness for tomorrow. 

   “Y/n, are you okay? Earth to Y/n~” Hoseok called in a singsong voice, poking one of my arms, dragging me out of my flashbacks. Startled, I nodded with a hum, nervously twiddling with my fingers. “Mhm,” Hoseok chuckled, “We’re here.” I looked at our surroundings, realizing that I left Hoseok in awkward silence all the way through the trail. (It wasn’t awkward, Hoseok thought it was comfortable)

   I gasped, “O-Oh! Oh... we are,” Hoseok smiled, grabbing my hand and leading me off the trail into a small clearing of vibrant green grass and small white daisies. He put down the basket he had in his hand and pulled out a cliche red checkered picnic blanket. “Cheeseball,” I giggled. Hoseok stuck his tongue out at me playfully, obviously proud of his blanket choices. He laid it out on the grass, making sure it was prim and proper before turning to me with a beaming smile, encouraging me to sit down. 

   I did as he silently asked and sat down on the blanket, thankful to give my legs a break. It was soft, I noticed, perfect for taking a nap in the afternoon sun. Hoseok plopped down next to me, his tail furiously wagging back and forth as he pulled out various different food containers from the basket. “So, I may have gone a bit... Overboard... But I just wanted to make you at least one thing that you’d liked.” He smiled, unashamed of his actions and more satisfied, like he was overachieving on a school project. “Hoseok, I’m sure I’d call your PB&J’s gourmet,” I chuckled, taking a hold of the chopsticks he was offering me. 

  Hoseok laughed along, opening the first container and placing it in between us. It looked like Kkakdugi. “What if we taste test each dish and decide on our favorites? Then we can eat those,” He suggested, and I nodded along. I’d honestly go along with anything he’d say. Hoseok picked up a piece of radish, holding it up to my lips. I leaned away for a second, cocking a brow. “Here,” He said, pressing the food to my lips again. I relented and let him feed me the radish. 

  I sighed, closing my eyes and basking in the sweet and slightly spicy taste. “If everything is this good, I’m going to have to hibernate for a year after this,” I said, somewhat seriously, somewhat jokingly. Hoseok laughed, falling back onto the blanket in a fit of giggles. “We’d better get on it then,” He said. 

“Not to be mean, but how do you burn kimchi?”

   Hoseok covered his face in embarrassment, rolling on his side so he didn’t have to look at my teasing smile. “I don’t know! I mean, maybe the burnt taste was something else,” He argued back with a pout. We were currently full and happy, laid on our back and looking up at the orange sky, pointing out oddly shaped clouds. And talking about how Hoseok managed to burn Baechu-Kimchi.

Also, avoiding the entire reason I asked Hoseok to hang out with me today...

   It was hard! No matter how many times I practiced in the mirror the previous or hyped myself up in my head, he would smile or laugh or say something in that sultry voice of his, and my mind would blank. I was fighting with the mini Hyejin on my shoulder that was acting like a furious grandmother, constantly pulling at my ear and saying, “Dumb dumb, just spill it,” 

   “Hey, are you okay?” Hoseok spoke up suddenly. I turned my head towards him, catching his pretty brown eyes immediately. His soft brunette was falling over his face gently, occasionally moving whenever the breeze blew through. “W-What?” I asked, shaking myself out of whatever trance he manages to put me in whenever we lock eyes. 

   Hoseok chuckled, his dark brown ears twitching slightly when a leaf landed on one of them. “You’ve been out of it a lot today. Also, I can tell you're anxious,” He said, “What’s bothering you, buttercup?” He asked, and I felt my ears heat up at the pet name. Stupid Y/n just speak words, you’re literally a journalist. “Um, I just have some things on my mind,” If this were a drama, and I happened to be the main character, fans of the show would probably be screaming at their tv screens right now. 

    “Do you want to talk about it?” Hoseok asked. “I should, I really should,” I sighed. I could tell my words confused Hoseok, but he left a space for me to speak nonetheless, giving me a smile of encouragement. Just say something, anything. Alright, okay. 1... 2... 3... Go! “I wish I met you 6 years ago,” I blurted out, backtracking once I realized what I said. “No... 5 years ago, cause then I’d still have Yunho,” 

Hoseok giggled slightly. “And why’s that?” 

“Because then life wouldn’t have been as hard...” I answered honestly

   Hoseok had a baffled look on his face. I looked back up at the sky, distracting myself with the pretty formations of clouds and let my subconscience do the work and talk, finally letting it all out. Hoseok’s ears stood at attention when I opened my mouth again. “It's always been Yunho and I... Him and I against the world.” I started.

“Like his cartoon?” Hoseok asked. 

“Like his cartoon,” I smiled. 

   I took a deep breath. “It’s obvious that my last relationship didn’t end well, and that it still effects me to this day... I remember even swearing to myself that I would never fall in love again, but then... This Jung Hoseok dude came along,” I snickered, pretending I was alone and this was another practice run. It made things easier. Hoseok stayed silent. “He came along with his handsome face, warm smile and amazing personality. God, he even made me jealous sometimes...” 

“I’m sure there’s no reason to be jealous.”

   “Oh, but there is. He’s amazing, absolutely amazing. Not just because he memorizes all my favorites or makes it his mission to make me smile, but because he’s amazing with my kid. He’s amazing with my kid in a way that I can’t be.” I stressed. 

“What do you-” 

   “Human mom and hybrid son, I mean, those are total opposites,” I joked, cutting Hoseok off. “Often times I would second guess myself as a mother and worry if I was teaching Yunho the right things but then Jung Hoseok came in and eased my worries. He took Yunho under his wing and the both of us couldn’t be happier,” I rambled, unaware of the blinding smile Hoseok was shooting at me. “We both don’t know what we would do if he drifted away one day,”

“He won’t”

   I finally gathered the courage to look at him. If the stars were in his eyes before, then andromeda was in them now. His dimpled smile and wrinkled eyes melted my heart. “Yeah, that’s why I’m saying all this in hopes that he’s picking up what I’m putting down,” I mumbled. “What are you putting down?” He asked. “That Jung Hoseok stole my heart and I’m not mad about it.”

   Hoseok suddenly stood up, reaching his hand down to offer me help up. I quirked a brow. But Hoseok eased my worries with a simple “Trust me,” I put my hand in his, and he enthusiastically pulled me up, causing me to fall into his chest. He steadied me with his hands on my waist, and I looked up at him, still confused. “I wasn’t done, ya know,” I pouted. “Well then, continue,” He chuckled. 

“I was saying that Jung Hoseok should know about my insecurities and emotional baggage that he would have to deal with if he wanted to be with me,”

“It’s not ‘dealing with it’ It’s accepting your flaws as a part of you, and I love every part of you,” Hoseok said, leaning closer into me. 

“Love?”

“Mhm, that’s what I said.”

   Hoseok leaned in even closer until we pressed our foreheads together. Neither of us said anything, we just looked into each other's eyes, comfortably this time, with nothing but the forest ambiance to break the silence. “I’m telling you, Jung, there is a lot of baggage,” I sighed somberly. “And I’m willing to help you cope with it,” He said. “I have a kid, Jung,” I pointed out, subconsciously trying to find any deal breaker now rather than later.

   “I know, and he’s adorable.” He smiled. “That doesn’t make you feel weird?” I asked. Hoseok shook his head. “Not at all. When I said every part of you, I meant it Y/n,” He stressed, bring up one of his hands to cup my face. “You’re so nice it’s annoying sometime,” I joked, leaning into his touch. Hoseok merely laughed. 

I don’t know how it happened.

Or why I didn’t realize it. 

    Slowly but surely, we leaned in, looking each other in the eye until mine closed. I felt Hoseok’s soft lips on my own only moments after. It was like breathing for the first time. The feeling that erupted in my chest was addictive. I could already tell that much. If I was freezing, this kiss would warm me up. If I was hurt, this kiss was like ice on a wound. This kiss was pure relief. Relief that I finally spoke up, relief that I didn’t chicken out. 

Relief that I could finally be happy.

   Hoseok’s lips were like saccharine marshmallows created by the gentlest of deities. The heart shape of them fit perfectly against my own, like our lips were lost puzzle pieces needed to create the perfect picture of happiness. His earthy forest scent filled my nose. It used to be calming. Now it was downright hypnotic. His hands felt like warm embers against my skin, surrounding me in a shroud of warmth and comfort.

   I gripped my hands in his coat, pulling him even closer than he already was. I wanted to feel nothing but his warm embrace. I felt his lips curve into a smile as he kissed me deeper, bringing me farther into his trance. My knees were on the verge of buckling, but I willed them to stay still so I could savor this moment just a bit longer. Just a bit more. 

   Hoseok pulls away slightly to let out a sigh that hit my red lips. We were still pressed close. The slightest of breezes could blow me over and his soft lips would be on mine again. “Look at what you do to me,” Hoseok whispered, looking me in my eyes with his lidded ones that were filled with adoration. I was confused for a minute before I felt something soft hit my leg. I looked down, holding back a giggle when I saw Hoseok’s tail swinging madly, faster than I’ve seen it go before. 

“I’m happy too,”

“You knew I had a crush on you, didn’t you?”

“I mean, I'm a hybrid so I can smell it...”

“Embarrassment can’t begin to describe how I feel,”

“Aww but it was cute.”

Tag List: @kurochan3 @mrcleanheichou @anonymous-armys-blog @bella-raina @purelyecstacy @lindsayjoy444  @unicornbabylover @xicanacorpse @creatorspalace @thesweetest-peas​ @fangirl125reader​ 

© KiiroKero

[vulearanger]

How boys met their future S/O, spending time with them and confessed them. Part 4. MichelangeloXReader.

Michelangelo

Well... The story of your meeting not as interesting as your relationship. But I won't hurry so much. So, Mikey was just hanging out on the rooftops, trying to find inspiration for his new project, and he found you singing your favourite song. Man, you were so beautiful. He took a cover and started drawing you. When he finished, he quietly came to you from behind and left the picture.

You were very surprised that they could sneak up on you so quietly and the skills of an unknown artist were great. You loved sitting on the rooftop in the night, and from that moment in the next month you got around ten pictures of you with some little notes, a few flowers and "orders", some songs for a new night "performance". Well, that a really original secret admirer. And you liked that really a lot.

So, you prepared a little plan how to find out who is your secret admirer. Mikey found you again, but you was quite. Oh, you were asleep. Mikey decided to come to you closer and draw from this place. Man, so cute, so beautiful... But then you opened your eyes and that was a pretty scary moment. But you just said "Hello" with a slight smile and sparks of curiosity.

You've become friends really soon. You listed music together, sharing a really funny stories with each other, and Mikey almost every time told you about his brothers. You figured out how he loves them, even though they thought he could be annoying. And he a lot smarter. He knew so much about psychology, some random facts and could explain phenomena in his own way.

For Mikey you were like angel, you gave him a really good advices and moral help in difficult times, specially after missions. And he fell in love with you pretty soon. Mikey's really emotional so he almost immediately confessed to you. But there was a problem: you just recently broke up with your ex and now you're trying to get away from it. But you didn't want to stop being friend with him and asked him to wait some time.

But that was a hard time for our orange baby. Even you said you didn't want any relationship, you tried to date with some guys. He even saw you kissing with someone, what broke his heart. Yet still he was waiting for you as long, as he was sure. You never slept with any of this guys, and then stoped doing this. A pure romantic burnout.

Then you started hanging out with Mikey, touched him more often, and let him touch you in the same way. Hugs, hands holding. Of course you both played video games, he taught you how to skate, and there was more touches. And when Mikey introduced you to his family, you wrapped your hands around his forearm.

Orange ninja had a lot of dreams about you, draw you more often, and he didn't even noticed that he started drawing your nude body. Beautiful and smooth curves of your body, moles in those places that you told about.

Once time you decided to talk to him. It was a risk for your heart and his also. But you wanted to try. You came to his room, he was here already, so you sat near him.

"Mikey, i'm sorry. For making you real sad. You never told me about it, never showed, but i saw it. And i want us to be...more than friends. I tell you honestly, i can't tell, how i'm feeling with my heart, but you're the most important person to me, and i want to love you. Want at least to try."

That was...speechless. Mo, he was happy, but he didn't imagine that it will happen like this. But he agreed with you. You two have to try at least.

And you both never regretted about this decision. Not for a second.

[skylarmoon71]

Michelangelo x Reader Fanfiction 2014/2016- Oneshot

"We're not monsters."

New York City was home to a lot of strange things. But never in your life did you imagine that you would actually see mutant ninja turtles. It was crazy. You were a rookie officer. Your world revolves around law and logic. Someone got murdered, there was always a reason. A disgruntled spouse, angered stranger. Or even a pissed off sibling. No matter what, in all your cases there was always some reasonable explanation. Not this time. Not with this.

As you stood with your gun pointed that day, all you could think was not everything in the world could be explained. As you stared at the mutated beings before you, your stomach dropped. Not because the impossible was standing right in front of you. You were thankful there were other officers present to witness this, even Lieutenant Vincent. But what struck you was the look. The look on the orange clad turtle's face. He looked hurt...broken and the words being spat at him.

Monster, freak.

Despite all your training in the academy against lowering your weapon in the face of danger, you couldn't bring yourself to keep your gun up. For a split second his blue eyes caught the movement. And you were positive some of your colleagues were questioning your actions. But you didn't care. No one deserved to be treated like that, human or not.

~~~~

"Are you kidding me! I want a rematch." you grinned. "Not a chance Mikey I have to get to work. Unlike you my job actually requires that I be there during the day. " You spent the majority of your morning absolutely slaughtering Mikey in Call of Duty. And like most guys, he found it hard accepting defeat. You stood up, fixing your belt, and grabbing your hat. "I'll catch you guys later. Lieutenant Vincent told me you're helping out on the sting operation. I've got to say meeting you guys was the best thing to happen. If we keep it up crime will be almost non-existent in New York." Leo offered a smile.

"We do what we can to help." Ever the humble one.

"Yeah, plus I'd never pass up a chance to kick some butt!" Ah and Raph, ever the brute.

"Of course Raph." you laughed making your way out of the lair.

"Hey Mikey don't forget it's movie night. I'm picking the movie this time!"

"Sure thing!" he called back.

It took a while to get used to everything. After they helped take down an actual alien invasion, it was sort of expected that you joined forces. You supposed your boss realized they were way out of their comfort zone, aliens weren't a norm in the police department. The turtles were then awarded keys to the city, and they continued to protect the city from the shadows, offering assistance whenever necessary. When you got to know them, you realized just how amazing they really were.

Their intelligence, strength, loyalty, humor. It was incredible. Like April, you got pretty close to the turtles. You were shocked at the development yourself, because in the beginning you were a little more scared than anything. But, you were also sympathetic. No matter what you did, that look was forever engraved in you. You guessed that's why you were so close to Mikey. You felt like you needed to protect him from the world. Which was ridiculous since he could pretty much handle himself. That didn't mean he was bulletproof. Maybe that's why he shone the brightest. Always cheerful and smiling. That added with his general adorableness, it caught you. Hook line and sinker.

~Movie Night~

As you walked into the lair already changed in a pair of sweatpants and a loose hoodie, you searched the area for the turtles. You tilted your head when you only saw Mikey setting up popcorn and drinks. "Where is everyone else?" you questioned. He perked up when he saw you.

"April invited them to another basketball game." Your eyes grew a little wide. Mikey was never one to pass up a game, especially if April was the one attending it. "Y-You could have gone if you wanted to. We could always have another movie night."

"It's fine, I promised you. And a ninja always keeps his promises. " He placed his hands together bowing and you grinned, jumping unto the couch. "Alright then, let's get started. "

"Shell yeah! " he dropped down right next to you, giving a mini presentation on the snacks he gathered. "So on the right we have nachos with a little cream, if you're feeling a little peckish. On the left, a fresh box of pizza with the ultimate assortment of cheese! And of course, an all time classic, buttery popcorn for your nightly cravings." You were smiling the entire time. The world didn't deserve someone so pure.

"What movie are we watching, please have action, please have action." he was doing a little prayer. You grabbed the remote, clicking through netflix. You stopped on the Legend of Tarzan.

"I watched the trailer, this is supposed to be awesomely epic." you spoke. Mikey peeked an eye open, and you could see the interest spark as he quickly read through the description.

"What are you waiting for, play it!" His excitement was akin to a child, and you stifled your laughter as you clicked the movie.

~~~

To say he loved the movie was probably an understatement. Mikey's eyes never left the screen the entire time. You weren't sure he even really moved when he got some of the snacks. There were so many points where you thought Tarzan was dead. Every part proved to be just a tease. When it was nearing the end you could tell. Jane was standing looking out at the rubble, clearly devastated that Tarzan might have died in the explosion.

You could almost feel Mikey holding his breath, hoping that Tarzan wasn't actually dead. You smiled when he released it softly the minute John walked up behind her. They kissed, and you fought a blush, looking away a bit nervously. This wasn't the first scene between them that left you flustered. The short love scene in the middle had you more than a little bothered. You thought Mikey would make some joke about it, but he was quiet through the whole thing. As the credits started, and the music of Hozier's better love filled the room, you found your eyes drifting back to Mikey. The longing reflected in his hopeful sapphire eyes. "Mikey?" he turned to you, and you swore you saw tears in his eyes.

He wiped it quickly, laughing. "That was an awesome movie brah! It did not disappoint." His usual enthusiasm wasn't there, you could tell. It sounded almost forced.

You took his arm before he could move out of reach.

"I'm sorry Mikey." he was now confused.

"Why are you apologizing?"

In all honesty, you should have done it sooner. That day when they called the turtles monsters. You never apologized. And even though you weren't the one who said the words, for a split second you thought the same. Your ignorance could have cost you the best friends you'd ever had.

"That day with the police, what they said to you, it was horrible. We were all in the wrong. I never told you guys how sorry I was, how sorry they probably all were for judging you guys. It wasn't fair. "

His eyes shifted. He knew exactly what you were talking about.

"It's fine. I guess I sort of expect it. Sensei always told us it wouldn't be easy for people to understand what we are. I guess that's why Raph and I wanted so bad to be human. Deep down I..I still want that. Certain things I won't ever be able to experience, not with the way I am." He must have been referring to the movie. You thought you imagined it, but he seemed extra attentive whenever the couple showed up in scenes.

"You mean love.."

He didn't need to answer, his eyes said it all. "Mikey, I don't think you need to worry about that. You don't have to be human to find love. If someone truly cares for you, they won't care. " you leaned closer, hand reaching out to touch his cheek. You could feel him tense, eyes never leaving you.

"I don't care..." Mustering up all your courage, you raised unto your knees on the couch, matching his height. Deciding that it was now or never, you closed the gap, kissing him softly. The feel of his lips, they were heavenly. Far different from what you imagined. And you'd imagined it a lot. At first he didn't move, you weren't even sure he was breathing properly. And you expected it. After a few brief seconds you pulled back, gauging his reaction. You blinked a few times, licking your lips. Mikey still looked awe struck. He opened and closed his mouth a couple times, trying to search for the right words. Finally he settled on a sentence.

"Did you just...kiss me?"

"I did." you flushed. You hoped It was welcomed, because it was what you'd been longing for shortly after knowing him. Now it sort of made sense. This whole time you thought it was because you wanted to protect him from getting hurt, but the truth was, you cared for him, more than you initially realized.

"I don't get it, you're..you're human (Y/N). Why would you-" you raised a finger, pressing it softly to his lips. "It doesn't matter. I'd like to think if our roles were switched you'd feel the same about me. Do you...feel the same?" You were marking his lips, and Mikey gulped. All the movies, video games and comic books, he thought he would be more ready for such a confession. Yet here he was, completely speechless.

"I....I..." Why couldn't he find the words. He knew how much he felt for you. But as it stood he never even tried pursuing anything for obvious reasons. Now hearing you say you didn't care about all of that, and even kissing him. What else could he possibly hope for. He just wishes he could put that into words.

It was cute, they way he stumbled for the words. Your need to feel his lips again returned, and your other hand came up going around his neck as you slipped into his lap. His hands moved to the couch clearly not expecting the bold move. You snickered, leaning next to his ear.

"You know I used to think you were a player with all your smooth words, but are you secretly shy, Michelangelo." you cooed softly. When you pressed a kiss at the side of his neck, he let out a shaky breath. Your fingers trailed down his chest, so firm, strong. Muscular. You were still littering soft kisses along his neck.

"If I kiss you again, I'd prefer it if you kissed back." Before he could fully prepare you leaned in, sighing in content. Kissing him was everything. When he started to get over the shock of the whole situation, his hands came up hesitantly. You hummed when you felt his hand on your back, and the other slipped into your hair. You were pressed firmly to his body, and the minute his lips slanted over your own, you were sure you went to heaven. How could something so simple feel so good.

Mikey's hands on your body was just what you needed. As time passed, he seemed to be more sure of himself. He opened his mouth, and the moment your tongues touched you moaned. Mikey let out a soft groan, trying to match the intensity that you were pushing. Your hands were wandering over his body, and you should have probably shown some restraint, because even though his brothers weren't in here, they could come back at any minute. Not to mention Splinter was still somewhere in the lair, hopefully sleeping. The sound of bodies filing in alerted you of exactly that. They were back.

Mikey pulled away hurriedly at the sound, and now all three turtles were standing there gaping at the scene.

"I-It's not what it looks like!" Mikey defended.

It was exactly what it looked like.

"Guys seriously, on the couch. " Leo sounded unimpressed.

"No wonder you stayed back. Mikey you sly dog." Raph walked over smacking his younger brother behind the head.

"Come on Raph!" you just stayed planted there, smiling. You liked the little moment, but you really wanted to get back to kissing. When you saw the way they seem to settle around the area to tease Mikey you frowned. Guess there was only one way to get rid of them. You grabbed both sides of his cheeks, smashing your lips to his in a searing kiss. Almost immediately you could hear the groans of disgust.

"Mission success." They didn't stick around after that. And once they were all gone you grinned down at him.

"So...does this mean that you're my girlfriend?" Did he even have to ask. You rolled your eyes, reconnecting your lips.

It was a definite yes.

[bates--boy]

“Okay, closer! Remember that this is the best day of your life! Terra, soften the lights!”

         If Peter said right then and there that he knew that modeling was hard from his “experience”, he’d be a liar just trying to soothe his worries and ego. His experience before this was chump work, and none of the filtering, editing, and social media marketing would have prepared him for even an iota of this type of work. Firstly, he had grossly underestimated how long this would take, and it definitely did not take the two or three minutes it would take to snap a selfie, or even the the half hour to get his makeup and hair in order. 

        Secondly, there had to be photos of everything. A toast at the table, Burak carrying Peter down the bridge, Burak making Peter wonder if the universe hated him by brushing away hair and cupping his cheek, Peter taking solo shots in a grayscale room for every. single. dress that the stylists picked for him. Posing on the swings, dancing to nonexistent music, lounging on a leather chair. Pierre wanted photos in as many angles as he can imagine, and fuck how beautiful Burak was, fuck how dazzling and breathtaking Peter felt in the dress once he became used to the silicone breasts -- Peter was ready to bite someone’s nose off by the fifth hour.

          "Alright, everyone, break time!” the manager, whose name Peter also hadn’t gotten but was too frazzled to even want to bother with, called out as she waved people over to the food table.

         Peter knew that if he was going to barrel through the estimated next six hours of this, he should have something nutritious in his stomach, but the bubbly golden champagne called out to him. He downed one glass at the table and carried another to the gazebo steps. His feet hurt, his everything hurts -- how does modeling hurt the body? How the fuck does that happen in a bridal photoshoot? -- but especially his feet, and once he sat down on the step, Peter unfastened the heels and peeled them off. 

        “This is not worth the money,” Peter grumbled, reaching down to rub one of his feet with his free hand. He winced and hissed through his teeth. “Fucking Christ on a dildo...”

        “You totally sound like a bridezilla right now.”

         Peter recognized the voice (because of course, he did) before his eyes snapped up to find Burak ambling over, carrying a plate piled with pastries and pieces of fruits and a bottle of wine with an empty glass. Peter couldn’t even find it in himself to be excited that this Michelangelo sculpture was coming to sit with him, and the alone time in this picturesque setting they were likely to spend together. He was just so drained and sore. Like a cat, a part of Peter wanted some alone time alone, to hide away and lick his invisible wounds and ponder why he was doing this when he knew that, even if his crew had enough money to buy that coveted studio, they weren’t going to get anywhere. Still, he didn’t protest when Burak took a spot next to him and sat the wine and food between them. 

         “You should eat something,” Burak offered oh, so helpfully as he filled his glass.

          “Thanks,” Peter drawled. He plucked a hulled strawberry from the plate and popped it into his mouth. He made sure to lean a little forward so that whatever juice may slip out won’t get to his dress.

       “You’re welcome,” Burak replied. “So, I take it you’re new to this?”

       Peter started to shake his head, ready to draw on his social media and webcam modeling experience, but he thought better of it. Why bother conflate the two for his ego? “Pbbbbbbbbt, yeah,” he answered. He raised his flute to his mouth. “Why? Was it that obvious?”

       “Yeah,” Burak nodded. 

       Peter’s hand stopped, then lowered as a brow rose. “How?”

       “Well, besides the fact that you look like you’re ready to collapse or claw someone’s eyes out? You constantly have to be told to tone it down and you look ready to run every time we have to act out something intimate.”

       “So, I just look unnatural?” Peter looked away and downed much of his drink in one go.

       “Yeah, but it was likely to happen,” Burak bit into a pastry. “I mean: how did you, a guy, get hired as a bridal model?”

        Peter didn’t sense anything offensive in Burak’s tone, just simple curiosity, so he replied honestly with a lazy shrug, “I don’t know. I actually applied for the groom position.”

        “Pffft, oops. Sorry about that. Well, that dress looks lovely on you.”

       “Thanks. That was one of the reasons they hired me as the bride.”

        “Hm...”

        Then silence came. Burak watched the photoshoot crew as he ate his cream cheese bear claw, and Peter watched the shiny of the sun glint off his glass as he slowly waved the flute around. 

       Polishing off the last bite of his bear claw, Burak asked, “So, how is your first professional photoshoot going so far?”

       Peter perked up, smile stretched from cheek to sore cheek. If his hands weren’t occupied with the champagne, he would have given a little clap to sell the reply. “Oh, it is fantastic! Wonderful! My body hurts, this dress itches, the hair care products feel cheap as shit and I’m sure I’m going to break out tomorrow, and I am never doing this shit ever again!”

        Burak leaned back, blinking. He cleared his throat. “Ah... wow. Well, it’s good that you figured it out before you really committed to the modeling career.”

        “I didn’t do this to get a modeling career.”

          “Oh?”

         Peter shook his head and took a breath. “No, I took on this gig to earn money to buy a studio.”

         “A studio...?”

        “Recording studio. For me and my music crew.”

         Now it was Burak’s turn to perk up, and truthfully, seeing interest light his face did make Peter feel better. “You make music?”

       “Yeah. I’m part of this new group called The MizFists. We’re a hip-hop collective.”

        “Hey! My cousin likes hip-hop! Do you have any music posted anywhere? I can tell her about it.”

        And Peter, all wide eyes as he watched Burak take his phone out of his pocket and swiped on the screen. “Oh! Oh, uh, yeah. Our website is M-I-Z-F-I-S-T-S dot com. All of our youtube channels and Bandcamp accounts are on there.”

       “Huh, never seen it spelled like that before...” Burak shrugged.

       “Well, we would have went with the proper spelling, but, you know, another group already has it, and we’re too broke for copyright lawsuits.”

        “It’s a cool name, still,” Burak said. He made sure the message had sent before placing his phone back into his pocket. He ate a piece of mango. “If my cousin decides to go to one of your concerts, I’ll have to tag along.”

       That... should not have been as easy as that. Sure, it’s likely that Burak’s cousin will dismiss their group as crappy wannabes, but still, the fact that Burak even shared their name like that... 

       And the food and bottle (which Burak had in his hand to refill Peter’s glass) -- Peter wanted to ask what was Burak’s goal here. Because who was this jovial with a cross-dressing stranger? Peter had to remind himself that not everyone had an ulterior motive for niceties, he still sought a way, an opportunity, to give this man the stink-eye and a “What’s your endgame, buddy?”

       Taking a drink, Burak passed his tongue over his disgustingly perfect lips and said, “So, since you’re pretty much a rap expert, you wouldn’t mind telling me if this verse--” and he did that weird cool guy rapper hand gesture, “--is fire, would you?”

       “Heh heh, go ahead!” Peter prompted, with that eyebrow raised once more in amusement this time.

       “Okay, okay!” Burak set his glass down and placed a hand on his chest and held the other in front of his face like a microphone.

       Burak stared at Peter, the hunched over bride shaking with his face twisted to hold in a laughter, his own face feigning a cold serious.

         Me and da babe looking heckin’ cool

         After school, hittin’ up the party pool

        Sitting on the grill of the big Bugatti

        All slutty, all thotty

        A couple rock stars making it rain at the pool

      They burst out laughing.

      And Peter didn’t even know why he was laughing; Burak was cute, and it was sweet that he came over here to chat, but it wasn’t funny, not that funny. Maybe it was the earnestness in the humor, or the needed release of stress. Whatever the reason, Peter dabbed at the tear in his eye. Thank goodness for the waterproof stuff.

       “You know? You might have something there,” he chuckled. “You’re definitely the new Will Smith!”

       “Pfffft, please! I am way better than Smith!” Burak tossed his hair. “But I’m going to let my cousin know that she was wrong, that an actual, bona fide rapper said I got some skills!”

        “Shit, if we’re ever looking for another member, we’ll hit you up,” Peter said, taking a grape.

       “Looking forward to it!”

After a friendly elbow nudge, Burak continued, "Seriously, that's cool that you're this serious about your music that you're doing this. I can tell that you're gonna go far. But I hope you don't drop this line of work, because you have a bit of potential in modeling, too. Who knows, you'll probably get famous enough that you'll have clothing brands begging you to model for them, and you don't want to pass up on those deals, would you?"

"Nah, I guess not..." The smile on Peter's painted lips dimmed, and he pursed them until he allowed himself to ask, "Uh... Why are you being so nice to me?"

Burak tilted his head. Oh, god, now he looked like a puppy. An irresistible puppy. "Am I not supposed to be?"

"No, it's just that, er... I thought that supermodels had to be brutal because, you know, this industry is dog-eat-dog."

Burak shook his head. "First of all, I'm not a supermodel; this is just a catalog shoot. Second..." He shrugged. "It felt like you were having a bad time and was uncomfortable around me. And we can't have that for our kissing photos."

For the slow way the words processed through Peter's psyche, his body was quick to react in its non-reacting form: body suddenly rigid, temperature swinging from ghostly chill low to loins on fire and I'm a sinner scorching, mind going as blank as his eyes gone wide.

"K... Kissing? We're going to--" Peter bowed his head with his hand over his mouth. "Oh, my god..."

He didn't see Burak's face, but he felt the indignation rolling off the other man who said, "I mean, I like to think I'm not a bad kisser..."

"N-no! No!" Peter lifted his face and waved a hand. "It's not that! I just--"

"Wow!" Burak snorted. "Wow! You are blushing hard!"

Peter gasped. "No, I'm not!" Of course, where they went for top-quality mascara, they'd cheap out on the foundation.

Burak laughed so deeply that he had to set his glass down. "Yes you are! Aw, look how red your ears are!"

"Oh, my god," Peter, once more, groaned. He bent his head so low that the veil fell from behind his back and draped over his shoulders.

So when he felt an arm slink around his waist, he was too unprepared to stop the yelp squeaking out of his mouth. Nor did he have any protection against the medical emergency fever burning through his body when Burak whispered in his ear.

"Don't you worry, Peter: as a gentleman, I promise you that I'll leave your honor intact and will be tender with you."

Whether Burak was serious or joking, it didn't matter when, to Peter, his voice was every bedroom song one to life. But Burak squeezed his shoulder, and when they've locked eyes, Peter could still see some of that sweet earnestness, that urge to lift Peter's mood, and he could help but smile.

"Gee, thanks," Peter tried with as much playfulness as he could muster.

A chuckle pass between them, and then

Flash. Flash.

Both men looked up to find Pierre lowering his camera. "Oh, that was perfect! I have to convince the magazine to use that in their layout."

"Uhhhh..." Peter said. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Reminding you two that break's over," Pierre said. "Now, let's go, we're burning daylight!"

"Well, that was a nice break." Burak stood and brushed the back of his pants. He held out a hand for Peter. "Ready to get back into the dog-eat-dog world of modeling?"

Peter's smirk was lopsided as he took Burak's hand to let him up. "Sure."

[uncloseted]

Hey, I’m a big fan of your blog! When I saw the post about stupid questions, I thought I’d ask for some help. This isn’t necessarily stupid, but I don’t know.

How can I seem more confident?

I am confident within myself, but people are always telling me how insecure I am. Everyone is saying that I should be more confident. I don’t feel insecure, so why do I seem that way? I can be kind of quiet, so maybe that’s why.

Thanks!  This isn’t a stupid question at all!  The thing I get asked the most is actually how to build self-confidence or to care less about what other people think.  For you, it seems like the issue isn’t actually in having self confidence, but in projecting self confidence.  Some of that is in body language- having good, open posture (no crossed arms or legs), making eye contact, standing firmly, and not fidgeting will help to convey confidence.  Some of it is in language- instead of hedging what you’re going to say will, “I think” or “maybe” or minimizing your feelings with “just”, try making clear, concise, and strong statements that end declaratively rather than questioningly.  And some of it is in actions- do you ask everyone around you what they think before you make a decision?  Do you defer to other people when a decision has to be made?  Do you do things that you’re interested in, wear things you want to wear, watch what you want to watch, etc., regardless of what your friends are doing?  You might appear more confident if you start asserting yourself or focusing less on what other people think of you.

Here are some other tips and tricks I’ve amassed for building self-confidence and not caring what other people think.  Some of it might be relevant for you and some of it might not, but hopefully someone who needs it will see it.

The first thing to remember about confidence is that people aren’t drawn to people because they’re beautiful, or smart, or kind, or fun, or interesting.  People are drawn to people who are confident (or appear to be confident).  If you’re confident and weird, you’re not weird, you’re a visionary.  If you’re confident and ugly, you’re not ugly, you’re “unconventionally beautiful” or a trendsetter.  If you’re confident and overly serious, you’re not boring, you’re a leader.  A lot of people think it’s the other way around- that only beautiful, smart, charming people who are well-liked can be confident- but it’s not true.  To use a Skins example, Tony’s not a good person.  He’s manipulative and cruel.  But people like him (at least in the beginning) and go along with what he says because he’s confident.  The same goes for Katie.  You can argue about whether she’s objectively the most attractive girl in the group, but she acts confident in herself and in her appearance, and it works. Lots of guys are attracted to her.  So that’s the first thing- don’t focus on changing yourself (physically or emotionally) in the hopes that you’ll be more confident.  Instead, focus on changing your mindset to that of a confident person.  It will make a huge difference.

Of course, that’s all easier said than done, and the process of building self confidence can take a while.  In the meantime, while you’re on the journey of actually becoming confident, one thing that can help is “faking it until you make it”.  When you’re going about your day, ask yourself, “how would a confident person who’s never experienced insecurity or anxiety handle this situation”?  Then do what a confident person would do.  If you have a really confident friend, it can help to imagine what they would do in a given situation and then do that.  Pretend everyone you meet already loves you and thinks you’re great.  Pretend like you think you’re great.  It will feel uncomfortable at first, but you’ll start getting used to it and the “confident” responses to things will start feeling normal.  One thing that can make this a little bit easier is to talk to yourself in the second person.  By saying things like “you’ve got this”, your brain will (sort of) feel like you’re receiving advice from somebody else, which is more motivating than getting advice from ourselves.

There are also some exercises you can use to build your self confidence on your own. Some of you have heard this one before, so bare with me, but the first thing I suggest is:  every morning, look at yourself in the mirror and say some things you like about yourself.  I know you probably feel like you can’t find any, but try.  Focus on those things that you like and try to only focus on those things.  Write them down, either physically (on a sticky note on your mirror, maybe) or in your phone.  Each day, try to add a new thing to the list.  When you’re out and about, remember those things that you like about yourself, focus on them, and try to draw attention to them.  When other people compliment you, add those to your list as well.  I think eventually by recognizing all of the things that you like about yourself, you’ll be able to feel like there are things about you that you can be confident in, and you won’t focus so much on the things that you feel are negative.  These don’t have to just be things that are physical.  You should include things you like about your personality as well.

A lot of people who are insecure use deprecating humor to cope and as a bid to get other people to like them.  But I think that can be really emotionally damaging.  Like Hannah Gadsby said in Nanette, “I have built a career out of self-deprecating humor, and I don’t want to do that anymore..do you understand what self-deprecation means when it comes from somebody who already exists in the margins? It’s not humility. It’s humiliation. I put myself down in order to speak, in order to seek permission to speak, and I simply will not do that anymore, not to myself or anybody who identifies with me.”  Self-deprecation impacts our self-esteem, and it impacts the way people around us view us.  The more times we say something, even as a joke, the more we start to believe it, and the more the people around us start to believe it.  So instead, make fun of yourself by pretending you’re really, really cocky.  If you trip and fall, instead of saying, “I’m such a disaster”, replace it with “I’m the epitome of grace and beauty”.  If you make a piece of art and you think it sucks, say, “Obviously I’m the next Di Vinci/Michelangelo/whatever.”  If you say something dumb, instead of saying, “I’m so stupid,” say, “I’m clearly the next Einstein.”  You still get to make a joke and diffuse any awkwardness the situation has, but you also get practice saying nice things about yourself.  And eventually, you’ll get so used to saying nice things about yourself as a joke that it won’t feel so weird to say those things about yourself in a serious way, too.

For those people who feel insecure about things they did in their past, try and think of something embarrassing one of your friends has done.  Can you think of anything?  The vast majority of people remember their own embarrassing moments really vividly, but don’t remember things other people have done at all.  Reminding yourself that you’re probably the only one who remembers or cares about the mistake you made can help you let go.  The mistakes you’ve made in the past are learning experiences that you’ve grown from and changed from, and the fact that you’re embarrassed by them is a good thing.  It means that you’re not that person anymore- that you’ve become someone better.  I think that’s something to celebrate instead of something to cringe at.  It can also help to talk to yourself as if you were a friend who’s remembering an embarrassing moment. Would you tell them how embarrassing that moment was and how much they suck?  Probably not.  You’d be nice to them and tell them things will be okay.  Talk to yourself like you would a friend.

The fact that people aren’t paying attention to what you’re doing doesn’t just apply to cringey things you did in your past.  People are unlikely to remember that one time you tried a new hairstyle or wore an unusual piece of clothing.  They’re unlikely to remember that one time you asked someone out and they rejected you.  So many of the social pressures we feel can be remedied by remembering that most people are way too worried about what they’re doing and how they appear to the world to care about what you’re doing.

One more piece of advice- stop comparing yourself to other people.  The old adage, “comparison is the thief of joy” is totally, scientifically proven to be true.  Comparing ourselves to other people (or to TV shows, movies, characters in books, etc) makes us much less happy because we’re comparing everything we know about ourselves, good and bad, with a curated version of this person.  We don’t see them when they wake up in the morning with crusty eyes and frizzy hair, or when they have the flu, or when they’re overwhelmed and anxious and lashing out at the people around them.  But the truth is that everyone, even the people you think have perfect lives that you see on social media, are just people.  They have bad habits and negative traits and days where they’re not at their best, just like the rest of us.  If you really want to start being confident, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to mute or unfollow the people who make you feel insecure online, and replace them with people who inspire you- artists or activists or cute videos of animals, whatever works.  You’ll never be able to feel good about yourself if you’re constantly tracking all the ways in which you feel you don’t measure up.  But you will if you’re constantly seeing all the ways in which you do.

Last thing. Basic life care stuff, like good posture, exercising, eating well, sleeping well, meditating, and just generally practicing self-care and taking care of yourself can improve your confidence as well.  If you’re not starting on a strong foundation, it’s hard to build anything that will last.  But if your foundation is solid, all of the things you do to build your self-confidence on top of that will be, too.

[meli-productions]

Angel in the Gallery

Was able to get this one in earlier in the day! My next piece for the #ineffablehusbandsauweek by @ineffablehusbandsweek​. 

Available on my AO3 here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26664100

Professor Fell was everyone’s favorite. He was warm and friendly, with a bit of a bastard streak that his older students loved. And he made his subject come alive with his teaching - almost as if he’d been there among the salons of Paris or at Michelangelo's side as he painted the Sistine. 

And the best part of the Professor were his capricious trips to the museums - 

“How can I expect you to learn without being embraced by history and art itself?” he asked his students.

And really, who would argue?

It was a breezy October when Professor Fell decided to sweep his students up for a last-minute outing to the nearest art museum to see the Roman statues. 

The crowd huddled around him for warmth - and he did look the coziest wrapped in his tan cardigan and camel-hair overcoat. There was an inner warmth to the man, too, which the students just wanted to bask in as much as they did in the light of his smile.

“Come around, there’s a love,” he said. “Now, wander around a bit and take notes of what you see: subject, material, style all of it is indicative of something we’ve learned in the past few weeks. And don’t be lazy. I will be sitting in the new exhibit for you to meet up with in an hour.”

He waved them off and, hands clasped behind his back, made his way into the exhibit of the featured artist - one Anthony Crowley.

Professor Fell wandered around, taking in the beautiful contours and almost renaissance-like beauty of the artwork. He hummed happily as he came before a landscape - lush and green - with a snake wrapped around the trunk of a tree.

“Nice, huh,” a voice behind him said. “Heard it’s supposed to be an interpretation of Eden.”

He turned around and came across a handsome, angular face. The only discernible characteristics of the man before him were the wide smile and the red-hair that was tied back at the top letting the rest fall in soft waves around his shoulders. His eyes were hidden behind dark glasses that turned to the painting.

“It’s lovely,” said Professor Fell, turning back to the art. “I can tell that the artist really loves what he does - and this medium does him well. The oils really allow for the scenery to reach for its own light. Truly a master in their own right.”

The man gave a little hum, “Is that right? I’d love to hear your opinions on his other work…that is, if you have the time.”

Bright hazel eyes, sparkling with the intensity of his smile, “My dear boy, I have an hour before I’m swarmed by young academics wanting to share their discovery. I would love to take in the exhibit with someone.”

“And what can I call you, angel?”

“Oh, terribly rude of me. My name is Azra, Azra Fell. And you, dear?” asked Professor Fell, looking up at the man through his eyelashes.

“Just call me Tony.” 

As the hour wound down, students started circling around the exhibit where they were told to wait for their professor but not coming in just yet. The first two to arrive and slip in were a mischievous pair that flocked to Fell like chicks to a mother hen - Warlock and Adam - and they were surprised by what they saw. 

While every student knew everything there was to know about the oversharing professor -  from his home in London to the cat he’d had in uni that he’d named Oscar - and were protective about him - defending him from his hardass boss, Dr. Archer - there was one thing that only these two were privy to and more protective of than anything else. And that was Fell’s heart.

So when they found their dear Professor hiding a stream of chuckles behind a hand as he sat - a little too close - next to a stranger, the pair were immediately on high-alert.

“Who’s the twink?” asked Warlock, sliding in close to Adam and stare at the couple keeping their quiet laughter to themselves. “And why is he so close to Professor Fell?”

Adam shrugged, “I don’t know - but I think the professor likes them. And I think the twink likes him back.”

“Well, I don’t like him,” Warlock said, crossing his arms. “He looks like a love ‘em and leave ‘em type. Not good enough for Fell. Could break his heart.”

“There’s only one way to test him. Why don’t we go and find out what his intentions are,” said Adam, his eyes twinking with mischief. “If he can’t handle us hellions then he has no right to Fell. If he can - we can give him a chance, right ‘Lock?”

The other young man grunted his approval and allowed Adam to drag him forward as he rushed over to the blushing professor and his new friend. 

“Hey, prof,” said Adam, plopping down at Fell’s feet. “The exhibit was nice - got a lot of notes for the presentation. Can’t wait to show you what ‘Lock and I got. Who’s your new friend?”

Without waiting for Fell to respond, the man reached a hand out, “Tony, nice to meet you kid. You too,” this he directed at Warlock, “nice kicks, by the way.”

Warlock glanced down to his burgundy Docs and mumbled a thanks, choosing to sit on Professor Fell’s open side rather than the floor. For his part, the professor was alight with joy as he presented the boys to Tony, commenting that these two were his best students and sharing with boys the wonderful time that he and Tony had while looking through the new exhibit. 

“You like art?” Adam asked. 

Tony smiled, “I do. Love it - would make a career out of it. Like having someone to talk about art just as much.”

This was directed at Fell, who blushed once again and gave a wiggle that the boys had only seen him give when eating a good meal. Warlock and Adam shared a look, sharing a silent conversation between eyebrow raises and mouthed out words, then focused on Tony and the dopey smile he was giving their professor. 

It was Warlock that broke the silence with an exaggerated sigh, dropping his forehead against Fell’s soft cardigan, “I’m glad that you found someone to talk to, Professor. Must’ve been nice not to be bored waiting for us.”

A hand came up to smooth the long, black hair as Fell smiled back at Tony and said, “It is when the company is good.”

Tony shifted, bashful, and Adam rolled his eyes, but continued to study the two as Tony cleared his throat, “You know, Azra, I’ve been invited to the public opening of the exhibit - terribly boring, wouldn’t want to come alone - would you like to accompany me? Keep me from dashing my brains out?”

Warlock’s head shot up, looking at Adam with wide eyes and finding that his friend was in a similar state. Between them, Fell fiddled with his ring.

“Oh, I’d love to, dear boy, but - I don’t think I would fit in at such an event,” he said, the light in his face starting to dim. “I’m too - much too - outdated, fuddy-duddy- ”

“That’s not true.”

“You should go.”

“Go, Professor Fell, you’re smarter than the lot of them.”

The boys went up in arms, tugging on his shoulder and hand and trying to convince him to accompany Tony. Fell, surprised, turned from the two boys to Tony who was also a little taken aback if the slight drop of his mouth was to be believed.

Fell smiled, easing the boys off his extremities, “Well, dear. I guess I will be accompanying you after all.”

Tony beamed and the boys around them did, too. 

“Then it’s a date.”

Anthony J. Crowley - Crowley to those he liked - was in a frenzy. 

The minute he’d gotten back to his flat from the museum he’d swept into his studio and started sketching. One sketch turned into two - and then into a dozen - all of soft, Rubenesque round rolls of fat and sparkling eyes. Oils of blue, green, greys, and browns mixed to try and capture the right shade of dancing hazel.

“It has to be perfect,” he muttered, eyes narrowed at the canvas as he fixed the fluffiness of white curls with his fingers. “Perfect like him - an angel in the room.”

Since the moment he sauntered into the exhibit of his own work, he hadn’t been able to keep his eyes off the only other person in there. The way that the sunlight from above had fallen onto the fluffy curls of cloud-white and the rapture on the face, cute nose tilted up as he looked up at the hanging artwork - well, it was artwork in itself.

Azira Fell, stunning and soft and brilliant, had fallen into his path like a light to guide him towards new inspiration.

His subject matter had always been biblical - repenting demons and places like Eden and Babel - but never an angel. Until this one had appeared.

His phone rang and, with a press of paint-dirty fingers, he put it on speaker to continue working, “Crowley here.”

“Are you getting ready for the opening?”

Crowley rolled his eyes, “Nice to hear from you too, Bee, and I’m in the middle of a creative outpour so no, not yet. But I will be there, don’t worry your fuzzy little fly-head. You see, I have a date.”

From the other end of the line, there was a little hiss of laughter, “Who did you hoodwink into being your date to this thing.”

“Not hoodwinked, charmed,” he said, taking a break and sighing until his body was relaxed. “Bee, this is the most beautiful man I’ve ever met and he’s kind and simply amazing. I think I’m in love.”

“You said that both about Lilith and Lucian and look at what happened there,” said Bee,. “Just watch yourself, I don’t want you to go down that spiral again.”

Crowley cooed, “Aww, Bee-Bee, you do care.”

“Shut it, punk. Just finish up and get ready. Send me a few pictures of your work…see if we have another exhibit on our hands.”

And without letting him get another word in edgewise, Bee hung up and Crowley found himself facing the unfinished painting. The crinkles at his eyes and the soft curve of that smile that Crowley followed with the tip of his finger.

“He won’t be like the others. He’s different. I can tell,” he said. “You are.”

Azra was waiting outside of the exhibit, afraid to walk in alone and have eyes on him. He tugged the cream waistcoat down, wishing it didn’t press so tight against his stomach. 

Nerves danced within him until he felt like there was no other option but to turn around and go home - what was he doing in a place like this anyway? He didn’t fit - and Tony would be better off without someone like him.

This way he can find someone more like him.

Mind made up, Azra turned around and bumped into someone.

“Oh, I am terribly sorry, I was just on my way out,” he said, bending down to pick up the glasses that ended up on the floor.

“I certainly hope not,” the person he bumped into said. “Considering you’d be standing me up.”

Azra straightened up to meet the gorgeous, uncovered gold eyes of Tony who was giving him a shy smile. He let himself look the man over, a pang in his stomach as he took in the sleek black outfit, sinfully tight, and scattered with red sequins.

When he met the eyes again, Tony’s smile had slipped a little, “Are you really about to leave?”

“I - I just don’t belong here,” said Azra, pouting. “Everyone is so fashionable and beautiful and far beyond my league.”

Tony grabbed his hand where they were twirling the pair of sunglasses, “Hey, it’s alright, angel. You’re not here for them anyway, you’re here for me. And you’re just as beautiful as anyone in there - more, because those are just money hoarding, elites who have no heart. Now what do you say - will you come in with me?”

With a weak nod, Azra allowed Tony to take the glasses and tuck his hand into the fold of his elbow.

“There’s a love. Let’s go in, gorgeous.”

When they walked in, a short guest fell at Tony’s unoccupied side, eyes glued onto the phone in their hand.

“Okay, so they’ve been waiting for you. You probably will have a good ten minutes where everyone will want to schmooze, then another five for photo ops, and then one good one in front of the piece that you choose. Got it?”

Tony rolled his eyes, “I got it, Bee. Let me introduce my date, Azra. Azra, this is my - manager Bee.”

Bee looked around and their eyes got bigger at the sight of the professor, “Oh. Nice to meet you. I can see why he spent all afternoon doodling. Might have another hit series - won’t we, Crowley?”

Azra’s face paled as another moment of bickering passed between Bee and Tony, “Crowley? As in - as in Anthony Crowley? The - the artist of this exhibit?”

Around the artist in question, Bee gave a little snort, “Okay, so I know you’re not in it for the fame. Good to know. Keep an eye - and hand - on him, Crowley. You’ve got a keeper for once.”

Crowley turned around, hand scratching his neck, “Yeah, I - I didn’t want you to feel obligated to like anything just because of who I am. I really enjoyed our time this morning and didn’t want it ruined by - by my name.”

Azra sputtered, “My - my dear, your artwork is stunning. This is your celebration. I shouldn’t,” he tried to pull out of Crowley’s grasp which made him only hold on tighter.

“Please, don’t,” said Crowley, thumb rubbing over Azra’s knuckles. “I don’t care what all these people think - or what they’ll say. Please just let me enjoy the exhibit with someone that actually like me for me and not because my name is under all these paintings.”

“You could do much better than me, my dear, just look around.”

“Azra, listen to me,” Crowley said, turning him over so that they were face to face. He held Azra’s face in his hands and looked at him from above the rim of his glasses. “I think you are stunning - thought so since I laid eyes on you. I - ngk - here, let me show you.”

Crowley grappled with his phone and held it out for inspection. Pictures after pictures of the work he’d poured over that afternoon with one subject - Azra.

“You see, angel,” he said. “I don’t want any of these people on my arm or around it - I just want you. Please? Will you let me have tonight and then, if you want, not another second more.”

The open earnestness in Crowley’s eyes made Azra sigh, a small smile on his lips, “Tonight and - maybe dinner tomorrow? My treat?”

A giddy smile spread on Crowley’s face, “Absolutely, yes. Anything. Dinner, breakfast, a movie, a play - anything, hell, feed me to those boys of yours.”

Azra laughed and looped his arm into Crowley’s again, “Not anything so drastic, love. But, come now. I believe Bee said you had ten minutes of schmoozing to get through.”

Arm in arm and laughing, Crowley led Azra through the crowd of elites presenting him to all as ‘my angel and my muse’.

The next morning, Adam dropped a newspaper in front of Warlock, a giddy smile on his face when his friend looked up.

“Professor Fell’s dating the artist.”

Warlock for his part looked at the picture taken of the two - besotted smile on both their faces - and gave a little grin of his own.

“Good. He better know he has a treasure in his hands.”

Adam shrugged, “If he doesn’t, we’ll let him know.”

[gildedmuse]

I was totally going to post about what makes Raizo awesome, answer a question and fill a request but then my phone got destroyed. While I spend the next day or so fixing that. Here. Enjoy this....

@dragonprincess18 replied:

Poor guys, their dreams were crushed...And it was a simple dream. They just wanted mystical shadow assassins to be real. ...And now I'm imagining a crossover between One Piece and Ninja Turtles.

@gildedmuse replied:

Which one does Luffy inevitably ask to join his crew? Cause I feel like the easy answer: Michelangelo. But actually I think it would be Master Splinter.

@dragonprincess18 replied:

I can see Luffy and Law fighting to get all five on their crew, and being forced to settle on shared custody. 😂

@gildedmuse replied:

I asked my brother and his expert opinion was, "I don’t know, you're probably right. But Donatello and Franky be bros."

Also, we agreed that Raphael is just an angry Zoro. Which I was like, "You don't think Luffy would ask Law to join his crew?" 

His reply, "Well, he hasn't asked yet. Probably jealous of all that sweet time Law got with Zoro on the way to Wano." 

I HAVE TRAINED THIS BOY SO WELL PEOPLE

@dragonprincess18 replied:

Clearly! 😂 I think Donny would get along well with Law, too, as would Leo, while Raph and Mikey would prefer Luffy if only because he gets into the craziest adventures.

And Master Splinter would just want to listen to his shows.

@gildedmuse replied:

Leo: We need a plan. 

Luffy: Good point, Lion Turtle! 

Law: THAT IS LITERALLY WHAT I HAVE BEEN SAYING THE ENTIRE FUCKING TIME!? 

Luffy: Huh. I guess never heard you before because you're not a giant turtle ninja guy.

@dragonprincess18 replied:

Oh my god, that's exactly what would happen! 🤣 And Zoro teaming up with Raph to pick on Sanji, while Donny joins up with Usopp and Franky to build some crazy stuff while Mikey rolls around the deck with Chopper like a dork.

@gildedmuse replied: 

Raphael's and Zoro's Sole Interaction: 

Raphael: *Nods to Zoro* Nice swords. 

Zoro: *Nod returned* Nice Sais. 

Small But Morally In The Right Group Of Fans: Oh, well, I would ship the FUCK out of these two.

@dragonprincess18 replied:

That sounds about right!

Poor Master Splinter, I think he'd hide on the Polar Tang for some peace and quiet...

@gildedmuse replied:

Leo suggests all the most Law like shit only Luffy actually acknowledges him and takes it into consideration because he’s a goddamn ninja turtle. Law spends the entire time just over Leo's shoulder in various states of sullenness, outrage and indignation. This is exactly the advice he gave yesterday and Strawhat-ya straight up ignored.

@dragonprincess18 replied:

I figure he'd just take advantage of it and work with Leo to get things back on track after a while, still muttering under his breath about how Luffy never listens to him.

@gildedmuse replied: 

For some reason all I see now is Law being like, "Alright, I'm agreeing to leave Leo here because God knows someone should reign in the Strawhat. But goddamnit, Raphael comes with me. You only get one!" 4

Luffy: Okay if we also keep the rat monster! 

Nami: No, Luffy, that doesn't make sense. There are 4 turtles and 2 of you! 

Luffy: Oh, yeah, thank God we have this navigator-

Bepo: That is not what navigation is! 

Luffy: What do you mean we only get one?

Law: -pointing between Zoro and Raphael- You. Only. Get. One.

@dragonprincess18 replied:

I can definitely see Luffy just assuming everything Nami does as a 'navigator' thing. And Law trying to barter for Donny so he doesn't get stuck with Mikey. 😂

Oh my gosh, YES. 🤣

@gildedmuse replied:

You know Zoro tries to just stare down his captain as Luffy looks between the two like he isn't secretly nervous. Like... He believes in Luffy and their connection but also.... It's a goddamn ninja that's also a turtle and has goddamn awesome sai. So... You know, could go either way. He understands. It's a fucking ninja turtle.

@dragonprincess18 replied:

I would definitely be torn! And there's Sanji, egging Luffy on to keep the turtle. 😂

@gildedmuse replied:

Sanji: come on he's exactly like Zoro only useful! 

Zoro: Oi! 

Sanji: What? At least if we're stuck out at sea we can make turtle soup out of him. 

Chopper: Using food to guide Luffy's logic isn't fair! (Turtle soup does sound yummy though)

And Zoro just standing there like come on, Chopper, you too?

@dragonprincess18 replied:

And Mikey asking to go on the Tang because he doesn't want to be made into soup, while Raph grabs him by the mask like, I'm not getting stuck with you!

@gildedmuse replied:

I love that both Raph and Zoro are like well, you know what? I've accepted my date of being forced to go with Law. That is some good sidekick vision. They know who the fucking protagonist is!

Actually, phone, I meant fate but fuck it. I'm sticking with date.

@dragonprincess18 replied:

Raph hates it, but he's a natural second-in-command. And he also doesn't want to be stuck with Leo. 😂

There are no accidents.

@gildedmuse replied: 

Raphael: Well, I'm choosing Law. 

Zoro: -At the same time- We'd obviously both like to stay with our actual Captains so- 

Zoro:... 

Zoro: Wait did you just pick Law? 

Zoro: -Eyeing Leo- 

Zoro: Yeah... I'm gonna go ahead and go with Law as well then.

@dragonprincess18 replied:

And Luffy goes all anaconda on them, like NO! Law only gets one! Zoro's mine!

@gildedmuse replied:

On the sidelines Nami, Chopper and Usopp who do not want to be left without a super strong swordsman are just like WHAT!? 

Zoro can't explain. There's just something about some other dude with blades that he would definitely fight To The Death that he inherently trusts.

@dragonprincess18 replied:

And Sanji is trying to convince him to let Zoro go while Leo just tries to massage away a headache, and Donny raises a hand, like "I...also want to go with Law now."

Though I could also see Zoro taking Leo as a sparring partner.

And Usopp bartering for Donny, while Brooke quietly hides Master Splinter behind him.

@gildedmuse replied:

But that would be like Zoro taking Law as a sparing partner. Like I see it... I get where you're coming from. But there is sparing partners vs people you want to be on a crew with. Said with all the love in her heart. (Also, let's face it, it's Zoro. He can argue about it but whoever Luffy says they're taking... Those are now the people he would die for.)

@dragonprincess18 replied:

True...Zoro would do pretty much anything for Luffy. Except be nice to Sanji. There are lines.

@gildedmuse replied:

Also, for the record, Bepo considers them all minks and try to treat them as such and the turtles just like, "Well, no bro." And Bepo continuously shocked by this. Continuously.

I mean there are lines than there are fucking impassable mountains forever separating two spots.

@dragonprincess18 replied:

Yeah, Bepo would be so confused. 

Exactly, there are some things that can't be done.

@gildedmuse replied:

Luffy: Zoro, I need you to die for this crew

Zoro: I have already accepted this sacrifice and moved to make it so. Just as long as you become pirate king and my crew lives.

Luffy: Zoro, legitimately the only way the crew will survive is if you are nice to Sanji for like an hour... At most.

Zoro: Well, Captain, you and the crew can go fuck yourselves cuz that ain't happening.

@dragonprincess18 replied:

Yup. That's a canon conversation they've had in their minds. No need to voice it, Luffy knows. It's hard enough when Zoro has to work with Sanji for two straight minutes!

In comparison, Leo and Raph are best friends!

@gildedmuse replied:

For the record, if you were writing some weird NT/OP fanfic that was also ZoLaw friendly that is right there how you would get Zoro on the Polar Tang. 

Law: Actually, we'd have to take the turtle bladesman. Obviously yours is too invested in staying here with you... And black leg-ya who will also be on this ship. 

Zoro: FUCK IT, HAVE THE TURTLE I’M GOING WITH NOTSA... WITH LAW.

Law: -I got your swordman. Whatcha gonna do Strawhat? But nonverbal cuz Law-

I mean yeah because Raphael clearly a second. I know this because I have an unfortunate love of seconds. Like just love a main character or at least the fucking leader goddamnit. But still... You always love your captain, even if he has a stick up his ass.

@dragonprincess18 replied:

And Luffy pouting, but letting Zoro go... Because he plans on never letting Law leave, either. 😝 Neighbors!

 It's an unfortunate truth. Especially when you're the second-oldest.

@gildedmuse replied:

Oh well you've broken me. That's too cute. Just Luffy pouting like fine... But NAMI NEVER LET THAT SHIP OUT OF YOUR SIGHT! 

Zoro just like "I'm an adult and also.... Two years."

Luffy: I will never. Let you. Leave me. 

Zoro: I am in no way trying to. 

Luffy: -Dark eyes of Determination- Never.

@dragonprincess18 replied:

And Law standing there like, I'm never getting away from this, this is my life now, what did I do to deserve this? While the turtles are mostly relieved they're all staying together.

@gildedmuse replied:

Law: -Despair- 

Bepo: There there captain. At least you got a Swordsman now. 

Law: I AM A SWORDSMAN! Leo-ya is a swordsman! Why does no one think of us!? 

Penguin: Well no one actually forgot about Leo, we just accepted him as staying with the Strawhats so.... 

Meanwhile, Across The Ship

Zoro: Alright, so Kid and Drake are out. Why not the Bonney Pirates? 

Nami: Again,not physically here. 

Chopper: AND WHY DO YOU WANT TO ABANDONED US!?

Law: -DESPAIR-

The only argument regarding Law being all, "You know what? Fine take him back" is regarding if it's Zoro's destructiveness or Luffy's stubbornness that drives him to the edge.

@dragonprincess18 replied:

Zoro: It's me or the shitty cook. 

Sanji: I'm not going anywhere, mosshead! 

Zoro: See? 

Chopper and Usopp: 😭

Or both. Both is possible. And Luffy will still follow him everywhere because "We're allies, Torao! That means we're friends, and friends don't run from friends!" "THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS!"

@gildedmuse replied:

Law: GET OUT! 

Nami: Now would you say it was Zoro or Luffy's behavior that finally broke you? 

Law: Excuse me? 

Nami: Look, there is actual money on the line here, Law, so I will not hesitate to kill you.

@dragonprincess18 replied:

Law: ...Luffy. 

Nami: I knew it! Pay up! 

Usopp: Aw man, I swore it'd be Zoro's sense of direction...

@gildedmuse replied: 

 "JUST BECAUSE WE'RE ALLIES DOESN'T MAKE US FRIENDLY, STRAWHAT-YA! YOU CAN'T JUST HAVE YOUR SWORDSMAN BACK BECAUSE YOU MISS HIM! 

Luffy: I DIDN'T HEAR ANY OF THAT I’M GONNA JUST KEEP ON ASSUMING YOU KNOW THE RIGHT WAY BECAUSE WE BESTIES! 

Law: I DO NOT LIKE YOU! 

Luffy: LOVE YOU TOO!

Bepo is just like "Usopp is not wrong it's pretty bad you guys " No one pays him any attention. Maybe if he was a fucking ninja turtle....

When a Kung Fu polar bear just isn't enough

@dragonprincess18 replied:

Law is a grumpy panda teddy, and Luffy knows it. There's no denying it now. They've all seen it. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if he and Mikey both read Sora: Warrior of the sea.

Poor Bepo, he's still cute enough for me! *hugs Bepo*

@gildedmuse replied:

I mean you know Raphael reads that shit but doesn't openly tell anyone right? Because I feel that is definitely true.

@dragonprincess18 replied:

Raphael has a reputation to uphold. And a baby brother to annoy. 😂