#mikey loves his mac & cheese with sprinkles

[pezhead]

For age gap au, does Splinter feed the boys stuff like PB&J's or macaroni and cheese? Do the boys like food like that? Or just pizza?

Because they have been living in the sewers for only a year now (and Splinter trusts Leo to watch over the younger three) Splinter goes out scavenging for most of their meals and has yet to consider farming algae and worms. This means the boys' meals are much more diverse than in cannon 2012.

They start eating even better foods when Casey and April are able to bring cheap foods (exactly like macaroni & cheese and stuff for PB&Js). And they eat best whenever Karai visits. Girl refuses to let them eat garbage when she's around.

[dancal13]

Napa to Nashville - Day 2

You’d think with the two hour time change, that maybe just maybe I would wake up at a normal time.  Apparently that is not in the cards.  At 6a (4a PST),  I was up and in need of coffee.  I went down to the front desk and asked where the nearest Starbucks-ish-like coffee shop was located, as hotel coffee service in Nashville is not a thing.  I was directed to go one block, turn right and go 5 more blocks... (WTF that’s nearly half a mile a way) what is wrong with these people.  

I was sure they were wrong, so while walking using the provided direction, I pulled out my phone and “googled on bing” the nearest Starbucks, turned left and quickly learned that I should just listen to the locals.  After 30 minutes of wondering the streets of Nashville I ended up at the originally and properly directed Starbucks, got both hot and iced coffees for Susan and I, and shamefully walked back to the Hotel.  Suzy was still sleeping, none the wiser. When she woke we ordered breakfast in.. Going to be a long day, so we took our time.  

Around 11 we headed out, back to Broadway.  But with a reason... a purpose! So there is a thing in Nashville, I didn’t know, maybe you do.  But every Cowboy Boot store offers it.  If you buy 1 pair of boots, you get two additional pairs for free.  Now beyond the Why, is the question who needs 3 sets of cowboy boots. Likely there is someone, but not my wife.  What I didn’t know is the she was in Cahoots with our friends Kari and Michelle, and not unlike the Wine Barrell auction, Susan had a commitment from each of them to purchase a share (or 1/3) of the boot purchase.  So I spent my morning watching the kids, and when I say the kids I meant the 20 odd pairs of cowboy boots as Susan tried on, tested, texted her share holders and made super important boot decisions, that if done poorly could haunt the rest of our days.

For clarity of purpose my shoe selection stayed relatively boring, and was not swayed by the regions country/western bent. Avert your eyes if my legs offend you.

When it was all said and done Suzy got her boots and two other sets were shipped back home for distribution

As we hadn’t adjusted to the time, we needed to kill some time before eating a late lunch, so we explored Broadway in the daylight (and yes the place was rocking at noon).  We stopped by BB Kings, but to quiet, decided we might come back.

We moved on to a nearby alley recommended to us by one of our Lyft Driver’s known as Printer’s Alley and known for it’s Blues bars and music.  It immediately looked promising.

We looked in a few and chose the Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar.  Walked in grabbed a drink and watched two Bluesy dudes play guitar and sing (yes the blues) and they were great.  There were possibly 50 people in the bar, no more - enjoying the show, hiding from the heat and having a drink - we fit right in.

After a couple drinks and set of music, we tipped our waitress, tipped the band and headed back out into the street, and talked about coming back that evening to see Sista Ruth.

We walked a bit longer, scouting bars for the evening and looking for places that might broadcast the late Husky game.  It was 2p, and we were finally hungry for lunch.  

Beyond the music, Nashville is also famous for Hot Fried Chicken.  If you like food with heat this is a must try, the more touristy place is Hattie Bs, and the original hot chicken creator is Princes (again we learned this from our Lyft driver - great guides in Nashville).  We were planning to go to Princes, but the original location was closed the other was much further away, so Hattie B’s was where we landed.

It was hot out side and the line was out the door, Susan kept asking if we could have it ubered to our Hotel, then the line started moving, we ordered, sat and had our food in 20 minutes.  The chicken can be ordered at 6 different levels of heat - No heat, Mild, Medium, Hot, Damn Hot!, and Shut your Clucking Mouth!!  Susan ordered a Mild fried chicken sandwich and i order a Hot dark meat, we also added pimento mac & cheese, cole slaw and crinkle cut fries. Good news we ordered the heat level right for both of us.  Would like to try Damn Hot next time, but not necessarily an entire order.

We had plans that would take us late in to the night - Dinner, Music, Dancing and if lucky a Husky game near the end. (little did we know, play the ominous music).  So we headed back for some chill time and maybe a nap.

At 7p we were up, dressed to kill it (meaning, yes Susan had her new boots on) and ready to head out.  Side bar here: when heading to a cool new place we like to find restaurants that the locals like, not always easy but in this situation our friend Mike Epplin has a brother that shares the same mission, who had also been to Nashville and through Mikey provided us with a number of recommendations.  This night we would try Josephine

 We arrived thirty minutes early and were sat in the bar.  There were two talented and creative bar tenders working the small space.  I went with a less sweet Manhattan and Susan ordered what they described as beefed up Cosmo, where the pomegranate juice was replaced by Pomegranate liqueur.  Both executed well, the early vibe of the restaurant was awesome.

It was 50 minutes before we were sat, the hostess told us it was because she had a great table for us, with her favorite waiter, but the nice older lady who was sitting at it was dragging her feet and slowly drinking her tea. We were excited that we made such a nice impression, but as we watched all those around us who arrived later than us being sat and getting their food we started to question her sincerity.   Once we were seated though, and met our waiter our fears were allayed and what turned out to be a great meal began.  First things first.  an heirloom tomato bruschetta and duck fat hashbrowns with a sprinkling of trout roe.  Wow and Yum

I ordered a half bottle of Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Susan had another Cosmo.  Then our entrees arrived Carbonara and a grilled Pork Chop with a Sorghum Vinegar Glaze also delicious.

We decided to pass on desert, to keep it light as there was still a lot of time left in our evening.  Fun to be had.  We boarded yet another lyft and headed back to broadway.  

First stop..  And yes this is the actual, entire name.  Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk and Rock & Roll Steakhouse -  funny signs, four floors of food, drinks and live music, oh yeah and oh so many flat screens showing every sporting event being currently broadcast.  [Noted for later].  

The first band, was a hard rock band, and like most other bands we saw during our visit I couldn’t begin to tell you their name.  We grabbed a couple cocktails found a rail and enjoyed the show. 

The guy in the middle, stick thin and heroine chic, played the shit of the harmonica, moved like Jagger (not the song) and put on a helluva a show.  After busting through 8-10 songs he then wandered through the crowd with a metal bucket taking donations... New fact to share.. We went to a lot of bars, saw a lot of  bands - only BB Kings charged a cover.  Most, if not all of these bands play for tips, drinks, etc.  We tipped all the good bands we saw, if you love small venue live music, and are heading to Nashville budget accordingly.. 

Susan decided it was time to leave and head to the next place. So off we went, wandering about half block till we came to Crazy Town.  

Music sounded good, so in we went.  First song played by the new band in the new bar was “Blister In The Sun” by Violent Femmes, they had us at hello.  They played a few more progressive songs, bounced into Metallica “Sandman” then Bruno Mars “Uptown Funk” hit a country song or two and then back into progressive rock.  Nothing but fun.  Second Side Note: Good friend Brian Wilbur when getting beat by us on the golf course, so it happens often calls us HonYawks, no one on has a clue to what it means.  Saw this sign, which suggests he pronounces his insult wrong, though still no idea what it means

At the intermission of their set, I made sure to buy the band a few drinks, and tip them, I’m a quick study.  We stayed there for a couple hours dancing and drinking but it was almost time for Husky kick off. so we headed back to Kid Rock’s place headed to the third floor, found a seat at the three hundred foot rectangle bar, ordered drinks from her

and asked her to find FS1.  

Check - First quarter done Huskies leading. Then the weather gods intervened.  Good news we had other distractions. So we drank, watched other games, listened to music and waited. 

The game finally resumed around 2am our time.  They tied it up, we went back to the hotel, it was 2:30a, what could go wrong..  Figured we wait to read the good news in the AM...

[bluesakurablossom]

Life's Gift of Love: Mikey's Love Story

Chapter 4 Sky's Pov... One of my most favorite things to do during my past times is cooking. I don't know why but I always loved cooking when I was growing up. I always kept a various amounts of cook books that surprisingly have delicious vegan meals as well as making the same favorite foods that many people eat, but have it vegan style. I started to get the groceries out of the plastic bags when I came back from the market on the kitchen counter. I prepared a crock pot and began to peel the yellow potatoes over the sink, letting the skins fall in the drain, then slicing them into thin slices. I then began to dice the carrots and onions into tiny pieces before sliding all the vegetables into the pot. I poured a cup of water and coconut milk inside then adding a bit of cayenne pepper and paprika. I crushed a few cashews with my nut cracker before sprinkling them all over and then pouring a small tablespoon of lemon juice. As I turned up the heat letting the ingredients boil, I added a box of dried macaroni and a pinch of yeast, garlic powder, and salt before mixing it all together till it made a creamy yellow color. "Let's just hope this doesn't turn out to be a complete disaster", I said, to myself I set the lid over the pot to let it keep the steam in as I set the timer on the oven for twenty minutes to allow the dish to cook. Skittles came flying over landing on my shoulder as I gave the back of her head a scratch and her beak a kiss. "Pretty bird", I said, as I hand her half of a banana She took into her beak as she flew off landing on her perch and began to eat. I walked over to my fish tank and I opened the lid and sprinkled some natural fish food into the tank as the fish began to swim up quickly to the surface and began to feast catching and swimming after bits that started floating to the bottom of the tank. "Eat up you guys, its dinner time", I said, sprinkling in a little more food before closing the lid But when I did close the lid I heard a tapping. I figured it was nothing, thinking it might of been my imagination, but then I heard it again this time harder and someone talking. "Skylar, Skylar", a voice said, tapping my window repeatedly I quickly walked over to my window looking confused and I pushed the curtains back and looked outside to see Mikey with a look of relief on his face, as if something was freaking him out. I unlocked my window and I slid it up and sat down on the window sill. "Mikey?", I said "Hey", he said, smiling slightly sadly "Hey what's going on?", I asked "Is this a bad time?", he asked "No, no I was just chilling out at home, not doing anything, why?", I asked "Is it okay if I just hang out here for a little while?", he asked, looking desperate I nodded quickly. "Yeah of course, absolutely, come on in", I said, getting off the window to let him come through Mikey squeezed his body through the window as I moved away a few feet and waited for him to come inside. "Is everything okay?", I asked, concerned He closed the window before letting out a sigh. "Just got into a fight", he said, looking at me "Are you okay?", I asked, sounding panicked looking over him making sure there weren't any injuries on him "Are you hurt?" "No I am fine, I wasn't hurt, I mean like in a verbal fight", he said "What happened? Do you want to talk about it?", I asked "Just my brothers saying I don't take things seriously, how I always act childish all the time and make like I am not an important member of the team", he said, shrugging "Oh that's bullshit, pardon my French", I said, shaking my head "You do too take things seriously, you helped me with my emotions back at the shop, saved Usagi's life from death, and let alone saving my life from nearly drowning out in the ocean" "Yeah but they don't know about those things", he said "You mean you haven't told them about me?", I asked, surprised "Skylar, if they knew you knew me, they would have my shell for that", he said "I would be in so much trouble" "Is it bad that we know each other?", I asked, sounding concerned "It's bad to them, because its a threat to know our existence and that we will be exposed to more humans, and that we could possibly be captured let alone killed", he said "But I wouldn't tell anyone, I mean who is going to believe me anyways?", I said "Like hey guys guess what I was saved by a giant talking turtle who does martial arts, people will think I am more crazy than I am already. I am not going to expose you like that, you are my friend and I wouldn't put you in any danger by any means" "I just worry what they might do to me if they found out, let alone what they might do to you", he said, looking worried "Well if anyone tries anything, they got another thing coming towards them if they think they can do whatever to me or you just because we are friends", I said, seriously "That's why I ran off, to get away from them, and I wanted to see you again", he said "Awww Mikey", I said, walking over to him pulling him into my arms "You are welcomed here anytime you want, no matter what, day or night, if you need to get away or just want to come by, the window is always open" "Thanks Sky", he said, wrapping his arms around me making into a hug "I have dinner cooking right now", I said, looking up at him "I have enough for a few plates, if you want some?" "Mmmmmmm yummy I am always hungry!", he said, licking his lips hungrily, looking over in the kitchen seeing the steam coming from the crock pot "Well it will be ready soon, but you can just hang out with my critters till its done, they were wondering when they were going to see you again", I said, as Mikey walked over jumping over the couch landing on the sofa Kisa was the first to greet him as she jumped down from her cat tree and landed on the couch and walked up to him and he smiled reaching behind him as he petted her head as she rubbed herself against him purring loudly. "Hey Kisa, purring like a motorboat there", he said Skittles was next to greet him as she came flying off her perch towards him. "Hello Mikey", she squawked "Hey she said my name!", he said, excitedly "She just learned that last week, I was really eager to let her show you", I said, smiling She landed on his shoulder as he gave her head a few gentle scratches. "Any luck on the Darth Vader impression yet?", he asked "Still working on it, she is getting close, I think she will have mastered it by next week", I said "You are lucky Sky, I wish I had this many pets like you have", he said, as he was getting cuddles by Kisa and Skittles "Well they can be a bit of a handful, but I don't regret it, it's worth it", I said "I think you would be a great pet owner" "You think so?", he asked "I can tell you would be", I said, nodding "Do you think your family might let you have one?" "Maybe, I am not so sure, its not like I could just walk in some place and adopt", he said, shrugging "Well you could always help a stray one you know, I mean Kisa and Usagi were strays", I said "There is always a stray out there that could use some love" "Yeah that is true, but the hardest part is convincing the family to let me have it", he said "Well I think if you explain that you will be solely responsible over it, I don't see how they could not let you", I said "I could give it a try, but I am not sure it will be a guarantee", he said "Well you never know unless you try", I said, smiling "By the way, how's Usagi doing?", Mikey asked "Oh he is perfect, he eats like a horse and sleep like a rock", I said, as I gave Iggy and Lola their pellets in their small bowl they shared "Hardly chews on any of my stuff too" I could hear metal bars cling together and I looked over my shoulder seeing Usagi standing on his hind legs. I made him his own little enclosure with a wooden hutch, a play tunnel, scratching post and toys to chew on and a little litter box. He looked like he was trying to climb out of the cage, as he looked at Mikey. I couldn't help but smile. "Mikey it looks like someone is happy to see you", I said Mikey grinned as he came walking up towards Usagi in his cage as he stretched his little body up to reach up higher to get his front paws on top of the cage. "Hey little furry dude!", Mikey said, as he picked him up in his arms and gave his ear a scratch "How you doing?" Usagi rubbed his head against his hand then began to sniff around his shoulder climbing up more on him. "He really loves you Mikey, he must be very thankful for you saving his life", I said "Well you helped too, it wasn't just me", he said "Yeah I know, but I think you did the heroic act", I said, giving him a smile "You saved someone's life" "Awwww shucks, just doing my job", he said, slightly blushing looking at me shyly I giggled. "Well good news is he is in good health, I took him to the vet the morning after we found him to be on the safe side and the vet gave him the all clear for any complications", I said "The vet said we were lucky to save him just in time, a few more hours out there in the cold, he might of not made it" "Well good thing we did take that path and not the scenic route", Mikey said "You are telling me", I said, nodding in agreement The sound of the oven went ringing off. "Oh great! Dinner is ready!", I said, walking quickly into the kitchen to shut off the timer "What's for dinner Sky?", Mikey called out "Hope you like mac and cheese", I said, taking the lid off the crock pot sniffing the freshly cooked meal "It's a new recipe I wanted to try" "Well I am always up for trying something new", he said, getting up quickly running to the dinning table I scooped out the pasta with my ladle as I set it on two plates and I came out with two bottles of Orange Crush soda balancing right next to it. "And since its a new recipe I made, I threw in our favorite drink to go along with it", I said "You read my mind like a telepath", he said, giving me a thumbs up I giggled. "As if I am one", I said, giggling as I placed the plates down and we began to eat Mikey's Pov... The whole time we were eating together, I could not help myself and stare at Skylar for a few seconds before she noticed I was looking at her the whole time. Luckily I looked away in time not trying to make myself so suspicious. She really does have this bright and energetic personality. You could say that we were both very similar in personality, as well as the same interests for tattoos and animals. I am always trying to make people laugh and smile when they don't want to, feel sad, or even if they push me away. Not to mention Skylar is really nice, caring and cute too. And I don't mean that just because of my flirting every time I see a hot girl on a billboard or magazine, I mean she really is beautiful, maybe even more than my friend April. This girl really is someone who you seldom see, since most of the people if they see me would not react well, but she surprised me with her reaction and actually sees me as someone and not something. Seeing how far she has come from where she started really was an inspiration to me, from being on her own at a young age and making it out there without giving up, she is like a hero in my eyes. As we finished the dinner, she took my plates and utensils and we both looked at each other and smiled. "That was really good Sky, it tasted different than what I normally would try", I said "What was that recipe?" She kind of looked at me uneasily as she looked slightly away from me. I was starting to think I did something wrong or something else if that makes her not answer. Jeez now I feel like an idiot for bringing that up. "Well to be truthful Mikey, there is something about me you don't know about", she said, as she looked back at me "What do you mean?", I asked "Well okay, but don't laugh when I tell you this", she said "Why would I laugh at you?", I asked, looking confused at her "I have told people about it before and they just think its just a joke", she said "Hey we are friends dudette! I wouldn't laugh at you, well not unless it was a prank", I said, smirking She giggled slightly at the joke. "Are you sure?", she asked, sounding a bit serious "I won't laugh at you, I promise you", I said, giving her a honest smile Her eyes looked down for a moment before she let out a breathe and looked up at me. "I am a vegan", she said, cringing She then looked away as if she was waiting for me to burst out laughing. But I looked at her with a worried look before I got up and placed my hand on her shoulder. "I am not going to laugh at you about that", I said Skylar looked up at me confused, as if she didn't believe what I was saying. "You are not?", she asked "No, I am not going to laugh at you for what you eat and don't eat", I said, shaking my head "Seriously?", she asked, with a cocked eyebrow "Seriously, I am not kidding", I said, looking at her with truth in my eyes "Wow, I was wrong, I thought you might of would of thought it was the most stupid thing you ever heard of", Skylar said "Saying that I am tree hugger or a grass eater or something like that" "But that is who you are, if you are happy with it, then that is all that matters", I said, with a smile "It's your choice on how you live it and you should be proud for that" She smiled. "Thanks Mikey", she said "That does mean a lot to me" I smiled back to her. "So how long have you been a vegan?", I asked "Pretty much all my life", she said, as I followed her in the kitchen "I started when I was nine" "Wow that's quite the early start", I said, surprised "Usually you hear teenagers starting out first" "Yeah at first I didn't know what a vegan was, that is until I talked with some activists doing a parade and they told me what happens behind the walls and closed doors", she said, starting to fill up the sink "Is it bad as they say it is?", I asked, starting to help her wash the dishes "If you saw the footage that I have from doing my activist work, you probably would have a major freak out", she said, nodding drying a plate I gulped hard. "Yikes", I said "Yeah its pretty disturbing", she said "That's why I am like I am today, I didn't want to be an intentional cause to what happens every day" "I am sorry people tease you like that", I said, looking at her concerned "It's okay Mikey", she said, with a small smile "Sometimes the best you can do is just to block out those words that can bring you down and keep yourself going, at least that is what I think. I mean I have been told I wouldn't make it out there when I first left home and I blocked out all that and look where I am now, being able to support myself, my animals and doing what I love and I believe in" "That's good, more people should learn a thing or two from you Skylar", I said "Well people could, if they were willing to listen which unfortunately doesn't happen too often", she said, with a smirk "I hear that loud and clear", I said, smirking We both laughed as we finished up with the dishes. "Thanks again for dinner Sky, it was really good", I said "Awww no worries, glad you liked, it turned out better than what I imagined", she said, giggling "You want to stay for a little while longer or do you have to get going?" "Mmmmm I don't know, my brothers they still might be up and about and I don't want to go back for a round two of hearing negative criticism", I said, uneasily "Well if you want to stick around just to wait for the heat to die down by all means stay", she said, sipping her drink "I am not going to kick you out just like that" "Great, jeez I am stuffed", I said, collapsing on the couch "That mac and cheese was very filling" Sky's Pov... I collapsed on my bean bag chair right next to the couch. I know its not common in a living room, but hey its my space and I love it. "You said it dude", I said, stretching out my arms After a few moments of the both of us crashing in the living room, I spent that time just looking around trying to figure out what to say and that's when my eyes locked on to my black helmets with green and white flames and a smile came to my face. I knew this was going to be fun. "Hey Mikey?", I asked "Mmmmm?", he asked, looking over at me "Do you want to try something new?", I asked He gave me a strange look. "What do you mean?", he asked "Ever been on a motorbike?", I asked "Ummmm...no", he said "Well want to?", I asked "Is it safe?", he asked, sounding a bit unsure "Would I stir you into danger?", I asked, cocking an eyebrow "I don't think so", he said, shaking his head "Well then you can trust me on this, want to go for a motorbike ride?", I said "You have a bike?", he asked, surprised "Yup sure do", I said, with a smile "It's a good one, very fast too" "Well, then I say, let's do it!", he said, with a smile "Awesome!", I said, getting up I grabbed my helmets off my shelf and I tossed him one. "You will need this", I said "Meet me on the other side of the building in the parking garage, you are going to love it!" "I am on it!", he said, quickly going over the couch and climbing out the window I giggled as I watched him disappear out of my view. "This guys enthusiasm I swear, with the amount he has in his system he could light up the whole city", I said, to myself I locked up my apartment and headed down the stairs and out the door. The parking garage was outside the apartment complex and I jumped over the guard and ran down the ramp. I saw Mikey swinging outside the concrete walls like a monkey on a vine on the railings. "Come on this way!", I called out, running "Wait for me!", he called out I ran up towards the end of the parking garage as Mikey slid right in through the opening. "Alright don't get too excited, it's a few years old so its not totally new", I said I tossed off the protective dust cover, to reveal a dark green Yamaha motorcycle with black trim with silver rims around the black tires. The polish around it was a bit faded due to the elements, but other than it looked to be in good condition. "Oh woah! Are you kidding me?", he said, looking at it surprised "I know I have to put some work into it, once I am done with it, its going to be show room awesome", I said, climbing on and putting on my helmet "Well no time like testing this puppy out!", he said, climbing on and turning the key in the ignition The motor roared as it started and Mikey slipped on his helmet putting on the windshield cover over his eyes. "You ready?", I asked, looking over my shoulder "Let her rip!", he yelled "Hang on tight!", I called out I reared up the accelerator and just in a few seconds we were zooming across the parking garage at high speeds. Mikey held on to me around my shoulders and waist as we rode up on the ramp and I sped up the bike faster, making us do a little jump on the dip and I skid us quickly to the right as we sped down the street. "Skylar this is awesome!", Mikey yelled "I told ya!", I called out I reared up the bike even faster as we went down the vacant street doing a wheelie cheering. We rode miles from home going on the streets where there was little car and police activity to enjoy our wild ride. As we stopped at the docks to take a breather, the wind was blowing softly from the ocean beside us, where shipping crates were stacked getting prepared to board cargo ships, we both climbed taking a few gulps from our water bottles. "Woah what a rush!", Mikey said, taking off his helmet "Told you it was fast! And that's just a stepping stone on the speed", I said, wiping the sweat off my forehead "Wait until you see until we get up to triple digit speeds" But as we continued on with our water break, we heard a few bangs of what sounded like metal. "Did you hear that?", I asked "Yeah, let's go check it out", Mikey said, putting his helmet on my bike I did the same as we both moved towards the fence to get a better look. That's when we heard a female voicing yelling. "Move out, next point, go go go!", she yelled "What the frick is that?", I asked "I don't know Sky, but lets move closer", he said, starting to climb the fence "Hey wait for me!", I called out, quietly I climbed the fence as we both landed on the ground and we quickly followed the sound of where the yelling was coming from. When we heard more clanking metal, we looked from a storage unit and we saw men going into other storage units and taking out crates and tossing them on the ground as they made glass shattering sounds. "Who are those guys?", I asked "The Foot Ninja", Mikey said "Foot Ninja? Quite the cheesy name if you ask me", I said, crossing my arms "While it does sounds cheesy, looks can be deceiving for these guys are not cool dudes", he said "How so?", I asked "They do nothing but steal and vandalize", he said I was now understanding what Mikey was talking about, as I saw a few ninjas breaking into another storage unit and going through more of the same crates breaking them with frustration and one was painting a graffiti symbol on the side of the unit. "Okay now these guys are not cool dudes at all", I said, nodding in agreement "We got to stop them!" "I will stop them, you need to stay here", he said, looking down at me "What you are benching me? I am not even injured", I said "Its too risky Sky, these guys are tough, I will deal with them", he said "Last time you faced these dingbats you nearly got yourself killed, you think I am going to allow that to happen again? I think not", I said, cocking an eyebrow "Please Sky, just stay here", he said, sounding serious I sighed annoyed. "Fine", I said, rolling my eyes defeated "I will stay, but if anyone tries anything I am stepping in" "Stay behind here, you won't be seen", he said, pushing me back more behind the unit "Be careful", I said, as I watched him sneak off I kept a close watch from behind the unit, keeping a low profile like Mikey told me to as I was about to watch the action unfold. Mikey snuck around and then disappeared from my view as I quietly waited for something to happen. I then heard the sounds of yelling and screaming, common sounds you would hear in a fight just about to take place. "I got movement!", a ninja yelled I gasped and hid back behind the unit thinking it was me that they saw, but they moved away from where I was hiding, and I let out a heavy sigh of relief. Glad that they were not after me. The curiosity in me urged me to follow to investigate and so cautiously I followed close behind. That's when I saw Mikey jump quietly behind a unit. Suddenly a unit was tossed at one of the men, causing me to jump back in fright. "Holy shit!", I said, whispering The ninjas were then called to a retreat by the female voice and they all ran. I looked around the unit I was hiding behind to see what was happening, but quickly hid once more when the ninjas vehicles started to zoom by me. I hid back in the dark and waited to look back out when the noises faded. I walked out quietly and cautiously to see Mikey was standing boldly on top of the unit watching then ninjas disappear. He looked like a knight in shining armor saving the land from an evil threat and I couldn't help but watch him in wonder and awe. "Wow", I said, breathlessly I quickly ran over to where he was at as I saw him doing the same symbol I saw the night I saw Mikey, in purple and orange spray paint. "Dude! That was freaking amazing!", I said "Awwww it was nothing", he said, as he finished doing the symbol "Nothing?! You kidding me?! That was the most incredible thing I have ever seen!", I said "You being able to lift that on your own and let alone do that without being spotted! You got like the strength of a thousand men!" "All apart of being the ninja", he said, flexing a muscle leaning against the unit I then took a closer look at the symbol he made. "Wow this is very cool, very authentic and much creative detail", I said, observing it "Its our clan symbol", Mikey said "You guys made this?", I asked He nodded smiling and I looked back at the art. "Wow, its beautiful, very unique, it has so much character and tells a great story behind all of it", I said, pressing my hand against the dried paint "Thanks, we try hard to make great art", he said, walking up beside "Curious to ask, I know this might sound weird, do you think I could use this piece?", I asked "What for?", he asked "It could boost up production at the shop, I mean we have been having slow business these past few weeks and we have been struggling to come up with new designs and with this I think this would really draw people's attention", I said "Well I don't know", he said, sounding a bit unsure "I will give you credit for it, I am not going to plagiarize someone's work without asking them", I said, shoving his shoulder "And I will give 50/50 profits" "How much do you think its worth?", he asked, nodding his head towards the symbol "With this, mmmmmm I would think, with the amount of detail in this, I would say", I said, looking it over "$2000 a piece" "What?!", he said, dropping his nunchucks and his jaw to the ground "Yup not lying and trust me, I know the values of a tattoo", I said, nodding "Dude that's insane! Its worth that much?!", he said, looking at the symbol "I ain't kidding dude, it's worth that much", I said, shaking my head and crossing my arms "So are you up for it?" He thought about it for a moment by rubbing his chin looking at the art piece then looked at me. "Deal!", he said "Cool beans!", I said, excitedly We both gave each other a high five and body slam laughing. I then took out my phone and I took a picture of the symbol. "This is awesome, this will really boost up production now", I said, putting my phone back in my pocket "I will have to get to work on this right away" "We might as well get out of here anyways, in case anymore ninjas decide to show up", Mikey said "And I got to get home before my brothers come topside looking for me" "I'll drive you back, be faster anyways", I said "I am driving this time!", he said, running off "Oh I don't think so!", I said, laughing chasing after him We drove back towards my place as I stopped outside the first alley that was on my block. I turned off my bike as I took of my helmet and Mikey handed me back his. "Well this certainly has been a crazy night", he said "Yes I agree, one that I could considered absolutely insane", I said, giggling "Well I hope our symbol will help you guys out at the shop", he said "I hope it does too, I am going to draw it up tonight and show it to my boss tomorrow morning when I go into my shift and see what he thinks", I said "Let's hope it gets good vibes", he said "We did put a lot of effort into creating it" "I'm sure it will", I said, nodding in confidence "Thanks for letting me come by tonight Sky", he said, with a smile "Oh of course, no problem", I said, smiling back "And don't let your brothers comments bring you down Mikey, just block it out and keep continuing on with what you do best" "I'll try", he said, nodding "Trust me it will work, believe me it does wonders", I said "And if they keep continuing on, don't worry, karma comes around and bites people in the ass when they least expect it" He snickered at my joke. "Yeah that's true", he said I smiled. "You get home safe and steer clear of those ninjas", I said "Hey don't worry about me, I can handle it", he said, doing a pose showing off his muscles I giggled. "I know you can handle it, I am just saying be careful", I said, giving a smirk "I don't want my friend getting hurt" "I promise you, I will be careful", he said "Well I should get going" "Yeah me too, got to rest up for tomorrow, got a full schedule ahead of me", I said, putting on my helmet "I'll text you when I get home", he said "Sounds cool, well I will see you around", I said, starting up my bike "Yeah see you around Angel Cakes", he said, with a bright smile I couldn't help but laugh. "Nice one, well I will see you around Cutie Pie", I said. smirking I kicked off my kickstand as I drove down the road heading back home. "Hey that was a good one too!", he called out "Thanks! Bye!", I called out, looking back waving with my hand He waved back as I zoomed faster down the road, and looking forward I couldn't help but smile. This guy really is something different and one that I feel like I can trust. All the way back home, I was thinking about him and I didn't know if I was thinking about him as a friend or something else, something more maybe. Mikey's Pov... I quickly made my way up to the rooftops and got up to the top to see Skylar riding her bike farther out into the distance until I saw her make her way down into the garage. "Wow, she is...awesome", I said, to myself "Man not like any girl you would ever meet" As I turned around to make my way back home, I crashed into something hard as I jumped down from the edge and landed hard on the ground. "Ow! Jeez that hurt!", I said, rubbing my aching head "Wouldn't hurt as much as if I could give you a beating right now", a tough voice said I looked up and to my surprise, shock and fear were my brothers standing over me, and believe me they didn't look happy at all with me. "Care to explain your little friend Mikey?", Leo said, stepping forward towards me "Oh um hey Leo, what's going down bro?", I asked, laughing nervously He didn't seem to buy my act as I could feel my heart starting to pound in my chest and sweat pour down my face. "We were actually out here trying to find you to apologize for what we said, but it looks like you got some explaining to do", he said, glaring down at me "Awwww sewer apples", I said, groaning