#the rise turtles are the middle ground

[forgetful-nerd]

2012! Leo communicates through vines

MM! Leo communicates through TikToks

Rise! Leo has to stand between them and act like a god damn translator every time they interact.

[quartergremlin]

Do you by any chance have any more ideas or plans for the leosagi babies comic

Do we get to see leo explain to Sagi? Or announce to the fam? Or stuffs like that

Its genuinely my favorite comic if yours to go back and reread it is so well written

vbdjhvbsfdj thank you 🥺

not really, at least not for now! I have one more ask that i'll probably answer, but other than that there's not much there for me - at least until i flesh out what the future actually looks like.

"I'm so happy!" "me too!"

I wanted to focus on a different turtle for each stage of development to avoid reiterating the same things over again - mikey (pre-baby) > leo (baby) > raph (post-baby) > donnie (post-post baby, otherwise known as a child).

"Baby Angst Hammer"

[sixofclovers]

testing how my silly little animations gonna look coloured

[spirit-of-the-westao3]

Literally, this is it.

[ddarker-dreams]

Worthy Motivator.

Blade x Reader.

Warnings: Typical Blade morbidity, Blade's slightly yan because I can never write him as Normal, and not SFW implications. Word count: 1k.

Author notes are at the end of the story!

Washcloth in hand, you wipe away the perspiration clinging to your skin. 

While doing so, you squint, an act your reflection obediently mimics, confirming that yes; this disheveled figure is indeed you. You smooth out your hair, moisturize your face, then apply a light layer of toner. The process is completed in a timely fashion. A few hand motions made midair dim the bathroom’s lights.

Yawning, the door slides open at your behest, retreating into the wall like a turtle does its shell. The room is dome-shaped and customized to your liking. A light birch wood floor, pale pink walls, and windows showcasing scenery of a tulip field stretching on for miles. Windmills dot the distance, turning at their leisure. Gentle orange hues from two rising suns envelop the room in a cozy glow. 

If you hadn’t known any better, you’d believe you were actually on the planet Ethos, not traversing the cold, unforgiving space between galaxies.

While playing with the settings to change the time being depicted to twilight, it finally dawns on you that you’re not alone. 

Blazing eyes freeze you in place and your breath catches in your throat. 

“Blade,” you greet, wincing at how gracelessly the word rolls from your tongue, “I didn’t expect…” 

You cut yourself off, figuring that finishing the sentence will strengthen the bizarre atmosphere. What can be said, anyway? ‘Thanks for that,’ or ‘couldn’t have done it without you,’ maybe? Both options seem equally terrible. To make matters worse, he doesn’t explain why he’s stuck around. He continues to stand beside your nightstand, arms crossed over his chest, his lips drawn in a straight line. 

You’re the only one boasting signs of your previous tryst, the most obvious being your unsteady gait. Hoping to convey some decorum, you clasp your hands behind your back and straighten your posture. Surely, he’ll spill whatever’s on his mind and then make himself scarce. That’s been his modus operandi ever since this undefined relationship stumbled into existence. You tried not to take it personally. You’re both adults, if he doesn’t want to stick around for pillow talk, you won’t fault him for it. 

His eyes sear through your being. 

“You’re going to Illij.” 

You blink, thrown off by the flat delivery and the intentions it conceals. He’s either painfully blunt or cryptic in his word choice. It’d be nice if he could find a middle ground between both extremes, but that’s wishful thinking. 

With unusual impatience, he adds, “Alone.” 

Ah. 

A certain magenta-haired beauty’s previous words resurface in your mind. 

“—Alone? Not taking Bladie along for the ride?” she had tutted. “You’ll hurt his feelings.” 

You thought she was teasing, as she’s wont to do, yet your developing dilemma proves otherwise. That, or you couldn’t bring yourself to acknowledge the truth in her words. 

Whilst shifting your weight from one foot to another, you meekly reply, “Kafka gave me permission.” 

He has the audacity to roll his eyes at you. 

“Permission, huh?” 

The condescension corrodes your former sheepishness. 

Placing a hand on your hips, you reply, “That’s the word I used, yes.” 

Your room pulsates with palpable tension. He stands to his full height — having been seated on your bed’s edge — sauntering over like a cat poised to pounce. You cross your arms over your chest as the distance shrinks. He’s yet to fully dress himself, wearing only his signature gray pants. His bare torso is marred with innumerable scars that vary in length and angle. Every time you both succumb to the heat of passion, his bandages occupy a new spot, depending on the circumstances of his latest battles. Presently, the cloth coils around his midsection and upper left arm. 

He’s close enough now for you to notice the latter unraveling. 

It isn’t anything logical that urges you forward. The sentiment resides deep in the recesses of your psyche, unsuccessfully shoved down by denial and trepidation. This formless substance takes shape as you meet him halfway. Blade towers over you. Given the massive gap in your abilities, you should fear him, but you know your pounding heart isn’t spurred by negative emotion. 

Much to his perplexity, you set aside the nascent quarrel, focusing your attention elsewhere. Nimble fingers resecure the rebellious cloth. 

“You’re terrible at taking care of yourself,” you mutter. “Honestly, what am I s’posed to do with you…?” 

It’s subtle, but this shift in tone relaxes his muscles. That is, until you admit: 

“I don’t like you being my bodyguard.”

Confusion contorts his countenance, then something more raw; something dangerously intimate. 

“I don’t like seeing you get hurt because of me,” you continue, lowering both your voice and head. “It’s… it’s awful and— and then— you don’t even care!” 

Hoping to avoid further humiliation, you stop there, taking deep breaths to prevent tears from flowing. This wasn’t the direction you wanted the evening to take. You wanted to take a bath, dip into a game Silver Wolf wouldn’t stop raving about, and then prepare for your imminent trip. The trip that’d put thousands of lightyears between you and a man whose blood spilled for your sake could rival an ocean. 

“I’ll be fine on my own. I’ve got Silv’s disguise software and she knows how to track me. So — I don’t know — take it easy, or something. You’ve got the month off.” 

His response is immediate. “I can’t.”

“Wh— did you not hear anything I just said?” you sputter. 

“I heard,” he confirms. He raises his hand to the bandage you rewrapped, as if trying to savor your lingering warmth. “When you’re gone, I cannot ‘take it easy.’” 

Blade uses your stupefaction to his advantage. He takes your much smaller hand into his and places it over his heart. It thumps at a slow, steady pace, like it hasn’t been obliterated and formed anew thousands of times. Your fingers twitch. His body, though colder than the average person’s, emits just enough warmth to indicate life. You feel the raised, textured skin that’s present above his every vital organ. It speaks of untold horrors; untold suffering. 

His chest rumbles as he says, “If I’ve no choice but to live… you’d make for a worthwhile reason.” 

You rest your forehead against his chest and squeeze your eyes shut. 

Kafka… are you sure it isn’t my feelings that’re in the most danger? 

A/N: owing to mental illness, aside from nexus, i devised another storyline for (slightly) less unhinged blade, this time with a stellaron hunter reader. while it has the material to make a series, i don't plan on starting up another multi-chaptered work until i make further progress into my current project 😭 still, i'm happy to talk about it if anyone's curious! here are some tidbits that give additional story context for this universe:

reader isn't super thrilled to be a stellaron hunter. a desperate situation ended in them joining the ranks. they're the emanator of the aeon of illumination, whose name i'm still undecided on. essentially, they're a 'consumer of stars,' capable of absorbing + storing well. you guessed it. stars. as you can imagine, this ability can provide immeasurable energy or devastation depending on its usage.

as a consequence, when reader's performing the sealing process, they're extremely vulnerable. it isn't exactly subtle, people tend to notice when their nearby sun is going cyaaaaaa ✌ and try to stop them. that's where bladie comes in. he kills anything and anyone that threatens them.

ethos is a pretty meadow planet that's known for harvesting clean energy (hydro, solar, wind) and using minimum technology. most of its inhabitants go their entire lives without ever seeing a computer. long distance communication is carried out through a dedicated fleet of carrier pigeons.

illij is a laissez-faire paradise. consumerism galore. ads projected in the night sky, ads projected in your dreams in certain low income areas where people can't afford space adblock™. it's a lot but sometimes reader appreciates the distraction.

[riseoftheangstywriter]

How do u think the turtles would react if s/o got the turtles their favorite franchise(Jupiter Jim or Lou jitsu) merch after they attempted to buy it(but they were broke)?

Love this idea! I plan on writing a little scenario for each of the rise turts but part 1 will just be Mikey and Donnie(part 2 coming soon), enjoy!!

Mikey

You're guided through the lair by the heavenly aroma that could only be the result of Mikeys' incredible baking. It was truly a delight to see whatever he was whipping up when you managed to stop by at just the right time.

You practically float into the kitchen, the box turtle in the middle of pulling a tray out of the oven.

"Something sweet?" You hum, watching as his surprise melts into joy at the sight of you, smile matching his grin. You've mistaken it for the sun more than once.

"More like someone sweet." He removes his oven mitts and meets you halfway in a tight hug. "I made brownies y/n!" The syllables of your name slip fondly from his tongue, his enthusiasm enveloping you with warmth.

His head fits right in the crook of your neck, his usual resting spot in an embrace such as this. He smells like chocolate. Feels like home.

"I have something for you." Unable to contain your secret any longer, you pull away, presenting him with a bag, orange tissue paper loosely sticking out.

His eyes light up, fingers dancing in anticipation at whatever this thing might be. "Really?!"

All you can do is nod, holding your breath as he takes it from you, tearing through the packaging with that contagious unconfined energy you adored.

You know the exact moment he sees what it is, his jaw dropping in time with your gleeful giggle. Your hand covers your face, unable to hold back the joyful sounds escaping your throat.

"Is this the limited edition Jupiter Jim cookbook? Which has all the food and beverages from the films and comics?!"

You nod, knowing he had been dying to get it whenever it had come out. Being such a niche piece of merchandise, it sold out almost immediately. Not to mention it wasn't exactly in his price range.

He was a good sport about not being able to add it to his growing collection, but seeing his crestfallen expression for even a second was all it took for you to decide you would stop at nothing to get it for him.

Now that you've gotten it, Mikey could-

"Woah!" Your feet leave the ground as you are lifted in the air, being twirled around multiple times. A reminder of his incredible strength despite his size.

"Ohmigosh y/n! This is incredible! You're incredible!" One hand cradles your face, his other arm wrapped around your waist, holding you up. "I love it!" He repeats multiple times, kissing your cheeks over and over. "I love you!"

"I-I love you too!" You manage to stutter out between the onslaught of pecks, dizzy and lovesick.

Planted back to reality, Mikey shakes your shoulders. "Do you have plans tomorrow? If not, I'm making a three course- no, a five course meal! I have to go shopping, I need to call April!"

"You have all the time in the world." You reply reassuringly, still endeared by his eagerness.

"I know, I know. It's just I've been wanting this for like forever!" He calms, now seeming to finally process what you've done. "...You remembered?"

How could you not? You're already far into that stage of wanting to know every little thing about him, and what you have learned was already committed to memory forever. You knew he was no mind reader; you just wanted to express yourself to him like he did to you. It mattered, really. Deeply.

"Of course." Simple and sweet words were enough for him to understand. He leans into you, your hand pressed against his plastron, tracing the sticker on its' surface.

"You're the best." He swears to you, like a promise he plans to never break.

What ensues next is a playful back and forth, ending in more laughter. Sunshine finds its' way in, even in the underground tunnels of New York.

He leaves you with the brownies, rounding up his family with an extra spring in his step. You take a bite of a corner piece; relishing in its sweetness, it being cooked to perfection as usual. Although it was nothing compared to Mikey's affection.

Not even close.

Donnie

Like clockwork, you arrive to Donnie's lab. A weekly cycle, but the farthest thing from a chore. A highlight seems like a more fitting description.

The doors open for you with a hiss, inviting to you while perhaps ominous to a stranger. His space, and now, in a way, yours too by association.

He's working. Focused. Diligent as ever. He's rarely been irked by your interruptions when they do occur, but out of respect you keep your distance. Besides, you didn't mind observing from afar. Or admiring.

He greets you, like always. The creaking of a nearby chair is indication of your "sitting down and vegging out on your phone after a long day time", so he doesn't shift his attention to you just yet. Wanting to complete his current task first.

You aren't on your phone, however. Instead, you wait patiently. Wanting to get his reaction whenever he sees... it.

It takes around fifteen minutes before you hear a satisfied sigh and a readjust of his googles. Then a pause, an empty space where his first words to you should be.

"..y/n?" He turns in his chair, eyes narrowed and an immaculate eyebrow quirked.

"Yes?" You mirror his questioning expression, feigning ignorance. An attempt to be cute, hoping to add to your charm that got him to fall for you, somehow.

"What did you put on my desk?" A harmless, even logical question; but you have a terrible poker face and are horrible at hiding when you're excited about something.

You focus on the subject of conversation. A gray box, with more height than width. Decorating it is a purple satin ribbon.

You look between it and him. "Oh that? I don't know. Maybe you should open it and see."

For a moment you're sure he'll question it, but to your delight he obliges to your initial request. Your stomach churns; that means he trusts you. That was great, amazing even. Yet..

Going by his side, you watch as he puts the package in his lap, slowly tugging on the fabric of the ribbon, letting it loosen so he can pull it away with ease.

His hands linger over the lid, a silent ask for permission in his subtle glance upwards.

"Well?" You say, sweaty palms concealed behind your back.

A huff in response, and the lid is popped off.

It's quiet for about a minute, Donnie peering inside the box, hands still firmly on its' sides. The suspense is gnawing at you, screaming internally for any reaction at all. Please.

Then he lifts it out, holding it carefully in his skilled fingers. The holy grail itself. An Atomic Lass figurine. Not just any figurine. It's Atomic Lass in her outfit from Jupiter Jim's Pluto Vacation IV, which just so happens to be his favorite film in the franchise. Not to mention this item was so hard to find, not even the soft shell himself could get it in his possession.

Biting your tongue so hard it might bleed, you try to piece together his thoughts by a thorough study of his expression. You knew how particular he was about his well-kept merchandise collection. You polished it yourself, only pleased once it shined like the titanium bust of his head. Desperate to impress him; even now, after all this time. Dreading what would happen if you managed to fail. Had you failed already?

He sets down the figure, staring at it. Then an exhale, as he squares his shoulders, facing you.

"How much do I owe you?"

What? "What? Nothing." That was the last thing you had expected him to say. Your gesture had no price tag, but feeling the need to elaborate just to bring the point home, you add. "Zero dollars."

His eyes are cast downwards, but it's unmistakable. He's thinking. Now you see. He's calculating how much it might have cost you. How many hours you worked at your job in order to pay for it. Classic Donnie overthink. You wouldn't allow that.

With purpose, you bend down to eye level, pressing a gentle kiss on the area between his pinched brows. "It's a gift, Donnie." Fingers meet his chin as you lift his head up. "You don't owe me anything."

It seems to have pained him, how easily you assured him no favor was needed, or even wanted by you. "No. No- you cannot possibly expect me to just take this," his fingers grasp your wrist, hand almost shaking. "This is too much."

His sweetness, yet hypocrisy is extremely adorable. "It is most certainly not. There's plenty of times we've been in this exact situation, just the other way around, and you know what you said every time I tried to repay you?"

Not really asking for an answer, you continue, "You say it's fine, and that your purpose of doing things for me is never to get something in return," you trace his jaw, feeling it clench. "It's the same thing for me."

Using his own principles against him was a killing blow, seeing his conflicting emotions settle into resignation, yet the apprehension was there. "I have no doubt it was difficult for you to find such rare..." He trails off, eyeing the statue and all its' details. "It's magnificent."

His breathless praise fuels your ego, just a bit. "I'm really really glad you think so." You kiss his cheek, pulling yourself out of his loosening grip.

With a surprised gasp he brings you right back in, kissing you with a sudden ferocity that makes your head spin and skin shimmer, a bubbling warmth threatening to boil over. The position you're in is a little awkward, but with Donnie's lips on yours like this you found no reason to complain.

"Please," Almost like a plea, his eyes rake over your contented smile, breath hitching. "Let- Let me do something for you. Anything."

The constant need Donnie had to help you stoked the embers in your heart even more. Falling impossibly further for him just when you think there couldn't possibly be anything else to love, to admire.

Your nose meets his snout with a meaningful nuzzle, and you caress a wrinkle on his forehead with a thumb. "Anything? Well... a movie right now sounds nice. If I may throw out a suggestion here, what are your opinions on Jupiter Jim's Pluto Vacation IV?"

Once he realizes the direction you were taking with his proposition, he scoffs, the familiar sound furthering your fond amusement. "Is that a serious request, y/n?"

"To be honest," you cup his cheek, seeing how youthful he looks like this. Wide eyes and shining pupils. "Just this is plenty, but if you actually feel like you have to repay me, which you don't... then yes, I'm serious."

He sighs into your touch, clearly wanting to argue your "request". That push and pull between you both was always fun to indulge in; but in this case, he accepts. "Very well, even though I do not consider that sufficient in the slightest." He could grumble all he wants, he knew you had succeeded.

Movie night commences shortly after, and you listen as he brainstorms how exactly he'll display his figurine, insistent just setting it alongside the others wasn't enough. Soaking up every word, you cuddle closer. You should surprise Donnie more often. You could get used to this.

[goodlucktai]

17 with rise b-team?

dialogue prompts

17. “How many fingers am I holding up? ... I don't have six fingers.” 

x

“Ohmigosh!” Mikey scrambles down the fire escape with half of his usual grace—which is to say, not much—and lands with a clumsy splash next to Donnie’s boneless sprawl. “Donald, you hit the ground so hard pops probably heard it at home. Are you okay?”

Donnie makes a noise that just sounds like eeuuugrrgghheeuugh. Rainwater is seeping into him from all sides thanks to the puddle he landed in. Normally, he would be making this everyone’s problem by now. The fact that he’s just kind of laying there like he’s given up on life is really worth freaking out about. 

Worried, Mikey tugs frantically at the shoulder of Donnie’s jacket until he opens his eyes, then demands, “How many fingers am I holding up?” 

Squinting at him, Donatello thinks about it for a moment, then announces, “Six.”

“I don’t have six fingers!” Mikey shrieks, the peace sign he’s still holding up an inappropriately cheerful gesture for the current situation. 

His big brother scrambles upright at that, his wooden expression falling away and sheer panic flashing across his face instead. 

“What in Lovelace’s name do you mean you don’t have—”

Mikey lifts his left hand in its bright yellow short arm cast. They both look at it, and then Donnie puts his face in his hand without speaking in a way that manages to speak volumes. 

“You’re the one who told me to pretend like my broken hand wasn’t even there!” Mikey says defensively.

“Yes, because Nardo will hunt me for sport if you make that break any worse while I’m directly responsible for you.”

Drawing himself up to his full height, which isn’t remarkable on a good day and even less-so when he’s kneeling in the rainy mush of a Brooklyn alleyway, Mikey grits out, “I’m not a baby. I don’t need supervision.”

“Counterpoint, you are a baby and you do need supervision,” Donatello says dryly, heaving himself up off the ground. The battle shell absorbed the brunt of the impact, designed to protect his spine in pretty much every conceivable scenario, but he still looks like he feels pretty sore after that dramatic fall. He puts his hand out for Mikey to take, but Mikey sulks at him and ignores it. “Michael, I just watched you do a handspring off the railing of a sixth-story fire escape. 

“Yeah and it was sick.” 

Or it would have been, if not for the rusted joints that gave beneath roughly one hundred and fifty pounds of ninja turtle. Donnie’s last-minute save was sick as hell, though. 

He didn’t think twice before grabbing Mikey and hauling him onto the safety of the solid rooftop, using himself as a counterweight to pull it off. He wasn’t wearing the battleshell that could fly or turn into spiderlegs, because they were doing a junkyard run and he wanted the one with extra storage space instead. He knew he’d fall, he’s too smart not to have run all those calculations in the split-second he had, but he didn’t miss a beat. 

Mikey doesn’t like that Don almost got hurt helping him. It sours his righteous annoyance a little. And it also lessens his argument by a lot. 

“There are four of us, which divides neatly into two halves of two,” Donatello says patiently. “Two of us who are older, and two of us who are younger. You are firmly in the younger half. If it makes you feel any better, our fearless leader is, too. Why do you think Raph refuses to let him out of his sight while his leg is in that brace? You’re both the babies.”

“Bet you wouldn’t say that to his face,” Mikey mutters, but it does make him feel better, so he lets Donnie haul him to his feet. 

And Donnie was right about more than that, because the second they meet up with Raph and Leo, Leonardo demands, “Miguelito, what did you do?”

As one, Donnie and Mikey look down at his cast—which, okay, which has a thin crack down the middle. Presumably from when Mikey landed on the roof after Donnie’s Hail Mary throw. How did Leo even see it from way over there? 

Donnie starts to look hunted even before Leo whirls on him and says, “You had one job, Tello—make sure his razz stayed un-tazzed!” 

“That is easily a three-turtle operation and there is only one of me!”

Since the twins can go on for ages once they really get started, Mikey drifts over to Raph, offering his biggest brother his best smile. Raph smiles back like a knee-jerk reaction, reaching over to rub Mikey’s head affectionately.

“Have fun, big man?”

“Yep!” Mikey says sweetly. “Donnie will probably tell you some crazy story about acrobatics on a rooftop, but you know how he likes to exaggerate when Leo eggs him on. We had a totally lowkey junk run. Can we get Crazyshakes on the way home?”

Raphie’s not stupid, but he has three very significant blind spots, and they’re all little-brother-shaped. He softens completely and lifts Mikey up to sit in place of pride on his shoulders, tall enough to see all of Manhattan. Then he passes up his phone, even though Mikey totally would have ordered the shakes on his!

He’ll never not complain about being one of the babies, but he has to admit—just to himself, in secret—that there are definitely some perks. 

“Make sure you get that shortcake one for Leon,” Raphie says offhandedly. “He’s been on a strawberry kick recently.”

Part of Mikey wants to roll his eyes at this additional bit of proof that Donnie is constantly right about everything. The much larger part of him just feels warm and sweet and cared for.

He wraps his arm around Raph’s head and squeezes, as much of a hug as he can manage with the phone in one hand and the other in a cast, and adds all four of their favorites to the order. The twins’ argument bounces off the alley walls around them, both of them on the verge of laughter by now and trying not to be the one who breaks first.

Mikey normally isn’t very fond of rainy days, but this one he wouldn’t mind living in. 

[fishsticksloser]

Can I request a reader x Future Donnie where Reader is being very stubborn and refusing to let him leave cuddles to work? Like clinging onto him, hanging off of him, etc etc just silly n fluffy?

-Shadow

Self-Care

F!Donnie x gn!reader

Warnings: angst, Donnie is upset, fluff, exasperated Donatello, Kraang future, Donnie needs rest, swearing

A/N: Another late post? Crazy.... I'm very sorry it's so late...

"Donnie?" You ask softly, your hands gently resting on his softshell. You press a soft kiss to the nape of his neck, his body tensing at your touch. His concentration breaks for a moment, turning his head to glance at you, a mix of surprise and irritation in his eys.

"Can't you see I'm in the middle of something here?" He snaps, his voice laced with annoyance. He tries to shrug your hands from his shell, not wanting any distractions. "I've got important work to do, so please, just let me focus." His words come out curt and dismissive, as if he's already moved from the brief interruption.

"You're tense..." You sigh, your hands moving to his shoulders. Donnie's body stiffens even more, his irritation growing.

"I said I don't need your help," he grumbles, his voice strained. "I'm perfectly capable of handling my own stress." His words come out sharp, laced with frustration. Despite his resistance, a small part of him secretly enjoys your touch, but he refuses to let it show.

"Obviously." Considering you haven't eaten all day... Or actually slept in 3." You point out, a tiny hint of sarcasm in your voice.

Donnie's eyes widen in surprise as you pull him away from his desk, effectively blocking his access to his work. He looks at you with a mixture of annoyance and curiosity, his irritation momentarily overshadowed by your actions.

"What are you doing?" He asks, a slight flicker of concern in his eyes. "I told you, I have important work to do. I don't have time for this." Deep down he knows you're right about his lack of self-care, but he's too stubborn to admit it.

"Bed. Now." You point over to your bedroom down, remaining firm as you know the excuses that will come from the stubborn turtle. Donnie's eye narrow at your words, his frustration growing once again.

"Excuse me?" He retorts, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Last time I checked, you don't get to boss me around." He crosses his arms, his stubborness rising to the surface. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myslef, thank you very much. I don't need you telling me what to do." Despite his defiant words, there's a flicker of vulnerability in his eyes, a hint of weariness that he's been trying to hide. He stands, his large form looming over you, but you don't back down. "I won't be treated like a child, and I won't be controlled. So let me get back to work."

"Absolutely not." You shake your head, you hold your ground, letting him know you didn't plan on moving. "Bed now, please."

"I'm not going to bed just because you say so," He answers, his voice firm and resolute. "I have work to do. I can't just abandon all of that because you think I need rest." He crosses his arms over his chest again, his stance unwavering. "I appreciate your concern, but I can take care of myself. I'm not some fragile creature that needs to be coddled." His words come out with a mix of determination and exasperation, his frustration palpable.

"You're such a stubborn ass..." You hugg, crossing your own arms. You knew he could very easily pick you up and move you, but both of you knew the other wouldn't give up. "You can't do your best if you're tired, if you're not eating. So go to bed."

Donnie's eyes narrow at your remark, his frustration reaching its boiling point. He takes a step closer, his towering figure casting a shadow over you. "Stubborn ass, huh?" He mutters, his voice laced with sarcasm. "Coming from someone who's just as stuborn as me." He shakes his head, a mix of irritation and admiration playing across his features. "I don't need you to tell me what's best for me," his voice defiant. "I know my limits, and I know how to push myself. I've been doing it my whole life." His voice tinged with stubborn pride, unwilling to admit he needs a break.

"I'm not going to let exhaustion or hunger stop me from doing what needs to get done." He takes another step closer, his voice lowering to a dangerous growl. "So, if you think you can boss me around and make me do what you want, you're sorely mistaken." He locks eyes with you, a challenge burning in his gaze. "If you want me to rest, you're going to have to make me."

"You know I can't..." You whisper, looking at him with pleading eyes. "Donnie. Please, you're destroying yourself by keeping this up. You haven't slept, you haven't eaten." Your hands hesitantly rise to cup his face, he doesn't pull away, allowing your hands to find their normal place on his cheeks. You see his nose wrinkle, anger filling his eyes. "I know you probably think I'm mean and you probably hate me right now. I honestly don't care what you call me, what you say to me. What matters is your well-being, not me."

Donnie's anger wavers for a moment as he looking into your pleading eyes. He can see the genuine concern etched across your face, and it gives hiim pause. Your words strike a nerve, resonating with a part of him that he often tries to bury beneath his stubbornness and pride. He takes a deep breath, his features softening slightly, but his guard remains up.

"Don't pretend like you know what's best for me," he mutters, his voice filled with vulnerability and defiance. His gaze flickers away from your, his jaw set in a stubborn line. "I can't afford to rest, to be weak. The Kraang won't wait for us to catch our breaths." He hesitates, his eyes darting back to you, his voice quieter. "I appreciate your concern. I know you're just trying to look out for me. Maybe... Maybe I've been too hard-headed."

"Fine." He finally conceds, his voice softer. "I'll rest. I'll eat." His lips quick into a small, weary smile. "But only because you asked, not because you're right. Got it?" he raises his an eyebrow, a hint of his usual sass returning.

As Donnie retreats to the bedroom, his mind is filled with conflicting thoughts and emotions. The weight of his own stubbornness and pride weigh heavily on his shoulders, and he can't help but feel a twinge of guilt for pushing you away. But the scientist in him, the part that is driven by the need to protect his family and defeat the Kraang tells him that he must priotize his work.

In the bedroom, he sits on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands. He knows he needs to rest, he knows that he can't continue pushing himself to the brink of exhaustion. But the fear of failure, the fear of letting his family down, gnaws at him. He want to prove himself, to be the one that saves the day, and he's afraid that if he takes a step back, he'll lose that chance.

His mind races, thoughts and emotions colliding in the chaotic mess. He knows he loves you, he knows you care about him deeply, but the tangled mess of his own insecurities prevents him from fully expressing it. He wants to reach out to you, offer some form of comfort, but he can't bring himself to do it.

Donnie's head turns as he hears the sound of the bedroom door opening. He freezes for a moment, his eyes locking on yours as you step into the room. There's a flicker of surprise in his gaze. He wasn't expecting you to follow him, to bridge the distance that had frown between you.

For a few heartbeats, the room is filled with heavy silence, hsi gaze searching yours as if trying to decipher your intentions. His lips part, as if he wants to speak, but he hesitates, uncertain of what to say.

Finally he breaks the silence, his voice tingerd with longing. "I... I didn't expect you to come in here," he admits, his gaze dropping to the floor for a moment before returning to meet yours. "I... I guess I thought you needed space from me. But if you're here, maybe we can talk. Maybe I can try to explain, try to make you understand." His voice cracks slightly, the vulnerability seeping through the cracks of his usually composed exterior. He takes a deep breath, steeling himself for what he's about to say.

"I'm sorry," He admits, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry for pushing you away, for not being able to fully express... Everything.I care about you, more than I can put into words. But sometimes... Sometimes I get so wrapped up in my own fears that I forget to show it." His eyes never leave yours as he continues, his voice sincer and desperate. "I don't want to lose you. I don't want to be the reason you're hurting. I'm trying, I really am, to find a balance."

He reaches out tentaively, his hands overing in the space between you. "I don't know if you still want me, if you still belive in us. But if you do... If you're willing to give me another chance, I promise I'll work on showing you how much you mean to me." His hands tremble slightly, the vulnerability palpable. "Please," he whispers, his voice filled with hope and fear. "Please tell me we can find a way back to each other."

You step closer, allowing him to grab you hips, pulling you to stand between his legs. You craddle his face gently, shaking your head. "Space? From you?" With a surge of boldness, he leans in, capturing your lips in a tender kiss, pouring all of his love and longing into that single moment. It's a promise, a pledge to fight for your relationship, to never let you doubt his feelings again.

As the kiss lingers, he pulls back slightly, his forehead resting against yours. "I love you," he murmurs, his voice vulnerable and full of adoration. "And I'll spend the rest of my life showing you just how much."

"I love you too." You mumble, your lips finding his again, his heart soaring from your words. As your lips find his again, he surrenders himself to the slow tender kiss, a gentle sigh escaping his lips.

⋆｡ ﾟ｡☁︎👾｡ ﾟ｡⋆

Donnie's eyes flutter open, his mind slowly emerging from the depths of sleep. You whine softly as you feel the bed shift, Donnie sitting up to go back to the lab. You quickly stop the terapin, pulling him back down into bed with you. "Do you have to leave?"

"I have things I need to work on." He admits, his voice laced with regret. "There's always something that needs my attention, somethign I need to fix or improve."

"Well, I'm not allowing it." You huff, moving to lay on top of him. He knew very well that he could easily move you if he so desired, but he didn't.

Donnie lets out a soft chuckle as he wraps his arms around you. "You're a stubborn one, aren't you?" He teases, a playful smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "But I suppose, I'll stay here a little longer, just for you."

[our-happygirl500-fan]

A nice detail that I kind of noticed was that the Rise opening in season 2 is slightly different than it is in season 1

When we see inside the Turtle Tank when Leo lands on top of it, originally in season 1 only April & Donnie are in the Turtle Tank but in season 2 Splinter is with them as well.

Another interesting change between season 1 & 2 is that the group of villains that we see, changes between seasons. In season 1 we see Meat Sweats, Hypno, Warren, Repo, Big Mama & a bunch of Mutant Silver Fish.

However in season 2 we see that Meat Sweats & Big Mama have been replaced by Sloppy Joseph (the mutated sloppy joe that Draxum kept from the episode  Mystery Meat) & Harold (the botanical gardens grounds keeper/ security guard who mutated in the episode How to Make Enemies and Bend People to Your Will)

The Mutant Silver Fish also Disappear from the openings between seasons 1 & 2 (maybe to represent the Turtles dealing with bigger, more serious threats?)  however there are other additions  

Mrs Nubbins (Repo’s cat) now appears in the season 2 opening alongside Repo Mantis possibly representing how Mrs Nubbins got mutated at some point in the middle of season 1 as the cat actually appeared pre-mutation in the episode Repo Mantis.

Ghostbear: Peekaboo losers!

Mikey, Leo, April & Donnie: Ghost Bear!?

Raph: Oh! Love the new look! Oooh hey, can I get a quick selfie?

Ghostbear who has also been added to the season 2 opening as similar to Mrs Nubbins, Ghost Bear also mutated in the middle of season 1 when he mutated in the episode Snow Day.

Hypno: That’s my Warren! Oh, it’s good to have ya’ back roomie/ magical assistant/ friend. Doves! Let’s go make fun of game show contestants on TV.

Another change is that Warren has switched from sitting on Meat Sweat’s shoulder to sitting on Hypno’s shoulder which might represent relationship that developed between Warren & Hypno in season 1.

Casey/ Foot Recruit was also added to the season 2 opening possibly representing how Foot Recruit was kind of supposed to have a bigger role throughout season 2 as apparently it had been planned that April & Cassandra were supposed to have a rivalry throughout season 2 but unfortunately most of their episodes were cut & the only one we got was Always Be Brownies.

Though most of Casey’s episodes were cut from season two she still did have quite a journey with her ending up on the side of the Hamato Clan so it would have been interesting to see where she would have been in an opening had Rise gotten a season 3.

Especially since it seems as though in the time between the end of season 2 & the movie Cassandra has been placed firmly in the ‘friend’ category for the Hamato Clan according to April as she calls Cassandra ‘our friend’.

April: Whoa! Looks like our friend Cassandra here has been busy

Finally, the final change between the season 1 & 2 openings is that Draxum has been replaced by Shredder as the seasons ‘big bad’ which makes sense as Draxum has his redemption arc in season 2 starting in the episode Repairin’ the Barron

Draxum: I told you Carol I do not want to meet your daughter

Karai: Thank you my young Hamato’s, we will always be with you

Oroku Saki was freed from the Dark Armour at the end of season 2 & went off to be with the other Hamato spirits so if Rise had gotten a season 3 a new Big Bad would have ended up in the spot of Draxum & Shredder

The ‘Big Bad’ of season 3 could have possibly been one of the Krang or Big Mama as though the Krang were always meant to be the movie’s antagonists we do know that at least one Krang was left on earth at the end of the movie.

However Big Mama could also possibly be a contender for the ‘Big Bad’ of season 3 as we know that the original outline for the third season was meant to be the Turtles looking for the two missing Turtle siblings & with the fact that Big Mama’s Assistant has been implied by the Rise team to have been one of the two missing siblings it’s possible that the Hamato Clan could have come into more direct conflict with Big Mama in the third season.

In the movie Krang Prime’s throne was made out of a Triceraton skull meaning that Triceraton’s do most likely exist in the Rise universe so the ‘Big Bad’ of season 3 might very well possibly been a Triceraton invasion.

Leo: They wanted to wipe out their ancient enemy the Krang

In the 2012 series one of the reasons for the Triceraton’s invasion was due to the Krang’s presence on Earth. A lot of the people who worked on the 2012 series also worked on Rise as well & as such some similarities between the two shows can sometimes be seen (such as both iterations having April & Casey be teens). It’s possible that Rise could have another similarity to the 2012 series by having the Triceratons come to Earth as a response to the Krang’s own presence there.

If the Triceratons do come to earth due to the Krang’s presence there then the events of the movie could possibly set up the Krang as the series next big bad.

Anyway the differences between the season 1 opening and the season 2 opening include:

Splinter being added to the Turtle Tank with April & Donnie

New villains in the villain group shot

A different ‘Big Bad’ in the final scene

So it is possible if Rise had gotten a season 3 the season 3 opening might have had Casey in the Turtle Tank with Donnie, April & Splinter (maybe standing behind one of their seats?), a new villain group shot with possibly villains that were introduced in the middle of season 2 or villains that will be introduced in season 3 & a new ‘Big Bad’ in the final scene.

[torturedblue]

It’s the middle of the week, have some dancing turtles

Spoilers below as I gush about my Mutant Mayhem Monday experience 🤗 please feel free to gush with me I wanna hear other people’s thoughts too!

First off… When Seth wanted to put the teenager in TMNT he meant it. Like, all the versions act like teenagers, but like Nickelodeon PG stereotypical teens. MM turtles were the realest PG-13 outta pocket 21st century teenagers I’ve ever seen and I love that shit because it’s the first time I actually felt like I was around the kids in middle school and high school again with the way they talk. Kinda appreciate Superfly cussing too? Like idk it’s Ice Cube and this villain goes hard tryna kill some teenage turtles he formally saw as his lil cousins, let the grown mutant cuss

Also uh, was not expecting to be sad so early in the movie? Like I could tell from the trailers it was gon be an emotional rollercoaster but shit like ten minutes in and these turtles are fuckin depressed. And to see it really hit me because in every other version (except for Bayverse) the turtles literally never let not being part of the human world get to them. In the shows especially they’re so well adjusted and never bothered by sticking to the shadows. Then there’s Rise where they pretty much go out whenever they want and indulge in most of the human world stuff they want to. For these guys to be so stunted and desperate to have more freedom was so heart wrenching. Especially when Splinter grounds them for a whole month and the reality sinks in of how much they know the life they want isn’t an option for them

Wasn’t expecting any kind of ship or romance but that crush Leo has on April hit me like truck because…… holy crap the Leo-April pair has never been a thing? On top of that this is only the second on screen black April we’ve seen and I’ve been a Leo kinnie across the board since day one so to see this combo of my favorite character liking a black girl is making me lose my mind 🥲 and like it got me thinking of several of my favorite shows and the single characters I kin in those and if they’ve ever had black love interests and it’s just still not a common normalized thing honestly.

I’m sure a lot of people aren’t excited for the prospect of ships coming back (especially after 2012 scarred us) but as a Leo lover and black girl it got me so excited to see something like this. I’m just hopeful and optimistic they won’t mess it up like a lot of shows do. The “this is just as friends line” already makes me a little worried bc that trope never has a good history but I have faith they’ll handle things tastefully and not make it toxic or messy

MURDER THE SHREKS!

“I assume you’d wanna be on camera. ‘Cause you have, like a very camera ready look…” OKAY SMOOOOOTH LEONARDOOOOOO 👏🏽

Could not stop laughing while he was shooting his shot my face was literally donnie’s restraining myself from bursting out laughing

Just a couple of my favorite questions that April wrote down for them:

“Do you carry salmonella?” Look I still don’t know wtf salmonella is but it’s the second time a TMNT iteration has joked about it so I’m starting to think it has something specifically to do with turtles 👀

“Have you caught covid?” Oml covid exists in this world

“Are you the source of covid?” OUT OF LINE 💀

“How many people has the red bandana turtle stabbed? Does he need therapy?” Yes.

“Does sunlight cause you to burst into flames?” They’re- they’re not vampires? 😂

Leon Ardo deserves the world and whatever he wants in it give him everything 😭

I will never understand what made Donnie laugh so hard at the name Nardo other than it being because it’s his sibling and that it bothers Leo lmao

All imma say about the puke scene is that I’m glad I heard an “out of context” spoiler about it bc I knew exactly when to look away and I’m glad I did bc the scene lasted for so long??? 😀❓But hey at least I had Unwritten to listen too while I was sparing my eyes 😂

The sequence of them going around and shaking down those gangs and Superfly’s connections. BAD. ASS. And each of them got their own moments to shine? Loved it. Like they each even got to take point and have their moments where they got to kick in the door lol. And the fight scenes were just, muah. Chef’s kiss, they all looked amazing taking grown ass adults down together

Okay Splinter definitely gets the best dad award for putting together that little surprise party, with all the celebrity Chris’s and pretending to wait on them 🥺 so pure. It did make me sad the guys immediately left and you can just see such a sad dejected look on Splinter’s face, knowing he can’t provide what his kids really want or make them happy enough without it 🥲 At the very least they say thanks and that they appreciate but I would’ve at least stayed for a lil bit and gone along with it, Splinter just looked so excited about it and it was so sweet 😭

And he doesn’t even get upset though he knows they’re hiding something, he just says he’ll help them if they’ve gotten into trouble, which is something I’m sure almost every kid has wanted instead of having the kind of relationship where they’re more scared of telling their parents they messed up instead of handling it on their own

I love how musical Superfly’s family is 😂 Ray Filet just starts sing-introducing his name and Mondo and the other couple mutants when they drive with in the car trying to find music they could all sing to together 🥹 not to mention the musical references Superfly makes later that I’ll get to. “Kinda don’t wanna murder everyone on Earth, I just kinda wanna sing” Me too bruh.

Raph immediately going “goochi goochi goo” and playing peekaboo with Genghis frog is so underrated that boy has such a soft side he’s not even that afraid of showing at times, and maybe it’s continuing the trope of Raph having a soft spot for pets/animals? Who knows 😌

Yo I was kinda shook when that government guy knocked Leo out and he just fell unconscious on the ground 😶 Like we’re used to seeing the authorities be brutal especially in movies like this but that’s a whole teenager? You just assaulted a minor? 🙂 Crazy

Also I know it’s sad they got captured and drained painfully but Mikey in that scene was hilarious 😂 like even the way he was dramatically crying and Leo was just started to cry with him like “iM sO sOrRy mIkEeEeEy! 😭” gold. When one of his children is hurting Leo hurts too. One of my favorite moments 🤣

They literally started singing BTS while being tortured they’re so unserious but like in a serious way to them and I love it. Also the fact that they did it just to make Donnie feel better? So pure. Like Raph of all turtles offered to sing while being drained of blood (bc I refuse to use the m word 💀)

The way Splinter snuck in and soloed literal government soldiers single handedly? Badass. Never loved seeing a Splinter save his sons so much 🥹

“But it’s the only way we’ll be accepted.”

“No! We accept you!”

“You can come live with us! We accept you!”

“WE VIBE!”

Oml they’re so puuuuure 😭 I really thought this was gonna be a moment where the guys invite them all to come live with them and Splinter was gonna be like ‘aha 😬 whoa slow down there’ but damn nah he was just as enthusiastic as them inviting all those mutants to come live in their home forever “The more the merrier!” Like ugh he just loves finding family like Baxter Stockman and we see where the guys got their loving nature from 🥹

The amount of his soul Mikey put into that BROSEEEPH was so real like I’ve never heard the name broseph be said in any other way, I’m so glad they put that moment in there

“New York, New York!” “I’m the king of New York!”

Oml superfly’s a Broadway baby 🤗 he’s a big bad villain marching through time square and talking about King Kong but he’s fill gonna nerd out and make his musical theatre references 😂

“For once in your life you didn’t sound lame. You actually started to sound like a leader”

“That was really heartfelt Raph”

I love the Leo Raph dynamic in this movie. Like they don’t always agree or understand each other but they will show love towards one another and show mutual appreciation

Something about any of the turtles shells cracking always gets to me for some reason like those are some serious permanent injuries so I want to see if they do anything special with that in the sequel or show maybe 🤔 And I couldn’t tell if all of theirs cracked or just one, and if so which turtle it was. I think Leo or Raph. I feel like it was Leo but Raph’s are also starting to have a trend of getting cracks in their shells so 🤷🏽‍♀️

Also I do not want to judge what other people like to wear but why are Raph and Donnie the only normal dressed ones 😭 like Mikey looks like he’s going on vacation and Leo looks like he’s going to clock in at Best Buy 😂 tell me it’s because they have limited resources for clothes lmao. HE’S LITERALLY WEARING A LANYARD

Them taking off the masks was crazy honestly… like them deciding not to wear them made my brain pause until I realize they’re kids going to school now and not being ninjas all the time… they don’t need them anymore. I’m just so pleased with the fact that this movie was willing to do what all other iterations weren’t. I see why they’re getting a sequel and show already, these guys and the plot development deserve so much more exploration

Maybe I missed something in the beginning but I’m wondering where Stockman went. Like is he still in custody? Did he die? Because not seeing him again that’s what I assumed but we only saw him get arrested or whatever, so if anything I don’t get why Superfly and the others wouldn’t try to break him out 🤔 I was surprised they didn’t make him a villain though, but I’m pretty happy about him getting to be a more optimistic kind character tho

SHREDDER HAD ME SHOOK LIKE THE ARMOR ALREADY LOOKED SO COOL AND I WAS NOT EXPECTING THEM TO GET THE BIG BAD INVOLVED AHHHH I’M SO READY TO SEE THEM REACT TO THIS ANGRY GIANT TIN CAN

Although I do wonder if Shredder’s gonna have some personal gripe with them since they have a different backstory he doesn’t seem to be a part of. And shit now that they’re public and in school it’s gonna be so much easier for him to go after them 😅 pluses and minuses…

The soundtrack: golden. Cultured. Nothing but range. Goes from a 90’s rap song to Natasha Bedingfield’s soulful 2000’s song. Most movies only ever have all pop mainstream songs or only rap songs because they think they can’t mix but MM does it effortlessly. The turtles are so versatile not just with music genres but they make old and new references ‘cause they’re well rounded kings 💪🏽 Between rizz, Adele, broski, Hey Arnold, K-Pop, Ferris Bueller, etc… I mean Donnie’s literally doing the sprinkler and the funky chicken in that gif up top 😂 they’re born in 2008 I doubt any kids today know about those dances anymore

Clearly I have all the thoughts and feelings about these boys and the movie, but I think this is probably my favorite TMNT movie? I’ve loved all of them but I think this one definitely brings me the most comfort fr

[psychologicalwarclaire]

10 for Rise. Gimme warcrimes duo >:]

Donnie didn't realize just how much Witchtown hated him until he wound up in front of the majority of the town at Hidden City court.

Witches of all kinds shouted over each other, listing crimes that Donnie most definitely had NOT committed.

"--trampled my mushrooms!"

"--released the kraken into our town fountain!"

"--totally demolished my self esteem!"

"--ATE MY CAT!!!"

"-- and destroyed the statue of our great founder!"

Okay that one he actually had done. In his defense, he hadn't meant to blast it with his tech bo. Defense, however, was something he was missing.

He glanced over at the judge. "I don't know how Hidden City trials work but isn't there supposed to be someone on my side? I mean, ahem, with my superb knowledge of everything I could absolutely provide my own defense but, uhm..." I don't really want to do this all on my own, he finished in his head.

All of Donnie's knowledge of courtroom proceedings came from a show he and Raph used to watch together. Raph loved watching the good guys solve crimes and fight bad guys. Donnie loved the mysteries and collection of evidence. Neither of them found the legal stuff super interesting, so they'd discussed the real life logistics of the crime (whether Donnie could commit it, whether Raph could catch him, and how they'd avoid getting caught) during those scenes. Donnie wished he'd payed more attention.

The doors flew open with a BANG.

"PURPLE TURTLE!" Casey Jones yelled. "I AM HERE TO PROVE YOUR INNOCENCE!"

Donnie blinked.

The jury all looked at each other like she'd made a brilliant point, muttering and nodding along.

The judge stroked his beard. "Good entrance. One point to the defense."

There were very few times that Donnie didn't have at least SOME idea of what was happening. Now was, unfortunately, one of those times.

Casey seemed to appear right next to him. "SO! Got yourself in trouble with Witchtown, eh?"

Flustered, Donnie could only think to say, "I didn't do it! Their accusations are entirely--"

"HEY! That's MY job!" She cleared her throat. "As I was saying, Witchtown is tough, but I'm tougher! You're lucky I took this case, otherwise you would already be rotting in Hidden City prison."

"I-- Casey why are you a lawyer in the Hidden City?" Things were spiraling entirely out of control.

Casey grinned her insane grin. "I love yelling, fighting, arguing, squabbling, debating, etc. Passing the exam was super easy, too! The laws here aren't any more complicated than the Foot Clan laws. You know, normally I'm on the offensive. But I am Hamato Clan now! I WILL NOT BETRAY MY CLAN!"

Donnie couldn't help but be impressed. "Huh. What a strangely fitting career choice for you."

"INDEED! And the lawyer to politician pipeline is extremely fast. I shall build my way up to becoming a mayor, senator, and eventually I shall be the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES! Junior has already signed on to be my vice president. Our slogan is either going to be: 'Jones and Jones: we'll feast on your bones' OR 'Vote Jones squared and your lives will be spared'. Catchy right?"

Donnie's mind was already buzzing with how his Genius Built brand could be expanded by personally knowing the president. "Casey," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder, "I will personally help fund your presidential campaign."

"Excellent! Now, we are in the middle of court so we can discuss that later."

"Oh yeah." Donnie had actually forgotten that he was literally on trial. Casey has the effect of being extremely distracting. "I need to tell you my alibi and--"

"Pffft, no need. What kind of court do you think this is?" Casey cracked her neck, and stretched her arms above her head.

The judge banged his gavel, which sent a shockwave across the room. The ground rumbled and the seats all slid back to open up a wide space in front of the stand. "We are now in session. Let prosecutor Gilby Gilbert of Witchtown and defendant Casey Jones of the Hamato Clan enter the ring."

The what?!

Gilby Gilbert, whom Donnie vaguely recognized from the Witchtown episode leapt into the ring. "That turtle is GUILTY!"

With a running leap, Casey Jones flipped into the ring and kicked him squarely in the chest. "Mr Hamato is more innocent than you and your corrupted, black market, embezzling town will ever be!"

The jury gasped.

"Flair, solid hit, AND a plot twist! Three more points to the defense!" the judge ruled.

Donnie was now very glad he had not been the one to plead (punch?) his own case.

"Turtle boy is against everything we stand for!" Gilby choked from inside a headlock.

"Since your treasury records show illegal trade with criminals AND many Witchtown officials who have been pocketing those funds, I'd say it's a good thing that Mr Hamato stands against you, you LOWLIFE!" Casey released the headlock, only to kick her opponent to the ground and curb stomp him.

Donnie was no longer worried.

In fact, as he watched Casey continue to kick Gilby (who had curled into a ball), he actually smiled. Perhaps the answer to science vs magic was brute force.

He had decided that when this trial was over and he and Casey had officially won, he was going to make her a fashionable Genius Built lawyer suit. He'd make it easily torn away to give her more points in style.

It was the least he could do.

[artoatsblog]

What your favorite Nick toon says about you but it's EVERY Nick toon

Doug- When you were asked what you wanted for Christmas, you said "plan white bread."

Rugrats- You're a "90's kid" who wants the modern cartoon enjoyers to get off your lawn.

Hey Arnold-Same as Rugrats, but 5 time worse.

Rugrats (2021)- You only said this one to piss off the above two.

Ren & Stimpy- You're a gay man and all you OCs are ugly men who you need to kiss each other or else you'll die (This isn't an insult, you're the strongest member of our society.)

Rocko's modern life- You relate to at least one character way more than you would like to admit to others.

CatDog- Weird furry.

The angry beavers- Weird furry with taste.

Aaahh!!! Real monsters- You like the idea of Tim Burton's movies but your too cool to actually enjoy them, also your probably non-binary.

Kablam- As a kid you wanted to make something with this exact energy and now, you're a youtuber.

Oh Yeah! Cartoons- same as Kablam but you really miss Cosmo's old voice.

The wild Thornberry's- You worship the ground Tim Curry's walks on SO BAD.

Rocket power- Honest 90's kid.

SpongeBob SquarePants seasons 1-4- You're annoying about seasons 5+.

SpongeBob SquarePants seasons 5+- You know better than me about those people being annoying about seasons 5+.

As told by ginger- You were going to say Hey Arnold, but you didn't want to be lumped in with certain other people.

Action league now- You made at least five short films that look exactly like this.

Chalkzone- Your playlist for working out has the theme song for this show looped for five hours and nothing else.

The fairly oddparents- Your trans, and you hate no other person more than Elmer Hartman.

Invader Zim- You were a vary emo kid/teenager in the late 2000's (same, no shade)

Jimmy Neutron- you're really glad that that you picked the show in "Jimmy Timmy power hour" that wasn't made by an asshole.

All grown up- Come on guys "As told by ginger" is right there.

Avatar: the last airbender- I don't want to hear the lore of the fantasy book you wrote.

Avatar: the legend of Korra- Same as atla but You also made a LOT of shipping fanfics.

My life as a teenage robot- Transfem.

The X's- You don't exist, if you're going to go into the comments and say this is your favorite Nicktoon, you're lying.

El Tigre- This is just the good version of Danny Phantom.

Danny Phantom- That was a Joke don't yell at me.

Mr. meaty- You want this odd but cool type of puppetry to come back (if you thought I was going to make fun of this one your wrong.)

Tak and the power of Juju- Your enjoyment of this show is based entirely on the fact that you liked the games.

Back at the barnyard- Shitposter.

Fanboy and Chum Chum- Shitposter but awesome.

Catscratch- Yeah, I think Wayne Knight's voice is hot too.

The mighty B- Gay.

The penguins of Madagascar- I don't have a joke for this one I just think you have impactable taste.

Planet Sheen- You always wanted Jimmy Neutron to have more "Rawr XD" swag.

T.U.F.F puppy- You ether are Jerry Trainor, or you have a Jerry Trainor stan account.

Kung fu panda: legends of awesomeness- You have a three-hour lore video on this franchise, and I hope it does well.

Winx club- You wanted to help them get free from Netflix.

Robot and Monster- It may just be me, but I think you might enjoy Dan vs.

Teenage mutant ninja turtles (2012)- You don't like rise of the tmnt.

Rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles- You don't like tmnt (2012).

Sanjay and Craig- You used to freak other kids out with your scabs.

Monsters vs aliens- You can deny Coverton's rizz (sorry).

Breadwinners- Your about to go into every cartoon reviewers house with a shit ton of water balloons.

Harvey Beaks- In the middle/late 2000's you were more of a cartoon network kid, you loved Cowder.

Pig, Goat, Banana, Cricket- Same as Harvey Beaks but with Flapjack instead of Cowder.

Bunsen is a beast- Your Elmer Hartman.

Welcome to the Wayne- You wrote at least one fanfic for the ending of this show.

The adventures of kid danger- We don't talk about this one.

Middle school Moguls- it's ok monster high is about to come to Nick for real.

The loud house- Your ether a sapphic girl or a straight guy with a DeviantArt account who needs to be punished.

The Casagrandes- Same as the loud house but with the added advantages, because if you have a DeviantArt account in this one you're more likely to have a normal relationship with your family.

It's pony- You don't hate the British as much as the rest of us.

Middlemost post- John trabbic III is such a bad ass name though, wait this show has Del the funky homosapien and Tony Hawk as guest stars, I might need to which this.

Star trek: prodigy- You really like Netflix original animated shows don't you.

Big Nate- You haven't read the books.

Monster high- You the perfect in-between of goth and prep.

Transformers: earthspark- Why does this show have better non-binary rep than most other shows...I mean they are called Transformers for a reason.

[afreakingdork]

Attempted Execute of Non-Executable Memory - Chapter 1

RotTMNT Michelangelo x Kendra

I'd like to welcome you to my new fic and the cafe Kendra works at with this gorgeous chapter art by @hitokshellart

Rated: Teen and Up Audiences

Warnings/Tags: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Revenge, Falling In Love, Love, Romance, Dating, Aged-Up Mutant Ninja Turtles, Love Confessions, Human/Turtle Relationships (TMNT), Step-Parents, Neglect, First Kiss, First Generation Immigrant Kids, Acculturation, Loss/Removal of Cultural Identity, Prison Time

Synopsis: After hitting the lowest of lows, Kendra has carved out a simple life for herself. She's content enough to live this way until opportunity walks through her place of employment in the form of an orange turtle mutant. She just needs to get close enough to him to plant a virus in his infuriating brother's servers, but will she be infected long the way?

ATTEMPTED_EXECUTE_OF_NOEXECUTE_MEMORY is a computer error code that occurs as a result of faulty or outdated device drivers, an issue in the RAM, a virus, a malware infection, or corrupted system memory.

While in canon Kendra, Jeremy, and Jase have no last names, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles staff writer Russ Carney confirmed two times that they are nods to 2012 writers, so I took those same writer's names to give last names to their respective characters.

For the sake of this fic, this makes them:

Kendra Byerly

Jason Ricci

Jeremy Shipp

Also available on Ao3

It was the midday slump.

Consumerism was marked by the quintessential time when one lost their energy and motivation.

For pencil pushers, it was the time of day when their pitiable lunch break’s nutrition wore out and left them husks. It was by design. Their exhaustion made them more manipulatable by their corporate overlords. Every centimeter of the system was designed to keep workers docile. The obvious ploys of bureaucracy and hyper specification of a skyscraper’s worth of workers meant an over bloated building wasn’t under threat of collapse. Peons took pennies and were replaceable at a moment’s notice.

Kendra would have taken special pleasure in giving every one of those pencil necks a swirly.

Unfortunately such childish whims were frowned upon in adult society.

It didn’t matter that their attitudes needed adjustments now more than high school.

No, she could only savor her reality checks in the form of spit hocked into coffee cups.

At least she wasn’t a corporate wage slave, she’d tell herself.   

No, she was free from that.

She traded a scholarship at MIT so she could be trapped behind a counter that barely concealed the perpetually sticky shoes. The scent of coffee beans was baked into every strand of hair so when she turned over in her bed at night she’d catch whiffs of Java. She stood tall through the morning rush with plastic smiles for those desk jockeys and spit into their no-foam latte hypocrisy as if that got her any sort of foothold in this battered world.

She wasn’t bitter.

She was iconoclastic.

She had only become opportunistic because of society’s frown upon her nonconformity.

There was a time limit to how long one could be misunderstood.

When she was a teenager, the world was hers. She’d climbed through the scholastic honors like monkey bars in elementary school. Pre-pubescence couldn’t mar one bit of her squeaky clean grades in middle. By high school, she had built an award-winning tech club from the ground up that was both sanctioned by the school and only existed because of her. She saw further ahead as she always had. She looked onward toward the next obstacle that lay beyond the walls of learning and onto her futures.

Wasn’t that what the guidance counselors wanted?

She moved ahead of the curve. She was the epitome of advanced placement. Her reading level had always surpassed her peers’. She was taking college credit classes as early as her sophomore year with special considerations taken as a freshman. It seemed obvious she’d hit a public educational wall, but what more could she have done with her pak’s single income household? 

There were scholarships, but it would take her away and he needed her.

Until he didn’t.

Until Deborah Ricci appeared.

Until that mentality of ‘at least we have each other’ suddenly became ‘here: finally a sibling your age for you to bond with.’

Only pak conveniently left out the part where it was so he would no longer have to deal with her.

She didn’t rebel because her dad remarried. She busied her time once she had more of it to spare. She was an overachiever. She was success-driven. She was a college admission board’s wet dream. She had been tethered down by her upbringing so when she was freed from it, her creativity unleashed.

After their string of robberies and nearly infiltrating the Nakamura Corporation, the Purple Dragons didn’t get juvie, they got house arrest.

Their misconduct was seen as brilliant even in front of the eyes of the judge. They didn’t need character witnesses, they stood testament to what they had done. They asked how a mere set of teenagers were able to almost achieve such a feat. Nakamura’s CEO himself had set up a video call with both her and her bapak to commend her. An internship would be available in their security division after graduation if she wanted to find more of those same weaknesses in their system.

Escalation in the Purple Dragon’s endeavors after that was seen as natural evolution.

From their homes, eyes were on them.

On her.

They created a video game that captivated the world. The sequel was ordered the same day it was released. So it was created with an underlying purpose of ousting one irritating techno-dud and also happened to deploy a giant robot. Three teenagers with access to only their laptops and a shoddy WiFi connection built not only the 50-story machine, but the unique A.I. that analyzed and replicated player data. Their destruction was a stepping stone. They played their parts under her tutelage.

For his code, Jeremy got a full ride to Caltech the same day he was sentenced.

His records were sealed before he served a single day.

For the mech, Stanford’s recruiter made a home visit.

For Jase.

Kendra had tried to step in.

She fixed the bugs.

Not just in the robot’s design, but in Jeremy’s code.

The entire idea was hers and it showed how well she acted in a leadership position.

She took on the crunch time to give the other Dragon’s rest.

“We only have one spot to offer.”

Deborah Ricci had shooed her away.

“Shouldn’t you be happy for your brother?”

Should Kendra have been happy that Deborah Ricci played favorites with spawn that she pumped out?

She certainly wasn’t looking out for the daughter she supposedly always wanted.

MIT would come later.

After both Jason and Jeremy pulled away from Kendra in their senior year.

When their backtalk grew louder. 

When they told her that it was time to grow up from renegade thinking.

College had lured them into the system. 

They had both fallen for that bullshit West Coast dogma and betrayed their heritage. 

When they had nothing but written promises and practice showed them otherwise. 

All of Jason’s designs that weren’t proofed ended up short circuiting. 

All of Jeremy’s code that wasn’t reviewed bugged out.

Kendra didn’t have such a failing.

She had sent the schools anonymous tips that their golden ticket students weren’t so lucky in the chocolate bar pick after all.

The drivel they sent back only further perpetuated the cycle of hogwash.

“Code review and proofing positions are integral to the technological developmental process.”

“No advancement in our society was done alone.”

“When it comes to your applications, we believe that your values might not be the best fit for our institutions.”

Try elsewhere.

We don’t want you.

She didn’t want them.

The new recruits to the Purple Dragons didn’t come close to cutting it. Not that she compared them to two losers who were jumping city ships. They cowered too much. Their outputs were abysmal. Motivation wasn’t what it used to be and current technology made the newbies soft.

Why command when the tech could do the work for you?

Who did they think wrote that script?

They were posers in the name of innovation.

Cowards.

Scared to upset that status quo and softened by the system.

She’d show them.

She used her Purple Game franchise residuals to buy real help. What approached her dark web offer was those with proper scruples. This was where she shined. She was the queen moving her pawns. Finally, she had staff that listened and understood. They set their sights on what she always wanted.

Control.

To oversee it all.

To excel as she did.

Finding bugs in the step beyond.

The ones in society. 

The superior final checks.

She would weed the masses.

Word got out about the data breach days after it occurred. She held the information with a tight fist. That’s when MIT came to her dining room table. Their suspicions had been right and she showed the recruiter within reason. He had his offer ready and an embossed pen to sign. 

She was finally seen for what she was. Her accolades would be appreciated. She never considered a single fallback. She didn’t apply anywhere else. All those tech schools with their supposed up and coming programs were vultures picking carcasses. Her father wiped an actual tear from his eye as the paper was slid over to her.

Her non-compete.

Her secured fall attendance.

Deborah Ricci’s little proud puff of air.

“I knew she’d get there.”

Deborah Ricci whispered to Jase.

“Isn’t that grand?”

A grand?

$1000?

Kendra had the intelligence to make billions.

Kendra held data that would destabilize the stock market.

Kendra had documents that outed nearly every politician. 

Enough to cause a global depression.

Wasn’t that wonderful?

She set the pen down and told the recruiter she had one last thing to show him.

He said that wasn’t necessary.

She said she considered it a gift for his generosity.

His lips pursed and the room held a collective hush.

With a single button push, she released everything she had hacked to the masses.

Out of the kindness of her heart.

Her true blue beating life organ.

She could have held onto it.

She could have used what she learned for decades to come.

While MIT didn’t have honor’s distinctions, she’d always known in her heart that she would graduate Summa Cum Laude. She’d enter the workforce and sit at the top penthouse of some New York apartment. She’d grace the cover of every magazine. She would die a legend at a ripe old age with the same wits about her.

Where was the fun in fate?

She was never meant to walk the obvious path. 

She was supposed to jump ahead. 

Blackmail was pitiable.

It was beneath her.

What point was there in cleaning out a system that was wholly corrupt?

Having seen her future, she knew the truth.

She needed to burn it down.

Start fresh.

Mold it to her superior vision.

One that fit her drive.

One that awarded talent.

Merit.

The recruiter who was closest immediately knew what she had done.

He packed up without a single word.

Not while her father begged.

Not while Deborah Ricci stared on.

Not while Jase got a ping from his phone and pieced it together himself.

Kendra sat in the same kitchen chair and smiled.

She turned her laptop around.

She got to work.

The police came with their arrest warrant at 3:41pm that same day.

Two months from 18 years old, they decided to try her as an adult.

She had a record after all.

The compounded sentences for her conviction were up to 30 years.

White collar crime was a joke.

She served just under two years in a minimum security prison.

The hierarchy there was comical.   

Her family must have thought she would get taken down a peg. She was running shop through the library's antiquated computer systems in a day. She placed orders and took hold of the supply chain. There were three separate attempts on her life during that paltry amount of time.

What was a shiv when one had fought aerial battles with jetpacks?

Still, in that time she barely remembered the clothes she was released in.

It was back to society.

It was getting her GED since she had never finished her senior year.

It was the nature of her crime that kept her from being accepted to college at even a community level.

It was her criminal record that barred her from any technologically-inclined firm.

What changed?

She had directed a kaiju-sized robot to destroy blocks of New York City and for Jeremy that spelled full ride. Nakamura wouldn’t even look at her even though they’d promised her security detail after a string of robberies. All that she could reasonably tell had changed was a number.

Her age.

Twenty was no longer a teenage designation.

She lost time, but hadn’t been less productive.

It didn’t matter.

All those doxxed individuals still took their checks.

Her disruption unveiled corruption and yet the system continued to benefit them.

She was damned.

She turned to what she knew best.

With rotating online personas, she hacked.

What choice did she have?

No one outside wanted her.

No one in the system would have her.

Her own family sucked the air out of the room if they occupied it at the same time.

Her room became her only haven.

There she was free.

The world wide web.

Until a literal maroon of her past resurfaced.

Genius Built’s own Donatello Hamato ousted her when she tapped one of his suppliers’ systems.

It was an instant violation of her parole.

She knew it wasn’t actually him.

Why would it be him?

He had people for that. 

When was the last time that 30 under 30 blockhead touched an actual keyboard?

He likened himself to some pompous fashion designer these days.

Wearable tech revolution, her ass.

Some faceless nobody in his security detail took notice because they had to protect their bosses’ seismic assets instead of noticing a deficit in theirs.

She served five years in her next stint.

She didn’t blame him.

She had too much pride for that.

Blaming him took away her accolades.

She hated him for other reasons. 

He was the poster child for everything wrong with this world. He was the sewers to success story the tabloids wanted. At least that was what the rags in prison touted. She had been barred from anything that even gave off a hint of an electrical current in her second conviction.

The worst part was he had no idea.

He ate up the attention like he’d earned it. 

A wall of lawyers handled her case and he didn’t appear once. 

Why would he?

Why shouldn’t he?

He was a gullible waste of space.

He had fallen for all of the Purple Dragons’ schemes.

He was a blowhard.

He hadn’t changed. 

Self-serving.

Self-righteous. 

Just as he had always been. 

No one picked her up from prison the second time. 

She had been released on good behavior, but all favor for that sort of thing had long dried up.

This time she actually didn’t remember the clothes she was apprehended in. The only part of her that remained was some faint purple that scorched the ends of her now black locks. They were a violent reminder of her true success. She wore it as a brand. She hitched rides home to find it wasn’t one any longer.

There was no room for her.

Her father never looked her in the eye.

Deborah Ricci wasn’t home.

Kickboxing, her father lied.

She was given a starting sum to get what would have to be a closet of an apartment. 

She was offered a job by her uncle through the church.

A coffee shop.

Nothing chic.

Family owned and operated.

Small.

Hidden.

She was a shame to be tucked away. She took the cash with her head held high and spent part of it just to get her hair done again. The vibrant purple scared the cafe owners, but they’d already agreed to harbor a criminal.

Kendra wondered what they expected.

Tear drop tattoos?

They watched too much prime time television. 

They dragged out her training over a week even though she could make latte art within her first few hours.

What was a flick of the wrist to a certified 132 WPM?

She was never alone at first.

She wasn’t given the WiFi password.

She cracked it on the very same first day, but its speed was piss poor.

She worked as a barista.

They were busy in the mornings and not just with the church folk.

The high rises nearby had their advantages.

The shop offered coffee strong enough to keep a narcoleptic awake.

Kendra refused to say she had grown docile.

She was tired.

She was bored.

She was just as hungry as she ever was, but what was the point?

She would always be a certain amount of starved.

There would always be a blight on her name.

It was as patent as the cockroaches in her apartment. She would always be taking home the stale bagels for a cheap dinner. Hacking Swiss bank accounts didn’t have the same allure. Not when the risk for her was higher with each prison sentence. So she settled for mucus in matcha and purposefully misspelling simple American names.

A pittance for her purveyor.

Once again good behavior granted her the illusion of freedom. She was finally left to run things in the shop. She could close, she could be trusted with the register, and she was given real food. The ibu there made a mean nasi goreng. Kendra wouldn’t say it reminded her of her mother’s.

She cried because it had been weeks since she’d had a vegetable.

Her body missed nutrients, not home. She decided then to join the family network. She had always despised it growing up. It felt like a restriction to be beholden to her community. Now, she found refuge because she was forced to. 

Her wages got better.

The old folks asked for small things from her since their kids had run off for brighter futures. She tossed them bones in the form of grabbing groceries and hosting their game nights. She learned to call a fierce game of bingo and shooting down losers who faked their boards held some interest. It also helped that they would soon act as character witnesses. 

With each small favor she spared, her reputation increased. They all knew her past, but they needed help. She was allowed to fix their ancient tech. Some of it was older than her, but it felt like an injection of joy straight to the veins. The second her fingers touched specific combinations of plastic and wire, she was home. 

There were no newer models. 

They liked what they liked. 

It proved a certain challenge that had its advantage. 

The coffee shop was like that. 

She supposed it was for the best.

Would the allure be too great if she got hold of a stable internet connection?

It wasn’t worth her time to wonder as she succumbed to the slump. She teetered against the counter. Her arms moved, one over the other, to fold. She left a divot for her chin and put her head down. She had fallen asleep like this once  and an angry customer woke her just so she could yell about her laziness. She wouldn’t be fooled again and only let her lids lull.

It was the midday slump.

It was her mid-twenties slump.

It felt like a mid-life slump.

The bell on the door chimed a soothing contrast to what omen it bid.

“Oh…!” A male voice sang. “That smell! Complex and spicy, mmm!”

Just as Kendra was straightening her body, her expression openly soured.

It was one of those.

Some foodie jag-off who thought himself groundbreaking because he drank coffee at a place that wasn’t owned by some white hippie start-up. He would go back to his friends and say the family roasting beans here had connection to Che Guevara through his travels even though the guy was pinning the wrong continent. Kendra didn’t have a tier list of customers she hated. She considered herself a loathsome equal opportunity lender in that regard, but she had special places in her black heart for specific types of assholes.

“Welcome!” She chirped with nothing but microplastics lining her smile. “What can I get started for you today?”

What she didn’t expect was a mutant to appear from behind the espresso machine.

He was round and soft and couldn’t keep his eyes in one place as they roved with a gape that matched his mouth.

Her gut dropped like lead.

She knew this mutant.

His name was something just as froufrou as ‘Donatello.’

They were related.

Brother.

This was one of the turtle brothers.

Which one?

He was clearly orange, but which one was he?

She had never bothered to learn the coordinating name-to-color scheme.

The ones that weren’t Donnie were tech illiterate anyway as far as she could remember.

She supposed it didn’t matter.

She guessed the only thing that did was if he recognized her.

He’d surely tell his stupid brother how she was working in some lowly coffee shop.

Donnie was absolutely the type to gloat.

The memory of his voice grated her ears. 

“Uh…!” The orange masked man held the syllable before landing on her with bright eyes. “I’m sorry, I did not hear what you said.”

She blinked at him.

He returned the fluttering lashes.

There was no recognition on his face.

He must have had no brain power whatsoever.

He hadn’t heard her?

He didn’t need to.

The script was the same wherever you went.

You go in and someone asks for your order. 

“Welcome.” She responded with a flat and bitter brew. “What can I get started for you today?”

“Oh! Uh!” The mutant scrambled looking for the menu.

It was above Kendra’s head because this shop was set up like all the others. 

He continued to have trouble locating it. 

She’d mislabeled.

He wasn’t one of those.

He was a complete and total idiot.

She pointed a finger up and knew irritation was showing on her face.

He chuckled sheepishly. “Thanks! Let’s see what we got here!”

He didn’t recognize her.

It’s not like she had a uniform.

She had an apron on at best.

Everything else was well-worn clothes, but she had the same style.

That was her.

Lilac hair.

Nevermind the roots. 

Mid-length haircut.

The split ends hardly mattered. 

Teal lipstick.

Smudged from work. 

She’d ditched the beret only because she’d lost it years ago and finding another felt pretentious.

As the man mouthed what he read on the menu she could only think he was surely dumb enough to not recognize her unless she was wearing her exact ensemble from high school.

She did still have her purple satin jacket.

It was packed up.

Not that it mattered.

Nothing did. 

He was yet another moron to squeeze a few bucks out of. 

In that regard, she dodged one bullet for buckshot.

He was now a customer to get in and out.

“What’s an espresso bon-bon?”

“Espresso over sweetened condensed milk.”

“Sounds sweet!”

“Sure.”

“Affogato is espresso over ice cream, right?”

“Yup. We use Indoeskrim.”

“What’s that?” His eyes lit up.

“Ice cream.”

“Oh.”

She stared on, minutely satisfied at how his crest had fallen.

“Is that a brand or flavor?” His interest bounced right back.

“Brand.” She could barely keep a glare off of her.

“Where’s it from?”

“Indonesia.”

“Woah, seriously?!”

“No.”

“Wo-wait…”

His stupidity knew no bounds.

“Ah!” He pointed a finger like he got the joke.

She stared at the digit.

“You are… very serious.” His hand fell. “I can’t tell if you’re joking or not.”

��I’m not.”

His eyes were steady for a moment before flying around.

When he settled back on her it was with a narrowed gaze to look for tells.

She only cocked her hip while waiting.

“You’re too good!”

“Thank you for the compliment, sir.” She poured all her bile into her words.

“Sure!” He had no idea.

That meant she could freely be crueler. “Would you like anything or do you want to continue to hold up the line?”

He predictably spun around to check the empty shop.

When he returned, he didn’t look betrayed, but ecstatic that she had pulled another fast one on him.

Like this was some kind of fun game and not wasting her time.

He had the IQ of a lump of clay.

The social skills of that same orangey blob.

He would be achingly easy to manipulate.

She inhaled only through her nose as he prattled on something about choice.

That was a dangerous thought. 

That was a bad road.

She had left that behind.

What end could she use him for anyway?

It’s not like he could do any feasible work for her.

He would go to a pet shop if she asked him to right click a mouse. 

His only exploitable feature was his connection to Donatello.

Her eyes widened.

A bit of adrenaline raced through her veins.

She could use this man.

He shared a home with the asshole.

Or did.

She hadn’t kept up on the news.

They were something though.

They were close.

She had read that in prison for sure.

In every article, Donnie had blabbed about his microscopic brain and his brothers.

They were his driving creative force or some psy-op baloney.

If she could get close to even one of his servers.

She could leave no trace with that level of access. 

It would take one tiny virus and boom. 

She had loads of code to pull from. 

She would have to transcribe it, but she had a particularly nasty one ready. 

It was her therapist’s suggestion.

Well not that exactly, but the man was a court-mandated buffoon.

He told her to write out her negative feelings into letters.

Not to send, but as a means to talk to the people that had supposedly harmed her.

Her.

Of all people.

There wasn’t a being who existed that she cared enough about.

So she wrote code. 

Notebooks worth. 

Useless scratchings until now. 

But Donatello. 

Now, he wasn’t a being. 

Donatello was a symbol.

Breaking him would finally send her message.

She had grown over the years. 

She was now a big enough person that she didn’t need to stamp her return address along with her letter.

The one she wasn’t supposed to send anyway. 

No. 

She could let havoc ensue and carve out the rubble. 

Surely this orange fool had a means to get her close enough.

She just needed to persuade him. 

That entailed connection.

She would need to get close.

Close enough for him to bring her to a home.

Did he need friends?

She couldn’t stand the thought.

She’d sooner seduce him.

Oh.

She could do that.

Her looks had come in handy once in a while.

With someone as stupid as him, she could probably convince him without a single touch, she bet.

He’d be as easy as a dog to lead with a treat.

She would dangle it in front of his nose long enough until he took her home.

She would make an excuse.

The powder room. 

A classic. 

Plant the virus.

Leave.

Heartbreak would be his only association and this damned coffee shop.

She bet he didn’t even know the address.

He would get lost trying to find it again.

If not, there was always arson. 

Electrical fires were about as easy to manufacture.  

“Okay…” He spoke ready.

She was glad she had nailed her eyeliner wings today.

She lowered her body in a calculated sultry way. 

“What’ll it be?” She looked at him in a striking way. 

He jarred a little and smiled off to the side.

Bashful, a good start.

“I’ll have a latte and a side of espresso. I like to taste new beans in their purest form.”

Eating them made more sense, but it mattered little. “Discerning choice. A latte and a shot on the side. For here or to-go?”

That would set the rest of her plan into motion.

He was probably too dense to notice if she left her number on a napkin.

He would wipe his mouth with it. 

He would throw it away. 

He would ask if she had given it to him by mistake.

She needed to be overt.

She preferred that at least.

The worst he could do was reject her.

Then this spur of the moment plan would be a write-off. 

Plans done this quickly rarely panned out. 

This would all have been a pipe dream created to help her through the slump. 

It wasn’t like she cared.

“I don’t know about discerning…” He chuckled with a hand behind his head and was clearly flattered. “How about the latte to-go and shot for here?! It’s gotta be fresh and I wouldn’t want to waste a second to-go cup on something so small!”

He was too easy. “You have taste. Few do.”

“Thanks, though that’s a shame about everyone else. The smell is incredible. It called to me!”

“Thank you.” She rang him up. “I try to let my work speak for itself.” 

He paid.

“Receipt?”

“No, thanks.”

“I’ll have that right out.”

“Thanks!”

He walked away to peruse the seating area and she got to work. It was a process that took little brain power at this point. Espresso cups were warmed on top of the machine and she ground out an exact portion of beans. It was a quick tamp to get them into the portafilter. Then it was a lock into the machine for it to drip through. She pulled a double shot so one went into the cup and the other into an awaiting glass. Steaming the milk came next and she could tell by sound when it hit 155°F. One shot was ready while the other went into a to-go cup and, since the latte was made to-go, she didn’t bother with the design. She lidded the throwaway and placed the small espresso mug onto a saucer for an order up.

“Sir?” Damn, she forgot to get the name.

“Michelangelo, if you can believe it!” He headed towards her from where he’d been staring at some wall art with his hands folded behind his back.

It was like he wanted to ruin his brother. “Why wouldn’t I? It suits you.”

She slid the paper cup forward, but withheld the saucer.

Michelangelo reviewed her and seemed fine with reaching out to take the itty bitty handle. “You want to see my reaction? How scathing should I make my review?”

It looked dumb in his large hands. “I’d stake the shop’s reputation on this. Please.”

“You’re staking it on this?” He smiled and held the cup up. “I can’t let that go to waste! Here goes!”

He exhaled loudly above the small cup. It showed a gap in his teeth that she wondered why he hadn’t fixed. He tipped his head for an obvious inhale which he released in the same manner. He was putting on a show and she couldn’t have been more bored. He at least didn’t look at her as he took a delicate sip. Instead of swishing it like the sommelier he pretended to be, his lids cracked to observe the leftover liquid. He swirled it once before smiling into drinking the rest. When he looked at her again, she felt a tinge of irritation for having waited on him.

He grinned straight through it in an annoying way. “Incredible. I’ve never tasted anything like it.”

“We source our beans.” She scoffed. “The owners want it to be authentic.”

“From Indonesia?” He set the mug back onto the saucer she still had a hold on.

“I never said that.”

He chuffed. “Alright then, keep your secrets.”

Something about his playful tone caused her wariness to flare.

“My compliments to the masterful barista.” He bowed obnoxiously to her and got hold of his to-go cup. “I’ll come back for sure!”

“You wish!” She snapped before she could catch it.

“I do.” He spoke breezily and began to move away. “You know what they say! You hold onto a good barista with both hands!”

He was leaving. 

He was leaving and she hadn’t gotten the necessary information. 

She needed something. 

She needed a number. 

Sure, she didn’t care about this plan, but there was something to the cost-sunk analysis. 

She hadn’t invested nearly enough staking capital to count this as a risk. 

To get the reward she had to try. 

At least a little more than she had already. 

Which she guessed hadn’t been much more than playful. 

She put on her best cool exterior and caught the last of his gaze before he turned away. “That makes it sound like I’m only good for coffee.”

He stopped.

That wasn’t as alluring as she had hoped.

His head tilted. “Like what? Do you guys make sandwiches too?” 

She could feel the shine die in her eyes. “No.” 

She didn’t have to remember he was dumb, but she really needed to calibrate just how much. 

“I meant this job. If you wanted to see me so badly then you could ask me out.” 

For a second she thought even that blatant of a comment wouldn’t be enough. 

The idiot rotated to face her fully. 

His green skin flushed an even darker shade in the process. “W-wait…! Can you-!? Can you say that again!? I don’t think I heard you right!”

She turned her head to the side so he would have to deal with her profile. “Get your ears or whatever you have checked.”

That was mean. 

She raged against her own impudence.

He brought out the worst in her. 

She folded her arms because it was all she could do.

“Out how?” He quacked. “Like outside? Like to watch while you sweep the street? Like something else?! You gotta remember that I can’t tell if you’re messing with me!”

Her glare burst from her as she lolled irritation toward him. “It’s obvious, you fool! Obviously I meant a date!”

“A date…?” 

“Yes!” She snapped. “Sweeping outside!? What are you talking about?” 

“You want to go on a date?” He felt the need to point to himself. “With me?” 

“No, the other customers!” Her face felt hot as she threw her arms out to address the store.

Of course, he felt the need to look around.

Her hands fell hard onto the counter. 

She guessed if she was mean enough now then at least he would never come back. 

She wouldn’t have to suffer an ounce more of humiliation that way.  

“I’m flattered…”

Rejection hit her far swifter than she cared to admit.

“No one’s ever asked me out like that before!” He crept closer.

She blinked once at him. 

“Is this what it’s like?!” He sauntered a little. “The ‘love at first sight?’ The meet-cute? I reviewed your coffee and you reviewed me?! Ah! It’s like you asked for my number! Oh, but you didn’t… But you got me before I left! Most people have to get to know me first. I know my rugged good looks are one thing, but my personality is where I usually shine!” 

He posed and put on what he thought was a smolder. 

She could hit him.

She could say it was self defense.

She could smack that boiling hot drink right into his soft, round face.

She would relish in his screams as it melted off.

“If it’s a prank you can say so. You can laugh, but on the off chance you meant it…?” He sent her a sudden vulnerable look that undercut the positioning of his head. 

The raw emotion scraped her nerves. 

He was showing his tender side.

It had been mere seconds, she had done nothing, and she had already gotten this far. 

He really was revenge on a silver platter.

She would take that heart of his and eat it raw.

She was going to ruin him.

“I meant it. Don’t get a big head.” She scowled into something she hoped was cute in a pouty way and cast her eyes down to hide anything else in her lashes.

“I’ll ask then! Number, please! I’ll need your number.” He returned to set his drink back on the counter and addressed her with full excitement.

She flinched away and tried to pocket her revulsion. “What did I just say!?”

“I’m sorry it’s not every day you’re asked out by a beau-ti-ful barista!” There was that damned smile of his again.

It took up too much of his face.

She didn’t like it.

“Who asked whom?” She got a napkin and hid near the register as she scrawled out the digits.

“Oh yeah! The credit is all yours. I’m just helping.”

She returned to find him in a newly curated debonair pose with an arm folded on the counter and his body leaned.

She stared at him dully with the slip of paper in her hand and wished to throw it in a furnace if she had one.

He reached out and plucked it from her before she could rig something flammable up.

“I bet you need that plausible deniability while you’re on the clock. There’s gotta be rules about hitting on customers! Just know that I don’t make it a habit to ask out people anywhere near their place of business. It’s total creep territory, but you made it clear! I just wanted to also tell you that I was feeling the vibe, in a not weird way!”

“You felt nothing!” She seethed. 

He snorted one single time before he laughed. “Gosh, you’re so-! This is gonna be fun! We’ll have so much fun!”

“Hey! What do you mean? I’m ‘so’ what?!”

“I’ll text you!” He flicked his thumbs as if typing out a message and caught his drink once more.

“‘So’ what?!” She hissed after him.

“Bye!!” He ran out the door to another chime.

This one wasn’t near as soothing.

The sudden emptiness of the shop crashed around her. 

She felt danger creeping up the little hairs on her neck. 

She slapped them down. 

She had to trust her judgment. 

He was dumb and this would be an easy caper. 

She was sure of it.  She had to be.

🧡 NEXT 🧡

I'd like to not only thank my usual betas @tmntxthings and @thepinkpanther83 , but join me in welcoming my new beta @unrestrainedhotsoup

[burner-itft-kiss-au]

Chapter 1: Where am I?

Hi, I'm Nolan Wayne, and this is my story of how I became... aware... of what happens to people like me...

I woke up in a strange place. It wasn't my room, though, it felt like it was... which kind of confused me. I noticed that this was a bunk bed I was sleeping on, and that there was more people in the room, but they were sleeping. I left the room and entered a hallway, they had bedroom doors that looked like they had name tags on them. I noticed a guy with a white jumpsuit with green, and yellow stripes coming out of the rooms.

He saw me, and said, "Dude! Rise and shine, fresh homie!" I didn't know how else to respond to that other than just saying hello, so I just waved nervously and walked away.

I walked into a lounge room. There was a girl with brown hair and a red jumpsuit with a yellow stripe on it. She didn't have a pinch of emotion on her face. "Um... Hi, How's it going?" I said awkwardly. She glared at me. "Like, what do you want? Dweeb..." She replied. Ew! I was just trying to be nice! I gave her a dirty look, she rolled her eyes at me. Wow, not even an hour has passed and I'm already gaining an enemy. I walked away to see a boy who looked very young and innocent. He looked at me with a smile and a giggle.

I walked into another room, a room that had looked like an arcade. I was surprised that I woke up in a place that had an arcade. "OUT THE WAY, DINGUS!!" A female voice shouted. I was pushed to the ground I guess that means I have TWO enemies. "I gotta beat Walker's high score!!!" The girl with the pixie cut said. Walker? Who's Walker? "Before Breakfast?" Said a guy with dual colored hair, a dual colored jumpsuit, and heterochromia. I got up and left. "Will everyone please gather round in the lounge area?" A voice from the speaker box has some important news.

Everyone was awake and in the lounge area. A woman with a turtle neck shirt appeared along with a guy wearing a the same turtleneck, but black, and had a face mask built in it. "Welcome, everyone! It's time for the new Person to introduce themself. Everyone, This is Nolan Wayne. Now, will everyone introduce themselves with a short story on how you discovered your powers? Starting with Kate?" Oh great... she's going to talk again... let's hear what this bitch has to say... "I'm Kate, I'm 16 years old, I have Psychokinesis, and this is my story. I was once a popular cheerleader, adored by all, but one day, a boy tried to flirt with me, when I told him I wasn't interested, he tried to attack me. I put him in a chokehold, not even with my bare hands, a police officer caught me in the act... and then all I remember was waking up here..." Her face was deadpan. I felt so bad for her... Everyone introduced themselves. Warren introduced himself in the funniest way possible. "Yo! Sup! My name is Warren, I'm 17 years old, I can shapeshift into any animal I choose, and here's my story, I was partying with my homies one night, then my homie, Issac said that I should put my party trick to the test, so I transformed into a horse! Then I transformed into a dog, and then right in the middle of my transformation into an alligator, the police came to my homie's house and apparently a Karen next door decided to call the police on us, so that's something..." I burst into laughter, that was the funniest way someone could ever end up here! And then it was my turn, "Hi, I'm Nolan Wayne, I'm 18 years old, I have no idea what my powers are or why I'm here... Yeah..." I don't know what my powers were or how I ended up here. "Well then... Anyway, Nolan, I'm Colleen and I am the head of The Keeping Inhumans Safe in the Sanctuary. Or as my assistant, Damien likes to call it... KISS!!" She said. "Also I want to clarify that Warrens story is not true, I know what actually happened... Because I was there..." He whispered in my ear. I was in shock. Could Warren be hiding something? What does this mean?

During breakfast, I wanted to clear the air with Kate, I just couldn't get her backstory out of my head. "Hi! Kate, was it?" I asked her. She nodded. "Okay, so I heard your story and I was pretty moved by it, I am so sorry that happened to you and-" "The rest of the story is none of your business, now can you, like, stop talking and leave? Thanks..." She interrupted me. "Well I feel bad for you and how you were treated by that person-" "Bye! Go!" She cut me off yet again, but with more of an angry and sassy attitude. "I am 18 years old and you are 16! Act like it!" A hand grabbed me and pulled me back. I felt like I was on a roller coaster and I went back. "Hi! Nolan, was it?" A girl named Hannah said. "Yes! That would be me, why am I over here?" I replied. She wrapped most of her arm around a nearby pole and it looked like it hurt, but it didn't.

"Thats why." Hannah Said. She unwrapped her arm. "I Didn't want you to get hurt, Kate is not someone you want to call a... W word... I don't want to say it..." "Trust me... Her girlfriend, Sabrina will NOT take it lightly..." A girl named Rosalie told me. "Sabrina is a rebellious bitch, and she has NO chill..." another girl told me. Her name was Vanessa. She was sitting next to the cute little four year old, turned out, his name is Shinji! We talked for about a half an hour until breakfast was over.

I'm still going to find out what happened for me to have ended up here though... I also need to figure out my powers... We'll see...

[captainofthedauntless]

More Rise!Nardo thoughts.

Just thinking about how he'd abuse the fuck out of his portal abilities with you. Always offering to be your "ride" when you need to go somewhere, using it as an excuse to see you for just a minute when you're busy. The classic you're upset? oh lol i just Happened To Pop By A Shop, Here, Your Favorite Snacks.

He'd show up in a heartbeat to help you move furniture, or to help you cook, or to help you speed clean because your aunt's in town all of a sudden and you cannot let her know you live like this.

You don't think anything of it, really. Because it's effortless for him. It's like getting up from the couch for how much energy it takes him.

But it gets to be a habit.

It's a pattern.

You text him after a long day, once, and you say something about being tired and not wanting to cook, and then he's in your kitchen with a crackle of blue energy and a bag of take out and a hoodie he pulls off less than five minutes later, passing it to you with an easy shrug and a nonchalant smile. Lot warmer in here than the lair, he says breezily, as though it isn't your favorite of his hoodies. As though it was an accident.

He does that a lot, you realize. Act as though calculation is coincidence.

And then you can't stop realizing it.

It's not just the portals.

It's everywhere.

He's everywhere.

He's spending enough time at your place that he just leaves his stuff there when he gets a mission call, and you end up with a stack of books and comics that you definitely didn't pick up yourself, and instead of mentioning it you just replace his horrifying whatever-he-can-find bookmarks (you find one of your bracelets there, once) with actual ones. People keep giving them to you as freebies- might as well put them to use.

Somehow he knows when you've got big appointments scheduled, and he just casually shows up the night before and complains about how you do your chores and insists on showing you how it's done, and then you blink and he's put away every dish in your kitchen, all while playfully critiquing your organization. And, like magic, you're free to sit down and relax, because evidently your sweeping technique is also tragic, no, no, give me that, you're- you're banished, that's abysmal, and feet off the ground- don't care, it needs swept, go on.

Crazy how his movie night picks are some of your favorites. Great minds think alike, eh?

And then 'huh, Leo's pretty helpful' becomes 'oh, Leo's given me impossible standards' when you wake up in the middle of the night and can't seem to catch your breath from a nightmare. You fumble for your phone and type what's supposed to say are you up? and comes out as ate yii yo? and then your phone is ringing.

He greets you with a you alright? that you think should probably be harsher than it is considering the hour, and when you manage to get the word dream out of your face he follows up with want some company?

And you must say yes, because the next thing you know is a crackle of blue energy (which should look dangerous, should feel dangerous, but looks like a playful wave and feels like home) and nearly six feet of mutant turtle dropping onto your bed, landing with a playful bounce that shakes a little of the dream-scented-sludge from your mind.

Sorry, he says, playful and grinning as he folds his arms behind his head and watches you like he can read your mind, traffic was a nightmare.

And you shake your head, because what the fuck, but you're laughing despite yourself and some of the scrutiny melts from his eyes.

Thought I'd-

Don't say drop by.

I would never, he says, but he doesn't elaborate on what he was going to say, and you draw your own conclusions. Anywhoozles, what's the vibe? Movie? Snack? Field trip to the top of the Great Wall?

And somehow he means it.

He's in your room at four in the morning, still in his pajamas, mask down around his neck, all warm and soft and sleep-shaped, and offering you the world like it was a piece of gum.

And you just stare at him, wondering if you're still dreaming.

[moreausturtles]

"the orange sun in the blue sky"

a/n: hi guys this is a rly rly old weirdly made draft that I made during my rly bad hyperfixation on the rise movie; i thought i might share it with y'all bc im somewhat proud of it? pls dont mind any mistakes i wrote it in a rush i think...? gl to everyone reading hahaha lmk what u think pls dont be mean

summary: leo and mikey are the only ones alive. they finally defeat the last of the kraang, but at a cost.

warnings: unchecked + unedited weird bullet point format; slight mentions of death/blood; one swear word?; very angsty and sad sorry :((

word count: ~1k

(imagine FINALLY defeating Krang 1 as a mission success)

- the baja blast duo fight the krang, lots of hard hits and close calls and they have the LUCKIEST breakthrough.

- krang 1 is on the ground and no longer able to move, all its tentacles are severed. its hanging on by a thread, one that leo is more than happy to cut.

- “this is for my family.” leo whispers, looking down at the krang in disdain.

- he jabs his sword into the krang's body under his foot, killing it in one motion.

- and just like that, it was over.

- leo takes a moment to breathe, like his body wasn’t letting him before.

- he allows himself to think, to process, to take in the fact that they had just won the war.

they won.

- a small smile grows on his face and a quick rush of excitement takes over his body

- “we did it…” he whispers, “mikey, we did it!” he repeats it, a part of him still in denial and acting like saying it again was going to convince him that the worst was over.

- but the worst was far from it.

- he turns around to mikey excitedly, who he thought was just quiet because he was just as shocked as he was

- but boy was he stupidly wrong

- mikey stood there, a hand on the side of his plastron with blood dripping from it then to the ground

“mikey…?”

- he tries to give leo a smile, but fails as his body drops to the ground

- leo’s heart drops along with him, he calls out his name and runs to him quickly and takes him in his arms

- mikey, even before his mystic powers, always had this signature orange glow radiating off of him. but this time, leo was afraid it was going to become very dim very soon.

- leo took his baby brother’s head in his hand—he didn’t care if mikey was fucking older than him (hc no thanks to his excessive use of mystic power), he was still his baby brother

- mikey needed medical attention fast. but they were in the middle of nowhere. no medical team. no backup. no hamato.

- “we did it, leo…?” mike manages to whisper out and smiled up at his older brother.

- “yeah buddy, we did…” the sniffling soon came as leo tried to fight back tears. he had known this would happen; could you really blame a guy whose family got picked off one by one during the apocalypse to think that way?

“i’m sorry, leo...”

- god, mikey’s voice shattered leo’s heart into pieces. so weak and trying.

- “hey,” leo uttered, trying to change the topic, “remember the time when you thought the gumbus was real?”

- this earned a very weak, wheezed chuckle from the mystic turtle, who had his eyes closed to visualize the fond memory

- “you did too…” leo laughed bitterly at that, feeling his little brother’s breathing pattern slow.

- “i did, yeah. it’s one of my favorite memories.” said leo.

- “mine too…” mikey opened his eyes, the memory ending, and looked up to see leo’s face drenched in tears. a pang hit mikey’s chest as he realized he was going to leave his brother soon.

- “hey, leo?”

- “yeah, miguel?” a playful nickname he hadn’t heard in years.

“you were always my favorite brother.”

leo laughed, genuinely laughed even though it felt like he was being stabbed in the chest tenfold.

- “don’t tell donnie or raph.”

- “i think they know.”

- both of them pause for a moment, neither of them knowing what to say or do. there wasn’t really anything else to do but wait. Each second leo spent trying to figure out what words he wanted to tell mikey. “I’m sorry.” “Say hi to them for me.” “Please don’t leave me alone.”

- mikey was his partner in crime and now he was just… fading. His little brother was dying.

- leo knew their time was running short from the way he was listening to mikey’s labored breaths. slow and trying. mikey thought about using his mystic power for one last push, to stay with leo, to make do with what was left of the world.

- they could rebuild it. it was easy for him to make things out of thin air. leo knows how to build and farm and haul and everything you could think of.

- but the mystic warrior was tired. they had been fighting for decades. he couldn’t lift a single finger even if he tried, and that was fine with him. he honestlyhadn’t felt relaxed like that in years.

- maybe they were better off not saying a word, mikey needed to save any air he could take in. leo kept his mouth shut just so he could spent just a little bit more time together in this bittersweet silence.

- suddenly he sees mikey’s lips open a little bit, and the next words that come out would forever leave leo wounded.

“I love you, big brother.”

- it took everything in leo to not break out in full sobs right then and there. he wanted to scream, beg, plead to the God that did this to mikey— if one even existed.

- leo swallowed the lump in his throat, forming the best—and last— smile he could muster for mikey, mimicking him the way he used to do it for him and his older brothers so they wouldn’t have to worry.

“I love you too, little bro.”

- leo’s little ray of hope slowly went limp in his arms. and he was all alone.

- leo kept mikey in his arms, still and unmoving. maybe it was his punishment for putting mikey in this whole mess. for destroying the world and his entire family. maybe a God did exist, it was just never in his favor no matter how hard he fought to appease it.

leonardo, the last one standing of the hamatos, defeated the Krang and lived, while mikey took his place in the sky as leo’s ray of sunshine.