#to give him more of a ''Sensei Casey'' vibe

[darth-sonny]

a brief, sketchy concept of Older Casey in the Bad End of the Prime Leo AU

he's giving a lot of Master Leonardo vibes here

[coleyo]

BITTW CHAPTER THIRTEEN

SUMMARY; The others begin to worry about Angelo but he continues to deny these accusations.

Mikey's eyes fluttered open, a ray of sunlight hitting the side his face.

The boy shifted and turned before sitting up and yawning. Eager to start the day, mikey got out of bed before looking around.. Casey was no where to be seen? Huh. He'd always wake up early anyways, but now that Leo was injured, who was he training with? More or most likely commander o'neil. The terrapin placed a hand on his head, soon to remember the events that took place last night... Mikeys hand slid down to their cheek, a flustered expression soon forming.. usually when Mikey was confused, he'd speak to sensei Angelo or Donatello, but they had their own problems to take care of..

  Like the fact that this was Sensei Angelo's first day Being the .. leader of the place. From what Mikey has seen byfar, they Definitely were not ready. Mikey wasn't even sure if he'd come out of the room? Oh well. Mikey tightened his mask, slightly adjusting the bows as he then left, headed to his sensei's room.

"Knock knock!" The mutant said aloud as they pushed the door open. There was his sensei, filling up a glass of tea.

".. You're on time today. Where's mondo?" Angelo placed the kettle onto the small table near. "Oh, uh.." mikey paused, pressing his index fingers together. "-I.. I don't think he's coming for training today." Angelo glared at Mikey, "Why not?" "How do I say this.. something.. happened between us last night and i- I don't know if he's embarrassed, or mad at me.. But nevermind that!--" "-What happened. Did he do something to you?" Angelo narrowed his eyes slightly.

"I guess?" "...Uh-huh."

Angelo gripped the glass in his hand, "-What did he do?" "Well, last night, he was in my room and we were talking and stuff, like we usually do! And then-- we went outside to--" "-You went outside?" Angelo exclaimed furrowing his brows. This caused Mikey to pause, he'd begin to fidget with his hands "..That's besides the point, but we didn't go past the barriers we just-- went to look at the stars? Anyways, while we were out, something weird happened.." Mikey sighed and sat on the mat as Angelo approached him. "He said that he liked me and-- and then kissed my cheek! I thought he was playing around, but I think he was serious!" "-Oh. That's not too bad.. what's the problem then?" "..The problem was-- or is, me! I laughed at him!" "...you laughed." Angelo smirked, letting out a chuckle. "-Thats-- a bitter move. You just had to say yes or no. Do you like him?" "..Yes? No? I- I don't know, it's all so confusing!" Mikey squeaked, stomping a bit. "-But amusing. Just.. tell him that you'll think about, don't just abandon your friendship like that.. I was starting to think that he hurt you." "-Awh, you care?" "..Of course I do, why wouldn't I?" "..You give off a sour vibe, is all. I wonder why.. can ya' tell me why?"

   Angelo frowned, looking off to the side. "..You don't have to!" "-I know. That's why I won't."

Silence lingered between the two, Mikeys eyes trailed off to the side. Sure, he wanted to learn more about Angelo in order to form a stronger bond with him, but Angelo just wouldn't let him. He'd have to figure out another way. "Oh yeah! Today is your first day leading this entire base, right? Isn't that awesome!?" "No." Mikey laughed before standing up and walking towards Angelo. "-Relax, everything will be okay, and I'll make sure of it! It's all fine, dude!" Mikey spoke smoothly. "..But if you want to look more appealing or whatever, we have to fix your hair a bit.

Angelo glared at the other, before sighing. He took a hold of Angelo's hair before he spoke, "-I used to do My April's hair all the time! She loved it! We were so close, she's awesome!" "-..That's nice.." Angelo dryly replies as Mikey went on, until he was done doing his sensei's hair. "..And.. done! Enjoy!" Mikey finally let go. Angelo looked over at the mirror, pleasantly surprised. "-It looks...fine." "-Awe, thank you!" Mikey wrapped his arms around Angelo's shoulders, hugging him tightly. They were slightly lifted off of the ground due to Angelo's height.

after a while, Angelo sighed, "You're not letting go, are you?" "-..Maybe not." The sensei huffed, Continuing to walk as if Mikey weighed almost nothing.

Mikey smiled before he speaking, "-Where are we going?" Angelo glared, "-to see Leo for a bit." Said sensei Angelo, "-And then?" Michealangelo added, peering over Angelo's shoulders.

"-Back to the dojo.." "-Really? You don't want breakfast? You're gonna have to come out sooner or later." Angelo remained silent as he left the dojo, Mikey hung on tightly. Soon, they arrived at the medical center, Angelo would knock before opening the door.

Leo was already awake, as commander O'Neil replaced this bloody bandages with fresh, new ones. April turned around, a smile on her face. "-Angelo! You're here, perfect. Leo just wanted to talk to you--.. oh." She'd paused, spotting Mikey wrapped around him. "-..Hey, Mikey! What's going on here?" "Don't ask." Aneglo replied meekly "He's like a parasite." She adds, folding her arms. "-We all know you don't mind it!" She snickered. Angelo fell silent.. ".. Anyways." She would change the subject immediately, "What did you want to talk to me about, Leon?"

"Well, since you're going to be leading 'Till I recover and all, I've figured that you might need very few tips.. It's easy!" "For you, that is." She said, whilst Mikey laid his head down on their shoulder. "Oh, don't be like that.. we can help you!" 'O'neil stated, tightening the bandages. Leo winched in pain, letting out a long sigh. Angelo stood for a moment before saying, "I.. I doubt it.." it came out like a pant, concerning The others in the room.

"Are you okay..?" April stood up, walking towards Her younger brother. He nodded,  shaking. "You should sit down-" "-,I'm fine!" They raised their voice a bit. "..Maybe you need your pills." "-Its nothing but a headache April, it's okay. I'll be fine.." Angelo gave her a smile. "-I- if you say so, just make sure to eat something today."

"-yeah, yeah. Got it." "I'm serious, Angelo, you'll gain more strength that way, everytime we tell you to take your medication, you say you will, and then never do!"

The girl argued, Sensei Angelo didn't take this lightly.

  "-April, I'm trying, okay?" They'd get slightly defensive.. Mikey's grip loosened, just incase this got too heated. "..Alright, how about we all calm down?" Leo suggested, his gaze falling onto the two taken aback, April projected."..im-- I'm just trying to make sure he's okay, alright? Ever since Miles died, you've been very.. distant! I- is all..", Angelo stared at April for a bit before taking a deep breath. "Can we.. not have this conversation again. I'll be going.."

Before commander o'neil or even Master Leonardo could reply, angelo left the room with Mikey. "Sensei?" Mikey started, "Who's miles?" "..No one, mikey. It'll be better if you just-- didn't know." "There's a lot to you I don't know!" The mutant complains, lying his head down an Angelo's shoulders. It was like Mikey didn't know who Angelo even was, ya' know? Yes, Angelo was his sensei but what else. He knew that there was more to him then just a stuck up old man.

Mikey poked at his sensei before they finally reached the main room, where others usually practiced their aim, or combat. Some even ate here due to the fact that there were tables all around. Mikey hops off of Angelo, smiling. "-Look!" He'd pull on sensei's Cape, pointing at mondo and Mikey at the far corner. "..Why don't you go to them or-- something." Angelo said, hesitantly. "But.. mondo.." he said. Before hiding behind Angelo's cape. The man sighed, dragging Mikey by the ends of his mask, towards the two.

   Casey noticed the duo approaching and smiled, "-There you two are, we were thinking about you!" Mikey stood up, turning towards mondo, hesitantly. The gecko gleamed before looking away. Angelo noticed this and let out a devastating sigh, "-Come on Mikey, you can do it. Stop being a p--" "-Mondo!" Mikey cut him off. "-Im.. sorry, about last night, i- I didn't mean to seem rude or anything, I swear!" "..It's fine dude, I'd rather not discuss of it." "-Well-- I do! Look, you're great and stuff, but.. i- I didn't mean to come off as mean, I'm not a jerk! I just.. didn't know what to say, ya' know? No one has ever really.. loved me like that." The terrapin shrugged, looking back at Angelo. Both Angelo and Casey looked at one another, before looking back at Mikey with slight approval. "Like I said, it's fine, really." Mondo smiled. "-Okay, good, good.. But this isn't a no, or-- anything ! I'll think about it.." Mondo flashed a smile before nodding.

"That was extremely painful to watch.." Angelo placed a hand on his hip, before being hit with the sudden fainting feeling. Once more Casey, mondo, and Mikey were too busy discussing to even notice. Angelo groaned, leaving the others in a hurry. Before he could even leave the hall, he crashed into a small girl, who'd fall over. Angelo stopped dead in his tracks, looking down at her. "-im--" he paused, crossing his arms. "-Im sorry, 'Kid." Angelo then helped the girl up. She'd smile, "-..Thanks!" She would chirp, showing no signs of fear whatsoever. With that said and done, the small girl hopped away. Angelo let out a huff before walking back to the dojo, shutting the door behind himself. The man took a small plastic bottle of their medication from the cabinet,  taking out two pills. Though his hands were shaking, he was fine.. it was just low blood sugar, it wasn't anything too serious.

Angelo placed the medication before taking his medications, almost forcing himself to do so. They weren't too fond with it. Usually, when he was around, he'd help him deal with these things, but now that he was gone, there was no one to comfort him..

Angelo furrowed his brows, clenching his fist. Unfortunately, knowing there was nothing he could do about it,, that anger was over clouded by sadness. Tears began to form in Angelo's eyes, he'd press his back against the wall and slowly  drag himself downwards, chocking back any sobs or tears managing to get by. There was too much pent up frustration and raw emotion inside of them at the moment. He placed his knees up to his chest, lying his head into them and crying softly, not knowing what else to to do.

They didn't have anyone to talk to.

They dare not to complain.

All they could to was.. cry.

It wasn't going to get any better.

[mytrouvailles]

ROTTMNT SPOILERS I WONT EVER GET OVER THIS OK LETS GO

so as a fan of tmnt 2003, 2012, the 2007 movie and rise i have a TON of analysis to get off my chest about the dynamic of these turtles in the rise movie. and first off is leo and raph ofc.

first off in the past versions (especially 2007), leo and raph always seem to be going at it because of some “leader/soldier” vibe going on between them. raph never liked being bossed around, leo was always a sensei’s pet, etc. raphael’s anger has a history of being unnecessary, and leonardo’s responses never helped the situation either, he refuses to admit he’s wrong in some cases. see 2007’s rooftop argument, literally the whole thing lol

rise 100% changes this dynamic from the beginning and i LOVE it! first we’ve got no leader leo, just some goofy 14yr old boy who throws out one-liners in the middle of battle (other leos actually do this too, but their overall demeanors are way more, let’s say pensive, having to deal with their brothers’ lives on their shoulders and the responsibility of leader). the statement that rise leo is basically other leos if they had 0 responsibilities is 100% valid.

so in rise we’ve got a leader in raphael! which i honestly thought was a nice take when i first watched the show in 2018, why not give the famous hothead a crack at being leader? only this time he is also the oldest, the strongest, and has actually controlled (or really never had) his temper. there’s a lot of maturity there that we really haven’t seen in other raphs before and i ATE. IT. UP. but, raph is still a teenager, a teenager who cracks under pressure and believes the entire world falls on his shoulders. he became more of a self-declared leader, as the oldest and biggest, and the others had no problem with it. he carries the weight of leader because he feels that he HAS to, he has to own up to all of this responsibility in order to become his own image of an ideal hero, who does good simply because he can. see Pizza Puffs, you know Red Angel Of Preventing Harm? yeah this guy LOVES being needed by people, going on 100% of their missions and all.

we see the more serious side of leadership in raphael near the end of s2. throughout the series, there were noticeable times that the others (normally leo) would step up as a leader, give raph a break, and save the day with some motivation and a wacky plan that ended up working. see Origami Tsunami. however by the end of the series, we see raphael’s breakdown, his fear of failing his family, and it is here when he realizes that he must trust his family the way they trust him, and allow the team to work equally and carry each other.

then immediately after that we get leader leo! if there’s one thing i wish would’ve been handled better, it’s definitely the pacing to get to splinter’s decision to appoint leo as leader. BUT i do get that the rise crew had to work with what they were given, and honestly it could’ve been done worse so no complaints here.

leo and raph (like in every version) are opposites in many ways. rise raph’s mindset pushes him to do good because he can, and he has a desire to be needed by others and help them in any way he can. he is a caring mother-hen to his brothers, who he just wants to be able to take of themselves when needed. see Hot Soup: The Game and Pizza Puffs.

on the other hand, leonardo is most concerned with his image, whether he’s the best at what he does or not, and has a desire for people to want him. this taps into his insecurities shown throughout the series. see Portal Jacked! and Minotaur Maze. even in the movie, he admits to casey that while he thought his brothers needed him, the reality is that he needs his brothers. leonardo constantly tries to prove his worth to himself, to prove that he is a champion among his brothers. this obsession (more so in the movie) leaves him lacking in team cooperation, but like raph, believing that he must do everything himself. but this is the exact moment when the difference between leader raph and leader leo come out, while raph felt a sense of responsibility and duty to carry everything on his own, leo did so simply in order to prove that he could. he shows the confidence in himself to do things the way he wants, but fails to put that into play when it comes to cooperating with his brothers.

one thing that i love about the movie is that raphael’s anger never originated from any form of resentment or hate for his brother for taking his position. raph was noticing a dangerous pattern in leo’s behavior, one that he believed would harm himself and his brothers, and he was solely focused on getting leonardo to understand that he must take responsibility for his actions. it’s a very familial type of anger, one that comes from worry and love. leo’s response was pretty nonchalant, reading a comic book while raph was trying to talk to him and all. this attitude stuck with him until his talk with casey, who criticized him for acting as arrogant as he was, implying that leonardo was nothing like his future self. and then you know what went down, when he had to fight raph, with donnie and mikey captured in the background. seeing his brothers in the state that they were in was his turning point, he realized that being the leader doesn’t make everything about him, but rather makes it more about what he can do to make sure that they all make it home.

by the end of the movie, it’s obvious that leo’s sacrifice wasn’t made in an attempt for glory (see Minotaur Maze). leo spent the entire movie holding that one photo of his family, at the end he was smiling at it, crumpled in his hand, as krang pounded him into the ground. leo knew that his sacrifice meant that his brothers were safe, and at the end of it all, that’s all he wanted.

[cowabungacafe]

hi! could i request a tmnt matchup please? i'm rather short (1,60cm), chubby, and i look like a mix of 90's grunge and early 2000 emo. i'm anti-authority, and i am a leader, not a follower. if i don't think that a rule makes sense, or is useful, i'm not going to follow it. however, i'm mostly pretty obedient, and i don't cause much trouble. some people see me as a big brother type of person, because i protect and support when needed, and i have a 'caretaker' type persona. i can succeed at everything i *want* to succeed at, the rest doesn't interest me. i present myself as incredibly confident, hella sassy, sarcastic and like i don't have a care in the world, even though i'm really sensitive, introverted, kinda timid and insecure. i cry a lot over small things, and beat myself up relentlessly when i make mistakes. in general, i don't think highly of myself at all, but l would never outright admit that, or speak up. i just really hate having to trust someone with my emotions. i love making people around me laugh, it makes me really happy. i can be a bit petty, and teasing, but only in a joking manner. i actually get flustered really easily, and i never initiate anything, even though i adore physical affection of any kind. what most people are surprised by is my fair and unbiased way of judging. i stand up for anyone who is treated unfairly, even if i have to stand my own against authority (which makes me incredibly nervous). then again, i'm unable to protect myself, and i just quietly take everything that is said to me. i get scared really easily, and i'm afraid of being hit or yelled at. hope this was okay♡

My oh my! I have to admit this was pretty hard. And i thought about this for one whole day and then it hit me who im gonna match u up with. Thank you for requesting, i hope you got who you wanted.

The above gif is the vibe you gave me and also i love this gif

I match you with

Raphael

Why i matched you with your result

You are leaderly and hardly wanna be a follower and an anti-authority, which resonates with raphs rebel vibes. If there's a rule that you think is wrong, you dont follow it no matter what. Just like raph, if raph thinks there some rules that literaly have no meaning he wont follow it and none can make him.

You show as if you are tough and dgaf about the world but deep down you're just a soft plushie baby who needs to be hugged tightly, same as raph, raph shows as if he doesn't care about this world and often talks about leaving his bros and starting his life separately, but the truth is quite opposite. He is very insecure and he thinks he doesn't deserve his bros.He cares and loves his brothers and the world deeeeply and can't think of a live without them. He says those stuff to maintain the "hardcore" persona. He too carries the sarcastic and sassy af vibe.

You will help someone and anyone in need no matter what the circumstances, even if its one man vs the world. Raph too will fight the demons if he have to to save someone he thinks is in need.

Just like you, raph too shows as if he doesn't get shy but thats not true, he is just a soft cinnamon roll in "badboy" skin. So any type of physical touch makes this red bandana mutant a full on tomato. Yes he is that flustered.

Raph is the most sarcastic of the brothers(i just checked that from the tmnt wiki)and will always go around throwing petty snarky comments on his smart-brain brothers(leo and donnie especially lol) so here too you resonate with him.

Raph is a pretty good brother i like to think even more reasonable than leo (as he argued with leo why mikey doesnt get a vote on the secrecy of purple ooze). Maybe thats why mikey is seen around raph more bcus raph too gives those protective big brother who may come off as harsh but will listen to your problems with open ears. (Maybe thts why he became the eldest brother in rottmnt). Here too you match with him.

Raph is reluctant on telling someone about his emotions as he thinks it will hamper his hardcore mode, until you came( read along the random hcs )

Although considered the hothead of the group, raphs sense of judgement isnt that far behind fron leos.

After mikey, raph is probably the second jokester, maybe not on the same level of mikey but pretty snarky and petty jokes lol.

Sometimes he breaks down when he realises that how the decision he took was wrong and how much it has affected not only him but his near and dear ones too. Like in the 2016, the stealing of the purple ooze from the police hqs made their existence known and April and Casey were taken into custody.

Random headcanons of both of you when together

Your first meeting is prolly when he was out on a patrol and saw u trying save an old lady who was getting mugged. He was watching from the rooftop the whole time, of how you advanced and told the robber to leave her alone with apparently no weapon in hand, until he came down when he felt like its showtimee!!

When you find some fault in Leo's plan/strategy you point them out right away and raph cant help but admire you and mouth the word "thats my girl", finally he has someone to back his ass up.

Your leadership qualities are excellent and even sensei confirmed that and raphs chest grew 4 inches wider with a permanent grin on his face and sending snarky looks towards leo, who is just rolling their eyes away.

Though he is usually the tough guy, but with you its a whole different thing. He shows a diff side to you, the side not many has witnessed. He is usually soft and goofy around you, if you're tired he will bring some food over at your place or just take you out for a lil dinner on the rooftops. He will spoil you with things you like.

He knows that you're pretty sensitive and flinch and gets scared of scolding or yelling(he knew it from the first time he had a fight with you and he raised his voice then suddenly he saw your eyes filling up with tears. From then on, he is always careful around you)

Everytime you cry whether be it a sad movie or someone which made you cry, he will cuddle with you and cradle you while brushing your hair and humming some lullaby which sensei used to sing to him.

[dershloopmain]

Each of The Boys Reactions To Splinter’s Death (Leo)

He couldn’t stop thinking about it. It was a plague, taking over his entire being and he hated it. The lack of competency and willingness to be awake was slowly consuming him and there was very little he could do to stop it. Tea, meditation, yoga. Nothing seemed to give him any kind of lust for life. He rolled his eyes at the stupidity of it all. This wasn’t an excuse to stay in bed all day, this wasn’t an excuse to drop off of training. He had to fight it and prove to himself he was stronger than this… this thing. Though he had to admit he wasn’t 100% sure what ‘it’ actually was.

Leo’s limbs pulled downwards, begging to sink into his mattress and succumb to the comforting warmth. He wasn’t going to comply. He couldn’t. But, alas, as it always goes, he did. The fearless, motivated Leo crawled into bed and curled up in his sheets blocking out the cold hard world.

The truth was, he missed Splinter. He missed the structure and consistency having him around brought. He recognised that he sucked as a father, he still was their father and he tried to prepare them for everything they’d have to face but… now he was gone, what was there? He had his brothers, April and Casey but… it didn’t feel right. There was a certain emptiness that came with his fathers’ death that threatened to swallow him whole and at this point, it just felt like anyone who got hurt by it was just collateral damage. 

He let out an exasperated sigh and rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling. Memories swirled through his head, everything that had happened… it was hard not to wonder if maybe his father’s death was for the best. Leo shook his head. That was a horrible thought! How dare he think that about the man who raised them! But still… it did plague him. He was always the golden student, Splinter’s star boy and favourite son but at what cost? Splinter had neglected his brothers and groomed him into a perfectionist nark who ‘’always new best’’ but to be honest since he’d died he felt like the complete opposite. Raph was angry, angrier than usual. Donnie had reclined into himself more and rarely came out of his lab. And Mikey? Well, nothing good had happened to the poor kid either. He stayed out until late afternoon, risking getting seen bu humans, and barely slept. He wasn’t sure any of them were sleeping though if he was being honest. He couldn’t even lead his brothers, how was he expected to lead a dying ninja clan?

It didn’t matter, the Hamato clan died with them, he was sure of it. If anything, he kind of hoped it would have just died with Splinter. He didn’t want to be the golden boy anymore. He didn’t want to be the leader, he didn’t want to be anything except a brother and a best friend. He wanted to be a teenager and not have to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders constantly. That was too much for anyone, let alone a 17-year-old, to handle. Now, however, it was over. His final decision as leader was decided, as he pulled out his T-phone and he typed a message to his brothers.

Leo: We’re done being ninjas. We’re done playing vigilante and protecting New York. They can protect themselves.

He threw his phone down onto his bed and smiled. It felt good knowing he’d finally said that. He was sick of protecting a city that if they ever saw who was protecting them from alien invasions and certain doom, would all run screaming. Either way, he’d have to see what the others would say. He was sure they wouldn’t be opposed to the idea, but it didn’t hurt to ask. Would they even reply? Raph had already cruised through at least 3 T-Phones these last 2 week and with Donnie being in his own rut, there was a limited supply. Leo wasn’t sure. He wasn’t sure of anything anymore. No matter how many times people had told him ‘’This feeling will pass! You can get through this!’’ it never seemed to actually stick with him and comfort him. If anything, it annoyed him. He’d just lost his father at 17, been left an entire ancient Japanese ninja clan AND with the job of being his brothers’ new sensei? He could barely lead them at the best of times, how was he supposed to be their ‘master’.

Leo let out a long, drawn-out breath and reached for him phone again, this time snagging his earbuds too. Maybe some music would help him? Honestly, he hadn’t listened to much of the stuff in a while. Any music he had to listen to had just been some of Splinter’s old records or cassettes for meditation. Not exactly what he was into, but whatever worked. He didn’t want to meditate now though. He wanted to be distracted, transported into another world. A world full of love and joy and good vibes. After a while of mindlessly scrolling through his playlists, he selected one. Nothing too vibrant, but just enough to trick his mind into believing in some kind of love. Cracking the volume to the highest his ears could handle without wincing, he rolled himself up in his covers and lay there, just listening and enjoying the quiet moment in the still part of his mind. The part of his mind that didn’t worry constantly, the part of his mind that wasn’t bothered by what his brothers thought, the part that just didn’t care and wanted to be happy.

And he knew, in his heart of hearts, that one day he wouldn’t feel like this, and one day he would feel better, but for now, he was ok with feeling like this. He was allowed to mourn, allowed to suffer and allowed to feel.

[letterboxd]

Self-Defense.

“Tone is fun. Tone is like a fingerprint, and I’m trying to figure out what mine is.” —The Art of Self-Defense writer/director Riley Stearns tells us about his singular new film.

Leaning heavily into ideas centered around manliness, Riley Stearns’ new film The Art of Self-Defense feels pretty loaded. Although it’s clearly presenting itself as satire, the hot-button nature of its subject matter heightens the whole affair.

Set in what appears to be sometime in the 1970s or 1980s, or a cellphone-less present—you can never be quite sure—the film stars Jesse Eisenberg as Casey, a meek office drone who is violently mugged one evening. After recovering, he begins taking karate lessons at a local dojo and falls under the influence of his charismatic sensei, a man named… Sensei. Sensei is played by Alessandro Nivola in a hilarious performance that itself justifies seeing the film, but it’s worth it for several other reasons too, not least of which is a great turn from Imogen Poots, playing a fellow student.

Destined to be polarizing, The Art of Self-Defense affects a vibe that feels influenced in equal parts by Yorgos Lanthimos, Charlie Kaufman and Wes Anderson. For Stearns, who also helmed the 2014 cult-recovery feature Faults, a black comedy described by Letterboxd members as “terrific”, “inventive” and “original”, The Art of Self-Defense continues a never-ending exploration of tone, “the most important part of filmmaking”.

Letterboxd caught up with Stearns earlier in the year to talk jiu-jitsu, ambiguity, violence and the Coen brothers.

Writer/director Riley Stearns.

What was the impetus for you telling this story? Riley Stearns (writer/director): I think I started just worrying: what would happen if I got in a fight? What would happen if I got mugged? What would happen if I was with somebody I loved and something happened and I couldn’t defend them? And I just really didn’t know the answers to those questions. So I started looking into taking martial arts classes, and jiu-jitsu in particular is what I settled on. It was really out of fear initially, and now I do jiu-jitsu because it’s fun. It’s a hobby, it’s a sport that I like and it keeps me in shape. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done for myself, but it really started out of fear.

When I started writing the movie, I’d been doing jiu-jitsu for a little while. I wanted to make a movie in that world, but I realized I could take my experience and my fear and put it into the story, and I thought people might relate to that. And the really interesting thing is some of the guys I’ve shown it to have felt like they saw themselves in the character, even though for me, it’s a stylized and exaggerated version of myself. I see myself in the character, obviously, but I feel proud that they see themselves too.

Is this film’s time period deliberately ambiguous? Deliberately ambiguous, yes. I wanted to kind of be able to just mix technology. I happen to think that analog technology is more interesting-looking, and it adds a certain production design quality to the film that I really like. I don’t want people to have to think about the timeline too much. If you’re thinking ‘why is it ambiguous?’ that’s one thing. But thinking ‘oh there’s an iPhone 7, so this happened at that time’, I think it dates a film unnecessarily. I also try to stay away from cellphones just in general too. Because if you don’t have ’em and they’re never touched on, then you can’t use them, and that’s great, because it helps propel story. But yeah, it’s definitely an ambiguous timeline.

Having said that, your film delves into a subject that there’s so much discussion around right now in society: masculinity (and toxic forms of it). Is that a coincidence? I started writing this in 2015. I think the conversations were happening then, it was just a smaller version. Recently it has really picked up, [with] the #MeToo movement, and there’s people questioning and saying ‘no we’re not gonna take this anymore’. I think that’s amazing, but this was already something I was looking at doing for myself. Just saying, like, I’m a white guy and I’m middle-aged and I grew up in a middle-class family and this is my perspective, and so this hopefully is how I can help. It’s karate and it’s got action and comedy and all that, but I do think there’s a message at the heart of it. At the end of the day, it’s entertainment, for sure, but I don’t want to make something that’s pure entertainment. I want to make something that says something, at least. That was my goal.

The character of Sensei is really something else. What were your conversations with Alessandro Nivola like? For some reason I came up with this image that kind of started with Sensei: he’s the kind of guy who would wear sandals with socks. That’s who Sensei is. He’s a sociopathic character in the film, but he also is just a dork, too. I think he was the kid who was beat up in high school, probably started taking karate to be able to defend himself, thought it would make him cool. And at the end of the day, karate’s not necessarily the coolest thing in the world anyway. Anybody putting on a gi, you don’t look cool doing it. What you’re able to do from the martial art is one thing, but you don’t look cool in the gi.

I think Sensei just wants to belong. He wanted to belong to a group, and no group would have him so he kind of started his own, so he’s got his school, all these students look up to him, and he’s just pretending to be the cool person he always wanted to be. And he also just happens to be kinda crazy too. But yet, Alessandro had fun being that guy, just embracing the quirks of the character and not going the expected route.

There’s a declarative, deadpan tone to this film. Did you talk to your cast about tone? Definitely. ‘Deadpan’ is a word that’s used, and I think I accidentally slip into it here and there, but I like to say ‘literal’. In real life, we kind of hide the truth a little bit to be nice or friendly, and we don’t always express exactly what we’re thinking. I like to think that in the world of The Art of Self-Defense, everyone says exactly what they’re thinking. It’s either black or white, there’s no gray. And I think that helps inform the acting at times. Just saying what you think, and also a lot of times with quote-unquote jokes in the movie, I don’t think they work as well if you play it as a joke. But if you don’t play it as a joke, you play it dead serious, that’s where the humor lies. And we were really able to find that on set.

It’s hard to say that it’s a natural-feeling film, but I didn’t want it to feel so stylized that it takes you out of it. I wanted you to feel like this is just maybe a dimension over from us, a minute shift, but it’s enough that it makes things feel slightly off but it gives it its own world. I like building worlds, even if it’s not in some grand Avatar kind of way. Just hone and feel an atmosphere.

For me, tone is the most important part of filmmaking. I would rather have a nailed-down tone. I don’t know that I’m ever gonna achieve that; it’s always gonna be a battle to figure out what is perfect, but that means more to me than doing some really cool camera move. Or having some big explosion or something. I look at the Coen brothers and I say, like: how are they able to do exactly what they want to do with every single movie, and how does it feel like a Coen brothers film for me every single time? That’s an aspirational thing for me down the line; I want to get to that point where I know exactly what I want, we’re able to achieve it every time, and everyone’s on the same page. Tone is fun. Tone is like a fingerprint. And I’m trying to figure out what mine is.

Violence is a big part of this film. Were you trying to approach violence in a specific way? Um, not necessarily. I think that our society, in the United States especially, nudity and sex is so “horrible” to put on film, but everything gets away with violence. And I think that to a certain extent, that’s not a great thing, but I do happen to find a certain style of violence… when it’s used in a certain context. The films of Yorgos Lanthimos or… who else…

Paul Verhoeven? Yes. There you go. Haneke. There are ways of approaching violence that don’t glorify it, and I do think that there is humor in violence, but I know at the end of the day I’m making a movie. In real life, I’m not a violent person. I don’t like violent things. But being able to explore it is interesting in the context of the film. Maybe it’s the shock of it. Maybe I’m just being clichéd or whatever. But I do happen to find [violence] an interesting tool to be able to use. There are moments in the movie where we show the violence and there’s moments where we have it off camera. And I think being able to decide that may be too much, or being able to say, this is just doing it for shock and not adding anything to the discussion.

Something I definitely did in conceiving the way that we shot it, anything with fists or feet, like punching, very analog fights, all of that could be very bloody. But the moment we used weapons or guns or anything, I wanted [scene description redacted to avoid spoilers] to be almost not bloody at all. I didn’t wanna glorify the gun violence. But with the karate side of it, we just went balls-to-the-wall. So there’s also a little bit of that too, knowingly adding more to certain elements that you want to enhance. I don’t think people need to see [scene description redacted]. That’s not entertainment to me.

‘The Art Of Self-Defense’ is in US theaters now. Comments have been edited for clarity and length.

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 5/4/21

Days on Fes, Vol. 1 | By Kanato Oka | Yen Press A manga about the joys of music festivals is something we’ve seen before, but usually it’s from the perspective of the band playing onstage. This new title is devoted to the happiness found in being a concertgoer at these festivals, told from the perspective of two high school girls—one a festival veteran, the other a newbie—and the veteran’s older brother, who runs a cafe, and his friend/employee, who is… Eeyore, frankly. Aside from the fun festival stuff, including an impromptu fashion show the girls give us, I was left wondering if this is a BL or yuri manga—the two guys, especially, given off a very couple vibe without actually being one. I’ll definitely be reading the next volume. – Sean Gaffney

Haikyu!!, Vol. 43 | By Haruichi Furudate | VIZ Media – I originally thought I wanted to see Haikyu!! end with Karasuno triumphing at the National Tournament. Furudate-sensei doesn’t go that route, though, and this volume in particular proves why that was absolutely the right choice. After two years in Brazil honing his skills playing beach volleyball, Hinata returns to Japan and joins a pro team (alongside some familiar faces) in the top tier of Japan’s volleyball league. This volume finds him facing off against Kageyama (and some familiar faces) for the first time since middle school, with even more familiar faces among the spectators. We needed this final arc to see how good Hinata has become, how it’s become clear even to those who once doubted him that he is a very valuable player even without Kageyama by his side. The best part, though, is the obvious respect Kageyama has for Hinata. They’ve grown in so many ways. Sniff. – Michelle Smith

Komi Can’t Communicate, Vol. 12 | By Tomohito Oda | Viz Media – The majority of this book is about the summer break from school, and attempts of the group to go to the beach as a fun activity. The difficulty is that Najimi ends up not going, so the rest of the cast, who rely on Najimi to be so over-the-top extroverted that they drag everyone else with them, is feeling awkwardly quiet. But once we get there we get a lot of fun in the sun. That said, we may be setting up an important plot point ahead, as in order to get rid of some unwanted guys hitting on her, Tadano says that he’s Manbagi’s boyfriend… something that afterwards she does not entirely seem to be opposed to. Are we headed for a love triangle? Still one of my favorite school comedies running right now. – Sean Gaffney

Satoko and Nada, Vol. 4 | By Yupechika | Seven Seas – The final volume of this story is mostly happy and heartwarming, though it can also be quite realistic—when their time together is up, Satoko and Nada go on to have separate lives, though the epilogue does show them meeting up again years later. Still, the impact they had on each other’s lives is astounding. As for the manga itself, it’s still showing off the differences between not only Japan and Saudi Arabia, but also both nations and America. Both women end up living strong, fulfilling lives, and you will be very happy to have watched part of it. This is one of my favorite pickups of the last few years, and at only four volumes it also would make a great gift set. – Sean Gaffney

Skip Beat!, Vol. 45 | By Yoshiki Nakamura | Viz Media – It feels like a dam has burst, reading this volume. The back half of the book contains some of the most amazing art in the entire series, with Kyoko literally running away from everything as fast as she can only to find Ren proving that he can run faster and confront her harder. That said, the front half of the book is also excellent—this series is now 45 volumes long, and has come a long way from a girl and her rage gremlins that surround her trying to get revenge, but it’s nice to know that whenever there’s a real problem, Ren can always turn to a giant chicken for advice. That said, she’s not a man, she’s a Kyoko Boo, so I’m on tenterhooks waiting for her response. Which, erm, is not scheduled by Viz yet, alas. – Sean Gaffney

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, Vol. 14 | By Kagiji Kumanomata | Viz Media Throughout this series we’ve been wondering exactly why the human world is relying on doofuses like Braver to try to save the princess from her presumably horrible fate. OK, let’s be fair—no, we haven’t. We’ve been watching Syalis be a combination of evil gremlin, naive doofus, and teenager growing up. But it comes to mind in this new volume as her mother the Queen, running away from home after an argument with her husband, stays over for a bit with Syalis. We’ve met the Queen before, but it’s no surprise to find that she and her daughter are quite similar… or that the King is likely to be far less accommodating. Also, there’s that pesky human/demon war. Can these problems be solved? – Sean Gaffney

Snow White with the Red Hair, Vol. 12 | By Sorata Akiduki | Viz Media – Well, so much for moving in together. After the last volume saw Zen and Shirayuki finally be able to be in the same building with each other, this new one sees Shirayuki being reassigned, meaning a long time away from Zen. Yes, Snow White with the Red Hair appears to be turning into a long-distance dedication. (Can we get fantasy Casey Kasem?) Oh yes, and the Queen, who apparently is allergic to being in the castle, has decided to abdicate in favor of the eldest son, which leads to a big ol’ ceremony and also the reintroduction of characters we thought might be gone, like Kiki’s wannabe fiancee. In any event, it appears we’re definitely headed for a new arc in the next book. – Sean Gaffney

What the Font?!: A Manga Guide to Western Typeface | By Kuniichi Ashiya | Seven Seas – While there doesn’t seem to be any shortage of manga with anthropomorphic characters, I can safely say that What the Font?! is the first I’ve come across featuring fonts personified, putting a literal face to typeface. Ostensibly, the story is about Marusu, a salesperson who has been put in charge of a proposal layout despite having no formal background in design or typography. But What the Font?! isn’t really about telling a story; it’s about providing Marusu (and by proxy the readers) a crash course in Western typefaces, their history, aesthetics, and uses. Most of the volume is presented as four-panel manga accompanied by informational tidbits. The humor isn’t always particularly funny or invigorating, but some of the jokes are quite memorable as Ashiya finds ways to successfully convey the characteristics of fonts through human personalities and behavior. What the Font?! is an accessible and frequently entertaining introduction to typography. – Ash Brown

By: Ash Brown

[tmntreasures]

Honor Among Thieves Ch.13

Note: Sooo... I felt like that last chapter was a little boring, and I’m honestly just in the mood right now so... Another chapter in the same day! :D

Everyone was hanging out in the main room of the lair doing their own things. Leo, of course, was training by fighting a wooden dummy. Donatello was tinkering with some electronic gadget at his station. Raphael was lifting iron, and Michelangelo was doing tricks on his skateboard. The two humans were placed on the couch, watching reruns of the F.R.I.E.N.D.S series while they braided each other's hair.

Bonnie huffed and shook her head. "Ross is such a tool."

Aida nodded in agreement. "No kidding..." she watched the show and giggled. "Joey though. He's a looker!"

"Eh.." Bonnie shrugged. "Though, at least he could make you laugh, so that's a plus. Even though It'd probably be at him..."

"So girls like a guy who can make them laugh?" Mikey said as he did a kick flip in front of the tv.

"Move your shell!" Bonnie swiped at him. "And of course girls do! Who doesn't like to laugh?"

"Well, Leo hates Donnies puns." Mikey shrugged.

Leo stopped from his training and threw up his arms in a ‘what the fuck?’ gesture.

Aida groaned, "Puns are different! No one likes those," she gestured for him to move. "Now get! Unless you want to join this braid train." She offered, thinking he wouldn't accept.

Mikey cruised over to them on his skateboard and hopped off of it once he had made it to the couch. He propped the board up against the side of the couch and looked to the girls. "Well, I don't have hair." He rubbed the top of his head. "And I don't know how to braid... I wonder if I could even do it with three fingers?" He held his hand up to his face and stared at it.

Aida sighed and snapped her fingers, pointing at the spot on the floor in front of her. "Sit. I'll try to do your bandanna tails," she only offered because she felt a little bad he probably couldn't maneuver his six fingers well enough for their thick hair.

Mikey clapped his hands excitedly and sat down Indian style in front of them.

Bonnie picked up his tails and gave them a few tugs before handing them to Aida. "Gurls’ hair is thiiick." She joked.

Aida laughed and continued, "Gotta layer this shit!"

Raphael looked over at the group and huffed, adding more weights to the bench press. He wanted to go over there and tell them Rachel was the best, but he didn't want to interrupt their girl-time. He laid down on the plank and began his reps, breathing heavily as his biceps and pectorals burned.

The three of them continued watching the sitcom while Aida worked on his tails. A few minutes later the sounds of heels clicking against the cement floor could be heard, and in came the reporter; April O'Neil.

Leonardo stopped when he heard her entrance and he turned to face her. "April!" He announced.

She smiled lightly and waved. "Hey." She looked around the lair and stopped once she saw the girls again. Her shoulders tensed at the sight of them. They looked so comfortable and at home with her turtles. "You guys are still here?" She placed her hands on her hips.

Aida looked over her shoulder briefly only to shrug, "Of course! It's fun down here," She said to make the reporter mad. It was fun now to toy with her, especially after hearing what Michelangelo had to say about her.

Raphael put the bar down and stretched his stiffening muscles before giving April a wave. He didn't vocally acknowledge her because he was too busy downing mouthfuls of water.

"April!" Donatello smiled, turning to face her. "What brings you down?"

Michelangelo had to look back over his shoulder as well to see her. "Hey sis!" He smiled and waved.

"Sis?" April echoed and raised a brow. "What happened to Bae?"

Mikey chuckled nervously. "Eh… Bonnie said I sounded like a total fuckboy when I used the word Bae. So I'm trying to be less of that." He shrugged.

April closed her eyes for a second and let out a tired sigh. "Well, I'm down here because I was hoping to hang out with you guys. Maybe go for a run or something above? Buuut if you're stuck babysitting..." She trailed off.

"We can still hang out." Leo said as he was wrapping his hands up with bandages. "They're only allowed to leave in the morning. So once night time hits, we can go!"

Hearing the little bit of jealousy in the reporter's tone made Aida smile, though she made sure to look at the TV screen when she did so, making sure it looked like it was the show making her grin. "Oh please. If anyone's babysitting, it's us," she muttered.

"Oh good! I was hopin' to get some rounds of cricket in with Raph!" Another new voice announced, but this time it belonged to a man.

 Aida furrowed her brow and quickly snapped her attention to the source of the voice. A human man hopped down into the lair, sporting shirt and leather jacket, jeans, and black boots. It looked like he was starting to grow his hair out, for it was a little uneven and would need a trim soon, but the bad-boy vibe was clearly emanating off of him.

The man had a hockey stick in his hand, which he used to point at the approaching turtle. "I think you're starting to get the hang of it man."

"It's a stupid game and you know it," Raphael grinned before fist bumping the man.

"Yeah, but it's so much fun to see you get mad," the man teased before finally noticing the other two human girls. His eyes widened a bit at the sight of the more curvaceous of the two; April had told him about the girls, but she didn't say anything about their looks. "So uh...you two are the ones who spooked April huh?"

Bonnie crossed her arms over the back of the couch and grinned at the man. "Guilty." She raised a hand. "Finally nice to see some man meat down here."

Mikey clicked his tongue. "What about us?" He whined.

"What about you?" She repeated.

Mikey crossed his arms and huffed. "It's the leather, isn't it?"

"A little bit." Bonnie gestured a small amount with her fingers and grinned again.

Aida shrugged and grinned a little. "It definitely doesn't hurt, that's for sure," she giggled a little bit. The man was handsome, but he was obviously too old for her. Of course that wouldn't stop her from admiring from afar.

The compliments went right to Casey's head, making him pop the jacket out a little bit. "I can't help it. Leather just feels so good."

Raphael frowned a little and found himself punching the man's arm to get him to snap out of it. "C'mon. It's the only thing you got goin' for ya."

The man tried not to wince from the punch, but he did roll his shoulder. "Yeaaah...sure." He paused and looked at the girl again and nodded, "You should try it sometime. Leather. It'd look good on you."

"Maybe I could borrow your jacket sometime?" Bonnie smiled suggestively.

"She means steal." Leonardo interjected.

"Yeah, I'm a bit of a bad girl." She purred.

"And by bad girl, she means a literal thief." He added.

"Ugh!" She groaned and turned to face him. She furrowed her brows and threw up her hands. “Why you gotta be cock-blocking me?"

"Because," April stepped closer to Casey and wrapped an arm around his. "Casey doesn't need any more trouble. Isn't that right?" She squeezed his arm tight with her other hand and looked up at him with a forced smile.

He cringed a little, wondering what his poor arm did in a past life to deserve this treatment. "Well a little more wouldn't hurt right?" He asked a little sheepishly.

Raphael crossed his arms. He felt a little miffed at their flirting. Though not just because April was there. Seeing Casey go at it with Bonnie made his stomach burn.

April dug her nails into his arm before letting go of him. "Wrong answer." She grumbled.

"Aah!" He winced a little. "Kidding! I was kidding April!"

Bonnie went to speak again, but Leonardo interrupted her once more. "Sorry Casey, but Bonnie's turning over a new leaf. Her life of crime is over, right?" He gave her a knowing look.

Bonnie clicked her tongue a looked back to the TV. "Yes, Dojo Daddy." She snickered.

"Oh god," Donatello groaned. "Don't call him that. It'll just inflate his ego..."

Bonnie sat back into the couch and crossed her arms behind her head. "Well, what do you suggest?" She raised a brow at Leonardo.

"Sensei." Leo answered.

"Hah! Yeah, that ain't happening." She shook her head with a smile. "Plus, you haven't taught me nothin’ for me to be calling you ‘Sensei.’ Mami over here is getting all the special treatment, with your jiu jutsu lessons and what not." She nudged Aida in the side with an elbow.

Aprils eyebrows perked at her last statement and she turned back to the turtles. "So… you're teaching them how to fight?"

"Really, it's only self-defense, aaannnd! You never asked!" He snapped back to Bonnie.

Aida looked over her shoulder, tying the ends of Mikey's newly braided bandanna. "To be fair, I live in the hood. Dojo Daddy is doing me a favor," she grinned. The nickname was catchy, plus it'd be a fun inside joke to have.

"If you ever want lessons, you can always come down more often April," Donatello offered after he rolled his eyes when the girl continued with the nickname.

"You guys know I'm busy... I'm a reporter, I've always gotta be looking for the next scoop." She frowned. "Buuut..." She bounced a foot. "The next time I have an opening; save me a spot in the dojo?" She smiled lightly.

"Of course April." Leo smiled back.

Raphael made kissing noises before laughing at Leonardo. "Better be careful Leo. Juggling two girls can be tricky!" He teased.

“I'll be sure to take advice from you when it comes to girls Raph." He crossed his arms and smirked, "or should I say Chris Brown?"

The red turtle clicked his tongue and crossed his arms, staying silent for now.

"Are they done?" Mikey looked back over his shoulder at Aida.

Aida stuck a lip out in a pout when April accepted his offer. "Yeah, you're good," she flicked the braid over his shoulder before patting the edge of his shell. "Next we'll do your makeup," she joked.

"Oooh!" Mikey cooed when he looked at the braid. "Good luck trying to find concealer that matches my skin tone." He laughed a little.

"So, are we going now? Sun should be setting in-" She stopped to check the time on her phone. "Fifteen minutes. Which means it'll be night time by the time we get out of the sewers."

Donatello finally shut off the computer and began to walk over to April. He paused and looked at Bonnie. "Remember, the password is right there," he pointed to the note and smiled. "In case you get bored."

Bonnie nodded and gave him a wink. "Got it."

Mikey turned around and rest an arm on a couch cushion. "Actually... is it alright if I stay in for the night?" He looked to Leonardo.

Leonardo blinked in surprise. "Why? He cocked his head.

April was just as surprised as Leonardo was and repeated his words. "Yeah, why?"

Michelangelo cringed at their interrogation. "Well uh... I- my stomach- my stomach kind of hurts." He lied, but rubbed at it anyways for added effect.

Raphael rolled his eyes and walked over to flick his head. "He just wants to flirt some more." He motioned for the little brother to follow and growled, "You're coming with us Mikey."

"Ooow!" Mikey wihinned and held the spot that Raph flicked. "Well now my head hurts!"

"Mikey..." Leonardo said sternly and nodded at one of the lairs exits. "Let's go. The girls will still be here when you get back. Right girls?"

"Yes, Dojo Daddy..." Bonnie said tiredly. Her eyes fixated on the tv screen.

"Siii," Aida nodded.

Raphael paused and looked between the girls. His gut told him something bad might happen so he pointed, "You two know where the emergency button is right?"

"Somewhere by Donatello's station right? That's where April ran off to the last time the alarms went off." Bonnie shrugged.

Casey snorted a little, still amused that April had felt threatened by the girls.

April rolled her eyes and huffed. "Look, wouldn't you be surprised to see other humans down here that wasn't us?" She bumped him with her hip.

"And what about weapons? You know where they're at?" Raph pressed on.

"Raphael calm down," Donatello intervened. "They'll be fine!"

"Yeah!" Aida nodded, "Plus Splinter is still here. So we're good."

Raph grumbled and looked at Bonnie for a long time. He just couldn't shake the feeling. Then again the last time they were left alone, April set off the alarm. Maybe he just needed to learn to relax.

Leo patted Raphael’s arm as he walked past him. "C'mon." He turned back and cupped his hands around his mouth. "Michelangelo!" He hollered out.

Mikey groaned as he stood up. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" He responded, but stopped and turned to Aida before leaving. "I wanna talk to you when I get back. So, wait up for me?" He winked at her and then ran off.

"Yeah? O-okay," she waved at him and suddenly felt very nervous.

Donatello waved and smiled at Bonnie, "See ya later!" Raphael just nodded at the girls before leaving.

As soon as they were gone, Aida turned to Bonnie. "What do you think he wants to talk about?" She asked nervously.

"I don't know," She shrugged and grabbed the remote to change the channel. "Comics, their Hip-Hop Christmas Album, perverted stuff? I never know with that guy."

Aida tapped her foot for a bit before crossing her legs. She didn't know why she was so anxious; it was just a conversation after all. Either way she took a deep breath and grinned. "That guy was pretty cute though!"

"Heh yeah… It's fun to rile up the news reporter, and easy too." Bonnie smirked.

She smirked and nodded. "Yeah no kidding. Little Princess doesn't like having people step in on her territory," she giggled. She stared at the TV screen and groaned after a while, slumping down in the couch. "Uuugh! This is boooring now!" She huffed and crossed her arms. "You don't...think they drink. Do you?" She looked at Bonnie slowly.

"I don't think so." Bonnie sat up and grabbed ahold of her ankles. She bounced her legs on the couch and sighed, "I've looked around and I didn't find anything other than rubbing alcohol. "

Aida stuck her tongue out and made a disgusted noise. After thinking about it, having alcohol around the giant turtles might not be a good idea. Even if it didn't kill them, who knows how they would act. The idea began to make her giggle and she looked at Bonnie. "If Leonardo ever got drunk, he would do karaoke, non-stop."

Bonnie laughed as well. "Fuck, now I really wanna see that!" She laid back against the couch again and sighed. "Man, now I really want some but--" She stopped and her eyes widened when she remembered something. "Wait!--" She sat up again and put her arms out. "Sake!!" She clapped her hands together loudly. "Sake is a drink right?!"

Aida nodded quickly, a smile appearing on her face. "Yeah! From China or Japan right?" She frowned a little and cringed. "Oh, but...it's Splinter's isn't it?"

Bonnie was silent for a moment before kicking back and groaning. "Ugh you're right! It's the rats..." She said defeated.

Aida hummed in thought. It'd be a long shot, but she figured it would be better than nothing. "Maybe...we could ask him?"

"The guy forbids us to wear shoes in the dojo. I doubt he's gonna let us borrow his booze." She scoffed.

"That's because it's part of the Japanese culture," the rat answered. He walked in with tray holding two very tiny cups. He set in down on the floor in front of the couch before he got to his knees. "Just like how the drinking age there is twenty."

Aida frowned, "But...I'm eighteen."

"Why do you think I only brought two cups?" He chuckled as he handed one to Bonnie. "I save this for guests or special occasions."

"So April and Casey have had this too?" She raised a brow.

He nodded. "Of course. But only when the turtles had gone out for the night." He took the second cup, "Just so they don't feel left out."

Bonnie giggled excitedly and stuck out her tongue at Aida as she took the drink. "Sorry Mami." She nodded and smirked.

She grumbled a little but turned her attention back to the rat. "Wait, so...they've never had alcohol?"

Splinter shook his head, "Not a drop."

She raised a brow. "Is it because they can't handle it?"

"No," Splinter chuckled again. "They're not twenty. Plus, it would take a lot for them to feel anything. And I don't want them to over-do it."

Without hesitation Bonnie threw back the drink, and immediately regretted it. The warm drink burned down her throat and almost came back up but she forced it down. Her eyes became watery and her nose runny. She coughed a couple of times to clear her throat. "Fuck!..." She hissed and wiped her mouth. "What does Sake mean? Dragon Fire or something?!"

The rat took a small sip from the cup, his whiskers tensing as he sighed. "Perhaps. It is a rice wine, so it's probably different from anything you might've had here."

Aida crossed her arms, feeling a little left out. "Hmph. I bet tequila is still better..."

"Mm... Definitely." She cleared her throat again and was quite for few seconds before holding out her cup to Splinter. "Hit me."

He chuckled and poured her another drink. "Impressive. Not too many people go for a second round." He filled her cup and was silent for a moment before smiling. "A few of my sons may not show it, but they all have high hopes for you."

Bonnie let out a laugh. "Hah. Well, I'm about to ruin that for them." She quickly downed the drink again, hissing afterwards. "Aah... just like everyone else." She said without thought.

Aida frowned at her and Splinter's ear twitches. "Oh?" He asked, sounding curious but also thoughtful. "How so?" He took another sip and filled her cup only halfway up this time.

"Hm?" Bonnie lifted her head a little, not realizing what she said at first. "...Oh! Well-- I just mean- Being a thief in general. Our whole society is disappointed right?" She lied quickly, and held out her cup again.

He knew there was something else she was hiding, but after years of raising four sons, he knew when to wait and when to pry. This was a waiting moment. "I wouldn't say that. There is still honor among thieves, after all. And you have not murdered anyone."

Bonnie laughed. "What? Like Robin Hood? Sorry to break it to ya, but I'm not that kind of thief. I'm bad, through and through." She grabbed the sake bottle and poured herself a small amount. "I love money, and shiny things and I'll take 'em from whoever I can. Rich or poor." She swallowed the drink whole.

Aida frowned at the words coming out of her mouth and couldn't help but think it had something to do with Bonnie's family.

"Well, you haven't stolen anything else so far since you've been down here." Splinter offered.

"I suppose you're right about that," she smiled weakly. "But that's only because like you guys! Kinda..." She crossed her arms and adverted her eyes. She was quiet for a long while before speaking again, though she still avoided eye contact with the rat. She fiddled with the cup in her hands. "How?... How did you teach them to be so forgiving? Us humans-- we're so fickle with the idea of forgiving someone that it sometimes takes years!... Sometimes we never forgive."

"It wasn't easy," He grinned. "But I have seen both cruelty and kindness. In the end, the kindness and forgiveness, no matter how foolish they may seem at the time, always have better outcomes." He finished his cup and sighed a little. "My sons could have left both of you for the authorities. Or they could have left you on the surface to be at the mad man's mercy." He pointed at the girls and nodded. "But they all saw potential in you, just as I saw potential in them when they were young." He leaned forward and gave Bonnie an intense look, "The only way you can be a disappointment is if you give up on yourself." He straightened his back, "Trying is all that matters."

She stared back into those dark eyes of his, fixated on what he had to her said.  She was quiet again in thought, and single tear escaped from her eye and trickled down her face. She sniffled and wiped at her eye. "You tricked me... I was supposed to get wasted with this," She held up the cup. "Not share my feelings..." She laughed awkwardly.

He raised his cup and smiled. "Well, in this case, I'm glad I could deceive you."

Aida looked between the two, completely awe struck at what had just happened. Granted the rat had years and four boys worth of experience to go off of, but it was still impressive watching him get Bonnie to open up like that. She felt even safer around the rat and made a note that if she were having any troubles that she should go to him.

"Also, they all like you." Splinter continued, pouring himself another cup. "Even Leonardo. I know he and Raphael don't show it very well, but they are happy to have you here."

"Okay, now the dragon water has gone to your head." Bonnie laughed again. "...Buuut. They're not so bad themselves." She shrugged. "Aida likes Michelangelo." She looked over to her and grinned.

Aida's eyes widened and she felt her cheeks blush. "Well, ya know...he's funny!" She tried to make it sound like it wasn't nearly as serious as it was. "A-and I have to take care of my siblings so it's nice to just unwind and relax."

Splinter raised a brow and pointed at her. "Oooh...so you must be the--" He stopped himself, realizing the drink was making his tongue loose. He cleared his throat and set his drink down. "Erm...nevermind."

Bonnie circled the rim of the cup with her finger not catching what he was about to say. She reached over the table and poured herself another drink and downed it. "Sso… I'm pretty sure-" She stopped and covered her mouth when she felt her stomach churn. She spoke again when it settled."...I'm pretty sure rats and turtles can’t intermingle." She clasped her hands together. "How did you guys, come to be?"

Aida nodded, wanting to change the subject. "Yeah! And how'd you guys get so...big?"

Splinter chuckled, knowing the question would come up sooner or later. Not to mention it would turn the attention away from his slip-up. "It all began years ago..." He had the story down to a science at this point; the only thing that ever changed was the years. He told both girls about the lab and how April had saved him and the little turtles; how they all grew and mutated and learned the art of ninjutsu. Now that more events had occurred, he made sure to inform the girls of them. How the turtles saved the world twice, how the Shredder has been gone for three years, and how the gangs of New York were constantly fighting for supremacy due to the Foot's lack of leadership. "And now...you are here," He ended his tale.

By the end of his story, Bonnie was feeling more than loopy.  She was halfway laying over the arm of the couch, her hands touching the concrete floor.  "And now, we are here." She repeated and slumped off the couch onto the floor.  She giggled. "Onnne hundred feet under! Or something- I don't know, math wasn't my best subject. I was better at p.e."

Splinter chuckled and stood up, taking the bottle and two cups. "It's okay. I'm not good at math either," He waved at Aida and grinned. "Good luck."

Aida gave him a look of disbelief, "Wait...you're leaving me with her? Alone?"

"I need to sleep," Splinter yawned as he walked away. "Plus I'm too old. Good luck!"

She tried to chase after him, but knew it would be unwise to leave Bonnie alone in her current state. She sat on the couch and grumbled. "Yeah well...Donatello can be your tutor."

"Ooh, the handsome one?" She cooed and giggled. "Nah, I don't wanna go back to school. It fucking sucks." She rolled over and got onto her hands and knees. "I'm done with that scene!" She turned up her nose and began to crawl off in no particular direction.

Aida snorted and began to giggle, immediately getting out her phone. "Ooh this is too good!" She would help, of course...but not until she got some funny pictures.

---

Two hours passed and the turtles were on their way back to the lair.

"I think you may have hurt April's feelings, Michelangelo." Leo said as he marched through the murky waters.

Michelangelo's face scrunched in confusion. "Aww, what?" He asked.

"With wanting to stay behind and all?" He looked back over his shoulder at him before facing forwards again.

Michelangelo groaned. "I didn't mean anything by it... I just-- I just wanna spend more time with the girls before they go." He rolled his shoulders and crossed his arms.

Leonardo raised a brow. "I didn't know you liked them more than April?"  He inquired.

Mikey clicked his tongue. "I don't! But-- I just. April, she's part of our life now, but these girls... Once everything blows over, they have no reason to stay any longer. I just want to get to know them more before they go." He looked down into the waters and sighed.

"What a nice way to say 'I wanna try to bone them.'" Raphael teased him. Though as he thought about it, Michelangelo had a good point. There would be nothing keeping them here, or even a reason to visit. Once they were free, they'd be gone.

Mikey groaned again and rolled his eyes. "Right cause, I could definitely seduce them with this mug." He grumbled.

Leonardo stopped at his words. Usually when Raph taunted him like this, Mikey would snap back with some obnoxious remark about how much more irresistible and sexy he was than his larger brother. He turned on his heel slowly and faced Mikey, cocking his head curiously.

"Who are you, and what have you done with Mikey?"

Mikey shrugged. "They're more-" He pursed his lips. "More down to earth... Real? It's gonna take a lot more than this pretty face-" He brushed his cheek delicately with a hand. "To bed them."

Leonardo pointed at him. "That's more like it."

Mikey laughed a little. "But really! I know you won’t, but I am gonna miss them." He nodded.

Leo's brow twitched at his last statement. "...Why do you say that?"

"You said it yourself... It was all part of the mission, remember?" Mikey shrugged.

"Yeah Leo," Donatello nodded his head. "Unless...you really do have a heart in there somewhere." He grinned.

"Aw c'mon guys. Of course Leo liked 'em!" He wrapped an arm around his brother's shoulders before adding. "I mean, did you see the way he was wrestling Lil' mami?" He chuckled and shook his brother lightly.

"I have a heart." Leo shrugged off Raphael. "I'm just not as easily trusting as you guys." He crossed his arms in defense. "I mean, they are criminals, and we've known them for less than a week."

"Well...to be fair, they haven't done anything since they've been down here." Donatello shrugged. "Aida goes to the surface every morning. That's plenty of time to prepare for something or even do something. And she hasn't." He pointed at Leonardo and continued, "And! Kleptomania is a serious problem. Bonnie's not a criminal, she just has...mental...health problems?" He tried to make it sound good but it wasn't working too well.

"I know, I know…" He nodded and looked down to the water. He grew silent in thought, hesitant to speak again.  "...I like Aida a bit. We've shared stories and such about our siblings." He smirked and kicked up the water. "Bonnie is... fun to tease?" He sighed. "I'm not just worried about us though, I worry about them too. The longer they stay down here and know us, the more trouble it could cause for them because they know us." He looked back up to his brothers. "We're starting to build a collection of humans we gotta look after."

Donatello frowned. He hadn't thought of it that way before. If something were to happen to these girls, they could be responsible for it. In this case, ignorance was safety.

Raphael on the other hand grumbled. He was just starting to warm up to these girls and he wasn't about to let that effort go to waste. "Then we check up on 'em. They're our responsibility now anyway right? We might as well keep tabs on 'em." He tapped Donatello's arm. "Donnie can hack their shit right?"

"I could," he shrugged.

"And, we could teach them even more self-defense! I mean you've already got them started with jiu jitsu! Just throw in some akido, and taekwondo!" Mikey added.

Leonardo hummed and tapped his finger against his arm. He wasn't able to argue with their logic other than repeating what he had just said. He huffed and turned back around, walking again. "I suppose we'll have to now."

Mikey grinned and ran up alongside of Leo. "Sooo, we're keeping 'em in our collection then?"

He sighed, but smiled down at his smaller brother. "So long as they want our protection."

"Yes!" Mikey fist pumped the air.

Raphael smirked and actually gave Donatello the high five he raised his hand for. Now the practice he was doing with the egg wasn't all for nothing.

"Oh good! Cause now I can tell you all...Dibs on Bonnie!" Donatello joked, laughing and reassuring his red brother it was a joke after he hit his arm.

Leo smiled again while shaking his head. He flinched when he heard someone wailing in the distance. "What the?..." He started and then dashed off to the lair. Michelangelo followed quickly behind.

He drew his swords and got into a defensive stance upon entering the lair. His eyes quickly scanned the area, but found nothing out of place other than Bonnie on the floor instead of the couch. She was whimpering and sniffing back her tears, while Aida stood above her shaking her head. Leo cocked his in confusion, and put his katanas back in their sheaths.

"Yo... Everything alright?" Mikey called out to them.

"No! Everything is not alright!!” Bonnie hissed. "This little girl won't let me have the scissors so I can cut my hair!" She glared up at Aida.

Aida scoffed and pointed down at the belligerent girl below. "News flash: puts drank too much of Rat Dad's sake. So I'm trying to make sure she doesn't make any bad choices!" She glared down at the girl.

Donatello frowned and approached them, hoping to be of some help. "Why would you want to cut your hair? It’s cute the way it is!”

Bonnie snapped her attention to Donatello and narrowed her eyes at him. "Shut up! You don't know nothing about being a girl!"

"You still want dibs?" Mikey leaned over to Donatello and snickered.

Donatello laughed a little, finding her attitude to be a little funny. "You're right. To be fair, I don't know anything about having hair either." He paused for a second and then whispered back to Mikey, "Y'know, Raph seems like he'd be able to handle her better than I would."

Raphael scoffed and he walked off. "I know what'll snap her out of it..."

"Wait... Splinter let Bonnie have his sake?" Leo was now utterly confused, and felt a bit envious of the girl.

Aida nodded, "Yeah because she's the legal drinking age." She huffed a little, "But apparently! Eighteen is still too young!"

Bonnie cackled. "That's right! You, yooouuungiiinsss, can't handle the dragon water!" She pointed at Leo with a foot. "You too small… Both in body and mind!"

Leonardo crossed his arms at her and huffed. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!" She nodded at him.

"How about you stand up?" He raised a brow.

Bonnie closed her mouth and stared downed at the floor.

"Thats what I--"

"I can stand up!" She snapped and jumped up on her feet. She used her knees to push herself up and straighten out her back. Once she was up she put her hands to her hips and puffed out her chest. "See?" She said before stumbling back and having to grab onto the table behind her for support.

“Thought,” Leonardo finished with a smirk.

Aida tried not to snort but wiggled her phone, "You should see some of the pictures I got..."

"Oooh gurrrlll!" Mikey ran over behind Aida and peered over her shoulder. "Let me see!"

Out of nowhere, a stream of water shot out at got Bonnie in the face. Raphael chuckled as he pumped the bright yellow water gun for another shot. "This'll get her sober!" He raised the plastic gun and took aim before pulling the trigger again.

Bonnie yelped when the water had hit her and spit out the excess that had got in her mouth. She snarled at Raphael. "You red banded bitch! I'm gonna turn you into turtle soup!" She shook a fist at him, but still held onto the table with her other hand.

Leonardo chuckled, "It's been a while since we've heard that one."

Raphael laughed and beckoned her over. "Well come, do it then!" He teased, knowing she couldn't take a step.

Donatello made his way over the Latina girl as she began to open up the pictures. "She did a lot of crawling," Aida giggled, showing them a picture of the girl sprawled out on the floor with her legs still on the couch.

Bonnie growled again when he egged her on. She knew as soon as she took a step away from the table, she'd be on the floor again within seconds. Her nails dug into the table as she tried to think of a scheme.

"Bon-Bon, you look like a sloth in this picture!" Mikey laughed.

Bonnie tapped a finger on her bottom lip and looked to Raph with sultry eyes. "Why don't youuu, come over hereee?" She curled her finger at him.

Raphael paused for a second and just stared at her. He knew it was a trap, her drunken state couldn't fool him, but something compelled him. Very cautiously he took a step forward. When nothing strange happened he kept going, keeping the water gun pointed at her. "What...?" He mumbled, peering at her above the top of the toy.

"Gimme that!" She swiped at the toy with her free hand and grabbed it by the nozzle. She tugged on it, trying to take it from the turtle, but without the aid of her other hand, it wasn't going to happen.

It didn't take a lot of effort on his part to keep the gun in his grip; in fact, it made him giggle a little bit to watch her struggle. He looked over at Donatello grinned, nodding down at his finger. The purple-clad turtle's mouth hung open and shook his head, but Raphael was nodding. With one pull, his finger gripped the trigger, spraying water on her shirt.

Bonnie gasped and yelped again. This time she let go of the table in shock and fell straight on her butt. It didn't look hard, but she started crying anyways. "You big dumb turtle! This is my favorite tank top!!" She whined dramatically.

Leo placed his hands upside his head and cringed. "It's a good thing we don't have neighbors!"

 Raphael and Donatello cringed, but the red-clad turtle put the toy down. "Just wash it! It'll be fine!" He tried to reason with her, hoping it would calm her down.

"Do you have another one here?" Donatello tried asking, hoping the other option would sate her. Never before did he think a crying girl would sound so painful.

"You wash it!!" She hissed before quickly removing her top and throwing it at him, not caring if the boys saw her in her bra. It was a black sports bra and the top half was made of mesh, revealing her cleavage.  "It's your fault anyways..." She crossed her arms under her chest and pouted like a child.

Leonardo’s eyes widened a bit when she removed her top, and his cheeks blushed a light pink. This was the closest he got to seeing almost naked breast in real life, and though he would never admit it out loud; they were a pretty nice set. "Uuh... You guys-- got this right? I'm gonna-go train in the dojo." He stated before quickly leaving.

Donatello felt his cheeks burn and he turned away, clearly embarrassed at her sudden lack of clothing. "H-holy! Uuuuh...! R-Raph? You got this?" He covered his eyes. "I don't...uh...I d-don't think I can move..."

Raphael blushed a bit, but since he had already seen what was underneath weeks ago, seeing her bra wasn't nearly as bad. "You're really gonna trust me with washing your favorite shirt?" He asked, catching the piece of clothing. "Alriiiight," he shrugged his shoulders and grinned a little, "But don't get mad at me if it changes color."

Mikey chuckled and tapped on Aida's shoulder. "And, that's our cue." He nodded off in a direction and gestured for her to follow along with his hand before walking off.

Aida furrowed her brow for a second before remembering that Michelangelo had wanted to talk before. She felt herself get nervous and looked back at Bonnie. She wished the girl wasn't drunk; at least then she could ask her to stay nearby and jump in if things got weird. She hesitated a bit but then decided it would be better to do this now than wait. She looked back at Michelangelo and sighed remorsefully before following him. "Okay..." She spoke, trying to sound genuinely curious instead of anxious. "What do you wanna talk about?"

Michelangelo had taken Aida back to his room. It was surprisingly cleaner than most would expect, but it still had his essence. Comics, dvds, and cds were stacked in various places of the room. Posters of musicians were hung about the walls, and there was a mini fridge in one of the corners.  He popped it open and pulled out a soda. "Do you want one?" He asked and held it out to her.

Aida shrugged and took the can, not opening it just yet. It was nice to have something in her hands, especially as she looked around his room. "Man...some of this stuff I haven't seen since I was a kid..." She looked a CD case and smirked a little. "Britney Spears? That's your jam?"

"Hey, late ninetys and early two thousands Britney was where it was at." He pointed at her. "...Baaaby, I'm so into you. You got that something, what can I do? Baaaby, you spin me around. The earth is moving, but I can't feel the ground!" He sang as he danced around the room, finally stopping once he got to his bed. He plopped down on it and kicked back into a relaxed position.

She laughed a little but stayed standing, still looking through the CD's and comic books. "Yeah, no kidding. I feel bad for her, going nuts and shaving her head." She snapped her fingers and pointed at him, "Toxic! Now that is her best one!" She spotted a superhero comic and smirked, recognizing the hero. "This is Riqui's favorite hero. He used to be Montae's too, but I think he's starting to grow out of it for now."

"Well hey… If you wanna bring that issue back to them, I don't mind." He smiled and shrugged.

She looked at him and smirked, "Wait...are you serious?"

"Yeah!" He nodded and sat up on his bed. "I've read that one plenty of times, and there's a lot of other comics here that I still need to read, so I won’t miss it."

"Aww! That's so sweet," She smiled at him and nodded. "Thanks, Mikey." She put the comic issue in a spot she would remember to pick it up from before finally sitting next to him. She opened the soda and took another look around, "Ya know...you got a nice spot. For it being in the sewers and all."

He chuckled. "Thanks. Splinter is pretty strict on keeping it tidy. If we don't..." He heistated to speak, grimacing at the thought. "He gets the bleeds."

Not knowing much about rats, Aida thought he was talking about periods. But that couldn't be right since Splinter was male; the idea of the rat lying to them like that just so they keep their rooms clean was a little funny. "Wait...the bleeds? Like..." She hesitated, thinking it was stupid, but she had to know. She pointed towards her crotch and cocked her head, "These bleeds?"

Mikey's eyes widened and his face twisted again. "N-No!! Worse! Kind of... Well, actually I don't know." He rubbed at the back of his neck nervously. "When rats aren't kept in a clean environment, their noses start bleeding.. And sometimes the eyes. It's really freaky."

"Eugh!" She recoiled. The idea of blood coming out of the eyes just because something wasn't clean. It gave her a great idea to pull on her siblings however for April Fool's or Halloween though. "That sounds awful!"

"Yeeeah... It kind of traumatized Leo, so now he gets into cleaning spells." He stopped and smirked. "Sometimes we'll bring it up to get him to do our chores."

She smacked his arm a little playfully and shook her head. "That's mean! But...that does explain why he keeps checking mine and Bonnie's room. Don't know why he didn't just say something." She grumbled. After thinking about it, she shook her head. "You guys are really somethin' though."

Mikey chuckled again before sighing. "Sooo..." He patted his knees. "The reason why I wanted to talk to you..." He started.

She tensed up a little and took a sip of the soda nervously. "Yeah?" She felt her voice crack a little even as she tried to calm herself down. Perhaps it was nothing. After all, she could just be reading too much into it. He was the friendliest of the four brothers, so maybe he actually had something decent to say? Yet none of those thoughts could stop her heart from pounding nervously.

He gave his knees one hard slap and then turned to her quickly. "Okay! I'm just gonna spit it out, so here goes." He took a deep breath and exhaled. "So, Splinter basically gave me the go ahead to fall in love! Which is awesome because, I've been wanting to fall in love forever, but Leo is always such a pain in the ass about it, saying stuff like… It'll never work, we're different than them; ya look like that one ogre guy." He huffed.

She snorted at his last comment but then her mind began to race. Was he about to spill feelings for her? It was a bit soon but the turtle only knew three other girls. Maybe he didn't know the difference between a crush and love yet? However, her anxiety made her simply take another drink of soda before saying, "Okay...wh-what does that have to do with me?"

"Well," He licked at his lips. "I was wondering... I can't really talk about this kind of stuff with April, and Bonnie seems a little," He cringed. "Harsh... But you are like the middle ground. So I was wondering if you would like- Help give me advice on how to woo girls." He chuckled nervously.

"O-oh...!" She felt her heart slowdown in relief, but something in her gut twisted a little and her blood began to heat up a bit. "Well, I mean...it'll still be hard. But...I guess it would help to know what kinda girls you're into?" It seemed like one big joke. He couldn't seriously be asking for dating advice. There was no way.

He laughed again. "Well… The only girls I've met is you, Bonnie and April. You're all... pretty different." He shrugged. "But uh... I guess I'd like a girl who knows how to eat? And uh, someone who likes jokes?"

She frowned a little and had to think about it for a bit; though the longer she thought, the more disappointed she felt. She couldn't shake the feeling but had to come up with something. "Hmmm...I can't think of anyone off the top of my head, but I'm kinda on the spot right now," she chuckled a little and fiddled with the tab on the can. "I might have some better advice later? Or tomorrow perhaps?"

"Yeah, yeah! No worries." He waved her off. "But uh- Thanks for agreeing to help me." He smiled at her warmly. "I'll try not to be too annoying about it."

She nodded at him and smiled. "Don't worry. I'll tell you if you are," she shrugged and grinned. "Plus, it'll be a good back-up plan to use on you in case my brothers ruin your comic. Like, yeah it's crinkled, but remember when I hooked you up with your soul mate?" She made finger guns at him and made clicking sounds with her tongue.

Mikey laughed again. He leaned back and crossed his arms.  "I suppooose that would make up for it." He joked back.

She stood up and pointed off back to the main lair, "So uh, I'm gonna make sure Bonnie hasn't taken off more of her clothes." She paused and grabbed the comic before holding it up with a smile. "Thanks again. I swear I'll bring it back."

"No problem." Mikey smiled again. "I'll see you in morning!-Well, more likely late afternoon."