I present to thee, a bunch of 07 Leo headcanons no one asked for because he is my SON and I will defend him beyond my dying day I will rise from the dead to prevent his slander.
He got a splinter in the jungle and it went so far in that it's still there and he really can't get that fucker out so some days he just sits on the couch with a pair of tweezers digging into the sole of his foot and when someone tries to talk to him he holds up a finger because not now, please, he's engaging in his long-standing vendetta against the scourge of his existence.
One time he was climbing up a tree in the jungle and didn't realize the tree was already claimed by a colony of bullet ants. It was among the worst pain he's felt and he talks about it like he survived a nuclear explosion.
He's incredibly lonely from his time in the jungle. He didn't realize just how hard being away from his family for so long would be. He can't talk to the locals either, not in any meaningful way, so instead he talked out loud to his family every night. Did he McLose it a little bit? Yeah, maybe. He's had very elaborate and in-depth conversations with his brothers in the jungle. They don't know it, but the conversations were had. Sometimes Leo wakes up mad remembering a conversation that didn't happen and Mikey has to be like, uh, hello, I never said that? And then the realization dawns on Leo and, tizzied, he says okay, well, whatever, it's something you would have said. Then Mikey looks into the camera.
Thinks he's a very classy and elegant motherfucker with high-brow opinions but actually has the interior decorating taste of a old cottage witch. Pretends to know a lot about wine but really doesn't know anything except that swirling the glass is supposed to do something? maybe? he doesn't know! but he's going to do it with one leg crossed and his nose in the air thank you.
Talks in his sleep and will admit to all sorts of things. His family takes advantage of this often.
Has really strong opinions on apples. Does not like a red delicious, do not BRING a red delicious up in his home. He does like a honey crisp. You may bring him a honey crisp he will accept this donation.
Has a really embarrassing goofy laugh. Snorts, hiccups, sounds like a braying donkey, it's awful, its why he suppresses it with hulkian strength. Do not make him LAUGH it's undignified.
Gets deeply invested in reality television. Love is Blind, Bachelor, Selling Sunset, anything and everything goes. Will throw hands over his favorites.
Has the music tastes of a 12 year old from 2007 and you can tear Fergalicious from his cold dead hands. Only don't TELL ANYONE he likes it, god Raph, that's private personal information no one needs to know that.
Is OVERDONE in the pressure cooker, Splinter left that boy in there for TOO long he is OVER STEAMED. He gets very easily frustrated with his brothers on missions because he's worried about them but, a little more selfishly, worried about how it will reflect on him because he is well aware that their father sees a team failure, or even an individual brother's failure, as Leo's. He just doesn't want the disappointed dad lecture again! He doesn't want it! He's trying his best out here!
Sometimes doesn't know how to start conversations with his brothers so he'll just sit there and stare at them while he tries to figure out how, but he forgets that he has the face of a striking serpent it's a MEAN lil mug, so to the rest of the family it looks like he's glaring someone into an early grave.
Sings in the shower. It's very off-key.
In the same vein as Rise Leo, 07 Leo comes across as very very arrogant at times, but in reality he has a very real fear that he's not needed at all, or worse, not WANTED at all, and that makes him lean into his attitude more, again in self-preservation. Do you see the theme.
Genuinely does think he's the best fighter in a spar sense because of the time he's put in, but also think he's the weakest in an actual battle. He doesn't have Donnie's genius or Mikey's creativity or Raph's passion and he's very aware of it.
Generally is more self-aware than people give him credit for. He can feel himself being an asshole. He sees it, dammit, he knows, but what is he supposed to do about it now! The train has left the station he has ALREADY given Mikey grief about the holes in his socks he can't walk it back now.
On the sock note, hates wet socks. Hates wet floors. Will throw a fit if someone leaves the bathroom floor wet after a shower. The disrespect!
Really bad with technology. Basically a grandma. Can play video games pretty well but ask him to do anything more than that and he doesn't know what he's doing he just knows how to make mario jump from that platform to the next. He can't be in charge of the tech missions he can barely restart his own computer.
Reads a lot of steamy romance novels but actually reads them for the romance. Judges them otherwise. That position was unrealistic but it was incredibly heroic of Fabio to save Diana like that. Secretly very into the idea of romance he likes the thought of being a dashing hero or of sweeping someone off their feet with a grand gesture.
Doesn't like horror movies at all, almost can't watch them. Claims its because he doesn't see the point but he actually does get scared. Raph knows this and will go out of his way to jumpscare his brother after a horror movie night. Out of his WAY. Elaborate pranks.
Drinks pepto straight from the bottle. Has bad heartburn. It's stress but he claims it's from the pizza sauce. In reality, it's probably both.
Will spend a ridiculous amount of time gossiping with Donnie, his venting twin, and does not like to be DISTURBED during this sacred and time-tested process. If Donnie and Leo are drinking tea at the table, let them be, they're In Session.
Really good at jump rope. Really proud of his jump rope skill. Likes to show off his jump rope skill. Would definitely have a jump rope tiktok.
Likes to sit in the middle of his brothers on the couch because he can feel close to them without having to ask like a LOSER (this does not make you a loser, but Leo thinks it does, because he is emotionally constipated).
