Leo let out a flurry of angry chirps, stomping his feet as he stormed through the streets of the Hidden City. It wasn’t fair that Raph had been chosen over him to be Draxum’s heir. He remembered his older brother trying to reason with him as he flew out the door but he had refused to listen, and Draxum’s unbothered acceptance of him running away only fueled his irritation. He just wanted to be somebody, was that so hard to achieve? He always knew he was the least favorite of the two, but still it hurt to see Raph get chosen over him officially.
The little slider kicked a rock along the road, letting out steam through resentful clicks. Maybe… maybe if he was out long enough then Draxum would come looking for him. Maybe he would be forced to show that he cared, even if just a little bit. No way he’d let his precious little Raphael out to look, so Leo was on his own tonight.
A discontent rumble emitted from his stomach and Leo growled at his hunger. No way was he going to go back to the Nexus just because of a little stomachache. Nope! Neon Leon was not a quitter. He was going to be just fine…
Suddenly a heavenly scent wafted past his nostrils and the young slider inhaled it greedily. Oh sweet goodness… that was pizza! Where… there! Leo’s heterochromic eyes fixated on a brick restaurant, warm light radiating from the windows and a cozy scene inside. Leo hesitated, but another growl from his impatient stomach complied him to go in.
Golden warmth washed over Leo the second he opened the doors and he couldn’t help but let out a little churr of pleasure. Goodness, this was so much better then the grimy Hidden City streets. He ambled inside, eyes darting around at all the different booths. What was he supposed to do? He had heard of places like this but had never actually been outside of the Hotel and Battle Nexus. Lucky Raph would be able to go to Draxum’s lab now, but not Leo.
His gaze landed on a table with two hulking figures, a bear and a wolf. They were discussing something in hushed tones, but the wolf seemed to be trying to convince the bear of something. Leo wandered closer, eyes widening and tail letting out a little flick of admiration at the sheer size of the yokai. Not to mention how freaking cool these guys looked! Their eyes were in an even stare, not showing any intimidation or anxiety. The bear had a gold chain around his neck that glinted light every time he moved and an old black jacket that looked worn. The wolf had a crimson tailcoat that was tattered in a couple places, and he slapped a couple dice down on the table.
”I’m tellin’ ya,” he said smoothly. “These babies will always land ya a winning roll.”
”I see.” The bear took the smooth object in his hand and held it up for inspection. “You sure this is tainted? I can’t feel anythin’ wrong with it.”
”That’s the beauty of them.” The wolf smirked. “No stinkin’ stickler will be able to tell that they’re… special.”
”He’s lying.” Leo spoke up simply, and both yokai turned to stare at him with surprise. Leo took a few bold steps closer even though he could barely see over the top of the table. “The wolf. He’s lying. There’s nothing special about those dice.”
”Shut up kid.” The wolf growled, but Leo detected the panicked glint in his eyes. “This is an adult conversation.”
”No no, this kid might be on to something.” The bear leaned back in his booth. “You trying to josh me again, Haus?”
”No! These are tainted, I swear. They’ll make ya more then it’ll take to pay for ‘em, let me tell you.” The wolf slipped back into his cool tone.
”Why not hear the lad out?” The bear leaned down. “What makes ya think he’s foolin’ me, kid?” he murmured, eyes betraying amused curiosity.
”His tail and ears keep twitching.” Leo shrugged. “Not to mention all his muscles are taut and his breathing is carefully relaxed, not naturally relaxed.”
The wolf shot him a glare and the bear whistled. “Not bad kid, not bad.”
The wolf yokai’s eyes widened. “You’re not seriously gonna listen to a little punk like this, are ya?”
”Oh get over yerself. I knew you was lyin’.” The bear rolled his eyes. “You think someone like me can’t feel a difference in dice? But the fact that this kid can too…”
The wolf spluttered. “They’re just well-designed…”
”Oh save the crap, Haus. I was gonna see where ya was getting these scams from but yer lucky this kid is more interestin’ than your ugly snout.” The bear glanced over at the wolf. “You’ve got ten seconds to get outta here before I tell the gang. Ten… nine…”
The wolf shot the bold slider another death-look before snatching his dice and standing up. He straightened his coat stiffly and ducked out the door. The bear sighed.
”Lookie there, forgot that now I’m gonna have to pay for his beer.” The bear glanced back Leo. “How’d ya learn to spot lies like that?”
Leo tilted his head. “I thought it was obvious.”
The bear let out a guffawing laugh. “Obvious? Nah kid, that wolf was a top-notch swindler. I’m used to him but you… how old are you?”
Leo puffed out his chest. “I’m six years old.”
The bear snorted. “Aw, you’re just a baby.”
”Hey! Didn’t you hear me?” Leo’s expression furrowed in defiance as he held up his hands, fingers splayed wide. “Six!”
”Ooh, a feisty baby though.” The bear smirked. “Don’t worry little guy, it’s impressive. Where did you even come from?”
Leo crossed his arms haughtily. “I’m not telling you. You’re a stranger.”
The bear chortled. “Oh geez aren’t you just adorable. Y’know this is a dangerous time of night. What’s a little tortoise like you doin’ out with the big dogs?”
”I’m a turtle.” Leo corrected. “And I can do whatever I want.” He crossed his arms and pouted out his lip as if daring the bear to object. The bear raised his hands in surrender.
”Sure you can kid, sure you can.” He gestured to the seat where the wolf had sat. “But please sit down! Where’re my manners? Call me Jasper. What should I call you?”
”Leo.” Leo quipped, having to stand up on the seat and lean over the table to shake Jasper’s hand.
”Leo. Nice name, kid.” The bear nodded, and Leo tried not to wince at the firm handshake. “And nice manners. Ya know how to shake a man’s hand. Yer pa must be a posh one.”
Leo winced at the reminder of Draxum and Raph being chosen over him. He shook his head and lifted his chin. “Dad’s just got a stick up his butt. And Raphie’s bein’ a puppy after him.”
The bear exploded in laughter. “Where on earth didja hear that from, kid? You’re a mouthy one, aren’t ya? Six years old, I’ll be darned.” He leaned in. “But ya got a little rebellious streak. I like that. Here, have a drink if ya want.” He slid over the wolf’s abandoned mug and Leo glanced doubtfully at the frothy brown liquid inside.
”What’s this stuff?” Leo sniffed it experimentally and his face wrinkled at the smell.
”Just a good, strong gentleman’s beer. Since Haus ain’t drinkin’ his, ya might as well.” The bear shrugged.
Leo hesitated. The stuff stank terribly but he didn’t want to seem weak. he wrapped his hands around the mug and began to lift it up.
”Por amor a... what are you doing, Señor?” Snapped a low voice with a thick accent, and Leo barely had time to register anything before the mug was ripped out of his hands and slammed back on the table. The surprised slider looked up to see a furious skeleton man breathing heavily and glaring at Jasper. “What do you think you are doing? This is very clearly a minor!”
Jasper shrugged. “Easy, Hueso. Just thought I’d offer it since it’s gonna go to waste.”
The bone man muttered a few foreign curses. “That is alcohol! This is a child. Do you have no sense of propriety?”
Jasper raised his hands in surrender. “Easy Bone Man. It’s just a sip.”
”Not in my restaurant!” Hueso snipped, gesturing towards the door. “And that was the last straw. Out. Find somewhere else to take your shenanigans.”
”Come on Hueso…”
”You should be lucky I don’t call the police for offering alcohol to a minor.” Hueso’s gaze was fire. “Out. Now. No need to pay. Just get out of my establishment.”
Jasper raised his hands in surrender. “Geez, fine. I’ll take my leave.” He picked up his fedora from next to him and placed it down on his head, looking down at Leo. “You’ll see me around, kid. Hope we cross paths again.”
”Out!” Hueso growled, and Jasper finally walked out, taking his sweet time and shamelessly eyeing the customers who were counting money for the bill. Once he was gone the skeleton sighed in relief and looked down at Leo. “Little pepino, what are you doing with that man? Where are your parents?”
Leo crossed his arms. “I’m fine.”
Hueso sighed and knelt down so he could look up at the young slider. “I do not mean you any harm, Pepino. I am only concerned for your safety.” Leo’s stomach let out a loud rumble and Hueso sighed. “And for your well-being. I will get you some food.”
”I don’t have money.” Leo snipped, and Hueso shook his head.
”No need to pay. I will cover it.” He looked Leo in the eyes. “But you should learn to not be so rude to people who are only trying to help you.”
Leo stubbornly looked away and the skeleton straightened, calling out to some zebra yokai to bring over a no-show pizza order. The waiter did and Hueso turned back to Leo. “Do you like Hawaiian?”
At this point Leo couldn’t care less as long as it was food. He gratefully took the pizza box in both hands, inhaling the delicious scent greedily. Hueso’s face softened. “Where are your parents, Pepino? Do they feed you okay? What are you doing out so late?”
Leo gave the skeleton a pout. “You’re a stranger.”
Hueso sighed. “At least you have some sense then. But I want to make sure you get home safe. You do have a home to go back to, si?”
Leo nodded, opening the pizza box and taking a slice. The box was too big and tried to slide off his lap but Hueso kneeled down again and held it steady. Leo flushed slightly with embarrassment but still sunk his teeth into the food, letting out a churr of pleasure. He quickly devoured the slice and reached for another. Hueso watched him with slight concern. “You are so thin… have you eaten today, Pepino?”
Leo shrugged. “Yeah, a little.”
”A little?” Hueso prompted. “It is late into the night. What have you eaten?”
”Well Dad was kinda busy today and so was Mama, but Raphie made me a peanut butter sandwich.” Leo’s brow furrowed. “He didn’t eat any though. He can’t have peanut butter. Maybe I should save some of this for him.” Leo still felt mad at his brother, but now guilt was mixing in with it. Raph always was trying to take care of him, and besides it wasn’t his fault that Draxum liked him better. And he must be hungry. Hueso and the zebra waiter shared a look.
”You only had one sandwich? And is… is Raphie your brother?” Hueso asked tentatively and Leo nodded.
”Yeah. He’s my big brother. He’s big an’ strong like this.” Leo tried flexing his tiny arms but only succeeded in almost dropping the pizza box if Hueso hadn’t been holding it. Hueso hesitated.
”And your dad and mama?” he asked. “They were too busy to feed you?”
Leo shrugged. “They’re busy a lot. Raphie feeds me most of the time if he can find something in the fridge.”
”Then does he eat?”
Leo hesitated. “Sometimes. But he always makes me eat first.”
Hueso nodded solemnly. “Pepino, that is not healthy. You need to eat three meals a day. Especially at this age.”
Leo’s eyes widened. “Three whole meals? That’s a lot!” The slider had meant it in innocent admiration, but Hueso still cringed.
”Well, it is what you should be eating. You and your brother both.” His eyes searched Leo’s face. “Would… would you like to bring your brother here sometime? I will feed you both free of charge.”
”Nah, Raphie’s gonna be busy with Dad now.” Leo looked down with a frown. “He’s gonna get extra training and attention and stuff.”
”I see.” Hueso hesitated. “Do you… do you need help?”
”What?”
”Pepino, you need to eat more. It doesn’t sound like your parents are feeding you.” Hueso sighed at Leo’s blank look. “Just… just feel free to come by my restaurant any time. I assure you I will not mind, and you will get fed here.”
Leo smiled slightly. “Really? More pizza?”
Hueso nodded with a fond, bittersweet look. “Yes, Pepino. You will have all the pizza you want. Come back whenever.”
Leo’s tail started wagging as he hopped down from the booth, hugging the pizza box to his chest. “Thank you, sir!”
”Ah, there’s those manners.” Hueso straightened. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Pepino. I hope you will take me up on my offer, and you should be getting home. It is very late.”
”Okay, I will.” Leo looked down at the pizza. “Raphie’s probably worried about me. And he’ll like this pizza.”
”Of course. Pepino. Take care.” Hueso backed up slightly to give Leo space, but his expression betrayed that he was reluctant to let him go. Leo waved and practically skipped out the door, feeling much better now that he had something to eat. But once he was out the door he heard someone clear their throat and turned to see Jasper leaning against the alley wall next to the restaurant.
”Hey Jasper!” Leo chirped, and the bear smiled and kicked off the wall, walking towards the little turtle.
”Hey yourself.” Jasper placed a gentle hand on Leo’s shoulder. “Y’know, I was just wondering if you’d like to meet some of my buddies? I could introduce ya, and maybe you could help me in some… games we all play together. In these games it’s mostly trying to figure out if people are lyin’ or not, and I think you’d be great at that.”
”Oh, I was just headed home…” Leo said slowly, and Jasper nodded.
”Completely understandable, kid. Tell ya what: meet me here tomorrow night, same time and I’ll take ya to my buddies and we can all play some card games together. How does that sound?” Jasper suggested, and Leo nodded enthusiastically.
”Sure. I’ll be here. Bye!” Leo grinned in excitement and balanced the pizza box briefly on a raised knee to wave at the bear, who waved back and watched the young slider disappear into the night with a faint smirk on his lips.
(Previous) (Next)
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Whelp, hope you enjoyed that! The inspiration suddenly leapt for this so I decided to start writing out chapters even if I don’t publish the work yet on AO3. I can’t get enough of protective uncle Hueso content, so of course I loved writing that part lol. And honestly I love the idea of Raph taking care of Leo since I doubt Draxum is a very involved parent and Big Mama isn’t their main caretaker even though she does act like a mother figure.
How I suspect Leo and Hueso met in my Separated AU ;)
Protective uncle instincts immediately activated when he sees an unaccompanied young Leo talking with a shady gambler for the first time. No way he’s gonna let that slide lol, and the rest is history.
I KNOW YOU! YOURE THE ONE WHO WROTE ONE OF MY FAVOURITE FANFICS!!!
UR THE AUTHOR OF WINGS OF ASHES!! HOLY COWWWW!
Hiii! I’ve been reading ur fic since day one!!! ITS SO AMAZING!
AHHHHHH TYSM!!!! Hi!! I’m so happy you like the fic!! :DDD
Im working on the next update I promise lol! I’ll try to get it out soon… soonish… I have a lot of fics to catch up on XD thanks for the ask and for your kind words, I really appreciate the support! ^^
So I've realized you have something specifically for people to ask you questions. Oops.
Uhh, anyway, how exactly do you get a good read on characters? I've told you in the past that I've been trying to read transcripts but it's really time-consuming (and kinda tiring) to try and understand them and make notes of them, but I feel like if I don't get every detail then I must not really "get" things. I have no idea how to find that middle ground, where I don't spend a ridiculous amount of hours trying to perfectly understand a character (and still struggle with what to do with all the information I get), but I still understand them enough to feel comfortable writing them.
In a similar vein, do you ever tend to (intentionally) adjust characters in your head to kinda fit a certain vision? Part of the reason I've been having trouble is because I'm worried about changing, missing, or getting anything incorrect about a character's personality, hobbies, etc, but I know this is a somewhat common thing, headcannons tend to be all over the place in fics as a whole. If you do, why and when do you make changes? And how do you make sure your changes still fit the essence of who that character is, so even if they literally are different as a character compared to the source material, they don't feel super OOC?
Thanks for your time.
Hi there!! And yes, my ask box is always open for any questions or commentary or anything! :D This answer is going to be REALLY long lol so I’m going to put it underneath the cut, but I hope it answers your questions! ^^
I also included a summary at the bottom if you don’t want to read it all XD
I can definitely see how reading transcripts can be challenging, and although they can show you a character’s speech patterns it won’t really show you physical habits that you can see onscreen. But honestly make sure you’re having fun with it too, writing is also supposed to be enjoyable and not feel too stressful <333
But yeah, I can totally get that. My first Rottmnt fanfic (and the first fanfic I actually continued and finished) was The Crescent’s Ascent, and I can remember being worried about the same things since with fanfiction you want to make sure you’re keeping the same characteristics people know and love. One thing that I look for (this isn’t everyone’s method, and I’m not saying this is cut and dried but I think it helps) is looking for the character’s MBTI, or Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator. Again it’s not cut and dried, but I think the principles help! For instance… just some questions I like… AGAIN DON’T COME AFTER ME IT’S NOT LAW I just think these questions help really determine a character…
1. Is your character is extroverted or introverted (or a social introvert or a quiet extrovert, pretty much what gives them the most energy)?
2. Does your character read in between the lines? Picking up on body language and situational awareness? Or are they more direct, like taking things literally and at face value? As my mom puts it sometimes, do they follow the letter of the law or the heart of why the law exists?
3. Are they more head over heart? Or heart over head? What leads their decisions? For instance there’s an argument between Donnie and Mikey in Crescent’s Ascent that kinda emphasizes their differences with this in particular. I think I remember you saying that you’ve read that fic which is why I’m using it as an example lol, but it’s where Leo is found with amnesia as Crescent, and they’re arguing on the best approach to getting him back. Mikey, being more heart over head and very empathetic, is determined to reason with Crescent and try to get him to come along once he feels safe with them. Donnie, being more head over heart and leading with logical efficiency, thinks that the best option is to just drag him kicking and screaming back to the lair because he knows that they’re in the right and Leo is their brother even if he’s brainwashed.
4. Do they make decisions quickly or procrastinate? If they had a test would they do all the work right away and double check it or would they wait until the night before it’s due?
MBTI is based on a four-letter typing system: Introverted (I) or Extroverted (E), Intuitive (N) or Sensing (S), Feeling (F) or Thinking (T), and Perceiving (P) or Judging (J). It sounds more complicated than it is lol, but there’s this website/app called Personality Database (PDB) that lets people vote and debate on fictional character’s personality types. It might not be set in stone but it can help you get a quick idea of how a character thinks and acts and you can also read the arguments for it in the comments to see if you agree with it. Even if you don’t get into the actual typology itself I think the questions I listed above are helpful in influencing your character’s decisions! I could try making a list of more character questions at some point lol, but I think these help a lot! As for physical habits and mannerisms, I’d look for…
1. What do they do when they’re angry? If they are an animal, does an ear twitch or a tail flick? If human do their eyes sharpen or jaw clench?
2. What do they do when they’re excited? Do they stim at all? Do they talk faster? Become more animated?
3. What do they do when they’re sad? Do they look away to hide emotions? Cry easily? Mask sadness as another emotion, such as anger? Do they self comfort, like hugging themself or stimming?
4. What do they do when they’re nervous? Do their eyes dart around? Do they mask their fear as anger, becoming more combative or sharp with others? Do they pace? Do they freeze? What’s their fear response, just as fight, flight, fawn or freeze? Does their heart race?
You can examine other emotions too, but I think it’s a great way to show instead of tell sometimes. Once again these are all just some tips, it doesn’t have to be perfect but these are just some questions to help get to know a character if you’re struggling with figuring out their mannerisms and personality! I hope these help, and let me know if there’s something I didn’t cover that you wanted me to! ^^
As for your second question, it can be kinda tricky because I never want to drastically change a character but also yes I have my headcanons that are not confirmed lol. With HCs I think a good question to ask is ‘if this were true, how drastically would it change canon plot, if at all?’ I think with most if not all of my headcanons, the media I cover wouldn’t be too different. If it’s post canon you get a little bit more freedom lol since there’s nothing to prove that this didn’t happen in the future ;) But I do change my characters sometimes if that’s the plot, for instance I’ve turned characters into robots, given them amnesia (which means their new personality spawns from their original nature and how they have to behave in their new environment), given them Dissociative Identity Disorder, given them abusive, non-canon childhoods… yes most of them were Leo but congrats to Espio for joining the party XD
So yah, I think as long as their core personality remains the same you can tweak their behavior depending on how they were forced to behave growing up. For instance Leo (in my opinion lol) is extremely people pleasing but tries to hide it behind fake bravado and masking jokes. It causes a lot of insecurity as he kinda masks his real feelings and fears and would rather have people be annoyed at him for being reckless than see his vulnerable side of fear and feeling like he’s nothing. Sooooo in a contrast between him and Crescent, for example, as Crescent he was still people pleasing but to even more of an extent, and his form of ‘masking’ was to do whatever he was told and to not think for himself, whereas Leo would mask by using jokes and a nonchalant act. In Wings of Ashes Leo was raised by Baron Draxum and Big Mama with Raph, having never escaped with Donnie and Mikey to Splinter’s care, and he is desperate for people to be proud of him and wants their praise, but he masks it as combativeness and tries to prove to himself and them that he doesn’t care with acts of rebellion even though in his most vulnerable moments you can see that desperation to please shine through. I hope that makes sense, but that’s an example of how you can keep their nature while adjusting the extent of it due to their environment.
Golly this got really long lol, and thanks for coming to my Ted Talk! Sorry if I yapped too much lol. I hope this helps answer your questions, and in a quick summary:
1. To get a good read on my characters I try to figure out how they make decisions and what gives them energy, which in turn affects how they act in everyday life.
2. To make sure my characters don’t get too ooc when tweaking them, I make sure that their nature and deepest sense of self stays intact even if I change masking or coping mechanisms.
Let me know if there’s something I didn’t cover or something I missed lol. Thanks for the ask, and have a great day! ^^
The red-eared slider glanced down at his cards. A three of diamonds and an eight of clubs.
Shoot.
His heterochromic eyes flicked over to the river that had just been flipped after the flop and the turn, grimacing. Yep, he was doomed. However, if someone just so happened to have an ace and a jack of spades then…
”Your bet, Leo.” Grumbled a wolf yokai sitting across from him, elbows on the table as his tail flicked behind him. Leo smirked and counted out a pile of blue chips, sliding it into the middle. “Forty to you, Travis. You know I love blue so much.”
”Forty?” The snake yokai in question hissed in irritation. “Someone’s getting cocky.”
”No way he has something.” Jasper—the bear yokai next to Leo—spoke up confidently, and Leo was resentfully aware that this was the dealer. He was no fool—he saw Jasper intentionally slip him his sucky hand. They used to be pretty close during Leo’s rise in the gambling world but once the slider realized that he was doing all the work and Jasper was getting all the money…
It had only been a matter of time before the colorful chips pitted the two of them against each other in competition.
But it took two to tango, and he had a couple cards up his sleeve for backup. Travis folded, and Jasper began counting chips. “Call and raise ya another forty.”
”Call.” Leo said immediately, then decided to poke the bear’s buttons a bit. He slid more chips into the pot in the center. “Raise ya another forty.”
There was a discontent murmuring around the table as the other players folded. Jasper glared at Leo. “Seriously? You’re playing with fire here, kid. I thought you knew how to bet.”
”Oh, I do. Best in the business.” Leo chuckled, drumming his fingers against the table in impatience. “That’s forty more to you, good sir.”
The bear grumbled and glanced down at his cards, ear twitching ever so slightly so that the slider knew he didn’t have the best hand. His confidence was purely based in the was he had tried to skirt Leo’s hand, but the slider’s big betting was making him second-guess himself. Leo used the bear’s distraction to seamlessly slip his crappy hand into his left sleeve while two new cards emerged from his right. Heterochromic eyes glanced down to confirm that he had hit the jackpot. He glanced back up at the bear. “Come on. You know you want to.”
“Why not just fold now?” Growled Jasper as he called Leo’s bet, and the slider chuckled. “Whose money are ya betting with? Your daddy’s? Mommy’s? Go run back to them. We all know you’re too young to be here.”
“Eh, who’s gonna know?” He took another swig of his beer. “For all you know I’m twenty-one.”
“Show an ID.” He demanded, and Leo smirked.
“Come on, we both know your too drunk to see straight.” Leo slapped down his cards. “It’s pretty obvious when you just lost to a royal flush.”
“What?!” The bear’s eyes snapped back down to the table, where Leo indeed was holding out a royal flush. His eyes went furious. “You… you cheated! You had a three of diamonds and…”
“How would you know that, hmmm?” Leo’s voice dropped to a conspiratorial hum. “You wanna get us both kicked out?”
“Cough it up, kid!” The bear grabbed Leo by the collar. “I ain’t losin’ this pot to a little punk like you again!”
”Ah, there’s that sweet little word. Again.” Leo smirked. “But seriously Jas, get your grubby loser paws off the jacket. This drip is reserved for winners only.”
”Watch that smart mouth of yours!” Jasper glared at the smug slider. “You’d wouldn’t be here if not for me.”
”If you two’ve got beef then take it outside.” Travis scoffed. “If you want to bet then pay up your ante.”
”Oh I will.” Jasper growled. “As soon as this little cheat gives me back my win.”
”Ooh, you’re one to talk!” Leo squirmed in the bear’s grip. “But it takes one to know one, ‘ey Jas?”
”You little—!” Jasper suddenly slammed Leo’s head down on the table, upsetting the stacks of poker chips and causing several protests to speak up. “Give it up!”
”Make me.” Leo bit back defiantly. Raph always told him his pride would be the end of him, but Leo always preferred the term well-placed confidence. He lifted his legs off the ground so that one end of the table was supporting his full weight along with Jasper’s combined force. The table tipped and sent both Jasper and Leo toppling to the ground in a shower of spanking-new poker chips. The drunk bear tried to scramble back up but Leo was quicker and used Jasper’s shoulders as a leverage for a back handspring.
”Well it’s been real fun but old Neon Leon’s gotta bounce.” Leo smirked and leapt over a table, knocking over a beer mug and dodging a few angry yokai that tried to grab him. He stuck out his tongue at them and began counting up all the chips he had won off the floor, stuffing them in all the hidden pockets of his jacket.
”Get the little cheat!” Shouted Jasper, and in the drunken fog of the yokai’s brains they seemed to gather that the lanky red-eared slider in their midst had done something they were supposed to be mad about. Leo snatched up the remainder of his chips and dove under two yokai that had tried to tackle him from both sides, causing the two to collide and fall in a dizzy heap. At all the commotion the yokai lost track of who they were supposed to be fighting and began throwing punches left and right, determined that everyone was after their money. He began searching for the casino worker who could exchange his chips for cash but he saw the said yokai slamming shut his window, dialing the Hidden City Police to disarm the fight.
Leo sighed and looked around for an exit, not feeling like having Raph bail him out today. Unfortunately Jasper caught sight of him and in an instant Leo was being tackled to the ground by the much-larger bear, grunting as some chips spilled out of his pockets. He rolled his eyes at the livid yokai. “Geez, couldn’t you beat up someone your own size for once? Be a good little teddy and call a truce?”
”Nope.” Glowered Jasper. “That was the biggest pot of the game! And it was mine!”
”Ah, how far we’ve come. You really know how to make an old friend feel appreciated, dontcha?” Leo drawled, and Jasper shook him.
”Oh ho ho, hardy har har! Everything’s a joke to you, isn’t it little pal?” Jasper sneered. “Well you’re playing with fire here, kid. You had your chance to run back to Daddy but you just had to keep pushing, didn’t you?” The bear threw a punch at Leo’s face but the slider popped his head into his shell, causing Jasper’s fist to clunk painfully against the floor instead. “Hold still, you little twerp!”
”I’m running on caffiene and spite and you think I can hold still?” Came the muffled retort, and Jasper growled at him. “Oh, and a couple swigs of your beer while you weren’t looking. Good stuff. Mind if I get the name from ya?”
”You little brat!” Jasper hit Leo’s carapace against the floor a couple times. “You can’t hide in that stupid shell forever, ya know!”
Suddenly the sounds of sirens filled the air and the confused gamblers began to scatter in a panic. Leo smirked, peeking his head out of his shell. “Ah, such a beautiful tune. Seriously it should be the top spot on Spotify. Now how about we let bygones be bygones, yeah?”
”We’re taking this outside!” Jasper hissed, picking Leo up by the lip of his carapace through the fabric of his jacket.
Leo’s head popped fully out and he began to squirm. “Hey, not cool man! I’m not a stupid kitten! Put me down!”
”Unhand the turtle.” Came a gruff voice, and Leo looked up sheepishly to see one of the yokai police officers he was familiar with. He grinned and offered a wave.
”Hey Hank! What’s up?” He chirped, and the police officer gave him a weary look.
”The fact that you know my name proves you’ve met me one too many times.” Henry sighed. “And you’re both coming with me.”
———
Leo swung his legs and blew a bored raspberry. He let his heels bounce off against the cool metal of the chair in his cell and looked up at Jasper next to him. “Bummer we got caught. They bear-ly got us.”
”You shut up. I’m not talking to you.” Jasper growled but then looked at the ground again at a warning look from one of the guards.
”Hey Gary, think you could put some entertainment in here?” The slider whined to the guard at the door. “It’s soooo boring!”
”Then maybe you should stop visiting.” Gary replied coolly. “You know I’d be more than happy to never see your face in a cell again, Leo.”
”Oh you’re too kind.” Leo rolled his eyes. “But can I at least…”
”We already called the Battle Nexus. Raphael should be here any moment to pick you up.” Gary informed him, and Leo sighed.
Of course he is.” Leo huffed. And he’ll probably carry me like a hamburger all the way home so he can yap in my face.”
”Good for him.” Gary crossed his arms. “At least someone’s looking out for you. Though I wish you had a father to come pick you up.”
”Nah, the Draxula never leaves his mysterious quarters underground.” Leo snorted. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s a vampire at this point.”
”And that’s a problem!” Gary sighed. “What about your uncle?”
”Nah, don’t bother the Bone Man.” Leo leaned back on the seat. “Tio’s restaurant is busy at this time of day.”
Gary raised an eyebrow. “Run of the Mill is closed at this time of night.”
Leo sighed. “Yeah okay fine it is but he’s not my dad or my older brother so I don’t want to bother him. Raph’s already coming.”
Gary watched the slider carefully. “You know, it sounds like old Hueso actually cares about ya. It’d do you well to hang around him a bit more.”
Leo rolled his eyes. “I already work there. We’re cool, but I’d prefer to keep him out of this.”
Gary shook his head in disappointment but fell silent, and Leo kept his eyes on the door. Of course he knew Hueso cared about him, but it wasn’t the skeleton’s job to take care of him.
Not like he needed anyone to take care of him anyway.
Suddenly the door to the hallway swung open and Hank ushered in a large snapping turtle who Leo know all too well. He gave a wave to his irked older brother. “Hey Raph.”
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I keep telling myself that this is a little side project and I’m not going to spend too much time on it but I got three chapters of The Crescent’s Ascent written today and thought I deserved a little break lol! But please enjoy, and if you liked this then you can check out more content at the og post linked in the title! ^^
