#donnie won the poll so they got to go first | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

tmnt-reticent · 24 days

Text

Reticent got through the second round of the @tmnt-iteration-compeition ! So here’s the incentive I promised!!! (Rest of the post under the cut as it’s pretty long chdkhdkshfj)

Donnie won the poll!!! He’s my favourite guy so I was pretty glad hehe there’s a lot I want to talk about regarding him. I wanted to spoil smth from Season 5 but since it’s the last season it hasn’t had a lot planned out for it yet. So I decided to spoil smth from S2/3 along with part of the Season 5 thing!!! (The episode has had a decent amount planned for it but not to the point I could properly ramble about it and have it make sense dbkdbskchfk-)

During Season 2, Donnie is constantly having to rebuild the Foot Clan’s weapons as they keep getting broken by Raph, who’s looking for him. Due to this he’s barely getting any sleep in between repairs, training and doing the Purple Dragons work (Which they dumped on him as soon as they realised he wouldn’t fight back). So when he finally gets a breather, he decides to start work on something he refers to as the foot bots, which will learn the aggressor’s moves and hopefully lead to less work for him as they’ll be far more difficult to beat than a regular foot soldier. He never gets to the stage where he’s able to actually start creating them as he never gets a chance to present the blueprints to Shredder for approval before uh. The stabbing. But the purple dragons find them and present the idea as their own, getting approval to start creating them immediately.

In Season 3, Ret Donnie gets into a fight with Leo and leaves the lair for a bit to let off some steam, and that just so happens to be the night when the prototype of the foot bot is being deployed. Donnie sees it attacking a random bystander (Timothy 😈💥💥) and goes to help him, telling him to run before beating the absolute shit out of the foot bot in a fit of rage (both at himself and the foot clan for creating that thing). Karai turns out to be nearby as she was sent out to make sure the test run went well and to retrieve the bot in case anything happened and they have a talk. It’s quite pleasant for the most part, Karai making sure he’s being treated well, that he’s healing nicely, etc. But she tells him to stay out of anything regarding the Foot Clan from now on, partially because she doesn’t want the Shredder finding out he’s alive, but also because she won’t be as gentle next time. He’s an enemy to the Foot Clan now, after all. Donnie doesn’t adhere to this warning however, his guilty conscience over allowing something like the Foot Bots to be created leading to him trying to hunt them all down.

—

Season 5’s premiere follows directly after the events of the Season 4 finale. Leo thinks that it had something to do with Karai, so he starts to interrogate Donnie regarding her location, which he doesn’t want to reveal as things with them are already not the best and he can’t take ruining their relationship even further. As Leo continues to grill him, backing him further and further into a corner whilst the others shout over each other trying to get him to stop, Donnie unlocks his ninpo under all the stress. None of the turtles have been really able to control their powers when they first get them, and Donnie is no different, his ninpo going haywire. Instead of letting him read others minds, it allowed others to enter his.

Thats right its an E-turtle of the Spotless Mind/Journey to the Centre of Mikey’s Mind episode‼️‼️🗣️🗣️💯💯💯💥💥💥‼️‼️‼️ (it has aspects of both but I think it’s a bit more similar to the latter)

The group begin at the edges of his mind, where shit has clearly gone down. Massive books tower over them, the pages scribbled on and burnt at the edges, some pages completely missing. It takes a second for them to realise what they are but Mikey realises first given how many things he’s said are written within their pages. They’re rule books of some sort, filled to the brim with every order and correction Donatello has been given over the years. Although, of course, some of it contradicts, and the turtle desperately tried to figure out which one he actually should be following, leading to the plethora of scribbles across the majority of the pages as he attempted to make sense of it all. This leads to Mikey feeling incredibly guilty as he knows he can’t keep making excuses for himself, hiding everything under a guise of trying to be helpful. He was trying to change his little brother, he was trying to *fix* him, and it had been tearing him apart for years.

—

I have a few things planned out past that but I don’t exactly know how to talk about them without having everything planned out so I’m gonna leave it there!!! If you do have any questions regarding anything I’ve said here though please do ask!!! I love talking about Reticent :D

#tmnt iteration competition #tmnt reticent #tmnt #reticent #tmnt fan iteration #teenage mutant ninja turtles iteration #teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt iteration #reticent!donnie #tmnt donnie #tmnt donatello

14 notes · View notes

misteria247 · 1 year

Text

Some words from our favorite chaotic trio-

Donnie- "Technically I didn't do anything lethal during this whole poll. Experimentation? Yes. Stole/bought hazardous materials and made a new invention with my two associates that throws knives? Also yes. Either way me and my companions won this game."

Donatello- "At first I was a bit hesitant but I can't exactly go so long without simulation of some kind or else I'll be climbing the walls. So when Donnie suggested the experiment I couldn't say no. Was it wrong to destroy a few bleachers and leave knives embedded in the gymnasium ceiling? Perhaps. But the experiment was a success so these are small prices to pay in the grand scheme of things."

Raphael- "I wasn't allowed to fight any of the other Raph's here which was total bullshit mind you. So when my two favorite purple brothers asked me to join in on this little adventure of theirs I agreed. And holy shit it was great! The way the bleachers got charred and the speed that the knives went into the ceiling was so kickass! Plus we made sure no kids were around so we kicked ass and did it safely. Cuz we're just that awesome."

45 notes · View notes

rottmnt-lily-pads-au · 1 year

Text

Deleted Scene #2

Jade (Raph) explaining to Leo what it’s been like living with Donnie for a month. This is the scene that won the poll!!

***

"Buckle up Jade, I've got one hell of a heist planned for us!"

Jade could only sigh, looking down at her brother, who was sitting on the ground in front of his TV, one leg outstretched further then the other. "Leo, did you seriously just ask me to come over to help you steal something?"

"It's not stealing, I promise! We're just getting something back for its original owner." Leo's arms flailed at his reassurance, toppling the slider as he lost his balance.

Jade couldn't help but snort at the display. "Yeah, I don't believe you. Since when does the devious Leonardo actually care about returning stolen goods?"

Jade watched as Leo stood up, turning to look down on the much larger turtle that was sitting on the bed. "I care because I am a nobel person! I care about justice and doing the right thing! After all, there's nothing more important then honor."

Jade stared at Leo unblinking, watching as the slider started to squirm in the confines of his hero pose. It only took him about thirty seconds to break, shaking his body as he yawned. There was another beat where they just stared at each other, then they both burst out laughing.

“Oh man, did that sound as stupid as it felt to say? Cuz that felt so ridiculously cheesy.”

“Does it make it better to know you completely messed up a word?” Leo squeaked his confusion, and Jade shook her head. “Yeah, it’s noble, not nobel. I don’t even think nobel is a word.”

“It totally is! I know I heard it somewhere… Are you sure it’s noble? That doesn’t really sound right.”

“Uh, yeah, it’s noble. Being noble means having a sense of justice and chivalry. You kind of lack both of those. Actually, not kind of, you do. You lack both of those things.”

“Jade I am offended! How could you say that to me, who single handedly pulled this family closer together?”

“Leo, you know I’m right so just admit it.”

Leo groaned, flopping carapace first onto the bed next to Jade. “Speaking of, have you heard from Donnie recently? I think he’s avoiding me, because I never see him when I’m topside.”

“Oh he’s not avoiding you-”

“Then where is he?”

Jade glared at Leo until the slider shrunk back, shrugging. “As I was saying, he’s not avoiding you because he’s avoiding everyone. He and Dad have been working on some projects together for about a month now. He only really goes topside when he’s hanging out with April.”

Leo blinked, leaning up on one arm as he studied Jade. It took a few tense moments, but Jade sat still, waiting for Leo to finish looking for whatever it was he was looking for.

One he was satisfied, the slider spoke. “He’s been crashing at your place for a month?” Jade nodded. “Okay, that brings up more questions. First, why didn’t you tell me? Second, how did I not notice when I go over there all the time? Third, what’s the deal with his parents if he can manage that? Fourth, what’s he like? He seems super interesting.” Leo changed how he was sitting on the bed, perched on his knees as he stared at Jade expectantly.

Jade just scoffed, though she couldn’t blame Leo for his curiosity. Growing up thinking you were entirely alone in the world was a feeling Jade could understand, and a feeling that Leo had dealt with first hand as well. Then, to suddenly learn the fact that you had siblings you had never met, connections you had never made? Even Jade felt that one. Draxum had only told her that Leo was her brother when the two had already met. It created an odd sort of bond between the two, with a mixture of emotions.

Leo said it was because they were making up for lost time, but that only covered the fun part of it. The part neither of them talked about, was the suddenly gaping hole that was there, dug out by the knowledge of there being two more that they had never met.

Donnie’s sudden existence in their life helped ease that feeling.

“Answers in order?” Leo nodded. “Alright, first I didn’t think to tell you, I figured that you would have noticed. Second, I think it might be because Donnie doesn’t leave a trace of his existence, and if he’s not in Dad’s lab, he’s either in the kitchen, up topside, or in his room sleeping. Third, I have no idea, he’s never told us about his parents. My guess is he either doesn’t have any, or they’re just terrible and don’t care where he goes. As for what he’s like…” Jade paused, trying to come up with a good enough answer.

“He’s very quiet, pretends like he doesn't care about what’s going on around him, but he does. He shows it too, but it’s in a… a kind of a weird way I guess?”

Leo moved closer, his full attention dedicated to the larger turtle. “What do you mean by that?”

Jade sighed, closing her eyes to think better. How was she supposed to describe Donnie in a way that Leo would understand? They two felt like complete opposites to her, though with a hint of something annoyingly familiar. With a sigh, she began. “Okay, first off, he’s really smart. Like, created a jetpack with parts from a junkyard kind of smart. He tends to use it like a shield, but he gets really excited when people pay attention anyways. I swear I heard him muttering about parental approval or something. Uhm… the only times I’ve really seen him smile was when he was talking to Dad about their work, or the things he’s done. He also tends to pretend he’s better then everyone, but I get the feeling it’s just an act, just like your attitude.”

Leo huffed, cutting into Jade’s explanation. “My attitude is not an act! I don’t have to put on acts for people to like me.”

“Uh, yeah, you do. Now, if you want me to keep talking, then you need to stop doing it, okay?” Leo huffed again, and Jade nodded. “Good. Now, I mentioned the fact that he showed he cared in weird ways. So far, he’s been able to almost perfectly pinpoint who’s fronting, even if we don’t tell him, he’s added a heating pad to Huginn and Muninn’s dog bed, he fixed the toaster because it toasted unevenly, which he did the morning after he arrived. Oh! We actually have another sibling as well, or two depending on how you feel. However, it’s not the missing turtle! So first, Donnie created this AI program when he was a kid, and apparently it’s super fancy now. They said something about… I don’t know, it developed full sentiance? Anyways, his name is Shelldon and he’s super chill. He even uploaded himself onto my laptop, and I have no idea how. Then there’s April, who Donnie sees as an older sister.”

Leo blinked back, momentarily stunned, which was a state Jade rarely got to see from the other turtle. “He… created a robot sibling? That’s both impressive, and terrifying. He sounds super interesting though! Donnie, not the robot. I’m skeptical about that one. What else has he noticed? I want to see how many things we’ve both picked up on. Test his observation skills.”

Jade rolled her eyes, stretching before continuing to talk. “Alright you weirdo, but just know I don’t have all of the information here. I’m not in his head. So… he’s made a comment about how the vents sometimes act weird, cuz they're either smelly or… I can’t remember the other word, but it was bad. He fixed the squeaky hall closet door, has complained several times about how cold the house is, which is odd, and he has this weird thing about food. Dude drinks what he calls ‘flavorless juice’ which is really just sugar water, and it’s weird. He’s also made comments about faulty wires no one else seemed to notice, and weaknesses in Dad’s security system. He said those were absolutely appalling to see from someone who understands technology. Oh! He also knows whenever you come over, cuz apparently you knock the same way every time?”

“Wait, he knows when I’m knocking? How does that make sense?”

“I don’t know, but he says he did. He does fit in nicely with Dad though. I feel like if he had been left behind instead of me… things would have turned out a lot different for Dad, and I don’t think it would be for the better.”

The two were quiet, their attention turning back to the movie Leo had put on, when there was a buzz from Leo’s pocket. He pulled out his phone, and answered without looking at who it was.

“Hello this is Leo, how may I help you?”

There was a pause and Leo blinked, eyes pinching together.

“Donnie? How did you get my number?”

Another pause, and Leo stood up, pacing around the room. “Okay, that’s super weird. You know, me and Jade were just talking about you. Were your ears burning?”

The pause was longer this time, and Leo groaned, leaning his head back, exasperated.

“Dude seriously, don’t quote anatomy to me, I know.”

A short pause.

“I’ve been doing medical training for a few years. I know my basics, especially about our type of anatomy. Now, answer me this, why did you call me, and how did you get my number?”

The pause was long, and Leo stopped pacing, suddenly looking intrigued, bouncing with pent up energy.

“Hell yeah we’ll come along! Where are we meeting up?”

Leo tilted the bottom of his phone away from his mouth as he paused to listen to Donnie, whispering to Jade “get ready, we’re going on a Donnie mission.”

#lily pads au #Deleted scenes #rottmnt donnie #rottmnt leo #rottmnt raph #rottmnt #saverottmnt #my work

4 notes · View notes

axwalker · 5 years

Text

The Trade: 2

Synopsis: This is an AU where the monarchy in Cordonia doesn’t longer exist and it has been replaced by a republic. It’s set in the final stages of the presidential race with Senator Liam Rhys competing against Fidelya Governor Godfrey Karlington. To assure his son’s victory, Constantine makes an arrangement behind his back for him to marry the rich ambassador’s daughter: Alexis O’Brien. Due to her father’s threats, she has no other option that seduce Liam and make him fall in love with her. But what does she really feel?

Masterlist: HERE

Warnings: I love drama and chaos so this will probably get very dark. None for this chapter though.

Please note that this is my first series and English is not my mother tongue. I appreciate all comments and feedback.

@pug-bitch

Pairing: DrakexMC, LiamxMC

Drake stepped out of the shower and turned on the TV. A towel around his waist, he sat on the edge of the bed and switched the channel.

“Good night everyone, I’m Anna de Luca and today in Politics weekly, we’re going to talk about the lasts updates of the presidential race with political expert Donnie Brine. Hi Donnie, we’re happy to have you on the show tonight. Tell us, what do you think of our candidates so far?”

“Hi Anna! Happy to be here. Well, we all already know Governor Godfrey Karlington and his conservative politics. He represents the old ways and rules Fydelia with an iron fist. Personally, I think the most interesting candidate today is the young and charismatic Liam Rhys, a new face in the political map, but well ahead in the polls.”

Drake arched his brows and laughed to himself. -New face?- Liam was a great candidate, the best one, but he was certainly no newcomer.

“New face?” Ana asked echoing Drake's thoughts. “Please, Donnie. We all know Liam is the son of ex-president Constantine Rhys and that he comes from old Cordonian nobility. He’s hardly a ‘new face’. However, I’ll agree that his rapid popularity growth is worthy of attention. Now, as a political expert, tell us: Is it true that he intends to surround himself with young politicians?

“Apparently this is all true, Anna. He’ll form his cabinet with his closest political allies, otherwise known as the “Brat-pack” of Cordonian politics, all being sons and daughters of either rich men and government members as Miss Hanna Lee or old noble houses as Sir Rashad Domvallier.”

“Can you give us a sneak peek of his cabinet?”

“Of course, Anna! I’ll give you the name of those we are sure he’ll appoint if he wins:

For Secretary of Treasury, he’ll appoint Bertrand Beaumont, he was Governor of Ramsford and his family have had ties with the Rhys for hundreds of years.

In Education, he’ll name Hanna Lee. Miss Lee is the youngest person that has ever directed Cordonian University. She has won world recognition for her research in educational methods.

In Foreign Affairs we’ll have Kiara Theron, the also daughter of the prominent judge Hakim Castelraillan, was our representative in the UN for two consecutive years and speaks 6 languages fluently.

The Secretary of Defense will be Capitain Olivia Nevrakis, a decorated top army officer.

Rashad Domvallier will be the head of the Department of Commerce, his bold business deals have brought a lot of money to the most prominent companies in Cordonia

And for some experience he will appoint Ex Supreme Court Juge Hakim Theron as the Attorney General and Landon Ebrim as the Minister of Agriculture” Donnie concluded.

“Well, all in all, not a lot of surprises, Donnie. As you said it before, it will be an incredibly young cabinet. Cordonian people should be happy that they’ll have Senator Ebrim and ex-judge Theron to babysit. Now two questions remain. Do we know who he’ll name as his chief of staff? And, more importantly: Who’s going to be his number two? Do you think he’s going to run with his brother, Valtorian Senator Leo Rhys? Or is that too much nepotism even for Cordonian standards?”

“To answer your first question, rumor has it that he will name his assistant, the man that’s been with him his whole career: Mr. Drake Walker. It is an important position, let’s hope that Mr. Walker is qualified for it, after all, he is not a real politician. As for the second question, his number two is the big enigma here, Anna. We know that a double Rhys ticket is the ex-president’s dream, but we are also aware of the Senator’s lifestyle, and I don’t think that the public opinion would approve of him running with the young candidate”.

Drake turned off the TV. Fucking vultures, they would love to see Liam fail just so they could feast in his loss. They didn’t care that he was the best candidate, much more than that fossil Karlington would ever be.

He opened the curtains and looked through the window, it was a sunny Sunday, his day off. He was wondering what to do when his phone rang. He saw Max’s photo on the screen.

Preparing for over the top excitement in three, two, one… he picks up the call.

“Draaaaake! You answered!”

“Yes, Maxwell. What do you want?” He sighed “Wait, is Sunday morning so I assume you need me to go get you at the beach because you woke up naked, surrounded by peacocks, with a horrible hangover and no memory of what happened last night. Am I right?”

“Heyyy Drake! Not all parties end up like last week’s party!” Max laughed

Drake rolled his eyes. “No, you’re right, sometimes you wake up naked in a garden surrounded by pigeons, or with a hippo tattoo you have no recollection getting.”

“Actually, I just wanted to invite you to lunch to thank you for picking me up last week, buddy,” Maxwell replied.

Drake sighed in exasperation “I’ve told you one hundred times NOT to call me buddy. And lunch is the minimum you can offer me after I saw you naked. I’m scarred for life, I hope you know.”

“He! You’re just jealous of my attributes, and jealousy is not a good color on you, Drake. You pick me up at 12…ish?

Drake growled at the phone “I’m starving; I’ll be there at 12 sharp.”

When they arrived at the restaurant at 2 pm, it was so crowded the waitress had to sit them at the bar.

As Maxwell stepped outside to take a mysterious call, Drake immediately noticed a beautiful girl in the stool next to Max’s. She was a tall brunette, with huge brown eyes and a beautiful smile. The short red dress she was wearing uncovered her long, tanned legs and hugged her curves in a way that made Drake blush.

Slightly disappointed, Drake noticed that she was talking to a guy in a blue suit. When he was about to move on and order another whiskey, he heard a very familiar voice:

“Sooo, as I was telling you, my family is very rich, they own the Sartorini brand, a very famous, very luxurious, very expensive brand of men shoes, among a lot, and I mean a lot of other things. You have heard of my family of course.”

Drake rolled his eyes.

“Of course,” He heard her answer, and he couldn’t help but notice a hint of sarcasm in her voice. “The problem… uh…Tariq was it?” Drake was smiling to himself “Is that I have it as a personal rule not to date very smugly, arrogant, conceited men. It’s a pity really, I can tell we really could’ve hit it off”

“Are you making fun of me bitch?” Drake was ready to intervene when he heard her answer.

“Wow, it took you 30 seconds to go from charming prince to creepy pig, a real record. Now if you excuse me, I’m really hungry. Have a good afternoon.”

Tariq got closer to her but as he was facing the girl and not him Drake couldn’t see what he was doing. Unfortunately for Tariq, he found out soon enough.

“I suggest you take off your filthy hand of my thigh right now if you don’t want to end up severely injured!” She seethed.

Tariq took a look at her slender figure and laughed. “By who? You?”

“No, me” Drake had decided to intervene “You heard the lady, Tariq. Get out of here.” Tariq’s face went white as he apologized.

“Oh! I’m sorry Drake, I didn’t mean to disturb her, I didn’t know you were with her… I…I... I’m leaving..” He sighed, visibly scared, leaving the bar immediately.

The girl puffed “Typical creep, he doesn’t even apologize to me, but to the man with a savior complex, who no one asked help from in the first place”

Drake arched his brows: “Sorry lady, I know Tariq, and he never would have left you alone. Anyway, have a nice lunch.”

The girl bit her lip feeling guilty, he was only trying to help her after all, and not that it mattered but he was very handsome.

“No, I’m sorry, you were only trying to be a good person”. She moved to the stool next to him while Max was still talking on the phone. “Let me buy you a…what are you drinking?”

Maxwell arrived just in time to hear the last sentence: “Whiskey! It is like he doesn’t know any other beverages. Can you believe that he has never tasted a Cosmopolitan??!!” He said grinning. “I’m Maxwell Beaumont, he’s Drake Walker and you’re…”

“I’m Elena, Elena Ortiz. Nice to meet you both” She grinned, and Drake couldn’t help but noticed what a beautiful smile she had. It felt like she’d be able to light an entire room with it. “And don’t worry Drake, me too I looove whiskey” That time she joined a little wink to the smile and Drake felt like he was actually melting.

“Hi… Magda” She said reading the waitress's name in her uniform “Can you bring us three glasses of Knob Creek, please?”

“Where are you from? You have a bit of an accent” He heard Maxwell ask her

“I’m American Maxwell, from New York”

“Please, call me Max. Is how all of my friends call me and I can tell right now that you and I are going to be great friends”

“How long are you staying in Cordonia, Elena?” Drake hoped she couldn’t hear the expectation in his voice.

“Oh… for now I’m just visiting, I haven’t thought very far ahead”

“Oh, I would looove to show you the highlights of our beautiful country,” Max said, smiling with excitement. “But I have a date tonight, so I can’t. Drake here, on the other hand, is a free as a bird today, aren’t you Drake?”

Since he met him as kids Drake had imagined one thousand different ways to kill the ever-annoying Maxwell, but at that moment, he could’ve kissed him.

“Actually, yes I am. I could show you some spots in the city that aren’t in the guides. What do you say?”

Elena grinned back at him.

“Maybe … where are you taking me?”

“You’ll have to trust me Elena, but I’m thinking you’ll like it”

“Trust you? I’ve known you for like a minute and a half. What if you murder me and hide my body on your baseman forever?

“Heh, that… or I’ll show one of Cordonian’s most beautiful sights while we drink some good whiskey. I guess you’re gonna have to take your chances.” Drake didn’t know why he wanted so desperately her to trust him.

Elena looked deeply into his eyes. She didn’t know why she felt so safe around him, maybe it was his gaze, intense and bright; looking at her longingly now.

“Let’s go!”

Drake took Elena to a beautiful beach next to Cordonia city; he showed her a little cove he visited when he needed some time far away from all the politics and plots.

“Drake! This is beautiful. It makes me think of my favorite spot in New York, next to Orchard beach. I go there whenever I’m feeling that I need some time for myself or to think about something.” She let out a small sigh.“Sometimes life can be too complicated”

Drake could hardly speak, completely lost just by looking at her. The gestures her hands make when she spoke, the elegant curve of her neck, her beautiful smile, and overall those big brown eyes, almost black. They were shinning now, enjoying the view, but there was something else in them; something unreadable…Pain, maybe?

“Do you feel like that often?” Drake asked, avid to know everything about the beautiful stranger next to him.

“You have no idea.”’ She turned to look at him. “But enough about that. What’s your story?” She gave him a flirty smile that almost made Drake’s heart stop. “Do you bring here all your dates?”

Drake gave her a cocky smile. “Ha, good to know this is a date” She blushed in the most adorable way. “In fact, if you have to know you’re the second person I bring here, and the first one was my sister,” he said hoping she didn’t ask a lot of questions about Savannah.

“Oh, well is an amazing spot, but I was promised some excellent whiskey and I’m not seeing any.” He grinned taking out a little silver flask from his pocket and handing it to her.

“You’ll never taste anything better.” When he watched her take a sip and then lick her lips, it took everything he had not to kiss her, but for some strange reason, for once he didn’t want to go to fast with a woman. “So?”

“It’s not Knob Creek but is not bad.” She moved closer to him, hoping he would make a move, it was her last day of freedom and she really liked him, much more than she should. Drake was looking directly at her with his chocolate eyes, and a sexy smile in the corner of his mouth.

“What’s in your mind? You didn’t stop talking all the way here and now you’re very quiet”

Drake was a stranger, she would probably never see him again. However, his strong, steady presence invited her to confide in him. Without a second thought, she blurted out, “I was thinking that I can’t be the person I want to be.”

“What do you mean you can’t? What old are you, like 24? You can do whatever you want Elena.”

She shifted her position to watch the ocean. “25, and no, I can’t. Forget it, you’ll never understand”

He gave her a small smile, he definitely understood. “You mean that you feel trapped in a life that you don’t know how to live anymore but you have no fucking idea how to get out of?”

She looked surprised “That’s exactly it. You have the same feeling?”

He sighed looking at her with a bit of regret in his eyes. “I’m in a job that I hate, very far away from the life I pictured for myself when I was a kid”

She took his hand, feeling an immediate spike of electricity run through her arms “If you hate your job that much, why don’t you just resign?”

“I hope it was that easy, but it’s not. My boss is also my best friend and I owe him and his family everything. He’s asked for my help and I can’t deny it… so here we are”

“Wow, you make it look like the mafia, Drake. Maybe I should be scared” She said teasing him and he smiled.

“Well, actually it’s not that different from the mafia, that I can tell you. But maybe after this job is finished, I’ll be free to do what I want”

“And that is…?” He could see she was genuinely curious.

Drake took a long swig of whiskey. “It seems like a ridiculous child’s dream when I say it out loud, but I love horses and animals in general. I would’ve like to be a veterinarian, instead of going to business school”

“Well maybe someday… you’re young too, there is no reason you can’t make that happen”

“Now that you made me spill my guts, you have to tell me something about you. Why do you feel trapped?”

She also drank before answering. She didn’t want to ruin the mood by confessing the truth.

“Let’s say that I’m in the middle of a very awful business deal, that I can’t undo”

He looked at her quizzically. “What the hell does that mean Elena? Now is you who’s talking like a mob family member”

“He! If only…” She moved even closer to him, boldened by the whiskey and the confidences they’d shared. “But that’s enough of sad little secrets”.

Elena gave him a very inviting smile and he suddenly realized that she was impossibly close to him. He could smell her scent, delicate and fruity. Her brown silky hair had a cherry fragrance, that was inebriating him much more than the whiskey he had drunk. When Drake saw her dark eyes looking directly at him, he didn’t doubt one more second. He took her face with both his hands and kissed her. She had never been kissed like that, it was sweet and passionate at the same time. With longing and tenderness, desire and reverence all at once. Elena could smell his scent, something woody and musky and it drove her crazy. His tongue was entering her mouth looking for hers, delicately at first then more and more passionately, until they had to come out for air. He didn’t need much because almost instantly he was kissing the corners of her mouth, her cheeks, her neck, and there he was ravaging her mouth again.

Suddenly, the spell was broken. They were brought back to reality by the incessant ringing of her phone.

“Sorry Drake, I really have to get this” He saw her walking away a few meters and talk to someone, visibly affected by it. Her features hardened, she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, but she seemed different, sadder, gloomier. Drake saw she had ended the call but remained in place, so he went to her.

“What was that about Elena?” He asked softly stroking her left cheek with his thumb. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah… it’s just that I’m gonna have to go back to real life tomorrow morning, and I don’t want to.”

“I thought you were in Cordonia indefinitely …”

“It’s complicated. Can you bring me back to the restaurant? A car will pick me up there.”

“I can take you to wherever you’re staying, Elena”

She gave him a rueful smile that tugged his heart. “I rather not, thank you.”

“This is the last time we will see each other. Isn’t it?” Drake asked, sadly.

Elena could feel the tears. Tears of sadness for everything she’d always wanted but never would have. Tears of joy for the moment she just shared with Drake, as briefed as it was. Tears of regret for leaving him despite all the possibilities that he held.

“Yes …it was the last time”

#drake walker #drakexmc #axwalker writes #tw noncon #the trade

66 notes · View notes

junker-town · 4 years

Text

The start of Western Illinois’ NCAA tournament run in Year 22, continued

The Leathernecks enter the NCAA tournament as a No. 11 seed with an impossibly tough draw.

Welcome back to our simulated dynasty with the Western Illinois Leathernecks in College Hoops 2K8. You can find a full explanation of this project + spoiler-free links to previous seasons here. Check out the introduction to this series from early April for full context. As a reminder, we simulate every game in this series and only control the recruiting and coaching strategies.

We pick up with the Leathernecks in the first round of the 2029 NCAA tournament, but first here’s a recap of everything that’s happened so far this season.

Coming off a disappointing loss in the round of 32 to No. 1 seed Xavier last season, the Leathernecks enter the new year ranked No. 19 in the preseason polls. We have three new starters.

We went 6-5 in the non-conference schedule before sweeping the Summit League and winning the conference tournament once again. We earned a No. 11 seed to the NCAA tournament, entering at 27-5 overall.

We recruited for one scholarship, but didn’t land anyone yet.

Read: Western Illinois, Year 22, 2028-2029

Here’s a look at our roster heading into the NCAA tournament:

No one can doubt the overall talent level of this roster. We’re rated as a 100 overall for a reason — we have a great combination of experienced top-end talent plus depth. It is fair to wonder who are takeover scorer is going to be, though.

I have full confidence in Kevin Brazzle, the 7’2 junior center and projected top pick in the NBA draft. He’s put up numbers all year and figures to give a consistent scorer and rebounder inside. Who steps up on the perimeter is a better question. Wilbur Ager, our lone senior, has had a good career thus far, but he’s never had to be the man in the shadow of Allen Cunningham and others. Now we need him to play like a star. Does Ager have a Wilky Henry-like run in him? The spotlight is also waiting for Mathew Alloway, now a junior and a starter every year he’s been eligible. Alloway has the size (6’7), he has the shooting, and he brings it defensively. We’ve had him circled as a future star for years. The future is here.

Point guard Jamie Burke and power forward L.F. Neal, both first-year starters as juniors, are less accomplished but still talented. Our bench has a 300-pound center in Artie Snipes, a 6’10 wing in Jitim Dupree, and our best three-point shooter in 6-foot guard Koko Reeves. We’re good enough to lean on a star-by-committee approach, but someone is going to have to step up against an incredibly formidable UConn team.

The Huskies have been killer throughout this sim, one of only four programs to win two titles (the others: Louisville, Maryland, UCLA) while we have three. UConn knocked us out in the Elite Eight back in Year 18. They have a loaded roster once again. Both teams enter the game rated as a 100 overall:

Maryland is likely waiting in the round of 32 and top-seed Xavier is likely waiting in the Sweet 16. Our Leathernecks are used to getting shafted by the committee, and it happened in a major way this year. This might be our toughest draw ever.

We watched this game on Twitch together on Sunday night. As always, I’m not controlling Western Illinois during the game, we’re watching a simulated game. Unfortunately the video transfer to YouTube is taking forever and still isn’t fully uploaded even after 12+ hours. I’ll add videos in this post when it’s complete.

Let’s go!

***

Win, 103-89! Second half team!

This was getting dark for a minute there. Led by my long-lost relative Donny O’Donnell (36 points), UConn opened up a double digit lead late in the first half. That’s when I switched us into a 1-2-1-1 zone full court press defense. We started forcing turnovers, which led to easy offense, which led to us taking control of the game. We dropped 65 damn points in the second half, which is just amazing.

twitch_clip

I loved what I saw out of Alloway, finishing with 19 points on 3-of-3 shooting from three-point range. Ager struggled to shoot the ball from the outside (1-of-5 from three) but still found a way score 17 points and also had four steals.

twitch_clip

Our front court gave us a great complement next to our guards. Neal played the game of his life: 20 points, 11 rebounds, and five stocks. He’s had a quiet career so far but we don’t win that game without him. Brazzle continues to be the picture of consistency by going off for another fat double-double of 17 points and 16 rebounds.

Less good: point guard Jamie Burke, who finished with eight turnovers turnovers and 0-of-4 shooting from three.

We absolutely would have lost this game without the switch to a full court press defense. The final scoreboard says we won by 14, but man does it feel like that’s a game we easily could have lost. Even still, it feels great to beat UConn in the tournament. Unfortunately, it isn’t getting any easier from here.

Our next opponent in the next our is No. 3 seed Maryland, who beat No. 14 Samford in their opening game.

No. 11 seed Western Illinois vs. No. 3 seed Maryland, round of 32, 2029 NCAA tournament

Maryland has been one of the better programs in the country throughout this sim. Like UConn, the Terps have two national championships while consistently being a factor late in the tournament.

Maryland enters the game as a 100 overall — the same rating as us. Here’s a look at their roster:

You can see that Maryland doesn’t have a ton of size, with no one taller than 6’7 listed on the first page of the roster. In a lot of ways, this Terps roster reminds me of the Xavier team that knocked us out in the round of 32 last year: lots of dynamic guards and wings who can knock down shots. Like us, they have six players rated in the 90s.

Let’s cut down on the turnovers, defend the three-point line, and feed Brazzle inside when we have the ball. We’re going to need to play better than we did against UConn to win this game.

We watched this game on Twitch on Sunday night. Once again: it’s a simulated game; I’m not controlling Western Illinois on the court.

This group knows the pain of losing in the round of 32 because it happened to us last year. A win here and we likely get a rematch against Xavier, who knocked us out last season. We want a rematch. Let’s go!

***

Win, 95-91! We juuust had enough to hang on there in the second half.

We were in control for most of that game and I was feeling pretty good about it. We took a nine-point lead into the half on a Wilbur Ager tip-in. We pushed that lead to 16 points early in the second half, but credit Maryland for refusing to go away. The Terps went on a run in the last five minutes and hit a three-pointer with 17.5 seconds left to make it a three-point game. It was a two-point game with 4.5 seconds left when Jamie Burke missed the front end of a 1-and-1 at the foul line. Fortunately, Alloway grabbed the offensive rebound and iced the win at the line.

While I didn’t switch to a full court press defense in this one, we actually had more steals (12) than we did vs. UConn (10). I thought our defense set the tone once again. It had to be that way considering we couldn’t get a good look from behind the arc all night. Maryland hit 10 more three-pointers than us — 13 to three — but we were able to stay alive by attempting three times as many free throws. It wasn’t a pretty offensive performance for us, but it was enough to get the win.

Brazzle was a monster and really does feel like the trump card during this tournament run. It is so nice to have a 7’2 center we can consistently go to when we need a bucket. He was excellent to finish with 27 points and 14 rebounds on 13-of-20 shooting from the field. That performances locks him in as a top-five center in program history, I think. We lose without him because no one really got going.

twitch_clip

Alloway, Ager, and Neal were all solid but unspectacular. Maryland’s star wing Ross Pasco ran all over us, going off for 33 points on seven made threes. That’s two wings putting up massive individual scoring games on us so far. Something to monitor.

Ager still made big plays when we needed him to.

twitch_clip

I am officially worried about Burke at this point. We’ve had so many subpar point guards over the years and there’s no way to really know until you see them out there. Burke was a very solid four-star recruit at No. 71 overall in his class — the type of player we’d take every time. He has succumb to the same issues as Armien Amous and Angel Keita before him though: too many turnover. After eight turnovers against UConn, he had five or six this game. We need to take better care of the ball.

As we sim to the next week, we have some shocking news: No. 7 seed Richmond stunned top-seeded Xavier in the round of 32! That means we face the Spiders with an Elite Eight trip on the line!

No. 11 Western Illinois vs. No. 7 Richmond, Sweet 16, 2029 NCAA tournament

Every deep NCAA tournament run requires at least a little bit of luck, and there’s no doubt we got it in a big way with this matchup. Xavier appeared to have the most players rated in the 90s — seven — of any team in the tournament this year. They also demolished us on this stage last year. I am feeling so much more confident against Richmond.

How the hell did the Spiders beat Xavier? Xavier was a 100 overall and Richmond is a 91 overall. Here’s a look at Richmond’s roster, with only one player rated in the 90s.

This is a game we should win, but I’m sure Xavier thought that, too. One win away from the Elite Eight, let’s get it.

We also watched this game on Twitch on Sunday night, the first time we’ve ever streamed three games on the same night. Why stop now? Standard disclaimer goes here: I’m not controlling WIU, we’re watching a simulated game.

Let’s go!

***

Win, 136-71. Absolute domination out of our ‘Necks. We’re going to the Elite Eight!

This was a beatdown from the opening tip. We got out to a 10-point lead in the first seven minutes and never looked back. We were up 30 by halftime and had already pulled our starters.

First things first: shout-out to our embattled point guard Jamie Burke. who finished with an exquisite line of 12 points, 11 assists, zero turnovers. He also hit 4-of-6 shots from three-point range. Exactly what we want out of our point guards. Just a textbook great PG performance.

twitch_clip

Ager was also awesome to finish with 19 points. He was super aggressive from the jump and it looked like he knew no one on Richmond could match his physicality. That was tight. Alloway also played an efficient and wonderful game with 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting, all in the first half I think.

How about our defense? We had 17 steals, a new high for this tournament run. Unreal.

Looking back through the records, that’s our biggest win ever. 65-point win! The bench also beat Richmond by 30 in the second half. Just ridiculous.

I thought the future of the program was on full display as the bench got some run with a big lead. Wow, were they great. Jitim Dupre: 22 points, 10 rebounds, four steals, three makes from deep. Edwin Wolfe led us in scoring!?! I never would have guessed. The former five-star JUCO recruit is now a RS sophomore and rated an 80 overall. That’s disappointing by our standards, but he played so much better than his ratings in this game. Wolfe finished with 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the field and 6-of-12 shooting from three.

twitch_clip

Artie Snipes also deserves a shout-out with 20 points off the bench. He’ll be our starting center once Brazzle bounces to the draft after this year and it feels like we won’t be losing much at center with him in the lineup.

That sets up a game vs. No. 8 seed Tennessee. The Vols stunned No. 1 seed Stanford in the round of 32 and then took out defending national champs BYU in the Sweet 16 to force their way into the Elite Eight. If you had this game on your bracket, more power to you.

No. 11 seed Western Illinois vs. No. 8 seed Tennessee, Elite Eight, 2029 NCAA tournament

The Elite Eight has been a nightmare round for us in the past — most memorably when we saw three straight seasons end in this round from Year 16, Year 17, and Year 18. The allure of the Final Four is so strong that guys start to get tense. You can’t really blame them, but we need to be better today.

Tennessee looks solid but not overwhelming from a talent perspective. I think this is the first time we’ve ever played them? Here’s a look at the Vols’ roster:

Guess what? We playing this game out too. A four-game stream. Win or lose, this will be our last game of the night.

I’m not controlling WIU, but you know that by now.

Final Four on the line. Let’s goOoOoOoO!

***

Win, 100-92! We’re going to the Final Four for the fifth time in program history, and we will be looking for our fourth national title once we get there.

Ohhhhh my gosh, that was close. The second half felt as tense as any game we’ve ever played in this dynasty. Tennessee refused to go away, hitting threes, getting and-ones, forcing steals — they really made us work for it. Shot of the night goes to our senior, Wilbur Ager. With our Leathernecks up two points with 18 seconds left and about five seconds separating the shot clock from the game clock, Ager fired a catch-and-shoot three-pointer that was cash to seal the win.

I was so nervous when he shot this, and elated when it went in.

twitch_clip

What a shot. If he misses, the Vols have the ball and a chance to win the game on the last possession. Instead, it goes in, Ager is the hero, and we advance to the Final Four. Wow.

I felt like Nick Nurse in this game: I was riding my starters until the very end. All of them were excellent. Burke went all 40 minutes and only scored one point, but he finished with 13 assists and limited his turnovers. Alloway played like a flat-out star with 28 points on 12-of-17 shooting. Ager hit a very nice 6-of-9 shots from deep. Brazzle had another ridiculous double-double with 25 points and 15 rebounds.

L.F. Neal also made two super tough field goals in crunch-time to help seal the win:

twitch_clip

Unreal. I never thought this team would make the Final Four, not after losing three starters and potentially the GOAT Leatherneck in Allen Cunningham. I thought our tournament draw was far too difficult for a run like this. I’m so happy I was wrong.

We’ve been to the Final Four four other times. Three times we won the national title. Let’s go back banner No. 4.

Our opponent in the Final Four is No. 1 seed George Washington. GW has a created player at center in former bracket contest runner-up Steven Frye. We made Frye as a three-star recruit back in the day but he’s really developed into a great player. Frye vs. Brazzle will be a signature matchup inside. GW is rated as a 98 overall, so this won’t be easy.

We’re going to stream this game on Wednesday, September 16 at 8:30 p.m. ET on Twitch. Here’s how you can watch the game:

How to watch Western Illinois vs. George Washington in the 2029 Final Four

Game: No. 11 seed Western Illinois vs. No. 1 seed George Washington, Final Four, 2029 NCAA tournament

How to watch: My Twitch channel

Date: Wednesday, Sept. 16

Tip-off time: 8:30 p.m. ET // 7:30 p.m. CT. The stream will start a little earlier.

If we win: The national championship game against the winner of No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 9 USC will follow immediately after.

What about the bracket contest?

Bracket contest results are up on Sean’s app — which works on desktop and mobile. Someone named Doop is currently winning. Way to go, Doop. Thanks to Sean again for running the bracket contest — follow Sean on Twitter at @hoopsinsight.

I’ll see you Wednesday night. Let’s hang banner No. 4.

0 notes

tmnt-reticent · 28 days

Text

Since Reticent won the poll in the @tmnt-iteration-compeition , here’s Ret Chapter 10’s summary, chapter cover and first scene! It doesn’t have a title yet, i might have to ask @aaronymous999 or Starla for help with that after they betaread dbsjcbsjhcjd-

Summary: Frustrated with the rest of the team, Mikey decides to take their latest mission into his own hands. Donnie has to make a difficult decision regarding his youngest older brother.

“Dude, how the hell do you keep getting these?” Mikey questioned as he took yet another cog away from Klunk, shoving it into his sketchbook bin for safe-keeping along with the rest of Donnie's stuff the cat had stolen. He'd return it all to the softshell. Eventually.

The orange-clad teen stretched before popping himself back on the rug, beckoning Klunk over. The cat completely refused though, turning away from him. Damn. Iced out. He didn't know why she was so enticed by random pieces of metal. Although, the same could be said for his younger brother- no, no, he had to stop thinking about him. He'd just upset himself.

Donnie had been avoiding him recently. He didn't know why. He thought it was because of their confrontation the other night, but Donnie had been doing so long before that. Maybe he should start asking him to hang out again? That was what drew his brother back to him before. But at the same time, he didn't exactly feel like hanging around the softshell any time soon. He just didn't like being ignored. He only knew so many people, that was like, a fifth of his friend group gone in the blink of an eye. He'd at least like for them to be on ‘wave to each other across the room’ level for now-

“Michaelangelo! Hurry up, it's time to leave!”

Oh, right, the mission. He had more important stuff to think about right now.

The painted turtle grabbed his nunchucks, shoving them in his belt and then throwing on a hoodie before entering the living room. He was met with April and Casey, along with his brothers who were donning their own ‘disguises’. Raph's would've worked if his shell wasn't so….prominent, almost poking out of the fabric. But Donnie and Leo were practically a lost cause. Donnie was struggling to keep his bo hidden, refusing Leo's demands to cut a hole in his favorite hoodie to do so. Which made sense, that wouldn't exactly hide his bo. And Leo's sheathes weren't hidden whatsoever, the bottom of his hoodie barely covering the tips. He could already tell this was going to be great. But hey, maybe the person they were hunting down wouldn't mind being confronted by 4 mutant turtles who were clearly carrying weapons.

He had to do something about this.

“Heyyy Leo, uh, didn't know if you knew this but I think your disguises might be a little bit easier to see through than mine.” It was difficult not to refer to him using a nickname like ‘Nerdo’ but Mikey couldn't afford to get on the eldest's bad side right now.

The map turtle turned to him with narrowed eyes. “What are you getting at, Michelangelo?”

“I was just wondering if I could finally put my role to use? Y'know, as the face man? I figure I can get this Venus person to lead me to the Nexus and the rest of you can just follow us. It's way easier that way.” He knew this wouldn't convince Leo, nothing ever did, but-

“Fine. Whatever. But if you do anything, and I mean anything that puts the mission in jeopardy, I will be sending you back here. Got it?”

Mikey paused for a second. Leo? Letting him take the lead? He couldn't believe his non-existent ears. But, the painted turtle quickly got a hold of himself. “You got it! I'll be the best face man you've ever seen! No jeopardy here!”

“I'm already regretting this.” The tallest sighed. “But there's more important things to worry about than whatever you're going on about. Casey! April! I need to speak to you.”

The two humans turned towards him, but April spoke first. “Did we do something, or…?”

“No, no, I just… I don't think you should come.”

Casey's countenance dropped. “What? But like, all the information is on my phone-”

“Then send it to one of us, we’ll take care of it.” The blue-masked turtle responded. Weird that he said that as if he was one of the options.

“What is this even about, Leonardo?” Ouch. April rarely used full names. Although, Leo preferred it that way. Maybe he was pissing her off on purpose?

“Look, Casey is already a criminal, he doesn't need anymore charges-”

“But you're fine with us fighting the foot clan out in the-” April began to interject.

“And you shouldn't be getting involved in all this shady business in the first place. I was willing to let it slide for a while but I'm drawing the line at underground dog-fighting rings. You have a future to think about, April. We don't. You shouldn't throw everything away for us.”

“But we're already as deep into all this crap as you guys are! Heck, Casey has been doing this shit for ages! And you're just gonna tell us to screw off? For what? You couldn't do any of this without us!”

“It's for your own good, April-”

“How do you know? We're not just going to give into any stupid little demand you throw our way because it's ‘for our own good’!” Mikey didn't know bunny ears could look so aggressive but April had managed to surprise him.

As the arguing continued, the orange-clad turtle grew impatient. He just wanted to get this mission over with. Sure, going topside is nice, but the charm starts to wear off when you're only ever allowed up there for missions.

Although, maybe he could prove that he'd be fine up there on his own… and he did know where all the information for the mission was being kept…

It may not have been his god-given role, but Mikey started formulating a plan anyway. Who said Leo had to be the sole strategist? Well, Leo did, but that wasn't the point.

#tmnt reticent #tmnt #reticent #tmnt fan iteration #teenage mutant ninja turtles iteration #teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt iteration #tmnt iteration competition

11 notes · View notes