---Spring 2011
--March 2011 Raphael
All in all things have been really calm. Thing is, Mary's got that suspicious feeling going on again. It feels so much like she's afraid someone's going to catch her at something. If anything is wrong, there's sure as hell no one that wants to talk to me about it. I'd be starting to wonder if I made a mistake...but I've been here too long for that. If they had some plan in mind for me they would have done it by NOW. What the fuck is going on?
--March 2011 Donatello
I own my own apartment now. It's really small but it looks nice. I also need nothing bigger for now. It is mostly just a small living room/dining room/kitchen area with a bath room and a bed room.
I've already resumed with my inventions and somehow managed to impress my boss. It seems my lab work will be the key to my success after all.
--March 2011 Leonardo
The lair has settled into a very deep and unnatural seeming silence. I never thought I'd see the day that only Master Splinter and I were living alone. Yet here it is... Master Splinter's state still worries me a little. However, I do not let it worry me too much, given our situation.
--March 2011 Michaelangelo
Dear Diary,
Remember what I said about getting stranded in California? I shoulda kept my mouth shut...or hand still...or whatever. No need to fear though! Let me explain what happened.
Like I said, I don't know anything about how these schools work. So after hours and hours of wandering around I finally found my destination. However, I had no idea who to talk to or anything. So after a long time of more being lost, I was finally shown to the right place. Turned out these schools need some kinda warning you're coming and you have to pay first.
Thus, there I was, sitting in front of some school building with no money, no knowledge of the area, and probably no hope of getting back home at this rate. The thing is, after some time this woman passed by. She didn't really react to me at all at first. I was more shocked that she wasn't surprised by a mutant sitting around in plain sight than anything else. If I was a normal human I'd understand her paying no attention to the fact I was there but...
Anyway, she went into the school for some sort of meeting with the person I saw, I think. I say that because it didn't feel like it was that long at all before she came out again. This time she was looking right at me, though. Now I was kinda worried. She walked right over to me...
This woman looked like she was somewhere between her late 20s and early 30s. It was hard to tell though...her hair looked older than she did. The woman just stopped right beside me and looked down at me curiously before speaking up. I was amazed (and a bit paranoid) about how nice this total stranger was. Yet, she WAS asking questions about what sort of schooling I'd wanted to go into. So she knew that I got turned down...
It happened that this woman ran a branch some sort of entertainment company. The best way I can think to describe it is to say it's kinda like a waaaaay smaller, faaaaaar less popular, and not so family oriented Disney. Cartoons, live action movies, etc with no theme park, no mascot character, etc, etc, etc. She was at the school because she was signing up for some internships with some of their students.
I was really lucky that I showed up today! Apparently the guy I talked to found me so annoying and odd that he ranted to this woman about me. So she took interest and came to see me outside. Since I was thinking of trying to make use of my drawing or writing, this was a nice chance for me. This woman was really nice already, considering she was just offering some penniless mutant with no place to stay a job. I doubt things have progressed so far that jobs are /required/ to hire at least one mutant. I'm not even done yet though.
On top of what she was already doing, she also offered to pay for my food and an apartment for me to stay in until I had finished my training and had earned enough to take care of things myself. I have to admit I am still a bit suspicious of Mrs. Heron, but diner with her went well and nothing weird has happened here in the apartment... I really must have been lucky.
-Mikey
--March 2011 Leonardo
Master Splinter seems to be fairing well now. Other than that I do not really know what write of. Things have been very peaceful. It is too peaceful even for my liking, but I am thankful for peace none the less.
--March 2011 Raphael
This is strange. Mary went out sometime earlier today and she never came back. Rhonda keeps saying that it's ok. She says Mary does this sometimes. She COULD know better than I do, but Mary's never done this while I've known her. It's starting to worry me, but I'm going to listen to Rhonda.
--March 2011 Michaelangelo
Dear diary,
It's been really quiet here in the apartment. Not too much to talk about yet. I'll be starting job training tomorrow.
Beyond all that though, today was nice. I sat on the roof of the apartment and just relaxed. It was the first time I did anything like that in a long time. Of course, just sunning in the spring sun isn't very entertaining though... It was just a nice change laying there and clearing my mind like that. Of course, the rain started pouring down not long after I came back into the apartment. ...I wonder if there's anything good on tv tonight?
-Mikey
--April 2011 Raphael
Mary's not back yet...now I'm really getting worried. Rhonda seems convinced this isn't normal too. We're going to look for Mary tomorrow.
--April 2011 Raphael
Still no sign of Mary. What the hell happened? I'm so damn pissed at Rhonda for this. If we looked in the first place...
--April 2011 Michaelangelo
Dear diary,
Being in the animation business is harder then I thought it would be. The training has been surprisingly strict. Samantha/Mrs. Heron/my boss/my teacher kind of reminds me of dad with the way she seems so nice and kind and harmless...but if you give her a reason for it, she'll prove just how harsh she can get.
I've been working really hard though. It feels almost like I'm in some kind of dream... Everything isn't perfect, it just feels fake. After growing up like I did... to think I'd be here...doing this... I still keep wondering when I'll wake up to Leo telling me to get out of bed and train instead of waking up to an alarm clock and an empty apartment. ...I'm actually starting to wish someone else would move in with me soon.
The people where I'll be working (if nothing goes wrong with my training) seem pretty cool so far. I might talk about them once I've gotten to know them better. Things are boring when I'm not working or eating but I can't really complain since I'm in such a good position compared to where I COULD be.
-Mikey
--May 2011 Raphael
Whatever it was that had Rhonda insisting we not get the police involved in Mary's disappearance, she's forgotten it now. Maybe we'll have some chance of finding her now.
--May 2011 Raphael
Rhonda finally talked to me about Mary. Mary was in a relationship with some guy that was a part of some gang before. Rhonda didn't want the police involved because Mary was a known member of the gang before she moved to New York. She'd moved to New York to get away from the gang. Her ex didn't seem to hold a grudge but the gang wasn't just going to take her leaving like that.
Still no news on where the hell Mary is. Now I'm thinking the worst.
--May 2011 Raphael
I've been thinking. Mary must not have trusted me. I thought I knew her, but now I'm lost. Did she tell me ANYTHING about herself? Emory's been complaining about me and Rhonda. He's getting on my fuckin' nerves now. Why can't he just go bug someone else if he wants company so bad?
--May 2011 Leonardo
I cannot believe it. Master Splinter has told me he wishes to go on a trip to Japan for some time alone. I know he will likely return but it still bothers me. This seems so childish of me but I do not want to be left here alone. Yet I do not have a choice, as I do not wish to test humanity's tolerance of my kind.
I know my place as I have been in it all my life. I will stay and I will try to go on as if nothing has changed. Someone has to keep the place up for Master Splinter at least.
--May 2011 Michaelangelo
Dear diary,
Now that I'm getting into the grove of this whole animation thing it's really fun. Of course it wouldn't be so cool if it wasn't for the people. I still don't have any room mates, but I've started hanging out with some interns I've been training with.
Not everyone's been completely welcoming of me here. I expected that, but it still hurts. It's almost like I was having a really good dream and then had someone slap me awake, only to realize I'm chained to a wall in the middle of who knows where. Some guy named George is usually a total ass when I'm around. The employees aren't all the most friendly people either. The cool people still outnumber the uncool ones though, so it's no big deal.
I usually hangout with Bethany and Justin. They've been showing me around the local areas of California, and they do things like paying for me to watch movies with them. We go to arcades sometimes. It's kind of annoying and kind of funny though...I'm like a fifth wheel. Bethany and Justin are one of those couples like I've seen on tv a lot. They're already in some sort of relationship but they're blind to it. A large part of the time I'm with them I'm either feeling like I'm in the way or I'm wondering when they'll just get on with it, kiss each other, and go to her place. Still, it's WAY better than sitting in an empty apartment all the time.
-Mikey
--May 2011 Raphael
The police finally called about Mary. They found her buried in some trash with a huge dent in her head. Before I felt so damn nervous, lost, angry an' all kinds of other annoying things. Now I just feel numb, like there's nothing wrong at all. I'm not Mr. Frigen Sunshine either... Feels like I was ripped out of myself...
--May 2011 Donatello
I write in this journal so little now. I am still progressing very well. I'll be moving into a bigger apartment next month so I have more room to work on my inventions. I have also been doing some side work repairing things for some of the people in this apartment building. Once I get into my new apartment I will stay there unless business causes me to have to move.
I am planning on quitting one of my jobs also. I have plenty of money to support myself now and I've began reaching the point that even I can't ignore how over worked I've become. It feels like things have been moving so fast for me since I left the lair.
--May 2011 Leonardo
I watched over Master Splinter as he managed to stealthily make his way into an airplane. I stayed where I was hidden away and watched as the plane left for Japan. I am officially alone now. I tried to do a lot to make up for it, but I wonder what will I do tomorrow? It is already obvious that I will not be able to carry on in this funk forever. There has to be something.
