Leorai A-Z Challenege

Makeup

Leonardo sat on the bed, cross-legged, with his head propped on his fists and his elbows on his knees while his eyes directed to Karai. She was currently busy finishing up on the final touches of her trademark makeup. He watched as she painted the bright red gashes on her eyes and applied her mascara. She looked at him in the corners of her eyes. "Why are you staring at me like that?" she finally asked him. Leo cocked his head. "I'm just curious: why do you wear makeup?" he asked back. Karai gave Leonardo a weird look. "Um, are you seriously asking a girl why she wears makeup? I'd might as well ask you why you why you have a shell." she mocked. Leo uncrossed his legs and sat his feet down on the floor. "Really, Karai, why do you wear makeup? I mean, it's just that I've never really took you for being the type of girl who's interested in makeup." he said. Karai popped the cap back on her eyeliner once she was done. "Because I like to. I can be both a ninja and a girl, y'know." she said. Leo nodded without looking away from Karai at all.
He had never seen her without her makeup on so of course he wondered what she looked like without it. Not that he didn't like the way she looked, of course not. He always considered her absolutely beautiful. Karai's makeup was unusual since it was a cross between the alternative look and feminine clan style, but for Leonardo, he thought it made her look more exotic. He had to like how the kohl and black eyeshadow defined her piercing, wide-set eyes, how the red gashes showed that she was still nonetheless intimidating, and how her red lipstick made her lips appear beautifully against her pale skin. Still, though, he wondered...
He still watched her closely. "Leo, quit it with the staring! It's creepy!" Karai told him. Leonardo mumbled a 'sorry' in response. He looked towards the doorway, but he stole a few glances at Karai in the corner of his eyes. She was running a comb through her hair at that point and was staring into the mirror as she combed her hair. "I don't understand why you're so interested anyway." she pointed out. Leo said, "I've never seen you without makeup, so I just wonder."
Karai put he comb down on the desk and stood up. "Maybe some day you will." she told him as she left the room. While she exited, she thought to herself.

Karai being Karai, she could never in a million years admit to anyone that a tiny reason why she felt uncomfortable with being seen without her usual makeup was that she felt somewhat self-conscious of herself. She never considered herself an ace in the pretty looks department. But that wasn't the only reason! She liked her makeup. She liked how it looked and all. However, the girl would still feel the self-consciousness tug at her every occasionally. It was embarrassing for her since it would most likely tarnish her reputation as the tough and fearsome kunoichi people knew she was. That fact helped her suppress it well in the past. Until she met Leonardo and got to know him. Karai hated herself so much for harboring such a girlish crush on the turtle boy. She hated how her attachment to him made her feel self-conscious of herself from time to time. It was typical for most teenaged girls, but it should have excluded her. She was a ninja and a member of a ferocious clan after all. Yet the affections made their way into her heart and the insecurity would rise up sometimes when she was around Leonardo.
He was a good person and a hero, but he was still a boy. A cute and lovably dorky one at that.
Around him, she would feel more at ease to be herself and let her guard down just a little, but also realize her insecurities. She wasn't attractive, not inside or outside.
Her thoughts then lingered back to their interaction in her room when he asked her about her makeup. Leo was right; he had never seen her without her makeup. When he asked her, he seemed curious about it. Karai could relate to it a little. A while ago, she had never seen him without his mask on and she was curious about why that was and what he would look like without it on.
One day, she finally saw him without it. She was surprised by how different he looked in her eyes. But she also found him even cuter without it on. The memory made inspired her. Maybe she could return the favor to him? Sure, it would be new and bold for her, but how? She had already shared so much with him that she would have never shared with anyone else in her life. This was something smaller than that. For Karai, though, it wasn't. Still, he wanted to know and he already showed her himself without his mask. She sighed. Maybe....

******
The Next Day...

Leo sat on the couch watching his favorite TV show, Space Heroes. He was minding his own business as he intently watched Captain Ryan give yet another one of his heroic ultimatums.
"Hey, Leo." he heard Karai's voice greet him. Leo peeled his eyes away from the screen. "Hey, Kar-!!" Leo stopped the moment he saw Karai's face.
She stood there before him without her makeup on. Wow.
Leo gaped at her with his mouth wide open and his eyes full of astonishment. Karai cocked her eyebrow. "What?" she said, feeling a little uneasy. Leo didn't say anything. His eyes were still on her bare face. 
Even without her mascara and kohl, her eyelashes were rich-dark and her eyes were still quite pretty. Her lips were a rosy pink hue as well.
"So...what do you think? Satisfied?" she sighed. Leo finally closed his mouth and gulped with a blink. "I-I, uh...I suppose." he stuttered. Karai plopped herself next to him to watch TV with him. Leo's eyes were still on her. She frowned. "What now?" she groaned.
Leo said nothing until: "....you're beautiful."
Karai froze. Did he just call her beautiful? She couldn't recall anyone ever calling her beautiful. She felt her cheeks burn from her bashful emotions. Karai quickly looked down. "Stop it, Leo." she retorted. She felt his hand on her shoulder all of a sudden and she looked up to come face to face with his blue eyes and friendly smile.
"I mean it, Karai. You look beautiful. Even without the makeup." he told her. Karai wanted to kick herself for feeling so touched by Leo's sappy words. Did she allow herself to beat herself up again? Not this time. Instead, she made an exception and smiled at Leonardo. She snuggled herself close to Leonardo at that moment. "Thank you, Leo." she said softly.
He put his arm around her shoulder and turned his gaze back to the television show. A part of Karai was annoyed by how girlish she was being. Karai muted that voice and allowed herself to mentally melt into a puddle at Leonardo's affection towards her. She had to admit that she could get used to how he miraculously managed to feel beautiful for the first time in her life.