Song:

"Why Don't You Do Right?" By Peggy Lee 

(Note: You probably all know this song very well from Who Framed Roger Rabbit, but I highly recommend checking out the original version by Peggy Lee)

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https://youtu.be/4uTcw_A80Bo

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The curtain closed and the lights dimmed. Both young and older men in the audience drunkenly cheered and whistled, demanding an encore from the young lady who just finished her risqué performance.

The lights began to brighten again, still dim but more easier to see in the burlesque club's inner décor. The club was a small location compared to The Dojo, only able to hold less than half the amount of people The Dojo can welcome. Instead of decorative deco wallpaper, the walls were of red brick along with polished dark wooden floors. It was obvious the burlesque club was nowhere near on the same level of luxury as The Dojo, but it worked with what it had. Many male customers of all social classes were enjoying themselves from both the drinks and the pretty girls dancing for them.

"And that was our lovely cosmic star, Valaxina!" the announcer says to the audience as the dancer leaves the stage through the red curtain. "We'll be taking a short break and return to more beautiful dancing dolls here at Galactic Gals Burlesque!"

"See?" Casey said after finishing his drink, slamming it onto the table, "I told you this was what you needed!"

"Yeah, drinking alcohol while watching women strip. What a night..." Raph said sarcastically.

It's been a few hours since Raph and his two friends, Slash and Casey, left The Dojo and came to the risqué burlesque club. To prevent anyone from noticing Raphael and causing another mob of crazy fans, the group of friends sat at a small table in the far back of the club, away from the crowd. While Raphael wasn't too pleased with being there, his friends thought otherwise, laughing and drinking all night. The boys' table was scattered with empty glasses that were once filled with all different kinds of liquor already drunk by Slash and Casey. Raphael however was only on his second drink for the night, "I'm starting to regret letting you guys take me to this strip club..." Raph says, not amused as he sips his drink.

"First of all, this is not a strip club. It's a burlesque club. There's a difference! Galactic Gals is a classy place!" Casey said, leaning on his friend's shoulder. Raph could smell Casey's breath reeking of liquor.

"Second, you said it yourself that your family was getting on your nerves so I thought a few drinks and watching some lovely dolls dancing around would help cheer you up."

"Well, yeah! I did say that my family has been annoying me and it's been stressing me out, but this hasn't been helping..."

"You just need another drink," Slash said, patting his friend's back as Raph slammed his head on the table with a loud annoyed groan. Slash then turned to a nearby waitress and asked for another round, making sure she was tipped generously.

"Slash, I thought you were off the sauce?" Raph asked, looking up at him, "You've been clean for a while."

"Lay off, will ya? I'm enjoying myself for one night!"

Raph slightly chuckles, it was the first time all night he actually smiled.

"Can't wait for Leatherhead to give you another lecture when he finds out you drank again."

Slash looks at Raph with a glare, "You're not the only one who had a stressful day at work." He then gives his friend a smug grin, "I had to break up a riot at the club today because a foolish turtle got called out by a cigar girl for not doing his job."

Raph growled at his friend for his comment before returning to crossing his arms and leaning on the table annoyed.

"I'm surprised you're still in a grumpy mood," Casey said. "What? Are none of these lovely dames cheering you up?"

"I'd be in a better mood if we just left..." Raph grumbled, "We've already been here longer than we originally planned."

Soon, the waitress returned to the boys' table and gave them another bottle of liquor with some fresh shot glasses.

"Well, we can't go now!" Casey said as he popped open the bottle. With Slash's help, they filled their fresh glasses, handing one to Raph.

Raph rolls his eyes. He has no other choice. He knows they're doing this for good intentions to cheer him up, but it wasn't working. He couldn't stop being bitter about the deal he made with his father. He doesn't want to sing tomorrow night. He has no inspiration to sing tomorrow night. He hasn't had inspiration to sing in a long time. No meaning or desire. He can't even think of which song he should sing tomorrow. If he just had something, or someone, to give him a reason then he'd happily go on stage and sing his heart out like he used to, something that felt like a lifetime since he last did it.

Raph takes the drink Casey offers him. The three friends then raised their glasses and clinked them together. Quickly, the shots went down.

"Okay. Can we go now?" Raph says impatiently after he finished his drink.

"Oh, come on!" Casey whines, he was obviously soused. "One more dancer!"

"And one more round of liquor!' Slash cheers, already refilling their glasses. He's just as intoxicated as Casey.

"Pleeeaaasseee!" Casey whimpers, giving his friend puppy dog eyes.

"Ugh! Fine! One more dancer then we're out of here!"

"YAY!!" Raph's drunk friends cheered.

As the boys enjoyed their drinks and Raph sat in his chair greatly dissatisfied, the club lights began to dim once again.

"Ladies and gentlemen, but mostly gentlemen," the announcer jokes, "Galactic Gals Burlesque Club proudly presents another jewel! She's the finest and rarest of our club! You've all been dying to see her. Give it up for our beautiful work of art, Mona Lisa!"

The audience cheered in excitement as the club went completely dark. Nothing but the sound of the audience's excitement filled the room. They all seem eager for this next dancer, more than the other dancers that came on before. Casey and Slash clapped and cheered along with the rest of the men, while Raph did not engage in their "fun".

"I don't want to be here," Raph thought, "I wanted to spend a night out with my friends, but not like this!"

A single spotlight shines on the stage. The audience cheers.

"If my brothers find out I'm at a place like this, they'll tell father for sure. Especially Leo. He's such a snitch," Raph worried as he continued his thoughts, "Dad will kill me if he finds out I was here, but these dolts insisted that we go check it out. Why did I listen to them?!"

The audience quieted down as the musicians began playing.

"Because Casey and Slash said this would cheer me up, that's why! But this is not helping! They keep insisting that it will, but they are wrong! There's nothing about this club that will make me feel better. This place is a dump, the drinks are skunky, and women here are so-"

"You had plenty money in 1922..." An elegant voice sang.

Raphael stopped and looked up to see the source of the voice. On stage he saw a tall lizard girl. Her glossy bluish-gray skin, speckled with silver spots, glistened in the spotlight. She was wearing a long shimmering black and blue layered dress which clung tightly to her curvy body. Her hands and arms were enrobed in long black gloves and she had a dangly pearl necklace wrapped around her neck, draped in layers. On her head she wore a black silky headband, accented with a black ostrich feather. Her make up was smoky, and sparkled in the spotlight.

Raph's eyes widened with amazement, "Beautiful..."

Slinking around the stage, she continued singing, " You let other women make a fool of you. Why don't you do right, like some other men do? "

Raph sat up from his seat as he watched the lovely girl sing.

"Get out of here. Get me some money, too." Taking off her long gloves, she tossed them into the audience. Over her shoulder, she playfully smiled. The men cheered, wanting more. "You're sittin' down and wonderin' what it's all about... If you ain't got no money, they will put you out."

She sang as she began to unwrap her pearl necklace and toss it to the side.

"Why don't you do right, like some other men do? "

The men cheer and whistle at the girl, encouraging her to do more.

"Get out of here. Get me some money too ."

She twirled around the stage, slowly, but seductively dancing for the crowd. They were lost in her enchantment.

"If you had prepared twenty years ago. You wouldn't be a-wanderin' now from door to door. Why don't you do right, like some other men do? "

She runs her hands up the back of the sequin gown. Unwraps it, the fabric flowing in the back, covering her lustrous tail. With some fabrics removed, the long dress has now transformed into a high-low dress that shows off her long legs.

"Get out of here. Get me some money too. " She sang as she showed off her legs, seductively. The men begged for more. Raphael's face began to heat up as she showed off more of her body.

"Get out of here. Get me some money too. " The beautiful girl playfully smirked at the audience as she began to take off the high-low skirt of the dress, revealing a small flapper dress underneath it. Like the last one, the dress was black and blue, and it sparkled in the spotlight. The more skin she showed, the more wild the men in the audience became.

Raph picked up the pattern of her performance quickly. Each dress she wore was layered, with something smaller and more revealing underneath. Finally she removed the fabric that was wrapped around her waist, turning her flapper dress into a silky two piece ensemble, bedazzled in sequins and jewels. The crowd went wild.

" Why don't you do right... Like some other men... " She looked out into the audience and her beautiful yellow eyes met with Raphael's, who was sitting across the room. Out of all the men in the room, her eyes landed on Raph. She smiled at him, making his heart begin to beat fast and his face turned completely red. She then lifts her hand and softly blows a kiss, " Do ?"

She twirls at the last note and finishes her song half sitting, half lying on the stage floor. The theater erupts with thunderous applause, whoops and cheers.

Mona Lisa playfully giggles, "Sorry gentlemen, but that's all you'll be seeing from me tonight," she winks.

The crowd 'awws' in disappointment as Mona Lisa takes a bow and turns to exit the stage through the red curtain, but not before blowing one final kiss out to the audience. The audience clapped and cheered, more for her than for any of the last girls who performed.

They begged for an encore. They wanted more from her. They wanted to see more of her.

Raphael sat there still in a trance from her performance. It was like all his stress and his worries disappeared for a moment. Thanks to her, Raph forgot what he was so upset about, " Who was she?"

"She was a fine dame," Casey said, leaning back in his chair, looking at his friends with a smirk.

Slash nodded, "A good way to end the night. She was definitely the best we've seen."

"Such a shame, though, she didn't show off more like the other girls," Casey joked. Slash laughed, agreeing with his friend.

"I thought her performance was great the way it was," Raph mumbled.

"Since when did you start caring about the performances?" Casey asked, a smug look grew on his face.

"Maybe it's because that lizard dame blew you a little kiss at the end," Slash said as he winked at Raph.

Raph blushed, not saying anything. He knew his friend was right. He only started to enjoy the show when Mona Lisa came on stage, but he wouldn't admit it. Not to them at least.

Slash took one final shot then stood up, "It's getting late," he turned to Raph, "We better head back before your old man loses it."

The boys take their coats and pull them on. They leave money on the table for the waitress and begin to stumble out the door. Casey and Slash drunkenly left Galactic Gals, chatting and laughing like fools, but Raphael did not join in. He was thinking about her.

"So, Raph, have you decided what song you're going to sing tomorrow night?" Casey asked as they left Galactic Girls.

"I don't know," Raph says, "I'm still deciding-"

Suddenly there was a loud gasp. "Raphael Hamato?!"

The three boys turn and see a group of fans and reporters. One young woman smiles as she looks at Raph. The rest of the people in the street look at the young turtle, some with cameras, some just common street folk.

"Look! It's Raphael Hamato! The famous jazz singer!" A young lady cheered as the large crowd outside turned and looked at Raph with excitement.

"Oh no... " Raphael thought to himself, "Not again..."