#I like to think Raph's voice is gentle when he sings | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

dakotafinely · 4 years ago

Note

Okay yay! How about Splinter finding out about savage Raph and finally revealing the trauma that caused it? (Captured by hunter and escaped in savage mode after biting the man’s hand off...alligator snapper CHOMP)

Wow, immediate angst. Not that I’m against it or anything. Also, I like how you add that little () note. It’s a nice touch (and totally helps me start writing so-) anyways! Let’s get into it!

Side note: WOW this gets super long. So I put a little keep reading for those who don’t actually care about the story.

Raph never intentionally kept it from Splinter. It was something he didn’t like thinking about. And his brother’s never really thought to ask about it. One could suppose everyone thought the old rat knew and just didn’t want to explain it. Or that maybe it was something he just couldn’t explain away. Either way, that had all changed today.

The trio of little brother’s had made the mistake of leaving Raph alone down deep in the sewers. It wasn’t intentional, as the trio often forgot their older brother would break the longer he was alone. Since they usually didn’t really leave each other’s sides. And didn’t have the same issue as Raph had.

It was a chase. It was always a chase.

On the rare occasion that Raph did become savage. It was usually him chasing them, or something he was going to kill. The instinct to survive his main priority and the trio being seen as potential threats in the lenses of savage mode. But something was different.

Mikey had noticed it when the group returned to Raph’s location. Instead of the enraged attacks of Savage Raph, or the whines/scolds of Raph telling them they shouldn’t have been gone for so long. Raph sat in a corner, pressed against the wall furthest from the brothers. He was growling, a threat of course. But it seemed empty as with each step they took towards him. He simply wiggled, as if trying to get further away.

“Hold on guys, I think we need to approach one at a time,” Leo finally spoke up, he’d been slowly assessing the situation at hand. Deciding that if only one of them went in, it was less likely for Savage Raph to attack.

That statement of course, made it a unanimous vote for Leo to be the sacrifice.

“Well, go on then. We need to calm him down before April comes down,” Donnie spoke, checking his phone. April had already sent a text that she was on her way. They had to get wrap this up quickly. Leo looked to his twin and huffed. Before taking slow steps toward Raph.

Raph’s growl and squirming continued. But he still made no move as Leo’s empty hands held themselves up as non-threateningly as possible. It wasn’t until Leo tried to touch Raph that it finally broke the tense silence.

Raph roared, knocking Leo back as the other two pulled out their weapons. Ready for an attack from the blindly raging brute. But instead he ran off. Making the two look at each other confused. Before checking on Leo.

“You alright bro?” Mikey asked, pulling Leo up from the floor. Leo rubbed his shell and took a shake. Before nodding.

“Yeah, it’s more the surprise then the pain...” Leo trailed and looked around “where’d he go?” he asks, having expected the Snapper to fight them like the other two did. Donnie shrugged, looking off the direction Raph had fled to.

“Don’t know, he just... ran off,” Donnie spoke putting his Bo-staff away.

“Well, what are we doing just standing here? We gotta find him!” Leo immediately ran off the direction Donnie had been staring. Mikey not to far off his heels. Donnie sighed, taking a speed walk to still keep the two in his sites.

April had joined them about ten minutes later. Donnie sending her their location as they traveled through the maze of sewers in New York. Their efforts still fruitless as they’d completely lost the Snapper.

What had been nothing more then ten minutes quickly turned into a few hours.

“Guys,” April spoke as the group had taken a moment’s rest. Having been on their feet for so long they’d chosen to take a pause. Just in case they’d have to fight the Snapper down when they found him again. The group looked to her as she spoke up “did you hear that?” she asked with concentration on her face.

No one spoke. All trying to hear what she’d just heard.

“What did-” Mikey was cut off by a noise. A much louder then the one April had previously heard. It was a whimper, a pained and tired whimper. If it weren’t for the fact that the voice was so recognizable. The group would’ve believed it was a small child lost in sewers with them.

“Raph!” They spoke in unison, chasing after the voice. And the heavy footsteps that ran from them.

It was a chase, but not a chase they had ever been use to.

Splinter was sitting comfortably in his recliner. Another uneventfully evening as he’d began to slowly fall asleep in the chair. The cake and warm milk filling his stomach in a comfortable and lulling way. Eyelids heavy as he no longer tried to focus on what was happening on the screen before him.

Until he was startled by his phone ringing. Immediately waking to “panicked parent mode” he began looking for his phone. Unable to find it despite it ringing next to him. Shuffling and shoving hands down the sides of the recliner until he let out a small, victorious, cry at his discovery. Only to disappointed at finding the remote instead.

A few more rings and a few more minutes of aggressive searching. He’d found his phone and felt his stomach drop at April’s name on his screen.

Not that he wouldn’t have panicked if it was one of his sons. But April was a whole knew level. He quickly answered and tried to not to yank the phone away from his head as April yelled on the other end. Most of it unintelligible through the phone aside from “Raph” and “we need help!”. He took a breath, trying to calm himself, knowing it wouldn’t help if both he and her panicked.

“April, slow down, I can’t hear what you’re saying.”

“Raph! He’s gone into this- like -savage mode! He keeps running from us and throwing the guys if they get to close! Please! You have to come here quick! We just got him cornered but he won’t let us near him!” April spoke as quickly and clearly as she could. Trying to leave little room for more conversation as she watched Raph throw an aimless hit toward Mikey. The box turtle barely dodging out the way of the blow.

Splinter, of course, had already begun moving out of the lair.

“Okay, stay calm. Tell the boys to keep him their but don’t make any movements toward him. Tell me which part of the sewers your in,” Splinter began, keeping a calm demeanor. April took a hum before finding an indication of which sewer pipe they got him stuck in. Quickly giving the location to Splinter.

“Good, I’ll be there soon.”

When Splinter had arrived onto the scene. He was relieved to find the group sitting a few feet from Raph. Leo, Donnie, and Mikey all singing parts of the lullabies they could remember from their younger days. Back when they still asked Splinter to sing for them. It seemed to put the Savage Raph in a trance. Having calmed down. It was April who noticed him and backed off from the group to talk to him.

“Leo said he noticed something was attached to Raph’s tail. He can’t take a good look at it ‘cause Raph won’t let him come close.” She explained, looking back to the sight before her. She’d seen Raph go savage once, but it had been on the tale end of the savage episode. Splinter simply nodded and walked toward his sons.

He’d hummed the tune and the trio backed off. Quieting down, Raph started to growl at Splinter, before seeming to recognize him. And calming down, a soft and cautious churr came from him. But he didn’t flinch when Splinter passed the invisible line.

He did, however, flinch when Splinter raised his hand. Before relaxing as Splinter took a light touch to his forehead, sliding it down to his cheek. Still humming the lullaby. Raph had fully relaxed now, his body visibly easing as he let himself sit like a cat. Letting Splinters hands trail down his shell as he went to assess the damage.

It was a small, basic rat trap. Pinching his tail in a way uncomfortable for the mutant. Splinter grimaced at the memory that came with the realization of why his son had acted out this way. And had, with as much gentleness as he could manage, pulled the trap off his son. Raph let out a yelp and ran from reach of his father. Before noticing the lack of pain on his tail. A happy churr came from him as he slowly eased out of Savage mode.

Donnie, using the help of his enhanced limbs, began carrying the large mutant. Who had barely been awake enough to realize he was beginning carried to begin with.

The way back to the lair was mostly silent. Most of the group begin tired, energy spent on the chase. But April couldn’t help but speak up, having several questions.

“So... does anyone know why Raph does that?” She asked, looking to anyone for an answer. The brothers simply shrugged, having no answer. But Splinter looked surprised.

“Wait, this isn’t the first time he’s done this?”

“Well, he usually fights us,” Leo spoke up with a shrug “but this is the first time he’s run away instead.” Leo said with the wave of his hand. A partial dismissal of it.

“... You didn’t know?” Mikey asked walking next to his father. Who quickly shook his head, partially in disbelief.

“No! Why didn’t you boy’s tell me!?” Splinter asked with some exasperation evident in his tone.

“Well, you didn’t tell us you were Lou Jitsu for most of our lives,” Leo pokes, as if this was some sort of competition. Donnie rolled his eyes.

“It just never came up, we always thought you knew,” Donnie deadpanned, adjusting a bit to keep Raph steady. The snapper mumbled something incoherent but it didn’t seem all to important to the conversation.

“So, do you know why he does it Splints?” April asks trying to get back to her questions. They needed answer darn it! Especially after this most recent episode.

Splinter, nodded slowly. A part of him unsure, before nodding quickly. It was the only explanation.

“You all were only tot’s when it happened...” Splinter began.

Splinter knew that an enriching environment was important. Whether it was for kids or pets. So he did his best to take his sons down to a stream. One with no hiking trails nearby and not deep enough for fishers to use. But still enough that it was basically a naturally made kiddie pool.

He’d been tending to the box turtle, dubbed Orange for his little spots ‘til Splinter could find better names for them. Orange was the only one who couldn’t really seem to swim. Nor did he seem to want to engage with the water at all. So Splinter had been helping him make little piles of dirt, and rocks. Nothing fancy or necessarily pretty. But it brought utter delight onto Orange’s face every time one was completed. So how could he stop him?

Splinter had been keeping weary eyes on the other three. Wanting to make sure the shallow tide hadn’t swept them away. However, the other three seemed to mature faster then the box turtle to a degree. So he gave them trust to make some sort of noise to capture his attention if they needed it.

The only problem with that was, they would have to know they needed it.

Splinter would notice in 30 minutes that Red was missing. Dubbed Red because he, just like the color, was bold and brash. And Splinter had already used his other two favorite colors on the soft-shell and slider.

In 30 minutes Splinter would realize that his little snapper had decided to wander the forest. And he would panic because what if someone found him? What if someone took his son away from him? What if they hurt him?

It would be a few hours before Orange gets fussy. And Splinter realizes just how long he’d been searching for his eldest son.

It would be another hour before Splinter had to retire back into the sewers. Feeding and putting the other three to rest before he ran back out.

It would be three days of searching and failing to find Red. Splinter in a desperate state of trying to keep it together while in a constant state of worry for his boy.

It would be day number four. When Splinter would find a group of hunters. Cages set around them like trophies. And it would take everything Splinter had not rush down and attack them when he saw his son in one of them.

Locked in cage like some sort of savage animal. Curled in a corner, clearly afraid and confused. Whimpering like he was hungry. And Splinter could only soften in a pained way as he watched his son suffer.

“Aww, what’s the matter little guy? Ya hungry?” A hunter spit at Red. Tossing a small piece of beef jerky just outside of Red’s reach. Still, the naive snapper would go after it. Starved for days. And he would be mocked, and laughed at as the hunters around him would do nothing but watch him be helpless.

Splinter had to retreat. Wanting to go stealth with retrieving his son. Despite the rage inside of him telling him he could fight every single hunter in the group head on and come out unscathed.

Splinter didn’t see the one hunter that snuck Red some jerky. Watching with a small smile as he ate up. Before dumping the whole bag into his cage. Walking off as though they hadn’t done anything.

Splinter came back that night. A fire now lifeless as most of the hunters slept. Splinter had begun creeping toward the camp before freezing at the sound of a voice.

“Your not like the others are you little guy?” It cooed, soft and gentle. Splinter could barely see it. But he saw a woman crouching down in front of Red’s cage. And cursed himself for not taking the brash approach earlier.

Red churred a bit in response. Still unable to really form words. But his churr was curious and cautious.

“Yeah, I didn’t think so. I’ve seen snappers before and you don’t really look it,” she said, before letting out an awkward chuckle “I mean, you do kinda, but not really if you get what I mean.”

Another churr, confused.

“Yeah... sorry,” she said, Splinter heard the light click of a cage opening. And with the moon finally deciding to show itself from the thick clouds.

A tall, black woman stood up, thick curly hairs draped down her shoulders. Red in her arms with a gentle care of a mother. She’d turned, facing Splinter with eyes grown wide, mouth agape in shock. And that’s when he realized he should’ve moved to an actually hiding spot. The moon didn’t hide away as they stared at each other. Before Red began chirping happily, arms outstretched to his father.

Splinter held his arms out, staring a hole into his son. He didn’t want to speak, he wasn’t sure if he could. This was the first human that’d seen him in... well he wasn’t even sure how many years at this point.

Slowly, but surely, with eyes still wide and mouth agape. She handed Red to Splinter. The two sharing a tight, hopeful and relieved hug. Splinter couldn’t hold back the little sobs that came from his body. He had his son back, his son was safe. His son was here.

“Go,” the woman’s voice was a hoarse whisper, still recovering from the shocking sight. Splinter looked to her, startled at the interruption of his blessed reunion. She looked to him with concern, before glancing to the other sleeping hunters “if you want to get out of here with him now. You need to go,” she whispered. Splinter nodded, rushing off with a flurry. Leaves rustling, and with no cation in his rushed movements. A branch broke.

“O’Neil? Is that you making that racket?”

“Yeah, yeah, just go back to sleep, thought I saw something but I was wrong.”

Annnnnnnd I’m ending it there! Mostly because this is getting longer then I planned it to be. However, I’m extremely happy with how it came out. The idea’s just came like BOOM! BOW! POP! and I had to do ‘em. I hope you like it! This was fun! I loved the concept, I’ve seen many takes on it so I wanted to change it up a bit!

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itscuppicakes · 4 years ago

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Hey, what’s up?! What kind of music do you headcanon the turtles regularly listening to and how would they feel if someone walked in on them jamming out?

Relationship: Platonic

The turtles x Gender neutral reader

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Raph- Soul music

Raph would seem the type of guy to not jam out, but bob his head to the beat and sing the lyrics

Not loudly, but enough that you can hear him from the other room

When you first heard him singing Didn't I blow your mind this time By Jackie Brown, you were surprised by how gentle and calming his voice was

You walked out of the kitchen and to his bedroom, listening to the lyrics

You stood at the doorway for a few minutes before he noticed you

Poor guy's face was so red that you could barely tell where his bandana ended

"Uhhhhh.. H-how long have been standing there?" "Only a few minutes. You have some nice pipes. Anyways, I'm making pizza. Want some?"

You two ate the pizza and he was happy to show you some songs and artists he loved.

Donnie- Electro music

He either sits quietly or full on concert jamming out in his lab, change my mind-

He usually listens to his music in while working

The beats and vibrations of the sounds makes him concentrated and puts him in his work mode

He listens to Electro music and Electro music exclusively

"Don't touch my speakers, or I will have S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. call you (least favorite nickname)."

You've caught him jamming out numerous of times, and he reacts the same way every single time.

"... Care to join me?-" "Hell, yes-"

Leo- Glam rock

Will not shut up when listening to music

He's probably heard at least one song from all of the artists in glam rock

A I R G U I T A R

Has tripped and fallen over stuff on his floor bc he never cleans his room

He thinks he's good at singing but he really just sounds like a pterodactyl calling out for it's mate-

Has sung so loud that his brothers (mostly Donnie) have came in his room to tell him to shut up

Just like Donnie, it's not uncommon for you to find him singing, but you love to scare him once you do-

"Gahaha!! How long have you been there?? I'm very busy!!" "Busy doing what? Acting like you're in a concert?" "GET OUT, Y/N-"

Mikey- Hip hop/rap

You shall join him, there are no ands, ifs, or buts about it

He loves to express how he feels through dancing

He tries to rap to the lyrics, but the poor thing always stumbles on the words

"How do they do it so fast??" "Mikey, they probably had tons of practice. You'll get better tho ^^."

One day, You've been watching from afar and were enjoying it

He is just a precious boy being himself, and you just oddly found peace in that

Mikey notices you staring after a minute or two

And being the happi boi he is, said "Hi, y/n!! Wanna join me??"

You denied but he insisted

At first, you felt very out of place, but once Mikey grabbed your hands and danced all goofy like with you, a smile spread across your face

You now dance with him at very random times, but you love it nonetheless

The guys also watch you two prance around in the room, love to see you two get along and giggle

Gahhhhhh- I loved writing this,, it was so adorable!! Thank you for requesting!! Everyone stay safe!!💞

#tmnt #rottmnt donnie x reader #rottmnt #rottmnt donnie #rottmnt x reader #rottmnt leo x reader #rottmnt leo #tmnt x reader #rottmnt imagine #rottmnt raph #rottmnt raph x reader #rottmnt mikey x reader #rottmnt mikey

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missingjackklinehours · 4 years ago

Text

run alone (until i bring you home)

Out of each pleasant memory of Gabriel trying and ultimately succeeding in graciously brightening his mood, Raphael holds a certain memory close to his heart.

Rating: Gen

No warnings apply.

Fic & Playlist available on AO3! (however, feel free to read under the cut.)

@spnarchangelweek <3

Asters indubitably remind Raphael of Heaven's Messenger; his younger brother, Gabriel.

Bold yet delicate petals that sway amiably in the breeze. Gabriel, the animated fledgling who would joyously dance when he was feeling down, carefree giggles falling from his flushed lips when he stumbled. Father forbid if one of Gabriel's elder brothers had a mere smudge of gloom present in their actions—The jubilant fledgling would've been dead set on a clear-cut mission: doing absolutely anything in his power to cheer up his brothers. Gabriel had always been his brothers' little ball of sunshine, much like the vibrant citrine center of an aster flower.

Out of each pleasant memory of Gabriel trying and ultimately succeeding in graciously brightening his mood, Raphael holds a certain memory close to his heart. He wouldn't forget it, even if his mind permitted so.

.•° ✿ °•.

Morning skies were always Raphael's favorite. The dawn of a new day, the faint ghost of the moon stuck stubbornly to the yellow skies like a splendid dream with far too much detail. He would spend countless hours just watching the stars fade.

This particular morning was radically different.

Raphael had just lost his childhood friend, the kind black swallowtail butterfly that had captivated him with her bulging eyes as a meek fledgling. She always met Raphael in his garden, sucking away at the supple nectar within the flushed milkweed flowers he'd grown specifically for her. However, it had been a few days since she'd returned from her lengthy adventure to find a mate, and Raphael was growing increasingly worried.

The dawn skies echoed glum without her fragile wings fluttering across them. The milkweeds looked to weep.

Raphael had never been an expressive angel, quite the contrary. It was all about subtlety with him, something only his closest brothers—archangelic—had knowledge of. He himself hadn't even noticed his mistake: He'd forgotten his watering can before he'd embarked on the short trip to his garden.

It was such a trivial feat that Raphael hadn't cared enough to realize it was missing, until he'd long since reached his garden and after he checked if his swallowtail friend had reappeared; She hadn't. It was like the cherry on top of his sick discontentment—He would have to trudge back to the familial archangel nest with a heavy heart and convoluted thoughts.

At least, he thought he would. A too-familiar presence had abruptly stumbled upon him, and Raphael slightly turned in a befuddled daze towards the nearing sensation of Gabriel's easily-recognizable grace.

Gabriel was supposed to be in combat training with Michael that day. There was no particular reason the youngest archangel should have been approaching Raphael's garden. Raphael blankly watched Gabriel land with a small crash—Gabriel hadn't mastered flight at that point in time.

Raphael couldn't help the nearly-imperceptible upward tug of his lips at the sight of his youngest brother now covered in soil and scrambling to stand up, trying to smoothly act as if he hadn't almost knocked himself out. In his jittery hands glimmered Raphael's steel watering can. Raphael peered at it with interest, his stare flicking up to his brother. Gabriel, after briefly maneuvering his head to the side to spit stray grains of dirt out of his mouth, wiped his lips with his arm before flashing a toothy beam at his older brother.

"You still have soil in your teeth," Raphael had remarked.

He observed Gabriel's expression switch from gaiety to dismayed surprise. The younger angel's hand shot up to scrub frantically at his teeth. Raphael's attention reverted to the spot behind Gabriel, the spot where his brother had crash-landed, and he softly sighed in dissatisfaction when his eyes scanned over the healthy aster bush his brother had crushed.

"... And, you ruined my flowers."

Gabriel's scrubbing stopped in an instant to offer Raphael an apologetic look.

"Sorry, dude," Gabriel once again displayed his bright beam, continuing to speak through his smile with a muffled tone, "Did I get it all?"

Raphael transiently paused his assessment of his brother's accidental floral destruction to sweep his sight over Gabriel's smiling teeth—Nothing but pearly whites. A chaste nod followed, and Gabriel's simper dimmed to a close-mouthed one. Raphael continued to eye the watering can curiously, prompting Gabriel to brighten, as if he'd completely forgotten what he'd come for in the first place. The youngest archangel tilted his head sweetly as he merrily extended his hands, presenting the steel watering can in all its glory. Raphael concisely inspected it, his gaze jumping back to Gabriel's face with slight suspicion.

"Aren't you supposed to be with Michael today?" Raphael hesitantly took his watering can from Gabriel's hands. His younger brother pulled his arms back, the grin on his face morphing into the signature pout that Raphael's mind always regressed to when thinking of Gabriel.

"Exactly right! I'm supposed to." Gabriel shuffled in place, his rascal pout never budging. "Let's just say this is a detour, okie dokie?"

Raphael's prodding eyes slanted in both incredulity and curiosity. Gabriel passively considered his brother's expression before swiveling on his heel, facing the aster bush he'd indirectly demolished. Raphael studied him silently, off-put by the lack of mischief that always seemed to follow his youngest archangelic brother.

"I can help replant these!'' Gabriel's voice was jam-packed with genuine enthusiasm. Raphael's suspicion has reached its peak, and he dubiously stepped forward to stand next to his younger brother. Side-by-side, the pair of archangels skimmed over the crumpled mess of lavender petals and evergreen leaves.

"Firstly, you're terrible at gardening," Raphael calmly stated, and Gabriel cocked his head to peer at Raphael with what was probably slight offense prominent on his face. Raphael ignored him as he spoke. "And secondly, why are you really here?"

Raphael marginally pivoted to watch his brother's expression. Gabriel's features didn't take long to fall, and Raphael's entire being peaked in both interest and concern. The Messenger briskly looked away with a hint of timidity, his eyes of sky falling back to the flattened plant before them.

"You forgot your watering can," He said meekly, as if afraid to speak its silly truth. He added even softer, "You never do that."

Raphael's stare simply bore more intensely into his brother, utterly bewildered. Gabriel continued, an anxiety-prompted ramble.

"And you came home late yesterday. I'm worried, Raph," The youngest archangel admitted, releasing a massive sigh as he did so. Gabriel seemed relieved, like the thought had been plaguing his mind significantly. Raphael immediately softened, quick to soothe his brother. His lips moved on their own, and a blatant white lie tumbled out.

"There's no reason to worry, Gabriel," Raphael delusively assured, and he slightly jumped when the Messenger's head snapped back up; Raphael could now physically see the uneasiness present on his brother's face.

"Y'know, you could at least try to sell it a little better," Gabriel whined with a tenuous smile, and Raphael offered an apologetic look in response. A couple beats of silence enveloped the pair, with neither one of the angels bearing the right words to say. Gabriel's abstracted gaze gingerly drifted elsewhere.

Raphael attentively followed his brother's now-fixated stare. The older angel's being subtly slumped purely out of sheer impulse when his eyes lay on the faded coral color of milkweeds—They seemed terribly empty without a familiar pair of miniature black and blue butterfly wings atop them. A flit of acquainted worry spread like a consuming disease over his grace, a halfhearted wash of paltry waves over a burning embodiment of celestial light.

A physically inaudible hum of lamented harmony buzzed from the grace beside him, and a gentle touch brushed against his shoulder. The sudden sorrow within Raphael fleeted away as quickly as it had birthed when the warmth was perceived. With a meager twist of his head, Raphael’s pale eyes once again met the now-sympathetic azure irises of his brother. Gabriel wore a modest frown, his face contorted in enhanced concern.

"Does it have something to do with Basil?" Gabriel's expression grew more worried when the words left him, and hearing it aloud somehow made it more real to both of them. "Is she okay?"

Raphael's movements delayed, and his own uncertainty seemed to float rapidly to the surface at the sight of Gabriel's shared fear. Gabriel had met Basil, Raphael's befriended swallowtail butterfly, a couple years after Raphael had become close with her; Gabriel had happily insisted that he wanted to introduce himself to his big brother's childhood friend.

Raphael's face remained stone as he hesitantly nodded. Gabriel's concern transformed into what looked to be frightened grief.

"Is she…"

"I'm not sure. She hasn't returned from her journey to find a mate." Raphael stated weakly, briefly glancing back at the milkweeds that lowly drooped in melancholy without the swallowtail. The wind drifted through their petals, calling out to her.

At this, Gabriel looked to be a bit relieved. The youngest archangel's face broke into a soft smile after a couple of seconds, and Raphael's eyes ever-so-slightly slanted in inquisition. Gabriel's simper never faltered as he kneeled down in front of the destroyed aster bush.

Raphael watched curiously as his brother began to speak in an upbeat, sing-song tone that was so… Gabriel. He simply turned towards Raphael again with a blinding flash of happily smiling teeth.

"If you say I'm that bad at gardening… then help me replant these! Let's surprise Basil with them when she comes back from her trip!"

A stunned pause ensued on Raphael's end, but never on Gabriel's; His younger brother's essence remained in a harmonizing melody, a sweet positivity radiating from his grace like comfortable currents of summery morning light.

Always so bright. Always so cheerful.

Raphael returned Gabriel's smile.

°•. ✿ .•°

It's silent without Gabriel.

Still. Empty. Void. Overpowering, almost.

And within that silence, thousands of words still seem to be spoken. Shrieked. Wailed. Raphael blindly listens, unaware it's merely a cold reflection of Heaven—of himself.

A muted cry of fear, a tremble of loneliness echoed across space and time. Velvet petals of lull lilac petals mirror the agonized harmony in pity. The aster bush he and Gabriel planted together distantly watches Raphael mourn.

Asters indubitably remind Raphael of Heaven's Messenger—his younger brother, Gabriel. And within the stillness, they remind him of Gabriel's absence.

Lavender beauty blooms quick, and wilts quicker. Raphael replants them every year.

He's counting.

It's as if the flowers hold a piece of Gabriel that Raphael refuses to let go of ever since his baby brother left Heaven. A pout perhaps, or a cheery bliss. A crack of golden morning light within their stamens, a careless dance in the wind. It's all so… Gabriel.

Raphael smiles in their presence, he can't help it.

In Heaven's soil, he plants aster flowers each day in hopes for his brother Gabriel's return.

#SPNArchangelWeek #Raphael and Gabriel #Michaelmas flower #a bit of angst #my fics

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secretcloudstrawberry · 4 years ago

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A Million Dreams ~ TMNT 2012 Human AU Fanfic

April O'Neil was running, running from robotic droids that were after her, and her younger sister Iris. The Droids were gaining on them. April was carrying her younger sister, who was wrapped in a cloak so the droids didn't get her. April's red hair that was usually in a ponytail, was partly out as she was running. Her usual outfit that she usually wore was ripped in several places due to several sharp things. " April? "Iris asked. April held her sister close. "Don't worry Iris, I'll keep you safe." She promised, kissing the top of her cloak where her head was.

The droids were getting closer, the robotic footsteps could be heard behind them. "Give us what we want. "One of the droids said, extracting a laser from its hand, proceeding to shoot April and Iris.

April ducked her head, clutching Iris close. The droids kept shooting them, but luckily April kept them both safe. She finally made it to a alleyway, luckily the droids didn't go inside so She had just enough time to set her sister down and explain to her in the best way she could what was about to happen. Iris looked at her sister, her blue eyes staring at her in concern. Her hair colour matched her sister, only her hair was a lot shorter than hers, it framed her face quite nicely. She was wearing a lilac dungaree dress, with a white T-shirt underneath, her shoes, a old pair of sneakers that April found in the dump that were just about fitting her. She fiddled with one of her dungaree straps nervously waiting for whatever her older sister had to tell her.

" Iris, I need to take you somewhere. Somewhere where the droids won't get you. I know it's a place where I can take you."

"But what about you April? Won't the droids get you?" Iris asked worriedly. April takes her hand, squeezing it tightly. "Don't worry I'll be safe. But we can't be together anymore, we have to be apart so that the droids will only search for one of us. They've already captured dad, I don't want them capturing you too. So, that's why, I'm going to take you somewhere where the droids won't bother looking. I'm going to keep you safe I promise. So come with me, I know where to take you."

Iris quietly obeyed her sister, as she picked her up and put the cloak over her. She ran out of the alleyway, looking left and right to make sure the droids hadn't followed, luckily they hadn't. April kept running, until she finally made it to the old rundown building a couple of streets over. She set Iris down, putting her hand on her shoulders, forcing the girl to look up at her. "April, I don't wanna lose you. "Iris sobs, April pulled Iris into a hug, proceeding to sing to her.

"Every night I lie in bed

The brightest colors fill my head

A million dreams are keeping me awake

I think of what the world could be

A vision of the one I see

A million dreams is all it's gonna take

A million dreams for the world we're gonna make...." April sang softly, hugging her sister tight.

Sirens could be heard in the distance. The police. April quickly pushed her sister to the door, giving her her plush doll, which was actually hers when she was little. She knocked on the door, quickly a kind woman answered the door. “Please. “April begged. The woman smiled concerningly, guiding the young girl Close to her. “What about you, dear? “The woman asked. April shook her head adamantly. “I can’t. I’m being hunted, my dad has already been captured, and it looks like I’m next. I needed to keep my little sister Iris safe, so please! Look after her. “ The woman nodded as though this was a complete and utter normal circumstance for her. “Of course. I’ll keep her as safe as I can.” The woman promised. April looked at her gratefully, giving Iris another hug, probably her last.

“Iris, sweetie, I have to go okay? I have to go and hide, I love you. Be a good girl for me, okay? Do everything the nice lady says.”

Iris nodded. Trying to suppress tears. “Okay sissy, I’ll be a good girl… I love you too. “ Iris hugs her Big Sister, hugging her tight, squeezing every last hug that she could. “She’s over here! “One of the droids shout. April quickly pulled away, taking off her necklace and giving it to Iris. April quickly ran off, leaving Iris and the orphanage owner. The orphanage owner turned to her, bending down, helping her put the necklace on. “I’m Miss Lily, and like I said to your sister, I’ll take care of you, okay? “Iris nodded.

Lily guided Iris in to the orphanage, The orphanage had long corridors, lots of different rooms presumably filled with other children and teenagers. She guided Iris to a room the furthest down the hallway, Lily knocked on it, causing someone with brown hair and blue eyes to answer it. “Miss Lily? “The boy asked, tilting his head in confusion.

“ sorry to wake you, Leo,” Lily apologised. “But, someone brought their sister to me, it appears they are being hunted and they didn’t want the same outcome for their younger sister.” She gestures to Iris. “Will you get her settled with your brothers? “Lily asked politely. “Of course Miss Lily.” The boy named Leo said, gesturing Iris inside of his shared room with his siblings. “I’ll be back with some pyjamas for Iris in a moment.” She said to Leo who nodded. “Would you like anything to eat?” Lily offers, Iris nodded her head slowly. “Alright sweetie, I’ll go get you some pyjamas and some food, okay? Go ahead and settle with Leo and his brothers and make yourself comfortable, I’ll be back shortly.” Iris and Leo both nodded, as the other gestured her in, shutting the door behind him.

“Woah, Who’s the new girl?” A angry voice asked.

Iris was shaking, hiding behind Leo.” Raphael, don’t scare her like that! Miss Lily said we had to take care of her, her sister is being hunted, and she doesn’t want her younger sister to be hunted also.”

Raphael folded his arms. “Okay… So what does this have to do with us exactly?” Leo facepalmed. “What part of ‘her sister is being hunted, and she doesn’t want her younger sister to be hunted also’ don’t you understand?”

Raphael rolled his eyes. “I perfectly understood it Leonardo, I’m not stupid. “

A boy wearing purple pyjamas and working on a laptop on the other side of the room, snorted. “That is the biggest lie ever, Raph, you know that. “He said, continuing to type something, before shutting his laptop down and putting it away. He walked over, bending down in front of Iris

“ sorry about my big brothers, they can be mean. I’m Donatello, but you can just call me Donnie.” He responded in a calm and gentle voice

Iris stepped out from behind Leo, walking in front of Donnie. “I-I’m I-Iris.” Iris replied on the verge of tears. Donatello hugged her. “Shhh, it’s okay Iris… It’s okay...” Donnie comforted. “ this is a big change for you, isn’t it? But don’t worry. Miss Lily is really really nice, she and us will take care of you, okay?” Iris nodded her head, hugging into him more.

“ how old are you Iris?”

“4.” She responded, as Donnie was holding her on his lap, rubbing her back.

“Ah, so your two years younger than Mikey then! “Leonardo said excitedly. The boy named Mikey lept out of bed at the mention of his name, racing over and cannonballing himself into Iris in a hug. Iris quickly pulled away, starting to get upset and overwhelmed. Donnie cradled her in his arms, kissing the top of her forehead. “It’s okay, Mikey just got a bit excited, that’s all. He didn’t mean to. “He comforted and Iris nodded.

Lily soon knocked on the door. Leo opened the door.

“ I brought you some pyjamas sweetie, I’m not sure which colour you would like but I brought some options for you. I have some food cooking for you in the microwave, so I’ll bring it as soon as it’s finished, Leo will show you to the bathroom so you can get changed and freshen up, okay?” Iris nodded. Lily nodded, leaving the room to check on Iris’s meal.

Leonardo gestured her to the room. “ would you like Donnie to help you? These pyjamas can be quite difficult.” Iris nodded, as Donnie followed her. As he picked up the several pairs of pyjamas that Lily had offered, taking them into the bathroom. Iris following closely behind.

Once in the bathroom and the light turned on. Iris could see the bathroom was a very bright white colour with cute cartoon character decals, most of them ranging from the hit TV show Space Heroes. Iris looked around the room examining every inch of the room, from the toiletries, to the four toothbrushes Soon to be fine sitting in a cupholder all in their presumably favourite colours. Hearing Donatello sit down placing several pairs of pyjamas on the floor, Iris was brought out of her trance, looking over all of them.

“ which one?” Donatello whispered. Iris stared at all of them.

“ The periwinkle one please.” She whispered quietly, The boy opposite her nodded. Helping her slowly take off her dungaree dress, he gently and carefully unbuttoned as she was shaking.

She missed April.

She missed her so much.

By the time she had even five minutes to process any of this, Donatello, the sweet boy that he was, had already helped her into her pyjamas. But she didn’t remember that, all she remembered was her putting her legs up, to get the dress off, and then putting her legs up again to put the pyjama pants on.

“You okay there, dove?” He asked. Dove? She’s never been called that, ever. Her breathing was getting very difficult right now, her eyes started to dart around the room, looking anywhere but the boy in front of her.

“Iris.” Donatello said sternly yet gently. “Can you look at me? Look at me, right at me. We’re going to focus on something together, okay?” She nodded, her vocal chords deciding to shut down. She stared at one of the details on the wall Donatello’s gaze following her,

“Atta girl.” Donnie Said softly. “Try and match my breathing, okay? “

Several breathing exercises later, Iris was a lot more calm, in that time, the boy opposite her head and managed to check her vitals, to make sure it was nothing other than a panic attack from everything she experienced. Iris still wasn’t talking, Donatello still crouched on the floor gripping her hands, rubbing them in slow calming motions.

Iris tried to speak, her mouth moving, but no sound emanated. It looked like she was lip syncing, her head was all static, all she could just about see was Donatello staring up at her an mixture of worry and concern on his features, as he gently, ever so gently rubbed her hands in calming motions to ease her breathing.

“ April… “She whispered.

“Who?” Donnie asked.

“A-April, my sister. “Iris said.

Oh. Oh. That’s why she was managing? Her sister.

“You miss her, huh?” Donnie presumed.

“Yeah.” Iris replies, scouring her clothes for the necklace. Donatello found it, kindly putting it on for her “is this to remember her?” He presumed again. She nodded, taking his offering hand as he led them out of the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Glaring at Raphael, as his lips were about to make a not so nice remark. “Don’t even try, Raphael. “ Donnie said, guiding little Iris to his bed where a tray of not long cooked super noodles was waiting for her, with a tiny packet of chips, some cookies, and some fruit. He gestured her to sit down, handing her the tray as she sat down, as he sat next to her.

Once finished, Mikey quickly took the plate to the kitchen, coming back and not even a minute later to tell everyone that she did it. “Great job Mikey, thanks for helping. Now, I really think it’s time for bed. We’ve had a lovely day, well, not a long day, but a long night. As for Iris, she certainly has had a long day.” Leo said, sad girl was nearly asleep. Donnie smiled, pulling the almost asleep girl onto his lap, kissing her forehead lightly. He shuffled onto the bed, with Iris still in his lap.

He quickly got out his headphones, gently slipping them on Iris’s tiny little ears, playing calming Music to keep her relaxed.

Donnie lay down, pulling Iris close to him. I was mild, looking at Donnie as she slept peacefully. Yeah. Things would be okay, she would be safe, they would protect her. April would be safe. Just as she promised.

Hi! I hope you enjoyed my first TMNT 2012 fanfic! This is the first chapter! I apologise if I get them OOC, I just like them as a younger version of themselves. Because let’s be honest, they are so cute. I know the chapter kind of sucks. But I tried.

Now I’m going to tell you how old they are

April is 16 (the same age as in the show)

Iris is 4

Leo is 10

Donnie is 9

Raph is 8

Mikey is 6

#The Greatest Showman #tmnt 2012 #fanfiction #human au #leonardo #Raphael #michelangelo #donatello

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nightmarenoise · 5 years ago

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Just comparing two cartoons I love

I understand that nobody asked in any capacity, but here I go anyway:

It feels fair to compare Ducktales 2017 to Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2018), not only because they're only about a year apart and truly, what is a year, but also because they

1. Both use this style that looks like it jumped straight out of a comic book. Okay, it's mostly the solidly inked shadows, but it gives me, personally, comic-y vibes.

2. They have taken what's arguably the main characters (the triplets for DT, the Turtles for TMNT) and shaken the formula up a good bit. Were the triplets formerly indistinguishable and all had the exact same personality, interests and voice actor, they are now three entirely separate entities with different traits and appearances. And while the turtles had about one defining personality trait and looked basically the same, save for the color of their masks, Rise made them different species of turtle to justify giving them radically different designs and three-dimensional personalities. Both shows faced criticism for this decision from people who cannot deal with change. Despite this, in both cases, it just works and does so incredibly well.

3. The oldest bros wear red.

4. We have two middle bros associated with the color blue who are both voiced by Ben Schwartz.

5. Both shows have a focus on family, with Ducktales especially focusing on found family and Rise on brotherhood.

6. Anime references!

Ducktales has a larger cast overall, with a lot of different characters all interacting with each other and they all have the most pleasant voices I've ever heard in my entire life. It's all solidly animated, the style is consistent and the animation is fluid, the characters are diverse and they're all lovely in their own right, except for those who aren't. The writing is top notch. Everyone feels consistent despite the large cast and it's delightful to watch all those interesting people interact with each other in their own way. The show also handles its mystery elements and occasional action scenes incredibly well, building suspense and delivering laughs and gut punches without hesitation. They juggle different tones like a professional clown, except the true clown was us, the audience, all along, for ever having doubted them.

The overarching plot of Ducktales, for its first two seasons, was mostly to uncover the mystery of what had happened to the mother of the triplets and all that would entail. Mystery and mythical elements will likely continue to be afoot for season 3.

Rise works with less focal characters, we have the Turtles, Splinter and April as well as various bad guys, but more than makes up for it with a lot of animation. A lot a lot of animation and it's all high quality. There's usually so much going on on-screen that a watching it once isn't enough to catch it all. Despite that, it doesn't feel crowded or rushed. Lots of dynamic shots and incredibly-choreographed action scenes, but nothing the thoroughly solid writing has to hide behind. Even when the baddies aren't the main concern, they're still well-rounded, interesting characters with unique abilities and motivations. Although, most of the mutants are just really feral. Still a delightfully diverse cast.

The turtles on the other hand spent their first season trying to foil their various foes, from a yokai trying to mutate all of humanity, to his mutants, to dealing with random mythical stuff, to the nefarious Foot Clan trying to reassemble the Dark Armor in the shadows. It's generally a more action-driven show, but they still find the time for some heartfelt moments.

The triplets 2.0

Despite their conventiently color-coded caps, they were really mostly the same character possessing three different bodies at a time. Well, the times of eerie The Shining like-twins, except extended to triplets, are over!

We have Huey, the oldest brother, voiced by Danny Pudi. He's a gentle, intellectual soul who values red hats, science, scout badges and checklists. Huey is arguably the closest in characterization to the original triplets, with some additional neat freak sprinkled in for flavor. He tries to be the responsible older sibling and keep his brothers under control and out of trouble. He also seems to have the most fiery temper of the bunch and should clearly not be pressed to the breaking point. He's my personal favorite and I heard season 3 will bring more focus to him, which makes me elated to hear. 888/10.

Middle child Dewey, the blue one, voiced by Ben Schwartz, who will inevitably come for all the iconic blue characters. He's very clearly the middle one, because he craves attention and validation and occasionally dreams of being an only child. Dewey is the one who started the investigation into their mom's disappearance and kept it from his brothers, partially to save them from hurt, but also because he wanted to feel special. He's the most interested in going on adventures with their uncle, but can get reckless when doing so. He's a bit of a spotlight hog, who has his own talk show that nobody watches and sings his own theme song when he needs to get hyped up, or just to fill this silence. This may sound kind of negative, but rest assured, he's a good, sweet boy. The focal triplet for the first season. 500/10.

Louie, the evil triplet, a schemer and a conman. Voiced by Bobby Moynihan. The youngest of the bunch. While they call him evil, he's really far too lazy to cause serious harm, except for when it's his laziness that's causing him to take dangerous shortcuts, oops. He dreams of making a fortune, but without having to work for it and preferably without any responsibility either, thank you. He also occasionally dreams of being a spoiled fat cat. Despite his chill demeanor, he can be a bit of a crybaby and those tears are only fake 50% of the time. I feel like he likes getting babied, but mainly because that means there's less work for him to do. Season 2, which focuses more on him, reveals that he's actually quite brilliant, capable of seeing all the angles and giving him some chessmaster-like qualities. He needs to learn to use those abilities for good. 665/10.

Hi, she's Webbie! The honorary triplet, who also got a massive makeover, from annoying token girl tagalong to socially awkward, adorkable action girl. Be careful who you call ugly in middle school, indeed. Like a more ferocious Mabel Pines, she has a grappling hook and years of martial arts training under her belt. Webbie can absolutely decimate you, but won't, because she's a sweet girl. Voiced by Kate Micucci. She continues to like unicorns and the color pink, but assuredly in the most badass of ways. She helped Dewey with his quest to uncover the mystery of his missing mom, but works well with all of the triplets, with Huey taking her under his wing a bit and Louie trying to get her to chill out more. Webbie is a sweetheart and I would die for her, were it not completely unnecessary, since she's more than capable of taking care of herself. ∞/10.

A lot of the supporting cast also saw updates and changes, for instance Gyro being a genius without social skills and Fenton being an adorkable scientist, but again, they work really well. They're interesting new takes on beloved characters. Even the new additions to the cast are great. In short, I love me some birds and am excited for season 3, Disney, get your scheduling together.

The Turtles 2.14.2 - I upgraded my upgrade in the middle of the upgrade

Also, these guys have seen so many different iterations in their, what, 30+ years of existence. As someone with no prior attachment to the turtle brand, I don't have a lot to say here. Leo's not the leader in this one and Raph has more personality than being angry at Leo for being the leader. Donnie is not just a random nerd spouting technobabble and Mikey has more depth than yelling the catchphrase every now and again. Apparently, this made people upset. I don't know how to help you with that. The middle brothers exude some high chaotic energy and should not be left unsupervised, but the oldest and youngest seem fairly stable.

Raphael, the red-bandana'd alligator snapping turtle is an imposing figure. He's the oldest and therefore team leader by default. Raph has no reason to be upset at Leo, so he isn't. Despite his ferocious appearance, he's a soft guy, who likes teddies and doting on his brothers, but fears puppets. He's a bit of a knucklehead, most of his plans involve smashing things with his tonfa and he may refer to himself in the third person in the heat of the moment, but he possesses emotional intelligence, is open about his feelings and looks after his brothers. He is big and and strong, but his heart is bigger and stronger. He especially loves small animals animals, who don't usually return his feelings. RIP in F. This responsible guy is voiced by Omar Benson Miller. 300/10, very soft. Somehow both the heart and the big guy of the group.

Donatello has been upgraded from second-to-youngest to second-to-oldest, not that it makes much of a difference. His color of choice is purple and he continues in the character's tradition of being a nerd, although this time, with self-confidence. Donnie is very sure of himself and his abilities. As a spiny soft-shell turtle, he's less sure of his shell, but that's okay, he's made robotic battle shells to make up for it and his bō is the mother of all multitools. This guy can build you a tank out of a buggie and upgrade your animatronic into something to give the FNAF franchise a run for its money. He's the smartest of the four and when not focused on his phone, very focused on the mission. Due to having to deal with his bros, he can be exasperated a lot. Thinks of himself as an emotionally unavailable bad boy, even though he's just really sensitive and wants his dad or someone parent-aged to tell him they're proud of him. Theater kid. 999/10, give the middle child a hug and some coffee, you can't tell me he has a healthy sleep cycle. This sarcastic nerd is brought to you by Josh Brener.

Leonardo, Ben Schwartz's second blue character (Sonic (2020) being the third under his belt) and also his second ninja after Randy Cunningham. He's not the leader. He's still a good character. Leo has approximately 800 charisma and unwavering faith in both, his family and himself. Mostly himself though. Like Louie, season 2 revealed that he is a master of prediction and playing people like the cheap kazoo you can't tell me he doesn't have to play Darude's Sandstorm on. He dabs, he boards, he will pun you to death and back and he has an Odachi that can cut through space. Leo likes hogging the spotlight when given the chance and wants to be showered with attention and praise. Having four kids really only means twice the middle child nonsense. Leo is a red-eared slider, the original species of the TMNT, as I've been told. He's also the best at being a ninja, but usually too lazy to really apply himself. He's younger than Donnie, but tumblr suggested to read the two as twins, since they're approximately the same age, which sheds a whole new light on their dynamic and frankly, makes way too much sense. 420/10, for our memelord Leonardo.

Michelangelo, the eternally youngest of the bunch. An artiste, who puts stickers on himself, tags the lair, has a spiritual connection to his skateboard and the color orange. Mikey loves all things arts and craft, but he also tries his hands at cooking. He idolizes famous TV chefs and can do pretty much anything out of and into pizza. He's funny, without being annoying, like I feel a lot of other iterations of this character are. It's an easy pitfall for comic relief guys, but this one is more than that. If that's an issue, feel free to leave my house. Mikey is genuinely sweet and happy, optimistic and soft, but also the one brother who knows when it's time to take off the gloves and just get straight to the point. He's open about and in touch with his feelings. He's just baby. Don't treat him as one though. A lot of promo stuff says Leo has taken him under his wing, but he's had more episodes together with Donnie. Not that I'm complaining, they work very well together. Mikey and Raph are both the emotional centers of the group. Does not mind being yeeted after retracting into his shell, as box turtles may do. (Disclaimer, do not yeet actual box turtles!) His weapon of choice is a Kusari-Fundo that can turn into a fire-demon and is about as unpredictable as he is. Likes to jump and bounce around. Probably does parkour. Voiced by Brandon Mychal Smith who is audibly having a blast. 500/10, just an all around Kusari-fun guy.

For last, but certainly not least, April O'Neil, my girl, who saw an upgrade from flip-flopping love interest who was vaguely ninja-ing, but mostly damsel in distress-ing, to all-around spunky powerhouse and by God, she is glowing. Rise has her more as a big sister figure to the turtles, and I will not be told otherwise. She is independent and don't need no man, mutant or no. She has her teleporting pet, her faith in herself, her pinpoint baseball hitting skills and the a complete and utter lack of fear. Despite being a weirdness magnet, April is perfectly comfortable. She would like to be able to keep a job, maybe, but she has loving friends who respect and love her. Surprisingly good a ninja, fearless and fun. Occasionally thinks about being popular at school, but it's really not a big concern, she's not gonna throw a tantrum over it or anything. April is very chill. Not likely to be damseled. More likely to run after the turtles and clean up their messes or save them and everyone involved is fine with that.

The late 10's are really coming in to show us how dynamic and well-written female characters that aren't just "strong", but three-dimensional and relatable are done, huh?

An iconic performance by Kat Graham and ∞/10 for being the honorary better ninja non-mutant non-turtle and best big sister.

Here we have it, two older properties, having new life breathed into them to make them fresh and enjoyable. Have a new spin put on them, to better fit in with our current world. You can feel the love oozing out of every frame. At the end of the day, of course, it all boils down to taste and whether or not you like something. I gave Ducktales 2017 a go because a lot of the staff from Gravity Falls went to work on it and if you don't know me, I love me some Gravity Falls. It's a good show and I enjoy it. I recently got into Rise and while I don't know much about the people working on it, it is also a greatly enjoyable show, easily on the same level as Ducktales, if not above, yet with far less people speaking about it. Which is frankly saddening. I can only recommend the two of them wholeheartedly. If you love animation, yourself and occasionally feeling things, these are for you!

#ducktales 2017 #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt #huey duck #dewey duck #louie duck #webbie vanderquack #raphael #donatello #leonardo #michelangelo #april o'neil

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lucifer-kane · 5 years ago

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13 with the Mechanisms anon, I meant in the angst section, sorry lol

I didn’t know how to go about this one because I am Shit at angst, but... throws some words out. It’s Nastya centric bc.... well... I felt like it.

“I’m worried about you.”

Nastya had heard that from everyone on the ship over the course of... a long while. But it had seemed like it was happening much more often, it was frequent. She didn’t like it, she went and curled up as deep into Aurora as she could for what seemed like a couple of years and was just a tad broody.

She didn’t come out until Jonny squeezed his way into the vents and basically dragged her out of the vents and bodily forced her into a group cuddle pile for a few hours. Nastya ended up falling asleep just due to pure exhaustion, cuddled up against Ashes and her fingers curled into whatever soft clothes they were wearing for the pile.

Later on, she was picking at her coat, pulling apart the seams where Jonny had already patched them back up, but it was something to do with her hands at the moment since she had nothing else to do. She sniffles a little bit and wipes her nose on the sleeve of the coat and then presses her face into the bulk of it as more tears continue to fall.

Things like this didn’t happen a lot, she was able to control her emotions, but sometimes they just spilled over in one way or another, as it happened with all of the crew at times. Most of them at least. The Toy Soldier was... always Like That. Nastya slides down the wall of the room she had made what was basically a nest in, close to Aurora’s core so she could be close to her love at all times, warm there when she always seemed to run cold.

Nastya wakes, sometime later, in her nest of blankets, clothes, and whatever else, a gentle hand running through her hair. It was comforting, and she fell asleep once more without looking to see who it was, falling asleep to the soft humming from the crewmember above her.

She wakes, again, and the hand is gone from her hair, but there is a warmth near her, pressed close and holding her gently. Two, actually. Raph was in front of her, sitting up with her legs crossed as she had a book on the floor in front of her, and was copying things out of it on occasion. Nastya shifts a bit, enough to look behind her, and smiles at the sight of Ivy, dozing behind her, one arm draped over Nastya’s middle.

“How are you doing?” Raphaella asks, her voice soft as she looks down at Nastya, who puts her own hand over Ivy’s and curls their fingers together.

“Tired...”

“I could tell that.” Nastya gives a half hearted glare.

“Just... some memories, is all. Of... what was home.” Is all Nastya says, moving enough to rest her cheek on Raph’s thigh, sighing softly when the winged woman starts running her fingers through the engineers hair, pulling gently at the little tangles.

“Would you rather not have the memories?”

“I... really don’t know. One side says I don’t want them anymore, but the other side wants that connection still.”

Raph only hums a little to herself, her fingers halting in Nastya’s hair for a moment to jot something down in the notebook she was working in, before going back to combing through Nastya’s hair.

Ashes comes in a little later, and plants themselves at Nastya’s feet, just inside the next, pulling her legs into their lap.

“How you doin’ there?” They’re grinning, and Nastya knows she doesn’t have to fully answer, so she just smiles at them.

“Better now with company.”

“Well I think everyone else is on their way, so expect a cuddle pile whether you want it or not.” Ashes snorts a little laugh that makes Nastya chuckle softly.

“I think it’ll be nice.”

“As long as one of them doesn’t start a fight with the other on the way here.” Ivy grumbles, still partially asleep, from behind Nastya. Nastya laughs and squeezes Ivy’s hand in her own and nods her head with what she says.

“We’ll just have to wait and see.”

It’s not long of a wait, but it’s a loud entrance. Jonny, Marius, and Brian running into the room and sliding to a halt, dropping down behind Nastya, where the cover was non-existant. Coming in fast after them is Tim, the edges of his curly hair singed, a look of murder on his face.

“You did it to yourself!” Jonny shouts, planting himself behind Brian and Marius.

“You three distracted me!” Tim already has his gun halfway from his belt.

“Not in here!” Nastya snaps, glaring at the three behind her first, then to Tim. “You shoot in here I’m going to drop you out the damn airlock myself.”

“Which one?” Jonny asks, peeking out from behind his ‘cover’.

“Whoever shoots first.” Nastya grumbles.

“I think that’s fair enough.” Tim puts his gun back, making his way over to the pile and sits down next to Ashes. He looks at Nastya, giving her a small, apologetic smile.

“Are you doing any better?” He asks, resting a now gentle hand on her ankle.

“Was a few seconds ago before you all came bursting in here all loud and annoying.” She’s smiling as she says it, Tim grins back.

“But yes, I think I’m doing better. Just one of those times where the memories of it all came back... from before all of this. They came back in a rush and I just couldn’t keep myself standing.” She sits up, and Jonny is behind her instantly a gentle hand between her shoulder blades. She Nastya looks back at him and there’s a small sympathetic look on his face, both of them remembering when it was just them both. She gives what is basically her brother a smile as well, leaning back against him.

“Would another cuddle pile help again? You’re close to Aurora’s heart as well, I’m sure that will make it extra nice.” Marius says, patting the metal floor under him as he leans against Brian.

“I think it certainly will.”

#the mechanisms #huuu anon i hope this was good for you!!#it wasn't as angsty as it prob could have been #but angst has always been rough for me #Anonymous

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magnetothemagnificent · 5 years ago

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I wrote this heartbreaking little ficlet about Crowley's fall to accompany my artwork.

"Aww, look who's back from the stars," Gabriel commented mockingly as Raphael joined the rest of the Archangels.

Raphael preferred spending the least amount of time with his peers, enjoying the vast expanse of space, surrounded by his art.

"We're still missing someone," Uriel pointed out as they all sat in a circle.

"Lucifer," Michael narrowed her eyes.

Lucifer finally sauntered in, his maroon eyes shifting about.

"You're late," Gabriel chided.

"Fashionably," Lucifer added with a wink, plopping himself down next to Raphael.

"I hope I didn't miss anything," he nudged the Healer.

Raphael shifted uncomfortably in his seat. All the Archangels made him weary, but Lucifer gave him a particularly uneasy feeling.

"Let's discuss the order of business, shall we?" Gabriel started with a grin.

"The stars seem to be complete," Uriel reported, offering a rare nod of approval to Raphael.

Taking his cue, Raphael began describing all the stars he had meticulously crafted.

The rest of the Archangels seemed bored.

"I guess it's on to the creatures," Michael interrupted.

Raphael went silent.

"They'll be scattered around the Earth, of course," Gabriel continued, "although the finest will be in the Garden."

Raphael had always been curious about the Garden. He loved the beauty of the stars, but he was a Healer at heart. And while the stars pulsated with energy, they weren't alive. The Garden would be full of life.

After the meeting ended, Lucifer called Raphael aside.

"Are you excited to start working on actual creatures?" he asked.

Raphael nodded, confused as to why Lucifer approached him. Lucifer had his friends, he knew. He never met them, in fact, he rarely encountered other angels aside from the Archangels.

"I hear they're going to be spectacular. A whole world, God's creating," Lucifer added, putting a hand on Raphael's shoulder.

The Healer pulled away.

"Look, Lucifer, I don't mean to be rude, but why are you suddenly talking to me? Gabriel, Michael, and Uriel avoid me, and you're always doing something with your gang. Forgive me for being a tad suspicious."

Raphael narrowed his golden eyes at Lucifer, who only smirked with amusement.

"Why don't you walk with me," he suggested ambiguously, taking Raphael's hand.

Raphael tried wringing out of the Archangel's grasp, but was accosted by four other angels who had appeared by Lucifer's side.

"Raphael, meet my friends," Lucifer smiled, leading the Healer away.

"Where are you taking me?" Raphael asked, his voice rising with concern.

He had always been suspicious of Lucifer, but he had never feared for his safety. Now, surrounded by four other, intimidating angels, he wasn't so sure.

"I want to show you something," Lucifer whispered, putting a hand on Raphael's forehead.

They were in a desert. The light was blinding, and Raphael struggled to keep his eyes open.

Sand whipped past his red hair, getting caught in his mouth and face.

He looked around, and he saw two people. They weren't angels, but they had a curious familiarity about them.

"Where are we?" he asked, glancing at Lucifer, who only stared at the pair intently.

A flash of light, and new noises erupted. They were in a market. All sounds and smells and colours milled about. Smaller people raced past Raphael's skirts.

"Who are these?" he asked, but Lucifer remained silent.

He blinked and they were at the base of a looming tower.

"Remarkable, isn't it?" Lucifer finally remarked.

He snapped his fingers, and the tower came crashing down.

When the dust cleared, they were standing on a marble floor, surrounded by polished columns.

Raphael pivoted, and he was at the edge of a sea. A grand ship was coming into view, its sails billowing in the salty breeze.

"Lucifer, what are you-"

It was dark. Sounds of screaming echoes down long, narrow streets. The stench of rot burned Raphael's nose. He saw one of the people, but it was sickly and frail.

Instinctively, he reached out to the person, but the person collapsed at his feet.

"Lucifer-"

He was now surrounded by people. The people were laughing, watching a performance on a colorful stage. Raphael could scarcely understand the dialogue.

"It's poetic, almost," Lucifer remarked.

The stage went up in flames, and the laughter turned to wailing.

"Lucifer, make it stop!" Raphael begged, but it was futile.

They were standing in a box, overlooking a parade. The air was thick with evil as people marched past, whirling in a storm of hatred.

They were in a field of poppies, and gentle music played as young people ran past in a feverish dance.

They were in a bustling city when an explosion rang out, and Raphael looked up to see a tower fall.

They were in a whitewashed room, and a person was cradling a tiny, newborn person.

"These are humans," Lucifer uttered simply, gesturing at the people, who were frozen in time.

"And this," millennia of humanity flashed before Raphael's eyes, "is their destiny."

Raphael looked up at Lucifer. They were back in Heaven, but not back to the innocence Raphael once had.

"Why?" were all the words Raphael could muster before tears ran down his cheeks.

"Because of the plan," Lucifer answered, emotionless.

"I have to go," Raphael muttered, wiping away his tears.

Lucifer watched him as he ran back to his stars. It was only a matter of time.

Raphael was engulfed in conflicted silence when Gabriel approached him.

"Raphael, come now," he ordered, shaking him out of his self-reflection.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"It's Lucifer. He's starting a coupe."

When Gabriel and Raphael arrived at the scene, Lucifer and his cronies were swarming the Metatron, demanding to speak to God.

When Lucifer spotted Raphael, a devilish grin spread across his face.

"Hey, Raph! Nice of you to join the party!" he yelled smugly.

Raphael opened his mouth to protest, but was stopped by Gabriel.

"Nothing good comes of talking back to him," he told him, violet eyes flickering with anger.

Raphael dutifully remained silent.

The Metatron finally appeared, but the riot could not be satisfied.

"We want to speak to God!" a short, dark haired angel screamed, waving their fist.

"Whatever you wish to ask the Lord, you can ask me," the Metatron explained uneasily.

The crowd booed, but Lucifer silenced them.

"Okay, fine. We'll ask our questions!" he stepped forward.

"Why create the humans when you have us?" he asked boldly.

The Archangels gasped at his audacity.

"Yeah," a blond angel added, "why give them the paradise when they did nothing to deserve it?"

The crowd grew louder, each angel voicing their question.

Raphael was suddenly overcome by the rashness and courage of it all. A lifetime of pent up questions and grievances boiled over, and he broke away from the Archangels.

"Raphael, wait!" Michael screamed, but it was too late.

Lucifer smiled as Raphael fell to his knees.

"Why, Almighty," he asked, tears welling up, "do you create humanity just to make them suffer?"

With that, a thundering voice bellowed out from above.

"YOU QUESTION MY PLAN?" The Almighty roared.

Lucifer stood resolute in defiance, but Raphael trembled.

"FOR YOUR INSOLENCE, YOU WILL BE CAST OUT OF MY LIGHT, AND BE DOOMED TO BE THE LOWLIEST OF THE CREATURES!"

Raphael felt a sharp pain, like something being ripped out of his heart.

He looked down at his hands, and scales had began to form on the hands that once created galaxies.

"No!" he whispered, and the ground opened up beneath him.

He plummeted down, down, down. Desperately, he flapped his six wings, but they were useless against his descent. The scales travelled further up his limbs, and Raphael felt his eyes throbbing. He was lost.

He fell into a pit of boiling sulfur, the brimstone flames licking at his skin, his face, his wings. He struggled to breathe, and felt himself sink down into the couldron. His wings seared, and the stench of burned feathers and hair choked his lungs.

With every will he could muster, he dragged his damaged body out of the ghostly blue flames. Four of his six wings had been burned away completely, and dark tar clung to the shredded, remaining two.

He crawled along the cracked, steaming ground, as angels fell all around him. His strength ebbing away, he sobbed bitter tears of hopelessness.

The Healer collapsed, surrounded by the Fallen.

Raphael opened his eyes to see a grotesque version of Lucifer holding out a hand.

"I can't describe how happy I am to see you alive, darling," Lucifer grinned.

"L-Lucifer?" Raphael stammered weakly.

"Not anymore," the malevolent creature chuckled, kneeling to Raphael's level.

"Satan seems to fit a lot better," he remarked coyly, tousling a strand of Raphael's singed hair. The Healer winced.

"And you can't be Raphael anymore, either," Satan continued.

He looked down at the corner Archangel, who was now more serpent than angel.

"Crawling on the ground. I think I'll call you Crawly," he decided.

"Crawly..." the Fallen Angel mouthed hoarsely.

"Yes, Crawly. Welcome to the Fallen, Crawly."

#good omens #archangel gabriel #archangel michael #archangel uriel #lucifer #the fall #raphael crowley

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tobythewise · 6 years ago

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106 and 118 for that Saphael #GIVE ME THE FEELS

Take these feels!! <3 Thanks for requesting Saphael. I LOVE THEM SO MUCH and this was my first time writing them but it will NOT be the last!

Warnings for alcohol, drunk Simon, love confessions, adorable dorks, and a little bit of throwing up.

Raphael sits at the bar, watching as Simon performs. He looks so in his element as he sings, the song shining with emotion. He’s beautiful.

He’s also very fucking stupid sometimes. Like when he drinks too much after his set in celebration and Raphael is the one to help him stumble home. As grumpy as Raphael acts, he would rather it be him Simon is clinging to than anyone else.

Simon wraps his arm around Raphael’s shoulder, Raphael’s arm finds its way around Simon’s waist. They walk like that, their sides bumping against each other as they go. Simon begins to hum one of his songs under his breath and Raphael smiles.

“I’m glad you could come tonight, Raph,” Simon slurs, his arm tightening around Raphael’s neck for a moment.

“Yeah, yeah,” Raphael grumbles. “Someone has to come and make sure you make your way home.”

Simon huffs. “Despite what you think, I am completely capable of taking care of myself.” Right after his statement, Simon trips, falling against the pavement with a grunt. “Well fuck.”

“Idiota,” he says under his breath as he helps Simon up, dusting the dirt from his pants and shirt.

Simon leans his head against Raphael’s shoulder for a moment and it makes Raphael feel things. Things he hasn’t felt before meeting Simon. He’s always shut everyone out, not allowing anyone past his walls but then this dorky guy somehow wiggles his way into Raphael’s heart.

“Hey you,” Simon murmurs, his finger finding its way into Raphael’s mouth. He touches Raphael’s teeth and giggles. “Are you a vampire?”

“Stop.” Raphael shoves Simon’s hand. “Why do you think I’m a vampire?”

Simon huffs, his breath smelling heavily of the liquor he’d drank that night. “Your teeth are too nice. They’re so white and perfect. I love your teeth. Which is a weird thing to love but I do. They’re just so lovely.” Raphael’s stomach fills with butterflies, his mouth unconsciously forming a wide smile. That immediately disappears when Simon adds, “plus you’re kinda pale.”

“Come on,” Raphael murmurs, tugging Simon along. “We’re almost to your apartment.”

Once inside the apartment, Raphael leads Simon to his room. “Whoa. We got here so fast, Raph! You must have used your vampire speed.”

Raphael rolls his eyes because no, that was not fast. It took them an hour to walk three blocks.

He gently tugs Simon forward, holding him still and helping him out of his flannel. Simon hums, his face breaking out into a wide smile. “If you wanted to get me out of my clothes, all you had to do was ask.”

“I’m helping you into your sleep clothes, idiota.”

“I’m starting to think idiota is just a cute little pet name you use for me.”

That makes Raphael smile. It’s a small smile but he admits it’s there. He tries helping Simon out of his jeans only to have Simon grab at his belt buckle.

“Stop it,” Raphael hisses, his cheeks heating.

“If you get to take my pants off I should be able to take yours off,” Simon reasons.

“Dios, Simon! Stop! Just let me take care of you!”

“Fine,” Simon sighs, flopping onto his bed in such a dramatic way Magnus would be proud.

Raphael finishes getting Simon out of his tight jeans and he snuggles into his comforter, letting out a happy sigh.

Raphael grabs a glass of water from the kitchen and a small garbage bin.

“What’s that?” Simon asks, pointing at the bin with a scowl.

“It’s in case you get sick again.”

“I have a stomach of steal.”

“You don’t.”

“I so do!” Then Simon freezes, his eyes widening before he groans, “oh god!”

Raphael rubs his back as he throws up into the bucket until his stomach is empty.

“Told you so,” he says once Simon is done and laying back in bed. Raphael wipes his brow, running his fingers through Simon’s bangs and tucking them away from his face.

Simon closes his eyes and Raphael gently takes his glasses off, setting them on the table. “You know,” Raphael whispers as he sits on the side of Simon’s bed, gently petting his hair. “I didn’t ask for any of this.” He leans down, kissing his best friend’s forehead before standing up and walking towards the door. He feels bold, knowing Simon is sleeping, too drunk to remember this in the morning. “But do you know why I put up with it all?” Raphael whispers the last part, a quiet confession in the middle of the night. “It’s because I love you, Si.”

Raphael finds Simon’s couch, tossing the quilt off the back and draping it over himself. He’ll always be here to take care of Simon for as long as he’ll have him. He might be a pain in the ass but he’s Raphael’s pain in the ass. Within minutes, Raphael is asleep.

“Hey,” a gentle voice says as water drips onto Raphael’s face.

Raphael blinks his eyes open, finding Simon smiling down at him, his hair wet from a shower dripping down ont Raphael’s face. “Quit it, mi amor,” Raphael murmurs, closing his eyes again.

“Raphael,” Simon says again. His hand gently touches Raphael’s cheek and he leans into the touch, nuzzling Simon’s hand. And that’s when his brain comes back online. His eyes fly open and he quickly sits up.

“Simon. You’re awake. Are you feeling okay? Do you need anything?”

Simon gives him a gentle smile, his face growing fond. He gets on his knees as Raphael sits all the way up so they’re facing each other. “You always take care of me,” Simon whispers, shaking his head and looking down at the ground.

Raphael’s stomach flips. Is this where Simon tells him he doesn’t need Raphael anymore? “Simon,” he tries to start but Simon cuts him off.

“I don’t know what I would do without you. And it’s not just last night. You make sure I eat when I’m stressed out. You make sure I remember my important dates. You just always make sure I’m taken care of. No one’s ever cared enough to make sure I was taken care of like this, Raph.”

Raphael almost flinches when Simon’s hands land on his thighs. He looks into Simon’s eyes through his adorably thick glasses, his breath literally held as he waits.

“I heard you last night,” Simon whispers, his eyes wide. “Do you really love me?”

Raphael’s jaw clenches as he nods his head. He looks at Simon’s hands, unable to look him in the eye and find rejection. But one of Simon’s hands come up to his face, tilting his chin until he looks up at Simon. Simon’s face is one of stunned unbelief.

“Raphael,” Simon breathes, his lips splitting into a wide smile. He clears his throat before saying, “Yo también te quiero.”

Raphael makes a strangled noise of shock before he’s tugging Simon forward, wrapping his arms around him. He buries his face against Simon’s neck.

“Did I say it right?” Simon asks with a laugh.

“It was perfect. You’re perfect.”

“Oh my god,” Simon gasps. “Did you just call me perfect? I am never letting you live that down!”

Raphael pulls back, giving Simon an unimpressed look. “Don’t push your luck.”

Simon laughs, the sound mixed with relief and joy. Simon looks down at Raphael’s lips before asking. “Can I kiss you?”

Instead of answering, Raphael leans forward, touching their lips together in a sweet, chaste kiss that leaves them both sighing happily.

Raphael lays down, pulling Simon with him so he’s sprawled across his chest. His fingers run through Simon’s hair. His stomach is still fluttering, like he can barely believe he gets to touch Simon like this.

“I love you,” Raphael whispers because he can.

“I know,” Simon says back before giggling. Raphael rolls his eyes fondly. Simon’s a dork, but now he’s officially Raphael’s dork.

#saphael #fanfic #1k celebration #tobywrites #drunk simon #love confessions #sap #fluff

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k4nill · 6 years ago

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ROTTMNT Headcannons for a Friend ~ S/O being sick.

Sorry i'm damnnnn late but translating this took a me while hahaha I hope you get better soon dear!!! @turtlestanfirst.

Raph

> Calls you all the fluffiest pet names with that sweet "hey buddy" tone all the time you are sick.

> Rather visit you than having you in quarentene by Donnie on the lair (and also to have some time alone)

> Raph is most likely to pick you up for anything, so forget about being able to walk for a while.

> Tries to cook for you, but it's always the same Raph special Hot Soup™ (ramen noodles with maccaroni and spaguetti pasta, Raph is a high-cab guy) still, is warm as his heart and a delight.

> He understands how tired you must feel so he suggest soft activities (having netflix marathons of movies, a console game, board games, BUT NEVER FUCKING UNO HE WILL CRY IF YOU THROW HIM THAT +4 CARD)

> He's the one who would probably ask you if you wanted him to leave or if you want to be alone, he thinks he's too suffocating. (It is a little, but you know, he cares too much)

> Builts a pillow fortress for you and when entering he says: "you need something, your majesty?" He just treats you like royalty.

> Blast your favorite songs and sings for you in the smoothest jazzy voice. (you know his beautiful deep ass voice)

> Let's say you are so entretained you and Raph forget the time for your meds, still you take em, but like 5 hours late.

> Raph constantly talks about his family and friends. He's the one to bring up deep conversations topics (about him being the leader , not being good enough, concerned by his brothers dumbassery) and you open up as well. Raph is full of emotions and loves to be listened to and he'll do the same for you.

>His eyes become crystalline when you start coughing or when the thermometer marks a mild fever.

> He tries to clean your place. Tries, but most likely to trash it a little bit more... Just a little.

> When you told him you were sick he came rushing, didn't even think of getting sick himself, so, after you recover is most likely you have to take care of him.

> Dumb dumb also didn't tell his family where tf he was, so he made his family a little concerned.

Donnie

> Boy thinks He's Dr. House or some shit like he'll ask you all you symptoms and then he tells you with his dorky "Mr. I know all" smirk that is a rare desease that you can only adquire on the amazon rainforest like... You have a cold.

> Doesn't want to get sick (a waste of time) and definitely don't want anyone on the lair sick cuz they are DRAMATIC AF when they get sick.

> So he suits himself up with those NBC suits and ask you to stay in a (previously prepared) station in the lab, which is basically a sickbed with some comfy futons (that he stole from Leon), with a screen near for your entretainment, and tons of pillows.

> Programs Shelldon so you can have your meds on time or if you need something he can bring it to you.

> You may find a plushie in the station and ask Donnie where he got it and he'll tell you with the most monotone and uninterested tone : "Oh I took it from Leon, it was with the pillows, don't mind it, you can take it home if you want"

> YEAH THE BITCH TOTALLY FOUGHT A CAT FOR IT ON THE FUCKING DUMPSTER AND HE'S SCREAMING INTERNALLY WHEN YOU SAY: "Thanks, it's cute."

> He'll work on some project but high-key is not, he's watching you all the time, like you are watching some dank ass memes and look over to see him and he does that "thing", you know when you pretend you stare at nothing when they catch you staring at someone?

> He' wearing the suit but with any barely improvement of the symptoms he'll take it off and get closer to you cuz he misses being close to you.

> Won't allow you to be just in bed tho, he says activity is important. So he takes you out to dance to your favorite songs and his weeb songs. (Bootyyyshaker9000 entered the game)

> When you are getting ready to go to sleep, he tucks you in, gets his caffeine overdose and in your deep dream state he plugs you in a machine to continue to monitor your sickness.

> Gets sick cuz he's a dummy and took the suit to early, also not enough sleep can lower your defenses.

Leon

>Ok low-key the doctor of the family, (I live for this HC of Leon being a doctor) knows right away you are sick when you come in the lair.

> Also doesn't want you in quarentene (Damn Donnie it's not time to test that gigant quarentine snow globe protocol) so takes you to the "Neon City". (Leon's room is filled with Neon signs of all kinds.)

> Lets you use his bed, no questions and doesn't take a no for an answer. (plus his eye mask)

> In the shelfs they are these plants and miniature zen garden, rubik's cube, some origami stuff, figurines....he shows you how to take care of the plants, solve 3d puzzles, even teaching you origami (Leon is a very zen person, if he doesn't have a break from the meme lord he is he would've snapped a long time ago) and his personal favorite: sewing patches to his gigant bed sheet (he started trimming pieces of fabrics and putting em together, remember they aren't rich but resourceful) just to keep you entretained.

> But board games are next level shit, you don't want to play because Leon is a really bad loser/winner he's dumbass and will always complain.

> You two end up watching compilations of memes and vines for HOURS, until you decide is time to watch a movie, but wait its the fucking 69 movies of Jupiter Jim the only thing in the catalogue.

> But you love to reenact your favorite scenes with him, and maybe, just maybe he would let you be Captain Jim this time.

> We all know Leon is really clumsy, yet he's really gentle and soft when he wants to. He treats you the same as always (quoting shitty vines and hideous oneliners from time to time) but he tries to touch you a lot more and if you think of something it's like he already read you mind and bring you what you wanted or needed. Smooth mofo.

> Leon isn't obsessive when it's something mild (like a cold) he knows is something temporary and just want you to keep you distracted, without feeling suffocated or making you feel you can't do anything.

> But if it was something like a broken bone, beatings in general or you having a relapse in any major illness he would get depressed. He won't be as bright with you or with others, his behaivor would shift from 100 to 1 until you get better.

> In this last scenario, silently cries when people he cares about (that are in this state) are asleep, cuz he can't make them heal faster or make them feel better. His brothers snap, are agressive, are short tempered and anxious when they are in this situation, Leon just shuts down and bottles up his feelings of impotence.

>Also another dummy who gets sick, he's a pain in the ass who thinks he's gonna die soon, but give him all the attention an cuddles and he'll be a good boy.

Mikey

>Stole literally all the comfy items (plushies, futons, shelldon, Raph's hot soup) to give it to you.

> Mikey is not knowledgable in med stuff, so he often ask Leon or Donnie about your sickness but won't credit them lol.

> The entire time wears a classic halloween costume nurse hat and wears a white coat and a fake glasses with a mustache when he wants to be a doctor. (plus: makes his voice a little deeper)

> He says that the lair isn't at all like a hospital but the hospital is made by all the good will people of the personal that want to help others, so he dresses up to make you feel in one. You can't help but enjoy everytime he changes from a nurse to a doctor having their monologues about payday and gossiping about the "other" staff.

Dr. Mikey: "Dr. Saenz just told me that he's firing Barbara because he didn't bought him the right sidedish with his pizza."

Nurse Mikey: "hOW DARES BARBARA DISRESPECT DR. SAENZ ONION RINGS WITH BARBECUE SAUCE"

> And takes the game kinda far.

Dr. Mikey: "yOU INSURANCE DOESN'T COVER THIS!!!"

You: "Ok doctor what about if I make a deposit of hugs in the bank for this?"

Mikey:"O-okay!!!! I'm the bank man now!!! (Totally changed into a bank man just adding a red tie)

> Mikey won't turn down your entretainment, neither his. So he'll paint and let you paint saying is your recovery therapy.

> You would have a lot of fun but sometimes you'll feel a little ashamed to show what you did because honestly Mikey is really good, nontheless he'll will always compliment your art and keeps everysingle piece in storage (even things you think he should throw away).

> Mikey's meds skills are basically laugh therapy.

> While his brothers are calm he kinda panics and pretends everything is okay, until he trips on an imaginary banana peel or drops just one of your pills he snAPS and says he's sorry he's not a good enough nurse/doctor in the verge of tears. (Of course you later reasure him his not.)

> He's just so active but he knows you can cope with him, it's sorta frustraiting to him to lower her normal energy levels.

> Doesn't get sick, surprisingly.

#headcannons for my dear friend!!!#rottmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles

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fanfic-inator795 · 6 years ago

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RotTMNT Oneshot: Winter Nights

Summary: It can be hard dealing with all the snow and the cold, especially for four little turtles. But, even the harshest times of the year can still bring light and joy - their father will make sure of that.

((This story is also posted on AO3. Unfortunately I can’t provide a link since Tumblr’s still being weird about links showing up in tags, but if you can, please hop over there and give this story a kudos or a comment. Anyway, enjoy! ^v^))

Even with how deep they were underground, he could hear the wind howling above. His hearing was much sharper now, thanks to the mutation… Though, if he was being honest, he was more thankful for the warm fur covering his body than the increased strength in his senses. Especially now, with four small, cold bodies clinging to him.

Lou Jitsu sighed, watching his breath form a cloud in front of him before evaporating. Taking a moment to pull the thick blanket tighter around him, he then started absentmindedly petting the head of one of his boys, though he wasn’t really sure which one. Not that it really mattered, he was pretty sure none of them could feel it anyway.

He had been afraid - completely and utterly terrified - the morning he had been unable to wake any of his sons up. However, a bit of research gave him some relief, and he prayed that they would all wake up as happy and healthy as usual once the hibernation season was over. But until then, all he could do was hold them and keep them warm.

“What I wouldn’t give for a kotatsu right now,” Lou mumbled, resting his tired head against the cold metal of the sewer pipe, “Or maybe just a strong drink…” If only he could fall into his own hibernation… Just fall into a deep, peaceful sleep and forget all his troubles.

Underneath the blanket, he felt a couple of his sons start to shiver. So, he sat up and hunched over the small bodies in his lap, protecting the baby turtles as best he could.

Above them, people cheered and screamed despite the cold, with the bright lights and the city-wide celebration being more than enough to tempt most into braving the harsh winds and frigid temperatures.

()()()()()()()()()()()

“Why’re we so sleepy all the time now, Papa?”

“Because it’s winter,” Lou answered simply, “And you are turtles. Turtles get sleepy in the winter. Remember that picture book I gave you?”

Donatello pouted. Of course he remembered, he had read that book back and forth looking for answers, and had only found simple statements. “But why? Why do we have to be so sleepy in winter?” He stumbled forward, clinging tightly to his father’s robe and acting more like the youngest of their family rather than the second oldest. “It’s not fair… I don’t wanna sleep…”

Lou patted the softshell’s head. “I know you are frustrated, Purple, but winter will be over soon.”

“Not soon enough,” the boy pouted. Knowing he wouldn’t be in the mood to walk, Lou picked him up and carried him over to the heat lamp that had been set up in the corner of the small, stone room. The lamp had been a miracle of a find, as were the small space heaters he had managed to discover and fix up before the city dump had been almost completely covered in snow. But, even with there being plenty of heat sources, it still wasn’t warm enough to keep his boys awake, nor were the lamps and heaters comforting enough to keep them from wanting to cuddle up next to their rat-dad at least once a day.

As he got closer to the cuddle pile, he could see that Donnie wasn’t the only one awake. While Mikey and Leo were happily sleeping the season away, Raphael was lying on his back, looking restless and annoyed. Lou made sure to give him a couple pats as well.

“Why can’t we move somewhere with no winter, Pop?” Raph asked. He tried to stand up, but only managed to sit up before flopping back down on his stomach.

“The only parts of this country that are warm this time of the year are miles and miles away,” Lou tried to explain, “And by the time we arrived there, winter would be over, and it would be time to go back home.”

“I know what that’s called,” Donnie said, perking his head up slightly, “From the book! It’s called… migrasin, or something...”

“Well I wanna migrasin!” Raph demanded, giving his father the sternest (yet sleepiest) glare he could muster. It was adorable, but Lou held back a smile, not wanting to make the four year old’s mood worse.

“Maybe next winter. Now come on, back in bed, both of you.” There were a few protests and a couple sobs, but eventually his two oldest sons settled down, sleeping alongside their brothers as their father began singing a simple Japanese lullaby to them.

Still, as his gentle voice echoed through their temporary home, the rat-man couldn’t help but feel pity for his sons, and hoped that this year’s winter would be a short one…

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

“...They sorta look like… sparkles.”

“Yeah, cold sparkles! How does somethin’ so small make it so cold?!”

“I think it looks pretty!”

“And look, it turned into water in my hand!”

“I thought you already learned that, Dee.”

“I did! But this is the first time seein’ it happen! And if it gets cold enough, it’ll turn back into ice! Isn’t that neat?!”

“Yeah, it’s really cool. Ice cool ~”

“Booooo.”

“What are you boys doing?” Lou - now called Splinter occasionally by his kids - asked. He tried to look stern, but amused smirk still crept onto his face as the turtles sheepishly moved away from the open sewer grate. Thanks to the bright light from the street lamps, he could see small flakes of snow fall through the grate and onto the metal floor of their sewer domain.

“We were just… checkin’ out the snow,” Raph explained, kicking his foot slightly, “Cause, I thought it was just rain, an’ then Leo said that he thought it was snow, so we had ‘ta double check and… We wanted to see the snow.”

“It’s really pretty!” Mikey repeated, his eyes practically sparkling. Splinter chuckled. He had a feeling there would be quite a few snowflakes drawn on the walls of their home in the next few weeks, courtesy of the young box-turtle artist.

“And so small!” “Really REALLY small!” the twins exclaimed. “It’s so weird!” “But so cool!” “Stop using that joke, Leon!” “Make me, Don- *yawn* nie…”

The rat’s smile fell slightly. “...Come on, you four. Home is just down this pipe.” And this time, he would be standing behind them, to make sure there was no more wandering off. Though, just because he could only see their backsides didn’t mean he couldn’t still see their disappointment…

As soon as they were in their home, he gave each of them a sweater or hoodie to wear to bed before sending them off to their rooms. With a bit of luck, winter wouldn’t completely hit for a couple more weeks, giving him time to prepare - and his kids a bit more time to play. But…

“It still won’t be enough,” he mumbled to himself, his ears folding down low.

New York winters were particularly harsh, it seemed. Always cold, always lasting for months, and never turtle-friendly - especially not for turtles who were old enough that they didn’t need all day naps. Turtles who were old enough and energetic enough to desire more than just a couple hours a day for playtime, especially now that they were starting to discover various interests and favorite things to do. Turtles who were absolutely miserable this time of year, no matter how much comfort Splinter tried to give them or how many Christmas decorations he scavenged in order to bring cheer to their home.

He clenched his fists, tail twitching slightly in agitation. He had to do something about this… He needed to do something for his boys! Rat or not, Lou Jitsu certainly wasn’t about to let this cruel season hold his family hostage for yet another year!

So, as soon as he was sure his boys were tucked in and sleeping away, he got to work.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

It was late, nearly midnight, but even the lively Big Apple seemed to be at peace. Most of the city’s citizens were tucked into their beds, grateful that there was no evening snow to shovel. The sky was clear as well, with there only being a slight icy breeze felt in the air. Still, as pleasant as the weather was, it was still winter - still a season of snow and ice and freezing cold.

Naturally, this cold was felt throughout the vast urban landscape, even in its deepest sewers…

“Daaaad, why do we gotta go out tonight anyway?” Leon pouted. He leaned on his twin, who begrudgingly refrained from pushing him away, if only so he wouldn't have to take his hands out of the sleeves of his coat.

Splinter glanced back at the boy, his eyes slightly hidden under the cabbie beret he was wearing. “You said you were bored, did you not?”

“Well yeah but, that doesn't mean I wanna help with chores…” Leo quietly retorted. Sure, he hated being stuck all season, but whatever his father was planning didn't exactly seem like a great alternative.

“Me neither… Especially when it's so cold above,” Donnie added, already bracing himself for the bitter cold as he and his family began walking into the tunnel. He tucked his chin under his scarf, wishing that he could go all the way inside his shell like his youngest brother could. “We should’a waited until I finished my new machine! It'll be able to dig through dumpsters and junk yards for us so we don't have to get our hands cold!”

“Then it is a good thing that tonight is not a scavenging night.”

The two five year olds blinked. ...Well, this made sense, they supposed. After all they still had plenty of food, as well as a couple toys they had managed to find. And thanks to their father having spent weeks gathering up abandoned costs and blankets for them all before the real snowstorms started to hit, there was nothing else they really needed. “So why are we going up then?” the purple turtle inquired, not liking being confused, “And WHERE are we going?!”

“You shall see, Purple One. Just a bit longer, our destination is just a few minutes away.” His rat ears perked up slightly as another one of his sons groaned.

“But why can’t you just tell us where we’re going, Pop?” Raph complained, crossing his arms.

“Because it would ruin the surprise.”

“Ugh…” Raphael kicked a stray chunk of ice, making sure to kick it towards the sewer walls so it didn't hit anyone in his family, and smiling just a little when the ice shattered on impact. “I still wanna know though…”

“I just hope it’s somewhere fun,” Leo added, thinking about all the trips they would take during the warmer seasons to places like the park or a restaurant or a mall, both to learn how to sneak around and to enjoy themselves without humans bugging them. Not like now, where they were just stuck inside their home half the time and trapped under a heat lamp or a blanket for the other half. “We haven’t been to the city in for- eeeeeever! ”

“I promise you boys that it’ll be well worth the effort,” Splinter insisted. He carefully stepped around a small puddle of ice, and used his tail to give his sons a path to follow.

“Papa knows the best places ever,” Mikey stated confidently as he easily grabbed his father’s thick coat and began to climb up onto his shoulders. As much as they helped with keeping him from getting too sleepy most of the time, the thick material of his parka and the clunky boots on his feet made it a bit harder to be as bouncy as he usually was. Thankfully he - as well as the rest of his brothers - had gotten a couple weeks to get used to moving around in their new every-day attire. And even if he hadn’t, Mikey’s grip and balance were as perfect as ever, even at only the tender age of four. Splinter had no doubt in his mind that his youngest would grow up to be quite the acrobat.

As he nuzzled his father’s warm fur, Mikey asked, “Is it still going to be winter where we’re going?”

“Yes, Orange,” the rat said simply, “Of course.”

“Oh…” And just like that, Mikey’s enthusiasm for this secret destination disappeared, his mood falling in line with his grumpy and reluctant older brothers’. “...I hate winter,” he mumbled, face still pressed up against Splinter’s furry cheek. Splinter held back a sigh, and stretched up his tail, using it to give his youngest son a comforting pat.

All of his hard work - all of his prepping and scavenging, getting every they would need, listening to the weather report several times a day as he waited for the perfect night - it would all be worth it. He was sure of it.

“Do you boys know why winter is so cold?” he asked as he looked down their metal path. He could begin to see light.

“‘Cause of all the snow!” Donnie answered immediately, “And wind, and ice, and all that other bad stuff!”

“Very good, Purple - except for that last part. Winter is not completely bad, it is just another season. Another part of life.”

“Yeah it is!” Raph lightly argued, “It’s always all cold and wet and- and cold!”

“True, winter can be tough to get through,” Splinter nodded, “The cold can be dangerous, if you aren’t prepared… But, there can be bright spots to this season.”

Leon tilted his head in confusion. “Like what?”

But Splinter didn’t give an answer. Instead, he simply said “Oh look, we are almost there.” Thanking his lucky stars that their new home was so close to a park, Splinter took them up to the entryway of the pipe where metal met snow, and watched as his sons’ expressions turned to ones of awe and amazement.

To them, snow was just the white stuff that fell from the sky and made things cold, the mysterious force that forced them to stay underground whenever it first started falling. Other than letting it fall into their open hands for just a moment or two, they had never really seen it up close. They had never seen what it looked like on the ground - and had certainly never seen this much of it! Entire fields of it, stretching all the way to the trees and sidewalks on the edge of the park as it sparkled in the light of the bright moon above.

“Whoaaaaaaaa…”

“Mm-hm,” Splinter nodded. He gave them all an encouraging smile as he took a hand out of his coat sleeve and gestured towards the winter wonderland. “Your gloves and booties should protect you, so go ahead and try-”

“WHOO!” In an instant, Mikey leapt from his father’s shoulder and right into the snow. He fumbled a little, nearly slipping but catching himself just in time. “Whoaaaa, it really is snow!” Curious, he put a hand to the snow, and with a squeak he pulled it away. It really was cold! But also soft… He put a hand to it again, this time scooping up an entire handful. It was like cold sand! With a laugh, he threw it up and let it rain down on him. Sure it was still cold, but the warmth of his clothes as well as just the excitement of it all kept him wide awake.

“Looks like Orange has the right idea,” Spinter smirked. His older children looked on, their own curiosity growing. One by one, each turtle stepped out into the snow, exploring how it felt in their gloved hands and under their feet while Mikey continued trying to do spins and flips in it, not caring if he slipped a little.

“So, this is all the snow that fell from the sky?” Leo asked, looking back at his father, “All clumped together? I didn’t even know snow could do that!” No wonder it made things so cold! But it was so pretty too, and so- so-... White! Definitely a shock to a five year old red-earred slider who only ever knew the dark colors of the sewers and the warm colors of his blankets and his father’s robe.

“It’s cause the ice that snow is made out of sticks together better the colder it gets!” Donnie grinned, the gears in his little mind already turning as he picked up his own handful of snow. “It really is like water, like how a puddle just gets bigger the more rain you put in it. It just all stays together, see Dad?!”

Amused, Splinter put a hand to his chin, feigning surprise. “How interesting! You know, I believe you can turn water into steam as well, once it gets too hot. Water is a very fluid element, you know.”

“I wonder what else I could turn water into…” Donnie mumbled, bringing the handful up to his eyes and examining the snow crystals carefully. Splinter expected nothing less from his clever Purple boy. He made a note to himself to try and ‘borrow’ a book from the library on the water cycle and other weather phenomenon for his son later.

Raph meanwhile, had made his own discovery. “It tastes a lot like water too,” he commented before taking another bite of his handful, not minding the coldness off it too much, “Crunchy water…” When he noticed his brothers giving him a bit of a look, he just shrugged. “It looked like sugar! I thought it would be yummy!”

“Soooo, what do we do in the snow now, Pop?” Leo asked. If the snow covered all the grass and trees, then it probably covered up any play equipment at the park too, so what else could be done?

Splinter, remembering all the various snow days from his own childhood very clearly, gave a grin. “Well, Blue, since you asked…”

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

“I’m gonna get you this time, Leo!” “Nuh uh! I’m gonna get YOU!” “Heh, you gotta catch me first!”

Snowballs flew through the sky one after the other, most of them falling flat onto the earth rather than hitting their target. Leo could dodge and evade like nobody’s business, but he had a bit of trouble with throwing far, and half the time he’d throw them upwards and end up hitting himself with them. As for Raph, he would keep trying to make the “biggest snowballs ever” in between attacks, not caring how many times they’d crash to the ground, not getting anywhere near his brother.

But it hardly mattered, really. Raph and Leo still continued to laugh and chase after each other, neither of them keeping any sort of score.

“Raphieeee!” Raph turned to see his baby brother waving his arms at him. Practically a whole army of snow angels had been formed in the field behind him, complete with stars and pictures drawn beside them.

“Whoaaa, cool!” Raph grinned, “I wanna try!” Letting himself go limp, the snapper fell back onto the snow, and began moving his legs and arms. With a much bigger back and thicker limbs, the angel didn’t come out quite as clean as Mikey’s, but he was still proud of it.

“Now your angel and mine can be friends!” Mikey beamed before turning to his blue brother, “Hey Leon, you wanna make an angel too?”

Leo breathed out a cold breath and rubbed his arms a bit. “Maybe later, Mikey. I wanna do something first.” Knowing instantly what Leo was going for, Raph and Mikey followed his lead back to where their father sat with his carefully packed tote bag beside him.

Splinter hummed. “More hot cocoa?” he guessed. The boys nodded enthusiastically, making him chuckle. “Alright, but remember to share, Blue” he said, reaching into his bag, “This is the last of it, and then you all will have to have soup instead.”

“Kay!” Leo took a couple sips before passing the thermos along. “Hey Donnie, d’you want- WHOA! Donnie, are you making a snow machine or something?”

“No, it’s a snow turtle!” Donnie explained, pressing a bit more snow onto the back of his creation, “It’s like a snowman - that was what Dad made when he was a kid - but wayyy better, cause it’s a turtle. Come on, I’ll show you guys how to make one!” Quickly finishing up the cocoa, the three of them cheered and ran over to their purple brother, eager to learn how to make this amazing thing.

As for Splinter, he just continued to watch his sons play and actually enjoy the season for the first time in their young lives. It had, indeed, been very much worth it…

However, as clearly as he could see the happy grins on his boys’ faces, he could also see the young reptiles start to shiver. Even with all the layers of clothing and warm things to drink and eat, they couldn’t stay out there forever. Still, there was one last thing he wanted them to experience before calling it a night…

“This is gonna be AWESOME!” Raph grinned, gripping the edge of their ‘ride’ tightly. Mikey nodded, having to force himself to sit still and not hop up and down in excitement, as per his father’s request. Donnie stepped in next, looking a bit more cautious. His twin seemed to share the same concerns, glancing back at his rat-dad.

“And you sure this is okay?” he asked, “An’ not something crazy people do?”

“Hmmm, well, I’m PRETTY sure.” “Daaaad!” Splinter laughed. “It is completely safe, Blue, believe me.” The hill wasn’t too steep, and there were no trees or rocks in sight. It was the most perfect sledding spot he had ever seen! “It’ll be alright,” he insisted.

Admittedly curious, Leo finally stepped on, making sure to huddle up next to his brothers and leave plenty of room on the trash can lid for Splinter to sit down on it. “Okay,” Splinter began, giving a toothy grin. He placed his tail on the cold ground as he wrapped his arms around his boys. “Hang on, all of you! Ready… aaaand… GO!” His tail pushed against the snow, and in an instant, they were off!

He heard the boys yelp, but within seconds they were all laughing and shouting in excitement, grinning as they flew down the hill. Still keeping his tail out, Splinter steered them, allowing their makeshift sled to weave back and forth, and even hop off the ground a couple times!

“Faster! Faster!” his children cheered, hollering and putting their hands in the air. So, Splinter leaned forward, increasing their speed. Maybe he could try out a couple tricks too, he thought to himself. A couple spins, or-

The lid hopped off the ground once more, hitting an unseen bump that Splinter hadn’t been expecting. As such, his arms weren’t wrapped quite as tightly around his turtles as they should of been. And, as their ‘sled’ came back down to earth, time seemed to slow as he watched his youngest fly off of it.

“MICHELANGELO!” Splinter cried out with a gasp as the box-turtle landed. However, instead of stopping dead (Splinter cringed. Bad word choice, very bad) in the snow, the young orange acrobat instinctively tucked into himself and rolled until he was safely on his shell.

“Woo hoo!” Mikey cheered, his body - and his own makeshift ‘sled’ - easily keeping up with his family’s speed, “I’m sledding! I’m sledding!”

“No way! Go Mikey!” Hey, I wanna shell-sled!” “Me too!” Before he could even try to stop them, each one of his sons backwards dove over the side of the metal lid. Even Donnie was daring enough to try it, knowing that the small backpack stuffed under his coat would easily protect his shell. And, just like their baby brother, each of them began to scream and laugh with delight as they slid down the hill.

“...Oh, what the heck?” Splinter mumbled, his grin returning. He crouched down, and- “ HOT SOOOOUP! ” he howled, jumping headfirst into the snow and leaving the trash can lid behind as he rolled away from it.

Unbothered by the splashing snow - unbothered by the cold or the wind or even winter itself - the five of them slid and flipped and spun and cartwheeled to their hearts’ content, until finally slowing down as they reached the bottom of the hill. Yet even as they laid there, their joyful laughter still couldn’t be contained.

“I LOVE winter!” Mikey yelled as loud as he could, his brothers enthusiastically agreeing with him. Still laughing as his heart continued to race - Goddid he miss this feeling, though it felt even better now that he was sharing it - Splinter gathered up his boys, hugging them close. “See? It’s just as I said,” he said, a bit breathless, “Lots of good things about winter!”

“Yeah!” “Uh huh!” “Lots of good things!” “I LOVE WINTER!” The turtles laughed again, still smiling even as their joy mellowed out and fell back to earth like snowflakes in the night.

Unsurprisingly, all the excitement had completely wiped them out, and Splinter had a feeling that even with heat, they’d still end up sleeping for a couple days straight. Even so, as he carried three turtles in his arms and one on his back through the icy sewers, he found he didn’t have any regrets.

Their wet parkas and booties were taken off as soon as they reached their home, instantly replaced with cozy sweaters and hoodies that Splinter had left sitting near one of the space heaters. “Come on, little ones,” he cooed, guiding them towards their rooms, “It is way past your bedtimes.”

“Hey, Papa?” Leo said suddenly, his voice quiet as he rubbed his eye.

“Yes, Blu-?” Leo grabbed onto him, hugging him tightly. His brothers quickly followed, their smiles strong despite their fatigue.

“Thanks for making winter fun,” Leo finished, nuzzling his stomach, “It was really fun...”

“Of course,” Splinter nodded, happily returning the hug, “I am glad to hear you all enjoyed it.”

“Can we go play in the snow again later?” Raph asked, nearly cutting himself off with a yawn.

The rat man hummed. It probably wouldn’t be for a while. There was a snowstorm announced for next week, with harsh wind chills after that… But after tonight, there was no denying that even the harshest conditions could still have perfect nights.

With a soft smile, Splinter answered with “...I suppose we could make nights like this a tradition.”

()()()()()()()()()()()()

“You got it all ready, Mikey?”

“Yep!” Mikey proudly lifted up the tote bag. “Two thermoses of soup, three of hot chocolate - and all in different flavors!”

Raph grinned, nodding. “Great job, bro. Now-”

“I’m telling you, Leon, my sled is Olympic-level quality!” he heard Donnie argue as the rest of their group (save for one member) walked into the kitchen, “There’s absolutely no way you’re going to beat me in ANY race. Period!”

“Dude, not only do snowboards beat sleds any day of the week, but my snowboarding skills are LEGENDARY!” Leo insisted, completely unphased by his twin’s boasting, “Come on! Everyone knows it’s not the equipment, it’s the champion that uses it.”

“Tc’ch, yeah,” Donnie rolled his eyes, “Just make sure you don’t slip and fall flat on your shell again, Champ.”

“I mean, if you ask me,” April smirked, her old green and gold sled already tucked under her arm, “I think I’m gonna kick both your shells, but that’s just me.”

Raph shook his head at the three of them, though even this old debate couldn’t bring his mood down too far. (Especially once he saw Mikey sneaking some gingerbread snickerdoodles into the bag.) “Hey Pop! You ready to go?”

“Just a moment, Red!” Splinter asked, his eyes still glued to the fabric screen in front of him, “You know how I like my holiday specials!” Though, it seemed that even the holiday spirit wasn’t enough to convince the scorpions to be docile, pinching away at the poor contestant and destroying his chances of winning a season’s worth of Christmas cakes and fried chicken. Chuckling, Splinter finally turned off the tv and began getting dressed, his ears open to the conversations the rest of his family was having.

From what he could hear, Mikey was planning some sort of ‘snow sculpture masterpiece’ while Raph was already egging Leo on for a snowball fight after his, Donnie and April’s race down the hill. April was insisting that they also had to try ice skating with her now that the pond in Central Park was finally frozen enough, and Donnie sounded eager to try out some new invention of sorts along with his high tech sled.

Splinter’s smile softened. Maybe he didn’t do much during them these days, other than sipping cocoa on a bench and occasionally hitting one of his boys with a surprise snowball for laughs (had to always keep them on their toes, after all). Maybe leaving his comfy chair and going out into the cold with his aging joints was a bit of a pain. Quite a bit of a pain, actually. And maybe - no, certainly - his family was old enough to go have fun in the snow without any supervision from him.

Still, Splinter found himself unable to give up their tradition. Not as long as his family still enjoyed it, still enjoyed his company, and not as long as it still brought smiles to his sons’ faces even in the coldest weather.

So, he bundled himself up, and followed his family down the cold sewer tunnel and into the light of the moon and the sparkling, pure-white snow, fully expecting another perfect snow night.

THE END

#rottmnt #rise of the tmnt #tmnt 2018 #fanfiction #oneshot #my writing #splinter is a good dad #master splinter #leonardo tmnt #raphael tmnt #donatello tmnt #michelangelo tmnt

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thelostandforgottenangel · 6 years ago

Text

Birthday Present for Sis!

Consider this a 'What if?' :)

AJ sits in the living room of his apartment strumming a gentle melody on his guitar, he had a smile on his face as he began to sing "Do you hear me, I'm talking to you Across the water across the deep blue ocean Under the open sky, oh my, baby I'm trying Boy I hear you in my dreams I feel your whisper across the sea I keep you with me in my heart You make it easier when life gets hard I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend Lucky to have been where I have been Lucky to be coming home someday Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh They don't know how long it takes Waiting for a love like this Every time we say goodbye I wish we had one more kiss I'll wait for you I promise you, I will I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend Lucky to have been where I have been Lucky to be coming home someday Lucky we're in love every way Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed Lucky to be coming home someday And so I'm sailing through the sea To an island where we'll meet You'll hear the music fill the air I'll put a flower in your hair Though the breezes through trees Move so pretty you're all I see As the world keeps spinning 'round You hold me right here, right now I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend Lucky to have been where I have been Lucky to be coming home again I'm lucky we're in love in every way Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed Lucky to be coming home someday Ooh ooh ooh Ooh ooh ooh, ooh."

"Y'know ya always sound so great when ya sing, babe?" A familiar voice said with a grin

AJ smiles as he turns around and sees his boyfriend Raphael standing with little baby Roger in his arms. AJ puts his guitar down then gets up off the couch and walks over to the pair "Hey, how're my boys?" AJ asked as he kisses Raph's cheek

"Doing just fine, little man just woke up from a nap." Raph said with a smile as AJ kisses Roger's forehead.

"Looks like he slept well for a change." AJ said as he stroked Roger's cheek

Raph nods in agreement "Yeah looks like he finally did. That song ya sang to 'im seemed to help." he said with a grin as he walked over to the couch with Roger.

"I'll put on something for you and him to watch whilst I make a warm bottle for him." AJ said as he walked over to the TV then turned it on. He smiles as he puts on The Jungle Book "He really loves his Disney movies lately."

Raph chuckles softly "Yeah either Jungle book or Robin hood are the ones he enjoys the most." he said as he sat Roger beside him to let the baby lizard watch. It didn't take long for Roger's eyes to light up as one of his favourite movies plays, he begins clapping excitedly and giggling.

Raph smiles as he watches his and AJ's son getting excited over this movie. He looks over to the kitchen as AJ made the bottle of milk for Roger before eventually returning.

AJ places the bottle down on the table next to the couch as he took his seat next to Roger, his arm wrapping around Raph's shoulder. The trio sat and watched the movie together, enjoying the peace and quiet together.

At one point towards the end of the movie AJ picked Roger up and fed him his bottle of milk before he had to burp him. He places Roger on his lap as Raph kisses AJ's head.

The rest of the day went by almost in a flash, AJ and Raph made sure to do as much as they could with Roger like teaching him how to walk which he managed to do without falling over. They took Roger on a stroll around the park, letting the baby rest as they walked.

That night AJ and Raph lay together in bed, Roger was sound asleep in his crib not far from them. AJ had his head resting on Raph's chest as he smiled thinking to himself

"Something on yer mind, Alex?" Raph asked as he looked down, rubbing AJ's back gently with his free hand.

"Just that I'm so lucky to have met you when I did. I mean....I was in a bad place after what happened with MU...I didn't think I was worthy of finding someone. Then I meet you and I fell almost instantly...but I was so afraid that things could go sour if I tried anything." AJ admitted as he looked up at Raph.

Raph frowns then kisses AJ gently on the lips "Ya were always worthy of finding someone, Alex."

AJ nods a little "I know that now. Meeting you and falling in love with you made me realise that I was just with toxic people. I didn't have a great relationship but I don't blame Brock for that, neither of us were really great when it comes to that. But I'll always be grateful to him and the Gamma Roar Roar frat guys for helping me get out of my shell more." he said with a small smile.

"I still can't picture you as this shy, quiet type. I know you as this cocky, smart ass that's brave when he has to be." Raph said with a smirk.

"Oh ouch, you wound me sir." AJ joked before kissing Raph again "I love you so much, Raph."

Raph grins as he returns the kiss "And I love ya more, Alex." he said as he turned off his lamp, AJ doing the same on his side.

The only light that was left in the bedroom was the light from Roger's nightlight that helped him sleep. The pair smile as they look at the crib before falling asleep in each other's arms. Today was a great day for them.

HOPE YOU LIKE IT

💕💕💕💕💕💕

@betelgeusessonajblog This is wonderful thank you so much!

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wolfbane37 · 6 years ago

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``Seriously guys, I tell you guys the other day that I'm playing for the other team and you drag me to the first gay club you guys see?'' Raph grumbles softly, a heavy blush powdering his cheeks as his brother, Mikey and his boyfriend, Leonardo, drag him to the front of the line of a gay dance club, the gentle thrum of the bass ringing in everyone's ears. Leo's brother, Donatello, had also joined him with his girlfriend April, they both chuckling at the hothead's embarrassment.

``Of course bro!! You gotta get a boyfriend'', Mikey grinned wide at him, pushing him inside.

``Relax, before you know it, you'll be getting laid by you're new boyfriend by midnight tonight'', Donnie commented as he gently tucks in Raph's white tank top into his pants to accentuate his muscular body, despite the inflexibility of his shell.

The hot head grumbles and stumbles inside, eyes widening at the sight of all the guys dancing and grinding together. Raph grumbles softly, blushing hard and goes over to the bar, shoving off the two sets of lovebird and getting himself a beer. Just then, the lights in the club and the music shifted dramatically, all the men dancing on the floor chatting excitedly as a stage brightens up.

``Alright gentlemen!! You know what time it is!! Lets give a warm welcome to the Sexy Beasts of the Night!'' the DJ announces over the intercom as three grown men, all half naked saunter onto stage, their silhouettes standing out from the light.

A steady beat of music starts to thrum into the air, as one of the guys steps forth, his hips swaying to the beat. Raph's eyes adjusted to the light and he saw that the man was a hybrid of a lizard and a turtle. The impressive combination of the two species giving him luscious green skin that encased practical muscles exceptionally. He was wearing soft blue jeans that were tight around his hips but left plenty of room for the imagination bellow the waste line. His v-muscles standing out with his abs because the fine line of scutes that lines his chest. His shell was small, barely noticeable on his back. His hands were hugged tight to some black, finger-less gloves, defining his four fingers nicely. The next thing to stand out was his long, yet slim tail that sway with hips. Finally, covered by a tight fedora, his head was lined nicely with raven, silk like hair that accented his crimson eyes.

Raph couldn't help but appreciate that his body was also generously covered in tattoos of various types, somehow accenting his muscle tone more. But what stood out more about this man was his voice, because as soon as he was well in front of the other two men that were with him, he started dancing in time with the music and singing.

``Its going down, I'm yelling timber,

You better move, You better dance.

Let's make tonight, You won't remember,

I'll be the one, You won't forget.''

The trio danced in time with one another, each putting one their own little show to all the surrounding men, their body's screaming energy and sex with every move. Raph had to swallow a very big lump in his throat as they started to join the crowd on the dance floor. The lead singer danced with grace but sexuality, grinding against his fellow dancers and some of the customers there that night as well.

Raph caught a heavenly fragrance, no doubt from the same lead singer. With just the inhale alone, Raph was fully aroused and so wanted to meet the male, unable to take his eyes off the moving muscles before him.

``You best not get your hopes up, boy. Luca rarely see's anyone that doesn't pique his interests, and that's coming from personal experience'', said the rabbit bartender behind him, having been watching the hot head get swooned off his feet from the performers.

``Luca.....'' Raph murmurs softly, not really paying attention to the bartender, too absorbed in the performance to really pay attention.

Almost as soon as that song ended, another began with the same sexual feeling to it, but not beating around the bush with the lyrics. Again, the lead singer takes the initiative to start the song.

``She got a body like an hour glass, But I can give it to you all the time,

She got a booty like a Cadillac, But I can send you into overdrive.

(You've been waiting for that......Step on up swing your bat)

See anybody could be bad to you, you need a good boy to blow your mind, yeah''

They danced in time with the lyrics, the lead singer turning to the bar this time, seeming to catch Raph's gaze for a moment. His eyes seemed to envelope Raph in a heated gaze, making Raph swallow visibly, actually kinda intimidated by the predatory look in the male's eyes. The singer snickers and saunters over to Raph, singing proudly.

``She might've let you hold her hand in school, But I'm a show you how to graduate,

No, I don't need to hear you talk the talk, Just come and show me what your momma gave yah~''

Luca pressed right up against Raph and seemed to give him a personal performance, the crowd whistling with delight at the sight, Leo and Mikey off to the side laughing loudly. Donnie and April couldn't help go all fangirls at the sight, hoping Raph gets the shot. Luca smirks wider, getting the look of cat having caught a mouse. He slides back slowly only after he shoves his fedora into Raph's face, the crowd shouting louder now, some excited and other sound somehow extremely jealous.

``Well, I'll be damned......Looks like Luca's interested......'' the bartender almost murmured to himself.

That seemed to snap Raph out of his trance of watching the young dancer to turn to the bartender.

``What does this mean?''

``Means you stick around tonight and you can talk to young Luca'', the bartender chuckles at Raph while sliding him another beer. ``On the house, you're gonna need it.''

Raph's eyes widen and he grins wide at the thought of talking to Luca. He hums softly to himself, taking a slow inhale of the fedora, finding the natural musk of the young male along with faint scents of peppermint and cinnamon. Raph chuckles and slides the hat on just as he was swamped with his friends.

Raph smirked up at the dancers as they continued their performance, Luca keeping eye contact with Raph through the entire thing. Finally, the last song plays out and the dancers end right in the middle of a giant swarm. All the men in the entire joint was squishing against the dancers to hug, touch and pay the dancers for the performances by shoving money in all the places they could reach, in Luca's case was his waist band. More than once, a hand lingered too long or to close to his more intimate spots, making him flush and start to leave to get out of the seeking hands back stage followed by his back up singers and dancers.

Snorting his amusement, Raph orders another drink and waits patiently for the lead dancer to return on his own.

About thirty minutes later, after sending his friends home on their own so he could have some alone time with the young dancer, Raph was drinking the foam slowly off his cold beer when he felt a warm body press against his back, leaning over him to talk to the bartender.

``Hey barkeep!! Four shots of tequila for me and my friend here!'' a smooth voice shouted, the scent of cinnamon catching in Raph's nostrils.

Looking over his shoulder, Raph came face to face with the charming young singer, having a small scent of soap, his hair still damp from obvious signs of a shower. He wore a dark red t-shirt and similar jeans as before and now he held a small toothpick between his lips, looking slightly chewed on. Luca catches his eyes with a charming entrancement and sits right beside him as the bartender sets out the four shots between the two.

``So handsome, whats a place like you doing in a stud like this?'' he says softly, gazing fondly at Raph with a slightly predatory gaze.

Raph couldn't help but snort at the poor pick up line, setting his empty glass aside to grab a lime and a shot. ``My friends insisted I see some action on my second day out of the closet.''

``Wha? First day out as a gay man? Dear lord, the pressure is on then for good impressions. I guess the bad pick up line was not a good idea'', the young male's flushed up in embarrassment as he mimicked Raph's action and grabbing a lime and a shot for himself. In unison, they drink the shot and limes together, both cringing at the burn and sourness, laughing happily.

``That's ok. Cheesy pick up line help make this more relaxing. I'm glad to find that I'm someone's taste anyhow. I'm not sure how many people are actually into mutant turtles'', Raph joked as he work the second shot down, grinning softly.

``Probably the same amount that think a salamander/turtle hybrid is sexy and easy to play with'', Luca joked back, downing his last shot easily, nudging Raph playfully.

``Sounds rough.''

``You have no idea. Anyhow, where are your friends? I wanna thank whoever brought in the eye candy.'' Luca turned and looked through the crowd to see anyone that would know Raph.

``Don't bother, they left a few minutes ago under my request to let me relax and actually enjoy being hit on by other men'', the hot head chuckles and moved to order a new drink.

``So your alone now?! Oh hell no, barkeep! A bottle of Fireball Whiskey, a bottle of Bailey's caramel and two shot glasses please!!'' Luca slaps a couple of $20's on the counter to pay and tip the bartender as he pulls out the bottles. Snatching up the bottles, Luca motions Raph to follow him. Raph shrugs and grabs the shot glasses and follows Luca through the crowd to a guarded door.

``Hey Darling, can I just......?'' Luca sets a bottle to the side and slowly takes the tie off one of the body guards, grinning wide when the guard's cheek get a powder color on his cheeks but his expression remains neutral as he opens the door for Luca. ``Thanks Doll!! Common...'' Luca giggles giddily and drags Raph into the back, Raph blushing at how Luca looks from behind.

They slowly approach a door that was open slightly. Pushing in the hot head, Luca slides the tie on the doorknob and follows Raph in, shutting and locking the door. Turning in, the singer sets the bottles down and takes the shot glasses.

``To have a perfect evening here, you have to have my absolute favorite and the public special French Toast shot. One part Fireball and one part Bailey's......'' he murmurs softly as he pours the drinks, his tail flicking from side to side as he focuses before he turns and offers Raph the shot.

Studying the creamy liquid skeptically, Raph glanced at Luca curiously to see him down his shot with complete ease. Shrugging, Raph down's his as well. Eyes widen in shock as the burn in his throat his cooled by cream, the combination tasting exactly like liquid french toast with the burn of alcohol.

``What the shell??!! That was french toast!!''

``I told you!'' Luca laughed at his reaction and turned to make two more shots before handing him his glass again, the singer's cheeks flushing slightly from the alcohol. Together, they downed more and more of the liquid breakfast treat before Luca was laughing his ass off and Raph was chuckling humorously, only mildly drunk when the singer was slammed drunk.

``C-can I tell you......*snort* that I've never d-drunk with `nother person from here `fore? *hic* Like, I've drank here `fore but I've never go'en this drunk `fore'', Luca giggled as he sloshed his drink against Raph after tipping over and landing on his side, laughing loudly at the spill.

``And why is that? Don't hang out with that many people?'' Raph chuckled as he helps Luca sit on the couch properly, ignoring the spill on his tank for now.

``I don't like people......people are so clingy and needy....They don't ask what Luca wants....I feel safe with you, even though I just met you'' the singer snorted and leaned against Raph as his words slurred. ``You smell really good~''

Flushing at the compliment, Raph scratched at his cheek sheepishly and smiles at the small lizard. ``You smell good too. Like cinnamon.''

``That's because of these.''

Sluggishly, Luca fished through his pants and pulled out a small box containing toothpicks. The label said tea tree therapy toothpicks, cinnamon flavored.

``Trying to quick smoking.....'', the drunk slurred tiredly, glaring at the picks before pulling one out and slips it between his soft lips, the strong scent of cinnamon radiating off the pick and his breath into Raph nose.

``That might be a good idea'', the hot head chuckled softly, blushing hard at the smell. Shivering slightly, he starts to pull away, noticing that Luca was starting to doze.

``Where are you goin'?''

``I'm calling it a night. You are very drunk and should sleep it off'', Raph chuckled softly at the drunk that tried to stay awake.

``W-wait.....'' Luca groaned and rolled off the couch, falling onto the floor with a grunt. He slowly starts to get up, groaning weakly as he crawls over to a desk, giving a Raph a great view of his ass and muscled thighs. Reaching onto the desk blindly, Luca feels around before wrapping his fingers around a sharpie and slowly stands up, shakily walking over to Raph.

Swallowing thickly, Luca grabs Raph's arm and yanks it towards him, scribbling on his hand in barely legible handwriting his name and number. ``I have two more shows this *hic* week, and then I'm free for the weekend. Call me, Raphael.''

Eyes wide at what just happened, all Raph could do was nod, watching as Luca grins a dopey drunk smile before collapsing on the couch, the marker falling out of his grasp and rolling uselessly onto the floor. Shaking his head at the graceless fall, the hot head stands and adjust the sleeping hybrid into a more comfortable position, throwing a blanket over his back and slides a pillow under his head. Snatching up the marker, Raph decides to write his name and number onto Luca's hand as well to help him remember the night before slipping out the door and flicking off the light.

Chuckling to himself, Raph slowly saunters out of the dance studio, humming one of the tunes that Luca sang earlier that evening......

``.......Let's make tonight you won't remember........I'll be the one you won't forget......''

XXXX

This is part of a series I've written with more stunning art work. Let me know what you guys think and I'll post more here. Also, the art is by @yukarishii

#tmnt raphael #tmnt mikey #tmnt donatello #tmnt 2003 #tmnt #tmnt leonardo #tmnt april #occharacter #singer&thebeast

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get-a-new-lease-on-life · 7 years ago

Text

Amber O’Brien and Mercy Ross: Awkward Friends Bond Awkwardly

Excerpts from “A New Lease on Life” and “Gallery of Memories”

“Oi, Blundie!” The sudden call at Mercy’s back startled her, but the speaker’s appearance was even more surprising—short and pudgy with frizzy rust-brown hair in pigtails and a bright, crooked grin that seemed all upper teeth. Mercy had seen the girl before—had been assigned to the same classes with her since Kindergarten—but neither had ever made any effort to make an acquaintance. After all, Mercy was shy and the other girl was hard to understand. “Kin I set'ere, mibbe?”

“Who’s askin’?” Mercy frowned down into her lunchbox, hoping the other wouldn’t see how red her eyes were. Their class was on a field trip, after all, a day trip to a larger town’s science museum—she was supposed to be having fun, not crying over bullies!

“Ah’m Amber O'Brine,” the green-eyed second-grader answered thickly helping herself to the nearest empty chair regardless. “Dinnae mind those dolts nae mair, ‘ey’re coarsin’ ya 'cause'ey’re feart'a ya. 'ey cannae handle a girl wit’ class, ya knuw?”

While Mercy struggled to decipher what she heard, the group of kids at the nearest table—the rude brats from another school who’d teased Mercy relentlessly for wearing a dress on a field trip—started catcalling at the brunette and mocking her thick foreign burr. “Haw!” She shouted back. “Stew it ya clarty toonsers! Yer all honkin'a smawg!” Without missing a beat, she turned back to Mercy, offering her chubby hand with a bright smile. “Dingy tha dafties , 'ey need a kip. Friends?”**

“Like I’ gotta choice?” Mercy mumbled still trying to figure out what Amber said.

Delirious and red as a beet, Donatello stumbled out the door, drifting vaguely toward the empty lab mumbling unintelligibly under his breath. Amber and Mercy watched his retreat, one amused, one bewildered.

“Was it something I said?” Amber asked Mercy, finally turning to meet the blonde’s grey-blue eyes. Mercy shot her a 'we are not amused’ deadpan and jabbed her thumb at the space behind her; taking the hint, Amber returned to her place, taking up the comb and scissors again.

“Nope,” Mercy answered dryly as chunks of matted blonde hair fell all around her; good riddance, she thought. “You just blew his mind, that’s all…an’ if his brain’s as big as you say it is, you may'a just triggered another Chernobyl.”

“Hey!” Amber retorted, shaking the comb at her. “I was nowhere near Chernobyl when the meltdown happened, thank ya very much!”

“Only 'cuz ya weren’t born yet,” Mercy teased back. Amber couldn’t help but grin; she’d missed the playful banter with Aaron and Mercy so much it was ridiculous. She couldn’t have Aaron, but maybe with Mercy, at least, her new life would be a little easier. Should the words cross her lips, though, she knew her friend would become uncomfortable, so she settled for a more accepted response: insulting her.

“Face forward,” she ordered with a smirk and a light slap to the back of the blonde’s head, “or I swear ta bog, I will give you the world’s saddest mullet."

The door swung shut on a silent, still bathroom; Amber and Mercy stood staring at the steel panel door, questioning what just happened. Finally, Amber broke the silence.

"Did he just…” Mercy nodded.

“Yup,” she answered blankly. “He did.”

“Donatello just Howl’s Moving Castle’d me?!” Amber squeaked at her friend, her normally low voice painfully shrill. “For real?!” Finally getting a hold of herself, Mercy smirked back.

“Leave it to you to turn a movie title into a verb,” she teased, then added in a sing-song tone, “He thinks yer gorgeous,”

“ACK!” Amber flinched, swatting at her friend.

“He’s got a turtle crush!”

“Mercy!”

“You wanna kiss'im,” Mercy taunted as Amber chased her around the bathroom with the scissors. “You wanna hug'im, you wanna love'im—”

“Ya wanna DIE, DON’T YOU?!”

“You’re certainly takin’ this well, Merse,” Amber commented off-handedly as she set aside her glass and took up the knife again. “Ya’d think you were in another city rather than another world.”

“Meh,” Mercy retorted as she sliced a stalk of celery into strips. “Yer over-reactin’ enough fer both of us, I reckon; freakin’ out over everythin’ ain’t gonna help any.” Amber shrugged, the smooth slide of knife through meat calming in its familiarity. “Ain’t ya worried this’ll screw things up?” The sudden query startled Amber from her near-trance, and she fastened confused green eyes on her lifelong friend.

“Huh?” she uttered. “Screw things up how?” Mercy rolled her eyes and tossed a stem of celery leaves at her face. “Hey, don’t waste that! I dry those for soup!”

“Nerd. Findin’ ourselves in their world, events changin’, plots shiftin’ to revolve around us, any'a that ring a bell?” Mercy snarked. “We could be screwin’ up the timeline just by bein’ here.” Amber stared back, wide-eyed and silent; a flush spread from her cheekbones outward. “Didn’t think'a that, did ya?”

“Well…” she admitted with a sheepish smile. “…not…really, no. Never occurred to me.” The blonde scoffed, tempted to chuck another piece of celery at her.

“It’s official,” she deadpanned. “The fanfiction addict fails at fanfiction.”

“Ya serious, ain’t'cha?” Raphael asked, golden eyes wide in disbelief. “Ya think—ya think I gotta chance with Merse?” He winced, suddenly glancing out the door as though hearing footsteps nearing. Amber didn’t comprehend Raph’s reaction and jumped upright when the blonde herself stormed through the kitchen into the utility room, covered head-to-toe in potting soil, mulch, peat, and clay dust and gently cradling a naked jalapeno plant like a newborn.

“God-fuckin’-dammit!” Mercy snarled as she yanked out stashed supplies—a large basin, another planter, a more securely tied harness, a ladle, bags of dirt, mulch, and peat moss—and proceeded to replant the evicted vegetable with a gentleness that didn’t match her loud temper tantrum. “I TOL’ Mike that hanger wa'n’t tight enough! I TOL'im it was gonna slip if any'un bumped it!” As she worked on repairing the damage she continued bitching and griping but drifted further and further from intelligible complaints and into random expletives too slurred and butchered to discern their origin. Raph stared wide-eyed across the table at Amber, who shrugged.

“She’s a lil’ protective'a the green stuff,” she stage-whispered.

“I heard that, Dillweed!” Mercy snapped, ducking her head around the doorframe long enough to shoot her friend a venomous scowl. “'at chucklehead Mikey’ better be protective of'is BALLS, 'cuz I’m'a smash'em!” As though finally noticing his presence, she quirked a smirk at Raph. “Oh, hey Asshat.” Without further ado, she returned to remedying the situation. Wide Hazel eyes met amused green ones over the table.

“That answer your question?” Amber teased lowly snagging the Scotch bottle to top off his glass. “This one’s on me—you’ll need it.”

By the time Amber finally got up the nerve to meet Mercy in the railyard she was quaking in Kimber’s hoochie boots and dreading the tongue-lashing to come. “H—Hello?” she called out inching through the doorway.

“I take it you two idjits finally made up?” Mercy drawled behind her sending her through the roof again. Amber whipped about wondering how Mercy was managing to sneak up on her so often. Was the blonde taking lessons in ninja from Raph?

“Eh…” She faltered, avoiding her friend’s eyes. “…mibbe?” Mercy paced toward her like a cougar stalking a wounded deer, her blue eyes hard.

“I remember that smell, ya twat,” she pointed out dryly, “an’ I highly doubt you an’ Sir Geeks-a-lot had angry sex in the pantry.”

“There was no sex!” Amber blurted out. “We—It just—Gah!” she burst out and yanked on her braid again. “We just got carried away, but there was no sex, no nudity, no missing clothes even!” The blonde stared her down, scrutinizing her expression for any sign of a lie. “In my defense, I ain’t gotten laid since April of 2011!” The moment the year was out of her mouth, Amber paled and her jaw dropped, the year difference finally hitting her. She left behind the year 2011 and woke up in 2016—did she seriously endure a five-year dry spell in Limbo?! No wonder she nearly screwed Donnie against the pantry shelves!

“So ya just humped against the Heineken,” Mercy summarized bluntly. Amber winced but nodded. “Good thing I don’t drink that shit. 'Bout time you two quit fightin'—I was gettin’ sick'a chewin’ ya both out all the time.”

“S-Sorry,” Bree mumbled in embarrassment, scrubbing her cheeks dry. Honestly, she just met this Amber person and already she spent twenty minutes crying on her. “I—”

“Oi, don’t go beatin’ yerself up,” Amber chastised gently. “Us lahssies gotta stick together, right?” Through the utility room doorway, she heard Mercy whistle and holler,

“Heeeere, Lassie—C'mere girl!”

“Haw!” Amber fired back at the cackling blonde. “Put a sock in it, ya bleach blonde!” Bree stared at Amber like she just grew antlers, seeming to have forgotten her embarrassment and sadness; mission accomplished.

“Lassies?” Bree repeated in confusion, one brown eyebrow disappearing behind her bangs. “You’re Irish?” Amber laughed aloud at the thought; her Gran'da would have turned red and sputtered oaths at the thought.

“Hardly, Hardy. Mum’s family’s from Scotland, some of it stuck.” The younger woman sat silently contemplating things for a bit, then admitted something aloud.

“Mikey was right.”

“Pardon?” Bree blushed slightly but gave a sheepish smile.

“He wasn’t allowed to tell his family about us, but he told me all about you guys…he said you’re compassionate and unfiltered, Mercy’s sarcastic and bristly, and that you’re both a riot and prone to spontaneously insulting each other.” Amber chuckled into her coffee at the thought.

“That’s us a'right,” she admitted. “We’ve been friends too long to take each other seriously.”

“That’d imply I take anyone seriously,” Mercy snarked bustling through the door. Just shy of the table she turned a shit-eating grin to Amber. “What’s wrong, Lassie? Is Timmy in the well?”

“Bite me, Blundie.” Mischief managed, the blonde held her dirt-stained hand out to Bree with a lopsided smirk.

“Mercy Ross, professional plant nut; looks like ya a'ready met the crazy Celt.” Bree couldn’t help smiling as she accepted the handshake.

“Actually, Mike said you’re both a little crazy…crazy can be fun, though, right?” Noticing Amber’s gaze drift toward the pantry, Mercy gave a suggestive eyebrow waggle. A dark blush streaked from the brunette’s nose outward and she suddenly became utterly fascinated with the lip gloss print on her coffee mug.

“You’ve gotta be a little crazy to keep up with this crowd,” Donnie pointed out as he strode toward the coffee maker, a dimpled smirk splitting his face. “Welcome to the family, Briallen.”

From the moment Mercy led Leonardo into the Dojo, he was bullish and impatient. Now, after being warned that he was babying Beverly, he was beyond irate. “I’m not being overprotective,” he insisted sternly. “You don’t know her—you don’t know the sort of challenges she’s faced, or what she has trouble with! How could you even begin to believe you’d understand what’s called for and what’s excessive?”

“No, Ass-Breath, I don’t know her,” the blonde grumbled at him. “Other'n what ya’ve told us, I dunno a damn thing about 'er, but it don’t take knowin’ someone to see the obvious. She’s feelin’ stifled, I kin guarantee it.”

“And on what are you basing this assumption?” he demanded staring her down. “Your addiction?!”

“Fracture in L3 and L2,” Mercy recited in an almost deadpan, “surgically fused to L1 an’ L4. Stable fracture in right kneecap. Four ribs bruised, two cracked. Hairline fracture in left hip socket. Nerve damage in back surroundin’ fractured vertebrae. An’ on top of that,” she added with a stern glare, “three years restricted to a cane, four years 'a torture disguised as physical therapy, an’ a whoppin’ eleven years 'a pain management an’ opiate pain pills.” For a few breaths, Leonardo just stared at her in disbelief, then he stated,

“You lost me.” Denim blue eyes rolled, their owner heaving an exasperated sigh.

“I’m saying I’ been in yer shoes, Dumbass,” she clarified shortly. “I’ seen what happens when ya get too careful with those ya care about. That braided lunatic,” she called out loudly enough to be heard in the kitchen, “thought it’d be fun ta jump in front of a bus!” Sure enough, Amber hollered out from the kitchen,

“Oi! I was hit by a van in the crosswalk—there’s a difference!”

“How’s the GED goin’ Scotch-Bright?” Mercy asked around her pizza crust

“Slowly,” Amber admitted. “I still suck at algebra an’ apparently I peeved-off the instructor today.” She answered Donnie’s questioning glance with a shrug. “What? It’s not my fault the test he wrote up had more spelling and grammar errors than a kindergartner’s Christmas list. I just corrected'em.”

“Grammar Nazi,” Mercy accused pointing a fork at her.

Three women walked into a bar: a spunky brunette, a skinny blonde, and a sulking woman with greying brown hair. It sounded like the beginning of a bad joke, but none of the women were laughing—they were there for one reason and one reason only.

“You’re sure you wanna go through with this?” Bree asked Amber softly as a waitress approached. “It might be easier to go through with sober.” The older woman just nodded; she had incredibly high pain tolerance, but this was a whole 'nother ball game.

“What can I getcha?” the waitress chirped, and Mercy sent the other two a scrutinizing glance.

“I’ll just take sweet tea—no booze,” she answered, and Bree seconded the request. “This one, however,” she added slinging one skinny arm around Amber’s shoulders and triggering an embarrassed blush. “We need'a get'er smashed. She’s a Scotch-snob—any suggestions?” Not long after, the chipper waitress returned with a tray of drinks, two completely innocent and one absolutely reeking of what smelled like several varieties of alcohol. The stench curled Amber’s nose hairs and made her stomach throw tantrums…but if it did the trick, wouldn’t that be worth it?

“If this kills me,” she warned Mercy dryly, “I’m'a haunt yer ass.”

“'long as I don’t wind up spewin’ pea soup. Chug it a'ready—it stinks.”

“Pea soup’s possession, Dingbat,” Amber grumbled, fixing the glass with a suspicious and wary glare. “Well,” she muttered lifting it to her lip, “Down the hatch, be ready to catch.” The first tentative sip made her choke, and she had to force herself to swallow. “Dear God!” she rasped staring down at the glass in horror. “'is shit tastes like Tussin!”

“Tough noodles,” Mercy drawled. “We’ve got twenty minutes to get you hammered—grow a pair an’ hurry up.”

Maybe there was something to be said for facing things sober after all…

A loud scuffling at the front door drew Donatello from his ruminations. The Lab floor was no longer mined with bits and pieces from the control box, but he hadn’t had the heart to move on beyond that point yet. Hoping and dreading the source of the racket outside, he hurried to the door and popped his head out to look…only to gape in absolute disbelief.

Amber was back—clearly just shy of drunk and leaning on Mercy for support. The blonde led her inebriated friend to her and Donnie’s bedroom, kicked the door open, and they disappeared inside. Confused, he followed, listening in on the hushed conversation.

“Nez-time,” Amber slurred as Mercy eased her down onto the bed, “I’m'a stay sober fer-it—tha’ wiz crap…”

“No one said it’d be easy,” Mercy reminded bluntly dragging the trashcan over by the bed for easy access. “Don’t think I’ve ever seen ya drunk—this’s hilarious.”

“’m no’ drunk,” Amber argued sourly. “’m fuggin’ blootert!” Without further ado, the wasted brunette passed out completely.

“I’m'a just pretend I know whatcha said.”

“So how’s work going?” April groaned in annoyance, picking at her pizza crust.

“My new boss is a tyrant,” she grumbled in answer to Donatello’s question. Every time April and her fellow reporters took a story on-air, it had to be written up before hand, and the 'big boss’ was a complete grammar Nazi. “She chewed me out for a ridiculous typo today—said 'if you can’t properly spell 'Bronx’ maybe you should go work there.’ Auto-correct is gonna get me fired.”

“Hey, I thought you were workin’ at the pizza parlor!” Mercy teased Amber. “When’d ya take up journalism, Grammar Nazi?”

“I didn’t,” Amber answered with mock offense; if she was April’s boss, she wouldn’t be dodging cars to deliver pizza. “Hence the pizza sauce on your chin…Messy.” Instead of embarrassing the blonde, however, the remark just made her turn to Raphael and point at her face in a hint; sure enough, the burly ninja swiped the trace of sauce away and sucked it off his finger, intentionally holding eye contact with the blushing blonde. “Oi! Some of us are eatin’ here, ya horndogs!”

“Not my problem,” Mercy teased a little too breathlessly, completely ignoring Casey’s cringe and Splinter’s dirty looks.

“You're…yer invitin’ us to come with the family?” Amber asked Casey in disbelief. “You - You’ll let us come stay with y'all in Northampton for the trip? But–"

"Yer not Kimbuh Bryant, right?” Casey cut her off avoiding her eyes in favor of his plate. “You an’ Blondie ain’t gonna hurt anyone, an’ yer part of the family now, right? Why shouldn’t ya come along? It’s just a weekend.�� He winced at April’s elbow to the ribs, then added with an awkward pacifying smile, “Dis one, at least. Maybe once we’ve all gotten used ta one another, we can take longer trips.”

Amber turned wistful, watery eyes to Donnie; sure enough, he winked at her in confirmation of his interference, and the hand on her thigh squeezed again. When she spoke again, her voice was hoarse and her smile weak. “We’d love to go with y'all,” she admitted quickly glancing at Mercy for confirmation only to cringe at the sight of the blonde trying to feed Raphael a breadstick. Surely that wasn’t meant to look suggestive…right? Amber needed to get laid before everything around her started looking sexual!

“One question,” Mercy asked brusquely, took a bite off the breadstick she just shared with Raph, chewed thoughtfully and swallowed. “Are there cows? It ain’t the country if there’s no cows.”

“Da neighbors got cows,” Casey answered blankly. “An’ chickens…an’ I think dey- even gotta donkey. Why?”

“Well, strap me to the luggage rack an’ hit the road,” Mercy grinned. She missed her family’s livestock—missed being around cows, especially—and if she hadn’t been already convinced by the 'weekend in the country,’ the cows sealed the deal. She loved cows, after all… “Don’t bother settin’ up a place in the attic fer Scotch-bright, though—she’s sleepin’ with the nerd.” Amber choked on her iced tea and Donatello had to start whacking her on the back to clear her lungs.

“Mercy!” the brunette objected shrilly, her voice hoarse from the tea she inhaled.

“What?” the blonde asked her embarrassed friend with feigned confusion as Casey sputtered in disbelief. “Y'are.” Amber hid her face in her hand, sure it was turning as purple as Donnie’s mask. “Better lock the pantry, too, Case—those two’re deviants.”

Amber swatted blindly at the source of the tickling on her nose, growling under her breath. When her eyes finally opened—shooting daggers over her being woken up—she registered Mercy Ross leaning over the back of the bench seat before her, grinning like a lunatic and holding the end of one of her braids. Clearly, she was tickling Amber’s nose with it to wake her up. “Gi'off, Blundie,”- Amber grumbled at the blonde, yanking her hair loose and settling herself more comfortably in the nook of the van’s back seat and the wall.

“Ya slept the whole trip, Scotch-Bright,” Mercy teased with a toothy smile. “We’re at the farmhouse—the guys’ve already carried everything inside, even.” Amber blinked at the revelation, wondering how she could have slept through an entire car ride with Casey and April—specifically Casey’s road rage and bitching or April’s crazy driving. “C'mon in a'ready.”

Still a little out-of-sorts because of her strange dream, Amber collected her carry-on and unbuckled, stretched the kinks out of her spine, and stoop-walked her way from the backseat of the van to the sliding door. She hit the ground with a stumble, shook herself as though to wake herself up more, and took in her surroundings. Mercy hopped down from the van’s middle seat with much more grace than her still-half-asleep friend. The two stood silently for a moment, staring at the big red barn before them. “If that’s the farmhouse, I’m callin’ bullshite.”

“The house is behind us, Genius,” Mercy laughed, swatting at Amber and leading the way around the van. As she rounded Casey’s old van, the farmhouse came into view—old and rustic, but not quite as big as she’d expected. "Speakin’ of freaky dreams,“ Mercy teased jabbing Amber in the side, "Casey said this place has a pantry.” Predictably incensed by the taunt, Amber swatted at the blonde, her face red.

“Hey, you two,” Casey called out from the doorway. “If yer comin’ in, behave yerselves!”

“What if I don’t wanna behave?” Mercy shot back, and Casey rolled his eyes. “What? Well-behaved women rarely make history, right O'Brien?” Amber rolled her eyes and stumbled past her without a word. “Wait…I smell cows!—Jason, ya said yer neighbors have cows, right?” Before Casey could correct her or answer her, the blonde took off like a shot to seek out her quarry.

Dinner was just like any other dinner the odd family shared—Mercy and Raphael flirted outrageously to annoy the rest, Mikey talked almost non-stop, Leo shot his brothers reprimanding looks over lapses in manners, and everyone ate far more than they should have. The only unusual occurrence was Amber repeatedly squirming and shifting in her seat as though favoring a sore buttock. Leo refused to contemplate the reason, after having run into the guilty couple earlier, and pointedly ignored her blushing and the creaking of her chair. Unfortunately, someone didn’t get the message.

“You okay, Sis?” Michelangelo asked after yet another loud creak; in her embarrassment, the brunette dropped her fork onto her plate with a loud clatter and tried to cover up her embarrassment by taking a long swig of water. Red-faced with embarrassment, she nodded in answer and tried to focus on her casserole. Misinterpreting her reaction, Mikey turned a glare on Donnie, completely missing the brainy turtle’s horrified expression. “Bruh, I told ya you need'a bug-bomb that loft,” the youngest scolded. “Somethin’ probably bit her!”

Amber choked on her water and started hacking it back out of her lungs; though he’d normally assist by whacking her on the back, Donnie just stared at his brother in silent horror. “We don’t need Sis turnin’ into Spider-Dudette over some radioactive spider bite from your mad-sciency stuff out there,” Mikey continued uncontested despite Leo kicking him under the table. “That kinda stuff never works out well, even in comics!” Still coughing and beating her chest, Amber screeched her chair back from the table and rushed out of the room before she embarrassed herself further.

Mercy glared at her friend’s retreating back. She recalled the suspicious tooth-marks on Amber’s wrist not too long ago…and she suspected this was another such incident. Grinning slyly, she hollered out the door at the fleeing woman, “Didja at least bite it back?” A gruff curse rang out on the stairs in reply, and Mercy noticed that Donnie was practically purple in the face; she silently interpreted this as a 'yeah, she did.’ Meanwhile, Mikey continued on in his tangent about radioactive spider-bites being a menace to public safety and started listing off the first signs of having been bitten by a radioactive spider. Leo wouldn’t look at anyone and he seemed to have lost his appetite.

Mercy turned to Raph, glanced pointedly at the mortified genius and Amber’s empty chair, then shot her boyfriend a suggestive eyebrow waggle. Raph, easily following her train of thought, cringed in disgust and elbowed her in the side. Supposedly oblivious to the tension filling the room and not connecting the dots for himself, Mikey continued his rant unhindered.

At least, Leo considered as he stared down his half-empty plate, Amber and Donnie were stinking up the barn’s loft this time instead of the pantry.

Amber storms into the shabby kitchen like a woman on a mission, only to stop dead at the counter and dig through the cooler on the floor. As every time before, she is faced with the painful truth that she forgot the Scotch…as every time before, she feels torn between tears and sarcasm. “Why’s the rum always gone?” she mumbles pathetically.

“Ye drank it awl, Jack,”# Mercy snarks through the open window startling her. “Ye an’ yer damn peanuts!” As her heart rate calms, Amber grins,

“Finally, someone who gets me! Where’ve ya been all my life?”

“Straight an’ surrounded by cows,” Mercy teases ducking through the kitchen door. “Fortunately for you, Pretty-Boy stocks actual rum—says'e makes a mean mojito.” The blonde shrugs noncommittally. “Wouldn’t touch it with a twenty-foot pole wit'a stick on th'end, but I don’t drink.” Amber smirks at the mental image of Mercy jousting with a living mojito and turns to dig a glass out of the cupboard.

“Don’t really wanna drink,” she admits as she draws tea from the jug on the windowsill. “Jus’ miss home again…miss when things actually made some farkin’ sense.”

“More farkin’ sense than Donnie bangin’ that heap'a bolts instead'a you?” Mercy suggests slyly, her denim blue eyes grinning as widely as her lips. Amber slumps down at the counter, almost missing the barstool.

“I think yer filter broke, Merse,” she suggests dryly. “Yer startin’ to talk like me.”

“Blame Raph” Mercy shrugs drawing a glass of tea for herself and downing it in a single breath. “He’s not one fer holdin'is tongue, an’ don’t see why I do…filters’re overrated anyway.”

There’s something freeing about belting out music as horribly as one can, and Donnie’s become rather fond of his and Amber’s impromptu song-murdering sessions. Crammed into her usual shower stall like sardines in a can, the couple serenade the presumably empty bathroom with completely god-awful acapella singing, one with a goofy grin and the other with a washcloth covering his cartilage-shielded ears. Some days that washcloth is the only thing standing between him and total hearing loss.

“One night in Bangkok makes the hard man humble - Not much between despair and ecstasy! One night in Bangkok and the tough guys tumble - Can’t be too careful with your company - I can feel the devil walking next to me!” By the time they’ve effectively slaughtered the entire song, they couldn’t keep a straight face to save their lives; they break down laughing at themselves and each other. “Yer brothers probably think we’re torturing a cat,” Amber wheezes as she rinses the coconut-scented suds out of her hair.

“Nah,” Donnie teases openly watching the bubbles trail down her slick skin. “Mikey’s singing on the other hand…”

“Will you two shut up a'ready?!” Raphael’s sudden outburst—coming from the furthest stall—makes the couple flinch. Amber’s cheeks flare scarlet at being caught showering with her mate. “It’s too damn early fer dis!” Donnie opens his mouth to fire back a retort, but another voice cuts him off.

“If yer awake enough ta bitch,” Mercy reminds Raph in a tone dripping with sarcasm, “yer awake enough to scrub my back. Shut up an’ do yer job!” Hazel meets grey-green, both pairs of eyes torn between horror and embarrassment. Somehow they never heard Raph or Mercy enter the bathroom…or guessed that they weren’t the only couple prone to sharing the shower in the morning. Some things, they decide with a mutual nod, are better left unheard.

“Hi!” an all-too chipper voice interrupts Amber’s daydreaming. She startles, turning to greet the speaker, her left hand deep in her purse clenched around her can of mace; old habits die hard, especially old habits born from being stalked by crazy Purple Dragon punks. The source, a perky blonde co-ed leaning over the counter of the perfume and cosmetics hub, puts Amber’s mind somewhat at ease. The much younger woman’s big blue eyes are eager behind her oversized glasses and the tops of her likely padded breasts are nearly spilling out over the neckline of her pink baby-doll tee. “Have you ever considered trying a new fragrance? Maybe a little something to attract a man to your life?” It takes everything Amber’s got to keep her impending 'why me?’ face from surfacing, but she manages. She’s a lone woman loitering by the wedding ring display; naturally, everyone’s going to assume she’s a bitter single person.

“Thanks for your concern, Hon,” Amber remarks carefully, raising her hand from her purse to show off her clearly occupied ring finger, “but I really don’t need another one. I’m just bored stiff waiting for my friends.”

“Well, let’s get you unbored!” the clerk chirps excitedly—clearly too horrified by Amber’s bare face and lack of perfume to accept the 'no.’ What follows can be best described as a long, frustrating exercise in patience. No, she doesn’t wear makeup and doesn’t want to wear makeup—it irritates her skin. No, she isn’t interested in any so-called 'hypoallergenic’ makeup, it’s not worth the hassle. Yes, she’s sure. Yes, she’s happy not wearing perfume, the stuff stinks and her 'husband’ has 'chemical sensitivities.’ The last one she has to do some serious BS-ing on. Donnie’s not shown any signs of chemical sensitivities, unlike Mercy, but he and his brothers all have incredibly sensitive noses; a light scent might be strong enough to give him a migraine.

“Look…Zephyr, is it?” Amber points out irritably after glancing at the clerk’s nametag. “I’m not in the market for any makeup, perfume, or whatever—I’m just here because my smart-ass friend got lost in the fitting room.” Zephyr stares vacantly at her, her big empty blue eyes bright behind her dramatically sweeping blonde bangs, seemingly unable to comprehend that her company isn’t wanted. Amber casts her eyes about, frantic for escape, and finally one appears - a flower-decked poster advertising hypoallergenic perfume. “Then again…” Well, if it got Zephyr to look away long enough for her to retreat, it might work. “I don’t suppose that brand has anything really light and tropical, maybe with mango and coconut?” Though she intended to stump the clerk by asking for something unlikely, she quickly realizes she instead presented a challenge. Blue eyes brighter than ever, Zephyr ducks down to dig through the glass case then pops right back up, presenting a bottle of perfume like one would present an Oscar.

“It’s called Island Escape!” she giggles completely missing Amber’s crestfallen expression. Well, that didn’t work! “The fragrance is based around fresh mangos and mandarin oranges with notes of coconut and papaya and just the slightest hint of passion fruit!” Before Amber can even get a word out, Zephyr sprays into the tiny cap and holds it out for her to sniff…as though she could even smell a skunk over the stench from the rest of the perfume.

“What smells good?” Mercy pipes up behind Amber startling her. “Usually this counter stinks like a French hooker.” The brunette chokes back her laughter and turns nearly purple, both at Mercy’s complete lack of a filter and Zephyr’s disappointed pout. Seemingly not realizing she said anything off-color, Mercy ducks forward to tentatively sniff at the cap offered, and blinks in surprise. “Hey, that’s you!” she points out to Amber with a grin. “Y'ought'a try that!”

Great…now she has two pushy blondes trying to force perfume on her.

Friends like those two can really make your life a mess, but boy is worth it!

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ghost-chance · 7 years ago

Text

Amber O'Brien and Mercy Ross: awkward friends bond awkwardly.

"Oi, Blundie!" The sudden call at Mercy's back startled her, but the speaker's appearance was even more surprising—short and pudgy with frizzy rust-brown hair in pigtails and a bright, crooked grin that seemed all upper teeth. Mercy had seen the girl before—had been assigned to the same classes with her since Kindergarten—but neither had ever made any effort to make an acquaintance. After all, Mercy was shy and the other girl was hard to understand. "Kin I set'ere, mibbe?"

"Who's askin'?" Mercy frowned down into her lunchbox, hoping the other wouldn't see how red her eyes were. Their class was on a field trip, after all, a day trip to a larger town's science museum—she was supposed to be having fun, not crying over bullies!

"Ah'm Amber O'Brine," the green-eyed second-grader answered thickly helping herself to the nearest empty chair regardless. "Dinnae mind those dolts nae mair, 'ey're coarsin' ya 'cause'ey're feart'a ya. 'ey cannae handle a girl wit' class, ya knuw?"

While Mercy struggled to decipher what she heard, the group of kids at the nearest table—the rude brats from another school who'd teased Mercy relentlessly for wearing a dress on a field trip—started catcalling at the brunette and mocking her thick foreign burr. "Haw!" She shouted back. "Stew it ya clarty toonsers! Yer all honkin'a smawg!" Without missing a beat, she turned back to Mercy, offering her chubby hand with a bright smile. "Dingy tha dafties , 'ey need a kip. Friends?"**

"Like I' gotta choice?" Mercy mumbled still trying to figure out what Amber said.

"Was it something I said?" Amber asked Mercy, finally turning to meet the blonde's grey-blue eyes. Mercy shot her a 'we are not amused' deadpan and jabbed her thumb at the space behind her; taking the hint, Amber returned to her place, taking up the comb and scissors again.

"Nope," Mercy answered dryly as chunks of matted blonde hair fell all around her; good riddance, she thought. "You just blew his mind, that's all…an' if his brain's as big as you say it is, you may'a just triggered another Chernobyl."

"Hey!" Amber retorted, shaking the comb at her. "I was nowhere near Chernobyl when the meltdown happened, thank ya very much!"

"Only 'cuz ya weren't born yet," Mercy teased back. Amber couldn't help but grin; she'd missed the playful banter with Aaron and Mercy so much it was ridiculous. She couldn't have Aaron, but maybe with Mercy, at least, her new life would be a little easier. Should the words cross her lips, though, she knew her friend would become uncomfortable, so she settled for a more accepted response: insulting her.

"Face forward," she ordered with a smirk and a light slap to the back of the blonde's head, "or I swear ta bog, I will give you the world's saddest mullet."

The door swung shut on a silent, still bathroom; Amber and Mercy stood staring at the steel panel door, questioning what just happened. Finally, Amber broke the silence.

"Did he just…" Mercy nodded.

"Yup," she answered blankly. "He did."

"Donatello just Howl's Moving Castle'd me?!" Amber squeaked at her friend, her normally low voice painfully shrill. "For real?!" Finally getting a hold of herself, Mercy smirked back.

"Leave it to you to turn a movie title into a verb," she teased, then added in a sing-song tone, "He thinks yer gorgeous,"

"ACK!" Amber flinched, swatting at her friend.

"He's got a turtle crush!"

"Mercy!"

"You wanna kiss'im," Mercy taunted as Amber chased her around the bathroom with the scissors. "You wanna hug'im, you wanna love'im—"

"Ya wanna DIE, DON'T YOU?!"

"You're certainly takin' this well, Merse," Amber commented off-handedly as she set aside her glass and took up the knife again. "Ya'd think you were in another city rather than another world."

"Meh," Mercy retorted as she sliced a stalk of celery into strips. "Yer over-reactin' enough fer both of us, I reckon; freakin' out over everythin' ain't gonna help any." Amber shrugged, the smooth slide of knife through meat calming in its familiarity. "Ain't ya worried this'll screw things up?" The sudden query startled Amber from her near-trance, and she fastened confused green eyes on her lifelong friend.

"Huh?" she uttered. "Screw things up how?" Mercy rolled her eyes and tossed a stem of celery leaves at her face. "Hey, don't waste that! I dry those for soup!"

"Nerd. Findin' ourselves in their world, events changin', plots shiftin' to revolve around us, any'a that ring a bell?" Mercy snarked. "We could be screwin' up the timeline just by bein' here." Amber stared back, wide-eyed and silent; a flush spread from her cheekbones outward. "Didn't think'a that, did ya?"

"Well..." she admitted with a sheepish smile. "…not…really, no. Never occurred to me." The blonde scoffed, tempted to chuck another piece of celery at her.

"It's official," she deadpanned. "The fanfiction addict fails at fanfiction."

"Ya serious, ain't'cha?" Raphael asked, golden eyes wide in disbelief. "Ya think—ya think I gotta chance with Merse?" He winced, suddenly glancing out the door as though hearing footsteps nearing. Amber didn't comprehend Raph's reaction and jumped upright when the blonde herself stormed through the kitchen into the utility room, covered head-to-toe in potting soil, mulch, peat, and clay dust and gently cradling a naked jalapeno plant like a newborn.

"God-fuckin'-dammit!" Mercy snarled as she yanked out stashed supplies—a large basin, another planter, a more securely tied harness, a ladle, bags of dirt, mulch, and peat moss—and proceeded to replant the evicted vegetable with a gentleness that didn't match her loud temper tantrum. "I TOL' Mike that hanger wa'n't tight enough! I TOL'im it was gonna slip if any'un bumped it!" As she worked on repairing the damage she continued bitching and griping but drifted further and further from intelligible complaints and into random expletives too slurred and butchered to discern their origin. Raph stared wide-eyed across the table at Amber, who shrugged.

"She's a lil' protective'a the green stuff," she stage-whispered.

"I heard that, Dillweed!" Mercy snapped, ducking her head around the doorframe long enough to shoot her friend a venomous scowl. "'at chucklehead Mikey' better be protective of'is BALLS, 'cuz I'm'a smash'em!" As though finally noticing his presence, she quirked a smirk at Raph. "Oh, hey Asshat." Without further ado, she returned to remedying the situation. Wide Hazel eyes met amused green ones over the table.

"That answer your question?" Amber teased lowly snagging the Scotch bottle to top off his glass. "This one's on me—you'll need it."

By the time Amber finally got up the nerve to meet Mercy in the railyard she was quaking in Kimber's hoochie boots and dreading the tongue-lashing to come. "H—Hello?" she called out inching through the doorway.

"I take it you two idjits finally made up?" Mercy drawled behind her sending her through the roof again. Amber whipped about wondering how Mercy was managing to sneak up on her so often. Was the blonde taking lessons in ninja from Raph?

"Eh…" She faltered, avoiding her friend's eyes. "…mibbe?" Mercy paced toward her like a cougar stalking a wounded deer, her blue eyes hard.

"I remember that smell, ya twat," she pointed out dryly, "an' I highly doubt you an' Sir Geeks-a-lot had angry sex in the pantry."

"There was no sex!" Amber blurted out. "We—It just—Gah!" she burst out and yanked on her braid again. "We just got carried away, but there was no sex, no nudity, no missing clothes even!" The blonde stared her down, scrutinizing her expression for any sign of a lie. "In my defense, I ain't gotten laid since April of 2011!" The moment the year was out of her mouth, Amber paled and her jaw dropped, the year difference finally hitting her. She left behind the year 2011 and woke up in 2016—did she seriously endure a five-year dry spell in Limbo?! No wonder she nearly screwed Donnie against the pantry shelves!

"So ya just humped against the Heineken," Mercy summarized bluntly. Amber winced but nodded. "Good thing I don't drink that shit. 'Bout time you two quit fightin'—I was gettin' sick'a chewin' ya both out all the time."

"S-Sorry," Bree mumbled in embarrassment, scrubbing her cheeks dry. Honestly, she just met this Amber person and already she spent twenty minutes crying on her. "I—"

"Oi, don't go beatin' yerself up," Amber chastised gently. "Us lahssies gotta stick together, right?" Through the utility room doorway, she heard Mercy whistle and holler,

"Heeeere, Lassie—C'mere girl!"

"Haw!" Amber fired back at the cackling blonde. "Put a sock in it, ya bleach blonde!" Bree stared at Amber like she just grew antlers, seeming to have forgotten her embarrassment and sadness; mission accomplished.

"Lassies?" Bree repeated in confusion, one brown eyebrow disappearing behind her bangs. "You're Irish?" Amber laughed aloud at the thought; her Gran'da would have turned red and sputtered oaths at the thought.

"Hardly, Hardy. Mum's family's from Scotland, some of it stuck." The younger woman sat silently contemplating things for a bit, then admitted something aloud.

"Mikey was right."

"Pardon?" Bree blushed slightly but gave a sheepish smile.

"He wasn't allowed to tell his family about us, but he told me all about you guys…he said you're compassionate and unfiltered, Mercy's sarcastic and bristly, and that you're both a riot and prone to spontaneously insulting each other." Amber chuckled into her coffee at the thought.

"That's us a'right," she admitted. "We've been friends too long to take each other seriously."

"That'd imply I take anyone seriously," Mercy snarked bustling through the door. Just shy of the table she turned a shit-eating grin to Amber. "What's wrong, Lassie? Is Timmy in the well?"

"Bite me, Blundie." Mischief managed, the blonde held her dirt-stained hand out to Bree with a lopsided smirk.

"Mercy Ross, professional plant nut; looks like ya a'ready met the crazy Celt." Bree couldn't help smiling as she accepted the handshake.

"Actually, Mike said you're both a little crazy…crazy can be fun, though, right?" Noticing Amber's gaze drift toward the pantry, Mercy gave a suggestive eyebrow waggle. A dark blush streaked from the brunette's nose outward and she suddenly became utterly fascinated with the lip gloss print on her coffee mug.

"You've gotta be a little crazy to keep up with this crowd," Donnie pointed out as he strode toward the coffee maker, a dimpled smirk splitting his face. "Welcome to the family, Briallen."

From the moment Mercy led Leonardo into the Dojo, he was bullish and impatient. Now, after being warned that he was babying Beverly, he was beyond irate. "I'm not being overprotective," he insisted sternly. "You don't know her—you don't know the sort of challenges she's faced, or what she has trouble with! How could you even begin to believe you'd understand what's called for and what's excessive?"

"No, Ass-Breath, I don't know her," the blonde grumbled at him. "Other'n what ya've told us, I dunno a damn thing about 'er, but it don't take knowin' someone to see the obvious. She's feelin' stifled, I kin guarantee it."

"And on what are you basing this assumption?" he demanded staring her down. "Your addiction?!"

"Fracture in L3 and L2," Mercy recited in an almost deadpan, "surgically fused to L1 an' L4. Stable fracture in right kneecap. Four ribs bruised, two cracked. Hairline fracture in left hip socket. Nerve damage in back surroundin' fractured vertebrae. An' on top of that," she added with a stern glare, "three years restricted to a cane, four years 'a torture disguised as physical therapy, an' a whoppin' eleven years 'a pain management an' opiate pain pills." For a few breaths, Leonardo just stared at her in disbelief, then he stated,

"You lost me." Denim blue eyes rolled, their owner heaving an exasperated sigh.

"I'm saying I' been in yer shoes, Dumbass," she clarified shortly. "I' seen what happens when ya get too careful with those ya care about. That braided lunatic," she called out loudly enough to be heard in the kitchen, "thought it'd be fun ta jump in front of a bus!" Sure enough, Amber hollered out from the kitchen,

"Oi! I was hit by a van in the crosswalk—there's a difference!"

"How's the GED goin' Scotch-Bright?" Mercy asked around her pizza crust

"Slowly," Amber admitted. "I still suck at algebra an' apparently I peeved-off the instructor today." She answered Donnie's questioning glance with a shrug. "What? It's not my fault the test he wrote up had more spelling and grammar errors than a kindergartner's Christmas list. I just corrected'em."

"Grammar Nazi," Mercy accused pointing a fork at her.

"You're sure you wanna go through with this?" Bree asked Amber softly as a waitress approached. "It might be easier to go through with sober." The older woman just nodded; she had incredibly high pain tolerance, but this was a whole 'nother ball game.

"What can I getcha?" the waitress chirped, and Mercy sent the other two a scrutinizing glance.

"I'll just take sweet tea—no booze," she answered, and Bree seconded the request. "This one, however," she added slinging one skinny arm around Amber's shoulders and triggering an embarrassed blush. "We need'a get'er smashed. She's a Scotch-snob—any suggestions?" Not long after, the chipper waitress returned with a tray of drinks, two completely innocent and one absolutely reeking of what smelled like several varieties of alcohol. The stench curled Amber's nose hairs and made her stomach throw tantrums…but if it did the trick, wouldn't that be worth it?

"If this kills me," she warned Mercy dryly, "I'm'a haunt yer ass."

"'long as I don't wind up spewin' pea soup. Chug it a'ready—it stinks."

"Pea soup's possession, Dingbat," Amber grumbled, fixing the glass with a suspicious and wary glare. "Well," she muttered lifting it to her lip, "Down the hatch, be ready to catch." The first tentative sip made her choke, and she had to force herself to swallow. "Dear God!" she rasped staring down at the glass in horror. "'is shit tastes like Tussin!"

"Tough noodles," Mercy drawled. "We've got twenty minutes to get you hammered—grow a pair an' hurry up."

Maybe there was something to be said for facing things sober after all…

A loud scuffling at the front door drew Donatello from his ruminations. The Lab floor was no longer mined with bits and pieces from the control box, but he hadn't had the heart to move on beyond that point yet. Hoping and dreading the source of the racket outside, he hurried to the door and popped his head out to look…only to gape in absolute disbelief.

Amber was back—clearly just shy of drunk and leaning on Mercy for support. The blonde led her inebriated friend to her and Donnie's bedroom, kicked the door open, and they disappeared inside. Confused, he followed, listening in on the hushed conversation.

"Nez-time," Amber slurred as Mercy eased her down onto the bed, "I'm'a stay sober fer-it—tha' wiz crap..."

"No one said it'd be easy," Mercy reminded bluntly dragging the trashcan over by the bed for easy access. "Don't think I've ever seen ya drunk—this's hilarious."

"'m no' drunk," Amber argued sourly. "'m fuggin' blootert!" Without further ado, the wasted brunette passed out completely.

"I'm'a just pretend I know whatcha said."

"So how's work going?" April groaned in annoyance, picking at her pizza crust.

"My new boss is a tyrant," she grumbled in answer to Donatello's question. Every time April and her fellow reporters took a story on-air, it had to be written up before hand, and the 'big boss' was a complete grammar Nazi. "She chewed me out for a ridiculous typo today—said 'if you can't properly spell 'Bronx' maybe you should go work there.' Auto-correct is gonna get me fired."

"Hey, I thought you were workin' at the pizza parlor!" Mercy teased Amber. "When'd ya take up journalism, Grammar Nazi?"

"I didn't," Amber answered with mock offense; if she was April's boss, she wouldn't be dodging cars to deliver pizza. "Hence the pizza sauce on your chin…Messy." Instead of embarrassing the blonde, however, the remark just made her turn to Raphael and point at her face in a hint; sure enough, the burly ninja swiped the trace of sauce away and sucked it off his finger, intentionally holding eye contact with the blushing blonde. "Oi! Some of us are eatin' here, ya horndogs!"

"Not my problem," Mercy teased a little too breathlessly, completely ignoring Casey's cringe and Splinter's dirty looks.

"You're…yer invitin' us to come with the family?" Amber asked Casey in disbelief. "You - You'll let us come stay with y'all in Northampton for the trip? But--"

"Yer not Kimbuh Bryant, right?" Casey cut her off avoiding her eyes in favor of his plate. "You an' Blondie ain't gonna hurt anyone, an' yer part of the family now, right? Why shouldn't ya come along? It's just a weekend." He winced at April's elbow to the ribs, then added with an awkward pacifying smile, "Dis one, at least. Maybe once we've all gotten used ta one another, we can take longer trips."

Amber turned wistful, watery eyes to Donnie; sure enough, he winked at her in confirmation of his interference, and the hand on her thigh squeezed again. When she spoke again, her voice was hoarse and her smile weak. "We'd love to go with y'all," she admitted quickly glancing at Mercy for confirmation only to cringe at the sight of the blonde trying to feed Raphael a breadstick. Surely that wasn't meant to look suggestive…right? Amber needed to get laid before everything around her started looking sexual!

"One question," Mercy asked brusquely, took a bite off the breadstick she just shared with Raph, chewed thoughtfully and swallowed. "Are there cows? It ain't the country if there's no cows."

"Da neighbors got cows," Casey answered blankly. "An' chickens…an' I think dey- even gotta donkey. Why?"

"Well, strap me to the luggage rack an' hit the road," Mercy grinned. She missed her family's livestock—missed being around cows, especially—and if she hadn't been already convinced by the 'weekend in the country,' the cows sealed the deal. She loved cows, after all… "Don't bother settin' up a place in the attic fer Scotch-bright, though—she's sleepin' with the nerd." Amber choked on her iced tea and Donatello had to start whacking her on the back to clear her lungs.

"Mercy!" the brunette objected shrilly, her voice hoarse from the tea she inhaled.

"What?" the blonde asked her embarrassed friend with feigned confusion as Casey sputtered in disbelief. "Y'are." Amber hid her face in her hand, sure it was turning as purple as Donnie's mask. "Better lock the pantry, too, Case—those two're deviants."

Amber swatted blindly at the source of the tickling on her nose, growling under her breath. When her eyes finally opened—shooting daggers over her being woken up—she registered Mercy Ross leaning over the back of the bench seat before her, grinning like a lunatic and holding the end of one of her braids. Clearly, she was tickling Amber's nose with it to wake her up. "Gi'off, Blundie,"- Amber grumbled at the blonde, yanking her hair loose and settling herself more comfortably in the nook of the van's back seat and the wall.

"Ya slept the whole trip, Scotch-Bright," Mercy teased with a toothy smile. "We're at the farmhouse—the guys've already carried everything inside, even." Amber blinked at the revelation, wondering how she could have slept through an entire car ride with Casey and April—specifically Casey's road rage and bitching or April's crazy driving. "C'mon in a'ready."

Still a little out-of-sorts because of her strange dream, Amber collected her carry-on and unbuckled, stretched the kinks out of her spine, and stoop-walked her way from the backseat of the van to the sliding door. She hit the ground with a stumble, shook herself as though to wake herself up more, and took in her surroundings. Mercy hopped down from the van's middle seat with much more grace than her still-half-asleep friend. The two stood silently for a moment, staring at the big red barn before them. "If that's the farmhouse, I'm callin' bullshite."

"The house is behind us, Genius," Mercy laughed, swatting at Amber and leading the way around the van. As she rounded Casey's old van, the farmhouse came into view—old and rustic, but not quite as big as she'd expected. "Speakin' of freaky dreams," Mercy teased jabbing Amber in the side, "Casey said this place has a pantry." Predictably incensed by the taunt, Amber swatted at the blonde, her face red.

"Hey, you two," Casey called out from the doorway. "If yer comin' in, behave yerselves!"

"What if I don't wanna behave?" Mercy shot back, and Casey rolled his eyes. "What? Well-behaved women rarely make history, right O'Brien?" Amber rolled her eyes and stumbled past her without a word. "Wait…I smell cows!—Jason, ya said yer neighbors have cows, right?" Before Casey could correct her or answer her, the blonde took off like a shot to seek out her quarry.

"You okay, Sis?" Michelangelo asked after yet another loud creak; in her embarrassment, the brunette dropped her fork onto her plate with a loud clatter and tried to cover up her embarrassment by taking a long swig of water. Red-faced with embarrassment, she nodded in answer and tried to focus on her casserole. Misinterpreting her reaction, Mikey turned a glare on Donnie, completely missing the brainy turtle's horrified expression. "Bruh, I told ya you need'a bug-bomb that loft," the youngest scolded. "Somethin' probably bit her!"

Amber choked on her water and started hacking it back out of her lungs; though he'd normally assist by whacking her on the back, Donnie just stared at his brother in silent horror. "We don't need Sis turnin' into Spider-Dudette over some radioactive spider bite from your mad-sciency stuff out there," Mikey continued uncontested despite Leo kicking him under the table. "That kinda stuff never works out well, even in comics!" Still coughing and beating her chest, Amber screeched her chair back from the table and rushed out of the room before she embarrassed herself further.

Mercy glared at her friend's retreating back. She recalled the suspicious tooth-marks on Amber's wrist not too long ago…and she suspected this was another such incident. Grinning slyly, she hollered out the door at the fleeing woman, "Didja at least bite it back?" A gruff curse rang out on the stairs in reply, and Mercy noticed that Donnie was practically purple in the face; she silently interpreted this as a 'yeah, she did.' Meanwhile, Mikey continued on in his tangent about radioactive spider-bites being a menace to public safety and started listing off the first signs of having been bitten by a radioactive spider. Leo wouldn't look at anyone and he seemed to have lost his appetite.

Mercy turned to Raph, glanced pointedly at the mortified genius and Amber's empty chair, then shot her boyfriend a suggestive eyebrow waggle. Raph, easily following her train of thought, cringed in disgust and elbowed her in the side. Supposedly oblivious to the tension filling the room and not connecting the dots for himself, Mikey continued his rant unhindered.

At least, Leo considered as he stared down his half-empty plate, Amber and Donnie were stinking up the barn's loft this time instead of the pantry.

Amber storms into the shabby kitchen like a woman on a mission, only to stop dead at the counter and dig through the cooler on the floor. As every time before, she is faced with the painful truth that she forgot the Scotch…as every time before, she feels torn between tears and sarcasm. "Why's the rum always gone?" she mumbles pathetically.

"Ye drank it awl, Jack,"# Mercy snarks through the open window startling her. "Ye an' yer damn peanuts!" As her heart rate calms, Amber grins,

"Finally, someone who gets me! Where've ya been all my life?"

"Straight an' surrounded by cows," Mercy teases ducking through the kitchen door. "Fortunately for you, Pretty-Boy stocks actual rum—says'e makes a mean mojito." The blonde shrugs noncommittally. "Wouldn't touch it with a twenty-foot pole wit'a stick on th'end, but I don't drink." Amber smirks at the mental image of Mercy jousting with a living mojito and turns to dig a glass out of the cupboard.

"Don't really wanna drink," she admits as she draws tea from the jug on the windowsill. "Jus' miss home again…miss when things actually made some farkin' sense."

"More farkin' sense than Donnie bangin' that heap'a bolts instead'a you?" Mercy suggests slyly, her denim blue eyes grinning as widely as her lips. Amber slumps down at the counter, almost missing the barstool.

"I think yer filter broke, Merse," she suggests dryly. "Yer startin' to talk like me."

"Blame Raph" Mercy shrugs drawing a glass of tea for herself and downing it in a single breath. "He's not one fer holdin'is tongue, an' don't see why I do…filters're overrated anyway."

There's something freeing about belting out music as horribly as one can, and Donnie's become rather fond of his and Amber's impromptu song-murdering sessions. Crammed into her usual shower stall like sardines in a can, the couple serenade the presumably empty bathroom with completely god-awful acapella singing, one with a goofy grin and the other with a washcloth covering his cartilage-shielded ears. Some days that washcloth is the only thing standing between him and total hearing loss.

"One night in Bangkok makes the hard man humble - Not much between despair and ecstasy! One night in Bangkok and the tough guys tumble - Can't be too careful with your company - I can feel the devil walking next to me!" By the time they've effectively slaughtered the entire song, they couldn't keep a straight face to save their lives; they break down laughing at themselves and each other. "Yer brothers probably think we're torturing a cat," Amber wheezes as she rinses the coconut-scented suds out of her hair.

"Nah," Donnie teases openly watching the bubbles trail down her slick skin. "Mikey's singing on the other hand…"

"Will you two shut up a'ready?!" Raphael's sudden outburst—coming from the furthest stall—makes the couple flinch. Amber's cheeks flare scarlet at being caught showering with her mate. "It's too damn early fer dis!" Donnie opens his mouth to fire back a retort, but another voice cuts him off.

"If yer awake enough ta bitch," Mercy reminds Raph in a tone dripping with sarcasm, "yer awake enough to scrub my back. Shut up an' do yer job!" Hazel meets grey-green, both pairs of eyes torn between horror and embarrassment. Somehow they never heard Raph or Mercy enter the bathroom…or guessed that they weren't the only couple prone to sharing the shower in the morning. Some things, they decide with a mutual nod, are better left unheard.

"Hi!" an all-too chipper voice interrupts Amber's daydreaming. She startles, turning to greet the speaker, her left hand deep in her purse clenched around her can of mace; old habits die hard, especially old habits born from being stalked by crazy Purple Dragon punks. The source, a perky blonde co-ed leaning over the counter of the perfume and cosmetics hub, puts Amber's mind somewhat at ease. The much younger woman's big blue eyes are eager behind her oversized glasses and the tops of her likely padded breasts are nearly spilling out over the neckline of her pink baby-doll tee. "Have you ever considered trying a new fragrance? Maybe a little something to attract a man to your life?" It takes everything Amber's got to keep her impending 'why me?' face from surfacing, but she manages. She's a lone woman loitering by the wedding ring display; naturally, everyone's going to assume she's a bitter single person.

"Thanks for your concern, Hon," Amber remarks carefully, raising her hand from her purse to show off her clearly occupied ring finger, "but I really don't need another one. I'm just bored stiff waiting for my friends."

"Well, let's get you unbored!" the clerk chirps excitedly—clearly too horrified by Amber's bare face and lack of perfume to accept the 'no.' What follows can be best described as a long, frustrating exercise in patience. No, she doesn't wear makeup and doesn't want to wear makeup—it irritates her skin. No, she isn't interested in any so-called 'hypoallergenic' makeup, it's not worth the hassle. Yes, she's sure. Yes, she's happy not wearing perfume, the stuff stinks and her 'husband' has 'chemical sensitivities.' The last one she has to do some serious BS-ing on. Donnie's not shown any signs of chemical sensitivities, unlike Mercy, but he and his brothers all have incredibly sensitive noses; a light scent might be strong enough to give him a migraine.

"Look…Zephyr, is it?" Amber points out irritably after glancing at the clerk's nametag. "I'm not in the market for any makeup, perfume, or whatever—I'm just here because my smart-ass friend got lost in the fitting room." Zephyr stares vacantly at her, her big empty blue eyes bright behind her dramatically sweeping blonde bangs, seemingly unable to comprehend that her company isn't wanted. Amber casts her eyes about, frantic for escape, and finally one appears - a flower-decked poster advertising hypoallergenic perfume. "Then again..." Well, if it got Zephyr to look away long enough for her to retreat, it might work. "I don't suppose that brand has anything really light and tropical, maybe with mango and coconut?" Though she intended to stump the clerk by asking for something unlikely, she quickly realizes she instead presented a challenge. Blue eyes brighter than ever, Zephyr ducks down to dig through the glass case then pops right back up, presenting a bottle of perfume like one would present an Oscar.

"It's called Island Escape!" she giggles completely missing Amber's crestfallen expression. Well, that didn't work! "The fragrance is based around fresh mangos and mandarin oranges with notes of coconut and papaya and just the slightest hint of passion fruit!" Before Amber can even get a word out, Zephyr sprays into the tiny cap and holds it out for her to sniff…as though she could even smell a skunk over the stench from the rest of the perfume.

"What smells good?" Mercy pipes up behind Amber startling her. "Usually this counter stinks like a French hooker." The brunette chokes back her laughter and turns nearly purple, both at Mercy's complete lack of a filter and Zephyr's disappointed pout. Seemingly not realizing she said anything off-color, Mercy ducks forward to tentatively sniff at the cap offered, and blinks in surprise. "Hey, that's you!" she points out to Amber with a grin. "Y'ought'a try that!"

Great…now she has two pushy blondes trying to force perfume on her.

Friends like those two can really make your life a mess, but boy is worth it!

#OC #Fan fiction excerpts #fanfiction #TMNT #Amber & Mercy #Awkward friends bond awkwardly #A New Lease on Life #Donnie/OC #raphael/oc

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