#I worked SO HARD ON HER | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

the-cauldron-witch · 2 months ago

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It has been some time since I've finished a piece of art, but here she is!! My darling Myrtha! Name: Myrtha Age: Unknown, estimated over a hundred. Species: Roti Island snake-necked turtle

Story of her below!

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@thelaundrybitch @thegirlwiththeninjaturtletattoos @redsrooftopprincess @iridescentflamingo @sophiacloud28 @yorshie @ninnosaurus @silverwatergalaxy @truffle-draws-turtles @thepinkpanther83 @avery73

The pattering of heavy rain pouring down by the sheets against the Tartarugo Brother’s dump truck echoed inside the otherwise quiet vehicle. Wipers furiously waving back and forth to wipe away the droplets attempting to obscure Donnie’s vision of the dirt road ahead, the asphalt having been left behind about half an hour ago now. The radio had lost all signal to the stations in their usual line-up, leaving the four brothers in relative silence.

“Alright, we’re going to need to park up here, otherwise the truck will probably sink into the mud too much for us to get out. The weather certainly isn’t on our side on the matter,” Donnie announced to his brothers over the sounds of the storm battering the truck, spying a decent opening ahead between two large trees just to the left of the dirt road. Nestling the massive dump truck between the two massive American sycamores, Donnie cut the engine before shoving the key into the safety of one of his cargo pockets and zipped it shut.

“We’re going to need to leave through the back,” Donnie told Leo, nudging his leg gently. Shoving the youngest brother’s legs out of his lap Raph stood up, throwing open the back doors and hopping out, feet landing with a wet squish. A shudder wracked through his shell at the feeling. Jamming his phone into his basketball shorts pocket Mikey popped out of the truck with a hop, followed by Leo then Donnie who slammed the door shut and locked up.

“Are we sure ‘bout all this? All April said was that a lotta people were tellin’ the news station of someone scarin’ away hunters and hikers,” Raph questioned gruffly, having to raise his voice slightly over the downpouring rain. Lightning shattered the blackened skies followed by a low rumble of thunder vibrating the air, the gusts of wind turning the droplets into stinging projectiles. “Fer all we know it’s some jackass in’a ghillie suit gettin’ a laugh”

“She didn’t say someone, she said something. Whatever it is April is pretty sure it’s not human,” Leo stated flatly, turning his head so that the rain didn’t pelt his face.

“Angel cakes wouldn’t have us come out here for something that stupid anyway, I bet my board on it,” Mikey defended April with an affirming nod to no one in particular, looking up just as another scatter of lightning shattered the sky with brilliant light fading into the clouds. It was bad enough they had to trudge through the ass-smelling swamp, the added awful weather seemed unnecessary in the youngest’s opinion.

“Reviewing all the information April gave me, plus tapping into the wildlife cameras put up by conservationists, whatever is hiding within the swamp terrorizing people walks similarly to humans but is at least twice or more the size,” Donnie reported, looking down at the device attached to his wrist. Pressing one of the buttons, a small hologram displayed of a clearing recorded somewhere within the swamp, “April wanted us to check it out because of this video that was sent in of it. It’s the only video that shows it clearly for more than a few seconds,”

From the shadows beyond the cameras’ sight lumbered in a rather large figure, slowly trudging into view through the murky water and thick mud. The creature walked upright with a very visible hunch and a short and clumsy gait, one of its arms clutching onto a hiking staff with a lantern hanging off the curled top. Dirty and discarded fabrics were draped over or wrapped around the figures frame, obscuring the camera of any further details.

“Um…where the hell is its head?” Mikey questioned, growing increasingly unsettled as the video played. The draped fabrics shifted awkwardly as the creature shambled its way closer, standing just a few yards away from the camera now. It stopped, the fabrics shifting and rising in an awkward fashion, as though something in the middle of its body lifted the sheet. Bending over shakily, the lantern swaying back and forth as it gripped the staff for stability, the things other arm reached into the water and pulled out a stone. With one flick of its wrist, the creature launched the rock with laser like accuracy at the camera and promptly cut off the video.

“What the fuck?” Raph muttered in disbelief.

“Whatever that is, it definitely isn’t human,” Leo stated, pausing long enough to let the clash of lightning and thunder roll out. “Do we have any areas where that thing is frequently sighted?” He questioned the taller brother.

“I narrowed down all the sightings and reports to one specific area. Once we get there, we can split up and comb the area more carefully” Donnie reported, turning off the finished hologram video and opening the map. “I already have all the wildlife, trail and security cameras displaying a feedback loop for anyone other than myself. Park rangers closed off all camping sites and hunting trails until they figure out what this thing is, so we should be completely alone out there. Well, besides whatever we’re searching for”

“Alright, turn on your coms and trackers just in case we get separated or go off course in the swamp. I don’t think the weather is going to get any better from here on out,” Leo instructed as he began following Donnie’s lead, wincing against the bite of the rain.

The rain settled into a steady rhythm as the four brothers ventured into the swamp, following a path worn into the earth by time and many footsteps. Raph grimaced as he brought up the rear, the feeling of the muck and gravel beneath his bare feet sending spikes of repulsion through his very being with every step. With each step he could hear the mud squelch under his feet even with the rain.

“Alright, we just need to go northwest for two clicks, and we’ll be in the general area with the most frequent sightings. I set up a program on my computer to keep the trail cameras running with the feedback loop and alert me if the creature triggers the motion sensors,” Turning in the direction his GPS instructed Donnie began leading them off the worn path and into the thick of the swamp, each step bringing the rather tall terrapin down an inch into the mud and water. The gentle sloshing from each step his brothers took turned his stomach a little, finally working up the nerve to follow Raph began walking after his brother and shuddered with every wet step.

“You guys see that?” Mikey questioned suddenly, his voice cutting through the heavy droning of the rain. Following the youngest brother’s line of sight Leo, Donnie, and Raph peered through the rain the best they could. A variety of lures dangled and danced from invisible fishing line weaved between two tall trees, like the pattern of a spider’s web. Light reflected off the many fishing hooks, various shreds of fabric dangling as remnants of past victims having been caught by the hidden trap. Adjusting his crooked glasses and blinking in disbelief, Donnie studied the hand-made web curiously.

“That’s…interesting,” Donnie mumbled, unsure what to make of this. Whatever made this did it with the knowledge that A: spiders were something feared and B: how to utilize discarded fishing line and lures to make a web.

“What could have done this?” Leo stuttered, shaking his head and glancing around himself as the paranoia began to tighten his chest.

“I don’t know…but it’s definitely meant to keep people away, not capture them,” Donnie cautiously began walking in the direction the GPS directed, keeping his eyes peeled for other fishing-line spider webs. Taking a few steps closer to inspect the web, Mikey poked and pulled a few of the lures, one of them shaped like a fish and another shaped like some strange cricket like bug.

“This is getting weird bro,” Mikey stated to Raph, turning to join the grimacing brother in following Donnie’s lead.

Another ten minutes of trudging in the disgusting thickness of the swamp, passing at least four or five more fishing-line webs, Leo began noticing some trail markers as they continued. Long, thick, and carved-smooth sticks jutted from stones piled to hold it up or a mound of earth sturdy enough to hold it. Stained with natural pigments, decorated with ropes tied around the top and midsection, or wrapped with a piece of scrap clothing, the markers varied in decoration as they continued. The further they walked, the closer together the trail markers stood.

“Alright, we’re in the general area with the most sightings. So far, none of the wildlife cameras have…” Cutting off his own sentence, Donnie stopped dead in his tracks with a strangled noise. “What the fuck…” he whispered, blood running cold in his veins.

This wasn’t right, there was absolutely no way he was seeing this. Pressing the screen of his wrist device, the hologram displayed the view from one of the trail cameras. Standing directly within view, somehow not alerting the motion sensors on the camera, was the very creature they were searching for. The sheets of torn fabric draped over the hunched form moved strangely, something lifting from the bottom again. Two glowing rings peered from the shadow under the sheets, the things head was hanging closer to its midsection rather than its shoulders as normal. Whatever this was, it moved in such a slow and careful way it hadn’t set any of the sensors off.

“What tha hells yer problem, Don?” Raph demanded through gritted teeth; fists gripping around his Sai as he waded through a particularly thick patch of mud. Did Leo or Donnie even tell him to wear shoes, or that they were going out in a god damned swamp of all places? Not that the smell differed much, but at least in the sewers he could find a way around the filth. Even if he climbed a tree to avoid the muck that he was currently ankle-deep in, Raph was positive his weight would uproot the tree from the waterlogged ground itself.

“Donnie?” Leo called with worry, stopping in his tracks once noticing the tallest brother had gone silent. There was no answer, just the orchestra of chirping or croaking of amphibians and other critters living within the swamp. Donnie shook his head; it wasn’t possible that the creature knew they were looking for it by staring into a camera.

No. No this thing was smart. It must have been watching them from the very beginning and knew they could see it through the camera. It was toying with them. He didn’t register what way his legs started moving, simply trotting towards his older brother’s voice to show him the live camera footage. His heart sunk further into the pit of his stomach as something taught caught Donnie’s shin beneath the dark water. The invisible twine snapped, setting off a chain reaction of wooden wind chimes dropping from their branches within the trees.

“Shit…It knows!” Donnie swore over the terrible clattering of the hollow wooden windchimes. Compared to the usual serenade of windchimes on a gentle breeze, the hollow wooden chimes dancing in the blustering wind made nothing but a hollow racket. His wrist device beeped loudly, alerting the movement in front of the camera sensors. Bending down to reach into the mud the creature grabbed a large rock. With a flick of its wrist, the creature shattered the camera and cut the feed.

“The fuck do ya mean ‘it knows’, what’s it know!?” Raph snapped, head whipping around in search of the threat. Donnie and Leo stood off to his right with Mikey to his left only a few feet away. Brandishing his weapons in each hand Raph steadied his breath, readying himself for an ambush or attack from afar.

“It knows we’re here in the swamp, it must have been watching us from a distance the entire time!” Donnie barked loudly, “The wind chimes are a goddamn alarm system!” Cursing under his breath Donnie swiped away the broken footage and tapped to open multiple windows. The other feeds continued to play the live camera, yet the creature never reappeared. If the creature was smart enough to set booby-traps to alert it of intruders and memorized the location of each wildlife camera within the swamp, there was a high chance that it also mapped out the quickest route around them to get to their location without being caught.

The sound of mud and water rapidly sloshing in the distance echoed off the trees from all angles, making it almost impossible to discern which direction the threat rushed at them from. Pulling out his nunchaku Mikey turned his head rapidly, eyes darting as he tried to find his unseen target within the trees. Between the disorienting sounds of the storm and the natural sounds from the swamp’s inhabitants, it was impossible to figure out which direction the creature was charging from. Movement from the corner of his eye caught his attention and Mikey swung his nunchaku, ricocheting a stone aiming for his head.

“Shit, where is it?” Mikey shouted, trying to catch sight of whatever launched that rock. Just as quickly as the wading footsteps rushed in their direction, they vanished behind the natural sounds around them. Steadying his breath while silently unsheathing his katanas Leo’s stood perfectly still, trying to listen for any possible movement. A clash of thunder and lightning roared through the swamp, blinding their senses for a second long enough for the creature to make a move. There was a wet suctioning squelch followed by a deep wooded creek. Leo turned his head towards the sound just in time for his eyes to catch the massive barren dead tree tilting towards Raph.

“RAPH!” Was all Leo could shout before the massive tree came crashing down only a foot away from Raph, one of the massive branches breaking against the back of his shell and knocking him to his knees with a splash.

“Fuck! I got some in my mouth!” Spitting and roaring with anger Raph scrambled in search of his Sai, tridactyl hands sifting through the thick mud, roots, and pond grass. Another splash from the opposite side of the tree caught his attention, Raph snapped his head to look up, breathe catching in his chest as he stared at the creature in clear view.

Two bright white rings gazed at Raphael, its head sway at the end of an impossibly long neck covered by the sheets draped over it. Horror gripped his chest so tight it knocked the air from his lungs as he registered the terrifying thing slowly extended its neck towards him. One tridactyl hand clutched the staff close to its side while the other hand extended its green, three fingers towards him.

Three fingers?

“What the…” He whispered, blinking at the creature that now stood still in plain view. A dirty butcher’s cloth was wrapped around its midsection, random patches of fabric sewn over old torn holes and a thick braided rope tying its to its midsection. The soaking sheets draped over its upper body clung to its shell and weighed down her neck that strained to hold up its head.

“Raph!” His brothers screamed in unison. Leaping over the massive dead tree trunk Donnie’s staff pierced the mud between the two, landing just in front of Raph. Launching itself backwards the creature stumbled, using its staff to steady itself so that it wouldn’t fall backwards. Finding the hilts to his weapons Raph pulled them from the liquified earth, shaking the filth off as Mikey hooked his arm under his bicep and pulled him up.

Instead of running or attacking again, the thing stood in stunned silence. Its head bobbed heavily, studying them with perfectly circular white eyes as they stared back. An oddly familiar three-fingered hand reached for the sheet covering its back, rolling it backwards to reveal more of itself. Shell and plastron now visible, it confirmed what Raph had suspected.

“It’s…another mutant turtle?” Mikey questioned in surprise, blinking as the rain somehow took the moment as a cue to slowly dissipate into a thin mist. The creature silently studied the four of them, eyeing their weapons cautiously but unable to stop herself from taking a tentative step forward.

“Tur…tles?” The elderly turtle croaked, her voice raspy and dry despite the moist air. Lowering his staff but keeping it firmly in hand Donnie stared as the other mutant shambling its way closer. Reaching for the goggles perched on the top of his head Donnie gently tugged them over his glasses and scanned the mutant standing in front of them.

“Not only is she another mutant turtle,” Donnie spoke as his eyes rapidly read over the information being displayed by his goggles. “She’s an endangered Roti Island snake-necked turtle, a critically endangered species possibly extinct in the wild and only found in the illegal pet trade. They’re normally found in swamps or lakes in Indonesia, which explains why she’s here-”

“Focus, Donnie” Leo hissed, sharp steel-blue eyes focused directly on the newly discovered mutant turtle. With the rain finally clearing enough for the moon to peak through the dispersing clouds, gentle light illuminated the elderly mutant turtle standing a few yards away. Using the staff to sweep a few steps in front of her, the elderly mutant took a tentative wet step towards them again, eyes bouncing off their weapons while her head swayed at the end of her neck.

“You’re…turtles,” She spoke again, her voice slightly strained as though she were forcing the sound down her rather long throat. “Other…mutant turtles…I don’t recognize you”

“Yes…yes, we’re other mutant turtles. My name’s Donatello,” Donnie spoke slowly, blinking as he removed the goggles and listened to her slowed speech. “Can you tell us your name?”

The extinguished lantern hanging from the staff clutched in her gnarled tridactyl hand swung gently with every shaky, cautious step she took in their direction. Unsettling bright white irises glowed against pitch black sclera and pupils, studying their faces the closer she got. Mikey audibly swallowed as he ducked himself behind the safety of Raphael, even though the older brother was just as terrified of her appearance as the youngest.

“Myrtha…they call me…Myrtha,” A thin lined smile crooked the ends of her lips, giving her a softer and less intimidating appearance almost. The unnaturally long, muscular neck twisted and contorted as it studied their appearance.

“Myrtha? That’s an interesting name,” Donnie spoke calmly, hiding the nerves that frayed at her rather frightening presence. “Are you alone out here, Myrtha?”

“Yes…live out here by Myrtha’s self…” Myrtha’s head snaked and swayed while speaking, her appearance still unsettling but less frighteningly so. The rain had finally subsided altogether, but the dark clouds still hung low and menacingly with fissures of open sky showing the moon and stars.

“Then who are ‘they’? The ones that called you Myrtha,” Leo probed further, softening his expression but keeping his stance stiff, katana gripped tightly in each hand.

“The doctors…there were many that cared…for Myrtha…at her old home” Her head bobbed and weaved as she spoke in broken sentences. The wet fabric clung to the contours of her shell and muscles of her neck, “Little one…helped Myrtha escape, gave Myrtha…special card that open doors…Myrtha ran for long time…got away from the doctors, hide here”

Inching forward carefully and slowly, Myrtha blinked her darkened eyes up to each of their faces. Flinching as those white rings connected with his baby blue eyes, Mikey shifted himself further behind Raph’s larger form. Raph’s skin crawled as their eyes connected next. Their fearful reactions didn’t deter Myrtha from stepping just a tiny bit further.

“Myrtha hides in the swamp…safest place found, so far…scare people away so they don’t take Myrtha…don’t want to go back…Myrtha heard doctors say Myrtha’s too old…” Turning her head in every angle, surveying her surroundings as though she would be ambushed on cue, Myrtha looked around fearfully. A stroke of realization flashed across her face; Myrtha whipped her head back in their direction with wide eyes. “Are you…here to take…Myrtha back?” Her voice broke as she questioned the four turtle brothers, looking suddenly more terrified than any of them felt. Knotted hands clutched the staff in preparation to fight for her life.

“No, no, no, we aren’t going to take you back,” Leo spoke with soft reassurance, “Myrtha, you…scared a lot of people. They’re talking about you to authorities and closed this entire area until they find you,” He explained, finally sheathing his katanas into their respective holsters.

Horror flashed across her face as though Myrtha was struck by a stray bolt of lightning, head rapidly whipping back, forth, and curling over her shell to look behind herself in search of any possible threats. Hands and legs started to tremble in fear at the thought of returning her to wherever she came from.

“Myrtha, they aren’t here right now-” Donnie made his voice low and soothing, taking a gentle step forward. Catching his movement from her peripheral vision Myrtha jumped back almost an entire foot, wielding her staff in both hands as though she would swing. Pausing and giving Myrtha a moment to calm down again, Donnie began speaking again.

“Listen, Myrtha. We aren’t here to take you back to wherever you came from, but people know you’re here now because you’ve scared off so many people, okay?” He explained slowly, guilt climbing its way into his chest as Myrtha’s fearful eyes blinked at him. The terrifying creature had all but transformed into a fearful elderly woman before Donnie’s very eyes. He held out his hand slowly and delicately towards her. “Can you trust us to help you?”

Wide eyes studied his features carefully, the rings slowly following the contours of his face in search of any lies written on his face before returning to his eyes. Taking a tentative few steps forward Myrtha wordlessly accepted the offered hand. Now that he was as close as possible, the wrinkles and veins covering her body were much more visible, Donnie predicted by appearance alone she could possibly be older than Master Splinter. Gently taking her knotted arthritic hand in his own, Donnie hunched himself over so that his height would be less intimidating.

“What…are we jus’ gonna bring ‘er back to the lair or somethin’?” Raph looked between Leo and Donnie in sheer disbelief. The grime and filth that clung to his skin, gear, and shorts had almost entirely dried on him thanks to the cold wind.

“What other choice do we have,” Leo’s nostrils visibly flared as he exhaled exhaustedly, rubbing the wide bridge of his nose where a headache started to settle. Sharing looks of incredulity, Raph and Mikey tossed their hands up in the air and accepted defeat. As if the back of the truck wasn’t cramped enough.

“Let’s get going,” Donnie announced, firmly squeezing Myrtha’s surprisingly bony hand as it curled around his. The thin lined smile had returned to her features, her eyes shining with gratitude at the purple clad turtle’s kindness. A small smile curled the edge of his own lips, today certainly hadn’t turned out as expected but at least they had found Myrtha before anybody else did. Especially whatever ‘doctors’ were searching for her.

#Original TMNT Character #Original Mutant OC #Mutant OC #Mutant Turtle OC #Myrtha #TMNT OC #I worked SO HARD ON HER #SHE IS MY BABY #not really she's over 100 but still #I might more for her

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