#WHOO BOY

[dumb-ghost-child]

Humans are weird: lifespan

Clara had known the mission was a bad idea. That guess was reinforced when the ship crashed. The other members of her little crew had died on impact, but she’d only been injured. From her guess it was just a few broken or otherwise messed up bones- annoying, yes, but not irreparable. She’d tried communicating with her crew, sending out transmissions and mentally screaming for Indigo, but nothing came to her rescue.

By some miracle, the air was breathable. The climate was on the warmer side, reminding her of the Caribbeans. It was quite nice, and if it weren’t for the three moons, binary star system, and the lavender sky, she would’ve been able to believe this was in a familiar system.

She stumbled out of the ship, swearing to herself when she saw what a wreck it was; there was no way she’d be getting back into the air with that.

Instead, she looked around. It appeared that she’d landed in a field of sorts- on the horizon she saw what appeared to be a civilization, maybe a town, and around her were tall trees that had pear-like fruits on them. A quick scan said they were edible, so she grabbed one. It was perfectly at her shoulder level, which she appreciated. The fruit was tasty, reminding her of earth’s apples or the kalrin-fruits Indigo had introduced to her.

It took a few minutes, but soon Clara had made herself a splint for her broken arm and gathered what she could from the ship’s remains.

She was about to make her way towards the town when she heard a strange chittering noise behind her. The translator didn’t pick it up, which either meant this was an undiscovered language or it was broken- it was really a 50/50 chance. Turning around, she saw a small creature, maybe reaching up to her knees, chittering at her. It seemed to be a bit scared, but still interested. It gestured for her to follow it, which she did, being led to another small town. All around her were the little creatures, rushing about, some coming up to her. They were cute, in a way, with mint-green skin, four arms, fur down their backs, six large eyes- well, she assumed they were eyes- and a bipedal walking pattern. They led her to a building with what appeared to be a collapsed roof, which only reached up to her head. Easily enough she fixed it, and the creatures seemed happy, surrounding her and making those same chittering noises, much more happy-sounding this time.

The Chiri, as Clara called them, were a fascinating civilization. They had a complex language of clicks, chirps, and assorted chittering sounds that took Clara a while to learn properly. Their planet was far faster than earth, one of earth’s weeks was the equivalent of a month for them, and an earth month was the equivalent of a year. Most Chiri only lived for a few of their years, but their lives were filled with celebration. It felt like every week Clara got invited to a new celebration- either a wedding, a coming of age, a new harvest, or even a funeral. Even though Clara took only around six months to fully recover, by that point she had become known as a Chiri guardian. She’d been on the planet for a number of their years, becoming a guardian figure. Where her ship had crashed was turned into a shrine of sorts, new towns being built around it. In exchange, Clara protected them, guided them, and shared her knowledge with them. She’d even learned their language to the point where it was as fluent as any other, even without her translator, which she was fairly certain had broken.

The Chiri had given Clara a new name that they called her, Xi-Rai’du. Most of the children knew her as Xixi.

Clara trusted her friends, they’d taken her in and healed her. They felt like family just as much as her crew on the ship did. Despite their short lives, the Chiri were a people who valued learning. They passed down stories from generation to generation, and Clara would help to remember them as well. She taught them to write, transcribing their stories.

One of the young rushed towards Clara, a little girl who had only recently become old enough to talk. “Xixi! Xixi! There you are!” The little one, her name Si’ra, reached out her four arms for Clara to lift her up, making a high-pitched noise that was roughly the same as a laugh. “The celebration was about to start without you, come! Dari and Lixai want you there!”

Clara nodded, smiling. Dari and Lixai were getting married, and Clara didn’t want to miss out. Still carrying Si’ra, Clara made her way towards the town.

All around the town were banners decorated in vibrant colors, flowers in every windowsill and a clear trail of petals leading to where the wedding would take place. Clara had always loved the Chiri’s celebrations, they were all filled with laugher, music, dancing and festivities that could go for days. As soon as Clara showed up, she was surrounded by lively music, cheers from the Chiri who’d arrived for the celebration, and the greeting of Dari and Lixai, both wearing gorgeous formal attire. Clara bowed to them, smiling as she let Si’ra down, watching her rush towards the other children to join in there game.

“Lady Xi-Rai’du, welcome.” Lixai spoke first, joy clear in all six of her eyes.

Clara shook her head, “Today isn’t a day for celebrating me, it’s for you two.” She gestured to the crowd, “They’re all here for you- so go, celebrate! You’ve earned it.”

Lixai and Dari smiled, taking Clara’s hand and leading her into the crowd.

The wedding was a joyous one, and Clara couldn’t help but feel incredibly proud of Lixai and Dari. Weddings were a major event for both humans and chiri, although the chiri certainly had a more lively celebration all the way through.

The next day, Clara went to the cave where the Chiri kept murals of all their major events. She smiled as she looked, seeing paintings of herself defending the town from wild beasts, celebrating amongst them, and even when she’d first arrived, now over a year ago.

Deep down though, she knew couldn’t stay. Her crew still needed her, and she knew the Chiri had to grow into a full civilization on their own. She was torn out of her mind though when she heard what sounded like screams outside. Sa’ri rushed in, panicked. “Xixi! Help! There are- there’s something outside!”

Clara, admittedly, panicked. She picked Sa’ri up again, letting the girl lead her out. As soon as she left she saw the cause of the panic. In the sky above was a ship. Her ship.

As soon as it landed, Clara put herself between the ship and the Chiri. She faced the panicked crowd, trying to keep order. “All of you! Please, calm down. These newcomers mean no harm.”

The Chiri trusted her, more or less calming down. Clara sighed in relief, facing the ship as the bridge lowered. What she saw surprised her- another human.

It took a moment for Clara to realize they were speaking English- she’d become so used to hearing the chiri’s language of chirps and squeaks- but when she registered what they were saying she almost laughed. It was a declaration of peace, saying they were only doing a recovery mission. Apparently they’d finally gotten the distress signal Clara had sent when she first was crashing, tracing it back to her.

Clara approached the ship, Sa’ri in her arms, and faced the stranger.

“If you’re looking for the recon group that was sent out here a little over a year ago..” she sighed, “I’m all that’s left. I’ve been living on this planet for the past year, and the civilization you see have helped me. They nursed me back to health, gave me a place to stay, and trusted me.” Behind her were the people who she’d protected for what were generations to them. “My name is Clara.. but it is also Xi-Rai’du, and these are the chiri.”

The human seemed shocked, but they didn’t do anything agressive.

“The crew thought you’d died..” they muttered, “they hired me as a replacement. How are you even alive?!”

She couldn’t help but laugh, “I told you. The chiri took me in, and the planet’s atmosphere is breathable.” she put Sa’ri down, and she hugged my leg before running back to her family, as though sensing that this would be the last time she saw her. “I assume you’re here to bring me back now that you know I’m alive?”

They nodded, gesturing for Clara to follow them.

“Just give me a second,” Clara turned to face the Chiri, bowing to them and switching back to their language. “Thank you, all of you. Now I must leave.. but I will return. Reach for the stars, and perhaps we will meet in the cosmos one day.”

The chiri seemed to understand, solemnly accepting that their guardian was leaving.

“Xixi!” Sa’ri called up from the crowd, “I’ll find you again, I promise!”

She turned, nodding to the fellow human. “Bring me back onto the ship.”

Maybe, just maybe, part of the reason she’d turned was because she wanted to hide the tears forming in the corners of her eyes. But when she returned onto the ship, Clara was reminded of where she belonged, amongst her family in the stars. The chiri had been kind, but she had to go. Besides, when Indigo saw her again, xir expression just about made all of the time away worth it.

[hatkuu]

currently thinking that if pc had a pet cat, they'd most likely DETEST kylar.

you know how animals have a certain sense for danger? your pet gets that with kylar. always nipping and hissing and scratching - never sweetening up like they usually do. you'll plead to kylar that they're not normally this rude! it must just be taking them a while to warm up to him!

your pet never accepts kylar, and always manages to crawl into the empty space on your lap when he visits. staring at him with a glare so harsh kylar can only sit beside you and sweat, rubbing his sweaty palms against one another.

your fuzzy little friend's aggression reaches it's peak in the dead of night - yowling at your bedroom window, hackles raised with claws digging into the fuzz of your bedroom carpet. it's a struggle to coax them back to bed, cooing and petting the stiff fur on their back. their eyes never leave the window, no matter how you hold them and shush their panicked meows. it's concerning, given that you know animals have far keener senses than people do.

however, despite all of the blatant red flags, when kylar visits the next day with an array of deep, red-crusted scratches up his forearms - you're none the wiser.

[notdysfunk]

YOU THOUGHT YOUR RUIN AU WAS SAD??? Ha! Think again ... ,.. .. .. *starts sobbing*

Tilaa - @kh0well Accimer - @end3rf0x Myrtus - @ilsole Callisto - Me! (Your here!) Pluto - @muffinsmadhouse Snack - cryptwave Beepo - @threateningwatercress ======== vv More down there vv

This is the most ambitious thing I've made so far, AND ITS ONLY 35 SECONDS LOL Took me about two days probably 12 hours total give or take All 103 frames were drawn in Medibang Paint Edited in Capcut and a dream Ty @muffinsmadhouse @end3rf0x @ilsole for hyping me up the whole time <33

[evilfloralfoolery]

Cold Courtly Weather Sucks - Part 1

Just some courtly bullshit between Grimm and Indigo. Grimm is recovering from a cold and it's also cold outside. What a goddamn shame. That's it. That's the plot. ____________________

“How the hell do I put this thing on?” 

Grimm holds up the alleged “belt” and flicks a strap with one finger.

“Well, Grimm.” Indigo leans against the door jamb with the most smartassy smirk ever.  “That is what one would call ‘a belt,’ you see. I believe you put it around your waist.”

“Goddamn it, Indy.” 

His partner takes the thing and straps him into it.  Like, literally. Puts it around his waist, pulls the straps all kinds of ways, laces some shit up, and slaps his ass for good measure.  

“Feels like a fucking corset,” Grimm says.

“It is a modified obi belt for weaponry,” Indigo informs him.  Like he’s supposed to know what the fuck that is.

Grimm pinches the space between his eyebrows with a heavy sigh.  “Can’t believe we have to get all dressed up for some fifteen minute bullshit.” 

“The rules at High Court are certainly an annoyance,” Indigo says.  He eyes Grimm with a sidelong, assessing look.  “How are you feeling?”

“Okay-ish.” Grimm glances outside at the frozen fountain and the icicles dripping in suspended animation from the eaves of various structures.  Just looking at it makes him sniffle and wince. “Don’t really wanna stand in that.” 

“It is only for a short time,” Indigo assures him.  “Shall we put it behind us, then?”

“Yeah, yeah.”  Grimm drapes the heavy cowl of his cape over his shoulders and pins it into place.  

The walk to the courtyard is stupidly long and complex, walking down this hallway, greeting this person, walking somewhere else, talking to some other dude.  Why there isn’t a door in sight is a fucking mystery. 

And it’s not like Indigo’s father has stepped into the modern age, either.  Sure, there are fireplaces all over the damn place, but nothing works like central heat.  

Ye Olde Medieval Bullshit is so not his thing.

And neither is this hot-to-cold and back again business because the temperature of each passage drastically fluctuates.

Grimm presses the back of his hand against his nose with a cringe.  Dammit, why the hell did his sinuses always choose the most inopportune time for this crap?

Indigo squeezes his free hand and Grimm shoots him his best sorry-I’m-about-to-be-a-fucking-disaster look.  Because there isn't a damn thing he can do to stop it, not with a lethal combination of cold weather and still recovering from an actual cold.

He clamps his palm over his mouth and nose with hardly a second to spare. “Hhhhuh. . .! Uh’CHISSH! UHSSSCH!”

Oh, goddamn it. 

“Bless you,” Indigo says in what is trying to be a detached tone, but sounds like all kinds of sexed-up concern.

Heh. That's worthy of a chuckle. 

“Better save that,” Grimm says. Or rather, half-stammers. 

Motherfu–

“Uhh’CHISSSSH! Hkg’SSCCH! UHH-CHISSSCHU! Fuuuuck. . .”

“Indeed,” Indigo says before he can catch himself, which is more than a little hilarious. “Are you quite finished?”

Grimm’s smirk is a wicked rendition of something bordering on obscene. “Maybe.” 

“Gods.” Indigo rolls his eyes in that false exasperation that is more habit than anything else. “Bless you. Although perhaps I should not bother.”

The smirk broadens into a grin. “You can’t help yourself.”

Cold arcs through his arm like frozen static electricity, but Grimm doesn’t so much as flinch. “You’re gonna make it worse, if you make me colder with that freezing fire shit.”

“Honestly, Grimm. . .” 

"You started it, Indy."

Indigo cuts the playful banter and casts him a serious look, slowing their progress down the next stupidly long corridor. 

“Grimm.”  He stops mid-stride and clasps both of Grimm’s hands within his own.  “Please mind your vocabulary in the presence of the courtiers. They are . . .” 

“Uptight assholes?” Grimm finishes and Indigo chuckles.

“Well, yes.  But they are still my people and I must dignify their stations with the same respect that is afforded to me.” 

Grimm loosens their shared grip, hands coming to rest upon Indigo’s shoulders.  Goddamn, he’s pretty, especially in his courtly getup of that fancy teal tunic embossed with silver thread.  Every strand of hair is combed into thick perfection, the profusion of waves framing his face like an ornate tapestry.  Even the pale smoothness of his skin somehow coordinates with it all, complete with his blue-green eyes that are now regarding him with such pleading sincerity, Grimm’s teasing softens into immediate seriousness. 

“You worry too much, Indy.” Grimm brushes a lock of Indigo’s hair behind his ear. “I understand protocol.”  

“I . . . I realize that you understand this on a professional level, but-”

Grimm silences him with a kiss, smiling against the other man’s mouth when Indigo’s entire body yields to his advance, becoming pliant and relaxed within his embrace.

“Don’t worry about it, Lord Solaris. I can handle myself and your asshole courtiers.” 

Indigo huffs and shakes his head. “I despise that you must call me by my proper title.”

Grimm tilts his head. “Mmmn, I dunno. It's kind of hot.”

“Absolutely not.” Indigo curls his lip with such proper disgust, Grimm laughs far louder than he should in the echo chamber of a hallway.

He offers his arm like a proper escort and Indigo loops his own around it, hand settling atop the leather forearm bracer. 

“W-waithhhhuh!” Grimm grinds a curled fist against one side of his nose with a clenched expression that doesn't do a goddamn thing to stop what's coming. “. . . huuuh–CHISSSHu! Hhh–UHSSSSH!” 

Way more forceful than he'd anticipated. His entire body does the traveling shudder thing and he manages to half-silence a third sneeze into quieter submission by muffling it into his palm. Not exactly ideal, considering the bracers end in fingerless gloves.

“Excuse me,” he says out of practiced habit.

Which does some shit to Indigo, given the look he's adopted, which is something between heated appreciation and his usual worry over nothing.

“Bless you, my Shield,” Indigo says.

Grimm has to admit that the title still tickles him. “Thank you, my Lord.”

Indigo's soft sound of derision is amusing as hell, too.

A handkerchief finds its way into his hand and Grimm unfolds the thing, pausing to give it a once over. “Black?”

“Well, it is the proper Guardian color,” Indigo says.

“Uh huh.” Grimm wipes at his nose with one corner of the cloth before tucking it into the space between his sleeve and the leather bracer. 

Indigo's grip on his arm has gone from properly resting to flat out clutching and Grimm pats his wrist. “Might wanna ease up on the claw there.”

“Oh? Oh! My goodness, I did not even realize I was. . .” Indigo's voice trails off and he groans in the most un-Lord-like way possible. “Gods, how I long to be back in the comfort of the city.” 

“Soon,” Grimm assures him. “Now, come on. Let me walk you around the damn courtyard all proper and shit.”

(TBC)

[aroacesetitoff]

"Pick a God and Pray"

Behold a massive Everguard piece I did for @demise-seems-dead @cryptikexp Auggie and me

[underqualified-human]

Dr Facilier with: a kitchen witch s/o

→ Request:

Hiiiiiiiii! I was wondering if you could do headcanons for Dr. Facilier with an autistic reader that practices Druidism/kitchen witchcraft? Like, they always smell like some kind of herbal concoction, they freaking *shove* enchanted food and drink to help out, and generally put a lot of work into how they treat their surrounding environment? I hope this request works well for you! wonderful day!!! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 By @add-a-bit-of-neurospice

→ Author’s Note: Hi, so seeing as I don’t have autism nor the experience where I feel like I’m able to portray a character with autism accurately, I won’t be writing that aspect of the request. Very sorry. 

→ ⚠ Warnings ⚠: no beta, basically a first fic because I've been away for so long

→ Fandom: The Princess and The Frog (Disney Movie)

→ Genre: Romantic Headcanons

→ Pronouns: They/Them

He's very systematic with how he chooses to spend his time in a day, but whenever he bakes/cooks with you he completely forgets about it and just lives in the moment

He feels very awkward accepting food as gifts. He's very used to a 'quid pro quo' lifestyle and when he's told he doesn't owe you anything it throws him a bit off guard

After a while, he gets used to it, but a small part of him still feels like he doesn't deserve it. He usually forgets to eat or is so hard at work that he doesn't see time for it, so the meals are a huge help even if it isn't enchanted.

He likes to return the favour in some way, usually by helping with dishes or doing ingredient shopping for you (he is - unsurprisingly - very good at haggling)

Personally, he doesn't care much for nature or gardening but he respects how much effort you put into protecting/maintaining the nature around you. 

Over the course of the relationship, he begins to associate the smell of herbs with comfort and safety. Whenever he steps into the kitchen after a tough day you can physically see him relax

When it comes to your practice he has no opinion - as long as it doesn't intervene with his own. If it does he brings it up immediately and you come to an agreement quickly enough. 

[luminescentchimera]

every year my horrible dsmp phase crawls out of the recesses of my mind begging me to reread tcfsv and by god it's happening again

[rockpaperscissuhs]

unfinished business (2051 words) by peachwisteria After the death of an estranged family member, Joe Liebgott grudgingly travels to New York City to put their affairs in order. Then things start to get weird…

for day 4 of @webgottweek

[emmyrosee]

guys….

i think im in love with eren………….

[haveihitanerve]

GREGOR THE OVERLANDER IS AN ADORABLE BEAN BUT ALSO THE SASSIEST MF EVER AND IT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED

Bro was literally just attacked by an enemy rat and when he discovers that that rat is in fact not an enemy, his first words are ‘get off me man’ as he tries to push said rat away

He cracks his bubblegum a second time solely to see ripred flinch

(I just realized a shit ton of these are gonna be with ripred because, duh, hes only allowed to be a kid around the rat and his sass only comes out when he doesn't have to protect boots or someone)

‘I know someone else who’s in trouble’ gregor please. You just woke up after fainting because a squid pulled your arm. Please save the witty remarks for another time

‘I guess shes smarter’ like damn son

‘Sorry to bug you- i mean bother you’ i know it wasn't intentional but thats just hilarious

‘Ill tell him you said hi. You know, if hes still alive’ okay i know this was way out of line, but it made me laugh so hard. I honestly am not that huge of a fan of hamnet (don't come after me its my opinion) and so this made me smile

When he does his sprint in the first book and ‘faked them out’ making the bats lose formation and riders struggle to stay on

'he felt around desperatley for a weapon. what did he have? diapers? cookies?" its technically him because its narrated from his pov so that hilarious

"said Vikus, as if that explained it all"-again, said from gregors pov so him being sassy. in his head at least

"The mighty warrior excused himself and changed a diaper.”

"Who was Simon? He had no idea.”

“The place did kind of resemble a locker room if locker rooms were gorgeous and smelled good.”-dude. this kid is my frickin hero

Also some honorary ares mentions because as bonds they are the same person-

In the labyrinth, come to a point where they can go three ways “lets go left” (these aren't the exact words but im too lazy to go look it up) that path circles back around to where they started “on further reflection i favor the right” that circles back round. Only one tunnel left “why don't you chose?” o.m.f.g ares. I love you sm

Also- delivering the bane to ripred: please don't tell me you've become attached to ol twitchtip. Ares: as far as rats go, she is among our favorite. O.M.F.G ARES! I don't think he ever exchanges another word with ripred. The only time he ever talks to the rat is to confirm that she is their favorite rat. Not him. Like- i love him sm

And when theyre training for the army in the last book and gregor asks, ‘have a good nap?’ and ares just responds, ‘all twenty minutes of it’ ashdfgsfhgenhvengh!!!!! I love this dork sm. 

‘You learn fast’ like ma boi-! But its so cute because it distracts gregor from his fear of being a rager and gets him to laugh and its the first time they act like bonds and its super cute

“Aurora and I go with our bonds,” muttered Ares- he could just say it- but no. he mutters. i adore this bat

Ares flew straight for the rat.- its not sass but like- yes

"get off my chest what?'' get it ares. teach gregor mannors haha

yeah thats all i could think of off the top of my head

[bornetoblood]

The Findings of Des Hallows- A Creature Journal.

Grim Flies: Grim Flies are by far the most common insect an explorer might encounter. They are generally harmless, if irritating. Their distictive elongaged front legs may look intimidating but they're predominantly for show. They produce a black honey to feed their spawn- both of which is kept within the Hives.

Grim Fly Hives: Despite its humanoid appearence, Grive Fly Hives (or, colloquially, Hearthomes) have no relation to us. They often stand facing corners or walls, cooing, (does it harbor affection for the insects?) until they are disturbed. When threatened it will bend backwards and attack any percived assailants. They appear to have evolved to support a symbiotic relationship with the Grim Fly- which nest in its chest. The chest in elder Grim Fly Hives is often convex due to an excess of honey. When the Grim Flies are removed from the Hive it looses all movement, going slack until they are returned.

Rusted Debutantes: These metal women are generally pleasant but one shouldn't let their guard down. I've seen her snap at the drop of a hat and tear strong men limb from limb. As lonely as this line of work can be, it is best to politly decline a liaison with her. All the Rusted Debutantes seem to be fasioned off the same woman, with slight differences in her outfits. There is a folktale of an Edwardian Steelworker, grief stricken over her beloved's marriage, turning to the construction of metal replicas that would outlive them both- but this is mear hearsay.

[theirwolfbicanthrope]

I am doing what I should have done years ago and finally *reading* Carmilla and my stars

whenever ppl talk about queer subtext in old movies and books I've learned to temper my expectations because I (unfortunately) often need a few viewings/readings to pick up on it

this book is *saturated* with it

[mister-eames]

In A/E, who cooks the most delicious meals and who is the most efficient cook? those can be mutually inclusive but more often, they are not so, thoughts?

I think Arthur is really good at four (4) meals. But like, REALLY good - you know those dishes you always pester your mum/dad/parent to make because it's so good every time and it makes you Feel Something and its probably the first thing(s) you learn to cook because it's SO GOOD. That's Arthur. Except he disdains the process of cooking and would rather avoid it. He would--and has--eaten crackers for dinner if he was eating alone. Eames pesters him to cook any of those four (4) meals but he doesn't often do it. Cooking seems like such a waste of time, you know? But he gives in when he's got the time, because it makes Eames happy. And him too.

Eames cooks lots of delish meals. Effortlessly. Loves a recipe book/blog/channel. He also cooks his fair share of bad ones. I say he has a 70-30 ratio of amazing to awful meals. Can whip up the most amazing curry or stew with just his intuition to guide him one day, and then make the most god-awful casserole the next with the most fucked up flavours and horrifying textures. He has two modes: turning water into wine and burning water. Arthur doesn't mind, it's part of Eames charm - he doesn't mind regularly replacing charred pans, as long as he's not the one cooking.

[thecomfortable]

Sleepover [Part 1]

A TMNT 2012 fanfic

Word Count: 3453

Warnings: Brief descriptions of blood/wounds

Ships: Leo x April

(Part 2 is now available!)

“A sleepover? Guys, that’s all we’ve been having since my dad was captured that one time.” April chuckled, typing away at her laptop. This was the third time they had asked her to stay over since Shredder had been defeated. Casey was adamant and said that his family needed his support. April, on the other hand, just wasn’t bothered half the time. “Besides I’ve got stuff to do.”

“Stuff we could easily help with.” Donatello interjected, smiling down at the girl. “If it’s homework I can provide assistance.” 

“If you can stand the voice of a dweeb longer than an hour.” Raph snickered before Donnie smacked the back of his head, and the two began to bicker.

“I dunno…” April looked away from her laptop to glance around the group, her gaze landing on Leo. “What do you think?” Leo, taken fairly off-guard by this, chuckled sheepishly.

“Well, I wasn’t really invested in this plan to begin with. You’ve got stuff to do and we’ve got stuff to do. But…" Leo looked away from both April and his brothers. “If you haven’t got anything next weekend… I wouldn’t mind if you stayed over, you don’t have to of course—”

“Alright,” April responded. The group stared at her in surprise. “Well, what the leader says, goes. Isn’t that the saying?” Leo shrugged, grinning a bit. Raph threw his hands up in the air.

“That’s all it took? Leo’s blessing?” Raph said in exasperation, to which April raised a brow in response.

“Better than yours. I’d be worried for my safety if you gave me any type of blessing.” April retorted, a slight smirk on her face.

“Touché.”

---

“Wow, you guys went all out, huh?” April stared wide-eyed at the dojo. Futons were covering the floor, with Mikey already lying on one and playing games on his T-Phone. “You didn’t have to.”

“Oh, we know that,” Raph grumbled, squeezing past her as he went to sit down on his futon. “It was Mikey’s idea.” Mikey’s giggles could be heard quietly in the background. April heaved her bag over to the futon next to Mikey and plopped it down. She only vaguely registered that Leo’s comics were neatly stacked on the futon beside hers.

“Oh good, you’re here!” Donnie chimed, walking into the dojo and grinning at the redhead. “Sorry, I was busy in my lab. Did you bring your homework?” April nodded, removing her laptop from its case and opening it. The lanky turtle sat beside her, and they began chatting.

Leo entered the dojo a short time later. He gave April a warm smile - which she happily returned - and sat down on her other side before picking up one of the comics and quietly reading. Time passed as usual, with Raph and Mikey leaving to watch the Slugman Marathon. At the same time, Donnie and - at some points - Leo stayed to help April with her homework.

“Pizza time~!” Mikey called out from the lair’s entrance, to which both Donnie and Leo looked up and furrowed their brows. “I also paid for it!” They relaxed, looking back over April’s shoulders to see her screen.

“Did you guys discuss what pizzas you were getting with Mikey or—”

“He probably bought one of each.” April looked mortified, and Donnie quickly rephrased his sentence. “What I mean is— He probably bought the basic pizzas. Marguerite, meat-lovers, pineapple… that sort of thing.” The girl nodded, still slightly concerned with the decision to leave Mikey in control of ordering dinner. Seeing her expression, Donnie stood up and grinned at the pair still on the ground. “Don’t worry. I’ll see if he bought too much.”

Feeling reassured, Leo and April watched the other leave before once again resuming April’s studies. There was brief silence until April scooched closer to Leo to make it easier for him to see. Only this move completely derailed the turtle’s train of thought. They’d been close before, but not like this. The fuzzy feeling made him worry. There was space around them to sit, but April chose to sit there.

April, who, for the most part, had been entirely focused on the Russian Revolution, sensed a change in Leo’s emotional state. She glanced around the room for a reason to which she found none. She soon found herself staring up at the turtle, who seemed not to notice as he was too busy staring at his feet.

“Leo.” The turtle jolted harshly and hastily looked over at April. 

“I-I’m here! What’s up? Need help with something?” He asked, noticing that April had leaned even closer to inspect him. “Is it something to do with the Russian Oligarchy?”

“If that’s what you’re so stressed about then sure. Let’s talk about the Russian Oligarchy.” April responded flatly. Leo began staring at his feet again. The girl leaned forward, determined to meet his eye. Leo turned his head. “Hey, don’t think you can avoid talking to someone sitting right next to you.” 

Donnie walked back into the room; he looked slightly abashed. “Mikey ordered all the basic— What are you two doing?” He had cocked his head to one side and stared at his older brother and then at April. April shrugged; she also wanted to know what was up with Leo but had gotten no helpful answers. Standing up, the girl slid her laptop back into its case and followed Donnie out of the dojo.

Leo put a hand to his cheek and grimaced.

---

“What are you doing, Mikey!” Raph yelled in exasperation as he watched his younger brother dump jelly beans on his slice of pizza. Mikey just grinned before shoving the piece into his mouth. 

Everyone disliked that. 

Regardless, the group had sat down in front of the small - somewhat busted TV - and discussed what to watch before Mikey had decided to gross everyone out. April, Leo and Raph were sitting on the steps (in that order), and the two younger turtles were sitting at their feet.

Donnie decided to get the conversation back on track. “We could watch a horror movie—” 

“Our life is a horror movie.” Raph grumbled, watching Mikey as he crammed another slice into his mouth. Leo chuckled and gave Raph a slight nod in agreement. “And I don’t need to be reminded.” April perked up.

“We could watch The Babadook. Apparently, that one’s quite good.” April suggested. The two older turtles looked curiously over at the girl. Mikey happily gave April a thumbs up - his mouth was full of jelly bean pizza which Raph was oh so aware of. “How ’bout it, guys?”

Leo shrugged. He had no idea what the movie was about, but the name sounded funky. 

“Sounds better than what the nerd had picked.” Raph snickered, flipping the page of his comic. Donnie shot him a glare. He had suggested they watch 2001: A Space Odyssey, which Mikey and Raph immediately shot down. 

“Eh why not.” Donnie sighed. “I’ll set up the hard drive.” 

The group watched as Donnie sauntered over to the TV to mess around with its wiring before focusing on Mikey’s pizza.

“How can you eat that without gagging?” April asked, genuinely curious - though inherently disgusted. 

“I ask that question everyday.” Raph said flatly. “Never gotten a sane response.” 

“That’s because there isn’t one.” Leo mused, peering at the comic over Raph’s shoulder, who quickly moved it out of view. “What– Oh, I get it. You’re reading something embarrassing aren’t you?”

“My bet is on a romance manga.” Mikey grinned, nudging Raph’s knee with his elbow. The red-clad ninja looked slightly offended and kicked his brother’s arm away.

“I thought Donnie was into those?” April gave the turtle hunched by the TV a smirk. 

“Says the girl who played a dating sim when she was supposed to be studying.” Donnie retorted, shooting a grin at April, who flinched and looked away. Suddenly she was the central focus of the group. Mikey looked utterly shocked; Leo and Raph were mildly surprised. But they were all staring… except Donnie, who had gone back to rewiring the TV.

“A dating sim?” Leo said, trying and failing to hold back his laughter. April pouted and glanced at the three sitting alongside her. They were all giggling now, much to April’s embarrassment.

“It was one time!” She insisted, to which Donnie barked out a harsh laugh. 

“Uh-huh, is that what you told Kirby when you failed Trig?” He chimed, connecting the little wifi device to the back of the TV.

“I’ll have you know that I didn’t fail!” April snapped.

“Really? Was Senpai proud of you?” At that comment, the girl flushed pink and angrily crossed her arms. He stood up and strode back to the group to sit by April’s legs. “Bet he said something really cute too.”

“What’s her type?” Raph asked, looking up from his comic to smile vaguely across at April. “Bet it’s the ‘bad boy’ who’s also a complete idiot.”

“Hm, from what I gathered she was always smiling when the ‘School Prefect’ had any dialogue.” Donnie explained. “Y’know, the teacher’s pet archetype-...” Suddenly all eyes were on Leo- or his brother’s eyes, at least. Now it was the leader’s turn to look away with a slightly irritated expression in his case.

“Knock it off, Donnie.” That was all Leo said, though his brothers started grinning maliciously. “Aren’t we going to watch the movie April picked out?”

“I dunno Leo, this is also pretty fun to watch.” Mikey snickered, turning his head to watch April, who was currently hiding her face. A well-aimed kick to the younger’s side put a stop to the embarrassing situation.

“My movie’s still on the table.” A well-aimed glare from two unimpressed siblings also put a stop to Donnie’s suggestion. “Alright! Alright… Good thing we’re sleeping in the same room I guess. Mikey won’t need to wake anyone up.”

“I don’t do that anymore!” Mikey snapped, looking extremely offended. 

“Yeah, cause we haven’t watched a Horror movie in over a month, moron. You don’t have a reason to.” Raph put down his comic and grabbed the controller out of Donnie’s hands. “Now, let’s see what this movie’s about.”

---

April had quite enjoyed the movie for a few reasons: The story was well-written, the characters were authentic, the scares had great timing, and she could sense exactly what her friends were feeling during the movie. Good thing, too; knowing that your friends are somewhat more scared than you is a pretty pleasant feeling.

Mikey had gone into a fear-induced trance and was currently stuffing his face with ice cream. Raph had remained marginally calm throughout the movie and therefore wasn’t too bothered after it had ended, whilst both Donnie and Leo were still slightly on edge. 

Deciding to have fun with this situation, April tapped Leo’s shoulder and watched him jolt. Then she tapped Donnie’s. Same reaction. Ooh, this might be fun.

“What? Is something up, April?” Donnie asked, peering up at the girl. She grinned and raised a brow. “What are you-... Oh haha, I jumped. So funny.” Raph was laughing alongside April, who had begun giggling herself.

Leo frowned at her before turning to Raph and glaring. “You’re rubbing off on her.” He said, shoving Raph’s shoulder. The younger turtle grinned. He had nothing to feel guilty about when they were both so ‘jumpy’. Why wouldn’t April want to mess around with them? Leo went to further scold the other when he felt something breathe on his neck. 

He yelped. Loudly.

April, Donnie and Raph burst out into loud cackles. They sounded akin to a pack of hyenas; even Mikey was laughing despite his prior state of uncontrolled fear. April had been the one to blow air on the back of his neck, and she looked so smug, despite the fact she was laughing hysterically. 

“Why would you do that!” Leo snapped, his face a brilliant shade of red that clashed horribly with his green scales. April was vividly reminded of Christmas at her Aunt’s house. She also thought it was rather cute. Ignoring the second thought, she pressed a finger into Leo’s chest.

“Because,” she grinned, face full of malicious pride. “It was funny.”

Leo pushed her hand away, still marginally red in the face. She looked really confident and sounded even more so. The fuzzy feeling was back.

Then their eyes locked, and April’s grin faltered. He looked adorable. The fuzzy feeling in her chest made her worry.

It made them both worry.

---

“Dudes, do we have to sleep in the dark?” Mikey complained as Donnie turned off the lights in the dojo. There came a resounding ‘yes’ from the rest of the group in response, and Mikey groaned dramatically. “You won’t even know if I’m gone!”

After a few rounds of Monopoly - all of which were won by Donnie, who was then hunted down by Raph and Mikey and tickled mercilessly in the middle of the dojo - the group finally decided to go to bed. And by ‘go to bed’, that meant getting comfortable just in case anyone passed out. No one wanted to wake up with cramps.

Currently, only Raph, Leo and Mikey were lying on their futons. Donnie was busy clearing up around the doorway so that no one tripped over in the dark while April was getting dressed in another room.

“We can tell when you get a midnight snack, Mikey.” Donnie said incredulously. “I think we’ll notice if something bad is happening to you.”

“That’s what you think!”

“I told you he wouldn’t sleep.” Raph grumbled to Leo, who nodded vaguely, too focused on his comics to fully register the conversation. Just then, April walked into the dojo wearing a nice pair of pyjamas. For once, Leo lost focus on his comics in favour of something else.

This reaction didn’t go unnoticed. Donnie had done a sweeping glance of the room to find any trip hazards and had gotten a good look at his brother’s flushed face. He looked at where Leo was staring, noticed it was April, and then stared at Raph.

His eyes were wide. 

Raph had the distinct feeling that someone was staring at him. He glanced around and quickly noticed Donnie’s wide eyes, which looked incredibly unnerving when dimly illuminated by some sparsely lit candles. Cringing, he shot Donnie a questioning expression. The lanky turtle nodded towards Leo, to which Raph turned his attention.

Leo was currently watching April as she discussed sleeping methods with Mikey. Raph’s eyes widened, and he mouthed the words ‘he’s blushing’ to Donnie, who mouthed the words ‘I know’ back at him. 

Raph tapped his brother’s shoulder, who snapped out of his affectionate gaze to look questioningly at the other. “What’s with you?” He asked, noticing Leo’s face had gone slightly redder due to his nerves.

“What do you mean?” Leo whispered, and Raph started explaining himself, only for April to laugh at something Mikey said. Her laugh temporarily transfixed the leader, and Donnie had to clear his throat. The leader hunched his shoulders, bracing for a bombardment of insults after ignoring Raph’s answer. But nothing came; Donnie repeated what he had been too distracted to hear.

“You like her. Don’t you?”

Leo froze. The statement threw him so severely that he remained dead silent, staring at Donnie with his brows raised.

He swallowed. 

The fuzzy feeling was back from before, but it was so much worse this time. Leo had started imagining what people did when they were in love. Then he imagined himself and April in those situations, and it was like someone lit his face on fire.

Leo decided not to answer, and Donnie chose not to pry. Surprisingly, Raph didn’t attempt to pry either though that didn’t stop him from smirking broadly at the blue-clad leader.

Again April felt a change in Leo’s emotional state. She turned and saw that he was gazing at her with a slightly guilty expression. Their eyes met. Even at this moment - when the fuzzy feeling was so prominent April could practically feel it emanating off the turtle next to her - all she noticed was his guilt. A quick glance around the room. Raph was busy reading Leo’s comics, Donnie was still checking for hazards, and Mikey was complaining about the lights.

April stood up.

“I’m going to get some water.” She said before glancing at the leader. “Wanna come with me?” The two gazed awkwardly at each other for a brief moment.

“Sure.” 

---

Oh god, this was awkward. The tap slowly filled up the glass April had retrieved from the cupboard. The pair stood in silence. Tense silence. She turned the tap off and took a large swig of water. Leo watched her. Their eyes met for the third time. 

“Are you alright Leo?” 

The question broke through the empty silence, and Leo shuffled his feet. Eye contact now broken, he stared fixedly at the glass clutched in April’s hand and gave her a nod.

“I can tell when you’re lying, y’know.” April commented loftily. “How many times have you used me as a lie detector now? Like 8– maybe 9 times?” Leo’s face was flushed, and he was now staring intently at the floor. “Leo…?”

“It’s nothing.” He insisted, making the trek back over to the dojo. April quickly followed suit, although she latched onto his sash and pulled him back. “April—” but something stopped him. April was close to his face, examining his expression in the darkened lair. “H-Hey–!”

“You’re red again.”

“D-Do you not realise how close you are to my face?”

April stared into his eyes for a moment, then let go of his sash. “I need to wash the glass. Meet you back in the—”

“I’m coming back with you.” Leo said abruptly, now making the trek back over to the sink. April looked dumbfounded.

“But you were the one who—” Leo waved a hand. 

The tap was back on again, as was the silence between the pair, though the tension was slightly different. The glass kept slipping out of April’s hands whenever she looked at the turtle, whilst Leo’s breath quickened when he did the same. Both teens were somewhat flushed. 

What was happening? 

“Listen—” They said in unison. Then stared at each other in surprise. April dropped the glass again. 

“You go first.” April insisted, picking up the glass to towel dry it. Leo hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck before sucking in a deep breath of air.

“I think I like you.” 

Smash

The glass shattered as it hit the floor. April moved back in reflex but slipped on the excess water. Lunging forward, the leader caught her before she could hit the back of her head on the table. This, unfortunately, led to a shard of glass getting embedded into the bottom of Leo’s foot. 

“Quick! Move away from where it smashed!” April looked frankly shocked at almost everything that had just occurred. Leo gingerly fell down beside the table and hissed with pain. “Gosh, I’m sorry Leo I-I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s fine April, I was the one who caused thaAAH!” April had carefully lifted the turtle’s foot to examine the wound when she had accidentally pressed into the shard, causing Leo to yelp in pain. Again, April apologised profusely. “Nono, I’m alright.” The girl quickly turned on her phone’s flashlight and made her way over to the light switch. 

“Oh god.” April breathed, staring down at the blood-stained floor. Leo felt slightly unwell as he stared at his foot. It looked like a deep wound. “H-Hold on, I’ll get Donnie.”

Leo watched her run back to the dojo with a grim expression. He was too forward. Way too forward. 

“What?” The lanky turtle rushed out of the dojo, followed closely by April and his brothers. Leo cringed at Donnie’s look of utter exasperation and opted to examine his injury further. “I heard a smash, but I didn’t expect you—”

“Nice going Chief.” Raph mused though he was clearly concerned.

“It looks like a scene from a horror movie!” Mikey commented loudly, excitement overpowering his concern. Raph smacked his shoulder. “Sorry, it’s just– look at all that blood!” 

“You don’t need to point it out, Mikey.” Leo mumbled, actively paling at the sight. It was pooling around his foot at this point. Gross. Donnie rushed over to Leo’s side and gave him a shoulder to lean on as he stood up. The minute he turned Leo away from the shards of glass, the leader came face-to-face with a worried girl.

He went red.

“Come on bro.” Donnie sighed, “Mikey, I trust you and Raph can handle the mess—”

“I’ll handle it.” April insisted, “It’s my mess. It’s the least I can do.”

[susivoi]

Artfight is a go!

I have started this artfight strong and plan to keep going stronger! I'm on team stardust and have a batch of attacks to share.

First Attack:

This character is owned by @friendlyneighborhoodgaymer (Team Stardust)! https://artfight.net/character/4924435.the-friend-scugsona

Second Attack:

This abomination is owned by @flightdrawz (Team Seafoam).

https://artfight.net/character/4346168.chugjug-slugcat-oc

Third Attack:

This character is owned by @/stalecornflakes (Team Seafoam)

https://artfight.net/character/4690332.the-viper

Fourth Attack:

This character is owned by @/Epileptic_moon (Team Stardust)

https://artfight.net/character/4316508.the-dreamcatcher-rain-world

-

That's the batch! If you wish to find me on AF then here is my profile link: https://artfight.net/~Susivoi

I am focusing on rainworld ocs and wobbledogs this year but if there is a character that catches my eye, I'll probably draw them.

[swan2swan]

Just found out that Kevin Spacey was the original first pick for the President in Independence Day.

That is a bullet of the exact same caliber as the one with Johnny Depp as Ian Malcolm.