#and i said 'wow! surplus STRAP?'

[butchaholic]

play stupid games... win stupid prizes.

i was doing research on what the oldest straps look like so i could try to draw what Actual "surplus strap" would be (as in, what a hypothetical, industrially produced, ugly as sin, WWII era strapon would look like after 70 years rotting on a shelf in an army navy store) (don't judge me)

so i did the reasonable thing, googled "oldest strapon"

i don't think my eyes will recover from what the victorian heteros got up to

[razorblade180]

Hey how about the Data farms couple going on their first date alone? Also how you holding up man?

{I’m alive so that’s something I guess😅}

[Jaune’s apartment]

Jaune:Oscar are you ready yet?

Oscar:*bathroom* NO!!!!

Jaune:I hate to rush you but your date is in like thirty minutes.

Oscar:I’m just making sure everything is perfect. I want this night to go well.

Jaune:You make it seem like this is your first date with Penny. The two of you hung out at the carnival and the lake where both of kissed more than once.

Oscar:I know but this is different; this time we’re actually alone and have no wingman to help.

Jaune:Ruby and I almost let you drown on accident. I can’t say we were helping you out a lot then.

Oscar:Maybe next time don’t abandon me to go make out with Ruby in the lake.

Jaune:You’re asking a lot out of me.

Oscar:*walks out in a tux* How do I look?

Jaune:*fixes tie* like a man trying to impress a girl that’s clearly into him. So just like most people.

Oscar:Cool, any advice for me? Final words of wisdom?

Jaune:Hmmm sometimes a girl will ask for help or bring something up they can actually handle. Just be a gentleman anyways.

Oscar:You mean how when Ruby says her purse is too heavy on her even though she carries a scythe?

Jaune:Exactly that, she just wants me to carry it for her and it’s fine. Most importantly, be yourself. Penny seems to like how much of a dork you are. *smiles*

Oscar:Who you calling a dork, you dork? *laughing*

[Ruby’s car]

Penny:*rocking back and forth*

Ruby:You seemed stressed.

Penny:I’m calm Hic! okay I’m a little nervous. Hic! I am losing my mind....*blushing*

Ruby:You’ll be fine. Just one question. Why are you going to a restaurant when you don’t eat?

Penny:I panicked asking him out. Anyways I’ll just eat the food and it’ll turn to surplus energy. Also if I’m going to have tastebuds then I want to use them.

Ruby:Wait, Atlas knows how to turn food itself into energy that’s good enough to power an Android?

Penny:........

Penny:I cannot confirm or deny the previous question.

Ruby:Were you trained to say that?

Penny:I cannot confirm or d-

Ruby:That answers my question. Anyways, I just want you to remember to have fun, don’t do anything crazy, and if you guys go on walk or something then say you’re cold.

Penny:If I get cold I just turn of my-

Ruby:Trust me Penny, just say you’re cold. *parks car* Best of luck!

Penny:What will you be doing now that we aren’t hanging out. *gets out*

Ruby:I think I can find something to do. *mumbles* like my boyfriend.

Penny:What?

Ruby:Nothing!🎶 *slowly driving away*

Our nervous android walks through the door to see many tables set in a beautifully designed restaurant that looks like something only the elite could afford. Well let candles are on every table and a chandelier shines nicely on the ceiling.

Penny:*takes a breath* (If you were made to fight a war, you can handle a date.) *sees Oscar*

Oscar:*patiently waiting at a table in his tux.*

Penny:(You can’t handle this)

Oscar:*swaying in the chair*

Ozpin:(Stop loo-)

Oscar:*jolts* (Oh my god you scared me!? I thought we agreed you’d go away for the night?)

Ozpin:(I wouldn’t have said anything if your heart wasn’t beating like a drum. Are you sure you don’t want me around)

Oscar:(Positive)

Ozpin:(Remember that time you were folding clothes and basically had a panic attack because Ruby’s bra somehow got mixed in with your clothes?)

Oscar:......(Just don’t speak unless I say something to you.)

Ozpin:(That’s fair. What if you space out though?)

Oscar:(I’m not gonna-)

Penny:Hey Oscar.

He turns to see his beautiful date in front of him, and beautiful was an understatement. Right now he was captivated by Penny wearing a long green dress with no shoulder straps. It shimmered slightly in the candle light and had a decent size slit on the right side. On her ears and around her neck were some sort of gem that matched her now curled hair perfectly. The girl was shyly twiddling her thumbs as her face was a little red.

Oscar:*flustered beyond belief*............

Ozpin:(*cough* )

Oscar:*snaps out of it* H...Hi! You look...wow.

Penny:Really? It’s not too much? I could take of the necklace or-

Oscar:No, you look....you’re perfect as you are.

Penny:Th...thank you. You...look very handsome in that. *blushing*

Oscar:Thanks *pulls seat out for her*

Penny:*snorts* hehehe

Oscar:What’s so funny?

Penny:Nothing really, it’s just a little weird for someone to do things like this for me. I’m not exactly delicate. *sitting down*

Oscar:I know, but this is a date and I was raised to do this sort of thing. *sits down* So, how have you been?

Penny:I’ve been fine. Spent time with Ruby earlier and she helped me get ready for tonight. Other than that it has been a tad boring though. For the pass few weeks I haven’t really left the base here. Doing a lot of test.

Oscar:Test?

Penny:Just some routine maintenance. Making sure I’m learning about the world efficiently as well as properly. Oh, also I got some upgrades I wanted that should’ve been obvious in hindsight.

Oscar:Please tell me it’s a floating device?

Penny:*giggles* Yes, I can float now. I told my father about the lake situation and we both agreed that a situation like that shouldn’t happen again. I was so tired of seeing the bottom of-

Her train of thought was cut off by Oscar’s look. A calm smile was worn on his face with soft eyes. She could tell he was listening intently but there was something about that look that started to make her a little shy. Everything about the situation even made her stomach feel fluttery. Was that even possible!?

Oscar:Something wrong?

Penny:Sorry, it’s just.....why are you looking at me like that? Not that I mind your smile since it’s really nice.

Oscar:Oh, well thank you. *smiles* I’m smiling because not so long ago you were afraid of tell me anything about yourself. Now you wanna full conversation about it. It’s nice.

Penny:Heh, you’re looking at me new in approved. Physically and emotionally.

Oscar:So, anything else you want to share? I’m all ears.

Penny:*grins* Okay! Umm...hold out your hands, palms up.

Oscar:*does it*

Penny:*holds them*Notice anything strange? Or should I say normal?

Oscar:...Umm, I’m bad at guessing games. All I feel is warm pal- hey your hands are warm, and also really soft.

Penny:Yep! Body heat, more sensors for feelings, and just about anything to feel more normal I suppose. It’s weird, last week I bummed into a soldier and it actually stung a bit. Pain wasn’t a feeling they wanted to give me but I think it’s an important part of-

Oscar:Feeling alive? *rubbing her hand*

Penny:Exactly, I know I’ll never truly be normal but I want to get as close as possible. I want us to feel as normal as possible...

Oscar:*red* Us?

Penny:Yeah, us.... *eyes widened* wait are not? *gasp* did I miss read these signs? Ruby told me about this thing called “subtext” and how to read it but I’m starting to think I might have been seeing it wrong. Which is really scary if- *rambling*

Oscar notices they’re drawing a bit of attention around and starts getting a bit anxious himself. He tries to calm her down but nothing seems to work.

Ozpin:(I know you’re not asking for help but might I offer a small tip?)

Oscar:(Uhhhh sure?)

Ozpin:(Let her know she’s not wrong.)

Oscar:(Geez I’m dumb.) Penny, look at me. *holds hands tighter*

Penny:*worried* Y..yes?

Oscar:I....I like being an us. You didn’t miss read anything. Spending time with you is really nice and this entire day felt super long because I wanted it to get to the part where I got to see you again. I want....I want to be your..... *flustered*

Penny:*eyes widened* Yes...

Oscar:*red* What?

Penny:*looking away*.............

Penny:Be my boyfriend, please?

Oscar:...So do you have better sensors everywhere?

Penny:What?

Oscar:You said you can feel . That would mean you could everywhere right?

Penny:Yeah, but what does that have to do with-

Once again her words were cut short. Instead of his eyes though; it was his hand rubbing her face. Penny knew her sensors where in full effect because the sensation was way more intense than the lake. Not only that but she was definitely feeling way warmer than usual. It was nice, so leaning into it felt more than natural.

Oscar:*pulling back* Feeling better?

Penny:Can you always do that if I ramble?

Oscar:*chuckling* Only if you do same for me.

Penny:Consider it done. *rubbing her arm* uh, could we possibly, you know. *leaning*

Oscar:As eager as I am?

Penny:No Hic! yes...*blushing*

Oscar:Good to know. *leaning*

“Ms. Polendina?”

Penny:Huh? *turns head*

Soldier:Sorry to have interrupted your night out but you are needed back at the base for a briefing. I was told to escort you.

Penny:Awwww but that was supposed to be tomorrow. I’m in the middle of a date, *sheepishly* with my boyfriend.

Oscar:*internal screaming*

Ozpin:(Please stop screaming)

Oscar:If it’s not too much to ask, maybe I could walk her home?

Soldier:I’m not sure if-

Penny:*puppy eyes* Pretty please Mr...*looks a tag* Mr. Tanaka sir!

Tanaka:......Sigh, please don’t dilly dally on the way ba- *hugged*

Penny:Thank you! I mean... *salutes* Yes sir!

Oscar:Shall we then?

Penny:We shall, too bad we didn’t even get to eat.

Oscar:I know right!? The service here sucks.

[City Streets]

The road to the base is relatively quiet. Snow gently falls to the ground while street lights make a trail of golden light. Both of then continued to enjoy each other’s company and walk casually. Cool air blows lightly, causing Penny to remember Ruby’s words. She slowly wrapped her arms around herself and started to rub them.

Oscar:You cold?

Penny:Uh...something like that. *supressing hiccup*

Oscar:*takes off blazer* Here you go.

Penny:Won’t you be cold though?

Oscar:I don’t mind a little cool air. Farm life had its frigid moments. *drapes it over her*

Penny:(This smells nice) That reminds me, I spent so much time talking about me that you didn’t talk much about yourself.

Oscar:Nothing much to tell really. Life’s been pretty average.

Penny:You have two souls.....

Oscar:Life’s been my standard of average. *smiles* Just the occasional internal monologue and grimm patrol.

Penny:Is he talking right now?

Oscar:Nah, we made an agreement for him not to intrude on our date.

Ozpin:(Tell her I said hi...)

Oscar:He says hello.

Penny:Hi Professor. I wish my body guards also didn’t intrude. I suppose you’ll have to tell me more about having two souls another time. Seeing magic would be quite the experience.

Oscar:Funny, I wasn’t thinking you’d actually call it that. I thought you would’ve gone a more scientific route.

Penny:Well I’d be lying if I said it didn’t sound illogical and completely goes against what society knows. However, I can’t deny that it might exist; there’s one shred of evidence that supports it.

Oscar:Really? What’s that?

Penny:It sounds a bit ridiculous but...how do I explain this? *stops walking*

Oscar:*stops*?

Penny:I know I’m not human when it comes to most things. Indeed I have an aura which people consider a soul but even so, I’m still not like everyone else by a wide margin. This is a fact and it’s a fact that I’m okay with; different doesn’t mean I’m inferior or superior. It makes me well, me. But ever since I met you things feel....different.

Oscar:Different?

Penny:*twiddling her thumbs* Like, everything that we do feels scary yet exciting. Things make sense but at the same time, not at all. My stomach starts to feel a little weird too. It’s not some glitch either; I’ve checked plenty of times. I know I’m an android but whenever I look at you......*blushing* it’s like I forget that. I become... just another girl. *looks down*

Oscar:Maybe you’re more human than you think.....

His hand makes it’s way to her chin and tilts her head up. Beautiful green eyes stare right at him with pure and varying emotions; each one he was certain he was feeling too. Fear, anxious, excitement, apprehension, courage, confusion, yet also clarity. The nerve he worked up at the restaurant had vanished and he found it a little challenging to get any closer than he already was. Penny didn’t move either for a moment. She was too fixated on his eyes again; Both her hands found their way to his sleeves however and was tugging Oscar closer painstakingly slow. Pushing down all their anxiety, they both go in for for a kiss. Time stopped mattering and so did the cold. Only thing they focused was each other; their simple kiss under a street light in the snow.

[The base, several minutes later]

Penny:*In uniform and walking though the halls*

Ciel:Oh, There you are Ma’am. You are several minutes behind schedule.

Penny:I’m sorry. Penny Polendina is here and reporting for duty. We’ll still make it before the meeting actually starts. You shouldn’t let that watch rule your life ya know.

Ciel:I suppose you might have a point to a degree. So, was your night out a pleasant one?

Penny:*blushing* Best night yet...

[Jaune’s apartment]

Oscar:*walking in* I’m back Ja-

Jaune:*watching a movie* Oh, you’re back earlier than I thought.

Ruby:*only in Jaune’s hoodie* Oh no, did something happen? Also hi!

Oscar:*avoiding eye contact* Hey Ruby. Penny got called into a meeting so the date was cut short.

Ruby:And after all that work I put in to make her look all cute for the night; not that she needed it. Was it nice while it lasted at least?

Oscar:Yeah.....really nice. *blushing*

[mimedusa-blog]

setting fire to the sky with @hunterxmi​ as decreed by Hydrus ( @myeongchokrp​ )

if jinah actually cared, she would say that this is abusing her worker’s rights.

if she was a low-level, tiny-brained soldier, she would’ve accepted the job with no qualms at all, but the soldiers all seem to be busy on the best day ever, and here she is getting the annoying feeling of missing out on all the fun. instead, she’s stuck in a car with someone who’s spreading his sickness around like it’s nobody’s business, and if she could, she’d strangle him right then for daring to tempt the fates and get her sick. without prompting, she even puts on the black, hard face mask as if that’ll dissuade any of the germs from trying to invade her system (it may be enough to help her through tear gas, but you never know). he can put viruses in software, but not her, no, thank you. 

either way, she didn’t read the file. there often isn’t any need for it, really. she saw the targets and she saw the objective, so there really wasn’t much to pay attention to. the rest was, unfortunately, up to hunter to do his job. her attire today isn’t nearly as nice as she wants it to be, but it’s free enough to move in – in fact, she didn’t have much time to change at all, and she’s wearing the same pants she’d been wearing since yesterday, which is an absolute travesty. she barely pays attention to what he’s saying, too, and hardly looks up at the screen he turns towards her. instead, she makes sure that the knives at her thigh are in place, that the gun strapped at her shoulder, hidden underneath her jacket, are safely stowed, and that her shoelaces are tied. these are manolo blahnik oxfords. god forbid she’d trip on them while on the job. 

“mnhuh,” she says dismissively, tying her hair up – a sign of focus, though she’d never admit it. “just do your job and i’ll do mine – ooh~,” distracted, she peeks inside the bag: explosives with a timed detonator. there’s certainly no failsafe for this one. the thought of getting blown up in there along with them might just make this job a little more exciting. she zips the bag closed and puts it on, tightening the straps to fit. she doesn’t like loose ends. 

jinah adjusts the earpiece tucked in her ear. “do me a favour, hunter.” she grins at him as she opens the door. “don’t fuck it up.” 

without much else, she gets out of the car and heads directly to the alleyways. sticking close to the walls gives her time to hide behind anything and stay hidden as patrols pass along the main street. she looks up before she turns the corner to access the backdoor and, sure enough, two big men guard the entrance. these behemoths actually think that they’re doing anything to dissuade hydrus, huh? idiots. she undoes the strap of the mask behind her head, but holds it to her face, and takes a few deep, shuddering breaths, all but forcing tears in her eyes. men are such idiots.

“h-help!” she calls out, stumbling. they point their guns at her, and she raises a hand, the other still holding the mask to the lower half of her face. she feigns a choked sob, and another, in between every exclamation. “y-you guys are phoenix, right? i’m one of you! c’mon – there’s hydrus behind me! please, you’ve got to help!” 

they lower their guns, and she stops in front of them. one puts a hand on her shoulder; the other keeps his hand on his gun, but a quick glance tells her that he doesn’t mean to shoot: his finger isn’t on the trigger. this idiot looks up, and asks, “hey, are you really one of us? where’re these hydrus assholes?”

“l-let me – wait, let me fix my mask, i – oh–!” she fixes it, to be true, and once it is, swipes a silenced gun from beneath her jacket and pulls the trigger with the barrel under one man’s chin. before the one with the gun can react, she pulls the knife out from the colleague’s throat. one hand reaches for the finger that could’ve been on the trigger and pulls it back with a sharp crack; the other aims at his forehead and shoots. twice, for good measure, and she sighs, tucking the hot barrel back into its strap. “yeah, they’re right here, dumbass.”

it was, of course, surprisingly easy to use the key tucked at one dead man’s jacket to open the backdoor. “better have disabled those alarms, hunter.”

she pushes it without much issue. thankfully, the noise outside makes it slightly easier to sneak around in her shoes. these aren’t meant to be stealthy. the click of her heels would’ve signalled where she is had the general cacophony outside, fuelled by the rage of monsters, not masked it just the slightest. she does hide behind the door; the patrol comes too close.

as he peeks behind it, jinah places her hand over his mouth, and the other nearly all the way on the other side of his head. before he can protest, his neck snaps with a definite crack, and the whole weight of him falls limp against her. “shit,” she mumbles, crouching down and gripping him by the head, one hand against his shoulder, to soften the fall. when he does, he ends up lying flat on the ground, holding her exit open. he may not be much for security, but he sure as hell made an effective door stop. 

she steps over him carefully, hiding behind a tall shelf of surplus clothes. the weapons are just underneath, and there’s one more patrol, a fair distance away, like hunter said. she matches his steps, slowly, carefully, until there’s not much distance at all. instead of a gun, she uses the knife at her thigh to stab him in the back, one hand again over his mouth. she stabs a few more – ugh, it’s just so satisfying! – and, again, softens the fall, but doesn’t move the body. 

let them find it. let them know.

so, yes, she stabs him a few times, unable to bite back the gleeful grin on her face, before hunter’s voice interrupts her and makes her stop. she inhales and mumbles, “killjoy”, straightening up and leaving the knife lodged in the dead man’s face. “right, right, i got it, jeez, don’t rush me.”

she knocks at the door instead. she doesn’t know whether they’ll answer, but she stands there patiently, gun in one hand and trained straight ahead, unwavering. 

unfortunately for them, they open the door.

“what do y– who the fuck?!” 

“hiya, buddy!” she greets. at least she’s polite before she shoots him three times. his body falls forward, and the man inside – the target, it seems – shoots, just as she lets go of the gun in an instinctual attempt to catch the body that definitely would’ve crushed her if she didn’t catch it. his bodyguard’s body is thick enough and heavy enough to take the brunt of it before she pushes him off. “hey!” she calls out, getting a running start before the guard’s body even hits the floor, and before her target can comprehend it. 

he gapes at her – whether it’s the fact that she’s running towards the guy pointing a gun at her, or that he might recognise her, she doesn’t know – and his cigar falls to the ground in what seems like slow motion. her arm knocks his gun hand up, away from her, and he drops it; her hand grasps his wrist to twist his hand and hold it still. her knee lodges itself in his middle, making him choke and double over. her other hand has already reaches for a knife at her thigh, sharp side against his throat. “that’s not very nice.”

“wh-what do you want!!! i’ll give you anything! do you want information?? do you want this cache??? ta-take it!”

“well, i mean, you already made a mistake, working for phoenix.” hunter, again, disrupts her moment. she’d meant to take him and the cache – that’s double gains for hydrus, and certainly more brownie points for her! – but the police are on their way, and she grits her teeth and clicks her tongue in disappointment. “and now you’ve made another. shouldn’t have taken a shot at me, honey. you’re just not my type.”

she’s standing too close when she slices his throat. blood goes all over her front and her face, spraying everywhere, forcing her to keep her lips pursed tight so none of it gets in her mouth. she takes a step back and brings the backpack to her front, distractedly, and opens the crate. instead of whistling, she spits out some of the blood that did slip past her lips. “disgusting. this is such a waste of good money.”

it’s the only thing that bothers her when she puts takes the explosives out and puts her backpack on properly behind her again. she places it on top of the guns, kissing her fingers and pressing that kiss on the detonator. the numbers there – or lack thereof – makes her blink.

“hold on – one minute? hunter, you asshole!”

she utters a whole variety of curse words as she picks up the fallen cigar. she even inhales and runs it underneath her nostrils to get a whiff as she begins to run, stepping over the dead bodies inelegantly and booking it out of there. (wow, this guy had a good taste in cigars. medusa doesn’t smoke much, but at least she appreciates good things.)

she counts the seconds, and turns around at the last minute, barely out of the alley before she’s blown back by the force of it. her back slams against brick, and shrapnels of glass and concrete and metal scrape at her jacket sleeve when she brings it up to protect her beautiful face. for a moment, she blinks, frozen, as if moving alone would irritate the sense of balance her ears would usually give her; now they ring, slightly. this high undertone irritates her, and she coughs to try and get rid of it. one hand reaches back to undo the strap of her face mask. she turns her hand around, checking to see if that move worked, and – wow, it really did. right at the end of the cigar are embers that she takes full advantage of, bringing the other end to her mouth and sucking in a lungful of harmful nicotine. 

“hey,” she mumbles, coughing a bit, and getting on her feet. ah, her blahniks are ruined. and this suit is expensive, too. “hey, asshole,” she grunts out, the back of her hand at her back, pushing in and stretching. that’s going to leave a bruise. she begins the trek back to the car, cigar held between her fingers. “was a minute really necessary?”

but who was she kidding? his answer was bound to be yes.

[animationnut]

Uncle Trap: Chapter 2

Summary: Parent Trap AU. Huey, Dewey and Louie were raised separately, believing that they were only children for twelve years. When fate reunites them at a camp, they realize that they are triplets and that they know very little about their family history. Determined to reunite Donald, Scrooge and Gladstone and make their family whole again, as well as find out what happened to their mother, the triplets decide to switch places. Chapter Rating: K+ Note: Inspired by @adamarinayu Family Trap AU, which I highly suggest you check out.

                                                    Chapter List

Louie tuned out the string of names being called through the megaphone as the head camp counsellor directed each kid to the cabin they would be staying in for the summer. There were hordes of them swarming the main lot just after the entry gates, surrounding piles of duffel bags that were being tossed off of buses and unloaded from cars and taxis.

He tried fighting to keep his luggage but the teen duck who intercepted his taxi upon arrival said every bag needed to be checked for safety reasons. Louie sent a scornful luck at his surroundings, muttering under his breath, “Yeah, this is so efficient.”

He was already dreading the next two months he would have to spend in this Wi-Fi-less, video game-less zone. But he managed to plaster a smile on his face when saying goodbye to Gladstone at the airport. For some reason his uncle believed this would be a good experience for him, and whether or not it was motivated by a need for some alone time, Louie figured he might as well give Gladstone the benefit of the doubt. He hadn’t let him down before.

Shifting his green-framed designer sunglasses to rest on top of his head. Louie took a quick, surveying look at the haphazardly created mounds of duffel bags and backpacks. He eventually found his stuff but as he approached his duffel it was buried under another half-dozen bags.

“Seriously?” he groaned, hovering at the edge of the pile. He bent down and reached into the middle, jostling strange bags until he revealed the gold strap of his duffel. He gave a few hard tugs but it was stuck tight. Collapsing to the ground, Louie panted and wiped the sweat from his brow. “Ugh. This is too much effort.”

“You must be new here.”

Louie swivelled his head upwards to see a boy with thick red glasses peering down at him. “That obvious?”

“Most of us regulars know to keep a sharp eye on our luggage once it’s taken out of our hands so we can get to it as quickly as possible.”

Louie raised a skeptical brow, for he could spot nerds a mile away and this was a full-blooded one. “You come to Camp Adventure every year?”

“Some years,” he corrected. “Other years I go to Math and Science Camp, which I prefer.”

“Camp Adventure is severely lacking in books and equations,” said Louie in amusement. “What brings you here?”

“My best friend, who can be very persuasive. And stubborn.” He raised a wing towards his beak and called, “Gosalyn!”

“Yo!” In an instant a red-haired duckling appeared, her purple backpack slung over her shoulders. “I was wondering where you went to, Honker. What’s up?”

“Can you get his bag?” Honker pointed to the middle of the pile.

“It’s stuck pretty tight,” warned Louie, climbing to his feet and brushing the dirt from his pale green button-up shirt.

“Pfft. No problem.” In one smooth motion, Gosalyn reached into the pile and pulled out the green duffel with gold straps. She tossed it to Louie, who caught it, eyes wide at her display of effortless strength.

“Thanks,” he managed.

“Anytime. What’s your name?”

“Louie. This is my first and hopefully last year at Camp Adventure.”

“Sent here against your will?” asked Gosalyn in sympathy.

“Yeah, something like that.”

“I hear ya. I feel that way whenever Dad sends me to summer school. Bleh. But I avoided it this year!”

“By copying off of me,” pointed out Honker.

“Aw, I passed the tests, didn’t I? I did some work. I’m Gosalyn, and this is my best friend Honker,” she introduced. “Stick with us and we’ll show you the ropes.”

“Uh…sure.” Regarding the girl with some wariness, he asked, “Do you know who I am?”

Gosalyn sent him a weird look. “You just said. Louie.”

It never occurred to Louie that in Oregon there would be kids who didn’t know his uncle was Gladstone Gander, the famous luckiest duck in the world. In his first ten minutes, he had made friends—friends who didn’t want to get to his uncle and just wanted to get to know him.

“Louie Gander!” The megaphone projected voice echoed across the grounds. “Red Robin Cabin!”

“You’re with me!” said Honker.

“Cool,” said Louie and meant it. He had never really bothered with nerds before but he thought he wouldn’t mind this one.

“I gotta drop my stuff off at my cabin, so I’ll meet you guys in the mess hall,” said Gosalyn. She bumped wings with Honker and held it out expectantly to Louie, who grinned and also knocked wings with her.

“See you later, Gos!” said Honker. Turning to Louie, he said, “Come on, Red Robin Cabin is near the middle of the boy’s row.”

They began down the path towards their home for the summer, bags slung over their shoulders. A sharp horn blast caused Louie to peek over his shoulder, staring at the gleaming black limo that eased its way into the drop-off zone.

“Wow,” said Honker in awe. “I wonder who that is.”

Giving a shrug, Louie said dismissively, “I’ve seen better.”

The limo barely came to a complete stop before Dewey jumped out, taking in his surroundings with a wide grin. Duckworth stepped out of the limo, sending Dewey a disapproving frown. “However excited you are for this little excursion is no excuse to leap from still-moving vehicles.”

“It was hardly movin’, Duckworth,” returned Dewey, though he offered an apologetic smile. “Ah’ve waited all summer for this moment. Ah do nae want tae waste a second.”

One of the camp counsellors approached them with a bright smile. “Welcome to Camp Adventure, sport!” he greeted Dewey. “If you hand me your luggage, I’ll do a quick inspection and then in a few minutes my colleague will assign you your cabin for the summer.”

“I’ll take care of the luggage,” said Duckworth pointedly, popping the trunk and pulling out the dark blue hiking pack.

“I’m afraid it’s part of camp policy, sir. We have to check all bags that come through the gates.”

“Fine. Then you can do so here.”

The camp counsellor opened his mouth, perhaps to argue, but Duckworth thrust the bag into his wings, making sure that Dewey’s name (and more importantly, his surname) was in clear view. Eyes widening at the white thread that spelled out McDuck on the front pocket, he realized that perhaps it wasn’t worth hassling this particular guest, considering the powerful and wealthy name attached.

“Right,” he muttered. He did a quick scan of the bag, finding nothing dangerous or anything that violated camp rules and scurried off to give Dewey’s name to the check-in station.

Rolling his eyes, Dewey set his wings on his hips. “Duckworth, Ah always appreciate your help, but Ah’m trying tae be a normal kid.”

“A McDuck doesn’t have random teens rifling through their personal possessions,” sniffed Duckworth. “And at least now you don’t need to worry about searching for your items in that mess.”

Dewey turned to where Duckworth indicated clusters of kids who were digging through piles of bags. Having to admit it was nice to avoid that particular chore, Dewey accepted his backpack and strapped it on. “Ye have a point,” said Dewey with a smile. “Thanks for flyin’ down with me, Duckworth.”

“It’s my duty. And it will put your uncle at ease to know you were dropped off safe and sound.”

Dewey felt a pang in his chest at the thought of his uncle and their goodbye at the airport. Scrooge had been gruffer than normal when saying his farewells, which meant he was feeling emotional but didn’t want to show it. “Ah’ll write every day.”

“You better or none of us will get any sleep.”

“Dewey McDuck, Canary Cabin!”

“That’s me!” Excitement swelling within his chest, Dewey stepped forwards to embrace Duckworth, “See ye in eight weeks!”

“I’ll enjoy my vacation,” quipped Duckworth, patting his head. “I do hope you enjoy yours.”

“Ah will.”

Dewey raced through the gates and Duckworth watched after the boy for a moment before sliding into the limo and departing. It was fifteen minutes later when an old station wagon, squeaking and puffing exhaust, rolled into the spot the rented limo just vacated. Daisy threw open her door and stepped out, stretching her wings and legs.

“Donald, I’m flying back to Maine,” she said with a groan.

“Fine with me,” said Donald in slight annoyance. “At least there won’t be anyone nagging me the entire trip.”

“I was not nagging!” snapped Daisy, glaring at her boyfriend. “I was advising you!”

“Yeah, to break the law.”

“Going the speed limit on the highway when everyone around you is going at least ten miles faster is a safety hazard!”

As they bickered, Huey took his red bag out of the trunk. A camp counsellor approached him for a safety check and he willingly handed it over. “Uncle Donald, Aunt Daisy!” he called, getting their attention. “It’s been really great listening to you fight for hours on end, but I think it’s time for me to go.”

“How would you know we’ve been arguing? You were plugged into your music the whole time,” teased Daisy.

“You and Uncle Donald make the same face whenever you’re fighting,” replied Huey. “It looks like this.”

He twisted his features into an irritated expression, with his eyes narrowed and a deep scowl on his beak. Donald rolled his eyes and lightly swatted the back of his head. “Smart-aleck. One last run through before you go. Vitamins?”

“Check.”

“Sunscreen? Bug repellent? First-aid kit?”

“Check.”

“Paper, envelopes, stamps, pens?”

“Check.”

“Surplus of sweaters, shirts, socks, underwear?”

“Check.” Crossing his wings over his chest, Huey said in a mock-disappointing tone, “I’ve been a Junior Woodchuck for years. I didn’t get all those badges for nothing, you know.”

“I know.” Knowing it was finally time to say goodbye, Donald could feel tears welling in his eyes and he hastily turned his head, blinking hard.

A lump growing in his throat, Huey stepped forwards and hugged Donald tightly. “I’m going to be fine, Uncle Donald. I promise.”

“I know you are.” Donald knelt down and squeezed him. “I’ll be fine too.”

Resting his forehead against Donald’s, Huey said sternly, “Don’t worry.”

“I’ll try,” said Donald with a soft chuckle. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” When Donald relinquished him, Huey went over to hug Daisy. “Make sure he eats and sleeps and stays sane, okay?”

“I can promise the first two, but not the third, because I’m pretty sure he wasn’t sane to begin with.” Daisy grinned when Donald sent her an unimpressed look. “Love you, kiddo.”

“Love you too, Aunt Daisy.”

Huey went to stand at the edge of the drop-off zone as Donald and Daisy pulled away.  He waved wildly after them until the station wagon was out of sight and he hurried through the gates. He located his luggage in little time, easily wrangling it out of the pile.

“Huey Duck, Woodpecker Cabin!”

Grinning broadly, Huey pinpointed the path that led to his cabin and joined the swell of kids moving towards their summer homes.

“This is going to be the best summer ever!”

[thenerdytomboynewb96]

Samantha Allan Park Ch. #28

Any references to TMNT or anything from popular media and culture is NOT MINE. I only own my OC's.

Chapter #28

*Monday, February 2nd, 2015. 8:00p.m.* *Including the month of September, 6 months after the fall of the Foot*

As soon as he heard footsteps, Mikey sat up some from his laid down position on the couch, He was surprised and a huge smile grew on his face as he saw Sam walk through the entry way. “Hey!” he called out to her. His smile soon faded as he realized what day it was. “Heyyy!” he said in a somewhat stricter tone. “Why are you here?” “Ahhh your welcomes are always so unique and pleasant” she teased in reply. Donnie had been sitting at his desk. He was just tinkering with some appliances that needed fixing, so the background noise throughout the lair had been quite comforting. He now swiveled his chair around and stood up to then walk over towards the girl. 

“What’s in the bags?” he asked, titling his head to the side. Sam closed her eyes as she shot him a huge teeth filled smiled. “Why don’t you look and find out?” “Why are you here?! Go home!” Raph shouted as he left the dojo and passed by the kitchen to now enter the living room. “Dauntless! Perfect timing! Heads up!” Sam called out as she launched one of the four bags at the largest brother. He looked down at the bag that was now in his hands, and then looked up at Sam with a perplexed expression. “What’s in it?” “I dunno, I found yours in the dumpster” she said with a shrug. “HA!...oh wait were you joking?” Mikey asked, switching from ‘in your face’ to an expression of realization. Sam laughed. “Yes I’m joking! And where’s the oldest?” “Back in his room” Mikey said, trying to look into the last two bags that were being held by Sam. She brought her hand to her mouth and shouted “LEO!” Donnie had taken a seat on the couch, curious as to what was in the bag. Raph shook his head as he sat to the right of Donnie, pushing a laughing Michelangelo out of the way in the process. Leo began making his way across the lair to join the rest of the group. Of course the first thing he did was start ridiculing Sam. “What are you doing here? You said you had mock AP exams tomorrow morning!” “Ugh! Just take your birthday present already. Don’t take the fun out of this happy moment” she said as she held one of the bags in front of him until he finally took it. He looked at her with a serious look before he walked to sit down. “You better do well on those mock exams or else I’ll personally kick your ass” he said with a grin as he pat her shoulder as he walked by and took a seat to the left of Donatello on the couch. “Does that mean the last one is for me?” Mikey said, jumping from foot to foot in place and holding his hands together in front of him in excitement. Sam had to fight to maintain her nonchalant look. “Was I supposed to get something for you?” The turtle pouted. “Dude, so not cool” he said as he crossed his arms and looked away. When he turned his head back a couple seconds later, a smiling Sam was holding the final bag in front of him. “*gasp* thank you Sam!” he said as he embraced her for a literal quick second and then sat in the free chair next to the couch. Sam laughed. “How can you thank me when you don’t even know what it is?” He looked up at her as he plopped down in his seat. “Because you know me well enough to know I’ll love it.” “Guess you’ll have to open it to find out” she said as she sat criss cross on the coffee table in front of them.

Each of the turtles took out their first gift and were shocked to see that Sam had bought each of them a new piece of clothing. “You bought us pants?” Leo asked, grateful but still confused. Sam nodded her head in excitement. “Yes. Yes I did. You guys need new clothes.” “Because that’s not insulting” Raph mumbled with a smirk, though he’d be a liar if he said he didn’t like the dark gray color. Sam put her hands on her knees. “Say Raph, how old were you guys when you started wearing the main clothes you wear now?” she asked with wide questioning eyes. Raph squinted his eyes at her. “You’ve made your point.” Sam returned to her relaxed position, but now so in a triumphant manner. Leo looked at the tags on the inside of the black sweat pants. “How did you know what sizes to buy?” “Lucky guess.” “Really?” “Yes. It’s definitely not because I measured your waists while you were sleeping on the couch the past few months.” “Pfft” Donnie quickly covered his mouth and turned his head. He’d never told anyone (and he still never would) that one time he woke up by sensing someone nearby and could tell that it was Sam, but he had kept his eyes closed since he assumed she was trying to plan a prank. He had a hunch now that this is what she was doing. “If you guys like them then let me know so I can get more. I know you guys only have so many pairs of the shorts you wear now, so I can get you extras of these if you like them.” The boys looked at the pants they all received and were shocked at how well Sam had picked pants that each of them was actually interested in wearing. Leo had received a pair of black sweatpants that were decently baggy but still somewhat formfitting. Raph had received a pair of loose dark gray shorts that were of a relatively soft material, and for him this was perfect since he had the largest muscles of his brothers, so the loose and softer shorts actually seemed like a perfect build for him. Donnie had received a pair of cargo pants with plenty of pockets for him to store extra gadgets in. And Mikey had received a pair of black basketball shorts with a bright orange stripe down the sides of each leg.

The boys all moved on to the next gift that was in each of their bags. Leo pulled out a pair of shoes that would seem huge to a normal human being, but to him they seemed to be a perfect size. They were a pair of ninja tabi shoes with the split toe in the front but with a more modern look since they were Adidas brand. They would still have to be altered some, but they looked incredible. The colors were plain and simple with black on top and an orange strap, but to Leo they were more than perfect. “Where did you find these?” he asked as he looked up at her in shock. “Amazon. That site has literally everything” Sam replied with a nod. Raph had begun pulling items out of his bag and was happily surprised at all the protective gear he had received. The turtles usually wore pads and guards on their arms or legs or wherever there was an area where the muscle was overused and could cause damage if something wasn’t protecting that area, so Raph had received a left shoulder and left arm guard, knee pads, and a red shin guard. “Sorry, I could only get the one in red. The other ones in your size only came in gray. Everything your size seems to favor gray.” “I’m surprised you were able to find my size” he said as he held the pieces up to where they would go on his body and was shocked that they seemed they would all actually fit. Donnie was now gawking at the new tech belt he had just unwrapped. “Now you don’t have to wear everything all the time.” Donnie couldn’t keep himself from smiling. He felt that at times his endless amounts of gear covering his body kept him back from attacking tougher opponents, and now this belt PLUS all the pockets on the new cargo pants would definitely help him organize where he placed all his gear. “No way…” Mikey mumbled. Sam turned towards him, and now it was she who couldn’t keep herself from smiling as she saw her friend hold up a brand new jacket that was an exact replica of the one that was already around his waist. “How did you find this?” he asked in awe. “Internet” she said as she pointed her finger at him. “Tis a beautiful thing. I was able to track it down to a store in the mall.” Mikey was the most fashionable one of his brothers (at least he thought so) which was why he had never followed the samurai styled dress that his brothers had and instead had worn his shorts the way he wanted to and this was also why he wore his jacket around his waist. He had seen people dress like this on t.v. and had become more interested in following this trend that the style his brothers had chosen. When choosing this style, he just wore whichever sweatshirt he could fine that was in decent condition at the time and then continued to wear that sweatshirt for as long as he could. He never imagined that someone would notice how weathered and torn it had become and would then buy him a brand new one with every stitch in place. “Wow…thanks Sam” he said as his awed expression soon switched over to an excited smile.

Next, all the boys began opening the next gift in their piles. Donnie and Mikey had pulled out purple and orange colored bandage wraps, and Leo had pulled out a silver colored pack or bandage wraps. Sam clapped her hands together. “Sorry, I was trying to find a tougher more durable material, and the brand that got the best reviews didn’t have blue. But! I tried to pick the color I thought you’d like best of what was available.” Leo chuckled. “Silver is fine. It goes well with the blue.” “Well I see how it is” Raph teased since he could tell by the wrapping that he had not received bandage wraps just like all his brothers. “Oh shut up and open your gift you big baby” Sam teased in return as she moved her leg so that she could poke Raph’s knee with her foot. Raph chuckled as he opened his gift. He then revealed a red glove that was used when practicing throwing punches. He slipped the glove over his right hand and was amazed at how well it fit. Leo had continued opening his final gift and discovered he had also received knee pads that were his size (the four had begun outgrowing the multiple pads and guards they had been using, so these gifts were literally perfect for those who got them). Raph had unwrapped a box with seatbelt belts. To a normal person this might be an odd gift to gain a surplus of, but because of Raph’s size it was difficult to find tougher rope like materials to wrap around his shell and plastron when trying to store weapons to carry, and the material of the belts was plenty tough and sturdy enough. Mikey had unpackaged a new backpack that was large enough for him to store his skateboard and other materials in, again so that he was better able to carry weapons and other materials with him when he left the lair. Donnie was the last to open his final gift. He opened up a tech kit with rechargeable batteries, jumper cables, a handheld jump box, and multiple portable chargers and charging chords. “Sam…” he said as he looked through the kit in shock at all the materials inside of it. “I knew you’d like that one. I’m not going to lie, that one was a little more last minute since you had just started setting up the new vacuum you were going to use as your main battery. So now if you need to charge it you can use all of this instead of having to literally wear solar panels all the time and-” “How did you afford all of this?” Donnie asked in a concerned tone. “Please tell me you didn’t pay full price for all of this” Leo said as he looked back at his name brand shoes. “Okay one, everything I did buy I bought at awesome sale prices, and I’m insulted that you think I’d be dumb enough to buy name brand things at expensive prices. Like who do you think I am?” she playfully said and acted to be taken aback. “And two, I technically wasn’t the only one to buy all this.” “What does that mean?” Raph asked. “Well, I pitched in like 40 bucks because I guess I love you guys” she teased as she rolled her eyes, “but some other people helped pitched in as well. But they each pitched in like 5 bucks.” “Who are these other people?” Donnie asked. “My human friends who were in the Foot clan with me, which is all my human friends except for three. They’re all really grateful that you guys helped save all their lives and reunite them with their families, so they pitched in a little. They also helped in getting donations for the devices in your tech kit. Oh but Jay and Brenda pitched in 20 total.  Because Jay loves you like you’re his brothers. And now that Brenda has met you as his fiancé she also loves you guys, though she saw you as heroes and cared for your safety before that anyway.” “And they are all-” Leo started. “Yes they are all keeping your existence a secret” Sam interrupted. “They hate that they don’t get to see you anymore, but they understand and respect that it could be risky to do so.” Leo smiled and nodded. “Well when you see them all again then you can thank them for us. And adding to that” he said as he put his belongings back in the bag and stood up and walked over towards the girl, “thank you Sam” he said as he hugged the girl. The other three brothers followed in pursuit as Donnie then came over and hugged Sam, then Raph, and then Mikey.

“Alright, time to go topside!” Sam announced. “Where’s Sensei?” “Wait, what? You have exams tomorrow!” Raph bellowed. “Yes I know I have exams tomorrow, but I’m not going to miss April’s surprise! Now go get Splinter!” Sam announced. The oldest three took the lead in heading out of the lair, but before Mikey could follow them he felt a sharp tug on his bandana just as he was about to exit the lair. “Owwww” he groaned as he was pulled backwards. “Hold on” Sam said. She looked over his shoulder to make sure that the other three had continued walking on and were no longer within sight. “What’s wrong?” Mikey asked. Sam then reached her hand behind her and pulled out one final package that she had been hiding away in the backpack on her back. Mikey looked at her with worry. “Is it something bad? Why can’t the others see?” Sam chuckled as she shook her head. “Just open it before they come back. Then I’ll explain.” Mikey cautiously opened the package and his jaw dropped as he held up a gold chain. “Sam, where did you-” “I found a store awhile back that had a good sale. Ever since your necklace broke I’ve been trying to find something perfect to replace it, and you cannot tell me that THAT is not perfect” she said with a beaming smile. “How much?” She paused. “How much what?” “Cost! Price!” “Dude, you never ask someone how much-” “I won’t wear it unless you tell me” Mikey demanded. Sam sighed in defeat. “I bought it for 50 dollars.” “Sam! I can’t wear this! That means you spent…5 plus 4 is 8, so 50 plus 40 means 80 dollars! You should be saving up!” “Hey, I’ve been working overtime so that I could buy that! So I’d be insulted if you didn’t wear it! Plus I bought it a while ago so I’ve saved up plenty since then. If you’re really my best friend then you’ll keep and wear it...and lie to your brothers and say I got it at a pawn shop for 20 dollars” she said timidly towards the end. Mikey sighed in defeat. “You’re lucky it’s PERFECT!” he said, quickly switching from his serious tone to one of excitement. He’d always wanted something like this, and he still couldn’t believe that a gold chain was actually resting along his neck and chest. “So you like it?” Sam asked. “Are you kidding me? This is amazing! Like I want to be upset you wasted money on this but I can’t because I love it!” “Hey, spending money on you isn’t a waste. It’s my first job, spending money on family is the best way to spend it. Especially when your family is also your best friend.” Mikey couldn’t help but smile at his friends words. He threw his arm around Sam’s shoulder. “Alright, lead the way to wherever this next surprise is.” And with that the two left the lair and eventually met up with the others before heading to the surface.

*About 12 minutes later*

“Where are we?” Leo asked. “Follow me and you will find out” Sam state as she began climbing up the ladder to the surface. “Well, last time we were in this position we were lead to the inside of the Jumbo Tron, so why not” Donnie said as he began following Mikey (who hadn’t questioned what Sam was doing at all and just instantly followed) and then Splinter, Leo, and then Raph climbed the ladder to the surface as well. Their spot on the surface was in an alley way. Sam then lead the group out of the alley way as they stood in front of a noodle shop named “24/7” that was at the end of a street filled with other small shops and restaurants that were family owned businesses. Sam walked right up to the front door and the turtles heard her be welcomed by April. The two women then peeked their heads around the corner once they realized they were no longer being followed. “Well? Are you going to join us? Or stand there all night?” April joked as she waved for them to walk forward. The following 5 moved with caution as they followed the two females into the small restaurant. They recognized the faces of Jay and Brenda sitting at the table and assumed that if all their friends were here then hopefully they were safe…at least until a stranger walked out from the kitchen, then the guys froze and began to mentally panic. The man stopped and paused before he spoke. “…Ahh Sam! You finally arrived! These three have been waiting for you and your friends. What took so long?” the older Asian man asked.     “Sorry Murakami-san, I forgot to give one of my friends one of their gifts, so I accidentally held the rest of the group up hehe” she replied as she rubbed the back of her head. The turtles continued to stand frozen in fear, but Splinter sensed something and decided to take a seat. “So, what is your reasoning for accepting my sons and I like this my friend?” Splinter asked calmly. “Ahh these are your sons? You must be Splinter then. Nice to meet you, my name is Murakami. Your sons helped stop the Foot clan, which means that your sons helped free my daughter” the man said with a smile. Leo and Donnie were the next to catch on and realize that the man was wearing his dark black glasses for a reason as they sat down next to their father. “What’s her name? We might have met her” Leo said. “Her name is Lindsey. Her last name is different from mine though. My wife Sana and I changed both of our daughter’s last names years ago for various safety reasons.” “She was the girl you guys heard through the walkie talkies that night” Sam stated as she pulled on Mikey and Raph’s arms to get them to finally sit down. “Umm….so, he’s not going to tell anyone what we look like, right?” Mikey whispered into Sam’s ear. “Well he can’t.” “Why not?” Raph whispered. “Because he’s blind. You both whisper really loud” Jay ‘whispered’ from across the table. “How’s the wedding planning going?” Leo asked the couple sitting further down at the table while his two brothers were processing what they were just told as they watched the older man get to work and start cooking even though he was blind and couldn’t see anything. “The wedding party has officially been decided, the church and the hall for the reception have been booked, and all the main guests have been decided. We’ve also made plans to meet with a catering company to get prices on the dishes they can prepare. Everything else still needs to be called to book a visiting date or we haven’t even gotten to it yet” Brenda replied. “At least you have until the summer to have everything ready” Raph said as a drink was placed in front of him and everyone else all along the table. “Yeah, but that wedding date will be here sooner than you think” April teased. Jay squinted his eyes. “Thanks April, because that’s what we want to hear” Jay teased. “Anytime!” she said as she raised her glass up.

Just then, a square plate was placed in front of everyone sitting at the table. “Ohhh yeah! Pizza gyoza! Thanks boss!” Sam said as she took her chopsticks. “Oh, so this is where you work?” Mikey asked. Sam nodded her head. “Mhmm, and this is the boss I told you about where I said I had friends who loved pizza more than anything which then inspired the heavenly dish in front of you.” The four turtles and their father looked at the food in front of them, not sure whether to try it or not. “Well go on now!” Murakami exclaimed. “I can’t thank you for saving my daughter if you don’t try the food” he chuckled. Each of them picked up their chopsticks, picked up one of the dumplings on their plate, and then slowly took bites of their dumplings. It was obvious that each of them instantly fell in love with the dish, even Splinter who liked pizza but wasn’t the biggest fan of it, and quickly they began eating the rest of the dumplings on their plates. “Heh, I knew they’d love it” April said as she continued to eat her dish as well. “So Brenda, do you have a dress picked out yet?” Brenda shook her head. “I’m trying to find a day where all the women in the bridal party can get together and we can put the order in for my dress and their dresses at the same time, but SOMEONE is always busy with something!” she said as she then turned towards Sam. “I don’t know who you’re talking about” Sam said nonchalantly. “Oh? So you don’t have soccer, and dance, and a million other clubs and school activities to tend to? Speaking of which, don’t you have mock exams tomorrow?” “Ughhhhhh why does everyone remember that? It’s not even 10p.m. yet like get off my back” Sam groaned. “Get used to it. Once summer hits you’re going to have a sister who nags as much as your brother” Brenda teased as she leaned onto Jay, who then smiled as he stared at the woman sitting next to him. “Ugh, I have two sister figures, six brothers between Jay, these dorks, and Kris, and now I have a father figure *tilts head towards Splinter* and now Irma is more of a mother figure than ever. Somehow my family continues to grow larger and larger.” “Jeez Sam, you sound so happy” Raph teased as he ate his third round of pizza gyoza along with the rest of his brothers. “Eh, I guess so” she teased, receiving playful nudges from Raph and Donnie.

The group continued to talk for a while longer before Leonardo mentioned that he was going to go and walk off the huge meal he had just ate and that he would be back soon. As soon as the turtle left, Splinter began to stare at Sam who was drinking the broth from a small bowl of soup. Sam finished the bowl and placed it on the table as she stood. “Don’t worry Sensei I’m going. But I wasn’t going to waste good food either, that would be an insult to the chef.” “Hehe, very true my child” he said with a smile as he watched the girl leave the small shop.

Sam walked around to the side of the building where no one could see her, and then faced her palms down as the white part of her eyes turned black and air slowly came out from her palms. She then floated up to the roof of the building. Once she landed, her eyes returned to their normal color as she walked over and took a seat next to Leo. “What’s going on in your mind fearless?” she asked calmly. “*sigh* just thinking.” “Well stop doing that! Because then you think of negative things from the past, and today should be a happy day!” “But it almost wasn’t.” “But it is. I know you’re not like normal teenagers, but you should still be excited that it’s your 16th birthday. What’s there to be so upset about?” “That if we hadn’t acted when we did then you might not be here to celebrate with us.” Sam paused for a few minutes. It had been about 6 months since the fall of the Foot clan, yet all four of the turtles still had their moments where they got caught up in thoughts of the past and went into a depressive state. “Leo. You know that we all were going through a tough time then. You guys and myself made decisions that we weren’t proud of. But if I’ve learned anything in this life, then it would be that if you don’t keep trying to move on and make the future better than what has happened in the past, then what’s the point in living? If I continued to get upset about my past, then I never would have moved on and started getting out of the house, and then I never would have met you guys.” Leo looked over at her and smiled. “Yeah I know. I just, I just hate thinking that everything all of us have now, that was almost ripped away from all of us. And it kills me to think of what could have happened to you, how much worse it could have gotten…” “But what you keep forgetting is that you guys DID come after me. Even when I pushed you away you still came after me. That’s why I’m here. Every time something went wrong, I was able to make it through to see the next day because you four were there for me when I needed you the most. I also would have made regretful choices if you guys weren’t there to protect me.” “Heh, thank god for Jay as well for helping the three of us open our eyes. I hate to admit that we needed that push, but that push made all of us realize what we were truly feeling and what we wanted to do.” “He really cares about the four of you guys, and Sensei. He’s even more grateful that he was able to reach you that night. You guys help complete his life the same way you helped complete mine. In a weird twisted way, maybe you needed to wait that long to come after me, because that meant Jay had to meet you and talk to you, and then that lead to you all getting to know each other after the fight that night as you were waiting for me to wake up in the hospital.” “Well, everything has been weird and twisted for all of us, so you might be onto something there” he said with a smile. “So, are you ready to go back and celebrate what should be a joyous day now? Since you know, you four being born kind of plays a part in the whole bringing joy to my life and making me happy thing” Sam teased as she put a hand on Leo’s shoulder. “Yeah, let’s go.” The two stood up and walked over towards the side of the building. There were no ladders or anything to help get back down (Leo had used climbing claws to climb up) so Sam helped him get back down. Her eyes turned black while the iris and pupil or her eyes turned blue as Leo wrapped an arm around her shoulders, the strength power from the mutagen aiding her in holding onto him, as she placed her palms so that they faced the ground as her wind powers allowed her to float back down to the ground. The two then entered the shop where they saw April arguing with Murakami. “But Murakami-san, it’s not my part of the birthday gift if you don’t let me pay you for the food.” “It’s my treat! You can tip 5 dollars, that’s all!” “You just fed 9 people! That costs way more than 5 dollars!” Sam got her phone out and started rapidly texting someone. Leo leaned over her shoulder to look at her phone, and then he quickly realized what he was doing and quickly looked away with pursed lips as Sam playfully shot him a questioning look and turned away. After she received a response, she handed her phone to April who then read the conversation and decided to let Murakami win their verbal battle.

Everyone thanked Murakami who then told everyone they were allowed back at any time, and the group made their way outside. “What got you to give up?” Raph asked April. “Sam texted Lindsey who said I could pay her the money tomorrow and then she would move that to her father’s safe in secret” she said with a beaming smile, feeling triumphant that she would be able to pay the man back for his generous services. “You sure are persistent” Jay teased. “That’s how things get done! It’s one of the reasons I got my promotion at work and now cover some of the most major news stories now” she said with pride. “What an honor, to know thee April O’Neil. Can I have your autograph?” Sam teased. “Nah, you’re going to have to earn it.” “But I’m too lazy” Sam groaned. “I don’t know whether to laugh or be scared that the laziest person I know is also the strongest person I know” Donnie chuckled. “You should be worried, because you never know when I’ll go rogue” Sam said as her eyes changed colors. “Or when I’ll do this!” she said as she turned and went to slap Raph in the face, but dodged last second. This still freaked the largest turtle out, which then lead him to chase Sam. “Aghh, Sam get back here so I can kick your ass!” “Um hey! No!” Jay intervened. “She has mock exams tomorrow morning!” “Oh, right…so how about tomorrow night then?” “Beat her up, do whatever.” “JAY!” Sam shouted. “You were dumb enough to fake slap a 6’5 mutant turtle. If you were going to do that then you must be ready for the consequences.” “I like your thinking” Raph said as he threw an arm around Jay’s shoulder. “My brothers are ganging up on me. Best friend!” Mikey then playfully jumped in front of Sam and performed awkward ninja kicks. “No one hurts my friend!” “Yeah, yeah. Kick her butt and save her and whatever else tomorrow. She needs to go home and sleep so she can be ready for her tests early tomorrow morning” Jay said in a more serious tone.

The group of nine all said their goodbyes to each other and parted ways, knowing they would all meet up again soon.

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