#april and casey make their appearances in the next chapter

[sad-leon]

Part 13 :D

This poor boi just can't catch a break

Masterpost || Next

[taleeater]

Fragile Part 5

Another fluff chapter! Gonna be getting to the juicy angst after this 👀✨

Generation: Bayverse TMNT

Tmnt x Reader Fanfic

Pronouns: Gender Neutral (except ‘dudette’ and ‘princess’)

Warnings: wholesome, not proof read

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

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“Of course!!! The somatic consequences of their hyperactive stress caused a delayed growth! Their adrenal glands had been over active the whole time they were in captivity, leading to hypertension and extreme exhaustion.”

“Use real words brainiac.” Raph grunted.

“Well, basically after they had enough rest and worked through all their pent up stress, they were able to control their adrenaline response. That’s how they were able to naturally trigger their mutation gene! Fascinating.”

“So uuuuh, what does that mean?” Mikey added helpfully.

“It means that Stockman’s mutation experiment worked, and we need to ensure that he never finds that out. Who knows what Karai and the Foot would do with that kinda power?” Leo interjected.

“Since Stockman is distilling diluted mutagen from Bebop and Rocksteady’s blood, the effect of a successful animal mutation is highly unlikely. From the information I gathered from his experiments overseas, it appears that only 2% of his test subjects had permanent animal mutations. So the statistical likelihood of achieving the perfect hybrid of human and animal DNA with an impure source of mutagen is less than 0.00001%! It’s honestly a scientific miracle that their mutation appears to be stable in the first place!” Donnie rambled.

At some point the plates were taken out of your hands and you were sat down in a chair at the table next to April. April had her hand on your shoulder while listening to the boys talk about what to do. You had stopped listening a while ago. Your eyes had gone vacant. The sounds in the room felt so far away, like you were underwater. It felt like you couldn’t breathe.

“So what? If it’s that hard to do then we got nothing to worry about.” Raph said gruffly and folded his arms.

“Not necessarily. If Stockman gains access to a form of stable active mutagen, then the success rate of mutation goes up to 40%!!! He could make an army…”

“An army of mutants.” Leo said solemnly.

“Aw man, come on! Bebop and Rocksteady are already a pain in the ass. Stockmans gonna make more of them?” Mikey griped.

“Not if we can help it.” Raph said, fixing the toothpick between his lips.

“So what does that mean for (y/n)?” April spoke up, chair squeaking as she stood up.

“It means, if Stockman gets his hands on (y/n), it’s game over.”

You were barely aware of your surroundings. You were scared. So so scared. Whatever Dr Stockman did to you, it worked. It made you into a weapon. You can’t stand the thought of what he’d do if he ever got his hands on you again. Memories of your time in the lab flashed through your mind. You started to tremble and you felt something wet slide down your cheeks.

“What should I tell the police?” Casey asked from where he stood in the circle.

“Tell them to keep an eye out for any Foot activity and report it back to us. We need any leads we can on where they’re hiding Stockman. And whatever you do, don’t give away (y/n)’s location. We need to keep them out of reach.” Leo ordered Casey.

You felt something warm engulf your trembling hands. It was… grounding. A calm feeling washed over you.

“Take deep breaths.” You heard a voice say next to your ear. You took in a slow deep breath, and a shuttering exhale. Then again. And again. You slowly began to feel yourself coming back to your body. When you finally blinked away your tears into consciousness, you saw Master Splinter standing by you, patient and holding your hands in his own.

“You are safe here. Do not worry about the past. Let my sons handle it, they are strong and will protect you.” The old rat reassured you.

You sniffed a bit and raised your hand to wipe away some of your tears, and nodded. “….thank you.” You said earnestly. Your voice was horse and heavy with emotion.

Master Splinter went to put the kettle on for tea, while the others finished talking and split up into their assigned jobs. Donnie and Leo went to Donnie’s computer station to coordinate what route to take for patrol, Casey got on the phone with the police commissioner to ask about the locations of recent Foot activity, Mikey and Raph were in charge of cleaning up the kitchen for you, and April disappeared to somewhere in the lair.

Splinter returned to you later with a fresh cup of tea, and sat with you quietly at the table while Raph and Mikey bickered over drying the clean plates. He sipped his tea while he quietly kept you company, giving you time and space to fully calm down. Eventually Mikey came over to join you and Master Splinter while Raph went to go help April carry some large wrapped supplies to somewhere in the back of the lair. You relaxed into your seat and enjoyed watching Mikey’s overly animated retelling of his valiant battle in one of his new video games.

“(Y/n)?” Leo came over to check on you a little while later.

“How are you feeling? Do you feel any muscle soreness or headaches?” Donnie was standing behind Leo holding a laptop.

You sighed. “I'm fine. Maybe a little bit of a headache…” You said honestly, finishing the rest of your tea.

Leo and Donnie exchanged a look that you did not miss.

“We…. were wondering…. if you would like to join us for some training?” Leo asked you tentatively.

You looked between the two suspiciously.

Donnie coughed totally inconspicuously into his fist. “Well,… we want to test your mutation’s ability. Strength, speed, reflexes, etc…. O-only if you’re okay with it, that is.”

Splinter sighed and sipped more of his tea. “Perhaps, that would be for the best.”

You looked to Master Splinter with surprise. You had been watching the boys train every day since you entered the lair, but there had never been an invitation to train with them. Splinter’s training looked extreme, and that was only putting it lightly. You knew the turtles had been training since they were little, and it certainly showed in their skill. You were intimidated to say the least.

“Really? Are you sure?” You were hesitant.

Master Splinter answered by setting aside his tea and standing up. “No need to worry, we will start with the basics. Follow me.” Splinter walked past a stunned Mikey, Leo, and Donnie in the direction of the dojo.

You stood up and followed behind him nervously. You passed by Raph and April who had emerged from one of the unused storage rooms. Raph looked surprised as you and Splinter walked into the dojo. He looked over at his brothers and pointed at you.

“Are they….?”

Leo Donnie and Mikey nodded quickly and scrambled over each other to get a good spot in the dojo. Raph and April shared a look and dropped what they were doing and rushed after them, passing a very confused Casey that had just gotten off the phone.

“Raphael. Please wrap their hands. Leonardo, please prepare to teach them the first basic katas.” Master Splinter ordered with ease. His tail flicked as he walked over to take his position in the dojo.

Raphael obeyed without complaint, and grabbed his boxing tape. You looked up at him anxiously, certain this was the closest you had been to Raphael since the night he carried you here.

You looked up at Raph with those big doe eyes of yours and had him feeling nervous. He started to wrap your hands up as gently as he could. He gulped at how small and dainty your hands were in his big steady grasp.

Finishing up, he nodded over to Leo and the leader in blue stepped up.

“Okay, when you’re ready, I want you to try and follow my form as closely as you can.” Leo planted his feet firmly on the tatami and gracefully moved in a form that looked like basic Tai Chi.

You followed Leo’s instructions for a while, did some stretching and warming up, and then your teacher switched. Michelangelo tutored you next on dodging, then Donatello on redirecting an enemy’s attack to use against them, and finally Raphael on how to throw a proper punch.

You did your best to copy, checking to make sure your feet were lined up with your shoulders and that you followed all the way through with the motion. Raph then came over as you continued the motion and made small corrections in your stance and how you held your fist.

“Donatello. Please stand with a plank in front of Miss (y/n).” Splinter ordered.

Donnie scampered over with a small wooden board. He adjusted his tech goggles over his eyes and licked his lips as he took a firm stance holding the board a foot in front of you.

Everyone paid close attention, seemingly excited to see your mutant strength in action again. You looked at him nervously and glanced at Master Splinter for assurance. You were a little scared about what your mutation might do. You took a deep breath, adjusted your stance, aaaaand-

tap.

Your stance crumbled as you moved to cradle your bruised knuckles.

“Oooow…” You hissed, and couldn’t stop the embarrassment showing on your face.

“Well, that was anticlimactic.” Leo deadpanned.

“Huh. I don’t get it, they shattered that plate like it was a cracker.” Donnie said, straightening back to his full height.

“Dude, maybe it only works on dinner plates.” Mikey added helpfully. April elbowed him in his side. “Ow- hey! I said maybe!”

“How about we just…. Try that again. You have to throw your whole weight into your fist. Okay?” Raph patiently adjusted your stance and squared you up to try and punch the board again, Donnie at the ready. Raph held his hands on your shoulders and tried to direct your movement to demonstrate how to shift your weight, when suddenly some movement in your peripheral vision caught your attention.

Before your mind could even register the idea of danger, you ducked.

Raph also stepped back out of the way of a tail whip. Your attention turned to Splinter, eyes wide and alert.

“Good. Your natural instincts are strong, use that to your advantage. Michelangelo, Leonardo, step forward.”

You watched as the four brothers lined up to face Master Splinter, you timidly joined them.

“We are going to play a game to assist Miss (y/n) in honing their mutant abilities. Are you prepared?” He asked you.

You paused a moment then nodded, feeling a bit brave and ready to give it a shot. “Yes.”

“Good. Your goal is to stay out of reach. The boys will try and capture you by stopping your movement. They will be gentle with you, rest assured. But pretend that they are Foot ninja. You need to learn to use your mutant skills to avoid danger.” Master Splinter explained.

You weren’t sure what the trigger was that made your mutant DNA activate, but you were determined to figure it out if it meant staying out of Dr Stockman’s reach. You nodded and took on a stance that Leonardo had taught you, while the boys all moved to different corners of the room.

“Good. Hajime!” Splinter signaled the start of the exercise. First Michelangelo ran over towards you and you ducked out of the way, getting behind him. Donatello tried to sneak up behind you and wrap his arms around you but you dropped to the floor and rolled away. Next, Leonardo swept your legs out from under you and you fell on your back. But you quickly used your momentum to jump back on your feet and backed up to put some distance between you and Leo. You were focusing too much on Leo when you suddenly bumped into Raph, who wrapped his arms around you and startled you enough to make you yelp.

A strange sensation overtook you. You felt a surge of energy fill your body with power and your body started moving on its own. Following the steps of the move you practiced earlier with Michelangelo, you reached up behind you and wrapped your arms around Raphael’s neck, then pulled forward and down with your whole weight, sending Raph curling forward and was flipped onto his back. He laid there eyes wide and stunned, mirroring the expression of everyone else present in the room.

You looked at Raph in shock, then down at your own hands, not fully believing it. Then suddenly the room erupted in whoops of cheer.

“YOOOOO!!! NO WAAAAAY!” Mikey excitedly cheered, grabbing hands with April to jump around excitedly.

Leo relaxed into a cheerful grin, and Donnie was snickering and snorting. Raph sat up with a half grin and you ran over next to him to ask if he was okay.

He rubbed the back of his head tenderly. “Way to go, Tiger.” He smiled at you and you took a sigh of relief.

Master Splinter was stroking his beard thoughtfully with a pleased expression on his face.

“It seems to me that you are at your highest strength when you are caught off guard. But I’m sure with practice you will find a way to harness your power when needed.”

Donnie came over and ruffled your hair while Leo offered Raph a hand to pull him up. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits. Afterwards it was time to call it a night.

Later that week, one evening you were getting ready for bed in Leo’s room. You heard a knock next to the door.

“Just a moment!” You said while finishing pulling on your sleep shirt.

You walked over to the doorway and parted the fabric to see Mikey standing there with barely contained excitement.

“Come on, I wanna show you something.” He was clearly giddy over something. You thought he might have gotten a new high score on his video game and wanted to show you, but to your surprise he led you down the hallway in the direction of the rest of the boy’s bedrooms. Maybe it was something in his room? But then he walked right past his room and stopped in front of their storage room. You were even more confused now.

A warm glow peaked from underneath the door, and with Mikey’s encouragement, you opened it.

“Surprise!!!”

Everyone was inside waiting for you and with the big reveal. You were greeted by a freshly painted room and a queen sized bed with new sheets and a heavy knit blanket. Fairy lights hung around the walls. A wooden desk and a fuzzy plush chair stood along the far wall with a lamp illuminating a new notebook and an old laptop that Donnie had been working on fixing up. Next to it was a bookshelf with old used books and your favorite salvaged DVDs and games. You brought your hand up to cover your mouth as tears welled up in your eyes.

“Is this… for me?” You asked tentatively.

Donnie stepped forward, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. “Well, we figured you would need your own room. Since you’ll most likely be staying with us for quite some time.”

“It was April’s idea. Plus, we figured you’d want your own space, to make you feel more at home here.” Leo said, stepping forward with a grin.

“Yeah!! And I can’t watch late night cartoons with Leo sleeping on the couch all the time!” Mikey complained from beside you earning a jab from Raphael.

“Girls need their privacy. This was the room I used to use when I’d sleepover from time to time, but then it stopped getting used and became overrun with junk. We figured it was time to clean it out and put it to good use.” April said with a happy smile.

“Yeah, and April and I can keep doing grocery store runs for you if you want to keep cooking. God knows it's easier than lugging down 2 dozen pizzas and junk food every week-.” April nudged Casey to shut him up.

Master Splinter stepped forward, holding a small beautiful bonsai tree with vibrant yellow leaves, and handed it to you. “Right now, things may seem new and strange. You have experienced hardships most can never hope to imagine. But you have a home here as long as you wish it. By bond and blood, you are our family, and we will always be there to protect one another.”

Your tears spilled over and ran down your cheeks. You reached out to Master Splinter for an emotional hug. “Thank you… everyone… I don’t know what to say…!” You sniffed.

Raph grunted, “No need. This is our thanks to you for fixing up the place. Just… don’t go flippin’ me no more.” He teased with a grin.

“Nooooo! Don’t say that!! I haven’t gotten it on tape yet!” Mikey complained.

“I’ll send you the video later.” Donatello whispered to him.

“Oh, sick. Right on.”

Raph glared at them.

The next morning, Casey got a call from his supervisor that the Foot Clan had been discovered smuggling stolen chemicals into the Sacks building. But something seemed fishy about it. The Foot were not normally this obvious when moving things around the city. It felt like they wanted to be discovered.

It felt like a trap.

Part 6

@itsberrydreemurstuff @thecreat0r64 @eli-chris @kurlyfrasier @autisticnutcase @drenix004 @donniesgirlie @cherryp-op @foggyturtleknightangel @blackrockshooter780 @l-n-g-t @peachesdabunny @silverwatergalaxy

If anyone else wants to be tagged for the next update, let me know in the comments! :]

[hitechlatte]

Tattered Cloak Chapter 1 - Sneak Preview

This is still in progress, but I wanted to give you a sneak peek of the first chapter of my latest Donnie X Reader fic.

This is set in the same universe as Purple Hoodie and Prince Charming's Jacket, set a few years after the conclusion of PCJ.

I will note however this can be read as a stand alone (you'll see why MWAHAHA), with only some minor references to the prior fics.

Chapter 1 - Read More Below The Line:

“Fucking hell, do I need to rewrite this whole section?” 

Digging your elbows into the wood of your desk, you buried your face into your hands. The aching of your back mocked you as a long groan left your lips. 

After expending all the air from your lungs, you slowly leaned back in your chair, staring up at the cement of the ceiling. 

Your thoughts ran laps throughout your head, as you tried to recall every detail of the tale you were crafting. Yet no matter how hard you tried to wrangle your thoughts, the words jostled around your mind, still a jumbled tangled mess. 

Eventually your gaze returned to your monitor and with a sharp huff, you slammed your pointer finger against the backspace key.

The frantic cycle of typing and deleting the same 3 lines seemed to continue for ages, until a chipper voice caught your attention.

“Yo! Y/N!” 

A blur of purple whipped around you, eliciting a chuckle from your lips.

“Shelldon, what’s got you so giddy?”

Swirling to a stop in front of your chair, the bot buzzed with delight.

“Come on! I’ll show you!”

Slipping between your back and the chair, he pushed you forward. As you clumsily landed on your feet, Shelldon clutched onto your arm and tugged you towards the door.

“Alright alright!”

Exiting the door to your office, you hurriedly followed the bot through the lab. The monitors flashed around you as you and Shelldon darted past the piles of scrap metal and wires. Turning a corner the scent of stale coffee hit your nose. Several cups lined the edge of a working station, while another few laid precariously on a box.

With a slight chuckle, you turned your attention back towards Shelldon, trying to keep up with his rampant pace. 

Finally exiting the large metal doors of the lab, you appeared in the main foyer of the lair. Giggles and murmurs of chatter bounced off the walls, and you could see a large group congregating in the center of the room. Three of the turtle brothers and Cass stood next to April as she seemed to ramble on about something.

But as you stepped closer, it was the sight of the tall black haired man that caused you to yell in excitement.

“Casey!”

The man turned towards you and smirked back, giving you a wave. Jogging over, you pulled him into a tight hug and grinned.

“So glad you could make it.”

“Of course! Wouldn't miss it for the world.” He laughed, “Also if I did I think Raph would never let me hear the end of it.”

The eldest brother let out a laugh and placed a firm hand on Casey’s shoulder. 

“No. No I wouldn’t.”

The group all laughed for a moment, until Casey gave another confused look.

“Wait but where’s Donnie?”

“I’m guessing he’s out giving his hoverbike another test run.” You chuckled.

“You think?” Raph asked, brow raised.

“I don’t have a tracker on him.”

“Nah that’s more his thing.” April chuckled.

A few more laughs echoed out, until Raph spoke again.

“Aren’t you two getting married this weekend? Shouldn’t you, I don’t know, be doing wedding things?”

“Listen we’re keeping it lowkey, or well Donnie low key, but you know your brother. He had an automation system programmed and tested 3 months ago for this thing. All I have left to do is go to my final fitting with Irma and practice my vows.”

“I guess.” Raph sighed, “Well so long as you guys are all set or whatever.”

“We should be happy they’re actually doing this!” Mikey smirked, “I was worried it was never gonna happen.”

“Yeah, speaking of which April you still owe me that sushi dinner.” Leo chuckled.

“For the last time, I’m not cashing in a bet from 3 years ago.” April groaned.

“Fine double or-”

“Would you two cut it out?” Raph groaned.

With that, another series of chuckles leapt out.

“Well dinner’s just about done.” Mikey smiled, “Y/N you want to go figure out where Donnie is and meet us in the kitchen?”

With a nod, you walked towards the entrance of the lair and clicked on your comm.

“Hey D, what’s your eta back?”

There was a full minute of silence before your comm chirped.

“Oh, sorry, about 10 minutes.” The voice called from your wristband, “I just need to run one more aim assist test and I can head back.”

Fluttering your eyes, you stared at your wrist puzzled.

“Aim assist?”

“Yes for my delivery service drone contract.”

“Delivery- wait when did you get that?”

“Like 3 weeks ago- oh wait… It’s possible I haven’t informed you of it yet.”

“Nah I guess not.” You chuckled.

“Well I’ll have plenty of details to ramble at you at a later time then. And then you can tell me all about what Derek and Shiloh are up to in your latest chapter.”

“Oh I um- I sent that manuscript out for review last week. I already started my new space travel book. I um... Guess I didn’t tell you.”

“Ah well excited to hear about it nonetheless.”

“Yeah, same here. Um, just make sure to get back quick. Casey’s here.”

“That’s today?!” Donnie exclaimed.

Yep.”

“Ugh, update eta to 5 minutes. I’ll be home shortly.”

“Safe travels.”

“Thanks.”

With a smirk, you headed back out to join the others.

When Donnie finally arrived in the kitchen, every eye turned towards him.

“It’s our long lost brother!” Leo exclaimed.

Leaping from his seat, the blue brother wrapped his arms around Donnie, lifting him slightly off the ground.

“By golly brother I never thought I’d see you again!” Leo said in a poorly mimicked southern accent, “I never thought you’d make it home from the war!”

Donnie wriggled in his brother’s grip.

“Leo I was just- why are you like this?”

Before Leo could respond, Raph butted in.

“Maybe if he saw ya more than once a month there wouldn’t be a need for theatrics. Now eat ya ‘za, it's getting cold.”

“Whatever.” Donnie said rolling his eyes,

As dinner progressed, the group threw question after question at Casey, asking about his travel and what he had been up to during his latest travel excursion. However as he was telling some story, a voice echoed from the entrance of the kitchen.

“Hey everyone! I’m back!”

“Irma!” You exclaimed, “I thought you weren’t going to be back until tomorrow!” 

“I got an earlier flight.” She giggled, “Besides it's your big day, so we need to get up to shenanigans or whatever. It’s my duty as your maid of honor.”

“You’re so sweet-”

However Irma was lifted up off the ground as the red turtle scooped her up.

“I missed you boo-boo bear.” He smiled.

“Raph!” Irma blushed madly, “I was only gone a week!” 

“Yeah but I get worried when you go on your big scary missions and what if something happened?”

Irma rolled her eyes as she tried calming the eldest brother down.

And with a chuckle, you headed back to your own seat and plopped down next to Donnie.

“We’re not gonna get like that right?” You grinned.

Donnie shook his head.

“By Einstein's beard no.”

The rest of dinner went smoothly as everyone went into the foyer to watch a film.

“We should watch something romantic to commemorate the week.” Irma giggled as Raph filtered through the movie choices.

“Enchanted’s cute!” Mikey called out.

“Or Princess Bride?” Shelldon suggested.

“Die Hard!” Cass shouted.

“Well Lou Jitsu and the Radiant Samurai is a good one” Splinter chuckled

As Raph and Irma debated between choices, Casey turned to Leo and Mikey.

“Hey when are Usagi and Peace Corp getting here?”

“How does that name keep sticking?” Mikey yelled, “They have a name you know and it’s-”

“Peace Corp, we know.” Leo grinned.

Eventually the teasing ceased and the movie The Holiday was selected. You leaned against Donnie’s side as the film played on the screen. But just as the plot was beginning to pick up, you fell asleep.

You awoke later to a blanket wrapped around you and the pillows next to you, empty.

And looking around it seems most of the group had broken off, only leaving April, Casey, Cass and Mikey.

Rubbing your eyes, you saw a dark forest with a fairy and some bug-like man flying around on screen while singing a cover of some pop song. After a moment, you figured out they must have put on that movie Strange Magic. With a yawn, you stretched and slowly stood up.

“I’m off to bed.” You chuckled.

The rest of the group waved as you headed out of the room.

When you returned to the lab, you found Donnie deep in some code. 

“Grinding the late night oil?” You laughed.

“Uh-huh.” He seemed to murmur.

“You …going to bed soon?”

However the turtle just grunted back.

“Come on.” You grinned, “I think it’s time we both called it a night.”

And after a groggy nod and a sleepy kiss, the two of you headed off to bed.

The next morning, you woke to Donnie sprawled across the bed. One of his legs was thrown over your thighs, while one of his arms hung off the bed. With a roll of your eyes, you gently slipped out from underneath him and tucked him more firmly onto the mattress.

He seemed to murmur something, but you just whispered back at him.

“Go back to sleep, I'll make coffee.”

He grunted as he buried himself back into the pillows.

After checking some emails from your publisher and agent, you headed back to make some coffee. The grinder whirled around as the beans shredded against the blades. And with a steady hand, you gently pressed the grounds into the espresso machine cup. The smell of coffee filled your nostrils as the liquid seeped down slowly into your mug.

However as you began to work on the second cup, a noise caught your attention. There in the doorway stood Casey.

“Morning!” You smiled, “Coffee?”

“Sure.” Casey grinned.

“Sleep well?” You asked as you pulled out another mug.

“Yeah I did. It’s nice to be back.”

“We’re glad to have you back.”

“Oh.” Casey said as he seemed to recall something, “April told me a bunch of us might get lunch later today. You and Donnie coming?”

“Oh cool! Let me check what time my meetings are, and if I can, I definitely will. No idea on Donnie though, but I can ask him when I bring him his coffee.”

Casey stared for a moment, almost lost in thought and then a chuckle left his lips.

“You um… man timelines are weird.”

Placing the cup down gently, you turned back to Casey with a confused look across your face.

“Oh sorry I just…” Casey spoke slowly, “It’s weird. You’re like so different from my timeline. But also, not?”

You kept your expression soft. Casey would occasionally speak of his original timeline, but never too in depth. Just general overarching details.

“Oh really?” You gently pressed.

Casey seemed to turn his gaze away and the panic welled up in your stomach.

“Hey, you okay? I’m sorry if I-”

“No it’s not you.” Casey sighed, “I just. I guess… I should have given this to you a long time ago. But I feel like now's a good time.”

Casey tapped on his armband and the screen flipped up. Pressing his finger against a slot, a small USB appeared. Pulling out the rectangular chip, he walked closer to you and placed it gently in your hand.

“You… you wrote this.” Casey breathed out slowly, “It was like your memoir or I guess… like a diary.”

“My… diary?” 

“Yeah I- um. It helps me remember the old times. You talk about me a lot.” He chuckled.

“I- thank you, but why- Are there others?”

“No. Just yours. You were the only one who ever wrote one. Well Donnie had some audio logs, but they were never personal. Just analytics and shit. But I think you should read it.”

“I’ll… I’ll think about it.” You nodded.

Casey nodded back. 

After gently handing him his coffee, the man disappeared back into the lair.

You stood for a moment, staring at the little chip in your hand. But with a quick tuck, you stuffed it in your pocket and finished making Donnie’s coffee.

When you returned with the purple turtle’s coffee, he was still out cold, bundled up in the blankets and pillows. You left his drink on his nightstand and after a quick kiss on his head, returned to your office. 

When you sat at your desk chair, you just watched the steam from your mug flicker into the air. A million thoughts buzzed around your head as you stuck your hand in your pocket and slowly pulled out the USB.

And with a nervous huff, plugged the chip into your computer.

A green page appeared on screen, with bundles of words clumped together.

I know no one will probably ever read this. Well except maybe Shelldon or Casey(skip past the marked sections by the way you two), but I want a place to write everything down. Out of all the stories I’ve ever written, I think it’s time I finally wrote mine.

[flockofcrowsinaturtleshell]

Why I like Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

(my part of the letter from my last reblog)

Up until about three months ago, I disliked the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I saw the trailer for the Bayverse live-action TMNT and quickly decided I hated it. The live-action designs and the turtles’ attitude towards April felt gross, and I suppose that I, a young teenage girl at the time, felt like I didn’t fit in the target audience.

Flash forward to four months ago. I’m scrolling through my Tumblr feed – looking for Ninjago fanart and completely disregarding the target audience for lego ninja – when I see something under the “For you” tab.

It’s a Rise comic, but I don’ recognize it as TMNT yet. It’s a drawing of a scruffy-looking teenage boy, with long black hair and a hockey stick. He appears to be underground, looking a little lost. He turns, and before him sits a giant robot, deactivated and covered in moss. It’s a turtle, I realize, but I still haven’t realized that it’s a TMNT comic.

Then the boy calls his Uncle Donnie, who’s a turtle in purple. It’s then that I realize; I’ve been tricked. I’m reading a TMNT comic and genuinely enjoying it. I begrudgingly give the comic a like and go on with my day.

Over the next few weeks, I keep seeing more of the comic. To my horror, I’m actually enjoying reading it. One month after discovering the comic, I give in. I go to the first page of the comic and read from the beginning. 

It’s the story of a family trying to survive in a world overrun by invaders. Their family is made up of four color-coded turtles who make up the nebulous concept of uncle-dad, their entirely human older sister, and the scruffy-looking teenager they-re all trying to keep alive. This family dynamic is one I quickly grow to love, and the comix earns itself a place in my heart.

And then I watch the Rise movie.

Skip ahead to the present. I just watched the Rise movie two days ago (it had me in tears). As I write this, I’m also trying to figure out a plothole in the seventh chapter of the fanfiction I’m writing. Just yesterday, I finished designing the skeleton of my yokai character (because why not. I love speculative anatomy). I’m still reading the comic, which just updated yesterday. I’m happy with my new interest.

I love Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for the family dynamic. I’ve always been a fan of unconventional families, and I’ve grown a liking for color-coded squads. I enjoy how April is more like a sister than a crush for the boys to fight over. I feel a certain kinship with Donnie, as an autistic-coded middle child who loves to learn. I absolutely adore Raph, the person who’s had to step up to care for their siblings and yet hasn’t quite grown out of the stage of life where he’s just a kid. Mikey is so silly and adorable, and he reminds me of my younger sister; the youngest and somehow the wisest at times. Leo feels just like a character from the first show I ever had such an interest in (Lance from Voltron: Legendary Defender) and I think he’s pretty awesome. 

I also enjoy the show’s unique takes on some things. I find it cool how the turtles are all different species. I love how this iteration’s version of Casey Jones is an energetic young woman from a rival clan. I find it interesting how Karai is a loving ancestor instead of an enemy. I love the artstyle of the show, where each turtle’s design is unique (compared to other shows where the only way I can tell them apart is by the color of their mask). I think it’s cool how the backstory is different from some of the other iterations, how the turtles were mutated on purpose and how Splinter used to be a famous actor. I think the yokai are awesome, how they’re like mutants but were there long before. I enjoy finding the little references, like the pictures of other TMNT shows on Donnie’s conspiracy board, or the fact that the source of yokai power is a Kraang. 

I have so many questions left unanswered about the show, and I’m sure others do as well. I would love to see the return of Rise. I have no doubt that it would be awesome.

#unpause rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles

– Crow

P.S. The comic I am referring to is by @somerandomdudelmao on Tumblr. I have no words to describe how much the comic means to me. Cass, if you’re reading this, thank you. 

[sunflowhamato]

ROTTMNT Curiosities Part.4

The difficult part of the series was fitting the entire plot into 11 minutes for one episode, there were great things that were eliminated for this reason, the general opinion (from high ranks) was that action shows lasted 22 minutes to sell toys, while comedies got ratings

The soundtrack of the series is not much, so it is likely that an official soundtrack will not come out Some episodes were broadcast out of order

Even if you don't have a conceptual art book,

If they were Animal Crossing villagers. Leo would be a cheetah, Raph something cute and furry, Mikey something fierce like a badger, Donnie an immortal jellyfish

Big Mama is a mix of Headey's role as Ma-Ma in the movie Dredd and Mary Poppins

Russ imagines that Splinter had some kind of naming ceremony for them and made their own birth certificates, or some kind of formal Hamato Clan indoctrination scroll.

Stockboy's design was based on Egghead Jr

Splinter's mother's Guardian's job was probably to make sure the Foot Clan didn't get the Dark Armor teapot.

The words Hypno says in The Clothes Don't Make the Turtle are the surnames of those who worked on the series

Russ intended Don Suave to look like a young Ricardo Montalbán

In the chapter of The Hidden City Job, Don Suave says “Machismo”, however the writers were looking for a word of “exaggerated masculinity”, but that was interpreted in other ways, that is why it was changed in Spanish (Russ apologized for the confusion)

Russ appears in two episodes in Mascot Melee and Breaking Purple

In Pizza Puffs when Leo comes in sick with the baker, Ben (Leo) was asked to do 2 takes with what he would say, then he was asked not to read the script and say what he remembered. The result was sicker and stranger

If you have Google Home you can set Rise alarms (All written by Josh Riley Brown) Say “Hey Google, set a Donatello alarm for a minute” to try (This is years old, so I don't know if it works yet)

Carol is April's neighbor (she is not her mother)

Originally in "Shadow of Evil", Draxum was about to execute April and Splinter, and also Donnie and Mikey had a rock-paper-scissors fight to see who would be next to fight Splinter (This in homage to TMNT movie 1990)

The boys appeared in “Always Be Brownies”, this was discarded to give April the lead role.

It is up to each Hamato member to look after Shredder's return. It was Grandpa Sho's turn when he was young, but unfortunately Splinter's mother died under his watch.

None of the Foot recruits have a name.

A chapter had been thought of where it was told how Mikey and Raph were close as children

Cassandra was not planned to be Casey, that came up throughout the series

As for the boys' design, it is shadows that are seen, not black pants

There were no plans to do a crossover with Usagi, but the idea of one in the future has not been ruled out

The ideas of making and ending the series through IDW comic would be easy to do

[fabuloustrash05]

Courting a Salamandrian FAQ

Just some common questions I’ve received regarding my RaMona fanfic that I decided to answer all in a singular post.

“What inspired you to write this story?”

I’ve always loved Raph x Mona, since we were first introduced to this ship back in 2015. Around that time I was in high school and one night I had a dream about Raph and Mona getting married. The dream was so vivid and had so many details down to the guests who attended, the wedding decorations, to what the couple was wearing. I was so amazed by that dream, I just had to write it. I originally planned to only write the wedding, which I thought was only going to be around 5 chapters, but as I kept working on the first draft, I realized I wanted to also add a proposal scene. Then when I started working on that, I decided I wanted to add more to the proposal, like when he realized he wanted to marry her etc, asking Sal for his blessing, etc. but as I kept going my brain suddenly went “Wait… let’s add drama!” And the rest was history.

"When does the story take place?"

About 4 years after the S5 episode When Worlds Collide. Raph and Mona have been together for 5 years by the start of the fanfic.

"How old are Raph and Mona Lisa?"

In the beginning of the story Raph is 23 and Mona is 24. By chapter 19, they are 24 and 25. By the epilogue they are 38 and 39.

“What made you decide to make Bishop the villain in this story?”

Bishop was already a canon hater of RaMona, as we saw in When Worlds Collide he was very against the idea of Mona staying on Earth, so I decided to explore that more.

Also 2012 Bishop was my introduction to the overall character. After I learned that he is supposed to be a villain in other iterations like the 2003 series, it just supported my concept even more! I wanted to explore Bishop becoming the villain he was known to be in other versions.

"What is the relationship status of the other couples that appear in C.A.S. (ex: apritello, renetangelo, etc.)?"

Donnie and April are dating, they've been together for 4 years.

Mikey and Renet are together but they are not expecting a full commitment from one another. Basically friends with benefits.

Karai and Shinigami are dating (have been for a little over 4 years) and are living together back in Japan.

Slash and Alopex are crushing on one another, but are both in denial about their feelings.

Casey has a girlfriend that he just started dating by the time of chapter 19, her name is Gabrielle. If you are familiar with the mirage comics then you'll get this reference.

Leo is single and NOT ready to mingle.

"Why does Alopex have a kid in chapter 28?"

That was a reference to my TMNT 2012 OC, Sasuke! It was also a fun way to, I guess you could say, plant the seeds for future events with my TMNT 2012 future headcanon. Getting started on the next gen of TMNT lol

“Can we see a visual of what everyone wore to the wedding?”

Sure!

"Can I draw fanart based on your fanfic?"

YEEESSSSS PLEAAASSEEE!!! DO IT!!! All I ask is to please tag me for credit and also so I don't miss seeing it! <3

“Will there be a sequel?”

As of right now, no. I never really planned for a sequel or a second story, heck I didn’t even originally plan for this story to be 30 chapters long lol, but I would like to write some oneshots of married life RaMona along with moments with their kids. I’ve already written two so far: the two parter Family Vacation Gone Wrong and Once an Enemy Now a… Friend? (Though that one focuses more on Adult!Raph with one of his kids making a cameo). Feel free to check them out!

[tinkabelle24]

To Build a Home

Chapter 10: Finally

TW! Sexual references, mild nudity.

Masterlist / Chapter 9

---

Raph's brain must've short-circuited at some point as he very nearly missed the mark; even with his hand cradling her cheek.

Instead of her lips, he caught the corner of her mouth. So, not a complete failure; though, obviously not what he was aiming for.

One fucking job...

Val stiffened immediately, hands darting to his plastron. He panicked; the thought of having potentially misinterpreted her feelings and overstepped made him physically ill.

Convinced she was about to reject him, the terrapin promptly pulled away.

"Raph...?" He heard her murmur. He couldn't bring himself to look her in the eye.

He flinched when she touched his forearm. "Hey, it's alright," she soothed, thumb caressing his scales. She stepped forward to close the distance between them, bringing her other hand to the nape of his neck.

Raph's breath hitched.

He tentatively lifted his gaze to meet hers, and she offered him a soft smile. He could drown in those eyes...

Guiding his hand to her waist, Val released him to cup his face with her palms. He took in the perfume on her neck; it smelt stronger tonight. He couldn't help wondering whether she'd done it deliberately to attract his attention...?

If so, she didn't need to - she already had it.

Raph could only watch as she leaned the rest of the way in, pressing her lips against his own in a deep, tender kiss.

It set his soul ablaze.

With renewed courage, the terrapin encircled her waist and pulled her against him. He returned the kiss, albeit with a little more urgency. He'd like to think she enjoyed it as she held his head in place, refusing to let him pull away.

Raph heard a door creak as Val leaned back. Next thing he knew, they were standing inside the bathroom, with her attempting to use her small form to push him toward the nearest wall.

Cute.

The brunette giggled against his lips as he spun, gently pressing her against the tile. Gripping her bare hips, he could feel goosebumps along her skin.

"You cold?"

"Absolutely not," she breathed, yanking him back in.

He did this to her...

Growing bolder, Raph began venturing under her shirt; tracing along the dimples on her lower back, then up her spine. The moment his fingers laid upon her lace bralette; Val's hands shot to the hem of her shirt.

The brunette snatched his wrist as he attempted retreating. "It's okay; that's not what I-" she then proceeded tittering bashfully. "...I was trying to take it off..."

Raph gawked at her, mouth agape like a gasping fish.

"Too much...?"

"Absolutely not," the red-banded terrapin parroted with a smile. He suddenly realised something. The door - it didn't lock. "Hang on a sec."

"What're you doing?"

Val's gaze followed him as he proceeded searching the cabinets for the item. Casey always kept a fork stashed away to jam the door whenever he and April showered together.

Ah, there you are. He finally found it behind Donnie's copious containers of dental floss. "I'm ain't about to let someone walk in on ya."

Once it was angled just right, he pushed the fork between the door and the frame. He tried the handle; it wasn't perfect, but should make a good enough deterrent.

"There. Ta-da."

Val giggled as Raph presented her the makeshift lock, before approaching him with a suggestive smile.

Oh, boy. Here we go...

---

The smell of fried eggs drew Raph from of his restful slumber. Opening his eyes, he quickly realised he wasn't where he usually greeted the day.

Instead of his hammock, he found himself laid beneath a sheet atop the mattress of a springy sofa bed. His bandana was missing, so was the rest of his gear. He peered over the edge - there they were, scattered across the carpet.

"Morning," a familiar, feminine voice called to him from behind. He turned over-

-Oh. Yep, that's right.

It’s all comin’ back to me.

"Would you like some coffee?"

Val was standing by the stove, preparing what appeared to be an omelette. She was dressed in only a nightshirt; her large Koi tattoo partially visible through the mildly revealing thigh-slit. Her dark locks were loosely pushed behind both ears.

"Mornin'... uh, please," Raph replied, pulling himself into a sitting position. His eyes suddenly grew wide. "Shit - what time is it?"

The brunette checked her watch. "It's 4:53am," she answered with a knowing smile. "Plenty of time before dawn."

"Whaddaya doin' up so early?"

Val smirked as she plucked a handful of basil and set it on her cutting board. "I've got work in an hour, remember?"

"Ah, right." Raph couldn't tear his gaze away from her skilful slicing.

Yeah, her skillful slicing...

She chuckled softly before asking her next question. "How'd you sleep?"

The best freakin' sleep I'd had in months...

"Like a baby, heh... You?"

"Same. Though I wish I could stay in bed a little longer..." Val winked at him as she deposited the basil into the pan.

Raph was so grateful he couldn't blush.

"Can I do anythin'?" He asked, scooting to the edge of the bed. "I feel weird just sittin' here while you're makin' stuff."

"Sure. You can do the coffees if you like? I'll grab the mugs."

The mugs were on the highest shelf. Because of course they were.

Raph couldn't help but chuckle. He knew she was a tease, but it appeared she wasn't even trying to hide it anymore.

It ushered his thoughts to last night. They were all over each other. He doubted there was a part of her he'd not acquainted himself with, nor her him. Well, except for one; though neither of them were ready nor equipped for that.

In good time, he hoped.

"Did you tell your brothers you were leaving last night?" Val asked, once they were settled on the bed with their breakfast.

They'd snuck out the back tunnel; Raph didn't want to be bombarded with questions he was unprepared to answer.

"Yeah, I told Casey," Raph answered, before playfully rolling his eyes. "But, of course, he told Mikey; they were sending me all the emojis. Don't tell Leo, but I put my shell-cell on silent."

“Ah. I was wondering why you were on your phone so much.”

“Yeah, sorry; I’ve always gotta check it whenever I get a notification.”

“Don’t stress,” she reassured. “I’m not mad. I was just curious.”

“So, last night...” Raph had finally worked up the courage to ask the million-dollar question. “...Did you like it?”

Val offered a tender smile as she set her plate down. “Yes,” she nodded. “I did. Very much... You?”

He grinned at her. “Is the Pope Catholic?”

At that, the brunette blushed fiercely and lowered her gaze.

“What made you wanna do it...?” She finally asked, struggling to maintain eye contact. She was doing the thing, again - twiddling her thumbs whenever she became nervous.

It was now Raph’s turn to lend the tender smile. “I like you, Val,” he confessed. His heart felt ready to burst through his plastron, but he pushed through it. “I mean, I really like you. You have no idea, heh...”

“I really like you too,” Val smiled back as she leant forward to squeeze his hand.

The terrapin abruptly averted his gaze, eyes brimming with tears. He groaned under his breath. Fuck. Here we go, again...

“I tried pushin' it away, cos I didn’t... I didn’t wanna hold ya back...”

Val blinked. “Hold me back...?” She asked gently.

“I ain’t human, Val. I've nothin' to give... money, security, house... kids- I can’t-”

“Kids...? Raph, I-”

“-Look, I realise it’s super, super early, but that’s what I think about...”

“Raph, listen. I can’t have kids anyway – I'm infertile.”

---

Masterlist / Chapter 11

@android-cap-007 @happymoonangel @miss-andromeda

[blankiss2204000]

One is nothing, Two is coincidence, Three means problems Part 2

 https://archiveofourown.org/works/44102634/chapters/118320169

Hi!! Finally I was able to finish this chapter. It's a little short but I wanted to introduce things from different points of views. Hope you all like it!

For now to prevent confusion Bay crew will be in their full names and 12 crew on ther nick names but this will change in future chapters when everyone finally meet each other.

@gutter-sun-fun @000marie198 @misteria247​

Who knew It's fun to play with Japanese folklore :D

The officer that found Leonardo was this guy

The officer that found Raph is random but i like to think it’s this guy

Chapter 2

Leonardo opened his eyes, his head throbbing, his vision dizzy. Dust invaded his nose, throat and lungs making him cough.

Managing to be on all fours, he grunted. What'd just happened?? SHIT! Where were his brothers?! What about Jonathan and Irma?

"Sir, are you ok?"

Leonardo froze for a moment «what is going on?!». In front of him was what looked like a humanoid big purple bird, dressed as a police officer. «Where did this mutant come from?»

"Uh, yes, thanks"

The bird helped him stand up (he still didn't let his guard down, he didn't know what this stranger was capable of).

"Good" the bird sounded genuinely relieved to hear that "now, sir, please follow me, it's time to return to Hidden City, there are a few minutes before the curfew and the start of the EPF patrol"

"What?" «What is he talking about?»

That was the only thing Leonardo managed to say because without further explanation the bird touched a button on his wrist band which he then directed to the nearest wall. The graffiti on the wall turned into a portal. If Leonardo wasn't expecting anything of what had happened until now, this came to a whole new level of craziness.

Leonardo really hoped he could talk this out, he didn't know this “Hidden city” this bird wanted to take him to, and if what the bird mutant said was true, that meant he had to find his brothers fast "Wait, hold on, officer" he backed off the portal and the mutant "clearly there's got to be a misunderstanding—"

"No sir, by the Council of Heads it was ordered a nightly curfew until further notice, so every yokai on the surface must return to Hidden city from 11 pm to 6 am with no exception"

Huh? Yokais? Council of Heads?! EPF?! What the heck?!. The more he listened the more things didn't make sense!. "Sir, sorry but I need to find my brothers and —"

"They're probably being brought by Hidden City's Police too". Leonardo took this as his cue to go, the bird wasn't going to leave him alone.

When he took his leave going up to the rooftops by a fire escape, he was glad that the pressure points actually worked (he got the mutant carefully across the portal, and to his relief, the portal closed and returned being a graffiti after a few seconds).

Now he had to look for the others.

___ _   ________     _____     _______     _________

With the New York citizens being none the wiser, Raph was running and jumping across the rooftops. April, Casey, his brothers and him were helping Donnie carry the things  he was able to take from the scout ship (obviously after making sure nothing more was contained in the ship). Even if they were a little rusty, the weapons would definitely be useful for the Party wagon for their return to New York. Donnie even had hopes that there could be a power cell. It had to at least have a power source if the ship was still working.

Raph didn't exactly understand what his brother was messing with in the panel when the beeping started because he had just come back from carrying boxes to the barn, Donnie's improvised lab. Donnie tried to turn it off but he wasn't able to do it.

What happened next was fast.

A flash of pink light then white, a hit on the hard ground of concrete and now he found himself alone in this city, then out of nowhere appeared some big dog or whatever, dressed as a freaking police man; with the plaque and everything, wanting him to follow him to Kami knows where, so yeah, that was big No «the dog used the word “yokais” so… maybe it wasn't a mutant and was a yokai? maybe an Inugami? would that be possible?».

He was going to look for his brothers no matter what curfew, EPF, mutants, spirits or demons were in his way.

After getting that giant Chihuahua out of his shell, (if it indeed was an Inugami, it was lame, one would expect a harder challenge from a “dog god”, not that he's complaining, he didn't have time to waste but still), he climbed to the rooftops.

He needed to find his brothers. Donnie had always had a messed sleep schedule but ever since they got to the farmhouse it got worse and he had barely rested (he did rest a little more when Leo woke up but still), Casey helped him from time to time with the Party Wagon, Mikey kept himself busy doing chores around the house and trying his hardest to keep everyone's spirits up, April was doing her best to improve on her training, she and Casey also helped to get supplies whenever they needed, and Leo, Leo had just woken up a few weeks ago. He was still healing, he was still getting in shape and recovering, and even in his state he tried to help with what he could.

Donnie had done and was doing the best he could to help him recover, Kami knows he did, (there were nights when Donnie accompanied him after checking Leo when he was still comatose, other nights it was Mikey who was at his side. Sometimes April and Casey were with him too. There were also a few times when they were feeling low, so everyone gathered and slept next to the tub, wishing, hoping that their dear big brother would wake up), but unfortunately they just didn't have all that was needed for Leo, that reflected in his injured knee.

This city was in the process of repairing «what happened here?» and even at that state it was brighter (which was bad because that made shadows harder to find. His family would have a hard time trying to hide. Where could they be?)

He wished Donnie was here with him, he would know or have an idea of what was going on.

The city was definitely New York, but at the same time it wasn't New York, not his New York at least. This wasn't his home obviously, his home would be full of Kraangdroids, ships and would probably look more like the freakshow Dimension X was. Also in his way he saw some places that didn't exist back home, for example some fast food restaurants called “Albeartos” which neither his brothers or him had ever heard of.

Running from rooftop to rooftop filled him with nostalgia, even if this wasn't home, he couldn't prevent having some sort of sense of familiarity… he was more homesick that he thought.

He also took note of the streets, empty of people, the curfew must have started he guessed.

Another thing that caught his attention was the EPF. Vans and cars with the logo and the initials of the EPF in red had started circulating around the streets not too long since he knocked out that giant Chihuahua (Would Leo be upset? Oh he was more than sure he would be, but he would worry about it when he actually found him and the others, plus he hid that dog in a dumpster, so the Chihahua would be fine).

What were they patrolling for?

He had to keep a close eye on this guys if they got something about his family, knowing their luck he had a bad feeling about this EPF. He just hoped the others were safe.

[realmsalot]

The Invasion Of New York City (Homographs AU Fic)

Chapter 1: Run! Fight! [Ch 2] [Ch 3]

Read here undercut or on AO3.

Wordcount: 1,453 words

Summary: The Kraang occupied New York for six months, kraangifying its citizens and trying to kill off any rouge mutants. Let's see this from the perspective of the Rise kids.

OR

The O'Neils run for their lives. The Joneses fight for their lives.

-------

What's going on?

That's what a ten-year-old April O'Neil kept asking not only herself but her parents as well. But they don't answer her. They just kept saying the same things.

"It's going to be okay, sweetie. It's going to be okay."

"Keep your head low and stay with Mama and Papa. Stay with us."

"We love you, April. We love you so much."

It was all very confusing. That was until April saw what they were running from. The pink faces, encased in metal bodies, come out of portals that appear out of thin air. The faces in the abdomens look familiar. It took her a second, but she remembered the face. Her hero, Warran Stone, had reported about an attempted alien invasion, and they looked exactly like the ones currently invading the city.

And now things are starting to make sense.

Why their walk from a movie theater was suddenly interrupted by people running and screaming. Why they weren’t heading the right way back home. Why they kept ducking in and out of alleyways. 

Why April’s parents were crying…

They were going to die.

Not if April O'Neil had something to say about it.

-------

The cold winter air bites her skin, but it barely registers in her mind. She needs to stay focused.

She makes a wide turn and uses her momentum to slam her body into a robotic one. As they collide, she uses the butt end of her hockey stick to break a pink eye. The tin can of a body falls over, and the pink blob in its abdomen pops out. It screeches and tries to get away, but she makes a sharp turn back around and slashes it with one of her skates, killing it. Green blood pours out of the open wound.

Cassandra then stops and assesses the situation. (Cause that’s what a ninja in training should do, right?)

There are so many more of those robots. More than Cass can handle by herself. But she's not by herself, is she? Other people are fighting too.

To her left, she can see people tearing apart discarded robot bodies and using their limbs as weapons. To her right, others were using what they had brought with them as makeshift weapons. She, in particular, notices her dad, who at some point forwent his skates and used the laces to tie them to the ends of his hockey stick. And all around her, she sees and hears people running and screaming for their lives.

She and her dad originally came to the park to play hockey. The lake had frozen over, and the weather was nice and clear. A pleasant day out on her day off from training and her dad’s day off work. And it was nice until those pink triangle portals started opening.

There are too many robots. And more just keep coming.

She wants her older brother to be here but is glad that Casey is not. She knows Casey said he was gonna hang out with a friend today. Cass hopes he found somewhere safe to hide but knows her brother will be out there fighting. Like she is right now. Cass watches her dad stab one of the alien robots in the pink fleshy center, green blood spilling all over him. She thinks their fighting spirits must be inherited.

She wishes that they would see each other again.

She sees more bots walk out of a portal. She remembers what the Foot General taught her. Never stop fighting, not even during dying breath.

She looks down at the dead alien body that lies by her feet.

The next thing those bots knew, they were being charged by an eleven-year-old girl using a dead body as a puck.

------

They're currently hiding behind a dumpster, trying to avoid the gaze of the pink and silver monsters. April is sitting on her mom's lap, held close to her mother's chest. Her mom has a hand over April's mouth to prevent her from making a sound. Her dad is crouched and ready to move. If the aliens show a sign of noticing them, he is prepared to run out to the open and draw their attention to himself alone. He will not let them get to his wife and daughter.

But it didn't need to come to that. The aliens’ eyes simply glaze over the alleyway before moving on. Their robotic steps disappear with distance. Her mother doesn't loosen her grip.

"We need to get out of the city," Dad whispers, "maybe even the state." April starts trying to remove her mom's hand from her mouth.

"Can we even do that," Mom questions. "We don't even have a car. We should find shelter." April starts licking her hand.

"There's nowhere safe enough in the city, Carol. Leaving is our best option."

"Where would even we go, Reece? Our family, our friends, they're all here! We can't just leave them."

"They might not even be alive anymore. We have to leave." April finally gets the hand off of her mouth.

"I know where we can go," she says before being hushed by both of her parents. "I know where we can go and be safe." Her parents look at her, not believing her words, but she pleads with them with her eyes.

Her parents share a look. "Okay, Spring, where," Carol asks her daughter. April gets out of her mother's lap and goes to the edge of the dumpster where her dad is. She peers over the edge and spots a nearby sewer entrance.

"There," is the only thing she says before booking it toward the entrance, her parents behind her. Removing the cover was quick and easy, thanks to the practice she got while visiting her friends.

And it was her friend's place she intended to take them. April can only hope that her parents are understanding.

She tells her parents to go down ahead.

------

It's snowing now.

Her body aches, her mind is frazzled, and her fingers feel numb. But she has to keep fighting. She can't stop fighting.

She twirls her hockey stick like a bo staff as she weaves through the robots, knocking them down. She moves on, not even going back to finish the aliens that popped out off. There's no time. She has to take out the next set of bots.

These robots just keep coming while their own forces are dwindling.

She sakes around a dead human body. They have a hole where their face used to be.

She finds a decapitated robot head and uses her hockey stick to treat it as a puck, dodging the laser blasts from the aliens' guns. As soon as she is able, she launches the head at them. The head hits one before it bounces from one to a second and then a third, taking down three of them. She takes advantage of the opening and gets close enough to beat more down with her stick.

She moves on and starts looking for the next group to take down. Then she notices that they're no longer shooting.

She stops. Her legs ache more than they ever did with the constant movement, and she's finally able to catch her breath. She didn't even realize that she was out of it. Cassandra sees her father running toward her, using the apparent cease-fire to check if she's alright.

He doesn't get close to her, though.

Blue-green goop suddenly rained down on him, covering him. He screams so loud Cass is surprised her ears didn't start bleeding. She looks to where the shot was fired and is frozen stiff.

Standing tall, towering over the nearby buildings, is a giant robotic suit with a gigantic version of the aliens she'd been fighting piloting it. It was laughing.

She can't fight that thing. Not by herself, at least.

She needs help. 

She needs backup. 

She needs to get to The Foot–

She hears a screech from where her dad is, and her head snaps toward the sound. In his place, she sees a new alien creature. It looks like the aliens in the robots but twisted and stretched out. Like it's trying to shape itself into a human.

She doesn't see her dad.

Cause that Thing can't be her dad.

It screeches again, and she starts skating away. She needs to retreat and find her brother. She needs to get to the Foot Shack. Surely General and Brute would let them hide out there. They would know what to do. They always do.

But it doesn't matter. It's too late. And even if it wasn't, Cass wouldn’t be fast enough to outrun the shot. She screams.

The mutagen burns Cassandra's skin.

[coleyo]

BITTW CHAPTER SIXTEEN

SUMMARY;

It appears in the 2012 dimension, Casey and Donnie are equally as concerned for Mikey, as they are for eachother... Well, almost.

It was around midnight when Angelo had finally removed all of the armor off of mayhems blood stained fur, the creature whimpered and curled into a ball. By the time, everyone else was asleep, or so Angelo thought. Huginn and muninn were resting on Angelo's lap, while Mikey was snoring, slouched over his shoulder. Sensei Angelo smiled, patting mayhems head slowly. He was all grown up now! He didn't seem to mind the others presence...

How could that be? Why didn't he attack mondo, or anyone else for that matter. Thats odd.. maybe Angelo would look into it much later, but now, there were much more important things to do.

A thud was heard, Angelo looked over his shoulder only to see Mikey fast asleep on the mat. "-This 'kid.." she'd smile, before gently placing huginn and muninn on mayhems torso. Mayhem yawned, exposing rows of his rigid teeth before burying his snout his side.

The man stood up, but just as he were to leave, someone Opened the door, slowly..

It was April!

"Hey, Angelo.. are you doing alright, i--" commander O'Neil paused, her line of vision shifting into the four sleeping creatures. "-..Is that.." she'd paused, a look of glee showing on her face. "-The one and only.." Angelo reassured. "-How did you-- where did you-- and-- huginn? Muninn!" A wide smile forms on her face as she enters the room, sitting on the mat. "-Well--, the others and I found these three diggin' through your equipment."

Mayhems eyes fluttered wide, his attention Shifting onto April.

Immediately, he sprung from his current position, causing the two gargoyles to collapse, not at all bothered. Mayhems tail swayed back and forth as he pressed himself onto April, rolling on her lap. "Looks like he remembers me.. I.. I thought I lost you.." she'd stroke his fur gently with a smile. "You-- you can take him, if you'd like. I just wanted to make sure that he was fine." O'Neil stood up, thanking sensei Angelo. "..Say hi to huginn and muninn for me when they wake up, alright?" "-Of course."

With said, April left the room with mayhem, silence lingered throughout the dojo.

"..Mikey." the elder calls after turning around. No reply.

Not wanting to wake the boy up just to move him elsewhere, Sensei angelo decided to let him stay a while longer.

He'd sit next to Mikey, shutting his eyes.. he'd wish to get a good night of sleep in..

By morning, huginn, muninn, and Mikey were wide awake, all ready to start the day. On the other hand, sensei Angelo was still sleeping, peacefully. "-Awh, look at him, huginn!" Muninn called, clasping his hands as the three watched over him with a smile. "-he sleeps like a baby!" Mikey added. "-We better leave him alone.. he gets all cranky when woken up." "-Ha! Who doesn't. Oh well." The gargoyles said, "-Lets go introduce you two to the others."

Mikey exits the dojo, huginn and muninn were soon to follow.

Sunlight shined throughout the base, the red skies adding a certain flare to it. As they walked down the hall, Mikey Suddenly bumped into someone.. "-ow!" The mutant yelped, taken back. "-Hey what's your --.." he'd look up, only to see master Leonardo. "-Oh! There ya' are, kid!.. and..you two." Leo narrowed his eyes towards the gargoyles, "-April told me that you guys were back." A meek smiles appeared on Leo's face as both huginn and muninn laughed nervously. "-..what are you doing out of the clinic?" Said Mikey, a hint of shock in his tone. Their attention soon fell onto leons arm, noticing that bandages covered the wound. "-Im feeling a lot better, I figured, what's the harm in taking a little walk? So, tell me, how's Angelo doin?" Mikey blinked a few times, caught off guard. "-Oh-- oh! Hes- he's doing alright. Though a few people are being absolute butt heads!" Mikey complained, he'd furrow his brows.

"-I dunno, some people are warming up to him though... He also seems.. happier?" Michealangelo added, causing Leo to smile. "-Thats great! I'm glad he's not stressing over it, I would've felt horrible.. anyways, see ya' soon kid." Leon said, patting the boys head as he passed. "-He looks-- different." Muninn whispered, "No kidding." Huginn agreed. "-forget it, let's just go." Mikey said, entering the main room. There in the far corner was Mondo and Casey, talking as they usually did. "-Look, there they are!" "-Oh, them, the ones who think our talking is weird." Huginn landed on Mikey's shoulder, so did the other. "-Yeah, I'm sure they'd love to meet us." Muninn chimed in with a hint of sarcasm. Mikey rolled his eyes and made his way through the crowd, eventually reaching the two.

"-Hey guys!" Mikey greeted with a warm look, "-Hey Mikey! And-- those things." Casey cringed. The two gargoyles glared at one another before one let out a huff.

"-What a warm welcome." Said muninn. "Good mornin' Mikey." Mondo yawned, he wasn't exactly a morning person. Mondo preferred to stay up at night, and could only really have a good night's rest if he slept next to another. Some nights, he thought about asking Mikey, but he'd seem like a wimp. Already sure Mikey was going to reject him, he'd stay silent.

Mikey glared at Mondo and chipped, "-Tired? Ya' look exhausted.." it seemed like Mikey already noticed the bags under his eyes, the messy hair was a dead giveaway. "-Uhuh.." mondo could bearly process a word, "-.I like it, it's adorable! Anyways.." Mikey said with a smirk, before directing his attention onto Casey. Mondo froze, chuckling a bit.

After a while of talking, Mikey remembered about his daily visits with Donnie and big mama.. on some days, Mikey just wanted to take mondo with him, but.. he couldn't break their promise.

"anyways, I've.. gotta go now you guys, see you soon?"

"-Yeah! Cya!"

Huginn and munnin flapped their wings, watching as Mikey left the area.

  "...I wonder where he goes for-- several hours at a time." Casey pondered, placing a hand on his hip. Mondo shrugged, "-..Maybe he's E-eh-- busy? Or-- or doing a favor for sensei Angelo. The guy's a mystery, what can I say. He bearly tells me anything anymore, we were best friends almost!" "-Oh we're you? C'mon, we all know you like him." Said 'Jones, knudging mondo slightly. "-..W- who said that? That's ridiculous." "-Mhm. Whatever."

__________________________

2012

"

Come on, come on.." Donnie mumbles, the bags under is eyes growing heavier by the second. He slammed his fist onto the keyboard of his computer out of irritation. He furrows his brows, realizing that there was almost no chance, but he couldn't imagine just how disappointed his brothers would be.. he felt as if it were his fault for even making the portal, or the serum.  the mutants expression softened as he would lie his head down.. a sudden knock on his door startled him, he'd pick up his head with a confused look on his face.

Low and behold, Casey Jones.

  "Cave mouth. What are you doing here."

  "I'm not here to fight, gap tooth. Im here to ask about Mikey,,"

"...No luck." Said donnie as Casey approached from behind.

"-Really? How'd he even-- why'd you--" "-i don't know, Casey!"

The ninja exclaimed, "-I regret it, I shouldn't have interfered with... I'm such an idiot.. now everyone expects me to-- to... Why am I even telling you this?" Donnie glared, Casey let out a sigh.

  "Because I care, we both care." Casey placed a hand on the edge of donnies seat, spinning him around. The two were now face to face, Donnie rolled his eyes. "..Of course I care he's my brother. And why do you?" "..Because he's.. like you said, your brother. And-- my friend. I don't know where he is and heck, neither do you, but.. I know you can save him. Don't mind the pressure, take your time."

Donnie paused before a smile formed, "Oddly comforting coming from you."

"-Yeah, yeah.." Casey sat up, putting his hands in his pockets.

"See ya soon, gap tooth."

"..later cave mouth."

[marveltmntgirl]

Name: Omorfiá; Omor — pronounced as read, no last name for backstory reasons (you'll find that's a theme among these characters)

Age: Fluctuates in oneshots, but normally 16-17. She ages from 16+ in-fic.

Height: 5'6", in-fic slightly shorter than Leo, so he's around 5'7" - 5'8"

Species: Human-presenting mutant

Appearance:

Picrew is Astrolavas’ Maker 2.0

Important Features: Black hair that is messy, wild, generally unkempt. A strong nose, almost Roman-like. Mid-full lips for the ideal sneer. Dark eyes, always tired. A full, dark brow. Caucasian skin, she doesn't get a lot of sun (if ever) so very pale.

Personality: Brash, stubborn, impatient, protective (some may say overprotective), reckless, fearful.

Relationships:

Grace - Sister, would die for

Leo - Petty love/hate, mutual respect, mostly thinks he's insufferable (it's complicated, basically)

Raph - Argumentative, occasionally team up against Leo

Donnie - hates his guts for a while

Mikey - the only one she likes outright and openly

Splinter - respects and slightly fears?

Casey - hates him, outright

April - doesn't care

Shredder - loathes entirely

Karai - lots of trauma and hate

Nylla - doesn't meet for a long time, respects, kinda scared of

Bláthanna - quickly become friends oddly enough

Mutant abilities:

Umbrakinesis

Umbrageous Teleportation

Night Vision

Creation Backstory:

Well picture me, an angsty teen of 13. I was looking online at character pictures and found a specific one that sparked a self insert oc with the powers above and a ghostly sidekick. She (me) was full of angst and hurt and very dry humor. I wrote 3 or 4 physical notebooks of a little oneshot/introductory of her, then decided to give her an actual name and separate identity from mine.

Omorfiá started out very clunky and overly angsty. I mean, she is still angsty but I think a reasonable amount. I used her in online roleplays to further flesh her out and figure out what worked and what didn't. At first, she was a bit toxic, very "look at me, I'm so tragic". Now I think there's a better balance of Omorfiá not wanting attention, and not willing to welcome change, but everything about her screaming "HELP ME". She's so mistrustful until she isn't, and then she is a literal ride or die.

Her features never really changed outright, but evolved over time. I used pictures I could find online that I felt were as close as I could get to "her" look. The basics of her looks stayed the same: Black hair, brown eyes, stern face. Once I found the website Picrew, I was able to make her out exactly as I saw her, and I think I've gotten as close as possible without physically drawing her myself (which I cannot do, trust me). She looks tired on purpose, she's supposed to look a little rough and not entirely "put together". The scar is a placeholder because I couldn't get scars in the specific place I want, but I have her actual scar placements written in her introduction.

For a while I never thought about her body type, but as I expanded on her character more I thought about what kind of figure she should have. When I was younger I didn't have the specific word, but now I know I was going for "boyish". Lean, boxy, more masculine than feminine. This specific feature gave me a plot detail that I find fun, but isn't super important or dramatic in the long run.

Clothing-wise, at first she was stuck in the clothing that was depicted in her inspiring picture, which was a green tank top, red flannel, and half-short jeans? The ones that just go past your knees? Eventually I ditched that and dressed her myself. Thankfully I wasn't dressing her with what was popular in 2015 (iykyk), but had her in more casual and movement-ready clothes for her specific lifestyle. She remains in baggy jeans, t-shirts, hoodies and sneakers to this day.

I changed Omorfiá's shadowy friend to the character Grace, who will be in the next chapter. I'll go more in depth on how her backstory changed as well in that chapter, but touch slightly on it here.

When I first made Omorfiá she was by herself, but I quickly found that to be boring and invented a ghostly friend to be her conscious and talk to her. Her name was Mávros. Eventually I also found that to be boring and unsatisfying with how Máv's specific story would go, so I changed her to be a physical human character.

Omorfiá also had physical "demons" in the beginning, which were her anxieties and worries physically manifesting through her powers. I played with this for a while but eventually it became either an overused or underused tool, and I honestly forgot about them for a while so it naturally dropped off in a way.

Other than that, her powers for the most part have remained unchanged. I made boundaries and limits for them pretty much around the beginning, tied to her mental and physical capacities so she wouldn't be a "Mary-Sue". (though... she still might be)

Her living situation was slightly different, but at the core remained the same. Omorfiá and Grace have always been "homeless" but made their own home. Originally they lived in an abandoned apartment, but I eventually got tired of that and wanted something different and parallel to the Turtles. With another inspiring picture I made their new home a subway car in an abandoned tunnel (kinda like the boxcar children).

The logistics are explained through the fic and in Grace's chapter but I can give some details here as well; Omorfiá takes them to a gym when it's closed and they shower/brush teeth/etc there. They go to a laundromat for their laundry. Food is acquired by Omorfiá.

Omorfiá and Leo's relationship has been mostly unchanged since I established it. I took slight inspiration from Leo and Karai's interactions but didn't want Omorfiá to just be Karai but in a different font (also that ship dISGUSTS ME TO NO END). I also didn't want it to be puppy love, but an actual growing and evolving relationship. Simplified its Enemies-to-Lovers, but really it's more Enemies-to-Reluctant-Allies-to-Begrudging-Mutual-Respect-and-Slight-Envy-to-Friends-That-Bully-Each-Other-etc etc.

Specifics of her backstory changed a bit, from amount of years spent here and including her birthplace at all. But at the core, the Big Details stayed the same. Lots of trauma.

If you haven't guessed it by now Omorfiá and the other character's backstories will remain secret 🤭

If I had to describe Omorfiá in one word: Feral

If I had to describe Omorfiá in three words: Feral and Tired

Spin offs:

SEVEN YEARS — This really just started with an idea of the tmnt in Edo-era Japan, paired with the fact that every seven years the human body has grown new cells throughout the body, so you're essentially a new person... so yea. I just stuck Omor in it with a few tweaks to her backstory, but her character is fairly similar to what she would be, just reframed into this new timeline.

OFFICE ROMANCE — Omorfiá isn't really a prominent character in this fic, but even in the background the concept of her is pretty interesting to me. Sometimes it's hard to imagine what she could be in the modern world, with a regular job. She basically becomes Jessica Jones. But in this fic she steps back to be more of a supporting character to Grace.

If you happen to be interested I do have Spotify Playlists for all these characters...

[twignotstick]

TMNT: SECOND SHOT - Arc 1, Chapter 2: Shared Hallucination 🧠

<- Chapter 1: Introductions and Invitations ✉️

Notes at the end :)

Warnings (if there's anything I should add here, tell me please!): mildly gross descriptions, bugs, sort-of homelessness, feral behavior

Words: 3,696

Summary: CJ wants an explanation, and he gets more than that. The turtle becomes more vulnerable, and a new face appears.

----------------------

“Talk.”

CJ sat hunched over across from April, elbows resting on his knees. April had been forced into a chair from the dining table; meanwhile CJ sat on the wide, dark green sofa that took up a good amount of space in the living room of his apartment and glared a hole in her.

He knew that April read his long, unrelenting strain of texts about how much he was going to kill her in the morning for dipping. He could see it in the strained, nervous smile on her face. She knew that if she didn't give the best, most believable (and TRUE) excuse for not being at that party, she was getting roasted alive.

And CJ wasn't afraid to fulfill his threats.

April took a deep breath in, and held her hands up. “Okay, I promise I have a good reason,” she laughed, shifting nervously on the uncomfortable chair. “You're gonna laugh, it-it's hilarious, and it might be my big break!”

“Big break?” CJ asked, raising his posture. “Like, money big break, or news big break?”

“News big break,” April said, raising her posture as well. “Remember how I told you about Murakami, the nice blind guy?” A nod. “Well, he helped me find something. I have to look further into it, and he said he'd text me if it showed up again, so you could-”

“Hold up,” CJ interrupted, “‘if it showed up again’? What the heck does that mean? Is your new big break like, a rat or something?”

April suddenly started rifling through the bag at her side to pull out her phone. “Its not a rat, it's a turtle- I think. Maybe a tortoise? I-it's one of those things.” She turned her phone on and started looking for something, looking up at CJ every few seconds to make sure she still had his attention. “And Murakami said that if it shows up again, he'll text me, and I can bring you to see it!”

CJ sat in silence for a moment, absorbing the word vomit that April just spouted at him. Okay, he thought, so maybe my best friend got drugged by a blind guy. That's great.

April found whatever she was looking for on her phone and plastered a confident grin on her face. “See, I knew you wouldn't believe me, so I got non-negotiable, photographic proof.”

CJ flinched to catch the phone suddenly tossed into his lap, and looked at it to see the picture that April had pulled up. “Two… lumps?”

“Not lumps, Casey,” April groaned, rolling her eyes.

“Don't call me that.”

“The purple one is a cooler, that it was filling with food, and the big, misshapen one is its shell! It hid when I ran after it to give it its food!” April gestured wildly to emphasize each point, her ginger braids swaying along. “And that cooler was stacked with food, so I think there's more of them-”

“What do you mean ‘shell’? A turtle shell doesn't look like that.”

“I think that its shaped differently because of its anatomy!” April leaned back to illustrate her next points with her hands. “It was the size of a human, CJ! It had arms, and hands, and terrifying claws, and the cutest little beak on its face, and it was smart. I think it's some human-turtle hybrid!”

CJ stared at April for a moment too long with his lips pursed tight. He looked her up and down contemplatively, almost whispering another rebuttal-

“I think it's a kid.”

CJ's face grew concerned.

“And I think it needs help.”

April looked desperate, but CJ was still not convinced. She let out a sigh before pushing herself up from the chair and plucking her phone from CJ's hands. “I thought you might still not believe me, so I made sure to keep some physical proof too.” She turned to the door of the apartment and started pulling her shoes on (notably, a different pair than the ones she wore the day before). “Come on, we're going to my apartment.”

CJ eyed April curiously, only moving when he received a scalding glare and a gesture to the door.

----------------------

Usually, when they rode from CJ's apartment to April's, the ride over would be full of petty racing and shouting over traffic. This ride, however, was nearly silent. CJ made no attempt to overtake April. He was concerned for her wellbeing, of course. Maybe she had taken a hit to the head? Hallucinated something? Maybe that blind guy really did drug her with free food.

But, right now, he could barely see her determined face around her red hair. She really believed in whatever she saw, and she wasn't going to stop until CJ was convinced.

She was always stubborn like that. CJ had gotten used to it in a few weeks after they met. When April got to college, she was obviously scared and alone. CJ took it upon himself to help her out. And, if he needed the help too, no one would know. Now that two years had passed, and April was more settled, CJ didn't need to do that anymore. He was proud, but part of him mourned that feeling of having someone to protect. Something to motivate him.

As soon as April opened the door to her apartment, CJ's nose was affronted by an acrid smell. It made his eyes water a bit, even while it was only weak. “Jeez, I thought the party was at Taylor's,” he said, covering his mouth and nose with his sweater sleeve.

“Yeah, I was really lucky that Irma thought it was part of her hangover this morning,” April explained, sauntering over to the kitchen and pulling a trash bag out from under the sink.

As April opened it, the smell multiplied tenfold. CJ gagged audibly and held his face away. “Dude, what is wrong with you? I don't think your trash is going to convince me-”

April held up the pair of pants being hidden within with the tips of her fingers. CJ immediately recognized them as the sweatpants she had worn the day before, but the bottoms of them were covered in green and brown muck, and a strange dark stain covered them as well.

“What the heck is that stuff!?” CJ shouted, backing up and holding in another wretch.

“Sewer goo and monster turtle pee,” April said, trying to maintain a confident composure but faltering as the smell got to her as well, making her eyes water.

“IT PEED ON YOU?!” CJ screamed, suddenly neglecting his disgust in favor of proving a point. “AND YOU WANT TO HELP THIS THING?”

“It was scared, CJ!” April countered, stuffing the pants back in the wet trash bag and closing it as tightly as she could. It didn't do much for the smell. “I know it was getting food for more than just itself, and I think it's just a kid. Who knows if it has parents, or little siblings, or whatever. It's going to come back, and I'm gonna be there when it does.”

CJ silently glanced down at the trash bag at April's feet, then back up to her. “And it lives in… the sewers?” he asked hesitantly.

“I think so. But the place I followed it to wasn't where it lived, I know that.”

CJ tensed his face, holding his eyes shut and taking in a deep breath before releasing it. He knew April wouldn't cease until she got her way. It was just a matter of time. “Just…let's go. I wanna talk to this blind guy.”

April's face immediately brightened as she hefted the trash bag over her shoulder. Even with the smell still lingering in the air, CJ couldn't help but laugh and smile along with her.

What did he just get himself into?

----------------------

CJ warmed himself to Murakami quickly. It was clear that April hadn't told Murakami exactly what she had seen, only telling him that she had seen it and wanted to see it again. The friendliness of Murakami only helped to grow CJ's concern about if this whole situation was actually real. It was off putting almost, but it made CJ feel like believing April would be okay.

It took a week before anything else came of it. April started getting worried that she had scared the turtle off for good, but that Saturday night, she finally got a text from Murakami saying it was there. She rushed past CJ out the door of his apartment and yelled at him to grab the lunchbox they had prepared together for it by the door. (April had tried to get a lunchbox that was similar to the cooler she had seen the turtle use.)

They drove in CJ's gray sedan, pushing every speed limit as April frantically texted with Murakami, making sure it didn't leave before they got there. It took 6 agonizing minutes, but when CJ pulled up quietly to the curb, April burst out from the passenger door with the lunchbox in tow. After she made sure CJ was out of the car, flailing her arms violently to make him hurry up, the pair slowly approached the alleyway where the quiet rustling was dying down.

The first thing that caught CJ's eye was the cooler on the floor. Everything else in April's picture had been very hard to make out, but the cooler was unmistakable. The purple fabric around its outside was faded and worn, with some holes and scratches that, if he didn't know better, CJ might have thought were sewn up. It already had plenty of scrap in it, but the shadowed figure leaning over the dumpster was still searching for more.

April took a step ahead of CJ, tapping her hand on the brick wall at her side. The sound seemed to catch the figure's attention, as it lifted its upper body out from the dumpster and turned its head to face the mouth of the alley. The darkness left much to the imagination, but the point of its beak and the edge of its carapace caught the moonlight.

CJ pulled in a tight gasp and fumbled backwards for a moment, with April catching his arm to keep him by her side. He looked at her with wide eyes, which she reciprocated. Her face held an excited grin as she nodded toward it, as if to say, ‘told you so’.

“Hey, little guy,” April whispered, turning back to face the creature. “It's good to see you again.” She lifted the green lunchbox in her hands to guide the creature's line of sight. “We brought you some fresh food, if you want it?”

April unzipped the lunchbox slowly and tossed it into the alleyway gently. Some of the contents spilled out a bit, and the creature jumped. It started sniffing the air, and hesitantly, after what felt like eternity, approached the box on all fours. It started investigating its contents, pulling out one of the two packages of ground beef within to examine in its hands. After rifling through the box a bit more, the turtle discovered the fresh vegetables stuffed inside. It immediately looked excited(?) and sniffed at a few of the pieces of lettuce before digging in violently.

“Looks like the research we did paid off,” CJ said, not taking his eyes off the feasting beast in front of him.

“Yeah,” April breathed out, looking at the happy thing in awe. She tried to step a bit closer, but the reptile reacted and pulled the lunchbox back, chirping and snapping its beak. April slowly inched back, trying not to make any sudden moves. “We don't want to hurt you, buddy,” she whispered, “we just want to know where you live so we can bring you and your buddies food.”

The turtle looked at both of the humans discerningly. CJ couldn't help but think it had wisdom beyond its years. Those eyes, however young, had seen so much. And, if he understood the beast's intentions with its stare, it wanted to see more.

But it was still so young.

In a gentle movement, the turtle started to turn around. It let out a long, rolling churr, and finally turned its back to the humans. Clawing its way across the ground, it grabbed onto its own cooler and flung the strap around its neck, lodging the thickest part of the strap in the space between its neck and shell. It zipped up the new lunchbox very adeptly with its fingers, and held the handle of it in its beak. It continued crawling back to the fence, notably not climbing it like April had described it doing before. Rather, it opened the door by lifting the metal latch with its clawed hands and went through that way. Once it was on the other side, it looked back to CJ and April. Even in its hunched over state, its eyes gleamed with intelligence and understanding. With a single loud chirp, it turned and left.

The humans stood in stunned silence for a minute or two. CJ felt so many emotions and thoughts pelting his head all at once, like being the last one to arrive at a gathering of friends after snow. He tried to categorize all the important ones.

One, that thing was real. It had a shell. It had a beak. It had scaly skin. That thing was a giant turtle.

Two, April was right, and she was going to be so petty about it until CJ admitted he was wrong.

Three, that thing was definitely smart, at least as smart as a kid, and it was learning.

And four… it was a kid. And it was gathering food for others. Something about that was wrong.

A jingling to the pair's right was the only thing that broke them out of their shocked stupor. Murakami, shades covering his eyes, shuffled out of the storefront, turning his head in the direction of the teens. “Did everything go alright?” he asked, holding one arm on the doorframe.

CJ looked to April for an answer, but she still wore a shell-shocked stare (heh, shell-shocked). After a moment of waiting, and after Murakami became visibly more worried, CJ mumbled, “Everything went great, Mister Murakami.” He paused. “Could we, uhm-”

“Oh, come in, please!” Murakami squeaked, moving into the store to clear up the doorway. CJ started to step forward, but quickly stopped to grab April's arm and drag her along with. The movement helped April regain her awareness.

It took them a moment to get settled, and for Murakami to serve them some noodles. When he left into the back room, April started whispering excitedly. “Did you see it? It didn't look as scared this time! It totally liked the food, and it didn't eat the meat! That means it took it for someone else, right?”

“We should talk to Irma,” CJ interjected calmly.

“What?” April gasped. “We can't tell her! She'll totally gab about this to all her dumb party friends!”

“What if he gets hurt?” CJ asked, turning fully to face April. “If we tell Irma, she could help. She might even be able to figure out what type of turtle he is, so we can get better food.”

April hesitated. “‘He’?”

“...sorry I'm assuming the turtle's gender, but I figured-”

“No- we were calling it an ‘it’ before, why call it ‘he’?”

CJ huffed. “You saw what he did back there. He opened that gate, you said he climbed it last time. He knew he should zip up the lunchbox before lifting it. He knew how to. That little guy is clearly more of a person than a turtle.”

April went silent, darting her eyes around near the floor as if looking through her thoughts. She closed her eyes and breathed in and out. “We can't tell Irma until we know more.” CJ's gaze tightened, but April continued. “If we need her, we'll get her. But right now, we need to build trust. If… ‘he’ trusts us, he'll be more likely to accept any help we offer.”

CJ sighed. “Okay. So we have a plan.”

The two turned to eat their food in uncomfortable silence. CJ felt mildly upset, but he knew better than to argue. That turtle was a kid. He needed help. And CJ wasn't going to let April help him on her own.

A knock sounded from the back of the store. Both students perked up at the sound of the back door being opened, and they shared a glance. After a moment, as April started to stand, Murakami appeared from behind a shelf, empty green lunchbox in hand.

“...so, do we give him a name now?”

CJ swallowed deeply. “I think we do.”

----------------------

They decided on “Wit”. A simple name, one they could use as a code word if necessary, that wouldn't cause too much suspicion. Every 5 days, Wit would return. After a few visits from April and CJ, he started to expect them. He would sit with his cooler around his neck, waiting expectantly for a lunchbox to be thrown his way. After taking it, he would return about 10 minutes later with it empty. After a month of visits, he finally felt safe enough to show himself in the light and return the lunchbox personally. One time, he even chirped when he did so. April liked to think that was a “thank you”.

CJ became more and more worried about the turtle as time passed. Every time Wit appeared, he would be a different level of filthy. It wasn't noticeable in the dark, but living in the sewers clearly took a toll on one's hygiene. He would appear cleaner for one visit, then grow dirtier and dirtier until he showed up clean again. The pattern implied he had been bathing, which was just another point toward Wit's… wit.

One night, CJ had been in charge of getting food for Wit. He had researched what turtles eat and discovered that some like insects as well as vegetables and meat. He knew a place that sold things for pet reptiles, so he bought a pack of the biggest crickets he could and some shrimp to stuff in along with the usual food.

He was enjoying the cold air, walking along the edge of the river. He didn't need to walk by the river to get to Murakami's, but he liked to. The growing moonlight reflected on the water so brightly, and it calmed him. With the situation he had been living in for the past month and a half, CJ felt like he deserved to feel calm.

A sound startled CJ to his right. It was like a splash, but also a scrape. He turned to see the source of it, and his eyes fell upon a sewer tunnel. The concrete tunnel jutted out of the wall to his right, with thick rusted metal bars standing vertically at its opening to prevent curious New Yorkers from getting in (The bars weren't big or close enough for that, in reality.)

Wit lives in the sewers. Morbid curiosity ate at CJ's skull, and he hesitantly approached the tunnel. It was dark inside, but he could make out the edges of a corner deeper within. A corner from which a figure was peering.

Those eyes were too far apart. Too low. Somehow, even more youthful.

As CJ watched breathlessly, the new turtle approached without hesitation. He(?) was smaller than Wit, though not by much. He was much more lithe, with a smaller, flatter shell. His face was flatter too. His younger eyes faced more forward than Wit's. He was mostly a shade of dark brown, but notably had a light yellow underbelly that carried up to the bottom of his face.

With the way his beak bent, it looked like he was smiling.

The turtle wasn't looking at CJ as he crawled up. Instead, he was staring directly at the green lunchbox in his hands. He stopped about 3 feet from the tunnel's bars, sitting and chirping, before finally looking up into CJ's eyes.

CJ looked down at the lunchbox, then back up at the adorable creature sitting just past the bars. “Are you…” he mumbled, “are you hungry, little guy?”

The turtle chirped more, excitedly scratching at the floor with his claws.

He understood.

“Well, I can't give you the box, because Wit needs it.”

The turtle settled down.

CJ looked at the turtle for a second, then started looking through the lunchbox's contents. After a moment of deliberation, he offered up the box of crickets. It isn't in here usually anyway, he reasoned, Wit won't mind.

The little turtle's eyes glowed with excitement. Its mouth hung open for a moment before it crawled up and grabbed the plastic box from CJ's hands. It started grabbing at the edges of the lid, but couldn't seem figure it out.

Oh well, maybe not all turtles were as clever as Wit.

CJ sat down with a laugh and offered out his hand. The turtle struggled a little bit longer, but let out a huff before conceding the box over. Grabbing it through the bars, CJ showed how to press the plastic tabs and pull the lid open. As soon as it was open, the turtle grabbed the box back and started digging in. Its face was pulled into a goofy smile the whole time.

CJ watched it for a second, then reached into his pocket to grab his phone. She'll totally believe me, but I want her to see how unbelievably cute he is.

After taking and sending the picture (not disturbing the feasting turtle at all) CJ finally stood up. The turtle looked up at him for a second, pausing its meal. It let out a happy chirp and turned to continue eating deeper in the tunnels. 

Funny. That chirp sounded just like the “thank you” from Wit.

He ignored the chain of excited messages causing his phone to sing. There was something else that mattered more. That turtle, that kid, was so precious.

CJ had been waiting for something to motivate him. Now, he had a kid to protect.

○●○●○●○

Chapter 2, babyyy. It's all coming together :)

Chapter 3: Family Gathering 🐢 ->

[acewithapaintbrush]

Okay, first, I need to say the latest chapter of "A Place for Crows" is amazing! Second, how do you think the ROTMNT family would get along with the Madrigals?

Ah thank you so much ❤️🦋

I think they would all be a little bit weirded out by each other, the Madrigals more so of course since the turtles are already used to more mystic stuff than just themselves. But they'd get over it quickly.

Mikey and Donatello would be obsessed with Casita. Mikey of course cause it's fun to play around, slide down the stairs together with Camilo and Mirabel and Antonio and stuff. Donatello cause he wants to know how it all works or rather how he can replicate it with his tech. His smart lair kinda backfired but he never stopped dreaming of trying again and succeeding. Maybe Casita's 'functions' can give him some inspiration.

Also, Donnie would be so dismissive of Mirabel's sheepish explanation of "I don't have a gift"

"Scoff!" he would say. "Who needs gifts if you have a big brain and science! I know tech is not quite a thing here yet but let me show you the beautiful world of physics and Newtons three laws of motion"

The Madrigals are all like "awwwww" while the turtles just go "Oh shit".

The Madrigals find it cute until Mirabel gets a gleam in her eyes and almost breaks Camilo's nose with a trap she invented for when he enters her room without asking.

("Needs some adjusting" Donnie mutters while his big brother chews him out)

(Camilo forgives her very quickly when her next invention, a hot air balloon, fulfills his dream of flying)

For Leo I'm gonna indulge all my headcanons: he is the teams medic and so he would be all over Julieta and her cooking. He can't make magic food but some pointers for delicious chicken soup are very appreciated. But he is still a teenager and hanging around an adult all the time is so not his vibe (no matter how motherly she is and how warm and fuzzy her attention makes him feel inside) so I also imagine him spending lots of time with all the kids but especially Dolores. The gossip that girl can tell him! Hell yeah! And he can Portal the two of them right to the gossip so they can see it first hand, hehe.

Raph is a no brainer. He takes one look at Luisa and sees a kindred spirit. They both drink tea and lament over little siblings and their antics and even more over their own strength and how hard it is to be careful all the time. I think both of them will greatly benefit from each other and from giving each other tips. They will become attached at the hip.

April hears how Isabela changed her appearance and is still looking for her true self and goes full fashion and life style coach on her. April knows a thing or two about trying to be normal and fit in only to realize that the only thing you need to be is yourself. Isa is just fascinated with this confident girl who takes no shit and embraces her own self. She wants that too.

I don't have a real reason for this except that I really want to see Casey and Bruno just sitting a bit outside of the chaos and relaxing with some nice arts and crafts. They are both happy that they are back with family but it can all get a little bit overwhelming at times so it's nice to have someone who understands and has no problem just sitting side by side in silence and enjoy their families laughter and joy until the batteries are refilled and they are ready to rejoin the madness.

Alma doesn't know what to make of this little rat man (who btw fascinates and freaks Bruno out a little) but when they get to finally talking (being the family heads that they are) they realize that they have a lot in common. Splinter knows how it is to be overwhelmed by a legacy that was thrust onto you and that you didn't really want. How you'd rather have your beloved mother/husband back and how you feel that you can't let them down but go about it in all the wrong ways, almost alienating your family in the process instead of holding them close. The crushing weight of it all and how it makes you lose sight of what is important.

Splinter knows a thing or two about that and realizing that gives Alma some peace. They often sit side by side and watch their families, thankful for the second chance they were given.

[aliaslua]

In broad daylight

Chapter 01: Out and about

Raphael is still learning to cope with his new life. On the rainy evening after Michelangelo's first national interview, the big and solitary turtle brother decides to go on a walk and while he tries to adapt to a world he never wanted to be a part of, he meets a human woman that changes his path.

This is an AU that diverges from cannon after the events of Out of the shadows. Instead of choosing to keep living hidden in the sewers, the family of mutants accepts chief Vincent's suggestion of trying to live a normal life among humans. This is a compilation of events that unfold after the fact, tales about the turtles and the humans that cross their paths.

This series may contain mature themes (Trigger Warnings will be included before every chapter), if you’re a minor please don’t interact.

TW: None

You can also read it in AO3

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It took Raphael two years to finally decide to walk on a sidewalk alone. It was the first time he was alone in... Well, Michelangelo called it “upstairs”, Leonardo called it “the real world” and Donatello just called the streets of New York by their common name. Raph didn’t called it anything since names carry meaning and that world and its residents were a mystery to him. When he had to describe the world above him, he called it “outside”.

He was 19 when he was outvoted and then convinced of accepting the idea of coming out into the world. Now a grown 21 years old man-turtle, he still felt his palms sweaty and his fingers cold as he held the knob of the door that led into the streets of New York. A shaky breath left his mouth when he finally opened the alley door.

It wasn’t the first time he walked among humans but in every occasion he had to (knowing he would only do it if he was obligated) he had Casey holding one of his shoulders or April holding one of his fingers. Now, the world presented itself in front of him and he was alone. Despite his anxiety, the landscape wasn’t as intimidating as he once anticipated, there was no big crowd filled with scared looks of disgust, only the concrete street and light rain drops. He didn’t know exactly what he expected, actually. It was too late in the night to be walking the street alone, no human would dare to bet their safety to wander around an ugly and stinky street. Raphael wasn’t human and he would bet his life knowing no one ill intended would dare to cross his path... No one would even dare to ask for directions or to wish him a good evening. No one would dare to approach him. He had learned sooner than later that even well meaning humans would avoid being alone next to him and despite his efforts to understand them there was a deep part of Raph that held a grudge against it.

The second oldest brother would rather spend the rest of his life avoiding contact with this reality. It took maybe two or three minutes after he started to walk down the street for him to regret that decision as he felt the warm thick air of the night against his skin. He kept his pace despite that, determined to reach at least one mile before coming back home. The streets were still empty and he could only hear his heavy steps on the ground and the distant sound of cars. There was a time he loved this city... A time when all he wanted to was to roam around hidden in the roof tops and the dark shadows of the alleys, a time when he could watch this world and not be a part of it, when he could be invisible, a mere observer. Maybe he still could, he thought, maybe his outfit made him look human enough from a distance... Raphael liked the clothes, he liked he was now able to hear Knicks' shirts that fitted him perfectly thanks to his new access to tailor-made clothing, he liked his loose trousers and the dark colored sweaters that covered his shell, he liked his sneakers and his watch. Life out on the surface had brought him many new luxuries: now the lair had tiles and furniture and a long corridor that led to a door facing the streets, it didn't smell bad anymore thanks to modern isolation and he had his own bed, a king sized bed, with many pillows and clean white bed sheets. Raph sighed loudly once again, maybe Mikey was right. Maybe life could be more than he perceived to be.

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"Turn it on!"

The crowd cheered lively as the host turned in his chair.

"Good night, ladies and gentleman." He started talking in a pleasant voice "Tonight, in a exclusive interview... An absolutely unique moment in history. It's an honor to be here, sharing this moment with you as we receive with a warm round of applause please welcome... Michelangelo Hamato!"

Mikey walked into the stage with the biggest smile as the applause kept going, he was wearing a well fitted set of blazer and pants and he looked nothing like the wild and anxious brother they new. He waved to the crowd with such confidence that the absurd size difference between him and the host looked funny instead of terrifying, he even flipped the edge of his blazer behind him as he seated in the two-seater sofa and crossed his leg, showing a shinny elegant shoe.

"Michelangelo.... May I call you Mikey?"

"Yes, please."

"It's an honor... and I mean it, it's an honor to have you tonight."

"The honor is all mine, Jim."

The crowd cheered once again.

"Now... Mikey, I've to start saying... You're a sight to be seen!"

"Thank you!" Loud claps echoing from the crowd.

"How tall are you?"

"I'am 6'5"

"Taller than Micheal Jordan!"

"... And the smallest in the bunch!" Mikey commented with a big smile and the host returned the smile with wide eyes.

"Must be a very tall bunch!"

"A very big bunch!"

"Yes indeed!" The crowd laughed along with the host as Mikey shared a wide smile again.

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Ten minutes had passed since Raphael started his walk and three minutes had passed since a man with a dog on a leash had walked past him, completely unbothered by his presence. Had he made it? Has he invisible? Comfortable enough with the prospect of an empty city that slept while he walked, Raph took his headphones and pressed play in the link Donnie had sent him, the cellphone opened a new tab and a podcast started playing. Soothing was followed by a female voice that introduced the name of the show.

"...As always, thank you all for listening. In today's episode we'll be discussing the new revelations in the law case that wrecked the nation: the case Sacks vs Hamato, that absurd demonstration of pure capitalist greed that tried to condemn four literal teenagers to pay an equally absurd amount of money - and prison time!- for materials damage caused to the Sacks company-" "...and illegal espionage." A second voice complemented "Yes, thank you Sabrina. We have already discussed the legal implications that case could open for the judicial system here in America and all the possible outcomes in the Thirteenth episode of the first season of this podcast, if you haven't heard it yet, I heavily suggest you do so you can follow the argument of the developments in this case. Now, Sabrina... Yesterday we saw the final outcome of this case and the hearing that decided the sentence ended with an incredible emotional speech from Donatello - we know he was one of the brother's more involved with the whole process" "Yes" "... And now they're free! Of all charges!" "...Yes Gabi what we saw today followed by Michelangelo's incredible interview in the Late Night Show back on Thursday was, honestly, a beautiful strike against bigotry in this country..." "Absolutely, I mean... The judge of the case himself assumed that the charges were unfounded and biased..." "Yes! And now we have a established background to be able to-"

Raphael stopped the audio, unable to disguise his contempt. Geez , is that the kind of thing Donnie spends his time listening to? Wasn't real life already a bore? He let out a grumpy sigh and put his phone away. A human figure across the street started to stare indiscreetly at him and Raphael felt his heart shrink before making a blunt turn in a different street. The rain had stopped and the night wind was starting to feel colder, just like Raphael's heart as he tried to escape whoever it was that was trying to identify his figure.

A bright blue light appeared at the end of the new street Raphael just walked into. An all-night convenience store. Raph had been in a place that before, he and Casey had brought snacks and a couple of beers. He felt his mouth water at the idea of a cold beer. He had cash - more than enough. Maybe if he promised a fat tip they would let him get in. He shift his height between his feet as he observed the inside, the neon blue light was coming from a weirdly shaped advertisement placed above the entrance, perfectly contrasting with the ugly green light inside the store, some shelves appeared through the glass window and door, but he could tell that the place was empty - or almost that. In his head, Raphael had decided to take that chance and he was determined to perceive, his body, otherwise, didn't seem as thrilled with the idea. He waited outside as the rain started to pour once again, trying collect the mental strength to got in when a skinny old man opened the translucent door

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"Mikey, your last name is now worldwide known since the start of the trial, tell me: is it Japanese? Was it inherited from you father...?"

"I don't know, actually... We made it up!"

"What?" The human man asked as the crowd giggled

"It's exactly that, actually. When we came to the surface and Sacks decides to sue us the judicial system needed a surname to use... Apparently!"

"So you just made it up!"

"Hell yeah! Wouldn't you like to come up with your name?"

"Yes, absolutely."

"What would you call yourself?" He host made a surprise expression as Mikey changed the dynamic

"Jim Linotax!"

"...Oh, it's a pleasure, Mr. Linotax!" Michelangelo said, offering a handshake as he managed to pull more laughs from the crowd

"Michelangelo... It's a unique name!"

"I heard once it was very popular in the sixteen century."

"Oh, really?"

"Oh yes."

"And all your brothers have renascence names, is that right?"

"Yes. Thanks to old dad."

"How 's that?"

"Well, you see, when you grow up in a tiny sewer house you have more concerns than you weirdly specific name..."

━━━━━━ • ✿ • ━━━━━━

"Are you gonna steal?" The tiny man asked and he seemed to fight the same nervousness as Raph. The turtle-man on the other hand, felt all his limbs stiff and his hands go numb at the sound of that old man directing calling to him. He made a genuine effort and reached his pockets for the dollar bills.

"I-I just want a couple of beers."

"Go AWAY! Go away! No beers here for you!" The man started to yell as Raphael finally caught up his accent. It was stiff and hard in the h's and o's, he couldn't decipher where it was from.

"I just want to buy something! I am a client!" Raphael responded too late to recognize his anger.

"Nothing here for you! Go away!"

"I HAVE THE MONEY!" Raph screamed back at him, waving the bills in the air. The world started to feel out of focus as he realized people had gone to their apartment balconies and were looking at him through the windows in the buildings surrounding the store. Had he woke the whole street? Did he hear someone saying they were calling the police? No, please... The last thing he needed was a scold from Leo for causing a scene... All he wanted was a beer. Fuck, fuck, fuck. More and more lights started to turn on as the buzz around him got bigger and louder. He felt his heart sink and his hand hurt from the tight firsts he could not undo. Something inside him couldn't decide between the want to murder that man and the uncontrollable desire to scream and shout. "No more roof climbing." Leo had said "We're like humans now. We can't just go out jumping through people's houses." He couldn't just vanish away, despite the burning desire to just escape that situation.

"Look," Raphael managed to say, after two or three deep breaths "... I am sorry. I just wanted to buy a beer... I am leaving now."

"Hey! I finally found you!" An unfamiliar voice shouted from the other side of the street. Raph turned to look and almost knocked over whoever it was. Their bodies bumped into each other but only the smaller of them reacted to the impact, he felt a tiny pair of hands grab his arm."OooOOooww! That was close... Hey, we've been looking for you! Did you get the drinks?"

"NO DRINKS HERE FOR YOU!" The store owner screamed once again.

"Damn... Ok. We can go somewhere else!" The female voice had a sharpness to it, finally Raphael finally looked at her.

Nothing in this world could have prepared him for the vision of the young women holding his arm. She was short (but most people usually are in comparison to the mutant), had a luscious curly hair, tied in two pigtails that ended in the back of her neck. She was wearing a very revealing blouse and high waisted pants that matched in color. She was clearly dressed up, with sparkly high heels and long elegant earrings and she was holding his arms with a casualty he had never experienced before.

"C'mon!" She said and turned her head to him, showing a full face of makeup and bright brown eyes "Let's get the hell out of here."

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The crowd followed Mikey and the host as they laughed at the childhood story the turtle just shared.

"Mikey, unfortunately our time is almost over... I just wanted to thank you once again for coming tonight, for coming out into the world."

"The pleasure is all mine Jim, really... I've spent all my teenage years watching you on TV... I never thought I would be here tonight, I never thought I'd have the pleasure of meeting such a welcoming audience (loud cheering noises) and I never thought I could be part of this world."

There was an almost child-like honesty in his words making the brief moment of silence that came after especially touching.

"He's killing it." - April whispered to the TV

"100%" - Leo's voice came after

"Thank you, Michelangelo... I hope we can have all your brothers soon!"

"You can count on it!" Mikey answered, excited

"You can NOT count on that" - Raphael responded at the TV

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"I thought you guys didn't walk the streets... I've red the interview your brother gave to the New Yorker... He said you probably would wait a while until you decided to stroll around." The woman said as they walked back to the lair's alley door. She had told Raphael her name was Clara and they had held hands until they turned the corner and were out of sight from those judging eyes. She was smaller than most humans, Raphael later realized, maybe 5'1 or 5'2 and had a high pitched voice that made the turtle think about those weird anime dubs he used to watch as a kid. The strangest thing about his savior was that she seemed strangely familiarized with his presence. He ignored her comment as they kept walking in silence for a while. Raphael couldn't stop thinking about how long it would take for him to finally reach his destination and how could he respectfully ask for her to back off. Not that he wasn't grateful but her presence alone made him incredibly uncomfortable. She was too small, too elegant, too beautiful to walk just like that, beside him.

"I guess it is equally strange to you, right? To be here, in the real world... Out and about." Clara walked casually with both hands in her pocket as she looked up to the streets lights, Raphael wondered if she actually expected him to answer "... Is it weird for me to be like this? I mean... I thought you could use some help back there. But I don't mean to be inconvenient... Is it ok if you just walk with me closer to the next bus station? It is a bit late and I guess you're the perfect body guard..."

They kept walking, Clara and her tiny hands in the neon green pockets of her pants and Raphael with his stiff steps and dark clothing, all he wanted was to walk home without meeting everyone else, lock the door behind him and drink until all the memories fade away... But it didn't seem his wishes would come true as a pair of men jogging appeared at the end of the street, just in front of them. They looked at the strange couple and one of them startled at the vision. Clara looked at them and waved.

"Good night to you!" She said with a calm tone.

"Are you alright??" One of them asked from far away, still trying to figure out Raphael's image.

"Yeah!" She answered immediately "Why wouldn't I be?" Then she gave them a wide welcoming smile that made Raphael's heart beat uncontrollably "Good night to you." Clara then said, just as she turned one corner, grabbing Raphael's arm.

She then let go of him and offered a warm smile "It's ok... I don't think they will bother you. The bus stop is just right there turning the other corner... Thank you for bringing me here. Good night!" And just like that, she turned her back to him and started to walk away. Each step pressing Raphael's heart against his chest.

"WAIT!" The worlds came out of his mouth before he could stop them. She startled at the unexpected sound and immediately turned to him

"What?"

Raphael waited a minute so he could gather all the emotional strength to ask: "Can you walk me home?"

Clara smiled as she approached the mutant once again: "Is it too far?"

Raph took a minute to answer but instead said: "I'll pay you a cab when we get there." Clara hums and adds:" You sure? I leave pretty far." Raphael only nodded. Then she gave him the same silence answer.��He couldn't mentally trace the path he had taken that night but he knew it was almost morning. The rain had stopped long ago but the air was much colder than when he left the lair, he was actually getting cold and wondered if she felt the same. They kept walking in silence until it finally hit him:

"What were you doing in the streets so late at night?"

"Oh..." She seemed surprised by his question, her voice a comparison that made him realize how low he sounded "I was on a date actually..." She said showing her teeth in a straight smile that indicated self-awareness, well that explained the clothing. "The guy turned out to be a prick, so I bolted! I was completely lost when I heard all the fuss the store guy was making... Thank god I found that mess, actually... I was getting pretty scared."

Silence as they got closer and closer to the lair's street door.

"... It was a complete coincidence to find you, actually... I was watching the rerun of your brother's interview today... I am actually in love with him! "she said in a ambiguous tone "Can you introduce us? Do you think I have a chance?" Raph finally laughed. Not at the idea that Mikey was charming enough to acquire the interest a woman like Clara, but at the absurd fact she thought she had to ask if she had a chance. With Mikey?

"He's also a prick." Raphael responded sharply but with a captivating tone to his voice. Then... She laughed. Raph couldn't contain his own grin.

The first sunbeams were about to appear at the horizon and when the red-wearing turtle finally reached the large metal door, he felt a relief like never before.

"I'll call a cab and get inside… So you know… The guy doesn’t bail because of me."

"Ok." Clara said, a light smile in her cheeks. "It was nice to meet you..."

"Raphael." He added after realizing she never asked his name did she knew it already?

"Hope to see you around soon."

Raph nodded with uncertainty and grabbed the metal knob. Clara's last words engraved in his brain as he crossed the long corridor that led to his underground home.

[sketchesandcoolart]

Old and New Friends (ROTTMNT Fanfic)

Chapter 5

The next day, students are entering West Side High School. They were excited that it was finally Friday and were already making plans for their weekend.

“Hey April, what do you wanna do this weekend?” Sunita asked as they’re walking to class. The slime yokai was in her human disguise thanks to her cloaking brooch.

“I don’t know, Sunita,” Her friend sighed, wearily. “Believe it or not, I still think about Casey, even though it’s been years. But I doubt that he even remembers me at all right now.

“Don’t beat yourself up,” The yokai placed a hand on her shoulder. “Friends don’t forget about each other. No matter how far away they live.”

April’s eyes widen, but then she gave a smile. She knew that she could count on her friends to cheer her up.

“Thanks for cheering me up, girl.”

“Anytime.”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, the boy who moved into the apartment next to April’s the other day walked straight to the main office. He is holding a couple of papers in his hand.

“Hello, today is my first day here at West Side and I’m looking for the principal,” He explains to the secretary. She looks up from her laptop.

“He’s in Office 34,” She says, pointing to the room behind her.

“Thank you.”

The teenager walks into the room to start his first day.

——————————————————————————

Soon, lunchtime rolled around and students were already talking about what to do after school while eating. April and Sunita were sitting together at an empty table doing the same thing. 

“So I was thinking that we should go to the movies. There’s one about how this girl become this iconic and infamous fashion designer. Maybe the turtles could come too since they’ve got cloaking brooches of their own now,” Sunita suggested. 

“Yeah maybe,” April chuckles a bit. The thought of seeing what they would look like as humans has been something she never really wondered about until now.

Suddenly a loud crash was heard throughout the entire cafeteria, causing everyone to jump in their seats. The two girls turn around to see a student they had never seen before standing in front of Taylor Martin, whose clothes are covered in what appears to be mystery meat.

“Oh, sorry about that... I didn’t see you there,” The boy winces at Taylor’s mortified face as he picks up his tray.

“You should be! These were from the Paris fall collection and you ruined them!!” The blonde-haired girl scowls at him. He looks at her in confusion and slight annoyance.

“What’s the big deal? They’re just stupid clothes. You can change and clean them when you get home.”

Everyone gasps in horror at his remark. Taylor’s face turned red with anger. How dare he spilled his lunch on her new clothes and insulted her at the same time!

“I’LL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT MY FATHER IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE SCHOOL BOARD! IF SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS TO ME AGAIN, HE WON’T HESITATE TO HAVE YOU GET KICK OUT IN A SNAP!!!!” She screeched at the top of her lungs, causing the other students to cover their ears.

And with that, she stormed off in a huff. People starts to whisper to each other as they glance at the new kid with worry. Not one person has ever spoken to Taylor Martin like that before and things could get ugly if he continues to get on her bad side.

“Wow... new guy’s got game,” Sunita says, slowly as she and April blinked at what just happened. “Something tells me that he needs to watch his mouth if he wants to stay.”

“You said it, Googly-girl...” 

*Hi, sorry that I took so long to post the new chapter of “Old and New Friends”. I was busy with classes throughout the year and had a bit of a writer’s block. Anyway, thank you all for being so patient. I hope you all enjoy reading chapter 5!

[savannahsdrabbles]

Ocean Song - Part Seven

rating: PG summary: Marine biology student April O’Neil makes a startling discovery.

notes: 2.1k words - this chapter is a bit shorter, partially because I felt bad not updating and wanted to get something out there to prove that I’m still writing this fic. <3 Thank you to anyone who has stuck around and is keeping up with it! A03 link can be found here. Also thank you to @rusty-wayfarer and @starfiretheninja for beta-reading. <3 We’re almost done!

For a brief moment, all four tires left the ground and the terrified trio found themselves suspended in the air.

April watched out of the corner of her eye as Casey’s furrowed face slowly morphed into a more excited expression, his eyes widening and mouth rounding to let out an adrenaline-fueled whoop.

The turtle in the backseat had finally managed to dig his claws into the ripped upholstery and was clinging desperately even as the rest of his body began to lift off of the seat. Based on the panicked squeals emanating from his beak, defying gravity was a new sensation to him and one he was not particularly thrilled about.

A steep, tree-covered cliffside rose before them almost in slow motion, and April dug her fingernails into the worn armrests as the Jeep began to tilt and angle downwards. The scientific portion of her brain snapped into action, quickly assessing the situation. Based on their trajectory they shouldn’t flip, but it was still going to hurt. She squeezed her eyes shut again. Maybe if she didn’t look, that would help.

Then time began to tick again.

Tires met gravel with a cacophonic chorus of scraping metal and screaming voices. The bottom of the car’s frame skipped once across the earth, nearly tearing off the bumper as the car continued to barrel towards a thick grove of pine trees.

“CASEY – ”

“AAAAAA!”

Illuminated vegetation began to whiz past their headlights in bursts, quickly disappearing into the darkness behind them as Casey jerked the steering wheel from side to side. Years of playing hockey had evidently gifted him with quick reflexes, seeing as he was able to weave the vehicle between several trees before she could even process what was happening.

Heedless to the thumping windshield wiper blades, piles of green needles began to gather along the bottom of the glass as branch after branch slapped against their car. April bit her lip, wondering just how far this tree grove could go and then praying that it wouldn’t end with them flying over the edge of another, steeper cliff. At least the van had looked even less prepared to go surfing through the forest – as if that were something people normally prepped for. Speaking of which… She glanced in the wobbling rearview mirror, scanning the row of green behind them for any sign of pursuit, and then gave the smallest sigh of relief. At least for now, it looked like they were alone on this cliffside adventure.

Before she could even think to verbalize this discovery, Casey stomped on the brakes and the redhead pitched forward with a pained grunt of surprise.  She grimaced as the seatbelt tightened roughly across her torso for the second time that night – at this point, she was fairly certain her shoulders and ribcage were covered in blossoming bruises.

The tires skidded beneath them for a moment, struggling to find traction on the shifting ground and threatening to send them spinning off into the tree line. Finally, after a few agonizingly long seconds, the Jeep came to a jerking stop.

Casey cut the engine the second the tires had stopped rotating, halting the thudding windshield wipers halfway through their pilgrimage and leaving the glass partially covered with pine needles. He turned to face his passengers, a triumphant grin already pulling at his lips. “And that’s what I call a perfect stop! I expect my valet parking tip now, thank you.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” April gave a breathless laugh, her heart still tap dancing in her chest as she unlatched her seatbelt and carefully rotated her shoulders. True to her theory, they were already aching from the vinyl restraint. “Your ‘tip’ is to not drive over the edge of a cliff without at least giving everyone in the car a solid heads up. Now c’mon – we should keep moving.”

“Duly noted,” Casey gave a nod in agreement, but the smug ‘I-told-you-so’ grin stayed on his face even as he climbed out of the driver’s seat. “However, I don’t see anyone following us, so I think that this would be considered a win for Jones and the Jonesmobile.”

A sudden shuffle of movement and a sharp click interrupted April’s quick retort, and the teens turned just in time to see the back driver’s side door swing open. The turtle in the backseat let out an excited chirp, his clawed hands dropping from the door handle and bracing against the seat as he prepared to fling himself headfirst onto the pine needle covered ground.

April yelped in alarm, throwing herself across the center console to grasp at the lip of the turtle’s shell. “Casey –”

“I’ve got him,” The boy was already on the move, rounding the Jeep before his name had fully left her lips. He grunted softly as he caught the squirming turtle under its armpits, then louder as he shifted the creature into a cradling position. As soon as she knew the risk of him falling was over, April climbed out of her seat and jogged around the car to stand by the other two. “Yo, dude, calm down. We’re safe now.”

The creature let out a low growl of frustration, his thick tail whacking against Casey’s thighs as he wriggled in the boy’s arms. “No! Need go Home! No-” he gestured broadly, indicating the entire car, and then attempted to roll out of Casey’s arms. 

“Dude, chill! I don’t want to drop you!”

“Hey, hey! Calm down – ” April reached her arms out, attempting to catch one of the turtle’s flailing limbs and nearly getting smacked across the face in the process. Yikes – she’d felt those claws before and was not interested in feeling them again. Taking a step back, she continued to speak in her attempt at a calm and level voice. “We’re leaving the car, okay?”

The turtle stilled by a degree, giving Casey just enough time to secure his grip and hoist the creature into a more comfortable position. Big brown eyes locked onto April’s wide blue ones, and the creature stared into them imploringly. “No car?”

April gave a nod in agreement, a relieved smile pulling at her lips. “No more car.”

Her promise seemed to have been all that he was looking for, as the turtle nodded in agreement and took a slow, deep breath. It was just then that April noticed the rapid way his plastron was rising and falling with each inhale, and the way his tail had curled back between his legs. Despite being a roughly 200-pound reptile, there was something about his neutral state of nervousness that made him appear almost like a small child cradled in Casey’s arms.

Casey seemed to come to the same conclusion that she did, as his next words were spoken in a soft tone that she could only imagine him using with his younger sister. “I feel ya, dude. After everything you’ve been through tonight, I’d probably hate cars, too.”

The turtle let out a huff of agreement, turning his gaze up towards Casey. “No car. Home.”

“Agreed. I’m ready to go home for the night, too. Now we’ve just got to… um…” the teenage boy paused, his head swiveling like a periscope as he seemed to take in their surroundings for the first time since parking. After a moment of shuffling in a tight circle, thoughtful ‘hmm’s whistling from his nose, he turned back towards April. “Hey, Apes? You’re the scientist here – what exactly is our next step?”

“Oh, we just… um…” Blood rushed to her cheeks as both males turned to face her, confusion etched across their features. April bit her lip. That was actually a good question. She knew from previous experiences in releasing hospitalized creatures that the best way to ensure they made it back home was to release them at or near the coordinates where they had originally been found.  But then again, Oroku Inc. already had that information – and what if they’d already guessed the teens’ plans and were moving that direction? What if the turtle’s brothers were already being herded into cages and taken back to the laboratories?

“I was thinking that we should…” she swallowed thickly, suddenly aware of the way that her throat seemed to be swelling with each wave of doubt. Her darting eyes flicked past the turtle’s wide, staring ones, and she lowered her head in sudden shame. What had she gotten them into? They really had no idea what they were doing – who did they think they were? Steve Irwin? As if. And now her dad was going to find out about what they had done, and they were going to go to jail and the turtle would be taken back and –

A hand suddenly rested on one of April’s own, grounding her in reality even as the tornado of nerves continued to swirl in her mind. Simultaneously, a low thrumming sound almost like a distant motor began to fill the air.

Her face jerked back towards the cliff, eyes instinctively scanning the rocky crags several dozen yards away. Had the goons found them after all? Were they about to come flying over the rails?

“Uh, Ape? He’s vibrating.”

April turned back towards her companions, blinking in surprise when her eyes landed on the turtle. He was still cradled in Casey’s arms, tail tucked between his legs and breathing slowly returning to a normal rhythm. However, he was now leaning towards her, arm outstretched to grab at her nearest hand. A look of concern marred his face – not like the fearful, defensive look that he’d been wearing earlier. No, this was a more timid expression – one of… pity? He was worried for her? And that sound… it almost felt familiar. Threads of long forgotten memories wove through her mind, reminding her of feelings of warmth and safety. She was suddenly a toddler again, curled up in her father’s lap and feeling his chest rise and fall beneath her cheek as he softly hummed. The sensation reverberated deeply in her chest and then up through her bones, slowly beginning to untangle the worried knot in her stomach.

Ever so slowly, as if a sudden movement would make everything come crashing down, April rotated the hand that the turtle was touching and held it palm side up. The turtle seemed to recognize this gesture and moved his own hand to accommodate. Thick claws and scales wrapped slowly around April’s hand, and she smiled warmly.

“I don’t know what you’re doing, but thanks,” she offered softly, closing her eyes and letting out a shaky breath. The humming sound continued, quietly clearing the fog from her head and making it easier to think. “And I’m sorry – I didn’t mean to freak out just now. I’m just trying to figure out the best course of action. Like we’re going to get you back to the ocean – that much I can promise. I’m just trying to figure out the best way that we can do that and get you home while still protecting you and your family.”

The thrumming sound faltered as the turtle listened, head cocked and eyes squinted. “Protect Family… from Bad Humans?”

April felt her heart sink a smidge, and she glanced over the turtle’s head to make eye contact with Casey. He really did understand more than they had initially thought; she might as well explain the situation at hand. “Yeah, those two guys that had you in their van were really bad, and they have more bad friends. We got you away from them for now, but they already know where it was that you were initially captured – so I’m worried that if we take you back to that location and leave you there with your brothers, they’ll just show up tomorrow and start this all over again.”

As April spoke, the humming sound slowed to a stop and the turtle slouched in Casey’s arms. His forehead creased in thought as he processed her words. “What if… what if Brothers move? Then… protect?”

“That might work,” Casey used one of his hands to pat the turtle’s shell in agreement. The creature arched his back, still not a huge fan of being touched more than was necessary. “If you guys moved somewhere else like, ASAP, it would be harder for anyone to find you.”

“But for how long could that actually work?” April asked, squeezing the turtle’s hand again. “And you guys would have to move pretty fast – like within the hour of us getting you to the correct coordinates.”

He hummed softly, this time sounding more tired. “Have Sometimes Home? Not long travel from Home, but still good.”

“Ok – that could work!” she nodded enthusiastically, equally trying to cheer him up and reassure herself. For now, this was the best idea they had – it would have to work. “But before we do anything else, let’s get that collar off.”