#i like him least of the bay turtles but hes growing on me

[gornackeaterofworlds]

Vampire Honor boy 🫶

Alt below bc I liked how it looked when I didn't finish rendering

[writinandcrying]

TMNT ONE SHOT - Holiday Season - A Special gift

Christmas was not your favorite holiday, at least you had a mutant turtle to help out in this trying times (GN READER, Tw: dysfunctional family, arguments and bickering related to food, crying mentioned)

Fluff - makeout / first kiss with *insert turtle you like* after a shitty xmas (English isn’t my first language and I didn’t proof read this 😗✌️, pls don’t hesitante to correct me if you see something off putting, I hope you guys still like it!)

You climb up the last steps of the fire scape connecting the roof top of your building, dragging your feet as you groan one last time, it’s impressive you can hear your relatives arguing several stores bellow, you have lost count how many times people can pick on each other on their free will. You drag your hands along your face and sigh, you want nothing more but to distance yourself from that.

You didn’t get to feel much of The “Christmas spirit” everyone seem to love and cherish since you left your childhood years, and it seems that every year you learn to dislike December a little bit more. As much as The Grinch was deeply relatable for you lately, you didn’t want it to be, having a dysfunctional family in such a tender Holiday was kinda like receiving punch in the gut every day until 25th of December died out. After the first 10, the warm smiles and happy wishes over a great season seem to constantly mock your misery, leaving you bitter and resentful.

Leaning over the edge of your building, you check the many light up windows and different narratives playing along on your neighborhood, a family all gathered up taking a picture by their decorated tree on the left, you let a chuckle out by thrilled parents filming a rather young child by your right, to what it seems taking their first steps by their excitement.

it was nice seeing different kind of life’s playing along the fairy lights on the streets bellow, secretly wishing yours would be a little bit like theirs, reality seems distant as you accidentally disassociate, thinking how -your- family would be seen compared to those merry ones, your parents resentment growing against each other every minute, barking mean comments left and right to you messing apparently everything up. The perfect picture of a broken home. Awful to see, awful to be part of.

You sigh as you recall what drove you to the edge moments ago, a silly comment really, it was so small compared to the constant bickering around the whole month of December, but picking on you eating a single cookie? That you made? You spent the whole day cooking. The whole day trying to have a good Christmas, you can feel yourself fuming as you remember how much you have worked your ass off the whole month for their presents, for a good Christmas dinner, as they wouldnt even buy a single pair of sock for you. Give you a single “thank you” for all of your efforts, You tried, you really did, Despite all the odds against your favor, you still tried, when you finally decide you give yourself a taste of your hard work, your family dares to give you shit about your eating habits? No. Nuh uh.

That was the last drop. You marched to your room as you heard someone giving you shit one last time after harshly dropping the plate on the dining table. knew you would be screwed when they found out you were gone, no amount of locks would keep them at bay for longer than 2 to 3 hours. But god, you needed a time out. Yes, you would rather freeze your butt on a dirty and frozen roof top than to listen to another passive aggressive bullshit comment.

“you have been hiding here all this time?” A familiar voice fills out of the foggyness of your thoughts, your head turns around slightly, watching a well known silhouette marvelously shining through the moonlight “nobody’s seen you in days” his tone isn’t harsh or accusative, you can almost hear a incredulous chuckle out of him, he speaks lightly, curious to your whereabouts, you can also hear him landing near the regular rooftop entrance, you stare once again to the uncountable windows and buildings in front of you.

He waits for you to retaliate, reply with witty comeback, flash him an apologetic smile, anything, but silence wins you over. He knew something was up when you were this quiet, your family would be the main topic when you vanished like that, he also knew you needed space to deal with such matter, in due time, you would ask for comfort, you would seek for his presence, just like when he comes to you, yet this time it never came, you never came. The ninja turtle slowly leans over, trailing his eyes ahead as you do.

A sniff catches him off guard, he knows it shouldnt, but it does, he glances at you to finally see your glossy eyes staring ahead, a blush covering your cheeks and nose; You look adorable, sad, disappointed, frustrated, but still can’t help but to find you adorable, his hearts stings as you rapidly catch a sneaky tear roll down your cheek, turning your back at him before he can catch you in this arms.

“Didn’t want to bother.” your voice comes out more shaky than you would like, a bit hoarse due to the current season, you rub your hands together, if he questioned about your well being, you could just blame it on the cold weather,on the perfect snowflakes falling above you two.

“You could never bother” he trails along slowly, weary as if you were a scared cat, afraid that any hasty movement could make you dash “how about we go to the lair? Everyone misses you.” he gently places a hand on your back, “I miss you” he ponders, moving slowly to be by your side, your eyes don’t meet his, he wants to lean down, he wants your eyes locked on his, he wants you to trust him as much as he trusts you, he wants nothing more but to hold you close and kiss your sorrows and tears away.

he stays put instead, waiting on your call.

You instinctively turns towards him, his warmth drawing you in, you want to smile, to tell him over and over that eveything is fine, you were just busy, he doesn’t have to worry.

Instead your mouth is pressed in a tight line, you can feel your lips trembling when you try to speak, you know words will come out wobbly, and for the first time, you won’t be able to hold back tears in front of him. This is pathetic. You think, you want to be at the lair. You want to be near them, but how can you explain you can’t bare to see their love, brotherhood and companionship tonight? You can’t feel part of it? This night isn’t about you, it has never been and it will never will be, you just get used to it.

You look up; your thoughts swimming through your eyes, you open and close your mouth, how do you explain you crave affection, but can’t seem to bear it?

The turtle holds you in a swift movement, carrying you with ease, gently but still firmly holding you against his plastron in princess style, the familiar adrenaline rushes trough you as you can feel him jumping from roof top to roof top, you don’t have words to question him, astoundingly admiring him as you stare at his focused face facing the horizon ahead.

You close your eyes for a moment, learning your face over the valley of his neck and collarbone, in a blink of an eye, songs, chatter and laughter fills the air and you remember you are in New York , the most magical city to be this time of year. Yes, you had probably the crappiest month of your life, but for a moment, you let yourself drift away in bliss, focusing on sounds and passing colorful lights.

He settles both you on a empty office balcony, everything is dark inside accept for the faint lights on a very worn out tree looking back at you, you check your own reflection, your eyes are red and puffy, your hair is uneven, and there are millions of colors shining behind you.

The Rockefeller was the most iconic place all over New York during Christmas time, slowly turning around, the tree and it’s surroundings leaving you both speechless, you loved Christmas lights, it was impressive to say the least how the decorations were absolutely ethereal. ever so slowly, you both sit down and admire the virw quietly.

“You don’t have to deal with everything on your own” is the first line he graces you, you wanna laugh with that alone, look who’s talking you think over, but you can’t say it, you know he is right, he chuckles as if he could read your mind, he gently tilts your head upwards “next time, call me. Text me. Reach out, for goddess sake.” He smiles at you, you let out a huff, smiling shyly “you have so much on your plate already, I just, I didn’t-“

“You deserve so much better” he shakes his head, lips pressed in a thin line. Over many years of his life, he has thought he had too little and humans had absolutely everything on top side, it was unfair and left a sour taste over his mouth. you have shown him that kind of thought was childish, he had a family, he had people he could count on, that’s alone is a lot more than what many people have, He can’t take that fact for granted anymore.

He also knew your biggest wish was to be part of something like that, his biggest wish was to make you feel part of it, maybe even something more.

You shyly lace your pinky with one of his fingers, ducking away as you felt your face burning under his deep gaze, you were so appreciative of his family, of him, of his patience and dedication, to say you have a crush on the turtle was an understatement, everything the he did made your heart skip a beat, the way he would always seek out for you during hangouts, how he cared for your preferences and well being, you found yourself unable to look away when he was training, when he would laughs so care freely, when he gets lost on his interests and everything seems to slow down around the both of you. You rest your head gently over his shoulder, you know you can get lost in his eyes quickly, you bite your lip when you think of his, and how heavenly it would feel against yours.

“It’s alright..” that what you manage to come up with, it’s cheap and it’s empty, but you don’t know what else to say. “No it’s not.” He says it firmly, interlocking your fingers tightly to prove his point.

Sometimes, you swear he feels the same as you do, you swear you can catch a soft longing from him across the dinging table, across the dojo over self defense training, short glances that are filled with unspoken words, that the innocent touches are not so innocent anymore. but life has taught you not to hang on those wishes, not to have hope. It was hurtful to do so.

“why do you care?” you let a frustrated sigh out, you hate how you just asked that the moment the words left your mouth, you aren’t frustrated at him per say, more towards your feelings, at how clammy your hands feel around his, how fast your heart is beating, how you secretly hope he knows that you didn’t mean to let that question out, how much of a chicken you were, how you fought annoying daydreaming scenarios with him on daily basis and yet just wish he kissed you already.

“Because I do.” he makes you look at him again, brushing a strand of hair behind your ear, and for the first time tonight, you look at him, you really look at him, how he is breathing fast, how dilated his pupils are when he looks at you, how his thumb drags temptingly over the bottom of your lips, letting out a shaky breath as he squeezes your hand one last time.

“because I just do.” His gaze is locked in yours, pleading, full of what you have denied yourself for years, telling eveything you have ever wanted without any words. He was yours, and you are his.

you finally tell yourself fuck it and kiss him.

It’s desperate, it’s passionate, it’s eveything you want and more, you drag your nails on the nape of his neck and draws him into your space, your chest hits is plastron as he grips your hips as he pins you down against the ground, the way you hook one of your leg on top of his shell drives out a moan out of him, making you arch your back, you nibble his bottom lip as you swear you gonna lose your mind.

You don’t know how long has passed, your grip on him is as strong as his as you lay beneath him, you makeout until you are both out of breath, until the anger and frustration has been worn out and you two slowly melt together, once fervent kisses turns into soft, gentle ones, until you are both looking at each other, smiling and giving pecks between giggles, translating eveything you have both been feeling towards each other

“Goddamn.” he draws a hearty laugh out of both you, the turtle rests is forehead against yours, sighing dreamily, giving you feather light kisses on your cheeks as you pull him closer.

“I care a lot about you too.” you drunkly smile to him, caressing his cheeks tenderly, “I sure hope so.” you hook your arms around his neck, laughing at his antics.

“I gotta tell you something tho.” you tilt your head curiously, he looks down at your lips, licking instinctively as you bite yours.

“you surprisingly taste like gingerbread cookies”

That makes you giggle once more.

——————————————————————————

It’s 3 am and Idk how to finish so hopefully the end it’s not too abrupt *confetti sounds* 🎉 let me know if you guys liked it!

[intotheelliwoods]

Ho boy, MASSIVE ask dump!

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Nope, not there, he is still knocked out in the med bay... but hey we will see him next update :)

@ghostpheonix5

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We are past the red! From this point on I am just doing everything I can to heal the characters and fix the timeline, if there is any form of angst after this point it wont be any worse than what happened in arc 1

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I would call it less connection, and more the feeling that he simply is Big Leo. Everything he learned, he learned from Big Leo. Everything he did for Sprout, Sprout is now doing for Poptart, yknow the cycle and everything

@uniqueness351217

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Ho boy! Caffeine can do numbers to you!

Anyways it took control of bodies it consumed, use the bodies to seek the location of other living things nearby.

The goop itself though acted like a heartbeat, a really slow one. Each time it beat it would spread in a giant burst before waiting a while to burst again. Water also helped it grow and gain mass... hmm.. oceans. The only time the goop itself would not beat slowly to the heart would be when it sensed something was nearby, activating attack mode and swarming it. (loud noises, vibrations, touching it ect would activate that form, either that or if one of the vessels it controlled found something and needed help taking it over)

Might I add, fire was useful in keeping it back, but only in small amounts was it effective, the larger the amount the more it could fight back

Though it is important to note, the center of the entity was never found by the resistance, it cannot be in multiple places at once (the white eye for the center that speaks and sees, cannot be in multiple places at once)

@theplacewhereidumpmyinterests

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Oh the amount of times one of the leos burnt themselves on the arm after it being in the sun for too long let me tell you-

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AA!! EE!! THANK YOU GUYS!!! I am actually doing pretty good! The new place I moved too is really nice, and distraction free :)

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I know there is a term for this that I am too lazy to find, but its an inbetween, not warm or cold. Lukewarm you could say, however I would imagine gaining extra heat does feel very nice (body heat, warmed arm, sun basking ect)

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Nightmares? No, not in the mindscape sense at the least though they do come up in normal thought from time to time. However thats not to say he doesnt have nightmares of other things, or that his fear of the Krang can be retriggered...

@uniqueness351217

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No question? No worries! Water is very much being drank as we speak! <3 <3 Thanks for the message!

@oneshortlove

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BIRTHDAY WISHES!! THANK YOU GUYS ALL SO MUCH!!! Hehe I got a rice cooker and its amazing :) best gift

@turtle-mama @justletmereadmycomics @princesskkfish @mostlyvoid-partiallyturtles @deliciousmusiccoffee

[ahungeringknife]

A Satisfaction Demanded

@flowers-of-io

*sends you ANOTHER minecraft sea turtle*

Dornuk grows up into someone who drinks 'loving my himbo boyfriend' juice. Honestly? Good for him uwu

Do not @ me about what Gup and his fireteam look like. Bungie could stand to get actually fucking weird with their aliens.

====+====

Savathun spent a great amount of time in her personal library. Now that she didn't have to conquer worlds to satisfy her worm or the worms of her brood she rather enjoyed the sedentary life. Now she only messed with the humans of Sol for fun, or when she thought she could get away with it. What was the most amount of mischief she and her coven could cause the Last City that would get her the least amount of scolding from the Young Wolf? A question and answer she had been honing over the decades since the fall of the Witness and yet every year she found some new way to test that tenuous... relationship. One would think she did it just to give the Young Wolf an excuse to visit. Dornuk knew Savathun did love her talks with the Young Wolf.

Because Savathun was here so much so too was Dornuk. Her personal scribe and librarian at this point. If she left a book laying around he was sure to collect it and see it where it belonged. Or if it was one of those tomes that was beyond a comprehensible organization he gave it to one of the Librarian Acolytes. They saw a rhyme and reason to the organization Dornuk never could. His mind wasn't warped in the way theirs was.

Today Savathun was settled in her reading nook, Immaru perched on her shoulder like some withered shitty bird, deep in the stacks of her library. Dornuk found her there with tea and some Earthly delights spirited away by spies under the cover of glamor in the Last City. Dornuk knew they resented often being ordered to secure treats for their Witch Queen. He usually told them to shut up and just do their jobs when they complained.

Savathun glanced up when he arrived and laid the tray out on the table beside her. The nook was high in the ceiling where only wizards could reach. "From your faithless servants in the City," he said, indicating the array of scones cushioned by wrapped paper with little cartoon cats on them. A delight for City children no doubt!

"How delightful," Savathun said taking one. Her eyes dimmed for a moment as she looked through one of the million eyes she had in the Throne World. She was vaguely aware of most things in the Throne World but could focus on things when she wanted to know more. "There are ships that just docked at the port," she said.

"Not one of ours from your tone. Which brood are we expecting?" because a scribe was many things, including Savathun's assistant.

"Go see for yourself. Keep the rowdy crowds at bay," she waved him off. "The dock area is always so busy."

"Shall I bring them here?"

"I'm certain you will," she said mischievously. Dornuk had gotten very good at reading between the lines with Savathun over the decades of being her scribe and trusted servant but she could be opaque as the surface of Earth's moon when she wanted to be.

"Very well," he said and flew away. He collected his tablet and pouch before leaving the library, plucking Mandy from the stacks she was investigating like an errant canary. She flew around his horns before settling in the crook of his neck contently. She was not his Ghost but she was his companion.

The docks were located below the Throne World city along the edge of the physicality of the High Coven. Knights shouted at Acolytes and thrall to get back to work and were many times ignored. Dornuk just flew above them to see what this was about.

It was about several Earth jump ships that had landed in a series of slips at the docks between the tomb ships. Dornuk's worm instantly began to squirm in his chest. A desire to be met. A need to be fulfilled. A satisfaction demanded. He recognized those ships. Savathun had buried the lead considerably!

He hastened his flight and saw Hive that didn't belong to the Lucent brood or their Crimson swarm allies on the moon. Rather their chitin was deeply iridescent, black in many angles with flashes of color like an oil slick even in the dim non light of the docks. The Acolytes here had strange branching coral chitin that latticed across their bodies like mycelium, their horns curved up and forward across faces covered in moth-like down. They looked like a coral reef come to life, something Dornuk had only see in holo-tapes and read about in books.

The Lucent brood all wanted to see the strangers. Young untested Hive worked down here and this brood had not been seen in many years. The Hive who worked the docks had never seen Hive like this before.

Now where was he? He wasn't exactly easy to hide! Dornuk had to fly past the jump ships to the end of the dock to find Xolkûn speaking with the dock master, a big knight with a loud voice who kept talking right over him. One day Dornuk's advice to him to speak up would get through but today was not that.

He settled silently behind the offending Knight. Xolkûn noticed him and his eyes glowed. Dornuk's worm seemed to squeeze around his heart. A satisfaction demanded. "Is there a problem, dock master?" Dornuk said within the span of one of his breaths.

The knight spun. For a moment there was no recognition but everyone knew what Savathun's scribe looked like. His long spindly frame, the forward curve of his horns not unlike the strange Hive come to the docks. His weren't so extreme of course. The coral hive used their horns more as face guards, he knew quite well from stories of them bashing their faces into the enemy. "Dornuk," he said, flabbergasted.

"Is there?" he stressed again, this time putting an infuriated hiss into his tone. Behind the dock master Xolkûn looked beyond amused.

The dock master looked at him, looked back at Xolkûn -who schooled his eyes, then back at Dornuk, "This was unannounced. It caused a commotion."

"Savathun saw it and anticipated it. I know it can be beneath knights to conceive of such things but at least pretend you are Lucent Brood," Dornuk said. He was not bigger than this knight but he could float above him for the express purpose of looking down onto him.

The dock master shriveled in front of him. "There is no problem, Dornuk," he said to smooth it over.

"That is what I thought. Now see that your workers are brought into line," he said, folding his arms, the long claws at the end menacing enough on their own.

The dock master bowed his head and left the two, his voice booming out across the docks. Everyone back to work! What the fuck were they looking at!?

"Very scary," Xolkûn said, teasing but approving.

Dornuk flew over to him and without hesitation- before his worm literally ate its way out of his chest- draped himself across one of Xolkûn's great shoulders. Both he and his worm shivered in delight as Xolkûn wrapped an arm around him. Like the Acolytes he'd come with Xolkûn was like a coral ocean in bloom, branching coral formations on his chitinous arms and a great set of horns unlike any seen on a traditional knight. They didn't quite cover his face like the acolytes did but his face was indeed fully covered by fluffy down like a moth, his two green and one blue eye the only features on his face otherwise. More fluff stuck out of parts of his chitin like he was stuffed with it.

"Hello, my love," he said softly as a secret that was a secret to no one from such a publish and lavish display of affection.

"Someone missed me, hmm?"

"Like my own breath," Dornuk said, heavy with praise. He had not seen Xolkûn in several years. The Earthly Vanguard had ordered him and his... fireteam, to clear out the Archology on Titan of remaining Xivu Arath forces and any stragglers from Oryx. To create a suitable landing zone for a larger operation of cleansing the entire moon and also give easier access to Oryx's corpse, mostly just to keep an eye on it. All Lucent brood had been called back from Titan decades ago, the only ones left were traitors or Xivu Arath's hanger-ons.

Xolkûn beamed at him. "I've missed you too," he said, squeezing Dornuk. Then he settled his slight weight on his great arm, still curled against the shoulder of his chitin. The great ruff of fluff about his neck like a protective gorget was Dornuk's favorite thing about him. It was so utterly perfect for cuddling, which he didn't hesitate to do. Normally such grossly public displays of affection would be frowned upon but Dornuk was a powerful enough wizard in his own right not to give a single fuck.

Xolkûn walked down the dock, collecting his fireteam, heading for the exit. There were fifteen of them, some Lightbearers some normal Hive but none bigger than him. They all fell into step behind Xolkûn like a strange sea creatures. He heard them talking but wasn't paying them any mind. "You'll tell me all about Titan, won't you?" he asked Xolkûn as they left the docks.

"Of course. Perhaps somewhere you'd like to write it down?"

"Mmm, maybe," he already did so much.

"Well I'm here to give it to Savathun so I think you will be," Xolkûn laughed and for a moment he almost sounded like his other self, like Gup.

"Of course she wants to know and sent me specifically," Dornuk said dramatically.

"You expected less of her?"

"She didn't tell me."

"You expected her to?"

"... Well. When you put it like that," he sighed theatrically and leaned against Xolkûn's shoulders and horns.

Once out of the docks Xolkûn turned to his fireteam to give them orders. Basically don't embarrass the Vanguard out here, don't antagonize the Lucent, stay out of trouble, and do not get lost. Then with that the fireteam went their separate ways. Xolkûn continued on to the keep, still carrying Dornuk on his arm. Dornuk led him right to Savathun's library and she didn't look at all surprised to see him.

"Why young Gup, what a pleasant surprise," Savathun cooed upon seeing him. She floated down from her reading nook. Briefly she looked at Dornuk but made no comment about his gross PDA.

"Queen Savathun. The Vanguard sent me to personally give the report on the happenings of the Archology on Titan," Xolkûn said so professionally. Dornuk repressed a delighted purr. "And that they want to hear your suggestions on how we should handle the retaking of the world."

"How interesting," Savathun said and beckoned Xolkûn to a sitting area where they could talk. Only once Xolkûn was seated and Dornuk could slide down onto his lap, Xolkûn's arm around him even then, did Dornuk take out his tablet to transcribe what Xolkûn would say. The ticking tack of his claws on the glass face moved in the same cadence as Xolkûn's voice and that finally, finally, fully soothed Dornuk's worm.

[lavalamp-juice]

MUTANT MAYHEM SPOILERS -

Movie Review/Rambiling alot

This is ur last warning >:o

AHHHH I LOVED IT

Visuals- BRO THE ANIMATIONNNNN UGGGG all the textures and little squiggles makes my brain go brrr. Was it just me or did the horses have googly eyes? Heh cute 🐎 UGH THE BABIES. THE BABIES. ALMOST FORGOT TO MENTION THEM. Ever since having an influx of babies in my family, those parent baby scenes have gotten to my heart strings. Those scenes used to never get to me but man they really do now I cried. It's really interesting how everything EVERYTHING in this movie is not symmetrical. Opposite Wes Anderson, I like to call it. It's eye candy. It gives me the same feeling as watching old cartoons that used cells. Like each frame is homemade. it helps bring life to the mundane.

I could see if people think it's a little too different for them to like, BUT NOT ME 10/10

The Turtles - Very teen it's cool. It is impressive to have teen characters that don't make me cringe and sink into my chair. So that's suchhh a plus! While most of there slang will be obsolete in a couple years that's fine. Actually making them act their age is a great decision.

Leo got that unintentional rizz. No bit actually has a show ever done a Leo April ship? It's interesting it was cute. I don't see much chemistry but tbh I think that was intentional / a good thing. I would have disliked if there was a bigger Leo April sub plot. I like how he was pretty reasonable throughout the whole movie. Not a total party killer, but also not lazy as a leader. It will be so interesting to see how they all grow 🥺

Raph- He's pretty cool, the brute as always not getting everyone one in trouble :D

Donnie- I know Mr. Rogan wanted too make them realisc teens, sadly this also took away Donnies super intelligence. It's very understandable but I wish he was a lil bit more of a nerd, saying something smart here and there. Probably my bias tho since I really like super intelligent characters :P none of Donnie's doohickeys in this one. It might be cool to see him throughout the series and other movies slowly begin to code and make stuff. At least his winning personality shines in this movie!

Mikey- Just Mikey being mikey. Its so nice seeing him happy and at the end go to High school and live among humans 🥺 it's the ending I kinda wanted for Bay verse Mikey, at least we can see it here!

The other mutants- Also very cool but there's a bit too many to really get everyone's say, which is what I was worried about when I saw the cast list. Other that SuperFly and Mono Gecko it felt like many didn't get a time to shine. (Especially Bebop & RockSteady)

Story/Plot- Honestly with all the all the TMNT content I have imbedded into my brain I thought I wouldn't ever see the "status quote" change SO dramatically. It was compelling to see that Splinter (and super fly) TRIED to go in the human world. And were automatically shunned and basically beat up emotionally/physically. The way super fly explained how he unalived that guy who was harassing them was scary. Very vivid and almost reminded me of Batman? Like the way SuperFly explained that he beat the guy up to a the point were the guy was no longer a threat (which is what Batman does) but Superfly, unlike Batman kept beating him up until... yeahh. It was sad that Baxter Stockmen apparently got killed? If I understood that right. It was very sad to hear especially cause again, baby stories are gut punching me. Baby SuperFly was cute I need a plush of him🥺 I'll raise him good not evil.

I had no idea the turtles and the mutants (other then SuperFly) were gonna team up so fast. It was a bit of a surprise but good.

The ending of all them moving in together tho. Also if they have so much space why don't the boys have separate rooms? Anyway, Team Found Family wins again <3

I really enjoyed Splinter noticing his mistake and like fixing so quick. It's a bit better than Rise Splinter where us arc takes awhile more.

THE TURTLES GOING TO SCHOOL?!?¿¡?!? ¿QUE? DOING WHAT NO TURTLE HAS DONE BEFORE. GOOD FOR THEM <3

The "I'm gonna turn the whole world into mutants" is kinda over done :/ but still good stakes!

Humor- Milk joke coming back full circle. Donnie your not supposed to be driving >:[ but while. Your at it go there. Heh it was funny and loved it.

Cons- Throw up joke. Ehhh just went on a bit too Long

Humans suddenly accepting is a bit too optimistic but I'll allow it.

Overall- Animation makes it worth watching and of course the story, characters and laughs. 9/10 I'm so excited to see it again!!!

[snowdice]

Migration in Spring (Once There Is Something Left Series)

Fandom: Sanders Sides

Relationships: Remus & Emile

Characters: Remus, Emile

Summary: Remus and Emile start to travel during the first spring of the apocalypse.

This is the fic for my 8th BINGO card. Thanks for voting!

Notes: Zombie Apocalypse AU, discussion of mental illness (including someone with mental illnesses using the word ‘insane’ to describe themselves)

This takes place in the same universe as the Is There Anything Left of Patton? series.

“Where are we going anyway?” Emile asked.

Remus glanced at him. He looked tired and cold, but there wasn’t much to do about that. Remus was tired and cold too. “We’re not really going anywhere,” Remus said.

“Then, why are we moving?” Emile asked, a tinge of real frustration in his voice. He was usually rather chipper or at least pretended to be even now. He’d been able to keep his mood light even in the winter months that were just now starting to be over, though the current early morning temperature would beg to differ. Yet even someone like Emile had lines Remus had discovered over the past few months where they were each other’s only (living) company. “Why couldn’t we just stay there.” ‘There’ was the house they’d buckled down in for the winter. It had had a lot of supplies which helped them get through this first winter of the apocalypse, but as spring dawned, Remus had spotted the signs it was time to leave.

“It’s not about where we’re going,” Remus said. “It’s about what we’re avoiding.”

“What we’re avoiding?” Emile asked.

“The dead are migrating, can’t you tell?” Remus asked.

“They’re what?!” Emile asked alarmed. “No! How can you tell?”

“They might be corpses reanimated by some unknown parasite or virus or whatever, but they still obey some of the laws of nature. They don’t move well in the cold, so the mobs traveled South for the winter, but spring means they’re starting to move back North. I’m assuming they’ll go back to wherever they were ‘born’ for the summer like sea turtles return to the beaches they were born at to lay eggs. There’s been some signs of them moving North already and that house was great for the winter, but it’s directly South of New York City. We have to move out of the path before the big mobs start coming.” He glanced at their map. “The best place would be to get up into the Appalachians for the migration if the weather keeps them at bay long enough.”

“A-are you sure?” Emile asked.

“Nope,” Remus said cheerfully. “Just my gut.”

Emile sighed. “Well, your gut has gotten us this far,” he acknowledged. “So, I’ll follow you.”

“Aw, thanks Doc.”

“Please start to call me Emile, Remus.”

Remus fake gasped. “Honestly, Doctor Picani, just because I’ve seen your penis one time doesn’t mean we should drop doctor-patient etiquette.”

“I was bleeding out from a bullet wound, Remus. Is that really all you could focus on?”

“Obviously not. You’re still able to walk, aren’t you?”

“That is true,” Emile acknowledged.

“Though…” Remus started.

“Don’t,” Emile said, and Remus was delighted to see him have to cover his growing smile with his mitten. “Don’t start. You’re horrible.”

“Horrible is my middle name.”

“It is not,” Emile said. “I’ve seen your paperwork.”

“Well, I wanted to have it legally changed, but mother never let me. Who names their child Remus Reginald Royal? No wonder I grew up to be fucking insane.”

Emile frowned at him, clearly about to go into one of his head-doctor lectures.

“Yeah, yeah,” Remus cut him off before he could start. “I’m not insane. Just clinically depressed with a nice case of PTSD and probably borderline personality disorder…because there’s a real big difference.” He said the last under his breath, but unfortunately Emile heard.

“There is a big difference!” Emile protested, “especially for you as you have a history of using words like that to not only put yourself down but to reinforce a self-constructed sense of helplessness in the face of the problems you can control…”

Remus groaned as he, as anticipated, started in on another head-doctor lecture. Was it too much to ask the universe for a zombie to come out of the bushes and try to eat them?

Want to read more? Click below!

Is There Anything Left of Patton? Master Post

Main Master Post.

[another-tmnt-writer]

You Fell From the Sky

Leonardo x Reader

Author: Admin Mo

Prompt: okay this'll sound real dumb bUT- this universe!reader meets bayverse boys? like maybe reader wakes up in the bayverse and is very aware about the turtles? i dunno it sounds confusing but maybe it's an interesting prompt?

Note: I love this concept. I’ve dipped my toes in the water before, but this time, I’m going all the way. Also, I know you didn’t specify a turtle, but I zoned it in on Leo. I can definitely write another if y’all want more because I’m obsessed with this idea. <3

Warnings: Some language…

Word Count: 1.9k

“Okay, guys, don’t crowd her. I’m sure she’s gonna be disoriented, and-”

“Donnie, is the angel alright? It must have hurt, falling from heaven.”

“Get outta the way, Mikey. Go wash the pizza off your hands.”

“Could we give her some room, please?”

The voices echoed around in your head, which was pounding painfully. You opened your eyes and everything was blurry. You were just about positive you were hallucinating, because when your vision finally started to come into focus, you were surrounded by four very tall, very familiar mutant turtles.

“No fucking way…” you murmured, looking up at each of them. They were even more detailed and lifelike than they were in the movies. Which was to say, very lifelike.

“Not the reaction I expected, but I’ll take it.” Mikey smiled, shifting to present himself to you. “The name’s Michelangelo, but the ladies call me—”

“Mikey, yeah, I know.” You cut him off and he gaped at you, his blue eyes wide.

“Are ya psychic or something?” Raph asked. You stared at him for a long second. His muscles were impossibly large, his eyes just as green as you thought they’d be.

“N-No, not exactly. I…well, I’m pretty sure I’m from an alternate universe. Or something.” You looked at Donnie, who was furiously taking notes and way taller than you expected him to be, and then to Leo, whose arms were crossed, his clear blue eyes analyzing everything you said. “Because where I come from, you guys are fictional.”

“Woah. I did not expect that.” Mikey said, looking at Raph for some sort of reaction from his older brother. “Bro, did you—”

“Shut up for like two seconds.” Raph snapped, his attention turning to you. “Can you say that one more time?”

“You guys are fictional. When I was growing up, I watched your cartoons, collected action figures, read your comics…This is unreal.”

“Comic books?” Donnie inquired.

“Cartoons?!” Mikey’s eyes widened.

You nodded.

“So…you know everything about us?” Leo asked, a twinkle of amusement working its way into his icy gaze. He wasn’t quite convinced yet, but he had to admit you were convincing at the very least.

“I mean, not really. Kind of. Maybe?” You shrugged. “I know you have a bonsai in your room.”

You didn’t think it was possible for them to blush, but after that comment, Leo proved you wrong, chuckling and rubbing the back of his neck.

“Just about everything then, yeah.”

“So what happened, Donnie? Why am I here?”

Donnie straightened up when you addressed him by name. “Uh, well, I was trying to figure that out, actually. We were out on patrol and there was a bright flash in the sky and you fell from it.”

“Leo caught you even though I called dibs.” Mikey pouted.

“You saved my life.” You gasped and looked up at Leo. “Thank you.”

“I couldn’t just let you fall, ma’am.”

“(Y/N).” You introduced. “My name is (Y/N).”

“Well, (Y/N), I hope ya like the smell of sewer.” Raph chuckled. “If not, you’ll get used to it.”

***

The turtles spent the rest of the day asking you lots of questions about your world and the representations of them that were in it. You told them that the universe they were in was closest to a series of movies by Michael Bay, which, Raph and Mikey found exciting given their love of the Transformers movies.

Leo didn’t say much, but he was always in the room, listening. When night came, Donnie was the first to leave the room, retreating to work in his lab. Then Leo went to his room to sharpen his swords and water his bonsai. Raph went to sleep next, and Mikey stayed up the latest, playing Mariokart with you until pretty close to dawn. You’d almost forgotten that the boys usually slept during the day.

When you were out alone in the living room, Leo came into the room, holding a large knitted blanket and a pillow, a tentative look on his face.

“Hey.” He approached you quietly. “I figured you’d need these. It gets kind of cold down here.”

“Thanks, Leo.” You tucked your hair behind your ear. “I really appreciate you guys letting me crash here.”

“Don’t mention it. It’s the least we could do.” He shook the blanket out and draped it over your legs. “If you need anything, my room is over there.” He pointed back towards where he’d come from.

“Thank you.” You smiled. “I’m sure Donnie will figure this all out soon enough and then I’ll be out of your hair.”

“Well, you’re welcome to stay for as long as that takes.” Leo smiled and then added, “Good night.”

“Night!”

Once he was gone, you laid down on the couch and stared up into the darkness for a little while, thinking about the events of the day. You were stranded in the Bayverse. And…well, actually, you weren’t all that upset about it.

***

When you opened your eyes the next morning, you half expected it to all have been a dream. I mean, that was the only logical explanation, right? Well, then you took a look around at your surroundings and realized that it was three in the afternoon and you were in the lair instead of your bedroom.

Once you stretched and got your bearings, you got up and walked to the kitchen, where Splinter was pouring tea from a teapot.

“And you must be the girl who fell from the sky.”

You had to stop and admire him for a second. Master Splinter, the boys’ dad, a wealth of endless support and wisdom. You’d be lying if you said you hadn’t looked up to him when you were young. Hell, you’d be lying if you said you didn’t look up to him now when you needed advice.

“It’s an honor to meet you, sir.” You were shaking. “I’m not sure if the boys told you where I’m from…”

“They have, yes.” He nodded. “Donatello told me of the alternate universe you came from.”

“You helped me through so much when I was growing up. You all did. It’s really surreal being here.”

Splinter smiled and stroked his beard, that wise twinkle in his eyes. “I’m glad you found your way to us, child. We’ll make your stay here as easy as possible.”

“Thank you.”

“(Y/N), I made eggs.” Leonardo’s voice from behind you scared the hell out of you.

You jumped and turned around, laughing as your racing heart slowed back down to normal.

“Sorry. Do you like eggs?”

“I do, yeah.” You chuckled. “Thank you, Leo.”

“Of course. They’re on the stove.”

“There’s cheese on the counter!!” Mikey added, already sitting at the table. “I saved you a chair over here, angelcakes.”

You had to admit, hearing him say that in person did make your heart flutter a little bit. You put some eggs and toast (with jam, provided by Donatello) on a plate, sprinkled some shredded cheddar on top and settled into the seat Mikey had saved, conveniently located between the youngest brother and the leader in blue.

“So every day, you guys wake up this late?” You asked, still a little bewildered that breakfast was at three in the afternoon.

“That’s just the downside of living in the shadows.” Raph shrugged. “But it ain’t so bad.”

“Right, of course. It’s just different than what I’m used to is all.”

“So what do you do, normally? Like, in your world, I mean.” Donatello asked. He didn’t have his notebook on hand, but you could tell he was taking mental notes.

“Well, I’m a student. I’m in college. I read comics and watch movies, and sometimes I write in my free time.”

“Comics about us?” Mikey raised an eyebrow, smiling knowingly.

Your cheeks burned red and you laughed. “Maaaaaaybe.”

Leo let out a little sigh and shook his head. “That’s still so weird to me.”

“Let me tell you, that’s a two way street.” You chuckled. Even thinking about it was still almost too weird to comprehend. You pulled out your phone, which still worked, fortunately, and went through your photos, scrolling all the way back to Halloween. You held it up to show them. “My roommates and I were you guys for Halloween.”

“And you were Leader Boy, huh?” Raph pointed out. “Noted.”

“I mean, yeah.” You didn’t think your face could get any more red.

“Wait, Leo’s your favorite?” Mikey pouted. “Aww…”

“I don’t think it’s fair to pick favorites. I like all of you guys for different reasons.”

“It’s alright if you admit you had a crush on Leo.” Raph whispered, cupping a hand around his mouth.

“Alright, alright, enough of that. She’s our guest. We’re not gonna grill her. She just got here.” Leo stepped in, a faint blush on his cheeks. He wasn’t sure why, but he couldn’t get the picture of you in a blue mask with little foam katanas out of his head.

“Right, there’s a two week minimum before we get to grill her.” Donnie added, grinning as he pushed his glasses up his nose.

“Aww, how considerate.” You laughed.

The rest of breakfast was pretty uneventful. You finished eating and then went out to the living room and settled onto the couch. Luckily, your backpack had made the trip over with you, so you had your laptop and some of your homework. Not that you could get online and get in touch with people from your universe, but at least you could get some writing done if you wanted to.

Leo wandered out, his muscular arms crossed over his chest, a soft look in his eyes. He hovered behind you for a few seconds before finally speaking. “Hey.”

Unaware that he had been there, you jumped. “Jesus! You guys are quiet, holy fuck.”

“Sorry about that.” He laughed, carefully sitting on the opposite end of the couch, giving you space, but still sitting close enough to make your heart flutter the teeniest bit. “And, uh, I’m sorry about them earlier. Raph specifically. I’m sorry if he made you uncomfortable or—”

“No, it’s fine. Really,” you said. “But thank you for checking. I appreciate it.”

“Of course.” He was quiet for a few moments before he asked. “Do you believe in fate?”

“Until yesterday, I’m not sure I did. But there’s gotta be something like that out there for me to end up here of all places.”

“For the record, I’m glad you ended up here, too.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” He nodded. His blue, blue eyes met yours. “Is it selfish if I say I wouldn’t mind if you stuck around for a while?”

“Is it selfish if I agree?” You replied, causing him to laugh.

“Glad we’re on the same page, then.”

“Me too.” You smiled and just spent a few long moments admiring him. The movies truly didn’t do him justice. Honestly, it was the truth: you wouldn’t mind sticking around for a while. For a long while…

Part 2

[melmac78]

Care taking prompt: Gordon bandaging/stitching up Scott’s wounds?

Story injury maker is based on this green machine. The other item on right is an old icebox, aka refrigerator.

I wish I had a pic of a fully intact one, but the one I saw at the Trade Days yesterday that was restored is too small for the story. They’re fairly uncommon now, and wanted a reference for readers who may have never seen one.

For the record, I remember these being around in places as late as early 1990s. The few around now are also repurposed. Hope you enjoy:

••••••

“This is embarrassing.”

"I know Scott..." said Gordon as he assisted his oldest brother in Thunderbird Two's bay.

Scott shook his head. "No, more than embarrassing - this is ridiculous. I knew smoking could be bad for your health, but..."

Any thoughts were cut off with a sharp hiss when Gordon situated his brother onto a cot in the Sickbay to assess the injury.

The aquanaut scoffed slightly. "Second hand cigarette pack vending machines are even worse," he finished with a smirk as he started cutting away the neoprene around his brother's left calf.

Scott rolled his eyes at the bad joke. Thunderbirds one and two had to go to a rescue at a retro restaurant created by Francois Lemaire.

The restaurant was the peak of sophistication - two stories tall, featuring a variety of antiques from the 1950s to '70s.

A work of art for the high class tastes - including dinner.

Unfortunately for International Rescue - Lemaire didn't pay attention to the fact it was on top of a well known faultline, and Mother Nature showed her displeasure flatening the building with an earthquake.

The brothers were successful in rescuing everyone alive - albeit a few with injuries severe enough to require hospitalization.

Scott had finished helping Madeline, the last person inside, out of a pile of debris when an aftershock hit.

He protected her safely, but a broken cigarette vending machine fell on him.

Fortunately, the machine landed in a way it didn't crush his leg.

Unfortunately for Scott, the machine's glass window broke, slicing a 3 inch long gash in his calf.

After a bit of a struggle with the machine, freeing Scott's ankle from the slats that once stored cartons, Gordon and Madeline helped the eldest Tracy outside.

Madeline left with a couple of paramedics for a checkup.

Gordon and Scott ended up in TB2, thankful for once Francois elected to pay more attention how he nearly lost his wife than pester the Tracys.

Scott shook his head at the memory. "Seriously, how in the he... heck did Lemaire find one of those monstrosities?" he pondered outloud, before hissing l at Gordon's ministrations.

The aquanaut shrugged. "Don't know - but some folks years ago when the machines were made illegal to vend cigarettes bought then turned them into miniature art dispensers. Get a few more dollars selling postcard sized art,” he said, then whistled. "Yep. You're gonna need stitches, but you're in luck, you have the best stitcher in the world.

Scott was more concerned when he saw his brother put the needle in the ampoule for a local anesthetic. *oh no,* he thought, and paled slightly. "That's Virgil... I can wait a few minutes," he said.

"Yeah... I know he's the best, but they still need the jaws to move away that life sized replica of the Beatle’s Yellow Submarine blocking the main road," said Gordon as he tapped out the air bubbles out.

”Seriously Gords… I can wait…” said Scott, swallowing hard as the shot glistened. *Not now, not with Gordon present...* He thought, but he knew the signs. He felt light, had a feeling of dread, compounded with old memories...

To his dismay, his brother didn’t listen. “No you can’t. It’s a deep gash, and Virgil will have both our hides if you pass out from blood loss,” said the blonde bluntly.

He then turned back. "Now lie back Sc...."

The aquanaut froze slightly when he saw Scott staring at the needle, pale as a sheet and start to sway. "Scott..." he said warily, only to see his brother's eyes go blank and he listed to the side.

“Woah!” Gordon immediately caught his brother before he fell off the cot. He put the shot down and assisted his older brother flat onto his back. "Easy there bro," he said gently to the eldest as Scott started to come back around.

"'M fine..." said Scott muzzily.

"Sure, and that cigarette machine hit you with feathers," teased the younger man as he checked his brother's pulse. He sighed in relief to hear the older man snort in disgust, and once satisfied Scott wasn’t going to fall out on him, continued. "Blood or needle?"

"Huh?"

"Which one made you faint?”

“I did not…”

“Scott, seriously, you did: briefly” said Gordon gently. Seeing Scott wince in embarrassment, and pain, The aquanaut continued. “I’m not going to make fun - promise, but I need to know the cause because I'd rather like to know how to help.”

The eldest gave a faint blush. "Needle," he said. "Can give shots no problem, but..."

Gordon gave a half smile. "Getting them isn't such?" he said, and Scott nodded.

“Bad doctor checkup when I was in first grade. Complete accident, but gave me nightmares and a lasting fear. Virgil remembered my blackout back then though…”

"So that's why you'd rather Virgil help when you’re hurt? Didn't want us to know of a phobia?"

The raven haired man nodded reluctantly. "Yeah, don't know what's more embarrassing - getting cut by an antique cancer stick machine or fainting from a shot," said Scott, expecting a tease.

He was thankful he was lying down for what came next.

"Neither," chided Gordon.

“Huh?”

"Seriously there's nothing wrong with accidents or fears - besides a potential medical worry."

A confused Scott started to open his mouth as the younger man continued. "But there will be another one if I don't start stitching this, so stay laying down," Gordon said, pulling out a small stuffed toy and putting it in Scott's hands. "This should help."

Scott took the item in his hand and looked at it. "A sea turtle plushie," he stated perplexed, looking at the item. It was about 3 inches long, two inches wide with a swirly tie-dye printed shell. "Never seen this before.”

“I know, I keep Surfer in my baldric most of the time.”

“Ok… but what is, um ‘Surfer’ for?"

Gordon chuckled. "To keep people distracted, and I see that he worked his charms again," he said. Seeing his brother's confusion, he continued. "Gave you the shot - should numb your leg in a couple of minutes.”

Scott chuckled in relief. It was a distraction all right as he traced a pattern on the toy. “So, where did he come from?”

The aquanaut then paused for thought, growing a bit more somber. "I got it from Penny and Parker shortly after the Chaos Crew put me in the hospital."

Scott tilted his head, curious for more as Gordon checked his brother's leg.

Finding it was numbed - Scott was not reacting, started stitching the wound.

The aquanaut, sensing his brother's persistent look wanting for more, continued. "I never told any of you this - but I have a vague memory of coming to in my 'Bird and something sharp cutting through my broken arm."

“But nothing pierced your uniform,” said Scott, remembering the day his brother was lying unconscious in the bed he was now using. He was thankful though: based on what few photos EOS captured of the rescue, some items came too close to finishing the Chaos Crew’s job.

Scott shook off the memory, and saw the aquanaut nod as he started another stitch. "Yeah, I know that now - it was the actual break, but I think in my semiconscious state, I thought it was a knife stabbing me in the crook," he said. "The memory stuck so badly in my head that during a simple blood test in the hospital I fainted."

“Now hold up... they didn’t say you...”

"Well, I am adult you know: doctor/patient confidentiality. Especially as you are a bad enough smother hen without more fuel,” he said, and seeing Scott’s unimpressed look, continued. “Penny and Parker unfortunately were visiting when that spell occurred.

“I was embarrassed - thought when they came back Parker would tease me and Penny do her polite ignoring it,” the aquanaut continued, starting on the last stitch. “But, to my surprise, they gave me the turtle. Said if I ever was in pain or having issues with a shot, hold it, and know that there were people who loved you no matter your faults. Didn’t have a repeat then or since."

Scott started seeing where this story was going. "So you don't see my phobia as a fault?" he inquired.

"No Scott. You're human, like all of us, just sometimes you need a reminder," he said as he finished tying the last knot and started to bandage the stitches. "Personally, I think as ‘Surfer’ worked for you, as you didn't feel that shot, or flinch once from the stitches, maybe you should consider your own.”

Scott was about to speak when Virgil contacted them, saying he was returning back to the Thunderbird and that John was remote piloting One back to base.

"John better not ding my ‘Bird. That'd be worse than fainting and being cut up by a cigarette machine," said Scott, distracted from the talk about plushies.

Gordon chuckled. "At least Virgil isn't considering taking Thunderbird One and converting it to a miniature art dispensing machine. He talked about buying Lemaire’s… but I think it’s to scrap it into a weird recycled art sculpture after cutting you. Double when he eyed the icebox," he said, then laughed more when Scott rolled his eyes. "Now, lie back and rest. I'll stay here and keep you company so Virgil doesn't be a Smother Rooster."

"Papa bear," corrected Scott.

"OK, papa bear ... but same reason," he said, then grew sober, as he tapped the turtle, which Scott handed back. "And Scott, just remember, two things: 1. I won't tell anyone else about your phobia, and 2. Even if the others find out, we'll always love you - warts and all."

The eldest nodded and let himself relax into the comfort of the bed as Virgil flew them back back to Tracy Island...

When he later on woke up safe and sound in the Island's infirmary, brought there to double check the stitches and ensure no infection, he found his left hand was resting on something soft, and fluffy.

Picking it up, he found it was a tie dyed octopus. Just the right size to put in his baldric... just in case.

"Thanks Gordon," he said, smiling.

[bellatrixobsessed1]

From Chin To Yon Rah (Part 23)

When Hao-Bai had mentioned that they were nearing the end of the grassland, Azula hadn’t thought that, that would mean entering a forest that seemed just as endless. It is such a stark contrast to the still quietness of the plains. Here in the forest there is movement all around and a noise for every nook and cranny.

It leaves her with a potent sense of yearning. Yearning for another afternoon spent on the bridge with Hajime chucking chunks of bread at turtle-ducks. He always had to remind her to either take smaller chunks or throw them less forcefully. “They are light and I have to make sure that I throw them hard enough to reach the turtle-ducks.”

Hajime would roll his eyes and mutter, “you and Atsu are horrible.”

There is no pond in this forest as far as she can see and there are no turtle-ducks. There are, however, scampering toad-squirrels and lop-eared rabbits. A lively abundance of them. It is rather comforting.

“How much better are you feeling?” Hao-Bai asks.

“Significantly. Why?”

“Min-Ta and I could use some help with something if you are able.”

Azula nods, whatever it is, she supposes it is the least she can do given that they have saved, cared for, cleaned, and fed her. “What do you need help with?”

Hao-Bai brings the ostrich-horses to a halt, slips off of it, and retrieves an axe.  He gestures to the second, empty cart. “I’m a lumberjack by trade, an extra hand would be very helpful, if you’re able.”

She takes the axe. “I used to harvest turnips…”

He offers her a gentle smile. “Long as you’ve got some arm strength and pick the right trees, it isn’t so hard.”

Azula shifts the axe in her arm and gives the forest a skeptical scan. None of the tree trunks looks particularly small. This isn’t exactly a beginner friendly forest. “This is going to take hours?”

Hao-Bai chuckles. “My wife and I can down trees in fourteen to fifteen minutes.”

“You’ve been doing this for a long time.” Azula counters. “I did gardening.” Gardening and firebending better than the best of people. Once upon a time she could scale buildings and take down foes twice her height and weight. But, Agni, it has been so long and that vast plain has drained her so thoroughly. She isn’t sure that she still has her shine. She hasn’t exactly retained her toned build.

“You said that your name is Azula, right?” Min-Ta asks.

She nods.

“As in Princess Azula?”

She nods again.

“Then I’m sure that you can handle this.” The woman smiles. “It’s all about knowing when blunt force is required and when it’s time to start sawing.”

Again she tests the weight of the axe in her hands.

“Follow me, I can show you.” Hao-Bai motions. The man has her standing before a massive pine. “A lot of people seem to think that it’s all about the axe. Really the axes is used to give you  a start. Give it a good hit, a sixty degree angle ought to do it.” He pauses, presumably to make sure that she is still following. She confirms with a nod and he returns it before continuing. “You are going to make a decent notch at the base of the tree, put the axe down, and start sawing. Your tree will fall in the direction of the notch.” He pauses once more. “I think it’s common sense, but, in case they don’t teach that in your nobility schools, after you make that last strike you run in the opposite direction of the fall. But don’t go straight back, in case the tree decides to fall the wrong way. You go off to the side a bit.”

He creates his first notch, “I anticipate the tree falling that way.” He points. “So when I make the final chop, I wanna be right here.” He comes to stand several feet back and well off to the side.

“I could have figured that out.”

He shakes, “had a young man who couldn’t, I don’t take that chance now.” He holds up the saw and brings it to the trunk. “Watch me first, then you and my wife can get to work.”

She finds herself a spot to sit and observes the man as he sinks his axe into the tree one final time. With a notch created to his liking. He takes to it with a saw. Within minutes there comes a great crack. And with the great crack comes a great toppling. Somehow, she finds it sad to watch such a proud and majestic thing drop. To see it’s vivid green branches meet the ground. She wonder if this is what it was like to watch her fall.

She gets to her feet and makes her way over to the smallest tree that she can find. Mimicking the arc of Hao-Bai’s arms to the best of her ability. And when axe meets three, the force of it vibrates down her arm and to her chest.

Her strike doesn’t deal as much damage as Hao-Bai’s had. She recalls that she has never really been one for powerful hits and jabs but rather subtle and effective ones. She is quick and nimble, she isn’t a tank like Hao-Bai.

Her work isn’t so quick and it takes several blows to create a worthy knotch. She is breathless by the time she begins to make use of the saw. And she breathes heavier still by the time she cuts it all the way through. When it falls it kicks up a satisfying aroma of damp bark and sap.

Every now and then Hao-Bai pauses his work to steal a glance at her. The burly man doesn’t seem to mind that she is only able to fell one tree for every three that he and his wife take down.

Azula find that even when she is through with her work she can hear it in her ears, a steady and rhythmic knocking. Her hands are well and calloused again and her muscles throb. She has to finish one last tree. Just one more.

By the time, Hao-Bai is satisfied with their haul, the crickets are waking and the night chill has begun to set in. She is covered in sap and smells lightly of sweat and heavily of resin. She hasn’t felt so sore since the last time she’d run through the hardest of her katas.

She huffs and has herself a seat on one of their newly chopped stumps. She fans herself with her hand.

“Here you go.” Min-Ta holds out a steaming bowl.

Azula takes it and cradles it in her palms, savoring the way it warms them.

“Thank you for your help. Means a lot.” Hao-Bai pats her shoulder. “Ya did good work.”

Azula nods. She stirs her soup and brings the spoon to her lips. She likes to think that she catches onto things quickly. She furrows her brows into her soup, strangely quickly. She wonders if she is better suited to be a peasant than a princess. Wonders if she had gotten it wrong all along, that she hadn’t been born with the divine right to rule, but rather the divine right to do literally anything but.

“I always heard that the Fire Nation did things differently,” Min-Ta remarks as though reading her mind, “I didn’t realize that royalty was trained to labor.”

“I’m self taught.” Azula shrugs. Though the labors of war must count as well.

“All the better.” Hao-Bai chuckles.

Azula hands her empty bowl back and wanders her way over to the caravan. The lumberjack begins tuning his guitar as she retires for the night. She unbinds her hair and curls herself up.

“You really wore her out.” Ta-Min laughs.

“The woman is a hard worker.” He notes.

She supposes that it is kind to fall asleep to compliments. It has been a while since she has. She falls asleep to a now familiar singing and the delicate strings of a pipa. Atsu and Caihong would have loved the melody. That day she learns to appreciate a day of hard work.

.oOo.

TyLee hands her a glass of water, “how are your crops?”

Azula gestures to them and frowns, “the strawberries have begun growing in the turnip garden.”

She isn’t sure how that could have come to be until she catches Sokka grimacing. “I might have mixed up the seeds, maybe.”

“How?” Azula grumbles. “Turnip seeds are a blackish red and strawberry seeds are more of a yellow-brown.”

“Does it really matter, they’re growing just fine?”

“They are supposed to be growing just fine in neat and separate crops.” Azula folds her arms over her chest.

“Or, they can grow happily together.” He wraps his arms around her torso and rests his chin on her shoulder.

“You can get as cuddly as you want, Sokka, that won’t change that you are a dreadful gardener.”

He kisses her neck. “I don’t need to be a good gardener as long as I am a helpful and supportive one.”

TyLee clasps her hands together, “you guys are so-o cute.” She turns to Mai, “they’re cute, aren’t they.”

Mai shrugs. “Sure.”

Azula wiggles her way out of his grasp, picks up a spade, and closes Sokka’s finger around it. “You are going to help me dig these up and plant them where they belong, with the other strawberries.”

“Is that even possible?”

Azula nods, “I’ve seen Seukhyun do it. As long as you don’t damage the roots…” She pauses. “Actually, I’ll worry about the strawberries, you dig me a few holes to put them in. They should be spaced approximately eighteen inches apart for ample growing room. Use a measuring tape if you must.”

He rubs the back of his head. “Geeze, you’re taking this gardening thing seriously.”

“Sokka, do you know what you get when you don’t take this gardening thing seriously?”

“What?”

“A dead strawberry field and complaining townsfolk.”

“There are no complaining townsfolk in this scenario.”

“I’m the complaining townsfolk, Sokka.”

The man sighs and she gives him a faux-innocent smile, a bat of her lashes. “Alright fine, eighteen inches apart.”  He hooks her around the middle again and gives her a gentle shake before taking the shovel. “You better appreciate my hard work.”

“Do a good job and I will.” Azula shrugs.

For a good while she simply observes his work. Only when she is satisfied that he is doing it to her liking does she begin carefully digging the strawberries out of their current places. “We’re going to need more turnip seeds to fill in the spaces left by the strawberries.”

“Then let’s go into town and buy some seeds.”

“We’ll finish here first.” Azula carefully plucks the first strawberry from its place and tucks it into the hole that Sokka has just dug. It is tedious and methodical work, but eventually she has the transplant done.

She stands up and dusts the dirt off of her knees and palms. Regardless she is going to need a bath. “Ready?”

“You’re not going to get all washed up first?”

Azula shrugs. “We’re going to the marketplace, not a prestigious theater.” She brushes a sweep of hair out of her face. The look on Sokka’s tells her that he is still unused to some of her more lax mannerisms. Though she is certain that it relaxes him.

.oOo.

Somehow he still has to get used to seeing her like this. Free and relatively untroubled. Confused and still hurt but able to smile. In one hand she holds her small burlap pouch of seeds, in the other is his hand.

Her touch is warm and somewhat calloused but soft all the same. Her personality seems to have a very similar texture.

He think that she enjoys being out and about, wandering the streets of Caldera city with a breeze in her hair. Especially now that she has grown accustomed to people gawking every  now and again. He is under the impression that they like to stare simply because she has only just begun making more intimate public appearances. It might also be that she is holding hands with a waterbender with a light dusting of dirt on her robes.

He listens to her has she explains her exact vision for their garden and how they should approach it, nodding and commending her perfect attention to detail. It is nice to see her being so enthusiastic about something.

Truth be told, he rather hated gardening. He never had to worry about it in the tribes and it always came hard to him. But he finds that he doesn’t have to pretend to be interested, her own delight is rather easy to cling to.

“We could also try planting bananas.” She muses. Though he isn’t sure if she is actually speaking to him anymore or if she is talking to herself. “But I heard that those are more challenging and I would like to--” She stops short and brings her walk to a halt.

“Why are we--”

She seems to study the crowd very intensely and his stomach squirms. Until now it has slipped his mind that there might still be people who harbor resentment towards her. But when she locks eyes, it is with a child. A small girl with ruddy cheeks, long hair, and vivid green, Earth Kingdom eyes.

“Rikka!” She shouts.

Azula’s face pales. Her hand goes stiff in his.

[moonlightflower21]

Let me go

A/N: some peeps asked for leo angst from that post i made two days ago. this is more like a drabble, it's pretty short. hope you like it.

unedited and rushed. sorry lol

"How could you say that??" Your voice trembled but it was firm, an angry glare on the turtle in front. "It's for your own benefit, Y/N. End of" his eyes were on the floor, arms crossed in a rigid position. Lately he had been acting so distant with you, for no reason at all. Any time spent together was him meditating or giving short answers. Your eyes widened a little at his arrogance and a scoff fell from your lips, stepping closer to him

"Look at me and say that Leo. Say that whatever we had doesn't matter, whatever we had didn't mean a thing to you" your own arms crossed around your chest, the lump in your throat growing bigger with every second of silence that went on. He raised his head, his eyes flickering with a soft emotion before remaining neutral.

"I don't love you anymore. It's best to end things now" he felt his heart being stabbed over and over when he saw your face. Shock, pain, betrayal, angry, sadness masked with a stoic expression like his. You wanted to scream, but what? Words failed you at a time you desperately needed them.

All you really could do was stare blankly at him hoping he wasn't able to see you crumbling down. It felt so surreal for him to say that, so easily block you out from him. You genuinely thought you both were the perfect couple, both of you were endgame. But the heart imagines things that aren't there and only the lucky ones get what they wished for.

"I gave you everything, and this is what I get? Not even an explanation, just a couple words??" You chuckled bitterly, swiping a tear away from your cheek. The overwhelming urge to scream at him came quick but you suppressed the want. He didn't deserve anymore of you.

"Y/N-" "Don't bother, Leonardo" you snapped and his body froze when he heard you say his full name. It was always Leo or some endearing nickname.

Taking a couple steps away you needed to create some space between him. His scent was flooding your nostrils and it was the last thing you wanted to smell. As you turned your back, he stepped forwards but decided against it. It was of no use, you wouldn't listen to him anyway. You struggled to keep the tears at bay because inevitably at any given moment, the dam would break and he didn't need to see the satisfaction.

"I hope I never fall in love with you again. I should've left when I got the chance" you uttered over your shoulder, breaking the remaining energy he had in himself. He only held his mouth open at your confession before you walked straight and out of his room without any second thought. He deserved it all, the hatred, anger and spite you held for him.

But you didn't witness him falling to his knees, the choked sobs leaving his lips, the pain swirling in his eyes. His world came crashing down but it was his heart that pained the most. And it only added further when he imagined what you were going and he wasn't able to console you.

But at least this way, Karai couldn't hurt you. You were safe from his world.

[divine-motion]

i’m having more of my tmnt au/2012 rewrite-ish thing so i’m gonna post this doodle of Karai and Leonardo bc it also summarizes one problem i have with 2012 and then the rest of my thoughts will be under keep reading

if you can’t read my handwriting/the quality of the phone picture is too bad: Karai: You ever think about how we’re in this mess just because our dads were fighting over a girl? Leonardo: ...... Y. Yeah. All the time.

yeah so obviously i don’t really like the reason for The central conflict of the series and shredder’s motivation to begin with, especially when they put in a much better reason in his backstory but still focused on “gorl didn’t like me back :(”

like really this guy devotes his life to revenge, kidnaps his niece, tries to murder several children, allies himself with colonizing aliens, and literally dooms the earth to destruction all because... he’s an incel. like i do like how crazy devoted he is to his revenge bc i love that stuff but with this it’s just kind of funny when it’s not supposed to be. so! i would change his motivation to what it should have been and is actually in the show, namely: the whole thing about the Hamato Clan taking him in as a baby after they launched a devastating assault on a Foot Clan village, where they found him.

they do add in a little bit of it but. it should’ve been his main motivation, not just an extra thing! it could’ve even made him something of a sympathetic villain! like how i would’ve done it, he finds out about his origins as being part of the Foot Clan and the fate of his home village, and is enraged that he’s been lied to his whole life. he questions the honor of the Hamato Clan since they clearly attacked civilians - this was a village, and there were clearly kids there, he wonders if he really was the only child there and how many were not given the same mercy he did - and his family were apparently killed in the attack. so he confronts his brother yoshi about it (not sure if i’d have yoshi know about it or not but his reaction remains the same). saki expresses his desire to have revenge, tear the Hamato Clan down since he doesn’t believe that it deserves to continue to exist, but that doesn’t mean yoshi has to die too, and asks yoshi to join him. of course, since saki wants to kill yoshi’s dad as revenge, yoshi refuses, the two fight, tang shen jumps between, house burns down, big ol’ domino brick effect.

i think he still has feelings for tang shen and while he’s jealous he leaves it be and remains best friends with tang shen, and her death at his hand drives him further off the edge. he takes in miwa/karai partially as a way to make it up to tang shen, though he knows it’s not enough. oh and also as a dramatic irony/more revenge against the Hamato Clan since that’s exactly what they did to him.

while he is entirely dedicated to eradicating the Hamato Clan he gets more and more obsessed with revenge as the story goes on. like i’m thinking of having leo and karai suggest a truce between the Foot and the turtles with the Kraang threat afoot and shredder actually ends up accepting bc he agrees they can’t let the Kraang win. maybe more bc he genuinely cares abt karai in his own way and wants there to be a world for her to grow up in (even though at this point she’s been trained as an assassin for her entire childhood but. well. he’s still a villain yanno. “this is how my adoptive parents treated me when i was growing up, i don’t see what the problem is.” “your parents who you hate?” “yeah. what of it.”). but then, later on, he would become entirely obsessed with revenge and not care about anything else that happens, probably after killing splinter and finding it brought him no peace or satisfaction

seriously what’s up with 2012 allying with the Kraang. how do you see that working out for you sir. sure he was expecting a betrayal but. still.

of course he takes opportunity of the truce to steal mutagen and Kraang tech while they can and makes sure to make use of the fact that the turtles can’t interfere in his business to make more weapon deals and gain more territory.

... hmm... i could... have tang shen live... potentially surviving the wound... and she and yoshi both believe that miwa perished in the fire, and they either get divorced or they both move to usa together and then yoshi gets mutated and tang shen is left alone, not knowing that her husband turned into a giant rat... i mean that’s just a potential thing. it sounds a little bit melodramatic and contrived but i think tang shen should get to survive sometimes and making splinter Epic Divorce Man would be funny. i dunno just a thought!

while we’re on the topic of Foot Clan stuff i might as well talk a little about other Foot Clan goons

bebop and rocksteady join way earlier. i care them ok. not sure if they’d still be anton zeck and steranko... idw and bay movies are peak bopsteady ok, and i like them being friends from the start! also for design changes i just don’t agree with bebop being skinny. he’s fat :)

Xever doesn’t get mutated, i like his human design more and there are, what, three major black characters in 2012 and they’re all villains and all get mutated? let xever be human!! he’d also be a bit more of a major and respected villain, a very Neutral Evil type, and makes a point to show he’s out for himself and for his own survival. if possible he’ll try to talk his way out of situations when he can and speaks in support of the truce i mentioned earlier because he’d prefer it if the earth was still inhabitable. karai proclaims that he is her favorite among her dad’s cringe henchmen but the only thing they bond over is their mutual disdain of bradford. he just thinks karai is kind of a brat, if a very skilled and dangerous brat.

while bradford/rahzar is a fairly formidable threat, there would be more emphasis on how pathetic he is. he’s chuck norris so he deserves it. also he’s like a 50 year old guy who acts so entirely devoted to shredder who’s. what. 39 years old? 40? he deserves to be dragged more

i’m thinking mr baxter stockman wouldn’t be mutated either, i like his human design a lot too. he would also be much less of a loser in this rewrite since bradford would take that role. instead, he’s just... an absurdly normal genius scientist/engineering guy who happens to be part of a really evil crime organization full of evil ninjas. he’s polite and eccentric, happy to have someone who finally funds his many inventions and experiments, even if that someone happens to be someone literally called The Shredder. however, while he is a nice man, he is rather impatient when people rush him with inventions. whenever shredder tries his usual “if you fail there will be consequences” it just doesn’t work bc baxter points out that failure is part of the process and that shredder absolutely needs him to make the inventions shredder wants.

karai is weirded out by baxter the most bc he just seems so normal

later on when karai goes double-agent to try and take the Foot Clan down from the inside: i trust baxter the least leo: it’s the sweater isn’t it karai: it’s just so pink, i can’t stop looking at it whenever we’re having an Evil Ninja Crime Organization meeting! do you know the tonal dissonance of seeing him next to The Shredder? and listening to shredder speak in grunts and growls while baxter just keeps a chipper tone?? i don’t think i’ve ever used the word chipper to describe someone before but with him, it’s the only word i can think of!!! leo: he is disarmingly pleasant. karai: right!!! he looks more like someone’s wacky dad!! the other day he literally told me a dad joke. i felt like i was light-headed

i don’t think i’d change tiger claw very much, if at all. maybe make him a little less invincible at times, and a little more regretful of the outcome with alopex.

i have more thoughts but this is. already several walls of text so i’ll end this nonsense post here

[jadethest0ne]

When the Moon meets the Morning, Chapter 1 - Fire under the Blood Moon

Summary:  Raphael is going on missions with Captain Jupiter as he always does when he meets an orange-wearing turtle yokai who feels oddly familiar.

Word Count: 2154

Ratings/Warnings: General Audiences; some minor harrowing moments, but mostly fluff, emotional overload, emotional manipulation, self-deprecation

Notes: A longer chapter this time! This was the first thing I wrote for this story. I do enjoy starting out with some action! Big thanks to @undercoverwizardninjaturtle, @fraymotiif, and @frasierverse for helping me workshop this.

Read on AO3 For the RotTMNT Fantasy AU

-----------

The thing about the Unforgiving North was that despite its reputation for being an icy snowscape it wasn't always cold and unforgiving. Sure the summers were maybe only a few weeks long and their spring was just an extended period of slush and snowmelt, but there was a time in the fall where the temperature was okay and not everything was covered in snow. Unfortunately, it was also a time where there was barely any rain either, and all the dry, dead leaves made all too good kindling for causing forest fires, much like the one that Raph had found himself in the middle of combating at the moment.

James Jupiter, the famed heroic bounty hunter, had gotten the call that the nearby forest had caught on fire due to some folks using mushroom fires irresponsibly. It was threatening the neighboring town of Bedu, as well as a group of small woodcutter huts and cabins that were within the forest's borders. As usual it was up to Captain Jupiter, his trusty sidekick Red Fox, and his protege, Raphael the “Red Angel of Preventing Harm” to save the day. Or the night rather.

Raph can feel his power swelling with the rise of the moon as he forms large red projections of his arms down a path among the trees blocking the flames to allow a family from one of the huts to pass through. Raph hears some screams behind him. He sees the Captain at the edge of the forest patiently directing everyone to safety with a confident smirk. The entire night he had been there greeting everyone that Raphael and Red Fox had brought out of the flames and giving them a strong guiding hand, letting them know that everything is going to be okay. Raph thinks wistfully for a moment what it must be like to have that confidence. He could use some of that right about now. He waits until he sees the family make it past the flames to dispel his corporeal magic into a smaller shield around himself. The heat is strong and he wishes he doesn't have his heavy cloak on him, but his shielding spell is at least enough to keep the fire at bay.

He turns towards where he heard the screams. He sees a child in a clearing wreathed with flames looking scared, with desperate eyes scanning the canopies. They look to be like some sort of squirrel yokai. He rushes over, batting away the flames with his magical aura formed into large hands as he goes.

When he reaches the child he imagines how the Captain would act in this situation and he puts on his most heroic face and states in his most heroic voice, "Don't worry, the Red Angel of Preventing Harm is here to save you!" The child stops crying momentarily and gives him a look of confusion. Raph falters. "Er, along with Captain James Jupiter..." That last part seems to make the child perk up and they manage a weak, tear-stained smile. They point a shaky finger up to the trees and say "My family is still up there!"

Raph looks up to see a literal treehouse, mostly in flames with at least half a dozen scared faces of squirrel yokai poking out. That's a lot of people, Raph thinks. It'll be hard to carry them all. But they're small, so Raph can handle it. Probably. With resolve and in a voice more confident than he feels, he calls to the family shouting above the flames, "Jump down! I will catch you!"

The yokai look at each other worriedly, so Raph lifts up his hands allowing his arm projections to expand and cupping his transparent red hands in a makeshift cushion for the family to land on. The family of, five, six, seven, Raph counts, leaps down into his waiting arms. As he lowers them to safety, he hears a cracking sound and sees the tree that the family just leapt from wobble dangerously. There's no time to wait for the family to get their bearings, so he just lifts them all up onto his broad shoulders, and grabs the child around the waist, and flings himself and the family out of the way of the collapsing tree; the rush of flames from the falling branches licking at his heels and tail as he runs. With him focusing on trying to carry the panicky family, it does not allow him much room to maneuver through the fiery forest, and his concentration on trying to avoid the flames prevents him from accessing his magic effectively. Still he does the best he can to move around the burning trees. He thinks he sees a path out, but then he hears a moan. Raph scans the forest and sees another young yokai - some sort of lizard - on the ground and looking very out of it. A nearby fallen tree branch tells him that maybe they got hit in the head. If Raph gets the family out of the forest, he may not be able to make it back to the lizard. But if he grabs the lizard, then both he and the folks he's carrying may not make it out. Raph doesn’t hesitate in his decision.

Raph rushes over to the lizard yokai, and, having no hands left to carry him, bends down and grasps a fold of his clothing in his teeth. Sometimes it's handy to have the strong jaws of a snapping turtle. There’s some more creaking from above and several large limbs from the trees fall down towards Raph and the people he’s carrying. There’s no time to dodge out of the way, and with so many people, he doesn’t think he can. So Raph stands his ground. His eyes darken over, and where his iris and pupil would normally be the shape of a blood-red moon appears, glowing even brighter than the fire surrounding him. He takes a deep breath, and wills his magic form around him. A red projection, mimicking his body’s shape and features, grows from him and surrounds both himself and the yokai he is protecting. Raph grunts as he forces the magic to hold as the blazing branches glance off of it. When the barrage of burning wood stops, Raph shakes off any errant cinders and dissipates his large red form.

He whirls around to try to get back to the path to safety but he can no longer see it. Everything is in flames now and the heat is really starting to get to him. The smoke is stinging his eyes, and he takes some heavy breaths through his nose, trying not to choke on the hot air or on his own rising anxiety. What would the Captain do in this situation? Would someone like him let a stupid fire stop him? Would he be disappointed at Raph for the tears threatening to spill over right now? They're from the smoke, not fear, Raph tells himself, of course, but his mind still conjures that disappointed look of the Captain in his brain. Raph has to remind himself to not bite down hard on the fabric that is in his mouth keeping the lizard yokai in place.

That's when he sees a flash of green through the blaze.

There's a section within the maelstrom of fire that contains no flames. A pocket of darker coolness that is inhabited by a freckle-faced yokai. He looks to be about Raph's age, maybe a little younger, and definitely much smaller. But he's wearing this brilliant smile and seems to be completely unfazed by the situation he's in. The boy cups a hand over his mouth and flames seem to come from it. Anger fills Raph’s gut and he's about to shout at the yokai as he momentarily thinks that the guy is adding to his troubles. However, Raph stops when he realizes that the kid is not breathing out fire, but sucking it in.

The yokai's already round face puffs out and becomes rounder as if storing the fire in his cheeks. The yellow freckles on his face stand out on his green skin, even among the yellow flames. The boy pulls in a deep breath, extinguishing enough of the fire to allow for a path out of the forest and to safety. Raph looks at the boy in wonder for just a second as he looks over cheerfully at him and winks. A sense of familiarity comes over Raph as he looks at the yokai. He's not sure why, but Raph is sure that he's a turtle yokai despite his orange clothes covering up where his shell would be. The smaller turtle yokai gives an "after you" gesture at Raph which snaps him out of his thoughts, and he quickly barrels through the burnt, but no longer flaming, woods.

He makes it out to where Captain Jupiter is still directing folks to safety. Once in the clear, Raph heaves a huge sigh of relief and lowers his load to the ground. The family of squirrel yokai scramble off of him and quickly go over to the Captain, excited to meet the famed hero. Captain Jupiter soaks in the praise and pats the heads of the younger yokai as he sends them on their way. Man, the Captain is so cool, just remaining calm this whole time, Raph thinks. He doesn’t even look like he’s got a burn on him - not even singed clothing! That’s in direct contrast to Raph’s soot stained clothes, and dirty face and claws, which he now feels somewhat self-conscious about as the Captain looks over to him.

The Captain gives Raph a toothy grin. "What have you got there, my boy," he says, smile fading into a grimace, "...in your teeth?”

Raph raises his brow realizing he’s still carrying the lizard yokai. He opens his mouth and gently places the young yokai in his arms, taking care to cradle his injured head. "Oh, um," Raph starts nervously. The Captain didn't like it when he used his more turtle-y features. "I, uh, ran out of arms to carry people with," he explains.

The Captain gives a discouraging look. “Remember, lad, ‘act like a beast, become a beast,’” he says tapping at his own teeth where Raph’s snaggletooth would be. He waves over his sidekick that Raph only just noticed was there, "Better let Red Fox take him then. Don't want you injuring him further, after all."

"Ah yeah," Raph says, wilting a bit as he lowers the lizard guy down to the sweet-faced red panda yokai in question. She’s also covered in no small amount of soot, and he can see some of her normally tidy auburn fur is lightly singed.

Red Fox looks up to him in concern and asks in her usual motherly tone, "Are you hurt?" She sniffs the air around him as if trying to discern his state by smell, causing the pink scar above her nose to crinkle and stand out behind the soot dusting her face.

Raph gives what he hopes is an encouraging smile and says, "Yeah, I'm fine." He gestures behind him to where he last saw the turtle yokai, saying, "It was really thanks to--" but he cuts himself off when he sees that no one is there. "Where did he go?" Raph asks himself.

There was a turtle yokai there, wasn't there? The smoke and fire hadn’t messed with his brain that much, had they? His thoughts are interrupted when he hears the Captain give his usual rundown of the situation. "Well that seems to be everybody, and it even seems as though the fire is dying down now, so that is some luck. All families are accounted for thanks to my steady guidance. Red Fox did well to listen to my commands, too. But kid, please do not rush off into the woods recklessly again, it may be too much to handle for a protege like yourself."

Raph’s shoulders sag under the Captain’s criticisms, but gives a "Yessir" all the same.

The Captain turns away to gather the victims of the fire to him, gaining statements and directing them to the necessary healing houses if need be. Raph watches on, and not for the first time tries to imagine what it's like to have such a leaderly tone that folks automatically respect.

He feels a warm hand placed on his own and he looks down to see Red Fox giving him a proud grin, "You did great out there, Raphael."

A smile spreads on Raph's face at her words and she gives a wink as she walks away with the lizard yokai in her arms.

Raph looks back at the once blazing forest, now mellowed out to a light flicker, and wonders what happened to the yokai that gave him a similarly kind wink and why he felt like he'd met the guy before…

<--previous   ///   next-->

[silverdragon-imagines-blog]

Counter Clockwise - Chapter 2 - Dawn of the First Day

[Here’s the next chapter of “Counter Clockwise” the second fic in my “Threatening Darkness” series. Again, I’d like to remind you to check the tags and warnings before you read this, just in case. And let me know if I need to change the tags as well. I hope you enjoy ^u^]

[WARNING(S):  Body horror, Trauma from past adventures, Emotional/mental abuse.]

Read it on AO3

The next morning, Time awoke to the sound of murmuring. It was quiet, coming from across the room where Twilight and Four had slept. He focused, feigning sleep while he tried to listen in

"-thing wrong"

"-world-"

"-memories?"

"-find them-"

Time decided it was enough, opening his eyes and getting up from the bed, halting the conversation in its tracks. He glanced at them, seeing both Twilight and Four looking at him worriedly as he reached to put on his armor and boots. Wild seemed to slowly be stirring, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

"Glad to see you're all awake." Time said, Wild flinching into alertness, "We should get moving soon. Wild, I'm sure you have something in that Slate of yours for us all to eat, correct?"

Wild nodded, grabbing the Slate and pulling out a few apples, passing a few around to everyone. There was no conversation as there normally would be during breakfast. It was too tense, they were all too nervous, though Time had no doubt that some of that worry was for him rather than their missing companions. Soon enough, they finished the meager meal, gathering their items up to leave. When they approached the Reception Desk, Time noticed Anju standing there, looking older than she had been, yet so much happier now than before. He so badly wanted to talk to her, but there wasn’t time. He needed to move on, needed to find the missing heroes, and quickly.

The clock was ticking…

They left shortly, exiting the building and leaving through the East Entrance to the expanse of plains that made up Termina field. In the distance, Time could see the looming form of the Stone Tower Temple, just as ominous and imposing as before. He shuddered, memories of the Garo and ReDeads that lurk there appearing subconsciously, along with the other horrors that occurred there. He shook his head, ridding the past from his mind if only for the moment, and saw his three companions looking at him.

"You know this place, right? Where should we go first?"

Time thought it over, Ikana was closest, that was true, but he could feel the dread welling up at the thought of stepping foot in there. They would be unprepared, not to mention the enemies that lurked there. It was just too risky. Snowhead was also not far away, yet that too would be dangerous with what little they had. Then there was the Great Bay...

"We're going to circle the town. Check the Great Bay first." he decided, and the others nodded, following Time as he began heading towards the beach.

It was just as he remembered it really, a vast beach of white sand with a flock of seagulls flying overhead. The Temple visible in the distance, and the fishbone guitar marking the grave and serving as a memorial to the departed Zora, Mikau. He must have hesitated upon seeing it, the flowers near it were fresh, as though someone had been there recently to place them on the sand, and Wild seemed to notice it too. The scarred teen walked past Time, moving closer to the memorial.

"Mikau, legendary guitarist of the Zora tribe..." Wild trailed off, a faraway look in his eyes.

Twilight must have caught on to the look the other had, realizing that his protégé could very well go into a memory here, and he pushed past Time to stand near him, a hand placed carefully on the teen’s shoulder. He looked back at Time, an unspoken agreement to stay with Wild until whatever memory he regained passed. With a nod of his own, Time and Four headed closer to the water, looking out at the Bay. Getting to the Temple, as that was the only place Time would think that one of their group would be, was going to be difficult. As it was, he couldn’t get there on his own, much less with a passenger.

Time could see the cave that led to the island where Lulu was, but he knew he would need to find a way to it through the water. And as far as he knew, Four couldn't swim.

"Follow me," he spoke, leading Four through the cave.

There were no monsters to greet them, which was a small mercy. Gazing out across the water, there would be no way for Four to come with him... unless...

"You can hold your breath, correct?"

Four nodded, though he seemed confused at the question. With that confirmation, Time reached into his bag, hand closing around the mask- no- the soul of the Zora musician. He put it on, instantly feeling the pain that comes with transforming his Hylian body to that of a Zora, and yet, it hurt worse than it had when he was on his second adventure.

He could feel his eyes changing to ones that were more suited to seeing through the water. Fins sprouted from his arms and sides of his face as scales grew to cover his body. His hands grew webbed between the fingers and his feet much the same. The armor he wore melted and changed to suit his new form better, the weight growing slighter.

As quickly as the pain came, it left. Time turned to Four, where he was standing open-mouthed in shock, and he chuckled at the sight before bending down slightly for him to climb on his back.

"As soon as I hit the water, hold your breath," his voice, mixed with that of Mikau's, warbling as the other Zora's voices did.

Four confirmed that it was fine again, and with a running start, Time's body hit the water. He tried to navigate through the water quickly, Four moving his hold around Time's neck for a better grip, attempting to not jostle his passenger with his sudden movements. He tried to be mindful of his passenger, moving quickly but trying not to jostle the other with his movements. As they got closer, he surfaced, letting Four take a few breaths while he determined the distance left to travel. He swam the rest of the way with his head above the water, letting Four get off at the beach of the small island.

As he climbed onto the island himself, his gaze landed on the Zora cloaked in purple standing near the center of the island, hands clasped at her waist. She didn't look any different than she had when he first met her, save for how she seemed much more at ease, less sad than she had been. She seemed surprised by the two, but as she looked at Time, she started smiling. There was no way to fool her, she had known that he wasn't her partner shortly after rescuing her children, and yet she hadn't seemed to mind that he had looked so like the departed Zora.

"It's nice to see you again, Link."

Time, still wearing the Zora mask, smiled.

"Likewise, Lulu."

Time got out of the water fully, moving over to her to explain the situation, how they needed to get to the Great Bay Temple. Four stood off to the side, gazing at the island they were on and to the far off island that had to be the temple. Turning around, he looked back towards Clock Town, eyeing the ominous-looking Moon hanging above the clock tower.

'Looks like the old man wasn't lying.' Blue huffed, and Four found himself agreeing.

There was something there though, he couldn't place what exactly was bothering him. As he zoned out, keeping his gaze on the top of the Clock Tower, he thought he saw a figure standing there underneath the moon. Too far away to see, and yet, he felt as though they were familiar though he couldn’t place why.

"Hey, Four, Lulu is gonna help us get to the Temple." Time spoke up, and Four snapped out of his thoughts, paying attention to Time.

The elder hero looked slightly worried as Four made eye contact with him, though it was harder to tell with how he looked now as a Zora.

"You alright?"

"I think so..." Four shrugged, turning his head back to the tower in the distance, "something just... feels familiar. Or at least, it feels off... It doesn't matter though. I'm ready to go whenever."

Time folded his arms, a flash of concern appearing on his face until Lulu began to sing behind him. Soon, rising from the water, a turtle as large as an island approached, palm trees on its back swaying with his movements. Time looked fond as the creature approached, and Four found himself smiling along with him.

"Four, this is the deity that protects the Great Bay."

The great turtle seemed happy as it saw Time, more so when he finally removed the mask. Four could see the relief on Time's face as he returned to his Hylian form. After a brief discussion, one that Four couldn't quite catch, they both were on the back of the turtle, heading for the Temple of the Great Bay.

Entering the Temple was the easy part. And that was the only part that was easy. Though the puzzles were all completed, and the way to the Boss Room was clear, the water made it difficult to move through it.

'We really should've learned how to swim' Vio helpfully supplied, Four rolling his eyes in response and accepting his fate of being carried through the Temple on Time's back, holding his breath when the other donned the Zora mask and swam through the maze of passageways.

As they reached the last platform, a spout of water between them and the Boss Door, Four spotted a familiar scrap of fabric on the ground near the door. Quickly jumping over to the platform the door was on, Time bent down and picked up the knitted blue fabric, torn and coming apart, with a single golden triangle still visible.

"Warriors was here."

Four could see the way that Time began to shake, clutching the scrap of Warriors' treasured scarf. It may not have been well-known amongst the group, but Four knew there was some sort of connection between the two. The way that both of them seemed to feel at ease with one another and the few pranks that Time had pulled on the captain... This must have been hard to take.

"He's going to be fine, Time," Four reaffirmed, and Time seemed to come back to himself, carefully pocketing the scrap.

“I know…”

They both stood, facing the door and with a nod, they entered, seeing a gaping hole in front of them. Time donned the Zora mask again, motioning for Four to follow. They both jumped in, landing feet first onto a platform surrounded on all sides by deep water.

There was no indication that Warriors was around, no way of telling where he could be. The room wasn't very big. Then, they heard a laugh. An echoing laugh that seemed to come from all around them, causing the two to whip their heads around, trying to locate the source.

Shadows began to surround them, coming out of the water and gathering into a more Hylian form. Soon, Dark Link stood before them, shadows obscuring his features except for the piercing red eyes.

"Well, well, well. Look who decided to join us." he spoke, beginning to approach the two, "I'm surprised that you managed to get this far, Hero of Time. You didn't feel crushed by the weight of your past?"

Time flinched at the words, and Dark's eyes narrowed in glee. The shadows began to lift from Dark's form, showing Warriors, scarf and all, save for the piercing blood-red eyes and the razor-sharp grin on his face.

"And now you're searching for him, isn't that right." Time began to shake as Dark changed forms again, looking just like Time had when he was in the War that had consumed Warriors' world.

"If you want your dumbass big bro so badly," his voice warped, sounding more like Time's had, "then come and get him."

The shadows exploded outwards, cloaking the room around them and blocking out any and all light. Dark's laughter echoed around them, putting the two heroes on edge, Time shaking in barely concealed horror.

'How could he have known that nickname? How did he know about that time in his life?'

"Time, we need to focus. C'mon, you need to help me out here." Four called out, backing into Time to grab at his arm. The other flinched for a moment, relaxing once he recognized Four.

"Just tell me what to do, Time." Four spoke again, letting go of Time's arm and holding out his sword. "We can take this guy."

"So you think, Hero of Minish," Dark spoke again, his voice much closer, almost as if he was next to Four, "And yet, you seem to be missing an important piece."

Four swung his sword in the direction of Dark, anger burning bright and blue in his arms and eyes. Instead of a cry of pain, however, there was a very. Loud. Shattering.

Four fell to his knees, the pieces of mind crying out as one of them spiraled into panic and guilt, the rest following. Time began to move in front of his downed companion, sword raised to strike at an unseen foe and protect the best that he could. There was no way to fight him, not now. There was just no way.

It was hopeless.

A small light began to shine, piercing the darkness. Time looked down at Four, seeing his sword shining with the four colors on his tunic. The other stood, seemingly unaware of what was happening. With a swipe of his sword, the shadows were cut and Dark's laughter ceased. The room was no longer obscured by shadows and sprawled out in the center of the platform at Four's feet was the unconscious form of the Captain.

Time felt distress crawl up into his throat, a strangled noise escaping him as he approached Warriors. He placed a hand on the others' neck, feeling a slow but steady pulse.

'Thank Hylia for this, for keeping him safe'

Time glanced back at Four, who still stood with a faraway look in his eyes. He looked tense, eyes flickering with different colors, enough that Time could tell something was wrong.

"Four?" he tentatively called out, and the other turned to him, still not back in the present, "Warriors is safe now, we need to get back to Twilight and Wild."

Four took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he did so. Then releasing it through his mouth. Repeating this motion a few times, Four seemed to regain his senses, opening his eyes to reveal their usual light brown color.

"I'm okay. It's okay," he mumbled to himself, sheathing his sword and then crossing his arms, gripping his hands into his sleeves as though holding himself. "'m sorry you had to see that..."

Time looked worried, reaching out a hand for Four to grab while he held on to Warriors with the other. Four grabbed his hand, the center of the platform erupted with light, and the two were whisked away.

When they opened their eyes again, they were back on the beach, Wild and Twilight running towards them where they had appeared. Warriors was beginning to stir, and the sun was starting to set in the distance. He stood, carrying Warriors as Twilight led them back to the Inn. Wild and Time stole glances at Four, still gripping at his sleeves, mumbling to himself. They could only worry.

[mykingdomforapen]

first light of dawn

Yvon has read more words than many have spoken in their lifetime. In several languages, too. He carries a book in his belongings even when they take up too much room, John Milton immortalised by sheets of paper. The works of poets and scholars can live on without a single utterance, their words and stories carried onward by black ink. 

Even so, when he reads, he reads out loud, so that he can taste the weight of them on his tongue, and hear them ride on the backs of breezes so that it carries forth, as if Paradise Lost is a pebble dropped in a still lake, and it ripples forward until it reaches the ocean. After all, the hemlock trees and the riverbank pebbles have no eyes to read; he does not tell anyone this, but he reads poetry from his little black book so that the forests can listen along, until they all can recite the stanzas nearly from memory. 

Hamish finds this politely exasperating. 

“Does it have to be Milton?” he says. 

Yvon does not look up from his book. 

“Have you got anything better?” he says. 

“I prefer Bradstreet,” says Hamish. “She isn’t quite as long-winded.” 

Yvon turns a page, but he permits himself a smile.

“That sounds like a personal problem,” he says. 

His companion scowls, but saves the rest of his protesting for later. Yvon defends Milton not out of favour. Milton is a master of the English language, naturally, and he retells ancient stories with fresh blood--a practise that Yvon finds familiar, even if the story itself is not. Milton puts into lilting verse the dark beasts in each man, and Yvon finds comfort in their company.

But no matter how many stanzas of the fall of Lucifer that Yvon can memorise, Milton is a lease more than a gift--the English have given Milton to him in exchange for gratitude and devotion. They think that the fact that he can read and write English is a testament to the victory of their presence in this land. Never mind that Yvon can speak about three different languages from his mother’s side, and has learned English and French on his own before attending Harvard. Sometimes, as he quotes, “Neither man nor angel can discern hypocrisy, the only evil that walks invisible except to God alone”--he hears the English pat themselves on the back, and the thoughtful words taste bitter. 

No, Yvon defends Milton simply because it irritates Hamish, and he finds that amusing. 

“Tell a story that I haven’t heard before instead,” says Hamish. 

The request makes Yvon laugh. Hamish has likely seen fewer winters than some of the bears wading in the river. There are thousands of stories he has not yet heard. Yvon closes his book, as he does not need it. 

“Then let me tell you about Wenebojo,” he says, and Hamish listens. 

-

When Yvon first met Hamish Goames, he expected to underestimate him. Hamish was young, barely past twenty-seven years of age, and he had that perpetual sullenness about him that only emphasised his youth. Yvon heard in passing that Hamish’s brother-in-law also worked for the Hudson Bay Company, which gave Yvon an amusing impression of a little boy tagging along with his older brother’s gang. 

“Hamish Goames,” he had said with the sort of tone one would reserve for a funeral. “At your service.” 

He had pale grey eyes, like the sky after a heavy storm had already passed, and his lips were constantly fixed in a worried line. He looked not the type that would last here. He seemed like someone who cared too much, and the Company wanted little to do with those sort. 

“Yvon Fitzpatrick,” Yvon said. “At the Company’s, or whoever is putting the coin in my purse.”

There was a hint of cautious curiosity in Hamish’s eyes as he tried to affix the French name to Yvon’s face. Yvon smiled in spite of himself.

“It is not my only name,” he said, “if that is what you were wondering.” 

Hamish had the right mind to look humbled. 

“What other names are yours, then?” he said. 

“I have given you one already,” Yvon said. “Don’t be too greedy.” 

Their colleagues of the Company laughed at Hamish. Don’t mind Yvon, they said. You won’t find it easy to understand him. He speaks in riddles.

But Hamish shook his head. No, he said. Yvon had spoken very plainly. You just don’t like to understand when you’ve been refused. 

Hamish was earnest, and honest men do not survive Turtle Island when they live among the English and the French. Yvon knew not to get too attached, but he already knew he would be sad to see Hamish go. 

-

Some of the Company do not hide their distaste of the Iroquois. Savages, heathens, uncivilised--white men come up with many dramatic synonyms just to declare someone different. 

“Skin crawls at the sight of them,” one Company man says, with a shudder. “Always feel their eyes on the back of my head when I go out. Can’t even take a piss without feeling watched.”

“I wouldn’t flatter yourself like that,” Yvon says. “There isn’t much to see.” 

Only Hamish hears him. Yvon knows this because he sees Hamish choke on his drink.

“Their lot wear nothing but skins,” says another. “And usually, just their own. Bloody mad.” 

Yvon resists to comment, because that is obviously bullshit. Especially in the dead of winter. The company he keeps do not resist to pitch in their two cents, because men will hallucinate rumours when they apparently have nothing better to do. 

“Oi, Richards,” says another. His eyes dart sheepishly towards Yvon with a semblance of discomfort.

“Who, Fitzpatrick?” says the one named Richards. “He’s different, isn’t he? Wearing britches and a proper hat, like a proper Christian man.” 

The man nibbles on their supper, satisfied with the answer. Yvon finds himself surprisingly disappointed. 

“And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed,” Yvon recites. 

The men’s heads turn to Yvon, as if only just now comprehending that he can hear them. Yvon regards their attention with a slight smile. 

“In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him,” recites Yvon. “Buck naked, too.”

Now all conversation has been silenced. Yvon is unbothered. Normally, he would carefully consider preserving the peace of the community, but that is apparently Anishinaabe priorities--which, according to the English, is not applicable to them. So Yvon does not give a shit. 

“It’s been a while since I studied all of your books,” he said. “But I think I remember correctly that it wasn’t until the devil got a hold of man did man start wearing underwear.” He shrugs and takes a bite of an apple. “But what do I know?” 

Richards sputters. 

“You are a sensible man, Fitzpatrick,” says Richards. “Now that you’ve come to live in our world, would you ever truly want to go back into the dark?”

Yvon crunches through his apple methodically. 

“Does that mean that you think you turn into the devil’s spawn every time you strip to take a bath?” he says. He rubs his nose for good measure. “That would explain much.” 

Someone snorts with amusement. Everyone’s head turns to see who it was, but whoever it is covers themselves quickly. Yvon has a sneaking suspicion he knows who it is, because when he excuses himself to walk along the creek, Hamish leaves the group and follows him.

-

Hamish is naturally inquisitive. Behind the glower and the monotone is a young man in a new world who wants to know everything about the rivers, the mist in the mountains, the incense of a burning hemlock. It turns out that Yvon is the only one who has the patience to temper that curiosity. 

“How can you tell it is a hemlock?” he asks, and Yvon shows him the hair-thin white stripes on the back of its pines, and the tough mushrooms that sprout from the jagged bark.

“What are your stars’ stories?” he asks, and Yvon tells him of Biboonkeonini, and the coming frost ahead. When the mornings grow colder, and Hamish has to blow into his hands to feel his fingertips, Yvon hears him mutter complaints of the Wintermaker. It makes Yvon snort. 

“Do you have a family?” he asks, and Yvon says, That’s enough questions for today. He spoons an extra heap of beans into Hamish’s bowl, and it shuts him up, for now.

-

Yvon still dreams of his mother. She looks the way he last saw her, before he left for Harvard. She is cooking soup of wild rice for him, even though he is grown and can look after himself. I do not know when will be the next time I can share a meal with you, she says. 

He is no longer dressed in coats and stiff boots. He sits cross-legged beside her; there is no book of Englishmen’s words in his bag, no musket around his shoulder. He speaks in his mother’s language, and in his dreams he never stumbles over his words. 

In his dreams, she is just about the same age as he is now. She had departed at least twenty-five years ago. The fires have died down, the tobacco reduced to ash, the grief internalised. And yet his mother returns, and brushes the hair behind his ears as if he is small again. 

I’ve gone too far, haven’t I? he asks her.

She smiles. She calls him by the name the elders gave him. It is only in dreams now when anyone calls him such. He holds his breath for the morning when he will wake up and forget what it is. 

How far can you possibly go, she says, before you can never come westward? My son, you can never go far enough that you cannot come to me one day. Follow the setting sun, and you will. 

Before her hand can touch his head, he wakes up, twenty years older, in white men’s clothes with a white man’s name. 

-

Yvon is reminded of his mother by the snowfall, when he presses a handful of the freshly fallen winter against his cheek. Hamish remembers his mother through his sister. 

He carries the miniature of his sister’s face wherever he goes. Yvon initially assumed her to be his wife, and when he made a passing comment with that belief, Hamish narrowed his eyes and protectively shifted the miniature away. Alice is my sister, he said mulishly. Although any man would be lucky to have her. Which makes Randall an idiot. 

“Isn’t she beautiful?” Hamish would say when he showed Yvon the miniature. And Yvon would agree to be polite. 

From what Yvon gathers, Hamish’s mother had passed not long after he was born. Alice was his close companion as together they navigated a childhood coloured by London fires, tumultuous revolutions, and an imposing father. Yvon risks to ask, and Hamish pretends he does not hear. Yvon does not push. Neither of them want to speak of their fathers. 

“It’s strange to think,” Hamish says once, in a rare moment of honesty, “that with an ocean between us, she and I do not share the same sunrise or sunset.” 

The simple longing makes him seem childlike, which Yvon does not tell him this because Hamish becomes defensive easily. 

“Well,” Yvon says. “It’s still the same sun, isn’t it? Or do you English believe we don’t even share that?” 

Hamish smiles wryly. He does not protest. 

-

“Waaseyaa,” his mother calls him, in his dreams. 

He wakes at the first light of dawn, and so he remembers. 

[aurora-the-kunoichi]

Aftermath Part Two

Here is part two of my apocalyptic TMNT story Aftermath

Read full story here

Raphael and Reader

The next morning came quickly bringing the morning sun streaming though the blinds. After the long drive sleep had come rather quickly but you had woken up at least 4 times thinking you heard voices. It had to have been your head playing games again, like it always did. God someone to talk to would be nice.

A modest breakfast was made and consumed allowing you to get out deeper into the city earlier than later. You wanted to get a few miles covered before lunch with a quick trip back to the camper with your goodies then a later afternoon trip before you settled in for the night. You never wanted to be out past dark in the city nor more than 5 miles from home base, just in case.

The first few houses gave very little to your supply cart, a few canned goods, a small supply of liquor and an interesting medical book that wasn’t in your library already. But off in the distance on top of a 4 story apartment building shined a beacon of hope. The sun hit it just right, a rectangle mirror of solar energy, oh happy day! Already this trip was proving to be worth it, as long as the panel wasn’t damaged.

As your reinforced cart bumped and thrashed along over the uneven pavement you hurried your pace, if you were lucky you could get it unhooked and off the roof before lunch.

The door to the building was already toppled over, the earth’s moister taking care of the unmaintained door hinges. You took extra care climbing over the rotting wood door making a mental note to try and remove the old intricate door handle before you left, the carved metal was exquisite.

Inside was a complete mess, the roof had failed years ago and there was a hole eaten away by the elements from the roof to the main floor. Thankfully the decomposing floors looked to be far enough away to keep the integrity of the stairs intact….mostly. You wanted…no needed that panel and by god you weren’t going to let a little rotting wood keep you from the very thing you came to New York for.

Each step you took up those steps was taken with extra care. Each foot set down adding pressure gradually listening for creaks and groans from the wood. The first three flights gave no trouble but the fourth gave some protest to the added weight. Thankfully nothing crumbled beneath you and you reached your destination. The roof access door was rusty and gave some resistance but a few shoulder slams broke the rust sediment allowing you access to your prize.

There it sat, a fully functioning (but dirty as fuck) solar panel ripe for the picking. Kneeing down to accesses how the panel was connected you pulled your tools out and got to work.

A few minutes into the process your heart skipped a beat hearing sounds that you hadn’t expected. The rusty door to the roof creaked open and the sound of shoes grinding down gravel into the roofs surface brought everything rushing to the present. You were no longer alone, ten years of solitude and now you weren’t so sure you were ready for company.

“Hey there beautiful, whatcha doing?” a not so pleasing voice crooned just behind you.

Yep not ready at all.

With a shift of your hips your hand slid down your calf resting on the hilt of your hidden blade and your other clutched your wrench just a little tighter. Slowly you rose from your knees turning to view your first look of a human in 10 years, keeping your blade to your back.

Five, there were five dirty gross looking men standing at your only exit off this building, and the way they were eyeing you up didn’t bode well for a peaceful interaction.

“We haven’t seen you around here before? We know every body who walks these streets. It’s always nice meeting new people in the area, you know, get to know them.” The man with a beard dressed in dirty cargo pants and a black t-shirt coed stepping closer. You watched his smile widen revealing a brown rotting set of teeth. Thankfully he was far enough away for now to keep the smell at bay.

“Donavan is really gonna like her.” One sneered under his breath to his friend unaware that you hadn’t been accustom to other people talking for quite awhile so his subdued speech came in loud and clear to you.

The sudden need to leave rose rapidly but you were unsure if you could take all 5 of them, maybe two……maybe. It had been a while since you had spared with another person so you could only guess your hand to hand skills were a bit rusty.

The one with the beard broke you from your thoughts and you stepped back unaware he had moved closer…..shit.

“What do you need the panel for sweetheart? Ain’t no one used that kind of technology since the virus wiped out most of the planet?” his eyes were soft but his body language was stiff and on edge, he was getting ready to pounce.

“A table.” You blurted out quickly. “I’m gonna make a table out of it. Wood rots, glass doesn’t, plus I like the design.” The lie was weak but you put on your best ‘I have no idea what’s going on’ smile and shifted your body in a defensive crouch.

“Hey, I know it can be lonely out here, why don’t you come back with us. We got food, a safe place to sleep and people starting over in life. We have our own little society, where people live in harmony.” His hand came out reaching for yours, fingers curling for contact.

“I appreciate the offer fellas, I really do, but I think I’m good on my own. I’m just gonna take my new table top and head back home. I’m fine though guys, you can head back to your new society.”

All at once all five moved, encircling you, eyes dark with dubious intent. “You see honey, we have to insist, you see, this is end times and its our duty to replenish the human race. We need more woman in our ranks, it’s your job as a woman to carry our children. And you’re a very pretty little lady and Donavan likes them pretty. We’ll get a handsome reward for handing you over.”

Ice water flooded your veins, fucking great, they wanted you for breeding? Fucking breeding?! Your mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, what do you say to that? ‘Sorry fellas I’m not interested in your dirty cocks and baring your bastard children’? Would that work? Probably not…

Before you could retort, two of them moved, faster than you anticipated. You were able to dodge the first assailant and the second caught you around the waist and took you down with an angry huff.

You quickly rolled backwards with the momentum extricating yourself from his grimy hands and rolled back to your feet. Hands up you readied for another attack and it came with a howling roar.

The bearded man came next swinging wildly like an untrained baboon. You spun on your feel sending the back of your foot into the side of his cranium getting an undignified squeak from the man. The neanderthal of a man went down like a sack of potatoes and the rest of his crew were unimpressed by your actions.

“Brad! You fucking bitch!”

Adjusting your footing you turned to the angry mob and spat on their comrades unconscious body, “Not so fun when your prey can fight back is it?” You hissed angrily keeping each one in your sights. “You make me sick, abducting woman for your pleasures against their will. Is this what is left of the human race? Rapists? I want no part of your new society!”

“Grab her! Donavan will enjoy breaking this one. He likes them feisty.”

They came again but your growing anger made you more focused. The first one came easy, your hand came out swiping the business end of your blade across the mans cheek distracting him with pain. Your foot slamming down on his knee sent him howling to the ground next while his second friend came at you screaming like a god damn banshee.

“Dude what is your problem?” He was easy to subdue, flailing about like an octopus on crack. You ducked as he roared over you landing on his face in the gravel. While he rolled to his back a quick punch to his temple sent him directly to dream land. Three down, two to go, go you!

The last two were not as easy to outwit unfortunately. One moved in front and the other moved to the back, both coming at you at the same time. The first few minutes of the struggle were in your favor but it had been years since you had, had this much physical activity so you weren’t fairing so well as the fight continued.

Shit.

One sloppy move and you were down, both males covering your body with theirs pressing you face first painfully into the gravel. One of them grabbed your hand and slammed it it repeatedly into the ground making you lose grip on your knife sending it flying a few feet in front of you. The wrench was next.

“We got you now you little cunt.” One of them growled into your ear shifting this body in between your thighs. “Maybe I’ll take the first ride as my payment?” His hips began to gyrate into your backside making you uncomfortably aware of his growing excitement.

“Get off of me you fuckers!” This couldn’t be how it ends, your freedom lost over your need to better your life. Your first interaction with humans in 10 years and you were about to be raped? Enslaved to pop out baby after baby?

Then the atmosphere changed on the roof. Four heavy thuds were heard behind you stilling the men on top of you.

“I don’t think she likes to be touched fellas, maybe you should let the pretty lady go.” A deep voice growled just behind you, a thick Brooklyn accent on the tales of his words.

One man got to his feet and stopped mid sentence, “And what are you gonna do abo……..fuuuuccck.”

“What is it Chet?” The man still pinning your down squeaked at his partners sudden loss of words.

“It’s them.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“Fuck.”

“Yep.”

All of a sudden the weight was gone and you took the opportunity to get to your feet. You came face to face with the terrified gazes of your final two assailants trembling in fear.

Ever so slowly you turned around and every ounce of breath in your lungs came out all at once in a excited wheeze. There before you stood four gigantic turtles standing on two legs and tree trucks for god damn arms. Each one dressed in black pants with different attire adorning their upper bodies. Wrapped around each of his their bald crowns sat different colored bandanas and each held what looked like ancient Japanese ninja weapons.

They must have been seven feet tall weighing nearly 400 pound each. They were intimating as hell but something about them sent a warm familiar rush of heat throughout your body. Especially the big red one that was currently eyeing you up. He was the biggest of the four and the swing of his hips as he neared made your mouth dry.

Out of habit you took a few steps back as he advanced still unsure of the new additions intentions. You were beyond intrigued but your track record for the day wasn’t the greatest.

“Hey, hey wait stop moving.” He called reaching out but it was too late. The ground beneath you gave way sending your body hurtling to the ground floor crashing against the rotting floor boards and trusses as you fell.

As the floor came rushing up to meet you, you saw the red turtle come down after you trying desperately to stop your descent. But his efforts were for not as you hit the ground succumbing to the darkness.

Every once in a while you would hear voices as you rolled in and out of consciousness. Soft but unknown voices floating over you.

“Is she gonna be alright Don”

“She should be, she has a concussion and a sprained elbow. God knows she should be dead, but thank the gods for those other floors slowing her fall. It could have been a lot worse.”

You tried to open you eyes but the pull of sleep was too great but before it took you honey colored eyes and red engulfed your vision before the darkness came claiming you.

@blossom-skies

[peace-coast-island]

Diary of a Junebug

Happy Floral Mail and thrifty gyroids

This past week has been super busy with preparation and launching - the good kind of hectic. Daisy Jane finally did it! After months of designing products and watching various videos on how to run a shop, Happy Floral Mail has launched!

Less than a day into the launch and the response has been awesome - almost fifty orders as of right now! She's a bit overwhelmed, as expected, but it's nothing she can't handle. I'm so happy for her!

To celebrate the launch of Daisy Jane's shop, Reece, Cyrus, Isabelle, and I planned a gyroid event to coincide with that. It's a thrifty, vintage themed one, inspired by Daisy Jane - a well kept surprise that was worth the wait! Daisy Jane's been working hard designing gyroid themed furniture for the past several months so we wanted to do something to show our appreciation.

It's still hard to believe that Daisy Jane's dream is coming true. For years she dreamed of opening a shop where she can sell her art, something she was discouraged from doing because it wasn't practical.

She had a rough time after finishing school, from bad art blocks to struggling with feelings of inadequacy because she's not where she's supposed to be - eventually it wore her down so much that she decided to leave home. Then she spent most of last year lost and wandering, later settling in a place that wasn't doing her much good other than isolating her. Things didn't really turn around for her until she joined us at the camp, and from there, her creativity and inspiration came back in a flood.

Since then, Daisy Jane has been working hard to improve her art, stepping out of her comfort zone by doing art challenges, designing gyroid themed furniture, learning how to use various digital art programs, and much more. Her art has evolved so much, it's amazing to see how much she has grown this past year!

And not only that, but I think Daisy Jane's become more confident. She's a lot more certain about what she wants and is willing to go out and try new things. Now that she's away from her family, I feel like Daisy Jane has flourished. Her family's nice but they're the kind of people who kinda make you feel bad for not meeting their high expectations. Her mom has always been the most supportive in terms of Daisy Jane's art but she doesn't take her aspirations seriously. As for Mae, she seems to have double standards for who she considers to be successful - in other words, she holds Daisy Jane to a much different standard compared to her friends.

As much as her family pushes her to be successful, they also stifled her as well. Daisy Jane's mom is the kind of person I'd describe as old fashioned and traditional, but willing to be educated and change her ways. My mom's similar like that, though I think she's a bit more open minded than Daisy Jane's, or at least I have a closer, more open relationship with her. Daisy Jane's mom congratulated her on the launch, which was sweet. I don't know if Mae knows yet, but when she does, I'm sure we'll hear about it.

In between processing orders, we went gyroid hunting, which helped Daisy Jane take the edge off the launch. Of course, it's not a gyroid event without guests so Almie, Dottie, and Gladdy arrived yesterday to throw a surprise pre-launch party for Daisy Jane. It's been forever since I've hung out with Gladdy and Dottie so it's nice to see them again.

Emmaline and Minnie also dropped by via video chat at the party and then made a huge order of stickers as soon as the shop launched. Most of the orders so far have been made by friends and it makes me so happy to see how supportive we all are of each other. A part of me kinda hoped that I'd be the first to make an order but Emmaline beat me.

I didn't realize this until now, but this is the first time Dottie's seen the camp. A long while back we talked about a possible Lilacs and the Cadillacs reunion for Concert in the Stars, which ended up never happening for various reasons. Maybe there's still hope but to avoid disappointment, I'd rather not bet on it. Gladdy visited once about two years ago while Cali and Lilac have yet to drop by.

Gladdy's been doing a lot better since he last visited, which was when he was going through a rough time. He's still hurt about what happened to Janie but he's slowly bouncing back. After leaving Dove City he stayed with his parents until he could get back on his feet. Now he's living in Aurora Bay and touring with The Thunders, an indie band that's gotten a lot of traction lately after one of their songs broke through the Top 40.

Dottie's doing well too, having been touring with her band Sunflowers for over two years as their lead singer. They have an album coming out later this year and they've been making their way up on the charts. Life's been busy for her but right now the band's taking some much needed time off so she figured now would be a good time to visit the camp. I knew she'd like it, especially the beach.

And of course, Almie's here because he wants to support his best friend. He was the one who encouraged Daisy Jane to leave home as well as taught her how to stand up for herself against people who mean well but end up doing more harm than good. Now that Pippa's been hanging out with Luna and Mariposa and her latest blood work has been looking good, he and Daisy Jane have been keeping in touch more often. Daisy Jane also promised to make him her assistant when her shop grows so we'll definitely be seeing more of him at the camp!

Unlike the last gyroid event, this one was a lot less stressful. Aside from preparing for Happy Floral Mail's launch, everything else just fell into place. The event itself was pretty low key - we didn't make a big show of it so it's been kinda quiet, which was partly intentional. After all, we didn't want it to take away from the shop launch and it's also not as extensively planned as other gyroid events so that's why it hasn't been really hyped up. Since it was a big thing for Daisy Jane, we wanted to keep it within the camp, something just for us to celebrate.

A gyroid hunt's a good way to introduce friends to the camp. Aside from it being a good way to catch up, it's also a good way to show them around. Dottie enjoyed collecting seashells while Gladdy took an interest in bugs and fish. What I love about the camp is that there's something for everyone - flowers, fruit, scenery, wildlife - it's always so interesting to see who gravitates towards what.

At the creek there were a bunch of turtles hanging out and they were super cute! They're seasonal creatures so I don't see them often, and when I do, I can't help but drop everything to watch them. I think it was a family of turtles judging from the size - one big one and a bunch of smaller ones. Since we had a picnic set up, we gave them some fruit to munch on.

Another highlight of the day was sailing with Gulliver and taking a quick trip to an island to get some gourmet treats. The weather was perfect for sailing so Gulliver was looking for an excuse to take out the boat. So we were gone for a couple hours and in that time Daisy Jane received a bunch of orders. As soon we got back, we headed to the cabin and helped Daisy Jane print sticker sheets and package orders.

Then it's back to the main campsite where Almie and I proposed a toast to Daisy Jane and Isabelle and Tom Nook surprised her with a cake. We also crafted a bunch of gyroid stuff and made good progress on that. Everyone really dug the thrift shop aesthetic and that inspired Daisy Jane to work on another gyroid theme for a future event. Almie's planning to craft more gyroid stuff for his sister while Dottie's looking forward to a room makeover.

Overall, today was a great day and tomorrow we'll be packing more orders and collecting gyroids. I still can't believe Happy Floral Mail is now a reality and it went off with a bang!