#everybody else has the turtle brows

[clownfuckerfridays]

hey tmnt fans... I’m new to tmnt and I gotta know: why does donnie have eyebrows in rottmnt but nobody else does?? does he draw those on?? ...on top of the mask??? genuine question here I am so curious

[azucanela]

LOST IN SILENCE PT.1 [ZUKO X READER]

PART 2: FOUND IN DISSONANCE | PART 3

SUMMARY: Silence had always been a means of comfort for Zuko and Y/N. Until one day, it wasn’t. 

WORD COUNT: 1.1k

WARNINGS: kiss :o, mentions of violence, bad writing

A/N: this is bad but its fine because we all love zuko <3

If Y/N had to describe their… relationship, she would say it was mostly made up of silence. The looks they shared when no one else was paying attention, the way their fingers brushed as they walked down the halls of the palace in the fire nation, the raised brows whenever Azula did something questionable. It was the silence that came when he fed turtle ducks and she sat under the tree reading a book, and it was the silence that engulfed them when his mother disappeared and she held him in her arms as he cried.

Of course, they spoke of their hopes and their dreams and everything in between. Y/N knew his favorite color, to what he would change about his beloved nation that he was supposed to rule someday. He knew her wish to simply run away to travel the world, and every single one of her favorite books. She knew his silent dream for the end of this century long war, his dream for the end of the violence and the death. The dream that would ultimately end every dream he ever had and his childhood.

But it was the comfort that Y/N had found in their silence that made her realize that they weren’t just friends. Not anymore.

She adored the silence because it represented what they shared. The unspoken words, the words that don’t need to be voiced because they understood each other so deeply that they simply weren’t necessary. He didn’t have to say it for her to know. And neither did she.

When he was banished, the silence they shared spoke more words than she ever could to try and convey how she felt, to try to comfort him as she helped him change the bandages over his eye. It was how he held her hand as he promised he would bring them home when he found the avatar. When he found his honor.

His new dream.

And Y/N hated this new dream of his. She hated herself for not telling him that he didn’t lose his honor when he was banished, he lost his honor when he lost himself in the sea of overwhelming pain. She hated herself for not telling him that it was not his fault, that a real father wouldn’t have challenged his own child to a duel, wouldn’t have banished him. But they were children at the end of the day, children who didn’t understand what they felt for each other, children who didn’t understand that this was wrong. Children who didn’t know the nation they had been raised in was simply on the winning side of history.

And the winning side always writes history.

She hated herself for not hearing his cries for help in the silence, and for not hearing the warnings of his betrayal.

She wasn’t supposed to matter. She was supposed to be his guard, and his guard alone. Raised to ensure the crown prince would live to see the day he became the fire lord. They had taken her from the Southern Water Tribe as a child, due to her raw talent for water bending,  for this purpose and this purpose alone. But Zuko never liked treating servants the way Azula did, his mother had taught him better. So when he was banished, Y/N went with him. She watched as he broke down at the hands of failure, and watched as he let go of the avatar and found a new life in Ba Sing Se.

It was in the silence that she revealed her dream. Just the two of them, Iroh had been doing work at the tea shop they’d manage to score work at, now they sat in their less than favorable apartment, laughing over a pot of tea.

Zuko was silent for a moment, looking into Y/N’s eyes as he placed his cup down on the table and sighed. “I’m sorry.” He ran a hand through his growing hair, looking up to see her puzzled face, brow raised as she watched him. “We should be at a palace right now, with actual beds, and good food and-”

Her lips met his, as she’d decided this would be the best way to shut him up. Her hand gently placed on his cheek as she brought him closer as his hands found their way around her waist, deepening the kiss further before she pulled away, his lips still chasing hers. As soon as he opens her eyes, he watches her in awe as when she speaks to him, “this is everything I ever could have wanted Zuko.” Her forehead falls against his, “I always dreamed of running away and now that I have-” a smile breaks out on her face, “I’ve never felt more free.”

As their eyes met in the crystal cave, everything became clear for her. They didn’t have the same dream. And though he broke down at the hands of failure, he never built himself back up. And now, he’d betrayed his uncle, the only other person who had supported him through it all. They were still children, but she had grown, and she understood now. Watching the avatar fall from the air, she understands what she must do.

She had known since the day the moon fell from the sky.

Y/N watched as Zuko fell unconscious quickly after attempting to pick a fight with a water bender in a land of snow on the night of a full moon. “Smart move, Zuko.” She grumbled, moving to pick him up from his place in the snow. 

Katara steadied herself for another fight but Y/N waved her off, “I see no reason to fight a fellow member of the Southern Water Tribe. And besides, someone has to save the moon.” She pulls Zuko’s body up, bringing his arm around her shoulders as she carries his weight to the best of her ability. “And there are so few of us left, whats the point?” A sigh escaped her. 

Her mouth had gaped open at this, “what? You’re from the Southern Water Tribe? I thought I was the only one- What are you doing with the fire nation?” She exclaimed trying to move closer, but Y/N shook her head causing her to pause. 

“It’s pretty obvious you don’t necessarily agree with what you’re doing.” The Avatar pointed out. “This isn’t the first time you’ve spared us.” 

He was right, Y/N had always been lenient toward the Avatar. As loyal as she was to Zuko, she wanted the Avatar to do his job. A world without war was something everybody should want, and though Zuko was still still blinded by the teachings of the nation winnings the war, she was not.

Y/N simply shrugged. “Perhaps that’s true. But I’m afraid I won’t be joining your little gang.”

Katara was insistent, “Don’t you understand what they’ve done to our people? How could you work alongside such… monsters!”

Y/N narrowed her eyes at them, “you should go.”

And so, with the flick of a wrist, water caught the Avatar, but it wasn’t Katara who had bent the water. And it wasn’t Katara who caused a giant wall of ice to rise between the Avatar’s body and the fire nation soldiers. From Zuko. Because maybe they were monsters. Maybe she was a monster too. 

The shock and the pain in his eyes didn’t go unnoticed by her as the wall rose, but she wasn’t sorry for her betrayal. 

Because in that moment Y/N found only discomfort in the silence. She realized they weren’t friends. They were far less than that. They were nothing.

[aliaslua]

Are they?

Leonardo x Reader

Summary: The family it’s starting to question the strange behavior between you and Leo. Michelangelo has a plan to figure everything out.

Category: Fluff

WARNINGS: None c:

A/N: Thank you once again to the kind nonnie that waited patiently for this! <3 Thank you for the ask, this was really fun to write <3

“What’s wrong with her?” Raph asked impatient after you left suddenly for the third time that week. 

Michelangelo raised his shoulders confused as well. Something was wrong and they all knew it and if nothing was wrong then something was... changed. 

You were always a bit shy, more quiet then loud and very discreet, reserved, but recently your restrainment had shifted into dissipation. It had been a while, maybe three weeks or so, that your visits to the lair started to become more and more scarce and when you came, you spent most of your time quietly blushing while staring at the ground, more than that - all of them realized how giggly you were, and in some days it looked like you were… shining. 

“You're kidding, right?” Donatello raised his brows to the brothers. “You have no idea what's happening?”

“Uuuugh… No.” Mikey said. 

“She’s seeing someone.”

“WHAT” Raph gagged “As in… dating?”

“Why are you whispering? Yes… I think she’s dating someone. Well, she’s certainly spending most of her free time with somebody else and this giggly, shy, nervous behavior it’s exactly how April acted as she was starting to date Casey.”

A brief silence established between then while the idea sinked in. You? Seeing someone? Well, deep down, they all knew that day was coming, you were beautiful, captivating, patient, cheerful… If asked, all three of them would say that anyone would be lucky to have you but the turtles absolutely weren’t ready to deal with all the feelings of having to share you with someone else. What if they weren’t good enough for you? What if they had bad intentions? What if they break your heart? Raphael was deftly ready to kill the next person that made you cry, no questions asked. 

“Hm…” Mikey said suddenly, “...funny you say that.”

“Hm?” Raph looked at him, pulled away from his plains to kill your hypothetical lover

“Well… April only acted like that when Casey was around… But Y/N is like that when she’s HERE… Which means…” He looked at his two brothers gathered around that kitchen table “ONE OF YOU IS A CASEY”

“What?” Raphael couldn’t hide the disdain in his eyes “Whata hell you’re talking about.”

“Well why would she act strange around us if it weren’t one of us, the object of her interest” He said, putting an emphasis in his last far-fetched words. 

That was one of those rare moments when Mikey actually had a point. And a good one. Suddenly, they stared at each other trying to figure out which one of them was your secret lover, the tension started to build as they tried to unveil the truth in silence. 

“IT ISN’T ME.” Mikey yelled

“Stop screaming!” Donnie ordered “It’s not me either.”

“DON’T EVEN LOOK AT ME!” Raph also yelled, ignoring his brothers request “Y/N IS FAMILY TO ME”

“Why are we yelling at each other!?” Donnie sighed, frustrated “This doesn’t make any sense anyway. We have no evidence she’s even dating anyone, even less one of us-”

“Hey guys I am going on patrol…” Leonardo suddenly appeared in the kitchen, sneaking behind everybody else, “Nothing serious it’s just some burglar and… Well, I’ll be back in like an hour or so.”

“It’s day time.” Mikey commented.

“Oh… Uh… Yeah…” Leo gasped briefly “B-but it’s super simple and I feel like going out and… Well I’ll be super careful. See you at dinner, I'll bring pizza.”

He left so quickly none of his brothers had the chance to add anything. The silence that rose in that room was enough to explain anything. 

“You’ve gotta be kiddin me.” Raph couldn’t even hide his jealousy.

________________________________________________________________

You giggled while he held your waist. Hidden on a rooftop far away from civilization and his brothers, you shared a picnic.

“No, Leo!” You laughed again as he got closer and closer, offering that strange delicacy he held with a hashi “It doesn't even look like real food” you added.

The smile on his face was enough to melt everything inside you, “Come on Y/N… It’s so good I swear you gonna like it…” 

You tried to contain your smile but you couldn’t, “Close your eyes.” He ordered, so you did but what came in contact with your mouth wasn’t that strange looking japanese delicacy, but his soft, silky lips. You sighed holding his face closer while deepening the kiss. He was perfect, everything was perfect. He pulled you closer, ceasing any space that was left between you, his body so warm and strong making you feel the heat build between your legs as your tongues danced together in a ritmic fight, the air around you getting ticker. An unwelcoming sound started playing next to you, he broke the kiss breathing hard, grabbed his phone and read the message, giving you a few seconds to recover yourself, recently things were getting serious and you been thinking if you would finally- 

“Y/N…” He said, after responding to the mysterious message (not really… You knew it was one of his brothers and you knew he never ignored them, his dedication to his family was one of the things you loved the most about him) “You know… huh… Everybody is heading to April’s right now…” Was he blushing? “Do you want to… get back at the lair?”

The redness in your face explained well enough how you felt about it. 

________________________________________________________________

You were almost there, walking mindlessly through the sewers. Arms crossed with his, the stroll was slow but you both were anticipating the outcome of that night. It was, after all, your first time all alone at his place. 

“Leo… I was thinking that maybe… We should tell everyone.” You said, finally, trying to end your own anxiety with a distracting subject.

“I know…” He said, opening the Lair’s gate with his digital “I was thinking the same…” He looked at you, lightly holding your face “I love you, Y/N… And I want you to be a part of my life… Of my family.” 

You felt your heart melt and your stomach froze at his declaration. To be a part of his family, his life… That was everything you wanted too. You jumped at him, grabbing his shoulders in a passionate kiss. 

“I love you, Leonardo.” You said, with your eyes slightly watered. 

“Good,” A third voice added, coming from inside the Lair, now with it’s gate opened, you were exposed to a not-so-empty house “Did you bring the Pizza?” Mikey asked, a mischievous smile in his face. 

“I thought you were…” Leo started, his face completely red

“At April’s, you said? Hmm… I thought you were single.” He chuckled, sitting at the couch and turning the video game on “I knew you were a Casey.”

[haileyyanneupton]

❄ small - one chicago au ❄

Hailey Upton and Adam Ruzek have been friends for as long as they can remember. When Hailey changes schools to be with Adam in her junior year, she’s introduced to a new group of people who feel strangely like home.

pairings: jay halstead x hailey upton adam ruzek x kim burgess kevin atwater x vanessa rojas kelly severide x stella kidd

warnings (chapter specific): swearing

masterlist | series masterlist

❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄

❄ four ❄

A little over a week had passed since Jay and Hailey had gone out for coffee and pancakes to work on their assignment, and each of them had decided that they would keep their poems a secret from each other until they had to present it to the class. Secretly, it was because Hailey hadn’t actually started the poem and had nothing to show him — meanwhile, Jay had already worked through at least half. It wasn’t a bad thing; she just hadn’t been able to find the right way to get it down on paper yet. Her plan was to keep collecting as much as she could about her literature partner; the group milkshake date seeming like a relatively good way to do so.

“Yo Upton, Rojas! Are you two coming, or are you just going to keep dragging your feet like slow pokes?” Stella called out to the two as they trailed a few steps behind her and Kim.

“We’re coming, we’re coming,” Vanessa rolled her eyes as she tutted. “Calm your farm, Kidd.”

Hailey only chuckled as the Stella and Vanessa both fought for the passenger seat of Kim’s car, Hailey not minding the back as she climbed in and waited for someone to accompany her. Eventually it ended up being Stella who called heads on a coin that came up tails, leaving her to take the seat beside the blonde.

The girls had all gone in Kim’s car while the guys went in Adam’s, all driving to the same place not too far from their school. It was a Wednesday afternoon and the upperclassmen had been given the afternoon off, allowing the group to finally go out as Adam had suggested a few weeks previously. Hailey’s mouth was already watering at the prospect of a banana milkshake — it was the only banana flavoured thing in the entire world that she liked. She had been buzzing with happiness all day as she awaited twelve o’clock to come; the second it did, she had almost launched herself out of her seat in pre-calculus.

The drive to the milkshake parlour was short, but nonetheless fun. With Fifth Harmony blaring from the radio (courtesy of Kim), the words to Dope were being shouted by all four girls as they pulled up in the parking lot, finding a space right beside Adam’s car as they all jumped out and raced inside where the boys had saved them all a table.

"Look what the cat dragged in," Kelly teased, earning a roll of the eyes from both Stella and Vanessa. "Took you all long enough. Did the car break down or something?"

"We were enjoying our drive here and listening to music, thank you very much."

"And?"

"And. . . we got stuck behind a railway crossing."

"Knew it," Kelly smirked, a mischievous look in his eye as the girls all headed to the counter to place their orders.

As Kim and Stella debated which flavour they would get, Hailey couldn’t help but notice the way that Vanessa was awkwardly hanging back in an empty space smack bang between the front counter and the table that the boys were sitting at. Everybody else seemed blind to it — but Hailey was perceptive. She could see the way that Vanessa studied her feet as if they were the most interesting things in the world, the way she tried to retreat without anybody noticing. Although Hailey didn’t know why, she wasn’t about to let it go unaddressed.

“Hey.” Hailey’s voice was only loud enough for Vanessa to hear as to took a step towards her. “You not getting a milkshake, V?”

Vanessa frowned ever so slightly, her eyes sad despite the fact that she tried not to let it show. “Nah. I — uh — I don’t really feel like one.”

Hailey knew that wasn’t the reason. There was something else. As she thought back over the day briefly to try and work out what could have upset her friend, it suddenly hit Hailey with as much force as a freight train. She felt almost dumb for not realising it sooner, her heart aching for Vanessa as she glanced back over at the girl.

“You can’t —“

Vanessa silenced the girl with a small nod — one that begged her not to go on about the matter. Vanessa couldn’t afford it.

Before Hailey’s brothers had moved out and gotten jobs, her family had been in a similar situation. Obviously it wasn’t the same — Hailey had never been bounced around foster homes — but regardless, the Upton’s were living paycheck to paycheck. Hand me down clothes were all Hailey knew, whether it be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles shirt from her brother or a Spiderman hoodie from Adam, she was always dressed up in somebody else’s leftovers. She didn’t mind too much about that part, but she could remember the first time that she went to school without lunch. She remembered the first time, the second time, even the third time — after that, it all just blurred together. It all just became the usual for Hailey who at the time, was still in third grade in elementary school. As she grew older, things got even just the slightest bit easier — Adam’s parents would always put an extra sandwich in their son’s lunchbox for Hailey, or they’d send both children with a ten dollar bill to pay for a hot lunch if they wanted. When her brother Nate moved out — he had always been there for his youngest and only sister — things changed for the better, financially. He was making good money as a mechanic. He could afford to pay for Hailey’s tuition at a fancy private school, he could send a hundred dollars or so to Anne to cover the groceries; he even started sending Hailey money so that she could buy herself what she could afford to be a teenager. Was it a lot? No. But did it make the difference? Absolutely.

Glancing down at her wallet, Hailey spied the two twenty dollar bills she had shoved in there that morning before leaving for school, the green paper sitting untouched until she took one into her hand, closing her fingers around it so that nobody else could see it. In one swift movement, her hand dropped down to her side and her fingers became interlaced with Vanessa’s as she sneakily and subtly transferred the money from her hand to the brunette’s, leaving the girl with wide eyes as she snapped her head around to face Hailey.

“I-I. . . You didn’t have to —“

“I know I didn’t have to, but I wanted to.”

The small smile on Vanessa’s face dropped for a second as she looked Hailey dead in the eye. “I’m not a charity case you know. I just. . .”

Her voice trailed off as Hailey squeezed her friends hand lightly.

“I know that, V. I know. And I’m not treating you like one. I’m lucky enough to have people look out for me and lighten the load when I need it — you deserve that too.”

“But I’m not going to be able to pay you back Hailey — you know that right? I don’t have a job and I can’t —“

“Vanessa, that’s not what this is. I don’t want you to pay me back. I just know what it’s like to feel like you’re missing out because of something so shallow as money, and now that I’m in a position where I can make your day a little better, I’d like to do so. God knows you’ve done plenty for me since I showed up.”

“I gave you an apple slice, dude!”

“It’s more than that,” Hailey chuckled lightly, her lips curling upwards as she saw Vanessa stare down at the twenty dollar bill with sparkling eyes. “Besides — you do not want to miss out on one of these milkshakes. They’re literally to die for. I would run through the fiery pits of hell, being tortured by satan himself to get one of these milkshakes.”

Vanessa shot the girl a lopsided smirk. “I dunno, Hails — walking up to the counter sounds like a lot less effort.”

Hailey only rolled her eyes with a grin as Kim and Stella finally stepped away, allowing the two other girls to order their drinks before returning back to the table where they would be bought out to them. Hailey took her usual seat between Vanessa and Jay (even when they weren’t in the art room, apparently their seating arrangement still stayed the same). As their milkshakes began coming out, Jay smirked in Hailey’s direction as she took her first sip of the banana flavoured beverage.

“What?” Hailey quizzed, arching a brow as she crossed her arms across her chest expectantly. “There a problem?”

“No. Just . . . observing.”

“You’re observing my milkshake drinking habits?”

“I’m observing your reaction to ordering the most basic drink on the menu.”

Hailey scoffed, openly laughing in the boy’s face as she turned to face him. “That’s rich coming from you, Halstead. You’re about as basic as they come.”

Jay only chuckled with a shake of his head as Kelly cleared his throat dramatically, calling for the attention to be bought upon him. Stella groaned from his left, her forehead resting against the table. Hailey let a small smile of amusement cross her lips; Stella wasn’t normally one to be embarrassed by Kelly’s antics. In fact, normally she joined in — but today, it was different.

“I have an announcement,” Kelly proclaimed, tapping the end of his fingernail upon his milkshake — Hailey thought he looked like a dork, but she also knew he gave absolutely no fucks. “You all must listen very, very closely!”

“Alright, alright, man. We’re listening. Out with it already!”

Kelly shot a lighthearted glare over at Adam who wore a grin in response.

“After much deliberation, there has been a mutual confession between the wonderful, amazing, beautiful, talented, badass —“ Kelly paused for a second to dodge Stella’s fist which was heading straight towards his groin. “— incredibly intimidating Stella Kidd and I. We — uh — we’re. . . “

“What this dumbass is trying to say is that we’re together.” Stella interrupted Kelly as she lifted her head up from the table ever so slightly, her chin resting upon her hands as everybody else broke out into a grin. “I told him we should tell you guys today, but I didn’t expect for him to make it into some kind of theatrical fucking performance.”

“You should have known better then that, Stell. It’s Kelly we’re talking about. King of Dramatics.”

“Yeah, I’m realising that now.”

Hailey was happy for the new couple, but she wasn’t as invested as she could see everybody else was. Apparently, Stella and Kelly had been making heart eyes at each other since freshman year, the rest of the group waiting for one of them to make a move on the other. Hailey knew there was something between them but figured that they were probably just close like she and Adam were — she couldn’t even begin to count how many times people had assumed that she and the boy she had grown up with were dating. Nonetheless, it became evident that Kelly and Stella were much more comfortable with their secret coming out; their hands fell into each other’s as they laughed alongside one another.

Sitting and watching, observing if you will, something suddenly became very apparent to the girl. It was one of those things that once she saw it, she couldn’t un-see it — the sight bought a small, fond smile to her lips as she stayed silent, simply watching. Well, she was — until Jay interrupted her thoughts.

“What are you staring at?” Jay asked, a small smirk on his face as Hailey leaned back slightly so that she could speak only just loud enough for the boy to hear.

“Do you see what I see?”

“Uhhh . . . ” Jay furrowed his brows slightly as Hailey let out a chuckle, shaking her head.

Without realising it, Hailey inched her way closer to Jay as she pressed her back against the cushioned booth they were in, her shoulder brushing against Jay’s as she grew even quieter. The freckled boy hadn’t seemed to notice either, despite the fact that they were practically sitting on top of each other at that point.

“Look at them all,” Hailey couldn’t help but let out a small snort as one hand rested against her thigh, the other holding her banana milkshake close to her chest. “I don’t know how I didn’t see it earlier.”

“I still have no clue what we’re talking about here, Hailey. Give me something to go off of.”

“Right, right,” Hailey grinned up at Jay sheepishly. “So there’s Kelly and there’s Stella. Totally head over heels for each other, yeah?”

Jay nodded soundlessly, a puzzled expression still plastered upon his features.

“Then there’s Vanessa and Kevin. Now I don’t think they realise it just yet, but they’re totally going to be a thing.”

The boy’s eyes widened in realisation. “Holy shit.”

“Wait, just — just wait . . . ” Hailey held up a finger. “Now — look at Adam and Kim.”

If it were at all possible, Jay’s eyes grew even more as he too became fixated on the scene in front of them, the evidence now slapping him in the face. His mouth hung open wide as the corners of his lips turned upwards into a smile.

“I smell a bet coming on.”

Hailey grinned widely once again, a mischievous look on her face as her and Jay’s eyes locked. “You’re on, Halstead.”

“Twenty bucks says Burgess and Ruzek will get together by the end of the year.”

“Please,” Hailey scoffed lightly, folding her arms over one another before taking a sip of her milkshake. “Thirty says they’ll be together by the end of the month.”

“Ah, so you’re a risktaker.” Jay’s trademark smirk met Hailey’s gaze. “I’ll make sure to make a note of that for my poem.”

“Not a risktaker, per say — I just know Adam is an impatient, idiotic dumbass who can’t help himself.”

The mention of Adam’s name caused the boy in question to snap his head over to the blonde, a scowl etched into his features as he shot a playful glare over at the girl, Hailey not backing down from her words even the slightest bit. Before she knew it, everybody was back to their own conversations with people jumping in and out where they wanted to, leaving Hailey to do what she did best — observe. It wasn’t like there was something she was looking for or trying to understand; Hailey had just always been the kind of person who would sit and listen rather than interject herself into the conversation. She found that she learned a lot more that way — people would often tell you their darkest secrets if you let them do the talking.

She would never admit it, but somehow, her eyes kept finding their way to Jay as if his face was a magnet and they were calling her. She studied every part of him closely, taking note of how the corners of his eyes creased when he laughed, counting the freckles that looked as though they had been methodically scattered across his skin in the most perfect way.  Hailey noticed his little quirks and even jotted a few of them down in the notes app of her phone, like how he tilted his head slightly when he didn’t understand something or was asking a question or the way he would run his tongue his bottom lip when he was thinking of something. Every little thing that made him unique soon compiled into an extensive list that Hailey had saved to her notes, ready to use when she eventually found the right way to complete her own literature assignment.

It wasn’t long before everybody packed back into the two cars, this time the order being switched up and mixed around. Hailey had gone in Adam’s car, because, well — duh — meanwhile, Vanessa switched places with Kelly and Kevin who lived closer to Kim and Stella anyway. While Jay and Adam talked each other’s ears off, Hailey was sat in the back seat with Vanessa who looked absolutely wrecked from their day.

“You look exhausted, you poor thing,” Hailey smiled halfheartedly over at the girl.

“Yeah, I am.” Vanessa yawned tiredly. “I was up half the night studying for that precalc test we have.”

“You’re like, the smartest one in the entire class, dude,” Hailey said, looking at her friend with an incredulous look. “You don’t even need to study!"

“Still doesn’t hurt to make sure I know what I need to know. And to make sure I know that I know what I know so that I can make sure you know what I know.”

“I think I just had an aneurysm trying to understand that.”

Vanessa grinned. “You’re welcome.”

The two girls shared a laugh as Vanessa leaned her up against the headrest behind her. Turning to Hailey slowly, the girl wore a small and gratuitous smile as her hand fell into the blonde haired girl’s hand, earning back her attention with the small yet simple gesture. Vanessa was a very physical person — she loved hugs, she loved holding hands with her friends to show them her love and appreciation — Hailey, however new to the group she was, was no exception.

“Hailey. . . I hope you know how much what you did today meant to me.” Vanessa began, her accent coating her words as her eyes fell to her lap. “I got moved to another foster home on Monday and. . . I know it sounds stupid, but asking for money before the first cheque from the state comes in is a big no no if I want to stay somewhere for longer than half a week."

Vanessa’s voice was low and quiet, only loud enough for the blonde sitting beside her to hear as Hailey’s heart squeezed tightly. She hadn’t missed the giant smile on Vanessa’s face as she was handed her Oreo milkshake, or the way her her mood had completely brightened in giddy, goofy happiness as she bounced around and made fun of Kevin. Hailey, despite her tough exterior, would secretly do anything to make the people she cared about smile. Absolutely anything. Without ever second guessing herself.

“I didn’t want you to be left out.” Hailey’s response was at a matching volume. “Feeling like the outsider all of the time. . . It’s not fun. I get that. That’s why I’m so endlessly grateful to have made such good friends here.”

“You? The outsider? That’s hard to imagine.”

“Three words, V. Three words.”

“Hm?”

“Private girls school.”

“. . . Yeah, say no more."

Everything that Hailey had said was the truth. She knew what it was like to be the outsider, she knew what it was like to feel like the ground beneath you was always shaking and about to give out on you no matter what you did. No amount of duct tape would hold it together, and given the fact that Vanessa had just had to uproot her life — again — Hailey could sympathise with what she was going through despite the fact that she would thankfully never understand it fully.

Hailey sighed lightly as she gave Vanessa’s hand a small squeeze. “I wish you could live with me.”

“Can I?”

Though Vanessa was clearly joking, as seen by the smile playing at her lips and her humorous tone, Hailey really did wish she could bring Vanessa to live with her — perhaps just not at her house. With her father. And her mother, who was always excusing the former’s behaviour. Always.

“I’m not sure you’d like it very much at my house.” The blue eyed girl let out an exhale as she spoke. “There’s a reason I spend so much time at Adam’s house.”

“I get it.” Vanessa’s eyes held sympathy towards Hailey. “But hey. . . we’ve got each other, right? We’ve got these two doofuses in the front seat, we’ve got Stella and Kim and Kelly and Kev. And one day we can all run away together and forge a home in the woods using our very minimal survival skills that would definitely not suffice to stop us getting eaten by a bear or something.”

At the sound of Vanessa addressing him and Jay, Adam turned around from the driver’s seat as he pulled up at a stoplight before directing his words to the girls in the back seat.

“Hey! I was a Cub Scout when I was younger, you know! ” He said, his chest puffing out ever so slightly in pride. "We’d be just fine in the woods."

“Adam, shut the hell up,” Hailey laughed as she looked at him incredulously, rolling her eyes at the boy. “You did Cub Scouts for two months and then you quit when you couldn’t get a single badge because they required you actually putting work into them. All you wanted to do was sit there with a juice box and a cookie.”

“Says the one who got kicked out of Girl Scouts for threatening to set a girl’s hair on fire!”

“She deserved it.”

“She was traumatised!”

“Good. I don’t like her. She tried to steal my backpack."

“It was ten years ago, Hailey.”

“It was my favourite backpack!"

❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄

aaaaaa! I apologise if this isn’t great I really struggled trying to write this one I don’t even know why 😂

thank you so much to @ruzek-halstead for proofreading! after writing this for so long I definitely lost the ability to do so, so marcia — you’re a literal lifesaver 🥰

tag list: @ruzek-halstead @lissethsrojas @sammywiths @butterflies44 @upsteadheart @shawnscheeks @puckluck28 @karihighman @thetwit @azu1ang3188 @juu-series @justanotheronechicagofan @stinaax @stayupton @fullwattpadmusictree @anna-justice

ps: if anybody ever wants to be added to the tag list, just let me know! it’s so easily done!

[survivingthejungle]

everybody wants to rule the world (caliban)

When Sabrina was 8 years old, her life got a little more unusual. Being a half witch raised by her two aunts and cousin (all full-blooded witches)  in a mortuary was not a common experience for most children. But things became different when another cousin, from her mother's side of the family, came to live in the Spellman house. Her mother, Diana, had a brother, William; WIlliam married and had a daughter just two years before Sabrina was born. She was named Genevieve Sawyer, and she and her paternal cousin had been very close to one another their entire lives. When it was heard that William had been shot and that Genevieve's mother was not fit to parent, the girl's cousin and family immediately stepped up to take her in and be her legal guardians. 

Despite Genevieve's unfortunate circumstances, she never lost her bright personality or kindness. She seemed to stick out like a sore thumb in the Spellman house from time to time, but it was a welcome change of pace for everyone who lived there. For the next eight years after she had gone to live with her cousins and aunts, she had grown into a compassionate, driven young lady. Growing with her were several pets she had acquired over the years. Genevieve had a special love for animals and so had adopted many. She had a spotted turtle named Tucker, whom she had rescued from getting run over by a truck one morning. She also had an orange tabby cat named Tex, a green budgie named Pico, and a blue pit bull terrier named Bambi. The latest addition to the family was an albino ball python, whom she was currently in the process of naming. 

"Genevieve. I mean it this time," scolded her aunt Zelda. "No more pets. You have barely enough space for them all, and I won't allow any more of this."

"No more, aunt Zelda. I got it. This guy is the last," she affirmed, gesturing with the snake which was slithering over her shoulders and down her left arm. Her aunt shuddered. 

"How you can allow that thing near you is beyond me."

"She's sweet!" she defended. "She's just curious."

"She stays in your room only. If I see a snake slithering about my house I won't hesitate to kill it."

"She won't go anywhere. Promise."

Once her aunt had finished scolding her and left her room, she turned her attention back to her new friend. "What do we call you, huh?" Genevieve said. She set the snake down on her bed and flipped on her record player against the wall to fill the silence, and an old Fleetwood Mac album started spinning. "Well," she said, "I have to take Bambi and Tex on a walk, so I guess we should put you in your tank, huh?" She moved the young albino to the mostly empty tank and placed the lid over it, promising, "I'll get you some decorations while I'm out." Then she put on a pair of socks, laced up her shoes, and grabbed two harnesses and leashes from the footboard of her bed, heading downstairs to find the only two of her pets that were mammals. "Morning, aunt Hilda," she greeted the small blonde woman.

"Oh, g'morning my love! Are you taking Tex and Bambi on a walk?"

"Yeah, once I find 'em." "Well you'll eat first, won't you?" She pointed to the table. "Some toast for you."

"You're the best," Genevieve said, sitting down to take a bite of it. The toast was covered with peanut butter and sliced bananas; simple, but a favorite of the girl's. She finished eating quickly and was off again in search of her cat and dog, finding them in the family room. Tex was lounging on the couch and Bambi had seemingly been banished by him, staring at the tabby from the ground. "You wanna go on a walk?" she said to them both, her voice increasing by about an octave. Bambi's ears perked up and her eyes widened; Tex hopped down from the couch and over to circle Genevieve's legs. "Hey auntie," she called into the kitchen, "Do you know where Beans went?"

"Yes," her aunt called back, "I believe she went to go see Harvey, Roz, and Theo?"

"Okay. Thank you!" She then strapped both of the harnesses onto Tex and Bambi and put them on their leashes, and then made their way outside to their usual walking route. About halfway through their walk she and her two companions made a detour to go to Harvey's garage, where Genevieve had guessed their band would be practicing and where her cousin had gone to find them. Heading around behind his house, she found the garage door unlocked and entered in to find the four of them seemingly discussing something important.

"'Vieve,"  Sabrina greeted as soon as she saw her cousin. "What's up?"

"I was walking Tex and Bambi," she responded, holding up the two leashes attached to both animals. "What's up with you?"

"Sabrina's trying to take us to Hell," Theo told her. 

Genevieve's eyebrows raised and she went to take a seat on the couch closest to her. "Why?" she asked Sabrina.

"Nick." She said his name sadly; she knew her cousin missed him a lot and felt guiltier every day she left him trapped there. "I think I found a way to get him out."

"But, like… He's still…" Genevieve trailed off, not knowing how to formulate her thoughts exactly. 

"Yes," she responded, knowing what the girl was getting at. "A flesh Acheron. But I might have a solution for that too."

—

Sabrina had brought the five of them through Dorian's portal to Hell with an incantation, where they landed on a cold, dark beach, coughing up the salt water that had gotten into their lungs. "Wait, so… Hell is a beach?" Harvey asked.

"The Shores of Sorrow," Sabrina whispered hauntingly. 

Theo stood up and pointed out at the water. "Guys. Look. What are those?" There were tall wooden structures standing above the waves, and from them came pained groans and wails. Hands were reaching out, desperate to grab whatever would come close to them. 

"They're the souls of the damned," called a deep, unfamiliar voice. The group turned their heads to look for the source, and saw a large sandcastle and someone walking out from behind it. He had blond hair and was wearing a flowing white shirt that he had left unbuttoned. "They drown as the tide rolls in. Over, and over," he said, looking out at them, "For all eternity."

"Bummer," Genevieve whispered to Roz.

"Hi," Sabrina greeted him as the group approached him. "We're looking for Lilith." He didn't respond. "Uh, Madame Satan? S-Queen of Hell?" The boy looked pointedly at her, on the verge of a smirk. "She's in Pandemonium, if you happen to know the way." He turned his head and pointed left. Sharp jaw, Genevieve thought. 

"All blood flows to Pandemonium." Sure enough, there was a large rock through which blood was flowing, that seemed to turn into a path further up the beach. "Follow the blood-red road where it flows, and there you'll find the throne of Hell," he instructed, still pointing. 

"Thanks," Sabrina said. He pushed his hair back from the wind blowing on the beach, smirk still present. What does he know that we don't? her cousin wondered.  "And you are?"

He seemed as if he were about to respond, but decided against it. "Never step off the road," he advised. He looked at their feet then. "It's clever you're wearing dead men's shoes. Though… any demon worth his salt can smell mortal flesh a mile away."

Genevieve's brows furrowed. "Ew." The boy glanced at her and then turned back to his project. 

"Come on," Sabrina said, "Let's go." The four trailed behind her, but Genevieve stayed still for a moment. "Hey! I like your sandcastle," she called to the boy. He looked back at her, intrigued. "Bye!" she waved. He lifted a hand in return, and she was on her way. 

— 

The journey through hell had been… adventurous, to say the least. Between the field of crucified people beating eaten by crows, to the forest with a magical flower and a bloodthirsty tin man, to a horrific mock-high school classroom, Genevieve and the others were exhausted, scared, and ready to go back to earth. After being rescued by Lilith's helper, a man dressed in a bellhop's outfit and being seated at some hellish feast, she and Sabrina began a conversation about getting Nick out of Hell and taking care of Theo's uncle's soul as well. The Infernal Kings weren't recognizing Lilith's newfound authority, so she struck a deal with Sabrina- the throne for her boyfriend and her friend's uncle. Sabrina, of course, agreed, and the process had begun.

— 

"Infernal court, I bid you welcome," Lilith greeted from the throne. The three demonic kings stood before her in wait. "The city of Pandemonium has an honored guest. May I present to the hordes, Sabrina Morningstar, daughter of Lucifer Morningstar." Sabrina walked to stand next to the woman and looked around the throne room. "In his absence, she has come to officially declare me Queen of Hell. Isn't that right, Sabrina?"

"Yes, that's right," she told them. 

"This is treason! Heresy!" the Kings protested. "Lilith is a concubine, not a queen. We do not recognize her. She was Lucifer's whore. The realms are in chaos, and the Earth, the Pit, the Heavens, the Cosmos, they all reject Lilith's claim to the throne."

"And who do you propose would rule?" she shot back. 

That was the million dollar question, it seemed, because the Kings got a nefarious look in their eyes. "All hail Caliban, Prince of Hell. Molded from the clay of the Pit itself, native son of the inferno, born to restore and rule our dark domain!"

"Hello again," said the supposed Prince Caliban, in yet another open top. He maintained the smug look on his face that he was wearing at their last encounter. 

"Uh, hi?" Sabrina said, mildly confused. 

"What is this?" Lilith questioned. "This is salvation," he told her. "Since the Dark Lord's desertion, the Nine Circles of Hell have been breaking down. I, Caliban, will restore stability and do what Lucifer failed to do… conquer the earth. Remake it as our Tenth Circle, and enslave the tribes of mortal and witch."

Before anyone else could get a word in edgewise, Genevieve spoke up. "No? You most certainly will not!" she said. He raised his eyebrows at her. "Dude. You're… you're not even a real person." Her brow furrowed. "Someone gets one good blast with a hairdryer and what happens? You dry up and crack?"

"I'm afraid that's not how it works, darling." He stepped closer. "Though you are clever for that." Yet another smirk. Smug bastard. Closer. And closer. 

She glared at him. "Thanks," she deadpanned. 

"You are pretty, for a mortal," he said to her. "Maybe I'll have mercy on you." He lifted a hand to beside her face and toyed with a strand of hair that had fallen out of her braid.

"Don't touch me." She slapped his hand away, and he stepped back. Sabrina and Lilith had been whispering to each other from the moment that Caliban revealed his plan. But now, she was seemingly comatic; her eyes and Nick's were both glazed over in red and they were both catatonic. But when her senses came back and her eyes returned to normal, she had adopted a newfound confidence. "No, we won't," she said to Lilith. "I am Sabrina Morningstar," she announced to the hordes, "And that throne is mine. By blood, and by birth."

"Here we go again," Harvey muttered. Genevieve chuckled. 

"Yours to give me, you mean," Lilith interjected. 

"No. Mine. To claim." She sat on the throne herself, and her cousin had to admit that she looked rather regal. 

"We do not accept this!" the Kings argued. "The witch lives on Earth. She cannot possibly rule Hell."

"You've obviously never been to high school."

"You are a child, not a queen," another King shot. 

"I am a young woman." Right on, her cousin thought. 

"You cannot fulfill your father's duties." "I can," she insisted, looking at Lilith. "With Lilith as my advisor." "What?" "Isn't that what kings and queens do when they're too young to rule?" she argued. "They appoint a…" "Regent," Lilith offered. "Yes. As a matter of fact, yes." "Then you, Lilith, are my regent."

"I dispute this." Caliban, of course. 

"Okay, Dirt-Man," Genevieve said. She had begun to harbor a deeply personal sense of loathing for him, especially because of how he disrespected her cousin's authority and was a raging narcissist. 

After an attempted challenge for the crown, Sabrina dismissed the court and he and his clique left Pandemonium. She and the rest of the group, along with Nick and his tongue, followed Dorian's instructions and used the flower and the incantation to return home. 

— 

Sabrina had royally fucked up— no pun intended. After fumbling her first soul retrieval and getting locked in an industrial freezer by her second, she was beginning to lose hope. And she was running out of time. While Lilith was out searching for the wayward queen, the clay prince decided to go on his own adventure.

— 

Genevieve was occupied in her cozy, bright room when a gust of spiraling flames interrupted her peace. She had been lying in her bed, reading a book and accompanied by all of her pets (which was a rare occurrence). Pico had nestled onto Tuck's shell and they were both napping. Bambi was curled up against her side and Tex at her feet, and the new snake— whose name, she decided, was Rhiannon— was also curled at the end of the bed. "Quite the companions you've got," he spoke deeply, disturbing the silence. "You!" she said, sitting up and starting all but the python. "What are you doing in my room?" she asked, exasperated. 

"Here to see you, of course," he told her, sitting down on the edge of her bed. Genevieve

was still perplexed. 

"...Why?"

"You amuse me, mortal. And you've caught my eye. Your friend may be the Queen of Hell—"

"Cousin," she corrected.

"Your cousin may be Queen, but it's you who's really captured my attention."

"I… Okay," she responded, brows furrowed.

"No one's ever spoken to me as boldly as you have. Especially for a mortal. If I wanted to punish you, in fact, it would be well within my rights. Even your cousin could not do anything about it; laws in Hell differ than on Earth."

"So, what. You're here to kill me? Because I threatened your ego?" Genevieve rolled her eyes and got up, Bambi following after her. She grabbed Rhiannon and carried her over to her tank, flipping the switch for her heater and closing the lid. She then grabbed Tuck, as gently as possible to allow him to keep napping, and put him in his tank as well.

"Of course not," he chuckled. "You're much too interesting. It would be a shame for your potential to go to waste." "Potential," she said, disinterested. Walking to her door, she slipped on a pair of shoes that sat against the wall. "For?"

"For you to align with me. You may not like me much now, but I'm sure you'll grow to."

"For me… I'm sorry, what? You expect me to betray my cousin for someone who wants to literally enslave my people and take over the Earth?" He said nothing. "No!" she waved her hand at him, signaling for him to leave. "Be gone. Or... whatever you say to banish demons." She left her room and headed down the hallway and to the stairs, but Caliban was not far behind. Neither was Bambi.

She made a pit stop in the kitchen to make herself a sandwich before she left the house. "Do you think me unreasonable?" Caliban asked, leaning against the counter while she worked. 

"Well, yeah. Actually I do." 

He grabbed her hand before she could continue. Making sure to never break eye contact, he pleaded, "Please. Let me prove you wrong." She pulled her hand away.

"Why are you so dead set on this?" she groaned. "I said no!" A frustrated laugh left her lips.

"I'll make you a deal," he pressed. She returned her attention to her sandwich and refused to look at him. "Submit to me, and I will abandon my plan to enslave the tribes of Earth." Still, silence. Genevieve pretended that he wasn't even there anymore, slipping Bambi a piece of turkey in between the two of them. Once again, Caliban brought his hand up and grabbed her chin; she couldn't turn away. 

"You won't get the chance," she spat. "My cousin is the Queen. Your plan will never happen." He opened his mouth to argue, but in a split second, decided against it. 

"If that's truly how you feel, then I concede. But know my offer still stands." Genevieve shrugged, straight-faced, unsure how to respond. 

"Will you leave now? I have somewhere to be," she told him, putting her sandwich in a baggie and walking to the kitchen table where a backpack was hanging off the back of a chair. 

"Will the lady allow me to escort her?" he countered. She threw her food, a water bottle, and a sports drink into the bag as she considered it. 

"Fine, I guess." She slung the backpack over her shoulder before kneeling down to scratch and kiss Bambi's head. "Bye, Bambi!" she said, her voice having gone up at least an octave. The blue pit thumped her tail and opened her mouth in a typical pit bull smile. Without a word, she stood up and passed Caliban to go retrieve her sneakers which were sitting by the front door. He followed, attentive to her every move. She locked the door behind her on her way out and began walking into town. 

"Where are you headed to?" he asked her.

"The gym. I coach junior high volleyball."

"Is that a mortal sport?"

"Yeah. I played for a long time."

"Why did you stop?" 

Genevieve stayed silent for a beat. "When I was still in high school, a few colleges wanted to recruit me for their teams. I would have gone to any of them, but…"

"But what?" "Well, I don't really know what I want to do with my life. I didn't want to just up and leave my family with no plan. So after I graduated this spring, I decided to take a gap year to figure out what I want to do."

"Have you figured it out yet?" he asked. His tone seemed genuinely interested. 

She stayed quiet for a while longer. "No," Genevieve admitted, dejectedly.

"Maybe you should work with animals," Caliban offered. "Really? Why?"

"You seem to like them enough, you've got several as pets."

"Yeah, that's fair. But I don't think I could ever be a vet," she claimed. 

"Then don't. Try something else."

"Like what?"

"You're the mortal here, not me," he chuckled. "You know more about your options than I do." Genevieve let out a little laugh as well. "Think about it," he advised her. 

"I will. Thank you, Caliban."

— 

Sabrina didn't return home until well past midnight. As she walked through the front door and quietly closed it, her cousin broke her silence from the stairs. "Where you been, Beans?"

Sabrina nearly jumped, startled. "I was— Oh, Aunties," she muttered, finally facing all three of them. 

"Well, do you care to explain yourself?" Zelda questioned. Sabrina glanced at Genevieve, who was leaning over the top of the banister and mouthed I didn't say anything.

"Oh, I'm sorry I missed your first day at the Academy," she apologized. "I had this prob-"

"How many secrets are you keeping from us?" Zelda interrupted.

Hilda piped up in typical good-cop fashion. "You didn't happen to go to Hell, bring back your father, the Dark Lord, and stick him in the bowels of the Academy without telling us, did you?"

"Putting what's left of the coven, not to mention the entire world, in grave peril, just so you can see your boyfriend." 

"That's not why I did it," Sabrina argued. 

"Oh, God. Here we go again," Genevieve muttered as Tex jumped up onto the bannister beside her. She gave his head an absent-minded scratch as she watched the scene unfold. 

"Oh, I know why you did it. Cassius delivered a stack of books with rituals about soul transference… I thought the Dark Lord was bad. I thought he was dangerous, but Lilith preserve up from his demented, lovesick daughter."

"Aunt Zelda!" Genevieve shouted. "That was so uncalled for!"

"I couldn't just leave Nick in Hell!" Sabrina defended herself. "Every second he was down there, he was in torment. Aunties, every second he was in pain."

"We know, darling," Hilda tried to comfort. 

"And it's my fault." Her cousin began to tear up with the thought of Nick's suffering. "He did it for me. I couldn't just… wash my hands of him." Hilda stepped off of the stairs and went to Sabrina to try to comfort her. "I owed it to Nick to at least try and get Lucifer out of his body and into someone else's."

Zelda had begun to abandon her condemnation of Sabrina's actions, instead demanding that she come up with a well thought-out plan. "Whose? Where do you expect to find another vessel strong enough to withstand being turned into a flesh Acheron for the Devil himself?"

In a moment of perfect timing, Ambrose and Prudence appeared in the front hallway with a raggedy, bearded man at their feet. "Aunties," he greeted. "I'm home." It was evident in his tone and lack of breath that he was exhausted. "Any chance of a cuppa?"

Genevieve went downstairs and followed her cousin and Prudence into the kitchen. 'Whatcha want, 'Bose?"

"Something to help me sleep, finally," he rasped. "Thank you, cousin." (They weren't really cousins, but it was how they had referred to each other since Genevieve had come to live with them those 8 years ago.)

"You too?" she asked Prudence. "Yes, please."

— 

  The next night, Sabrina returned home and immediately headed to Genevieve's room to de-stress from her arduous day. "That jerk Caliban challenged me for the throne," she sighed, laying down on Genevieve's bed. "Again. Legally, this time. And I had to accept it."

Her cousin took a deep breath. "Wow. He's really not letting it go, huh?"

"No. I wish he would, though."

"Well, what was the challenge? What do you have to do?"

"We're both supposed to search for the Unholy Regalia. It's a Hell thing," she explained at Genevieve's confusion. "The first item is Herod's Crown."

"H- King Herod? Like 'kill the babies' Herod?"

"That's the one."

"Jesus," Genevieve exhaled. "...No pun intended." She had been sitting on the floor with Rhiannon, watching as she explored the room, but stood up to sit next to her cousin. "Beans, you've got a lot on your plate right now. Are you sure you're gonna be okay?"

Sabrina considered her question for a moment. "No. Actually, I'm not sure. But I have to do this." She shut her eyes tight for a few seconds before opening them again and sitting upright. "And I have so much homework on top of this."

"You know what? I don't have anything to do tonight. You go to bed, I'll do your homework tonight." Sabrina smiled softly at her cousin. 

"Vieve, you don't have to do that—"

"I know. But I want to. You need to rest. Besides," Genevieve said, "I already got through all of those classes once. I can do a few assignments tonight."

— 

It was about eleven o'clock that same night and Genevieve was on a productive streak- in terms of getting her cousin's homework taken care of. She had advised Sabrina to talk to Ambrose the following day about looking for the crown and, subsequently, the rest of the regalia. In the midst of her focus, a gust of heat hit her and she could sense a presence in her room. She didn't even bother to turn around from her desk. "Go away, Caliban."

"I take it you've heard about my challenge, then?"

Genevieve set her pencil down and stared at him. "Do you have any idea the shit Sabrina's been going through, lately? I know you don't care, because all you want is power, but she's an actual person with other responsibilities and an entire life that she's dealing with on a daily basis. You're made of clay and you're from Hell, I get it, you must not have any sense of empathy, but this is taking a toll on everyone. You are such a raging narcissist." Caliban's smirk had dissipated by now. "Get out of my house, Caliban. I'm busy."

"You're wrong," he said. He was uncharacteristically quiet. "I can be empathetic." He sat down on the edge of Genevieve's bed, and Tex had allowed him to pet his head. "I do have emotions."

"Showing them from time to time might do you good." He said nothing, focusing his attention entirely on Tex rather than making eye contact with Genevieve. "Why are you here?" she asked, adopting a gentler tone. She felt as if she had been hard enough on him to get her point across. "Don't you have a crown to find, or something?"

"I've not yet located it. I was wondering if you've considered my offer?"

"Of course not," she scoffed. "I don't think you're gonna win. Beans may be busy, but she's smart. And talented."

"Well, she is the Dark Lord's daughter."

"Regardless. No, I haven't considered it. Is that all?"

"I hear there's a carnival in town."

Her brows furrowed momentarily. "What do you care?"

"Would it please the lady to accompany me? Tomorrow night?"

Genevieve went stiff like a deer in headlights. "Um… sure, okay. I guess?"

"You seem confused," he observed. 

"Yeah, I- I am. A little. Surprised. Why do you wanna go to the carnival?"

"Is this not how mortals court each other?" he asked, standing up to lean against the desk she had been working at. He seemed his usual self again, another smirk crossing his face. "Or would you rather skip the formalities?" He winked, grinning down at her. Though she was still sitting, it was obvious that he was taller than she was. 

She scoffed lightly. "Fine. I will go to the carnival with you tomorrow," Genevieve conceded. "Are you done now?"

"Are you sure you wouldn't have me spend the night?" he teased. 

"Don't push it, Dirt-Man."

"As you wish," he told her, and threw his arms up, creating a vortex of fire and returning to the pits of hell. 

— 

Genevieve finally retired to bed at about quarter till 1 in the morning. Rhiannon was cozy in her tank and Tuck was in his; Pico was sleeping in his cage and Tex was curled up at the foot of her bed. Bambi was laying with her back to Genevieve's, but the blue pit had been awoken by a sudden presence appearing in the room. In the dark, Caliban had returned once more to the girl, this time having astral projected. Bambi's head stuck up, sniffing at him. He put his finger up to his lips and whispered to the dog, "Shh." Bambi was convinced and went back to sleep, leaving the boy to himself. He walked around until he was facing her, and he knelt down at her bedside. He rested his head on one arm while his other hand brushed some stray hairs away from her face. She looked so peaceful he was almost afraid to touch her. "Sleep well, darling girl," he whispered. "And forgive me for what I must do." Without another word, he kissed her forehead and promptly returned to his physical body in Hell. 

[molzies-fanfics]

Around you

A/N: This can be seen as angsty I guess, anyway hope you guys enjoy!

Bold text is text messages

Hey

Hey

Is it okay if I come over?

Sure...but why? What's going on? Has there been another foot attack?

No, nothing like that...I just wanna talk. If that's alright?

Oh. of course that's okay...I just, thought you'd talk to April about stuff more rather than me

Yeah, well...this one thing I need to get off my chest doesn't really involve April.

…

You might be better off coming round to my window rather than the main one then. April has a big meeting tomorrow and I don't want to wake her up.

Ok. Be there in 5

 See you then

Your heart was thundering away in your chest, Raph wanted to talk to you, alone. It set your nerves on edge, especially considering your huge crush on the burly terrapin. Hopefully he didn’t want to talk about anything too serious, you just wanted to have a chill night with him. Well, you were supposed to be asleep right now since you had school in the morning but you were willing to throw that out the window if Raph needed to talk. God, you had it bad.

 Hearing the familiar thud on the fire escape, you opened your window, revealing the teenage turtle in all his ninja glory. “Hey there.” You mumbled breathlessly. “Hey tiger.” He smiled fondly. “Want to go up to the roof?” there was a small silence before you replied “Sure.”

 “So…what do you want to talk about?” You sat down on the edge of the roof as you watched Raph starting to pace around on the gravel, clearly he was more wound up than he was letting on.

“I’ve had a surreal realization tonight.” He gestured towards you with one hand on his hip before pacing again. “Did you and Leo argue again?” you couldn’t help asking. “No! …well, yeah but that’s not the point. This happened during meditation.” Raph watched your face as you blanched. “Oh well that’s…unusual, for you I mean.” You recovered quickly.

 “Yeah, so…have you ever been so emotionally conflicted that it makes you want to fight people for like…days, but other times it makes you want to lie down like you’ve drank eight cans of orange crush in a row?” Raphael questioned hurriedly, you took a moment to piece together what he had said, thinking that he might be slightly hyperactive…maybe he had drank all of that orange crush?

 “That was…weirdly specific but sure, everybody gets like that sometimes I guess.” You answered finally, staying perfectly still as he ceased his pacing. “Right, but I narrowed this down to two specific scenarios.” He mentioned, although he looked worried when telling you this. Was everything okay? You thought to yourself. “Ok…what scenarios?” If something was wrong, you were kinda glad he came to you to talk through it rather than beat the crap out of some punching bag back at the lair.

 “I only feel like that when, 1: any of the people I’m really close to are in immediate danger…” he trailed off, somehow leading you to think he wanted you to piece together the puzzle. “That’s normal though…” you reassured him, talking calmly and slowly. “Yeah especially for me…but it’s the second scenario that really throws me off.” This was when the mood shifted, it had gone from fast paced and panicky to serene and sincere.

 “Okay? What’s the second one?”

 “…whenever I’m around you.”

 Your whole mind went blank, wondering if this was some elaborate prank or a mind trick set up by any of the turtles countless enemies. “Wha-What?” you gasped.

 Raph’s expression shifted from serious to…well, scared. “Look, I know we’re good friends and everything but…I wanna be more than that. I know that its scary, believe me I know, I’ve been debating this for so long. But something snapped in me today and I just felt like I had to tell you…even if it didn’t end very well. I just want you to know how I feel.”

 Giving yourself another moment to process what he was saying, that was when it hit you, Raph…he felt the same way about you, at least you think he did. “When you say, ‘how you feel’” you hopped off the ledge, approaching Raph slowly. “What exactly do you mean?”

 He physically gulped, as if he was intimidated by you, but you knew how intimidating feelings could be. “Raphael?” you prompted, blinking up at him when you came to a stop. Right in front of him. “I- I…I really like you…as in, more than friends.” He hung his head, staring at his feet. Getting closer, you found yourself raising your hand to rest on his cheek, guiding his gaze to meet yours.

 “I really like you too…for a long time actually.” You smiled, hoping he would take the next step. “You do?” he questioned, his brows furrowed, clearly surprised. It made your heart ache to know he was expecting rejection. “Of course I do. You’re Raph, the one who’s been there for me whenever I needed you, making me laugh when I wanted to cry, caring about me when I thought nobody else did…the one I’m falling in love with.” His face brightened at that. “You…you’re falling in love with me? Of all people?” he gave you that lady killing smile, the one you knew was going to take you out one day.

 “Yeah.” You mumbled, dropping your hand from his face to his neck. Raph let out a laugh before picking you up and twirling you around. “Raphie!” you squealed. “Sorry, I just- I’m really happy. The girl I like, likes me back.” He chuckled before placing you down. That was when something came back into your mind.

 “Wait, before you said ‘something snapped in you today’, what was that?” you queried. Raph’s expression darkened for a moment before staring into your eyes. “I…I saw you with that guy today.” You flinched at that. “Wha- Cody? But-”

 “Look I talked with the guys and they all said it was very unlikely for you to be dating someone since they were pretty sure you liked me. Of course I said you couldn’t wait around forever if that was the case, I never shoot my shot or shot my shoot, whatever the hell it is Mikey says. I just…I didn’t want to admit to the guys that I was…that I am…” he sighed roughly

 “Jealous?” you finished, genuinely shocked.

 “…yeah.” He admitted, albeit sheepishly.

 “Um…Raph, I hate to break it to you although knowing you were jealous is touching, in a way, but Cody is my cousin.”

 “Wait…what?” Raphael blanked. “We went to get coffee, ironically he was telling me how he was planning on proposing to his boyfriend.” You finished explaining, although it wasn’t like you needed to explain yourself in the first place, your feelings for Raph were so strong you didn’t think you could just…go on a date with someone else.

 “…oh.”

 “You okay there?” you laughed to yourself, wondering how he was gonna recover from this one. Then an idea started to form in your mind. “Hey Raph?” you nudged him, wondering if he was still responding to his surroundings. “Yeah?” he let out.

 Slowly wrapping your arms around his neck, you went on your tippy toes to place a kiss on the corner of his mouth. His face whipped around to look at you as you pulled away, tilting your head innocently. “What was that for?” he whispered. “Nothing. I just thought since I like you and you like me…that this was okay. It is okay isn’t it?” you bit your lip, causing Raph’s golden eyes to glance at your mouth before meeting your eyes again. “More than okay.” Was all he said before leaning forward, his lips melding into yours.

 It was everything you had dreamed of and more.

[spider-manholland]

Please Don’t Break My Heart | Peter Parker

part one of the mending hearts mini-series

Pairing(s): Ex!Peter Parker x Female Reader, Peter Parker x Michelle Jones, Brad Davis x Female Reader

Warning(s): angst, whole lotta angst, small hints of fluff if you squint closely, swearing, mentions of cheating (but not actually), implications of smut, Far From Home spoilers

Summary: Sometimes it takes losing the person you once loved to make you realize how much they still mean to you.

Requested: Yes / No @decaffeinated-turtle

Masterlist

You knew it was only a matter of time this would happen, you just wished it never came. You lifted your heavy-weighted head up from your lap to stare at your boyfriend, Peter Parker that stood in front of you, your eyes filled with tears as you watched him stand there awkwardly, his hands laced together.

“I don’t understand.” Of course you understood why this was happening. Ever since the “blip”, when everyone that disappeared five years ago came back Peter was never the same. He became distant, never answered your phone calls or replied to your texts, missed dates. He would go days without talking to you. “I-Is it me?” You asked, pointing at yourself. “D-Did I do something wrong for making you feeling this way-”

“No, it’s not you!” Peter immediately replied, shaking his head. “I-I just...” His voice trailed, his eyes flashing something you rarely saw him show. Guilt. “I don’t love you anymore.”

I don’t love you anymore. Those words were like sharp knives, each one stabbing repeatedly in your chest. “I have feelings for someone else.” And that’s when you felt your heart finally break, shattered into a million pieces and slowly falling into the pit of your stomach.

“Who?” You felt yourself instantly ask, but you didn’t need an answer because everything began to piece together. It was Michelle Jones. It all made sense to you. The glances they shared during classes. The times they sat together at lunch, just themselves. Walking home with one another. The whispering between each other in the middle class changes. “Oh my god,” you gasped, tears spilling from eyes. “Oh my god!”

“I’m so sorry,” Peter’s voice cracked, his own pair of eyes becoming glossy as well. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen, I swear.”

“Did you guys ever-” You began to ask but was immediately cut off when Peter shook his head vigorously. “No, of course not! I could never do that you, ever!”

You nodded your head, having no words to say. And uncomfortable silence then filled your apartment’s living room, nothing but the sound of soft cries coming from you. “I’m really sorry, Y/N.”

“I-I think you just leave, Peter.” Your voice was soft, trembling slightly as you pointed your finger at your apartment’s door. Peter opened his mouth, trying to form the right words to say but just ended up nodding his head. You watched as he made his way towards your door, glancing at you one last time before leaving your apartment and out of your life.

And once the door closed, that’s when you completely broke down as everything came crashing down on you.

- - -

You remembered exactly how you felt when you first found out about your class trip to Europe. You were beyond excited, jumping up and down in your seat as you already began to plan what to do once you got there. But all that excitement completely vanished when your relationship with Peter ended, ruining all of your plans for Europe.

But there you were, walking down the narrow isle of the plane as you tried to find your seat, 32B. As you walked down the isle, flashing your classmates a friendly smile as you passed. You then felt your heart suddenly stop beating as your eyes landed on where you were sitting specifically. Next to your empty seat sat none of other than your ex-boyfriend, Peter Parker and his best friend Ned Leeds.

“Well shit,” you cursed under your breath before stepping towards your row, feeling yourself beginning sweat out of nervousness as your gaze went from the row number to the two boys that were staring at you with wide-eyes. “Hey,” you spoke up awkwardly, receiving nothing but small waves from them. “I sit there,” you pointed at the empty window seat beside Peter.

“Oh,” Peter quickly replied, him and Ned standing up in their seat to give you space to walk in front of them. You and Peter both gave each other awkward smiles before sitting down in your seat, heat bubbling up in the pit of your stomachs as your arms accidentally brushed up against each other.

“S-Sorry,” you both quickly apologized, blush forming on your guys’ cheeks.

“It’s okay.” You smiled softly, before turning your head towards your carry-on backpack and pulled out your favorite book. You then plugged in your earphones and blasted your music as loud as you can as you began to read your book, hoping that the endless number of words and songs would help you forget about Peter, your ex-boyfriend that you still loved so much that broke up with you only two weeks ago sitting right next to you.

And it did, but only for a while. After about three hours of listening to music and reading, you couldn’t help but notice Peter constantly turning around his seat, glancing back and whispering quite loudly at Ned, annoying you. You paused your music, can’t help but wondering what they were talking about.

“Ned, do you think you could ask Betty to switch seats with me so that I can sit with MJ?” He asked quietly, unaware that you were listening.

“What?” Ned’s mouth gaped open, “And make me sit by myself for the rest of the flight?” You couldn’t but smile to yourself at the sound of his tone. You always pictured Ned as a giant teddy bear and that voice immediately made you think of that. “Why can’t you ask Y/N to switch seats with MJ?”

“Are you serious right now?” Peter’s whispered tone slightly raising. “We just broke up two weeks ago, I can’t ask her that.”

“Fine,” Ned sighed, frowning. “I’ll just ask MJ to switch seats with me-” He began to stand up but was then yanked back down by Peter who stared at him with wide-eyes. “No, Ned! That’s worse. I can’t have Y/N, my ex-girlfriend sit next to the girl I broke up with her for.”

That’s when you decided that you heard enough. You yanked your earphones out of your ear and turned to face the two boys. “I’ll ask MJ to switch seats with me.”

“Y/N, I-” Peter tried to speak but you didn’t give him the chance because you were already standing up from your seat, your carry-on in your hands as you pushed past them, praying that they didn’t see the tears forming in your eyes but of course, Peter did.

You slowly walked down the narrow isle, trying to blink away the the sad but angry tears that managed to slip down your cheeks, wiping the rest as you arrived at MJ and Betty’s row, getting the two girls’ attention. “Hey MJ, do you think we could switch seats?” You asked, clearing your throat at the same time your voice cracked, trying to hide it. “After what happened between me and Peter, it’s kinda awkward sitting next to him.”

“Y-Yeah, sure.” MJ nodded her head, grabbing her things and stepping out of her seat, allowing you to sit down before heading back over to your row.

You couldn’t help but watch as she got to your seat, your heart dropping at the bright smile that formed on her lips. You could see her mouth moving but couldn’t make up the words she was saying.

I’m already regretting going on this trip, you immediately thought before sinking deeper into your uncomfortable seat and letting a much needed sleep consume you.

You didn’t know how long you were asleep until you felt the plane jerk abruptly, knocking you right into consciousness. “Shit,” you swore, rubbing your head softly.

“Yeah, turbulence sucks.” Betty spoke up, causing you to turn towards the pretty blonde, nodding your head in agreement. “Are we almost there?” You asked, shuffling in your seat. “I think we have about three hours left.”

“Oh my god,” you groaned, “It feels like this plane ride has gone on forever.”

You then poked your head out and glanced back down the isle, seeing the bathroom sign that currently showed it was occupied. “I gotta go use the bathroom, I’ll be right back.” You then flashed Betty a quick smile before standing up from your seat.

As you walked down the narrow isle you couldn’t but check what used to be your seat, your heart stopping at the sight of MJ and Peter both asleep, her head resting on his shoulder as they both shared the plane’s complimentary blanket.

Fuck, you thought as tears filled your eyes once again, but you quickly blinked them away and continued to head towards the bathroom. When you got there you were then met by Brad Davis, one extremely attractive guy in your class, one of the few that weren’t “blipped” away.

“Hey, L/N.” He smiled politely, leaning against the wall beside the bathroom. “Hey, Davis.” You smiled back, crossing your arms over your chest as the both of you patiently waited for the toilet.

“How you doing, ya know, after you and Parker-” You immediately rolled your eyes, already knowing what he was about to ask you. “I’m fine.” You replied, your soft stare turning into a glare.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.” Brad quickly apologized, frowning sympathetically. “It’s just that I saw what you did back there, changing your seats with MJ. That’s brave.”

“I don’t know what you mean-” you started say but stopped when Brad just laughed, shaking his head. “Come on, everybody in our class knows Peter likes MJ.”

“Oh,” your tone was soft, your lips slighted parted. “Yeah.” You glanced down at the ground, playing with your fingers.

“Parker’s a dumbass.” His words made you immediately shoot your head up and stare at him confusingly, your brows furrowed. “I mean yeah, Michelle’s pretty and all but damn, you are-” he chuckled nervously, “-you’re drop-dead gorgeous, insanely smart. I could go on if you want.”

“No,” you laughed, feeling yourself blush at his compliments. “You’re good. Thank you.”

“Again, Parker’s a dumbass for letting you go.” He repeated, causing the both of you to laugh loudly and some woman that was seated near the bathroom to shush you two. What you both didn’t know was that your laughter also caused Peter to wake up due to his enhanced hearing, his eyes then landing on the two you talking, feeling something he hasn't felt in a long time go off in his chest.

You and Brad both broke apart when the bathroom door flew open, the man that was inside stepping out. “Ladies first.” Brad then said, holding his arm out teasingly but respectfully, causing you to chuckle at his playful manner.

But as you stepped inside the bathroom you felt yourself stop before you could close the door. You began to hear Brad’s words echo inside your mind.

Parker’s a dumbass for letting you go.

You’re drop-dead gorgeous, insanely smart.

Peter likes MJ.

Peter likes MJ.

Peter likes MJ.

Next thing you knew your lips were on his, pulling him into the small bathroom and closing it behind the both of you.

But neither of you knew that Peter was watching the whole thing. He watched as you placed your lips against Brad’s. He watched as you pulled him into the bathroom and closed it behind you.

And he watched as the bathroom’s sign changed from Vacant to Occupied.

Thank you @decaffeinated-turtle for requesting this! I love this one-shot idea so much that I decided to turn it into a mini-series so stay tuned. Let me know if you want to be tagged for this series in particular or be part of my permanent tagslist.

- Permanent Tagslist -

@laic2299  @starsholland  @untoldstoriescomingtrough  @squid-kidd8

[kathrinehastings]

LeonardoxReader

Stress and Meditation

School had been hectic lately and it was really starting to get to you. You had a backpack full of homework and assignments that needed to be done and they were nowhere near complete. You felt overwhelmed and needed help making sense of it all. Sighing, you lifted your forehead off your desk and fixed your hair a bit before getting up. You put a pair of shoes on and crammed everything you needed into your backpack. Stuffing some pillows under your blanket, you tried to make it somewhat resemble a sleeping human and switched your bedroom light off. You slipped out of your bedroom window, closing it but not locking it and made your way down the fire escape and down the nearest manhole.

After walking in the sewer tunnels for a few minutes, you neared the entrance of the lair. As you walked in, you were greeted by Master Splinter, who had a teapot in one hand and book in the other.

"Good evening, (Y/N)." He gave a little bow using only his head. "It's been a long time since you've visited." "Hello Master Splinter. " You returned the little bow. "I know it's been a while. School has been pretty busy." "I see. So you've come here to take a break? Or maybe even celebrate?" "Actually..." You gave a nervous laugh. "I came here because I need help." "Ah." He smiled. "Well, Donatello is in his lab as usual. I'm not sure I'll be of any use to you." He said as he started walking to his room. You giggled. "Thank you, Master Splinter."

You hurried off to Donnie's lab and found him working on something small at his desk. You didn't want to startle him so you knocked lightly on the big metal door and cleared your throat. He looked up from his work, saw you and smiled.

"Hey (Y/N). Long time no see." He said as he stood up to hug you. "Hi Don." You gave him a little squeeze. "How have you been?" He released you and sat back down in his chair.

"Ugh..." You sighed. "Stressed." You hopped onto one of his open desks and sat cross-legged. "School has me drowning in heaps of homework and projects. I really think that they're out to get me."

Donnie laughed. "It can't be that bad. It's only high school."

You raised your eyebrows at him and paused before pulling you backpack off your back and dropping it from where you were sitting. It hit the hard concrete floor with a loud thud, making it sound like it was loaded with large rocks. Donnie's smile faltered.

He cleared his throat and frowned. "Have you been procrastinating again?"

"Oh my gosh, that was one time!" You cried, dropping your head in your hands.

"Twice, I believe."

You groaned extra loudly before lifting your head to look at him. "I promise this time I didn't procrastinate. Not even once. I've been trying so hard to keep up but it always gets extra busy this time of year." You dropped your head in your hands again. "I just need a break."

Donnie sighed and thought for a moment. "Okay, I'll help."

"Don. You don't have to." You said with your head still in your hands, making your voice sound weirdly muffled.  "That's not why I came down here." You said sheepishly.

"Oh, I know." He got up from his seat. "Trust me... We all know."

You groaned again and looked up at him with lidded eyes.

"I will help, but you need to get into the right mindset." He stepped up to where you were sitting and put your bag on the desk next to you. "You need to relax a little before we start." He looked at you expectantly. "Go... Refresh your mind."

"I think Master Splinter is busy."

"I wasn't talking about Master Splinter."

You sighed heavily. "You're doing this on purpose."

"Actually, this time I'm not." Donnie started clearing one of his desks. "He's in the dojo right now, meditating and like you said, Master Splinter is busy."

"Okay, fine." You hopped off the desk. "But only because you're helping."

He turned to you and smiled cheekily. "Have fun."

You scoffed and punched him playfully before walking out of the lab.

You started to feel nervous as you walked to the dojo. The thought of being alone with Leo made your heart race and your stomach do flips. You've liked him for quite some time now and everybody knew, except Leo obviously... you hoped. You walked through the lair and passed the entertainment area were you saw Mikey playing video games, yet he was too engrossed in his game to take note of you or your silent plea for help. You heard Raph's grunts from somewhere else in the lair, indicating that the was working out... And couldn't help you either. You whimpered softly and continued your 'long' journey to the dojo. 

You stopped just outside the door and noticed that it was open slightly. You peeked in, making sure that you weren't seen or heard. The lights were off but it wasn't dark. The dojo was bathed in soft yellow light coming from the many candles Leo had lit. It gave the room a warm, soothing feeling. Your eyes moved around the room and eventually fell on Leo. He had switched his weapons and armour for a simple, snug pair of sweatpants and he had his bare shell facing you, allowing you a full view of it without those huge straps or swords. The subtle flickering lights danced on the turtle's large shell, the light catching the raised edges and the shadows filling the deeper ridges. You stared at it for a while, marveling at how amazing it was and realising that they don't get to see how beautiful their shells could be... Unless they had, like, a mirror or something... But it probably just wouldn't be the same.

 You quietly stepped inside the dojo and walked closer to Leo, hoping that you wouldn't startle him.

"You can't sneak up on me."

You nearly jumped out of your skin. "Jeez, Leo." You held your hand over your heart as it felt like it was going to beat out of your chest. "I wasn't trying to."

He chuckled a bit. "Then what's with the creeping?"

You walked around to the front of him and noticed that he still had his eyes closed. "I was trying not to startle you."

He smiled, "As if you could ever take me by surprise."

He opened his eyes suddenly, staring at you intently. As if he knew exactly where to look to meet your gaze. His eyes were so blue, they were beautiful in the light that the candles were giving off. You held his gaze for a bit before pretending to study the candles, if you didn't look away you probably would have started to stare and creep him out.

"So..." You shifted your weight from foot to foot. "Donnie said that you could help me relax." You glanced at him nervously. "Help me clear my mind with, like, meditation and stuff."

"School working you too hard?"

"Yeah. Donnie said I need my mind to be fresh before I tackle the heap of work I have." You glanced at him before staring at your shoes.

"Well, you've come to the right place." He smiled. "Please. Sit." He gestured to the space in front of him and you sat quickly, crossing your legs. "Now. First, close your eyes." You did as you were told and shut them firmly. Leo looked at you and chuckled at how hard you had closed, your brows furrowed and your eyes scrunched up tightly.

"Not so hard. Just relax."

You loosened up a bit and tried to relax.

"Inhale deeply," He said softly. "and hold it for a bit."

You inhaled deeply and took in all of the different smells in the room. The first scent was of melted candle wax. It overwhelmed you a bit and almost completely drowned out any other smells, but then you caught his scent. Immediately your brain went blank and you felt yourself relax. A feeling of safety and calm washed over you and you sighed as you exhaled.

"Good." Leo exhaled as well. "Continue."

You repeated this exercise for a few minutes and felt a lot better. You cracked one eye open to look at Leo. He seemed to be in his own world, completely oblivious to the fact that you were still sitting there. You opened both of your eyes and studied him. He looked completely content to sit there for all eternity, just breathing. You watched him do his breathing exercise, how his torso seemed to expand when he inhaled and the rise and fall of his chest and shoulders.  Suddenly, you became all too aware of the fact that he was basically shirtless. You felt your face heat up and you tore your gaze away, only to look again a few moments later. You didn't want to start staring, so you wanted to ask him when this little session would end but you weren't quite sure how to do so... politely.

You thought for a moment. You couldn't just get up and leave. That would be rude. You didn't want touch him, you might startle him with the sudden contact so tapping on his knee or something would be out of the question.

You chewed on your bottom lip, and thought of something so silly, it might just work.

"... Leo." You whispered.

Nothing.

He didn't even flinch.

"Leo." You whispered a little louder but still nothing. "Leo!" You whisper-yelled.

He just sat there, borderline dead, save for the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. You leaned back and let yourself lie down, staring at the ceiling. You moved your arms up to cradle your head but accidentally knocked a stand in the process, sending a wooden bo-staff clattering to the floor.

You covered your face with your hands and cringed hard before peeking at Leo through your fingers, but he hadn't moved a muscle.

"What?!" You said, a little too loudly... Or thought it was too loud but it clearly wasn't because Leo had still not moved.

You gave up.

You sat up straight and cupped your face in your hands, your elbows resting on your knees. You frowned at him, before crawling towards him slightly. You sat back on your legs and leaned forward a little, waving your hand in front of his face.

"Boo!"

You screamed and fell backwards onto the floor. Leo was laughing hard. A loud, hearty laugh that you could feel in your chest, the sound bringing butterflies to your stomach. You quickly tried to gain your composure, scrambling to get onto all fours and pounced on Leo, tackling him to the ground. He caught you, mid-tackle, and allowed himself to fall back gently, rocking you both back and forth on his shell. 

You squirmed in his grip but he wouldn't let you go. He just held you there, chuckling to himself.

"Well, you got me." You huffed. "Are you happy now?"

"Do you feel better now?" He smiled.

"Don't answer my question with another question."

"Why not?"

"Because..." You paused, realising what he did and started laughing. "Just let go of me."

He let go of you slowly and you managed to roll onto the floor without actually falling off of him and hurting yourself.

"I feel better," you said as you got to your feet. "but the thought of going back to my homework makes me tired."

He chuckled. "How about you leave it for tonight then?" He stood up quickly for someone with a large shell on their back. "You could come back down tomorrow."

"Maybe I will."

He seemed to perk up when you said that. You smiled at him and moved to leave the dojo, but turned around again.

"Thanks." You said, playing with your hair nervously.

"Any time." He smiled.

"I'm... I'll probably head home after getting my stuff," You glanced a your watch quickly and noticed that it was getting quite late. "so... I'll see you tomorrow?" You glanced at your watch again, only just realising that it was well after midnight. "Or later, technically."

"Yeah... Later." He chuckled.

You smiled and gave him a little wave before heading back to Donnie's lab.

You walked into the lab with a slight skip in your step and a huge smile on your face.

"Hey, Don?" You called out. "It's getting pretty late and I think I should head home. I'm gonna need the sleep if I'm gonna tackle all of this work soon."

Donnie looked up from his desk and adjusted his glasses. "Did Leo help at least?"

You hoped that Donnie didn't notice the slight blush that crept up onto your face. "Yeah, a little." You said with a nervous chuckle. 

"Well, I managed to make you a schedule of sorts and left enough time for your procrastination too, don't worry." 

You groaned and rolled your eyes. "Don." You whined.

"I'm kidding, (Y/N)." He laughed. "We can continue tomorrow, if you'd like?" He gathered up your things not noticing your vigorous nodding. "Wait, you are coming tomorrow, right?"

"Hmm hmm." You hummed in agreement as you took your heavy backpack from him.

"Of course you're coming tomorrow. Why wouldn't you..." He mumbled just loud enough for you to hear.

"Donnie."

He smirked and ruffled your hair. "Night kiddo. Sleep tight." 

You huffed in annoyance and tried to fix your hair, grumbling a goodnight as he went back to his work. Walking out into the main area of the lair you noticed Leo waiting at the entrance, dressed in his gear and looking ready to leave.

"Leo?"

"Oh hey. Master splinter asked me to make sure you get home safe." He smiled. 

"Oh... That's nice if him." You looked behind you and you could have sworn you saw the tip of his tail disappear around the corner.

"Here, let me take that." 

Your attention shifted back to Leo when he gently took your backpack from you. "Thanks." You smiled.

He returned your smile and headed out. You were about to follow when Donnie popped up out of nowhere and whispered in your ear.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

You gasped. "Donatello!"

----

"Thanks for walking me home, Leo." You  climbed through your window and put your backpack down, trying not to make too much noise. 

"No problem, (Y/N)." He stayed outside on the fire escape, making sure to stay in the shadows.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow." You said without making eye contact.

"Yeah..." He trailed off.

You watched him as he shuffled around nervously, clearly wanting to say more and not making any move to leave. Slightly confused, you moved closer to the window and when he didn't say anything, you spoke first.

"Um... Do you want to come inside?"

This seemed to make whatever he was going though even more problematic. He tensed and glanced at you a few times before shaking his head.

"I'm really not very good at this." He mumbled.

Now you were even more confused. You stepped over the windowsill and sat on it, facing Leo. "Leo," You placed a hand on his forearm and squeezed gently. "what's going on? What are you not good at?"

"Asking you out."

You froze.

"W-What?" Now you were sure that you somewhat resembled a tomato and your eyes were the size of dinner plates. "Me?" He chuckled at your strange question and you mentally face palmed. "I mean..." You shook your head trying to shake your thoughts into place. "Yes!" You said a little too enthusiastically. "I meant yes." 

"Great. I'll talk to you tomorrow." He smiled and started to move away but turned around quickly and gave you a peck on the cheek.

"Wait a minute.... Who told you?" You asked him with a skeptical look.

He paused on the railing of the fire escape and grinned, keeping his back to you. "Splinter." And then he was gone.

"I knew it."

****

Sooo... This was my first attempt at a "X reader" kinda thing so forgive me if its crappy. I really wasn't sure how to do this because I didn't want to give the reader too much of a personality. I wanted to leave her fairly neutral because I didn't want anyone to read it and be like "ugh, I would never to that!"... But I did give her a little bit of substance here and there.

I am open to CONSTRUCTIVE criticism, because, like my sister says, I am a fragile piece of cheese. So please leave a comment...

Thank you so much for your support

Love Kat ❤

[gwensparlour]

My entry for @yurioniceficexchange for @rodiniaorzetalthepenquin. Sorry I lost my ispiration so the fic is very short, but for once I wanted to fulfill my assignment. I hope you can appreciate it the same.

The hero’s adventures

 It’s a quiet evening, with Yuri sat between Otabek’s spread legs and head leaned back on his shoulder. He’s still holding the TV remote, finger lingering over the “STOP” button, while on screen Ice Princess is still unrolling. They have arrived to a scene where the protagonist is transforming spin and jumps into complicate equations.

 “You know, reminds me of when JJ borrowed a pair of skates from the girls’ division,” Otabek says, absentmindedly. He’s scrolling through his smartphone, not truly paying attention to the movie.

 Yuri stops the video, turning his head just enough to watch his friend in the eyes. In his there’s a sparkle of curiosity, blended with concern and, Otabek be damned, even a little bit of jealousy. Most of all, however, Yuri seems enthusiast to hear something about the fallouts of his lifetime rival.

 “I didn’t know you trained with JJ,” he starts, brow frowning in a way that Otabek never falls to find adorable. Yuri has indeed these perfectly arched and long eyebrows that punctuate every of his facial expressions; then he wrinkles his nose when he’s angry or concerned. Just like a cat would do.

 “It’s been only for a few months.”

 When he’s about to turn fifteen, Otabek spends some months side by side with JJ, an obnoxious Canadian guy a year older than him with maybe too much confidence for his body. Jean-Jacques at sixteen already knows what he wants in life and is determined for everybody else to follow his path.

 “It's all a question of physics” is saying one afternoon, mater of factly. Not even done with his sit-spin. When he finally comes to a halt, mouth stretched in a knowing grin, he reiterates the concept.

“See?” he points out before a truly dubious Otabek, “You have to reach the right speed and then it's easy!”

“You're always too slow,” he continues, taking a step forward and posing a hand on Otabek shoulder as an experienced counsellor about to reveal the secret of the world to his pupil.

Otabek raises an eyebrow. Well, he can't raise an eyebrow, but if he could he would do it right now.

JJ’s ideas are, if good, suicidal. Not that he isn't good, but it seems that the only thing he's determined to pursue is his style. He would rather break a leg after a wrong jump than admitting to be wrong.

 “Now, listen to me, you' take speed and I'll tell you when start spinning,” JJ proclaims, completely ignoring the coach that on the other side of the rink is shouting something about not doing any craziness.

“I don't think it's a good idea,” once again Otabek attempts to dissuade the Canadian from his purposes, but JJ waves away his  concerns and without further warning grabs his wrist and starts skating full speed, forcing Otabek to keep the pace.

Now, the rink is quite big and quite empty, but still the sensation is that the Canadian boy wants to crash right against the barrier, this fast he’s skating right in its direction. A little girl step aside just in time not to be crashed into.

 “Now!” shouts JJ finally letting Otabek’s hand go. But he’s made his calculation wrong, too carried away to play teacher to actually consider his own speed. In the end, while Otabek has indeed reflexes quick enough to actually force his body in a spin that in the end, he has to admit, turn out quite nice, JJ doesn’t. So he falls onto the rice, crashing against the barrier with the spin momentum.

 After a moment of concern, with the coach running to their side to check if the Canadian is still in one piece, it seems obvious it was more the scene than the actual damage. JJ is sat crossed legged on the ice, absolutely quiet as if nothing has happened.

“See, told you it worked!”

 Otabek can’t help but grin.

  Watching Otabek when he’s deejaying is a wholesome experience for Yuri, from the moment he saw him the first time in such environment in a local in Barcelona. As much as he’s captivating when on the ice, it’s clear that Otabek is never fully free or himself when skating. Here, however, he’s deep in his element. From the slight tilt of the head in tune with the music coming from both the headphones and the music boxes to the shimming of the shoulders. His hands are splayed on the the deejay console when he doesn’t rise an arm above his head to involve the shouting crowd.

 “When did you start?” Yuri asks later, gulping down his bottle of water because the disco club was indeed hot and crowded. He fiddles with the hem of his shirt. Otabek makes a wondering sound, hand firm on the gear, as he drives on the still sleepy roads of Almaty. It’s still dark outside the car windows and Yuri shifts a bit in his sit, sleepiness starting to build it into his body after a day of training and a night of dancing.

 “You can blame or thank Leo,” comes in the end Otabek’s reply.

  Leo de la Iglesia is a year older than Otabek and trains with him for little more then two years. He’s a nice guy and the fact that he isn’t blessed with any particular talent makes Otabek like him just a bit more. Mediocrity understands mediocrity, one could say. This is partially why the day Leo invites him to go out with a little group of skaters to have fun in a club, Otabek actually accepts.

 And he has fun too. So much fun that he ends backing up the DJ at his console to the point of taking charge of some pieces himself.

 Then, not even a whole day after Leo is knocking at Otabek bedroom door, waving a CD and begging for some music remix. The original one hasn't enough passion, apparently, and he absolutely needs it for his upcoming SP at The US nationals.  Otabek sighs, scanning Leo from head to toe. He truly hasn’t time for editing music He had never truly actually remixed music, more comfortable with the DJ console than with a music edit program opened on his laptop.  “Please!” pleas Leo, anticipating whatever answer Otabek is about to give.  “I don't have the time,” Otabek says once again, and it is true. Both his free and short programs are still too sloppy to be presented at international level, the music doesn’t convince him completely, and overall his skating lacks identity. Staying up at night remixing music wasn't in his programs at all. How he ends up having assured for the piece to be ready by next Monday, Otabek doesn’t know. Maybe Leo's puppy eyes are more dangerous than it seemed. It is funny, actually. Or, it is terrible but a terrible you actually have fun remembering.

  “And was it good?” Yuri asks, opening the glove compartment for checking for some candies to chew on. Otabek laughs over the music from the radio.

“No, it was so bad it would made your ears bleed, but it was a nice experience. And it was from then I started to study how to edit music.”

“Guess I have to thanks Leo de la Iglesia, or I wouldn’t have that great piece I used for my exhibition!”

  Yuri is nervous. A whole day of delay wasn’t planned and they should already been in an hotel in Chicago instead still in mid-air somewhere above the Atlantic Ocean. Then nobody was expecting a sudden snowstorm over Almaty to disrupt the normal flight traffic. And Yuri is muttering under his breath about how visiting Otabek at his rink for the weekend has been a very stupid idea and it will surely cost him the podium.

Above his head a screen announces there are still four hours to reach destination, while the night sky shows itself out of the window.

 “At least the competition is tomorrow. It’s not like you’re going to skate in an hour?” Otabek throws, in an attempt to ease Yuri’s nervousness. The other lifts his gaze from the nail he’s been torturing up to now, tilting his head a bit to the side so that Otabek can whisper his anecdote without disturbing the other passenger.

 Traffic jam can be a pain in the ass.

 “You know, watching the clock wouldn’t help at all!” Leo snaps when Guang Hong communicated that the competition will start in half an hour and with this traffic there is no way they can make it in time. Apparently there has been some kind of unexpected accident somewhere around five kilometres ahead, causing a chain reaction back to where the car is advancing slower than a turtle.

“I guess we should say goodbye to it.” “I’ve told you it was better to take the metro!”

 And so on!

 As the other two keep bickering at each other, huffing “I’m right” under their breath with arms crossed over chest as a shield, Otabek is paying more attention to the coach asking the taxi driver if there is an alternative road. They weren’t even late, but who in the world could imagine it would take an hour to cover few kilometres.

“There was one, but as you see I’m stuck,” the taxi driver explains, pointing out how the first available turn is only three cars ahead. “But you see that palace?” – the coach nods – “if you turn right there and then turn left at the immediately following corner you can be at the Sports palace in no time.”

There is a moment of silence, interrupted only by the cracked voiced coming from the auto radio with the disheartening news about the traffic situation, before the coach announces: “That’s it. We’ll go by foot!”

 A moment after they’re running, bags bouncing against their hips and suitcases with the costumes rattling on the pavement.

 “Did you make it in time?”

“Almost,” Otabek answers, fingers intertwined with Yuri’s in the space between the plane seats. “But luckily they had changed the schedule, so our show was postponed,” he explains, remembering the look of disbelief on Leo face when at their arrival to the rink they had discovered the show had already begun. The emotion had turned into relief when a quite small and quite angry woman explained them how they were moved in the second half.

“And I would suggest you to take a shower!” she concluded, shaking her head at their dishevelled aspect.

  “The hero of Kazhakistan secures his fame with a silver at the Four Continents,” Yuri reads the headline from an online newspaper on his mobile phone, laptop opened on his knees as he Skypes with Otabek.

“Looking forward to see you at the World,” the boy replies, playing with the medal in his hands. “Anyway, have I ever told you who was the first to give me the nickname?” he continues, chin posed on his open hand.

“No, tell me.”

   Otabek raises an eyebrow, looking down at Guang Hong who was jumping like the floor was made of boiling lava. After having offered the same show to Leo and another boy whose name Otabek cannot remember, Guang Hong is posing him the question he has asked the others.

“Are they tight enough?” Guang Hong questions, lifting a skate and wiggling it under Otabek’s nose. The laces are loose, one about to untied.

The movement forces him to bend his back, all his weight on the other food. Guang Hong spreads his arms to keep his equilibrium, but there are little drops of sweat on his brow and a slight tremor in his limbs.

 It takes just that hint of excessive weight on the wrong side for the boy to lose his hardly found balance and slip. His butt would surely have had an unwanted encounter with the hard floor, if Otabek hadn’t shoot his hand forward to grasp Guang Hong’s wrist. He yanked forward, the movement sending him to crash against the unforgiving ice.  

Otabek groans.

“No, they aren’t,” he chocks out, Guang Hong gentle weight on his belly. The Chinese boy scrambles to his feet, lavishing him in apologies.

“You save my life! You are a hero!” Guang Hong exclaims, more concerned with expressing his gratitude in a deep bow than in tying his laces. He falls twice again in a row before he actually ties them.

 “So you’re a hero?” Yuri teases Otabek.

“People says so,”

“Oh, I know it well,” Yuri laughs, before leaning forward to blow a kiss to the screen. “You’re my hero.”

[kaikamahine]

Set-of-thee-things story: Jasper with either 2) or 9) pretty pretty please?

I know it doesn’t seem like there’s much Jasper in this, but it circles back around to her, promise! :D 

THANK YOU FOR SENDING A PROMPT, FRIEND.

2: Tiles, clacking of high heels, herbal tea

By the time back-up arrives, Connie’s barricaded herself in the kitchen, crouched on top of an overturned soup pot in the manner of a particularly uncomfortable bird sitting in a nest much too small for it, knobby knees propped up by her armpits. She’s made a helmet out of a colander, and she’s using the Rose Quartz sword to pin the pot handle to the kitchen tile, balancing herself with it. Grim determination makes steel out of her face, her aquiline profile turned to a sharp cleaver’s edge.

“Hurry,” she says to them without preamble, as soon as Steven lets them in, calling, Connie, it’s us, we came as fast - “It hasn’t reformed yet, but I don’t know if my defenses will hold!”

“Never fear,” Peridot shouts in answer. “The Crystal Gems are here!”

She barrels through the door ahead of the others - the effect only slightly spoiled by the fact she’s on the wrong side of the kitchen island, which she isn’t tall enough to see over. 

Connie gingerly unfolds herself, keeping her sword point trained on the pot as her weight leaves it.

In one smooth movement, Peridot whips it off the ground, revealing a scaly honey-gold gem underneath, which Steven punts across the tile to Lapis, who claps her hands together and bubbles it.

A pause, and everybody expels the breath they’ve been holding, all at once.

“Well, I was expecting more of a fight,” Peridot says acerbically. 

“It was hiding under the shoes in my mom’s closet,” Connie tells them, fetching the sheath from the other room and returning, sliding the sword home and buckling it around her waist. “I mean, okay, they’re mostly my dad’s shoes since he needs to have every pair he’s ever owned in black and brown, it’s a thing with him, and Mom usually keeps hers by the door. But she needed her second-best pair of heels today, so she opened up the closet and started digging - fortunately, I was there, I don’t want to think about what would have happened if I wasn’t - ”

Steven looks alarmed. “Is Dr. Maheswaran all right?”

“Yes, she’s fine - she got it on the snout with a loafer - ”

“- looks like a Topaz,” Lapis comments, studying the gem through the dark membrane of her bubble. Even obscured, it’s obviously encrusted with calcified, bone-white growths. “Or. She was a Topaz.”

“- but then I got her and Dad to leave it to me.”

“Wow, Connie,” Steven goes, round-eyed. “You really vanquished a corrupted gem all by yourself?”

“Oh, no, I called you immediately, so I knew I wasn’t going to be all by myself, it was just…”

She trails off, and then peeks out from under the rim of the colander, suddenly looking uncertain, like she doesn’t know whether to be embarrassed or proud. 

“Yeah,” she says, and slowly starts to grin. “I guess I did.”

“- only in Yellow Court, but that didn’t change, I’ve never met a Topaz who’d turn down the chance to poke their nose into other people’s business,” Peridot’s saying dryly, studying the gem in Lapis’s hands. “So if she wasn’t in a closet with the Connie’s human feet-shirts, she would have been in someone else’s trash can.”

She draws breath, revving up to full-blown lecture mode, and then suddenly the line of her mouth snags.

Lapis glances up. “What is it?”

“Steven … ” Peridot calls, cutting through Steven’s rapt preoccupation with Connie’s tale. "Can you take a look at this?“

Obediently, he circles around the kitchen island. Peridot grabs his arm, and the two of them have a hasty whispered discussion behind cupped hands. Lapis waits, looking patient and bemused, as they surface to peer intently at the bubbled corrupted Topaz.

“Yeah,” Steven says, after a long pause. “That’s her.”

“That’s the third one we’ve found, just in this area!” Peridot flings her arms up. “Do you know how far they had to travel to get all the way back here, and what for?”

“We don’t really know why corrupted gems do what they do,” Steven answers. “And the Gems have been trying to figure them out for thousands of years.”

Connie hops up onto the counter, rearranging the sword as it bangs against the cabinets. The colander wobbles on top of her head.

“Where did she come from?” she asks.

Steven and Peridot exchange a look.

“Beta Kindergarten,” Peridot answers, simultaneous with Steven’s, “Arizona.”

Ding! Connie’s eyebrows spring up like toast.

“Oh,” she says, uncomfortably.

“What kind of place is that? Arizona?” Lapis interjects, letting the bubble float over her head and frowning up at it, like she’s trying to imagine why a gem would hike all the way to Delmarva if they didn’t have to.

“I don’t think you can really count Arizona as a place, ma’am,” Connie deadpans.

Lapis nods, like that makes perfect sense. “Like Jersey.”

“OKAY WELL,” comes out of Peridot at sudden top volume, and she edges towards Lapis and the bubble in her best attempt at casual, which lands three degrees off anything remotely resembling such. “We should send her to the temple and then move on with our day! The Connie can tell us all about how she managed to poof her - “

Lapis’s expression changes.

She snatches the bubble and holds it high out of Peridot’s reach.

“No fair!” Peridot complains, hopping on tiptoes.

“What aren’t you telling me?” And before anybody can say anything, a dawning suspicion steals across Lapis’s face, like she’s starting to see the giant, woman-sized shape paper-punched out of the conversation.

Her voice comes out cold. “What was she doing with them?”

Steven, Peridot, and Connie all flinch.

Peridot recovers first, and forces out a deliberate, offhanded laugh. 

“Oh, the usual crazy stuff,” she says with a shrug, ignoring Steven’s hissed, Peridot, we don’t say that word! “Collecting them, keeping them trapped in cages, some drivel about prisoners and purging, I wasn’t paying attention - I was busy and my powers were needed,” she buffs her nails on her uniform. “Ehh, I think she mostly she was taking her own inadequacies out on gems who couldn’t fight back, because it felt good.”

Lapis’s face goes very still.

Connie and Steven exchange miserable looks.

“Oh!” Peridot continues with a snap of her fingers, oblivious. She looks over at them. “But she didn’t start in Beta, did she? You said that after the mountains, she tried keeping those corrupted jaspers in the ocean, right? That’s where you fought her?”

Usually happy to recount how Amethyst and Stevonnie rescued one corrupted jasper from imprisonment and drove off Jasper herself, Steven now looks like he’d rather be anywhere but here.

His head turtle-ducks towards his collar. “Peridot …”

Her brows pinch together. “You’re using the ‘Peridot, you’re being insensitive’ voice. Why are you doing that? She’s bubbled - it’s not like she has any feelings in that state - she doesn’t care what we say!”

With an almost crystalline snap of something frozen forced into movement, Lapis releases the bubble and taps the top of it. It vanishes.

She leaves the kitchen without a word.

“What’d I say?” Peridot blinks, and then with dawning concern, “No, wait, doesn’t matter. I’m going to see if she’s all right.”

The door closes behind her, and at last, reluctantly, Connie takes off her colander helmet.

Steven makes a face at her. “Sorry, Connie.”

This should have been your day, is implied. Connie shrugs and says, “You better go after them.”

*

Peridot was right about one thing, though:

The corrupted Topaz is the third gem recently bubbled that they recognized from Beta Kindergarten, and they didn’t have a clue what could prompt a corrupted gem to trek all the way back to Delmarva from Arizona.

Honestly, without Lapis or Peridot, Steven wouldn’t even know that the gem was a Topaz - and neither would Amethyst, since any gems outside their immediate family are as unfamiliar to her as they are to him. When it comes up, Garnet and Pearl just call them corrupted - but he thinks that has more to do with grief than ignorance; if Garnet and Pearl avoid calling corrupted gems by their names, then they don’t have to confront the likelihood that they’ll look at a monster and see a friend.

Lapis and Peridot, while not as straight-up callous as they used to be, don’t suffer the same sentimentality.

Still, Peridot’s suggestion - put forth some two weeks after the Topaz incident - is met with an immediate icy silence.

“Bait,” Garnet echoes, a single reproving syllable.

Undaunted, Peridot pounds her fist into the palm of her other hand.

“Yeah!” she says. “We unbubble one of the Beta gems we have and see if that’s the common denominator.”

Steven glances back and forth, trying to slurp quietly from the top of his mug to see if his tea’s cooled enough to drink yet. He grimaces at the taste: Connie has a five-minute presentation on why herbal teas are good for you, but do they have to taste like suffering?

“That’s not much to go on,” Pearl points out reasonably.

“Sure it is! If we just - ”

“I can kinda see Perrie’s point,” Amethyst says, and when Garnet and Pearl both turn to look at her, she shrugs. “Nobody likes to be alone, guys. Not permanently. You all remember Centipeedle? If all the Beta gems did used to be part of Jasper’s army thousands of years ago - assuming she wasn’t just crazy - “

“Amethyst,” Steven complains.

“ - then they’re gonna wanna be together. Like soldiers or whatever.” She spreads her hands, like, see? “This is our chance to round them all up.”

It’s a testament, Steven thinks, to how far they’ve all come that where once Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl would have balked at the idea of attracting any kind of attention from corrupted gems, now they’re confident that that between five weaponized gems and one Steven, not to mention Connie and Lion, they’ve got a good chance at handling whatever’s thrown at them. At least from this planet.

Garnet’s mouth makes the faintest upward twitch.

“Let’s try it.”

*

BAM!

The screen door bangs off its hinges, and Peridot comes barreling in already yelling.

“I’ve made a terrible mistake! You’ve got to come quick!”

With a low vrrrrrBMM, Garnet’s gauntlets crystalize over her hands. This, more than Peridot’s histrionics - which are often caused by other such distresses as an unpaid Netflix bill interrupting her streaming or some unknown species of spider hiding in her paint cans, convincing her it’s an invasion (”the more legs it has, the more likely it is to murder us, Steven!”) - alarm Amethyst and Pearl, who also come to attention.

“What’s wrong?” Garnet says.

“It’s Lapis! She went into the temple, and she - “

The tension in the room ratchets up so suddenly she stumbles, and frowns at them. Behind the counter, Steven sighs.

In his opinion, the civility that exists between the Crystal Gems and Lapis is nothing short of a miracle. It’s one thing to continually tell Lapis that the Gems never meant to keep her imprisoned, and another thing for Lapis to break a 5000-year habit of loathing and obsessing over how the Crystal Gems are cruel, heartless, trophy-hunting monsters. These days, Steven just shrugs off the ocean-theft, near-murder incident - so she had a villain moment, who hasn’t had a villain moment, they’re going to make a catchy musical number about it one day if Dad hasn’t already - but he sees the exact conclusion Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl leap to with that declaration alone.

“Guys - “ he starts reprovingly, but Garnet speaks over him.

“Where is she?”

“Uh.” Wrong-footed, Peridot blinks, then remembers what she was trying to say. “At the Greg-dad’s alternate housing facility?”

Whatever the Gems were expecting to hear, this wasn’t it.

“She’s where?” Pearl says blankly.

*

It’s easy to tell which storage unit belongs to Mr. Universe’s - even if it wasn’t the only one that’s open, the deep blue light pooling on the asphalt would be a dead giveaway.

At the sight, Peridot starts to dash forward, but Amethyst grabs her shoulder in a restraining hold, shaking her head, and so Peridot settles for cupping her hands around her mouth and calling out, sotto voice, “Lapis! Lapis, it’s okay, I’m here!”

“Shh,” comes the reply, and something in the storage unit makes a distinct whumph!

Pearl tightens her grip on her spear, expression grim.

Unable to stand it, Steven pushes forward until he’s almost at the garage door, wrapping an arm around Garnet’s leg and peering out.

At first, all he can make out is a mass of orange and white. Crouched in front of all that bulk, Lapis seems laughably small. The only light comes from the streetlight several paces back and Lapis’s gem, illuminating the edges of everything in a ominous, midnight glow. Somewhere back in the dark, something breathes.

Peridot speaks first.

“Lapis.” Her tone is tense, her hands fisted at her sides. “We could have used any of the Beta gems, you didn’t - “

“No,” Lapis says mildly.

At the sound of her voice, the monster shifts her chin along the cement, and Steven abruptly realizes what they’re looking at.

The corrupted gem that had once been Jasper lies on her belly in front of Lapis, her head lowered until it’s mere inches away from Lapis’s outstretched palm, the way Steven once saw the Pizza’s old dog behave with Nanefua, sitting poised and obedient as she held a piece of fish in front of its nose and made it wait. Jasper holds so still she’s almost shaking, a ripple of movement under her fur and the sickly, conical growths that encrust her head and shoulders. Steven can’t tell where her eyes are, but he can just make out her nostrils, flaring open and shut under the heel of Lapis’s hand.

She’s so big the sound of her breathing takes up the entire unit, an inhaling-exhaling rush like being trapped inside a seashell.

“You’re right, Peridot,” Lapis says.

The Peridot of a year ago might have brushed that off with a casual, I know, but now she narrows her eyes and says, “about … what?” with trepidation.

“They’ll hunt her down. All the Beta gems - she’s their common denominator. So if you’re right, if she was doing to them exactly what I did to her - “

“Lapis, no - “ Steven tries, loudly.

The next inhale comes as a low, warning growl, and his mouth snaps shut of its own accord.

“- then they’ll come to where she is.” Her calm and carefully moderated tone now drops, and Jasper’s chin inches along the cement like she’s trying to follow it. “They’ve been alone and frightened for thousands of years. They’ll leap at anything that isn’t that, even if it hurts. And then we can help them.”

“You can’t leave her unbubbled, Lapis,” Garnet says firmly.

“She won’t hurt me.”

Whumph! comes again, and Steven has a strange moment when he realizes that it’s Jasper’s tail, thumping against whatever it is his dad’s got back there. 

Is she … she’s wagging her tail! he thinks with sudden glee, and clamps down hard on the urge to smile. It’s not appropriate for the situation, Steven.

“Or you,” Lapis adds, like it’s an afterthought.

Garnet, Pearl, and Amethyst all exchange skeptical looks; absolutely nothing in their experience says Jasper’s ever tried to do anything but hurt them.

“You can’t know that,” Garnet insists. “Corrupted gems aren’t something to play around with. They’re a danger to themselves and to the lifeforms on this planet.”

“Not if she stays in here!”

A pause, and then all eyes swivel to Steven.

“Well,” he continues, carefully releasing his hold on Garnet, “it doesn’t have to be here, here, it’s probably not fair to keep her in a doghouse. Especially in the dark! But we’ve got something, don’t we? Like the Centipeedles on their ship!”

“Steven - “ Pearl clicks her tongue. “That’s different. They’re with their crew, that’s - “

Lapis stands and abruptly pivots to face them.

“What do you think I am?” Her voice is so flat you could skate across it.

Garnet’s mouth skews like she tastes something unpleasant.

Lapis meets her gaze and doesn’t flinch. She keeps one hand extended behind her, palm flat - Jasper stays where she is.

Steven wonders if they can tell how much it costs Lapis to confess that - that doing to Jasper what Homeworld had done to her, that Jasper in turn did to other gems, made Jasper hers in an unfortunate kind of way, the kind that takes bravery to admit to - but before he can say anything, Peridot jumps in, her expression apprehensive - this whole thing had been her idea. “And - if Amethyst’s right and the corrupted gems from Beta were part of her army, thousands of years ago, that means she’s their crew, too, right?”

Garnet shakes her head. “You’re asking us to let you release a proven enemy, without - “

“She won’t hurt us,” Lapis says again.

“Why not?”

And the answer, when it comes, surprises them all:

“Because of Steven,” says Amethyst.

Everyone looks at her. She looks at Lapis.

Then she folds her arms, looking grumpy. “Well? Am I wrong?”

A beat, and Lapis turns, once more crouching down in front of Jasper, who whoofs out a breath, thumping her tail in a manner that’s almost contented.

“You’re the Crystal Gems,” she says. “You’ve lived with Steven all his life, so you don’t know what it’s like, being so rock bottom you’ve got nothing else. There’s nowhere to go at that point - except there is, because the one thing you’ve got left is being what Steven sees when he looks at you.”

Steven starts to fidget, uncomfortable, but when he steals a look around, he sees Peridot nodding with perfect understanding, and - to his shock - Amethyst, too.

But how can I see something in you if it’s not already there! he wants to protest. You’re the ones who are so special, not me, and all I want is to show you that!

“The plan will work,” Lapis says confidently.

She sneaks a glance in Steven’s direction, tucking a stray fringe of hair away from her face, and he’s reminded suddenly of the shyness in Connie’s expression the day she vanquished the snooping Topaz without their help: I did good, right?

A hand descends, flattening the hair on top of his head: Garnet, conceding.

“We’ll try it once,” she allows, and Pearl heaves her this is a bad idea and I’m going to say I told you so later sigh. “And then we’ll decide where to go from there.”

The storage unit fills as Jasper draws in a huge breath and releases it gustily.

Then she tips her head forward, just barely, just enough that her nose bumps up under the palm of Lapis’s hand.

Lapis smiles.

[plurdledgabbleblotchits]

The Carnival of the Animals · Noël Coward · Andre Kostelanetz & His Orchestra / 安德 烈柯斯特蘭尼茲樂團 · Frank Miller · Julius Baker · Leonid Hambro · Jascha Zayde Speaker: Noël Coward Conductor: Andre Kostelanetz & His Orchestra / 安德 烈柯斯特蘭尼茲樂團 Cello: Frank Miller Flute: Julius Baker Piano: Leonid Hambro Piano: Jascha Zayde Composer: CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921) Lyricist: Ogden Nash

From Wikipedia:

In 1949, Ogden Nash wrote a set of humorous verses to accompany each movement for a Columbia Masterworks recording of Carnival of the Animals conducted by Andre Kostelanetz. Recited on the original album by Noël Coward, they are now often included when the work is performed.

Introduction Camille Saint-Saëns Was wracked with pains, When people addressed him, As Saint Sanes. He held the human race to blame, Because it could not pronounce his name. So, he turned with metronome and fife, To glorify other kinds of life. Be quiet please - for here begins His salute to feathers, fur, and fins. Royal March of the Lion The lion is the king of beasts, And husband of the lioness. Gazelles and things on which he feasts Address him as your highoness. There are those that admire that roar of his, In the African jungles and velds, But, I think that wherever the lion is, I'd rather be somewhere else. Hens and Roosters The rooster is a roistering hoodlum, His battle cry is "cock-a-doodleum". Hands in pockets, cap over eye, He whistles at pullets, passing by. Wild Asses Have ever you harked to the jackass wild, Which scientists call the onager? It sounds like the laugh of an idiot child, Or a hepcat on a harmoniger. But do not sneer at the jackass wild, There is a method in his heehaw. For with maidenly blush and accent mild The jenny-ass answers shee-haw. Tortoises Come crown my brow with leaves of myrtle, I know the tortoise is a turtle, Come carve my name in stone immortal, I know the turtoise is a tortle. I know to my profound despair, I bet on one to beat a hare. I also know I'm now a pauper, Because of its tortley, turtley, torper. The Elephant Elephants are useful friends, Equipped with handles at both ends. They have a wrinkled moth-proof hide. Their teeth are upside down, outside. If you think the elephant preposterous, You've probably never seen a rhinosterous. Kangaroos The kangaroo can jump incredible, He has to jump because he is edible. I could not eat a kangaroo, But many fine Australians do. Those with cookbooks as well as boomerangs, Prefer him in tasty kangaroomeringues. Aquarium Some fish are minnows, Some are whales. People like dimples, Fish like scales, Some fish are slim, And some are round, They don't get cold, They don't get drowned. But every fishwife Fears for her fish. What we call mermaids They call merfish. People With Long Ears In the world of mules There are no rules. The Cuckoo in the Middle of the Wood Cuckoos lead bohemian lives, They fail as husbands and as wives, Therefore, they cynically dispariage Everybody else's marriage. Aviary Puccini was Latin, and Wagner Teutonic, And birds are incurably philharmonic, Suburban yards and rural vistas Are filled with avian Andrew Sisters. The skylark sings a roundelay, The crow sings "The Road to Mandalay," The nightingale sings a lullaby, And the sea gull sings a gullaby. That's what shepherds listened to in Arcadia Before somebody invented the radia. Pianists Some claim that pianists are human, And quote the case of Mr Truman. Saint Saëns, upon the other hand, Considered them a scurvy band. A blight they are, he said, and simian, Instead of normal men and womian. Fossils At midnight in the museum hall, The fossils gathered for a ball. There were no drums or saxophones, But just the clatter of their bones, A rolling, rattling carefree circus, Of mammoth polkas and mazurkas. Pterodactyls and brontosauruses Sang ghostly prehistoric choruses. Amid the mastodonic wassail I caught the eye of one small fossil, "Cheer up sad world," he said and winked, "It's kind of fun to be extinct." The Swan The swan can swim while sitting down, For pure conceit he takes the crown, He looks in the mirror over and over, And claims to have never heard of Pavlova. Finale Now we've reached the grand finale, Animale carnivale. Noises new to sea and land, Issue from the skillful band. All the strings contort their features, Imitating crawly creatures. All the brasses look like mumps From blowing umpah, umpah, umps. In outdoing Barnum and Bailey, and Ringling, Saint-Saëns has done a miraculous thingling.

[twilightpony4]

Ola Americano... Turtle?: 11. Keeping Awake

It was an uncomfortably quiet walk on the way back to camp. Leonardo led the way with lengths behind him as the rest of his team members followed cautiously through the urban and jungle areas. Throughout the travel, the two tracking behind their leader quietly consoled one another if he had begun to cool off from their failure.

It was hard to tell given that they were so far away. When they hit the jungle, they could still not declare so for he was chopping their way through. His swipes were sharp and his grunts were frustrated yet mildly quiet. Either the shrubbery was very dense and consumed a lot of energy or some-turtle was still feeling it. “Bam!” They heard a sudden yet familiar voice up ahead. They were clearly at camp due to The side of the campfire but the assailant was beyond the spot that the blue clad turtle had cut. Leonardo took it by surprise, ducking down as a crown of blue and magenta flowers was forced upon his head. “You’ve been flowered!” Michelangelo exclaimed with his hands in the air. Looking around, the other two of his team members were covered in flowers. Sitting in the middle of their mass of blankets, Venus has the same arrangement as Leonardo with the additive of a necklace of white flowers with yellow splashes in the middle. She was also more appreciative for she willingly kept it on. Her smile was bright seeing the shock and upset on the leader’s face. Raphael, however, was not fairing so well. Sitting at the “table” (A giant rock with little boulder chairs), he was not recognizing those who has returned. Instead, he kept his eyes on the “table”, fist enclosed tightly. By his feet, a trampled mess of torn up stems littered with orange and blue petals told the story of a simple crime scene that had happened earlier. “What…” Leonardo, obviously still ticked, grumbled in a low voice. He looked up at the crown first, then scowled at Michelangelo. “the shell?”

The young turtle was all types of wrong. He had a rainbow array of flowers all over. His mask had been removed which was made to an even crazier use. With the ends tied to the straps of his backpack, they supported two separate stashes of apples, grapes, leaves, and other things he could find to press up against his chest much like a bra. On his waist, numerous palm tree leaves were woven by strips of bark and made into a skirt. He looked more like a discount Tutti Frutti more than anything else.

“Flowers for you…” Mona bowed her head as the colorful turtle placed a wreath of purple and yellow mix of poppies and freesias. Mona admired them, taking them in her hand to inspect them. With her head down, Michelangelo took the chance to place a crown of white begonias with a red rim around the petals atop her head. “flowers for you…” He found it harder to reach the much taller Donatello. The purple clad turtle did not bow as Mona had for he was less receiving. However, the youngest turtle was intuitive. He tossed the yellow and white necklace like he was a bottle in a ring toss game. The tall turtle ducked in anticipation, but the intertwined stems practically floated onto his head and cascaded down his neck (except for a piece that caught onto his microphone). When he shook his head to remove the irritating piece from his face, a coral crown was bestowed upon him. “And look! Look at ya’ll,” he pointed at Leo first, then to Venus. “ya’ll so cute all matching and stuff!” He exclaimed. He sighed dreamily, clasping his hands together and pressing it against his cheek. “Ain’t they cute everybody?!” “So why do you look like a fruit salad?” The youngest turtle turned to the side. One hip propped up with a hand sitting on top of it. The other was placed behind the back of his head as he bounced his leg and made a large pout with his lips. “Because I’m juicy.” He had hoped to gain an new reaction from the leader. Leonardo continued to glare at his little brother, now with his arms crossing his chest. He let out a breath and began to tap his foot. The goofy smile on the orange clad turtle turned a different direction slowly. Quickly, his arms and hips dropped to a neutral position. “Just wanted to lighten up the mood.” His tone was innocent and wished to do well. “For…?” The leader leaned in. Michelangelo sucked his lips in and turned to his teammates. He didn't want to be the one to say it. “We got nothing.” Venus answered for him, but it was as equally joyful as the young turtle was now. “What do you mean ‘nothing’?” Both Venus and Michelangelo cringed when he asked that. Something with the way he said it and accentuated ‘nothing’ made it seem like they've done a childish job. Neither one wanted to precisely answer, but someone else would. “We mean we lost him!” Raphael yelled, then banged his hand on the boulder. It hurt like shell but the adrenaline kept it at bay. His hand held the back of his head as he coped with calming down. “We got the drop on him then someone got the drop on us.” He grumbled under his breath. Mona, a brave soul she was, walked gingerly up to the “table”. There was no hand on his shoulder or an exchange of words. Instead, she just sat opposite of him on one of the rocks. “An unknown assailant shot him before we could pull any real information from him.” Venus’ eyes followed Leonardo as he paced back and forth. It wasn't aggressive in nature, so it was probably a part of his usual thought reflex. “What we have is barely enough to have a lead on.” “You’re saying someone shot him?” Donatello asked as he came to sit in the pile of blankets beside the female turtle. “Shell yeah!” Raphael retaliated quickly from his little moping session. His head whipped so hard behind his shoulder that the lizard lady threw a hand out in case he'd hurt himself (or get up and hurt someone). Leonardo stopped pacing and turned to look at the female turtle. “And you got nothing?” He pointed to her with a hand still crossed into his arms. “No!” Raphael shouted again, leaving nothing for Venus to answer. This boy was seriously ticked off. “So, what did you guys get?” “Just as much as you.” Mona answered. Raphael turned back to her, looking at her incredulously. “Someone shot Ocho, just like you guys, but then his body was dragged off when we weren’t looking.” Donatello clarified. “So was Ruffington.” Michelangelo gasped. From his crossed arms, a finger pointed up in an ‘ah ha!’ moment. Leo shook his head, placing his hands on his hips. “Something really weird is going on.” His pacing became a little more careful with every step. The leader shook his head and began reaching to his side. “I’ll phone Vincent.” His assured them as he pulled out his phone. “You guys get some sleep. I'll tell you whatever we got in the morning.” Donatello raised his hand. “I’ll research what we have.” Leonardo nodded in approval. In a few moments he strolled away in the brush to get some silence as well as allow his family some for their own sake.

Donatello had settled himself someplace away from the campgrounds. There was no telling when the gang would sleep, but he had to get some space. For sure, someone will complain about the light and tapping noises keeping them awake, then the noise of someone being annoying (the you-know-who) would distract him from conducting his research. He picked a spot where he could easily reach them but would not be able to hear him speak if he were to. He liked to talk things out to himself to gain some clarity.

At the moment, he was going off the first of their lead: what Ocho had said to Mona. She had shared it with him as they kept a safe distance from sizzling Leonardo. He tapped onto his tablet, soon dimming the brightness so the blue light wouldn’t damage his eyes. Raph was usually the one to often warn him about the dangers, hence Donatello would reply with the routine ‘I know.’. Now that job was given to Venus who had learned of the damages of the light from Raphael’s recommendations . Now she hopped on the nag-train. Speaking of the female terrapin, off to the right a green arm wrapped around a thick tree. The rest of her torso emerged as the blue clad female terrapin patted the tree with her hand quietly. “Are you keeping awake?” She asked with a serene expression. Donatello was happy that his friend had come, but even with a smile, he shook his head and presumed typing on his tablet. “Go to sleep, Venus.” He spoke in monotone, yet it was playful. Despite his efforts, the turtle girl only further entered his realm of solitude. “I can't.” She then placed a dainty hand on her head, touching it with her wrist like a damsel. Then, she slowly collapsed beside him. Donatello took a peek as she rested her head on his thigh and continued to play the ‘drama queen’ card. She continued breathlessly. “My best friend is all by himself, deprived of sleep and stuck on research duty. What kind of friend would I be for not sharing the insomnia?” Donnie humored her for a bit. “The difference is that I enjoy this type of work.” He explained, pulling up a new tab. The turtle girl removed the act and her hand. “Well, maybe you'll need my help.” The purple clad turtle raised his brow. With a free hand, he tapped her in the bridge of her nose with his finger. “Miss ‘New to Computers’ thinks she can help?” The female terrapin raised herself up partially as her elbows and forearms kept her upper body off the ground. “You man the computer, I'll help with any thought-blocks. Tóngyì?” She asked in her native tongue. Both had come up with this form of communication, in which most times Donatello would respond: “Gōi shita.” In Japanese. The defeated turtle cleared some space for her so she too can rest herself on the tree. She got up and pushed her shell up beside the new space and was quick to lean in and watch watch what he was going to pull up. “Let's start with something simple.” He began. “Mona said when Cha was dying, he tried to mumble ‘Christ the Re-’. She doesn't know exactly what he said so I hope this could be enough.” He was typing in specifics into the search engine. It took a while with the rocky connection in the jungle. “Narrow it down by entering Río or Brazil.” She suggested. The turtle nodded in agreement. He stole a look at her after he felt her silently laughing that she was helping. Both remained quiet until the answers came up. With the right keywords, it was the first title from Wikipedia that came up with the answers. Despite Wikipedia being a not-so-reliable source, he clicked on it anyways for starters. The title was “Christ the Redeemer” with a picture of the familiar statue from the park. Donatello read aloud:

“‘Christ the Redeemer’ or ‘Cristo Redento’” He tried to say in his best spanish accent. Venus admired his attempts and gave him a grateful nod. It wasn’t the best she’s heard, but hey, can’t knock a guy for trying. Besides, they needed some humor in such a frustrating time. “is that statue of Jesus we’ve seen overlooking the city.” From keeping his head down, his glasses began to slip down from his nose. Venus pushed them back up to their comfortable position for he held his tablet with both hands. He continued: “It’s placed on top of the Corcovado mountain in this National park.” “And…?” “And… that’s it.” “No kidding, let me see.” The female turtle took the tablet carefully in her hands. Donatello put both arms behind his head and leaned back on the tree. In the meantime, Venus was curled up into a ball position as she read over the information. “Yeah, yeah, Seven Wonder, restoration….” Her eyes widened, a full view of the screen imprinted into her eyes until she pulled away. “You’re right.” “Try scanning over for ‘underground’.” He spoke through his yawn. “That’s what Cha Ocho tried to say before he was killed.” Unlike home, there was no honey glow in the outermost areas that he could see in the sky. With the town nearby, being in the jungle flushed out most of its radiance and allowed the stars to glow bright in the dark night. The light of the tablet was already dimmed, so it could not reach any further than the closest branch. The white lights flourished, twinkling in the late night. With so many to be seen, the turtle couldn’t help but try to connect them altogether, creating constellations.

As he basked, the turtle girl was typing. Naturally, it was very slow for she had to find each letter and then tap it aggressively like an electronic-illiterate (which wasn’t her fault). The techie humored her and then returned his eyes wander up to the sky. Each pounding click on the glass amused him, making him smile for he knew she was having a difficult time. There was a long pause between one of the particular taps. He glanced down to see what was on the screen. It was no longer ‘Cristo Redento’. Instead, it was an informational page on something totally different. “What’s that?” He unfolded his arms and leaned in her direction. The turtle girl brought it up for him to see. “I couldn’t find ‘underground’ but Ruffington mentioned ‘King of Thieves’.” Venus scrolled down. With every lift of the finger, Donatello leaned more because he was intrigued by this new clue. “There.” She almost passed it in which she scrolled back up a little to look at a provided image. “The ‘King of Thieves’ statue.”She announced quite proud of her achievements. “Looks like an six armed monkey.” Donatello could not deny that it wasn’t anything short of it. “Makes sense now, wouldn’t it?” The female terrapin used two of her fingers to zoom in on the relic. “If you’re going to steal things, might as well be an sectopus.” “Oh look!” Donnie exclaimed as he pointed to an article directly beneath the picture. “A legend for us to follow.” He spoke as if it were something that wasn’t so cliche and was a totally new idea to him. The female turtle smiled, yet shook her head for his overdose of sarcasm. Donnie bumped her playfully with his shoulder thus getting one back. Venus straightened herself to read the article clearly. Continuing to be childish, the techie rested his chin on her shoulder as she read. Staying up late really loosens the boy up, she’s recognized. “Whomever posses the statue gains luck through theft. No witnesses, no clues, not a trace to the beholder. Could you imagine what somebody could do with this?” “Instant ninja. Incredible,” The purple clad turtle exclaimed. Then, for his next sentence, he calmed himself some.  “if it would work.” Giving it the benefit of the doubt. Venus let the tablet lay flat on her lap. “Of course it would work.” She spoke in amazement that he would say such a thing. Wasn’t it obvious? “Why would the enemy try to find it?” Donatello cocked his head back so far that his neck showed a nodule. He gave a hearty sigh. “They're always superstitious and pathetic enough to go after it.” His voice was incomplete monotone and somewhat expected.  His voice was incomplete monotone and somewhat expected. Suddenly his head jerked up and his eyes grew for he caught himself for a brief second and straightened himself up. “it's also a gold statue so, pretty sure they'd be more interested in that aspect.” Donatello was assured. Of course an enemy would go after a gold statue over a magical one. That's just what enemies do. They do bad things, and stealing is one of them. “Or,” she let him along with that last word. Hurt him and her finger rubbed the underside of her chin as she ‘thought’. Donnie knew that look in her eye way too well. This turtle girl is going to put up a fight. “perhaps they are sure of its magical properties.” The way she created her sentence was one in which the pitch of her voice elevated until the end. When she posed the question, she felt some vibrations against her arm. The turtle girl raised a brow and turned to her chuckling partner. “Why do you laugh?” Through his particular demeanor, it wasn't hard to tell that Donatello was ‘mocking’ her in some way. When her hand slapped against his collarbone he comedically try to compose himself, meaning, he didn't really try to hide the fact that he found it hysterical about what she had said. “You’re probably right.” He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. “The demented usually believe in unworldly sentiments and such.” The purple clad turtle continued hysterically, laughing some but trying to hold it back. Given his choice of words, Venus wanted to test his theory. “Then, what am I?” She asked harmlessly, but she had to admit that the inquiry would be most interesting to her. Immediately, the turtle straightened up with a somewhat mortified expression. The turtle girl grinned as the other finally noticed that he had just offended her. “No, I mean…” He searched for the right words. What was Venus to him anyways? Like, what she does aside of Ninjitsu. What was he to make of her magical abilities. Science was easy to comprehend, yet he never questioned her magical abilities. What kind of scientist was he? Finally, he took a long, deep breath to compose himself. He was starting to get overloaded in his mind. Venus was quiet, smiling, but quiet to listen to her friend’s answer. “Ok, I honestly do not know how you’re able to do some of the things you do.” Pause. “You’re clearly not a fake…” he blurted out, but could not finish his sentence. “But…” To put him out of his misery, the female turtle pulled him to her collar, petting his head and giggling softly. He accepted it, trying to clear his mind to search for his real answer. “I don’t know.” He sighed defeatedly. Venus gave a knowing nod. She took her hand off his head but allowed him to continue laying there as she continued their research. “I can’t prove what I can’t understand.” He added on. The enlarged eyes courtesy of his bifocals looked up innocently to see her face. All he could see was the underside of her face at an angle and the glow from the tablet highlighting her features. The turtle girl giggled before replying: “A magician never tells their secrets.” She spoke matter-of-factly. Donatello couldn’t help but try. So, he resumed to let her read while he gave himself a break. “I respect that.”

[twilightpony4]

Ola Americano... Turtle?: 7. Arts

Returning to the “underground amusement park” was not on the top of his list for the day. Of course, he had made numerous visits but it was the first he hadn’t a brunette by his side. She promised she’d get there as soon as possible once they were done filming the morning news. So, until then, he was solo and what was worse-- the rat was here too. Casey had gotten over the turtles and now created an odd relationship in which he saw them as children he could tolerate one minute then be admiral allies in the fight, but not yet has he gotten over Splinter. No one would know, but the New Yorker had been afraid of rats all is life. As a grown up, he tolerated them and would scoot away smoothly instead of trying to deal with them. When he saw Splinter as big as he was and knew what the old rat could do to him, the idea would not sit right with him. Of course he now knows that the rat was only playing and acted out of self defense, but that was no excuse for his old phobia.

He tried not feeling like a criminal walking around but he couldn't help it. He stayed quiet, praying that the rat wouldn't find him down there before April showed up. What if he could hear him with those big rat ears of his? Maybe the running water acting as the central attraction of the home will drown out any noise he makes? But what if he can smell him? The man lifted a piece of his jacket up to give a quick sniff. He was alright, he guessed. As he tiptoed around, the sound of water quieted and sounds from a room he was coming upon was brought to his attention. It's got to be the rat. To make sure he was in there (better not risk going the other way and run into him), he tried to sneak behind the crane toy just in front of the arch to the other room. The man had his back to the machine, trying his hardest to not accidentally push it back to make noise. Casey’s chin lifted up to the sky as he took a silent yet stressful breath. Slowly, he peeked his head past the machine and listened underneath the water noise.

“Try not to remove all the new growth for it is vital for the tree to maintain some. Although meant to be small and trimmed back, growth is also a good thing.” Casey could recognize that shaky voice to only one user, but the person next to him was different. She was young but taller than Splinter. Teens for sure. High school, possibly? Her dressing was interesting in comparison to her attentive hand before a small tree. The girl’s hand was armed with a pair of opened scissors that scanned the roots of the tree between it.

“Is this new growth?” She asked, turning to look for his approval.

“Is it green?” He replied, smiling. The girl’s lips dropped and her eyebrow rose.

“The only new growth I know about is kinky little curls.” Casey smiled, suppressing any chuckling from the Chicana’s honesty. Her smile returned with a somewhat nervous laugh as she set her eyes back on the tree. Given the response, she moved the scissors further down the root. “This is a safe spot?” She asked once more. The rat closed his eyes and nodded. Yes! Angel celebrated mentally; the snip of the root was undeniably satisfying as she relished in digging up the detached root and throwing it away.

“Are you going to continue standing there, Casey?” That hitched his breath and straightened his posture. The girl had no idea there was a man watching them and had become very interested after throwing the root in a can. Splinter did not even have to look up to guess who it was. It was the smell wasn't it? The man turned about, trying to look innocent as he revealed himself from behind the claw machine. The girl stood behind Splinter with her hands over his shoulders protectively as she scanned the stranger.

“I- uh… I-i-i was just seeing who else was here.” He stuttered, feeling completely exposed. His hand attacked the back of his head as he took a few idle steps forward into the room. “April’s coming down soon, so…” He trailed off with his eyes, trying not to make eye contact with those beady rat eyes.

“Wait. You’re Casey? For real?” The confidence in her voice shook him. Usually he would not be so vulnerable, but being with Splinter was just throwing him off the entire time. Then, there was this strange girl completely comfortable with the rodent and speaking to him like a… well… a teenager. “No disrespect man, but…” She began to snicker and shake her head. Through her eyes, he could tell that she was taking in all of him. “You don’t look like the popo; actually you’re” Her head cocked to the side, looking down to his shoes “ kind’of adorable.” Her eyes finally met his with a bright smile. Casey had no idea how to react but to stand there and shift his weight side to side on individual legs. Splinter looked behind himself and flared his clawed hand on top of the girl’s.

“Angel, please.” He insisted. She nodded and then took a step towards the man. He seemed reluctant to move, so she made all the moves for him with an outstretched hand.

“I’m Angel Bridge. Pretty sure April’s talked about me.” He took it in a light grip. With a few shakes, he felt himself loosen up before her.

“Sure has.” He smiled slightly as he let go. “No disrespect,” He folded his arms and began to scan her as well. The girl cocked a brow and checked herself for anything to catch his attention.. Alas, she could not find it. “but you look a little small and cute to be a gang member.” He joked.

“Ex-gang member,” she corrected him with a pointed finger. “and touchè.” Her head lolled back to meet the eyes of the rat master still behind her. The child within her was most intriguing knowing her background. “I like him.” She fake whispered in order for everyone to hear her say so. Casey grinned; his hands were in his pockets when he rocked back onto his heels.

“So…” His voice lingered as he cautiously approached their project. His finger danced around in the air, trying to point to the multiple trees in front of them. “What are these?” Angel straightened herself up. The world felt a little shaky and wobbled due to the blood rushing into her head. Before responding, she leaned forward with a hand on her head.

“Bonsai trees. Master Splinter’s been teaching me on carin’ for them.” She answered dizzly. He’s heard of those before but could not put his finger on it. The cartoons he used to watch (which kung fu entertainment was still cool), he can recall the name and the little trees used to decorate the scenery.

“Now you’re giving them a haircut.” He noted as he saw the leftover clippings of twigs and leaves on top of traces of dirt on the table. Splinter approached the tree. As he did, the man’s facial expressions began to tense as well as his grip on his folded arms. However, Angel nor Splinter seemed to notice as they watched their tree.

“Yeah, but I ain’t the best barber.” She make a couple snips in the air defeatedly.

“You’re still learning.” Splinter reminded her. The chicana flashed him a smile over her shoulder and looked back at the tree she was working on.

“How come Japanese arts have to be so difficult?” A sigh followed as she placed a hand on the pot of the tree. She spun the base slowly, observing it up and down and admiring the little detail engraved in the organism.

“The culture strives for perfection in all their native arts.” He explained. Unexpectedly, Casey listened. The rat turned away to his collection that surrounded the room. Some were bigger than others, or more flourished with leaves. Angel pulled up a stool nearby and brought it to her worktable. She took a seat, examining her own tree as he overlooked his own. Casey began to settle beside the table but looked on just as Splinter did. Truly, it was fantastic. By observation, he recognized some of them. These trees were not just one particular breed but common ones he’s seen in parks nearby. He gazed in awe. How could it be that a little care and root snipping can create foot tall versions of an organism meant to be stories high and wide. Truly remarkable. “You must admit they are also quite stunning when the art is mastered.” Splinter added to no one in particular. Just merely talking out loud. Casey made no audible response, but nodded gingerly behind his back.

“True, but not everybody’s perfect.” Angel butted in. Both turned to see the chicana. She was slumped forward; her scissored hand pushed up her cheek by her palm, squishing it into her eye as she gazed grumpily.

“No one is, Angel.” The rat got behind her and rested his hands on her shoulders. Angel made no acknowledgement of it, but listened. “Not you, not him,” Angel looked up when he referred to Casey. The man appeared apprehensive, but was very nonchalant about it. “not even I if you could believe it.”

“Splinter…” She groaned, but that earned him a smile from the girl. It was a cheapshot, but the motivation sparked back into her. Angel poked a finger into the dirt of the pot and began to dig into it. Her fingertips dusted away the dirt from the little roots of the plant. Finding her next target, she cleared the dirt away from the root’s sides and lined up her scissors to it.

“Watch that one!” He warned. Angel jolted some and turned to him for guidance. He took her by the hand and guided it lower down. “Cut about here to give you some space from the old growth.” Angel nodded and followed through. “My boys were never so interested in growing and maintaining other things.” Splinter looked up at Casey, asking for his attention. The man felt compelled to catch his gaze but also wished to. With such a fear, he was both afraid and intrigued by his attention. Casey tried to appear interested over being fearful. His clear eyes were sharp underneath his brow as he matched Splinter’s gaze. Through those black eyes he saw himself reflecting back, showing him his efforts to be polite as well as him truly facing one of his phobias. “Well, except for that dirty cat Michelangelo once brought in. Raph would rather carve than grow wood.”

“I guess if you have to choose between getting ninja skills and growing flowers, I’d choose their route too.” Angel butted in as she got up to throw out the root she had freshly snipped off.

“Yet, here you are… growing flowers.” He chuckled, bringing his hands together that caused them to disappear in the sleeves of his robe.

“It’s interesting and different from all the other things I’ve been taught.” She retaliated wholeheartedly. Angel returned to her workbench and began to smooth the dirt back over the roots strategically. “What we learn is for survival in this world society has created. Most of us don’t get to sit back and observe the little things that make life amazing.” Splinter nodded in agreement. In her mind, Angel recalled of times where school force fed “essentials” for a thriving society and how they must balance out that time with the amount of education one would have to learn from experience in order to actually flow within society. Too much of either side and one would get left behind on either scholastic or life knowledge.

“That’s pretty poetic.” Casey answered in astonishment.

“Growin’ up in Harlem you can’t escape poetry.” She grinned as she spun the pot to give it one last look before setting it aside. The pot came towards the man. When she set it, Casey looked over it. The green was lined with the freshly smoothed dirt that was done from the sole responsibility of the colorful girl. Casey grinned and chuckled to himself with utmost warmth.

“Can’t argue with that.”

[twilightpony4]

Ola Americano... Turtle?: 4. Two Truths and a Lie

It was not long the family began to bore. Almost an hour ago, they saluted their friends and family before boarding the plane and twenty passed since they’ve taken off. The aircraft was just as big as the one they’ve taken to China. Instead of having someone as incompetent like Vern, Chief Vincent really hooked them up with a fully qualified officer as their pilot. She’s been a seasoned officer now a pilot for overseas and cross country trips and had worked with the turtles before. 

Meanwhile she was contented flying the plane, the mutants were not so. Silent, but bored. They anticipated it, but not this quickly into the trip. For sure they haven’t even crossed a few states. Amongst the silence, Michelangelo groaned with a pitch sure to match Tarzan.His decibels surpassed the few with headphones on, causing them to remove them for the sake of alarm. The rest, however, fell victim to the murder of their eardrums and jumped out of their skin.

“AHH WHAT!?” Raphael was one without headphones. Michelangelo was sitting in front of him and found it fitting to use all his might to push the shell out of his seat. Venus, who was sitting in the aisle across from Michelangelo’s seat, brought her knees up to her chest after the quick scare. The orange colored terrapin turned from his seat to allow his eyes to peer over it.

“I’m bored!” he bellowed forcefully. There was a collective sigh and slump.

“And we aren’t?” Venus added, stretching out her legs to their original position.

“I got Suicide Squad on Amazon,” His head popped out very quickly to see Donnie’s content expression present the title of the movie on his tablet. “but we got to wait for it to buffer before we watch it.” He groaned, throwing his arms up in the air while his seat caught his shell when he fell back into it. There was little sympathy after what he'd done earlier as the tips of his fingers drug down his tear ducts from his eyeballs.

“Wanna play a game?”

“What kind?” Venus straightened up more against the wall of the plane. A game would be nice about now. The turtle looked off to the side and shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t know… ya’ll got any?” He asked. Collectively, the group pondered on the thought. Then, there was a gasp from Donatello.

“Oh! Two Truths and a Lie?” He proposed.

“I’m down.” Leo chimed in, bringing himself closer in the aisle.

“Let’s go.” Michelangelo rubbed his dry hands in approval, ready to go.

“Me first!” The suggester raised his hand. All six mutants scooted closer in the aisles to participate and speculate the game. Donnie took a moment to think it over. When he came up with his statement, he shook his head and made eye contact with everyone. “At the junkyard, I have a homeless friend who is a former college professor. I don't need my glasses. I made a serum secretly to make me tall.” A brow and the side of his glasses rose cockily for he'd given them a good run. From their expressions he could tell they were all sampling each scenario.

“He was in-between Leo and I.” Raphael mumbled; chin lying between his fingers.

“I don't know, I want to guess glasses but…” Mona paused, continuing to think it over before she gave her final verdict. “I don't know.”

“I'm gonna go with the homeless professor.” Leo answered.

“I gotta say the growth serum.” Mikey said; Venus and Raphael agreed with him. There was a smile overtaking his face.

“I never made a growth serum. I just grew.” The purple banded turtle revealed. Although he knew it was a good set, he still couldn't believe most of them believed in the lie.

“So, your friend?” Mona asked.

“The professor? He'd rather not give his real name, but he's always talking about theories. Most of them make sense.”

“My turn!” Michelangelo raised his hand. Once all eyes were on him, he began. “I secretly watch Shameless. I’m a Changeling in my PC game ‘Super Quest’. Splinter once told me I had the most potential.”

“Is is wrong to say he has ‘no potential’?” Very unamused and looks of “What’s wrong with you? Don't say that to his face” were all implemented on him. Instead of putting his hands up in surrender, Raphael stood his ground and leaned in closer. “I’m just saying, I think that’s the lie.” He replied truthfully.

“What's Shameless?” Venus asked. Leonardo met her face by turning his head to the right.

“An adult-oriented tv show that he,” Then, his head stared straight on at the turtle across from him. Quickly, his calm, explaining demeanor changed to a mother disciplining her child “shouldn't be watching.” Venus, trying to catch on, looked to why he was looking at his brother so hard and had to ask:

“How do you know that?”  His demeanor changed again. He appeared choked up and slightly embarrassed. Leonardo’s frame stiffened and straightened up while crossing his arms over his chest. The turtle girl raised a brow but smiled all the same.

“I’ve stumbled upon Shameless once while flipping the channels.” He stated matter-of-factly. Michelangelo leaned in more to the point that his arm supported him on the seat Leonardo’s legs were occupying.

“And-?” He asked with a knowing smile. Leo tried to find a nice way to put it without embarrassing himself.

“I was scarred.” Was the way he put it.

“Shameless is the lie.” Venus guessed; Mona and Donatello did as well.

“Vote me in for ‘No potential’.” Raphael stood alone on this one. Leonardo refused to answer, most likely because he had his suspicions.

“Ha!” The youngest turtle pointed a hearty finger at his team. “I got ya’ll good! I’m a White Knight in ‘Super Quest’!” Oh, wow. You're really a knight in that online game you play. Wicked, bro.

“Lame lie.” The largest turtle sank back into his seat; the corner of his lip twitched.

“You watch Shameless?!” We all know who exploded on this one.  Now resting his elbows on his knees, his clear blue eyes stared into his younger brother in shock. “You’re way too underaged!” Michelangelo leaned back in horror. His fingers gripped in the seat with his legs partially in the air in case Leo wanted to pounce of him.

“I’m into the plotline, not the vulgar stuff!” He tried to explain to keep a full blown smackdown occur on the plane. “Besides, I like Noel Fisher. Bro’s cool!” He added. Truthful, but he also hoped it would calm their leader down and rethink about telling on him.

“Uh, huh.” There was a stiff silence. Although barely lasting seconds, it felt like forever due to Michelangelo’s anxiety and sweat reflex coming from his brow. Suddenly, he jumped out of his seat and pointed to the turtle sitting behind him.

“Raph watches Blue Mountain State!” Like a true tattletale. Immediately, the red clad turtle sat up straight to retaliate.

“Why you putting my business out like that? What's wrong with you?”

“It's a cool show too!” He formed a circle with his thumb and pointer finger, leaving the remaining digit up. You have got to make amends with Raphael quickly; that's the trick of the trade. “Thad Castle, dude. Freaking hilarious! Have you watched Rise of Thadland yet?” True, he was just mentioning his favorite actor to keep him from pummeling him, but it was also true that his character is definitely on the top of his list.

“Nope, been waiting for a time when everybody was out.” His anger turned to joy that somebody else liked Thad just like him. The fanboy within him whispered this notion to his youngest brother, who nodded understandably.

“Excuse me!” Leonardo interrupted explosively. “Are we going to ignore the fact that you're both under aged for watching those programs?!”

“Relax momma turtle.” As of Michelangelo wasn't the one freaking out earlier. Now with Raph on his side, he felt not-alone and untouchable. “You'd like Shameless. Pete Ploszek shows up in a couple episodes.” Another reminder of one’s favorite actor to get on his good side only this time the young turtle wasn't as fond of him. Then, the most slyest smile curled up on Raphael’s lips. Internally, those who noticed began to worry.

“Besides,” he began so humbly. “we know you watched Jackass .” It just got real. The leader’s face face went red so quickly in a blush.

“What?!” He screamed incredulously. A weight settled on the leader’s chest. They all knew very well they weren't allowed to watch adult content (by law) and that Splinter would definitely disapprove. His brother’s knew about it too.

“Didn't think we saw that, hm?” Donnie sang with a cocked eyebrow and leisurely lean on his seat. “Thought we were all somewhere else… Talk about tasteless.” Surely he had to hide when watching that. First, Splinter’s disapproval. Second, for sure they would look at him as less of a serious being if he were to watch Knoxville (a favorite of his) and his crew performing ugly and insane stunts such as teeter tottering with a bull and taking a limo ride with a beehive. That's so unprofessional.

“We won't tell if you don't tell. Up to you, bro.” Michelangelo matched his tallest brother’s stance.

“Blackmail’s a b*****, isn't it?”

“You watched a donkey?” Venus nearly whispered. When she leaned towards the leader’s direction, who was sitting behind her, the leader leaned back into the seat by the window. Michelangelo wanted to feel sympathy and laugh when he saw his brother’s shot up eyes and tense posture completely amped by her curiosity. With no answers coming from the leader, Mona asked the turtle next to her.

“Doing what?” Her tone was deep and inquisitive. The purple clad terrapin raised up his hands and faced forward. When she tried to get answers from Raphael, his grinned while shaking his head and turned away from her.

“Mona's turn!” Mikey exclaimed. Oh, right! They're playing a game.

“I suck at stuff like this.” The lizard lady sighed.

“Try.” Mikey pleaded. Don't you hate it when people try not to participate in a game? Only just to speculate.

“Um…” Attentions were focused on her, much to Leonardo’s relief. “I once had an imaginary therapist that was a running gag amongst my friends…” It felt as if the ending sound of her words were dawned on until she thought of the next idea. “I made my teacher cry because he couldn’t comprehend the complex and thorough physics experiment I conducted. I need just one more. Something outrageous...” They waited on her. Already, they were weighing out their answers. “I don't know!” She exclaimed. “I’ve found someone?” Her ill-sincere tone and the possibilities between all three statements induced a collective:

“Lie.” From all the rest.

“You really do suck at this game. That's way too easy.” Mikey teased.

“Told ya.” She half-laughed, defeated easily but still smiling because it truly was an ill-attempt to fool them.

“And you guys thought my lie sucked.” He sighed from the short fit of laughter. Leaning back on his shell, he wiped his forehead with his forearm. The plane began to quiet again. “You know what I just realized? We’re old.”

“Mikey.” Raph groaned.

“No, think about it.” he sat up. Scrunched up eyebrows, searching eyes on the ground and an outstretched arm pretended to grab some type of ghost-like object, this turtle was getting to the bottom of something. “Humans our age will be expected to move out and pay bills on their own! Sheesh! Mona should be doing that right now!”

“Is this your special way of getting me out of the house?”

“Don’t take it like that.” He waved her off. “Just think about it. What are we going to do when we hit that patch?”

“He’s got a point.” The female turtle crossed her legs. “Are any of you planning on leaving the lair? Leaving sensei and each other to conduct our own separate lives? Or, are we going to stick together for years to come?”

“Never really thought about it. For me,” Donatello began. “ it's been more thinking in the heat of the moment. Never did I think about hitting forty or so.”

“You still thinking about leaving, Raph?” Leo quizzed in a deep tone, eyes kept on his knees.

“What made you think I'd wanna leave?” He replied rather surprised he would say such a thing.

“Because you said and I quote” The youngest terrapin put a finger up and cleared his throat. “‘I'm moving out on my own, first chance that I get.’” He impersonated his brother using his own “batman voice”. The impersonated turtle scoffed.

“That was two years ago.”

“And…?”

“And I said I wasn't.” The terrapin reacted aggressively in voice.

“No, “ Mikey folded his arms up to his chest and put his nose into the air. “you said it was because you thought you weren't enough to stand by us.” He expressed haughtily. With old emotions and insecurities re-emerging, the largest turtle shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Although he knew all eyes were on him, only two caught his attention due to them both being right in front of him. Leonardo looked just as uncomfortable as he is. Collected in but with eyes obviously trying to glance at him, you could tell he wanted to comfort him in some way: find a way to tell him “it’s ok” and that there was no reason to regret saying so. The other had her brown eyes looking sympathetically, hugging her seat and feeling sorry for his discomfort.

“Leave me alone.” He grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. A response towards Michelangelo, it was also directed to keep the lizard and blue banded turtle from being sorry for him. Both cut off their feelings; his brother dropping his gaze and Mona sinking back into her chair.

“You'll stay Venus, right?” Donnie redirected their attentions for his own personal inquiry.

“I always thought I was going to be in my village when I thought about it. Surely, I won't go back.” She smiled.  “I just got you guys” a warm smile to Mikey then to Leo. “but if any of you choose to go solo or some other combo, I'm not going to get in the way of that.” In her heart, her loyalties and love would never change if they decided to leave her for their own personal reasons. Venus respected that.

“I can't leave you, V.” Her sister poked her head through the aisle. Donatello moved his outstretched legs some to allow her to. “Can't get rid of this girl.” Mona winked, smiling. The turtle girl returned the same, warm affections with her head poking out.

“I can see you guys up in the mountains by April’s family estate.” The purple clad turtle beamed, imagining their futures. “You could stay with your horses up there.”

“Hmm… didn't come to think about that.” That would indeed be nice. Living the rest of their lives in a place much like how they grew up: isolated in the forest, being together everyday and with their beloved pets. Surely, it would be splendid if they did. “I'd say for all of us, if we were to part, it wouldn't be far.” Mikey followed up Venus’ assertion.

“Nobody said this was a permanent I'm-never-going-to-see-you-again type of deal. Might as well be neighbors or at least an hour drive away.” He paused. “But ‘where’?”

“Leo, would you ever leave?” Mona Lisa questioned. Now, if there weren’t any more of a strict attention span throughout this ride, this one topped them all. The leader jumped some n his seat with the sudden silence on the plane. As he gathered his thought, the drone of the plane nerved him. He cleared his throat.

“My job is to protect all of you. Splinter never mentioned when we'd get older. I won't stay where I'm not needed. It's all up to you guys.” That’s Leonardo for you. Always putting the team before himself (or most of the time). The team would expect that kind of answer coming from him.

“We’ll burn that bridge when we get to it.” The red clad turtle added; his response was like a comfortable yawn because he was stretching his arms when he commented.

“It's ‘cross’, Raph. ‘Cross that bridge’.” Donatello corrected with patience.

“That just takes all the fun out of that now, doesn't it?”

“Ey!” The youngest turtle yelled again, causing another yet slightly less jumpy response from the team. “Whose turn is it?”

“Mona…” Venus’ tongue lingered on the thought. “Leo, you're up.” She sang with her finger flicking up to him.

“Fine.” It didn't sound so fine with him, but whatever (he was one of those spectators we didn’t like earlier). “I reenact Star Wars when I'm alone. Kitchen appliances hate me. When I was a kid, I thought there were leprechauns in every box of Lucky Charms.”

“Reenact Star Wars when you’re alone.” Another collective answer. Leo’s head twitched as they all laughed.

“What? No!” He tried to calm himself down enough so that when he placed his hand on Leo’s knee, Michelangelo could make a clear delivery.

“Dude, you think you're alone, but you're not.” The turtle being made fun of hid his closest cheek in the palm of his hand to hide his blush. He could feel the warm blood in his palm, which nerved him even more.

“Busted!” Mona replied sassily with a head roll. Donatello snapped with a swinging arm, winked, and spoke with a cartoony demeanor.

“Foiled again!” The reverie slowly brought a smile to the leader’s face.

“I would've gotten away with it if it weren't for you meddling kids!” That came out of nowhere, but the family was sure glad to see him come out of his shell. Suddenly, he stood up from his seat. His stance was ready to pounce, hands up with glances in Michelangelo and Donatello’s direction (they were the ringleaders of the laughter).

“Raggy!” Donnie jumped up. He made it careful to keep his head from hitting the roof of the plane, but when he came down from his jump he was able to stand up straight.

“Zoinks, Scoob!” Michelangelo spoke comically, also rising. “Like, run!” That was the set off to get Leonardo running. Both parties were laughing their shells off as they ran and tackled one another on either sides of the plane. When they came close to a sitting team member, said sitter would shield themselves from their play fight until they went away and wrestled in a different spot. As the playful fighting made its way away from the three, Venus uncurled and leaned in Raphael’s direction.

“What did he watch the donkey do?”