#implied softshell

[itsrainingswhelse]

Goodnight doodles

[dancingdonatello]

Please do Donnie with a reader who DOES NOT know how to flirt with him🙏🙏🙏 the reader could be like

“Soo ..you come here often ? “ and they are at like the lair or smthing 💀 and maybe the others try to encourage it or smthing sjsjsjsjjs

I LOVE UR FICS SM I CANT STOP REREADING THEM ONG 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑

rise donnie x reader

Donatello was so done with you.

“Yes. I am here all the time.” He didn’t even play along, he just turned back around to his project and continues his work. He ignored you as you stood next to him at a loss for words.

Whatever. Next time, you’d have something better up your sleeve.

Your touch grazed over his muscles and you blinked your eyelashes at him. “You have such… unique skin!” You smiled charmingly at him.

“That sounds vaguely offensive.” Your shoulders drooped and your hand fell away. Yeah, he was right.

You could feel the annoyance radiating off of him. You tensed up. God, why can’t you just be smooth like all the guys in those movies you were watching earlier?

“Your scales are… really sharp?”

“Softshell scales are actually smooth in comparison to other turtles.” He kept scrolling on his phone. You looked over to his brothers. Raph and Miley gave a thumbs up while Leo looked like he was struggling to hold back some laughter.

Next time, you were sitting in the living room together. “You look really nice in this lighting.”

“When it’s pitch black? Are you implying that I look better when your vision is worse?” You started to sweat and turned to watch the movie that was playing. Mikey coughed out a laugh.

Maybe you could get him flowers. You could just be bad with words. You’d have to make up for it with your actions! Besides, Leo said he loved flowers.

You brought him a beautiful bouquet you spent a lot of money on only for him to say that he was allergic. You glared at Leo who attempted to gaslight you into believing that he never suggested flowers.

You’d never win this turtle over. You gave up soon after, only giving him quick glances. You could get over it. You so wouldn’t think about him everyday for the next two years until you found someone else to obsess over. Nope.

But, then, Donnie seemed agitated with you. “Why are you acting so different?” He cornered you soon after you decided to stop bothering him.

“What?” You were confused.

“You’re not…” He waved a hand around. “You know.”

“I don’t know.”

“You’re not…” He grew frustrated, tapping his foot. “…making any more comments.”

“Comments?” You tilted your head. What was he talking about? “You mean, me flirting?”

He looked away and you swore his face was a shade darker than it usually was. “…Yes.”

“…Do you want me to keep doing it?” He just barely nodded.

Oh my god. He glared at you as soon as the uncontrollable grin appeared on your face. You had won him over after all.

[vampuplove]

my tmnt iteration 🐢

yoshi aka splinter found the 4 turtles inside a crashed TCRI truck. the mutagen from broken canisters covered both him and the turtles mutating them. it is implied that when struck by the truck the blow killed yoshi but the mutagen restarted his heart and mended any injuries, reviving him. the turtles aren’t biologically sister as they are of different species and therefore from different clutches. as turtles they had anywhere between months and a day age difference but when mutated it translated into human years explaining the 2 year gap between mikey and leo/raph but the age is estimated and instead of birthday the turtles celebrate their mutation day. splinter eventually discovered an abandoned metro station that was never opened and decided to stay in there as their home. the station had a small cafe area and public restroom and thankfully hasn’t been cut from the city’s power and water grids. april met the turtles when they were 7 and she was 16, splinter left them in an alleyway while looking for food and supplies and april stumbled upon them. at first splinter was really freaked out when he saw april but when he realised she was friendly and didn’t mean no harm they got to know each other and sometimes april would come down to the lair to babysit the turtles while splinter was out. she eventually introduced the turtles to pizza when she brought a box with her and they fell in love with it.

the designs are mid show of sorts that are after the barn arc

leonardo: a bellinger turtle with leatherback sea turtle genes. the eldest and the most aquatic out of all the turtles. likes spending her time swimming in the flooded metro tunnel situated in the centre of their lair. she got a similar virus to what regular bellinger turtles have making her slowly lose her vision as she aged. that did not stop her as she learned to rely on her other sense and acquired a 6th sense of sorts to help her get around. her blindness doesn’t hinder her in combat and actually makes her more capable of moving around in the dark than her sisters but still she cannot see faces so instead she maps them out in her mind by touching them with her hands to memorise them. she has shell cell just like everyone else except it is modified to show in braille. in her free time she enjoys listening to music or audio books and if her sisters are around listening to tv while one of them describes the action on the screen. she has physical hatsune miku memorabilia like figures and plushies that she can touch. leo can still see in blurs of colour but no matter what donnie tried she couldnt help her vision. she is self conscious of the scars given to her by shredder and tries to cover them with a hood. while still agile and strong she has issues with her right knee and wears a knee brace. her element is the ocean waves

raphael: a red crowned turtle with cherryhead tortoise genes. she is the second eldest. she is the worst swimmer but makes up for it in physical strength. the piece of her plastron was cracked during an accident while they were small and the lore for the gold tooth is yet to be decided. the flame carving on her plastron was made by mikey. she is extremely protective of her sister and although gets jealous by assuming that leo is splinter’s favourite still loves her very much. has a tortoise named spike a small brine shrimp tank. she was the first to meet casey and thought back against her drunk father. her element is flame

donatello: a painted turtle with softshell turtle genes. she is the middle child and spends most of her time in her lab. she built the heat lamp above the sitting area where her and her sisters like to bask and relax after a long day. her shell was crushed by rocksteady and bebop but fortunately with leatherheads helped bring her back with a new metal carapace to replace her old on. sarcastic and cool headed, her personality resembling 87 raph. her love language is random niche gadgets. she is the next most aquatic after leo and sometimes joins leo for a swim. her element is lightning

michelangelo: the most creative out of all of them and has a lot of hobbies ranging between art and crafts to cooking and skateboarding. is the glue of the family with a spunky attitude and quick thinking. although the worst fighter out of her family she still can handle herself in a fight. has an orange tabby cat she named klunk that she found while looking for scraps at a junkyard. she can be a little absent minded but she is definitely not unintelligent and takes great offence to anyone babying her. her element is constellations

[savemeafruitjuice]

Tickletober Day 22- Role Reversal

This is a Rise fic! Also, it's based off of the intro to Smart Lair! (The episode starts with Donnie screaming, with Leo and Mikey chasing after him. Raph comes in and stops them, then Donnie complains about never being a mummy. I wanted to explore why he's never able to, and how he would act if he were to be a mummy.)

Lee: Mikey, Leo, Raph (implied)

Ler: Donnie

TW!: SOME SWEARING! SUSPENSE! (Dark rooms, shadows in doorways)

I split the fic into parts to help it go faster, so if there's any misinterpretation as to what's happening, feel free to ask for clarification!

"Can I please be the mummy this time?"

Raph sighed, Leo groaned, and Mikey pouted. "Donnie, if Raph lets ya be a mummy, do ya promise not to get all of of control again.. like.. that time?" The softshell straightened his posture, hands going behind his back in a neat clasped form. "I promise."

The red-themed turtle squinted at his little brother, nodding slowly. "Alright, then.. You can be the mummy." Donnie grinned sweetly, uncrossing his fingers and taking them from behind himself to do a fist-pump. "Oh yeah!"

Leo and Mikey looked on nervously.

-----

The Lou-Jitsu movie had begun playing, and the four sat down on the ground, going over rules. This happened every time they turned on the film, and they had all seen the movie enough times to remember the intro word-for-word anyway.

"...And no toilet paper wars. It is to be used strictly for costume."

Leo gave a sharp look to Mikey, who only shrugged. "Don't look at me! Raph started it." The slider waved him off, then tossed a roll of toilet paper to his twin.

Donnie almost caught it, sighing as he picked it off the ground. "Just so we're clear, this is directly from the packaging, right?" Leo rolled his eyes, but nodded. "Yes, you maniac-" There was a creaking door from the movie, making each brother perk up. "Shhh! Guys, Lou Jitsu's entering the tomb! Donnie, go get ready!" The purple-themed turtle got to his feet, scurrying off into the other room.

"So!" Mikey clapped. "Who's scared for their lives?"

All three of them raised their hands.

-----

The lights were turned off, and Leo started standing on Splinter's armchair, quoting along with the scene as it played. "And I, Lou-Jitsu, will defeat you, mummies!"

A metallic sound came from the sewer tunnel. Mikey flinched, turning around, but he saw nothing. He was standing on the ground beside the slider, and gulped, grabbing onto the blue-themed turtle's arm at a flash of silver in the doorway. "I don't mean to break character, but.. I don't think Donnie's keeping his promise.."

Leo gave him an uneasy glance, turning around just in time to catch a glimpse of purple, much closer than a couple seconds ago.. He missed his next line, trying to get back into the rhythm of the movie. "Uh- and.. If any of you try any funny business, I'll.. send you crying to your mummy.."

When the elder turned to his brother, he saw that Mikey's face was pale, and he was inching away from the dark doorway. The sword-wielder turned, only to be met with red eyes staring at them.

"Donnie?.."

"EEEK! SHIT!"

A robotic noise came from behind the two, and the younger jumped up onto the armchair as well, almost causing the both of them to go toppling down as the other wobbled. Leo jumped at a noise behind him as well, the two silently waiting for their brother to enter at his cue. The movie had its cue pass, but nothing happened. A minute went by, the Baha-Blast duo whispering fearfully at each other.

Soon enough, the cue for the main mummy came, and the turtles held each other's arms. Donnie should never have been allowed to be anyone other than the side character who almost dies every movie..

The cue passed. Donnie didn't come.

Leo looked at Mikey, and Mikey kept staring at the doorway. "Dee?.." Another moment passed, and the two almost relaxed into the silence, except each of their sides were latched onto from behind.

"AHH! AHAAH- HAHAH!"

Leo winced at his baby brother's loud screaming, but yelped as well, hands launching down to push away the attacker. "AH! Noho!- DohOHONNIE!"

The blue-themed turtle whipped around, and was met with his twin, eyes staring blankly ahead as his hands dug into their sides. "I am a mummified Egyptian body, I am not Donatello.."

Mikey squeaked as his ribs were dug into, squatting on the top of the armchair when his knees buckled. Donnie only sat on the armrest, squeezing Leo by the thigh, effectively sending him down as well. Leo screeched, writhing on the cushion, trying to dislodge the fingers at his leg. "STAHAHAHAP! KCCH- DOHOOON!"

Metallic spider arms suddenly shot out of his battle-shell, capturing the two's arms in a hand each. Leo squirmed, eyes wide with panic, just above his knee being squeezed at. "HAHAHAH! FUHUCK, STAHAP! HEHAAH!" Donnie gave no response, tickling harder.

Mikey squealed, trying to pull his arms down, but they were pinned high above his head. He wriggled about, trying to twist his ribs out of the elder's grip. "DohoHONNIE! Ihi cahahan't-"

"Groan. I don't care~" The scientist continued to make onomatopoeia sounds, his brothers squirming and flailing. "You're both doomed to face the wrath of the tickle monster! Ghastly noises."

"RAHAHAHAPH! RAHAPH, HEHELP US! HEHE'S- HE'S NOT PLAHAHAYING RIGHT!" Leo screamed, head thrown back in hysterical cackles as his thigh was only tickled at faster in retaliation.

"PLEHEASE, STOHOHOP IT DONNIHIHIEE! NAHAH- EEEEK!-" The softshell fluttered his hand into the youngest's underarm, staring on blankly as the box turtle arched up, giggling increasing ten-fold. The movie played on in the background, but the three were not paying attention. The music escalated, almost ringing out louder than the turtle's laughter.

All of a sudden, Raph came running into the room, tackling Donnie. "Take this, evil mummy!" The softshell tumbled to the ground, almost taking the other turtles with him. Leo and Mikey, now free from his grasp, could escape, the elder grabbing Mikey's arm and rushing out through his giggles.

Donnie twisted, slipping through the snapping-turtle's arms, and jumping away. Raph whipped around, then froze at the dark glare the tech-loving teen had on. It was then that he made the connection between his other sibling's predicament, and his own. Crap..

"Uhuhm- Donnie, what- NoOHO! GET AWAY, YA DEHEMON!"

-----

Urghh, sorry I'm a bit behind, but I haven't had more than a couple minutes each day to get writing done. I'm doing my best, and as soon as I have more time, I'll get all of them done. Have a great day/night!

[britt-kageryuu]

While it's not really clear if the TMNT can understand other non mutant turtles or reptiles, but what if they could, and watching Nature Shows had a different reaction from them, just because they understand the critters on screen?

Whether it's just they understand the tone, or if they hear it like the turtle on screen complaining about everything around it, is up to personal interpretation.

I heard/read this concept before, but the idea that April/Casey walks up to them watching turtle videos, mentions it looks interesting, then one of them says like:

"The Softshell is telling the Slider on it's back about how another Softshell ate her mate."

"Apparently a turtle on the other side of the pond has been pooping on the good plants on purpose, and now everyone is mad,"

"While reptiles aren't usually monogamous these two are talking about how one of thems mate was coupling with their best friend."

Or on the other end (just a understand tone):

["The Softshell is annoyed at that Slider for taking their food, and it threatening to eat it."

"Is it actually saying that?" April/Casey

"No, but the sounds you probably can't hear imply this to us."]

[sibillascribbles08]

 Then Donnie slammed his finger on the autopilot button as he stood, glaring all the while. “What are you implying?”  “I’m not implying anything.” Leonardo groaned from the pain in his shoulder. “If the first place he checked is the lair, the second thing he would do is tap into Shelldon.”   Donnie bared his teeth. “Wh— Why didn’t you mention that earlier? I could have pulled Shelldon out of there and—”  “No, you couldn’t have. I remember the state Shelldon was in when this war started. Even if you could have removed his head, his code and everything else is in a massive computer. Transferring all of that into something mobile would take hours.”   That only made the softshell angrier. “So you still couldn’t warn us? Is he just expendable to you?” He tried to step forward only for Mikey to hold him back.   Leonardo held his gaze, as much as he wanted to avoid it. How could he possibly explain to the three of them that in situations like this, you sometimes had to make these decisions.   Still, he’d concede, if only to try and ease the tension in the air. “Fine, I should have said something, you’re right. But the outcome would have been the same.” 

New Taken and Lifted Above Chapter on AO3 !

[thr-333]

In other news- because tbh this other au holds more meaning in my heart (just cuz of how I relate to Donnie the most out of all of the aus), I genuinely am craving for angst with hurt/comfort for Leo Jr au.

sooo time for THOUGHTS I really am longing for moments with Leo Jr and Donnie, because...hnk- Donnie actually receiving comfort, care, patient understanding and acceptance instead of being told to suck it up or being ridiculed/treated like a ticking time bomb???? Means the world to me????? Idk- I guess my soul just aches for this version of Donnie who didn't get that safe space Leonardo's Donnie did. (i get the au is mainly Leo-centric, but for some reason this version of Don-tron ya created has somehow wormed his way into my heart and he is truly my favorite iteration in terms of aus???)

When I tell you that I felt my heart break over the silly comic where Leonardo says that Leo Jr and Casey Jr are twins, solely due to what that implies to the overall story. In a sense, Leo Jr gets to have variations of the life he would have if he hadn't been kidnapped (by all technicalities Leo Jr IS a victim of kidnapping no matter how wholesome it turned out to be). He gets to know the joys of having a twin, of being able to goof around and laugh, being understood/accepted, being able to make friends and be a kid! Meanwhile...Donnie (the one who was MEANT to have Leo as his twin) didn't get any of that. It hit hard that, even if it wasn't intentional by any means, Don was "easily replaced." (which idk if it's intentional or not, but that seems to be a reoccurring theme for the spiny softshell in this au). He'll never really have that close knit bond, not know what it's like, even if Leo Jr and him do grow close during their teenage years. Because in this reality, the "Disaster Twins" exist, Donnie's just not apart of it. Which is just another way that shows how much of a stranger the kid is to everyone who is supposed to be his family; his father, two brothers, and even the one who was at one point meant to be his twin.

That thought is sorta what led me down the rabbit hole of Leo Jr AU! Don brainrot. The kid's reality is one of neglect, extreme isolation, fear and...probably a deep well of self-hatred, loneliness, non existent self-worth, etc. (we saw how he struggled with in Rise Canon, so i can only imagine it is so much worse in this au). I can only imagine that this also impacts his ninpo and mystics later on, which probably is going to make his self-esteem take a nosedive.

Ngl if Leonardo's twin (who I'm gonna call Tello) is actually watching over his past self, it makes me wonder what he's thinking. His pov would be intriguing consider he'd be witnessing how much pain his twin's actions caused. Idk- I just- when I look at everything from this particular au, it makes me hope that Donnie is allowed to feel his big feelings without people trying to rush him. He should be allowed to be terrified, hurt, angry, etc towards Splinter and Leonardo. Neither of them deserve his forgiveness, because shit- both of them fucked up big time. They both caused complex trauma...and like- really need to face consequences. (apart of me sorta hopes Donnie DOESN'T forgive them) dakjsfsadfas sorry for rambling, not sure if any of that made sense, but I just- I have so many feelings about Donnie in the Leo Jr au, and really want to see more of him!

The sewers were a gross place to live if you asked Junior but Splinter refused to move to the hidden city. Luckily he had his portals meaning he could step into the already cleaned portion they called a home.

“Leo!” Mikey was the first to notice him. Dropping the plates on the table he was setting them vaulting over it, “You came!”

“It’s still Junior,” He reminded for the umpteenth time, “And yeah I said I would,”

Mikey collided into him for a hug. Junior gave a small wave to Raph- or Red, probably Red as the snapper wasn’t meeting his eyes while trying to hide his scowl. Splinter was setting the table in Mikeys stead, making wayyy too much eye contact as he kept staring at Junior. He was placing the plates down carelessly. The one in front of Donnie was placed down with a crack, only Junior caught his flinch.

“Great, he’s here, I saw him,” Donnie pushed away from the table in a frenzied movement, “Can I please leave now,”

“Purple your brother is here, that is more important than some computer,” Splinter snapped. No one took note of the way both Donnie and Junior cringed. 

“Nah he’s just tryna get out of showing me his lab since he promised last time,” Junior stepped forward and away from Mikey.

“I did no such thing,” Donnie scowled at him as Junior came around to his side,

“No use backing out now Dee,” Junior grinned, shuffling towards Donnie so the softshell backed away. Kind of like herding a very liable to bite sheep, “I’m expecting the grand tour, don't wait up everyone! “

But dinner…” Junior pretended he didn’t hear Mikey as he walked Donnie towards his room office lab space.

It was empty, with sections obviously organized out to put things there but with not enough actual stuff to do it. Donnie held himself like a tightly drawn string as they walked in. Not looking at Junior as the red slider circled around to the other's bed.

“What did you want to see?” Donnie asked tiredly as Junior came up behind him, “Most of my stuff is at the old place, or the other old place, or-”

Donnie was cut off by the blanket being draped over his head like a tablecloth.

“Nothing much,” Junior shrugged stepping away as Donnie went very still under the blanket, “Just had to get out of there, think I might sit quietly against a wall for the next half hour, not say anything, not do anything, you know how it is,”

Junior slid down the wall. He would have to go back eventually, or the others would break down the door and pull them both back to dinner. He estimated he had about thirty six minutes before that happened and that he could convince them to leave Donnie be. He’d say he asked if the softshell could make something for him. Something big so Donnie would have an excuse to disappear for the next week or so. They tended not to bother the other turtle as much if they thought he was doing stuff for the yokai.

The blanket shuffled, bunching up on the ground as Donnie sat near him. Only just within arms reach. He was covered head to toe, curled up and completely silent. Junior occupied himself trying to come up with a believable project. Maybe a new mask? That way he could wear his old one and the others would never know, it’s not like Splinter ever let them follow Junior to the battle nexus.

The blanket shifted but Donnie didn’t emerge. A hand poked out the bottom, listing up the cloth and bunching it up while still keeping the soft shell hidden. Junior reached his hand out halfway. Donnie couldn't see it but paused when his searching hand brushed up against it. Junior kept still, waiting, not minding one way or the other.

Donnie held his fingers, squeezing lightly. Junior squeezed back, not taking Donnie’s whole hand but meeting him where he was. It was pleasant, it was quiet. The noise from the others blocked off. A little bubble away from everything where they could just be. 

Junior thought growing up in the sewers may have not been all bad… if he got to do it with Donnie.

[arctic-space-penguin]

Something random, small, and not at all canon for her lol :)P

---

Hope stumbled into the living room and over to the couch, slumping down. She got comfortable before pulling her phone out.

Ace, curled up in Splinter's chair with Donnie lightly snoring beside him, leaned his head back. "So, how's the dating around going?"

"How does it look like they're going?" she grumbled. "I wish I didn't have to do this."

Ace carefully got up from the chair so as to not wake up the softshell and sat at her head instead. "Technically you don't."

"What are you talking about?" she demanded. "Leo's gone and it's boring around here now."

"There's Raph or Mi--"

"No, no, no. If you seriously think I'd ever consider dating one of them, you're crazy," she interrupted.

Ace sighed and laughed at the same time. "I'll take it you haven't noticed how Raph acts around you now then?"

"Uh, no, and I don't think I want to know," she replied.

"Well, okay then, I'll be heading home."

Ace pushed off the couch and got halfway through the door before turning back.

"And good luck on those dates."

He vanished after a peace thrown her way. She put her phone down, readjusted herself to sleep, and closed her eyes with what he said running back and forth through her mind.

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

Raph knew he shouldn't like Hope. She was Leo's, after all. But Leo was gone, self-sacrificed to the Prison Dimension. So... she was fair game now... right? Or, at the very least, open for someone else?

He shook his head to clear the thought. No way. She was already dating around for someone new, and that definitely wouldn't include him. He needs to get over himself.

"Oh, hey, Raph I was just looking for you," Hope's tired voice startled him.

The snapper swallowed the bite of breakfast he nearly choked on. "Yes? Er, f-for what?"

She took the seat across from him with a sigh. "Listen, me and Ace were talking last night, and..."

He swallowed the last of his food and shoved the plate to the side so he could pay attention. She hesitated in continuing.

"He told me that you-- or, no he implied that you might-- no, um..." she trailed off and growled. "Why is this so fucking hard to say?"

"Take your time, please," he reassured.

"You know I've been dating around for a few weeks now," she tried again. "But after what Ace told me last night, I might be, I don't know, considering trying a... different approach?"

"What did he--" Raph broke off to gulp. "What did he tell you?"

She let her head fall against the table before raising it again. "He just implied that you may like me."

The snapper ducked his head in embarrassment. "Oh."

"I want you to know I'm not mad or upset or disgusted or whatever you may be thinking I am," she whispered, reaching her hand out slowly, palm up. "I stayed up a little thinking it over and I decided to give this whole situation a chance."

Raph looked up, surprised. Hope did too and smiled.

"But won't dating one of Leo's brothers be weird for you?" Raph fretted. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable..."

Hope reached her hand closer until Raph finally took it. "Maybe, but when has that ever stopped me from doing anything?"

"Point taken."

[kittylittersmoothie]

So... I've noticed some idiosyncrasies in my works.

✨ How to determine if K.L.S. wrote something: Top 10 Giveaways ✨

1. Adherence to alphabetical order

2. Accent marks in loaned English words (e.g. yōkai, façade, etc.)

3. Commas plague the text

4. Ellipses... for effect, of course

5. Em dashes (—) plague the text

6. Italics-heavy text

7. Meticulous effort to avoid unclear pronoun usage even when implied (e.g. "the softshell" instead of "he" when "he" technically has more than one antecedent)

8. Unnecessarily verbose wordings (I'm sorry, George Orwell)

9. Usage of non-typical onomatopoeia (e.g. "skkkreaak," "bzzz," etc.)

10. Virtual absence of simple sentences

[luciana-morningstar]

One-Shot

Rating this like a PG-13/M for implied nudity and implied activities. Nothing graphic.

Donatello x Fem OC (INFM)

Contains Spoilers for Fic

Aged up Characters

:: Strained ::

Luciana pressed her palm flat against the biometric scanner next to the large thick metal doors to her husband's lab.

With a funny little sing song beep the doors whooshed open, allowing her within.

"Donnie?" She called out as she entered the massive room. He was probably seated at his giant monitor screens. Like she usually found him. Occasionally he was hunched over some contraption, welding something together, fiddling with numerous wires, staring at blueprints and schematics. But most of the time he was seated in front of the two massive monitor screens and the touch panel that went with them.

Today was a typical day.

She noticed his hands move across the touch panel, flicking aside various charts, readings, sometimes one would flick up onto one of the screens to remain fixed in place.

That's all she could see of him as she approached, his hands, deftly moving across the smooth surface.

"Love, come eat something and maybe take a break? You have been at it for hours." She reached around the back of his large rolling chair to gently caress the back of his neck with her knuckles, gliding her fingers down to his shoulders where she massaged at the tightly knotted muscles there.

She smiled at his soft sigh in response to her kneading fingers. His own hands stopped moving across the touch panel so he could focus on her.

"I'm almost done." He told her, his voice cracked dryly and his words slurred slightly from his groggy state of mind.

"You said that three hours ago. You have been up since three in the morning." Luciana's lips turned down in a frown, her brows knitting in frustration.

"I'm almost done. No one else knows how to run this system but me. I know I said I was almost done three hours ago but I mean it. Now, if you do not mind. I would like some peace and quiet. " He reiterated, this time his tone sharpening with the rest of his tyraid. She knew that tone. Stubborn softshell.

"Donatello Hamato-Morningstar." Lux felt her teeth click as her jaw clenched.

"Luciana Sabine Morningstar." His ire washed over her like a tidal wave, frigid and dark like the sea itself.

Luciana's hands froze in place, still resting on his shoulders. Where Donatello's irritation and anger always manifested in icy fractles, her anger, her irritation, blazed like an inferno.

She felt her canines lengthen, her horns, wings and tails manifesting in an instant, the latter lashing the air like whips. If he turned he would look into blood red orbs instead of evergreen.

"Fine. Have it your way." She felt her lips lift in a disdainful snarl as she spun on her heel and stormed from the room.

It was slow to start, little by little she could feel through their bond the chilly wasteland of his irritation with her disappearing in clouds of steam as if warm water had doused the glacial surface of his emotional state, melting it away and leaving him laid bare to her again.

He was exhausted.

He was mentally drained.

He was remorseful.

Luciana pinched at the bridge of her nose as she stopped in the corridor a few feet from the lab doors that were opening with another whoosh.

Donatello's arms circled around her from behind and he rested his cheek against the top of her head, avoiding the rigid and rough edges of her horns.

"I'm sorry." He whispered into her wine red tresses, she could feel him breathing in her scent deeply, as if it were his oxygen and his arms around her were the only things keeping him planted firmly on the ground.

"What was that?" The corners of her petal pink lips twitched ever so slightly upward.

She felt a soft rumble vibrate in his plastron that was pressed against her back as much as he could with her wings in the way. He cleared his dry throat before answering her again a little more firmly.

"I said... I'm sorry."

Lux lifted her hands to grasp at his, still wrapped around her. She spun in the circle of his arms and then let go of his hands so he could rest them on the flare of her hips.

She looked up into his bloodshot eyes, the red veins striking against his pale yellow sclera, the dark chocolate brown of his irises warm and familiar to her again.

"I wish you wouldn't get so prickly. I'm your wife, it's my job to pull you away from your work when you have clearly over taxed yourself. It's my job to take care of you. It's my j-" her ranting was abruptly halted as Don leaned down to claim her lips with his own, chaste at first but it never remained that way for long with them.

His hands kneaded gently at her hips and pulled her closer to him, pressing her firmly against his plastron as their kiss increased in its heat, beginning a steady blaze within them both.

Lux pulled away slightly, nipping at his lip as she did so, eliciting a small desperate moan from him, his hands moving to rub small circles at the small of her back, his forehead bumping against hers.

"Come eat something, I know you are hungry." She nuzzled the tip of her nose against his beak and she heard a faint contented chuff in response from him.

"You are right as always." He smiled at her. She couldn't hold back the small laugh that escaped her.

"Oh? The genius himself admits defeat? That the woman he married is right? What a day. I shall write this on my calendar to remember it fondly for years to come."

"The only time I will ever allow myself to be wrong is in regard to you. You are the exception." His smile turned lopsided and she returned it candidly.

"C'mon. After you eat, and, take a nap. I will make you a pot of coffee and you can go back to whatever it was you were doing. But i want you to take a solid nap. At least four hours. No less." Luciana turned and grasped his larger hand in her own, pulling him down the corridor. Her wings disappeared in a 'poof' of black glittery snoke but her horns and tails remained.

"I've decided I will not be going back to what I was doing. I have other plans now." Don followed behind her, still relatively groggy but she could feel him prodding gently at her mind with his own.

She furrowed her brow but let her mental wall fall down only to be bombarded by image after image from him. Nothing but pale opaline and textured green skin, glistening with a thin sheen of sweat, tangled limbs and torn and tattered clothing.

Luciana whipped around and was met with a self satisfied smirk pulling at the corners of the spunky softshell's lips. His eyes, though weary, were hooded and dark with undisguised desire.

"My my. Someone has quite the.....productive... evening planned. I will have to have a look at my schedule to see if I am available to....assist you." Her own smile became coy, her canines lengthening with anticipation. She squealed as she was unexpectedly pulled back towards him by their joined hands.

Luciana sucked in a sharp breath as Don leaned down to nip at his own mark on her neck, his breath chilling her now heated skin as it tickled her just under her ear.

"Clear your non-existent schedule, sugar. I want you all to myself. No interruptions." His still rasping voice had deepened in tone, his lips, feather light, brushed against her flushing skin at the corner of her jaw.

Damn him and that pet name. He knew how to wield one singular word with cunning expertise. Leaving her to melt into a puddle at his feet.

Damn him.

Lux shivered and pulled back from him again and narrowed her luminous green eyes, tugging on his hand again.

"Stop distracting me. I'm attempting to feed you." She said with a half hearted huff of annoyance.

"Oh, please do. I know exactly what I would like to devour at this very moment." He flashed her a toothy grin, his own sharp canines glinting in the soft torch light of the corridor they were...slowly...making their way down.

"Youuuuu. Knock it off." Lux laughed pulling him forward again. He followed more readily this time, his expression resuming into a lazy smile as he allowed his wife to lead him to the kitchen in this particular wing of the castle.

Lux smiled to herself and mentally shook her head. She knew without a single doubt that as soon as his head hit the pillow he would be out for the rest of the day. And that was fine by her. He needed it more than anyone here.

"I can hear you." Don told her as she pulled him into the kitchen and made him sit at the large island on one of the bar stools there.

"I know." She grinned impishly at him as she turned to the fridge and opened it to peer within.

She could feel her husband's eyes on her but she could also feel his exhaustion pulling him down as well so she found something easy and quick for him to eat.

She set a container of sushi down in front of him and watched his brown eyes light up briefly before he eagerly opened the container and accepted the chopsticks she offered from across the bar.

"Stay." She told him firmly, pointing at him before she turned and left the kitchen, wandering down to their room so she could close the blackout curtains for him and turn down the bed. She picked up the remote and turned the T.V. on, selecting one of the various shows that he tended to binge watch to play as white noise for him. By the time she was done and returned to the kitchen he had finished his meal and was scrolling on his phone, probably texting Leo or April.

He looked up at her when he heard her approach.

"I stayed." He smiled at her, already looking like he felt a little better and less 'walking dead.'

Lux walked around the island to him, patting his cheek affectionately before leaning forward to peck a soft kiss there as well.

"Good boy. Come on." She grasped his hand again and pulled him from the kitchen down the hallway, back to their room.

"Remember. At least four hours. No less." She waggled her finger at him as he pulled off his shirt, pressing a tiny button on the black eight pointed star that clung to his plastron, causing the armor that wrapped over his shoulders and his shell to contract like he was in some dark version of an Iron Man suit. He pulled off the black arm wraps he tended to wear and left his dark gray joggers on.

"Four hours at minimum. Got it." He nodded, climbing under the weighted satin comforter. Lux smiled as she watched him gaze at the T.V. for a fraction of a second before, like clockwork, his eyelids drooped and drooped until they closed completely and his breathing evened out and deepened, the faintest snores could be heard mere minutes after.

"Called it." Lux said to herself as she sat down on the couch to scroll her own phone. "And record timing too." She snickered softly, glancing at his peaceful serene expression while he slept dreamlessly.

[thedawningofthehour]

I was really sure we wouldn't have a chapter today, waking up and seeing the chapter notification was really surprising and scary.

'Bella is still under arrest and it looks like Pax went to live with Draxum'.

I WANTED ONE THING, FAI!!! ONE THING!!!

Northampton Arch!

Not Northampton Arch.

I love April's parents, if anything bad ever happens to them I will resent you for the rest of the series.

Nice to see Mr. Bone again, definitely a great character, hope he can still reconcile with his brother in this reality as well. Don suave could be super useful. What are your headcanon about the guy.

'Draxum has not let him be seen, Or mentioned his name. Pray that continues'

Yeahh, Donnie will have a hard time even if the court pardons him. The boy will not only have to deal with the emotional burden, but also with the fact that many people hate him for what he did even if he was brainwashed.

Finally we get to see the repercussions of Draxum's actions more closely, God, it reminds me so much of the Mutant town arc. You said book 3 will focus more on donnie, right? I hope he gets a closer glimpse of what Draxum's war is causing.

Again, poor people, their lives took a 180° turn thanks to Draxum, and not because they are now mutants the Yokai will accept them just like that, and Draxum is too focused on his goal of mutating everyone to see it.

Lita! No Wait, Jenny! JENNY!!! as in JENIKA!!!?

Poor Raph, they should give him a pizza for every time they mistake him for an adult.

Ending up with a turtle power is the sweetest and most beautiful thing ever and you should never feel bad about it.

I've honestly been surprised by how much I got into writing the O'Neils. Originally I just put them in because I was making April a very prominent character and either I constantly show her making excuses and whatnot to keep them off her back or I imply that she's hella neglected. Which-people have done neglected April before and it works great for them, but I thought it would be simpler to just have them meet the fam and get it over with.

Simpler. Lol.

I've really enjoyed writing their dynamic, especially in this last chapter. They do fight, of course they do, all married couples argue. They're extremely stressed out, worried about their daughter and three bonus sons, and deeply worried and mourning for the bonus son they haven't gotten to meet. But they're good people with healthy communications and whatnot, and they still use little terms of endearment and show affection and are still generally in love after being married for probably twenty years.

And they're so parent-coded. They were perfectly happy being one and done, but these boys are children 2-5 now.

I mean, depends on how homosexual you think Bishop is? I feel like he's one of those asexuals who wields their asexuality like a weapon. Don Suave tries to seduce him and he just pulls out his pistol and shoots his dick off.

I was thinking of mentioning the Hueso-Piel reconciliation later on, but it would be a pretty minor thing. Probably just a mention and Piel walking around in the background. Shit's getting real, it's dumb to hang onto stupid brotherly feuds when your brother might die tomorrow.

Lol, that's why I made her a yellow-bellied slider. I kind of liked the idea of Leo having other slider mutants around, considering they're such popular pets and more people would have slider DNA on their person verses alligator snappers or softshells. We can say that Jenny grows up to be a fearsome crimefighter herself. But right now she's six.

[theavianlady]

Haha…this got much too long to put in an ask.

So…I have done an obscene amount of research on turtle biology. Because I’m so freakin obsessed with these stupid turtle people. And in doing my research, I found something that reminded me of something in the endnotes of a fic from @thedawningofthehour.

From what I could see, softshell turtles do have lungs, and they can breathe air just like any other “air-breather”.

We also know that most turtles can “breathe through their butts''. Thank you, Olaf. This is called Cloacal Respiration (for those of you who don’t know, a cloaca is the only…uh��hole that most birds and reptiles have). This is kind of a misleading name because they can also oxygenate through their mouths and throats as well.

I was really curious about how exactly they did that because that’s pretty freaking cool, so I did more research. It sounds like they can do it through specific areas because they have a high enough concentration of blood vessels close enough to the surface that it is possible for them to oxygenate through diffusion (diffusion is essentially just molecules passing through cell membranes to get into the cell, thus, in the case of oxygen, fueling it). Which is kind of scary considering that that would imply that those areas would bleed a lot more if injured and likely be a lot more sensitive. This is even more scary considering that I also found out that most turtles also have something else called cutaneous respiration, which is literally the same thing, but through their skin. Which implies that their skin is very sensitive. I also learned that in their throats, they have lots of highly vascularized villi (little...bits of flesh in a specific shape), which allows for even more diffusion. Oh, fun.

…

Kind of unrelated, but I also found out that while brumating, every once in a while, softshells will do something resembling a pushup to expose more oxygen-rich water to their skin. Ooh, fascinating.

Important notes:

I am not a professional, everything listed here is from my own personal research - which is very carefully conducted, but still take everything I’ve said with a grain of salt.

When I say “most…”, it’s most likely because I don’t want to speak in absolutes about things I’m not 100% certain about, so it could be true, or it could not be.

I’m sorry if I offended anyone by explaining things that people already knew, I just have absolutely no clue what normal people know (I researched taxonomy and turtle ear anatomy for fun, y’all).

I, unfortunately, couldn’t find anything talking about how long turtles can actually hold their breaths or go without oxygen that took into consideration cloacal respiration. Maybe that information doesn’t exist because I’m the first psychopath to wonder about it, who knows?

There are so many questions I’ve had branching off from this that I’ve just chosen not to delve into yet because I’ve already spent way too much time researching this. For example, I’m not sure if the “higher concentration of blood vessels” is actually, well. Blood vessels. ‘Cause I have no clue if diffusion can occur in flowing blood. How do alveoli work? Do the blood cells stop at the alveoli to re-oxygenate and then keep going? Do they have like, little docking stations? Are there alveoli in turtles' cloacal tissue? How fast does the transfer of oxygen happen; maybe it doesn’t matter if the blood is flowing, I don’t know. My brain is a mess; I could keep listing questions for ages.

Having said that, if anyone knows anything about this that I missed, can confirm my hypotheses, or even just wants to discuss this further, I absolutely love talking about science, and I would really like to develop my theories more. Knowledge is the most valuable thing in the world to me, so please don’t gatekeep it. Even if you have like, the most stupid idea, I would really enjoy discussing it.

[britt-kageryuu]

Back with the idea of the Turtles taking part in Reptile Education Programs, but let's toss is the whole 'The Turtles can understand normal turtles/reptiles' idea.

So yes the turtles (even if some are reluctant at first) are helping with handling and talking about whichever reptiles are part of the program. While trying to ignore the critters chatting to focus on what the kids/audience might ask.

Because the turtles don't always want others to know they can understand the turtles/reptiles, because that will lead to endless questions of what they're saying and wanting to have the turtles act as translators.

But the urge to just shout shut up at the turtles/reptiles is very strong at times. Especially if they're in a zoo or aquarium because there's way more creatures chattering about.

Though there are some who don't mind people knowing they can understand the critters, and the novelty kinda wears off, though the organizers remind the kids/audience that it's not polite to badger the turtles about what every critter is 'talking' about.

The main difference with adding the ability to understand normal turtles/reptiles is just the random comment from the turtles about what the non mutant critters are saying or the implications of the silent communication that animals have.

Like the image of Rise Donnie standing in front of a turtle tank when a softshell swims up to him for a minute and suddenly Donnie turns around hissing before vocalizing 'how dare you imply that about my person!'

But Rise Leo would probably be 'chatting' with the turtles, and casually telling the humans about the random stuff they're saying.

With the other turtles, the 80s turtles would be the most casual about this, and don't mind sharing as long as it's not too disturbing, I guess.

The 03 turtles I can at least see Don and Mikey being more open about it, Raph would be a bit less open unless you don't annoy him, Leo probably wouldn't mind, but he purposefully avoids specific turtles, for reasons.

The 12 turtles might be more open to translating, but it depends on the group, and the current mood of the turtle.

With the 14/bay turtles I can really only see Donnie and Mikey being open about it, I figure Raph might get annoyed more easily, and Leo tries to keep it short.

The Rise Turtles would definitely love to chat with and translate, though they will avoid translating things that would not be kid friendly.

The MM Turtles are probably kinda awkward about the whole thing, because the kids at school kept asking them about what the class pets (if any) were saying about them, and little kids have even less of a filter, and ask weirder questions.

The other iterations all just depend on what's going on in universe, thus I can't give many ideas for them, but there is at least one fanfiction out there of Damian Wayne asking Mikey to translate what a normal turtle is saying.

Still the idea of normal turtles trying to attract the Turtles attention for any reason is a bit more funny if the boys reply back with 'we already have a bale please stop asking', 'It would never work out sorry', 'I already have a mate, and don't want another', 'miss/sir I am like 200 times bigger than you!'

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

This is literally me taking two ideas I made posts about, and mashing them together.

[okamiprincess15]

I bet once 03 Don finds out Rise Donnie is a spiney softshell and does his research on them, he’ll be like “Oh! That explains the temper!” Cause like, they’re even more fierce and territorial then Alligator Snapping Turtles (and they’re plenty fierce and territorial). Course they kind of have to be in order to protect themselves from predators, what with them being more vulnerable then hard shell turtles.

And unlike what the Rise show would have you believe at one point, soft shell turtles CANNOT in fact, retract into their shells. They burrow under the mud at the bottom of their usual habitats (they rarely, if ever, leave the water. Softshells of all subspecies are VERY aquatic turtles and very FAST swimmers. Unlike box turtles who only SOMETIMES go into very shallow water to cool off, and cannot swim very well) to hide from both predators AND prey (they are very much carnivores in that they mostly eat fish, and crustaceans like crayfish, their favorite food. Wouldn’t be surprised if Donnie loved eating lobster, the crayfish’s much bigger cousin.). They tend to lie in wait for their prey before pouncing.

So Donnie would probably feel safest burrowed under a weighed blanket.

Edit: Since it’s heavily implied in the 2003 series that 03 Mikey has ADHD, I wonder if he has a huge collection of stim toys (since he’s probably been unofficially diagnosed by now, since he’s in his thirties)? One that he might be willing to let Rise Mikey and Donnie borrow a few from, so they can self sooth while they’re in such a stressful situation? You know what with being dimensionally displaced from their home.

Don had been quick to rush out of the plane to get the infirmary ready, but Leo found it was hard for him to put too much urgency into his movements. Twice now Donnie had reacted better to slow, careful motions than abrupt ones. So Leo found he was continuing to be a lot more gentle and careful than strictly necessary when picking him up. He was completely limp, even after having had two and a half hours of sleep. But at least a little bit of color had returned to his skin now. At least Leo thought he looked a little less pale. When both teens were asleep Don had shown Raphael and Leo the video of what Augustine had ordered to be done, and through it they had learned the assistants had taken nearly a liter of blood from Donnie, along with cutting tissue samples from him. It had been enough to get Raphael rapidly walking the length of the plane several times to calm down, and gave Don more of an idea on how to take care of Donnie. Leo just understood a little more why Donnie had reacted defensively towards him, and hoped the teen didn’t wake up in the middle of them treating him.

“Thank April,” Leo found himself saying distractedly to Mom April as she welcomed them home. It was always nice to get a hug from her, but Leo found he was too anxious to stick around and fully catch them up on everything. “I’m okay, can we talk later? Maybe over dinner? You guys might be able to meet the kids then too.”

“...Sure thing, Leo,” Mom April relented, noting how absent he seemed and not wanting to stress him out more. He always had been the one to worry a lot. Even when they were kids.

Leaving them with Mikey, Leo moved quickly to the infirmary to find Raphael sitting near the surgery table with Lil Mikey in his lap, and Don scurrying around the room to gather the supplies he needed. “Over there, Leo,” Don directed, pointing to one of the beds he’d already started gathering items next to. Obediently following the directions, Leo gingerly lowered Donnie to the soft mattress, silently praying that he didn’t wake up just yet. At least they were all breathing better after each getting at least one dose of the antidote. Leo could only wait patiently for Don to finally stop at the bedside, slipping his tactical sleeves off in the meantime, and by then Raphael had managed to convince Lil Mikey to accept treatment and was casually chatting away with him.

“Okay, I think I got everything. Can you support him so his back is to me? I need to figure out how to get that device off,” Don directed, sounding just slightly breathless. Wordlessly doing as he was directed once again, Leo pulled Donnie upright to lean forward against him, looking over the metal backpack from his angle as well to try and help Don figure out how to safely remove it.

“Hey!” Lil Mikey’s voice suddenly grabbed their attention while Don was running his fingers over the cool metal. “Don’t take that off! He needs it!”

The scolding caused Don to flinch, and turn to look over at the other table. “...Needs it as in it’s physically attached to him and offering some sort of life supporting function?” he asked, wanting clarification on what exactly Lil Mikey meant so he could judge if he actually needed to obey his demand, or explain that it was necessary to remove it. He didn’t want to ignore Lil Mikey’s concerns, but he wasn’t sure if they would hinder treatment for Donnie despite being in good will.

“N-no… Nothing like that. It’s just… it’s not safe for him to have it off. Especially when away from home,” Lil Mikey faltered, having not thought his choice of words would make the others think Donnie was some sort of cyborg.

“...Mikey, it’s okay. You’re both safe here,” Raphael assured, reaching out to rest his palm on Lil Mikey’s shoulder.

“Even if it’s a prosthetic, it’s not safe to wear one while sleeping. And I need to check him for injuries. We saw evidence that Augustine’s people may have done something to his back…,” Don explained gently, understanding that Lil Mikey was still wary despite everything that had happened. He couldn’t expect the teens to trust them fully just yet.

It seemed that mentioning that something may have happened to Donnie’s back was enough to get Lil Mikey to completely flip his stance, sucking in a tense breath and wiggling his feet as he considered. “...There’s a button on the inside of the right shoulder,” he relented, frowning miserably. “Just make sure to be super extra careful, okay?”

“We’ll be extremely careful. Don’t worry,” Don assured, grateful for the tip on where to find the trigger to release the device. Once he knew where to look Don quickly found the button and pressed it, marveling as the shoulder pieces flexed outward with a slight hiss, and the belt went slack. “Fascinating…” he breathed, earning a chuckle from Leo as he hefted the metal aside, distracted by trying to get a quick analysis of it while he moved it away..

As Don took the equipment a short ways away, Leo adjusted his grip to keep Donnie supported against him, resting his hands on the teen’s back. But what he felt caused him to stiffen in shock, suddenly afraid to move. His fingers were able to push into what should have been a hard keratin shell, and when his gaze snapped down he saw a significantly flatter shell with four jagged marks across the surface. “....Donnie get back here now,” Leo blurted rapidly, flexing his fingers just slightly to make sure he wasn’t imagining things.

“What is it- Oh!” Don rushed, semi dropping the backpack device the rest of the way to the floor and rushing back over to them. What he saw caused him to freeze as well, but then he gingerly reached out his fingers to brush against Donnie’s back. “...Oh wow…”

“It’s soft right? What does that mean? Is that bad? Shells aren’t supposed to be soft,” Leo rambled, his concern overflowing and pushing his bubbling thoughts to words before he could fully consider them. What had Augustine’s people done? Was it shell rot? Was it some crazy experimental garbage Augustine had infected him with?

“He’s a softshell you idiots. Stop manhandling him!” Lil Mikey blurted irritably, offended on behalf of his brother for the other two curiously running their hands all over his back. “So rude,” he huffed, creating small chains to wrap around Don’s wrists and pull them away.

“Sorry!” Don gasped, snatching his hands back as the orange chains broke him from his stupor, and not minding Lil Mikey scolding him. “Sorry- Let me just… do some quick research- I thought you were both box turtles like us…,” he rambled, pulling his phone out to access the internet.

“Ohmigosh- He’s not an alien. Just treat him like me, but be extra careful, and make sure you clean your hands and everything you use. Leo- my brother says he’s prone to infections. He’s always using antibiotic stuff on him and making sure he gets washed up properly for even small cuts. Otherwise he does everything else pretty much the same,” Lil Mikey huffed again, rolling his eyes in exasperation.

The interaction caused Raphael to snicker despite the situation. He didn’t want to admit he was curious to head over and take a peek for himself, but he figured Lil Mikey would probably throw him across the room with his chains if he did. So he decidedly remained where he was and continued to be amused from afar.

Don listened to what Mikey said, but also sped read through a few sites and different search parameters before he grew more relaxed and sure of his thoughts. “Infection… right, that would explain the fever,” he spoke, mostly to himself, then nodded firmly. “Okay. I got this. Leo, go ahead and lay him back down, then get some water and antibacterial soap. They both need to be cleaned up, and I’ll check the incision sites…”

Leo wasn’t quite as sure of himself as Don was, but at least he had directions now. What Don said made sense to him. If Donnie got infections easily then getting him cleaned up from the grim on him was a priority. Resting him back on the bed, Leo darted off to fetch a soft rag, soap, and water so he could wash off the debris from Augustine’s facility. Don had returned to his focused state after he started peeling the bandaids off, carefully inspecting each injury as he did so. He could at least count it a small blessing that Augustine had apparently ordered only the smallest possible samples be taken. The cuts were only 15 millimeters wide, and less than a millimeter thick. But it looked like they were pretty deep, and Don gingerly cleaned each wound again before rubbing antibiotic ointment on them and getting them covered again.

It didn’t take long before Don had finished addressing the injuries, started an IV with a small amount of antibiotics added to it, and strapped a heart monitor to Donnie’s finger just in case. When he began pulling a blanket over Donnie and tucking him in, Leo knew the treatment was done for now, and asked what he’d been wondering for a while now. “Is he going to be okay?”

Don paused for a second to think, but nevertheless nodded. “I think so. Aside from the bloodloss there isn’t anything incredibly concerning. I think he’s just incredibly exhausted, and that’s why he hasn’t woken up yet. We’ll need to keep an eye on him of course, but at this point I think it’s safe to just let him sleep. The IV fluids will help until his body restores the blood he lost, and we’ll need to get him a good meal when he’s up. But he’ll be fine.”

The explanation, and plans for what to do later, earned a sigh of relief from Leo. It could have been much, much worse. He was glad that, aside from Lil Mikey’s gunshot wound, nothing seemed to be critically serious. “I’ll go check what Mikey is cooking then. And let Master Splinter know we’re all home safe, in case he’s still up.”

“You know he is,” Don gave a small grin, and slight shake of his head.

Leo just laughed quietly, rising to his feet to head to the exit. “Yeah, I know.”

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Previous

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the fun thing about adding drawings to these is that I can throw in random lil details without derailing the story X'D

Also after seeing some of the comments, don't worry, they're all gonna be fine. I don't believe in hurt without comfort =3= Donnie is just taking an extreme nap to process all the overstimulation and stuff.

[cats-and-confusion]

How much syrup do you like on your pancakes? :D

[fatehbaz]

yea “desertification” not a great term, obscuring the biodiversity of deserts.

related note: “desertification” term reminds me of how “tree planting” is not necessarily a great thing. (more precisely: “just plant trees” is not good advice universally in every context.)

sounds nice on the surface? but industrial-scale resource extraction companies can build monoculture tree plantations and get away with duplicitously calling it “a forest” or a “reforestation project.” like pine plantations in Chile, where single-species plantations replace extremely unique globally-rare biodiverse Valdivian temperate rainforest.

it’s kinda like seeing a bunch of nondescript greenery in the form of, like, non-native grass lawns or non-native kudzu and saying “oh, well, the landscape is green, and the plants are so thick and full of biomass, therefore it must be healthy!”

and if “desertification” is meant to imply “degraded soils” then it is a misnomer. for example, the Mojave Desert is famous for its crust lichens (”soil lichen”; “biological soil crust”).

and yea, i know that there has fortunately been more criticism applied recently to solar farm projects in California-administered Mojave Desert, since the farms can/do/might necessitate destruction of, say, Joshua trees.

“but it’s all wide-open space!” like how British imperialists/industrialists moved into Australian landscapes, took a look at “the Outback” and thought “look at all of this wasted space.” then cattle rangeland was implanted across the landmass. and dromedaries, rabbits, feral cats, etc. were not initially taken seriously as threats to land, until they threaten resource extraction profit.

ironically(?), the US land-use project and expansion in the Great Basin and Southwest had a lot to do with transforming desert and semi-arid shrubland landscapes into "wastelands” (see Traci Voyles’ writing about Navajo Country and the process of “wastelanding”).

also obscures the existence of very many unique endemic species and lineages which live nowhere else. though this is true of many planet-wide desert regions, it’s especially noticeable in the “Southwest” (including sidewinders, Gila monster, Joshua tree, saguaro, etc.). especially when there’s altitudinal zonation like in the Sky Islands, hosting arid flats, oak woodlands, high-elevation conifer, etc. such that there’s actually more ecological diversity in a few acres of parts of the Sonoran Desert region than in a lot of the rest of the continent. or how the Cuatro Cienegas oasis of the Chihuahuan Desert hosts an endemic slider turtle, endemic softshell turtle, endemic box turtle, endemic alligator lizard, and the planet’s only non-marine stromatolite bacterial communities. you also end up with some microhabitat types which, though maybe not spatially widespread or have relatively low biomass, are staggeringly unique, like fog oases of the Atacama, where moisture is extracted from fog blankets moving in from the sea.

doesn’t even begin to address the people who have lived in -- thrived in -- deserts for millennia. like pre-contact and/or Indigenous maize/corn planting techniques in the Southwest, like Zuni waffle gardens or planting of maize along slopes to take advantage of runoff. such that so many mountainsides across contemporary so-called Mexico essentially host unique varieties/lineages of maize adapted to microclimates, soil types, high-elevation habitat, etc.

is that desert soil “sterile”?