#my issue is not creating happiness for splinter and Leo. it’s getting splinter to crush on 4 other parents and forgive a couple of them

[applecherry108]

I absolutely love seeing people’s tags on my og parent trap post that’re like, “OP WHAT HAPPENED TO SPLINTER AND LEO??” and the very next notification is that they’ve followed me. 😂

Now that’s what I call a hook! 😏

[butterflies-dragons]

"Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." This is the very first line of Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy and GRRM is very aware of these words; so far he has mentioned it in reference of Sansa Stark and Jon Snow:

Arya was one of the first characters created. Sansa came about as a total opposite b/c too many of the Stark family members were getting along and families aren’t like that. Thus, Sansa was created; he ended by saying they have deep issues to work out. [Source]

An interesting question was “Why are there so many sons who are unloved by their fathers, like Sam, Jon, Tyrion and Theon?” I watched George’s reaction carefully (I was sitting close to him) and he did not take issue with the assumption that Jon Snow is part of the “unloved sons” (obviously the dynamic talked about is Jon/Eddard, not Rhaegar). He nodded at the question and said that he does not have the full quote with him, but the great Russian writer Tolstoy once said that happy families are boring  - this was followed by a big round of applause cause every Russian knows this quote very well (the quote by Tolstoy is: All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. [Source]

And recently I found another similarity with Tolstoy's work and Sansa.

In spite of the obvious differences, Sansa Stark, the betrothed of the Crown Prince Joffrey Baratheon, showing her evident crush and concern about Ser Loras Tyrell's safety during the Hand's Tourney, reminds me of Anna Karenina making evident her illicit affair with Count Vronsky in front of everyone, her husband Alexey Alexandrovitch Karenin included, during the races:

She flew over the ditch as though not noticing it. She flew over it like a bird; but at the same instant Vronsky, to his horror, felt that he had failed to keep up with the mare’s pace, that he had, he did not know how, made a fearful, unpardonable mistake, in recovering his seat in the saddle. All at once his position had shifted and he knew that something awful had happened. He could not yet make out what had happened, when the white legs of a chestnut horse flashed by close to him, and Mahotin passed at a swift gallop. Vronsky was touching the ground with one foot, and his mare was sinking on that foot. He just had time to free his leg when she fell on one side, gasping painfully, and, making vain efforts to rise with her delicate, soaking neck, she fluttered on the ground at his feet like a shot bird. The clumsy movement made by Vronsky had broken her back. But that he only knew much later. At that moment he knew only that Mahotin had flown swiftly by, while he stood staggering alone on the muddy, motionless ground, and Frou-Frou lay gasping before him, bending her head back and gazing at him with her exquisite eyes. Still unable to realize what had happened, Vronsky tugged at his mare’s reins. Again she struggled all over like a fish, and her shoulders setting the saddle heaving, she rose on her front legs but unable to lift her back, she quivered all over and again fell on her side. With a face hideous with passion, his lower jaw trembling, and his cheeks white, Vronsky kicked her with his heel in the stomach and again fell to tugging at the rein. She did not stir, but thrusting her nose into the ground, she simply gazed at her master with her speaking eyes.

“A—a—a!” groaned Vronsky, clutching at his head. “Ah! what have I done!” he cried. “The race lost! And my fault! shameful, unpardonable! And the poor darling, ruined mare! Ah! what have I done!”

—Anna Karenina, Part Two, Chapter 25 - Leo Tolstoy

Everyone was loudly expressing disapprobation, everyone was repeating a phrase someone had uttered—“The lions and gladiators will be the next thing,” and everyone was feeling horrified; so that when Vronsky fell to the ground, and Anna moaned aloud, there was nothing very out of the way in it. But afterwards a change came over Anna’s face which really was beyond decorum. She utterly lost her head. She began fluttering like a caged bird, at one moment would have got up and moved away, at the next turned to Betsy.

“Let us go, let us go!” she said.

But Betsy did not hear her. She was bending down, talking to a general who had come up to her.

Alexey Alexandrovitch went up to Anna and courteously offered her his arm.

“Let us go, if you like,” he said in French, but Anna was listening to the general and did not notice her husband.

“He’s broken his leg too, so they say,” the general was saying. “This is beyond everything.”

Without answering her husband, Anna lifted her opera-glass and gazed towards the place where Vronsky had fallen; but it was so far off, and there was such a crowd of people about it, that she could make out nothing. She laid down the opera-glass, and would have moved away, but at that moment an officer galloped up and made some announcement to the Tsar. Anna craned forward, listening.

“Stiva! Stiva!” she cried to her brother.

But her brother did not hear her. Again she would have moved away.

“Once more I offer you my arm if you want to be going,” said Alexey Alexandrovitch, reaching towards her hand.

She drew back from him with aversion, and without looking in his face answered:

“No, no, let me be, I’ll stay.”

She saw now that from the place of Vronsky’s accident an officer was running across the course towards the pavilion. Betsy waved her handkerchief to him. The officer brought the news that the rider was not killed, but the horse had broken its back.

On hearing this Anna sat down hurriedly, and hid her face in her fan. Alexey Alexandrovitch saw that she was weeping, and could not control her tears, nor even the sobs that were shaking her bosom. Alexey Alexandrovitch stood so as to screen her, giving her time to recover herself.

“For the third time I offer you my arm,” he said to her after a little time, turning to her. Anna gazed at him and did not know what to say. Princess Betsy came to her rescue.

“No, Alexey Alexandrovitch; I brought Anna and I promised to take her home,” put in Betsy.

“Excuse me, princess,” he said, smiling courteously but looking her very firmly in the face, “but I see that Anna’s not very well, and I wish her to come home with me.”

Anna looked about her in a frightened way, got up submissively, and laid her hand on her husband’s arm.

“I’ll send to him and find out, and let you know,” Betsy whispered to her.

—Anna Karenina, Part Two, Chapter 29 - Leo Tolstoy

* * *

When the Knight of Flowers made his entrance, a murmur ran through the crowd, and he heard Sansa’s fervent whisper, “Oh, he’s so beautiful.” Ser Loras Tyrell was slender as a reed, dressed in a suit of fabulous silver armor polished to a blinding sheen and filigreed with twining black vines and tiny blue forget-me-nots. The commons realized in the same instant as Ned that the blue of the flowers came from sapphires; a gasp went up from a thousand throats. Across the boy’s shoulders his cloak hung heavy. It was woven of forget-me-nots, real ones, hundreds of fresh blooms sewn to a heavy woolen cape.

“His courser was as slim as her rider, a beautiful grey mare, built for speed. Ser Gregor’s huge stallion trumpeted as he caught her scent. The boy from Highgarden did something with his legs, and his horse pranced sideways, nimble as a dancer. Sansa clutched at his arm. “Father, don’t let Ser Gregor hurt him,” she said. Ned saw she was wearing the rose that Ser Loras had given her yesterday. Jory had told him about that as well.

“These are tourney lances,” he told his daughter. “They make them to splinter on impact, so no one is hurt.” Yet he remembered the dead boy in the cart with his cloak of crescent moons, and the words were raw in his throat.

(...) Gregor Clegane killed the horse with a single blow of such ferocity that it half severed the animal’s neck. Cheers turned to shrieks in a heartbeat. The stallion went to its knees, screaming as it died. By then Gregor was striding down the lists toward Ser Loras Tyrell, his bloody sword clutched in his fist. “Stop him!” Ned shouted, but his words were lost in the roar. Everyone else was yelling as well, and Sansa was crying.

—A Game of Thrones - Eddard VII

This similarity could be nothing of course, but I can't help myself finding Sansa in everything I read, like it happened with Eugénie Grandet by Honoré de Balzac.

Also Count Vronsky's mare Frou-Frou, somehow reminds me of Lady.

[ghost1643]

Headcanons of a tmnt AU I did in middle school

Mainly Venus so be warned. I am so sorry to my followers. Lol

Venus:

Venus’s was born a human boy who’s mother died in a car crash shortly after they were born. Their father went mad trying to find a way to revive her which eventually results in him working with the krang. He experimented on his three children eventually turning his youngest, Venus to a turtle when she was three. He physically abused her along the same time while her aunt..well we’ll mention her later.

Once she’s turned into a turtle he tries to kill her since he find he can no longer mutate her. Her brother helps her escape into an alley way where he tells her to just wait. However he never comes back. Instead his father gets him. While Venus waits some drunk homeless men finds her and demands food her brother snuck her in her tiny backpack. When she refuses to give him any, he almost beats her almost to death. She’s rescued by splinter who promptly adopts her and names her after Galileo which is short lived name.

She grows up close to Mikey. Yet, she’s also an easy child. She’ll do anything anyone asks because she doesn’t want to be abused or abandoned again. However she still plays pranks with Mikey while believing her brother will come back for her one time.

While Mikey is into a human stunt show and Leo is into a star trek show, Venus is into a sailor moon like tv show. She loves sailor moon so much that eventually she asks splinter when she’s gonna be a girl like sailor moon. When splinter asks what she means she explains that since she’s a girl shouldn’t she get to look like sailor moon too. Splinter accepts this and lets her rename herself Venus. As for the boys, they just grew use to her being a girl just around them, so they’re just relived they don’t have to worry around spilenter anymore.

She gets sick a lot after she turns six since her body was experimented on. So she doesn’t train much. In turn she works on her interest in arts came from. This ends with her obtaining an amazing art skill which always has her drawing hyper realalistic objects and people.

Mikey hangs out with her a lot thus creating a strong bond between them. They’re almost like twins. It’s to the point where he begs for a tutu for her at one point.

Donnie admires her art skills and helps her learn math. She’s good at everything up to graphs. She’s got a bone to pick with graphs.

Ralph treats her like a rival until she finally gets in on a training session with them. Once shes training is he smacks her which some how end up with her really hurt. She’s sobbing in pain looking death,y pale memories of her bio father abuse flashing through her head while Ralph rushes off to get their dad. After that point on he’s nicer and more kind to her than his other family members.

Leo thinks she’s a Great artist and funny. They however argue with each other a lot over her not training as much as they do. Despite this theytill love each other.

Splinter treats her like a daddy’s girl since she gets so sick so often and seems to have a form of mental health issues such as ptsd from her past life. He however is more tough on her about everyday things like going to the surface fearfully she’ll be more likely to die. Heck he thinks her mental health issues make her more likely to give in and die at any time.

When the boys meet April in the 2012 version, when she’s sick with the flu stuck in bed with only splinter, tv and Ralph’s pet spike for comfort. However when they bring April to the sewers to meettheie father Venus instantly realizes she’s a legalism. However she ignores her feelings seeing as aprilis obviously straight and Donnie loves her.

She gets worried about these feelings. Sure the bus and her father can accept her as a girl but, what about her liking girls. The boys can like girls, they don’t have to worry about seeming to masculine. They don’t have to worry about their family thinking they’re messed up. Either way she keeps it to herself as she behind to training to keep her anxiety Down. Eventually she breaks and confines herself in spike, Ralph’s pet turtle. She starts sharing everything with him since he’s just a pet and can’t tell anyone. So she begins to calm down and allows herself to get closer to April. They become good friends while all becomes good again.

That is until you know, spike gets mutated into a turtle like them. She started to freak out knowing he’ll tell her secrets. She freaks and is obviously uncomfortable around him. Spike waits until they’re alone before he tells her straight up he’s not going to put her and she should come out as a lesbian when she feels cmoftable too. She just smiled an dhugs him as an instant bond is created. Mikey on the other hand walks in, sees them hug and just jumps a step assuming they’re in love.

Anyways unlike in the 2012 show spike stays around after a fight with Leo. He becomes like a cousin of sorts whom Venus enjoys trying to teach math to. He trains with the male’s and soon begins going on missions with them. Soon he gets an okay and Venus goes on a few minion missions with them. She actually becomes part of a big happy team for a while. Then the shred is introudced

He collapses a building on the team pinning Ralph under some debree. Spike rushes in to save him but, doesn’t come back out. The floor opens up allowing spike to drop to his ‘death’. Venus proves herself by saving Ralph.

As for Ralph, he stays silent all the way home seeing as he just watched his best friend die. He explains this to splinter and Venus sketches a picture to remember spike by. She works late into the night before realizing only her and Ralph are left always. He steps on spikes old toy on his Wha to bed. She joked baoyt the toy being louder than spike ever was. Ralph laughs before breaking down in sobs only to promptly have his sister hug him tightly.

Ralph soon refuses to leave his room suffering from a mild moment of depression. To cheering him up Mikey tries pulling pranks which fails. Leo offers to let Ralph kick his butt which fails. Donnie makes him a robot turtle which almost works. Yet, late at night Venus sneaks into his room and drags him out at night which for the record she’s only ever planne dto Do once before. She takes him out to a place marked to be torn down and lets him go bat shit crazy on it. The week the place before meeting Casey Jones, who’s a trans man in this AU. This ends up with case and Ralph becoming fast friends

They sneak back in undetected and Ralph is bakc this normal self now. Except he won’t go anywhere alone anymore scared he’ll be almost killed again if he is. So he’s a little damaged. Eventually he introduce Casey to the family and he’s accepted into the family more than his own.

Soon Mikey is searching for a friend. This ends up with him sneaking out at night a lot. One night Venus catches him sneaking out. She’s gets concerned and tells Leo what she saw knowing he’s the best at following people. So they both head out with Ralph and Donnie for back up following Mikey.

They follow him to a sewer system with Leather face in it. Leather face attacks ether other until he gets a good look at Venus’s eyes. Once he does he stops attacking and calls Venus by her old human name. As soon as he does her memories come back as the world gets darker around her. She can hear her father screaming as he pops her shoulder routine of place. She cane feels the needles being wedged into her skin. She gpcan hear her sister breathing her for being the ‘favourite’. She can feel her aunts hand on her getting lower and lower until she star5 screaming as loud as she can before fainting.

That my friends is the result of Venus first anxiety attack. She faints in a sewer.

Donnie and Ralph carry her back home where splinter breathes them for sneaking out. Ralph feels guilty. Meanwhile leather face is just confused as to whyvenus fainted and freaked out about being called her dead name. Mikey sits him down and explains about Venus being transgender along with what it means. It take a while but, Leather head comes around still being a little confused. After all it’s the same person/mutant, just a different gender.

When Venus wakes up Leather face apologizes. He just sits there chatting with her making her feel a bit better. Mikey comes with him. Then soon the whole family is getting to know Leather face and they all just talking getting to know the difference between their lives now. As they do leather face just mentioned he was mutated shortly after something happened but that was it. Venus is just to tired to ask.

She dozes off again as her brother head off to bed as spiel goes to the room she’s staying in since her dad’s gone missing. Casey head home when splinter asks what happened to make him like this. Leatherface dances around the issuer before reaching two years after Venus and her brother had tried to run away, one of her father’s experiments killed her brother. As for Venus’s older sister, she grew cold. Cold enough to attempt to kill her father. Her father fought back knocking over Leather faces tank. Leather face rushed off before seeing the outcome but,had heard her scream and seen a gush of blood on the window. He got half way the sewer when the krange, an alien race her father worked with found him.they made him into this before turning him into this.

Splinter decides to wait to tell Venus her biological family is long gone. In the meantime Leather face lives with them and helps them train incase the orang come to the sewers to getthem. Venus becomes a better fighter making Leo proud. Leatherface bond with splinter over both of them having forms of ptsd over watching their loved ones die. He helped ralphchnanel his anger.

Soon he sees t fit to leave and moves into a different sewer system to help other mutants like him. As soon as he’s free, Karai steps into the picture during Venus’s first big mission with Leo. Leo crushes on karai for a bit while Venus justhas to deal with being the on,y sane one when it comes to ideas on Karai during the mission.

Long story short Leo’s maskgets ripped and Venus just gets snippy seeing as Karai literally tried to kill Leo when he spared her. Then it happens again. And again. And again. So needless to say she hates Karai towards the end of it.

Then Donnie gets kidnapped by the foot clan who think he has in formation on how to reverse the mutatagion for a reason I can’t find but I remember being a big deal. I think Shreder had bend slightly exposed to it and wanted a way to reverse the effects. Anyways it comes down to Mickey and Venus being in a control room looking for his cell while Leo and Ralph fight off the soldiers. They begin losing heavily.

Ralph says “well guys if this is it I guess it’s time to admit that I don’t actually hate you all. You’re the bets family I could ask for.” This ends up with last minute admitions.

Leo admits “Mikey I secretly like all of your jokes. I just pretend their childish.”

Mikey’s admits to breaking Venus’s sailor moon doll when they were five that she just loved more than anything.

Venus just is silent before a bulletproof whooshes by her head nearly missing her. She realizes this might acatully be it. It might be the end and she was never true to herself fully abou who she was. Not true about what happened to her. So she just says it. “I’m a lesbian.” Yet, she really Wabtedto admit to something else too.

Needless to say there’s a moment of silence before Ralph spins around yelling what. Thankfully they survive but, there’s a bit of awkward tension as Venus breaks Donnie out of his cell. He didn’t ask what happened until they’re safe on the top of a building. Ralph just chuckles mumbling not to worry about it until Venus tells him. Donnie doesn’t mind but is curious.

Venus waits until two days late retell him in private. Donnie just hugs her instead of distancing himself like Ralph as begun to. Mikey acts like nothing changed. Leo meanwhile just lays in her room waiting until he knows splinter isn’t around before gushing about women with her. It’s the most the two have ever gotten along. After Donnie heals nothing really changes except him joking about building her a robot girlfriend. Ralph meanwhile distance himself which hurts Venus a lot, she puts more focus into training until she gets sick..again.

While she’s laying in bed trying to nap Ralph sneaks in.

“Hey you up?” “Yeah I am now.” “I....I know I’ve been distant but it’s just...well I know it’s still you. I mean you’re still my sister...it’s just you know..” “Ralph it’s fine.” “No, no it’s not fine. I know I’ve probably been hurting you..I realized it this morning..and I...look I figured you needed a lot of things to support you. I would like to be one of them so I did some research and uh...well me and Casey got you something.”

He drops a heart pin that’s split in two. One part is the trans flag and the other is the lesbian pride flag. Needless to say Venus cries and hugs Ralph close who just happily returns it.

Soon she comes out to Casey first about being lesbian. He doesn’t care mush seeing as Ralph let it slip but lets her know he’s here if she ever what’s to talk. As for April, she comes out as bisexual to her at the same time. Long story short Venus finds out she’s not her type but, Casey is. However she hides it from her father.

Anyways soon the turtles find what looks like a mutant lizard named moan Lisa who’s on edge. She tries to gut Leonardo but, is okay with Ralph. Then Venus notices Ralph being nice to her and actually blushing when she looks at him. She puts two and two together joking with him about meeting hsi true love. He just argues back with her as they move Mona in with them until they can get her another safer place to stay. Mona soon finds herself bonding with the turtles while getting really friendly with Ralph.

Venus and Mikey make bets on who will start the first kiss. Donnie finds out and joins saying t will be an accidental kiss. Leo’s bets they will never kiss. Then splinter finds out and bets they will kiss when Mona leaves.

Meanwhile Mona seems on edge. Soon she admits to not being a mutant but an alien who’s species in at war with the Krange. She came here to find help or their secret weapon which she did. It’s the mutangeon which Venus’s dad helped make into a weapon. And she did find help in the form of other Mutants who are in hiding throughout New York. She rushes to get back to her ship to keep her species from invading to find the information out by rove. However before she leaves she kisses Ralph before giving him her contact and rushing off.

Yeah well the turtles each lose a bet to splinter.

From what I can Remember the story continues to follow them as the turtles try to find the other mutants to help Mona’s species. They find mondo gecko who’s nonbianry and low key flirts with Mikey a lot who is to clueless to catch onto this. A bunch of other mutants move in with leather face and train Incas ether are neede dto for the alien war.

Karai gets into a battle with theturtles and ends up stuck in a building with Venus. They are forced to work together and get to know each other better becoming frenamies. Leo confesses his love for Karai whom rejects him but, offers to be friends. He accepts but cries in private...then Splinter regales Karai is his long lost daughter and Leo feels like he dodged a huge bullet.

Mikey also gets a sort a human love interest from April’s school. She’s into video games, anime and loves his jokes. Heck she even has her own cat who loves ice cream kitty.

Casey and April start going out making Donnie a bit upset. In the end he’s just happy if she’s happy. Venus finds out he’s a bit upset and takes him out on a night on the town for fun. Once there they have the time of their lives.

Leo starts to get crushes on male mutants they find and female mutants. He confines these feelings in Venus who supports him fully. Then he comes out and gets more support from everyone. Two days later, with support from Leo, comes out to splinter. Splinter just hugs her tightly before hugging love to just happy they’re being true to themselves.

April sneaks Venus out to a pride march. Once there she’s assumed to be a furry of sorts. She gets embarrassed as a few people crack jokes but, soon discovers they accept her no matter what.

Donnie finds out where Venus’s mom is hurried and takes her there on her birthday. After all she’s always wanted to meet her mom. Venus brings flowers and just cries happy tears talking about how she was so proud to meet her mom at all. Like it’s emotional enough to make Donnie cry. He doesn’t have the heart to make her leave so, he just sits there talking with Venus and her mom for hours when the other brothers show up. They all take to her before heading home by night falls. After that night Venus fists her grave every other month just to talk.

Splinter tells the kids what the shredder did to his family.he gets a lot of hugs from Venus after wards.

Karai finds out the truth and breaks into the sewer to meet her dad. He moves her in without thought and she shares a room with Venus. They bond a bit more since Venus is staying in her room a lot, still constantly sick while Karaiis just being locked in a room for protection for a while. Then she helps all the turtles train. It’s a little awkward between her and Leo but soon it gets to a normal brother sister relationship. She offers to se Venus up too which is awkward before she realizes Venus Is a lesbian. Then it goes more awkward when she apologizes like every five second about not knowing sooner.

Karai gets curious and asks Casey and Venus about dysmorphia. The two a very blunt about how it makes them feel like everything in their body is wrong down to a depressing note. It ends with Karai baking cupcakes to cheer them up which surprisingly works.

Casey comes clean to Ralph about being abused as a child one night. He just gets mad and yells before just breaking down and admitting his mom is sometimes drunk and beats him. Ralph gets worried and asks splinter what he should do. All splinter says is have him move in. As Ralph goes to get his friend Venus just breaks a bit and is a bit more jumpy. Everyone ignores ituntil a week later splinter asks her about it. Genus just break bfeore hinging at her father abusing her.

Shredder gets a hold of Karai again and mutates her into a snake like creature but unlikes in the 2012 show she doesn’t go insane. She can control hersefl a little. Leo calms her down enough to get her to come home. Once there everyone bands together to help her with her new mutant powers. Which goes well for once.

April’s dad is rescued from a krange base. He moves into a farm house with April and brings Casey with him. He also brings a few Mutangs to help April train for what mught happen. Yet, April calls the turtles every night to talk with them.

Leo falls for a certain rabbit samurai, who in this AU is a disowned young teen whom was mutated during a pride celebration turned kidnapping. A rabbit samurai who feelsthe same way.

Mona comes back for a visit. She helps rescue a few more mutants befeore officially going on a date with Ralph...too April’s new house. Either way it works. They start going out.

Karai with her family’s support fists her mother grave. Then fists Venus’s with her.

The krange team up with the foot clan sending an assaying after the turtles. The turtles fight back but Leo is badly injured by a assaying Karai knows to well. The assaying almost behaved her twice by her father orders. However the turtles are able to fight her off and get Leo in a card. The family starts to leave and gets half way gone when the assaying rips down the door. Venus fights her off before she is demasked showing her eyes to the assaying who just freezes. She closes her eyes preparing for an attack when she hear her voice. “Brother?”

Venus looks up seeing her sisters famous blue eyes yet, in a turtle form.one with scars and scratches and bruises. She just is frozen in place before kicking her sister off. Venus starts yelling that she knew what she did. She told her father about them trying to leave. She wrecks dtheir escape. Her sister wa the reason her brother died. All her older sister does is freeze up before being kicked outside onto the road as they escape to a farm house.

Once there Venus what’s until Leo is safe and everyone is asleep to cry. She cries heavily as her sister just is numb knowing she tried to kill her brother, the only family member she has left.

~~~~~~~~~~……~~~~~~

That was all I came up with in order before the end of season three I think. I had a few other idea but couldn’t fit them in becaus dto he honest it focused on Leo healing from his psychic scaring his fight left behind and Venus healing from the mental scarring her family left behind.

Venus was supported to have a few more run ins with her sister whom never got names, but I know I am now happy to call Jenika. Jenika was supposed to a cold rouyhless killer who hates everyone but has deep rooted sadness.

Venus was also supposed to get a girlfriend who I never decided on a sign for. Mikey’s love interest was supposed to help out more with Leo’s healing process and keeping an eye out for mutangs in new York for them. A certain rabbit samurai vista Leo a lot while he heals falling mode in love with him. Specials father becomes more accepting to mutangs n venal.

I just didn’t know how to write it is all but if this gets a lot of attention I could write more I guess.i mean I have no idea but if anyone had any recommendations for her girlfriend let me know.

[wumpusandzandii]

Science and Progress: Chapter One

TMNT Human!AU Storyline for Donatello x Lily

Chapter One

Being part of a large family was a blessing and a curse. Everyone seems to fill a roll, and the family rolls on like a machine, sometimes well-oiled, sometimes like a train wreck, depending on the day. When that roll is the one that has family members asking for help, whether it be answering questions or fixing things, the feeling is amplified. There is a sense of validation with being able to help, to sometimes have answers to problems before they even became an issue. On the flip side of that coin, it can mean that simple problems easily solved by common sense or a quick Google search are often presented, and pile up over time.

Such was Donatello’s day, and it wasn’t even noon yet. Their morning training had been over for a while, but there were still hours to go before their afternoon classes. Splinter had left on one of his walks, and the home situation had devolved quickly thereafter. All he wanted to do was sit at his computers and get some research done on possible upgrades to his holo, but it was nearly impossible with his brothers in the same space. Leo and Raph were arguing, which was not at all a shocking surprise, but certainly a weary annoyance. Mikey had taken the opportunity to play his video games at full volume without his headphones on so he “could still talk to everyone,” which, with the other two bickering, meant talking to *him*. He tried keeping his headphones on to tune it all out, but Mikey had started throwing things when he didn’t answer, so the headphones only caused more trouble than they were worth.

“You’re missing the entire point, we need you here more,” Leo tried to reason, his voice as strained as his patience.

“Jesus Christ, Leo, I’m a phone call away. I have my gear, it’s not that far,” Raph snapped back loudly. “I’m not a fuckin’ kid.”

“I’m not saying you are! I’m saying we need you here, ready to go, just in case. It made sense while Stacey was healing up, but she’s in her new place and Donnie has it all set up. It’s been months. It’s time to get back to normal,” Leo argued, and Donnie winced to himself. He’d been waiting for that bomb to drop their entire argument, and there it was. If there was one surefire way to set Raph off ever, it was to bring her up in any kind of negative aspect. Surely Leo knew that, had to have known it wouldn’t gain him any ground, so he wasn’t sure why he took that route.

“Maybe it is my new normal,” Raph hissed, his voice lowering to dangerous levels.

“Hey Donnie,” Mikey piped up over the loud crashing and sound effects of his game. “Do you know if there are any new texture packs or skins I can add to this? Like, it’d be totally awesome if I could put a different skin over the boss, make killing him funny. Like a Kardashian, boom, the lips explode or something.”

Pinching the bridge of his nose and resting his elbows against the desk, Donnie sighed heavily. “I don’t know, Mikey,” he said in a long suffering tone. “Why don’t you look it up?”

“Because you’re right therrrre,” he begged, looking over the back of the couch with a pout and batting his eyes. “Hey, maybe you could show me how to do it? Then we could make a Shredder skin or something, crush his helmet against his crotch.”

Donnie couldn’t think of much else he’d have less patience for right at that moment, than trying to teach Mikey how to code, let alone create skins. “It’s not quite that simple-”

“I’m gonna spend as much time as I damn well please with her, and there ain’t a damn thing you can do about it! You ain’t the boss of my life!”

“No, but I am the leader of this time, and not having you available puts everyone else at increased risk and responsibility, just so can go sleep with-”

“Don’t you dare fuckin’ finish that sentence, Leo, or I’m gonna finish it for you.”

“If it’s not that simple, maybe you could just do it for me? I could totally write a list of people or characters that it would be cool to have skins of, and then you could just bleep bloop do your thing, no trouble!”

“Mikey, I have more important things to do-”

“Is that a threat?” Leo snarled.

“If it needs to be.”

“What could be more important than creating a Kraang mega boss that I could shoot to pieces? I mean, just think about the glory and beauty of it!”

“Fucking Merlin’s beard!” Donnie cursed, shoving his rolling chair back away from his desk and lurching up onto his feet. “What the hell is wrong with all of you? Can’t you just be normal or at the very least *quiet* for five damn minutes? I understand the hashi now, and why dad leaves to go walk by himself. I used to think it was for reflection and meditation, but it’s gotta be to GET AWAY FROM YOU!”

Storming into his room, he grabbed up his messenger bag, stuffed his laptop into it angrily. Pulling on the first hoodie he found, he slung the bag on and marched out of his room, straight towards the door. The room had fallen silent, he noted with sardonic irony.

“Hey, where are you going?” Mikey asked, sounding a little hurt.

“To the library, where they *force* people to be quiet!” he snapped, slamming the door behind him.

Forgoing any public form of transportation, Donnie decided to walk to the library. It was a decent distance away, but not so much to be excessive. In any case, he figured giving himself time to cool off before he got there was probably a good idea. It was difficult to focus when he was that agitated, and it would simply ruin the entire reason he was leaving in the first place. In further thought, he figured it was probably a good thing to get out, it might give him a different perspective on ideas than usual. The fresh air certainly didn’t hurt anything, either.

Upon arriving, he skipped up the steps, feeling lighter already than he had upon leaving. It had been far too long since he’d been in the library, perused the shelves, let the scent of the pages and old leather bindings suffuse his senses. Walking a little taller as he pushed through the front doors, instantly feeling the atmosphere change for the better. He couldn’t help but smile to himself, taking a deep relieving breath and wandering off to check the shelves.

Time could either stand still in the library or pass by a shooting star, quickly disappearing if oblivious to the large grandfather clock at the top of the stairs. Nearly using all of her spare time to be there, it was slowly becoming a second home, along with the lecture halls and computer labs at the university. Her own bed now a little foreign as she rarely had time to spare even on sleeping. Surrounded by folders and books, countless scrap pieces of paper and notebooks, Lily busied herself away with her coursework. Chasing the always just out of reach dream to be a veterinarian, she found herself chasing her tail to catch up, especially after joining the semester late due to moving. New York was the city of dreams, or so she was told, and moving there had been a huge decision. One she was hoping she wouldn’t regret. Finding her groove that day while listening to music quietly in her headphones, her focus solely on her work, she happily bobbed away in her seat. Her bright red hair bounced against her shoulders, loosely sectioned into pigtails with ribbon that matched her pale grey cardigan. It wasn’t a cold day, but the large hall had a chill running through it, meaning wearing just a dress was a poor idea and needed something across her shoulders to keep the chill off her pale skin. Being a frequent visitor as of late, Lily could happily leave her stuff unattended on the table knowing the staff flitting around amongst the endless rows of bookshelves would keep an eye on it for her.

Tapping her pen against her hand, she pulled the cap off the end and clicked it back on, doing so in time with the beat before sitting back. Adjusting her glasses with a gentle push of her fingertips, she nodded to herself, happy with what she had just written before moving to stand up. Thankful her mother was a seamstress, she plopped her phone into her skirt pocket, neatening the frills before pushing her chair in, careful not to make any noise since she couldn’t fully hear herself with headphones on. Checking her notes again quickly, she tottered off into the maze of shelves, beginning her hunt for a specific unit in the science section. Luckily she knew the cover of the book well, but that didn’t stop it being a grande task, especially at her height. Even the slight heel on her shoes didn’t give her much advantage. Pouting she regretted putting the book away earlier, knowing it was likely put back on a higher shelf, making it even harder for her to find.

As Donnie perused for books, a few texts already beneath his arm, he found himself with company in the next aisle. Well over a foot shorter than himself, especially once he noted the high heels that were lifted off the floor as she ran a finger over bindings well over her head, he could tell she was having some difficulty. He walked up slowly, just in case she didn’t notice him with her headphones in. Her red hair bobbed against her shoulders as she dropped back down onto her heels, hands on her hips as she sighed heavily. A bright, open, kind face greeted him as she started to look around, and he gave her a little finger wave before pointing up at the shelves above her hesitantly.

Tugging out her earbuds, she fussed with stuffing them into a skirt pocket before looking back up at him shyly. “I’m so sorry to bother you, but would you mind helping me get a book?”

“Not at all,” he responded kindly, smiling softly. She was adorable, like a little pixie wandering the science shelves. It sounded like the beginning of a fantasy novel. “Which one are you looking for?”

“Oh thank you,” she sighed in relief, her nose crinkling her freckles as she thought. “It was ‘Germ-free Life and Gnotobiology.’ I’m so sorry to ask, you probably get that a lot, being so tall.”

“Oh, I don’t mind,” he admitted, for the first time that day feeling genuinely helpful and not simply convenient. Scanning the bindings, he quickly found it, scanning the cover before passing it down to her. “Are you doing research for laboratory work?”

“Oh no,” she answered, taking the book gently and hugging it against her chest. “I mean, thank you. But no, it’s a research paper for veterinary class. It’s looking over the way gnotobiotes are born, raised and taken care of in laboratory settings. Um, specifically how their immune systems are poor if they stay there, but some animals like pigs have better immune systems if they’re born in the germ-free environment and introduced to the outside environments. But oh my gosh. I’m so sorry, you probably didn’t need that much information just for pulling a book down. I get carried away.”

Chuckling a little, he couldn’t help but relate with her, and felt bad that she was apologizing for something he did himself on the daily. At the same time, the way she blushed made her even more cute. “I do that sometimes, too. Please don’t apologize, I actually find the topic very interesting. I’ve done some research on it myself.”

“Really?” she asked, her bright eyes going wide and seeming to light up. “What for?”

Realizing he hadn’t thought it through entirely, Donnie struggled with wondering if it would seem pretentious to admit ‘just because.’ Rubbing the back of his neck, he shrugged slightly, answering, “Personal research? I found another text that went into great detail, and wait, you know what? It was published more recently than that one, and it might have more relevant information for you.”

Hastily, he scanned the shelves, trying to remember where he had found it. “Ah!” he proclaimed, plucking off the shelf victoriously, bringing it back to her. “Gnotobiotics. They go into greater detail about inflammatory bowel diseases and intestinal immunity.”

“I didn’t know about this one, thank you,” she murmured, looking over it carefully, seemingly dwarfed by the two textbooks.

“If it’s useful! I’m not sure. I just remembered it,” Donnie stammered, suddenly feeling self-conscious. “If not, I can just stick it back up for you.”

Getting caught in trying to memorize the name of the author, she turned back up to him with wide eyes before hugging the book to herself. “Oh no no! I’ll definitely look at it too! Just so many names and words to remember now...” she chirped, adjusting the rather large books in her delicate hands. “The more the merrier I guess!” she added, swaying a little as she did, trying not to seem awkward but making herself look even more so by doing so. Catching the way he looked down at her, an endearing smile on his lips, she looked down at her feet. “Thank you. Sorry again for distracting you from your browsing.” Knowing her pale skin was igniting into a deep blush, she wanted to just hide away in her coursework again but couldn’t move her feet that were now cemented to the floor. “It’s really no trouble, honest, I haven’t even gotten an idea as to what I’m looking for myself yet.”

Not knowing how to excuse herself without seeming rude or just plain weird, she stammered, trying to think of something. As much as running out of any form of social interaction was her usual, keeping occupied with research and studying, something about the kindness and warmth in his eyes made her want to try. Maybe actually talking to someone and making friends wouldn’t be so bad. It’d be a welcome distraction. Maybe he could even help her. “Uhm... are you a student too?” Glancing at his bag and noticing he had some books in his hands, Lily couldn’t help but wonder now his reasoning for being there, if he had said he hadn’t an idea for something to read. Maybe it was just for personal enjoyment, maybe he was studying something similar to her. The thought of having someone to study with brought a smile to her lips again, her cheeks a rosy red that nearly matched her hair as she politely awaited his answer.

“No, not exactly,” he answered with a nervous chuckle. Looking at the books around him, he wondered if maybe he had found what he needed to after all. Talking to someone outside of his family, actually face to face couldn’t hurt anything. After all, he’d already done a decent amount of research on the topic she was studying, maybe he could help out, or at least give her someone to bounce ideas off of. If that was even something she was looking for, and not just a way out of an awkward conversation. “I do a lot of freelance work, for various people and companies. It never hurts to keep up to date on research and well… I guess it kinda makes me sound like a horrible nerd, but I actually enjoy it.”

Smiling up at him through her eyelashes, she shook her head. “No, I don’t think that makes you a horrible nerd at all!” she assured him, rocking back on her heels. “Maybe just a very good one?”

Laughing, he ran a hand through his hair, gesturing back at the books in her arms. “Well, I already did a fair amount of that research, maybe I could save you some time? If you want. If you prefer to do your studying in private, I completely understand that.”

“I would *love* some help,” she answered, her shoulders sagging a little with visible relief. “I’ve just been swamped with this course load. I feel like I’m always playing catch up, you know?”

“I think that’s the nature of research, to be frank. Do you already have your stuff set up, or should we find somewhere suitable?”

“Just over here, I left my things. Thank you so much for offering to help… I’m so sorry, I think I forgot to get your name?”

Holding out his hand, he grasped hers in a delicate handshake, surprised at just how tiny it was against his own. “Donatello,” he offered, tipping his head down towards her in a semi-bow, for some reason feeling it was the thing to do. “And to whom do I have the pleasure of meeting?”

“Lilian, but please call me Lily, I don’t like my grandma sounding name.” Giggling as she attempted to give his hand a firm squeeze, she managed to give him eye contact for more than just a few seconds this time.

Tilting her head at him once she took back her hand, needing it to support the large books against her chest, she hummed in thought, narrowing her eyes a little. “Donatello? Like after the Italian artist? Well, of course...I mean there aren’t many Donatello’s..” Giggling again to herself, she grinned up at him, delighted by the sound of him giggling with her. “Well, you’re not wrong. Yes, I am named after him, shame I don’t have the artist talent to go with it.”

Unable to stop herself from smiling up at him, she was losing track of time, forgetting almost about the books she held in her dainty arms or why she was even in the science section anymore. “We can’t have it all, I’m sure you’re talented with something else instead, maybe you’re a master at chess? Who knows!”

Hearing him snort as he laughed was the highlight of her day, her week, her entire year. Her own laugh went higher, joining him until he had to push up his glasses on to his nose. If it wasn’t for the sharp ‘shh’ that came from behind her, Lily would have worked on another way to make him laugh, entirely enamoured with his smile and the light flush of pink across his cheeks and nose.

Jolting a little, she spun around to see the head Librarian, an elderly lady sat at the front desk, scowling at her. “Lilian, this is the first time I’ve ever had to ask you this, but please be quiet. Take your friend and giggle somewhere else.” Lowering her head a little in shame, she mouthed a sorry silently at the lady. Luckily she didn’t take it to heart, smiling and shaking her head at the two of them before waving them off.

Getting to know Lily since she visited so often, the Librarian learnt that she must have not had many friends, or any given the amount of times she saw her reading and working alone. It brought warmth to her heart seeing her with someone, especially a boy similar to her age and clearly with similar interests. Chuckling softly to herself, she made sure to keep an eye on the two of them, curious to see if anything developed of it.

Motioning for Donnie to follow her, she lead him back over to her spot at the large oak tables, gesturing for him to sit at the head just across from her. Careful not to let the books drop heavily against the tabletop, she winced as she sat down, neatening her skirt out before looking over to him like a scolded puppy. “I’m so sorry about that, I’m so embarrassed...such a bad first impression….I promise I’m not a troublemaker..” she whispered, leaning in as she spoke so she was sure he could hear her.

Sitting down after she had seated herself, he waved her off with a smile, swinging his bag into the chair on the other side of himself. She was such a genuine breath of fresh air after his brothers, and their genuine trouble making. It was hard to believe she was genuinely as adorable and sweet as she was, especially in a city like New York that seemed to churn out hard people, people born in trenches and always ready for a fight. “Don’t be embarrassed, it’s been a long time since I got clucked at by a librarian, usually for arguing out loud with a book.”

Covering her mouth as she giggled, he felt himself beaming. Talking with people in general had never been his forte, let alone women, but something about her made it easy. He felt like an entirely different person sitting there with her, and yet more himself than he could remember feeling in a long time. Even with his family, he always felt like the odd man out, his sense of humor awkward and often not understood or appreciated by his brothers.

Quietly, she angled her syllabus towards him along with her notes, written neatly in small, precise cursive. She explained the current assignment requirements, occasionally smoothing her skirt as she talked. Her organization skills were impressive, and she clearly had a solid grasp on the work. To be honest, he sincerely doubted she honestly needed the help, and was likely more of an overachiever like himself, never content with “good enough” and wanting to put forth the best quality possible. He went through it with her, making sure to point out that she had much of the important information already, and flipping through the texts to show her what she still needed. She had few questions, following along readily, and the questions that she did have were clever and insightful.

“I think you’re going to be an incredible veterinarian,” he admitted once they had gotten through a large section of her work. He wasn’t even sure how much time had passed, and for once, he had no inclination to check. “You seem very empathic and you understand the work well. Are you from around here? I can’t say you’re like any native New Yorker I’ve ever met.”

Smiling sweetly at his compliment, Lily looked down at her notepad, bashfully tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear as she did. “Thank you, that means a lot…” Still adorning a rosy complexion due to his presence and encouraging nature, she felt that maybe he’d just assume she was always that pink in the cheek, given she hadn’t stopped blushing the entire time she had met him. Maybe it was just the colour of her hair making it stand out more. At his question of her origin, she rose her head and grinned happily. Shaking her head, she tamed a giggle, still aware of how much noise she was making. “No, actually, I recently moved here a few months ago from Canada. I used to live in Denmark, when I was young - my family is from there. Hence the uhm….red hair…” Rocking side to side, making her hair bounce on her shoulders a little, she mimicked his amused grin.

“My dad works for a company that’s very demanding, moves us around a lot. I had to hold off university for a while because of it, so as always, I’m playing catch up. It’s probably why I don’t have many friends either..” Laughing awkwardly, trailing it off to try and stop her smile fading but failed when she added, “..or any friends for that matter. I keep to myself a lot.” Tapping her pen against her papers, she shook her head a little after a short pause before looking up at him, forcing back on her smile. “How about you? Hailing from Italy?” Giggling, she gently poked at his arm with the capped end, hoping she hadn’t dropped the mood.

Looking down at the pen she had poked him with, he considered what she had said. How many times had his family harassed him for not having enough friends, not getting out enough? Not that he minded keeping to himself, but he just couldn’t imagine someone as bright and cheerful as herself, alone. “I’m not nearly as interesting,” he chuckled with a shrug. “New York, born and raised… raised by my adoptive father, though. My biological parents died in a car accident while I was still in utero, and he was to have been my godfather.”

“Oh my gosh,” she gasped, putting a dainty hand over her mouth in shock. She looked genuinely upset about it, and he had a brief moment of regret of being so upfront about it. He simply viewed it as a fact, having come to terms with it when he was quite young and insisted his father tell him. It hadn’t taken long for him to understand that he and his brothers, especially Raph and Mikey, were not biologically related. “I’m so sorry.”

“Please, don’t be sorry, it’s entirely okay. I was raised in a loving, nurturing environment,” he explained, pushing up his glasses. “I have three brothers, they’re all adopted as well. It’s chaotic sometimes, but that’s family, right?”

“I guess so,” she agreed, her cheeks continuing to be as pink as ever as she shuffled papers around nervously. “I think you’re probably a lot more interesting than you think you are.”

It was his turn to blush again, running his hands through his hair. He was so used to people telling him to shorten whatever he had to say, to make it “English” or simply ignoring that he even existed that the thought was foreign. It was so rarely that he genuinely connected with people, and when he did, it always seemed to be a professor or scientist across the country or even out of the country, their conversations strictly through the digital realm.

“Well,” he said slowly, leaning forward against the table. “I can’t imagine you being a loner or keeping to yourself.”

Slowly packing away her papers, tucking them neatly inside her notepad and marking pages with sticky notes in her newly acquired research books, Lily listened to him intently. Glancing over at him, she smiled, although it’s cheerful glow had faded a little.

“Unfortunately, it’s the truth. I don’t get out much, because of work but...mostly I just choose not to..” she started quietly, not so much from needing to be but more she felt a little down about it, realising how sad it must sound. “I’m not one for going out, drinking or otherwise, the only place other than here or my dorm room is a Starbucks, maybe.”

Closing up her last book after putting her pens away into her bag with the rest of her equipment, she sat neatly up right, perking up again with a bright smile. “Heh, speaking of ...let me buy you a coffee or something? As a thank you for helping me and putting up with me nattering at you for so long...and as a sorry for getting us hushed at.” Shuffling her seat backwards, she stood up, making sure all of her skirt was down and not tucked up in anyway. Shouldering her satchel, brushing her hair away from the strap before taking the full weight of it, wincing a little even when she prepared herself for it. Her mother had always told her if her hair was any longer, she’d fall over, too frail and delicate to carry her own weight sometimes. It didn’t help that Donnie dwarfed her even more.

“Oh, no no, there’s no need for that. I appreciate the offer but-...”

“Actually! I changed my mind. I’m buying you a coffee and you can’t say no.” Once he was stood up, she made sure to give him the most stern look she could, but stuck her tongue out when he looked a little taken back by her order. As his lips curved into a smile, chuckling a little, she had to drop her eyes, looking down at her feet bashfully. “I-I mean...that’s if you’re not….uhm….busy...or want to, that is…”

The sudden surge of confidence she had to tell him what she wanted to do disappeared as quickly as it appeared. He simultaneously gave her confidence and took her breath away, unable to think of a coherent sentence while also giving her all the words under the sun to speak with.

“I’d love to,” he admitted earnestly, hopelessly smiling at how incredibly adorable she was. There wasn’t a fiber in his being that would’ve been able to say no to her, even if he had wanted to. He almost felt grateful for his brothers being so annoying that they drove him from his normally hermit-like behaviors to get out of the house. “But just because I’m enjoying your company, not because I agree that you owe me any kind of thanks or apologies, because you most certainly do not.”

Nodding, she smiled up at him while she fidgeted with the strap of her bag. He wished he was quicker, more smooth like his brothers with social behaviors, especially with women, and would’ve offered to take the bag that must’ve been heavy on her tiny frame. At the same time, he didn’t want to insult her by having her take it off to hand to him, just in case. “I suppose that’s fair enough,” she answered, leading the way out of the library. “Is there a particular place you enjoy?”

Laughing as he held the front door open for her, he shook his head, squinting at the bright sunlight after the muted tones of the library. “My brothers say I’d hook myself up to an IV drip of coffee if I had my way,” he answered, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. “And they’re probably right. I pretty much live on the stuff, I don’t tend to be very picky about where it originates.”

“I’d probably hover off the ground if I had that much,” she giggled. He found himself enamored with the way her bright, doe-like eyes sparkled in the sunshine. “There’s a nice little shop just a couple of blocks down though, they have a lovely tea selection, too.”

“I will absolutely defer to your more refined judgement, then.” He listened carefully as she explained her favorite kinds of tea for different occasions or situations as they walked, cataloging the information in his mind for later use. If there was a later use, he reminded himself, keenly aware that he ventures into being social usually didn’t last, especially not when it was women. Still, he found himself hopeful with her, she was different in so many ways, and conversation with her was surprisingly easy. Not once had he noticed her eyes glazing over with boredom or confusion, or had she expressed any desire to end the conversation as quickly as possible to “get away.”

“Here we are!” she chirped, gesturing to the cozy little shop, and he took one long stride to move ahead of her just enough to get the door, gesturing for her to walk through. She giggled, giving him a little curtsy before leading the way in, the rich aroma of coffee swirling out into the air of sidewalk after her.