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rallentando1011 · 4 months

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Hello! Can I plz request the ROTTMNT turtles reacting to their s/o being girly? Their s/o is very hygienic, smells good all the time, their skin glows, their hair is always done perfectly, they wear beautiful and cute clothes, their nails are always done perfectly. They also love to collect plushies, bake and cook in their free time, and they also love donating to charities and shelters.

First request done! I really enjoyed this one, and hope you do, too! Thanks for the request <3

My guidelines for requests can be found here

ROTTMNT Turtles with a Feminine Reader

Word Count: 1410

Donnie:

Donnie is always one to appreciate when great levels of detail are paid attention to

With that in mind, he loves how on top of your game you are when it comes to which body washes and sprays you use i.e. how gosh dang delectable you smell

He would definitely probe about which products you use under the guise of an educational survey just in case he ever wants to try them out

Although he tries to remain vigilant, he takes a few days to notice when your nails change

Completely out of the blue, he takes your hand, examines your nails, gives them a nod of approval, just as abruptly goes back to whatever he was doing

Now, not to imply that he would ever condone stealing, but if you ever wear an extremely cute top or dangly jewelry, especially if it’s purple, the next time he’s at your place it’s definitely going missing

Some of your sprays also go missing

“Really? Your favorite spray and your favorite sweater went missing on the same day? While I was over? Nope. Drawing a blank. Must’ve been some other teenage mutant ninja Donnie.”

They’ll probably turn back up eventually

Initially, he’ll frequently yet quietly compliment your hair, but after a while of knowing you it’ll become commonplace for your hair to look amazing, his compliments more sparse

Doesn’t mean he’ll ever stop, though

Donnie doesn’t collect plushies, only having a few he’s gotten from his brothers over the years, but he does admire your tenacity

He also appreciates laying on your plushies if they happen to be bunched into a pile

If you’re baking with him in the room, it’ll be typical for you to be whipping something up and him to walk by and swipe some of it

Yes, it irks you, and yes, he’s tried to stop, but he subconsciously just snags some of whatever you’re making as he passes through

He likes measuring things out, however, so it’s not like he only taste-tests your food

He greatly appreciates when you bring him anything you make

It’s easy to lose track of time while working in the lab, so any confections you bring him are an excellent reprieve from whatever combination of energy drinks, tea, and snacks he’s been subsisting off of

Donnie is a highly ambitious person when it comes to his passions (e.g. inventing, conducting experiments, gaming), so when he hears about the time and money you donate to shelters and charities, he’s zealous to support you in it

Almost immediately he offers to accompany you and help out in any way he can

Don’t expect him to pitch in monetarily, though; his money’s strictly committed to his scientific endeavors

That doesn’t mean he won’t make anything to help out

If you need anything donated or can think of a gadget that could help out, he’s your guy

At the end of the day, he’s just in awe of the awesome things you do and how amazing you are while doing them

Mikey:

Mikey is not a man to hold anything back

So you’d better be prepared for a barrage of compliments every time you see him

He’ll be giving you a simultaneously squishy and bone crushing hug while pouring over every detail of your outfit

“Ooh, you smell great! Is that vanilla? Ohmigosh, your hair! I love it! It’s so you- and your shirt! Where’d you get it?”

He could continue this for hours if you let him

Mikey is one to play with your hair if he is able to without messing up your hairstyle

It’s just so much fun for him to braid some strands, pull another into a bun, then take it all down, run his fingers through it, and do it all again

If you want, he’ll help you design and make clothing

Or, at the very least, paint on it

He loves using vibrant colors in his drawings and while spray painting graffiti around the sewers, so you can expect numerous colorful additions to your closet

He also pays attention to which outfits you wear most frequently and makes rubber band bracelets that coincide with them

Mikey can and will individually hug and nuzzle each of your plushies

That is a threat and a promise

As an avid baker and chef himself, this little guy is absolutely ecstatic that you enjoy it too!

You’re more experimental in your cooking endeavors? He’s down to clown and mess around with flavor combinations

You’re a little more technical with what you make? That’s great, too! He’s got croissant and baklava recipes he’s been dying to try out and would gladly accept the company

Whatever foundations or activities you’ve committed yourself to, be certain that he’ll join and/or support you in all of them

Leo:

Leo notices anytime you switch which products or sprays you use, barely repressing the urge to comment on and compliment the delightful scent of each

Would it be weird to say you smell nice? Probably, he assumes

He’ll just keep that comment in his head

Leo asks you what your skin care routine is, compares it with his own, and takes notes

He’s got to make sure his stripes stay vibrant and glowing

When your hairstyle allows for it, he likes to play with your hair

Bro makes the worst braids you’ve ever seen in your life but at least he tried

He’s definitely a matching outfit coordinator

Your outfits are fly, his outfits are fly, why not put the two together?

He will compliment your nails, secretly hoping that you take the hint and offer to paint his the same way

“I like your nails.”

*silence*

“How do you think that pattern would look on three fingers?”

He recognizes that you might not want to mess up your nails while doing his, but he also really wants matching sets

At first when he sees your extensive plushie collection, he tries to act cool, nonchalant

However, if you have any unicorn ones by any chance, he automatically drops the act and is adopting that plush

It’s his child now. That’s just how it is

The extent of his baking assistance is as a taste-tester

Cooking, though, is another story

Want ingredients chopped or minced? He’ll have them ready in an unbelievably short amount of time

Mixing things? He loves it

Pretty much whatever you ask him to help with, he’s on it

Same goes for volunteering at organizations and charities

Whatever you need, be it assistance or just someone to chat with, he’s there for you

Raph:

Raph gets very bashful when giving you compliments, but he does it anyway

It’s very obvious that you put a lot of energy into how you feel, how you look, and what you do, so it feels like his responsibility to show his admiration of your effort

Whether he’s pointing out how nice your hair looks or saying how pretty your outfit is, he’s scratching the back of his neck shyly and his face probably looks as red as his mask

“I- er, your, uh, you look really nice today… Not that you don’t every day! I- You understand what Raph’s tryna say here, right?”

He’s not used to receiving compliments, no less giving them, but as it was mentioned before, he pretty much has to

Self care days together sound great to Raph

Just you and him, putting on pajamas, wearing facemasks, painting your nails, preferably watching wrestling matches but animated, Jupiter Jim, or Lou Jitsu movies are also acceptable, seems like a dream to him

Being a plushie aficionado, Raph will eagerly ask for all of your stuffed animals’ names, backgrounds, anything, really, and will just as eagerly listen to you describe them

Ask him to have a plushie play date, and you’re done for

He will spontaneously combust (good connotation) and will show up with his collection of teddy bears

Though he’s not much of a baker himself, he will gladly accept any confections you make for him

Just don’t make him anything with peanuts

He is allergic, and he would be distraught to have to decline something you offer him because of his allergy

Raph values everything you do to promote a positive change in the world

It’s something he really cares about, one of the reasons he fights to stop crime in the first place, and he loves that you share that same spirit

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art · 2 years

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Creator Spotlight: @min-play

I’m Min! I’m an animator and storyboard rti t who also posts comics and fan art online. So far, I have worked on the Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and LEGO Monkie Kid. I run on AAA batteries.

Check out our interview with Min below!

How did you get your start in animation and storyboarding?

Fanart! My hyperfixations kept me drawing and posting online since I was around 16. Later I dropped my Computer Science degree to study animation. After graduating, I worked as an In-between Animator, Key Animator, and Storyboard Artist. My fanart of a couple funny skeletons played a big role in getting hired.

What do you wish you knew when you first started out creating content that you know now?

It’s ok to make mistakes. All the flaws in a drawing make it look much more interesting. Also, it’s a lot more fun than spending ages perfecting one line.

Have you ever had an art block? If so, how did you overcome it?

I always get 3 different flavors of art block (that I remember):

Art block from perfectionism

Sometimes there’s this self-enforced pressure that what you make has to be of a certain standard. Gotta loosen up and forgive yourself for not meeting an imaginary quality. Do it for the fun of it. Instead of thinking’ needs to be better,’ think ‘eh good enough lol.’ It’s cool to strive for improvement! Just don’t do it to the point it becomes self-deprecating.

Art block from burnout

Art hibernation! It’s ok to take breaks. Not every waking moment needs to be productive. Treat yourself to something yummy, hang out with people you’re comfortable with, or pick up a new anime series. Take the time to get some well-deserved rest.

Art block while drawing as a full-time job

WELL DANG.

Switch your ‘drive.’ If you’re running off on passion or interest as a motivator for work, that’s great! I do too! But also, it’s finicky. Set up routines for when that high runs out. I have a ‘Do task’ mode where I play a song or a movie I already watched on loop in the background (sometimes for weeks on end). I don’t know why but it helps me concentrate. Last week, it was the movie Cars.

These are personal methods and may not work for everyone, but I hope it helps!

What are 3 things you can’t live without as a creator?

Music + Noise-canceling headphones + Big blanket = Comfort force field

What is a medium that you have always been intrigued by but would never use yourself?

Does blacksmithing count as a medium? I’d like to try it out at least once, though.

How do you want to evolve as a creator?

To connect with other creators more. Especially writers. They are so powerful.

Warm tones or cool tones?

Cool tones! Especially this one particular blend of blue and green.

Who on Tumblr inspires you and why?

So maaaanyy. At the top of my head, though: @northpen. I am obsessed with their vivid-imagery writing style, and immaculate characterizations. Their character banters always have me in a gigglefit. They have this fic I binged in one sitting and left me crying and empty in a good way.

Thank you for such amazing answers, Min! You can check out more of Min’s creations over at @min-play!

#creator spotlight #animators on tumblr #storyboard artist #artists on tumblr #min-play

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gladiatorofthevoid · 1 year

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April Rise Challenge 10: Reckless

Prev - Next - Masterpost

Ao3 Link: Here

!TW! Talk of Self Sacrifice/Death Of Loved Ones. No Actual Death/Sacrifice !TW!

Mikey whoops as he leaps straight up, the air rushing past him. There’s one glorious moment when he can’t go any higher, but before gravity pulls him back down, where he just hovers. Then he falls back to the ground. The turtle curls into a ball and leans forward into a rolling tumble in the air.

Wait.

Not yet.

NOW!

Mikey stretches out his arms and catches a rung of a fire escape, swinging all the way around before letting go and flinging himself to the next building.

“COWABUNGA!”

He tucked into another roll and leapt to his feet to keep running.

This was a perfect night! The moon was full, the city was alive, and Mikey was razzing his tazz! Nothing was going to spoil tonight!

Raph was completely ruining his night! When Mikey had snuck back into his room, the runners high and excitement making him feel bubbly and buzzy, he hadn’t even glanced at the dark shadows in the corner.

“Hamato Michelangelo!” Mikey yelped, jumped, and curled into his shell in surprise. Dang it!

Before he could uncurl and relax, the box turtle felt his shell be picked up and turned over so he could peer out into one very angry snapper’s eyes. Yeah.... He’s going to stay in here for a minute.

“Hey, Raph.” He called trying for his most innocent smile, even his older brother couldn’t see it.

“Where were you?” Raph asked with narrowed eyes. Oh no, not good.

“With April?” He tried.

“I called her already.” Double dang it. That was his only hope. Mikey popped his head out.

“Can you put me down first?” The snapper did so, and Mikey let his legs pop out so he could stand as tall as he could to appear confident. Not that it helped with the older brother.

“I wasn’t doing anything bad.” The box turtle started.

“Then why didn’t you take anyone with you?” Raph crossed his arms.

“Because I wanted to be by myself for a little!”

“You should have at least told someone.”

“Then you would have made someone go with me!”

“I would not!”

“YES! YOU WOULD!” Mike threw up his arms in frustration. He knew this would happen. He tried to slow his breathing and lower his voice. He did not want the twins to take part in this.

“Well, I would have been better than you going topside alone! I was worried sick! What if something happened?”

“I had my phone.”

“Really? Cause you didn’t pick up my calls.” Mikey winced at that. He had put his phone on silent for that very reason, he just didn’t want to be dealing with a call from Raph every 20 minutes. But... yeah, that wasn’t the best move.

“Ok, I’m sorry. I’ll be better next time.”

“NEXT TIME? No, Mikey, there is no ‘next time!’ You can’t just disappear like that! Do you not realize how much stress you put me under when I don’t know where you are? How can you be so reckless?”

“Quit being such a hypocrite!” Mikey shot back. Because, ok, no. That is where Mikey draws the line. Because, yeah, he snuck out, turned his phone off, and worried Raph. And he will say that he’s wrong for doing that. But Raph does not get to talk to him about being reckless. “You wanna talk about being reckless, how about that time tackled Meatsweats, even though I would have been fine and we had a plan?”

“You were going to get hit! I had to-”

“Or when you dropped off a cliff so that the rest of us could unlock our Ninpō?”

“You guys-

“Or what about with the Shredder, when you covered Donnie with your own body?”

“His shell-”

“Or when you almost killed yourself to save Leo from the Krang?!”

“HE WAS GOING TO DIE!”

“YOU WERE TOO!”

Both of the brothers froze at the words. Triple dang it, Mikey shouldn’t have said that.

The younger tried to take a deep breath and calm down. He knows that it wasn’t the same. That Raph did that to save them, not to go do parkour, and the idea of any of the others dying made him feel sick. But he couldn’t hear his brother talk about taking risks without having his mind go white with images of him running to save someone’s life at the cost of his own. But still...

Great now he felt guilty.

“Mikey...”

“I’m sorry. I should have said that. You’re right, I won’t do that again. I mean it.” Mikey looked down and wrapped his arms around himself.

It wasn’t too surprising when Raph hugged him. They both clearly need it. Mikey just hugged back.

“Thanks for apologizing.” Raph said after a moment. “I forgive you, and I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have been so mad. You should be able to be alone sometimes. We can talk about that later, and I promise that I’ll try to be less overprotective.”

“Thanks,” Mikey said, tightening the hug.

He wasn’t going to ask for Raph to be less reckless. If any of them were in danger, Raph would do anything to save them. I wasn’t fair to have him make a promise that he could never keep. But they could talk about that later, when they were less tired and more reasonable. For right now they just hugged.

Prev - Next - Masterpost

Ao3 link: Here

Please check out @zee-rambles who came up with this challenge. And take a look at @rise-april-art-challenge for other submissions from other fans

#save rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt #save rottmnt #rottmnt mikey #rottmnt raph #angst #tmnt #fanfic #rise april art challenge #unpause rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #YOU'RE THE ONE WHO GAVE ME THE PROMPT ZEE #THIS IS YOUR FAULT

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mythicalsecretsanta · 3 years

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12 Days of Christmas... Almost (E)

This gift is for: Cal (AKA @mythicalamity) Surprise! Keeping this secret from you for the last month wasn’t easy! Thank you for being the kindest, most loving friend I’ve ever had in this fandom and for being a pretty spectacular person in the real world as well. Merry Christmas, Cal! From your Secret Santa, @fanbabble

Link to AO3, or read below:

The Holiday season was in full swing at Mythical, as much as it could be at least. The virus had put quite a damper on festive activities across the world and Myth Ent was no exception. There were lights strung up and a Christmas tree, but there would be no company Christmas party this year, no cookie exchange, no getting together at each other’s homes for dinner parties or gift swaps. The mood in the office was a little low and Link found himself looking for ways to encourage positivity and the good feelings of the season. That’s why when Stevie suggested a secret santa gift exchange, Link took the idea and ran with it. Employees would play secret santa leaving their secret giftee presents for the 12 days leading up to Christmas. Not only would this game bring a bit of fun into the office, but it could also be done safely as social distancing was a literal part of the rules. You couldn’t reveal your identity to your giftee until the final day of the exchange. It was perfect!

Rhett was less than excited about the prospect. He complained to Link about not wanting to participate. He was nervous he wouldn’t know what to get the person he chose or how to keep the secret. Rhett’s enneagram three-ness was getting in the way of him enjoying himself again. He was worrying too much about impressing the person he got, rather than letting himself relax and have fun with the idea. Link finally convinced his friend to participate.

“How would it look if one of the owners of the company didn’t play along?”

“Fine. But if my gifts turn out to be duds and ruin someone’s Christmas it’s your fault!” Rhett said as he stood to join Link and walk down the hall to the Mythical kitchen for the name exchange.

Chase mixed the names of everyone in a Santa hat. The in-office folks would be in one drawing and the staff who were working virtually would draw amongst themselves. In all there were about 15 names in the hat that Chase held shut in his grasp. The group took turns reaching their hands in to pick a slip of paper with their giftees name written on it. The PAs went first, followed by the camera men, then the directors, followed by Chase, Stevie, and finally Rhett and Link.

Rhett stuck his hand into the Santa hat. His gaze was trained on the little opening.

“No peekin’!!” Link smacked his arm and scolded him.

“I’m not! Besides There’s literally only one name left in the hat, Link.”

The kitchen filled with the crew’s laughter.

“Can’t exactly pick and choose who I want, man.”

Rhett glanced at his friend and then looked at the little slip of paper. The apples of his cheeks became more obvious as a small smile spread across his face. He grasped the paper close to his chest and then tucked it into the pocket of his jeans.

Everyone in the kitchen celebrated the exchange with a cupcake whipped up by the Mythical Kitchen and then retreated back to their personal space to finish up the day’s work.

Before the office door was even fully shut Link was in Rhett’s space.

“Who’d ya get?”

“What?! I’m not telling you. It’s not fair.” Rhett sat down in his office chair and opened his laptop.

“Come on, Bo. Tell me. I got…”

“STOP” Rhett put his hands up to his ears as if to block out what Link was about to reveal. “I don’t wanna hear it. Let’s do this right. Keep it a secret.”

“Since when do you care about keeping this kinda stuff secret? You usually can’t wait to tell me everything and anything,” Link was teetering on the fine edge between annoyed and amused.

“Well this year is different. If this is one of the only ways the company gets to celebrate then I wanna do it right.”

“Fine,” Link huffed. He flopped down on the leather couch and draped his arm over his eyes. “You don’t want to tell me, that’s your business, but don’t come begging for gift ideas when you come up dry.” And with that healthy dose of snark the smaller man settled in for an afternoon nap.

The next day Link walked into their office and threw his jacket over the back of the gray chair that sat by the door. He put his backpack on the floor by his desk and was just about to head to the office kitchen for a cup of coffee when he noticed a box sitting by his desk lamp. He picked it up and examined it.

“Dang, my santa must get here early.”

It was only 7 AM and Link had just arrived to an empty building. The box was wrapped in shiny green paper and tied with an elegant red bow. He turned it over in his hands looking for some kind of tag or label. When he found nothing, Link slipped the ribbon from the package and pulled off the lid. Inside was a perfect golden pear tucked into a pillow of soft fabric. Link wasn’t sure what to do with the gift so he sniffed it to confirm it was a real piece of fruit. He lifted the pear out of the box and saw that a small note was hidden underneath. He held the pear in one hand and opened the slip of paper with the other.

“On the first day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me,

A partridge in a pear tree”

-You may be a “sweet peach” but I think we’d make a great “pear” Love, Your secret admirer

Link read over the note three times before he could totally comprehend what it said. He turned it over to look for any kind of identifying mark or signature. There was nothing to be found. He blushed hard and tucked the note into his pocket. It had been a long time since he had had anyone in his life, much less a Love, but he knew no one at Mythical felt that way about him and even if they did it would be totally unethical to pursue anything. Link was sure it was just some kind of joke by one of the writers and tucked the green box into his backpack before heading off to get his coffee.

When Rhett came in half an hour later, he was all nervous energy and talking 90 miles a minute. He said it was because he had almost gotten into a car accident on the way in. He had found his Secret Santa gift sitting on the back of the toilet in the bathroom and showed it to Link.

“It’s gotta be Jordan, man,” Rhett said as he held out the bag for Link to inspect, “Who else would give me a bag of cotton candy?”

Link peeked inside the gift bag and said, “Seems kinda obvious, but it’s possible.” He couldn’t help but let his thoughts wander back to the little green box he had received and the love note that it contained.

“Earth to Link,” Rhett took the bag back and set it on his desk. “You alright man?”

Link shook his head to clear his mind and refocus on the man before him. “Oh yeah, sorry. Must need more coffee.” He held up his empty mug and headed toward the office door.

As he reached for the doorknob, Rhett asked quietly, “Did you get your first gift yet?”

Link paused and laughed without looking back, “Yeah, pair of socks. Womp womp,” then he headed out the door.

Over the course of the next few days, Link continued to receive themed gifts from his Secret Santa that left him giddy and baffled at the same time. The first two were silly, Turtle and Dove chocolates for Day 2 and three fried chicken legs for Day 3. They were both accompanied by notes that talked about how much the gifter liked Link and they were both signed “Love, Your secret admirer.” Link still wasn’t sure what to make of the declarations, but he played along and let himself feel special for the moment. Even if he was still convinced it was all a joke. Until Day 4 that is.

On Day 4 Link walked into the office late to find a small book tied up with a ribbon. “Native birds of the National Parks” The gift was incredibly thoughtful and one that he would definitely use on future adventures. A folded piece of paper was tucked inside the chapter about Denali National Park. It read,

“On the fourth day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me,

Four calling birds”

- Bird calls are beautiful, but the idea of calling you mine is even better. Love, Your secret admirer

Link opened the book again to the page about the birds of Denali. There was only one person he had ever told about wanting to visit the park covered in glaciers and snow. Rhett. Could his secret admirer be Rhett? Link’s head swam with the possibility.

He had been in love with his best friend for most of his life, but he had kept it hidden away out of fear of losing the one person in the world who was most important to him. Surely, Rhett was not the person who was his Secret Santa. Link felt a burst of warmth spread across his chest as he let himself entertain the idea for a moment. What would it be like to finally feel those arms around his body? To finally kiss Rhett’s lips? To own his heart as well as his friendship?

As he stood there lost in his own thoughts, the man in question came barreling into the office. Link stuffed the book into his desk drawer and turned quickly to face his friend.

“Hey, Rhett, how’s it going?”

Link did his best to maintain his cool. He watched his friend as he moved about the office getting settled for the day. He assessed his behavior for any clues or signs that he might be the “Secret Santa Secret Admirer.”

“Pretty good. I added some new reps to my workout and now my abs are killing me.” Rhett rubbed his hand across his stomach. His t-shirt pulled taught and drew Link’s eye to the spot. Link felt his breath catch from the promise of what was underneath. His eyes roamed over the broad chest and thick arms. The way the shirt sleeves hugged Rhett’s biceps was criminal. Link knew he would have to control his thirst better if he hoped to get any hints about what role Rhett actually played in all of this. He cleared his throat and got a hold of himself.

“What time did you get here this morning?” Link asked as casually as he could. He fiddled with the monitor on his computer to appear slightly uninterested in Rhett’s response.

“What? Just now. You saw me walk in.”

“I thought maybe you came in and left again.”

Rhett turned and opened his laptop. He busied himself with things on his desk while it booted up.

“Nope. Just rolled in.”

“Oh cool,” Link paused before adding, “How’s your secret santa going?”

Rhett reached for a pen and knocked his coffee mug off balance spilling yesterday’s brown stuff over his desk and onto his lap.

“Shit!”

Link jumped up and grabbed the roll of paper towels he kept by his desk. He pulled off a handful and held them out to Rhett.

“Can you clean this up for me, Buddyroll? I have to go over to wardrobe and find some different pants to wear or I’ll smell like an old coffee pot all day.” Rhett grabbed the towels and dabbed at the wet spot that stretched across his thighs.

“Yeah, go ahead. I got this.” Link began to mop up the spilled coffee as Rhett headed out the door. His interrogation would have to wait for another day.

Days 5 and 6 were once again oddly funny gifts. If Rhett was the secret admirer it would make sense because he was the funniest person Link knew. A lifetime of laughter with Rhett had been the tradeoff for hiding the fact that he loved the man immensely. The idea that his love might be returned was more than Link had ever let himself hope for.

The notes included with the gifts were just as tender as the previous ones. Day 5’s onion rings were accompanied by a slip that described Link as “more valuable than a golden ring” and day 6’s half dozen eggs had a note that read “You are a good egg, who makes my heart happy.”

Link enjoyed the sentiment, but nothing struck him as particularly suspicious. Day 7 was, however, a game changer.

That morning as Link walked past the dark studio a glimmer caught his eye. He set his backpack and Jade down and walked onto the GMM set where he found a string of origami paper birds strung together on a piece of gold silk ribbon. The swans were hanging across the back of the set from wall to wall. There must have been at least 50. Each bird’s wings was dipped in silver glitter and twinkled in the low light giving the set a magical air. Link stood back and took in the beauty.

When he looked closer he saw each swan was made of sheet music. Link held one small bird in his fingers gently and examined it. He would recognize those chords anywhere. It was Merle. These paper swans were made with sheet music of Merle Haggard’s song, “Always Wanting You.”

“This has to be a gift,” Link whispered to himself.

Link held his breath, afraid if he moved he would scare away the one idea he wanted to be true most in the world. That his secret santa was not only Rhett, but that the man was in love with him as well.

A larger piece of paper flapped at the end of the string of birds. Link grabbed it and saw that his name was indeed on the front of the folded slip. He opened it and read:

“On the seventh day of Christmas

My true love gave to me

Seven swams a swimming”

- Like Merle said, “Always wanting you, but never having you makes it hard to face tomorrow.” Love, Your Secret Admirer

Link couldn’t believe what he was reading. This had to be confirmation that Rhett was his secret admirer and secret santa. Jade sniffed at his shoes as if she were looking for the answer to a question he didn’t know. Link gently took the chain of birds down, gathered his things, and headed back to his office.

When he opened the door, he was surprised to see the big man sitting at his desk already. He was speaking loudly on the phone about a new project they were working on.

“No, damn it. I don’t want to cut that part! I purposely included it to help the flow of the story.”

Rhett’s voice bounced off the brick walls. His tone was harsh. Link thought better of questioning him right now and tucked the birds into his backpack. He sat back on the couch and opened his laptop for the day. Jade snuggled into Link’s side and he petted her head mindlessly. His thoughts were only of Rhett. As he waited for his computer to boot up, Link watched Rhett.

“It has to be him. Who else would use Merle?” Link thought to himself, “Oh you’re being an idiot. Everyone knows you love Merle Haggard, dummy. It could be anybody.”

Link sunk down into the leather cushions and sulked. Not knowing for certain was exhausting. Only 5 more days to figure out this mystery. He glanced down at the paper swans one more time and smiled softly.

Day 8 brought a bottle of chocolate milk and a note that read, “You’re the milk to my cookie”

Link drank it in front of Rhett at lunch to see if he would get a reaction. Nothing. Well, with the exception of the way those green eyes sparkled when he belly laughed at a joke or the way Rhett put his hand on Link’s back as they left the office to head to record an episode of Ear Biscuits. Link noticed those things, but he couldn’t be sure if they were a reaction to the milk or to being close to Link in general.

Link had caught Rhett in a lingering gaze more than once since the Seven Swans gift. And when they were alone together it felt like a spark was fizzing between the two of them. Something was going on, Link was sure of it. He just needed a little more proof before he could confront Rhett. His friendship was entirely too valuable to risk on an assumption.

On day 9, Link climbed into the driver’s seat of his car. He reached down to grab his sunglasses and was surprised to find something extra resting on the console. It was an old school cassette tape. Just like the kind he and Rhett used to exchange in high school. They would spend hours making the tapes and then driving down the back roads listening to their creations and singing at the top of their lungs. If he was honest, those times were when he first fell in love with Rhett.

Link flipped the cassette over in his palm. On the outside of the case where the album art would usually be, was his name. Link immediately recognized it as Rhett’s handwriting. He opened the case and found a piece of paper folded in fourths tucked inside. It read:

“On the ninth day of Christmas

My true love gave to me

Nine ladies dancing.”

- I kept trying to find a funny pun for this day, but all I could focus on was singing these songs with you as we drove down the highway in North Carolina. I’ve tried to hold out to the end of the 12 days, but this secret is an old one and I don’t want to keep quiet anymore. If you feel the same, find me in the office at work and tell me. If not just toss this cassette in the trash and pretend it never happened. Love, Your Secret Admirer

Link was quiet for a moment and then, “Rhett! It’s Rhett! He loves me!” Link yelled at nobody in particular. Just saying the words out loud made him feel less like it was all a dream and more like it was real life. He threw his things into the passenger’s seat. In his flustered state he tried to check the time on his sunglasses and put his phone on his nose. He shifted into reverse and sped down the block.

Link’s heart was pounding in his chest. He was breaking every speed limit on the way into Burbank, but he did not care. Let a cop try and stop him now, nothing could keep him from getting to Rhett. Link pulled into the parking lot in record time and he bolted out of his car and through the studio doors. He was running at full speed back to the office he shared with Rhett. His Rhett. Link took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

The office was empty. Where was he? Link knew he didn’t pass him on the way through the building. He stood still for a moment and wrung his hands trying to think of what to do next. Just when he was starting to worry that Rhett had panicked and ran, he heard footsteps coming down the stairs of their loft.

Link watched as Rhett appeared slowly, first feet, then legs, torso, and finally that glorious head of hair.

“Link…”

Rhett barely got the word out before the smaller man was launching himself across the office and into his arms. He melted into the embrace and pulled Link tighter against him. They took just a moment to look into each other’s eyes before their lips met. The kiss was strong and full of promise. Link opened his mouth to deepen the kiss and the passion kicked in. Rhett lifted Link up with his hands under the smaller man’s thighs and carried him to the couch.

They pressed heated kisses into skin and hair. Marking their love on the other’s body wherever they could find purchase. Hands roamed pulling hair and grabbing biceps. And when Rhett laid Link down on their couch and pressed his body to the cradle of Link’s hips there was no denying that both men were hard with desire already.

Link gasped with the sensation of being so close to Rhett. The feeling of his hard cock pressed against Rhett’s made his head swim and he pulled back to catch a breath. Rhett took the opportunity to say something he’d been holding in for decades.

“I love you. I love you. I love you.”

Each declaration was punctuated with a kiss. Link’s collar bones, his neck, his temple.

Link pulled Rhett close and whispered into his ear, “I’ve loved you my whole life.”

It was all the permission Rhett needed. He worshiped Link’s body and rocked against him until they were both finishing in their jeans like teenagers. Sticky and satisfied the pair laid together on the couch exchanging lazy kisses and gentle touches. Trying to make up for all the lost time they denied themselves.

Link was half asleep and half in awe of the way Rhett looked. He laid silently and listened to Rhett as he said, “I can’t believe it worked. I thought for sure you’d throw the cassette away.”

Link ran his fingers through Rhett’s curls gently.

“You doubted me? Haven’t you figured it out yet, Bo? All you have to do is be the brave one and I’ll follow your lead.” He placed a kiss on Rhett’s tshirt right about his heart. “Thanks for being the brave one.” Rhett kissed the top of Link’s head and grunted in affirmation.

Link snuggled into Rhett’s chest and closed his eyes. Just as he was about to doze off the smaller man popped up and looked Rhett in the eye.

“Don’t think just because you love me, you’re getting out of giving me gifts. I have three days left and I want my secret presents.” Link flashed his crooked grin and poked at Rhett’s side.

Rhett let out a booming ho-ho-ho laugh before pulling Link back down against his chest.

“You can have anything you want, Link. Diamonds, rubies. I don’t need any presents though because I’ve already got the most valuable gift of the season… you.”

#mythical secret santa 2020 #type: fic #rating: E #gift swap #rhink #submission

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sepublic · 4 years

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Chat Chalet and Color Clock!

So, uh.

Remember when I said about Tuba… and the uh… the um, ah.

…

So about the Chat Chalet Car!

NOT comfortable with The Cat having that calendar, and her bear roommate tying up his bathrobe, that… WHOOF. I mean I get Simon was uncomfortable and I appreciate the depiction of what was clearly a panic attack, but uh. I was also uncomfortable… but for a DIFFERENT reason.

Also, I’m pretty sure by this point that One-One, The Cat, and Randall are the only constants in this show! The cars may change as do the seasons, passengers and protagonists come and pass… But those three remain the same, huh? What’s really interesting is that The Cat actually seems to show remorse for screwing over Simon (who may have gotten his number-detector from her)…

We don’t know the circumstances, but The Cat alludes to an ‘army’ that likely ties back into the toy army Simon made; Perhaps a puzzle that went wrong involving him commanding soldiers, only to lose them and almost get killed by the opposing side? We know that Simon got left by her to die by a Ghom, and we still have a shot of her for Book 3 that wasn’t seen yet; So more backstory will come about! Perhaps The Cat left him in the wasteland… Anyhow, it seems that after Amelia destroyed her car in Book 1, she’s gotten a new one, and more Randalls no less from the Beach Car! Always glad to see that guy!

But also; Simon was TEN when he was on the train! We don’t know long he’s been here NOW, but if I had to guess; Probably almost as long as ten years! He’s almost spent as much time on the Infinity Train as he did back in the human world… And when you take into account him being even younger than Tulip or Jesse, YIKES; No wonder he’s so screwed up! His sense of reality must be completely skewed as the Infinity Train is the only home he knows! This does bring up the question of how old Grace was… I think she mentioned saving him? Either way, I think she was also pretty young…

I guess I can see better why Amelia saved Grace; She was just a child, and presumably Amelia’s number wasn’t so high at the time, so she was still a more empathetic person! Plus, Grace wasn’t actively interfering with her plans like Tulip was, so Amelia probably wouldn’t resort to either child murder or neglect, and felt compelled to act! Either way, it makes Grace and Simon’s situation a LOT more disturbing in this context…

Grace also alludes to potentially having NOT known a denizen personally, which implies that her low opinion comes solely from the experiences of others like Simon, as well as Amelia’s own misinformation! With that in mind, I can see it being easier for her to empathize with Tuba, given how she doesn’t have any actual bad memories herself; And we see her number lower, too! And when Tuba… uhh… umm…

…

…Okay, so Tuba died!

We are only HALF-WAY through Book 3, and we’ve already lost Tuba! I know the writers mentioned having to juggle four characters, but that was basically for like… three episodes?

And, Tuba was murdered! By Simon… You know for a second there, I thought Simon might have a change of heart briefly, and TRY to save Tuba only for things to go wrong. And then I jokingly thought, “Oh dang what if this was like Mufasa’s death scene lol?”

It was.

…WELL. At least they didn’t show Tuba’s death in full, graphic detail like they did Mace! And considering how they got away with Mace’s death because he technically wasn’t human despite looking like one (whereas Tuba is a straight-up gorilla), I’m surprised! But also grateful, because Mace freaking deserved it, and Tuba…

…Screw you Simon. How do you go from feeling more friendly to KILLING someone?! I get The Cat screwed you over, and I know this may not be appropriate given how young you were when it all happened… BUT GROW UP.

…You know, Owen Dennis released a few drawings of our main cast, and while Grace and Hazel seemed to be getting along, Simon had a look of concern like something was troubling him. Given what he just did… I’m worried that maybe he won’t have a redemption of any sorts, that he might go off the deep end and descend into pure villainy or whatever? That him and Grace will become enemies, and Simon… WON’T leave Book 3, any better than he started off as.

That- Or he DOES learn to become better, but he stays behind on the Infinity Train because he still has a LOT of work to do, and the Apex (which will apparently undergo a change) still needs guidance. Coupled with him having spent far too much of his life on the Infinity Train, and maybe he’ll spend the rest of his life helping others; After all, the show is not narratively against the idea of rejecting one’s exit after achieving it, if it means helping other people (hence the Book 1 Finale)! It WOULD be a clever turnaround for his position at the beginning of Book 3…

And of course, Grace- Given the apparent confirmation about SOMETHING regarding Hazel… I can also see her staying on the Infinity Train, to take care of Hazel (given how she still really cares about her), and also because she doesn’t really have anything left at home? Nothing positive, at least; Given how many years it’s been, her family may have moved on. IS there anything to go back to? It’d be a morbid prospect to consider…

Also, Hazel! Hazel, in sheer grief, begins to transform into a Turtle; So either that’s her true form, or she’s a shape-shifter and her being ‘human’ is just another form she can take! Hazel doesn’t have any memories, is this a quirk of her programming by One-One? Is her human form based off of ANOTHER passenger that existed beforehand? It’s worth noting that she can transform drastically like Alan Dracula, who was specifically-crafted by One-One. Given my speculation that Alan Dracula was made to help Jesse and Lake, I wonder if this confirms that One-One personally made Hazel to force Simon and Grace to reevaluate their stance on things?

…Either way, I am NOT looking forward to being Simon if Hazel decides to direct her grief at him, especially since he straight-up owned to killing Tuba, instead of trying to make it look like a plausible accident!

…Though let’s be real, I wouldn’t look forward to being Simon, period.

…Also Roy! Yeah not gonna lie, if I had to deal with THAT and a bunch of other puzzles for who knows how many years, I’d probably ALSO lose it and want to kill every denizen I meet!

BUT I WOULDN’T ACTUALLY GO THROUGH WITH IT AND CERTAINLY NOT KILL ANY DENIZENS WHO WERE FRIENDS-

Like, what’s so AWFUL about that moment was how unnecessary, how pointless and needlessly cruel it was! Simon didn’t need to do anything; It seems like Tuba would’ve fallen on her own anyway and died. And even if she didn’t… Who knows HOW far away the Color Clock Car would’ve taken her away?!

At worst, Simon could’ve pretended to try to use his Harpoon Pack, and then feigned some lie about it ‘not working’, malfunctioning at a key moment! Hazel wouldn’t know, she wouldn’t suspect, she’s a child! He could’ve just LET it happen… But no, he has to go the extra mile and specifically get Tuba’s hopes up, just to step on them for no other reason than what? To spite her? To ‘claim’ his kill over her, as if it would’ve made a difference since she was already going to fall to her death anyway? And all because Grace reasonably doubted the need to fight Tuba single-handedly when the Apex was just a few cars away!?

I dunno… And it’s just interesting, because when Simon was around The Cat, whose mere presence gave him a panic attack and PTSD… He didn’t do anything! She literally left him to die, she was THE example for denizens that led towards his hatred of them; And she’s powerless, there’s nothing she can do to defend herself against Simon! I mean there IS Frank, and maybe he didn’t want to start anything in front of Tuba… I have to wonder if he still cares in his own incredibly twisted way because of their past together- Or if his PTSD-induced fear of The Cat overwhelms any spite towards Tuba?

Regardless, that was messed up. It was the most needlessly cruel, pointlessly spiteful thing we’ve seen in the show by far; Even characters like Mace and Sieve, not even AMELIA ever went so far as to bring up an ally’s hopes up like that, just to kill them off anyway!

#infinity train #infinity train book 3 #infinity train season 3 #infinity train cult of the conductor #infinity train spoilers #infinity train season 3 spoilers #spoilers #infinity train simon #simon laurent #infinity train tuba #infinity train grace #grace monroe #infinity train hazel #infinity train the cat

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sabraeal · 4 years

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Merry & Bright, Chapter 8

Finding Gayle’s glasses turns into a production.

“Well, where did you leave them, Mom?” Kelly Ann sighs, long-suffering. By the way both her and Todd look like their souls want to ascend from their bodies, Shirayuki gets the distinct impression this is not a rare occurrence.

Gayle huffs from somewhere out in the hall, accompanied by the sounds of methodical squirreling. “Well, if I knew that, I’d be wearing them by now.”

Obi makes a strangled sound next to her, his arm vibrating against her shoulder. She steals a glance, watching the way his mouth twitches, eyes crinkled at the corner.

Something in her chest loosens, and for the first time in a day, she takes a full breath. When Obi had mentioned this trip, trying to be casual over her morning kelp, she’d known that it would be hard for him, that it would mean going to the site of his biggest regret but --

But she hadn’t expected this, a mix of both hope and hostility, acceptance and rejection. She’d half wondered if they’d get back to their-- his room tonight, and he’d say, I think we ought to go home, but now--

Now he’s relaxed, half-sprawled over the ladder-backed chairs Gayle had told her were vintage, given to her and Bob as a wedding gift, caging in a laugh by the skin of his teeth, and he looks-- good. Better than good. His teeth sink in to the flesh of his lower lips, and she could--

Really not think about that sort of thing at the dinner table, especially not with a four year old digging heartily into her penne and meatballs across from her.

“Have you checked the kitchen?” Todd asks, head tilting back until it hits the top rung of his chair.

There is a dangerous silence from out in the hall. “Now why on earth would they be out there?”

“I dunno.” He shrugs, heedless of the warning look Bob is giving him. “To read a recipe?”

They may be in Virginia, but the chill that enters the dining room when Gayle glares around the corner could be from any Boston winter.

“Todd Michael,” she starts, every bitten syllable of his name so sharp it could cut. “I have been cooking dinner in this house for forty years, and if you think I need a recipe to make--?”

“Have you checked your head, dear?” Bob offers with a beatific expression she’s only seen on Bernini statues.

“Oh God,” Kelly Ann sighs, but it’s far too late, Gayle’s already stepped back into the dining room, hands on her hips, face as blank and smooth as glass, and for a moment, Shirayuki is just overwhelmed with nostalgia. Instead of auburn she sees burnished gray, all piled up in a tight knot in the back of her head, chin tilted stubbornly, and she just-- just--

(”If you’ve looked everywhere else, Oma,” Opa says with a cheeky cant to his smile. “You might as well look at the top of your head too.”

Shirayuki claps a hand over her mouth, shoulders shaking, and Oma draws herself up to full height-- a full two inches shorter than anyone in the house-- and declares, “Jakob, the moment I forget my glasses on my own head is the moment you forget to put yours on your body in the morning.”)

--misses home, at the same time she feels like she’s arrived.

“Robert,” she starts, “I may be two years older than you, but I am far from se--”

“Did you find them, Mom?” Kelly Ann interjects, casual, reaching out to stroke Laila’s hair.

Gayle blinks. “No! I just can’t figure where I left them. I know we’ve been tidying up around the place, but I don’t think they’ve been moved--”

“Have you tried the phone?”

Shirayuki’s barely realized she’s spoken until every eye falls on her, Obi’s brows raised straight up to his hairline. She squirms in her seat, knees knocking into his, and she can feel the heat burning on her cheeks, the way a full blush blooms at her collar.

“Now there’s a thought,” Gayle murmurs, hurrying across the room. There’s only a half wall between the dining room and the kitchen, a phone hooked right in between with an address book and scraps of paper littered beneath, the wall on the kitchen side covered in sticky notes. She only has to reach over, one hand searching, before her eyes open wide.

With a small tug, she holds up her prize: a small cloth envelope, glasses half hanging out.

Bob turns around with a grin so wide, it nearly splits his face in half. “Now that was almost occult.”

Obi slings an arm around the back of her chair, expression all-too similar. “That’s Doc for you.”

“Oh, no! It’s just...” She bites her lip, hesitant. “That’s where my Oma always left hers. Opa used to say that she lived by it, judging by the mess.”

It’s strange how it aches when she says it, both too much and not enough, like a scar that’s faded faster than it should. It’s been years since they died, since she had been left in the middle of her hometown with a debt that made her sick to think about and only one way to make it even, but--

Not enough. Not to talk about them casually. Maybe not ever.

Obi’s arm bands tight around her shoulder, giving her a quick squeeze, and she can’t help but look up, look at how everyone in the room has paused, not awkwardly, but with an air of understanding. There’s no one at this table who doesn’t have their own ghosts that sit with them, and they’re happy to make space for hers as well.

“Well,” Gayle says after a long moment, sliding back into her seat, “clearly she’s a woman of good taste.”

Shirayuki almost corrects her, almost says, she’s not with us anymore, but--

But she doesn’t.

“Now then.” Wide wire-frames perch precariously on Gayle’s nose, but she squints over them to look at the screen on Shirayuki’s phone. “How do I do this?”

“Mom,” Kelly Ann groans, mortified. “You’ve seen a cellphone before.”

Gayle favors her with a stern look. “They’re all different! And the pictures are so small now.”

“Oh, it’s fine!” Shirayuki leans over, breathing in the sweet scent of lilac. She taps the photo icon, skimming through the first few on the roll. “I can just show you a few. Other people’s phones are so confusing. And I take so many pictures, so the gallery’s all cluttered.”

“That’s so nice.” Gayle gives an approving nod. “You’ve always got to take the time to appreciate the little things in life, that’s what I always say.”

“Usually when she’s already running late,” Bob supplies, dangerously.

“It’s not anything, really,” Shirayuki insists, hands fluttering as Gayle shoos her away, swiping across the screen herself. “It’s just some flowers, and a couple of landscapes, and a few pictures of our friends--”

“And they’re memories of moments you’ll always have.” Gayle’s smile is warm, proud. “There’s no need to apologizing for loving the world and your life in it.”

There’s no reason for her eyes to sting, for her throat to prickle, but here Shirayuki is, staring at her hands, trying not to have-- have emotions all over the nice tablecloth.

“Gayle says that,” Bob leans over, peeking over her shoulder, “but she has pictures where she doesn’t remember a dang thing about where they came from.”

She lets out a huff. “Well, when you live a long time, there’s a lot more to forget!”

Obi’s arm quivers around her, and with a cursory glance across the table, Shirayuki can see Kelly Ann isn’t doing much better. It’s too risky to peek at Todd, but by the way no one will look at each other, they’re all just shook soda bottles, ready to burst.

Just in time for Laila to chime in, helpfully, “And Mimi’s really old.”

The table, collectively, loses it.

Shirayuki can only watch with vague horror as Obi bends over double, laughing so hard she’s afraid he might choke, tears streaming down his cheeks. Todd and Kelly Ann aren’t doing any better; he’s only upright by virtue of clutching the table edge, and she’s draped over a chair, face twisted as far away from her daughter as she can manage, trying to stifle the hiccups that shudder out of her.

“What?” Laila pouts, put out. “It’s true!”

Bob suffers from a sudden cough, one he turns his whole head away for, hand slapped right over his mouth.

Gayle lowers the screen, staring at them over the half-moon rims of her glasses, entirely unimpressed. Shirayuki squirms in her seat, biting her lip, letting out a warning whine, one Obi doesn’t manage to hear--

But Gayle’s lips twitch, right at the corner, half a smile before she manages to smooth it out. “Ah, now there we go,” she says, ignoring the chaos around her. “Is this handsome fella the one I’m looking for?”

Shirayuki leans in, catching the untameable mop of dark hair, and she smiles. “Yes, that was just before we left! The lab had a White Elephant, he got stuck with, well...”

Gayle may need glasses, but not to recognize this logo. “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?”

“It’s a tradition,” she explains, grinning down at Ryuu’s blank expression, his skin stark white next to the brilliant, baggy green of his shirt. “The lab’s been passing it around at every holiday party for years. This year it was his turn.”

“I got a gift certificate to Christian Mingle,” Obi informs the table. Shirayuki has the pleasure of seeing the exact moment his brain catches up with him, mouth thinning into a grimace. “Uh...”

“Well,” Bob says, settling back with a smile, “I hope you regift that to someone who need it.”

“Great idea.” Obi’s smile sharpens to a point. “Hey, Toddy--”

“Don’t you even think about it, smarta--”

“Todd,” Kelly Ann says, in a tone so harsh and low there’s nothing in it but business, “I will end you.”

“--lec,” he finishes lamely. “I don’t need any help from you.”

“I know it’s hard to tell in the picture,” Shirayuki continues, louder, hoping that any distraction might keep a fight from breaking out over the penne, “but he’s actually--”

“Happy.” Gayle fixes her with a fond smile. “I know the type.” Shirayuki doesn’t miss how her gaze flicks to Obi, watching him. “He’s a serious boy, but they always give it away around the eyes.”

He leans in, oblivious, resting his head on hers. “That’s a good one, but check out this video.”

Obi pulls out his phone, video ready, the sound of Kirito and his friends tinny in the background as Ryuu rolls a skateboard up a ramp and, knock-kneed, guides it back down again.

“Oh, how precious,” Gayle coos, taking it from him, watching as Ryuu approaches the rail, wobbling. “Such a lovely boy, I can tell. Did you see, dear?”

Bob’s got an arm hooked over the ladder-back of her chair, eyes fixed to Ryuu’s first attempt at an ollie. “Look at that boy! Skunned his knees and not even shook.”

He’d actually sworn off the park for a week after that, hiding under his bench when Kirito came looking, but-- Shirayuki takes the praise. He’d gone back, after all, though he hadn’t tried one of those tricks again, yet.

“I wanna see!” Laila announces, kneeling on her seat. “Lemme see!”

“Laila-baby,” Kelly Ann warns, but Gayle waves her off.

“Go ahead, baby girl,” she says, turning the phone to her, “look all you like.”

Laila nearly launches herself over the table, attention rapt upon the screen-- which only lasts as long as it takes for her to get an eyeful of the boy on the screen.

“That’s not a baby,” she complains, “that’s an adult!”

Obi’s eyes round. “Wha--?”

“Where is your baby?” Laila demands, dropping back onto her heels with a huff.

Kelly Ann rubs her back with a long-suffering sigh. “Not everyone has a baby, honey.”

“Why not?” She eyes them both warily. “You’re adults, aren’t you?”

“Um,” Shirayuki manages, desperately looking anywhere but Obi.

“Not everyone is ready for a baby,” Kelly Ann informs her reasonably, accompanied by a pointed glance at her empty ring finger. “It’s a big responsibility.”

Laila heaves a long-suffering sigh. “Right, you gotta be married first.”

“No, no.” Kelly Ann’s mouth twitches at the corners. “You gotta be married first. Everyone else can do what they want.”

Todd snorts into his pasta. “That’s real rich coming from--”

“Todd.” Gayle’s tone leaves no room for misinterpretation.

Obi feigns a gasp. “Toddy, in front of the children?”

“She’s going to learn to count backward at some point,” he grouses, hunching in his chair, “and when whose fault will it be--?”

“Still yours,” Kelly Ann informs him, teeth flashing behind her lips. “And don’t forget, I know where you park that truck at night.”

Todd’s neck swivels, craning to look at Gayle. “Oh, so threats are okay, Mom, but I say one thing--”

“What was that, babe?” Obi asks, theatrically loud. “You’re tired?”

Shirayuki blinks. “But I haven’t finished--?”

“Oh, yep,” he continues with a warning look, standing up from his seat, “better get you up to bed then! Great dinner everyone!”

“But, Obi, we--”

“Goodnight, kids,” Bob says pointedly, raising his voice over the squabbling. “See you in the morning.”

“C’mon, quick,” Obi murmurs, pulling her after him. “Before Gayle notices.”

It is, of course, antithetical to Doc’s belief system to escape anything; there’s no room for flight in the doctrine of someone who thinks flinging themselves out two story windows is a proper punctuation to the end of an unpleasant conversation.

“We didn’t even finish dinner!” she protests with a hushed hiss, dogging his heels. “I didn’t even get to thank Gayle for the meal!”

Obi spins on the first step, pressing a finger his lips. “You’ll thank me later, now shh.”

“But--”

He squeezes her hand. “Quiet, you don’t want the dog to find us.”

Doc’s right on his heels as they mount the stairs, treading on tip-toe, trying not to disturb creaky joints or squeaky dogs. She bumps into him once, when he stills on the landing, stifling a giggle, and it’s just--

This is what kids do in high school, holding hands and giggling as they sneak up to their room, shushing each other so the dog doesn’t wake up the house. He’s done this a dozen times, snuck in after midnight through back doors and bedroom windows, told to stay quiet so no one will know, but-- but it’s never been him inviting a girl up, taking her back to his bed--

“Is the coast clear?” Doc whispers into his side, with an exaggerate look down the hall.

Obi shakes himself. That’s not what’s happening now either, except in the most literal sense. “Yeah, let’s make a break for it.”

He bolts down the hall, Doc tumbling behind him, falling against the door as he closes it. She’s flushed, ruddy-cheeked and chest heaving, eyes still adjusting to the light, and--

And it would be nothing to shift in closer, to bend the arm above her head and loom, her breath lingering on his lips--

“I can’t believe you told them about Christian Mingle,” she laughs, covering her face.

Right. This is...not real. They may make a good couple downstairs, but Doc’s got a boyfriend just a phone call away whose bank account is a logarithmic improvement over his at least twice over. Probably more. God, this is why he did biology, to get away from all the math.

“Well, I couldn’t just leave it out,” he says with a grin, sauntering away. “And besides, it was family friendly, unlike your dice--”

“I can’t believe Izuru put those in there,” she yelps, pale skin heating to pink as she pulls out her phone. “Those were definitely not, um, work appropriate.”

He didn’t think she’d appreciate his first thought, hardly anything in that lab is work appropriate. “She was probably hoping Shidan was going to get them.”

Doc grimaces, hitting the call button. “I can’t even unknow that.”

He grins, tucking his hands behind his head. “You’re welcome.”

“Hello?”

For a minute, Obi stiffens, wondering when Ryuu’s voice got so deep, if two days had already been enough for them to miss something so important as his voice dropping, if when they got back he’d already be taller than Obi himself--

“Ryuu sp--” his voice gives a terrible, staticky crack-- “eaking.”

Doc claps a hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle, and manages, “Hi, it’s us!”

There’s a surprised sort of silence on the other side of the line, and Obi’s half tempted to ask who he thought would be calling him from Doc’s number. “Oh! H-how are you?”

“In one piece, no matter what Doc tells you,” Obi informs him, earning himself a puff-cheeked glare.

“We’re just fine, Ryuu,” she says, wry, “we just finished dinner.”

“Oh, right.” He hesitates. “Is there snow there?”

“Absolutely not,” Obi says with a laugh, fingers hooking on the back of his shirt. “We’re not that far n--”

A loud thunk startles him mid-yank, and over Ryuu’s confused grunt, Doc giggle, “Oh, um, sorry, I...dropped the phone.”

“Tsk tsk,” he clucks softly, dropping his shirt on top of their bags. “Gonna cost our boss’s boss a fortune if you keep that up.”

“Oh, hush.”

“But it snows sometimes,” Ryuu insists, “I looked it up.”

“Sure.” Obi reaches for the button of his jeans. “But it doesn’t really stick, and it doesn’t stay cold--”

“How are you?” Doc jumps in, eyes fixed to the screen. “Are you and Kirito doing anything fun?”

She covers the phone’s mic and stare up at him with wide eyes. “What are you doing?”

He stares, confused. “Getting ready for bed. We’re definitely not going back down into that.”

Ryuu sighs, loud on the speaker. “He’s making me do Christmas stuff.”

“Christmas stuff?” Doc asks, mouth curving into a smile. “What sort of Christmas stuff?”

“Tree decorating. Cookie making. Singing, I guess.” He sniffs. “Kirito’s mom wants to put up mistletoe.”

“Impressed her that much?” Obi hums. Doc crosses to where he’s tucked himself into bed, picking up a pillow, and whacking him across the face.

“What?”

Obi swallows his laugh, taking the phone when she offers it. “Never mind. What’s with the--” he loses all all ability to talk as Doc turns her back to him, standing right by her duffel bag, and yanks off her shirt.

“Obi?”

“Ah.” He drops his gaze right down to where Ryuu’s still picture stares back at him. “What’s with the mistletoe, then?”

Ryuu goes silent.

He dares a glance at Doc, who is at least wearing a tank top now, even if her pants are-- distractingly-- missing. She meets it with her own raised brows, bending over to pull a pair of shorts from her bag, and --

Yep, okay. Looking time is over. “Buddy?”

“Kirito is going to have a party,” he mumbles, awkward.

Doc’s face lights up as she trots over to the bathroom, toiletries in hand. “A party?”

“Oooh.” He shouldn’t tease, he knows, but he can’t help himself-- “Will there be girls there?”

“Obi!” Doc protests around a mouth of toothpaste. She pulls the brush out of her mouth, and with exaggerated movements that leave drool dropping at the corners, she mouths, gender neutral pronouns.

Which he is a hint he would take, if Ryuu was not a very particular kind of silent.

“Ryuu.” He tries to make his voice stern, serious, but the way his mouth twitches makes it near impossible. “Do you want to kiss any of them?”

The silence persists, which give Doc plenty of time to spit out her toothpaste and give him the stink eye.

“If you decided to kiss any person,” she interjects, each word too loud and too pointed, “they would be very lucky!”

“I have to go now,” Ryuu says, “forever.”

Obi snorts. “We’ll call you in a few days.”

“Mm.”

Doc slides into next to him, warm against his side. “Have fun!”

“Yeah.” Obi leans into her, nudging her temple with his cheekbone. The scent of red apple hits him strong as his nose brushes above her hair. “I want to hear all about the girl you--”

“OKAY,” Ryuu shrills. “GOODBYE.”

The phone beeps, and Obi pulls back, smile wide. “I think that went well, don’t you?”

Doc rolls her eyes, shoving his shoulder. “Go brush your teeth.”

#obiyuki #akagami no shirayukihime #snow white with the red hair #The Wide Florida Bay #Merry & Bright #my fic #modern au #ans #MERRY CHRISTMAS #this was supposed to come out for obiyukiweek #but it has been a LONG YEAR one might say #and thus became the chapter that came out on christmas #in the next year you'll be getting a chapter that is NOT on christmas #(....hopefully....)#filled with most obiyuki cuteness #and familial angst #you know how it is

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bunjywunjy · 6 years

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THE LAST DRAGON

if you want to learn about dragons, you’re usually restricted to the Fantasy section of your local library. because dragons are made up, and don’t exist except in the minds of small children and George R. R. Martin.

apart from the ones that live in Indonesia, of course. they may not breathe fire or threaten hobbits, but these dragons are very real and perfectly willing to rip your face off and ask for seconds.

watch out, because it’s the

I AM FIRE, I AM DEATH

Komodo Dragons are actually a kind of lizard, but one on the scale of life on earth back when the dinosaurs were in charge. they’re fucking huge. these behemoths can reach lengths of ten feet and weights of over 300 pounds. big enough to ride, if there were a human out there brave enough to try it. (DON’T DO THIS, YOU WILL DIE. THIS IS EVEN WORSE THAN THE OSTRICH THING, I’M NOT KIDDING.)

naturally these enormous reptiles scared the everloving shit out of the first Dutch explorers to reach the area, forever earning themselves the name “Dragon”. for once, those old European maps with little doodles of monsters everywhere were pretty accurate!

don’t go looking for Krakens, though. those are still mostly fake.

Komodo Dragons are the largest lizard on earth, and the largest of the monitor family Varanidae. but this wasn’t always the case! they’re actually the last and least of an ancient line of giant reptiles that once inhabited the south pacific. the largest of these was Australia’s Megalania, an 18-foot titan that died out at the end of the last Ice Age with the rest of its kind. but not the Komodo Dragon! they’re doing just fine, thanks.

like Megalania, the Komodo Dragon seems to have evolved in Australia. (OF COURSE. THIS EXPLAINS EVERYTHING.) and when the seas rose at the end of the Ice Age, it stranded a population of dragons on five remote islands in Indonesia, where they survived whatever the fuck killed off their continental relatives. (probably us, to be honest.) you thought it was just a tagline but it’s not: these guys are truly the Last Dragons.

go ahead and shed a tear, but don’t expect them to appreciate it.

their isolation and last-dragonism is very sad, yes. but don’t feel too bad about it, because Komodo Dragons are one of nature’s most dangerous predators. there’s a reason locals call them Ora, the Land Crocodile. (actually there’s multiple reasons, and they’re all terrible. stand by!)

their lazy lizard stylings and charming smirk conceal a mouthful of inch-long serrated teeth, razor-sharp claws and a nightmare bullwhip of a tail. Komodo Dragons use all of these weapons, and more! (this is the Super Cool part of the article kids, make sure to read it EXTRA CAREFULLY so you can impress your friends later during recess.)

and yes, they swim! hurray! there is no escape.

the Komodo Dragon is an apex predator, which is unusual for a lizard. they’re filling an ecological niche that would normally be taken by a large mammal predator like, I dunno, a tiger or a lion or a bear. (OH MY!) this means they have some pretty big shoes to fill (metaphorical, bears don’t wear shoes.) but they do it in spades!

Komodo Dragons will eat anything, and that’s barely an exaggeration. They eat plenty of carrion, and lots of small creatures like squirrels and really unlucky snakes. they also eat medium animals like goats, WHICH THEY SWALLOW WHOLE. (if the prey is too big to fit down their throats, the Komodo Dragon often rams its open mouth into a tree until it fits. sometimes they actually knock down the fucking tree. I wish I was making this up.) Komodo Dragons also eat animals you normally wouldn’t be able to take down without a rocket launcher, like water buffalo and uh, other Komodo Dragons. they’re cannibals, because the food chain just moves backwards sometimes.

and yes, they absolutely eat humans. good thing they’re trapped on five remote islands in Indonesia!

WAIT, THEY SWIM. FUCK, HOW COULD I FORGET.

so how does an overgrown gecko hunt animals that normally require an entire pack of lions to take down? well, there’s some Science Controversy(tm) about that. Komodo Dragons have a pair of MYSTERIOUS GLANDS (which would be a good name for a garage band) in their lower jaw, which scientists used to think were full of venom. they thought that the Komodo Dragon was basically using this venom to cheat its way into a niche that should rightfully belong to a more advanced mammal, but THESE SCIENTISTS WERE WRONG AND DUMB.

it turns out these MYSTERIOUS GLANDS (I want this on a t-shirt) actually don’t do a whole lot as far as hunting goes! they secrete what MAY be a mild anticoagulant, but it’s not really strong enough to have much effect. yup, turns out that the Komodo Dragon just mauls the shit out of things until they die, like any decent ‘advanced mammal’ predator. they EARNED that apex niche as honestly as any predator can. (not that predators really have a concept of “honest”, or that it matters, since they’re the ones with the inch-long teeth.)

LIZARDS RULE AND MAMMALS DROOL!

but maybe it’s not such a surprise that these real-life dragons are still on top of the food chain, because they’re some of the smartest reptiles on earth. and okay, maybe “the smartest reptile in the world” doesn��t sound like an impressive title. but Komodo Dragons and their cousins have elaborate social structures, can count to six, recognize individual humans, and play nice games of tug-the-carcass with their friends. (both humans and other dragons can be friends! friends are not for eating.) that’s a better track record than most human toddlers!

and they’re totally trainable, but don’t get your hopes up about owning one or several. (DANG.) Komodo Dragons are a protected species, so having a loyal army of them trained to lay waste to your enemies and fetch the morning paper is still very much a pipe dream. (this is a joke, they make terrible pets.)

FOR NOW.

and speaking of being a protected species, how is the Komodo Dragon doing these days? well, shortly after scaring the absolute pants off the first Dutch explorers to meet one, Europeans became obsessed with them and they were granted immediate protections by the Dutch colonial government. (please note that the Komodo Dragon was also doing just fine before the Dutch came along, thanks.) in fact, the first expedition sent to capture Komodo Dragons for scientific study was the basis for the movie King Kong! (a niche film you may possibly have heard of.)

these protections kept the Komodo Dragon from becoming just another hunting trophy for rich Europeans. (unfortunately this cannot be said of lions, tigers and bears, all of whom decorated the drawing rooms of rich Victorians.) they’re still doing pretty well today, though they are threatened by rising seawater and their limited range.

we hope these gigantic lizard genius cannibals stick around for a long time to come! and remember, if you want to avoid getting munched: BEFRIEND. (very carefully.)

HUMANS ARE FRIENDS, NOT FOOD.

–

thanks for reading! you can find the rest of the Weird Biology series on my tumblr here, or check out the official archive at weirdbiology.com!

if you enjoy my work, maybe buy me a coffee and support Weird Biology!

and if you’d like to see exclusive Weird Biology content, check out my Patreon today!

–

IMAGE SOURCES

img1- elpais.com img2- Time Travel Turtle img3- Smithsonian National Zoo img4- Komodo Tours img5- Michael Pollack img6- Animal Sake img7- ZooChat img8- Calgary Herald

#komodo dragon #lizard #monitor lizard #reptile #biology with bunjy

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millin21 · 6 years

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Here’s a first try at writing Karai and Shinigami (first time I wrote for TMNT characters in a while) I hope you enjoy.

She wasn’t sure how it all started, but if she would have to guess, it was most likely when she heard Shini saying “we should go out for the holidays.”

She remembered turning to her with a raised brow. She wasn’t sure how they celebrated Holidays in New York, she had remembered glancing at some festivities, but never participated in them herself- not that she had any time. Most of her schedule was booked. But ever since Shredder was defeated, she had plenty of time on her hands to do other things. Like…

Actually, she didn’t know what else she could do. All her life she had been raised in believing that one person had caused her unhappiness. It wasn’t until a couple years ago that she had found out the real cause behind her motherless life was the one who raised her all along. And the man she was raised to hate was really her true father. With all this happening, along with the Kraang and their attempts at conquering the world, as well as her mutation (and the escalating events that followed until she finally returned to Japan and recruited Shinigami while staying under the radar that would draw the attention of the Foot Clan) … she didn’t really have much time for anything else.

Like the holidays, which her friend would not seem to stop talking about.

“Come on, when was the last time we hung out?” “Last week.” She answered almost immediately.

She made a sound she wasn’t sure was a groan or a laugh. “And what other goals are you thinking of right this very minute?”

She couldn’t say very many. After all, the last member that was loyal to the Foot in the ways the Shredder had raised was gone. Dead. All that remained of the Foot was her, Shini, and the mercenaries. The clan she was planning on raising, to be one with honor.

And it wasn’t as if there were any enemies that threatened them. No Foot bots. No resurrected Mutants. Even Tigerclaw wasn’t a threat anymore. Xever and those two that had caught her as a Serpent Mutant had gone their own way, with no interest in investing anymore of their time to the clan.

It was a very boring Month. Months. Almost a year.

“Come on, senpai, let’s go out and have fun for a change!” She couldn’t help but smirk at that. Shini never wasted anytime in finding something ‘fun’ and if the opportunity presented itself, she would snare it and influence her to come along.

The darkly dressed kunoichi took in a deep breath and sat up straight. Looking at her with a grin. “Well, what did you have in mind?” It wasn’t as if they knew many ‘popular’ places. Not that she would want to go to any of them.

The Mutanimals were mainly focused on keeping the Streets clean of any mischief. And the mercenaries were already off doing their own thing for the holidays, keeping connection with them in case she required their assistance or in case they found out anything suspicious that would raise her interest.

As Shinigami listed the many places they could crash, most of them boring, Karais mind had wandered to something she couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought of before. She spoke before she looked to Shini.

“What about…. What about the turtles?”

She had stopped talking then, looking at her with a look she wasn’t sure was shock or simple surprise.

It wasn’t often that she visited them. Most of the time it was an emergency. Not because that’s the only time she would ever go there, but because she had become so used to the life that involved strictly business that she didn’t think to have time for herself. Her definition of ‘fun’ had always been either rebellious or borderline evil(?)

It wasn’t until she met Leo that she slowly turned to a more honorable life. To re-evaluate what was good and what wasn’t.

And after Splinters goodbye… she had found herself wanting to visit them more and more.

She could see an understanding in Shinis’ eyes. She knew what Karai was thinking. They had grown close enough to read each others minds at this point.

They made there way.

“Should I call the funny one and tell him we’re on our-?” She asked in her accented voice but was cut short by Karai.

“No. I…. I think it would be better to surprise them.” She said, smiling a bit more gently. It seemed to brighten Leos day when she came by surprise when Hatori Tatsu came by to reclaim the Foot.

This time she would be able to say this was a surprise visit.

It took them a bit longer than she had liked without the motorcycle (stupid Bebop) running along the rooftops and finally sneaking into one of the manhole covers. Shini still had to hold her nose when entering the sewers. It almost made Karai chuckle but she had to admit, the smell was anything BUT welcoming.

She couldn’t understand how Splinter could live down here. And survived all that time raising four turtle boys.

They were approaching the sewers as fast as they could. A mixture of eagerness in meeting with the energetic group and to get away from the smell.

The first one to see her was April. No surprise. The yellow-loving kunoichi had come a long way since that near helpless girl she had ambushed when they first met. She was glad she had put that in the past.

(especially after seeing the powers the Kraang were after all this time developed in full force. Dang did she get shivers when seeing how she shattered that window with just her mind when fighting Shini)

The turtles all got up and turned to face her. Leo and Mikey holding a similar look of excitement when seeing them. Each in their own way.

“Hey.” She greeted them. Only turning to Raph when hearing him speak up.

“So... is there another hectic maniac threatening the Foot clan?” He asked from his seat, feeding his purple colored space turtle who snapped happily at the slice of pizza given to him.

She couldn’t blame him for saying this. Most of their meetings involved something threatening them. Mostly her.

“Not this time Raph.” She smiled, proud to admit this. But still giving him a near cocky grin.

“Then what’re ya here for?” He asked, raising a brow.

She was silent for a bit. After the second or third second Raphs near bored or exhausted expression at just her presence turned to interest. It wasn’t often she didn’t reply right away.

“I…” She couldn’t stop her eyes from turning to the ground. “…I thought I’d… spend today with you guys.”

Shini hadn’t left her side, still paying attention to her. Ever since she heard of Splinters passing, even after released from the hospital, she had been especially close to her. Making sure she was okay. Like a real friend. The only healthy relationship she had before meeting Splinter and finally accepting the turtles and the whole clan.

She could tell everyone’s eyes were on her. If anyone wasn’t looking at her before, they were now. She didn’t even have to look to tell, but she looked up to them anyway. Waiting to hear their response.

It wasn’t like she was avoiding them. She had just been so focused on taking the Shredder down and making her father proud that she never thought to visit them. Now that he and the others that threatened their safety were gone, it was like she finally had room to breathe. To come down here and talk with them. To visit them.

As a family.

At least, she hoped.

No one exchanged looks like they usually did when deciding something. They all stayed where they were as Leo took a step towards them.

“Well, are you going to come on in?”

They spent the rest of the day participating in activities she never had seen.

Most of them involving just eating sweets and their own version of a feast. Mikey still trying to involve Pizza into everything despite April bringing down a real turkey for them to bake.

It was just as lively as she knew it would have been.

By the end of the day however, when April and Casey had gone to spend time with their own families, Karai had stayed and asked Leo and the turtles for something they weren’t expecting.

“Can you… maybe tell me some of the stories… about Splinter?”

The room was silent as they all looked at her. Hearing her voice unnaturally soft and hesitant. She was still having some trouble in sharing her more sensitive thoughts.

Donatello, who was standing behind her, took a seat next to her on the couch. “Well, are there any kinds of stories you want to hear?”

She looked up at him and almost chuckled. “Well, I know it sounds ridiculous but…” It took her longer than she’d like to admit this next bit. “…what did she do around this time of the year?”

They spent the rest of the day sharing their memories. Their very first memories of their very first Christmas. Donnie fitting a colorful bulb for the first time and being in awe about it. Mikey finding a candy cane that was clean enough for Splinter not to snatch it away from him. Raphs drum set origins. Leos first collection of Space Heroes (she couldn’t tell if he was embarrassed or proud of it)

All their tales involved Splinter and how he spent it. How he had adapted a bit of this holiday for them, how he put on candles mostly to illuminate the nights. How he went out and brought back presents for them. How they strung up popcorn on the tree in the dojo for that one night. How they spent the entire day in the dojo still training. How they went to their presents immediately after. (About Mikey’s failed attempt at Eggnog a few years ago) But most of their tales involved Splinter.

They shared some of the small things he did. One time they all got together and created for him a cheesephone for Christmas. How humored he was at that and how when they started going out and Donatello had made their own TPhones he told them to contact the Cheesephone in case of emergencies only. She had recalled a few times that may have been in use.

They went on with more and more stories, each one bringing her closer to him in a way. Learning more about her father. What it might have been like to spend time with him around this time of the year.

They could tell what she was feeling and stayed close to her. A few pauses in between stories as they watched her. Seeing her desire to learn as much about her father as she could.

She didn’t know how late it was but she had eventually gotten up and turned to Shini who was gesturing that they had to leave. She turned back and gave them all an appreciative smile.

“Maybe tomorrow I could bring down a present for you guys.”

“Please do. Tomorrow’s Secret Santa!” Mikey cheered excitedly.

She chuckled and gave them all one more look and spoke one more thing before she left. “Really, thank you.”

#sorry I might edit this. just wanted to show you what I have planned so far #millin21 writing #millin21 fanfiction #TMNT fanfiction #TMNT Christmas

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