April Rise Challenge 13: Umbrella

You are important and real. You don’t need to find the right person. You are not doing it for attention. You are not making it up. 

Reblog if you think asexuality is a legitimate sexuality.

I’m trying to prove something.

Rise April Challenge 21: Chaos

Prev - Next - Masterpost Ao3 Link: Here

Raph gripped the pillow under his head and tried not to shake with the force of his shivers. He hated being sick. Leo just smiled from his seat on the bed, looking down as he counted out pills from a bottle.

“Alright, big buy. Open up.”  Raph thought about saying no, but the sooner this was over with the better. He reached out and popped the pills in his mouth, accepting the straw from the cup Leo was holding. The cold drink felt very nice on his sore throat, and he grabbed the cup and drained it. Leo just smiled and patted Raph’s arm.

“So, how long do I need to stay in bed?” Raph asked, voice nasial and horse. Leo just shrugged.

“Till you feel better.” Raph groaned and buried his head in the pillow. “Oh, don't be like that, you big baby. You'll be in fighting shape in no time, if you don't get out of bed.”

Raph lifted his head and looked at Leo, ignoring the pounding in his skull.  

“Are you guys gonna be okay?”

“Hermano, were not tots.” Raph wanted to say that they could have fooled him, but he was too tired to try. He just snuggled deeper into his blankets and closed his eyes.

“I’m gonna take a nap now...” He slurred and felt his brother’s hand rub on his head.

“Night, bro. Call if you need me.”

-

Raph woke up to the sounds of crashing and screaming.

He was out of bed and halfway out the door before his eyes were fully open, bed sheet tangled around his legs.  

“Guys! What’s happening?! What’s wrong?!”

He stopped his frantic rush as his eyes landed on the mess that was the floor of the skate ramp. Paint cans, action figures, bundles of wires, books, and socks were scattered between water bottles, plastic balls, and what looked to be a curtain rood. In the middle of the disaster of random items was Mikey, lying on his back. Raph rushed over and bent over his brother.

“Mikey! Mikey! What happened? Are you ok?!”  

Mikey moaned and blinked at him.

“Raph? What are you doing up?”

“Nevermind that, are you hurt?”

“Naw, I just fell.” Raph relaxed at that and let out a sigh.

“You got to be more careful, Mike.”

“Indeed, you do.” Said a voice from across the room, and the two looked over to see Donnie and Leo coming out of Don’s lab.

“Yeah, yeah,” Mikey dismissed standing up and looked around at the clutter on the floor.  

“Alright,” Leo clapped his hands together. “No one's hurt and everything is fine. So, vamos hermano mayor, you’re on bed rest.”

Raph just blinked dumbly for a moment, the adrenaline wearing off, and the feeling of stiff joints and aching muscles reminding him that he wasn’t in the best shape.

But should he just leave his brothers to whatever they were doing? ...What were they doing actually?

He didn’t get a chance to ask before he had been shuffled back to bed by Leo and tucked in.

...Raph guessed it was nothing to worry about.

-

Raph was worried. Leo had woken him up to take more meds and the younger was covered in what looked stripes of paint, ash, and... feathers?

“What happened?” He asked. Leo just shrugged.

“Nothing important.”

Raph narrowed his eyes in suspicion, but the effect was ruined by a coughing fit, which Leo soothed with more cold water.

“It’s all good, Raph. I promise. You just sleep, I’ll wake you up when it’s lunch.” 

“You better not be lying.” Raph said, and accepted the meds Leo gave.

-

Raph had woken up about half an hour ago, and he was getting tired of just playing on his phone. Plus, he was starting to get really hungry. He was feeling well enough to get himself some soup or something, and if Leo was going to throw a fit about Raph getting out of bed, he could always point out how often Leo was out and about when he was meant to be on bedrest.

Raph put the ramen in the microwave and poured himself a cup a juice while he waited. He pulled the comforter he brought with him closer around him and sniffed loudly, he really hated being sick.

Just then, Donnie bolted around the corner and slid into the kitchen, throwing open the cabinets and frantically digging around inside. He likely didn’t find what he needed, because he whipped around to try another and froze when he saw Raph blinking at him.

The two just stared at each other till the microwave beeped loudly and broke the silence. Raph turned and opened the door, taking the bowl.

“You good, Don?” He asked. His words seem to snap the softshell out of whatever was going on his head. He stood up straight and cleared his throat.

“Yes, I am perfectly alright. What are you doing out of bed?” Raph lifted the bowl of ramen his hand, confused.

Donnie didn’t ask obvious questions like that.  

Donnie rocked on his heels and smiled stiffly.

“Wonderful,” the genius said. “In that case we should get you to bed right away. Chop, chop.” He was already trying to herd his big brother towards his room. Raph tried to protest, he may be tired, sick, and maybe a little slow on the uptake, but he wasn't stupid.

“Don, what’s going on? Why is everyone-”

“LOOK OUT!”

The brothers turned and saw Mikey flying towards them, riding on the back of...

What the heck was that?

Raph didn’t have much time to try and figure that out because he was being tackled out of the way by Donnie. The bowl of hot ramen flying out of his hand, while Mikey and his ride brailed screaming into the kitchen.

Oh, that did not feel good. The snapper leaned against the wall and tried to keep his head from spinning. He then squinted his eyes open to see the chaos unfolding in the room.

Donnie was tearing through the cabinets and shouting for Mikey to: “Hold it still! Watch the tail! THE TAIL, MIKE!” While Mikey tried to follow the instructions and yelled right back. “I SEE THE TAIL! WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO ABOUT IT, DONALD?! AHHHHH!”

The “it” that they were talking about was some cross between a chicken, a salamander and... a toaster? Yep, a shiny medal body with feathered wings flapping manically, and the toggle to start the toasting on its side jumping up and down, making that clicking-shinking noise. Its eyes were going in two different directions and jumping around. It had two tails too, one a roster’s plumage, all puffed out, and an electric cord that was trying to wrap around Mikey to throw him off.

…

Was Raph dreaming?  

Donnie yelled and whipped around with something in his hand.

“CATCH!” He yelled and threw a canister at Mikey. Mikey caught it, ripped off the lid and dumped whatever was inside over the monster's head. Raph just stared as a pile of breadcrumbs fell on the thing's eyes and it just... stopped. It settled down, and just stood still.  

Mikey and Donne relaxed and the youngest slid off the chicken-toaster thing, and then locked eyes with Raph and froze in the same way Donnie had earlier.

“Hey, Raph~” He drawled out.

Raph just pinched his stuffed nose, his headache worsening, and his body still shaking with chills. Dammit, he was too sick for this mess.

“Has it hurt anyone?”  He asked, not opening his eyes to look at the scene in front of him.

“No.”

“Are you going to be dealing with it?”

“Yes.”

“Do you need me for that?”

“No.”

“Is it dangerous?”

“Not anymore.” Not ideal, but good enough.

“Great.” Raph turned and walked to his room. “Have Leo bring me some food when he can.”

-

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Raph asked when Leo came in with a bowl of soup and crackers. Leo just shuffled awkwardly.

“You were sick, and nothing you did could have helped. You would have been worried over nothing.” Raph looked up and prayed to whatever was up there for strength.  

“Alright, fine. I won’t give you all a lecture, even if you clearly deserve one, so long as we never have to talk or think about whatever the heck that was ever again.”

Leo smiled and handed over the food.

“Deal.”

Prev - Next - Masterpost Ao3 Link: Here Please check out @zee-rambles who came up with this challenge and look at @rise-april-art-challenge to see more submissions by other fans. Please give me feedback if there is anything I should work on.

Rise April Challenge: Day 4 Dream

Prev - Next - Masterpost

Ao3 Link: Here

(Kinda streched the prompt a little, but I like it. There is some bad grammer but it’s on purpose.)

Raph knew it was coming, even before the jittering and zoning out started. There was only so many life-and-death situations his brain could take before it decided to take a vacation and leave him behind. But it was only when he woke up to find himself not in his bed, but standing upright in the middle of the lair, that he realized how bad this was going to be. So, knowing he had very little time, Raph began to prepare.  

The whole lair was raided for blankets, pillows, and cushions to add to Raph’s ever growing pillow fort in his room. (It’s not a nest, not a nest, not a nest. Even if he stole sheets from his brothers’ rooms so it would smell familiar. It’s not a nest.) The kitchen is emptied of snacks and water bottles. He moves every single one of his teddy bears into the fluffy pile and he sets up a speaker to play the sound of running water. He moves the more important or breakable items on to higher shelves, or out of the room all together. He’s already. Now comes the embarrassing part.  

He decides that Donnie is the best one to tell. He won’t stress about it too much and will be able to talk the others down if they start panicking. Still, Raph sifts nervosity as he stands outside Don’s lab. He shakes his hands out and breathes as deep as he can. He can do this. He can do this. The snapper knocks on the door.

“Come in!” Donnie calls and Raph crouches through the door and into the dim lab. He crinkles his nose at the smell of metal and oil, and he squints at the weird light. The purple light always made it look both too bright and too dark. Don loved it, but it always confused Raph even on a good day. Which today defiantly wasn’t.

Donnie was hunched over one of the worktables with one of his battle shells, his arms half buried inside an open panel. He didn’t look up as the Raph got closer.

“Uh... Hey Donnie? Can... um... we talk really fast?” The genies looked up from what he was doing, goggle lenses glinting.  

“Of course, large compatriot. What’s up?”

“Uh...” Oh man this was not fun. “So, I’m not really going to be around for a bit.” One of Don’s robot arms pushed up his glasses so he could give Raph a worried look. “Not literally. I’m not going anywhere. And it's nothing bad! Raph promises. But I think I’m just going to go a little... weird? Soon.”

“You’re going savage.” Raph winces at the word. It is accurate, but it still makes him uncomfortable. It always makes him think that he could hurt someone.

“Yeah.” He nods.

“Do you need anything?” Raph waves his hand.

“Nope, I got everything set up.” He’s quite proud of himself for that. “But could you or someone just check in to make sure I didn’t do something...”

“Of course.” Donnie says

“Great. The key is hung up next to the door.” Raph moves to the door, but his brother’s voice stops him.   “You’re locking yourself in?” It’s so much softer than what he’s come to expect from his standoffish sibling. Raph’s shoulders raise straight up, and he freezes.

“Uh.... yeah. I’ve been sleep walking and I don’t want to wander off.” It feels like a confection.  

“Are you sure?”

No. He isn’t. The idea of not being able to get to his brothers is awful, and being trapped alone is way worse. But he can’t just go walking into the sewars. (A small part of him worries about more than just him getting lost. He worries about blood splashing across his face. He worries about bones in his mouth. He worries about dead brothers.)

“Yeah, I’m sure. It’s fine, Don.” Raph leaves the lab and hurries to his room.

-

Raph is warm and soft. He is safe and good. He cuffs at the thought and tries to sink deeper into the warm-soft-nice. This is good. He should sleep.

He smells something... important. Something that is also good. Raph snuffles around till he finds where it’s coming from. A thick blanket. He covers his face with it so he can smell it better.  

It smells twirling-acrylic-orange. Mikey. Mikey is good, very good.

Where is Mikey?

Raph lifted his head and pushed back the blanket to look around for his littlest brother. (Not so little anymore, but never as big as Raph. No, never. He never needs to be as big as Raph.) Mikey wasn’t there. None of his brothers were. That was bad. Bad bad bad. Raph needs to get them, to share this soft-warm-safe feeling with them and so they could all sleep.  

He gets to his feet and wanders to the door. He tries to shove it open; it doesn’t give. He grunts and pushes again. Not good, not, not, not, not, not. He wines thinks about breaking it down. He needs his brothers. But it seems like so much work and his brothers are safe. He knows that he just... wants them to be safe here. Is that too much to ask?

He returns to his nest and flops down onto his stomach. It’s not as good anymore.

-

Raph wakes up to something squirming against his side, and hushed words that are hard to understand. He cracks his eyes open and finds a familiar shell lying across the edge of the blanket.

The shell looks like flowing-glimmering-blue. Leo. He looks to his right and finds Mikey leaning on him and drawing in his sketch book, while talking with Leo. Two brothers, it makes him well up with yes-yes-yes-good feelings but where is- 

A voice cuts through his thoughts. It’s shifting-sparking-purple. He turns to Donnie who is sitting on his left with his tablet in his lap looking at Raph questioning. Did he ask Raph something? The snapper lets out a little grumble to ask what Don needs. Words are too hard right now.

Donnie reaches over and offers the eldest a water bottle. Oh, yeah Raph needs that. He rolls to his side disturbing Mike who yelps at the unexpected movement, he takes the water and drinks it. It tastes so good! Should water have a taste?  

He hands the bottle back to Donnie and looks over everyone. Safe. They are safe and good, and they’re here which is so much more good.  

Raph’s mind is worried about them being here. It says that they are not safe if they’re here. That them being here is bad. But that doesn’t make since Raph is here. And Raph can protect them. Even better than that, even if Raph can’t keep them safe, they can keep each other safe. Leo is strong and Donnie is smart and Mikey is kind. They’re so good that they could keep him safe if he needs it.  

(He won’t though, because he’s big and they’re little. No matter how big they are or how strong, they will always be his little ones. His. His. His little ones! He loves them, loves them, loves them-!)

Raph’s mind slips into the haze of pride-love for his brothers, drowning the worry. He lets Mike lean against his chest so he can draw and throws an arm over Leo’s back so he can feel him. He wants to tough Don too, but he knows that tough can be bad for his little brother, so he holds back. Raph can hear him tapping on his tablet anyways.  

He closes his eyes and just lets the overwhelming feelings wash over him but doesn’t go back to sleep. He doesn’t need to. He has his family all around him, safe and good. He doesn’t need to fight or run or even understand what is being said, he can just be. It’s the greatest dream Raph could ever have, and he doesn’t want to miss a second.

Prev - Next - Masterpost

Please check out @zee-rambles who came up with this challenge.  Also take a look at @rise-april-art-challenge​ for more submissions. Please give feedback if I need to work on something.

Moments Chapter 5: Mayhem

(I know it's September, I'm just going to keep going.)

Ao3 Link

Prev - Masterpost - Next

Agent 64 has been doing reconnaissance. for of the human world, and of the human family unit known as the “O’Neils,” for a few months now. And it had much to report to the Council of Heads. 

For starters, the human city of “New York” was much too loud for any truly restful nap, and it’ appears that humans are at least partly nocturnal because the city is just as loud at night. Thankfully, the human known as “April” has been setting up ben for The Agent in a quieter location.  

The human April has also been the one to care for Agent 64, she has also given it the code name “Mayhem” and has been an excellent asset for Agent 64 in its reconnaissance. Even if she must leave for her human education most days- 

“Agent 64,” One of the Council members interrupted the report Mayhem was giving. “While we are all glad that you are enjoying your time on this... ‘reconnaissance mission,’ I’m afraid that the council and I are questioning whether this is strictly necessary.” 

Of course, it is necessary. Humans have been a threat to yoaki kind before, and it is important to be aware of all threats. 

“Well yes, but-” 

Very well then. Now that the council and Agent Mayhem have reached an agreement, it could continue with its report. It had several pages on human food, partially which to avoid and which to steal if you ever got the chance. It also wanted to discuss the magic humans could do by rubbing their fingers through its hair. 

- 

The meeting lasted two more hours.

Prev - Masterpost - Next

Thank you for reading. Let me know if there is anything I should work on.

Thank you to @sariphantom for hosting the Rise August Challenge, which this is inspired by.

@nickelodeon Please save Rise.

Rise April Challenge: Day 8 Boom

Prev - Next - Masterpost

Ao3 Link: Here

Donnie groaned as he woke up, head pounding. His mind was already moving through the motions of waking up and starting his day (and/or afternoon.) But his train of half thought was derailed by the weight of his battle shell that was still on his back.

He never slept with his battle shell. Leo would have chewed him out for months if he did, Donnie knew better than to challenge him on that front. Which meant that something was very wrong.

Donnie opened his eyes to find himself lying on his side, on a cold concrete floor. The room he was in was huge and empty, a warehouse of some kind. Moonlight was the only source of light, cast in from the small windows high up on the walls. As his eyes squinted, trying to make out the shapes in the dark, he just managed to see that the walls were inscribed with graffiti. Which wouldn’t have been unusual, this was New York, except for the fact it was all the same piece of art. A large explosion with the word ‘BOOM’ splashed across it. Donnie looked out over the room with growing confusion as he saw it repeated over and over on the walls, some clustered so close to each other that they overlapped and covered one another, while in other places there would be yards that were completely bare. What was happening?

Don leaned down and attempted to bring up his comm to try and reach his brothers. But when he did the screen flashed with two words that made the turtle grit his teeth: 'No Signal.' That wasn't something that happened to Don's tech. Which meant one thing, something was jamming his comms.

Donnie sighed, stood up, and took a step forward. Only to feel his toes just brush on something plastic. He froze and leaned over to see the faintest of discoloration of something close to his foot. He bent down and pulled on his goggles to see it better. It was a flat circle, plastic from what he could see. At first Donnie was confused at what he was looking at exactly, and then the horrible, fearful, realization dawned on him.

It was a landmine.

His foot was centimeters away from activating it, if he had longer legs or had leaned forward even a little further it would have exploded under him. His mind ran with images of what would have happened if it was just an inch closer. Donnie thought of taking a slow step back from the thing, when another thought occurred to him. He raised his head slowly and looked out at the rest of the floor and grew even stiffer. The whole floor was covered in mines. Like the graffiti, the small disks were spread out without any order to them, clustered or sparsely scattered all over. And Donnie didn’t have his jetpack shell!

Damit! The only good thing he could see was a door on the opposite wall from him. It wasn't an impossible distance. He just needed to...

Ok. Ok. He could do this. Donnie slid his left foot to the side and took a slow step forward with his right. He scanned the floor and picked it up right to move it to the next safe spot. Easy.

It was slow going, the mines were hard to see in the dark even with his goggles. They were painted the same color as the floor, and it was only using his glass's ability to detect them and put a glowing indicator over them that Donnie was able to move through them. It also didn’t help that he sometimes had to backtrack to avoid a dead end or a section that he could tell that he wouldn’t be able to move through.

Why were these even here? Had someone built them to try and trap him or did they have another use?

Donnie was so close to the door now, only a few feet away. The mines had grown in number, and he had to stretch to reach new safe areas. So close, so close. He had just placed his right foot when his headset let out a loud warning beep and he froze. His weight delicately held in place by one crocked foot while the other just barely touched the floor in front of him. He tipped forward, shifted his weight and yanked himself towards the new safe zone and waited.

Nothing happened.

Donnie let out a deep breath and looked at the alert that just disturbed him. It was a huge number of markers, right in front of where he was standing, huddled close together in a semi-circle around the door. 4 rows, and no space between them to step.

He felt himself start scratching his arm, his short nails leaving thin white lines on his skin. The door was right there, he couldn’t just stay here. He needed to jump for it.

No. No. That was a stupid plan, there was too much risk. Could he even leap that far? And even if he could-

He had to.

Donnie spread his feet as far as he could and squatted. He shook his hands and tried very hard not to think about what he was doing.

He jumped.

He didn’t shut his eyes, he needed to see where he was going.

Donnie’s feet hit hard. There was one split second where he was sure he was going to fall; he could feel his feet twist to keep up with the shifting momentum, and he was almost certain that they were about to slide out from under him.

He didn’t fall.

He had made it. He smiled and faced the door. Whatever trap this maniac had set up had failed. He was home free.

This was too easy.

He pushed the door and smiled at the cold night air.

Snap!

Beep.

Donnie froze and looked down at the trip wire that had been snaped by the door’s swing.

Beep.

He traced it to the wall of the building.

Beep.

He stared at a mass of wires, taped to the side of the warehouse.

Beep.

Shit.

Donnie ran.

Beeeeeeeeeeeeeep!

BOOM!

There was no slow, epic, walkaway. No bright orange flashy lights. The boom was set off with waves of compressed air and noises so loud that Donnie’s ears rang. The heat was consuming and the softshell fell forward after the first wave. He scrambled to his feet and kept running.

He could stop, he had to keep moving, because-

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Donnie heard the mines inside going off and focused on keeping himself going. He ran and darted down alleyways and around corners. Finally, stopping when the light of the fires could no longer be seen. He leaned against a trash can and tried to slow his breathing.

His comm crackled to life. Raph’s worried and gruff voice barely reaching him through the ringing in his ears.

“Don! Don! Are you there? Donnie, can you hear me?!” Donnie lifted the comm to his mouth and responded.

“I’m here. I’m ok.”

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 to see other submissions. Please give feedback if I need to work on something.

The expressions! The way you can feel the cold!

I love this art! It was my inspiration for Day 13 of Rise April! (Along with my own experience.)

Just look at it!!!!!

Sometimes you just have to sit down under the rain, and let the drops run over your body. Just like warm tears, let them heal wounds and ease the pain. Let them wash away the blood that you had to shed and soothe the broken heart.

Reblogging because it is a beautiful screenshot.

Artists, can you redraw this?

Pretty please? 🥺

Posting a random screenshot until we get season 3, there’s a chance I’m going to do it forever, day 173

Rise April Challenge 16: Mask

Prev - Next - Masterpost Ao3 Link: Here

(This is a bit of a long one, but I think it’s worth it. Also, I go to make April say “bitch” so that’s fun. Warning: Feels Ahead!)

The Boys were acting weird. Which was quite a feat considering that they were mutant turtles, trained in the art of Ninja-ing. April wasn't even counting the fact that they were teenagers. In April's experience, all teens were weird. So yeah, the boys were acting stranger than normal. 

It started when she went to meet them on the roof of her current job. Raph arrived first and gave his lovely snaggle tooth grin. 

"Hey, big guy!" She calls out, waving him over to sit next to her by the small wall that went around the edge of the roof. "The others on their way?" 

"They stopped by Run of The Mill to get us some pizza." He said, sitting down and crossing his legs. 

"Cool." She responded and opened her phone, expecting Raph to do the same. 

But when she looked up a few seconds later he was staring at his lap, the place where his eyebrows should have been furrowed in concentration. He was thinking very hard about something, and when Raph was thinking hard about anything it was normally meant bad news. 

"You good over there, Boss Man?" April asked. The mutant jumped a little and snapped his head towards her, a big smile twisting his face. 

"Yep! I'm good! Why wouldn't I be good? I'm the best at being good!" Raph said, words rushing out like water out of a firehose. 

...Yeah, something was definitely wrong. April put her phone down and turned to face him. 

"Come on, bud. What's going on?" she asked and tried to look him in the eyes, even as the snapper nervously turned his head away from her. "You always say that you're here for all of us, no matter what. And you know that we would do anything for you."  

Raph softened at the girl's words. He shifted and squirmed, and though it was hard to tell with his green skin, April thought she saw him blushing. She waited and didn't look away, trying to project a calm and loving aura. The turtle finally sighed and faced her. 

"I'm Ok, April. Raph promises." His smile was softer now, more real and relaxed, and April knew that that was the best she was going to get. She patted his arm, scales smooth on her hand. 

"Alright, but just know that we're here if you need help. Or if you just need to talk." She leaned back against the wall and picked up her phone again. It's best not to push her friend unless he really needs it. 

"What's your favorite color?"  

The question was sudden and so different than what they had just been talking about it took a few seconds for April's brain to process it. 

"...It's yellow, why-" She was cut off by a loud whoop and the sound of skateboard wheels, and when she looked over Leo was jumping over from the neighboring roof with a pizza box in his arms. The skateboard flipped under him and rolled across the roof as he landed next to them. Mikey and Donnie shortly appeared next to him, 

"It's Pizza Time!" Leo yelled and that was just enough of a distraction that by the time they were all settled, April had forgotten the strange question.

-

The second time was with Leo. 

They were having a makeover day, with different types of eyeshadows, blush, and nail polish spread all over the living room table. It was hard doing make-up on someone who was green, but Leo looked great if April did say so herself. They were munching on candy and watching some stupid internet challenge video, while waiting for their nails to dry when Leo asked the question. 

"So what do you use for your pigtails?" She blinked and turned to him. 

"What do you mean?" Leo had his look that he always used when he wanted to look natural but was really after something. 

"Just, you know, you always complain about how hard your hair is to style. But it always looks fabuloso, So, you know, I just wanted some tips." Leo flashed his sparkling teeth at her like it would distract her from how weird his question was. 

"You don't even have hair. What do you need tips for?" 

"Casey said that Mikey had hair in the future. I'm hoping it will grow in." April narrowed her eyes at Leo, who was examining his nails with a clearly fake casualness.  

Well... it wasn't like it was personal or anything. 

"I can't wear hair ties because my hair is too thick, they always snap and they're a pain to use. I normally just use some ribbons to tie them up." Leo smirked 

"Wow. You're sweet, strong, pretty and with a bow on top!" April shoved him away.  

"Oh, come on that was a "ribbon" good one." Uuuhhhh, why her?! 

"Ow! Alright, alright I'll stop "ribbon" on you. OW! Ok, I'll stop! Wait hold on-WAIT! APRIL, I'M SORRY! UNCLE! UNCLE!"

-

Next time was with Donnie.  

April knew the soft shell had problems with boundaries, they've had to have several interventions to explain to Donnie that "It doesn't matter if you think you know better, you can't mess with our stuff without asking." Or "I know that you wanna keep us safe, but you can't tag track us without telling us." But it was normally alright. Donnie just needs some help understanding some things, and he usually said he was sorry, even if he still insisted that he was in the right. But April had thought that Donnie at least understood the basics of social etiquette, like not digging through a girl's closet without asking! 

But when she entered her bedroom after a long day of work, there he was: sifting through her shirts with his back facing her, and with a pile on the bed that was not there when she left. 

April closed her eyes, took a deep breath in, held it, and slowly let it out and relaxed her shoulders. She gently set down her backpack and opened her eyes. 

Then she took a flying leap and tackled Donnie to the ground. 

"OW! APRIL?! You're home early. How was- OW!" April wrestled the turtle into a chokehold, holding him down as he struggled, and she hit his chest with all the rage she could muster.  

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, YOU ASSHOLE?!" 

"Wait! April, Stop! I can explain-" 

"EXPLAINE?! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" 

"Currently, I'm being beaten by a small, angry, teen-" 

"YOU DON'T JUST GO TROUGH A PERSON'S CLOSET! THAT OFF LIMITS!" 

"It wasn't like I was looking for your underwear! I was just looking at your shirts!" 

April stopped and glared down at Donnie squirming in her arms.  

"You got one chance to say something that will fix this, or I will be giving Leo an airhorn, and telling Mikey that you need more therapy." Donnie stilled. 

"You wouldn't." 

"You wanna test that?" April said, gritting her teeth. "Try me, Bitch."  

Donnie sighed in defeat. 

"I just wanted to get a sense for your style." 

What the heck? April let go of Donnie and crossed her arms. 

"Why?" 

"Style is an important part of expressing yourself, it reflects how you want others to see you, as well as what other factors like personality, overall mood, values-" They were getting too far off topic. 

"Yeah, I get all that. But why do you wanna know all that?" 

"...To be a better friend..." Donnie said with a fixed and stiff smile. April didn't stop glaring. Donnie drew back a little but stopped. The smile dropped and was replaced by a regretful look. "I'm sorry, April. I get that I was wrong and shouldn't have done that. I swear that I wasn't doing it to invade your privacy and I do have a reason. I just... can't tell you right now. But I promise I will! And I also promise that I will never do this again." 

April sighed and uncrossed her arms. She was still angry, but she had an apology and Donnie did promise. 

"Fine. But this is the only warning you'll get, and you owe me big time." 

Donnie smiled, a real one this time. It was soft and grateful, and felt so sincere that it threw her for a loop when she saw it. It didn't feel like it matched the situation at all. 

"Of course. Anything you want."

-

The third time was with Mikey.  

She had woken up in the middle of the night to find him hanging upside down outside her window, tapping on the glass. She stumbled out of bed, and towards the window to open it. 

"Mikey? What are you doing? It's late." 

"Sorry, I just needed to ask you something." 

... 

... 

Why did it have to be April? 

She thought about just slamming the glass in his face and going to bed, but, knowing Mikey, that would not deter him. So, she just sighed. 

"What is it?" The turtle dug around in his pockets and shoved two small squares of fabric in her face.  

"Which do you like better?" He asked, smile never leaving his face. She was too tired of this, but she still reached out and felt the squares. 

"This one," she said holding one up. Mikey took them back and nodded. 

"Great. Thanks, April. Night." He vanished into the shadows and was gone. 

April shut the window and fell to bed, too sleepy to care what on earth that was all about.

-

The last time, it was with all of them. 

A few days later, she walked into the living room and found the four brothers sitting on the floor in silence. 

Raph had called April a few minutes and asked her to head down to the lair as soon as she could, that it was important. He had said that nothing was wrong when she had asked, but with the way they were all gathered in a semicircle with serious looks on their face it felt like they wear going to tell her someone died. 

What was happening?!

April walked and sat down with a thump in front of them and narrowed her eyes. The tension in the room was thick, but she wasn’t going to back down from whatever this was. She would face it head on and beat it into submission. She wouldn’t run, not from her friends, not from whatever this was. 

“What’s going on?” she asked, staring into each of their eyes. They stared back. 

“We wanted to give you something,” Raph said, sounding calm and centered. But there was a lilt to his voice, a quake that made him sound... nervous? 

The red turtle reached behind him and handed over a flat white box. April took it and saw Mikey wriggle out the corner of her eye.   

This felt... big. Like some kind of old sacred ritual. It felt as though there was something else in the room, a presence that made every move seem purposeful and heavy. It made her hair stand on end.  

April placed the box in her lap and looked at the brothers. Each of them was turned away and... blushing? 

Screw it. She’d just have to rip the Band-Aid off. 

She opened the box. 

Inside, was a mask.  

She froze when she saw it, its long tails spread out and the eye holes stared back at her. 

It was yellow.  

“What’s your favorite color?” 

She reached down and touched it. She knew this fabric. 

“Which of these do you like better?” 

That wasn’t all that was in the box though. There were also two long, green ribbons, knotted at the ends, and strung through a beaded charm, that glinted in the light. It was the symbol of the Hamato Clan. 

“We were thinking you could use them for your hair.” Leo said, his eyes locked on the floor and skin a bright pink when April whipped her wide eyes up to look at him. “Because you can’t wear the mask all the time like us.”  

"So, what do you use for your pigtails?" 

“We wanted to make sure it could be something you could wear without it looking out of the ordinary for you.” Donnie added, scratching the back of his hand. 

"I just wanted to get a sense for your style."  

April looked down at the box in her hand. Her hands trembled. 

This was-

Her vision blurred. 

So, all this time it was-  

Her throat went tight. 

She had called them her brothers before, had called them her family. But she had always worried that she was wrong, that it was just her that felt like that. But this was an undeniable confirmation that yes, you are Hamato. You are our sister. We love you.

“It’s ok if you don’t want-” She lunged forward before that sentence could be finished and wrapped them in a hug. She clung to them desperately, trying to pull them closer and closer. She buried her face in someone's chest and sobbed. Tears and snot ran down her face as she kept whispering: “Thank you, thank you, thank you, I love you, thank you.” over and over again. 

The mask lay on one floor, having fallen out of its box, and the two charms glinted like distant stars. All the while, the Hamato Clan children hugged and cried together. 

Prev - Next - Masterpost Ao3 Link: Here Please check out @zee-rambles who came up with this challenge (you can blame them for the feels) and look at @rise-april-art-challenge to see more submissions by other fans. Please give me feedback if there is anything I should work on.

You can't bury your gays if their already dead!

And yes, it is worth watching.

can someone spoil DBD for me? is it sad? do they bury the gays? it is worth watching anyway?