M.J.'s RP Blog

Welcome to my RP blog!

[duzmachines95]

❝ wanna go out for halloween? ❞

autumn/halloween sentence starters! 🍂🍁🎃 | accepting

“Sure!” He replied with obvious enthusiasm. “But this time, enough with the ‘I’m a giant turtle and I can get away with going out without any disguise’  excuse.. I want to be properly dressed for the occasion. I’m sure you’ll help me to pick a costume.” 

[duzmachines95]

mythigal1966:

Halloween night:  

Wendy was putting the finishing touches on Donnie’s costume. The tan jumpsuit with the black “Spengler” patch on the left shoulder, modified to fit his frame, with adjustments for his shell—check.  The fake ‘proton-pack’ strapped onto his back—check.  Boots—check.  Elbow-pads—check.

Donnie was laughing gleefully at his reflection, and posing with his ‘proton pack.’

Of course, once his brothers had seen what she was working on, they all wanted in on it.  Wendy had obliged.  Raph made an impressive Winston Zedmore.  Leo had consented to dress as Ray Stantz, so Wendy had mocked up a visor for him. Mikey, of course, was Peter Venkman, and was already strutting around the Lair spouting lines from the Ghostbusters movies.  

Master Splinter came out to survey his sons, and to take pictures while Wendy slipped into the bathroom to put on her own costume.  She emerged just in time to hear Mikey wonder who she was dressing as.

Wendy grinned at the dawning comprehension on their faces as she attached a fiber-optic cable to the end of Donnie’s ‘proton pack,’ before slipping the now glowing loop around her waist.   She was dressed in a filmy white dress and tights, and a white wig, all exposed skin powdered white as well, with the whole treated to luminesce faintly.

She laughed.  “What would the Ghostbusters be without a ghost?”

[mjs-rpblog]

@mean-green-imagines

I originally posted this a couple of Halloweens’ ago, and thought you might enjoy it...

[welcome-to-unseasoned]

Happy Holidays at Unseasoned!

[welcome-to-unseasoned]

mythigal1966‌:

Wendy smiled and nursed her mug of tea.  Her straight black hair was piled on top of her head, held in place by a set of ivory combs that were a gift from her family.  She sighed and smoothed a hand down the soft red fabric of her new dress. She’d never owned such a pretty, and flattering garment in her life, and between the combs and the dress, Wendy almost hadn’t recognized herself in the bathroom mirror.  

She looked positively elegant!  And, she’d gotten a lot of compliments, as well—Jake and Cy had pretended to argue over who got to escort her to breakfast, until Jimmy slipped between them, grinned, and held out his arm.  Emma’s eyes had gotten enormous when she’d first caught sight of Wendy, and Mikey had paid her deliberately outrageous compliments until she’d stopped blushing and started giggling.  Shevaughn had sighed happily, and told Wendy she looked lovely.  Ethan had smiled and nodded at her and Tess had beamed.

For a young woman who’d never even considered herself passingly pretty, it was heady stuff, and Wendy was quietly storing up the praise.

But, it was Clay’s reaction that had made the biggest impression…  The man had forgotten himself enough to stare—at least until Shevaughn had laughed and reached out to gently close his mouth.

Wendy was surprised and a little disturbed at how much she’d enjoyed that!

She distracted herself by watching Emma pull out a wooden box with handles on the ends, and her name carefully painted on the lid.  Inside were the set of basic tools that Wendy had used when she was younger—they were too small for her hands now, but just about the right size for her young assistant. Emma had been borrowing them, but Wendy thought it was about time to make it official, since Emma showed no signs of losing interest in helping Wendy.  

***

Tess and Shevaughn exchanged conspiratorial smiles when Clay discovered the bundle of clothing under the tree: really, two new work shirts, a pair of trousers, and two new pairs of wool socks weren’t much, but the man hadn’t arrived with much in the way of clothing.  

Ethan’s gift to Tess of a fountain pen rested on top of the stack of paper that Mikey had given her, and the young author wiggled happily in the curve of Ethan’s arm.  Her gift to her husband was several skeins of lambswool yarn in a blue that matched his eyes—enough to knit him a new sweater.

***

Ethan, like Wendy, had been forbidden to do any work today.  He and Tess had enjoyed spending the early morning together snuggled up in bed. The kiss he’d received when he’d presented Tess with the new pen had nearly had him coaxing her back to their room. As it was, he was determined to suggest a nap after lunch.  After all, technically, he and Tess were still on their honeymoon…

***

Shevaughn was in her element: she was never happier than when she was fussing over her greenhouse, or her people.  And now, she had a lot of new people to look after.  She grinned at Mikey as he handed out presents, content to watch with her calico cat on her lap, the new bags and herbs set carefully to one side: She would see about coaxing some of the dried vegetation back to life, later.

***

Cy and Jake had been very much surprised to get gifts.  So far as they were concerned, they had everything they really needed.  Jake was especially touched that Mikey had overcome his obvious discomfort with guns to purchase the new shotguns.  Now, they would be able to leave the extra arms with Tess during their trip to find Weasel.  And, considering the weather, the new coats were also appreciated.  

Jimmy was delighted with his new jacket: the boy had his own built-in fur coat, but that didn’t mean he didn’t appreciate the extra layer.  And he was thrilled to be formally presented with one of Jake’s smaller hunting rifles—the young man had certainly earned it!

Christmas morning wasn’t usually a fancy affair, and honestly it had been a long time since he’d actually seen anything truly elegant in a fashion sense. But Wendy also looked so incredibly comfortable and happy in her new dress as well as beautiful that it didn’t feel out of place at all. There was something calm and graceful about her that he assumed came from seeing her out of her usual working attire rather than any miracles a simple dress performed. He noted with mild interest that Clay seemed as surprised as well as impressed.  That and he chuckled when Shevaughn had to lean over and shut his jaw. He grinned and elbowed Ethan with a knowing nod toward the scene.

His ward huffed in irritation, quickly catching on as she fiddled with her gift from her surrogate father. He had gotten his usual present for Emma, a new weapon, this year a pair of wooden sais he’d asked for Cy and Jake to help him carve. Actually- to do for him because he had no real patience or skill for it. It had become a thing for them years ago so every year instead of anything cute or fancy he gave her something to remind them both of what they’d been through, something to push her forward because he also knew where she was going. When Emma had opened Wendy’s gift her eyes had grown so large and round that it gave him a odd sense of pride and melancholy mixed together. It took him a few minutes to understand why. Watching her grow up and find new things to be interested in was something he’d always expected to have. It was something a parent envisioned experiencing with their children, and Emma was about as close as he could come. And it made him sad, and happy.

Jimmy shared a moment of solidarity with Mikey being the only other total non-humans in the place. Sometimes people dismissed basic comforts such as warmth thinking they had some natural indifference as though they were more akin to their wilder counterparts than they really were. Jimmy might have had a slight advantage over him with his fur coat, but Mikey still shivered when he saw the boy outside with half the layers as anyone else.  They both appreciated the care put in to keeping them warm.

Though Mikey worked hard that day, he didn’t work too hard. Lunch was easy. Dinner practically cooked itself. Everyone was more than happy to pitch in just to spend time being entertained by his boundless energy and sense of humor that somehow grew on that day. Watching Wendy and Ethan both kicking back and enjoying not doing a thing all day more than made it worth it.  The two had brought so much to Unseasoned that he felt in their debt for their dedication and raising the quality of life for everyone who lived there. And there was just something about seeing Ethan and Tess so happy and Wendy blooming with confidence and joy that touched him in a way that he could only describe as familial.

Mikey spent long hours talking with everyone about their hopes and dreams for the new year to come. He played games well in to the evening with the teenagers and found time to spend with every single kid who had to be in bed not long after dinner, watching them fall asleep with new toys in their hands. He held his tongue when talking to Wendy about what no one but her seemed to miss with Clay, and teased Tom a bit about Shadow returning in a few days time. He listened to Nana’s holiday stories for at least the 8th time while Jake heard them for the first, and gave Cy a fist bump, whom he’d recently convinced as a truly manly handshake, as he retired for the night.

It was late with only a handful of people huddled around the first in the Great Room when he finally stayed still long enough to start to doze off. Clay remained, deep in though while watching the fire cackle and the young boy Sage was curled up against his side. It wasn’t until he felt a gentle nudge to his shoulder from the herb witch that he yawned, stood, picked up the sleeping youth and headed to his room with a smile and nod to Shevaughn and Clay as she sat near him and they began murmuring quietly. 

[mythigal1966]

Having nothing to do but rest and eat was a brand new experience for Wendy, but she enjoyed it for the most part.  However, she would be glad to get back to work tomorrow—it wasn’t really work when she enjoyed it so much.  She smiled down at Emma.  The girl had hardly put her tool box down all day, and was seated next to Wendy, eyelids drooping and head leaning against the tall young woman’s shoulder.  Wendy quietly bid everyone good night, and scooped up Emma, tools and all, and bore her off to bed.

She didn’t notice Clay’s eyes following her.

Tess and Ethan made their excuses shortly after dinner: really, if it hadn’t been Christmas, they might not have left their rooms at all that day. They weren’t so wrapped up in each other as to be embarrassing, but it was enough to generate envy in more than one observer.  Shevaughn watched them with a soft smile on her face, remembering: she and her late husband had once looked at each other like that.

The calico cat on her lap purred and butted her hand demandingly, and she laughed to herself and obliged with a chin-scratch.  Her smile grew as she watched Jake and Nana making eyes at each other.  The two were exchanging teasing glances and remarks.  

Cy caught Shevaughn’s eye and shook his head in mock despair, glancing at his brother and Unseasoned’s matriarch, and pretending to roll his eyes. The brothers were getting an early start in the morning, leaving to hunt down Weasel, and Jake was plainly getting as much flirting in as he could before he was forced to get some sleep.

Beside Shevaughn, Clay sighed.  “Is it something in the water here?” he complained, watching the older couple.  “I mean, first Ethan, and now Jake?”

The herb witch shot him a shrewd glance.  “Is that your round about way of saying you’re catching the romance fever?”  She watched as Clay shifted and looked away.  “I saw the way you were looking at Wendy, my dear.”

Clay opened his mouth, then closed it again.  “I…she’s not like anyone else I’ve ever met.  I don’t know what to say to her,” he confessed.

Shevaughn’s fingers were busy scratching the feline on her lap, but she was watching the young man closely.  “Well, I think the apology was a good start.  It had the virtue of being sincere.”  She leaned in a bit closer.  “Would you like a bit of advice from a meddlesome old lady?”

Clay grimaced, but there was a tiny twinkle in his eye.  “Do I have a choice?”

The herb witch sobered.  “Unless you are serious about that girl, leave her be.”  She saw the instant denial in his expression and cut him off when he opened his mouth.  “That girl doesn’t know how to be anything but honest.  DO NOT trifle with her because you are bored, or out of habit.

“If you really want her, then you’re going to have to be brave, my dear. You’re going to have to let her see who you really are, and let her make up her mind as to whether or not she wants you.”  Shevaughn tapped his nose with an admonitory fingertip.  “No lying to her, even when she asks you the hard questions.”  She regarded him soberly.  “Love requires honesty, hard work, and above all, courage.”

The herb-witch got to her feet, scooping up the cat.  “Now, you need to think long and hard about what you really want.  I’ll leave you to it.”  Smiling suddenly, she patted Clay’s shoulder.  “Good night, young man.”

She left Clay staring thoughtfully into the fire.

@welcome-to-unseasoned

[yet-another-oc-blog]

How does your OC deal with heartbreak?

[mythigal1966]

Vivian is very wary of people’s motives for befriending her in the first place, so if anyone managed to get close enough to her for her to fall in love, betrayal would be devastating.  Vivian would buy a couple of bottles of good tequila, go home and get very drunk.  After she recovered from the hangover, she would lavish attention on her cats, and on her animal patients at work.  She loves animals and would take great comfort from their company.  She might even get a new pet.  She would be an utter cast iron bitch to whomever broke her heart, and they would NOT get a second chance.  Vivian can and will hold a grudge against them for the rest of their life. Depending on the circumstances, she might even contemplate revenge.

Wendy would bury herself in her work.  She would become a hermit, socially, except for her immediate family, and go to great lengths to avoid any further contact with whomever broke her heart.  Most likely, she would retreat from any future attempts to ask her out, or to romance her from anyone.  A man would have to sneak in under her guard by becoming her platonic friend first.

Pamela…  You would never know she was suffering from a broken heart.  She would hide it from everyone.  Only those who knew her best would even suspect she was in pain.  But, though she would be as warm and charming as ever, she would distance herself emotionally from people for a while.  She would take solace from her books, and from her garden.

Dria is something of a loner, though not by choice.  People tend to avoid her once they learn that she has precognitive abilities, or they tend to want her to use her talent on their behalf.  Dria prefers to be liked for herself, but she finds it difficult to get close to people while hiding her talent.  So, she usually keeps a bit of a distance with people, until they earn her trust.  So, if a man managed to get close enough for her to fall in love with him, then broke her heart, Dria would be devastated.  She would take refuge in her art, drawing and painting, and forgoing food and sleep, until she was near the point of collapse.  After purging her emotions this way, she would do little but sleep and eat for a day or two.  Then, when she got some of her energy back she would put on some music and dance to reclaim herself.  And, she would go back to keeping people at a distance.

[ocqotd]

Is your OC fashionable?

[mythigal1966]

Vivian is fairly fashionable when not in scrubs, though most of the time she tends to be rather casual.  But she does know what suits her, and she does wear custom-made lingerie.  And there are some designer labels in her closet.  

Wendy is very practical, and frugal.  She is an engineer and inventor, and tends to wear old clothes and/or coveralls when she works.  She is also very tall (5′10″) so she only owns one pair of low heels, which she only wears once in a blue moon.  She favors sturdy, high quality clothing that is easy to wash, and tends to favor black cotton underwear.  Also, she is an A cup, so tends not to wear bras unless forced to.  She has several piercings (both ears, right nostril, and navel) three tattoos (both shoulders and the back of her neck) and wears her hair waist-length, but undercut in the back and clipped close on the sides.

Pamela is stylish rather than fashionable.  She favors clothing that is classic in design, that doesn’t go out of fashion.  She loves shoes, though she does restrict herself a bit.  She is always elegantly attired, whether she is going to a picnic, the library, the opera, or just staying home.

Dria is very bohemian, and doesn’t really care what is in fashion.  She has a gift for taking the most eclectic items and putting them together in a way that works.  Being an artist, she isn’t afraid of color, either.  She detests high heels, and prefers low heeled boots, sandals, or just going barefoot.  She has also been known to take plain oversized tees and a pair of scissors and some paint and turning them into funky tops.  Shops at thrift stores a lot.  And, her bras and panties might be in unusual prints or colors, and rarely match.  Frequently wears henna tattoos.  Also dyes her hair unusual colors, like shades of purple or blue.

[inspiredocs]

How squeamish is your oc?

[mythigal1966]

Vivian: Not at all.  She is a veterinarian, after all, trained in emergency medicine.  She has a far stronger stomach than anyone she knows.

Wendy:  Not terribly.  She has dealt with a lot of her brothers’ minor injuries and illnesses, and they frequently ended up in the emergency room when they were younger.  Isn’t fond of roaches, however.

Pamela:  Mildly.  Blood wouldn’t do it, but serious injury might.  She has first aid training, but has yet to deal with anything more than minor lacerations or a bloody nose.

Dria: The one time she tried to donate blood, she made the mistake of watching the needle go into her arm, and passed out.  They asked her not to come back.

[oc-question]

can your character ride a horse?

[mythigal1966]

Vivian learned how to ride while she was doing her residency in Colorado.  She rides Western style, owns a pair of red cowboy boots, and a Stetson.

Wendy:  Hell, no!  Wendy doesn’t have anything against horses, but she’s never gotten close to one, much less had a chance to try riding one.  She would politely decline, if invited to try.

Pamela has ridden horses since she could walk.  She even fox hunts in America.  (In the US, the fox is merely chased, but not killed.)  

Dria;  She works for the NYPD as a sketch artist, and has occasionally met (and sketched) the horses of the mounted police officers.  She would love to learn to ride, but hasn’t the time or the money, at this time.

[ocqotd]

Does your OC have a go-to fast food place?

[mythigal1966]

Vivian is a bit of a food snob, but she has been known to pick up a cheeseburger from Five Guys…

Wendy isn’t much for fast food, but there is a pizza parlor that makes the best veggie pizza…  The employees of Carmen’s and the Black Dragon sometimes order from each other’s restaurants.

Pamela has a weakness for the Shake Shack.  She loves the cheese fries and the Shack burgers.

Dria often stops by a little barbecue place near her apartment.  They make the best ribs…  And the cornbread is amazing.

[justafewocprompts]

How would your OC spend a snow day?

[mythigal1966]

Vivian would spend the day playing with her cats, watching old movies, doing a little yoga, and maybe making herself some quiche.

Wendy would sleep in, do laundry, clean her room/apartment, cook her favorite foods, and watch movies.  

Pamela would read, preferably in front of the fireplace.  If she got restless, perhaps going sledding, or building a snow man. Regardless, it would be a lazy day.

Dria would take the opportunity to sleep late, and bake.  She would try out whatever the latest recipe was to catch her eye, and she would also make bread.  Then, she would curl up on the couch, eat what she had just finished baking, and watch movies or binge watch her latest favorite show. 

[sweetoothgirl]

EASIEST 3 INGREDIENT PEPPERMINT BARK

[mythigal1966]

Happy Valentines Day, Virgo!

@room-of-torture

[room-of-torture]

Donnie looks at the treats before turning to Vivian, and shaking his head with a chuckle. “Do I regret that I let you all know that my weakness is anything that has peppermint on it? Maybe, not sure yet. But…Happy Valentines Day, Scorpio.”

The turtle hesitated for a moment at the treats, side glancing and crossing his arms before he parted his lips to speak again, “…I…don’t…think I’ll be able to eat these on my own.” @mythigal1966

[mythigal1966]

Vivian paused for a moment, then smiled, reaching across to snag one of the pieces of candy.  “Well, Virgo…we can’t have you getting sick from eating all of this, now can we!” she teased, breaking it into two pieces.  

When the tall turtle opened his mouth to answer, she slipped the larger bit of peppermint bark between his lips while popping the other bit into her own mouth.  Chewing blissfully, she hummed in the back of her throat, eyes twinkling at Tech’s expression.

@room-of-torture

[mythigal1966]

🥂 ( Wendy )

Send 🥂 for our established muses to enjoy valentinestogether

(Wendy & Donnie,Mutants and Humans AU)

Wendy’s arms were so full, she had toknock on the door to Leo’s apartment with her foot.  “Sorry,” she gasped when Donnie opened thedoor.

Her boyfriend hastened to relieve her ofthe heaviest bags, blinking a bit as he saw how much she was carrying.  “What’s all this?”

Wendy smiled.  Donnie’s older brother Leo had lent them hisapartment for the night.  He would be sleepingat their parent’s house.  “Are youkidding?  You said this place has akitchen—do you honestly think I’m going to pass up the chance to cook for you?”

Donnie’s beautiful honey-colored eyeslit up.  “Really?  You don’t have to, you know.”

Wendy shook her head, eyeing the smallbut spotless kitchen.  “I want to!  And I brought dessert…”  She showed him the carton of strawberries andthe pot of chocolate dipping sauce.

Donnie scooped her up and huggedher.  “That looks great!  You’regreat!”  He didn’t care how Wendy’scooking turned out, he was going to eat every bite…

They got a little distracted when Wendygiggled and kissed him.  But, then Donnie’sstomach growled.  They laughed and he sether down, only then noticing that she was wearing the little black dress thatshe’d had on at their first meeting.  

He nearly kissed her again.  Instead, he put on some music and insisted onhelping her cook.  She smiled and had himchop vegetables while she cooked rice and sliced chicken.  Then, after swearing him to secrecy, sheshowed him how to make dumplings.  

They joked and teased and laughed whileWendy made the stir-fry and Donnie set the table.  It was all very domestic and fun, and surprisinglyromantic.

“My compliments to your mother, shereally has you well trained,” Wendy teased when he also insisted on helpingwash the dishes and put away the leftovers. There were plenty: Donnie suspected that she had made too much onpurpose, so that there would be some for Leo later.

Donnie approved this further evidence ofWendy’s thoughtfulness: especially when she left a thank you card on thecounter for his brother, including a gift certificate for the Black Dragon,Wendy’s parents’ restaurant.

Wendy had also brought a book they had gottenabout halfway through, so they kicked off their shoes, snuggled on the couch,and took turns reading chapters to each other, and feeding each other chocolatedipped strawberries.  

That is, until they got distracted.  Donnie ended up picking Wendy up and carryingher, giggling, into the guest room.  

It was a good thing Leo wasn’t due backuntil noon: they didn’t get to sleep until nearly dawn.  And, they took full advantage of the factthat the shower was big enough for them both…

They went out to one the mutant friendlydiners in the area for a very late breakfast, Wendy carrying the vase of purplecarnations and white spider mums that Donnie had nearly forgotten to give her.  She sat in the curve of his arm and they fedeach other pancakes and bacon.

All in all, it was a most satisfactory Valentine’sDay.

[yet-another-oc-blog]

How does your OC deal with heartbreak?

[mythigal1966]

Vivian is very wary of people’s motives for befriending her in the first place, so if anyone managed to get close enough to her for her to fall in love, betrayal would be devastating.  Vivian would buy a couple of bottles of good tequila, go home and get very drunk.  After she recovered from the hangover, she would lavish attention on her cats, and on her animal patients at work.  She loves animals and would take great comfort from their company.  She might even get a new pet.  She would be an utter cast iron bitch to whomever broke her heart, and they would NOT get a second chance.  Vivian can and will hold a grudge against them for the rest of their life. Depending on the circumstances, she might even contemplate revenge.

Wendy would bury herself in her work.  She would become a hermit, socially, except for her immediate family, and go to great lengths to avoid any further contact with whomever broke her heart.  Most likely, she would retreat from any future attempts to ask her out, or to romance her from anyone.  A man would have to sneak in under her guard by becoming her platonic friend first.

Pamela…  You would never know she was suffering from a broken heart.  She would hide it from everyone.  Only those who knew her best would even suspect she was in pain.  But, though she would be as warm and charming as ever, she would distance herself emotionally from people for a while.  She would take solace from her books, and from her garden.

Dria is something of a loner, though not by choice.  People tend to avoid her once they learn that she has precognitive abilities, or they tend to want her to use her talent on their behalf.  Dria prefers to be liked for herself, but she finds it difficult to get close to people while hiding her talent.  So, she usually keeps a bit of a distance with people, until they earn her trust.  So, if a man managed to get close enough for her to fall in love with him, then broke her heart, Dria would be devastated.  She would take refuge in her art, drawing and painting, and forgoing food and sleep, until she was near the point of collapse.  After purging her emotions this way, she would do little but sleep and eat for a day or two.  Then, when she got some of her energy back she would put on some music and dance to reclaim herself.  And, she would go back to keeping people at a distance.

[welcome-to-unseasoned]

Happy Holidays at Unseasoned!

[welcome-to-unseasoned]

mythigal1966‌:

Wendy smiled and nursed her mug of tea.  Her straight black hair was piled on top of her head, held in place by a set of ivory combs that were a gift from her family.  She sighed and smoothed a hand down the soft red fabric of her new dress. She’d never owned such a pretty, and flattering garment in her life, and between the combs and the dress, Wendy almost hadn’t recognized herself in the bathroom mirror.  

She looked positively elegant!  And, she’d gotten a lot of compliments, as well—Jake and Cy had pretended to argue over who got to escort her to breakfast, until Jimmy slipped between them, grinned, and held out his arm.  Emma’s eyes had gotten enormous when she’d first caught sight of Wendy, and Mikey had paid her deliberately outrageous compliments until she’d stopped blushing and started giggling.  Shevaughn had sighed happily, and told Wendy she looked lovely.  Ethan had smiled and nodded at her and Tess had beamed.

For a young woman who’d never even considered herself passingly pretty, it was heady stuff, and Wendy was quietly storing up the praise.

But, it was Clay’s reaction that had made the biggest impression…  The man had forgotten himself enough to stare—at least until Shevaughn had laughed and reached out to gently close his mouth.

Wendy was surprised and a little disturbed at how much she’d enjoyed that!

She distracted herself by watching Emma pull out a wooden box with handles on the ends, and her name carefully painted on the lid.  Inside were the set of basic tools that Wendy had used when she was younger—they were too small for her hands now, but just about the right size for her young assistant. Emma had been borrowing them, but Wendy thought it was about time to make it official, since Emma showed no signs of losing interest in helping Wendy.  

***

Tess and Shevaughn exchanged conspiratorial smiles when Clay discovered the bundle of clothing under the tree: really, two new work shirts, a pair of trousers, and two new pairs of wool socks weren’t much, but the man hadn’t arrived with much in the way of clothing.  

Ethan’s gift to Tess of a fountain pen rested on top of the stack of paper that Mikey had given her, and the young author wiggled happily in the curve of Ethan’s arm.  Her gift to her husband was several skeins of lambswool yarn in a blue that matched his eyes—enough to knit him a new sweater.

***

Ethan, like Wendy, had been forbidden to do any work today.  He and Tess had enjoyed spending the early morning together snuggled up in bed. The kiss he’d received when he’d presented Tess with the new pen had nearly had him coaxing her back to their room. As it was, he was determined to suggest a nap after lunch.  After all, technically, he and Tess were still on their honeymoon…

***

Shevaughn was in her element: she was never happier than when she was fussing over her greenhouse, or her people.  And now, she had a lot of new people to look after.  She grinned at Mikey as he handed out presents, content to watch with her calico cat on her lap, the new bags and herbs set carefully to one side: She would see about coaxing some of the dried vegetation back to life, later.

***

Cy and Jake had been very much surprised to get gifts.  So far as they were concerned, they had everything they really needed.  Jake was especially touched that Mikey had overcome his obvious discomfort with guns to purchase the new shotguns.  Now, they would be able to leave the extra arms with Tess during their trip to find Weasel.  And, considering the weather, the new coats were also appreciated.  

Jimmy was delighted with his new jacket: the boy had his own built-in fur coat, but that didn’t mean he didn’t appreciate the extra layer.  And he was thrilled to be formally presented with one of Jake’s smaller hunting rifles—the young man had certainly earned it!

Christmas morning wasn’t usually a fancy affair, and honestly it had been a long time since he’d actually seen anything truly elegant in a fashion sense. But Wendy also looked so incredibly comfortable and happy in her new dress as well as beautiful that it didn’t feel out of place at all. There was something calm and graceful about her that he assumed came from seeing her out of her usual working attire rather than any miracles a simple dress performed. He noted with mild interest that Clay seemed as surprised as well as impressed.  That and he chuckled when Shevaughn had to lean over and shut his jaw. He grinned and elbowed Ethan with a knowing nod toward the scene.

His ward huffed in irritation, quickly catching on as she fiddled with her gift from her surrogate father. He had gotten his usual present for Emma, a new weapon, this year a pair of wooden sais he’d asked for Cy and Jake to help him carve. Actually- to do for him because he had no real patience or skill for it. It had become a thing for them years ago so every year instead of anything cute or fancy he gave her something to remind them both of what they’d been through, something to push her forward because he also knew where she was going. When Emma had opened Wendy’s gift her eyes had grown so large and round that it gave him a odd sense of pride and melancholy mixed together. It took him a few minutes to understand why. Watching her grow up and find new things to be interested in was something he’d always expected to have. It was something a parent envisioned experiencing with their children, and Emma was about as close as he could come. And it made him sad, and happy.

Jimmy shared a moment of solidarity with Mikey being the only other total non-humans in the place. Sometimes people dismissed basic comforts such as warmth thinking they had some natural indifference as though they were more akin to their wilder counterparts than they really were. Jimmy might have had a slight advantage over him with his fur coat, but Mikey still shivered when he saw the boy outside with half the layers as anyone else.  They both appreciated the care put in to keeping them warm.

Though Mikey worked hard that day, he didn’t work too hard. Lunch was easy. Dinner practically cooked itself. Everyone was more than happy to pitch in just to spend time being entertained by his boundless energy and sense of humor that somehow grew on that day. Watching Wendy and Ethan both kicking back and enjoying not doing a thing all day more than made it worth it.  The two had brought so much to Unseasoned that he felt in their debt for their dedication and raising the quality of life for everyone who lived there. And there was just something about seeing Ethan and Tess so happy and Wendy blooming with confidence and joy that touched him in a way that he could only describe as familial.

Mikey spent long hours talking with everyone about their hopes and dreams for the new year to come. He played games well in to the evening with the teenagers and found time to spend with every single kid who had to be in bed not long after dinner, watching them fall asleep with new toys in their hands. He held his tongue when talking to Wendy about what no one but her seemed to miss with Clay, and teased Tom a bit about Shadow returning in a few days time. He listened to Nana’s holiday stories for at least the 8th time while Jake heard them for the first, and gave Cy a fist bump, whom he’d recently convinced as a truly manly handshake, as he retired for the night.

It was late with only a handful of people huddled around the first in the Great Room when he finally stayed still long enough to start to doze off. Clay remained, deep in though while watching the fire cackle and the young boy Sage was curled up against his side. It wasn’t until he felt a gentle nudge to his shoulder from the herb witch that he yawned, stood, picked up the sleeping youth and headed to his room with a smile and nod to Shevaughn and Clay as she sat near him and they began murmuring quietly. 

[mythigal1966]

Having nothing to do but rest and eat was a brand new experience for Wendy, but she enjoyed it for the most part.  However, she would be glad to get back to work tomorrow—it wasn’t really work when she enjoyed it so much.  She smiled down at Emma.  The girl had hardly put her tool box down all day, and was seated next to Wendy, eyelids drooping and head leaning against the tall young woman’s shoulder.  Wendy quietly bid everyone good night, and scooped up Emma, tools and all, and bore her off to bed.

She didn’t notice Clay’s eyes following her.

Tess and Ethan made their excuses shortly after dinner: really, if it hadn’t been Christmas, they might not have left their rooms at all that day. They weren’t so wrapped up in each other as to be embarrassing, but it was enough to generate envy in more than one observer.  Shevaughn watched them with a soft smile on her face, remembering: she and her late husband had once looked at each other like that.

The calico cat on her lap purred and butted her hand demandingly, and she laughed to herself and obliged with a chin-scratch.  Her smile grew as she watched Jake and Nana making eyes at each other.  The two were exchanging teasing glances and remarks.  

Cy caught Shevaughn’s eye and shook his head in mock despair, glancing at his brother and Unseasoned’s matriarch, and pretending to roll his eyes. The brothers were getting an early start in the morning, leaving to hunt down Weasel, and Jake was plainly getting as much flirting in as he could before he was forced to get some sleep.

Beside Shevaughn, Clay sighed.  “Is it something in the water here?” he complained, watching the older couple.  “I mean, first Ethan, and now Jake?”

The herb witch shot him a shrewd glance.  “Is that your round about way of saying you’re catching the romance fever?”  She watched as Clay shifted and looked away.  “I saw the way you were looking at Wendy, my dear.”

Clay opened his mouth, then closed it again.  “I…she’s not like anyone else I’ve ever met.  I don’t know what to say to her,” he confessed.

Shevaughn’s fingers were busy scratching the feline on her lap, but she was watching the young man closely.  “Well, I think the apology was a good start.  It had the virtue of being sincere.”  She leaned in a bit closer.  “Would you like a bit of advice from a meddlesome old lady?”

Clay grimaced, but there was a tiny twinkle in his eye.  “Do I have a choice?”

The herb witch sobered.  “Unless you are serious about that girl, leave her be.”  She saw the instant denial in his expression and cut him off when he opened his mouth.  “That girl doesn’t know how to be anything but honest.  DO NOT trifle with her because you are bored, or out of habit.

“If you really want her, then you’re going to have to be brave, my dear. You’re going to have to let her see who you really are, and let her make up her mind as to whether or not she wants you.”  Shevaughn tapped his nose with an admonitory fingertip.  “No lying to her, even when she asks you the hard questions.”  She regarded him soberly.  “Love requires honesty, hard work, and above all, courage.”

The herb-witch got to her feet, scooping up the cat.  “Now, you need to think long and hard about what you really want.  I’ll leave you to it.”  Smiling suddenly, she patted Clay’s shoulder.  “Good night, you man.”

She left Clay staring thoughtfully into the fire.

@welcome-to-unseasoned

[room-of-torture]

Hour of the Cat…

This was written and posted by @mythigal1966 in response to Donnie having his anxiety attack. (The drabble post did a couple days ago) Love this <33

————————————

(couldn’t leave Donnie in that state…  So, here’s a one-shot response.  Enjoy!)

Vivian all but dragged Tech into her room, holding him carefully by the wrist, lips compressed and ignoring his indignant sputtering. 

He wasn’t fooling her a bit.  As big and strong as he was, he could have detached himself from her grip with ease.  Instead, he let her lead him through the mansion to her suite and subsided into a chair when she pointed to it, although with a great deal of mutinous muttering.

It was the work of a moment to locate the first aid kit in the bathroom.  When she stepped back into the sitting room, she was confronted with a scene that made her slow.

Dustmop, Vivian’s twenty pound long-haired Maine Coon cat was sitting on the table next to Tech’s chair, regarding the turtle gravely.  Tech stared back, suspicious and a bit disconcerted. 

Vivian’s lip curled up in amusement when the cat leaned forward and butted his head against Tech’s shoulder.  She chuckled.  “Virgo, this is my cat, Dustmop.  Dusty, this curmudgeon is Tech.”  She set the first aid kit down next to the cat.  “Virgo, cats have scent glands in their cheeks.  He just scent marked you—you’re his turtle now!”

Tech blinked.  “Scent marked?” 

“Yes.”  Vivian sighed.  “That’s also his way of asking for rubs behind the ears.  Like this.”  She demonstrated, smiling as the cat’s deep, rumbling purr filled the room.  Tech’s fingers twitched, as if suppressing the urge to touch. 

“Okay, you try.  He won’t mind, I think he likes you.”

Vivian held her breath as Tech cautiously reached over and delicately stroked Dusty’s silky head, the turtle’s posture and expression relaxing when the cat leaned into the touch, closing his eyes and purring like a motorboat.

While Dustmop made another friend, Vivian quietly opened the first aid kit and reached for Tech’s other hand, gently cleaning his battered knuckles and taping a light dressing over the abraded flesh with practiced speed.  Tech barely seemed to notice, his body and expression easing even further as the cat climbed into his lap and butted the turtle’s chest, asking for more. 

Vivian smiled, discarding her gloves and reaching across to rub the big cat under the chin and scratch along his spine, flicking a glance at the turtle’s fascinated expression as he took the hint and copied her.

Maybe Tech didn’t want to talk about why he’d punched the door, but Vivian knew of fewer things more relaxing than a happy purring cat.  And, it seemed that Tech wasn’t immune…

[mythigal1966]

Dusty approves!

@room-of-torture

[mythigal1966]

Dria waited patiently while he gazed at the drawing, his expression slightly stunned.  This was a lot to take in at once, and a lot to take on faith.  

She sympathized.  Dria had had nearly a month to get over the shock of his appearance, time to develop acceptance and even curiosity.  He was clearly struggling with her story.

Sternly repressing a sigh, she waited for him to come to grips with the situation, wondering if he would accept her assertion of psychic ability or contest it.

When he finally did speak, she blinked a little.  “Actually, I had no idea you were here.”  She sighed, pressing her lips together.  “I was dodging an unwanted admirer.  Actually, I was trying for the dressing room, but I had one of those strong, unexplained impulses to duck in here.”

Smiling, Dria gestured at the terrapin.  “I had no idea you were here—or that you were so tall!” She cocked her head, the coins and tiny beads decorating her costume flashing a bit as they caught the dim light. “It’s probably none of my business, but…what are you doing in here?”

@trashyfangirlbliss

[trashyfangirlbliss]

“OH! Oh, crap!”

The question set off a nuclear bomb in Donnie’s mind. She’d caught him so thoroughly off-guard…between her sudden appearance, the brightly colored, sparkling and jangling bedleh that highlighted every considerable inch of human-female beauty, her claim of precognitive powers, and the illustrated evidence to support her claim…he’d straight up forgotten what he was doing and why he was in the storage room of a night club to begin with.

Panic jolted him into action. Donnie dipped his head, forcing his focus back onto the WiFi box in his hand. He memorized the serial number and password information and rushed back to his makeshift desk in the back. His hands moved in a whirlwind over the keys.

Get into the WiFi..

Connecting…signal strength established, kicking off a few users…

T-phone signal re-established…

“Can you hear me?”

“Yeah, Mikey, we got you.”

“April’s talkin’ to one of the teachers but I think she can hear again too.”

“Donnie! ….damn it! Mikey, move in, go through the basement entrance and check on -“

“Hang on, Leo!” Donnie exclaimed, hoping his voice would halt the cacophony ringing throughout the headset. “It’s okay, we are back up, I had to reboot the connection.”

“We good now?”

“Yeah, I’m almost done getting Wilson’s phone. My program is searching through his texts to find anything that could be related to Sofia.”

“Any other problems we need to know about?”

“Uhhh….” Donnie looked over his shoulder at his odd little companion across the room. “I don’t think it’s exactly what could be described as a problem…”

“The hell is he talkin’ ‘bout?!”

“Standby guys, I need a minute.”

He touched the mute button on the cord and pulled off the headset. He turned to face her again, but remained behind the shelves. Spaces between kept her in sight, but somewhat obscured by the bulky shapes and erratic spaces of the clutter.

“So…to answer your question first, I’m here to collect information on a missing high-schooler for my friend. He looks out for her and she may have gotten mixed up with a gang.”

@mythigal1966

[mythigal1966]

Dria blinked as her new acquaintance practically exploded into action.  Apparently, she’d interrupted something important.  Listening to his side of the conversation, one word in particular caught her attention.

Wilson.

She sighed as he explained the situation through the screen of the shelving.  “You did say, ‘Wilson,’ right?”  Her mouth quirked to one side in distaste.  “That wouldn’t happen to be Vang Wilson, would it?  Because guess who my thoroughly creepy unwanted admirer is…”

Then her lips firmed.  “Look, I’m not a police officer, but I do work for the department as a sketch artist.  Is there anything I can do to help?  I mean, the NYPD has a gang unit.  I could check in with them, see if there’s anything they can do.”  

@trashyfangirlbliss

[trashyfangirlbliss]

Donnie clenched his teeth as a thread of anger ripped through his chest. No matter what he studied in books or online, or observed in person himself, he couldn’t understand why a large population of human men made a point to harass and bully women. Men like Vang Wilson, a gangster whose hobbies included pimping, gambling, and robbing pawn-shops, were always seeking to exploit vulnerability. The idea of him taking an interest in this odd, beguiling little woman caused a spike of alarm.

Donnie’s head tilted as he considered her offer and how to handle the situation. Human contract wasn’t something they usually did. However, there was nothing usual about this woman, or this situation. Leo was going to have an absolute over it once they were back at the lair. Master Splinter probably wasn’t going to be that happy either.

I’m so going to end up in the Hashi for this…

“Maybe…can you make an inquiry about Sofia Longo. Her grandmother, Isabella Longo, formally reported her missing this morning. This isn’t the first time she’s disappeared but this time she’s in real trouble and the police probably aren’t going to be focusing on finding a 16 year old who’s been flirting with juvenile hall and dropping out of high school for a year.”

Donnie sighed and glanced back at his laptop. His programs had finally finished copying the Purple Dragon phones and implanting his digital tracking-recording bug. “My programs are going to go through everything on those devices. Hopefully someone texted or emailed them something that will help us find Sofia.”

@mythigal1966

[mythigal1966]

Dria’s frowned in concern as he explained matters.  “I take we’re in kind of a hurry?  And it’s the Purple Dragons?  I thought I recognized the tattoo on Wilson’s neck!”  

When he nodded, she fished her phone out of her turban, chuckling when he blinked at her.  “No, I didn’t have a premonition that I would need it.  I’m just paranoid about leaving my valuables in an unlocked dressing room.” She didn’t tell him she also had her keys, ID, and a credit card stashed on her person as well.  

Quickly scrolling through her contacts, she made a call, glancing at her companion and pressing her finger to her lips to signal him to be quiet, then smiling in relief when her co-worker picked up.  “Joey?  Hi, it’s Dria…  I know, sorry to bother you off duty, but I need a favor.  Are you still dating that guy from the gang unit?”  Dria quickly explained about the missing girl, and the possibility that she was in trouble with the Purple Dragons, stressing the urgency of the matter, and  being deliberately vague about her source of information.  “Okay, Joey—if your guy finds out anything, please call me immediately, I don’t care what time it is…”  She laughed. “Okay, then—two loaves of fresh-baked cinnamon raisin bread, it is!  And thank you!”

Ending the call, she sighed, turning back to her companion. “Okay, then.  Inquiry made.”  She frowned as a fresh problem presented itself.  “If this pans out, how am I going to get in touch with you?”

@trashyfangirlbliss

[trashyfangirlbliss]

Donnie felt the corner of his mouth twitch as a hot rush of anxiety, embarrassment, and elation filled his lungs like a first-breath after a long swim under water. He stared at his companion as she walked a few steps closer to him, keeping the shelf between them.

She’s so cute…

Leo is going to kill me…

If I have her contact I can find out where she lives and set up surveillance and security in case that Wilson creep follows her.

Master Sensei is going to kill me…

The hair by her ear is…purple! Is all her hair dyed purple? Is that her favorite color too?

Right into the Hashi…

Wonder if she likes Star Wars or Star Trek…

Donnie shook his head, marshaling his wandering thoughts. After a quick rifle through his options, he reached through the shelf for her phone.

“Here, let me see your phone.”

To his eternal shock, she handed it over without a qualm. Donnie suppressed a triumphant grin as he punched the number of his outside-router phone into the contacts. Once she texted that number to the OR t-phone, a low-key version of the tracking bug he’d uploaded to the Purple Dragon thug devices would send him her registration info. From there he would set up alerts in his machinery if Wilson or any of his filthy cronies tried to disrupt her life.

“There. My number is in there - I’m Donatello, by the way. When you get home tonight text me to let me know you made it back okay, and we’ll go from there.”

A quick glance at his laptop revealed that his programs were finished copying and implanting. He needed to get his mind back on the mission. And somehow manage to get her out of the club, without being seen by Wilson or his own family.

“You need to leave, if Wilson was harassing you he may try to follow you again. You can go the way I came in.”

@mythigal1966

[mythigal1966]

Dria didn’t hesitate to hand her new friend her phone—nothing in any of her drawings indicated that he was in any way dangerous to her.  And, one of then needed to make a gesture of trust, it might as well be her.  She had no idea what he did to it, in addition to adding himself to her contacts list.  Dria wasn’t exactly tech-savvy, so this really was a gesture of trust on her part.

His name took her by surprise, though.  Donatello?  As in the Renaissance sculptor?  She blinked and nodded when he mentioned her sneaking out of the building.  She had no desire to fall foul of Wilson again, so she wasn’t going to argue.

“Okay.  But I need to grab my stuff out of the dressing room.”  Testing her instincts, she stepped over to the door and put her hand on the knob.

No warnings came, just a sense of urgency.  “And I need to do it now.”  Turning, she gave her unorthodox companion a quick smile.  “I’ll be right back.”

Before he could object, she was gone, ghosting down the deserted hall with both hands pressed to the loose chains on her bra top to muffle any possible noise.  Slipping into the now empty dressing room, she snatched up her bag and began hastily shoveling her street clothes, stage make-up and costume detritus into it, in no particular order, the growing sense that she needed to hurry lending her feet wings as she scurried back down the hall.

As soon as she slipped back inside the storage room, locking the door behind herself, the growing feeling of dread vanished.  

“Whew!”  Dria felt her shoulders come down.  Giving Donatello a relieved smile, she set her bag down on a convenient crate, and started pulling off her jewelry, rolling the bracelets, rings, pins, neckpiece, and earrings up in a loose scarf to keep them from chiming together.  

Catching Donatello blinking at her she gave him a self-depreciating grin.  “Well, I can’t exactly go running around outside dressed like cross between Scheherazade and a fortune teller, can I?”  She sighed. “Fortunately, it takes me considerably less time to take this stuff off than it does to put it on…”  

Shoving the roll of jewelry into a corner of the bag, she fished out the white high-top Converse she’d painted with black henna designs and dropped them on the floor, then pulled out her faded skinny jeans, and the baggy black and grey sweater that had been her first serious attempt to knit something.  

It was a matter of less than a minute to unwind the turban and free her nearly shoulder length curls.  Dria’s black hair had been slowly turning white since her gift had appeared, and she coped with it by dying her hair whatever color struck her fancy. Today, her hair sported rich amethyst streaks.

Clearing her throat, Dria caught Donatello’s eye as she untied the shawl from around her hips.  “Ah…  Do you mind?”

@trashyfangirlbliss

[trashyfangirlbliss]

Donnie blinked in the seconds after she’d slipped out the door. But the concern he felt over her going back out into the populated areas of the club was battered by the recollection that he’d muted his radio.

Taking advantage of the solitude, he switched his Output back on.

“Leo?”

“Talk to me, Don, what’s going on down there?”

“I’ll go over it with you back at the lair. I got what we need to find Sofja and I’m packing up in here.”

“April, Casey, you catch that?”

“Got it!”

“Where are those goons holdin’ the pit, Don? We gotta get Sofia tonight.”

“Back to the lair guys,” Donnie said. “I need my full lab to get that info.”

“Be safe getting out of there, Angel-Cakes!” Mikey chimed in a valiant, over exaggerated tone. “And fear not, should those dastardly knaves accost you, I shall OUCH! Damn it, Raph, you - no no no, I’m sorry! I’m sorry! UNCLE! UNCLE! UNCLE! Not my beautiful face!”

“Raph! Mikey!” Leo roared. “Knock it off and get stealthy!”

“Going silent again,” Donnie said. “See you guys at the meeting point.” His odd, new little friend reappeared just as he disconnected. Dria, she’d called herself while speaking on her phone a few minutes ago. It sounded odd…maybe it was short for something. He’d be able to find out as soon as she texted him.

She dropped a large duffle bag on the floor beside her and locked the door. She unzipped it and began to remove her accessories. Following her lead, Donnie began to pack up his own equipment. The laptop and cables were first. But when he turned to collect the repurposed tablet, he saw that she was removing the turban.

Donnie’s mind grew more and more foggy with every layer of turban unraveled.

Her hair was indeed, purple.

But not just one shade of purple. The roots were a soft, pale lavender that grew darker and richer with every inch. Lilac, orchid, violet, amethyst, aubergine, and blackberry shades blended into a luscious ombré. His fingers twitched with an overwhelming urge to reach out and touch it…there was so much of it, and it looked so soft…

Donnie’s heart stuttered to a complete halt when a breath brought the faintest scent of amber through his nostrils. Another breath, more perfume…there were notes of jasmine and rose in there too. It was like a lightning bolt hurtling through the stale, cleaners-and-old-wet-cardboard cloud in the room.

Dria said something he didn’t quite catch. He blinked and observed her posture. Turned away from him…glancing over her shoulder with a cocked eyebrow…hands tugging at the knot that held the jangling sash on her hips…

Heat rushed up Donnie’s neck and flooded his face, until the sides of his eyes and the inside of his ears were burning.

“S-sorry!” He exclaimed and whipped around to face his surveillance and data collection equipment. Exhilaration liberally seasoned with embarrassment scalded his insides like a blowtorch. Donnie continued to load his dufflebag, trying to keep his attention focused on anything other than the beguiling little creature changing clothes a few feet from him.

He wouldn’t look. He wouldn’t. He refused to be like the asshole males of her species who acted entitled to look and touch whoever and whenever they wanted.

“Let me know when you’re ready,” Donnie said and cleared his throat in an effort to keep his voice from cracking. “I’ll take you up to the street and make sure you leave without a trailing admirer.”

@mythigal1966

[mythigal1966]

Donatello appeared to be mesmerized by her hair.  The corners of Dria’s mouth turned up a little when he realized that he was staring and hastily turned away with a stuttered apology.  And, was he actually blushing?  

Dria bit her lip to control her smile as she peeled off the layers of her costume, her fingers a little clumsy as the oddity of her situation struck.  She was half-naked only a few feet away from a huge humanoid turtle.  However, Donatello’s gentlemanly behavior was reassuring, and that steadied the tremor in her hands.  

Taking a deep breath, Dria exchanged the costume top for a turquoise lace bra, then pulled out her package of baby wipes and swiped off the majority of the glitter from her arms, neck, chest, belly and what she could reach of her back.  It would take a washcloth and soap and water to remove the rest, but at least she wouldn’t be sparkling in the dark like a disco ball.  

Quickly pulling on a black tank top and the baggy sweater, Dria carefully removed her belt, rolling it up in a towel with the bra top, and depositing them in her duffle.  

Shooting a quick glance at Donatello, who was still determinedly turned away to give her some privacy, she shoved the baggy, black and gold chalwar down her legs, stepping out of them carefully so as not to step on them before rolling them up and dropping them into her bag.  

With a moue of distaste, Dria sat briefly on the decrepit chair and gave the bottoms of her feet a hasty scrub with another baby wipe: she loved going barefoot, but god only knew what was on the bar-room floor. Quickly wiggling into dark socks, then her jeans, Dria stepped into her sneakers while she zipped and buttoned, bent to tie her high-tops, then grabbed one last wipe and a hand mirror to remove the worst of the stage make-up.

Grimacing at the state of her hair—the turban had flattened her curls—Dria tried to fluff it a bit with one hand, gave it up as a lost cause, and gathered it up in a sloppy ponytail instead.

Without the dramatic makeup, she looked a bit younger than her 23 years—less exotic, but still pretty.

Dria zipped up her duffle, eyeing her companion’s shell—and the mysterious equipment strapped to it—in fascination: her fingers itched for a pencil and pad, and she gave herself a quick shake when she realized she was staring.  

“Donatello?”  She smiled tentatively when he turned.  “I’m ready whenever you are.”

[welcome-to-unseasoned]

Happy Holidays at Unseasoned!

[welcome-to-unseasoned]

mythigal1966‌:

Shevaughn snagged Mikey’s arm as he turned to go back to his room.  “Aren’t you forgetting something?” she whispered, winking and glancing at Wendy.

Mikey’s eyes widened, and he grinned. “Right!”  He winked at the herb witch as she took Wendy by the arm.

“And, you, young lady, are not going to lift a finger tomorrow!”  Shevaughn steered the younger woman towards her room, with Mikey, Tess, Ethan, Cy, Jake, Emma, Jimmy and Clay trailing behind.

“But—” Wendy’s protest was half-hearted.  As much as she loved her work, and entire day to rest sounded wonderful.  Then, she noticed her entourage, and the fact that everyone was grinning.  “Wait, what are you all up to!”

Tess shook her head, grey eyes dancing. “Nope.  Not telling.  You’re just going to have to wait!”

“Wait until what?”  Wendy was intrigued, especially when they came to a halt just outside her doorway.  

“Until now.”  Shevaughn’s eyes were twinkling.

Unable to withstand the suspense, Wendy opened the door to her room, and looked around.  Her breath caught when she noticed the new piece of furniture.

It was an enormous, three-doored wardrobe, taller than she was, with simple brass hinges and handles polished to a blinding shine. Its lines were simple but pleasing, with a slight curve at the top, and an elaborate, beautiful wood grain.  

Wendy was speechless.  She glanced around at the ring of grinning faces and gulped.  “Is this for me?  I-I mean it doesn’t look like it needs to be repaired…”

Everyone looked at Clay.  

The former con man actually looked a little self-conscious.  “Well, yeah, it’s for you.  I mean, you need someplace to put your clothes.”  He glanced quickly at Shevaughn, in case Wendy thought to wonder how he know this, old habits dying hard.  

Wendy blinked.  “You did this?”  She gestured at the wardrobe.

“Well, yeah, most of it.  Shevaughn helped—”

The herb witch snorted inelegantly.  “I contributed a couple of mending charms!  Clay was the one who found it in the store room, cleaned it up and put it together.”

“So…this really is for me?”  Wendy’s eyes were shining.  “I’ve never had anything this beautiful in my life!”  Her fingertips reached out and reverently stroked the smooth wood.  “Thank you!”

“You’re welcome.”  Clay cleared his throat.  He’d planned his apology, but at the moment, he couldn’t remember a single word of it. “You deserve beautiful things.  I mean, you work so hard, and…”  He took a deep breath, annoyed with his own clumsiness. “What I mean to say is, that…I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I trusted someone else’s word that you weren’t in your right mind.  I should have talked to you first.  And, I’m sorry I tried to take you out of here by force.”  He took a deep breath.  “It won’t happen again.  I promise.”

Clay had made a lot of promises in his life. But this one was different.  This was one he meant to keep.

Wendy just looked from Clay to the wardrobe. That he was able to create—or restore—something this lovely took her completely off guard.  And his apology had the ring of truth to it.  “Thank you,” she said, meeting his eyes.  She hadn’t realized how much she needed to hear this, but something in her chest relaxed a trifle.  

@welcome-to-unseasoned

The call of his bed in the warm room only kept his attention for a moment. He had been so excited to see Wendy’s reaction that her own gift for him couldn’t hold him back for more than a few minutes. He was grateful for the reminder though. He honestly would have just gone to bed he was so touched and happy.

He sent everyone off to bed and caught up to the rest heading to Wendy’s room. He bounced along and grinned with a wide show of teeth as he turned to look back at Wendy, eyes shining with joy.

He kept quiet because it wasn’t his present to present (he giggled to himself at the pun in his head) but the unexpected apology from Clay caught him off guard as much as everyone else. He’d talked at length to Clay and was more than certain his remorse over the situation was genuine. Shevaughn had talked to him, Ethan too, and he’d talked to them so he had vetted the poor man as best he could . But he was more of a showboat than even he was, in a not so good a way, so the last thing he expected was for him to be overcome by remorse enough to give such a heartfelt impromptu apology. 

Wendy in turn seemed genuinely touched. It wasn’t just the gesture but the execution of it, combined with the words he spoke without strategy or preparation, that moved her. 

“Well isn’t this just the most moving holiday we’ve ever had!?!?” he exclaimed to break the silence and the mood. There wasn’t really anywhere to go from there and Clay was almost crawling inside himself not knowing what to do. “Only two gifts in and the night before the real deal? And here I am already a weepy mess, I don’t know about the rest of you but I have been crying for most of the last 20 minutes!”

Clay looked somewhat grateful. He was used to a admiration type of spotlight so a more humble, honest one was a bit embarrassing for him and was glad when Mikey sidled over to him. “You did really really good Clay. Wendy, I hope you love it. We all hoped you would! He’s surprisingly good with his hands for a clod don’t you think?”

Wendy smiled, even chuckled a bit. Clay’s expression morphed to mortified as Mikey gave him a hearty slap on the back. Tess curled in to Ethan and he tugged at her hand as they disappeared with a cheerful wave. Cy and Jake gave Clay an approving handshake and along with Mikey and Shevaughn, Tom, Sheila and Nana who had tagged along, exited to leave the two a moment if there was any need of one.  Mikey said his good nights to the group, giving Shevaughn and Nana a tight hug, and practically vanished to his room.

“I meant everything I said” Clay offered from the doorway.

Wendy nodded. “I could tell. Thank you again. It means a lot.”

“Enjoy your day off tomorrow Wendy. And if you need anything, I’m still the low man here so please, I’d like to make sure your day is restful. I’d be happy to be at your service. For the day anyway” he grinned one last time at her before heading off to his own room.

***************

Mikey nearly didn’t wake up. It had been the most peaceful and comfortable night he’d had in as long as he could remember. But it was the rarity of it that made it truly special and he still  looked forward to company in the nights to come. 

The sun was just rising, perfect timing to get the kitchen warmed and food cooking. Ethan and Wendy both had the day off, but rather than rely on the others who were also always on duty, he hoped to get everything done before they all woke. It wasn’t a terribly hard task as no one emerged for another hour. It was still strange to him, where Christmas morning used to mean getting up earlier than you ever had out of pure excitement. Here though, sleeping in was just as much a treat as any gift.

The scents must have wafted through the halls and in a near herd everyone came for bacon, biscuits and gravy and other rare breakfast treats he could find. There were more than a handful of volunteers to help with dishing and cleaning up, and everyone was full and happy and migrating to the warmth of the Great Room within another hour.

Mikey looked around at everyone. Children giggling and fiddling with gifts. Adults holding mugs of hot tea with gentle smiles of happiness.

“So, how did you sleep last night?” Emma asked as she plopped down next to him, Sage curled against his other side. 

“Like a giant log. It was amazing!”

She squealed in delight and after a thorough tickling for her an the boy beside him, he started the ritual of passing out gifts to adults and children alike as they found their own recipients for their own gifts. 

When they were all settled they started the somewhat painfully long processes of opening the gifts one by one, so everyone could share in the delight as each person carefully unpacked their presents. It took forever but he felt it was important as a family for everyone to see what joy it brought knowing someone had thought specifically of them. There were so many of them it was easy to lose the individual to the mass, and today was the one day a year they could stop and really reflect on who they all were, even if it took until lunch.

Mikey himself had picked out items for each kid, mostly along the lines of books or pencils, games or accessories, pictures or tools, toys for the youngest. Each child had their own interest and passion and he felt it his duty to encourage them. He did the same for the adults, though it was always more practical than he liked  Paper was always a big one, much needed clothes or conveniences, promises for services in other seasons or to find special items on his journeys. 

For Ethan it was a promised day off. He hadn’t had one since he’d arrived and opted to take the job as chef. He cheated a bit and threw in some very well crafted knives Wendy’s parents had found for him. He grinned and said of course they could be *also* be used in the kitchen if that’s what he wanted to use them for. 

He’d traded some muscle moving fancy furniture for several fine aprons and fancy hats like he knew Nana loved. For Tom he’d worked with Shadow to bring him some rare metals he could use to finally build the batteries they needed to store energy so they weren’t entirely reliant on candles and fireplaces for light at night. He wasn’t too sure what Cy and Jake might want or need, but he’d managed to find some a brand new shotgun complete with boxes full of bullets and a very hearty and classy jacket complete with a new matching hat for them both, respectively. He’d even talked down the price of an old one for Jimmy that he could call his own, since he had truly become an invaluable member of Unseasoned and hade even kept them fed entirely on his own once or twice.  Tess found herself with a massive pile of paper that he promised no one would be allowed to touch and Sheila was thrilled to have her hands on what she called the finest mathematics guide she’d ever seen on paper. For Shevaughn he’d gone out of his way to find the rarest and finest herbs that she’d mentioned in passing once. Apparently a small amount went far and was more useful for cleaning, or healing, or something or other that was important to her and thus important for Unseasoned. Just for kicks, since he didn’t think herbs were all that fun, he also included several small cloth bags that he found when he’d been at the shops with Shadow. He really didn’t know if they would actually be useful, but they reminded him of her so he offered to make deliveries to the shop owner for them. 

And that was only the beginning of the morning!

@mjs-rpblog @mythigal1966

[mythigal1966]

Wendy smiled and nursed her mug of tea.  Her straight black hair was piled on top of her head, held in place by a set of ivory combs that were a gift from her family.  She sighed and smoothed a hand down the soft red fabric of her new dress. She’d never owned such a pretty, and flattering garment in her life, and between the combs and the dress, Wendy almost hadn’t recognized herself in the bathroom mirror.  

She looked positively elegant!  And, she’d gotten a lot of compliments, as well—Jake and Cy had pretended to argue over who got to escort her to breakfast, until Jimmy slipped between them, grinned, and held out his arm.  Emma’s eyes had gotten enormous when she’d first caught sight of Wendy, and Mikey had paid her deliberately outrageous compliments until she’d stopped blushing and started giggling.  Shevaughn had sighed happily, and told Wendy she looked lovely.  Ethan had smiled and nodded at her and Tess had beamed.

For a young woman who’d never even considered herself passingly pretty, it was heady stuff, and Wendy was quietly storing up the praise.

But, it was Clay’s reaction that had made the biggest impression…  The man had forgotten himself enough to stare—at least until Shevaughn had laughed and reached out to gently close his mouth.

Wendy was surprised and a little disturbed at how much she’d enjoyed that!

She distracted herself by watching Emma pull out a wooden box with handles on the ends, and her name carefully painted on the lid.  Inside were the set of basic tools that Wendy had used when she was younger—they were too small for her hands now, but just about the right size for her young assistant. Emma had been borrowing them, but Wendy thought it was about time to make it official, since Emma showed no signs of losing interest in helping Wendy.  

***

Tess and Shevaughn exchanged conspiratorial smiles when Clay discovered the bundle of clothing under the tree: really, two new work shirts, a pair of trousers, and two new pairs of wool socks weren’t much, but the man hadn’t arrived with much in the way of clothing.  

Ethan’s gift to Tess of a fountain pen rested on top of the stack of paper that Mikey had given her, and the young author wiggled happily in the curve of Ethan’s arm.  Her gift to her husband was several skeins of lambswool yarn in a blue that matched his eyes—enough to knit him a new sweater.

***

Ethan, like Wendy, had been forbidden to do any work today.  He and Tess had enjoyed spending the early morning together snuggled up in bed. The kiss he’d received when he’d presented Tess with the new pen had nearly had him coaxing her back to their room. As it was, he was determined to suggest a nap after lunch.  After all, technically, he and Tess were still on their honeymoon…

***

Shevaughn was in her element: she was never happier than when she was fussing over her greenhouse, or her people.  And now, she had a lot of new people to look after.  She grinned at Mikey as he handed out presents, content to watch with her calico cat on her lap, the new bags and herbs set carefully to one side: She would see about coaxing some of the dried vegetation back to life, later.

***

Cy and Jake had been very much surprised to get gifts.  So far as they were concerned, they had everything they really needed.  Jake was especially touched that Mikey had overcome his obvious discomfort with guns to purchase the new shotguns.  Now, they would be able to leave the extra arms with Tess during their trip to find Weasel.  And, considering the weather, the new coats were also appreciated.  

Jimmy was delighted with his new jacket: the boy had his own built-in fur coat, but that didn’t mean he didn’t appreciate the extra layer.  And he was thrilled to be formally presented with one of Jake’s smaller hunting rifles—the young man had certainly earned it!

[silentturtle]

Donatello 🖐 and Vivian, please!

Sam laughs, “Ms. Vivian! I think your mun got things a little mixed up! I am the one who is giving the five reasons why I like your character.” She grins. @mythigal1966

1) “But there are one or two things that Donnie sees in you, that I very much agree with. Such as: You are a strong woman who takes no shit from anyone! I respect that. Donnie might get on your bad side for being an arse, but I sure won’t!” She chuckles.

2) “I like that you don’t warm up to people so easily. You take your time to learn and see if you trust the person first before you let them into your life, and that is something I do myself. Can’t be too trusting nowadays.”

3) “You are someone I like to look up to because you are very wise.”

4) “Me and Donnie-boy can agree that you are intelligent. He won’t say it, but a woman with a brain is both sexy and lethal! Come on now.” She smiles and nods.

5) “I like that you love cats! They can be assholes, but are adorable assholes that I enjoy being around with.”

[mythigal1966]

Vivian nodded, leaning back in her chair.  “Well, would have to agree with your assessment, for the most part.  Though, I don’t believe I’ve ever considered myself wise.  Experienced, might be closer to how I see myself…”  She smiled, eyes twinkling a bit.  “Why don’t I see if I can return the favor…”

Vivian ticked off the points on her fingers.  “I haven’t had a great deal of interaction with you, so far, but I like your compassion.  You often act a s a buffer between clients and their partners.”

“Two, you are patient.”  The veterinarian grinned.   “You have to be when it comes to dealing with Virgo, I rather imagine.  Though it’s to be hoped that he’s considerably more polite to you than he is to most!”

“Three, you have walls, just like I do, but they present differently.    Though you are friendly and kind, it’s to a point.  Beyond that point, you are a very cautious woman, and careful who you get close to.”  Vivian nodded.  “I respect that.”

“Four, despite your compassion, you are very protective of your family.  And that’s what the boys are to you: family.  Anyone threatening them had best be very wary of you, because you will be ruthless in defense of them.”

“Five…”  And Vivian laughed.  “I am extremely grateful for your sense of humor!”  She rolled her eyes.  “I don’t know where Virgo buried his sense of humor, but I do enjoy your ability to laugh at his quirks rather than be annoyed by them.”

The tall blond cocked her head and smiled at Sam.  “Well, Ms. Pena?  Have I read you accurately?” 

@silentturtle @room-of-torture

[room-of-torture]

Sam grew a big smile, as well as a soft blush on her cheeks, “You are too kind, Vivian. You read me like a book” she laughed. “Although…” She turned to Donatello who was giving his usual annoyed expression at the two. “The grinch only tolerates me more by just a bit! I look out for the guy, but he’s still an ass no matter what. I just know that deep, DEEEEEP inside that he secretly cares for others.” She chuckled.

Donnie snorted and crossed his arms as he leaned against the wall. “Please, Be happy that I stopped calling you annoying scarface.” He rolled his eyes as Sam gave flipped him the bird. “And what do you mean I don’t have a sense of humor, Scorpio??”

“His sense of humor is as dry as California’s drought problem…” Sam quietly mumbled. @mythigal1966

[mythigal1966]

Vivian’s eyes twinkled, and she winked at Sam behind the tall turtle’s back.  “Oh, Virgo, I never said you weren’t in possession of a sense of humor, just that you don’t seem to get much use out of it,” she teased.  Getting up from her chair, she paced over to face her much taller companion.  “ I suppose it’s your turn, now,” she chuckled.  “Five things I like about you…”

“One…  I like that you’re straight with me: no smarm, no charm, and no oily flattery.  I know exactly where I stand with you, because you make no bones about telling me exactly what you think.  

“Two…  You don’t coddle me.”  Vivian leaned back against the edge of Tech’s desk, crossing her arms.  “You do me the courtesy of treating me like an intelligent adult, one who isn’t going to cave under pressure.  I like that.

“Three…  I like that you aren’t exactly a pushover yourself.”  She grinned at him.  “I don’t have to mind my tongue with you, any more than you mind yours with me.  It’s damned refreshing talking to someone who doesn’t want anything from me.”

“Four…  I like your wit, dry though it may be.  I have always admired intelligence, and adding snark to it makes it that much more fun to talk with you.”

“Five…”  Vivian leaned forward, dropping her voice so that only Tech would hear it.  “I like that I can fluster you…”

@room-of-torture  @silentturtle

[mythigal1966]

Dria waited patiently while he gazed at the drawing, his expression slightly stunned.  This was a lot to take in at once, and a lot to take on faith.  

She sympathized.  Dria had had nearly a month to get over the shock of his appearance, time to develop acceptance and even curiosity.  He was clearly struggling with her story.

Sternly repressing a sigh, she waited for him to come to grips with the situation, wondering if he would accept her assertion of psychic ability or contest it.

When he finally did speak, she blinked a little.  “Actually, I had no idea you were here.”  She sighed, pressing her lips together.  “I was dodging an unwanted admirer.  Actually, I was trying for the dressing room, but I had one of those strong, unexplained impulses to duck in here.”

Smiling, Dria gestured at the terrapin.  “I had no idea you were here—or that you were so tall!” She cocked her head, the coins and tiny beads decorating her costume flashing a bit as they caught the dim light. “It’s probably none of my business, but…what are you doing in here?”

@trashyfangirlbliss

[trashyfangirlbliss]

“OH! Oh, crap!”

The question set off a nuclear bomb in Donnie’s mind. She’d caught him so thoroughly off-guard…between her sudden appearance, the brightly colored, sparkling and jangling bedleh that highlighted every considerable inch of human-female beauty, her claim of precognitive powers, and the illustrated evidence to support her claim…he’d straight up forgotten what he was doing and why he was in the storage room of a night club to begin with.

Panic jolted him into action. Donnie dipped his head, forcing his focus back onto the WiFi box in his hand. He memorized the serial number and password information and rushed back to his makeshift desk in the back. His hands moved in a whirlwind over the keys.

Get into the WiFi..

Connecting…signal strength established, kicking off a few users…

T-phone signal re-established…

“Can you hear me?”

“Yeah, Mikey, we got you.”

“April’s talkin’ to one of the teachers but I think she can hear again too.”

“Donnie! ….damn it! Mikey, move in, go through the basement entrance and check on -“

“Hang on, Leo!” Donnie exclaimed, hoping his voice would halt the cacophony ringing throughout the headset. “It’s okay, we are back up, I had to reboot the connection.”

“We good now?”

“Yeah, I’m almost done getting Wilson’s phone. My program is searching through his texts to find anything that could be related to Sofia.”

“Any other problems we need to know about?”

“Uhhh….” Donnie looked over his shoulder at his odd little companion across the room. “I don’t think it’s exactly what could be described as a problem…”

“The hell is he talkin’ ‘bout?!”

“Standby guys, I need a minute.”

He touched the mute button on the cord and pulled off the headset. He turned to face her again, but remained behind the shelves. Spaces between kept her in sight, but somewhat obscured by the bulky shapes and erratic spaces of the clutter.

“So…to answer your question first, I’m here to collect information on a missing high-schooler for my friend. He looks out for her and she may have gotten mixed up with a gang.”

@mythigal1966

[mythigal1966]

Dria blinked as her new acquaintance practically exploded into action.  Apparently, she’d interrupted something important.  Listening to his side of the conversation, one word in particular caught her attention.

Wilson.

She sighed as he explained the situation through the screen of the shelving.  “You did say, ‘Wilson,’ right?”  Her mouth quirked to one side in distaste.  “That wouldn’t happen to be Vang Wilson, would it?  Because guess who my thoroughly creepy unwanted admirer is…”

Then her lips firmed.  “Look, I’m not a police officer, but I do work for the department as a sketch artist.  Is there anything I can do to help?  I mean, the NYPD has a gang unit.  I could check in with them, see if there’s anything they can do.”  

@trashyfangirlbliss

[trashyfangirlbliss]

Donnie clenched his teeth as a thread of anger ripped through his chest. No matter what he studied in books or online, or observed in person himself, he couldn’t understand why a large population of human men made a point to harass and bully women. Men like Vang Wilson, a gangster whose hobbies included pimping, gambling, and robbing pawn-shops, were always seeking to exploit vulnerability. The idea of him taking an interest in this odd, beguiling little woman caused a spike of alarm.

Donnie’s head tilted as he considered her offer and how to handle the situation. Human contract wasn’t something they usually did. However, there was nothing usual about this woman, or this situation. Leo was going to have an absolute over it once they were back at the lair. Master Splinter probably wasn’t going to be that happy either.

I’m so going to end up in the Hashi for this…

“Maybe…can you make an inquiry about Sofia Longo. Her grandmother, Isabella Longo, formally reported her missing this morning. This isn’t the first time she’s disappeared but this time she’s in real trouble and the police probably aren’t going to be focusing on finding a 16 year old who’s been flirting with juvenile hall and dropping out of high school for a year.”

Donnie sighed and glanced back at his laptop. His programs had finally finished copying the Purple Dragon phones and implanting his digital tracking-recording bug. “My programs are going to go through everything on those devices. Hopefully someone texted or emailed them something that will help us find Sofia.”

@mythigal1966

[mythigal1966]

Dria’s frowned in concern as he explained matters.  “I take we’re in kind of a hurry?  And it’s the Purple Dragons?  I thought I recognized the tattoo on Wilson’s neck!”  

When he nodded, she fished her phone out of her turban, chuckling when he blinked at her.  “No, I didn’t have a premonition that I would need it.  I’m just paranoid about leaving my valuables in an unlocked dressing room.” She didn’t tell him she also had her keys, ID, and a credit card stashed on her person as well.  

Quickly scrolling through her contacts, she made a call, glancing at her companion and pressing her finger to her lips to signal him to be quiet, then smiling in relief when her co-worker picked up.  “Joey?  Hi, it’s Dria…  I know, sorry to bother you off duty, but I need a favor.  Are you still dating that guy from the gang unit?”  Dria quickly explained about the missing girl, and the possibility that she was in trouble with the Purple Dragons, stressing the urgency of the matter, and  being deliberately vague about her source of information.  “Okay, Joey—if your guy finds out anything, please call me immediately, I don’t care what time it is…”  She laughed. “Okay, then—two loaves of fresh-baked cinnamon raisin bread, it is!  And thank you!”

Ending the call, she sighed, turning back to her companion. “Okay, then.  Inquiry made.”  She frowned as a fresh problem presented itself.  “If this pans out, how am I going to get in touch with you?”

@trashyfangirlbliss

[trashyfangirlbliss]

Donnie felt the corner of his mouth twitch as a hot rush of anxiety, embarrassment, and elation filled his lungs like a first-breath after a long swim under water. He stared at his companion as she walked a few steps closer to him, keeping the shelf between them.

She’s so cute…

Leo is going to kill me…

If I have her contact I can find out where she lives and set up surveillance and security in case that Wilson creep follows her.

Master Sensei is going to kill me…

The hair by her ear is…purple! Is all her hair dyed purple? Is that her favorite color too?

Right into the Hashi…

Wonder if she likes Star Wars or Star Trek…

Donnie shook his head, marshaling his wandering thoughts. After a quick rifle through his options, he reached through the shelf for her phone.

“Here, let me see your phone.”

To his eternal shock, she handed it over without a qualm. Donnie suppressed a triumphant grin as he punched the number of his outside-router phone into the contacts. Once she texted that number to the OR t-phone, a low-key version of the tracking bug he’d uploaded to the Purple Dragon thug devices would send him her registration info. From there he would set up alerts in his machinery if Wilson or any of his filthy cronies tried to disrupt her life.

“There. My number is in there - I’m Donatello, by the way. When you get home tonight text me to let me know you made it back okay, and we’ll go from there.”

A quick glance at his laptop revealed that his programs were finished copying and implanting. He needed to get his mind back on the mission. And somehow manage to get her out of the club, without being seen by Wilson or his own family.

“You need to leave, if Wilson was harassing you he may try to follow you again. You can go the way I came in.”

@mythigal1966

[mythigal1966]

Dria didn’t hesitate to hand her new friend her phone—nothing in any of her drawings indicated that he was in any way dangerous to her.  And, one of then needed to make a gesture of trust, it might as well be her.  She had no idea what he did to it, in addition to adding himself to her contacts list.  Dria wasn’t exactly tech-savvy, so this really was a gesture of trust on her part.

His name took her by surprise, though.  Donatello?  As in the Renaissance sculptor?  She blinked and nodded when he mentioned her sneaking out of the building.  She had no desire to fall foul of Wilson again, so she wasn’t going to argue.

“Okay.  But I need to grab my stuff out of the dressing room.”  Testing her instincts, she stepped over to the door and put her hand on the knob.

No warnings came, just a sense of urgency.  “And I need to do it now.”  Turning, she gave her unorthodox companion a quick smile.  “I’ll be right back.”

Before he could object, she was gone, ghosting down the deserted hall with both hands pressed to the loose chains on her bra top to muffle any possible noise.  Slipping into the now empty dressing room, she snatched up her bag and began hastily shoveling her street clothes, stage make-up and costume detritus into it, in no particular order, the growing sense that she needed to hurry lending her feet wings as she scurried back down the hall.

As soon as she slipped back inside the storage room, locking the door behind herself, the growing feeling of dread vanished.  

“Whew!”  Dria felt her shoulders come down.  Giving Donatello a relieved smile, she set her bag down on a convenient crate, and started pulling off her jewelry, rolling the bracelets, rings, pins, neckpiece, and earrings up in a loose scarf to keep them from chiming together.  

Catching Donatello blinking at her she gave him a self-depreciating grin.  “Well, I can’t exactly go running around outside dressed like cross between Scheherazade and a fortune teller, can I?”  She sighed. “Fortunately, it takes me considerably less time to take this stuff off than it does to put it on…”  

Shoving the roll of jewelry into a corner of the bag, she fished out the white high-top Converse she’d painted with black henna designs and dropped them on the floor, then pulled out her faded skinny jeans, and the baggy black and grey sweater that had been her first serious attempt to knit something.  

It was a matter of less than a minute to unwind the turban and free her nearly shoulder length curls.  Dria’s black hair had been slowly turning white since her gift had appeared, and she coped with it by dying her hair whatever color struck her fancy. Today, her hair sported rich amethyst streaks.

Clearing her throat, Dria caught Donatello’s eye as she untied the shawl from around her hips.  “Ah…  Do you mind?”

@trashyfangirlbliss