CHAPTER 20 - Dinner and a Sh- OH NO
Why’s he just sitting there?!
Lotus inwardly groaned as she subtly scooted further away from the giant rat sitting beside her. While he read his novel in blissful unawareness, she was shrinking further into her shell, her mind a scurrying mess full of paranoia. Every seed of an escape plan would be shriveled into dust as soon as she remembered who it was she was sitting beside. The kindness she had seen in Splinter’s eyes did nothing but slightly soften his prodigious stature and presence. A smile didn’t soften hands that hurt. Or… could hurt. That was the scariest part. It was a waiting game.
Her fingers twitched with nerves as her eyes explored the room, focusing on anything besides the dreadful awkwardness swallowing her whole. The first thing she noticed was the coffee table nestled in front of the couch where she was sitting. The reddish-brown color was lovely, though it did still have its flaws. There were faded rings of moisture scattered across its surface, as well as a few chips and dents on the sides. When she leaned closer she could even make out the scuffed scratches of a pencil into the wood.
Before her eyes wandered further, she noticed something shiny glinting from a crack near one of the drawers. Curious, she reached her hand into it. Her fingers landed on a tiny button, and with a muffled *kkkshhhrck*, a secret drawer opened, revealing rows of small bars wrapped in shiny plastic. She squeaked in surprise, startling Master Splinter out of his book.
Lotus waved her hands frantically. “GHK! No! Uh, I didn’t mean to– it just slipped!!”
Not only had she stolen time from the family, threw up on their floor, and slapped the eldest brother– But now to top it all off, she had broken their furniture.
Well, that’s it. I should just walk out now before the swords and death threats make an appearance.
Before she got the strength to try standing, she was stopped by a soft, clawed paw on her shoulder. She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself.
“Well… now the mystery of the missing granola bars has been put to rest…” Splinter sighed as he used his tail to close the secret compartment. “I must admit, it was well hidden. Though that’s more cause of concern than celebration…”
Lotus’ jaw slowly went slack as she opened her eyes, staring dumbfounded at the closed drawer and the fact that she was still breathing.
There’s no way he just shrugged that off. “I-I’m sorry, I won’t… I won’t touch anything else, I swear.” She softly pleaded, hands retreating to her chest for emphasis. “It– It won’t happen again.”
The rat-man turned towards her as he placed his book on the table. By his expression alone she could tell that he was deep in thought.
“There’s no need to apologize. I’m sure this is the handiwork of my sons. Probably Michelangelo, if I’m not mistaken. Though–” He leaned over and clicked open the secret drawer again, this time thoroughly inspecting the lining and craftsmanship. “He might not have been alone in his sly endeavor… This has Donatello’s handiwork written all over it.”
Master Splinter’s theory beckoned Lotus to join in on the drawer’s examination. And with closer inspection, she noticed that it had been dyed and stained to appear the same shade as the wood of the table. The inside once housed a normal drawer, but instead it had been replaced by a fake one’s face glued to the front. Then the bottom of the slot had been carefully carved out, making room for the mechanism that would pop out the secret compartment. You had to get pretty close up to notice the difference. It was kind of genius.
Definitely Donatello then.
With a light grunt, Splinter rose off the couch. “I’m going to fetch us some tea. Dinner won’t be ready for another hour or so, so we might as well enjoy a warm beverage as we wait. Do you have any preferences?”
Lotus blinked. “What’s… tea?” She asked timidly, suddenly ashamed by her lack of knowledge of something apparently normal.
Splinter only paused for a second. “You will see.” The great rat replied with a smile as he walked up the steps and vanished behind the kitchen doors. Not long after, he emerged holding two of the tiniest cups Lotus had ever seen in her life. He gently placed them down, not spilling a drop of the steaming beverage inside. “Go on,” Splinter beckoned, pointing the tip of his nose to Lotus’ drink, “try it.”
His encouragement fell on distracted ears as Lotus gazed at the intricate cups. Their rims were painted a solid, bright blue, and a story was illustrated on the sides. The artwork was painted skillfully in a whimsical style, depicting mothers, fathers, and children exploring an open field with a temple in the distance. Every strand of hair and string of grass was meticulously crafted, and it brought a fond sense of wonder to Lotus’ heart. She didn’t know the world being portrayed, the faces and buildings remaining nameless in her mind, but now… she could finally learn.
She made a mental note to ask Donatello later.
“I was not sure which flavor you would like, so the subtle honey citrus seemed best suited for your first time.” Splinter said as he took a soft sip of his own drink. “It should be cool enough for you to try it now.” He gently pressed, gingerly pushing the cup closer to her.
“O-Oh.” Lotus stuttered as her hands slowly surrounded the tiny dish. The textures of the ceramic felt satisfyingly smooth, but the layers of paint added gentle ridges that were fun to trace with her fingers. With the contact came the slow progression of warmth into her palms and up her arms. She couldn’t suppress the instinct to let out a long, content sigh as she slumped into the couch, holding the steaming beverage close to her plastron. Whatever the concoction was, it was working some kind of magic. And she hadn’t even tasted it yet!
She hadn’t… But she was supposed to. Expected to.
She kept the cup nestled in her palms, a fair distance away from her face. She slowly looked back up at the giant rat man sitting beside her. He had been gentle, that was certain. He made sure back when he carried her into the living room to allow her to see her surroundings as he walked. Because of that, her stomach wasn’t a topsy-turvy mess. Or at least– not as badly.
She began to lift the drink to her lips, the swirling steam tickling her nose and making her eyes itchy.
Her hands slowed as the beverage’s heat grew closer.
One sip… shouldn’t get me sick…
Her nose scrunched as foreign smells began to enter. The heat enveloping her face felt more like an unpredictable flame than a soothing comfort.
She looked down into the dish, her lavender irises darting across the hot liquid’s surface. There were no pills hiding at the bottom. No suspicious flakes floating at the top either. It looked to be nothing more than colored, hot water.
It appeared to be harmless… Just like the tests… and the wires… and the pills… and…
Gentleness doesn’t negate ignorance. The dull throb of her incision would never let her forget that painful lesson. She couldn’t trust everyone to always know how to help her. She had to ask questions; clarify that the things the family were doing would help more than hurt.
“What’s um… what’s in it?” She meekly asked, keeping her focus grounded on the cup’s warmth and beauty, and not on its poisonous potential.
The rat man softly chuckled. The sound didn’t make her retract or shiver, which she made note of. “It’s a beverage consisting of hot water seeped with a bag of various herbs… And if you were my youngest son, would also be drowning in a pile of sugar.” He sighed. “This specific kind has traces of lemon and orange with a hint of honey.”
Lotus grimaced. “Are those… candies?”
“They can be candy flavors…” Splinter said, a glint of confusion on the tip of his tongue. “But, originally, they are fruits– things that come from trees or bushes that carry many nutrients.” His hand reached down and tipped Lotus’ cup ever so slightly. “They help little things grow stronger.”
Lotus subtly nodded as she pulled the cup closer, letting the steam warm her chest and neck. She was pretty sure she wasn’t allergic to those things… But she should keep asking questions. Just– just in case.
“What about honey? What’s that?” She asked, finally gaining enough courage to look Splinter in the eyes. The deep, mossy green welcomed her, and she forced herself to remain planted on it.
The great Master began to stroke his long, vine-like beard. “Honey is a sweet, viscous liquid given to us by bees. From what I remember of the boys’ animal science books, I believe it consists of nectar from flowers and the regurgitation of the insects.”
The big word left Lotus cocking her head.
Splinter cleared his throat as he looked at the girl, a sheepish grin etched into the furry wrinkles on his face. “... It’s made with bee saliva.”
Lotus’ tiny cup landed back on the coffee table with a light *clunk*. “...I think I’m good.” She muttered queasily, even though she was already missing the warmth. People actually drink that?!
This time Splinter laughed, and it somewhat startled the girl beside him. The sound wasn’t loud, but it was filled with a pleasant jolliness that started to warm her like the tea had. Her shoulders steadily went slack as her body gave in to the comfort of feeling… safe. Or something akin to it, at least.
“Perhaps I can bring you some of Raphael’s peppermint tea.” Splinter said as he leaned and picked up the intricate dishes. “There won’t be any insect spit in it, I promise.”
Lotus’ body tensed back up as she shook her head from side to side. “Uh! N-No, I’m fine! You don’t have to do that-”
“It’s really not a bother, dear.” Splinter softly interrupted as he turned to the kitchen. “Would you like some sugar in it as well?”
Lotus’s beak scrunched. “Is… sugar made the same as h-honey?...”
Splinter simply shook his head back and forth, his smile growing wider.
Lotus started to wrap her finger around a stray stitch on the cushion next to her. She didn’t want to be a burden, and she was already pushing her luck with what happened with Leo. But… she really wanted to feel that comforting heat again. It was worth the risk.
“If it’s not too much trouble…” She squeaked as her head lowered submissively.
“No trouble at all, little one.” Splinter hummed, bowing his own head. He entered the kitchen and shut the doors.
Lotus remained there, alone, but cornered by her thoughts. She looked down at her hand and scowled. She leered at the bandage wrapped around her calf where the incision was hidden. How could she have been so stupid, hitting a member of the family?! And after all that he had done for her out of the kindness of his heart! All of them! The whole Hamato family was like that steam coiling out of her tea: warmth and comfort that she never should have felt. All it would take was Leo telling his brothers and father what happened and she would be punished.
Those gentle, moss eyes would become ignited with anger. Hands that had communicated to her with sign language would be used to inflict damage with a long bow. Calloused fingers that tenderly carried her would harness sharp sais to tear her to pieces. Voices that happily welcomed her would turn sharp and cold, telling her what she had known all along:
“You don’t deserve to be here.”
It was only a matter of time before her secret was out. And by that point, it would be an impossible mercy for the family to allow her to live.
It’s only a matter of time…
She was jarringly pulled back to reality by the echoes of voices coming from the hall.
“NO higher level katas. NO lifting any weights over 5 lbs. NO spinning your sais with that hand–”
“Okay- OKAY, I GET IT. I’m gonna be a freaking invalid for the next week. THANKS A LOT, DOC.”
“Oh, come on, I’m asking you to rest, not locking you in the Medbay–”
“Haha, yeah, you say that now– but you’ll be playin’ a different tune soon as I break one of your ridiculous rules.”
“Then here’s an idea! Don’t break one.”
An exasperated Leo and aggravated Raph emerged from the shadows of the hall. Both brothers were walking at a steady pace, though Raphael’s increasing speed made it look like the eldest was chasing him.
Lotus’ brows creased as she tried to understand the argument happening between the two; things weren’t adding up. For starters, Raph’s mask had a slight sheen to it that looked like drying trails of tears– but his expression burned with anything but sadness. He was also holding his right arm close to his body, cradling it like he was injured. She saw how it had recently been wrapped in brand new, white gauze, but she didn’t remember him getting hurt–
“It’d be easier to not break them if they weren’t RIDICULOUS!” The fiery brother retorted.
“It is not ridiculous to hold off on lifting eighty pounds of weights with possible nerve damage, RAPH.” Leo shot right back, matching his brother’s growing pace.
“Eighties nothin’! I usually go at least two-twenty–”
“You are only digging your grave deeper, man.”
As Lotus turned her head to gauge Leo, her theories took a screeching halt when they both made eye contact. The eldest’s icy gaze made her feel so sick. A horrible pressure in her chest pulsed as the voices in her head grew louder. Within a matter of seconds, the shadows of lies eclipsed the faint glow of truth. And following a deeply implanted instinct, she shot her line of sight to the floor, clamping her mouth shut.
Just as she was supposed to.
“Lotus?” Leo asked with a tone so careful it wouldn’t lift a feather.
She couldn’t look at him. She wouldn’t! Maybe if she was quiet and obeyed every order, he wouldn’t tell the others what happened. Play the submissive. It always worked before, so why wouldn’t it now?
She heard his pace quicken, the rhythm of his nearing footsteps combining with the rapid beating of her heart.
“Is something wrong?” He gently pressed.
She shuddered at the appearance of concern in his voice.
You shouldn’t be worried, you should be angry.
“What’s up?” Raph questioned. “She sick again?” The jagged edges of his suspicion were smoothed by genuine care. It made Lotus feel worse.
Just then she heard the kitchen door open, accompanied by a long tail being dragged across the floor. At the sound of the Great Master’s return, Lotus finally looked up– steadying herself in Splinter’s soft, moss-green eyes while avoiding the sharpness of Leo’s hurt, crystal gaze.
“Ah, boys. Perfect timing.” Splinter said as he gracefully made his way down the steps, not spilling a single drop of tea. “We’ll need to start dinner soon.”
Lotus physically jolted at the spit of venom in Raphael’s growl. She turned to look at the fiery brother, frightened and nervous by his hostility. Leo had grabbed Raph’s shoulders, pushing him back as he whispered something. It sounded like a plea. But despite Leo’s efforts, Raph’s gaze remained on target. She could only see a deep, blazing hatred in his emerald and hazel irises.
At first, she assumed his anger was aimed towards her; his seething fury finally coming to dish out her foretold punishment. The doubts in her head feasted heartily upon the lie. But she was quickly proven wrong as she followed where his line of sight was pointed.
“Raphael? Is something wrong?” The rat man asked as he walked down to the living room, the sounds of gentle glass and wobbling liquid vibrating with each step.
“Dude, stop, please.” Leo whispered frantically to his seething sibling, loud enough for Lotus to hear.
“Leonardo? What is the meaning of this?” Master Splinter demanded more than asked.
“N-Nothing. Everything’s fine!” Leo replied in a strained voice as he tried to keep a steady hold on his brother. One of his hands firmly gripped onto Raph’s chin, pulling his gaze back into the eldest’s. “Everything…” He strictly clarified,”... is fine.”
Lotus didn’t know what to do. She waited nervously for what would happen next. Her hand shakily returned to twirling the stray thread on the cushions, twisting and pulling the string like the tightening knot of tension in the room.
“Sure. ‘Everything’s fine’.” Raph hissed, yanking his arms out of Leo’s grip as he took a forceful step back. He walked past his brother, knocking his shoulder into the eldest’s arm. “I trust you know what you’re doing.” He emphasized under his breath as he blended into the shadows of the hall.
Leo watched until his brother’s form disappeared around the corner. Lotus couldn’t see his expression, but his ridged shoulders and heavy sigh told her there was more to the story than just a silly argument. The eldest turned around, slightly bowing his head to his father.
“S-Sorry about that, Dad. Me and Raph got into a… fight. I think he’s still got some built up steam.”
The room became constricted in choking silence, everyone’s lips shut from either confusion or contemplation.
Over an hour later, noises began to erupt from the kitchen. Don had finally been released from his work, so he and Mikey combined forces to prepare the family’s dinner.
Even from the couch Lotus could hear the cacophony of machines and voices overpowering each other. Argument after argument rumbled through the walls of the living room, from “You call THAT cooked?!” to “This is so salty it’s like I bit into a whale”. All throughout the two brothers’ squabbles, she could hear the loud WHHHIIRRR of a mini machine, as well as a sharp, constant beep blaring madly. Before she could guess what the shrill noise meant, she heard Don screech at the top of his lungs, “IT’S ON FIRE, YOU IDIOT!”
Crashes followed, quickly by a powerful “FWOOOSH” of something being extinguished.
Lotus shrank deeper into the cushions, her head slowly disappearing into the cool, welcomed darkness of her shell. It was quiet in there– just what she needed. The racket from the kitchen became muffled, angry hums that eventually lulled her into a dreamless sleep.
After what felt like a blink, she was being woken up by someone’s hand on her shell. At the sudden physical contact her body tensed, letting out a surprised squeak.
“Lotus… Time for dinner.” An exhausted voice groaned.
She popped her head and limbs out, then subtly smiled at the sight of Donatello standing beside her. “Okay?...” She shrugged, unsure of the statement and why he was waiting for her to answer.
“... Do you know what dinner is?” Don asked, his tone growing closer to Leo’s.
“-- I know what it is!” Lotus snapped, trying to ignore the two brothers’ similarities. “But why are you telling me? I’m not gonna eat your food.” She crossed her arms and shrugged dismissively.
Don took a second before answering, rubbing the small indents on his nose from his glasses. “I’m telling you, because you’re invited to join us. My father would rather die than let his first ever house guest starve. And I bet Mr Team Medic would want you to have a proper meal, too.”
He held out both his hands and waited.
Still unsure, but choosing to believe the words of the trustworthy brother, she slowly nodded. “Uh… o-okay…”
Holding onto Donatello’s arms for stability, Lotus slowly made her way off the couch. Her recovering leg whined in protest, but she did her best to ignore it. She was truly getting fed up with being so weak and helpless, and the pain and memory of her incision was not helping. She grit her teeth as a painful spasm burst in her calf. It took a lot to keep quiet, but she was determined to not be a burden.
“Everything in working order? Is your… stomach feeling better?” Don asked, the tiniest heartbeat of worry fluttering in his metallic tone.
“I’m fine.” Lotus wheezed as the pain grew. She placed most of her weight on the left side of her body.
“You sure?...” The genius asked, unconvinced and unimpressed. He looked down at the leg Lotus was favoring. His expression shifted, becoming softer. “You can hop on it if that helps.”
It didn’t take long for Lotus to consider, especially as her strength and energy began to plummet. “I’ll try it.” She quietly agreed, limping and hopping as best she could. Eventually, Don led her to the stairs leading into the kitchen. They had only 6 platforms to climb, but it felt like staring up at Mount Everest.
“Nope, that’s enough of this malarky.” He stated, the annoyance returning to its rightful place in his voice. Then in one quick scoop, Lotus was hoisted up into his arms.
“EEP!” She chirped as her feet left the floor. Remembering Raph’s advice, she planted her pinpricks of pupils directly in front of her. She would not be getting sick again.
“You’re a lot heavier than you look–” Don huffed, his voice and body straining. “Either that,*huff* or I need to *wheeze* work out more.”
Lotus honestly didn’t know what to say to that, her brain too busy to reply with the ache of her leg and the looming threat of vertigo.
Don’t look down, look straight. STRAIGHT.
It only took a few seconds to reach the top of the stairs– but going by the trembling gasps and groans of Donatello, it looked as if it had taken an eternity. Luckily for him, and unfortunately for Lotus, Mikey came bursting through the kitchen doors.
“DON!” He shouted with both hands cupping his face, “DUDE, FOOD’S GETTIN’ COLD!”
His booming volume made both the jade-skinned turtles wince.
“Oh!” The youngest paused from his bellowing as he looked at the missing two standing right in front of him. “Good! You’re here! GUYS, DING DON AND LOWIE ARE HERE!” He cheered as he bounced back through the kitchen doors.
Simultaneously, Don and Lotus both yelled back, “DO NOT CALL ME THAT.”
Then just as quickly as he left, Mikey reappeared and yanked Lotus into his arms. Don puffed out a bitter thank you, as well as a quick slap on his youngest brother’s shoulder for “addressing him with such an insufferable nickname”. The two argued for a little bit, while Lotus was caught up steeling herself for a topsy turvy ride like last time.
Once the two’s argument came to an unsatisfying end, Mikey burst through the kitchen doors, the tense girl in his arms begging her body to hold on to whatever crumbs of contents— and dignity– it had left.
Just as it began to talk back, angrily, the movement slowed down, becoming less jarring and disorienting. Lotus looked up and caught Mikey with his tongue out focusing hard on keeping his footsteps smooth, muttering to himself, “Righttt, gotta take it easyyy~”
“Yeah, you better slow down on that ankle!” Leo scolded from his seat at the dining table. “You’re ninety percent recovered now, so don’t lose that progress.”
Raph chuckled. “Better listen, Mike. Don’t want the Team Medic takin’ drastic measures to pin you down.”
“Ughhh, I’m going slow, see?? Look how slow this is!” Mikey groaned like a cheetah forced to take a leisurely stroll.
Soon after, Lotus was seated at a long, reddish-brown table. The wood and carvings adorning its surface reminded her of the coffee table with the secret compartment. And, mirroring it as well, it had scuffs and scrapes all across its face too. At her right side was Donatello, while Mikey was on her left. (She had made sure to keep her recovering leg away from the squirrely energy of the youngest.) Across from them sat Leo and Raph, with Master Splinter positioned at the head.
Before her lay a chipped, white plate filled with steaming heaps of… food? It was no meal like she had ever seen before. There was some kind of silky, mashed substance on one end of her dish, while on the other sat a steaming piece of… bark? At least, it looked like bark– but with a few tentative pokes she could tell it was just too soft. She stared, baffled, at the mysterious meal.
Near her, she could hear the muffled sounds of snickering. She turned her head left, not surprised at all to find Mikey watching her.
“Dude,” He chimed in, his smile bright and blinding, “You’re supposed to eat it, not make it confess to committing a murder.” He took a colossal bite of the mashed substance, chewing and smacking until the area in front of him was splattered with flakes of the ‘food’.
“Says you. I don’t know what this is. It’d be stupid to just swallow it.” Lotus snipped back, secretly hoping for an explanation.
“Hmm~,” Don swiftly interjected, using the fork in his hand to gesture vaguely at the youngest. ”I’m sure you can learn a thing or two from her, little brother. Especially in the look before you eat category.”
“It’s not bad to try new things!” Mikey defended as he leaned closer.
“I have never seen you willingly ‘try’ anything besides junk food.” Leo retorted.
“Nah,” Raph said with a fanged grin as he speared some of the weird bark onto his fork. “Just put some chocolate on it and Mikey will try anything! It’s how we get him to take his meds. Like a dog with cheese.”
Lotus’ eyes widened as she turned to the youngest. The horrified and offended expression that met her told her this was news to Mikey too.
“YOU WHAT?!” He shrieked, slamming the table.
“Anyways.” Splinter cleared his throat loudly, trying to placate the growing laughter and indignant betrayal fluctuating across the room. He took a deep, cleansing inhale, waiting for his sons to quiet down. “Well, how was everyone’s day?” He asked, stoking casual conversation while trying not to ignite anymore childish arguments.
“You traumatized me.” Mikey stated with his hand in the air.
Splinter sighed like a migraine had instantly appeared in his head. “Being taught the workings of our bodies does not qualify as trauma, Michelangelo…”
“That’s what you think.” Donnie mumbled into his cup as he took a slow sip.
“How about you, Leonardo? Anything to report?”
It was a simple question, but Lotus could still hear the subtle prodding hidden beneath the casual words.
Leo wasn’t given the chance to respond. Instead, the poor, unsuspecting glass in Raph’s hand shattered, scattering teeny shards all over the table. The whole room burst into a frantic uproar, despite Splinter’s clear attempt to have a peaceful family dinner.
Lotus watched as four sharp pieces of glass flew onto her plate, sinking into the mashed substance. Now she definitely wasn’t going to eat anything.
“DUDE!” Leo yelled as he grabbed his fiery brother’s wrist, pulling it away from the landmine of pointed objects on his plate. Raph winced, a hiss of pain escaping and alerting Leo that he was holding on to the bandaged arm too tight.
Lotus could relate. She slid her recovering leg deeper under her chair.
“Sorry!” The eldest grimaced sympathetically.
Raph shrugged, then paused. His face twisted, conflict evident with his creasing brows and thinned lips. “It’s okay. It didn’t… Er- It only hurt a little.”
Leo stopped too. And then he smiled. “Thanks for being honest.”
The words were small, but their meaning was significant going by the subtle smile on the eldest’s face. The whole table tilted their heads, each person trying to find out why.
“What is wrong with you?!” Don squeaked, returning the subject to the more imperative matter at hand. He slid his glasses up and down on his nose, scrutinizing his plate as if it were covered in microscopic fleas. “You have ruined the dinner we slaved over!!”
“Dude, the potatoes didn’t stand a chaaance~” Mikey ogled as he poked at the stray shards sprinkled over his plate. “They’re bleeding gravy! It’s a total crime scene!”
“DO NOT TOUCH THE SHARP THINGS-” Leo yelled, pointing an accusatory finger at the youngest as if he were already guilty.
Mikey pulled his hands back as he shrugged. “Not my fault my potatoes got slaughtered by Raph’s flying debris!”
“NO ONE TOUCH ANYTHING.” The eldest commanded, now in full leader and medic mode. He stood up from his chair and ran to the supply closet in the living room. “Don, smack Mikey if he lays ONE FINGER on the table!”
Don grinned deviously, keeping a close eye on Mikey seated next to him. “I do believe I have been given permission to beat you senseless if I so choose.”
Lotus blinked at him, concerned on a number of levels with how happy the genius was to exact punishment on his brother. Her head slowly turned to the left, waiting.
The fear in Mikey’s eyes didn’t last, quickly being overtaken by his own knowing grin. “And I believe I could spit in your food at any time if I so choose. So guess we both have somethin’ to lose.”
“Ohohoh!” Raph pointed and laughed at his twin. “Got you there, Interi!”
Donnie gasped, yanking his plate even closer to his chest. “You’re disgusting and evil.”
“Takes one to know one.” Mikey shot back, sticking out his tongue.
“BURRNNNN~” Raphael sang.
Don launched his full plate straight into his twin’s face.
Lotus watched the family go back and forth, bickering and laughing and making a mess. Even with all the teasing and instigation, she never sensed any evil intention behind the chaos. Raphael laughed. Donnie fired insults. Mikey smirked. Leo scolded. Master Splinter sighed. There was a liveliness and warmth surrounding the table that she had never felt before. It far exceeded the heat of tea or the comfort of a real mattress. The colors of the family’s auras shone like vibrant stars in the pitchblack sky of her developing world.
Despite everything, all the nightmares of her past and the possible doom in her future… Lotus looked at what was happening now. And then she did something that made all the racket around the table drop into stunned silence.
And that's it for this chapter! :)
And now, I can tell you all the exciting announcement!! This chapter marks the end of the first arc of my story, and as such, it is also going to be the last chapter for a while. Why? Because after this chapter there will be a large time jump spanning a few months. Instead of trying to condense all that happens in that time into one more chapter, I decided to try something new. :)
For the next few months, this story will continue in comic form. I have many little plots and character interactions that I couldn't fit in one single chapter, soooo you guys are going to see them come to life with comic-based illustrations instead. :) I already have the first part of the first comic finished!
For clarification, after this chapter, I will only be updating comics of what happens next in the story. Okay? Okay! :) I look forward to seeing you guys again with the first part of the first comic!~
Thanks for reading! Feel free to reblog!
And a huge thank you to @poetique823 for being my beta reader! Your advice and wisdom has truly helped me to grow, my dear friend. ~^^~
@indieyuugure @writer-in-wonder @allyheart707 @oddartistl3 @risebabyx2 @joyjoygorl @carrots-bear @imagionationstation @howtotrainyourdragonprince @gazing-n-blazing @brightonstudios @ninjaturtlefan-dee @rottmntlover14 @eggbem @lydjachan @sashatrout @chaosborb @maddys-nerd-blog @alexthecreature @dorkatella @thetanzanitequill
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