Costume Talk
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
For @ultimatebabygirlsupremebattle babygirl halloween prompt week (using the "costume" one)
also found under the cut (1,382 words)
"TA-DAAAA!!!"
Lee stared at her little brother, Mikey. The freckled turtle just came out of the makeshift changing room in a horrific zombie costume, horrific as terrifying but more so as in… Bad.
"... Are you sure about this one Mikey?" She tried, not wanting to mention it's whole deal outright. Soften the blow sort of approach.
"Hhmm," He hummed as if thinking deeply, "not really. I was thinking I could be Dracula! Or a Vampire Turtle! Then I wondered if that was in poor taste so I vetoed that… And I don’t think I’m in a vampire loving mood lately, you feel me sis?"
Leo, not for the first or last time today, wondered about the benefits of sleep and not getting into thoughts like that. She didn’t want to dissect their relations to vampires anytime within the next century.
"... Let's not get into that, better safe than sorry. Maybe you could be Crognard The Barbarian, Turtlefyle orr Wingnut?"
Mikey drummed his fingers on his chin, mimicking Donnie when he’s thinking deeply. "Crognard is a good choice. Turtleflyle isn't a costume for halloween Lee, you disrespect me for even suggesting that. And dressing up as Wingnut as we met and fought that dude! It feels weird."
"And a poorly done zombie costume doesn't? Wingnut is at least better than that, even though it does feel a little weird."
How many things did they rule out from being Halloween costumes in their adventures over the years anyways?
"Says the turtle who's going as plain Captain Ryan, again. Try taking my suggestions for costumes sometime before suggesting mine."
Leo sighed, "your suggestions start and, don't stop, at 'werewolf Captain Ryan' 'bigfoot Captain Ryan' 'mildly glitter attacked Captain Ryan' 'local cryptid Captain Ryan' and 'motorcycle champion Captain Ryan'... And you brought me here to help you choose."
She didn't want to admit she was far too tired this year to think of something that wasn't Captain Ryan, it had been a busy last few years and things have finally calmed down. So she has been resting, and thinking of a Halloween costume or remembering the holiday existed went to the back of her mind and she only remembered about a week before Halloween as Mikey was discussing what he wanted to go as, taking the time to ask his siblings what they were going as.
So she said she was thinking of going as Captain Ryan again… It was a solid choice if you asked her.
She knew Donnie was in the same boat as he said after a long noticeable pause, "Frankenstein?"
He didn't survive that. (Mikey started making it his mission to annoy Donnie about Halloween costumes, trying to find one that was not a scientist as he had been doing every year so far).
(... Would going as Frankenstien be considered weird for any of the turtles to do too?)
Raph just told Mikey he was working on it. Leo was pretty sure he was scheming with Casey on costumes, she wasn’t entirely sure though.
Present day Michelangelo reaches into the makeshift changing room and pulls out a coat track with so many different costumes Leo has never seen a day in her life until now.
"Let's sseee hereee…" he sticks out his tongue as he goes through the selections.
"If you're going to choose for me, still no to your dinosaur Captain Ryan suggestion."
"What do you have against dinosaur Captain Ryan? Do you think I'm suggesting old man Captain Ryan, ignoring the fact he is kinda one. I mean a dinosaur dinosaur, you got the reptilian look to pull it off…"
“That’s not the problem Mikey.”
“Then what is the problem, Leo? Because you would make a great dinosaur, Donnie agreed with me!”
Having decided not to make a comment on that, Leo slid over to the costume rack, eyeing it carefully. She was pretty sure some of these weren't even Mikey’s costumes, she could see which ones were Raph’s, Donnie’s and even her own.
And there were wayy more costumes than she remembered going out on Hallowen for, they’ve only been up a few times since turning 15. Not the stench of time that the years worth of Halloween costumes Mikey had out would imply.
Mikey must’ve been waiting for the day we could go out, she thought, feeling something in her heart break. Her fingers loosely traced the sponge costume Mikey wore on their first year out on Halloween.
It truly was a special time, all of them getting to talk to humans without them thinking too hard about the fact they were turtles. A thing that baffled Leo still, she would think they would question the whole… Turtle mixed with regular costume deal, but it still worked out. That night was so… Magical.
Their previous Halloween was more literally magical causing them to miss out on the main event, which meant this Halloween was all the more important. Second only to the first one.
She felt Mikey’s gaze on her, she turned her head to meet his eyes.
He’s giving me the puppy eyes, she noticed immediately, why?
“... Do you want something?” Lee asked, tilting her head.
He fidgeted absently with the cloth of a costume, “Nothing… You sure about Captain Ryan sis? You could… Be Captain Ryan but Real Swords?”
She smiled, “I know you want something else Mikey, you're not being as subtle as you think you are being.”
The freckled turtle stopped mid-reach for an undefinable costume, “ohh right. Yeah, that on purpose.”
“Rightt, and Captain Ryan isn’t a great captain.”
Mikey refrained from making a comment on that.
Uncharacteristically nervous and silent for what felt like an hour, Mikey finally spoke up, “... Maybee… I want to match with costumes… With you?”
Leo froze, staring at him in absolute silence.
After about three seconds of just her staring he started talking, clearly regretting suggesting that, “If you hate that idea badly, we don’t have to sis! yo-” He was interrupted from his overthinking by Leo hugging him. Or Mikey saved from overthinking and regretting thanks to her hugging him, depending on your view.
“Leo?” He said after hearing a sniffle from the older turtle, his arms wrapping around her.
She took a moment in Mikey’s arms, letting herself cry, feel the warmth of his scales and listen to the younger turtle breathing.
Mikey squeezed her, he didn’t say anything. Leo couldn’t see his face but she could sense his confusion.
“... No… It’s fine. Just,” she shut her eyes, “I don’t know… Felt emotional, I don’t know why…”
Maybe because it was a simple fun silly thing she could do with one of her brothers, maybe it was because she could do something with Mikey after so long of not. But she didn’t know why she cried little happy tears at the proposal, it just happened.
The tension in Mikey’s shoulders dropped, “you really love the idea of matching costumes that much?” He sounded so hopeful and happy.
She hummed her yes, too busy enjoying the quick shell rub he gave her to respond.
Mikey giggled, “okay! Doctor Brainstormstein is in the house! With his assistant… What’s… The title for assistants Leo…?”
Leo got out of the hug before he could start questioning that thought train too much, though her arms remained on his shoulders. “As if you don’t have any ideas.”
“I do! But since we’re matching you should be pitching ideas in too!” Mikey beamed.
She beamed back, “fair. But not anything like that zombie costume, okay Mikey?”
“Okay! Now I have a few ideas starting with…”
She listened to him ramble about his ideas, there were many, all of them were such Mikey costume ideas. Lee found herself looking forward to this Halloween more than anything else happening right now, not that there was anything more exciting happening but if there was, matching costumes with Mikey beats it.
This Halloween will be better than the last one, she knew it would be. Maybe even better than the first one, in its own way.
But just as quickly as those thoughts came she decided not to worry about how good of a Halloween this one was or that one was, Leo had a pair of matching costumes to brainstorm with her little brother first.