Nobody really knew when they were born. Splinter had always known his age given the biological qualities of a rat and a person in comparison. Whatever age the boys were was all a guess. They were barely crawling upon mutation; he assumed they were barely a year by human age standards and guessed as they went through developmental milestones. The only way they could determine a birthday was by calculating when red eared slider turtles would hatch after the breeding season. Henceforth, the family would just celebrate their birth on the first day of June because babies of their breed would hatch in the early summer. It wasn't approximate but it was a time for them to collectively celebrate their new coming of age.
The sun was out and peeking through the cracks of the sewer. Usually at least one of them would be up in the early hour given that their prime time had become the night when they would work, but they truly listened to the NYPD's wishes to enjoy their time off from work and indulge themselves for the day. This time, the two usual cerulean-banded sliders were sound asleep in their own rooms. However, sleeping in was a disgrace in one's eyes, especially since he was well known in this field of irritation and annoyance. The orange banded turtle woke up with a passion as he turned on the faucet water to wash his hands.
"I can't believe they still sleepin' when they know our birthday is today." He mumbled to himself, turning off the water. "I got something for them though." He huffed. From the kitchen, he grabbed a metal pot and ravaged the drawers for a wooden spoon. With each in hand, he set off for the main hallway. How they arranged their rooms was different this time around as they continued to update their home for the ever-growing children. On the opposite side of Splinter's quarters, the rowdy bunch were stashed in separate rooms within a T-shape hall. No longer were they in open rooms or up in their circular, lifted quarters, but now a garage door gave them the privacy they wanted when they needed it, much like their old bathroom. They were grown enough for it anyways. However, they normally kept it cracked open up to their calves so that the family could alert them if there was an emergency, but Mikey had a different use to go through. Leonardo was in the first room down on the left side, so his door was opened up first. Every loud, creaking industrial noise a garage can make while being violently pushed up as produced. Michelangelo had no intentions to be quiet at all as he went through and opened up next. With his door lifted up, Mikey began to scream and bang the spoon on the pot. "Ey! Ey! EY! Wake up! Get up! Get up! Get-Up!" He screamed, then he made a break for the other side of the hall to open up the rest of their doors. "Get up! Get-Up! I ain't get no sleep so you ain't gonna get none either!" The last room was Mona's and he entered hers since Raphael's large body was missing from his bed when he went into his room. Without fear, he approached her bed and banged loud against the head of his sleeping brother. Due to the size of the mattresses and how they're able to sleep on them in the first place, his body engulfed hers as his arm pinned her down in slumber. It was actually pretty comfortable for the both of them despite how large he was compared to her. He cracked an eye open to look up. Mona sounded disgusted and tried to hide underneath his body. "Get up! Get up! Get-up-get-up-get-up-get-up-get-up!" Gaining a response, the orange banded terrapin stopped briefly.
"Bro, I know you lying." Raphael groaned under his forearm.
"Ya'll just nasty." their brother replied in disgust.
"I fell asleep." Raphael defended why he wasn't in his room for the night. The young turtle ignored him as he jumped over the bed. His foot touched down on the mattress, shifting the two sleepers to that side and growing even more mad than before. No permission, he opened up her drawers and began digging.
"Guess what I got for yall…." From them, he pulled out the recognizable pink garments she wore on a nightly basis. "Clothes! Get up!" He threw the two-piece at the two in a ball. The young turtle sprinted out the room and began doing the same thing to everyone else. "This is what you wearing." To not waste time, he only threw shorts or pants (whichever was easier to find, he just wanted them to get dressed) at his remaining two brothers and sister. "This is what you wearing." He came back in Mona's room. Raphael was sitting at the edge of the bed, handing Mona her stuff although she'd rather throw her blanket up over her head. "I got something for you too." Mikey pointed at his brother from the entrance. Then, he threw a pair of his black shorts at him before disappearing again. "Come on, and wake up!"
"I wanted to sleep in. That was my dream for my 18th." Donnie muttered to himself. His upper body slouched over till his elbows hit his knees. Sitting at the edge of the bed and contemplating why he was listening to Michelangelo in the first place kept him there wondering how long he would choose to sit there till he got up. I mean, dude's tired. Why don't we not get up and just sit here like this. This is fine.
"Wellllll MLK," Mikey stuck his head out from under the doorway. "that don't fit into mine! C'mon! Get up! Angel finna be here to turn up so get up." The turtle scooted to his room to do whatever else he could to make the morning more obnoxious. Before he disappeared, he gave a little hip swinging dance with his arms above his head and swung them abruptly. "My best friend finna- get up right now!"
Leonardo got up first (surprise, surprise). He hopped off the steps from the hallway and towards the kitchen.
"Sensei!" He called. Dad!" A little louder. Nothing came back. Not a word or a subtle appearance.
"Ah, he left to go shoppin'." He jumped when Michelangelo grabbed his shoulder and hung off of his older brother. His weight pushed him forward into a stumble.
"Getting stuff for us? I'd hate for him to go alone and carrying stuff around." As he should. Aside from being a mutant, sensei was getting up in his years every year. Yes, he could definitely take on his sons easily (less as time goes on), but a son worries about his father just as much as the other way around.
"He got picked up by Casey. Don't worry, Angel came too so they'll have some muscle." He winked and gave him a knowing click of the tongue before pushing down on his shoulder to jump off of him. The eldest brother smirked and followed the family into the kitchen.
Donnie and Venus were promptly joined by Michelangelo at the table. When Leonardo walked in, Mona Lisa sat atop the counter as she watched Raphael open up the kitchen cabinet.
"We did it boys." Raphael spoke loudly which startled the crowd.
"Huh?" Donnie placed one earbud over his ears to dampen his tone. The rebel turtle closed the cabinet he was getting into and pulled out a new box of Lucky Charms.
"We actually lived for another year." He pulled out a bowl and poured over half of it inside. He was a growing boy afterall.
"For real, the stuff we be doing I'm surprised myself." Mona nodded in agreement, then took the box and grabbed a handful of the cereal before stuffing herself. Raphael began to list as he ventured over to the fridge:
"Guns, thugs, poison gas, evil magicians-."
" alien invasions, manhunts, robots, and potential health concerns…" Venus finished before getting a collection of confused stares. "Don't tell me he doesn't eat too much pizza." She pointed directly to Michelangelo. The turtle felt attacked as he gasped softly while clutching his chest. However, the air hung for only so long until the family agreed.
"You right." They agreed in differed responses.
"Speaking of….!" He sang. In no time he tiptoed away with his back arch backwards slightly. "I'm gonna go dial the place to serve the 'death of me'." The young turtle picked up his phone and began dialing but not before sticking his tongue out at his so-called "family".
"I'm gonna use the livingroom to meditate for a sec. That alright?" Leonardo asked as he got to fixing himself a kettle of tea.
"Sure, go for it."
"I was gonna back back for a nap anyways." At the end of his sentence, Raphael yawned. His hands went over his face and rubbed his brows up and down, avoiding to keep his nose out of his bowl.
"Me too." Mona added. Michelangelo yelled: "Ya nasties!" much to their dismay.
The clan began to disperse. The lovebirds returned to Mona's (with that unfinished cereal), the besties kept in the kitchen, Mikey was still on the phone with the pizza people (which is crazy since they're open in the morning anyways), and Leo took himself to the living room. The rushing water from the slide was always loud but it had noise-blocking capabilities from the family's shenanigans as Splinter discovered. The match cackled as he lit it up and placed the flame on a few select candles. It would take time for the aroma to even make a hint of its appearance due to both water and sewer smells, but that was not their job anyways. It was all for the mood. Splinter had so many candles because he would often stare into them to reach his point of relaxation. The movement of the flame entertained him and slowed down his body functions into a state of relaxation. For now, Leonardo used it as mild stimulation as listening to subtle, environmental sounds kept him in a spiritual state.
He kneeled down on the rug that sat at the epicenter of the arrangement of candles. His legs intertwined with one another as he sat down. To start himself off, he began with deep breathing. The first held breath refreshed him as he exhaled. Inhale, exhale. His system began to slow down and his focus sharpened.
"Lucali! Yeah, I wanna whole pie plus the calzone." Leonardo's body twitched. His right eye cracked open and began to search around. Far out of his eyesight, Michelangelo was on his shell-cell.
"Lemme tell ya, how 'bout you put all the toppings on." The eldest brother shook his head, closed his eye, and tried to tone his young brother out. "Nah fam, for real, put everything on it. I swear, it finna be good."
"Mikey." Leonardo muttered to catch his attention.
"And no anchovies, and I mean no anchovies! You tryna be funny and put anchovies on it and I'm deeming you dead to me." Suddenly, a tall candlestick holder was hurdled towards the orange banded turtle. He shrieked as the holder smacked him on the arm.
"Michelangelo!" Leonardo's voice echoed throughout the entire lair, making everything stop and stare. Mikey kept the phone to his ear as he locked shocked eyes with his eldest brother.
"That'll do." He continued in a shaky voice before hanging up the phone.
"Please!" Leonardo pleaded. Mikey surrendered and began to back off.
"Yeah, yeah. Do your thing. I'll join you in a bit, how dow dah?"
"Huh?" but before he could get an answer, Mikey had already high tailed out of the room. His answered confused him, but he needn't dwell on it too long. Time to take advantage of the silence. Inhale, exhale. Multiple times needed to bring back that refreshed feeling. Inhale, hold, exhale.
"Bouncin' around, bouncin' around, bouncin', Bouncin' around, bouncin' around, bouncin'
Scrunchin' their eyes with your name in their mouth and Bouncin' around, bouncin' around, bouncin'..." From the moment the music started, Leonardo's trance was fatally interrupted by the booming of the speakers. His eyes locked onto the weird sight in front of him. Michelangelo was not not alone as he and Donatello danced vivaciously to 'Lemon', taking no care to Leo's previous demands.
"Do y'all not see me trying to meditate?" He asked rudely, but with good purpose.
"This is like meditating!" Mikey mocked.
"It's our birthday," Donnie insisted. "get off your high horse and get over here!" The eldest turtle grouched, sinking into himself. He let out a big groan. Then, he got up and joined them.
