Layla and Mina sat on the couch silently, while Talia stood behind them, swaying with nervousness. Nora stood before them, animatedly relaying the events of that afternoon.
"So then he walked me back here! And before he left he was like "you'rereallypretty," and called me angelcakes, then left!"
"And I totally have a crush on him! He's so good looking! Also you guys! WE'RE NOT ALONE!"
"Nora, I -" Layla started, but was cut off by the Ancient One walking in the door.
"Sorry my darlings that it took me so long! But I was catching up with old friends." He said, chuckling, but his tone changed when he noticed how seriously they looked at him.
"Have a seat," Layla whispered, her tone firm as she gestured to a chair.
The Ancient One swallowed nervously, clearing his throat as he sat down. A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead. His grand-daughters were petite, and couldn't harm him physically (not that they would anyways), but mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and psychologically? He feared for himself.
Mina took a cloth, leaned over, and hooked her finger under his chin, forcing him to look at her. She dabbed the beads of sweat off his brow. "Nervous?" She asked, face stony.
"I-I-I-" he stuttered.
"Y-y-y-yes?" Talia mocked him.
"I am sorry. I really am. I thought it would be a fun surprise, but then I realized today that it may have been unfair to set you up like that with no warning. I should have prepared you better. You and them."
"We're not angry that you wanted to surprise us, it's just very shocking." Layla said, posture relaxing.
"It's very overwhelming to all of a sudden find out that we're not the only mutants like this," Talia added.
"To be fair, I met Mikey earlier today and didn't say anything, so you're not the only one who thought a surprise would be fun," Nora tried to reassure him.
"Ah! You met Michelangelo! Good, I always thought you two would get along."
"So," Mina asked, tone changing to something more lighthearted, "tell us about them."
"Ah! Well, they're just a year older than you two eldest girls, that would make them 28 now? Anyways, they and their father, Splinter, were actually mutated as pets when the turtles were babies. Splinter was Yoshi and Tang Shen's pet, as you know. Leonardo is the eldest, he is in the blue bandana, and he trained with me when he was a teenager, so I know him best. But I have had my share of adventures with all of them! Raphael is in the red bandana, Donatello in purple, and Michelangelo in orange, as you already know. They are kind and decent boys, and I wish you had the chance to meet them sooner. You can trust them, I promise."
"Where do they live?" Talia asked.
"New York City. And before I forget, the Damiyo is hosting a great feast tonight for all fighters and other important guests. Nothing fancy of course, but Splinter and I would like you to meet his sons."
The women eyed him nervously.
"I'm sure they are just as nervous as you are. I feel badly, they walked into that competition and saw you sitting there, and were also unprepared."
"That's really unfair, sofu," Layla said, brow furrowing.
"They all still did well though," Nora added.
"That they did," the Ancient One chuckled. "Ok girls, let me get cleaned up and then we will go."
"Ok my sons," Splinter sat down in a chair.
"Why didn't you say anything, Sensei?" Raph was the first to speak, clearly agitated. None of his sons sat down, and Splinter could tell they were antsy.
"That was kinda unfair for us to find out right before a fight," Donnie added.
"Yes maybe, but it did spur you on to be better than the last competition." Splinter raised an eyebrow. "But I acknowledge that it may seem unfair."
"And Mikey here knew too and didn't say anything," Leo added, glaring at his littlest brother.
"Did you, Michelangelo? Explain." The old rat sat back, interested.
"Well when I went to get snacks before the fight, I met Nora, the blonde one. She was buying something in the stall next to me, and we talked for awhile."
"That's IT? You have nothing else to add?" asked Donnie, clearly frustrated.
"Well we asked each other a million questions, but, I don't really know what else to say." Mikey shuffled his feet nervously, mouth suddenly dry.
His brothers, discontented with his response, began to each ask a question, before Splinter cut them off.
"They were born human, and mutated. That's why they don't have shells. I would have like to introduce you awhile ago, but circumstances were not right. They live with the Ancient One now, outside of Tokyo. Two set of twins, the eldest are Layla and Mina, a year younger than you; Talia and Nora are the youngest, they are a few years younger but I cannot recall exactly. I think you will all get along well. We will meet them at the Damiyo's feast here in a little bit."
Mikey smiled. His other sons eyed each other nervously.
"I'm sure they are more nervous than you are, and I hope," Splinter turned to Mikey, "that Michelangelo here was a gentleman and gave a good first impression."
Leo and Donnie's faces went pale. Raph glowered at his little brother.
"ohmygosh," whispered Donnie nervously. "Mikey-"
"Mikey was the first impression," whispered Leo.
Raph had nothing to say. Nothing he could say in front of his father anyways.
"I did! I promise! I wouldn't screw this up!" Mikey pleaded for his brothers' good faith.
"As I was saying, boys - I am sure they are very nervous as well. They are a lot quieter than you lot, but they're very kind. So be nice, don't be shy. You are all 28 now, I am sure you will be able to handle it well. Now get showered, we don't have much time."
His sons jumped over each other to reach the washrooms first. Splinter chuckled to himself and hoped with every fiber of his being that they would all get along as he thought they would. This was his sons' chance to find some just like them, turtles. Both he and the Ancient One hoped this would lead to more than just friendships.
The four turtle boys walked into the Damiyo's palace, where the Damiyo himself excitedly greeted them.
"Friends!" he weaved towards them between the crowds of people and tables of food. "You all fought so well today! I am most pleased to see you!"
They exchanged casual pleasantries. "Enjoy! Mingle! There are your names in the places you will sit!" With that, the Damiyo walked off to greet others.
There they stood, talking with the Ancient One and one of his acquaintances. They were even more beautiful up close. All of them were short, petite, and had more slender faces than them. They had pale sage skin. Splinter started to walk over to them, and his sons gulped nervously.
Mikey smiled, strutting next to Splinter. Donnie followed, sucking in his lips as he turned his head around to his older brothers, eyes wide.
"Try not to look intimidating, Raph," Leo whispered. Raph sighed, and uncrossed his arms. Leo tried his best to look confident, and friendly.
"Splinter! Boys!" The Ancient One called excitedly. They walked over, and an awkward tension hung in the air.
"Boys, these are my grand-daughters!"
"Layla -" he motioned to a lithe woman with silky, soft dark brown hair that fell gently down the the middle of her back. She stood around 5'2" and had large luminous blue eyes. She smiled shyly, and briefly looked at the boys before looking down at her feet.
So Layla is her name, Leo thought to himself, recognizing her as the girl he locked eyes with in the arena. He suddenly felt an intense nervousness pool in his chest, as he tried his hardest not to stare. She was wearing a delicate long sleeved sheer blouse that accentuated her tiny waist. Around her neck was a choker made of very tiny white pearls, with a small gold "L" hanging in the center. She played with it as she bit her lower lip, betraying how nervous she was. She was so feminine, he thought to himself.
"Mina-" he gestured towards the girl who looked almost identical to Layla, save that her hair was a shade darker and her eyes were dark brown, almost black. It fell to chest, straight. Her eyes were large and doe like, and like her sister, were framed in long lashes. She was wearing a short skirt with a long sleeved shirt, showing off her long legs. She had a fragile bracelet she fidgeted with. She was a little curvier than her sister. Mina briefly glanced up, giving a shy smile before looking down.
"Talia-" the next in line, was taller than the elder two by an inch or so, but still petite and small framed. Her hair was chestnut colored and fell just past her shoulder blades. Her eyes were large and blue like her eldest sister, and she was very slender. She too wore a casual lavender skirt that fell just past her knees. It was silky, and had a slit. She wore a t-shirt on top. She was less shy, and looked at each of the boys curiously before looking down. She was twirling a ring around her finger.
"And Nora, who Mikey knows already!" Nora beamed and waved excitedly, not one to be shy.
"Hi," they all murmured.
"And these are my sons -"
"Leonardo," Layla looked up at the mention of his name, and smiled at him shyly. Up close he was tall, she guessed around 6'2", and very muscular, but lean. Handsome, with kind eyes. She blushed thinking about how much she was staring at him just hours ago.
"Raphael," the one built like a tank nodded his head at them. Mina thought he was handsome, but was too shy to meet his gaze.
"Donatello," the less bulky, but still muscular one gave a shy smile. He was the second tallest. Talia noticed they were both wearing purple, and that he blushed slightly when she smiled at him.
"And my youngest, Michelangelo."
"Hiya!" The youngest beamed, giving them an enthusiastic wave.
"Well! We had best find our seats for our food and entertainment!" Splinter said. The Ancient One winked at him.
"Here's mine," Donnie said, but looked curiously around the table. The only other name he recognized was Talia's. All ten people gathered around the table.
"We're not all together?" Donnie asked his father.
"No! How else would you meet others?" Splinter said. "Talia you are sitting here, but the rest of us will have to keep looking."
Donnie gulped as they sat down next to each other. He noticed that 3 tables away sat Nora and Mikey, already giggling with each other.
"Uh, it looks like we're here," Raph motioned to Mina, who wordlessly nodded at him before sitting down.
Raph took a closer look at her as he sat down. She smelled like flowers, and was so pretty. Even compared to humans, he thought she was beautiful. His mouth was dry, and for once he beat himself for not being as friendly or good with words as his brothers.
She turned to him with a shy smile. "Your name is Raphael? Like the painter?" She whispered. She nervously twirled the end of her hair, and Raph couldn't help but notice how small her hand was.
"Uh, yeah. But you can call me Raph, most everyone does." He said, giving her a sidelong glance and a smile.
"Ok, Raph," she tested out his name, letting it roll of her tongue, as she gave him the sweetest smile he had ever seen.
After a pause, he cleared his throat. "Sorry I ain't as good as my brothers at makin' small talk."
Mina giggled. "It's ok. Neither am I."
"Raphael! It seems we are at the same table tonight, my friend!" The dinosaur-man Mina noticed earlier sat down next to Raph, and another unknown being sat on her right.
"Traximus! Hey! How'd your fight go?"
"Well! I defeated him! And I assume you did too?"
"Uh, yeah. It went well. Oh hey, this is Mina." Raph turned to Mina and smiled. "Mina, this is Traximus. We go back a few years."
"It's nice to meet you Traximus," she said, giving him a warm smile.
"And it is very nice to meet you, my dear. Tell me, has Raph told you of how he saved me from a gladiator ring from my homeworld?" Traximus winked at her.
"He what? No. We just met actually," she said as she smiled sweetly at Raph.
"Really? You don't know each other? Well then all the more reason for me to tell you about my friend!" Traximus laughed heartily, nudging Raph.
"'S not that interestin', I promise," he smirked at her. Traximus began the story irregardless.
"Here we are," Leo said gently, motioning to two seats. He pulled Layla's chair out slightly, she looked up at him with a soft gaze.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
"So," he started off quietly, "I assume the Ancient One didn't um, mention anything?"
She giggled quietly before biting her lower lip, "No, and neither did my sister. And my grandfather said you didn't know either."
"Uh no. Honestly my little brother, Mikey, pointed you guys out as we were walking into the arena." He chuckled at her.
"That's so unfair," she looked at him empathically, voice silky and soft. "It didn't seem to affect you much. You still won."
"Well, I tried my best to focus."
Fuck his voice is so soothing, almost a little husky. She tried to keep her internal monologue silent, as it was causing her cheeks to turn crimson.
She gently brushed some of her hair behind her shoulder, and Leo could smell her floral shampoo. It also gave him a great view of her collar bones.
shit shit shit, she's so lovely. fuck her eyes are gorgeous.
"So you're the oldest brother?" she asked, sipping on a drink. He couldn't help but notice how elegantly her slender fingers held the glass.
"Yeah, technically. Although I guess we don't really know which one of us is the oldest. And you are...?"
"The eldest."
"Leonardo! You are here too?"
"Usagi! Hello!" As the rabbit sat down, Leo introduced him to her, "Usagi, this is Layla."
"Please to meet you, Layla," the rabbit smiled warmly at her, as he subtly pinched his friend on the arm.
"And you as well, Usagi."
"I met Usagi several years ago here. We competed against each other," Leo explained, trying his hardest not to let his mind wander. He didn't need to think about how badly he wanted to bury his face in her neck and inhale. Or how badly he wanted to touch her, to see if her skin felt as soft as it looked.
"Ah yes! Leonardo here was poisoned by an assassin during our match, so it was cancelled."
"Oh my goodness! You're ok now though?"
Leo chuckled, the said with a smirk, "I think so."
"Even after he was poisoned, he managed to help save his father and the Damiyo."
"I uh, well my brothers did a lot."
Usagi continued to flesh out the details of the tale, noticing how even though Leo didn't say much, she looked at him more than Usagi. And he definitely noticed how Leo kept his body turned towards her, though he was sure it was subconscious. Usagi also noticed the little fidgets that told him Leo was a bit nervous. He noticed it in Layla as well. How she would subconsciously play with her necklace or bite her lip.
The rest of the guests at the table were also listening, and Leo felt conflicted. On one hand, he was embarrassed to be the center of attention, but on the other, that cocky side of him couldn't help but rear up because he could tell Layla was interested in the story. That and she kept looking at him.
He finished the tale, and she smiled warmly at both of them. "Thank you for telling me that. I -" But she was cut off by the music dying down and the Damiyo standing up.
"Friends! Tonight's entertainment and dinner is about to start, please enjoy!" And with that, servers brought out plates of food, and the lights dimmed slightly. Several performers gathered on a stage in a clearing between the tables, starting a dance and play.
As they were eating, Leo leaned over to whisper to her, "Sorry he talked about me so much."
"It's ok!" she whispered back, leaning closer to him, "I enjoyed hearing about it, and I feel like I know you better now."
"Yeah but now you know all that about me, and I still don't know much about you," he smirked at her, and she could feel the heat rising in her cheeks - and pooling in her abdomen.
Shyness surrounded her, and she timidly responded, "Well, I haven't done anything half as interesting as that." He's going to think I'm so boring, with all these adventures he's had.
"What? Getting poisoned? I should hope not." At that she grinned. He saw her shoulders relax and her posture became more open. "So, uh, did you make those sakura mochi?"
"Um, we all kinda did. Grandfather requested it."
"They were so good. Better than this, honestly." They both very quietly laughed. "Where did you get the blossoms? And the tea?"
"From my garden. Well, the sakura tree wasn't in bloom now but I have a bonsai that was. "
"You have a garden! Wait, you have bonsai? So do I."
"You do? I love them." She beamed at him, and he started quietly peppering her with questions about everything she grew. He was glad to have found a topic they could both whisper about.
"Neither of them are paying attention to anything or anyone else around them," Splinter chuckled, as he and the Ancient One watching Leo talking to Layla.
"I am glad they are getting along as well as we had hoped." The Ancient One looked over to Donnie and Talia, who were also quietly talking, but it appeared they were discussing the play. He nudged his friend in their direction.
"Ah! Oh, look at Raphael and Mina," Splinter smiled fondly when he saw them. They were the only pair he was worried would have a rocky start, but although they didn't talk as much as the others, their respective postures were relaxed, and they leaned towards each other. They occasionally whispered back and forth.
"I learned a term from Nora the other day that I believe applies to us," the Ancient One looked at Splinter humorously.
"Hmm?"
"Shipping. It means very much wanting two people to enter into a relationship. She was talking about it in terms of a tv show, but I believe it applies here as well."
"Ah I see. So we would say that we are shipping, for example, Leonard and Layla."
"Yes I believe so. Thank goodness the Damiyo is in on our little plot, and those we have shipped together will be sitting with each other for dinner all week."
The two men chuckled.