First Encounter | Raph X GN!Reader

First Encounter | Raph X GN!Reader

A/N: Hey hey, I’ve returned. I took some time to visit New York, and gosh, if only there were actual mutant turtles to come and save me from the most disgusting streets I’ve ever seen. But that rant is up for another time.

I decided to write something for Rise!Raph. Personal thought for a second: I adore the change in his personality, compared to other versions. I’m more into “red means passionate and impulsive” than “red means anger.” Constructive criticism is appreciated and enjoy!

Summary: Raph finally met an animal that didn’t hate him. The animal was actually your missing pet.

Reader: Gender-neutral pronouns if anything. Second-POV pronouns are used.

Word Count: ~1090

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: Some mentions of kidnapping or pet-napping. 

~

The earliest he met you would have to be when you were searching for your missing pet. It scurried out quickly the moment you opened your door.

Raph was on his night patrol, while his brothers were elsewhere.

As of late, noone tried to murder them, so things felt monotonous.

He sat down off the edge of a building, looking at passing cars and people.

And then, Raph heard a trash bag tumble.

“Finally! Sounds like something’s about to go down toni—.”

In an alleyway, your pet wandered with sadness in its lost eyes.

Oh boy, Raph’s heart ached.

He jumped down, startling your pet with a THUMP.

“Hey there, fella,” the snapping turtle cooed, leaning on his knees. “Don’t worry, Raph won’t hurt ya.”

Your pet stood in place for a while, staring at Raph. It made him nervous, because while he claimed animals love him, do they really? 

“Come on, come to Raph-y.” He gestured with his hand. Your pet stepped closer, interested in this giant turtle. And for the moment of his life, it reached for his hand and nuzzled.

Raph’s eyes widened, and his mouth curled into a huge smile.

This was proof that he has a chance with animals!

He proceeded to scratch its head gently. “I love you too, buddy. Yes, I do. Yes, I do~.” It looked like it returned his smile. Maybe, Raph thought to himself, maybe this is the chance for me to adopt!

“(Pet Name)! Where are you?!”

Raph froze. A human? Looking for something?

He glanced behind him for a second and back to the animal in front of him. No, rather, some-pet. Raph couldn’t believe it; the one time he befriended an animal, it turned out to be someone else’s pet. 

A part of him wanted to pet-nap it. 

“Whoa, whoa, Raph. You can’t just pet-nap it!” Mind-Raph exclaimed.

“I can’t help it. This is a milestone for me!”

“Look, as much as you like animals, you can’t just make someone else feel terrible about losing their pet. You’ll always have another chance, big guy.” Mind-Raph pat Raph’s back before vanishing. 

The snapping turtle groaned. “Never a good day—.” WHACK! Raph was knocked off his feet.

“Get away from my pet, you creep!” you yelled, picking it up. “I know how to use my bag, so don’t you dare try me.”

“W-Woah! Hold on, this is just a big misunderstanding—.”

“I’m seeing everything clearly. You were standing there for a good minute, thinking about whether you should pet-nap (Pet Name)!”

Did he seriously take so long to think!? Raph winced. “Maybe— no, I mean— I was just walking by and I thought he was lost—.”

“He? (Pet Name)’s a she.”

“Right.” Raph winced again. “My bad. 

But I was only thinking about whether I should knock on people’s doors, or put up a found dog poster, or—.”

“What even are you?”

“I’m sorry?”

“Don’t tell me you’re one of those people who dress up in a weird costume to lure and kidnap kids too, are you?” Your grip tightened on your shoulder bag, and Raph well noticed it. “I’ve had enough of—!”

“A mutant ninja turtle!”

You stopped midway in swinging your bag. “...What?”

“Just a mutant ninja turtle!” Raph panicked, waving his hands and all. “Not wearing a costume! Was up on a roof until I heard a trash bag fall over. Then, I saw your pet. I admit, your pet’s really, really adorable. I didn’t mean to make you suspicious. It’s just that I’ve never had any animal be so loving around me—!”

You laughed.

Raph suddenly slowed down. “—and I was gonna... leave it.”

Your hand covered your mouth. “Really, you’re a ‘mutant ninja turtle?’” You continued to laugh. “I’m sorry, the way you blurted it out is so random.”

Raph had no words.

“Fine, I believe you for now.” You crossed your arms. “A panicked speaker is always worth some trust— (Pet Name)?”

Oh god. Did you let go? You quickly scanned around, hoping that she wouldn’t run off on you again. To your surprise, your pet was right by Raph’s foot, snuggling against him.

Even the snapping turtle himself didn’t notice until then. And Raph tensed up.

“H-Hold on... before you—.”

“Relax, I’m not going to swing my bag again.” Your voice softened. “Looks like she does like you a lot.”

You stepped a bit closer to Raph, eyes still on your pet. “She’s very sensitive about others. Only gets near whoever is a good person. So for her to—,” you paused, meeting eyes with the snapping turtle, “—I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have made those assumptions and... hit you.” 

Raph watched your expression. There wasn’t anger or bitterness. Instead, there was sincerity on your face. “You’re good. You trust her that much, huh?”

“I know when I should give someone a chance.” You smiled, throwing Raph off guard.

“Oh, and I should probably pay you back for earlier,” you said, picking up your pet again. “I.. do know a good pizza place we could order from. How about it?”

“...” He blinked.

“You.. may need to say something, so I know if you’re good with that.”

“...” He slowly nodded.

“Nice. We should probably meet up another day for it. I have finals coming up soon,” you explained. “Is there a way I can contact you?”

Raph reached for his phone and showed you his number.

You were kind of unsettled by how quiet he was, but his profile picture of Jupiter Jim reassured you. You even chuckled.

“Thanks.” You punched in the numbers and returned the device. “I’ll see you soon, ‘Raph.’ Or maybe ‘mutant ninja turtle.’” You walked off with another smile.

...

And just like that, he was left in the alleyway with a couple of questions. A blush grew on him, and he found himself crossing his arms to “cover” his beating heart. Gosh, was it your smile?

Were you also into Jupiter Jim?

How come he had never seen you before?

Hold on, did you still think he was a human in a costume?

~

Bonus Bits:

Raph develops a fear of your bag now.

April easily figured out that Raph has a crush on someone from his inability to hide his emotions.

Apparently, you and April are close. So when you tell her about an experience with a ‘mutant turtle in a red bandana,’ she connects the dots.

You come to realize that Raph is an actual mutant turtle when he refuses to enter the pizza restaurant with you.

Before You Go | Future Leo X GN!Reader (Part III)

A/N: I am conflicted over using gender-neutral terms to replace “Mama,” because I haven’t found a single one that holds the same vibe as the initial. If there are any suggestions, let me know! Remember that constructive criticism is always appreciated.

Summary: You’re both adopting-parents of Casey. Leonardo returned from a patrol to find his family surrounding Casey, about to say his first words.

Reader: Gender-neutral pronouns are used, except the terms “Mama” and “mother-figure are used as well. Second POV.

Pairing: Rise! Future! Leonardo X Reader

Warning(s): Insecure of one’s parenting.

Word Count: ~1980

Parts: One / Two / Three / Four / Five / ...

~

“No way, is Casey saying his first words?” Michelangelo gasped. He was followed by his older brother, coming back from an area patrol together. 

That question stopped Leo in his tracks. "H-Hold on, really?"

In front of him, April and his brothers surrounded you, while you sat 2-year-old Casey on your stronger arm. He glanced around curiously at the small crowd, but paid no mind as he played with your hair.

"Bwuah.. bah." Sounds bubbling from his mouth. You smiled. "I have a good feeling, Mikey."

Leo stared from afar. 

..It had been so long since he felt this kind of warmth. All the smiles on his family’s faces were enough to give nostalgia.. back to when life was relatively.. normal.

"What'cha doing, standing over there!" April called out, waving her arm up. "This is a moment of a lifetime! Don't tell me you're backing out of being a parent." Donnie snickered from hearing her teases.

Leo shook his head. Then, he rolled his eyes. "Hey hey, c'mon, don't put me down like that, April. I'm not some deadbeat guy."

Being the Doctor Feelings he once proclaimed, Mikey held his hands to his chest. A bubbly smile grew. "Ohh! I’m getting it now: Lee’s having his inner, emotional, father-moment!"

And of course, a dark blush appeared on his face, embarrassed he was figured out so easily. Granted, he was talking about his own brother and Doctor Feelings. "Yeah yeah, whatever you say, little brother," he huffed. "Let's not tease me right now, guys. I just got back from a patrol with the others."

Leo strolled closer to you from behind, head leaning on your shoulder. "So.. what’s he’s saying?"

"Yet to find out." You slowly rocked your body back and forth.

“Y’know,” April wondered, “I’ve been thinking: aren’t kids supposed to start talking before they turn two?”

You and Leo felt yourselves freezing at the realization. Supposed to? But what about Casey? Did this imply that you two hadn’t done enough?

Fortunately, Donatello noticed your unease. 

“Ahem,” he cleared his throat, “I mean, we are living in an underground base during an alien invasion. I doubt any of us would own time to cater to a human child full-time.” Donnie raised his “eyebrows” once, giving the message to April.

“Yeah yeah, that makes sense.”

"..Moving on...

Allow me to make a guess: he’ll begin by praising my name and intellect with, 'I love you Donatello Von Ryan and you're the greatest being this universe has to offer,'" Donnie claimed right from his heart and ego.

"God dang, Donnie, I swear," Raph murmured, "if this kid grows up to praise you like some sort of egotistical saint—."

"Scoffs! That could mean one thing for sure, Raphael: Casey will grow to be one of the most intelligent children, taught under by yours truly."

April put her hand on her hip. "Huh. Not gonna lie, I still can't believe Cassandra would name him after herself."

"Doesn't sound far from her, really," you chuckled. "In fact.. I'd be surprised if she managed to make a whole different one."

"Bah.. boo mah.."

"Ooh, ooh!" Mikey leaned his head closer to Casey. "He's going to say something!"

"Putting my bets on 'Mama!'" April raised her hand. Donnie, on the other hand, rolled his eyes and feigned, "Wow! That is so original. Yawn."

"Uh, excuse you." Leonardo looked offended. "Where's the amor for the father-figure?"

You deadpanned. “Since when have we established the ‘Mama’ label?”

"Ever since Leo kept calling himself ‘Papa,’” April chirped. “Sorry, Leo, being the mother-figure, (Name) comes before you." 

"Hm. Raph’s gotta agree."

"Seriously? Even my own brother!?"

"No worries, Lee, I got you!" Mikey leeched onto him.

Donnie coughed. “Continuing to believe he’ll say my name.”

Your eye twitched. “Hey, don’t be disappointed if he says a whole ‘nother word, you guys.” The baby laughed, his giggles drawing the attention of everyone from their debate. 

"Luh..," he blubbered, "ooo."

“...”

"Oh my gosh!" Mikey tightened his grip onto Leo. It was slowly making him struggle to breathe. "Did you hear—? Are you guys thinking—? I think he just said, 'Love youu!'"

"Sorry to break your bubble, but I'm pretty sure they're random syllables, Michael."

"Don't be so pessimistic! We should be happy! Casey’s finally said his first words to us, and they’re ones of love!" "Ew."

Mikey smacked Donnie.

"..Next word has gotta be 'Mama.'" April crossed her arms.

"Uh, I think you mean 'Papa.'"

You sweat-dropped. “I don’t think the debate’s necessary, guys.”

“Leave 'em,” Raph laughed, grabbing your attention. “This is probably one of the only times we’ll ever have our good moments together.” You smiled, watching Mikey and Donnie getting into a passive-aggressive argument themselves. “How’re you and Leo doing with the kid?” Raph asked, inching his giant finger closer to Casey, who proceeded to chew on it.

“The good thing is.. taking care of him is starting come naturally.. and Leo’s still taking my advice to get some rest before we switch roles.” 

Raph found you delaying in your response.

“But. I’m guessing there’s one somewhere.”

“Agh.. It’s just.. Leo seems to be doubting himself again. I was hoping for a chance to talk to him, but maybe.. this time isn’t the right time to do so.”

The snapping turtle moved his hand to your shoulder. “No worries, (Name).” His thumb gently rubbing your nape. “Leave it to me this time.”

“..Okay.”

"Oooh, don't you dare start with me, Leo,” she warned. “It's 'Mama.'"

"'Papa.'"

"'Mama.' Guess you don’t love your lover enough."

“Woah woah, hey!” Leo gasped. Flabbergasted from how April spat that out out of nowhere. "Are you being a mis.. misogynist!?"

“‘Misandrist,’” Donnie corrected.

"'Mama.'"

"Mah-mah!"

“...”

Everyone’s eyes flickered over to Casey, face beaming in the dim cavern.

Out of the stunned group, metallic arms rose from Donnie’s battleshell and tore up a sheet of paper apart. You had no idea where did that come from. "Sigh. Of course, my dreams of raising a follower is demolished once again. Back to the drawing board with my robotic—."

"AWW, he said, ‘Mama!'" The box turtle leaped. 

"Woo! Raph and I call for the air-conditioned room privileges!" April cheered, high-fiving the snapping turtle, who grinned. “We called it!”

“Mahmah!”

“Yes, Casey. It’s me.” An upward quirk of your lips and you snuggled your nose with his. “Mama is here.” The toddler squealed. 

It was this moment that none of you failed to see how Leo’s so-called smile falter. A distant look in his eyes as he came to lower his gaze. 

Raph nodded towards you and April. The both of you returned it, heading into one of the tunnels in silence.

That left the brothers.

It wasn’t until Leo finally tilted his head up that he registered the quietness and lack of your presence. He groaned. “Guys, c’mon. I know what you’re doing, and I don’t need another talk right now.”

“Leo,” Mikey reassured. “It’s okay to talk about your feelings with us, y’know. We’re your brothers! Your family! And family supports each other.”

“Besides,” Donnie crossed his arms, leaving one of his metallic arms to comfort his brother’s back, “it’s about time you quit ruining the mood whenever Casey is brought up.”

Raph hummed. “You’re thinkin’ too much on it, Leo. You know whatever the kid says don’t make you any less of a parent.”

Leo huffed. “I know, I know.”

“Uh huh.” Donnie scoffed. “If you really know that that’s the case, then what’s the actual problem?”

“Nothing.”

“We know it’s not ‘nothing.’”

“...”

“Okay, we can do this then.” Mikey held his brother’s shoulders. The Doctor Feelings side revealing. “I’ll ask the questions you answer by nodding ‘yes’ or ‘no.’

Is it about Casey?” Leo nodded ‘yes.’

“Okay.. Is it about his first words?” He shook his head ‘no.’

Mikey held his chin, pondering. “Is there a specific issue?” Once again, Leo shook his head. The box turtle figured it must be a general conflict. You told him not long ago that his brother was being reserved as of late. You often confided in him your troubles.

“Is this also about (Name)?”

He nodded.

“Is this also about the Kraang?”

..He nodded. This time, Leo proceeded to respond. “Nothing’s the same ever since they invaded.”

“Of course—.” Raph eyed Donnie.

“We could’ve had a normal life. We all could’ve gone for ice cream, jumping to a pool, see snow again.. But look what came to us instead.” A bitter tone. “This isn’t the life I wanted for all of us. This isn’t the life that Casey and (Name) deserves. I-I can’t accept it.

It doesn’t help to think back on their and Cassandra’s words.”

“What do you mean?”

Leo narrowed his eyes. “Cassandra told me (Name) wanted a kid. (Name) told me they couldn’t risk taking care of one in this fucked up place.”

“And they have Casey—.”

“But I know they’d be happier if things were different.”

“Oh? You mean if (Name) doesn’t have fertility issues?”

All eyes on Donnie. “..Huh?”

“Hey!” Mikey exclaimed. “How’d you know that? I thought I’m the one with secrets.”

“Well, Michael, being forced to stick down here and manage weaponry and defenses means keeping track of everyone’s biological systems.”

“..You.. kept trackers on us?”

“Correction: in you. Do I have to remind you that I’m the reason you all managed to survive this long?”

“Ah..” Raph was stunned. “Ah, uh, moving on..

Yeah, we would be happier if we didn’t have the Kraang up on our asses. But even then, this is our reality now. 

We can’t go back. 

And sometimes, your best option is to deal with it and make the most out of what you have. You got that?”

Leo’s breath hitched. He glanced upon reassuring smiles on his brothers’ faces (much less of a smile on Donnie’s, but the aura was there).

“You may be the leader, Leo, but I’m still your older brother,” Raph spoke softly.

A sigh left the red-eared turtle, and he pulled them all into a tight embrace. “Thanks hermanos.”

.

.

.

"Lee-oh," you pronounced slowly, leaning close to Casey. You hadn’t noticed your leader in blue lingering next to the cavern entrance. You always managed to forget that Donnie built an entire underground system for water and air. Yet, your resources weren’t enough to make decent rooms. 

The baby blinked and giggled. "Eeee.."

You wiggled his arms. "Lee-oh."

"Ohh.."

Leo couldn't hold back the wide grin on his face. His heart melted. “I always knew you love me, (Name)," he spoke up.

"God, Leo! You scared me!” you cursed, holding Casey back in the comfort of your arms. "..How are you feeling?”

“Comforted.. thanks to my brothers.”

Once he walked closer to your side, you leaned up to kiss him. “For you to know you’re making a great father-figure. And that you have nothing to worry for about me or Casey.”

Leo blinked and blinked. 

Then, being shy, he hid his growing blush behind his blue scarf. 

It was one you made for his birthday five years ago from a ball of yarn that Todd found, rummaging through wrecked shops. Even after that much time, Leo still became flustered around you.

“Bah.. lo...”

His left arm wrapped around your waist. “I’m glad to have you here, (Name).” You leaned into his plastron. “The same goes for you, Leo.”

“Ee.. oh.”

“Mhm—. Hold on.” The red-eared turtle sat upright. “Did he—?”

“Ee.. oh!” Casey sounded. Lacked a consonant, but the idea was there. 

You chuckled, seeing your boyfriend’s wide-eyed reaction. “He said my name!” he cheered, pulling the toddler from your arms to hold him up. “Leo,” he said.

“Ee-oh!”

“If you were worried about him not saying ‘Papa,’ I’m sure it’s only because April kept repeating ‘Mama’ back there,” you concluded. “Not sure if I’m completely comfortable with the whole label thing.”

“Being called ‘Mama?’”

“Hm.. If I ever feel like changing that up, I can wait until Casey’s a bit older to comprehend better.”

“Ohoho~.” Leo grinned, bringing the baby closer. “Say, ‘Papa.’”

“Ah..”

“‘Papa.’“

“Pa.. wah...”

“‘Papa.’”

“Papah!”

Rise of TMNT Movie Review (No Spoilers)

Everyone, I am proud to rate this movie a 7.5 out of 8 slices. (For reference, that is an equivalent of 9.375 out of 10.)

This is from someone who assumed for a moment the movie might fail.

For one, I need everyone to understand how DIFFICULT it is to fit every development into an hour and a half movie. Especially considering it is an animation movie. 

I couldn’t blame the producers, knowing the backlash the series received for no good reason.

—

I cried during the emotional segments. The sight of trying but your efforts failed hit me hard. Hearing the turtles’ frustration too.. The VAs did amazing. Props to them for reaching my heart.

The animation, I want to hug the entire team. The backgrounds, the action, and the personal moments gave me CHILLS. 

It’s a disgrace to every person working on the movie when the Internet decided to put it under plain “comedy.” 

Sure, be judgmental, only because it’s animated. Why don’t you say the same for Marvel and DC’s dark animated films?

ARE WE GOING TO IGNORE EVERYTHING ELSE?

Here, the Kraang actually looked menacing. World-threatening to its literal definition. Murder? Yep, one of them is a deranged psychopath. I’m glad they didn’t go down the whole “just alien brains” route. (Sorry not sorry.)

Awes me when they managed to snuck in a few mature moments. 

—

I do have to admit: the comedy could’ve been improved. And I do wish that there was an extra hour in the movie for enough room to seam everything smoothly.

Although, the emotional moments made me forget those flaws.

—

Happy to know my fan fiction is 15% accurate to the actual movie. I mean, it’s expected Leo would point out the “Master” part.

Bruh, making a review without spoilers that can express my hype is a challenge.

2022.07.08

My friends,

The official trailer for “Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie” HAS BEEN RELEASED! I found out when I was looking through Instagram and found an edit of this trailer. You cannot believe how many times I jumped. 

One, after seeing the rushed yet incredible ending to the series, I thought that that was the tragic end to Rise. Seeing this has brought all the hype back and made this summer more memorable. YEAHH!

Two, may I point out our turtles being aged-up in one scene? Gosh, the fact that Leon looks like he has Raph’s arm— WHAT HAPPENED? I rewinded a few times, and I don’t think I see him or Donnie. This is surely going to bring up more potential for angsty fan fiction.

Three, Leon’s growing into his position as leader. To be honest, I was hoping for the trailer to have bits of Leon and Raph, where they’d talk about the sudden switch-over. I did feel bad about Raph being taken out of his leader role, when that was something he had been in for a long time. With the show’s hasty ending, maybe the movie can redeem this aspect?

Four, am I seeing things or is April attending university now? Congratulations, April!

Five, as one of Leon’s fan, I approve of screen time.

Best regards, MsBarryBeeson. (August 5th is the movie’s release on Netflix.)

Lanterns | Terraria Reader Insert

A/N: Yes, I made an actual fan fiction for Terraria. After five years of not playing, I have returned to realize that the NPCs actually have a personality! Being entertained by my interactions with them, I decided to write this.

A lot of this is referenced to the in-game quotes and events by the NPCs, in addition to my frustration of world exploring. Enjoy!

Word Count: 1980

Summary: You returned to town to find a party being thrown for you. This time, they had a different idea for a celebration.

Reader: Second-person. Gender-neutral pronouns are used if any.

Characters: Zach the Guide | Fantasia the Party Girl | Chryseis the Dryad | Dante the Arms Dealer | Caitlin the Nurse

Pairings: All are platonic.

~

“Huyah!” You yelled. Your sword slashed through the carnivorous Wyverns. Their twists and persistence gave you the fury to strike them down. Souls of Flight fell from their innards, topping off the final ingredient needed to make frozen wings. They make a much better alternative to your current fledgling wings.

You also wondered how Zach the guide managed to know the recipe for making wings. You would never know; maybe he was an adventurer himself once before. 

The magic mirror lit up at your reflection. Then your eyes opened to the familiar comfort of your home. The warmth from your fireplace made the frostbite on your fingers less painful. At your arrival, Zach stood up from the sofa in surprise, the book dropping from his hold. 

“Oh! It’s you, (Name)!” He held his chest. “I thought you were one of those Goblin sorcerers. ...Did you get the Souls?”

After plucking out some harpy feathers from your armor, you opened your backpack and took out a glass bottle containing the essence. “Yeah, I did. Thanks for the recipe, Zach. I can reach the sky islands easier now. Those Wyverns are hell to deal with though. If it weren’t for the shield from who was it, Romeo, I wouldn’t make it….”

“As expected,” he laughed. “And it’s no big deal. I’m always happy to lend a hand to our town hero. Speaking of which,” Zach took the bottle, placed it on the table, and grabbed your hand, “come, (Name). Fantasia’s excited to be throwing a party after you protected us from the Pirates. Who knew they’d be interested in a small town like ours?”

“Eh? Another one?” Your brows furrowed. “Zach, I’m thankful, but I’m just doing my deeds. You guys shouldn’t even be surprised to have invasions anyway. It’s not like it’s something new.”

“All hard work deserves something. Don’t feel bad for us; the majority of us do nothing but sell and buy.”

Huh.

“I guess you make a good point—.”

“Hey (Name)!” People leaped from behind the bushes. They were your fellow townspeople, and you realized that Zach took you to the park for the celebration, instead of the usual town hall. “The park? Is there some construction on the hall that I didn’t know about?” Your shoulders slumped. “Don’t tell me another attack happened while I was away.”

Fantasia waved her hands. “No no, of course not! Instead,” her lips formed a grin, “we just have this cool idea for an activity. And tonight has some perfect weather for it: mild wind, a clear sky—.”

“We decided to do this activity for each time you defend us from a new enemy.” Chryseis smiled, placing a moonglow flower crown on your head.

“And what would that be?”

“Thought you’d never ask!” Fantasia raised her left hand up high. “Light it up, everyone!” Behind the party girl, you watched in awe as something began glowing in each towns-person's hands. 

“Ahh.” You realized: those were lanterns, being released into the night sky. 

Their small flames mimicked the stars, making them all the more beautiful. 

Zach chuckled; he admired the lanterns twinkling in your eyes. 

Waking to your side, the merchant brushed his beard. “These lanterns are made of silk, produced by the fine webs of spiders. It’s not easy to retrieve, but the Oten’s explosives scared them all off.”

“Don’t think you can leave me out, old man,” Dante huffed. “If it weren’t for my bullets, those spiders wouldn’t know when to stop. Oten here keeps missing his aim.”

“Oi—!” 

“Dante!”

“Fine, fine. I’ll quit it.” The man lifted your hand to his lips and placed a kiss. “Only for you—.” 

You pulled away. “Sorry, I’m actually saving myself for someone with more compassion than that,” you playfully wafted your hand, leaving the arms dealer in embarrassment. Everyone laughed at the sight.

Then, a glass of blueberry juice reached your hand. “Ahh, I’m glad to have you here with us, (Name),” Caitlin spoke up. “Not only have you provided us a home, but you’re also a cool person! Better ask me to treat when you can.”

“Let me guess: in return for coins?” You sipped the juice.

The nurse was so quick to answer, “Yeah— hey!” She lightly shoved your arm. “I’ll lower the costs for you, o-of course!”

“Haha, appreciated it, Cait.”

As you strolled away, a sudden, blue cloud poofed out of nowhere. A man of a white beard and purple appeared. “Hello, beloved hero!” Merlyn exclaimed. 

“What’s with the formality?”

“Now now, have you really not heard of my saying: ‘great magic comes with great respect’?” Another cast of blue revealed a crystal ball in his hands. You tilted your head. “You sure? I don’t remember you saying such thing last after-party.”

The man hushed you, “Sh, sh! It’s essential I follow the advice of my magic crystal. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have spoke in such a way. I mean, its tellings don’t come often after all!”

“Merlyn, I really do think the crystal tells you the future, not actual advice on what you—.”

“Shh!”

With a gentle touch, Merlyn rubbed the object. Then, he held it out, closing his eyes and chanting a string of words, until he removed his hand. “Aha! Your future seems bright— other than a dead goldfish— but still! I give you this magic crystal, beloved, young hero, (Name), in hopes that you will use this in a time of doubt.”

“Wait what?” You held the crystal with great care. “Merlyn, I’m not sure—.”

“Whoops, too late! I must walk my hat! Perhaps, an enchanting cup of hot chocolate may entertain you instead.”

Just like that, the glass in your hand transformed into a hot mug. You realized you lost sight of the wizard. You glanced around in vain. “Huh, he actually dipped on me,” you muttered. You stared down at the crystal ball and sighed. “Fine.” 

“How are you feeling, (Name)?” You jumped, making Chryseis laugh. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“You’re good. In all truthfulness, at least you’re not Dante.” The dryad rolled her eyes at the name. “I must agree. To this day, that man still can’t tell I’m five hundred years old.” A look of shock caught your face. “I’m sorry, what?”

“What?”

“I actually didn’t know you’re five hundred years old….”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“It isn’t! You look incredibly young!”

“I know you mean it as a compliment.” Chryseis rubbed her arm. “I just  don’t think it helps in the case of Dante,” she chuckled. “But enough of that, the corruption has been decreasing thanks to you.” 

“Well, some of the thanks should also be given to Hope. Even though it was pricey, the cleminator was helpful.” You crossed your arms. “Oh, the steampunker?” You blinked. “Yeah, is there something about her?” 

“Not necessarily.” Chryseis shook her head. “I heard she dislikes me, but for what reason, I’m not sure. Anyway, let me see….” The dryad connected her hands and closed her eyes. A gust of wind blew by as she hummed a short tune to herself. “Terraria has less than five percent of corruption! Each day, nature is more at ease.”

“Terraria?”

“Oh.” The dryad’s eyes widened. “Sorry, that was a slip of my tongue. I meant (World Name).”

“Well, I’m glad to hear my work paid off, and that my gold isn’t for nothing.” Your hand lightly touched the flower crown on your hair. “And thanks for the crown again, Chryseis.” She smiled. “Of course.”

“Ay, (Name)!” 

A different voice yelled out, one that made the dryad frown. “Oh no, I must leave now, (Name). Do take care!”

“W-wait, you can’t just leave—!”

Dante took your arm, turning you to face him. “Now where’d you think you’re going, sweetheart? The party’s just started.” You grimaced at the nickname. “Don’t you have Caitlin to flirt with?” 

“I didn’t know you’re so interested in who I’m with.” He smirked.

“More of ‘I wish you wouldn’t talk to me now,’ to be honest.” 

“Ouch, not even a bullet hurts that bad.” Dante ran a hand through his hair. “C’mon, I just need a moment.” 

You glanced around for a lone person to speak with, but alas, everyone was busy with their own celebratory agenda. “What would it be now: more firearm dealing, a dinner date?” You waved off. “Forget it, I’m happy with my current weapon and treasure hunting.”

“Hey hey!” The dealer stopped you. “It’s… I just want to give you something as a gift, all right?”

“…Huh?”

Dante scoffed, “Why do you sound so confused? I’m not that hard-hearted. Here.” The man shoved a long cardboard box to you. You slowly opened it, revealing the star cannon. “You….” 

He rubbed his nape. “Look, I was supposed to give you it three parties ago— y’know, the one after you killed that giant plant— but I never found you. You were always gone for some reason, but I guess you got other stuff to do, so….” He paused for a moment. “So… you like it?”

You stared at the gift, thinking and admiring the fact that Dante even poured effort to forge it. The silence you gave was unbearable for the man, however.

“Hey, don’t leave me hangin’, (Name). I even asked Oten to explode the meteorite for it, but apparently, his explosives don’t even work on it. You’d have to find stars for ammo though. I would’ve gotten some if it weren’t for the fact that the stars I’ve seen killed some—.”

“I love it.”

The sudden remark made Dante flustered. 

“Thanks, Dante. I have to admit: I didn’t expect this.”

He coughed. “Yeah yeah, I only did it because you earned it—.”

“(Name)!” 

Your eyes flickered to your friend walking over to you two. “Zach?” You smiled at his appearance.

Dante, on the other hand, “tch’d,” looking away with bitterness in his mouth. “Hey, glad to have found you. The wind’s drifting the lanterns to the west. I thought we could go over to the pond and read the messages on there.”

“You guys put messages on there?” You looked to Dante, who pursed his lips and nodded.

“Come on!” You put the star cannon back into the box, carefully handling it. “Okay okay. I gotta go, so thanks again, Dante.” You smiled.

You and Zach hurried over to the edge of the pond. The lights reflected onto the water. You watched the wind lead some of the lanterns within arm’s reach. After some time, your hand raised up high and caught onto one. 

“This one’s from Konah,” Zach observed.

“‘Strong energy flows through you, in which your presence keeps my soul at peace.’”

Zach pulled in another lantern. “Oh, this is from Reishi!”

You laughed at this one. “‘I’m glad you didn’t try to eat me.’” 

“Unfortunately, he’s got Alfed to worry about. That guy’s always trying to take a bit out of him,” Zach sighed. You thought aloud, “What’s up with truffles?”

“Not sure, I just heard it can mess your head up, which sounds more uncomfortable than tasty,” your friend replied.

The two of you looked up at more lanterns in silence, many of which were floating far away. Something ran through your mind when you caught sight of the actual stars in the sky. “…Hey Zach?”

The guide hummed, signaling you to continue. “Every day, I wonder why I’m here. To be honest, it feels exhausting to get rid of the enemies and corruption. In fact, I wonder if I have a different purpose than that. But… after spending time to meet and talk with you guys, I feel less lonely.” Zach turned away from the lanterns to face you. 

“I’m glad to have you guys here. I’m glad that my purpose is to help protect you guys if anything. And…,” you paused, “I wish it will stay that way forever.”

Even If We’re Different | Turbo X F!Reader (Human AU)

A/N: This is based off of the Turbo F.A.S.T series. I decided to make this a human a.u., otherwise I’d be automatically tagged as insane for a snail and reader pairing. Now, if I did do that, the reader would have to be a snail too. 

The snails’ names are considered racer nicknames in this a.u. I cannot imagine having “Turbo” as an actual student name. Turbo is Theo. Whiplash is Whitney. Chet is Chet. Burn is Bernice. Skidmark is Yahir. Smoove Move is Darion. White Shadow is Matthew. 

(Picking these names other than the canon ones is hard as heck.)

You’ll only see Turbo (Theo), Burn (Bernice), and Smoove Move (Darion) here though.

–

Pairing(s): Turbo (Theo) X Reader

Universe: Human, where the F.A.S.T Crew are university students with racing as a hobby. Turbo is officially the youngest racer, winning a national competition at 18 years old. (I have no exact clue how car racing competitions work in real life, so take this fan fiction with a grain of salt.)

Summary: You get insecure of your friendship with Turbo when you start believing that he and Hayaku get along well. (You also have a crush on him, but you haven’t confessed yet.)

Word Count: ~1700

Warning(s): Insecurity of appearance and interests.

– 

You could only scoff. Your pencil scribbled harshly across your notebook. All while you overheard Hayaku giggle at whatever Theo said. 

You glanced up at the man to find his eyes and infatuated smile for her. You scowled. The sight irritated you, but you could not help yourself from your insecurity. 

Hayaku did look beautiful with her silky hair. Besides— you thought as you frowned to yourself— she was a professional drift racer and a celebrity for her infamous hot sauce back in Japan. She had something in common with Theo, while you were only a university student taking on art minor and computer science major. 

Speaking of which, you sometimes wondered how you even managed to become friends with Theo’s bunch of racecar drivers. You and Theo’s brother Chet were the only ones not obsessed with the sport. Regardless, you were grateful for having such friends at least. 

Though your heart felt bitter, you shook your head. You needed time to debug a program, not to grieve over Theo. You groaned, “I forgot the other brace at the end of the if-statement—.”

“You’re a very funny man, Turbo-san!” Hayaku laughed behind her hand. “I surely look forward to our official drift race.”

Theo smiled. “As do I.”

The grip on your pencil tightened. You could not handle this, so you turned away from the race track, putting in a pair of earphones to distract yourself. Your arm leaned on the empty row behind you. Then when you were finally about to settle down, somebody snatched your earphones out, holding them overhead.

“H-hey Smoove!” Darion, otherwise known as Smoove Move, was one of yours friends and a member of the F.A.S.T crew. 

“You’re looking deep down in the dumps, hun,” Darion hummed, dropping the earphones back into your hand. “This ain’t the (Name) I know— the one always down to go with Turbo.”

“Yeah, her man’s busy talking to that Japanese girl,” Bernice, nicknamed as Burn, remarked, blowing a bubble.

You sighed. “Don’t say it like that, he’s not my boyfriend.”

“Yet.”

Your hands covered your face. “Can’t believe you guys know about my crush on Turbo except him himself,” you mumbled. “What’s worse is that he’s falling in love with someone else in front of my eyes.”

“Ay, don’t be hard on yourself. The right kind of love moves slowly.” Darion sat beside you on the bleachers. “There’s more to it than you know. I mean, even Turbo’s feeling all kinds of emotions for you too.”

You closed your notebook and faced your two friends. “What?”

Bernice shoved you. “Don’t tell us you never noticed a single thing the past few months. Especially our 2nd year party that one night.”

“Whoo, I remember it like it was yes-ter-day!” Darion laughed. “That look on Turbo’s face had me rollin’!”

Bernice smirked. “Hell, he was so pissed off when he caught you hanging out with one of our rival team’s star, Fusion.”

“Fusion?”

“Nickname. His real name’s Aiden.”

The name clicked in your head. “Ah….” You recalled how cocky he sounded, belittling your friends to make himself look good. You had to admit: Aiden was an entertaining guy, but when he asked you to a dance, you turned him down.

“You weren’t there, but he challenged our boy to a race. Couldn’t win even when they tried so hard to copy him.”

“But he still got a hard spot for Fusion.” Bernice crossed her arms. “Turbo was crushing his can and ruining Chet’s suit with soda all over him. At least you gotta have seen that.”

“How ‘bout that time when Hardcase tried asking her out, Burn?”

“Ah man, Turbo’s face was priceless!”

“Got his finger tapping so quick on the table and everything—.”

“If you are trying to tell me Turbo’s been crushing on me, then explain why does he look like he’s going to marry Hayaku after a few minutes of meeting her?”

“Hey, hey, I’m only telling you this from a man’s view: first sights in love are with the looks. I bet you even if they do get together, Turbo ain’t gonna last two dates when he sees what’s really behind her.” Darion grimaced. “And I’m picking up a bad groove. See how her smile’s turned over ‘round—. Hey, where’d my boy Turbo go—?”

“What ‘bad groove,’ Smoove?”

The three of you were startled by a voice from behind. You turned to find Theo walking down the bleachers.

“Don’t you scare us again, Turbo,” Bernice remarked.

Theo chuckled. “Sorry guys, I had to change out of my suit. Why are you two here anyway?” he asked. “You don’t usually come to my practices.”

“Team meeting’s not on until a couple of minutes later,” Darion answered. “Got nothing much, so might as well spend our time here. Besides, (Name) here’s looking a little lonely, so why not be her company?”

Theo’s eyebrows furrowed. Your eyes peered toward Darion, whose hand signaled you to wait. 

“So anyway,” Darion spoke again, “what’s new for you, Turbo?”

The man shook his head, a smile returning to his face. “Man, there’s this girl from Japan, right? Her name’s Hayaku. She traveled to here from Japan to race against me! Well, more like her hot sauce manager challenged Tito. But I think she likes me.” Theo grinned.

“Watch it,” Bernice warned, “I heard this Hayaku girl’s a competitive one.”

“Aren’t we all?”

“No, no.” Darion shook. “She mean she’s a hothead. May be pretty, but pretty rude too.”

“Look, Turbo,” Bernice said, “every competitor you meet who looks nice always backstab you.”

Theo crossed his arms. “Not everyone’s like that. I’m sure Hayaku’s different.”

“My boy, you’re racing over who has better hot sauce.”

You opened your notebook again, not getting into the conversation.

“Well I’m going to give her the benefit of the doubt. She’s even offered to teach me how to drift!”

Bernice rolled her eyes. “Oh my god.”

Theo huffed. “Anyway, the sun’s about to set. We better get going before Whiplash starts lecturing us.” 

Darion and Bernice shared a glance and snickered. “Sure, brother, take. your. time.” 

Theo’s eyes widened. Flustered, he glared down at them as they stood up from the bleachers and walked off. Theo tapped his shoe, waiting until his two friends were gone, before he faced you. 

…

But of course, there was an awkward silence. You continued jotting down some notes, thinking Theo would leave you be.

“…You’ve been pretty quiet, (Name).”

You pursed your lips. “There’s not much to tell you, so I rather not bother you by talking.”

“What? You’re not bothering anyone. I actually like your voice— I mean— I don’t mind you talking at all,” Theo stumbled. “The only time that’d be a problem is when Skidmark is convinced the aliens are going to invade the stock market.” He leaned forward to see your face, but his small smile disappeared when he found no reaction out of you. “…I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were feeling lonely,” Theo spoke up. “If I’d known that before, I wouldn’t have forced you to come every practice, (Name).”

“I’m fine, Turbo,” you assured him. “I don’t mind watching you on my own. Plus, it makes for a great chance to study.” You paused for a moment. “It’s just that… there’s a larger crowd here today than any.”

“It happens when an international racer decides to visit.” Theo chuckled, trailing off into another silence. He rubbed his nape nervously. “…You’re also not coming with us?”

You huffed. “You forget that I’m not a racer like you, Turbo.”

“I—. Well, I don’t ever remember that stopping you from hanging out with us.”

“This is a crew meeting?”

“(Name), come on.” He pushed you. “I know for sure Whiplash doesn’t mind. You’re our friend.”

“A friend who isn’t into racing like you.” The words slipped your tongue this time.

“(Name),” Theo said sternly, “What’s gotten into you today? You never cared about this just a few days ago.”

You sighed. “I just don’t—. I’m sorry. I was just thinking about us.”

“What do you mean?”

“We’re friends and all,” you closed your notebook and hugged your legs, “but I’m not sure how it even began. I’m an art and computer science student. You’re into mechanical engineering and racing.”

Theo sat down beside you. “Are you worried we couldn’t stay as friends just because we’re not into the same interests?” A frown formed on his lips. “Okay— I admit: most friends fall under that category. But you and I— the crew do have something in common. Something outside of our hobbies. For one, we all have dreams to work for. We’re big competitors in our fields. And….” 

Theo had to stop himself from mentioning his meeting with you at the university library, where he spotted you sprinting past him to borrow a well-liked book before someone else claimed it. Theo had to stop himself from talking about the time he watched you hype your teammates up for a competition. 

“There are times when I really admire your determination, (Name).”

His eyes told nothing but his true feelings. Theo himself was determined to stay friends with you.

“Stay.” 

Your ears reddened, and you turned to hide your flustered smile while pushing Theo away. You missed the way Theo’s eyes softened when the sunset’s golden light reached your features. 

“Yeah,” he spoke softly, “Hayaku’s wrong about you.”

~

Bonus:

“(Name)!” He waved his hand towards you, but your back was turned to him. “Huh, I guess she’s really busy with her project.”

“Is this friend of yours also a racer, Turbo-san?” 

“Well actually, she’s not.”

Hayaku peered at you. “But surely she must be a distraction to you, no?”

“I’m sorry?”

“Please excuse me. My experience is having friends who don’t have the same interests can pull you down, Turbo-san. Since we’ll be having a drift race against one another, I must teach you the art of drifting for a fair—.”

“You know, I don’t appreciate you talking down on my friend like that.” Theo narrowed his eyes. “But I’ll take on your offer for drifting lessons. See you.” He scoffed and walked off to the changing room.