#empathy is learned

Since Ghost is about to be BODIED by Cass' Apocalypse once more in @tmntaucompetition, I thought I'd draw him with all of the children he's collected. He also got adopted by The Eldest Brother boys, and also by Redline Shen, but I was running out of steam and they both have art of them already sobs

Snapdragon boys by @bluesgras met Ghost behind the scenes and Ghost said "oh my god all of your parents are awful I'm kidnapping you all"

Empathy is Learned boys by @alicat54cwriting also found Ghost between matches and Ghost was like "what's with these sassy lost children" and just took them. No one claimed them, they're his now.

@falling-from-dawn-au turtles met Ghost in the competition first round and Ghost adopted them until they go home.

Totpocalypse by @pastadorable was another case of babies wandering around without parents and Ghost went "oh god oh no" and just started taking care of them.

Ghost in the Shell is my last AU in the competition, so I shall be dumping them back into their world after this round. <3 Thanks for letting Ghost take care of your kids, it distracts him from the fact that he is in fact lost in yet another dimension.

Summary: In a different turn of the universe, the being once known as Lou Jitsu would struggle to empart the concept of ‘do not eat your brothers’ onto his four charges. He would teach them the concept of family, all the while learning to be a father himself. However, in this turn of the universe, where Lou Jitsu did not escape the lab fire with his four turtles, that did not happen. Draxum encouraged the first concept, as it would not do for his prized experiments to destroy each other. However, he did not see value in enforcing any others. Why should he? His turtles were perfect. … Locking a bunch of hyper intelligent children engineered to be agents of destruction away until they are old enough to command armies has consequences. Especially when they have creepy ninja mind meld powers. Starts as mild horror, and morphs into found family.

OKAY TRYING THIS AGAIN. New LSoE chapter! (The link didn’t post on the last one lol.)

Hi everybody! @spectralsleuth's fic Little Scraps of Wisdom was first posted a year ago today and me and @alicat54c got together with some other people to make an anniversary gift <3

If you haven't read it, it's REALLY good, it's a series of stories about Yoshi/Lou escaping Draxum with the kids without being mutated, and him integrating them into human society. Audio's writing is so lovely! <3

Premise of this gift is that the tots from Little Scraps of Empathy (LSoW / Empathy is Learned crossover; also very cute) found Ghost in the sewers and decided to bring him home with them while their family is out.

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“You’ll love our big brothers, Mr. Ghost!” the little spotted turtle, Touma, chattered. “Mikey makes the best food, and teaches me how to make the best food too!”

“You guys must eat really well, then,” Ghost murmured, casting apprehensive looks around the home.

“Hm!” Touma squeaked. “Mikey made a whole salmon for Raph yesterday! I got to help!”

“You should sit!” Aoi, the little slider, patted Ghost’s knees. “Dad says it’s polite to sit nice guests on the couch, not stand in the hallway.”

“Oh.” Ghost shuffled further inside, eyes scanning as he let the four little ones guide him into the other room, where he perched on the edge of the couch.

He could see an old magazine on the coffee table, depicting a grinning human in yellow tinted glasses. There were more beneath that, but Shima, the little soft shell, climbed onto the couch next to him, peering into his face intently.

Ghost hesitated before reaching out and petting over his head slowly.

Shima’s glowing red eyes scrunched shut as he leaned into the touch, tiny churr in his throat, before settling back against the opposite arm of the couch. 

“What were you guys doing out in the sewers?” Ghost asked, eyes softening at Shima. “You’ve got a nice house to live in here.”

“Dad never said we couldn’t go outside,” Aoi argued, fiddling with something under the table. “Just that we shouldn’t touch Donnie’s plants, in case, um, something.”

“Eaten,” the snapper, Kouji, signed, flopping onto the floor, where a pile of blankets and cushions had been stacked,

“Thanks for helping us find home!” Touma chirped, struggling to climb onto the couch cushions without digging his claws into the fabric.

Ghost scooped him up, placing him on the couch. His eyes kept drifting over the magazines on the table, then back up to sweep all the entrances.

Touma cuddled against him immediately, little yellow spots creasing like freckles as he smiled. “Thank you Mr. Ghost!”

“Yeah…” Ghost petted over Touma’s shell. “How did you all end up here…?”

“We used to live in the storm drain, before Dad found us,” Aoi chattered. They seemed to be setting up a game of chess on the coffee table. “We wanted to see what the storm drains here were like. We didn’t mean to get lost! But it’s okay, we found you! Dad likes turtles, so Dad’s gonna like you too!”

Ghost hunched his shoulders slightly, taking note of the exits once more.

Touma chirped, cuddling against his plastron. His grip was strong for a turtle of his size. “It’s okay, Dad’s nice! He makes sure no one screams at us! You don’t have to be scared!”

“Oh, no, it’s not–” Ghost paused, taking a breath and curling an arm around Touma. “That’s… good to know.”

“Do you want to play with me?” Aoi’s red eyes peered up at Ghost hopefully.

Ghost surveyed the board game, nodding. “You play?”

“Hm!” Aoi nodded. “Leo, my big brother, is teaching me how to play better, and lots’a other fun games too! He’s the best! Do you know any fun games?”

“Some…” Ghost sat forward on the couch to peer at the board. “You can go first.”

“Okay!” Aoi moved a knight. 

As they played, and whichever hand was free went to petting either Touma or Shima, Ghost wondered why a famous actor would adopt not four, but supposedly eight entire mutant turtles. He couldn’t see anything to gain from it, except perhaps more fame, but it came with more problems than it was worth. There were easier ways to get famous.

Ghost wondered why they were living aboveground, in a normal house, on a normal block, like they were humans. Was it possible?

Casually, he moved some of the magazines to look at the covers. If not Lou Jitsu, then it was Hamato Leonardo, posed and dressed like a model, bright red crescents always prominent. Ghost could feel his own Leonardo cringing at the thought of being seen, let alone modeling for a magazine on purpose. 

How did everyone know about them and nothing happened? Was it possible to live like this?

“Checkmate!” Aoi chirped, drawing his attention forward again.

Ghost blinked. He hadn’t been paying that much attention to the game and it had cost him. “Mm. You’re very good.”

Aoi beamed, tail wiggling. “Leo’s teaching me! He’s really fun to play with! Um, I like playing with you too!”

Ghost’s eyes softened. “Yeah. Me too.” He started to reset the board. “Another game?” He would pay attention this time. Give the kid a run for his money, as it were.

“Yeah!” Aoi chirped, already resetting the board.

“Shelldon says Dad and everyone’s gonna be home soon,” Shima hummed, playing with a tiny spider between their claws. It glinted metallically. 

“I should…” Ghost stood, stiff. “I should go.”

“You can’t go!”Touma cried, latching onto his arm like a vice.

“You gotta stay!” Aoi latched onto his leg just as tightly. He was trapped. 

“I can’t,” Ghost insisted, desperately. “I have to go, I can’t– I’m not supposed to–”

“Nooo!” Aoi whined, as Kouji wriggled out of his nest to capture Ghost’s other leg. “We want you to meet Dad and our brothers!”

“I can’t, I don’t belong here!” Ghost tried plucking them off carefully but they were like barnacles. If he wasn’t terrified of hurting them, he could have run.

If he really wanted to, he could have gotten away.

There was a rattle of keys in the lock, frantic worried voices on the doorstep. 

“Daddy!” The little turtles cheered, voices eerily in sync. 

The door opened.

Ghost swallowed.

Vote Empathy is Learned in @tmntaucompetition !

I won't spoil too much- I WILL however post a preview! Hopefully we'll have something officially posted by the end of the week, if not next. Here you guys go in the meantime!]

Yoshi was woken up by his phone ringing.

Contrary to how some might think a ninja master would wake up, Hamato Yoshi typically took a good two to three minutes to register the change of darkness from ‘back of his eyelids’ to ‘pitch black bedroom’. Generally in the time it took him to blink blearily and start fumbling for his bedside lamp, whoever called or woke him up was probably trying for a second time to reach him. (If it was important enough. Which, if they’re calling in the middle of the night it generally was.)

Mine and @alicat54c @alicat54cwriting ‘s new chapter is out!

I was burning to post it all week. 😭