#sorry I can't offer art I. legitimately can't art AHSHKAGFASBFHB only words

[naivesilver]

I'm supposed to be working on the next shaking the latch proper update but all the activity surrounding the @turtle-tot-tournament is making me giddy so here is some 2003 Mikey and aggrieved dad Yoshi/Lou/Rise!Splinter content in preparation :^)

＼(((￣(￣(￣▽￣)￣)￣)))／

"I am still not sure this is a good idea," Yoshi ventured, brow creased as he scanned his surroundings.

Mikey waved him off dismissively - by contrast, he looked impossibly cheerful, as though he were the one who had to compete and not the children in their care. "Relax, Lou, they're gonna be fine. Look, they're having a great time already!"

That was true, at least. Raphael and Leonardo were positively bursting with energy, chasing each other around the grown-ups' legs with their toddling gait - Yoshi was pretty sure either one of them would soon end the game by stumbling down face-first, but for now, nothing seemed able to stop their fun. Michelangelo, too, was giggling and clapping at the sight of his brothers' antics, even if he couldn't join in and was instead tucked safely in his older version's arms.

Donatello was still sniffling suspiciously at the air, yes, burrowed in his father's shoulder under cover of the rat's unkempt hair, but then again, Yoshi's softshell son had always been the most reticent towards visiting new places. Besides, three babies enjoying themselves out of four was not such a bad ratio. They could have done worse. They had done worse, in the past.

Still, that was not the problem at hand, which he had been trying to explain to Mikey for the past half hour or so. "But- look, the first round is a dancing competition."

"Yeah, and?"

"And?! Orange can't even walk! How do you think he is going to dance?"

"Oh, we'll figure something out." Once again the turtle shrugged his companion's worries off, offering him a cheeky grin in return. "These guys love babies, right? They're gonna go crazy for Mini Me here. 'Sides, I bet no one'll complain if he gets some outside help, since he's a baby and all."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean we're basically the same person, you know? Technically it's not cheating if I lend 'em a hand."

As if to sustain his point, he held the tot up close to his face, smiling brightly all the while. Little Michelangelo shrieked in delight, most likely because he loved being lifted and tossed around like a beach ball, but one still couldn't deny the resemblance between the two - despite the different species of turtle and the decade and a half of age difference, the smugness in their expression was shockingly similar, as was their likelihood of winning Yoshi over without even putting in that much effort.

The rat sighed, resisting the urge to bury his head in his hands. This was going to be a long tournament, he could already feel it in his gut.

#turtle tot tournament #au: shaking the latch #t3 propaganda #t3 tournament #tmnt #rottmnt #tmnt 2003 #rise splinter #2003 mikey #fanfic #one of the bingo suggestions I saw in the notes was 'someone brought a chaperone' and that flipped the lightbulb on #if it DOES become a bingo square.............well mikey will probably do his worst to mark it off LMAO #sorry I can't offer art I. legitimately can't art AHSHKAGFASBFHB only words