Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Is this thing on?” Raph asked as he poked at the camera.

“It looks like it’s on. Alright, well, uh…the name’s Raphael, but I like to go by Raph. I’m 15 years old, I live with three younger brothers, Leo, Donnie, and Mikey, and our father, Splinter. My brothers and I are a part of a team I like to call “The Mad Dogs”. Cool name, right? And I happen to be the leader of said team because I’m the oldest.” Raph said with confidence.

“Yeah, I lead my brothers when we’re doing hero work and while I know I’m not great at it, I try my best and we end up succeeding…somehow. But enough about all that, let’s get to why I’m even doing this video. So, a few weeks ago, our good friend, April, was watching some YouTube videos about people being more open about themselves and it gave her an idea. The four of us would sit in front of a video camera, separately in our own rooms, and talk about our feelings and stuff.” said Raph.

“Now, I’ve never been good at expressing my feelings. I always mess up my words and make things awkward for everybody. And my brothers aren’t much better. No one wants to talk about personal stuff at all and we just keep it bottled up inside, which I don’t think is super healthy. So yeah, that’s a department we need to fix as a family.” said Raph.

“But it doesn’t help that my brothers rarely take me seriously nowadays. Back when we were tots, they respected and looked up to me. Now, they see me as the big dumb idiot who can’t solve 2+2. I can’t help that I’m not good at academic stuff. Like, I try to be a leader and they end up doing their own thing, which is the most frustrating thing in the world! All I want is to lead the Mad Dogs into becoming real heroes. That’s all. Nothing complicated about that. Okay, there might be some roadblocks with that goal, but it’s still a good goal. But as long as they don’t listen to me, we’re never going to get anywhere!” Raph yelled.

Raph took a few seconds to calm down, before saying, “Sorry about that outburst. I really don’t like to get angry but sometimes it’s just too much. But I think everything is going to work itself out, eventually. Now, what else could I talk about? I don’t want to slander my brothers, so I guess I’ll talk about something incredibly personal that they don’t know about. And that thing is about romance.” said Raph.

Raph took a deep breath and began to talk about his thoughts on romance.

“Romance is something most people our age would be thinking about constantly. Thinking about who they like, what their first kiss would be like, and going into more non-family-friendly stuff. For me, I never really thought about it too much because I’m busy doing my leader job. But after thinking about it for the past few months, I think I finally know how I feel romantically. And it’s something I’ve never said out loud before, but I think it’s time to say it and get it out there.” said Raph.

Raph closed his eyes and said, “I am pansexual.”

He opened his eyes again and said, “Yep, I’m pan. I like any and all genders. It’s just how I feel. And it feels both weird and good to say it out loud and not hold it in anymore, even if no one’s around to hear me. I don’t know how my family would handle that. I know April would be cool with it since there are quite a few LGBTQ+ kids in her school, but I don’t know about the others. Mikey would probably be fine, Donnie would be indifferent, Leo would come up with some terrible pun, and Dad…I don’t know. We’ve never talked about these types of things and I’m not sure how open-minded he is about sexualities. Hopefully, he’ll be okay with it and nothing will change, but…I don’t know.” said Raph.

“But enough about all that serious stuff. I want to show you all something.” Raph said before picking up the camera and pointing it at his stuffed animal collection.

“Here are all my stuffed animals. I’ve been collecting them since I was little. Now, I know what you’re thinking, “How can someone like me be interested in stuffed animals? I should be interested in more “manly” things like motorcycles and sports and stuff like that.” And to that I say, “Who says I have to be interested in those things?” I allowed to like whatever I want to like. It’s not illegal for someone as big and strong as me to love my stuffed animals.” said Raph.

“But if you’re curious about my collection, my all-time favorite stuffed animal has to be the one I bought last year.” Raph said as he picked up a teddy bear with a pink, yellow, and blue color scheme.

“I bought this off Teddy Bear Town. I was allowed to customize the bear in any way I wanted, so I chose to use the pan flag colors, pink, yellow, and blue. When I got it in the mail, I was so happy! I now have a bear that represents who I am as a person/mutant/turtle. It’s my prized possession, besides Doctor Hugginstein, Captain Cuddles, and Cheech.” said Raph.

Raph put the camera back in its original position and said, “Well, I guess that’s it. I’m not sure what else I could say except that I love my family and hopefully they’ll accept me when I come out. Other than that, goodbye, I guess. Gosh, all those years of watching YouTubers and I don’t know how to end a video. Bye.” Raph said before turning off the camera.

Chapter Text

“Okay, here we go. Three, two, one.” Leo quietly said to himself off-camera, before jumping in front of the camera and excitedly introducing himself.

“¡Qué pasa! To anyone watching this, how’s it going? It’s your boy in blue, the “Face Man” of the Mad Dogs, Neon Leon! But if you want to get professional, the name’s Leonardo or Leo or Leon. Doesn’t matter which one you choose. I’m currently 14 years old and I live with my three brothers, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey, as well as our father, Splinter, a rat who was once a famous action star known as Lou Jitsu! Crazy stuff, right?” said Leo.

“We’re also ninjas and we own some crazy weapons! The weapon I have is a mystic sword that can, get this, CREATE PORTALS! I can travel to any place imaginable, with ZERO limitations. In my humble opinion, I have the coolest weapon out of all my brothers. I can even show you how it works! Watch!” Leo said before grabbing his sword and creating a portal on the ground.

Leo then grabbed the camera and said, “Prepare for your mind to be blown.”, before diving right into the portal. He expected to appear in another building or another room in the lair or anything that involved land. Instead, he was in mid-air, falling straight into the ocean.

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! FUCK!!!” Leo yelled as he was in pure panic mode.

With quick thinking, Leo used his sword to create another portal and when he fell through this one, he landed right on his bed, completely unscathed.

Leo took a few seconds to catch his breath before saying, “Yeah, admittedly, I’m not too great at this portal thing, but I am getting better. And I filmed the whole thing without a single cut. So, eat your heart out YouTube vloggers! Especially the shitty ones! Anyway, I guess I should explain why I’m even making this video. So, our very good friend, April O’Neil, saw some YouTube videos about people being open about themselves and she wanted us to do the same thing. And now here we are.” said Leo.

“So, where do I even begin? Well, I guess I can tell you some personal facts about me. I’m a red-eared slider, as you can tell by the glorious red markings over my eyes and face. I like to play basketball, could easily go pro if the NBA ever decides to let mutants into the league. I know some Spanish, thanks to Señor Hueso, a friend of ours from the Hidden City. Wait, should I talk about the Hidden City? Fuck it, I’ll talk about it. To make it easy, I’ll give you the CliffsNotes version. The Hidden City is a place under New York populated by Yōkai, who are supernatural creatures. Yeah, it’s a lot to take in, but it’s a cool place to visit, as long as you don’t get killed. I also like to cook, watch low-budget sci-fi, perform magic tricks in my spare time, come up with sick one-liners, and dab.” Leo said before dabbing in front of the camera.

“Hmmm…what else? Oh, well, there is something about me that my family doesn’t know about. So, a drumroll please.” Leo said as he started slapping his hands against his thighs, mimicking a drumroll sound effect.

“I am attracted to the same gender! Meaning, I am G-to the-A-to the-Y! Gay! Yes, I am in fact, gay. And somehow, my family hasn’t figured it out yet. I thought I made it super obvious in the past with my comments about some buff-looking Yōkai. But I guess not. Donnie probably knows, but he doesn’t want to tell me, even though we’re twins, A FACT HE REFUSES TO ACCEPT! Sorry, I got a little heated there. Personally, I love looking at guys with muscular bodies. The beefier, the better. And if they have tight, firm butts, even better. I know once we’re done with all this hero work, I’m going to find me a nice big man, mutant, or Yōkai and we’re going to live on a tropical paradise island, like Hawaii. At least, that’s what I hope will happen.” said Leo.

“But enough about my future love life, it’s time for me to show you something cool.” Leo said before picking up the camera and pointing it at a championship title.

“Now, I don’t mean to flex but, LOOK AT MY BEAUTIFUL WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP! I won it by complete accident by falling off the rafters and crushing the previous champ, Ghostbear. I’m positive that’s not how title changes work, but I won the belt, so it doesn’t matter. And for that night only, I became known as “Primetime”. I still think Neon Leon would’ve been a better name though. And when I lost the belt, Jessica Jaclyn, the lady behind the whole shindig, gave me a replica title that I can keep forever.” said Leo.

“Oh, I forgot something!” Leo said before dropping the camera and rummaging through his closet. Once he pulled out several T-shirts, he picked the camera back up and said, “These are the shirts I’m going to wear once my family knows I’m gay. My favorite one is “Let’s Get One Thing Straight. I’m Not.”, it has my type of humor. And if some homophobe has a problem with it, they can kindly go fuck themselves.”

Leo then put the camera back in its original position and said, “And now you know more about me! If I had to end this video with something, it would be that despite being a pain sometimes, I’ll always love my family. Because without them, I wouldn’t be the turtle you see right now. Honestly, life without my family would be beyond awful. They keep me going, even through hard times. Dark times. But don’t tell them I said that. Anyway, that’s all from me! Drink water, save the trees, and have a great day!” Leo said before turning off the camera.

Chapter Text

“Alright, cell phones on silent and shut your fucking mouth. The show is about to begin.” Donnie said as he walked in front of the camera and sat down on his bed.

“Greetings and salutations. It is I, Donatello, the genius of the family. I also go under the aliases of Don, Donnie, D, Donald, Dynamite Don, Othello Von Ryan, and Bootyyyshaker9000. But personally, I prefer to go by the name of Donnie. I am 14 years young and I live with my three entertaining, yet annoying brothers, Leon, Raph, and Michael, and our rat dad, Splinter aka Lou Jitsu.” said Donnie.

“As I’ve already stated, I am a certifiable genius. I make all those so-called “tech wizards” look like absolute punks. I created a Bō-staff that is made out of high-grade titanium and can be used as a hammer, rocket-powered staff, chainsaw, laser gun, tranquilizer gun, and a selfie stick. Not to mention, I’ve built the Turtle Tank, S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N, our helpful A.I. companion, my very own Battle Shell, and a drill that is still currently in beta. So yeah, I take my technology, robotics, and engineering VERY seriously. And if anyone has a problem with that, TOO FUCKING BAD!” Donnie yelled.

“Now, you’re wondering why I’m even making a video like this. Well, my fellow member of the “Dorky Pals For Life Club”, April O’ Neil, wanted us to make videos about us expressing our thoughts and feelings. And since I am all alone and my brothers are doing their own activities, I’ll give you a glimpse into the life of a turtle teen such as myself.” said Donnie.

“So, where to start exactly? Actually, I shouldn’t ask that question, because I know what you’re all thinking about. My eyebrows.” Donnie said while pointing at his eyebrows.

“Now, obviously, we reptiles can’t grow hair, that’s only for mammals. I drew these bad boys on my bandana when I was 5 years old. It was originally meant to be a simple visual gag, but it ended up becoming a part of my identity. They made me stand out from my brothers. They made me, you know, ME. Plus, they make me look like an absolute Chad.” Donnie said before winking at the camera.

“And I already know the next thing that’s on your mind. My Battle Shell. “Why do I wear it?”, you may be asking. Well, it’s for a very good and justifiable reason.” Donnie said before removing his Battle Shell, exposing his normal shell to the camera.

“You see, my brothers and I are all different species of turtles. Raph’s a snapping turtle, Leon’s a red-eared slider, and Michael’s a box turtle. I ended up getting the short end of the stick and was stuck with a soft shell that can easily be damaged. In other words, I’m a soft-shell turtle and my disability made my life a living hell for the first 8 years of my existence. It took a long time, but I eventually came up with a solution and that solution was to create an artificial shell that could protect me from any unnecessary harm. I upgraded it over the years and now, it’s in the absolute best condition imaginable. Although it is inevitable that I’ll have to upgrade it sometime in the future.” said Donnie.

“Okay, we got those two major details out of the way. Now’s the time to get serious. Knowing my brothers, they’re likely going to talk about something extremely personal, like their sexuality. Leon doesn’t need to tell me he’s gay. I’ve known he was gay for over a year and I’ll never hate him for it. I would like to tell him this but I’m worried he’ll go on a RIDICULOUS and UNFOUNDED conspiracy about how we’re “twins”, EVEN THOUGH WE’RE NOT! WE ARE DIFFERENT SPECIES OF TURTLES! WE HAVE DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES! WE ARE NOT TWINS!” Donnie yelled at the top of his lungs.

Donnie then took a few seconds to calm down and reorganize his thoughts.

“I apologize for the outburst. It shouldn’t happen again. Now, back to the extremely personal detail, I mentioned earlier. Since my brothers are likely going to talk about these things, I believe it’s only fair for me to do the same. But before we do that, I would like to do a speed round of all the other minor details about myself, so we can get them out of the way and move on to more interesting topics. So, here we go! I’m an adrenaline enthusiast, I love to dance, I’m a damn fine singer, I believe Hawaiian pizza is an abomination, I fear beach balls, I used to wear glasses, I’m bad at sports, I LOVE stylish clothing, and Atomic Lass is my favorite fictional character. Got all that? Good.” Donnie said before taking a deep breath.

“Now then, time for the big reveal…times two. That’s right, you’re getting a double reveal from the one and only! One is about my gender and the other is about my sexuality. So, prepare for some bombs to be dropped. Okay, gender time! I don’t identify as either a male or a female. Instead, I go by the term nonbinary. Personally, I think the whole concept of gender is flawed and all it does is force people to be put in boxes. Like, what’s so wrong with someone like me wearing a sports bra? Exactly. NOTHING. I’ll wear whatever I want, regardless of gender, and I’ll give myself my own pronouns, regardless of gender. Because GENDER CAN FUCK RIGHT OFF. But if you want to know my pronouns, you can choose between he/him or they/them. Either of them is fine.” said Donnie.

“And now, sexuality time! I am ace, or in scientific terms, asexual. Like my boy Spongebob. Meaning I don’t want anything to do with sex. Yes, our dad did give us all “The Talk” and it was the most awkward experience I’ve ever sat through. Mikey was scared, Leo made the WORST jokes, and Raph was confused. It didn’t help that I already researched the topic a few years ago using the power of the Internet and…let’s just say it was the fastest I had ever wiped my computer. So, when it comes to losing my virginity and making babies, sorry but I’m going to pass.” said Donnie.

“Oh wait. Did I say double reveal? Because I meant TRIPLE REVEAL, BABY! I’m also aromantic, meaning romance is not for me. So, to anyone out there who wants to be my girlfriend, boyfriend, or romantic partner, because I know I’m irresistible, you’re out of luck. I’m in love with one thing and one thing only and it’s my TECH. And my coffee.” Donnie said before drinking out of his coffee mug, which had the asexual flag colors, black, grey, white, and purple.

“Plus, you would have to deal with our shenanigans on a constant basis and I don’t want to put you through that pain.” said Donnie.

“Oh! One last thing!” Donnie said before picking up the camera and pointing it at a miniature bust of his head.

“Look at this handsome fellow! Like my staff, it’s made out of high-grade titanium. An absolute masterpiece if I do say so myself.” Donnie said before kissing the bust.

“And now you know a lot more about me as a person/turtle. Hope you found it remotely interesting. If I had any closing thoughts, it would be that despite all of us sharing one brain cell, with me using it the most, I’ll always love my family. Dad, Raph, Michael, April, and even Leo, the bane of my existence. Whenever I do come out to them, I hope they understand where I’m coming from and will accept me with open arms. Maybe Dad will tell me how proud he is of having me as his son. Maybe. But that will be all from yours truly. Now, be good people and DAZZLE!” Donnie said before performing a victory pose with his tech-Bō.

Unfortunately for Donnie, he accidentally pressed the wrong button on his tech-Bō, causing it to become rocket-powered and start spinning out of control.

“Oh no. This is not good.” Donnie said as his eyes widened in fear.

The staff ended up flying out of Donnie’s hand and out of his room, landing somewhere in the garage, as he heard a loud crash in the distance.

“DONALD!” yelled Raph.

Donnie panicked and quickly said, “Okay, I have to go now! Bye!”, before turning off the camera.

Chapter Text

“Okay. Just need to keep it steady and…perfect.” Mikey said while setting up the camera.

“Shello to anyone watching this! Hopefully, it’s not Draxum or any other villains we’ve faced because that would be SUPER embarrassing. My name is Michelangelo, but I tend to go by Mikey or Michael. I am 13 years old and I live with my wonderful family, which includes my three older brothers, Leo, Raph, and Donnie, and our dad, Splinter. Not to mention we have April O’ Neil, the best surrogate sister ever!” said Mikey.

“And speaking of April, she’s the reason why I’m making this video. She told us how she was watching people on YouTube expressing themselves and being more open and she wanted us to do something similar. And as someone who specializes in feelings, I don’t call myself Doctor Feelings for nothing, I jumped at the chance.” said Mikey.

“Well, I might as well begin with some facts. I LOVE pop culture. Movies, games, music, memes, the whole nine yards! Although, I am less of a fan of older media. That doesn’t mean all old media is bad, but some old games and movies have aged HORRIFICALLY. I mean look at Hot Soup: The Game. A COMPLETE DISAPPOINTMENT. I almost died getting that game, fighting some crazy Foot Clan people, and it turned out to be a total letdown.” Mikey said before sighing.

“But I’m not here to whine and cry about an old, outdated game. I’m here to tell you about ME. So, the main thing about me is that I LOVE ART. Art is my ultimate passion. Painting, doodling, graffiti, cooking, everything! I decorate the lair with graffiti, I put stickers on my shell, and I like to draw in my spare time. I even have my notebook.” Mikey said before going off-camera to grab his notebook.

Once back on screen, Mikey showed off multiple pages of his notebook, filled with drawings of himself, his family, their adventures, and even some villains.

“Amazing, right? I like to draw stuff from my personal life, so I look back at it years later and remember the crazy times we had when we were teens. Or a preteen in my case. Now, it’s time for me to explain why I call myself Doctor Feelings. You see, I have several different personalities, but the two I use the most are Doctor Feelings and Doctor Delicate Touch. Doctor Feelings is a nice, kind-hearted turtle who can give people really good advice. Doctor Delicate Touch, however, is someone who tells you the truth AND SHOWS NO MERCY ABOUT IT!” Mikey yelled uncontrollably.

It only took a few seconds for Mikey to return to his happy, calm self and say, “So, it would be wise not to get on my bad side. Otherwise, you’ll have to deal with Doctor Delicate Touch, and trust me, it won’t be fun.”

“Anyway, more facts about me. I’m a box turtle, which means I can do this.” Mikey said before retracting his arms into his shell.

“And this.” Mikey said before retracting his legs into his shell.

“AND this.” Mikey said before finally retracting his head into his shell, which meant the only thing the camera could see was his shell.

Mikey soon popped his head out of his shell and said, “I usually go into my shell whenever I want to be left alone or whenever I’m scared. My brothers said I had a really bad habit of doing that when I was younger, but they ultimately helped me come out of my shell. Literally and figuratively.”, before popping his arms and legs out of his shell.

“I also like extreme sports, I love to skateboard, I’m good at ballet, and I’ve even taken rodeo clown class. Don’t trash it, it’s better than you think. And I love watching YouTube videos. My favorite genre is the Animated Storytime genre. Shoutout to Jaiden Animations, my fav! And if I ever had the time or equipment, I would love to do something similar.” said Mikey.

Mikey took a deep breath and said, “Okay, now’s the time I tell you something about myself that only I know about. No one in my family knows about it or has even asked about it. So, here we go. I am bisexual. I like guys and girls equally. I figured this out about a year ago, when I looked at a picture of one of April’s classmates and OMIGOSH, I thought he was so hot. But then, I saw a girl in the photo that I thought looked hot as well and that’s when everything clicked. And now, I’m the unofficial Bicon of the family. I’ll probably tell them about it soon, maybe when the whole hero thing dies down a little.” said Mikey.

“Well, I guess that’s it, really. I don’t want to drag this video out too long. I’ll wrap things up by saying I love my family SO much. I love April, I love Dad, I love Donnie, I love Leo, and I love Raph. Although, it would be nice if Raph wasn’t so overprotective of me. But I get it, it’s a big brother/little brother thing and I still love him. Whenever I do come out, I’m not too worried about how they’ll react. I’m more worried about what they’ll do when I start dating within a year or two. If my boyfriend/girlfriend rubs my family the wrong way, they’re likely going to be thrown into a ditch and buried alive by my brothers. So, to my future boyfriend/girlfriend, please don’t piss off my brothers. Or me because you’ll have to deal with Doctor Delicate Touch directly. And you wouldn’t want that.” said Mikey.

“But that’s all from me. Have a great day and stay beautiful. Bye!” Mikey said before turning off the camera.

Chapter Text

It had now been a few days since the turtles made their personal videos and now they were ready to return the camera to April.

While waiting for April to show up, Leo asked his brothers, “So, I’m curious, did anyone reveal any juicy information in their vids?”

“What? Pfft…no. Why would I do that?” replied Donnie.

“I mean, it was meant to be a personal video. So, naturally, some of us had to put something in there that no one else knows about, right?” said Leo.

“I guess but that doesn’t mean I have to say it to you or anyone else. At least, not now anyway.” said Raph.

“You know Leo since you’re so curious about what WE put in our videos, it’s only fair for me to ask you about what YOU put in your video.” said Mikey.

“Me? Well, I put out some personal facts about myself, like how I’m a red-slider and how I know Spanish and…” Leo said before he was interrupted by Donnie.

“How fragile your ego is.” Donnie finished.

“Oh really, Mr. I Built A Robot To Constantly Sing My Praises.” said Leo.

“Guys, can we not do this now?” asked Mikey.

Before things got too heated between Leo and Donnie, April showed up at the perfect time, de-escalating the situation entirely.

“Hey, guys! Did I miss something?” said April.

“Hey, April and no, you didn’t miss anything.” Leo said while Donnie glared a hole through him.

“Oh. Well, okay. So, how did the videos go?” asked April.

“It was weird, but I liked it.” said Raph.

“I loved it! It was like making a YouTube video! Except I’m only making it for myself and not for millions of my potential fans.” said Leo.

“I was doubtful at first, but it proved to be a terrific idea. I would love to do it again.” said Donnie.

“I really enjoyed it. It felt good to let my feelings out and express myself.” said Mikey.

“Well, I’m glad you guys really enjoyed it. Now, remember, these videos are PRIVATE and it’ll be your choice if you want the others to see them or not. Okay?” said April.

The turtles nodded their heads and Donnie answered, “Sounds fair to us.”

“Hey, April, what gave you the idea about having us make videos? Besides YouTube.” said Mikey.

“Well, remember when I came out to you guys as a lesbian?” asked April.

“And how I thought you were American.” Leo said, which earned him an elbow to the chest from Raph.

“Yeah. How could we forget? It was the biggest day of your life.” said Raph.

“I actually came out for the first time on a personal video I made. Like you guys, I sat in front of my camera and talked about my thoughts and feelings. And in the middle of talking, I said that I liked girls out loud and that was it. I finally knew who I was. And after watching several similar YouTube videos, I thought you guys could really benefit from something like this by opening up more and being your true selves. So, that’s why I did this whole thing.” said April.

“And we’re really glad you did it.” said Raph.

“Thanks, guys. So, the camera.” said April.

“Oh, right. Here you go.” said Donnie as he handed the camera over to April.

Immediately right after gaining the camera, Donnie’s phone started to buzz and he checked out what it was.

“Oh great. The Purple Dragons are pulling off another scheme. Again.” said Donnie.

“How could you tell?” asked Leo.

“It’s on the news.” Donnie said as he showed everyone the notification he received.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s stop them!” said Raph.

April and The Mad Dogs quickly left the lair to stop the Purple Dragons, with April leaving the camera in a bean bag chair.

Once they were gone, Splinter, aka Lou Jitsu, woke up from his daily food coma of milk and cake and stretched his arms out in the living room.

“Boys!” Splinter yelled but he got no reply.

Splinter left the couch and looked around the area, only to find no one.

“Hmmm. Must be on a mission or something.” said Splinter.

Splinter walked around some more until he spotted the video camera.

“Hey, a camera. Maybe April or one of the boys filmed a movie on this. People still do that, right?” Splinter said before grabbing the camera. He then used an HDMI cable to connect the camera to the TV.

“And Purple says I’m bad at technology.” said Splinter.

Splinter played the video and it certainly wasn’t a movie. It was something else entirely. It was videos…of his sons.

The first turtle on the screen was Raph and Splinter felt some serious guilt when Raph talked about being frustrated as the leader. When Splinter chose Raph to lead his brothers when they were 8, he had a bout of depression and didn’t help Raph much with leadership skills. He let Raph flail his arms around, letting him figure things out himself. And he was endlessly ashamed of that. But at least Raph was mature and didn’t curse up a storm or directly criticize his brothers.

The next turtle on the screen was Leo and Splinter was highly annoyed by the foul language the teen was using. He really needed to reprimand him for that. But overall, Leo’s video was exactly what he thought it would be.

After Leo’s video, Donnie appeared on the screen and like Leo, Splinter was extremely disappointed in his son’s language. He contemplated restricting their YouTube access for a month to get them to stop cursing like sailors. Like Leo’s video, Splinter wasn’t too surprised by the content and how Donnie acted on camera.

“Yep, they are definitely twins.” Splinter said to himself.

Mikey was the last turtle on-screen and Splinter was grateful that he didn’t hear any cursing from his youngest son. The part about Mikey’s older brothers burying Mikey’s future romantic partner alive made him laugh uncontrollably because he knew that’s what they would do. Not to mention, he would also be a part of the burying process.

But Splinter noticed one unifying theme between all four of his sons’ videos.

None of them were straight.

Each one had their own unique preference and knew exactly what they were. Leo was especially blunt about his preferences. It did make Splinter sad that none of his sons were willing to tell him about this. Did they really think he would reject them? Splinter did read stories about parents kicking their children out of the house because they weren’t “straight” and it disgusted him to no end. Any parent who did that to their child did not deserve to be called a parent. And Splinter made sure he wasn’t going to be one of those parents.

Before Splinter could unplug the HDMI cable from the TV, the turtles and April ran back into the lair and entered the living room. And it seemed like time stood still when April and the turtles saw the footage on the TV.

“Hi, boys and April! How was your mission?” Splinter asked with a very embarrassed and guilty tone.

“It went fine. We just want to know why THAT is on the screen!” Donnie yelled as he pointed at the TV.

“That? Oh, um, I found a video camera and I thought a movie was recorded on it.” Splinter said sheepishly.

April facepalmed and said, “I knew I should’ve taken the camera with me.”

“Now, before you say anything, I did watch the videos and with the exception of the swearing, I am not angry or disappointed with any of you. In fact, I am angry at myself for not discussing these types of things with you. And I apologize for making it seem that I wouldn’t be accepting of your various preferences.” said Splinter.

The room was silent for a few seconds until Leo broke the ice by saying, “Well, since Dad is cool with what we like, I might as well come out to you guys and say it. (Deep breath) I’m gay.”

“I know.” said Donnie.

“Wait? You knew? Why didn’t you say something?!?” asked Leo.

“One, it was none of my business, and two, you made it incredibly obvious. And while there are many reasons why I don’t like you, being gay will NEVER be one of those reasons.” said Donnie.

“Really? Thanks, Donnie. You’re the best twin ever.” Leo said as he hugged Donnie.

“HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT WE’RE NOT TWINS?!?” Donnie yelled.

“Uh, guys. I have something to say too. I like both guys and girls. I’m bisexual.” said Mikey.

“Really? That’s awesome, Mikey!” Leo said before he gave Mikey a hug.

“Thanks, bro.” said Mikey.

“Welp, there’s no reason for me to keep this a secret from you guys anymore, so I’ll say it. I am pansexual. I like all genders.” said Raph.

“Sweet! Now the three of us can talk about guy stuff!” Leo said as he and Mikey gave Raph a hug, which Raph accepted right back.

“Um, gentlemen and lady, I have an announcement to make regarding my identity. Not only am I asexual and aromantic, but I am also nonbinary. So, no romance for me and no gender for me.” said Donnie.

“What pronouns should we use?” asked April.

“He or they. Doesn’t matter which one you use.” said Donnie.

Donnie was caught off guard with the group hug he received from his brothers and April, but he soon embraced and was glad his family accepted him for who he was.

“My sons, I am so proud of all of you. I fully accept your identities and preferences. Admittedly, I knew at least one of you wouldn’t be “straight”. I just didn’t expect all four of you to not identify as such. Maybe it’s because you share my blood and DNA.” said Splinter.

Raph was confused and asked, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh. Heh heh. Well, like Orange, I am also bisexual.” said Splinter.

The jaws of the turtles and April dropped to the floor with that comment.

“Wait, what?” asked Leo.

“And you didn’t tell us about this, why?” asked Donnie.

“I don’t know. It slipped my mind, I guess. Oh and Orange, Lou Jitsu was the original Bicon of this family, not you. Although, you do come in at a close second. Well, I’m going to go to the kitchen.” Splinter said before walking away.

The turtles and April were flabbergasted by the revelation and Mikey said, “What just happened, exactly?”

“Dad revealed he was the original Bicon of the family.” said Donnie.

“Well, that certainly explains…things.” said Raph.

“We’re a weird family, aren’t we?” asked Mikey.

“Yeah, but when has that ever been a bad thing?” asked Leo.

“Exactly. Normalcy is totally overrated.” said April.

“You said it.” said Leo.