Work Text:
Raph can’t exactly remember when it started, but it slowly built up more and more until Mikey was doing it nearly every day. What was he doing, you may ask? She was talking to themself. Every day, all the time almost, anywhere. Thinking far back, Raph could maybe think about when he first started doing it, but they had always had a big imagination, and he hated being lonely, so sometimes she would just talk to himself.
Which is exactly why Raph wasn’t the most surprised when it walked through the plaza toward Mikey’s room. He could hear her talking eagerly, as well as a few of their vocal stims while star jumped around. Raph narrowed his eyes and crouched down, peeking around one of the walls that made up Mikey’s room. Raph watched him stim happily for a few more moments, smiling before he finally stands up, walking out to where sit would be more easily visible.
“Who you talkin to Mikey?” Raph asked, his hands near his chest as he looked at Mikey with slight concern. Mikey, who still had stars hands up from gesturing wildly, turned their face to Raph with a shocked expression. Mikey then quickly readjusted his position, turning to face his body to Raph and scratching the back of her head.
“Don’t worry Raph!” Mikey smiled, closing his eyes, “Just talking to myself!” Raph raised an eyebrow in doubt, trying to look behind their brother but only seeing an odd swirl of yellow and orange which disappeared before it could blink. Looking at the wall in disbelief, he went back in forth with its eyes, looking at Mikey before looking back at the wall. Mikey had the audacity to look amused.
“What was— did you see that Mikey?!” He said, his eyes wide as it bent his knees, gesturing to the blank brick-patterned wall, Mikey raised a nonexistent eyebrow.
“Nope! I told you I was just talking to myself, Raph!” The older continues to look Mikey up and down in suspicion, but eventually slowly slides himself out of the room.
“Alrighty then.. tell me if you need anything, Mikey...“ Raph said, its sentence trailing off. Mikey lets out a breath of relief, yelping when Raph suddenly slides back into view, his eyes narrowed as it looks over the room before speaking.
“I’ll be keepin an eye on ya kid.. don’t be doin any risky business, alright?” Mikey gives Raph an exasperated look, popping one of her hips out and resting his hands on said hips.
“You know me Raphie, I would never get down in any risky business!” Raph looks hesitant to agree with that, but he simply nods slowly before finally leaving, its footsteps padding away. Mikey walks out to watch Raph leave before falling onto their hammock with an elongated sigh.
“I wish I was the older sibling,” Mikey said, putting a hand on his forehead as he sunk down into the hammock, trying his best to relax his nerves.
“No, but at least you, or we’re, the strongest,” Mikey scrambles out of stars hammock at that, falling to the floor under it. F!Mikey looks down at her and smiles, just barely. Mikey groans and brings a hand up to his head.
“Owwwie.. really considering that mattress now,” Mikey muttered the last part of their sentence, slowly standing up while continuing to rub his head. Once he’s stable on stars feet he looks toward F!Mikey.
“And you! I have a few questions for you, seeing as you very possibly could’ve gotten me grounded for Pizza Supreme knows how long!” F!Mikey doesn’t even look ashamed at that, only amused.
“Alright, I’ll answer your questions. And it’s not my fault that this place doesn’t have a door,” They both look toward the empty space where a wall with a door should be. They then look at each other, Mikey humming.
“Yeah, I do see what you mean. I’ll ask Donnie about maybe building one later,” He clears her throat after speaking, taking a deep breath in and out. She puts their hands together before opening his eyes and looking at F!Mikey.
“So.. how is all of this even possible?” He asked, her hands splitting apart to make a shrug motion before they continue, “Casey told me something bad happens to me in the future!” Mikey crossed his arms after, a look of curiosity on her face. F!Mikey smiled nervously.
“Haha.. don’t think too much into it,” They said, their eyes closed casually as they wave it off with their twitching hand. Mikey barely spares a glance down at it before F!Mikey continues, “The other Mikeys and I noticed you hadn’t visited the M Space,” F!Mikey says casually as if Mikey knows what M Space is. She looks at F!Mikey in confusion, but they continue, their eyes now open, “I’ve just come to check on you,” They conclude, Mikey puts his left hand on his face, looking at the other in confusion.
“Other Mikeys? M Space?” Star said, his puzzlement still visible in his expression. F!Mikey then smiles, holding their lightly quivering right hand out as a portal slowly forms behind them.
“It’s probably easier to just show you,” They said, a smile on their face. Mikey looked at the portal behind the other in awe before looking back at F!Mikey and taking their hand. He’s then guided through the portal.
It’s a bit of a bumpy experience, her legs nearly giving out beneath him due to the unfamiliar feeling of this type of portal, but star’s able to keep his legs strong once he actually lands. She looks up from his crouched position in awe.
“Welcome to M Space!” F!Mikey announces proudly, their left hand up as they gesture around the place. Mikey, who stood to the right of them, looks around the place in complete shock while F!Mikey continues speaking.
“A safe haven for Mikeys from any time and anywhere,” Mikey feels a smile twitch onto his lips when she hears that, “Where we come to ask advice,” They says, a gentle smile on their lips as they gesture to two turtles. One’s Mikey without the mask, walking quickly somewhere while turtle tot Mikey hangs on their carapace, screaming without a thought in their eyes. Mikey stifles a laugh at that.
“To train,” F!Mikey then says, gesturing in another direction to yet another maskless Mikey who has their left leg up touching with their right hand, two other Mikeys in front of him, one paying close attention while the other meditates.
“To play,” Just then she sees two Mikeys running past them both, the smaller maskless one who seems to be a softshell tapping another Mikey’s shell, yelling “Tag!”
“Or even if we just need a moment to ourselves,” Mikey looks over to the Mikey with Leo’s scars on their upper limb, the mask covering their forehead while they read what seems to be a comic book. A turtle tot Mikey sleeps on their head, maskless and relaxed. Mikey smiles at them before looking back at everyone there.
“And where we share secrets about our brothers as well,” F!Mikey finally says, their arms spread out and a kind smile on their face. Mikey can tell just how much this place means to them and honestly, it’s understandable.
“So... what do you think?” F!Mikey turns to Mikey, their hands going down to their sides while Mikey looks at them with an enchanted expression, stars eyes wide and sparkly with her mouth wide open.
“Oh.me.gosh,” Mikey says, a blinding smile slowly taking place on his face.