What do you get when you cross a turtle and a panda?
Rei wondering if she's gone bat-shit insane.
Hence why I am posting this snippet of a WIP. I'm curious what you think; is this the triumphant return of my writing muse, or should I expect those burly guys in white coats to be turning up on my doorstep?
This fic is going to end up being a loose and non-chronological collection of tales from, memories of and small snippets of back-story for one character that has lead a very long and eventful life. The trick is to guess just who that character is. I hope I don’t give it away too early.
On an obliquely related note, if you're a fan of Kung Fu Panda, check this site out!
Title: Memoirs of a Master (working title)
Author: Reijiro
Rating: PG13 (possibly less in the end, but I doubt any higher than this)
Warnings: So far - possible spoilers for the TMNT Y2K Toon Season 1, and the movie Kung Fu Panda. Holy fuck, no swearing!
“It’s not just me, it’s all of us? Have the others noticed it?” Leonardo queried, absorbed in inspecting the odd faint blemishes near the ends of his fingers.
“I don’t think they’ve realised what’s happening. I didn’t notice it until you brought it to my attention. I guess Raph and Mike just figured it was bruising or something, if they noticed it at all.” Donatello shrugged. “But the data the Utroms provided me when I asked them about this phenomenon is very interesting indeed. From their studies into the effects of the mutagen it seems our bodies are gradually repairing the damage done by the mutation.”
“Repairing?” Leonardo shot his brother a look of profound concern.
“Don’t worry Leo. At the rate our DNA is reverting we would have to live to be over 3,000 years old before we lost the ability to walk upright.”
“Is that a fact, or an assumption?”
“It’s an assumption.” admitted Donatello, unfazed by the question. He expected no less from Leonardo, knowing his brother did not ask out of disrespect. “However, considering it’s taken close to thirty years for something as minor as cuticles to start becoming visible, I think it’s a fairly safe postulation we won’t survive long enough to fully devolve. It’s an issue we need to keep in mind, yes. But by the current estimates from the Utroms, it’ll be at least another ten years before our claws actually develop enough to even be comparable to ‘nails’.”
---------- ----------
“A sibling Master?”
“Yes, Shifu. You do not believe Tai Lung would benefit from having a sibling?”
“I, uh. I do not see how he could. All of his, and my, time and energy are devoted to his training. Adopting another child would, at best, be an unwelcome distraction for us both. And that would barely be fair on the child to be adopted.”
“I feel a sibling may bring balance, and yes perhaps even a little perspective, to Tai Lung. Something you may both benefit from.”
“How, Master Oogway?”
“Hmmm…” the ancient one smiled. “When I was very young, I had a brother. Three, in fact. But this brother in particular was the finest swordsman I have ever seen. He knew the meaning of humility, far better than I did in those days. Still, he was young, rash. He had not yet fully learned the lesson that the weapon does not make the warrior. When our Master tried to show him the error of his ways my brother left our home in frustration, sure his swords were what made him the greatest of us all. My brothers and I followed him, to ensure he did not stray into trouble.”
Shifu sat attentive, despite Oogway falling silent. The warm breeze stirred the sweet scent of the peach blossoms overhead. A beetle scurried unhurriedly by in the gathering dusk. And Shifu drew a deep breath,
“I can understand how four could be a handful, but I have only the one student. I can ensure he is kept out of harms’ way…”
“Oh ho Shifu.” Oogway chuckled softly. “My kin and I did not keep our brother out of strife. Far from it! We did not interfere when he was tempted with a remarkable weapon by a terrible foe. We did not offer him words of wisdom, or reconciliation. Instead we demanded he share the sword he had been gifted. In our taunting of him, the matter escalated to the point he almost harmed one of us. It was then he realised the true worth of a weapon could never outweigh the worth of a life, and that a weapon is merely an extension of the one who wields it.”
In the lingering quiet that followed, Shifu considered his Masters words carefully.
“I do not understand Master. What exactly did you do to teach your brother these lessons?”
“Do? We did not do anything. My brother learned the lessons for himself.”
“How then does this story prove that siblings can provide perspective?”
“Ah, by being the catalyst. Without us, my brother may not have learned those lessons as quickly or as thoroughly. In ways such as this, we all taught each other much that cannot be learned as effectively in the training hall alone.”
Slowly the sun sank below the horizon. As the final light of day bled from the sky Shifu gave a small nod.
“Thank you Master. I believe I see the wisdom you are sharing with me. However, I do not think that a sibling would be able to teach Tai Lung anything that I could not, in time.” Rising, Shifu gave a deep bow to his Master before leaving for his evening training session with his favoured student.
Breathing deep the heady scent of the peach blossom, Oogway closed his eyes. A long moment later the turtle released his breath in a sigh of despair.
Hence why I am posting this snippet of a WIP. I'm curious what you think; is this the triumphant return of my writing muse, or should I expect those burly guys in white coats to be turning up on my doorstep?
This fic is going to end up being a loose and non-chronological collection of tales from, memories of and small snippets of back-story for one character that has lead a very long and eventful life. The trick is to guess just who that character is. I hope I don’t give it away too early.
On an obliquely related note, if you're a fan of Kung Fu Panda, check this site out!
Title: Memoirs of a Master (working title)
Author: Reijiro
Rating: PG13 (possibly less in the end, but I doubt any higher than this)
Warnings: So far - possible spoilers for the TMNT Y2K Toon Season 1, and the movie Kung Fu Panda. Holy fuck, no swearing!
“It’s not just me, it’s all of us? Have the others noticed it?” Leonardo queried, absorbed in inspecting the odd faint blemishes near the ends of his fingers.
“I don’t think they’ve realised what’s happening. I didn’t notice it until you brought it to my attention. I guess Raph and Mike just figured it was bruising or something, if they noticed it at all.” Donatello shrugged. “But the data the Utroms provided me when I asked them about this phenomenon is very interesting indeed. From their studies into the effects of the mutagen it seems our bodies are gradually repairing the damage done by the mutation.”
“Repairing?” Leonardo shot his brother a look of profound concern.
“Don’t worry Leo. At the rate our DNA is reverting we would have to live to be over 3,000 years old before we lost the ability to walk upright.”
“Is that a fact, or an assumption?”
“It’s an assumption.” admitted Donatello, unfazed by the question. He expected no less from Leonardo, knowing his brother did not ask out of disrespect. “However, considering it’s taken close to thirty years for something as minor as cuticles to start becoming visible, I think it’s a fairly safe postulation we won’t survive long enough to fully devolve. It’s an issue we need to keep in mind, yes. But by the current estimates from the Utroms, it’ll be at least another ten years before our claws actually develop enough to even be comparable to ‘nails’.”
---------- ----------
“A sibling Master?”
“Yes, Shifu. You do not believe Tai Lung would benefit from having a sibling?”
“I, uh. I do not see how he could. All of his, and my, time and energy are devoted to his training. Adopting another child would, at best, be an unwelcome distraction for us both. And that would barely be fair on the child to be adopted.”
“I feel a sibling may bring balance, and yes perhaps even a little perspective, to Tai Lung. Something you may both benefit from.”
“How, Master Oogway?”
“Hmmm…” the ancient one smiled. “When I was very young, I had a brother. Three, in fact. But this brother in particular was the finest swordsman I have ever seen. He knew the meaning of humility, far better than I did in those days. Still, he was young, rash. He had not yet fully learned the lesson that the weapon does not make the warrior. When our Master tried to show him the error of his ways my brother left our home in frustration, sure his swords were what made him the greatest of us all. My brothers and I followed him, to ensure he did not stray into trouble.”
Shifu sat attentive, despite Oogway falling silent. The warm breeze stirred the sweet scent of the peach blossoms overhead. A beetle scurried unhurriedly by in the gathering dusk. And Shifu drew a deep breath,
“I can understand how four could be a handful, but I have only the one student. I can ensure he is kept out of harms’ way…”
“Oh ho Shifu.” Oogway chuckled softly. “My kin and I did not keep our brother out of strife. Far from it! We did not interfere when he was tempted with a remarkable weapon by a terrible foe. We did not offer him words of wisdom, or reconciliation. Instead we demanded he share the sword he had been gifted. In our taunting of him, the matter escalated to the point he almost harmed one of us. It was then he realised the true worth of a weapon could never outweigh the worth of a life, and that a weapon is merely an extension of the one who wields it.”
In the lingering quiet that followed, Shifu considered his Masters words carefully.
“I do not understand Master. What exactly did you do to teach your brother these lessons?”
“Do? We did not do anything. My brother learned the lessons for himself.”
“How then does this story prove that siblings can provide perspective?”
“Ah, by being the catalyst. Without us, my brother may not have learned those lessons as quickly or as thoroughly. In ways such as this, we all taught each other much that cannot be learned as effectively in the training hall alone.”
Slowly the sun sank below the horizon. As the final light of day bled from the sky Shifu gave a small nod.
“Thank you Master. I believe I see the wisdom you are sharing with me. However, I do not think that a sibling would be able to teach Tai Lung anything that I could not, in time.” Rising, Shifu gave a deep bow to his Master before leaving for his evening training session with his favoured student.
Breathing deep the heady scent of the peach blossom, Oogway closed his eyes. A long moment later the turtle released his breath in a sigh of despair.