Digital Mutation (Book Five)

Chapter 22: Friendships Within a Fortress

Annalise's Minecraft home is a simple place. It fits best into the description of a mansion, albeit a small one, and the varying colours of wood planks and glass give it a cottage-y feel. There are varying animal pens dotting the fields around the house, some holding sheep, others with pigs, cows, chickens, and horses. The sheep are dyed different colours. There are manmade pools in each pen and Michelangelo finds himself smiling at the sight of multiple blocky chickens splashing about in one of them.

"Well...home sweet home," Annalise says with a slight blush, gesturing down to the house.

She descends easily and comes to rest outside the door, the others following suit. Inside, there's an open space with a fire-pit in the centre and a few benches underneath the many windows. A staircase leads up to the second floor. When Raphael and Donatello investigate, they find a shower, a few bedrooms, and a balcony.

They decide that for the sake of safety, they're going to stay downstairs and sleep in the same area. Annalise makes the extra beds on her crafting table and sets them out around the fire-pit in a comfortable circle, one teen to a bed. They take off their cyberverse outfits and set them off to the side.

Destiny picks her bed and falls asleep in record time, curling her wings and tail around herself, her scarred face aimed at the warmth of the flickering flames. The others sit in a staggered circle around the pit, leaning against their chosen beds—Leonardo, Destiny, Casey, Donatello, Annalise, Michelangelo, Raphael. Conversation is at a standstill, most mouths focused on eating the chicken, pork, and beef that Annalise kept stored in her home. Casey becomes bored enough to start poking at the fire with a stick.

There's a soft, panicked barking sound and they look up. Destiny's ears flatten against her curls, her tail spiking up as her eyes screw shut even tighter than before as her claws unsheathe and dig into the bed. It takes less than a second for Leonardo to get up and move to her side. He kneels down next to the bed and rests his hand on her hair, fingers caressing her wolf ears as he starts to murmur under his breath to her. He gets close enough that the beak of his nose brushes hers.

Little by little, she stops whimpering and relaxes back into sleep. As soon as her breathing has steadied, Leonardo sighs and rests his forehead against hers, eyes closing. The moment feels so tender and intimate that Annalise feels awkward for witnessing it.

"That...that was like magic," she says.

"Not magic," Leonardo corrects, his voice low as he turns and settles back in the circle. He tosses a chicken bone into the fire. "Just...knowing what to do and how to do it."

Annalise looks to the other boys, bringing her knees to her chest. None of them seem as impressed by Leonardo's actions as she is, if at all. She chews her bottom lip and fiddles with fraying knees of her jeans.

"So..." she starts, earning a few fleeting gazes. She scrambles for something to talk about. "You know her pretty well then, Leo?"

Raphael smirks. "You could say that."

Leonardo glares at him briefly, then fastens his gaze on Annalise again. He dons the smallest of smiles. "I'd like to think that I do," he says. "Even though, when I think about it...it's only been two years."

Donatello looks up from his food. "It feels like longer," he admits.

"Makes sense though," Casey says, nudging the turtle with his elbow. "You and Sarina have only been a thing for a year, right?"

"Yeah, about." Donatello smiles a little, fondness making his russet eyes sparkle. He looks up at the ceiling, letting out a breath. "How time flies..."

Annalise shifts in place, trying to find a more comfortable position as her face brightens with curiosity. As much time as she's spent with Michelangelo, she knows very little about them as a whole, and the idea of learning it is exciting to her.