CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETEEN – ANIMALS IN COSPLAY

The turtle's tiny body swayed back and forth with all the menacing grace of a tiny, shelled ninja warrior as the last few notes of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" theme music faded into silence. Around him, a reverent hush had descended over the entire assembly of spectators—a potent mixture of awe and unbridled glee written across the faces of both young and old alike. "And that..." Claire's voice rang out rich with showmanship as she gestured expansively toward the miniature martial artist, "...is Sir Shellington, the Battling Brushshell of Brooklyn! Modeled after none other than the iconic Raphael himself!" A rumble of delighted muttering rippled through the crowd as everyone leaned in for a better look at the diminutive reptile's emerald green body, complete with matching mask, arm and leg wrappings...and even a pair of intricately-carved sai gripped in his front flippers. Jasmine had to hand it to Sir Shellington's owner—whoever they were had truly gone above and beyond in ca