[The skies have begun to clear up, and with it the Moon Warp and the lightning and chaos it had stirred up around the Convoy.
Not all the effects have gone with it this time, but for once Donnie isn't completely fixated on those as he stumbles his way back to the Tank.
He still feels...'off', although not in the unbalanced way he had before. Things are still reconfiguring, maybe, that's the best reason he can think of. It's left him emotionally brittle, and yet all he can think of is that he has to get back to Leo.]
[Leo's already back at the tank, having hurried back as the first light of dawn broke on the newly clear skies. Now he sits in one of the seats, tapping his foot anxiously and wondering if he shouldn't try to look for Donnie again.
He doesn't know what happened, but he can feel it: something's changed.
And not knowing what it is makes him anxious. The soft tug of magic he feels now seems like a good thing, but he's afraid to get his hopes up. He's not sure he can take any more disappointments.
So he sits in the tank and he waits for the door to open.]
[Donnie wonders if he looks as frazzled as he feels. Maybe it's just the extra feathers that have started to come up between the scales at he back of his neck and along his shoulders and thighs. Or maybe it's the nervous swishing of something behind him, threatening to throw off his balance with each step.
The hatch finally does begin to open, and Donnie catches himself on the doorway once he makes his way up the ramp. He looks about anxiously as he tries to catch his breath.
[The door opens, and Leo jumps up from his seat just as claws click up the ramp. He freezes when he sees Donnie, the state of him. Something has definitely happened.]
Dee?
[His first instinct is to run right to Donnie, but he hesitates, only taking a few halting steps forward. He was lucky to get the invite back to the tank; he doesn’t want to push his luck.]
[Relief surfaces briefly when Leo speaks up. Donnie lifts his head, but it's hard to read that expression, a swirl of everything but undecided as to which to fall upon.
He swallows, slowly easing himself from the doorway, and then he's all but launching himself at the other turtle to throw his arms around.
...no, not just another turtle.
That's Leo. That's his brother.
Weirdly enough, there's not a whole lot of weight behind whatever brief spurt of momentum there. Surely nothing to worry about.]
He clings back, ignoring those horrible gaps he can feel beneath his claws, almost like he's afraid everything will just slip away again if he gives it even an inch.
His first attempt to respond gets caught in his throat, and he tries to reset himself as he sucks in another breath.]
I'm sorry I left...
[Sorry he'd messed up. Sorry he hadn't been more careful. Sorry he'd said and done those things, sorry sorry sorry]
[Leo gives his head a quick shake, pressing more against Donnie, hiding his face against his brother’s shoulder. He’s quivering in Donnie’s hold, locking his arms around him even tighter.]
It’s okay. [He sniffs.] It’s okay, just…
[Don’t leave me again he could say, but can either of them really promise that? It’s why he has to hold on to Donnie now, just in case.]
[Donnie'd fight tooth and claw to keep that promise, but he hates not being sure about this place and its workings.
His own arms hang on more tightly in turn as he nods emphatically. Whatever happened...fixed itself, somehow. He hasn't thought too hard about it, not when things feel right again.]
[Leo holds on for a long time, as long as Donnie will let him. He almost lost this - almost lost one of his brothers for good. Sure, he said they could still be friends, but would that have ever been enough?
But it's okay now. Donnie remembers. It was temporary. This place jerks them around, but it all goes away in the end.]
Hey. [His voice is hoarse when he speaks again, and though he pulls away, it's not by much, his arms still holding Donnie.] You look exhausted; wanna sit down?
[No, it wouldn't have been the same at all. Even though they'd started talking and hanging out together again, there had just been something vital still missing. Donnie just hadn't realized the depth of it until now, and or maybe it's because now that he actually remembers, it just feels so much worse knowing what he'd lost.
He doesn't want to let go, even if his arms are tired, but he lifts his head when Leo speaks up.]
...yeah. That'd probably be good.
[Considering that Leo's probably more or less holding him up at this point.]
[It always would have been wrong. Leo never would have abandoned Donnie, and neither would Mikey or Raph, when they got back home. But it wouldn't be the same.
At Donnie's agreement, Leo thinks. He could flop down on his mattress right now, but...
He feels like an olive branch is in order here. So he nods.]
Wanna... go up to your nest?
[He still hasn't been up there, but it's where Donnie seems to prefer to go these days.]
[It's maybe a silly thing, how much such a simple offer makes him perk up, but his so-called nest is something he equates with comfort, with safety. He'd been wanting Leo to come up for a long while now that he doesn't even bother trying to argue that it isn't a nest. ...who's he kidding though? It is totally a nest.
Donnie nods back, trying to straighten himself up from leaning against Leo too much. He still doesn't quite regret hurrying all the way back, driven by the fear that maybe what had happened, what had reconfigured itself, might not last.]
[Donnie smiles- actually smiles, turning maybe a bit too eagerly that it's probably a good thing Leo does have a hand ready. He smacks the button to lower down the ladder, grabbing onto the rungs to start clambering his way up, tail snaking along after him.]
Watch, you'll wonder why you never decided to try coming up sooner.
[It's no pillow fort, but it comes relatively close, cushioned and padded around the edges by a mix of rolled and stuffed blankets and old sails, bound by cables like a giant, loosely woven basket.
It's not a big space, true, but still big enough for them to comfortably fit, and once Donnie is up, he scoots over to one side to give Leo enough room to pull himself in. The end of his tail flicks back and forth in some sort of anxious anticipation as he waits to see what Leo thinks.]
There's not really any reason in particular that Leo turned him down before. He hadn't felt like it when it was first offered, and then it just increasingly felt like Donnie's space, and then all this happened, and Leo honestly hasn't thought much about the nest beyond "the place that Donnie sleeps". He hadn't really realized how important it was to Donnie to share it; after all, he never seemed this intent to get Leo to come into his room back home.
...And also he has a tail now. Huh.
Leo waits until Donnie is most of the way up the ladder (so he doesn't get smacked with said tail) before coming up behind him, climbing his way into the refitted taxi. It's small, but not as constricting as he was expecting. It's surprisingly soft, with all the things Donnie has found to pad it out. Leo rolls over once he's inside, prodding the cushions with his hands.]
Huh. Cozy.
[Surprisingly so, given the lack of materials they have around here. Donnie's been working hard on this.]
[Donnie had been scavenging more than just electronics and machine parts. You couldn't sleep very well in a pile of metal. Well, at least to some extent anyway.
He looks on happily as Leo inspects everything, finally allowing himself to relax then.]
Right? I'm glad I found Jack in that craft shop back in the city- managed to haul a bunch of stuffing and things to replace the cushion stuffing I found in those old boats because those smelled kinda weird.
[Leo can't help it, it's in his nature. But he slowly leans back into some of the padding, then stops and sits back up again because he has to be careful how he sits down, these days. A cushion pushing into his lungs doesn't hurt, but it feels weird.]
I'm surprised you don't have it tricked out with a stereo system and rave lights. [He grins at the silly suggestion - or maybe not so silly, given who he's talking to.]
[It's only inevitable that Donnie has to make a face at that pun, but it's tempered with the inklings of a smile. Things are finally feeling right, and the awful puns are but a part of it.]
A mix of that and mildew, actually- heavy on the mildew.
[He makes himself comfortable, tucking against the padding with a sigh.]
Thought about it, but simple seemed better. And if we're going to be pumping any music and flashy lights, it'd be way more suited for during actual travel, don't you think?
[Donnie laughs, unable to help for a grin at the thought.]
After some of the things we've had to go through? Agreed. This place is just exhausting in these ways I don't expect. I'm behind in so many things I'm trying to get done but...sometimes all I want to do is just curl up somewhere.
[But maybe things will be better, now. He's back, weird as it is to say, but it feels the most accurate. And maybe Leo will be more inclined to hang out up here during their downtimes...]
[It hits Leo in an unexpected way, that his workaholic brother feels too exhausted to work here. It's just another reminder of how this place is wearing them down.
And now he can't help but think about all they things they've gone through recently.]
...Yeah. [He nods in agreement.] I get that.
[He glances around the nest, playing with the hem of his cloak. It's becoming more and more of a habit, like he's making sure it's still there, still covering him up.]
Maybe, uh... I could make a spot to chill up here, too. If you're cool with it. [He rubs the back of his head.] I'd just need it to support my shell right, 'cause... if stuff rubs against my organs it feels weird.
[He's dipping a toe into acknowledging the hole directly.]
[Donnie lifts his head a little then, eyes flicking towards the end of the cloak at Leo's movement. He glances away guiltily.]
You're more than welcome to.
I... Sorry. I should have had that armor finished a long time ago. It's at the top of my list, promise.
[He hasn't had a good look at Leo's shell since... What, when he'd first arrived? But it's gotten so much worse, and he hadn't like those gaps he'd felt beneath the material of Leo's cloak when they'd been hugging earlier.]
N-no, I didn't say that to- You don't have to apologize!
[Ugh. This is why he doesn't say things! Now the mood is totally ruined thanks to his big mouth.]
It's not a big deal. [As though to demonstrate this, he lays back on the cushions - ignoring that it is not particularly comfortable as he is.] See? I'm fine! Comfy cozy!
I know you didn't! But it still doesn't change the fact that I've taken way longer on it than I should have.
[Donnie looks back as Leo settles back, uncertain, but still slightly less concerned. He lets himself lean back a little. Even if he wanted to pull an all-nighter right there and then to bang out more of that battle shell, he knows he wouldn't be able to focus.]
Are you sure..?
[He still can't help but ask. It's no good having this space to share if Leo can't be comfortable. He'd already mentioned that his shell was rubbing on...things, which means it's not offering the support it should. Softer cushioning in the meantime? A lighter, wrap-around brace, maybe? His mind grasps at concepts out of habit.
Pushing himself to sit up, he pulls over a makeshift pillow that more or less resembles a giant piece of candy with the way the ends of the material are bound on either side of the stuffed portion. It most definitely must have been a skirt originally, the material light. He nudges it over with a foot.]
[Leo looks up as the pillow is pushed his direction. He takes it and shifts around, putting it behind himself, up closer to his head. It helps keep him raised a bit off the cushions, so nothing is rubbing. It does feel better...]
Oooh, yeah, it's real soft! [He does his best to keep his voice light as he settles back against the pillow. It helps.] Thanks, hermano!
[With that taken care of, he shakes his head.]
Anyway, seriously, don't worry about it! We barely have materials around here anyway, and we've been busy.
[It feels like it's been ages since he's heard Leo call him brother in any form. It wouldn't have meant anything without Donnie's own acknowledgment, and overall, with Leo's appreciation, it warms him.
Ugh, now he's feeling all sentimental or something. He lets himself flop back against the cushions, hiding behind a wing to rub at his eyes, but there's no hiding the warmth and relief that radiates from his thoughts.]
That's not entirely true. Back at the city, I was able to gather some weird metal that's surprisingly pliable. It'll make shaping plates for a battle shell so much easier. ...but there has been a lot going on since we left there.
[He sighs tiredly, letting his head rest against the cushioning.]
[No need to dip into the details. Somehow, things have righted themselves, and Donnie's not about to take it for granted. He's where he's supposed to be, with his brother, and right now they're together and they're safe.
He closes his eyes, finally giving into his exhaustion, but his tail snakes over closer to Leo, just wanting the reassurance that he's nearby.]
Leo holds out his arm and lets the tail wind around his wrist. It’s cute - he doesn’t think Donnie ever reached out for them like this back home when he’d go to sleep. Maybe in a turtle pile sometimes…
He settles back, closing his own eyes and trying to get some sleep. The nest really is kind of cozy…]
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timeasmymeasure
[Ackshunning up the ol' inbox]
Date: 2025-09-03 12:42 am (UTC)Not all the effects have gone with it this time, but for once Donnie isn't completely fixated on those as he stumbles his way back to the Tank.
He still feels...'off', although not in the unbalanced way he had before. Things are still reconfiguring, maybe, that's the best reason he can think of. It's left him emotionally brittle, and yet all he can think of is that he has to get back to Leo.]
\o/
Date: 2025-09-03 04:51 am (UTC)He doesn't know what happened, but he can feel it: something's changed.
And not knowing what it is makes him anxious. The soft tug of magic he feels now seems like a good thing, but he's afraid to get his hopes up. He's not sure he can take any more disappointments.
So he sits in the tank and he waits for the door to open.]
no subject
Date: 2025-09-03 05:01 am (UTC)The hatch finally does begin to open, and Donnie catches himself on the doorway once he makes his way up the ramp. He looks about anxiously as he tries to catch his breath.
Leo's here, isn't he? He has to be...]
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Date: 2025-09-03 05:11 am (UTC)Dee?
[His first instinct is to run right to Donnie, but he hesitates, only taking a few halting steps forward. He was lucky to get the invite back to the tank; he doesn’t want to push his luck.]
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Date: 2025-09-03 05:24 am (UTC)He swallows, slowly easing himself from the doorway, and then he's all but launching himself at the other turtle to throw his arms around.
...no, not just another turtle.
That's Leo. That's his brother.
Weirdly enough, there's not a whole lot of weight behind whatever brief spurt of momentum there. Surely nothing to worry about.]
no subject
Date: 2025-09-03 05:52 am (UTC)[Leo’s surprise is cut short as Donnie wraps his arms around him. There’s so little weight to him that it almost doesn’t feel real, but… but…
No, this is real. This is…]
D… Donnie?
[Leo’s voice cracks on the name, and he’d be embarrassed if he could feel anything other than a bright, piercing ray of hope.
He raises his own arms and wraps them tight around Donnie, worming around the spikes. Grabbing on tight, and maybe a little desperate.]
You… came back.
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Date: 2025-09-03 05:57 am (UTC)He clings back, ignoring those horrible gaps he can feel beneath his claws, almost like he's afraid everything will just slip away again if he gives it even an inch.
His first attempt to respond gets caught in his throat, and he tries to reset himself as he sucks in another breath.]
I'm sorry I left...
[Sorry he'd messed up. Sorry he hadn't been more careful. Sorry he'd said and done those things, sorry sorry sorry]
no subject
Date: 2025-09-03 02:25 pm (UTC)It’s okay. [He sniffs.] It’s okay, just…
[Don’t leave me again he could say, but can either of them really promise that? It’s why he has to hold on to Donnie now, just in case.]
We’re here now. So it’s okay.
no subject
Date: 2025-09-03 04:36 pm (UTC)His own arms hang on more tightly in turn as he nods emphatically. Whatever happened...fixed itself, somehow. He hasn't thought too hard about it, not when things feel right again.]
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Date: 2025-09-04 03:27 am (UTC)But it's okay now. Donnie remembers. It was temporary. This place jerks them around, but it all goes away in the end.]
Hey. [His voice is hoarse when he speaks again, and though he pulls away, it's not by much, his arms still holding Donnie.] You look exhausted; wanna sit down?
no subject
Date: 2025-09-04 03:56 am (UTC)He doesn't want to let go, even if his arms are tired, but he lifts his head when Leo speaks up.]
...yeah. That'd probably be good.
[Considering that Leo's probably more or less holding him up at this point.]
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Date: 2025-09-04 04:07 am (UTC)At Donnie's agreement, Leo thinks. He could flop down on his mattress right now, but...
He feels like an olive branch is in order here. So he nods.]
Wanna... go up to your nest?
[He still hasn't been up there, but it's where Donnie seems to prefer to go these days.]
no subject
Date: 2025-09-04 04:19 am (UTC)Donnie nods back, trying to straighten himself up from leaning against Leo too much. He still doesn't quite regret hurrying all the way back, driven by the fear that maybe what had happened, what had reconfigured itself, might not last.]
If you don't mind, anyway...
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Date: 2025-09-04 04:35 am (UTC)[Leo keeps a hand out so he can catch Donnie if he lists, nodding to him to lead the way.]
Let's go on up!
no subject
Date: 2025-09-04 04:54 am (UTC)Watch, you'll wonder why you never decided to try coming up sooner.
[It's no pillow fort, but it comes relatively close, cushioned and padded around the edges by a mix of rolled and stuffed blankets and old sails, bound by cables like a giant, loosely woven basket.
It's not a big space, true, but still big enough for them to comfortably fit, and once Donnie is up, he scoots over to one side to give Leo enough room to pull himself in. The end of his tail flicks back and forth in some sort of anxious anticipation as he waits to see what Leo thinks.]
no subject
Date: 2025-09-04 07:19 pm (UTC)There's not really any reason in particular that Leo turned him down before. He hadn't felt like it when it was first offered, and then it just increasingly felt like Donnie's space, and then all this happened, and Leo honestly hasn't thought much about the nest beyond "the place that Donnie sleeps". He hadn't really realized how important it was to Donnie to share it; after all, he never seemed this intent to get Leo to come into his room back home.
...And also he has a tail now. Huh.
Leo waits until Donnie is most of the way up the ladder (so he doesn't get smacked with said tail) before coming up behind him, climbing his way into the refitted taxi. It's small, but not as constricting as he was expecting. It's surprisingly soft, with all the things Donnie has found to pad it out. Leo rolls over once he's inside, prodding the cushions with his hands.]
Huh. Cozy.
[Surprisingly so, given the lack of materials they have around here. Donnie's been working hard on this.]
no subject
Date: 2025-09-04 07:38 pm (UTC)He looks on happily as Leo inspects everything, finally allowing himself to relax then.]
Right? I'm glad I found Jack in that craft shop back in the city- managed to haul a bunch of stuffing and things to replace the cushion stuffing I found in those old boats because those smelled kinda weird.
no subject
Date: 2025-09-08 03:01 am (UTC)[Leo can't help it, it's in his nature. But he slowly leans back into some of the padding, then stops and sits back up again because he has to be careful how he sits down, these days. A cushion pushing into his lungs doesn't hurt, but it feels weird.]
I'm surprised you don't have it tricked out with a stereo system and rave lights. [He grins at the silly suggestion - or maybe not so silly, given who he's talking to.]
no subject
Date: 2025-09-08 03:29 am (UTC)A mix of that and mildew, actually- heavy on the mildew.
[He makes himself comfortable, tucking against the padding with a sigh.]
Thought about it, but simple seemed better. And if we're going to be pumping any music and flashy lights, it'd be way more suited for during actual travel, don't you think?
no subject
Date: 2025-09-08 03:44 am (UTC)[He settles forward with his arms wrapped around his knees instead.]
It's good to have a chill place to come back and relax in.
no subject
Date: 2025-09-08 03:54 am (UTC)[Donnie laughs, unable to help for a grin at the thought.]
After some of the things we've had to go through? Agreed. This place is just exhausting in these ways I don't expect. I'm behind in so many things I'm trying to get done but...sometimes all I want to do is just curl up somewhere.
[But maybe things will be better, now. He's back, weird as it is to say, but it feels the most accurate. And maybe Leo will be more inclined to hang out up here during their downtimes...]
no subject
Date: 2025-09-08 04:13 am (UTC)And now he can't help but think about all they things they've gone through recently.]
...Yeah. [He nods in agreement.] I get that.
[He glances around the nest, playing with the hem of his cloak. It's becoming more and more of a habit, like he's making sure it's still there, still covering him up.]
Maybe, uh... I could make a spot to chill up here, too. If you're cool with it. [He rubs the back of his head.] I'd just need it to support my shell right, 'cause... if stuff rubs against my organs it feels weird.
[He's dipping a toe into acknowledging the hole directly.]
no subject
Date: 2025-09-08 04:21 am (UTC)You're more than welcome to.
I... Sorry. I should have had that armor finished a long time ago. It's at the top of my list, promise.
[He hasn't had a good look at Leo's shell since... What, when he'd first arrived? But it's gotten so much worse, and he hadn't like those gaps he'd felt beneath the material of Leo's cloak when they'd been hugging earlier.]
no subject
Date: 2025-09-08 04:31 am (UTC)[Ugh. This is why he doesn't say things! Now the mood is totally ruined thanks to his big mouth.]
It's not a big deal. [As though to demonstrate this, he lays back on the cushions - ignoring that it is not particularly comfortable as he is.] See? I'm fine! Comfy cozy!
no subject
Date: 2025-09-08 04:50 am (UTC)[Donnie looks back as Leo settles back, uncertain, but still slightly less concerned. He lets himself lean back a little. Even if he wanted to pull an all-nighter right there and then to bang out more of that battle shell, he knows he wouldn't be able to focus.]
Are you sure..?
[He still can't help but ask. It's no good having this space to share if Leo can't be comfortable. He'd already mentioned that his shell was rubbing on...things, which means it's not offering the support it should. Softer cushioning in the meantime? A lighter, wrap-around brace, maybe? His mind grasps at concepts out of habit.
Pushing himself to sit up, he pulls over a makeshift pillow that more or less resembles a giant piece of candy with the way the ends of the material are bound on either side of the stuffed portion. It most definitely must have been a skirt originally, the material light. He nudges it over with a foot.]
This is softer...
no subject
Date: 2025-09-08 05:07 am (UTC)Oooh, yeah, it's real soft! [He does his best to keep his voice light as he settles back against the pillow. It helps.] Thanks, hermano!
[With that taken care of, he shakes his head.]
Anyway, seriously, don't worry about it! We barely have materials around here anyway, and we've been busy.
no subject
Date: 2025-09-08 05:29 am (UTC)Ugh, now he's feeling all sentimental or something. He lets himself flop back against the cushions, hiding behind a wing to rub at his eyes, but there's no hiding the warmth and relief that radiates from his thoughts.]
That's not entirely true. Back at the city, I was able to gather some weird metal that's surprisingly pliable. It'll make shaping plates for a battle shell so much easier. ...but there has been a lot going on since we left there.
[He sighs tiredly, letting his head rest against the cushioning.]
no subject
Date: 2025-09-08 05:45 am (UTC)Yeah, and I'm glad it's all over now.
[He really means that.]
no subject
Date: 2025-09-08 05:57 am (UTC)[No need to dip into the details. Somehow, things have righted themselves, and Donnie's not about to take it for granted. He's where he's supposed to be, with his brother, and right now they're together and they're safe.
He closes his eyes, finally giving into his exhaustion, but his tail snakes over closer to Leo, just wanting the reassurance that he's nearby.]
no subject
Date: 2025-09-09 02:17 pm (UTC)Leo holds out his arm and lets the tail wind around his wrist. It’s cute - he doesn’t think Donnie ever reached out for them like this back home when he’d go to sleep. Maybe in a turtle pile sometimes…
He settles back, closing his own eyes and trying to get some sleep. The nest really is kind of cozy…]
no subject
Date: 2025-09-09 04:57 pm (UTC)Donnie melts into the cushions a little more, feeling once again secure in this little space of his, now that connections have been reestablished.]