Leonardo finally rises from the gesture, a slight smile tugging at his mouth as he listens to the exchange between father and son, teacher and student. There's a tinge of flattered humility, too; he would never have anticipated being rejected by his father's counterpart, but the easiness in which he's accepted is... nice. And, punctuated by a mention of the closeness between the Leonardos as it is, comforting. (Not that he ever doubted his connection with his soul's twin in the first place, but hearing it spoken from such a revered person's mouth only seems to reinforce what he already knows.)
His smile softens minutely when he's given the opportunity to read Splinter's body language. He may be a different person, but the nuances in his movements mirror those of Leonardo's father so closely - the crescent-moon curve of his eyes as he smiles, quiet humor twinkling behind wells of deep affection. It leaves the older turtle wondering if, perhaps, some of the unfamiliar parts are what belonged to his Hamato Yoshi.
It makes him homesick, too. He misses his father. And even though Leonardo's Splinter is smaller in stature than his counterpart, there is no one else in existence he could ever look up to more.
But even this yearning is washed away by the empathetic overflow of love from Hamato Yoshi and Leo. Little Ninja is happy to have them both here, and the feeling is simply contagious.
However, the subtle flick of Splinter's ears towards the circle of candles is not missed - and it wipes the smile completely from Leonardo's expression. The older ninja looks down, feeling hot embarrassment flush through his face. It's not the first time a Splinter has caught him brooding over something, but... when he's standing in front of them, it always feels so childish in retrospect. And in front of his cousin, too!
"No, Master, it's nothing. I just..." Leonardo glances to the halo of pinpricks burning against the darkness. "... was having some difficulty with an exercise. And I became a bit - frustrated."
The truth is, the darkness, the solitude, even his inability to properly exert his power and skill over the candles - it all seemed... ordinary. Had Splinter not called his attention to it, he never would have thought that there was something wrong with the picture at all.
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His smile softens minutely when he's given the opportunity to read Splinter's body language. He may be a different person, but the nuances in his movements mirror those of Leonardo's father so closely - the crescent-moon curve of his eyes as he smiles, quiet humor twinkling behind wells of deep affection. It leaves the older turtle wondering if, perhaps, some of the unfamiliar parts are what belonged to his Hamato Yoshi.
It makes him homesick, too. He misses his father. And even though Leonardo's Splinter is smaller in stature than his counterpart, there is no one else in existence he could ever look up to more.
But even this yearning is washed away by the empathetic overflow of love from Hamato Yoshi and Leo. Little Ninja is happy to have them both here, and the feeling is simply contagious.
However, the subtle flick of Splinter's ears towards the circle of candles is not missed - and it wipes the smile completely from Leonardo's expression. The older ninja looks down, feeling hot embarrassment flush through his face. It's not the first time a Splinter has caught him brooding over something, but... when he's standing in front of them, it always feels so childish in retrospect. And in front of his cousin, too!
"No, Master, it's nothing. I just..." Leonardo glances to the halo of pinpricks burning against the darkness. "... was having some difficulty with an exercise. And I became a bit - frustrated."
The truth is, the darkness, the solitude, even his inability to properly exert his power and skill over the candles - it all seemed... ordinary. Had Splinter not called his attention to it, he never would have thought that there was something wrong with the picture at all.