You are hereby thought to be the most senseless and fit man of the Watch

[i_speak_softly]

Characters: Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michaelangelo
Date: June 5 and after
Location: Leo and Don's suite in the Metal Sector
Situation: Testing out this lantern business
Warnings/Rating: None


After the initial visit, Raph and Mike had managed to stay in their own suite for an entire day before drifting back to Leo and Don's building. Don had certainly been glad to see them again - the place didn't feel right without them - but his enthusiasm for the situation waned sharply when it became clear they didn't plan to leave.

It's not their continued presence that Don has a problem with. It's the whole business with their souls being bound to lanterns, and the strongly-worded advice - delivered just days ago - that they not stay away from their lanterns for too long.

In calm but certain terms, Don suggests that Raph and Mike go reunite body and soul for a little while. No one listens to him. Mike seems determined to put a shell-groove in another couch, while Raph simply claims territory in his own inimitable style.

By the third morning, Raph and Mike are decidedly sluggish, and Don appeals to Leo to put an end to this reckless - if extremely intriguing - experiment.

"I think we should take them home," he says, despite Mike and Raph's increasingly-incoherent insistence that they want to stay. "Whatever they're trying to prove, it's not worth it."

Comments

[meanandgreen]

"I'm still standing, aren't I?" He says, at the same time wishing it wasn't true. He feels too tired to even stay on his own two feet, but he can't let that show.

As if it wasn't obvious enough. It's the only reason he isn't yelling right now. And the drawn look on his face isn't easy to miss, either. His color's just a shade off, and his eyes look dark and sunken. Not quite focused.

"We don't even know what's gonna happen, and there's only one way we're gonna find out."

[michaeljangelo]

"Raph's right," Mike says mustering up enough momentum to roll over so his back is to his arguing cousins.

"For science."

[meanandgreen]

"C'mon, Mikey, you're comin' with me," he growls, grabbing his cousin by the elbow, about to drag him bodily off the couch. "Move your shell before I move it for you."

[michaeljangelo]

Mike waggles his shell back and forth a grand total of three times, and then stops moving.

[meanandgreen]

Raph is too freakin' tired to deal with this crud, but he'll pick Mike up and carry him out if it could help prove a point. So he grabs Mike by the arm and shell and hauls him off the couch whether he likes it or not. If that's not enough to get him moving, Mike's gonna end up sleeping on the floor. "I said move it!"

[duelkatana]

"Raphael!" Leo barks, moving to grip his brother's shoulder - hard - and push Mike back at the same time. It's half a test to see whether Raph has enough strength to shake him off, half trying to reign him in before he gets even more forceful against Mike. "That's enough. Cool it."

If tones are anything to go by, his well of patience is very nearly tapped out.

[meanandgreen]

With his nerves frayed to nothing from exhaustion, he lets go of Mike and lashes out at Leo without even thinking first. The wild punch aimed right at his brother's face doesn't even a hint at holding back. It's like he'd forgotten Leo was there at all, and someone had just grabbed him out of nowhere. It wasn't until he actually saw Leo standing there that his brain caught up, his eyes wide with shock.

[duelkatana]

Raph has the tendency to telegraph his punches when he gets too riled up, and with exhaustion already making him sloppy, Leo sees that fist coming a mile away. He sharply jerks into a sidestep, one arm reflexively coming up to block the punch - which still smarts, weakened or not, and he's glad it didn't meet its mark in his face.

Then his brain catches up a moment later, and hot irritation roils in his stomach as he grapples the arm and attempts to twist his brother into an elbow lock.

[michaeljangelo]

There's a small grunt of displeasure from Mike when he feel's his cousin's hand on his shoulder. This is going to hurt, because Mike really doesn't want to move, and clearly everyone wants him to. But...but his whole body is just heavy. It's worse than any day-after-training he's ever experienced. Just...so tired.

Mike prepares to be deadweight in an effort to dissuade his cousin from lifting him, with the idea that once he's up he'll help with a Ta Daa, but that moment doesn't come. Suddenly there's Leo talking and then Raph's hand is gone and...

and...

...oh no.

"Raph, no."
Even under all the lurgy there's panic to Mike's tone. It takes so much effort to roll back and into a sitting position.

[meanandgreen]

"Don't touch me!" Raph yells, struggling against Leo's grip. He's so tired his head is spinning from the effort, but he can't think of anything else to do.

Now Mike's up. Of course he's up. But it's all over now, isn't it? Nobody cares. Now they'll have to go back to their suite and let them split his family up. Let them win. There's gonna be no convincing Leo now, but he's gotta keep fighting for this. He has to.

Mike is ruining everything. If he'd just gotten up when he told him to. But no. Of course not. Why would anyone listen to him!?

With every passing second, anger flairs hotter and hotter through his veins, makes his breath quick and his heart race. And he wants to hit Mike. He wants to strangle the life out of him for screwing this up.

"You can't even try to listen to me!?" He screams at Mike, emotion making his voice waver. "You don't think I'm tired too!?"

[michaeljangelo]

His face scrunches up, as if by squinting his eyes the volume of Raph's voice will lower. Raph is okay. Leo has him. Situation normal, all fucked up.

"I am listening, Raph. Just...just give me a couple to get moving, okay? And then we can go outside. We can go where ever you want to go. Anything you want, we can do. Okay? I just need...a sec."

[duelkatana]

The harder Raph struggles, the tighter Leo pulls his arm against his shell. It's not his intention to actually hurt his brother, but this is spinning wildly out of control, and he's had enough of it. If Raph wants to throw a tantrum, let him. Leonardo will just make sure he doesn't hurt anyone - including himself - while he does it.

Even as Raphael yells at Mike, Leo only keeps him in the lock, eying the both of them in silence. His gaze hardens on his cousin at that promise, but he says nothing. Raph will calm down eventually. Any single word that comes out of Leonardo's mouth right now will only prolong the time it takes for that to happen.

[meanandgreen]

They're listening now. He shouldn't have to freakin' do this to make them listen, but he does. He'll do whatever it takes.

Mike helps. He always helps. He's still really, really pissed at him, but maybe they can work things out. Maybe they won't have to go back after all.

He stops struggling, swallowing hard between gasps of breath. His every muscle is still tense and ready to spring, but for a second he just pants through gritted teeth, trying to get the fire burning in his chest back to something controllable.

"Let me go, Leo," he growls huskily. He's still pissed, but he's not gonna hurt anyone. Right now he just needs to calm down and not let anyone touch him.

[duelkatana]

Leonardo releases his brother and steps back, turning his shell on them to face the door. He glances halfway over his shoulder, his voice frozen with cold, steady anger.

"You're leaving tonight. End of discussion."

Then he stalks out of the room after Don, not waiting to hear their reply.

[michaeljangelo]

Mike keeps Leo in his periphery as he leaves the room, but never fully takes his eyes off Raph.

"we don't have to go home, but we can't stay here..." he mumbles more to himself than anything. With both Leo and Don gone Mike allows his expression to slump. Something is very very wrong.

[meanandgreen]

Raph watches Leo leave the room, a storm rolling over his expression, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. He doesn't know who to be mad at--Evandau, Leo, Mike, himself? But he is mad. He's fucking pissed at how things are turning out, and he's so, so exhausted.

All of that combined gives him a feeling like the world's coming to an end. He knows he's being dramatic, but he just can't help it. Being tired as he is, his emotions are going from sixty to freakin' zero pretty damn quick. The heat's quickly turning icy cold, and his eyes are starting to prickle dangerously.

Fresh air isn't gonna help either of them, so why even try? Instead, he heads for the staircase, stomping upstairs to go crash in the room they'd left their bedrolls.

Hopefully that's not where Don ran of to. He's not in the mood to deal with anyone.

[michaeljangelo]

Mike should follow.
Mike is going to follow.
Just...as soon as he breaks the gravitational pull keeping him on the couch.
Briefly he thinks about leaning back and returning to his previous position, now that there's no one here to tell him otherwise.

But then he remembers the look in Raph's eyes, and the stone expression on Leo's face. If he's not there to mediate...it will get bad.
Mike can't let it get bad.

After a couple of fortifying breaths he manages to roll himself up onto his feet, thankful there's no one there to witness the headrush the smacks him between the eyes. Mike makes his way for the stairs, towards the bedroom. If the door is closed he'll just sit down in the hall, if not...well then, he and his pillow will be spending some quality time.

[meanandgreen]

The door is closed, and Raph's more than grateful for the silence that embraces him as he crashes down on his mat and burrows under the blankets. His head is still pounding with his heartbeat, and the few silent tears that manage to work their way out don't help.

But within minutes, he's passed out again, too dead tired to wallow in his own misery for long.

At least he has his brothers just outside the door.

He can't take the idea that it won't be that way for much longer.

[i_speak_softly]

Don circles around the common area before heading up the other staircase to Leo's room. Finding the door closed, he's about to knock when he realizes the shadow on the floor is Mike, curled up and half-asleep.

He leans over to tap his cousin on the shoulder, thinking about where the flashlight is in his bag.

"Mike."

[michaeljangelo]

There's a groan, followed by the twitch of an arm that after a try and a half successfully moves to shield Mike from who ever is trying to wake him.

"...shhh. sleep now."

[i_speak_softly]

Mike and Raph have been keeping their bedrolls in Leo's room, the eldest brother's Spartan decorating sense being more accommodating to extra occupants than Don's junk pile. The junk pile, however, is yielding all kinds of useful items, as its owner digs through it.

While he searches for those things he knows are in here somewhere, Donatello is not oblivious to what's going on downstairs. Leo and Raph are dealing with their fear of separation by screaming at each other, which is typical, and it sounds like some punches are being exchanged. Then it gets very quiet - Mike defusing the situation, maybe, or Raph expending the last of his energy and passing out.

Don is thinking he'd better go check on things, but then a drained-looking Leo opens his door, and Don just waits for the status report he knows is coming.

[duelkatana]

The journey up the stairs to Don's room is mechanical; about halfway there, he remembers that they're not the only ones living in this suite, and he almost flushes with embarrassment. Hopefully no one was around to hear the domestic disputes that the turtles have been accustomed to since they could form syllables.

But even that concern is brushed aside when he opens the door and sees Don. He doesn't quite relax from his stormy countenance, but the edge eases away as he finds a bookshelf near his brother and parks himself against it, crossing his arms.

"Things got out of hand. Raph doesn't want to admit something's wrong, and Mike is too wrapped up trying to keep him happy." His fingers grip his bicep a little tighter. "I'm giving them until tonight."

[i_speak_softly]

Don isn't sure what to make of this plan; it's not like Leo to delay the inevitable.

He tucks a couple of the radios into his bag before replying.

"We could trade off," he says slowly. "A day at their place, a day at ours. Get our training runs in travelling back and forth."

He doesn't relish the idea of such a migratory lifestyle, but if it would keep them all together, it would be worth it.

[duelkatana]

Not like him indeed. Leonardo's had to get used to making small allowances lately. Mike seems to take Raphael's side more often than not, and going against the grain of Raph's temper when has a supporter to lean on... Leo's not ready to become public enemy number one, not to that degree. Not yet.

He gives a slight Hmm towards Don's suggestion - the indicator that it's been heard and will be duly considered, but his immediate focus is somewhere else. "That might not be enough right now. If they only charged their lanterns for a day..."

Leo trails off, his gaze going somewhere distant past the wall. Judging by how gradually they crashed, Mike and Raph will probably need more than one day to recover... but all the time they've spent here is time Leo and Don have spent around their own lanterns. In theory...

"Don..." he starts slowly. "Have you had a chance to study the lanterns in-depth yet?"

[i_speak_softly]

"Not as much as I would have liked," Don says, but sits back on his heels to relate what he knows. "They give off some sort of energy signature, but it's hard to identify. There are strange fluctuations in the readings." He bites his lip, then adds: "The hypothesis that the lanterns contain our souls is creating serious confounds in the form of observer bias, but... Leo, I think they do."