tushanshu | 002 ≅ [video/ENCRYPTED 100% TO TURTLES/PRIVATE NETWORK POST]

[This is backdated to the early part of mid-March, before the event.]

[Don takes a deep breath on-screen and flashes a quick, tense smile. He looks nervous, but under that a little haggard. It's what happens when he's spent the last two days going over his encryption algorithm line-by-line, repeatedly, and adjusting it for video usage. And then going over it again. And again. The upside is anyone taking on the task of attempting to hack this is going to get the full brunt of puzzling out Don's aggravated, sleep-deprived mind. This is about as full-proof as he can get with the equipment available to him. It'll have to do.]

Right, hello. If you're getting this, it's because you're a, well...[he gestures to himself, and aside from that his hands stay more-or-less abnormally still for the rest of conversation, a sign of discomfort that might only register to his own Raph] a mutant turtle, like me, and from a similar dimension. Don't worry about anyone not invited seeing this. I'm handling that.

So...you might have been told about this already, but I'll rehash just in case. This is mostly just a place to talk. No pressure or anything, but we just can't keep ignoring one another forever. There are too many of us running around already for that to be plausible, and it's not like there's any guarantee it's ever going to stop. The least we can do is know who's who. [so, in other words, if you want to make sure any of your wayward brothers showing up are pointed in the right direction? SPEAK UP.]

[Don pauses, reaching up to tug at his plastron absentmindedly] I...guess I'll start? My name's Donatello. I'm fifteen. I'm from the same universe as the more recently arrived Raphael. If you think of anything about your homes that might be useful to know, no matter how innocuous you think it is, go ahead and lay it on me. Every little bit helps. So far we've noticed that appearance and age are two of the bigger distinguishing characteristics among us, which is why I recommend using video, but if you're too nervous then it's text. Heck, covering up the camera works just as well. Avoid actual audio mode, if by some weird quirk of electronics you can actually access it. I tried to make sure you couldn't, but you never know, and I don't want anyone yelling at me later because I didn't mention it. Point is, it's not supported right now, and anyone using it could crack this thing open like a bad egg. Which would be, you know, bad.

[Leo take it now Leo take it now before he pours his uneasiness into a babble about his baby go go go someone]

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I have an inkling, yeah.

[Mike pauses, as if considering something.]

And I've got to admit, it's making me kind of jealous. I mean...this is my schtick the both of you are stealing. It's my job to annoy Raphael. Not yours.

Yeah, that must be real hard for you.

[Seriously. There's two of him. You're not the one with the problem, here.

Okay, so you have a problem, too. But his is way worse, all right?]

I would go so far as say it's kicking me soundly out of my comfort zone, yes. And you know, it's not as if things were all a bed of roses before I got here.

So really, when you think about it, the two of you doing my job here is really the crap cherry on a turd sundae that is my life at the moment.

[You are way smarter and cooler and calmer than his Mikey, and he's trying real hard not to like you. Real hard. Why are you doing this? Can't you see that he's psychotic and nasty and unpleasant and no one should even want to talk to him?]

So what, you expect us to knock it off just because you don't like it? This ain't your problem. Your name might be Mikey, but that doesn't mean you get a say.

[That's the thing though, Mike can see all of that. The other Raph, he's a good kid. Brash, impulsive, quick to anger...but he doesn't have the capacity to unhinge like Mike is sure this Raph does.]

[Like his Raph does.]

Actually, it does. And things will go a whole lot more smoothly when you just lie back and accept that for the reality it is.

[...And that's the hot button, right there.]

Reality, huh!? You think this's reality? We don't even know if we're dead!

[He snarls through gritted teeth. Shit. Just FREAKING shit! This's something he hasn't even talked about with Leo. This's something he never planned on ever talking about. There's a familiar flare of rage tearing its way through his stomach. He's mad at himself, mad at this whole damn situation, mad at his life, mad at everything.]

You're not my brother, you don't get a say, so shut your freakin' trap before I shut it for you!

[That...that catches Mike by surprise, and once the initial shock of Raph's outburst passes, Mike has no idea why he didn't see it coming in the first place.]

[Then again, he never saw Raph pick up the wrench either...]

Okay...okay, I'm sorry.

[Mike's hands are both visible on the console, clearly showing his unarmed surrender.]

For what little my opinion is worth? I don't think you're dead. I don't think I'd be here if you were.

Edited 2013-03-22 05:42 (UTC)

[At the sight of Mike's surrender, Raph just crosses his arms and looks away, grinding his teeth to work loose some pent-up anxiety. It's the only thing keeping him from breaking something right now.

Raph's been here a while. The longest he's ever been stuck in a place. And after all that time, he's never spoke a word about any of this to anyone. After they tried to invade the Emperor's palace and failed, he'd kept it all in. And it's sat there stewing ever since, a corked bottle ready to explode.

This post, seeing these other turtles that are so close but so not his brothers is bringing it all unbearably to the surface.]

[Mike does the only thing he can do: he watches helplessly as a parade of familiar tics and mannerisms march across this turtle who is not his brother.]

[Were he home, and were this his Raph, Mike would load a suction dart gun and level it at his brother's head. Then, before the projectile made contact, he'd be off and running in the opposite direction as fast as he could. Because he'd know that so long as Raph was moving, he'd be okay. So long as his brother had something other to think about, he'd keep moving.]

[But this...he doesn't know what to do with this. And he hasn't felt this helpless since he watched his family disappear before his eyes. Digitized by some machine straight off the Enterprise to parts unknown.]

[Under his breath, Mike recites something from his childhood. A snippet of Japanese that Splinter used to use to sooth away nightmares.]

[And that sound, the barely-audible whisper of that fractured lullaby digs its fingers into his chest and practically tears his heart right out. Raph gets up from the console and vanishes out of sight, not even bothering to end the feed. The only sound is the door slamming shut behind him.

Out of all the infinite differences between them, it's the small things that remain the same. A tic, a gesture, a look. A whisper. But the nightmare still refuses to end.]

002 ≅ [video/ENCRYPTED 100% TO TURTLES/PRIVATE NETWORK POST]

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