#[ goodbyes arent forever aflockoffeathers]

[ducknotinarow]

[Rise Raph and Rise Casey]

Casey fiddled with his hands slightly, looking up to Raph. Sometimes he forgot how big they were compared to him. With mission done, World saved, and Casey here for, well, forever, it gave time for them to talk. He had dropped the small bombshell before things went to Hell, but now that everything was taken care of? Well, maybe they should actually discuss things,

"Raph?" Casey speaks up, "I, look, if you don't want to call me your son, I'd understand, a-and if you don't want me to call you my dad, I'd get it."

Even if he had been dreaming of this moment since he was a tiny child; dreaming of somehow seeing his dad again,

"But, well, I would like to get to know you?" Casey suggested, "If, you'd want to get to know me?"

| muse interaction

Well, the world was saved now. Raphael was even back with his family, Leo managed to break through his krang brain washing. Outside some minor lasting results for Raph, he was all fine again, they all were. The dust had settled, and their home was saved more importantly though their family was safe. The one thing they always fought for most alone with the safety of others. Course now that family had one more member.

Casey.

Yeah okay sure they had other humans that they had included into their little odd bunch. Like April. But that isn't why Casey stood out well, at least for Raphael. He still had the conversation heavy on his mind right now. He didn't physically need to be holding on to that photo Casey showed to him. The image was burned into mind easily enough. Him in the future war battled, older, but holding a baby all bundled up in blankets. A look in his eyes Raph knew he hadn't worn before. Because that bundle was a baby Casey. His baby. Casey was his son. And well all that was the same Raphael had been rephrasing and repeating those thought a lot because it was well a lot to take in. Having a child was one thought but meeting them?

Raph had noticed that the others got some tidbits of information on their own future selfsame. Leo was so hit shot ninja master, Mikey was a bad ass mystic ninja, and Donnie was the greatest mind the world ever knew. Raph wasn't surprised by any of what they told Gimme from Casey. He could see all that being true. There was a swell of pride in his shell, knowing his brother one day reached their potentials like he always knew they could Never once did something about himself come up and Raph had a feeling he knew why and that added a twist of guilt when it came to Casey. Smiling bright up to Raph it was different from how he looked to Leo. Towards Leo it was looking at somehow he was seeing again, the same for the others. But Raph? Something was just very different.

Likely didn’t help that he near about ran away from the poor kid either jeez Raph. Raphael sighed to himself as he reached up and dragged his fingers down his mask. It was a lot though and Raph’s mind had been swimming trying to work through all these thick foggy, murky thoughts of his he didn’t know where to start. In part he wonder if this was how his pops felt when he suddenly found himself with four turtles in his care.So lost in trying to figure out what to do here he didn’t even noticed Casey make his way over to him now.

"Raph?"

Raph turned to look down to the kid, left to stare back into the trait they shared with the snapper. Bright green eyes. It wasn’t a lot but it was enough to show he and Raph were related, he had his eyes. The same bright shade of green enough to get by as human but not many humans had green eyes even like that. unsure how to answer in the moment left to near jump out of his shell. Funny how a small little human seemed to set Raphael of all on edge like this. Unsure what to call them. Name made the most sense..but is he meant to call them something else? Did future him have names for them? oh he was spiraling again instead he just offered a wide smile hoping it be enough, before he started to wonder if he was shown off to much of his teeth in the moment. So he closed it into a tight beak smile. Shit is he even smiling? he forgot how he smiles!?

 "I, look, if you don't want to call me your son, I'd understand, a-and if you don't want me to call you my dad, I'd get it."

What? Raphael felt like his heart was sinking at the mention alone no of course that wasn’t it! Oh jeez Raph great how about telling this poor kid that though?! Why was Raph finding it so hard to find his voice for once, he never been one to get so lost into his mind like this always reacting through smashing before thinking, shouting before being clam and collected.

But then he looked at them again. Sure their family was able to be reunited. Raph saved Leo and got captured, and then they almost lost Leo for good. But they all manged to get back home in one piece. That being the four of them together again. Casey? Casey world was gone. His family was gone. One could argue he still had his family but. Casey didn’t he had familiar faces people he knew but they didn’t know him. In part did Raph ever get to know him much? Sure his world was awful and the result of a major war going on living to survive over just to live like they could. Casey didn’t know anything of this current world hell Pizza was so new to them even. So was everything else, and everyone else.

"But, well, I would like to get to know you?"

Raph slowly moved to sit on his knees so he could better look at Casey. Right now Raph wasn’t look at some random human claiming to be his kid. he was Looking at Leo, Donnie and Mikey. He was looking at himself. Watching how Casey tripped over his words how they played with their fingers how they didn’t know what to do but wanted to still try.

 "If, you'd want to get to know me?"

“What makes ya think I wouldn’ wanna know ya Casey?" Raph offer hand lifting to set his hand on to their shoulder. Letting it hover a moment to make sure that was fine before he finally let his heavy drop on to their shoulder. " imma be honest here I got a bit spooked when ya told me. Aye mean that ain't easy suddenly finding you got a kid to look out for I mean." Yeah now he was really starting to understand his own father in this moment. "but that don't mean anythin' against yous okay? I jus...don't wanna disappointing after all i don't know how I am or was to you as your dad. I might not be the same turtle yet?" Raphael tries to express the best that he can. Unaware of just how little even Casey knew about him. "I mean I wouldn't have told yas to stay with us if I didn' wanna get ta know you." He offers next

Letting eyes fall to the ground now " It can't be easy for yas right now either, I don't wanna add to all you got ta handle...but maybe for now lets just stick to names and figure it out from there?" shifting his gaze back to them to see how they feel about it all. It was like when he was kid again despite having a father Raph found himself in a parental role once more. "but for the record Case, you're wrong I do wanna call ya that." Giving a slight squeeze to their shoulder. "Who wouldn' ? Ya lived through an apocalypse, ate rats, faced the krang and never backed down, heck ya came to a world ya didn't know and stayed focus on ya mission too. Pfft more than I can say for anyone else." Giving a roll of his eyes a moment taking a shot at the others well giving the praise to Casey. "You been facing through so much and yet ya still got guts to keep moving on forward. Who wouldn't wanna know someone 'ike that? 'ike you? And ya say i'm ya dad in the future?" Smile brighten up a little "That's the most amazing bit to me."

He waits a bit once more hit with his thought about this poor kid lost in a world of familiar strangers. "I think you're already pretty cool as is."

[ducknotinarow]

Casey: Just so everyone knows, don't ever try to climb a tree at night carrying a strobe light, owls DON'T like it.

Raphael : ...what happened?

Casey: I made a VERY bad mistake.

[ducknotinarow]

[Rise]

The past was so...amazing, especially compared to the apocalyptic Hell he grew up in. But Casey didn't really have time to admire and enjoy everything, he had to save the future, he had to save everyone! But, okay well, he wanted to do a couple of things first. He had a few photos that had survived the test of time, one that had been given to Master Leonardo (they're a lot different compared to his future self), and one that he kept close. Casey wanted to show it to a certain Turtle first, before announcing it to everyone else.

When he managed to get Raphael alone, Casey showed him that second phone; handing it over to him without a word. It was of Raph himself, clearly in the future, holding a small bundle of a baby in their arms. Casey grinned, nervous suddenly,

"Uhm, I, sorry I didn't tell you earlier but, well," Casey rubbed the back of his neck, "You're my dad Raph, heh, hah, you're my dad."

| Muse interaction

Great another Leo mess to clean up, again. Raphael thought but mostly kept the thought to himself. If it wasn't fir Leo doing what ever he pleased they would have had the key these whole time and likely saved the future from what ever horrible mess it was going to be. Everyone needed to prep up for the mission it was well a lot Raph was good and ready to go but with them bringing everyone? Yeah extra prep wad going to be needed. Don had his escapes pods on the ready even had an extra one for the new addition to their team. So long as everyone is able to make it back home at the end of the day? well then Raphael will count this as a success. He just wish Leo was taking more urgency here.

If it was for them showboating around eailer! He could feel that rage building up inside him again. he tended to hold it better but damn it Leo was really working it out of him. Raph kept telling himself he needed to stay clam and be more patience with Leo. This whole shift in leadership was new for everyone involved. Not the time for all of this they need to keep focused on-

Raphael blinks noticing he wasn’t alone anymore eyes landing on this uh Casey right? Yeah Casey. Eyes shifting from the left to the right to see if anyone else had been with him. Guess it made sense this kid was just sort of throw here wouldn’t have anything to gather up outside what they had on them now. His beak hung a little kind of feeling bad for them. They grew up in such an awful world but it was still their world only to be thrown back in time. To people they know but don’t know him.That had to feel off at least.

“uh hey so uh the past uh?” what the fuck was he even saying?

Lucky for him Casey had come with a change of subject as he soon held out a photo towards the snapper. Raph eyed it a moment assuming it was the one from before with everyone celebrating with April. Maybe there was more left from future Leo on it or something that he wanted them to know? No words exchange as Raph grabbed the photo only to find well what he assumed was meant to be him?Uh he’s gonna get bigger was his first thought, but what stood out the most to him was what he was holding. Pulling the photo close as eyes squinted in to get a better look. It was a swaddled up baby?

"Uhm, I, sorry I didn't tell you earlier but, well,"

"Didn' tell me wha?" Raphael asked as he looked away and down to Casey as they rubbed at the back of their neck. So far all anyone heard Casey talk about was Leo after all. How was their master and clearly someone they admired. It might be best not to ask too much about the future far as Raphael was concerned though it wasn't going to still be their future they would change it somehow, someway. They wouldn't let anything from that happen.

"You're my dad Raph, heh, hah, you're my dad."

Step taken back as Raph felt the spikes of his shell meet the wall behind him making him pause and freeze for a second. His grip on the photo loosened but he made sure to hold on as it started to slip through his hold.

"I'm ya what?!"

Was all Raphael could think how and when did that happen? okay well the answer was obvious in the future. Duh. As he looked them over more closely you couldn't tell Casey was anything but human so how could they be Raph's son? was he adopted or- his thought was cut off by something he hadn't put much thought to till now. Casey had Green eyes. Casey had Raphael's green eyes at that. A bright toxic waste coloring, well others called them emerald. They stood out against their dark black hair. Raphael was a dad? Casey's dad. Now that thought before pitying them a bit for being around people they knew was like a stone sinking in the snappers stomach because....Casey said he was his dad but to Raphael he was a stranger. Not that Raph had any clue just how much of a strange he was to Casey in turn yet. Grateful when Donatello's voice broke the silence calling out to Raph just now. "Uh I uh I gotta" he gingerly handed the photo back to Casey before he started to make his way to the others "we uh better uh get going gotta save the world 'ight?" Looking straight ahead Raph's mind was swimming through a thick marsh of thoughts right now and he wasn't sure what to do with anything he just learned.

[ducknotinarow]

⏰ - Rise Raph Casey

| Slip a ⏰to see a memory or a part of my muses' past.

"Guys, get everybody out head for exits!" Raph yelled out he hated the idea of pulling out of a fight but well they didn't have a choice in the matter did they? Snapping his teeth together as he growled under his breath annoyed and pissed off as the hideout shook and rattled from the impact of what ever the Kraang was using to break the place down. No matter what they did or where they hid they always seemed to find them at some point.

Raph was so tried of leaving home after home. When was the last time they ever could call a place home? They need to go back to sticking under ground it's easier to hide that way. That was something to bring up to Leo later watching his brother take lead on a group along with Mikey to get this current set of people out. It made his heart sink these crowds were getting smaller and smaller every day. Raph jumped over to take the hit of metal projected out towards the crowd. Arms crossed over his face, as red aura slowly worked and form over his arms to shield himself with. She always got upset when he got hurt and would come back covered in new cuts and bruises. He could feel his feet slip a little, so he stomped hard to better plant his feet. Splinters voice in his ear about needing a wide stance. Got it pops. Mikey's voice was beside him next telling Raph they got everyone. He just grunted and nodded.

"Time to return to sender than!" He bellowed out as he threw his arms forward letting the random scarp of metal go flying back to the unit of Kraang trying to stay on their trail. They needed to take advantage of every second and keep moving.

"Oh that better not have been from my lab! I needed that!" Raph could hear Don complain about ready to grab them and run with the rest of the resistance as they had to fall back when he noticed Don wasn't alone. Cass arm over his shoulders as the purple banded turtle was trying to keep her up on her feet. Yeah of course the sight of blood trailing down her head was reason to worried. But that wasn't what had Raph freezing in place. It was the lack of Casey with her that had his eyes widen suddenly. "Where is he!" Raph yelled suddenly Donnie snapping to look at Raph eyes wide himself, he looked confused. it was all Raph needed. Cass opened an eye herself and shared in the same unsettling thought already trying to work to stand on her own.

He's not with you?

Raph's heart quickened.

Not again.

Please not again.

Turning to look back as the crumbling building. The fallen Kraang bot laid out armor suit priced by the scarp metal it chucked at them before. They never traveled alone though. "Take her to the others i'll meet you there!" Was all he said before rushing forward back into the building. Dust and debris falling all around him. Ignoring Don and Cass voices calling out to him. Eyes narrowed and sharp as he made his way in. Looking left and right letting feet carrying him. He couldn't waste a second, even a moment to stop and think was a second closer to losing someone again. It he ran faster then if he hadn't froze up. If he just moved without thought. Than how many lost would still be with them now? There group was growing smaller and smaller every day. But he wasn't going to let it grow small from losing.

"CASEY!" Raph yelled when he finally saw the small child. Cowering under a fallen support beam ramble stacked on top of it but with how it was wedge again the wall and the floor, seemed to be holding. It would for long. Raph moved dropping to his knees so he could slip under their hiding spot. Grabbing at the small child and drawing them to his plastron. "I got you. Dad's got you." Raph breathed out relief mixed with fear and adrenaline. Thanking his Hamato ancestors to himself he can't bear having to witness another lose. Splinter, Draxum...Yvoone.

Looking down he offered them a smile he didn't want Casey to be scared. But another shake to the building told him to move, one arm curl tight around Casey as he turned to his side hand firmly planted to the ground as he pushed off needing the boost. His shell smack against the support beam and punched it back causing all the weight it was holding to finally break it and crumble down. Fuck. Raph thought he shouldn't have moved like that, he thought as fall forward. Curling around Casey so they wouldn't get hurt. Raph closed his eyes as he hit the floor. He needed to relax and clam down or he'll make another mistake. Looking over his shoulder he can see his leg was trapped. And fuck did it hurt, hes not strange to the pool of red seemed to start sweeping around. His adrenaline must be working over drive cause he can't in the moment feel it.

Turning back to look down to Casey, he just offers them the same smile as before. As he looks them over, dark black locks of hair, and deep green eyes, little chipped tooth they were so excited for. Once more he pulls them closer to himself one arm planted to the ground he could do this. Focusing his best to form that red aura all his effort going towards his leg. Come on.

Enegry brust out he could feel his leg freed up as he wasted no time moving to stand. Only to regert the second weight with on that leg. It burned. Something wet was definitely trickling down it. He didn't waste time to look he just hobbled on the one good leg.

"Don't worry, Case, I got ya nothin' gonna you on my watch." He assures the small child in his arms, smiling down to them still. He insisted that no matter what, he would hold this smile for them.

Everything would be fine it was going to be fine. Casey would be fine. It was the only thought in the snappers mind. Loekly why despite the pain he could just force himself to move. Leaning against the wall for support as he was making his way back to the exit. Deep, shakey breaths of air were taken in and let out as he jsut worked past the sting and throb. It be a miracle if something was cracked or broken in his leg. Alarms set off anytime his foot touched ground he hissed under his breath eyeing Casey's expression.

"Gonna move again got ya bear?" Raoh asks. "Maybe next place ya ma and I can have a rooms closer then you won't have to walk as far to get ta me?" Raph says he's trying to keep Casey's mind on anything but what's going on now. "Maybe we can check around the stadium again." So much wasnt around anymore a lot lost to this on going war that seemed like it might never end. City full of zombie out kraang people and such. Scraping by and scavenging wasn't getting any easier. Helped that him and brothers grew up like that. "Maybe we can find hockey stuff for ya there? Be me and you nice father son trip." A promise to hopfully be kept.

Raph eyed the entrance and smiled more almost there. He could see Donnie and Cass still there likely waiting for him to return. Cass fave lit up at the sight of Casey. "Ya moms gonna need ya help Kay? She got a lil hurt. Promise to take care of her?" Course Casey would he loved his mom.

Just when Raph was sure they were close to getting outta of there though? He noticed something where was thar kraang from before? Why were Donnie and Case waving thier arms like that? He felt something land hard behind him. Slowly he turned to find it looming over head now. The look in its eyes screamed muder. There was no way raph could get him and Casey away. There was no way he could run fast enough to save him and Casey. Fuck Cass or Don even. There was one thing though.

Looking down to Casey he smiled once more "Anata wa hitori ja nai" a brief Kiss placed to Casey's head. "Tuck your legs and arms in and keep you head low."

I'm sorry Yvoone but I told you I will take any hit for them.

"Don heads up!" Raph yelled as swung with all he could on the one good let everything going onto this throw as he narrowed his stare on to Don who seemed aware what he was doing near dropping Cass arms held out to try his best. Casey flew out of his hold and went through the open air. Raph fell as he felt metal slam against his shell slamming him into the ground of the buildings Shakey Foundation. He felt the building shake again and the pressure on his shell was gone. Turning his head to the side so he could watch pry Donnie for once could catch.

Lucky for both of them, Leo came back and jumped into the air grabbed Casey. Well yelling at Raph for throwing to Donnie. He always missed laceface as it was. Raph found it in himself to laugh at the expression Don was wearing. Mikey soon came next to the two of them calling out I a panic at how close Raph was to a kraang. They all were trying to hide it. The fear. He just smiled.

"Guys tell him how much I loved him, take care of him, raise him, play with him. Make sure to read him stories and tuck him in with his bear." Tears sterling down his face." Ignoring them calling stupid that they were going to save him as Leo hand Casey off to Cass.

Not this time.

Raph turned to find the kraang stalled hands how to each wall it was holding the building up on its back one wrong more or pull would bring it all down

"Bring it." He dears them. Reaching up and grabbing on to the gross pink spongy body of the alien. "Guys....I love you. All of you."

Everything went quite he heard his name and mkre shouted but in tje moment he ripped that chewing gum prick from its host body. He could see the metal falling down. He didn't feel a thing after he should. This was it uh? Was this how it was for everyone else they lost? He gets it now leaveing is just as hard as being left behind. His brothers, his son. But he did it he saved them and he could smile for that alone.

"I'll see you again Casey." Was the last breath he spoke. Before everything faded.

[ducknotinarow]

[Rise Raph and Rise Casey - also decided green for Rise Casey cause eyes uwu]

"Hey Da-Raph."

Casey catches himself before he calls Raphael that title. In truth, he has no idea what he's supposed to call Raph at this moment. It's not like he was around for a lot of his life, it's not like this Raph was technically his dad yet. Or wasn't at all because of the change in timeline. Oh, it was all so confused.

Shaking his head a little, Casey soon smiles slightly, trying to get over his little slip up there,

"Sorry, I uhm, came to see how your eye was doing?" Casey soon mentions, "Master Leonardo mentioned about needing drops to help with the healing, so, I thought I'd come and help? If you need it?"

| Muse interaction

The snapper tossed and turned in his bed, his eye was bothering the fuck out of him this morning. It itched and felt dry.Raph groaned a little as he flipped on to his stomach so he could eyed the bottle of drops, ever since the whole getting captured and made into some mindless Kraang zombie creature against his will. Raph didn't get out of that whole experience fully Scot free. His eye seemed to have taken a bit of damage from the whole thing. From what Leo was able to see Don agreed even. Raph in part had been a little worried due to it still holding a tad of a pink tint over the sclera when it was once yellowed over like his other eye. He huffed but soon reached out to grab at the bottle. Moving to sit up now as he swung his legs over the side of his bed. His vision was all blurry one the right side. Sometimes it didn't effect him at all but others? like during their morning training? then well yeah it effected him.

Raph had set up that training round for the day, trying to still hold some use and need in the team but well it didn't go all that well as he wanted to blow off the eye issue and act like he was fine. His brothers didn't fight him on the matter at first, Raph could just get cranky even more when it came to training so they let it go for the time being. But as they were in the middle of sparing that's when it started to act up. he was pair off with Donatello but they got his right and suddenly it was just like they were gone? Raph unable to see where they went sort of over corrected and his punch landed square against Leo when they back flipped away from Mikey. And sent him flat to the ground.

Leo took the hit well enough but soon he had all three of them on his own case. Leo quick to ask about his eye next thing he knows Don's on his case as well pointing out how he must have gotten into a blind side for them. Mikey trying to feed into Raph's mental state at the time and tell Raph he might need a 'break' and for some reason it bothered him. All of it bothered him, so he left. Claiming he was going to use the drops but he been laying around in his room for awhile since then.

The snapper huffed as he turned the bottle in his hand, right eye blurry but he just about tell it was an orange bottle he was holding. The drops kept inside as he lightly shook it hearing the dropper inside rattle in there. He was being stupid about all of this he knew that.

"Hey Da-Raph."

He looked up at the sound of Casey's voice, guess he was too far in his mopping about to notice they were coming over to his room. He did offer a slight smile to tug at the corner of his beak even if Casey was sort of hard to make out right now. They were bother sort of figuring out this whole title thing. For Raph it was easy he just called him by his name for Casey though? Well for now he just called him by his name too. Make it easier for both of them. Easier not to force anything and just kind of figure it all out he guessed.

"Hey Case, what up buddy?" he offers lowering the bottle into his lap as he looked at the fuzzy thing that was Casey. Mostly just making them out from the armor they wore.

"Sorry, I uhm, came to see how your eye was doing?"

"oh." Raph tone dropped fast, even he caught how it got when it happened

"Master Leonardo mentioned about needing drops to help with the healing, so, I thought I'd come and help? If you need it?"

Help uh?

Raph let out a tried sigh but undid the cap and took the lottle bottle inside out before handing it over yo Casey. "Yeah, tha' be nice actually Case." He smiles triedly as he set the bottle into their hand. "Kind of creeps me out ta do on my own. I jus' know when it comin' wind up closing my eyes." Why was he being so complactint now? Well, he kind of felt like Casey might need it themself? And well, focusing on someone else that..needed him felt nice and made him forget his own hang-ups.

He moved to sit on the floor, which might be easier due to the whole height thing. Soon Raphael chuckled a smallest flash in his memory of helping Splinter with medicine before.

"Man I ain't even tha' old yet already got my kid takin' care of me. Guess kids do age ya uh?" He chuckles a bit more at the stupid remark he makes. Pausing as he blinks a few times staring blankly at Casey. "Eh I mean ya are kind'a an' all so....eh this gonna be werid ain't it?"

[ducknotinarow]

Raph: Are you crying?

Casey: It's just these onions.

Raph, leaning down to the onions: The fuck did you say to Casey??