#but yeah I always thought Leo and Mikey had cool shell patterns

[turtleblogatlast]

[ cw: scars / permanent injuries / chronic pain / ]

Leo’s shell gets some permanent cracks in it due to the Krang, and as a result his shell’s pattern is all messed up.

He makes a fuss about it in a lightheartedly vain way, but it’s clear that it bothers him, more than just the chronic pain that comes with it.

The one who breaks about the cracks isn’t Leo in the end, it’s Mikey.

It’s a night where Leo can’t sleep, insomnia and the remnants of a fit pulsing through his shell keeping him awake. When making the rounds to check up on everything, he sees Mikey, crouched over some old crayon drawings, drawings that were only salvaged by some miracle.

Mikey always loved matching with his “cool blue bro” growing up. Their shell designs were something they had in common, different from the spines/spikes that their other brothers had. It felt good to share that with Leo.

To Mikey, seeing that pattern tarnished felt a little too much like their home getting destroyed. Worse, even. The two of them are complementary colors, it hits harder when things disrupt that.

And Mikey admits this to Leo, on this day where emotion kept mounting up in him until he couldn’t help but break a little. It feels selfish to say, but it’s the truth. It’s a visual that’ll constantly haunt Mikey, knowing what the cracks represent, knowing how they lost something that was just theirs to share.

Drawing Mikey to him, a hand on Mikey’s intact shell pattern, Leo admits that that’s what kills him the most too. He can deal with the pain, he can deal with the appearance, but he can’t deal with no longer seeing himself in the crayon drawings they managed to salvage from their past. Drawings that highlight their shell patterns, because Mikey always had a lot of fun drawing those.

He always loved what they decided they represented.

———

“Like links of a chain!” Little Mikey had called them as he scribbled them down in oranges and blues.

“Of course it’s like chains!” Little Leo nodded, having never noticed that before, “It, like, shows how we’re- how we’re always connected!”

Little Mikey had gasped at that, stars in his eyes as he babbled endlessly about how that meant they’re the chains holding the family together, right?

“Raphie and Donnie don’t have chains on their shells, so we gotta step up to keep everyone together!” Little Mikey said as he drew big circles around his drawings of their family, overlapping circles of orange and blue around everyone.

“Yeah! And if anyone gets lost, we’ll bring them back!” Little Leo boasted with a laugh, “No one has to be alone, we’ll make sure of it!”

“We’ll make sure of it!” Little Mikey echoed with a happy giggle.

———

‘You sure made sure of it, Mikey.’ Leo thinks, continuing to run his hand comfortingly down Mikey’s shell.

Then a thought hits him.

“Well, we got something better than just shell patterns in common now!” Leo starts, waiting until Mikey looks up to continue, “We got portals, little brother!” He grins, “And y’know, I think you’ve done a great job keeping us all together, Miguel. Sorry you had to pick up my slack.”

Mikey looks two steps away from sobbing at that, but his smile is wide, “You just got lost, of course I had to bring you back.” He leans back, out of Leo’s hold, and looks his big brother in the eyes, “That’s what we said- Raphie and Donnie don’t have portals…”

“-So we gotta step up-“ Leo continues.

“-To keep everyone together!” The finish simultaneously, laughing a little at the juvenile words.

A wry smile crosses Leo’s face, “Again, sorry I’ve been dropping the ball there. Feels like I did a lot of the opposite instead.”

He yelps as Mikey swiftly smacks him on the head.

“Nuh uh uh, none of that!” Mikey puffs out his chest, “I’ll have no slander toward my fellow portal pal!”

“Alright, alright…”

It’s not a fix to anything, more of a new way of looking at a change. Bringing that change into their lives as something familiar.

The cracks in Leo’s shell remain, and the cracks in Mikey’s hands scar over, but their family stays together all the same.

They gotta make sure of it, after all!

[egyptsblackrose]

Texts From my stranger

Chapter 1) 5 Hours Ahead

I watched as my brothers dragged their feet, heading to bed. Tonight had been long and yet fruitless, as it often was now since we finally defeated the Shredder once and for all. Karn continued to try run the reformed Foot - now that Kari was back in Japan for good - the new ninjas knew better than to make spectacles of themselves, and even the Purple Dragons were keeping quiet lately. So the result was that we could enlarge our patrol run but also meant little happened during. Which meant we spent more time training and running to tire ourselves out.

Raph was the most disappointed with these turn of events, he enjoyed a chance to put our skills to the test. Mikey and Don took it the best, the youngest having more time for his video games and the intelligent one using his free time to work and fix things. Master Splinter seemed more at ease as well, sensing that the dark part in our lives was finally coming to a close and the chance for a more peaceful future was within our grasp.

I had to agree for the most part, though I knew it would be another few years before me and my brothers where truly at peace. By then the hormones we endured would have lessened and been more bearable, our future existence with it just being us easier to accept. Raph was the angriest about it, his usual bad moods had more fire than usual, Mikey hides his loneliness with comics and gaming, and Don didn't even let himself think about it, concentrating on the present and not the future.

As for me, I relished in the extra practice time…and as for my future…I accepted a long time ago that my family would always and only consist of my friends, brothers and Master Splinter and hoping for any more was foolish.

I entered my room silently, untying the knot on my mask and folding it onto my bedside table, I was about to reach for my belt a flash from the phone Donny made caught my attention. I picked up the device to see a text from an unknown number. Curious , but cautious, I opened the message.

Text from 0*********2 : Hey Katie, this is my new number, come on cam soon? - Evie

I frowned down at the phone, stumped for what to do. The number was different for a start, so whoever sent the text clearly wasn't from America, clearly this…Evie typed the number wrong.

I contemplated answering; informing the girl she had the wrong number then decided against it, figuring Evie, whoever she was, would figure it out for herself. So I put my phone down and undid my belt, slipping it off, but a beep and another flash stopped me from reaching for my arm pads.

Evie : Yo, K come on! It's skype night you said you'd be in…?

The same number, Evie. I sighed, deciding it was better to get it over with and text back.

Leo : I'm sorry you have the wrong number

There, short and simple. Expecting that to be the end of it, I went back to preparing myself for sleep, taking off my arm and knee pads, sitting down on my bed when the beep went off again.

Evie : Seriously? Oopps sorry about that, it's my new phone im still breakin' it in, know what I mean?

Her comment made me chuckle, and despite myself I texted back.

Leo : That's alright, new phones are always tricky for the first day or two, I hope you get in touch with your friend soon

I sighed, lying back figuring the conversation was over, but to my surprise, my phone beeped again.

Evie : Haha yeah but fun to play around with right? And don't worry about it I'll send her an e-mail to get the right number to be sure this time

I read the text a few more times; trying to figure out if I should reply or leave it at that and end the contact. I knew I should, it was taking an unnecessary risk replying and entering a conversation with a complete stranger, but I found myself curious and desiring more of the light chatter that we were sharing.

Leo : True, that's good…what kind of phone did you get, may I ask?

Hitting the send button before I could rethink my discussion, I forced my body to relax while I waited for a reply should this, Evie, want to continue talking. I felt oddly happy when I heard my Mobil go again.

Evie : The new Samsung note pad, know if it?

I raised an eye ridge. I knew from what Donnie had told me when we saw the advert for the phone that it was pretty good tec and I was slightly impressed. Don would probably have more appreciation and be able to ask questions, but because I was no genius, I stuck with a simple reply.

Leo : Yeah I saw it advertised, looks pretty good, do you like it?

Evie : Yeah it rocks! I have a few apps for my art work on it too, it's so cool! What kinda phone do you have?

Evie's reply was almost instant which showed her enthusiasm, and it made me smile a little. But her question about my phone made me think, but I came up with a convincing enough reply.

Leo : My brother made mine; he calls it the shell cell for the turtle shell pattern on the back he had engraved

I nodded to myself, not far-fetched, pretty much the whole truth, perfectly believable.

Evie : Wow that's so cool! I take it you like turtles then? :)

I smirked.

Leo : Yeah I do, gotta respect the turtle

Evie : Haha fairs, personally my favourite animals the wolf but hey each to their own :P by the way, I'm Evelyn Richards, Evie for short :)

I found her comment about the wolves interesting and wanted to ask why, but the second part of her text made me stop. How could a girl, however old she was, trust a stranger with her name and number? And a more pressing question in my head was, what did it mean?

Thinking about it, I figured that if the worst came forward I could ask Donnie to block the number, so I figured the only way I was going to get the answers I wanted was to ask.

Leo : You'd give your name away to a stranger you've only just started talking to?

I sat up, finding that I was more curious for her answer than I originally thought. Oddly, I felt my heart start to beat faster and I couldn't think why. Could it be because this was the first possible safe human contact I'd experienced, and with a girl?

The device beeped and vibrated in my hand.

Evie : I'll give you a short version of a very long and confusing story, but I'm very good at telling when someone is trustworthy or not, and you've given me no reason to think I could be wrong about you. In fact you've been nothing but really nice and friendly despite it being so late at night. Besides, I'm all the way in England so I'm not so worried America ;)

I paused. How was it that this girl managed to spike my curiosity constantly? The ninja in me told me to end it here, that this was dangerous territory, that there was too much at risk. But the teenager in me asked, is it so wrong to want a friend?

Raph would say take the risk, learn as you go, develop in the process, that was his style. Mikey would say wing it, go with the flow, see the threat as A challenge and enjoy yourself. Don would probably be more cautious, take it slow, see if the girl was trustworthy first, run a few background checks and then experiment. That's what my brothers would probably do.

Leo : My names Leonardo Hamato, nice to meet you Evie

I sent the text before my common sense could surface. Maybe I needed sleep and that's why I was being so reckless, the lack of rest getting to me.

I thought over her last text and again my inquisitiveness was getting the best of me. I wanted to know what she meant by 'a long story', 'being good at telling when someone's trustworthy', and what it was like in England. Her life had to be so different from mine, and the unknown was too tempting.

My phone beeped.

Evie : Nice ta meet ya Leo ^-^ I take it ur Japanese from ur last name…

I shifted uncomfortably but then again I should have expected this. After all, if I was curious about Evie and asked about her, it was only fair and natural for her to require the same input. The question was, could I? Could I communicate with a stranger without giving away too much? Keep my family safe whiles possibly gaining a friend who would treat me…normal?

Only one way to find out.

Leo : No, I'm American; my adoptive father moved to New York from Japan and found me and my brothers, found us and raised us, gave us a home and family

I held my breath and waited. Two minutes passed and I laid down, keeping my phone in my hand. Four minutes passed then my hand vibrated and oddly my stomach gave an exited jump.

Evie : I see…Evelyn Richards is the name of my foster/adoptive mother gave me when I was young...I don't know my real name or remember my old life…guess we're kind of alike like that hu? :)

I didn't know how to reply, so many questions came into my head but I didn't have to worry about that, because Evie solved my problem for me.

Evie : Wow sorry, I difted into pretty deep territory there, sorry, Ithink its cause I’m so tired, I’m like 5 hours ahead, can we talk more tomorrow?

I should not be as happy with that response as I was in that moment, with my heart hammering against my plastron,

Leo : Sure, I’ll message you first

Evie : Cool, night Leo ^_^

Leo : Sweet dreams Evie

With that I locked my phone and set it back on my bedside table, turning over onto my side for the most comfortable sleeping position, wrapping myself in a blanket. Oddly enough, I couldn’t wait for tomorrow to come.