#nas appliance

[misterradio]

ohhhh thats why this guy is named moles

[nassystem]

An Efficient Approach towards NAS Storage

Introduction: 

Many companies, especially those in the tech industry, rely on Network Attached Storage (NAS) systems for their data storage needs. But it can be difficult to manage a complex network of NAS devices. Fortunately, there are several strategies that can be employed to ensure that your NAS storage system runs efficiently and cost-effectively. Let's take a closer look. 

Planning Ahead 

Before you even purchase any NAS devices, it is imperative to plan ahead and set objectives for your system. Set realistic expectations for performance and scalability as well as budget parameters for the hardware and software components necessary. Also consider any future expansion plans or data migration needs in order to ensure that your system will remain up-to-date with changing technologies. 

Architecture and Design 

Your architecture and design should be based on your specific requirements; performance, scalability, reliability, availability, security and cost are important considerations in determining what kind of configuration is best suited for you. Leverage the expertise of a consultant if needed; they can provide valuable insight and advice on how to best utilize your existing resources while also reducing costs by avoiding unnecessary purchases or upgrades. Utilize virtualization solutions such as VMware or Hyper-V where appropriate to reduce hardware requirements and associated costs while still achieving optimal performance levels. 

                             Proper Maintenance 

Once your system is set up, regularly maintain it in order to maximize its efficiency. Keep an eye out for potential bottlenecks such as slow network connections or overloaded servers. Monitor logs regularly in order to detect any errors or problems before they become major issues. Implement proper backup procedures so that data is always safe and secure; this includes both onsite backups as well as offsite backups via cloud services or tape drives just in case of an emergency situation like a natural disaster or power outage at your facility. Finally, keep your software updated in order to take advantage of bug fixes, security patches and new features that may be available from vendors like Microsoft or Apple. This also helps keep your license costs down since many vendors offer volume discounts for larger installations with multiple users/devices accessing their software products simultaneously.    

Conclusion: 

NAS storage systems are essential components of many companies' technology infrastructures but managing them can be a challenge due to their complexity and ever-changing nature. By properly planning ahead, designing an efficient architecture/design around specific requirements, regularly maintaining the system through proper backups/updates etc., companies can ensure that their NAS storage solutions investments remain cost effective while delivering maximum value over time without sacrificing performance levels or reliability standards - something every company wants! With careful planning and implementation of these strategies into one’s existing IT infrastructure setup - one can easily optimize their NAS storage solutions capabilities without incurring significant additional expenses!

[seren1tyhaze]

Vibration

PAIRING: dilf!mark lee x afab reader

WORD COUNT: 2.9K

SUMMARY: Going home with Jaemin after another date leads to a night (and morning after) that you will never forget. Especially after you meet his incredibly hot Uncle Mark.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I present my official gift to my fellow Markfs for our beloved Mark Lee's birthday. This has been a long-standing, half-finished wip that was heavily inspired by MarkLeeInARobe2023 during that one live during tds2 where we are all pretty sure he wasn't wearing any underwear. Hope you all had a wonderful Mark Day and that you enjoy this gift from me to you :)

WARNINGS: explicit smut, alcohol consumption, mild swearing

PLAYLIST: Vibration by Mark Lee, Daddy Issues by Demi Lovato

Beast on the loose, rocking on Close your eyes and look Feel the vibration Do you feel alive?

~~

“Shhhhhh…Jaem! We are going to get in trouble!” you squeal, dodging the tall man’s grabby hands as you wobble, almost dropping into the sparkling water of the pool under the night sky.

“Loosen up, silly,” he slurs back, bottle of tequila dangling from his long fingers dangerously over the slate tiles under your bare feet.

A third date with a cute guy from the IT department at work had turned into after dinner drinks and after after dinner drinks and dancing and shots and now you were stumbling around in the backyard of Jaemin’s house…?

“This is your house, right?” you ask, pausing and cocking your head to the right in punctuation as you watch him peel off his undershirt, his lightweight sweater long discarded half a bottle ago.

“I live here, yes,” he chuckles back, dropping down to let his feet dip into the light blue water of the beautiful pool set in the middle of the yard.

“My uncle is letting me stay with him for a few months before I find my own place.”

You take a moment to glance towards the large house in front of you. The entire back wall is floor to ceiling windows, giving a beautiful view of a modern and spacious kitchen, dim lighting illuminating granite countertops and shiny appliances. Jaemin’s uncle must be another one of these rich tech bros who never grew out of spending his money on shiny things. At least in this case you were benefiting from it.

You think you see some movement in the living room and are about to say something before you hear a loud splash and water shoots over your bare legs, dampening the flowy skirt of your thin dress.

Gasping, you shoot daggers at the smiley man in the pool, watching with interest as he dips his head back, running slender fingers through long auburn locks. You smile at him softly, tequila or lust clouding your judgment as you descend the stairs in the pool to meet him in the middle where your feet barely touch the bottom.

Jaemin’s hands find your waist underwater, pulling you closer to him as your dress billows out in the water, exposing you under the shimmering lights. A devious grin forms across his beautiful features as he tightens his grip on your waste and you narrow your eyes at him.

“Jaemin…don’t even think about it…” you warn, placing your hands on his shoulders preemptively.

Suddenly you are being tossed in the air and back into the water, head being pulled under the water and a muffled shriek bursting from your throat. You gasp for air as you break through the surface again only to find the charming boy in front of you laughing maniacally, clutching his middle underwater.

“Na Jaemin!” comes a loud voice, causing you both to snap your heads back towards the house, to find a blonde man with round wire frame glasses on the tip of his nose standing in black silk pajamas near the glass sliding door.

Jaemin is suddenly next to you and your heart is racing as the man takes another step closer to the pool, stepping into the moonlight. The rippling water of the pool is casting bright flashes across his face and strong frame, pants hugging his thighs before flaring out in a perfectly tailored length. His hair is on the longer side, similar to Jaemin’s but a beautiful pale blonde, dry and silky.

“Uncle Markkkk,” Jaemin slurs, tossing an arm around your shoulder, hand tangling instinctively in your long wet hair. You shrug violently in an attempt to get away from him, blush flaring up on your cheeks as you meet the stern man’s gaze.

“It’s late, use the indoor hot tub if you’re going to be out here. I don’t need pissed off neighbors,” he adds before turning on his heel to head back in the house. You don’t miss how his plump ass is accentuated by the silky material and have a hard time dragging your eyes away. Before he’s even out of sight, Jaemin’s hands are hungrily all over you again, sliding up your wet back to massage your shoulders.

“Jaemin, stop,” you warn, avoiding his kiss with a shake of your head. Getting caught has thrust you back to an embarrassed reality and you’re already plotting your escape via a long Uber ride back to your apartment.

“Don’t worry about Mark, he’s cool, I promise,” Jaemin coos, connecting his lips with your neck, wicked tongue making quick work at marking the skin there.

You melt under his touch, weak for that particular spot, and close the gap to connect further with his chest. Slotting your lips with his, you lick behind his teeth greedily, wrapping your arms around his neck and sighing against his lips.

“Fine, but take me inside, you owe me a shower and warm clothes,” you whisper against his mouth, linking your legs around his waist and grinding against his crotch as a silent promise.

The next morning you wake up to an empty bed and sun streaming through the window. It feels late but when you check your phone you realize it was around the time you would wake up on a weekday. The house is silent and Jaemin’s backpack is gone from where he had messily strewn it the night before.

A note on his desk indicates he had been called into the office on this peaceful Saturday to deal with a possible data breach and you are welcome to anything in the kitchen. You check your phone to realize he’s already sent you money for an Uber and your heart sinks. He was cute, cuter than you usually went for and way too nice for you. You now know this has to be the last date with him, your commitment issues flaring up.

Mk usually plays tennis on Saturdays so the coast should be clear. Call me later xx

You sink into his desk chair, crumpling the note and letting it fall into the small waste basket. After a quick wash of your face and brush of your teeth, you shrug into one of Jaemin’s oversized hoodies, letting it drop long on your thighs and covering the boxer briefs he had lent you last night. Combing through your hair with your fingers, you pull the hood up over your head and pad downstairs, louder than you would have in someone’s home.

Making your way into the kitchen, you go straight to the fridge, yanking it open to find glass bottles of water lining the door. You uncap one and take it down in one gulp, thirsty beyond belief.

“Jaeminnie, we need to talk about last night,” comes the same voice who had startled you by the pool the night before.

You freeze, pushing the fridge door shut slowly. In the hoodie and boxers, with your hair and frame covered, you know you could easily be mistaken for the boy you had gone home with. You had similar build and heights and a quick glance over your shoulder confirms that Mark hadn’t lowered the newspaper he was reading.

“You can’t just keep fucking every beautiful girl you meet in my pool. What would my brother say about how I’m letting you spend your summer?” he continues in a condescending tone as you back up against the island, nervous to turn around.

“And by the sounds of you two in the shower, it sounds like she’s sexy as hell and quite the catch, so don’t you think it’s about time you settled down?” he finishes, lifting his tone up in a question, never lowering the paper.

You place the empty bottle down on the glossy countertop and cross the kitchen to the table where he sits, placing manicured fingertips on the top of the paper to get his attention.

“Quite the catch? Sexy as hell? Oh do tell me more about this beautiful girl,” you reply with a smirk, pulling the newspaper from the shocked man’s face.

“Jesus, fuck, I’m so sorry…” Mark trails off as you push the hood off your head, shaking your locks temptingly and giving him a quizzical cock of your brow.

“Don’t be sorry,” you start, leaning your hip against the edge of the table as you watch panic wash over his face.

His face looks freshly washed with no doubt luxury skincare applied immediately after and he is lounging casually in a dark blue robe with white trim, ML embroidered in gold thread at the chest. His toned chest is peaking through, belt loose at the waist and legs spread wide, bare legs ending in soft slippers planted on the floor.

“I heard someone leave early so I assumed it was you. I had no idea you were still here,” he tries to explain, fidgeting with the dangling edge of the belt. His eyes are struggling to meet yours, as you train your gaze down at him with your hands now shoved in the hoodie pocket.

“He had to head to work. He said you wouldn’t be here,” you reply softly, now feeling bad for grilling him as he squirmed below you. He looked soft and sweet in the morning light, drastically different from the stern fatherly tone he took last night at the edge of the pool.

“Can I make you a cappuccino? Some eggs?” he asks, sitting up in the chair, bare knees bumping against yours and sending a shiver up your spine.

“Hmm I was thinking of how I could repay you for your hospitality. This is quite a beautiful home you have here, Uncle Mark,” you reply, brushing your hand across his that was resting on his knee.

He winces at the name but looks down at your hand on his, turning his over to let your fingers lace with his. The tips of his fingers are calloused and you silently wonder if he plays guitar, having noticed some framed records on the wall on the stairs.

“Mark, please, just Mark,” he replies, voice coming out gravelly, eyes dying to roll into the back of his head at the name.

“And it’s fine, I don’t know how to make eggs anyways,” he adds, squeezing your hand gently as you move your other to the belt at his waist.

“Of course a filthy rich guy like you doesn’t cook,” you reply lightly, dropping down to your knees, releasing his hand and placing both your palms on his knees, knocking the edge of the robe out of the way to expose his bare thighs. As far as you can tell, he isn’t wearing any underwear and the thought of his hardening cock bare against his thigh makes you squeeze your legs together.

Mark widens his legs as his eyes narrow, watching you sitting back on your legs in front of him, baggy material pooling around your thighs. Before you can reach to pull the knot of his belt loose, he leans down and you feel your eyes slide shut, assuming he’s going to kiss you. He chuckles instead, breath warm across your lips as he tugs at the hood of the sweatshirt.

“Take this off now,” he commands, sitting back up in the chair and pulling at the belt himself, letting it slip to the floor. The robe falls open, revealing a toned and lean torso accompanied by muscular arms. His cock is hard and flushed red against his stomach and an evil smile is spread across his lips.

As soon as you’ve removed the offending material, your eyes go immediately to his cock, teeth sinking into your lower lip as you take in the sight of him. He’s dripping with sex appeal and you can’t help but stare. He’s definitely older than you and Jaemin but can’t be too much older by the look of his physique. His face is young and the blonde dye of his hair makes it impossible to detect any grays, if he even has any.

“Now where’s that thank you I was promised?” he asks, tipping his chin down to speak to you, hand balled into a fist at his knee. His eyes continue trailing down, landing on your breasts being pressed together by your bare upper arms as your hands rest on your knees. You look like a dream kneeling before him in nothing but gray boxers and it’s taking everything in him not to fuck you over the counter top.

You lean forward, sliding your hands gently up his smooth inner thighs, taking his leaking cock in your hand and lowering your lips to the head. You listen as Mark’s breathing slows and hear a soft moan slide from his lips as you close your lips around him, running the point of your tongue over his sensitive slit.

You chuckle at the noise, sending vibrations across him, using your hand to work the base of his shaft as you kitten lick his head. You let your teeth drag lightly against him every once and a while, tasting his woody musk. You let your eyes slip shut, rocking back and forth on your knees, the energy coursing through your body making you feel more alive than ever.

A disgruntled noise from above draws your gaze up and his hand is suddenly in your hair, pulling the long locks into a ponytail to pull you off his dick.

“Come on, sweetie, I know you can do better than that. I heard how Jaemin fucked your throat last night - my bed shares a wall with the shower,” he grunts out, voice dripping with filth as he accurately recounts your actions from the night before.

Spurred on by his words, you take his cock deep in your mouth, brushing up against the back of your throat as you hollow your cheeks around him. You’re suddenly desperate to prove how well you can take him, despite being slightly bigger than Jaemin and holding far more confidence in the way he carries himself.

Mark lets out a high pitch yelp and you swear you can hear his voice break as he does, sliding his hand down your neck and to your upper back, causing you to shift forward and take him impossibly deeper. Your nose is pressed up into neatly trimmed hair and your eyes begin to water as he lifts his ass off the chair to thrust into your throat. You shift to accommodate him and look up through your lashes to him.

“Holy hell, that’s good,” he groans, arm muscles tensing as he digs his fingertips into your back, no doubt leaving bruises there.

You slide off him, dragging your tongue on the underside of his shaft and swirling around his tip. He squeezes his eyes shut tight behind his glasses, free hand pushing through strands of blonde that had fallen in front of his face.

Without much warning he is shooting warmth across your lips and chest, letting out a deep groan and reaching down to fist at himself through his orgasm. He looks down at you with a smile, lips curling up as if he’s about to say something devious.

“MELT! Babe, are you here?” comes a loud voice, echoing off the walls of the kitchen and causing you to pull back, heart pounding in your chest.

A tall, long-legged man in a polo shirt and athletic shorts appears, his socked feet coming to a stop at the sight of you on your knees on the glossy floor. His hair is dark and lightly permed, long bangs hanging perfectly over his eyebrows and a dainty gold chain laying against his tanned neck.

He gives you a long look up and down, eyes pausing on the cum glazing your lips as you freeze and dart nervous eyes over to Mark, who looks unbothered.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here? Looks like Markie found something fun to do instead of tennis this morning,” comes his warm voice as he leans against the entryway to the kitchen.

“Ah Hyuckie, let me be, I texted you while you were golfing,” Mark says with a roll of his eyes and a huff, reaching a soft hand to your chin to pull you to your feet.

“Meet my not-so-better-half, Haechan,” Mark adds, comment directed at you as he brushes his lips against the corner of your mouth, licking away the remains of his release left there.

You gulp and drop your head sheepishly, looking down to your bare chest and covering it nervously with your arms. Twice in less than 24 hours you had been caught in a compromising position and this time you simply wanted to melt into the floor.

Haechan closes the space between you and you feel a hand in your hair, pulling you up gently to meet his gaze. His eyes are sparkling and beautiful, dark moles dotting his cheek and lips plump and soft.

“She’s cute,” he says to Mark, dipping his head down to brush his lips against your collarbone, tongue darting out to taste some of Mark’s cum on your skin.

“Tastes good too,” he adds with a smile.

“Did you enjoy sucking off my husband, darling?” he asks, dark eyes swimming with mischief. He looks breathtaking up close, features just as pretty as Mark’s and voice dripping with lust.

“Husband…” you trail off, unable to form a coherent sentence. You shoot daggers at Mark, who merely smiles and rolls his eyes again before moving to the coffee machine and starting to make another coffee.

What the fuck had you gotten yourself into?

~~

[parad-ice-lostandfound]

Prompt: "You know what I've never understood?" "Oh, is it philosophy hour with [Name]?" "Not really... I just don't get how Santa could possibly know what children in the entire world are good or bad but would need to be told what kids want. Kids aren't exactly... quiet about their desires."

Pairing: Sebek Zigvolt x Gn!Reader/Prefect/Yuu

Genre: Fluff, Slight crack

TW: NA

It was a cold, silent night. Snow covered the ground like an oversized blanket, glittering under the soft silver light of the moon. Not a single critter made a noise, every soul fast asleep under the watchful and twinkling stars...

"THAT'S TOO MUCH FOOD COLORING, ACE!"

Well, almost every soul.

In the cozy warmth of the Ramshackle kitchen stood the six friends of the Ramshackle Prefect, decorating sugar cookies that they had baked earlier.

"It's fine," Ace dismissed Deuce's wide-eyed horror and Sebek's seething at the amount of food coloring he had dropped into the icing. It was an accident, but Ace was trying to play it off as an intentional action, mixing the red food coloring with a little tune on his lips.

Epel, Jack and Ortho worked together on their share of the cookies, icing them precisely and perfectly to look like little Christmas trees, while you stood at the stove, making hot chocolate for all of you to share.

"Isn't having too much food coloring bad?" Deuce asked, eyeing the way Sebek seemed to turn red with indignation at being ignored by Ace.

"Most food dyes do not cause any adverse effects, Deuce Spade-kun" Ortho answered, "though it is advised by medical professionals not to consume too much of them."

"This isn't too much. Besides, with the white icing, it'll balance out. Relax," Ace rolled his eyes.

Epel smiled as he continued decorating the cookies, while Jack helped him out silently.

The next few minutes were spent in relative peace. Mindful of the late hour, you all tried to keep your volumes down as you worked in the kitchen.

"You know what I've never understood about Christmas?" Deuce started, effectively getting everyone's attention. "Oh, is it philosophy hour with Deuce?" Jack huffed in amusement, used to Deuce's habit of asking questions that could put one in an existential crises due to their being clubmates.

"Not really... I just don't get how Santa could possibly know what children in the entire world are good or bad but would need to be told what kids want," Deuce said as he looked at the cookie he was decorating to look like a candy-cane. "Kids aren't exactly... quiet about their desires."

A silence descended onto the kitchen, as every first year looked at the blue haired boy in varying degrees of amusement, disbelief and curiosity.

"Uh, Deuce... you do know that Santa isn't real, right?" Epel asked kindly, his tone a stark contrast to the mischievous glint in his eyes as he looked at the taller boy. Deuce flushed and sputtered, "O-Of course I know! It's just-!"

Ace, ever the nuisance, jumped at the chance. "Aw, did little Deucey believe in good ol' Saint Nick all this time?" He teased. "How cute."

"That's not true!"

"There's no need to be embarrassed Deuce Spade-kun. Many young children believe in the myth of Santa Claus," Ortho tried to reassure him, but even he couldn't hide the slight amusement in his tone.

"Little Deucey, did you send your letter to the North Pole this year?" Ace laughed, poking Deuce in the side. "I hope you've been good this year. Wouldn't want you to end up on the naughty list, would you? That'd be bad for your goody two shoes record."

"Ace, you little-" Deuce began to chase the other boy around the kitchen, face flushed red with embarassment. The ginger-haired menace laughed as he weaved his way between the appliances and the people in the kitchen, using them as shields and obstacles to slow down the other boy.

He poked his tongue out at Deuce, slipping away through the kitchen door to the hallway. Deuce narrowed his eyes as he ran after him out of the kitchen, cookies and decorating forgotten.

"I'll go make sure they don't end up killing each other," Jack said, shaking his head as he followed after them. Epel skipped behind him, pulling along Ortho to see the entertaining show.

"Sebek, can you get me some cups from that cabinet over there?" You asked the only person remaining in the room. Sebek hummed in acknowledgement, getting out seven cups and placing them in front of you.

Preoccupied with pouring the steaming hot chocolate into seven cups, you missed the conflicted expression on Sebek's face. As you decorated the beverage with marshmallows and whipped cream according to each one's preferences, sounds of the boys rough-housing in the next room had you smiling in fond exasperation.

"Here, this one's yours," you said, handing Sebek his drink. Sebek thanked you, voice low and expression uncharacteristically serious. You poked his forehead with a finger, smiling as he startled and looked at you with a confused look on his face.

"You're going to end up getting wrinkles way early if you scowl that much," you teased him, leaning against the counter as you spoke. "What are you thinking about so intently anyways?"

"It is not a matter of much importance, human."

"You're blushing though."

"I-I am not!" Sebek protested. His cheeks did nothing to help his case, turning even darker instead. You raised your arms in surrender, as you chuckled at his flustered state. "Fine, fine."

You started gathering up the bowls and spoons that had been used, placing them in the dishwasher to be cleaned. Your work was done in peaceful silence, and Sebek helped with what he could, ever the gentleman.

As you wiped your hands on a towel, he spoke.

"About what Deuce said, earlier..."

"Hm?"

"That is something... I have previously wondered as well... Not that I don't know that Santa Claus is a myth made for young children!" Sebek looked everywhere but at you, evidently embarrassed by his admission. "As Malleus-sama's guard, I cannot be misled by such childish and whimsical stories, of course! I-"

"You believed in Santa Claus too?" You asked, watching in amusement as the colour in his cheeks seemed to explode, climbing up his ears as well. "I JUST SAID I DIDN'T HUMAN, WHAT-"

"I think that's cute."

Sebek stopped, eyes wide as he stared at you. You continued, "It shows that you're innocent and pure-hearted. It's really cute." Sebek looked away and took a sip of his hot chocolate, wincing when he burned his tongue by drinking too fast. Before you could tease him any further, Ace called out, "If yall are done being sappy and disgusting, save me! Wait, shit-"

The sounds coming from the other room grew louder, taking your attention off of Sebek, allowing him to regain his composure somewhat. Deuce must have finally gotten hold of Ace, considering the loud and whiny complaints that could be heard. You turned back to Sebek, shaking your head. "Wanna save Ace from the fate that he oh so rightfully deserves?"

"I would rather have him bear the consequences of his actions," Sebek smiled, as Ace wailed in protest.

Back to Masterlist...

[aquietwritingcorner]

Indirectly Responsible

For @tmnt-write-fight for @turtle--thoughts @personne-writes @azucar-skull @teainthesnow @pileofpawns @rbtlvr @drebspells2022

Title: Indirectly Responsible Prompt: Donnie not coping as well as he seems with both the aftermath of Good Genes and how that indirectly led to the Foot Mystics being freed; You don’t know, you weren’t there; Bad dream; “There has to be another way”; Recovery; Turtle Pile Fluff; Scars Fandom:  TMNT 2003 Word Count: 6005  Author: aquietwritingcorner/realitybreakgirl Rating:  T Characters:  Donatello, Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo Warning: NA Summary: The Demon Shredder could strike at any moment. All of New York is under threat. And in April O’Neil’s apartment, one turtle can’t help but think that this whole situation is indirectly his fault.    Notes:  So, looking at the timeline, I don’t think that there’s a way for any of the turtles to know that their theft of the Heart of Tengu would lead to the heralds being freed until deep into season 5, so that’s where I’ve placed this. I also know there wasn’t actually much time between Karai waking up in April’s apartment and the final battle, but, eh, let’s pretend there was. ffn || AO3

____________________________________

Indirectly Responsible

Don tossed and turned, shifting around as he slept on a pallet that April had laid out on her floor for him, moving stiffly, uncomfortably. The lights were out, the apartment dark, and quiet lay like a blanket over the sleeping occupants. Inside April’s bedroom Karai slept, Chaplin choosing to stay with her, both guarding and keeping an eye on his mistress. Casey slept on a cot out in the hallway, where he would be the first alert for any trouble that might come up that way. On her couch curled under a blanket, April slept, but with a bat nearby, just in case. The Ancient One had taken to her recliner, hat pulled down over his face, snoring lightly. Splinter slept on a small nest of pillows, curled up in a more rat-like way than he typically did.

Leo, Raph, Mikey and Don all had pallets of quilts scattered around the rest of the apartment, strategically placed. Raph was near the shop stairs, ready for any trouble from that direction. Leo had chosen to sleep under the living room windows, perhaps in defiance of having once been thrown through him.  Mikey stayed near the kitchen, easily able to distinguish between the sounds the appliances made or trouble. Don, for his part, had laid out his pallet near the computer in case an alarm went off.

They had wanted to set up a watch rotation, just in case something happened in the night. However, the Ancient One had insisted that they all sleep. He felt that something was going to happen, soon, that this was the lull before storm, and they all needed to be well-rested for the coming battle. Splinter had trusted his judgment and encouraged everyone to rest while they could.

However, Donatello’s sleep was anything but restful. Dreams—memory fragments?—played through his head, distorted, hard to parse through. Most of what swirled around in his dreams were fragments, small pieces of moments that had no context. They were small enough that, should he remember them when he woke, he wouldn’t be able to glean much from them. Still, they were poignant in is dreams, leaving his mind in turmoil.

His giant, clawed hand around Mikey’s leg. His father’s sad face. Fear and a feeling of needing to get somewhere safe as he ran through the sewers. Being enraged as April held a broom that had just hit him in the face. Rage as Leatherhead and his brothers tried to catch him. Fear as Bishop’s men tried to gun him down. Anger as Leo shot him again and again with tranquilizer darts.

Pain. Pain, pain, pain, pain, painpainpainpainapain—

These dreams weren’t unusual. He’d been having them off and on for months. They’d started a few weeks after he’d gotten the cure for his second mutation. Don theorized that it was because his body had finally healed to the point that it could begin to process the trauma that he’d gone through. They’d fade out after some time, but then would resurface, usually with accompanying aches, pains, and exhaustions as his body recovered.

He had started to have these dreams again during their training with the Ninja Tribunal, something he attributed to the stress of the environment. The Ancient One had theorized that they were an avenue of mystical attack, with some connection to the situation, and led Don through some meditations to try to deal with them. Unfortunately, there hadn’t been much time to focus on that, and the dreams had continued. They grew more frequent, the memories more broken up, and left him with echoed feelings of anxiety, terror, dread, and guilt that he couldn’t shake.

Every so often, though, a more intact memory would come through. It was usually a few minutes of something he’d observed or done when he’d been mutated. Some of them were downright terrifying. Others were just painful. Most of them, though, were enlightening no matter the other emotions accompanying them, and he usually remembered those memories when he woke. Tonight, amidst the fragments that ran throughout Don’s head, an intact memory made its way to the forefront.

He was in pain. He was in so much pain. He hurt. He was terrified. Safe. He needed to get where it was safe. He didn’t know where that was, but he needed it. He’d been trying to get out of this trap for hours, beating, beating, beating on it. But it wouldn’t let him escape.

He was in pain. He was scared. He was tired.

He slumped to the floor of the cage, energy spent for the moment. His captors were just beyond it, talking, although he didn’t understand them.

“There has to be another way, Leo!”

The one addressed shook his head. “There isn’t one, Raph.”

“What about the Utroms?” the third asked. “Or the Triceritons? Couldn’t we ask them for help?”

The big creature shook his head. “It is not an option, Michelangelo. While they could help, by the time a message got to them, it would already be too late for Donatello. His cells would have completely broken down.”

Something in the third one’s expression stirred something inside him, but he didn’t understand it, and just continued to watch.

“Then is this the only option?” the furry one asked.

The big one let out a breath and walked to the wall of lights and noises that he was often at. “As much as I hate to admit it, I am afraid that it is, Master Splinter.”

“There ain’t nothing else?” the first one said. “Nothing we can steal or get for you? Yer a smart guy, LH! Or—or what about the Justice Force? They’ve got all kinds of things, right?”

“I asked,” the third one said. “But… there’s no one there that understands all of, well, this,” he said, gesturing to the group.

The first one looked back at the second one. “So, this is it? We just take Donnie to that mad man that caused this problem in the first place, and let him have him?”

“No.” The second one’s voice was strong. “No, we don’t just hand him over. This is Don. He’s our brother. Someone will be with him all the time.”

“Ain’t gonna do us a lot of good if Bishop decides to just keep us all,” the first one said.

“I know,” the second one said. “But… there’s no other options. I’ve been over this in my head a million ways, Raph. This is the only thing we can do. There is no other way.”

All eyes traveled over to him. He didn’t like it. He didn’t like the way they were looking at him. There was something there and he didn’t understand it. It made him mad, made him angry, and that gave him a surge of energy. He rose to his feet and roared, pounding on the cage that kept him again and again.

Maybe if he did it enough, if he escaped from this, the pain would finally stop.

The scene slipped back again, although not forgotten, fragments overtaking it, trying to cover it up. Yet no matter how much the fragments tried to cover it up, the scene stayed, pushing its way through them, insisting on staying in Don’s awareness.

Rage at Stockman, who seemed as little more than twigs walking. “There has to be another way!” Pain from things being jabbed in his side from Bishop’s men. “There isn’t one.” Fear as a gas filled the new cage he was in. “Then this is the only option?” Loneliness, loss, as he searched for safety, for his family for safety, not knowing when they found him, that they were who he was looking for. “I’m afraid that it is.” The overwhelming desire to runbreakhidefight all at once. “There’s no other options.”

Pain. Pain, pain, pain, pain, pain painpainpainpainpainpain—

“There’s no other way.”

Don woke up with a start. He immediately sat up, ignoring the ache that shot through him, tense, ready to roll out of bed and fight. There were no immediate threats, though, and everyone else seemed to be sleeping. The apartment was quiet, the monitoring systems weren’t going off, and Don couldn’t hear any threats from outside.

“There has to be another way!”

“There’s no other way.”

A shudder ran through Don, and he let the battle-readiness fade away, simply sitting there instead as the ache started to settle into his bones. He tried to calm his breathing, focusing instead on those two phrases. Why did they seem so familiar? What had happened around those words? His brow furrowed as he tried to think it through. What had he been dreaming about?

“There has to be another way, Leo!”

“There isn’t one, Raph.”

“What about the Utroms? Or the Triceritons? Couldn’t we ask them for help?”

“It is not an option, Michelangelo. While they could help, by the time a message got to them, it would already be too late for Donatello. His cells would have completely broken down.”

“Then is this the only option?”

Right. Right, it had been not a dream but another memory. This time one of his family talking. Talking about him and options. Or, more precisely, what they felt like was their only option. The only way they had to cure him.

“So, this is it? We just take Donnie to that mad man that caused this problem in the first place, and let him have him?”

“No. No, we don’t just hand him over. This is Don. He’s our brother. Someone will be with him all the time.”

“Ain’t gonna do us a lot of good if Bishop decides to just keep us all.”

“I know. But… there’s no other options. I’ve been over this in my head a million ways, Raph. This is the only thing we can do. There is no other way.”

Don drew in a big breath, held it, and let it out. The memory was coming back to him, now. He’d seen fragments of it before, but they were all connecting, snapping into place. He’d known his brothers had taken him to Bishop. He’d known they’d negotiated with him for a cure. He’d know that they’d had to go and get something from Karai for Bishop, although he’d had to press hard to get that information out of anyone.

And he knew it was something called The Heart of Tengu. And he knew that it had given Karai control over the Foot Mystics. The same entities that now called themselves the Heralds of the Shredder and had worked to bring about the return of the Tengu Shredder.

Not that any of them had known that until recently.

After she had woken up, and after Chaplin had come to get her, and after they had both decided to stay for at least the night, everyone had settled down to share information. Or, well, that had been the idea. Neither side trusted the other, obviously. Broad strokes were shared, until one, fairly explosive moment when Karai had accused the turtles of bringing the whole disaster about. She’d told them about the Heart of Tengu, then, and how it had kept the Foot Mystics under control. She blamed them for what was happening.

Don had been stunned. He knew that his brothers had stolen something from her for Bishop, to ensure the cure for him. But he hadn’t realized what it was—or just how it had caused this apocalyptic nightmare they were now in.

“This is all your fault!” Karai snapped. “You stole the Heart of Tengu from me! You were the ones that set the Mystics free!”

“We may have stolen it from you, Karai,” Leo said, “but we had nothing to do with setting the Mystics free.”

Karai scoffed. “Then why did you steal it, Leonardo? To control the Mystics? To try to use them against me, only to find them too difficult for you to control?”

Raph growled. “Yer barking up the wrong tree, sister,” he said, and Don could see how he was trying very hard not to grip the handles of his sai, trying not to escalate things.

“It was payment,” Leo said, interrupting anything else that might be said. “We had a need. That was the payment required to ensure the deal.”

Karai spread her hand towards the windows. “And look what that ‘payment’ has cost everyone,” Karai mocked. “Was it worth dooming the world for?” she demanded.

Something sure seemed to settle in each of Don’s brothers and his father, even as Leo spoke again. “Yes. It was, Karai. And I’d do it again. We all would.”

Don took a breath, bringing himself back from that memory, even as the guilt he felt settled into him once more. His hand went to the scar on his leg, all that was left from that infected wound he’d had all those months, and pressed down on it, trying to massage away the shooting pain he was feeling from it. That wound had introduced the outbreak virus into his system, and that wound should have been something he paid more attention to.

The scar was a raised, bumpy thing, about an inch and a half wide, and roughly circular. It made sense, seeing it came from a puncture wound. The initial puncture hadn’t been as big as the scar, but there had been some necrosis around it that had worried Don a little. Fortunately, that, as well as the wound itself, had seemed to heal up with the advent of the cure.

It was a reminder, though. A reminder of what his own inattention and lack of care had cost them. A reminder of the guilt he carried with him. If the pains it sent out into his body from time to time were his only penance, then he had gotten off lightly.

Lightning flashed outside, and Don turned to look out the windows. Everything was so wrong out there. The sky wasn’t right, the trees and the buildings were twisted, warped. Everything outside felt like a mockery of what it should be. The people were terrified. Even the criminals had backed off, everyone hunkering down, waiting for the next thing to happen.

And Don knew it was all because of him.

Don couldn’t stay there anymore. He needed to get up, to move, to go somewhere else. His scar ached, and he felt the pain from it creeping into his bones, aches settling into the stretch marks left on his skin from the transformations. It felt like there was a pressure on his shell that was waiting to snap, and he winced as he got up. As much as he tried to hide it and deny it, he was still recovering from his second mutation. His muscles often had a persistent ache to them, something he felt in his very bones, and he still didn’t have all of his endurance back. Training with the Tribunal hadn’t helped that, and he had often found himself utterly exhausted at the end of a training day.

Honestly, it worried him, and some primal part of himself wanted to give into emotions and panic. Don kept that part in check, trying to remember that it was a traumatic thing that his body was recovering from. He knew that there was still a chance that the aches and pains would fade and eventually he’d be back to normal. However, he also knew that there was a good chance that he’d be living with this the rest of his life. Again, it was a small penance to pay for being the indirect cause of the apocalypse.

Don shook his head. The dreams, the worries of a full recovery, he sat them to the side for a moment and very quietly got up, using the nearby desk for leverage as his body protested the movement. He grabbed his bo—both to have it just in case, and for the extra support it gave him--and on silent feet he made his way towards the spiral staircase that led down into the shop.

Sneaking past Raphael wasn’t an easy thing to do, especially when Don felt as bad as he did at the moment, but it was possible, and Don knew the tricks. He managed not to disturb his brother and landed quietly in the shop with only the barest of a stumble, using his bo for balance. He could see more of the outside through the shop windows, and it turned his stomach, making the guilt settle on him even harder. The pain he was feeling flared up in response, and with a grimace, Don quietly made his way through the shop and to the door that led to the hallway, using his bo as a walking staff.

The staircase was there, and Don could hear Casey snoring on the second-floor landing. Every so quietly, Don made his way to the stairs, going down them instead of going up. He headed into the basement, and down to a room that he was told he ran into when he was mutating.

Don paused in the doorway, leaning on his bo and looking around. He wasn’t sure how Kirby’s room had survived the fire and explosion of April’s building, but somehow it had. Kirby’s bed and drawing table were still in there and Don listlessly made his way around the room, his bo quietly tapping on the floor. He looked at the little trinkets and such that had belonged to the man. He’d apparently had no family to come collect the things, and April, not knowing what to do with them, had put them back. She’d intended to clean the room out and rent it again, but with all of them in her life, she never had. Don was kind of glad for that now.

He heavily sat down on the bed, not feeling like staying standing any longer, and reached over to pick up a half-geode that was sitting on the nightstand. He could see where the fire had scorched the outside of the rock, but the crystals inside were undamaged. He gently ran his finger over them, wishing that he knew the significance of this to Kirby. He’d never gotten the chance to know Kirby that well. It had been a meeting, an adventure, and a tragedy.

Something else he was responsible for.

“Don?” Don looked up to see Leo standing in the doorway to the room. He was looking at Don with a mix of curiosity and concern, clearly assessing him. He frowned when he saw Don’s bo propped against the bed in easy reach. “Are you okay?”

Don shrugged and turned the geode over in his hand.

“Just thinking,” he said. “I’m aching a little, too.”

Leo frowned sympathetically, and moved further into the room, coming to sit beside Don. “I can understand that. Anything I can do?”

Don let out a small, half-amused noise. “Not unless you can rewind time and keep me from getting the wound to begin with.”

Leo’s mouth twitched up in a smile. “If I could do that, I would have done that to begin with.

“There has to be another way!”

“There’s no other way.”

Don frowned as the memory resurfaced, complimenting Leo’s words.

Leo, of course, took notice, and his smile faded away, too. “What is it?” he asked.

Don looked down at the rough outer surface of the geode, running his thumb on it. “…Was it really the only way?” he asked quietly.

He felt Leo stiffen a little at his side. “Don, what do you—”

“The amulet,” Don said. “I—I had another dream tonight. Another memory. I was inside the cage LH and I built. You were all outside it, and Raph was saying that there had to be another way other than taking me to Bishop to get the cure. But you and LH didn’t seem to think that there was.”

Leo was still. “I remember that conversation,” he said, his voice muted, but firm.

Don swallowed, feeling emotions welling up in him. He rotated the geode in his hand, keeping the rough side up, letting his fingers scrape along it. “Was it the only way, Leo?” he asked. “Was it truly? I understand why you did it. I’m not saying that. But look what it cost us. The Tribunal. Our friends, the other acolytes. Parts of New York City. It could cost us not just the city, but so much more. Getting that amulet to save me might have doomed the world.” He was staring firmly at the rock now. “I’m not worth the world, Leo. I’m not worth all of those peopl—”

Suddenly Leo’s hands were on his shoulders, and his brother was roughly forcing Don to face him. Startled, Don dropped the geode and looked up. Leo’s face was set, grim, and yet full of barely contained emotion.

“Donatello, I never want to hear you say that again,” he said firmly, fiercely. “You are worth it.”

Don’s own mouth settled into a grim line, the startlement fading. “Am I?” he said. “To you, to our family, yes, I am. But if you compare my life to the lives of everyone else, then no, I’m not.” He gently but firmly moved himself out of Leo’s grasp on his shoulders and leaned down to pick up the geode, wincing as he did. “In the grand scheme of things, my life isn’t worth any more than anyone else’s.” He turned the geode up, looking at the crystals. “There had to be another way to get me back.”

“There wasn’t.” Leo’s voice was firm, sure.

“There would have been, in time,” Don said. He grabbed his bo and used it to help him stand up, moving across the room to put the geode down on a shelf.

Leo stayed where he was and shook his head. “There was no other option,” he repeated, his voice rising a little bit.

“The options weren’t fully explored. I’ve seen the notes and I—” Don started.

Leo suddenly leapt to his feet, fire in his eyes. “You don’t know! You weren’t there!” he said forcefully, his voice raising even more.

Don turned to look at him, and Leo backtracked, reigning himself back in.

“I mean, of course you were there,” he said, his voice a little quieter. He ran a hand across his head, frustration in the movement. “But you weren’t—you weren’t you,” he said. “It was like I said to Raph and Mikey once. I kept looking to you to ask what we were going to do but… you weren’t there.” He looked at Don, with pleading eyes. “You’ve got to understand, Don. We explored everything as best we could. There was no other way.”

Don took a breath in, turning to stare at the geode for a moment. Its crystals caught the little light in the room and reflected it. “Then it’s my fault,” Don said quietly.

Leo stared at him a moment, confused. “What?”

“Then it’s my fault,” Don said turning back around. He leaned on his bo. “You’re right. I wasn’t there. I was… I was a raging, mindless beast who didn’t understand anything that was happening.” His jaw tightened a little. “I didn’t know anyone or anything. I didn’t even understand when I was safe. All I knew was pain and rage. I wasn’t there.”

“Don, I—” Leo started, but Don shook his head and cut his brother off.

“I wasn’t there before that, though.” He looked Leo in the eye. “I saw Leatherhead’s notes. He noted the point in my own notes when I became unreliable. I was too sick, too far gone with the virus to accurately interpret the data anymore. I wasn’t ever going to be able to find a cure, because I was already ‘not there.’ By the time we got back from the past, my reasoning was too far gone.”

Leo was silent, the analysis evidently taking him by surprise. Don forged ahead, reaching to run his fingers over the geode again.

“I never was going to find a cure,” he said firmly. “And it was my fault for not taking the wound seriously to begin with.” Don’s voice began to pitch up a little. “And I only got the wound because I froze up and Raph had to push me out of the way. If I had just moved, or if I had taken the wound more seriously, then I wouldn’t have double mutated,” the words spilled out of his mouth, falling quicker and quicker, his grip on his bo tightening. “If I hadn’t double mutated, then all of you wouldn’t have gone to Bishop for a cure. He wouldn’t have instructed you steal the Heart of Tengu. The Foot Mystics would have never gotten free. They wouldn’t have been able to kill the Tribunal and our friends. The Demon Shredder wouldn’t have been revived. And the fate of the world wouldn’t be hanging in the balance!”

Don whirled back to face Leo, who had been silent, watching as Don laid out his reasoning, grasping his bo with both hands now. “So, you see, Leo, this is all my fault! The world could end, we could all die, and it’s all my fault because I didn’t move out of the way of an enemy in time!”

For a moment, there was silence. Then Leo looked at Don and frowned. “Alright,” he said, crossing his arms. “It is all your fault.”

Don wavered where he stood. “What?”

“It is your fault,” Leo said. “You’re right. If you hadn’t gotten that wound, then none of this would have happened.”

Don hadn’t been expecting Leo to say that, and he stared at his brother, his mouth hanging slightly open. The words stung. They hurt, even though Don knew they were true, and he tightened his grip on his bo again.

Leo wasn’t finished though. “But I’ll say it again. You don’t know. You weren’t there.” Leo took a step towards Don. “Your notes may not have been reliable towards the end, but they were better and more extensive than anything Bishop or Stockman had.”

“But… they made the cure…” Don said, confused.

“Yeah, they did,” Leo said. “From your notes.” Leo sighed and put his hands on Don’s shoulders, both comforting and supporting Don. “They lied to us, Don. They said they had a cure when they didn’t. Master Splinter and Leatherhead told us about it later, but it was too late by that point. You were closer to a cure than they were. They just had better resources and equipment to finish what you started.”

“They—what?” Don stared at his brother, trying to process this new information.

Leo nodded. “Leatherhead said that the only reason your notes were as well-researched and extensive was because you were testing yourself. Don’t you see, Don?” Leo asked.

Don stared at his brother, waiting for Leo to explain.

“Because you got that sting, you started your studies and research long before Bishop or Stockman even knew there was a problem. You had the most complete and accurate information available. Because you double mutated, your research went to Bishop and Stockman, and they were able to make a cure. Without you, without your research, without that sting, the city would still be suffering from mutated creatures.”

Leo gave Don’s shoulders a squeeze. “Yes, we stole the Heart of Tengu as payment, but it was because Bishop lied to us about what he could do. Not to mention, Bishop started the whole mess to begin with, with his fake invasion.” He gave Don a tight smile. “You didn’t bring about the danger we’re in now. Bishop did, by trying to build a fake danger, and then by lying to us.”

Don stared at Leo, blinking as his brain processed the information. “…Oh.” He could feel himself trembling just slightly. He shook his head. “But—still. You stole the Heart of Tengu to save me.” He glanced at the doorway, as if he could see outside through it. “I still feel responsible.”

Leo shook his head again, and adjusted his grip, leading Don back to the bed and sitting them both down. He shifted again, sliding an arm along Don’s shoulders to pull him in. “You’re not. Besides…” Leo hesitated. “I don’t know how to explain it, but… it feels like this was always supposed to be us? I think… I think that even if it hadn’t been to save you, then something would have happened to the Heart of Tengu anyway, and we’d be in a similar position.”

Don eyed Leo skeptically for a moment, but then relented. Leo had always had a sense about these things, even more so since he returned from the Ancient One. It had seemed to sharpen, somehow, during their training with the Tribunal.

“If you’re sure, Leo,” Don said, slumping a bit against his brother, tired and aching.

“If Leo’s sure about what?”

Mikey’s sleepy voice interrupted, and Mikey poked his head around the door. Raph was right there with him, moving to stand in the doorway, eyes moving over the pair, clearly assessing the situation.

“If I’m sure that Don’s not responsible for everything that’s happened,” Leo said.

“He ain’t,” Raph said bluntly.

“Ohhh,” Mikey said. “This is because of the Heart of Tengu thing, isn’t it?”

Don shot a Mikey a startled look. “How did you—”

“How did I know?” Mikey said, coming into the room and plopping himself down on the other side of Don. “You mean, how did I know that one of the two turtles with a huge guilt complex was totally and absolutely going to take what happened and blame himself?” Mikey grinned. “Come on, Donnie, gimme a little credit.”

“I don’t say this often, but Mikey’s right,” Raph said. He strode forward and poked Don in the forehead, before taking his bo from him and setting it to the side. “You’ve been overthinkin’ everythin’ durin’ your recovery. Wasn’t hard to figure you’d take what Little Miss Shredder said to heart.”

Don frowned and looked down at his leg again. His hand traced over his scar, wincing a little as he did. “I guess. It’s just—”

“Nope, no ‘it’s just’,” Mikey said. “Whatever Leo said, he was right.”

“It ain’t your fault, Don,” Raph said, his voice quiet. “It never was.”

Don sighed, his hands rubbing at the stretch marks on his thighs. “It still feels like it is.”

“Well, no matter if it feels like it or not, it isn’t,” Leo said.

Don looked up at his brothers, giving them a weak smile. “It’ll take some time for me to internalize that,” he said.

Raph made a shooing motion, obviously trying to encourage Don to lie down. “Yeah, well, while you’re working on that, we can work on you,” he said. “Yer hurting right now, aren’t you?”

Don grimaced. “It’s… never really left,” he admitted. “It’s just worse tonight.”

Raph let out a huff of frustration. “Don. You’re suppose to tell us these things.” He looked over at Mikey and Leo. “You two know what to do.”

“Right-o!” Mikey said, and practically tacked Don to the bed.

“Hey—what--!” Don protested.

“Nuh-uh,” Mikey said, draping himself over Don’s shell like some sort of starfish. He put his head right on top of Don’s. “You said that heat makes your shell feel better, so I’m about to be your own personal heater!”

“You’re too heavy to be a heater,” Don grumbled, trying to get comfortable under Mikey’s weight.

“I’ve got his legs, you get his arms?” Raph said to Leo.

“Sounds good to me,” Leo said.

“Guys, you don’t have to do this,” Don protested. “It’ll fade back to a tolerable level eventually.”

“Hm, I dunno, bro. Eventually sounds like it’ll take to long, especially when we can do something about it now,” Mikey said. He booped the back of Don’s head with his snout. “Come on, Don. Let us help you.”

Don sighed and relented. He was well and firmly trapped, as his brothers started to massage his limbs, trying to help with the pain he was feeling. Mikey’s heat on his shell helped, too, although he wasn’t about to admit it out loud. Slowly, Don started to relax as the massages and heat started to help the bone-deep aches he was feeling.

“You’re still recovering,” Leo said to him, softly, as he worked. “Physically, mentally, and emotionally. Let us take care of you. Because while you might not think you’re worth the world, to us you are.”

Somewhere above Don, Mikey snorted. “That was one of the cheesiest things you’ve ever said, Leo,” he cackled.

Don heard the thwap of Mikey being hit. “Shut it, chucklehead,” Raph said. “It might be cheesy, but it’s true.”

“Never said it wasn’t,” Mikey protested. “Just that it was cheesy.”

Don chuckled quietly at the interactions and decided to stop protesting his brothers’ actions. He let them do for him, and then, when they all somehow curled and squished and fit on the bed, the bedframe miraculously holding under their weight, he didn’t protest, but instead let himself be cocooned within his brothers’ warmth and love. They talked, softly, about stupid things, silly things, and wishes and dreams, until one by one, they all fell asleep with each other, feeling safe and secure in a way that none of them had in far too long.

Don wasn’t sure he’d ever completely recover from his second mutation. He had a feeling that the aches and pains would come and go, becoming something he would deal with the rest of his life. He still felt guilty for what was happening, too, feeling indirectly responsible for the current state of the city. But right now, at this moment? He let himself trust in his brothers’ words, and refocused his mind on them, instead of his guilt.

And this time as Don slept, not a single dream or memory disturbed him.

It was hours later when two figures silently crept to the doorway of the room, looking in on the sleeping pile of turtles that was on the bed. Arms and legs were intertwined together, making it hard to tell who was sleeping on who and where one turtle began and another ended.

“You see?” the Ancient One said, very softly. “I told you—they needed this night. Their bond is strengthened. Donatello’s spirit is a peace, cutting off that avenue of attack. This bonding will only serve them well in the coming battle.”

Splinter looked over his sons, too many emotions running through him for him to properly express any of them. “It will,” he agreed instead. “I can only hope that it will keep them safe.”

For a moment, Splinter hesitated, and then he stole out of the room, returning moments later with a couple of large blankets. The Ancient One blinked at him.

“How are you going to cover them up? They are all tangled,” he asked, although he moved forward to help Splinter unfold the blankets.

“As I did when they were mere babies. I will cover the whole pile,” Splinter explained. “Creating a ‘shell’ for them to seek comfort in.”

“Ah.” The Ancient One nodded, and helped Splinter cover the sleeping pile of turtles, smiling to himself when he saw how Splinter took the time to adjust a limb here and there, and press his nose to each of his sons’ heads.

The two slowly left the room then, leaving the turtles alone to finish sleeping throughout the night. In the morning, battle would come, the Ancient One was sure, and for that, the four would need to be bonded strongly. But tonight, their bonds had been strengthened. He just hoped that it would be enough.

But for four turtles who were sleeping in a pile, under blankets put over them by their father, nothing could feel more safe and secure in that moment.

[kishmishorkissish]

Bhai mana ki bhot achi bakery hai but aise nhi dekhte kisi hor ke bande ko, kya mtlb mai hoti to mai bhi yhi krti 😭😭( brother we know he got a wonderful bakery, but staring in open and that too off someone's man🙂🙂 , if I was there I would have been doing the same is the different thing)

Aur ishie is literally me pran jaaye pr appliances na jaaye 😌😌

Someone is not happy with this 😔😔😔🎀🎀

[lavena]

Tmnt headcannons and a psa for those like 3 toxic ppl

87

- Raph can get the highest flips pit of all his brothers

-Leo found out how to make the brushes used for Kanji n such for fun and will sometimes make wallpaper with his favorite quotes

-donnie breaks the fabric of the universe at least once a week and no one is surprised

- mikeys accent is fake, he actually has a Bronx accent, he just liked the sufer persona so much he decided to commit

90s

-Leo got the go ninja go song stuck in his head for years

-Raph is the best break dancer and will go to clubs with his brother sometimes

-Donnie will sometimes escape to scap yards for hours on end just tearing appliances apart

-mikey has anger issues, as seen by him beating the shit out of a punching bag in the deleted scene (April's drawing of mikey)

2003

-leo will get "the batman" voice whenever he is stressed

- mikey has night terrors

-Raph knits

-dons guilty pleasure is Celtic sings (tir na nog, teir abhaile riu)

2007 (dint mind me leading this tf up)

- raph learned Spanish because one of the kids he met on the street as Nightwatcher spoke it and raph wanted to be able to talk to the kid and make sure he ls alright

Leo get vivid nightmares after the Winters debacle

-mikey after working as cowabunga carl has nightmares

- Raph got shot when he first started being a vigilante

-don and mike are twins

- Dons tech support leaves him more sarcastic than ever, which is really funny for his brothers, but leo gets whiplash for the first bit after he gets home

-don holds a grudge against raph and leo, and sometimes their father but never enough for it to affect their family

- Leo got really good at hiding in the shadows to the point he scares the shit out of raph in the mornings

-raph started watching tellanovellas with their father after his nightwatcher thing

-mike will bake custom cakes for his cowabunga carl gigs for an extra price, at first it wasn't very successful but then word spread that they were the best goddamn cakes around and people started to ask for cakes even if they didn't have a kids birthday. Let's just say having a turtle at your quinces or receptions became an inside joke.

-don and mike are up at the crack of dawn, mike cause he likes to bake the cakes the day of so they don't dry out and the frosting doesn't get the weird hard bits after refrigerating and don because he needs to inject coffee and acetometaphin into his veins to deal with these stupid fcuking people

-leo had to use an automatic rifle once in the jungle and he vows to never again

-raph and Casey spent one too many times out till the break of dawn, Casey almost got fired, but raph and him made up a story, put on voices and treachcoats all that jazz. Now Caseys boss thinks he has ties with the mafia... it gets really runny when April finds out and chases them down

-don and mike spend mornings listening to lowkey but hyping songs to get ready in the morning " a boy named pluto" mainly because don can't handel anything loud and mike will cry if the song doesn't have some kind of sway to it

- Raph became the nightwatcher after witnessing the og guys death, poor guys traumatized

2012

- mikey is the best at disappearing, but only after don invested the egg shell smoke bombs

- Leo voice box was permenatly damaged when he was attacked b4 the farm house arc, it gets really bad when he is stressed

- Raph after the whole brainworm thing (is that cannon or fannon, im like 70% sure it's cannon but idk) gets really spooked around insects and worms, especially if he can hear them moving

- Donnie got a chem set for Christmas from his brother, but he knows they really just stole stuff from nycu, he loves it

2018

- Raph gets sad sometimes that he isn't smaller cause he wants to be help, his brother make sure to give him a really big group hug, doesn't solve anything but he knows he is loved

- Mikey spray paints, it started with the sewer walls, but now he does abandon buildings too

- Donnie built himself the best noise canceling headphones, and then built all his brothers pairs because they kept asking to borrow them

- Leo ugly laughts at the fnaf sb freddy memes, all of them, it makes everyone who hears it wheeze

2023

- Leo is so goddamn anxiety ridden, this poor boy

- Finally a raph that does violent right, yeah it might (read deffo will in hs) end up bad, but never for his brother, cause he protects them with that violence and anger

- Don definitely learned how to speak Korean so he could watch k-pop interviews as they aired

- Mikey is a natural at martial arts

That's all I got for now, but quick psa

There has been a bit of toxicity regarding raph fans, like 3 of them. Everyone else is great, so for anyone experiencing hate from those people like @theunicorncomic-blog and @incorrect-2003-tmnt-quotes ( like people are being toxic to them not that they are toxic) along with anyone else experiencing toxicity from the 3 Raph fans

I am so sorry, I know it can be stressful and they seem to like to target things that are personal. So just remember it doesn't matter who your favorite is, it doesn’t matter if you hate a character, we are tmnt. We are TMNT and we love our ninja boys, and we always will. Embrace the new iterations, learn of the old, no matter what it will bring you joy to see our boys out n about getting love.

Spread love and affection, and ignore those who are violent without reason.

And for those like 3 toxic raph fans, I get that you are upset about people disliking raph or feeling like his personality is costing other characters, but something to remeber is that, we love raph, he is a great character, what we are upset about is that the writers make him "angry, strong, rule breaker" and nothing else, they don't let him grow, they don't let him experience, for example the other characters start out as this. " Mr. Rules, Ninja, Leader by name only" and then let him grow to " leader through experience, kind, and willing to risk it all for his family" another " know it all, annoyed, non confrontational" and let him grow to " empathetic, strong willed, smart" they allow the other characters to grow, while sticking with their base. So the Raph we want to see at the end of a series is " willing to do anything to protect, strength through family, and angry at injustice" we can see it be set up in 07 and 03, but the others leave him as an angry, violent jerk who is funny mind due, but non the less we are left wanting more from someone who tends to be one of the more focused on characters.

TLDR, we are upset that Raph suffers as a character from lack of mobility, in a main position he has the options to, but the writers don't give it to him, and by doing so it costs the other characters. So stop being toxic and giving your character a bad rap by using slurs against the people who have different views from you. Just remember there is way more good than there is bad, don't let these 3 ruin things for everyone else or warp your view of others

[beyourselfchulanmaria]

Бранислав Марковић Умбра (Branislav Marković Umbra)

Serbian, b. 1955 (Artist Lives in Novi Sad, Serbia.)

"Mgla na Jahorini" 2014.

56x38cm, Papir. (Fabriano 300g/m)

📌 ps. Fabriano is a town and comune of Ancona province in the Italian region of the Marche, at 325 metres (1,066 ft) above sea level. and Fabriano is the headquarters of the giant appliance maker Indesit (partly owned by Whirlpool). Fabriano, with Roma, Parma, Torino and Carrara, is an Italian creative city (UNESCO). The town is in the category Folk Arts (for the Fabriano's handmade paper production).

[cirrus-grey]

Potential code: urclna solutions (wrong answers only)

We need to find a registered nurse at the University of California, Los Angeles (ucla rn)

We need to find a Canadian URL (url can)

Unearth Random Characters, Learn New Answers

We need to lure someone into a car (lur car)

We need to go curling with salt blocks (curl na)

We lack an urn (lac urn)

Under Rundown Chairs, Lay Napping Alpacas

We need to run around a lake (run lac)

Until Reg Can Liveblog, No Appliances

Unholy Rage Costs Lives, Nervous Abbott

Utter Random Catchphrases Loudly, Never Abate!

We need to kill Carl (un carl) (sorry Carl)

[lonelyicedcoffee]

Pasta pt 2 😅 wala na kaming stock na pwedeng ulam buti may free grocery sa abenson nung namili kami ng appliances hahaha

[tokwattoge]

Journal | 12.6.2023

2023 has been one of those years na may highs of highs and lows of very lows. Sobrang grabe wala akong masabi nakakaspeechless yung mga best at worst na pangyayari sa taon na to. January me would be so shocked! Overall masaya pa din, overall my heart is still in a good place.

Summary para kunware January me is going to read everything that went down this year:

Nafully paid na yung motor

Nairaos ang DIY bday ni baby, it was simple pero magarbo, sobrang nakakapagod pero sobrang happy ng heart ko sa event na yon. PS: wag ka na magDIY sa sunod. HAHA

NagkaTV, ref, cabinet, water (dati nakatungga kami) at shower sa CR. Sobrang gaan na ng quality of life ko compared nung unang dating ko dito. Putting money aside, parang pakiramdam ko ito yung pinakamasayang state ko sa tinitirahan ko sa buong buhay ko. Marami pang appliance for 2024 pero sobrang laking change natin this year. Salamat Lord!

Sobrang nag grow ako as a mom at sa career ko. I started a new job last May. Sinimulan ko dahil nalubog tayo sa utang nakakaloka ka ang bobo mo diyan talaga sobra. Kahit ganon pa man, marami tayong natutunan. Mahirap yung work, pero naggrow pa rin naman tayo as a person at marami tayong nadiscover sa sarili natin na hindi natin alam before.

Mas naging close tayo kay mama. Ibang level as in to the highest level sky's the limit. Iba yung level ng pagpapahalaga natin sa kanya ngayon.

Grabe ka 2023. ANG LALA MO. 2024 PLEASE BE KIND TO ME.

[tigre-edi-rawr]

The Most Critical Childhood Trauma

I went outside this evening to withdraw money and buy some disposable vapes. I asked my parents what they wanted as "pasalubong," a traditional Filipino gift from children to their parents. Then I went home and bought everything I needed.

As I sat down, we were all casually discussing my plans to purchase an air conditioner for my bedroom because I now work from home. Suddenly, the mood changed, and I recall my father saying, "Nakausap ko yon noong mga time na nagkakaproblema ako sayo." And I was perplexed until it suddenly came on me what he was referring to. As someone who cannot sleep without expressing my opinion, I felt compelled to explain in order for him to understand.

What happened was… My mother started a business with my aunt (my father's brother's wife), which was probably pandemic, selling kitchen appliances. My father's mom stated, "Nako, wag ka na bumili diyan may tubo na yan." The argument was that her daughter, my aunt (the trauma), was running her own business selling pastries and things. We never mentioned anything like that, despite the fact that her food was as pricey as fuck, like Starbucks, when it wasn't even that great.

So, sure, my mother told me about it, and I was upset. I was enraged. But I did not confront my aunt and grandma there. But keep in mind that I was enraged. That night, I was browsing Facebook stories when I came across my aunt's (the trauma) story about her cupcake, and I knew it wasn't her work because she found it on Google. "gawa mo yan?" I inquired, and she lied, saying yes and that it was her work although I clearly knew it wasn't. Here's our conversation that time:

THE LIAR BITCH GOT CAUGHT!

That sparked a fit in the family's group chat. It made me angry at my father since he knew what they did to my mother but did nothing and even supported his mother, my grandma. Then I went weeks without speaking to him. He's as light as air to me. I'm a "rebelde" at this point. I won't talk to him, see him, eat with him, or be near him; I'll hide myself in my room whenever he's around, or I'll go to my ex's.

He was looking for the extension that I used one night, and luckily for me, I used it and did not return it to where I found it. He entered my bedroom, smashed the door, and yelled terrible things like "masiyado kang mataas, wala ka pa namang mapagmamalaki," then left but returned to add "lumayas ka na dito!" WHICH I DID. I grabbed all my belongings, especially the ones I need for my puto business at the time, and I finished packing (my sister and brother helped me) around 3 a.m., then my ex came to fetch me. I remember our youngest helping me bring my things with me, while saying "ingat ka ate ha." 

After weeks, my family tried to find me because they wanted me to return home. My ex and I were preparing to drink with his pals one night when one of his friends called and said that someone was looking for me. They're wondering where my ex's house is and whether they know who I am. We were informed, and my parents went to my ex's house. They even talked with my ex's father to convince me to go home because I don't want to. I recall saying to my father's face, "umalis na kayo, kaya ko na sarili ko, kakayanin ko."

They then returned home.

End.

So back to the conversation, I stated that I am not the problem. It was just you and your family. As I was saying that and watching my father's reaction, I was disappointed in myself since I had forgotten how he is with his family, especially her mother. He is a defender, enabler, and protector. Memories came in of how his side of the family treated us badly and yet got away with it because my father refused to say anything about it and even defended them instead of standing up for us and correcting who was wrong so that everyone could right their wrongs, learn, and heal.

I was in pain. And I've been carrying this trauma with me since I was in elementary school. "Maybe if I say that, magulat ka sa kapatid mo?" I asked my dad, referring to my aunt, her sister, and the trauma. He was laughing as he awaited my tea.

Then I added, "noong bata pa kami, sinasabihan niya ako na magscissor kami, sa banyo, sa kwarto, and she will tell me na wag magsusumbong o sasabihin kahit kanino" as my voice trembled and tears were about to fall. Yes, my aunt will tell me to please her in such a way that I also learned what it feels like since I will also be involved in the pleasure.

And I told my father that maybe that's why I fucking despise that person. It's disgusting.

But he said nothing and brushed it off as if it were nothing. LIKE. IT. WAS. NOTHING. I wasn't sure whether he believed me, but I don't care because it's my story and I fucking know what happened and it did.

Many things are said, but I couldn't stop crying when I heard "basta ngayon, ang ganda ng estado ng buhay ko, pero sinisira niyo." I stood up and walked away. I went inside and began crying; all I could think of was…

Buti ka pa maayos. All the traumas you inflicted on me and our family. All of the abuses your family inflicted on me and this family. Buti pa kayo maayos, nothing concerned you, and you can go about your business day by day, while I knew deep down inside that I was ruined. I'm a fucking mess. I learnt a lot of wrong things about family and relationships, and it shaped me not to trust completely, not to yield everything even if you love someone a lot. Marriage taught me to be terrified. And because of all of that, I am me every day. I'm no revel, but I'm hella strong and independent; I can stand on my own, love myself, even hurt someone because I always put myself first and don't feel guilty about it. Because I prioritized myself, and it was instilled in me that this is the first thing I should do, and there's nothing wrong with it. It was useful in certain ways, but I was monster. I'm like a walking red flag. And I can't change it, not because I don't want to, but because I can't.

[sungbeam]

SEONGHWA SAN JAEMIN

HI BUBS THANK U FOR PARTICIPATING ☺️🤧

let's play slow burn / fake date / e2l!

this one was tough, i think sofnksjd i had to ponder on it but 💀

SAN > SLOW BURN: i,,, , want to meet an uberly charming, utterly romantic choi san wherein you meet him in some kind of meet cute sort of fashion. nothing too special or out of the ordinary; something like maybe next door neighbors? AND YK IT PAYS TO HAVE A HOT NEIGHBOR—coughs anyways. he's prob super chivalrous and always helps u with carrying groceries in, and helping you fix any busted kitchen appliances, and u like invite him over for dinner and that's when the falling in love starts 🤧 until it's all too normal to give him a key, and he's bringing over wine, and ur dancing in the kitchen together practically a couple :') i've thought abt this for too long god help me

JAEMIN > FAKE DATE: okok this is probably an overused trope for this man, but WHO WOULDN'T WANT TO FAKE DATE NA JAEMIN??? like he feels like the kind of guy to swoop in when he sees someone in trouble, and maybe some ex friends of urs r being toxic bitches, so he basically comes into ur rescue and that somehow leads u two fake dating?? LMAO but like u obviously don't really wanna trouble him but the lies have run too deep by this point—or r they lies anymore...? 👀✨

SEONGHWA > E2L: ikkkkkk seonghwa is like really sweet but don't u just watch him on stage and see the hard gleam in his eyes? i think that's what being his so-called "enemy" is like, yk? like maybe he's just one of those guys who comes off as cold at first bc he's shy, so one meet ugly first impression of each other leads to both of u not liking the other, but somehow u keep bumping into each other?? like what kind of cosmos coincidence—ANYWAYS !!! suffice to say, that e2l w hwa would prob also end in a slow burn romance, but once the two of u see each other for who u really r, you'll begin to realize that ur more alike than u thought :')

[kimhortons]

monday; 9th of october.

so ayun na nga, galing kaming Catanduanes recently — mom's hometown. medyo weird na nakakapanibago na hindi ko na kasama si mommy pag uuwi doon. buti nalang din medyo sanay ako magbakasyon dun at medyo close ko naman mga pinsan ko dun. there's a bit of awkwardness lang dun sa isa kong pinsan na naka away ko before dahil nag laitan kami ng jowa haha. wala naman na saken yun kahit lakas niya pintasan si J, pero sakanila ramdam ko parin yung ilag silang mag jowa saken haha. wala lang. so far, nakapag enjoy naman kami ni J this time.

tsaka nakaka happy rin na nadalaw ko sila dun, lalo na yung mga kapatid ni mommy na ang lala ng sitwasyon — yung panganay na tiyuhin ko, masaya akong nadalaw ko sila pero nakakalungkot makita yung sitwasyon nila na sobra ng nag hirap, yung asawa niya nabulag na dahil sa diabetes, yung tito ko naman ilang beses narin na-stroke, kubo lang yung bahay nila, walang appliances at kuryente, parang di man lang iniintindi ng mga anak. buti nalang nandun yung isang apo nila na umaalalay sakanilang mag asawa. sabi ko nga dun lang siya at alagaan niya yung lolo't lola niya.

yung isa ko namang tiyuhin, yung sumunod kay mommy, may sakit narin. sobrang payat na rin at nabulag narin dahil rin siguro sa diabetes, nasa lahi talaga kasi. naalala ko nga sakanya yung kalagayan ni mommy nung nabubuhay pa. buti nalang iyon e naaalalayan pa ng mga anak kahit malayo sakanila.

masaya na malungkot — magkahalong emosyon na makita ko muli silang mga kapatid ni mommy, kasi feeling ko nakasama ko narin ulit si mommy. di ko rin naman sila sobrang close, pero mas okay makasama kesa sa side ni papa tsaka mas ramdam kong pamilya ang turing nila sakin kahit hindi kami madalas magkita at mag usap.

sabi ko nga sa sususnod, isasama ko na yung kapatid ko try namin ult mamasyal sa mga beach dun kahit kasama mga kaibigan namin at syempre mga partner namin hehe.

[aquietwritingcorner]

Toaster Troubles

Title: Toaster Troubles Fandom:  TMNT 2003 Word Count: 3409  Author: aquietwritingcorner/realitybreakgirl Rating:  K/G Characters:  Raphael, Donatello Warning: NA Summary:  All Donnie wants to do is fix the toaster. All Raph wants is for his five-year-old brother to wait for supervision. This is going to end well. Right?   Notes: Part of the Little Don AU, an AU I’ve had forming in my head where, during a crisis with the Time Scepter, Don sacrificed himself to save everything. Instead of it killing him, though, it turned him into a baby, and his family has needed to raise him all over again.        ff.net || AO3

___________________________

Toaster Troubles

As much as Raph missed his brother, he couldn’t deny that having little Donnie around was a lot of fun. Getting to see how his brother viewed the world, watching as he learned everything again with wonder and excitement, it was refreshing and there was something special about it. It was like Raph got a window into how his brother’s mind worked that he hadn’t been able to have before.

Of course, Donnie being, well, Donatello, it had led to some pretty heart-stopping moments as he explored the world around him. It had gone from pulling all sorts of things out of his mouth, to pulling him away from dismantled appliances, to pulling him out of dangerous places because he had seen something interesting in them. Donnie was always keeping them on their toes, even with Splinter anticipating at least some of this.

Yet, Raph wouldn’t trade spending time with his little brother for the world, even if it meant dealing with the results of his curiosity. And when Donnie wanted to spend time with him over the rest of his family, well, Raph couldn’t help but feel a little special at that. He enjoyed those times with Donnie.

Today, Donnie had been favoring Raph, even with the mundane things, and so Raph had scooped him up and taken his five-year-old brother with him to the kitchen to work on dinner. It wasn’t anything too complicated. Just some chicken and rice, with a side of vegetables. With the rice cooker, and some of those microwavable vegetable mixes in a bag, most of dinner would be easy. It was just the chicken that would take most of Raph’s attention.

Well, that, and one little brother who it was best not to ignore for too long.

“Alright Donnie, ready to help me make dinner?” he asked as they walked into the kitchen.

Donnie, who he was carrying under his arm like a sack of potatoes, giggled and nodded. “Mm-hm! I’m ready to help, Raphie!”

He wiggled a little, clearly asking to get down, and Raph obliged, standing him on the counter.

“Alright. We’re gonna have chicken, rice, and some veggies. How’s that sound?” Raph asked.

“That sound good!” Donnie said, bouncing on his toes. “Which veggies?”

Raph thought for a second. “Tell ya what. If you can get into the freezer by yourself, then you can pick them out, alright?”

“Okay!” Donnie grinned brightly and dashed along the counter towards the refrigerator. Raph kept an eye on him. It would take a little maneuvering and thought for Donnie to manage to open the freezer, find all the different vegetables, put back the ones he didn’t want, and close the freezer. But it was an easy and safe way for him to practice his ninja skills outside of the dojo, and that was always a good thing. In the meantime, Raph got out a cutting board and knife and pulled the package of chicken thighs out of the sink where it had been thawing. He didn’t really want Donnie messing with raw meat yet, so he’d do all of the work with them.

Glancing back over at his little brother, Raph saw that Donnie had managed to open the freezer, and was now laying on top of the refrigerator, leaning over it to reach inside and pull out the vegetable packets. Raph couldn’t help but grin a little. That was a good way to do it, and he was proud of his little brother for figuring it out. Not that he had expected anything less from Donnie.

Raph started cutting up the chicken, keeping an ear on Donnie, and he looked over when he heard the freezer door close, watching as Donnie jumped back onto the counter and ran over to him.

“This one!” he said with a grin. “Look, it has baby corn and snap peas! I like baby corn and snap peas!”

“I know you do,” Raph said. “Alright, put it by the microwave. It won’t take too long to cook, so we’ll do it later.”

Donnie carefully made his way to the microwave, and sat the bag of vegetables by it, before coming back towards Raph. “Now what?” he asked.

“Hm. Well, since my hands are covered in raw chicken juice, how about you help me season the chicken?” Raph said.

Donnie grinned and nodded, and Raph started rattling off instructions to the boy. Donnie, as usual, was a very good listener, and followed all of Raph’s instructions about seasoning, preparing the pan, and turning on the water for Raph to wash his hands. Raph slid the chicken in the oven to cook and stood back.

“Alright. Now we just gotta do the rice,” Raph said.

“I’ll plug up the rice cooker!” Donnie said, scooting along the counter to go do that.

Raph grinned at the enthusiasm, and got the rice, preparing it. It didn’t take long and within minutes the rice was in the rice cooker, the timer set. That done, Raph looked around the kitchen. There were plenty of dishes to be done, and it’d be easier to do them now than to wait until after dinner.

“Keep an eye on that for me, will ya?” Raph asked Donnie. “I’m gonna wash some of these dishes.”

“Mm-kay!” Donnie chirped and turned to watch it.

Raph turned his attention to the sink full of dishes, keeping an eye on Donnie, who was sitting on the counter, watching the rice cooker, and chattering to himself about something. He nodded to himself, satisfied that Don was occupied with his own thoughts.

Most of the dishes in the sink weren’t too hard to clean, except for a couple of them, which had gotten food dried on and stuck. Those took focus and elbow grease, but he eventually he got them off.  Smirking triumphantly to himself, he turned to check on Donnie again—and nearly had a heart attack.

Instead of sitting on the counter, carefully watching the rice, Donnie was now surrounded by pieces of the toaster, the thing stripped down and, thankfully, unplugged.

Mentally, Raph cursed to himself. He should have been watching Donnie more closely. His brother had gotten in the habit of taking apart just about anything he could get his hands on—and he couldn’t always put them back together yet. They tried to keep him from doing it alone, especially since he wasn’t aware of the dangers of what he was doing, but sometimes he still managed to sneak something by them.

Taking a breath and keeping his voice calm, Raph looked over at Donnie. “Donnie? Bud? Watcha doing?” he asked.

Donnie didn’t even look up from what he was doing, taking another piece off of the toaster with his—yep, that was the Swiss army knife that he had been gifted on his birthday. “Fixing the toaster,” he responded, laying another piece down. “It’s all dirty in here. I’m cleaning it out and then I’m gonna fix the spring so that the handle stays up better and the toast pops out better.” He looked back over at Raph. “The tension got all loose, see? And the springs need to have good tension! But I can make that happen if I just put them back better.”

He grinned at Raph, all shinning eyes and missing teeth. “I can fix it, Raphie!”

Of course he would notice something small like that. And of course he would try to fix it. Raph let out a careful breath. “Yeah, I see what’s wrong with it, Donnie,” Raph said. “But why don’t you wait until after we eat to try to fix it. Maybe we can get LH to come over and--”

“But I can fix it now!” Donnie interrupted, his bottom lip jutting out just a little. “I can do it!”

“After dinner,” Raph said firmly. “And with supervision.” The timer for the chicken went off, and Raph turned to attend to it. “Leave it alone for now, Donnie,” he said. “Why don’t you put the veggies in the microwave?”

His attention focused on the oven for the moment, Raph opened the oven door and peered in. The chicken looked done, and it smelled just right. Raph grabbed a potholder and pulled it out of the oven, settling it on the stovetop. He carefully poked a few pieces with a fork, and nodded to himself when they seemed just right.

“Food in two!” he yelled in the direction of the door, knowing that his family would hear him. He turned his attention back to Donnie and frowned. His little brother hadn’t put the vegetables in, and hadn’t moved from where he was sitting, still stubbornly playing with the toaster which was now completely disassembled.

“Donnie,” he said, his voice firm. “I told you do leave it until after dinner.”

“But I can fix it now,” Donnie insisted.

Raph frowned, and tossed the bag of vegetables in the microwave, before turning back to his little brother. “It’s dinner time. You can come back to it after we eat. But it’s time to eat now.”

Raph recognized the stubborn spark that rose in Donnie’s eyes and settled in his shoulders. This was about to turn into a fight.

“No,” Donnie said, resolutely. “It won’t take me long! Look, it’s cleaner now! All I have to do is put it back together.” His hands reached for a couple of pieces. “I’ll eat after I’m finished.”

Raph suppressed a growl, but before he could do anything, he heard footsteps approaching.

“I heard dinner in—uh-oh,” Mikey stood in the doorway, watching.

“What’s uh-oh?” Leo asked, coming in behind him. He paused when he saw the toaster scattered on the counter. “Oh,” he said.

“It’s nothing,” Raph said, his attention still squarely focused on Donnie. “Just trying to convince Donnie here to come to dinner. Dinner’s almost ready, the table just needs to be set.”

“Mikey and I can take care of that,” Leo said, knowing it was usually best to leave dealing with Donnie to whoever was already dealing with him. “Come on, Mike.”

The two moved, but Donnie refused to move from his spot. He scooted closer to the toaster.

“Donnie…” Raph said. “Time to get off the counter.”

He should have known that wasn’t going to work.

“No!” Donnie said, the word just below being a shout. “I’m gonna finish this first!” He reached up and curled a hand into the bottom lip of the upper cabinets, doing his best to secure himself. “I can do it!”

“My sons?” Splinter entered the kitchen. “Is there a problem?”

“No problem, Sensei,” Raph said. “Just trying to convince Donnie to come to dinner.”

Splinter moved closer, and then seemed to nod to himself as he saw the mess. “I see,” he said. He looked back up at Don, clearly taking note of the stubborn way the little boy was sitting there. “Come, my son. You can finish this after we have all eaten, so that the food does not get cold.”

For a moment, Don’s resolved wavered just a bit, even as he clearly wanted to stay with the toaster.

“Come on, Donnie. I promise you can go back to it afterward,” Raph said. “We’ll get LH over to help.”

Something about what he said seemed to solidify Donnie’s desire to stay put. “No!” he said, tightening his grip and beginning to look upset. “I-I’m gonna finish this first!” he said, his voice starting to waver with tears. “I need to put this back together first! And I’m going to before I eat! I’m going to! I’m going to put it back together!”

“Come on, Donnie!” Mikey said from the table, as he sat out plates. “We’ll get LH to come over like Raph said. You love LH! He’ll help you—”

“NO!” It was a shout from the normally quiet little boy. “I can do it myself! I can do lots of things myself!” his chin trembled, and he held tighter to the cabinet. “I can! And-and-and I don’t care if the food gets cold! All of you can eat it! I’ll make mine warm later—after I fix this!”

Splinter straightened up. “Donatello,” he said in his no-nonsense voice. “That is enough. You will eat dinner with us.”

“No!” Donnie yelled out, and Splinter reached up to take him off the counter himself. “No!”

Donnie yelled out again and tried to squirm away. Splinter, though, was faster and stronger, and he pulled Donnie off of the counter, prying his hands off of the cabinets.

Donnie wailed as Splinter pulled him away, still twisting and Splinter simply carried him over to the booster seat that they had for him. Donnie yelled and squirmed, trying to get out of it when Splinter put him in it.

“Donatello,” he said firmly. “You will sit with us and eat your dinner!”

“No!” Donnie said, and angrily pushed his plate away from him. “No! I don’t wanna eat! I wanna fix the toaster! I wanna fix it! Why won’t you just let me fix it!”

It was clear that this was becoming a full tantrum, and Splinter, clearly having none of it, picked Donnie up again.

“We will be back,” he said over Donnie’s howls.

The remaining three brothers stood there in silence, watching and listening as Splinter took Donnie to his room and shut the door behind him.

“Geeze,” Mikey said. “It’s been a long time since Donnie’s thrown a tantrum like that.”

“I know,” Leo said, looking over at Raph. “What happened?”

Raph shook his head, “I dunno. I was washing dishes, I turned, and he had the toaster in pieces. When I tried to get him to come to dinner, well… You saw all of that.”

“I wonder why, though?” Leo said. “Something triggered the tantrum.”

“Let’s hope he’s not getting sick, like last time,” Mikey said, shuddering.

None of them had enjoyed that particular tantrum and the clean-up, although once they realized that Donnie was sick, it had made the tantrum a bit more understandable.

Still, the brothers ate quietly, listening to the yells and howls of their youngest brother as he threw the biggest tantrum they’d heard yet. They were nearly finished eating by the time the tantrum started to calm. It was only a few minutes later that Splinter returned, pushing a still sniffling Donnie in front of him.

“What do you have to say?” Splinter asked the boy.

Donnie opened his mouth, looked at Raph, at the toaster, and then back at Raph.

“I’m still gonna fix the toaster!” he said defiantly.

“Donatello!” Splinter said.

Donnie’s chin began trembling again. “I-I am! I’m going to fix it!”

“Dude. Why not just wait until LH—” Mikey started.

“No!” Donnie yelled, cutting him off even as tears began to rise in his eyes again.

Raph let out a frustrated noise. “Why is this so important to you!” he halfway yelled back, exasperated at Donnie’s stubbornness.

For a moment, there was silence, and then Donnie burst into noisy tears. Leo reached over and whacked Raph on the shoulder, even as Raph looked at his little brother, slightly horrified. “I—”

“Why won’t you ever let me do anything!” Don sobbed out. “I can do it! I can fix it! But you won’t let me! None of you will let me! I’m smart! I know how! I can do it! I can do it! I can do it!”

His words turned into noisy sobs and desperate tears, and Splinter reached down, bundling the boy up in his arms. “Ah,” he said. “I think I understand.”

Three pairs of confused eyes looked at the rat as he held the sobbing tot in his arms. Splinter simply moved to a chair, and sat with Donnie, rocking him slightly.

“When Donatello was young, the first time, he had already begun taking things apart and putting them back together at this age. As I was somewhat ignorant at the time of the dangers, I allowed it, especially as he was able to make many things work.” Splinter ran a hand up and down Donnie’s shell, trying to comfort him. “Perhaps in our zeal to protect him, we have instead stifled him.”

Donnie was a bit calmer now, although still clearly upset. “I can do it,” he said his voice muffled from where he was curled into Splinter. “I can put it back together all by myself.”

Oh. Oh, that hit a bit different and explained things. Raph looked at his baby brother, new understanding forming. It wasn’t about the toaster itself, but about them trusting him to be able to do things.

Raph knelt next to the chair and reached out, rubbing Donnie’s shell. “Hey, Bud. I’m sorry I didn’t understand,” he said softly. “It’s not that I don’t think you can put it back together, it’s that I don’t want you to hurt yourself, okay? The idea of you getting hurt scares me, and I want to keep you safe.”

Donnie kept his face buried in Splinter. “But I’m safe,” he said. “I know all the protocols! LH and Aunt April taught me! I just wanna do it by myself, ‘cause I can!”

“We understand that, my son,” Splinter said, pressing his nose to Donnie’s head. “But that still does not excuse your behavior. Even when you were that upset, you knew that it would be better to use your words than to throw a fit.”

Donnie didn’t say anything, but he nodded a minute amount.

“You will be allowed to fix the toaster, by yourself,” Splinter said. “But only after you have both eaten and apologized to your brothers.”

Donnie sniffed and nodded. “Okay,” he said.

Splinter let the boy get down, and he looked up at his brothers, before looking down at his feet again. “I’m sorry,” he said in a small voice. “I shouldn’t have thrown a fit. That wasn’t right. I shoulda used my words better.”

“It’s alright,” Leo said. “We forgive you.”

Donnie sniffed, and looked up at his brothers, taking in their expressions, and then looked back at Splinter.

“You are forgiven, my son,” Splinter said. “Now—come eat your dinner. Afterwards, you will repair the toaster, and then we will discuss your punishment for the tantrum.”

Donnie’s eyes grew a bit wet again, but he just nodded. “Yes, Father,” he said.

Splinter and Donnie ate, while the rest of the brothers cleaned up from dinner. Afterwards, Donnie worked on the toaster, fixing it perfectly, just as he said he could. He was, however, sent to bed early, and would be doing some extra meditation with either Splinter or Leo tomorrow. The rest of the family settled in the living room, a little exhausted from everything that had happened.

“Well, that was something,” Mikey said.

“Certainly not the way I expected things to go,” Leo agreed.

“Yeah, but—” Raph looked at his family. “What are we gonna do about this? I don’t think we can just keep Donnie from taking things apart anymore.”

Splinter shook his head. “No, we cannot. He is a gifted and curious child, and in our attempts to give him a better life, we may, in fact, be stifling him. I will talk to both Leatherhead and April about Donatello’s education going forward. Perhaps it is time we gave him a little more freedom when it comes to his engineering endeavors.”

“Uh-oh,” Mikey said, a teasing lilt to his voice. “Here it comes. We’re gonna start finding screws and bolts and tools everywhere, probably with our feet, and it’ll hurt worse than legos.”

“And we’ll have to start making sure he doesn’t sneak projects under his covers at night,” Leo said.

“And we will have to get used to mistakes, clanging, and small explosions,” Splinter said.

“Yeah,” Raph said. “But we dealt with it before—we can deal with it again.”

There was a general murmur of agreement from the others, and they settled into a companionable silence. Perhaps they should have seen this coming sooner. After all, Donnie may not have been Don, but he was still Donatello. Of course he was going to be a little engineer. And if Raph was honest with himself? Having Donnie start down that path again was comforting. He looked forward to the day when Donnie had the lair ringing with the sounds of his latest project again.

He just hoped it didn’t involve anymore tantrums.

[wittykahitcorny]

Iba talaga pag may sarili ka ng bahay. Di na ako masyadong gumagala o sumama sa gala. Pero pag nag aya para tumingin ng appliances, furnitures o gamit sa bahay ay game ako. Mas gusto ko na lang umuwi kahit na para maglinis ng bahay.