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The Advantages of Network Storage with Both Ethernet and USB Ports
Network storage solution provides many benefits over traditional storage solutions. It is important to consider all of your options before making a decision on which type of storage to use for your business needs. In many cases, network storage with both ethernet and USB ports provides the best combination of flexibility, performance, and scalability. If you are considering using network storage, be sure to consult with a qualified IT professional to ensure that it is the right solution for your business needs.
Introduction
Network storage is a type of storage that is accessed over a network. It allows for centralised storage and data management and can be used by multiple users simultaneously. There are many different types of network storage, but one of the most popular is network storage with both ethernet and USB ports. Here are some of the advantages of this type of storage.Â
Increased Flexibility
One of the benefits of using Network storage with both ethernet and USB ports is that it provides increased flexibility. Ethernet is typically used for data transfer at higher speeds, while USB is typically used for lower-speed data transfer or for connecting devices such as printers or scanners. Having both types of ports available gives you the ability to choose the best type of connection for your needs.Â
Better Performance
Another advantage of using this type of network storage is that it can provide better performance. When you use USB ports for certain types of data transfer, it can cause the performance of your system to suffer. This is because USB uses a shared bus architecture, which means that all devices that are connected to the same bus compete for bandwidth. This can lead to decreased performance and increased latency. However, when you use ethernet for data transfer, it can help alleviate these issues.Â
Improved Scalability
Another advantage of using network storage with both ethernet and USB ports is that it can provide improved scalability. If you need to add more devices or users to your system, you can do so without having to upgrade your entire system. You can simply add more devices or users as needed, which can save you time and money in the long run.Â
 Overall, there are many advantages to using network storage with both ethernet and USB ports. If you are looking for a flexible, high-performing, and scalable solution, this may be the right option for you.Â
   Conclusion
Network storage provides many benefits over traditional Nas storage solutions. It is important to consider all of your options before making a decision on which type of storage to use for your business needs. In many cases, network storage with both ethernet and USB ports provides the best combination of flexibility, performance, and scalability. If you are considering using network storage, be sure to consult with a qualified IT professional to ensure that it is the right solution for your business needs.    Â
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ohhhh thats why this guy is named moles
#^ watching electric dreams#original nonsense#personal#WHY WOULD YOU PURPOSEFULLY DUMP LIQUID O NA COMPUTER#this duet scene is so cute im gonna cry#this guy is so embarassiny for real im cringing. OH WAIT ALSO THIS WOMAN WAS IN CANDYMAN?????#cant he just unplug the things from his appliances if he doesnt want a smart house anymore.#this is so cool fr wait are they watching casablanca.#is that humphrey bogart. anyways. this litttle computer is literally alive its so cool#i do love that he tells the computer to have a good time. so cute.#JEFF LYNNE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! đđđđ„đ„đ„đ„đ„đ„đ„ Is in the ost#oh the computer shrieking I WANT TO!! is a lil scary. i like it#this is weirdly relevant to modern discussions of ai art.#SCREAMS AND CRIES AND CRIES. he didnt have to do that.#THAT WAS SO CUTE WTF AWWWWWWWEEWRRWEEEEE#SERIOUSLY WHAT A SWEET MOVIES WHAT....!!!! im going to cry#this song goes out to the ones i love :-) <- WHAT!!!!!!
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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?
~~
âShhhhhhâŠJaem! We are going to get in trouble!â you squeal, dodging the tall manâs grabby hands as you wobble, almost dropping into the sparkling water of the pool under the night sky.
âLoosen up, silly,â 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 Jaeminâs houseâŠ?
âThis is your house, right?â 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.
âI live here, yes,â 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.
âMy uncle is letting me stay with him for a few months before I find my own place.â
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. Jaeminâs 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.
Jaeminâs 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.
âJaeminâŠdonât even think about itâŠâ 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.
âNa Jaemin!â 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 Jaeminâs but a beautiful pale blonde, dry and silky.
âUncle Markkkk,â 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 manâs gaze.
âItâs late, use the indoor hot tub if youâre going to be out here. I donât need pissed off neighbors,â he adds before turning on his heel to head back in the house. You donât miss how his plump ass is accentuated by the silky material and have a hard time dragging your eyes away. Before heâs even out of sight, Jaeminâs hands are hungrily all over you again, sliding up your wet back to massage your shoulders.
âJaemin, stop,â you warn, avoiding his kiss with a shake of your head. Getting caught has thrust you back to an embarrassed reality and youâre already plotting your escape via a long Uber ride back to your apartment.
âDonât worry about Mark, heâs cool, I promise,â 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.
âFine, but take me inside, you owe me a shower and warm clothes,â 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 Jaeminâs 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 heâs 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 Jaeminâs 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 someoneâs 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.
âJaeminnie, we need to talk about last night,â 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 hadnât lowered the newspaper he was reading.
âYou canât just keep fucking every beautiful girl you meet in my pool. What would my brother say about how Iâm letting you spend your summer?â he continues in a condescending tone as you back up against the island, nervous to turn around.
âAnd by the sounds of you two in the shower, it sounds like sheâs sexy as hell and quite the catch, so donât you think itâs about time you settled down?â 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.
âQuite the catch? Sexy as hell? Oh do tell me more about this beautiful girl,â you reply with a smirk, pulling the newspaper from the shocked manâs face.
âJesus, fuck, Iâm so sorryâŠâ Mark trails off as you push the hood off your head, shaking your locks temptingly and giving him a quizzical cock of your brow.
âDonât be sorry,â 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.
âI heard someone leave early so I assumed it was you. I had no idea you were still here,â 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.
âHe had to head to work. He said you wouldnât be here,â 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.
âCan I make you a cappuccino? Some eggs?â he asks, sitting up in the chair, bare knees bumping against yours and sending a shiver up your spine.
âHmm I was thinking of how I could repay you for your hospitality. This is quite a beautiful home you have here, Uncle Mark,â 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.
âMark, please, just Mark,â he replies, voice coming out gravelly, eyes dying to roll into the back of his head at the name.
âAnd itâs fine, I donât know how to make eggs anyways,â he adds, squeezing your hand gently as you move your other to the belt at his waist.
âOf course a filthy rich guy like you doesnât cook,â 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 isnât 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 heâs going to kiss you. He chuckles instead, breath warm across your lips as he tugs at the hood of the sweatshirt.
âTake this off now,â 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 youâve 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. Heâs dripping with sex appeal and you canât help but stare. Heâs definitely older than you and Jaemin but canât 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.
âNow whereâs that thank you I was promised?â 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 itâs 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 Markâs 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.
âCome 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,â 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. Youâre 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.
âHoly hell, thatâs good,â 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 heâs about to say something devious.
âMELT! Babe, are you here?â 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.
âWell, well, well, what do we have here? Looks like Markie found something fun to do instead of tennis this morning,â comes his warm voice as he leans against the entryway to the kitchen.
âAh Hyuckie, let me be, I texted you while you were golfing,â Mark says with a roll of his eyes and a huff, reaching a soft hand to your chin to pull you to your feet.
âMeet my not-so-better-half, Haechan,â 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.
âSheâs cute,â he says to Mark, dipping his head down to brush his lips against your collarbone, tongue darting out to taste some of Markâs cum on your skin.
âTastes good too,â he adds with a smile.
âDid you enjoy sucking off my husband, darling?â he asks, dark eyes swimming with mischief. He looks breathtaking up close, features just as pretty as Markâs and voice dripping with lust.
âHusbandâŠâ 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?
~~
#nct smut#nct x reader#mark lee fanfic#mark lee x reader#mark lee smut#mark lee#nct fanfic#jaemin x reader#jaemin smut
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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...
#ice writes#twisted wonderland#twst#twst sebek#sebek zigvolt#twisted wonderland sebek#sebek x reader#merry twstmas event#400 follower event
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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 donât know, you werenât there; Bad dream; âThere has to be another wayâ; 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 OâNeilâs apartment, one turtle canât help but think that this whole situation is indirectly his fault.   Notes: So, looking at the timeline, I donât think that thereâs 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 thatâs where Iâve placed this. I also know there wasnât actually much time between Karai waking up in Aprilâs apartment and the final battle, but, eh, letâs 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 Aprilâs 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. Â 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, Donatelloâs sleep was anything but restful. Dreamsâmemory fragments?âplayed 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 wouldnât be able to glean much from them. Still, they were poignant in is dreams, leaving his mind in turmoil.
His giant, clawed hand around Mikeyâs leg. His fatherâs 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 Bishopâs men tried to gun him down. Anger as Leo shot him again and again with tranquilizer darts.
Pain. Pain, pain, pain, pain, painpainpainpainapainâ
These dreams werenât unusual. Heâd been having them off and on for months. Theyâd started a few weeks after heâd 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 heâd gone through. Theyâd 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 hadnât 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 couldnât shake.
Every so often, though, a more intact memory would come through. It was usually a few minutes of something heâd observed or done when heâd 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 Donâs 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 didnât know where that was, but he needed it. Heâd been trying to get out of this trap for hours, beating, beating, beating on it. But it wouldnât 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 didnât understand them.
âThere has to be another way, Leo!â
The one addressed shook his head. âThere isnât one, Raph.â
âWhat about the Utroms?â the third asked. âOr the Triceritons? Couldnât we ask them for help?â
The big creature shook his head. âIt 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.â
Something in the third oneâs expression stirred something inside him, but he didnât understand it, and just continued to watch.
âThen is this the only option?â 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. âAs much as I hate to admit it, I am afraid that it is, Master Splinter.â
âThere ainât nothing else?â the first one said. âNothing we can steal or get for you? Yer a smart guy, LH! Orâor what about the Justice Force? Theyâve got all kinds of things, right?â
âI asked,â the third one said. âBut⊠thereâs no one there that understands all of, well, this,â he said, gesturing to the group.
The first one looked back at the second one. âSo, this is it? We just take Donnie to that mad man that caused this problem in the first place, and let him have him?â
âNo.â The second oneâs voice was strong. âNo, we donât just hand him over. This is Don. Heâs our brother. Someone will be with him all the time.â
âAinât gonna do us a lot of good if Bishop decides to just keep us all,â the first one said.
âI know,â the second one said. âBut⊠thereâs no other options. Iâve been over this in my head a million ways, Raph. This is the only thing we can do. There is no other way.â
All eyes traveled over to him. He didnât like it. He didnât like the way they were looking at him. There was something there and he didnât 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 Donâs awareness.
Rage at Stockman, who seemed as little more than twigs walking. âThere has to be another way!â Pain from things being jabbed in his side from Bishopâs men. âThere isnât one.â Fear as a gas filled the new cage he was in. âThen this is the only option?â 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. âIâm afraid that it is.â The overwhelming desire to runbreakhidefight all at once. âThereâs no other options.â
Pain. Pain, pain, pain, pain, pain painpainpainpainpainpainâ
âThereâs no other way.â
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 werenât going off, and Don couldnât hear any threats from outside.
âThere has to be another way!â
âThereâs no other way.â
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?
âThere has to be another way, Leo!â
âThere isnât one, Raph.â
âWhat about the Utroms? Or the Triceritons? Couldnât we ask them for help?â
âIt 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.â
âThen is this the only option?â
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.
âSo, this is it? We just take Donnie to that mad man that caused this problem in the first place, and let him have him?â
âNo. No, we donât just hand him over. This is Don. Heâs our brother. Someone will be with him all the time.â
âAinât gonna do us a lot of good if Bishop decides to just keep us all.â
âI know. But⊠thereâs no other options. Iâve been over this in my head a million ways, Raph. This is the only thing we can do. There is no other way.â
Don drew in a big breath, held it, and let it out. The memory was coming back to him, now. Heâd seen fragments of it before, but they were all connecting, snapping into place. Heâd known his brothers had taken him to Bishop. Heâd known theyâd negotiated with him for a cure. Heâd know that theyâd had to go and get something from Karai for Bishop, although heâd 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. Sheâd 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 hadnât realized what it wasâor just how it had caused this apocalyptic nightmare they were now in.
âThis is all your fault!â Karai snapped. âYou stole the Heart of Tengu from me! You were the ones that set the Mystics free!â
âWe may have stolen it from you, Karai,â Leo said, âbut we had nothing to do with setting the Mystics free.â
Karai scoffed. âThen 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?â
Raph growled. âYer barking up the wrong tree, sister,â 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.
âIt was payment,â Leo said, interrupting anything else that might be said. âWe had a need. That was the payment required to ensure the deal.â
Karai spread her hand towards the windows. âAnd look what that âpaymentâ has cost everyone,â Karai mocked. âWas it worth dooming the world for?â she demanded.
Something sure seemed to settle in each of Donâs brothers and his father, even as Leo spoke again. âYes. It was, Karai. And Iâd do it again. We all would.â
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 heâd 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 hadnât 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 wasnât 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 couldnât 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 didnât have all of his endurance back. Training with the Tribunal hadnât 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 heâd be back to normal. However, he also knew that there was a good chance that heâd 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 boâboth 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 wasnât 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 wasnât sure how Kirbyâs room had survived the fire and explosion of Aprilâs building, but somehow it had. Kirbyâs 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. Heâd apparently had no family to come collect the things, and April, not knowing what to do with them, had put them back. Sheâd 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. Heâd 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.
âDon?â 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 Donâs bo propped against the bed in easy reach. âAre you okay?â
Don shrugged and turned the geode over in his hand.
âJust thinking,â he said. âIâm aching a little, too.â
Leo frowned sympathetically, and moved further into the room, coming to sit beside Don. âI can understand that. Anything I can do?â
Don let out a small, half-amused noise. âNot unless you can rewind time and keep me from getting the wound to begin with.â
Leoâs mouth twitched up in a smile. âIf I could do that, I would have done that to begin with.
âThere has to be another way!â
âThereâs no other way.â
Don frowned as the memory resurfaced, complimenting Leoâs words.
Leo, of course, took notice, and his smile faded away, too. âWhat is it?â he asked.
Don looked down at the rough outer surface of the geode, running his thumb on it. ââŠWas it really the only way?â he asked quietly.
He felt Leo stiffen a little at his side. âDon, what do youââ
âThe amulet,â Don said. âIâI 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 didnât seem to think that there was.â
Leo was still. âI remember that conversation,â 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. âWas it the only way, Leo?â he asked. âWas it truly? I understand why you did it. Iâm 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.â He was staring firmly at the rock now. âIâm not worth the world, Leo. Iâm not worth all of those peoplââ
Suddenly Leoâs hands were on his shoulders, and his brother was roughly forcing Don to face him. Startled, Don dropped the geode and looked up. Leoâs face was set, grim, and yet full of barely contained emotion.
âDonatello, I never want to hear you say that again,â he said firmly, fiercely. âYou are worth it.â
Donâs own mouth settled into a grim line, the startlement fading. âAm I?â he said. âTo you, to our family, yes, I am. But if you compare my life to the lives of everyone else, then no, Iâm not.â He gently but firmly moved himself out of Leoâs grasp on his shoulders and leaned down to pick up the geode, wincing as he did. âIn the grand scheme of things, my life isnât worth any more than anyone elseâs.â He turned the geode up, looking at the crystals. âThere had to be another way to get me back.â
âThere wasnât.â Leoâs voice was firm, sure.
âThere would have been, in time,â 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. âThere was no other option,â he repeated, his voice rising a little bit.
âThe options werenât fully explored. Iâve seen the notes and Iââ Don started.
Leo suddenly leapt to his feet, fire in his eyes. âYou donât know! You werenât there!â he said forcefully, his voice raising even more.
Don turned to look at him, and Leo backtracked, reigning himself back in.
âI mean, of course you were there,â he said, his voice a little quieter. He ran a hand across his head, frustration in the movement. âBut you werenâtâyou werenât you,â he said. âIt was like I said to Raph and Mikey once. I kept looking to you to ask what we were going to do but⊠you werenât there.â He looked at Don, with pleading eyes. âYouâve got to understand, Don. We explored everything as best we could. There was no other way.â
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. âThen itâs my fault,â Don said quietly.
Leo stared at him a moment, confused. âWhat?â
âThen itâs my fault,â Don said turning back around. He leaned on his bo. âYouâre right. I wasnât there. I was⊠I was a raging, mindless beast who didnât understand anything that was happening.â His jaw tightened a little. âI didnât know anyone or anything. I didnât even understand when I was safe. All I knew was pain and rage. I wasnât there.â
âDon, Iââ Leo started, but Don shook his head and cut his brother off.
âI wasnât there before that, though.â He looked Leo in the eye. âI saw Leatherheadâs 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 wasnât ever going to be able to find a cure, because I was already ânot there.â By the time we got back from the past, my reasoning was too far gone.â
Leo was silent, the analysis evidently taking him by surprise. Don forged ahead, reaching to run his fingers over the geode again.
âI never was going to find a cure,â he said firmly. âAnd it was my fault for not taking the wound seriously to begin with.â Donâs voice began to pitch up a little. âAnd 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 wouldnât have double mutated,â the words spilled out of his mouth, falling quicker and quicker, his grip on his bo tightening. âIf I hadnât double mutated, then all of you wouldnât have gone to Bishop for a cure. He wouldnât have instructed you steal the Heart of Tengu. The Foot Mystics would have never gotten free. They wouldnât have been able to kill the Tribunal and our friends. The Demon Shredder wouldnât have been revived. And the fate of the world wouldnât be hanging in the balance!â
Don whirled back to face Leo, who had been silent, watching as Don laid out his reasoning, grasping his bo with both hands now. âSo, you see, Leo, this is all my fault! The world could end, we could all die, and itâs all my fault because I didnât move out of the way of an enemy in time!â
For a moment, there was silence. Then Leo looked at Don and frowned. âAlright,â he said, crossing his arms. âIt is all your fault.â
Don wavered where he stood. âWhat?â
âIt is your fault,â Leo said. âYouâre right. If you hadnât gotten that wound, then none of this would have happened.â
Don hadnât 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 wasnât finished though. âBut Iâll say it again. You donât know. You werenât there.â Leo took a step towards Don. âYour notes may not have been reliable towards the end, but they were better and more extensive than anything Bishop or Stockman had.â
âBut⊠they made the cureâŠâ Don said, confused.
âYeah, they did,â Leo said. âFrom your notes.â Leo sighed and put his hands on Donâs shoulders, both comforting and supporting Don. âThey lied to us, Don. They said they had a cure when they didnât. 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.â
âTheyâwhat?â Don stared at his brother, trying to process this new information.
Leo nodded. âLeatherhead said that the only reason your notes were as well-researched and extensive was because you were testing yourself. Donât you see, Don?â Leo asked.
Don stared at his brother, waiting for Leo to explain.
âBecause 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.â
Leo gave Donâs shoulders a squeeze. âYes, 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.â He gave Don a tight smile. âYou didnât bring about the danger weâre in now. Bishop did, by trying to build a fake danger, and then by lying to us.â
Don stared at Leo, blinking as his brain processed the information. ââŠOh.â He could feel himself trembling just slightly. He shook his head. âButâstill. You stole the Heart of Tengu to save me.â He glanced at the doorway, as if he could see outside through it. âI still feel responsible.â
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 Donâs shoulders to pull him in. âYouâre not. BesidesâŠâ Leo hesitated. âI donât know how to explain it, but⊠it feels like this was always supposed to be us? I think⊠I think that even if it hadnât been to save you, then something would have happened to the Heart of Tengu anyway, and weâd be in a similar position.â
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.
âIf youâre sure, Leo,â Don said, slumping a bit against his brother, tired and aching.
âIf Leoâs sure about what?â
Mikeyâs 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.
âIf Iâm sure that Donâs not responsible for everything thatâs happened,â Leo said.
âHe ainât,â Raph said bluntly.
âOhhh,â Mikey said. âThis is because of the Heart of Tengu thing, isnât it?â
Don shot a Mikey a startled look. âHow did youââ
âHow did I know?â Mikey said, coming into the room and plopping himself down on the other side of Don. âYou 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?â Mikey grinned. âCome on, Donnie, gimme a little credit.â
âI donât say this often, but Mikeyâs right,â Raph said. He strode forward and poked Don in the forehead, before taking his bo from him and setting it to the side. âYouâve been overthinkinâ everythinâ durinâ your recovery. Wasnât hard to figure youâd take what Little Miss Shredder said to heart.â
Don frowned and looked down at his leg again. His hand traced over his scar, wincing a little as he did. âI guess. Itâs justââ
âNope, no âitâs justâ,â Mikey said. âWhatever Leo said, he was right.â
âIt ainât your fault, Don,â Raph said, his voice quiet. âIt never was.â
Don sighed, his hands rubbing at the stretch marks on his thighs. âIt still feels like it is.â
âWell, no matter if it feels like it or not, it isnât,â Leo said.
Don looked up at his brothers, giving them a weak smile. âItâll take some time for me to internalize that,â he said.
Raph made a shooing motion, obviously trying to encourage Don to lie down. âYeah, well, while youâre working on that, we can work on you,â he said. âYer hurting right now, arenât you?â
Don grimaced. âItâs⊠never really left,â he admitted. âItâs just worse tonight.â
Raph let out a huff of frustration. âDon. Youâre suppose to tell us these things.â He looked over at Mikey and Leo. âYou two know what to do.â
âRight-o!â Mikey said, and practically tacked Don to the bed.
âHeyâwhat--!â Don protested.
âNuh-uh,â Mikey said, draping himself over Donâs shell like some sort of starfish. He put his head right on top of Donâs. âYou said that heat makes your shell feel better, so Iâm about to be your own personal heater!â
âYouâre too heavy to be a heater,â Don grumbled, trying to get comfortable under Mikeyâs weight.
âIâve got his legs, you get his arms?â Raph said to Leo.
âSounds good to me,â Leo said.
âGuys, you donât have to do this,â Don protested. âItâll fade back to a tolerable level eventually.â
âHm, I dunno, bro. Eventually sounds like itâll take to long, especially when we can do something about it now,â Mikey said. He booped the back of Donâs head with his snout. âCome on, Don. Let us help you.â
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. Mikeyâs heat on his shell helped, too, although he wasnât 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.
âYouâre still recovering,â Leo said to him, softly, as he worked. âPhysically, mentally, and emotionally. Let us take care of you. Because while you might not think youâre worth the world, to us you are.â
Somewhere above Don, Mikey snorted. âThat was one of the cheesiest things youâve ever said, Leo,â he cackled.
Don heard the thwap of Mikey being hit. âShut it, chucklehead,â Raph said. âIt might be cheesy, but itâs true.â
âNever said it wasnât,â Mikey protested. âJust that it was cheesy.â
Don chuckled quietly at the interactions and decided to stop protesting his brothersâ 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 didnât protest, but instead let himself be cocooned within his brothersâ 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 wasnât sure heâd 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 brothersâ 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.
âYou see?â the Ancient One said, very softly. âI told youâthey needed this night. Their bond is strengthened. Donatelloâs spirit is a peace, cutting off that avenue of attack. This bonding will only serve them well in the coming battle.â
Splinter looked over his sons, too many emotions running through him for him to properly express any of them. âIt will,â he agreed instead. âI can only hope that it will keep them safe.â
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.
âHow are you going to cover them up? They are all tangled,â he asked, although he moved forward to help Splinter unfold the blankets.
âAs I did when they were mere babies. I will cover the whole pile,â Splinter explained. âCreating a âshellâ for them to seek comfort in.â
âAh.â 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 sonsâ 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.
#tmntwritefight#tmntwritefight fic#tmnt#tmnt 2003#tmnt donatello#tmnt leonardo#tmnt fanfic#tmnt fanfiction#Turtle--thoughts#personne-writes#azucar-skull#teainthesnow#pileofpawns#rbtlvr#drebspells2022
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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 đđ( brother we know he got a wonderful bakery, but staring in open and that too off someone's manđđ , 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 đđ
Someone is not happy with this đđđđđ
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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 doesnât 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
#all the tmnts#tmnt#tmnt 90s#tmnt 2012#tmnt 2003#tmnt 2007 mikey and donnie#tmnt raphael#rottmnt#tmnt 2023#tmnt mm#stop being fucking toxic and grow up#also maybe dont use slurs?? like you are not defending anything by spreading hate#raph fans are great just not these 3#just remember there is way more good out here than bad
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ĐŃĐ°ĐœĐžŃлаĐČ ĐĐ°ŃĐșĐŸĐČĐžŃ ĐŁĐŒĐ±ŃĐ° (Branislav MarkoviÄ Umbra)
Serbian, b. 1955 (Artist Lives in Novi Sad, Serbia.)
"Mgla na Jahorini" 2014.
56x38cm, Papir. (Fabriano 300g/m)
đ ps. Fabriano is a town and comune of Ancona province in the Italian region of the Marche, at 325 metres (1,066Â 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).
#ĐŃĐ°ĐœĐžŃлаĐČ ĐĐ°ŃĐșĐŸĐČĐžŃ ĐŁĐŒĐ±ŃĐ°#b. 1955 serbian#branislav markoviÄ umbra#akvarel#watercolor#fabriano 300g/m
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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)
#its after midnight and my brain has been doing this for hours#help#the magnus protocol#tmagp arg#tmagp spoilers#original post#my magnus protocol stuff
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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.
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How can a NAS Boost Productivity in the Enterprise?
A NAS storage solution can provide many benefits for an enterprise, including increased productivity. By storing data and files in a central location, NAS makes it easy for employees to access the information they need from any location and from any device. In addition, NAS provides added security by backing up data and files off-site. This ensures that critical data is always available in the event of a disaster.
In todayâs business world, time is money. The more time your employees spend on productive tasks, the more money your company will make. Thatâs why itâs so important to have a reliable and efficient storage solution in place. A network attached storage (NAS) device can help increase productivity in your enterprise by providing a fast and easy way to access data.Â
How NAS Works
A NAS storage solution consists of two main components: a storage server and client software. The storage server is a file server that is connected to a network. The client software is installed on each user's computer and provides a link between the user and the storage server. Users can access their files on the storage server from anywhere using the client software.
A NAS device typically consists of one or more hard drives that are configured in a RAID array. RAID stands for âredundant array of independent disks.â RAID allows information to be stored on multiple hard drives so that if one drive fails, the data can be retrieved from the other drives.
The Benefits of NAS
There are many benefits that come with using a NAS system. One of the most important is that it can help boost productivity. When data is stored in a centralised location, it's much easier for employees to access the information they need. This can save a lot of time and energy that would otherwise be spent searching through different file locations.Â
There are many benefits of using NAS storage solutions , including:Â
- Increased productivity: Employees can access the data and files they need from any location and from any device.Â
- Enhanced security: Data and files are stored in a central location and backed up off-site. This ensures that critical data is always available in the event of a disaster.Â
- Reduced costs: NAS solutions are typically more cost-effective than traditional storage solutions.Â
Conclusion:Â
A NAS device can help increase productivity in your enterprise by providing fast and easy access to data. By configuring a NAS device with the appropriate RAID level, you can also protect your data against loss and maximise storage capacity. When choosing a NAS device for your business, be sure to consider your specific needs so that you can select the best possible solution for your company.
NAS provides many benefits for enterprises, including increased productivity, enhanced security, and reduced costs. If you are looking for a storage solution for your business, consider NAS. It could be just what you need to boost productivity in your organisation.
If you're looking for a way to increase productivity in your business, look no further than a network-attached storage system. With its many benefits, including easier access to data and improved collaboration, a NAS system is an ideal solution for businesses of all sizes. Implementing a NAS system is just one of the ways you can set your business up for success. Contact us to know more.
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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)Â 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."Â
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 wasâŠ
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.
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SEONGHWA SAN JAEMIN
HI BUBS THANK U FOR PARTICIPATING âșïžđ€§
let's play slow burn / fake date / e2l!
this one was tough, i think sofnksjd i had to ponder on it but đ
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 NEIGHBORâcoughs 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 đ€§ 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 pointâor r they lies anymore...? đâš
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 coincidenceâANYWAYS !!! 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 :')
#sungbeam strikes again#moot â§#chip đ¶#nct x reader#nct dream imagines#nct dream x reader#ateez x reader#ateez imagines
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monday; 9th of october.
so ayun na nga, galing kaming Catanduanes recently â 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 â 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 â 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.
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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 Iâve 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 couldnât 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 brotherâs mind worked that he hadnât 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 wouldnât 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 couldnât 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 wasnât 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 Raphâs attention.
Well, that, and one little brother who it was best not to ignore for too long.
âAlright Donnie, ready to help me make dinner?â he asked as they walked into the kitchen.
Donnie, who he was carrying under his arm like a sack of potatoes, giggled and nodded. âMm-hm! Iâm ready to help, Raphie!â
He wiggled a little, clearly asking to get down, and Raph obliged, standing him on the counter.
âAlright. Weâre gonna have chicken, rice, and some veggies. Howâs that sound?â Raph asked.
âThat sound good!â Donnie said, bouncing on his toes. âWhich veggies?â
Raph thought for a second. âTell ya what. If you can get into the freezer by yourself, then you can pick them out, alright?â
âOkay!â 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 didnât 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 didnât really want Donnie messing with raw meat yet, so heâd 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 couldnât 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.
âThis one!â he said with a grin. âLook, it has baby corn and snap peas! I like baby corn and snap peas!â
âI know you do,â Raph said. âAlright, put it by the microwave. It wonât take too long to cook, so weâll do it later.â
Donnie carefully made his way to the microwave, and sat the bag of vegetables by it, before coming back towards Raph. âNow what?â he asked.
âHm. Well, since my hands are covered in raw chicken juice, how about you help me season the chicken?â 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 Raphâs 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.
âAlright. Now we just gotta do the rice,â Raph said.
âIâll plug up the rice cooker!â Donnie said, scooting along the counter to go do that.
Raph grinned at the enthusiasm, and got the rice, preparing it. It didnât 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 itâd be easier to do them now than to wait until after dinner.
âKeep an eye on that for me, will ya?â Raph asked Donnie. âIâm gonna wash some of these dishes.â
âMm-kay!â 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 werenât 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 againâand 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 onâand he couldnât always put them back together yet. They tried to keep him from doing it alone, especially since he wasnât 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. âDonnie? Bud? Watcha doing?â he asked.
Donnie didnât even look up from what he was doing, taking another piece off of the toaster with hisâyep, that was the Swiss army knife that he had been gifted on his birthday. âFixing the toaster,â he responded, laying another piece down. âItâs all dirty in here. Iâm cleaning it out and then Iâm gonna fix the spring so that the handle stays up better and the toast pops out better.â He looked back over at Raph. âThe 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.â
He grinned at Raph, all shinning eyes and missing teeth. âI can fix it, Raphie!â
Of course he would notice something small like that. And of course he would try to fix it. Raph let out a careful breath. âYeah, I see whatâs wrong with it, Donnie,â Raph said. âBut why donât you wait until after we eat to try to fix it. Maybe we can get LH to come over and--â
âBut I can fix it now!â Donnie interrupted, his bottom lip jutting out just a little. âI can do it!â
âAfter dinner,â Raph said firmly. âAnd with supervision.â The timer for the chicken went off, and Raph turned to attend to it. âLeave it alone for now, Donnie,â he said. âWhy donât you put the veggies in the microwave?â
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.
âFood in two!â 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 hadnât put the vegetables in, and hadnât moved from where he was sitting, still stubbornly playing with the toaster which was now completely disassembled.
âDonnie,â he said, his voice firm. âI told you do leave it until after dinner.â
âBut I can fix it now,â Donnie insisted.
Raph frowned, and tossed the bag of vegetables in the microwave, before turning back to his little brother. âItâs dinner time. You can come back to it after we eat. But itâs time to eat now.â
Raph recognized the stubborn spark that rose in Donnieâs eyes and settled in his shoulders. This was about to turn into a fight.
âNo,â Donnie said, resolutely. âIt wonât take me long! Look, itâs cleaner now! All I have to do is put it back together.â His hands reached for a couple of pieces. âIâll eat after Iâm finished.â
Raph suppressed a growl, but before he could do anything, he heard footsteps approaching.
âI heard dinner inâuh-oh,â Mikey stood in the doorway, watching.
âWhatâs uh-oh?â Leo asked, coming in behind him. He paused when he saw the toaster scattered on the counter. âOh,â he said.
âItâs nothing,â Raph said, his attention still squarely focused on Donnie. âJust trying to convince Donnie here to come to dinner. Dinnerâs almost ready, the table just needs to be set.â
âMikey and I can take care of that,â Leo said, knowing it was usually best to leave dealing with Donnie to whoever was already dealing with him. âCome on, Mike.â
The two moved, but Donnie refused to move from his spot. He scooted closer to the toaster.
âDonnieâŠâ Raph said. âTime to get off the counter.â
He should have known that wasnât going to work.
âNo!â Donnie said, the word just below being a shout. âIâm gonna finish this first!â He reached up and curled a hand into the bottom lip of the upper cabinets, doing his best to secure himself. âI can do it!â
âMy sons?â Splinter entered the kitchen. âIs there a problem?â
âNo problem, Sensei,â Raph said. âJust trying to convince Donnie to come to dinner.â
Splinter moved closer, and then seemed to nod to himself as he saw the mess. âI see,â he said. He looked back up at Don, clearly taking note of the stubborn way the little boy was sitting there. âCome, my son. You can finish this after we have all eaten, so that the food does not get cold.â
For a moment, Donâs resolved wavered just a bit, even as he clearly wanted to stay with the toaster.
âCome on, Donnie. I promise you can go back to it afterward,â Raph said. âWeâll get LH over to help.â
Something about what he said seemed to solidify Donnieâs desire to stay put. âNo!â he said, tightening his grip and beginning to look upset. âI-Iâm gonna finish this first!â he said, his voice starting to waver with tears. âI need to put this back together first! And Iâm going to before I eat! Iâm going to! Iâm going to put it back together!â
âCome on, Donnie!â Mikey said from the table, as he sat out plates. âWeâll get LH to come over like Raph said. You love LH! Heâll help youââ
âNO!â It was a shout from the normally quiet little boy. âI can do it myself! I can do lots of things myself!â his chin trembled, and he held tighter to the cabinet. âI can! And-and-and I donât care if the food gets cold! All of you can eat it! Iâll make mine warm laterâafter I fix this!â
Splinter straightened up. âDonatello,â he said in his no-nonsense voice. âThat is enough. You will eat dinner with us.â
âNo!â Donnie yelled out, and Splinter reached up to take him off the counter himself. âNo!â
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.
âDonatello,â he said firmly. âYou will sit with us and eat your dinner!â
âNo!â Donnie said, and angrily pushed his plate away from him. âNo! I donât wanna eat! I wanna fix the toaster! I wanna fix it! Why wonât you just let me fix it!â
It was clear that this was becoming a full tantrum, and Splinter, clearly having none of it, picked Donnie up again.
âWe will be back,â he said over Donnieâs 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.
âGeeze,â Mikey said. âItâs been a long time since Donnieâs thrown a tantrum like that.â
âI know,â Leo said, looking over at Raph. âWhat happened?â
Raph shook his head, âI 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.â
âI wonder why, though?â Leo said. âSomething triggered the tantrum.â
âLetâs hope heâs not getting sick, like last time,â 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 theyâd 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.
âWhat do you have to say?â Splinter asked the boy.
Donnie opened his mouth, looked at Raph, at the toaster, and then back at Raph.
âIâm still gonna fix the toaster!â he said defiantly.
âDonatello!â Splinter said.
Donnieâs chin began trembling again. âI-I am! Iâm going to fix it!â
âDude. Why not just wait until LHââ Mikey started.
âNo!â Donnie yelled, cutting him off even as tears began to rise in his eyes again.
Raph let out a frustrated noise. âWhy is this so important to you!â he halfway yelled back, exasperated at Donnieâs 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. âIââ
âWhy wonât you ever let me do anything!â Don sobbed out. âI can do it! I can fix it! But you wonât let me! None of you will let me! Iâm smart! I know how! I can do it! I can do it! I can do it!â
His words turned into noisy sobs and desperate tears, and Splinter reached down, bundling the boy up in his arms. âAh,â he said. âI think I understand.â
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.
âWhen 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.â Splinter ran a hand up and down Donnieâs shell, trying to comfort him. âPerhaps in our zeal to protect him, we have instead stifled him.â
Donnie was a bit calmer now, although still clearly upset. âI can do it,â he said his voice muffled from where he was curled into Splinter. âI can put it back together all by myself.â
Oh. Oh, that hit a bit different and explained things. Raph looked at his baby brother, new understanding forming. It wasnât 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 Donnieâs shell. âHey, Bud. Iâm sorry I didnât understand,â he said softly. âItâs not that I donât think you can put it back together, itâs that I donât want you to hurt yourself, okay? The idea of you getting hurt scares me, and I want to keep you safe.â
Donnie kept his face buried in Splinter. âBut Iâm safe,â he said. âI know all the protocols! LH and Aunt April taught me! I just wanna do it by myself, âcause I can!â
âWe understand that, my son,â Splinter said, pressing his nose to Donnieâs head. âBut 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.â
Donnie didnât say anything, but he nodded a minute amount.
âYou will be allowed to fix the toaster, by yourself,â Splinter said. âBut only after you have both eaten and apologized to your brothers.â
Donnie sniffed and nodded. âOkay,â he said.
Splinter let the boy get down, and he looked up at his brothers, before looking down at his feet again. âIâm sorry,â he said in a small voice. âI shouldnât have thrown a fit. That wasnât right. I shoulda used my words better.â
âItâs alright,â Leo said. âWe forgive you.â
Donnie sniffed, and looked up at his brothers, taking in their expressions, and then looked back at Splinter.
âYou are forgiven, my son,â Splinter said. âNowâcome eat your dinner. Afterwards, you will repair the toaster, and then we will discuss your punishment for the tantrum.â
Donnieâs eyes grew a bit wet again, but he just nodded. âYes, Father,â 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.
âWell, that was something,â Mikey said.
âCertainly not the way I expected things to go,â Leo agreed.
âYeah, butââ Raph looked at his family. âWhat are we gonna do about this? I donât think we can just keep Donnie from taking things apart anymore.â
Splinter shook his head. âNo, 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 Donatelloâs education going forward. Perhaps it is time we gave him a little more freedom when it comes to his engineering endeavors.â
âUh-oh,â Mikey said, a teasing lilt to his voice. âHere it comes. Weâre gonna start finding screws and bolts and tools everywhere, probably with our feet, and itâll hurt worse than legos.â
âAnd weâll have to start making sure he doesnât sneak projects under his covers at night,â Leo said.
âAnd we will have to get used to mistakes, clanging, and small explosions,â Splinter said.
âYeah,â Raph said. âBut we dealt with it beforeâwe can deal with it again.â
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 didnât involve anymore tantrums.
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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.
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