[Closed] Re-Acquaintance

[purplexing]

Who: Donnie purplexing, Huvrye effiomsfavorite and Leo faceguy
What: Huvrye finds out he's the proud dad of twins In which Donnie promptly forgot he fell asleep in some stranger's house
When: *waves a shoehorn vaguely*
Where: Huvrye and Leo's apartment, Central City
Content Warnings: N/A


Passing out at the end of a couch is comfortable and all until you wake up. Then the rest of your body dutifully reminds you of what a terrible decision that had been, to which you would argue that you didn't really have a choice when it was you, dear body, that gave out in the first place! Betrayal!

...not that Donnie hasn't woken up from such a position in numerous other instances. Just that this one is a lot softer than a worktable surface. Slowly pushing himself upright, the softshell stretches out his arms before rolling out his shoulders, slumping immediately as his brain kickstarts the rest of his waking routine.

-wait, where is he and who is sleeping behind him.

Comments

[faceguy]

Donnie stirring wakes Leo, pulling him back to awareness bit by bit. Having a hard shell for a back means it’s pretty hard to put a kink in it, but one of his arms is asleep and he grumbles under his breath as he opens his eyes.

He’s on the couch, and someone put a blanket over him at some point. He can smell coffee. And…

Donnie’s here, waking up next to him. Not a dream, or some cruel trick of his brain.

As a means of attracting attention, Leo stretches his arms and legs with the loudest and most obnoxious sigh he can, before shaking out the sleeping arm.

[purplexing]

His expression slowly pinches in at the sound, at the fingers and toes that enter his peripheral. His annoyance lasts just for a second as everything gets nudged back into place with his growing wakefulness. The suggestion of coffee certainly helps.

Right. Weird city, alternate reality?? Unknown apartment. And Leo.

Donnie curls back as much as he can to stretch out his spine before he swings an arm behind him with a yawn, a half-hearted bat at his brother for being annoying this early in the morning. Or... Actually he has no idea what time it is. He rubs at his eyes before blearily bringing up the interface of his computer.

[faceguy]

He huffs a laugh at the bat, not doing anything to evade. While Donnie messes with his tech, he'll root around in the blanket for his own phone, checking the time.

"...Welp. Guess I'm playing hooky today."

He could probably catch the bus if he hurried and got around, but nope. How can he go to class today when his brother just showed up? He's happy right here, thank you.

[effiomsfavorite]

Huvrye has had a busy night, and while he hadn't been expecting to cap it off with finding a second turtle teen asleep on the couch, he can roll with it. There's space, and it'll definitely be good for Leo to have family here.

(It also helps that he finally checks his texts to get the full context, or at least as much of it as Leo had seen fit to send.)

He'd tucked a spare blanket around Leo and spent the rest of the night reading in his room, heading back to the kitchen at sunrise to make coffee and letting the kids sleep as the morning wears on. There's probably something to be said for getting Leo up for school, but he doesn't bother with it. His brother just arrived last night. Let him take the day.

"I called you out," he says from the kitchen, and boy, had that ever been a process. "Didn't think you'd want to go today."

[faceguy]

Leo leans up from the couch so he can look into the kitchen, grinning big.

"That's why I keep you around, Huv." Hopefully his actual gratitude is evident in his tone. He hopes the school didn't give him too much trouble; at least Leo did put him down as his emergency contact.

Speaking of, though, he guesses introductions should be made.

"Donnie," he says now, swiveling on the couch so he can gesture more fully, "this is Huvrye, my roommate." And now he looks over at Huvrye again. "Huvrye, this is Donatello, aka Donnie, Dee, Donald, etcetera, my other, worser, less handsome half in middle brothering."

Listen, he may be happy to see Donnie again, but it doesn't stop him from razzing him at any given opportunity.

[purplexing]

Donnie opens his mouth to comment when a new voice chimes in. He freezes, his eyes slowly tracking towards the kitchen. Leo did mention something about a roommate. The concept is still a strange one, living anywhere with anyone other than direct family or even April.

He straightens up again, glancing back at Leo and the casual air in which his brother naturally delves into introductions. And then he frowns and promptly shifts himself around to sit properly beside Leo so he can better shove him over.

"Rooming with Leo, that is quite a feat. Congratulations- anyway yes, nice to make your acquaintance, never do I respond to 'etcetera.'"

[effiomsfavorite]

Huvrye's had more than enough time to get used to how Leo communicates; he can hear the gratitude, and so he doesn't sass back. Probably better to hold off on that while he's making a first impression anyway. He leans against the door frame, coffee mug in hand, and offers a smile. "Nice to meet you too. I was planning on sticking with Donnie, if that works for you." Leo calls his brothers by so many nicknames that Huvrye had, at one point, sat him down and demanded full names, if only to have some idea who Leo was talking about at any given time. One per person is just easier for Huvrye to wrap his mind around.

[faceguy]

Why is he getting a shove, what did he do? He is clearly a peach!

Also he didn’t even list all of the nicknames, so the etcetera was necessary! Though it would be weird if anyone other than their dad called them Blue and Purple, so those stay off the list of suggestions.

Anyway, other than acting appropriately affronted by the shoving, he’s just going to hang back for the moment. Is he nervous about what his brother and his roommate/effective guardian/surrogate-father-figure (shh on that last one) will think of each other? No, of course not!

(Okay maybe a little.)

[purplexing]

You know what you did Leon McSplinterson. Breathing his air is a high offense.

Huvrye gets a nod, even as Donnie's eyes flick momentarily from him to the coffee in his hands. "Perfectly acceptable," he says, and it seems all too quick for the awkward silence to settle in.

He's...not sure what to do with this. It shouldn't be complicated, he should be grateful that this guy's been nice enough to look out for one of his idiot brothers who's apparently been stuck here otherwise alone for some several months- not complicated at all! ...that's still an awful lot of months.

Donnie fidgets a little before his eyes slide towards Leo. He feels like he's being put on the spot and with his normally chatty brother being so quiet it is not making it easier for him.

[effiomsfavorite]

Nothing quite like feeling a conversation die. Leo's silence certainly isn't helping. He's the only one who knows them both - why is he being quiet? Huvrye's gaze flickers to him, then back to Donnie. Well, if Donnie's stuck and Leo isn't going to help, then Huvrye's going to do his best to salvage the situation. "Are either of you hungry? I'm pretty sure the breakfast pizza place is open."

[faceguy]

Welp, that went exactly nowhere. Guess it's up to Leon, as usual.

Leo hops up, smiling like this conversation is not a trainwreck. "Oh, heck yeah! They make a real solid breakfast pizza, for Michigan. Oh, that reminds me." He knocks his knuckles into Donnie's shoulder. "You have to help me convince this guy later that New York pizza is the best pizza in every possible iteration of Earth. He's been real contrary with me about it for some reason."

He will start moving, backwards so he's looking at Donnie, trying to coax him off the couch and toward the kitchen. "And sorry, Dee, no flavorless juice, but we have coffee! We can go on a grocery store run later. And I can show you around... There's a pretty decent skatepark near here I like to go to, and I found a real hole in the wall comic shop a few blocks over. This world has totally different comics, and no Jupiter Jim! Can you believe it?"

He doesn't move far from the couch unless Donnie gets up to follow him. But if he does, then he'll lead him into the kitchen.

[purplexing]

It is super weird feeling like you're the third wheel here. He's overthinking things again, he's sure.

Huvrye makes an attempt at least, and it's more than Donnie can offer. Leo tags himself back into things and yet even with the conversation trying to pick back up, Donnie still can't completely shake off the awkwardness. It might show on his face, an uncertainty that has no business being there, quickly crumpled up and shoved under a rug as he gives a snort, pulling on blessed neutrality.

"And you survived this long without? Well, I guess I cooooould share some of my vids from my phone."

Part of him wants to burrow under that blanket again, but he finally pulls himself to his feet, following Leo's lead.

[effiomsfavorite]

Huvrye heads back into the kitchen as Leo heads his direction. The mention of coffee doesn't go unnoticed; he pulls another mug out of the cupboard (purple, as he's been informed that purple is Donnie's color) and fills it, setting it on the counter for Donnie when he makes it to the kitchen. "It's just pizza," he says easily. "There's not really a difference." He knows that's not true - there's a difference depending on what place makes it, and Huvrye definitely has his preferences - but Leo is so insistent on it that he's taken to occasionally riling him up over it, just to see what argument he'll make next.

And maybe if Donnie cares about it as much as Leo does, it'll get him involved in the conversation. He doesn't know how long Donnie has been here, but waking up in someone else's home and having to talk to them immediately afterwards can't be easy.

the next day or so idk but before Huvrye gets shot

[faceguy]

Leo gives Donnie time to settle in before he suggests showing him around again. The last few days have been... emotionally taxing, to say the least, and Leo knows Major Change has never really been Donnie's favorite thing to begin with. Leo's main priority is making sure his brother gets sleep and food and anything else he needs to recover from sudden dimensional displacement.

But eventually things have calmed down, and Leo has convinced Donnie to come out with him - in disguises, of course, though not the full hologram watch (he needs to see if he can get a second one of those). It's sunset, anyway, and he doubts anyone will be looking too closely beyond their hoodies and masks.

"So down that way there's a pretty cool comic shop," he says, gesturing as he talks, "and a Chinese place that does late night takeout. And over that way," he points, "is a skatepark that I've been to a few times. And there's a mall not far away; we can get you more clothes there later, if you want."

He's been rambling like this since they got outside.

[purplexing]

Emotions are the worst. They make you tired even when you haven't physically done anything. It helps having someone who knows you well enough not to push you when you're just trying to work things out, but even Donnie knows he can't stay burrowed away in a room forever. Even with a phone and his computer, he still needs things to do. His brain demands it.

He is also a teenager, and if he's going to be stuck here then he needs to know what all's around, and anyway, hanging out with Leo provides some semblance of normal.

Kind of.

Leo's chatty, sure, but even this seems a bit more than he usually does. But then maybe it's because Leo hasn't seen him in so long. Donnie's willing to allow that as part of the reason, but it's getting kind of annoying when he just keeps going and going... The softshell's taking note of the sights and locations, but the moment Leo finally gives him a chance, he's quick to get a word in edgewise.

"Unless you're planning on giving me a pop quiz we don't have to go through everything in one evening you know. I know you're impressed with my memory but you can stop and breathe every now and then, yeah?"

[faceguy]

Leo jumps at the sudden interjection, and does have the sense to look sheepish. He knows he’s overdoing it, but he’s just… strangely nervous.

Not about talking to Donnie, so much as trying to sell him on a new way of life. It doesn’t help that he doesn’t particularly like Central City, but the Alliance won’t pay for him to live in New York so this is what he’s settled on. It’s better than Kansas.

“Hah, sorry. I’ve just never had to show somebody around before.” His grin turns more joking. “And I’d make a lousy tour guide, anyway; my handsome face would distract everyone from the sights!”

[purplexing]

"Or you'd talk their ears off," Donnie counters, allowing for a faint smirk. He still eyes his brother suspiciously. Had Leo really expected him to just shut up and take everything in? He'd have thought that the other turtle would be more relaxed with him around, especially after those confessions.

"So...can we talk about stuff other than city hotspots or are you just trying to distract me? For the record, I've been stuck with that face my whole lifetime so I am clearly immune."

[faceguy]

"Whaaat? Distract you? What is there even to distract you from?"

Other than the giant time gap between them or the fact that Donnie doesn't remember the Krang or Leo messing everything up and getting himself locked in another dimension, that is.

Okay maybe he is trying to distract him from that.

Except that's not really fair and he knows it.

"...We can talk about other stuff."

[purplexing]

If you didn't think those perfectly drawn brows could go any farther in opposite directions simultaneously then you'd be terribly wrong.

Donnie inhales for a sigh, but as it turns out, Leo's willing to be reasonable. Which...is concerning in some ways, but at least he won't have to chase his brother around with a figurative stick to get them on track. He lets that sigh out anyway, less dramatic and more weary, even if he's not actually tired. This is probably going to be sensitive ground to tread on and he's not entirely sure he's ready for more things to tackle, feelings-wise.

"Wow, okay... Um..." He scratches the back of his head. Where to even start? He's not good at being subtle about things, he's certainly not Mikey and his various doctor personas.

"I just..." He's terrible about expressing feelings unless he's driven into a corner, and for now he still has wiggle room. "Look, I know, weird, different Earth and then this, this time gap that shouldn't be there- but it is and I can't forget it's there- I wish I could but things are clearly different and as much as we're trying to pretend things are normal... Well, can they be?"

He really wants it to be but there are invisible things in the way that he doesn't know what to do about and it is driving him crazy.

[faceguy]

Dang, look at them go. He's pretty sure Donnie just set a new record for eyebrow raising.

He wonders where Donnie is going to go first, and what he gets isn't really the question he expects. Mainly because Donnie usually likes dealing in more concrete things than this; what he's asking is all emotions based.

And Leo isn't exactly Dr. Feelings either.

He wishes, not for the first time, that Mikey or April or Raph were here because any of them would probably be better at handling this than he is. But he's the one who's here, so he needs to suck it up and push through.

"Alright, jumping straight into the deep end, huh?"

He turns them toward the skatepark, mainly because he knows it won't be too busy now that the sun is going down.

"I've been trying to... act normal? I just didn't want it to be... hard for you." Like it was for him. He already told Donnie about that, though, and he doesn't really want to repeat it. "And I guess... I'm doing the opposite."

He groans, rubbing at his face. "Where's the "Kidnapped to Another Dimension" handbook?"

[purplexing]

That's probably why it's bothering him so much. This isn't a simple thing he can math out, there's no invention he can make to just flip a switch and make things the way they should be, at least not right-at-the-moment feasible. Shoving his hands into his hoodie pockets, Donnie follows Leo's lead.

He gives a light snort. "Key word, 'act.' Come on 'nardo." Still, it's not an exasperated response. The weak smile he offers with it suggests the effort was appreciated, but in the end it was still really weird.

"If there were books that could just explain how to work all this out I would've hauled you to the library first thing. ...actually that's not completely off the list, you haven't showed me where the local bibliotheca is." He jabs a finger at Leo's arm, somewhat teasing but Leo would know a library trip is unavoidably in their future at some point.

"Things we cannot deny; this is not New York, we are so far as we know only the two of us, and you have been incredibly deprived of your smarter, handsomer middle sibling. Honestly I can't blame you for wanting to try making up for lost time but you are practically dragging me along."

[faceguy]

At least the smile means he didn't completely screw up, maybe. He still wishes it had gone better, but it is what it is.

He bats Donnie's finger away, giving him a look. "I know you know that I have no idea where the library is." He didn't exactly make that his highest priority, or even a priority at all. Even with his recent promise to look for a certain book for Huvrye, he hasn't darkened the door of a public library yet and he won't until Donnie drags him there.

He gives a good natured eyeroll at the rest of that. As they near the skatepark, he jumps up on a short dividing wall and walks along it, hands behind his head.

"Alright, here's some more facts for you: this world is more used to seeing people who aren't human but still treats us like garbage. The guilds suck, but I'm playing along with them for now because I can't exactly get a real job or hack ATMs." Unlike someone, whose name he won't name. "And... I am now three whole months older than you."

Older twin status unlocked.

[purplexing]

"A solvable problem at least," Donnie smirks as he retracts his hand. He is definitely dragging Leo to the library, it's on his mental list now, soon to be transferred to his digital list but that can wait for now.

He slows to take in the skatepark once they come to the edge of it. Another mental note: acquire skateboard. While Leo takes the high road, Donnie for now opts to walk alongside of the wall. He nods along at the points presented, unsurprised on the first, really. Unfortunate but hey, guess they gotta deal. Guilds, well that's no surprise either. "Guess I dodged a bullet with them. Pff, like we had jobs before. We've gotten by before without jobs and guilds that threw their weight around so it shouldn't be difficult, right?" His plans had been to start from scratch once he got to New York, which on the tin had seemed reasonable but the longer it took to get there the more evident it had become that he was still going to have to do said things alone and he's not even sure how their father had managed at the start with four of them besides. What Leo says next effectively derails that potentially depressing train of thought.

"Gasp, how dare you take advantage of surprise time contingencies to claim older sibling status!" Donnie points at him as he expresses his displeasure. Worse yet, he can't even refute that fact. Curse you, Confluence. He will never hear the end of this.

[faceguy]

Leo can’t help but cackle at that. “I do dare! If I’m going to get slingshotted through time and space I think I deserve something.” And if that something is getting a slight edge on his age-twin then he’ll take it! It makes up for the inevitable library trip in his future.

He’ll circle back to the guilds, though, because that’s something they should probably talk about.

“You did dodge a bullet. And I think we should keep you off their radar as long as possible.” Sure, they threaten unregistered Metas with arrest, but that’s just their status quo.

Though his thoughts are similar to Donnie’s: how did their dad manage this while taking care of four rambunctious toddlers? And it’s hard to remember when but at some point they started leaning on Donnie pretty heavily to handle any mechanical needs they had. His appreciation for both his father and his brother are really skyrocketing.

He could just tell Donnie that now, but it feels entirely too sappy so he doesn’t.

“Besides the paycheck, the Alliance knows in advance when the Confluences are happening - they have psychics, apparently?” He can’t help but sound a little skeptical, but it’s held true so far. “Anyway, with that info we can keep an eye out in case anyone else shows up, at least until we get a better system. In the meantime, we can start working on a… mini-lair. For your lab and to double as a hideout if we need it.”

He knows he’s talking a lot again, but at least it’s productive this time!

“Only thing is…” He chews the inside of his cheek. “If you still want to go to school, it’ll be hard without them taking notice of you.”

So it would really be better if he didn’t, except Leo has been listening to him talk about school since they were old enough to learn what it is and he’d feel like a real jerk telling him no now.

[purplexing]

There's the Leo he knows. Even if it's for a completely annoying reason, Donnie's glad that they've finally managed to shatter whatever thin ice had built up between them. No matter how badly he'd like to throttle his now three-month-and-a-day older age twin. He wrings his hands and lets them drop, instead moving to swing himself up onto the wall to sit.

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. I can understand why they'd want to keep tabs on everyone who comes in but at the same time, I don't care for that amount of attention. And there are so many ways that could backfire. ...not that being green and a mutant turtle is very inconspicuous but you know." He shrugs.

"I heard about that though. Not sure how that works, I mean...I guess if it's an anticipating the future kind of thing that makes sense but so far as I've heard otherwise, no one's got anything solid on how these Confluences work and what all to expect of them." But he's not going to discount having some way to know when they occur if they can keep an eye out for the rest of the fam should the same thing draw them in.

Donnie nods then. "Oh definitely. The apartment's spacious and all but not really going to cut it for a lab or a workshop. I'm sure someone's going to complain about the inevitable noise. I was planning on looking into potential locations. Having a backup space to hide is never a bad option anyway."

He glances up at Leo at the hesitation in his brother's tone. Having his school dreams potentially shot down is more painful than he'd thought it would be, but he plays it off with a laugh. Totally forced. "Well clearly. If no one notices my superior intellect then that school's either chock full of geniuses or they just don't care, which would be ridiculous."