Twenty-fourth Theory [Action/Accidental Voice]

[i_speak_softly]

[Happy Sunday, Luceti. Donatello hopes you're having a better morning than he is. That shouldn't be very difficult, given that right now he's wishing he were dead.

He tends to feel that way when he's having a migraine. And right now he's having just about the worst one he's ever had. He woke up this morning with thirty-two years worth of memories trying to cram themselves into his sixteen-year-old brain, and the laws of nature just don't really like that kind of thing. Thus, Donatello will be lying in a dark room, moaning quietly to himself, until the superabundance of memories sorts itself out and normal mental functioning is able to resume.

He'd really appreciate some silence right now. But the journal is open on his nightstand, you can probably hear his misery, and nothing but the goodness of your heart is stopping you from making his horrible day even worse.]

Comments

[i_speak_softly]

[Don twists out of Raph's grasp, and stumbles towards the front of the house.]

Come with me, then.

[meanandgreen.livejournal.com]

All right, fine. Just don't push it.

[He follows Don out the door, trying not to fret. Fretting isn't his thing, and it's so not good for his blood pressure.]

[i_speak_softly]

[Here goes Don, weaving his way out of the house with fairly impressive speed. Once outside, he turns right, heading off the path and into the woods. With every step, he mumbles:] Shut up.

[meanandgreen.livejournal.com]

Donnie! [Raph takes off after him, but can't quite catch up. He's still not up to his full strength after losing his wing, and even before then he's always been the slowest.

The best he can do is grumble between breaths and try to keep up.] Dammit, Don.

[i_speak_softly]

[Don stops short, then looks over his shoulder, staring at you with a strange gaze.] No! He's mine!

[BRB, taking off again.]

[meanandgreen.livejournal.com]

[Holy shell, his brother's gone mental.]

Donatello! Get your ass back here!

[He's done playing this game 8|]

Now!

[i_speak_softly]

Stay away from me!

[Glance upwards - but no, tree climbing is not going to happen today. Swift lurching it is.]

[meanandgreen.livejournal.com]

[Okay, that's it. Raph pushes himself into a sprint that is fueled on pure brotherly protective fury. He doesn't know what the hell is going on, but it's making him sick to see Don acting like this.

He'll tackle his ass to the ground if he has to. This has got to end.]

[i_speak_softly]

[Yeah, that's not going to be difficult. Don's head bounces off the dirt and he sees stars.]

No! Let me go!

[meanandgreen.livejournal.com]

[Raph pins him to the ground and glowers down at him, talking through his teeth.]

What the hell is your problem?

[i_speak_softly]

I have to - have to -

[Forget words. Hyperventilating is a good answer, right?]

[meanandgreen.livejournal.com]

[Raph's vision blurs at the edges, muscles tense, and breath hisses through gritted teeth.

Then there's a sharp sound, his palm tingles distantly. Then he blinks and it all floods in with a rush of light and noise. He'd just smacked Don across the face. Hard.]

[i_speak_softly]

[Don chokes, coughs, gasps. A breath rattles down his throat, and he glares at something behind Raph's shoulder.]

Not - again. Not - yours.

[meanandgreen.livejournal.com]

[His grip tightens around Don's shoulders.] Knock it off!

[i_speak_softly]

[Don's muscles bunch under Raph's grip, but he doesn't try to push him off.]

I'm - winning - Raph.

[meanandgreen.livejournal.com]

[Now Raph's the one hyperventilating. His grip tightens even further, and he leans forward, pressing his forehead against his brother's.

Please. Please just fucking stop this.]

[i_speak_softly]

This. Is. Mine.

[For a moment, all is tense. Then the breath releases from Don's lungs, gusting around Raph's face to escape into the air.]

[And he goes limp.]

[meanandgreen.livejournal.com]

[Raph opens eyes he didn't realize he was closing and lifts his head away, loosening the grip around Don's shoulders.]

Don?

[i_speak_softly]

[Silence. Stillness.]

[Slowly, Don opens his eyes. A smile spreads across his face.]

Master Splinter - was right.

[meanandgreen.livejournal.com]

[When Don meets his gaze, Raph's eyes are red-rimmed and watery.

He's awake. He's okay.

Oh god, for a second there he thought he'd lost him. But that. That's Don's smile.

He sniffs and swallows down the tightness in his throat.]

Yeah?

[i_speak_softly]

[It's okay, bro. It's Don. Only Don.] Yeah.

[He lifts his hand, pushing lightly against the rim of Raph's shell.] Let me up.

[meanandgreen.livejournal.com]

[Raph swallows again and rolls off of Don, but stays seated on the ground, drawing his knees to his chest. He tries his best to scrub away the tears before they can fall.]

[i_speak_softly]

[Don rolls to his knees, fisting his hands in the dirt, taking a moment to regain his equilibrium. Then he looks up.]

... Raph?

[meanandgreen.livejournal.com]

[He sniffs and lifts his head, boldly meeting Don's eyes despite the burn pricking his own.]

What?

[i_speak_softly]

[Sorry. Thank you. Are you okay?]

... Nothing.