neonleon | SERPENTINE HORIZON

[...oh, he took in and remembered that detail.]

[He didn't even explain why he didn't eat it with the slug/tentacles intact anymore.]

[And no pineapple even though he likes it-]

[GONNA]

[Pick up a Creepy Supreme and plain ham]

[Not a thing stopping him! But they're at least warm, the perfect temperature.

When he takes a bite, he'll feel that warmth soaking down to his bones. Like the best weighted blanket Leo got him for their birthday a few years back that April helped pick out. And Leo's voice in the back of his mind.

You've got this, Dee. Just keep your head on straight and you got this. Encouraging and sure, like the rooftop. A blue light coats him for just a moment before gradually fading.

Donnie received one (1) strength power up.]

[Oh no]

[He expected delicious pizza, HE DID NOT EXPECT]

[THE FEELINGS AND MEMORIES]

[This is emotional terrorism, EMOTIONAL TERRORIST LEO.]

[He's kind of crouched down, arm over head, taking a moment to Process The Feelings.]

[....the blue lingers, from longer than just the pizza.]

Right! Head on straight!

[After a minute, straightens up.]

[He'll take a look under tables. Gotta look for Secrets.]

[Surprisingly, no secrets under the table. Just the hustle and bustle of unseen patrons around them, the champion and cheater walls, and the mural portal next to the tunnel they came through.

Looks like this is just a quiet room.]

[Huuuuh]

[Lets check the Champion wall. Anything strange about the pictures?]

[The champion side of the wall has pictures of all sizes and proportions. Some with just Leo posing triumphantly, some with any combination of his brothers, and the top is a long panoramic of the whole family, including Cassandra, Draxum, and the Hamato spirits. But mostly of their winning battles, five photos of him standing in front of the Lair Games banner, and one posing in Donnie's empty room next to those.

The cheater wall has similar variety of photos, but the fronts all completely blocked with black marker so only the bare edges can be seen. Dark, muted tones or angry red.]

[Wait, why in his empty room, why is that on this wall?]

[TOUCH]

[It starts playing a recording, Leo setting his boxes down in the empty brother room Donnie lost in the last Lair Games.

But then he walks back to his old room, showing a video of Donnie staring up in bed, ears covered and in agony, and then up at the ceiling vent as their father's snores bellow through. And then back to Leo, smiling smugly.]

Edited 2022-12-05 16:04 (UTC)

[GASP]

You absolute cad! You scandalous reprobate! You swindling fleecer! [He]

[Rants for a minute.]

-complete jerk!

Edited 2022-12-05 16:11 (UTC)

[Yeah how's that loss feeling now? You still sure he did that One Thing on purpose if his goal was to lose?]

[He still beat Mikey and Raph, BUT THE SWEETEST VICTORY IS BEATING LEO.]

[Also still slammed their father's butt on his face so like]

[He still has THAT victory.]

[It does put the injury in a whole new light, but U G H]

[Hand on a solo victory, dealer's choice.]

[Solo victory -

A small photo, Leo looking about twelve. But he's smiling big and when the video starts, he's reaching up onto the counter to pull down a small, 6 inch one layer cake.

Happy birthday Raph!

He worked so hard on it. He even got Mikey to help. Getting candles on and while they're. Y'know. Sewer turtles, he did his best with this teddie, the stitching not quite entirely straight and the butt has a different color square patch on it but he's proud of it nonetheless.]

[....]

[He chose wrong, its a lot harder to be indignant when Leo is being stupidly cute.]

[Maybe he will do that to calm down, his indignation is a Later Problem, let's touch more tot victories.]

[They're all various sizes, but as Donnie goes through them, a lot of them are Tot Victories of Leo making his brothers happy in some way. Remembering something they liked or said they wanted, making them laugh, turtlepiling together. Those are victories in their own ways, knowing he made them happy.]

[...huh.]

[He is going to touch the first Lair game.]

[The first Lair Game.

Leo standing SO PROUD on the makeshift pedestal of a milk crate with a blanket over it. They were still figuring out the winner's box but it didn't matter because he won!

His brothers all look pretty let down, but who cares.]

[...]

[Okay.]

[Time to touch each one in succession.]

[Each one, similar playing. Absolute pride at winning standing on the progressively more elaborate winner's box, but each one more and more, a stronger feeling of joy being able to get their father's attention, even for just a little while. Their father not only paying attention, but proud of him and his skills.]

[Ah yes]

[The daddy issues]

[Ever present for the twins.]

[All right, time to touch the Shredder picture]

[The large panoramic picture comes to life with cheers, whoops and hollers. The brothers and April hugging each other tight, picking each other up and swinging them around excited. Even the feeling of their ancestors' pride and familial love comes through the frame, a green ninpo wrapping around Donnie's hand for just a moment -

Before it fades. A memory of a feeling.]

...

[Okay, just gonna try something.]

[Closing his eyes, focusing on that feeling]

[Oh reaching out, just to see if he can spark a connection with Leo through here.]

[The frame in his hand trembles under his touch, bits of blue sparking-

And then it fizzles out. The connection is too weak to carry a signal, but not by anything atmospheric. Seems to be a problem at the source.]

[Disappointing, but not surprising. Still. He figured it didn't hurt to try.]

[He sighs softly.]

[Okay, let's look at the cheater wall.]

[The cheater wall has all those blacked out frames with only hints of colors around the edges where marker couldn't quite fit against the frame itself. Muted blues and grays, purples and indigos, reds and magentas.]

[Whaaaat is going on with blues and grays.]

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