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[Well yes, he knows he wouldn't have just sat on his hands while something like that was happening. He knows wherever he was he must have done everything he could. But does that matter? The fate of the world and the lives of the people he now considers family—all of that went down on the frontlines. The vision of Casey's future that's literally carved into his mind tells him that whatever he was doing, it would have been for nothing.

Might still be for nothing, if he's from Casey's timeline and not theirs. If, if, if. He's getting so tired of if.]

Yeah, sure. [Palming his face, Draxum's sigh is resigned.] What is it?

[Draxum you overthink. Go sit in the corner. She can't address those brackets, she's not a mindreader, so back to her point:]

The guys are amazing. They're the ones that went toe to toe with the stupid bubblegum brigade and won. Because they're smart and brave, and that's on them. And they got their ninpo, that sure helped.

But they're also tough as hell, and that's on you.

[Somewhere, Splinter is clutching his chest with great offense.

He can stick it. Her voice is much softer.]

Leo was a mess when he got out. They all were. I think they beat the Krang with their own awesome, but they survived because of you.

[JFC THEY EXIST because of you. So rude.]

You're the only reason I still have a fam, so don't give me that crap.

Edited 2024-02-15 11:33 (UTC)

[She's met with silence again, but not because he's wallowing in his own misery this time. No, no. That comment struck true, just with the kind of whiplash that leaves you disoriented.

The muck beneath his feet feels just a little bit firmer all of a sudden.]

Oh. [He's still taking that in.] They were created to save the Hidden City... instead they saved the world.

[Very quiet—almost inaudible—there's a short, wet laugh on the other side of the line.]

Even in that alternate timeline they were the last ones standing. [The ones who sent Casey back, and to whom they owe everything in the end.] It's incredible, isn't it? The way they defy every expectation.

[Their destiny was never meant to be that painful, but they've risen above it anyway and fulfilled what has been for decades his sole wish.

And he's the one who made them. He wasn't there, but they were, and they were there because he made them. ]

Edited 2024-02-15 12:17 (UTC)

[That sounds a little more promising. She snorts on her end, hiding her relief.]

Yeah. They're amazing.

You done havin' a mid-life crisis?

[She doesn't care, obviously.]

[He tries to tug himself free again, and while he manages to drag one foot partway out of the mud, the other's still stuck. Not yet, it looks like.]

Mostly. [Is what he says instead, so as not to worry her. And then a bit awkwardly, he adds:] Thank you, April, for hearing me out.

[He kinda still needs her to stay on the line, though. As uncomfortable as it is to talk about this stuff, it is clearly helping, and he doesn't think he needs too much more to free himself.]

Time and space work strangely here. I'm not sure that anyone from home will have noted our disappearance, but in the event they have... Do you think Michelangelo will be all right?

[A beat, then:] And the rat. I guess. But I'm less worried about him.

[That's a fucking lie. If they have noticed, Lou is certainly taking it worse, BUT LIKE. Given what he's heard of Michelangelo ripping open portals between worlds and coming close to disintegrating in the process, he feels the passage of time more pressingly as it concerns him.]

Sure. [Easily said. Actually she doesn't know what he thinks of Splinter, needs a big It's Complicated status stamp, but Mikey?]

He hasn't noticed we're gone. I'm from a couple months after the guys, and I sure didn't notice a sudden lack of three turtles. And Mikey didn't either.

It's really weird, I gotta tell you. Like I have all these future receipts on people. I know Jones a lot better than he knows me! Or like. Present me, anyway.

[...ah.

In hindsight, he perhaps should have consulted with April earlier on what all she remembers, it would have saved him a lot of grief.]

[But though there's some embarrassment on his end, mostly Draxum just feels relief.

Mumbling:] At least there's someone who can pull that on him, as opposed to the other way around.

Edited 2024-02-16 10:14 (UTC)

[Fun fact: April does know what Draxum was doing during the invasion. You can bet she demanded answers the moment she saw him. She doesn't want to tell him. Not because it's bad, but like. It's a time thing. What if it somehow changes things? Who knows.

So if that's all he needs, she can probably get away with no more info. She snorts.] I know, right? We need at least one of us. But honestly? I think he's settled better here.

[It's... weird. But when he can be absolutely candid to anyone about where he's from and has fallen in love besides? She gets it.]

[He doesn't think to ask! Partially because April just explained what he perceives as the relevant information, and partly because he (incorrectly) assumes that she'd mention it if it were important.

That, and he's also distracted by his own thoughts as the conversation shifts more firmly to Casey: both in the vision his mindscape held, as well as their last heated conversation.]

I could see that.

[He doesn't know what Casey was like in New York, he missed that whole affair. But if what he saw in that dream was any indication, transitioning to anywhere after the apocalypse was going to be a struggle. Here, at least, humans and non-humans and people from all walks of life co-exist mostly in harmony.]

Which is likely for the best, since I don't think we're getting out of Folkmore anytime soon. [There's a pause, because Draxum doesn't want to admit this, but:] When I first arrived, I told you I sensed the Fox's magic was powerful. I'm beginning to think that was an understatement.

Yeah. [Donnie's been here a while. If he hasn't worked a way out of here-- and Leo's portals, and Draxum's...]

I assume you've tried portalling.

It's not effective.

[He says simply, because the less said on that the better.]

More annoyingly, I suspect her magics twist the intent of my own mystic spells. I used one the other day that I know to be safe, but something went wrong in the process, and now it's a whole thing—

[There's a rant incoming if she doesn't cut him off, he sounds incredibly frustrated.]

[April might not interrupt, but the swamp sure does. He doesn't sink again, but he can feel the ground threatening to. A dull hurt in his chest bubbles up, and he makes a low growling sound from the back of his throat before continuing.]

It's ridiculous! I have no explanation for why it had the effect that it did, and because of a different stupid mistake I made, I can't even rectify it properly. Instead, I have to master a completely new technique!

[Said technique being the reason he's out here. For crying out loud, he was just trying to figure out how to bottle some stupid ghosts.]

[Yeah, she had no intention of interrupting. Get it off your chest, goat man.]

What were you trying to do with your spell?

[He sighs, not sure how much of this he wants to explain lest it reveal the identity of who he's talking about, but he'll do his best.]

I was cleaning up some corrupted data, to put it simply. Someone I met had their memories—among other things—tampered with by a truly nasty piece of work.

[That last part isn't a name, but he spits it like a curse. Cold hate blooms in his stomach—and a twinge of dull fear. Draxum doesn't let his thoughts linger.]

The damage was too extensive and complex to address all at once. I only cleared up a small amount, and I was careful, so it shouldn't have led to what it did.

[Ohh, she's beginning to get the shape of what's truly bothering Draxum.]

Well, I don't know anything about magic, but was this someone not from our world? Maybe things work differently where they're from and like the magic got all confused.

That's the only thing I can think of, but I thought I accounted for that. [He clicks his tongue.] It must have been the Fox's magic, or whatever alter she goes by at that school. I have no other explanation.

[It was actually Rue's fae energy that got twisted with Draxum's mystics, but no one's told him that. From his perspective, he's fucked up and can't trace back the reason why, and it's been a massive blow to his professional pride.

A bit of a blow to whatever counts as his heart, too. He likes Hunter. He was trying so hard to do right by him.]

You have no other explanation yet. [She corrects him sharply.]

Like who knows, maybe you can't work it out, but you're not giving up after your first attempt, are you? You're a scientist. Just do it within safe boundaries. You know. If at first you don't succeed, find out why.

[Look, she'll live and die by the words of Ms Frizzle, hush.]

[Yes! She gets it! And at the same time not at all. He is a scientist, that's what he wants to do, but:]

I can't.

...why not?

[She's going on faith this is more than just being supremely negative about it, but she is winding up to verbally smack you, jsyk.]

[Hear that sound, April? That's his jaw clenching so hard it's just barely audible. After a moment, he exhales loudly through his nose.]

A mistake, on my part. What I did in the dream worked—we got the pin those trial-goers sought! But my handling of it deeply unnerved them.

[He speaks through clenched teeth.] So I promised to never touch their mind with magic again. Foolishly, I used magic to make the oath. I'm bound to it. My hands are literally tied.

Edited 2024-02-19 09:26 (UTC)

...eugh boy. [The stupid nightmares have a lot to answer for.]

Is this person screwed if the problem doesn't get fixed?

It won't come to that.

[He huffs and tries to stamp his foot, but nope. Still firmly stuck.] We've put together another way to tackle the problem, but it's time-consuming and three times as difficult. Ugh! If I hadn't let sentiment get the better of me, this would already be resolved!

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