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83cky313 · 1 year ago

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Omg that sounds wild I’m disappointed I missed that

Also like, I’m so happy you’re staying, and I don’t think I’m the only one here who would be more than willing to help for anything if you’d like to rant or anything

I’m still waiting to use my ask box 😎

I feel so cool when I answer something djsjsjkssk

Also I think anxiety is normal? At the start? I have tons of it so I don’t know for other people but I’m terrified everytime I even send a message so xD

What’s the “Anon hoard”?

Lol

Also

Just wanted to let you know that I think you created a community here, which is a really nice space and your posts are very entertaining and nice to read, it is very wholesome and nice to see these kinds of interactions, and being apart of, especially cause I never had these kind of interactions before, so I’d like to thank you since you’ve given me that push I needed to actually be more active on here which I love, I really owe you much!

Putting that aside tho, it is true that this is a really nice space, however I think your health should come first, I’ve read that post where you said you weren’t sure if to stay or leave (I don’t remember the exact wording I’m sorry) and the only one who can decide is you, you have all the facts is you. Social interaction is a very important value of our growth, and I understand what it’s like being isolated and I know it’s hard… People tend to come and go in our lives and I think every interaction is an opportunity to learn and grow, and although I’d be really sad to not receive your notifications anymore (although I haven’t been here long, I know) I’d understand cause you need to do what’s best for yourself.

Ok I know this turned out very long I’m sorry (as in like, everything I try to write or say), I just wanted to give you my opinion feel free to ignore this if you want!

This is your life, and I think even if people come and go this blog will still be here, so take all the time you need and think about what’s best for you.

AKAJWHEHEHDJDJDJRNN

NAJSJSJJDJDJDDJDJJDJDJRJRJRJRJ

THIS IS SO NICE? OMG YOU REALLY THINK THAT?? AWHHHHHHHHH

Also, I've decided to stay. I think the problem isn't tumblr, it's me. I just need to learn how to control my "nervousness" (it's not exactly nervousness, but that's just what it feels like-)

But yeah! I'm happy that I encouraged you to interact some more! Ahhh this ask is so niceee all of you guys are so nice to me 😭😭

Oh, and the "Anon Hoard" was when an anon wanted me to guess who they were, but then more and more anons kept showing up and things got really complicated lol

They eventually started sending my moots asks as well. The original asker (aka "Guess Who Anon") said they'll be back in August I think. SO-

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83cky313 · 1 year ago

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HAPPY VALENTINES DAYYYYY

OMG HOW DID I NOT SEE THIS

I’M SO SORRY FOR THE LATE REPLY I’VE BEEN TOO BUSY WITH WORK 😩

Thank you so much <3

I know its late but I hope you had a great day uwu

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83cky313 · 1 year ago

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💌 Send this to the twelve nicest people you know or who seem to have a good heart and if you get five back you must be pretty awesome! 💌

Thank youuu 😭🥺

I wanted to send it back but you didn’t have an ask box- take this as a sent back lol

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83cky313 · 1 year ago

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It’s not me sorry - I’m super late cause I haven’t been on here for too long-

You , donniebrows , @allyheart707, @ghosty-0w0

@donniesbrows

EVERYBODY FIND EVERY GRAMATICAL MISTAKE GUESS WHO ANON HAS MADE AND WE WILL TURN IT INTO A MEGA POST >:D

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83cky313 · 1 year ago

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~haunting your inbox~

Omg I missed so many asks- how-

Also please do! I’m friendly but terrified of starting interactions ✨✨

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83cky313 · 1 year ago

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Have some Sidelined AU tidepod duo feels for your soul

no content warnings

---

When Mikey was eight, he wanted to climb a tree in Central Park.

Raph was too nervous to go with him - what if a branch snapped under his weight, or a human saw them, even though it was night? And Donnie had absolutely no interest, bent over his phone and scrolling away. But Leo hopped right up onto the branch next to him, grinning wide, and said, "Race you to the top!"

Mikey had been on rooftops with his brothers before, but climbing the tree was completely different. There were no flat spaces, no ladders, and everything was uneven spaces. They had to stretch their legs or swing over gaps to the next branch, hauling themselves up by the pure strength of their arms. It was fun and free and easy, and Mikey found himself laughing and whooping the whole way as he hurried to be faster than Leo.

He won the race. Looking back on it now, maybe Leo let him win. In the moment nothing like that occurred to him, though - he sat on one of the top branches at the thinnest part of the tree, one arm looped around the trunk and the other thrust high above his head in victory.

"YEEEEAAAH! I WON! THANK YOU, NEW YORK CITY!"

Leo pouted as he pulled himself up onto a branch close to Mikey. "Aww man! Can't believe I lost to a baby."

"I'm not a baby!" Mikey argued as he had many times before, swinging his legs back and forth. "Could a baby climb a whole tree?"

"Hmm..." Leo gave it some thought. "A monkey baby could."

Mikey had kicked at Leo's feet, but he was too far away to make contact, so it got boring fast. Instead, he let his eyes trail to the view around them.

"Wow... we're so high! You can see the whole city from here!"

"Totally," Leo agreed. "Dee and Raph are missing out."

Mikey snickered. "They aren't as cool as us."

"Well, we already knew that," said Leo, grinning and holding out a fist for Mikey to bump.

They sat there for several more minutes, just taking in the view. It wasn't the tallest tree in the park, and definitely wasn't tall enough to see over the skyscrapers, but at the time Mikey felt like he'd summitted Mount Everest. This was surely as high up as anyone had ever climbed.

Soon enough, Raph started to call for them to come down, and with a resigned sigh Leo swung backwards off the branch he was sitting on and flipped down to the next. "Come on, Mikey, let's go."

It was a cool move, and Mikey wanted to copy it. He fell back, watching the city flip upside down, then made it as far as dangling under the branch the way Leo had.

Only, there was nothing under his feet to step onto. He looked, but he couldn't find the branch he'd used to climb up.

"L-leo," he called nervously, kicking his feet over empty air. "There's nowhere to go."

"Hey, you're fine," said Leo, standing on a branch just in front of him. "The branch is just a few inches behind you."

Mikey tried to look over his shoulder and see it, but his shell was in the way. He windmilled his feet, not finding purchase, and his hands were starting to slip. "Leo!" he cried more urgently.

"Mikey, you're fine," said Leo, in the big brother voice he almost never used, and Mikey stopped looking for the branch to meet his eyes. "Just kick your feet back a little and you'll feel it."

Mikey kicked his feet back and found the branch. Instinctively he wrapped his toes around it, relaxing when he finally had somewhere to rest his weight.

He looked down, and the climb to the ground was suddenly a dizzying task.

"I can't do it."

"Yes you can. You got all the way up here, now you just have to do it backwards."

"I can't see the branches."

"So you go by feel. Here, watch me." Leo lowered himself over the branch he was standing on, feeling with his feet until he found the next branch. "See? Easy!"

"That's not easy!"

"Come on, Mikey, you got this!"

"What if I fall?"

"I'm right here with you," said Leo. "I'd never let you fall."

Somehow, that was all it took. Leo was right there, and he wasn't going to let Mikey fall.

Mikey lowered himself to the next branch. Leo cheered, "There you go!" and dropped down again.

It was slower going than it took to get to the top of the tree, but soon enough Mikey was dropping out of the lower branches and into Raph's waiting arms, feeling giddy with his triumph. Leo dropped down after, purposely losing his footing on the landing so he collided with Donnie, who nearly dropped his phone and began to yell.

Later, Mikey would remember the stomach-swooping fear, but he would also remember the excitement and pride as he got better at finding his way, which turned to easy joy as he swung more freely through the tree. And most of all, he remembered the trust he'd felt in Leo, right there by his side, ensuring he wouldn't fall and cheering him on every step of the way.

---

Today, there's wood under Leo's hands again; not a tree branch, but the smoothed support poles Donnie made for his physical therapy. He stands between them, gripping tight, and takes laborious steps back and forth across the training room. He's done the course twice and is turning around for his third go.

He slumps, and motions for water. He's shaking and panting, even just this short walk taking a lot out of him.

Mikey hops forward and holds up the water bottle so Leo can suck on the straw.

"I'm totally wiped," he says after he's done drinking. Mikey can believe it - from this close he can see how Leo is sweating.

"If you want me to go all the way across Manhattan for the good doughnuts, you'll do two more," says Donnie. It's an empty threat and they all know it - if Leo manages to make it even halfway, Donnie will get him any treat he wants. But the twins have always worked best when they're challenging each other, and it's no surprise to Mikey that Leo straightens back up and steels himself to step forward.

"Dee's a slavedriver," he says, tossing Mikey a tired grin, before he starts again.

"Five reps is the goal today," Raph says from where he's leaning against the wall, physically fighting his need to hover. "You've done it before, you can do it again."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..."

Mikey watches Leo keep doggedly walking forward, holding onto the support bars with both hands so he doesn't slip, and he thinks about being at the top of the tree, when he was scared he would fall.

The worst part had been that he couldn't see what came next. Couldn't work out whether he could just step to the next branch, or if he'd have to swing or drop to it. The uncertainty had been scary, had almost made him freeze up. But Leo had been there, guiding him forward.

In a way, Leo's in his own tree now, coming down blind. He's having to feel for the steps and the drops, grasping for the next branch. Sometimes he hits a wall and ends up backtracking, sometimes he drops so hard it takes him days to get back up. And this time, there's no one going ahead to guide him, no one who can see the rough steps before they come, no one to warn him about missing branches.

But he's not alone, either. Donnie with all his equipment and gadgets. Raph with his training regimens and careful monitoring. And Mikey himself, with his meal plans and creative recipes that hide all the veggies Leo hates eating.

They're right here with him, and they'd never let him fall.

Leo turns around for his last walk. Mikey trots over with his water bottle again.

"Race you to the end?" he suggests, grinning, and Leo gives him an amused look.

"You've never been faster than me," he says, and Mikey can't help but grin.

"Maybe I'll surprise you."

So they race, across the room and back. Mikey makes it to the end first, cheering and throwing his hands in the air as he goes to retrieve Leo's chair.

"Can't believe you beat me," says Leo as he flops into the seat. But he holds out his shaking hand for a fistbump that Mikey gleefully returns.

Later, he'll say Leo let him win.

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83cky313 · 1 year ago

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I have been grabbed and yanked into this AU and I don’t think I’m gonna leave anytime soon ✌🏻✨

The separated AU poll (@tmntseparatedaucompetition) featuring my AU "100 Feet and a World Away" along with "New Phone Who Dis" by @callmehere-iwillappear is TOMORROW. We're up against Life Mission: Empyrean Bloodbath so I fully expect us to lose lol BUT I did say last time if we tied with NPWD I'd give us the next part of the "April takes the boys' pictures" saga AND SO! here! is April taking Leo and Mikey's pictures!

Vote for us tomorrow (if you want to)! All of these AUs are absolutely incredible so whoever wins is fully deserving~ Regardless, I will try to finish the saga with Raph's picture + Splinter getting to see them as soon as I have time (though it may take a bit because I have... bitten off a bit more than I can chew lol, and I need to get some other things accomplished).

Anyway enough rambling HERE'S THE FIC:

~~~

"April!" calls Mikey the moment she walks in. He scurries across the plywood bridge from his rock to the edge of the pool and hops off the concrete separating wall, and hurries over, buzzing around her excitedly. "I'm so glad you're back!"

"Well I said I would be, didn't I?" April grins, fishing in her bag for the strawberries she's brought them. She gives two of them to Mikey, and watches as he shoves one in his mouth, smiling as he chews.

There's a splash and when she looks back, Leo is sitting on the containing wall, watching her like a hawk. She wishes she could hug Mikey, but she knows if she tried to so much as touch him, Leo would be on her in a second.

Something to work on, but not today.

"Let's get this over with," he says. "I got the info Donnie wanted."

"That's great! Good job, Leo!" she says. All she gets is a scowl in return, but she tries not to let it get to her. "But before we talk about that, there's something else I want to do." She pulls out her phone and waves it. "I'm gonna take your picture!"

"Whoa, really!?" asks Mikey, clearly excited, but before she can reply, Leo is inserting himself between them.

"No."

April has to take a breath to steady herself; she knows he doesn't want to hurt her, and she knows he's just a kid. But when he moves like that, stands over her and tenses his muscles and looks down over the top of his snout at her, she can sense how easy it would be for him to kill her, and her instincts tell her to run.

But April O'Neil doesn't run.

She exhales and speaks, voice steady. "Leo. I understand why you're concerned-"

"Do you?"

"-but I promise you, I'm not going to do anything bad with them. I just want to show them to your dad."

"Still saying you know our dad, huh?" he says, the suspicion clear.

"I do know your dad, Leo." She takes another deep breath and lets it out slowly. He has every right to be cautious, she reminds herself, even if this is eating into their time tonight. "Look, Donnie already let me take his picture. He trusts me not to do anything with it."

"Yeah, well Donnie-" Leo starts, but then he seems to remember Mikey is there, and drops it mid-sentence. Which is good, because April can handle Leo being a jerk to her, but if he started badmouthing his brother they would be having words. "I just... worry he hasn't thought it through," he fixes it to.

"But Dee's a genius, right?" says Mikey. "I bet he has. He probably has some way to make sure she can't do anything bad with the pictures!"

That's not true, or at least, April is pretty sure that's not true (she did give him the phone, though, so maybe...) but if believing that will help them be comfortable with this she won't correct them.

Leo hesitates again, and she can tell he's struggling with his doubt over Donnie's intentions and his self-held rule of trying to keep Mikey's opinion of his brothers positive. Apparently, the latter wins, because he sighs and folds his arms and says, "Fine. But you're only taking a picture of me."

"Awww, Leo, come on," whines Mikey, but Leo ignores him, staring April down.

April wants to argue, too, but she knows if she pushes, Leo will just refuse to have his own picture taken too, and they won't get anywhere. Furthermore, he has info Donnie needs - if he becomes completely uncooperative then she won't get that either.

Deciding to cut her losses, April sighs and nods. "Deal."

Mikey looks thoroughly unhappy, but Leo seems to untense just slightly at the agreement. "Okay. Let's get it over with, then."

He walks over to the wall where their scale and measuring devices are stationed and raises both of his arms the same way Donnie had. April bites back her second round of nausea tonight and shakes her head.

"Nope, not like that. We're gonna do something more natural."

It's easier in here without the fence to deal with. She considers for a moment, then nods at the pool and says, "Sit on the steps. I'll take your picture there."

"Ugh, fine." He moves to do what she says, flopping on the steps with an annoyed grunt. It's such a teenager thing of him to do that she almost laughs, but she quickly swallows it before he gets more annoyed with her.

"Great! Now... sit however you want to... yeah, that's fine," she says after he pulls up one knee and leans back on his arms. She pulls her phone up with the camera on, adjusts the framing, then says, "Fair warning, it's going to flash." He shrugs. "Now... do you want to smile?"

He thinks a second, and then he smiles - closed lips, no teeth, more of a wry smirk than a full smile. But the way he tilts his head as he does it is so natural.

She takes the photo. Then she gets in closer and takes another. Then she pulls them up to look them over.

Like with Donnie the lighting is dim, but Leo is still plenty visible, and April can't help but smile.

"Dang, Leo... I have to say, the camera loves you."

"Ooo, lemme see!" says Mikey, and April turns the phone so he can look. Immediately his eyes are sparkling as he leans in to see more clearly. "She's right. You look great, Leo!"

Leo is trying to look uninterested, but she sees through him in the way he approaches. She doesn't make him ask, just flips the phone screen his way so he can look, too.

He leans in, and she something appears in Leo's face that she hasn't seen since she's come to visit him. Something soft and vulnerable and wondering - something she's sure he'd never intentionally show her, but something in the photo has brought it out of him anyway.

"That's... me?" he says finally, like he doesn't believe it.

"That's you!" she says cheerfully, even as she's trying not to think about how sad that question is. Come to think of it, there are no mirrors in here, and any reflective surfaces would likely show them a distorted image - this might be the clearest way Leo's had to see himself in years. "Pretty handsome, right?"

Leo's eyes flicker up at her just a moment, then they go back to the picture. "Handsome..." he repeats, reaching up and running his finger over the markings on his face. Mikey is watching him, with an understanding in his eyes that seems way, way too old for a thirteen-year-old, and, not for the first time, April realizes he isn't as naïve as he acts.

Even though her time for the night is dwindling, April doesn't pull the phone back until Leo finally looks away. Almost immediately his expression is back to being as annoyed as ever, but she knows that's just a mask. One day she hopes he can take it off, but for now she lets him keep it.

"You said you took Donnie's picture, too," said Mikey. "Can we see?"

"Of course!" she says, and pulls up Donnie's selfies, picking her favorite to show them. "Here we go; I had to let him take these himself 'cause of the fence."

Mikey looks, his eyes going wide, and Leo comes to join him, something less open and more complicated in his expression.

"Look, Leo, he has the same color eyes as you!" says Mikey, pointing. "And a matching scar!"

Leo's fingertips brush over the scar on his face, but he doesn't comment on it. "We all have the same color eyes, Mikey."

"We do? Oh, oh, and look," he continues, barreling on without waiting for an answer, "he has purple markings on his arms! I think his snout's longer than ours, too."

"Yeah, guess so."

"And what's up with his shell? Why's it look like that?"

"He's a soft shell." Leo frowns. "You didn't remember that?"

Mikey blinks once, twice. "Uh, I think I did, actually. Uh, maybe." He's still staring at the photo, but April can see his eyes starting to get glassy. "I... maybe I knew that, but I never really thought about what it meant? I... I forgot what he looks like."

He sniffs, harsh, and then the tears start rolling. "Oh, baby," says April softly, while Leo just tucks Mikey under his arm.

"I forgot what my own brothers look like," Mikey says, his voice thick and wet. "I forgot... and if I forgot... I'm sorry."

"Nothin' to be sorry for," says April. She reaches out and puts a hand on his arm, glancing at Leo, but he doesn't do anything to stop her this time. Mikey hiccups at the touch but doesn't pull away. "What is it?"

"I just... did they forget what we look like, too?" He glances up at Leo, then sniffs again. "Will they even recognize us?"

April decides this isn't the time to bring up how it'd be hard to confuse them for anyone else, because, while true, it's not really the point. What she goes for instead is a different but still practical answer: she waves the phone at him.

"I'll show them the pictures, okay? So now they'll remember, too." She looks up at Leo again. "That okay with you, Leo?"

He jerks his head as he looks away from Mikey, and she can practically see the gears working while he comes to a decision. Much as April hates making Mikey cry, it seems it's worked in her favor.

Because Leo sighs, and says, "I guess if you're doing that you need to take a picture of Mikey, too."

Mikey's eyes go wide in surprise, before he sniffles loudly and then turns and jumps onto his brother, who holds onto him with a good-natured chuckle. "Thanks, Leo!" he says, his tears still trickling down his face, and Leo just sighs and pats his shell until he eventually stops.

April takes Mikey's picture, and he and Leo ooh and aah over it just as much as they had Leo's. She gets the information she needs, and gives a promise that she'll show the pictures to Donnie and Raph as soon as she can.

Raph... well, she's pretty sure he won't actually know what he's looking at. Honestly, April still isn't even sure if he can see.

But she knows Donnie is going to be ecstatic. She can't wait to show him.

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83cky313 · 1 year ago

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TMNT AU Propaganda whooo

Hello, I'm back again. With fic this time.

I bingeread all of Call Me Here (I Will Appear) by @callmehere-iwillappear a little while back and it's so good! So heartbreaking but so heartwarming at the same time! And with both IMBI and CMH both being in the @tmntaucompetition we decided they are ghost buddies, and then they drew this adorable artwork and I had to write a little something because listen I need good things to happen to both of these boys.

So here you go! And please vote for both I May Be Invisible and Call Me Here in the TMNT AU polls tomorrow!

(And also 2 Arms Left, those boys aren't really in this fic but listen if you vote for both IMBI and 2AL then Ell and I will face off in the next round please it's so funny-)

cough ANYWAY HERE'S THE DRABBLE OK BYE (spoilers for both fics within)

Was getting abruptly kidnapped to an interdimensional sports tournament the weirdest thing that had ever happened to them? Hard to say, but it was certainly a surprise anyway. Right in the middle of Leo's very dramatic catatonia arc, too...

The place is a madhouse. There's so many different versions of himself and his brothers, some of them older, some of them missing limbs, and some of them from different universes entirely. There's cheerleading. There's fighting. There's an older Michelangelo giving all the visible Leos bats for some reason.

Leo guesses he shouldn't be too disappointed that even in this crowd, only his own specific brothers can interact with him; he hasn't had dramatic life-saving encounters with any of these other people, after all. He keeps getting walked through, talked over, and he can't very well take part in the actual basketball playing.

But it's fine! He can vibe! He's so cool with vibing. His brothers seem to be enjoying themselves, after all, and Pizza Supreme knows after the weeks they've been having they deserve something fun and... probably not life-threatening (he's still eying those bats, though). So he can just... watch. Spectate.

So fun.

He's standing by while Raph chats with a whole group of assorted Raphs, surveying the diverse crowd when it happens.

His eyes lock with another Leo's.

The other Leo seems just as startled as he is to be seen - his mouth pops open in surprise, posture going stiff in a mirror of Leo's own reaction. Other than that, there's no immediate signs; he's not see-through, or floating, or anything else one might expect. The only immediate difference he can see is that the three clones of his brothers standing near the other Leo are all wearing their own version of Donnie's goggles.

And yet, he still knows.

"Hey, I'm going over there for a sec," he says over his shoulder to Raph.

"What? Hey, don't wander off!"

"It's fine, big guy, I'll stay in range."

He trots off across the court, not bothering to dodge anyone who steps in his path. The other Leo and his group aren't too far away, and once he gets there, the two of them look each other up and down, like wary dogs unsure about entering another's space.

He gives the other Leo a very serious look, which is mirrored back to him.

And the other Leo starts them off.

"What's a ghost's favorite fruit?"

"Booberries. What's a ghost's favorite car?"

"A Boo-gatti. Why don't ghosts go out in the rain?"

It dampens their spirits. What-"

"Who are you talking to?" the other Donnie asks, turning their way. He has his goggles pulled down. Leo gives him a wave, but he doesn't seem to notice.

"Just another Leo," says the other Leo, before turning back to him. "You can't be seen by the goggles?"

"Nope. That hasn't worked for us."

"But I saw you say something to your Raph."

"Yeah! Raph can hear me, Mikey can see me, and Donnie can touch me."

"Huh. Sounds inconvenient!"

"Oh, it is." Leo shrugs. "Curses, man, what can you do?"

Something quick passes over the other Leo's face; he only notices because it's so like his own. "You were cursed?"

"Yep! Some bad guy thought it would be a good way to get rid of me. You?"

The other Leo's smile droops only slightly. "...Do you know about the Prison Dimension?"

Leo's own smile drops, and he hunches in on himself, which just makes the other Leo's grin slip further. It hurts; he was there, for real, and again too recently in his mind, and now he can say this with certainty, with clarity:

No Leo deserved that.

But this Leo, who has persisted after death, who's with his family now... even if it's a tragedy, Leo can admire that. And they can see him - they can apparently hear him, and Leo knows from experience that that's everything.

(And still not quite enough.)

"...That sucks," he says, because what else do you say?

The other Leo shrugs, looking a little self-conscious. "It's not too bad. Donnie's making me a body."

"Oh, that'll be sweet." Leo picks his grin back up. "Wait, can you actually touch stuff? Are you going to haunt a robot?"

"I can if I focus." He looks smug. "It takes practice, but I'm getting better."

"Whoa, nice. I can't touch anything other than Donnie. Can't float or anything, either."

"Me either!" The other Leo throws his arms up dramatically. "What a ripoff, right?"

Leo matches the movement. "That's what I've been saying!"

"Man. It's nice to finally talk to someone who understands."

"Heh, same here," says Leo. He reaches out to give the other Leo a friendly pat on the shoulder.

He expects his hand to just pass through. He doesn't expect it to connect.

It's not really feeling, not like when he touches Donnie. It's more like when he touches his own body - his hand stops moving through the air, but he's not getting any tactile sensation from it.

He doubts the other Leo can really feel it either, but the way his eyes latch on the point of contact tells Leo everything he needs to know.

He doesn't hesitate, just wraps his arm around the other Leo and pulls him in for a hug. He doesn't resist, just puts his own arms around Leo, and he can't feel it but he's pretty sure he's holding tight.

He doesn't ask how long it's been since he's been hugged; he feels like he doesn't have to.

They stay that way almost a minute (and he's glad for their reputation as Leos that no one can see them), before the other Leo pulls back. His eyes are glassy and his smile wavering, but it's real and it's there, and Leo can't help but smile back.

He decides to save them before this gets too mushy.

"Hey, you said you can touch things, right?"

"If I focus."

"Well!" Leo moves so his arm is draped around the other Leo's shoulders, walking him toward one of the goals. "Get ready to focus on making sick dunks."

Instantly, the other Leo's eyes light up with delight. "Ooooh ho ho ho yes. We are going to freak some people out!"

He offers his fist, and Leo gleefully bumps it.

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83cky313 · 1 year ago

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not sure if it really counts as propaganda for @tmntaucompetition since neither au is actually participating this year but i loved cmh and imbi leos being friends last year so i wanted to write a little something for them again. uuhh enjoy (also imbi is by @dandylovesturtles go read it if you haven't!!)

“Can’t believe they forgot about me,” Leo complains overdramatically, as he and his brothers walk into the venue for this year’s competition. “I mean, just because I’m invisible –”

“I highly doubt that’s the reason you weren’t invited to participate this year,” Donnie says, rolling his eyes. “There was something about getting your name submitted, I think?”

“Awww,” Leo says, despite not really caring that much. This year’s theme is based on the different decades – something about a singing and dance competition? And while they've established he can sing if there's a crystal in the microphone, nobody else can see him dance, so. He wouldn't be able to participate in half the event anyway. He's still going to be dramatic about it, though. Duh. “Can’t believe none of my loyal fans stepped up, in that case.”

He stops just inside the door and looks around, taking everything in. It looks… very different from last year – there’s no basketball court to be seen, for one thing. Lots of new faces, too – and a few familiar ones. No one who seems to notice him, at least not yet. Maybe one or two of the new guys will be able to see him, if he’s lucky. But that can wait – he has someone else he needs to find.

After several minutes of scanning the crowds of competitors, though, he doesn’t see the particular turtle he’s looking for, and he sighs in disappointment.

“Is he not here?” Raph asks, and Leo shakes his head.

“Nope,” he says, glum. “He was probably just busy this time with the whole – curse thing. Or he didn’t get invited either.”

“That's too bad,” Mikey says, sympathetic. “Do you still wanna stick around, or should we head home early?”

Leo shakes his head. It's… nice of Mikey to offer, but he knows they (especially Donnie) are excited about this whole thing. Getting to meet the friends they made last year, who can actually see them. Getting to make new ones. Getting to exchange more notes about the multiverse, in Donnie's case. He doesn't want to take that from them.

Besides, like he said – there's no way of knowing one of the new guys won't be able to see him, right? Who knows, maybe he'll be able to make some new friends too. A guy can dream.

“Nah,” he says, not voicing any of that. “It'll still be fun to watch, and I can always cheer for you guys’ friends.”

There's a moment of awkward silence while the other three look at each other, before Raph sighs and nods. “Okay, but let us know if you do want to leave, alright?”

“Of course.” Leo flashes a grin, then gestures towards the stands. “C’mon, we should go find some seats before all the good ones fill up.”

They make their way over to the bleachers and start looking for a good place to sit. It's already started filling up, but Raph manages to spot a row with enough space for all four of them (if they set something down in Leo's spot so no one else takes it), and they start heading up to it.

There's a lot of chatter from various groups of turtles they pass by, so there's no reason for any one thing in particular to stand out. And yet –

“I dunno, guys, I don't think this is enough blankets,” comes a familiar voice from a row over. And, okay, they're all variations of the same people, so technically all their voices would be ‘familiar’ – but. But. Even if they're the same people originally, there are still those variations. Someone's voice might be a little higher. A little lower. A little rougher, like maybe they're not used to using it again quite yet.

Or maybe it's something a bit harder to put a finger on. Whatever it is, it has Leo snapping his head around, stopping in his tracks halfway to their seats. Someone calls his name, waves a hand through him, but he ignores them, too focused on finding where that voice came from.

It doesn't take more than a few seconds to spot the only Leo bundled up in blankets, his brothers hovering over him worriedly, and –

Leo's knees go weak. He manages to keep himself standing, just barely, but honestly that's the last thing on his mind right now because that's –

That's his friend. Back in his body, visible, tangible. A little banged up, maybe, but – alive. Alive.

Leo doesn't even realize he's crying until Donnie gets in front of him, waving a blurry hand in front of his face to get his attention.

“Nardo?” he asks, concerned. “Is everything okay?”

Leo shakes his head, only realizing when Donnie's expression tightens that ah, okay, bad idea – rushing to reassure him.

“Yeah,” he says, sniffling. “Yeah, sorry, just – you can see him, right?”

He points, and Donnie turns to look, scanning over the stands until his eyes land on the other Leo. And Leo can see the moment he realizes, his whole body tensing as he turns back to ask, “Is that – is that him?”

Leo nods, and Donnie glances over once again, studying the other turtles for a moment.

“... Are you gonna go say hi?” he asks then, and Leo – Leo freezes.

He… he probably should, right? Like – okay, it's not that he doesn't want to talk to his friend. He does! He wants to so bad, he wants to tell him how glad he is that everything worked out okay, that he got his body back, except –

What if he can't?

Logically, he knows that worst case scenario, other-Leo can't see him and Donnie just lends him his goggles. Easy fix. And yet – he can't… really explain why the thought of other-Leo not being able to see him on his own anymore fills him with so much dread. Just that it does. Just that the thought of having to find out – of walking up to his friend and not being seen, of saying something and not being heard – locks his knees up and freezes him where he stands.

“Leo…?” Donnie says, expression softening in worry. “What's –”

“What if he can't see me anymore?” Leo blurts out before he can talk himself out of it, and immediately winces, backpedaling. “I mean – I guess then you could let him borrow your goggles, duh, not a big deal, so it's –”

Donnie's turn to cut him off, eyes narrowing through the goggles. “Is that what you're worried about? He'll just be happy to see you, even if he has to use the goggles to do it.”

“How do you know?” Leo asks, and Donnie freezes up, caught.

“I – I know everything, obviously,” he says, looking away. There's definitely something there, but Donnie looks uncomfortable enough as it is, and he – he has a point, as much as Leo doesn't want to admit it.

“Fine,” he sighs, moving around Donnie, stomach churning with nerves that get worse with each step. “But if this goes bad, I'm blaming you.”

“Wh –” Donnie yelps, freezing for a moment before scrambling to catch up to Leo. “How is that fair?!”

“It just is,” Leo throws over his shoulder, before coming to a stop a few feet away from his friend. He feels kind of like he might be sick, if he had an actual stomach to be sick with. But still – he swallows hard and steps forward, metaphorical heart jolting in his chest when other-Leo perks up like he heard something.

Time feels agonizingly slow as other-Leo raises his head and looks around, before his eyes finally land on Leo. Looking at him, not through him, and Leo might cry again if he wasn't trying very hard to keep his image intact.

Other-Leo's eyes light up, and Leo can't keep the smile off his face when he asks –

“What's a ghost's favorite makeup?”

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