(no subject)

[mnt_mike]

Mike stands in the doorway, completely dumbfounded.
This is his apartment, right?

If so...what...what's with all the boxes and the furniture and...why is there a glowing doorway over near the ficus?!

Comments

[mnt_donnie]

"Oh, hi Mikey. Here, take this, will you?"

Don hands Mike a box helpfully labelled 'Kitchen' in neat handwriting. It's probably full of teapots (Leo's) and strange kitchen devices (Mike's).

[ginsu_master]

Leo follows right behind Don and takes the box from Mike's limp hands with a kind smile.

"I like my teapots," he mutters to himself and heads into the kitchen.

[mnt_mike]

"Wha....what what is going on here?"

[mnt_raph]

"What's it look like," says Raph from behind Mike.

"You're gettin' a new roommate. Now scoot over, this box ain't gettin' any lighter."

There's a box under his arm as he pushes past his baby brother.

[realmrsreynolds]

"Really, Mike, you should be more grateful to your brothers," says the old lady breezily while walking in behind Raph.

Who is enjoying this whole scenario a little too much.

(It'll be good for him, in the end.)

[mnt_donnie]

"Don't tease him too hard, he did just get out of the infirmary," Don says, shaking his head.

He steps back through the glowing hole in the wall.

[ginsu_master]

Leo comes back out of the kitchen with a single cup of tea (he was making it special!) and pressed it into Mikey's hands. He smiles when his little brother when he takes it.

"We...we were all really worried about you, Mikey." And he isn't just talking about everything with his soul trapped in that other place.

"Don and I talked, then Don, Raph, and I talked. I'm going to move in with you for a little while. Until you get yourself settled." He smiles and leans in, "I was worried Splinter would try to move in permanently. I thought you would like me better."

[realmrsreynolds]

Don't fight this, Mike. Please.

Sallie is (in theory) unobtrusively arranging the kitchen.

[mnr_splinter]

Splinter pads his way down the hallway, from what will soon be Leonardo's room.

"Oh Michaelangelo, it is good to see you. And you have tea, good good."

Splinter disappears into the kitchen.

"Donatello! We are out of Swiffer Wet Jet pads."
Fix it!

[mnt_mike]

Mike just...reels.
Between the flurry of activity, the voices in his head, and the now steaming cup of tea in his hand.

It's just...it's almost too much.

He has no words.

[ginsu_master]

Leo kindly guides Mike over to the couch and sits him down. "You sit."

He rests his hand on Mike's hair a moment and gives him a half-hearted noogie before wandering back into the kitchen.

"Sallie?" he asks politely. "Would you mind--" He cants his head toward Mike. "I think we gave him a bit of a shock."

[realmrsreynolds]

Sallie just nods, shooting a glance at Mike's dumbfounded expression.

When she walks closer, not that this helps in anything related to privacy, Sallie whispers a, "What? You thought your family wouldn't be planning something like this?"

[mnt_mike]

Mike was doing well enough keeping his expression shellshocked, but at Sallie's approach and subsequent whisper his control begins to break.

His bottom lip quivers ever so slightly.

"i'm so happy they're...they're...."

here.

[realmrsreynolds]

Good. That's real good, son.

Sallie's sudden clutch of a hug is around Mike's upper arms like she's trying to restrain him instead of offer comfort.

God only knows what happens to the tea; it's a family of ninjas - they'll save it.

[cutting_edgex23]

Or, because X has impeccable timing, the assassin interloper can snag the falling teacup.

She's got quick hands.

And the box she was carrying wasn't that heavy.

The only question now is where does she put it down?

[mnt_donnie]

Don returns, with the commanded cleaning supplies. He switches to carrying his own box one handed, and sets down the tiny folding table he was carrying, right next to X and the abandoned cup of tea.

"Coming, Master!" He socks Raph on the arm as he walks by, as a greeting.

[mnt_raph]

Raph attempts a swing back, but Don's out of reach just in the nick of time.

"Now I owe you two," he retorts with a laugh. "Yo! Leo. You really need all these books? How many times you actually gonna read these back issues of Penthouse?"

Why Yes, Raph is going through Leo's stuff.
And no...that's no where near what is packed in the box he's currently rummaging through.

Raph's just an asshole.

[ginsu_master]

Leo just sighs as he takes the teacup from X, places the folding table near Mike, puts down the teacup there (for both easy brother access and general helpfulness) and takes another box.

"Hello, X. And thank you," he offers with a quick smile.

"Thank you, Raph. You're always so helpful. And there are never too many times one can read The Art of War."


It is all very casual and friendly until Leo has Raph in a headlock, noogie-ing his bald head as he frog marches his time-confused little brother into the back bedroom.

[mnr_splinter]

Splinter comes out of the kitchen just in time to see the door to the back bedroom close.

"Boys! I just cleaned that room. So help you both if you get blood all over that nice clean floor!"

[mnt_mike]

The moment Mike found his hands free was the moment he returned Sallie's hug. Loneliness and joy and relief and....everything. He just needed to hug it out.

thank you

"Here, you sit," he tells her. "You've done more than your fair share of wrangling. It's my turn."

Mike rolls from the couch onto his feet, the usual spring absent from his step. Being physically sedentary for as long as his body has been has stripped him of his usual sproingy.

"Hi, X. How've you been?"

He's making his way towards the kitchen, because he just HAS to know how Don managed this.

[cutting_edgex23]

"I am okay," X says, watching Mike head toward the kitchen.

Maybe he is going to make brownies?






Maybe that would be a good thing?

She flicks a look toward the bedroom door. The noises coming from behind it are crystal clear, to her.

As are the smells.

"I do not think anyone is bleeding. Yet."

She is not sure whether that should be comforting or not.

[mnt_donnie]

"If they are, they have to clean it up themselves," Don says. He raises a...well. A non-existent eyebrow at Mike. Sort of a 'are you should be walking around' face.

[mnt_mike]

"'M fine. Just...a little stiff around the ...everywhere. Nothing a nice hot bath won't fix."

He cranes his neck to look around Don and down the hall.

"I've got dibs! You guys hurt yourselves, you can get in line!"

[realmrsreynolds]

"Wo de ma, save the destruction for when civilized folk ain't actually around, please."

[mnr_splinter]

"We should be so lucky," says Splinter under his breath. He may try to hide it, but there's so much fondness in his voice it's not even funny.

"Can I offer anyone something to drink?"

[realmrsreynolds]

Sallie just raises her hand, a somehow-smirky resignation across her face.

[mnt_donnie]

"We aren't used to a lot of civilized company, ma'am," Don says with a smile.

He sticks his head out of the kitchen and calls out- "HEY LEO, WHERE DID YOU PUT THE TEA POT?"

[mnt_raph]

A crash comes from the other room.
Possibly a muffled grunt of frustration.

"WE'RE SORRY. THE LEO YOU'RE TRYIN' TO REACH IS OUTTA SERVICE. PLEASE TRY YOUR CALL AGAIN, THIS IS A RECORDIN'."

It's followed by a mad cackle, and then a long string of profanity which ends rather abruptly, all things considered.

[mnr_splinter]

From Splinter comes a long suffering sigh, and a muttered, "Kids."

"Donatello, I keep my kettle in the lower cabinet by the refrigerator."

[cutting_edgex23]

"I did not hear any bones break," X offers, still looking toward the closed bedroom door with a dubious expression, even as she begins to move toward the kitchen.

"And I do not think Raph is a robot."

In case anyone was wondering. Like Don.

"You will need help with the tea?"

[ginsu_master]

The door to the back bedroom opens and Leo, hair messy but none really the worse for wear, comes out and joins everyone else.

"Raph is having a little down time," he explains, and smiling, digs out the guest tea set from one of the carefully labeled boxes.

[mnt_mike]

"...oh this I've got to see."
Mike makes his way down the hallway, and from the back bedroom there comes a peal of laughter.

"DON! Bring me a camera!"

[realmrsreynolds]

From Sallie and Splinter, simultaneously:

"No, Donatello!"

Sallie just facepalms at the shared commentary, with a mumbled 'sorry'.

She's not their mom.

[mnr_splinter]

Splinter's ears flatten.
He might also go to great lengths to avoid looking in Leo's direction.

"Michaelangelo, please untie your brother."

[ginsu_master]

Leo should have been very mature and a role model for his family. Really.

Yeah, but sometimes...

Honestly, he just enjoys the sound of his little brothers' laughter and serenely goes about making tea.

[mnt_donnie]

"I wasn't even going to-!"

Sigh.

"Your camera is broken again Mike, remember?"

[mnt_mike]

"oh yeah..." comes the reply from down the hall.

"man, it never occurred to me having two parents around would equal double the noes."

[mnt_raph]

"I love you, but you're kinda an idiot sometimes," says Raph now that the duct tape that was covering his mouth has been removed.

[realmrsreynolds]

Sallie is still somewhat dumbfounded, still back on the reference to her as a parent.

She hasn't been a parent in so long, and the contemplation of it makes Sallie lose track of the conversation for a bit.

At least she has a smile on her face?

[ginsu_master]

Leo actually winks at Sallie as he cuts between her and Splinter. There is tea waiting on the counter.

He smacks Don on the shell and rubs the back of his brother's bald head. "Come on, Donnie. Let's go help," really laugh at, "Raph."

And leads him off with a shout, "You're welcome to join us, X!"