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[thepurpleone]

"You're conversing with Donatello-

...
.....

Just kidding, you got my inbox bu~t if you leave a message I will get back to you as soon as I possibly can."

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[ninja_in_a_boxshell]

[Mikey's arms are loose at first in surprise before he closes them around Donnie and squeezes him tight, tucking his face into Donnie's shoulder with a small, muffled noise of his own]

[For once, he doesn't want to say anything. Just being able to hold onto Donnie and know he is here and safe and holding onto him right back is such a comfort, such a relief, that he doesn't want to let go ever. When he is being hugged, it doesn't matter that he was younger all of a sudden or that the others weren't the brothers he was used to or that Donnie has been doing stuff on his own that makes Mikey's stomach do flips, all that matters is here and right now and knowing that they are connected in every way that matters]

[In every way that made him let out a quiet sigh dragged out from somewhere deep inside him, feeling truly at peace for one of the first times since he'd arrived in this weird place]

[thepurpleone]

[There aren't any specific details that should have to matter. Donnie's always known for certain that there's no safer place than being embraced by his family. It doesn't fix everything, but it helps pull together the important parts, and that helps with the fixing sometimes.

Feeling Mikey relax has an almost profound effect. Okay, maybe just a little longer.

Eventually he does loosen his hold, pulling back just a little, not without a pat on the other turtle's harder shell.]

You good, buddy?

[Kind of funny to be asking when Mikey had been offering to comfort him, but big brothers should check on the little ones.]

[ninja_in_a_boxshell]

[Mikey sniffles a bit, resisting the urge to cling onto Donnie when he pulled back. Now that Donnie was asking him outright, it was harder not to think about all of the things that have been bothering him. He winces]

I- Yeah. I mean... I don't know. It just feels like...

[He hunches in on himself despite the hug and despite Donnie's reassuring presence, because...]

I've been trying to adjust and stuff like you and Leo said. I promise! But everything always feels so like... fragile here, y'know? Like if I breathe on any of you guys wrong you'll disappear, or I will, and then I'd be somewhere even worse and without you guys there, even. I don't want to be alone...

[thepurpleone]

[Donnies still have their limits for physical contact, but he doesn't move away, leaving his hand on Mikey's shell as that expression doesn't suggest things are good at all.

But the reasons are entirely relatable, and the purple-flavored turtle breathes out a laugh in spite of himself. ]

Well, if you think you're the only one there, you are so wrong. I think that's kind of normal considering the abnormal circumstances of this all. Not knowing if or when the space bridge will act up again, or whatever else might happen being associated with a killer robot race...

But just waiting for the other shoe to drop doesn't make things better. Look, there is so much out there that is amazing and new and that we would never have a chance to experience otherwise. If we're too busy looking at our feet or behind us then we'll miss out.

You can't tell me that you guys didn't have any dreams about exploring space when you were tiny turtle tots, right?

[ninja_in_a_boxshell]

[This explanation takes him by surprise, and despite himself, despite everything, he gives a wobbly smile] Well... yeah. Especially cause we didn't leave the sewer even more so back then. Me and Donnie used to be obsessed the most, but you know how it is, I just wanted to paint it and he was interested in why space was space and how. Leo promised he'd take there, and- and Raphie got me glow in the dark stars, when we were little and still shared one room.

Does your Raph still do that kind of stuff? It's really weird sometimes, finding out where the lines go and where they're colored in different.

[thepurpleone]

Nah, we'd just reenact our favorite Jupiter Jim stories. You've seen our inspiration for space, or at least a few movies by now. I think most of our space obsession hinged on exploring it with Jupiter Jim himself. Or Atomic Lass...

[He sighs almost longingly, thinking of his earliest crush.]

Anyway, point being, this is all way beyond any of our expectations. And now that we're all here, it'd be a shame to just waste the opportunity!

[Donnie finally lets his hand drop away from Mikey as he sits back at the edge of his bean bag chair.]

I was here before everyone else was, so...it was hard, wondering if I'd ever see my brothers again, or if any of them might come here. But looking at what all there was to see here, and all these people I've met, it helped distract me from thinking about those things.

[Most of the time. It was still admittedly hard not to feel alone when you'd never been apart from your brothers for so long before.]