faesphere | Life in the Apocalypse

[Leonardo blinks at that request. Did something happen while they were gone? He isn't sure if he can handle one more thing, but for Casey he'd carry thousands more things. He shifts Usagi's sword to his other arm, out of the way but not quite ready to let it go. Opening both arms to Casey.]

Yeah, c'mere. Get in here.

[Casey melts into it immediately, tucking himself up against Leo's shoulder, small arms winding around his neck to return the hug. He says nothing for a little bit, just lets them both indulge in this. It's mostly for Leo, but... it's also for him.]

[No matter what Casey's thinking, Leonardo will take the hug. He holds the boy close with his flesh arm, squeezing tight for a moment before loosening the grip.]

...Something happen I gotta beat someone up for?

[Casey curls in as close as he can get, shaking his head and sniffing quietly.]

Master Miyamoto... I'm gonna miss him...

[Oh.

He kind of knew Casey and Usagi got along, in that weird way your adoptive son gets along with your new partner he meets as an older child. But not like this...

Leonardo goes very quiet holding Casey.] Yeah.. I'm really gonna miss him too.

[Casey just hugs him tighter.]

Were you scared? To be up there all alone?

[He doesn't know the circumstances of Miyamoto's death, just that he wasn't coming back. It happened a lot, so often it was impossible to hide death from all but the youngest of children in the base. Casey remembers, distantly, the loss of his mother and Master Raphael. Understood what the memorial wall stood for. Sensei's holding Master Miyamoto's sword the way Casey himself holds his mask sometimes.]

[He thinks back to those moments. Intel drive in hand, but staring down a Krang assimilated Usagi, the pink pulsating flesh bursting out of his white fur, the way he was clearly trying to fight it off. Long enough to hand Leo his sword and try to shove the turtle away. He couldn't let him go like that. Leo couldn't just let Usagi exist like- like that.

He buries hi face against Casey for a second holding him still.]

...Yeah. I was. He gave me a chance to get out and back here.

[As prone to tears as he is, of course Casey's crying. But he's glad sensei is talking about it. He should get to cry, too... he's always holding himself back for everyone else. It isn't fair that everyone else gets to cry and he doesn't.]

He saved you...? He helped you come home?

[He may be talking about it as best he can with a child, but he's drying his eyes a bit. No crying while talking to Casey. If anything were ever to happen to him, he'd want Casey to remember him better.]

He did, yeah. He- made sur we got what we needed.

[Boo, sensei, boooo. D- at emotional maturity.]

Sensei. [The tiniest thump of a sad fist on his plastron.] That doesn't matter! What matters is you! He saved you...

[Go!

No- I can get Mikey to help, he's been working on this, we can try to ninpo blast the Krang out-

Usagi is in so much pain holding himself together, trying to fight off the infection as long as he can. It always happens so fast; he's lasted longer than anyone so far and won't for much longer.

There's no time, and no guarantee. There's a pod down this hall, two doors on the right. Go. Now.

Not without you.

Usagi shoves the sword in his hands as the last of his eyes are taken over by angry vibrant pink and yellow. He yells at Leo with an unholy screech.

Leonardo knows he'll see those last moments in his mind for the rest of his life. He couldn't save his father, or his brother, or Cassandra. And now he couldn't save Usagi. The thumb against his plastron brings him back to himself.]

...Y-yeah, he did. And I'm here.

[Casey shifts a little, enough that he can turn his head and brush one hand over the hilt of the sword. His voice can't reach the dead, but... Hamato can speak to the dead through their ninpo. Maybe Master Miyamoto had ninpo. Or the samurai equivalent. And he was family. Maybe he'll hear it somehow.]

Thank you... for saving sensei. You're a hero too.

[There's the briefest flash of instinctive anger, protectiveness wanting to yank the sword away-

But he doesn't. Leonardo pulls his face into careful neutral, watches Casey. It breaks his heart.]

...I'm sure he'll keep looking out for us.

[Casey doesn't let his hand linger. Message sent, and he's intuitive enough even at his age to know what touch may be unwelcome. He can hug sensei, because it's his sensei. Master Miyamoto's sword isn't his, so he won't touch it beyond what he feels he has to. Weapons are special, he knows. Extensions of yourself.

(He'll get one someday, too. He just needs to figure out what his extension should be.)]

Like Master Raph... like my mom.

[Like everyone else who's died and they miss terribly.]

...Yeah. Like Master Raph and your mom.

[Exactly like them. Like everyone else they've lost in this war. He can't cry like this. He can't let go in front of Casey. He'll have to wait until he can do a night patrol while everyone's asleep or something. Hours away. Just hold it together until then.]

You kept an eye on everything while I was gone?

[Casey scrubs at his eyes a bit. If sensei can't cry, maybe he shouldn't, either. ...He can try, at least.]

Uh-huh... kept everybody in line, promise. [Nevermind that people really only humour him. He was very stern about everyone doing their job while sensei was working hard too.] And I helped! We moved stuff to a new med room.

[Casey should absolutely cry. Leo doesn't really see what he's instilling in the boy acting the way he does, but he looks proud if nothing else.]

I know that was a huge task I couldn't figure out when to do, so thanks for seeing that through. That'll be a big help later on.

I hope so... [Casey rests his head against Leo again, taking strength from the familiar toughness of his plastron.] I wish there was more I could do to help you.

[He wishes he was big and strong, as powerful as Master Miyamoto, so he could fight at sensei's side. Protect him. Make sure he comes home safe again.]

[With Casey leaning into him like that, Leo lets out a slow exhale and leans back against the wall. Most everyone is leaving him alone now that he's quieted down and not giving them much attention.]

You're doing plenty. Knowing I come back and you're here safe does wonders, Case.

[Casey lifts his head to look at Leo, wide-eyed.]

Really? Is that enough?

[But there's so much else to do!]

There's a lot of other stuff to do, but that was one of the big tasks to get done. So good job!

Thanks for doing it. [There's a lot of pride in the words and how he says it, and expression of nothing but gratitude. He means it, Casey.]

[Casey watches him for a moment, gauging his expression dubiously. It seems like so little, though... but sensei isn't lying. Tentatively, he smiles back.]

I'll keep learning. And I'll keep getting bigger! So I can do more and more. You'll see.

Oooh, I believe it. I bet you'll grow bigger than me one day.

[Focus on the now, focus on who's with him still. Leo grins, wrapping both arms around Casey to squeeze him more enthusiastically.]

You're gonna be amazing, I know it!

You think? Really, even bigger?

[He's so huge though! Casey doesn't resist the hug at all (might even cling harder, in fact, because this peaceful cuddle time between missions is so rare) but he stretches himself up a little, trying to look taller.]

You're so big though!

And you're still growing. You could easily grow another four, five feet.

[At Casey sitting up to stretch, Leo does the same, hearing a series of pops up his back under his shell.]

Buuut to do that, you gotta eat. So we should see what's up.

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