Sleep Study | Backdated to like... June 2nd or something hahaha | Open

[bonomial]

June 2 - Waking - Telepathy/Action - Primarily for Peridot (but mun welcomes threadjacking)

[Yeah, so Dirk said that nobody should try to be a guinea pig.

Don's never been good with taking that kind of advice. Right now, the dreamscape's making him anxious. What he doesn't understand, he wants to. Normally, he would ask his brothers or his sensei to spot him, to try to reach him on the astral plane - or he'd have them volunteer to be analyzed in his stead, knowing Leo - but he doesn't have that option here.

He can't stay awake forever. He already is having trouble foregoing sleep without coffee.

However, he knows someone who doesn't have to sleep.

So a certain green Dorito is going to get a telepathic message, maybe poorly directed to her because this Turtle is tired:]

Hey, Peridot... can I ask a favour?

[She'll find him in the lab eventually, arranging his cot within range of what passes for their medical bay. Maybe someone else there might wanna know what the heck he's doing?]


June 3 - Sleeping - Action

[Comfortable in the knowledge that he's got someone watching his shell, Don can get to taking in the weirdness of the dreamscape. Everything seems to thrum with life, and on an instinctual level the Turtle feels more at home here than he has almost anywhere else. The ocean is welcoming him.

It feels as if his brothers and his master are with him too, in some capacity. He feels their voices reaching out to him, from the ocean's depths. Even knowing he's asleep, it comes off as achingly real.

If you're wandering around near the base in the dreamscape, you might notice Don floating near it, frowning deeply at the yawning scar left on the seabed.]

So this dream world, or whatever it is, has a smoking wreck where the base is supposed to be. What does that mean...?


June 3 - Waking - Audio

[Comfortable in the knowledge that what he learned about the effect of the dreamscape on their bodies means it's safe, Don makes an announcement.]

Hey, everybody, I've got some good news for anybody who's worried about this weird dream world. [That means you, Stork.] It doesn't seem like it affects our waking bodies any more than a dream normally would.

[A beat.]

It still feels like it's really happening, though, which basically makes it virtual reality. Even if it's not really going to hurt you, I wouldn't pick any fights with the Reapers unless you want a very convincing illusion of pain.

Comments

[forsage]

[ he sighs, annoyed. ] No. Don't apologise. It's not like you're the reason this is happening.

[no way he's gonna be blaming don for this. not when he had assured roderic that one of his biggest concerns wasn't something to sweat over. far as he's concern that's the best news he's heard in a while.

not that it stops roderic thanks to the bubbling frustration in him. ] I don't- I don't feel comfortable with falling asleep if I'm somewhere else because-

[ his throat constricts before he can finish his sentence, the kneejerk feeling of fear coming in hot and fast. he tries to work through it, reminding himself of the others here and how they were approachable to his powers, how they're all here as a team. for one reason other another.

so: ] Where you're from... You've met people with powers, right? Abilities that could be considered strange and whatnot?

[bonomial]

[Oh, Roderic. If the man's fear wasn't so obvious, Don might crack a joke at this: I'm a giant Turtle, do you think that's normal?]

I've met plenty of people with strange powers. Pretty much all of them were cool people.

[His tone is gently encouraging. Go on, Roderic...]

[forsage]

Good. [ he sounds so relived by that. ] 'Cause I- I can hear things from others when they're near me.

[ like- like- give him a second to remember. he's been trying to so hard to ignore the sounds that it's difficult for him to pick an example right off the bast. ] When I'm around you, there's fighting and voices from fellas who aren't there whether they're talking in English or Japanese.

I. I think some them are your brothers? You all just seem... pretty close to each other from what I hear.

[ he doesn't know why he blurted that last part out, he really doesn't know, but he did and it's there and he has such a strong urge to palm his face at his own stupidity because really?

really. ]

[bonomial]

[Oh.

For a long moment, Don doesn't reply. His throat works a few times, but no sound forms.

His brothers... somehow, Roderic can hear them? He...

With some effort, Don manages:]

What... kind of things do you hear them say...?

[He's missed them so greatly, he could've sworn he heard them even when he was asleep. Does Roderic get to hear that private pain?]

[forsage]

[ oh. um. shit.

feeling like he said something wrong - should have i mention them at all? should i just been vague? - he finds himself struggling to recall something...

... something comforting to say. yeah. comforting. because roderic doesn't miss his home, not one bit after what had went down there, but he realises once again that not everyone else is the same.

don didn't want to be here though. he remembers their conversation when they first met. he wasn't supposed to be here and it must be strange to be all alone judging by how often the voices were clustered, talking to each other, laughing with each other. ]

You're talking to one of them. Saying not even Mikey could get into trouble on Christmas Eve.

Someone replied back. Said unless he stopped by the toy store, that is. [ he tries to sound light at that, like it was a joke because he could tell from the pace. maybe. ] You all sounded concerned for him. Worried. Because you all cared for him and I could tell despite hearing everyone and everything else around.

[ he wonders if that's enough. he hopes it is. ]

ahhhhh this tag gave me such feels c':

[bonomial]

[He remembers that. Casey had just come into the Lair, lugging the Christmas tree he and April had painstakingly worked to find; one of those small things they'd done for the Hamato family, things that helped them feel part of the greater world even for a moment.

Raph's off-handed comment as Don and Leo had arrived to decorate the tree. It had been a joke, they didn't realize the shenanigans Mikey had gotten himself into. Don's crazy little brother... but his heart had been in the right place, like it always is.

It's almost like Don is reliving that moment now; not a particularly incredible moment, a mundane thing in retrospect, but all the more aching now in its absence from Don's life.]

That was - [Keep yourself together.] That was a few years ago. [Something so intimate, a glimpse into his life like that; nobody has ever had it unless he gave it to him. He feels almost nakedly exposed.]

Shell, I had no idea. Is... is it because I miss them so much? [He needs at least some kind of explanation as to why Roderic can see into his past like this.]

oh my gosh poor doooon ; ;

[forsage]

... Yeah. From my experience, that's usually the case. [ there's almost a hope that giving an explanation might help don out a bit. he sounds downright apologetic as he speaks, feeling bad that he's been picking up what must have been something private between don and brothers.

so used to the sounds, the voices coming at him almost 24/7 now, he had begun to ignore them and thought little else. roderic is now reminded, yet again, that they're not just sounds to the others. they're experiences.

it's something he noticed ever since he came to new york with ackerly. it's something he's starting to really think about ever since coming here. ]

Um- Depending on the person, I hear things base on what they're like or how they are... or what really sticks out for them. [ there's some shuffling in the background, like roderic is searching for something on his desk. but what though? something comforting to say? ] You, ah, must care for them a lot.

;v; At least it makes for nice introspection!

[bonomial]

[It makes sense, in a strange way, and that's what Don grasps for now. Based on the distress in the man's voice, it wasn't something he meant to do - not like when Prime Leader Zanramon held Don's head down while his knees dug into the carpet and the Triceratons' machine picked through his head, heavy and visceral, pain needling across his scalp -

No, this is different. Still invasive, but... different.

He has a thousand questions. Why? Can all humans do that, where you're from? How do you stay sane, hearing sounds all the time, always full of words that aren't even yours? But he doesn't ask any of them, not yet; he has to think about it.]

Listen... would it be okay if I - [A slight pause, as he considers how to ask this:] Could we meet up, and maybe talk about this somewhere more private? I... don't know if this is something either of us want others hearing about.

[He still isn't entirely certain if these communications can be interfered with.]

the best introspection (if you want, we can make the next chat happen in a new log!)

[forsage]

[ he has to tell himself that, all things considered, don is taking this like a champ. he's had other people react much, much worse upon learning what his powers were. lia was unnerved. calia was bewildered and kind of distant with him after that. larni fucking slapped him across the face and that definitely left an impression on him.

don? don was trying his best. don is, objectively, one of the better experiences he's had when trying to speak about his powers.

not that it stops his stomach from twisting and churning, acting like he had eaten something bad when he was running on nothing but fumes and worries and fears at the moment.

it's why he sighs and agrees to the request, thinking it's the least he can do for him. he just adds one, just one condition to it: ] … Sure. I'm kinda busy though. Right now might not be the best time.

I'll let you know when I… can?

[ can see don in the face and not looked ashamed. can keep himself from acting like a fool after feeling like he is a fool.

can just cope with his powers. ]

Eee! I'm gonna message you to follow up o/

[bonomial]

['Right now might not be the best time'. Don recognizes the rejection in the words, and as much as he understands it, he can't help the feeling of anger that rips through him briefly. Why, Roderic? You dropped this bombshell at his feet and then you can't even face him; instead, running away like a coward?

It takes a few minutes for Don to respond, but when he has he's carefully spooled his feelings in, sorted them into their own little boxes to analyze later.]

Fine. Leave me a message whenever you can.

[It'll be hard to admit to himself how many times he will check for this message in the upcoming days.]

Got it and replied! Expect it up in a bit soon. o /

[forsage]

[ well.

he must have made don feel like total shit for just up and saying that outright. no preamble. no apologies. just a 'can't do it now' and he feels like total shit for doing so.

his stomach churns. his head hurts. his hands shake as he tries to work his mouth into say something useful. something that could comfort don - i'm so sorry. i didn't mean it. i'm trying to not hurt people with this. - but he instead mumbles a quiet 'sure'. then he quickly disconnects the line.

shoves the thing away from him like it burned him. in a way it had, he reflects while he buries his hands and curses himself.

good one, pyre. ]