apuckalypse | folkmore IC contact

Um. I think he's okay? He's just so tired. He must've... I mean, I know he came from that... last day. The last fight. Plus I met him fighting pirates in the sky for who knows how long. He's probably been awake for a whole day straight. And he was hurt for so much of it, even if he's healthy now...

[He trails off, unable to help feeling tired himself. He'd probably be crashing out if he didn't really need this right now. Bless his mother for their patience.]

...I'm good. I'm- I can't believe he's here... [His breath hitches, and there's a dull thump as he lets himself drop to the floor and lean against some wall in his apartment.] He's alive... I never thought I'd see him again...

[Rue certainly doesn't mean for it, but it would be impossible to miss their sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line when Casey mentions just when Leonardo arrived from. That final day together. The owlbear had seen that hell for themself firsthand. They can't even begin to imagine what the elder turtle must be going through.]

Deep breaths, my darling. Shall I count out to ten with you?

I-

[He almost says it's okay, but he stops himself. Or more like, his body stops for him, his breath catching. He's not... quite as bad as he'd been back then, but it feels similar enough that he knows what this could become. So with a quiet exhale of the rest of his breath, he nods, even though Rue can't see it.]

...Yeah. Please. Um.

[He goes ahead and starts counting with Rue.]

[Rue sets the pace, taking each number slowly, calmly walking Casey through taking deep breaths before they move ahead. And once they've hit then, without even asking, Rue counts backwards again with him, right back to one.]

There you are, my Casey. We can take this slow. This isn't the kind of conversation either of us want to rush.

[Casey nods, taking a few extra slow, deep breaths following the counting as Rue speaks. He already feels much, much better, and with a glance towards Leonardo to ensure the counting didn't wake him, he carefully sneaks outside to the balcony, hefting himself up to sit on the rail in the warm sunlight instead. He can still see inside, so he won't feel anxious with Leonardo out of his view, but this is steadying in its own way.]

Yeah... thank you. That made a big difference. [Rue is even more steadying than the sun.] I'm... happy, but I'm worried. People come and go so quickly, here. What if it's temporary? How do I make the most of this?

[Naturally, Rue doesn't mind waiting in the slightest.]

That question and how you feel are all completely valid, dear. You aren't wrong in wanting to ask questions, as long as you remember that no one knows the answer behind them. How have we dealt with it before? After the mess that Hob left behind last time, how did we treat him when he arrived here to Folkmore?

[Oh... that sure is a great comparison, and it makes him stop and think about it.]

...We... didn't push it on him. We welcomed him and tried to have a good time while he was here. That was more important...

Then it's only right that we do the same for your father. We can not put the weight of our own expectations upon him, it simply isn't fair.

[Not that doing is anywhere as easy as saying it, but no one understands that as much as Rue.]

One step at a time, hm? The very last thing we want is to push him away.

Yeah... one step at a time.

[Casey takes a few more deep breaths. He doesn't want to push anything with his dad or make things harder for him. Life has been hard enough for the last several decades, and he deserves rest. Just... maybe not the kind of rest sensei had been expecting, after dying. (Casey definitely wants the opposite of that.)

He does have other reasons to feel anxious about all of this, but it's not something he can talk about over the phone with his (supposedly) sleeping sensei a few feet away. This is enough to settle him a little bit, though, and it'll carry him for a while.]

Thanks, Mom. I really needed the reminder.

And you know that I am happy to remind you.

[Truth be told, the whole situation is so complicated as is, Rue isn't surprised in the slightest there is more that goes unspoken. There's just so many layers to all of this!]

Why don't you come by the shop tomorrow afternoon and I'll close up early, if you're up for it.

Mm. [Just hearing it makes him feel immensely better, actually.] Tomorrow sounds- amazing. I wanna see you.

[He just can't bring himself to leave today and sensei's already overwhelmed and exhausting so visits are out. But Rue gets exactly what he needs. How did he get such an understanding mom?]

You're the best, you know?

I'm only the best because I have the very best family surrounding me. We bring out each other's best selves.

Now, if anything else comes up, just call. I'll be right by my relic all night.

We do.

[No question about that at all.]

I will, promise. But don't stay up, I think I'm just gonna get him some food and crash. I love you!

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