Nexus, Mundubbera Valleys. Partially swamp forrested valleys sparsely populated.

BigM laughs outright, " that is a little.... unnerving... like wow and can yous like block out your brothers in moments like that? he wonders and maybe is sniggering harder when Raphie admits with a small shake of his head that noooope he couldn't control it. Also he forgoes asking more now even if he was looking to slip more puns in!!


Lee grins a bit, " yeah thats the only down side I can gather to having this sort of training, the always... sort of feeling what each other is up too. but its a small one, also being reassured we are all okay sounds fantastic!" and he grins at Raph knuckling his shoulder. " dawww come on more training!' enthusiastically.


To which BigM rolled his eyes. " Leos seem to be the only folks i know so jazzed about either cleaning or training.' though he loved training... just not as much as Leonardo... Leo's?


Raphie hears the question and is mumbling... " he's... he's trying to tell me something... mmmm a memory? I think its why the glow is coming -..." and he has to focus then.

"A little..." Yeah... Raph's less sure of this whole connection thing! A little dubious. He likes privacy! He doesn't want his brothers to know his own insecurities, even though they probably already mostly do. They do pretty much live in each other's pockets, after all.

"Uh huh... " Not sure this 'small' downside is all that small! Besides, he has Lee here to be all connected! "Especially meditation training." He agreed with BigM on that last point!

Raph raises a brow at Raphie's explanation, but he shuts up so the guy can focus!

Lee chuckles but makes a motion for BigM to shush before he could - for now make another pun and nudges Raph with a foot. Man he had missed this just hanging out and being close and was eager for the time they would catch up with their other brothers, thinking over it and puzzling a bit sensing... somewhere... " speaking of I think somethign is up with Mikey - like a good something... oh boy maybe he is getting down somewhere." softly though so as not to disturb either Randal or Raphie.


It was a little more work for Raphie to focus and then be able to make sense of what the little boy was showing him... and wow... what was that?...


He lets Randal end the contact, slowly coming back and taking a more normal louder breath before looking at his companions.


" come on glowyboy don't hold out!" BigM meeeeeps like on the edge of the rocks he was seated on!


Lee nods reaching over after tickling the nuzzley happy Chompy and rubbing the small hybrids head.


" Well.... I'm not sure of the whole context but.... Leo opened something, there was something... like a cool crystal ball for seer work... but not... like it had some... one inside... and it reached briefly reactivating my Leo's chi and spread too me... probably my Mike and Don too." he'd be a tad envious if he knew to what extent for Don. But also very happy. And hopeful!

Raph, as amused as he is by the puns, is busy giving Lee a raised brow. Whaaaat are you doing, big brother?

Ohhh... hmm...

"If you are trying to sell me on this whole mental connection all the time thing.... you're doing a terrible job." Yeah... he doesn't want to know when Mikey is having a good time. Nope. No, he does not.

And he definitely doesn't want Mikey knowing when Raph is having a good time!

He is, however, just as curious as BigM about what Randal just showed Raphie! And he sort of leans forward to listen. He gives Chompy a little head rub.

There's a quizzical look on his face as Raphie shares what he saw.

"A crystal with someone in it? Thaaaaat's not creepy." It is. Very creepy.

Erica blinked her large blue eyes, " Eldunari. What you describe sounds like an Eldunari... a dragons soul... exception all powerful objects." she fills in gently. It's the only thing she could think of matching that description.

Lee grins as BigM laughs a bit at that - " maaaaybe I am half warning... half trying to sell it - I don't want to not know what we will be getting into after all.' chuckling and he was still glowy!


He was shifting into a meditative kneel when Erica speaks up - telling them...


And falls out of his kneeling spot oooh sooo gracefully. " what? like... you? a dragonish being like you or a say dragon dragon?" really?

Big M did boom a laugh at that - nudging Raph, " hehehe at least he didn't try to hide it or sugar coat it from ya's" he is highly amused, and it doesn't fade when Erica helps them out a bit. This definitely excited the little Randal - dawwwwwww


" yeah you dragonish lady type or a huge flying fire breathing Drogon type deal?" nevermind she probably hasn't seen Game of thrones.

Raph looks unconvinced! Completely and utterly not sold on the idea! He is not the least bit interested in the idea, thanks. Though... summon a dragon avatar sounded really, really cool...

"I guess... But don't think you're getting off the hook, Raphie. I still want to hear about the avatar thing."

Well... later. Because... "After the soul thing." And, like the others, he waits for more explanation from Erica.

Though he's having a little trouble with the whole thing, because... "Dragons have souls... in a rock?"

Erica has to think about how she would explain this... and after a few moments she tries her best to describe it with a fish, pulling this body she hadn't eaten yet apart to show the organs. " For most of their lives, lived usually in and around fire mountains. And the eldunari are simple like this fishes ovaries here, like mine at the moment," she shows the sack with her bloodied white fingers, it's little impressive in this state, not in use. She pulls the other ovary out to show the difference full of eggs ready for fertilisation. " the Eldunair are inside and until ..... disgorged by the dragon willinging are just an thing, half develped ready to be used, the dragon chooses to place their essence in it, them, their soul and then cough it up - they can live on as normal - and whomever they gave their eldunari to can use it to communicate with them over any distance.... in the death of the physical dragon the being, the dragon, the soul of that one is still there and it's power and memories all accessible. Very few dragons will give up an eldunari and there is rumoured to be a few scattered hidden here in Nexus of ancient dragons."


Raphie is listening and urghs a bit rubbing his head. It wasn't what Erica told them she made sense, he guessed... maybe? " hows that for coinky dinky turtle luck, my clutchmates and I have had many dragons encounters, and now hybrid toddlers? and Nexus again to take down crazy dragonish guy.... and my brothers and I all having dragon avatars... smells like we will be fighting ont he spiritual plane as well as physical so yeah ya gonna hafta get sold on the idea..." Raphie teases a bit towards the end... adding Bigm into this. " you too... i... I think I should eat some more and then meditate - hey can i get another beer?"


totally ignoring the disapproval in Lee's glance at that!


but grinning at the pouty face of BigM becoming a snort of laughter. " hah fighting like a married couple already so cute."

Raph is starting to have a hard time focusing.

Or... it might be that Erica's explanation is a little too much like a Donnie one for him anyway.

Either way, he's not really following. But he does get soul in a rock, and communicate with a dragon.

"Judging by the glow stick here, I'm guessing it's a little more than a rumor..."

He's watching Raphie with a raised brow regarding that rather alarmingly long list of dragons on the guy's life.

"Hate to be the one to break this to ya, but... that don't sound like no 'coinky dink.'" No, it definitely sounded more like fate or destiny... And Raph is not a fan of either one.

The groan is mostly in regards to the spiritual training it sounds like he doesn't really have a choice in.

Though the avatar thing still sounded cool!

It's also a little bit of the withdrawal symptoms returning.

But he is definitely sniggering at BigM's comment about Raphie and Lee being an old married couple.

Though Raph is sort of feeling like he needs a beer to even consider this spiritual meditation thing.

And normally he would jump at the opportunity for a little alcohol, but it still sounds unappealing after the past week or... however long it's been.

" hah! glow stick - and you seemed to have just grown brighter?!" he is soooo amused lounging there and chilling and fascinated really grinning over at Raphie and nudging him as the guys siiiighs and nods.



" guess that makes me a neon signs - at least whatever hold my wife -" jokingly and smirking at Lee's hey! your the wife! " is keeping most of the on lookers of the cowfolk I can see over there from spilling over for now - either that or the mythology of the genio innocuo are making em sit back and wonder if its just part of our - Fated, Destiny... cursed?" he sighs and is scarfing as much fish as Erica is happy to pass over to him once cooked, and a fresh jug of the beer is going around and even Lee decides another couldn't hurt.


BigM definitely has one - he notes that Lee is making himself comfortable here by the water so it looked like they were indeed resting, camping here for now.


Lee is watching his companions though - and chuckling at the old married couple comment. Oh man he had no idea what would happen after this adventure or even if they managed to find each other again what would happen with his ladies but... chuckling, " Our dad would have some cool comeback about destiny and fate and all I can think of is speaking of meditation... we should all try it.  But later if this glow goes down..."


Teeeasingly BigM waggles eye ridges, " or may have to go for another swim?.... on that didnt you two care about the audience much? and what was with that roar? I've heard my brothers make various sounds .... awfully loud ones".


Lee laughs and Raphie shrugs, " nope didn't care at all.... and yeah was surprised by that didn't know we cooooh what the heck?!"something from somewhere was making his chi flash - and Lee sits up rubbing his head-


Lee groans his own chi flaring -" what the ?!"


Randal happy growls basking in his dads combined light. Chompy pouncing on the shadows created, giggling tail wagging.

Raph is amused, kinda proud his glow stick joke went over so well. And kinda weird that he keeps sort of seeking approval from BigM. Sort if like he does from Lee, though it's a little different since he's more comfortable with Lee.

He also joins the others in a beer, but if Lee's paying attention, Raph is definitely nursing it more than usual. And he's justvsirt of listening to the conversation.

Until Raphie's and Lee's chis both flare, and even Raph sort of shivered. He isn't nearly as well trained in the spiritual side if ninjitsu as Lee, and apparently Raphie, but he has some training. Enough to just barely sense whatever that was.

"Whoa... even I felt that. What the hell was it?"

He probably wouldn't have thought anything of it if he hadn't seen Lee and Raphie's response, but the timing was too much to overlook. He definitely felt that.

Mid play tussel with Chompy - in which Randal had happily let the little turtle get the upper hand and now bounce around on his shell chirping his triumphant sounds - the little red hybrid looks up at Raph and informs happily, " Liii am - was Liiiaaaam... and dragon."


" I sort of felt something too... not sure what - come on guys don't hold out yous felt it."


the pretty white damonfeuer watches curiously. She had not felt, but she sure did sense something and saw their collective reactions.


Lee and Raphie glance at each other and Lee shakes his head. " I don't know - but it was strong... Mikey - Raph.... meditate... BigM you too..." his tone is light and gentle and encouraging but there is that edge. It was a command not a request.


Raphie nods and the two trusting Erica would take the initiative to watch the kids - a grin and rubbing the little heads, Raphie begins to focus, that had come from Don - affected Don and Leo more but had he been in the middle of training or something dangerous his dragon would have avatared to life too. And who knew what kind of avatar Lee would have?


He forces thoughts away something had happened and he needed to know what - reaching brushing against brothers, unconscious and conscious.

Raph is watching the kid. "Liam... and a dragon...? Now how's he know that?"

While Raph would normally grouch about having to meditate, after whatever it was that just happened, he doesn't even question Lee's command. He settles down as he was taught to do and starts trying to clear his mind. Trying to at least reach an enlightened space. Beyond that, he can't do a whole lot, but he can follow Lee and Raphie! And well... he'll do what he can.

Raphie is closed eyes and half behindLee in the almost there, mumbles to Raph, " not sure to be honest, but he is a mutant turtle dragon hybrid so guess he just... knows?" chuckling a little the somewhat but not explanation and then at Lee's soft sound clearing his throat and focusing, feeling around again for his brothers, reaching.


Feeling the untrained BigM join them, Lee waiting, guiding and grabbing a hold of Raph when his consciousness joins in.


He could feel and pick up it was - was... from Don, he pokes lightly at his brother, feeling far away more and more turtles are joining in. Leo! hadn't been too long ago he met his brothers but he was keen to again, he missed them.


~


Erica watches them slip away into that state and shifts, yes she'll guard and watch the children and the big turtles shells.

Raph allowed his brother to grab his consciousness. He followed willingly. It was sort of a pleasant surprise to find that he wasn't quite as untrained as he had thought. He wasn't as good as Lee, and not nearly as accomplished as Raphie and his brothers seemed to be, but... he could move around and follow pretty easily. He could certainly find his way back on his own if he had to.

Astral Assembly

She and Chompy waited, keeping the curious clear and away for the moment and playing with the little alien as his little friend seemed as deep in meditation as the big boys - she keeps the little one busy and the fire built nice to keep the still bodies warm.

Guiding his small group right back to there physical bodies, letting the natural attraction between body and spirit take over and take each one back home. Before he would sink into his own once more.


And then slowly coming awake and aware, prepared to deal with tired, emotional turtles.

BigM reluctantly followed, went along with the tugging, away from the familiar feel of his big brothers but also that wonderful new sort of becoming familiar with all the others - it felt oddly lonely when he breaths in and opens his eyes.


And he doesn't hide the weepy sort of face. It's not a sad weepy, well not only a sad weepy but sort of comforted weepy. " whoooooooa what a trip." he murmurs and sighs gathering himself and moving closer to the others - to Raph and Lee and Raphie, touching the little shell of Randal. Smiling at Erica and Chompy.

Raph feels the pull of his body, but he struggles against it until he's pretty sure that Lee's ball of energy has made it back to his own body. Only then does he let that pull rip him back to his own.

And he opens his eyes. Whoa... He grunts, and throws up off to the side, away from anyone!

Oh... those withdrawal symptoms that weren't thaaat bad before they went on their little voyage are back. Raph's pretty sure they're making up for lost time that they could have made him miserable.

He'd seen Lee's weak ball of energy. The guy's not going to be able to help, and if he tries, Raph will kick him.

"We got... anymore of that... medicine stuff...?" He would feel more cut off, but his physical body has some pretty intense needs before he can focus on emotional anything.

But Lee wanted to help!


He wanted to - but his attempts to pull his body, nice and familiar feeling if a little empty cause of the ache of aloneness after being pulled away from all those fellow mutant turtles, he is not even able to get up into position, though he is worried that Raph was puking -


Raphie's hand on him stopped him though and then the added weight of Randal in his lap.

Erica scoops up Chompy as he makes worried squeaky noises and tries to scramble over to his dad, shushing him gently and just nuzzling, give dad a moment to recover, that did not look good. she uses her tail to scoop dirt over the sick and watches them all carefully - smiling at the looks she got, yes she and Chompy were well and safe and had waited quietly for their return fro... where ever they went in their minds.


She will collect the full water skins and offer them around in a moment, once Chompy was waiting and not wriggling about and his dad reached for him, watching Raphie move the toddler to Lee's plastron, on his belly too and wondering. " everything alright?"

The low whine from Randal that started then ended once he was plastron to plastron with Lee showed the little guy was a tad disorientated like the rest of them, and hungry! - and thirsty! and so very tired! the whimpering a soft sounds buried into the crook of Lee's neck and shoulder.

Raphie hears Erica and shakes his head, " we are mostly okay just... tired and well this was a new thing for some so it took a bit out of us." And plonking Randal on Lee to keep the fool from trying anything he grins at Raph and goes to find him some of the medicine. Coming back in a moment and offering a generous cap full and then one to BigM too. He had a bit of energy from Leo he knew so he felt reasonable back to normal and okay. Tired yes but not so uncomfortable in his own skin like a beloved familiar leather jacket that hadn't been worn for a while. Well, that's always how it felt to him in the past.


For BigM the withdrawals were beginning to fade a bit. But he does accept the sip with a thank you.


" Stay down Lee - Leo gave you some energy to heal and get better we got the Raph and BigM... Erica, could you please go see if you can track down some tea or coffee or something warm to drink and something light for food, fruits, and soft meats and light bread. We will need to eat a bit, especially Raph here to help ease nausea, drink and then actually sleep a bit." He helps Lee get a small mouthful of medicine into their son - the smallest amount barely enough to coat his tongue, just to help ease the little guy.


Erica nods and Gently placed a more soothed Chompy on Raph's knee before moving off and flapping over the camp singing out what she was looking for.


Raphie watches her go and then is helping Raph with the cap full of medicine - yes he is being an annoying LeoWorryWart.

Raph is watching his counterpart putter about. The guy seems... relatively fine. He scratches Chompy's head and willingly takes the offered cap full of medicine.

Raph shifts, adjusting Chompy's position on his knee. Normally he would put hte little guy on his shoulder, but he's too shakey. He doesn't trust himself.

"Hey, how come you don't look miserable?" The question is directed to Raphie.

And okay, to be fair, a lot of what's bothering Raph right now is probably the withdrawal symptoms. It might be more that than the residue from the astral adventure, though he can't say for sure. And BigM doesn't look as miserable as Raph feels either! This is totally unfair.

Raphie fusses, yep fusses and snorts at Lee's attempt to stop him, Randall was soothing himself, remarkable, Raph wishes though as much as he'd also probably either join in or be unsettled by wailing he wishes the little guy would, knowing this self settling was a left over of the kids says in the lab. But hey it was quiet and Lee was half drifting as Raphie simply carefully shifts Raph, Lee and struggles a bit but gets BigM settled close beside each other and against a log, waiting for Erica to return and smiling at Raph.


" it's all in practice, my clutch mates and I have practice a tad more than you guys, and also helpsLeogave me some energy too, I wow hope he is okay somewhere and gettin some TLC too." he explains chuckling as BigM sleepily pipes in.


" mmmm never been so glad to be a guy who has cure all mutagen in his blood. " sort of explaining his mild withdrawal symptoms and that he was tired but not as much as the others.


Raphie pokes out his to gue as the shape of Erica is returning to them. " in that case show off when we sleep this off you can keep watch over us." even Erica might need a nap after being primary child sitter through their play and this session in the astral plane. A grin at Raph and rubbing now happy little alien turtle head and then Randall's she'll as the boy heaves a sighed hiccup. Sniffling. Lee adjusts him and snuggles him closer.


Raphie gets him and Chompy a drink starting with the little fire turtle to sip out of an angled cup then letting a thirsty Randall gulp the rest down. "practice will make it all easier and be less tiring and feel normal slipping back into your own skin over time. AH awesome thanks Erica."


She grins and sits carefully tray ladened with long bread rolls stuffed with salads and meat and pickles, and water and warm wine skins. She offers the wine to them first for the flavour and warmth and to reawaken taste buds and hunger with the sweet warm flavour before the cool not cold water. When their ready she will offer the food.

Raph grunts at the comment about the practice. Okay... fair. Fine. That makes sense. And BigM too, but...

"That. Is totally unfair." He grumped regarding the cure all mutagen! "No cure all for us. And the only thing I got from my time as a plant was needing extra sunlight." Not. Fair. Could certainly be a lot worse, but... Not. Fair.

He has the medicine in his system now, and he's pretty sure it's starting to work, but he's still a little nauseous and shakey. It's a bit more tolerable though, and he does, carefully accept some of the food and drink. Mostly accepting the bread at the moment. Once that's in his system, and the medicine starts taking more effect, he'll reassess how he's feeling, and maybe branch out his food choices a little.

" oh I know man, I have been on my shell enough times to agree with that - oh heck yeah completely unfair." mock glaring at BigM.


The big guys grin and laugh and cuddle the others closer to him and against the log Raphie had set them against to rest for now and nods with a yawn, he was fairly good, but he could go for a nap whilst Raph and Lee slept everything off. But Raphie was right he should watch the camp whilst the others rested. Lee was out and Raphie decides to forgo keeping trying to disturb him to have eaten something, the blue masked turtle was snuggling the little red turtle and had managed a sip of water but was asleep now and Randal was quickly going to so Raphie didn't bother trying to get much more than something he could mush up into the little boy and only until Randal sort of turned away and buried into Lee's neck. " yeah it is pretty awesome, I mean we were half dead from blood loss and still managed fight. Sure I'll keep eyes out." brag much. But in a playful and happy way.


Raspberry and a grunt of " show off." and a chuckle, smiling at Raph and looking curiously. " so what was it like being a plant? remember much about it - more sunlight is pretty cool though.' cause they are turtles and they love basking so any more excuse to do more of it is a-okay with Raphie.


Erica moves closer to them and smiles watching them settle. Quiet full herself and now that Raphie had moved them away from the covered sick pile and more against the log she too was eager to have a bit of a nap.

Raph sort of grunts an agreement with his counterpart. Show off indeed!

He shrugged at the question about the plant.

"Vaguely recall being a 'good boy' for a little while. Other than that... yeh, not much. And yeah, sunlight's great. Easy to access when ya live underground." He needs to chill, but this sort of loss combined with the withdrawals is pissing him off.

He does take a breath though.

"DonnieBoy came up with some lights for us though. Just... ya know, keep one on mosta the time.." It's not the same though. He relishes a chance to really get out in the sun. It just doesn't happen very often, and that sorta sucks.

He doesn't know if it's the medicine kicking in or just the events of the evening getting to him, but he drinks a little more and sort of curls up to rest. Still sort of willing to talk, but just ready to lay down. He resettles Chompy nearby. Hopefully the little guy is ready to sleep too, there was quite a bit of playing there. Raph has a little more in him, but not much.

Raphie could definitely pick up on the breath being taken and grins a bit because heck he probably would be getting a little annoyed too! But being so distracted by the getting to fuss over the others was keeping him from his usual grumpies. It was a tad helpful that it was kinda amusing to not be ready to get annoyed himself. " yeah suppose be a pain as much as it's kinda cool." Totally agreed.


BigM laughs a bit at being called a show-off and squishes Raph and Lee to him, Randal making a soft hiccupy snore and daww is that a snot bubble?!


Lee musta sensed something to and churrs cuddling closer, snout burying against Raph and Randal snuggled, the kid was all but out now.


And Erica is a warm presence and body and well it must be nice to have her to rest heads against instead of the hard log Raphie thinks and tossing a little extra wood on the fire to build it up for their warmth, " at least the sun out here is usually pretty good. Feeling a little better?" regarding the withdrawals. And well all told getting out on the cart top and out for exercise in the sun should probably help

Raph sort of nodded. Yeah, the sunlight was cool. He's getting a little annoyed with the world right now though, and he couldn't really tell you why. If that weren't a sort of normal feeling for him, he would definitely be blaming the withdrawal.

It's probably at least in part the withdrawal.

But he's used to being pissed. It's fine.

Actually the hug and hiccuppy snot bubbly Randal sort of helped. And well... Raph will take whatever he can get. Mostly Randal. Hard to stay mad with a sad baby like that. And Chompy's here, and he always helps Raph calm down.

"Hadn't... really had a chance to notice." He commented of the sun in the Nexus, but it's muttered, barely understandable. He's annoyed about this. He has been so drugged that he hasn't actually had much chance to enjoy the sun. Though he is willing to bet that his counterpart is absolutely correct, and the sun here is amazing!

"Well enough." Not great, not like earlier. He'll survive.

" come' on dude stop being a MamaLeo and get some rest with these two and this nice warm soft gal - I'll watch over ya's all." BigM encourages amused by Raphies fussing but really, with Chompy snuggling in now too and even Erica down and by what BigM can see glancing about that the other firesides had the odd sitting up sentinel and many heaps of snoozing bodies.


Raphie grins and what he'd been about to say to Raph leaves his lips and goes back into his throat and he nods, fighting a yawn, and moves to Lee's other side so that he lightly had Raph snuggled between him and BiM and with his brother close, also so he was close to Lee and could rest head close to Randal's on Lee's shoulder after shifting the boy up a little higher.


Erica shifts her tail around them, her white scales absorb and reflect warmth from the fire onto them.


BigM feels more himself, more in his own skin, not quiet less brother homesick but this turtle pile and the warmth was sure helping with that.

Raph chuckled at BigM calling Raphie a MamaLeo. He does take advantage of Raphie being told to chill out, and he lays down. He does actually curl into his brother.

It's not easy to really get to sleep, but he's tired. And at least having Lee here is comforting. It takes a bit, but he does manage to close his eyes long enough to fall asleep.

As he snuggles in with Lee and Raph, raphie might have tried to get a promise out of the BigM to wake him if the big guy got tired, but Mikey just amusedly watches him drift off once all cuddled up, and leans back against the log to wait and watch over his companions. " I promise dude... promise.' he tells the sleeping lot.


(( ooc: https://maskedmayhem.forumotion.com/t178-mundubbera-valley-follow-the-stream#9020 ))