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[managerbehindthrone]

PSLs, unfinished story lines, AUs?

Drop them here.

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[managerbehindthrone]

"Hmm? What would?" Esme cocks her head, both in confusion and almost a desire to confirm his thoughts are on the grossness around them.

And then his goggles are down and Esmeryl stiffens slightly. "Donnie?"

The goggles reveal a trail of dried slime, kraang blood, and faint traces of mutagen that lead them onwards.

Around the 2nd bend, the trail gets bigger, more defined, and faint impressions of claws run along side it. The chirring grows louder alongside the sound of squealing Silverfish. Trapped, maybe.

By the 3rd bend, Esmeryl's ears are pinned back, the Empress ready for a fight as the chirring is loud and the shadows on the grown show a distorted something. A chest, maybe, with a struggling shadow under it. A clumsy tentacle reaching for the ceiling, though it seems to pause at the pair's footsteps.

And then the shadow is that of a normal chest (and the struggling shadow) Nothing to see here, nope!

If Donnie rounds the bend, he will find a large chest with feet, a pinned silverfish... and a piece of ceiling nearby.

Just an ordinary treasure chest! REALLY!

[purplexing]

He continues on with his staff held in a more at-ready position, making sure to scan every possible area before him prior to proceeding.

"Something's...here..." Donnie says, focused on trying to make sure he spies whatever it is first.

The sound tickles at his memory, but this is a lot bigger. But then he's heard what a full-grown mimic sounds like, hasn't he?

Finally they come across the very out-of-the-ordinary chest, because why would there be one in the subway systems of a yet alien-gooed city? Donnie frowns.

"Hah! You're not fooling anyone, you. All right mimic, show yourself!" he announces.

[managerbehindthrone]

Said mimic... does not move. There is Zero Things to see here. It's just an innocent chest. Any (guilty, sad) wilting it does the longer Donnie stares at it is in his imagination. Totally, yep!

It doesn't look infected by Kraang gunk, but it has been eating said gunk. And mutants.

"A mimic?" Of all the things she'd anticipated them finding... "That can't be good."

She's ignoring the pinned, squealing silverfish. That thing is irrelevant in her mind.

[purplexing]

"...."

Donnie doesn't look impressed, even if he does feel a little silly. He sighs, stepping forward close enough to prod at the chest with his staff.

"Come on you, we haven't got all day. Don't tell me you're the source of the energy anomaly."

[managerbehindthrone]

"Shall I poke it with my naginata?" Esmeryl asks when the mimic's only response is a sad, dismayed churr at the poke. It curls in on it's self more, and s l o w l y the pined silverfish is released.

Trust a Decepticon to resort to violence when given the chance. Though, in her defence, Donnie both made a demand and asked a question and neither have been answered. Yet, at least she's asking before potentially escalating things.

[purplexing]

Strange. It...doesn't seem mad?

Donnie frowns. He only knows so much about mimics from whatever he'd researched, and trying to recall that now is like trying to remember what he'd had for lunch on the first monday of last month.

"Hang on..." he says, holding a hand out to stay Esmeryl's eagerness to use her weapon. He lowers his own, daring to step closer to the mimic, lifting a hand, if perhaps a bit hesitantly.

That's not made of magical stone anymore, Donatello... he reminds himself, but...he has a hunch and he just hopes it doesn't end up with him as mimic food.

"...Illex...?"

:< Gmail thought to hide this from me.

[managerbehindthrone]

Esmeryl shifts, but she doesn't try and stop him from what he's about to, foolishly in her mind, do.

Yet he isn't bitten. Or maimed.

The mimic perks up at the name, much like a puppy would when told it's a good dog. In the blink of an eye it's pressed against the hand with a happy churr. For all Illex has been eating Kraang and silverfish mutants, it does remember Donnie. It's person! How could it forget??

If Esmeryl had eyebrows, they would be raised right about now. "Last I looked, it was a baby."

Tiny, cute thing just about glued to Donnie. This is so not that. Unless eating things it shouldn't turned it into a super sized baby mimic.

meeean

[purplexing]

Donnie lets out a relieved gasp of a laugh, his hand relaxing against the chest, and he gives it a fond pat.

"You're huge...!" he marvels, glancing back at Esmeryl with a nod. "Not sure if it's some space bridge temporal thing or...feasting on questionable flesh thing." He makes a slight face at that. "But that doesn't make sense, why would the space bridge send you through... Or Esmeryl...to a world that isn't her's..?" Or is it something else that's done it?

very!

[managerbehindthrone]

Illex seems to go still under Donnie now. No, really, it was not reaching for the fallen piece of ceiling, nope. It totally has not being eating questionable flesh.

"It could be both?" She muses, though it's more a question to Donnie than anything. She doesn't know much about mimics, and even less about whatever the Kraang of this universe can do.

"The space bridge dragged us in to help it. Perhaps something did the same, here." Optics ficker to the pink and the Empress's mouth twists in distaste. "I... would rather it not be clean up crew."

She did enough of it back when she was a foot solider, thank you.

[purplexing]

The turtle looks back at Illex, brow arching sharply.

"I see you. Stop that, it's unsanitary," he says firmly, shaking a finger at the mimic.

"I am ninety percent sure that the space bridge phenomenon was Prime-related. Which is kind of concerning if the same or something equally powerful is responsible for sending you both here, in which case, I'd hope we weren't expecting something worse than the Kraang to deal with."

They are not nearly ready enough to deal with anything stronger than the Kraang- they hadn't been ready to deal with the Kraang as it was.

[managerbehindthrone]

Optics flick to where Illex is now a sad, mournful chest because its person is Disappointed! The Empress snorts with amusement but otherwise turns her mind to what Donnie's saying and finds she does not like it.

Claws dig into the ground. "Indeed. From what I heard of Tech and his team's battle against them, they were unrelenting. Here, they near took over your city. If we are to face something worse..." A twang of guilt lances her core as she eyes Donnie. Knows without a doubt he doesn't have his battleshell.

"You- I know this: You would hardly be without your battleshell unless it were damaged somehow. I am sorry if I damaged your shell earlier."

[purplexing]

"They are. They believe in strength over everything else and wanted to take our planet over. ...someone from our future was sent back to try and change it, because things turned out for the worst where he was from."

Donnie rubs a hand over Illex again. "We can't stay here long, bud. It isn't safe."

He doesn't look back at Esmeryl, but he shakes his head. "Damaged one. Lost another. I have spares at home and I can easily use my mystic-tech to conjure one if I need it, but...I was trying to give my shell a rest."

[managerbehindthrone]

"I see. I know the type well, yet it is good you had allies in your fight. You did well." Most would say her Decepticons are the type, and while she whole heartedly agrees with strength over everything else, there is something to be said for stealth and cunning over brute force. It's how they took over so many worlds before they revealed themselves outright.

Another twang of guilt stabs her core though, and claws dig into the ground, only retracting once it'd eased. "We should find somewhere to rest, then."

Rest and plan, at least. "... I may have a health pack on me."

She doesn't know, not yet."

[purplexing]

Donnie nods. "I don't think anything's been compromised, but I'll run some scans once I get back." He's trying very hard not to move too much so his back won't spasm with pain, but he's sure it's mostly bruising. Hopefully.

"Save it, it's fine," he says, looking back at Illex. "I need you to either have legs or be something more portable, can you do that bud?"

[managerbehindthrone]

Esmeryl doesn't like the sound of that. Not when 'I think' allows for an ambiguity she doesn't like, but she also isn't about to push someone she considers one of her precious people. "Very well then. I trust you."

The mimic seems to think with an uncertain churr. It's too big to sit on Donnie's shoulder, or head and it doesn't like that! But- it morphs into a small version of a golem, though the image is half ruined by the fangy grin around the middle. This is good right?

[purplexing]

Not that Donnie likes not knowing things for certain either, but there's really nothing to be done about it now.

He blinks in surprise when the mimic changes, something aching in his chest even as he smiles a bit at the sight. Ah, he remembers those. "Heh. Nicely done. That...might work for now, so long as we don't run into anyone down here."

[managerbehindthrone]

"Given the state of the place, I'd be surprised if we did." A pause, then, slower, as if she does not like admitting she is blind to this world: "Though I would not hold my breath on it, either. Doubtless your leaders would be monitoring, and if my arrival was noticed..."

She doesn't quite shiver; the less she considers what a worse case scenario is, the better. For now, at least.

"Regardless, let's get moving."

[purplexing]

Donnie frowns at that. "...I wouldn't be surprised either. Someone had to have picked up the Kraang sister that April trapped. Everyone knows that aliens exist now."

Something he'll have to try looking into. Later. Later. He nods at Esmeryl.

"Right. Let's go."

[managerbehindthrone]

"Indeed, though they know they have protectors too." Or not; it's likely better her son and his family remain in the shadows. Less targets on their shells.

She follows his lead on where they go, ears pricked this way and that, the Empress determined that nothing will sneak up on them.

Yet more she walks, the more the clack of claws falls into a pattern noticeable on though familiarity with the Decepticon: Esmeryl is favouring one side - her left, actively working to hide just how much damage those missiles did earlier.

She could see if she has a health packs left in her subspace, and by rights she should. Yet, perhaps it's sentiment that keeps her from doing so, or some morbid feeling she deserves it for treating an ally - family - so rough, earlier.

Or perhaps it's sheer practicality; they could need it, and it isn't as if her self repair systems are slouches.

"Will you tell me about this world? What do you love the most here, outside your tech?"

[purplexing]

That's true enough. Donnie knows they sure haven't bothered much with hiding once they went to deal with the Kraang on their own ship, but he's not sure how many people could have actually seen what they were doing up there. Weirdly enough, it's not something he's that concerned about at the moment.

Even if he couldn't remember all the details exactly, Donnie knows machines, and there's something off about the sounds coming from Esmeryl as they make way. It's easy to pinpoint when Illex's footsteps are more solid.

"It's...home." Donnie can't help but smile as he says it. "It's hard to really say. But my family's here. This is what I know, and as much as there's so much more I want to discover... it's just...nice being where you are."

But it's a little sad too, knowing you lost something.

"...did I hurt you bad?" He turns to look at her, pointedly glancing towards the side she'd been taking more care with.

[managerbehindthrone]

"It appears worse than it is." It's a wrapped in habit; the cadence is dry, almost airy, but then her tone softens a fraction. "You hurt me just enough to make me proud."

That much is not a lie, but her left wing twitches anyway and plates along that side lift a fraction to vent heat, and she dismisses an internal diagnostic. She is all too aware of the damage, thank you very much.

"Superficial scoring along the flank. Your missiles know how to bite. However, self-repair is engaged. I will not fall. Not now, not ever." The last two words are more a promise than posture.

His answer about home lingers between them. Esmeryl tilts her head, ears angling toward him rather than the dark.

"Then we keep it yours," she says simply, softly, optics dimming somewhat as she thinks of the Fortress, of what awaits her return.

Politics. Her husband. Star Saber. Solon. "And ensure you have the right to be where you are. For it to be uninvaded. for it to be safe."

[purplexing]

Proud as she may be about it, Donnie still can't help but wince. He murmurs a quiet 'sorry', glancing forwards again.

"...after the Kraang, I wasn't taking any chances." Not that it seemed to do much. He'd have been dead if he were really in trouble, and still not at one hundred percent for focus.

He nods, fully set on doing whatever it took to keep his home and the world it was attached to, safe.

[managerbehindthrone]

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Donnie. I would have done the same in your place."

Esmeryl considers for a second and, after a small internal war, speaks again. "The damage done is enough to tell me you have grown stronger. Were I not myself, you would have grounded me. Even now, my self repair is struggling, somewhat."

More than somewhat, but she's not about to admit she needs a full night's rest to be back to par. Even this feels like pulling teeth. "Had I not reacted as I did, you would have grounded me."

[purplexing]

"...."

Would he have remembered? Or just considered it a victory and left her? The thought makes him feel queasy.

"Well, I'll find you somewhere to rest. I'd bring you directly home but I don't know how I'd explain everything, and my family's still on edge after things. I'd rather not trouble them to think there's another alien threat."

[managerbehindthrone]

"You didn't; that matters more than what-if's," she said with a light laugh - if she's read him right, he too doesn't like what could have happened - before her visage sobers.

His family, based on what she knows and can infer, is vulnerable. Pleased she might be at the idea his brothers might see her as a threat, they are Donnie's family. Her people by extension-

She is going soft.

"Wise. I'd... rather meet them at their strongest, then at most vulnerable, here. It would make them feel better." A head tilt, then a wry smile. "You'll have enough explaining Illex."

Said mimic give a confused churr. Trouble? It? No! Never. Is good!