7952/Follow Up On a Recently Forlorn Friend

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Follow Up On a Recently Forlorn Friend
Date of Scene: 23 September 2021
Location: Terry's Apartment in NYC
Synopsis: Leo comes over to check on his student. During the visit, Terry gives his sensei some advice teen-to-teen.
Cast of Characters: Terry O'Neil, Leonardo




Terry O'Neil has posed:
It's tapas time! After receiving a call from Leo, Terry set about to prepare something to nibble on and drink in anticipation of his guest. It was a great opportunity to get some of his new foodstuffs out- normally he has to hide the good stuff from Gar, lest it get devoured right away, but with the green teen being away for a week and a half, there's plenty of good food to go around.

He's currently preparing the last of it on a pair of wooden boards- sliced Serrano ham has been arranged to the side, while the majority of each board is populated by squares of mature, strong Manchego goat cheese, each square getting complemented by a carefully-cut square of quince paste on top of it. Terry's mother is somewhat of a foodie, and after that one case in Madrid that required her to stay for a month, she had come back extolling the quasi-religious experience she had had with Spanish cuisine. Terry was wont to agree, and was more than happy when she shared some of the 'good stuff' she got every month.

~But I don't feel like dancin' when the old Joanna plays
My heart could take a chance but my two feet can't find a way
You think that I could muster up a little soft shoe gentle sway
But I don't feel like dancin', no sir, no dancin' today~

He's dancing as he finishes the last of the squares. Not too bad a dancer, but clearly more on the 'goofing off' side of the spectrum. Scissor Sisters merited it, he feels. He turns around, one hand carrying a board, ready to set them on the coffee table.

Leonardo has posed:
The green teen (Leo in this case) amazingly called ahead... from the roof of Terry's building. So while Vorpal is preparing for a guest the leader of the quartet of Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles slides down a pipe to the window and slips into the apartment.

As Terry turns around to go to the coffee table he finds the blue bandanna wearing terrapin leaning against the wall smiling at him. "See that you're both feeling better and recovered from the wounds you took weeks back," he observes in a quite tone of voice.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
How does Leo do it? It's a ninja thing, of course. Terry is in his human shape, so he lacks the enhanced hearing that his cat self has... even then, though, he can't hear Leo as a cat. By now, he has gotten fairly accustomed to turning around and finding Leonardo, so there is no jump and no start, but the surprise never goes away.

"... how long have you been there?" he asks, his pale face reddening a little, realizing that the teen probably saw his dorky dance routine, "I'll bribe you with food for your silence!"

He sets the boards down on the coffee table and he properly greets Leo with a strong hug. "/Much/ better, thanks to your advice. I've patched things up. C'mon, sit down and have a bite to eat!" he leads Leo to the couch and hastily moving books off the couch. There are a lot of books about writing copy for tech companies, "Sorry the place is a bit of a mess, I've been studying stuff from my orientation... I got a second job."

Leonardo has posed:
Leo's expression splits into a grin before he speaks. "I was on the roof when I called so... how long do you think I was here?" he says after the hug. He removes his swords and scabbards from their harness and laying them against the front of the sofa as he sits down next to them. He doesn't promise any silence but it's Leo, does he really need to?

"Have you seen Mikey's room?" he asks about the mess, dismissing the concern with his easy way of speaking. "Glad to hear that the advice helped," he says only to follow up with an offer of, "Care to share how it worked out?"

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"I actually haven't- April told me to stay out of it out of danger that it might swallow me. But I imagine it's just as bad as Gar's room was before we started dating. If it weren't for me, that boy would have been buried under laundry and declared missing." He sits down, and then stands up again, remembering- "I've got pomegranate juice, would you like some? It's supposed to go well with..." he gestures to the boards with food.

Walking to the fridge to get himself a glass, and Leo if he wants one, he answers "Well, it took me a little... it ... it is kind of hard admitting how something was wrong to do even if you thought it was the right thing to do. And then we talked things out..." he glances back at Leo with a smirk as he starts pouring the juice. "You've got practice at this, with the brothers..."

Leonardo has posed:
Being the daring type, especically gastronomically, Leo accepts the offer and then the glass of juice when its brought to him. "I didn't know who you were dating before now," he comments without vocalizing that it wasn't until very recent that Terry was gay because, really, what's it matter. There's a more deeply unspoken subtext of the lonely teenager that he doesn't advertize to the world.

Given a good subject change, Leonardo nods about the advice as he hides his face behind the glass. After taking a drink he says, "I defenately have been striving to do just that of course. It's hard as we've grown apart due to my time in South America. Not that we're breaking up... just everyone's got their own guiding focus these days."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Of course you won't break up- you're family. April and I have our own things but we still get together, you know." He grabs a square and plops it into his mouth, savoring it. The manchego cheese has a crumbly texture that's rich, full and slightly salty at the finish, which is complemented by the quince's sweetly floral taste. There's a reason why those two often go together. "You'll have to tell me about your time in South America. I've never been, but I'd like to."

Taking a sip of the juice, he says "Well.. he's one of the people I'm dating," he chuckles then, "That makes it sound like I'm cheating, but it isn't quite-- there's alien psychology involved, if you're interested. I can explain- it was a bit of an eye opener and I guess that's why people write about xenopsychology in science fiction stories all the time."

Leonardo has posed:
"You're polyamourous," Leonardo says this without hesitation to simplify the explianation as cleanly as a cut of a blade after taking a bite of the cheese. "And," he says with a wave at his body, "I've some experience with non-human physiology... which is the root of psychology also as the brain is a key component of the body." He pauses and grins at Terry as he adds, "Or so I've come to understand," with a friendly hint of mischieviousness in his voice before taking another bite of the offered cheese.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Unless it's my brain, in which case Robin would tell you it's not /that/ important." Terry laughs and nods "That is one way of explaining it, I guess! I'm not exactly your run-of-the-mill person. Then again, neither are you, and I think we're both the better for that. But I did have a bit of an eye-opening experience with Kian. He is from a world of telepaths, and apparently polyamory is practiced freely because people know how other people feel about them. There's always a committed couple, but there is no insecurity involved if members of it are close to others because... well. They know. With that, Gar and I know how we feel about each other, and how we feel towards Kian. That I may..." he waves his hand, "have some closeness with one or two other special people to me isn't an issue. Of course, taking all precautions as are necessary. It really is liberating, getting rid of that insecurity. I think more telepaths should go into business as couples' counselors."

He glances at Leonardo, taking a sip from his juice, "Non-human physiology is fascinating. Like, how I perceive the world when I'm feline is so different. And how I balance myself. I do wonder what it must feel like, having the natural armor you do- your carapace and your plastron provide you with such good protection... and saves you the invoncenience of having to buy clothes. Though I imagine you need to bundle up a lot in the winter..." he shudders. New York winters, man.

He leans back on the couch to sip some more juice. "The romance thing is... kind of new to me. I went to a catholic school, as you know. I had to hide all of that away. I never even had my first kiss until a year ago."

Leonardo has posed:
"Which one?" Leonardo asks. Obviously he and his brothers pay attention to the media, with him knowing that there is more than one Robin in the world. Not that he knows more than that. Or how to identify them other than by color or time period they were active in.

"Telepaths are... interesting in theory. I must admit that I've never met one but the thought of it from fiction... I imagine it takes a lot of strength of will to be ethical with it unless, like this Kian, they come from a world of telepaths. You know, the one-eyed man in a world of blind people, right?"

The juice is finished and he asks, "Can I have some more?" as he takes another bite of cheese.

"Yes and, when we do have to bundle up it can be a bit awkward as they don't make clothing with our body shape in mind," he says and then chuckles as he adds, "But second hand clothing tends to be flexible enough to work with.

And then the unintended question about Catholic school. He chuckles again as he answers, "Actually, not at all except from how its protrayed in fiction. But I can imagine."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Which Robin? The new one, the smaller bitier, angrier one," Terry chuckles as he stands up and heads over to the refrigerator. He comes back with the pitcher of juice and sets it down in front of them, "Have as much as you want! Rather good isn't it?"

Settling back on the couch, he says, "If you want to meet a telepath, I am sure Kian would love to meet you. You may have seen him in the news when talking about the Titans... he's the one with wings. Only wears a blue kilt and sandals so he always looks like he's going to spend a wekened in Hawaii. Has also come to the conclusion that Earth is absolutely weird."

He leans forward, clasping his hands together. "Catholic school... heh. I know there are schools and then there are schools, but the one I went to was possibly retrograde. Forbidding nuns, and Original Sin always hanging over your head- going on about how we are all flawed and sinful and unworthy without a very specific person's approval... it did a number on the self-esteem, it did. And the topic of sex-" he glances at Leo, rolling his eyes, "Oh sex was /verboten!/ - you are only supposed to have hanky panky within the blessing of marriage and ideally solely for procreation, because it's inherently /dirty/. I almost believed, too. Started to feel there was something deeply /wrong/ with me, crushing on other boys."

Leonardo has posed:
The chuckles are gone. Leo laughs openly. "The kilt wearing, telepathic angel thinks /Earth/ is weird," he says though the laughter. It's quickly controlled but there we go, Leo letting out a rolling belly laugh. Terry has seen it.

"Well, from what I hear, good sex tends to be a bit messy... but I know that's not what you mean." Leo adds quickly, "Glad you got over that. I can't imagine you restrained that way, Terry," while he pours more juice, taking a good sip of it after speaking.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Angel /bird/, to boot- his people are avians. His fingers and toes are different- and he emits a blue glow when he is using his powers. But yes, we are the weird ones," Terry winks as Leo lets the laughter rip. "And coffee sends him to sleep. AND Chocolates get him high as a kite! One day I walked in on him with an emtpy box of chocolates and he was /staring/ at the television, watching Harvey Birdman: Attorney At Law, and he was completely stoned and /extremely/ confused!"

He takes a thoughtful sip from his glass. "I'm glad I got over /some/ of that. I'm still dealing with some of the issues but I'd like to think I'm getting better..." he glances over at Leo, taking note of the verbiage- from what he hears. "How about you, Leo? Any special girl has caught your eye? I know Mikey has a crush on Troia and even asked me to give her his number - I had to break his heart by telling him she is dating /Raven/."

Leonardo has posed:
The story about Kian is nodded though and he stifles a chuckle behind a bite of cheese. Further nodding continues while he washes that down with pom juice during the acknowledgement of personal advancement.

Then there is /the/ question. Girls. Celebrity crushes don't count; that's an easy decision because you don't really know them... just their public image. So of course, there's /the/ answer.

"Well, my first crush on a real girl... sorry, woman... was the first female I ever met and I don't need to /tell/ you who that was do I?" is his response.

There's a pause, and he takes another sip of his juice. Then he says, "There's nobody really." He then says, "I assume by your first kiss you aren't counting pecks on the cheek or forehead. In which case I'm more then seventeen years waiting for my first still."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Aw- Ape? I don't blame you, she's pretty spectacular. We O'Neils have great genes- we've got the looks..." he poses, and then deflates "And a penchant for getting into trouble that is almost /supernatural/ and, if family myth turns out to be true, it all stems from one of our ancestors pissing off a witch and cursing the entire family to be trouble magnets. But I'm sure that's a totally baseless superstition," says the Cheshire cat and sips his juice. Then he glances at the turtle.

"Well... it's worth the wait. It sucks, though, waiting- I know. But you've got good things going for you, though: You're caring, you are /far/ more mature than most guys your age... or older," he says with a self-deprecating smile, obviously including himself, "You've got a good heart and you know when to be gentle and when to be stern. You honor your word and you follow through- you're a catch. Heck, if I were a woman and two years younger, I'd have totally dated you." He reaches over and squeezes Leo's shoulder, "Sooner or later kismet's going to throw you in the path of someone who will see what a great guy you are and /bam/!" he leans forward to grab another bite of cheese. "I don't see any obstacles to that happening. Unless you happen to piss off a witch. O'Neil tip: Don't."

Leonardo has posed:
"Okay, I'll remember that: don't piss off witches." He manages to sound completely serious and joccular at the same time. Making a joke with his friend, not at his friend's expense.

"Thank you Terry," Leo acknowledges the littany of kind words Terry said about him. In this instance the uncertain teenage boy shines though for a moment. It's not that the confident young man is a mask but that, like anyone his age, there is still the little boy deep inside him.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"I meant every word of it," Terry says, looking back at Leo. He thinks about something, noticing his friend's demeanor. It is a personal question, but what kind of a friend would he be if he didn't ask it? Especially considering how Leonardo had helped him. It is merely that it needs to be phrased proplerly.

"You've always struck me as someone who knows himself. I hope that means that you are aware that just because you don't have conventional looks, it doesn't mean you are unattractive, right?" the redhead asks, reaching for a strip of Serrano ham.

Leonardo has posed:
"I didn't doubt a word of it, Terry," Leo answers his student/friend. Then, as O'Neil ponders him, the turtle eats a bit more of the cheese and then refreshes his glass from the pitcher again.

"This is really good," he observes about the juice before Terry resumes speaking. He does that combination of a nod and shake of the head indicating that he both understands and agrees about the assessment while also dismissing it slightly at the same time.

"You can only be called a freak so many times before some of it gets internalized, as I bet you know Terry. However, I have no issues with who and what I am. I just also don't have any illusions about it either." He comes across totally sincere as he says this, no hesitation or disingenuousness in his words, tone or cadence.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Terry nods, savoring the ham. It is good stuff. It also gives him time to think about what Leonardo says and to think about what he thinks about it, and why he thinks what he thinks about it. Second and third thoughts, his favorite writer used to call that process.

"Cosmopolitanism. Considering oneself a citizen of the world. I have read some people that speak of someone being either parochial or cosmopolitan... in ways that have nothing to do with where you live. Some people travel all over the world but constantly carry a small town mentality with them wherever they go, impervious to the world because they cling to their corner out of sheer fear of the different. And there are people who accept life in all of its different aspects even though they have never left their farmstead."

He looks back to Leo. "The illusions, Leo, are the hang-ups of silly people who recoil just because someone's skin is green or differently-shaped, not realizing how much in common that reaction has to other kinds of prejudice. At the end of the day, they are falsehoods. Like the illusions I was afraid of, back at the school." He gestures towards Leo, "What's /real/ is that you are a handsome- yes, handsome - mutant turtle. There is a big universe out there and beauty has many expressions. Don't you forget that."

He leans back on the couch after serving himself another glass. He has decided he's going to order a few more boxes of the juice- it's too good.

Leonardo has posed:
Leo smiles and lightly (for a buff guy with serious martial arts training) punches Terry in the shoulder. "Very good way to express it, I'll work to remember to live that advice," he says in all serousness. It actually doesn't sound like he's implying that it was a test, he really needed this. It's not really a life lesson a mutant rat taught to his four mutant turtle sons after all. He takes a slice of the ham and puts a few small chunks of cheese onto it and rolls it into a protien and fat quasi-burrito which he begins to eat one bite at a time.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Terry smiles. And rubs his shoulder on the sly- even a light punch from Leo is nothing to sneeze at. He can only imagine how bruised up he's going to be once they actually start sparring. "You better, or I'll have to assign you extra homework until it's second nature," he says, enjoying the joke of being temporarily the one to give sage advice. Diana had told him that you could learn from just about everybody, because everybody had different struggles- and it was true.

Leonardo had given him very wise advice in interpersonal issues, something he had to deal with with the three other brothers being so different. It had never occurred to Terry that there was something along those lines in his life that allowed him to dispense some advice of his own. But there he was. That glimpse of insecurity made Terry's heart go out to him. He had been focused on Leo as Sensei that he had almost forgotten that they were contemporaries, prone to the same insecurities. And, although Terry had gone to the catholic school from hell, he did not grow up /literally/ having to hide himself from the world and live in shadows. He swallows the rest of the juice with a gulp and places a hand on Leonardo's knee ou of sudden solidarity, but without vocalizing what had come to mind. Instead, he says:

"What do you say that, after we're done gorging ourself, I go and change into something I can totally trash and we go have a parkour session across the rooftops? I'll even make a titanic effort to resist intoning 'I'm Batman' every time I jump."

Leonardo has posed:
Leonardo nods at the offer. "Sounds good. I'll put away some more of the ham and cheese then put away the left overs while you change," Leo says and then, a bit more firmly, adds, "You'd better not," about the "I'm Batman" suggestion, "As I'm sure you have parkour experience... the trial will be to be as quiet as you can," in full-on sensi mode.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Terry stands up then and starts heading to the bedroom to change when Leonardo issues his new directive. The redhead wheels about on his heels and glances at Leonardo, eyes narrowed in mock intensity. "Challenge. Accepted." He says in a gravelly approximation of Batman's alleged voice, though you really can't get the proper effect without gargling with brillo pads. He then adds

"Now excuse me whle I go and strap six hundred cotton balls to body."