It is Donnie. Raph knows that face anywhere. He knows that purple bandana, the goggles, those eyebrows. Trademarks of his brother, including the armored shell.
It also isn't Donnie. The same thing is happening on his end as it is with his brother: there's no denying the similarities, but the details continue to conflict with what his memory tries to reinstate. After everything Shu said about him, his reaction makes it painstakingly clear; the longer there is no response, the more awkward it becomes.
And the way that Donnie looks at him now...he's steadily growing more distressed by the minute in this extended silence.
Raph has beefed it. That's the thought. He's beefed it real good somehow.
He has to fix this.
"Hey," he croaks, making an attempt to bridge the metaphorical gap, trying his darndest to sooth in the same way he always does with his Donnie. And that shouldn't matter, because this is still Donnie. His hands waver between reaching out and staying close, however, trying not to scare him with the urge to immediately wrap him into a turtle-y bear hug. "Uh...is this you? I mean, is this your place? 'Cause it's really...nice an' cozy...?"
His toothy smile falters in the middle of the distraction — a sign showing that he's also wrestling with his own feelings while trying to maintain his older sibling responsibility of making sure Donnie has room to process.
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It also isn't Donnie. The same thing is happening on his end as it is with his brother: there's no denying the similarities, but the details continue to conflict with what his memory tries to reinstate. After everything Shu said about him, his reaction makes it painstakingly clear; the longer there is no response, the more awkward it becomes.
And the way that Donnie looks at him now...he's steadily growing more distressed by the minute in this extended silence.
Raph has beefed it. That's the thought. He's beefed it real good somehow.
He has to fix this.
"Hey," he croaks, making an attempt to bridge the metaphorical gap, trying his darndest to sooth in the same way he always does with his Donnie. And that shouldn't matter, because this is still Donnie. His hands waver between reaching out and staying close, however, trying not to scare him with the urge to immediately wrap him into a turtle-y bear hug. "Uh...is this you? I mean, is this your place? 'Cause it's really...nice an' cozy...?"
His toothy smile falters in the middle of the distraction — a sign showing that he's also wrestling with his own feelings while trying to maintain his older sibling responsibility of making sure Donnie has room to process.