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(no subject)

Who: Robert Hastings (

semper_cogitans) and Hamato Donatello (

i_speak_softly)
What: Celebrating the birthday of a certain Turtle.
When: February 6th
Where: Around the village, though the Battle Dome's a standout locale.
Summary: While there's some rare peace, Robert tries to give Don some semblance of a birthday celebration by doing everything he's terrible at.
Rating: Shouldn't be anything too bad here. PG-13 maybe at most? Or maybe B for Birthday.

Thanks to the genius of Don's winter room, this year the Turtle is actually coherent on the day Robert remembers he defined as his birthday. And while the birthdate might not even be particularly accurate, it's nonetheless significant enough to Robert that he wants to commemorate it somehow.

So what better way than by making himself look a little silly doing all the things his partner is so fond of? Don had already wanted to go for a run, and it was easy enough from there to suggest a sparring session of sorts afterwards - they've been cooped up inside too long, and need the exercise anyway.

All of this is a little nervewracking for the scientist, but he is determined to make it work as he makes his way to the Turtle's winter room bright and early in the morning.

One way or another, he is going to make sure Don has fun today.

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The combination of Don's soothing voice instructing him and the relaxing, gentle touches all over his sensitive wings is highly enjoyable, and Robert goes limp with satisfaction against the chair. (Definitely seeing the usefulness of the nerve block, now.)

"... Would you... e-enjoy me doing the same to your wings, Don...?"

Calmly, interrupting the monologue but not the massage: "Another time, maybe. Do you need a pillow?"

"It might... be useful..."

No, Robert didn't mean now. He does need to absorb this information first. (Also the massage is too nice to interrupt.) But he is dead-set on giving this same satisfaction to his partner too, sometime.

Don trails a hand across Robert's back, keeping contact with him as he stretches over to grab a pillow and stick it under the man's arm. He then resumes where he left off, describing nerve radiation patterns as though they are extremely fascinating (which of course they are).

To a biologist they are even more fascinating. Robert cross-references the way Don describes the nerve systems with his own knowledge, building yet another picture of how his own body functions. It's interesting to hear about it in the practise of something like this massage.

At the same time, he cuddles up on the pillow in a way that might be kind of weirdly adorable. You are definitely making your scientist happy, Turtle - though really, shouldn't it be the other way around?

Robert seems entirely relaxed, so Don becomes a little more experimental in his touches, seeing what other body parts nerve clusters in the wings might relate to.

"Tell me what this feels like, because I'm making it up now..."

This particular touch sends a strange thrill down Robert's lower spine. He wonders how exactly the wings map up to his body...

"... Hmm. Sensation in... what appears to be part of the dorsal branch of spinal nerves..."

He's not certain exactly where, as that particular ramus of nerves is very expansive, but it's his best guess without any specific equipment.

Interesting. Don massages the area some more with his fingertips, giving Robert a chance to zero in on the effects.

It's almost a "bloom" of sensation, like Don is somehow deep-pressure stimulating his spinal nerves. Definitely weird, but fascinating and strangely enjoyable...

"... It is... difficult to pinpoint exactly which part of the branch... as the human s-spine has many nerve clusters in that region..."

It's more difficult when it's being done to yourself.

Hm. Not wanting to make Robert overthink things - as he is prone to do - Don moves on to other areas. He's pretty well worked over Robert's wings by now, though, so this might be a good time for any special requests.

Well, there is the part of Robert's back that Don struck during the sparring - even though it doesn't hurt anymore, it'd be nice to have it touched right now in a way that's less aggressive... provided it doesn't make him feel bad again about what happened.

Rather than voice this specifically, though, Robert tries a less verbal approach, distinctly inclining his spine outwards in a way that is hopefully interpretable as wanting it to be touched, rather than anything else.

Even Don has difficulty interpreting this signal, but after a moment he essays some massage-esque touches to more traditional body parts.

"I'm sorry about earlier. You - surprised me."

Robert hopes that this means an explanation of some sort is forthcoming, so despite any worries about upsetting Don again, he still presses this point gently.

"... How did I... do that?"

"The way you fight." His hands slow in his distraction. "I meditated on it, and I realized - I've never faced anyone who fights like me."

This startles Robert a little, and he looks back at Don, expression strangely uncertain.

"... I... do...?"

Maybe he doesn't see the resemblance because in Don's case he's got fifteen years of formal training to back it up.

Don pauses, sitting back to look at Robert more comfortably.

"Yes. I've never seen anyone be that much in their own head when they were fighting." He smiles ruefully. "Now I understand what Master Splinter was always trying to tell me." A beat. "Although, it's not a bad thing to be able to completely unnerve your opponent just by thinking."

Robert has never known his thinking to unnerve anybody before, so this is a new one on him.

"Is that... i-incorrect, though? Or... or is it an acceptable m-methodology for sparring?"

Really, he honestly doesn't know any better at this point. Mostly he wants to know if it was okay.

Don is mostly serious when he replies: "I like to think of it as a misunderstood strategy."

Well then. Robert feels a little better about his performance now, but he still has to wonder...

"If that is... true, and I do fight similarly to you... does this not make us... inefficient sparring partners...?"

Or maybe it would make them more efficient. Or at least, maybe it might make Robert himself more efficient. He's not sure how to properly statistically analyze something like this.

"Inefficient...?" Don mulls this over a few moments before giving up. "What do you mean?"

"Well... it would seem to me that, if we are... s-similar, then we might be... too similar to learn properly...

... Or... does it not work that w-way?"

Don is honestly baffled by this, so he's going to assume the answer is no.

"I don't think so."

He'll stop trying to overthink this then.

"... I suppose not. I just... I truly do want to be a good partner for you, in... in all things...

... but, I realize I am not going to be as c-competent as others here, regardless of how long I study."

It's unfortunate, but it's how it is.

"... Do you... wish for me to continue this, regardless...?"

Don sighs; he knows they've had this conversation before.

"Robert, it's not about me."

For this guy, at least a good portion of it is about Don.

"... Donatello..." Robert hesitates, using Don's whole name because this feels like something that requires it, "... it is about... both of us...

If you liked this - if... if it was something you found... e-enjoyable... then I would be glad to do so again. I... I did learn, from sparring with you. And... I a-appreciate seeing your skills in all contexts... even this one."