i_speak_softly | Seventeenth Theory [Action/Incidental Voice]

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Seventeenth Theory [Action/Incidental Voice]

((Continuity notes: While taking care of Polka after she collapsed, Don and Raph learned that Leo had been mallynapped. They promptly barricaded themselves in Polka's room, but quickly realizing that this was not a long-term solution, they determined to Get Serious about their plans to disrupt the barrier and escape.))

[This morning, the Turtle Twosome can be found stalking around Luceti, sticking close to one another and glaring at everyone else as though just daring them to turn into giant brother-stealing robots.

Their first stop is the library, where they will spend a couple hours poring over books about electricity, magnetism, plasma, and other esoterica. (Well, mostly Don is poring while Raph runs books back and forth from the shelves.)

Later they descend upon the smithy, rummaging through the items there and carrying off a number of metallic parts.

After that they go directly to the item shop, where they bin-dive for more random-seeming objects.

Then, they retreat to C6, lock the door, and start assembling their booty into a device that is essentially the World's Most Awesome Lightning Rod.

In the evening, when it is slightly less excessively hot, they will emerge again, to spend some time cooling off at the lake. This will largely consist of long periods of sitting underwater, punctuated by brief forays to the surface for air.]

((Feel free to run into them at any point, or to eavesdrop through the journals as they're working. Tags will likely be answered by both.))

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I'm picking the oven, then. It's not like we do that much cooking anyway. [And he wanders off into the kitchen.]

[Offhandedly:] Not like Mikey's here to care.

[There might be a brief hitch in Don's step as he disappears through the kitchen doorway. Then, only a lot of clanging noises.]

[Oh, he knows what he did. Still, he's gonna act like everything is perfectly fine. He raises his voice so Don can hear him.]

We've been doin' good, just you and me.

[Loud clatter.] What? Oh, mm-hm. [Bang crash screech.] Raph, come help me with this.

[No reaction, huh? Well fine. (Maybe he did want that fight after all.)

Raph gets up and jogs into the kitchen.]

[Don is flat (sort of) on his back, trying to see and reach into the narrow space under the oven, which has been pulled away from the wall a little.]

Lift up the front of this for me?

[Raph pushes the top of the oven unit backwards to rest against the wall with one hand, steadying it with the other and watching his brother work in silence.]

[Don scooches up, until his head is under the lifted oven, and gets to work prying out the parts from the bottom of the unit.]

Raph -- You've been to the barrier before, right?

Yeah. I tried cuttin' through it the first day we were here.

The first day? How did you get all the way out there so quickly?

Ran. [In the freezing snow, at that. When fueled by anger, Raph's a force to be reckoned with.]

Clearly. [Tinker tinker.] How did you even know it was there?

((OOC: Kind of irregular, but in light of Raph-mun's internet problems and my impending hiatus, we decided to continue this thread over IM. The transcript follows, broken into sections because it surely exceeds the character limit for comments. As you might expect, Raphael's tags are in red and Donatello's are in purple.))

Someone told me when I first came. I was in the woods and some lady wouldn't leave me alone. I thought she was with the Foot. She was tellin' me where I was and how I couldn't get out. So I went to go see for myself.

Hm. So. You arrived in an unknown place, had a conversation with a stranger, and on the strength of her information immediately travelled a fairly great distance to attack an impenetrable barrier. Raphael, has anyone ever told you you are impetuous?

If that means insane then yeah. [Faint grin.]

Indeed. [Points to tools.] Hand me that.

I'm kinda holdin' this thing up. Get it yourself.

Fair point. [Retrieves tool with his toes.] So, what did you attack the barrier with? Your sai?

Yeah. [Aside:] Don, that is so weird when you do that. The doin' stuff with your feet thing.

Huh?

Never mind.

Ummm... [Mentally elsewhere.] When I arrived, I didn't have my bo. Remember, we had to go to the weapons shop for it.

I found mine in a bush.

Really. [Intrigued.]

...Yeah.

What about Leo and Mike?

I don't remember. I was kinda keyed up.

You don't remember?

That's what I said.

Raph, focus. Where were they? Where were their weapons?

I don't remember! Jeez. Mikey went into town before he saw me and talked to some lady. Leo came later but I wasn't payin' that much attention to it.

[Tinkering.] Hm. And then all three of you went to the barrier?

Well...I went and they tagged along. Mike wanted to go to the village. Convinced Leo of it too. But I wasn't gonna go anywhere until I was sure there was no way out of this.

Mm. [Slides out from under the oven.] Okay, put it down.

[Does so, looking at Don intently. Is there a point to this conversation? He doesn't think so, but he's waiting for it.]

[Says nothing. Sorts oven parts.]

[Leans against the wall with his arms folded. Just as he thought, no point whatsoever.] You hungry? Maybe we should grab a bite before you start workin'.

[Holds up a metal piece, inspects it more closely.] ........ [Looks up.] Sorry, what?

[Eyeroll.] Stay with me, space cadet. I said you should probably eat something before you start workin'.

[Looks at the dismantled oven.] I feel there is irony here somewhere.

[Chuckles a little.] Like either of us would ever use an oven.

[Smile. Packs up tools and oven parts.] No, food sounds good. What did you have in mind?

[Shrugs.] You pick.

[A look that says "You should know better".] Raph, if left to my own devices right now, I would forget to eat for the next twenty-four hours.

I know, that's why I'm tellin' ya. Just pick something before I just start raiding whatever moldy shit is left in the fridge.

[Nervous glance at the fridge.]

What? What's that look?

We really are incapable, aren't we.

No, we're doin' fine. We just gotta remember to...do the other chores too, I guess.

What's the last thing YOU ate, Raph?

Uh...a sandwich. This morning.

Really. [Impressed.]

Yeah. That's when I saw the stuff was gross in the fridge.

... And were you motivated to do anything about this?

[Apprehensive look.] You know how I feel about throwin' away food.

It's not food anymore, Raph.

Some of it's still good! I could eat it no problem.

... Please don't do that.

Except for maybe the strawberries. That stuff is alive or some shit.

[Stands up, playfully backhands Raph on his plastron.] Come on. Let's go get something that isn't breeding. My treat.

Your treat? Says the turtle who doesn't got a job in a land with no money.

Exactly.

Moron.

You fail to grasp the local economy, brother mine.

Yeah, 'cause there is none. People just do what they want when they're bored. I got no idea how that's still workin'. ... Anyways. Does this mean you're gonna pick?

Ah, Raph. [Puts his arm around your shoulders and leads you out of the kitchen.] Let's get food.

[Is led.] Okay, okay. Just tell me where we're goin'.

[Leaves his toolbox on the floor by the front door as they go out.] You'll find out when we get there.

Don... I hate surprises.

[Thoughtful pause.] Let me put it this way: I'll find out when we get there.

You do realize there's only like three places where we can go.

... Three?

Azzip's, the Cafe thing and...I dunno, the grocery store.

... Let's skip the grocery store.

Or the bar. [Smiles a little. He's just yanking your chain.]

How about, instead of getting drunk, we go to Azzip, get some sandwiches, and go have a picnic by the lake?

Sounds good to me. [Snorts a little picturing Don drunk. He's probably the one brother he'd never want to see inebriated.]

[... Thanks, Raph.]

[It'd just be weird and wrong!]

Why are you laughing?

No reason you'd find funny.

Do tell.

No, I don't think so. Bet you're missin' that thought bubble thing. [Devious grin.]

... In some ways. [Holds open door of Azzip.] After you.

[Walks in, looking at Don oddly.] What, 'm I your date now?

It's called common courtesy, Raph.

Pff. Just order your damn sandwich.

[Rolls eyes, looks at the menu.] What are you having?

Same as always.

Mm... Turkey and swiss. Everything on it.

[And Raph orders his too. Omnomnom.]

[When Don gets his bag, he glances in it, then gives Raph a ready-to-go smile.]

[And Raph's got his and feels like he's suddenly starving. Guh.] So the lake, right?

Yes. [Glances up at the sky, wipes his brow.] It seems like a good place to be today.

Almost makes me miss bein' underground during the day.

Agreed.

Yeah, but that's the only thing I miss about it.

[Distracted gaze.]

When we go back I'm gonna go nuts bein' trapped down there. But I guess it ain't much different here. Either way we're trapped. So whatever. [Mumbled:] Just a different kind of cage...

[Comes back from his mental wanderings.] Everyone has them, Raph.

Has what?

[Shakes head.] Never mind.

No, now you gotta tell me.

[Quite deliberately:] Nothing you'd want to hear.

Oh, well jeez. You want me to tell you what I was laughin' about? It was picturin' you drunk.

[Pause.] Delightful. [Picks a spot on the grass near the beach.] Let's sit here.

[Sits in the grass and opens up his sandwich.] Okay, now you gotta tell me.

[Eats sandwich thoughtfully.] Is the idea of me intoxicated really that funny?

Ah...sorta. Mostly it's just weird.

Hm. [Stretches out his legs.] So, funny in a because-it-would-never-happen way?

Funny in a I-never-want-to-see-it-happen way. [Takes a huge bite out of his sandwich. Good table manners as always.]

[Smile. At your brutal honesty in words and actions.]

[With his mouth half full:] Now you tell me what everybody's got.

Ahhh... [Lowers his sandwich, looks out at the water.]

[He'll just eat in silence and stare at Don until he talks.]

[Darn. Can't avoid the question.] A cage, Raph.

Thought so.

Hm. [Continues eating sandwich.]

Well, I wanna be the one guy who doesn't.

[Smiles, then reaches out to squeeze your shoulder.] Do it, Raph.

Damn straight. [Nods and goes back to eating.]

[Eats to about the halfway point, then rolls the sandwich back up in the wax paper and puts it in the bag.]

[Eyes that critically.] Don, you eat like a bird. [Almost done with his sandwich.]

[Raph, you eat like a pig. He loves you anyway.]

[8|] You're not trainin' so you never got any appetite. Master Splinter would smack you upside the head so quick it'd make your eyes roll. [Grin.]

[Grimace. Knows this already.]

[Yeah, but he has to tease you about it.]

[And yet he's not allowed to tease YOU about your eating habits? Good thing he's the patient one.]

[Raph gives it out but can never take it. Just a facet of his charming personality.]

[Waits for Raph to finish eating.]

[Well he's done now. 8| Still gonna nag you 'cause you didn't respond and he CARES.] You're gettin' kinda skinny, bro. I'm kinda worried about you, I guess. Like if you go back, if you get ambushed or somethin'. And it ain't my time so...

[He freezes in the middle of getting up.]

You gonna answer me or what? At least defend yourself.

[He slowly sits back down, folding his legs into a kneeling position.] Raph, I don't think it works like that.

Like what?

I think we're in a kind of time-pocket. When we go home, nothing will have happened to us.

[Frowns. Looks off into the water stubbornly.]

Raph... I know you won't like this answer, but I don't think it matters if we train here. When we go back, we'll have trained just that morning. We won't have lost anything at all.

[Turns back to Don somewhat viciously.] So you're just gonna give up!? Just...piss it all away 'cause you don't give a shit. And what if we don't go back, huh?

[Turns away, sighs heavily.]

You're just gonna do nothin' for however longer we're stuck here? [Glares angrily straight ahead.]

Raph, you know I've never wanted it. And in four and a half months here, I've managed to not need to fight anyone. I...

[Still glaring and not looking. He knows what you're gonna say.]

[Beats his fist against the ground.] I DON'T WANT TO DO IT! [... There.]

[He turns back and blinks with a look of shock.]

[Breathing hard.]

Don, I... [Sigh.] I know you never liked it but I didn't think you hated it.

[Sad look.] Raph, I'm happy for you. You like what our family does. You're good at it. But it's not for me. [Closes his eyes.] That's my cage.

[He looks away again, muttering quietly.] Family's falling apart.

Raph, I'm sorry. I can't do this now.

[His eyes briefly flick back to Don] Do what? Train with your brothers? Protect yourself? You can't always have what you want, Don. I'd think you'd learned that by now. This ain't a damn vacation! Stop treatin' it like one!

[Hard:] It is for me. [Gets up, walks to the edge of the lake.]

[Raph won't follow him. He'll just sit there, glaring at him moodily.]

Edited 2010-06-05 03:17 (UTC)

[Don glares at the lake for moment, then wades into it. As soon as the water is deep enough, he'll dive and head straight to the bottom.]

[Raph has no idea what to do. He's supposed to be keeping things straight, he's supposed to be holding up the fort, but everything keeps falling apart, and he can't control it. For once, he doesn't even feel like fighting. So he'll just sit there and close his eyes, wishing he could ask Master Splinter what to do next. Hell, he was turning into Leo. Now that's a scary thought.]

[Fifteen minutes later, Don comes back onshore. The water has cooled him down both literally and metaphorically, and he's ready to be his reasonable self again. He sits down by Raph and drips on the grass. Still looking out over the lake:] I'm sorry. I've been sitting on that for sixteen years.

[Raph grunts at him irritably.] No kidding.

[Rubs his ankle. Purposely vague:] Does it bother you that much?

Yeah, it does.

[Sideways glance. Say more, bro.]

[He frowns. There's a million things rushing through his mind right now and none of it wants to make itself into words.]

[Glance again.] Raph?

[He glances back, clearly irritated.] What?

Why?

Why does it bother me? Do you hafta even ask?

You really don't get me, do ya.

[Steady look.] I could say the same thing.

Yeah, but it's different. I don't get anybody. You're the one who's always got stuff all figured out.

Sometimes, Raph, your logic is impenetrable.

Whatever that means. [Pause a beat. Wait, he thinks he gets it.] You sayin' I got a thick skull?

What? Raph, I didn't say that.

Then speak English!

I said that sometimes your conclusions are absolutely contrary to reason.

Well it makes sense to me. ... Whatever. We're not talkin' about that. You wanted to know why I'm pissed off at you.

[Resettles himself, faces the lake again.] Yes.

Because...[Augh, too much feeling, too little words.] because that's me. It ain't just 'what we do'. It's what we are, then you tell me you hate it? [He pauses a beat, then gets up, walking the opposite direction they came, deeper into the forest.] I got nothin' to say to you.

[Don sits a while, watching the water. Then he gets up and goes after his brother.] Raph --

[Raph just keeps walking, a stony look on his face, and doesn't acknowledge his brother.]

Raph -- [Well, if you're not even going to make an effort to outrun him, Don will catch up in no time.] Raph, wait.

[Still not acknowledging. He doesn't even know where he's walking.]

Raph. [Grabs your arm.]

[Reels around, glowering, a sudden fire in his eyes as he wrenches his arm away.] What!?

[Unintimidated.] Raph, you're wrong.

Don, you ain't doin' yourself any favors. But go ahead, tell me why I'm wrong! Then I'll tell you where you can cram it. [He folds his arms, glaring stubbornly.]

[Also crosses his arms. Cram this first, hothead.] I'm not what our family does. That's not who I am; that's who I have to be. But now, here, I don't have to. Can't you see how much of a relief that is for me?

[He grinds his teeth together audibly.] Did you forget that there's a war comin' up? Did you forget what kinda maniacs are out there, killin' people, usin' everything they got to hurt people we care about? But that means nothin' to you, does it? You got all your little friends and your little La La Land where everybody's holdin' hands and singin'. If you don't want to be part of the real world, then you can go screw yourself. I ain't gonna be there to bail you out.

[Very sad.] I'm so much stronger without a weapon in my hands. But no one ever understands that. [Turns away.] Now I know I was right to never bring it up.

[If he wasn't so emotionally drained, he'd throw a fit, but all he can bring himself to do is sit on a nearby tree stump, hang his head and bury his face in his hands.]

[Stares morosely at a tree.] I wish I were more like you, Raph.

[He laughs bitterly, glancing up with poison in his eyes.] No you don't.

Yes, I do. [Turns to face him.] You are who you are, even when that isn't who people want you to be. I wish I had that kind of strength.

[He snorts at that and doesn't know what to say.]

[After a long pause.] I have this kind, though. [Deep breath.] What time tomorrow morning?

[He blinks, confused.] Huh?

Training, Raph. When do we start?

Wait...what happened to the whole "I don't want to do it" thing? Isn't that what we were just fightin' about?

I lost. As usual.

[He laughs a little at that, a smile tugging at his lips.] I don't got work tomorrow, so it doesn't matter.

[Tiny smile.] Can we pretend that I have any say in this at all, and call it ten o'clock?

Yeah, fine. [He stands and approaches Don, clapping him on the shell.] Man, you've gotten lazy.

It's not lazy if I go to bed at three in the morning.

You're nuts. I usta be able to stay up that long, but with workin' and trainin' and teachin' Isamu two days outta the week I can't keep my eyes open past midnight.

[Puts his arm around Raph's shoulders. Time to walk back to the lake?] I'm glad you've found a place here, Raph.

[Yeah, a quick swim sounds good right about now.] Eh, it ain't bad, I guess. Though I keep gettin' the feeling people at the smithy want me gone.

[Surprised.] Oh?

Yeah, but I don't give a crap.

Did something happen?

Nothin' I can think of. I just keep to myself.

[Wades into the water again, but this time just sits in the shallows.] Raph, do you have many friends here?

[He'll join you there, man, that feels good.] Some, I guess.

[Perceptively:] Enough?

I don't care if I got any friends.

[Looks down, pokes at the sand.]

[And he'll swim out into the deeper water and float on his back, enjoying the contrast of warm sun on his face and cool water on his shell.] But you're doin' good. You're always on that journal thing.

It's very interesting.

You think everything's interesting. You'd think nasty-ass sea weed is interesting. [Which, there's some right here where he's floating.]

[Indeed, swims out to where Raph is to inspect a frond.]

I was jokin', egghead. [He'll pick up a floating clod and chuck it at Don's head.]

[You missed. Ignoring you completely, Don dived to check out the lower parts of the plant.]

[Yeah, well, Raph's gonna splash you in the face the minute you come up for air.]

[If this still seems like a desirable action five minutes later, Don is besplashed.]

[And Raph will just float around pretending nothing happened.]

It's - pblflphbbbb. Raph, please.

[He just smiles cheekily.] I don't care about the stupid seaweed, Don.

[Fine then, won't tell you about it.]

[Good, because it's stupid.]

[Backfloats.]

[Raph seems to be trying really hard not to fall asleep.]

[Don't worry; he won't let you drown.]

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Seventeenth Theory [Action/Incidental Voice]

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In the apartment

In the apartment part 2

Azzip

Picnic at the lake

Fight at the lake

Reasonable discussion at the lake

Into the woods

Return to the lake