Nineteenth Theory [Action]

[i_speak_softly]

[Donatello regains consciousness somewhere southwest of the village. He knows he's southwest of the village because when he sits up he can see the community buildings with the mountains behind them.

His journal is lying, closed, in the grass beside him; he scoops it up and tucks it into his belt. Then he stands and calmly walks back to C6.

When he arrives, he goes into the apartment - Hm, quiet - heads to his workroom, and starts salvaging the broken remains of his projects.]

((Feel free to run into him at any point. If you do, you might notice that he looks pretty good for someone who's just come back from a friendly visit with the Malnosso. Look closely, though, and you can see he has needle marks on his arms, as well as what appear to be faint burn marks.))

Comments

[ny-vigilante.livejournal.com]

Oh, it's just you, Don-

... Don?

[ Dude. Oh my god wait, it's you.

He's going for the bear hug, you know. ARE YOUR REFLEXES ENOUGH TO AVOID IT? ]

DONNIE!

[i_speak_softly]

[Don is forcibly hugged. He'll return the embrace rather unenthusiastically.] ... Casey?

[ny-vigilante.livejournal.com]

Yeah, we been worried sick about you! [ He'll let go, don't worry.

OH YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD BE A GOOD PLAN. brb, journals abound. ]

Hey guys! Get your shells back to your place, Don's back!

[i_speak_softly]

[As soon as Casey turns away to yell into his journal, Don returns to whatever he was doing at his desk.]

[meanandgreen.livejournal.com]

[Raph doesn't even bother answering; that'd take too much time. No, instead he's gonna book it like a bat out of hell, calling frantically for Leo before charging down the stairs and to the apartment without even checking if his brother's following behind. He flings open the door with all the usual melodrama.]

Don?

[thesevencodes.livejournal.com]

[And Leo is hot on Raph's heels, his stomach flipping wildly as he all but leaps down the stairs - a trace of fear that still lingers, maybe, but just as easily fear for Don. He slips by Raph as soon as the door is opened, reaching for the recently returned's shoulder.] Donnie?

[i_speak_softly]

[Glances up from his work.] Yes? ["Yes" in the sense of "Why are you all interrupting me while I'm working, you had better have an important question."]

[meanandgreen.livejournal.com]

[Raph hesitates, shifting his weight uncomfortably. Something about this is just Not Right. Figures.]

...You're back.

[i_speak_softly]

[Hardly a ground-breaking discovery, Raph.] Did you want something?

[meanandgreen.livejournal.com]

[He stares at Don a few seconds more before sending a look of distraught masked with irritation in Leo's direction.]

What? No...

Ain'tcha happy to be back? You've been gone over a week.

[thesevencodes.livejournal.com]

[Something is definitely Not Right. Leo shares that look with Raph before retrieving his hand, skepticism creeping into his voice as he frowns at their brother.]

...Are you all right, Donatello?

[i_speak_softly]

[No? Then why did you burst in as though you were on a mission of the utmost urgency?]

Was I? I'm behind in my work, then.

[To Leo:] I'm fine, thank you.

[meanandgreen.livejournal.com]

Well you sure ain't actin' fine.

[i_speak_softly]

[Ignoring Raph because he makes no sense. Still to Leo:] I haven't seen you in a while. How are you?

It's not a pun guys shut up.

[thesevencodes.livejournal.com]

[This. Is very weird. Leonardo's eyes flick from Don to Raph and back again. It has to be a side-effect from the Malnosso's experiments, but - it's like they only left a shell -]

[For now he'll play along. Maybe he can feel out exactly what's going on here.]

I'm...fine. [And hey, he actually means it this time.] How long have you been back?

[i_speak_softly]

Mm... [He surveys the room, trying to gauge how long he's been there by how much progress he's made in cleaning it up.] An hour, maybe. Has Raph told you about our plan?

[thesevencodes.livejournal.com]

[He stops himself from reflexively glancing back at Raphael. Whatever they cooked up while he was gone can wait.]

Donatello, listen to me. Are you injured? [Pause.] What did they do to you?

[i_speak_softly]

No, I'm fine. [Ignore those marks all over his arms; they're only superficial.] They - [His gaze unfocuses for a moment, then comes back.] - showed me pictures. [He busies himself with the dismantled pieces on his desk. Conversationally:] What about you?

[meanandgreen.livejournal.com]

[The showed him pictures? What?]

Okay, wait. Seems you're misunderstandin' the word, here.

Leo is fine. [Really starting to hate that word by now. Raph storms over and catches Don by the arm with a bit of unnecessary force, tearing him away from his workspace and holding the track marks out for Leo to see.] This ain't fine. So cut the crap! What'd they do, give you a freakin' lobotomy!?

[i_speak_softly]

[Whoa! Okay. Why the manhandling, Raph?]

[He traces a finger over the marks on his arm.] Independent variables. Nothing irreversible.