Twenty-fifth Theory [Action]

[i_speak_softly]

[After putting in an obligatory appearance at the baseball game, Donatello is up to some business of his own.

At a certain point during the afternoon, you may find him wheeling a motorcycle from C6 to House 55.

A bit later, you might catch him dragging forty-gallon garbage cans filled with a strange assortment of objects along the same route.

And sometime after that, you may come upon him near the bridge on this path, surrounded by those same garbage cans. Except that they are up-ended now, their contents strewn across the ground. In the center of the mess a bizarre contraption is taking shape.

Question this strange behavior? Watch in silent bafflement? Or maybe just back away slowly.]

((Please indicate at which point you encounter him!))

Comments

[Action]

[i_speak_softly]

Sometimes for a particular project. Other times just with the conviction that it will eventually come in handy.

Re: [Action]

[consultmybooks]

Probably a good conviction. Better to have it and not need it than the alternative. What sort of projects?

[ action ]

[i_speak_softly]

[Everything in him rebels at the word loss, at the idea that someone he loves could be permanently stolen from him.]

You're not the only one who's told me this, Frederic. It's just something that's taking me a long time to learn. [He looks up from his work.] And anyone who has learned it isn't weak.

[Action]

[i_speak_softly]

That's what I tell my brothers every time I bring home something they think I'll never use.

I invent things.

Re: [Action]

[consultmybooks]

[A giant turtle who invents things? You are officially fascinating, Don]

Go on. What sort of things?

[Action]

[i_speak_softly]

Vehicles. Security systems. [He sighs heavily.] I haven't built a single thing that works since I got here.

[after-march.livejournal.com]

Here? Now? Don't I even get my own lab?

Re: [Action]

[consultmybooks]

[Giles glances in at the assortment of stuff in the garbage can he's dragging] Can't imagine why. You don't seem to suffer from lack of parts.

[ action ]

[refinedmaestro.livejournal.com]

[He ponders for a moment, but then realizes he has to tell his story to another friend. He couldn't hide what happened to people close to him anymore.]

I lost my sister Emilia when she was very young, at the age of 14 to be exact. After that my love life became one of complete shambles and then I developed tuberculosis. All of these events have devastated me to my core, especially with my sister. I thought I'd never be happy and through my tuberculosis, I could finally be rid of all the pain. [He slowly sits beside Donatello.] But as time has gone on, I've come to realize that dying and trying so hard to end my suffering isn't what I should be doing. Instead, I should be focusing on helping the living instead of continuing to mourn for the dead or trying to even die myself.

[Action]

[i_speak_softly]

I do, actually. Seven months, and I have not seen a single fuel injector. Or computer chip. I'm beginning to suspect the Malnosso have a junk-filtration system.

[i_speak_softly]

April, I don't even have my own lab right now. We weren't expecting to outgrow our new house so quickly.

[ action ]

[i_speak_softly]

[Don listens respectfully, even though the story is strange to hear. In his world, these things - and Chopin's eventual death - happened over a hundred years ago. They're not news to him.]

Maybe this isn't much of a consolation, but... I don't think happy people can create the way you and I do. Your music is a gift to the world, Frederic. If you had to suffer to create it... at least know that it's brought joy to many people.

[As his own inventions probably never will. Still, he'll pick up a random part from the ground and offer it to you. Add it to the contraption?]

Re: [Action]

[consultmybooks]

I have heard that they're generally reluctant to allow anything useful to cross over.

[Action]

[i_speak_softly]

Tell me about it. Strange that they have no problem blocking out useful books, but they can't seem to control who shows up here.

[ action ]

[refinedmaestro.livejournal.com]

[Frederic smiles a little, a sad smile, but a smile nevertheless. He takes the random part and then looks at a random place it could go to place it there.]

It truly brings my heart such joy to know how much of a gift my music has been to the world. I thought I'd be forgotten as time went on, now I see that isn't the case. Thank you Donatello, for being a dear friend and also someone I can trust.

[He picks up another random part for the contraption and hands it to Donatello, seeing as how the invention is Don's after all.]

Re: [Action]

[consultmybooks]

[Wait a second] Where have you found useful books?

[ action ]

[i_speak_softly]

Not at all. Your music is listened to in ways you can't even imagine.

[Don takes the part and considers it. Then he takes a screw from an open box of like parts, pulls a screwdriver from his belt, and secures the new piece to an arm of the contraption.]

[Action]

[i_speak_softly]

There are some useful books in the library, but there's a conspicuous absence of anything specific to this world. It makes me wonder whether someone wrote something - something more than the Guide - and the Malnosso made it disappear.

[after-march.livejournal.com]

Maybe we need to work on that first. Otherwise I shudder to think at the state the kitchen table is going to be in.

[i_speak_softly]

We'll - figure something out.

[ action ]

[refinedmaestro.livejournal.com]

[Frederic watches him work on the contraption and seems completely fascinated by what he's doing.]

This contraption you're building seems quite interesting, what exactly is it? I'd like to continue helping, but I'm not entirely sure how I can.

[ action ]

[i_speak_softly]

I don't know what it is. Sometimes, when I need to think, I just start putting things together. [He smiles and offers you another piece.] Usually no one is interested in joining me.

[action]

[wise_maiden]

[Sometime later, after her trip with Giles and Terra to the ruins, Raine is just taking a short walk, even though her house is on the other side of the village. She had been meaning to speak to Donatello since her 'lesson' with Raphael, but the time for it never came up. For the moment, she just watches quietly as he works.]

[ action ]

[refinedmaestro.livejournal.com]

[Looking at the piece in his hand, he begins to ponder where exactly to put it.]

I'm not exactly all that wise in the terms of inventions or machines, I don't know how much of help I can be. [He continues staring at the piece.] I'm not even certain where I should put this.

[ action ]

[i_speak_softly]

People who don't know what they're doing are exactly the people I most want to do this with. An expert would put that piece in the same place I would. I don't get any new ideas from that.