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]

[Ah. So that's what he's doing here.] Exactly.

[action]

[wise_maiden]

Has it been helping?

[action]

[i_speak_softly]

I think it has.

[action]

[wise_maiden]

You'd know better than anyone. [A soft laugh.] I have to admit, I'm curious as to what the end result will be.

[action]

[i_speak_softly]

[He glances up.] For the invention? Or for me?

[action]

[wise_maiden]

... I meant for the invention. As for yourself... that's another matter entirely, is it not?

[action]

[i_speak_softly]

They're not as separate as you might think.

[action]

[wise_maiden]

So in other words, you don't know where you'll end up, either. But that's what time is for -- for finding a new way, once you've lost the path. [So metaphorical.]

[action]

[i_speak_softly]

Does anyone? [He adjusts the contraption again.] At any rate, time is one thing I have no shortage of, here.

[action]

[wise_maiden]

... Fair enough. [She tilts her head.] Shall I leave you to it?

[action]

[i_speak_softly]

Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to keep you. [He tends to forget that not everyone finds inventing as fascinating as he does.]

[action]

[wise_maiden]

Hm? You weren't keeping me. Actually, I was worried that I was interrupting you. [She actually finds it very interesting.]

[action]

[i_speak_softly]

[Totally confused. You really want to stay?] No, not at all. I like having company when I work.

[action]

[wise_maiden]

All right.

... Is there anything I could help with?

[action]

[i_speak_softly]

[He smiles shyly.] You've - helped a lot already. [But he'll offer you a rod. Fit it on somewhere?]

[action]

[wise_maiden]

[She smiles warmly in return, then steps forward to study the contraption again. A good place for a rod... hmm. It probably would depend on what it was being used for, and the other items already in use.]

[action]

[i_speak_softly]

[The contraption looks like a horrendously over-designed drying rack: multi-jointed arms unfolding in all directions. It is clearly made out of random junk from the item shop, and its function is questionable at best.]

[action]

[wise_maiden]

[Yes... indeed, this would take some figuring out. Perhaps somewhere on the top? But it would need to connect to the other parts... she goes quiet for a bit, just fiddling around with the contraption. It's like a puzzle!

... A puzzle that she's not sure how to complete, but it's still an outlet for that pent up creativity.]

[action]

[i_speak_softly]

[Maybe that's its function. Don resettles on the ground and enjoys watching Raine play with his invention.]

[action]

[wise_maiden]

[She gets fairly absorbed in the activity, before she steps away from it and looks at it thoughtfully. The rod seems like a supporting beam on some form of ... rotating device that spins if you crank it and then ...

... Well. Hm.]

[action]

[i_speak_softly]

[Don notices Raine's hesitation. Maybe a few words of encouragement?]

There are no wrong answers.

[action]

[wise_maiden]

Hm. [No wrong answers, huh? She smiles at him for the encouragement, then glances back to it.] It... reminds me of a carousel, of sorts. What do you think?

[action]

[i_speak_softly]

[He considers this.]

... What's a carousel?

[action]

[wise_maiden]

[... Pause.]

I believe the more familiar name for it is a 'merry-go-round'. I think they may have had one at Altamira.

[action]

[i_speak_softly]

They're the same? But - [He starts sketching odd, blueprint-like designs in the dirt.] What do you call the thing I put in the playground? The one that spins around?