semilethal | voicemail

Door's open.

[things are always so much more difficult with leo than they are with mikey and raph. those two, they'll tell you how they feel all damn day. there's no guessing game, no inferring. if mikey's sad, he'll cry; actually even if he's just preparing himself to be sad, he'll cry. if raph is upset, he'll let you know. even if he doesn't, he's so notoriously bad at faking it that anybody could tell how he actually feels.

leo, though.

so donnie resolves himself give leo what he needs. after all, donnie already got what he needs. he got work! and that's all he needs, just something to do, things to fix. he's working on one of them right now actually, the first of the five antique espresso machines godot contracted him for, dismantling it and laying out all the pieces in a specific order on a dusty towel. it's very simple and doesn't exactly tax him, but it's almost meditative in a way. so he's fine, he's totally okay. of course he's okay; he has his basic needs met. everything else is just icing.]

Edited 2022-09-13 02:40 (UTC)

[There's no other response really - not because he doesn't want to, but because sneaking down into the sewers is difficult with all the kappa running around. Sticking to shadows, staying silent. Exactly like they were taught, he manages to find... A corner that looks mostly untouched. There's just enough light coming from the other businesses to be useful, but not so trafficked that he'd have to worry. Yeah this'll do for now. He'll work on getting it cleaned up and stuff to live with down here.

But true to Leonardo's word, he follows the directions from the pin Donatello sent him, looking up at the Sutoku areas curiously (way more familiar than a lot of stuff he's seen so far), and wide eyed at the housing building.

He sends a message standing just outside the door:] Open up.

Edited (decided to be MORE TRUE ) 2022-09-13 03:20 (UTC)

I said it's op- ugh. [forget it, forget it. donnie extricates himself from his current project, snags one of the rags he's managed to accumulate (lots of dumpster diving has occurred since he showed up), and wipes the gear grease from his fingers as he heads over to his door and finagles it open.

without looking up, because this is somehow easier without looking right at leo, donnie twists the rag around his fingers.] You know you can live here. [leo MUST know. donnie likes his space but he's not-

he's just busy. he's just working and not thinking about it. it wasn't personal.]

[Leonardo stands at the door a bit awkwardly. They've never been in this situation before; sure they have their own rooms but (Don's lab aside) the doors are all open and not... this. It feels weird. Closed off.

Would his brother really want to live above ground? Just like that? But Donnie avoiding looking at him, what happened? Time to put on some ✨ brother charm ✨ into this situation.]

Hm. I dunno. I found a pretty promising real estate opportunity. I might take that up.

[well now that just. pisses him off??? for some reason. all that fuss and leo's going to refuse his heartfelt barely-there apology?!

...throws rag in leo's face]

[Sputters?! How fucking dare????

He flails a little, getting the rag off his face and STARES at him.]

Come on!

Don't make me play your stupid guessing games! Tell me what you want so I can make it and/or give it to you! [STOMPS BACK INSIDE and leaves the door open! come in, obviously!! angrily puts a kettle on the stove!!!!!!]

[He blinks once at that before smiling a little. Just steps in and leaves the door open because really what's a door right that's fucking weird. But he can see that care even with all the yelling and stomping, what with the kettle being put on and all. He'll come sit on the floor next to where Don was working, just glancing over the bits.]

To catch up? Sounds like we both got a lot of info.

[Data collection calms Donatello down. Let him do this.]

Nooo, no no, you left me on read. [rummages about in the janky cupboard for the two chipped mugs he's managed to source, as well as- okay it's not the same BRAND obviously, but the same kind of tea they can both agree on as acceptable.] And then you ignored that stupid pizza pigeon picture for more than two minutes!

[spins around to lean against the counter, arms tightly folded.] Is it the housing for your faction? Or because I'm over here and you're over there?

Edited (Phone tagging.....) 2022-09-13 06:41 (UTC)

[Leonardo watches him.... He should. Probably? Be a good brother and figure this out, apologize, whatever.]

Lost reception once I went underground. I was finding a place down there to sleep since- [it's familiar. It's a little less anxiety inducing than the thought of sleeping around a bunch of strangers.]

I haven't looked at my faction's housing.

[hands on hips] And why are you looking for a place to sleep underground?

[That one question hits Leo directly, has him staring at his brother. Everything he knows about his brother says that Donatello doesn't do well with change, especially sudden unexpected change he didn't initiate. So he thought being underground like home would be familiar, would be better.

He's clearly overthought this. Maybe he shouldn't have bothered, maybe he shouldn't even be bothering talking to Hizen about a bo staff, would Don even want that?

Crap he needs to say something. What does he say that isn't overwrought?]

Not as crowded down there. I can really spread out, stretch my legs, y'know?

Fine, don't tell me. [turns back around and like, THROWS a teabag into each mug.

donnie hates. HATES. hates being lied to. HAAAAATES it. and he can tell leo is lying because he took too long to think, because he cut himself off earlier. because- because fine, donnie's making an educated guess, but if leo really is telling the truth then he's saying it in a weird way, and it probably means something else is wrong.

and donnie isn't good at this. most of the time he doesn't need to be. but right now it's just him, and it's just leo, but he did something to hurt his brother's dumdum feelings and now his dumdum brother won't talk to him, so all he can do is make him some dumdum tea and fix these dumdum appliances to get them some STUPID, DUMDUM MONEY, so he can buy things he needs to make his DUMDUM tech so he's DUMDUM USEFUL.]

[UgghhhhHHHHHHH HE'S MESSING ALL THIS UP. Ever since he got named the leader by their dad, he's been bad at reading his brothers. Butting heads way more often because- Because why? Either he's doing the hero thing wrong, or he is and it upsets them.

He can't win, either way.]

Look, it's- [Siiiiigh. Honesty, true heartfelt honesty, is so difficult when it's his own worries and concerns about something serious. Let him whine and be dramatic about missing Jupiter Jim movie all day but this? He's having too much trouble with.] It's familiar. Okay?

-but it's not. [donnie glances back at the kettle -shitty stovetop elements take so long to heat, he better fix that later- and then over at his work. his task, his goal, his- his.

his brother.

donnie shifts his weight before coming over to leo. crouches next to him. hesitates a second, before placing a hand on leo's forearm.] It doesn't have Dad's chair. Mikey's art, Raph's- Raph's everything stink. It's not familiar, not to me. It's just...some empty sewer.

[donnie doesn't want some approximation, some 'close enough.' he wants their home. and to get home they have to fulfill their contracts, and what power-hungry faction doesn't like weapons and money?]

Edited 2022-09-15 04:36 (UTC)

[Leonardo looks at that hand on his arm. Donnie doesn't do touch, not without purpose and meaning. So what was the purpose behind this?

Oh.

He looks up to meet Donatello's eyes for a moment before settling somewhere easier, those drawn on sharpie eyebrows.]

And this is better? A place we don't know surrounded by a bunch of strangers? You'd rather have that? [Nevermind that Leo needs the familiar. Nevermind his thinking if the others show up and they somehow miss each other, the most logical first placed they'll look is the sewer.] I mean, sure it's all we've got, but-

[But. Donnie seems... fine. He'll, he'd initially told Leo to stay at his own faction housing. He raises one hand to squeeze Donnie's still holding his forearm. Just gentle, affirming. More than anything, more than the familiar, more than feeling comfortable, he wants his brother close by. He doesn't think he could be alone for very long right now.]

Fine. If this is what you're okay with, then we'll make it sure. Just gotta find some way to signal Raph and Mikey where we are when they show up.

[Because they will. He's sure of it. He has to be.]

[hahahahahahahaha 'fine' yes, of course he is fine.

leo's responding well to the closeness though, so donnie summons his inner Mikey (Dr. Feelings Version) and sits down next to him, close enough so their knees touch.]

I'm working on that too. [taps at his wrist computer, which lights up pale blue and displays...nothing. and then lots of nonsensical-looking text.] I'm not getting a signal to any of my missing tech or the lair, but I checked and the trackers are still enabled, just either not sending or I'm not receiving the signal. Once I fix this, I'll make multiple receivers so we can all keep track of each other. [not invasive at all and 100% safe and appreciated and leo will like it probably]

[Leo leans into Don's space to look at it the screen, despite knowing full well he won't understand any of it. But it's good to know Donnie's working on it, on something. Not that he thought his brother wasn't, but the confirmation and seeing it in front of him helps.

He takes a deep breath and shifts so he can drape one arm over Donnie's shoulders, leaning into him a little.]

So that takes care of that problem, once you can figure it out. And in the meantime, just us.

[Because this'll go so well. He's already almost made a mess of it.]

[bingo. leo's moving closer. either leo was trying to be stoic "big"-brother-kind-of-leader-now, or he was being overly conscious of donnie's very vocal preference to not be touched. either way, donnie's both annoyed by it and worried about it; but quietly, and to himself. another thing to take into consideration.]

That we know of. [closes out of his tracking program but doesn't move away, even as the closeness seeps just a bit under his skin. he's fine. he can do this for a few more minutes; and now that he knows it's something to be conscious of, he can make plans. today's just- yeah, it's just not a good day. leo's going to feel the lack of closeness way more than donnie will, of course. donnie can schedule accordingly to make sure leo isn't by himself too often, and pace his own interactions to make sure leo gets that attention he needs. sure. there's spreadsheets for that.]

-anyway. [and they're talking, too. this is also good; even if they're just a duo right now, that's still a team, and they should be talking things out. of course, he should let leo know what's going on. it'll make him feel better. maybe he should set another reminder to give leo updates, he likes updates and leo doesn't always remember so sometimes he'll need repeat updates. yeah, sure, add that to his computer, just make sure to check in for that also.] -anyway. Options for escape. We should discuss that, too. Most obvious is to fulfill these "contracts" or whatever.

[Oh but can't it have been both, dear brother? Trying to be stoic leader and being overly conscious of his brother's needs? It's what Leonardo's trying to tell himself anyway. That leaning he's doing does get heavier as he tries to make sense of Donnie's screen before he gives up and leans a very normal brother amount instead of overbearing.]

Yeah, that'd be the most straightforward way. [Which means he's not overly interested. Where's the twists, the turns, the drama?] We know there're native youkai and 'Lost Souls', who mostly look human, but then there's us so...

[He looks at Donnie. He remembers ...something from that big red string board. The word isn't coming to him though.] Like... Do you remember, Jupiter Jim and the Dark Side of the Moon 15? His, his his what was it, what'd they call it, it was like a backwards version of everything?

Wha- alternate universe? [gives leo an Unsure look, because like look, jupiter jim is obviously the pinnacle of sci-fi entertainment, but the actual science? involved? ...surprisingly solid depending on the writer!] So you think what, this is some multiverse rendition of the Hidden City?

YEAH! Yeah, yeahyeah that.

Why couldn't this be that? It looks and works like Hidden City.

So why can't it be some other mystic city somewhere on Earth? New York can't possibly be the only one. [then again, this one uses yen but everybody is speaking english instead of japanese. weeb city?]

A weeb city, sure. It doesn't really feel right, though.

[He needs more information really. Too little already to make a confident guess.

With whatever between them sorted out seemingly, Leo lets Donnie go and ceremoniously flops onto his back, arms behind his head. Now he's curious about other potential Hidden Cities, and are they all connected, could they see them all? Could it be a way-too-convenient-way for them to travel outside NYC? Probably. Too much to hope for.]

One day, you guys have got to tell me about those sewers in Tahiti. [Just thinking out loud, the way that ADHD brain of his goes.]

[donnie relaxes just a fraction and gets out his phone, scrolling through the lost souls feed. autistic brain answers questions because why talk if no want information? input equals output and vice versa.] It was cleaner. Had that hint of ocean spray without all the rotting fish and dock garbage. Not as roomy, but beautiful vacation spot.

You need to figure out how to get us back there next summer so we can take April.

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