metalogs | [Open] Trying Not to Fall Apart

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[Open] Trying Not to Fall Apart

Who: Donnie

purplexing and you!
What: Oh you know, just an average week in the life of a teenage mutant ninja nerd
When: Early June before things start to really implode
Where: Central
Content Warnings: N/A, will update as needed

can't sleep something will eat me - Apartment
It's easier to sleep when you run yourself ragged and let yourself pass out. Then there's a seventy percent chance that you'd be too exhausted to dream. That hadn't necessarily been his plan but it had been more or less effective the night he, Leo and Accelerator had come back from their tech heist. Since then, sleep had been...elusive.

While it's not unusual for Donnie to pull late to all-nighters, he's been leaning on such practices extra hard lately. It's easier to get away with when he's got actual projects. Guy's telescoping stun baton gets done relatively quickly in this regard. The game systems they'd found at the recycling center have been reappropriated into a single gaming system and they now had a high-definition projector that freed them from the constraints of a flatscreen TV. Spare phones have been repaired, wiped and upgraded in the case that they might run into anyone who needed a phone or just didn't trust the ones the Guild handed out.

But even productive turtle teens need sleep, and whenever he succumbs to it, it's always fitful and ends up with him clawing his way to wakefulness, away from the blood-filled nightmares with the grasping, reaching hands and tendrils. Sometimes he stays in his room, other times he slips out to sit in the kitchen wrapped around a cup of coffee or huddled under a blanket on the couch, reading a book or poking around things on his phone. If his head's clear enough then he'll do some late night work dismantling something or another, or work on repairing circuitboards.

third time's a charm - Sewers
The whole point of having a lair deep in the sewers is so people can't get to it easily. The sewers are already a maze, but thanks to the flooding from all the rain last month, Donnie's managed to get a decent amount of it mapped out with the aid of his mystic-tech. They aren't as convoluted and full of abandoned places like New York, but he and Leo had finally found a promising location.

Moving things into a new lair is never much fun. They'd already had to rebuild their home once, after all. Here at least they don't have too much stuff to worry about, but then they are still basically starting from scratch. Priority had gone to hauling their ill-gained goods down there once basic setup had been handled, some tidying up (okay, a lot of tidying up), and initial security measures installed. With things stirring in the world above, Donnie's not taking any chances.

There's still a lot to do, but they've got this much done. It's just a shame that they have to do this at all after getting so used to living almost normally.

what a town - Around Central
Life still goes on, even when you're trying to play things cool after being mildly (?) traumatized, even when there've been drastic changes in the meta-world.

There are library books to be returned, after all, and if Donnie can't sneak-borrow more by using Leo's card, he can at least read things there, his earphones bumping some techno or K-Pop (it's catchy okay) so he doesn't accidentally nod off. It's an attempt, anyway.

Coffee runs go without saying, and there's something nice about being able to sit in a cafe enjoying an iced latte. It's a change of atmosphere and he can more or less blend in with others who are here tapping at their laptops and tablets. Kind of. Other times he'll just be grabbing a drink to go, so one might catch him all purple hoodied up on his way to or from.

It might be weird be hard to believe, but Donnie has other hobbies, which is why at some point or another one might come across him carrying a small cardboard box with a variety of plants ready to be repotted. The backpack slung over his shoulder holds a few pots and some potting soil. He's a turtle on a mission and nothing is keeping him from working on a balcony garden. Alternatively one can find him perusing the selection at a small plant nursery or shop.

that other option - Wildcard
(Got any other ideas/requests? Have at it or ping me on discord or the plork!)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Wow, someone certainly has more morals than he thought. Or maybe Donnie is just being practical? Whatever, Accelerator stands by his idea. These guys are obviously scum, so who cares if they get knocked around a little.

There's more of them than he thought, which is fine. As they converge Accelerator glances around and steps back to give Donnie more space, not even bothering to change his choker's mode. It looks like regular humans, and as far as he can see no one has a gun, so he's fairly sure he can just sit back and watch the show.

That one guy clutches his stomach on the ground, though it isn't enough to deter the others. A few more launch themselves at Donnie at the same time, aiming to overwhelm him, since obviously one-on-one doesn't look like it'd be that successful.

None of the turtles intentionally looked for trouble or people to beat up on the basis that they possibly deserved it. Now, if they did something in front of them, that'd be a totally different story.

Donnie scowls at Accelerator as the esper looks content with just letting him handle this mess. He can't really do much about it now, and he suspects the gang members had been itching for a fight the moment they'd seen them.

He throws a quick look about as he notices the movement, making it a point to sigh heavily even as he spins his bō around and drops into an at-ready stance. His staff is spinning again as he steps to engage the nearest thug, bringing it down over they guy's head.

Reversing the spin once it connects, Donnie twists and brings his weapon in a broad arc around to catch the next two coming at him, stopping their charge long enough to follow up with quick strikes to keep them off balance. He knocks one back with a firm kick.

What!! Clearly Donnie has this covered and he can be lazy.

Accelerator does notice one asshole approaching him out of the corner of his eye. All he does is switch his choker on before his focus returns back to the turtle and his very sick martial arts moves. There's a noise behind him as a chain bounces off his reflection and smashes into the guy's face, but he pays it no mind.

This is a lot more interesting than some movie on tv. Donnie's moves are really, really controlled and deliberate, which he supposes makes a lot of sense when he's working with such a large and unwieldy weapon. It'd be easy to lose your balance or not put the right amount of force into a strike if you aren't careful with it. Compared to like, an axe or something, where all you need to do is swing it around and make sure it hits.

He's pretty sure he's never given weaponry this much consideration before, but it's kind of fun.

This is a new level of laziness! Except Donnie's attributing it more towards Accelerator's jerk-tendencies. Really, this kid!

He does notice one guy go falling back, well away from his range, and it has Donnie look over to see that the esper's not budged much else otherwise. Oh, the nerve! He doesn't feel particularly sorry as he thrusts the end of his staff behind him, slamming it into one of the other men.

The clear threat the turtle teen actually poses has become apparent to the others by now, and now it's not merely about being casually insulted or their turf being invaded. There's just no chance they're getting schooled by an alien freak! While they have no idea what happened to the other guy with the chain, so far as they're concerned, the kid with the crutch is collateral, although if he's in the way they won't bat much of an eye about it.

A knife flies through the air, deflected with a sharp ping as Donnie whips his staff about, shooting the man a glare. In that instance someone else manages to close the distance, trying to grapple him from behind. The sudden contact makes him visibly freeze, if all for two seconds before Donnie yanks his bō towards him to clock the guy over his shoulder, and he follows up by elbowing the guy viciously and finishing off with a solid backwards swing of his weapon.

He abruptly sidesteps at the sound of another swinging chain, letting it catch around the end of his bō before giving it a sharp tug to pull the other off balance. Advancing, he meets the man low with his weapon brought parallel between them, using it to flip the guy over his shell.

He feels like he should be taking notes or something, though he supposes he's memorizing everything just fine without a pen and paper....

Damn, actually, would video recordings be good to have? That way he could study them or something. Maybe he should bring that up afterwards. That idea is getting filed away as there's a loud crack and a yelp, this time from directly behind him, but Accelerator just tunes the noise out.

(It's some other ruffian having tried to revenge for his knocked out friend by way of punching Accelerator in the back of the head. He's now curled up on the ground, his arm bent at a very uncomfortable angle.)

He does notice that freeze, despite how brief it is. It's probably just because Donnie isn't a very touchy person (compared to, say, Leo, who is endlessly aggravating about it), and it causes more gears in his brain to turn. A staff is going to be at its most effective at a range rather than up close, so not only would that probably be the turtle's preference but he'd also have to make up for the weakness the weapon has with close combat through other martial arts and getting creative. Accelerator can't exactly make up for this weakness with physical strength... he'll have to ask about that afterwards, too.

Unexpected contact of any kind is still making him more jumpy than usual, and he hates it. His movements have a little more force than earlier, a touch more anger than when he'd first started. He tries to calm himself down, like he's grasping on a slippery line as he starts to feel himself go on edge. His moves are getting desperate and he doesn't want it to show.

But it's no longer about teaching these guys a lesson, it's about getting them out of his personal space!

His bō cracks across some unfortunate thug's wrist, followed by the clang of a knife being dropped. Donnie rams his staff into them and throws them into another, leaving yet another pile on the floor. As he scans the remaining thugs, at least the ones still able to move, he homes in on one as their movement gives away their intentions.

Neon violet lines flash through the air above him, outlining a massive laser cannon-looking thing. It's definitely overkill, and it's trained right on the thug who freezes in the middle of wrestling with his holstered gun.

"I'm giving you one warning. You all let us leave and you'll hopefully never see us again. Or you'll just never see us again."

Notes as still piling up in Accelerator's head as he watches, figuring this is all very normal fighting behaviour. Most of his actual fighting experience is dealing with thugs like these guys, so it's all totally normal for him anyways. Most people in Academy City (and his world in general) rely on either esper powers or technology, after all.

That is, right up until that familiar light flashes and good lord, that's a big cannon. Accelerator looks down and sees the gun. And he is absolutely delighted.

Switchblades and pipes are one thing. You can get away with only roughing someone up with those. A gun, though? A gun means there's an intent to kill. It means these idiots are worse than some random gang scum, and that the air they're breathing is worth more than they are.

(Those guys are also very clearly terrified of the giant laser cannon out of nowhere, but.)

A grin is splitting across his face and he can't help but laugh. It's cracked and sounds more like a broken whistle than a normal person's laugh. "Holyyyy shit! Why're you bothering with a warning? Afraid of being a loose cannon?"

Get it? Get it?

The tense moment is broken by the alien sound of laughter coming from Accelerator. The ragged assortment of thugs look at him in horror while Donnie looks over as though the esper's just sprouted a second head.

"Ohmyg- I cannot believe you!" Donnie sputters, cutting himself off as he stares, brow twitching. At least it serves to help him break that building tension and reset himself. It's sadly hard to say whether he's more upset about Accelerator's suggestion to open fire or the awful pun.

The men however don't care for the crazy laughter (is that what that was?) nor this twig of a kid egging the alien on to blow them away. Some of them have already started to scramble, the ones who can still move not even bothering to try dragging their deadweight pals along. It might help that they've heard rumors of a previous incident involving some green-skinned kid and purple lasers from months ago, but regardless, they don't intend to find out how effective that fancy cannon might be.

"A hah hah hah." He's still - giggling? Yep, that sure is some squeaky giggling. Contrary to popular belief, he is apparently capable of doing that. He doesn't look the least bit bothered by Donnie either, and jabs the end of his crutch at the goons who are starting to scramble away. Even the guy with the broken arm behind him is choosing to book it out of there rather than stick around.

"Don't get pissed off, you still intimidated them. Look, they decided sticking around's a bad idea," he says lightly. "It was probably the giant gun in their face that did it."

Given all Donnie's previous experiences with Accelerator, it's still difficult to believe those sounds coming out of his mouth.

He doesn't immediately banish the mystic-tech cannon, just in case anyone has the wild idea to try something stupid. Finally the sounds of fleeing thugs diminishes, leaving only Accelerator, Donnie, and the guys who were knocked unconscious and scattered about the warehouse floor.

With a sigh, Donnie dismisses the cannon in a shimmering of pixelated light.

"Probably. Still way too much effort on guys like that. Come on, let's get out of here. You owe me a real coffee, by the way." Because coffee sure helps with frazzled nerves.

With the remaining thugs running with their tails between their legs Accelerator lets out a long sigh, switching his choker back to normal. The grin on his face drops away, as well.

"Yeah, fine. There's a coffee shop a few blocks away at the edge of this district." Does he have all the coffee selling establishments in the city memorized? Maybe. He heads towards the closest exit, stepping around the unconscious thugs, his crutch clacking on the ground. "How come you made that cannon, anyways? Because of the gun? You could've handled that."

So long as they're well away from here, he doesn't care where the coffee shop is.

"Yeah, I could've," Donnie agrees dismissively, tucking his bō behind him. "But I was kind of getting annoyed at the whole thing and unfortunately sometimes the only way to get a point across is to put a laser cannon in their face."

If Accelerator doesn't lead the way out, Donnie does, stepping around or over the bodies littering the floor.

Accelerator will lead the way. It isn't canned coffee, but he could go for a regular coffee right now, too.

"That's one way to do it," he says lightly. Out they go! Thankfully, no one was dumb enough to stick around, so they won't get hassled as they make their way out of the warehouse district. "It sure was funny to watch, at least. Too bad you didn't actually shoot them."

"Sometimes you can win a fight without pulling a trigger. Anyway, seems like a waste of my mystic-tech, using it on your average bullies."

At least he doesn't have to lie about all that.

"Anyway, were you actually considering how to make your own crutch useful if it came down to a fight or were you too busy being entertained?" Donnie asks, leveling a flat look at the esper.

"Hah? Of course I was paying attention," he replies, a little offended, even though given what his reaction had been it's reasonable to assume he wasn't trying to learn anything. "I've got a frame of reference now, instead of just going off of movies and shit. Actually, I was wondering if having videos to look at might be a good idea, too."

Donnie arches his brow to the degrees associated with 'I don't quite believe you'. Trying to give Accelerator a hard time? Absolutely.

"It probably would," he says after some consideration. "But still not much good without working on some stamina and muscle. You ever do push-ups? You can even do them against the wall, that'd be easier to start."

Wow, rude! Accelerator huffs a little. This is what he gets for having a good time, sheesh.

Even worse is the idea of push ups. He works to not visibly cringe, and instead gives a very stiff nod. "I'll consider it."

Thankfully, they're approaching the coffee shop. It's small, some local place, with a few tables and chairs outside that are empty. He pulls his wallet out of his back pocket with his free hand. "What's your order?"

It's not like he's making the suggestion to be mean. Only just a little. If he really wanted to be awful, he'd mention how he's seen toddlers kick harder than Accelerator's been able to swing his crutch.

"A vanilla macchiato," Donnie says. Having easier access to coffee shops is spoiling him!

Ouch. That would be such a blow to his pride. He should be grateful this is all he's getting.

He nods and heads in, ordering one vanilla macchiato and one plain black coffee for himself. After paying he's grabbing some creamers and a stir stick, a couple of questions bubbling idly around in his mind about fighting with a staff. When their orders are ready he'll grab them and head for a table.

"So how do you deal with people when they get in close? It's easier maneuvering when they're at a distance, right?"

Donnie is predictably toying with his phone by the time Accelerator's stepping outside again. He drifts after him to drop into a chair.

"Preferably you try to avoid the situation to begin with, but sometimes they can manage to slip in," he says, finally tucking his phone away so he can pick up his drink. Mmmm, coffee.

"It's easier to keep them at a distance and my bō's long enough to do so, but if you don't know how to keep control of it, it won't do you much good. Your crutch is considerably shorter but it's probably easier to manage because of it."

Sitting down across from him, Accelerator is going to start ripping open the creamers and dumping them into his coffee.

"Alright, so what the hell do I do if they do get past my crutch? You still know fucking - hand-to-hand combat, right? You can still fight without a weapon if you need to." His tone turns thoughtful, and he snorts. "Maybe that's when I switch to esper mode."

Let him savor his coffee a bit. Donnie finally allows himself to relax against his seat, hands still curled around his cup as he sighs.

"That's one way to do it. Ideally the whole point is to make sure you aren't left defenseless. So whether you're left to act by your own strength or are trying to conserve it is your choice."

He takes another sip, replaying the recent fight in his mind. Some training might not hurt, he has to admit. Raph wasn't around to push them about it. Donnie knows that fight could have gone better, especially if he hadn't nearly lost his concentration at that one point. He frowns behind his cup. That's a problem he really needs to get over too.

"Just remember that so long as you have your crutch, you have to be aware of the extent of your mobility and range. Even if they get past your crutch, you can potentially still make use of it," he says, pushing those other thoughts from his mind as well as he can. "It won't be easy to do if whoever's on the other end can physically overpower you though, you'd be relying more on surprise to get yourself unstuck."

Once his coffee is all stirred up Accelerator is throwing an arm over the back of his chair and leans back, sipping it slowly.

Well, at least there's no real explanation that he should learn hand-to-hand. Using his crutch is, honestly, hard enough. He can't imagine having to fight without it and his powers would go anywhere.

.... Though, it would still be kind of cool to learn how to punch properly....

He shakes that thought off and focuses on what Donnie is saying.

"Wouldn't be the first time I had to deal with a situation like that. I'll manage," he replies with an irritated sigh. "Life was a hell of a lot easier when my awareness always extended to vectors."

Not that he paid a lot of attention to his surroundings, but it was something he was used to and now it's like he's down one of his senses. What a pain.

"Heh, lazy."

Donnie smirks over his coffee, resting his elbows at the edge of the table as he sips.

"It'd probably be better not to rely completely on your vectors. That only works when your computer's activated on that mode. If something keeps you from turning it on, or if someone finds a way to jam it like however it worked for the one you had back home, then you'll be stuck. I saw what happened to those guys near you, back at the warehouse. That situation was an easy read, but what if someone just came out of nowhere while you were walking down the street or drinking coffee like you are right now?"

Edited 2023-06-13 00:56 (UTC)

Donnie gets a half-hearted glare for that. It's true, but he feels like he should do something.

"When that happened I had the time to turn it on." He remembers having more than enough time to reach up and hit the switch, even though a van was barreling towards him. That had probably just been luck, though. If he hadn't noticed it....

"... You're right, at any rate. The crutch is good, but I should have more than one method of dealing with fights. Or at least, buying myself enough time to turn my choker on."

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I'm so sorry

sob rator why

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