lucetilogs | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(no subject)

Who:

semper_cogitans and

gaijin_ninja at first, with

i_speak_softly ,

the_mikester ,

honorthecode and

ninjacane probably joining in afterwards
What: Robert desperately needing his butt rescued
When: Backdated to yesterday (March 23), after the events of this thread
Where: Near the riverbank of the stretch of river between the bridges near Community Building Four. Will probably move to House 55 later
Summary: After an extremely short sprint away from Yuber (thanks to Litchi), Robert's pretty much passed out on the riverbank. Then he has a rather unlikely knight-in-shining-keratin come to rescue him. Shenanigans follow.
Rating: Gods, I have no idea. Tentatively saying R because Raphael is involved and things will likely get awkward later, but it'll most likely only be for language and/or violence - two things you can't really avoid with the TMNT

Robert is not doing well at all, by anybody’s standards of “well”.

Sprawled out on the ground with his forearms streaked with mud from where he’s collapsed on the sodden riverbank, shaking with utter exhaustion and terror; fear’s still coiling in his gut and driving him to get up – except he can’t, because he is so totally demolished physically from even the short sprint from the fountain’s perimeter to the riverbank. Adrenaline spikes through him even now, enough to make his hands tremble – but he still can’t will himself to get up. It’s useless. He’s useless. Litchi is there, in front of the angry Yuber – possibly even dying for his sake, dear gods - and he’d been too useless, he had needed to run...

He sobs softly, losing himself to the feeling of panic that threatens to overwhelm his rationality, even when it still sits there in his mind, quietly, coldly; surveying the situation, making notes. Yuber wasn’t attacking before I left. I sent out that message on the journals.

The question is... had anybody actually heard that message?

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Mike fixes Don with a hard look. Let's hear your explanation, bro. It better be good.

"That is what I said!" He remembers the conversation perfectly, he knows what he told them, and he really can't see why everything has gone so horribly wrong. "Do I have to spell out every detail for you? Do you all want an invitation? Use your brains, guys!"

He shrugs off Leo's hand. He'll say what he wants to say. But Don's reaction does make him sober. This's the Don they saw during their last argument, and now Splinter can see for himself how much this's changed him too.

"No. We don't need an invitation. Shouldn't have to. Shouldn't have to feel like you're ashamed of us either."

Leo stays by Raph just in case. It's heating up again, just like last time. He's ready to hold his brother back if it came to it. He hopes it doesn't.

"Both of you calm down. We need to be thinking clearly." If they can keep their heads, maybe they can finally figure this out. He himself is trying to keep his calm, thinking it over, trying to see if there was something he missed.

"You know, I don't think there's anything to be fighting over, here," Mike says suddenly, and when all eyes are on him he continues. "I mean, I wouldn't want to bring someone home to us either. Donnie's got a point. We aren't very good with company, after all." He looks at Don for this next part. "And I do have the bad habit of breaking stuff."

The sarcasm burns his throat.

That's the final straw. He's angry and embarrassed and scared and he can't take this anymore.

"Fine," he says hoarsely. "I'll leave."

He desperately wants to go outside, and then just keep going until he exhausts himself, but the earlier conversation pretty much forbids anything like that. So instead he'll go to his room. Only physical force will stop him from getting there and locking himself in.

Oh, look. There's Robert stepping out of the bathroom, freshly cleaned and groomed to... well, it's not perfection, by any stretch of the word. But it's much better looking than he was before he went in there.

He just sort of stares at the debacle. While he's not going to use any kind of physical force to stop Don from leaving, he does ask, questioningly, "Donatello?"

Even Robert can tell that this situation isn't the most positive one. Everybody looks decidedly unhappy.

A part of Robert is afraid that it may just be his fault. (He missed most of the conversation, and he still has yet to figure out that Don's been something of a brat lately...)

"... Ah. M-My apologies for... interrupting." Robert stares at something that isn't a turtle out of desperation.

"ENOUGH!" Splinter's cane thumps against the ground as he walks up to Donatello's side, almost as a barrier. "It is obvious that words were said, and that miscommunication has bred ill feelings between you, my sons. But that does not change the fact that I had first rights to meet him and would have preferred privacy in such matters!"

Sorry, Robert. You're going to be ignored for a moment while lectures his idiot sons. Except now he's going to turn to Donatello and look at him, searching. His voice is serious, but not accusing. He's withholding judgment.

"What was your intention in wishing your brother not be present in our home for such a meeting?"

Perhaps if he understands Donatello's intent correctly, he can understand where this disharmony began.

Now Raph feels about two feet tall. He flinches, but doesn't let himself cower like he wants to. He snaps his mouth shut but stands his ground, every muscle tense, hands winding into fists.

Shit, now Splinter's siding with him too? Great. Just great.

His escape attempt thwarted, Don feels closed in, and his need to get out nudges even higher. The encroaching near-panic makes it hard to think, just at the moment when he needs to choose his words most carefully.

He falls back into Japanese, the language he panics in, and tries one more time to explain himself.

"< I didn't want them to influence you. They already don't like him, for no reason, and I just wanted him to have a fair chance with you... Please, Sensei? This is so important to me... >"

Leo ducks his head and steps back a bit. He knows it's Splinter's right to meet the guy first. He's got no qualms with that. He can also tell how important this was to Don. He takes a few calming breaths before speaking on Japanese.

"< You were the only one that met him and knew him, Don. >" Until today. "< We have always been suspicious of people that we have not met. >" At least at first. Now that he met the guy, it's changed a little. Hell, a while ago he was ready to protect the guy from an attack.

"< I did like him Don, or did you not notice that? Don't lump me in with Raph. I would have supported you. >" But you've pretty much thrown that away by now.

The loud thud of Splinter's cane shakes Robert out of his awkward reverie, and he glances over. It's a confusing question. Why wouldn't Donatello want me to meet his brothers? Why would he exclude them from something that will obviously affect the entire family somehow? It seemed like a fundamentally illogical reaction. Of course, Robert supposes that if Don had some foreknowledge of how much Raphael and Michelangelo would dislike him, it made sense. But it still wasn't ethical.

And then there's that language again. Beautiful, yes, but completely inscrutable to Robert. And he has the frustrating feeling that they're deliberately using it to exclude him from the dialogue. So, despite his own discomfort and desire to not offend, he speaks up in defense of himself, since he doubts anybody else will in this situation.

"... Excuse me. If this conversation concerns me, then I would prefer to be included in it..."

Ah, so it was a misunderstanding--the very start of it, at least. Then it descended into words, and got worse from there. Donatello's reasoning was valid if he were attempting to give his father a neutral of opinion on Robert for the initial meeting as possible. Donatello's ability to provide incomprehensible explanations sometimes filtered into everyday speech.

This is a mendable situation.

"< Your position was understandable, even though your worry was overblown, Donatello--but your explanation to your brothers seems to have been incomplete. You are brilliant, but you must understand that we think differently than you. In the future, you should strive to explain your wishes better and remain conscious of how it might sound to your brothers. >"

Splinter made as if to go on, then paused, and decided to continue in English since Robert had actually spoken up about it (hmm, the man did have a backbone after all...). "This seems to be a result of an initial misunderstanding. A miscommunication. Then, frustration and anger. You should all apologize to each other, regardless of the most guilty party. Do not let it fester anymore."

Because just sometimes, even with their own unique intelligences, his sons were collectively idiots.

Two of his brothers still don't recognize a private conversation when they see one, but at least Splinter understands.

Don bows his head. "Hai, Sensei." Then to his brothers, addressing them collectively in a way that heretofore has been reserved for Mike. "Gomen nasai, oni-san." And finally, to Robert: "I'm sorry..."

Raph says nothing, just stares at his brother stiff as a statue as he makes his apology. He's not ready to forgive him yet. Not by a longshot. But he can understand some of what made this an understanding. What he can't understand is how Don's been acting ever since this started.

That is the real problem here. He could care less about meeting Robert. He's already made his impression. Ans sure, he doesn't like him. But he wouldn't try to ruin it for Don either. As angry as he is right now, he still wants his brother to be happy. That's why he did what he did when Don was in the mountains. But obviously that means nothing.

Whatever. That's just how life goes, isn't it?

Leo's watching Don. He never wanted to ruin it either. He likes seeing his brother happy. He glanced at Robert for a moment. The guy was strange, the world that he came from even stranger, but he's been showing he really does care about Don and his family. He looks back to his brothers though.

"Gomen-nasai." He wants it resolved, so he's willing to forgive to a point. He doesn't want to see his family torn apart over this. Let's fix it before it gets worse.

"Gomen," Mike murmurs. It's a start. Part of him suspects that Don wouldn't be so ready to apologize if Splinter weren't here, but he'll take it. And deep down, he knows that what made his own sarcastic words hurt so much to say was the fact that they were absolutely true.

Robert kind of watches as the tense situation dissolves into an uncomfortable half-truce. He suddenly feels even more awkward than usual. Somehow, something had happened - things he had never seen or even heard about at all - and it seemed like Donatello was responsible for at least some of the debacle.

It makes him wonder just exactly what was supposed to be accomplished.

"... It's alright. Just... I don't want to be a problem." Robert hesitates, looking uncomfortable. "If... If I can do something to remedy it, I shall."

Then he turns to Splinter, even more poignantly uncomfortable. "... Did you want to speak to me...?"

There is one apology missing. Splinter watches Raphael as the other apologies are made. There is still tension, but it will fade with time. Although how much or how little time it takes remains to be seen. Raphael will lag behind his brothers in forgiveness, either way.

When Robert addresses him directly, Splinter turns to him, and nods, "In a moment."

Then, he glances back to Raphael. "We are waiting, Raphael."

Your turn to apologize. Even if you don't mean it.

He stays tense, arms crossed tightly over his chest. He's not going to apologize when he doesn't mean it. Maybe he is sorry to some degree. But Don doesn't deserve that apology. Not after all he's done for him. Not after Don abandoned him for those mountains. Not after he slammed the journal in his face. Not after he pushed him so far out of his comfort zone and still treated him like some kind of criminal.

He was trying to keep the family together, not split it apart. Not let Don abandon everyone and treat them like crap. He's tried, but it wasn't enough. He screwed it up like he always does. Made things worse than they were before. And he hates himself for it. He hates Don, he hates Robert, he hates all of this shit.

He's sick of trying. Don can just go ahead and hate him for all he cares.

"I'm not saying it."

He doesn't care what the consequences are.

"It's okay," Don mumbles. He doesn't really want an empty apology. It won't make him feel better, to hear Raph say words he doesn't mean, and having to say them anyway will probably only make Raph more stubborn about ever saying them for real. He just wants to let this go and move on to the next part of the conversation.

Splinter frowns at Raphael's response, but it is not surprising. Only what's normal for his stubborn son. He won't fight him, for not--not in front of a guest. There's too much coiled in Raphael's gut to be unraveled during a single family meeting.

"Then we will speak later," Splinter states, fixing Raphael with his gaze.

After a moment, he looks away to Robert. "Let us continue in the dojo."

"Certainly, Master Splinter, sir." Robert nods obediently, turning to follow the grizzled rat to the "dojo" - whatever that was. Obviously a room in the house, but... it's a term Robert doesn't recognize.

He glances over at Don, wondering if Don's supposed to join them or not. He wouldn't mind speaking to Splinter on his own if Splinter preferred, but Don's presence would be reassuring.

Don follows also, casting only the briefest glance back over his shoulder. He'll need to speak with his brothers again later, but for now his mind is on what's ahead of him: on the conversation that is about to take place in the dojo.

Edited 2011-04-10 05:21 (UTC)