saisdontmatter | (no subject)

(no subject)

[When sickness hit the Hamato household, it swept through like wildfire. And ever since Splinter found himself with two sick little turtles on his hands, he was determined to keep the other two as germ-free as possible. So as soon as they woke and they ate their meager breakfast, he shooed Raphael and Leonardo out of the den, hurriedly telling them to bring back anything they found of use before being pulled away by his sick ones' alarmed whimpers.

Raphie was more than happy to leave the den. It stank like throw up in there, and being hungry made it even worse. Ever since Donnie and Mikey got sick, Splinter hasn't been able to go topside for food, and splitting a can of tuna fish and a couple slices of stale bread with Leo left him feeling hollow inside. He'd been growing a lot lately, way more than his brothers, and it was making him feel hungry all the time. Maybe they'd be able to find some cool stuff while they were out, or even some more food.

The only problem is, he has no idea where to look. Splinter doesn't usually take him out on scavenge runs. It's because he's too noisy and doesn't listen, but his brothers tell him it's because he cries too much. But that's because they're stupid and Splinter doesn't take them either! No one gets to go except for Leo, because he's a daddy's boy and the favorite. And a stupid idiot, but that's besides the point.

So. That leaves two nine year old turtles and one mission. Raphie looks at his brother, shrugs, and starts shuffling off to wherever his feet take him. Because there's no way he's gonna let Leo tell him where to go. He'll just walk until he finds something.]

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[Conflicted, Leo's brow knits. Food... real food, not the soggy, half-rancid junk they've been sifting through all day. Not even the cold, bland rations he and Master Splinter usually end up dragging home on their scavenging runs. Actual food, like the humans eat - maybe a little stale, but by the sound of it, otherwise largely intact. His stomach clenches with sharp hunger pains just thinking about it.]

[At the same time, they've been warned about this, too. Humans promising them things in an attempt to lure them away, and then kidnapping them. They might have shaken hands, and Leo really does think this guy might not be all that dangerous, but those human horror stories urge caution all the same. He's not their friend just yet.]

[Leo crosses his arms over his plastron, trying to look firm.]

Go there and bring something back. If you're telling the truth, we'll go with you, Mr. Professor. [It's rather bold to make demands of someone doing you a favor, but as far as Leo's concerned, this is the best way to figure out if he's really trustworthy or not. Besides, if it's just a few blocks down, it's not like it would be a huge hassle for him, right?]

Of course. [It really isn't a hassle. Walking two blocks in order to find a gift for fascinating new friends (as well as food for starving children) is no problem at all. He only wishes to gain their trust in hopes to learn more about them, what they are, where they came from, and how they came to be.

He stands up slowly, groaning at the ache in his stiff back and knees.]

Wait here, children. I'll return in a few minutes.

[When the old man disappears into the street, Raph just stands there, dumbstruck, his mouth watering and his grip slowly slackening on Leo's arm. What just happened?]

You really think he's coming back?

I don't know. [he admits quietly, watching the Professor round the corner and disappear into the gray afternoon light. Then, grabbing Raph's fingers, he gives a gentle yet urgent tug to disengage his hand from Leo's arm.] Look, go wait at the bottom of the manhole, okay? I'll hide up here until I see him coming back. And if I tell you to run, you start running.

[He doesn't want to tell Raph that he's afraid the human might come back with a weapon, or even worse, some more "friends". Until those baked treats are in his family's hands, he's not assuming anything.]

[And that's what Raph is really afraid of. The old man's gonna come back with more humans, tell them who they are and where he found them, and they'd be caught and killed for sure. The idea makes him visibly shake.]

No! I'm not luh-luh-leaving you, okay? I'm not s-scared 'a that fat old man.

[But the threat of tears behind his eyes is enough to prove otherwise. Though his hand, now extracted from his brother's arm, winds into a fist. Another flash of anger storms across his face.]

He wants to catch us, we'll kick their butts!

We can't 'kick their butts' if there's a whole group of them, doofus! [There's no bite behind the name-calling; he just wants Raph to understand that getting into a fight is the last thing they want right now.] We have to make sure one of us can get away. If we both get into trouble, who's going to get help?

I'm not a doofus, stupid! [He grabs onto Leo's arm again, because he doesn't want to split up. He doesn't went to be alone, and he doesn't want to leave his brother no matter what. Pretending he's tough enough to kick their butts makes him feel a little less terrified. That's all. If Leo won't let him pretend, he'll just be stubborn. Jaw set, hovering on the edge of tears, he's not gonna let go. He's not gonna let Leo split them up.] I'm not going down there!

[Leo hisses when Raph latches onto him again with enough desperate force for it to hurt. But his grip, along with the wet sheen of tears skating along the edges of his eyes, makes one thing very clear to Leo: Raph is scared out of his mind. Splitting up would do way more harm than good with his little brother this terrified.]

[Relenting, Leo grabs his brother's arm in turn, pulling the both of them towards the fire escape even as he stares nervously towards the mouth of the alley.] Fine - you can stay up here with me, all right? Let's just hide before he gets back!

Fine! [He trots over to their hiding spot, still scared, but feeling much better now that he doesn't have to split up from his brother.

Getting up on the fire escape is hard. The dumpster below it is rain-slicked and slippery, but they manage, jumping for the rusty ladder and hauling themselves up.

There, they sit together and wait. It's still raining out, the drops sounding almost musical tip, tip, tapping against the old iron railing. Crouched side-by-side, shoulders just barely brushing together, their breath coming in misty clouds in the damp chill air.

Raph shivers, both from fear and from cold, wiping his beak on his arm. But he's not crying, he swears. It's just an illusion.]

[They cram into the fire escape and press up against the wet brickwork, their shells scraping quietly as they get settled. Leo does his best not to look at Raph, knowing that he'd be embarrassed if Leo saw him crying; instead he peers down into the street, towards the alley's opening. He can see much better from up here. But then he makes the mistake of looking straight down.]

[With a quiet gasp, he jerks back against the building wall, going rigid. He's not afraid of heights; not anymore. They still make him a little uncomfortable, but that's all. And this fire escape isn't even all that high up off the ground. But it feels a lot different topside than it does underground, and for a moment, his head whirls around without the rest of his body.]

[It only lasts a couple seconds. Leo takes a calming breath and huddles closer to his brother, for both Raph's comfort and his own. Nothing wrong with that, right? Right. Satisfied, Leo turns and watches the gray streets.]

[No, there's nothing wrong with that.

As they wait, a police car zips by the alleyway, lights and sirens blaring. A train blows its whistle in the distance. People shout at each other across the street.

A few minutes in and Raph's teeth start chattering. A few more minutes and he's starting to give up the dream of cakes and muffins.

Then, a familiar figure appears from the street, a cloth rucksack in one hand. The Professor wanders in alone, looking from side to side, calling to them.

Hello?

Raph glances over at Leo, his eyes all fear and excitement. He came. It sounded too good to be true, but he came.]

[Leo returns Raph's glance, his own eyes filled with equal anticipation. He did! Then he turns his gaze back to the alley, watching studiously for any signs of more bodies entering the alley.]

[A heartbeat passes. Two. Four. The large man is still alone, calling out to them. Leo swallows, feeling strangely warm despite the chill running up and down his arms. This is it. Either there's really food in that sack, or it's a fake and the alley is going to be swarmed with people the minute they reveal themselves.]

[Leonardo looks at his brother and taps one finger against the metal paneling of the fire escape. The order is firm in his eyes - stay here. Leo will go out first, and then Raph can come if it's safe. This is non-negotiable; he only hopes that his brother will listen.]

[Then, while the Professor is turned away, Leo slides to the railing. Pointedly avoiding looking straight down, he hops back down onto the dumpster, the slight whump of his feet hitting the lid barely a whisper that floats through the alley, and scurries out into the man's field of view.]

You came back. [His voice is equal parts amazed and uncertain. If they were to attack... now would be the time.]

[The man visibly startles as Leo scurries into view. There's actual fear in his expression, but his only reaction is not to fight, but to hold the rucksack close to his chest. He smiles in relief when he realizes it's just the little reptile creature again.] But of course. I always keep a promise, my friend. Come, see if I've found anything you might like.

[Raph manages to wait while Leo goes ahead, keeping close watch over the side of the platform, crouched with both hands wrapped around the fire escape's wet metal bars.

It's fear that keeps him lagging, but it's hunger and curiosity that has him landing on the dumpster lid a few minutes later, trying to peer into the man's offered bag without having to come down.]

[Leo almost frowns when he sees the momentary fear flicker across the man's face. What has such a big human got to be afraid of? He doesn't dwell on it, though, especially when the Professor lowers the sack for Leo to investigate.]

[Hesitantly, the young turtle edges forward, trying to glimpse inside before he even gets within reaching distance; he's so focused, in fact, that he doesn't even notice his brother breaking orders. He eventually comes close enough to reach up and pull the edge of the sack closer with one hand, peering at the contents inside.]

[What he sees instantly brightens his face.]

Whoa.

The best pastries in Manhattan, my little reptilian friends. [That might be a bold statement, but the Professor never has any problem with a little embellishment. Inside his sack is a bunch of two day old apple fritters and some pumpkin spice muffins.] Take whatever you like, eat. There are far more in the dumpster three streets over.

[Raph can't take it anymore. The idea of food in that sack, of sweets, is driving him crazy. Raph may be meek and sensitive about almost everything, but stick some food in front of him and he becomes a ravenous dog, fighting whoever it takes to get his share and then some.]

Move over!

[In a flash he scrambles off the dumpster, shoves Leo out of the way and plunges a hand into the bag, pulling out a lumpy-looking fritter. It's sticky and smells like cinnamon and he doesn't even ask or care what it is before he crams it in his mouth. So what if it might be poison? He's too hungry to care, and it tastes like heaven.]

Mmmm!

Edited 2013-09-22 07:35 (UTC)

[Leo can't even get mad when Raph shoves him out of the way. Even with his mouth watering and his stomach roaring in response to the smell of sugar and cinnamon, all he can manage is a big, dumb smile as he watches his brother plow into the food.]

[He was right. He was right! This human is good. He kept his word and brought them food and hasn't tried to hurt them at all. There are kind people in the world, and they've just found one. He was right!]

[Leo knows better than to try and wrestle with Raph for scraps; even as starving as he is, he knows he'll eventually get his turn, and besides, he'd rather his brother get to eat first. Instead, Leo turns to the Professor and does something he never thought he would do to any human: he gives a formal, somewhat sheepish bow.]

Um... thank you, sir. [His voice is colored by both sincere gratitude and the slight effect of giddiness that hasn't yet faded.] We really were wrong about you.

[It's a little startling how the taller, cagier child attacks the treats inside his bag with such gusto. But what should he expect, bringing sweets to hungry children?] It is my pleasure, Leo. I've learned much today as well. And I hope this won't be the last time we cross paths. I would love to hear your stories.

[As Leo and the Professor talk, Raph's already crammed three of the fritters in his mouth before he even starts slowing down. They're a sweet, heavy meal, but the gooey stuff in the middle and the crispy sweet stuff on the outside makes him want to eat a million of them.

He's not used to regulating his own food. Splinter portions and rations everything for them. Anything put down in front of them is fair game to quarrel over amongst themselves. Between the four of them, they can devour an entire pizza pie in minutes, and it's with that same gusto Raph tears into his fourth pastry, bits of sugar and crumbs all over his face.

But Leo's right. They were wrong about him. Raph's still pretty scared of him, but he's happier than he's been in his whole life just jamming his face full of yummy pastries.]

Edited 2013-09-22 07:59 (UTC)

[Leo watches Raph dig in with no small amount of envy, but mostly, he's relieved that his brother is getting food. Growing up with such meager rations always guaranteed mealtimes to be hectic and frenzied affairs - once upon a time, they didn't even have the mental capacity to care about each other, and he wonders how Splinter kept them all from killing each other over scraps. But as they grew and Leo began recognizing his place among his brothers, the ache made in his chest by overpowering his brothers for food became even more painful than the ache of his empty stomach. He grew more inclined to share his portions - usually with Donatello, who never fought quite as roughly as Raph or Mikey did. The happiness in those dark eyes more than made up for the gnawing hunger in his gut.]

[Long story short, Leo hates being hungry, but he hates his brothers being hungry even more. They'll always eat before he does if he has anything to say about it.]

My whole name is Leonardo. [He says without taking his eyes away from his brother. A moment later his gaze does shift, regarding the Professor with a bit more warmth behind those gray eyes than before. He's certainly earned their full names.] And my brother is Raphael.

[As hungry as the taller one, the one named Raphael, seems to be, this little one still waits patiently for his turn. It's a little touching, really. The amount of kindness and caring behind the child's eyes is something not often seen in human children his age. The Professor can't help but be fascinated.]

Ah, the Renaissance artists. The greatest masterminds behind the revolution of modern art and culture. And Leonardo, still considered one of the greatest inventors in history.

[With Raph's hands busy with one pastry in each, the Professor dips into the bag himself and pulls out a fritter, offering it to the little turtle.]

Do you enjoy art?

No. [Raphie chimes in, his mouth still stuffed full of doughnuts. He hates art and he especially hates writing. And reading. And pretty much anything that isn't sparring. And maybe math. Math's okay too. But Master Splinter loves to talk about art and show them pictures from the stupid book he got their names from. Boring. And his drawing sucks pretty bad too.]

[He blinks at the fritter before taking it somewhat sheepishly, a little embarrassed that his own hunger must be so transparent. Any concerns are instantly vaporized, however, when he brings it close enough to his face for the sweet, sugary smell to hit him. He bites into the pastry, and his senses are immediately flooded with the most amazing taste he's ever experienced. It floods his mouth with saliva and makes his stomach twist in agonizing anticipation of such a meal.]

[Unable to control himself any longer, Leo tears into it with nearly as much fervor as his brother, tearing chunks at a time and swallowing them practically whole. It's only once the fritter is half-demolished that he slows down, and that's only because it's so unbelievably sweet that he's afraid he'll get sick if he doesn't.]

[He swallows his latest bite, lowering the fritter long enough to consider the Professor's question. His snout wrinkles.]

It's okay. [He's never really had an opinion on the art Splinter's shown them from that book, but the Professor seems to like it a lot, so he's trying to be diplomatic.]

Okay? [His eyes light up like lampposts in the dark alleyway, smiling exuberantly at the opportunity to teach. What kind of an education do these strange children have, he briefly wonders. And even more intriguing--who has taught them?] My boy, art is a window into the very world around us; a mirror into culture and history, the very essence of the mind and soul. It is what helps us to learn and to understand.

[He slowly lowers himself to sitting on an upturned crate alongside one of the buildings' crumbling brickwork walls, just out of the rain.]

Whoever named you must have a very deep appreciation.

[Hopefully, they will satisfy his curiosity as to who that person is. A human? No, most certainty not. Another creature? It's all too interesting to bottle his curiosity completely.]