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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[He stumbles a bit when Raph pushes him forward, and he sends him a glare. He doesn't feel good about how excited you are, Raph; you'd better behave up there or else. Not that he can really blame his brother... this is going to be his first time seeing topside up close.]

[There's also the fact that he still doesn't know where they are, but he's not worried about that quite yet. He knows most of the street names around here, so all he has to do is look for one when they get above ground.]

[He goes along at Raph's pace until a set of rungs jutting out from the wall appears in the distance. When they grind to a halt in front of it, Leo goes up first and grasps a rung, looking up nervously at the manhole cover. Water is streaming down the sloped tunnel ceiling, making the ladder feel wet and slippery.]

I'll go first. Stay down here while I check it out. [He tells Raph firmly with his best Big Brother Voice. Then, beating down his own anxiousness, he scales up the ladder and starts jimmying the manhole cover.]

[There's a little terrified flutter in his chest as Leo climbs the ladder. Folding his arms across his chest, he paces the knee-deep water, trying to convince himself he isn't scared.

The runoff pouring through the manhole cover drip, drips down to the water below, pattering against the metal ladder rungs, trickling down the walls. It's like music in tune with the rhythm of the street, the human world stomping and grinding their way up above.

He's standing on the edge of a brave new world, but the minute Leo starts working at that manhole cover, the excitement melts away and his stomach bottoms out from sheer terror.]

Edited 2013-09-09 07:21 (UTC)

[He jostles the manhole cover for a few seconds, the metal sound of scraping cast iron clanging loudly through the small space, but it doesn't do him a lot of good. These things are way heavier than they look. Grunting, Leo shifts positions, wrapping his legs around a rung and shoving upwards with all of his weight. The cover moves a bit, but all he really gets for his efforts is a torrent of muddy water that rushes over his head and down the back of his shell. With a grunt, he lets go of the cover and grabs the rungs again, scrubbing his face.]

[Great. This is embarrassing. Cheeks flushing with heat under his mask, Leo leans away from the tunnel wall, calling down to his brother.] Raph! Come help me with this thing!

[You mean the great and perfect Leonardo needs help? Say it ain't so!]

I'm coming!

[There's a smug little smile on his face as he starts climbing. Here's his moment to shine. Raphael's grown a lot in the last few months. Like, a lot. He's already taller than all his brothers by at least a few inches, and he's gotten a lot stronger, too. Sometimes it makes him feel weird, like he's wearing a coat two sizes to big, but he's proud of the wiry little muscles he's starting to develop way before his brothers.

Soon, he's sidled up to Leo on his narrow half of the ladder, using his shell to brace himself against the tunnel wall. Actually being asked for for help is almost enough to make him forget he's scared.]

You're such a weakling.

[Even as he takes up position by Raph's side, Leo glares at the wall in front of him, refusing to meet his brother's cocky gaze. They all know Raph is the strongest one out of them right now, but Leo's been trying pretty hard to pretend like it didn't make a difference.]

Shut up and push. [he mutters, already applying his own force to the cover.]

[The big metal cover is heavier than it looks, and at first, Raph's not even sure if they can lift it together. But after a second wind and a whole bunch of stubborn will, the thing raises up the required few inches with a dull metallic clang and scrape. Together they push open a portal to another world.

The rain patters down on his face, the gray natural light almost blinding to his unaccustomed eyes as he clings to slippery rungs of the ladder. That rusted ladder, his only anchor to the familiar dark world as he stares up into the slip stormy gray sky between the buildings towering countless stories overhead.

Now, the manhole cover sits halfway over the hole, and Raphie ducks his head, heartbeat thundering in his head, completely frozen to the ladder with fear. And he waits, ready for a shout, a pound of footsteps overhead, a human to come and kill him dead before he can even take another breath.]

[With the cover pushed back over the opening, the two young turtles are left vulnerable to the light pattering of raindrops on their heads and shells. It feels a little different from a shower, but Leo doesn't have time to consider the new sensation, and instead lifts his line of vision just barely over the edge of the manhole to study one end of the street before sweeping his gaze carefully around to the opposite side. He's only gotten to see topside like this a very small handful of times... and the knowledge that he's about to go further than that sends his blood pounding through his ears.]

[He glances down at his brother, ducked down in the manhole like he's afraid something is gonna reach in and grab him and take him away. It helps him swallow his own fear - he has to be brave for Raph. And even more importantly, he has to be brave for Donnie and Mikey. Steeling himself, Leo lowers his head to speak to his brother, his voice barely a whisper above the hissing rain.]

I'm going to look around and make sure it's safe. You stay right here, okay, Raphie?

[Without waiting for an answer, he grips the edges of the manhole and pulls himself up over the side in one quick motion, landing in a low frog's crouch on the rain-slicked asphalt. Tilting his head in concentration, he darts for the shadow of a dumpster moments afterwards.]

[There's a knot in his throat the size of his fist as his brother disappears out of sight. He wants to tell him to wait, come back. He's changed his mind. This isn't fun at all.

But sitting there alone, with the cold rain pattering on his head, and the city sights and smells reeling all around him, his courage slowly returns. He looks up, his eyes level with the street far down at the mouth of the dark alley. And all around him, a gold mine. There's stuff everywhere. And smells... not good smells. Smells of stale beer and piss, stagnant puddles and trash, but it's a smell that clings to Master Splinter's fur when he comes back from scavenging. This is the mysterious place where all good things are found.

After a long moment, curiosity gets the best of him and he risks peeking out over the edge, looking for his brother.]

[In the safety of the shadows, Leo takes a better look at their surroundings. It's a good thing it's raining - while the sun is still doing its best to shine through, the film of gray covering the sky is making it much darker outside than it usually is. Which is good, since ninja vanishing in normal light is one of Leo's least favorite training exercises. (Mostly because it's really hard and he's not that good at it yet.)]

[Topside looks a lot different in general, actually. Maybe it's seeing things from somewhere actually above ground level, or maybe it's because the rain is lending a certain vibe to the atmosphere that he's never felt before while living underground. He can still hear distant murmurings, the click of heels on cement, tires skidding wetly on asphalt, car horns blaring, sirens wailing. But somehow, even with all of that, everything seems...]

[Quieter.]

[He likes it. He likes the rain topside even better than he does in the sewers. After a few moments, he inches out of the shadows to look down the gray, mist-whirled expanse of sidewalk and street in the distance, less focused on actually scouting around than he is at just looking around.]

Whoa...

[Yeah, he's not paying attention. Raphael figures the coast must be clear. So he climbs out with a little less care and grace than his brother and...

His heart skips a beat.

It's so huge out here. He's almost crushed by the enormity of it; how the walls tower over him so high he can't even see the edge, just the dizzying slip of sky that hangs miles overhead. The rain patters dully on the asphalt ground, pools in oil slick puddles, cascades down the worn brickwork sides of the buildings, taps its way down endless jungles of fire escapes.

It's the most liberating moment of his life.]

Wow.

[He wants to throw his arms out and run, scream and laugh so that it echoes up those massive walls. It's a dizzying mix of terror and joy that makes him feel like he's going to explode. But instead he just stands still as a post, mouth open and eyes wide, awestruck.]

[Leo glances towards the fire escape stretched high against the side of the sodden brickwork. Suddenly, more powerful than any urge he can remember feeling in a long time, he wants to climb. That towering structure, shedding coats of water droplets like giant stalactites made of rust and steel, leads straight to the top. His heart skips a beat at the thought of going all the way to the roof, seeing the streets from up above. Ever since Master Splinter helped him (mostly) overcome his fear of heights, he's wondered what things would look like from higher and higher places. What does it look like? What would the whole city look like from top of the highest building in New York?]

[But then Leonardo remembers why they're here. Face contorting into a grimace, he clenches his fists and shakes his head from side to side as though dislodging the thought from his brain. It's bad enough that they're here against Master Splinter's orders, but now he's daydreaming about going even further? They're only up here in the first place because Mikey and Donnie are sick! Immediately burning with guilt, Leo tears his eyes away from the towering ubran mountains to look at his brother.]

Come on! There has to be something here we can use.

Edited 2013-09-11 08:36 (UTC)

[He has to shake himself free of it. But even after Leo has him moving toward the dumpsters, the daydream is still there. Dreams of running in the open air, under the clouds and in the light and rain. It makes his heart race and his breath quicken, his hands itching to touch and climb himself up to the open air. Even next to his brother, starting to wade through the garbage piled up along the graffiti-covered wall, he casts longing glances upward, and the weight of the world towering still presses down from all sides.

The urge to go up, to just quit the mission and go wander has him unusually quiet and distracted, hardly even paying attention to the job at hand.]

[Leo, on the other hand, narrows down on his task with his trademark pinpointed focus. All of Sensei's warnings weren't issued just so he could hear his own voice. Topside is a dangerous place. If the humans find him and Raph, they'll take them away and put them in a cage, and they'll never see home again. No matter how cool this place is... they have to be careful. He forgot that for a minute.]

[He stalks up to the nearest trashcan and lifts the lid, holding it over the opening to shield its contents from the rain. He has to stand on the tips of his toes to peek inside, and almost immediately his snout crinkles as the smell of garbage intensifies. Ew. So not appetizing. Still, they've been eating out of these things for years, so he'll just have to put up with it until he can find the non-spoiled stuff.]

[He glances back at Raph, who is... not even paying attention, is he? Rolling his eyes, Leo calls to him in a loud whisper.] Just keep lookout!

Yeah, fine. [He calls back, shuffling his feet petulantly and forgetting to whisper. There's no humans in sight. Not like the last time where they were passing right over their heads. So it has to be safe.

As Leo rummages around, he still can't keep his eyes off the sky. His hunger now forgotten, all he can do is try to imagine what all those ladders could be leading up to.] I wonder what's up there?

Just windows into the building and stuff. [he says in a hushed voice, climbing onto a damp wood pallet to stick his arm in the garbage and rummage around. He grimaces, plucking out an empty beer bottle, and sets it down next to his foot before plunging back in.] Sensei says the top of the building is flat, and you can see the streets from high up. But there's nothing up there except pigeons.

Really? [If he wasn't so petrified of humans sneaking up on them, he'd be running up there right now. He likes pigeons. A lot. He's even tried to bring a few wayward ones home as pets. But Master Splinter always told him no...

Then his eyes settle on the windows. He knows what windows are for in houses. He's seen them on TV. They're for humans to look out of.]

You think somebody's watching us up there?

[The question actually makes him nervous at first, and he stops rifling around in the trash to crane his neck upwards for a look.]

No... I mean, probably not. I think the windows are just there so they can get out in case of a fire. [He sounds a little unsure, but it's called a "fire escape" for a reason, right? Besides, why would a human want to look down into an alley? This is where they throw all their trash!]

[He can tell Leo doesn't really know, and that makes him nervous enough to spur him into focusing. Folding his arms over his chest, he casts one more sidelong look at the dark windows above before shuffling over to his brother's side. He doesn't want to admit he's scared, so he just doesn't say anything, waiting for Leo to show him where to look.]

[Leo blinks as his brother shuffles closer, but it's not hard to figure out that Raph is getting kind of scared. Flashing him what he hopes is an encouraging smile, Leo scoots over on the wood pallet and tilts the trash can lid at an angle so his brother can see inside.]

Forget the humans; we have to find stuff to bring back home. Sensei always just takes everything he can find, and then we sort through it once we're underground again to see what we can use. [His expression shifts faintly into dismayed realization as he looks back down at the trash.] But... we didn't bring any bags with us.

[His snout crinkles at the smell of rotten fruit and curdled milk as he peers into the garbage can. None of it looks very edible. Nothing like the pretzel smells wafting down from the runoff grate.] That stuff looks gross anyways. I don't think you're doing it right.

[His first instinct is to get annoyed, but... Raph's kind of right. His mask creases as his own snout crinkles again, eyes flicking back and forth against the grubby trash as he sifts through some more of it with his arm. This really is gross. He doesn't know how Sensei does it, either; the few times he was peeking out of the manhole, he was always so focused on watching for humans that he never really watched Splinter.]

But this is where Master Splinter looks! Maybe this one just doesn't have anything useful in it. [Determined, he leans forward and digs around a bit more. Then his fingers brush against something cold and slimy, and he yanks it out of the trash with a slight yelp.] Yuech!

Then try another one! [He points at another can a few feet away.] I'm gonna look in that one.

[Now that he's getting impatient, he's starting to remember his mission to find something good before Leo. He doesn't waste any time leaping over to the next can and tipping it on its side, sending a cascade of garbage everywhere. That'll help him look faster!]

Raph! [Leo hisses, hands clamping over his ears as the trash can loudly clatters across the asphalt. He looks around fiercely, taking special care to glance up at the windows and make sure none of them have shadows looking down into the alley.] Be quiet, shell-for-brains!

[The can clatters down with an echoing racket that startles the living daylights out of him. Now the humans are gonna come for sure!]

I didn't know it was gonna be that loud!

[This time, he at least remembers to whisper. He's still shaking as he starts rifling through the spilled trash, scrambling to find something before anyone finds them first.]

[Leo quickly sets the lid back on his own trash can, careful not to make too much noise. Then he leaps down from the pallet and goes around his brother, crouched in the overturned can and heaps of garbage, to inch closer to the alley's mouth. Wedging himself behind a dumpster, Leo peers out into the gray streets, wide-eyed and breathless.]

See anything? [he urgently asks under his breath, eyes darting up and down the sidewalk.]