licensetocrane | IC CONTACT

Rue was, huh? [She'd wondered. Freeing Leo and Raph up to look for Casey and Donnie; she knows enough that Leo and Raph were already worried that he wasn't picking up, right before she went under.] I need to send them a huge thank you basket or some such.

I'm sure they'd love that, even though they'd tell you you didn't have to.

[Rue's humble like that, always helpful without needing a reward. Still, they'd surely appreciate the sentiment and effort.]

They got a favourite snack food?

[In some ways she still feels distant to Rue. It's the turning up and already having living parents that makes it feel different, she thinks. No need for adoption.]

They love a lot of food, yeah! Finger food is best for them, something they can eat in one bite, since. [He does a circling gesture around his mouth. The whole beak situation can complicate eating certain foods.] Tiny sandwiches, little sweets, cookies, easy munchies, that sort of thing.

[It's okay to just be general family, April, no pressure.]

[She figured! She just feels kinda bad because the want-to-adopt vibe comes off Rue in waves and April likes them a lot.]

I could do that. They were really warm too, when I saw them. Uh, I mean-- like when you're freezing, turtle body heat doesn't really cut it. It was really nice of them. [Rue had feathers.]

Oh, for sure! Don't get me wrong, I grew up on turtle piles and they've always been great. But when it comes to warming up, nothing beats Rue. I'm glad they were there with you.

[And yeah sure it seems that one of the big reasons Rue was available was because Donatello couldn't bring himself to abduct them despite meeting the parameters of his goal, but- anyway. It's good they were around.]

[Didn't take Leo, either. She noticed. Family was off limits, and neither Peter nor Casey count, according to Dee. Shelving that for future bitter thoughts.

She squints into one of the cells.] ...someone doin' their math homework here? [Lookit all these equations written in chalk. Clearly the signs of a broken man.]

Huh?

[Casey pauses, backstepping to peer into the cell... then makes a face.]

Oh, yeah. That was Sephiroth's room. I think he was the only one happy to be here.

[Blink.] Isn't that the telenovela guy? He needs to get out more.

[But okay, takes all kinds?? She nearly asks if Casey knows why he was happy, and then decides the whole subject is sore enough maybe she'll remember to ask later. So that's all she says, trailing behind him as he guides them through the corridor.

...this was so messed up.]

He super does.

[He didn't really know about the telenovela thing, and it creates an amusing visual, but yeah, he doesn't have much to say about it either. They hadn't parted here on good terms.

The corridor blessedly ends around there, though what follows isn't much better. The next area opens up to show a big research room, where the Stargate-esque construct rests, and in front of it, a medical patient table with some gear set up around it. Casey glowers at it for a long moment, then drops his mask down, in part to run a scan, but also so he can properly scowl without making April uncomfortable. This is it: where it all happened, and where it ended, too.]

[...uh. yeah. She can get a whole bunch of imagery just staring at that table, because none of Donnie's test subjects were there voluntarily. She doesn't scowl at it, but April stares at it quietly for a long moment, before eyes flick to Casey and then away to the stargate-ish contraption. The portal. Whatever.

What a cheerful room.

Jesus Christ, Dee.

What she says after some silence, voice strained but dry, is:] Sure hope he doesn't want that table back in one piece.

[Her comment has Casey forcing himself to look over at it, briefly, then makes a scoffing noise as he steps closer to the gate to give it a scan.]

I already decided, I'm gonna ask Raph to come back here with me. I'm grabbing whatever's useful, the rest is gettin' trashed. Don't even care if he gets mad later.

[What's he gonna do, hate Casey more? The temptation needs to be gone. If they're getting out of this world, it has to be a different way.]

[Quietly.] Why wait?

[She has a bat, glowy and green. Exhibit A.]

[He's not gonna be presumptuous, so he hesitates a moment longer, then gestures towards it.]

You wanna take a few swings?

[He won't stop her, go ham.]

[Really, she kind of just wanted to make sure Casey didn't care. So the moment that's clear, she's absolutely gonna go ham. Maybe Donnie treated his test subjects with great dignity, who knows? They weren't here voluntarily. She can't take a cell down with her bat, but she can probably take the chair down to size. She'll leave the bigger things to Raph.

She doesn't even look angry. It's methodical. And good practice.]

[For the first few swings, Casey does nothing, barely even watches in his peripheral. It's weird. It isn't as if this experience traumatized him. It only lasted for a couple of moments, barely hurt, didn't seem to do anything in the long run. He's been through so much worse. It's just… that table is a representation of a thing that happened, a thing that in his timeline, with his Donatello, would never have happened. It's a reminder that he's still an outsider, an outlier. Peter, too. Acceptable to hurt. That part is going to sting for a while.

It's what ultimately gets him to pull his chainstick from his side and come in swinging while April's drawn back from one of hers, smashing the teeth down good and heavy. He doesn't look angry either (mask on, hah) but his body language and the force of his swings are far less methodical.

Maybe he just needed the excuse, and she gave him that.]

[It's that, too. That Casey and Peter are considered family to the rest of them. And Donnie knows that, and still went through with it, and... does he really not care about either of them?

When Casey comes in swinging, she pulls back, a little startled but not particularly surprised. Honestly, he deserves to take this thing apart. She doesn't exactly stand back and watch, but she's giving the lion's share of violence to the person who actually had to sit in this chair. Go nuts, boy.]

[...Yeah, he kinda does. When she slows down his own pace picks up, and with it, the force of his swings. A few times when the metal gets extra stubborn he revvs the chainsaw to tear through, and even if it might damage the weapon with the way he's using it, to an extent, that's fine, too. Donatello made him this one, it's not his from home. Maybe it's time he got it back, carry the one made by someone who loved him. Wielding this one feels kind of bittersweet these days, when he lets himself think about it. He doesn't even know why Donnie made it for him in the first place, now. Curiosity? Scientific boredom? It wasn't because he cared, right? Not family. Not family. Not him, or Peter, and the proof is...

Ahh, he really hates this. He cuts through the last of the headboard of the exam chair-table-whatever and drops his stick, grabbing that hanging piece and ripping it loose with his bare hands so he can fling it across the room. It hits the wall, then the floor, with a resounding metallic clatter, and Casey stares after it, breathing hard from the collective effort. That's where he stops, with the rest of the chair sufficiently wrecked, and while he's really not sure if it made him feel better, he doesn't feel worse, so. That's fun.]

[Mm, yeah. That's an explosion, of the personal kind.

April doesn't say anything. At some point in the destruction she opts to hang back completely, watches silently.

It's only when he's done, standing there and still heaving in breath, that she creeps forward again and puts a hand up on his shoulder.]

[He stiffens briefly at the touch, still too tense to feel immediately at ease, but after a moment he remembers himself and doesn't pull away. His shoulders slump, and he lifts both hands to push up his mask and press against his face, fingers curling. Breathes deep once, twice. Alright.

That did feel kind of good, actually.]

Thanks...

[He won't apologize this time. Even if he wouldn't be scolded for it (and he might've) it would come across as pathetically insincere. Hopefully she really doesn't mind his outburst. He's not very sorry.]

[She gives a small huff, mostly fond. Like she needs an apology anyway. Of the two of them...? Casey doesn't need to apologise for shit.]

You wanna beat up anything else while we're at it? I'm game. [But she says it kind of softly, mostly expecting a no.]

No, um...

[He exhales, dropping his hands again and glancing sidelong at her. His face is a little red but hey, no crying. Small victories. (Or repression? Whatever, this is still progress.)]

I wanna get out of here. And... maybe see a fairy dragon.

[If she's still willing?]

[There is no response.

However, there'll be a slightly squeaky tiny roar right before she lands on his shoulder, largely as a warning, please don't freak out. Hi.]

[Casey's breath catches, uttering a soft "oh" as he turns to see her. He lifts a hand up, unsure whether to offer her an alternate perch, or to hover for extra balance, or- or to pet her- aaaaaa]

Oh my gosh... you're so cute...!!

I know, right? [Mostly sounding like April, though kind of, you know, tinnier. Maybe a little helium. She'll shift to his hand so that he doesn't have to crane to look at her. (She's the only one with the license to crane around here ~~badumtish~~)]

I even breathe fire! Though... not very much, but you know. Practice, probably.

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