Event | Satellite | Crash Landing

[ironwood]

Characters: Any and all!
Date: May 21, 2013
Location: In and around the city of Keeliai
Situation: The early morning hour brings unexpected devastation to Keeliai and the outlying areas. Emergency response and damage control follows!
Warnings/Rating: Fires, minor violence; please put CW in your subject lines

Satellite Crash Event

Crash Landing | Salvage Party | Shocking Spectres

Questions | Fire Sector | Earth Sector | Metal Sector | Water Sector | Wood Sector | Outlying Areas

The early morning hours of May 21st are broken by the sound of a low lying explosion and a veritable rain of fiery bits and bobs such as molten hot metal and space debris. Those out and about in the very early morning (three hours before dawn) see a meteoric shape streaking overhead and leaving a debris trail. Those interested in following it may find themselves distracted by the debris raining down across Tu Vishan, starting fires and damaging buildings turtlewide. Tu Vishan certainly is, for the great turtle grinds to a halt amidst all this and a trace of concern for the little ones on his shell can be felt in the minds of many.

Comments

[sureisaguy]

[ Mikey, bless his naive little heart, takes Mike at his word and completely believes that there's nothing that needs healing with him. Leo on the other hand is so bad at lying when he's flustered that even Mikey can see through it. His magnificent faceplant only cements that, and Mikey's grin is gone in a second as he scampers over and drops to his knees beside his big brother. It sends a shockwave of pain through his shell that radiates out through his limbs, but he's too worried about his brother to do more than wince and suck in a sharp breath.

A moment later his hand's on his brother's shoulder though, peering at him worriedly. ]

Leo? Leo, dude you are so totally not fine.

[ HA SEE MIKEY CAUGHT YOU IN YOUR LIE ]

[michaeljangelo]

[To say that Mike is surprised that Leo actually took his not-so-subtly-set-bait would be one heck of an understatement. And the momentary wide-eyed stare of shock that comes when Leo turns on him is no act. The shock is real.

As is the fact that he instantly zones out and misses everything Leo says post saying Mike's own name. It's not a matter of disrespect, quite the opposite, Mike shifts his focus so as to have a better grip on his surroundings for what he thinks is going to be one heck of a physical lash-out.

...

And then Leo falls over, tripping on his own footwrappings.

Mike's thoughts, once he has them, form quickly in this order:

- Huh. I did not see that coming.
- Though, honestly...that's one of the reasons we stopped wrapping our feet that way.
- Holy crap. Leo just fell. HE JUST FELL!
- You know, a smart guy would use a diversion just like this one to get the heck out of dodge. Maybe go find Raph and bring him home.
- ...
- NOW WOULD BE BETTER THAN LATER, MIKE!

Mike seeks out Korra's attention, and then shoots her a See? look.]

You know what? I'm gonna go...I'll just go and...uh...be right back. With something. Yes. I'm going to go get something and I'll be right back.

[Mike edges into the kitchen further, but before he exits out the window, he leans through the door again.]

Totally soak those feet before you try and remove the wrappings. Like, trust me on this. The soak.

[He then zips out of the kitchen, disappearing out the window yet again.]

SPLIT-OFF POINT FOR RAPH AND BIG MIKE

[seriouslytwisted]

[Without even really thinking, Raphael's feet carried him up to the palace, past it, to the turtle's head. As close as he could get before that ebb and flow of calm began to pull him back down, slowed him from the dead sprint of before to a jog, then a walk. Finally he just sits; folds his legs and sits down, leans forward, rests his elbows on his knees.

His head buzzed on the way up, but now the turtle's influence has slowed everything to discernible thought.

Mikey's hurt and it's my fault.

Again.

No matter how serene the turtle is, that thought circles around again and again, drowning out everything else. Raphael had needed to escape that situation, before he hurt someone, before he hurt himself; running himself ragged was good enough, and even now he pants for breath, shaking and sweating.

He remembers his talk with Santo, how Santo had lost a teammate. A friend. That his friend had died in his arms, and what is Raphael supposed to do about that? Mikey could've died in his arms if he'd been just a little weaker, if that house had been a little heavier. Hell, if the thing had collapsed wrong.

Then there's the issue of his anger...but it's so big and insurmountable. Raphael doesn't even know where to start; he hadn't even considered it to be a problem until a few months ago, when it finally started proving a problem for the team.

He slips into almost a meditative state, but mostly it's just his guilt and anger and self-loathing swirling around in his head, despite Tu Vishan's attempts to direct him elsewhere. It's keeping him from breaking his hand on a nearby tree trunk though.]

[michaeljangelo]

[Mike wasn't really aware of how much he needed to clear his own head until he found himself working up to a full-on sprint. There's something about running, about being fully in motion, that just frees the mind to think of ... well, everything else.

Mike's able to think about what it's like to have seen Mikey in that state. It was like an out-of-body experience only...it wasn't his body hie was looking at. Poor Mikey.

He pivots, moving to a different set of rooftops that get him closer to the center of the shell. Mike doesn't know much about this Raph, but he knows a lot about his Raph, and how that Raph deals with things. His Raph would keep moving until something stopped him. Until he couldn't run anymore, not because his legs wouldn't carry him, but because he ran out of places to run.

In that moment Mike knows exactly where to go, and why not long after that he finds himself slowing to a jog and then a walk towards the head of the great turtle itself.

Of course, the slower he moves the more his body begins to register the toll the day has taken on him physically, but...for some reason the closer he gets to where Raph is sitting the less he cares about something as trivial as aches and pains.

Merely being here is a lot like running, only without having to move quite so much. It, it's nice. Mike likes it.]

Nice night.

[Mike's love for Raph has always stemmed from his deep respect for his brother; for his strength, his drive, and his passion. It's that respect that keeps Mike a few yards away.]

[seriouslytwisted]

[Mike could have easily snuck up on Raphael; that he announced his presence is a sign in and of itself that he's not spoiling for a fight. It's good that he isn't, because Raphael might not be able to provide one right now.

He looks over his shoulder when Mike approaches, sees him stop short. Giving him space.]

...you look jacked up. [Seriously. Scuffs and scrapes and burns and everything. Why didn't you look after yourself before coming to find his sorry ass, big-little brother?]

[michaeljangelo]

[Honestly? Because he's more concerned about you and your brothers than himself. Because Leo is mad at him, and Mike hates it when people are mad at him.

That is not a turn of phrase he's used to, and so he just kind of blinks at Raph for a three count.]

Thank you?

[seriouslytwisted]

Siddown. [Because you gotta be as tired as he is bro, and Raphael didn't even realize how tired he was until he sat down.]

[michaeljangelo]

[Mike nods once before he crosses the remaining distance between them and sits. The whole sitting thing goes a bit slower than usual. The less he moves the harder it is to do so.

It's only after he's finally comfortable, or as comfortable as his current state of bruising will allow, that he removes the satchel strap from his shoulder.]

You're one to talk, you know.

[seriouslytwisted]

[Raphael could seriously care less about his injuries. He's had worse and he'll be fine; that's all that needs to be said about that.

He doesn't say anything for a while, staring down at the ground with a lost expression on his face, before finally he asks, in a small voice much unlike him,] Is Mikey okay?

[michaeljangelo]

[Mike can't fight the small smile that finds its way to his lips, and so he doesn't even try. He does, however, shift his focus from the ground around them to the horizon in the distance.]

He's going to be fine. He asked for you.

[Mike gives that a couple of seconds to sink in before following it up with:]

Well, he asked to scratch his nose first, but he asked for you at some point.

[seriouslytwisted]

Good. [Not good that he was asked for, considering he doesn't want to go back just yet even though he kind of does and it's a complicated feeling, all right?

No, good that Mikey's going to be fine and that he's lucid. As lucid as Mikey gets.

Raphael holds onto his ankles and lets the silence get uncomfortable. He's calm enough here to know that if he wasn't here, everything would be churning up inside him until he exploded and hit someone, like he almost did earlier, to Leo.

Hell, he's not even sure why Mike is here, considering how pissed off he was before.]

[michaeljangelo]

[Mike, as a rule, doesn't much like silences. For him they're all uncomfortable to varying degrees.]

For what it's worth? I'm sorry I threw a knife in your general direction.

[Not at you, but in your direction. If the knife had been thrown at you it would have hit its mark. That being you.]

I wasn't aiming for not-you, I was aiming at not-Leo.

[seriouslytwisted]

[Yeah, it seems like Mikeys never do.]

It's fine. There's not a lot of people who don't wanna throw a knife at somebody when Leo gets like that. [Raphael hadn't really bolted because of the knife, anyway; he'd bolted because he'd realized his presence was more harmful than helpful, and because he was liable to break more of his suite if he stayed and they were bound to need at least some of the furniture in it.

And he was angry, at himself and at Leo -though mostly at himself- and he wanted to just. Be alone.]

[michaeljangelo]

[Mike snickers under his breath.]

The more things change...

[He lets the sentence drift, and for silence to fall once again, before changing the subject and addressing the elephant in the room, so to speak.]

You know this wasn't your fault, right?

I could have sworn I posted this and it got eaten somewhere...

[alphatar]

[That fall was unexpected since Korra completely bought that Leo was fine and her eyebrows shoot up in surprise. Having seen Leo be incredibly coordinated and nimble in every other instance really drove home that he had to be in pretty bad shape. Mike’s look is met with a lip bite of concern.]

Totally not. [Agreeing with Mikey's statement Korra also walked over and kneeled down in front of Leo. With a flick of her fingers, water came from the faucet to her hand.] You shouldn't lie about your injuries. [Her admonishment wasn’t harsh at all, in fact is said with a smile.]

Just don’t get hurt while you’re out there! [She hollered after Mike’s head vanishes in the direction of the window. Actually she was kind of impressed he knew to soak them before doing anything else. Following the same method she did for healing Mikey, the water began to glow and it enveloped the foot Leo had been holding by the ankle.]

At least you didn’t have the chance to lie to me. [Korra flashed Mikey a grin. Because seriously, thanks Mikey. Korra’s tired of those kinds of shenanigans.]

Eaten by the DW monsters!

[sureisaguy]

[ Mikey's honestly too innocent to lie most of the time. He tries, but he's really, really bad at it. So naturally he takes Mike at his word, and grins back at Korra.

BY THE WAY KORRA YOU'RE HIS NEW FAVORITE PEOPLE WHETHER YOU WANT TO BE OR NOT.

The smile's short-lived though as he turns back to Leo, biting his lip. ]

Seriously, bro. Splinter would totally kick your butt if he knew. You know we're not supposed to lie about that stuff.

[anything_it_takes]

Hey, I'm not - [through with you, is what Leo would have said if Mike hadn't split with impeccable timing. Leonardo lets his cousin go with an irritated huff. They'll have words later, because some things need to be said. Which leaves him with nothing to do here and now, except face up to the ill-considered denial of his own injury.

Even though Korra's tone isn't harsh, Leo's wince of pain is overlaid with a contrite grimace. He hadn't meant to lie, he'd just shelved the pain in order to function for hours on end and it had become, if not part of the background, then at least an issue he could simply continue to put off for later. Which was the internal story he'd stuck with until the facts came crashing down, along with his carapace. And okay, maybe focusing on Mike's nonsense had something to do with his misplaced priorities.

As Korra's waterbending envelops his aggrieved foot, Leo relinquishes his grasp of his ankle and leans back. Of course she's perfectly capable of getting water, he realizes as it glows, making him think of some sort of gently healing mutagen. Heck, she could probably scoop up her own glass with a water tentacle. If he'd forgotten the applications of that skill, Leo is entirely too tired to be making decisions. Of course, part of it was hospitality and providing for someone who'd already done so much for them - and maybe, just maybe, a dash of wanting to do something nice for a girl he liked a bit more than he was comfortable admitting.

His only answer to her mild chiding is an abashed glance of chagrin; he clearly feels bad about lying. The shame is internally motivated, a disappointment with himself that she needn't be angry at him to inspire. It's most certainly an apology, and he's about to solidify that with words when Mikey jumps in. Korra calling him out on a fib is one thing, but his own brother grinding it in - even when it comes from a place of love and concern, as it always does with Mikey - is entirely different. Especially because his little brother is ignoring doctor's orders himself.]

Yeah I got it, Mikey. [Over the impatient tone Leo often uses with his youngest brother is a note of strain. He's been up far too many hours, embarrassed from the fall, fretting over today's bad judgment calls, overwhelmed from coping with an especially devious and unaccountably pointy Michelangelo, and dammit Mikey he misses Splinter really badly. He'd take ten randori in a row just to see him again. Leo's tone is sharper than he wants to be in front of Korra, but it's clearly stress venting.] And you shouldn't be straining that shell, Korra told you... n-not to...

[Leo actually falters mid-scold; the water is soaking in, the gently glowing liquid easing pain even as it sluices off the ash and begins to bare the damage. He's been on it all day, since the first rescue in the hours before dawn. Considering one of the culprits was a coal-and-sap-ridden branch and that Leo's wrapping had served to hold the scalding liquid against his sole, it's not pretty.

But as Korra works the pain eases, better than any pill or powder or salve, and endorphins flood his body. That rush of sleepiness Korra had warned Mikey about wraps itself around his fatigued system; it's a heavy drag.]

Mmph. [Leo sighs; then his head droops, weight restsing back on his elbows. He'd been saying something important, right?]

[alphatar]

Mike'll be fine. [Korra chimed in her thoughts as she patiently allowed the water to ebb away the pain, one layer of soot and caked ash at a time. And if Mike did get himself hurt she would heal him and then hit him because it's been a hard enough day as it was, injured turtles notwithstanding.

Of course Korra knew that Leo was putting the other turtles before himself, but this was one of the few instances where that wasn't a good thing.]

Once I'm done you both should get some much needed rest. Especially if all this starts up again tomorrow morning. [She was half-joking, half-dreading. Just to be on the safe side, Korra pointed out to Mikey:] And no sleeping on your injured side.

[As she finally got to the bandages she glanced up to see Leo starting to get a little too comfortable. Since the kitchen floor would be a very poor place to sleep, shell or not, Korra decided to to verbally grab his attention since her hands weren't free.]

Sounds like a pretty strict master if you ask me. Least he could do is let you sleep first before punishing you for doing a good thing.

[She knew Splinter probably wasn't that harsh, but it was one of the subjects that would probably make Leo more alert. Hopefully long enough for her to finish and he could make it to a bed.]

[sureisaguy]

[ Yeah see uh, Mikey doesn't really do sleepy. He just keeps on going like the damn Energizer bunny until he faceplants without warning. The endorphins from the healing have left him a little more docile and calm than usual, but he'll keep going for a while after his older brother succumbs, most likely.

Which is probably a good thing, since he shifts from kneeling beside Leonardo to kneeling behind him to keep him from passing out right there on the floor. ]

I don't think I could sleep on it if I wanted to.

[anything_it_takes]

[Indeed that is the right topic to catch Leo's attention; his eyes flutter open and he looks up with a small smile.]

Sensei never shorts a lesson. [And oddly enough, it sounds like Leo adores him for it. Normally his tone would be more rueful in memory of painful and immediate lessons. But he misses his father, and talking about him is like closing the distance, just for a little while.

It's a mark of fatigue as well as healing endorphins that Leo actually leans against his little brother. He doesn't even notice that this rubs soot from his own body onto Mikey's clean spots, which Leo himself had painstakingly washed hours earlier. So much for clean turtles. Still, the support means it's less tiring to stay engaged. At least the room is warm; much cooler and Leo would be out like a light.]

But he's not harsh, just fair.

[He says of the old Master who taught him that he should fight to win, regardless of what was "fair."]

[alphatar]

[Mikey was an invaluable extra set of hands right now and Korra him a thankful look. After the wrappings came loose and undone, Korra healed the burns on his feet. After Mikey’s injury, this was a cake walk. She made use of the opportunity to satisfy her curiosity and study the shape of his foot.]

At least you know that a lesson is needed. [Now wasn’t the time for some ribbing but she couldn’t help herself. Moving onto the next foot Korra had to ask now that she had the opportunity.] Are you guys going to keep with your secrecy thing or are you actually going to explore Keeliai in broad daylight?

[After meeting Mike from his audio network post, seeing Raphael on the network, and there was Mikey’s post that Korra had heard of as well she didn’t see how Leo could justify the constant veil he was trying to cast over them.] I’m sure if any enemies show up some of the other foreigners would blab about it anyway.

[Honestly if Korra hadn’t met any of them in person she probably would have flapped her gums about it.]

[anything_it_takes]

[They're interesting feet, especially when one considers how nimble these boys are. Their agility in spite of elephantine dimensions probably has something to do with the high ankle joint; Leo and his brothers practically walk on their toes even when their padded heel is on the ground.]

I know, I know. [Leo sighs wearily, this time from more than simple lack of sleep, heat, smoke, pain and hours of grueling exertion. He's been around the block on this topic entirely too many times with Raph, and keeping Mikey in line when there's a brave new world out there isn't easy. Leo knows it's only a matter of time before Mikey just slips out on his own - heck, maybe he already has.]

But we still can't afford to become a common sight. Too easy to track down where we live. [He's half-muttering to himself. Normally he doesn't lay out this kind of strategy concern to anyone but Splinter - who, of course, is the one who taught Leo the value of keeping your lair hidden. But one foot is now pain-free, sending waves of endorphins up his leg; Leo stretches his toes out in relief.

Behind him, Mikey is unusually quiet; Leo can feel his brother's plastron curving forward, his even breath deepening. Leo looks up and smiles fondly to see Michelangelo drooping. The lil' guy runs like a top until he falls over, not unlike a toddler.

Leonardo can be downright bossy when it comes to his brothers' conduct, but that's because stealth has kept them safe for their entire lives. The eldest brother can't bear to endanger them by breaking this cardinal rule if he can possibly cajole them into doing what he considers right, even at the cost of a little resentment.]

[alphatar]

[As before she let the water soak into the bandages to loosen up the layers of ash underneath, allowing the water to seep to the skin and continue her healing task. She couldn't help but giggle a bit when Leo's toes wiggle and stretch.]

I suppose that's true. But it's hard to be hidden on the network. Just wish I was paying more attention when the kedan were teaching me about how the consoles work.

[Korra's eyes move up only to see Mikey drifting into a light doze. She smiled and went back to focusing on the wound now that the bandages were floating freely in the water.]

I'll take him over to that bed as soon as you're all done.

[anything_it_takes]

Well, they knew we existed back home too. But our Lair was always a secret. They couldn't track us. [Their sacrosanct hiding place was their primary defense against danger. When all else fails, simply disappear into the night. Yet even that strategy wasn't air-tight once their arch enemy discovered they hid underground; Shredder obtained a rare chemical that would have incinerated the entire sewer system just to destroy them all. Oruku would literally stop at nothing to wipe them out, and that experience fuels Leo's seemingly excessive caution.] We can handle them, but we can't afford to get careless.

So, no computers where you come from? I could - teach you what I know, if you want. [He's no Donatello, but Leo knows his way around the things well enough. Although he prefers physical activity, TV or actual paper books, and typing is his Achilles' heel, Leonardo is still part of the post-Internet generation. Simply watching over Donnie's shoulder gives him a leg up on people from pre-PC worlds.

Leo blinks at her offer, surprise prompting him to wake up a little. He is Not Used to having outside help, and nobody has ever aided them to this degree. Leonardo is obviously uncertain how to handle this particular offer; he doesn't want to seem ungrateful and the last thing he wants is to offend her, but this is completely new territory. The turtle is uncertain how to accept, or if indeed he should. Korra's done so much already.] That's... really generous, but - you don't have to. I mean [he smiles and shrugs a little], it's not like I haven't put him to bed before.

[But not alone, or after having a day like this one. Although Mikey's the smallest of them, his sleeping weight is difficult to wrangle, completely different from supporting him during maneuvers.]

[alphatar]

Trust me, I know you guys can handle yourselves. [That was said with a laugh of honesty. If the others were as well trained in combat as Leo was, there was little to worry about.] Well you guys aren't alone if your cover ever gets blown and you need somewhere to go. [Korra doubted that the turtles would mind staying upstairs on her training floor in sleeping mats.]

No, nothing at all like computers back home. Honestly, I was pretty happy to find out that there was a radio at the Air Temple Island where I was staying to learn my airbending at. Any help I could get would be great. [There is little to no radio frequencies out in the South Pole. Seriously.]

Don't worry, I'd be happy to. Healer's are responsible for their patients until they've done all they can to help them. [As she finished her healing, Korra sent the water back to sink, leaving the mostly clean bandages hanging on the sides.] You shouldn't be on your feet so much either.