RPG: DIA DE LOS MUERTOS -->CONTINUATION WEEK from HELL &

[Kali]

*Kali had finally found a position that wasn't too uncomfortable when Don stormed back through the living room towards the garage. She was certain he wouldn't have left in the middle of an emergency so she just settled back down. She picked up a pad of paper from the table, quickly checked to make sure no one had been using it, and started organizing her thoughts.*

[kyabetsu]

kya shut her bedroom door behind her and took a seat on her bed. She absently traced the pattern on her comforter with her finger, but that did not do enough to distract her from her thoughts. She looked up for something else and found it on her bedside table.

Her sugar skull sat untouched among her family photos.

Kya (internal) .... in all the excitement, i completely forgot...

She reached across and, more out of obligation to the holiday, than any real hunger, she broke off part of the jaw and began to suck on it like a lozenge.

She stared without seeing for a bit, her mind avoiding all thoughts of the infirmary. The sugar finally dissolved in her mouth and she reached out to break off another piece. This time her eyes caught on the family portraits and the one member who'd missed the reunion.








MIke watched her drink it all with a smile on his face.
M: atta girl. Sweet Dreams.
He took the bottle to refill it, and returned shortly with a pillow and blanket. He slipped the water bottle back onto her nightstand without waking her, and settled onto the floor to sleep. He didn't want to accidentally jostle her back by trying to share the bed.

[Vespera Blaze]

*Donatello didn't know how long he'd been driving, but he'd circled the city about three times on the interstates before he decided that coffee might be a plan. His anger hadn't lasted long, but conversely, he wasn't ready to go home either. Everything he'd said had been true. He was tired of cleaning up after everybody, and ignored as soon as it was feasible. It took more than he'd ever let on to stand up to Splinter like that. He wouldn't, COULDN'T let his Sensei hurt himself just because he was feeling stubborn. On top of that, the number of times he'd patched the others up, and the verbal abuse he generally took for it, he was tempted to let them do it for themselves next time. Except, he knew he wouldn't. He had the best medical knowledge out of anyone, and if someone compounded a problem because he was having a snit, he'd never forgive himself. A flash of neon distracted him, and he pulled into the diner's parking lot. That coffee was sounding better and better. He shut off the motor and headed inside. He sensed other people in there, but studiously ignored any other customers and looked at the waitress. Her name tag read "Jan" She came over to his booth to get his order.* Coffee. Black.

[kyabetsu]

Raph had been people-watching over the edge of his mug when his brother walked in.

R: (internal) ... what NOW?! can't a guy have a night off in PEACE without his brothers playin' FVCKIN' tagalong....

When donnie got his own booth, completely ignoring Raph, THEN his interest was peeked.

R: (internal) if you ain't here on MY account, then why the hell are you here? The coffee ain't THAT great....

He continued to nurse his own cup of the stuff and began quiet survellience of his brother.

[Vespera Blaze]

*Donatello sipped the coffee, and grimaced a little. It was black, which was how he'd ordered it, but it was also strong enough to peel paint, and had that oil slick effect on the top that told him the pot couldn't have been called "fresh" any time in the last two hours. He sipped it again anyway. The second had some merit, although he was fairly sure that was only because he'd torn all his tastebuds off the first time. He put his cup down and stared out the window blankly*

[kyabetsu]

Raph watched Don watch the window for 15 minutes before he gave up and called the waitress over.

Raph: Send a Large order of fries over to the table with other guy in the trench coat. He'll pay for it.




kya put the other half of the jaw bone in her mouth. Her father had been quite adamant. Beto was no longer family. The Gastelums did not count murders as family. The instant Beto told the doctors to cut life support on Raquel, he'd ceased to be family. If GOD couldn't forgive that sin, then Emilio Gastelum certainly wouldn't.

[Vespera Blaze]

Jan: Sure thing Hon.


*Donatello finished his coffee and looked up to order another when Jan stepped up right beside him. She filled his mug again, and deposited a large basket of fries and a container of ketchup on his table.*

D: Excuse me, I didn't order any fries

Jan: You're friend over there did.

*Don looked in the direction she pointed, and did a double take to see Raphael sitting at the other end of the diner. Great. I pick Raph's late night hang out to get a cup of coffee at.* Thanks then. *He picked up the bottle of ketchup and shook it, preparing to slather the chips. Raph hated ketchup. If he was planning on coming over here, this should do it.*

[kyabetsu]

His plan worked perfectly. Five seconds after his fingers touched the bottle, Raph was seated across the way, with the fry basket hooked in a protective arm.

R: don't you dare fvck up perfectly good potatoes with that skanky ****.
He put a fry in his face and talked around it.
R: If you insist, then dip the mutherfvckers, but (he shoved the basket back out between them) don't wreck'em all.

Raph leaned back.
R: (casually) so what happened to yer 'hot date?'

[Vespera Blaze]

*Don poured a glob of ketchup onto his plate, and snagged a fry. He dipped it absently, and ate it before answering Raph* Didn't expect to see you here. And the movie was over a while ago.

[kyabetsu]

Raph regarded his brother over a mouthful of fries.

R: s'not like anybody asks where i DO go when i leave home. You didn't know you WOULDN"T find me here.

He smirked and added more fries to his face.

R: Spit it out Donnie, or tell me to fvck off. but something's botherin you. You DO know that a date can last BEYOND the movie, right?

[Vespera Blaze]

*Don just gave him a flat stare for a long moment. Some of the anger he'd felt in the infirmirary bubbled up again, but not nearly to where it had been before.* Yes Raph, I'm aware that the movie isn't the be all and end all, but getting dragged back to the lair because Machias is hallucinating, then getting yelled at for not making it ALL better RIGHT nowdoesn't exactly leave me happy and carefree.

[kyabetsu]

Raph took it in stride.
R: (grabbing more fries) fair enough.

[Vespera Blaze]

*Donatello sighed. It wasn't Raph's fault. He shouldn't be yelling at him about it. Actually, he didn't know WHO's fault it was, and that was frustrating him more than anything else.* Sorry. Didn't mean to snark at you about it. I just get bleeding TIRED of playing catch whenever something or someone needs fixing. Especially when they want to argue it every step of the way.

[kyabetsu]

Raph shrugged and gestured with a mostly empty mug.
R: eh. get me a refill; we'll call it even.

Raph contemplated a fry before puttin' it in his mouth.
R: Not saying they're justified or nuthin, Don. but you do tend to play doormat. (makes eye contact) they just don't THINK about pissin' you off, b/c you bend over and take it more often than not.

Raph finished off his coffee.
R: not sayin' you should be an asshole. that's my fvckin' job. but if you piped up BEFORE they made you see red... i doubt it'd get this bad. They aren't TRYIN' to piss ya off.

Raph lapsed into silence. He was done.



Kya swallowed the knot in her throat.
kya (internal) dad made it all sound so simple... but mom knew better. she was there, and nothing was that cut and dry. The looks she gave me last night proved that.
As much as Kya hated to disagree with her father, he wasn't dealing with the full story. Her mother survived a year and half after the accident. Though her health had been poor, she'd lived with Col and Beto. SHE knew that Beto was hardly the only one to do terrible things in that house.

kya: (talking to the photos) ... he's still family, if ~*I AM*~, then he is too. ...

A tidal wave of guilt washed over her, and kya resolved to call him.

[Vespera Blaze]

*Don ate some of the fries, and ordered two more coffees. The second one was down right tasty, confirming his thoughts on the first destroying his tastebuds.* Sometimes it ain't that easy Raph. People get hurt, and suddenly everyone at home is looking at me to fix it, make it all better. I'm the one that's supposed to KNOW. I don't dare let what I'm feeling interfere. God... when Splinter collapsed, I was terrified Raph. And not just of losing him, but of what everyone else was going to think if I couldn't save him. And I had to take all of that, and throw it on a shelf somewhere, and do my job. And as soon as Splinters awake, I've got him fighting me every step of the way.

So I do that, and I just deal... and I don't dare crack. If I let what I'm feeling through, then its not the doctor people are listening to, its the brother that everyone feels happy ignoring.

[enigma-1]

*takes up the used dishes off the counter and heading into the back before returning* You want anything else, sir?

[kyabetsu]

Raph waved the waitress off.
R: no we're fine.

she left.


R: look, don. i understand the whole "not flippin out in a crisis" thing. it's great that you can do that. really. One mike runnin' round in circles when somebody gets a paper cut is enough. (he shook his head) but i'm not talkin' about that. I mean the OTHER half the time. when it ain't a frickin' crisis. when you say we're ignorin' you. what's the harm in talkin' to people THEN?

Raph poked a fry, but decided he was full and left it.

[Vespera Blaze]

*Don replied quickly* Its not like any of you have shown much interest in talking to me unless someone wanted something.

[kyabetsu]

Raph sighed deeply.
R: that's cause ain't nobody who understands yer damn hobbies. "computer" ain't exactly a two-player game, Don-o. (shrugged) 'sides you shut that lab door and we respect yer privacy.

Raph paused in thought.
R: at least people occasionally WANT something from you, other that yer SILENCE.... **** don, the only reason anybody talks to ME is to get me to quit bein' an ass. (his expression soured.) that reminds me. WHY THE HELL didn't you tell me that i've been scarin' Kya shitless? Does she really think i'd fvckin' hurt'er Donnie?

[Vespera Blaze]

*Don was suprised that it was Raph bringing this subject up. He'd thought he'd be the one tracking him down and doing this.* Why didn't I tell you? If you hadn't noticed, I've been too busy for most of the last week running damage control to even try for preventative. You've come home, yelled, snarled, broke **** and destroyed the drywall and then left again. By the time I've found her, calmed her down, dealt with any other problems that have cropped up in the mean time, and gotten MYSELF calm enough to talk to you about it, you're in another goddamned rage, and not listening to anybody, and I have the whole cycle to go through over again.


*He gulped half his coffee before continuing* As for you hurting her Raph, she doesn't exactly have alot of reassuring examples of your behaviour to go by. *His hand crept up to the fading bruises at his own throat before he firmly put it back on his coffee cup.* No. Raph, I'm sorry. That wasn't fair. Just... gimme a second. I don't know how much she's actually thinking... well, you saw her that day, in her room? Thats what she does... just goes elsewhere until she figures that its over, and comes back to herself to check damage.