All the World In Front of Me

[thepurpleone]

WHO: Donnie and you!
WHERE: Temba
WHAT: Trying not to roast
WHEN: Mid to late July
WARNINGS: N/A
NOTES: Will match tag format/preference!


I. Evaporate
One might have thought it impossible to kind of miss the Calibrations space but at least it was climate-controlled! The weather's been absolutely hideous, not to mention dry, something Donnie's not used to. It makes things difficult to concentrate on, even with a fan blowing in your face.

Even summers in New York were never this bad. He could almost be fooled into thinking he was stuck in stage one of the flu, except that it had never lasted for days. Then again, given how hard it is to tell the difference for the time of day with how consistent the temperature is holding, he's not sure how long it's been. Going outside seems out of the question, but he still risks it just so he can check on his poor plant experiments out in Blue-04.

This is definitely not an ideal climate for a soft-shelled turtle, but the boy can't not tend to his plants, even if what he can ultimately use is a soak in a nice big pool. He'd thought to lug some water out to the poor, wilting garden but now he's regretting not saving some for him to dunk his head in. He huddles in the meager shade of what's still standing of the ruins it resides in, trying not to cook as he tries to mentally plot the quickest course to finding cover.


II. Rest and Recharge
Thankfully the beach is more tolerable, and the water feels good to stand in. It's not the most ideal place to really relax for all the waves, but it's some respite from the heat at least. He might just go for a swim anyway.

Of course if any of those pesky lobsters get too close and prove to be a nuisance, they're going to see what it's like to be used as a giant croquet ball. They fly pretty far when they're whacked with a rocket-boosted mallet! Head's up!

Time at the beach is only partially for play, however. Donnie does have research to do, after all! He has some things to research and materials to gather in the caverns. And maybe at least it'll be cooler in the depths?


III. When Turtles Fly
Rocket-boots had never been something he'd ever considered making but now he wishes he had because. They. Are. Amazing!

Tony said these babies can break the sound barrier. Donnie is absolutely going to test this out.

As a self-proclaimed adrenaline enthusiast, there has been nothing stopping Donnie from testing their limits. Well, except for the heat, but if you go fast enough and high enough... Huh. What's the range on these anyway? Yet one more thing to find out.

It's both strange and exhilarating using tech that hasn't been built by him, that was made for him- maybe the most bizarre part of it. They're so much cooler than a skateboard- he doesn't need a ramp to do any tricks!

Heights have never been a problem for him and clearly neither have drops as he boosts himself up high and then lets himself freefall some before catching himself in midair and zipping along again. The heat may still be present but at least he doesn't have to walk in it!

Of course once he gets high up enough, he can catch a pretty good glimpse of that new rock formation to the southeast, and it does not look promising...


IV. DiY
((OOC: AKA choose your own adventure/wildcard!))

Comments

[thepurpleone]

Donnie looks up, blinking at that.

"Well I mean...you could always change back between things. I've had to do that. It's really annoying that you can't retain much of any specific knowledge gained from data points once you switch, although notes help a little.

It's a toss-up, really.

[newmemorywhodis]

"...But I like knowing all the plants."

And now that he had that knowledge, he didn't want to lose it. Call it sheer stubbornness. Or maybe a secret, unacknowledged worry that it would feel far too much like losing his memory all over again.

LOL

[thepurpleone]

"I know, I know," Donnie says solemnly, like he's addressing a child younger than him. "As do I. But sometimes there are other things that I would like to know more of at a given time, and unfortunately these stupid data points overwrite any previous knowledge instead of adding onto it. A design flaw for sure."

[newmemorywhodis]

Link shrugs. “I don’t need to switch.”

The others, apparently, did not interest Link at all. Only a hypothetical zoology datapoint could possibly tempt him to switch.

[thepurpleone]

Well that's a bold statement. Donnie arches a brow at him.

"Ooo...kay. Well, to each his own, I guess," he shrugs. He would have liked to consider his options more carefully before he'd touched any data points but oh well.

[newmemorywhodis]

Link just shrugs. What can he say? Link likes being able to know about the local plants.

It definitely makes cooking easier.

UNO REVERSE

[thepurpleone]

Donnie's said his piece on the matter, and so with formal introductions already out of the way, he seemingly takes a page from Link's own book of mannerisms as he turns, figuring the conversation's over.

"Well, later then," he says, turning to head towards the caves.

[newmemorywhodis]

Link gives Donnie a wave as he goes. He's about to divert to some new distraction - maybe chasing around a few of those lobsters - when he sees Donnie go off into that cave.

Huh.

Link hasn't been in there yet.

So curiosity now piqued, Link just...follows Donnie in.

[thepurpleone]

That's sure one way to make a kid paranoid. Not that Donnie's particularly wary about Link, especially since the guy's some kind of big hero back where he's from, but it's still weird to find himself being followed.

He casts a glance back, at first figuring maybe Link's just heading in the same direction. But then those are sure footsteps behind him once the ground starts becoming more firm beneath their feet. Donnie glances back again, giving the Hylian a weird look.

"Uh... You um, lookin' for something?"

[newmemorywhodis]

What? Link’s just exploring. In the exact same place Donnie is. What’s creepy about that?

“What’s in here?” He asks, looking around with curiosity.

[thepurpleone]

Everything.

"What, you've never been in here? But then I guess it's not like they have the place advertised." Donnie points ahead, gesturing as he explains.

"There's a hot springs if you go down one way, although I don't know that that's on anyone's list of things to do with this weather right now. The other ways dead-end, but along either way the minerals in here start having weird effects. Notably on electronics, metal and well, if you have some kind of supernatural power or something."

[newmemorywhodis]

Link shakes his head. No, he hasn't been down here. Somehow, in all his explorations he'd missed the entrance to this place.

"...Weird effects?" He glances back at the Master Sword, strapped to his back. Both metal and supernatural, so...what would that mean?

And then there were the Champion's Gifts. Those would have to count as supernatural as well.

[thepurpleone]

"Like...metal stuff'll start glowing. Hard to miss that. Gets a little staticky too, in here. Probably part of the weird power charge."

Donnie shrugs. "Other stuff varies. I can't really explain it. I thought the cave was the one making me suddenly have weird...magic abilities but Tony and Reeve have said the place doesn't give powers, it just amplifies them sometimes?"

Or make them unreliable, but he wouldn't know that after figuring he's been non-magical all this time.

[newmemorywhodis]

Link considers this. Glances at the Sword again. The Sword which already has a tendency to glow in the presence of evil.

"...What about metal that already glows?"

[thepurpleone]

The turtle blinks at that. "I...actually do not know on the account that most metal in fact does not glow. Maybe the reverse?"

He fingers his chin as he looks back at Link.

"...Well, only one way to find out!" For science!!

[newmemorywhodis]

Link consider "The Sword glows when there's evil." Maybe that would mean it will glow if something is good? Or holy?

Link draws the Sword that Seals the Darkness. It is - so far - not glowing.

[thepurpleone]

"I meant like...maybe it won't glow? But I didn't know that it had a specific requirement to do so."

Donnie drifts a little closer to have a look at the thing once Link unsheathes the blade. He hadn't really checked that one out in that dream space.

"It won't be until we get a little deeper though. You'll know once you see these babies glowing," he says, tapping at his goggles.

[newmemorywhodis]

"It's the Sword that Seals the Darkness." Defeating evil was, in essence, it's entire purpose. So being able to identify the evil...well, that certainly helped.

Then Link's eyes flick up to the goggles. He nods, taking note to keep an eye on those goggles - as well as the Sword.

[thepurpleone]

"Oh. Well then."

But if it only seals then that means it doesn't really get rid of it, Donnie has to reason. Maybe that's why that Calamity thing was still kicking and they had to use a bow? He hasn't yet confirmed just how bad an idea it is to simply seal evils away, even if it seems the thing to do back home.

At least the caves are cooler. Maybe Donnie should just set up his operations in here. Naturally air-conditioned!

The way is winding but eventually metal bits on their personage begin to glow faintly as they pass a few thin veins of crystal along the walls.

[newmemorywhodis]

Link had actually wondered about that himself. There had been something odd about that battle. The Sword was the thing that he needed to defeat the Calamity - and yet in the end, it wasn't what was needed to finish the beast off at all.

But he had no answers for that. Either way, the Calamity was gone. So it's not like it's something he needs to worry about.

(Same day, years after Link returns back to Hyrule, he will learn that actually that maybe was something he should have worried about.)

For now, though, Link follows Donnie into the caves - and marvels when everything begins to glow.

He he holds out the Sword. "It's not blue!" he says, as he twists the blade from side to side to get a look at it. The metal was definitely glowing, but not with the distinctive bright blue that said evil was nearby. And there was no whisper from the Sword either, telling him to be wary.

[thepurpleone]

Donnie grins a little. "Weird, right?"

Once they get further down the tunnel he points out where it branches off. "That way goes to the hot springs. This goes deeper but there's not much once it dead-ends except for some mostly emptied crates and whatever's left of old supplies that haven't already been picked over."

Donnie's certainly not been the first one in here, but he's already helped himself to the electronics parts he'd found.

[newmemorywhodis]

Link looks towards the hot springs. It might be a bit too hot to go in right now, but he's definitely taking note of it so he can come back later.

Then, he looks down the other tunnel - the one that, apparently, is a dead end. "You wanted this way?"

[thepurpleone]

"Hm? Oh, I've been trying to study the effects of the crystals in here," Donnie says, reaching out to run a hand along the wall. He pulls his goggles down, studying the faint evidence of crystals embedded in the rock.

"These are what's used to make the power rods that charge electronic devices in the city."

[newmemorywhodis]

Link leans closer, peering at the crystals. And then reaches out one hand as well, fingers tracing the outlines of a crystal.

He also starts trying to see if he can pull it out of the rock. Because, of course, now that he's seen them he wants to have some.

He could find a way to fit in a new collection back in his room. Probably. Maybe. If he moves things around, a little bit.

[thepurpleone]

The crystals are pretty firmly embedded into the wall, only barely showing in most places. Donnie arches a brow behind his goggles.

"Heh, you're not going to get those by just tugging on them. These things have been here a pretty long time." He pushes his goggles up again, continuing on. "Come on. There's bigger veins this way. But they're still buried in rock."