Don't Eat Yellow Snow

[thepurpleone]

WHO: Donnie and yooou
WHERE: Not-Hoth
WHAT: Baby it's cold outside
WHEN: During Nothmas
WARNINGS: N/A
NOTES: Will match tag format/preferences


I. Observation
While Donnie has his qualms about the sturdiness of the structures they've been provided with as shelter for their winter exile, there doesn't look to be much by way of options. By default he chooses the one with the most purple decorating the outside (shh! No one saw him licking the building), perhaps low-key pleased that there's purple on the inside as well, even if it isn't completely to his aesthetics, but at least the color's not bad. He takes one look at the clothes in the dressers and figures it's probably some previous inhabitant's, thinking no more on that matter.

It's still strange to finally be in the same breathing space as the Agrii. Donnie wanders the weird village in his snow gear to observe their alien abductors. Take some selfies in front of the fabulous tree. Surreptitiously throw a snowball at a hapless Agrii or two and see if he can instigate snowball fights between them. For science.


II. Gift Gremlin
The barn is a curiosity, more so the big questionable robots that seem to be standing guard. Donnie watches from...the roof because that's what ninja do, right? as Agrii drop off gifts. Huh?

Presents are something he hadn't really expected. An Agrii gift exchange? Someone coax this feral boy from the roof so he can get his presents.


III. Second Childhood
a. One day Donnie's communicator is activated, but something's off about the transmission. Since when does Donnie wear glasses? They're quite huge, square-framed, and yes, that is tape over the bridge keeping it in place and string tied around the temples. He peers very closely at the screen as he plays around with it for a bit, having to stop to find his hands now and then because he's all but swimming in a big purple hoodie too many times his size. Eventually he gets tired of this game so he puts the communicator down to go investigate the drawers. Maybe there's him-sized clothes that's put away!

It takes some doing but he finally tugs one open, and perhaps that's when one can really get a sense of just how small the turtle tot is, maybe about two feet high. He starts pulling out sweaters and jackets, more to his size, frowning thoughtfully. Red? Headshake. Blue? No. Orange, that's Mikey's. He makes sure to fold each one up as nicely as he can while he sets them on the floor before looking in the drawer, but he eventually reaches the bottom and finds none for him. Oh.

This is what happens when your dad color codes you.


b. A little lost child in the snow! At least he's bundled up, and by now he doesn't care too much that the jacket he found isn't his color because it's warm and better than nothing. But winter clothes makes it hard to move, the snow, harder still, especially when it comes up past your knees.

He has no idea where he's going and he can't find the cabin he found himself in. It's a bit scary since everything outside is so big and new, not at all familiar like the sewers, not that he's gone very far in them without any of his brothers or his dad. The thought makes him sniffle as he hugs his action figure close. Donnie's not sure where it came from either but he knows Jupiter Jim anywhere! The space hero's poofy plastic afro is fitted in a fishbowl helmet, and he even has karate-chop action! Maybe it's one of his brothers, but right now, it's his emotional support.

Comments

second childhood; audio

[liliputana]

[And then suddenly, over the communicator, comes a young girl's voice:]

I can see you.

[Since it doesn't seem like he's aware of that! Being helpful!!]

[Video on his end]

[thepurpleone]

!

[Clearly he was not! The turtle gives a squeak of a gasp, fumbling the device before it falls. It's quiet for a moment or two, the screen gone to black as it's fallen on its face before eventually it gets tipped up, greeted by the sight of stubby green toes.]

...hello?

[Video on his end]

[liliputana]

You don't have to be scared; I'm not going to hurt you.

[Her voice is calm, even - bordering on flat, really.]

Are you lost, too?

[thepurpleone]

[He carefully picks the thing up again, plopping down to sit with it in his lap. The suggestion that he's lost makes his lower lip jut out in a pout, and he gives a look around before he nods.]

This isn't home.

...are you a talking phone?

[liliputana]

I'm a kid. We're talking through a...

[She trails off, not sure what to call it.]

... data pad?

[When it doubt, steal terms from sci-fi shows.]

[thepurpleone]

Data..? Ooh! Like in Jupiter Jim!

[His face brightens with a smile, and he tries to poke at the screen. How does it woooork.]

How come I can't see you?

[liliputana]

I don't know how to turn the camera on.

[But after taking a few moments to fiddle with it, she finds the right setting and flips on the video on her end, too - revealing a human girl. Sup, Donnie.]

Did that work?

He did promise to see you

[agrii]

"He Row Donnie!"

The words are awkward out loud, perhaps a little bit rushed, but there is definitely someone calling for him in particular. Someone racing toward him as Donnie stands to take a picture in front of the tree.

When they come to a stop the Agrii proves to be young, they have to be given they are only about four feet tall. The bundled layers they wear hide their gender rather well, but all four arms are waving in excitement as they get close. Their face is full of smiles and their soft blue eyes seem to light up to be so close.

"I find you! Turtle with more hands! I have been taking care of plant very careful. It got bigger!"

Which would likely make this only one Agrii. Te Mi looks so happy to see him.

"Can show you? Have it on ship. Will show you when we go up to ship!"

8D

[thepurpleone]

Oh crap what'd he do-

Donnie nearly drops his communicator as he jumps in surprise, juggling the tablet until he clutches it against his chest. He throws a mild glare in the direction of- oh.

For a while he just blinks, listening as the Agrii goes on before his face brightens with a smile. "Oh, so you did get it, I'm so glad." Boy is it so weird hearing the weirdly strung words out loud, but Te Mi has been a little less of a headache to converse with at least.

"I'd love to see it. Wait, so we're actually going to be able to go to your ship?" Okay he is a bit excited at that because that thing looked stupidly cool.

c3D

[agrii]

Of course he is less of a headache. The younger Agrii are almost being raised bilingually.

"Yes!" Te Mi says happily, with the biggest smile that shows off his sharp teeth. "After New Tick. After gifts. Then go ships. You come visit me! I show you how good I take care of plant. And I give back to you. Because it gave me learning."

[thepurpleone]

Oh, those are...some teeth. At least Te Mi is small, maybe a little shorter than Mikey. Donnie tries not to think too much about that. Anyway, ships!!

"Sounds great! Maybe you can show me around too." He blinks again then. "You don't need to give it back though. And it seems like you've been taking pretty good care of it."

[agrii]

The little one looks back over their shoulder at a hovering adult. A parent, perhaps? There is a nod of approval, and Te Mi looks back at Donnie and beams happily at that.

"Yes, I can. We will see ship together. Give..."

He pauses, like he's looking for a word.

"Tour? Is word?"

As for the plant, he DID promise to return it.

[thepurpleone]

Donnie doesn't miss that look, following the glance and offering a half-wave. Is this how you reassure parents that you're not going to kidnap their children or anything? His experience with anyone younger than Mikey is next to nothing.

"Tour, yes!" he looks back at Te Mi with a smile. "Cool. I'll look forward to it. So uh. What's with this place then?"

Gremlin Really?

[doubled_speed]

"You know, if you head down there, you could actually get a gift," Tommy notes.

OF course he's on the roof. Of course he saw someone and immediately thought 'let's get up to the roof and check on them. Seems right, yeah?

"Well, not yet, but it's likely anyway."

He kicks some snow from the roof and sits down on the edge.

[thepurpleone]

Way to make a kid nearly fall off the roof why don't you. Donnie gasps, looking up and over as he finds he's not the only one up here. Certainly news to him!

"Wait- what?" he says instead as he catches on what Tommy says. "Were we supposed to bring gifts for everyone too? Did I miss a memo?"

[doubled_speed]

Like he'd ever let Donnie fall off of a roof. Don't be silly.

"No," Tommy says, kicking his feet in the air. "This is part of New Tick. Where the Agrii give us stuff. And can you imagine getting gifts for all of the Agrii? There are hundreds of them."

Which is a really small number, he knows.

[thepurpleone]

"Oh man, that'd definitely take some pre-planning." Which isn't to say that Donnie wouldn't be against the challenge but he'd barely figured out things for some of the people here. Materials would be the next problem, so he's a little glad that a giant gift exchange had been expected of them.

"So this is just a thing they do?"

[doubled_speed]

"They have for a few years now. But this place specifically? They brought us here that first winter, not long after we got the ships."

He hadn't wanted to come back. Ever.

"It bothered me last time. It's interesting now, with them here. At least they aren't doing get along sweaters."

[thepurpleone]

"So they never came down to join you?" Donnie asks as he continues to watch things below. It's cold up here so going inside might actually not be a bad idea.

"-wait, get-along sweaters? Like, seriously?"

Observation

[newmemorywhodis]

Link may not know the word 'selfies', but he knows what they are - and can recognise someone taking them. After all, Link's taken plenty, with both the Sheikah Slate and Purah Pad.

Link loves taking those kinds of pictures.

So as Donnie is taking his picture, Link sneaks around to hide behind the tree. And then, just as Donnie is taking the picture, he steps out - and slides into frame, posing with a smile and a finger pointed at the tree.

He might not know the word 'photobombing' either, but he's managed to do it anyway.

[thepurpleone]

"Wha-? Hey!" Donnie's eyes shift at the movement behind him, exclaiming just as he hits the button to snap the shot. He glances at the picture with a flat-eyed expression before throwing a look at Link.

"Hah. Well since you're here, you wanna stop lurking back there and take an actual picture with me?"

[newmemorywhodis]

Link shows absolutely no shame for his actions. No shame.

But after considering Donnie's offer, Link nods and sidles up next to Donnie. He's happy to take a proper picture, too.

[thepurpleone]

Inwardly Donnie's mildly amused that Link of all people decided to photobomb him. He's not really that upset about it. But that's not stopping him from putting bunny ears on Link either once he's come over and Donnie snaps another picture.

[newmemorywhodis]

Of course he would. Link's a gremlin at heart. And Donnie hasn't seen Link's photos, from home - ones where he would arrange for photos to be photobombed by koroks and monsters and dragons.

And Zelda. He ruined many of her pictures that way. Thinking of her brings a pang to his chest. It makes his face more solemn than usual in Donnie's picture.

He also doesn't realise yet that Donnie stuck the bunny ears behind his head. But he'll probably find out soon, since Link starts insistently reaching towards Donnie's communicator. "Show me!" he says.

[thepurpleone]

"Wait-" Donnie starts to laugh, unable to keep it in. It doesn't occur to him that there's a reason for Link's sudden somberness once he'd taken the shot, but he's never really been that great at assessing other people's feelings.

In his attempt to keep the communicator away, he gets his foot stuck in the snow and goes toppling over with a *fwump*. His arm is still however held up, along with the device so Link's free to grab it.