Taking Care of Business

[thepurpleone]

WHO: Donnie and you!
WHERE: NG-102
WHAT: Trying not to get too distracted from mission while most definitely getting too distracted
WHEN: Uh. Yes.
WARNINGS: N/A
NOTES: Will match tagging preference


This is more like it. This is how space adventures start- panning into the expanse of some kind of sprawling conglomeration of structures hanging against the darkness of a star-pocked backdrop. Yes, Donnie is fully aware that they are here for Reasons, but this is the first chance he's ever gotten to go anywhere that resembled some sort of active alien civilization. A spaceport like that is just screaming new and interesting sorts of technology and culture just waiting to be explored.

Eager as he is, Donnie's also practical. While waiting for things to be cleared for them to disembark, he pulls up any information he can on the station, a directory, a map. There has to be some equivalent of a space extranet or something, or at the very least a local network to patch into. He knows better than to dive into some place that big without doing some research!

He's also quite aware that paying for things is going to be an issue. It's tough starting out from scratch, but he's always been the enterprising sort, and he's not about to let such foreign circumstances stop him from getting down to business. It'll just take some work.


I. Research & Development
The turtle teen spends the first couple of days getting a feel for things and looking for business opportunities. He figures he shouldn't stand out too much amidst an alien crowd, but he also knows that certain people can pick up on Tourist vibes and he's not about to let himself be a target. Having swapped to Communications for the occasion, he makes note of places that might be interested in hiring someone for repairs or upgrades and places he might be able to sell to. Copies of rare cult classic Earth movies? Foreign plants? Small but functionally useful gadgetry? Ka-ching.

In the days that follow, he's out making deals. Hopefully people don't think him underdressed for doing business but he still carries himself about as professionally as one can when they're just dressed in a purple hoodie. He has a bag slung over his shoulder and a backpack awkwardly set over the bulk of his hidden battle shell. If he sees someone from the ships, he makes a beeline towards them.

"Hey, you busy? Okay cool-" not waiting for a response, he passes the backpack over. "-here, hold this and whatever you do don't drop it."


II. Deployment
The best part about having money is being able to spend it. With what he hopes to be a sufficient amount of starting funds, Donnie sets out with the intent to shop. He has several lists, one for parts needed to repair the Agrii mess, one for Leo because Donnie is a most benevolent brother, one for himself of course because what's the point of having money if you aren't going to buy yourself cool things? and another for general items that might prove useful for the inevitable return back to the isolated, ruined city.

...he doesn't want to really go back, not when they've been able to do all this.

Unfortunately it's difficult to haggle when there's a problem with communicating. Donnie's in a bit of a mood as he leaves one store, folding his arms tightly in front of him and his bag as he goes. He may not understand the language but he's pretty sure they were trying to overcharge him on his purchase, and so he'd left without it. Would it be weird if he switched data points and came back? Annoying, certainly. He sighs, starting down along towards where the repair shops are. Maybe putting in some hours fixing crap will make him feel better.


III. Roots
It's not stealing if it's junk, right? The spaceport may as well be its own city, and that has to mean it has its own salvage and trash lots. This is Donnie's normal means of acquiring most anything to tinker with back home, so it's second nature for him to track down where things are being dumped and go to scope things out.

The areas aren't the nicest places, but then that's no big surprise. Making sure to avoid security cameras, Donnie's elbow-deep in junk as soon as he finds a promising spot to dig through. Maybe you caught a glimpse of him sneaking out here. Maybe you were following the toughs that were meaning to have a nice secret exchange at an unsuspecting junk lot. Maybe you just got lost.

In any case, things might get hairy in a few minutes, and Donnie tends to get a little carried away with his scavenging.

Comments

[thepurpleone]

The reference is clearly lost upon this one, all of his eyes (including the ones up there- huh, guess they are eyestalks) blinking one after the other. The effect's kind of weird.

"Hrn..." the shopkeeper considers as he pulls at his chin, one eye glancing between the two turtles, another looking back at the tablet in question. "True enough," he says begrudgingly. "But it's still new. Works perfectly fine." He rattles off specs before quoting a price.

In the background, Donnie is trying very hard not to look in their direction but the bobble heads are kind of creeping him out, so he goes to study the newer tablets.

[faceguy]

Man, with this many eyes it's hard to know exactly where to look. Leo chooses the ones that are most level with him and tries to ignore the stalks.

"New, huh? Not used at all?" Because this looks like the kind of shop that would sell refurbished tablets along with new ones. Though Leo can't actually tell the difference between a new and used one on sight, that's more Donnie's area.

"But, even new, it's still old, you know?"

[thepurpleone]

The higher eyes narrow slightly, focusing back on Leo. "Turned on and off, quick check for functions. Still mostly new," he admits, turning to pluck it off the shelf to show the turtle, although not without a not so surreptitious attempt to wipe the thing off with a sleeve- he hadn't been kidding about the dust apparently.

"See, even has screen protector," the shopkeeper points out the sticky, slightly peeling protective film.

[faceguy]

“Mmmm… I see that.”

Leo reaches out and picks at the film lightly with his fingers, pulling up one of the peeling edges with a soft “schoop” noise.

“Listen, you have all these shiny new tablets in this shop and you don’t really need this one gathering dust anymore, right? So cut us a deal and we’ll take it off your hands, mmkay?”

[thepurpleone]

As many eyes as the guy has, it's not hard to tell the sour look on his face at the very suggestion. His shop isn't the sort to run sales, but being at a veritable hub of commerce, new models come and go, sometimes too quickly to get rid of the old stock that had been new but a few rotations ago. His eyestalks give away his thoughts as he's clearly considering his options. This is why he's terrible at poker games but naturally no one's informed him of his tells.

"Twenty percent off," he says carefully, calculating his gains and losses. That tablet's been sitting there for longer than he'd care to admit, but he hadn't been lying about how old the model had been. Naturally everyone tends to want the newest shiny thing, so long as it's still new and shiny when they see it.

[faceguy]

Ooh ho ho, now they’re getting somewhere! Leo hums like he’s thinking it over, glancing back at Donnie.

“20 percent off,” he says to Donnie, in English this time. He doesn’t know exactly what the guy offered Donnie the first time, so he needs to know if this is actually less than they were at before. “Thoughts, hermano?”

[thepurpleone]

By Donnie's expression it's clear he's at least caught part of that conversation. He snorts.

"Scoff, twenty percent would probably barely make a difference once you add whatever space tax there is, and who knows what sort of hidden fees he's just waiting to add up on there," he says.

[faceguy]

“Mmmm, sounds like a no from my associate,” says Leo as he looks back at the shopkeeper.

“Come on, think hard. When was the last time you actually sold one of these old things? And how many more are just rotting away in the back? You know the batteries go bad eventually and then it’s just a fire hazard.”

[thepurpleone]

Those eyestalks level a bit of a glare in Donnie's direction, the turtle's scowl turning into a bright and very false smile.

The shopkeep's expression sours as he looks to Leo again, the top eyes squinting. Leo seems to have hit things right on the nail there. He sighs heavily, as though very put upon, and perhaps by his perspective, he is.

"Twenty-five," he starts, but Donnie's already talking over him. "This is like pulling teeth, gotta give him a counter. Highball it and maybe he'll meet us in the middle. Honestly I'll settle for forty but if you can talk him down to half off I am certainly not complaining."

[faceguy]

Leo tosses an annoyed look over his shoulder - let him handle this! - before refocusing on the shopkeep and his eyestalks.

"Mm, I dunno..." He sucks in air through his teeth. "I think I can go somewhere else and get this for a third of the price."

[thepurpleone]

Donnie returns the look, he can't help but be a backseat haggler! He's the one that's going to be spending the money! Huffing, he turns and looks at some other contraption even as he still tries to listen to the two at the counter.

The shopkeeper drums thin fingers against the counter, his upper eyes still narrowed. His lower eyes squint shortly after as he frowns, fingers drumming a little more anxiously at Leo's suggestion that he could find a better price. It's possible, and the shopkeeper's already drawing up a shortlist of competitors that he knows has similar stock.

"-a third? That's practically giving it away!" he still insists, even as one of his eyestalks twitches. "Thirty-five percent off."

[faceguy]

That may be true, but also has he considered: nuh uh.

The eyestalk twitch isn't lost on Leo. He goes ahead and shoots his shot. "Half off, and we'll buy a goofy bobblehead."

If Donnie ends up not wanting it, it'd probably be fun to launch it out an airlock and watch what happens.

[thepurpleone]

...well, there's no lie there- who wouldn't want to send something out of an airlock just for the heck of it?

The shopkeeper nearly goes cross-eyed up top. He takes a breath, just barely managing to hold off on an outright refusal on that counter-offer. One eyestalk turns a glance towards the bobbleheads, another less than profitable choice on his part but he's not about to admit that.

His fingers drum the countertop again, a slow, deliberate tattoo.

"Half off," he starts begrudgingly. "-and two bobbleheads."

[faceguy]

Oh? Leo waves for Donnie’s attention again, as if he weren’t listening in already.

“Half off if we buy two bobbleheads,” he says in English. “I was thinking we chuck ‘em out an airlock and see what happens.”

[thepurpleone]

Donnie's only been catching words here and there, but he tries not to look too eagerly when Leo waves in his direction.

"Hmmm," he considers loudly, swinging a critical look back towards the other display. "Well...despite them being undoubtedly overpriced, I still think it will be largely in our favor when factoring in the tablet. I'll let you pick out our victims."

[faceguy]

“Heh, nice,” he says to Donnie, before turning back to the shopkeeper and grinning.

“Deal,” he says, giving the counter a little slap for emphasis. “I’ll go grab the bobbles.”

And off he jaunts!

[thepurpleone]

While Leo does that, Donnie saunters over to the counter, trying not to look too smug as he leans an arm on the counter to wait for the shopkeeper to ring them up.

Said shopkeeper doesn't look very pleased, his eyestalks narrowed and trained at Donnie as he hits keys on a datapad to total things for the two turtles. While he waits for his brother, Donnie starts counting out his expenses.

"-hey, does that come in a box with a charger or something?"

[faceguy]

Leo selects the two bobble heads that are most goofy looking, in his opinion, then skips back to the counter with them in tow and slaps them down. A box and charger, huh? Good question…

He’ll translate as needed. The shopkeeper doesn’t seem too excited they’re asking more questions, but hey, a charger is a reasonable request!

[thepurpleone]

Not excited at all, the guy wants these two out of his shop as quickly as possible but at the inquiry, begrudgingly shuffles to the back room. After rummaging around for a minute or two, he finally returns, dropping the box on the counter.

Donnie's quick to sweep it up and inspect the contents, given that it doesn't look like the guy's inclined to box the tablet up for him. He gives his brother a thumbs-up, packing up the tablet himself before he sets payment on the counter.

"Pleasure doing business with you, my good man," Donnie says once the transaction's completed, stepping back with a nod at Leo before turning to get out, ignoring the glare the shopkeeper's upper eyes are directing at their backs.

[faceguy]

Leo grins and says, “Thank you for your help!” in the politest way this language allows before sauntering out the door after Donnie, bag of bobble heads swinging off his wrists.

“See? Told you I could do it! Best face man in the world- no.” He does a sweeping motion to the roof of the spaceport with his hands. “The universe.”

[thepurpleone]

Donnie laughs, giving his shoulder a bump against Leo's. "It was pretty entertaining, I'll give you that," he says. "And we have completed our objective." He can't wait to break his new tablet open. As you do.

"A job well done, Leon. What's next on our list then?" He'll let his brother pick what they can do now that business is out of the way.

[faceguy]

The eventual fate of the tablet matters not to Leo - if it doesn’t end up taken apart, that would be more surprising to him than if it does.

And he can admit (to himself, quietly) it feels really good to have Donnie say he did a good job. Especially recently, he’s gotten used to hearing, “Don’t get so cocky, Leo!” and, “Quit running off on your own, we’re a team!” and blah blah blah. So it’s a nice change. The grin on his face is just a little bigger, after that.

“Let’s do something we can only do here! Who knows when we’ll ever be at a space port again.”

[thepurpleone]

Donnie's blissfully oblivious to whatever responsibility shifts have occurred with their family. He may claim that he should be fifteen by now but his mindset's still closer to fourteen than the other way around, his experiences considerably lacking for all that Leo's suggested has happened between them.

And sometimes it's simpler just to dwell on the fact that when it comes to his family, he's no longer alone here. While he would have preferred the rest of his brothers be there to enjoy this place with them, it's not bad having at least one. Donnie grins.

"You said it! -I have no idea what all passes for a unique experience at a space port but at the same time, it's not like Temba's set a very high bar."

[faceguy]

It is too bad that the others aren't here; Raph and Mikey would go wild for this place, and Leo would love to see April's reaction to it, too. Maybe, now that they know it's here, and if Donnie can learn how to make a spaceship, visiting again sometime isn't entirely impossible?

Okay, it's a longshot, but still!

Focusing back on the present, Leo thinks that over. What kinds of things can they do that are unique to a space port...

"There's got to be some cool places around. Maybe somewhere that will let us go in zero grav?"

[thepurpleone]

"Newton's apple, why didn't I think of that!" Donnie exclaims, snap-pointing at him then. "Although I guess it's kind of easy to forget we're out in the middle of space too. Huh, would they have something like that? Or would that just be considered normal around here..."

Well, it doesn't hurt to find out, in any case!