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

[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!

[faceguy]

“No idea, but we will find out!”

Leo will try to find a map - he can barely read them, but the data point does help.

“Even if we can’t go in zero grav, it’d be cool to find somewhere we can just see out into space. Maybe eat some lunch…”

[thepurpleone]

"There should be some kind of viewing area or something, even if it's just where people eat," Donnie nods. "You've got comms, it'd be easier to ask around. The layout of this place is crazy."

He supposes that's what you get when you have things just continually building onto each other.

[faceguy]

It's not a bad point. Leo looks around, then skips off to a person working a stall who doesn't look busy. He has a quick chat with them in their native language (made quicker when they seem annoyed Leo doesn't want to buy anything), then makes his way back to Donnie.

"So that guy says that there's a sort of food court place that has a dome view of space, so we could go there. But they also said if you want the best view, you gotta go to this restaurant near the top of the spaceport." He points in that direction. "But apparently it's swanky and has a dress code."

And it's probably too expensive for them. Unless they plan to dine and dash...

[thepurpleone]

Donnie pokes around on his phone in the meantime. "Food court, huh..." he muses, but then he's already turning over Leo's other bit of information. He pockets his phone.

"Well. That's sure something we'd never get to do anywhere else, and who says we have to buy a giant meal? Especially if we're mainly doing it for the view?" he grins.

[faceguy]

"Ooooh, good plan. Order some drinks, take all night drinking them, then get out?"

A perfect plan!

"But you know if we're going to do this, we need some fancy duds."

[thepurpleone]

"Maybe some appetizers on the side, but yeah. Just relax and enjoy the view."

Donnie grins then. "Oh, I am way ahead of you there. Follow me." Fancy duds are going to be the simplest part of things considering he's already had someone splurge on an entire wardrobe for him. He seriously has no idea where he'd wear half of the things but here's an excellent excuse to put some of it to use. At least he and Leo aren't too dissimilar in size.

[faceguy]

Donnie has a plan for clothes!? Leo will follow him, wondering how in the world he’s swung this.

“Man, you have an idea already?”

[thepurpleone]

"Ha-ha-ha- of course I do! And as it so happens, a plethora of new outfits at my disposal."

Donnie leads them to an area marked by various lodging spaces. The one goes towards looks decidedly swankier than others. He pulls out a passkey to get into one building, heading for an elevator once they're inside.

[faceguy]

What the- where the heck is this!? How does Donnie have a key card to such a nice place!?

For the trip to the elevator, Leo is pretty much silent, eyes wide as he follows his brother waltz in like he owns the place. There’s no way Donnie was able to get this much money. Not unless he committed some kind of… bank robbery, or NFT scam.

“Dee, what the heck!?” he asks as soon as they’re in the elevator. “What are we doing here?”

[thepurpleone]

Someone's enjoying this, but that's no surprise. And while Donnie does not in fact own the place, he's acquainted with the one who's currently renting space out, which is the next best thing.

"Going to access some fancy wardrobe so we can hit this fancy dining establishment- I thought we had that part covered."

The elevator pings for their floor and Donnie's slipping out as soon as the doors yawn open, flipping the keycard between his fingers until he gets to the right door. He pauses, giving a knock, waiting a beat before he goes ahead and gets it open. Guess Tony's not in. Not surprising.

[faceguy]

“Yeah, but…” Leo glances around the hallway to make sure no one is listening in (they aren’t exactly employing ninja tactics right now) before looking back at Donnie. “Are we stealing right now?”

Not that he’s totally opposed, but he’d like to know when he’d committing grand larceny!

[thepurpleone]

Donnie looks at Leo, brow arching. "Of course not! Everything has already been purchased. Although honestly I'm not sure how he managed to secure so much funds himself but less questions asked, the better," he adds in afterthought. Shrugging, he steps inside.

It's a big space, a stack of boxes sitting to the side of the door, some open to reveal various technical parts. A skateboard sits against the wall. Donnie walks in further, going into one of the bedrooms apparently designated as clothing and storage space for the pile strewn across the bed within. He sets the box with his newly acquired tablet onto a table before stepping over to the small mound of clothing.

"Might be more to my tastes but I'm sure you'll be able to find something you wouldn't mind wearing..." he says as he picks up a pair of slacks.

[faceguy]

He...?

Leo walks in, observing the piles of boxes and clothes and other purchases, scrambling to catch up to this new information. If Donnie didn't buy all of this, then...

"Wait, is this all that Tony guy's?"

How does he have so much money!?

"He bought you clothes!?"