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]

"Ugh, you had to remind me," Donnie groans after swallowing down another mouthful. "Someone definitely needs to do something about that whole situation, honestly I think that's the least favorite part of the whole spaceship thing. Whose idea was it to make flavored pastes?"

[faceguy]

“Yeah,” agrees Leo around bites. “You’d think after however many years they’d have that figured out by now.”

[thepurpleone]

Sighing dramatically, Donnie gestures with his fork before he snags more noodles. "Of course by that standard they could have a lot of things figured out by now so yeah, I'm not sure where priorities have been shuffled."

He tries to ignore how much thinner the helping of pasta is on that plate, but between two hungry turtles, that was inevitable.

[faceguy]

It sure is going fast…

“Have they figured out anything without the “He Rows” to help?”

It seems pretty bad…

[thepurpleone]

"The ships they made for us. That's...actually pretty considerable progress given the ship they live on isn't even their technology to start," Donnie admits.

He twirls more noodles around his fork, one last bite, he tells himself, trying not to look too reluctant to put the thing down once he's chewing.

[faceguy]

“Oh yeah! That is a big one.” Leo taps his fork against the plate for a moment before twirling up more noodles. “Man, that makes it even more weird. They can figure that out but are still giving us food toothpaste?”

[thepurpleone]

He has no explanation for that one, shrugging even as he grimaces. "Yeah. Well...no- actually there have been times they've provided food that actually looks like food," Donnie says as he thinks a moment. "The only problem is that it all tastes like peanut butter."

[faceguy]

“Peanut butter? And not even any jelly?” Leo gives a low whistle. “I guess it’s a good thing Raph didn’t come here.”

Though, if it only tastes like peanut butter, it wouldn’t trigger an allergic reaction… right?

[thepurpleone]

"Right? I don't know, they have a really strange fixation on the stuff. ...oof. Raph dodged a peanut butter bullet and doesn't even realize it." Donnie does have to wonder the same though. If his brother were here, he'd have to probably put that to the test.

He picks up his drink to finish it up, waving for Leo to finish the pasta before he chances his mind.

[faceguy]

Oh, how nice of him! Leo gladly twirls up the rest of the pasta, relishing the taste.

“Mmmm… this is way better than peanut butter.”

[thepurpleone]

"And food-goo." Donnie sighs. "If they knew how to make pizza I bet it would taste amazing. I'd ask if you think we could sneak in a dessert but my wallet is probably already crying."

He slides a look past Leo then as he catches movement coming in their direction. "Hoo boy, here comes the waiter. Time to exercise our best willpower and ask for the bill."

[faceguy]

“Mm, too bad. I bet the dessert is amaaaaazing!”

Which means sending the waiter away when they ask if they can get anything else for them is so difficult. So difficult that Leo… doesn’t, glancing at Donnie in an are we sure? kind of way.

[thepurpleone]

He's bracing himself as the waiter addresses them again, trying not to tap his fingers as he waits for... Why is Leo looking at him like that. No, don't look at him like that.

Donnie tries to pointedly look in the other direction but that doesn't last terribly long as his eyes slide towards the menu. They really, really shouldn't. But what if Leo's right and they miss out on something that they know they'll never have a chance at ever again? Oohhhhh the thought makes him cringe.

Looking extremely hesitant and torn at the option, Donnie glances over at Leo with the tiniest of shrugs which he'll leave open to interpretation and if it's taken as a 'hey sure why not, let's go all in' then it's hardly his fault.

[faceguy]

It is taken that way, and thus this can’t be Leo’s fault, either.

Leo points at the most chocolate-looking dessert on the menu. “Actually, can we have one of these, please?”

The waiter nods and heads off for the kitchen again. Leo grins nervously at Donnie once they’re gone.

“How hard are we pushing it?”

[thepurpleone]

Oh but that looks so good. Donnie can only hope that it isn't priced too badly but he's afraid to calculate it.

"I'm not sure I want to know..." he murmurs behind his hands as he covers his face. But not knowing is never an option for Donnie so it's probably to no one's surprise that he rolls back his sleeve so he can tap in numbers on his computer to try and get an estimate. "Help me double-check the numbers."

[faceguy]

It was less than the appetizers, at least... so, maybe...

"Alright, uh..."

Leo slides the menu puck over again, then finds each of their orders (luckily he remembers what they were all called). Then he reads the prices out to Donnie, as best as he can manage.

"So what's the damage?"

[thepurpleone]

The set of his brow isn't a very good reassurance, only knitting together closer if not shifting up and down at either side as Leo gives Donnie the numbers. By the end, he's grimacing before he clears his screen, giving a brief twirl of his finger.

"Give them to me again," he insists, hoping maybe he'd accidentally punched too many numbers despite knowing he'd never be that careless but he'd be willing to admit a mistake in this one very specific instance.

[faceguy]

Leo gives them to him again. This is sounding not good. He knows Donnie’s math would never be wrong.

“You don’t think we have to tip here, do you?” he asks at the end.

[thepurpleone]

Donnie breathes out slowly as he straightens up in his seat. The smile he casts in Leo's direction is entirely too forced.

"Tipping is usually required if not expected in this type of setting, I believe," he replies. "Anyway, the good news is that my math is not wrong from the first time around. ...unfortunately that is also the bad news, seeing as how that would mean we are roughly two hundred space credits short."

[faceguy]

“Two hundred!?”

Oops, that was a little loud - people are looking at them now. Leo quickly smiles at the nearest table, then leans in, lowering his voice.

“That’s a lot, right?”

[thepurpleone]

Even Donnie cringes at his brother's outburst, hissing a "SHhh!" at him. "That's only with an estimation of tax, I hadn't even figured in tip," he admits. "But yes, that is 'a lot' and I am not sure that washing dishes is an acceptable practice here for recompense."

Maybe they'd just throw them straight into jail or something. He has no idea but now he's starting to look worried.

[faceguy]

“Okay. Okay okay okay, don’t panic.”

Which of them is he even saying that to? Leo seems to be assuring himself as much as Donnie. He just doesn’t want to go to jail (again).

Leo reaches over and, as discreetly as possible, slides a butter knife into his lap.

“We’ll just… pay what we can now, and pay the rest later.”

[thepurpleone]

Donnie hasn't been to jail yet and if he had to he would rather it be on some extreme offense than the inability to pay off a dinner bill. The thought of calling Tony for a favor just sounds even less appealing, especially after the fuss Donnie had made at the parts shop before reluctantly letting the man foot the bill.

His eyes widen as he sees Leo slip the knife away as his intentions click into place. "...if they'll let us even do that much without calling security on us," he mutters, glancing around as he pulls out his wallet.

"What's the play?"

[faceguy]

"When they bring the dessert, I'll ask for the check." He nods at his wallet. "You pay what we can, and then... I'll get us out of here."

Yes, he is saying they should dine and dash. It's their only choice, really.

He just hopes he can flare his ninpo without attracting attention.

"Oh, and don't forget to grab the food!"

[thepurpleone]

"Well...at least there seems little chance we'll end up ever dining here again," Donnie sighs, but he nods as he sets his wallet on the table, resting his hand over it as he tries to look casual when he spies the waiter on approach.

"Think you can slip a portal under the table?" he whispers. "That'll probably be our best cover."