3450/DonKai: Checking In II - A Walk in the Park

DonKai: Checking In II - A Walk in the Park
Date of Scene:	20 September 2020
Location:	Alleyways: Brooklyn
Synopsis:	Walking in the park, Donatello and Kainashi come upon two kids getting bullied.
Cast of Characters:	Kainashi, Donatello

---

Kainashi has posed:
    The park accross from where the two had been hanging out was, by now, empty of humans. Its gate was locked -- but that didn't present too much issue to two ninja. A simple hop, jump, and a branch swing, and they would have found themselves in a place where the sound of traffic was dimmed by greenery, and the shifting of the leaves in the decorative street lamps -- kept on 'low' to preserve their lifespan -- was the only movement other than the wind shifting a bandana or a sweatshirt.

Donatello has posed:
    For this, Kainashi would lead the way. Donatello is content following her into the park. Hop. Jump. Swing. Maybe it's the leaves, the darkness, or just the slight chill in the air, but the tensions from this past week seem to have been left up on that rooftop. Donatello looks down at Kainashi, or at least the top of her head, and smiles. What a good idea this was!

    Moments after their walk through the park begins, Donatello reaches a hand out to wrap his fingers around Kainashi's -- there's no danger in him holding her's, after all!

Kainashi has posed:
    Kainashi gives a slight pause in her steps as Donatello reaches to hold her hand, and she allows him to. She even spreads her fingers a little bit to allow his fingers to thread through the tips of hers, her ears drawing up a little bit, as she gives a bit of a grin to Donnie, and she looks up into the trees.

    "I think this is my favorite time of year, you know. I remember, from before, jumping into the leaves. All the smells. Cinnamon and cloves and ginger and nutmeg. I know what to call them now." she gives a little bit of a smile, her ears turning a bit pink. "The air doesn't make breathing so hard now."

Donatello has posed:
    As Kainashi's fingers spread, Donnie takes the hint and spreads his own to allow the pair to knit them together. He takes a deep, nervous breath. For some of this, Donatello is on autopilot, allowing his actions to just...happen. Donatello has always struggled with Master Splinter's lessons on fighting without thought -- existing in between thoughts -- but he seems to be doing okay right now.

    As Kainashi describes the season, its smells, the leaves, Donatello just stares at her, a large smile on his face. Each new detail about her gets filed away, ready to be thought of later, when his eyes finally close for sleep. "Yeah, it's my favorite time of year, too," he replies slowly, quietly. Though, not for the same reasons. Don't worry, he'll explain.

    "We turtles can't do what you do -- the breathing thing, I mean, when it gets hot. We can't regulate our own temperatures. We just...get hot when it's hot. And then we get cold when it's cold. This time of year is just right -- for a little while," he explains. This next part makes him blush, which should actually be impossible, given the explanation he just gave. "...So, when you touch my skin...It, well, it's nice."

Kainashi has posed:
    "So you don't sweat either?" Kai asks in curiousity, turning to Donatello a moment as her lips purse, and she gives a little bit of a laugh. "I have it a bit easier. Alopex has all the fluffy fur, which means she's not at all cold in the winter time, she says, but I'll probably get cold. She... she got out last Winter. I only got out a few months later, I think. It was a while that she hadn't been down to see me... I think they took some of her escape out on me." she reflects quietly, just thinking a few moments as they hold hands.

    "I... don't know a whole lot about being a turtle. I don't know a whole lot about being a dog, either, although I've been one all my life."

Donatello has posed:
    Donatello's thumb gently moves across the top of Kainashi's hand as they move through the park. He looks down to meet her gaze, matching her laugh with a smile. "No, we don't sweat, either," Donnie answers with a half-hearted shrug. "But, we also can't pant. Really, we can't do anything about our temperature -- it's kind of terrible, you know? Raphael is always much more irritated when it's really hot or really cold out. I guess that's most of the year, here."

    Donatello considers her life as a dog and his life as a turtle, suddenly raising his brow. Kainashi really can be brilliant without realizing it. "Yeah," he responds, surprised. "I guess I don't know a whole lot about being a turtle. I had a fight with a criminal who had owls. I was a little freaked out, deep down, and didn't know why. When I got home, I asked Miyagi to call up information on owls. Turns out that they're a natural predator of turtles -- you know, normal turtles. Isn't it kind of weird that I'd be uncomfortable around them, without knowing why?" Donnie nods his head. He thinks it's weird.

    And then, Donnie takes in a long, lungful of chilled air and lets it out in a sigh, thinking on Kainashi's experience with the Foot. "You know, Kai..." he begins. "I used to really hate the Foot. I mean /really/ hate them. But..." He pauses, searching for the right words. "...They made /you/." More searching. "...I guess I can't hate them too much, anymore."

    He looks away, focusing on the horizon as they continue forward into the park.

Kainashi has posed:
    "... they made me what I am. They didn't make me." Kainashi states, and she pauses. The hand not holding Donatello's comes up to her face, feeling the bare skin of her scars where the fur won't grow.

    "... but most of the Foot, they didn't... they weren't... they weren't happy people. I think they were hurting, too. A lot of the younger ones. They said sometimes that they were family. They didn't see Alopex as that, though. She was an other. Like me. Not... like them." Kainashi struggles a moment with her thoughts, one eye half closing, giving her an almost wincing expression before she turns back to Donatello as he focuses. The path they're on takes a little bit of a turn.

    "... but it wasn't the people I was made to fight who did the hurting, the ordering... the mu... myu... moo-tay-shun-ing."

Donatello has posed:
    No, of course the Foot didn't make her, but sometimes the words we choose need to be precise, especially when talking about something so sensitive. "Right," Donatello agrees quickly. "Sorry, I didn't mean it that way..." Stupid, stupid, stupid. He relaxes a touch, looking down at Kainashi as she continues to share.

    "You were made to fight me," Donatello replies softly. Maybe not exactly -- it's unclear if the Foot knew about the turtles, yet, but the sentiment is true. If Alopex hadn't intervened, Kainashi and Donatello might be sworn enemies. He manages a faint smile, shown only to the park, as he turns his head to keep it hidden from Kai.

    "I'm sorry your mutation was so horrible," Donnie replies, suddenly considering the pain she's sharing. "You really deserve so much better than what you got." It's also a very subtle, sensitive way to teach her how to say mutation. Donatello ducks under a low-hanging branch as they go.

Donatello has posed:
    No, of course the Foot didn't make her, but sometimes the words we choose need to be precise, especially when talking about something so sensitive. "Right," Donatello agrees quickly. "Sorry, I didn't mean it that way..." Stupid, stupid, stupid. He relaxes a touch, looking down at Kainashi as she continues to share.

    "You were made to fight me," Donatello replies softly. Maybe not exactly -- it's unclear if the Foot knew about the turtles, yet, but the sentiment is true. If Alopex hadn't intervened, Kainashi and Donatello might be sworn enemies. He manages a faint smile, shown only to the park, as he turns his head to keep it hidden from Kai. "If they ever mentioned fighting Hamato clan...That's us," Donatello adds, choosing to offer some private details of his own. There's a trust forming in the turtle -- one that transcends any of the instructions he had been given by Leo and Splinter.

    "I'm sorry your mutation was so horrible," Donnie replies, suddenly considering the pain she's sharing. "You really deserve so much better than what you got." It's also a very subtle, sensitive way to teach her how to say mutation. Donatello ducks under a low-hanging branch as they go.

Kainashi has posed:
    "... I... I probably was." Kainashi blinks a moment, that realization hitting her hard. She just stops in her tracks at it, and looks to Donatello with a pained expression, her hand slightly pulling off him, and she breathes out in a soft huff, her shoulders rising up. "... that explains why Raph was so eager to fight me the first time we met. Yeeesh." she looks up at Donnie, the branch hanging between them slightly.

    "... aren't you afraid then that I could still hurt you or your family?"

Donatello has posed:
    Donatello can feel the tensions through Kai's hand. He stops walking, giving her the moment to process this cold, hard fact. He's already had time to think on this. When she goes to move her hand, Donatello gives a little bit of resistance -- he won't hold onto it against her will or anything, but gives the slightest squeeze to make sure she knows that he wants it to be there, in case there's any doubt.

    "Kai," he begins quietly. "...you are the single nicest person I have ever met. Ever. You've never given me any reason to doubt you. I've honestly never thought about you hurting me until just now." There's a pause. "...Well, maybe once, when you mentioned thinking about snapping my fingers like pencils." He manages a grin, looking down at her.

    There's a pregnant pause as Donatello realizes something. "Wait," he whispers. "Kai, why did you think I was keeping you...er...us...this....a secret from my family?" It's a fair question -- if she didn't know about why Raphael was fearful, why did she think he was keeping things quiet? Donatello looks at her with wide eyes, tilting his head to one side.

Kainashi has posed:
    "... which I had nightmares about holding your hand too tight and breaking it off and then like candy coming out of your arm andyou were secretly a pinata the whole time." Kainashi admits, and she still keeps her shoulders up, looking at Donatello, and she hitches her breath. She shifts her weight from one foot to the other, that low branch separating them slightly as she gives a soft sound of disquiet.

    "... I thought maybe your Splinter hated dogs or something. Or was allergic and would be mad." she admits. "I... I didn't think... I wasn't..." she trails off a moment, and looks up at Donatello again.

    "I'm not smart."

Donatello has posed:
    "You're kind," Donnie affirms. "And tenacious. And you're grateful. And you're brilliant." His words are somewhat firm, but not unkind. He's saying them in a way that suggests that these statements are not up for debate, though a smile is splashed across his face, knowing that she's bound to disagree on that last one.

    As Kainashi looks up at him, he looks down at her. "I know you don't think you're smart," he replies softly. "But, if you're not smart than I'm not smart -- because there's a lot of things I don't know. But...the smartest people in the world are the ones who know what they don't know." The wording of that last sentence is tricky -- Donatello watches Kainashi's face to see how she processes it. It's almost like a meditation koan.

    The turtle's features soften again, staring down at Kai, examining her amber eyes with his own. "Kai, whatever you are...or aren't...just stay that way," he whispers, managing a dopey smile. Maybe it's the chill in the air, or maybe it's just that his words are coming more easily.

Kainashi has posed:
    Kainashi may have bluescreened trying to find an argument for the koan that Donatello has hit her with, she furrows her brow, and opens her mouth, then closes her mouth, and looks at Donatello dubiously.

    "I don't like that I can't argue that because I don't know enough how to argue it." she expresses with a little frustration, but she takes a deep breath, and lets her breath out.

    "So... your Splinter, he's *not* allergic to dogs? It's just that I was a Foot Clan mutant that they beat up on?" she questions quietly, nervously.

Donatello has posed:
    Kainashi's frustration brings a dose of shock to the turtle. It hadn't occurred to him that the sentiment could be anything less than encouraging, but, here we are. He lowers his eyes, his smile fading a touch. "Hey," he replies softly. "I...didn't mean...We don't have to argue about it. I mean, I...I....I shouldn't presume to be able to tell you about...you." He takes a deep breath, moving through this slowly, as carefully as he can. In fact, he takes a step forward, hopefully to cause their walk to resume.

    "I've been keeping things a secret because..." he explains. "I was afraid that Leonardo or Splinter would say that I can't be your friend. I was afraid."

Kainashi has posed:
    "... I asked Alopex and Sally about dating, 'cause I didn't know anything about it." the canine admits quietly, rubbing the back of her head, and she gives Donatello's fingers the smallest squeeze, ducking down again as she makes her way under the branch, and gives a small smile.

    "I'm.... I'm sorry, Donnie. I'm trying hard as I can, I promise." she replies gently.

    "I didn't even think about... what it would be like if I was still in the Foot... ooor if they knew I could talk. They kinda thought I was really dumb." she replies conversationally, the momentary lapse in her happy self corrected, and she sticks close to Donatello.

Donatello has posed:
And that moment passed as quickly as it arrived. Donatello peers down at her, still unsure of himself, but he takes a breath and lets it out -- letting the moment go along with that lungful of air. "Kai," he replies with a smile. "You don't need to apologize. I'm the one who should be sorry, really. I can be a know-it-all -- people tell me that. I'm sorry."

    He looks down at her, giving a squeeze in response to her's. It's like a private little conversation happening between their hands. "I've never been on a date before," he reminds. "I...I thought I had to learn all about it -- because that's what I /have/ to do. April tried to help, like Sally and Alopex, but...she really didn't really teach me a lot. But, I guess that makes sense. How could someone else teach me about going on a date with you?" He looks down at her for a response to that.

Kainashi has posed:
    "... Alopex and Sally hadn't been on dates, and just said that as long as you were polite it's OK, but if you started to not be nice then I was to land a couple of punches and go home." Kai admits with a grin as she looks to Donnie, her tail giving a slight wag. "So you knew more about it than me. I watched a couple of TV shows, but humans have weird dating things. Like when one guy is dating two girls at once, but neither of them know, and apparently it requires like, five other humans helping him out. Weeiiirrrd."

Donatello has posed:
    Donatello looks down to meet Kai's gaze. His brow rises. "Oh. Well, April didn't tell me anything quite like that," Donnie admits with a nervous smile. He turns to watch the path ahead. "I really didn't know much about it, truly. I just knew I wanted to go on a date with you and I couldn't keep it bottled up any longer. Ever since I met you." Donatello turns a muddy brown color for a moment. It's true, though -- looking back, the evidence was there, though perhaps neither of them were looking for it.

    That last part earns a furrowed brow from Donnie, glancing down at Kai as they walk. "Yeah," he agrees. "Humans are weird. They sweat, too." The turtle manages to make himself smile, lowering his eyes a touch.

Kainashi has posed:
    "Ohmigosh yes and they smell so weird doing it! Like every once of them just has all these layered up and weird scents and not one of them is like 'if I wash under my arms decently enough then I don't smell bad' nooooooo -- they all smell like artificial flowers or whatever the heck a Frozone is!" Kai complains, her ears rising up as they find a similar issue to lodge complaint about.

    The hand holding Donnie's gives a little squeeze again.

    "So. You didn't find your shuriken, but you found a date. Best love story ever?"

Donatello has posed:
    As Kainashi describes the multi-layered sensation of smelling humans, along with their engineered smells, Donatello's mind briefly lingers on his own attempt to trick Kainashi with a human hygiene product. And her claim that he smells like wood and flux and ozone. Something about that brings a smile to his face, once more. She never once mentioned sewer.

    "Well, I think we can agree that they're all pretty unusual. But, there are so many of them," he points out, softly. It's true. It's a human world -- they just live in it.

    The squeeze of his hand gives Donatello a momentary distraction from the weirdness of the human race. He looks down at Kai, tilting his head to the side. Best love story ever? "I...uh, yeah," he agrees, leaving it at that. There's so much that Donatello might want to analyze and pick apart from that statement, but...he doesn't. He's learning.

    Donatello's thumb moves to brush gently across the top of Kainashi's hand, tracing the kanji letters that make up the first third of her name.

Kainashi has posed:
    'Kai'. The kanji could mean 'first', but is typically used for something else.

    'Armour'. Something that defends and protects. The canine gives a small smile, her head bowing s moment as her ears draw back, embarrassed. The gauze at the top of her head is still firmly in place.

    Kai's nose twitches a moment.

    "... yeah... there are so many of them..." she states, distractedly.

    Her ears prick up. Her head tilts, and she turns, sharply, to a sound. It's distant, but there is a cry for help, somewhere in the park.

Donatello has posed:
    Donatello watches Kainashi's ears fire up, then her sudden turn. He stops walking as she does this -- he knows that dogs have acute senses, much better than turtles, so there's only a matter of time before something makes itself known. And there's the scream. Donnie looks down at Kai. "What was that?" he asks, having a pretty good idea what it was.

Kainashi has posed:
    "That was someone who needs us." Kainashi states, and she takes off running.

    And though she's not 'as ninja' as Donatello is, she moves fast, and when she jumps she's clearing logs and bushes as she does so, her ears up, her eyes clear and focused forward.

    She has *thankfully* let go of Donatello's hand as she books it, otherwise who knows what condition his shoulder joint might be in by the time they reach the edge of a playground. There's a streetlight overhead, and eight toughs harassing a couple of girls. One of the girls is holding a schoolbag, the other has her fists up and has been taking clumsy swings at the toughs around them.

    The defending girls are much younger than the toughs, by five or six years. Highschoolers at the top of their reign picking on gradeschoolers.

Donatello has posed:
    This gets a nod from the turtle, and then a grin. "Right!" he says before chasing after Kainashi, the purple tails from his eye mask blowing in the wind as he moves.

    As the turtle runs through the woods and shrubbery of the park, his bo staff was unstrapped from his shell and brought into his right hand. This gives the turtle the option to vault over the logs and benches that stand between them and the playground. When they start to approach the playground, Donnie's run slows to a jog and then finally a curious walk. His head tilts to one side and he looks over at Kai, wondering if this really is the source of the scream. His brain starts to look for a Splinter lesson about this kind of situation.

Kainashi has posed:
    "... we need to hit that light first so they don't see us. That'll stop the two from running." Kainashi states quietly, and she lowers her backpack, and she takes out a length of chain -- weigh rough shaped 'weights' at the end, made up of hand-bent steel rods, shwoing the wrinkles on the inside from the stress of -- probably Kainashi -- bending them into place.

    "... or enough smoke bombs to give us a chance to get in and get them outta harm's way?" she asks, suddenly unsure, as if this was just another test.

Donatello has posed:
    Hmm. Donatello watches the commotion for a moment, squinting his eyes just a touch. He nods his head a couple of times and reaches back to tuck his bo back onto its spot on his shell. "I think we should use the smoke to get them out of there," he answers, eventually. This could be expected from Donatello -- other than some slight breaches of character, this week, he's normally the more subdued brother.

    "What do you think?" he wonders, bending at the knees to lower himself next to the backpack. His eyes lower to the chain coming out of the bag's compartment. The turtle looks up at Kainashi for her opinion.

Kainashi has posed:
    "/I/ think those jerks deserve a lesson--" Kainashi states, her ears pinning back a moment, and she gives a soft huff. "I don't like bullies..." she states quietly, but slips her weighted chain back into her pack, looking a little mad.

    "... but yeah, smoke bomb, clear the area. Maybe they'll be scared."

Donatello has posed:
    Donatello swallows and then falls silent for a moment. After some consideration, he breaks the silence. "Okay," he whispers, reaching backwards to pull his staff off of his shell again. "Let's teach them a lesson." Donatello rises to his feet and gives the bo a quick twirl and flourish. Donnie's other hand is brought down to his belt and returns with a shuriken.

    "I'll get the light," he explains, his eyes lowering to watch Kainashi's reaction.

Kainashi has posed:
    Kainashi blinks, her ears rising up as Donatello agrees with her, and her tail gives a little bit of a wag, and she gives a nod, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Ninja strike in the shadows, and she's waiting oh-so-patiently.

Donatello has posed:
    His eyes catch a glimpse of the tail wag. Donatello smiles a touch, giving Kainashi a sideways glance. He nods his head a touch and then lowers his body into a crouch. The turtle approaches the playground, using soft steps and dark shadows to make his approach. Eventually, he finds himself behind the thick bottom of a tree's trunk, with a nice angle on the street light that might cover their attack.

    "Maybe next time, you'll just hand it over when we tell ya!" one of the older voices taunts.

    "Yeah! And now, you're gonna pay the price!" another one of the voices adds.

    Hearing this, Donnie turns his head to give Kai a brief glance -- as if to signal his readiness -- before turning to fling a shuriken at the playground's light.

    The playground becomes suddenly covered in darkness, with the only explanation being the quiet sound of a glass lightbulb being destroyed, followed by the clang of a metallic object falling to the pavement.

    "What the?!"

Kainashi has posed:
    Darkness falls, and just before the light goes out, Kainashi is on the move, the rattle of chain, metal on metal as she makes her approach catches attention as the lights go out. There's a brief cry, the bushes make noises and one of the girls screams.

    "If you come any closer-- I'll --"

    And then there's a squeal of pain, and the CLANG of metal and plastic as someoen gets tossed a good thirty feet onto the playground equipment.

    Kai keeps her ears up, listening for Donatello's movements as people start to fumble their cellphones out, lighting up flashlights.

Donatello has posed:
    Once the lights go down, the mutant turtle runs from the tree and vaults over the fence that divides the playground area from the rest of the park. A flutter of motion, and vague smell of a turtle, moves through the shadows -- zipping from one structure, to the next. He moves from the slide, to the swings, and to the monkey bars, using the structures to further conceal his features.

    Donatello does a quick dive-roll to fly over the chain as it comes whipping around, stands, and brings one of the bullies to the ground with a sweep of his bo staff. A quick punch to the head puts them out.

    The turtle moves towards one of the grade-schoolers and scoops her up with one arm before dipping down to avoid the chain again -- this time from below!

Kainashi has posed:
    Kainashi clears a path out with another sweep of her chain, gathers the other gradeschooler up, and she books it, following Donatello's lead.

    As much as she would love to stay and pick a fight, she wasn't about to risk the kids. Her eyes narrow, and she draws herself back towards the bushes, following the glint of light off Donatello's shell as they go.

    "Easy there -- we're good guys!" she gently states to the little kid.

Donatello has posed:
"It's okay, I've got you!" Donatello assures.

    Still, the kid knows something truly horrific is going on -- everything about his body is wrong. Donatello's leathery forearm pins the kid against the armor of his plastron as he awkwardly runs through the darkness. Luckily for him, and the kid, he's in good shape and can carry the smaller human with one arm, while his bo is held with the other.

    Once they get to the bushline, Donatello releases the kid and reaches down for something at his belt. There's a quick flicking gesture as something is tossed over the bush and into the playground. Flash paper -- a ninja distraction -- ignites briefly to provide a few seconds of illumination -- perhaps so Kainashi can see the lesson she taught.

    No one is left standing -- most of the bullies are out cold, currently sleeping it off on a bed of woodchips. One of them is on top of the horizontal swingset bar, bent at the waist with their legs on one side of the bar and their torso on the other.

    And then...in the bushes with the rescued children, is the vague image of a mutant dog and mutant turtle.

Kainashi has posed:
    Lesson well taught. They'll think twice, hopefully, about harassing gradeschoolers. The flashpaper briefly illuminates the canine's scarred face as she sets the other girl down. It had been a nearly quiet fight, and she was pleased. She hoped Alopex would be once she delivered a report!

    "Th-thank you?" comes a nervous sounding voice from one of the girls, and she fumbles for a phone as well, bringing up the flashlight app and pointing it at the ground, both kids looking wide-eyed at the shapes of the 'grown ups' in front of them.

Donatello has posed:
    The bo is returned to its spot on Donatello's shell. He tilts his head slightly and watches the two girls for a moment. It doesn't seem like they're going to scream or anything, or they'd have done it by now, but Donatello errs on the side of caution. He reaches a hand out, slowly, to gently try and cover the phone's flash, a smile displayed on his face. "Hey," he whispers. "It's okay, but it might be better for us if that wasn't on." Donatello's voice is decidedly that of a teenager, no matter how eloquent or intelligent he might be. Perhaps, a source of comfort?

    "Did you get your bag back?" he wonders, asking the girls -- either, or both. He really doesn't know. A glance is given to the playground in its final moments of illumination.

Kainashi has posed:
    "Uh... uh-huh. I have my bag." one states.

    "I have mine!" the other squeaks out, "He let go of it when I heard someone hit him in the stomach!"

    "... good ear!" Kainashi states, with a little bit of pride in her voice. Little kids shouldn't know what that sounds like, but the thought doesn't cross her mind.

    "... are you mutants? Are you good guys? Are you super heroes? Ooh! Ooh! Your chest is super hard, is that armor?" the squeaky girl, apparently over her fear, asks rapidfire questions and reaches to give a knock on Donatello's shell!

Donatello has posed:
    Donatello nods with a smile. They got their bags back -- good!

    They seem to be taking this remarkably well, but this is a post-mutant world, after all. They probably just assume that Donnie and Kai are humans with severe mutations.

    When the front half of his shell gets a knock, Donatello reaches a hand down to touch the spot, instinctively, but then moves it to rest on Kainashi's shoulder. "Oh, no, not armor," he explains softly. "It's my..."

    "Costume." He gives Kai a glance.

Kainashi has posed:
    "Costume? So... you run around fighting people in a... a frog costume?"

    Kainashi's face is obvious. Her eyes go wide, her ears slack, and her tail wags.

    "Yep. He's a frog. I'm a dog. We're Frogdog." she states with a bright grin.

    "Want us to walk you to the edge of the park so you can get home safely? The gates were locked... there... really shouldn't be anyone in here."

Donatello has posed:
    Frog? Donnie mouths the word silently. He opens his mouth to correct this misstatement, but Kainashi confirms it. Again! Frog? He can't believe his ear slits! The TURTLE lets out a small tuft of air, resigned to be a mere frog in their minds.

    Donnie nods his head at the children as Kainashi offers their services to get them out of the park. "Yeah, the park can be pretty dangerous at night -- it's a good thing that..." he begins, sighing. "...Frogdog...was here." His eyes lower a touch. Frog.

Kainashi has posed:
    Kainashi leans over, patting Donatello on the shell as she winces, and she draws up, offering her hand.

"C'mon, we can walk you to the edge of the park, and make sure you get out all right." she offers to the kids.

    And she gives another apologetic look to poor Frogatello.

    "... could be worse." she murmurs to him. "... could have thought I was a cat."

Donatello has posed:
    One of the children take Kainashi's offered hand -- it's a gesture that kids seem to understand and are willing to go for when it's there.

    Donatello, meanwhile, shrugs his shoulders at Kai, managing a smile. "That's just about as bad as me being a frog," he whispers back. Still, it's clear that he's not really upset, and is content to start the walk back to the park's exit gates.

    "So, where do you two stand on pineapple on pizza?" the turtle asks the kids as they continue towards the park's exits.

Kainashi has posed:
    "EEEEEW!" come three voices, the two girls and Kainashi as the trip voice their opinions on Pineapple on pizza.

    "Pepperoni all the way." the younger of the two states, the older one pipes in with

    "No way, mushrooms! And sometimes peppers!"

    "Both good choices." Kainashi concours with the two as she walks with them, the two mutants acting as escorts to the duo.

Donatello has posed:
    The mutant frog manages a grin at the trio of disgust. "Yeah?" he asks. "Well, I like it." Donatello gives Kainashi a sideways glance, his smile growing larger. This remains a point of contention with many people, and these two likely won't be seeing eye to eye on that.

    "Pepperoni's good, too," Donnie adds, bringing a hand to his chin. "But, the mushrooms are a hard 'no' for me." As the group makes its way to one of the park's many exits, Donatello gives the iron gate a push -- meant to open the gate just enough so Kainashi would be able to slip her hands in there to break the chain that holds it all closed.

    Hrm. Donnie brings his hand down to slip a finger between his belt and waist. Carefully, he slips a thin plastic card out from there and offers it to one of the girls. A subway card. "Here," he offers with a smile. "It should be able to have enough for you both." An emergency card, kept solely for when he might need to go from one borough to another in a hurry. The girls need it more.

Kainashi has posed:
    "See? He likes Pepperoni."

    "Well you're wrong. Mushrooms are better. And you're not a *frog*. I can see your shell! You're... a tortise!"

    Kainashi attempts not to laugh, and as Donnie opens the gate a bit, she reaches for the lock, and giving it a twist bends and pops the lock off the gate.

    The two are given the subway card, and they look up at Donatello, and at Kainashi, and they look at one another, and then the younger one pauses, leans down, and pulls out a *stickerbook*. It's missing a couple, but they're bright, shiny, holographic stickers!

    "I'm Mina, and this is my older sister Natalie." she states with a grin, and she offers the stickers to Donatello. "I'll trade you my sticker book for the subway pass!"

Donatello has posed:
    Donatello's mouth hangs open for a moment. According to this kid, he's not even a frog -- and that's a *bad* thing? And now...a tortise? Donnie takes a breath and raises his brow, giving the girl a gentle pat on top of the head. "You, uh, figured me out," he admits, glancing back over at Kainashi as she tries her best not to laugh.

    And then, the girls offer their sticker book. Donatello's eyes lower a moment and he glances over at Kainashi, just a moment longer, before looking back to Natalie and Mina. "I'm Donnie and this is my---Kai. This is Kai," he introduces, fumbling a moment towards the end of that. Recovering, Donnie bends a knee and peers at the sticker book. "It seems like maybe *all* of the stickers might be too much for just two subway rides," he admits, glancing up at Kainashi for a moment. "What if you just gave each of us just one sticker?" It's important that they feel like they're not just being given a handout, and Donnie understands that all too well.

Kainashi has posed:
    The younger girl gives a stiff nod. She takes out one that's a bright holographic sunshine sticker, and this she puts right on Donatello's nose.

    The other one is - of course - a puppy dog image, and this is stuck onto Kai's shirt, before the two girls give grins, and wave "Goodnight Donnie! G'night Kai!" -- and they shuffle off into the darkness, towards the nearest subway station.

    Kai, finally, begins to break, and she givves until she has to gasp for breath.

Donatello has posed:
    And so, this is how Donatello came to be kneeling in the park, late at night, with a holographic sunshine sticker on his nose. The TURTLE raises a hand to offer the girls a wave as they head home, likely to tell their parents a story that won't be believed. Donatello lowers his hand and takes in a deep, lungful of air and watches Kainashi laugh at him. He leaves the sticker on his nose, though -- entirely content to let Kainashi enjoy her moment.

    Donatello rises and stands there, watching Kainashi. He has a holographic sticker on his nose and his arms folded across his chest. "Well," he begins, good-naturedly. "That is not how I thought this would go."

Kainashi has posed:
    "No, not bad for a walk in the park though, huh?" Kainashi gives a grin, and closes the gap between the two a little.

    "It's a good look for you, Frog-Tortoise Man." she jokes, and she boops him right on the nose -- very, very gently.

Donatello has posed:
    Donatello's eyes go crossed as he follows Kainashi's finger to the tip of his nose, normalizing once she pulls it back. Donatello gives her a *look*. "Very funny," he adds, a smirk growing on his face. Still, he leaves the sticker. It makes Kai happy and that's enough of a reason to leave it there.

    Donnie looks away for a moment, really a moment of thought, before his eyes lower to his belt. He pulls his Shell Phone from there, and talks into it. "Miyagi!" he begins with some authority in his voice. "Find all families in New York City with at least two children, one named Mina and one named Natalie." After a pause, Donnie closes the Shell Phone and tucks it back into his belt. It would be some time for a response. "To check that they get home okay," he explains to Kai, smiling.

    And so, as Kai closes the gap between them a bit, Donnie closes the rest and smiles down at her. "I made Miyagi to find the guy who captured you. It doesn't work great," he admits, looking slightly embarrassed.

Kainashi has posed:
    "Mi-ya-gee?" Kai questions, looking at the Shell phone and then back up at Donnie, thinking perhaps it was a yet unknown sibling! And when he explains that Miyaji is made for finding The Bomb...

    She blinks, and her ears flick back a moment.

    "Ah, well... what... what is a Miyagi?" she questions, and looks at the phone a little more carefully. "Is it a person? Computer person? Like a robot?"

Donatello has posed:
    It might have been an expected question, but Donnie doesn't have a prepared answer. "Uh," he begins. "Miyagi is on my computer back at home." He thinks about that for a second and then shakes his head. "Not a person, though -- it is designed to find information and cross-reference to other information. It has been searching online ever since it started working. I heard that Tony Stark made something like that, and, well, I'm just as smart as he is!" Sure, Donnie. Sure.

    "I named it after Mister Miyagi, from the Karate Kid movies, since he was so helpful. Those movies are great!" Donnie adds with a smile. A deep learning neural network is not interesting, but Pat Morita is!

    Donatello takes a breath and then reconsiders his answer. "I guess I'm pretending it's a person," he adds, a touch embarrassed. He looks away. It's a rare glimpse of who Donnie might admire -- it would seem that genius iconoclasts like Tony Stark are up there on his list.

Kainashi has posed:
    Pat Morita is never a bad answer. Kainashi, though, isn't up on her 1980's movies, and she rubs the back of her head a moment, and then gives a nod. "I beleive you're as smart as this Stark guy is, but I've never met a Stark. I don't /think/ I've met a stark." she rubs the back of her head again, her ears giving a rise as she looks.

    "So Miyagi would be able to say if the two girls got home safely then?"

Donatello has posed:
    As Kai mentions that she believes Donatello is as smart as the Stark guy, Donatello blushes a touch. He knows it's not true. "Oh, that's nice of you, Kai," he begins, embarrassed. "But Tony Stark is one of the smartest humans who have ever lived." There's a pause before he offerss two more words to explain: "Iron Man."

    And then, Kai asks about whether Miyagi could say if the girls got home safe. "Uh," Donnie begins, now even more embarrassed. "Uh, no...It couldn't. But, you know, it could at least figure out where they live and, you know, I could go check...Maybe tomorrow." By the end of that sentence, Donatello's enthusiasm for the whole thing sounds like it may have run out. That would have been a really great feature, but, no, Miyagi couldn't do that, and Donatello wishes -- above all things, right now -- that it could do that. If for no other reason than to tell Kai that it could.

Kainashi has posed:
    "Iron Man -- so Tony Stark's a robot? Or... made of iron?" she questions, and she gives a smile, and she turns her nose to the wind.

    "All right, so Miyagi can tell us where they live. If you can get us there, I can tell you if they made it home."

Donatello has posed:
@emit
    Donatello shakes his head, but then squints and shrugs. "I think it's a special armor he made," Donnie explains, though now not too sure himself. That's an area of Tony Stark's life that the turtle wasn't as interested in. He takes a breath and then shrugs.

    But then, Kai expects an immediate response from Miyagi. Donatello takes another breath and opens the screen. He closes his eyes really tight, nervous, and opens them again. Nothing.. "Uh," he begins, now really embarrassed with himself. He takes just a slight step away and stares at the device's screen. "Kai...Miyagi doesn't work that well. It's probably going to be a while before it works this out." He takes another breath and lets it out. "That's kind of why I haven't found Don the Bomb, yet. Miyagi..."

    "Miyagi is kind of junk." He lowers his eyes.

Kainashi has posed:
    Kai pauses, and then she frowns. And she rubs the back of her head, and looks down, digging her toes into the dirt a little bit before she looks up at Donatello, and then gets squarely underneath him so her amber eyes can peer up at his.

    "So, Miyagi is learning. Like I am." she states, trying to turn it into something positive.

Donatello has posed:
    As Kai invades his little bubble of sorrow, a smile slowly forms on Donatello's face. Her positivity is impossible to ignore. "Yeah," he agrees, the smile lingering "That's right. The Miyagi algorithm is designed to improve the more it does. So, eventually, and I mean /eventually/, it will be really good at things." His eyes dart away for a moment before moving back to return Kainashi's gaze. By now, his smile is bright -- how could it not be?

    "...Thanks, Kai."

    Taking a deep breath, Donnie moves his arms forward to bring them around Kainashi.

Kainashi has posed:
    And Kainashi lets him. She keeps her arms at her side, but she leans in against his plasteron. She's warm. Her tail wags as Donatello holds her.

    "You're smart, and you make smart things. Sometimes, making something really good takes time. Especially something as smart as Miyagi's gonna be!" she replies in a gentle voice.

Donatello has posed:
    Donatello smiles, resting his chin on the top of Kainashi's head for a moment, looking off into the distance. "Yeah, well, it can't get worse!" he answers, laughing a little under his breath. Donatello gives Kai a gentle squeeze and then lets her go. "I'm still working on it."

    Taking in another breath of the chilled air, Donnie folds his arms across his chest once more and then glances over his shoulder. "Maybe we should head back the way we came," he wonders aloud.

Kainashi has posed:
    It's a good thing that Kai is short. Donatello's head rests neatly atop hers, right between her ears (which give a wiggle against him. She gives a grin, and turns her nose upward and presses that chill bit of leather to the underside of his cheek.

     "Ooooor, we could go out this way, climb a fire escape an' we'll have to part ways." Kai frowns. "Alopex will be extra worried. If she didn't follow us out." she states quietly. "But... I wanted to come out and see you and make sure you're okay." she states quietly, rubbing the back of her head.

Donatello has posed:
    Donatello smiles a bit as Kai turns her nose upward, against his cheek. He looks down at her, his brow rising a touch at something that was just said. Donatello pushes the gate open a touch so that they can head out, as Kainashi described.

    "Make sure that /I'm/ okay? Why?" he wonders aloud. "You're the one who was hurt..."

Kainashi has posed:
    Kai gives a smile as she slips through the gate.

    "... well... because you care about things, and you worry, and you can overthink things. I didn't want you to overethink things an' get hurt." she explains quietly, giving a sheepish smile.

Donatello has posed:
    Donatello lowers his eyes, returning the smile as he steps through the gate after Kainashi. "Yeah," he admits, grinning a bit. "I guess you're right. If I worry too much I might create an artificial intelligence agent." He closes the gate behind them and looks across the street for a servicable fire escape. This time of night, the side street on this side of the park has little in the way of street traffic -- an easy time for our mutant heroes to get across! Donnie looks left, then right, then left again, and trots across the street towards the alley.

    "At least it can't rise up and destroy us one day," he muses.

Kainashi has posed:
    "Oh, well, if it tries, I'll teach it a thing or two." Kai replies with a smile and a tail wag, moving her way to follow Donatello through the darkness.

Donatello has posed:
    "This one looks good," Donatello decides.

    Without delay, the turtle climbs up a hanging ladder onto the lowest fire escape and then leaps off of it, across the gap in the alley, and onto a higher fire escape on the opposite building. From there, he climbs up the top few feet of a drain pipe attached to the side of the building and slips over the half-wall that runs the perimeter of the building's roof. Once up there, Donnie looks over the railing and down at the alley. A hand is extended, briefly, to assist Kai, but he retracts it quickly, remembering the pencils.