Casey Jones Jr. (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
apuckalypse) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
faesphere2023-10-16 04:40 am
apuckalypse) wrote in faesphere2023-10-16 04:40 am
Life in the Apocalypse
Dumping ground for Earth 2044 shenanigans.
[It's probably godawful o'clock, but morning tends to be when the most happens at base, so right before the rest of the resistance rouses themselves, Casey's sneaking back into the Hamato 'residence' (which is basically just one of the nicer caves, big enough to fit them all) and draping himself over one of the blanketed turtle shells in the pile, channelling his best lion-cub-at-dawn energy.]
Senseeeeei. Wake up, it's morning.
Senseeeeei. Wake up, it's morning.
[He'd been laying here for a few minutes now. Listening to his family breathe and rest, listening out for anything. But he felt Casey stepping in and lets him drape. He keeps his voice down, wanting his brothers to get as much sleep as they can.]
Hmmm.... five more minutes.
Hmmm.... five more minutes.
[Hmm, indeed. Casey considers the request; very reasonable. It is still early, and getting a full night of sleep is rare these days. On the other hand - and he leans in really close, his chin resting on the very tip of Leo's shell, hands drumming quietly on the carapace-]
Uncle Tello said to not let you sleep in. He said to tell you the leaves are ready now.
[He doesn't know exactly what all of that means, but he knows they've been working on some special greenhouse project for months now, so with all that effort coming to fruition, the idea of waiting five more minutes sounds agonizing. He wants to see what it's all for!]
Uncle Tello said to not let you sleep in. He said to tell you the leaves are ready now.
[He doesn't know exactly what all of that means, but he knows they've been working on some special greenhouse project for months now, so with all that effort coming to fruition, the idea of waiting five more minutes sounds agonizing. He wants to see what it's all for!]
[Oops, up he goes as Leo sits up, clinging to his back. He grins over Leo's shoulder and nods, balancing a very careful line between excited and hushed for the sake of the rest of the room.]
Yeah!
Yeah!
[Leo just smiles even wider and starts to get to his feet, the thin sheet tangled up with his feet for a second. He isn't even gonna bother grabbing his scarf or anything.]
Hang on. [To his shell. Piggyback this, kid. He'll check to make sure his family is still asleep before carefully stepping out and starting down the hall. Once he's on the loose, he's moving.]
Did he say which leaves?
Hang on. [To his shell. Piggyback this, kid. He'll check to make sure his family is still asleep before carefully stepping out and starting down the hall. Once he's on the loose, he's moving.]
Did he say which leaves?
[Like a baby monkey he's clinging, always happy to piggyback.]
He just said they're labeled and that you'd know. In his corner of the greenhouse?
He just said they're labeled and that you'd know. In his corner of the greenhouse?
Got it.
["They're". Multiple. God. He'd kill for some actual good tea about now, it's only been how many years? Too long if he's honest. He'd liked tea when he was younger, but he didn't realize the full depth of the loss until he'd started getting older and missed it. Such a simple pleasure.
He rounds the corner to head toward his brother's greenhouse - a larger section they'd closed off and sealed for the sake of science and regrowth. Anything to make sure the soil and seeds and water supply inside wouldn't get contaminated with anything once they were sure they would be at this base for a long time. A rare perk of being the leader is having his bio-scan work for almost every lock.]
When did he tell you?
["They're". Multiple. God. He'd kill for some actual good tea about now, it's only been how many years? Too long if he's honest. He'd liked tea when he was younger, but he didn't realize the full depth of the loss until he'd started getting older and missed it. Such a simple pleasure.
He rounds the corner to head toward his brother's greenhouse - a larger section they'd closed off and sealed for the sake of science and regrowth. Anything to make sure the soil and seeds and water supply inside wouldn't get contaminated with anything once they were sure they would be at this base for a long time. A rare perk of being the leader is having his bio-scan work for almost every lock.]
When did he tell you?
Mm... a few hours ago. [When he went to bed, because it's Uncle Tello and his sleep schedule is a hot mess as usual.] He said, [and here Leo is graced with Casey's very best tired-Uncle-Tello voice,] "Explaining this is Nardo's job, go back to sleep."
[And since usually Donatello will jump at the chance to explain his scientific genius, he figures either he's that exhausted from trying to get this project done in time for some undisclosed deadline, or he's throwing sensei a bone. Or maybe both. He had been really tired about it, albeit proud.]
[And since usually Donatello will jump at the chance to explain his scientific genius, he figures either he's that exhausted from trying to get this project done in time for some undisclosed deadline, or he's throwing sensei a bone. Or maybe both. He had been really tired about it, albeit proud.]
Edited 2023-10-16 09:45 (UTC)
[He chuckles at that as the door opens and he walks them inside. Really, Casey on his back is like a pillow with how light he feels.] Good try. Keep practicing and you'll get his voice down. A little higher up in the back of the throat.
[But he walks past the sun lamps and plant beds, the counters with seeds Donnie is clearly still working on. No, he goes straight to the real final work bench where Donnie does most of the work. And there are several sealed jars with labels.]
Think these are it?
[But he walks past the sun lamps and plant beds, the counters with seeds Donnie is clearly still working on. No, he goes straight to the real final work bench where Donnie does most of the work. And there are several sealed jars with labels.]
Think these are it?
[It's all the malnourishment
Casey tries the line again, under his breath, and tries to implement Leo's advice. (Almost sounds better, actually. Huh.) He's quickly distracted by the scenery, though, and he peers around the greenhouse curiously- usually he doesn't go in here, kids aren't typically permitted in the food stores because everything is so delicate, so he's taking in the sights while he's able. Looks the same as it ever does, with multiple experiments ongoing, the scent of different types of soil and growth wafting in the air. Not much should be growing underground, but somehow they make it work. Uncle Tello makes it work, at least.
When they reach the last table, Casey leans over his shoulder to spot the jars, and points to one on the end.]
That one for sure! I saw him writing on the jar in his lab.
Casey tries the line again, under his breath, and tries to implement Leo's advice. (Almost sounds better, actually. Huh.) He's quickly distracted by the scenery, though, and he peers around the greenhouse curiously- usually he doesn't go in here, kids aren't typically permitted in the food stores because everything is so delicate, so he's taking in the sights while he's able. Looks the same as it ever does, with multiple experiments ongoing, the scent of different types of soil and growth wafting in the air. Not much should be growing underground, but somehow they make it work. Uncle Tello makes it work, at least.
When they reach the last table, Casey leans over his shoulder to spot the jars, and points to one on the end.]
That one for sure! I saw him writing on the jar in his lab.
[Casey considers that.]
He didn't sound like he was joking. He did all the same stuff he always does when he's making something really cool. [Pulling all-nighters, holing himself up in his lab for days, talking cryptically about this or that, bragging about his genius once he hit some kind of breakthrough. Then the nonchalance with which he announced the project's success.
If this is important like that, it's definitely not a prank.]
He didn't sound like he was joking. He did all the same stuff he always does when he's making something really cool. [Pulling all-nighters, holing himself up in his lab for days, talking cryptically about this or that, bragging about his genius once he hit some kind of breakthrough. Then the nonchalance with which he announced the project's success.
If this is important like that, it's definitely not a prank.]
That's definitely his 'serious something really cool' mode...
[He's so afraid to hope for this one. It's such a personal thing, something from their old lives. A memory. He carefully twists open the top and lifts it up to see the jar full of loose leaves and some other things mixed with it. He leans it close to smell and-]
Ohmigosh it's real. [Leo holds it up to his shoulder for Casey to smell.] Smell that- don't take a big whiff. Just a little sniff.
[He's so afraid to hope for this one. It's such a personal thing, something from their old lives. A memory. He carefully twists open the top and lifts it up to see the jar full of loose leaves and some other things mixed with it. He leans it close to smell and-]
Ohmigosh it's real. [Leo holds it up to his shoulder for Casey to smell.] Smell that- don't take a big whiff. Just a little sniff.
[Casey sniffs - he means to go little and ends up going a bit too big - and scrunches up his nose. It's not totally unpleasant, but it's like nothing he's ever smelled before.]
It smells weird... what is it?
It smells weird... what is it?
[Leo laughs a little at that reaction; he remembers he'd done the same thing when he was that age. He pulls the canister back to himself and smiles down at the leaves.]
It's tea. Well - tea leaves, you make tea from this. But it's been something we've all been missing.
It's tea. Well - tea leaves, you make tea from this. But it's been something we've all been missing.
Oh... tea.
[He remembers hearing that word plenty of times before. It was brought up alongside coffee as a thing dearly missed in the apocalypse, especially with tensions running high and most people too exhausted to make it through the day without something to take the edge off. Everyone made it sound like it was really wonderful, and sensei seems happy to see it again.]
...Are you gonna make some?
[He remembers hearing that word plenty of times before. It was brought up alongside coffee as a thing dearly missed in the apocalypse, especially with tensions running high and most people too exhausted to make it through the day without something to take the edge off. Everyone made it sound like it was really wonderful, and sensei seems happy to see it again.]
...Are you gonna make some?
I am absolutely going to make some. Just gotta get some clean water and a burner to boil it on.
[Clean water around here is precious and this being his first taste of tea in a couple decades, he wants it to be perfect. So Donnie will have to forgive him. He sets the canister into Casey's hands and starts fussing around the rest of the green room. He manages to put together a small bowl of clean water.]
Okay, we aaaare not doing this in here, he'll kill me if anything happens to the plants. So! How about a field trip to the kitchen? Only if you don't tell.
[Clean water around here is precious and this being his first taste of tea in a couple decades, he wants it to be perfect. So Donnie will have to forgive him. He sets the canister into Casey's hands and starts fussing around the rest of the green room. He manages to put together a small bowl of clean water.]
Okay, we aaaare not doing this in here, he'll kill me if anything happens to the plants. So! How about a field trip to the kitchen? Only if you don't tell.
[Casey tucks the jar in between himself and Leo's shell, curling around it protectively as he holds on, as if it's the most precious of treasures. Hearing the excited tone in his sensei's voice makes him excited to see what tea is like, too. Weird smell and all.]
I won't tell. But I bet this is why Uncle Tello said to do it this early.
[He has magic cameras everywhere, he'll definitely know. But he can keep this as their secret from everyone else.]
I won't tell. But I bet this is why Uncle Tello said to do it this early.
[He has magic cameras everywhere, he'll definitely know. But he can keep this as their secret from everyone else.]
[Oh Donnie is definitely going to know. But it's nothing if not a show for the kid. Leo gives him a wink before heading to the galley. No one is in there this early except some of the night watch on break. And it's nothing for him to pull up one of the small burners to set the bowl of water on.]
All right. So. We're gonna heat this water up so it's nice and toasty, and then we're gonna take it off the burner, put some leaves in- once I find a suitable strainer, oh should've done that first - and then the hot water will be infused [He says it like he learned it one day and has been proud ever since] with the flavor of the leaves.
All right. So. We're gonna heat this water up so it's nice and toasty, and then we're gonna take it off the burner, put some leaves in- once I find a suitable strainer, oh should've done that first - and then the hot water will be infused [He says it like he learned it one day and has been proud ever since] with the flavor of the leaves.
[Casey carefully crawls up to perch on Leo's shoulder instead, the shell supporting him from behind, giving him full view of what Leo is doing, and freeing his hands up to hold the jar of leaves. Why is it always leaves?]
That's a lot of steps. You don't just eat them?
[Is this like when Uncle Mikey told him there was a whole recipe for soup that was like 90% leaves, is sensei the one playing a jokey joke this time?]
That's a lot of steps. You don't just eat them?
[Is this like when Uncle Mikey told him there was a whole recipe for soup that was like 90% leaves, is sensei the one playing a jokey joke this time?]
[Casey is quiet for a long moment, peering down at the jar with a newfound fascination. His voice is hushed as he says at last,]
Leaves you don't have to eat... whoa.
[Suddenly he likes tea for that reason alone.]
Leaves you don't have to eat... whoa.
[Suddenly he likes tea for that reason alone.]
[Casey crawls forward a bit, halfway hanging off so he can watch the process more closely. It's nothing too fancy, but life in a resistance base in hiding for a kid can be kind of boring, with far fewer options for entertainment, so every new thing is at least a little fascinating.]
...It smells different now.
...It smells different now.
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