9416/April in October

April in October
Date of Scene:	03 October 2019
Location:	April's Apartment - Brooklyn
Synopsis:	Leonardo comes to April's place to give her a rundown on recent events, as she does with him in return. They swap some stories, some vitamin waters, and he gets some keys to a sweet farm in the middle of no where.
Cast of Characters:	Leonardo, April O'Neil

---

Leonardo has posed:
For once, Leonardo texted ahead. 'April, can we talk? Your place?' was all he tapped out on his phone, and once he got the answer he left the Lair en route to the building Sunny Rose Antiques lived in and, by extension, the apartment above that was the home of one April O'Neil. He went for the usual balcony approach, looking for no surprises one way or another this time around, a short two-tap knock heralding his arrival at the expected time. He came decked out like normal, meaning the swords and other ninja tools.

April O'Neil has posed:
Between Harley Quinn, Vampires and... Casey Jones... April has to deal with a lot of uninvited drop-ins. Having someone actually text-ahead to let her know they're coming over? Thats a novelty she doesn't often get to experience!

So when Leo knocks, April's there pretty quickly to let him inside. Wearing yellow exercise pants, a white top and some fuzzy red slippers on her feet, April smiles in a greeting to the leader of the turtles.

"Hey, whats up?" She asks as he comes on inside the familiar apartment. "Everything okay?" There's concern there, she's always concerned about her friends.

Leonardo has posed:
"Thanks, April," Leo says, slipping inside. Some others may prefer to call her 'Ape' but more often than not he uses the full name. Maybe it's a respect thing. Besides, her name is short enough. It's not like using 'Mikey' in place of 'Michelangelo.' An initial looking over will show he appears his normal self, but there is a lingering tightness to his body language, a weariness in his eyes and expression.

He asks her, "You doing well?" before admitting, "Things haven't been that great, to be honest." He appears suddenly evasive, seeking out something to study in the apartment other than the closest friend of the turtles.

April O'Neil has posed:
April is still moving around picking up a few things and cleaning up her apartment, she had some guests over last night, a small handful of friends since her social circle had been growing larger with the podcast doing better seemingly every week.

A grin is shown to Leo and she walks through the living room toward the kitchen where there's a trash bin just inside the doorway to. "I'm great. No complaints. Well, I mean...." She steps back into the living room and motions to the sofa. "Harley Quinn slept there the other night, fell asleep watching cartoons and drinking coffee that was filled with black pepper powder."

April crosses her arms over her stomach then. "When I woke up, she was gone. No sign of her... I think we're 'best friends' now? So... yeah, I might get kidnapped by her someday... fair warning."

Leonardo has posed:
"Harley Quinn?" Leonardo appears not to know the name. He glances around again, then decides to simply take a kneeling spot in the middle of the room rather than go for a chair or the sofa. It's the sort of position that, for most others, would seem out of place, but in his case it looks normal, natural. A first step toward meditation.

He comments, a dry tone in there, "It's been a while since someone's kidnapped you. I thought you would have outgrown that by now." The smile? Not completely forced.

April O'Neil has posed:
April just leans back against the entertainment center, the corner-of and sort've perches on it there as she stares at him. "You didn't watch that episode of my show?" She asks, not offended of course, he's busy. "God, look her up online if you can. This is a girl who will fill a city bus up with dynamite just to try and reenact that old movie. She's... former girlfriend of the Joker? One of Gotham's wild criminals. I did an interview with her on the podcast. Went all the way out to Gotham's horribly ineffective insane asylum..." April draws in a breath then and shakes her head dismissing her own words.

"Anyway, yeah. I don't -want- to be kidnapped. Trust me. My friend Vanessa, you met her, she wants me to get a gun. But yeah... not quite there yet." She nods once toward him. "So whats up with you? Mikey was here a few days ago, came in just to take some food and said he had to run."

Leonardo has posed:
Leonardo would be tugging at the side of his collar if he was the shirt-wearing type. There's still a hand gesture near the area. Perhaps he's seen it in others. "I guess I missed that one, but she sounds like the sort of person you really shouldn't be having here for sleepovers, you know," he says, a note of concern at the edge of his voice. "You're going to make me worry, and.." He cuts himself off, but the expression says it all. Socializing with someone like that just doesn't make him feel comfortable.

"Ahh, I don't know about a gun, but you could always train sometime, maybe?" Figures he'd touch on the idea of training and honing a martial art. Then he admits, "We have to get out of town for a week or two. I may have kind of fallen asleep trying to play a game just to relax, and some of the others tell me I need a 'break.'" He uses the air quotes for the last word. "So I told them maybe we can all go to the farm."

April O'Neil has posed:
April softly laughs at the first part, while her eyes glance away toward the bathroom entrance though she's quick to look back to Leo and shake her head. "I didn't invite her over here. She broke out of Arkham Asylum shortly after our interview and just... I don't even know how she found me, because she seems to have no conceptual knowledge of the internet or how it works, or that it even exists, but... she just was here one afternoon. Brought over some custom coffee mugs with cartoon pictures of our faces on the front--which are moderately adorable admittedly." April's hands go up to push her hair back behind her ears them drop down to the front of her thighs. "She gabbed for a bit, then left. Then, the other night, she just knocked on the door and had four other girls with her dressed up just like her. Said they were from her 'fan club' or some such. I don't know." She sighs then softly, or just exhales heavily.

"The farm?" April asks. "Yeah, you guys can go up there any time you want. Here I have the keys for the place..." She stands up then starts to walk toward her office door. "I don't know if I can get away to go with you, but could maybe come up for a day or two if you're gonna be there for very long."

Leonardo has posed:
Leonardo does not yet possess the wisdom Splinter does. It may be years before he could claim that, if ever. What he does have is a caring, if sometimes overbearing way of trying to look after those that matter to him. "I'm not trying to tell you how to do things, because you're your own person, but you should probably be careful who you interview. I'm going to guess you got a lot of views for that one, but with her deciding it's okay to just come over here..you have to watch your back, is all I'm saying. If she's that unpredictable, anything could set her off."

He remains unmoving, looking over as she starts to head for the location of the keys. "Thanks. We need to get some food and things together, but Raph, Alopex and Pippi..they found me like that the other day, and they don't want me making any plans for while we're there." And he so loves order in his life, discipline.

April O'Neil has posed:
April vanishes inside of her office, which used to be her bedroom when she was little, and a few moments later she emerges after rummaging around for the keys in a drawer of her computer desk. On slippered feet she pads back into the living room and toward Leonardo to offer them to him, a little yellow-haired troll doll keychain attached to them. "Barn key, house key, key for the tool shed behind the barn too and a key for the four wheeler inside the barn... Don't let Mikey have that one." She gives a momentary grin before she sweeps over to one of the sofa chairs and slides down onto it, tucking her left leg under her as she settles in.

"I'm just playing it safe with Harley, as best I can. Maybe she'll get busy and forget about me. Gotham's not exactly right next door after all..." A heavy inhale and then she stares at Leo. "So you guys just desperately need a vacation or something?" She asks of her friend. "You weren't, hurt or anything were you?"

Leonardo has posed:
Still, the field leader of the turtles does not move from his spot. Both Mikey and Donnie would probably be getting into whatever they could by now, eager to play around with April's fanciest toys and gadgets. Raph may brood, but Leo is just...Leo. "Thanks. Do you think we'll need to keep out of sight? Are you expecting anyone else to be there?" he asks, depositing the keys in a side pouch after squinting at the keychain. "Noted, on the four-wheeler. Can't make any guarantees. But it should be the four of us, Alopex, Pippi, and Nemean. Splinter will look after the Lair, and get to watch his shows in peace for once."

Leonardo explains further, "I don't think it's just me being...worn out. It feels like things are always on edge. Shredder keeps adding to his ranks, I think there's something going on with Raph and this Nightwatcher guy but I haven't been able to figure it all out yet, I also think Alopex, Pippi, and Nemean especially need some time away from the city, and..we could all really use a chance to recharge. Of course you're welcome to come by. It's your place."

April O'Neil has posed:
April just softly grins here and there at what Leonardo says. The Shredder bit makes her shake her head though. "Shredder is going to get too big for his own britches and end up with the ire of the Avengers on him, or some such. But he's just capitalizing on the mayhem created by these Sentinels and everything." She sighs softly again. "I've heard the name Nightwatcher, but I haven't gotten much information about that one yet... is Raph fighting them for street territory rights or some such macho bull?" She asks with a slight smirk.

"And no, nobody is going to be around there. The closest property is the Jacobsons place and its thirty miles down the road. Just lock the drive-way fence behind you guys and you shouldn't get any unexpected visitors. But yeah, I'll try to make it out there to check on all of you. I'll check on Splinter too, make sure he doesn't have too much peace and quiet down there all by himself." She says that last part with a soft laugh.

Leonardo has posed:
"He's still our biggest problem, and until that changes we always have to be aware of what he's up to. I think he started focusing on other things while we laid low, but those times are over," Leonardo states with a frown. "I don't know for sure yet about the Nightwatcher. Maybe this..this vacation will help me clear my thoughts on it. Raph's been acting a little weird whenever it comes up."

A thin but more genuine smile shows in his expression after the instructions on locking the gate and April dropping in on Splinter. "I told them not to expect pizza delivery, so we need to bring enough for all of us for a couple weeks. We can't just walk into whatever the closest store is and pick up some groceries. That's why I was hoping you could..you know."

April O'Neil has posed:
"Its hard to tell what is weird behavior for Raphael." April responds with a slight smirk. "I'd love to talk to him though, but I Know he's not that keen on conversations, especially the ones with regard to his current mood and or feelings." The smirk holds a moment longer before she lets it turn into a more pleasant smile. "Yeah, the nearby town there is a pretty old fashioned. I mean, in theory you guys could drive into town, order a pizza for a home or business, then just flag the pizza guy down and pay them direct--- eh, the more I say that out loud the more it sounds like a bad idea."

"I'll definitely swing up there to make sure you're able to get re-supplied. Its only a few hours away after all." Six roughly, give or take your lead footedness. "Sounds like you're going to have a full house on your hands. What are you going to take to get up there?"

Leonardo has posed:
Leonardo just listens to April's musings out loud, letting her figure out for herself what she thinks Raphael may or may not be up for, or how bad an idea it could be for any of them to venture into a small Massachussetts town looking for food. There's only so far their disguises will get them. "We'll figure it out. Donnie's going to want to take the Shellraiser, but that's going to draw attention even on the way, and if we're supposed to be getting away from everything I don't think he should even be working on his inventions or projects."

He adds, shifting gears for a moment, "Before I forget..can you tell me about Vorpal? He's your cousin? I mean, I know the basic story about him already." A sudden question, that.

April O'Neil has posed:
"I can ask Gretchen next door if I can borrow her van for a week or so, tell her I'm headed up to Boston and need to take a bunch of my gear with me." April suggests as far as transportation goes. "It might smell like dog hair inside it, but... she used to run a pet groomer business where she'd come to your house to groom the dogs. She's barely able to walk now, that thing's just sitting out back in the alley spaces." A glance is given toward the alley windows, then she looks back to Leo when he speaks of Vorpal.

She shows a slight grin. "Tommy, is what I grew up knowing him as. But yes. He's my cousin." She states, then draws in a breath. "We have the same birthday in fact, though I'm a few years older than him. He used to go to the farm with us now and then when we'd take trips there. He was there when I broke my arm in the barn in fact. Back when I thought I could fly." She grins again. "He's a sweet guy. Now that he has... the powers that he does, I believe he's become a staple in the Titans out of Metropolis. I don't get to see him as often as I'd like. We ate Angelo's though for lunch just last month. That was the last time I spoke to him."

"Did you run into him?" She then asks.

Leonardo has posed:
Leonardo's brows knit together. "Are you sure about that? We wouldn't want to damage it at all. And..I don't think dog smell will be that big a deal, but her pets might wonder what was going on after we bring it back."

The fact Tommy/Vorpal is confirmed as April's cousin draws a nod. "That's what he told me, yeah." He rubs the back of his head, adjusting the mask as he lets out a little sniff of air from his nostrils. "We met. He was going around invisible but he gave himself away, then he, ah, demonstrated the portals he can make. We ended up talking in Paris." He doesn't look like he knows what to make of the whole thing yet.

April O'Neil has posed:
April laughs softly at the bit about the van and its return. "She only has two little dogs now that never go outside. Mitsy and Pancake. They're the ones who're always barking any time someone knocks a trash can over in the alley out there. Uuuusually a cat. Or Mikey." April holds a slight grin then before she tilts her head to the second part.

"Tommy took you to Paris?" She does a 'wow' motion with her lips. "I've never even gone to Paris. Thats pretty wild. I didn't know his powers could even do that. I know he flashes them around a lot, but he's never really explained what all they can and can't do... and... I've been a bit reluctant to ask. I don't know why, I probably should. Maybe its jealousy, I don't know." She draws in a breath, clears her throat and shakes her head. "I always was the one who wanted to be the super hero in the family, I used to drive people crazy talking about it." A faint smirk is shown then.

"But yeah, he's good, don't worry. He'll help you guys out however you need him to."

Leonardo has posed:
"I've heard them, then," Leonardo deadpans. The dogs have almost given his presence away once or twice, even. So, maybe he's not too concerned about them getting freaked out with Pippi's scent in the van, or Alopex's, or Nemean's. "The van sounds like a great idea, April," he decides a little too quickly, too easily.

Then he clears his throat. "Yeah, on a rooftop there. After he freaked me out showing off some of the other places and things he could do with them. And..it's crazy what happened to him, but that doesn't make you any less of a hero to us. You're more of our lifeline to the world up here than anyone else. I know we might not be around as much or talk all the time, but we still need you in different ways. You help keep things held together for us." He sounds genuine in saying it, giving her the easiest-coming smile since dropping by.

"But Vorpal, or Tommy..I don't know what to make of him yet. He vouches for you and it sounds like he's a good guy, but I just left feeling confused," Leo admits.

April O'Neil has posed:
"I'll give her a call tonight and pick the keys up for the van tomorrow morning, should be great and perfect." April says then with a soft smile.

A light shake of her head then. "Don't fret on Vorpal. He's pretty busy with the Titans, you probably won't see him a whole lot. But when he is around, he'll be a valuable resource, especially if I've been captured by the Clown Queen of Gotham. In that case, I'll definitely demand you call him to ask him to... portal me to Paris, or just back here, back here would be fine, I suppose." She grins lightly again before she moves to stand up.

"Do you want something to drink or eat?" She asks on her way to the kitchen again. "And, yeah... I know you guys need my help. I just wish I could do more. I know, 'train to fight'. I tried to pay for lessons last year, until my trainer asked me out... then it got weird." She mumbles that last part on her way through the kitchen doorway.

Leonardo has posed:
"Sounds like a plan," Leonardo says, then he rubs around his eyes. Must still be tired, as if he's not getting enough sleep. Too much crammed into his schedule? Not hard to imagine.

He muses, "I'll need to meet him again sometime to figure out more of what I think, but if he can get into and out of a place, just in case you, you know.." He gestures with a hand. Kidnapping. It's almost a thing for some people. "Let's just hope it doesn't get to that point, right?"

Then he moves to his feet again, slowly and with determination. "There's nothing wrong with being normal. Most people are normal. You can still do things that matter, and you can shed light on things that need people's attention." He doesn't quite laugh, but there's a brief snort. "You wouldn't have to worry about Splinter putting you on the spot like that, and I can help as well." The unspoken thing there is Leo..has not had any relationships yet. No real concerns there.

"And thanks for the offer. Could I get something to go? I hate to chat and run, but I need to let the others know we've got things worked out," he asks, an apologetic way about him now.

April O'Neil has posed:
April is opening the fridge door while Leonardo speaks, she can hear him and has heard him say similar things before. As she pulls out a pair of peach vitamin water bottles from the fridge she hip-checks the door shut and walks back to him to offer him one, while also offering a smile. "I just don't want to disappoint you guys." She says to him then. "Thats why I haven't wanted to do training with ya'll. I was afraid that if I wasn't good at it, well..." She trails off then and shakes her head then smiles. "Its dumb, don't worry about it. I'll jump in on any sessions you think I could though. I learned a bit about grapples and throws, but not too much."

With a light nod she opens up her own bottle and takes a sip of it. "I'll bring the van keys by soon as I get ahold of them and let me know how things go with Tommy."

Leonardo has posed:
"You know you're welcome around the Lair any time. I'm sure our newer..our new family would be eager to get to know you better," Leonardo suggests, waving off some of her concerns with the hand that soon ends up with the bottle of flavored water, which he sniffs at curiously once he's removed the top. A sampling follows, a thoughtful look in place. "Nobody's good at training right away. That's why you keep doing it, to improve. We'll find something you can keep on you that won't be too difficult to use in a pinch, if you want."

The visit winds down, and Leonardo adds, "I'll do that," when asked to keep her in the loop about Tommy. "And I'll see you soon. We were thinking of leaving over the weekend."