9448/Rooftop Roaming

Rooftop Roaming
Date of Scene:	04 October 2019
Location:	The rooftops of New York
Synopsis:	Leonardo and Vorpal catch up before a trip.
Cast of Characters:	Leonardo

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Vorpal (87) has posed:
The rooftops are a good place to think, when you need to get away from the hustle and the bustle and needed to be alone with your thoughts. Tonight, the wind is a little chillier, Autumn has asserted itself more, and people are less likely to crowd in the streets or stop for too long, more likely to dash indoors for heat, food, drink and other things people do.

Vorpal, however, is fine. His coat is more than apt at providing him the warmth he needs. And, besides, he doesn't feel like hanging out in big crowds right at the moment. Bare feet dangling off the side of the building, he looks down at the streets, always on the lookout for crime should it come to happen in his vicinity... but for the moment, he is content to just think. And occasionally let out a sigh.

Leonardo has posed:
Thinking, at least thinking clearly, has been a struggle for Leonardo lately. Too many distractions, too many things to think about. It's how he fell asleep just trying to relax with a video game, how Pippi, Raphael, and then Alopex showed concern in their own ways. It's how he went to see April and how their plans for a jaunt out of town are coming to fruition.

Still, the turtle attempts to get out and clear those thoughts, but the mind is clouded, distracted, full of fluff - though not as much as what makes up Alopex's tail. He tries to distract himself by using the rooftops to get around while going to pick up something for the trip, but his attention fluctuates again. This time, it's for a particular reason. A brow raises. Is that...?

He's spotted someone on a nearby rooftop, and for the initial moments he fades into shadow, darkness.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
The Cheshire cat sighs and leans back on his hands. He kicks idly at the empty air, trying to shake the leaden feeling that has been threatening to weigh him down for the last couple of days. He's not being very successful.

His phone buzzes. It is set by his side, on the ledge, because there is nowhere in that costume where he could store a phone. He unlocks it quickly and then glances at the screen, rolls his eyes and then puts the phone down again. "Yeah, eff you too..." he mutters, looking down at the street once more.

Leonardo has posed:
"Something got you down, cat?" The voice Vorpal would hear is that of someone he met not long ago, one Leonardo of that group of turtles. "You don't look too happy about something." In the time it's taken Vorpal to handle the phone call, the ninja has crossed buildings to stop no more than a few feet behind him, hands at his sides, expression wondering.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
At the first word, Vorpal turns around, claws at the ready -just in case- but then his demeanor relaxes as the quality of the voice registers in his mind. He relaxes visibly and draws his legs up to set his feet on the ledge with the rest of his body.

"Hey there turtle... yeah, you could say so. People suck." He smirks a little, and looks up at Leonardo, "Fancy meeting you here." Realizing there's a chance for a bad line to be used, he makes use of it. "You come here often?" he says, gesturing to the rooftop.

Leonardo has posed:
Leonardo's tone is..a cross between the usual, at least as far as what Vorpal heard over a short time, and somewhat weary, tired, in need of a recharge. The stance he takes as the feline spins toward him is an initially defensive one, but it passes. "Quick reactions. Good," he says, as if analyzing what he's just seen.

"I don't disagree, but why do they suck in this case?" he wonders, curious enough to ask the question. "I've been by here before," is as much as he seems willing to share for the moment.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
"Just... something I had my heart set on is falling apart because of petty, stupid nonsense. It seems to be a common theme in my life that any time I rely on someone..." he shrugs.

Vorpal takes an appraising look of the turtle, having heard the tone in his voice, and frowns. "You look a little run down. Take a seat," he says, patting the space next to him on the ledge, grabbing his phone and tossing it over the edge.

A rabbit hole appears just in time to catch it, and the phone falls on top of a bed before the portal collapses.

Leonardo has posed:
Frowning, Leonardo takes a couple steps closer, but rather than sitting the way Vorpal does, he begins to sink toward a kneeling position one might take when preparing to meditate. Before he says anything, his natural instinct is to reach out to grab the phone from falling and breaking, only to pause at the sight of the portal taking it away somewhere. He shakes his head and finds a low chuckle following. "You and your tricks," he comments.

Then he returns to the first part of what Vorpal brought up. "I've had some long days and nights. Something you want to share, though? I know how people can be."

Vorpal (87) has posed:
"Just that there was a chance of me getting back into media. You know, I used to write for an online publication before my transformation... was an alright publication. Covered superhero stuff... then it got sold to some seedy sleazy company that dealt in rumor-mongering and scandal. So I quit and it sort of burned many of my bridges. There was an opportunity..." he shrugs, "But it's getting ruined by stupid drama and people being unecessarily stupid." He exhales softly and looks over to Leonardo. "How about you, Leo? What's making you look so worn down?"

Leonardo has posed:
Leonardo grimaces. "I've never had to worry about jobs like people do." No, his responsibilities lie in a completely different set of job requirements, ones he doesn't even get paid for. "So you and April both got into media things," he adds, a briefly thoughtful expression showing as he considers this. "Unfortunately I don't know how I can help you get around that, but it's good of you to stay above that kind of reporting. April's good like that, too."

He only adds, "Responsibilities can be hard. Looking after people to make sure they're safe..harder." Without getting into too many details on that side of things, the turtle with the blue mask explains, "My..people and I are going out of town to see if it helps us."

Vorpal (87) has posed:
Vorpal nods slowly. "You don't need to help me, Leo. I'd wish there were a way, but nowadays it just seems like... eh." He shrugs, and looks back at the blue-masked turtle. "Going on vacation? A bit of holiday to shake off the blues and the stress? Hey, that could work. I could use one myself, if I weren't in the middle of school and all of that nonsense." He scoots closer, "I imagine you're going off to some secret hideout in a remote island where you'll train under watefall and meditate in tastefully arranged gardens."

Leonardo has posed:
"Helping people is sort of what we do, and I'm guessing that's what the Titans are all about as well," Leonardo states. He knows the difference between good guys and bad, heroes and villains. "But that doesn't help someone with a job, does it?" he seems to realize, shaking his head briefly.

The vacation talk leads to him admitting, "One of my brothers and a couple of our newer friends caught me dozing off playing a video game, and it sort of came out that maybe we all need a break. I talked to April and she's letting us go up to her farm." A hairless brow slides upward, not so much at Vorpal moving closer, but more to see his reaction to this.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
"Oh man that place is awesome! I'm jealous now. Had many a good summer there... heh... there's a barn where April used to ju..." he stops himself "Nevermind, she'll kill me if I tell you that story. But that place has some good memories. " He smiles, with a tinge of nostalgia, "Simpler times. And we were much simpler too. When you're a kid you have this unwavering belief that you will make a difference someday..."

He acquires an inward type of look, as one reminiscing, "And the area looks real nice in the Autumn, too. Kind of sad in winter, though, so you're going at the right time."

Leonardo has posed:
Leonardo shares, "We caught up on a few things that have been going on lately." He doesn't indicate exactly which things, though. "I guess she did a podcast with Harley Quinn, and now she's visiting her like they're best friends. I heard she's trouble, so I'm a little worried about April. I told her she could come see us to do some training, and I hope she takes us up on it. The alternative is a gun." It doesn't sound as if he approves very much of that as a next step.

"But..anyone can make a difference. You just have to find how. Isn't that also what the Titans do?" he asks, nodding slowly to the talk of the seasons being right for them. "I'm hoping this helps us get centered again. There are a few of us who need it."

Vorpal (87) has posed:
"More than just a few, agreed." Vorpal comments. And then, he sighs and leans on Leonardo, as if to confide a secret. "I herad the podcast. Harley Quinn is equal parts brilliant and unhinged- she used to be a mental health specialist, you know, before the Joker got in her brain. As far as I understand it, as long as 'Mister J' is not nearby, she is less of a complete risk and more on the side of unpredictable and chaotic... but yeah. I'm gonna have a talk with Ape and get some safety protocols established while you guys are gone. Don't worry, I'll keep my cousin safe... she bears the mark of the family, you know. Legend has it that the O'Neils carry a curse with them-- a bona fide Irish curse. Not as bad as the Kennedys, but one that ensures we're always in trouble in one way or another. Or so it is said."

He smirks, still leaning against, and adds, "I didn't use to believe in that sort of stuff. And then my immortal soul got fused with a being of chaos magic that appeared in literature. My outlook has been drastically altered since, you can imagine.'

Leonardo has posed:
There is a moment where Leonardo seems completely unsure of how to handle the fact Vorpal, still a relative stranger but also family to one of the most important people to the lives of the turtles, comes to lean against him. Is Vorpal affectionate? Needy? Just looking for some support from someone else? With Leo unsure, he lifts a hand as if to do..something with it, only to stop after minimal movement and bring it back down to his side.

Rather than move away or lean one way or the other, he merely acts like a statue would, unswervingly still. "Now, I've definitely heard of the Joker. Let's hope he doesn't get in the middle of this. She did say we could reach out to you if there was trouble, as well. Maybe one day, depending on how safe it feels, some of ours can meet some of yours." A pause follows, eyes shifting toward the feline-tinged man. "There's a lot you wouldn't believe in until you've seen it face to face, or become it."

Vorpal (87) has posed:
"Well, we two sort of fall in that category, one way or the other." Vorpal stays as it is, seemingly comfortale to stay as he is, his demeanor not particularly affectionate nor indifferent. Experienced cat owners, however, would understand. "Whatever you do... don't understimate the joker. You may be built like a small pony and have swords and the like... and you'd think a fricking clown would pose no threat, right? You don't want to know what that clown is capable of with just a squirty flower." He shakes his head, and shudders slightly.

"When are you guys heading out? I know where the farm is, of course... if you need anything delivered or the like, I can give you my number. Text me, and there'll be a package on the porch, no questions asked."

Leonardo has posed:
Never having had a cat, there is much about their ways that Leonardo does not understand. There are still things he doesn't get about some of their guests-slash-more-permanent-residents, for that matter. It's a learning process that's thrown some things into chaos. "Anyone is a threat if not taken seriously enough," he says. "Let down your guard and you open the door for a fast defeat." It sounds like the sort of thing he's studied, or perhaps been told more than once.

And then..it happens. The hand moves outward again for the most awkward of patting to the shoulder closest to him. Once. Twice.

"Tomorrow night, so we aren't easily seen by anyone who might get suspicious. And..that might be a good idea, if we run out of food," he admits. Without anything close by, it would also lessen the threat of being spotted anywhere else. He rummages around in a side pouch, coming up with a phone that looks a few years outdated.

Vorpal (87) has posed:
Vorpal's throat actually emits a slight purr at the patting. "Yeah, I can get stuff delivered there. And if April wants to visit, she can just ask me instead of hoofing it... what, six, seven hours, over there. I won't visit, as the rest of your peeps don't know I exist... except maybe the lion. Is he going with you too? He's got a safehouse somewhere in the city, I think..."

He reaches over and reciprocates Leonardo's gesture with his hand, and then rattles off his phone mumber... slowly, because he remembers how those ancient phones are for input. "And you're free to call any time for any emergency, okay? That's the number for my StarkChat voice account. It re-routes to my phone, but it lets me see if it's someone I want to talk to- you in this case- or a telemarketer trying to convince me that my warranty on my hovercraft needs to be extended. These are important things to know," he smirks.

Leonardo has posed:
Leonardo mutters, "I need to talk to Donnie about something newer." Whatever they've worked out with the phone plans, it's not something he's had to concern himself with. The purr, which he hears, leaves him raising the other brow after the first had since lowered. "I wasn't expecting that out of you," he says, distracted by the reaction before he regains his focus enough to add, "Yeah, she said it's about that long. And all of us are going. Thanks for being understanding, too." Vorpal hasn't even met the others yet, so a surprise appearance might be disconcerting for some of the rest. Then he realizes, "I didn't know you met Nemean."

Things are set up with the phone, finally, and he nods to some of what he's told. In truth, it's a little beyond what he normally pays attention to, but he says, "As long as it gets me through to you in case something comes up, that's all I need."

Vorpal (87) has posed:
Vorpal chuckles, "I do a lot of things nobody expects of me. Nemean? Yeah, I know him. He's been to my place- we foiled a mafia don, made off with his money, and donated all of it to various charities anonymously, it was great." The Cheshire smirks and leans away from Leo, taking the chance to stretch his limbs before slowly standing up on the ledge. "I enjoyed chatting with you again. Starting the conversation without drawn swords is a plus, too." He grins, and then he leans over and pats Leonardo's shoulder again, "Not just emergencies. If you want to talk to someone who isn't someone you usually talk to, feel free to call me. Unless I'm asleep or fighting a villain, I'll answer."

He straightens up and smiles, "I have to get back to my patrol. Keep in touch, okay? And don't worry, I'll keep April safe. You keep yourself safe and be good to yourselves, in the meantime." He gives a salute and says, "Goodnight, Leo!"

And he lets himself fall off the ledge of the building, plummeting down.

True to form, if Leo looks over the edge, he'll see nothing- the Rabbit Hole having opened up and taken him ... somewhere else.

Leonardo has posed:
Leonardo didn't react much to the return pat the first time, nor does he the second time either. This doesn't mean he isn't aware of it, mind. "That..sounds like a good thing the two of you did, then. I'm glad he seems to be getting better." There's a lot unsaid in that, but it's a genuine reaction. "Yes, good talk," he adds as he moves back to his feet, rising fluidly from the kneeling position as if it was as natural as can be. "And make sure she stays safe while we're gone. We don't need her getting kidnapped again."

A nod follows, a glance to the phone following as he double-checks the number - fatter fingers and thumbs can be hell on a small display. "Hey, was that a--" But, it's too late, for Vorpal has already taken a dive Leonardo darts to the edge to look down at, only to see the portal winking back out of existence.

"Cats are weird."