A/N: I've been putting it off for a while, but the plot bunny is eating my brain from the inside out until I write this: an average day in the Brownstone, without Cronus bouncing around. Athena might make an appearance or two. This should get interesting. Probably the first of several oneshots about normal days at home. If you've read any of Connie Nervegas's stories over in the TMNT fandom, you'll get the video camera idea. It's not always gonna be the camera POV though. Just once in a while. Oh, and I know I keep jumping from "fading to black" to "a brief moment of static" but my theory is is that the camera gets thrown around so much, there is something up with it. So… yeah.
Oh yeah, for Jay's singing voice, I imagine Tyler Ward.
Now, HAPPY READING!
As the camera fizzles to life, Theresa's face suddenly appears, filling the frame entirely. She is obviously holding the camera arms length from her face.
Theresa: Hey, everyone. Theresa here, obviously. I bought this video camera so we could make home videos. I never exactly had any growing up, so, why not start now? No time like the present!
Theresa's room swings by sickeningly fast, as Theresa turns the camera to face the door. The hallway outside the door looms closer. It appears as though the psychic red head is walking down the hallway, chatting happily as she does so.
Theresa: That's Herry's room. (The camera swings to point at a door, with a sign that says "Got Food?" taped to it. The door is closed, but not latched shut, due to the fact a sock is blocking the door.) Well, if it's us watching, we know that, obviously. (An awkward pause) Let's go see if anyone's in the living room!
The camera aims down a staircase, and Theresa all but runs down them, the camera bouncing in her hand, causing motion sickness to anyone re-watching the tape.
Turning a corner into the living room, the camera zooms in separately on the three sprawled out throughout the room; Odie, asleep on the floor, Atlanta, lying horizontally on the couch under the window, and Archie, who was huddled under the foosball table. The view zoomed in on Odie first, catching footage of the drool racing down his chin, then panned over to Atlanta, who was systematically blowing on a feather to keep it airborne above her nose. Last but not least was Archie, and the camera zoomed in, got a shot of Archie waving and grinning, zoomed out, then back in again.
Theresa (off camera): Uh, Archie? ...Why are you under the foosball table?
Archie (Pauses, and looks around guiltily): Because... I want to be. Why are you swinging a camera around?
Theresa (Proudly): I'm making home videos. (Not so proudly) ...And...my... media teacher says I need more practice with anything to do with film making. Do you know where anyone else is?
Archie: Uh, Jay and Herry were in their rooms, last I saw. And I don't know where Neil is. But if you see him, (Archie's tone turns threatening) you don't know where I am. Got it?
Theresa: (Kinda scared) Ookaay...
Suddenly, off camera, Atlanta gasps. The camera swings around wildly to land on her, the pink craft feather somehow balanced precariously on the tip of her nose, her eyes wide staring at the doorway to the kitchen. Theresa aims the camera over there and it lands on Neil, who's striking an impressive pose in the doorway. At least, it would be impressive, if not for the fact he was wearing sweatpants, and a sweatshirt. Theresa gasps, and Odie sits up as though electrocuted and says
Odie (mumble): Neil in sweats? Still dreaming. Odie lays down again, and the camera pans up and down Neil's form.
Theresa: Neil, you're wearing... sweats?
Athena leans around the kitchen doorway, says,
Athena: That's what I said.
and disappears again. A snicker under the foosball table is heard, which is hastily stifled.
Neil (pats his leg, smoothes a sleeve): Do you like them? They're very comfortable. I've never felt so FREE! Neil spreads his arms wide, and the camera swings around to show Theresa's astounded face. She blinks, then pans the camera across the room.
Another, louder, laugh is heard from under the foosball table.
Neil (off camera): Well, say something!
Atlanta, in the middle of the camera's view, is the first to recover from shock, and huffs up at the feather, which flutters down behind the couch. Atlanta sits up, and blinks.
Atlanta: Who are you, and what have you done with Neil?
The camera bounces back to Neil.
Neil: It is me, silly. If it wasn't, would I be wearing designer sweats?
Theresa (off camera): ...Designer...sweats?
Neil (flexing a muscle and flashing a smile at the camera): Of course. I wouldn't be wearing them otherwise! Archie gave them to me.
A loud laugh echoes through the room, and Archie rolls out from under the table.
Archie (camera swings down to view him, as he rolls around clutching his sides): There's no such thing as designer sweats! I got them for three bucks at the garage sale around the corner!
A beat of silence, marred only by Archie's non-stop laughter, and then...
Neil: AAAAHHHH! Neil turns and flees, tearing his shirt off and flinging it behind him, and stumbling as he tugged his pants off as he ran up the stairs. GET 'EM OFF, GET 'EM OFF! AHH, HA HAAAA!
The camera swings down and aims at Odie as the room breaks into laughter. Theresa was laughing so hard, she had to put her hands on her knees to support herself, explaining the camera's sudden POV change.
Odie (sits up dizzily): Ha ha... why we laugh? No, 'sall good. Wanna eat pizza. (Lays down again, shuts his eyes and snores.)
Suddenly, the camera spirals towards the ground.
Theresa (off camera): NO! My cam-
With an almighty shudder, the screen slowly fades to black.
When the blackness slowly clears away, the first thing we see is the back of someone's mouth, and the first thing we hear is something like the "EEEEEEE ahhhhhh" sound somebody makes when yawning. The mouth closes and smacks it's lips a few times. The view of from under the nose to above the chin reveal that the person in front of the camera has chocolate brown skin. Odie.
Theresa (off screen): Wow Odie, you sure are tired. Were you up late last night?
Odie (aka, the mouth the camera is currently video taping starts moving): Yeah, I was designing Cronus 3.0. Nothing like 2.0, I promise! (The promise is made hastily.) It's kinda like a virtual 2.0, with avatars of each of us, with our abilities programmed in. So, blame yourself for keeping me up until 5 am.
Theresa (off camera, surprised): Me?
Odie's mouth: Yeah. Your avatar's eyes do NOT like to turn purple. Blue? Sure. Indigo? Of course. Purple? Crash my whole color coding software.
Theresa (confused, still off camera): I'm...sorry?
Odie: (Laughs) I'm teasing you. I got the program re-written, so no harm done. Aaaand... (The camera starts getting different views of Odie's face, indicating that he is twisting it this way and that) No harm done to your camera either. I think it's recording right now, actually. (The camera zooms out, as Odie is holding it arms length away) This is Odie of the... descendants. Testing, testing, 123.
The camera clicks off.
...The camera clicks on, Theresa's face once again filling the screen.
Theresa (happily): Yes! It works!
The camera clicks off.
The camera once again turns on to show Theresa's face.
Theresa: I could have sworn I heard guitar music and singing coming from Jay's room, but no one else will believe me, so I'm going to document it on this tape! I would use a tape recorder, only Herry…sat on it… Anyway, no one else is here right now, except for Jay doing what ever Jay does, and I'm here too.
An unimpressed look flits across Theresa's face before the view spins around to face down the hallway. The stairs come into view as Theresa walks towards them. She steps onto the stairs, and continues up quietly, talking in a voice just above a whisper.
Theresa (off camera (duh, she's behind it)): I don't know if it's coming from a radio or what, but I think it sounds like … Never mind. It's a guy voice, but earlier it was singing "Hero" by Sterling Knight. Wait… There's the guitar music!
The camera stops it's journey upstairs, and Theresa falls silent. We can just barley hear the music, guitar and singing, that come from upstairs.
Guy singing voice: I've got the sun, I've got the sand, I've got that rock 'n' roll band. Here I stand.
The movement picks up again, showing that Theresa is tiptoeing up the stairs. The upstairs hallway comes into view, and the door at the end of the hall appears to get bigger as Theresa stalks cautiously towards it.
The frame is finally filled by the door, and the camera is laid gently against the door, and the voice inside seems to become louder, due to the fact the camera mic is pressed into the crack between the door and the latch.
Guy voice, which we now can recognize as Jay's (still singing): This is my, this is my paradise. I'm at home, above all, I got it right. Let the sun on my shoulder shine, we can run beneath this clear piece of sky. This, this, is my, paradise!
Theresa (whisper, off camera): I knew it!
From inside Jay's room, the guitar and singing abruptly stops. Theresa gasps, which she then hastily stifles. There are foot steps inside Jay's room, and the world spins by rapidly as Theresa shoves the camera behind her back.
There is a slight squeak and a scraping sound; Jay has opened his door.
Jay (off camera): You heard?
Theresa (her back is on camera, but otherwise, you can't see her): Well… yes. But Jay, you're great!
Jay (sighs): I dunno about that… what do you have behind your back?
Slowly the camera is brought up to aim at Jay. His shocked face fills the screen.
Theresa (off camera. Says it at a weak attempt of humour) : Smile. You're… on camera.
Jay blinks. Theresa chuckles nervously.
Jay (sighs, runs a hand through his hair, then grins nervously): Guess the cat's out of the bag.
Theresa: Yeah, and it's not like it's the end of the world. Besides, why didn't you ever tell us?
Jay: I was teased when I was younger.
Theresa: Well, I play the lyre, and you guys don't tease me.
Jay: True.
Theresa: So, I guess there's only one thing left to ask….
Jay (his face is puzzled): Yes?
Theresa (excited): Will you teach me?
Jay blinks again, then nods. The screen blacks out, and almost immediately turns on again. Theresa is sitting on Jay's bed, and holding a beautiful acoustic guitar on her lap, and is grinning widely.
Jay(off camera; he is holding it): So, this is Theresa showing off what she now knows on guitar.
Theresa places her hands on the strings of the guitar and strums once. (An E minor if you're really curious )
Theresa (proud, happy): That's all I know.
As Jay's chuckle fills the room, the camera abruptly shuts off again, then back on. The view is of Jay, the guitar in his lap, and he is strumming it and singing softly. The camera is lowered onto a lower surface presumably a bedside table.
Jay (singing): Do you remember we were sittin' there, in the water. We shared a sweet kiss… for the first time. I fell in love with a rich man's, psychic daughter. She is the best thing…that's ever been mine.
Theresa: Oh, Jay…
Jay blushes, and plays a few notes on the guitar to cover the awkward silence.
Theresa: …you're the best thing that's ever been mine. Better than my car. Honest.
Jay (blush is gone, looks up from the guitar, grinning): That's a relief. I felt like I had some serious competition there for a second.
Theresa laughs and kisses Jay on the cheek, then a sort of shocked look crossed her face.
Theresa: Nearly forgot about this.
Her hand reaches out and grabs the camera.
Jay(shocked): You were film-
He gets cut off as the camera switches off.
After a brief moment of static, the living room comes into view. The camera is trained on Atlanta who is standing with her back to the camera.
Archie('s voice; he's off-camera) Turn around and smile, 'Lanta.
Atlanta turns around with a questioning look on her face. She raises an eyebrow and puts her hands on her hips, smirking.
Atlanta: Arch, why do you have Theresa's camera?
Archie (the camera moves up and down as Archie shrugs): I like messing with the princess. Sue me. She won't notice it's gone.
An angry shout fills the Brownstone.
Theresa(off camera, but the foot steps thumping down the stair indicate that she might be in the room soon): WHERE'S MY CAMERA?
Atlanta: Won't notice, huh?
Archie: Heh…heeehhh….
Blackout.
Now the camera comes to life again. It's held arms length from her face, and she looks ticked off.
Theresa: Now that I got my camera back… (grumble, grumble, threat to Archie's life, grumble) and Herry's finally doing something other than eating, let's go get some footage of him.
When the camera is turned around so it isn't facing the red head's face, it's revealed that we are in the kitchen. Herry is leaning against the counter tossing an apple in the air then catching it. Theresa's hand flicks out and snags it from Herry. Herry looks scandalized.
Herry: Heey…
Theresa (from behind the camera): Sorry, but that was annoying me. So, Herry, smile, I'm filming you.
Herry stares blankly back at the camera. Silence stretches between the two and fills the kitchen.
Herry: Uuuuhhhh…..
Another brief moment of static, then Theresa's face is once again on screen. She doesn't look impressed.
Theresa: So, it turns out, if you tell Herry he's on camera, he gets camera shy. But, he doesn't like anyone snapping pics or filming him without warning him. Who would've thought?
Theresa looks to her left and her eyes widen. We can see a view of where she is now; she's standing in front of Granny's back porch.
Theresa (panicked): What is-? AAA!
Theresa flies in one direction and the camera flies in another; there is a smashing sound and the screen turns black. There is a faint mooing sound, then the sound fades out.
We come back to life. There is a steady beeping sound, and Odie's face comes into view.
Odie (holding hand out): Screw driver.
Hermes (off camera): Screwdriver.
A screw driver is slapped into Odie's hand. He leans over the camera and starts twisting the screws off screen.
Hermes (off-camera): Where did that cow come from anyway?
Odie (still bent over camera): I dunno. No one does. It just came charging out of Granny's woods, hit Theresa, and took off into the forest again.
Hermes (comes into view): Well, at least she's only got a mild concussion and should be up and about in no time. Is it working?
Odie (taps camera screen): Should be. Let's give it a whirl.
The camera spins around wildly. Obviously, someone, presumably Hermes, has spun the camera around on it's side, effectively giving it a "whirl".
Odie (camera slowly spins to land on him): Let's watch what that looked like!
Camera clicks off. Static fills the screen.
This time, when the camera turns on, it is aimed on a sulking Jay, who is sitting on the couch and pouting.
Atlanta (off camera): Jay, quit sulking! Theresa's getting out of the infirmary tomorrow!
Jay (scowls and sighs): I should have seen it coming!
Atlanta: …you mean, you should have been aware that a cow would come charging out of the forest, slam into Theresa, and take off again?
Jay (stands up, fists clenched): Yes! I'm supposed to be the leader, I'm supposed to keep my team safe from harm!
Atlanta (sounds exasperated and angry): Jay, no one could have seen that, except maybe the Oracle. It took Theresa by surprise, and she has a psychic sense, not you!
Jay (sighs, fists unclench, and he hangs his head): Sorry Atlanta. But what If Cron-
Atlanta: If you say "Cronus," I will drop kick you to Mars, leader or not. We know you're paranoid-
Jay: I'm not para-
Atlanta: You are too!
From the edge of the screen, you can see Herry edging into the room. The camera swings around to face him and he freezes, a blank look across his face.
Atlanta: Herry! Is Jay paranoid about Cronus?
Jay(Now off camera): I am not! Right, Herry?
Herry: Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…..
A silence unfolds, as the camera stays trained on Herry. Another thirty seconds and then,
Atlanta: Oh, forget this.
The camera's off button is smacked and the screen snaps to static.
Theresa's face once again fills the screen. She looks ecstatic.
Theresa: Finally, Chiron let me leave the infirmary! The others came to visit me a lot, but it's not the same, because it feels like they were just mere friends, not roomies and team mates, you know? *sigh* And Atlanta showed me her, Jay's and Herry's would-be "Welcome Home" message. So, of course, Jay's all, "This is my fault, I failed, and Cronus, we will triumph!" Which means, I should probably go give him yet another pep talk. (Theresa does not look happy at the prospect, but then she perks up) Maybe he switched around more Taylor Swift lyrics!
The camera is swirled around as Theresa tucks it under her arm. We see a view of what the world would look like to Theresa's butt. The stairs are flashing by under Theresa, but then the stairs get alarmingly close, alarmingly fast. Theresa has dropped the camera.
CRASH!
The world goes black.
a/n: Tada? Hit or miss? Tell me in a review please! No flames, and no telling me to update soon. I'll update when I update, thank you very much. Anywho, so, have a great weekend everybody!