(adj.) letting or being able to let expressive emotion show easily through one's face and eyes
"You look awful."
"Thanks." Vienna brushed past Raph, too drained to think up a witty comeback. Overly aware of her rat's nest hair and mismatched color choice in wardrobe, she waved halfheartedly to the only other female in the room.
Fae abandoned her post outside Donatello's lab, speaking in hushed tones, though the acoustics amplified every whisper. "Finally, you're here. Donnie's been asking for you. Why haven't you answered any of our calls?"
"Phone got taken." Vienna slumped onto the couch, barely paying notice to Fae as she settled into the seat next to her. "Why has he been asking for me?"
"He needs a friend," was Fae's sympathetic reply.
"The last week's been a shit show." Raph sank into a beanbag chair with an apathetic grunt. "Leo won't shut up." His voice rose in pitch. " 'Do this, do that, clean the dojo, check the Shellraiser, make sure Fae's okay.' What are we, his yes-men?"
"Isn't making sure Fae's okay HIS job?" Vienna quirked a brow.
"Tell that to the Couple of the Year. One disagreement and they turn into Brad and Angelina."
"Do NOT say that like it's a bad thing!" came an incensed voice from the kitchen. "Bradgelina shouldn't be frowned upon!"
"Can it, Mikey," Raph hollered, "It's over for them!"
"Well then don't make it seem like Falinardo can't live by comparing them to tragedy!"
"Mikey found out about the celebrity breakup of the century this morning," Fae said.
"Ah. Quite the treachery." Vienna leaned forward to flick Raph's nose in rebuke. "Don't give up hope on Falinardo, bro. Things happen, y'know?"
"Don't touch me."
"If we could leave the relationship drama behind," Fae requested dismally, "It's been a whole week of sitting around, waiting. Donnie's spent the last three days rebuilding the memory chip to retrieve the data."
"Rebuilding?"
"It was Mikey's fault, not mine," Raph defended vaguely.
"So, it's been three days since RAPH'S little accident. What was Donatello doing the other four days of the week?" Vienna asked, fumbling with the frayed holes in her jeans where she'd doodled small constellations.
"You'd know better than us." Raph didn't even bother with a follow-up excuse for his misdoings. "We thought he was going off to meet you."
"What about April?" the brunette offered.
"Are you kidding? Where April is, Casey is. And the poor guy doesn't need more ancient history plaguing him," Fae explained.
"So, he's just disappearing for extended periods?"
"I would too, if I was at the center of all the crap going on. Donnie's apparently pissed because he's having to clean up a mess he didn't make. Leo's pissed because Donnie's not accepting his role as the repairman for these sorts of things. Donnie's mad because Leo doesn't understand what he's going through. Leo's mad at me for defending Donnie." Fae's lips had hardened into an annoyed line. "It's a web of madness, that's what it is."
"His 'role' isn't to cater to everyone else's needs," Vienna argued, "I'd be ticked off too, if someone destroyed my stuff and then ordered me around like some maid."
Raph piped up. "He's the only one who can fix it—"
"Then maybe you four should be treating him with the respect of a solely-qualified team member, instead of trying to set him in his place 24/7."
Faline rubbed at the spotted patterns on her arm. "You're right. But the bickering isn't helping the objective Donnie's trying to accomplish."
"The way Mikey described the way that alarm before the chip got obliterated," Raph said, "Don thinks he might've finally triangulated the coordinates for where Karai's being kept."
Vienna gave Raphael an unwavering stare. "And have you thought to apologize for the inconvenience you caused your brother? Might relieve some of the tension."
Raph scowled, but didn't make any feeble attempt to snap back. Rather, he stood, walking toward the lab and mumbling something about getting Donnie for her.
"You really DO look like you've been run through the mill," Fae said once he'd gone.
Vienna adjusted her glasses to better obscure her dark circles. "Yeah, well, Donatello's not the only one being ordered around these days."
"Your mom?"
"Ding ding ding! Give the girl a prize." The sarcasm was harsher than intended.
"Don mentioned something about her difference of opinion."
"I dropped the bomb that I didn't want to try for Juliard."
"And she flipped."
"Correct. Decided the best way to convince me to apply was to force me to rehearse the same lousy piece. Over. And over. And over." Vienna let out a tired giggle. "I thought it impossible, but she's actually made me dread the sight of that piano."
"I'm sorry. Seems like this week's been rough on all of us."
"And yet, you still seem fresh as a daisy."
"Well, with a grudging boyfriend barely wanting to talk to me, I haven't had much responsibility put on me. Gives me time to meditate, be alone with my thoughts. Which isn't necessarily a good thing."
"Amen, sister." Vienna gave Fae's shoulder a comforting nudge. "The old ghosts are coming back to play, aren't they?"
"Your perceptiveness is uncanny." The blonde's smile never reached her eyes. "Being in this fight with Leo - I wouldn't even call it a fight, more like a divide. It's triggered my fight or flight reflex. I'm going crazy from the conflict."
V nodded empathetically as she peeled the maroon cardigan from herself. "I'm guessing you're more 'flight' than 'fight', then."
Fae sniffed lowly in acknowledgment. "The added wanderlust isn't helping. I used to think I'd travel the world, you know. When I became a Freeformer I kinda let those dreams slide. Leo told me he loved me and I thought that'd be enough. But I'm getting that itch to get out. To get away."
"To run away."
Fae laughed, eyes sparkling with withheld emotion. "God, I love him so much, it's almost unhealthy. But he's become so distant with this new mission to find Karai... I almost wonder whether he'd notice I was gone at all."
"Love isn't always gonna be a fairytale, hon. It morphs, changes. You just gotta believe it's all for the best." Vienna picked apart the split ends of her hair, in deep contemplation.
"I just didn't expect quite this many plot twists in the story, so early." Faline's face was a depiction of warring thoughts.
"Fine, I don't need it anyway!"
The girls jumped, looking up to see the doors to the laboratory open, a miffed Leo and flustered Raph being shoved out into the living room.
The leader glared back at the source of the voice, waving the newly-pillaged T-Phone about. "Maybe now you'll actually focus, without the distraction of this stupid thing!"
"You're my brother, Leo, not my nanny. Take the phone, if that makes you feel superior. I don't give a rat's ass."
"Damn it, Donnie, you're making it worse," Raph hissed, for the first time trying to ease the boiling tempers quickly escalating.
"Finish the chip by tonight, or there'll be extra training waiting for you later!" Leo demanded.
"Don't talk to him that way," Fae growled, her tail making an appearance as her anger agitated her leopard form.
All she received was an emotionless glance and a huff, as Leo turned to the dojo.
"Hey, Leonardo."
The leader turned in time to see Vienna proudly present her middle digit to him. "Maybe there're some mantras in that dojo of yours that'll enlighten you to how much of a dick you're being."
His jaw dropped, unsure how to respond to the accusation, his honorable stature holding him back from unleashing his heroic wrath on her. Vienna scowled at him mercilessly, pointing to Faline. "She's your girlfriend, asshat. Treat her with respect, or find someone else to ignore, because she deserves so much more than you or anyone in this world can offer her. Consider yourself lucky that you're hers, and that I haven't clawed out your retinas for behaving like that."
"Damn, Vienna."
Kaleidoscope eyes brightened when they caught sight of Donatello, his weight leaned against the lab doors.
"Pretty harsh penalty, clawing out his retinas," he continued, stepping aside and ushering her into his safe haven.
"Harsh? No penalty is too harsh for lack of chivalry." Vienna left Leo in dumbstruck silence, smiling at her friend. "Rough week?"
"You don't know the half of it," he replied, promptly shutting off the entrance before anyone else could say a word. "For a girl of your talkative nature, you sure have been pretty distant. Mom troubles?"
"You don't know the half of it," she fed his words back to him, sitting in the spare swivel seat and propping her chin in her hands on the desk.
"Do tell," he encouraged, readying a smoldering iron and setting his magnifying glass in position. "I'd offer my own story, but I'm sure either my brothers or Fae have brought you up to date on recent events already."
Recognizing his peeved edge, she immediately launched into her tale. "I told her I don't want to pursue the Juliard application."
He perked up, pausing his tedious preparations. "That's great!"
"She confiscated my phone and sketchbook after she finished exploding."
"Oh." He reluctantly turned back to the rows of copper wiring. "Not so great, then."
"Honestly, it's like she thinks I'm a little girl," Vienna's gaze hardened, distracting herself with the glaring contrast of her polkadot shoes and striped top. "I don't want to talk about it. I'll get triggered all over again, and I'd rather not badmouth her to you."
"Then don't talk about it. No one's forcing you to." He threw a playful smirk her way. "How's the little dragon doing?"
That earned a laugh from the young woman. "She's good. She hid in her room for about two days after the falling-out with my mother. But she's doing fine now. James took her out to Build-A-Bear to see if they could fix up Miss Flutterbucket."
Donnie's fingers paused over the motherboard, hovering as he registered her words. "James." He faced her, his eyes clouding with confusion. "James Miller?"
"You've got a mind like a steel trap," Vienna rapped her knuckles gently against his brow, causing chuckles to bubble in his throat.
"Wasn't he traveling?" he asked once she retreated into her seat.
"He got my postcard, noticed the change in address, and decided to investigate."
"That's it? That's all I get?" he interrogated, fusing together the thin metallic pieces 'neath his magnifying glass. "What happened to 'oh, James is so smart, James is so hot, I can't wait until he gets home so that we may consummate our love and—' "
"I NEVER said that!" Vienna laughed, "Were you expecting a detailed accounting in MLA format?"
"I just expected more from the president of the James Miller Fan Club."
She regarded the terrapin with pride. It seemed her sarcasm was rubbing off on him after all. "I've tamed my obsession."
"Says the girl with a pile of her dream boy's old shirts in her closet to rub her nose in and remember his smell."
"Coming from the boy with a file dedicated solely to April on his laptop in ascending order of 'radiance'."
"I deleted that!"
"Excuse me? I deleted it, while you whined about me forcing you to move the hell on."
Donnie quickly reverted back to Tech Mode before he could become stuttery with sheepishness. "Just tell me about your time with him. How'd it go?"
Vienna fiddled with the stray screwdriver on the desk. "We went to coffee. I wore a red fit and flare dress, with my special yellow Converse. He wore his same ragged cargo shorts and bro tank. He ordered the caramel macchiato with soy and extra caramel, as usual. I ordered the vanilla bean frappachino with two pumps of raspberry, as usual."
Donnie's eyes flicked between his friend and the tool. "You're talking in facades, as usual."
"Talking in facades?" She gave him a puzzled frown. "How so?"
"You know, facades? An outward appearance maintained to hide something else." He turned to face her fully. "You act so confident. Like you're all that and a box of chocolates."
"Why, thank you. Being associated with chocolate is certainly a compliment."
"This is what I'm talking about. You cover up anything you might not want to talk about with those quick remarks and that dazzling smile."
"You think my smile is dazzling?"
"Vienna. Not my point."
"Sorry, sorry. Please continue."
He sat back, trying to grasp the same understanding of body language she possessed. "You're...uncertain about something. Your leg's bouncing, meaning you're nervous, or afraid to admit I'm correct in my analysis."
"I've taught you well."
"You have. C'mon, you know you can tell me anything. You already know all the juicy secrets about me and April."
"April and I," Vienna amended.
"You're doing it again."
Her eyes had dimmed to a disappointed gray, realizing she'd been outed. Glancing down at the cuff of her shirt, the permanent ink on her wrist popped against her tanned skin.
"He talked the whole time, just like before," she murmured, "I listened, the whole time. I know it's hard to believe, that I would shut my mouth long enough to let someone talk up a storm, but... that's always been our dynamic. I'd put him on a pedestal."
"Well, if that's not the case anymore, maybe your relationship will be more open." Don turned to his motherboard. "Equal." He held up his work, examining it in the light. "Honest."
"That's just the thing! When I was worshipping him, it blocked out all the problems." She swiveled closer, observing the intricacy of his work. "I never noticed he chews with his mouth open. And he interrupts so often. About twenty times within thirty minutes."
"To be fair," Donnie interjected, grabbing the screwdriver she'd been fiddling with, "You interrupt often as well."
He watched her shrink. "I'm that bad?"
His heart melted a bit. "No, not THAT bad." Donnie fought his chuckle as she brightened almost instantly.
"Oh, good." She watched him rise to dismantle the computer from behind.
"So, what do you think brought on this sudden aversion to James?"
"You're my friend, Donatello, not my therapist."
Another shared chuckle, though hers was more strained. He eyed her in his periphery, watching her struggling with naught-spoken words.
"He never even asked about my tattoo," Vienna confessed.
"You keep your tattoo pretty discreet," Donnie offered.
"According to my dear mother, it screams 'Look at me, I'm a college dropout'. There's no ethereal purpose to it other than to announce to society my place among the delinquents."
"Not true. It says, 'I'm an independent young woman with artistic tendencies and a brief knowledge of the Japanese language'."
Vienna laughed, circling the desk to hold open the computer's posterior while Donnie tinkered. "Still. I thought its unveiling would be grander."
"You're right, he should've appreciated its intricacies more. It really is beautiful," he complimented, carefully placing the circuitry inside. "You should design a little something for me."
"...a tattoo? For you?"
"Something tasteful. Not flaunt-y. Kind of like yours."
"Ah, yes," she teased, "something to say 'I'm an independent young woman with artistic tendencies and-"
"You know what I meant." He gave an exclamatory grunt when the device suddenly whirred to life. "Just something to show maturity. That I'm not some gawky, scrawny teenager anymore."
Vienna squinted over the rims of her glasses while the terrapin booted up the system."Donatello, a tattoo is huge deal. It may not seem that way, but you should research. Find what you like. What you'd want PERMANENTLY on your SKIN, FOREVER-"
"You're beginning to sound like your mother," Donnie chuckled, clicking through the dial-up boxes.
"Oh God." She reached forward and tickled his knuckles, returning his attention fully to her, at least for a moment. "That's the last thing I want; to end up a paranoid, divorced, middle-aged nag."
"You won't end up that way." The loading data was forgotten now.
"You know what they say. Like mother like daughter."
"You're not gonna end up that way, Vienna," Don assured, "You're smart, and witty, and pret- aesthetically pleasing. And what's more, your mom is the way she is because of things beyond our control. Paranoia and nagging comes with age. And divorce... well, who can control that? It's life."
He hadn't realized her fingers were still atop his until she ran her thumb deftly over his calloused skin. Her voice fell to a whisper. "Maintaining loyalty would have controlled that particular life situation pretty effectively."
The 'L' word flooded his mind with memories from months ago. His voice tightened. "Ah. So it...it was an infidelity problem, then?"
The tears that sprang into her eyes surprised him. "My mom was so much better than her."
The simple statement made Donnie wish he could come pull her over the desk and into a hug. He settled for a returning brush of his hand on hers. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be. You can't fix everything, Donatello." She took a deep breath, and when she exhaled, her smile was back. "As amazing a mechanic as you are."
"I wish I could, for you."
There was a ding as the computer came to life, the partially cracked screen illuminating one side of both their faces.
He didn't know what to say. Couldn't find anything right to do. He could see the thinly veiled heartbreak, the depths of confusion behind those ever-changing eyes of hers.
"Did you know...there are more ways to shuffle a deck of cards than there are atoms on Earth?"
He hadn't even registered the jumbled words leaving his lips. She giggled, her chocolate strands falling into her eyes while laughter racked her shoulders.
"I did, actually." She pulled away, her lithe fingers leaving him. "You know, Donatello, you have a habit of talking in facades as well. Though, you don't hide that fact quite as well as I do."
He huffed out a laugh, watching her nubile gait as she ambled toward the algae pools. Another urgent trill from the computer tugging him back to the task at hand. Data had indeed been retrieved by his systems since Raphael's destruction of the hardware. Videos, from the looks of the file types listed. Good, he'd finally hacked the security system. He double-clicked, hoping to discover an exterior view of the building, perhaps even an angle of the street or address.
"Why do you have these pools anyway?" Vienna asked from far-off, crouching to skim her fingertips over the murky water's edge. "I know turtles consume plants like these in the wild, but all I've seen you guys eat is pizza."
She looked up when he didn't answer. "Donatello?"
