pyrighteous | [PSL] Hunter in New York

[ Something went wrong.

It wasn't Hunter's fault. He'd hesitated at the threshold, same as before, but then so had the others. Maybe it wasn't the BEST time to debate whether the doorway was safe, given the EVERYTHING ELSE going on behind them, but. You know, teenagers.

It was a few seconds too long. The Collector had sent a few rocks spiraling around the chamber as they built their new world; one of them impacted the door, making it crumple in on itself even further. Hunter had yelled, lunging forward instinctively even as the image in front of him changed for a split second -

(Behind him, a second impact, canceling out the first--)

And then there was nothing behind him. No door, no friends, not even the Collector. Instead, he found himself in a darkened alleyway somewhere completely alien. Walls loomed over him, taller than anything he'd seen before in his entire life. He'd scrambled out of the narrow gap between apartment buildings only to find himself in the middle of New York City traffic, blinding and loud and terrifying. He did NOT win his first fight with a car. Only a quick blink out of the way kept the impact bruising rather than breaking, and that just prompted even MORE attention from the crowd around him.

(Well. Relatively. It was still NYC. At least half the crowd didn't even react to a magic elf kid teleporting around.)

He'd run after that, seeking somewhere quieter to collect his thoughts. He winds up down in the subway system somewhere, limping alongside the tracks, wondering where the muck he's ended up - or what he's supposed to do now. ]

Luz? Gus? Amity? ... Willow? Where are you?

[ Calling out over and over again, hoping they're just somewhere behind him! Yeah! Surely that's it. They've got to be close, right? ]

[The subway is dark. And after some time of Hunter wandering, there are some lights. It isn't until he hits a dead end that there's light on the other side.

Dead end being a stopped subway car at one of the underground platform stations. There's no crowd, though. No sound like up top on the surface. But there are voices, and a lot more lights. And just as soon as Hunter calls out, the voices frantically Shh! Shh- before silence.

And then a head pokes around from the other side of the subway car - green with red stripes over the eyes and around the face with a black belt over one shoulder. The rest of them comes around, all green with plastron and shell. He looks at Hunter, then looks back to the main platform area to call out.]

Hey! We got another cosplayer that got lost!

[Dimly, from further in and out of sight a louder, gruffer voice: Then take 'em back up!. The turtle - because it is a turtle, walking on two feet like people - rolls his eyes and steps closer.]

Yeah, you definitely got lost. Not the first time, but let's get you back up, huh? Don't freak out.

[ Voices? Lights? Hunter had been instinctively heading that way - but not quietly enough, OOPS.

He startles at the sudden appearance of what is obviously a turtle demon and brandishes his staff. (But despite that, the reaction is maybe not as severe as it would be if he were a normal human.) ]

I'm not playing! Where am I? And who are you?

[He blinks once at the staff and smiles a little.]

Oh wow, really into the LARPing, huh? That's cool. For real though, you gotta go. You got your phone to call your parents?

[If not, he's already digging his out. If this kid knows the number, Leo will call, who cares.]

[ Hunter flinches bodily at that. Not that Leo could call Belos of course but the thought is immediately horrifying. ]

I don’t have parents and I don’t know what a phone is!

[ He takes a step closer, staff still out in front of him. He decides to summon his best Guard face for courage. ]

I asked you a QUESTION!

[...Hhhhhhhhuh.

Either this kid is really into the whole wizard larping thing, or...

Oh boy. He still has his phone in his hand so he sends a quick text to the family group chat.

Think this kid might not be cosplaying. Keep him around until it's sorted out yn?

He doesn't wait for a response, he's doing it anyway. Instead, he puts his phone away and holds one hand out steady, like approaching a wild animal.]

Okay, so - My name's Leo. You, uh. You're in our home? Right now.

[ Hunter takes a step back, but the staff crackles brightly with electricity. A warning. ]

Your home?

[ He looks around at the subway tunnels, wide eyed. ]

This whole underground fortress is yours?

[Leo stops. And goes very still at the electricity. Okay. Not a cosplay. Something actually serious. But he keeps the one hand out cautious now.]

Well, yeah. There's [one two three four five six - no, he's out with April.] Five of us. [Give the kid some information so he doesn't freak out.] My brothers and our dad.

Just uh. Whyyy don't we try putting the hot electrical livewire staff down, huh?

[ He lowers it a couple inches, but the electricity still pulses along it’s length. ]

Brothers? Are they all turtle demons like you?

[ And then - ]

I don’t have any quarrel with you. I just need to find my friends and then I’ll leave.

Uuhh, not demons, but they are turtles like me. I mean, I'm the best one? Best looking, best talking, best fighting, but yeah. Other than that, yeah, like me.

[Really not into the electricity, Mr. Krabs.]

Look, I know the subway down here is new and [chuckles] Wait, wait, I can- I got this, just need a sec... [THINKING.] This conversation is electrifying [Pause for laughter.], but that's cool because we don't have any quarrel with you. Except you're in our hallway. So how about you come this way, or I take you back up top?

[ This is the STONIEST look in return. One-liners, REALLY. ]

F. Fine. I’ll follow you. But if you try anything funny, I’ll zap you.

Oh, I'm gonna get zapped then, I can't do anything but funny.

[He's amused though! Chuckling a little to himself still but he'll lead Hunter around the subway car and into the open alcove, large enough with a few things (bulletin board on wheels, darts on the wall, punching bag, work out bench, the sorts of odds and ends that active teenagers collect and pile up) lined against the way leading to the stairs up. There are lights coming from all sides now, some strung along the ceiling.]

Anyway, welcome to Casa de Tortuga. Brothers are doing their own thing, but ... [He stops to tap a finger to his chin in thought. Dad watching tv, Donnie in the lab. Raph and Mikey are the only real odd ones. Then again depending on the time, Mikey might be in the kitchen.] I can show you around or we can chill. Whatever gets that staff put away.

[ He remains on guard the whole time way, flinching at every single noise or motion? But honestly he’s way more afraid of the subway that rushes by in the distance than he ever is of Leo.

(Where is he? Where are the others? This must be the human realm, but it doesn’t match any of the descriptions he’s read about in books, and if there’s turtle demons then maybe he’s somewhere on the Boiling Isles, except this is nowhere he’s ever hear of—)

Hunter is slowly working himself into a minor panic attack. He winces as they come into the light, holding up a hand to shade his eyes as he adjusts. This… doesn’t look like a fortress… ]

S. Show me. Yeah. And don’t get between me and an exit.

[ He’s still gripping his staff hard. ]

Hm.

[REALLY WANTS THAT STAFF DOWN.

For now he gestures to the subway cars they just walked past.]

So. Bedrooms, there. This space [He holds his arms out wide to the open area they're standing in.] General purpose. Usually training, but sometimes not. Gear along the wall there. Up the stairs there is dad's, trust me, do not wanna go up there.

This way, c'mon. [He gestures for Hunter to follow him, through one of the open doorways into another large open room. But this has a kitchen, some diner bench-seat serendipitously pulled from some dump somewhere with a table pulled up to it.

And just like he thought - Mikey, smaller box turtle with orange maskdana.]

Don't freak out, that's Mikey, our little brother.

[Hearing his name, the smaller turtle turns and, seeing Hunter, throws both hands straight up.] (Oh me GOSH. Leo-)

I know.

(Does Dad know?)

I dunno, I sent it to the group chat but if he doesn't check that's his fault.

[Mikey comes right around the counter and straight to Hunter leaning in close to reeeeaaaaally look.] (....I think he's safe.)

Great detective work there, Miguel. Anyway, this is ...uh.... [Shit.] What's your name again?

[ Hunter keeps following, mostly out of a lack of any better ideas? He's clearly not being kidnapped, and his friends are clearly nowhere to be seen, and he has no idea where to even start ... ]

I'm not going into your bedrooms. There's no reason for -

[ That?? Um. He flinches at Mikey coming close, but he grips the staff closer rather than lashing out at least. Scowls at being inspected and being called SAFE. That's just rude. ]

Hunter. I'm - Hunter.

[Mikey seems to nod in approval before looking to Leo, who gives a quick nod. With that, Michelangelo bounces back to the kitchen to get back to what he was doing.]

Hunter it is. Donnie's working on something else, so the other brother we gotta worry about is Raphael... No idea where he went.

[But it's fine, probably. They'll stay busy until Mikey's done with cooking whatever he's making, but Leo knows there'll be a portion made for this kid.]

Think that's everything. [LEO IT REALLY IS NOT.]

[ Hunter is still taut as a spring, but slowly his paranoia is shifting from aggressive to bewildered and overwhelmed. It's beginning to sink in that he is somewhere FAR away from where he meant to go, and he has no idea what to even do next.

(What DOES he do next? Walk out? Go searching for his friends? He SHOULD, but it's been such an awful day, and he was banged up even before that weird metal monster hit him, and ... ) ]

It's - it's not everything! Where am I? Is this the Human Realm?

Edited 2022-10-09 10:50 (UTC)

[Leonardo stills at that. This kid is really panicking... maybe not a LARPer? Maybe something else. They already did this once, so-]

...Where exactly did you come from before?

Because - This is New York City, Earth. Uh. I guess human realm? Humans mostly, but plenty of youkai and mutants too.

The Demon Realm, of course. At the Head?

[ He looks around the "underground fortress" frantically. ]

Don't you know the Demon Realm? You - you look like you've been here a long time, but you must have come from there originally!

[ There's a waver of doubt in his voice though. Youkai rings a bell, but mutant? What's that? ]

Never heard of it.

We've been here our whole lives. I mean, our dad's from Japan, but-

[He follows Hunter's gaze around their home before landing back on him with a shrug.]

Wait, do mean the Hidden City? Because I didn't think they liked humans there, how are you from there?

[ Hunter opens his mouth to proclaim that he hasn't heard of Japan OR the Hidden City, but that last bit makes him pink and snap his mouth shut. ]

I'm not human, I'm a witch! Don't you see these ears?

[ He points to the points! ]

Huh?

[He'll look closer and-] Oh huh whaddaya know.

[Well that's different. He thought maybe they were fakes he sees when they're out sometimes. Witch is a new one though. But this kid is still human-ish looking enough to definitely not be from Hidden City.]

Still never heard of a Demon Realm though.

[ Those are 100% real ears, oh yes. Albeit ... well, there's that notch that looks like it was cut deliberately at some point ...

Hunter huffs, but looks happier not to be mistaken for a HUMAN ugh. ]

It's where all the demons and witches live. It's where I've spent my whole LIFE. You're sure you've never heard of it?

[Leonardo really thinks, leaning back against the diner bench seat with arms folded. Just... really watching Hunter.

This kid is lost, this kid is upset. If it were Mikey, he'd do anything to get him back home. But this kid also said he has no parents.]

No. Never heard of 'em. You said you don't have parents, what about siblings? Friends?

[ A full body shiver goes through him at the mention of "siblings." ]

F-friends. Yeah. We - were all supposed to go through the portal together. Everything was collapsing behind us. But I went through first, and ...

[ His voice cracks and falters. ]

I thought they were right behind me.

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