The Hamato clan is in the Hidden City, and with all of them wanting to do different things, they agree to split up to do what they want. Donnie wants to spend the day with April, and had been hoping to see a Shadow Fiend in the Battle Nexus. He's excited to see fighting, and its probably fine if he's there as a patron, but he's curious how a contender has undefeated so long.
April tells him to go on ahead while she does something quick in Witchtown. Clearly a continuation of a previous conversation.
What Donnie feels is an intense bolt of FEAR. He responds with annoyance and offense at her asking a witch for help with her science project over him. He brags with flamboyance of being Mister Science, ever confident, but the fear is just bubbling under the surface.
The fear does not leave for almost the entire episode.
April shows pictures of his past help which is less to do with Donnie being incapable as he often goes Way Too Far with his help and things get out of control. Mad science is not for school projects. That's how you get real lava and mutant potatoes trying to kill you. Also a hoody is apparently enough of a disguise in New York. Donnie also does not accept responsibility for the mishaps, even as the insecurity grows with the fear. He knows it was his fault, he let himself get out of hand, but admitting that is terrifying.
April decides to be simple, the science of chairs! She wants a witch to give her a little bling to spice up the project. Donnie is of the opinion that mystic powers can't be more blingy than science. April tells him to let it go and Donnie scoffs at the idea. Let it go? Does she even know him?! He is not known for letting it go.
They arrive at Witch Town. Inside, there is magic abound. Spells going off, flying brooms, and when Mayor Mira shows up, singing ghost cats and magically produced outfits for April and him both. He is quick to tears off the frog costume. Its also apparently Peace Offering Day, an important festival for Witch Town.
Donnie's arrogant demeanor is very apparent, acting like he's better, dismissive of the magic, being rude to the witches, and April is very obviously getting fed up with his attitude. She wants him to play nice, she needs really the help, and when he dismisses it more, she threatens him with a bat. He's only mildly afraid of the bat, in that it DOES hurt, but mostly because it means she's real pissed off if she's using it. He finally relents, saying for one day only, he'll just let something go.
The fear and insecurity is bubbling up more and more. He's made her upset. He doesn't want her to be upset, but she's fighting him so very hard on this. She really wants the witches' help over his. She wants the mystic powers over what he can provide.
He's trying to let it go. He's genuinely, absolutely trying to let it go, makes comments to his efforts because how else will April know he is Trying.
They meet Gentry, who summoned up a bunch of worms from the ground and they talk to her. She tries to offer April a little razzle dazzle for her project, and her demonstration gains the attention from yet more witches, who start casting spells in different ways to dazzle up chairs.
April is absolutely impressed, even as Donnie looks at the effects and most he can easily figure out how to do HIMSELF, but April doesn't want HIS help, she wants THEIR help, and she's so delighted, she's so happy because of what mystic powers can do, she thinks they can do it better than him-
He's terrified.
Terror won't come to the surface, it gets twisted up in his mind.
He's furious.
He lashes out, calls mystic powers simple and soft, and there is offense in the villagers for him insulting them on peace offering day.
He tells April she's wrong for not selecting him and he's furious and scarfed and manic, just kind of losing it a bit because he can prove it, will prove it, and fuck it, he will prove it IN SONG because he has never lived a single day of his life not being extra when showing off.
He really does just have a sound system he can summon from his back. He is Very Good at tech despite mishaps. He summons up lasers because lasers are always cool and then-
Accidentally destroys the sacred statue of their founder.
He gets April and him banished from Witch Town and Gentry teleports them to the front gate. April is angry at him for ruining this for her, and messing up her project. Gentry vents her own frustration because now she's behind on getting specific kinds of worms for the Peace Offering Potion.
Donnie sees an opportunity here. He messed things up for April, he doesn't want to mess things up for April, and he speaks up.
April...hits him with a bat part way through. She is very upset with him and doesn't want him to cause more problems. Donnie takes getting hit with a bat very well. It hurts, but he's quick to recover. Mutant biology is hardy, yo.
Donnie says he can use science to get her worms, but only if Gentry gives April bling for her project. April is surprised at this.
Donnie says its his peace offering for not listening to her earlier. He feels bad, genuinely. He didn't want to ruin things for her, he knows he's just scared. He's still scared, he still hates it, but more than his ever present fear, its the fear of making April suffer because he's not able to deal with his own damn feelings.
Gentry agrees. Donnie uses science to get worms out of the ground and then speed ages them. Because Donnie can just do that shit. Gentry is unsure if the worms will be good enough, but they're out of time, so she takes them. But hey, April has her bling!
Donnie goes with April to see the potion finished and he can't help the feeling of satisfaction. Ha! Banished and he still saved the day. April wants to know if that was his actual motivation and he's quick to deny. He was sorry. He just can't help wanting to one up mystics. April doesn't look happy and he feels that fear ratchet up again.
So the Peace Offering Potion is actually a tribute to a giant monster man to leave them alone every year. Donnie's fear has taken hold, so his arrogance takes center stage and he pipes up, saying how the potion was helped by SCIENCE, ha!
Except then the monster changes colors and goes into a a berserk rage. The color change points to improperly aged words and the witches are enraged. Some chase Donnie and April for causing the rampage. Most witches are dealing with the monster that is proceeding to destroy Witch Town.
Donnie is feeling a lot of things when April says they need to help them. Its true. They can't, it would be wrong. He doesn't want their town destroyed, nor people hurt, but that maddening fear is still there. He made this mess. He made this problem. He has to fix the problem. If he FIXES the problem, then that means science is still better. Science can cause AND fix its own problems! Especially when their magic isn't stopping the monster!
When Donnie says the witches will have to admit science is better if he beats the monster with his tech, April is angry, but he's already off. He does get a few good hits on the monster, but he grabs his tech bo and breaks off a good chunk of it, sending Donnie flying.
Gentry's bling spell breaks against April's bat, imbuing it with a sort of enhance kinetic force affect. It hits things a lot harder, even things one shouldn't be able to hit. April uses it to knock back an energy blast that was about to hit Donnie.
April is pleased with the result, and Donnie dismisses it as a lucky swipe and April is getting annoyed at him. She wants to know why he can't admit mystic powers aren't that bad, and he denies her again, and she snaps at him. She wants to know why he's obsessed with proving her wrong on this!
And something snaps in Donnie because-
It wasn't about proving her wrong. He doesn't want to argue with April. He hates when they have serious fights, hates how they make him feel, and hates how they upset and hurt her.
He's the science guy, he tells her.
And he realizes he has to tell her the truth, because April is special. April is the one he can tell these things to. Because he's hurt April by not telling her what he was feeling and. And he thinks he's got them down.
In truth, all Donnie thinks he's good for is solving problems with his science and tech. This is what he brings to his family, this is what he can do for them. The moment April chose a witch over him for science, he became terrified. Terrified that he wouldn't be able to help his family. Terrified that his means to show them how he loves and cares for them will no longer be an option. Terrified that he will no longer be important to his family.
"If mystic powers can everything I can do, but better, then why would you guys even need me?"
And April, wonderful April, understands all the fears hidden under those words.
She proceeds to slap his face to get his attention, tells him off for saying that. Because Donnie isn't important to her for his tech, but because he's him.
Something inside him unwinds at that. A deep rooted fear that he was only as important as the services he could provide. It doesn't get rid of the fear completely...but hearing April assure him that he doesn't have to do anything to be of value has helped loosen the fear's grasp on him.
The fear that had been ever present finally fades.
She doesn't think mystic is better then science, she thinks they're better together, just like them. Donnie can only agree, because they are better together. So they decide to use the mystic and his tech to beat up the giant monster.
It goes a whole lot better this time.
Donnie looks to the witches and he realizes that...yeah. Yeah, he absolutely fucked up, and he really should own that. So he calls attention from them.
He apologizes for not being more minded. He explains that mystic powers are the one thing he hasn't been able to solve and its absolutely maddening to him to have something he doesn't understand.
...made even more maddening in that his BROTHERS can use mystic powers and understand how they work with ease and they show it off all the time and now that he's less Terrified Out Of His Goddamn Mind, he can also admit to himself he's absolutely mad that his brothers can understand things he doesn't.
Also, Donnie can and will use 'dumb-dumb' completely unironically as an affectionate insult. More heavy on the insult then affection.
Then he clarifies that is a long winded way to say that he's sorry.
There is a certain expectation that his apologizing for fucking up royally will be enough to make it clear how much he regrets what he did. Mostly because his family is used to this behavior.
The witches, however, have a wrecked town and are Far Less Forgiving.
Donnie realizes that 'oh yeah, these people have no idea how much a heartfelt moment is actually really hard for him.'
April and him are then arrested and thrown into jail for frankly a very understandable reason.
Surprisingly, Raph is already in the cell, looking very much no impressed with anything that's going on. Donnie is not one hundred percent sure that's directed at him, but he's pretty sure at least a little bit of the judgement is directed at him and sheepishly asks how his day was. Big brother judgement is Real.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Donnie Versus Witch Town
Just an animatic that gives more context to the emotional center piece.
The Hamato clan is in the Hidden City, and with all of them wanting to do different things, they agree to split up to do what they want. Donnie wants to spend the day with April, and had been hoping to see a Shadow Fiend in the Battle Nexus. He's excited to see fighting, and its probably fine if he's there as a patron, but he's curious how a contender has undefeated so long.
April tells him to go on ahead while she does something quick in Witchtown. Clearly a continuation of a previous conversation.
What Donnie feels is an intense bolt of FEAR. He responds with annoyance and offense at her asking a witch for help with her science project over him. He brags with flamboyance of being Mister Science, ever confident, but the fear is just bubbling under the surface.
The fear does not leave for almost the entire episode.
April shows pictures of his past help which is less to do with Donnie being incapable as he often goes Way Too Far with his help and things get out of control. Mad science is not for school projects. That's how you get real lava and mutant potatoes trying to kill you. Also a hoody is apparently enough of a disguise in New York. Donnie also does not accept responsibility for the mishaps, even as the insecurity grows with the fear. He knows it was his fault, he let himself get out of hand, but admitting that is terrifying.
April decides to be simple, the science of chairs! She wants a witch to give her a little bling to spice up the project. Donnie is of the opinion that mystic powers can't be more blingy than science. April tells him to let it go and Donnie scoffs at the idea. Let it go? Does she even know him?! He is not known for letting it go.
They arrive at Witch Town. Inside, there is magic abound. Spells going off, flying brooms, and when Mayor Mira shows up, singing ghost cats and magically produced outfits for April and him both. He is quick to tears off the frog costume. Its also apparently Peace Offering Day, an important festival for Witch Town.
Donnie's arrogant demeanor is very apparent, acting like he's better, dismissive of the magic, being rude to the witches, and April is very obviously getting fed up with his attitude. She wants him to play nice, she needs really the help, and when he dismisses it more, she threatens him with a bat. He's only mildly afraid of the bat, in that it DOES hurt, but mostly because it means she's real pissed off if she's using it. He finally relents, saying for one day only, he'll just let something go.
The fear and insecurity is bubbling up more and more. He's made her upset. He doesn't want her to be upset, but she's fighting him so very hard on this. She really wants the witches' help over his. She wants the mystic powers over what he can provide.
He's trying to let it go. He's genuinely, absolutely trying to let it go, makes comments to his efforts because how else will April know he is Trying.
They meet Gentry, who summoned up a bunch of worms from the ground and they talk to her. She tries to offer April a little razzle dazzle for her project, and her demonstration gains the attention from yet more witches, who start casting spells in different ways to dazzle up chairs.
April is absolutely impressed, even as Donnie looks at the effects and most he can easily figure out how to do HIMSELF, but April doesn't want HIS help, she wants THEIR help, and she's so delighted, she's so happy because of what mystic powers can do, she thinks they can do it better than him-
He's terrified.
Terror won't come to the surface, it gets twisted up in his mind.
He's furious.
He lashes out, calls mystic powers simple and soft, and there is offense in the villagers for him insulting them on peace offering day.
He tells April she's wrong for not selecting him and he's furious and scarfed and manic, just kind of losing it a bit because he can prove it, will prove it, and fuck it, he will prove it IN SONG because he has never lived a single day of his life not being extra when showing off.
He really does just have a sound system he can summon from his back. He is Very Good at tech despite mishaps. He summons up lasers because lasers are always cool and then-
Accidentally destroys the sacred statue of their founder.
He gets April and him banished from Witch Town and Gentry teleports them to the front gate. April is angry at him for ruining this for her, and messing up her project. Gentry vents her own frustration because now she's behind on getting specific kinds of worms for the Peace Offering Potion.
Donnie sees an opportunity here. He messed things up for April, he doesn't want to mess things up for April, and he speaks up.
April...hits him with a bat part way through. She is very upset with him and doesn't want him to cause more problems. Donnie takes getting hit with a bat very well. It hurts, but he's quick to recover. Mutant biology is hardy, yo.
Donnie says he can use science to get her worms, but only if Gentry gives April bling for her project. April is surprised at this.
Donnie says its his peace offering for not listening to her earlier. He feels bad, genuinely. He didn't want to ruin things for her, he knows he's just scared. He's still scared, he still hates it, but more than his ever present fear, its the fear of making April suffer because he's not able to deal with his own damn feelings.
Gentry agrees. Donnie uses science to get worms out of the ground and then speed ages them. Because Donnie can just do that shit. Gentry is unsure if the worms will be good enough, but they're out of time, so she takes them. But hey, April has her bling!
Donnie goes with April to see the potion finished and he can't help the feeling of satisfaction. Ha! Banished and he still saved the day. April wants to know if that was his actual motivation and he's quick to deny. He was sorry. He just can't help wanting to one up mystics. April doesn't look happy and he feels that fear ratchet up again.
So the Peace Offering Potion is actually a tribute to a giant monster man to leave them alone every year. Donnie's fear has taken hold, so his arrogance takes center stage and he pipes up, saying how the potion was helped by SCIENCE, ha!
Except then the monster changes colors and goes into a a berserk rage. The color change points to improperly aged words and the witches are enraged. Some chase Donnie and April for causing the rampage. Most witches are dealing with the monster that is proceeding to destroy Witch Town.
Donnie is feeling a lot of things when April says they need to help them. Its true. They can't, it would be wrong. He doesn't want their town destroyed, nor people hurt, but that maddening fear is still there. He made this mess. He made this problem. He has to fix the problem. If he FIXES the problem, then that means science is still better. Science can cause AND fix its own problems! Especially when their magic isn't stopping the monster!
When Donnie says the witches will have to admit science is better if he beats the monster with his tech, April is angry, but he's already off. He does get a few good hits on the monster, but he grabs his tech bo and breaks off a good chunk of it, sending Donnie flying.
Gentry's bling spell breaks against April's bat, imbuing it with a sort of enhance kinetic force affect. It hits things a lot harder, even things one shouldn't be able to hit. April uses it to knock back an energy blast that was about to hit Donnie.
April is pleased with the result, and Donnie dismisses it as a lucky swipe and April is getting annoyed at him. She wants to know why he can't admit mystic powers aren't that bad, and he denies her again, and she snaps at him. She wants to know why he's obsessed with proving her wrong on this!
And something snaps in Donnie because-
It wasn't about proving her wrong. He doesn't want to argue with April. He hates when they have serious fights, hates how they make him feel, and hates how they upset and hurt her.
He's the science guy, he tells her.
And he realizes he has to tell her the truth, because April is special. April is the one he can tell these things to. Because he's hurt April by not telling her what he was feeling and. And he thinks he's got them down.
In truth, all Donnie thinks he's good for is solving problems with his science and tech. This is what he brings to his family, this is what he can do for them. The moment April chose a witch over him for science, he became terrified. Terrified that he wouldn't be able to help his family. Terrified that his means to show them how he loves and cares for them will no longer be an option. Terrified that he will no longer be important to his family.
"If mystic powers can everything I can do, but better, then why would you guys even need me?"
And April, wonderful April, understands all the fears hidden under those words.
She proceeds to slap his face to get his attention, tells him off for saying that. Because Donnie isn't important to her for his tech, but because he's him.
Something inside him unwinds at that. A deep rooted fear that he was only as important as the services he could provide. It doesn't get rid of the fear completely...but hearing April assure him that he doesn't have to do anything to be of value has helped loosen the fear's grasp on him.
The fear that had been ever present finally fades.
She doesn't think mystic is better then science, she thinks they're better together, just like them. Donnie can only agree, because they are better together. So they decide to use the mystic and his tech to beat up the giant monster.
It goes a whole lot better this time.
Donnie looks to the witches and he realizes that...yeah. Yeah, he absolutely fucked up, and he really should own that. So he calls attention from them.
He apologizes for not being more minded. He explains that mystic powers are the one thing he hasn't been able to solve and its absolutely maddening to him to have something he doesn't understand.
...made even more maddening in that his BROTHERS can use mystic powers and understand how they work with ease and they show it off all the time and now that he's less Terrified Out Of His Goddamn Mind, he can also admit to himself he's absolutely mad that his brothers can understand things he doesn't.
Also, Donnie can and will use 'dumb-dumb' completely unironically as an affectionate insult. More heavy on the insult then affection.
Then he clarifies that is a long winded way to say that he's sorry.
There is a certain expectation that his apologizing for fucking up royally will be enough to make it clear how much he regrets what he did. Mostly because his family is used to this behavior.
The witches, however, have a wrecked town and are Far Less Forgiving.
Donnie realizes that 'oh yeah, these people have no idea how much a heartfelt moment is actually really hard for him.'
April and him are then arrested and thrown into jail for frankly a very understandable reason.
Surprisingly, Raph is already in the cell, looking very much no impressed with anything that's going on. Donnie is not one hundred percent sure that's directed at him, but he's pretty sure at least a little bit of the judgement is directed at him and sheepishly asks how his day was. Big brother judgement is Real.