Donatello "the air bud of war crimes" Hamato (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
othellovonryan) wrote2023-08-05 08:07 am
othellovonryan) wrote2023-08-05 08:07 am
Working Through Some Issues
[The room is darker than normal rooms. Still plenty of light to see, but there is no large centralized source, instead coming largely from various displays around the room. Computer screens, holographic displays, boards with tools or parts on display. Allowing for easy location of various things. Many projects in some state of complete.]
[Its a laboratory. A little hard to track the full parameters of the room, as it does seem to shift at times, always compensating for something new.]
[Some things will be familiar to Tryse with a look around. She'll see the dagger given to Eggs when they arrive, with the basic hilt design in the center, but other configurations in half states around it.]
[There are charts that track the number of resources inside Egg House, from their food, to furniture, medical equipment, how many bottles of Tryse's concoctions and estimate of how many bottles are likely empty and an estimate of when to make more. What supplies are in the junk pile, and what's in the bunker, what he needs to finish up in rooms and what improvements he can make.]
[Displays with Egg names and the names of his friends and family.]
[Displays with words of caution.]
[And many more screens with various other prompting words like 'public' 'pr' 'community' 'cult' 'health' 'education,' and more besides.]
[A display with the Genius Built logo on it. Another with the Hamato symbol.]
[There other than moving text on the screen, there is a constant movement of a rolling chair.]
[In it, there is a young Donatello, looking around ten, with glasses taped to his head, in a grey hoody with rat ears, constantly kicking himself from one station, checking over something, maybe altering something, and then kicking himself to another to go over something else, and yet again.]
[And then there's the one warm light in this place, a young woman made of soft yellow light, sitting next to the Hamato monitor, kicking her feet in the air, watching as Donnie movies form place to place.]
[Its a laboratory. A little hard to track the full parameters of the room, as it does seem to shift at times, always compensating for something new.]
[Some things will be familiar to Tryse with a look around. She'll see the dagger given to Eggs when they arrive, with the basic hilt design in the center, but other configurations in half states around it.]
[There are charts that track the number of resources inside Egg House, from their food, to furniture, medical equipment, how many bottles of Tryse's concoctions and estimate of how many bottles are likely empty and an estimate of when to make more. What supplies are in the junk pile, and what's in the bunker, what he needs to finish up in rooms and what improvements he can make.]
[Displays with Egg names and the names of his friends and family.]
[Displays with words of caution.]
[And many more screens with various other prompting words like 'public' 'pr' 'community' 'cult' 'health' 'education,' and more besides.]
[A display with the Genius Built logo on it. Another with the Hamato symbol.]
[There other than moving text on the screen, there is a constant movement of a rolling chair.]
[In it, there is a young Donatello, looking around ten, with glasses taped to his head, in a grey hoody with rat ears, constantly kicking himself from one station, checking over something, maybe altering something, and then kicking himself to another to go over something else, and yet again.]
[And then there's the one warm light in this place, a young woman made of soft yellow light, sitting next to the Hamato monitor, kicking her feet in the air, watching as Donnie movies form place to place.]
no subject
"I'd like to see them try to get Dee to actually sleep!"
[April laughs at that.] I mean, I could probably be president if I really wanted to. Or the real April could be. But being a politician means lying a lot, even the ones who do actually do their job properly. Donnie doesn't think I'd like having to lying that much.
Plus, you gotta keep in mind Donnie's circumstances. He can't ever be Merlin. He can force an upheaval for societal change, but that doesn't change humans. [There's a sad smile on her face at that.]
The current idea is when he thinks the time is optimal, he'll get more involved in elections. Make sure the people who deserve to win are in place to. Hopefully by actually getting it so people are able to vote properly. He knows he probably shouldn't actually fix the election. At least not the first time. But he can definitely make sure people have time off and are registered.
no subject
Voting. I've yet to see a civilization where democracy stands for more than two or three centuries. Corruption or outside influences always seep in and it inevitably collapses until they form ranks behind a strong central authority figure that can command the people.
Humanity's natural state is that of a benevolent neutrality. They want a better world, it's just that those who are greedy, cruel, and brutal often push the hardest for their own goals. And it takes a while, sometimes, for someone to remind everyone else that this isn't what's best.
He could be a shadow Merlin, if he wanted. If anyone can guarantee privacy, he can. Isn't that what this last bit, with the viruses, is doing for all of you?
no subject
But at least having the people be engaged with politics means its easier for the masses to work together next time. Step by step, people change. That's how you get a better society. You change how people think and you can only do that by giving everyone a bit of power.
And a republic has the longest lasting track record so far, so there is hope.
And yeah, that's what all that is for. But he also knows he's not free of corruption. He knows he gets controlling. Its better if he can just give the power and means to the people who are vulnerable to actually stand up and fight back.
Its like you've seen with him before.
no subject
Still. He has his family to act as a checking function. That's more, I think, than his merchants and politicians can claim. Even if he can't trust himself, he can trust them, right?
no subject
Also murder is really frowned upon these days. So like, great proof democracy can be perfected! But also, oof, the transition is rough.
True, true....if he shared even a fourth of this with us.
[She looks to the screens.] Some things he hides 'cause he knows we won't approve. Other stuff is complicated and he doesn't think we'd keep up. Mostly....it's how he tries to feel connected.
no subject
[She pauses, then glances around.]
So is granting me access to this a show of trust, then?
no subject
Donnie's kind of got two settings.
He either trusts you or he doesn't. He doesn't know how to not go all in. Sure, he can recognize where people can only be expected to do certain things. Like he knows people can fully trust him, but also would expect them to realize his priorities when choosing between them and his family.
...but it also makes it very easy for people to deceive him. For him to be used. For him to take things at face value and miss subtext that was vitally important.
He knows that, but he doesn't know how to avoid it either.
His trust in you was never in question.
He just doesn't know how to get you to understand that.
no subject
Hn. Some people should be trusted only so much, though.
[Like her, for instance.]
If it were a simple matter of trust... But it's not, is it? I do feel angry and betrayed, but I understand now that, at least according to Korone, this is a result of his environment and not purposeful malevolence. But that's going to take time to recover.
Everything else feels like a minor adjustment that can be fixed more readily now that they've been aired. I'd hoped to avoid that, but I lost my temper with how he responded to me and vented more than intended.
no subject
That is usually the Dee brand. When he's purposely malicious, it's real obvious. Like you could be blind, deaf, and grew under a rock and still pick it up. And he doesn't let go when he doesn't care about the bridge.
It took me a while to get it too. We had real nasty fights at the beginning. Donnie has too many emotions he doesn't know how to express and aggression is the easiest one. But he knows where limits are....with his family. He knows when he crosses lines he has to apologize for.
But he doesn't know that with you guys. He's trying to figure it out, but it's like he's trying to read a book in a new language and maybe one out of every ten words he knows. Sometimes he'll get a full sentence or two, and if he's real lucky, he'll get some paragraphs. Usually the more upfront and honest someone is with him, the better he gets it.
That's why he understands Crow fairly well. Crow's been straight with him for a lot.
It's also why trust is all or nothing. He doesn't know how to read people to tailor it beyond what he's told or directly experiences. It's burned him, but he also knows how rare an opportunity it is to connect with people so he doesn't like rejecting it out of hand.
Between what he is, and how his mind works, and how all that affects how he is with people, he knows he has to try his best and hope. Because what other options does he have?
no subject
It's only nepotism if that's not the usual way of passing down positions and if those who take those positions are unqualified. But a prince or a princess has been training their entire lives to take the throne. Meanwhile, in a democracy, the Powers and Yuzus of the world have just as much say as the Donatellos.
[Why is she arguing with a figment?]
It is a matter of tone, yes. I don't mind listening to someone who's passionate about a subject, it's when I start feeling talked down to that I start to take issue. I've been brushing it off in his case, though, because he is young and it wouldn't do to shut him down.
[Well, at least until she bit his head off about it during their fight.]
I've tried stating outright when I didn't want a discussion and it just made him freeze up entirely and need reassurances. So that obviously wasn't the way to go about things.
no subject
In a democracy, there's a lot more opportunity to get rid of people without a violent insurrection.
Yeah, that's also partially how he talks. He knows he'll come across as sarcastic sometimes when he doesn't mean to. He also struggles with figuring out if other people are sarcastic. It took like six months of asking me 'is that sarcasm' before he had my tone down. Most of the time. He tries to hear himself, but...well, its genuinely hard for him. Sometimes he gets it. A lot of the time, he's pretty sure he doesn't. Judging by what people say. He has to get the data second hand.
Actually, it was.
....do you know why he freaks out when he's pressured to be the one to figure out an emotional problem all on his own?
no subject
Hm.
[Doesn't have much to say there. Donatello's issues are such that she doesn't really have the tools or knowledge to fully appreciate them much. She's reading up on his claimed disorders, but that's not exactly a swift process, especially when you're having to teach yourself a new science.]
Likely because he's terrified of making a mistake in an arena where he has zero confidence and feels like a slip will have dramatic results he can't handle on his own?
no subject
That's right.
Donnie never takes changes when it comes to relationships well. He gets uncertain and nervous. He always does, until he gets comfortable with the change.
You introduced a change. He wasn't sure if it was just what it was, or if he was missing something deeper. If you kept it up, he'd get used to it, and he'd be a lot less nervous because he'd get used to it.
It was a good sign. If Donnie's vulnerable, he feels comfortable around you. If he's peacocking, then he's nervous.
no subject
Democracy can work. On a small scale. But once you go beyond the size of a single village, you're setting things up for failure. The more you dilute things by adding steps, the less each individual person matters. Isn't it better to have one guiding force dictating things than to let everyone think that their vote matters, even if they get what they want less than half the time?
[Anyway. That's the less important half of this conversation.]
Whereas I saw that as a fear or discomfort reaction and decided the better thing would be to simply not repeat that to avoid harm.
[If he'd told her earlier, they might have avoided some of the pressure building.]
no subject
[She shrugs.]
All relationships involve hurt feelings. If you're afraid to ever say anything, it causes problems. Always does. It's why Donnie usually doesn't sit on his issues with people.
Sure, he's got some things he gets hang ups about, but it's usually cause he can't or doesn't think to articulate something. [She gestures over to the young Donnie, still working away.] Gets it into his head he's gotta do something and he doesn't really need to bother people with it.
But he'd rather have a fight the first time versus a fight at the fiftieth time where he didn't know the forty-nine before existed. Dee can keep track of all this data, facts and figures, for months. But give him three emotional things at once and he's lucky to follow the string of one of them.
Even when he's trying his best, because you guys needed him to.