beansketches

[beansketches]

This was just supposed to be a simple mindless mirrored drawing to practice vector art and somehow it became this massive 2003 eulogy with tons of references everywhere. I'm really happy with how it came out! :D

I can't tell you the amount of hours I spent on this. If you can find all the references... I'm gonna be amazed honestly because there are so many, from logos, to patterns to even colors. I'd be there all day if I tried describing them all, but I do hope you'll check it out! ^^

Close ups under the cut.

[beansketches]

Do you think Bishop asked the turtles for help in setting up the Pan Galactic Alliance since they had so many dealings with different species, and expected them to be doubtful of his intentions only for them to tease him before actually accepting his plans?

I think about it a lot. lol

(don't pay a whole lot of attention to the turtles' outfits/designs. I was mostly just making up random things to show the passage of time)

Their actual reaction to his announcement to create the PGA:

This is my entry for @tmaynt Day 24: Favorite Turtle + Villain Dynamic and Day 30: Favorite Human Villain

Their dynamic with Bishop is so interesting, because for most the series he's this Big Threat, and working with him is literally like making a deal with the devil. But then they go 100 years into the future and find out that once Bishop finally realizes that eliminating Aliens from Earth isn't going to protect it, that he actually is a force for good and peace.... well it changes that dynamic and I wish we could have gotten to see more about how they reacted to Bishop after that lol.

Bonus below:

I was actually originally going to do two separate things for day 24 and 30. but I am behind and day 24 (originally going to be Rise Mikey and Meat Sweats) was giving me fits, and while practicing drawing Bishop for day 30, I thought about this idea and decided to combine the days.

Here's what I was originally going to do for day 30. What I wouldn't give to see xenophobic 03 Bishop meet his ALIEN counterpart

[beansketches]

Glad I am not the only one who noticed how indifferent April seemed to raph because they barely interacted. I thought she hated him lol because she seemed closer to his brothers.

Yeah it kind of bothered me too that they weren't as close because April is actually insane in the 03 show, like more on Raph's level than even Casey at times. Girl was just as down as he was to beat someone up or put herself in harms way if it meant she could protect someone she cared for (see s1 ep18 'Shredder Strikes Back Part 2' when she stood up to Hun, a guy 3x her size, when he was threatening a very injured and incapacitated Leo)

When I wrote the oneshof for that TMNTgust prompt, I wanted to explore why she might actually be a bit colder towards him or why she might at least seem to be not as enthused with him.

I went with the perspective of Raph interpreting some of her actions/behaviors towards him as mildly hostile and, as a result, deciding to act accordingly and give her space. But because he had those assumptions and didn't want to directly talk to her about it, he kind of ensured that they couldn't get closer as a result. April never really knew there was a problem.

Just the result of not directly communicating or confronting someone to clear up a misunderstanding.

I gave her the background I did in the story because I wanted her irritated/annoyed attitude to also not be Raph imagining things. He was correct that she gets irritated when he and Casey are too loud or rowdy, but not because she doesn't like Raph.

I tried to leave the explanation open to the subtext that her early childhood had turbulent elements to it before her dad left (and in the aftermath of him leaving) so the fact that she responds negatively to sudden loud noises and/or rowdy physical fighting is because these things trigger her childhood trauma and cause a negative outward reaction that Raph mistakenly interprets as her just not liking his presence in general.

I found that I really enjoyed writing their dynamic too. They're so underutilized and have a flavor of relationship that she doesn't and cannot have with any of the others.

[beansketches]

friendly reminder that you can help a young palestinian with just $5 or tapping some buttons to spread his story across the site.

today. when mohammed & i were on the phone ambulance sirens were blaring loudly in the background, most likely rushing to retrieve martyrs and/or the wounded. every day i’m scared that he might end up in those ambulances, because the world has decided his life & millions of lives are expendable.

waking up each day is a fight for survival , so join his side and help him win today’s battle.

[beansketches]

One of the best ideas for his character that I've seen explored in fics is Raph's insecurity about how he looks.

I don't know if I'm the only one, but I've always seen him as the most insecure of his brothers when it comes to his outward appearance and how he's treated by others.

That's why episodes like 'Lone Raph and Cub' and 'Touch and Go' are so important. In the former, the kid that Raph helps accepts Raph's appearance really quickly. And it's a nice touch in the writing to have the antagonists make consistent cracks about how he looks while the kid almost immediately gets over his initial confusion/shock when they first meet.

The latter episode with Mrs. Morrison is a bit different since she's blind and has no way of knowing he's a mutant, but it's just as impactful for him. For a little while, he's treated like a person by this nice older woman, again starkly contrasted to the murderous treatment he was about to be subjected to by some angry xenophobic mob. His appearance in both these episodes was inconsequential to the people who mattered, the people who he helped and who helped him in return.

If the writers had capitalized on this idea and gone further with it, I think it would have been a good potential arc for him to have since it compliments what I think should have been his main character arc of learning slowly over time how to put into practice tempering his actions when he feels overwhelmed and learning how to healthily process his emotions in the moment. (And that second arc would need to not villainize him for having those big feelings as well as not promote the idea that he should just swallow his feelings or not express them at all in the effort of "being more mature.")

I will say this has been bugging me ever since I joined this fandom back in 2023, and hear me out: this isn’t me trying to make digs or complain; it’s just an observation. I noticed sainw grudge match and the Shredder stuff, which are fan favorites for being impactful for Leo, Mikey, and Donnie. But we are missing one, aren’t we? Raph people rarely talk about Raph, and that’s not their fault because the writers didn’t bother to give him an impactful episode like his brothers. As I said in that post, his three brothers are the main characters, while Raph is a supporting character; he doesn’t get much of an active role as they do. Again, this is just an observation, not a diss; we love all the characters in this house.

[beansketches]

TMNTgust Prompts

Day 1: April and Raph getting up to shenanigans

Iteration: 2003 characters (I had a very specific dynamic in mind that I wanted to explore with these two)

Baggage

content warning: mention of child abandonment trauma

When Raph had received an angry phone call from April earlier that evening, he had thought for sure that she had made a mistake. Not that he would ever admit it to Casey, but Raph had always had a sneaking suspicion that April was not his biggest fan.

Sure, she was polite and cordial enough when he was around. And yeah, he had no doubt that she genuinely cared about his wellbeing, just as she did any of his brothers, but there was a reason he did his best to give her as much space as possible.

When April came down to the lair for a visit, she and Donnie would quickly disappear into his lab to continue whatever project it was they were currently working on. She and Leo often had lengthy discussions about the storylines of books she had lent him, sometimes even evolving into a good-natured argument over their favorite characters or their respective interpretations of one of the book's themes. Mikey, while annoying, clearly held a soft spot in her heart from the ways she would indulge him: patiently listening to his lengthy excited explanations about the comic he was drawing or helping him with the spice balance of a recipe he had yet to master.

It was no secret how much Splinter enjoyed her company, how he never lost an opportunity to chat with her over tea in the kitchen or his room. And likewise, her enjoyment of his company was returned in kind.

Raph, on the other hand, hardly got to speak to April unless she stuck around for dinner or was present to assist on a mission. He saw the annoyed looks she wore when he and Casey began to rough house a bit too much, if he raised his voice a bit too loud, too suddenly. He felt her eyes on him sometimes, judging him when he was in the dojo in the midst of violently demolishing his punching bag after an argument with Leo where Raph would inevitably be proven to be the unreasonable one yet again.

So, when he had answered his phone in the middle of his evening weight training and heard an audibly upset April asking if he was free at the moment, Raph admittedly felt confused. After he finally managed to answer, she told him where to meet and ended the call abruptly. No further details, explanation, nothing.

The confusion did not abate when he met her at her apartment and she told him she wanted help taking something to the landfill, when they arrived there and she asked if he could set it up on top of a small pile of garbage, nor when he stood back and watched as she proceeded to absolutely demolish the item in question.

Now standing somewhat awkwardly to the side, Raph continued to watch in rapt silence as the normally well put together redhead took out what must have been a lifetime's worth of anger on some poor unsuspecting old looking radio.

Raph admittedly did not know much about antiques but the radio seemed in good enough condition to sell, probably for a decent price too. The woodwork was precise, detailed, and polished, the speaker openings in the shape of cathedral style windows. When they were younger, Donnie had gotten overly invested in old timey receivers and had spoken at length, to the entire family's chagrin, about his favorite variations of 1930s-1940s era radios, and how hard it was to find one in good functional condition. What Raph could not understand is why April seemed intent to destroy what appeared to be a perfectly fine looking piece.

The old half rusted pipe she was using to carry out her violent execution actually snapped upon her fifth or sixth swing. There was a moment of tense silence before she threw what remained of her weapon and outright pushed what remained of the radio onto the ground. Her boot came down on it, again and again and again. Splinters of wood and glass flew across the dirt in all directions, skittering to a stop near his feet where he stood several yards away at the fence line.

Well past once the radio was reduced to nothing but shards of its former self, she continued to rub its remains into the ground with the sole of her shoe. Raph only approached when she finally stopped to catch her breath.

"You, um, ok?"

As if in response, she merely kicked a patch of dead grass onto the corpse of her now defeated defenseless opponent.

"That thing owe you money or something?" His attempt to lighten the mood was initially met with a wall of stoney silence. As seconds ticked by, painfully long, he began to regret his choice to speak in the first place.

"It was my father's," she finally responded, hands slightly shaking. When she offered no further explanation, he prodded further before he could think better of it.

"I thought you got along with your dad?"

"I do." She unconsciously tucked a piece of hair behind her ear that had come loose, eyes still fixated on what remained of the radio. "Just not my father."

It took him a moment before he understood.

"He left when I was twelve," she explained, every syllable sharpened. "My sister and I only heard from him a few times a year if we were lucky. Broke my mom for a while. Robyn had to pick up the slack, make sure Mom and I were okay while he was off living his best life."

Her hands shook slightly as she continued.

"It took my mom nearly a year before she started looking and acting like herself again. Another year later, she met my dad and things finally really settled back down." She rested her hands on her hips, fingers digging into the fabric of her sweater. "Then out of nowhere last month, I get a call from my father."

The laugh that escaped her was short, humorless, and bitter. "He's dying. And he wants to send me something special. Something for me to sell in the shop since he 'didn't have a lot to leave me and Robyn.' As if that's supposed to make up for everything."

When she lifted her sleeve to wipe at her face, Raph pretended not to notice. "Sounds like a real jerk," he replied before he could stop himself.

She failed to snap at him for this or even give him a frustrated look. Tense silence stretched into long painful minutes.

"Do you want me to get Casey or Don out here?"

She shook her head.

"Leo?"

Again, she shook her head.

"Is there anyone ?"

"I'm sorry for dumping this in your lap," she sighed, suddenly cut him off, arms folding over her chest. "I didn't mean to interrupt what you had going on tonight. I just..." She took a breath, finally turning her head to look at him. "I couldn't think of anyone else."

He nearly balked at that. "Don't take this the wrong way, but why me?"

She seemed to consider her words for a moment. "I needed support from someone who'd understand."

"Understand...?"

"Why I needed to do this." She gestured to the remains of the radio to which he responded with a nod, only half understanding. "You didn't try to stop me or ask me why."

"You seemed upset." He shrugged slightly as a small smile settled onto her face. "Sorry you only had me to call," he added, only half joking. "Would've been better if there was someone you liked a bit more."

Her smile vanished momentarily as she registered his words, confusion prominent in her eyes. "Why would you say that?"

"I don't know," he practically muttered, struggling to figure out a way to somehow backtrack. When he failed to find one, he decided the best way out was through. "You just...I always got the idea that you didn't really like me is all."

She was fully facing him now, her expression something akin to concern or pity. "Raph..."

"You don't need to feel bad about it," he insisted. "I know I'm not the easiest guy to get along with. It's kinda part of the deal when you decide to get involved with my family, me being upset over nothin' a lot of the time. And I guess I'm also part of the package when it comes to Casey "

"Raph," her tone was firm but not unkind. "You and Casey can be a bit much when you're together but that doesn't mean I hate you."

He blinked.

"And you're not some baggage I reluctantly put up with so I can spend time with Leo or Don or anyone else in your family. I like you. And I'm sorry for giving you any reason to think otherwise."

Raph's fingers played with his belt loops, trying to suppress the weird feeling he was experiencing but could not quite name. "Nah, it's my fault. I tend to take a lotta things personally when I probably shouldn't." He glanced over at the destroyed radio before leveling his gaze to meet hers. "But thanks anyway. And I'm sorry about your father and the whole mess you're probably in right now."

April's shoulders lifted in a halfhearted shrug. "I feel a bit better now, at least. Thanks for coming out here and doing this for me. I know you were busy."

A quick study of her expression showed nothing but sincerity. "It was nothin'."

Glancing around, she picked her way through a nearby pile of items and returned with what appeared to be a newer looking pipe and the broken off handle of a rake. She extended the latter to him. "I'm not ready to leave yet. Up for a game? First one to break 30 doesn't have to pay for ice cream on the way home?"

He grinned at the challenge, fingers closing around his impromptu bat. "You're on."

---------------

tags: @shellaxdude

[beansketches]

"I didn't comment on a fic I liked because I don't think the author would care or remember my comment anyway". fanfic writer here, I still remember comments I got on my fics from seven years ago. I still think about them and they still make me smile. your kind comments are what motivates us and what helps us keep writing.

I personally know writers who take screenshot and print out comments they got from their readers.

TL;DR comments matter to us writers more than you think. if you like a fanfic, never be shy to let the author know ♡

[beansketches]

Hi! I love reading your analyses on Bishop as a character and would love to hear your thoughts on how he'd behave when put in a position where he'd be acting as a parent.

I've been working on a story where he voluntarily takes in a young kid after their parents die on his watch (they were both his subordinates). He essentially sees it as an opportunity to mold the kid into a valuable future resource for the EPF, whether as a model soldier/agent/scientist/etc.

Even though the story I'm writing takes place after the kid has grown up and is now estranged from him, I've gotten so invested in how he'd behave as an adoptive father figure. I mean we all know he'd be awful but the details behind what he says/does interest me a lot and make me wonder how much I can maybe play with his characterization in a believable way within the bounds of what we see of him in the show.

Like maybe deep deep deep down he gets emotionally attached to the kid after spending so much time with them over the years and the kid looking up to him so much, only to realize how deep his attachment is after the kid runs away and he can't find them? Idk if that's believable at all.

Sorry for the long ask. Anyway, would love to hear your thoughts if you'd like to share!

Hello! Sorry for taking so long to answer this, it was the month of July you see, and as such ArtFight ate my every free moment. But this is a very interesting concept you've blessed me with!! I really like the idea you've got here. (I'm also very glad you enjoy my wild obsessive ramblings haha!)

So! Agent Bishop as a guardian figure! This poor fuckin kid. I think there are a lot of elements to consider here, but overall it's safe to say Bishop would be a very very poor caretaker. No doubt abusive on some level. Let's start with emotional attachment, since you mentioned that!

So, I don't think Bishop in this era really can get attached, not in the traditional familial sense, at least. Bishop is utilitarian to a fault, and I think for that reason it would be difficult for me to buy him growing emotional attachment to any one person-- even, in this scenario, basically his own child. The BIG big thing with Bishop's character is that nothing comes above his ultimate goal, which at this time is to eradicate the universe of extraterrestrial life.

What this means for the experience of the child is that, ultimately, it will be clear to them that they are not a priority in Bishop's life. They may not even be second best. Until they can do something for him. They will learn implicitly that their value is tied to whatever skill he trains them for within EPF. Their value to him is directly tied to how well they can perform as a cog in his machine. They are a side project for him to work on in between managing his pseudo-military government branch and managing his scientists and going out on collection missions.

I think it's also worth noting that Bishop is a couple hundred years old and then some, and very disconnected from the experiences of regular human beings, much less those of a child. The last time he was a child was two-hundred-and-then-some years ago. We can also assume he might have some biological weirdness going on from being spliced with alien DNA and living between clone bodies. (Mix and match headcanons as you like, I enjoy the concept that he maximizes his efficiency by cutting down sleep and food needs, as machine as a man can get.)

This means, generally, he will not be very understanding of the fact that child brains function differently. I could see him understanding that there is a lower level of intelligence he has to work around, but he still expects to be understood and obeyed; he works with soldiers and doesn't have a social life. He makes little room for childhood irrationality or wonder. He would balk at the idea of giving any more to them than exactly what they need to grow. No extra treats, unless he can be convinced it will help them develop into a better employee.

Furthermore, he will be imposing his beliefs upon the child. They will be raised to see aliens as monsters that deserve to be tortured and killed. They will be taught that the universe is hostile and dangerous, and they will be saving the world by clearing it out.

There are a couple things I could see actually bringing out more than just the cold instructor, though. I think I've talked about it on this blog before, but Bishop's two loves are scientific development and winning fights. If he takes the time to show the child how to dissect a specimen, he takes joy in those lessons in a way he normally doesn't; no longer clinical and precise, taking time to show off the "fun" parts. Likewise, I think he would find training combat very fulfilling, when his trainee can get good enough to actually give him a challenge. Perhaps there would even be a sense of pride. His little pawn is growing quite capable.

Ultimately, Bishop is a self-centered person. He will not see the child as their own person with thoughts and wants and a whole life to live, he will see a soldier-- a special one, sure. An experimental one, perhaps. But if that child grows up and leaves, cuts him off, they will be nothing more than a failure of one. A disappointment. Perhaps the reason he never tries again is because he decides from this experience that the time and money he spent on them was not worth the outcome. In his eyes, he gained nothing.

Those are just my two cents, anyway! Hopefully this was helpful! He is an absolutely fascinating person to study when he's put into relationships that should be something deeper, so thank you very much for the ask!

[beansketches]

OC x Canon Art is Cute and Valid

So does anyone have an explanation as to why some of the TMNT fandom is so weird about oc x canon art? Like it doesn't matter if the characters are aged up or aged appropriately to be paired up with whichever one of the guys it is.

I've seen people be weird with OCs in this dynamic in general but the backlash is particularly weird and egregious when the OC is a human girl/woman.

That's just what I've seen though. Idk if anyone else has noticed this or come across it.

I'll go on Pinterest and see a cute sketch of one of the turtles and someone's OC doing nothing explicit or inappropriate, mind you, and there will be these weird negative comments and reaction images almost every time.

I'm sure these are just younger fans being upset about seeing a fandom work that just doesn't cater to their tastes but it's so wild seeing a cute piece of oc x canon art being treated like it's the most awful disgusting thing anyone's ever seen.

Anyway, if you have a TMNT OC or make TMNT oc x canon art, fics, etc. don't feel bad about it. Your work is valid and makes this fandom fun to engage with ♥️

[beansketches]

TMNTgust Prompts! get your prompts here! (below the cut)

information: tmntgust is a tmnt based writing event similar to events like inktober and tmntember. posting for the event will begin on august 1st, 2025. to give participants more time to make something for each day the prompt list is going up in advance. this event is open to all tmnt iterations, including fan iterations. there are 41 prompts. one for each day of the month of august and 10 bonus prompts. feel free to alter any prompt here as you please or sub in one of the bonus prompts for any you dont like/dont feel inspired for (my feelings wont be hurt). there are no rules for this event, so feel free to do as many prompts as you like, or feel free to skip around to your heart's content. when you post a work to tumblr, feel free to tag this blog and ill reblog it (provided it is not nsfw bc im not comfortable with that, especially for tmnt stuff). closer to the beginning of the event ill have a collection on ao3 up that you can add your works to if youd like.

i think thats all the important information! if yall have any questions, comments, concerns (or just want to say hi) just shoot me an ask! without any further ado, i present to you all, the tmntgust prompt list! happy writing!

April and Raph getting up to shenanigans - @error-core-animations

Donnie finds an old robot vacuum cleaner, adds some upgrades . . . and then loses it

Someone follows Mikey home

Donnie’s hands are injured: his brothers have to help out while he heals

Raph comes home in bad shape

A sewer tunnel caves in, and Leo is trapped

There is a leak somewhere in the sewers above the Lair and the water is getting in. No one from the city has come to fix it on their own, so Donnie has to do it.

Turtles go undercover on a passenger train to find a person of interest (killer, thief, mutant,time traveller, etc. could be a long ride or a short one)

An item that used to belong to Hamato Yoshi appears and the turtles must mount a mission to retrieve it for Splinter (whether he was Hamato Yoshi or not)

Future AU where one of the last surviving core turtles finds a photograph of their family that they haven’t seen in years

200 years in the future, a group of scientists discover the location of the turtles’ lair, looking for information that might help them in their current plight (The Batman (2004) cartoon season 4 episode 7 is the inspiration for this)

After an altercation with their enemies goes wrong, the turtles find themselves stranded at sea in a small sailboat. What could possibly go wrong?

Beach episode! Let the kids have fun!

The turtles parkour through the city, having the time of their lives. Until one turtle almost becomes street pizza and they have to calm them and each other down

Mikey trying to get more human friends - @error-core-animations

Leo and Donnie go on a trip to upstate New York to witness a celestial phenomenon (northern lights, comet, moon shenanigans, stargazing, etc) (maybe the others come along for the ride, but they better bring snacks)

Casey meets the turtles in a Monster Hunter AU. He’s been hunting them as monsters and now he’s finally found them *cue dramatic music*

Splinter and Shredder talking/arguing - @error-core-animations

Time travel! Donatello has just invented a time machine! Unluckily for the others, it works! However, the timing could not be worse as New York is attacked by something and they desperately need Donatello back.

Mikey follows a stray cat through NYC. He has the weird feeling it’s trying to show him something . . .

Give one of the turtles fantasy magic. They’re having a blast with it, but is this a gift or a curse?

One of the turtles opens up about being afraid every time they go out to fight off villains. The others reassure them that this is what bravery is

Raph is bored. Unfortunately (?) for Mikey, Raph has a solution to that

One of the turtles gets a cursed (or blessed) item thrust upon them from the owner of an antique store

One of the turtles takes respite beneath a structure in the middle of some poor weather (rain or snow). While there, they spot a creature that should not exist (be it extinct, mythical, or other). Curiosity gets the better of them and they decide to follow it.

There’s a large mutant creature running around in NYC, wreaking havoc. The turtles have decided to step up to the plate and handle it, but they discover that not everything is as it seems

During an altercation, a turtle gets knocked into a pile of garbage. They see a bright flash of light, and emerge to find that the other turtles and their adversary are all gone. Where did everyone go? And how do they get them back? Can they get them back?

Someone gets hit with a truth spell or serum and cannot stop being brutally honest. This causes problems when they need to save face, keep out of trouble with splinter, or keep important info from an enemy.

Something is in the Lair and the turtles need to find it before it finds them.

Donnie receives a strange signal and he’s not sure what it is.

Local mob boss receives an ominous letter at the claws of an unusual messenger bird. Somehow this becomes the turtles’ problem and they’re not happy about it.

Bonus!

One of the turtles gets lost in the sewer and the remaining people have to go get them out

Someone has a really bad day (ex: injury, lost item/pet, attacked, lost, etc). The rest of the family try to make it better.

One of the turtles gets a tattoo or piercing?

POV you’re the turtle’s vehicle.

Someone turns invisible for a full day.

Farmhouse trip!

Raph has a secret collection that he’s afraid of his brothers discovering. Unfortunately, Mikey does not like leaving his brothers’ secrets as secrets.

The first time the turtles feel the sun on their skin (or go topside at all, if you’re not writing for 2012)

Mikey gets stuck in a tree. Is he a cat? Find out at 11.

Shredder’s POV. What’s he planning?

i tried to keep some of them vague enough that you can insert whatever character you want into there, but feel free to substitute characters as you want!

(i linked to the accounts of people who made submissions and wanted to be credited not everyone wanted credit)

[beansketches]

Bishop in SAINW

I swear I saw a post a while back talking about whether Bishop is even present in the SAINW timeline and how if he is, he's likely dead or was tortured by Shredder at some point in very creative sadistic ways.

I cannot find the post in my likes for the life of me but I LOVE this idea.

It would be interesting to explore Bishop in this timeline with him alive needing to collaborate with the turtles after Donnie reappears and gets the team back together.

Or maybe Bishop and SAINW Donatello are being held in one of Shredder's prisons and the guys find them both when they come to rescue Don.

I'm almost scared to consider what Shredder would do to Bishop given how personalized his torture methods can be. Bishop already has trauma from being experimented on by aliens. No doubt this would be something Shredder would take advantage of and emulate to cause as much damage to Bishop mentally as well as physically.

Even just having Bishop restrained to a table or restrained in general would likely be enough trigger him.

If anyone has written a fic about this idea, I would love to read it honestly 💗

[beansketches]

Reblog if it's okay to invade your ask box.

Always

[beansketches]

I know you’re a bishop blog so I hope this isn’t annoying. Way back when you mentioned you loved all the turtles in 03. So I was wondering I am curious to hear your general thoughts like on Raph for an example and if you ship him with anyone?

It's not annoying at all!

I'm not exclusively a Bishop blog he just takes up a good percentage of my brain haha. I'm happy to talk about any of the turtles or other characters (especially the 03 characters since I'm most familiar with them and they were the first iteration I saw as a kid).

I'm actually open to writing prompts involving any of the 03 characters and currently working on a couple as we speak, one involving Leo and Raph, and one with all the brothers rescuing Mikey.

(Oh boy this one got long...I may do a format like this for each of the 03 turtles if that's something anyone would be interested in)

General thoughts:

But to answer your question, I adore Raph. Unlike Leo or Mikey who both have certain versions of their characters that I don't really care for, there is no version of Raph that I even dislike.

He's popular for a reason. He's emotional, sensitive, and passionate.

03 Raph in particular I had a small crush on as a kid because of two particular episodes. In the B plot of 'Touch and Go' he helps a blind elderly woman save her apartment when she confides in him that she's being forced out of her home because she cannot afford the mortgage since her husband died. He just makes himself helpful and sits and talks with her. Her cat Lucy also immediately takes to him ♥️ which is super cute.

Another episode 'Lone Raph and Cub' centered on Raph helping a kid save his mom from some mobsters. The kid is just as impulsive, short tempered, and sensitive as he is, and it was so sweet to see him breathe through his initial frustrations and choose to be more mature and talk to this kid respectfully to work out a plan to help him. For once Raph had to be the more mature one and he gets some perspective on where Leo is often coming from.

If you can't tell I love that we get to see him be vulnerable in the series. He's truly very kindhearted, just as much as his brothers even if he can come off as prickly to outsiders initially.

Which leads into my second point of why I love him: his protective nature. Raph will go into the circles of Hell and back for the people he loves. He is always putting himself in the line of fire if it means he can defend someone he cares for. He's always butting heads with Leo in most iterations, but he's the first to walk up on someone who threatens his older brother or any of his brothers really.

If I can use 03 as an example again, in 'The Ultimate Ninja' when a warrior challenges Leo to a duel, Raph immediately steps in and basically tells the guy to fuck off and that the guy will need to go through him if he wants to get to his brother. Gold star protective Raph moment 🌟

Throughout the series in general there's also a running theme of Raph being the one to step in and save/help Donnie during fights when he's in trouble. It's super wholesome.

And we all know how protective he is over Mikey. I pity the poor soul who makes the mistake of hurting Raph's baby brother.

2012 Raph is very similar to 03 in a lot of ways. I get very happy when I see a compilation of him being worried over/saving/protecting Mikey.

Favorite Raph moments of the 2012 series:

When Raph threatens Leatherhead to get away from Mikey

When Raph absolutely crashes out over Spike hurting Mikey right in front of him

He's the ultimate version of "only I can make fun of my siblings. If you do it, you're dead."

He's also very funny at times. We all know the classic Yo Mama joke the 03 series served us the first time he meets Hun. Which really does set up their dynamic so well for the rest of the series. Hun is big and trying to be scary and threatening, and Raph is not having any of it.

I've gone into it in another post about how I wished Hun was framed more as a personal villain for Raph and that that was explored more. They have a lot of similarities but choose very different paths. And because Raph is familiar with the whole "oh I'm a big scary tough guy" act, of course he's not gonna be phased by Hun's intimidation tactics.

Shipping:

03 Raph is not a version I have a ship for (although I can see why people enjoy him and Casey). I am open to reading fics that have him paired up with an OC so long as the dynamic not an unhealthy one. I have read too many fics in the past that fall into the trap of making him controlling and borderline sexist due to how he's written (when he's written to have a human woman love interest). That kind of dynamic just does not interest me and never really has.

Don't get me wrong, I think exploring his insecurities and anger issues in this context is prime writing material. I see him as being the most insecure one of the four when it comes to his outward appearance and that would of course carry over into a romantic relationship especially if his love interest was a human. He'd likely wonder why they would even want him when they could have a more "acceptable and normal" partner. It's heartbreaking stuff and great opportunity to explore his feelings and for his partner to be very reassuring. Every time a character like Raph is treated with kindness and patience instead of being villainized for simply having and expressing big feelings, I am healed a tiny bit more.

(I am personally toying with creating a 03 version of Mona Lisa myself since I like the idea of him having a partner but it's still only a concept in my head at the moment without any writing or art to go with it yet. Maybe I'll make a post about her and Raph in the future idk)

As far as ships go for his character across the TMNT universe, I am a fan of the 2012 version of him and Mona Lisa and the IDW version of him and Alopex. They are both very cute and surprisingly healthy relationships.

I live for relationships where a guy has emotional issues and his partner, rather than babying or mothering him, instead inspires him to be better by just being themself and validating his feelings while also not accepting any disrespect or borderline abusive behavior. Not that Raph is abusive. I've seen that take before and I do not care for it at all. He has moments where he says stuff impulsively that he almost immediately regrets and him having a partner who supports him while also keeping him in check is a good fit for his character. Especially when he apologizes and acts as that same support for them in return.

I adore these IDW series panels in particular. They are so cute!

Both Mona and Alopex also beat him in combat/sparring at least once too, and I think his universal Type no matter the iteration would be a person who can land him on his ass. Match his energy and all that. Lord knows Leo could use the break haha.

In conclusion: I love angry mutant turtle boy ♥️

[beansketches]

[beansketches]

TMNT x X-Files: Agent Bishop and Agent Mulder

I was watching X Files again and thought to myself

"Would Agent Mulder and Bishop get along?"

And the answer immediately that came to me was a resounding NO

On the surface you'd think they probably would. I mean Mulder is arguably just as obsessed as Bishop when it comes to extraterrestrials.

They both know aliens exist and can be a threat to humanity, have trauma related to an abudction, and are determined to protect humanity, often going outside of US govt protocols to do so. But that's where the similarities end.

The biggest glaring difference is Mulder LOVES the supernatural. He's fascinated by it. He wants not only to see but to believe and most importantly to learn. His want to understand is birthed from this love, both for the supernatural and for his sister, who he lost as a child to an abudction incident.

Bishop HATES the supernatural. He hates anything and anyone who appears different from humans, whether they're actually an active threat or not. It's this hate, which is a response to his own abduction trauma, that drives his need to pursue his work. It's where his whole perspective of needing to eliminate anything supernatural comes from.

Sure, Mulder will go to the ends of the Earth to hunt down an alien shapeshifter that is actively murdering and hurting people, but he also understands that not all extraterrestrials or paranormal beings are threats. Some might be dangerous and want to do harm, but others are not (see the episode in s1 about the Jersey Devil). Some simply have their own purposes and are trying to navigate through the world the best way they know how.

Bishop, on the other hand, doesn't care if a being is benign or malicious. To him, any difference, anything 'other' is automatically a threat and must be taken down and studied.

Mulder is an obsessive government agent who still has his humanity. It is his greatest power. His love for his family and friends is part of what keeps him going. His care for people in general does not stop at those who merely look like him. He understands that with this whole different world of unexplained phenomena come a spectrum of motivations, ambitions, and nuances with these different beings.

Mulder knows that just because he doesn't understand something, that doesn't make it dangerous.

Bishop and Mulder would 100% clash not just from their respective morals and worldly perspectives, but if Mulder saw the extent of Bishop's methods, he'd likely do everything he could to stop him. At the very least, he'd walk away and not partake.

Bishop lost his humanity in his attempt to preserve and protect it and his own sense of personal safety.

Mulder clings to his humanity even when it would probably serve him better to abandon it. He might be spooky, but he's also human.

[beansketches]

thinking about BISD au from the perspective of EPF personnel is so funny cause there's suddenly a kid wandering around the halls of what is very much a military base and he's like. maybe sixteen? and your boss is just letting him do this. (depending on how much clearance you have you may be aware that your boss cannot stop him from doing this, and yet the kid hasn't left, and that knowledge is almost worse.) this kid can kick your ass seven ways to Sunday even if you are one of the best trained soldiers in the whole department. he does not know what cherries are. He has, by your count, at least seven different knives that he is not supposed to have, and that he pulls out at the strangest times.

he sings songs you've never heard of when he's bored and offhandedly mentions that they're lullabies. he doesn't seem to recognize a real gun but when he picks up one of those weird training weapons designed to get people used to the energy guns with no recoil the EPF issues he outshoots half the organization on his first try. your boss spars with him personally and the kid seems to enjoy it. he knows the base in and out in a matter of weeks, when you've been stationed here for months and don't even have access to half the areas he offhandedly mentions. once he broke out of the base and came back with about half a dozen rats. he offered to cook you one.

he doesn't like bubble gum and he won't say why. he also doesn't like the pink silly putty you snuck in for him on a whim, fully expecting your boss to fire you if he ever found out. he has hair past his shoulders that he doesn't seem to know how to wash properly. he is utterly confused by elastic hair bands, but still, you sometimes see him with his hair pulled up away from his face. sometimes it's in a neat bun that he couldn't have done himself. he claims his name is casey bishop hamato jones jr but is constantly switching around the order and number of his names, so the only constant part is casey.

when he's bored he sneaks up as high as he can and pounces on people from above. he has never broken his own bones from doing this but has sent at least three people to the infirmary after tackling them by dropping from the ceiling. the tackles have occurred less after you brought him more silly putty, this time in green. he's set up little stashes of food and water all over the base. you started looking for them after you found two, and told your boss after you found three more. he said it was none of your concern. the kid tells you he knows what passenger pigeon tastes like and you can't tell if he's lying or not.

he's very cagey about his origins, no doubt by orders of your boss because he's prone to casually letting things slip that range from mildly weird to downright horrifying. you and your coworkers have started pooling the tidbits you hear to try to figure out why the hell a child would know so much about fighting and so little about the world. you try to keep it hidden from your boss but he finds out anyway, because that freaky brain in a jar scientist found the files somehow and tattled. somehow you don't get in trouble, because the kid stands up for you and argues that he wasn't told to keep everything a secret and if Bishop wanted that he should have used his words like a grown up.

you have never truly understood the phrase "if looks could kill" before seeing the way that your boss glares at this child like he's caused everything wrong in the world, then drags him to the gym and makes the kid run hand to hand combat drills for three hours. from what you can tell it was intended as a punishment but by the end the kid is grinning ear to ear, if exhausted, so if it was meant as discipline it's as unethical as it is ineffective. you've never noticed before now how similar he actually looks to your boss, the same black hair and dark eyes. you try to unnotice it as fast as you can.

you go home at night and tell your spouse about the salad you had for lunch because you aren't allowed to speak about literally any of this.

[beansketches]

TMNT Fic Idea

A story that follows the brothers, Bishop, and his adopted daughter, who has estranged herself from him for the past several years and since leaving him and the EPF behind, has gotten close to the turtles, Splinter and their friends.

The kicker: none of them have any idea about her past.

So of course one day shit hits the fan and they find out.

One day when Bishop captures one of them, she aids in their rescue but at the cost of completely breaking her cover that she's been living under for 7 years.

The guys struggle to come to grips with this and they all handle the news differently. What they all can't understand is why their friend of the past 5 years chose to lie to them for so long.

Meanwhile, Bishop is determined to get his protege back by any means necessary and over the course of the story gets more and more insistent in his efforts until he resorts to more drastic measures.

A story about redemption, confronting your past traumas, estrangement from the people that raised you, and finding comfort in learning to lean on the people you've built a community with, a new family even.

These are just the broad strokes. There'll be more time invested in exploring certain character focused aspects such as:

How each of the guys handles/processes this massive change in perspective about someone they thought they knew fairly well

And how she deals with the consequences that come with lying to them for so long

The messy relationship between Bishop and his now adult daughter, and contrasting that relationship to the one Splinter has with his sons.

How Bishop is NOT handling the estrangement well (or handling it at all honestly)

How Bishop failed as a father figure (ie what led to her escaping him and the EPF as a teenager)

How her situation mirrors Karai's in a lot of ways and explores how they both chose to handle their respective home life situations as adults (Karai is not villainised for her choice to stay with her father)

The relationship between Bishop's daughter and Donatello (the events of the story are set when the guys are 22 for context) (No NSFW) (friends to lovers dynamic)

The different relationships she has with Leo, Raph, and Mikey as well

And her relationship with Splinter which has helped her over the years to heal to a degree from the way Bishop raised her

This fic is currently in the works and I'll be posting the first chapter soon on AO3.

If anyone would like to beta read/give me constructive feedback on this project I'd love to discuss that. Just comment your interest or DM me ❤️🧡💙💜