#Should I do April Casey and Splinter?

[squishycat330]

Here’s my 2012 & 2018 mix Leo design! I finally got to posting Leo! Yay~

soo~ with Leo I didn't really have a lot of problems other then his feet, those things were a nightmare to draw! I also had to cut the background out of the image I used for him so that was fun. . .(not) and I did notice Spence it was done that things where smushed together so I cut and moved em around, also the drawing down in the corner of Leo watching ‘Space Hero’s’ looks awful but better then how it started, I wish I re-did it. . . .

I’ll give another run down, In the 2018 series the boys are all different types of turtles, Leo is a Red-eard Slider, Raph is a Alligator-Snapping turtle, Donnie is a Soft shell turtle (shudders) and Mikey is a simple box turtle, in the 2012 series Donnie says that he suspects their Common-Box turtles and/or Dimond-Back Terrapins.

So their all different turtles Mixes, and I wanted to make Leo and Raph Twins So, I mixed Leo’s Red-eared Slider with Raph’s Snaping turtle Along with the Dimond back terrapin/Box-Turtle.

Leo’s Snapping turtle comes out in his tail, shoulders, teeth, and shell, all with spikes or general sharpness,

Much like how Raph had smaller markings in comparison to Leo, Leo has smaller spikes tail and teeth compared to his brother, he is more prominently a Red-Eared Slider. unlike Raph however I didn’t place all of his specks in sections, however I did meticulously place all of the lighter specks on his face to match when he’s not wearing his mask using a photo of him without his mask as reference, and I do think him having less specks work for him

I will note I had another ‘problem’ wall drawing Leo. . . . he has a baby face. . . . Seriously I drew him up at the top and was like, ‘He looks like a baby!’ Or ‘Baby face Leo~’ and then when I drew him at the bottom (the one in the pic above) I thought ’he looks like a girl. . .’ And ‘he’s curvy’ because of how his shell was drawn, thought he’s Adorable I love em~ also his katana where something, in another drawing I made his katana wrap Blue which I liked but it ruined all of their weapons matching so I had it say he had to re-do it and Mikey wanted him to make it blue, I also added the pattern in his. . .Shorts? Which I like

Leo isn’t completely fond of the miss-matching swords but it’s not a big deal to him. again I think he’s adorable in this~ he’s just so cute! oddly enough Mikey is next instead of Donnie (sorry I still haven’t started him yet)

also I forgot to mention this when I first wrote it so: the pattern on his shell is supposed to be the Dimond-back but with the orange/warm color of the Box-Turtle

Drawn, Thu, May 1st

Raphael: Mikey: Donnie:

Miscellaneous:. karai, Casey, April, shinigami, Renet

[dragon-spaghetti]

Every screenshot 'redraw' I've done but all in one post because I think they're pretty 💖

(Please click for better quality!)

[iscdisc]

This is a 2012 take I've had for a while now, and I'm so happy I made art about it today because I genuinely love talking about it !! 🗣️

This isn't meant to be 2012 Leo slander whatsoever, because I adore him and don't think he's terrible or anything (He's literally my favorite pick for the 2012 Turtles-) ! But I do feel that he admittedly had a lot of poor leadership moments at times (Especially in late Season 3 to Season 4- 💀), and I feel like a lot of the burden of having things accessible / ready / or even remotely feasible in order to have Leo's plans actually work out fell on Donnie. Without much appreciation or acknowledgment of that fact from Leo or anyone else for that matter.

I feel like if any of the brothers had a right to argue with Leo about leadership or how things were being run under him, it should have been Donnie, because Donnie had more than enough of a leg to stand on for that argument. I'm not trying to invalidate Raph's feelings or perspective, because I'm not saying I don't understand the angle of him being upset about Leo's blatant favoritism when it came to their Father and that being a big reason why he was so obstinate with Leo- But that aside, I don't feel like he had much of an argument to make when it came to presenting himself as a better option as far as leadership-?? I get retconning canon and that this could've just been the writers depicting Raph in a way that some of you may disagree with, but if we're basing this opinion on the Season 1 episode, "New Girl In Town", we can clearly see that he wasn't very well equipped to fill that role in the way that Leo was. And speaking of that particular episode, it was actually Donnie who stepped up when things were getting really bad with Snakeweed in the sewers- 👀

This is why I depict Raph in this scenario accepting this outcome and not being super defensive or acting like he should be included in the conversation, because I kind of have him admit that he wasn't the best at it-!

I'm also sorry, because there was so much more I wanted to draw, and instead of being able to show those things I'm just going to say them here-! For example, Splinter's involvement in the situation. I pretty much don't have him do anything about the unanimous vote, because in his eyes, this team's dynamic / structure is this team's business and he doesn't really have a place to say whether or not they change who leads the team. Sure he chose Leo in the beginning, but if they decide to come to a different decision, they're fully in the right to do that. So Leo couldn't exactly get Splinter to come to his defense,, 👍 || I also wanted to show more of Donnie and Leo both being pretty content with this new dynamic change after a while ! I somewhat got to explore that with the last image of Leo being able to fully explore his hobby / interest in astronomy, but I also wanted to show Donnie feeling very fulfilled and respected within this group of siblings and friends now that he is the team leader, with that being really satisfying for him ! || I also wanted to show Donnie having his first leader breakdown post the Kraang Invasion of Season 2, with Leo comforting him at the Farmhouse and expressing empathy having been in his position many many times before,, He just never really told his brothers about it because he didn't want them to worry and he honestly felt ashamed for breaking down so much,, <:/

Also, you know I can't resist putting 2012 Jonatello in everything I make, so of course this is going to have Jonatello moments too ! I just didn't get around to it yet- One of those things was going to be Casey becoming the second mechanic in the group in order to take off some of the work load on Donnie since now he's juggling even more than he used to-! The way Casey expresses not only concern but so much support for Donnie gives Donnie butterflies, okay- 👀💜🖤✨ Lmao

I guess the last thing I'll mention is kind of April's role and everything, since I want her to join Mikey in encouraging Leo to really explore himself as an individual now that he doesn't have to be defined by the leadership role anymore ! She's very supportive of him just being able to be himself and figure that out during this time ! But I also wanted her to better explain to Leo why she also agreed with this leadership change, since I can see him feeling a little betrayed by her. With Leo most likely assuming that she would have tried to reason with Donnie or get him to see a different side of the situation. I wanted to be very clear that she did not agree with Donnie because she felt bad for him or because of the weird crush he had on her and she didn't know how to be honest with him, etc. etc., you know what I mean? 👍✨

[bones4thecats]

┗ Aunt?!; 2012! Splinter × Sis! Reader ┛

Characters: Splinter (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - 2012) A/N: - ⇘ Summary: After a capturing of a mysterious human claiming to know Master Splinter, she is brought on the male's order. And, when she comes in, memories toss and turn as he introduces the familiar woman to his family. -> The Reader is a human with this being how she looks. I changed the traditional Japanese words (こんにちは) to this (Kon'nichiwa), it's easier for me to read, and I hope it is for you guys too! -> (H/C) = hair color / (E/C) = eye color / (O/H/C) = opposite h/c

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┕━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┙

🐀 It was a calming night, the streets of New York City being bearer than a freshly-shaved dog, and the moon lighting up the world like the night's sun. Yet, underneath everything on the surface of the city, there laid a group of fighters protecting the world without anyone knowing.

"Ah man! How do you always manage to beat me, Mikey?!" Raphael yelled.

"I'm just better. Sorry, Raph." He taunted, a smirk on his face as he spoke.

"Oh yeah? How about I batter your face like cookie dough?" He cracked his knuckles and began chasing the screaming mutant turtle.

🐀 Meanwhile, Leonardo watched the television, Space Heroes playing as he watched with sparkles in his eyes. Donatello, on the other hand, merely tinkered with some scraps he found. He smiled gleefully as he managed to find something useful inside of it.

🐀 It was a peaceful night for the small family of outcasts. A gentle expression on the relaxing rat-master as two humans ran down the sewers at full speed. It was evident they were scared.

"Guys! You need to get your stuff ready!" April yelled.

🐀 Donatello looked up, shock in his eyes. He asked what was wrong and why they were needed so suddenly. They had just finished their patrol and found no threats, no motion from the Foot Clan and nothing from any other minor threats.

"Apparently Leatherhead and the other Mighty Mutanimals had found some kind of ninja running around. They thought it was one of you guys, but they noticed it was a female and told us you should come see her." April said.

"A female? She a member of the Foot Clan?" Raphael asked.

"Or another villainous group?" Leonardo added.

"We're not sure."

"Yo, April, she did claim to know Splinter. Remember?" Casey spoke.

"She claimed to know Master Splinter?!" Leonardo yelled.

"Yeah. Crazy, right?"

🐀 The boys all stared at Casey with matching deadpan expressions before they heard the doors to the dojo opening. Everyone looked and saw Master Splinter standing there. He looked at the group and twitched one of his ears out of reflex and put his hands behind his back as he stepped down to the main floor.

"What did this woman look like?" He asked.

"He said she had (o/h/c) hair, (e/c) eyes, and looked like she was from Japan. That's all we got."

"A woman by that description sounds familiar. Are they nearby?"

"Yeah! Leatherhead said he were going to grab Slash and the others to bring the girl here." April replied.

"Good. Good. I shall wait here with you until they arrive."

═══════════════ ⋆★⋆

🐀 Growls and grunts came from the entrance the Mutanimals came in from. A woman moved around abruptly, though, comparing her size to the others and her position, she was at a disadvantage.

"Let her go. Allow me to see this supposed 'old ally'." Splinter ordered.

🐀 Slash and Leatherhead nodded and one another and laid the girl down, taking off the bag on her head. The first thing that came out was her hair, it stuck out like a sore thumb in the room. She obviously had a wig on, covering her true hair color.

🐀 Splinter looked down with a stoic expression, making everyone ready themselves just in case she was a threat. He then took a deep breath and reached out, gripping the fake hair and pulling it off. She groaned and laid her head down, the only thing on her head now being the wig cap.

🐀 The turtles all stood shocked at what they saw once the cap was removed. There wasn't a random woman kneeling there now, there was a familiar face. This wasn't a stranger, this was a woman in a photo that Master Splinter had displayed.

"Y/N... how did you...?"

"Hey, I was trained as a ninja alongside you, brother. What makes you think my senses are weaker than before? Ageist much?" You taunted, a smirk on your face as Splinter's breath was caught in his throat.

"Watashi no imōtoyo… Anata wa ikite ite genkidesu. Kami ni kansha…"

"Mata aete ureshī yo, nīsan. Anata ga watashi o koishiku omotte ita no to onaji kurai, watashi mo anata ga koishikatta yo."

🐀 A smile curled on both of your faces as he hugged you, wrapping his arms around your shoulders as you just leaned in and buried your face in his now fur-covered neck. He let out a shaky breath as you embraced, having finally found the other person.

"Uhm, Master?" Leonardo began. "If you don't mind me asking. Who exactly is this woman to you?"

🐀 Splinter stood up, undid your restraints and helped you stand up. A smile crossed your face as you stared at the boys. You had heard about them briefly while listening in on a conversation by the other mutant group.

"I'm Hamato Y/N, daughter of Hamato Yuuta and younger sister to Hamato Yoshi. Or, as you boys refer to him as, Master Splinter."

"Wait... does that make her our...?"

"Boys, meet your Oba."

"It's nice to finally meet my four nephews I have been looking for."

"WE HAVE AN AUNT?!"

[quartergremlin]

and thats lunch the end of Leo's arc! there's a couple more jokes I want to make at his expense, but he's done it! figured out his gender I mean, so we'll be moving on to one of these other turtles....

first/previous/next

transcript:

April:

You guys go on patrol! Beat up some bad guys or something. I’ll stay here with Leo.

Raph:

Are you sure it’s okay?

A:

Absolutely. He’s not even bein’ nasty – he’s just moody. And besides, I think Mikey could use some fresh air.

R:

Right…

Thanks April!

A:

Thank me by bringin’ pizza home!

Leo:

Are they gone?

A:

Yuuuup.

L:

hup hup hup hup h-

R:

We’re back. And we got Heuso’s. Wait why are the lights off.

Banner: It’s a boy!

L:

So… What do you think?

I know it’s kind of silly because Dad made me a guy already, but you and Donnie and Mikey all had your coming outs and with the whole – everything that’s been going on-

Donnie:

Raph, you’re dropping me. Rapha. Raphael?!

OW!

R:

I’m proud of you Leo.

L:

*churr*

Raph. What are you covered in.

R:

Meat sweats gooped us.

L:

What do you mean “Gooped”!!

R:

It’s too late, just enjoy the hug.

L:

Why does it smell like that?!

Casey Jr.:

You… look like you’re feeling better. I’m sorry – I was careless with my words. I should know by now that I should be more careful talking about the future.

Mikey:

Nah. I definitely over-reacted. And that misunderstanding was our fault in the first place.

I’ve never heard you mention anything but rats and eggs… you never know what we’re feeding you, do you?

CJ:

Well…

M:

Don’t worry about it. If you want, we can spend time in the kitchen together! I’ve got some new recipes I want to try now! I can teach you!

CJ:

I would like that.

Meme 1:

Splinter: Coming home.

April: Getting the hose

Donnie: In sensory hell

Casey and Mikey: Bonding

Raph: Gooping Leo

Meme 2:

Donnie: Raph I’m falling help

[zinzabee]

Hi @birthday-cake-rockz! I hope its okay if I answer your questions here in a separate post. I definitely have some tips and thoughts for help with drawing Raph.

First of all, I recommend This free PDF of the book "Morpho - Fat and Skin Folds: Anatomy for Artist" for those who are interested in really getting familiar & comfortable with drawing larger/fat/thick body types. (Make sure you click the second link, the first one is broken)

Now for Raph specifically, I do have a one very important shape I use when I draw him that might be helpful:

A lot of people like to associate diamonds with Raph as much as squares, and I think that's accurate to his design, too! The boy has a lot of serious neck muscle going on, and so his trapezius muscles and those surround it are gonna be more visible. Which actually creates a diamond shape around his collarbone and upper body. If you follow along with the angles of his shell, you can create this shape to help give him that stronger upper body look!

As for his leg proportions, that's a bit tricky because unlike his brothers, Raph's lower limbs are disproportionate to his upper limbs. It's a case of "you have to understand the rules of anatomy in order to break them".

SO!! Real quick anatomy lesson that I learned in art school: the average adult body should be about 7 heads high. Because the boys are teenagers, theirs come up to be about 6 heads high, which I credit to their younger age. But as you can see by the red marked areas, everything is still in normal proportion.

Raph, on the other hand, is different.

Raph's arms are as long as his body is, and his legs are much shorter than his arms. Because of this, he's actually disproportionate to his brothers, since his height is only about 5 and a half heads tall, rather than 6 or 7. In particular, his thighs seem to be unequally shorter in length than the calves. I think its important to keep that in mind when draw him! Because even if you know he's made up of all these thick, blocky shapes, if you try to give him the normal proportions you would Leo or Donnie or Mikey, it might still not look right. He's a stocky lad, and his upper body strength is showcased by these design choices.

Hope all this was helpful for you guys. Now go be free and draw him to your hearts content! :)

Additionally, here are several other links to posts people have created that give references of Raph and the other turtles! I'm sure these will be a big help, too.

High Quality Reference Sheets of everyone, including April and Splinter

Turtle Side Profiles Specifically

Multi-Angle Ref Sheets

RAPH'S SHELL

MASTERPOSTS by @melancholic-rowen: RAPH | LEO | DONNIE | MIKEY | APRIL | CASEY | CASEY JUNIOR

[goodlucktai]

Uhuuh if you don't mind for the injury promo maybe 12 with splinter/lou and his boys, pls?

dialogue prompts

12. “Where are they? Where are they?!”

this one got away from me :') rise/2012 crossover babyyyyyyy

x

Splinter’s counterpart reacted to the news of their sons’ abduction with a level of dramatics that he would never ascribe to his own self. 

“What?” the shorter rat (“Call me Lou,” he had said, and then proceeded not to explain why) squawked at the disheveled humans still trying to collect their breath at the entrance of the lair. “When did this happen? How did this happen? There were TEN of you!”

Casey and April both winced in face of the not-unwarranted scolding. The children had had perhaps too much confidence as they left together earlier that evening. Donatello’s computer had alerted him in the middle of dinner to a new lead on the gang whose activity they had been following for the past weeks. Raphael had smashed his fists together, a wicked grin on his face, and said they should strike while their forces were doubled and make those ‘goons’ regret robbing every pharmacy in Manhattan north of The Battery. 

“Tiny feral Raph is hilarious,” Lou’s Purple had said in a deadpan. “And also alarmingly down to commit atrocities. I want to ride with him.”

And now, not even two full hours later, their human companions returned to report a resounding failure. 

Casey, scowling at the floor, said, “They got the drop on us. The door sealed as soon as we were in and the room started filling up with gas.”

“They said they were chemists,” April added. She couldn’t lift her head enough to look Splinter in the eye, staring hard somewhere near his shoulder instead. “One of their colleagues was mutated about a year ago and they’ve been studying the mutagen ever since. I don’t know what they want with the boys, but they made it sound like the gas was made with the turtle’s physiology in mind. That it would outright kill me and Casey, but shouldn’t harm them.”

Lou was bristling, tail lashing. “‘Shouldn’t’ is the word they used?” he gritted out. 

“Yeah. It hit them hard in seconds. But Blue—uh, your Leo—” Casey said, with an uncomfortable sideways look at Lou, “—he managed to get one of his swords out and portaled me and April away. We waited for like five minutes to see if he’d get anyone else out, but…”

But no one came goes unsaid. 

Splinter tapped his walking stick on the floor once to recall their focus, warm affection filling his chest for these little Hamato adoptees who fell haphazardly into his clan. 

“Lou is correct,” he said. “It is unfortunate that your team was so quickly overwhelmed. We will discuss how to better handle situations like this another time.” 

Both humans stood a little taller when it became clear that that conversation would be tabled for the time being, and April finally found it within herself to meet Splinter’s eyes. 

“For now—” he started, only for Lou to cut him off with a sound not unlike a cat whose tail had just been stepped on.

“Don’t put words in my mouth,” the shorter rat snapped. “I don’t care if they lost within two minutes, let alone two hours. I only meant,” he went on, with a hard look at the teenagers, “that you should have called the instant you were in danger! Why on earth would you run all the way home like this without letting us know what had happened, putting yourselves at unnecessary risk? This organization could have had additional members waiting to pick you off when you were alone! You could have at least made time to send a text!”

Casey and April looked absolutely bewildered. Their respect for Splinter was so deeply ingrained by now that it carried over to this odd likeness of him but they did not seem to know what to do with this manner of reprimand. 

“Uh,” Casey said eloquently. “Splinter doesn’t have a phone.”

“There was the cheese phone,” April interjected. “Sorry, I mean, he had a landline. But the wiring got messed up awhile ago and Donnie never got around to fixing it.”

“You have seven children,” Lou seethed, narrowing his eyes at Splinter, “and you don’t see the importance of having a working phone?”

Splinter frowned. He was taken aback by the number seven, but more so by this hostility that seemed to have sprung up from nowhere. 

“We have gotten along just fine. Donatello’s inclination towards technology was not inherited from me.”

“There’s no time to continue this conversation, and if we do I am liable to start screaming profanities anyway. Jones, O’Neil, take me to my boys.” 

Lou was still bristling with anger, only now that Splinter was looking closer, he saw that the shorter rat was actually bristling. His fur was standing up as though with electric static. 

“If even one scale on their shells has been harmed,” he added darkly, to no one in particular, “there will be hell to pay.”

April led the way to the garage at a sprint, hopping up without breaking stride to grab the keys from their hook on the wall just inside the door. She tossed the keys to Casey and claimed the front passenger seat for herself, leaving the two fathers to pile into the back of the van. 

It wasn’t until she was still that Splinter noticed her fingertips were red and raw from where she had bitten the nails down to the quick. As Casey started the engine, her thumbnail found its way back between her teeth, blue eyes feverish with worry as she stared into the middle distance. 

She was very anxious, for all that she seemed determined to keep it to herself in present company. Her sideways glance at Casey made it clear that she wanted to share her thoughts with him; a flick of her eyes toward the rearview mirror decided her continued silence.

On the bench seat beside him, Splinter watched Lou take out his own phone. It was a thin flat device, held in a protective case that looked like it would probably survive an apocalypse. The caller ID on the screen was a picture of that behemoth snapping turtle in a fuzzy pink hoodie, squeezed cheek-to-cheek with his tiny spotted brother so they both fit into the frame. 

“Red, this is no time to screen my calls!” Lou said when the tinny automated voice encouraged him to leave a message. “Contact me at once or you are grounded for a month! No, two months!”

“They are probably in no position to answer,” Splinter pointed out, Lou’s restlessness leaving him feeling ill-at-ease. “I am sure they are fine. My sons have been in situations like this countless times.”

Lou pinched the bridge of his nose. “Yoshi, I’m going to level with you. I don’t know how to explain that it’s weird you have become desensitized to the news that your children are in danger. My Baby Blue once locked himself inside a prison dimension with an evil killing machine, and less than a year after that he almost cracked his foolish head open on that ridiculous half-pipe mimicking some superstar skater, and my soul left my body in exactly the same manner both times. That never changes. It has never gone away.”

It was disingenuous of Lou to presume that Splinter did not worry after his sons. Of course he did. They were his greatest pride and it was a privilege he did not deserve to have raised them. 

But they were not the clumsy toddlers they once were; at some point, the parent must let go of the bicycle and step back, or the child will never learn to ride it. 

Splinter could not say he had ever taken the time to consider what it might have been like to meet another version of himself—one who had lived a similar life but had made different choices. He almost did not recognize himself at all in the fussy, short-tempered mutant sitting beside him. 

Lou checked his phone no less than eleven more times during the twenty-minute drive. By the time Casey finally announced, “This is it,” Lou was out of the van before it had even begun to slow. 

“The two of you must remain here,” Splinter told the teenagers in the front firmly. He couldn’t help but think of Lou’s scolding from earlier, and added, “If there is any sign of danger, escape at once and go to the Mutanimals. They will help.”

“I texted the group chat earlier and they haven’t seen it yet,” Casey said, flicking through his phone to double-check. 

“We can’t just leave you,” April added with enough stubborn loyalty that she could have been Raphael’s twin sister. 

“You absolutely can leave us, or you will be grounded, too,” Lou interjected from over by the door, his voice taking on that sharp no-nonsense tone Splinter had last heard directed at Blue over breakfast to curb his relentless teasing of Donatello. 

‘It is just how he and Purple show affection to each other,’ Lou had explained to Donatello, whose shoulders had begun to creep up towards his ears the longer Blue carried on. ‘That does not make it any less irritating for the rest of us though!’

‘Skill issue,’ his twins said in unison. 

‘I will cram all three of you into the get-along shirt! Do not test me!’ Lou had snapped in that particular tone that caused his children to grumble and sulk but ultimately obediently subside. 

Similarly, April scowled but did not seem willing to argue any further. Splinter would have expected her to give a Miwa-worthy retort that she was too old to be grounded and not Splinter’s daughter to discipline besides, but she only jerked her chin in a barely passable nod and said nothing more. An equally unhappy but unargumentative Casey turned off the headlights and twirled the steering wheel, backing the van up and parking it by the access road.

Lou had already kicked the reinforced door down by the time Splinter joined him, and he barely had a moment to think My seventeen-year-olds are stealthier than that before he realized Lou had not come with stealth in mind.

He had the first unfortunate human within his line of sight pinned to the ground with a knife in seconds, barking, “Where are they? Where are they?”

The human, caught unawares, coughed at the unforgiving pressure on her windpipe, and managed to wheeze out, “Wh-who do you—”

“You are a scientist, and therefore I know you are not an idiot,” Lou hissed, much like the animal he had been mutated with. “Do not waste my time acting like one.” 

The woman scrabbled at his arms, for what little good it did. Her eyes, behind the clear visor of the gas mask, were wide with fear. To her credit, she steeled herself enough to cling to whatever mission she and her associates seemed to have rallied behind, saying, “So many incredible things could be—be accomplished—if we had a chance to study the mutagen more closely, if we had test subjects with human-like intelligence. It’s closer to magic than science, and we could do so much—”

“You would experiment on children? My children? Turn them into lab rats?” The last he said with a very personal sort of dark anger. The scientist coughed again, and her renewed struggles were a desperate, animalistic thing as she lost the last of her air beneath the unrelenting press of Lou’s hand. “Is that what you think you should be saying to me? Is that what you think will save you—an appeal to the greater good?”

Splinter dispatched the handful of people who streamed into the room in a series of swift strikes. They were unconscious before they hit the ground.

“Lou,” he said, “that is enough. We are here for our sons.”

He was not unsettled by the shorter rat’s capacity for violence. He knew himself better than that. But he did not understand Lou’s hair-trigger temper, his turtle-shaped blind spot. He couldn’t speak for the other’s students, but Splinter’s own were experienced, and tempered, and incredibly skilled. After everything they survived and accomplished together up until now, he found it hard to believe that an organization of regular humans could pose much of a threat to their well-being. 

From the way Lou was acting, it was as if he was any ordinary parent whose ordinary children had been taken in the night. 

Splinter shifted to intervene when the woman Lou had pinned continued to choke. Finally, Lou released her enough that she could heave in desperate breaths. 

“You would not actually kill her,” Splinter chided him, no fan of theatrics. 

“Someone has not been paying attention,” Lou replied shortly. “If my boys are hurt, I will burn this building down with everyone inside it. Honor can go hang itself.”

With that, he removed the woman’s gas mask and informed her that she would lead them to the turtles without making a scene, or she would bleed to death on the floor and they would find the turtles on their own. White-faced, she wisely settled for the first option. 

Leading them toward the back of the building, where rooms that were once offices had since been repurposed into labs and testing areas, the woman said hoarsely, “I didn’t know they were kids.”

Like clockwork, Lou’s fur bristled with offense. “They are wearing matching Sanrio hoodies. They speak in memes. I am sure at least one of them called you a boomer to your face.”

“No, I meant,” she said, touching her bruised throat briefly before dropping her hand, “I meant I didn’t know they were someone’s kids. I’m—I wouldn’t have—sorry. We were trying to do good. I’m sorry.”

“Hmph. I will consider forgiving you in roughly one hundred years as long as my turtles are completely fine. This door here?”

He kicked it down before she could move her head more than one half-inch in a nod. There was a flurry of excitement inside, and then Blue’s voice rang out, “Daddy!”

He sounded ecstatic to see his father, but not at all shocked. His words were a little slurred as he went on, “I told them you’d be here any minute. Our cousins over there wanted to stage a break-out, and I was like. Just nap. You know? Just take five. See, Miguel’s got the right idea.”

“Hush, silly turtle,” Lou said, his tone now a complete departure from how he had sounded for the last half hour. “Come here, let me look at you all. I need to be absolutely certain no one in this building deserves to die before we leave.”

Splinter joined him inside the room in time to take in the sight of the shorter rat attempting to hold all four of his much larger sons in his arms. Orange was deeply asleep in Red’s lap, his smaller stature probably contributing to the higher concentration of the drug in his system. The twins were upright at a forty-five degree angle, and Red himself seemed groggy but alert for the most part. They were smiling as they absorbed their father's fussy attention, leaning into his hands.

Comparatively, Splinter’s own sons were swaying where they sat. Michelangelo’s eyes were open, but his head was resting on Donatello’s shoulder, Donatello’s cheek propped on the crown of his little brother’s head. Raphael was wired, digging fingers into his thighs to keep himself awake, while Leonardo seemed to have been startled out of a meditation by the door crashing down. 

They all lurched with surprise to see Splinter standing there. Leonardo in particular gazed up at him with wide eyes, as if he didn’t know what to do now that the task of rescuing the seven others was no longer his responsibility. As if he had no experience with a burden being lifted away once he had decided it was his to carry. 

For the first time all night, Splinter faltered. 

On the other side of the room, Blue said, “I’m, uh, sorry. I wanted to get us out, but I didn’t have time for more than one door.” 

“Dum-dum,” Purple said succinctly. “O’Neil and Jones would be dead if they were still here.”

“Dee’s right for once, Leon,” Red rumbled, “you made the only call you could.”

“But I should have been able to save everyone, right?” Blue said. “I’m the leader.”

“You,” Lou said sternly, holding Blue’s face in both hands, “are seventeen.” 

That’s right, Splinter found himself thinking, looking down at his eldest son. The brilliant boy he taught to read, the one he taught to fold origami flowers for his mother and sister’s shrine, the one he had stopped holding one day without even realizing it. He is. 

[taleeater]

Fragile Part 5

Another fluff chapter! Gonna be getting to the juicy angst after this 👀✨

Generation: Bayverse TMNT

Tmnt x Reader Fanfic

Pronouns: Gender Neutral (except ‘dudette’ and ‘princess’)

Warnings: wholesome, not proof read

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

“Of course!!! The somatic consequences of their hyperactive stress caused a delayed growth! Their adrenal glands had been over active the whole time they were in captivity, leading to hypertension and extreme exhaustion.”

“Use real words brainiac.” Raph grunted.

“Well, basically after they had enough rest and worked through all their pent up stress, they were able to control their adrenaline response. That’s how they were able to naturally trigger their mutation gene! Fascinating.”

“So uuuuh, what does that mean?” Mikey added helpfully.

“It means that Stockman’s mutation experiment worked, and we need to ensure that he never finds that out. Who knows what Karai and the Foot would do with that kinda power?” Leo interjected.

“Since Stockman is distilling diluted mutagen from Bebop and Rocksteady’s blood, the effect of a successful animal mutation is highly unlikely. From the information I gathered from his experiments overseas, it appears that only 2% of his test subjects had permanent animal mutations. So the statistical likelihood of achieving the perfect hybrid of human and animal DNA with an impure source of mutagen is less than 0.00001%! It’s honestly a scientific miracle that their mutation appears to be stable in the first place!” Donnie rambled.

At some point the plates were taken out of your hands and you were sat down in a chair at the table next to April. April had her hand on your shoulder while listening to the boys talk about what to do. You had stopped listening a while ago. Your eyes had gone vacant. The sounds in the room felt so far away, like you were underwater. It felt like you couldn’t breathe.

“So what? If it’s that hard to do then we got nothing to worry about.” Raph said gruffly and folded his arms.

“Not necessarily. If Stockman gains access to a form of stable active mutagen, then the success rate of mutation goes up to 40%!!! He could make an army…”

“An army of mutants.” Leo said solemnly.

“Aw man, come on! Bebop and Rocksteady are already a pain in the ass. Stockmans gonna make more of them?” Mikey griped.

“Not if we can help it.” Raph said, fixing the toothpick between his lips.

“So what does that mean for (y/n)?” April spoke up, chair squeaking as she stood up.

“It means, if Stockman gets his hands on (y/n), it’s game over.”

You were barely aware of your surroundings. You were scared. So so scared. Whatever Dr Stockman did to you, it worked. It made you into a weapon. You can’t stand the thought of what he’d do if he ever got his hands on you again. Memories of your time in the lab flashed through your mind. You started to tremble and you felt something wet slide down your cheeks.

“What should I tell the police?” Casey asked from where he stood in the circle.

“Tell them to keep an eye out for any Foot activity and report it back to us. We need any leads we can on where they’re hiding Stockman. And whatever you do, don’t give away (y/n)’s location. We need to keep them out of reach.” Leo ordered Casey.

You felt something warm engulf your trembling hands. It was… grounding. A calm feeling washed over you.

“Take deep breaths.” You heard a voice say next to your ear. You took in a slow deep breath, and a shuttering exhale. Then again. And again. You slowly began to feel yourself coming back to your body. When you finally blinked away your tears into consciousness, you saw Master Splinter standing by you, patient and holding your hands in his own.

“You are safe here. Do not worry about the past. Let my sons handle it, they are strong and will protect you.” The old rat reassured you.

You sniffed a bit and raised your hand to wipe away some of your tears, and nodded. “….thank you.” You said earnestly. Your voice was horse and heavy with emotion.

Master Splinter went to put the kettle on for tea, while the others finished talking and split up into their assigned jobs. Donnie and Leo went to Donnie’s computer station to coordinate what route to take for patrol, Casey got on the phone with the police commissioner to ask about the locations of recent Foot activity, Mikey and Raph were in charge of cleaning up the kitchen for you, and April disappeared to somewhere in the lair.

Splinter returned to you later with a fresh cup of tea, and sat with you quietly at the table while Raph and Mikey bickered over drying the clean plates. He sipped his tea while he quietly kept you company, giving you time and space to fully calm down. Eventually Mikey came over to join you and Master Splinter while Raph went to go help April carry some large wrapped supplies to somewhere in the back of the lair. You relaxed into your seat and enjoyed watching Mikey’s overly animated retelling of his valiant battle in one of his new video games.

“(Y/n)?” Leo came over to check on you a little while later.

“How are you feeling? Do you feel any muscle soreness or headaches?” Donnie was standing behind Leo holding a laptop.

You sighed. “I'm fine. Maybe a little bit of a headache…” You said honestly, finishing the rest of your tea.

Leo and Donnie exchanged a look that you did not miss.

“We…. were wondering…. if you would like to join us for some training?” Leo asked you tentatively.

You looked between the two suspiciously.

Donnie coughed totally inconspicuously into his fist. “Well,… we want to test your mutation’s ability. Strength, speed, reflexes, etc…. O-only if you’re okay with it, that is.”

Splinter sighed and sipped more of his tea. “Perhaps, that would be for the best.”

You looked to Master Splinter with surprise. You had been watching the boys train every day since you entered the lair, but there had never been an invitation to train with them. Splinter’s training looked extreme, and that was only putting it lightly. You knew the turtles had been training since they were little, and it certainly showed in their skill. You were intimidated to say the least.

“Really? Are you sure?” You were hesitant.

Master Splinter answered by setting aside his tea and standing up. “No need to worry, we will start with the basics. Follow me.” Splinter walked past a stunned Mikey, Leo, and Donnie in the direction of the dojo.

You stood up and followed behind him nervously. You passed by Raph and April who had emerged from one of the unused storage rooms. Raph looked surprised as you and Splinter walked into the dojo. He looked over at his brothers and pointed at you.

“Are they….?”

Leo Donnie and Mikey nodded quickly and scrambled over each other to get a good spot in the dojo. Raph and April shared a look and dropped what they were doing and rushed after them, passing a very confused Casey that had just gotten off the phone.

“Raphael. Please wrap their hands. Leonardo, please prepare to teach them the first basic katas.” Master Splinter ordered with ease. His tail flicked as he walked over to take his position in the dojo.

Raphael obeyed without complaint, and grabbed his boxing tape. You looked up at him anxiously, certain this was the closest you had been to Raphael since the night he carried you here.

You looked up at Raph with those big doe eyes of yours and had him feeling nervous. He started to wrap your hands up as gently as he could. He gulped at how small and dainty your hands were in his big steady grasp.

Finishing up, he nodded over to Leo and the leader in blue stepped up.

“Okay, when you’re ready, I want you to try and follow my form as closely as you can.” Leo planted his feet firmly on the tatami and gracefully moved in a form that looked like basic Tai Chi.

You followed Leo’s instructions for a while, did some stretching and warming up, and then your teacher switched. Michelangelo tutored you next on dodging, then Donatello on redirecting an enemy’s attack to use against them, and finally Raphael on how to throw a proper punch.

You did your best to copy, checking to make sure your feet were lined up with your shoulders and that you followed all the way through with the motion. Raph then came over as you continued the motion and made small corrections in your stance and how you held your fist.

“Donatello. Please stand with a plank in front of Miss (y/n).” Splinter ordered.

Donnie scampered over with a small wooden board. He adjusted his tech goggles over his eyes and licked his lips as he took a firm stance holding the board a foot in front of you.

Everyone paid close attention, seemingly excited to see your mutant strength in action again. You looked at him nervously and glanced at Master Splinter for assurance. You were a little scared about what your mutation might do. You took a deep breath, adjusted your stance, aaaaand-

tap.

Your stance crumbled as you moved to cradle your bruised knuckles.

“Oooow…” You hissed, and couldn’t stop the embarrassment showing on your face.

“Well, that was anticlimactic.” Leo deadpanned.

“Huh. I don’t get it, they shattered that plate like it was a cracker.” Donnie said, straightening back to his full height.

“Dude, maybe it only works on dinner plates.” Mikey added helpfully. April elbowed him in his side. “Ow- hey! I said maybe!”

“How about we just…. Try that again. You have to throw your whole weight into your fist. Okay?” Raph patiently adjusted your stance and squared you up to try and punch the board again, Donnie at the ready. Raph held his hands on your shoulders and tried to direct your movement to demonstrate how to shift your weight, when suddenly some movement in your peripheral vision caught your attention.

Before your mind could even register the idea of danger, you ducked.

Raph also stepped back out of the way of a tail whip. Your attention turned to Splinter, eyes wide and alert.

“Good. Your natural instincts are strong, use that to your advantage. Michelangelo, Leonardo, step forward.”

You watched as the four brothers lined up to face Master Splinter, you timidly joined them.

“We are going to play a game to assist Miss (y/n) in honing their mutant abilities. Are you prepared?” He asked you.

You paused a moment then nodded, feeling a bit brave and ready to give it a shot. “Yes.”

“Good. Your goal is to stay out of reach. The boys will try and capture you by stopping your movement. They will be gentle with you, rest assured. But pretend that they are Foot ninja. You need to learn to use your mutant skills to avoid danger.” Master Splinter explained.

You weren’t sure what the trigger was that made your mutant DNA activate, but you were determined to figure it out if it meant staying out of Dr Stockman’s reach. You nodded and took on a stance that Leonardo had taught you, while the boys all moved to different corners of the room.

“Good. Hajime!” Splinter signaled the start of the exercise. First Michelangelo ran over towards you and you ducked out of the way, getting behind him. Donatello tried to sneak up behind you and wrap his arms around you but you dropped to the floor and rolled away. Next, Leonardo swept your legs out from under you and you fell on your back. But you quickly used your momentum to jump back on your feet and backed up to put some distance between you and Leo. You were focusing too much on Leo when you suddenly bumped into Raph, who wrapped his arms around you and startled you enough to make you yelp.

A strange sensation overtook you. You felt a surge of energy fill your body with power and your body started moving on its own. Following the steps of the move you practiced earlier with Michelangelo, you reached up behind you and wrapped your arms around Raphael’s neck, then pulled forward and down with your whole weight, sending Raph curling forward and was flipped onto his back. He laid there eyes wide and stunned, mirroring the expression of everyone else present in the room.

You looked at Raph in shock, then down at your own hands, not fully believing it. Then suddenly the room erupted in whoops of cheer.

“YOOOOO!!! NO WAAAAAY!” Mikey excitedly cheered, grabbing hands with April to jump around excitedly.

Leo relaxed into a cheerful grin, and Donnie was snickering and snorting. Raph sat up with a half grin and you ran over next to him to ask if he was okay.

He rubbed the back of his head tenderly. “Way to go, Tiger.” He smiled at you and you took a sigh of relief.

Master Splinter was stroking his beard thoughtfully with a pleased expression on his face.

“It seems to me that you are at your highest strength when you are caught off guard. But I’m sure with practice you will find a way to harness your power when needed.”

Donnie came over and ruffled your hair while Leo offered Raph a hand to pull him up. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits. Afterwards it was time to call it a night.

Later that week, one evening you were getting ready for bed in Leo’s room. You heard a knock next to the door.

“Just a moment!” You said while finishing pulling on your sleep shirt.

You walked over to the doorway and parted the fabric to see Mikey standing there with barely contained excitement.

“Come on, I wanna show you something.” He was clearly giddy over something. You thought he might have gotten a new high score on his video game and wanted to show you, but to your surprise he led you down the hallway in the direction of the rest of the boy’s bedrooms. Maybe it was something in his room? But then he walked right past his room and stopped in front of their storage room. You were even more confused now.

A warm glow peaked from underneath the door, and with Mikey’s encouragement, you opened it.

“Surprise!!!”

Everyone was inside waiting for you and with the big reveal. You were greeted by a freshly painted room and a queen sized bed with new sheets and a heavy knit blanket. Fairy lights hung around the walls. A wooden desk and a fuzzy plush chair stood along the far wall with a lamp illuminating a new notebook and an old laptop that Donnie had been working on fixing up. Next to it was a bookshelf with old used books and your favorite salvaged DVDs and games. You brought your hand up to cover your mouth as tears welled up in your eyes.

“Is this… for me?” You asked tentatively.

Donnie stepped forward, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. “Well, we figured you would need your own room. Since you’ll most likely be staying with us for quite some time.”

“It was April’s idea. Plus, we figured you’d want your own space, to make you feel more at home here.” Leo said, stepping forward with a grin.

“Yeah!! And I can’t watch late night cartoons with Leo sleeping on the couch all the time!” Mikey complained from beside you earning a jab from Raphael.

“Girls need their privacy. This was the room I used to use when I’d sleepover from time to time, but then it stopped getting used and became overrun with junk. We figured it was time to clean it out and put it to good use.” April said with a happy smile.

“Yeah, and April and I can keep doing grocery store runs for you if you want to keep cooking. God knows it's easier than lugging down 2 dozen pizzas and junk food every week-.” April nudged Casey to shut him up.

Master Splinter stepped forward, holding a small beautiful bonsai tree with vibrant yellow leaves, and handed it to you. “Right now, things may seem new and strange. You have experienced hardships most can never hope to imagine. But you have a home here as long as you wish it. By bond and blood, you are our family, and we will always be there to protect one another.”

Your tears spilled over and ran down your cheeks. You reached out to Master Splinter for an emotional hug. “Thank you… everyone… I don’t know what to say…!” You sniffed.

Raph grunted, “No need. This is our thanks to you for fixing up the place. Just… don’t go flippin’ me no more.” He teased with a grin.

“Nooooo! Don’t say that!! I haven’t gotten it on tape yet!” Mikey complained.

“I’ll send you the video later.” Donatello whispered to him.

“Oh, sick. Right on.”

Raph glared at them.

The next morning, Casey got a call from his supervisor that the Foot Clan had been discovered smuggling stolen chemicals into the Sacks building. But something seemed fishy about it. The Foot were not normally this obvious when moving things around the city. It felt like they wanted to be discovered.

It felt like a trap.

Part 6

@itsberrydreemurstuff @thecreat0r64 @eli-chris @kurlyfrasier @autisticnutcase @drenix004 @donniesgirlie @cherryp-op @foggyturtleknightangel @blackrockshooter780 @l-n-g-t @peachesdabunny @silverwatergalaxy

If anyone else wants to be tagged for the next update, let me know in the comments! :]

[fun-k-board]

TMNT 2012 with a s/o on their period

Note(s): I wrote this with a ftm Reader in mind, but there are no gendered pronouns or gendered titles used.

Characters included: Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, Michealangelo, April O'Neil, Casey Jones.

Leonardo

Listen, as much of a leader and confident guy you may believe he is, he is still a mutant turtle who does not get periods and only knows because it was mentioned in a show once and he wanted to know more. He will not understand, beside the basics of 'bleeding down there, intense hormones, and sometimes unbearable pain depending on who you ask.'

If you're someone who goes through a lot of physical pain expect an overbearing mother figure now in your life, he will literally be there with all the advice he can find that'll help.

With the limited resources in the lair and the fact he can't exactly go shopping himself, he'll ask April or Casey to buy period products or pain relief tablets for you if you complain. Even if he's awkward and shy about asking, he doesn't want to burden you by making you wait for a reply over text or have to get up, the fact it helps you makes it worth it.

Soup is also good, he knows how to make traditional teas and soups for you, with great difficulty, and help from Splinter, that will lessen your stomach cramps. Though if you get cravings he may be a little less helpful, it's hard to get ingredients when you live in the sewers and are hated by most of the world.

If you like company he would stay off patrols once or twice, but he's fairly strict about his schedule and won't go too far off it, even if he wants to help you.

If you don't get much pain, he's still by you in his free time and asking questions, you're literally bleeding he's never going to stop worrying.

Whenever you talk to him he basically soaks in the words like a sponge and uses it to help you, a one off 'yeah, this food helps.' and he's on his knees begging for April to buy some.

Raphael

Raphael... I love him, but he needs help when it comes to this. I imagine most of the other turtles at least know the basics, Michaelangelo is the worst but he still knows what a period is, but Raph just never really cared enough to learn.

He knows that a period happens... But that's about it. So, if you're in intense or even a small amount of pain and or wake up with blood around you, he's freaking the hell out, he thinks you've been stabbed or something or maybe he accidentally hurt you with his sais as you slept.

If you explain he's sort of like 'yeah whatever, how do we stop it from hurting you?' and then he never leaves your side.

You run out of products? Step out the way Casey and April, he's sneaking in the shop and thieving- I mean, he's putting on a trenchcoat and hat to hide his turtleness, and buying the products like a good mutant ninja turtle should. But seriously, he doesn't trust the two to buy the right ones, he gets the exact brand right somehow, even if you never tell him what one you want.

He pushes the exercise side of it, even if it doesn't help much, exercise is something that helps him so when he hears it can help he doesn't research further. It takes you explaining that it not only depends on the person but the exercise for him to pout and let you lead.

Donatello

He'd probably panic for a while but then tries to look through a science lense, like, oh! You need to level your blood sugars in this week, these excersises will help you but these won't, make sure to keep your stomach warm so you can lessen the contractions and pain.

Gets a bit sad if you're the type to be more distant and want alone time on your period, especially if you don't like loud noises. Donatello usually has you watching him while he works on his science stuff, so when you aren't it's a demotivator.

Ends up completely abandoning his work just to follow you around like a sad puppy, tending to your every need or waiting outside your room for a text from you if you need something.

If you want him around he's a lot more easy going, if you don't mind sitting in the lab with him while he works then he's all for it, of course he's checking on you every once and a while, and will talk when he wants to, but it comes from him wanting to help you.

If you have health issues caused by your period or your period is made worse by your health issues he's helping you a lot, he knows a lot about human anatomy and how to help ease pain, especially since April and Casey started hanging out with the Turtles more often.

He has a whole section of a diary dedicated to you, and that includes your period, when you're due, what food you've told him helps you, what foods you've said make it worse, what pain you usually describe as, etc, etc.

Michealangelo

Michaelangelo is 100% the type of guy who just goes along with what you want because he wants to help, he probably knows that you bleed, you get mood swings, and you're in pain. And that's all he needs to know.

He's watching you for your entire cycle and just PRAYING nothing bad will happen, gives you all the food you want, no matter how unusual. This can sometimes make it worse, because cravings aren't always foods that will help you, and he feels really really bad if that happens.

He tries to hold himself back on just giving you whatever you want, but when you look up he just folds and starts treating you like royalty.

He can't make a lot of normal foods, he can make pizzas and maybe a decent sandwich, but besides that he's a bit useless, so he tends to buy you microwaved dinners. Unless you don't like them. And then he's just lost.

Mikey asks Donatello to help on the more science level, like no, chocolate will not help, that's a dumb myth, it will only make your sugar levels higher and increase pain, plus blood flow, and nobody wants that.

Cue Mikey closing the oven to hide his chocolate pizza he was making for you.

When buying or storing products, he tends to sort of forget how expensive they are, he'll go in with only a couple of dollars and fall to the floor in utter shock upon realising that is not nearly enough.

But he may or may not steal a few, he saves the city, he gets no money from it, this is completely justified in my opinion.

It's not like he tells anybody anyway.

April O'Neil

She understands so much, whatever you need she'll get for you within minutes.

If your cycles match up April and you will have days where you just sit down and cuddle together, usually at her apartment or in the lair.

She's most likely the one who goes shopping for stuff since she's usually shopping for the turtles as well, though you can come along or even do it yourself if hers is painful and yours is bearable enough to go and vice versa.

If you don't get much pain or mood swings, she makes a few jokes on how she wishes she was you, but if you ask her to stop she will.

Understands the pain that might come mentally, if yours is really bad during the month she even ignores the Turtles to help you out. Unless you want to be left alone in which case she can do that as well, but she will text you every few hours, this is probably happening with or without your period given how dangerous being friends with her is.

If you have intense pain, she's extremely worried for you and will try to help in any way she can, especially if you have other issues that impact your period and or your period causes you other issues.

Casey Jones

Once he gets it Casey doesn't care for the exact details, all he needs to know is when he needs to be involved. Then he's actually really helpful

Usually gets too embarrassed to buy pads for you so he asks April to do it for him, if she refuses he awkwardly makes his way over and will be red the entire time he buys them.

He will begrudgingly be mushy if it means you'll feel better, but also reluctantly leaves you alone if you prefer being alone, he's complicated when it comes to you.

Tends to try to make you laugh or smile if you get sad, but fails to realise that the flood gates of hell spill over with unholy blood whenever you do laugh too hard.

If you're someone with less blood and or pain he'll be asking once every few hours if you're okay, every month is the same, he never learns that you're going to be fine, or that you don't experience too much pain, but it shows he cares.

If you have intense pain he's next to you always helping and at your beck and call, he's fine with skipping out on time with April or the turtles because he doesn't want you in pain.

This has been in my drafts for a little over a year, I've only just got the strength to finish it (⁠｡⁠ŏ⁠﹏⁠ŏ⁠)

[theyhavetakenovermylife]

Ok ok hear me out, the turtle brothers and the reader on Christmas?

Don’t forget to take care of yourself! Get food, water, and rest! You are wonderful and amazing! Happy holidays! 💕

🎄🎁

💜💙🧡❤️🐢

Christmas Crush Stories (Fluff)

2003!Turtles x reader

A/N: So, I am Danish, and we celebrate Christmas on the 24th, which is tonight. I don’t know a lot about American Christmas food or traditions, but I’ll see what I can do. So here’s a quick one before the family gets here💙❤️💜🧡🐢 PS. It started snowing big time as soon as I started writing this😂💚

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Some small Christmas stories with the turtles and you, their crush💚

Warnings: Christmas fluff and chaos🎄

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Leonardo:

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”, Leo asked as he watched you, standing on top of an impossibly tall ladder, all to decorate a damn Christmas tree. Who’s idea was it anyway to get a tree so tall, that not even the ladder could reach the top? If Leo could find them he would give them a stern scolding. Just because it was a long way to the ceiling of the lair, that didn’t mean their tree should go up all the way! “It’s a far drop, (Y/N)”.

“I got it, mom”, you teased, poking out your tongue at him, making him cross his arms. You knew very well that Leo only meant the best, and that he was only looking out for your well being. “Besides”, you continued, picking out another brightly coloured glass orb to place on the tree. “Someone has to decorate the tree”.

“I would much rather have a naked Christmas tree than you getting injured”, the leader in blue retorted, looking unimpressed at the tree. How dare it be the reason you would put yourself in danger.

“Relax, Leo”, you said, closing your eyes as you rolled them, causing him to uncross his arm, ready to catch you in case you would fall. Okay, maybe he was a worry hen, but closing your eyes was a recipe for disaster! “Nothing is going to happen. I’m a grown woman! I don’t fall from a ladder. Have you seen me in high heels?”

“Yeah, but when you fall while fearing high heels, the fall wouldn’t break your bones”, Leo said, feeling himself getting more and more anxious.

“I’m not gonna fall, Leo”, you sighed, getting just slightly more frustrated. In the beginning his worries were cute, but now they were starting to plant the first roots of irritation. You let go of the ladder to place your hands on your hips. “Will you please stop worrying? I’m not a child-”.

You and your big mouth. Of course the ladder shook under you, causing you to yelp in surprise and lose your balance. It happened so fast. You fell off the tall ladder, plummeting towards the ground in what felt like less of a second. Leo was just as fast, having seen this situation happening a million miles away. He was ready right underneath you, catching with ease, holding you in a bridal style. Your face burned hot under Leo’s gaze, not just from the fall, but the close proximity of his face to yours.

“Are you still sure it’s a good idea?”, he asked, letting a smug smile show.

Raphael:

“You don’t get to hawk the mistletoe all day”, Raphael grumbled at Casey, as April walked away from him one more time. Casey sighed, having hoped that this was the way to finally get a kiss from her. And it didn’t help that his red clad terrapin friend was now bugging him. “Some of us also have plans for tonight”.

“Good luck”, Casey said, stepping out from under the mistletoe on the clothing line, hand on his head, thinking of a new way to gain April’s attention. “If (Y/N) is anything like April, the only kiss you’ll get is a knuckle kiss”.

“I’ll manage”, Raph smiled as he jumped to get the mistletoe down from the clothing line, before setting out to find his long time crush; you.

You weren’t very hard to find, as you had been in the kitchen most of the day, making dinner with Mikey, Splinter and some of the turtle’s other guests. Raph managed to catch you, right as you were leaving the kitchen, trapping you in the doorway, his sudden appearance making you jump back in surprise.

“Long day, (Y/N)?”, he asked, a friendly smile on his lips. Goodness, he hoped that this would work. You still didn’t seem to have noticed the mistletoe he was holding over your head.

“Obviously, Raphael”, you said, sounding a little bitter. Oh, crud. That hadn’t been part of Raph’s plan. “I have been in the kitchen all day, and have you been helping? No! Your brother and father have been so nice to help me, but you? No! You have been playing mistletoe hunt with Casey and April!”

“Uhm… (Y/N)”.

“Christmas Eve is tonight, Raphael, and it would be nice with some help!”

“(Y/N)...”

“What?!” Raphael pointed towards the mistletoe in his hand above your head. The sight making your blood boil once more. “So that’s why you wanted to talk! I’m working my ass off in the kitchen, and you want to kiss!?”

“N- no, (Y/N), that was not-”.

“Come here you!”

But before you could manage to land any punches, Raphael started running, with you closely following on his heels. Casey saw this and started clapping his knees in laughter.

“I told you, Raph! Hahaha!”

Donatello:

“Did you know that in Denmark, they eat duck instead of turkey for Christmas?”, Donatello said, watching you and April work in the kitchen. Or you, more specifically. Sweet Donnie had been walking after you all day like a lost puppy, spouting random facts about Christmas, all in an attempt to keep your attention on him. Poor fellow didn’t seem to know any other way of doing so.

“Is that so?”, you asked with a small smile. You knew about Donnie’s little crush on you, and you had to admit that you found it very adorable. He would blabber about whatever small fact he had learned, sharing everything he knew with you. And you enjoyed every minute of it.

“Yeah”, Donnie said, smiling bright at your interest in his small facts. “They also eat something called browned potatoes, which is like caramelized potatoes made with butter and brown sugar”.

“Okay, that actually sounds pretty good”, you said.

“Yeah, it does”, Donnie smiled. And then he continued on with his many random facts and information. Like said before, you enjoyed every minute of it. You liked having Donatello around, and to be honest, you love hearing him talk. But April, not so much. You see and feel how she was growing more and more frustrated with Donnie’s continuous talking. So you decided to take action into your own hands.

“Hey, Donnie”, you said, causing him to stop in the middle of whatever he was saying.

“Yes, (Y/N)?”

“Can you keep an eye on these for me?”, you asked, pointing towards the boiling potatoes on the stove.

“Of course!”, Donnie said, stepping in beside you to take a look at the potatoes. That was when you leaned in and placed a kiss on his cheek. Donnie let out a sound of surprise, before placing a hand on where your lips had met his skin. He turned to look at you with wide eyes. “W- what was that for?”, Donnie asked, his face burning hot.

“Well, in Denmark, when someone helps you in the kitchen during Christmas, you’re supposed to kiss them”, you smiled with a shrug.

“R- really?”, Donnie said, a smile spreading on his blushing face.

“No”, you laughed, placing your chin on his shoulder. “I made that up. But you did really look like one that could use a kiss”.

“Well, I think I could use more than one”, Donnie mumbled, fiddling with his fingers.

“Then I guess I’ll have to catch you under the mistletoe”, you said.

That comment caused Donatello to leave the kitchen in a hurry, screaming and yelling. “Casey! Raph! Quit playing around! I need that mistletoe!”

Michelangelo:

“Drop the snowball, young lady! Or you will be arrested!”, Mikey yelled at you from behind a tree, his beanie and scarf almost covering his face.

It was almost Christmas. The snow was laying in a thick layer in Central Park, so you and your best friend Michelangelo decided it was the perfect opportunity to take a night stroll through the park. But with you and Mikey being the way you were, that stroll had pretty quickly ended up in a snowball fight. It had now turned into you having backed Mikey into a corner behind the tree, searching and praying for an opening in your attack.

“It will take more than the turtle police to get me!”, you yelled back with a laugh, throwing the snowball just as Mikey looked out from behind the tree. He managed to duck, just as the ball flew past his face.

“Turtle police?! It is the Turtle Titan you’re talking to!”, he yelled, throwing a snowball blindly in your direction. You dodged that with ease.

“Is that so?”, you asked in a teasing manner. “Then come and get me, oh mighty Turtle Titan!”

That was the opening and motivation Mikey needed, He jumped out from behind the tree, dodging the balls you threw his way. “By the power of the mighty Turtle Titan, you’re going down, (Y/N)!” And with that he started running after you.

You yelped and started running in the opposite direction. But Mikey and his mighty ninja skills and trained legs managed to catch up with you easily. But even a trained ninja would not fight the power of an icy path. Mikey slipped and yelled, causing you to turn just in time before he fell on top of you, causing both of you to fall to the ground. Your back against the ground with Mikey on top of you.

“What was that for?”, you asked.

“I thought you would like to make snow angels”, Mikey smiled down at you.

“If that’s the case, then why are you still on top of me?”, you teased.

“I don’t know. You seemed cold”, he said. You caught him looking down at your lips for a second, causing you to sigh loudly.

“If I kiss you, will you get off?”

“Yes ma’am!”

[brightlotusmoon]

Snippet from "Burnt Orange Ice Blue"

...

“Stalks,” Casey blurted out. “The mushroom stalks grabbed him. So, like, zombie mushrooms?”

“No,” Mikey said slowly. “Not zombie. Too aware. Like they were studying me.”

“Okay,” Casey said, eyes bright. “Okay. Then, uh… parasites?”

Mikey froze, eyes widening. Raphael threw a glare at Casey.

“I think so,” Mikey said.

Casey blinked.

“Nah,” Raph scoffed.

“I feel them.” Mikey took a long breath. “They're in my head.”

Splinter held his hands even more tightly. “Please explain, my son.”

Taking a deep breath, Mikey squeezed back. “It's like humming. It doesn't stop. They're… like… zapping my brain. I didn't wanna say anything because I thought it would stop.”

Donnie froze. “You didn't - you-” Sighing deeply, he pinched the skin between his eyes. “Right. We're still learning to open up.” He glanced up at April. “I think I understand what we were looking at in the scan. The mushrooms have already caused hallucinations and fluctuations in his neurotransmitters. He's essentially still going through that.”

April nodded, pressing the tips of her fingers to her lips. “I can see that.”

“That's a really long trip,” Casey said.

“What does that mean?” Leo demanded.”What does that mean? He's been hallucinating for half a day? That can't be healthy.”

Splinter suddenly grabbed Leo's hand. “Breathe, Leonardo. You sound panicked.”

“No I don't,” Leo squeaked.

“Yeah you do,” Raph, Mikey, and Donnie intoned all at once.

“Jinx,” Mikey murmured with a smile.

Leo's shoulders dropped immediately. “Fine. Okay. But it's a completely valid question.”

“Oh, absolutely,” Donnie patted his shoulder, squeezing briefly. “But I need to do more research. April and I don't want to give answers we can't back up. None of us here are medical doctors. And the mind is complex enough.”

Leo stared at him. “Don't I know it. I remember those days in Japan, fighting myself.”

“And you succeeded, at least a little,” Donnie gave an encouraging smile. “When you came home, I noticed you still had PTSD but so many things happened and I suppose I couldn't find the opportunity to really look into it, like I should have.”

“Don't you dare put blame on yourself there,” Raph interrupted. “Any of you.”

“Okay,” Leo said, “but I cut my studies short and that's on me.”

“The Ancient One told you we were in danger,” Raph said. “You had every right to decide to come back. And we're real glad ya did.”

“Besides,” and Donnie squeezed Leo's shoulder again, “everything that's happened has been worth it. Look where we are.”

Leo smiled gratefully and they bumped foreheads.

Mikey burst into tears.

[catbowserauthor]

TMNT 2012: Final Thoughts

Started my rewatch a few weeks ago and finished it up this weekend!

I have a lot of thoughts. Some good, some surprising, some bad.

Overall—solid show. It’d rank 2nd for me (87 and 03 are still tied in first place) and I can absolutely see how it pulled in a new group of fans and became their staple. It’s a great combo of old and new ideas and most of them are executed pretty darn well.

Thoughts on the cast worth mentioning:

Sean Astin as Raphael is a match made in heaven. Once the writing really got the hang of his character, he delivers those emotional beats pitch perfect.

Rob Paulsen as Donatello has its own charm to it. It took me a while to not hear 87 Raph but I do like the characterization he brings. It has a bit more bite than other versions which is nice to see.

Mae Whitman as April works really well. For all my grips with the character herself, the voice work I can’t find any flaw with. She delivers anger really well.

Greg Cipes as Mikey is fine. Like, I don’t have any issues with the voice work. I wish they’d let him have a few more serious moments because Greg SELLS those. My issue is a lot of the writing for Mikey, it has nothing to do with Greg’s performance.

Seth Green as Leonardo is really well done. He’s probably my favorite of the VAs for Leo in this show. Especially in the later seasons, he sells the big brother/leader role just as much as he sells the teenager geek. Him being comforting to any of his brothers is great and I eat it up!

Thoughts on the characters:

I don’t like April. I just straight up don’t. I dislike they made her a psychic(because I think it would have made a lot more sense to give it to Mikey), I dislike the love triangle, I dislike her attitude (some episodes worse than others) and I just…don’t think she adds anything to the team dynamic. I’d have preferred her to be a reoccurring character who popped in every so often but they made her a series regular and I…don’t like it.

(I actually liked her friendship with Irma and was so mad they made her a Kraang)

Casey is fine. He’s kind of annoying but once things get going, he doesn’t bug me too much. Anything to do with his interest and April and thus with Donnie is 👎 but overall, I don’t mind him.

Splinter I remain divided on though I do appreciate him more on this rewatch. I still think he could be overly stern, played some blatant favoritism, and was not as wise as he gets credit for but he’s okay. I do like the humor they use with him and when he has genuinely heart felt moments with the turtles, it is so sweet to see. I just wanted more of it.

Karai…okay, so I’ve never really been a huge Karai fan but I like this one. I wish they’d stuck with her just being Karai and not Miwa though. (Yes, I know that was the plan from the beginning but I digress).

Mikey…oh, my Mikey. They could have done so much with this Mikey and sometimes they do! When the writing is on fire for Mikey, I’m in love. But they make him the punching bag/idiot WAY. TOO. MUCH. God! I do love we still get references to his spiritual energy (his instinctual fighting, heart, and references to ‘bad feeling about this’ is why I say they should have made him the psychic, not April) his out of the box thinking and empathy but they, much like 03, decide all/most comic relief must be on him and it hurts my heart…

Donnie is a lot better than I remember and truthfully my biggest issues with him are the love triangle. That causes most of the issues with his character. Eliminate that and you eliminate most of my problems with him. But…he does tend to hound on Mikey way too much (sometimes deservingly so) but “he never really matured past 6 years old” REALLY? Really? Little comments like that give him this superiority feel that I _don’t_ like at all.

Leonardo really gets his bearings in season 2 and I loved seeing his journey onward. By the final season, I adored Leonardo and it was really cool seeing him go from student to ninja then to leader/Sensei himself. It’s a dynamite end for the character.

I love this Raphael! Which really, really surprised me. The first couple of episodes you can tell they were figuring him out (hence the more bullying than brother behavior which I don’t like) but once those pass, we get a beautifully in depth character who truly loves his family and takes on the protector role so well.

THE LOVE TRIANGLE

Burn this thing with fire. My God! I hate this aspect of the series! And you know, I wouldn’t even be against it if they decided to make April a couple with one of the turtles…just like I wouldn’t mind if she ended up with Casey.

Heck, she could outright reject them both!

….

BUT COMMIT PEOPLE!

Decide an angle and stick with it! But they don’t! And when Donnie finally decides to lay off of April…she leads him on! She also shows interest in Casey.

They go back and forth so much and they still never commit! Even to the very end! Don’t. Do. That.

DECIDE, DAMN IT!

THOUGHTS IN GENERAL:

So, let’s get this out of the way:

—don’t like the ‘Mad Max’ episodes. Hate ‘em. Some of my least favorite of the series. In my mind, Owari is the end and Season 5 is a series of one shot adventures, the Mad Max world is an AU. I hate the idea that such a world is where they end up.

—Splinter’s death should have been reserved for the end. I get the whole reverse time to stop it only for it to be inevitable angle they were going for but it kind of cheapens his final death. I would have had him captured by the Triceratons and earth destroyed so the turtles still have to go in their time travel trip but it reserves that true gut punch for the end.

—This series probably has the absolute best finale in Owari. It’s intense, it’s heartfelt, it wraps things up beautifully. I still wish all the turtles had been part of the final blow to Shredder, not just Leo, but still really solid ending! And ending it with Splinter’s death and Leonardo taking over as head of the family is the perfect bookend to Leo’s arc.

—I mentioned it before but I think the psychic powers should have been given to Mikey. They hint at him having more spiritual awareness than his brothers (the fight without thinking, the hunches, his adaption in Dimension X, his empathy and creators confirmed the light around him on the roof in Owari was spiritual power) so giving him that would have made total sense. Then we would have: “Leo the master ninja leader, Donnie the brains, Raph the strength and protector and Mikey the heart and psychic.” Would have allowed more time for Mikey to have development and an interesting dynamic with his brothers. And Splinter! This Mikey gets almost no time with Splinter!

—April can still train to be a kunoichi, I’m cool with that but don’t let it pull away from the brothers. Their arcs should be the focus.

—On that same angle, like I mentioned before, I don’t like Karai being Miwa. I saw it coming, I think most fans did but I think it would have been a far more powerful arc if Miwa truly had died with Tang Shen and Karai chose to go with the turtles because her own moral code demanded it. Splinter gets the Shredder’s daughter but not by force. But because she CHOSE it.

Now, as for the seasons themselves, worst to best:

Season 1:

They were still figuring the characters and plot out and it shows. This one isn’t bad but you can tell they were still seeing what worked and what didn’t. Season 1 has some great “moments” but the episodes as a whole felt much choppier and I don’t see myself revisiting many of these. I especially like a lot of the characters much more later on.

Season 4:

I’m one of those people who don’t really like the Space Arc. There’s nothing wrong with these episodes. I enjoy Professor Honeycutt and the new environments but overall, the feel and plot of the episodes simply don’t hold my interest. It has some great moments, much like season 1, but no real episodes I find myself rewatching a ton.

Season 5:

With the exception of the “Mad Max” episodes these adventures are a super fun dynamic. It’s neat to see the turtles as a well oiled machine but now Leo has to figure out how to truly be the leader of his clan. There’s some great sweet moments, they’re entertaining and it makes for a fun “epilogue” of adventures.

Season 3:

So, according to the fandom, you either love the farm house episodes or you hate them. I fall into the love category. I’m a fan of horror which probably helps but I really like this setting. There’s a lot of time for bonding with each other which is my favorite part of the franchise. There’s definitely some things in here that fall flat but a pretty solid series of episodes.

Season 2:

Here we go! This is where I really think the show found its footing. The characters are consistent, the plots interesting and we get some really emotional beats. Ending it with them having to flee is a dynamite cliffhanger and having Leo taken out and mutated Karai still missing really gives us that sense of dread. To quote Raph: “For the first time in my life, I have no idea, little brother.”

I really enjoyed this rewatch. Definitely know some episodes I’ll be revisiting. And maybe…might play with some fanfic in this universe? We’ll see.

[bones4thecats]

Basically life in Rise! TMNT for our Reader;

Dating App Issues... Leonardo: Who would you swipe right for? Shredder or Draxum? Reader, who is holding grudges on both: I would delete the app.

Sharkboy and Lavagirl = Scary? Cassandra Jones: Let’s watch Sharkboy and Lavagirl. Foot Clan! Reader: Okay. Cassandra Jones: And make out during the scary parts. Foot Clan! Reader: Th- Foot Clan! Reader: The scary parts... Foot Clan! Reader: Of Sharkboy and Lavagirl...?

Student Appreciation Day (Strictly Platonic) Casey Jones: You know, Y/N gives April flowers each year, I wish you'd do that too. Leonardo: Okay. *Later* Leonardo: *gives April flowers* April O'Neil: ??? Leonardo: I don't know, I'm confused as well.

Is Being Smart Attractive Now? Reader: Smart is attractive. Educate me on something I don't know! Donatello: The mouth of a jellyfish is also an anus. Reader: Stop. Various ROTTMNT Characters After Being Asked About Their Confession... Donatello: Yeah, you're lucky. I like you. Raphael: I'd understand if you didn't feel the same way... Casey Jones: *has a panic attack* What confession? Leonardo: *winks* I know, babe. You like me too. Baron Draxum: So what? Are you going to date me or not? Shredder: It was a dare.

Tracking the S/O... Raphael: You can track Y/N? Donatello: Of course I can. If the NSA can do it, so can I.

Rescue Mission Gone Wrong... Splinter, alongside his sons and April: What have you done with Y/N? Baron Draxum: Nothing. Why, do you think I should?

Kinky~ Reader: Are we fighting or flirting? Shredder: I'm pinning you against a wall with my hand around your neck- Reader: Your point?

When Donnie Tells Mikey About His Crush... Michelangelo, talking about the new human friend, Reader: Why don’t you go talk to them? Donatello, sarcastically: Oh. Yeah, sure. Michelangelo: What? So you go tell them they’re cute, what’s the worst that could happen? Donatello: They could hear me.

Word-Jumble Time! Donatello: I truly hate it here <3 Leonardo: Now replace 'it' with 'women'. Not so funny now, is it? Michelangelo: Now replace 'it' with 'women'. Not so funny now, is women? Raphael: Now replace 'funny' with 'women'. Not so women now, is funny? Donatello: I’m having a fucking stroke. Reader: Now replace 'stroke' with 'baby'. Congrats!

Tea-Time Therapy with the Reader... Reader, talking to Splinter over tea: You know what your problem is? Splinter: I only have one?

Oroku Saki and Reader's Development Be Like; Reader: Shredder has only knocked me out three time this week. Our friendship is really developing.

Arachnophobia At It's Finest... Casey Jones: Treat spiders the way you want to be treated! Reader, with Arachnophobia: Killed without hesitation.

Neon-Leon's Rarest Moment; Having An Idea... Leonardo: Hold on! I’m having one of those things... a headache with pictures. Reader: What the fuck? Donatello: He's having an idea.

[fabuloustrash05]

Some of My TMNT Hot Takes 🔥

Warning: Opinions

2012 April was a good character and a fun version/take on April. Y’all are just mean.

Casey Jr. in the Rise movie was a bland and uninteresting character. He did not feel like/deserve to be called a “Casey Jones”.

Jennika in IDW, while a cool concept/character, is overused/overrated.

I don’t like shipping Raph (any version) with human characters. I prefer him dating other mutants or aliens.

2012 Karai is the best/most interesting version of Karai, but she’s also one of the most irritating recurring characters in 2012. I love and hate her.

Jonatello in 2012 is overrated as hell.

Rise Mikey is very forgettable (to me).

April needs to stop being shipped with the Turtles and being their love interest.

87 Shredder is the BEST version of Shredder!

I liked the Irma being a robot twist in 2012. It was an injustice to the Irma character but it was still shocking, and I do like her kinda return as Rook, so there’s some credit to that.

2007 Splinter was a bad dad.

Casey being a cop in the bayverse movies was an interesting take that could’ve worked for his backstory of becoming a vigilante, but it was executed poorly.

IDW Donnie x Mona Lisa is stupid and a completely pointless ship to include in the comics. It feels very forced.

Rise Raph is too big. That, or the other characters are too small. Either way, while I like Rise Raph, his design feels off sometimes.

2012 Mikey is actually annoying and often deserves to be scolded by his brothers for doing dumb immature shit. He’s 15, not 5, he should know better.

The 87 Turtles DO have individual and unique personalities, that includes 87 Leo!

Capril is not a good ship, but I’d still much rather ship April with Casey than with any of the Turtles.

While I love 2012 Renetangelo and 87 Kalangelo, Mikey is the one Turtle that I don’t think needs a love interest. I’d much rather see him be single.

If you’re mad at/hate 2012 April for “killing Donnie” when being possessed in that one episode, but don’t feel the same towards Raph, Karai, Slash and Rockwell for torturing/hurting their friends/family when brainwashed, then you’re a massive hypocrite.

Raph x Mona Lisa in 2012 is the BEST TMNT ship that came out of the four TMNT franchises that Nickelodeon has made. Maybe even the best overall couple in all of TMNT.

[leadenn]

i'm not gonna SAY I think Mikey and Donnie would join the brotherhood because they don't want to wait for a world to feel safe enough to accept their loved ones, but I'm just saying

Mikey has watched his father scrounge and fight and work himself to exhaustion just to help them all survive for YEARS and he watches how despite all that work his father does they still can't have everything that splinter wants them to but he tries so HARD to do it. He sees how Leatherhead can never get the help he needs for his mental help after spending most of his life being tortured by the kraang but just bc of how they all look they're forced to live off of scraps in the shadows in fear for their lives while humans can seemingly do no wrong in their own society. Mikey thinks it's unfair and he's such a deeply caring and loving person and what if that's what pushes him into an extremist POV?

His father should be able to exist as he is now, rat or man. his boyfriend should be allowed to get the mental help he desperately needs for his PTSD. His brothers should be acknowledged for how often they risk their lives saving a world that doesn't want them. he thinks the world is such a wonderful place and so many different things about it make it that way, and it makes him so angry that humans can't seem to accept that because of blind hatred to anyone they see as different as them. It's just not fair to him and he wants things to be fair for his family. why should his family nearly die saving the world for humans who don't consider them worthy of life?

and Donnie? Donnie wants his family to be safe and he doesn't think any humans would ever want the same thing. he's seen the things the EPF does to mutants and it's like they're being treated as the enemy because of what they are perceived as instead of what they are and it infuriates him. He thinks about all the times his brothers almost died, how he almost died, all for a world that doesn't want them to exist. It's an emotionally charged conclusion and maybe too broad of a generalization about humans (Casey and April are right there, after all) but he thinks about every time him or his brothers got sick when they were kids and how he always knew it was worse than their father said because they didn't have medicine or a doctor. it's why he knows so much medical stuff now, because he watched Leo writhing in pain from shell rot when they were children and he couldn't stop thinking about what would happen if he died. he smells the stench of rot when he shuts his eyes and there's still a scar on his plastron.

he doesn't think his family will be safe in a world where humans are in charge, if the EPF exists and if the kraang aren't the sole bad guy in the mutant conversation he thinks that the world will always be the same way. he doesn't think humans are smart enough to make those changes so he figures the only way his family would be safe would be if the humans who didn't want them alive would be out of the way somehow.

so hypothetically if an old ass man with a silly helmet comes along, and the turtles fight him alongside a brand new group of mutant allies they made? they might hear him out while he gives the usual bad guy speech. he's defeated and taken to prison.

Mikey might go into his lab later, and they both sit in silence together. Mikey picks up a couple of little paper clips, and glances at Donnie. They're close, and Donnie doesn't always know how to read people but he can read Mikey. Mikey isn't people, he's Mikey, and Donnie picked up a couple paper clips too.

he shakes his head and takes out a box of staples and starts to break them up into smaller chunks to slide under their knee and elbow pads. he had surgical staples in his leg, they wouldn't be detected because of those.

Mikey smiles at him, because he's glad Donnie is with him. Donnie thinks that's silly, because he'd never not be with Mikey.

they're brothers.

[qoldenskies]

shower me with lore

cutely takes excuse to talk about wwww!sunset duo as requested ,,,,

its been really fun to work out mikey's personality because one of the most important things to me was to make it really obvious that raph was not only a role model for him but also his ONLY role model, but mikey's relationship with him is also,,, tumultuous, which is not a recent development (although it DOES get worse once everything starts out). raph's first and only priority is mikey's well-being, and most of the decisions he makes are ones he believes he HAS to make to keep him safe, even if he doesn't like it. he thinks he doesn't have a choice, which is something mikey directly goes against.

like generally in the story mikey is the EMBODIMENT of choice. he is the physical manifestation of it. he provides donnie with the opportunity to choose which side he's on, parallels leo who acts only out of fear due to being harmed and restricted, and very ironically the WORST decision that raph makes in the story, which i cant talk about here lol, is one he makes when mikey is literally locked in a cage. mikey's existence changes everything around him, which is why it's important he makes so many decisions independently from raph, and why he COMPLETELY fucks up donnie and leo's relationship with each other and their father lmfao oopsie. mikey is the wind and raph is as solid as stone, endlessly stubborn in his position. he only sees one way through, while mikey ALWAYS thinks there's another way. there's a way out. they can do this better. there's no such thing as a "necessary sacrifice", and he is INTENSE about proving it. its his already existing optimism taken to an extreme, because he DID get that fire and stubbornness from raph, even if his perspective is much different.

usually this is what they butt heads over. raph doesn't think of himself as a pessimist at all, just a realist. but REALISTICALLY he's a pessimist, and a lot of that comes from the fact that he's anxious and he's had to bare that weight all on his own. mikey wants to spread his wings and raph wants to keep him on the ground (while, in comparison, donnie is trying to swim and leo is desperate to make both of them sink lmfao). having less brothers to take care of did NOT fix his problems, they made it worse actually-- in canon leo is actually a pretty important person in his life that evens him out, and donnie is a provider, and raph doesn't have that here, so he has to do those jobs too. splinter's more involved in their lives, but it's still not as much as he should be. really raph took over and once he hit a certain point splinter was like "okay cool", raph controls mikey's life very authoritatively usually because he's hyper-aware of the potential danger of their lifestyle-- and like, i really do not blame him for that. raph is in the wrong, but that doesn't automatically make mikey in the right, and they are in a position where he is right to worry about this.

the culmination of mikey and raph's dynamic is a "growing to realize your parent is human too" kind of arc. raph would probably need to get this kind of arc with splinter, mikey doesn't really have ANY baggage with his dad because raph did everything his dad didn't, and even though he doesn't always like him, he still does see him as helpful and usually infallible. splinter's always the peacekeeper when things get intense, if april's not around (and even then she is USUALLY more team raph than she is team mikey, she will be a bit of a snitch unfortunately,,, she's probably closer to mikey though, they're pretty good friends here. maybe i'll parallel their dynamic with leo and casey's? that'd be silly EDIT: I GOT THE PERFECT IDEA OF HOW IM GOING TO DO THIS BUT I CANT TALK ABOUT IT HERE FUCKKKK)