#also raph openly makes fun of leo and not really the other two in a way that is actually really charming... underutilized

[qoldenskies]

48, 68, and 79 for the fanfic writing asks. :]

48. Who is your favorite character to write for?  Has this changed since you’ve started writing for that fandom?

forever donnie (he stuck out to me the SECOND i watched the show and has not left my brain)... but i actually find raph second easiest to write pov for, i wanna get into the meat of him at some point because he's really interesting and surprisingly unexplored compared to the other three!!! even though he ends up showing no matter what i do ive been a little hesitant to do anything super duper leo-centric out of spite and mikey is FOREVER THE HARDEST TO WRITE OUT OF THE FOUR OF THEM AUGGHHHH SHAKES HIM!!!! love him though

68. Are there any fics that influenced you to write the way you do?

shout out to firefight for getting me to write again <3 unmaking by corvidown is also a personal favorite of mine, i HIGHLY recommend it

79. Do you have any writing advice you want to share?

im mostly intuition when it comes to writing and not very technical about it (which is my folly, i need to get better at going back and mastering the basics) but what i CAN say is that, from experience, if your pacing seems way too fast there is a very good chance that's just you. if youre like me youll probably skim instinctively because you already know whats on the page (which is why its recommended to read out loud when editing because its easy to skip over mistakes), but for most readers its going to feel a lot longer than it is!!

like genuinely with both caged lungs and coming undone im still like "wow i need to pad this out with more scenes" but so many people sing my praises about pacing, and thinking that things are well-rounded and detailed, and im like... Huh. i genuinely considered adding like 6 more scenes to coming undone and had to literally stop myself because i was going to Die if i did that (i actually think the uhhh. third to last scene? the last mikey one. is way too fast still, id go back and rewrite it if i could)

oh also i recommend character bibles! character bibles are always good, i like writing sample dialogue and keeping track of little vocal quirks/body language things (it also helps me pick out and avoid things that get really deeply rooted in fanon when theyre kind of frustratingly off the mark, although i do have a couple of headcanons that remain consistent across fics like the painkiller thing Because i use it for EVIL!!!!!!). and when i feel like im slipping ill go back and rewatch some episodes to make sure i can HEAR it in their voices

i cant say much about how i do symbolism/parallels/motifs which ive heard a lot of praise about, i keep a list of ideas i have and somehow it turns into something coherent (i literally type "AHAHAHA FUCKKKK IM A GENIUS" in my notes when i get a good idea) i dont even remember where the canary thing came from but now its my thing. help girl

[dandylovesturtles]

a comment on the other Step-brothers AU post made me think that yeah, I didn't really get into the interpersonal relationships at play and since this is still plaguing my mind and I wanna talk about it, here's the start of what will probably end up a very long post about the family dynamics in the Step-brothers AU

this is mainly focused on the main fam + April because if I start doing all the Caseys and other side characters too I'll die

let's start with big bro Sondheim

Sondheim and Draxum: As I mentioned in the first post, Heim has a really hard time not seeing Draxum as his boss, even after their rescue. The AU Draxum never encouraged any parental/child feelings between them, so Heim just has no idea how to approach it. Initially Draxum likes this ("Why can't the rest of you be as respectful as Sondheim?"), but eventually he realizes that Heim acts like that because there's a lack of trust and intimacy in their relationship. It will really take Heim getting closer to his little brothers, and learning to open up to them, that will lead into Draxum and Heim getting closer and moving into a familial relationship.

Sondheim and Raph: Heim is initially quite intimidated by Raph, not only because Raph is bigger than him but also because Raph seems to have himself together in a way Heim simply doesn't feel like he does (even if he seems to on the outside). Heim is also a bit jealous of how easily Raph interacts with the rest of his family, while Heim feels such a wall between himself and his brothers and dad. But ultimately Raph will be a great role model for Heim, and the two of them grow quite close, as Heim is willing to go to Raph for any big-brother advice. Also, while Heim generally acts pretty sociable and well-adjusted, he's also quite macho acting, since that's what was expected of him from the rest of the soldiers. Being around Raph, who is open with displays of affection and who still loves plushies even as an older teen, is great for helping Heim move into more healthy displays of masculinity. For Raph's part, he worries sometimes that he's not going to live up as the role model Heim needs, but he doesn't really need to worry so much.

Sondheim and Leo: On the surface, these two seem to have a great relationship - the two of them can chat easily and never fight. But if you actually paid attention to their conversations, you'd realize they're quite... surface level. As both Heim and Leo are very "conceal don't feel" types, neither of them push the other to open up, and as a result their conversations stay casual and peter out before long. This leads to them feeling quite distant from each other. It will take both of them growing their emotional maturity individually before they can get over the wall between them, probably more when they're adults. But they do like each other.

Sondheim and Donnie: Years of knowing Viv did not prepare Heim for Donnie, and honestly he's kind of scared. He doesn't know what to make of him, and he knows even less what to make of everyone's tolerance for his insane behavior. An explosion in the lair and no one's even getting up from their seats? Hello?? They have some of the same problems as Heim and Leo at first, but Heim has a hidden competitive side that comes out when he's playing games, and once the two of them start playing video games and board games together, it comes out and the two of them start really having fun together. As Heim gets more open and less worried about being abandoned, he and Donnie have the sort of relationship where they will openly shittalk each other for fun.

Sondheim and Wilde: Unlike Viv and Sulley, Wilde's attempts at bullying Heim never went anywhere. Heim was never intimidated by Wilde, and he emulated the nasty attitude the rest of the soldiers had toward Wilde, until making fun of him behind his back (and sometimes to his face) became second nature. As a result, Wilde and Heim have a pretty terrible relationship at first! Heim feels open to taking care of Viv and Sulley, but come on - does he really have to be a big brother to that guy? But in contrast to how Leo can't push Heim at all, Wilde can push Heim a lot, with all his exposed nerves right on the surface, and the barely concealed rage that Heim can actually relate to. Their rocky start leads to the two of them being accidentally more open with each other, leading to a slow but steady turn around in their relationship. Eventually Heim and Wilde are as close as the OU A Team, but it takes quite a lot of work to get there.

Sondheim and Vivaldi: Heim and Viv have always had a straight forward, business-like relationship, never exchanging many words other than to pass along orders. They initially maintain a very similar relationship once they start living together as brothers, neither of them really knowing how to have a relationship that goes deeper. Both of them struggle with learning who they are as people, let alone deal with all the new family dynamics that have been thrown their way. But because their struggles are so similar, Viv ends up having an easier time talking out his frustrations with Heim. Heim is less willing to open up to Viv, feeling responsible for him as an older brother, but soon enough talking through Viv's issues turns into Heim talking through his issues, too. The two of them for a very close bond over this, each feeling like the other is the only person in the world who understands what they're going through. Viv is the brother Heim grows closest to the fastest.

Sondheim and Mikey: While Viv is the brother Heim grows closest to the fastest, Mikey is the step-brother who slips past his walls first. Heim is willing to humor Mikey early on, as a way of trying to fit in with the family, and Mikey takes full advantage of this, eagerly slipping past Heim's defenses and nestling himself right into his heart. Initially Heim doesn't quite know how to handle it, but soon he's unbearably fond of Mikey, even if he playfully protests that he isn't. It helps that Heim doesn't treat Mikey like a baby the way Raph sometimes tends to, partly because Heim has his own baby to worry about. While their emotional relationship isn't as deep as Heim's relationship with Viv and eventually with Wilde, Heim is truly relaxed around Mikey even early on.

Sondheim and Sullivan: Heim didn't have much regard for Sulley for most of their lives, and now he feels a lot of regret for that. Their relationship effectively has to be built from the ground up, which isn't helped by Heim still trying to learn who he himself is. They have a lot of false starts and a lot of disastrous conversations, but Heim gradually slotting himself into his big brother role and caring for Sulley helps a lot. The two of them learn a lot about the wonder of hugs together.

Sondheim and April: Humans have been Heim's enemy for most of his life, and while he actually doesn't think they're all that dangerous (yokai always had the superiority in strength and mystic ability, and thanks to Draxum's mutagen and Donnie's tech they were steadily closing the gap in numbers and technology, too), he's still mystified that his alternate family would willingly interact with one. He's initially rude to April as a result, but she has so little tolerance for that that his dismissal quickly does an abrupt swing into respect - maybe a little too much respect, because he starts treating her like a boss, too. It takes them awhile to settle back into a friendship, and she becomes a great role model for Heim as well.

Sondheim and Splinter: Lou Jitsu died in Heim's universe, so while he always knew he was mutated with Lou Jitsu's DNA, he's never met the man. He's quite a bit shorter (and hairier!) than Heim expected! Heim initially treats Splinter with the reverence and respect he does Draxum, but Splinter pretty quickly dispels that notion by encouraging Heim to address him casually and generally just acting like his goofy dad self around Heim. Though the AU boys look at only Draxum as their dad, they do still lean on Splinter as a capable adult in their life, and Heim is no exception. He likes the tea Splinter makes.

[neoncolorblocks]

you should totally share your 2012 tmnt opinions bc i already know your based af

I don’t know how based my opinions really are but I’ll share some for you. My opinions are based off my experiences as a kid when I watched it so I’m kinda biased to certain things. I’m currently doing a rewatch of 2012 so some of these might change for me later. Some of them are opinions and others are based off my own headcannons. I’ll make two lists.

My opinions

None of the brothers are abusive to eachother I will die on this hill.

Seriously tho Mikey’s older bros like him they just get annoyed sometimes, it’s not even just Mikey every bro got annoyed with eachother at some point.

The show sometimes has a ‘ew feelings’ vibe when emotional development could’ve fixed some of the problems in the show

Splinter tried his best, he messed up but I don’t think he was abusive to the turtles. But overall he dealt with the cards he got the best he can despite losing a child and then gaining 4 more on accident.

The pressure put on Leo to be a leader and eventual caretaker for his family isolated him from his brothers and detrimentally affected him as a teen.

Watching him talk to a hologram of his only adult figure while his 3 same aged bros were outside broke me dude. Probably an older sibling thing but going to people you’ve been taught to look after for your emotional grief is almost impossible tbh

Raph and Donnie in true middle sibling fashion get sidelined when it comes to development sometimes.

Raph obviously struggles with feeling misunderstood and feels isolated, it causes him to lash out. His position as the team defender naturally makes him more inclined to value his bros over himself and it took a toll on his self worth and identity. Slash and Destroy kinda hurts man.

Leo got saddled with eldest daughter syndrome and ascended from big bro to mom. He’s jealous of Karai because she wasn’t shouldered with the responsibility he has but he also wouldn’t trade it for anything either.

Setting the romance arc aside, Karai’s a fun character to watch. Sometimes I’m like “Go girl! Kill them!”

Idk why people don’t love 2012 Casey more, he’s one of the only charming teenage troublemakers I’ve seen written well. Dudes hilarious

2012 April is not that bad, I was fine with the weird admiration triangle thing she Casey and Donnie had. Girl really loved the turtles and Splinter even without the romance subplot.

Leo killing Shredder was justified, it was an act of vengeance and revenge.

Raph, Donnie, and Mikey could’ve also been good leaders but they trust Leo to keep them safe more than the others.

Mikey’s high adaptive ability is overlooked but is a really good trait for a martial artist. Treating Mikey as a defenseless little kid makes little to no sense when he is the most adaptable physically and emotionally and the most intuitive bro. Mikey could take all of his bros if he needed to imo

Donnie’s sass has a body count

I think people forget that the bros are the same age, it’s such a big deal that they’re technically the same age. Like with Rise, we all know Raph’s the oldest and he acts and is treated as the oldest but in 2012 it feels much more like Leo was chosen to be the oldest. Splinter treats Leo as the oldest but the turtles see Leo as the same age and equal to them. It’s so uniquely jarring to have Splinter set Leo aside and tell him he has this responsibility and he has to be a parental figure to people who are the same age as him. And then having his brothers and teammates treat him like he’s a kid like them and openly challenge the principles hammered into him by his dad is too relatable to me lol. Like the power imbalance exists but at the same time it doesn’t, I have so many thoughts about Leo send help

The “rong” scene is possibly one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen.

Leo’s leg should’ve been a reoccurring thing, when a joint is dislocated it’s very easy to dislocate it again. One of my sibs dislocated their shoulder fighting, dislocated it again on accident and will need surgery someday to fully repair it.

I enjoyed the farmhouse arc and how it gave the characters more internal conflict and interpersonal conflict. Their dynamics shined in some of those episodes

If Leo wasn’t the leader he’d be the inside man and team medic.

The team is split as such: Leo-leader and strategist, Raph-brawler and defender, Donnie-tech specialist and medic, Mikey- wildcard and team morale maintainer

My headcannons that make the series better for only me

Leo and Raph are the twins ever

Mikey’s actually the most naturally talented martial artist but is too busy having fun to train seriously.

Donatello’s mutagen medicine was faulty because he wasn’t the team medic and never made something like medicine before. Leo was the medic and since Donatello was able to learn med procedures fast and knows their biology he opted to be the temp medic. He’s really well suited to it too despite the pressure and anxiety. He became the official team medic after the farmhouse arc.

Splinter didn’t want his sons to get too attached to him because turtles obviously out live rats by a wide margin and he knew he would only be in a small fraction of their lives. That’s a big reason why he was distant from them.

The other reason being losing Karai and thinking she was dead for 15 years.

Raph and Mikey are smart and reasonable like Leo and Donnie but like annoying their bros with chaos.

Donnie’s not actually a caffeine addict, the anxiety just powers him through anything.

Someone finally sat Leo down and made him understand that the team dynamic in Star Trek is what led to success on the show. Not just the captain.

Getting badly injured by Shredder ramped Leo’s mom protective instinct and self sacrifice to a solid 13. Going through the kind of pain your siblings could’ve went through does things to a sibling. Unfortunately for him, getting hurt so bad ramped up his siblings’ protective antics and now he has to deal with his own antics happening to him.

Donatello could build super villain weaponry but stopped when Mikey kept referring to his rocket launcher as the turtle-gun.

Donnie will definitely develop resentment to splinter later in life. Not because he hates Splinter but because Donatello is one of the more observant and intelligent turtles. When he gets more mature he’s going to realize that things were messed up far more than they ever needed to be.

Raph had a little mob of birds, rats, and cats follow him around in the city for food and pets.

Raph paints as one of his anger management techniques but had to stop when Mikey kept taking his paints.

If he had more confidence in himself Raph would make a decent leader

Leo’s strong moral code is what gave him the ability to kill shredder, earlier in the series he’s very against killing henchmen. Completely shutting it down. But after Shredder had betrayed Splinter, killed his mom, separated his sister from them and abused her, killed Splinter, almost killed his bros and himself multiple times and tried to destroy his home over and over again. Leo finally killed him. He made that choice after all he went through because he had to or it would never end. Of course the other kills aren’t as relevant but shredders kill is so important to the story and the characters. imo of course

I will have more things to say when I’m done refreshing myself on TMNT 2012 canon. Please remember that these are my opinions and headcannons. I’m not out to change anyone’s opinions on the show or cannon. These are just my own thoughts and that’s it.

Thanks for asking anon!

[honey-rye]

the Mad Dogs as the Planets by Gustav Holst (with art!)

strap in folks, this one's a long one. I'll be providing my dum dum brain thoughts, that definitely make sense to me but maybe not anyone else, below the pics. stay for the rambles or just the art, enjoy :)

also, at the very end there's a couple bonus characters

Donnie - Saturn the Bringer of Old Age

so hear me out with this one. Donnie was a hard one to figure out, while there were a bunch of potential songs for Leo and Mikey, I couldn't quite place a song for Donnie. on one hand, I really wanted to assign him Mars, just because it's as dramatic as he is lol. but it's also too harsh for him?

I went with Saturn in the end because to me it feels like an idea being formed, created and finished in a way, the trial and error of inventing. Saturn is a more emotional piece, one where you can really feel the highs and lows? Donnies emotional range doesn't show much but when it does it feels the same way. Saturn is mostly an adagio pace, (dont quote me on the tempos, this is just the way my mind hears them), matching with the way Donnie is often the one to pace himself, and be more calculated in his actions. and just like Dee, it has it's dramatic moments.

the ending movement feels like the love and peace he can only get from his family, it feels like his ninpo connecting with his brothers- or even just his brain calming down from getting overwhelmed or overstimulated

I also feel like Donnies favourite planet would be Saturn or Neptune but for two totally different reasons lol.

Leo - Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity

Jupiter is probably the most well known song of all the Planets, I almost assigned it to Mikey tbh, but I think it fits Leo best.

Leo is pretty much the definition of jollity, and yeah so is Mike, but Leo? he's bright, the "face man," he's typically seen in a lively mood.

this piece is loud, full of life, and at some points serious and more full of hope and warmth- sounds kinda like our favourite red eared slider huh. Jupiter is set in allegro, (fast, quick, and bright), reminiscent of Leo's quick thinking and agility- but also switches to a rubato, matching with the moments where he slows down and starts taking things seriously. (dont quote me on the tempos, this is just the way my mind hears them) despite being called a dumdum many time throughout the show, we all know Leo is actually really smart and calculated in most of his actions.

Jupiter as a planet is a protector, just like Leo who will do anything for his family, he brings them all together.

Leo being assigned Jupiter has nothing to do with him being the biggest fan of Jupiter Jim btw.

Raph - Venus, the Bringer of Peace

in any other iteration of Raph, I'd say he's Mars, but Rise Raph? I think Venus suits him the best.

Raph is a sweetheart. he's full of love and affection for his family, and openly shows his emotions. Venus is full of soft movements as well as harsher movements, reminiscent of Raphs tender moments vs his more serious and aggressive moments. Venus is played for the most part as an andante, (dont quote me on the tempos, this is just the way my mind hears them), in Raph I feel like this presents in how he keeps himself calm in certain situations, like when he tries to set aside his temper so he can guide his brothers in Pizza Puffs.

this is such a pretty part of the Planets, and as I've been listening to it on loop, it feels so full of love it can be overbearing, i couldn't pick out any other options for Raph, this one just fits him so well.

Mikey - Mercury, the Winged Messenger

I adore this version of Mikey. I think Mercury is a good representation of him because of how fun and mischievous it is. this is a kid who bounces around, throws random objects, and has fun with everything. Mercury has a fast pace for the most part, I'd put it at an allegro, similar to Jupiter. the piece really has a childlike fun to it, it's exactly what adhd sounds like to me lol.

Mikey is such a strong character in so many ways, the fact that he can have so much fun while still being able to get serious whether it be to Doctor Delicate Touch/Doctor Feelings his brothers, or when it comes to fighting even, is impressive considering he's the youngest- and definitely has two bad influence older brothers (cough cough, twins). Mercury is another one of the Planets that feels full of emotion in the middle of it, in Mikey these moments really present as his faith in his family. he trusts them so much, and even had faith in Draxum to become a good person. (then proceeded to adopt him as dad #2).

Anyway!

I'm not sure if any of these make sense to anyone else, and if you don't know the Planets you should definitely give them a listen.

honorable mentions as a bonus:

April as Uranus, the Magician

Cass as Mars, the Bringer of War

and the Hamatos as a whole as Neptune, the Mystic

[bluepeachstudios]

So, me and @wondrous-art kind of went insane and just started talking about this TMNT AU where Splinter raised them in the forest outside of New York City instead of in the sewers of the city, and now it's become its own monster. So here are the turtle designs and April and Master Splinter. Infodump about the turtles in this AU below the read more.

Leonardo

Leo's an eastern diamondback terrapin and he's the oldest at 15 and the one "in charge" because he's the oldest. He fights with a bokken and is working on using two of them because Splinter didn't have access to a whole ass blacksmith, so the boys get wooden weapons. Leo's got some issues with OCD, mostly he's got hurt-obsession and has intrusive thoughts about accidentally hurting his family, and his rituals are based around keeping that from happening. He likes his long mask tails and thinks they make him look like a hero. I tried to combine a bit of 2003, 2012 and Rise Leo so he tries to be responsible but he's still a teenager and goofs around and makes jokes. He wants to be a dang hero!! Anime is cool! He's especially interested in learning about Japan because it's Splinter's culture, and Splinter raised them with aspects of Japanese culture. His main interest is still training to become better at ninjutsu, but he's also got Heavy Interest in anime. He's the family medic.

Raphael

Raph's a wood turtle and the second oldest at 15 (just a month behind Leo). He argues with Leo a lot because Leo wants to do the right thing and Raph thinks they shouldn't get involved with stuff that isn't their business. Again, I tried to get a mix of the Raphs, so he's got anger issues but the one thing that overrides that is the protectiveness over his family. He does a lot of weight training, climbing, and hiking for fun. He's also the family cook! Splinter taught him. He likes to pretend he'd rather be alone but really, he sticks to his family unless he's trying to blow off steam. Because wood turtles estivate, he's sensitive to the heat and has passed out during training in the summer before. He was not happy about that. Raph fights with a wooden jutte and calls Splinter "Oyaji" because he's a rude little shit. He'll also call Leo "aniki" when he's trying to make a point.

Donatello

Donnie's an eastern spiny softshell turtle and 14 years old. He can breathe underwater! But this also means his above-water lungs aren't as strong and he's got asthma. He's autistic and uses his bo staff as a stim half the time and chewing on the ends of his mask the other half of the time. His interests are mainly engineering, insects, and biology, but he's always interested in whatever modern technology Splinter lets him get a hold of. He refuses to wear knee and elbow pads because they squeeze his joints and he doesn't like the sensation of them. He's got a sarcastic side and when he's serious he can get snippy. He would have been the family medic but he saw blood exactly One Time and hit the floor. He's fine when it comes to any blood other than his family's, but god forbid one of his brothers bleed or he's out like a light. He's got little webs between his fingers and toes that help him, he's the best swimmer in the whole fam.

Michelangelo

The babiest baby, a spotted turtle at the age of 13. He's sensitive to temperature and is constantly complaining that it's too hot or too cold, there is no good temperature. He's got ADHD bad and keeps at least two fidget toys in his belt at all times. He's an artist and likes to paint and draw, mostly abstract paintings but he likes to draw things he's seen around the woods or cool machine designs that he asks Donnie to try and make. He's got the URGE to dig during the summers to try and stay cool. He's the most emotionally intelligent and opens up easily about how he's feeling and can usually figure out how his brothers are feeling as well. If he cries it is Everyone's Problem. He doesn't like being treated openly like a child, but he still does things like climb into his brother's beds after nightmares, climb all over them, ask for bites of their food, and generally he just wants to be given Attention and Love at all times. He calls Splinter "Otochan" unless his brothers are calling him, then he switches to "Tosan" like them. He'll occasionally call his brothers "onii-san" but it's when he's trying to be cute and get something. He has nunchucks that he likes to spin when his hands aren't busy.

[koda-bear01]

Okay. Well. Here's you some brain-dump for a fic I've been obsessing over for the past who knows how long.

Recently, I've been thinking about how to do a voltron/rottmnt crossover. I've only just stumbled upon @ashwii 's Celestial AU (plz go check it out. It's literally AMAZING), and something clickled in my brain.

So, while I've been casually thinking of rotTMNT, but also casually thinking of Voltron (Klance specifically, but whatever floats your boat and doesn't sink the ship LMAO), I have found several ways to now make this crossover happen! (among all the other WIP's I'm currently ignoring 😭)

So, without further adue...

A: I could go the normal route with rottmnt turtles freaking out about SPACE CATS, while the voltron team is freaking out about TEENAGERS with POWERS and apparently a whole hidden world under the surface of earth. I could either take this to space, or have this as one of those random adventures that don't fit with canon plot. ORR, I could do both but make it plot heavy >:) I think this one would be fun to to explore at a later date.

Now, the second one is specifically for the Celestial AU. I hadn't really seen much about it when this idea popped in my head, but the general gist is that the turtles are Celestial's. Raph's domain is the sun, Mikey's is comets, Donnie's is the moon, and Leo's is the stars. I don't know much about the lore yet- as I HAD to type this out before my mind imploded on itself- but from what I do know, Raph is currently the sun in our solar system and can't really "explore" the other domains like his brothers can, so his bros just chill there with him. As for the rest of the lore, that just leaves it up to the creative liberty of any and all artists (please give credit where it's due, though. This is @ashwii 's AU, and while the characters themselves don't belong to her, the au itself does. Respect that.), so lore could go any way you want it to! I'm still in that brainstorming phase, so. Yeah. Now, for the other option:

B: In their own right, I'd say that the Celestial AU turtles are defenders. Maybe in this specific quadrant of the universe. I like to think they protect it as much as they can. But what about the rest of the universe? They don't wanna see if if Raph can't go with them... So, they talk about it. Somehow, they figure out how to put their ✨️Mystic Energy✨️ into things- like putting their life force into something. You'll see why I say that in a moment- but first! I would like to discuss April before continuing. I have my own headcanons (specifically for the purpose of this fic) that I've been playing around with:

Idea One: April, as Ashwii has originally, is an astronaut. But hear me out: She's the one that founded the Garrison. It's her legacy, and her spirit is with anyone there (whether they've left or not). She's the fighting spirit within them all, the very essence of humanity and all that makes them good.

Idea Two: April is an only child (as we've seen in the show), and it's lonely since she doesn't have four mutant brothers to take care of. So, she finds comfort in the universe when she can't find it in people. She openly loves the world- the life and beauty that grows everywhere. She loves nature, she loves the simple things in life, she loves her parents, even those who wronged her- April loves life. I'd imagine she doesn't have many friends, but she's a very loving person, so she finds them in everything else. She talks to the moon like it's an old friend, she openly praises the sheer beauty of metor showers, she thanks the sun and wishes it a good day every day, and when she can... April goes to stargaze to bask in the universe. And when she does, she wishes upon a star. She wishes upon all the stars- as many as she can see. And Leo (I'd love to imagine) can pick up on any wish made to any star.

So, imagine April, wishing to not be lonely. Imagine April, wishing her exams will go well. Imagine April, wishing all the stars a happy night. And then... April, wishing she could explore the universe. Wishing that she was a part of something bigger, wanting to help it live for as long as it can. And, well, you know Leo. He absolutely dazzles when complimented, and he loves helping when he can. He loves April dearly, because with her? He gets to see Donnie chat about the most random things. He gets to see Mikey positively beam when meteors go over the earth (and he knows it's her complimenting them). He gets to see Raph, his dear brother, look forward to warming the earth.

They all collectively agree that April should get the chance to see and protect the universe she loves so dearly: so in comes mother nature. The very essence of life. Any place in the universe that has it, April's there. Everything that is living, she's with them. And this way, she's not lonely anymore. This way, not only will she be able to be with every living thing, but she finally gets to meet her boys.

Now, with all that said, one day in comes Mikey with a bright idea that could let them travel the universe together without explicitly doing so. Mikey supplies the comet , Leo the vast expanse of the universe, Donnie the knowledge of said universe, Raph the sense to love and protect when you dont have to, and April gives it the fighting spirit. The burning determination. Together, they can live.

(Also, I say Mikey supplies the comet because one, Voltron's comet goes through realities, and two, MIKEY CAN LITERALLY RIP OPEN DIMENSIONAL PORTALS WITH HIS BARE HANDS. THE PARALLELS, PEOPLE, THE PARALLELS.)

Now to throw Voltron in here: The comet that has our loved rottmnt characters very essence in it, is the very same one that becomes Voltron. I can just imagine that while the lions are being created, everyone is arguing on color schematics. They can all agree that black can be the "leadership" color, but the rest is chaos. Donnie wants to be purple (you bet he forced the design in the black lion) but ends up being green. Leo is dead set on blue and will bite anyone who says otherwise. Mikey and Raph argue about who gets red, but Raph ultimately gets yellow, Mikey red, and April is just chilling with ALL of them (why do you think the voltron team always calls their lions "she"?) They all collectively have the black lion as a shared consciousness, though. Maybe, depending on the time, Leo or Raph shines with their leadership.

And with that: Voltron begins.

Through Voltron, they share the same experiences the paladins do. The original team on Daibazaal, as well as our loved team.

Ahhh, I could just imagine the voltron team meeting with rottmnt fam via astral projection. You best believe Shiro met them (im not saying why, so I don't spoil the show, but if you know you know).

That about wraps this up. For now, at least. I'm willing to add more later if anything comes to mind ^-^

Ciao for now~

[turtletaytei]

What are some things you like about each of Mikey's relationships with his brothers? (Doesn't have to be ROTTMNT specific.)

This ... this is gonna be a long one so in this literal essay i’m gonna just mindlessly ramble about each dynamic - and then probably talk individually about rise cause of how they shook up the foundations

I ... love how like, no matter the series/iteration, Mikey always has this certain level of trust in his brothers. He trusts them to have his back, and trusts them all as a group to be able to get through things. (Tho whether it’s ... mutually returned kinda depends on the brother, the situation, and the series). But no matter what, Mikey always seems to kinda be that “light in the darkness” situation. Keeps his brothers from falling too far into their angst by dragging them out of it by their mask tails and annoying them until they forget what they were brooding about.

Donnie and Mikey have always been my favorite brother dynamic to latch onto cause they’re kinda two sides of the same coin. Mikey’s chaos, resourcefulness, and crafty nature balances out against Donnie’s usually more controlled, quick-thinking, and logical mindset. They’re opposites but never in a way where it’s like super clashing and instead they have a really interesting back and forth between them (if done right). They’re brothers, but I think they’re the kind of siblings where they’re the closest to being best friends if that makes sense??

Mikey and Raph’s dynamic has always been the most “stereotypical sibling” dynamic - and it can be super entertaining and fun, while on the other hand can be ... tiring. In past iterations (outside of Rise cause it was the first to truly shake up the formula between Raph and Mikey), it was always them being the shit-stirrers but in different ways. Raph got into fights, Mikey got under people’s skin. Normally he eggs on Raph’s nerves intentionally and Raph would retaliate with the stereotypical brother roughhousing and insults. But they obviously care about each other and genuinely have some of the most interesting moments together in 2003 imo.

Mikey and Leo are a ... little harder, cause honestly, Leo’s been a character that just kinda slip under my radar in all other iterations other than Rise. So it’s hard for me to directly call up the core of their dynamic outside of “responsible leader older brother and the younger brother that tries to get him to loosen up”. But he’s always seemed to have the most patience with Mikey’s antics in other series, and Mikey has always seemed to be pretty perceptive when it comes to Leo? Know when he needs to lighten the mood for him, or to back off. But like i said, their dynamic has always been a bit harder for me to narrow down on cause it’s raaaarely explored beyond “i’m the older brother so i’m mildly annoyed by the antics of my youngest brother, but i love him anyway”.

Rise on the other hand shook up the dynamics in Mikey’s relationships because while they kept Mikey’s core character, they changed how his brothers interact with it. They also took away his more “i’m going to pester you cause i’m the FUNNY YOUNGER BROTHER”, so that changed a LOT.

Leo and Mikey are the younger brothers in Rise and they seem to honestly spend a ton of time together - usually scene skateboarding together the most out of the brothers. They’ve also added the competitive nature between them, and Mikey occasionally trying to one-up Leo. The Gumbus episode is honestly one of my favorites - and it’s because we got to see a side of their dynamic explored. Mikey’s fear of the supernatural, and Leo’s stubbornness about being right - and how they mesh in that situation together. (I’m also ALWAYS happy to get Protective Big Bro Leo moments with him dragging Mikey out of danger when he freezes up, and holding on him when he goes into his shell. mA fackin HART YALL)

Raph and Mikey’s dynamic also got a really big change and it’s personally for the better for me. I always underSTOOD their past dynamic, but that didn’t mean that i was always ... okay with it. Raph being overall more openly loving on his family, being the protective older brother and trying to corral his heathens of little siblings is a really refreshing change. And having that dynamic of him being a protective older brother, and Mikey being a 13 year old boy that’s probably been pretty babied his whole life trying to gain some independence, makes for an interesting shake up. Mikey’s constantly pushing at Raph’s authority, while also trusting in raph a TON. And I agree with some people that say that, to a degree, Raph is a really powerful source of security for Mikey. Mikey probably wouldn’t even think about it, or really think to notice, but Raph makes him feel safe and like they can get through whatever.

And as for Mikey and Donnie - their dynamic has only slightly shifted despite the change to their characters. I still see them as kinda two side of that same coin still - best bros and best buds. They’re the two creatives of the family - Mikey with his art and Donnie with his creations, and I think that puts them on a similar wavelength together. And just like with the other older bros, Mikey has an ABSURD amount of trust in Donnie. All I can think about is that scene in Bug Busters when Mikey willingly free fell to the city down below so Donnie could take the shot at Big Mama. And just like in the past series, Donnie and Mikey are often paired off together in situations - but it now feels really natural to their characters. They definitely get on each others nerves, and certain aspects of their personalities clash. But I think Mikey is the one that Donnie gets along with the easiest in most cases. Also Donnie accepts affection the most from Mikey - outside of those group family hugs. Little Sibling Rights���️

and i could go on forever about them tbh cause this is just what i think about in free time, but thanks for asking yo!

[all-things-tmnt]

Thoughts on “The Tale of Tiger Claw”:

He’s been one of our fiercest enemies since season two, and after so many intense battles, it’s time to finally learn a little bit more about Tiger Claw. When a new and dangerous fox assassin arrives in town with a vendetta against TC, the turtles and their friends set out to uncover just who Tiger Claw is and where he came from. Throw in an ancient curse and an unlikely ally, and we’ve got us one crazy adventure. There’s a lot to look into, so let’s get started. 

Warning: this review contains some pretty SHARP spoilers (like possibly that one), so if you’re not sure if you’re UP TO THE CUT, don’t keep reading.  If you’re ready for a fast-paced fight, watch the episode by clicking here!

Alopex, Alopex, Alopex, ALOPEX.........

Interesting things:      - Tiger Claw’s room is pretty sweet. And I’m pretty sure he’s using a brick to sharpen his sword. (I know it’s not a brick, but at first glance, that definitely looked like a brick. Hahaaa.)     - Umm...I think it’s canon that Tiger Claw gets high.     - But on a serious note, this scene with the hologram is pretty interesting and I saw we look at it later on.      - “I asked to see Xever and Bradford.” Translation: we haven’t done anything notable in the plot in a while so the writers put us in this episode and Xever and Bradford weren’t in the budget. Lol let’s have fun.     - HIS NAME IS NOW KITTY CAT MAN. DON’T EVER SAY TIGER CLAW TO ME AGAIN. IT’S ONLY KITTY CAT MAN.     - Um.......I think it’s canon that Splinter just got drunk to train with his sons and their friends.       - The fact that Leo just thought that openly running, yelling and trying to stab his dad would work is mind blowing.      - The fact that Splinter spits on Leo is also mind blowing, but in a disgusting way.      - I mean, all things considered, this training scene is hilarious and the boys can’t even beat their dad when he’s wasted. But at the same time, I’m sitting here wondering what in the hell I just watched.      - “Leonardo and Michelangelo have the strongest ability to sharpen their intuition.” I’ve been waiting for this to be openly stated for so long now and I’m just crying because someone finally said it.      - I’m literally just as offended as Casey is, TBH. How do we go from having Casey do great things in one episode to him sucking again in the next one?      - Apritello Shippers – 1; Capril Shippers – 0.     - Apparently Karai and the Mighty Mutanimals are a thing now? Okay?     - “Karai’s not a kid anymore; she wants her independence. I get that.” I wonder what Leo meant by, I get that, because it can mean a lot of things. Like, does he understand her side because he gets what she’s saying or does he himself want independence as well? Either way, nice subtle way to remind us she has reasons for not staying with the boys, EVEN THOUGH SHE SHOULD BE.      - THAT OLD LADY HOLDING ON TO THE LAMP POST FOR DEAR LIFE. BAHAHAHAAAA.      - Super appreciation bullet for Casey still having his race car he made way back at the farm house because they took it with them when they left and I just appreciate that little bit of continuity so much more than I could ever tell you guys.      - I would sell my soul to hear Bebop’s mixtape and for Rocksteady to keep beatboxing.      - “Drop the blades, sweetheart.” Oh, Raphael...wait, how did you know she was a girl?     - Welcome to 2012, Alopex! (I’m sure glad that I have in fact been saying your name correctly all these years!)     - I don’t know you or know anything about you or why you’re here to stop me but let me monologue and tell you all about these two blades. (Kudos for the violent back story, though.)     - ALOPEX JUST STOLE CASEY’S...SHE TOOK HIS...WHICH MEANS SHE GRABBED......ON THE.................OH MY GOD.      - No, Raph, Casey doesn’t need you to help as he gets beaten up.      - That extremely convenient moment when you run into the guy you were going to hunt down right after stealing the weapons you were going to hunt him with!      - Did not notice she was wearing the tail. 10/10, would recommend.      - That fox fast tho.      - Casey actually thanking Raph for saving him instead of making some dumb or stuck up quip. 10/10, would recommend.      - Look, there’s Chompy! Remember him, from last episode?! Remember how he’s important?! Yay Chompy! ........     - I like that little nod they just gave the IDW Raph and Alopex with that line. Hahaaa.     - That awkward moment when there’s Timothy...just waiting for some resolution......     - That poster did not burn...at all. Nor did Casey’s shirt.      - That awkward moment when we have to remember Karai and Casey kissed.      - Does anyone else find it hilarious that the bad guys follow traffic laws?      - Kitty Cat Man and Alopex’s backstory had me hooked until the part when they went from the circus to being total badass assassins happened. then I burst into laughter, because that shot of them in suits was just too much.      - Wait...so if Alopex only took Tiger Claw’s tail...who took his eye?     - Leo is apparently the only one who buckles up in the Shellraiser.     - ......That’s why it’s important to buckle up.     - This Mikey saying they’re okay thing kinda bothered me and I’ll give it a break down later.      - Now how on earth did they know she’d run down there to meet them? This plot is full of conveniences.      - Casey having to dodge death continuously is hilarious.      - Nice guys finish last, Leonardo.      - “The only way to lift the curse is to use them against me.....OR THIS SUPER SECRET OTHER OPTION THAT LEAVES NEITHER OF US CURSED! LOL GREAT RIGHT?!”      - GUYS WE HAVE TO HURRY!!!!!! As they all slowly walk. Bahahahaaa.     - A part of me will always wonder what Tiger Claw would have said to his sister had she let him speak to her...but there’s not enough time in the episode left so we gotta fight it out.      - Omg. There’s more to their backstory. OMGGGGG.     - “Back off, Tony!” DEAD.     - This entire fight sequence is really cool and I loved every moment of it, but the absolute best part throughout the whole thing is Raph just screaming and carrying Bebop while he runs. I was choking I laughed so hard.      - Everybody working hard to keep Casey from dying is so great. Hahaaa. Team work makes the dream work. And keeps the crazy kid alive.      - Love the camera angles when Alopex grabs the ice bullet. Seriously cool.      - OH SNAP. OHHHHHH SNAPPPPPPPPP. OH SNAP CRACKLE POP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!     - I LOVE HOW IT JUST ENDS WITH THEM CASUALLY WALKING AWAY AFTER TIGER CLAW GOT HIS ARM HACKED OFF AND ALOPEX JUST GOING  I tried to come up with a pun on how Tiger Claw’s arm got chopped off and tie that in with the break downs, but I couldn’t think of anything so...here’s some break downs.  If you are unfamiliar with Alopex, let me take a second to give those of you a super quick background. Alopex is a fox mutant originally from the IDW series. In the IDW comics, she’s originally a part of the Foot Clan before she changes sides to fight with the turtles, and that’s leaving out so much amazing detail. Needless to say, she has a hugely different backstory/character in the IDW comics, but let’s just say she’s absolutely badass, and if you needed any reason to read the already phenomenal TMNT IDW comics, let Alopex be your reason.(Seriously, she’s one of my favorite characters in IDW.) Right off the bat, we have an interesting scene with Tiger Claw. He’s using a mouser to project an image of Shredder, and he’s interacting with it as if it’s real, which he clearly knows it isn’t (and he’s sniffing catnip which is a whole other topic to touch on, but one I don’t want to get into too much yet until we know more about that). But he’s talking to this Shredder and trying to reason with him. It begs the question, is he practicing to speak to the real Shredder? We’ve seen Tiger Claw throughout the series question some of Shredder’s choices, and he’s openly questioned some of them with little success. Ever since Shredder’s mutation, TC has been very against almost every choice he’s made, and Shredder has never listened to his concerns. So now, we have Shredder pushing himself to dangerous points with this mutation, and Tiger Claw is more concerned than he’s ever been. Knowing Shredder won’t listen, he’s trying to figure out the wording that will bring him success in this endeavor, because it’s so important to him. Say what you will about Tiger Claw, but if he’s anything at all, it’s definitely loyal. Shoutout to Master Splinter for FINALLY pointing out that Leo and Mikey have the most potential of the four, but most notably, MIKEY! We’ve always known that Mikey can be so great, but we get such few glances of his real skills that it’s so easy to forget that fact. On those all too few occasions that we do get to see Mikey be the best (like no one ever was), we can see the truth behind that statement. But I emphasize the “all too few” part of that fact. So for the writers to openly acknowledge that fact for us is like a breath of fresh air. I can’t wait to see Mikey have more great moments.  I think I’m going to start a petition to get Casey the respect he deserves. Honestly, last week, when I finally got to do a break down about Casey doing some things right, I was ecstatic. Now here I am having to complain about him again. He’s shoved aside and made off to be the character that screws everything up. I mean, the line when Splinter basically says Casey has no intuition whatsoever? I was lowkey offended. Casey has done some awesome things in this series so far, and he definitely has skills as a fighter. So to say he’s void of intuition is pretty hard to take with a grain of salt. Writers, PLEASE give Casey some love. I really want to like this version of him, and you guys are making it so hard.  Remember the good old days in season one, where our existence was supposed to be a super secret and it was absolute law that no human could see us? Remember how much fun and more suspenseful and more overall ninja-y that made the show? Remember how three season later, they have no qualms about showing themselves to humans? Does that bother anyone else or is that just me? Because seriously, I get that the people of New York are aware of mutants and all of those things now, but I wish the boys were a bit more concerned with keeping their existence a secret like they used to be. Mikey just openly greeting the truck driver dude kinda killed me.  I wish I had a better sense of who Alopex is, but we’ve seen very little of her. She clearly values honor and wants to distance herself from a life of doing bad things, but she’s also incredibly loyal to her family. Her and Tiger Claw’s past still have a lot of mystery to it, and I hope we’ll get to see more of it. Alopex has a lot of potential to be a great ally to the turtles. So far, I like her. Let me see her again, though.  Lastly, Kitty Cat Man seems to have lost something... Seriously, I’m pretty impressed they went through with the violent action of severing his arm straight off. Of course we don’t see blood, but you can see the inside of his arm in one shot, which was nuts. I mean, seriously...2012 has turned it up. I haven’t kept it a secret that season four has failed to impress me on a lot of levels, but they’ve definitely hit their stride with getting darker and doing more violent things, which is how this show has always needed to be. There is a saying that if you live by the sword, you die by the sword, and it’s nice to finally see these consequences playing out. Plus, it’s definitely going to be interesting to see how Kitty Cat Man recovers from this. How will he go on fighting? Will he get a replacement arm? I can’t wait to look more into this.  So let’s end this with some final thoughts. I enjoyed this episode overall. It wasn’t my favorite by any means, but I liked it a whole lot more than last week’s. I’ve been waiting to hear Tiger Claw’s backstory since he was introduced, and it’s so much more complex than I imagined it would be...and there’s still parts we don’t know! What happened to and and Alopex’s parents? So much mystery...but this episode does something great; it makes us excited about one of our major villains all over again. Tiger Claw had kind of faded into the background for me, but I’m pumped about him all over again. There are a few things this plot falls short on, and definitely a few weird moments, like Splinter drinking and Tiger Claw...getting high. Casey’s role was a bit of a let down for me. I wish we had more time to get to know Alopex. All in all, this episode is REALLY fast-paced, and it doesn’t leave a lot of time to absorb everything we see happen. Here’s to hoping we’ll get to know our fox mutant friend more in the future! Her character has potential.And let’s acknowledge that 2012 has gotten so bold as to cut off Tiger Claw’s arm. What does that means for his future role in the series? So much to think about! But for now, let’s close out this episode with a solid 7/10.  And now, we’ve come to the the end of a season...there are only two episodes left, and with titles like ˆRequiem” (which means a celebration for the dead and/or an act of remembrance) and “Owari” (which literally means the end), I have a feeling 2012 is about to close out this season with a lot of pain and loss, and hopefully some resolution. It’s time to take the Super Shredder down once and for all, and we’ve got to go all out. We’ve got a few days before all things come to an end for season four, so let’s discuss this last regular episode while we’re all still emotionally alive. What did you guys think of Alopex? How did you feel about the episode overall? Any theories? Let me know  here. Previous review for Tokka VS the World here. All season four reviews here. All episode reviews index here. Podcast review here.