#also some Draxum backstory

[cupcakeslushie]

So what did you think of the Frida face reveal in the comics? (tbh I kind of like your take on big mama's assistant more, but I also like the idea of the guy's having a sister that's named after an actual artist instead of a painting)

To be honest I couldn’t be more excited (with “Frida’s” face reveal and with the brother/sister drop)!

Like I don’t need canon to follow my AU, but there is something very cool about her head design matching Mikey’s head design shape, and making the fandom see that and go “her and Mikey could be twins!” Just like my Venus and Mikey! It’s fun 😊

And the brother/sister reveal has actually solved a big problem that I’ve been struggling with since we’ve all been working under the assumption that it was two sisters in those pods (Venus and Jennika).

Spoilers for future EW plots featuring Jennika, Venus, and the mentioned brother.

I love Jennika, and her story of being a human, mutated into a turtle is a huge part of her lore that I think is super cool. But if the Rise creators wanted her to be one of those two turtles we see in the pods, created by Draxum—that would change a huge part of her lore. So getting her EW backstory down has been a lot of self-debate on what I wanted to do—follow Rise “canon” that we’ve become familiar with, or completely ignore it, or a come up with some way to do a bit of both! But now, with Splinter dropping this news, I can keep one of the biggest things I love about Jennika, which is “found family/adoptive sister”. She doesn’t have to be one of those extra turtles anymore! She can be a whole other plotline!

And as for the brother, I know exactly who I want to choose 😉 (🖤🐢)!

With Venus/Frida, I always planned on her having a mystical healing transformation, just like her idw comic counterpart. The stitched mask/and Draxum’s mismatched, clone replacement parts will be burned away. So the flame motif is perfect (tho, instead of orange like in the anniversary comic, my Venus’ flame markings are going to be white, like idw Venus). Since birth, EW Venus has had no say in her own body, and so, getting rid of those foreign pieces will be a huge part of Venus accepting herself as she is. Even if she loses the sewn on limbs, from that point on she will now control what her body looks like, if she lets Donnie make her more prosthetic limbs or not, that will be her choice, not Draxum’s, or Big Mama’s.

[time-woods]

Thinkin bout how we never got a draxum backstory ep-hes a warrior so chances are hes fought in at least one war right? Also considering his long life span hes def seen some shit, bc we never got draxs backstory Im making my own (with more reasoning why he hates humans sm)- draxum had to have had a family right? Where are they now? What happened to them? when he was young some yokai were actually able to live on the surface(secluded and far away but still) he lived in a small yokai town/village- humans having the belief that yokai were dangerous and should be driven away, they attacked his town,(this wouldnt b at NY somewhere more rural btw) this left a sour impression on drax, growing up he had the intent to protect the yokai race by any means,- His intent was good but his methods warped over time, by war after war, yokai against yokai(this type of war definitely happened, like rebellions n such) seeing the worst in others made him leap to the harshest of methods to protect others.Aka leading to him being a alchemist etc

(rough idea ^^ taken from my twt- some other ideas bellow))

draxs mom was a warrior- protecting the yokai, but to take care of her kids and her village she decided to devote her time to that, she cares for her family and her community and will stop at nothing to protect them(dont look 2 deep into that- dw)

Random ass hc but drax keeps his hair long because when he was a kid in his family having long hair was a sign of strength, his mom was one of his biggest (and only role models) but he always looked up to her. So he keeps his hair long in her honor.

mama drax would definitely hum/sing as she would brush draxs hair, that or tell interesting stories about her time as a warrior (she embellishes to make them either sound more cool or to make them a bit more kid friendly))

Just thought abt somethin else about the hair thing-as kid drax is running from his village last thing he sees is his mom get captured by yokai hunters, yokai hunters knowing  these warriors- they cut her hair, washing away the last bit of pride she had, failing her sworn mission -to have the strength needed to protect her people and family, at least she saved a few, right? This is another reason why drax keeps his hair long, to remember her strength even though it was taken from her,

anyways,, i think thats all i got 4 nows, beware more angst soon (possibly))

[dodgeballstuckonthegymceiling]

May you do some rottmnt boys headcannons for how they would react if Draxum tells them that they were y/n pet turtle before he stole and mutated them

It feels weird to write this with a romantic relationship so Im going to make this plutonic.

Raph Leo Donnie and Mikey finding out there are the readers old pet.

🐢 Anime boy backstory 🐢

Before Draxum started the mutation process, before he got ahold of Splinter, he needed some actual test subjects. You where an average New Yorker, you went to school and had a part time job and even had some unique pets that you where very attached to.

A alligator snapping turtle, a softshell, a red eared slider and a little box turtle. Draxum took interest in you because of your pets. Huginn and Muninn where sent out to find the perfect animals to mutate, that's when you where targeted by him.

On your way home from a trip to the vet to check up on your little guys health you got jumped. There was no possible way to get out but you where not about to leave your pets. You tried to run but after being picked up by Draxum's vines you got thrown against a wall, passing out. When you woke up your beloved pets where gone.

Raphael

★ He was the one who tracked you down after Draxum told him he once was someone's pet. It was kinda awkward expanding everything to you but after introducing himself you immediately pulled him in for a hug.

★ He kinda gets protective of you. But not from other people! Just in general, you took care of him when he was small. It's only fair that he does the same for you.

★ You and Raph end up being the responsible ones in there little family. The difference between getting in trouble with You instead of Raph is that you always lecture them for at least an hour. Also you get to say stuff like "I raised you better than this."

★ You get invited to every family movie night and everyone fights over who gets to sit next to you because you always cuddle with the closest person. turtle?

Leonardo

★ The reaction he had was similar to the one in in the gif above ⬆️. Yes, he was a plane old turtle once but it took him by surprise when it came out that he was a pet.

★ He's a total lap dog towards you, and only you. There's no getting out of it. He'd walk up to you and plop himself down on your lap and look up. You always give in and give him shell stitches. It's not weird if it's from you, okay!

★ His brothers collectively agree that you are now basically his babysitter. He gets into a fair amount of trouble, imagen Raphael saying "if you don't stop I'm telling y/n!" Or being the one who now yells at him after making bad discussions instead of raph.

Donatello

★ Blank face before quietly saying "What?" He knew that he was just a regular softshell but surprisingly he never thought about where he came from before getting mutated.

★ He gives you random tests on your knowledge of softshell turtles. Like you could be folding laundry and he'd just say "what is the proper temperature for a softshell turtle enclosure?" He does this to try and figure out if you where a good pet owner. He's come to the conclusion that you where a pretty good pet owner.

★ He wonders about what could've happened if Draxum never stole him and his brothers from you. Things could've turned out way differently, the thought comes back to him every once I awhile.

★ You know things about him that nobody else knows, like where he likes to be pet on his shell. But he refused to believe you without any proof. He is only slightly embarrassed when you demonstrate for him.

Michelangelo

★ *New parent acquired* He got really excited and asked a ton of questions. Did you get him from a pet store? How much did he cost? Do you still have his old habit??? He needs to know theses things!

★ If you have any photos of him and is brothers as regular turtles he's going to ask for copy's. Don't tell anyone but he's working on a family album in his free time.

★ You are now his older sister figure, no you aren't getting out of it. He comes to you when he needs help or has a problem with something or someone. He says that he inherited your kindness even though it doesn't work that way.

★He lowkey love's it when you pamper him like he is still your pet turtle. Doesn't matter if he's a big guy now! He wants chin scratches and lap pillows. Also he makes Draxum apologize for what he did to you.

[kittynumyum]

So I don't really make a lot of posts for my tmnt iteration where it's just only text, since I mostly prefer to show my iteration through my drawings. But, I figured I might as well do this so you guys get to know a bit about the main characters that are going to be part of my story, so here we go!

Character Summary List:

The Boiz:

Leonardo: Leader in Blue. Centered arc is the first arc.

Raphael: Big and red and always ready for a fight. Centered arc is Yokai Uprising Arc

Michaelangelo: Orange and one of a kind. Centered arc is City at War Arc

Donatello: Purple and rocks machines. Centered arc is Galactic Frontier Arc

Other Main Characters:

Splinter: The turtles' rat sensei/father. Is Hamato Yoshi and has a tragic family backstory.

April O'Neil: The turtles' first best friend since they were kids. Currently a college student. Is besties with Donnie.

Casey Jones: The turtles' second best friend (Raph meets them first when they were younger, then the others during the present). Hockey player and vigilante. Has a dorky crush on April. Is besties with Raph.

Keno: The turtles' third best friend. High school student who works part time at his family owned pizza place and is badass at martial arts. Is besties with Mikey.

Metalhead: A turtle robot created by Donnie to assist the turtles through medical needs. Eventually, with Donnie's programming, they gain some sentient and becomes more willing to help out the team in any way they can.

The Mighty Mutanimals:

Old Hob: A mutant cat from TCRI, who originally started the gang. Once had a thing against humans due to being experimented on by them, but now wants to help protect the city and his friends.

Slash: A giant mutant spiked sea turtle from TCRI, who was overmutated from an ooze explosion. He started as a frenzied monster, but is soon healed by Dr. Rockwell. He leads the Mighty Mutanimals.

Leatherhead: A mutant alligator from TCRI

Mondo Gecko: A mutant gecko from TCRI

Dr. Rockwell: A mutant monkey. Was originally a human scientist who worked alongside Stockman at TCRI, but experiments went wrong in where he got turned into a monkey, (but he seems unphased with that situation ig lmao)

(And in short, they are all very close friends with Mikey)

Foot Clan:

Shredder: Leader of the Foot. Is responsible for the death of Yoshi's family. Main antagonist of the first arc.

Karai: Shredder's adoptive daughter. One of the members of the Foot Elite (Is viewed as the weakest Foot Elite, even Shredder views this). Is frenemies with Leo.

Tatsu (AKA: Tiger Claw): A mutant tiger who was originally human. Leader of the Foot Elite and is second-in-command of the Foot

Chris Bradford (AKA: Rahzar): A mutant wolf who was originally human. Member of the Foot Elite and is in charge of taking care of the new and upcoming recruits. He also becomes a better father figure for Karai.

Bebop: A mutant warthog who was originally human. Besties with Rocksteady.

Rocksteady: A mutant rhino who was originally human. Besties with Bebop.

Jennika: A mutant turtle who was originally human. She was the youngest member of the Foot Elite (is actually better than Karai).

Outer Space:

Fugitoid: A robot who was once a scientist but got his mind transfered to a robot. Is the one who originally formed the rebellion against the Triceraton Empire.

Mona Lisa: An alien salamander who is a gladiator fighter in the Triceraton Arena. She helps Donnie with his survival and skills in fighting in the arena.

Tokka: An alien turtle who decides to tag along the turtles' adventure.

Traximus: A triceraton guard who is secretly working with Fugitoid in the fight against the Triceraton Empire. He helps Donnie in finding a way to escape, as well as a way to take down the Triceratons' planet buster weapon that they have abused its power with.

Emperor Zanramon: Leader of the Triceraton Empire. Main antagonist of Galactic Frontier Arc.

Captain Mozar: Second-in-command of the Triceraton Empire.

Hidden City:

Baron Draxum: A goat yokai who is the leader of the Hidden City. Main antagonist of the Yokai Uprising Arc.

Huginn and Muninn: Baron Draxum's loyal pets.

Koya: A falcon yokai who is the general of the yokai army.

Miyamoto Usagi: A rabbit yokai who was formerly a warrior for Baron Draxum. He then helps the turtles in taking down Baron Draxum.

Alopex: A fox yokai who is the leader of the yokai rebellion.

Venus: A mutant turtle. Was created by Baron Draxum as a weapon against the turtles.

The Pantheon:

Kitsune: A fox yokai who is the eldest of the Pantheon. She is known for her variety of mystic powers and tricks. She is first seen in the Shredder Arc, where she is Shredder's right hand other than Tatsu. She is then seen again in the Yokai Uprising Arc, where she is Draxum's right hand.

Tengu: An eagle yokai who is the second eldest of the Pantheon. He is known for his mystic powers in weather-like abilities (thunder, earthquakes, etc.). He takes his duties more seriously.

Bakeneko: A cat yokai who is the youngest of the Pantheon. They are known for shapeshifting and playing with fire. They are very mischievous.

Nure-onna: A snake yokai who is the second youngest of the Pantheon. She is known for her deadly poison and cataclysmic powers yes this is based off of Cat Noir, shut up. She is very scary.

Sarugami: A monkey yokai who is the middle sibling of the Pantheon. He is known for his immense strength. He does not speak at all.

Ryujin: An all powerful and evil dragon who was banished to the Twilight Realm. He wishes to destroy the entire world and recreate it in his own image. Main antagonist of Dawn of the Pantheon Arc

Other Villains:

Krang: A powerful alien race who was banished to Dimension X. They wish to conquer the entire universe and remake it in their image. Main antagonist of Zero Hour Arc.

Baxter Stockman: A mad scientist who works at the TCRI.

Bishop: A special agent of the US government and head of the EPF. Main antagonist of City at War Arc.

Hun: A crime boss who is the leader of the Purple Dragons.

Rat King: A mad man who can not only control the rats, BUT ALSO MUTANTS! Main antagonist of Mutant Madness Arc.

[dandylovesturtles]

100 Feet and A World Away Lore Post

I said before if I won the first round of the TMNT AU Competition I'd put up a lore post of my separated (kinda) AU called "100 Feet and A World Away," which is really more of a reward for myself because now I get to ramble about my babies.

This is an AU I've been building in my head for some time and do eventually want to write a fic about. When? I do not know I have soooo many things I'm in the middle of right now but! hopefully! eventually!

So for now here's just some lore because I can't contain myself, I have to talk about this eventually haha. Like releasing a pressure valve.

without further ado

100 Feet and A World Away (a separated (kinda) AU) (aka the Shape of Water AU)

cw: dehumanization, child abuse (not by a parental figure), brief dismemberment (caused by Donnie, not TO him)

Backstory

quick note: in this AU the age gap between April and the boys is bigger than in canon because it just made things logistically easier; April is 20 and the boys are their S1 ages (15/14/13)

everything up through Lou Jitsu escaping with the boys from Draxum's lab happens as in canon

a few years later (when the boys are about 5/4/3), Splinter goes out to get supplies, leaving the boys in what he thinks (hopes) is a safe place (he doesn't have a lot of choices). He comes back to find the boys have disappeared.

he won't know what happened to them for 10 years

they were spotted by a human sanitation worker, who called animal control, who were like "what the hell is this" and got a Shady Military-affiliated Corporation involved. The boys are taken to a lab to be studied and, once their sturdiness and combat potential are observed, trained to be used for combat by the US Military.

the boys didn't go quietly, at least not Raph and Donnie, who viciously bit and tried to run; they were shocked and sedated. Leo, who had Mikey, saw this and decided to comply because he didn't want them to hurt his little brother. Mikey was too young to understand what was happening so his reaction was mostly just to cry.

Splinter had told the boys never to talk to humans, and the boys take this to heart, hushing up and never speaking to the humans even once they're taken to the lab. As a result, the humans know they have large brains but still assume they only have the intelligence of an ape at best. They treat them like animals, really the comparison I keep thinking of is the raptors in Jurassic World lol: something scary but with the hopes that they will eventually act like attack dogs.

to be clear revealing they could talk wouldn't have helped them much so it's for the best

the boys are given serial numbers when they arrive at the lab but the scientists call them by numbers as a shorthand based on the order they were processed in:

Mikey is Turtle 1

Leo is Turtle 2

Raph is Turtle 3

Donnie is Turtle 4

because Raph and Donnie acted aggressively, the scientists were afraid they would attack each other as well as Leo and Mikey, so they decided to isolate the two of them. On the flip side, because Leo and Mikey were more docile and Leo kept holding onto Mikey, they decided to keep the two of them together. An experiment in isolation vs socialization

as a result, the boys have not seen each other for the last decade, with the exception of two Incidents that I won't be detailing in this post (gotta keep a few secrets lol)

the boys are put through harsh training in an attempt to "tame" them and train them to attack/kill soldiers as ordered. they're also run through tests to determine things like their mental capacity and problem solving skills. there's no like medical testing/experimentation on them in this AU though it's mostly like if they do bad they get shocked and also the scientists/trainers don't really have compunctions against hitting them or muzzling them.

when not in training they live in their own zoo-like enclosures inside sterile rooms, much like the one in Shape of Water which is part of why the AU is the Shape of Water AU lol

MEANWHILE

April is an aspiring investigative journalist who just saw her first success uncovering some shady dealings in a supposedly non-profit organization

she receives a tip about something strange happening in an otherwise normal lab and testing facility just outside NYC's city limits

she's expecting to find illegal animal testing or bioweapons research

instead she finds Turtle Four

Donnie

has been isolated this whole time and as a result is more than a little feral, but not so much that he can't talk. he just has absolutely no sense of social etiquette (my inspiration is the bit in Rat Flu where he says "Make him say yessssah" and HEY BOY IT'S ME THE PS5-)

also he's still autistic but he hasn't learned to mask at all so he acts in a way the humans find weird and unsettling

thinks the humans around him are all idiots and he's so much smarter and better than them. basically his canon superiority complex has ratcheted up to 100 because he has no respect for these guys at all

makes regular escape attempts so lab security just keeps adding more and more obstacles (like an electric fence around his enclosure and steel doors to the room)

probably could have escaped by now but he always doubles back for his brothers and that's how he always gets caught by The Hunter

not as good with tech as his canon counterpart but only because he hasn't been allowed to read or study anything while he's been stuck here, so he only knows as much as he's pieced together messing with things in his enclosure and observing the humans. he's learned a LOT even this way (which is why he knows he's a genius!) but his thirst for knowledge is immense and he wants to get out so he can read books! break things and put them back together! use the internet!

has built up an entire imagined scenario of how things will be once he finally does break himself and his brothers out of there and I'm sure that everything will go exactly how he's expecting and there will be no hiccups at all :)

no longer has any attachment to the name Donatello and thinks of himself as Turtle Four, though he does remember being called Purple too

thinks their dad has abandoned them and doesn't really have any hope that he's looking for them

has a lot of scars on his body from his many many escape attempts and punishments, but most noticeably a scar along his jaw on the left side of his face

Leo

has been with Mikey this whole time so is still much more socialized, lucid, and "human" acting compared to Donnie

has poured all his energy since coming here into being Mikey's Big Brother and making sure things are safe and comfortable for him, being upbeat and positive for his sake, trying to make him laugh and keep him happy to the best of his ability, and generally just doing his normal canon thing but pushed to 11

this façade is the only thing keeping him going and god help him if it cracks

the scientists realized early on that it's easier to get Leo to comply if they threaten/hurt Mikey so Leo is scared of going out of line and just a big ball of guilt 24/7

due to An Incident he has a scar on the right side of his face that matches Donnie, and he doesn't particularly trust Donnie as a result. wishes he would stop his escape attempts because it makes the scientists cranky and they take it out on him and Mikey

still insists their dad is coming for them, if only to keep Mikey's hopes alive

inwardly pretty sure they're going to die here

is the only one who has seen Raph since their initial separation and refuses to talk about it

I'll Keep These Feelings Inside And Then I'll Die

still fully associates with the name Leo

Mikey

fully aware that Leo's putting on act for his sake, but if being a Big Brother is what he needs to keep going then he'll be the Little Brother he needs

knows it's unhealthy but what are they supposed to do?

feels guilt for being used as leverage against Leo

fascinated by humans even though he knows they hurt him regularly

once he saw a scientist doodling and his mind expanded by 1000%. the scientist drew him eventually and he's wanted so bad to do art ever since

the previous bullet point sounds like it's leading to a wholesome interaction but it is not, I'm sorry I mislead you

not as sure that their dad will save them as he lets Leo think he is; he has faith that their dad loves them and is still looking for them but also thinks Donnie is right that they should be helping themselves so they can get back to him

generally has more faith in their brothers than Leo does

can destroy you but chooses not to

still fully associates with the name Mikey

Raph

has gone full savage; it's a defense mechanism

his memories are still there, but they're so deep in his mind he currently only accesses them as vague feelings and sensations

still knows his family by scent, if not by sight

gentle giant when he's surrounded by Familiar Smells, very very aggressive when surrounded by Unfamiliar Smells

he's so dangerous the scientists don't interact with him much, which doesn't help the situation

thinks of himself as "it," when he thinks of himself at all

uncovering the real Raph would take a safe place and time and patience and he isn't getting any of that here!

April

was just trying to live her life man

dating Sunita but presently bummed that Sunita has rejected her suggestion that they move in together (it's because Sunita hasn't broken the whole "I'm actually a slime monster" news to her yet and isn't sure how, but April doesn't know that so she just thinks Sunita isn't as serious as she is)

when she meets Donnie he scares the absolute shit out of her at first

her first instinct is to get away from this whole mess ASAP, but then she realizes Donnie is just a kid and she can't just leave him in there

then he reveals he has 3 brothers and no he is NOT leaving without them

what has she gotten herself into...

is undoubtedly and irrevocably Big Sis April by the end

Splinter

never once stopped looking

finally found a lead that seemed legit but would need a human to help him get inside

found out about a young intrepid reporter looking for tips........

and that's all I'll say now ;)

The Hunter

basically the evil Robert Muldoon (from Jurassic Park)

I haven't named him yet sorry

his job is to catch the turtles if they escape, and he also participates in their training

fully aware that the turtles are more intelligent than they let on, thinks this just makes them more exciting to hunt

Donnie is basically his archnemesis (having a 14-year-old archnemesis is kind of cringe though bro)

will hurt them and doesn't feel bad about it

is missing a finger thanks to Donnie (I did say this was a Shape of Water inspired AU lol)

This was probably a little thin in places so if you are interested and have questions ask me! Wheeeeeeee~

[we-are-not-your-kind]

Hello Rise fandom - I present my version of Venus!! For the past few weeks I've been absolutely obsessed with the lost sisters, so I finally decided to make my own versions of them. Decided to start with Big Mama's Assistant and I'll get around to the other lost sister in a few weeks 🐢 👀

I based Venus largely off her NM and IDW looks with a bit of Jennika thrown in for fun. Tried to stick as close to her canon look as Big Mama's Assistant as possible while giving my own spin to her. This is how imagine her to look once reunited with her family! Feel free to click see more if you'd like just a lil more info on her, or check out my fic where I'm writing my own missing sisters arc we were robbed of where Venus and the other sister will appear 🐢💕💕

So here's a lil more info on Venus...

Venus is ofc the sister raised by Big Mama who became her Assistant. The night of the mutation, Venus got caught up in an explosion in Draxum's lab which led to her getting injured. When Big Mama finds her, she gets the little turtle help but Venus nonetheless becomes a double amputee. And Big Mama is still a little sentimental about Lou - she thinks about how much he loved art because of his mother, and sees the turtle as her own little treasure and so names her after the Venus de Milo. There's much more to her backstory than that but - spoilers! You'll have to check out my fic for more (and I've already spoiled more here than I've revealed on AO3 oops lol). But here's a few more facts about her!

I've decided that the Disaster Twins are actually a trio - surprise! Leo, Donnie, and Venus are the Disaster Triplets because I just find it adorable and she just gives me such middle child energy tbh.

Venus' ninpo is very much tied to her amputation and weapons. She can manifest constructs of her arms, similar to Raph being able to copy himself. But she can also teleport those constructs around and use copies of her kaiken as well, kinda like Leo and his swords. As you can see on her character sheet, her ninpo manifests as flower petals! This is because I really wanted her to take after her grandmother aka Splinter's mom, Atsuko - thus the petals, and also where I got the shape of her eyes.

Also her favorite parent is absolutely Draxum and yes it drives Splinter up a wall, in particular because of how much Venus reminds him of his mother.

I've got so many more notes than just this but I really wanted to share my girl - give her some love if you want and feel free to check out my fic as well! I'll be updating more regularly in June when I have time to actively write. Might get to the other sister's character sheet first, but who knows! 💕💕

[wingedcupcaketimemachine]

hello👋😊 can i ask you for a rottmnt headcanon of leo and donnie with a female partner who keeps her organs in vases like cleo de nile from g3 and has to keep them close to her to keep her body stable.

sorry if it sounds weird :<

Donnie and Leo x Undead!Fem!Reader Headcanons

Pairing: Rise!Donnie x Fem!Reader, Rise!Leo x Fem!Reader

Summary: How Donnie and Leo would react to their Fem!S/O keeping their organs in a jar

Warnings: Mentions of death, possible gore? mentions of organs

Type: Romantic ❤️

A/N: While this is technically a female reader, it can also be read as a gender neutral reader. I also went a little overboard with Leo, and I gave the reader a bit of backstory to go along with the headcanons. Hope you enjoy <3

Headcanons start below cut

Rise of the TMNT Masterlist

Main Masterlist

Rise!Donnie x Reader

Donnie is very fascinated by you!

He finds it very interesting how you can survive without you organs inside of your body, and will run dozens of experiments on you (with your permission ... mostly)

However, he prefers that you keep them in the jars since he can become easily grossed out

Donnie can be very attentive when he wants to be, and is always very hyper aware of your health and bodily stability at all times

He'd make sure that you're never too far away from your organs because your wellbeing is very important to him :)

He'd likely create some sort of deceive that allows for your organs to be near you at all times so your body remains stables

He would also have alerts set up on his phone so that he would be notified every time you body starts to become unstable

If you ever get too far away from your organs, he would notice right away and get you back to them as quickly as possible

You're more than likely some type of mummy yokai, so the two of you would probably spend a lot of time in the hidden city

Since you're an undead, you don't have the disadvantages of human mortality

This makes you a lot more durable than a normal human, so you often go on missions with the boys to protect the city

Even though Donnie can get a bit grossed out at times, he's more so interested in learning about you and how you work

Rise!Leo x Reader

Takes place mostly during season 1 episode 7

Like a traditional mummy, you were originally human

You met the turtles through your childhood best friend, and quickly became close friends with the boys (especially Leo)

After a few months of hanging out with the boys, you often felt useless and left out when the turtles and April would head out on missions

Once you started dating, Leo was adamant that you stayed in the lair with Splinter so you wouldn't get hurt

However, you were confident abilities (you had been training with the boys for the past few months) and were sure you could help, regardless of what Leo thought

On their latest mission, the boys planned on eliminating the rest of the oozesquitos plaguing New York

After the boys left the lair, you distracted Splinter with his favorite television show and sneak out after them

Once you snuck out of the lair, you were able to use the tracking app that Donnie had installed in your phone in order to track them down at some hotel in the middle of the city

Once you got there, you caught up to them inside of Big Mama's office

"What are you doing here (Y/N)? I told you to stay home with Splinter. This place is way to dangerous!" Leo asked urgently

Before you could explain yourself to your boyfriend, Big Mama had quickly captured all five of you in her webs, and you ended up being tied together with Leo

After Baron Draxum had arrived and stolen back his oozesquitos, you and the boys were able to free yourselves from Big Mama's webs using the spikes on Raph's shell

After their escape, Leo used his mystic swords to create a portal to the roof to confront Draxum

As Leo and Raph jump through the portal, you quickly follow after them to support them in their fight with Draxum

As the three of you were on the roof with Draxum, you quickly started passing the jar of oozesquitos to one another in an attempt to avoid Draxum's mystic vines

However, you were quickly at a stalemate as you and Raph had the oozesquitos, while Draxum had Leo in his grasp, hanging over the edge of the building

"Let my boyfriend go!" you yelled at Draxum, getting into a defensive stance

Even though you weren't the strongest fighter, you couldn't just stand there and watch when Leo's life was on the line

After Draxum dropped Leo, you could only watch helplessly as Raph activated his mystic powers and dove after him

Now, you were stuck on the roof with Draxum by yourself

Draxum easily overpowered you, and quickly captured the jar of oozesquitos with his vines

When he was finally back in control of the oozesquitos, Draxum ordered them to fly out to the city and mutate the humes, the closest one to them being you

As you were bitten by the oozesquito, you felt your body begin to change

You suddenly felt very hollow inside, like something was missing from your body

Several bandages also appeared along your body, covering large sections of your skin

Along with your mutation, several small jars appeared

Upon inspection, you realized that your organs had been stored inside of them

Weeks after the incident occurs, you became more adjusted with your new form

Donnie had run countless experiments on you since your mutation, and he quickly discovered that you must stay close to your organs at all time, or else your body would become highly unstable

As the family medic, Leo is very vigilant about the location of your organs

He had panicked several times when you passed out after accidentally being too far away from your heart

Due to being permanently undead, you no longer had to worry about human mortality

After you became more comfortable with your new body, Leo was more agreeable to your instance on coming on missions with him and his brothers, although he was still very overprotective of you

Whether you're hanging out together in the lair, or out on a mission, he always makes sure that you're never to far away from your organs

Your safety is always his number one priority

[crowsandturtlesandbatsohmy]

I've seen bits and pieces of it explained, but what exactly is Fey's backstory? I'm curious

Hi Nya!

Putting it under the cut because I got a little long-winded

Okay, so, Fey was one of Draxum’s experiments-to-be-turned-weapons. While Splinter managed to escape with the boys, Fey was left behind. I’m not sure yet if she just got lost in the chaos or if Draxum kept her separate.

Draxum attempted to raise her from there on out to be an incredibly strong warrior. The problem with that? Fey did not inherit the Lou Jitsu fighting genes. Training tended to activate her freeze response, which is how she got the scarring on her shell. She eventually learned to dodge out of necessity, but still struggled with thinking clearly enough to actually make a strike. Also the idea of killing people makes her sick.

Draxum didn’t particularly care about her in any way other than as a weapon, and he didn’t bother hiding the fact either. Fey learned her needs and wants always come second to those of others as a result. He’s also the reason she’s so timid and scared to take up space. Draxum tended to use more training or being locked in her room as punishment for not obeying or for getting in the way.

I’m still not 100% clear on the how of this part, there’s a couple different ideas fighting in my head right now, but Fey manages to escape with the aid of a trio of Yokai pickpockets. Their names are Moe, Larry, and Curly, and they’re all about Fey’s age. Moe is a gray shovel-headed tree frog, Larry is an armadillo girdled lizard, and Curly is a gold dust day gecko.

Draxum is looking for her, and the trio know this, so they agree Fey can’t stay with them indefinitely. They’ve made a couple trips topside and have seen the turtle boys out and about, so they decide that if they can get Fey topside and to the turtles, she’ll be safe. She crashes with them for about two weeks before they finally get her to the turtles, who are happy to take her in. They are not told anything of her past, but they don’t particularly care because they’re excited about having another sister (April already met them).

Draxum’s hunt for her combined with her lack of social and combat skills are the reason Fey hardly ever leaves the lair. She spends the time the boys are out taking care of things around the house and making sure Splinter’s okay.

I think of Fey as 14, so she’s been with them for about four years, but really she’s whatever age the twins are in whatever timeline. The reasoning for this is because I was very amused by the idea of the Disaster Twins actually being part of a set of triplets, but their third doesn’t have the drive for chaos. So they’re still the Disaster Twins.

So yeah! There you have it! Fey was raised by Draxum and he kinda screwed up her mental state a lot.

There‘re some more complex brain emotional trauma things going in in the background, but I’m not super great at explaining :P But the research I’ve done for her is the effects of a narcissist parent, and Fey’s got a lot of those traits due to Draxum.

Thanks for asking Nya!

[battlekidx2]

Rise of the TMNT First Time Watch Thoughts

Rise is a series I didn’t get into right when it came out. It was released very soon after my favorite tmnt cartoon, 2012, had ended and I was going through a major transition in my life. 

I watched the first few episodes, but my schedule was jam packed and I fell off of watching it rather quickly. I still wanted to give it a shot but later when more episodes were released and I could binge it because I felt that this show deserved more than a fleeting shot. But I didn’t really get around to watching it in full until recently.

I do want to say right off the bat that the backlash against this incarnation when it was first announced was ridiculous. The show hadn’t even aired and people were rallying to cancel it. You can’t judge the quality of something before seeing it and changing something from past iterations isn’t necessarily a bad thing even if it is an adaptation. 

My rule for adaptations is that what’s most important for new iterations is that they understand the heart of the series and characters that they are adapting and I would say that Rise clearly understood the heart of its characters and series but it just chose to adapt it in a different way. And in my opinion that’s great.

And I’m not going to pretend that all the changes worked for me. Some changes just didn’t mesh with me personally and I found myself preferring certain iterations of the characters and their dynamics/arguments from past iterations more. It’s just a matter of personal preference.

I have spoilers below the cut but I want to say that if you haven't watched it I really recommend giving it a shot!

I want to get into my full actual thoughts on the series now that that’s out of the way.

While Rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles is a great series, it got off to a bit of a rocky start. The first half of season one, while fun and full of amazing action scenes, wasn’t the type of start to absolutely grip me like the first seasons of 2012 and 2003. It did, however, manage to set itself apart from the other iterations of the turtles and firmly establish the unique personalities of these versions of the turtles, Splinter, and April O’Neil. 

The show clearly had some issues finding its footing at first and I think one of the major issues was that the show itself had trouble figuring out how exactly to implement the changes it made to the lore and characters from past incarnations into the first season, which led to pacing issues and some mixed characterization that took a while to get used to from characters such as Splinter (he gets a lot better later on and I really grew to like him but at first I wasn’t that fond of him). 

But, while I didn’t personally love the first season as much as other iterations of the teenage mutant ninja turtles due to this slow start, once it established its lore and changes and firmly knew what it wanted to be the show really took off and could reach great heights in a way completely unique from the other interpretations. 

This shift occurs about halfway through the first season with “The Evil League of Mutants” when the origins of Splinter and the Turtles and their connection with Baron Draxum finally get revealed (in a really good musical number I might add). This is where I really started to get invested in the new lore of this series and the changes the show made to the characters and backstory.

This is when everything that was slowly and sometimes awkwardly established started to come together and form a much clearer picture of what this series was trying to do. Those disparate pieces that felt a bit strange such as the new characters of Baron Draxum and Big Mama, the idea of the yokai, and the very different and at times kind of perplexing iteration of the foot clan finally interacted to hint at an endgame for this season and it worked much better than I anticipated.

I also was glad we finally got some development for Splinter, his relationship to the turtles, and his backstory. Up until this point he didn’t really work that well for me and the lack of any meaningful interactions between him and the turtles was a bit off putting, but starting with this episode so much new information was revealed about him that vastly improved the character and endeared me to him.

This continued development for Splinter leads to some of my favorite moments from the series.

For example, one of my favorite moments from the first season is when Splinter tricks Donnie and Mikey into going to a demolition derby with him. When Donnie discovers that Splinter lied he gets really upset and believes that Splinter didn’t really want to spend time with him.

It’s made clear leading up to this point that Donnie is really effected by the lack of attention and affection Splinter gives him and before now it was mostly said in a joking way that didn’t betray just how deeply it hurt him but he finally lets it out in a rare moment of vulnerability. And in response Splinter calls Donatello by his actual name for the first time in the series and apologizes. There’s a real and authentic moment of connection that wouldn’t have hit the way it did if Splinter wasn’t characterized the way he was early on. (I also absolutely love rise's version of Donnie.)

It’s not something that necessarily makes him more likable earlier in the series but that characterization early on makes his development and eventual connection with his sons heartwarming. 

The season’s momentum doesn’t stop with “The Evil League of Mutant” or Splinter’s development. It keeps building until it finally reaches the finale, which is a great culmination of all that came before, and ends with the shredder finally being formally introduced into the series and things feeling really dire for the turtles. 

This version of the shredder took him in a completely different direction from all the ones that came before and took a big swing by making him a man merged with a demon. One that’s thousands of years old that the Hamato clan was staked with keeping contained forever.

While this version of the shredder doesn’t have the depth of 2012 or the menace of 2003 they managed to build him up in a way that made his threat feel palpable. The desperation to keep the foot from collecting the dark armor paired with the revelations about the Hamato clan’s duty made it so that the inevitable confrontation felt like one that must be avoided at all costs.

This connection to the Hamato clan brought in an interesting conflict between duty and family for Splinter that we hadn't gotten to see before. When the turtles are captured Splinter is pulled in two different directions one that upholds his duty and one that preserves his family. Splinter eventually chooses his sons over his duty. (This carries over into the second season when they managed to combine the two and become their best selves as warriors and family.)

Another really fascinating aspect of the finale that I haven’t touched upon is how it subverts expectations by having Baron Draxum simply be a stepping stone for the shredder’s release. Up until this point Baron Draxum had been the closest thing to a big bad the series had. We had followed his plan step by step and believed he was the one pulling the strings only for the rug to be pulled out from under him at the last second when the turtles believed they had won.

This led to a cliffhanger that had me on the edge of my seat. It really felt like this was another turning point in the series like “Evil League of Mutants” had been…

But I don’t really feel like the second season carried that momentum over as well as it could have. The battle with the shredder wasn’t the tour de force I expected or the turning point in tone I anticipated. And there are things that were set up in the first season that, when finally seen, felt like anti-climaxes. This is most notable to me in the season premiere and the episode “Goyles, Goyles, Goyles” when we finally see the day that Splinter and the turtles were mutated.

With the premiere it was a weird split between things I absolutely adored– Leo finally displaying his excellent planning and leadership skills– and things I felt were anti-climactic compared to the build-up– the turtles’ fight with Shredder. 

I feel like the Leo stuff is self explanatory. Everyone knows that Leo is traditionally the leader of the turtles and up until this point Leo didn’t show much of that or have any significant development outside of a few select moments, but this was the episode that really showed his potential. 

It wasn’t just his ingenious plan that was really enjoyable to see come together, but also the fact that he knew his brothers well enough to trust in their skills and know exactly how they would be able to fend off and find the shredder. 

As a longtime fan of the turtles I loved this development. I had really enjoyed this version of Leo before now, but this was the moment that won me over to this version of him.

But the way the show handled the face off with the shredder didn’t really work for me. The biggest reason was that most of it happened off screen and then when we did get to see what was going on it was to show that the shredder was weak to tickling. 

After all that build up for the shredder and what a threat he will pose the way it went fell flat, especially considering how the first season finale ended with the turtles thinking they beat the shredder only for a much more powerful version to emerge from the smoke to face them down.

The ending with Big Mama set up some very interesting possibilities that I was excited to see come to fruition in the future (and eventually lead to a phenomenal season 2 finale) but it and Leo’s arc didn’t negate the disappointment I felt with how the shredder and his showdown with the turtles was handled.

Goyles, Goyles, Goyles felt like an intentional anti-climax, but even with that obvious intent it still fell flat for me. This moment was one of my favorite reveals of the first season. The way it was revealed in song by Draxum and his henchmen and the amazing still animation reflecting the words was a real turning point in just how much I enjoyed this series as I said above. And when we finally got to see exactly what happened… it was almost all a joke.

And this type of subversion is very common in Rise. It usually works better for me though because there isn’t as much build up and excitement towards them like there was for the shredder fight and the Draxum and the turtles backstory. 

In fact, there are plenty of moments in this series where this type of subversion works really well for me. In the season one finale the random reveal that the turtles cracked Splinter’s teapot as children and never told him being an important plot point was one that worked really well for me. 

The biggest difference between those subversions is that the one in the finale didn’t magically solve things or completely dampen the more dramatic and emotional moments. The teapot reveal didn’t retroactively make Splinter’s decision to put his sons above his ancestral duty any less meaningful and it didn’t magically save the day like they expected it to. It allowed things to still carry the weight they were meant to while still being funny and unexpected.

The show goes back to problem of the week episodes and as a result does fall into a few of the pacing and tonal issues that plagued the first season, but they were overall stronger and more fun episodes here than they were in season 1 due to the fact that there is a larger cast to bounce the characters off of and a lot more locations to explore. This allowed for some really interesting and unexpected character pairings that made some of the most entertaining episodes of the show.

The episodes centered on April and Splinter are a particular favorite of mine in season 2. 

I wasn’t expecting how much I would adore their dynamic, but it was easily one of my favorites in the entire show. I really liked Splinter’s unwavering faith in April and how they came together to better each other. 

Splinter very rarely has this type of relationship in any of the other shows. He’s mostly the one lifting others up and giving them wisdom and is rarely the one getting support in this type of way. April is able to interact with Splinter’s past in a way the turtles in this show can’t and it allows him to re-establish a connection to who he was in a healthier way than he had prior to her coming into his life.

It’s a great mutual relationship that finds a unique spin to what their dynamic usually is in turtles canon.

Now it’s time to talk about the final few episodes of season 2. These episodes showcase all the best aspects of the Rise show. They take what the series does differently from all the other interpretations and run with them, really showing what the show can do at its height.

These episodes gave me the shredder showdown I was hoping to see in the premiere. He posed the type of threat he had in many of the other shredder incarnations and served the turtles losses that they struggled to bounce back from.

This is the type of enemy shredder should be and the way they had this tie into Splinter’s past was amazing and moving.

The episode where the Baron Draxum sent the Turtles into Splinter’s mind was one of the most emotionally poignant episodes, showing the pain and emptiness of Splinter’s life before he mutated. It puts Splinter’s life before and after the turtles into stark contrast.

Splinter isn’t alone like he felt like he was before and he found a new family after the loss of his mother that gave him the strength and courage to accept the duty he had rejected because of the loss it brought him.

Splinter has grown from the character I was most disappointed with to one of my favorites of the series and this episode really hammered home just how great the writing for him in this series has been.

Splinter isn’t the only one that gets an increase in focus, April also gets some spotlight and a unique and unexpected role in this finale.

April’s growth from human ally to the turtles to a member of their family was amazing to watch. Having that bond that had been cultivated over the course of the two seasons that culminates in these episodes where she becomes an honorary member of the Hamato clan, fusing with Karai and teaching the turtles the way of their ancestors, was such an interesting change from past iterations of the character.

It really felt like her arc and relationship to the turtles was coming full circle when April was the one to talk Raph out of his despair. It really hammered home how far all of them have come and just how much a part of this family April is.

April’s talk to Raph leads into a great moment where the brothers unlock their mystic powers through their connection and trust in one another. They aren’t alone in this struggle or the fight with Shredder. It doesn’t come down to just one of them but their whole family. 

The heart of the turtles and their various series, at least to me, has always been the Hamato family and their bond with one another and this moment shows just how much this show understands that.

There’s just so much about this finale to gush about but there were two minor issues I had. Those are the reveal of Cassandra Jones and Splinter naming Leo the leader.

Cassandra Jones felt like a last minute reveal. The series made a few jokes about Cassandra being called unnamed foot soldier yet had her as a recurring character so it felt obvious that she was going to be a legacy character in some way but having her be Casey Jones felt odd. 

I don’t really know a better way of putting it. I’m not mad or anything and I don’t believe the show butchered Casey like I’ve seen some people say (especially considering how they brought Casey Jones into the movie), but it felt like the most out of left field choice rise had made up until this point. (I do want to say that I feel like this could have turned into a very interesting interpretation of the character if the show was allowed to continue and flesh this decision out.)

And Leo being named leader was especially rushed considering just earlier in the finale (parts 2 and 3) the show really felt like it solidified Raph as the leader. He was the one who was able to make the tough calls and he was the one who learned to trust his brothers in a way he needed to be the best leader he could be.

Leo only really had the second season premiere to set up the idea that he would make a great leader and strategist if he really applied himself but that thread felt like it was dropped for the rest of the season and had no real buildup within the finale unlike Raph’s leadership skills.

These didn’t really impact my enjoyment of the episodes especially considering that they were such a small part of the finale and they were both fixed/expanded on in the movie.

Speaking of the movie. It was absolutely phenomenal. 

This movie focuses on Leo and his journey into growing into a leadership role for the team with the Kraang as the turtles’ adversaries. 

Right off the bat this movie is considerably darker than the main series with the opening alone showing blood and the deaths of both Mikey and Leo. It immediately shatters any possibility of past conveniences present in the series like the Kraang being ticklish or the turtles escaping due to incompetent sidekicks. 

There’s a palpable danger established by this shift in tone that carries on throughout the movie and creates actual tension and stakes to the sacrifices made later on. 

I can also say with full confidence that this is easily the most intimidating the Kraang have ever been in turtles canon. 

While the Kraang have been threats in some of the series and even beaten the turtles more than once I never felt like they were the overwhelming threat they are here. That the turtles were completely outmatched.

This amazing update of the kraang and the threat they pose is paired with a great arc for Leo where he has to confront the more immature and impulsive side of him that has been ever present in the series up until this point.

These flaws had been addressed at varying points throughout the series proper but they were never treated anywhere near as seriously as they are here. 

And it addresses these shortcomings through Rise’s interpretation of the classic Raph and Leo conflict.

Raph and Leo are almost always the two brothers that come into conflict the most often in every iteration of the turtles. Their ways of thinking are incompatible in ways that make it hard for them to see eye to eye. This was something the main series of Rise didn’t really address. For the most part the brothers got along well and any conflicts they did have were either resolved or ended on a joke which fit with what the series was trying to do with them before this point.

I’ve heard a few complaints about this because the conflict between Leo and Raph is something the movie makes it seem like is a recurring problem for them when in reality Leo and Raph don’t really get into any real serious arguments/conflicts throughout the series. In fact, Raph almost never gets angry the way he does at the beginning. Rise Raph’s anger is almost always aimed at himself rather than others. 

And I can understand that to a degree because these aspects weren’t really established in the series but I don’t think either of these inconsistencies really hurt the movie and are in fact explained rather well within the context and time frame given. The conflict itself is well written and has the two coming to an actual understanding that feels organic to both characters.

The movie’s take on Leo and Raph’s conflict has the two switching places from their usual roles. Leo is the impulsive brother that does care deeply about his brothers but makes mistakes due to his personal flaws that gets them in trouble, while doubting/going against the older brother’s wishes/orders. Raph is the older, more responsible brother with the weight of his brothers lives on his shoulders because of his position as the de facto leader of their family (at least before the season 2 finale).

It’s not necessarily a completely unique take on the conflict since the roles are simply reversed with a few tweaks to better fit their characters but it plays out in a way that makes Leo’s arc and journey of growing into his leadership role very impactful in a way that separates itself from 2003 and 2012 Leonardos.

Leo’s arc culminates in such an amazing and heartbreaking sacrifice that, while it obviously didn’t last, was the moment from Rise that hit me the hardest.

The way the movie managed to really hammer home the weight of Leo’s decision and the growth of his character in that moment through everyone’s reactions, the music, and the stunning animation and coloring was incredible.

Outside of Leo’s fantastic arc and the Kraang the animation is absolutely stunning. There’s a reason the fight with the Kraang leader was all over the place after this movie released. The animation for Rise has always been fantastic and here is no exception. I don’t really think I can add anything to this point that hasn’t already been said by anyone who has seen the film.

Honestly if you haven’t seen it yet you should definitely give it a shot.

I’m just really disappointed this movie is probably the last we’ll see of Rise of the Tmnt because from my experience watching the series for the first time this show just continually got better. It introduced and hinted at so many elements from past iterations of the turtles near the end that I really wanted to see their take on.

Overall I think Rise is a really fun series that has amazing highs and a finale and movie that are legitimately great but it is a bit inconsistent in terms of pacing and tone with a rocky start and contains some changes to the characters that didn’t work completely for me personally. 

At its best this show easily stands toe to toe with the heights of the previous series. And in many ways those heights are completely unique from all the other iterations because of how much it twists the previously established lore and characters to make them its own.

After watching this series I can completely understand why so many people love this iteration of the turtles and I do consider the show great. I will definitely re-visit many of these episodes and the movie time and time again.

Extra Thoughts

What is it with tmnt series and dark futures? There’s Same as it Never Was, Mutant Apocalypse, The Rise Movie, The Last Ronin, etc. The brothers can never catch a break and get a nice happy ending can they?

I really love this version of Donnie and I think he's the character that worked best for me in this series. Donatello has always been my favorite turtle and in early iterations of the turtles I was a bit disappointed with how underutilized he was in the series. The episodes focused on him were great, but until 2012 Donatello was easily the most underappreciated turtle with the least amount of focus and screen time of the four. 2012 and Rise finally gave him the attention and focus I always wanted.

I kind of feel bad for saying this but I prefer Rafael and Leonardo’s conflict in the 2003 show, 2012 show, and 2007 TMNT movie to their conflict in this series. I also prefer the Character interpretations of Rafael where he’s the hothead. Where he chafes under Leo’s leadership and is forced to grow and mature so that he can handle his anger in better, more productive ways. I’m not saying this version of Rafael is bad or that Leo and Raph’s conflict isn’t complex, just that I personally prefer different versions of these things. And I completely understand that that’s personal preference. I think that this iteration will definitely work really well for other people and I think that’s great.

I really enjoy this version of Mikey and I'm disappointed he is given significantly less focus than any of the other turtles in this series. All the rest of the turtles get episodes dedicated solely to them and their struggles even April gets more individual focus than Mikey in season 2. I think Mikey is a great character to bounce off of but I was disappointed he never really got much time in the spotlight.

While the lore grew to become one of my favorite things about the series, not all of it worked for me. It was actually mostly the mystic pizza joint and some of the yokai that didn’t work for me because Big Mama, The hidden city, Draxum, the battle nexus, and the shredder/foot all grew on me whereas that part didn’t. I think this had more to do with the fact that the episodes centered on this part of the world were my least favorite in the series than anything else.

This series made the interesting decision to move away from the more grounded tone of past turtles incarnations. The turtles, at least in the shows, had progressively gotten more and more grounded in “reality” with even Donnie’s inventions, while still being incredible, reflecting the limited resources they would realistically have when living in the sewers. This series abandons any tether it might have had to reality and has the turtles out in broad daylight with only hoodies/tops to hide in, Donnie's inventions are even grander than before, and there's a whole hidden city where the turtles can be normal. They also immediately get mystic power and rarely interact with street level crime like their past incarnations. In some ways this worked and made the series immediately recognizable and stand out from its predecessors but in others it made them feel very disconnected from their roots and what made them so relatable in the first place which unfortunately alienated some people.

This ended up working really well for me after things started to come together and I think it’s a bit unfortunate that this will be a roadblock for people getting into the series.

The backlash the character designs got is something that I never really understood. Each turtle looks completely unique and for most of them you can grasp aspects of their personality and what they like by looking at them. This is a mark of good character design.

[bambiraptorx]

I am curious, why is Draxum so protective and secretive over his mask and anyone seeing his face in your MI AU? is his mask like a safe object since he is written to be neurodivergent?

There's a couple of different reasons, and one of them definitely is that is a safety/comfort object for him. Backstory-wise, he's had it for centuries, making it one of the possessions he's held onto the longest. Given how much he used to travel, it might be the only one he's managed to hang onto. It was also probably a gift from someone he cared about, and likely the only thing he has to remind him of them.

Also, the sensory blocking spell he cast for Mikey in ch 17? Draxum uses that kind of spell himself, usually casting more than one and using his mask as a sort of focal point. (Also he can toggle the spells on and off, so it's kinda like constantly carrying noise-canceling headphones around for him? But for other senses too? I'm still fleshing out the mechanics lol)

But another reason for the mask? Well, he's masking, literally as well as figuratively. He's hiding his 'true' self (one that, as shown in season 2, is more expressive and outright emotional). He doesn't feel comfortable revealing his actual face or even having it acknowledged that he's hiding a pretty important part of himself, but also? He wears the mask so much that he thinks of it as his actual face. His self-perception is so rooted in hiding a part of himself that he no longer thinks of it as hidden--he doesn't think about it at all.

This is more or less why Leo hasn't seen Draxum's actual face yet, even though he's been waking Draxum up at ridiculous hours of the night for a while now. Draxum wakes up and puts the mask on like a pair of glasses, and once he has it on he essentially forgets he's wearing it. Yes, part of it is that on some level Draxum doesn't like or want the vulnerability of showing Leo his face, but he's so used to wearing it that it feels more like him than his real face does.

TLDR: it's a symbol of Draxum's neurodivergence, but also kind of a metaphor for him masking and maybe sort of about his internalized ableism? Which is complicated, but hey, that's how being ND is sometimes.

[cupcakeslushie]

Okay. I've been tip-toeing around this AU for a while now, but I just got caught up, and now I think I have a (decent) grasp on what's going on. So I wanna go over everything I know so far to see if I'm right or wrong on anything. Don't know if you'd be willing to correct me or not. Either way, I hope my mistakes can help you understand what to clarify to other fans like me. But, I also have some questions. You probably won't be able to answer most of them, but it's at least worth a shot.

First, where's Venus? Like, why is she not in your comics that are (sort of) separate frome the canon now story. The ones that skip to the future way after all the turtles reunite. Did she die? Did she escape? Is it because she wasn't introduced yet when you made those comics?

Two, why do you keep on making references to the future timeline? I know you're planning on possibly making your own stuff leading up to the events of the movie. It just gives me a jumpscare when I see certain...imagery in those comics. I guess you're hinting at what your version of the future apocalypse would look like, but it just hurts to see. Specifically in the comic explaining both the events and aftermath of the movie and the bad future timeline. It's starting to really confuse my brain as to where this story is headed. What's meant to be the main focus? The Hamto's reuniting? The aftermath? Or the future?

Third, did you make all those min-comics before you started the actual AU? Or did you do them during?

Fourth, are any of those mini-comics relevant to the actual story now? Or have you changed your mind on a few things? It's just that everything is so all over the place, I don't really know whether to trust if they're accurate. I know most of them are just there for funzies, but the longer ones concern me. I guess I'm just not used to the storyteller doing sequel, start, prequel, start, sequel, prequel, prequel, sequel, and then end. Or maybe it's just me, and I'm sleep deprived.

My little observation speech is gonna take a while for me to get out in your asks because when I get theoretical, my speech gets long, and my proper English goes down the drain. So I'll be back. I appreciate your work very much. Despite the pain it causes me, it's still amazing.

I’ll try my best to clear up what confusion I can!

1. As far as Venus. The answer is kind of a mix of, I was still figuring out her design and backstory while coming out with some of those early comics, and then, once I had that down, I wanted the boys to grow strong bonds as a main cast. That’s why a lot of the side characters are only making small appearances in the Sep!AU Life stories, as those are mainly for the boys reconnecting. (Usagi shows up the most because I love him and am totally biased towards him).

This maybe hasn’t been stated outright, but I wasn’t really expecting so many ppl to like Vee as much as they do, and now im trying not to spoil too much of her story. It’ll unfortunately just take us a while to get to the meat of it. Since the boys reconnecting takes up a lot of the early s1s2 story, Im trying to follow the familiar Rise blueprint of Draxum, Shredder, Krang, and then in s3 we’ll have crazy fun new stories with the extra characters.

Ive also decided to take this little nugget from one of the Q&As, and use it for Venus instead of Jennika. It was a much needed bit of inspiration to explain why Venus sorta disappears for a while and will go through some major physical changes (not yet revealed) before the family can figure out a way to reach her.

2. I’m not sure if you mean jump scared in a bad/triggering or neutral way, but if you need me to tag anything on those posts please let me know!

The glimpses of the future timeline, are being scattered throughout wherever they parallel the present story in little ways, but that’s only for now. As we get closer to the movie plot, bigger chunks of the future will be revealed, because the future versions of the boys will have a larger role to play in the present timeline. So we will need more backstory than what the canon got. And also I just enjoy drawing my future versions so sometimes I don’t think too hard on a reason. I just like throwing them at ppl with no warning or reason.

When s2 ends, I plan on collecting all the future related stuff that’s been released, and recapping it for easier reading. Right now, it’s just little sprinkles of foreshadowing to give ppl an idea that, ‘oh crap. The doomed timeline is a bummer’. In my mind, I guess i thought it’d be kinda like a fun scavenger hunt for clues, but maybe ppl don’t like that 😅

3. All of the side-stories were written as the main comic was/is being released. A lot of them resulted from asks that just spawned the need to expand on certain ideas, or a desire to give all the turtles their time to shine.

For instance, when I was doing Donnie’s section of the main comic, it was a good few months where we hardly saw anyone but him and Venus. I wanted to just mix it up, and give Raph some love with his ‘Raph Time’ short. When Leo was front and center in the main, we hardly saw the others, so Mikey and Donnie got their little ‘Secrets’ short (and it was also I fun thank you for EW making it so far in the tmnt sep competition).

4. Anything that has been reworked/revised or just plain dropped should have an ‘Edit’ note because yes—I have gone back and changed some things, but more so from the asks i got in the early days, and some movie idea drafts.

All the short comics done in the last year, especially the ones that are listed in my pinned post, are canon and fall somewhere in the timeline. They’re like supplemental reading though—extra meat to give the world and the characters more personality. They do have particular backstory plot and important info in them, but nothing that shouldn’t eventually be re-visited/repeated in the main story.

um I hope that cleared up some things! I know it’s kind of a crazy amount of lore. I’ve tried my best to organize it in the pinned post, huge timeline, and search bar tags, but I know it’s getting harder and harder for newer ppl to jump in as it just get bigger. Thanks for reading regardless!

[angelpuns]

In order to show you that we love your Rural Au as much as you do, i have compiled a bunch of asks.

Sorry if you have already answered any of these, i am going to read you IFTW comic after.

How did they become mutants and where is Draxum in this Au?

Did Yoshi work in the navy bc you metioned him working on the farm in his naval uniform?

Why did Yoshi leave? In Raphs ref, it said that he took over most of the out door labour after he left.

Does Yoshi ever go by the name of Splinter?

Is the farm on the outskirts of Tokyo?

Is the farm within human communities or is it in Yokai Villiage?

If it is do the turtles ever have to hide from human passers by?

How do they enter the Yokai Village on their first entry? Assuming that it is above ground, unlike the Hidden City.

Do humans know of it?

Are they welcome/welcomed in Yokai Village as they are mutants and does anyone know that they are?

How do Leo and Usagi first meet? Is it through one of his brothers first?

Why are they frenemies? Other than their catching frogs game?

Is Leo suspicious of him or anyone else in the Yokai Village, like he is in canon?

Do the brothers still learn martial arts/ ninjitsu?

Do they use their training, other than to practice?

Do they use any mystic weapons/have any powers?

Do they know of they anscestors and their destiny?

My apologies that this is super long, you do not need to answer them all in one go. Thank you.

P.S I will most likely have more questions for you once i get these answer and will definitely ask about each one of the brother.

NGL I AM SO EXCITED TO ANSWER ALL OF THESE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE AHHHHHHHHH

I am silly and love this au and I'm glad someone wants to hear me talk about it >:33333OKAY SO SO SO SO In this timeline, there's also a hidden city underneath Tokyo - since Tokyo was one of the bigger cities in Japan at the time ( there's also one underneath the old capital, but it's gotten smaller due to yokai moving to Tokyo).

Draxum is sort of same situation as canon, he's a scientist, he is silly etc etc. Rather than a prophecy though, Draxum (along with lots of other yokai) heard the stirrings of war in the 20s and 30s and decided ' I'm gonna make some super soldiers just in case the human war becomes the yokai's war too '. Captain America type beat. So he illegally made these four mutant turtles and the yokai council did NOT like that at ALL so they have a warrant out for his arrestr (v similar to rise ) and basically Draxum dropped those guys off far, far away from Tokyo and just hoped for the best. I haven't decided if he makes any sort of comeback, I wanna say no because the nature of the au and all but who knows :3333

Yes! So Yoshi acutally is one of the youngest captain's of the navy - which btw fun fact!! After WWI, Britain stepped in and helped Japan build their Navy up a bit since they didn't really have on! So Yoshi ends up being pretty decently ranked while also being fairly young. It helps that he comes from somewhat of a military family, though I haven't really gone too far on his fam's backstory just yet.

He actually ended up being called for duty because Japan was entering WWII, so he just literally leaves to go back to his original posting and all that. He did not end up telling any of the kids except Raph about it because he wanted to protect them but it kinda ends up biting him in the ass later :(

Yoshi himself never actually goes by the name Splinter, but the yokai villagers call him that because they just hate humans ( more on that later, I've actually got a comic for that :D)

The farm is actually pretty far from Tokyo, it's in Northern Japan! They live in the mountains near Aomori prefecture, probably somewhat near Lake Towada but not near enough that there is regular human traffic. The farm itself is up on a nice big hill, so typically they don't have to hide too much. They live sort of in a human farming community, but the neighbors are 15-30 minutes down the road so they truly don't have to hide too often. Yoshi's family owns the land/farmhouse they live in so they don't have to deal with trespassing and all that either.

So the yokai village is surrounded by a huge huge foret, it's kind of like a valley in the middle of the forest that was cleared by Yuichi's family like wayyyy way back. It's only hidden by the forest, I think Yoshi may have found it because of stories talking about a yokai village or just by chance. The boys first went when they were very very very young (with Yoshi) So they all know the way pretty easily!

Humans don't know if it/visit the village but I think there are definitely some stories going around.

The yokai welcome the turtles, they believe they are yokai as well ( the boys also think they are yokai), however Yoshi is not entirely welcome. The village really does not trust him and they sort of pity the boys for 'having to live with him'.

I actually have a comic for their first meeting: here. they're just frenemies because they didn't exactly like each other upon first meeting, plus Leo knows Yuichi doesn't like Yoshi and all that. However, Leo likes spending time with Yuicihi and considers him his best friend! They have a complicated friendship and also Leo might just have a crush on him later :3

Leo is a lot more trustworthy of other people in this au, probably because of the nature of how Yoshi found them and all. Raph is the more suspicious one of the group. Leo also grew up around the yokai village so he finds it a very nice, friendly place!

they don't know any martial arts, have mystic powers or do any training. Truly their lives are just ' farm, have fun and enjoy life as it is'. Plot wise, they all have their own goals and perception of their life. They all have complicated feelings about Yoshi not being around, about the war ( whn they learn about it) and about their futures. They don't really have any destiny to speak of (except for what Draxum wanted for them). They also don't know anything about their family - Yoshi has kept it from them on purpose because he doesn't want what remains of his family to find out about them. He also had a wife that passed away and they don't know anything about her

SORRY FOR THE HUGE HUGE HUGE WALL OF TEXT I GOT SO SO SO EXCITED TO ANSWER THESE BECAUSE AUFREJNEF this au lives in my head RENT FUCKING FREEEE

I fr frr have been developing this au in my brain for MONTHS but haven't really been able to discuss it :D

[thedawningofthehour]

I vote to pardon Cass' dad!

I'm not gonna lie, Cass is the third character whose aftermath I'm most looking forward to, right behind Donnie (of course), and Pax! (Just because I want to see if the little runt learned his lesson).

The girl will already have a lot to deal with once the cat is out of the bag, how indirectly this is all her fault due to her warning Draxum about the armor, how almost every adult in her life has mistreated, used and lied to her, how her little brother now has a family that knows him better than she does and that she actively tried to hurt, not to mention her new body, and now you also want to add her dad's death to the list? There is a limit, Fai.

I thought I might tap into some of IDW Arnold Jones and give him a 'I hate mutants and Yokai' arc after seeing his daughter corrupted by them, maybe something like Hiroshi Sato at the end of season 1 of LoK. Considering how long I've managed to make this fic so far and still had to write out some shit, I probably shouldn't be adding on extra plotlines.

I feel like I'm sort of...fridging Cass's tragedy? That doesn't feel like the right word, but it does feel sometimes that I'm pushing her trauma and storyline to the side for the sake of Gale's. And that's because Gale is the protagonist, and he has to be one of the protagonists because the other one is Leo, and this story is first and foremost about their bond as brothers. But considering she is the only major female character in Gale's POV and the trend of only using a female character's trauma to further a male's and just trashing her Tragic Backstory when it no longer fits the male character's narrative, (Leia watching her entire planet be destroyed comes to mind) it just feels...not super great.

[mutiniau]

More lore for this AU

Heya! While working on the AU I'd like to share more lore!

-Humans know yokai existed, but believe them to be extinct. In human eyes, yokai were powerful monsters who were chased away by ancient humans. This is mainly here to give more reason to Draxums own backstory as he eventually plays a major role in the AU. According to the Rise Wiki humans drove yokai underground. (Expect Undertale references lmao)

-There are multiple hidden cities across the world. Powerful yokai can teleport to different cities. Weaker yokai need the help of public portals, airships, boats, and carriages.

-Weak yokai, or yokai without a cloaking broach physically can not leave a hidden city. This is due to mystic powers from ancient humans preventing them from leaving. The only bypasses are being incredibly powerful such as Draxum, or having a cloaking broach. As such cloaking broaches are a rare and expensive item. Additionally, if their broach is stolen they can't renter a hidden city.

-The humans turned into mutants by Draxum have significantly higher strength/are more durable/live longer. However, they also suffer from the fact the greatest flaw becomes escalated. I.E: Meat Sweats became much crueler, Mantis became much more greedy, and Warren became much more egotistical.

-Some yokai straight up don't think humans are real/the surface world is fiction much like how humans think yokai are extinct. Many yokai treat humans like we treat Santa or the tooth fairy.

-The battle nexus has expanded lore, I don't want to get to much into it for spoiler reasons but there is a reason for it's existence!

[tblsomedoodles]

If Leo, Don, and Mikey get angst. It's only fair we give so to Raph. Here's something that's been on my mind, when Leo starts to investigate their tragic backstory, it hits Raph the most since he was said to be the one who remembers the most. Maybe when he first hears Big Mama's voice, he doesn't understand why he's suddenly remembering those old memories. Anyway, just a thought.

Oh Raph definitely gets his share of angst for this. I mean, to start, while all his brothers are going through painful transformation processes, he's not really. Sure he gets a few headaches and his eyes are being a pain, but to him, that's nothing compared to the twins growing new limbs and Mikey growing eyes. The medical stuff is all Leo's domain and Raph feels like he himself is useless in this situation. He's supposed to protect his little siblings but he can't protect them from their own bodies.

and as for memories, that's definitely an angsty bit for him. He does remember the most, and i think you're right. That when they went to the hotel for the first time/met Big Mama, some old memories started to resurface (or at least the place/person gave him a sense of familiarity/safety he doesn't quite understand. Which is probably why he trusted her so readily.)

Then there's the point that, out of the four of them, he's the only one who remembers being mutated. Which is something he tends not to talk about b/c even after 13 years, it's still a pretty traumatic memory for him. His brothers probably don't even know he remembers that until they start questioning their mutation story and he reluctantly admits to remembering it .

This also adds some angsty context to Draxum's reveal in 'Evil league of mutants'. i mean, in episode he literally falls to his knees and stares at the ground for a while, not seeming to hear much past 'i used Lou Jitsu's dna to make you'.

(screenshot for proof b/c im currently watching this episode anyways)

I mean look at him! the other three are at least listening to Draxum's villain "i made you so join me!" speech (Kinda), Raph is very much not. so in this context, i think he'd realize what this meant. That he remembers being mutated b/c Draxum didn't mutate 4 turtles into humanoids, he mutated four children, (Lou Jitsu's children, who is also them) into turtles. (Can't tell i love changing the context on cannon events, now can you? lol. Give me an au that's main purpose is to make you rethink cannon and i will eat it up every damn time : ) )

All in all, every buddy gets their share of angsty bs, just different types. (but they also get fluff so it will even out lol)

Thank you! I really liked talking about Raph's side of things for this.

[mikeydraws]

YIPPIE finally got back into drawing and decided to finish this warrior cats x rottmnt drawing! I’m a big fan of how warrior cats work and I have a lot of nostalgia from it since I’ve been a fan of it for 6 years so yeah I really like drawing my favourite characters into cats! All of these are pre-movie designs.

Aldo if they seem incorrect or not logical enough to you I do not care, these cats are in a universe with cats that have powers and some are literally blue.

Now I haven’t really started on making them a cool wowzers backstory yet but what I’m thinking is that they were all kidnapped by Draxum from a cat breeding centre where they breed cats to be like the best of the best, fir example raph being a maine coon, Leo being a nebelung, Donnie being a sphynx and mikey being a bobtail! I chose pretty expensive cat breeds because they all come from a selective breeding facility so it would make most sense. Now huggin and muggin would have messed up the cats because again it makes sense like why have a furless cat and a small cat without tail? Draxum would of been mad, splinter finds out and saves the day. That’s all I have for now.

I made Raph a maine coon bc they are the biggest cats! I also love Maine coons! His name in his clan is ThornBush bc he is fierce and pointy like thorns and big and fluffy like a bush. I think he’d belong to riverclan bc he is gentle and I also see most riverclan cats as Maine coons especially the first ever leader.

I made him a nebelung last minute bc I didn’t know what breed to make him, most grey cats are short haired, his fur definitely matches the one of a nebelung, not too short, not too long. I put the bandana on his tail bc it symbolizes how he doesn’t really care abt being a hamato, he does care but he doesnt take it seriously and responsibly, I think it adds a nice touch! Chose his name bluelion bc “blue” fir his fur and “lion” bc of how wild and careless he is, LionThunder could of also been a name! He is definitely a thunderclan cat, he has this main character ego a lot of thunderclan cats have.

Made him a shpynx bc it fits! Just like him being a softshell! His name AsterMoon means how calm and cold he is towards others, aster is a purple flower sometimes and he wanted a name similar to sunpatch since they are close. Definitely a shadowclan cat.

He is a Japanese bobtail bc I just wanted him to have no tail, SunPatch comes from on how much of a sunshine he is and how he makes cats smile a lot! He would be a skyclan or windclan for sure!!

Anyways hope you all enjoyed this <33