#first time really drawing bay Donnie

[hitwiththetmnt]

Happy February lovelies♡

[faith-forgxtten-land]

You haven't written anything NSFW for TMNT so its okay if its not something you're comfortable writing but do you think you could write something for Bay Donnie? I don't really have any preferences of requests other than squirting

Soaked | Donatello

okay, fair warning, i haven't written anything explicitly nsfw for like two years so be nice; i was hesitant in posting this because i have no faith in my writing, especially nsfw, but i hope you like it! bayverse!!

warnings: NSFW, squirting? swearing, mentions of cunt etc., not much else i don't think. everyone is 18+!! awful titles, never proofread

summary: donatello likes it when you soak his sheets

word count: 1691

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

The world is bathed in darkness when you finally manage to open your eyes. The lair is quiet, and your head feels heavy as you squint. A hand is trailing your torso softly despite innumerable callouses, fingers sweeping delicately along the length of your spine in some silent rhythm. Your skin is warm, the cool touch of his palms soothing the heated flesh, and you giggle quietly as you imagine puffs of mist rising from where your bodies and their contrasting temperatures meet.

“You awake?”

With a humming reply and languid grace, you raise your head and try to make out his face in the dim light. You can’t see much, just a pair of soft eyes that make you feel more embraced than the blankets piled on top of you, as his other hand cups your cheek and you melt into him. He makes you feel like that a lot; like molten gold, pliant under his assured touches, burning and boneless and so, so precious.

“You fell asleep in the middle of movie night,” he says softly, lips brushing against your forehead in a gesture so tender it makes your heart clench. He traces his mouth down the swell of your cheek, caressing the lines of your face until he reaches your jaw. His kisses are indulgent and full, and you feel gluttonous as your hands seek his plastron eagerly. Even half-asleep, you want him wholly and desperately and you feel him huff a fond laugh, smiling knowingly against your throat.

“So needy,” he teases affectionately, the hand that had been mapping your back now beginning to move further downwards until the flesh of your thigh is in his grip. He squeezes it once, twice, and parts your legs. His beak presses harder into the delicate skin of your neck, and he inhales deeply before biting sharply. The contrast of his gentle hands and the sudden sting of his teeth causes your hips to stutter, and you can’t hold back a whine.

“I can smell you.” His voice is low and you shudder at the rasp in his tone. He pulls back to look into your eyes, and you swallow thickly; his irises have disappeared into blackness, as if they’re drowning in ink with pupils blown wide, and you feel yourself grow wetter at the wild look. You still can’t make out his face, but you know he looks wrecked, and a smug satisfaction settles deep within you.

The thought that your scent alone can ruin him, make primal need overwhelm him, make him look wanton, causes your toes to curl. His large hand, so huge on your body, grasps your thigh tightly again and you gasp as he squeezes hard enough to bruise this time. “You’re soaking already,” he groans, and you buck your hips, silently begging him to pull your sleep shorts down and feel it for himself.

Despite his teasing, he must feel as desperate as you because he’s quick to do exactly that and rub his finger against your folds. He curses loudly, the sound echoing in the quiet, and you spread your legs wider. “So fucking wet,” he chokes out, rubbing your swollen clit as he pushes his first finger inside of you. You’re so warm and tight and you feel yourself flutter around him.

“Donnie,” you gasp as he curls his finger just right. It’s the first word you’ve uttered, and he groans darkly at the desperation that coats the sound. He fucks you faster, his finger stretching you, drawing the most obscene sounds, wet slaps reverberating so loudly you’re sure everyone can hear them. You’re panting and flushed, hips grinding as he pumps in and out, and you moan loudly as he slips another digit inside.

He’s back to pressing open-mouthed kisses against your throat, lapping up the sweat that trickles down. “That’s it,” he murmurs reverently, sucking purple marks into your sensitive flesh and scissoring his fingers faster and harder, forceful pumps bordering on brutal. Your name is a growl on his tongue as he hits that perfect spot over and over, and you can’t stop yourself from mewling as he presses harshly against your sensitive nub, pleasure and pain blending in a way that makes you dizzy.

His pace is unrelenting and unforgiving, and you can feel the thrumming of your pulse, a delirious concoction of sensual agony shooting through your veins as you babble senselessly. “Donnie, please, please—”

He fixes his teeth over an especially delicate part of your throat and bites so hard you see stars, chest heaving and unable catch your breath as your walls clamp around his fingers. There’s going to be an outrageous mark, dark violet bruises and blatant indents of teeth in a place you have no hope of covering up, and the thought only makes you cry louder.

You think you might pass out for a minute or two as Donnie continues to finger-fuck you through your orgasm. You’re shaking and sensitive and sore, but he doesn’t let up even as you shiver and whine. “You can take it,” he tells you simply, and you nod quickly because you can, you’ll take whatever he gives you.

It doesn’t take long for you to reach the edge again, little gasps and whimpers slipping through your lips with every pump. He’s toying with you, a teasing grin pressed against the column of your throat that turns into a low laugh as you curse him for slowing whenever your thighs begin to tremble. Just as you think he’s about to slow again, he pinches your clit harshly and you can’t stop the wail that wrenches itself from your burning lungs.

His fingers fuck you through this orgasm too, spreading your legs wider as they spasm and weakly attempt to shut without his permission. Only when you fall still does he pull out, and you whimper more at the aching emptiness. He makes sure you’re watching as he brings his fingers to his mouth and tastes them; his tongue is playful, thick and flicking, and you feel the muscles of your stomach contract.

“Tease,” you croak, and his eyes somehow darken even further at just how wrecked you sound, your voice rasping and slurred.

“You’re right,” he agrees, brushing your folds again, digits stroking your puffy slit. You gasp as he pushes two fingers back in, squirming at the satisfying and sensitive discomfort shooting along your spine. “You’ve been so good.” He’s making those perfect curling motions inside of you and your back arches, tears gathering on your lashes as that agonising pleasure sparks, lighting up your blood and forcing your eyes to roll back.

“Donnie—”

There’s a pressure building, somehow more intense than before, and your thighs quiver as his fingers continue to fuck you without faltering, even as your legs threaten to snap closed at the unbearable sensitivity when he finds your clit once more.

You’re not sure if the sounds coming out of your mouth are words and you’re pretty sure you’re drooling, tongue lolling, but whatever noises escape your parted lips have Donnie pressing that spot inside you harder and harder, churring darkly. It's a sound that clatters through you as he returns his teeth to your throat like they belong there, like your neck is meant to be a canvas for his marks. “You can do it,” he groans. "You’re always so good for me.”

His fingers curl even more, and you choke on a moan as you realise what he’s asking for, what he’s building towards with every pump. Your own hand desperately grasps his forearm, not sure if you’re begging him to stop or urging him to keep going as you pant and whine, body writhing as he tears a sob from you that rattles your bones. “I can’t—”

“Yes, you can.” He’s tense, the muscles of his arm flexed and hard under your touch, and you can feel his sweat on your damp skin as he presses impossibly closer, almost lovingly nuzzling your neck now even as his fingers fuck you stupid.

You feel like you’re about to explode, the pressure agonising and tipping over into pain, blood boiling under your skin, and you can do nothing but cry wildly, screaming loud enough for everyone to hear, when you feel that tension inside you shatter like glass.

Donnie holds you as you convulse, shudders racking every inch of you, soft praises rushing from his lips as he presses gentle kisses along your jaw. He groans feeling your wetness gushing against him, soaking his plastron and his bedding, knowing your scent will cling to him and his bed for hours even after he showers and changes his sheets.

It's his favourite part, he thinks privately. It soothes something primal and animal within him, something he didn't even recognise until he had you writhing and coming undone under him for the first time. Making you lose control, satisfying you so good you can't help but squirt… He swallows the thought and scissors his fingers in you, watching the way you whimper with your eyes closed as he glides in and out of your pretty cunt with ease, your body always so responsive for him no matter what state you're in.

You’re certain you passed out this time, and when you come-to, Donnie still has his fingers inside of you, still pressing those feather-light kisses to your skin. You feel heavy and weightless all at once, eyelids fluttering, unsure whether to whine in relief or displeasure when his fingers retreat slowly and he brings them to his mouth again.

It takes you another minute to realise just how wet you are, your thighs glistening even in the low light, and the bed beneath you is completely drenched. You can’t muster any shame, only satisfaction coiling deep in your gut when you see just how soaked Donnie is too.

“Next time,” he breathes, voice guttural and promising, still sucking his fingers clean, “I want you on my face so I can drink every drop.”

You clench your thighs together, sore and aching and still so needy, and lick your lips. “That can be arranged.”

[ecoamerica]

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[butterfilledpockets]

beep beep mother fucker wake up and smell the AUs

(aka the Aus that have ben stuck in my mind for too long and now they are unleashed)

first up-

Turtles are Strange (Life is strange au)

I thought- hey, Mikey and Max both got time travel powers, what am I to do with this? And then I made this thing.

Little details about the designs:

Donnie has a tattoo of Leo's red crest marks on each of his forearms

Mikey is wearing one of Donnie's spare shirts in the art bellow

Donnie is wearing one of Leo's shirts under his jacket

Mikey's jacket is Max's OG jacket from the games

(WARNING THIS IS NOT A HAPPY ONE) If you know the game's plot YOU KNOW

(I have changed a lot from the OG game there is ZERO romance except for a brief appearance from Usagi and a small subplot) (and I've also removed some of the more triggering aspects due to personal reasons)

Long story short, Big Mama and Splinter split up, and she takes Donnie in the divorce. Afraid to loose anymore of his family, Splinter packs up and leaves Arcadia with Raph, Leo and Mikey, taking them far away to the city. This happening when they were 12-14

About two years down the line, Leo runs away to reunite with his twin in Arcadia Bay, which he does. Mikey and Raph stay behind in the city, Mikey to young to really understand what's going on, and Raph insistent on staying with pops.

Years later, Mikey decides he wants to go to Blackwell Academy in his old hometown, as he wants to see his family and study photography/painting. Mikey discovers he has time powers during a fight in the bathroom where he saves the life of one of the people.

This turns out to be Donnie, who has grown rougher and bitter, as he feels he was left behind by his family.

And now, Leo is missing.

(I have the ENTIRE plot of this AU written, and if you guys wanna hear more PLEASE SAY SO)

originally this was gonna be a full multi choice comic, but I couldn't settle on an art style I liked that was quick and easy to draw, and I am not paid enough/lh to draw a fully rendered comic like that.

here is the other AU

[frienderbee]

I wish April was more Kraang-ish in 2012- like if you're going to make her half Kraang mutant whatever, don't just give her cool powers. Just imagine okay:

Her hair is constantly floating slightly, initially in a sort of static way, which confuses her growing up but isn't a major sign of alarm

As she starts to develop and connect with her powers it starts floating a little more noticeably

it reacts to her powers which tend to react a lot to her emotions when she's not consciously pushing for them

because of this the turtles have found great entertainment in annoying April to watch her hair twitch and float around.

They can always tell when she's really mad cause her hair looks like she's been shocked and starts to spark

Because of her emotions effecting her powers and hair before she got a good control of her powers she spent a lot of her time desperately trying to stay calm when in school or in public

Despite how annoying Casey knows he can be he tries to help her stay calm whenever he sees her start to fuss over her hair. (The hair tie she keeps in usually keeping it at bay but not stopping it completely)

The whites of her eye have always been more of an off yellow, green at the edges if you really look. Her dad decided not to mention the way they seemed to glow unnaturally in the dark.

As her powers grew, a pinker hue started to spread in her Iris till eventually her eyes were purple with pink streaks instead of blue

Sometimes she looks in her fathers own blue eyes and wonders if she still looks human enough to pass as his daughter

Her teeth are pointy. Like really pointy. She's never tested how sharp they are (despite Donnies inquiries) but they are definitely sharp enough for her to avoid smiling naturally her whole childhood.

The turtles end up being the first people she finds herself comfortable enough around to let her real smile show (They thought they were cool and didn't question them further)

The turtles actually didn't notice how abnormal April looked and seemed until they met Casey and it clicked that humans usually don't glow slightly when they're happy- yep that one's definitely the Kraang DNA then

Donnie and Casey both briefly had moments where they wondered if they just adored April so much that she looked like she was glowing at times till they realised that sure they love April but she's definitely glowing for real

She's got a weird sort of energy around her, Donnie believes it may actually be the sheer power she holds but April feels more like everyone around her can just sense she's different.

The strange energy around her stopped her from ever really making any friends growing up, even before any of her Kraang features were too noticeable. Everyone immediately picking up that she was "alien", even if they didn't realise how literal that was.

April has no idea how Casey is seemingly immune to this "off-putting vibe"

He's not immune, he felt it but was more intrigued than scared.

The turtles felt it too but just assumed it was cause they weren't used to having a human around that it felt so "off".

Eventually everyone got so used to it that they only really notice this energy when April is using a lot of her power or is using it directly on them.

A very basic drawing I made to try and get an idea of how much about her I'd change. (I am much more a writer than an artist and really this is just for fun and as a way for me to organise my thoughts. I basically traced as much as this as I could from a screenshot)

More sketches of her

[baraturts]

I really love how you put details on Donnie's skin. Honestly, I didn't like the Bayverse designs at first because of the nostrils + this is probably the only version where they make the turtles buff and tall, but now I'm starting to like their design right after the 2k3 one . BTW, how's the favourite turtle + design?

Thanks! It's just a small scale-print png I slap on in low opacity on his skin and then softly erase where I don't want it. And used a quite heavy texture png on overlay mode over the whole image to make it look a bit gritty.

And yeah, same! Was veeery unsure about the Bay-turts first, but warmed up to them immensely. And I have the same favorite turtle-designs as you! Right now I'm greatly enjoying drawing the Bay-turts, but wanna try my hands on the 2k3 boys soon too (perhaps with some tiny personal tweaks), been a long time~

[camilieroart]

Since I am still not over how much effort you put into your responses, I got something I would love to hear your take on: Crossover of all the turtles with Color coded.

Leo: you know that meme "shut up 5's a ten is speaking"? Yeah.I feel like the early Leo's wouldn't be very impressed, Bay verse and 2012 Leo would be even less impressed and maybe a little salty and Rise!Leo would to a big gasp feeling personally attacked. Color coded Leo would say the phrase (obviously). I think it would come with rise and cc bickering but eventually bonding over this, annoying everyone with their shenanigans but that secret rivalry regarding who actually is the ten would stay in the back of their heads.

Donnie: rise and cc Donnie would be up to no good, leaving Bay verse and 2012 Don to be concerned to say the least. Idk about the other ones though.

Raph: tough guy sleep overs. Likely challenging their Leos or other Leos because why not. Also I think they would be really helpful by giving each other tips for knitting and fighting. Also they will all be a bit jelly seeing big guy rise!raph

Mikey: plenty of emotional intelligence and debates regarding Pizza toppings. I'd imagine them all just vibing, skateboarding and having some really big brain moments (decorated with the occasional sticker and glitter bombs to their brothers)

It would be so fun seeing more canon crossovers with other title versions.

Anyhow, love your work and please stay hydrated!(◍•ᴗ•◍)✧*。

While I do like drawing to answer asks, if I draw this one I will have several burn-outs and perish on the floor, so : I'll be answering this one differently. Unfortunately these do take me a LOT of time as well so it's just Rise and 2012, since they're the one I'm the most familiar with (I've seen/read the rest)

Basically it's a pair, and how they feel about eachothers/ like eachothers. For example, in the first image, Rise Leo and CC Leo are absolute besties. COLORCODED TMNT AU MASTERPOST

Here are some meme templates bonus with the Colorcoded Crew :

Yeah there's even like 4 or 3 more

[purpledisastertwin900]

OKAY LISTEN

One thing I absolutely hate ab the TMNT fandom is that everybody draws/writes the Bayverse kids as super sexy, sexual, explicit, and adult. Son.

They are 15.

They are idiots.

But are there like, ANY crack/fluff fics ab them! NO! It’s all hardcore explicit and disgusting!! Guys!

They’re idiots not sexual!

And I have PROOF!

Times they were ✨so dumb✨ in the first movie:

2 minutes in, Raph uses his “Batman Voice” on April.

Mikey has a really big crush on April. He says the most idiotic and out of pocket stuff to her the whole movie, such as: We’re teenagers-but we can still have ✨adult conversations✨ *eyebrow goes up, queue “suave” chuckle*

And then-“Guys I totally talked to a girl!” “Shut UP Mikey!”

On their wait home from the encounter with April they all got stuck in a tunnel opening together, with the 3 facing one way and Mikey facing the other way, he notices his advantage and farts on them on purpose=sibling culture personified

Sneaking back into the lair= a shushing fest “-YoU GoT SpIt In My EyE”

Splinter finds them, Donnie and Mikey try to come up with excuses: “Uhhh I forgot to soak my retainer!!” *tries to sneak away, gets shlapped* “I’m asleep! I’m sleepwalking rn! Mikey’s totally innocent-“ *gets shlapped*

Dang raph acc knitted like a whole blanket right then in the Hashi (is that how you spell it-)

*calling April for the first time* “It’s me! Donatello-remember me, turtle, four eyes-nvm” and at the end: “Come alone! Or you shall be punished-and and stuff”

Also Raph is wearing boots. Like straight up boots. Like puss in boots kind of boots. wHy dOeS hE GeT bOoTs

The whole Adrenalin scene BRO-“I feel like CLEANING!!” Leo besides Adrenalin wtf are you on

Donnie, entering the line of fire: “Oh my gosh they have GUNS” *voice goes up 6 SIX HECKIN OCTAVES* i cannot watch this without WHEEZING

Yall soon as they figured out they were bulletproof they immediately went directly into the line of fire to get shot at bc they thought it was awesome, like they grinned and did it on PURPOSE.

Raph, in the back of a semi careening down the mountain: “My shells cracked, j tape it up”

Donatello, also in truck: “Allow me to be the badass for once” -he then DOUBLE takes like ooohhh I just said that what-

*jumps out of semi*

Also Donatello, sliding down mountain in front of a car: “I’ve always wanted to try this” FLIPS A CAR-GIGGLES and SNORTS bc of it

Raph really said WOOOOHOOOO as he took out a car

*Slapping Leo to wake him up as they slide down the mountain bc hes unconscious*

Donnie yeets raph into an assault vehicle, Raph enjoys it and totals the vehicle

*Mikey mourns April and Verne as they have just careened over a cliff*

Raph, sliding by like on a sled but there’s no sled: They ain’t dead numb nuts!

Mikey: oh! Right on.

Elevator scene. Y’all know what I’m talking ab.

“Let’s play buck buck” and it works somehow bc ofc

Donnie: *succeeds* “Who wants Italian, I’m buyin-terimasu for everybody!!”

Mikey freaking blew up Verns car while trying to play music so he could sing to April

Mikey continues flirting with April and ALL three of his bros are so embarrassed and trying to get him to shut the f up

Mikey continues to sing horribly off key and with awful timing

Last line of the movie, as our heroes fade into the night: “SHUT UP Mikey!!!”

So yeah they’re silly guys.

So so dumb.

And honestly they’re so underrated, everybody hates the bay movies but like honestly it’s pretty funny and they’re fun movies to watch.

So yeah.

I love my silly guys.

[sagelemonaide]

tell me about your current hyperfixation/possible special interest

tmnt tangent lmaoo

so. there is so much development between the tv series alone, and the comics have so much more, but this is about the tv series rn so

in my opinion, splinter had the most development between every show. in the 87 series he showed up a lot, but wasn't much assistance

in '03 he got more dad-ish, but still, there wasn't as much support to him. he taught the turtles and helped them, but most of their development was on their own.

in 2012, lots happened lol (spoilers lie ahead) in the third season, splinter got killed by shredder. before that in the series, splinter supposedly 'died' one other time, in the season one - season two area. through there, the turtles were in a barn in the woods training and all that jazz. and don't get me wrong here, splinter did train the turtles, but most of the character development they had was on their own, the only thing splinter really did for them was point them in an obscure direction.

going on to rise, splinter is a great dad. people say he's "absent" and all that shit but in one episode (season one?? i think) there's a montage-esque thing that shows splinter teaching mikey how to draw, helping leo and raph with a lemonade stand, and comforting donnie after he got hurt. by far in any series, rise splinter is the best dad.

but then, there's the movies.

the '90s movies are wonderful, every aspect (except april being white but thats not the point rn) splinter is a great dad in that movie. he tells them (in the first movie) that someday he'll be gone and they'll have to keep honing their skills as ninja, etc. wonderful dad through those movies in my opinion

the 07 movie is. question able in animation and storyline but splinter encourages the turtles (i have not watched that movie in a while i do not remember much about it)

i refuse to talk about the micheal bay movies + i already talked about rise and that characterization carries on to the movie

and i am so fucki excited for mutant mayhem. based on the 2nd trailer and the new clip we got for fathers day, splinter cares about the turtles. he let them sleep with him, and he texts them to know where they are. he cares. can't say much otherwise rn but hooly shit

on anyway tangent over everybody go home

[raisin-shell]

Turtle Tattoos

Okay so as well all know, tattoos were one of the many differences that made the Bay boys very different from any other version of them at that time. But, how exactly did they get their tattoos? Certainly not by any humans. I have some head cannon for you on this, and this will be solely based on the Bay film’s canon only. I’ll delve into it later but let me present to you the topic of our conversation…. Leonardo’s worst tattoo.

Stop acting like you just didn’t cringe when you saw it. It looks like something a teenager would draw on their arm while huffing a sharpie in detention. Literally. I want to argue. Here’s my explanation for why this wholly abomination is on such a perfect arm.

I believe the boys all came to an age where they became very curious about tattoos, particularly Raphael and Michelangelo. Donatello had the knowledge at this age to build them their very own tattoo gun. I feel I really don’t need to explain that. So he naturally was pressured and honestly just wanted his two brothers to shut the fuck up about it…. He built them a tattoo gun.

Now, given what we know from the Bay film… particularly the packaging the DVD came in, Mikey is the one responsible for all the graffiti in the lair. That’s right. Baby bean is incredibly artistic. I’m thinking that Raphael saw a really cool idea for a tattoo on a human man and he wanted one. He convinced his brother Mikey that he had the skills to do it so Mikey naturally jumped on board. But once the two had convinced Donnie to create the machine, Raph’s exuberance about getting a tattoo seemed to dissipate.

Leonardo picked up on Raphael’s discomfort, knowing he was sure as shit not going to be the one to go first. And honestly at this particular age, both he and Raph were constantly in a bit of an alpha male pissing match. Leonardo took the lead and volunteered to go first. Yep. You heard it here first. This was Mikey’s first tattoo. That’s right. Mikey is responsible for the abomination on Leonardo’s arm. BUT Michelangelo ALSO did the tat on Raph’s arm below. After practice on Leo of course.

Now, we all saw in the Bay films how much more stern master Splinter is the younger the boys were so, YES they got into insanely deep shit for pulling this little stunt. You also might be asking yourself okay… then who tatted Mikey? The answer is simple and is in the movie. Raphael is shown carving himself with his own sias out of wood. He’s artsy honey. Raphael did the tribal work both on Leo and Mikey’s arms.

Why not Donatello? Because he’s too angular and mechanical. Leonardo? Well maybe. But nothing in THE MOVIE leads me to believe either of the two have artistic talents. Just because Leo is a bookworm doesn’t mean he can draw. We aren’t shown this so I’m just going off of what clues we were given.

You guys let me know your thoughts in the comments. 💚

[exovapor]

My first attempt at headcannons for the guys as children.

RAPH:

Fully blown oral fixation, a soothing mechanism for insecurities.  Stealing bottles and binkies from his brothers when Splinter wasn't looking.   

He would mainly steal from Donnie (hence D’s leaner frame).  

He targeted Donnie because Donnie’s personality made him was less likely to wail about his missing bottle and more likely to whimper in solitude.  Mikey was a wailer, drama queen in the making.

So attached to his oral soothing rituals that Splinter had to resort to hiding the binkies from Raph when it became obvious that he was WAY too old to be sucking on them.

Always referred to pacifiers as his binkies (never used the word pacifier or passey).

Once his binkies were “stolen away”, he started sticking other things in his mouth instead.  All his crayons, pens, and pencils would be chewed beyond recognition.  He swallowed more than one toy on accident (and had to wait to get it back...ew).  Eventually, moved on to more acceptable items such as lollipops and toothpicks,

What were his insecurities?  Total Middle Child Syndrome...jealousy.

Being the physically ‘bigger’ brother but not the eldest, he always had to submit to Leo’s authority.  Which made no sense to him.  He was big enough to take care of himself.

Resentful that Splinter didn’t think he was responsible enough to watch himself when Splinter left the lair on errands. 

Always thinking that Splinter favored Leo.  (It wasn’t true, Leo just carried responsibility well and could be trusted to make good decisions).

Always thought if they had a Mom that he would be her favorite and not Leo.

Would often watch TV shows with strong female characters and image them as his mother.  HIs favorites were Nell Carter and Roseanne Barr.  He liked their Direct-No-BS-Attitudes.

Another insecurity?  Not fond of the dark.  Needed a light source of some sort on at all times.

Had a Gloworm Doll he slept when until he was....well....he still has it.  It lays on his bed but he doesn’t sleep with it!  It’s just there, you know, it is sentimental.

Still sleeps with a night light on though.

Mikey:

Was a pretty calm baby, as long as he was dry and fed.  If he wasn’t, total water works!

His personality was chill; however, with four others to cater to him, he was used to getting his way.  (Youngest Child Syndrome)

You had a toy he wanted, he wailed until he got it.  

You were watching TV and he wanted to watch Sesame Street, he cried crocodile tears until Splinter, or Leo, made you change the channel.

Was the one who took the longest to potty train.  Splinter still thinks of that lesson as his most fought after achievement as a father!

Oh, and Mikey didn’t like keeping his diapers on either....so, watch where you step!

Was that nudist child, always taking off his clothes and running au naturel all day long.

About the only article of clothing he ever put on voluntarily was his superhero cape.  (What a sight!  Supehero, naked kid).

Would steal Raph’s chewed up crayons and pens and draw on every surface in the lair...then blame it on Donnie. (poor Donnie...not that Splinter ever believed Mikey).

Had a major crush on Barbie.  Watched all her commercials with enthusiasm.  (And God FORBID if you changed the channel during a Barbie commercial!)

Had his own Barbie doll that he’d cuddle with every night.  Actually, still has that Barbie, but she lost her clothes long ago.....also falsely blamed on Donnie.

Other childhood crushes include Kelly from Saved By The Bell, Ashley Banks from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Topanga from Boy Meets World (although he and Donnie often fought over her).  

Well...that is until Mikey discovered Bay Watch.

Donnie

Was a very quiet, observant baby.  Generally, very calm and non-demanding.

He out grew toys just as quickly as his stretching frame out grew clothes.  They just didn’t keep his interest.

Learned to walk, talk, and potty train all in the same week 

Splinter was grateful for the potty training skill but the talking skill brought headaches.

Donnie was that “why” kid.  

Everything he saw or that was said to him, he had to ask “why”.  Then, when you gave him an answer, he’d ask “why” about the answer!  He wanted to know everything about everything...the kid was exhausting.

Nearly 24/7 Splinter had a lanky kid following him around asking why this and why that.  Splinter was ecstatic when technology advanced enough for Donnie to research information on his own.

Well, that is until Donnie found the more...au naturel... side of the internet.

Splinter still believes Donnie was the poster child for the implementation of Parental Controls.

The only actual toy that Donnie really took to was his plush Hulk Hogan doll.  Splinter thought it was cute that Donnie attached so strongly to the red bandana figure, it must of reminded Donnie of his older brother Raph.

Strange how often Donnie beat up on that doll though...like he had some pent-up aggression towards his bigger brother for some reason.

Donnie and Leo were the wrestling fans of the family.  They would never miss a show.  Jumping around and grappling for hours afterwards and usually breaking something in the lair to Splinter’s dismay.

Fought with Mikey over Topanga from Boy Meets World, because she was so cute AND smart, until he discovered Madame Curie (smart science women are HOT!).

Got tattled on, to Splinter, by Leo, for knowing a “Madam”.

Still to this day prints out pictures of Madame Curie photoshopped in a dominatrix outfit and posts them randomly in Leo’s room.

Leo

A very CLINGY baby.

The type that will not sleep unless you are holding him and then will wake up the moment you try to put him down.

Even in the crawling stage he would chasing Splinter to wherever he was and cling to his robe.

Cooking?  Leo’s hanging on to the robe.  Washing dishes?  Leo’s hanging on to the robe.  Meditating?  Leo’s crawled into your lap.  Showering?  Leo’s crying outside the shower stall until you get out.

In fact, the only way Splinter taught Leo to walk was to take the sash off his robe and put it in the toddler’s hand so that Leo thought he had a hold of Splinter.

Enjoyed watching wrestling with Donnie, loved to practice the moves on Donnie so that he could be experienced enough to use them on Raph.

LOVED board games as a kid (namely Clue, Risk, and Battle Ship).  Heck, who’s he kidding?  He still does!  Don’t ever agree to play with him, you’ll be playing for HOURS (food and sleep be damned!).

As a kid Leo grew more focused on winning his father’s approval through helping to parent this brothers.  

Bonus?  He got to boss them around!

When Splinter would leave the lair on errands he would leave Leo in charge, Leo it called it “Do What Leo Says” time.

More often than not, the entire time was spent with Leo and Raph arguing and the two younger brothers running amuck.  Donnie surfing God knows what sites on the internet and naked Super Mikey trying to see if turtles can really fly.

Love to tell Raph that he saw monsters under their beds or ghosts in their rooms just to even the score for causing trouble when Splinter left the lair.

Feels slightly bad about that now....after all, this HUGE hulk of a brother still sleeps with a Gloworm for goodness sake!

[remmushound]

Beyond the bay part 21: Trouble in paradise

Summary: Raph encounters a friend

Tags: @brightlotusmoon @selfindulgenz @ilo-artistry @dakotafinely

Content warning (more severe warnings will be colored red so triggers can be avoided while reading) - swears, violence, blood, capitals/bold, passing mention of r*pe, mentions of lynching, mentions of Murder, mentions of violence involving a child

It was Raphael’s decision to split the team into thirds. Three patrols, split evenly between teams of two. They could get the patrol done three times as fast as they could otherwise, even if not everyone was happy with who they were paired with. Raph had been hoping to get paired with Raphael or Michelangelo— hell, he would have even been happy with the younger, weirder theatre version on Donnie! The only one he didn't want to get paired with was the one he was paired with: Leonardo. He didn't have anything against the kid but, to put it bluntly, he was pissed. Pissed that his Mikey was hurt and pissed there was nothing he could do about it and pissed he would get stuck with someone so much like his Mikey when he just wanted to blow off some steam. How could he be mad when every time he looked at Leonardo all he saw was his baby brother that couldn’t come with them? The one he had left back at the lair?

Leonardo seemed just as thrilled to be paired with Raph. Though in front of the team he had put up a wall of excitement, that wall ebbed away the moment he and Raph were off on their own with no one else around to witness them. With no other authority in sight, they could do whatever they wanted! And Leonardo knew exactly what he wanted.

Raph almost didn't stop in time when Leonardo stood abruptly in front of him, nearly colliding with the several-feet smaller slider. Neither spoke, Raph biting his lip and expecting the one who had stopped him to say something while Leonardo seemed content in drawing out the whole awkward encounter as long as possible.

“Ssssomething I can help you with?” Raph prompted finally.

“Let’s cut the shit.” Said Leonardo, and Raph winced at the swear that felt wrong coming from someone like Leonardo. “You don’t want to be here with me, that much is obvious.”

“It’s not—“

“Buh-buh-buh!” Leonardo waggled a finger, “Let me finish.”

Raph grumbled, wishing he could just reach out and snap that annoying, wagging finger, but he motioned for Leonardo to carry on.

“I don’t want to be here with you either.” Leonardo said, and then he motioned to the lack of others. “No one is here forcing us to be together. We have an hour before we have to meet back with the others, and we can do whatever we want with that hour. We don’t have to be together.”

“You’re saying…?” Raph didn't want to assume even when he was almost certain of what Leonardo met. Better safe than sorry, especially with a Leo.

“You go do your thing, I go do my thing, and neither of us talk about this again.”

Raph’s head tilted, jaw tightening, as he tried to make some sense of Leonardo’s still and confident expression. It certainly reminded him of his Leo in many ways, even if it looked strange on a face so much younger. This seemed like something his Leo might do too; there were a lot of ways they were similar, even if it was only now just coming to Raph’s attention. The way Leonardo stood, and the way he raised his eye bridge in a ‘what are you gonna do’ manner. The way he snorted a sharp breath out his nose when Raph took too long answering.

Raph decided not to risk any more delay. Hoping he wouldn’t regret this, Raph brought his hand to swipe at his jaw just to distract himself.

“Yeah. Right. Sounds good.”

“Sounds good.” Leonardo echoed with a nod, eyes still watching, always watching.

“But just uh. Just one thing first.” Raph said, raising a finger. “What do you have to do that’s so damned important?”

Leonardo didn't like that; it was written all over his face. “I could ask you the same question.”

Raph swore internally. This was a godsend— an opportunity to get away— and he really hoped he hadn’t just ruined his chances. This was a good thing, and who was he to question what Leonardo wanted to do when he wasn’t willing to tell the same? It wasn’t anything bad, just blowing off some steam! And only on people who deserved it! Just because Leo insisted they not get involved in petty robberies, that they avoid being seen, didn't mean Raph couldn’t help some poor bloke caught down in the wrong alley.

“Fine.” Raph made his decision. “I won’t ask if you won’t ask.”

“And I won’t.” Leonardo tossed his arms in the air, lowered his chin, and backed slowly until he was standing right on the edge of the building, “Meet back here in an hour, and don’t be late.”

Leonardo fell backward. Raph was expecting such antics, but when it happened he couldn’t help but rush to the edge of the building to look— to watch as Leonardo plummeted quickly toward the streets below, making no effort to stop or slow, almost as if he was reclining on the air. At the very last moment he swiped his odachi and was gone in a flash of blue.

Raph let himself breathe. He doubted he would ever get used to that. He was alone now, free to do whatever he wanted. And he knew exactly what he wanted.

~~~

These streets, these dark New York streets, were filled with just the type of scum Cassandra Jones hunted on the nightly. The type who’d rob a man and leave him with a knife in the gut. The type who’d rip a woman’s dress to ribbons while her screams of help went unheard, for who would help woman who screamed rape? No one would. But if they screamed fire? Well, help would be right on the way then. These were the types that would whine about their tires being slashed, and in that same breath slash the throat of another. Cruel. Thoughtlessly violent. At least when Cassandra had those violent events, hers were justified! Not just cruelty for cruelty sake.

These men she had been tracking deserved every ounce of fury they had coming. Cowardly people who came in the night, stole what was hers. Burned down the one good thing she’d had ever. When she was in the Foot Clan, she had grown used to not having anything of her own. Her room, her food, even her clothes were shared between all of the clan as a unit. No one had property of their own, and she had never even considered such a thing as private possession until she had gotten out. Until she had worked and toiled and slaved and bought a place of her own, a bakery— a business! Just for it to be burned to the ground because of who she was, and who her friends were. She couldn’t let that stand. She couldn’t let them get away with it, and she wouldn’t.

She found them.

They didn't see it coming. How could they? Cassandra’s outfit was the most unassuming black hoodie, skin-tight black leggings clinging tight to her form. Black gloves, black combat boots, black everything! Except for her mask. Her favorite, custom hockey mask. If one were to have nothing more than a quick glance at her, a figure moving in the nights shadows, they might assume the being was nothing more than a floating demon's face come to punish their sine or else drag them to the pits of inferno forever. Everything about the mask was Cassandra’s own: the piercing yellow paint, the red-streaking adornments like blood across the helm, and with two horns tipped red. There were red circles around the eye-holes too, and fangs painted on around the mouth, pulling her appearance into a permanent state of anger.

SLASH went her naginata, making contact with the first goon. Like a geyser came blood from the wound, and in that same moment it alerted the rest of the gang of Cassandra’s presence. She didn't care; stealth was hardly her specialty, and even if it was these guys had nothing on her. They may have grown up on the streets, but she owned the streets, and she was furious! Not even a bull rhino could stop her charge.

“HOLY FUCK!” Yelled the lead goon upon firing his gun. He missed; he was an awful shot.

Cassandra fell into a ninja run, arms stuck out behind her as she all but teleported to the lead goon, bringing the shaft of her naginata swinging for an abdomen shot. A sharp crack, and a gasp. Blood spilling from his mouth. He stumbled, and he fell back with nothing but the trash to cushion his fall. That face. Cassandra recognized that face from somewhere.

A knife slashed through the air and through Cassandra’s momentary stupor. Cassandra reached back, locking her wrist into the attacker's wrist. She gained leverage on him— who, after all, would expect someone so small to have such strength?— and she swung his blade-wielding arm right back around until it pierced through the soft flesh of his side. He screamed, and he fell aside clutching the wound. Another enemy stepped up to take his place.

Ninja stars, stored safely in the loose sleeves of Cassandra’s hoodie, flew out and assaulted the remaining men. Even if she wasn’t a ninja anymore, her old tricks would always come in handy, especially when beating bad-guy butt! More screams, more wounds, more blood. Except this time the men started to flee down the alley, trying to escape the wrath of the unseen demon.

“Oh no you don’t…”

Cassandra’s voice was a low growl as she pursued them. How could she let them walk away so easily when they stole everything from her? They weren’t that fast, not by her standards, and she was able to leave them with several slashes from her naginata for the road before she stopped at the end of the alleyway. They would need medical attention, perhaps go several grand in debt, for those wounds to be taken care of. She wanted more, but she knew her limits, and she knew there was no use creating more loose ends by killing the careless bastards.

There was one loose end she still had to tie up. The lead goon had been left behind, unable to stand, unable to run. He was still choking on his own blood, maybe from some internal injuries. Cassandra’s hatred waned at the sight of the pathetic dying man. She hadn’t intended so much injury just from one blow, and she was even debating calling an ambulance for him before…

She realized where she knew that face from, and it wasn’t from when he had burned down her bakery. She knew those eyes— those cold, dark eyes. The first time she had seen those eyes they had had an evil glint in them, evil that couldn’t be considered human. A face among the crowd, too proud to cover his identity like some as they hanged that poor child from the overpass and then paraded her body through the streets. She knew that face, and now she held no sympathy.

She lashed her naginata again, and again. She knew which parts of him she could slice and cut up without him dying because that would be too much of a mercy to him. His screams were nothing to her. His pleas of mercy, nothing. He was nothing. When the naginata wasn’t enough anymore, she resheathed it and just started to kick the absolute hell out of him.

“Hey.”

She didn't register the deep Brooklynn voice, and just kept kicking.

“HEY! Hey hey hey!”

Hands as wide as she was grabbed her around the waist and pulled her kicking and fighting away from the man that was now lying concerningly still.

“I think ya got him!”

All it took was a second for her to grab her blade and swing it out at whoever it was that had grabbed her; it took only half of that time for the massive wall of a mutant to step back. Another second, and Cassandra recognized the great green giant with a rush of glee.

“RAPH!”

She tossed herself at the mutant turtle, not for an attack but for a hug. Raph caught her quite easily in one arm, holding the woman securely to his chest and laughing as she tried in vain to wrap her arms around him.  

“Hey— hey, easy girl!” Raph let the hug go on for a few seconds more before sitting Cassandra back down on the ground. “Don’t hurt yourself.”

Raph had hardly recognized the woman when he had seen her from the vantage of the rooftops; in fact, the only reason he had realized it was her was when he saw the weapon. The hockey mask helped too, but it was mostly that naginata of hers. Looking at her standing there before him, she seemed like a completely different person than the one he remembered. She was still slender as far as humans went, but now it was more of a natural slender than the starved body she had before. A healthy layer of fat now covered her belly and her hips to protect the muscle beneath— her face was a little rounder too.

“You lookin’ good.” Raph said with a nod, “Still a little shortcake though.”

Cassandra, wanting to get a better look at Raph, decided to remove her mask. Raph’s eyes widened at the sight of the new mass of hair that Cassandra had grown, a mess of greasy black that wasn’t unlike a shaggy dog's coat, held back with a yellow bandana so it was just barely under control.

“I’m five feet of whoop ass and I’ll whoop yours, don’t test me.”

Raph threw his head back and rumbled a deep belly laugh. “Trust me, I won’t. I’ve been on the wrong end of a little lady’s wrath once or twice before. Nice hair, by the way.”

“Thanks.” Cassandra beamed, “It’s never been this long before! I think I like it.”

“Yeah, yeah, suits you nice.” Raph cleared his throat. He nodded toward the bloodied figure. “Did uh. That guy deserve the beating or?”

“He deserves more than that.” Cassandra spat on him; she wasn’t even mad about her bakery being burned down anymore. Well— she was still mad about it, but not in that moment. “The bastard had it coming.”

“Still.” Raph said softly, like a kind parent addressing a child, “You’d’ve killed him.”

“I wouldn’t have.” Cassandra said in a low tone. “I know better. I’ve done this before.”

Raph breathed through his nose and shook his head. He knew that look of hatred in Cassandra’s eyes— he had felt that look before, and had that same look directed at him. He cupped a hand across the length of Cassandra’s back and started to guide her away toward the fire escape. She listened reluctantly.

“Come on— let’s scram before the cops get here. You weren’t exactly being quiet you know.”

And up to the rooftop they went, several buildings down from the scene, but Cassandra still had that look. That look that Raph hated.

“What did those guys do to deserve that, CJ?”

“It’s personal…” Cassandra just barely muttered.

“Too personal to share?”

“Ask my turtles; they can explain it better. What are you doing here?”

“It’s personal.”

Cassandra smirked. “Too personal to share?”

Raph smiled despite himself and shook his head. “No, no it’s not.” He told her everything, and Cassandra got even more riled up.

“Seriously?! That fucked up man!” She was practically radiating chaotic energy, starting to swing her fists like a boxer, “Where are they? I’ll take em on! Right here, right now, no mercy! I wanna kick some Jurassic Ass!”

“Actually, triceratops’ are from the cretaceous.”

“Does that really matter?”

Raph pursed his lips. “No, I guess not. But… now that I told you my personal bizz, can you tell me yours? Maybe I can help.”

Cassandra looked at Raph. She considered her options, bit her lip, and decided on one.

“They burned down my bakery. It was also my house but that’s less important.”

“Cassandra…” Raph’s voice held nothing but sympathy. “Damn. Sorry to hear that. Do you have a place to stay or…?”

“April’s letting me crash at her crib which is suuuuuuuper dope! And I got a security deposit on the place so…”

“Well, I’m not excusing what they did, but is that really grounds for a murder?” He tried not to laugh— it just slipped out.

“That wasn’t my plan.” Cassandra smiled a tired smile, “I was just gonna beat ‘em up and make them pay reimbursement for my shop. Then I realized who he was.”

“Who is he?”

“A few months ago there was a live broadcast on ABC news. A bunch of guys wearing masks hung a mutant from an overpass and then dragged her body down the interstate. He was one of them.”

Raph’s breath caught. “Oh…”

“It was just a kid. The… guys were never caught until now.” She stared at listful at the flashes of red and blue in the distance, signaling that the man she had attacked was found. Rescued; a blessing that little kitten he slaughtered hadn’t been lucky enough to receive.

“I didn't know.” Raph said; he didn't even know mutants had been exposed here! Shouldn’t that have been important enough to mention. “What about the rest of them guys that got away?”

“I’ll find them.” Cassandra was confident.

“And… would they be gettin’ the same treatment as they boss?”

“I can’t know if they were involved. They might be like me. The Foot Clan did… a lot of things I wanted nothing to do with. If they’re the same as me it’s no use. But I am gonna rob em though.”

Raph laughed and pulled back his lips to show off his teeth. “Mind if I join ya?”

Cassandra blinked, and then smiled. “I would be honored.”

[ecoamerica]

Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared

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[tmngoose]

Reassurance: a Raph & Donnie Drabble

I heard a cry in the universe for more Raph & Donnie content, so I took it upon myself to write this up. Just a quick lil’ somethin-somethin, nothin’ fancy. (You can expect a tighter, neater version of this drabble on my Ao3 once I get my deadlines out of the way!) Summary: [An interlude between Battle Nexus: New York & E-Turtle Sunshine...] Donnie finds Raph in the med-bay. They take a moment to reflect on the Shredder’s return and what had happened to them; comforting ensues.  Rating: General Audience Tags: Semi-Beta’d, Angst(?), Hurt/Comfort, Minor Injuries, Bad memories, and Hugging :U ! Word Count: Less than 1k Read it under the cut! 

"Here ya go, Draxibald!" Mikey presented a box of colored chalk to Draxum, who eyed the pieces dubiously. Some pieces were never used, others were only nubs, and one looked like someone had taken a bite out of it. 

With a shrug, Draxum pulled the cleanest piece of chalk out from the box, "These will suffice, thank you." He patted Mikey on the head and began sketching out a giant circle on the atrium's floor. Draxum worked quietly for a while until his eyes flicked up towards the Turtles, April, and Splinter, who watched him closely. 

"Sooo, how long's it gonna take you to draw this bad boy, huh?" Leo asked, folding his arms behind his head, both bored and interested at the same time.

Draxum's eye twitched, though he continued sketching the elaborate runes with a resigned sigh, "A memory-retrieval diagram as intricate and extensive as this one requires time and concentration. Why not take this moment to relax, and I shall let you know once it’s finished?" 

The group murmured in agreement, enticed by a moment to unwind, and went their separate ways. Donnie decided now would be an excellent opportunity to upgrade Sheldon and repair whatever damages had been done to his tech. If they were to faceoff against Shredder again, he'd be ready. 

Donnie was about to enter his lab until he heard a noise coming from the med-bay. With his curiosity besting him, he pivoted on his heel and changed course.

The glass doors to the med-bay quietly slid apart as Donnie stepped inside. Multiple drawers and cabinets were left open; their contents were strewn about haphazardly. The disorganization offended him, though he was too tired to be bothered by it. What intrigued Donnie more was the culprit behind the mess.

"Raph?" Donnie raised a brow, "What are you doing here?"

"Donnie!" Raph gasped, somewhat startled. "Uhm, nothing! Wh-what're you doing here?" 

"I heard someone rummaging around and took it upon myself to investigate," Donnie studied Raph's demeanor. There was something off about the way the Snapping turtle carried himself, "Arrreee you okay?"

"It's nothing, really," Raph's smile faltered. "Raph's back's a little sore, so I was lookin' for somethin' to help take away the ache." 

Donnie's expression softened, "Oh. Did you want some help with that?"

"If you don't mind? I'd really appreciate it."

"Not at all," Donnie came up to Raph's side and gingerly touched his brother's rugged shell. "Does it hurt anywhere in particular?"

"Mostly over here," Raph gestured to the area between his shoulders. "But it doesn't hurt hurt, y'know?" 

"Mm, let's have a look-see," Donnie lowered his goggles; the mismatched lenses scanned Raph's back and highlighted any bruise they came across. "It looks like your shell's a little tender from earlier," Donnie informed, raising his goggles. "Nothing a hot compress can't fix." The diagnosis wasn't surprising. Of course, Raph's back would be hurting him. After all, Raph did take the brunt of Shredder's iron-clad boots. 

Donnie's brows knitted together; the unpleasant memories came rushing back, immobilizing him before he could reach into one of the drawers.

Everything happened so fast: one moment, Donnie's inside the safety of Raph's mystic aura. Then they were sent flying across the ruined betting room in Big Mama's hotel with no time to react. 

Donnie had landed hard, right next to Raph. At first, he couldn't pick himself up, his sense of urgency working against him, even though he could feel Shredder's overwhelming presence looming over him. 

 But Raph was quick to roll over and shield him from the monstrous scrapheap with his own body. Donnie remembered how he clung to his brother's arm, bracing for the worst. He recalled how Raph struggled to keep Shredder from crushing them; how he fought to keep Donnie safe. 

"Donnie?" Raph's concerned voice called Donnie back to the med-bay. "What’s wrong?"

"I...," Donnie cleared his throat, "Something just distracted, that's all." He shook his head, "L-Let me get you that compress..."

Suddenly, Donnie felt Raph’s arms gently wrap around him, pulling him into a hug. Maybe it was the troubled look in Donnie's eyes that prompted the action, or maybe Raph was that good at telling when his brothers needed to be comforted. Whatever the reason, Donnie found himself reciprocating the motion. 

Usually, Donnie detested any hug that lasted longer than ten seconds, thirty seconds tops. But something kept Donnie from slipping out from Raph’s embrace. Did he feel guilty that it was his fault Raph got hurt? Or was he relieved that they all survived thanks to Splinter's quick thinking? 

Donnie shut his eyes tightly. He didn't want to think about what could've happened to them; what nearly happened to them. He tried to think solely of their hug and how badly they both needed it.

"Are you okay?" Raph asked, softly breaking the silence between them.

"I... I think so," Donnie answered. "Are you okay?" 

Raph blinked, thrown off by the question. Was he okay? He wasn't sure. They had all been through a lot, and they weren't out of the woods yet. Fighting Big Mama and her bozo Nexus champions was one thing, but Shredder? That was a whole new level of danger. It fell on Raph's shoulders as the leader to ensure the safety of his brothers, even if it meant putting himself in harm's way.

"I'm okay," Raph finally responded with a shaky sigh. "We're both okay, right?" 

"Affirmative," Donnie nodded, their hug finally coming undone. "Now, how about setting you up with that compress I promised?"

"Raph likes the sound of that," Raph flashed his signature, snaggle-toothed grin. "Thanks, Donnie."

"Don't mention it," Donnie gave a small, sincere smile, "After all, what’re brothers for?”

"I couldn't have said it any better myself!"

[imma-lil-teapot]

TMNT 2003/2K3 Headcanon: Crying - (Raphael)

Feel free to scroll past this first part if you’re not interested in my silly rambling and nonsense. I won’t mind. Promise. ;)

Alrighty then, lockdown has officially started here. :/ *Unenthusiastic streamers fly* Oh well, look what we have all the time in the world for: WRITING! *Enthusiastic streamers fly* Not too much extra to add in this regard since the last headcanon (thanks a bunch for the likes btw, guys :D ), so I guess we’ll just get right into it. :)

Please bear in mind that I’m SUPER rusty! Haven’t written in ages so there are bound to be typos and all matter of general errors scattered throughout the post. Don’t pet them! They bite!  

Anyhoo~ Despite attempting to create and share with the goal in mind to uplift spirits, I decided to start on a rather upsetting subject (PLEASE DON’T LEAVE! They end on happy notes ;) ) because, Imma just come and say it, I enjoy seeing my favourite characters shed tears (not for just any old reason -their personality plays a huge role in this- and CERTAINLY not for sadistic reasons, land sakes no! But… well, you’ll see~ ;) ) It makes me all gooey and fuzzy inside to see them display such raw emotion and I just wanna leap into the TV screen to hug and console them. I dunno why. Maybe I’m nuts like that. (Remembers Raph crying at the farm when Leo was badly injured and wishes she could just hug them all and take away the pain) Oh well, if you enjoy visualizing the same, then *High Fives*. :)

So yeah, if you read the title, you’ll know this is based on the 2003/2k3 series (my favs). Hope you all enjoy~ :D Grab tissues cause sad turts ahead! :’(

Jibber jabber stops here~

TURTLES~

LEONARDO

RAPHAEL - You are here

DONATELLO - Coming soon

MICHELANGELO - Coming soon

WARNING(S): Because of the subject, Angst and Hurt/Comfort will be present.

RATING: G (General)

WORD COUNT: Uhhh... *Shrugs shoulders*

ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD:

Well, you’re just gonna have to scroll down to find him, Master Splinter. ;) I really didn’t know what to add so... *Shrugs* And look at da squishy Turtle Tots, dey so cuuuuute!!! <3 

TO THE HEADCANONS~~~~

~RAPHAEL~

– With his infamous hotheadedness and quick capacity for battle, it’s of course natural at first for one to expect Big Bad Raphie-Boy to be completely opposed to the very thought of crying. He is the resident ‘tough guy’ after all.  

– However, this notion couldn’t be farther from the truth: sure, he can be brash, quick to temper and lash out at those that give him enough incentive to, but underneath that rockhard exterior beats the heart of a real softie, and when something truly upsets that tender muscle, you can bet Mr. Hothead’s not going to try too hard to keep the tears at bay. 

– He’s as passionate as he is headstrong, and reining in such powerful emotions proves to be difficult at most times for him, so out of the four of them, and given the right circumstances, Raph can be surprisingly easy to get the tears flowing.

-- He’s no crybaby by a long shot, mind you, but he also knows that holding back on the waterworks is pointless and makes one just feel worse in the long run. If you’re going to cry, just cry. Simple as that. 

-- Like all of his brothers, Red can’t handle the thought of losing any of his family and close friends. It tears him apart inside and he’ll desperately attempt to protect and prevent anything terrible from happening to them, but when it does, he’s an emotional wreck and doesn’t always know how to handle his distress.  

– His initial reaction is to be by their sides before becoming outraged, and depending on the different situations, it’s not uncommon for him to also nag and pass remarks at the injured brother(s). It’s the only real way of expressing his fear of losing them before dampness starts forming in his eyes.

– Despite his tough guy front, he’s not against crying in front of his family and friends at all. He knows his place and doubts a few tears will have them seeing  him in a different light, particularly his father/master and brothers for they’ve seen the worst in him on many occasions. 

– It’s only when a particularly harsh meltdown wishes to happen does Raph choose to spare them the sideshow; he knows it’s not a pretty sight, so before the sniffling begins, he leaves the Lair and heads topside for some much needed air.

– He chooses the nearby rooftops as his destination; the ideal location to let go of the ever building waves of raw emotion that continue to grip at his chest, and by the time he makes it up the fire escape ladder, he spares little time letting out a rough growl in frustration, kicking an air vent a couple of times for good measure.

 -- With some rage and frustration now out of his system, he heads on over to the brick wall and turns his back to it, roughly sliding down into a sitting position and exhales a dismal sigh. As he subconsciously replays the earlier events through his mind, he finally allows the next phase of his sorrow to surface unbridled. 

-- He dolefully holds his head in one hand and balances it on a single knee pad as the tears now begin to flow freely.

– They instantly soak into his mask, and he grits his teeth as he feels the surges of emotion wrack his entire body. He doesn’t characteristically whimper or sob when crying, but he coughs a lot, and his nostrils leak like a faucet, forcing him to frequently sniff and snort just in order to breathe. This is the very reason why he refuses to really break down in front of the the others; not because of his tenacity, but because he simply finds the whole affair gross. His family certainly didn’t need to hear him constantly hacking up a lung and sounding like an untuned trumpet every time he blew his nose.

– The episode doesn’t last too long, though, much to his delight, and after some more thorough nasal clearing, Raph then wipes at his still somewhat wet eyes and mask before drawing out another -now exhausted- sigh. 

-- He’d begin gradually twirling a single sai around whilst he collected his thoughts. It felt more natural to keep his hands busy than have them being static when he was feeling this way. As his demeanor altered, so did the actions he performed with it.  

– He wouldn’t return to his family just yet for there was still some brooding left to be done... At least that was what he’d convinced himself he was doing. He wanted a clear head when he returned so for now, he’d remain in place on the rooftop in the crisp air with the city bursting with life just below him. 

-- He had to admit, it was certainly the best place for him to be with his thoughts. Comforting in fact. A true New Yorker at heart.

BONUS EXTRA~

– Aside from having everyone special to him perish, one of Raph’s greatest fears is his inability to fully control his own temper. On more than one occasion has it gotten out of hand and thus resulted in him injuring his own brothers, and it had shaken him to the core each time. 

– He’s come to the realization that he is his own worst enemy when it comes to reigning in his own inner rage, and it uneases him immensely that it could happen again and he’s fully aware that the probability is higher than he cares to admit. The more he concerns himself with it, the more it upsets him and thus, the tears of frustration start. 

– Fortunately, his bros are there for him and can tell when he’s feeling low about it. They know the best course of action is to have a light-hearted conversation about it with him and offer their reassurances... With Mikey of course adding his own two cents on the matter in his unique Mikey style, which usually involves poking fun at his brother in red and causing Raph to go from broody to enraged in record breaking time. Just how it should be.

– Not only is Raph A-okay with crying himself, but he’s often first on the emotional support committee to offer the shoulder of comfort to his friends, amazingly enough, and he’s actually pretty decent at it too. Though, not for absolutely everyone; he has his limitations when he knows someone’s really just blubbering for attention.

– He wasn’t always so accepting of shedding tears, though: as a very young Turtle Tot, he often thought of it as being too ‘babyish’ for him to do and thus despised it whenever something happened to cause him to tear up. 

– It took Master Splinter a rather surprisingly lengthy amount of time to change his perception of crying. No amount of explanations on how it was a perfectly natural expression of emotion would sway his son. 

– It got so out of hand that Raph would be in utter denial about crying right in front of his father, even while the latter would be staring at his tear-stained face directly in front of him. “M‘not cryin’,” the little Turtle would sniff. “Cryin’s fah sissies.” 

-- Splinter could only sigh and shake his head as he knelt down to embrace his son. When could he feel that Raphael would not fight the closeness, he’d give him the same lecture again, and Raph would finally succumb to his emotions and sob into his father’s robe whilst Splinter comfortingly rubbed his shell.

-- He could only guess that his words finally got through to his son for ever since that day, Raph’s entire attitude had altered for the better on the subject.

BONUS EXTRA EXTRA FEMALE READER OR S/O EDITION~ (Can also use an OC/FC insert if you wish, up to you)

From the moment you entered the Lair, you could clearly see something was up; Mikey was nursing an obvious wrist injury with a bag of frozen peas and hovering around Donny’s work area, complaining about the swelling to the purple-banded Turtle, who appeared to be paying little attention towards his ‘younger’ sibling as his back was turned.

"Hi, (Y/N).” 

You visibly jumped at the voice behind you and briskly turned, only to meet Leonardo’s placid form, and he swiftly apologized for the start. 

After the formal greeting, you gestured with a thumb in confusion at the former scene with an added, “Do I want to know?”

The leader’s facial features altered to a more serious aspect. “The end result of testing Raph’s patience,” he offered, which instantly had you more than a little concerned. Sure, Mikey could come off as being annoying, but to go so far as to physically harm him? 

“Are you sure it’s not worse than ‘just a sprain’?” You overheard the injured brother asking Donny, whose focus remained on a contraption of sorts you couldn’t quite make out on his desk.

“Yes, Mikey, you’ll live,” he responded with just a hint of weariness. “But no swinging your nunchucks around for a coupla days,” which was met with a typical whine in response from his patient. 

“It’s really not as bad as he makes it out to be,” Leo then added, turning your attention back towards him. Though you didn’t express it, you were grateful to hear the good news.

"Where is he now?” 

“Topside most likely.” Of course. It didn’t surprise you in the least that Raph had chosen to head there and you quickly set a course for the surface. “Need an escort?” The leader in blue offered, to which you politely declined. You knew he needed no further explanation. 

As you pushed back the manhole cover and made your way towards the nearest fire escape ladder, you were unable to put aside the various speculations as to why your special Turtle would hurt his own brother... Well, you would be kidding yourself to say you didn’t have at least one very plausible theory in mind, but as you neared the top of the ladder, the guesswork was instantly dropped and replaced with trepidation for you knew how Raph felt about injuring family. 

To put it simply, you were going to be dealing with a very dejected Turtle, and true to form, as you peered over the top of the building, the iconic emerald green hide and red mask tails met your sight. 

This was Raph’s favorite spot to gather his thoughts after all, so it was a no-brainer decision to begin the search there, and it was clear as day that it was exactly what he was doing for he made no effort to acknowledge your presence as he remained seated against the wall in a slouching position and gaze locked out front. 

As expected, he appeared to be moping. “Hey, Raphie,” you greeted, clambering over the wall. 

You were unable to tell if he had been aware you were nearby for he made no prior indication but instead merely replied with a gloomy, “’Sup, Kiddo?” No movement whatsoever. 

It amused you whenever he chose to refer to you by that nickname, especially since you were both the same age, but as you ambled on over towards him, you were left anything but amused as your former notion was set in stone when you caught the telltale signs of wet stains under his eyes. “You okay?”

“Peachy.”

It wasn’t the first time you had witnessed ‘ol Red crying, but it didn’t prevent your heart from breaking all the same. Something about seeing the bullheaded bad boy in tears left you in a real state of dismay, so without invitation, you seated yourself next him, affectionately leaning against his side, but before the consoling could begin, you had to gently ask, “You wanna tell me what happened?”

“Ugh, it was so stupid! Mikey wouldn’t quit goin’ on n’ on about beatin’ me in the Battle Nexus tournament and kept rubbin’ it in our faces about becomin’ the champ,” he exclaimed with shockingly little provocation, sniffing loudly. “I jus’ got so sick’ve it this time, an’ it’s not like we neva duked it out before or nothin’ but... I went too far this time, (Y/N), ya know?” 

He still refused to look at you as he began to wipe away some fresh tears that were forming in his eyes.

Your assumption had been correct all along; you acknowledged full well how Mikey’s triumphant achievement grated on Raph’s last nerve and how the orange-banded Turtle would seek out every opportunity to gloat about it in a bid to purposely provoke his ‘older’ brother. “Well, you know Mikey, Raph,” you said, not quite sympathizing with the actions he took, but rather offering some support. “He tries to get under your shell on purpose.”

"Yeah, I know, but... Dat’s no reason ta clobber the guy. Not like that, anyway” You noted how his voice gradually lowered grievously and you couldn’t stop yourself from placing your head on his shoulder. 

“No, it isn’t, but...” you knew you were grasping at straws by this point, but still offered, “They say it’s not as bad as he makes it out to be.”

He sighed dolefully. “I lost control again, (Y/N),” and you could feel the vibrations beginning to surge through him. “No matta what I do, I jus’... I jus’ can’t...” He trailed off, wracked with emotions as he covered his face with one hand and allowed the tears to fall, a cough slipping here and there.

You heart bled for this boy, and more than anything right then, you longed to relieve him of the pain, so you did the only thing you could think of: be right there by his side, comforting him through the breakdown. “Oh, Raph. It’ll be okay,” you calmly whispered, slinking an arm around his carapace and shoulders, bringing him closer and lightly squeezing his bicep with your free hand. “It’ll be okay.”

He leaned into the much needed support and continued to allow his misery to flow forth. You didn’t mind in the least for it was exactly what he required in order to heal, and you would be there for him every step of the way.

AND THAT’S A WRAP!

ALL THE FEELS!! I EMBARRASS!!

WOOT, that’s Turt number two completed! Sorry it took a little longer than expected; I still feel rusty with sentence structure and all and am not entirely pleased with the outcome, but I did feel an improved ‘flow’ from the first so maybe things are slowly coming back to me? Or maybe it was the scenario; it felt more natural o write than Leo’s... Maybe cause Bloo Boi’s my fav Turt and I felt added pressure with his?

Oh well, Donny Boy’s next~

Thank you all so much for the read and hope you enjoyed~ :D

~Drag0n Mistr3ss’ Random Fandoms*

[remmushound]

Bay/rise 22!! This one is mostly just cuddle filler since I might not be able to do much else today. @selfindulgenz @errorfreak88 @brightlotusmoon

Donnie never got easily irritated, but this whole situation was pushing him toward his limits. He didn't mind sharing a sleeping area with his brothers; he hardly slept anyway and he had his curtain he could always draw for at least some type of privacy. Sharing the living room and kitchen and dojo and gameroom on a daily basis wasn’t nearly as taxing as it could have been. Not even sharing the bathroom with four mutants that ate like linebackers was enough to put a damper on his mood. But this was.

He didn't want to say anything. Guests were guests even if they crossed lines he wasn’t comfortable with, and it wasn’t like he could just tell them to go home. Still, seeing this other Donatello make himself right at home in Donnie’s lab, taking over his machines and his tech and his space. The only private space Donnie had! It was enough to make his stomach churn, but he bit his lip to avoid an unnecessary altercation. That was more Raph style anyway…

“Hey.” Donnie said suddenly, biting his lip as he approached the working softshell. “Uh— hey, you’ve been through a lot today. Maybe you and your brothers should go rest?”

Donatello didn't respond for a while.

“Uh— hey did you—“

“I heard you.” Donatello’s eyes didn't leave the screen, glancing between the different tabs he had open of traffic cameras throughout the city.

“You still looking for your April?”

“What do you think Dingdon?” Donatello growled.

Donnie growled, but calmed himself with a deep breath as he pulled up a chair beside the other mutant. “What does she look like? Two sets of eyes can look better than one.”

Still without looking up, Donatello’s spider arm reached into one of his battle shell pockets and pulled out a series of polaroids. There were five pictures, all of Donatello with a young, black girl with medium tone skin and burgundy hair pulled back in tight braids against her scalp. She wore red glasses and her eyes were such a dark, rich brown that they almost seemed black at first. Donnie could feel the breath leave him at the sight of her, his chest tight and mind numbing for a moment.

“Wow…” He cleared his throat, “Eh— how old is she?”

“Seventeen next month, though I don’t see why it matters.” Donatello said absently.

“Is she em… single?” Donnie hated that he was asking, but he couldn’t help himself.

Finally, Donatello’s focus was broke and he stopped typing to stare at Donnie with a look of pure disgust. “She’s gay.”

“Ah.” Donnie felt his heart drop. “Okay.”

“You know what?” Donatello stood up and stretched, “I think I will take a nap. Can I trust you not to perve on my sister if you find her?”

Donnie blinked. “Sister?”

“Answer the question dum Don.”

“Oh uh— yeah— of course.”

“Greaaaaat.” Donatello’s voice was laced with a faux appreciation, “Thank you soooo much.”

~~~~

Despite his best efforts, Donatello couldn’t sleep. He had been given Leonardo’s bed, so the blanket and sheets were tolerably clean. But they were painfully light. Every slight movement had the blanket brushing lightly against his skin, agonizingly gentle to the extent that it made him want to rip his own skin off. He had managed less than ten minutes under the weightless blanket before he stood up unable to handle it anymore. He’d just have to go without sleep until he could get back under the safety of his own weighted blankets. What was a few sleepless nights anyway? Boredom urged him on to try and find his brothers.

 ~~~~

Sleep always came easy to Raphael and this time was no different. He had made a nest on the floor made out of the blankets generously donated to him by the mutants that hosted him, and he happily buried himself plastron-first into their comforting embrace. Heavy-lidded eyes opened as he felt his arm being lifted, but he didn't really care about it until he felt a weight start to climb under his plastron.

“Don? What’re...doing…” His words came out slow and sluggish with sleep.

“You’re my new blanket.” Donatello said. “Deal with it.”

“Okay.”

Raphael shifted his weight slightly so he didn't rest fully on the softshell, laying his broad head on Donatello’s immensely tall one. Donatello gave a happy groan at the weight and rested his chin on folded arms as sleep came far easier.

~~~~

Raphael was stirred again by a gently prodding on his forehead, this time only opening one eye to view his annoyance. It was Michelangelo looking quite sad for himself with tired eyes and a frown. They didn't have to exchange words. Raphael simply lifted one arm and allowed the box turtle to snuggle up under his it before giving him a gentle squeeze. Michelangelo gave a relieved sigh at the familiar embrace and rested his head in Raphael’s fleshy armpit.

~~~~

Raphael didn't bother opening his eyes when he felt another presence looming over him, simply lifting up his free arm in invitation to the red eared slider he knew was there. Wordlessly, Leonardo slid into place and rested his head on Raphael’s bicep, folding his hands behind his head. 

“Thanks Raph.”

“I am but a humble blanket.” Raphael muttered through his sleep before he was fully reclaimed by the darkness once more.

~~~~

Splinter couldn’t help but watch the spectacle curiously. There had been many times that his own sons had come home from a particularly stressful mission and simply passed out in a pile not unlike this one, but none of those times had been quite like this. Raphael, covering his brothers even in his sleep. The three smaller mutants at the mercy of Raphael’s incredible weight. Yet the easily-hurt softshell rested so easily under the snappers plastron, and the slick slider let down his wall of comedic self-preservation to embrace the cuddles, and the easily-startled box turtle showed so much trust in one who could crush him at any moment. Complete, utter trust in each other and in the protection offered by their leader.

“Curious. Very curious.”

[remmushound]

Bay/rise 34!! @brightlotusmoon @errorfreak88 @digitl-art-monstr @selfindulgenz @yarchurr @dakotafinely @yarchurr @sententiously-sarcastic @sprinklestheditty

“This is fucking stupid.” Raph was pacing anxiously, his frustrations coming out in the form of heavy breaths.

“I totally agree.” Donnie agreed, “But you know Leo. He’d not gonna let this go.”

“He he fucking ought to! We ain’t got time for this shit!”

The Leo’s were both separately getting ready for the spar, but with such an open space it was nearly impossible for them to get out of each other's line of sight. This resulted in what could only be described as a heated staring content between the both of them as they sharpened their katana and odachi almost passive-aggressively. The brothers and sister of both proud ninja were intermingled in a group together— their brothers’ antics weren’t enough to drive them apart completely, but it was enough for a wedge to be stuck between them.

“Is Leo gonna be okay?” Michelangelo appealed to Donatello, grabbing a hold of the older teens arm.

“I don’t know Michael.” Donatello sighed, sticking his nose in the air in his frustration, “Leon’s always getting himself in this kind of trouble! It’s gonna catch up to him eventually!”

“Hopefully not today.” Michelangelo said, looking to Leo. “Other Leo is very large. He’s jumbo sized!”

“Sadly, his brain didn't get the memo.”

Mikey was looking between both of the Leo’s with no small amount of guilt. Donnie had given him the clear after he had calmed slightly and the pain in his chest wasn’t so bad, but now the pain had been replaced with an intense sadness. Michelangelo nudged his brother and pointed to the sad box turtle, and then both brothers nodded at each other with similar intent as they marched over and each took a seat beside Mikey. 

“Why the long face?” Michelangelo pouted.

“I dunno, Mike, seems kinda… oblong to me.” Donatello motioned vageuly to Mikey’s face.

Mikey gave the slightest chuckle before he started to cry softly. Michelangelo frowned and looked to Donatello, who quickly pulled a tissue from out of his battle shell and offered it to Mikey. Mikey accepted it and, after a moments thought, said,

“You just carry tissues around wherever?”

“I never know when I’ll have to break out the dramatics~!” Donatello struck a pose.

“Are you okay?” Michelangelo gave Mikey a gentle stroke on the shoulder. “You look sad.”

“I’m just… useless.” Mikey hung his head.

That statement caused both Hamato brothers to erupt in loud, overlaying denial as they practically swarmed Mikey trying to convince him otherwise.

“You’re not!”

“You’re really not.”

“You’re incredible!”

“I once tried nunchucks for a day. Hit myself in the head, cried in a corner, slept in said corner. Very traumatizing.”

“You can do lots of things!”

“Except fight, apparently…” Mikey pouted, crossing his arms. “I just watched my dad and your dad get taken and I did nothing!”

“You’re not the only one who did nothing!” Donatello offered.

Michelangelo swatted Donatello and scowled at him a second before turning back to Mikey. “You panicked— that’s nothing to be ashamed of!”

“We were there! We— we could’ve helped stop them! We—“

“What could we have done…?” Michelangelo asked softly, laying a hand on Mikey’s knee.

Mikey gave a long, tired sigh reminiscent of someone far older with many more years of life bearing down on his shoulders. “Nothing.”

“Exactly.” Michelangelo said, “But what we could’ve done is gotten hurt! He took out all your brothers in one swing! All we would’ve ended up doing is getting taken out with them.”

“But don’t you think—“

“Come on.” Mikey’s words were interrupted by his Leo, who had lost what little patience remained as he strutted forward with the confidence of gods. “Let’s get this over with.”

Leo was the first in the dojo and he stood there as if he was still challenging Leonardo to back down at the cost of his honor. Leonardo didn't move from his place where he was still polishing his odachi.

“Well?” Leo prompted, “Come on! You challenged me to this, remember! Don’t you want to defend your honor?”

Leonardo thought for a second, and then shrugged. “Eh, never really had much of that to begin with. And I have all the time in the world baby!”

Despite his words, Leonardo seemed to accept his counterpart's challenge and stood from his seated position, giving his odachi a few experimental swipes before he came to join Leo in the dojo.

“This ain’t gonna end good...” April shook her head. Her face was painted to match Leonardo’s markings and she brandished a blue flag in support. Upon seeing Leonardo entering the dojo, however, she promptly cheered, “WHOOP WHOOP! YOU GOT THIS LEON!”

The rest of the gathered mutants— all except Raphael, who was still sleeping off his exhaustion— gathered in a tight group to watch as the scene unfolded. Donnie split from the group one last time in an attempt to appeal to his brother.

“Leo, this is crazy!” Donnie said, but it was like talking to a wall, “You can’t fight him!”

“Why not?” Leo asked calmly without dignifying Donnie’s concern with even a glance.

“Well, one, he's a child.” Donnie deadpanned, “And two, we need to be focusing on finding Master Splinter.”

“Trust me Don, this isn’t gonna take very long.”

“What you gonna do, punt the fifteen year old?!”

“He’s the one who picked a fight.” Leo growled.

“Yeah. Oh course he did.” Donnie leaned closer to his brother and spoke slowly, as if Leo were dense, “He’s. A. Teenager. A dumb, confident teenager!”

“So are we.”

“We’re gonna be twenty next month— I hardly think it counts!”

Leo didn't respond. He stared forward with a determined look and simply walked away from Donnie, leaving his younger brother staring after him with a frustrated disbelief.

Leo faced his counterpart. “Do you know the duel rights?”

Leonardo shrugged almost cartoonishly.

“Of course not.” Leo sighed, then carried on, “Rule number one: The offending party has the right to an apology and, if it is accepted by the offended party, then the duel will not carry to term.”

“Okay, so you gonna apologize them?” Leonardo asked, almost hopefully.

Leo narrowed his eyes and gave no answer. “If there is no apology met, then the next rule of order is to choose a second. The seconds are the judges— they try to reach a peace, and if a peace is unable to be met, then we move onto phase three. My second is my brother Raphael.” 

Raph grunted softly and split off from the group to hesitantly come to Leo’s side. 

“Don, you feeling up to it?” Leonardo looked to his brother.

Donatello gave it a moment's thought before shrugging and sauntering off almost in a bored fashion to Leonardo’s side.

“How do we win?” Leonardo asked.

“To win, you must knock down your opponent and hold your blade to their throat. Rule number three! The seconds try to negotiate a peace.” Leo gave a nod, and Raph lumbered forward to meet Donatello in the middle. The two of them quickly fell to a hushed discussion.

“Hello.” Donatello said, his eyes half-lidded and his voice dull.

“Hey— can’t you just try and get your Leo to apologize?” Raph almost pleaded, “You know this ain’t exactly a fair fight.”

“I know.” Donatello replied with little enthusiasm. “Your Leo’s gonna get knocked flat on his Gluteus Maximus. That’s science terms for buttocks. Aka: ass.”

Raph gave a half-amused snort. “No offense, pancake, but I think we both know that ain’t right.”

“Oh wowwwwww, so original.” Donatello slumped, “I’m so hurt. Then again you do have a good point.

Raph smiled, thinning himself victorious until Donatello added,

“I mean, there’s nothing Maximus about his Gluteus.” Donatello motioned to Leo with his thumb.

“No—” Raph growled and forced a smile as he addressed Donatello with slow words, “What I meant was that your brother is gonna end up with the same fate as a firework on Fourth of July.” He made an explosion motion and added his own sound effects, “I mean— come on! It’s like a dodge against a semi-truck— your bro stands no chance!”

“I think we can stand to disagree on that.” Donatello defended his brother calmly.

Raph fixed Donatello with a deadpan expression. “You’re not gonna back down are you?”

“Negatory.” Donatello finally smiled— little more than a slight curve of his lips, but still a smile. “Or way— would that be an affirmative? Eh. Doesn’t matter. Either way I believe we are done here.”

Without another word, he spun on his heels and carried himself confidently over to his brother’s side. Raph grumbled as he often did before taking his leave a few seconds after. There was a minute of stressful silence as both seconds reported to their brothers before Leo stepped forward again.

“Rule four. Draw your weapon only once there is a medic on sight with his back turned.”

Leonardo whistled. “I mean, not that I couldn’t beat you with my back turned, but seriously?”

“Not you.” Leo growled, “Donnie will be our medic on standby.” Leo motioned the tech genius to turn around, and Donnie hesitantly obeyed. This left only the Mikey’s watching. Once Leo was satisfied, he went on, “Rule five would usually include dueling at dawn, but I hardly think it matters down here.”

Leonardo looked up at the high ceiling and then down at Leo. 

“Rules six and seven are also moot given our particular circumstances. Unless you have a god you pray to…?”

“Eh, some may describe me as a God, but I think I forgive myself for my sins~”

It took everything Leo had to keep his cool. “Rule number eight. Your last chance to set the record straight.”

“Hey! That rhymed! Good for you!”

“Wait are you just getting these from the Hamilton Musical?” Donatello started to ask, but was interrupted; even as Leo spoke over him, he still continued to talk until he finished the sentence.

“Rule number nine! Look your enemy in the eye.” He and Leonardo locked gazes, “Meet your enemy in the middle…”

Leonardo and Leo took four paces each until they were directly in front of each other.

“Summon your courage in any way necessary.” Leo said cooly, giving a bow that Leonardo returned, “Take a minute to breathe, then take ten paces back.”

The Leo’s were almost in perfect sync as they took their paces backward, now several paces behind their seconds while still facing each other.

“Ready your sword…”

Twin katana and a single odachi were held at the ready.

“Take one final breath…”

No one in the room breathed.

“And count to ten. One… two… three… four...”

“...five...six…seven… eight... nine...”

“Ten.”

[remmushound]

Beyond the Bay chapter 15: Honeycutt’s story

Tags: @selfindulgenz @brightlotusmoon

Content warning: Swears, mentions of scars, pain

Raphael kneeled to be level with Honeycutt, who took a few polite steps back with his arms folded behind him.

“Hey… Honeycutt…” Raphael held out a hand to the robot.

Honeycutt’s screen lit up. “Ah! This is what some Terrans call a ‘handshake’ yes?” He took Raphael’s hand in both of his and shook it gently, “I do this?”

“Yes.” Raphael nodded with a patient smile.

“Oh! Wonderful day!”

“You’re… not from earth, are you?” Raphael asked.

“No I am not.” Honeycutt confirmed.

“Then what are you doing here?”

“Oh…” Honeycutt’s screen shifted to visible upset, “There are bad, bad people after me and earth was my sanctuary, but now they’re here too…”

“The triceratons?”

“Yes!” Honeycutt said urgently, standing on the tips of his flat feet, “And that is why they cannot return home! It is not safe!”

“Yeah, no shit.” Raph snarled, and he pulled his lips back to display his teeth.

Honeycutt tilted his head. Raphael stayed on his knees for just a moment, eyes shadows as his thoughts sifted through his head, before he stood slowly and turned to Raph. All it took was a simple motion of his hand to draw Raph to the side, where both mutants could talk with some semblance of privacy. Raphael had to lower his head slightly to be level with his counterpart.

“Hey, I know this is really… really frustrating, but could ya maybe try not to upset the robot? We might be able to get more outta him if he doesn’t, you know, hate us?”

Raph snorted, eyes averting to avoid looking at the responsible version of himself. He dragged his hand across his mouth and chin as he calmed himself.

“Yeah— yeah, right.” Raph nodded.

Raphael gave him another pat on the back before returning to Honeycutt, who had been waiting patiently. Raph returned very slowly to his brothers, ignoring Leo’s questioning look in favor of hunching himself and hiding his expression.

“Honeycutt, how have you been hanging around so long without being seen? I mean— we’ve heard you, but this is the first We’re seeing you.”

“Well, when I am anxious or scared, which I have been a lot in recent days, I do tend to take on a certain layer of… transparency to hide.

“I see, I see. Well— where did you come from?” Raphael asked. “Where is your home?”

“I come from a planet many lightyears from here. A planet so like earth that it is uncanny! My home… we were so peaceful. The only way in which my planet strayed from the path of yours was in the way of war which we did not wage!”


“Woah woah woah, wait.” Donnie interrupted with a wave of his hand to catch Honeycutts attention. “No wars? Not even one?”

“Not even one!” Honeycutt echoed.

“No fighting?”

“Oh, there was plenty of that! And arguments too! Disagreements, just not war. My people were a very pacifistic people, diplomatic and kind toward our fellow hominoids! We worked together, and we developed so quickly that we started to deplete our world's natural resources to a dangerous level. We had to outsource beyond our world for power and for food. That is when my professor, the one who created me, met him.”

“You say that like we’re supposed to know who ‘he’ is.” Raph commented offhandedly.

“Ah! My apologies!” Honeycutt apologized. “The Triceraton Prime Leader: Zanramon! His ancestors— er, that is to say his grandfather—destroyed their planet in the greed and heat of their constant, warring conflicts and infighting, and so they took to the stars on a mobile homeworld searching for a planet to conquer and claim as their own. Their tech was… and still is… severely lacking in several regards.”

Every few words, Honeycutt would pause as if he needed to consider the nicest possible way to talk about the ones hunting him, choosing his words carefully.

“Triceraton are not well known for their craftsmanship. Let’s just say that their ship’s deficits left them very… upset and angry. Then again, that is traditionally the default with Triceratons. They are very unlike my Federation. In fact, one could say we were opposites. For in the entire documented existence of triceratons, their longest era of peace had been just under three of their sun circles— that’s less than one of yours! They saw what we had— our ships and our technology— and they wanted that for themselves. They wanted our ships and they wanted our fuel— our mutagen!”

“Mutagen?” Leo jutted in, eye ridges raising as alarm etched over his features. He looked around at his friends and his brothers just to make sure they were just as unnerved as he was, and they all felt the same way. “Like— like the stuff used to create us?”

“Yes!” Honeycutt interlocked his fingers, standing a little taller to look up to Leo. “Mutagen is life! And until my Professor came along, the only place to get mutagen was Dimension X. But then my Professor, in all of his brilliance, came up with a solution! An artificial mutagen to power our ships, and the Triceratons wanted it very badly. My Professor knew this, and so to prevent this crucial information from falling into the wrong hands, he went into hiding. But the Triceratons found him! You see, my master was a smart man. Smart enough to know he could never hold up against the violent methods of which Triceratons use to extract information. He ran, and in the Triceratons relentless pursuit, he was gunned down. With their chance lost, the Triceratons turned their attention to me, for I was his trusted android, and if he were to share the secrets of his ooze with anyone, it would be with me. But unlike my creator, I escaped, doomed to drift around the vast black until my mutagen reserves ran out. Or… so I thought! But then I crash landed here, on your planet, in your Hudson River!” He pointed eagerly at Leo.

“So you brought them here?” Leo said accusingly, crossing his arms.

“Well, if we’re being realistic, I do believe it is your mutagen they are after. My reserves are far too low to be tracked.”

“Then why now?” Leo’s voice didn't lose its sharp edge, “Why not when we were first made? Or when that canister came to earth to begin with? Why wait?”

“Well— the Triceratons were quite a distance out from the Milky Way when those events would have occurred, but there was a particular event that happened in your world not too long ago that must have drawn their attention!”

He was met with nothing but blank stares.

“Krang’s visit to your world!” Honeycutt provided with a laugh.

Raph’s eyeridges knit together and Donnie’s raised; Mikey pursed his lips in a shocked whistle. Leo’s face remained still, though his eye gave the faintest twitch.

“That was years ago.” Donnie said, his voice shaking with his disbelief.

“Yes, but in the grand scheme of time, it is hardly anything at all! Triceraton ships can only travel so fast. Chances are they were already on their way before I even crashed!”

“So this whole situation…” Leo motioned vaguely, “Is just one big coincidence, huh?”

“Yes!” Honeycutt nodded eagerly.

“I don’t believe you…” Leo towered even higher above Honeycutt if that was possible, and the android shrunk smaller and smaller with every second that passed.

“Well you should…” Honeycutt’s voice was soft. “It is the truth.”

“I thought you agreed to let us handle this.” Leonardo rose to meet Leo’s gaze, his expression just as still and confident as his older counterpart; his eyes held that same calm spirit of defiance that he had shown years before, except stronger now that he was grown.

“I’m just asking questions.” Leo said.

“That was a statement, not a question.” Leonardo said back.

“He’s right Leo, that wasn’t a… a question…” Donnie said unhelpfully.

“Thank you Donnie.” Leo growled through his teeth.

“I… I’m sensing hostility…” Honeycutt’s head almost disappeared with how low he hunched into his shoulders, backing away slowly from the group.

“Wait— no—” Leo tried to correct himself, reaching a hand out toward the robot. “I didn’t mean—“

Honeycutt was already running, flat feet carrying him down the tunnels as his form faded into transparency.

“Great.” Donatello motioned down the tunnel, “There he goes.”

“Wow, he wasn’t lying about the transparency bit.” Donnie hummed.

“Stop him!”

All it took was Leo’s commanding shout for all turtles, even Raphael, to obey and go running after the flight risk. They couldn’t see him anymore, but the android was being less than quiet as he tried to escape. Every clang clang clang that Honeycutt’s feet made as they found impact with the ground rebounded; every noise to the turtles was like pure vibrations. Ninja sense mixed with turtle instinct guided them through the dark, and they saw the robot even when he wasn’t able to be seen. They felt him, his very presence, radiating within each sound.

Leo was the fastest of his team just as Leonardo was the fastest in his; both blue-clad mutants pulled ahead of their brothers, eyes glancing at the other in a silent challenge to prove who was best. Leo ducked his head low and curved to adjust his trajectory and grab at the invisible android, but Leonardo didn't. He dug his feet in the stone and came to a full stop. Leo’s momentary confusion led him to stare at Leonardo a little too long, and to miss his shot.

Leo felt Honeycutt shoot between his legs and back down the way he had come. Leonardo’s right arm went out in automatic instinct to grab the android, and he succeeded. At least, he thought he did before the full-force of the tiny robot sent shockwaves of pain shooting up his arm and into his plastron and neck, following the lines of his barely-scarred wounds like pure fire.

Honeycutt slipped out of Leonardo’s hand as his grip went slack. Honeycutt kept running, and too late was it to stop when he realized the other six turtles were running straight at him. Mikey had carried the lead ahead of his brothers, and so he was the first one to reach Honeycutt; the first to reach out and grab the android around his forearm and—

Mikey’s entire body tensed, as if electricity was shot through it. He likened the pain to the tasers that had been forced against him when their lair was destroyed; pure power that seized everything and made his body refuse to listen to his mind. That thought passed and nothing more came until the black around his body seeped into his mind, and he slumped over unconscious.