#splinter isn’t the best parent but he will learn

[raphieeee]

TW: parental neglect

Raph runs away.

It was when he and his brothers just turned fourteen and he had a big, big argument with his father. It started as it always did, Raph had woken up too late and got in trouble for not being at training on time, which meant he didn’t have a chance to eat, which meant he didn’t have a chance to feed Spike which stressed him out, so he was on edge. All it took after that was his father asking him to clean up after Mikey spilt something and Raph immediately protested, hating how unfair it was and how his little brother said nothing in his defence and just giggled.

Raph was never really angry at his brothers, frustrated and scared for them sure, but never angry. His father though? Raph was always angry at him.

Since the beginning of their training Splinter had pointed out how Raph was over emotional and prone to outburst and took it upon himself to make sure Raph was able to combat this and ‘be better’.

This meant praise was few and far between because Raph never learned to control his anger with things like Katas and punishments like no TV or extra training, the latter he actually enjoyed. Instead most praise was given to his brothers, who were already doing better at Raph in all the traits of a Ninja outside of strength and combat skis, but comapred to Raph’s inability to mediate and stay calm, his aggression and lust for winning, they practically glowed. It was so easy to compliment his brothers work when a bad example was right there next to them and unfortunately, Splinters desire for his son to be better than his brother of the past made it so he didn’t stop there.

Raph’s room was always scrutinised, his attachment to his toys and comics was criticised despite all his brothers being the same, his lack of manners was eating pointed out every night despite the fact that he was usually the only one to eat at the shitty little table int he kitchen.

It was no surprise that he ran. He had left letters to each of his brothers telling them he was running away but will always text them every night so they knew he was okay.

He hated not saying it in person and ignored their hundreds of text for the first day, messaging that he was okay at sunrise.

From there he was actually alright, he found a simple disguise, cut up a back back to out over his shell so it looked like he just had a full pack. He stole money, some food, but then found an old apartment that was empty that he could live in. He was close to the middle of the city, not close enough to his old home that he could be found, or far enough away to where he knew they would assume he would go. He got a job at his young age of fourteen purely cause his mutation made him look built like a grown teenager, and working in a garbage sorting place wasn’t that bad when you knew some of worst smells of mankind. No one asked about his preference to be concealed when he explained he had a deformity and the one guy who tried it warned others against it once his arm healed.

He started crime fighting after a week, saving lives and protecting innocents while still snagging a couple bucks from ATMs.

He started knitting, finding big needles and thick wool to work with. He sold some of his makes online, big fluffy blankets and pillow cases. He got a cat, googled how to care for them and got it vaccinated and cared for. Her name was Silk, reminding him bitterly of how he had left Spike behind in his rage to leave.

And every night he messaged his brothers, told them what he was doing. Eventually they stoped asking him to come home and instead asked about his cat who he’d sent a photo of. They talked about it, realised in their phone call how much happier Raphael sounded and relented. They called often, Donnie helping boost his online shop after he found out about it and ordering custom blankets in their four colours.

When the three decided to go out a fight crime, Raph became their guide. He didn’t lead, nor did he want to now that he realised how much he enjoyed helping people, but he navigated often and at times was able to call shots if Leo was in a good mood.

When his brothers got upset, they’d come stay with him. He didn’t like hearing about Splinter, but he could tell by the way the others talked about him that his father was living in regret and wanted to try fox their relationship, but Raph wasn’t ready for that.

At least, not at first. It’s when he turns eighteen and his best mate Casey tells him his own father was once like that but became better when Casey run away with his little sister for a week.

He’s not ready to forgive his father for his neglect and favouritism, not by a lot shot, yet he feels stronger in his mind and maybe, just maybe, his father is able to do it right he second time.

[pumpkinpie59]

“the 2012 family isn’t abusive” and “the 2012 family all have toxic traits that can affect each other badly” are both takes that can coexist

i think out of all the tmnt shows (except maybe rise, but i could go back on that if i think about it for more than two seconds; this post isn’t about them tho), 2012 has the most dysfunctional family.

this is not a criticism tho. it’s an observation and it can lead to interesting storytelling.

splinter in 2012 suffers from ptsd and it affects how he teaches his children and how he views the world.

he’s been through a lot and was lead to believe he lost his first child.

so yes it’s not shocking that he’d make bad decisions as a parent.

he’s not a bad person by any means, but his attitude about strangers, enemies, and relationships are off. he shows favoritism towards leo, though that’s not his intention. he fails to give his other children the attention they need. etc etc

so it’s not that surprising that his children also gained flaws that affect each other negatively.

leo is dedicated to his training, which isn’t bad but it gave him an ego. he believes he’s the good example, that he’s better skilled than his brothers. he has good skills that make him the best choice as leader, but sometimes his ego and his authority make him downplay his brothers’ opinions and chastise their choices.

it’s mostly seen in his arguments with raphael and donatello. raphael is stubborn, but he values his family like leo does. their opinions on how to protect their family and do the right thing aren’t always on the right page, which frustrates them. raphael goes through growth that makes him a lot more patient with leonardo, but he still calls leo out when leo makes bad decisions, and leo often refuses to listen to him bc he’s the leader. he’s in charge. why should he listen? which is not what a leader should be and he needs to learn that over the course of the series (he,, rlly doesn’t but i digress).

as for donatello and leonardo. donatello is smart and leonardo knows that and ends up using that to his advantage. he puts a lot of pressure on donnie and overworks him. donatello is smart so he has to be the one to track things down, fix mutations, learn what is going wrong. and when donatello’s attempts go wrong, leonardo gets frustrated and orders donatello to just. do better. keep working on it. since donatello struggles with insecurities, this is just added to it and he is super hard on himself when he fails.

having so much pressure put on him by splinter certainly doesn’t help his attitude either.

is he hard on michelangelo? eh not rlly but mikey’s a nothing character so moving on

raphael very obviously has his temper. he’s probably the most criticized of the team so his faults are kinda obvious. he has the most growth in the show tho so i’m not gonna go into too much depth.

obviously his temper and habit to get violent when he’s angry affects his brothers negatively. tho he’s mostly physically violent with leonardo or michelangelo. with donatello they usually are more verbal ig? when raphael is rough with donatello, it’s usually playful. idk

also his temper affects his focus and skills so he’s often chastised by splinter, which comes across to him like leo is so much better and splinter likes him more.

donatello’s turn. this guy has his heart on his sleeve and ik i mention his insecurities constantly but it does affect him more than anything else. he’s insecure about being a mutant, he’s insecure about his weapon and fighting skills, he’s insecure about his feelings for april, he’s insecure about whether he’s smart enough, he’s insecure PERIOD. he has so much going on in that brain so ofc it’s gonna affect his brothers

he snaps at people all the time. he lets his insecurities affect the way he interacts with other people (see: casey jones).

even the pride he does have about his scientific accomplishments can be easily crushed when they’re ruined or criticized in some way.

he isolates very often and sometimes when he is confident it comes across as rude.

and when he acts out of concern for april, he goes about it wrong and ends up being creepy.

it doesn’t help that splinter hardly corrects any of his behavior. plus he doesn’t get the affirmation he needs.

as for michelangelo he’s a bad interpretation of someone with adhd— oh wait no that’s not what i’m trying to talk about hold on—

so michelangelo is playful and naïve and fails to take many things seriously, which frustrates his brothers a lot so it’s hard for them to take him seriously when he is being genuine.

and for karai, we already see how flawed and rebellious she is, and it rubs off on her brothers often, particularly leo.

this family is just a wreck but that’s why they’re so interesting to explore and see them grow. it’s why i wanted more from the series. their dynamics have positive parts as well and it’s nice seeing them talk through things. but the series sacrifices a lot of that for plots that don’t rlly matter tbh (most of season 5 <3)

they are not abusive at all but they are extremely flawed and that’s okay

[goodlucktai]

i’ve got my eye on you

tmnt 2k12 pairing: don & mikey word count: 2k title borrowed from say yes to heaven by lana del ray

read on ao3

x

“Mikey?” Donnie says, hovering in the doorway uncertainly. “Can I talk to you?”

Mikey looks up from the dough he’s kneading with round eyes, more bewildered than anything. No one ever asks if they can talk to Mikey. His presence in his family’s lives is like sunlight falling on the planet, warm and touching everything and taken for granted. They can always talk to Mikey.

So Don’s question is a weird one, but Mikey doesn’t mention it.

“Pull up some counter, Dee,” he offers instead, patting at the one square foot of the surface that isn’t covered in flour. His fingers leave little clouds behind. “I’m almost done.”

Donnie props his hip against the island and leans there to watch his little brother work. Mikey’s ADHD is textbook in a lot of ways, unpredictable in many others; it’s definitely been a fun learning curve for his family. Don did a lot of research. He’s read that generally people with Mikey’s disorder tend to struggle with tasks like cooking, that it can be an outright Herculean task remembering to eat or even just mustering the energy to feed themselves.

But Mikey loves his kitchen. He gravitates towards it in all his different moods. It gives his pinballing thoughts and restless hands something constructive to focus on with a clear and present reward at the end.

Right now he seems pleased with the dough and gathers it up in a neat little ball before transferring it to a greased mixing bowl and covering it tightly with plastic wrap. When the bowl has been safely stored in the fridge to proof, Donnie joins Mikey in wiping down the counter, mostly for something to do with his hands.

Something’s baking in the oven. Music is playing on Mikey’s phone across the room, acoustic and downbeat and soothing. This room is where everyone in their entire extended family comes to feel safe, even if they don’t know or won’t admit it.

“So listen,” Don finally says. “About earlier. During the race?”

A grin splits Mikey’s face, likely remembering all the fun he had. They’d been looking forward to the ninja race for weeks, ever since Leo first floated the idea.

Leo has come a long way as sensei. It was hard at first, finding his feet, acclimating to this additional burden piled on top of all the ones he already had to carry, but maybe not as hard as it should have been. Leo has always been more of a second parent than a sibling to the rest of them. He’s always been the one they ran to first, even when Splinter was alive; the boy who had to grow up too fast, the one who tried his dad’s oversized jacket on over and over through the years until one day he was surprised to find he had outgrown it.

All this to say—Leo can always tell when his little siblings and pseudo-siblings are due for a break. He poured hours into planning this event, all for his tiny clan of six, and it really showed. The race was part relay, part scavenger hunt, stretching for miles back and forth across Manhattan.

They drew cards out of a bucket to decide pairs, divvying up into three teams of two. When Casey drew the card that matched Mikey’s, he lit up with a manic grin and whipped his head around, a reaction Donnie wasn’t expecting.

“Oh hell yeah!” the human whooped, lifting both hands over his head for a double high-five. “We’re gonna make this night our bitch!”

“Language!” Leo barked, scandalized, like they each hadn’t already heard—and said—a lot worse.

Mikey, for his part, slapped his palms against Casey’s, giggling madly. Donnie looked between the two of them with a frown forming on his face. He had the distinct feeling that he missed something. They all tended to live out of each other’s pockets anymore, trauma-bonding at its worst. Its best? Whatever. If Mikey and Casey were buddies, Donnie would know.

They were both adrenaline junkies, sure. They both liked going fast, living on the edge. As a ninja clan, that was sort of the norm anyway.

But Mikey in particular could outrun anyone in his family any day of the week. Nothing moved fast enough for him. They tried to keep up with him, but sometimes he got too far ahead. He wanted to walk on his hands to feel the grit of asphalt on his palms and the blood rush to his head, or spin in circles in front of the stove while the water boiled, or cartwheel during katas because morning meditation ran too long and his full quota of focus was all used up.

Understimulated, touch-starved, eager for attention, desperate for—something.

Donnie just didn’t realize how desperate until he and Leo crossed paths with Casey and Mikey halfway through the race. From the rooftop, Donnie could see that the token the other boys were gunning for was on the opposite side of the BQE—across five lanes, up on the massive signage structure towering above the expressway. They were on the wrong side when they spotted it.

Smugly, Donnie thought, Tough luck—they’ll have to find a way around. That’s gonna cost them some time.

And then Mikey flew over the guardrail, sprinting straight out into traffic.

Donnie’s heart jumped up into his throat and stayed there.

He was rooted to the spot, like someone watching a train barrel down the tracks toward an inevitable collision. His body forgot how to breathe.

It took his little brother all of fifty seconds to dodge box trucks and SUVs like it was a children’s game, to a chorus of blaring horns from drivers that did not slow down. An eighteen-wheeler missed him by a foot.

Mikey scaled the structure, retrieved the token, and shoved it into the pocket of his over-sized hoodie. Then he waved both arms back at Casey, and pointed down at the guardrail immediately behind him, clearly indicating that they should regroup underneath the overpass. They both disappeared from view on their respective sides of the freeway, off to the next leg of the scavenger hunt.

Don just stood there numbly watching cars go by until Leo doubled back for him.

Raphael and April won the race by all of four minutes—and with it bragging rights to last the next two months, unfortunately for everyone else—but Mikey was in high spirits the whole way home anyway, bouncing with every step. Their brothers must have assumed it was those endorphins from a full night of high-speed play doing their job.

Leo rubbed the top of Mikey’s head with his knuckles fondly, and Raph said something like, “God, you just don’t slow down, do ya?” because they had no idea. They didn’t see it.

Donnie trailed silently at the back of the group, heart pounding so hard he could feel it in his throat, his eyes, his hands. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from Mikey, afraid of what might happen if he let his guard down for even a second, replaying that scene on the expressway over and over and over. It took him hours to muster the courage to finally approach his baby brother in the kitchen.

And now they’re standing here together, and Mikey is humming under his breath, hands beginning to tap restlessly on the countertop. Donnie’s going to lose him in a matter of minutes. Trying to think of a delicate way to say it is getting him nowhere. He takes a page out of Raph’s book and just barrels in.

“I saw you run across the BQE for a token,” he blurts.

Mike tilts his head the way Icky does when she hears something she doesn’t understand. On one hand, he doesn’t deny he did it. On the other, more alarming hand, he also looks blatantly confused about why Donnie thinks it’s worth a discussion.

“We had to get the tokens to win,” Mikey points out, like Don isn’t the one who helped Leo with the rules and regulations.

Clenching his fists, and then folding his arms so Mikey can’t see his fists are clenched, Donnie says, “You wanted to win that bad, Mike?”

He can’t stop seeing the speeding cars; the smear of headlights in the dark; Mikey weaving his way across the lanes, his figure tiny and almost indistinguishable from the rooftop where Don was watching.

Donnie’s remarkable imagination provided the additional details: the way displaced air would have sucked at Mikey’s clothes at each near miss. The sting of the hot asphalt under his feet. The passing lights lighting up his face in fits and bursts, for seconds at a time, and maybe something distracted him—maybe there was a piece of glass or metal on the road and it cut him or he tripped—maybe a reckless driver merged lanes without warning—maybe, maybe, maybe one of a hundred things happened and Mikey was captured or maimed or killed, ripped away from his family because of a stupid, needless risk he took during a game.  

They’ve been dragged through war, outer space, time travel. They’ve all been hurt before, in big ways and small ones. It's just. It’s different this time, because it was a game.

Maybe Donnie should be angry at Casey for enabling this behavior. Casey may not be their brother by blood but he’s their brother by every other known metric science has to offer and he should have dragged Mikey off the expressway by the hood of his stupid pink sweatshirt and lit into him for being so reckless the way Leo, April, Raph and Donnie all would have.

But Casey has his own reasons for doing what he does—a dead mom, an alcoholic father, a little sister CPS took away—and if he were a regular, neurotypical, well-adjusted teenager, he never would have put on his painted mask in the first place. He never would have fallen into Donnie’s family.

Casey would have been the one to run into traffic if Mikey hadn't beaten him to it.

Like recognizes like. That’s why they were thrilled to be on each other’s team. They’re both chasing something. They both have too much going on inside their heads to ever just be still.

And Mikey is always all smiles, always the first to offer his siblings a hug or a shoulder to lean on or a safe place to hide from the rest of the world and something sweet to eat in the meantime. Mikey, who hasn’t cried in front of his brothers once since the night their father died, who hasn’t come into Donnie’s lab after a nightmare in even longer than that. He smiles and plays and supports everyone and gives them reasons to run and shout and vent frustrations and groan in exasperation and laugh until they get sick.

No one has to ask the sun to shine, it just does that. And it will until it runs out of fuel, some five billion years from now. The star death was always going to be inevitable. Constant output, finite resources. Nuclear fusion that will hopefully last for as long as it needs to, but not forever.

The sun will get tired one day, and then it’s not going to shine anymore.

“Dee?” Mikey says loudly, in a tone that makes it sound like he’s been saying it over and over. Donnie blinks and he’s back in the kitchen, and Mikey is in front of him, more than a bit confused, more than a bit worried, but here and safe and whole.

Not even a scratch. If Don hadn’t seen it, he never would have known it happened.

He unfolds his arms and opens them. He doesn’t need to say anything for his little twin to spring forward, their plastrons colliding with a solid knock that would have winded a human person. The counters are clean but Mikey is still covered in flour and so Don is covered in flour now, too, and it’s wafting to the floor in tiny cloudbursts every time they move.

It’s the kind of mess Splinter would have made them stop and clean up. But it’s not hurting anything to let the kitchen be a little messy. And it’s Mikey’s kitchen. It’s the one place in the world where what he says goes.

He winds his smaller arms around Donnie’s shell and squeezes as tight as he can. Smushes his cheek against Don’s shoulder because he isn’t tall enough to hook his chin over it the way he’d probably like to. He’s warm and he smells like butter and baked bread and summer and boy. He’s survived every single thing he’s ever done.

Donnie closes his eyes and tries to replace the lights he can still see on the freeway with the ones here at home.  

“Can I be on your team next time?” he says.

“Hell yeah, let’s do it,” Mikey agrees instantly. His voice is shaped so much like a toothy grin that Don can see it without looking. Mike doesn’t even know why he’s promising it, just that Donnie needs him to. “We’ll do a clean sweep, nobody’ll know what hit ‘em. B Team’s the Best Team, baby!”

He’s everything warm and light and safe about Donnie’s whole world, and he doesn’t seem to understand how dark every day would be without him. He doesn’t know what he would be taking from his family if he took himself away.

Donatello’s other siblings are self-destructive in obvious ways. Michelangelo, who is loud and obnoxious and has never known a secret he could keep for longer than a day, is somehow more subtle about it.

But now Donnie sees it. He knows what to look for.

[howzaboutsomewaterysalt]

Apparently Rise would've gotten 7 seasons and 2 more siblings were gonna be in too

Thoughts on this?

I honestly feel awful that the writers didn’t have the time to spend with certain characters (like Mikey), and some barely had the screen time they deserved. Apparently Karai was supposed to be around for ten episode but in the end she was shoved into, mainly, one episode. The writers, animators and all the creative crew still did their best despite the cut.

There could have been so much more development of Leo as a leader figure. We could’ve seen his relationship with Raphael grow, we could have seen a more in-depth look at Raphael’s role in the family and how he struggles with all pressures of keeping everyone safe. There was hints in one episode of how Mikey feels patronised by Raphael, at times, and they could have gone so much deeper if they were just given the time!

There could have been more tension and wait for the shredder, to truly feel we earned the ending. We could have had more time with Cassandra, and we could’ve seen her development with all the characters and her relationship with April and the turtles grow. (Heck, April herself needed more time! (I can never get enough April) and I would’ve loved to explore her found family with the turtles even more, and maybe learn why we never saw her parents in the show.

Hypothetically, if there was a season three ever made, I wonder what sort of plot would occur. Would we be exploring Casey jr’s adaptation to his new life or would we go back to the episodic shenanigans? Would we get to see more of the apocalyptic future that was skipped in the movie? It makes me wonder if they would tackle more of the characters’ insecurities (like how Donatello feels inadequate when he isn’t providing tech, Mikey’s search for independence, Raphael’s constant worrying for his brothers, Leo’s insecurity on his ability to lead, and pretty much all the turtle bros wanting more attention from splinter).

There is so much more I wanted from rise, and we so nearly had it all.

[tmntstorycomp]

All the Comp Writing that was behind Puzzles

Hi hi! I realized if you followed the blog but weren't in the discord then you may have missed some of the hidden hints and clues that we had. Here you go!

The Notes:

From Raph

Hey Mikester,

I just wanted to reach out and see how you were doing! I know it’s been a rough past couple of weeks, being alone again probably isn’t all that fun.. But you’re welcome to we want you to come home. 

We want to support you right now, even if you’d rather be alone but..

You can’t do it alone. And we want to help. Come home, Mikey.

Sinserly sinceraly Love, your big brother Raph

From Leo

Miguel!

You need to answer my texts, I should not have to send you notes via portal. BUT. I am trying to respect your space because you are my little brother and I love you. 

However.

As someone who has had my fair share of awful break ups: You didn’t need her. There are plenty of.. Fish in the er… Yeah. 

Listen, my point is that moping around alone is only going to make you feel worse. Come home and we can mope together.

Your favorite brother, Leo

From Donnie

Salutations, Angelo. 

It has come to my attention that you are in need of help, and fortunately for you, I am more than willing to help. 

I have already taken it upon myself to research the best online courses I can find, cross referencing them with affordability- not that we need to worry about that. Your old room is just the way we left it, and I’m sure we can expand it for your expanded inventory. But of course, we can’t do that until you come home. 

I expect a swift reply. 

Sincerely, Donatello.

From April

Hey Mikey!

It’s been awhile! But I heard what happened. I get it. And it can’t be easy raising a little one on your own. You know, my cousin had a baby recently, and I’ve gotten real good at taking care of that! 

And you need a break. Come on, I want to see the little one. It’s been far too long and who knows how big they are! And! I’ll get pizza on my way over, does that sound like a deal?

I miss you Angie, and I’m bringing toys for your kid. 

Love you, April

From Splinter

Orange. 

I AM NOT GETTING ANY YOUNGER. I HAVE BEEN ASKING YOU, MY SONS, FOR GRANDCHILDREN SINCE YOU ALL TURNED OF AGE. I WANT TO BE A GRANDFATHER.

If you do not bring young Masaccio back to the lair, there will be dire consequences. DIRE. I will not die not knowing my little grand baby!

And we can have tea. I hope you will tell me all that troubles you, my son. 

Forever, your father. 

The Letters:

To Massy

Dear Masaccio,

I bet you have a lot of questions. And many of them I don’t have answers to. I wish I could explain everything to you.

I wish I could have been better for you.

But you’ll come to find out that taking care of someone else is.. well, it’s a big responsibility. One that you have to be prepared for in order to give them the best chances. And I want you to have the best chances you can have. 

I can’t give that to you. 

I wasn’t prepared for the toll that having you would have on me. And I can’t be your caretaker any more. I’m not strong enough for you, and I understand if that leaves you angry with me. 

You deserve to be angry with me.

But it’s important you understand. I may dislike being your parent, but I have always loved you.

You probably won’t remember, but as I’m writing you this letter, I have you curled up in my tail. We had spent the entire day together. You were practically bouncing off the walls, my little frog. You have so much energy, just like your father. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up! 

Today, you learned how to finger paint. Daddy sat with you the entire time, he said you had the magic touch, just like him. You smeared paint across the table and the pages and the carpet. You were having fun and your laughter was infectious.

I’m trying not to laugh now at how happy you looked with splotches of red, green, and blue every which way. I remember making daddy swear he would clean it all up..

But then his brothers called. You know how daddy is a hero. He’s always out there keeping our city safe. But, with daddy gone, it was just you and me.

You fought the bath, you fought dinner, you wanted him. And I wasn’t him. 

Maybe you remember then… how I raised my voice. I shouted at you to behave and you looked… so sad.

I’m so very sorry Massy, I should have never raised my voice, I should’ve never said those things to you. But I can’t promise it won’t happen again. 

Like I wrote, I’m not prepared for a wonderful child like you. And because of that, I need to go before I deal any more damage to you. 

You cried yourself to sleep because of what I did, because I couldn’t bring myself to hold you and wipe your tears. Daddy’s home now, and he’ll be there when I’m gone.

I believe in the turtle you can become, Masaccio.

Taina

To Mikey

Dear Michelangelo,

This isn’t how I wanted to do this, he’s only just a kid. I look at him now and wonder how I was silly enough to let these years pass me by. He’s so little now, his eyes are so full of light that sometimes it’s hard to peer into them.

Sometimes, it stings. But even now as I write this, I have him curled around my tail and you’re fast asleep. He’s almost cute. But then I remember the tantrum that I battled just to get him here. Just to get him to stay quiet so I have a few moments of peace and suddenly he’s not the cute toddler that I had hoped. He’s a screeching monster of tears and snot.

And I love him. I love him so much. But Michelangelo, he’s not mine to love. He’s not my baby. I can’t be here to raise him. 

And I’m sorry.

But I can’t do more. You keep saying that if we just push through it then we will come out the other side but the further I push the deeper into the earth I feel.

I shouldn’t have allowed this to go so far, but you were so happy. 

Do you remember the night we met? 

It was raining in New York. I was just freshly mutated, I didn’t know where I was going. I didn’t know who I was anymore. I’d heard stories of mutants in New York for years by then but I guess I never believed them. I was squatted underneath a bunch of cardboard and you…

I still smile thinking about the way you fell into my life. You said you’d been dancing on the rooftops and slipped.

Dancing, while the city around you was nothing but gloom, you danced until you came tumbling into my life.

We were so happy. I was happy. And I found the place where I belonged in your arms and everything was fine. 

Late nights staying up, playing with the soft strands of hair along your scalp as you showed off drawing after drawing. Taking in the soft glow of the candles every which way. We were in our very own slice of heaven. Then you asked me to marry you and the world came to a halt.

I could’ve sworn my heart had exploded that day from my excitement…

… maybe it did.

Because we were wed and we were happy and we were- We were us! Nothing could tear us down until..

Until you said you wanted a baby.

And I was hesitant. Were we even ready for that? Was I ready for it? No.. and I said that, you understood and we waited a year and you asked again. And you looked so hopeful that I would say “Yes, I’m ready!”

But I wasn’t.

I’m still not.

But I said yes anyways and you were so excited that I convinced myself I wanted this. And that’s when we had our Masaccio…

I love him t

o the moon and back, Mikey, I really do. But I’m not ready to be his parent, and he needs someone whose ready. He needs someone who won’t grow to resent him just for being a kid. I can’t grow to resent him. 

Your family will love him, pick up the burdens that I leave behind. You will love him.

You’ve always been extraordinary, Mikey. You’ve always been as bright as the sun. I don’t want to eclipse our little planet. 

I love you, Michelangelo. 

Be brave,  Taina

Massy's Father's Day Poem

Happy Father’s Day, I say to the man who told me I was loved, Who has been there in every way, Splattered paints and shiny toys,  A happy home to grow my heart,

Happy Father’s Day, I say to the man who kept me safe, Who tended to scrapes whenever I’d play, Bruised knees and tiny cuts, A safe home to protect my heart,

Happy Father’s Day, I say to the man who lied to me, Who told me everything was okay, Ancient letters and pleas to stay, A quiet home to pierce my heart,

Happy Mother’s Day, I say to no one who cares to listen, Who left because I was too much a fray, An old photograph and mental strain, An empty home to break my heart.

[its-wabby-stuff]

Really random thought.

Well a TMNT iteration inspired by my family (not an original idea), but there’s six of us. Four boys, two girls. So what if, the turtles had their sisters in the beginning and I dramatized the family trauma. Here are the rankings:

Splinter (Hamato Yoshi, 42): OCD, spontaneous, anger issues, disciplined, Asian parent standard, can’t identify his limits. Yoshi had always had a hard life. Strict, accomplished parents with high expectations, who he left to study abroad and learn English, met a woman (Tang Shen), fell in love, she was taken away by a mad man and her DNA was used in mutant experiments. He managed to flee to the sewers with 6 baby turtles made in the experiment, and halt the mad man’s progression (where he was mutated into a rat), but lost the love of his life forever.

Venus (oldest, 16): Obedient, kind, keeps feelings to herself, trying her best really, perfectionist, overwhelmed and stimming. Started taking care of her siblings at a young age, after Splinter’s mental health barreled down leaving him a shell of his old self, resigned to his room. Venus tries her best to keep things up to Splinter’s strict standards of house and home. Loves escaping through movies, and often hums songs around the house. More like Splinter than she cares to admit. Looks the most like Tang Shen and remembers seeing her in the isolation tanks.

Raph (Venus’ twin): Anger issues, loves arguments, really a big softy, physical touch, would do anything for family, keeps to himself for own activities, inattentive ADHD, protective. Splinter trained both Raph and Venus is martial arts when they were young, and Raph has good memories of Splinter, but no memories of Tang Shen.Entertains his younger siblings, but isn’t the best at helping out. Loves reading, stuffed animals, and punching stuff. Will beat up any brother causing problems.

Jennika (14): Independent, Anxiety, helpful, social, has a bit of a permanent judgement face, body dysmorphia, people pleaser, more stubborn than you’d think. Longs to leave the sewers and meet humans. Loves to dance, and loves to cook. Likes to keep her space tidy. Very close with Splinter, who sees her potential. He’s the hardest on her. Strict physical exercise routine. Wakes up the earliest. Writes poems. She’s the closest with Leo.

Leo (13): A big tease, picky eater, charismatic, likes looking good, thinks he’s the best looking in the family (he probably is), material gurl, not good at talking about his /emotions/, tallest (for now). Loves getting on his brothers nerves and working out/training. Is the most likely to start a successful business. Would never admit he actually cares about his family, but he does. Tis but a flesh wound, adventurer, could successfully blame you for anything (especially Venus). Knows the most Japanese. Great chess player.

Mikey (12): Social butterfly, wants to be friends with everyone, sensitive, hates rejection and loss, artistic, Tattle-tale, hyperactive ADHD, competitive. Loves playing outside (when allowed), and playing games with his family. Is usually picked on by Leo. Taught martial arts by Venus and Raph. Enjoys Martial Arts and parkour, baking, and video games. A bit more timid, but willing to try anything especially if Leo did it first. Tries to get the whole family to do stuff together.

Donnie (10): Tinkerer, will def be the tallest brother when he hits his growth spurt, autistic, creative, big forehead, follows his siblings around, iPad kid, will abuse the youngest child card. Loves telling stories, beating his brothers in video games, and showing off his “special moves.” Really looks up to Venus and Raph, who he was mostly raised by. He’s still trying to figure out who he is. You can find him the most next to Mikey or Leo, or glued to a Nintendo switch. Plays chess with Leo.

Splinter speaks a lot of his childhood, but not much of his young adulthood spent out of Japan. The plot would follow the turtles discovering the truth of their creation and Splinters past, Venus’ vague memory of Tang Shen (who she believes might’ve been someone she made up), and meeting other mutants, or “cousins”. They’d have run ins with the foot clan, who is a part of some greater family history. Also includes shenanigans. Splinter would realize his faults and try to get better, really giving special attention to Jennika and Leo. Which bothers Venus

Venus is the leader for a bit, only as the oldest, until Venus hands it over to Leo. 1) To help herself heal, relax and stop being so stressed and 2) because she knows he will be great. Jennika is Leo’s number two.

This is also mixing in some of my favorite TMNT iterations, but my family fits really well with the established characters. I imagine they are also different species. Let me know what you think.

[maddie-flemflam]

Hope (Future Leo x reader)

Warning: Mentions of blood, death, miscarriage, and a lot of angst.

Blood, destruction, ruins, and death. That's all there was left in the world since the invasion of the Kraang. New York was destroyed and has now become a wasteland almost like a desert, but with no sand. (Y/n) remembered everything about the day when the Kraang first took over with the technodrome. Buildings were destroyed, the residents screams as they collapsed, explosions and fire spreading like a never-ending chain, and when she and her friends had to flee underground to survive. 

She has been friends with the turtles for as long as she can remember and had developed feelings for a certain red-eared slider turtle. They confessed each other's feelings before the invasion and then got married after the invasion. It was a very short, and not-so-formal wedding, but you all made it work. Since then he has become very protective of you. They have lost so much throughout the years, Splinter, Baron Draxum, and Leo lost his dear older brother Raphael. He died while saving people from the Kraang Labor camps and was crushed by the falling debris. Leo tried his best to save him, however, his arm got stuck trying to hold onto Raph and pull him to safety, and with Raph’s last breath, he sliced his arm. The remaining brother has changed since the death of their brother and father and one father feature. Donnie has been staying in the lab working on new inventions and improving their gear to keep his mind busy. Mikey was training hard to improve his mystic powers. He learned a lot from Baron Draxum, but with him gone he had to train and improve on his own. He had to mature so fast that there was a lot of pressure on him to get better so he can save people. Maybe that's why he already has gray hairs on the side of his head. As for Leo, he was very distant from his wife and those around him. He couldn’t face anyone after he failed to save his brother, but as his wife, she had to be there for him even if he was pushing her away. They were all devastated after what happened, and (Y/n) was there for Leo through recovery and mourning, which may have caused a little accident.

“....You’re what?” Leo stared at her dumbfounded by the news she just told him. Did he hear her correctly? Surely she were messing with him. There was no way what he thinks she said was true. “Leo, you know what I said. I’m… pregnant.” she looked away embarrassed as she had to repeat that word to him. Leo’s face turned pale as he sat on the bed staring at his feet. Having a baby during an apocalypse is something no one wants to deal with at the moment. No baby could survive or live in a world like this. Leo put his hands on his head thinking about every possibility that can go wrong. (Y/n) sat down with her husband with hands on her knees looking down. There were no words to describe this situation. It was scary, and becoming parents was hard to believe. It was hard already to lead a resistance, having a child was going to be ten times harder for Leo. There was already so much on his shoulders since Raph has been gone, it was already becoming stressful for him. (Y/n) glanced at him and put her hand on his knee getting his attention. “I know that neither of us wanted this right now, but it's a good thing. Maybe having a baby will be good for us.” She was trying to stay positive even though she feared for her life and her unborn child. Leo stood up and looked at her with fear in his eyes, “But how do we know they would survive in a world like this?! The Kraang could be right at our doorstep and they would kill everyone who gets in their way! No matter how small they are, there is no mercy! This-!.... This isn’t a world where a kid could grow like it use to be…” Leo sat down on the bed again and held her hand “Believe me, I dreamed of having a family with you, a bunch of little mini-me running around and having no care in the world having you by my side watching them grow. I did, but now..” He paused putting his large hand on her stomach “How can we can be sure this one will have a future?...” 

(Y/n) looked at his hand that was resting on your stomach and smiled putting her hand over his “We will. I’m not gonna promise anything… but I want to believe in them. We need to have hope.” Leo blinked at your statement and chuckled a little “Did you take my line?” She grinned leaning on his side as he wrapped his robotic arm around her shoulder “Whaaaat? Meee? Pft I don't know what you are talking about.” Leo puffed his cheeks a little poking at your sides “That's my phase and I claim it to be my own.” You laughed a little trying to shove him away “It’s not my fault you are inspiring, I had to use it!” Leo wrapped his arms around her waist laying his head on her lap “Using my phrase against me. How cruel.” His wife giggled a little stroking the tails of his mask. “But… I will do my best to protect you both. You are both my whole world.” He kissed her shirt then leaned up to kiss her on the lips cupping her face. She kissed him back as she relished this moment with her husband. It was rare for them to have a moment like this anymore. For every mission, there are three rules, no distractions, watch your back, and survive. (Y/N) and Leo sometimes went on missions together, but there were only supply-gathering missions. Even so, they both couldn’t delay the mission because the Kraang will kill at any moment in the open. (Y/n) was the first to pull away from the shortness of breath. Leo stared at her stroking her hair with a small smile on his face. “Wow…, I just realized that I am gonna be a dad. I have so many dad jokes to tell.” You laughed a little “I hope they don’t repeat your jokes… should we tell the others?” Leo stood up quickly and swept her off her feet making her squeak in surprise “Yes! So I can rub it in Donnie’s face!” He ran out of their bedroom and shouted from the top of his lungs as echoes in the hallway “I’m gonna be a dad!!” Donnie jumped as he dropped his tool “WHAT?!” He shouted as he rolled his chair out of his lab. “We’re gonna be uncles?!” Mikey poked his head out of the dojo with sparkles in his eyes that no one has seen in a long time. “I’m gonna be aunt?!” April pokes her head out of the lab with a big smile on her face. Mikey floated to (Y/n) and Leo giving them the biggest hug dragging Donnie in despite his still shell-shocked face, and April gladly joined in on the family hug. (Y/n) had a good feeling that things were going to change for the better. 

After a few weeks, (Y/n) was experiencing all the symptoms of her first trimester. Leo has been by her side through most of it. If he had missions, he would have Donnie, Mikey, or April watch over her. When he would get back, he would give her the best kisses, the best cuddles, and the best care he could offer “Do you need an extra blanket? Water? Anything you are craving? A bucket?  A foot massage? Do you need me to take you to the bathroom?” “Leo I’m only two months pregnant-” He was doing his best, but it showed how much he cared about her and the health of the unborn baby. 

However, no one would predict that the Kraang would attack so quickly. The base was collapsing with every blast that came from the drones. Everyone was running for their lives as they fled from the blasts and into the escape pods. Donnie built large escape pods just in case they needed to flee to their second underground base. Leo was breathing heavily with every step he took. He had to find her. Leo had a team meeting and (Y/n) was taking a nap in the bedroom before the attack started. “(Y/n)!! If you can hear me please answer me!!” Leo shouted through all the destruction and dodged the falling pillars that held the base together. He ran towards the bedroom, pulled the curtain back, and his face paled at the sight. (Y/n) was lying on the floor with a large piece of a pillar on her back and he could see a puddle of blood beneath her. “NO!” He ran to her and struggled to lift the pillar without causing more harm to her. He shook you by the shoulders “(Y/n) wake up!” Hearing her husband's voice, she opened her eyes slowly and whimpered feeling a lot of pressure on her lower back “Leo?...” He sighed in slight relief, but they were not out of the woods yet. “Just hang on. I'm gonna try to move this okay?” You nodded a little. “(Y/n)! Leo! We gotta-” Mikey came floating into the room and his eyes widen at the sight of her sister-in-law on the ground with a large boulder on his back. “Mikey please I need your help!” Leo said with tears in his eyes holding your hand. Mikey rushed on and used his mystic chains to wrap around the pillar and lifted it with ease like it was a feather. Leo quickly picked her up bridal style and moved away for Mikey to drop the pillar. She groaned in response to being moved and put a hand on her stomach as blood stained her pants and Leo’s gloves. Leo held you close holding her head to his chest and pressed his forehead against hers “I gotcha… Leo’s gotcha” She looked a little pale and he feared for the baby, but if there was blood coming from her abdomen, he knew what happened. He was the doctor of the group, he knows what it means. The sounds of screaming and blasts broke him out of his trance and back to reality “Come on! We gotta take her out of her!” Leo looked at Mikey as they both ran out of the bedroom as it caved itself. (Y/n)’s vision was blurry, but she could see all the destruction and fire, and the look on Leo’s face. She felt so much pain in her back and abdomen, and her eyes began to close from the pain, and before she knew it, she blacked out.

(Y/N) jolted awake as she sat up on a bed with an oxygen mask on her face. She groaned and put a hand on her back. She breathed heavily as she took in her surroundings. It appeared to be the medbay, but there are fewer supplies on the shelves than there were before. She was hooked up to an IV and a heart monitor. She slowly calmed down as she pulled the oxygen mask away from her face. Donnie came walking into the room and jumped as he saw her awake. He looked tired and his eyes were puffy and bloodshot like he had been crying. “You’re up! Thank god we thought you would never wake up” He walked over to her and gave her a quick hug. He wasn’t very comfortable with emotions or hugs. (Y/n) knew something was up. “What happened?” She rubbed her back to ease the pain a little. Donnie saw what she was doing and looked her in the face “You were nearly crushed, but you don’t have too many injuries. Leo brought you to me just in time. Although, your back might try to kill you for a little while.” She groaned leaning slowly back on a pillow “Greeeeat like I already haven’t been dealing with that enough.” She chuckled a little, but Donnie flinched at her sarcasm. She looked at him with concern when he didn’t chuckle back. He always loved her sarcasm, yet he was hesitating and looked nervous. “Donnie?...” She was about to question him on his silence until her husband came running in. “(Y/n)!!” Leo ran over to the bed and wrapped her in a hug and nuzzled into her shoulder “You’re here… you're okay..” She wrapped her arms around his neck hugging him back “I’m here… I’m okay for the most part” She nuzzled into his scarf and put a hand on his cheek. Leo pulled back a little and she got a good look at him. He looked worse than Donnie. His eyes were puffy and more bloodshot than Donnie’s were, and she feels him slightly shaking. She was beginning to worry about both of them. Leo saw the confusion on her face and he looked back at Donnie, “Did you tell her?” Donnie flinched at his question and looked away while shaking his head. “Tell me what?...” She stared at the twins looking for an explanation. They both got silent. What weren’t they telling her? Was it about the baby?

 “....Is something wrong with the baby?” Leo looked at his wife and held her closer if that was even possible. Donnie walked over to her and held her hand looking into her eyes “(Y/N), you have been unconscious for 3 days. While you were out, Leo brought you to me and we checked on the baby after we handled your injuries, but… it didn’t make it. I’m so sorry. I tried everything, but I couldn’t save the baby, I'm so sorry.” Donnie choked up a little as he bowed his hand on her lap. Her eyes widen at what Donnie had just told her. The baby… died. She snapped as she broke down in front of her brother-in-law and her husband. Leo wrapped his arms around her tighter as tears soaked his mask again. Donnie just sat in front of the bed with his head bowed and held her hand apologizing over and over like it was his fault he couldn’t save the unborn child. Mikey and April came into the room hearing all the commotion and joined in on the grieving circle. The five of them just sat there, grieving the loss of a family member that they never got to meet.

The others left the medbay leaving (Y/n) and Leo alone together. She stopped crying a little, but she was still trembling to have a blanket wrapped around her. She didn’t want to look at the damage that was done to her body if it couldn’t protect her baby. Leo laid his head on her head wrapping his arm around her shoulder. “I’m so sorry…I’ll miss them too.” He teared up and looked down at his wife as she stared at the ground not responding, but she nuzzled closer to him curling up in the blanket despite the pain she was feeling. She couldn’t tell if it was stomach pain or her heart aching from losing her child. Leo laid her on his lap and rubbed her back. “I can’t promise that things will get better… but we still got a ninja’s greatest weapon, hope.” She glanced up at him and showed a small smile “Okay…Thank you, Leo… I love you” “I love you too darling.” He leaned down and gave his wife a kiss on the lips stroking her cheek as she closed her eyes deciding to get some rest. They both were gonna go through many trials. Living in an apocalypse is no easy task for anyone, but as long as they have each other, they will be okay. Just have hope.

[peach-jelly-lemon]

KotB AU

I’ve made an au, I call it Knights of the Baron

Knights of the Baron explores what could have happened if Draxum had grabbed the turtles instead of Splinter in the lab. 

Designs for the turtles and a lot of descriptions for things 

Raphael, instead of having to learn how to control his temper and clumsiness, is advised to channel it into getting even stronger and punching things better (things like mattresses and spare scraps. He’s been told not to touch anything important). He remains protective over his younger brothers and a stickler for the rules, although both are slightly different in context. He is referred to as Spikes.

Leonardo, as someone who relied heavily on the influence of people around him growing up and was the most like Splinter, is now trying his best to be the most like Draxum. He still speaks dramatically and has fun with fighting, but now it’s more of a ‘taking everything seriously’ act instead of a ‘taking everything lightly’ act. His skill in manipulation and planning is noticed by Draxum and he is made leader- only in diplomatic situations. Everyone follows Raphael in combat. He is referred to as Stripes.

Donatello, in a space without human technology, relies on his speed and creativity to be as useful in combat as everyone else. Without realising it, he embodies the ‘ninja’ aspect perfectly and later is the first to unlock the Hamato mindmeld. He specialises in armour manufacturing, repair, and alchemy/chemistry. He doesn’t even think of a battle shell, because his back is never turned to the enemy anyways. He is referred to as Squares.

Michaelangelo continues his unpredictability. In combat, he relies on being underestimated and thrives on proving people wrong, both in terms of strength and creativity/outmaneuvering. He is drawn to art, but there are little to no supplies. Draxum discovers his potential as a mystic warrior when he accidentally scribbles out a doorway on the ground with his mystic chalk, and slowly begins specialty training. Still being the most emotionally driven, and with proper training, he masters his mystic powers quickly and helps the team work together. He is referred to as Spots.

Draxum raising the turtles:

It would not be beneficial if Draxum’s perfect soldiers died because he didn’t know how to take care of turtles or human babies. So he learns extensively and provides them with almost everything they need to thrive. Through the Power of Parenting he becomes slightly (only slightly) better and more amicable. 

His lab rebuilding is put on hold for a small while until he deems the turtles independent enough to not get themselves killed while he’s away and Huginn and Muninn can watch them (4-6). He manages to finish building the lab again at around the same time as the show because he gets Donnie to help him.

Once they seem dexterous and communicable enough (6-8), Draxum begins training them with their choice of weaponry. Everyone chooses similar weapons to the show and they aren’t the mystic ones yet. Donnie also wants a gun. He does not receive one (yet).

Similarly to the show, Raphael unlocks his mystic powers first. Un-similarly, it’s when he’s a bit younger (~12) and is not because Draxum threw Leo off a roof. After they all unlock their mystic powers, Draxum gives them the mystic weapons. Donatello still chooses to make and use his own.

Draxum is a bad parent but this is not an intentionally angsty au. He cares for the turtles in a ‘they’re useful’ way, but raising them instilled a bit of parental need to protect them. It isn’t beneficial to him to not care about them.

Some more notes:

Raph and Leo: They are co-leaders for different situations, and there’s an equal chance of them listening to each other and executing orders perfectly, and getting into a major argument about it. They understand each other’s strengths and respect them but they don’t understand the way their weaknesses affect their behaviour. They are protective of each other and even moreso of their younger brothers.

Leo and Donnie: Still consider themselves twins and reign absolutely supreme at dramatic monologues. Will get so carried away in dramaticizing things that they don’t notice very important/dangerous things around them. Have matching repaired fingers from where the other bit it off and then fixed it (either with medical or metallurgic+alchemical prowess). A terrifying and sadistic duo in combat and fiercely competitive with one another.

Donnie and Mikey: The B-team remains supreme and similar to the real show. Donnie is protective over Mikey and they both understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses very well. In combat, they make a fast and efficient team, and they can bring out both the good and bad in one another. They can ramp up each other’s emotions until they are very intense.

Lastly, I will be writing a long fanfic about this on my ao3 account that goes through a similar timeline to the real show. 

[ye-it-is-skeet]

Aunt Daisy Appreciation💚💚🌸✨

At least part appreciation and part because I drew this after my friend gave me Daisy brainrot..

Anyways, this is @okumura-senseixxx ‘s character Daisy (or Borealis depending on the year or era of Daisy’s life) 💚

Okumura have given her a very long and very very very… very… very… hard… traumatizing… scarring……. Life.. ….Like any good artist would do when making a life and story for their character✨

Anytime we talk about Daisy it takes me back to when her story with being Aunt Daisy to the turtles bros was my bedtime story💚😂

But I really do love her, she’s a fantastic parental/motherly figure for her nephews, abut on how she became their aunt (as told by Okumura): “Daisy is a god from another dimension in the world of rise, looking around the city one day her eyes landed on a man who "looked strange yet interesting", that man being Lou Jitsu, the two soon become close friends but when he disappears one day she stays in that world to look for him for 6 months, eventually finding him with 5 baby turtles in his arms. The two end up co-parenting together, her taking on the role of an aunt, as they learn to lean on each other more then ever and work to raise the new additions in their lives as best as possible.”

Now what we’ve discussed was it was snowing and Daisy found Gio out in the snow and then found Splinter with more turtles and figured they were his five sons, which is where Daisy calls Gio “Snowflake”, because he was found in the snow and he’s unique.

But this isn’t about Gio, it’s about Aunt Daisy💚✨ All her nephews ADORE her, Leo is the most clingy, heh🌸 Even when Raph is huge she still can lift him for a piggy-back ride, and Mikey’s kisses are her only weakness🌸✨ She is always mindful of Donnie and Gio, and she returns the love they give and Leo gives her a LOT of love🌸💚🌸🌸

There was a story point where Leo watches Daisy’s memories and learns about her past and is just devastated for her because of love and such🥺 But that’s for Okumura to really explain when they feel like it✨

I love Daisy and her role and her whole story🌸✨ She’s really excellent and ye💚🌸🌸✨

The turtle tots followed her like ducklings🌸

[gayemeralds]

the end of the series, when splinter apologizes for everything, when mikey calls him dad for the first time in over a hundred episodes, isn’t meant to say that every relationship can be salvaged with a simple apology. it’s not instantly fixed. a life time of hurt isn’t suddenly healed by a well placed bandaid. it’s just a bridge. it’s an olive branch. it’s an attempt to be better, because isn’t that what every kid wants? to hear their parent say they’re sorry, to hear them say they’ll do better, for them to change? for them to love you?

mikey loves splinter, and always will. the apology doesn’t mend their relationship, but it is a start. it’s a hand to a drowning man.

it takes time, for all of them to heal. but eventually, raph comes around and asks splinter how to cook a few traditional japanese meals. donnie offers to teach splinter a few veterinarian tricks he learned over the years. leo asks splinter to watch a reboot of star wars, and splinter does (and tries his best not to fall asleep during it). and a long ways after all of that, after things begin to mend, after their heritage no longer becomes a burden but a blessing… mikey sits at the kitchen table in the middle of the night, and quietly asks splinter how to brew a proper cup of tea.

[milolunde]

Can you explain your recent drawing of the turtles? I’m especially interested in the last few pictures with Splinter hugging his sons but he’s only shown as his present self with Mikey. Beautiful drawings I literally love it so much!!!

Hello, yes!

This will be a very brief version, but hopeful a fine answer.

Simply, it’s what the boys remember of their dad. I know Mikey isn’t that much younger than them all, but “It’s a youngest child thing,” explains it best.

Leo, Donnie, and Raph grew up remembering a dad that would take care of them attentively, not only because he wanted to, but because he had to. When Raph was young, there was no “big brother” to look after everyone else when Splinter was gone. Splinter was their only caretaker, as he should’ve been, and when Raph was old enough to take care of the others I don’t doubt Splinter took advantage of that. It wasn’t an advantage that was taken to be cruel or to push everything onto his son, but an advantage taken out of desperation. Like, Splinter’s first break since the Battle Nexus came in the form of a 4 or 5 year old Raph learning how to make lunch sandwiches.

I think Mikey has more memories of his brothers taking care of him than he does his dad, as does Leo and Donnie have more memories of Raph taking care of them and looking after one another, while Raph had his dad until his dad shut down.

Again, “it’s a youngest child thing.” When you grow up the youngest in a house that was once semi-functional with parents that were once semi-parental, you tend to have this feeling of having missed out on the “good parent” your siblings grew up with. Mikey’s accepting that, as he doesn’t need his dad’s support from his prime- it’s not a dad he got to know too well- and will accept his dad and his comfort for what it is now; the dad he’s known.

[6mommymilkers9]

Dating Master Splinter (2012) Would Include…

Master Splinter never gets any love :(

As usual GN! Reader

• No PDA. While he does show his love to you through gestures and words, and a hug here or there, he reserves his affection to be in private. It’s not embarrassment or anything, it’s how he was raised.

• When alone, he loves to kiss your cheeks. His whiskers would tickle and cause you to giggle. When you weren’t paying attention, he would sneak a kiss on your lips.

• HUGS! Oh my god. His fur is so soft and warm. When he would envelop you in his giant arms, it was as if a giant teddy bear hugged you. He is very gentle with you, but held tight, especially when you were upset.

• “I love you” would come rarely. This, he wouldn’t hesitate to say in front of his sons. The first time he said he loved you, was after an encounter with the Shredder that left you extremely injured. He wouldn’t leave your side after that day.

• Comfortable silence. Either it be you reading a book and Splinter meditating next to you, you enjoyed each other’s company and time. Maybe a small conversation here and there.

• Of course Splinter being the turtles father, you would take on a parental role. Teaching the brothers patience, compassion for one another. Most of all, love. They love you to death and would do anything to protect you.

• Meals. Everyone loves pizza, but after a while it got repetitive. There would be nights you would mix up and make something new for your family. Of course, Splinter would always appreciate it, especially when you made a new batch of cheesecicles.

• Cuddling. Tons of it. When you both are alone in your room, or when the brothers are on patrol, you would jump at the chance to wrap yourself around your lover and watch tv in the living room. When you were laying down for the night, Splinter would wrap his large paws around your smaller frame, holding you close, snout snuggled into the crook of your neck.

• He would train you to become a Kunoichi. Whether you had past training or not, he would work with you day and night, learning the ways of a ninja. He would treat you the same as his sons in the dojo, pushing you to your limits to become your best self.

• He always makes sure your needs are met. Are you hungry? He has a bowl of soup in front of you. Thirsty? Tea is already brewing. Whatever you needed, he made sure you got.

• Overall he is an amazing spouse and loves you dearly. He isn’t going to make the same mistake to you as he did with Tang Shen. You couldn’t ask for a better rat-man.

[turtle-titan]

Ok im back to thinking about 2003 Mikey and Splinter’s dynamic…

I think the biggest rift(?) in their relationship might be the miscommunication of which role is needed at that precise moment, and the other unknowingly taking up the wrong role (the “roles” being father vs teacher for Splinter, and son vs student for Mike)

Like in Touch and Go, Splinter takes Mikey out on a 1-1 with him to train him. He tells Mikey that he “has a natural affinity for the martial arts, but mentally [his] mind is undisciplined and unruly.” Splinter is looking to make this into a teaching lesson, but Mikey counters him with “I’m a teenager, sensei. Undisciplined and unruly is what we do best.” Which to me sounds more like a son talking to their dad than a student to their teacher (I know Mikey calls Splinter “sensei” but as a homeschooled kid, it gets hard to distinguish the roles and I totally get where Mikey is coming from).

Or in Grudge Match, after learning Mikey will have a rematch with the big ugly purple guy, he asks Splinter to train him. Splinter mocks Mikey, bringing up all the ways Mikey has excused himself from training - pizza, comics, tv. Mikey is looking for a teacher and Splinter is handling it more as a father would (i.e. letting your kids mess up and deal with the consequences, which I’ll point out isn’t a bad parenting tactic as long as it’s relatively safe for the kid, and at the time Splinter thought it was safe because they didn’t know the magic safety spells were gonna be sabotaged).

You do get gems like in the Big Brawl, when Splinter and Mikey were meant to fight, but Splinter sees how much Mikey is enjoying this and gives up his spot for his son. I think that’s a good example of Mikey as a son needing a father more than a teacher, and Splinter fulfilling that role. As a teacher, even if Splinter still gave up his spot, he likely would have still fought Mikey for a bit to train him further. Instead, he lets Mikey save his strength and gives up the spot.

(Those were all the examples I could think up off the top of my head but if you can think of more, share)

By no means is their relationship without flaws, which is realistic and i love that about it. I’m just a sucker for parent-kid relationships and I would have loved to see more of this, or even better, have them address it because I’ll bet I’m not the only one who can relate.

Anyway this is definitely something I’m putting in all my writing.

[skeleton-in-a-hoodie]

Still thinking about an ageswap/ 2012 crossover

This ended up mostly being about 2012 Splinter and Ageswap Yoshi

2012 Splinter would have a lot of mixed feelings about Yoshi. For one, the kid lacks discipline, like he’ll listen to his uncles and aunt and respects them deeply, but he also grew up 100% aware that none of them knew what they were doing and the war with the Kraang + being a rat mutant means he spends a lot of time on his own.

So he’ll train dilligently, is an extremely skilled ninja, especially considering his age, but he’s a lot more aware of the fact that adults can fuck up than the 2012 turts are, which means he’s more likely to question authority figures. Meaning that if Splinter tries the “I don’t get involved so they can learn independence” arguement he used on Season 1 April, it’s going to go pretty much the same only Yoshi’s going to be a hell of a lot less polite about it.

But it’s also evident that Yoshi loves his family and friends - he won’t hear a word against his uncles and aunt April, he cares deeply for his sisters, and circumstances have forced him to take on a more parental role when it comes to Shadow than anyone would have liked.

And he’s such a serious kid in a way that would remind Splinter of Leo. For one, both boys are dealing with the knowledge that one day they will have to lead their respective Hamato clans, and both are growing into their role as leader. So it’s not like Yoshi is without responsibility or doesn’t take it seriously, he does, it’s just that Yoshi is lacking structure and guidance.

And Yoshi also has mixed opinions of Splinter. He’d definietly feel that Splinter should be more involved and be angry at this other version of himself for not being. And even if Splinter is trying his best, that isn’t going to soften Yoshi’s opinion, partly because he’s projecting issues he has with his own uncles that he doesn’t want to address.

Finding out Splinter married his Tang Shen would also make Yoshi feel awkward no matter when in the Ageswap timeline this happened, like that’s his dear friend who he totally doesn’t have a crush on (who he can’t have a crush on, because he’s a rat who lives in the sewers and she’s his amazing and talented friend who’s also human, and he doesn’t want to fuck up the one and only friendship he has)! What do you mean you married her? You had a kid! Saki tried to kill you!?

(This isn’t even getting into how Yoshi is more in touch with his rat instincts that Splinter is, mostly because he’s spent way more time as a rat mutant than a human. And season 1 Splinter, who hasn’t fully accepted being a rat, is going to feel deeply uncomfortable if he sees Yoshi hiss when he’s annoyed or scratch his ears with his feet.)

[turtle-go-brrrr]

General bayverse headcanons part 2

Splinter

A very light sleeper

Anytime something happens in the lair, he knows

He knows so many of his son’s secrets but act as if he didn’t to protect their feelings

Like that one time he saw Leo flex in front of his mirror (he never did it again because ‘what if it was Raph or Mikey’)

Or that one time he went to ask Donnie a question and realized too late he was having some... alone time... and Donnie tried to play it off to save what was left of his dignity: “haha no I’m not doing anything, I’m fine, how can I help you?” but left a tab open

Let’s just say Splinter knows way more about his sons than he wish he did

He feels honored every time one of them, or hell, April or Casey, come to him for advice or just to vent

He’s jsut so happy to know they trust him

He loves watching movies with them

Doesn’t really understand pop culture but is thrilled when they take the time to explain it to him anyway

He keeps every single drawing Mikey ever made him, he has multiple boxes of them and he keeps his favorite in his room

It takes so much space, but they’re really important to him

Raph made him a really soft scarf that he wears every time they go to the surface (it reassures him)

He also has a sweater and a blanket, and he loves bragging about them: “Oh, this? Yes, my son made it for me :) Isn’t he talented :)”

He finds Donnie’s smarts both impressive and intimidating

Sometimes he’s scared he will never truly understand him or that he won’t have anything else to teach him

But then Donnie comes to him when he can’t sleep or had a nightmare, and he feels warm inside

He’s really scared for Leo

He has so much pressure on his shoulder and so many responsabilities, he’s terrified he will break someday

But Leo knows he can count on his family to support him if anything turns sour and is learning to open up (thanks to Splinter)

All in all, he’s the proudest dad there could be and definitely bragged and showed embarassing memories to April and Casey when they joined the mutants

His favorite animal is the canary

April

Mom Friend ™ 

She’s the one to bring them snacks or useless trinkets they might like

Leo thinks it’s stupid and they should hoard that kind of things

(he does anyway)

She’s also the one to bring medical supplies to the lair when they’re getting short on them

She knows many people because of her job, and comes so often to the pharmacy that the people who work her eknow her and know to not ask too many questions

She doesn’t care about the sight of blood but the smell makes her sick

She still follows Splinter’s instruction when doing stitches and she took a few first aid courses with Casey

She’s the one who takes care of the biggest bugs of the lair

She’s also the one they all go to when they have an embarrassing question to ask (the kind of stuff you’re too embarrassed to ask one of your parents, no matter how close you are)

Doesn’t really listen to anyone, really

Except maybe Splinter from time to time

But like, if she wants to investigate something messy or dangerous, she won’t let anyone stop her

She won’t run straight into danger, she’s not stupid, but she’s not gonna back off just because it might be dangerous

“Okay, April, I’m sorry but you’ll have to sit this one out, it’s way too dangerous for a hum-” “She’s already inside”

 She’s brave like that <3

The best at Just Dance

Even beat Raph from time to time

She has a terrible singing voice tho and loves to scream-sing just because she knows it drives Leo crazy

Sometimes will get picked up by one of the boys and just acts as if nothing hapened and keep talking about whatever the conversation was while being carried around everywhere

Speaks 3 other languages to varying degrees of fluentness: Spanish (fluent), French (still learning but she’s getting there), Arabic (beginner)

She knows insults in a lot of other languages tho (you know, just in case ;) )

The only one who doesn’t pull pranks on Casey (she takes pity on him and he gives her kisses when she takes his side so win-win)

Her favorite animal is the fox

Casey

Pray for him

He’s so fed up with their sibling nonsense

He’s always in the middle of their fights and he’s tired of this

But he’s even more tired of being the victim of their endless pranks (especially Raph and Mikey)

The payback is worth it tho

Surprisingly good with kids

Especially troubled kids (he used to be one, so he knows what to say to help them)

Also really found of small animals

Unlike Mikey who talks to them as equals, Casey baby talks and it’s both adorable and kind of silly

He’s well known in most of the rescue centers of the city because he always brings in stray animals here

Also volunteer in some of them from time to time

He’s really conflicted because of all of the horrible things othe cops do  and he often wants to quit because of that

But if he leaves, he knows no one will try to make a change

He believes he can make things right and tries his best to callout his collegues when they say or do fucked up things

Also completely understand all the hate against cops, and don’t hesitate to let everyone know it’s justified when his colleagues try to play the victim

Despite his anger issues he tries to keep a level head when on the job

He wants to be a good cop, but being a good person is even more important (and almost got him fired multiple times, the only thing keeping him from that being his connection to Chief Vincent)

This is why he’s also doing his vigilante stuff at night

He knows that sometimes, the law won’t protect the most vulnerable people

But that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t

Once accidentally cut himself on the left with a piece of glass

He broke a glass jar, cleaned it up but forgot one little piece, and later stepped on it

It didn’t cut his foot, but he felt something under it and tried to get it off by rubbing his foot against his leg

Hence the stupid cut

Most of his scars aren’t really from his numerous fights, they’re just stupid injuries like that

His favorite animal is the cheetah

[literaryspinster]

Here’s that 1000 word preview of Something In The Water I promised! I can’t say exactly when the full chapter will be up since things have been sort of crazy at work, but it should be sooner than later. Enjoy! Ch. 5

She needs to get off of this island.

Not that it’s such a bad place, it’s just too small, she needs to be somewhere that stretches the mind, maybe help her remember how she ended up here in the first place. She doesn’t know how many hours passed between fleeing her wedding and waking up naked on the beach in the dead of night with a splintering headache and a mouth full of sand, but every single one of them is unaccounted for. All she knows is that she can’t go back home, and doesn't have the means to go anywhere else. 

What she does have is the necessary nerve to have found a deserted house with a window that could be easily cracked open (easily for her anyway). Isle DeGranger is full of them. So many residents of the town only stay in their homes a couple of weeks out of the year, and either rent them out to vacationers or just leave them there to look pretty for the rest of the time. Still, squatting in a quaint old vacation home with a hammock out back and a faulty alarm system isn’t without its anxieties. Every time she hears the slightest creak or groan she darts her eyes toward the door, ready to cut and run. When it’s quiet and still, she uses her time wisely, planning where she’ll go next and how she’ll get there.

 In simpler times, the go to method would be to swim, follow the right currents in the right directions until she landed somewhere great, or at least interesting. But it’s out of the question for now, the ocean is vast, but still not big enough for them not to find her after a few hours or so. Until further notice, the safest place is on land, keeping as low a profile as she can.

In retrospect, flirting with a random guy in a bar probably wasn’t the best way to go about it, whether it was for a purpose or not. She should have just left, she’d already successfully pickpocketed enough cash from the drunk, grabby patrons that night to buy food for the week, she didn’t need to push it. 

If only it weren’t for his damn face.

The second she saw him from across the bar she knew she wanted to see that face up close, see the way it changed when he laughed, the way his eyes crinkled and his dimples caved in. It was probably for the best that he charged off so quickly, because if he hadn’t then she might have done more than just look.

Her parents always said she had a ridiculous fascination with the creatures up here, but it never was true. It’s the freedom, to go anywhere she pleases, learn whatever interests her, kiss whoever she sees worthy, live for herself and not some arbitrary 5000 league long list of customs that she never could understand. 

But Dick, he fascinated her from the very beginning. And before she sets off for the next place, she needs to see that face again.

****

This was a mistake.

This was worse than a mistake, this was a colossal fuck up of fyrefest proportions.

Tim Drake, who’s the boyfriend of Gar Logan, who’s the best friend of Rachel Roth, who’s the adoptive daughter of Dick Grayson, is a fucking true crime youtuber.

His channel has 500,000 subscribers.

Dick and Rachel go to meet their Ferry during one of the few free hours Dick has had all week. And the second they hop off to greet her, caterwauling her name like the biggest fans at her concert, he knows they’re going to be more of a handful than anything else happening in the wake of the crime. 

Gar and Rachel immediately fall into a giant hug, their respective green and lavender hair meeting in the middle. While Tim, big eyed, gangly, too much energy for one boy Tim, immediately makes a beeline for Dick.

“Detective Grayson  so good to finally meet you,” he says, offering a firm, quick handshake. “I know this is a dark time on the island but I promise we’re only here to help.”

“Oh, and we also promise we didn’t know about the murder until after you invited us,” Gar says, releasing Rachel.

“It’s fine,” says Rachel. “I’m just glad you're here, and you better not spend the whole time working on your channel.”

“Hand to God,” says Tim.

“Wait, Channel?” Dick asks, slightly panicked but not letting it show.

“Yes, glad you asked,” says Tim, immediately making Dick wish that he hadn’t. 

“I host The Crime Bird with Tim Drake, and I’m likely to be the first channel to cover the DeGranger Lighthouse murder, I know it’s fast but the sooner the word is out there the sooner we can catch whoever did this.”

“Wait, we?” Says Rachel. “No thanks.”

“I know I know, you guys have been missing each other for months, I don’t want to get in the way of you catching up. How about I shadow Dick at the station today and you guys enjoy a beach day?” Tim continues as if it’s all been decided already.

“Sounds good to me,” says Gar. “I wanted to check out the tide pools and rent a Jet ski, Rach, you good to jet ski?”

“No but someone has to take pictures,” she says.

“Fine by me,” says Gar. “Oh and is it true you have a saltwater hot tub?”

“Wait, hold on,” Dick says, trying to get on top of the situation. He’s not entirely sure how the last three minutes have played out this way but he needs to rein it back and fast. “You’re not shadowing me at the station.”

“Listen, I can help, I know way more about this stuff than you think,” Tim insists.

“Because of your channel? And by the way Isn’t it a little, I don’t know, unethical to profit off of a tragedy like this?” Dick almost feels bad about saying it, this is a kid after all, but the last thing he needs is some gung ho murder fanboy following his every move. Tim doesn’t seem offended much at all though.

“That’s a totally valid concern my man, but I promise it’s not like that, half the proceeds from my channel go to the families of the victims, the other half is split between helping support my family and paying for my education.”

“Tim wants to be a forensic scientist,” Gar offers proudly.

“Only trying to keep up with you Mr. future veterinarian,” Tim offers back before turning his attention to Dick again. “Anyway Grayson, when do we get started?”

Did he mention that this was a mistake?