dadatello

[dadatello]

The window into a different universe is stored in dad's computer.

[dadatello]

you best start drawing cause youve been submitted in the obs au comp, boiiiiii!

[dadatello]

I just took a look through this AU, and it's such a neat idea!

I was wondering, is there a specific reason why future Donnie is waiting to reunite little Leo and Donnie with the rest of the family? Is it related to the events of the current timeline, or does it have more to do with Donnie's emotional state following what happened in his timeline?

Thank you so much!!

It has everything to do with Donnie's emotional state, yes! He needs some time to get over the grief of losing everybody he's ever loved in his original timeline. It is hard enough to have to raise himself and a younger version of the last brother he's had to lose, but to him, there were only moments between him losing his family and him saving his kids, so... On top of that, he definitely is going to have to get over the fact that the kids are not going to be the same as he and Leo were. However, he can make sure they have a better relationship.

Here's a goofy doodle from a while back to counteract the angst lol

[dadatello]

"More finetuning required."

Part 1

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Part 2

[dadatello]

Is it cool to make fanart of this, as long as one tags you? :D

YES absolutely!! If you tag this blog in your art, I'll make sure to share it here :) thanks so much, it's a delight to know people want to draw fanart for this au!

[dadatello]

How are Minitello and MiniLeo different from the way you and future!Leo were when you were their age?

"Or, well, the three of us.

Naturally the dynamics are going to be different with the absence of two siblings. But the core personalities are still there."

[dadatello]

What is home like for Dadatello and the kids? How much does it look like one giant lab?

I'm not an environment artist and some of this may be subject to change, but it definitely looks a lot like a giant lab! After everything that happened, Donnie did not feel safe enough to go back to the sewers, so they've made their home in an abandoned corner of the Thunder Drone instead.

Picture-heavy explanation as well as extra notes under the cut:

Considering what the Thunder Drone looks like, along with its sheer size, it makes the perfect lab, as long as they're able to hide in plain sight. The mechanics behind this I've found inspiration for in the Portal environments, with moving arms, plating and high-tech mechanics making sure that anything suspicious is going to be hidden behind the walls when the three leave the lair.

At the same time, Donnie wants to give it a homely feel, much like the two lairs shown throughout the show and the movie, so the homely, yet workshop-like environment of the hackerspaces from Watch Dogs 2 come to mind when thinking about Donnie's lair.

He will also be bringing back the giant battleshell wheel, which is going to be housing twice (or thrice?) as many shells, and the many, many computer screens.

Some extra notes, some of which are things I haven't been able to draw:

-The upstairs houses their bedrooms and the bulk of their entertainment, so it is easier to hide.

-Donnie doesn't have the heart to cover up any graffiti, as it reminds him of Mikey. Instead, he works around it with neon lettering.

-Materials both big and small are recycled, such as old tech, abandoned cars and car parts, and he even somehow gets his hands on medical equipment. He does have a small medical wing dedicated to housing this kind of stuff, just in case.

-Screens EVERYWHERE. He has a wall dedicated to any screens he finds, a corner to workshop any new inventions, and a few central computers (backup for a backup for a backup) to power everything as well as provide internet and other such necessities.

-Despite everything being digitized, he's going to want to keep a cork-board and plenty of notebooks around to record current events. He records everything from the twins' progress while growing up to canon events on the timeline. He also has many, many copies of his schematics, as run-ins with the Purple Dragons and Kraang infestations have made him paranoid.

[dadatello]

Hi there, Donatello! I hope you’re doing well. I was wondering what do you do when Donnie or Leo come to you crying or upset? How do you comfort them?

"Bit crude and impersonal sounding, but it's foolproof. So far."

[dadatello]

What is home like for Dadatello and the kids? How much does it look like one giant lab?

I'm not an environment artist and some of this may be subject to change, but it definitely looks a lot like a giant lab! After everything that happened, Donnie did not feel safe enough to go back to the sewers, so they've made their home in an abandoned corner of the Thunder Drone instead.

Picture-heavy explanation as well as extra notes under the cut:

Considering what the Thunder Drone looks like, along with its sheer size, it makes the perfect lab, as long as they're able to hide in plain sight. The mechanics behind this I've found inspiration for in the Portal environments, with moving arms, plating and high-tech mechanics making sure that anything suspicious is going to be hidden behind the walls when the three leave the lair.

At the same time, Donnie wants to give it a homely feel, much like the two lairs shown throughout the show and the movie, so the homely, yet workshop-like environment of the hackerspaces from Watch Dogs 2 come to mind when thinking about Donnie's lair.

He will also be bringing back the giant battleshell wheel, which is going to be housing twice (or thrice?) as many shells, and the many, many computer screens.

Some extra notes, some of which are things I haven't been able to draw:

-The upstairs houses their bedrooms and the bulk of their entertainment, so it is easier to hide.

-Donnie doesn't have the heart to cover up any graffiti, as it reminds him of Mikey. Instead, he works around it with neon lettering.

-Materials both big and small are recycled, such as old tech, abandoned cars and car parts, and he even somehow gets his hands on medical equipment. He does have a small medical wing dedicated to housing this kind of stuff, just in case.

-Screens EVERYWHERE. He has a wall dedicated to any screens he finds, a corner to workshop any new inventions, and a few central computers (backup for a backup for a backup) to power everything as well as provide internet and other such necessities.

-Despite everything being digitized, he's going to want to keep a cork-board and plenty of notebooks around to record current events. He records everything from the twins' progress while growing up to canon events on the timeline. He also has many, many copies of his schematics, as run-ins with the Purple Dragons and Kraang infestations have made him paranoid.

[dadatello]

I'd like to take this moment to thank you all so much for the support on this au !! I initially created it because this concept is channeling something that is deeply personal to me at the moment. Hopefully it will serve as something that is as healing to you as it is to me. :)

[dadatello]

Is there anything Dadatello is purposefully doing differently in raising Minitello and Leo to the way that Splinter raised him the first time? Also, is there anything specific he has purposefully carried on doing with his boys that Splinter did with him? Any traditions or anything like that?

"You know, I don't often show emotion, but it's scientifically proven to be beneficial for a child's development. Which is to say... this is important for the kids.

Losing Leonardo at the end there... had me thinking. I shouldn't act like I take my family for granted. He was a champion. And a damn good leader, too.

Just don't tell 'Nardo Junior all of that. It'll go to his head."

[dadatello]

Do Minitello and Leo know about Raph and Mikey then?

"We know the basics. It's rough on him, so we try not to bother him too much about it."

[dadatello]

How does Leo feel about the fact that his twin is also his Dad?

Does Tinytello ever try to use it as leverage over him? Like, “Technically, I’m your dad so you have to do what I say?”

"Dad's... different enough, in a way."

[dadatello]

I've opened asks for in character responses, so feel free to ask Donnie anything!

[dadatello]

Does Dadatello plan to try and reunite his kids with Raph and Mikey?

"Eventually."

[dadatello]

Does Minitello know that him and his dad are actually the same person from different points in time?

"It's not a secret. A dad's a dad, right?"