#// Raph... my guy... you went through so much

[i-have-a-beating-heart]

Hello all! This is the fic I wrote that inspired the animatic “Tear and Tear Again.” Thank you so much for the love you’ve shown for the animatic, and as a bonus feel free to check out the fic!

***

Stars twinkled overhead and lights glittered up from below as the boys zipped onto the skyscraper’s rooftop. They crouched along the edge and scoped out the elaborate building across the way. 

“You’re sure that psycho flower guy is down there, Donnie?” Leo asked. 

“Why do you continue to question me? When has my tech ever steered us wrong?” 

“Well, what about SHELLDON’s first...” Mikey began.

“THAT was user error and I refuse to accept responsibility for that.” Donnie cut him off. 

“Okay guys, let’s focus up here. Donnie, what part of the museum is he in?” Raph inserted.

“Security cameras say the south corridor of the northwest wing, which is... color me shocked, the rare botany section.” 

“Sick, i love a good orchid.” Leo took over. He gestured to the blueprint. “Blow it up, would you Don? Let’s see, Mikey, your fire’s tabled for now, I want you to keep the plants as far out of harm’s way as possible. This guy likes his new cousins a lot, so I doubt he’s wreaking havoc, but we don’t want them to get either stolen or squished.” Mikey pepped a bouncy salute.

“I’ll keep him busy. Raph, get my back in case he catches up to me, I don’t want to have to take a dozen showers in the next 24 hours. Donnie, can you make sure the cameras...”

“Already playing a loop, what, you think this is my first high-security break-in?” 

“You’re an inspiration. I want a good single shot incapacitation here, we’ll all have to live in the same lair with anyone who gets hit. That’s on you, Dee. I’m sure you’ve got a good method for weeding this guy humanely.” 

“Why yes, I’ve been synthesizing a specific growth inhibitor for-“

“Notice I did not phrase that as a question. Now let’s see, he’s already left the skylight open; Mikey, you and Donnie enter that way. Raph and I will portal in but I’d prefer he not get a good look at all four of us right away, so you two can go old school.”

“Time for me to blow him away with my fabulous dazzling ninjocity!” 

“I would say ‘dazzling’ and ‘ninjocity’ don’t belong in the same sentence, but I understand your point, Michael. Let’s dazzle. Discreetly.” Donnie forearm-bumped Mikey affectionately.

“Alright we good, boys? Sweet, let’s twist!” Leo jumped through his portal with Raph right behind him, barely intelligible as he said, “I’m still not sure about that catchphrase-“

Mikey flashed Donnie a big grin as he leapt off the ledge. Donnie smiled and went to follow, but as he flexed his legs in preparation to jump he felt a wave of... not cold, not heat, but something hollow and prickly rush through his lower limbs. He stumbled, falling off the roof more than jumping, but he was flying down anyway and it took less than a second for his battle-shell to kick in and follow Mikey. He cursed himself momentarily for standing up too fast, his legs must’ve fallen asleep. 

***

The fight was going well, all things considered. Raph and Leo had got the plantman well-cornered and Mikey had only let one plant get smashed. He and the villain had taken that equally harshly. Donnie, positioned perfectly in the rafters,  whipped his targeting screen up on his arm screen and effortlessly narrowed his scope in like he had a hundred times... except it wasn’t effortless. The same empty feeling from before suddenly surged up his right hand, leaving it shaking gently, but enough that his screen wobbled uselessly. His fingers were stretched taut and quivering uncontrollably as he pulled his hand back, eyes wide. That wasn’t... what was going on? Tentatively, he reached back to his screen, but his hand convulsed and he nearly launched the tranquilizer straight into Raph’s shell as a stabbing pain shot up his forearm to his elbow. He bit his lip hard to keep from yelping, and tucked his now-violently shaking hand against his chest, mind racing. 

Something’s wrong, something’s happened, I don’t know, I don’t understand, I don’t- task at hand, Donatello. Order of operations. Solve the first things first.

Donnie whipped his left hand up to drop his goggles over his eyes, and executed a quick shot with his pupil controls... which swung wide and shattered a window when another sharp pain up his arm caused him to flinch and blink at the wrong moment. Heat rushing to his head as the alarms tripped, he got off a second shot that hit the mutant squarely in the back of the neck, knocking him out. 

“‘Bout time, Donnie! Let’s get out of here!” Raph yelled over his shoulder as he grabbed the plantman and hurled himself through Leo’s new giant portal. Leo was through immediately as well and Mikey was right behind him, noting out of the corner of his eye Donnie shoving his goggles up and dropping clumsily from the ceiling to the ground before pushing himself forward and... collapsing?? Mikey spun in disbelief as Donnie sprawled, and at first his eyes shot around, looking for a trip wire or some other trap, but there didn’t seem to be anything, no glint or flash or... he locked eyes with Donnie and felt a sudden bright shock under his skin. 

Donnie was afraid. The lost, desperate, mind-bending afraid that meant something was horribly wrong. 

His right arm was twisted up against him as if it were injured, and he couldn’t really see his legs, but based on the straining of Donnie’s left arm working alone to push his torso up from the damp sticky floor, they were messed up too. Mikey swirled and launched his chain at Donnie, who, in a rush of understanding, lunged forward and threw out his left arm to tangle in the chain and grip it tight. Mikey yanked, hard, and caught his brother as he half-slid and half-tumbled across the floor, and as the sounds of police sirens filled the room and the pounding of footsteps grew louder and louder, Mikey tightened his hold on Donnie’s waist and arm and plunged through the portal. 

[nyt1ba]

The war with Mother Sphere   &.   Naytiba creation.

PERSONALS DON'T REBLOG I WILL BITE YOU.

   Mother Sphere is an artificial intelligence created by the scientist and former CEO of Eidos company Raphael Marks   in order to lead humanity towards the path of evolution.   Indeed,   Mother Sphere helped solve various issues humans were facing,   introduced new solutions and guided them towards a path of human advancement never thought possible before.   However,   her view on humans would change with time with the creation of the Andro-Eidos,   viewing them as lesser species and deciding to replace all human life with the androids.   She would go rogue and turn against humanity by launching a wide scale attack via taking control of the Andro-Eidos,   weapons and machinery with ease due to her having access to data banks all around the world.   This would eventually lead to the first war.   Humans lost and were forced to take refuge underground in order to survive.   During that time Raphael and the survivors who took refuge in the underground facility Altess Levoire formed an opposing force against the Andro-Eidos in order to put an end to the war and save the remaining humans.

According to the discovered Document EVE discovers,   log data reveals that the central computer,   identified as the AI,   RAFFY,   worked alongside a group of humans identified as the Humanity Liberation Front,   including one member known as Raphael,   an admin.   Their goal had been to defeat the machines,   Andro-Eidos,   and begun working to create the Naytibas through gene-genetic manipulation.

   The first experiment that lead to Naytibas creation was meant to better condition humans for survival,   giving them the ability to endure harsher environments,   better endurance   &.   enhance their strength so that they may be on equal footing with the Andro-Eidos.   The first experiment was a success,   preformed by Raphael himself on himself with the other members monitoring the changes,   prepared to act accordingly and contain any threat if it were to arise,   having been aware of the dangers of genetic manipulation the slightest mistake could have catastrophic results.   Thankfully,   the experiment proved to be a success and they began the process of enhancing humanity on a bigger scale by building capsules that could hold larger numbers for speed and efficiency as Mother Sphere's threat was growing at a rapid speed.   The first war would continue then with humans tipping the scale in their favour,   without the need to rely on weapons or machinery that Mother Sphere could breach and control quite easily,   they were able to fight back and cost her some heavy losses.

   At some point however,   Mother Sphere discovered the location of the organization,   where RAFFY was commanded to release the subjects despite their instability at the time to counter-attack the sent squad. Unfortunately,   this caused a breach in quarantine and the release of the Naytibas who were incapable of identifying friend and foe.

   While the Naytiba experiments were a valuable solution to end the war and preserve humanity a little longer,   they didn't always guarantee stable results,   manipulation of genetic structures had the dangers of creating defects,  instability   &.   What became a virus-like disease that would spread if not contained properly,   those were meant to be quarantined until the problem is reversed and solved.   Unfortunately,   there was no time,   Mother Sphere would eventually find the facility and send out a squad,   and in a final act of desperation the AI was commanded to release all subjects as counter attack.   Which would prove to be a force that would draw the Andro-Eidos out,   but at the cost of more human lives with the released Naytibas growing hostile against all that came in their way.   And thus began the second and final war.   Humans began to grow desperate,   sought to use any means necessary in order to survive,   they gave up their humanity willingly,   either by succumbing to the virus or their hatred towards the Andro-Eidos that turned them more hostile due to the unstable nature of them being released before their time.

   With a scream that came from the abyss of Levoire,   a new existence was born.   This marked an irreversible change on Earth,   and the truth that Raphael Marks had once existed as a man and not the Elder Naytiba was forgotten.   No one knows whether he willingly became a test subject,   turned into a monster due to contamination,   or was revived as a Naytiba by others.   Either way,   the reality is that both him and the world have been damaged beyond repair.

   The final stage of the second war was led by Raphael himself,   who by that time,   had lost his humanity as well and became what is now the monster known as the Elder Naytiba.   He could                 to some extent back then                 command the other Naytibas to fight back,   leading a vicious front that forced Mother Sphere and the Andro-Eidos to retreat back to the space station where they took refuge in what became the colony.   Naytibas would not cease their attack then,   climbing the orbit elevator and nearly reaching the colony itself if it weren't for Mother Sphere destroying the orbit ring,   an act that would not only bring about her enemies demise but the destruction of earth itself,   it created a catastrophic wave that hit earth,   with the remains crashing directly onto the planet.   Victory came at a bitter cost,   as earth was left in disarray and the humans that survived were being picked apart by those who had sacrificed everything and became nothing but monsters with an animalistic urge to kill.   Raphael was the only one to survive,   kept in touch with his humanity and remained somehow sane unlike his comrades.

   His mutation however was worsened by contamination,   when in the beginning he was merely an enhanced human he became a monster like the rest of his kind.   He'd have bouts of instability   &.   loss of control,   his anger worsened by grief.   It isn't until he came across Oracle,   a Naytiba that managed to reclaim his consciousness by accident when attacking an Andro-Eidos and fusing with them,   and learned from him how to better control himself and keep his more monstrous tendencies at bay.   Moreover,   with the other Naytibas going berserk,   his connection with them was somewhat severed,   he can experience their   pain,   suffering,   anger,   but as far as control he doesn't have a hand in the matter anymore.   Nevertheless,   Naytibas would continue to reproduce as long he's living,   growing more hostile and monster-like the more they evolve.   While those that couldn't escape Levoire appear to have retained some human features unlike the rest.

   Mother Sphere would rewrite history after the war,   claiming that the Andro-Eidos are the real humans,   forced out of earth by the Naytibas,   whom she claimed to be aliens who took over earth.   She would resume the battle still,   sending air-born squads to locate the Elder Naytiba,   Raphael,   and put an end to him,   thus killing all other Naytibas in the process.   A covert plan to erase humanity from earth and return back with the Andro-Eidos as the better species.   Raphael on the other hand,   is weary of war,   he sought to save mankind through more peaceful solutions,   having seen the benefit of Oracle's fusion he devised a plan to fuse himself with the most advanced Andro-Eidos,   thus saving both species as he had grown sympathetic to the androids that occupied Xion,   this way he could grant them a better future and restore humans back to what they used to be.   Until then,   it's a matter of waiting.

[mrabubu]

How do you think the turtles from ROTMNT would deal with their feelings if they were in love with someone (be it human, mutant, Yokai, etc.)?

Oh man... Hmmm...

I really hope that wouldn't be a problem if I mostly ramble about Leo (I'M SORRY GUYS THE BLUE TURTLE LIVES IN MY MIND RENT FREE), and maybe a couple of words about the rest. I'll also be talking about both young and adult Leos, so, here we go.

I'll give short opinions on other turtles before Leo:

Donnie: Would be neglecting his feelings and emotions at first. Even though, in my opinion, he was established as the one prone to romance, I think when he'd actually feel anything towards anyone, he'd be really conflicted, because it's one thing to see this stuff on the TV and all, and another when it's in real life. But once he'll deal with all this mess in his head, he's a real gentleman.

With Raph and Mikey I'm going to refer to @souperwrites words, I hope they don't mind xd

"Mikey is confident and lovey dovey." And I totally agree with it. I feel like he would be the one who'd have the least problems with his feelings.

"Raph is shy but very genuine in his affection but also super nervous because of his size and the potential harm he could cause without meaning to." But honestly, I think my friend @daysofmoron could also give their opinion, since they love the red turtle. xd OKAY, NOW MY BOY LEO.

If start with young Leo, in the show he was always all "EWW!" whenever any sign of romantic love is shown, be it Big Mama and Splinter or Warren and Hypno (at least I remember them being all cuddly, and Leo's was just barfing at them on the background), but I imagine once his own heart goes "doki-doki" for Y/N (let it be Y/N or "you" for now), he's a total mess at first. Remember that episode when they met Jupiter Jim actor, and Leo couldn't even put the syllables together? Yeah, that's him at the start, especially if Y/N doesn't know about his feelings towards them. He'll be trying to impress Y/N but since his emotions are all over the place, he messes up more than usual, maybe even ending up hurting himself (like, he'd try to impress you with his skateboarding skills, but ends up eating concrete because he's too distracted).

And here I'm going to add a bit of my own ideas, because I've been thinking of some scenarios, like, if taking that previous idea with skateboarding, or, more easily, let's take the episode "The Longest Fight" when he fell, I imagine if on the contrary from others you'd actually show any genuine concern about if he's hurt, he'd be like "Oh..." and blushing, because usually his brothers would make fun if him, and here comes in you who doesn't laugh at his failure and worries if he needs help. I think after a moment like this he could begin to feel something.

And with Future Leo HO OHO I have an entire game reference on how I imagine him handling a romance.

First of all, I think as an adult he would be more confident with his feelings if he ever feels anything towards anyone, because, well, he's an adult now, and because when you at war you kinda already went through a lot to be all this blushing mess over feeling butterflies in your stomach.

So, as a reference, whenever I thought of him in a relationship, I though of a romance with Garrus from Mass Effect. I imagine Leo being kinda awkward, trying to make jokes at first that are much more sloppy than usual. Especially if talking about Garrus, I always think of that scene from Mass Effect 2, when he comes into Shepard's room before the final mission, trying to lighten up the mood, flirt and all, but ends up just being an awkward (but adorable) mess, and saying: "I've seen so many things have gone wrong... I want something to go right. Just once. Just..."

And it's just really easy for me to imagine Leo say that. And instead of touching scars you touch his prosthetic.

And also that dialogue with Liara after "The Lair of the Shadow Broker" DLC, when she asks if you fight for giving Garrus some peace, and you say that he's been hurt and deserves something better.

But once Leo's over all the awkwardness and let himself relax, he's just enjoying this new experience with you, having fun.

This scene with Garrus and Shepard trying the "first date" thing which ends up them dancing tango together. With all the teasing and all, I can easily imagine Leo would do something like that.

Honestly, I think that's it? There are more scenes in Mass Effect with Garrus and Shepard where I could easily imagine Leo would do something like that, but it's a lot. If you know, you know, If don't, well, I hope I was able to gave you an idea.

[somerandomdudelmao]

ok wait hold up can we actually just like talk for a second about Donnie's behavior in these last few pages??

Before he found out about the infection, Donnie was still very nonchalant about a lot of situations, but he always had a sense of care and compassion for certain things, like for example, his family and friends. He used a lot of sarcasm and was overall just the snarky autistic tech dude who had more love than he could even imagine giving. He had a relentless grip on his bad-boy image, was stubborn as all hell, but was a well-rounded, lovely guy!

And then the realization hit that he was going to die sooner than expected. Then...

Poof!

Now he's just a shell (Hahaahahahahaha) of who he used to be. Now all he has for himself is a bunch of self-deprecating jokes, responsibilities to pass on to others, and a lack of hope that is just so incredibly unlike him. He still has the sarcasm, sure, but this time it's a lot more dry and emotionless. There's no brevity or lightheartedness to his words anymore, it's all just a monotone mess of half-assed goodbyes and thrown out dreams for the future. Any method of survival has seemingly been lost to time for Donnie, so now he's just kinda... Accepting the fact he's gonna die soon, which only leaves him with his own decaying body and a voice he doesn't even want anymore. And judging by the way he just ignores or shrugs aside everyone's concern, it's all basically just him saying, "Welp, guess I'll die. Here's my shit, no will required."

Also another thing I noticed is that Donnie is basically not allowed to really do anything anymore because he's at risk of dying sooner than he already thinks he will. If he gets more rest and works less, his death come significantly slower.

Meaning he must feel incredibly useless right now.

I think I've also pinpointed the time when this all started happening to Donnie btw. It's a very small moment and I don't have the screenshot on me rn but I think it was in the robo-Raph comic, specifically the moment when Donnie was zooming over to Casey and went "Past" that Kraang alien dude on the way. I imagine he didn't really go past and instead went through, because u know, he's Donatello. If given the chance to commit murder, he will commit, and he very much had the chance right there. I think he went through that Kraang alien, (Very plausible given how fast he was going like jesus- ) got its blood inside a cut or something, and it infected him via his veins or something. Kind of a stretch to assume this since it literally could've been something that took place before the time of this comic series, but this was the earliest instance of foreshadowing/possible infection that I can think of.

I also want to apologize for making all those jokes about like taking you to court and throwing you in jail and stuff because maybe they came off as mean or rude at some points. And for constantly flooding your inbox lol-

Thanks for existing and for making this comic, and congrats on beating the deadline at work! I think you deserve a cookie for that! *Gives a million more cookies* oh yeah and those are for you being you

Oh my fuckiNG GoD...

I don't even know what to say to that

I guess I just want everyone else to be able to read it too because..oh shit...oh wow.

[torturedblue]

Just got to the end of season 1 of Rise yet again, and this time it’s really given me some extra thoughts and perspective about Leo’s behavior in the movie…

So we know at first Leo is goofing around like he usually does after the Dark Armor spits Draxum out. Undoubtedly with a huge boost of confidence from just defeating their Big Bad season 1 villain by merely creating total chaos and throwing plans out the window. After all, “we be we” right? Which leads Splinter and Raph to yell at him a lot while he just constantly insists “they’ve got this”. Which, sure, but Leo baby you have to actually fight and get focused for that to be true 😂 But it keeps Splinter’s doubts up all the while they’re moving through the Battle Nexus arc, and Leo doesn’t really get Splinter’s approval for his while big plan until he proves he knew what he was talking about all along and the Nexus crowd is cheering them on

“They love ya, Pops!”

“It was all you my son!”

They spend scene after scene with Leo insisting they’ve got this while working his Face Man routine on the Spiderwoman up until he gets thrown in the “kraken’s den” with Rat Jitsu and it’s not until then after he says it was all part of his plan and Splinter again doubts him, that Leo’s had enough of his lack of faith and failure to really pay attention to his strategies enough to say “How come no one trusts me? None of you have any faith in me, why?” Which, ouch.

And it’s kind of the same when they get back to the rest of the team. We know Raph was very unhappy with Leo bouncing on them even though the plan was actually Splinter’s, and as soon as they get back he chews Leo out for leaving them high and dry. Thus Leo’s “when I said you guys got this I meant that” speech. Raph remarks about how accurate Leo’s guesses were about how things went when they were gone, and when Shredder shows up again Raph asks if Leo’s sure about this to which he replies yet again “Trust me.” And while it may be with a confident grin, after all the previous events of the episode it makes me sad to hear the way Leo asks for trust again.

(Which, I love my guy Raph, but after watching him also doubt Leo for the whole episode it does make it hard to believe when he finally says he does)

And I could go off on a whole other tangent about Bug Busters and how Leo saw everything that Big Mama did coming beforehand unlike his brothers—like altering the terms of the deal Raph made with her at the last second—which allowed him to expect exactly that in Many Unhappy Returns and outsmart her… but I don’t think I need to.

So even though Leo doesn’t see it as much with Raph, he really had to work to earn his Sensei’s and his leader’s trust as a reliable team member. Now to be fair, he did keep his plan on the DL from Splinter up until the end, which makes it a little more unbeatable, but I always felt like he did that because someone who worked for Big Mama was always around and blabbing about what he was going to do around any of them wouldn’t have been smart.

And interestingly enough, the only episodes Raph does use him to do his Face Man thing are after all this, in Todd Scouts and Pizza Puffs, but I don’t think Raph ever did that in season one. “Go in there and do what you do best: face!” This leads me to think it’s the season 1 finale events that showed Raph Leo’s people skills and cleverness really were more useful than he thought

Looking back on all of this it really makes clear now more than ever why Leo had such hesitation about accepting his promotion to leader and acting accordingly.

Because Leo’s proven to know his family a lot better than they know him… which is actually really saddening

Even if you set aside all the other aspects of Leo being used to getting to take it easy, or seeing how when things get really serious the pressure of leadership can really get to you, or how people can actually die, like in the season 2 finale. At the end of the day we know Leo’s insecurity comes a lot from thinking his brothers or family don’t believe in him, so even after being given the leader role, how is he supposed to believe in himself?

[fire-fira]

I am not sure how much you are into analysis but I want to ask. Do you think raph isn’t as good of a fighter compared to his brothers? because I have a feeling either he’s holding back when sparring with them over fear of harming them or he’s not as good as them.

Anon, you just made my day because this gives me an excuse to nerd out at length. (Though apologies that it took me so long to get this fully written out and posted.)

Disclaimer before I launch into it in full: to fairly compare Raph to his brothers I'm going to do a brief run-down of the three of them before breaking into the full details on him. A lot of this is built on extrapolation from details in various canons and at times might edge toward headcanon territory, though I'll be trying to stick with what's actually present.

With that out of the way--

Comparing Raph to His Brothers

So to start with, I can only fairly do this deep-dive by briefly touching on each of his brothers before getting to Raph himself. I'll say upfront that I think it's less a question of which one is the "best fighter" and more that they're each different types of fighters, each with their own strengths and weaknesses and which might land any of them in the position of "the best" depending on the circumstances.

Leo

Strengths: This is an extrapolation based on various iterations (2003, 2007, 2012, 2014/2016, ROTTMNT, 2023, Batman vs. TMNT, and a little bit of the IDW comics), but Leo strikes me as a tactician-- as the guy who can extrapolate to fifteen different possibilities for the outcome of a fight and fifteen steps ahead of everyone else on each of those possibilities. At his best he knows how to play to his brothers' strengths, put them where needed, and let them go to do their own thing. He's also persistent and willing to put himself through his paces over and over again until he 'perfects' what he wants to learn how to do. As a "traditional" (romanticized) example of a warrior, he is the golden boy of the family. Rise Leo might be a little less likely to get every step 'just so,' but most iterations of him aim to be as flawless as possible in terms of his combat skills. In his ideal world, he will never have a misplaced swing of a sword or inflict any damage he doesn't intend to. That depth of knowledge and highly-trained skill can be damned terrifying for his enemies if it's taken to its fullest extreme.

Weaknesses: His perfectionism and desire to get things 'just right' is a double-edged sword. In the 2003 series it got wrapped up in his PTSD and the need to never make a critical mistake again (which... didn't work out well for him-- hi, shades of Raph at his worst); in the 2007 movie it led him to think his efforts to learn how to be a better leader weren't "good enough" and kept him away from home for two years; in the 2012 series it led him to ignore critical injuries and try to bully himself into being 'better' (when realistically what he did during the farmhouse arc probably would have permanently destroyed one of his knees); in the 2014/2016 movies it led him to temporarily damage his relationship with his brothers by spilling over the worst of his internal perfectionistic vitriol onto them; and in Rise it at times has turned him into a showoff who'll act without letting the others in on his plan (which can backfire horrendously in a worst-case scenario) because if he does it without telling others what he's going to do, then he gets bragging rights if it works out like he planned. Underlying all this is what could turn into an unmanageable case of anxiety depending on the version of Leo and how personally stable he is, as well as how susceptible he is to ruminating over where he feels he went wrong. To say nothing of how many versions of Leo have a GIANT self-sacrificing streak when it comes to their families. Under the right circumstances-- and if someone really intended to make it hurt-- they could easily play all that against Leo and get him to freeze due to overthinking. (Though getting him to that level would take an extreme case and some severe emotional damage to weaponize his guilt.)

Speed: OKAY. Here's where things get a little more cut-and-dried in my opinion-- if a fight is down to just speed anyway. Leo might be pretty neck-in-neck with Raph in terms of speed, maybe just a touch faster due to (generally) being more lean-built than Raph. Leo's not a tank; yes he can fight in close quarters or mid-range and hold his own, but if he can then he tends to be 'slippery' about it. He's not going to batter away at an enemy if he can spin out of range before darting back in and dodging whatever hits he can. If it's just a matter of speed without any other factors involved, then there's a good chance Leo will win in a fight against Raph. If it's a question of strength and endurance though... Well, I'll expand further on that when I get to Raph.

Adaptability: This is something that is absolutely dependent on which version of Leo we're talking about and how hung up that version is on his plans without taking the general chaos of life into account. 2012 and 2014/2016 Leo both are guilty of getting so hung up on the idea that their approach to a combat situation is the right way that they fail to plan for the fact that their brothers' ways of doing things isn't their way of doing things. Which blows up in their faces spectacularly sometimes. IF it's a version of Leo who's more likely to fail to take into account his brothers' differing styles, then Raph might easily play that against him and deliberately do things Leo would find unpredictable (though probably not as much as Mikey, lbr). For versions of him that are better about knowing that his own approach isn't the only/'best' approach, then Leo would be better able to roll with whatever Raph throws his way, within reason.

Combat Style/Approach: Mid-to-close-range, tactician, and definitely NOT a grappler. Yes, his skills and training have him moving with muscle memory when he needs to, but even so, there's a split-second awareness of what his opponent(s) could do and instinctively reacting based on what he's met with. A lot of that means he has to be free to move and avoid getting held in place, or things might go bad quickly.

Donnie

Strengths: No matter which iteration of Donnie you're talking about, you're generally talking about an engineer who's able and willing to casually heft up and carry around a car engine with his bare hands. And considering (with a quick google search) it looks like the average car engine weighs anywhere between 300 to 700 pounds, that alone is proof enough that no one in their right mind would ever want to be punched by Donnie. And considering there are instances where he's able to temporarily support the weight of himself and his brothers (a couple of scenes in the 2003 series are what immediately come to my mind, but that's just my favorite iteration showing itself) it's proof that he has that strength not just in his arms. To give you an idea of just how much weight that implies he can lift, here's a size and weight comparison of some of the largest turtle species currently living.*

Notice anything? Like how... Oh... I dunno... a 4-foot-long Loggerhead sea turtle can weigh up to 400 pounds? Or a 3-foot-long Leatherback sea turtle can weigh 550 pounds on the light end? (Note: this is not meant to be snarky or condescending, just a simple statement of fact that all signs point to these boys are fucking HEAVY.) And that huge amount of weight relative to their body size seems to be pretty consistent among turtle species from what I've seen with my digging around. Which logically implies that the same holds true for these boys, and if we play fast-and-loose with the idea that we can roughly translate length to height... well... For general weight of the boys, I tend to assume at least 200 pounds, at least for those under and up to about 5-foot-tall. For the 2014/2016 set I might even suggest somewhere between 400-500 pounds-- but roughly comparing weight to size with that table of large turtle species, I'm probably severely underestimating their weight all across the board. Being generous, hypothetically saying all four of the 2003 turtles are about 240, that then means there are moments in the 2003 series where Donnie is temporarily lifting around 960 pounds, including himself. AND THAT MIGHT BE A SEVERE UNDERESTIMATION. Terrifying, right? So yes, Donnie is unquestionably strong as hell and maintains that strength by working on his various projects, and a full-force hit from him would land someone in a hospital-- if they're lucky. The other main thing working for him is that he's a tech genius. No, he's typically not as rigid or disciplined in his training as Leo is, but if he has access to tech and distance then he has a whole host of weapons and traps he can bring to the party (something which Rise Donnie excels at in spades). Raph's a much more physical direct-confrontation fighter, but Donnie has the capacity to turn entire environments against his enemies, depending on the means he has at his disposal.

Weaknesses: For better or worse, Donnie's primary personal strength-- the one he leans on above all else-- is his intellect and being able to puzzle things out. And again, he's an engineer: yes he can lift and move that terrifying amount of weight, but he's usually not doing it at speed. (Because let's be real, moving heavy and potentially very breakable machinery is not something you want to do quickly when you want to be able to use or repurpose said machinery.) He's not a slouch when it comes to his ninjutsu training, but there's a reason why the concept of Donnie pulling the 'I'm too busy to train right now' is a widespread fandom concept. It doesn't necessarily mean that he's not 'as good of a ninja', but more that he's not a 'traditional' ninja and has had to adapt things to his preferred methods. Yes he has a lot of physical strength, but he prefers to keep a distance from his opponent(s) if possible. Doing so, having that distance, gives him more time to plan and respond-- because unlike Leo, a lot of iterations of Donnie don't have that ingrained ability to read the possible actions their opponent(s) might take and respond on a dime (or at least not to the same level). Raph's tendency to brute force things-- something which Donnie technically could do but clearly does not like to-- might be somewhat unpredictable for him, especially because that puts Raph in close and doesn't give Donnie as much time to respond as he would like. All that said, Donnie could technically win a fight against Raph without his tech if he pretty much said to hell with fighting and decided to do an imitation of an octopus. At the very least he could probably hold him in one place if he was quick enough and managed to get Raph's arms pinned. And somehow kept him from walking. (It wouldn't be a dignified win, but it might still technically be a win.)

Speed: I'm gonna be honest, I do not think speed is on Donnie's side in comparison to his brothers. If he really makes an effort (rather than just going his own route and pursuing his interests) he'd probably be able to keep up with the others going at full tilt for a little while, but he'd probably tire out first. A lot of the work he does due to his areas of expertise is fairly sedentary, and frequently he needs to move with slow and deliberate precision. There's a lot of fine muscle control involved in that kind of work (especially if it involves maneuvering something heavy), but being able to consistently do that doesn't automatically translate to being able to do something similar at high speed. But that's okay, because if he has the distance and varied means of attack he needs, then he doesn't have to worry about keeping up with his brothers for an extended period of time-- it just has to be long enough.

Adaptability: If it involves tech or computer systems, Donnie's ability to adapt to a situation is unparalleled. Give him unrestrained access to an unfamiliar and shiny (and incredibly pervasive) system and he'll be able to make it seem like a tech apocalypse is targeting one specific person if he wants to. If it's a head-to-head physical fight though, it really depends on how desperate he is or how much breathing room he has (or both). If he's frazzled and panicky then there's the possibility he'll miss several opportunities or potential tools and, in a worst-case scenario, he might freeze. (An extreme example of this is how Rise Donnie gave up fighting the crab men when his tech failed, after all his brothers had already failed in that fight.) If he has time and space to think then he's practically unstoppable, but if he doesn't have that breathing room then chances are things won't end well for him.

Combat Style/Approach: Distance fighter, brain-over-brawn, could be a grappler if necessary but uncomfortable enough with it that it might work against him, might as well dub him a 'trap master' for the little surprises he might leave in his wake if he's feeling spiteful. He's a schemer, but not a chess master.

Mikey

Strengths: If there's one thing that can be said for Mikey it's the fact that most versions of him are innately gifted at picking up kinesthetic knowledge, to say nothing of the fact that he tends to be the most spiritually gifted of the brothers. In fact in several series (2003 and 2012 off the top of my head, though I'm certain it may have popped up in others) it's briefly mentioned that if Mikey really buttoned down and was completely serious about his ninja skills he would outclass Leo-- which means that he can naturally slide into the level of skill Leo has worked for years to achieve without even really thinking about it. If he wants to. And most of the time he doesn't want to. (Too much responsibility being that serious, so who can blame him?) However, his not constantly going at the equivalent of Level 99 in a videogame in fights isn't necessarily a detriment to him, because he has other ways to stay true to himself while giving himself an edge. Like being annoying on purpose. And knowing how to aggravate the hell out of his opponents until he tricks them into getting sloppy. Until he tricks them into giving him easy openings they should REALLY know better than to give him-- and would if he hadn't deliberately torn their nerves to shreds. If it's not obvious, I'm saying versions of Mikey like to play mind-games, and if they really want to they can be vicious about it and make it HURT. (Though again, most versions of Mikey are more invested in goofing off and playing around than being outright vicious or serious.) The point is, if he finds a mental opening that sticks, then how invested he is in winning the fight will dictate how serious he is about exploiting that weakness. To say nothing about how creative he can get when he really wants to be.

Weaknesses: The downfall of a lot of Mikeys is how distractable a lot of them can be. (I won't say this is a universal fact because I'm a big fan of there being variation among different realities, but a lot of Mikeys definitely being ADHD doesn't help. How well said version is able to compensate probably also varies.) So depending on the circumstances and the environment, Raph might be able to play that distractibility against him. (Buuuut that would require Raph to play mind-games, and most Raphs aren't the 'mind-game' type.) Plus, for better or worse, it takes a LOT to get most versions of Mikey to the point where he's ready to say 'Fuck everything' and throw everything he can into ending a fight right that second.

Speed: Mikey is, in my honest opinion (and based off most of the series and movies I've seen), the fastest of the brothers-- bar none. Which means if he tore off at full speed with the intention of skipping a fight entirely and just making Raph chase him, Raph probably would never catch him. Until after he wears down anyway. But if he zipped off and found a good enough hiding spot, then he could probably avoid Raph for a while. In a fight, because of his speed, there's a good chance that Mikey might be able to get in more hits than Raph, but that comes with the risk of getting in close to Raph-- and that can easily work against him in very short order.

Adaptability: Mikey's adaptability is through the roof. Most versions of Mikey, you can throw damn near anything their way and they'll roll with it in such a way that they land on their feet while their brothers are still scrambling for stable footing. There's also the fact that he's a very lateral thinker and able to apply concepts from seemingly unrelated sources to scenarios many others wouldn't even think to combine-- and he does so to his advantage. So yeeeeeeaaaaahhhhh, given enough room and space to work with (and not panicking), then there's a good chance Mikey's going to catch Raph off guard with something he'd never expect.

Combat Style/Approach: Close range, flighty, dart in-range to hit and then dart back out of range, mind-games and making his opponents angry to the point of getting sloppy seems to be his preferred tactic. He could be the most terrifying to go up against in a fight if he went absolutely stone serious, but 99.9999% of the time he does not want to and would much rather slip in some fun where he can. (If you don't believe me on that last point, consider that in the 2003 series I'm reasonably sure he has the highest body count of all the brothers, in the 2012 series he killed a kraang and wore the dude's skin on his head multiple times, and in Rise ALL of Dr. Delicate Touch and the frothing maniacal rage he has when angry. 'Nuff said.)

Raph

And here we come to the turtle in question himself, Raph. Hamato Raphael, Raphael Splinterson, Raphie-boy, take your pick.

Strengths: Raph is a TANK. Barring '87, this boy in most iterations pretty much makes it his mission in life to be the strongest of him and his brothers. He's also stubborn as hell and WILL NOT give in if he thinks it's important to stand his ground. Which means he can and will hold his ground and dig in long past when his brothers each have to retreat or fold; he can take the hits they can't and come out the other side still kicking. And what's more, if he feels the need to and is able to get up and be mobile, then he WILL hunt you down for as long as it takes and damned near nothing will stop him-- he is that. damned. STUBBORN. Let's be real, that combination is terrifying. Of course, naturally, this brings up questions of just how physically strong he is. I pointed out up in Donnie's section that Donnie is ridiculously strong, but just how strong is Raph? To answer that question, the infamous scene from 2007:

Just how much psi does it take to snap a katana? WELL, it turns out that finding out that information is really difficult (at least when I was nosing around and trying to find out). When I was doing my initial searching I found a video on facebook examining an anime scene (at the time-- back in September-- it was literally the only thing that remotely came close to answering my question that popped up) that claimed it would take at least 20,000 psi. Being that the person who posted that video didn't include any sources for reference, I'd take it with a grain of salt (especially since despite my best efforts I'm having a hard time finding that video again), but still. If-- for the sake of argument-- we assume that the 20,000 psi measurement is accurate for what it would take to snap a katana, that would mean that our boy Raph is capable of exerting that much force with each hand. And not just a brief spike of getting there either. No, for him to be capable of the force in that 2007 scene (again, assuming the number is accurate) then he has to maintain that force for longer than a second or two.

I don't know about you, but that makes this scene just that much more dangerous and intense in my eyes. It's not just that Raph could have killed Leo by stabbing him; it's also the implication that he could have easily torn Leo apart with his bare hands if he wanted to. So yeeeeeaaaahhhh, if Raph is able to get his hands on any of his brothers and is able to hold on, they're probably toast.

Weaknesses: Whoo boy. In most iterations, point blank, his biggest weakness is his temper. If he gets set off too thoroughly or if someone knows how to play it against him, his temper can make him get sloppy and lead to his defeat-- regardless of how ridiculously strong he is. It also means that, unless it's a version of him who has worked his ass off to keep himself in check, there's a good possibility that he might wind up doing things he'll regret when he's angry (and if someone really wants to twist the knife they can play that guilt and self-blame against him). If you go by 2003 and 2012 there's also his bug-phobia which can be played against him. (Even though 2003 Raph covers it with 'KILL IT WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE'.) If you go by Rise, then you DO NOT. EVER. WANT THAT BOY TO BE ALONE. And on a much more brutal note, going back to his stubbornness which is also one of his strengths

...there's a good chance that this boy might try to push himself past the breaking point if he feels it's necessary.

Speed: I've said before that I think Raph is pretty neck-in-neck with Leo when it comes to how fast he is, Mikey has them both beat in the speed department hands down, and Donnie is most likely to be the slowest moving of the four of them. If Leo has to deal with heavy weights while trying to move at speed however, Raph will have him outclassed due to having more practice in that department. For Raph to have a hope of keeping up with Mikey going full tilt in running away, Mikey would have to be carrying enough to weigh him down considerably. And while Donnie might stand a chance in trying to grapple with Raph, Raph having more experience in moving heavy weights at speed would probably mean Donnie would be better off trying to glom onto Raph like an octopus rather than outright grappling. So Raph's not the fastest, but he's not a slouch either.

Adaptability: As much as I love my boy, Raph is a tank, he's bruiser, he's a bulldozer who freely makes use of sharp and pointy things he can use to stab people with. Adaptability-- barring variation between sneaking in and out versus barreling in as loudly as possible to cause mayhem and destruction as a distraction-- is generally not in his wheelhouse. Given time and learning how to play mind games (and I don't doubt that an adult Raph could pick up and use the skill when he needs to) he'd probably become more flexible, but with where he's portrayed to be at in most iterations he hasn't gotten there yet.

Combat style/approach: Close-range, grappler, brawler, TANK. He WILL hold the line, he WILL dig in and hold his ground, he WILL be the wall and PROTECT with everything he has if he has to. He's also not above being outright brutally destructive when he feels it's warranted. And that "when he feels it's warranted" is key.

Details that affect the outcome:

Raph has a protective streak 500 miles wide. A lot of iterations try to be the wall for his family, the last line of defense when needed. He would sooner see himself hurt than anyone he cares about.

And it's not just his brothers, father, April, Casey, anyone-he-considers-family that he's protective of either.

Seriously, if someone pushes the protective button on this boy and his sense of right and wrong kicks in, he WILL get involved.

Raph cares and feels deeply; to him, family is everything.

You

have

NO IDEA

how much

this boy

LOVES

HIS FAMILY

or how much he'd tear himself up if he ever seriously hurt any of them. So the chances of him ever actually going all-out against any of his brothers is slim. (And the few instances in various iterations where he's come close it's seriously screwed him up emotionally every time. Like 2003 and the pipe incident, 2007 and the after effects of his fight with Leo, the implied guilt Rise had after he snapped back to his senses after reuniting with his brothers after he'd been alone, etc.) He might fight with his brothers, he might disagree with them from time to time, but overall he comes off as someone who firmly believes you don't ever deliberately hurt someone you should care about if you can help it. Which is backed up by instances of him panicking in various iterations where his decisions might result in his family's deaths, as well as the fact that he only really turns on any of them (think SAINW) if they cross the line of not being there for each other like he feels they should be. Some iterations might threaten to run off a lot, but he never will without a damned good reason because he loves his family too much to ever want to do that to them.

Final Assessments

Raph vs Leo: If it's in close and is just down to strength-- Raph wins. If Leo has the time he needs to scheme and play Raph the way he needs to-- Leo wins.

Raph vs Donnie: If it's in close-- Raph wins unless Donnie pulls off an imitation of an octopus and gets all of Raph's limbs pinned and holds on for dear life. If Donnie has the distance, time to scheme, and the means to set traps to his heart's content-- plus tranqs, no one wins against tranqs-- Donnie wins.

Raph vs Mikey: If Raph can get his hands on Mikey and keep him in one place-- Raph wins. If Mikey plays Raph like a fiddle with his mind games and stays out of reach-- Mikey wins.

Raph vs the three of them together: Well shit, that'd be a losing proposition under the best circumstances unless the goal was to try to out-stubborn them at something. 10/10 if he had to, Raph would keep dragging himself along even if all three of his brothers were hanging on to him to try to keep him from reaching his goal. (And if Raph hasn't exploited that fact during some wild-as-shit game of theirs, then Casey Jones is the queen of England.)

Raph vs his guilt if he actually seriously hurt them: Instantaneous loss that Raph would probably have a hard time ever forgiving himself for.

So do I think Raph is as good a fighter as his brothers? Yes.

Do I think he's holding back so he doesn't hurt them? Also yes.

Do I think anyone he went up against if he didn't hold back would be thoroughly screwed? Emphatically YES.

-----------------------------

*The site I got the turtle size table in Donnie's section is [here], if anyone wants further details on sea turtles.

[imagionationstation]

UM-!

So you guys know how there are several fanfics out there (at least that I’ve read) about how the Rise world is ✨so much better✨ than all the others in color and acceptance and that the Rise brothers are just ✨perfect siblings✨ and a single brother/all the brothers of 2012 would head there and never want to leave???

Well, I was thinking about that and how I could see Mikey or Raph getting talked into staying (and Donnie, as long as April isn’t an issue) but I was having a bit of trouble convincing myself that Leo would leave everything behind and move there. I mean, their home and everything he knows how to protect them from is back there. He already got rid of Shredder and they’ve fought so hard to kept their dimension- why would they leave??

Now, I’m not saying he definitely wouldn’t. I probably could convince myself that he would if I really wanted to BUT I’M STUCK in this endless loop of WHAT IF AU scenarios-!

So I’m processing and spazzing and I take no responsibility for anything that comes out of my mouth if you click this line.

OH, GOOD. WE CAN START!

So we all know that Leo isn’t going to let his brothers go. Not to live in some other dimension away from his care. And maybe the situation could be that they only visit- but they don’t want to. They want to move and they want him to come with them.

They’ll be happier there, surely. Couldn’t he see that?

And Leo tries to sit back and let them have their way. He wants his brothers to be happy, really, he does, but it grates on him more and more each day. Watching them bond with the Rise brothers. Watching them pull away from him to lean on others, silent as Michael plays therapist as if Leo isn’t enough- as the twins encourage disrespectful behavior and call him out for ‘playing Sensei’- as Rafa tries to step into the role of ‘biggest brother’ and the fake Splinter pretends to be the father that they lost.

And he watches his brothers distance themselves, from each other, from him, each finding a place in this new world of few dangers and hostility that offers opportunities to walk in the sun- and suddenly it’s like they don’t need the tight bond that they’d always shared- no, that’s crazy, he knows it is- and then one day they all admit that times have changed and maybe they don’t need a Sensei anymore?

Obviously, he has to say something. Stand his ground. Call them out. His job is to keep his clan together. He is their Sensei.

And just when he’s starting to get his point across, the Rise brothers step in. Claiming that he’s being controlling, possessive, unfair. He has to let them live their lives. He doesn’t get to decide what they get to do or how they get to do it. Doesn’t he see that?

And Leo, faced at the wall of shells standing between him and his clan, his little brothers uncertain and uncomfortable, looking between the Rise brothers and him like his word isn’t enough, finally realizes why everything has gone so wrong.

And something snaps.

He doesn’t yell. He doesn’t shove. He doesn’t argue.

Leo just walks out. He knows where his fight is.

He almost forgot that the deadliest threats were the ones that helped you to your feet before taking a knife to your back.

So it’s a good thing that Leo has a shell.

Of course, once Leo sees through the ruse, once he realizes that his baby brothers are in too deep and won’t be able to see what those turtles have done- he takes matters into his own hands.

Not that he tells the turtles that he’s onto them. Oh no.

You don’t warn the monster that you’re coming before you enter it’s den. You lure it out, you weaken it, and you eliminate the threat.

And he intends to do just that.

Leo’s spent his entire life freeing his little brothers from monsters.

What’s a few more?

VILLAIN ARC ANYONE??

So I spammed this while listening to Fall Little Wendy Bird Fall and then I went ahead a rewrote the lyrics and did you know that a “wendybird” is ‘straight-edge’ person who ‘always takes the high road’?? ‘CAUSE I DO NOW.

Sarcastic Leo who’s mocking them for pretending to be better than him to steal his little brothers anyone??

Warriors, you've no idea what you've got yourself into Fly for a night and think the world's made for you Well, I've tried too hard to see all of my work come undone Better grow some wings real fast

I see the way they look at you with hope in their eyes Soon they'll start to dream of different lives Well, I won't let you tempt them They are mine to protect No use distracting them from the past

You don't seem to quite understand what is at stake This messed up little family I won’t let you take If I could let them all go free, please know that I would But it'd do more harm than good

So why don't you fall? Fall, little wendybirds, fall Why don't you fall? Fall, little wendybirds, fall

Swear it's nothing personal It's a necessary evil Why don't you fall? Fall, little wendybirds, fall

Some would say I'm quick to rage And maybe they're right But I can say, for once, I'm thinking clear tonight Really, birdies, you have picked the wrong one to fight I will protect what is mine

A nasty little spark that must be smothered, snuffed out Setting fires inside my house is just not allowed If ending errant embers is what I must do Then, birdies, I'll be coming for you!

So why don't you fall? (Why don't you fall?) Fall, little wendybirds, fall Why don't you fall? (Why don't you fall?) Fall, little wendybirds fall

Swear it's nothing personal It's a necessary evil Why don't you fall? (Fall) Fall, little wendybirds, fall! (Why don't you fall?)

Oh, oh (Why don't you fall?) Oh, oh (Why don't you fall?) Oh, oh (Why don't you fall?) Oh (Fall) Oh-!

Why don't you- FALL?! Fall, little wendybirds, fall Or did it slip your mind? You need three things to fly Let's see you try when I take what’s mine

Why don't you fall?! Fall, little wendybirds, fall I'm gonna clip your wings Cut your strings Boys, you won't Feel a thing Now that you're feeling tall Why don't you... Fall.

[cnwolf-brainrot]

T-May-NT Day 16: Favorite Episode

OK, THIS WAS A HARD CHOICE because, favorite episode?? Of any TMNT canon??? That's a tall order and I had so so many that I debated picking... however, there's one episode that I would always choose to watch as a kid, one that I still adore to this day, so I stuck with it without thinking too much about all of the other choices I could make because then I would never be able to pick just one.

Turtles in Space (Part 3): The Big House, from TMNT 2003! One of my favorite episodes of all time, there are just so many little moments from it that made it a childhood favorite, and it still holds up so well rewatching it now <3

For some of my out-of-order favorite moments in this episode along with some of my ramblings, see below the cut!

I absolutely love Don's dorky little salute here; sweetheart you just got captured by aliens after surviving the vacuum of space, I don't think they're looking for a salute.

And then the fact that after the triceraton pushes Don both Leo and Raph immediately jump forward to defend him? PERFECTION, I love how protective those two are!!

"FLOOR WAX???" haha I thought that was so gross as a kid

These shock things are only used like twice in this whole episode. Guess who got it both times? So fitting for his character, honestly I love it.

*Giant muscled alien bully walks through the cafeteria* Raph (immediately): I'm gonna fight that guy Don (who already knows its inevitable): RAPH NO--

That's not exactly how it went but also yeah that's basically how it went

Also "green guy green guy!!" always cracked me up for no good reason

"I got a rock?" *visible brother judgement*

Also though this whole sequence shows all of the turtles so perfectly. The fact that they all looked at each other, knowing that they had all (well almost all) started thinking through and working out an escape plan, and then the subsequent way that they were each using something they brought to the table to form a plan (Raph timing the door, Don figuring out the smoke bomb, Leo putting it all together)? All so well done, I love this scene.

Speaking of which:

The fact that Don took one look at the floor wax through Mikey's vomit and said "I'm gonna make a bomb with a bit of dirt" is so hilarious to me. His little "I love it when I'm right" is also adorable.

Don't think I'm hating on Mikey, he was just waiting for his moment to shine! Seriously without him swiping that keycard they would have been toast.

The fact that the two idiots in the back literally forgot to make sure that their own plan was going to be carried out like come on guys

This moment.

And of course "SPOOOOOOOOOOOOOONS!!!"

I love this episode a lot, there's a whole lot more that I love from it but I digress; good episode.

@tmaynt

[msbarrybeeson]

In This Episode of "Mad Dogs Love Reader" : Mystic Library

A/N: This lowkey feels like crack-fiction. Then I remember the premise is the actual, released episode itself. I did my utmost trying to adhere with the characters' personalities when it came to non-canonical dialogue.

I am aware of your comments about my Donnie X Reader shots and feel really happy to hear them! After a year or so of not writing, though, I apologize for my rough return. I still love Rise of TMNT with my heart and hope to see a single glimpse of the show's possible continuation.

Constructive criticism is much appreciated! Especially for character-writing! Leave some comments about it if you will.

Summary: While searching for something to help your project, you found yourself jammed into a fiasco of a book find with the Mad Dogs in the Mystic Library.

Episode Base: Episode 20A "Mystic Library"

Implied Pairings: Rise! Donnie X Reader • Rise! Leo X Reader • Rise! Raph X Reader

Reader: Gender Neutral. Human.

Word Count: ~2070

➵ ➵ ➵

ECHO-O

CHOO

HOO

OO!

You whipped your head. "What the hell was that?" you muttered to yourself, cautious of the "Hush Bats" hanging from above.

Your hand flipped through pages of a book, yet nothing remarkable piqued you. You sighed. You needed to get a project done as soon as possible before you could hit the weekend concert in Central Park. "Where are all the books on the anatomy of frogs. . .?" You picked out another book, this time with a fish-like Yōkai on the cover page.

"What are they doing here?" Your ears perked at recognizing that coarse, scratchy voice. "Can't we enjoy a nice peaceful Sunday without those clowns showing up?"

April and the others showed up? Here?

"I got an idea," Foot Brute gestured a "knuckle-sandwich." "Since they're always messing up whatever we're doing, why don't we mess up whatever they're doing?"

Under their breaths, they snickered evilly.

You frowned. Not on my watch, bozos.

⇨ ⇨ ⇨

"Loom 16." Donnie slid, rocking into his rhythm as he busted out singing. "Take Corridor B. Down-the-stairs past the Ibis tapestry."

"Uhh. . . Donnie?" Raph whispered, feeling uneasy when even Leo decided to join in with his beatboxing. "We're still in the library." Yet his warning went ignored.

"Sliding bookcase after bookcase shows the way to the hall– up a pole through a hole to the waterfall." He rhymed with every line. Raph hushed him, "Keep it down Donnie!"

Aimlessly, Raph glimpsed up the library, careful of the Hush Bats. He did not want to be taken to the kiddie room. He was expecting one to come right out of the endless ceiling, flying straight for him and his ridiculously noisy brothers.

He heard nothing. He saw nothing. His back faced his brothers as Raph kept his eyes out for those bats. He quirked an "eyebrow" when the silence settled in.

"Gee Donnie. Didn't think you'd be the one to listen." Curious, the snapping turtle finally spun around to face his brothers.

What he truly did not expect was bumping right into Leo's shell. A relatively low "oomph" emitted. Now, he felt confused. "Guys?" Raph tried calling. "What's the big idea? Why are we stoppin' out of nowhere? We got Mayhem to save!" He glimpsed at his phone to April's frantic texts.

Looking back up, he noticed Leo wrapping his hands over Donnie's mouth. Their heads were blocking his view of something. Or rather, someone. Raph leaned his head to the side and found–.

"(Name)!?"

In a whisper, of course.

You would hope so.

He nearly yelled for the world to hear.

The Hush Bats above dilated their pupils in great suspicion.

From your end, you watched the wide-eyes and shocked looks plastered on their faces. Leo covering Donnie's mouth before he could scream at seeing you pop out of the blue. A deep fluster evident on Donnie's features. You did kind of jump from behind a ledge.

That wasn't what mattered, though.

"Why hello." You somehow dropped the whole warning-spiel to give a quick greeting, hand on your hip.

But it wasn't quick.

"(Name)!?" Raph quietly exclaimed. Perfect timing for an oxymoron. "What on Earth are you doing here!?" He rushed to you, giant hands on your shoulder and lightly shook you. "Were you trapped here?!"

"Raph, Raphie." You lightly knocked off his grip. "I'm fine. I was looking for a book to finish my biology project. I would really love to get to this concert coming this weekend, but I can't dance my soul out when my grade hangs on the balance of Mr. Racataian." You waved dramatically.

Donnie yanked off his twin-brother's hands. "I had an excellent cadence going before you ruined it, Leo!" He scrunched his face. "Keep your germs off. Who knows where your hands have been?" Donnie sanitized the area around his mouth. He faced you, the disgust wiped off in an instant. He raised an eyebrow, obviously judging the decision you just made.

"Allow me to digest this." He repeated slowly, "You are looking for a book."

"Mhm."

"To help you with a school project."

"Yes."

"From the human world."

"Uh-huh."

"And you're not searching in any of New York's public libraries, but in the Mystic Library?"

"Sums it up."

"'Sums it up?' That is downright absurd!" His eye twitched. "Why?"

"Yeah. No offense, (Name)," Leo intercepted. "This lowkey doesn't feel like the right place for you to be searching for human books. You should try one of the higher stories." He quirkily pointed up.

"Oh, you're right! They'd–."

"You should neither be endorsing this nor encouraging them, Leonardo!" Donnie hissed and went to pinch between his brows. "Dear Darwin, you have access to the Internet, (Name)!"

"I'm well aware, Don."

He blinked incredulously. "Oh Bohr. What have they done to you, my brightest pupil? My intelligent (Name)! Has New York decided to reduce state funding on public education as of late?" He suddenly hugged you, garnering shock from Leo and Raph. Donnie rarely– much emphasis on rarely– touched anyone out of his will. So this said a lot. "We shall fix this. An old fashion petition won't do. They never listen to those–."

"Donnie!" You shoved the mutant off, ignoring his endearing title for you. "Did you seriously believe I hadn't visited the public libraries?"

"I'm afraid you are not making any sense, (Name). To come here implies there weren't any books at all relating to your topic–!"

"Of course, there are!" You ruffled your hair. "But my teacher begged everyone to put in forty sources– all of them as books– or else he'd drop our grades by two whole letters! I don't know what's his deal with bringing in physical work! It's been decades! Can he please catch up to today's technology!?"

Yes, you were in fact whispering still.

"Sheesh." Leo crossed his arms and muttered, "And here I thought high school's all about the sports. Y'know, the better stuff."

"Why are you guys even here?"

In a blink of an eye, Raph tensed up. Hands on his head, he panicked as he snatched his phone out of you-don't-know-where. He frantically tapped his thumbs on the screen, texting. You looked around. "And where's Mikey and April?"

"Mikey. . . kinda got taken to the kiddie room." Leo rubbed his nape. "He did that to himself though, so I wouldn't really worry 'bout him that much."

"Oh." You snickered. "So he's the one I heard that loud echo from." You would have laughed real hard at that.

"Not gonna lie, I kinda wanna do the same thing. But those bats up there are giving me the heebie-jeebies."

"And so where's April? Isn't she usually with you guys too?"

"Mayhem. . . got stuck in her mirror."

". . ."

Leo twiddled with his fingers.

You freaked out, your one spare hand wiggling and everything. "Why are you guys even chatting with me!?" Your eye twitched. "Are you lost or something? There's some Magic 8 Ball thing down that hall. You could've found the book by now–!"

"Which I would've found if it weren't for my annoying colleague interupting my memory rhythm." Donnie gritted his teeth. "But fret you shall not, (Name). Everything is handled without flaw as long as my intellect is around. Nothing is necessary except for your mind."

Ah. Your daily dose of Donnie's wisdom. You didn't even have to ask.

"Woah-ho. Now you're blaming me, mi hermano?" The latter had his hands up defensively. "You're the only one with directions inside your head. I was only trying to stop you from getting snatched by bats. Did you get that?" He spelled each letter, "B-A-T-S."

"You!" Robotic arms from Donnie's Battle Shell snatched Leo and shook him like an earthquake. "I won medalions from the National Spelling Bee, you simpleton! You can't even spell 'soldier' without replacing the letter 'd' with a 'j'! Who are you to quest–!?

Oh Bohr."

He did in fact yell.

You and Leo gaped with wide-open jaws as your friend with a big ego dramatically floated away by bats.

"Donnie!" Raph nearly screeched.

⇨ ⇨ ⇨

"I know Donnie has once again messed up our mission as he does on virtually every mission." Leo glanced between April's panicked messages on his brother's phone and you. His sights lingering on you each time.

"Are you trying to impress (Name) by putting down Donnie?"

"Wha–What? Of course not." Leo nervously chuckled. "W-Where did you get that idea from?" He looked at you yet again. The moment you made direct eye-contact, he tried putting up his nonchalant facade. Instead, he looked kind of goofy.

You wouldn't tell him that though.

Raph pointed at him, narrowing his eyes. "Are you trying to get Donnie fired?" Before his brother's hand slammed his face.

"We'll discuss that later." He swung to change the subject. "Let's just focus on getting that book, so we can save Mayhem." Leo held his chin, pondering. "We need to remember the song. How did it go? Something about a Loom."

"Loom 16." You heard it briefly when you had gone off in search of your buddies. You were sure if you could catch onto the beat again, you could remember all the lyrics– directions.

"That's right!" Raph snapped his fingers softly. "Take Corridor B. . . Uhhh. And then where'd it go?"

"Oh my God." You clasped your mouth. The other two whipped their heads. "What happened, (Name)?"

"I forgot to tell you guys!" said you in a hushed voice. "Those two guys from the Foot Clan are here to mess things up again!"

"You said who!?" Raph crashed into another body.

"Us." There they were, Foot Brute and Foot Lieutenant, right in the flesh. "How thoughtful of you to let us make our own welcoming, instead of spoiling it for others." The Lieutenant signaled in your direction with a sneer.

"Hey! Step aside, chump! We're on a crucial mission!"

"Which is why we're going to throw a little monkey wrench into your plans."

"We'll see about that." Raph charged to land an attack, but meeting the Brute's palm. Everyone quickly remembered the Hush Bats hanging patiently along a beam. The two backed off. Blue hopped on his brother's back. "We can't fight these guys! We have to be quiet, or we'll never get the book to free Mayhem!"

"So we fight them as quietly as the quietest lions in the jungle of silence!" Raph grunted. "Like a boss!"

"Oh dear me. Where's your other partner?" The Lieutenant pointed. Without a thought, the two mutants whipped their heads behind another time. Figuratively, your missing figure left a flashing dotted outline. Raph shrieked, "(Name)'s been kidnapped! What have you–?"

Book dust puffed out into his face. He nearly bursted into a sneeze if not for Leo's quick reaction.

"Oh, it's so on." Blue's competitive spirit tingled.

Raph stomped on the Brute's foot. Leo gave a real disgusting wet willy to the Lieutenant's ear. Things quickly escalated to making one another laugh as hard and loud as possible. Even the other visitors looked disturbed, either wheeling back their squeaking chairs or simply turning away.

BONK!

.

.

THUD!

BUNK!

.

.

THUD!

Leo and Raph froze in the middle of their shenanigans as two heavy books struck the heads of the Feet. What an odd name, you would have thought. The impact created loud sounds that resonated throughout the library.

Two more victims for the kiddie room were claimed that day.

"Hey guys. Sorry, I went off for a mome–. Why is there a book in your mouth, Leo?"

He spat out the book, its spine drenched saliva.

"Oh. . ."

"You. . . did not see anything."

You slid down the bookcase. The one book with the fish-like Yōkai remained in your grasp. Raph practically teared up upon your sight. "Y-You weren't kidnapped after all. . .!"

"Thank you for the concern, but why would I be. . .?" You blinked amusingly before waving it off. "Nevermind." You pointed in a specific direction. "Let's head this way. There's Corridor B right there. Someone told me where this 'waterfall' is."

♪ Up the pole through the hole to the waterfall. ♫

"Oh-ho! So he did mention a waterfall." Leo snapped his fingers. "You're a life-saver, (Name). Up high!" You lightly high-five– or is it high-three– his hand.

Raph exhaled, patting your back– a usual sign of either appreciation or reassurance you came to learn. "Like a boss."

"See?" Blue nudged Red. "Like I said, who needs Donnie when–."

"Don't even think about it, Leo."

A sudden low ring of Raph's phone vibrated. The snapping turtle proceeded to take it out, but your hands were quick to stop him. "Shh! Don't you dare answer that. We don't know how loud whoever's calling is!"

Raph looked unsure. "It's April. I hafta take this or she's gonna go berserk! Don't want her to think we've forgotten about Mayhem!"

"Hey, I'd love talk to my best friend too, but right now, if any loud noise–."

Much to your damned misfortune, however, a heavy– extra heavy– book fell onto the floor beside the snapping turtle.

He did not realize he was leaning on the bookcase.

THUD!

And on the cover, there existed the title: How to Not Drop Anything.

The Hush Bats, in a single second, clouded your vision like a fog. A vein popped on Raph's forehead, gritting his teeth. He groaned exasperately. "Okay, I've had just about enough of this jumble! Forget being quiet, we got our buddy Mayhem to save!" His tonfās glowed red.

You frantically waved your arms. "Hold on a second, Raph–!"

"Power smash-a-roni!"

It was too late. You and the red-eared slider were tightly shoved against each other, being held in a gigantic holographic hand as Raph activated his energy construct. "You're seriously going to wreck the entire library!?" Leo shouted. "OW. Watch the grip, King Kong! You're squeezing the very life out of us!"

♪ Down the stairs past the Ibis Tapestry. ♫

Raph's eyes lit up at the banner with a long-beaked bird on it. "Ibis Tapestry!" The Hush Bats swarmed around you once again.

You screamed, "To your left!"

The sliding bookshelves were found. Raph simply smashed his way past them. "To think I was gonna apply here as an assistant too!" You wailed. "I'm never going to be able to come back here as long as I'm associated with you guys!"

The Hush Bats began to charge right at you three. But Leo yanked out his ōdachi. With a swipe, a portal opened up, sending all the bats right into the bookshelves opposite.

"Can someone tell me if we're almost there?" Leo had been waving and brandishing his ōdachi. The repetitive high-pitched squeaks were heard when the blade struck something. "Ughh. These bats are getting on my nerves! My arms are getting sore!"

♪ Up the pole through the hole to the waterfall. ♫

"Up the pole!" Raph yelled until he broke through the fountain. The book, Complete Compendium of Escape Rituals, glimmered in the center of a large podium. One of the shiniest covers you could ever witness glowing.

"Don't worry I got it!" Leo portal'ed himself right over and snatched the book. But the Hush Bats rushed in as well. He grinned, "Oh yeah! Hero of the day!"

"Leo! Hand over the book!" Raph urged. "While you're at it, portal (Name) out of here!"

Your eyes widened. "What are you do–!?" Raph used his energy construct and flung you and himself over. You shrieked, "You little! You forgot I'm a humaaannn!" Leo passed the book to his brother, and swung his ōdachi. The portal that appeared behind you teleported you away from getting a concussion and five weeks of a coma on a bookshelf.

As two brothers exploded through the walls, crashing through the glass, the Bat Librarian– busy stamping books– instantly painted her face across in horror when she looked up. Her wide yellow eyes as she watched the destruction unfold right above the main chamber.

Oh boy did she herself explode into rage. "You! I'll pummel you into papyrus!" she hissed. Her normal Yōkai form mutated into something larger, expanding her wings and all of her six limbs.

Leo gulped thickly.

"Err. . .

. . .Is it too late to be pardoned?"

So much for being the "Face."

She soared up, seizing the two mutants, and body-slammed them down into another room. The debris scattering across the puzzle-tiled floor and unicorn-themed carpet. The book was still safe in Raph's grasp.

Hold on.

Puzzles and unicorns?

"Oh my God. It's about time you showed up! Why the hell would you teleport me here of all places, Leo!?"

They groaned, recovering from the brutal impact. Only to discover you were tied in jumpropes and about to be sacrificed to. . . Mikey?!

They had crashed into the kiddie room.

Their box turtle of a younger brother, covered in glow-in-the-dark marker and his head crowned with feathers, sat high and mighty on a stack of giant books like a throne. The armrests were made with alphabet blocks. Donnie sat on the side, fanning him with leaves. The Foot Brute and Lieutenant were also tied in jumpropes and hung like cocoons. The other Yōkai chanted and beated the drums.

He swayed his attention from you to the huge raging bat climbing up the rubble, hissing at the turtles.

Mikey, as if declared the king of the jungle, pointed at the Bat Librarian with crazed eyes.

"N E W T O Y!"

April would refuse to believe their fiasco if it weren't for you having a broken rib and bruises on your limbs.

At least your ancient teacher handed you that perfect score.

➵ ➵ ➵

A/N: Fish consume frogs. You wanted to learn about frog anatomy, and it ended up being a cookbook surrounding frogs.

[normal-internet-user]

YOUR PAPA'S HERE

◇~~◇~~◇~~◇~~◇

Summary: Leonardo arrives in the past(present?) with no context, because this is my au, I'm the author and I get to decide what happens. And I decide that Reader and Casey get to keep their Papa.

Warnings: Swearing? Like twice. Crying ig, but happy tears! FLUFF

Requested: No? Yes? Kinda? Inbtween. Either/or

GN Reader!

....................................

Today was supposed to be a relaxing day. A day off if you will.

The city had finally returned to normal after the Kraang invasion, and life was finally calming down. You and your new family were healing.

Then Donnie's radar picked up a huge spike of mystic energy across the city. So, you, Donnie, Casey and Raph were on your way to check ot out.

Mikey and April opting to stay back at the Lair to make sure Leo didn't attempt to strain himself, considering the red-eared slider was still very much recovering from his battle with Kraang Prime.

"Alright, keep your eyes peeled. We don't know what we're walking in on. Watch eachothers backs, got it?" Raph said, and you nodded along.

Donnie was tapping away on his tech brace, and Casey was crouched right next to you. The four of you stalked around the area quietly while Donnie attempted to find the exact location of the magic spike.

You were tense, your shoulders locked up as your mind went into warrior mode. Your steps were light, unheard like snowfall.

"It should be... just around this corner." Donnie muttered, and Raph moved to stand infront of you.

You noticed this was something he did alot after the events of the invasion, he'd place himself between the supposed threat and his family.

Cautiously, you peeked around the corner, much to Raph's protest as he was no longer infront.

What you saw made you gasp in shock, your eyes widening and your weapon dropping to the ground with a loud clatter.

The man (turtle?) standing infront of you spun around at the sound of your weapon dropping. The very sight of him sending you through a roller coaster of emotions.

Joy, denial, grief, and an overwhelming sense of safety.

"Papa..?" You muttered, and you watched as his eyes lit up the same way they always had at the sight of you and Casey.

Your eyes brimmed with tears as a hopeful grin split across your face.

"Hey there, birdy." He muttered, and without a second of hesitation you launched yourself into his arms with a choked laugh.

"Are you really here? Am I dreaming?" You asked, clinging to him like a life line. As if you were scared to let go for fear he's vanish.

"I'm here. I'm real." Papa responded, setting you down and wiping away your tears with a smile, "Where's your brother?"

You turned around, and smiled at Casey, who was standing next to Raph and Donnie with tears in his eyes. Papa motioned for Casey to come over, and CJ rushed over throwing his arms around Papa as best he could.

"We missed you." Casey sniffled, and Papa hugged the two of you tightly.

"I missed you guys too." He said, pulling away, then smiled proudly, "And look at you both! You got so big! Look at you, Case', you're all muscle now! And, (Name), you've... got bandages on your knuckles... why've you got bandages on your knuckles?"

You shrugged, rubbing the back of your neck, "I- uh I got into a fight- it's a long story."

Papa chuckled lightly, taking your hand in his own, "Well then, firecracker, tell me all about it on the walk, yeah?"

You nodded, smiling widely as you looked up at the man you never thought you'd see again. Things were going to be complicated for a while, you'd need to help Papa fall into a new routine to keep him busy.

But you'd help him, the same way your family had helped you. You weren't in your timeline, but you were where it mattered.

With your family.

....................................

OOooHH ZEEEPPPP @zeepziesdiary CHECK OUT WHAT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON-

Hehehehehe, I told you I was on it!

I saw that comment on that one post and figured, "what the heck, im the writer, i can do what i want." And voila! It's a small thing really, but i do hope its to your liking!

[nordidia]

Do you think CJ and Raph ever talk about their experiences with PTSD/anxiety together or even share advice on coping? Or do you think Raph would rather not? Explain your reasoning in your essay below

(i typed an entire novel and then accidentally closed chrome and it deleted everything let me try doing this again i barely remember what i said ok so. also this is just me blabbering idk guys im not a rise writer im just some opinionated guy online and you can completely disagree with me and i dont say what goes or not ok? ok!)

i dont think raph would go to him with his issues but i think it'd defo get talked about through asking CJ about things and checking up on him etc. and i think CJ would give raph alot of insight and advice on how to deal with anxieties and traumas,, tho alot of their convos would just be one of them saying something vile and the other one going "oh. is that not normal?" and the first one looking at the latter like this

but all in all i think they'd definitely help eachother with dealing with stuff... i think especially raph will assist CJ in just taking the blow on how much there is to unpack... his entire life has been a big traumatic event, i imagine suddenly living a sustained life without having to fight for survival every day would be a lot for him to deal with, especially the confusion and grief over what he has lost (maybe what he has lost feels a bit like pointless grief to him now? which is a trauma in itself) and also grieving what he never had. as we know, grief is also things we shouldve had but never got, and i think all the hamatos would be really helpful in dealing with that.

tho CJ seems to be a bit of a hardass on stuff like this which is incredibly understandable when you've had to fight for everything with zero stability at all anywhere you went. i could see him confiding in raph about it, but not only him if im honest. but there is an undeniable security about raph i think that the characters i the show feel, and i think CJ would seek the stability and consistent reliability that raph provides.

i also like that CJ doesnt seem too scared about calling out people when they do wrong, i can defo see CJ bluntly telling raph that bad coping mechanisms is stupid and makes things worse and worries everyone around. (this is ofc hand in hand with the good ol' HC that raph bottles shit up/avoids talking abt things. personally i think he never shuts up and frequently rants about stuff and lets his family know whenever shit is up but he avoids going too deep so his family thinks he's being fully transparent when actually he's just not voicing the worst shit. this is so real to me no i do not need therapy shut u)

i definitely think raph would confide in CJ about the krang thing. CJ is the one who knows the most about it, i can see raph going to him to just get a bit more information about what was going on, and also a bit of relief hearing that it didnt go as bad as it couldve gone... CJ being experienced with krangification would absolutely soothe worries and make him feel less alone about knowing what he knows and having gone through something thats a step further than his brothers

IS THIS A GOOD ENOUGH ESSAY i have academic anxiety dont grade me please its 4am i have taken melatonin pills im on my last leg help m *ficking dies*

edit: GOODNIGHT LOL

[punkeccentricenigma]

Hey, could I request headcanons about the boys' reactions to Reader giving them a Candy Ring?

Reader gives Rise!boys a Candy Ring

Relationship status: Platonic

Reader prounouns: They/Them

TW: Short, Some grammatical errors because english is not my first language.

Author's note: My first request, yay! I hope you'll like it. Honestly, I don't recall them selling such candy rings in my country, at least when I was a little shit-kid. But in elementary school, I used to buy something similar, but it was more like pacifiers for children than rings. It was awesome and cheap.

Leonardo

◇It's probably clear that you deliberately chose the blue candy ring for him. He adores that color so much that you're not even sure if he can wear anything in a different color.

◇Knowing his playful nature, before giving him the candy, you knelt dramatically in front of him when you were playing a random game you found at the nearby dump.

◇"Hm? I knew you had a thing for me, but to propose right away? I feel honored." Typical smirk ™

◇He joyfully accepted the gift, and as you might expect, he started sucking on it. By the way, you didn't hold back on immature jokes, lmao.

◇But that's not all; the next day, Leonardo bought you three candy rings in your favorite colors.

◇He felt a bit awkward receiving gifts without giving something in return.

Raphael

◇Today, you were in a great mood, so without holding back, you went to visit your turtle friends to spend time with them and share the sweets you recently bought.

◇Since Raph was currently in the main area of the Lair, skateboarding around, you gave him the candy ring first.

◇"Uh, thanks?" He responded uncertainly, taking the red crystal from you. The ring was definitely too small for his mutated fingers.

◇A look of embarrassment crossed your face. Did you do something wrong? Or maybe the eldest of the brothers didn't feel like seeing you today? Apparently, your concern was more noticeable than you thought because Raph continued to speak.

◇"I really appreciate it, [Y.N]! But, you know, I'm not a kid anymore, you don't have to buy me stuff like this, hah."

◇Oh, that's what it was about! "I know, Raph, but I just wanted to show how much I care about you guys."

◇Those words triggered a warm feeling deep inside him and brought a smile to his face.

Donatello

◇"Oh, Donnie~! One of your favorite people is here!"

"Damn, please no."

◇Did you have to enter Donnie's lab in such a way? No. But did you want to be as annoying as possible for your own amusement? Absolutely!

◇"I have something for you!" And you placed a purple candy ring wrapped in foil on his desk.

◇The only response you got was a skeptical look and the words, "What do you want in return?"

◇Your brave smile faded, and your mind started overthinking. Maybe you should have just walked in normally instead of acting like Leo?

◇"Um, nothing. I don't want anything in return."

◇Oh boy, it was really an awkward situation.

◇ "I just wanted to show you how much you mean to me as a close friend." His stern gaze didn't help maintain eye contact. "Are you mad at me? I can bring something else if you want!"

◇He blinked a few times, leaning back slightly in his chair; it looked like his mind went through some sort of reset.

◇His eyes also softened but were somewhat embarrassed.

◇"No, I'm not, sorry." He began, focusing on the candy as he took it into his hand. "I've just had my mind swamped with new projects lately."

◇He felt a little embarrassed, so he unwrapped the candy ring without hesitation and started eating it.

◇His posture immediately sharpened, and his face brightened. Obviously, he enjoyed it.

Michelangelo

◇There's not much to say here, to be honest.

◇As perhaps not the only one, he reacted with joy to the free candy.

◇"I can't believe it, it's my favorite! How did you know?"

◇The orange color says it all, lmao.

◇He'll definitely convince you to buy many more of these goodies (of course, he'll chip in too, he doesn't like using his friends like that), and you'll have them on just to pretend to be "rich people."



[bluepeachstudios]

Oh my gosh... if Ghost was THAT interdependent with his brothers, it must have HURT when he got ripped away. His emotions must have been a MESS; he's used to a four person emotional system and now it's just him alone? No wonder he isolated himself for so long. And no wonder the SAINW boys fell apart!! There's an essential piece missing, the system is broken. Did they feel it when he disappeared? Did they know he was gone? Did they know they were broken?

Leonardo woke in the middle of the day. He was a light sleeper, it wasn’t unheard of, but instead of the usual rustling of Mikey out for a midday snack or the sound of Donny still working on a project, it was eerily quiet. There was the regular creak of pipes, the distant rumble of the city far above their heads, but nothing unusual.

He got out of bed anyway to check on his brothers.

It had been a rough few months. Travelling all the way to the floating city of Beijing to set it back down safely into place (the wrong way around), the return of the Y’Lyntian people in the underground city, stopping a nuclear bombing by H.A.T.E., the… thing beneath Wall Street that had sent them spiraling into their worst nightmares.

All of that overlaid with whatever the Shredder was up to now. Leo’s nerves were at an all time high. Raph’s temper was shorter than ever. Donny was working later into the days and sleeping less and less. Mikey was doing his best to keep the mood light and joking.

It had been a rough few months, but they had stuck together, they’d supported each other through nightmares and flashbacks and aches and pains. They’d rested together when one of them felt too exhausted to continue doing this.

They would always have each other, no matter how bad things got.

But something felt wrong.

He found Mikey asleep in his room, up in his bed, curled up with a comic hanging from his hand over the ledge. Leo carefully extracted the comic and set it aside for Mikey to find when he woke.

Raph was twitching in his hammock, a frown on his face. Another nightmare. Leo carefully rubbed over his shell and Raph sucked in a breath, mumbling, “Leo? Whaddya doin’?”

“Just checking on everyone,” Leo murmured. “Go back to sleep.”

“Hmph. Make Don go to bed if he’s still up.”

“Got it.”

Leo walked out of the room and headed to Donny’s. As expected, he wasn’t there, so Leo hopped down to his lab.

Surprisingly, that was also empty.

Leo frowned as he stepped inside the old subway car, looking around. Some things had been knocked over. There was broken glass across the floor. The machine Donny had been working on was still humming faintly. A glass of water sat untouched. Donny’s shell cell was still on the table.

Something felt wrong.

“Don?” Leo said, stepping out of the lab.

He checked the kitchen next, but didn’t find his brother hunting through the cabinets. He didn’t find him in the storage room either, or the bathroom. He even went up to check the garage and didn’t find him.

When he stepped out of the elevator, Raph was waiting there for him, frowning.

“Somethin’ felt off,” Raph muttered before Leo could ask. “What’s Donny doin’ up in the garage?”

“He’s not,” Leo shook his head. “I’ve searched the whole place for him.”

Raph’s mouth twitched downwards. “He’s gotta be around here somewhere. Maybe he got a call from April?”

Leo took out his shell cell and called as Raph began searching the rooms. It was enough for Mikey to come ambling out yawning as April finally answered.

“Leo?” She asked, surprised. “Aren’t you guys usually asleep by now?”

“Is Donny with you?” Leo asked. “Or did you call him?”

“No.” Her frown could be heard through the phone. “Maybe he went to the junkyard? Or Casey asked him to help with something? He’ll turn back up, don’t worry so much.”

“It’s…” Leo paused. He didn’t know how to explain it. He knew something was wrong. He could feel it in his gut, in the way it was churning and twisting and tightening. His nerves felt frayed, raw, like an open wound. “I don’t know. Something feels off, April. We’ll check the junkyards and Casey’s. Thanks.”

“Sure, Leo… Are you guys alright?”

“Yeah, we’ll be fine.”

“Mikey told me about you guys seeing Bishop again. And Karai.”

Leo was quiet for a moment, before he took a breath to calm himself. “I’ll talk to you later, April. I wanna find Donny first.”

“Okay… Bye, Leo.”

“Bye.”

He took a breath and rubbed his hand over his face.

“Why would he go to the junkyard during the day?” Leo muttered. “Without his shell cell, too…”

“I can’t find him, Leo,” Raph scowled as he stalked up to him. “Where the shell did he go? Why is there broken glass in his lab?!”

“I don’t know, Raph,” Leo said quietly. “We’ll find him. Call Casey and see if he’s heard from Donny.”

“Want me to wake up Splinter?” Mikey asked.

“Not yet.” Leo frowned towards Donny’s lab. “He might’ve gone into the tunnels.”

“I’ll check the pond,” Mikey said, heading over to it. “The diving gear is still here so he can’t have gone far.”

There was a splash as Mikey dove in, and Raph dialed Casey.

Leo stood there, waiting with his breath held, watching Raph, who was looking more and more irritated by the second.

“Casey, you heard from Donny?” Raph blurted into the phone. He scowled quickly. “I dunno! I was hopin’ he’d gone over to your place or somethin’. He’s not with April, he’s not in the garage, he wouldn’t have gone out durin’ the day, he left his shell cell here–”

Raph was cut off by Casey saying something, and Leo realized how tense his shoulders were. He tried to force them to relax, to try and calm Raph as well, but he saw Mikey pop back up from the pond and shake his head as he climbed out.

Leo was becoming more and more aware that his frayed nerves felt like disconnection. Some part of him was missing that he hadn’t even noticed was there before. It made his stomach churn. He could feel it in his bones, in his throat.

Donatello wasn't there anymore.

[bathomet-writes]

a view to a thrill

summary: It’s been months since the Kraang attack on New York, and Raph has been acting a little strange lately. He’s been doing something in secret, that much Leo knew. And tonight, his brothers are gonna get to the bottom of it!

relationship: Raph x F!reader

warnings: romantic, fluff, humor, secret dating, forehead kisses, sfw

word count: 4,033

author's note: this is a request for @/snipersiniora!! enjoy!!

It’s been months since the Kraang attack on New York. After all the clean-up and recuperation efforts, the city was mostly back to normal. A new normal, anyway. 

Leo sat at the kitchen island, munching on the last slice of leftover pizza as he thought about all the changes he and his family had been going through lately. 

They had all talked about and dealt with most of the fallout of the Kraang. It was hard, but necessary. Leo hated having to watch all his brothers live through each of their experiences all over again, every time the subject was seriously brought up. The healing was almost harder than the pain, weirdly enough. 

Shaking his head, Leo tries to stop himself from spiraling back down that rabbit hole. He didn’t like how conscious of his own emotions he was becoming. It made him jumpy, on edge. 

It also made him a lot more hyper aware. Not just of himself, but of his brothers too. He found himself becoming much more of a helicopter parent of sorts. It came with being the leader, he supposed. Didn’t make it any less annoying. 

As he swallowed the final bite of pizza, Leo’s thoughts went to Raph. 

“Where is that guy anyway?”

It wasn’t like Raph had to be at the lair the same time every night. He was free to do whatever he pleased! But it was nearly 7 PM, and Leo hadn’t seen heads or tails of Raph all day. 

Going out on ‘solo missions,’ volunteering to grab pizza, take out, what have you. Raph had a clever excuse for every time his brothers asked where he was going. Leo noticed that he was taking longer and longer to come back each time, but that wasn’t enough of a reason to be suspicious. 

In his lab, Donnie was casually checking in on everyone’s pins during a break from his video game when he saw it. Raph’s little red icon was nowhere on the map. Was his tracker glitching out or something?

“Not possible,” Donnie seethes. “My tech is immaculate.”

He zoomed out to get a wider view of the sewers. It was only a 10 mile radius, but surely Raph was somewhere around. 

Nothing. 

He zooms out again, looking at a 15 mile radius. 

Zip. 

“What…?”

He didn’t usually keep tabs on his brothers like this, but Donnie was starting to get worried. Quickly, he taps into the city’s surveillance systems and gets a complete view of New York. Far off on the other end of town, near the docks to be precise, Donnie saw a red dot blinking away. 

“Ah. He’s probably busting up a mafia ring or something. Yeah!” Donnie nods to himself. 

Couldn’t be anything else. 

Suddenly, the blinking stops. Donnie scrambles to the edge of his chair to grab at the computer screen. Raph turned off his GPS…

“Okay, that’s it.”

In the rec room area, Mikey had been pacing around for a while. With board games and phone in hand, he was starting to panic. Tonight was supposed to be family game night, and Mikey was the only one who showed up. Even Splinter bailed on him, having accidentally passed out on his bed after dinner. 

“This is so not cool. I had the games picked out and everything!”

Right as Mikey drops the box of Scrabble and the container of dominos, Donnie storms in. 

“This is ridiculous.”

Mikey spins around, equally exasperated. “You’re tellin’ me! Can you believe it?”

Leo had sauntered in as well, his curiosity piqued when he heard the commotion all the way from the kitchen. Crossing his arms, he leans up against the entryway. 

“It’s so frustrating. Is it so much to ask for a little communication? A little honesty?”

Donnie and Mikey approach, nodding their heads furiously along with their brother. 

“Right!”

“Precisely!”

The three of them stand there for a second, in total silence. Leo slowly blinks his eyes open. 

“What are we talking about? I mean, I know what I’m talking about.”

Donnie points at his wrist. “I’ll tell you: Raph, our brother, has just turned off his tracker. How did he even do that? It’s subcutaneous!”

Leo clears his throat with a furrowed brow. He was just going to ignore the fact that Donnie somehow managed to implant tracking devices inside all of them. For now. 

“He couldn’t have chewed it out. Mine’s all the way back here!” Mikey spins around, grabbing pitifully at the back of his neck. “Dang, almost.”

“Wait— He what? Lemme see that.”

Leo grabs at Donnie’s wrist, scanning over the map display. “You didn’t happen to—“

“Near the docks, I already committed it to memory.”

Donnie gives his brothers a haughty grin as they applaud his excellent memory. 

“Impressive!”

“Very sneaky,” Mikey smirks. 

Then, Leo brings them all in for a short conference. 

“Okay, it’s clear to me now that Raph is most certainly hiding something. He’s not in trouble, or else he’d be calling one of us. Right?”

Mikey whips out his phone and dials Raph. “Let’s see…”

They watch with bated breath as the line rings. Raph wouldn’t ignore a phone call from his youngest, goodest brother, would he?

“Hey, you’ve reached Raphael! I can’t come to the phone right now—“

“HYAH—!” Mikey tosses his phone against the wall. “Not the voicemail!”

This wasn’t like Raph at all, they wonder to themselves. 

Surely he, of all people, would want to keep his loved ones close after the invasion. He didn’t have to stay put in the lair all the time, but he could have at least had the decency to keep his tracker on. Leo nods, making the executive decision. 

“Then it’s settled.” He pulls out his portal lying sword and slices through the air. “C’mon.”

Leo calmly walks through, with Mikey and Donnie following close behind. 

Raph’s been doing something in secret, that much Leo knew. And tonight, his brothers are gonna get to the bottom of it! 

—

Quietly, Raph hops in-between shipping containers. He was running late, so he resorted just to using his ninja skills to get him to his destination. 

He didn’t even check his phone when he felt it buzz. 

“No time! Can’t talk!” He speaks to the inanimate object before stowing it away. 

Finally, he sees it. Albeartoland!

Raph zeros in on the silhouette of the roller coaster in the distance before flash-stepping. It wasn’t like he would be breaking in, there weren’t exactly any security around the place, but Raph tried to creep in as stealthily as he could. 

It was never in great shape before (the Mad Dogs made sure of that when it first opened), but Albeartoland was officially closed after the invasion. The NYC Clean-Up Project just didn’t have it in the budget to refurbish a dilapidated amusement park. 

The rides were all mostly destroyed, the main roller coaster barely being held together. The ferris wheel was somewhere in the ocean below the pier, most likely. But what didn’t rely on electricity was still intact. 

Carnival games, abandoned food stands, and walkable attractions. It wasn’t ideal, but Raph hoped to himself that they would be enough entertainment for tonight. 

Once he finally made his way to the entrance, he quietly surveyed the area. 

“She must have left already…” Raph sighs to himself. 

“Nope, still here.”

Suddenly, Raph twists around to see you standing just behind the front gate. You smile, giving him a small salute. “I wouldn’t give up after only…15 minutes of waiting?”

You glance down at your phone, checking the hour. “Plus, you actually gave me enough time to find the breaker. Maybe you can use your brute strength to kick it on and we can see if this place has any juice left.”

His spirit lifts immediately as he brings you into a spine-breaking hug. “You’re the best!”

You weakly fight back against his hold, blushing as he places a couple of smooches on the top of your head. 

“I know! Now put me down before you break something.”

He gives you one last kiss before setting you back down. His face was starting to heat up as well. 

“You’re right, you’re precious cargo.”

Chuckling, you lead him over to the power breaker in the center of the park. You didn’t really have any knowledge about circuitry, but most of the wires were either torn out or fried. Couldn’t hurt to try it anyway. 

“After you. I’m pretty sure you won’t get electrocuted…” You shrug, moving to the side to allow him to pull the main switch.

“Pfft, I’m sure it’s fine.” Raph spits onto the palms of his hands, rearing up to grab ahold of the handle. “Stand back, wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”

You back away, putting your arms up defensively. “From the sparks?”

“No, from the gun show.” He smirks, flexing his impressive arms. 

You ogle him from afar as he pulls the switch up. With a loud mechanical sound, the power kicks back on and the park slowly begins to light up. You get momentarily distracted from Raph as the twinkling lights blink on around you. 

“Not bad, Red. You better start charging me admission.” You slink back over to him, letting your fingers walk along his toned muscles. 

In the distance, you swear you hear something. Maybe it was all in your head, but you swore you just heard someone vomit. 

“Hm?” You look behind you. 

Nobody. Weird.

You feel Raph begin to pull away from your touch, flustered at your compliment. 

“Ahaha…” He smiles goofily at you. “Why don’t we take a walk around? There’s probably a game that isn’t completely trashed.”

You glance back one more time before going to catch up with Raph. “Yeah, right.”

For a while, the two of you busy yourselves with trying out various attractions. The sledgehammer bell game instantly caught your eye. A test of strength would be the perfect thing to impress Raph, you thought to yourself. 

With a bit of swagger in your step, you make your way over to the game. “Check this out, stud.”

Lifting himself out of a toppled food cart, Raph looks up at you with a piece of funnel cake in his mouth. 

“Dude, how old is that?” You grimace as you lift up the hammer. 

Swallowing the rest, Raph wipes away the crumbs. “Tastes pretty old.”

He giggles watching your face twist with disgust. 

“Whatever. Prepare to be amazed!”

You lift the hammer high over your head before bringing it down. The rubber collides with the sensor, causing the dial on the machine to shoot up. It bobs a bit near the top before dropping to the middle, right around the ‘weakling’ marker. 

You stutter, feeling sheepish. “That…that one didn’t count.”

Before you know it, Raph walks up behind you and politely offers his hand. “These games are all rigged. Here, let me.”

Raph gives you that warm, confident look that always fills your stomach with butterflies. Blushing, you hand the hammer to him. 

“Well, you’ll probably just break it anyway. Go ahead.” You scoff. 

He squares his legs to about shoulder-length apart, almost like he’s about to tee off at golf. Raph takes his sweet time getting ready before finally hitting the sensor. 

Gingerly, he brings his arms up and taps the hammer. “Boop.”

You throw your head back, rolling your eyes. “Okay, wise guy. How ‘bout you try for real now?”

Raph tosses a snarky look your way, his fang poking out of his mouth. 

“If you say so.”

In a flash, you watch as Raph summons his mystic powers. His red, glowing arms expand out to grab ahold of the hammer. It was dwarfed by his large hands, but his grip remained tight. With a boost of speed and power, Raph reels back and practically smashes the sensor. 

The dial on the game goes much higher this time, unsurprisingly. Just when you both think it’ll hit the bell at the top, it sinks back down to the lowest marker. 

You blink, stepping forward. “What does that say…? Wimp?”

Smirking, you hear Raph shuffle next to you. 

“No. That can’t be right!”

“Oh yeah, you’re right. It actually says ‘Shrimp.’ My bad.”

Raph’s face breaks out into a deep red color before he shakes his mystic fist at the game. He sure did like to talk to inanimate objects a lot. 

“Callin’ me shrimpy, huh? You wanna go?” He growls. 

Then, he leaps up high into the air, locking his fists together. If the hammer wasn’t enough to prove his strength, his fists certainly could. 

You nonchalantly walk back a safe distance, watching him relentlessly smash the sensor with his massive hands. He moves on to just destroying the rest of the game in a blind rage, flattening the bell with a resounding crunch. 

With a dry chuckle, you walk back up to him after his mystic energy disappears. 

“You sure showed it who’s boss.” You kick at the remnants of the game. 

Raph pouts, folding his arms across his chest. “Serves it right.”

You have to stop yourself from ‘aww’-ing at his angry face. He was just too adorable! Thinking on your feet, you skip away from Raph. 

“Hold on!” You shout. 

You look around at all the nearby booths, digging through the rubble and debris. To your disappointment, there really weren't any carnival prizes left. All the plushies were either taken by young delinquents raiding the park or destroyed in the Kraang invasion, apparently.

You nearly give up before you walk past the last booth. There was exactly one Albearto plush left, hanging sadly on the side of the counter. You snatch it up and quickly try to dust it off. 

You tip-toe back up to Raph, plush hidden behind your back. He was still sulking, but he had moved to sit at the edge of the dock. His beefy legs dangled off the pier. 

You smile cheekily, poking his shell. “Since you did technically hit the bell, I think you deserve a prize. The law of the amusement park demands it.”

Raph peeks up at you, still scowling. “Whaddaya mean?”

You present him with the Albearto plush with a flourish. “Ta-da! I know you hate kinda hate this guy, but…”

Before your slightly embarrassed ramblings can go on, Raph takes the toy from you. His eyes go wide and watery at your kind gesture. 

“F-For me?”

You and Raph stare at each other lovingly. 

“You don’t need a carnival game to tell you that you’re literally the strongest dude alive.” You wink, moving closer to scratch underneath Raph’s chin. Right where he liked it. 

In the background, another voice calls out. It was…cheering?

There it was again! You spin around toward the source of the noise. Was someone following you? 

Raph’s contented sighs of happiness soon drown out your errant thoughts. You were just paranoid, you thought. Facing him again, you give Raph a couple more scritches. 

“That’s so weird.” You whisper. 

“Mmm…what is, baby?”

His cute pet name sends a bolt of lightning straight to your heart. You think it might actually stop beating for a second. 

“What did I tell you about calling me that?” Your eyeball twitches, trying to reign in your emotions. 

Raph sighs, lumbering to stand up. He moves your hands away so that he can slide his up to your face. 

“You said that you’d probably have a heart attack and die. But I think you were lyin’ to me.” He smirks. 

You tuck your head into your shirt collar, feeling positively bombarded with affection. Raph knew that whenever he called you that, you melted into a human puddle. 

“Stop! I’ll push you off!” You joke, playfully slapping his hands away. 

Raph laughs, moving away. “Okay, okay. Do you think the carousel still works—“

The wood plank Raph was standing began to creak and whine under your combined weights. Maybe the park was in worse shape than he thought. Suddenly, the edge of the pier shifts, the weather-worn wood snapping. 

All Raph can do is stare dumbly into your eyes as he starts to fall. Even his ninja reflexes weren’t quick enough to catch him. 

“Raph!” You shout, reaching your hands out to somehow catch him. 

Without even thinking, your body launches forward on instinct. You knew you didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell, but you knew you had to save Raph. Even if it meant dislocating your shoulder. 

Your hands shoot out as you fall to the ground. The wood was weak, but it had you up. The splintered edge dug roughly into your stomach, but you didn’t care. You grit your teeth, feeling your hands grab onto something. 

Somehow, you manage to grab a hold of Raph’s wrist. 

Raph gulps, his voice shaky. 

“I thought you were kidding.”

You quickly grab him with your other hand, trying with all your might to pull him back up. It didn’t help that Raph weighed…well, as much as an insanely jacked mutant turtle weighed. 

“Shut up and get back up here!” You groan. 

You don’t even pay attention to the sound of something landing behind you. 

Raph strains a bit, but swings his other arm up. He catches the edge of the pier with his index finger and slowly pulls himself back up. 

“Thank God I didn’t skip arm day,” he hisses.

Finally, you pull Raph all the way up. Dragging you both over to the prize booth nearby, you pant and try to catch your breaths.

“T-Thanks,” He wheezes, grabbing his chest. “I almost took a swim.”

You bend down and lean onto your knees, shooting Raph an apologetic frown.

“Don’t thank me. You did most of the work.”

“You’re probably right, but your bravery was commendable. Well done.”

A nasally voice echoes behind you, giving you a half-hearted clap. Donnie walks forward, cocking his head to the side. He was sizing you up, analyzing your face. 

“Woah, who’s the babe?” Leo pops his head over Donnie’s shoulder, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. 

You feel yourself start to sweat under their scrutinizing gazes. You definitely knew Raph had brothers, you’ve seen their blurry images on social media. But you’ve never officially met them. Raph and you have had many conversations about it, whether or not he should tell them about your relationship. You both came to the conclusion that, at least for now, it’d be best to keep it on the down-low. 

With the blue and purple-clad turtles eyeing you up and down, however, that might be a little difficult. 

You gulp. Time to make a good first impression.

“Hey, isn’t there an orange one?”

Well, maybe just an impression. 

“That’s me!” 

Mikey slides in and places an arm over your shoulder, bringing you into a friendly side-hug. 

Soon enough, the three brothers crowd into your personal space, trying to get a better look at you. Their heads press up against one another, making you snicker. 

“Uh, hello.” You take a step back.

“Wait—!” Raph marches over to stand in-between you and the others. “What are you bozos doin’ here?”

Taking the lead, Leo pushes himself forward.

“We’re just here to check up on our dear older brother. We didn’t look up your location and follow you all the way out here to snoop, because if you’re thinking that, you’re dead wrong.”

Raph narrows his eyes. He looks over to a meek looking Mikey and Donnie, waiting to hear their excuse. They didn’t even try to lie, simply shrugging to him. 

“You turned off your tracker. Could you blame us?” Donnie sighs.

“And, you missed family game night! We were gonna do our domino rematch like you promised.” Mikey’s lip quivers, giving Raph big puppy dog eyes. 

“That was tonight? Ugh.” Raph slaps his forehead. 

He did feel like he was pulling away from his brothers a little bit lately, but he was always sure to keep his schedule straight. There was family time, and there was you time. 

“I’m sorry, I just didn’t…” 

Raph looks back at you, politely standing off to the side. 

You didn’t want to interrupt, or accidentally say anything stupid. This seemed like a more personal matter between brothers, so you just kept to yourself. When Raph looks back at you, eyes searching for the right words, you bite at your lip. 

Quickly, you introduce yourself to Leo, Donnie, and Mikey.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to take your brother away from you guys.”

Your heart was pounding in your chest as they looked at you curiously. You don’t know how else to behave in front of them, so you just bow. It’s a formal, almost awkward way to greet them. But how else could you react to meeting more of the people who basically saved the entire world from alien invaders.

“Thank you for saving New York. Not just from the Kraang, obviously…” You chuckle, looking at the ground. “But for all that other stuff.”

Suddenly, Leo breaks out into laughter. 

You straighten your back, looking even more awkward. Did you say something wrong? Did your bowing offend them somehow? Your mind raced as Leo continued to guffaw at you.

Suddenly they all realize, in their own unique way, that Raph had a girlfriend. A real, flesh-and-blood girlfriend!

Leo was a little surprised, but proud nonetheless. He was just relieved that Raph wasn’t hiding some deep, dark secret about moonlighting as a vigilante or something. 

“Holy shit! This one’s a card! Nice going, brother.” Leo playfully slaps at Raph’s back.

Donnie hangs back, seemingly trying to do endless math equations in his mind. If his brother had been dating, surely he would have seen all the signs? How did Raph manage to evade his expert perception for months?

“For no reason in particular, could you give me all of your personal information? Phone number, work place, social security number.” Donnie approaches you, notepad in hand.

“I’m gonna go with ‘no.’” You smirk, pushing him away.

Mikey was nothing but ecstatic! He jumped forward, wrapping you up in a big, cuddly hug. He was a little miffed at Raph for skipping family time, but how could he stay mad knowing that his big bro had finally found love?

“Welcome to our messed up family! Our dad’s a rat!”

You stumble a bit when he crawls onto your back, but you give his hand a friendly pat. “So I’ve heard.”

Raph watches with slight disbelief as Leo walks up and greets you as well. You all exchange your names and get all the pleasantries out of the way. 

Was it always going to be this easy, you meeting all of his brothers? Suddenly, Raph felt pretty bad for being so nervous about introducing you. Not that he didn’t trust you, or that the others wouldn’t, it’s just that he didn’t know how to navigate that part of your relationship yet. 

Then, Raph feels a pang of love deep in his gut. He knew that as long as he had his brothers and you, he’d be okay. He’d be more than okay.

“I didn’t know how else to react, okay? What, did you want me to say ‘thank you for your service’?’” You joke.

“Yikes, that’s worse.” Leo scratches the side of his head and laughs along with you.

Raph silently approaches, moving to stand behind you. 

“Sorry guys. I know I’ve been kinda—“

“Ah-ah. Say no more. We know.” Donnie waves him off with a lazy smile. 

“Yeah, you’ve only been dating for a couple of months. You were just taking your time!” Mikey flashes Raph a bright smile, giving him a thumbs up.

Then, you look back to Raph, quirking up an eyebrow. 

“Should we tell them?” 

Raph chuckles, a sweat drop running down his face. 

“A couple of months, a year, what’s the difference?”

The five of you stand there for a second. You could hear a pin drop. 

“WHAAAAAAT?” 

Leo, Donnie, and Mikey collectively scream, attacking Raph and tackling him to the ground.

You cackle watching them playfully fight with each other. Your life was bound to become a lot more messed up now, but that was just fine with you.

taglist: @saspas-corner

[saladmix]

@shyalia sent me another amazing piece and I had to share it. Look at the lad! The attention to detail is so sweet, and 2012 Leo looks so good look at this turtle, suddenly realizing he's got to guide four versions of him and his brothers that got to live a normal life and therefore have no ninja training through a whole dang apocalypse. She captured everything SO perfectly, I love it!

This is a scene from Chapter Four of The Day the World Broke, and you can check out an excerpt below the cut!

“My room, welcome,” Mikey jumped in, and then he jumped up, giving a classic butler bow and spreading his arm wide to gesture to the glory that was their simple but definitely awesome room. “Pleasure to host you. If I knew you were coming I would have straightened up.” 

He wouldn’t have. But it was a nice thing to say, right?

“You live in a house?” Leonardo asked, and for the first time he seemed to look around a little more closely. Mikey saw his eyes linger on their photo board, which was mostly Mikey’s because their dad had gotten him a polaroid camera for his birthday last year and he definitely went a little overboard with it. But it was so cool, you know, and the retro vibes were awesome. He liked having actual photos that lived somewhere other than his phone because one time he’d lost his phone and all his photos and had to listen to what was basically an hour-long lecture from Donnie about proper cloud storage. 

“Where else would we live?” Donnie asked, sounding dismissive. Mikey didn’t take offense, sometimes Donnie just sounded that way, especially when he was overwhelmed. Did Leonardo know that? He definitely had his own Donnie by the sounds of it. How similar were they? Did he have a Mikey? Did he want to meet himself?

What was he saying, of course he did. 

“We live underground but I suppose…there’s a first for everything,” Leonardo said, and Mikey watched him take a few steps forward to take a closer look at the pictures. He saw him linger over one he’d taken of Raph and their dad at the dinner table. Nothing special, it had been Mikey’s candid phase where he was trying to capture the essence of life but Raph messed it up and looked at him mid-noodle slurp. 

“Underground? Like a cave?” Mikey asked. He didn’t know anyone who lived underground, aside from the wild fancy rich people houses he sometimes saw on HGTV. Man, he bet those guys were sitting pretty now, in their underground furnished bunkers with backup generators and an indoor vegetable farm. They didn’t have to worry about anything. Oh, to be a billionaire with a crazy house. 

Leonardo stepped back from the photo wall and tilted his head, a half-yes. “Sewers, technically.” 

Oh no. That was the exact opposite of a billionaire bunker. The sewers? Mikey was about to ask some extremely important follow-ups but Leo cut him off. 

“You live in the sewers?” Leo asked, voice still high and stringy. He let out a strangled sounding whine and Mikey saw his fingers grip harder around his head. “Oh my god why?”

Can you just ask people why they live in the sewers? You probably can’t just ask people why they live in the sewers. Technically Mikey didn’t know the answer to that question but it felt like a real Mean Girls moment. Oh my god, Leo, you can’t just ask people why they live in the sewers. He almost said it, but the joke fell flat on his tongue, like the weight of the situation burdened his humor too much. 

Read more here! Pay attention to the tags and warnings!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/50818507/chapters/128379037

[0-greenjay-0]

ROTTMNT x RTC

Masssssterpooosssst

(with commentary)

He plays Ocean much differently than most people, he’s much more openly logistical and sarcastic. Insisted on still wearing his googles, no one could tell him not to.

The wig is blonde because he wouldn’t shut up. Raph gets angry every time he does the original version, loves doing it anyway to mess with him. His interpretation is much more confident and a little less fancy (only a little). Didn’t actually do the kiss with April because gross, they called in some hot guy to do it. (Who could it be? Per chance your OC?)

The first time she did emotional acting everyone was flabbergasted. She put a lot of effort into getting herself to the point of “Talia”. Tries to get everyone a little solo moment in “This Song Is Awesome”. Had to do Ukrainian Duolingo for weeeks. It took her FOREVER to convince Cass to take the Talia videos with her, but it was definitely worth it.

Has to be carried around everywhere and doesn’t talk at all pre-death. They connected his voice to the stage speakers so he could talk without actually talking. As well as everyone saying that he is in fact flying. Leo gave him a master class in glam rock and he read a TON of sci-fi graphic novels. REFUSED to say the original “0101011” line, he was very offended that it didn’t mean anything. Now he has a little solo where he says “01001101 01101111 01101110 01100101 01111001”. He and Don built a bunch of bots to be the Zolarians. Don is very proud of his boi <3<3<3

Nobody expected him to be THAT GOOD at being creepy, he loves soaking in their scared expressions. He learned to cast a spell that alters his voice so he can hit them HIGGGGGHH notes. (That’s the thing around his neck). Does all his own tricks by using his ninpo to fly and his chains to make the spirals. He is by FAR the best at stage crying

Doesn’t have enough fingers for the recorder, so he settled for the kazoo. Wasn’t very good at the Jawbreaker Monologue at first, but he figured out that he could do it if he just thought about his family and all they had gone through. The “seeing my baby brother dance naked to ABBA” line changes every time he does it. At first it was “dance naked to MARINA”, “dance naked to David Bowie”, or “dance naked to Ke$ha”. But he got more and more specific with stuff they’ve done as time went on. Needless to say, his brothers hate it.

Took some time to convince him to be in the show, but once he said “yes” he was ALL IN. He adores sassing Donnie, maybe a little too much…

Permanently salty that he has no lines and wrote his own just to spite his sons. “Plays” an inflatable bass.

Alright, that’s all I got. Let me know what I missed or any details you think I should add! Thank you so much for reading all the way through <3<3<3