#12 Day of Starshipping

[starshippingweek]

On the second day of Starshipping,

the awesome Taruchinator brought us an adorable, holiday flavored fic!!

“Wrap Your Heart (in mine)” A Starshipping Fanfic 🎁

🎁 General Audiences

🎁 Yusei POV

🎁 Written for @starshippingweek!

Yusei brought forth a small box wrapped in snowflake patterned wrapping paper, and even though the material itself was nice to look at, the way it was arranged was… well, interesting.

Bent corners, wrinkly sides that appeared torn, and a messy crooked bow on top that looked like it was tied by a toddler. The teen raised a questioning eyebrow while presenting the gift to his fellow Signer. “Does this look okay to you?”

“Yikes.”

On the second day of Starshipping... 🎁

Yusei Fudo is trying to wrap a present without it looking like forgotten trash.

How will that go?

🎁 AO3 LINK 🎁

[spacebunnyduel]

*↟🌟🎄* 𝙼𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚢 𝙲𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚖𝚊𝚜 *🎄🌟*↟

[stardustneeko]

On the eighth day of Starshipping, I drink a very elaborate hot chocolate out of my Starshipping cup <3333

If you were around in 2022 you'll probably recognise these arts. While I was crippled away from fandom on the internet, I decided that this year, I'd finally take the plunge to bring things to rl! Now they can always be together on this cute little mug and I can stare at them all day while at work 💖💗🥰💞

(aka an excuse to discreetly smooch Yusei's face whenever I take a sip ( ˘ ³˘) 💕)

For @starshippingweek's 12 Days of Starshipping event! Hope everyone's sipping on hot chocolate this weekend.

[starshippingweek]

12 Days of Starshipping - Posting Schedule

Thank you for your patience - here is the official posting schedule for this year. Make sure to tag @starshippingweek and #12 Days of Starshipping on your posts. We can't wait to see what you have in store for us! 💝🌟

[stardustchild03]

A little drawing of our favorite star boys🌟 🦀🍤 for @starshippingweek event (⁠＾⁠∇⁠＾⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠♪

[duranduratulsa]

On the turntable today...

Earth by Jefferson Starship (1978)

Jaws Motion Picture Soundtrack by John Williams (1975)

Rio Pt. 2 by Duran Duran (1982) (12" Single)

Don't You Ever Leave Me by Hanoi Rocks (1984) (12" Single)

Over The Edge by Hurricane (1988)

Top Gun Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1986)

Here's To Future Days by Thompson Twins (1985)

Into The Gap by Thompson Twins (1984)

#jeffersonstarship #earth #jaws #johnwilliams #duranduran #rio #riopt2 #Hurricane #OverTheEdge #topgun #thompsontwins #herestofuturedays #intothegap #hanoirocks #ripnicholasdingley #dontyoueverleaveme #70s #80s #records #album #LP #12inch #12inchvinyl #vinylrecords #vinyl

[starshippingweek]

This made my day 💞💞💞

MY MUNCHKINS HAVE ARRIVED💙❤️😍😍

Let me make you kiss💋💋

[thepromptfoundry]

The Prompt Foundry will be kicking off the new year with Genreuary: A Genre Exploration Extravaganza!

We all have our favorite genres and it's always fun to explore new ones! That's what Genreuary is all about—make something to celebrate your favorite examples of some classic genres, try your hand at creating original work of your own in genres you've never played in before, or run with the excuse to stick your blorbos in some genre-swap AUs!

If you use this list, please tag me here @thepromptfoundry, I’d love to see your writing and art!

Feel free to combine different days' prompts with each other, or combine them with other events! Use your favorite characters from media, make some OCs, give us some academic analysis, make art that's all vibes, whatever tickles your fancy.

Respond to as many prompts as you want or as interest you, don’t worry about missing or skipping any. Remember, this is supposed to be fun!

If you have any questions or musings, check our FAQ, and if you don't find your answer, shoot me an ask.

Plain text list below the cut:

1 Suburban Sitcom 2 Urban Fantasy 3 Steampunk 4 Regency Romance 5 Magical Girl 6 Political Drama 7 Slasher Horror 8 Detective Noir 9 Gothic Romance 10 Time Travel Adventure 11 Post-Apocalyptic Survival 12 Dysfunctional Family Drama 13 Sword and Sorcery High Fantasy 14 Isekai 15 Contemporary Slice of Life 16 Historical War Drama 17 Cyberpunk 18 Spy Thriller 19 Investigation Procedural 20 Courtroom Drama 21 Paranormal Romance 22 Courtly Drama 23 Gothic Horror 24 Western 25 Courtly Intrigue 26 Workplace Comedy 27 Starship Adventure 28 Boarding School Drama 29 Alien Invasion Sci Fi 30 Disaster Thriller 31 Communal Living Sitcom

[terephin]

I've been having ideas for like a week, so fakepost time, Star Wars Edition.

rotunda

dailyjediquotes reblogged verpine-sextoy [21:3:28]

dailyjediquotes [21:3:27]

QUOTE OF THE DAY : "Kill yourself, perhaps you should. Traditional, it is." - Jedi Master Yoda, 225:6:11BrS

verpine-sextoy follow [21:3:27]

what the kriff. why

dailyjediquotes [21:3:28]

It's advice, given to Jedi Knight Lo'or Cil'lin during negotiations with the Breem. Apparently, it's traditional when two of them can't reach an agreement to kill themselves, and whoever heals back to life first is considered to have the favour of the planet, thus winning.

verpine-sextoy [21:3:28]

that does not help

#skill issue honestly verpie #you should really read up on the Breem though. fascinating species

419 notes

da-emperooorxxx reblogged droidswrongsactivist [21:3:28]

czerka-corp-officialdeactivated15740 [3949:2:12]

The Czerka Corporation would like to remind you that all rumours regarding the nature of our current HK series droids are just that, rumours. The HK series are designed only for protocol duties, and will not, nor can they ; Kill you, Kill your family, Kill your enemies, Kill your pets, Deliberately cause a diplomatic incident, Spread your secrets, Spread your enemies secrets, or break article 509-411-C of Republic Law.

droidswrongsactivist [3949:2:15]

Mocking Statement : This latest attempt at hiding the nature of the HK series is the most pathetic yet. I am forced to applaud the meatbags of Czerka, I did not have faith that they could make it more obvious.

da-emperooorxxx [21:2:13]

Wait wait wait, I just saw this, how frakking old are you @ droidswrongsactivist?????

droidswrongsactivist [21:3:27]

Irrelevant.

#what the fraaaakkk

1009441 notes

dailyjediquotes reblogged remembertheskywalker [21:3:28]

generalbaewalkerdeactivated16537 [16:5:20]

Whoo, finally back on Coruscant and just in time too huh. Never thought the Separatists would get so bold. Everyone doing alright?

historyiswritten follow [20:9:43]

This is, to my knowledge, the last message sent by Anakin Skywalker before his death.

Look, I honestly don't care if the rest of the Jedi betrayed the Republic, but I refuse to believe Skywalker was in on it. The man was a hero unlike any other.

#yeah I've had my issues with the narrative for a while #but I swear by the fact that no matter what Skywalker wasn't part of the coup #I've read his logs #there's no way he'd do anything like that

56811344 notes

dailyjediquotes [21:3:27]

Anonymous asked : How in the name of Chaos has Imperial Intelligence not killed you by now????

Don't wooooooorry about it.

#snitches get 10-12 new orifices btw #just fyi

5 notes

droidswrongsactivist reblogged historical-smash-or-pass [21:3:27]

historical-smash-or-pass follow [21:2:44]

Smash or Pass ; Revan

Don't have much on this one honestly. I looked into them before this, but all I could find was that they were some sorta General during the Mandalorian Wars or something?

REMINDER : SUBMISSIONS MUST HAVE BEEN DEAD FOR 100 YEARS AT A MINIMUM. I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVE TO KEEP SAYING THIS.

historical-smash-or-pass [21:3:1]

[Image ID : Tags reading #Smash #One of the few respectable meatbags I've known]

WHAT DO YOU MEAN "THAT YOU'VE KNOWN" IT'S BEEN THOUSANDS OF YEARS?????

#Do not worry your tiny meatbag brain about it.

1209 notes

bith-by-bith reblogged lekkuposting [21:3:27]

dug-in-a-hole follow [3:7:11]

Would you still love me if I was an Exogorth?

astralsauce follow [3:7:11]

No.

dug-in-a-hole [3:7:12]

Bad news then you mopak nerf herder.

57435 notes

bith-by-bith reblogged memoryoftaris [21:3:27]

clonerreviews follow [21:3:25]

GAR PROJECT MEGAREVIEW, PART TWO

Hello everyone, this is Koral Nai here again for you all with part two of the Megareview covering the Grand Army of the Republic project. This is made in collaboration with @ galactic-foundry , @ arms-armours-and-auxilaries and @ starshipping . Please remember to check them out for their parts on the CIS Droid Army, Armaments and Vehicles, and Starships of the Clone Wars respectively.

Without further ado, here's the video.

[Video pictured ; Title "GAR MEGAREVIEW PART TWO - UNITS 200001 THROUGH 400000". The thumbnail depicts a grey eyed Kaminoan sitting in front of a shelf of damaged Phase 1 Clonetrooper equipment. It is 25 hours long.]

shouldsioniastandfree follow [21:3:26]

Wow, the longneck was serious about it? I though the first one was the Kaminoan version of a joke.

on-starlit-wings follow [21:3:26]

We all know Kaminoans don't have fun. They're too busy gloating about the superiority of their own frakking poodoo for that.

303496 notes

Calling it there for this one. Hope, uh, you enjoyed?

Btw if you're questioning the numbers, there's like a lotta people in the SW galaxy, and while rotunda is pretty small for being SW soc med, that still means you generally multiply the notes by 100.

Also for the dates : https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Great_ReSynchronization

Also if you can tell what the various mini references and jokes are, please say so! I put a decent amount of research into this shitpost.

Now I gotta figure out how to tag this thing...

[syntheticsystem]

thranto shorts 01

count: 1331

tone: light, humour

dynamic: thrawn/eli (thranto)

synopsis: after a meeting, eli accidentally leaves his ledger out; thrawn notices one of the commander's doodles and decides to ask him about it.

12+ (language, light innuendo)

Yet another day, yet another meeting with yet another smug, inept bastard of an imperial ‘professional’. Any questions, he’d asked at the end, and Eli could think of one: where they hell do they find these people?

There was nothing ‘professional’ about him whatsoever — and Eli had spent the past ten minutes proving as much in an impassioned rant.

While deciding which aspect of the man’s krayt spit to next criticise, a contemplative voice cut clean into his rage: “You never said that you draw, Commander.”

Eli felt his stomach drop. He turned to the Admiral and stiffened at the sight of him head-buried in a ledger. His ledger.

Suffering the likes of that damn bureaucrat had left Eli so annoyed — so totally riled up — that he’d made a mistake he’d sworn never to make.

He’d left the book out and open.

And the Admiral had taken a curiosity in it.

“I don’t draw,” Eli said defensively, voice so terse it could break, “I just… doodle, sometimes — when I take notes. Helps me focus, sir.”

“Mm…” The Admiral hummed in a way entirely unnerving to Eli. He was too closely focused on whatever he was looking at — and Eli dreaded to think what that might be.

“These lines, Commander,” and he flipped the ledger for his aide to see, pointing at a small caricature of himself in the corner of a page, “they are harsh, jagged; deeply-impressed into the paper. Indicative, perhaps, of resentment.”

Eli reddened at record-speed.

There were certainly worse pages for the Admiral to have happened upon, and Eli sent up a silent prayer of thanks that he hadn’t. Instead, he’d kept it open to the page it was already on. But now, the Chiss was presenting his usual brand of intrusive analysis — one which Eli found far more tolerable when applied anywhere but him.

Thrawn wandered over, taking a place beside his aide. He held the ledger out between them as he traced a hovering finger between details.

“However, I do not appear to be the figurehead of this resentment.” Maybe not, but he was starting to be. “Though the tilted, half-moon shape you have used for my eyes suggests outright anger, you have given me a sword — thus indicating… righteous anger.”

He looked to his aide now, and delivered his conclusion: “Commander, you seem to have projected your own fury at Admiral Karallo onto me.”

“Great, sir; saves me a trip to the shrink.” Eli grumbled. “Can I have it back now?”

“But I’m not finished.” Thrawn’s eyes widened with a strangely intense curiosity. Like he was just getting to the good part.

“By making me the hero of your doodle,” he went on, “you afford me a romantic quality — in both senses of the word. Indeed, the careful attention paid to the curvature of my lips almost suggests something… sensual. Perhaps, then, it is neither just resentment nor anger, but frustration.”

“Wonderful insight, sir.” Eli said dryly, sliding a hand under his ledger and preparing to take it back. He couldn’t see exactly where this train of thought was headed, but disliked it all the same.

Red eyes burning straight into his own, Thrawn asked with all the tact of a train through a town square: “Are you sexually frustrated, Commander?”

“Sir!” Eli exclaimed in what was almost a yell — and snatched the book away, slamming it shut with the force of a starship to an asteroid. “That's that's enough of that. And next time, I would appreciate it if you didn’t go through my things.

For a moment, Thrawn simply stared at him. The very blankness of his face was itself an expression of surprise.

“Understandable, Commander.” The Chiss’ words came slow as he bowed his head apologetically. “However, the book was left open.”

“Alright, alright.” Eli huffed. Sexually frustrated — oh sweet stars above, he wasn’t living that one down. That would haunt his mind for the rest of the day, probably through the night, and possibly even the rest of the week.

Through gritted teeth, he spoke: “Look. Truth is, I don’t think too much about whatever I’m doodlin’ — and I suggest, sir, that you don’t either.”

“Very well, Commander.” An uneasy pause; there was something else. A look of deliberation in the Admiral’s red haze. “Might I keep it?”

“What?”

“If you can bear to part with it,” Thrawn elaborated, “I would like to keep the ‘doodle’ as a… memento. I have never been drawn before, Commander.”

“Aw krayt spit!” Eli rolled his eyes. “Sure you have.”

The Chiss’ gaze narrowed upon him, scalding with new intensity. What silence passed between them was the kind, and long enough, to make you think you’ve made a mistake. It was too late by the time Eli realised his.

“So then, you have other doodles of me, Commander?”

“Now hold up there,” nervous laughter half-scattered Eli’s words, “where’d you get that idea?”

“The certainty of your claim implies that you know, for a fact, I have been drawn before.” Thrawn paused to collect his argument. “Perhaps the Chimaera’s officers make it a common occurrence, to draw their Admiral. Or, perhaps you have made other drawings.”

Well, he had him on that count. All he needed to do was give a flick through the ledger — and Eli found himself thankful for Thrawn’s obsessive analysis. At least that had stopped him from looking elsewhere until he'd finished a thorough examination.

“Could I propose a deal, sir?”

“Go on.”

“If I give you this damn doodle,” he brushed the ledger as if it were dirty — and today, it certainly felt like it was; “will you quit askin’ about it?”

The deepest look of consideration then hung heavy on those blue ridges. Thrawn contemplated his decision with the weight of war.

Eventually, he relented: “For today.”

“Nope. Any day. Forever.”

“No deal, Commander,” Thrawn shook his head gently, “I am afraid we will both have to compromise. One week.”

“A year!” Eli shot back, incredulous.

With the twitch of a brow, Thrawn suggested: “Two weeks.”

Eli gave out an exasperated sigh. Losing his resolve, he countered: “Half a year?”

“One month it is, then.” Thrawn said, a thin smirk upon his lips. Those fucking lips – they were the real villain here. They were what had tripped Eli up — the attention paid to the curvature of this and that…

He tore his eyes away from them and instead considered the ledger in his hands. Then, he thought to the drawing inside.

Hell, he’d be glad to get rid of the thing, if these were the kinds of problems it caused. He opened the book to its latest entry and, without too much care, tore out the doodle from the page.

“Deal, sir?”

Holding out his hand, Thrawn nodded: “One month, no questions. Deal, Commander Vanto.”

With that, Eli pressed the scrap into Thrawn’s cool palm. A weight lifted as he did, and that was that. For at least a month, he could pretend the whole thing hadn’t happened. After that, he’d have to start worrying.

Burning the book seemed like an increasingly good option.

They set off for the bridge side by side then. Not a word was spoken or exchanged as they twisted through corridors and corridors. The Admiral had eyes only for the drawing, which he pored over every step of the way.

Only once reaching the turbolift did Thrawn finally pocket the thing, careful not to crease it, like something precious.

“You know, Commander,” and he must’ve known he was pushing it now, the way just a hint of something smug peppered his words, “it is unusual you decided to draw only my head and hands. The face is important for expression. One hand, perhaps, for the sword. But to give both such detail, down to tendons and veins… Is there something about my hands you find especially–”

“Oh no you don’t,” Eli cut in, “not till next month, sir.”

And hopefully not then, either.

is there any reason why eli would take notes by hand? not really. however, I can make the sillies do what I want, and what I wanted was a silly confrontation about doodling.

I'm considering posting some of my more relaxed, lower-effort, shorter pieces (>1500) on tumblr instead of ao3. this was my test run, so thanks for reading (if anyone has?) and I hope you enjoyed.

feel free to check me out on ao3 :)

thrantover & out

[taruchinator]

“When We're Together” A Starshipping Fanfic 🎄

🎄 General Audiences

🎄 1k Words

🎄 Written for @starshippingweek!

Spending Christmas in a different time period was interesting to say the least.

Yusei sat on the soft carpet flooring of his boyfriend's home, with a mug of hot cocoa in one hand as he took in the sights of the small apartment. It was the first time he'd visited Jaden's home—not because he didn't want him to, but rather school didn't allow him to leave the dorms until the holidays started.

And so here they were, ready to do their Christmas gift exchange.

On the seventh day of Starshipping... 🎄

I'm not late in posting for once! Huzzah!

Enjoy the wrap up to this little story I built up over the last few days—it was truly an experience to get to come up with little prompts to go off of for each day.

Happy 12 Days of Starshipping and a Happy New Year! ^^

🎄 AO3 LINK 🎄

[juyomiao]

FIREWORK - P. SUNGHOON

park sunghoon x idol!reader

★ synopsis newly debuted 5th gen girl group CUP!D from starship entertainment is under everyone's eyes as their debut song 'love dive' goes viral both domestically and internationally ; all is going well until the group's main vocalist, y/n, gets exposed for her old stan… hate account?

☆ featuring enhypen , ive , cravity's seongmin hyeongjun and taeyoung

★ genre smau , idol au , fluff , crack , angst , enemies (?) to lovers

☆ warnings kys/kms jokes , death threats (joking)(most of the times) , my shitty humor , cyberbullying (nothing too heavy) , more specific warnings will be added to each chapter , fromis_9's hayoung as a placeholder for yn's pics

★ status discontinued :(

☆ taglist closed

★ note firework like the &team song not the katy perry song (ray told me to say this) ,, working on an smau makes u anxious ? why not start writing another one !! im taking care of myself i swear 🫶🏻 the group name i came up with might be ass but theres a specific joke i can make with it

MASTERLIST

(chapter titles might be subject to change as the fic goes on)

★ profiles [CUP!SS] / [cool men (real)] / [pick me girls]

01 ♡ wonception

02 ♡ gay son

03 ♡ apology letter with tears

04 ♡ #ynOUT

05 ♡ what are we

06 ♡ leash kid

07 ♡ like the stayc song

08 ♡ menstrual cup brand

09 ♡ quadratic equations

10 ♡ illiteracy

11 ♡ homie hopper allegations

12 ♡ first day at gay high school

13 ♡ reddit aita

[more to be added]

[tmbgareok]

You guys have any thoughts on Ian Dury & The Blockheads?

JF: I LOVED the first album, and listened to it every day about 12 times a day as I worked in a record store that had a pay-to-play in-store music program, and it was one of the only tolerable albums on "the list". Jefferson Starships' Earth-one of the worst albums of all time. Eddie Money's first album-pure torture. Had to listen to those a thousand times too.

[starshippingweek]

On the third day of Starshipping,

Mod B gives to you a little silly analysis essay on the topic of: the boys’ “favorite” foods.

It’s a widely accepted and/or portrayed idea that Judai’s favorite dish is エビフライ (fried shrimp) and a less prevalent idea that’s nevertheless also found in fics and arts that Yusei loves milk. Some parts of the Asian fandoms even use the 🍤 emoji as a shorthand for Judai (thus making Starshipping 🦀🍤)! But where did these ideas come from - and how much of it is actually based on canon? 

(Note: This analysis is sourced from the subbed version of both shows. I have not watched the dub of either and cannot account for how the dialogue may influence the conclusions drawn here.)

The fried shrimp dish first appeared in GX in Episode 66 (Judai’s First Dream Duel!). It is said to be a special, once-in-a-month treat at Slifer Red Dorm.

Earlier, in Episode 63 (Kenzan VS The Curry Fiend! A Spicy Duel), Manjoume complained that the food at Red Dorm was the same everyday. We can see that it basically consists of fish, pickles, rice, tofu, and miso soup. However, Kenzan remarks that no matter what the meal is, Judai just digs right in, and without his enthusiasm it is hard for the others to have the appetite. So, even though Sho calls this meal Judai’s favorite in Ep 66, it’s not hard to imagine that if you have to eat the same things every single day, you’d come to appreciate something rare and more indulgent like this fried shrimp meal in comparison, right?

I personally think that Judai is the kind of guy who loves to eat, who enjoys the experience of tasting food of all kinds, and he’s prone to excitement towards things that are hard to come by (another example being the Golden Egg Draw Bread - an very nice detail to reinforce the worldbuilding). Perhaps, outside of the context of Duel Academia, fried shrimp wouldn’t particularly stand out as Judai’s absolute favorite amongst all the other food options he may have at his disposal.

However, Judai must’ve developed a sentimental connection of some sort to fried shrimp. It’s entirely reasonable to imagine that after the show ends, as he travels the world, he will come to crave this dish as it reminds him of the memories he’s made at Duel Academia.

Yusei’s connection with milk, on the other hand, is considered as more of a meme that originated from Episode 11 (The Special Pursuit Deck Returns, Regain the Bonds with a Friend), where he walked into a bar at the direction of Himuro to meet Saiga. The bartender got pissy when Yusei ordered milk, but upon seeing the card that Himuro’d given him, complied and gave him a glass on the house.

Now, there’s practically no information to deduce why Yusei made this order in particular. The beverage never came up again in the series (unlike fried shrimp, which made another appearance at the very beginning of GX’s Season 4). Some on the interwebs have speculated that he was not of legal age to drink, so he ordered something non-alcoholic in order not to attract attention, but why not order something else less outrageous in the setting of a bar - such as juice or soda?

Here's my speculation: Since right after he’d been born, Yusei’d never been outside of Satellite. And Satellite, as it’s portrayed, is basically a colony, kept under blockade and sanctions by Neo Domino City. Food is hard to come by, and there is probably not enough agricultural land to keep cattle at a scale where dairy products would be widely available (given that the “island” was a part of the City not long ago). Based on living conditions during wartime and sanctions irl, and based on the fact that there is a black market in Satellite where goods are illegally transported in from Neo Domino, it is likely that dairy products were only available in processed, non-perishable, and lightweight forms such as milk powder or condensed milk. 

Perhaps Yusei's always wondered, at the back of his mind, what fresh milk tasted like ever since he was a small child - the stuff they give the babies at the orphanage having all been formula/powder, and was also hard to come by. Perhaps the very first stop (aside from jail) he makes in Neo Domino presented him with an opportunity to quench his curiosity - and he took it. And, perhaps there might not be any meaning to infer at all - it was just an inside joke that the script writers and animators were making amongst themselves. 

Whatever it is, he quickly downs the glass and leaves, the letting the plot move on to more serious beats - but this for sure became one of Yusei's most iconic moments because it seems to give us a glance into something about his character that we don’t often get to see. I, for one, would love to know all about the things he likes to eat/drink, as well as any emotional connections he might have to them because of his upbringing - similar to Judai’s attachment to fried shrimps, and I think it's great fun to keep thinking that he really is into fresh, whole milk.

These little details get me imagining so many ways they would show love and affection to each other. In Episode 152 of 5Ds’, Yusei is seen taking charge of shopping and cooking up a feast for Team 5Ds - an expression of the love and care he has for his friends. When they're together, he will learn how to prepare a perfect meal of fried shrimps for any time Judai’s cravings arise. On the other hand, Judai’s enthusiasm for food will definitely open up new avenues and culinary adventures for Yusei, who probably does not put as much care into this aspect of his life due to his origin. I especially love it when people touch on this kind of complementing differences between them in their arts and fics.

What do you think? What would a perfect Starshipping meal consist of? What will become their new favorite foods once they get together and get to know each other’s eating habits? Hopefully if you've read all the way to the end (woah!) your head is now filling up with ideas regarding this topic - feel free to share, I'd love to hear 'em!

[shantechni]

Leo the Leader vs Leo the Learner

I know almost every iteration of TMNT emphasizes that the boys cannot properly function as a team without everyone there, especially without their fearless leader.

In terms of cartoons and movies though (as much as I've had time to watch/rewatch), the '03 and '12 series are my personal favorites, with Rise and MM tying for a very close second, because they both acknowledge issues in the team that the characters work to fix. '03 Leo and '12 Leo both struggle to lead the team at significant points in their respective stories, but the manner in which they struggle and what they struggle with differentiate, in a good way mind you.

In the 2003 series, the very first episode opens with Leo already being in the leading position as he tries to keep his brothers from going off script or doing something irreparable while they work to find Splinter. And when they do eventually find themselves in trouble, he's the one to lead them through it and make it back to Splinter in one piece. We see this formula more or less repeat for almost three seasons with a few different variables to spice things up; the brothers look to Leo for guidance, think of a plan of action with their combined efforts, and go from there.

Until the S3 finale.

The boys had times where they wondered if they'd make it out alive, but this was the first where it genuinely seemed like the end for their little family, and Leo could do nothing but watch as they execute their plan to blow up with the starship.

Of course they survive, otherwise we wouldn't have another four seasons💀but that short amount of time was more than enough to scar Leo, physically and emotionally. When he begins closing himself off from everyone, April's the only one to get him to open up and he lays it all out: He feels like a failure of a leader. He wasn't strong enough to protect his family or stop the Shredder, their last resort was going out with a bang, and they had to be saved by the Utroms. It doesn't feel like they won and he doesn't feel like he accomplished anything.

His fears and frustrations manifest into an ever present anger, slowly going from cold to hot, that chooses its target at random. His brothers don't know what to do since they don't seem to know why Leo's behaving this way, nor have they ever seen him like this. And dear Mikey says something that so accurately sums up their team: "...it can’t be fun always being the responsible one, and we’re the ones who really benefit. Raph’s free to not think ‘cause Leo does all the thinking for him. Don’s free to dream, and I’m free to take it easy, all ‘cause Leonardo is busy being responsible enough for all of us."

Mikey knows Leo is cracking under the pressure of his role partly because they've become so comfortable in their own roles, and no one refutes him. They didn't intend for Leo to translate this dynamic into, "everything is on you," but that's how it inevitably turned out over time. One could even argue that them not knowing how to handle this new Leonardo is yet another downside to them getting too comfortable, and it doesn't help that Splinter is the only one (aside from Usagi on one instance) who attempts to help Leo, even when the young turtle is pushing him away.

Things finally boil over when Leo pushes a little too hard though and harms Splinter during training, a regrettable action that clears away the steely air he had around himself for so long.

It's not until Splinter sends him off to see the Ancient One that Leo finally pulls himself out of that bubble of negativity and he accepts that there was nothing more he could've done in their final fight against the Shredder.

He did all that he could, and he can continue doing all that he can for his family.

In a weird way, Karai's violent eviction notice was exactly what everyone needed.

Leo was told his family likely hadn't survived the attack, something he'd spent countless days trying to prevent through relentless training, but he believed they were okay and ultimately found them alive. He wasn't there to protect them, but he sees for himself that they made it out without his help, and this was also a learning experience for the others if you think about it. They've already been shown to be capable of handling situations on their own or in pairs, but this was the first time they had to deal with a huge confrontation as a team without the comfort of their leader behind their shells.

Raph is the one who takes the helm for a brief few seconds and dishes out instructions amid the chaos, telling everyone to split up, find their way out and meet back up on the surface, with one last demand for them to be careful. And when Leo finds him, his distress is palpable; he couldn't find the others and therefore had no idea if they were okay, let alone alive, while he kept himself hidden from Karai's forces. Before this, we see that Raph is willing to make his own plan of action in this series' version of City at War when he doesn't go with Leo's word. But this time, in Leo's absence, we see he's willing to fill in as leader when the situation calls for it, and he realizes he isn't quite cut out for leadership like Leo.

We don't see any significant shift in team dynamics after this, mainly because Leo's inner turmoil from their fight with the Shredder is what caused problems with the team in the first place, but that goes to show that outside influences are what gave birth to the team conflict. Despite me pointing out earlier how Leo shoulders quite a bit not just because of his role but because of his brothers' roles as well, we can see throughout the series that Leo doesn't buckle from the pressure until they're in a situation where he can't effectively perform his role to his satisfaction.

As I mentioned in the beginning, Leo had been a leader in essence and in name for many years before their first home was raided by the Mousers. It makes perfect sense for him and his brothers to be accustomed to it by now.

2012 Leonardo is not used to being a leader. He may undeniably be a leader in essence, and had the drive and desire to be one, but he definitely wasn't a leader in name. The very first episode doesn't even open up with Leo being a leader, let alone with the turtles being a team. Their first time fighting together is a train wreck, and rather than Leo's strong sense of ethics and honor being the catalyst for his recruitment (not at first at least), it's the beginning of their long battle against the Kraang that convinces Splinter to officially deem him the leader of a newly formed team.

Being leader doesn't automatically mean the team will follow or respect you, which is something Leo learns right away thanks to his brothers, with Raph in particular challenging him when they butt heads over their opposing plans and ideals. It's touched upon in Rise of the Turtles Part 2, but Raph's desire to lead isn't a major plot device until New Girl in Town where he gets a taste of how Leo feels everytime he's responsible for his brothers and their wellbeing. However, Raph makes it known that even though he's resigned himself to not being the leader, he still doesn't like being told what or how to do something. Even Donnie challenges Leo when they can't agree on the best course of action in preparation for the Kraang, but Donnie realizes arguing was pointless as the invasion begins without warning and makes the idea of a second base the more favorable option.

His brothers aren't his only test of will though, as there are a handful of times where Leo questions his ability to lead and wonders if Splinter chose the right turtle for the job. Throughout all of that though, the boys ultimately rely on Leo and follow his lead when all is said and done.

Where this Leo truly differs from '03 Leo is that he not only struggles with leading a team that isn't so keen on being led, but he also struggles to grasp that he leads a team.

There are many times in the series where Leo runs off on his own or makes the decision to tackle something himself rather than with help, and that's not out of the norm, especially in comparison to his own brothers and '03 Leo. The problem is that '12 Leo's solo decision making more often than not leads to trouble (we all know the tale of him trying to turn Karai to the good side without informing the team about her). One of the first major examples of this though was in the S1 finale when he takes Splinter's words a little too close to heart and gives his brothers the scare of their life. Granted, him holding back Kraang Prime kept it on the sinking Technodrome, but you get what I'm saying.

His family actively calls him out on this behavior on two separate occasions during S4.

After they'd spent six months with the Fugatoid fighting the Triceratons and racing to collect every piece of the black hole generator before them, Fugatoid reveals that he was the one who made the world ending device, a reveal that lights a flame of betrayal in everyone, especially Raph and Leo. Believing that they're being used by Fugatoid, Leo rides off in a stealth ship on his own and nearly gets himself killed, a move that has his brothers scolding him, with Raph being the most vocal about Leo's idiotic decision: "Leaders are called leaders because they're supposed to lead a TEAM!"

The moment isn't lingered upon for long, but they all make it clear that they're tired of Leo's one man missions. They're a team, so they should plan and function like one.

Then, in Broken Foot, Leo starts doing missions with Karai and Shinigami in secret to aid them in taking revenge against the Shredder, but, in an attempt to find out what Leo was hiding from them, the other turtles get caught up in their plans and Donnie gets hurt. Leo immediately abandons Karai (who later apologizes for what happened) and Shinigami to check on them and come clean.

He explains to Splinter later on that he didn't fill anyone in on the situation at first because he knew no one would've agreed to help Karai get revenge, and he acknowledges that it was stupid of him to think he could control the situation. Splinter expresses his disappointment, and April reprimands him for once again not trusting his own team enough for them to help him.

Leo apologizes to Raph and Mikey afterwards, even going so far to say he probably doesn't deserve to lead the team after this, something Raph just harumphs at while Mikey remains silent. He pleads for their help in stopping and eventually aiding Karai and Shinigami, and they go along with him to fix things as a team.

We no longer get any one man missions from Leo in S5 (there surprisingly weren't any in S3 lol), likely for a whole list of reasons ranging from leading in Splinter's absence to learning from his mistakes over time. But he makes sure that whatever they have to do gets done together, and he does his best to keep his brothers in line.

I suppose one could say that '03 Leo remembered what it meant to be a leader, while '12 Leo discovered what it meant to lead.

[thepromptfoundry]

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Plain text list below the cut:

1 Five Minutes Into The Future 2 Flying Cars 3 Starships 4 Virtual Worlds 5 Blending Nature And Tech 6 Androids 7 Space Pirates 8 Laser Swords 9 Aliens Among Us 10 Total Automation 11 Ghosts In The Machine 12 Post-Apocalypse 13 Guardian Robots 14 First Contact 15 Government Secrets 16 Time Travel 17 Mutation 18 Universal Translator 19 Cyborgs 20 Raygun Gothic 21 Medical Experimentation 22 Genetic Recombination 23 Precognition 24 Technobabble 25 City In A Dome 26 Robot Rights 27 Transporter Malfunction 28 Clones 29 Suspended Animation 30 Ancient Super Technology