#Raph does have low wisdom though

[dame-edward]

Had a realization about my Tav and Raphael, and I had to make it into a meme. They're so toxic together. I love them

[afreakingdork]

Miss Dork I've been a fan of your work since Crush Too Much & I'm reading Weak Spot religiously when it updates. Thanks so much for your hard work! Your love for the purple turtle is strong 💜🐢👍

I am now attempting to write my own Future Donnie x Reader. As you've inspired me a whole ton!

I know he's written differently in WS due to his backstory but you've written him closer to 'canon" in previous works.

Any tips on how to keep his character quirks from the show but write him a bit older/mature?

Thank you!

Ah thank you so much for sticking around!!! It warms my heart to know you enjoy both! I do love that purple turtle so very very much.

Ack! Thank you also for saying I've inspired you!! You get it writing your own! I'm so proud of you!

Tips, hm.... 🤔 I don't know how other people feel about it, but I consider Weak Spot to be more of a canon divergence fic that follows along canon with only minor tweaks affecting the overall outcome. Distilling it down to it's simplest points the changes are: Donnie was not found by Splinter after the lab explosion, Donnie arrives on the surface around the same time 'Mutant Mayhem' occurs for the other boys, the other boys don't meet him until 'Bug Busters,' then pretty much everything else happens in that timeline with the new set up.

That doesn't answer your question though!

Honestly, I just take experience from how me and my friends have grown. We're still the exact same people, we've only grown or as I like to think about it 'refined.' Taking me for example, I was a feral child. I was suspended in kindergarten for smashing a car window. I never saw a day of recess because I was in constant detention until 4-5th grade. Now that sounds terrible, but allow me to explain why. I smashed the car window attempting to entertain my friends. I came from a very poor elementary school where we had very little usable equipment, no funds for replacement, and bigger kids got first dibs. I would lead these created games for my friends as a way to make up for it because I hate for anyone to be bored.

Now you may not know me well because of the barrier of the internet and what I choose to show, but when you distill it down, that PERFECTLY sums me up as a person. I will bend over backwards to my own demise to be the cartoon character that entertains the ones I love. I still do that. I have never stopped because doing that makes me happy. I love making others happy.

So apply that to the boys, let's take Raph for example. Raph in the series is a teenager like the rest of them. He's not perfect; he's got low intelligence, but high wisdom and he's stressed himself out caring for his brothers. Now bad future changes the factors, so let's just say they continue along a good future for the sake of this discussion. How do those factors look as you grow? Eventually, and we see this at the end of the show/movie, he's beginning to learn to let go and trust that his brothers can take care of themselves. Where does that leave him? Logics sake says he's probably going to want to find himself outside of those parameters. What does he find? He could find that he misses being a caretaker and that is why you see many people in the fandom putting him in a caring role in the future (Casey's father figure, ect). He could also suffer as many oldest children do that were forced to take care of their siblings and become detached and seemingly uncaring. It's not that he doesn't care for others, but it will stunt him in future relationships because he's removed himself so far from having to care for others, to live for himself, that he'll be seen as selfish. On and on! We could keep coming up with scenarios.

I think what's most important when aging a character when you have no reference, is you get in your head why. If you're following canon, think about the story you're telling and how character would get from point A to point B. How do you see the characters in the future? Do you want Raph to run a flower shop? Then say he shifted and realized he liked caring for things, but it was too exhausting to deal with sentient beings. There's something calm and reassuring about how much hard work you can put into plants. They truly are a product of how much effort you put in! It's clean results with little worries other than things outside your control. He's also Raph though so I imagine he also stresses tf out when he sees signs of aphids or the like. Cue to him nearly destroying his own shop to eradicate some itty bitty bugs.

Whoops, but yeah.

tldr; You're always you. Even in the future. It just so happens that life shapes you. How did life shape who you want to write?

I hope any of that helped!

[rosespensandcoffee]

Stages (A 2016 Ninja Turtle Story)

They all contribute to the Butsudan, a household altar to commemorate a deceased love one. Incense, offerings of food, flowers, a picture…It’s a long path to get over loss and they all deal with the grief in different ways.

Warning: Death and how to handle (or not) it. A bit graphic and some swearing.

Chapter 2: Anger

“Anger doesn’t solve anything. It builds nothing, but it can destroy everything.”

    The lair was again quiet in the early hours of the morning. The usual training was canceled for another day of healing. As the other residents were sleeping sounds of strain could be heard from their makeshift dojo. There, Raphael secluded himself and trained.

The red-banded turtle was taking out his aggression on a punching bag after another fight with his older brother. Heat and anger radiated off of him as blow after blow met the leather of the workout equipment. He had been at this for a few hours and still, his aggression wasn’t quelled. There was a time when fighting like this was calming. The exertion of energy leaving him as he grew tired, his anger forgotten, just the focus on the fight. There was a time when he had a sparring partner.

    Raphael had gone to his brother’s lab to vent but when he saw he was busy he decided to wait. He sat on a nearby chair away from Donnie as not to disturb him. It didn’t work as he planned.

“I’ll bite,” Donatello swiveled his chair to face Raphael who was currently bouncing his foot and repeatedly popping his finger joints. “What’s wrong?” He replaced the goggles on his nose with his glasses.

“It’s Leo.”

“Of course it is.” Donnie didn’t flinch at the glare he was given.

“He’s just so fucking high and mighty. Always telling me what I’m doing wrong but not helping! Just this morning he was grilling me on my form and he had that stupid smirk on his face, it just made me so-” he slams his fist on the work table, making the equipment shake.

“Okay, come with me.” Donatello made his way to the door. “You know, before you break something.”

Raphael huffed but followed his brother.

As soon as they entered the dojo Donatello went into a defensive position, fists up to protect his face.

“Come at me”

“What?”

“Come at me, throw some punches. You need to vent and I doubt fighting Leo is going to help.”

    Raphael shrugged and got into a similar stance. The two of them slowly circled each other, looking for any opening or weakness. Always the offensive type Raphael was the first to go in for a strike. He let loose a flurry of quick jabs that Donatello was able to narrowly dodge.

Raphael may not have been the fastest out of his brothers but what he lacked in speed he made up for in strength. He changed it up and faked a jab while going for an ax kick.

The kick connected with Donnie’s side causing him to stumble at the unexpected attack. Raphael smirked at his presumed victory. He barely noticed his opponent catch himself with a hand on the floor and plant his foot as a pivot point then…

Raphael was on his back looking at the ceiling of the dojo. ‘Did he just sweep kick me?’

“You have to be patient.” Donatello was looking down at Raphael, the light above obscuring his features. “You kept attacking wildly and even though that kick was a surprise I used it against you.” Raph takes the hand extended out to him and gets up.

“You were too smug and let your guard down. In the end, it took one attack to beat you” Donatello moves a few feet away and gets back into his stance and smiles. “Let’s try again.”

Raphael smiles and prepares for another fight. Donatello occasionally gives tips and helps correct stances and strategy, his voice calm and not patronizing. They go a few rounds, all the while having friendly banter.

Sparring with his older brother, his problems thrown to the wayside. These were some of the most calming moments for Raphael.

    Raphael grabbed a towel from a nearby chair and wiped the sweat from his face. He sat and took a moment to collect himself. It would look like the workout was what he was recovering from, but it was more than that.

‘This was all bullshit. Why did it have to happen to Donnie? He wasn’t the best fighter but he wasn’t stupid. What could have gone wrong? They had come home to find the lair a mess and Donnie… He was bleeding, his shell cracked like a-’

Raphael shut his eyes and clenched his fists as he was slumped over the chair. He wasn’t going to use that phrase, not after what they did.

    It was two weeks after the incident. Gang activity had been increasing and Leo thought fighting crime was a good way to get out of the lair and distract them. It was a standard mission, get in the warehouse, kick some teeth in, and leave them there for the authorities.

It was supposed to be a standard mission until they showed up.

“Hey Rocksteady,” The warthog, known as Bebop, called out to his partner. “Look who we have here.”

Rocksteady, a hulking rhino, stepped out of the shadows with his partner at his side. The ground shook with each step he took. “Ah, turtles. Where’s your other brotha?” As the two of them laughed Raphael gripped his sais tightly.

“Maybe I should give ‘em the same treatment.” He takes out his sledgehammer from his back as he says this. “Cracked his shell like a fucking walnut. Easy too, little pussy didn’t even give us a good fight.”

That was when they realized who had taken their brother. They talked cruelly of him like it was nothing. That was enough for Raphael. He used all of his force in his attacks, he intended to do some serious harm to these two. He was so out of focus that he hardly gave any damage but received a lot.

Leonardo and Michelangelo came to his aid, getting the two mutants far enough from him so he could recover. As he was going in for another attack he felt two pairs of hands on his arms, pulling him back. His brothers continued to push and lead him away so he wouldn’t go back to the fight.

They were running away.

“ Bye bye, turtles. Go on, run!”

Raphael felt sick.

    Raphael goes back to the punching bag. He imagined it was Rocksteady as he attacked it with punches and kicks. He took out all his aggression, his sadness, his rage out on it. He wished he could do this to the real thing. He was making plans to do just that. He was going to give them what was coming to them. His opponent began to change to someone else. Even if he had to do it alone.

    As soon as they made it back into the sewers Raphael turned on his eldest brother.

“What the hell was that Leo?!”

“Raph keep it down! They could be around”

Raphael turned back the way they had come and bellowed down the sewer tunnel, arms wide in challenge. “Maybe I WANT THEM TO HEAR ME!” The sound echoed off the walls.

Leo placed a hand on his shoulder “Raph w-” His hand was shoved away and he was met with the heated gaze of his brother.

“They were talking shit about Donnie,” Raphael’s voice was level but the intense rage was still there. “Those bastards were laughing about how ‘easy’ it was. And you…” He paces, his hands twitching from the pure anger coursing through him. He turns back to Leonardo and points at him accusingly. “You always preach that Bushido honor crap but what do you do? You run! You run when some fuckers are degrading our brother.”

“What good would it do?” Leonardo gets chest to chest with Raphael. His voice low and authoritative. “Do you really think we could have taken them Raph? We’re not in the right mind, especially you. We’re all still grieving but we can’t let our emotions get the better of us. When you get angry like that you don’t think. You’re reckless.” Raphael shoves Leonardo away.

“I would have gladly fought them for Donnie. At least I’m not coward.”

    Raphael kept up his assault as he imagined he was fighting Leo. “Who does he think he is?! Fearless leader my ass!” The thudding of punches echoed through the dojo walls. “Why did Master Splinter even make him leader? He’s so fucking smug and critical!” He imagined what it would be like having anyone else as a leader. Mikey was too easy going and easily distracted. He himself was too impulsive, he could agree to this sometimes.

The only other candidate would have been Donnie. He may have been annoying sometimes but that might be from hanging out with Mikey the most out of the brothers. Leo was too busy training while Raphael had little patience for the energetic turtle. Donnie was a saint in that department, sure he had his limits like everyone else but it took a lot to get him there. The patience of a leader and the wisdom. If any of them needed advice they either went to Master Splinter or Donatello. He had the traits of a leader but the best he could get was the right-hand man to Leonardo.

    He deserved so much better than this. He deserved to live a long life. Get a girl and possibly have a family. These things were unlikely to happen but now he can’t even try. He’s gone because of some fucker thought it would be funny. He’s gone and he wasn’t coming back.

Raphael stopped, he was breathing heavily as he tried to calm his erratic heart. As his angry haze began to leave him he noticed a soft sound, like raw rice grains being poured into a bowl.

Sand was coming out of the rip his sais made in the punching bag, falling to the floor in a small pile at his feet. He sighs and takes the damaged equipment down and puts it in a corner with other punching bags in a similar condition. Raphael re-wraps his hands and sets up another punching bag.

Ready to start the process over again.

“Anger is the emotion we use to avoid more uncomfortable feelings: confusion, fear, sadness.”

Check Story Links page for more chapters and stories. 

[residenttechnomancer]

Stages. Chapter 2

Fandom: TMNT Bayverse (2014/2016)

Warnings: Implied character death, grief, and swearing.

They all contributed to the Butsudan, a household altar to commemorate a deceased loved one. Incense, offerings of food, flowers, a picture...

It's a long path to get over loss and they all deal with the grief in different ways.

Anger

“Anger doesn’t solve anything. It builds nothing, but it can destroy everything.”

    The lair was again quiet in the early hours of the morning. The usual training was canceled for another day of healing. As the other residents were sleeping sounds of strain could be heard from their makeshift dojo. There, Raphael secluded himself and trained.

The red-banded turtle was taking out his aggression on a punching bag after another fight with his older brother. Heat and anger radiated off of him as blow after blow met the leather of the workout equipment. He had been at this for a few hours and still, his aggression wasn’t quelled. There was a time when fighting like this was calming. The exertion of energy leaving him as he grew tired, his anger forgotten, just the focus on the fight. There was a time when he had a sparring partner.

    Raphael had gone to his brother’s lab to vent but when he saw he was busy he decided to wait. He sat on a nearby chair away from Donnie as not to disturb him. It didn’t work as he planned.

“I’ll bite,” Donatello swiveled his chair to face Raphael who was currently bouncing his foot and repeatedly popping his finger joints. “What’s wrong?” He replaced the goggles on his nose with his glasses.

“It’s Leo.”

“Of course it is.” Donnie didn’t flinch at the glare he was given.

“He’s just so fucking high and mighty. Always telling me what I’m doing wrong but not helping! Just this morning he was grilling me on my form and he had that stupid smirk on his face, it just made me so-” he slams his fist on the work table, making the equipment shake.

“Okay, come with me.” Donatello made his way to the door. “You know, before you break something.”

Raphael huffed but followed his brother.

     As soon as they entered the dojo Donatello went into a defensive position, fists up to protect his face.

“Come at me”

“What?”

“Come at me, throw some punches. You need to vent and I doubt fighting Leo is going to help.”

Raphael shrugged and got into a similar stance. The two of them slowly circled each other, looking for any opening or weakness. Always the offensive type Raphael was the first to go in for a strike. He let loose a flurry of quick jabs that Donatello was able to narrowly dodge.

Raphael may not have been the fastest out of his brothers but what he lacked in speed he made up for in strength. He changed it up and faked a jab while going for an ax kick.

The kick connected with Donnie’s side causing him to stumble at the unexpected attack. Raphael smirked at his presumed victory. He barely noticed his opponent catch himself with a hand on the floor and plant his foot as a pivot point then…

Raphael was on his back looking at the ceiling of the dojo. ‘Did he just sweep kick me?’

    “You have to be patient.” Donatello was looking down at Raphael, the light above obscuring his features. “You kept attacking wildly and even though that kick was a surprise I used it against you.” Raph takes the hand extended out to him and gets up.

“You were too smug and let your guard down. In the end, it took one attack to beat you” Donatello moves a few feet away and gets back into his stance and smiles. “Let’s try again.”

Raphael smiles and prepares for another fight. Donatello occasionally gives tips and helps correct stances and strategy, his voice calm and not patronizing. They go a few rounds, all the while having friendly banter.

Sparring with his older brother, his problems thrown to the wayside. These were some of the most calming moments for Raphael.

    Raphael grabbed a towel from a nearby chair and wiped the sweat from his face. He sat and took a moment to collect himself. It would look like the workout was what he was recovering from, but it was more than that.

‘This was all bullshit. Why did it have to happen to Donnie? He wasn’t the best fighter but he wasn’t stupid. What could have gone wrong? They had come home to find the lair a mess and Donnie… He was bleeding, his shell cracked like a-’

Raphael shut his eyes and clenched his fists as he was slumped over the chair. He wasn’t going to use that phrase, not after what they did.

    It was two weeks after the incident. Gang activity had been increasing and Leo thought fighting crime was a good way to get out of the lair and distract them. It was a standard mission, get in the warehouse, kick some teeth in, and leave them there for the authorities.

It was supposed to be a standard mission until they showed up.

“Hey Rocksteady,” The warthog, known as Bebop, called out to his partner. “Look who we have here.”

Rocksteady, a hulking rhino, stepped out of the shadows with his partner at his side. The ground shook with each step he took. “Ah, turtles. Where’s your other brotha?” As the two of them laughed Raphael gripped his sais tightly.

“Maybe I should give ‘em the same treatment.” He takes out his sledgehammer from his back as he says this. “Cracked his shell like a fucking walnut. Easy too, little pussy didn’t even give us a good fight.”

That was when they realized who had taken their brother. They talked cruelly of him like it was nothing. That was enough for Raphael. He used all of his force in his attacks, he intended to do some serious harm to these two. He was so out of focus that he hardly gave any damage but received a lot.

Leonardo and Michelangelo came to his aid, getting the two mutants far enough from him so he could recover. As he was going in for another attack he felt two pairs of hands on his arms, pulling him back. His brothers continued to push and lead him away so he wouldn’t go back to the fight.

They were running away.

“ Bye bye, turtles. Go on, run!”

Raphael felt sick.

    Raphael goes back to the punching bag. He imagined it was Rocksteady as he attacked it with punches and kicks. He took out all his aggression, his sadness, his rage out on it. He wished he could do this to the real thing. He was making plans to do just that. He was going to give them what was coming to them. His opponent began to change to someone else. Even if he had to do it alone.

As soon as they made it back into the sewers Raphael turned on his eldest brother.

“What the hell was that Leo?!”

“Raph keep it down! They could be around”

Raphael turned back the way they had come and bellowed down the sewer tunnel, arms wide in challenge. “Maybe I WANT THEM TO HEAR ME!” The sound echoed off the walls.

Leo placed a hand on his shoulder “Raph w-” His hand was shoved away and he was met with the heated gaze of his brother.

“They were talking shit about Donnie,” Raphael’s voice was level but the intense rage was still there. “Those bastards were laughing about how ‘easy’ it was. And you…” He paces, his hands twitching from the pure anger coursing through him. He turns back to Leonardo and points at him accusingly. “You always preach that Bushido honor crap but what do you do? You run! You run when some fuckers are degrading our brother.”

“What good would it do?” Leonardo gets chest to chest with Raphael. His voice low and authoritative. “Do you really think we could have taken them Raph? We’re not in the right mind, especially you. We’re all still grieving but we can’t let our emotions get the better of us. When you get angry like that you don’t think. You’re reckless.” Raphael shoves Leonardo away.

“I would have gladly fought them for Donnie. At least I’m not coward.”

    Raphael kept up his assault as he imagined he was fighting Leo. “Who does he think he is?! Fearless leader my ass!” The thudding of punches echoed through the dojo walls. “Why did Master Splinter even make him leader? He’s so fucking smug and critical!” He imagined what it would be like having anyone else as a leader. Mikey was too easy going and easily distracted. He himself was too impulsive, he could agree to this sometimes.

The only other candidate would have been Donnie. He may have been annoying sometimes but that might be from hanging out with Mikey the most out of the brothers. Leo was too busy training while Raphael had little patience for the energetic turtle. Donnie was a saint in that department, sure he had his limits like everyone else but it took a lot to get him there. The patience of a leader and the wisdom. If any of them needed advice they either went to Master Splinter or Donatello. He had the traits of a leader but the best he could get was the right-hand man to Leonardo.

He deserved so much better than this. He deserved to live a long life. Get a girl and possibly have a family. These things were unlikely to happen but now he can’t even try. He’s gone because of some fucker thought it would be funny. He’s gone and he wasn’t coming back.

    Raphael stopped, he was breathing heavily as he tried to calm his erratic heart. As his angry haze began to leave him he noticed a soft sound, like raw rice grains being poured into a bowl.

Sand was coming out of the rip his sais made in the punching bag, falling to the floor in a small pile at his feet. He sighs and takes the damaged equipment down and puts it in a corner with other punching bags in a similar condition. Raphael re-wraps his hands and sets up another punching bag.

Ready to start the process over again.

“Anger is the emotion we use to avoid more uncomfortable feelings: confusion, fear, sadness.”

Chapter 1: Here

Chapter 2: <3