#Raph gets his turn in the spotlight too

[i-logophile]

The Glass Pawn Update + (another) Ch. 10 Sneak Peek

Managed to crank out 7,000 words the last two days, and I’m now starting on the final chapter!!

This fic might actually end up with 13 chapters now lol with the last three being on the shorter side between 4-6k words. I wanna finish this last chapter first to solidify how I want to split up the pacing before I officially update the total count, but it’ll probably end up being 13 because editing 8k chapters is tedious af, and Ch 10 is already well over 8k ,:D

In the meantime, have another Ch. 10 sneak peek bc I really do love this chapter

All at once, half a dozen chains blazed to life around Mikey. They rocketed away from him in a starburst of orange, and the ends wrapped around whatever they came into contact with first: a tree, a bench, a park railing, a light post. As quickly as they came into existence, the chains fell perfectly still, and so did the rest of the clearing. Though no call had been made, a silent ceasefire seemed to travel through the ranks of the EPF. At the center of it all, Mikey took hold of the chains. Clark saw the small turtle’s chest rise and fall in a deep breath. Then he yanked, and the chains clinked, going taut. At first, nothing happened. Clark heard the agents and soldiers across the clearing begin muttering. However, their voices were soon swallowed by a visceral groaning, cracking, tearing rrrrRRIIIIIP!

[lactoseintolerentswag]

The Spotlight Effect

Maybe someone else has pointed this out before but I'd still like to talk about it!! Something really interesting to me about Leo (rottmnt) as a character is his inherent charisma, and how he draws in people with grand and dramatic speeches. Visually this is shown by something I like to call the "spotlight effect".

Season 1 Episode 2 "Origami Tsunami"

Originally the mentioned effect was used as a bit/gag. Here Leo is trying to hype up the boys to go on a junior-level "safe" hero adventure, and does succeed in getting them excited. Throughout the episode he's shown to drag them place to place, one inspirational speech after the other.

Season 2 Episode 1 "Many Unhappy Returns"

In season 2 we see this effect return. In "Many Unhappy Returns", in which Leo is initially a figure of comedic relief to ease tension in the return of the Shredder. This backfires a little bit, as it mostly annoys his family despite good intentions (which are not clearly communicated). It's not until he proves that he's taking this situation seriously--and ramping the team up with another one of his on-point speeches about everyone's strength of character--that he becomes a point of inspiration. The scene above takes place after Raph questions Leo, who in turn responds with "trust me".

Season 2 Episode 2 "Todd Scouts"

Again we see the "spotlight effect" used as a gag; however, there is still an interesting point here made in this scene. Leo calls himself something along the lines of the master at apologies, and something I believe that contributes to the effectiveness of such apologies is that charisma that draws people in. Which is shown visually for us via this effect!!

Season 2 Episode 5 "Air Turtle"

Another apology of Leo's after his dismissive and competitive behavior when playing basketball with his brothers. It also serves as a motivation point in this episode, for them to go against the mysticly beefed up basketball players.

Season 2 Episode 9 "Bad Hair Day"

I'm tentatively counting this as part of the phenomenon I've pointed out because while Leo is Put under the spotlight as a potential suspect to the thieving in this episode, Leo takes full advantage of it to wrap people around his finger. The hair doesn't not help either.

--

And now for one of the most Blatant and emotionally impacting examples.

The Rise Movie, the moment when they think their brother is lost, and when Leo begins to finally start listening to his team.

He unites them under his hope and confidence. I mentioned in this post that Raph is their center of responsibility, well in comparison Leo would be their center of inspiration. His competitiveness rubs off on his brothers (encouraging to put their all in the silliest of things), his playful encouragement keeps the baby of the team from being too babied, and his speeches tie everyone together to one goal. Hope is a ninja's greatest weapon, and while he may not realize it until Casey Jr. quotes that famous phrase, he's been using it this entire time.

[shantechni]

I received an ask for this scene along the lines of "remember when this happened?" in response to a reblog, but Tumblr glitched and the ask disappeared the moment I saved it to my drafts😭Anyways, I do remember this scene vividly and I think about it a lot.

I also remember seeing people complain that this scene should've been expanded upon or that Leo and Raph should've had a serious conversation pertaining to what they both said. But that would've felt out of place to me honestly speaking, because what they argue about here is something they rarely argue about. Ever. Especially by this point of the series.

Believe it or not, the first time Leo tells Raph he's behaving in a jealous manner was in Follow the Leader after Raph poked at him for still being upset with everyone not taking King of the Mountain seriously.

This is way back in S2, and Leo's comment doesn't get much of a spotlight because they're still looking for the lost mutagen canisters. However, counting that moment along with this one in S4, Leo's only accused Raph of being deeply envious of him twice. If you ask me, that's pretty indicative of how little Leo actually believes Raph is upset over Splinter not naming him leader. The jealousy card is almost assuredly something he reserves to get under Raph's skin when they're abnormally butting heads harder than usual. And Raph's comment is almost assuredly the same way, and it's not just in how the insult is typically restrained for a moment when he's being pushed too far.

Other than this first (and only) instance of proclaiming that Splinter favors Leo over everyone else, Raph has also stated in Mutant Gangland that Splinter is unfairly sticking up for Leo when he's expressing his frustration with being the only one to take training seriously. Splinter rightfully tells Raph that going all out on your own family during training isn't right, but he makes sure to turn around and reprimand the others for being so dismissive of Raph when he's feeling a sense of powerlessness.

Outside of these two moments, Raph's frustrations are normally directed towards Leo and his decision making.

I totally lost where I was going with this🙃but point is, these are things they say in the heat of the moment. The corrupted atmosphere of Xaava-Dal brought out the worst in everyone affected, and Leo and Raph clearly regretted what they said to each other.

[its-wabby-stuff]

Camera Flash

“Alright everyone, huddle up, this deserves a spot in my archives,” Donnie chimed. Where am I? “Ready, 3-2-1, Bam! Good one fam.” A bright flash of light. Everything froze. Like my mind wanted me to remember this.

How could I forget it?

The dusty, abandoned subway station we had just moved into. Boxes piled up against the walls of all the remaining things we could find from the rubble in the sewer lair. Our new home, since the Shredder destroyed our last one. The artificial light still stung warm, and the metallic smell in the air was just starting to grow familiar. I remember Mikey’s work in progress graffiti outlined on the walls. The fumes of burning metal coming from Donnie’s lab. Dad’s hums and embarrassing booty shakes as he cleared through some boxes, reminiscing good times.

I remember my room. Messy, unkempt.

Most importantly, I remember that day. The day I lost the key.

“I don’t see what the big deal is, Raph.” Idiot. Dad had only just left the room. “We’ll get that weird tiki totem looking thing back. The foot clan isn’t going to use it right away.” I waved it off. “Their last plan took what? 6- maybe 7 months to complete? Even then the worst that happened was Shreddie. Who, may I remind you, we beat. What could be worse than that?” So much.

“Errr,” Raph growled, his knuckles going white.

“Can we please move the discussion point off of Leo’s mistake,” Donnie remarked, trying to air out the tension. “We wouldn’t want Papa to come back.” Mikey was sticking close to him. Raph took a deep breath.

“I’ll let it go after he apologizes,” Raph gritted.

“What!?” Mikey yelped, putting his hand over his mouth trying not to draw too much attention. Donnie sighed.

“An apology, that’s what you want? Ahohoho, okay.” My brothers looked surprised. I put my arms down, and laid them on Raph’s shoulders, looking completely, dramatically, sincere. “Raph, I’m sorry,” pause for effect, “for stealing the spotlight. It’s not my fault brother, it just naturally gravitates toward me. Like a flame to a moth.”

Donnie smacked his forehead.

“Leeeoooooo.” Raph just about grabbed me by the throat, but I backed away cackling. I was cackling.

A loud, musical melody filled the air. “What the hec- oh, it’s April,” Donnie tapped the icon on his wrist band, “you are conversing with-“

“DONNIE!” She screamed.

“Tis I.”

“I’VE GOT HUGE NEWS.”

“I am ecstatic,” Donnie spoke without a hint of inflection.

“I was,,, in the lab,,, all this,, wild stuff,, I stole,,, a professor's badge,,,and” April spoke between labored breaths. Was she running? “It’s crazy. I almost,,, forgot to call you.”

“Loud gasp.” He pressed his hand to his chest. “How dare you.”

“Hey April!” I reached over Donnie’s shoulder and tilted the screen toward me, before bolting away using Donnie as a backboard for a flip turn as Raph, yet again, tried to pound me.

“April,” Mikey appeared panicked, “send help! Raph is going to kill-“ Mikey’s words were drowned out as Donnie slowly pushed Mikey off of him and out of frame.

“Uh,,, hey boys,” April smiled a bit. “Should I,,, be worried?”

“Angelo’s got it under control,” Donnie said, looking back at, fists at the ready, side to side, boxing match me, Mikey with one arm out towards each of us, in a frantic state, and Mr. Rampaging Raph about to charge me.

“Oh we’re gonna be in so much trouble,” Mikey whined.

“See,” Donnie went back to April.

“Whatever you say. Listen,,,,I’m on my way over,,,I’ve got samples and video,,, This story is gonna blow the lid off Big Chem!”

“You got samples? Of a herbicidal deforestation bomb! Oh my shell, it’s finally happening. The day my two passions collide; Botany and explosives.”

“And it might,,,,land me my first gig,,, as a real journalist!” She jumped a little, “Down with the patriarchy, baby!” She lifted one arm up and the video view changed before she readjusted the camera, keeping both hands toward the screen.

“Are you calling from your laptop?” I asked, looking over Donnie’s shoulder, backing into him and away from Raph. Mikey clinged to the big guy’s arm, trying to drag him down very unsuccessfully. His whole body was wrapped around Raph’s arm. He looked like a helpless koala.

“Yeah,” April’s breath got heavier, “My phone broke outside the school.”

“My condolences,” Donnie said, “I shall have a replacement ready upon your arrival.”

“Really!? Thanks De.”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t worry about it. Arrivederci,” Donnie went to end the call, I called out quickly.

“Don’t drop your laptop in the sewers! The rats will break it down for parts!” The call ended.

Donnie whacked me over the head.

“Ow.” I rubbed the spot.

“It’s ‘like a moth to a flame,’” Donnie corrected, turning toward his lab. Raph smirked, looking satisfied.

“Mikey,” Raph looked down, “get off me.”

“No!” Mikey shook his head, his eyes sealed shut.

“Miiikey,” Raph shook his arm up and down.

“Nooo,” Mikey yelled as his grip slipped and he went flying toward me, ducking into his shell. I slid back as he landed square in my chest, knocking me over. His legs popped out around my head, kicking me in the face.

“Has everyone had a turn causing Leo pain, or is there still a line?” I mumbled with a foot pressed to my cheek.

Raph sighed. “We’re not done talking about this, Leo. We still have a serious problem, whether you see it or not.”

“Yeah, yeah, your Raph chasm is becoming a real distraction to the team.” I stood up, dusting myself off.

Raph’s growl hummed through the air, but he managed to take a deep breath. “Meet in Donnie’s lab when April gets here. You can do that, right Leo?” Raph left the area in a huff.

I mimicked his command orders with my hands. Blah, blah, blah. “You can do that, right Leo? He’s so bossy. He can’t tell me what to do, I’m the leader now. Yeah. I can’t believe this-“ I walked over to my room, a massive hole torn straight through the train car. Comics and what little figurines survived scattered around. Sheesh, what a mess.

“Leo,” Mikey called, walking closer. Oh, not this again.

“Oh, mi hermanito, mind helping me patch this little hole up?” I charged away to find a rod, and he followed.

“Lee,” Mikey caught up, “that was a pretty heated fight. Do you, maybe, wanna talk about it?”

“That’s gonna be a no.”

“It always helps to get it off your chest.”

“Look, Mikey,” I put my hands on his shoulders, “you don’t need to worry about me and Raph, alright? We always work it out. In our own, unique, way. We’re brothers,” I shrugged, “we’ve got each other's shells.”

Mikey paused as I began to dig through some scrap metal. I was looking for something long enough to stretch across the tear in the train car, and maybe hang a curtain or blanket across. At least get a little privacy where I can.

“But-“ Mikey chimed in, “it hasn’t stopped yet. You guys have been at each other's throats for months. Ever since pops named you-“

“Hey, he’s just jealous because I’m a better leader than him.”

“That’s not true, Leo,” Mikey defended. It struck a nerve, “Raph did a great job when he was leader.” Mikey dug around in the scrap too, getting to my level. “If you're- nervous- about something, Raph would understand. You just need to talk to him.”

“Psh, I’m not nervous about anything. I’ve got this.” Even then it sounded like a lie. Mikey stared off, a little uneasy. This hadn’t gone the way he wanted it too. I hate seeing my brothers defeated. “I’ll talk to Raph,” I relented and Mikey cheered up.

“And you’ll work it out?” Mikey asked.

“I’ll work it out,” I shrugged it off, but a hard stare from Dr. Delicate Touch had me reconsider. “ I promise, okay?”

“Okay!” Mikey smiled. I’m terrible at keeping promises.

“Aha!” I lifted up a long metal rod, “I think this’ll do. Let’s go.”

“Alright, fearless leader,” Mikey laughed. Fearless, huh? “I’ll take this side,” Mikey suggested as we once again returned to the scene of the crime.

“Are you sure you can reach up there?”

“Hey, I’m not that short!” Mikey pouted with his still very baby looking face. So round. Mikey had always been very strong, and very talented, but he’d never been very tall. He struggled to get the rod up to Raph height. Luckily, he had a creative solution. He bounced around, on top of some boxes and railings and landed on top of the train car. “Hand it up to me,” Mikey said proudly.

“That’s one way to make yourself a bigger person.” He slid it into place, and an oversized old blue curtain was hung over the rod.

“Teamwork makes the dream work, baby,” Mikey yelled, jumping down in a series of flips and cartwheels

“Good as new,” I inspected our work, “we’re really starting to wear the new place down.”

“Pretty soon, it’ll feel just like home!” Mikey cheered.

A loud crash echoed through the tunnels. Me and Mikey raced toward it, and were met with a family reunion. “I thought I told you boys to be quiet!” Master Splinter yelled from the other room.

“Hey, y’all,” April waved from the floor amongst the tipped over and open boxes she had attempted to pass through. “Have these always been here?”

“Only since yesterday,” Raph went over and picked her out of the mess, “we moved some stuff around when Mikey and De found a foos-ball table in the dump.”

“Nasty.”

“Only mildly,” Donnie chimed in, “quite honestly, it was a steal. A true treasure amongst trash. And thoroughly cleaned since its discardment.”

“Now we can all take a turn defeating Donnie,” I remarked.

“Ignoring that,” Donnie groaned, “I believe we have prior arrangements regarding science! The lab is all prepped and ready, Pril.”

“And I got your samples right here,” April pulled out a glass tube filled with a mysterious glowy blue liquid.

“Pretty,” I said.

Mikey got up close to it, “Ooooooo what does it do?”

“Careful, it’s dangerous,” April pulled it away, “probably.”

“That is what we shall discover,” Donnie led the march to the lab, “Personally, I hope it’s deadly.”

“Not a good way to start, De.” I followed behind.

[chiangyorange]

Are there any lines or scenes in WMAS that you're really proud of that you wanna shed a spotlight on?

this is a hard question bc wmas is smth i like to call an ensamble fic (its literally just pov alternating) so it kiiiinda doesnt narrow ANYTHING down for me in terms of specific scenes.

hm. you know what? lemme show you smth.

(taken from ch 1) Uncle Michelangelo said that the old New York could be really pretty. There were so many lights that made the fog glow a brilliant color that makes everything magical. Quieter, he told Casey that there was always a person behind those lights. Someone was always adding to the beauty.

(taken from ch 2)

He takes his time turning around in place, seeing the tall battered buildings covered in bright colors of paint. Greenery of plants overtake the sides of buildings, framing the bright formless graffiti, the dull grey of concrete to something colorful. It clings to the bricks in a relentless enduring grasp of life. From the windows of the buildings shine lights through them. Multicolored, like they are the LCD screens from Times Square. It’s bright. There are no people, the city is in shambles, but it’s still alive. 

oh yeah the dreamscape is a fucking call back lads. and let me tell you there are more in the fic

(taken from ch 4)

Raph lets out a breath. “That’s going to be hard to find. Some of dad’s old stuff is still in the old lair and we haven’t really… cleared it out the first time.”

(taken from ch 8)

“Is there a reason why Dad and April came back into the lair covered in debris looking upset?”

i keep a lot of details in my brain (dming dnd for my friends trained me whether i liked it or not)

(taken from ch 1)

“Never will the Hamatos continue to live to be sacrificed, not if I have anything to say about it.” Splinter pokes a finger to April’s chest, right above her heart, “I will hold our family close and never let go.”

(taken from ch 3)

Splinter had to think about death a lot recently. Forced to, really. He’s had to think about death a lot in his life in general! It clings to the very fiber of his being in a way where every bad coping mechanism looks just a little too tempting to take up on. Then the Shredder happened, something he thought was complete and utter bullshit that took his mother, seemingly, for no reason. The Hamato legacy he grew up to resent came back to haunt him with a ferocious force, and it hurt his boys. 

(taken from ch 4)

Splinter was so adamant about giving her a second chance after the fight with Shredder. He saw himself in Cassandra in such a personal way that no one else in the family would get. He was willing to let Casey stick around close too. He saw himself in the Joneses that she can never really understand. April doesn’t know the full weight of what it’s like carrying a legacy. She shares that burden with the boys, but to bear it alone like Splinter did, like Casey has been, like Cassandra is doing now?  Fuck, man. How lonely does that feel?

(taken from ch 7)

The hovering and the mother-henning was annoying, sure, he'll give you that. The fact that he had to see how each of his family members grieve over the choice he had to make to save the world? Absolutely hellish, would not recommend. He can see how much it haunts Dad. He can see how much it weighed over his siblings. They all know that it was do or die. It doesn't make the choice any less harder to bear.

something about fucked up legacies, something about generational trauma, something about trying to break a cycle when everything in the world is not letting you

[and a little bonus line for a chapter in the future ;] <3]

[sleepis4theweak]

FLASHBACK AU QUESTIONS, YOU SAY? FLASHBACK AU QUESTIONS YOU SHALL RECEIVE (Or at least somewhat related to the au questions...)!!

How did you originally come up with the story? Have you planned it out? Have you made any changes since you first thought of it?

What's your fav Mikey dynamic? Do you think it shows in the comic? My personal fav is PB & J duo :>>

Who's your least favorite character in the comic to draw?

Who's your favorite character to draw?

Where did Madame Bishop (I forgot her name- she had one didn't she?..was it Joanne? MAN I HAVE AMNESIA) get that scar from?

IS... IS MIKEY GONNA STAY DEAD...? 😰

Can we have a sneak peek by any chance? :3

What do you think Madame Bishop (...yeah might be Joanne...) would have been like in the doomed timeline?

ALRIGHT THAT'S ALL I CAN THINK OF, I'LL LEAVE YOU OFF WITH A PUN : Have you heard of the theory that no two people see color the same? I guess that would mean color is just a pigment of our imagination 🤔

YAYYAYAYAYYA THANK YOU I GOT VERY EXCITED TO ANSWER THESE YAY!

ANYWHO LONG ANSWERS BUT:

1- This was honestly supposed to be a two part comic. The entire au is based off of experiences I have had (minus the whole dying part of course) with my cousins and or brother. The first part was about Donnie and Mikey- and Mikey having the puppy dog eyes that Donnie couldn't do. That was about my cousin! It was supposed to just be like oh look Mikey can do puppy eyes. And then I saw something about how kids that struggle with understanding emotions can practice expressions in the mirror sometimes* and was like haha I should add this since it's actually something I used to do as well! THEN I wrote the line about him wanting to be the youngest and I mean... my brain went straight to "now what if Mikey dies"...

I didn't expect people to like it as much as they did tbh... so when people started to really comment on it I was like okay I should bring Mikey back to life... But then it turned into a whole au...

It's almost entirely planned out now! And most comics are still based off of stories of things that have happened with my cousins or brother! (Like how I smashed my cousins legos because I was angry at him.... its a long story lol).

*(It can also be something that kids with autism do... and someone actually pointed it out! ->)

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2- Thats a really hard one... I think my fav has to do with the situation I guess? Or how I'm feeling? But Donnie and Mikey are probably my favorite overall! But only by a teensy tiny bit.

Raph and Mikey are my favorite angst wise, and the ones I can relate to the most. Leo and Mikey are really fun, and I really like using it to explore responsibility.

I think it does show in the comic! I mean I went straight to the PB & J duo- and then with Leo and Mikey I really explored responsibility. With Raph and Mikey it was shorter, but it was a lot more emotional for me personally. And right now Raph and Mikey are really getting the spotlight. Though Leo and Mikey are the main ones in the next update! :)

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3- DONNIE. OMFG DONNIE IS SO RECTANGULAR AND ITS TERRIBLE. ITS WHY HE'S HANGING HALF IN HALF OUT OF A LOT OF FRAMES BECAUSE I HATE DRAWING HIM. I've definitely gotten better at him tho! Example for u ->

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4- I think Leo is the easiest to draw, with Mikey coming in second! My favorite to draw though is definitely Mikey. I like his mask tails :) Also he's my favorite in general hehehe

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5- LMAO I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE THE NAME JOANNE CAME FROM IM LAUGHING SO HARD- THATS HER CANNON NAME NOW. ITS CANNON HER NAME IS DR. JOANNE BISHOP.

She got that scar from an experiment! Idk which one... but she was experimenting on something and it freaked and scratched her! :3

It isn't too important to the story, but it may add some depth/explanation to some of her reactions later on.

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6- ... lemme tell you, I have gotten this ask so many times... BUT CONGRATS I WONT DELETE THE ASK THIS TIME JUST FOR YOU <3

Usually I answer the ask, wait until I'm sure the person sending it saw my response and delete it to keep the mystery alive hehe... but I won't delete this one.

No. Mikey is not gonna stay dead. I mentioned it in the first one, but the comic was supposed to end with him maybe dead maybe not... but since the au is continuing... I don't like it when characters die :( Its sad so he was never gonna be actually dead. So yes, he will come back! Its just gonna take a bit...

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7- YOU MAY! I was considering which spoiler to give you... but I've decided to give you a big spoiler... just cropped. :) Because I'm evil like that :))

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8- Hmmm.... idk to be honest, I haven't thought about it... I think she would be just... even crazier. Like batshit insane.

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THAT PUN MADE ME LAUGH SO HARD- THANK YOU FOR THAT AND THANK YOU FOR THIS ASK IT MADE MY DAY <3

[dongpound]

i demand to know more of your oc's (also im trying to catch up on your space au fic its been so long since i last read it)

OH MY GOD IT DIDNT GET EATEN BY TUMBLR

Anon™️ I’m using your ask as like a sticky note of oc ideas specifically Tundra dude there’s SO much I’m so sorry I got into the hyper focus zone

Tundra’s name is actually Alejandra Citlali Osorio-Cruz and through the series she’s just about to turn 16 in season 1 and roughly 19-20 by Season 5 (give or take how the fuck you think time works in 2012 bc I think it takes place over 3-4 years season 5 included)

Tundra came about as a nickname when she was a kid and got super hyper-fixated on professional wrestling and like. She made an entire persona and lore. Alec started using her wrestling name as a silly nickname and it stuck.

Yes I did come up with a stupid cute reason behind the name Tundra bc I can not handle the fact I chose such a BAD oc name for a LION but like I can’t change it NOW!! I MADE HER IN LIKE 2015 SHES TOO OLD TO CHANGE IT

Xever did just think for the longest time Tundra WAS her name. He also just assumed that Alec and Chris adopted a child for fun.

Her bio parents Ixchel and Alejandro were really good friends of Alec and Chris for like. Well over a decade. Ixchel and Alec especially. Ixchel was an actress (like I would say their worlds equivalent of Selma Hayek) and Alejandro worked in music production.

They didn’t have a ton of family they kept in contact with, so Alec and Chris were named Alejandra’s legal guardians if anything happened to them. They sadly died in a plane crash when Tundra was around 1.

This feels like SOOOO edgy and silly to me now but like I literally can’t see Alec and Chris adopting a kid any other way than the guilt of losing their friends pushing them to do it. WHICH SOUNDS BAD. AND LIKE IT IS. However they still love and raise Alejandra as their own, if anything Chris is like. Somewhat distant bc he still has his career but Alec’s like “fuck yeah I get to raise a kid again” and kinda slips from the spotlight. Which is fine by them , they’re like 600 years old they can just have messy fun in the public eye another time

Tundra goes fucking THROUGH IT emotionally through the series. Like goes from would do anything for Chris and Alec (especially Chris who. Again. Was distant and she desperately wanted his approval) to the point where like. She’s yknow. Mutated, to growing resentful of them when Hachi enters the picture (especially when she has to take care of him) to like. Low key betraying the foot and joining the mutanimals in season 3. And then having to deal w Chris being resurrected temporarily in season 5 after a really chill and happy 2 years with her mom and little brother like it’s a LOT.

In season 1 she’s very much a “mean girl” stereotype and slowly evolves into Cool And Gay (but still a little better than you)(she. She gets that from her upbringing.)

Tundra and Karai are seen as like a duo/bffs up until season 2 after the whole “I’m not shredders daughter” thing happens. They grow distant (obviously) until season 4.

So like Alec and Chris are NOT the best parents and like. They did totally just let Tundra take Hachi to live w her and the Mutanimals in season 4. She’d already been in space w him for 6 months and the poor kid really didn’t want to go live in the woods. I have such a specific scene in mind for this and I want to write it out so bad. Anyway tundra basically becomes a teen mom for a little bit. Eldest daughters am I right? *plays class of 2013 by mitski*

Tundra has a modified mini van which she does haul all of her friends who can fit in. Apologies to leatherhead and slash . No she doesn’t have a license

She also has a bike. These two vehicles she did canonically find on the side of the highway and she convinced Donnie and Casey to help her fix them

Tundras in a punk (? Maybe more Pop punk ) band called The Muties (my other characters Jack and Spinstra are in it. also Mondo. Sometimes Raph fills in on drums if Spinstra can’t make it). Tundra and Jack switch off on vocals, she’s usually on bass. They started up in the down time between seasons 4 and 5. They play in Moira’s Menagerie (a mutants only bar and hall) every week on Fridays. Alec comes to nearly all of their shows and also they bring Hachi sometimes when they practice and he’ll play his DS.

Alec will also force their friends (I.e. Apep, Anton, Ivan and Xever) to come watch Tundra w the promise of drinks and she thinks it’s embarrassing every fucking time bc they’re SO LOUD and OBVIOUS and god she could just DIE (but also. Having the support makes her happy)

Alec WILL slam back 3 tequila shots and go on about how talented their daughter is.

Chris got to see her play once. And it was when he was resurrected. And Tundra, frankly, was not thrilled. Another one I wanna write

[goosewriting]

Rise bros x reader 😤 it's a Yokai party hosted by Sunita where mysterious stranger reader is checking out the turtle, and the turtle is looking back, and theirs tension all night until reader approaches and is super flirty until they inevitably have to leave, and the reader and gives their number and the turtles just like wow that just happened, smitten with this stranger 🙃👍💗💗 love your writing

I couldn’t help but notice you’re staring

summary: the turtles keep catching a stranger stealing glances at them all night

relationship: Rise Leo, Raph, Mikey, Donnie x GN reader (separate)

warnings: nothing really? i’m not even sure this counts as fluff lol

word count: 3186

A/N: the drummer ask hit a special spot in my heart because i was a drummer back in high school and it was the best :’) when i read it i immediately thought of a hidden city party setting, so when i got the yokai party one i thought they’d go perfect together! so i decided to combine them. hope i could make them both justice :D

(english is not my first language. constructive criticism and grammar corrections are very appreciated!)

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After some exciting months at April’s school, Sunita decided to host a big farewell party, since her exchange programme came to an end.

It took place in the Hidden City, and there were humans and yokai guests alike.

The turtles were of course ecstatic that they could be at such a big party. Sunita had even invited a band to play some music later. And thanks to her dad, it was Hueso who was in charge of the catering, so the four brothers were very busy gulping down some of the best food they’d had in a while.

That was until one of them abruptly looked up and around, dismissing the food for a second. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched.

🔵 Leo

You were standing on the other side of the hall, the light from the disco ball on the ceiling painting colourful and spinny patterns on the floor. You leaned with your back on the wall, arms crossed, and your eyes watching that turtle with a blue bandana intently. Ever since his group entered the room, there was just something about him that made you focus all of your attention on him.

Leo sat at the table, scanning the crowd with a light squint, until his gaze fell on you. He gulped down the rest of his food at how intensely you were looking at him. The room wasn’t lit all too well but even so he could tell there was this air of confidence around you, he was slightly intimidated. Not to mention that you looked stunning.

Throughout the night, he felt like he was being watched, and every time he turned around, lo and behold, there you were. You could be chatting with your friends, laughing, and just as he turned around, you’d steal a glance at him and shoot him a smile.

When Leo went to the drinks table to get some juice, again he felt like he was being watched. As inconspicuous as he could, he turned around again, and a couple tables farther back, you were helping yourself to the donuts, and again you shot a glance his way.

It was driving him insane, to be honest. It was clearly an invitation to go talk to you, but for some reason, just the thought of approaching you made him super nervous.

Just as he finally gathered enough courage to make his way to you, he couldn't find you anywhere. He went to Mikey to ask him if he had seen you, but suddenly the lights were turned off.

One single spotlight showed someone on the stage, presenting the band. The crowd cheered, and Leo decided to enjoy the music, since he wouldn't be able to find you in the darkness either way.

The curtains opened to reveal a band of four, which apparently consisted of both yokai and humans, as far as he could tell. All members were wearing masks so he wasn’t entirely sure.

“One, two, three, four!” the drummer counted, hitting the drum sticks to mark the tempo, and the band started jamming. The crowd cheered and clapped; they were really good.

Leo was enjoying the music, when he noticed something strangely familiar about the drummer. The way they moved, it was so full of grace and passion; he couldn't help but be quite mesmerised at the sight.

After a couple of songs, the announcer said they’d be taking a break but coming back up later. Just as the curtains were closing, the drummer faced the crowd one last time, both drum sticks in one hand, and pointed at them. For everyone else it probably seemed like they were just pointing at the crowd in general, thanking them for being a good audience, but Leo knew they were pointing at him. And that’s when he recognised your jacket; you’re the one who had been looking at him all night, driving him crazy.

He went by the stage and waited for the band members to come out. You came out last, still with your mask on. Upon seeing him wait for you at the door, you took off the garment hiding your face.

“Hey Blue” you greeted the turtle in a sing-song voice. Leo was caught completely off-guard, you looked even better up close.

“So…” he started. “I’ve kinda been feeling eyes boring into the back of my head all night and was wondering what that was about.” He gave you his signature smirk, trying to seem unphased.

“Can you blame me? It’s not every day I come across a handsome turtle like yourself.”

Leo’s heart skipped a beat. Had he finally met someone to keep up with his banter? Just as he was to retort, the other band members called for you.

“Look, I’d love to catch up, but I gotta go. Here” you took a pen and a piece of paper out of your pockets and scribbled something on it. “Why don’t we meet after the second part of the show? Would love to get to know you better.” You winked at him, pressing the paper into his hands.

Before Leo could even answer, you were gone. He blinked twice, trying to understand what just happened. Looking at the paper in his hand, he saw a phone number and your name with a little heart next to it.

Well, this night just got a lot more interesting, he smiled to himself, already typing the number into his phone.

🔴 Raph

Looking around the crowd, Raph scanned the room with his eyes, until his gaze connected with yours.

You were sitting a couple of tables farther back, laughing at something your friend said, but you were looking at him. Or maybe just in his general direction? Raph shook off the paranoid feeling from before, and resumed to enjoy his food.

A couple of minutes later though, he felt the same again. Looking up from his plate, he looked in your direction once more, and there you were, head propped on your elbow, looking at him. With your other hand, you gave him a little wave. Your friends stole some glances his way as well and giggled, and you joined them.

Were you messing with him? You were pretty cute though. What was even happening.

Raph was very confused, to say the least.

Throughout the night, whenever he felt like he was being watched, somewhere nearby you were stealing glances at him, shooting him smiles, waves, and- was that a wink? Raph’s brain short-circuited. Just as Mikey was shaking him by the shoulders, asking what was wrong, the lights shut off to show the announcer on the stage.

When the curtains lifted, he immediately recognised you sitting at the drums. Mainly because you shot him another of your smiles, which by now he realised he actively seeked out.

He had thought you were cute before, but seeing you now jamming out to the music, being so fierce and intense, for some reason it added even another layer of cuteness in his eyes.

As the band finished playing their last song, as the announcer said, the crowd started cheering, asking for one more jam. The band members looked at each other and agreed. The audience cheered and clapped.

Just as they were getting into position to start one last song, the drummer called the singer to them, and whispered something in their ear.

“This one goes out to Big Red!” the singer said into the mic, and then they started playing.

Mikey, who was standing next to Raph, elbowed his side, wiggling his eyebrows at him.

“Stop it” Raph brushed his brother off, but blushed nonetheless. He hoped you weren’t able to see it from the stage (you did).

After the band was done playing, he tried to come up with a plan. He really wanted to talk to you, but how? When he asked Mikey, he got some advice from Dr. Feelings, which wasn’t all too practical to be honest. So he took a deep breath and decided to just go and talk to you normally.

He was nervous and a bit stiff, but he quickly found you in the crowd, talking to some fans, apparently. The other people scattered just as he stood in front of you, towering over you unintentionally. You didn’t seem the least bit scared though.

“Did you like that last song, Red?” you asked, looking up at him, batting your eyes.

“S-Sure did!” he sheepishly scratched the back of his neck. “You were really good on the drums.”

“Most important member of the team! I carry the others on my back…” you proudly said, pointing at your shoulders with both thumbs. “…so they can shine.”

“Yeah, I know that feeling” Raph said softly, thinking about how he wanted to support his brothers for them to reach their full potential.

“So…” he started again, looking away. “You’ve been kinda looking at me all night. Was there something you wanted to say?”

You smiled mischievously at him, taking out a folded piece of paper out of your pocket.

“There’s a lot I want to say but this isn’t the place. Why don’t we catch up later, Red?” you placed the paper in his hand, your touch lingering just a second longer than necessary, and left to reunite with your band.

Raph opened the paper in his hand to reveal your number and name. He clenched his fist with the paper in a feeling of success.

Like a boss, he complimented himself.

🟠 Mikey

Scanning the crowd with a “hmm”, he rubbed his chin and let his eyes wander over the people. His gaze stopped when it connected to someone else’s eyes.

Noticing that he had seen you, you smiled at him and gave him a little wave.

Mikey’s heart did a somersault. The way you were looking at him like he was a snack… Oh mi gosh, he thought to himself, and brought his focus back to his brothers and the food.

“What’s wrong, Mikey?” Raph asked, concerned. “Your face is super red.”

“Nothing!!” Mikey retorted. “Everything’s cool.”

“Right…”

Just as he was forgetting about you, once again immersed in the debate with Donnie about the best Hidden City pizza toppings, Leo elbowed his side.

“Bro” Leo said, almost in disbelief. “I think that person over there is checking you out.”

Mikey’s eyes followed to where Leo was pointing, and indeed he was right. There you sat, just a couple tables over, giving him a once over with a smile. You were clearly not trying to hide it.

Mikey’s face went red once more, and he turned around to avoid your gaze.

“Aw, baby brother. They grow up so fast.” Raph cooed. “Why don’t you go talk to them?”

“Isn’t the band about to play?” the orange turtle diverted the topic. “Let’s get closer to the stage!”

His brothers shared an amused look but agreed, and made their way to join the audience, already eagerly waiting.

As the announcer was on stage, Mikey looked around trying to find you in the crowd, but to no avail: you were nowhere to be seen. He wasn’t sure if he felt relieved or a bit disappointed.

The curtains lifted and the band stood in position to play. All members were wearing masks, and Mikey couldn't recognise anyone.

Their music was really good, and Mikey jammed out, playing air guitar and everything. The band played a couple of covers of well known songs as well, and he sang along to the lyrics he knew. When they were done, he was pretty out of breath, and cheered along with the rest of the crowd.

Just as the band was leaving the stage to take a break, the drummer lifted up the mask slightly, and made eye contact with Mikey, who was standing pretty close to the stage by now. Recognising that it was you from before, Mikey gave a shy wave, and you winked at him, leaving him a blushing mess yet again.

Leo was poking fun at him, when he saw you approach them from behind Mikey, and with one last jab of his elbow he left, calling a “Good luck~” over his shoulders.

Mikey tilted his head in confusion, but turned around when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He came face to face with you, and blushed for the upteenth time that night.

Cute, you thought.

“So, rocker boy, I take it you enjoyed the music?” you asked, imitating his air guitar from earlier.

“Yeah, I did! You guys were great” he replied earnestly.

“Have you ever played a real guitar?” you asked, looking him up and down once more.

“Not really, I don’t play any instrument actually” Mikey said, avoiding your gaze and scratching his cheek in thought. Then his eyes found yours again. “But if I had to choose I think I’d go with the drums. They’re the coolest, if you ask me.”

“Well, you know I’ll agree to that!” you laughed. “Good thing I used this then and not the guitar or bass” you said, giving him your drumsticks.

“Wha-“ Mikey started but you cut him off, placing your other hand on his chest. “Just consider them a souvenir.”

You took a couple steps back, holding one fist to the side of your face, thumb and pinky finger stretched out, and mouthed ‘Call me’. Then you turned on your heels and joined your band members.

Mikey was left quite flabbergasted. What just happened?, he kept repeating in his head. That was until he looked at the drumsticks in his hands and noticed that you had written your name on one and your number on the other.

Maybe he’d ask you for some drumming lessons, after all.

🟣 Donnie

Donnie finished chewing the last bit of food he had in his mouth, scanning the crowd with a grumble. He was about to use his goggles, when his gaze fell on yours.

You were not too far away, pouring yourself a drink, but didn’t break eye contact with him. You merely smiled at him, bringing the drink to your lips and taking a sip, then turned around and joined your group of friends.

Donnie brushed it off as probably being in your line of sight for someone behind him, and brought his attention back to the food and the shenanigans of his brothers.

The whole night he kept feeling like he was being watched though. Every time he turned around, you were somewhere nearby, stealing glances at him. It was getting on his nerves. If you wanted something, why not just talk to him?

It must be the bad boy persona, he reasoned with himself. They’re clearly intimated but can’t keep their eyes from me, understandable.

After coming to that conclusion, he found himself actively seeking you out, trying to get your eyes to meet his, and give you a smug grin. You responded with a little wave and a smile every time. Lingering looks and shy smiles went back and forth, except for this time, when he was once again trying to be nonchalant about it, but it was obvious he was looking for you. So when he once again smiled and gave a little wave of his own, you looked him up and done once, smiled, but then bit your bottom lip. That took him off-guard. Had you been flirting this whole time? He just wanted to follow your little game. Wait, what-

The lights were shut off, and the announcer stood on the stage, presenting the band for the night. All four of them had masks on, making them hard to recognise or even tell apart.

Donnie however didn’t get too much about the first songs since in his brain he was running every possible scenario and calculation on what had happened, how it happened, and what to do the next time he’d catch you looking at him. Had he even caught you? Or did you let yourself be caught? Or was it actually him getting caught for looking at you?

He only came back to reality with an elbow jab from Leo, giving him a smug look, as the singer had just announced that the drummer wanted the next song to go out to “Handsome Purple”.

The show was over all too soon, before Donnie could formulate a solid plan in his head, and the crowd started to scatter after cheering.

He went to look for April; she was his best shot at making some sense out of this whole situation.

Just as he was about to take a step in her direction, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Thinking it was Leo again to make fun of him, he turned around with an unamused look. When he saw you, he was just surprised.

“Ah, the drummer” he said, seeing as you were holding your drumsticks in your hand.

“Did you enjoy the show?” you asked amused, since he clearly hadn’t recognised you.

“Yes, it’s not what I usually listen to but it was a nice change of pace. Could use some synthetiser though…” He added that last part under his breath.

“Is that so, Purple?” you asked and took off your mask. Donnie gasped in surprise.

“You…!” Pointing at you with an accusing finger, he tried to come up with something to say. “All night, you’ve been terrorising me, and…” His mouth opened and closed several times, but nothing else came out. You just laughed, not to make fun of him, but because you were amused by his reaction. Placing your hand on his, you pulled it down so he wasn’t pointing at you anymore. You didn’t remove your hand from his however.

“Me?” you asked, feigning innocence. “I’m pretty sure by the end it was you who was looking for me, hm?” You quirked one eyebrow up at him. “Guess you couldn’t keep your eyes off me, huh?”

“Scoff!” Donnie said and placed his other hand on his hip. The one you were holding he didn’t move to pull away. “It was you who started. Clearly it was you who couldn’t keep your eyes off all of this.” He gestured at himself. “And apparently your hands neither.” He smirked.

“Ah, you got me” you smiled at him. “Let me make it up to you, here.” You took out your phone, opening your contact list and adding a new one. For the name you wrote ‘Handsome Purple’.

“Care to share your digits? You strike me as a numbers person.” you asked him. Donnie said that you were indeed right, with a triumphant smile, and gave you his number.

Saving the contact, you put your phone away and said your goodbyes, since you had to meet up with your band for the next part.

“Ah, wait!” Donnie called when you were a couple of steps away. “I’m Donatello by the way, most call me Donnie. I didn’t catch your name?”

“My name is Y/n” you retorted and once again gave him a once over with mischievous eyes. “But you can call me whatever you like.”

[milkytheholy1]

Request: Could you do one where it’s the reader’s birthday and the turtles just find out and they have to quickly set up a surprise birthday for the reader? I was thinking it’s a Donnie x Reader, but he has to get the help of his brothers to make the place look nice! A/N: So I did this with the 2012 cast cause I didn't know which version you wanted and I was feeling nostalgic for 2012 Donnie. Enjoy!

2012Donnie x GNReader

TMNT masterlist

Ultimate masterlist

Happy birthday!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You sent your last 'thank you' to your aunt while you took a steady sip of your morning coffee, you'd never really been a fan of the bitter taste but after spending so many nights in the lab with Donnie you acquired the taste. Smiling at the reflection on the blank phone screen, you huffed a breath and shuffled to the kitchen. With your sleeves rolled up to the elbow and music on blast, you blitzed through the small pile-up of pots.

Before leaving the house you noticed one of the birthday cards you had received had fallen over, probably due to you running around the apartment like a headless chicken. With nimble movements, you swiftly readjusted the card with minimal effort and left through the front door. Your plan for the day was to spend it with the four turtle brothers and their father and sensei, Splinter. The Hamato clan had no clue that it was your birthday simply because you'd never told them the date, usually just saying it was in springtime, that, of course, left the turtles to bicker and debate about your actual date of birth.

You had deliberated on telling them that today was, in fact, your birthday but you held away from the thought, the reason why you were slightly unsure of. Maybe it was because you didn't like being the centre of attention, always cowering away from large crowds and spotlights, or perhaps you didn't want the clan to fuss about you. What's so special about a birthday anyway? It's not like it's a one-time event.

You arrived into the lair quietly, remembering that it was still fairly early in the morning. Hoping over the turnstile and down the steps, you shuffled the backpack straps around your shoulders. Noting Raph's presence on the concrete couch, you dropped your bag with a small 'oof' and observed the rest of the lair for any form of life.

"Leo's in the dojo with Splinter, Mikey's in the kitchen and Donnie's in his lab; if you were wondering." Raph teased, flicking another page of his magazine with little care, his eyes never meeting yours. You smirked at him in response, swaying around the living space with light steps "And what if I came here to spend time with you?" Raph let out a small laugh, finally deciding to remove his attention from the cheap magazine to you.

Rolling his shoulders back, he set down the book and stared at you until a thought came across his mind. "Okay, whatcha wanna do?" his voice was gruff but his tone came across as light, well light enough. You stilled, face going slack with embarrassment, Raph pointed his green finger at you with a laugh "Ha! Knew it, go find Don he's always hankering to see you." he joked, leaning back and crossing his legs with a proud grin smothering his face. Raph picked up his magazine again and continued to thumb the pages while you stood there dumbfounded but impressed.

"Never change, Raph." you mused, back turned to him and waltzing to the dented lab doors. Raph sent you a thumbs up, eyes still glued to the colourful pages of his book "Don't plan of it!"

Before even forming a fist to knock onto the lab doors, Donnie's arm whipped the door open and snatched you in just as quickly. A small yelp slipped past your lips as you rocked slowly back and forth in spot "Sorry about that, but you're just the person I wanted to see!" Donnie wasn't facing you, much like Raph, he was too occupied with his work. "I am?" you questioned, twiddling your thumbs out of nerves. Donnie sat back in his chair and rolled around his lab, picking up bits and pieces before slowing to a stop in front of you.

"Yeah, c'mon I wanna show you this thing I've been working on." You followed him over to his workbench; covered in blueprints, tools and countless piles of screws. But sat in the centre was a small bike helmet covered in motherboards and wires, the wires then hooked up to Donnie's laptop that had many graphs and vitals wavering up and down on it.

"So, whadda ya think?" he asked waving his arms around the helmet with pride, his voice full of hope. You stared puzzled at the invention, cautiously taking it into your hands and twirling it around to get a better view "It's great...What is it?" you asked, cocking your head to the side in confusion. Donnie took the helmet from your grasp and placed it on his head, he adjusted the straps around his chin "It's a simplified, portable lie detector test!"

"Don, don't we already have those?" Donnie turned to you with a patronising smile, hands on his hips, "In a way, yes. But unlike the ones that already exist, mine has a 99.9% chance of being valid."

"Okay, but why the helmet?"

"Well, I don't have to carry it around, I can just simply place it on my head and then boom! Are you telling a lie or the truth?" he mused, his fingers fidgeting with some odd wires as he spoke. You chuckled at him, always inventing even when there's a decent enough version of it out there already. You jumped onto the workbench, making sure you didn't disturb the chaos that resided there, Donnie was still sat in his chair before you with a hopeful smile on his face. He began pressing some keys on his laptop, suddenly a live video feed of you popped up onto the screen "What's that about?"

Donnie tapped the small camera in the centre of the helmet "Live camera feed, the camera is able to track and analyse your facial expressions and thermal energy. If you get too hot it means you're lying, if you pull a certain expression it means you're lying, if you-"

"Okay, D, I get it." you laughed, watching as his cheeks dusted a light pink. Donnie shook his shoulders in preparation, slowly inching his finger to the activation button on his keyboard "Please don't electrocute me," he constantly mumbled under his breath. The machine buzzed lowly but nothing was set alight, thankfully. Donnie released a worried sigh, dragging the chair to sit in front of you as the small camera studied your face. "Okay, so all I'm going to do is ask you some questions and you either answer them truthfully or lie, got it?" he asked, flipping through a notebook scribbled in notes.

"Aye aye, captain!" you cheered, mock saluting him. Donnie hummed in response and began the process of asking you questions, some of them were pretty basic but others he had slept on for weeks. The list was long, full of potential questions he could ask you, all ranging from average to personal; he decided to take it slowly at first.

"What's your name?"

"(Y/N) (L/N)."

"Age?"

"19."

"Is it true that you live in New York?"

"Yep."

Donnie hummed as the wavelength on his computer stilled, so far no detection of a lie. It was time to get a little more personal.

"Who's your favourite out of us four?"

The small camera picked up on the jut of your face, the way your eyes widened slightly and the light biting of your lip. "I don't have a favourite," you replied cooly, Donnie turned to the screen and smirked when he saw a massive spike. "Oookkayyy, lier, am I your favourite turtle?" he asked with a little more mischief in his eyes, "I told you I don't have favourites," you stated again. The graph spiked for the second time, "Oh so I am your favourite?" he teased.

Your face began to pale, cheeks buzzing red at this point, "Donnie, how many more questions do you have to ask?" you prodded. Donnie waved his hand dismissively "Don't worry, I'll only ask one more, promise." he began flipping through his notes trying to find a decent question.

Would you date a turtle?

Would you date me?

Do you like me?

"When's your birthday?" Donnie mentally scolded himself for his reservations, he knew he'd chicken out at the last minute. He tended to do this a lot around you, always wimping out and choosing the safer option as to not ruin your friendship with him and in a sense, his brothers. Donnie couldn't imagine a day without you nevermind a life, he relied on you heavily for moral support and overall happiness. Developing the feelings was easy but the hardest part was telling you, his brothers constantly made fun of him for it, teasing him when he chickens out; in a way he deserved it.

"W-what?" you stuttered out, sweat appearing across your forehead. Donnie shook awake from his thoughts, his eye catching the spike on the screen "Your birthday, I asked when it was." Your fingers gripped the metal table harshly, possibly leaving imprints in the rusted steel, "18th of August." you muttered. Donnie nodded his head, turning to the monitor while your thoughts went a mile per minute with nerves.

"So when is it really?" he asked again, his voice had quietened, becoming more of a whisper as he pressed buttons with his back to you. Your eyes traced the elaborate details of his shell, legs kicking back and forth "Hm?" you hummed out. Donnie swivelled his chair to face you, gently placing the helmet off and laying his hands limply on his lap "(Y/N)?" he questioned knowingly.

You stared at him, eyes frozen in place truly, unable to look anywhere but him. His irises seemed copper in the light with a hint of magenta to brighten them up a bit, swirls of reds and pinks encircling it, framing it in its own minuscule painting. You could see the love and fondness he had for you, for your friendship, for his brothers; you wondered what it would be like to see those eyes first thing in the morning and last thing at night. You trusted Donnie with all your heart, countlessly relying on him when times got tough or just for a stress relief when life got too hectic.

"March 24th." had slipped from your lips, your voice sounded calm; a compete juxtapose to your twitching fingers and fear-ridden face. Donnie's brows perplexed, his eyes quickly travelling to the scientific calendar pinned to his wall, then to you just as fast. "T-today!" he shouted, rising from his seat and waltzing over to you, "Your birthday is today and you didn't say anything!" he sounded mad, but the worried smile on his face told you otherwise.

You nodded meekly, shielding your eyes away from him, "Why didn't you say anything?" he asked again, his tone a lot softer. You thought for a moment, why didn't you say anything? Sitting here in front of Donnie and your mind had gone completely blank. Donnie started pacing, hand snug under his chin as he spoke his thoughts aloud "It's too late in the day to go anywhere and no one's had any notice so not many guests, I mean it's a sewer who else would you invite? We don't have any candles or a cake for that matter and balloons, streamers, party poppers-"

"Donnie, would you just stop." you ushered, jumping from your place on his desk and striding over to him. Placing a hand on his shoulder you smiled sympathetically at him "I don't need a party or a cake or balloons, I just want to be surrounded by my friends." Donnie stilled his movements, his arms dropping to his side as he smiled back at you, "Okay," he muttered, "Okay."

He suddenly enveloped you in a hug, not giving you time to even adjust to it before he cuddled his head against your neck "Happy birthday." he whispered. His breath tickled your skin, cheeks flushing; you were always known to be easily flustered. Stretching your arms as far as you could around his shell, you returned the embrace with just as much passion as Donnie. "Thank you," you beamed finally pulling away, Donnie stared into your eyes, seemingly lost in the way they sparkled.

"W-what do you want to do now?"

"Movie?" you asked with hope, Donnie nodded his head and grabbed your hand pulling you along to the living room. During your time spent in the lab, the other two brothers had convened back around the television, laughing and cheering at the Space Hero's cartoon. Mikey cheered when he saw you, his body shifting to face you and accidentally blocking the t.v screen for Leo "Yo dude/dudette, I didn't know you were here!"

"Yep, been here for an hour or so." Raph observed the linked hands between you and Donnie, sending you both a teasing smile "Things go well in there, huh?" he mused. You and Donnie looked at each other and then slowly down to your intertwined hands, flinching back you separated apart with rosy cheeks and nervous smiles. Raph and Leo shared a knowing smile while Mikey stared dumbfounded, "Well are you just gonna stand there or are you going to sit down!" Raph quipped, reddening your cheeks more.

You sat between Donnie and Leo, eyes solely focused on the t.v and not onto the warmth radiating between you and a purple-bandanaed terrapin. Everyone was staring at the screen, entranced by the outdated cartoon, childish but fun. All was quiet except for the sounds of blasters and male screams, all quiet until...

"IT'S (Y/N)'S BIRTHDAY TODAY!" Donnie shouted, body shaking and sweat dripping down his forehead. The other turtles turned to face you with shocked expressions "WHAT!" all three shouted in unison. You turned to Donnie with fury and a look of betrayal flashing in your eyes "DONNIE!" you screamed, fingers itching to slap him. Let's just say the boys, mainly Mikey, wouldn't allow you to sit and watch a movie for your birthday. Instead, they threw together a quick birthday party, the icing on the cake, or in this case pizza, was when they gathered around the kitchen and sang a poorly out of tune version of 'Happy Birthday to you'; even Splinter joined in.

At the end of the day, even if you were mad Donnie shouted it out in the first place, you wouldn't have traded it for anything. In fact, you even gave Donnie a small token of thanks, a light kiss on the cheek. After you left, Donnie dropped to the floor much to the concern of his brothers, but when they saw the dopey smile and love-sick eyes, they let him be.

[criminalmutantsins]

My Version of the Hamato Family

Hi everyone! Thank you for reading and liking part one. It made my day!

So, this is where I shine in writing. I love creating characters and their backstory; it’s so fun. I think it is more important to focus on characters than the plot since a character can create the storyline- well at least for me.

I’m excited to share! Hope you enjoy!

Comment your thoughts! It would be cool to read them! 😁

……………………..

 Leonardo:

We’re starting with the usual leader-in-blue!

Although I adore Leo, his “perfect” personality can get a little boring. His versions usually have flaws, though they are the kind that makes you sympathize with him rather than feeling indifferent like with Raph’s anger issues.

Season 1 Leo would be a toned-down Rise Leo. He can be cocky when he succeeds over his brothers and would jokingly comment how he is Splinter’s favorite. However, it doesn’t come without hard work. Leo trains the most out of his brothers and spends most of his time studying fighting techniques. He is not naturally talented in ninjitsu like the past incarnations. Also, Leo’s motivations for training very hard and wanting to be leader is more for himself than anything.

Compared to his brothers, Leo was relatively average. Donnie was extremely smart, Mikey had his kind and joyful soul, and Raph was naturally a great fighter. Leo felt left out and decided that training to be a hero would be his way of standing out. He also believed that being special like his brothers was the only way to get Splinter’s attention; and it kind of worked. With all the progress Leo made, Splinter praised him, and they had a way to connect.

Around the beginning of S1(maybe ep. 5), Leo became the leader though how was different. Instead of Splinter deciding, the brothers did; the explanation was the turtles were a team and should make a consensus as one. This news made Leo ecstatic; he was finally living his dreams. Even so, he didn’t realize the baggage and responsibility a leader had to shoulder. Over the course of the story Leo grows as a great leader and fighter.

The Karai/Leo subplot will follow the 2003 version. He is convinced that Karai is a good person and tries to have her switch sides. There will be romantic feelings but its not the main motivation for both of their actions. I can’t say too much since this plot revolves around Karai more.

   Donatello:

Donnie is a blend of 2003/12 versions. He is intelligent with an extremely high IQ and was a gifted child. However, his intelligence came with a cost; making connections with his brothers and father was really tough for him because of their different interests. This left him withdrawing from everyone and focusing on his inventions. His social skills evolve once the turtles visit the city and meet April. The increasing danger of the Kraang further builds his relationships since communication is important in teamwork, and Donnie’s talent in inventing grew more in the spotlight.

Because of her fascination with Donnie’s smarts and inventions, April and Donnie become good friends as the story continues. Donnie also gets close with April’s best friend, Irma since they are science lovers. At first, Casey irritates him as they have clearly different personality; Casey’s impulsive and extroverted attitude conflicting with Donnie’s plan-based mindset.

Donnie’s love for his family is showcased after witnessing a terrifying, apocalyptic future where his family suffers. Paranoia sets in. His work to calculate the cause of this terrible, and its solution leads Donnie to rarely take care of his needs. He has to learn to trust in others instead of doing things alone.

 Raphael:

Unlike Leo, Raph is instantly gifted in fighting. He has more physical strength than his brothers and would constantly beat them in practice. Since childhood, Raph was Splinter’s “favorite” in the dojo and that definitely got into the red-banded turtle’s head. He would brag to his brothers and jokingly poke fun at their techniques. It wouldn’t affect anyone. Except for Leo.

Raphael’s ego started taking hits once Leo caught up to him and beating him in practice once in a while. It turned into anger after noticing Master Splinter praising Leo more. The tension soured their brotherhood. Unlike most versions, Raph’s anger is fueled by insecurity. He believes that fighting is the only thing he is good at and will get territorial if his spotlight is threatened.

Throughout the story, he learns to move on from his demons and realize his worth.

Family is important to Raph. He can be hard on his brothers yet will do anything to keep them safe, especially Mikey- his positivity must be protected. Casey and Raph become best friends for their similarities and love for fighting- they are impulsive bros.

 Michelangelo:

Mikey’s role is to be the positive and glue of the team. He loves to make people happy and would always do something goofy or kind to do that. His family have nothing bad to say about their youngest member and are very protective of him. The youngest brother doesn’t take ninjitsu as seriously as skateboarding, dancing, or just general fun. Though, he will be serious when the situation calls for it, such as the fate of his family and the world.

Although being an open ear to anyone, Mikey is not open to expressing his negative emotions due to his fear of damaging the family dynamic. It is noticeable when he is upset because he jokes more often and not focus. A lesson he must learn is to accept the good and the bad. Mikey can be reckless, mostly when his brothers rarely let him participate in missions. He wants to prove to his family that he is strong enough to protect himself and others. Reading people is his best skill and takes great pride in it, usually taking on the role of a therapist.

 Splinter/Hamato Yoshi:

I really wanted to take Splinter’s role in the Shredder’s descent to evil in the grayer area. He is usually the victim/innocent party of the story, which can get boring after a while.

Hamato Yoshi was born as the heir to Hamato Clan and childhood best friend of Oroku Saki. The Hamato and Foot clan were allies for centuries and would usually fight by each other’s side. Matters changed when the Foot’s beliefs grew more sinister. This left the Hamato Clan to eradicate their former ally. Splinter saved Saki before he could be killed, though, it came with consequences. Oroku Saki vowed to exact revenge for his fallen home. Growing up, Splinter became one of the strongest martial artists in Japan and married a woman named Tang Shen, later becoming a father to a girl. His world ended once he saw his clan destroyed and his family killed by the renewed Foot Clan.

Yoshi decided to move to New York and forget his old life. Years later, the martial artist noticed strange people caging defenseless animals. He would fight them long enough to protect four humanoid turtles, deciding to keep them after a moment of compassion. Splinter would continuously fight the strange men until a strange liquid turned him into a rat. This turning point banished Splinter and the turtles to the sewers for protection.

Splinter equally loves his sons. He would always make sure to give them equal amounts of love to avoid lasting issues. Though, he has made some mistakes. Emotions were rarely discussed because of Splinter’s unintentionally withdrawn attitude. The rat master wouldn’t instantly notice problems between his sons, and usually didn’t know how to resolve them. No matter what, Splinter is proud of his children and would do anything to keep them safe; sometimes not realizing that it could hurt them.

Hamato Yoshi’s guilt and trauma over the terrible moments in his life would be the main focus of his development.

[remmushound]

Toddler Mutant Ninja Turtles, chapter 2: Jellybean! @brightlotusmoon @selfindulgenz @digitl-art-monstr @scentedcandlecryptid

The water trail led them to the opposite side of the building and to a door that was just barely open. The brothers stopped, the younger three waiting on the command of the oldest. Raphael took a second to collect himself, taking a deep breath before slamming his foot into the door and breaking it from its hinges.

“STOP RIGHT THERE!” Raphael pointed at nothing.

“Dude, the door wasn’t even locked.” Leonardo said, exasperated.

“No one’s here!” Michelangelo pouted.

“Um. Actually.” A voice, a feminine voice, drumming along like raindrops pitter-pattering on asphalt. “Hi. It’s Jellybean. I’m over here.”

All ninja snapped to follow the voice, weapons at the ready as they prepared for anything. Donatello’s theory was correct, and what they found staring back at them, though it had no eyes to actually stare with, was a massive, transparent blue jellyfish. Her body was a dome of navy blue, and inside of it a yellow and red ball-like organ bobbed with every motion she made. Hundreds of thread-like tentacles danced under her, kinking and curling and flowing, each with a motion and mind of their own.

“O...oh.” Raphael lowered his tonfa for a moment, “I-it’s a jellyfish.”

“Awww, it’s cute!” Michelangelo cooed, holding his hands over each other and resting his head on them.

“There’s the die!” Donatello pointed; inside of the jellyfish’s body were dozens of artifacts floating like Jellybean was a living water wiggler; among the gems and treasures was a die that appeared white at first but, whenever it would shift its position, would reveal rainbow colors. “And all the other stolen stuff but that’s less important to me.”

“Oh my god, it exists?” Leonardo’s beak wrinkled, then he turned to Donatello. “No way that thing has a trillion sides. I’m calling fraud right now!”

“It does so have a trillion sides!”

“Does not!”

“Does so!”

“Does not!”

The jellyfish crossed several of her tentacles. “Are you done?”

The twins had to consider.

“Yes.” Donatello said.

Leonardo leaned over to whisper to his brother, “We are so not.”

“Hey, that stuff don’t belong to you!” Raphael called, pointing his tonfa in the mutant jellyfish’s direction. “Return the questionably-sided die and all those treasures back where you got them!”

Jellybean laughed, her body jiggling. “Or what?”

Raphael, clearing not expecting the verbal challenge, stuttered out a weak answer. “Or we’re gonna punch you! Like… like a lot! In the face! If— if we can find your face that is.”

“I’m ninety-five percent water.” The jellyfish raised some of her tentacles to entwine with each other. “It won’t hurt a scooch. But you’re welcome to try.”

“Careful what you wish for, jelly-mutant-thing!” Raphael clashed his tonfa together in a challenge. “Bring it on!”

Raphael charged forward, little more than a blur of red and green, and he brought both his tonfa slamming down hard on the jellyfish’s sides. The tonfa sunk in deep. Raphael’s lips pulled up in a grin, but then faded quickly into a frown as his strikes rebounded on himself as if he had just hit rubber. With the rebound came not only double his power, but a pulse of electricity that slammed into him like a brick wall and send him flying into the opposite corner of the room.

Leonardo flashed his odachi as he got into a ready position. “Leon’s got it!”

Leonardo moved just as swift as Raphael’s charge had been, but more quick and precise with his strike. He brought his odachi whistling through the air, slicing into Jellybean’s side before pulling the blade back toward him to get the most damage out of his momentum. Like Raphael, he smiled too soon. The horrible gash that Leonardo left in her side sealed itself and trapped the blade of the odachi inside.

Leonardo had enough time to gulp before a burst of electricity sent him soaring right into Raphael, who had just barely begun to stand again. The odachi flew away with him, and the wound once more sealed up while Jellybean rippled with laughter.

“Guess it’s my turn.” Donatello grabbed his bo staff and gave it a few twirls to show off before he got in a running position. Michelangelo grabbed his arm before he could get very far.

“Now why would you go and do the same thing that got Raph and Leon zapped?” Michelangelo huffed.

Donatello looked down at Michelangelo and blinked slowly, like a cat about to make a very dumb decision. “Herd mentality mixed with lots and lots of stupidity. FIBONACCI!”

Donatello yanked his arm free and charged. He didn't even get to strike Jellybean before her stingers reached out at him and sent a bolt of blue power to slam into his chest and knock him back.

Michelangelo felt like screaming. Instead, he tugged hard at the tails of his mask before bringing his hands to cover his face so he could yell into them.

“Why? Why?! Why?! That is literally the definition of insanity!” He growled loudly, stomping his foot like a child throwing a temper tantrum. “I wish you guys would just listen to me! I wish I was the older brother!”

Jellybean started to glow. Her bubblish giggles filled the chamber as three beams of light began to reflect off of her, like spotlights targeting and locking on to each of the older brothers.

“Like the red one said: careful what you wish for.” She snapped her tentacles together.

[tmntallthewaydown]

Tales of the Hidden City Writing Appreciation Post Pt.1!

The last batch of episodes, Tales of the Hidden City, were excellent. As an animator, it’s easy to get bowled over by the visuals of the show and just rant about those, but I wanted to spotlight another awesome part of Rise of TMNT -- the writing!

The writing is always fun in the show, but there were parts of these episodes that I really wanted to call out for how clever and great they are.

Each of the Tales of the Hidden City eps puts the characters in a situation where their strengths are negated or challenged. (Also, big cheer for a bunch of episodes finally exploring the Hidden City. It’s such a fun location, I want to see it all.)

Donnie Vs Witch Town  an episode where Donnie’s tech can’t solve the problem Raph’s Ride Along  an episode where Raph’s heroics are seen as anything but Hidden City’s Most Wanted  an episode where Mikey’s peacekeeping can’t keep the peace Bad Hair Day  an episode where the face man’s face ain’t enough

I figured I’d do a separate post for each episode so it doesn’t get over-long. 

I’ll be focusing on character development mainly since that’s what stood out to me most!

Donnie Vs Witch Town

Directed by Abe Audish, Written by Ian Busch, Storyboarded by Alicia Chan

*Spoilers for the episode!* I won’t do full recaps, and assume you’ve all seen the ep if you’re reading this..

We start with Donnie referencing the Shadow Fiend in the Battle Nexus. 

“Rumour has it, this Shadow Fiend is quite the fierce champion”

I’m assuming this line’s here because the writers want to keep dropping us tantalizing crumbs to set up the Shadow Fiend as being an important figure in this season. The writers want to keep them present and in our minds as well as let us know that whoever the fiend is, (I bet we all have guesses), they’ve gotta be making quite the name for themselves if even the Turtles have heard of them.

April says she’s headed to Witch Town, whereupon Donnie is horrified. I think horrified is the right word.

“Drop it, D.” “Why not ask me? Mr Science!”

The “Drop it, D” is an elegant way to imply this conversation is a continuation of one they were having pre-episode. April is already very done with the discussion.

Donnie’s line is great because it’s one of two times in this episode that he calls himself ‘Mr Science’ or ‘The Science Guy’. Here, the line comes off as triumphant and proud, but later there is a feeling of desperation to it. It’s a really nice parallel to set up at the beginning, so we can hammer home the duality of what that label means to Donnie.

To preface, this episode deals with Don’s self worth being tangled up in his ability to do Science good. Because of this, he does a lot of projecting in this episode. For the most part, you can assume any time he mentions ‘Science’, he is actually talking about himself. Basically, substitute that word for his own name, and it makes the subtext more obvious.

Here, have these just because they’re fun.

Don ‘helping out’ with various Science Fair projects. April has a good reason not to ask him for help again.

A nuclear powered cooking multi-tool?

The Erupting Volcano. The floor is literally lava.

The Classic Potato Battery experiment.

“Hmm. That must have been the work of another Teenage Mutant Ninja Dummie.”

I’m calling out Donnie’s response here just because I enjoy the consistency the writers give to the way he handles failures. Innnnn that he will feign complete ignorance of the incident and claim it must have been someone else entirely.

--

“You turned a cuddly animatronic bear into a psychotic robot bent on destroying us? No? Got April Fired? Mmm? Nothing? Mmm?” “That does not sound like me, no.”

- from Al Be Back

--

In general it’s an established part of his character that he has problems accepting failure.

Donnie deflects blame in many other episodes - to April in ‘The Purple Jacket’ and to his brothers in ‘Todd Scouts’ off the top of my head. This trait is pertinent to this episode in particular because the apology we get at the end of the episode from him is by far the most full and cohesive admission of blame he has given in the two series so far. I’d say it’s a step forward on the level of Leo’s apology from the ‘Air Turtle’ episode (another great episode showing Leo’s growth towards becoming a team player!). 

Either way, it’s nice that we see him redirect the blame early in the episode so the moment can provide more of a contrast to him coming full circle and accepting the blame later.

One last thing about the line - I put my hands up to admit that this may be me overthinking it, but Don essentially calls himself a dummie here. Whether this was intentional by the writers to hint at his insecurities or just a fun line, I couldn’t say - but since it relates back to events later in the episode I thought it might be worth mentioning.

Moving on, Donnie accompanies April to Witch Town despite it being the last place he wants to be. It’s our first hint that his obsessive need to convince April that all Mystic stuff is garbage might run a bit deeper than just vocal teasing. 

April calls him out on being closed minded and we get

“Oh I’m sorry, I was just stewing over how everyone needs to be more like me.”

Of course we know that’s not how he really feels, as we’ve all seen that episode.

The writing here is nice and subtle. It lets us know that Donnie isn’t being honest. He’s giving April sass, but the sentiment he’s expressing is false.

The episode continues with Donnie comparing every feat of magic to it’s scientific equivalent until April essentially tells him to can it if he doesn’t want a bat to the plastron. The witches show off, prompting exclamations from April at how amazing their magic is.

Then we get one of my favourite lines from Donnie as he snaps.

“Your Mystic Magic is not amazing, it’s simple and soft. There, I said it.”

That soft is a word that Donnie would use as an insult, associating it with something he dislikes and looks down on, is very affecting. You know what else is soft?

The writing here is so revealing and wonderful. They could have used any insult, but the writers chose to have him express his frustration in a way that sheds light on the way Donnie sees himself. It gets right to the root of the problem he has in this episode, which is that without his science and tech, Donnie doesn’t feel like he is particularly ‘Amazing’ either.

That April calling magic amazing is what prompt’s Don’s snap, rather than any of the words of the townsfolk, is one of the clues we’re given to the truth behind D’s drive in this episode. The writers will bring that back later on!

So April and Don are kicked outta Witch Town when Don’s improv musical performance to convince April to let him help her instead ends up blowing up in his face.

Popping this here because watching Donnie get deservedly smacked by April at this point was very cathartic for me. Dingus.

Donnie offers to help the witches in return for them helping April. It seems sweet at first, but it becomes plain fairly fast that this is really another opportunity for D to try and prove that science is king.

“Ah would you look at that. Banished, and I still saved the day.” “Wait, is that why you did this?” “Nooo! It’s because I was sorry - about being closed minded - about how wrong I were.”

Again, it’s up to the writers to show us that Donnie is lying about his motivations here. That little bit of incorrect grammar (saying ‘were’ instead of ‘was’), calls out to us that something is up. Donnie is smart, and it’s out of character for him to word things sloppily. It lets us know that all is not well, and that things are yet to be resolved, internally at least.

I couldn’t help calling out this wonderful posing, even though I’m trying to focus on the writing. It really sells us on the dissatisfaction brewing between them. Gorgeous acting from the animators.

The peace offering potion the witches were making seems to work, and Donnie wastes no time in trying to rub their faces in the fact that science provided one of the ingredients - until it becomes clear that Donnie’s contribution has soured the brew. He tries to avoid blame and responsibility, as we’ve seen him do in previous episodes (and earlier in this one). Nothing I’m calling out here besides the novelty of seeing a mob of witches trying to lynch a scientist - a bit of a historical reversal!

The big bad is storming Witch Town and Donnie gets ready to smack down - specifically “because when I defeat it with my tech, they will have to admit science is better!”

It’s worth saying that on the word ‘they’, he points directly at April. Because as we’re about to discover, it’s not actually proving to these random villagers that Science is best that’s important to him (though maybe that would be nice), but about proving to April specifically that Science is best. Thank you animators/storyboarders for making that subtext more explicit!

At this point we as the audience have had it up to here with Donnie’s bullheadedness. The reveal that D’s gripe is personal and April/brother specific, rather than just a frustration with Witch Town in general, goes some way to explaining why he is so obsessive over it.

Donnie’s Tech Bo breaks in the conflict, and we get the awesome reveal of April’s Mystic Bat. She is of course, badass with it and kicks butt. April saving Donnie’s hide with Mystic Magic prompts the confrontation between them that is the emotional heart of the episode.

“Why are you so obsessed with proving me wrong on this!?” “Because! I’m the Science Guy! (sigh) If Mystic Powers can do everything I can do but better, then why would you guys even need me?”

Here is the payoff to the opening ‘Mr Science’ line from earlier in the episode. The wording is similar, however this time the line is tinged with defeat. The duality revealed is that Science makes Don feel powerful, but without it, he feels powerless.

The visuals that go hand in hand with the dialog are very telling here, too.

The image of Donnie holding his broken Tech Bo isn’t just to show us that his technology isn’t enough to win, that it can be broken. It’s also showing us how he sees himself, drawing a direct comparison between Donnie and his broken Tech. He’s not always perfect, but he’s ultimately useful, right? Until he’s not. I’ve no doubt that this was a deliberate move from the Storyboarders, and I think they sold the moment brilliantly.

His words make it clear that Donnie believes that “if Mystic Powers can do everything I can do but better”, ie, help April with her project without blowing her classroom up, why would she not keep going to Mystics instead of him in the future? 

With her not ‘needing’ him for scientific assistance any more, he sees no reason for her to continue hanging out with him. This ties back to the clues the writers dropped earlier in the episode, that suggest he doesn’t regard himself highly without his science. 

The obsession this episode with disproving how ‘Amazing’ Mystic Magic is in front of April makes a lot more sense through the lens that he is fighting to keep April’s friendship.

“You Guys” expands this sentiment to include the rest of his family. If his tech ends up letting down the team and is unneeded then by extension, he would also be unneeded.

As viewers, we know this is untrue. Even beyond the fact that these characters rely on one another emotionally, we saw Don fight alongside his brothers in ‘Insane in the Mama Train’ - all of them tech-less and Mystic-less - and they kicked butt, even if they did end up being eventually captured. However, it’s clear from the writing here that this isn’t how Donatello himself feels.

“You’re not important to me because of your tech, you’re important to me because of you! I don’t think Mystic Powers is better than Science. If anything, they’re stronger together, just like us! Right?” “Right!”

April’s comeback is wonderful. Super eloquently written and gets right to the heart of his insecurities. First undermining the thought that if Don didn’t have tech, she wouldn’t need him, then framing Mystic Powers as something that will bring them closer together. Beautiful writing! 

I also want to just celebrate how the writers handle April’s characterisation as being someone who is super excited and curious about any kind of Mystic Magic or supernatural shenanigans. I really like this consistency in her character where she is way into anything otherworldly or unexplained. I hope we get to see more of it in the future!

We get to see April and Donnie kick butt together which super fun! I’m very happy we got another episode with these two, the way they bounce off one another is really enjoyable to watch.

“I was wrong to not be more open-minded. It’s just that Mystic Powers are the one thing I have not been able to solve. As a man of Science, it is maddening to finally come upon something that you do not understand. Especially when your dum-dum brothers totally do, and they wave their dum-dum weapons in their dum-dum hands all the dum-dum time! But that is just a long way of saying I am sorry’.

The apology is very articulate, letting us know that D is truthful here. It’s a nice little payoff when compared to his earlier lie with April, where the writers had him fudge his words to imply his dishonesty. 

April actually believes him this time too, judging by the lovely acting here. 

 We’re treated to this perspective on Donnie’s feelings, which reveals a couple of interesting things to us. ‘The one thing I have not been able to solve’ indicates that he has previously attempted - and failed - to understand Mystic stuff, which is new information. It goes against our impressions from the rest of the series so far (that he is simply disinterested). We also learn that his brothers’ understanding of their powers has created a knowledge imbalance that is a frustration to him. I very much hope that the show keeps taking steps in this direction with Donnie, just because I would love to see an arc that results in him getting more involved with the Mystic side of things.

To wrap up the episode, I really appreciated the way the writers handled the internal conflict in Donnie Vs Witch Town. There was a lot of subtlety and subtext in the writing, which I am absolutely here for. Donnie’s end reveal really recontextualizes the earlier shenanigans in a meaningful way, and marks a step forward for him. April has her Bat now, and Don is a little more open to Mystic Powers as a possibility! I’m excited to see where we go next! 

Thanks for sticking with me, if you got to the end, and I hope you found it as interesting as I did! ‘Raph’s Ride along’ is the next ep I’ll dig into.

[fanfic-inator795]

Speculation on the new eps:

Sidekick Ahoy!: Sooo, I guess they’re going with Jim just being a bit off his rocker and not straight up evil, which is nice. Like other people have said, pretty much EVERY idol the boys and April have had have turned out to be evil, so it’d be nice if Jim was still a decent guy, if a bit unhinged, and didn’t just try to kill or use them all the time. If anything, maybe the Turtles interacting with him more will help bring him back to reality a bit, since he’s pretty isolated. Plus between Dr. Noe, The Purple Dragons, Baxter Stockboi, Tim Dunkman and now whoever is selling the brownies in the next ep, the Turtles could reaaaally use some more human allies. So, yeah, please don’t make him evil

Anyway, as for the plot, I could see it being another sort of Brother VS Brother thing like in ‘Lair Games’ since they all wanna be his sidekick, and in the end we get that classic “I wanna win but not if it means giving up my family” moral - which is fine! Nothing wrong with a familiar story or lesson, and I’m sure the animation and jokes will help keep the ep entertaining

The Hidden City Job: YAAAAAY MORE HIDDEN CITY! Also SENOR HUESO! I feel like we haven’t seen him OR Run of the Mill in ages (which is funny cause in season 1 we had like three eps in a row of Run of the Mill, lol). Anyway, I have no doubt that Piel’s ‘redemption’ is just a scam to get his skele-bro’s help, and I have a feeling that it’s gonna sort of parallel the Draxum storyline where Hueso’s mindset ends up kinda being like Mikey’s, where you should try to help family when you can. However, this ep will add to that mindset “yes, you can try to help family, but you can’t change them - not unless they want to change too.” And it kinda ends ambiguously, hinting at both a Draxum relapse and redemption, where Leo’s not sure which Draxum’s going to choose, but remaining cautious nonetheless.

OR maybe Piel wants to change but is struggling, and it becomes a question of “do you make this person’s problems your own because you care about them/they’re family, even when those problems can cause other issues?” and “can someone really change their ways?” Maybe seeing Piel struggle and eventually make a choice for the better convinces Leo that there’s a chance Draxum could feel the same - that there’s a part of him that would be willing to change and start to be better. Either way, I’m excited! ^v^

Always Be Brownies: OKAY CAN I JUST SAY SOMETHING? I just... It was already great seeing the turtles treat April as an equal/their big sis, but seeing Splinter treat her like a daughter and a partner in crime is just an absolute treat ^v^ They’ve got a great dynamic, work together really well, and I love how much they care about and trust each other, having each other’s backs while still snarking at one another. 

Anyway, I have no idea who these “dangerous middle school brownie sellers” could be. Like, are they gonna be actual girl scouts selling brownies *thinks of that one iCarly subplot with Spencer and the fudge balls* or is it going to be a bunch of rogue bake sale moms who’ve gotten their hands on mystic ingredients? Honestly, I don’t know which one would be funnier, so either way this ep will probably be a good time ^v^

Mystery Meat: When I saw that Draxum would be living and working near April, this was EXACTLY what I was hoping for ^v^ Also I’m glad that April can get a spotlight ep without any of the turtles - I think that kinda proves what a strong character she is, that you can just throw her into any situation and it’s still interesting and fun. 

Anyway, I’m wondering if this ep will actually further or develop Draxum’s character any or if it’ll just be a farce. ...Honestly, as much as I’m on TeamDadxumRedemption, I’m fine with either. It’s still early in the season, and after only getting 8 Draxum appearances last season, I’m just happy to see him getting more screentime ^v^ Though I wonder if the mystery meat monster will be done on accident or on purpose, what motives he had behind creating it if it WAS on purpose, and if seeing human kids scared/at risk of getting hurt up close will kinda get him to see that “okay maybe this is kinda messed up”. 

He always talks about humans either in a past tense or in an ‘in general’ way, like they’re some giant force or giant army. So, seeing their day-to-day lives up close and kinda humanizing them (pun unintended) in his mind could help in the long run of making him see that yeah, though humans are awful sometimes and yokai should be allowed to live on the surface, maybe you shouldn’t just go around killing/mutating them either because they’re still alive too, and they aren’t too different from the kids of the Hidden City. 

Anywho, those are just my thoughts. I’m excited about The Hidden City Job and Mystery Meat the most, but they should all be pretty fun and enjoyable, I would think. The only thing that’s missing is an update on the Foot which, I’ll admit, is starting to feel just a liiiiiittle bit overdue at this point... But Rise is usually pretty good at picking up plot points and not letting them hang too long, and we saw that one screenshot of Raph and Foot Lt. on DVE’s twitter, so I’m guessing we’ll finally see the Foot again and learn what they’ve been up to in episode 8 or 9.

[mutated-green-things]

In Circles

I commissioned this picture from @shellsweet awhile ago and ended up writing a whole fic for it! Only I’m a slow well editor so I’m only just getting around to posting everything. I’ve been thinking about this idea, this story and image for a long time though, and wanted to make sure it was something special. Mostly for me if I’m honest, because I think about these two all the time, but also so I could give something special to everyone else who loves this ship.  Anyway, I hope you all like it, and again thank the amazing @shellsweet for the artwork. You can click the read more to look at the fic or you can simply go to the AO3 link here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20896832

Leonardo glanced up, stared for one, two, three beats, and then trained his eyes back onto the grass outside the farmhouse. April and Casey had chosen an amazing spot for their summer wedding, and though Leo and his brothers had drawn some seriously unwanted attention to the event, everything seemed to be gliding along smoothly now.

Music was playing, alternating between upbeat and slow. Paper lanterns hung from the large green trees and were filling the air with warm, buttery light. People, mutants, aliens were all talking, dancing, laughing. April and Casey were the spotlights of course, and their beaming faces just seemed to make the space glow even brighter. Michelangelo was dancing alone, but every time a fast, poppy song came on he'd tear up the floor and then bow for his adoring crowd.

Raphael and Donatello were even better off. Raph wasn't graceful, but Traximus must have learned how to dance somewhere because the way he led through every slow ballad looked effortless.

And though Donnie wasn't dancing with Leatherhead, they were both making eyes as they chatted in the corner, just outside of the lantern-lit grass dance floor.

Leonardo, well, he was watching it all unfold. He fit well into the shadows of the trees, and there was a lot to sit back and contemplate. Or worry about if he was being honest with himself. That attack had been troubling for starters. He was glad Karai had finally laid their vendetta to rest, but it seemed that even with the foot out of the picture, and even on a peaceful celebratory day, they'd always have enemies.

Worse was as much as Leo tried to focus his family's future, on strategy and battle plans, his mind and eyes kept wandering to the presence of a rather unexpected guest.

He still wasn't sure how April had gotten an invitation across dimensions to Usagi Miyamoto. The process of opening the portal must have been complicated enough. Leo could only guess how she had managed to hunt down that info. Mikey was his first guess, and that was only if his little brother had decided it was worth it to memorize the symbols and the chant. In the end, it mattered little how she'd managed it. Usagi was here. He'd shown up with a gift in his arms and a smile on his face.

A smile he'd directed at Leonardo. Leo had returned it despite his nerves. He was just glad that a customary greeting for Usagi was a bow. Leo's hands were already clammy enough without them touching. And after all the pleasantries and that crazy, dangerous, eventually calm ceremony, here he was, trying, and failing, not to stare.

Leo's choice to be on the exact opposite side of the dance floor was exactly that. A choice. His nerves and the way had been skirting around exactly what their relationship was had made the last few months... weird.

Usagi had been... well relieved seemed like understating things when he'd found out that Leonardo was still alive and had simply spent that past year locked away in the future. They had missed each other so much that Leo was sure the longing looks and subtle touches would come to a head.

That moment never came though. Usagi had seemed... hesitant, had looked away when one of them stared and pulled away at the briefest touch. Whatever doubts Usagi had reverberated, making Leonardo unsure, lost even. A few months ago he'd been confident in his feelings and Usagi's. He was just looking for the right time to confess. When Usagi shied away though, Leo began to doubt himself, and his confidence crumbled until he was left with what he had now. An awkward friendship and a lot of questions about what exactly the samurai had been thinking and feeling.

Leo flicked his gaze back up. Usagi was still there, chatting away with their other extra-dimensional guest, Gennosuke. Leonardo contemplated the rhino. He'd shown up with his own volition, inviting himself before Usagi could say no. Or at least that's what Usagi claimed when Leo and his brothers had given Gen strange looks.

Ugh no. Being confused was one thing, second-guessing Usagi's motivations and words was another. They were friends, no matter how messy Leonardo's feelings were at the moment.

Leo banished those thoughts and turned his mind outward, letting his gaze drift again. From Gen to the object of his tempestuous emotions. As he did, Usagi's eyes turned too, and for a few intense moments, they made contact. The soft light of the lanterns flickered against the pink of Usagi's irises. Leo was transfixed by the way the light moved, no danced in his gaze. Leo broke away. The cool, dark grass welcomed him, steadied him as his heart pounded in his ears and through his body. All he could focus on was the thump thump thump of it. He tried to take deep, calming breaths, but each one shook out of him as he lifted his head again. Usagi wasn't there. Gen looked perplexed, and Leonardo found himself even more confused.

He scanned the crowd for Usagi, head whipping here and there, but the stark white of his pelt was just... gone. He wondered briefly if that stare had made things worse, if Usagi had perhaps left the party early, left this world even. Leo was about to accept that theory, about to stop looking, when soft footsteps against soft grass drew his attention.

He spun, hands on his swords. It was the natural reaction of a warrior, and he's unsurprised to find Usagi mirroring him, a hand tightly clutched around the hilt of his katana. Of course, as soon he recognized the white fur and wry smile, Leo dropped his hands to his sides. "Usagi-san."

Usagi dropped his fighting stance too and then frowned. "Leonardo. What are you doing out here?"

I could ask you the same thing. Except he couldn't when Usagi has asked him to drop the formal 'san' so many times he'd lost count, and when he was certain why Usagi was there. So instead, he tried for a half-truth that seemed believable. That seemed the most like Leo. "Watching over the party. I just want to make sure we don't have to deal with any more funny business."

Usagi paused and blew out an amused breath as the wry smile slid back into place. This time though, there was a sadness behind it. A little dimness in the fire that sparkled there. "Can't you do that while celebrating the happy couple? Or at least a little closer to the festivities?" Usagi stepped closer, not waiting for permission to lean into the tree Leo had chosen as his lookout spot.

Leonardo didn't scoot away. He was tempted to at first, but his mental conflict left him indecisive, so he ended up staying put, close enough for their shoulders to just press together. Not much, but enough so Leo could feel Usagi's presence rather than just sense it. That alone was enough to make his head spin, so it took him several moments to realize he needed to say *something*. "I uh..." He could only manage that at first, but he cleared his throat, and more words tumbled out. "This gives me a better vantage point. To spot anyone sneaking in from the woods."

Usagi didn't protest, nor did he comment on the pauses. "True enough. But perhaps I could stay here and watch for you. I promise I'll be vigilant."

Leo didn't doubt that. Truthfully Usagi's long years of spotting ninja made him an exceptional lookout for their tricks, maybe even better than Leo himself. They've discussed many a time how much knowing a ninja's mind factored into thwarting them. "I know but..."

Leo tried to think of an excuse, but all he kept coming up with is the fact that the person he wanted to celebrate with was right next to him.

"But?" Usagi prompted.

"I have no one to dance with." It wasn't the truth, but it was close enough that when he looked at Usagi, his pink eyes widened just the littlest bit.

"Michelangelo? He seems..." Mikey had taken a break, breathing heavily and drinking water as he waited for another jumpy techno number to come on, but they'd both seen his moves.

Leo shrugged. "He always outperforms me here. I don't have the rhythm to keep up with him. Plus, we can't exactly dance together to every song." Leo splayed out a hand, referencing the couples swaying in the soft light.

"I see."

Another pause filled with beats and melodies, ballooning out and out until neither of them could stand it.

"I'm sorry Leonardo-"

"Usagi I understand-"

They stared into each other's eyes, stunned for one, two beats, and then they laughed together softly. Leonardo was struck by that laugh, by how much he missed the warm connection that used to hang between them. Before things had gotten messy. Before he'd been filled with doubts.

Usagi spoke through his last couple chuckles. "I suppose we have a lot to talk about. I... just wanted to apologize Leonardo. I know..." he trailed off and stared at his hands, fiddling with the fur between his paw pads. "I know I've been cold recently. It was an overreaction on my part. I did not... I still want to be your friend. I want to be close like before. I just hope you can forgive the way I backed away from you."

"I understand." Leo tried those words, but they sounded wrong coming from his mouth. "Well I don't, not really. But I..." He looked over Usagi. He seemed to shimmer in the dim light. Pink eyes and glowing fur dyed soft orange and yellow by the flickering flames. "I want your friendship Usagi. I always have. And I will gladly give mine if that's truly all you want."

Usagi nodded, but it seemed weak, sad again, the light dimming as he forced a smile. It wasn't enough, or maybe Leonardo just didn't want to believe it. He reached out, setting his heavy, calloused hand on Usagi's soft shoulder. Leo spoke as they gazed into each other's eyes. "No, Usagi. Is that really all you want?"

"I..."

"Because if that's the case then I understand. I just. I need to know."

Usagi kept his gaze focused on Leonardo's face, searching it, eyes scanning each wrinkle, each small scar. Then he turned and watched the lights, and the dancing couples, the soft, slow music coursing through them.

When he looked at Leonardo again, his gaze was still sad, but there was a fire dancing again in his pink irises, a determination that made him reach up and touch the hand Leonardo had laid on his shoulder. The next couple moments were a little awkward, as Usagi tried to tangle their fingers together, but eventually, they managed the spacing, and for the first time they were tangled together intimately.

Leo looked at him, dumbstruck, but smiling. Usagi was smiling back and then speaking, each word sugared with excitement, contentment. "I saw your interest from a mile away. Even before I started... dropping hints that I felt the same." Leo beamed at that. He'd been right after all, and the confirmation made his chest, his shell fill with bubbling warmth. "But we are friends, and what started forming between us. The long looks, the letters, the way you'd sigh and smile just being in my presence. That was equal parts amazing, and terrifying." The warmth stops, still there, but held with trepidation. Terrifying? Why?

Usagi didn't let go of Leonardo's hand as he dropped his gaze to the grass. "I have told you how my last relationship ended, but I don't know if you knew how close a friend Mariko was before she became my lover. Moreover, you do not know of the countless people my pilgrimage has led me away from. The path I walk is usually lonely, Leonardo, and I was afraid that, and the complications of romance, would leave our friendship torn and tattered. I'm still afraid, in fact. I..." He turned his eyes back up, that determined blaze shining again. "I want more. I do. I won't lie to a friend. But I also still fear losing one because of my desire."

Leonardo mulled on that for several moments, not moving, still holding onto Usagi like a lifeline. "We're you afraid that you were seeing things? That your attraction was blinding you and making you think..."

"Niceties were flirtations?" Usagi finished the question, then shrugged. "Of course. All the time."

"And you worry jealousy or anger or fear or the simple march of time may drive us apart?"

A simple nod.

Leo looked out, past the party, past the lights, into the dark forest beyond. His gray-blue eyes grew dark and heavy, stormclouds billowing inside them. "I fear it too. I fear I'll make mistakes. I fear my responsibility as a leader, as a brother may become more important than you. I fear I will drive you away, or worse, hurt you."

"But..." he looked back at Usagi. The storm behind his eyes calmed. "If we share that much. Then I can assume you feel what I feel. The electricity in the air, right now, just from touching you this much. The way your chest gets tight and warm and feels like it will burst when I tell you I feel the same way you do. The way your lungs clutch for breath when our eyes meet. The hunger in your gut to touch more, to hold and squeeze me close." He took a staggering breath. Then spoke, asked with desperation behind each word. "You feel that too, right?"

Usagi Miyamoto was rarely speechless. He didn't ever run his mouth, no he was far too polite for that, but he'd always had a talent for putting the right words in the right places. Now though, with yearning the only thing in Leonardo's face, in his words, he could only gulp down his nerves and nod. Leonardo clasped his other hand over Usagi's, and held it tenderly, carefully. Like a fragile treasure.

Leo smiled, and the amusement danced up into his eyes. "So we've been torturing ourselves, scared and worried at what the other might say. Which definitely seems like us."

Usagi's little laugh made Leo's heart and stomach flip places. "Yes, the two of us, always so determined to suffer in silence."

Leonardo took just a moment to rearrange his body back into place, just a breath, and then he continued. "Yes and..." He had to keep his stare down at his own hands clasping Usagi's. His bright smile was too much. It kept leaving Leo speechless. "And if we were to step away. To stay too scared to try. Well, then we'd still suffer. We'd question every day if we let a golden opportunity slip through our fingers."

"So..." Usagi said it tentatively, but when Leo glanced up, his eyes looked so bright and sure.

"So we try it. We get closer than ever before. We..." Leo didn't turn his head, but his eyes flicked back to the party. "We dance?"

Usagi laughed again, and gods above it was worse this time. Leo had to remind himself to breathe. "That sounds like a good start yes."

So they stood. Their nerves, overflowing emotion, and the soft light made it all seem surreal to both of them. A dream neither wanted to wake from. But with their hands still entangled, they walked down the hill, to the dance floor. It welcomed them with warm lights and knowing smiles. Mikey even winked at them. Not that the teasing mattered. Leonardo was too happy to be embarrassed, and Usagi only had eyes for his dance partner. They would care later, when the slow music, the glowing lanterns, and the sensation of sliding close, of soft fur against coarse scales, had faded away. All they could think about in that moment was the fact that now, finally, their futures were tied together.

[acelikesturtles]

“Crushed”

Prompt: #2 (Childhood Best Friends AU)

Warnings: Mention/Experience of Childhood Bullying, Angsty

Word Count: 2,201

A/N: This is from this ask game that I posted a while back and just now was able to fully get around to. This is a little more angsty than it is fluffy at first, but the end result is kinda cuddly and fluffy if you ask me lol. I obviously took quite a few creative liberties with the interpretation (because this is an AU prompt) and the set up was rather heavily inspired from the vibe/aesthetics from the now abandoned fanfiction I wrote back in 2013/14. It was nice to be able to get back into that headset again, I miss that fanfiction a lot actually. That may be why it took me so long to get this finished? Reminded me a lot of what once was and it was healthy to be able to reflect on some of those old creative notions and get some of that out.

The moment Mikey stepped onto his balcony and into the crisp, early summer air, a gust of cool wind hit his lightly freckled cheeks and carried the smell of freshly roasted marshmallows, smoke, and melting chocolate through the breeze. As of only a few hours ago it was officially summer vacation. For Mikey, seeing his three best friends gathered around a small propane fire pit pelting marshmallows at each other gave him a sense of zen that his mother would not be able to sympathize with given the mess and the ruckus unfolding on their balcony that the landlord would surely complain about the next morning.

“Ow! Raph that could’ve cracked my lenses!”

Donnie frowned and removed his glasses to wipe the powder and mess from the right lens with the sleeve of his dark grey hoodie. In an act of childish revenge and in solidarity for the quietest of the group, Leo grabbed a handful of marshmallows out of the bag in front of them and threw them at Raph, only for the quarterback to catch a few sugary bullets in his mouth instead of allowing them all to go to waste on the concrete beneath them.

“Nice try, fearless.” Raph laughed through a half-chewed mouthful of marshmallows.

Mikey sat down on the remaining patio chair, the squeaky green one that he usually reserved for Leo just to annoy him, and began snapping graham crackers over his paper plate while Leo handed squares of chocolate out.

"How was your last day, Raph?" Leo asked, dropping the chocolate square onto Raph’s paper plate. Raph was too busy trying to finish the unintentional 'Chubby Bunny Challenge' he had started. With one clearly painful swallow which almost provoked the turtle to tears followed by a couple hard fist pounds on his plastron, he cleared his throat before giving an unceremonious shrug of his shoulders.

"It was alright. Mrs. Barkley wanted us to write a letter to our future selves er somethin' stupid like that. Kinda lame if you ask me."

"Hey, I thought that was fun, dude, don't ruin the vibes!" Mikey pouted. Even though Raph and Mikey happened to share the same teacher, that didn’t mean that their experience in her class was at all similar to one another. This was in part because Mikey was often pulled for extra assistance and missed some of the in-class instruction. This didn’t annoy him most of the time since he was typically pulled during math class and numbers never failed to make him exceptionally sleepy. "Did you even write anything?" He asked, swatting at a mosquito that had landed on his thigh.

"Yeah sure," Raph waved his hand at him nonchalantly, then leaned back in his patio chair so far that he almost tipped himself over. "Nothin special, just words, you know."

Leo clucked his tongue and shook his head. He was smirking. Leonardo carefully skewered a marshmallow and held it over the gas flame before looking back up at Raph. He had leaned forward in his chair again and was digging in the marshmallow bag for the biggest, puffiest marshmallow that he could find. "Yeah, and what are you gonna do when your mom wants to see it?" Leo asked in a challenging tone.

"Who said she's gonna?" Raph countered back as he stabbed his marshmallow rather aggressively onto his skewer.

While Raph and Leo continued yet again to engage in a pointless discussion about the value of doing busy work, respecting elders and all the other boring stuff that Leo learned from his dad’s dojo, Donnie and Mikey were left to fend for themselves with their friends' arguing voices serving as a backdrop like it usually did. Mikey looked up at Don’s particularly well adapted technique for marshmallow roasting and did his best to try to subtly imitate it. By slowly rotating the skewer in his hands, Donnie would undoubtedly get an even roast on his marshmallow and the perfect, ASMR-inducing crunch when he placed his graham cracker on top. Don had been noticeably quiet for the most part, focused on cleaning his glasses after Raph’s earlier ambush. At first Mikey didn’t think much of his quiet demeanor since, at times, this was normal for him; sitting back and listening to everyone else was more mutually beneficial than blabbing on and on about what he did in his gifted extension classes, especially since the only details and stories that Mikey and Raph found interesting included local “hottie-of-a-teacher” Ms. Carlton.

What made this period of quiet different was how glazed over Donnie’s eyes seemed coupled with an unusually tired expression for a day that was supposed to be nothing but fun with friends. There was some sort of tension bearing weight on Don’s shoulders that Mikey wanted to relieve, even if it meant just being a comfort.

“Hey Don, how was your day?” Mikey asked, breaking the turtle from his trance. Donnie blinked a couple of times before pushing his tortoiseshell glasses up a little on the bridge of his nose with his index finger. He made a face, one that expressed some combination of anxiety and unspoken discomfort over being confronted, then tried to shrug it off.

“It was alright. We didn’t do anything like what you or Raph did.” He said. A light smile tugged at the corners of his lips but it still seemed more tired than it did genuine.

"Course not," Raph chimed in. He had broken away from one pointless discussion for long enough to insert himself into another to escape from Major Lieutenant Leo’s endless lectures. "You probably made like, a rocket ship or somethin'. The USS Nerd-Brain, right?” He joked and nudged him with an elbow playfully.

“No, that was last month's project. Today was just final project presentations, everybody had to do one.”

“That’s what you made the solar energy converter thingy for.” Leo acknowledged.

Donnie resisted the urge to correct his terminology and nodded. “Yep, I got the best grade.”

“Then why do you look so uncomfortable talking about it?” Mikey asked. It was the obvious question that had likely been on Raph and Leo’s minds too now that he had drawn attention to it, but Mikey was apparently the only one with the balls to bring it up so nonchalantly as if it wasn’t going to trigger Donnie to metaphorically slink back into his shell and never come back out again.

A silence fell over the group only punctuated by honking horns and distant ambulance sirens. All eyes had turned towards Donnie who was now fully thrust under the spotlight. He swallowed. After about ten seconds with no response from him other than the appearance of the slightest red tint on his cheeks, he cleared his throat and removed his marshmallow from the flame and set it onto his graham cracker.

“It was Grant. You probably don’t know him, he-” He froze in the middle of a thought and sighed through his nose in defeat. “We...got into an argument.”

“Why?” Raph asked, scrunching his nose up in disgust. “Do I gotta hit this kid?”

Don snorted. “No, I handled it myself. Sort of...ish.”

“Sort of? Donnie, what exactly happened?” Leo frowned.

At first he wanted to dodge the question but he knew that the more he put off answering, the more poking and prodding at the subject matter would result. He closed his eyes, scrunching them up really tight while gripping and lightly massaging his nose right beneath the bridge for his glasses. With his other hand, Donnie grabbed his now completed s'more and took a single bite, feeling that sweet, sugary relief wash over him that had notably been absent before.

"I was presenting my project and there was this girl—is this girl, Lucy," He corrected himself. "You probably also don't know her but, she's kinda pretty and—"

“Woah woah, how pretty we talking?” Mikey butted in. His investment in this story had suddenly peaked. “On a scale of “cute” to “total babe”, how would you rank her?”

“Brunette?” Raph guessed. “Not a brunette, okay. Redhead? Blonde?”

“Totally a blonde.” Mikey snorted and gestured towards Donnie’s face, which despite his best efforts was still managing to grow redder by the second from embarrassment. “Am I right or am I right? She’s a blonde, isn’t she?”

Donnie brought himself back into the focus of his own conversation rather than answering what felt like a silly question given his circumstances. "Listen, I'm not her type."

"Says who?" Asked Raph.

"Says Grant, who told me I'm on his turf." Donnie grumbled under his breath.

"What, he knows what she's thinking?" Raph snorted.

“No, but-”

“Then go for it!” Mikey cheered.

“You don’t-”

“Grant isn’t the boss of you Donnie, you should talk to her.” Leo joined in.

There was a faint ringing in Donnie’s head that grew louder and louder the more he listened to their voices merge into one, all chanting for him to do what he felt like he just couldn’t, drowning out his words amidst a sea of voices that were louder and prouder than his was. It was only a matter of time before the feeling of being ignored became too much, and he had had enough. “Don’t you understand?” Donnie snapped. “Grant doesn’t want me on his “turf” because I’m a mutant!” He took a deep breath in, then slowly released it through his nose, to try and calm down. “She probably thinks I’m a freak.”

Everyone paused and yet again another quiet came over them. Mikey’s eyes drifted down towards the concrete beneath their feet, mind busy with thoughts that he had always kept in the back of his mind that were now plaguing him again. He never liked to think about the fact that their status as mutants hindered their ability to find friends or someday fall in love, but Donnie was saying it too. If the smartest one in their little posse was falling prey to the same cycle of thoughts that he often had before falling asleep at night, what did that mean about the validity of those thoughts?

“Do you know that for sure?” Leo asked, breaking the silence with a calm and collected tone that was so characteristic for his zen demeanor.

Don shook his head. “But Grant does. So do his friends, I mean look at me--look at us.”

“So, we’re mutants,” Leo sighed and pulled his marshmallow from the gas flame. It was perfectly toasted to an even golden brown on all sides and oozed out the sides of his s’more when he put another graham cracker on top. “I don’t believe we’re freaks though.”

Raph gave Leo a look, then laughed. “How do you figure?”

“Well, my dad always says that we can create our own truth,” Leo explained, earning an eye roll from Raphael who again seemed caught in a never ending cycle of lectures that Leo picked up from his dad. “So even if Grant thinks that we’re freaks...we have the final say on whether or not we feel that’s true.”

“Yeah, and what if this Lucy chick thinks that he’s a freak too? No offense, Donnie.” Raph said, patting Don on the shoulder in consolation. “You can’t just make that not true, genius.”

“No, that’s not the point,” Leo countered, then turned to Donnie. “What Grant says doesn’t matter because he doesn’t control how we think about ourselves or what you think is true. You do.”

Donnie blinked once. Twice. He looked down at the concrete again and shuffled his feet around beneath him, feeling a little silly that he had wasted his last day of 8th grade feeling gloomy and sad while looking at Lucy with wistful eyes that felt they had no chance on earth of ever meeting hers in a way that wasn’t just as friends. Was what Grant said actually the truth, or was he just allowing it to be the truth like Leo was suggesting? Would it be easier to stay away from Lucy and let Grant take his swing at her then risk a lifetime of heartache if he was rejected by her for being what he was?

Without warning, two arms wrapped around his slumped over shoulders and he looked up from the ground to see that Mikey had gotten up from his squeaky chair and was fully latched onto Donnie’s side.

“Its okay bro, I think you’re pretty awesome.” Mikey mumbled into Donnie’s shoulder.

“Me too, for the record.” Raph joined in, giving Donnie a playfully affectionate punch on the opposite arm.

A sigh escaped through Donnie’s nostrils chased down by a genuine smile. It was a gradual process, but he was beginning to feel a little better. Maybe Lucy did think that he was a freak like Grant had told him, or maybe Grant was just making it all up. His chances weren’t completely gone yet, and he had the whole summer ahead of him to have fun and forget about people like Grant and focus on more important things like science camp, gifted extension applications for the next semester, and then...maybe working up the balls to say something to Lucy.

Yeah, maybe that was what he would do.

[all-that-tmnt-jazz]

Hi. Well this is my first ask emm. Could u do a 6.' Running from the police' with em? Like the reader is involved in some bad stuff, let's say that she and her friends are a very dangerous killers and gangsters that reached above the level of the foot clan, and as such they have also dangerous enemies. Long story short, the reader ( leader/ boss) gets ambushed and she ended up running from the police' after killing the aggressors. She have a thing for Raph btw. I'll totally understand if u won't do this bc is kinda _dark_ sooo. No hard feelings. Thank u.

Y’all, I got you.

Word Count: 1,162

Warnings: Hint at Violence/Gore

You had known this mission would have been dangerous. You had known that you or your girls would have been caught. You knew the group of you would get ambushed- it was inevitable at some point. 

You knew all of this, but you still followed through.

You just never knew that you would be ambushed by a vigilante who happened to be an amateur hockey player.

You knew your group could handle him but god damn was he leading them close to the police headquarters…

He was good, you had to admit. But he was predicting your group’s actions- they were being predictable, and they knew it, and they knew you would chime in. They shouldn’t rely on you like that, especially knowing they shouldn’t. They shouldn’t rely on you like that, especially since it had caused problems in the past.

The hockey-playing vigilante then… Stopped.

You saw his entire body tense, then relax, and you didn’t like the look on his face.

“Retreat! Retreat!” You called to your girls.

“What do you mean?” Monica- your lieutenant- asked as she still started following your lead.

“He led you to an ambush, goddammit! How did you-” 

A helicopter soon flew overhead, it’s spotlights glaring down at the streets below. 

“In the alleys! Divide and conquer! Don’t get caught!” you called. Your girls all dispersed- some turned on their heels and ran the way they came, some went into alleyways, and others made turns at every other block they came across. “Monica- go! I can’t have us both get caught!”

Monica looked at you, and you barely spared her a glance. She turned at the next block, leaving you to fight any future fight alone.

Having you alone was likely what the NYPD wanted, especially since they knew your name and have known it for a few years now.

How you’ve never gotten caught is a question none of your girls have ever dared to ask.

But now, the NYPD has you right in their corner. They have you exactly how they want you: 

Alone.

Defenseless.

Powerless.

Alone.

But they keep forgetting how powerful you are. They keep forgetting how easily you’ve defeated nearly all of the officers they had sent to defeat you.

You knew you had cars on your tail and officers ahead of you a few blocks. You had to get out of there fast and without being noticed by their eyes. 

You turned into an alleyway, pausing only a second to catch your breath before you were pulled behind a dumpster.

A large, scaly hand was wrapped around your mouth while another was wrapped around your arms and torso, keeping you immobile.

You screamed against the hand over your mouth, then started to bite it and drew blood. You kicked them as hard as you can and as often as you can, wherever you could reach.

“I am trying to help you,” growled the owner of the hand.

Your feet soon found their shins. You were able to kick off of them and throw the owner of the hand backward. Despite you falling with them, you were able to balance yourself and get out of their grasp.

To say you were shocked at their large appearance was an understatement. 

“Who are- what are you?” you asked angrily yet quietly. “I’m trying to not get caught and you kidnap me like some sort of-” 

They pulled you and threw you over their shell and threw something else onto the ground in front of them. A rally of officers entered the alleyway’s entrance.

“Raphael… Where did she go?” said a woman’s voice you recognized as Chief Rebecca Vincent.

“I took care of her… Here,” the owner of the hand and shell said, kicking over what he had thrown onto the ground.

You nearly screamed- it was one of your girls. One of your soldiers. Her face was virtually gone, beaten and bloodied and torn apart. 

“I found her in here and it seemed someone had already killed her, I just made sure to finish the job.” 

You drew blood from biting your lip so hard. 

Officers called for an EMT’s back up to help transport the body.

“Thank you, Raphael. You are relieved of your duties,” Chief Vincent said. Her assistant, Jade was immediately by her side. She went back into her vehicle.

The owner of the hand and shell- who you assumed was Raphael- rushed up to the roof, making sure to hide you from the view of the remaining officers.

They took you several blocks away from the scene. You didn’t even bother trying to escape- you were too shocked to even respond.

Once they put you down safely on a rooftop you glared at them.

“Who do you think you are? Killing my soldier!” You screamed, lunging at them.

“Hey, hey- I lied,” they responded. “I only found her there, I did nothing-”

“How can I believe you! I saw her!” You made a solid hit to the top of his monster-like chest, but you reacted more than he did. 

“I don’t kill, I swear-”

“Then why was she dead!” you made another unsuccessful lung toward him.

“She was dead when I found her!” He deflected you easily.

“Who are you, anyway?” You asked, sending him your deadliest glare.

“Um… Raphael. The strongest guy you’ll ever meet this side of anywhere.”

You looked him up and down as slowly as you could and you could tell it was making him uncomfortable- which was the exact point. You were impressed with his strong, muscular frame.

His feet were larger than life, and his legs were even more so. He had biceps and triceps to spare, and shoulders wide enough to block a garage door. His height was even more threatening, and the fact that he had a fucking shell…

Through all of this, his most endearing feature was his hazel-green eyes through a blood-red bandana that had you entranced.

“And you know who I am?”

“Who wouldn’t, (Y/N)(L/N). Well, known around New York and New England as the (F/C) Flame.”

You looked him up and down again, anger still boiling inside of your chest.

“Why didn’t you turn me in? You clearly work hand-in-hand with Little Miss Becca,” you asked, spitting out Chief Vincent’s name. He chuckled.

“You clearly have knowledge of fighting,” Raph said, stepping toward you. You squared up to him, craning your neck back to look at him.

“What’s it to you?”

“I’m thinking we can work together to overthrow ‘Little Miss Becca,’” he suggested, mocking your tone.

This caught your attention.

“You? Overthrowing her? Despite being her little pet?” you asked him, taking a step closer. He scoffed a laugh, also stepping forward.

“We all know the government’s busted,” Raphael said, stepping forward again. You nodded, agreeing.

“Broken and bruised,” you added.

You two were nearly touching, you realized. But you didn’t mind, really.

“Business partners?” he asked. You smiled.

“Business partners.”