#also amazing big brother raph episode

[charcoaldustonmyfingers]

Biblically accurate Donatello! No shade to my boy, but Soft-shell turtles are so weird looking omg. My roommate saw that one episode of Amazing World of Gumball and has since decided they are all demon possessed, but considering it’s Donnie I guess that checks out

Spiny soft-shells actually come in several subspecies, several of which are quite region specific and endangered. They’re pretty funky, having bendy shells apart from the central bony shell plate, with super weird segmented plastral bones, long noses, and lips that cover their beaks. The reason for those can probably be attested to the fact that they are ambush predators, sitting beneath the mud in ponds and slurping up fish like a vacuum when they come close to their hiding spot. They don’t really have scutes, the big scales found on turtle shells and alligator backs, or scales in general I don’t think. (I don’t have a herpetology degree so this is all from surface level googling, feel free to correct!)

It’s hard to figure out how Donnie’s battle-shell would fit around the very flat bottom half of his true shell, as that’s the most bendy part. Additionally, he would probably need extra protection on his front, as the plastron ends higher up on soft-shells and isn’t one solid bone, nor does it have scutes to protect him. Not to mention the rest of him also not really having scales?

With the shape of turtle heads being quite flat, it would probably be hard to make masks that fit. They’d have to wear something more akin to a racing horse maybe? Donnie would probably draw his eyebrows anyway. Gotta have an impressive brow to raise when you gotta judge your brothers for being dum-dums, after all.

Softshells also have extremely long necks, so he can look down at people to judge them no matter how tall (except Raph lol)

[Raphael] [Leonardo] [Michelangelo] [Extended Family]

[theyhavetakenovermylife]

Love your bay children series! Can you please write how the bay turtles are as uncles and how their nephews and nieces are with them <3

Du skriver även jätte bra! Puss och kram

The Kids and Their Uncles (Fluff)

Bayverse!Turtles x reader

A/N: I’ve made these with the focus on you and said turtle’s childrens’ relationship with one of the uncles. Hope that makes sense, lol. Oh, btw, the advice Leo gives Mini is actually one my psychiatrist gave me. Hopefully it also works for others💚

Og mange tak! Jeg har også øvet mig længe💚

(D/W/N) = Donnie’s wife’s name.

Warnings: None💙❤️💜🧡

Leonardo:

“Uncle Mikey!”, 16 year old Romeo called out, holding his odachi high above his head, gleaming with pride when Michelangelo entered the dojo. “See what I can do!” What followed was a series of fast movements that ended with him posing with his odachi just in front of him, shining in the light.

Gerardo let out a sound of amazement, while Marcello rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. “Show off”.

“Wow, when did you learn that?”, Mikey smiled, knowing how hard his oldest nephew had trained, since Master Splinter first gave him his odachi at the age of 15.

“I learned it myself”, Romeo said proudly, before swinging the odachi in a manner that reminded Mikey of a teenage Leonardo. No doubt that was the oldest son of the fearless leader. “I’m going to show dad later. Do you think he’ll like it?”

“You’re asking if your father will be happy to see something you have learned yourself?”, Mikey asked, his serious tone breaking with his smile as he ruffled the top of Romeo’s head, letting his nephew know that he was joking. “Of course he will. That’s the kind of stuff that will make your old man proud”.

“Me too!”, Gerardo yelled out, mimicking his oldest brother’s moves, but without any weapon in his hands.

“Leo! Is that you?”, Mikey asked jokingly, making the 10 year old laugh loudly, before Romeo put his weapon away, so he and Gerardo engaged in some light hearted sparring, their laughter echoing loudly through the dojo.

Mikey turned to find his other nephew sitting in the corner of the room, watching his brothers run around with a small scowl. Mikey was no stranger to Marcello’s tempered episodes, having been present to many of them, or at least within ear shot. So as he made his way over to the 13 year old Marcello, he knew exactly what was going on. But he would let the young half mutant have a chance, at explaining what he was feeling.

“Hey there, big guy”, Mikey said, taking a seat on the floor next to the grumpy teenager. Marcello shot him a look and greeted him with a small hey, resting his chin in his hand. “Why are you sitting over here?”

“Because those two are taking up the whole dojo”, Marcello mumbled, nodding to his brothers. “A guy can’t get space around here”.

Mikey watched Marcello have his brothers for a moment, before he decided to stand, turning to his nephew with a smile. “Well, guess we then have to make some space”, he said, Marcello looking at him in curiosity. “Ever tried nunchucks before?”

“No”, Marcello answered, unable to hide his smile as he stood up. “Can I try yours?”

“Of course you can”, Mikey said, pulling his nunchucks from his belt, holding them out in front of Marcello, watching his face light up even further. And Mikey’s next words only served to make him smile even brighter. “Time to show your father something the others can’t”.

Raphael:

Raph had never really been good at meditating. He had never really liked it, and he generally had a hard time keeping his mind calm for so long. But he did really want his children to learn it. Or at least get familiar with it, should they ever get to a position where they would need it. And therefore Raph asked Leonardo for help. Leo had always been a natural at meditating, and had for the most part successfully taught his own children to do it, so maybe he could teach Raph’s children the same.

And that was how Leo ended up in the dojo with his nephew and two nieces, helping them clear their minds, the same way that had worked for his own children. But Leo soon found himself facing a difficult situation - these were his nieces and nephew, the children of his hot-tempered and at times inpatient brother. And that much was obvious, from the way the three children had a hard time sitting still, almost refusing to go too far into their own heads.

As Leo spoke about slow breathing, keeping their eyes closed, and bringing their thoughts to focus on the said breathing, only Joan seemed to be able to sit still, wanting to get this over with, so she could go back to whatever a 13 year old teenage girl liked to speed her time with. But her younger siblings weren't finding it as easy. 6 year old Ragnar had a hard time concentrating, his attention being grabbed by every sound outside the dojo, creating all sorts of images in his head. All from his mother and father watching television, to a monster breaking through the entrance of the lair, making him uneasy. Minerva however, just couldn’t sit right. Her legs kept falling asleep and her skin kept crawling, her knee impatiently bouncing in its bent position, pushing up against Joan, drawing an irritated sigh from the frustrated teen, who had just managed to empty her head for a short moment.

“Mini, stop moving your leg”, Leo said without opening his eyes, causing Ragnar to look at him in amazement. How did he do that?

“But, uncle Leo”, Mini said, laying down onto her back, stretching out on the dojo floor. “Meditation is so hard and boring”.

“If you shut up, it maybe wouldn’t be so hard”, Joan mumbled, shooting her little sister a look that made Mini sit back up.

Leo opened his eyes, taking a moment to study Mini as she still couldn’t sit still. “Can you say why it's hard and boring? It’s okay, there’s no right or wrong answer”.

Mini sat for a moment, chewing the inside of her cheek, thinking her answer through. "It's hard to empty my head”, the 9 year old mumbled.

Leo looked at Mini and thought for a moment, before he finally smiled at her, noticing the relieved expression on her face.

“That’s okay”, Leo said, adjusting his legs. “It’s very hard to just empty your head, especially when you’re used to thinking a lot. What you can do instead, is to notice your thoughts. Take note of them and let them be. Don’t fight them, but let them flow naturally. Hopefully that will feel easier”.

Mini nodded with a bright smile, before folding her legs once more, actually being able to sit still this time. Smiling at the sight, Leo turned his attention towards Ragnar, noticing how he kept throwing glances at the dojo doors.

“Do you want to sit next to me, Ragnar?”, Leo asked, holding out his hand to the small boy. Ragnar nodded before making his way over next to Leo, taking a good hold of his hand, before he sat down next to him with his legs crossed, for once not looking towards the door, when he heard the small sounds coming from the other side.

Donatello:

Sometimes it just happened, and Raph wasn’t really sure how. He would walk into a room, find his nephews and nieces playing with something, either with or without his own children, and suddenly he would be sitting down with them, playing along, all full of life and energy. And today wasn’t any different.

Raph had found his 10 year old nephew, Galileo at the kitchen table, scribbling away at pieces of paper with thick colorful crayons, and a concentrated expression on his face - one that very much reminded Raph of Donatello, whenever he was in deep concentration inside his lab.

Raph had asked Gali about what he was drawing, and soon he sat with his nephew at the kitchen table, drawing all sorts of stars and action heroes, causing Gali great amusement, as they took turns adding to the drawing. However, as the two of them continued their drawing game, they were soon joined by Marie and Dorothy.

The two 5 year old girls sat at the table, grabbing their own pieces of paper and a handful of crayons, only for their attention to be fully caught by Gali and Raph’s drawings. And of course, the two girls wanted in, wanting to join their older brother and their uncle.

“Can we play too?”, Dorothy asked, trying to touch the paper with her pink crayon, only for Gali to turn to her with a dirty look. A look that even Raph has seen many times, whenever Gali felt like his sisters crept in on his personal space.

“No, me and uncle Raph are busy”, Gali said, doing a hand movement, as if he was trying to shoo his sisters away.

“But we want to play!”, Marie whined, her green crayon in hand.

“I said no”, Gali said, turning his back on his sisters, pushing his paper further away from them. And of course, this action caused tears to gloss over the girls eyes, looking longingly at the paper he and Raph had been drawing on.

“You know what?”, Raph suddenly said, catching the attention of the three children once more. “I have a better idea”.

Standing from the table, Raph grabbed the stack of paper, before splaying them out over the kitchen table, until the whole surface was covered in the white paper. The three kids, seeming to understand what Raph was doing, looked up at their uncle with wide smiles, grabbing onto the crayons with excitement.

“Let’s draw the biggest drawing ever!”, Raph said, watching with a happy smile, his nephew and niece smiled at each other, before turning their attention towards the many papers in front of them.

As Raph and three kids continued their drawing, the other kids slowly came to the table, taking a look before adding onto the large piece themselves. It didn’t take long before all the kids of the lair sat around the kitchen table, drawing until there was almost no crayons left.

Michelangelo:

1.5 year old Luis had been sick for a few days now, crying for both you and Mikey at all times. The poor little guy was teething, and with that came sickness and pain, and so, you and Mikey was hung up, spending most of your time with your crying child, trying to soothe the pain in his gums. And this left Sunny BORED. Ever since Luis had gotten sick due to his teething, Sunny had been a bored and sighing mess. She wandered around the lair, waiting for the moment Luis got better, so either you, Mikey or maybe even Luis could come play with her. But until then, she would have to entertain herself, or find someone else to do so. And that was how she ended up in the lab with her uncle, draping herself over a small table on the other side of the room, with a small installation of the solar system on it.

Donnie saw his niece enter the lair, and spoke to her without looking away from his work. “Hey, Sunny. How’s it going?”

“Bored!”, Sunny groaned, resting her chin on the table, her eyes staring at the small earth in front of her. “Luis’ sick, so there’s nothing to do”.

“That doesn’t sound good”, Donnie said, turning his chair so he could watch Sunny, making sure she wasn’t getting her fingers into something she shouldn’t. She had a tendency to touch whatever she found interesting. And just as Donnie had thought, she was now poking at the miniature solar system. “Have you asked Gali if he wants to play?”

“He’s reading with aunt (D/W/N)”, the girl mumbled. However, her flighty attention and curiosity was very soon taken by the miniature she was playing with. “What is this?”

“That?”, Donnie asked, rolling his chair over to her. “That’s the solar system. The one you’re touching right now is earth”.

“Earth”, Sunny repeated, her attention jumping to the small white ball beside it. “What’s this?”

“That’s the moon”, Donnie answered.

“The moon?”, Sunny asked, her eyes shining with excitement. “Like the one in the sky?”

“Yes”, Donnie smiled. “Like the one in the sky”.

“Do there live fairies on the moon?”, Sunny asked, pushing the moon spindle, so it made a rush of circles around the earth.

Donnie chuckled at her question. She was truely Mikey’s daughter.

“Do you want fairies to live on the moon?”, Donnie asked, watching Sunny study the solar system. His niece looked at him and nodded. “Then in that case, there lives moon fairies on the moon. But they are hard to find. They neither like robots or beings that aren’t fairies themselves”.

“But I’m a fairy!”, Sunny exclaimed.

“You are!?”, Donnie asked, acting surprised. He looked around, acting as if he was thinking, making Sunny laugh. “But we’re in my lab! There are robots! Come on fairy, let’s get you out of here and find some of your fairy friends!”

And with a loud giggle, Sunny ran out of the room, waiting for Donnie to close the door to the lab behind him, before they continued their fairy game in the living area.

[raphmybeloved]

Rottmnt fic recs: hidden gem edition

There are so many amazing fics out there that sometimes fantastic works can get overlooked. I’m here to bring you some wonderful recommendations for rottmnt fics that I believe could use a little more love. List is a little Raph heavy but hey, if you’re familiar with me you know that’s inevitable. Unless stated otherwise all fics on this list are gen

Garden Variety by BeigeBagels

• This fic is feels just like an episode of rise. It’s lighthearted with the kind of goofy brand of humor we all love from rise. Also it mentions Donnie’s love of botany! What could be better?

Can I dream for a few months more? By ChipFunk

• This is a big comfort fic for me. In summary, his family supports Raph while he deals with hypersomnia. Classic hurt/comfort and sweet family moments!

Brickwalls and Backalley Brawls by Flannel_Terrapene

• For anyone who loves the classic TMNT Casey and Raph vigilante duo this is a fantastic take on that but for rise! Delightful with fun banter and in character I highly suggest giving it a read.

I've Got You Under My Skin by Cass_Phoenix

• Anyone who knows me knows I am a huge fan of Krang after effect fics. This is such a fantastic look to how things would go if the Krang stayed in Raph’s head as head mates. It’s still a WIP but has a fantastic sense of foreboding that makes updates delightful! Be mindful of tags and triggers .

In which fate stains by Udbsken

• One of the best character studies I’ve ever read through the framing device of platonic soulmarks. Touches on a almost all characters but highly suggested to fans of Splinter. I cannot suggest this one enough!

And last but certainly not least!

Off Colors: Contrasts by @sibillascribbles08

• Probably my favorite separated au! Follows the plot of the show closely including all the fun goofy episodes and keeps the characters very true to show. Includes such amazing things as: lots of brains and brawn, lil brother Raph, Casey & Mikey friendship, and plenty of April O’Neil! Honestly please give this a read I promise you won’t regret it!

Please check these fics out! I’ll probably do another one of these soon, I just love to help people find new fics to read!

[angelmichelangelo]

ugh i was thinking abt karai all of last night and it made me Angry. the missed opportunities of karai in 2012 are TRAGIC. she wouldve been such a good older sister living with the turtles and splinter like can you IMAGINE the antics. karai purposefully pissing off raph and they get into sibling slap fights. she indulges mikey on whatever he wants bc hes the youngest and won her heart immediately. she makes fun of donnie for being a nerd but also consistently brings him snacks and makes him go to bed when hes been in his lab for a while. her and splinter talking about their traumas and healing as father and daughter. AUUUGGHG ciro when i catch you. ciro you mf

oh absolutely!! it's so sad that such a big chunk of the entire tmnt plot was karai's backstory and getting her back to her family, and once that was all achieved she kinda just.. faded into the background like a cousin that occasionally showed up every now and then for big showdowns.

ESPECIALLY since she was splinter's long lost daughter. the daughter he'd told his sons about countless times, the one where he'd mention her, get all sad and go 'but no worries i have you boys now:)' like ??? that could have made for some AMAZING storylines. a little bit of jealousy for angst? splinter's guilt?! them trying to relearn their entire family dynamic.. and they chose to go with 'yeah the whole leo and karai thing was weird. that's still going strong btw just a heads up'

we really were robbed of her interactions with the turtles one to one. i'll say this: the turtles relationships with each other? great, fantastic, love to see it. but outside of their brothers.. yeesh. they don't mix well in terms of how they're written. and a lot of characters suffer for it. i can't think off the top of my head a single time karai interacts with, say, mikey, alone. just even in the background. like yeah they pair her and leo off together a lot and raph chews her out a few times but she really deserved to actually hang out with her little brothers a lot more and that's sad :(

i would have really have loved to see everything you mentioned! i think (and correct me if im wrong) but mikey is like the only one who outright calls her their sister. i would have loved to have seen an entire episode where the rest of the brothers kinda come to terms with that, leo ESPECIALLY! he's a daddy's boy at heart and now his dad's first child is back and he maybe feels a bit put out. maybe don raph and mike already feel like they never got enough attention have to try and cope with the fact that they feel even more pushed out, even if not on purpose.

and then on top of that, the guilt karai feels, torn between feeling glad she has her real father back, and sad because she doesn't know this man like the others quite do and she knows she's taking up his time and attention... :( there was so much they could have done! and yet!! and yet!!!!!!!

ugh. i guess that is what fanfiction is for, huh friend :') lol

[pink-arcee]

I see you just got into TMNT now you started 2k3. That’s so cool. I know Donnie is your favorite but I want to ask for the iterations so far. What’s your opinion on each of the TMNT? Individually. /gen question

Oh my god prepare for a YAP

I’ll have this under a cut because this is a long one.

Okay so I’ve seen most of the TMNT iterations/parts of each one, plus I’ve read a couple of the comics. Overall Donnie is definitely my favorite, in each iteration, but second place shifts depending on the series. It’s honestly interesting because the first time I watched anything tmnt Mikey was my favorite with a Donnie as second place, but now Donnie’s my favorite.

1987 show:

I’ve only seen the first season, plus a couple of clips, so I don’t have a super big opinion on it. I’m planning on watching it all the way through eventually. So far it seems pretty funny, though I can’t hear Raph speak without thinking it’s Donnie. ‘87 was the one my dad watched so we’ve talked about it a couple of times. Shredder and Kraang are really funny, they act like an old married couple and it’s hilarious. Splinter is also really funny (“They named me Splinter, for obvious reasons” - that killed me). Shredder’s voice is certainly interesting but it works

1990’s movies:

I’ve seen the first one like 12 times, and the other two I watched a while ago so I don’t fully remember them. The first one is fucking phenomenal. Casey Jones’ intro was amazing, and as a kid I literally wanted to BE him. (Lowkey still do). It’s probably one of my favorite movies ever. The brothers’ dynamic, Casey and April’s dynamic, it’s all great. The Foot Clan looked awesome, Shredder was awesome. The way they dumped Raph into the damn bathtub. Amazing. Raph’s super loud “DAMN” as Casey ran off. My dad and I quote this movie on the regular. Mikey being a goofball the entire movie? (“Pork rind?” “Pork rind.”) Donnie doesn’t have as much characterization as Raph, but he’s still my favorite. Raph’s a close second. I’ve heard the second and third ones aren’t as good as the first one, but I’m still going to watch them soon. I’ve heard Casey isn’t in the second one which is actually tragic. I also heard that April’s actress changed, but I haven’t seen her so I don’t really have an opinion on that.

2003 show:

I’m almost done with season 2 of it, and so far it’s literally awesome. Donnie has once again claimed favorite, but Raph is again close behind him. I love all the angst. It has its goofy moments, but I like that the story is serialized as opposed episodic. I’m very excited for SAINW. Since Donnie is my favorite you all know I love Donnie angst and SAINW is basically a staple in Donnie angst. I really like the brothers’ relationships with one another. I also really like their voices, Leo and Donnie sound super similar. I also really like how impulsive Donnie is - he saw that portal in the Kirby episode and dove straight in like a dumbass and I love him for it. Leo being thrown through the window (classic Leo) was also funny as hell.

I also really like Splinter in it, I feel like he’s a lot more present than he is in some of the other series. In 2012 and Rise he’s mostly in the background but in 2003 he’s in most of the episodes. I like how often he jumps into the fight to protect his children as well. I’m used to 2012 and Rise so I wasn’t expecting him to be kicking ass in most of the fights, but here he is. I really like the artstyle of 2003 as well, it looks a bit like Young Justice and I was a huge fan of that show as a kid. April and Casey are awesome as well, April being a scientist was different but I liked it, she and Donnie can bond over their interests more. I also love himbo Casey - he’s got such a big heart, and even if he’s not the brightest he’s always trying. His and Raph’s relationship is iconic. Mikey is funny af as usual, though in 2003 he honestly gives Shaggy/stoner vibes, which works. I like how he’s actually one the best at ninjitsu, when they are sparring no one can really hit him. I like that the team is so close, everyone cares about everyone and there’s not a super big division in teams like in 2012. All in all I really love the show so far, and I’m very excited to see where it goes.

2007 movie:

I saw this movie once a long time ago, but I remembered I liked it. I finally found a way to watch it so I’ll probably watch it again once I finish 2003. I remember that there is a ton of angst in it (hell yeah) but since I haven’t seen it in a couple years I can’t really give a definitive opinion on it. From the clips I’ve seen, Donnie is still very much the favorite (“it’s not THAT kind of phone line!”)

Bayverse movies:

I’ll be so for real, I watched both of these movies in one sitting after 10 pm. It was interesting. It felt very off from how TMNT usually is, but I did like it. It’s definitely not my favorite, and there were a lot of parts I didn’t like (No Hamato Yoshi :( and why tf is Casey a cop???) but it was a pretty decent set of movies and I’ll probably watch them again eventually. It’s about the same as I feel with the Bay Transformers movies - they weren’t the best but they weren’t the worst things I’ve ever seen.

Donnie is still the favorite (“Well, you know the plan.” *jumps out of airplane*) and I think Mikey would probably be second favorite. He’s fun. I think Megan Fox is hot so I didn’t mind her, but I wish April actually had more of a personality. She seemed pretty bland, but it doesn’t really surprise me, the April writing seems to be pretty hit or miss. The turtles look… interesting. They’re very… tall… compared to their counterparts. The Shredder and Kraang kind of came out of nowhere in my opinion. It was a cool fight, though.

2012 show:

I just finished it, and holy shit it was honestly so good. Season 5 was kind of eh, but I loved the rest of it. Donnie is once again my favorite, with Raph at second. I really liked teenager Casey and April, and I also really liked how they let April learn how to defend herself. In a lot of the past iterations April has been a damsel in distress, but in 2012 she’s able to actually fight back. I wish we could have seen more of her struggle with her powers, especially more as she’s slowly possessed by the Aeon crystal. The Kraang’s dialogue was funny, and the Utrom reveal was cool. I was so sad when Splinter died (rip) I wish we could have seen more of their reactions to his death(s). The Space Arc was absolutely my favorite (which sucks because a lot of people apparently hated it). I wish there had been more of the Space Arc. I’m also a huge David Tennant fan so hearing him as Fugitoid was awesome. I liked how the brothers interacted, they bickered so much but it was never meant as more than jokes. Mikey intentionally pissing people off and then running was always funny.

I hated most of the love stories in 2012, Leo and Karai and April/Casey/Donnie specifically. Leo and Karai were called siblings several times (what were the writers on??) and it felt like April never had any actual chemistry with either of them. I loved April as well, so it sucked that they didn’t want to be consistent with her character/arc.

I was kinda iffy on Splinter, sometimes it felt like he was a great father but other times he made no sense. (Like grounding them all to the lair when they needed to stop the bad guys from destroying everything). I did like how he was willing to teach April and Casey even though they weren’t his kids, he taught April just about everything and helped Casey get better.

All in all, I really like the show. The animation wasn’t always the best, and the writing wasn’t always great, but I still loved it.

Rise, show and movie:

Rise was the first TMNT show I watched fully, and though I had seen bits of 2012, this was really my introduction to TMNT back in 2019. I love the show so much. Donnie is once again my favorite (as always) but this time Leo’s the second favorite. I really liked April and I wish we had seen more of Casey in the show before Junior showed up. I like when April is adopted into their family, so her being basically their sister was incredible. I really liked the way the brothers interacted with one another, and I really love the animation for it. I used Rise a lot to help me with my art when I was learning how to draw.

I wish we had gotten more of an overarching plot for Rise, but I did like what little of it we got. Rip Gram-Gram. I thought Splinter was an interesting take, but it made sense. Who wouldn’t becoming horribly depressed after being turned into a rat (especially after being a famous action star). I don’t think he was the best father, but he was trying towards the end. I liked what the writers did with the characters, they’re all relatively different than the previous iterations while still keeping some of the key components of each character. I liked how the Shredder was done, with him being more of a mythical creature than an actual man, and how he was possessed by the Krang’s armor (and the Krang were done so well)

The movie was amazing, I loved Casey Jr (so much angst potential) and the overall idea of coming back to see your family that doesn’t know you. It was such a cool way to have the Krang (and they were actually terrifying in Rise, in 2003 they were peaceful, in 2012 they were kinda dumb, but in Rise they fully murdered people on screen. Wacky.) I wish we had seen more Casey Sr - she was so cool and we didn’t even know she was Casey until the end. I wanted to see Casey and Raph bond :( Oh well, we have the fandom for that, I suppose.

Mutant Mayhem, movie and show:

I haven’t seen Tales yet (maybe after I finish 2003) but it looks promising. I loved Mutant Mayhem, it’s a very different vibe than the other ones (“Just getting a little silly here”) but it’s still pretty damn good. Donnie is still my favorite, with Mikey as a close second. This is actually the first version of the tmnt that is younger than me (I was about 12-13 when I first started watching Rise and I’m 18 now) so I was a little worried I wouldn’t like it because it’s for younger kids. Thankfully, I loved it. Definitely for younger people, but you know, it was still TMNT so I still watched it. It’s not my favorite version of them, but I’ll definitely watch it again.

I really wish Casey was in it (is Casey in Tales?) but April was so funny (“Yeah the longer you hide the more sus it gets”). I didn’t really like Splinter that much, but I also prefer it when he has a link to Hamato Yoshi (either by being him or being his pet) so I wasn’t too surprised that he wasn’t my favorite. Donnie was still peak though. I liked that they had teenagers playing them, even though I’m used to professional voice actors/adults playing them. I also liked how funky the art style was, it was similar to Spider-Verse and Spider-Verse was awesome.

The Last Ronin comic:

Oof oof ouch. Holy crap it’s so sad. Oof oof ouch.

In all seriousness, it was so good. I haven’t read the lost years, but I did read the normal comic and it was amazing. Horribly sad, but good. God, the way he could hear his brothers the whole time? The way he clearly blamed himself for what happened to them?

Casey Marie was amazing, and it’s so sad that Casey didn’t get to see his daughter grow up to be just like him. (To be fair, she’s almost a perfect mix of him and April). The ending was heartbreaking. The sudden descriptions of their deaths?

I don’t think the image of Casey’s mask on Leo’s swords will ever leave my mind.

IDW comics:

I’ve only read about half of the first volume, but it’s great so far! I’ve read Jennika’s story too, so I know a little bit from that as well.

Shredder and the Hamatos being reincarnated goes insane, by the way. I love the different art styles in the comics, they all look so good. I wish I could make posters out of every panel. April was once again a scientist, which is pretty cool.

Mirage comic:

I haven’t read the mirage comics, but once I get the money and I know where to find them I’m planning on buying them. They look awesome

Batman vs the TMNT:

I own the movie but I haven’t had the time to see it yet. I really want to, the art style is amazing and I really like the turtles’ new designs.

I feel like such a fake fan, I haven’t seen/read or only partially seen/read most of these. But yeah, I love TMNT and any excuse to yap about it I will take.

[thefiercest]

My Favorite Versions of TMNT

Splinter

My favorite version of Splinter is 2012 Splinter because you just have to respect the fact that after losing everything he has ever known, then losing his humanity, he still worked and fought hard to raise and protect his children. He is a man with a lot of trauma and despite that, he still was a loving father. How could you not love him?

I don't really have a favorite Shredder I hate all of them but I will say, I hate 2012 Shredder the most because he is just such an evil, cruel asshole. Poor Shen and Karai, they did not deserve what he did to them.

Shen

2012 Shen is my favorite because even though she was in only one episode, you can tell what kind of woman she was and I love how they made her, more than just a sweet woman stuck between two men, unlike the 2003 version. Shen was not only a sweet, kind woman but she was also a fierce independent woman, and a strong mother willing to do anything for her daughter.

Leonardo

Honestly, 2012 and 2003 Leo were kind of tied to me but 2003 won with the fact that 2003 Leo didn't have a thing for his sister. He may have had a little thing for Karai but the two weren't related in any way in that version.

Raphael

2012 Raphael is my favorite because I feel like his character development and journey to control his temper was more on point. Like he was slowly maturing in every season and we know the reasons why. Started with Mikey getting hurt, continued when he had to take over as older brother because Leo was in a coma, and then ended after he met Monalisa. Raph's experiences and growth has been really impressive and I wish for more of it.

Donatello

2018 Donnie is my favorite because...well...he cracks me up and his sarcasm and attitude is much more extreme then the others but I love it. lol :)

Michelangelo

2012 Mikey is my favorite because I guess of his character development as well. Mikey started off as the naive, annoying little brother but though it is hard to see, he also slowly started to mature as the seasons went on. He may still goof around but he started taking things a bit more seriously.

April O'Neil

2018 April is my favorite because I just love how more fun-loving and spunky she is. The last Aprils, have always acted more like a mom-friend to the turtles but this one, acts like a cool big sister and...I believe this is the first April who wasn't a love interest to one of the turtles.

Casey Jones

2012 Casey is my favorite because I respect the fact that he cares so much about innocent people getting hurt and he went out of his way, to try to help even though he was not provoked to do so in any way.

Karai

2012 Karai is my favorite because I honestly relate to her so much and she was like a whole different Karai, she wasn't like the others. She had a great story with her being the long lost daughter of Splinter and was raised by Shredder but because of Nick, her potential was unfulfilled...:(

Still, I love her.

Monalisa

2012 Monalisa is my favorite because I just love how much of a military badass she is. Her love with Raphael is also so amazing. I wish we had more of her but sadly, we didn't but I respect this Mona a lot more for her warrior spirit and how she is always so willing to help and do the right thing, even if it cost her everything...

(I love 2012 a lot more...obviously.)

[scarlet-alleyway]

Hey again! I hope you’re doing alright. I hear that things have been rough for you, but hang in there; I believe in you!!

I wanted to let you know that I LOVE this blog and your engagement with everyone on it. Shout-out to the anon artist for their amazing drawings, but your art style is also so good?? Being able to write AND draw is like, not fair honestly. Save some talent for the rest of us :p

Wait, I should ask a question, shouldn’t I? Formalities and all that - okay, how about this:

Do you have a favourite ROTTMNT episode, and if so, why?

Vincent, you are such a delight and i would gnaw at your enemies for you

i was keeping this in my inbox for a while because i couldn't help but keep staring at it, but to answer your actual ask at the end (whoops):

It's so hard to pick an actual favorite episode!! I think my hands-down favorite ROTTMNT experience has to be the Movie in general, but One Man's Junk (S1, EP23?), Mystic Library (S1, EP20), Pizza Puffs (S2, EP5), and Jupiter Jim Ahoy (S2, EP24) are really fun for me to re-watch too ^_^

I'm not actually sure why those are my favorite re-watch episodes, but considering Raph rotates in my mind like an action figure at all times, that might be part of the reason- scenes where his 'big brother' attitude shines just make me feel so cozy

[hyperfixated-homo]

For your horror au, would Casey junior be in the cosmic horror with Donnie because of the whole Krang or would that be it’s own horror genre? (Sorry the only horror I know is psychological and that’s just with arg…) would hypno be the big bad of this world because of his hypnotic abilities? (Like that episode close don’t make the turtle)

Also since the gang have to keep going back and forth what if they found a way to mind melt and help one another? It might be more difficult or easy with Leo then, say Raph, but just a idea! And oooh slasher Mikey! Final girl, Mikey!! (That the term I think?) You think with him being into therapy he would be good for psychological…oh what if one day then end up switching horror?

Raph should totally take the creepy doll and give it a makeover…no mean ghost, but a pretty friend now!

I'm going to try to put as many characters as I can in different genres, so I don't think Casey would be cosmic horror. If I end up including him, I wanted to put him in apocalyptic horror (which I honestly only learnt is a thing a couple days ago)! That or if I put F!Leo in somewhere, I think that he would be apocalyptic horror, while Casey would represent alien horror in general.

I wasn't planning on having a "big bad" but honestly that's a really interesting idea. The idea of Hypno using his powers to make the turtles experience those sorts of horrifying events is... sort of terrifying. I kinda love it. I'm not sure that I'm going to use it though, since I'm leaning towards the horrors being a result of a family curse right now. Although, I think that if they ever had to fight him in this au, they would find him MUCH scarier than they do in canon.

Mind melding would be so much fun, but as you said, I don't think everyone would be able to do it. Imagine it as an angst point though? Later in the story, when they have all become closer, they learn that through their family bond, they are capable of reading each other's minds.

Mikey, who is the most connected to his ninpo, finds it the easiest, almost chattering in his brothers' brains by accident. With a bit of training, Raph learns how to do it too, opening up to them in a way that he doesn't feel he can usually. He finds it much easier to explain his thoughts when he doesn't have to say them out loud. Later, in the midst of a breakdown, possibly dissociating, Donnie mind melds with them too. He is incapable of speech but wants, needs them to understand how he feels.

The only one who could never connect is Leo.

It doesn't upset them, of course. Leo had always struggled with the more mystical side of his powers, unable to trust himself even in the heat of the moment to do what is right. It upsets him, though, because the issue isn't that he doesn't trust himself. He knows what that kind of blockade feels like, and he knows how to deal with it and move on.

He can't mind meld because he doesn't trust them, no matter how much he wants to or how hard he tries. And he doesn't even know where to start explaining that to his brothers.

Anyways, sorry for that little ramble. 10/10 concept though.

Slasher Mikey makes me very happy. I think he should get to stab people. Just a little. As a treat. :)

Also, the idea of them switching genres has passed my mind before. There are two ways that could go, the number 1 being that they find it sort of funny/boring because they don't actively fear those things, or... they come out with more scars than they came in with.

ALSO for that last point. If the turtles ever end up processing their trauma and learning to vibe with their universes instead of actively fearing them, I would absolutely love to make them just chill with their respective monsters. Raph getting to play with the ghosts. Mikey getting advice from a serial killer. Donnie getting an extraterrestrial pet. It would be AMAZING.

Thank you for the ask, this was really fun to answer aslkjdalkjdsa.

[skylerskyhigh]

OKAY BET- UHHHH-

🥳 & 🤩

Thank you friend!

🥳 Why did you start writing fanfic?

If it's fanfic specifically, I started it as a way to cope and vent from the stress of my life. High school was a horrible time for me, and I found solace in writing fanfics.

At first it started as a way to vent. If you check my old works, particularly from the Undertale fandom, it was... a lot. It was very dark, experimental, but it was also filled with a lot of hurt/comfort.

It evolved into a way to explore ideas, particularly the AUs. I found that I enjoyed taking characters and expanding on them, going backwards and making them deeper, exploring their hypothetical past and deepening their character.

Then it became a way for me to express myself. I got so interested in writing stories and it expanded from there. Writing "what ifs", tropes, testing out ideas, and generally being very experimental with what I want to write. There were... a lot of fics that have been stuffed into the depths of hell, but overall, writing has evolved from being a coping mechanism, to something I really enjoy.

🤩 What led to your interest in the fandom?

Since I'm deep in the ROTTMNT fandom, I'll answer for that! I just LOVE the show! I knew it was around back in 2018 but back then I had no way of watching it. But immediately I was drawn to the unique character designs and I was very curious.

Then recently, this year, I got to watch the movie and OH BOY was that a trip! It had EVERYTHING I love about a story!

Great character design. Great writing. Deep characters. STELLAR animation! Just, the animation got me hooked at just how dynamic, fluid, and bright everything is! Then, of course, was the amazing storytelling of the whole movie. As a writer, that movie just hit all the right spots. I've gotten into a little play by play debate with my sister- who also got sucked into the fandom- about all the beautiful animation details and styles. We drove our other family members mad with our caffinated ramblings about the brushes they used for a scene in the movie lol.

Then I found a way to watch the actual show and my stars was I in deep.

It was funny, for one. The jokes were on point and I was wheezing through every single episode. I even made a live reaction to my friend just laughing over my favourite parts. The comedy was just something I love, my brand of humour.

The writing is awesome! Not just the normal fun episodes, which were great on their own. They manage to sneak in important plot points in what seems like typical episodes, but it does relate to the progression of the plot and story! Which, as a writer, I applaud them. They have gotten me saying "You had me in the first half, not gonna lie" more than once. Mixing fun light-hearted episodes and plot progressing episodes, and doing it in such a way that's so smooth and almost realistic, that's what I love.

The characters were so well written. I fell in love with every character, even the one I didn't expect to adore! Baron Draxum started off as just "Oh another villain, cool" but then I was just HEAD OVER HEELS in love with his character!! Not just Draxum! I love Hueso! I love Cassandra! I love April! I even have a fondness for the other villains like MeatSweats, Hypno-pottamous and Warren Stone! That's not even mentioning the main turtle boys, whom I just ADORE!

The relationship with the brothers are just perfection! As a big sister of four, the dynamics were pretty accurate and I was enjoying every second of their interaction. The things they do are sometimes what me and my siblings do. Very chaotic, very loud. I understood Raph as a big sibling, I adore the relationship with Mikey and Leo, and I relate to Donnie for his autism.

Which!!! When I found out Donnie was autistic, I was surprised! He was very well written and as a fellow autistic, I kin very well to him. He helped me learn more things about myself that I didn't even know. The way the brothers treat him is also similar to how mine is. The more I watched and understood, the more in love with the show I got!

Again, the animation was stellar. I love it all! The style! The shots! The colors! The almost anime-like design to it! It was everything I love about animation!

And, of course, the potential storytelling this fandom has. I'm a sucker for good potential. It plays with tropes, flips them on their heads, and execute it so well that I just have to applaud them for it. Seriously, making Draxum this warring warrior scientist, and then just leaning into the dramatics. The whole relationship dynamic between Draxum and Splinter with the old "divorced parents co-parenting their children" is just delightful. Cassandra being so eccentric and energetic, you can't help but be swept by her energy. Switching the family dynamics of the turtle brothers was just genius, pure genius. Making the turtles look more humanoid and muscular and then making them both dramatic and proud, they knew what they were doing. The entire episode of the turtles dressing up. The ninpo powers. The Chad Kraang. The creators knew what they were doing and I am in awe at their magnificence.

This fandom is filled with passionate, creative, and amazing people! I've seen the stuff they have done and the dedication to this fandom (I do hope for a season 3) and its just been a fantastic experience all around! Y'all do have a fascination with angst though, just saying. There's... so much angst in this fandom and you eat it up more than the ORV fandom.

Anyway! That's all! Sorry for the long ask! Thanks for it though, it was fun! ^^

[umbrastar]

ROTTMNT rewatch S1 episodes 6-10 notes

First/Prev

Next (not finished yet...)

Character notes and thoughts:

Leo:

Thinks he could beat a professional wrestler (Shell in a Cell)

Forces his brothers to enter a maze bc he wants to prove he’s a champion and tries to lead them  (Shell in a Cell)

Reluctant to make a portal to get them out of there bc he wants to be on the wall of champions (Minotaur Maze)

“Get behind me! My trusty cloud of noxious gas will save you!” as he wastes gas spraying it near the civilian. (Bug Busters)

Immediately suspicious of big mama  (Bug Busters)

As a result, didn’t get captured by her  (Bug Busters)

Is a poor winner (Bug Busters)

Gets thrown off a roof by Draxum (Bug Busters)

“With my last breath, I told you so!” (Bug Busters)

Believes there’s no such thing as ghosts and ends up being right, though he was scared for a bit. (The Gumbus)

“donnie this is amazing. And I know that everything I saw sounds sarcastic, but im being completely genuine…this time.” (Stuck on You)

Thoughts: Minotaur Maze is probably the most Leo centric episode so far, showing his desire to prove himself, which he admits later in the episode, showing his self-awareness. He is also prone to getting a big head as shown when he wins the wrestling match to the point that he intrudes on Raph interest. Leo is also suspicious of Big Mama despite her friendly facade, maybe because he’s a little insincere himself. It’s interesting how he seems to be joking as he’s falling off a roof, as well. He knows how to play the funny man even when things are really bad.

Donnie:

“dead eye Donnie shoots and touchdown! Or insert correct sports reference”  (Bug Busters)

“this will teach you to complement my work and give me my first positive enforcement from a parent aged adult ever” -d to big mama  (Bug Busters)

“Donnie blocker” (Hypno! Part Deux)

“I don’t know whats crazier, a talking puppet or raph actually being right about something” (Mrs. Cuddles)

Bootyyyshaker9000 (Stuck on You)

Denies creating albearto (Al be Back)

Thoughts: Probably the most notable thing here is how Donnie felt betrayed by Big Mama because she is the only adult that has complemented his work. That was also why he was likely so quick to trust her. He also installs antivirus software on April’s phone, thinking she would try to download malware (he’s correct). He shows his care for people by making things that would help them (or Donnie’s version of helping).

Raph:

Fan of wrestling and ghost bear.  (Shell in a Cell)

Gets so mad about leo defeating ghost bear and letting it get to his head that he faces leo in the ring  (Shell in a Cell)

Stops being a fan of ghost bear when he realizes that hes a cheater (Shell in a Cell)

“Okay remember the plan. Attract, smash. Zap, smash. Bash, smash!” (Bug Busters)

“She’s a nice lady leo, whats not to trust?”, “you would hurt a nice spider lady’s feelings, would you leo” about big mama (spoilers, she was not a nice lady) (Bug Busters)

 Afraid of mrs cuddles and also probably cats (Mrs. Cuddles)

Not afraid of bullies, though (Mrs. Cuddles)

Decides that tying his brothers together is a good team building exercise

Wrote a teambuilding speech on his hand (Stuck on You)

Thoughts: He definitely takes teambuilding and leadership seriously, although his plans could use some work and are often a little overly simplistic. Interestingly, both he and Leo had episodes where they correctly distrusted someone, and the others didn’t believe them. Raph seems to be afraid of things that seem harmless, but not afraid of bullies or spider mutants. Meanwhile Leo seems to distrust a smooth talker like Big Mama. Maybe because Raph himself is very sweet, but has a bit of a temper, while Leo is a smooth talker himself. I like how he likes wrestling like 03 Raph.

Mikey:

Stole donnies thunder and stuff the entire episode without realizing it (Shell in a Cell)

Believes in ghosts (The Gumbus)

is a fan of a content creator who gets like no likes aside from him.  (The Gumbus)

Thinks hes as much of an artists as michalangelo (The Gumbus)

Is good at stacking cans and has the memory to remember how to stack them (The Gumbus)

Screams loudly and clings to his bros when scared. (Mrs. Cuddles)

Thoughts: He seems to like niche forms of art like can stacking. Once again, his impressive visual memory is on display with how he is able to remember how the cans were stacked. He can be a little oblivious and/or self-centered, as shown when he unintentionally stole Donnie’s thunder all throughout Cell in a Shell. He also seemingly has an active imagination as he believed in ghosts compared to someone more realistic like Leo (in all fairness, weirder things have happened in this franchise). He also seems to rely on his brothers for protection, being the youngest.

April:

 Wants to be acknowledged by a popular girl at her school ( Hypno! Part Deux)

Ignored the Donnie blocker  (Hypno! Part Deux)

Some guy at her school as a crush on her that she doesn’t reciprocate  (Hypno! Part Deux)

Is excited to go to a haunted store (The Gumbus)

Enjoys jumping into action (The Gumbus)

Thoughts: She’s a bit of a fish out of water among her peers, though she does want to fit in, even trying to download something that is clearly malware. Despite that she does have an admirer. She is shown once again to be brave, even enjoying going to what Mikey says in a haunted store.

Splinter:

Wont let his kids watch skateboarding bc he wants to watch commercials (The Longest Fight)

“I will never marry any of them off” (Mrs. Cuddles)

Sings opera well (Al be Back)

Thoughts: Still shown as neglectful. He won’t move off the TV for one day to let his kids watch their skateboarding. If Donnie’s response to Big Mama is any indication, he doesn’t openly acknowledge his sons’ efforts and talents. Like 03 Splinter, he can sing well in an Operatic voice (and likes TV)

[nerves-nebula]

OKAY HIII I'M BACK AND I BINGED A LOT MORE OF RISE TMNT AND YOOO??? I AM HERE TO GUSH ABOUT IT

SIDE NOTE BEFORE EVERYTHING I SAY THEY WENT SO FUCKIN HARD ON THE ANIMATION OMG IT IS STUNNING AMAZING SUPERB!!! HOW DOES IT LOOK SO GOOD AND AESTHETICS AND ?? I WANT TO CHEW DEVOUR BITE BITE ABSORB IT

(break down and thoughts and everything below.SORRY THAT ITS LONG I AMM. OBSESSED. THIS IS LIKE A WHOLE PAPER ON THEM SORRY BUT NOT FULLY SORRY BUT SORRY)

After the first half of the first season (? i am using a totally definitely legal sight that does each episode as 11 minutes and I'm on what it says is episode 38, if one actual episode is two of those 11 minute ones then I'm guessing I'm around episode 19?)

Maybe earlier than that BUT LIKE AFTER THEY SET UP THE WORLD THEY LIVE IN???? OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG HOW DID I NOT WATCH THIS EARLIER??

Raph is so cool Love him, like he's big and spiky and probably the softest in terms of open outwardly affection towards the group (he does the most group hugs I'm pretty sure? if not HEADCANNON that when they were little and any of them had a bad dream Raph got everyone into a little turtle pile and they could hug it out and feel safe)

Leo!!!!! I AM GETTING SOME OF THE GENDER VIBES!! So far his character feels the least dove into? Like Donnie has episodes where his character is a focus and so does Mikey and Raph to an extent but so far Leo feels more like part of a duo rather than fully solidifying his own persona (to me and I'm no where near done the show SO that most likely changes!) BUT ALSO that feels like it adds to his character in terms of I think he's the second oldest?

(I thought Donnie was the second oldest but hmmm if they're more like twins than the rest of the brothers then it kinda feels like they both tried to be the protective second oldest sibling and the second youngest at the same time and rapidly switch between each other, but like clash heads if both try to fill that role at the same time? MIGHT be head canon stuff at this point, but I need to watch more to find out. Leo DEF has something going on, like please Mx. can you reveal your hidden secret self that isn't based entirely on how we see you interact with others? like who do you think you are Leo...)

Mikey! What a fun guy, he's like. The same vibes as that "I'm just a little man, just a little man and it's my birthday. You wouldn't hurt a little birthday boy would you? on his very big special birthday day? I'm such a little guy why hurt me?". Head empty no thoughts, he's got the DVD screen saver (corner bouncer) playing on loop and probs the THX loud effect. I hope he gets more time to shine because he kinda feels like he swaps between being just for comedy and someone that wants to prove themself(which would then help them feel better about themself and improve their own self worth and stuff)

DONNIE!! MY GUY DONNIE!! HOW DID THEY MAKE A CHARACTER SO BITABLE. MY MAN IS AUTISM. HE IS MY AUTISM CREATURE. <- I thought his design was cool at first and then I saw him exist

Donnie is so character though like sorry to the rest of the turtles but Donnie is going to be my new blorbo, new little skrunkle that I'll probably project onto. He has all the issues and none of them. He has that "no one understands how my mind works and I must study other's and the world just to be partially accepted" vibes WHILE ALSO having "the world will adapt to me. If not through understanding, then my force" sorta vibes and ? the range! He's dynamic, he's wild, he probably orders the exact same thing at one specific restaurant if he's ordering for one.

APRIL!! YO SHE IS GREAT! I love how we learn more about her slowly like she's a character living her own life that happens to appear in this show, like I'd fully expect her to have a show on her own and her here is cross overs (compliment). So happy to see where they go next with her, I am like a cheer leader she can do no wrong. She could plan to kill me and I'd give her a thumbs up and say that she should believe in herself and her ability to cultivate her own life. SAD that the people at her school aren't nice, but I feel like that adds to the whole "oh the outsider must be lying about who they are if they act like someone else when not in school/[insert environment] vibes/story lines some things get into. Like we fully understand why she acts like that and get a more objective perspective of everything. She makes me feral in the sense that I want her to have the world (she also reminds me of my younger sister xD)

I also am so thrilled to see that NOT all or most of the main human cast is white. Like that's a huge think that sucks with western animation and honestly the first episode having the white guy be the first experiment and overall kinda dumb was so cathartic. Like yeah, ANYWAYS we don't need to get into my personal issues xD

All of the turtle brothers have obvious/noticeable behaviours impacted/caused/influenced by trauma and GROWLING SHAKING SCREAMING!!!1

Raph being alone omg. Splinter was probably an even worse father then and maybe not even a mutant yet??? And either Raph found the red thing and that's why splinter called him red or splinter grabbed the first thing and just colour coded him. The balll is probably his first friend and the fact that the football is vaguely turtle shell shape is giving me emotions.

Leo I feel like he always needs to prove himself because maybe he didn't have a lot of chances to be alone? He's the second oldest so idk how long there would've been between him and Donnie joining but I fully feel like when Raph realized he had a brother he tagged along with him everywhere and probably tried looking out for him more because he might've been (as a younger child) like "why is he smaller, is he okay? will he get hurt?". Leo my man are you okay you seem like you just compartmentalized everything :(

Mikey I think needed more attention and Splinter did very little so a lot of his earlier development would have been focused on getting all that important attention from his (not by that much) older brothers who ALSO were in that situation. He's got the vibes of someone that in years time (maybe few maybe a LOT of years) he'll be like "heyyy wait a minute do I use humor to cope with everything and heyyy are these things maybe not just fun little quirks?" <- neglected younger sibling vibes where he had to fight for attention where he never had time to ever figure out who he was outside of the four brother unit

DONNIE!! HE HAS SO MANY ISSUES!! Okay but the fact that he's low empathy is NOT one of them I will fight people on that. He is great and pretty relatable as someone who struggles with displaying emotions and voice inflections (I try, but when I first learned to speak I didn't realize you had to move your mouth into shapes a lot (I thought they were exaggerating just so I'd understand) so I'd be like 5 and doing ventriloquism instead of speaking properly.) <- this is one of the things I'm adding to my head canons for him. It's why he exaggerates a lot of his hand-when-speaking actions (and body movements) and apologizes for not having the right tone. Just quirky neurodivergent things :3 )

okay okay but seriously Donnie both somehow manages to be the clearest with how their childhood/life conditions negatively impacted him and also the least affected. I think it's compounded by even if he was human and not a mutant turtle, he still wouldn't be able to fit into the mould of a "normal" human, so as a mutant turtle he sticks out even more. Might've been something he struggled with until later because rn in the series it seems like he's embraced that a lot more, although still struggles. I could go on, but he fits my brain's vibes for "projection mode engaged" so yeah, babygirl

Donnie has autism and Mikey has adhd no questions asked. Raph is on the neurodivergent spectrum but in a less defined way (DEFINITELY HAS SEPARATION ANXIETY!!) and Leo is the token neurotypical that adopted neurodivergent behaviours and mindsets because that's what he grew up around. So he gets the same outsider feel of being different while coincidentally having his difference be that his brain is ""more normal"" <- heavy quotation marks.

uhhh final thoughts because I could ramble for days.. Splinter so far sucks I think that there's something really weird in the vibes of him purposefully raising all the turtle brothers in a way where the only times they got much validation/even just acknowledgement was through them obsessively watching all the films he was in. Like idk something about the vibes of him not telling them at ALL that that is him but heavily encouraging them to act out his movies in front of him gives off something weird.

SIDE RANT ABOUT THEIR COLOURS!! I AM SO INTRIGUED ABOUT THIS ELEMENT

Also like Splinter calls them by colours which he probably colour coded them all just to tell them apart (maybe why they always wear the masks? Because that's the only way they felt external validation of their lives and existence that wasn't just through the four of them??)

He might've did red first because we see him wear a lot of red, and blue is the stereotypical opposite of red so it makes sense to choose that second. Red vs Blue stereotype, etc etc. Maybe why Leo is competitive too? Because he felt his first experiences were being compared to Raph?

It's interesting that Donnie got purple because that's a mix of red and blue, so maybe Splinter wanted to give them some sort of cohesive theme at that point? Like a sliding scale of colours? Maybe it started because Raph and Leo both gave Donnie some purple, idk tho.

Purple is heavily used to either represent (evil) tech or just Donnie and Donnie has the most attachment to the colour so there's definitely something going on there.

Maybe Splinter didn't even realize there was a third turtle kid until Raph and Leo found a way to get Splinter to recognize there was a difference at all (maybe why Donnie in particular strives so much for acknowledgement by Splinter? Because his earliest life was defined by being mistaken for other people?

Mikey being Orange feels like Splinter gave up and didn't want to go with yellow (the more obvious choice as it's a primary colour, kinda surprised Donnie didn't get assigned yellow) and maybe did the same thing with Raph where he just took some spare material (he wears a lot of gold and orange in hems and whatnot) and just plopped that on Mikey.

Kinda shows how Mikey is separated by the rest by being born the youngest, they might've had some sort of living routine set up before he was there and he didn't have much say in how it adapted? Like Leo and Raph are opposites or could've been intended as opposites by Splinter, and with Donnie being so close to the same age as Leo (but his soft shell making him more prone to injury and therefore requiring both Raph's and Leo's protection) he fit into the middle but still closer to Leo (<- Donnie thought of himself as the middle child between them three for sure, but both Leo and Raph think of him as the youngest out of the three).

Mikey being orange shows that's he's kinda excluded from the twins thing that Leo and Donnie have, and might be closer to Raph because of that. After all Mikey and Raph are the only ones with masks on the warm side of the colour wheel (also adding that Mikey is a combination of red and yellow, with yellow not symbolizing anything so maybe that's adding to Mikey's vibes of being an outsider/different/unique?

He's loud in all the different ways that Donnie is (which was probably worse earlier than it is now currently in the show) and struggles with focusing his attention and thoughts where Donnie struggles with the opposite. Both Leo and Donnie saw themselves as middle siblings and treat may tried to treat Mikey similar to how they treated each other (in terms of "this is how I know how to interact with younger siblings and you are younger so this is right, right?" sorta way)

Raph would've had the experience of having two fairly different younger siblings, so he adapted more easily to the personal needs of Mikey as a younger brother? Like he unlocked his emotional intelligence earlier and could recognize (possibly comparing their behaviour to Leo?) that both Donnie and Mikey are different (more obviously neurodivergent, both probably would've been special needs kids).

Plus Donnie would be struggling more with his low empathy, perhaps not recognizing it at all and being constantly confused about others, further pushing him into the younger sibling role for both Raph and Leo because they might see that as him "struggling with something basic" (heavy quotation marks)?

Which would make Mikey (who is a fairly emotions driven person) and Donnie have difficulties communicating/Donnie having difficulties being a decent older brother. And Leo being worried and distracted by Donnie having a soft shell and maybe falling into the trap of "hey Mikey's shell is hard like Raph's and Mine so he's probably going to be okay, not like this bozo over here".

ANYWAYS I AM FERAL OVER THIS THE COLOUR SYMBOLISM AND HOW IT COULD REFLECT THEIR RELATIONSHIPS WITH EACH OTHER AND DYNAMICS BUT ALSO SHOWING HOW THEY WERE TREATED (as creatures to be colour coded rather than named and raised) IS OUGOUHGOUGUHGOU !!1 <- howling

FINAL NOTE: I keep thinking about how Donnie might have first gotten into science by testing which materials could help make him less "weak" (cover up the soft shell) and how his soft-shell-only years could have been defined as him being the "official most fragile" brother. And how finding a way to mimic a hard shell would be what he needed to officially be more equal to the rest of the brothers, and how he might've fallen in love with science then but it's intrinsically tied to his self worth and need to prove that he can pull his own weight/be helpful enough to stick around and be treated as an equal. And how his science experiments might have been what got him some of Splinter's earliest acknowledgements and AAAAA

Like maybe before he was "the purple one" he was "the soft shelled one" or "the weakest one" or (more extreme) the "defective turtle" (because turtles are known for having hard shells, so why didn't he?). And how he leans into the purple so much is because he's trying to erase that feeling of being defined as not a name or not even a colour, but by how "weak" he was, and his intelligence could be some level of survival mechanism to not be stuck in a loop of negativity towards himself and be an equal in an already extremely small world where his existence itself is "a crime against nature" so to speak.

He will be loud about being the purple one because he'd even give up being the smart one because he would much rather be defined as even a singular colour than just "the defective one". That's why he'll make bad(?) choices if it's got something to do with the colour purple, because unlike the rest he wasn't even dignified a colour when he was young and feels like he has to fight for it or earn it, to some level.

<- I am so normal about him I swear I swear I'm not biting him like a dog and rapidly shaking him like a chew toy. I am so normal about him your honour

A LOT of this is based on where I am in the show now and my educated guesses on what I know about the characters and what I've watched and YEAH I could be completely wrong about their early lives maybe they like, all fell out of a tube one by one and the "big time difference" between their ages is like, minutes vs seconds lol. Maybe it's entirely head canons maybe I've done analysis. BUT YEAH ANYWAYS THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS THANSK FOR READING IF YOU DO GET THIS FAR, I AM SO FERAL ABOUT THIS SHOW AND I AM BLAMING YOU (compliment, positive, cheering in the distance)

IM Always happy to make someone feral about my favorite Media.

There’s wayyy to much here to really respond to but I basically agree with most of the stuff you’ve said. (and the only stuff you've got wrong you only got wrong cause you havent finished the show lol)

The thing about the colors is that Red, Blue, Orange, and Purple are already the TMNT colors and there’s no way you could get away with changing them in a new reboot without people getting mad, I think hhahfadsf. THAT BEING SAID I think your analysis of their colors is still very fitting and cool and interesting, even if the out-of-universe reason they are that way is cuz that’s how they’ve always been.

NO SPOILERS but later on Donnie has an ep that basically confirms his tech and self worth are connected and idk if you know this, but Donnie and Mikey canoncially have autism/adhd. 

I LOVEEED reading ur thoughts on the characters and their minds and im SO GLAD you like it ahsdfasdf

[truths33k3r4]

PART 3 OF "Indie TMNT" is UP GUYS!!

There are so many little nuggets of goodness in this episode- hidden throughout banter and situations. There are a LOT- So I 'll just go over my favorites that I spotted. :)

Donnie's little "loading" sign next to his head. This actually made me crack up when I read this the first time. XD *Donnie exe has stopped working- please reboot*

All the bros completely obliterating the silence needed to be ninjas. Those who have siblings.. You KNOW the PEAK of sibling rivalry is when you're all expected to be QUIET. XD Seriously, it can go from a "try to get your sibling in trouble by making them laugh" battle, to a "shush" war, to an all out "I DEMAND THE FINAL WORD, PEASANT", and it's so nice to see that here- but with a bit more rough-housing. (Which is also staying true to these guys just being goofy teens.) LOVE IT.

GU- uh- hmmmm can I say that here- Um- The Bad Guys possessing 'heavier' weapons than usual. I love that the family needs to run from LITERAL BULLETS, which adds FAR MORE danger into this worldbuilding. If what these Bad Guys were up to was illegal enough, they wouldn't just back down and run. They would HUNT DOWN those who caught them in the act. And I freaking LOVE IT.

If you look CLOSELY- In the shot when the family ducks from the firing, you can see that Raph actually pushed Mikey down first. Again- suuuuper subtle, not a word spoken about it, but MAN I LOVED TO SEE THIS TEENY DETAIL. Good big brother Raph. <3

Leo's response to seeing Donnie react to said heavy fire, was very well done. Super subtle, but the fact that Leo said "SNAP OUT OF IT!" with such confidence showcases he knew Donnie would react like this. He expected it, and therefore this shows that Donnie has most likely always had a sensitivity to abrupt loud sounds. Leo also had to grab onto Donnie, to physically pull him away from this petrified state he was in. This most likely hints at the fact that Donnie wouldn't get out of it without someone's presence and help. I LOVE IT.

Ok, that's all. :) There's more, but y'all can do your own research. ;)

Amazing work, @indieyuugure!!!

~ Melissa

Episode 4 of Ninjas in New York! TMNT with real guns and crimes!

Previous: Episode 3

Next: Episode 5 -Get the next part a week early on Locals at indiey.locals.com

See All…

[watercloud7]

- [ ] Turtle tot Raph headcanons

- [❤️] Eldest sibling syndrome

- [🐢] I red a fic where splinter had PTSD and depression from all those years in the battle nexus, he would disassociate for ages Some times more then a week just sitting there on the couch, watching commercials, completely spaced out and i agree.

- [❤️] Splinter would have to be gone for days atta time, gathering supplies and what not.

- [🐢] When he’s awake and present he’s an amazing dad, he plays and feeds and looks after them. He has a folder for each of his sons on how to best care for them individually.

- [❤️] But when the episodes start and he can’t wake up at all…

- [🐢] The very first time Raph had been terrified but quickly designated himself as his baby brothers care taker during splinters “ absences”.

- [❤️] Whatever kind they were.

- [🐢] He’s the oldest and he spends the most time with dad, he’d be careful to pay attention on how their father looked after their little family so Raph could replicate it when he had to be in charge.

- [❤️] Raph read everything his father wrote about him and his siblings, all the information splinter gathered on them and how each liked their food made and other specific needs.

- [🐢] Baby Raph would Cloths and feed and play and comfort and reassure that dad was coming back.

- [❤️] Either from top side or from another depressive episode.

- [🐢] He would put up a brave face and smile for them, covering up his fear of being abandoned and having to take care of everything without really knowing what to do.

- [❤️] This one time splinter had gone for so long they almost ran out of food and Raph had to pretend like he wasn’t hungry so his baby brothers would finish the last pot noodles they had left.

- [🐢] he cried himself to sleep on the long period of time where splinter is out of it or just straight up gone.

- [❤️] Sometimes when all his siblings are asleep and he doesn’t wanna worry them he sneaks into splinters room and curls up on his lap wishing he’d come out of it soon.

- [🐢] Raph got really scared of them running out of food and his sibling starving, or simply something bad happening and not knowing what to do.

- [❤️] When the inevitable happened and one of splinters outings/ episodes lasted long enough that they really did run out…

- [🐢] Raph decided to break their few household rules and leave the sewers in search for food.

- [❤️] Splinter had taken him topside once, not to far from the lair, showing him the ropes briefly, just in case.

- [🐢] He gathered his crying siblings together, they were all very anxious and upset at the idea of being separated from both their primary caretakers.

- [❤️] Despite one of them still being a literal child.

- [🐢] So Raph put on lu jitsu movies for them and covered them up in heavy blankets because he knows that always puts them right to sleep.

- [❤️] And hopefully, they’d sleep long enough for him to go and come back with food.

- [🐢] The entire time he was out looking, his heart felt like it was at the bottom of his stomach.Being away from his baby brothers like this made him feel sick, and the thousands of horrible scenarios running through his mind of them waking up or getting bored and wandering deeper into the sewers or simply hurting themselves, plain in simple did not help.

- [❤️] He was so scared of getting caught by a human he almost runs back to his little family, but he just couldn’t let them starve like that.

- [🐢] He’s still the big brother.

- [❤️] That’s actually the first time they ate pizza, after Raph brought a couple back all by himself. *saw a bunch of nice smelling flat carton boxes on a delivery scooter unattended and just swiped them*

- [🐢] Raph also hand fed mikey for a really long time cause Mikey loved sitting on his lap and claimed the food tasted better when Raph made airplane noises for him.

- [❤️] Even though these memories bring him pride for being able to protect and look after his brothers they’re also a massive source of trauma and the root of his separation anxiety.

- [🐢] Whenever splinter came out of his episodes or topside he’d always make up for it with big breakfasts and presents and kisses and hugs.

- [❤️] But that was only when they were really small and Raph would cling onto him for days afterwards for comfort.

- [🐢] He’d praise and love up on all of them but especially on Raphael because he wanted to let him know how proud and thankful he was to have such a dedicated and responsible son.

- [❤️] Eventually though Raph got bigger and more experienced, him taking care of everything for days or even weeks atta time wasn’t a challenge anymore, it wasn’t scary anymore.

- [🐢] It was simply routine. If Dad was out, Raph was in.

- [❤️] So splinter didn’t feel the need to “ make up” for his absence, because Raph always has it covered without any kind of complaints.

- [🐢] He still lets Raph know how much he loves and appreciate him though, he’s just less expressive about it then when he was a child.

- [❤️] His sibling, especially Mikey run to him for physical affection when they’re really upset. But then again Mikey is clingy with all of his big brothers.

- [💙💜🧡] Leo, Donnie and Mikey only have positive memories of their childhood and remember those episodes as something fun because Raph always made sure they were never scared.

[non-bee-knees]

SOOOOOO

I finished Rise! (And the movie)

Holy heavens what a show omg I can't believe I didn't find it sooner, I feel bad for past me who doesn't have it yet because WOW

I have never gotten attached to a character as fast as I have with Donnie; by the end of the first episode I had decided that if anything happened to him, I'd throw hands. 

All four of them (and April) are so fantastically written it's amazing I can't even muster the words to explain it.

Coming away from it, I have but One Question:

ARE RAPH AND DONNIE OKAY?!?"!?! Seriously, like????? We see both of them, at two seperate points in the show EACH (with some more Raph in the Movie) struggle with self worth. 

In Raph, his worth and doubts are because he feels he can't protect his family well enough, and it's crushing him, to the point where it manifests as Panic and Anger (which as someone who stuggles with keeping cool when angry, it's scary, how easily it could be to snap and hurt someone). I think that Raph's issues with worth are part of the reason Leo is now the leader; to try take some of the weight off Raph's shoulders (TOO BAD IT DIDN'T FUCKING WORK - que the entire movie)

In Donnie, his worth and doubt boil down to thinking he's replaceable. Personally, I think this comes mostly down to his Autism, and more so his brother's (and Dad) not entirely getting it. Sure we see that they understand to a point; they know he's weird with touch, and they never seem annoyed at his stimming, and it's only really Leo who get's annoyed at his Info-Dumping (aside from that one really funny clip from the fish episode - you know the one). Other than that though, I don't think they quiet get it, which is fair enough (I might make another post going more into this because it means a lot to me). ANYWAYS they're constantly joking in ways that always leans on Donnie being the odd one out, and whether they know it or not, it's hurting him. And it's built to worrying about whether he's useful or not. And yes, we get that fantastic April scene in 'Donnie V.s Witch Town' but one pep talk isn't gonna fix everything ( as someone who also struggles with worrying if I'm worth it, same. I'm constantly doubting myself, even despite the self-confidence I've built up recently)

This is long and I've semi forgot where I was going with it

BUT if we get a season 3 (praying, dear god, that we do) I want a Raph and Donnie episode. I don't think we got one that was just the two of them, we saw a lot more Donnie and Mikey adventures than the others (love their duo, so I'm not complaining). I want an episode, after the fact of everything that's happened, Movie and all, where we see Raph struggling more than ever to let go a bit more, especially after being used like that in the Movie - man's is probably terrified of himself. And I want to see Donnie struggling with grasping everything that happened (coming back to me here, woo, when big thing's happen, it's usually in the moment, or not til a long time later that they kinda settle into place; when my grandad died, I wasn't upset at the time, even though I understood why everyone else was. It wasn't until a year or so later that I sort of grieved). I sort of want to see Donnie do the same. It's sorta reenforced time and time again that Donnie is writen as low empathy, so let's see it. Let's see him unsure what to do when everything clicks into place and he doesn't know what to do, because 'Donnie doesn't feel things, why is he feeling things?!' 

I want to see the two oldest lean on each other as Leo and Mikey become more and more themselves, Leo with growing leadership skills, Mikey with his magic, and Donnie and Raph are able to sit back for a minute (but to them it feels like they're being put aside) and they learn to deal with it together. It wouldn't have to be a long episode, but I think it would be nice none the less.

Jesus this was long. SOzzles 😅

[kikithedreamerwriter]

Oooh! 👀✨ thank you @tinkabelle19 💕

1. How did you get into TMNT?

The year was 2012, and I was watching TV by myself on my birthday when lo and behold… the very first episode of that very nickelodeon iteration played. I haven’t even heard of TMNT, (and this may come off as an exaggeration) but I knew that I would be OBSESSED with it for life.

2. Favorite iteration?

2012! But the Bayverse version is also very close to my heart ❤️

3. Iteration that you haven’t seen/read, but want to start?

2003!

4. Iteration that you are purposefully avoiding?

This may sound controversial, but (respectfully) I don’t really like the Rise iteration… I think that the changes that they made in this version is a bit too radical for me. Don’t get me wrong, I think Rise!TMNT fanfic artists and writers are amazing in their respective craft and I know so many of them!

5. If you were a ninja turtle, what color would your mask be?

This may sound basic but… black 🖤

6. How many renaissance artists are you familiar with?

lmao just four… and I think you know exactly who they are 💀

7. Favorite really obscure character?

This question is a bit confusing… Do you mean dark or just simply not as well introduced or known? ‘Cause I have always found 2012 Karai to be a really interesting character.

8. Favorite villain/antagonist?

I think that the Triceratops from the 2012 version… really stood out to me among TMNT’s long bench of antagonists. At first when I watched the 2012 space season… I thought it was a little much… but then it really did fit into their theme and storyline. It was also a great way to expand the TMNT verse and incorporate a little bit of something new.

9. If you could change one thing about TMNT, what would it be?

If we’re talking about the fundamental elements of TMNT:

Four brothers: dorkish leader in blue, hothead brute in red, soft-boy brainiac in purple and skater-boy life-of-the-party in orange

Loving rat sensei

A thickening plot about aliens and mutants and saving the world in New York City.

Then I wouldn’t change anything. The thing about the TMNT-verse, there will always be people who love it so much that they’re willing to remake iterations of it in order for the franchise to remain relevant and a part of the childhood of generations to come.

10. How much TMNT merch do you own?

Not much. This fandom is already a goldmine in itself to be honest 💙❤️🧡💜

11. Favorite turtle (iteration specific) and favorite turtle across all iterations?

I just decided to combine questions 11 and 12 since I only really have one answer. Leo, it’s always him guys (esp. 2012 and Bay) 💙

13. Which character are you the most similar to?

Funnily enough, I think that the character that I most similar to is Raph. We’re both moody, not-so-good with instructions, and have difficulty expressing ourselves so we do it creatively!

14. Which character would you want to be friends with?

I think being a good friend of Donnie means getting the coolest gifts. A broken phone? He’ll fix it and make it even better. Wanna watch a movie that hasn’t even been released yet? He got me.

15. Have you ever made fan content for TMNT?

I have both publicly and privately since I was 12!

16. Favorite theme song?

2012!

17. What’s your favorite pizza toppings?

Again, controversial — but pineapple… and ham.

18. Did any of their voice characters stand out to you?

2012’s iteration voice actors are just 😘👌 Their voices were literally animated. Also… Leo’s voice actor for the Bayverse iteration was just 😳💦

19. Give ONE character a gun.

Splinter. I just wanna see how he might use it…

20. Give one character an airhorn.

Hehehe… I’m a big fan of Dr. Pranken-stein so let’s give it to Mikey 😈

21. Give one character a hug?

Alright— COME HERE RAPH 👹 LET ME LOVE YOU!

22. Have you watched/read any of the iterations more than once.

I’ve watched the entire 2012 series 3 times, and I’ve probs rewatched the Bay verse movies at least 5 times. Yep, I’m a simp for these boys.

23. If you could have a tmnt crossover with ANY other series, which would it be?

OMG, Avatar please ✨ It would be SO GLORIOUS 🥹

24. Roast your favorite character (affectionately).

[Leo’s line is canon from the 2012! iteration!]

2012!Leo: I totally get mutants like Karai— but alien lizards?

What I would have said: At least she isn’t his sister💀

🗣️: @shinzowosasageyoooo @miss-andromeda @tinkabelle19 @sharpwindow @akesdraws-blog @fyreball66 @pheradream-15

Turtle Asks!

How did you get into tmnt?

Favorite iteration?

Iteration you haven't seen/read but want to start?

Iteration you are purposely avoiding?

If you were a ninja turtle, what color would your mask be?

How many of the Renaissance artists are you familiar with?

Favorite really obscure character?

Favorite villain/antagonist?

If you could change one thing about TMNT, what would it be?

How much tmnt merch do you own?

Favorite turtle (iteration specific)?

Favorite turtle across all iterations?

Which character are you the most similar to?

Which character would you want to be friends with?

Have you ever made fan content for tmnt?

Favorite theme song?

What's your favorite pizza topping(s)?

Did any of their voice actors really stand out to you?

Give ONE character a gun.

Give one character an air horn.

Give one character a hug?

Have you watched/read any of the iterations more than once?

If you could have a tmnt crossover with ANY other series, which would it be?

Roast your favorite character (affectionate)