#and Don&Mikey is also amazing

[revitalizationrat]

03 tmnt as vines, because why not

(Slay Mikey, slay)

[ghostytoad]

* Fun n' Games *

ROTTMNT Boys x GN! Leo-esque reader who enjoys drama, making jokes, and being overall awesome

Summary: The Hamato brothers unexpectedly fall for the smug, but genuine, fun-loving reader despite their egocentric habits Headcanons for: Donnie

GN! Reader; Romantic; Fluff || Words: 1.6k

Raph | Leo | Mikey | Bonus!!

Donnie:

his first thoughts upon meeting y/n is that literally nothing could be worse. he could be boiling alive in one of meatsweat's fancy culinary stews and be less bothered by that than having to endure not one, but TWO LEOS

there goes the fleeting days of being able to complete his work in peace and quiet; o call back yesterday, bid time return

really tho, all his eye rolling and indifference is just an act that he refuses to let up on (he has a REPUTATION to uphold after all!!)

it doesn't take much time for donnie to warm up to y/n though; he's more or less used to his twin's antics and smug behavior and with y/n being almost exactly the same, it's like they've known each other their whole lives

he chalks it up to being comfortable with the familiar, but his brothers can definitely see it for what it is: a crush

he enjoys the competitive tension between y/n and him, it keeps him on his toes and gives him a boost when he feels out of it and needs the motivation

doesn't much care for the whole ego thing, but it doesn't bother him as bad as leo's does; at least y/n has good reason to be as cocky as they are. they're funny, they're charming, they're cool, they're incredibly perceptive

in fact, he's secretly made a list of all the good qualities y/n has and all the things he likes about them… it's like a whole 10 spreadsheets worth of data

to be fair, he does keep a similar list for his brothers and april, so it's not like he's stalking y/n or anything; it's just his way of "bonding" with his loved ones

but y/n's list is a lot longer than anyone else's; there's just so much to like about them. it only makes sense that their list of good traits happens to match up pretty well with his list of "things to look for in a potential mate" (a secret list that he will take to his grave)

whenever they go on missions, he makes sure to fit y/n in all his latest gear he's made them for their protection; they might talk big game, but donnie still has to take precautions!

he may or may not have taken y/n on a few purple dragon-related missions - AKA "let's go put whipped cream in all of their hard drives and cover their hideout in tinfoil wrapping just to fuck with them"; turns out that the police do not find it funny

"let me just say for the record that nothing's illegal unless it can be proven beyond reasonable doubt. and you can't prove that y/n and i were there so…"

y/n ain't no snitch, so don can trust them to keep their mouth shut if anyone ever gets suspicious of their misdeeds; this also makes them his go-to for some of the more emotionally heavier things that he can't talk to his brothers about

yeah, donnie's not great with emotions, but that doesn't mean he doesn't feel them - he genuinely finds y/n to be a comforting presence, especially considering their amazing emotional perception and how well they can read him

he finds it much easier to work when y/n's hanging around the lab with him; they don't have to interact much, all it takes is a visit from y/n and he's hit with a burst of motivation

gets more work done with y/n around than he usually does and takes advantage of this productivity by making y/n stay with him for literal hours even if they don't actively take part in his work

he's even made them a little corner with all of their favorite things in the lab so they can keep busy while he works; they might be good for motivation and all, but he knows better than to leave y/n alone with one of his inventions considering their… impulsive behavior (rip stun-bo feature, we hardly knew ya)

"w-what, leaving? you can't leave yet! i've only just started on this upgraded micro-transmitter for the tank and i need your help! what do you mean you just sit there for hours doing nothing? that's entirely false, you are helping me out immensely! now sit right there and don't touch anything until i tell you to-"

their easy-going nature really complements his more rigid and particular personality; together, they are an unstoppable and wildly chaotic duo

he might be the funniest turtle of the group, but y/n has him in tears with their lame little jokes and one-liners; he mostly only laughs at the roasts and teases directed at his brothers though

overall, his brothers have an ongoing bet over how long it'll be before donnie finally realizes he has a MAJOR crush on y/n; leo has his bets on "not in my lifetime", april predicts it'll be sometime after casey jr's time, mikey's a little more generous and says "maybe in the next decade or two", and raph is just fed up with it and wants it over with NOW

The buzzing and whirring of various tools occupied the otherwise silently uneventful lab as Donatello worked away on his latest project, completely absorbed in his work. Tucked away in the corner, sitting snug in the soft embrace of a plush beanbag, Y/N busied themselves with another round of Smash Bros on their purple (totally not Genius Built branded) Switch. Most days in the lab were spent in comfortable silence, as the purple coded brother did his best work when there were minimal distractions. But for Y/N, that meant keeping all audible cries of excitement or groans of defeat to a minimum while gaming. And sure, that was a reasonable request for a while, but had it really already been four hours?! As Y/N glanced down at their phone for the time, they let out a loud, heavy sigh as boredom overwhelmed their usually active mind.

"Don, how much longer do I gotta sit here? I'm practically dying of boredom. I'm terminal now. Terminal!" They slumped themselves back over the cushion, causing it to wheeze under the shifted weight.

"Just a few minor adjustments left and we'll be as good as gold." Donnie hadn't even looked up from the tester bot he was tinkering with, something which Y/N met with a frustrated scowl.

"And by a few, you mean…?"

"I still need to work on recalibrating the external displays to account for the large-"

"UUUGH, no, how long! I've been here so long that my leg's've atro- asta-… ASTROFIELD!"

Donnie could hardly contain the snort that sounded from under his welding mask.

"I think the term you're looking for is 'atrophied' and no, I seriously doubt that the mere act of sitting is enough to deteriorate muscle tissue."

"Whatever. I'm dying here and you wanna lecture me on-"

They were interrupted by the soft thudding of approaching footsteps, the unmistakable sound of Raph entering the lab.

"Heya, D. Y/N. Sorry to barge in on y'all, just wanted to check in and see if y'guys needed anything. It's been, uh… A while and it's gettin' dark so-"

"Raph, will you tell Dorkie here to quit holdin' me hostage and let me go? He's been keeping me prisoner here and I haven't even gotten my one phone call!" Y/N teased. Their moniker was successful in tearing Donnie's attention away from his desk across the room to shoot them a bitter glare.

"Heh, y'know Y/N, you could leave anytime you wanted, right? It's not like he's actually gonna trap you here. Er… Right?" Raphael's playful expression tinged itself with a hint of concern as he, for a moment, considered the possibility of a hostage negotiation with his little brother.

"Nah, I'm actually good here. I just want something more to DO when I'm here. I can't just be here for moral support, y'know." They stuck their tongue out at the softshell as they rolled themselves off the bag and plopped softly onto the tile floor.

The eldest mutant scratched at the back of his neck with a chuckle. Of course Donnie would tell them it's for 'moral support'.

"Uh, Y/N. You do know he only really keeps you in here because he's got a thing for you, right? That whole moral support thing's a load of crock."

It was at that moment that the ambient hum of tools stopped and tense silence flooded in its place. Y/N propped themselves up on elbows and craned their neck towards Donatello who sat faced away from them with tense shoulders bunched up.

Sensing the awkward situation he'd now put them in, Raph let out a small hiss of regret between his teeth and slowly shuffled his feet back towards the door.

"Riiight… So, you guys good? Yeah? Yeah. I'm gonna just-"

And with that, he practically bolted for the door, leaving Y/N and Donnie to stew in the thick air of their own embarrassment.

"D-Donnie…" Y/N could barely squeak, their eyes fixed to the empty doorway as if they were pleading for Raph to come back and take the awkward with him.

Donnie took in a sharp breath and in one swift motion, pushed his work chair back and spun to face his companion with only his iron-will keeping him from running out of the lab himself.

"I-" He started, his face dark red and his lip quivering with anxiety as his mind parsed through the many scenarios in which this sort of confession could've gone.

"I knew it couldn't have been just for my good looks." Y/N's smug grin and flirtatious wink did little to alleviate the mutant's humiliation.

"Huh?"

"For the record…" Scooting up to Donnie's hunched form, Y/N gently took his hands into theirs and kept their gaze locked to the floor as the faintest blush dusted their cheeks, "I have a thing for you too."

Out of every scenario he'd managed to file through, this one was one outcome he didn't anticipate. But one he would happily accept.

[bowandbrush]

You mentioned your doing prompts? I got an idea(sorta based on Indy 3: Last Crusade), so here it goes: There’s something that the turtles need to get, but it’s stuck in an alternate universe that’s completely overrun by Kraang, so Donnie makes portal tech to get there, and they’re overlooking this place covered in red and Splinter says, “Beware, my sons, for we are pilgrims in an unholy land,” as everyone has varying “oh crap” expressions. Hope this is alright?

you are. A genius

I’m going feral with story ideas. I’m just going to pack in a lot of details of what I could possible jam in there.

also I couldn’t fit splints sorry about that

I can imagine they would have to suit up a bit more and wear/bring more fabric just in case. Raph and Leo wear their ponchos for air cleansing and Donnie and Mikey wear masks (Mikey’s mask being his scrapped “Dr. Rude” design from the unaired ep.)

there would be a moment where Leo finds his sword from this dimension. Haha angst go brrr

Donnie finds a backup drive made of ninpo from his future self, so it couldn’t be destroyed and was safe to be found by only hamatos. Some really heart-achy stuff about future Donnie talking to his past self (not really, just recording) because we all know Don prepares for everything.

another amazing scene could be where they walk through desolate resistance bunkers and see visions and ninpo ghosts/memories (ex: Frozen 2 lol)

idk I kinda want to turn this into a thing now 💀

[tmntfixationxreader]

"Hello author! I've read some of your other works and I thought they were great, so I have a request for you.

Would you be willing to write a Rise Raph x reader where they're having a sleepover? Raph is nervous about wearing his retainer around them but doesn't realize that the reader also has a retainer until they put theirs on, fluff ensues.❤️🙏🙏🙏"

Sure thing! Thanks for the request :)

*****************************************************************

♡Self conscious sleepover♡

~During a sleepover, Raph gets worried about wearing his retainer~

Warnings: None, just fluff :)

Word count: 933

*****************************************************************

You had just had an amazing, long night with the gang.

Raph had invited you over for a sleepover, so you could hang out with him and his brothers, watch movies, play games, and chill.

It was getting late now though, even for them. Mikey was already passed out on the couch you all had been watching movies on. Leo was sitting in front of the couch watching Jupiter Jim intently, and Donnie was typing something on his wrist watch, as he was ‘definitely too busy to watch the Atomic Lass special’.

Raph yawned once, displaying his fang and teeth before stretching his back as he sat forward. He noticed how sleepy you were looking, and decided it was probably time for the two of you to head to bed.

“Y/n, you ready to head to Raphs’ room?” Raph asked, looking sleepy himself.

You yawned as well and nodded. “Yeah, probably…”

Raph nodded, definitely ready for bed; But he was the older brother, and had to make sure his younger siblings would go to bed too.

“Leo, last movie. Seriously, you won’t get any sleep. Same for you too Donnie, and no lab work past midnight.”

“Yes yes dear brother, I know the rules,” Donnie said, dismissing it with a wave of his hand before typing more stuff onto his wrist watch.

“Don’t worry Hermanos, I’ll make sure Don Tron goes to bed…. Aaaand I won’t stay up past midnight either…” Leo said, giving Raph a smile before turning his attention fully back to the screen.

Raph sighed, content with their answer. “You two will sleep… Trust me, I’ll know if you didn’t.” He tucked Mikey in with a blanket before getting up from the couch.

“Ready Y/n?”

You nodded happily and sleepily, telling the twins goodnight before getting up from the couch yourself.

Raph’s bedroom was nice. It was large, decently organized, and decorated with a few scattered posters. You noticed the small (some larger) scratch marks on the walls from his spikes. He had a large bed, big enough for the two of you to sleep on. Actually, you guessed that it was a king sized bed and a twin mattress pushed together to make one large bed.

“I like your room,” You smiled, setting your bag down. You had already gotten changed into your pj's, brushed your teeth and hair, ready for bed. One last thing was needed, though, to complete your routine. You squatted down next to your bag, digging through its contents to find your retainer.

“Thanks,” Raph smiled, and sat down on his bed, having already finished his nightly routine… But, he needed his retainer, too. It was sitting on his mostly bare nightstand, next to a small lamp. He didn’t keep much on it, more than once he had knocked the contents off during the night.

He was nervous to get it out, looking over at it more than once as the two of you talked.

“It kind of reminds me of my own room… I especially like your squishmallows collection,” You smiled at him over your shoulder, still digging around in your bed.

Raph smiled a toothy smile. “Thanks! I like to collect them… Kind of hard to do that without spending a lot of money, though… Most of them are ones my brothers have given me over the years”

You nodded. “Cool! Seems like your brothers knew just what to get you then.”

Raph looked over at the small box on his nightstand. He was nervous about wearing it in front of you. He had only ever worn it in front of his brothers, and he was worried of what you would think of it… Especially because it was shaped around his fang and looked a little strange.

Finally your fingers found the container your retainer was kept in.

You pulled it out of your bag, opening the small plastic container with a click

Raph blinked. “You… Wear a retainer?” He asked as you put it on, fitting it inside your mouth.

After a short moment of muscle memory, you closed the container and put it back in your bag with a nod and a smile. “Yep, I wear a retainer.”

You glanced at Raph to see his reaction, and was pleasantly surprised when Raph’s face lit up into a smile.

“Really? I wear one too!” He said, grabbing his container from his nightstand. “Raph was a little nervous about wearing it in front of you…”

You raised your eyebrows. “Nervous? Why?” You smiled. “There’s nothing wrong with it.”

Raph nodded, feeling a little better. “I don’t know… I was just self conscious.”

You shake your head. “Don’t be! I would never make fun of you for it or anything, even if I didn’t wear one myself.”

Raph smiles, and you zip up your bag. He opened the small plastic container, putting the plastic retainer over his teeth.

You smile at him, and he smiles back, clearly relieved.

“Thanks Y/n,” He smiled, and scooted so you could take half of the bed. You sat down next to him with a smile, patting his shoulder.

“No problem… Seriously, don’t stress about it…. No one should ever make fun of you for it,” You say, laying down next to him on your half of the bed, pulling the blankets up over yourself. It was getting really late, and you could immediately tell how tired you were.

Raph smiled and nodded, pulling the gigantic blanket over half of himself too.

“Good to know…Thanks,” He said, sleepiness settling into his eyes and muscles.

“Anytime Raphie…”

*****************************************************************

Hope you like it! I'm really busy working on some personal and long requests, so I took a break to do some shorter ones :)

Bye bye butterflies!

[aealzx]

“Did you get hurt at all?” Don asked, coming up next to April while keeping an eye on Leon as they got Raph situated and passed him a bowl of the chicken stew Mikey had made.

“No, Raph kept me protected while we were getting flung around. I got a little nauseous from the trip, but that went away a long time ago,” April assured, thanking Mikey when he pressed a bowl of stew into her hands as well. It smelled amazing to her empty stomach influenced nose, and she eagerly stuffed a spoonful in her mouth.

“That’s good. Take it easy now, and feel free to ask if you need anything,” Don breathed a small sigh of relief, glad to hear that there weren’t going to be any more injury surprises. That just left one last patient, which caused Don to hold up a hand to refuse the bowl Mikey was pushing his way. “Not now Mikey, I need to check on Le-”

“Hey did you take Donnie’s contacts out?” Leon suddenly blurted around a mouthful of stew, his form leaning against the bed Lil Mikey and Raph were both on now, left leg crossed over the right to remove all weight from it.

Don flinched in surprise at the sudden question, but also mild annoyance at the distraction. It was like Leon knew he was going to address him now, and it looked like Leon was going to take a lot more convincing to pull him out of taking care of everyone else first. But… he did have a point. The battle shell wasn’t a good thing to wear while sleeping, but neither were contacts. “Uhh…. no. I didn’t know he had them, and didn’t think to check,” Don admitted with a semi relenting sigh.

“No problem, I got it,” Leon shrugged, setting the bowl down and teleporting over to Donnie in a flit of ninpo, ignoring Don’s eyes narrowing slightly. As Leon delicately crouched next to Donnie’s battle shell that had been left by the foot of the bed, Don watched in very mild fascination as he expertly manipulated it to open a small compartment. A small click, and shift of one of the panels. It was one of the upper compartments though, so despite being free from its latch the door still got caught on a mildly damaged part, not open enough to fit any fingers in. But it ended up being easy to remedy as Leon just gave it a good smack with his fist to get it to pop open completely. A bottle of contact solution and glasses case were removed from the device, and a smaller case for the contacts was pulled from the belt before he stood and scooted onto the bed. Leaning over Donnie, Leon lifted his brother’s eyelids with one finger and plucked the contacts out with ease that betrayed familiarity in the action. The contacts were then dropped into their case filled with cleaning solution before being put on the nightstand nearby. And then the glasses case was set next to Donnie’s head as he squirmed in his sleep to get comfortable again after getting poked at, with Leon sitting back in content.

“There we go,” Leon hummed, pushing himself back to his feet in satisfaction, ready to return to the other bed to finish his food.

Yet before he could move Don’s forearm was pushing against his chest, firmly shoving him back onto the bed and holding him there as Don’s other hand latched onto his shoulder.

“Wha- Hey!” Leon protested, reaching up to push back against Don while also bodily leaning forward. “What’s the big ide-”

“Is there anything else critically life threatening with your brothers?” Don interrupted, leaning forward slightly to use his weight to counter Leon’s and keep Leon in place.

“What? No! At least… I don’t think so,” Leon sputtered, confusion flashing across his features that quickly became uneasy. “Are you implying-”

But Don cut off that train of thought quickly as well, resorting to rude insistence to break Leon’s current mentality focusing on everyone but himself. “Then it’s your turn.”

The words caused Leon to flinch, reflexively turning his head slightly to hide the bandage on the back of it from Don’s view, his gaze shifting away. “What are you talking about? I’m fi-” he huffed, an automatic reaction spilling from his mouth before he could fully consider it.

“No. It’s. Your. Turn. Leon,” Don insisted, giving Leon a little nudge with his arm to reinforce the punctuated statement and ignoring Mikey’s snickered comment about how strange it was to see Don on the lecturing end of that situation.

Leon’s expression towards him was irritated at first, but after a moment of letting the facts sink in, and for Leon to start to accept what Don was saying, his expression started to soften. Along with it his body stopped pushing against Don’s arm, his form very slowly relaxing as the cool down part of his medic mind started to kick in. His brothers were safe. Their wounds were dressed, their needs taken care of. April was fine too. No one else needed his help. It was his turn now to have his injuries addressed. He was now at the top of the list of the ones that needed care. He knew that earlier, he just wasn’t used to someone else being there. He’d been so easily hardwired into thinking he had to wait for Donnie to wake up to help him. Normally Donnie was the backup, and the one to give a second opinion and make sure Leon didn’t ignore what was inconvenient or scary. He wasn’t used to there being a third medic.

“I-...” Leon gaped, words failing him as he tried to somehow respond. Half formed mental lectures of disappointment from his family filling his mind. Lectures that he ended up half responding to. “Sorry. I’m not… This is…” His voice trailed, unsure of how to put the situation into words since it was so far outside his expectations.

“...You’re not used to having someone look after you?” Don pointed out, chuckling slightly when Leon blinked, then gave a small nod. “It’s okay. I get it,” Don assured, familiar with the feeling. Before Leatherhead had started helping it had only been him after all. Just his own hands and the internet to try and fix whatever disasters his brothers managed to bring on themselves. He felt fairly certain Leon was in the same position. “I got you. Just take it easy now.”

It was strange to hear. Having someone tell him they would take care of him in this situation. Not asking for him to walk them through it. Expecting him to be the doctor and patient. It was strange, but also strangely nice. The words were becoming a soothing balm on Leon’s mind as they repeated in his head. He could just be taken care of this time. He’d seen what Don could do firsthand. And heard what he knew and did for his brothers. It would be okay. Leon could feel the pushed back exhaustion starting to roll into him again, and his knee and head throbbed with painful awareness as he sagged into the mattress, reluctantly relenting to his role as patient. “.... Yeah…. Okay,” he agreed, a little quietly.

Grateful that Leon was cooperating now, albeit awkwardly, Don just gave him a smile that was quickly growing in fondness as he dragged the nearby stool over to sit in front of him. He already had a small flashlight in his belt pouch, having been intending to check Leon over since they had finished with Raph, and raised it now to pass over Leon’s eyes. “Concussion?” he asked, watching Leon’s pupils as the lad blinked and squinted slightly.

“....Yeah,” Leon admitted, a little reluctantly. “Just a small one… I think.” He wasn’t sure how muddled his banged brain actually was, so just expressed what he thought the answer was. Don sounded like he’d known that for a while now, and was just asking Leon because he knew Leon had the medical knowledge to understand the symptoms. Leon was grateful Don hadn’t shoved him on bedrest immediately, and still let him help with Raph. But it also explained why Don had seemed to be keeping an eye on him as well during the procedure. The care and expressed trust was enough to motivate Leon to offer a little more about what he knew of his condition without having to be asked. “April disinfected the head scrape. But it could probably use a bandage change now. And…” he paused, pursing his lips for a moment before willing himself to admit what he’d been denying and brushing off earlier. “My knee really hurts.”

Don’s smile was quick to show his gratitude for Leon’s cooperation, appreciating the information Leon provided that confirmed his earlier suspicions. And he could only give a soft, sympathetic chuckle at Leon’s comment about his knee, moving a hand to momentarily rest on his cheek in comfort. “Old injury flaring up?” he asked quietly.

Giving a slightly hesitant nod, Leon absently rubbed the offending joint. “I have a brace at home that helps. But I… couldn’t really grab it,” Leon admitted, puffing his cheek slightly in irritability. He hated having to have a brace in the first place. It was such an annoyance. At least if he lost his glasses he could still function relatively well without them. But his stupid knee liked to throw a tantrum when it was ignored, or the weather changed, or he walked too much. He hated it.

Yet Don didn’t seem to think any less of him for needing the support. “I see. Mikey has ankle braces too for that reason. And I have a brace for my whole arm,” he admitted, giving a wide grin, reassuring Leon that he wasn’t the only one that had to deal with old joint injuries. “We usually use heat therapy with Mikey, does that work with you?” he asked, just to be sure. He wasn’t surprised Leon’s knee was hurting that much, he’d noticed it was getting worse in the middle of fixing Raph’s leg but had only filed it away in his mind to keep an eye on him. It was easy to tell Leon had been favoring not using his left leg even then, and the fact he teleported to Donnie just now made it obvious the pain had gotten bad.

The way Don talked about recurring pain from old injuries as though it were no different than brushing teeth was surprising, but it also helped Leon feel less self conscious about it. He and his brothers all had to deal with some part of their bodies having chronic pain now, but they had always kept it fairly quiet. Not really talking about it other than to ask for help getting the remedy. It was as though discussing the results of the events that caused the injuries would crack open the well of emotions none of them were ready to deal with again just yet. But there Don was, casually chatting about them as though they were common dinner table topics. It caused a small smile to return as Leon nodded, giving a small, hesitant chuckle. “Yeah… Donnie and I have a bunch of heat packs around the lair, and it kind of sucks when it snows. It feels like we never have enough, and then dad yells at us for having the heater on too high until he realizes why,” he laughed lightly, feeling like old wounds in his heart were healing somewhat with the words. It gave him a mild rush of relief that caused him to keep talking a little more. “Mikey ends up stealing all the ice packs instead, the heat just makes his arms feel worse when they’re flaring up. And Raph switches between the two.”

It was a little concerning to hear that all of these kids had some sort of chronic pain they were apparently dealing with, but Don was grateful for the openness and glad to see the subtle change in Leon’s demeanor. It was easy to sit quietly and listen to the mild ramble, and Don had to chuckle when Leon mentioned their dad complaining about the heater being on too high. He was pretty sure Master Splinter would scold them too if they tried that. Being covered in fur definitely changed someone’s heat tolerance.

It didn’t seem like there were any other injuries that Leon hadn’t noticed on himself, so Don shifted to stand up again. “We’ll collect the electric heat pads that we have to make sure you guys have access to them too then. The ice packs will have to stay in the freezer though,” he assured with a chuckle, reaching out to give Leon a small head pat and rub as he stood up fully. “I’ll get you some tylenol, one of the heat pads, a compression brace for later, and change the bandage on your head. Just stay here and take it easy now, okay?”

“Okay,” Leon chimed in response, kicking his non achy leg in content and finding it easy to comply now. When Don left to get the items, April took her chance to bring Leon’s bowl of stew back to him, passing it over with a grin as she plopped onto the bed next to him and leaned against his side. She had been there for Raph while he was getting taken care of, so she felt her role as big sister was needed once more for her other brother. And he seemed pleased with the decision too, his feet bobbing happily as they wordlessly stuffed more food in their mouths. It wasn’t like what Lil Mikey cooked at all, missing some subtle flavors. But it was still tasty, and they had to chuckle when Mikey assured Raph that he could have seconds, thirds and fourths if he wanted.

The atmosphere of the infirmary was starting to feel lighter as the teens staved off their exhaustion just a little longer. The quiet calmness was making it harder to stay awake, and Leon found that Don sounded just a little louder than expected when he came back with the items. The electric heat pad was plugged into the nearby outlet and clicked onto a medium heat before Don passed Leon the medicine and a bottle of water. “Drink the whole bottle please. I’d rather not have to stick you with an IV too,” he requested, with a slight joke. As Leon obediently popped the pill in his mouth and chugged the water, Don sat back on the stool and gently lifted his leg to rest his lap before he wrapped the heating pad around Leon’s knee. Holding it in place with his hands and pressing the heat into the joint, Don had to chuckle as Leon let out a hum of relief. Keeping still for a few minutes to let the heat soothe Leon’s knee a little more, Don eventually shifted to move Leon's leg to rest on the stool so he could stand and change the bandage on Leon’s head. It thankfully didn’t look infected at all, and was a fairly shallow scrape. So Don just put some ointment on it before he covered it with a clean bandage while Leon quietly ate the rest of the stew he had. By the time Don was done Leon was starting to lean while his eyes fluttered, the soothing heat on his leg lulling him to sleep as well. Even April gave a huge yawn as Mikey almost stealthily slipped the empty bowls away from them.

“Their Raph has already fallen asleep by mini Mikey. We should just tuck these guys in here, they seem used to sharing beds,” Mikey whispered, more to Don than the others. The comment caused Don to glance over to the other bed, happy to see Raph curled up around his youngest brother like Lil Mikey was a teddy bear. They both looked peaceful, and just having the other two sitting next to him seemed to have smoothed the furrow in Donnie’s brow completely.

Giving another chuckle, Don nodded in agreement before he gently hovered his hands towards the remaining two teens to coax them to lay down as well. It took a bit of shuffling, but luckily they didn’t protest. April’s glasses were slipped off and placed next to Donnie’s case, and Leon crawled over to the other side of him before putting his own case on that side of the bed as well. It took the last of Leon’s effort to take his own contacts out, using a portal to drop the case on the nightstand, before he gave in to his exhaustion and flopped over.

“Sleep well. Call us if you need anything,” Don hushed, pulling spare blankets over them as the three teens shifted to get comfortable around each other.

____________________

Previous Next

____________________

Everyone is taken care of now, yeeey time for a good nap XD

[craftypeaceturtle]

TMNT 2003 Fic Recs

These are mostly going to be hurt/comfort, with a lot of Don fics.

.

Homecoming by Technodawn

Donnie is kidnapped by someone and held captive for four years.

Posted on fanfiction.net, this fic is brilliant! One of those fanfics that I read entirely one sitting because I couldn't stop. Lots of brotherly moments and the time Don is held captive is emotional and visceral. This whole fic is so grounded and well thought out.

.

Turning the Blade by Pebr

All of the brothers start experiencing the same intense nightmares and all need to come together to face those fears. Only Leo spirals from these nightmares and falls further from his brothers.

Not for the faint of heart with its vivid descriptions and gore. Fantastic exploration of the characters and Leo in particular. A super creative idea with a unique threat. The exhaustion and injuries make the fic feel real and intense.

.

Blood-Stained Tiles by RealityBreakGirl

Donnie panics after having to stitch up his father.

I'd recommend anything by RealityBreakGirl in all honesty but this fic has a special place in my heart. It's so sweet and explores the idea of Donnie as the team medic and the pressure that puts him under.

.

The Gauntlant by T33la

Donnie has been working on a gauntlant that can negate gravity- but it's highly experimental and glitchy. But soon Mikey and Donnie have to bet their lives on this tech.

Again, would recommend you read through everything T33la has ever written, this fic in particular is my favourite. Reads as an episode of the show. The characters are so vibrant and in-character. Some fantastic action and character moments that won't leave my head.

.

Find the Road by SillySocks

A series of oneshots exploring how everyone is dealing after Leo is sent to the Ancient One.

Such a great exploration of family and what these characters mean to each other. Kind of blows my mind that this idea isn't in a bunch of fanfics. A slow almost grieving look after Leo leaves as everyone finds a new normal and tries to keep going as well.

.

It Takes a Village by GreenGoddessSmoothie

April is stressed out to the max with dealing with her baby. Thankfully Donnie and Leo come to the rescue.

You won't find a better April hurt/comfort fic. It's so sweet and an amazing fic which explores how these three all see each other. It's one of those fics which is great to read while trying to sleep, very fluffy and a great read.

.

Can You Break What You Can't See? by lunaless

Donnie struggling after the mind probe.

One of my favourite post-mind probe fics. The struggle Donnie facing to keep his mind in tact and also everyone struggling to get out of the ship is great! It feels intense and the growing realisation that Donnie isn't okay makes for a great read!

.

The Afterward by halogalopaghost

Donnie after his secondary mutation slowly recovering and being nursed back to health. The cure didn't work instantly and everyone is on edge trying to coax him back to health.

Yes. YES! A great fanfic with a lot of medical speculation and the helplessness of watching a family member fall sick. Leatherhead's exhaustion, everyone's desperation. A fantastic read! Also please check out halogalopaghost, another fantastic fic writer that I could recommend every single work they've done.

.

Midnight Comforts by mattyj

Raph comforting Don after he had a nightmare about SAINW.

OH! If you want a great character based conversation which completes destroys my heart, you'll find it here. Such a sweet fluffy fanfiction. A fantastic look into Don and Raph's relationship. A must read if you're a sucker for that dynamic.

.

Matchmaker Matchmaker (Make Me a Match) by LilliputianDuckling

Donnie is in love with Usagi but mistakes that interest in seeing how great Usagi would be in a relationship and so setting him up with Leo.

Okay I usually avoid shipping stuff since it doesn't really interest me but this was so cute and put an interesting spin on Donnie and Usagi. A great little read and the moment when Raph realises what's actually going on is great. The fic that makes me prefer Don x Usagi rather than Leo.

[acefiree]

𝗯𝗮𝘆! 𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗮𝗲𝗹 | bestfriends

Raphael ✷ x reader ( pining like idiots ) MASTERLIST

ᕦ(๏益๏)ᕥ: after a bad day at school, you hang out in the lair in hopes of forgetting about the events that took place, only to get into an argument with the hothead in red.

WARNINGS: tension, potty mouth characters, angst, argument, mentioning of assault

NOTE: this was a request from my wattpad ooffff

      "GIVE IT BACK!" I shouted as I chased Mikey across the common area of the lair, the orange-clad turtle cackling manically as he jumped the back of the sofa and somersaulting with ease, which honestly left me a little baffled for a moment with how simple he made it look.

It always amazed me how easy the guys made stunts like those seem, the years of ninjutsu training being a constant reminder of how amazing the four Terrapin brothers were. Though, right now, Mikey was on my shit list and was honestly about to be my least favorite Ninja Turtle.

"Come on, Sweetcakes!" He shouted with a silly grin, pausing only for a second so he could dangle my phone teasingly between his fingers, the device twisting as he winked at me, "You gotta be faster than that, Babes, see ya!" And with that, Michelangelo took his skateboard and zoomed off, my phone still in his possession.

I'm going to kill him! I was too busy staring up, eyes following the retreating terrapin, to notice when a certain hothead stepped out of the weight room. I was also too busy to notice just how close said hothead was.

"Dammit Michelangelo, if you don't give it back, I'm gonna—oof," I grunted, falling onto my back starfish as I ran into what I thought was a wall. A groan left my mouth, a harsh throb coming from my nose. I raised my hand and rubbed it, my eyes watering. "Oh man, that fucking hurt." I whined to myself.

After eating shit and promptly taking the world's biggest L – I laid there on the dirty floor of the lair, contemplating my life, when a pair of calloused hands suddenly grab onto me and I was pulled upward into a sitting position. Tears clouded my vision, blinking a few times as I tried to make out the red blob sitting to my right.

"Shit, Doll. Are you okay?" A moderately rough voice asked, sounding underlining concerned.

"Jesus? Is that you? I think I knocked myself stupid—fucking wall came out of nowhere."

There was a deep chuckle that came from Raphael, his hands aiding me as I tried to stand. I wiped away the tears in my eyes. I felt something wet above my lip, so I wiped it, only to cringe when I looked at my fingers and saw blood.

I blinked at it, face blank. "I think my nose is bleeding."

The terrapin placed a finger under my chin, turning my head upward so he could see, rough palm cupping my jaw lightly to keep my head in place. His eyes rounded, green gaze filling with concern. He sucked his teeth, his scarred lip shifting into a deep frown at what he saw.

"Ya feelin' okay? You wanna go see Don?"

Only when I pull back does my mouth curve into a soft smile, cheeks warming from the display of concern, and dare I say affection from my best friend. There was pain in my nose, but other than that, I knew I'd be fine. I should have been watching where I was going. This was the second time today I had gotten myself hurt.

I knew my expression dropped when I thought about what happened at school today, and my hand went to my sleeve-covered wrist, subconsciously rubbing the bruise hiding beneath the fabric. Raphael didn't seem to notice my change in mood, more focused on the blood smeared under my nose.

I cleared my throat, "Can you help me clean this blood?" I questioned, pushing my thoughts aside. I could worry about my arm later, right now, my focus was the fresh blood on my face.

Raphael didn't hesitate to nod, "Yeah,"

Now, all I expected him to do was find a paper towel or something and help me clean the blood. What I didn't expect was for him to pick me up, large arms scooping me up like a damn princess, into his broad plastron chest as he took me into his room quickly, obviously still concerned.

I shot him a surprised look, "I can walk."

He tilted his head toward me, "Nah, I gotcha."

This wasn't the first time Raph had acted like my Prince Charming and swooped me off my feet. Any time I got hurt, or he thought he could move me faster, here he came. Thick muscled arms ready to hold me close and take me anywhere I wanted go, like my own personal Turtle Uber.

Another soft smile slinked to my lips as he placed me on the edge of his bed, turning his shell to me as he stepped away to grab the First Aid kit he had stashed in his room. I knew I was practically mooning up at him, but I couldn't help it, I really loved this side of the burly turtle. He liked to play tough, but moments like right now proved how soft and caring he could be. As he turned back to face me, the Raph paused, noting the smile on my face.

He raised a non-existing brow. "What?"

"Thank you," I said instead of saying what I was really thinking.

He huffed a chuckle, shaking his head. "Don't worry about it, now c'mere."

I scooted closer to the edge of the bed, tipping my chin up to give him access to my face. He paused before he took a step closer, noting the fact he was practically towering over me now and it was about to be hell for him to reach my nose to clean it. With a deep sigh, and a roll of his eyes, the hothead sat the Aid kit down.

What's with the attitude? It's not my fault I'm so damn short. Maybe he shouldn't be so tall. Has he ever thought of that? Like I'm a woman—

Before I could even question Raph, I was suddenly lifted off the bed like a damn child and placed on the desk resting in the corner of the room. My hands snapped out, fingers slipped over the dibs and rough texture of his scaled skin, trying to steady my self as I locked eyes on green. I was now face to face with Raphael, and I swear, for a moment my heart seemed to pause in its steady beat. I felt a sudden awkwardness at our close proximity, and I did the only thing that any reasonable person would do in a situation like this with their best friend.

I booped him.

With precise and agile movements, my hand lifted with my finger pointed, poking him directly on the end of his snout. Raphael jerked his head back a little, eyes widening a smidge from not expecting that, and mouth popping open to say something, though no words came out.

So, with him shocked and me slightly amused, we slowly locked eyes. I watched with a suppressed grin as his piercing gaze went from mine then to the finger that was still pressed on his nose. He looked baffled I did that, and when I began to giggle, a look of something grew in the depth of his gaze.

"I'm sorry, Red! I couldn't resist – I've always wanted to do that!" My shoulders shook as I laughed, removing my finger to place my hand over my stomach. "Your reaction was so cute!"

Raphael was watching me with an unknown look, but as soon as the word cute left my mouth, his face shifted as if I had just offended his dead grandmother.

"I'm not fuckin' cute—wait—Ya think I'm cute?"

That's what I said? Right? I give him a look, calming myself so I'd stop laughing enough for him to actually clean my face. Raphael's face looked as if it were turning a shade darker and I wonder if that was a turtle's version of a blush.

"Well, yeah, I did."

He looked rather stunned, "Uh, oh...let's just get your face cleaned up, Doll." He brushed off my words as he grabbed the First Aid kit. My face fell. This wasn't the first time he brushed off one of my comments. And if I'm being honest, it hurt my feelings, making me feel stupid for even trying with him.

When was he going to see that I loved his stupid face?

"K," It was a clipped and short reply, one that he caught onto instantly.

He didn't comment on it though. Good. Because I didn't want him asking. Cause then I'd have to explain his aloofness hurt my feelings, and that I was trying to flirt with him. God, why are men so stupid sometimes? Especially hotheads like him.

I closed my eyes, so I don't have to look at him, breathing in through my nose to keep my mouth closed. I felt him gently grasp the bottom of my chin, a damp rag softly wiping under my nose to clean the blood. His gentle grip almost made me squirm. How could he not see the effect he had on me? I mean, everyone else could see it.

Maybe he did, and he knew. Maybe that's why he always brushed it off. Because he didn't feel the same, and he didn't want to reject me and ruin our friendship.

When he was done, I waited for him to remove his hand, but it never moved, his grip only tightened before I felt my arm get snatched into his grasp. Shocked and slightly caught off guard, I furrow my brows and quickly open my eyes. I nearly fall out by the look he was giving me now, and I almost pull my arm away from him when I see where he is looking.

"What happened to your wrist?"

It wasn't a question, and the low tone in his voice made me want to shrink back and hide. His face was taught into that miffed expression I've only ever seen him wear when arguing with Leo, or when he had a bad patrol. Then, when he looked at me, his expression changed, and I had to blink slowly to process it. His pupils dilated in the most alluring way possible.

I swallowed thickly, wondering if I should tell him what happened, or if I should take my chance and give into the urge to kiss my best friend right now, who looked so pissed and worried about why my wrist had a handprint bruised on it.

"Nothing," I quickly lied, trying to pull my arm away, but to no avail.

Raph's eyes snapped back to the purple and yellow fingerprints on my smaller arm, his hand practically swallowing limb, a quick reminder of just how much bigger he was than me. His gaze slowly lifted back to match my own and the breath in my lungs felt as if it was ripped from my body. Oh. Oh. He was pissed.

"Who did this?" He all but growled now and I had to stop myself from shying away. I didn't like when he got like this, but for some odd reason, I couldn't pull away. His gaze had me locked in with a vice grip, and all I could do was frown up at him.

Might as well tell him. He's my best friend. He deserves to know. "Some guy at school – we got into a small disagreement—"

"Who?" This time, his voice was a lot lower, and a dark look flashed in his eyes.

Against my better judgment, I told him. "J-Jason." I said before quickly adding, "It's okay though, I delt with it—"

Raphael frowned, "Were ya' goin' to tell me?" He asked, looking a bit hurt at the fact I was trying to hide it from him, "I don't want you seeing him anymore."

Not that I was planning on hanging around that asshole anymore, but the fact Raphael sounded so possessive when he said that made me frown and open my mouth to argue back. Though, when his hand that was still holding my chin shifted and slipped to cup my jaw, any words I had planned to say left me and all I could do was stare up at my best friend, my mouth slightly parted.

Raphael still looked rather upset, but with our proximity, his gaze trailed over every inch of my face. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, but by the way his expression was slowly softening the longer we had a small stare off, the more I could guess he was feeling the same thing I was. And boy, was my heart hammering now.

My whole body went stiff as he leaned forward and I don't know what possessed me, I really don't, but I moved an inch closer to him and his grip on my wrist tighten only slightly as his other hand shifted, his thumb falling to the pulse on my neck and pressing in lightly. My heart paused when I noticed his gaze fall to my lips.

There was thick tension between us and all I wanted to do was kiss him, so he'd shut up and stop being so pissy. His possessive nature pissed me off and I wanted to show him he couldn't tell me what to do. And so, I did. My eyes fluttered shut as he moved closer and kissed me, the feeling of his lips making my head spin as I reached up with my free hand and cupped his cheek.

At my touch, he froze, seeming to wake up from whatever little daydream he was living in. Raph quickly pulled away and I instantly opened my eyes confused.

Why'd he stop?

The look on his face hit me hard.

Regret. Anger. Fear.

"R-Red?"

He put a foot of distance between us, his green eyes unable to look at me. He was breathing hard, shoulders tense. Is he mad? Why is he so upset? He was the one who kissed me. Well, we both did, but that's besides the point.

"T-that was a mistake," He groused out, unable to meet my gaze.

What? My heart felt it shattered into a million of pieces as what he said registered in my head. A mistake? Kissing him? It didn't feel like a mistake. I quickly hopped off the desk and stepped closer to the tense turtle, unsure on how to approach as I hid my wrist again.

"Red, what do you—"

"We can't do this," His voice rose, causing me to jump from how loud and unexpected it was. "You should go,"

What in the hell is wrong with him? What did I do wrong? Was the kiss really that bad? Was he really that mad because I hid a bruise? And he's never raised his voice at me before...There was tears in my eyes now and I knew if I spoke my voice would give it away. But right now, I didn't care if he knew I was crying.

Fucking asshole.

"It's just a bruise, and that kiss wasn't a mistake to me..." My voice wavered and sounded full of raw emotion.

His eyes snapped to me like autopilot, surprise written all over his expression with the underlying of frustration. But when he saw the tears streaming down my face, and the pure look of heart break in my eyes, his whole demeanor shifted and I could tell he wanted to say something. I save him from having to choose. My eyes dropped as I lower my head so my hair could shield my face from his view.

Without uttering another word, I rushed from his room, ignoring the soft whisper of my name from his lips. Fuck him. Fuck this. Fuck everything.

"Hey Babes, you still want your—whoa why are you crying?!" Mikey said, sounding rather alarmed. His little outburst grabbed the attention of his brothers and I mentally curse myself.

"Dear, are you okay?"

Damn, now Splinter was concerned. I was blocked by Mikey, Leo, and Donnie as Master Splinter stood on his little meditation podium in front of the water slide. Upon hearing all the commotion, I heard movement from the direction of Raph's room and I knew he stepped out. It didn't help I could sense his stare, his gaze always having that effect on me.

Not to make anything obvious, I wipe my eyes.

"I-Im okay guys, April called, and we got into a little argument – I have to go home. It's just a silly fight between friends."

My excuse was an obvious lie, because like, me and April were pretty close and rarely got into scuffles, plus Mikey still had my phone. though the phone he had was just my old back up, and never worked...but, I knew the guys and Splinter didn't believe the utter bullshit that just spewed from my mouth.

Mikey stepped closer, his usual happy demeanor gone and filled with concern. I had to blink a few times to register the look. He never looked like that, he was always goofy and smiling. But now he was looking at me like I just stole the last of his orange soda crush, and I didn't like that, not one bit.

"You promise, Sweetcakes?"

Oh god. Why did he have to ask that. Promises was one thing I took very seriously. And even though Raph just ripped my heart out like it was nothing, that didn't mean I wanted to throw him under the bus and embarrass him in front of his family—it's not his fault he doesn't like me in a romantic way. You can't help how you feel for someone. It's something that comes naturally, and he didn't love me.

I just have to get over it and accept it.

Plus, the fact I was hiding a bruise from him probably didn't help the situation. I knew how protective Raphael could be, which is why I didn't want him knowing about it in the first place. But the cat's outta the bag now, and I couldn't tell if he was mad about the bruise or the kiss.

I made the mistake of looking over to my right. Raphael stood there, eyes set on my face as an intense emotion danced in the pools of his gaze. In this moment, I couldn't read him. It was as if I were staring at a complete stranger. I quickly looked away, but I knew everyone noticed, yet acted like they didn't.

"I-I promise, Mike—I'll see you guys later..." I felt instant guilt as I promised the youngest. He was gonna be so upset when he figured out my promise was a lie. But I'll face that bridge when I have to cross it. For now, I just wanted to go home and forget this day completely.

Leo and Donnie quickly shared a look, while Mikey's face shifted into a look of disappointment. Splinter assessed me carefully, his paw coming up to rub his whiskered beard. I saw him glance in Raphael's direction, but he said nothing.

He looks back at me, "My child, If that is what you say happened, then we will respect it—you may leave if you wish, but Flower?—"

I hummed, letting him know I was listening.

He gave me the softest look I had ever seen from him, his obsidian gaze sending me a message I couldn't understand. "You are always welcome here—don't ever feel like you don't have a place within this family. We all love you, my sweet flower."

His words prompted tears to begin to fall from my eyes again and a hiccup left my mouth. Embarrassing. So fucking embarrassing. This was the first time in a long time anyone has seen me cry, and now I had a full audience. Everything that had happened to me today came back at full force and I couldn't help the tears.

"Wh-I-" I cleared my throat, wiping my eyes again as I looked at every one, even Raph. "I love you all, thank you...I'll remember that. Goodbye."

They all watch in silence as all but rush out the lair, little did I know, they heard mine and Raphael's argument.

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

THIRD PERSON POV

It was silent as they all watched the young girl practically run from the lair, as if she had a fire lit under her feet.

All eyes shift to the hothead across the lair, and he instantly went stiff under their gaze. He knew there was a possibility they had heard the little squabble. But at their stares. It only confirmed it for him. His heart was pounding, emotions battling in his consciousness at all the events that just occurred.

That was the first time he had seen her so hurt, so upset. She had never, in the time he'd known her, cried – and that is a pretty long time now.

Raphael felt his chest tighten as the image of her hurt expression flashed in his head, and regret began to web it's way around his drumming heart. He hadn't meant to hurt her the way he did. The thought of someone else – especially a human male – hurting her didn't sit right with him, and especially since she felt the need to hide it. Did she not trust him? The thought alone just reminded him of the deepest fear he had about their friendship. His biological make-up being the key to most of his anger.

Then there was the kiss.

He felt as though she didn't share mutual feelings with him. He had kissed her without asking – he thought he had fucked up the only friendship he cherished. When he yelled at her, he wasn't upset with her per-se, he was pissed at himself.

But like always, he fucked up. And like always, his big damn mouth had to go and make things worse.

"What did you do, Raph?"

Raphael's eyes snapped to his older brother, taking in the accusing tone as Leo asked the question. There was also a firmness behind it. The leader knew damn well what took place, he just wanted Raph to admit it.

The hothead shot him a smoldering glare, "I didn't do shit, Fearless!"

"Don't lie Raphael – don't act like we didn't hear everything." Now it was Donnie that had spoken.

It shocked Raph at how upset he sounded. Felling a bit defensive, he let out a grunt. "Back off. I-I didn't mean to hurt her. I didn't—she—I thought—" He struggled to get out a proper sentence, not knowing what to tell his siblings that were all looking at him as if he committed murder.

Splinter watched his son with a thoughtful look, he stepped down from his podium and walked towards the dojo. "My son, come."

Raph quickly looked in his father direction, his hard expression slowly dropping as fear twinged in his heart. He knew whatever punishment Splinter had, he would take it. He honestly deserved as much. Without looking at his brothers, he made his way into the room with his father.

Mikey turned to the others, his expression sullen. "Guys, I'm going to go check and make sure she made it home..." He was running out the lair before Leo could say anything.

Not like he was. He and Donnie were both shocked by their younger brother. The look on his face was so alien, they knew Mikey was deeply concerned for his friend. So, neither of them said a thing, allowing the orange clad turtle to go check on the girl. They knew he could help her better than they could...

...Raphael paused in the threshold of the door, his shoulders tense as he watched his father take a seat in a kneeling pose on the floor. Splinter motioned with a paw for him to come over, and waited patiently as the larger turtle did. Once he was seated, he began to speak.

"My son, what you said tonight must never happen again – do you understand?"

"Hai Sensei,"

The old rat noticed Raph wouldn't meet his eyes, and he could see there was an internal battle going on his head.

"Raphael, what troubles you?"

He was silent for a moment before slowly looking up, "Sensei—dad I fucked up."

"Explain."

Raphael took a deep breath in through his nose, "With her—she—I kissed her without asking. I-I thought I ruined everything. I felt ashamed. I told her to leave because I felt like an ass, and then she was hiding something—I didn't know..."

Now it made sense. Raphael had always been the most in touch of his emotions, much like Michelangelo. While Mikey channeled his emotions through kindness and compassion, Raphael expressed his emotions through anger and retaliation. It took the old rat master years to understand the anger his second oldest harbored, so he knew Raph honestly didn't mean to hurt the girl the way he did.

"You love her."

It wasn't a question. Raph just nodded.

"Then why are you telling me? You should tell her."

Raph was shocked, his eyes blinking. "B-but she hates me now—dad you didn't see the way she looked at me..."

Splinter shook his head, "No. but I saw the way she looked at you when she proclaimed her love for us—those words weren't meant for us, my son. Sometimes you can be so blind to the people in front of you."

Raphael didn't know what to say. He swallowed and looked down once again, his father's word resonating with him.

Splinter placed a gentle paw on his shoulder. "Give her time, she will be back. You can fix things then. But for now, give her space. You both are experiencing heightened emotions—talk when you are both calm and have thought over your words carefully."

He was right. Raphael thought. With a nod and a thanks to his father, he left the dojo, heading to the only place he knew he could channel his emotions.

The weight room.

MASTERLIST

[whispering-about-the-tmnt]

Can I get a quick summary of your thoughts/opinions on the 4 shows and the different movies? :3

Personally I'm a big fan of 2012 and Rise, and 2003 is good too but just never landed as much with me but I think I gotta give it another shot tbh. And I respect to 80's show, but not a big fan of cartoons durring that time as a whole.

And I love the 1990 movie, and the 2007 movie has amazing parts but as a whole is just pretty decent, and I absolutely love Mutant Mayhem :3

But it's always great stumbling across another tmnt fan while just scrolling my dash

Ah! Thank you for the ask!

I'll do them in chronological order, and I'm sorry but this is going to be long!

1987 - My first intro to the Turtles, way back when the show first aired! I totally fell into the world of Ninja Turtles back then, and wanted to consume everything having to do with them. I had posters all over my walls, toys, clothing, hats... you name it, I either had it or wanted desperately to get it. I was so into them that my dad bought me the first four (colorized) graphic novels of the original comics, and I still have them to this day. And I still love the cartoon! I accept now that they are kinda silly, but that gives them a certain charm. They were a huge part of my childhood, and when they came out on DVD I introduced my kids to them, as well. Honestly, I am who I am today because I happened to come across the show on a tiny little portable black and white TV while we were camping...

1990 - The first "event movie" I ever experienced! I remember how hyped I got when the first ads came out for it, with the tag line "Hey Dudes, This Is No Cartoon"... and how I told my dad that I wanted to move back to North Carolina (we were living in Massachusetts at the time) because I heard that they were filming it there (we didn't move, of course!). I also distinctly remember how excited I was waiting in line with crowds of people at Showcase Cinemas in Springfield, MA. I saw the movie twice in theaters (the first time I ever did that), and many, many times on tape. When I had kids, we all watched it together on DVD (usually while eating pizza). I love the gritty look and story line; and it was actually interesting to see, for the first time, the "rivalry" between Raph and Leo, which would later become a huge part of the franchise as a whole. In general, the movie represents the Turtles pretty well, though Mike and Don did kind of get pushed to the side (which has also, unfortunately, become a major aspect of the franchise). All-in-all, though, it remains one of my favorite movies ever.

1991 - The second TMNT movie (The Secret Of The Ooze) wasn't bad, in my opinion, but it never had as large a part in my life or psyche as the first movie. It was a bit silly, a bit slow... but it had Ernie Reyes Jr. in it, and I had a HUGE crush on him. In general, it was good, and I liked their new lair in the subway, but it was... just okay. I did love Tokka and Rahzar, though!

1993 - It may seem strange, but even with the costume downgrade and slapstick reliance and a bit of a silly story line, I enjoyed the third movie more than the second! For one thing, Casey was back (and I loved his apparent ancestor, Whit). For another, it was nice to see the Turtles out of their element, but also being accepted by people. There were some nice heroic moments in there, too, like Mikey and Leo saving Yoshi. It also made me wonder if the Turtles would, at some point in the future, go back even further and defeat Norinaga's ancestor, leading to the painting that was shown repeatedly in the movie. Oh, and I totally headcanon Mitsu and Kenshin being Hamato Yoshi's ancestors.

2003 - My favorite of the TV shows! I love how they can be gritty and serious or silly and playful. Their lair is amazing, and they have plenty of friends, but still are separated from humanity. I like the relationships the Turtles have between each other, and also how each of their personalities are distinct and add to the group. There are plenty of standalone episodes, but they all come back around and tie into the series as a whole -- and character arcs like Leonardo's 4th season self-loathing and recovery are the kind of thing I eat right up. All things considered, the series is my gold standard for the franchise, and especially for the Turtles' and Splinter's personalities.

2007 - Visually, it was great! I loved the voice acting and the atmosphere. However, they leaned a bit too hard into the aforementioned Leo & Raph rivalry (although the rooftop fight scene was amazing). I would have liked for Don and Mike to have a larger part in the story (although Don did do his techie thing and figure out what was going on, it was sort of a non-event). I did like the eleventh-hour Karai and Foot team-up with the good guys, though! Unfortunately, I am compelled to mention that Splinter in that movie is... not my favorite.

2012 - Completely honestly, I am an outsider to this series, and all that I know of it I have absorbed through Tumblr Osmosis. That meaning, although I do know a lot about it, I have never actually watched a full episode. It is my 12-year-old daughter's favorite version, however, so on her behalf I will be giving it a thumbs-up 👍🏼

2014 / 2016 - Bundling the two Bayverse movies into one, because I will be honest and say that the line between them blurs for me sometimes (not in a bad way, just like... they flow into one another in my mind). I will admit that I put off watching them for a long time because I disagreed with some of the creative decisions (I'll just leave that there), but when I watched them they turned out to be not as bad as I feared. Their lairs were fitting, and so were their personalities (even if Leo is occasionally a bit my way or the highway). Really, though, I don't have too much to say about them, except that some of the slapstick and more cartoony action tends to draw me out of the moment. Not my favorite TMNT movies, but not horrible. There's potential there.

2018 - ROTTMNT is another series that I haven't actually watched, and which I have gathered most of my knowledge on from Tumblr. However, I did watch the movie and enjoyed it very much! Honestly, the only reason I haven't watched the series yet is because I already have enough TMNT versions bouncing around in my head and I know if I watch it I will want to write fics for it, and I already have enough on my plate for the time being (meaning I will probably get a bunch of my WIPs done, then watch the series!). That having been established, I do like the way the Turtles are different species, and the overall exuberance of the series as a whole is a delight (again, from an outside perspective, but valid regardless!). Splinter's backstory is unique and interesting, and his relationship with his sons is enjoyable!

2019 - Batman Vs. TMNT is, without a doubt, one of my favorite TMNT movies ever! I loved the style, the atmosphere, the fight choreography, the relationships... everything. I also like how it earned that PG-13 rating (violence, swearing... you know... original Mirage Turtle stuff). It was nice how each Turtle got to shine, and how they each got a member of the Batfam to cling to. And Leo's fight with Ra's al Ghul is perhaps my favorite TMNT battle ever. I know it is probably too much to hope for a sequel, but I am nothing if not a cockeyed optimist!

2023 - Mutant Mayhem was fun! It was nice seeing the Turtles portrayed as actual teenagers, complete with gratuitous pop culture references. The animation style was interesting (in a good way!) and the voice acting was spot-on. I loved the soundtrack, too, and I had "What's Going On" stuck in my head for days after I watched the movie! The fact that the Turtles got accepted by humans at the end was nice, even if my preferred version of them is as outcasts; and their relationship with Splinter was believably complicated. I am excited to see how the story continues in TOTTMNT!

Is that all of them? I think that is all of them! Sorry this was so long, but I have a lot of feelings on the subject!

[leontheluxuriousone]

Masterpost🌀✨

what up! Names Leonardo but you can call me Leon! Use whatever pronouns ya like!

Let’s just say, I am extremely handsome. And charming! And ofc, overall amazing ✨

Awesome Pfp done by: @echodoesstuff62333

The fam!:

Angie: @mikey-the-mischevious

Egghead: @geniusbuiltblogtm

old man 1: @raph-reign17

hiero!: @riseleon

Other us??

old man 2: @marvelousmichelangelo

“yee paw”: @ninjas-greatest-weapon ( aka future me?)

don tron: @genius-othello

Raphie: @b1g-raph1e

The amigos!:

Apes: @aprilthefiercequeen

Cass w/ the mask : @thecassclan

CJ: @hugzfromcaseyjr

Pax: @pax-man2010

Vincent von vivi: @mikey-rottmnt

Stella: @stella-kessho-reporting-for-duty

usagi (aka bunny boy) @yokai-nerd

Alternative Universe us??

Lee: @captain-ryans-no1-fan-2

Raph: @im-a-turtle-with-anger-issues

skyscraper Donnie: @donniepedia-the-encyclopedia

Mike!: @the-party-dude

Casey 3: @goongala-hockey-puck

Karai: @karaiirl

Ronin universe

ronin mikey??: @ronin-mikey

and if anyone sees @bigmama10ffical, & @repo-maniac, don’t bring them to me.

(They’ll beat my ass probably)

(None RP blog: @averagetmntfan)!!

would also like to say that this acc swears, like a lot. So if that triggers u, I suggest u click off.

And the rest of the gang is here!

RULES:

no gross asks. I shouldn’t even have to say this, but meh

(NSFW,TCEST,PROSHIPPERS DNI!!!!!!)

do not send weird things in dms, please.

((OOC Note: ill use “((“ to show I’m ooc!))

[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

[tmnt-tychou]

Hello again!!

I have another character for you!! How about Splinter?? 😄

Thanks as always!! 😊

Sorry this took me a while to get to, it's been a busy week. But I am LOVING these and thank you to everyone who submitted asks. This is the most asks I've ever received and I have greatly enjoyed this. A Tier: 90's movie Splinter: This is a rat Splinter. He is a good dad and tries his best. This man loves his sons. Also, easily the most frail of all the Splinters, but still manages to toss Shredder off a building.

2003: Another rat Splinter. This man loves his sons and also loves his father, Hamato Yoshi. He is wise, caring, and very invested in in his sons' lives.

2012: A Hamato Yoshi Splinter. I love this Splinter so much. I think he is my favorite thing to come out of 2012. This man is Dad Vibes so much! He loves his kids and he wants them to have the best lives he can provide. I also love that we got this massive more human-sized Splinter. Just love him all around.

B Tier: 80's cartoon Splinter: A Hamato Yoshi Splinter, he has a great design and amazing voice actor. He is calm, he is zen and fatherly. He looses points because he never calls the turtles his sons. They are always "My turtles/pupils/students." The very first time I heard Splinter call the boys his sons was in the 90's movie and it blew my little mind. (Note, I'm not sure if maybe they changed it in the last seasons where they were trying to be more like the live action movies. It's been so long, I don't remember.)

2007 Splinter: I THINK this is a Hamato Yoshi Splinter? This is a hard one for me because everything in the movie is good. I love his design, I love his VA, I love his lines and how he interacts with the turtles. But there was just something OFF about the whole of the 2007 movie and I figured it out by reading the comics that take place before the movie. In which Splinter picks Leonardo ONLY to go on this world tour for vague reasons while the others are stuck at home. Raphael is immediately hurt and angry at the blatant favoritism. Don and Mikey look like they are so used to it, they don't even argue anymore. Leo is so much the golden child in this movie it hurts me in my soul. Splinter is a terrible father, but he was fine on screen if you take the movie at face value.

C Tier: Next Mutation Splinter: I don't recall if it was ever clear if he was a ran or Hamato Yoshi. He knew Venus' dad, so maybe Hamato Yoshi? He gives off these prancy, gay dad vibes which are kind of fun and fresh for a Splinter. (He plays chess out in the park late at night with his blind boyfriend.) He doesn't do too much to parent his extremely dumbass kids. Maybe since they're 18 he's decided they are their own problem now. And while the turtle suits are pretty nice for a TV production, the rat suit is BAAAAD.

Bayverse Splinter: This one makes no sense. Any Splinter that takes out Hamato Yoshi completely really throws off the universe. Why is he so Asian coded when he has no Asian influence in his life aside from finding a book on martial arts? It's weird. Other than that, he's fine in the movies.

Rise Splinter: A Hamato Yoshi Splinter. I like that we got a Splinter where you can really see the depression from being turned into a rat. And you can see how the turtles turned out to be different people: Leo and Raph especially, without Splinter there to be an influence on the group dynamic. But the characterization doesn't make sense. He says he loves his boys, but he doesn't always know their names? I know this was played for laughs, but the characterization wasn't there. Also minus points for the god-awful character design. Again, I know dad-bod Splinter was played for laughs, but...we had to look at it.

Mutant Mayhem Splinter: Again, another Splinter without Hamato Yoshi that makes no sense. However, he is a GOOD dad who loves his sons and does his best to keep his family together. I love this idea that he is a shut in because he is actually scared of the surface. I do have a hard time buying he is a martial arts master from merely watching kung fu movies. And also minus points for the god-awful character design.

[justalittleobsessed]

A Thank You

Well everyone, we're at the end of I Get Knocked Down (But I Get Up Again). It has been an amazing journey getting here. Through the ups and downs, through the AO3 writer's curse apparently being real to the months of waiting, we've made it. Fifty chapters, angst and happiness and crying and loving and everything in-between.

This has been such a wonderful experience, and I thank you all for all the love and support you've given this story. None of this would've been possible without you. Truly I cannot express how grateful I am for all of you.

That being said, this is not the end for Mikey and his brothers. I'm not ready to give them up yet, and the future holds new things for them. Good and bad. Leo, Raph, and Don's story in When the Thunder and Lightning Comes (I Know That You'll Be by My Side) is still going, and... well. There's more to go from there.

Below is a special thank you to everyone who has created art for IGKD. From art made specifically for this story, and for everyone who has brought Mikey to life in the TMNT Fandom Family Reunion (2024) in their own unique, amazing ways. Please check out all the amazing art they've given, and everything else they've created.

@belleyells

1st picture: "The Sun Room: Mikey and Raph's Wall"

2nd picture: "Glitter Bomb Prank" for the TMNT Fandom Family Reunion

@cadoodledoodleydoo

1st picture: "Mikey"

2nd picture: "Campfire Stories" for TMNT Fandom Family Reunion

3rd picture: "Mikey and Mike Get a Much Needed Hug" for TMNT Fandom Family Reunion (ft. @languajix's Mike from their "Hold Every Memory" AU)

4th picture: "Mikey the Totally Innocent Mailman" for TMNT Fandom Family Reunion

Also please check out this amazing playlist Cadoo made for IGKD!!!

@languajix

"Mikey Emoji" (look how cute this little guy is with his cat bead and colored beads)

@spacemimz

"The Michelangelos Sell Lemonade" for TMNT Fandom Family Reunion (ft. @spacemimz's Mikey from their Relinquish AU)

I hope you've appreciated this amazing art as much as I have. These people put in the work to Mikey come to life in a way I have never been able to do. Props to all these guys and all that they continue to do!

[crystallizabethine]

Headcanons for when 2012 April gets her period bc I'm in menstrual hell rn:

The first time it happened at the lair, everyone thought she was dying.

After April explained it to them, Donnie researched everything he could. He's got her cycle scheduled out on a little calendar so that he can prepare ahead of time. He's always got chocolate, tea bags, hot water bottles, and pain meds ready.

April's facial features become slightly more Kraang-ish during. Specifically her pupils get more slitted, and her skin gets a slight veiny texture.

Mikey and Donnie pamper her so much. Mikey always offers to cook (whether or not she accepts he still asks), and is the first to grab the (not sentient) ice cream from the fridge. They also both keep her company the most, and try to distract her from the pain.

As much as April appreciates Mikey and Don's fussing over her well-being, sometimes they're a bit much and it overwhelms her. Usually when this happens she gets snappish at them so they leave her alone. She apologizes afterwards usually whenever she's feeling better though. Over time they learn to communicate better.

They all give her her back massages, but she prefers when Raph does it because he's the strongest and therefore can dig into her back muscles the hardest. He's afraid he's hurting her at first but she just falls asleep from how soothing it is.

Mikey thought that all humans got periods, and when he found out that only afab people do, he cursed the universe for being sexist.

Casey was a punk about it at first ("iT's jUsT cRaMpS.") but then April punched him in the gut and told him to imagine that but constantly. (He left chocolate pudding at her door later as an apology) He was better after that but still gets wary around her cause he doesn't want to get on her bad side.

Casey honestly becomes the biggest ally despite being slightly scared of April's mood swings. He's the one who gets hygiene products for the lair, and helps keep the comfort food stocked since he can go into grocery stores.

Splinter teaches her some mantras for easing the pain, and also makes her tea.

April gets like the worst cramps ever and is definitely a period puker, and it's not fun for anyone. Usually happens on day one, sometimes day 2. The pain is usually so bad that she has to just lay down and do nothing for days (Which she gets pouty about because she's April and doesn't like "feeling lazy").

The guys got her a giant, yellow rabbit plushie that Mikey named Kevin, and he's specifically for period week.

If April's not at the lair when she's on her period, Donnie takes a little care package to her apartment.

She's most likely to fall asleep leaning on Donnie or Leo. Whenever it happens they treat it like when a cat chooses you as it's perch. AKA they're stuck there for eternity or until she wakes up.

Edit: The amazing @ohnoshespostingthis made some adorable art for these here!

[intotheelliwoods]

Yes! To add: In both Medium Leos and Little Leos timeline the movie events happened, just the addition of the arm loss via Krang in the prison dimension ofc

@mostlyvoid-partiallyturtles

---

For names stuff im just going with Big, Medium, and Little Leo accordingly!

And waaa thank you so much for the feedback! HA drawing all this stuff ahs been such a learning experience for me...

As for the whole, sacrifice ordeal? That will be shown later in the week and I think the scene will speak for itself... sweats

My heart also hurts!!!!

@alltheyearsblog

---

Technically... theres 3 and a half aus aha!? (at least in my head...) Since yeah ofc theres the original idea I had for an ending, and the current working AU. The other one and a half both involve some form of Big Leo also being alive and well in the current time! Which I can talk about how those came about later in the week I believe?!

As for the og Leos, if im feeling the need to draw them/I am motivated enough then yeah you can still spot them! Though if you mean in the main comic.. we will see? Depends how even more insane I get later down the road whoops

@amazing-captain-castiel

---

Yes! He knew he was going to break apart in some form, but that does not mean he would know what it would look like. The times Mikey did open a portal he was never there for them, and so never got to see what it looked like!

He also never got to feel it either... so partially recoil from pain/shock

I think deep deep down though, maybe he wanted to go somewhere else from their current situation. When Raph and Don helped Mikey make the portal to save Leo it was easy to push through the pain through their one goal, save Leo. With Medium Leo here, who is trying to even save anymore, himself? I think he lost a bit of his self worth a while ago...

As for Big Leos spirit, its... sorta in another place at the moment aha, a bit unreachable...

@wraenata

---

🥺 and Medium Leo will try his damn hardest to be what Big Leo was for him... thanks for the support ough 👍drawing all this has been such a trip for me pfft

@wrenthefrog

---

Looks at the peepaw multiverse.... ha thats going to take some explaining isnt it

@overthinkingintrovert-blue

---

<3 I got possessed back in april and decided to feel brave starting this summer oops

[aealzx]

I was curious i stumbled upon your blog from seeing your fic the 03 crossover on ao3. I do remember seeing the art on here. Since he’s my personal fav i wanted to ask. What’s your opinion on Raph? I mean for both iterations ROTMNT and 03.

Yes I post CDK on both here and AO3 8’D

And oh boy, buckle up kiddo I have a lot of opinions on dear Raphie *cracks fingers*

(jk it's actually not that long even under the cut X'D)

TLDR:

2003 Raph: Summed up Raph is home, safety, and warmth wrapped in an awkward bubble that doesn’t word well but will absolutely fight for those who deserve it.

Rise Raph: An adorable puppy that I look up to when it comes to dealing with people and selflessness for the sake of others, and I would adopt him in a heartbeat and smother him with plushies because he's such a good boy.

More in depth thoughts in a scrambled mess below the cut.

First, since he’s older

2003 Raph:

I first watched TMNT 2003 when I was a youngish teenager I think, and I will fully admit I was a little afraid of Raph at that time 8’D I have a really bad tolerance towards anger, I get freaked out easily and afraid I’ll get hurt or yelled at even if I didn’t do anything wrong. So having Raph portrayed heavily as “the angry one” made it hard for me to get attached to him. BUT, after growing up and watching 2003 just before starting CDK I have gotten soooo attached to Raph. This guy is not “angry” all the time, he’s open, honest, and passionate. This guy is the reason the others get out of the house. He’s the reason the others live and get into the fun times. And while Mikey certainly helps with being the life of the party, Raph is also the shield of everyone who deserves it. This guy is the most dad/big bro out of the four, and while Don could probably take care of a kid the best based on technicalities, Raph is the one that would keep them safe. Raph is home. Raph is the safety net that keeps the family warm. Because while Don is the heart of the group and we know they fall apart without him, Don wouldn’t have a voice without Raph because Don is too soft to fight back when Raph will. Donnie is still my all time favorite of the TMNT 2003 boys, but just barely. If Don is 100/100 on the favorite meter, then Raph is 99/100. He kicked Leo out of the second favorite spot for me on my recent watch.

Rise Raph:My first exposure to Rise Raph was my sister sending me the scene of Raphie crying over not being able to figure out how to help his family after they’d just lost Karai, and I have to admit the only thing I thought was “oh that’s nice, Raph actually cries in this one”. And then I actually watched the show (because sis insisted I watch the movie and I knew I needed context to fully enjoy it) and omg the Rise bros (and April) have the unique case of all being just about equal in my favorites tier. But specifically about Rise Raph this boy is a puppy and also I would adopt him and his family in a heartbeat because he’s also the sweetest lil guy and so good at watching out for others without being smothering. And just like 2003 Raph, Rise Raph is the protector of the family. Not because he happens to be the biggest and therefore the tank class, but because he wants to. I think he finds comfort in others being safe - feeling safe- and having fun. He thrives off taking care of others even though he’s not perfect at it. But him not being perfect, not making the most amazing meals, not being prim and proper, maybe getting a little dirty and bending a few rules, is what makes him charming. He’s not “attempt at being the perfect parent” 2003 Leo, he’s big brother Raphie that will cuddle with you in a mound of soft teddy bears, or throw you across the room in a roughhouse depending on what you need. Sure Leo really knows how to annoy the crap out of him, but I don’t think it’s because Raph thinks Leo is irresponsible or a bad kid. It’s much more infuriating to know that someone can be amazing, but seeing them chose not to, and you don’t know how to help them see they can be so much more than they are. And it’s easy to see that regardless of any of his siblings being annoying there’s nothing they can do that will make him hesitate even slightly in helping them when they need it. I don’t think Raph became a parent to the others like some of the fandom does. I think he’s just an adorable, soft, warm teddy bear big brother that did really well in his part of the whole family keeping each other afloat.

If I had 03 Raph as my uncle and Rise Raph as my brother I would be a lot more outspoken and rather reckless because I would have the upmost confidence that they would have my back and would keep me safe.