#anyway all the 03 boys are chaos gremlins in their own ways

[yellowhollyhock]

Leo is such a troublemaker, though. Or maybe not maker but definitely a magnet

I mean listen. They’re all good boys. If you look at their hearts and intentions they’re all so deeply fundamentally good and kind. Raph and Leo are also reasonably responsible (Donnie and Mikey take things apart and make go boom for funsies). However.

When he gets into situations Raph handles them pretty well. When he can’t handle them he takes them to someone else. When he met Tyler he brought him to the police. When he goes to the planet race, he keeps his cool anout being in this random time and place best out of all of them, and he sticks to his family’s honor code. He may tease Leo about it or whine sometimes, but the two of them are largely on the same page about doing what’s right no matter what.

Leo, though. Dear sweet precious Leo. He walks outside and makes enemies. And he usually thinks they’re friends until they make it obvious. It’s not his fault he’s such a magnet for chaos, but still you’d think after so many his trust bar would rise a little. He also likes to be involved in things; if there’s a mystery he wants to get to the bottom of it just for the sake of understanding. Donnie definitely does that, too—in fact if you split them up Raph with Mikey and Leo with Don, if they aren’t kept busy with some kind of high-stakes task, I think Leo and Don are the ones who would end up causing chaos. Or at least getting involved in whatever chaos they find and ultimately bringing it home. But we don’t see that because they’re rarely alone together unless they are in the middle of a mission.

And you know I didn’t think this until I typed it but. Maybe Raph and Mikey are preventing that situation on purpose—

Anyways as opposed to Raph, once Leo is in a situation, it will not occur to him to ask for help without either things getting extremely dire or someone prompting him (he would not have dropped Tyler off at the police station. Maybe he’d bring him to April or Splinter). His only thought is that he has to solve it, and if he’s not solving it, it must be because he needs to dig deeper. When they’re together he may be the one who keeps Raph focused on their goals and makes him think through consequences, but when they’re apart it becomes especially clear how very much Raph is Leo’s self-preservation and people smarts.

[yellowhollyhock]

Raph and Mikey

Chaos gremlins banter bros trash talkers prank players. Oldest and youngest duo (yes I’m on my 2003 oldest Raph agenda again (still)). They have such a special bond.

No because listen these two both have special bonds with everyone, don’t they? Raph is Leo’s confidante, Mikey is his hero (and his baby). Donnie needs Raph’s strength like he needs Mikey’s smiles. These two both take such good care of their family.

And they are such jerks to each other lol

They sometimes have a difficult relationship, and I do think part of this is Raph low key trying to parent Mikey. The times when he smacks him? Usually when he’s just said something inappropriate (demonstrating a lack of awareness for someone’s feelings, bringing humor to a setting it doesn’t belong, etc). It is normal for a small teenager to say inappropriate things. It is also normal for a small teenager to be the worst ever at correcting those things in a way that’s, y’know. Appropriate.

And Mikey picks on Raph so much. If that isn’t the class clown sniffing out the authority figure and giving him heck I don’t know what is.

But all of this bickering is so deeply enmeshed in purposefully fun banter and the very sweetest moments. They are the frenemies ever and that’s so sibling of them. And when they grow up and both learn that it’s actually healthy and good to express love in a loving way? They aboutta give the whole family cavities.

This is a difficult dynamic to write because there is so much and so many emotions going on in any given interaction. The resentment and annoyance is so real (remember being fifteen with siblings, anyone? Remember how genuinely hard that was?), but the unconditional love runs deep and the enjoyment is real too (remember? Being fifteen? With siblings? Anyone?)

Also we have to remember that Mikey is Raph’s favorite no matter what he says. He admits it right at the start (“Even you, Mikey. Especially you”). And in Back to the Sewers (I’m sorry for bringing it up), when the boys are possessed, everyone else regains control through memories of Splinter. Raph gains control through memories of Mikey. In my heart I believe parentified Raph didn’t start with Rise. Raph who babies Mikey so much he accidentally drives him away a little didn’t come from nowhere. All of the Raphs have some level of this going on with Mikey, Rise is just a cuddlier presentation. And I guess some of the softest, strongest, most sensitive people I know who protect their loved ones like bears present a lot more like 03 Raph. Don’t get me wrong, openly sweet people are a blessing for everyone. We should all be more openly sweet. But don’t forget about the gruff little guys who don’t even realize they’re presenting as prickly because it’s such an instinctive natural armor to protect their golden core.

Anyway I love imagining these two grow up together. I love thinking about them helping each other process what they’ve been through and forcing Leo and Donnie to do the same. Love to daydream about them taking care of Master Splinter as he ages while Leo’s busy with ninja things and Donnie’s at work with April. Thinking about Raph helping Mikey process such a huge phase in their lives being over, what it means to grow up and who he’s supposed to be if his brothers are busy having their own lives. May or may not be planning a story where Mikey falls in love in his thirties and Raph, who coached him through their twenties, is so supportive, sappy, and secretly devastated because oh look, now he’s alone and he’s gonna find out if he actually believes what he kept telling Mikey about how they’d always be brothers, always be a team, even if they go their ways and don’t see each other as often. Love to imagine Mikey and his partner having an extra room for Raphie Boy because Mikey still needs him. Maybe they adopt and Uncle Raph teaches their angry little teenager about how their dad only teases because he cares, it’s okay to yell if you need to, kid, and never forget your family’s always here for you. Did I ever tell you about when your Pa became the Turtle Titan? No I don’t mean what he told you I mean how obnoxious he was about it, and how his ego finally came down a notch when he met a fan from the future. Sit down, kid. It’s story time.

So as you can tell I care them a normal amount

Favorite moments:

The Pipe Incident (ow)

Raph’s memories of Mikey bringing him back, mentioned above

Leo gives a little speech about family

Mikey: Leo, that was off the charts on the sap-o-meter

Raph, smacks him: Shut up, Mikey, Leo’s right. (yes Raph, Leo is Right, but do you see how you’re proving a point about how important family is to you by being mean to your brother. Do you see. Oh nevermind you’re fifteen)

In April’s artifact when Mikey keeps making fun of Raph for being scared of bugs, but then Raph gets stung and Mikey is horrified (Raphie! 😮 😢)

And in the same vein when Mikey hurts his ankle and Raph freaks out upon seeing him

Mikey: tell Raph he’s always been…

Raph: What? Mikey, I’m here

Mikey: A big cheesehead 😁