#casey probably has a lot of moments like that

[poorlemons]

i have a second rottmnt oc in the works because i think casey jr needs more friends, i want to douse him in friends, more people need to appreciate him

[avephelis]

RISE TWITTER QNA! no major news or announcements, but here's a list of new information and confirmations:

S3 could be brought back as a retro show in the future, but it probably wouldn't happen anytime soon (focus is on mutant mayhem at the moment)

it was never decided whether capril would be friends or girlfriends (due to rise's focus on platonic relationships)

council of heads! they're in power, but a lot of influential yokai (like big mama) aren't easily controlled, and "game the system"

despite not having his dual katana, supposedly f!leo DOES still have mystic powers

ron corcillo would love to see a spin-off focused on the caseys (if rise were ever continued), and likes the potential of a raph + casey vigilante duo

the turtles got their names after splinter's love for renaissance art

big mama's henchman WAS planned to be the missing sister, and rather than venus de milo, she would've been named after a female artist (possibly frida kahlo)

for halloween: raph dressed up as a kitten, mikey as a lion, leo as a rockstar, and donnie as j. robert oppenheimer

the mystic weapons stolen from draxum acted as a conduit to help the boys unlock their innate mystic powers with a "little boost"

they didn't realise mayhem's potential as a character/force until too late, but it could've been fun to do some stories of him being an operative (a la perry the platypus)

there weren't any planned stories for side villains (aside from the foot's cupcake shop), most focus was on the turtles

not much on casey jr's backstory, just that cass and the turtles were fighting the krang and leo raised him as a warrior. casey jr only has brief memories of cass from when he was very young, and was mostly raised by leo

there were definitely six baby turtles (two sisters)! and the turtles were gonna split up to rescue the one with big mama and the one in "the dimension", but they never planned much of it out

there's most likely a time gap between the rescuing leo and the ending scene of the movie, as "after a fight like that, [everyone] would definitely crash and need some recovery time"

there would've been more big mama in future episodes, and stinkbomb was planned to return

since the turtles became known to the public at the end of the movie, they'd have to fight to retain their reputation. this and their reception to criticism/backlash would've become a major arc.

on brother rankings: mikey is definitely raph's favourite, and they all look up to raph

the stronger someone's ninpo is, the greater the drain on their energy is (as seen with f!mikey and karai)

there wouldn't be much threat on villains going after casey jr's future intel, because most of it would've been rendered obsolete

nickelodeon would never give up the rights to rise, but they could license it to a partner company (such as IDW for a comic!)

as previously mentioned, the 2nd sister would've been trapped in "another dimension" and venus/frida would have to be won over by "helping her see that she had been brainwashed [by big mama] as a child" (and redeemed)

given more time, the show would've fleshed out: the hamato story, the hidden city's origins (krang spaceship that crashed into the crying titan being the source of the ooze, its fuel being what gave the yokai mystic powers), and would've used the rat king (who ron corcillo would've liked to be a powerful yokai with rat-like abilities and some form of mind control, who could've threatened the council of heads for power in the hidden city)

as far as we know, the turtles (aside from leo's spanish) only speak english (and even their english is sometimes a bit off)

rise probably wouldn't have ever "gone dark", but after the turtles were publicly known and full-time heroes, it might've had more of an extended plotline

the turtle's casual clothes somewhat reflect their music tastes (r&b for raph, glam rock for leo, techno (and 80s) for donnie and boy band for mikey)

future heights: mikey grew a bit and then shrunk under mystic strain, leo was at least 6ft, donnie a little taller than leo, and raph at least 6'6

mikey's powers could get pretty intense, which could've resulted in some multiverse episodes (ron corcillo would be most inclined to do a 12 crossover, but any could work). while leo portals short distances, mikey's cross space and time (with great effort)

given more time, how the turtles met april would've been fleshed out

in terms of how they take after splinter: donnie and leo have a lot of his cockiness, raph his courage and sense of duty, and mikey senses him missing his family (which is part of the reason of why he tries to hold everyone together)

given more time they would've done more with the transfer of leadership from raph to leo (and originally the plan was to draw that out over S3, rather than the abrupt S2 ending). they would've been co-leaders for a while, and at times mikey or donnie would lead (they aren't really a group with just one leader archetype)

there were plans for april to have more time with the specific turtles other than donnie (like how the gumbus was focused on her mikey and leo)

the cast's mystic abilities would've increased over time, and splinter has a lot of power that hasn't been revealed (as he spent a lot of time in the hidden city in his past)

venus/frida would've been very disciplined and so serious that's she's funny, and the dimension sister would've been "a little kooky"

there weren't really any plans on how the turtles would look in cloaked human forms, just that they'd resemble lou jitsu and may be inspired by their VAs

mikey is the only brother who can fully pull all his limbs and head into his shell (being a box turtle)

any usagi appearances would be a rights matter, and depend on collaboration

on timelines: april is 16 at the start of the series and 18 in the movie, but exactly how much time passes isn't confirmed

ron corcillo would've liked to do more donnie + raph episodes, like one where despite how donnie considers himself smarter, raph ends up beating him in common sense and emotional intelligence

f!leo didn't go with casey jr to the past due to being mortally wounded in his bleeding side

given more time there would've been more flashback episodes with the turtles at various ages

though he'd never admit it, hueso has a close relationship with leo

in early S3 there would've been an episode of setting up the new lair

mystic warrior f!mikey is pretty old (maybe in his 70s), and is strong enough to use basically any mystic power, but at great cost to him physically

no major plans with bishop, but once the turtles became more well-known he could be a bit of a thorn in their sides (like j. jonah jameson to spiderman)

there might've been some redemption from big mama, but also some relapses into her "villainous ways"

given a full season, karai would've been alive for longer, and would've trained the boys for a number of episodes

confirmation that some of early s1 aired in the wrong order (which the writers weren't happy about)

in rise, there's always an unpredictability as to how sentient a mutant will turn out to be

raph probably wouldn't be super uptight about swearing, provided the boys weren't offending anyone

there weren't any plans for romantic relationships (and DEFINITELY never an april-turtles love interest), but if they had ever tried something eventually it would've been with the same species

there were no specific plans for alopex, rita, or rennet, but anything's a possibility

in terms of the 1000 years ago krang/mystic timeline, the spaceship crashed first (possibly spawning the yokai), and other krang followed it, drawing in the invasion

that seems to be about it but if there's any more i'll do a reblog with additions

[katanashipping]

Seriously though, the general canon of TMNT 2k3 must be such a wild ride for Robin O'Neill.

Like. Here is your big sister, brainiac maniac science superstar, the smart one, the one who has it all figured out and who probably has three PhDs by the time she's 23 and the story begins. April just landed her Dream Job with an actual Celebrity Scientist and she is going to create Big Science that will Help Lots of People and--

--and she's quit her job one month in and announces she is going to reopen your late parents' antiquities shop now. Take some time to Find Herself, whatever that means. OK, right, we can work with that, what bout--

--her shop burns to the ground, and April prompty goes completely AWOL for three months. Great! Amazing! You're not panicking at all! This is April you're talking about, after all - the smart one, the good one, who has it all together, and she is dating Casey Jones, neighborhood vigilante now.

HOW DID THEY EVEN MEET.

So you're like. OK. I should probably go to New York and look into that. Meanwhile April rebuilds the antique shop brick by brick and moves back in, things get serious with Casey Jones, she keeps offhandedly mentioning a bunch of Italian men that like, fix her boiler and stuff, she's fine. She's fine. You don't think she's fine.

Before you can do anything about it, she goes AWOL for a few months again.

You eventually find out she has been hanging out with her boyfriend's country mum at a derelict farm. Cleaning. Cooking, sort of thing. Maybe you're a bit concerned now. Just a bit. You decide you will definitely visit her soon. She excitedly mentions that she has started practising kendo using a real sword, and her teacher is this old guy who gives her lessons one on one. You move your visit forward.

So you go to New York. You enter her apartment, which is the one you grew up in, rebuilt eerily similarly to how you remember it. Your sister is happy to see you. She's just going to nip out for a minute to grab some milk. That's fine. You go through the list of things to talk to her about in your head one more time: how are you? how are you Really? let's do some girly things, without the boyfriend and the teacher and the Italian men. Just us girls. Won't that be nice?

April comes back upstairs. You'll never guess who she ran into on her way to the shops!

Behind her stands your beloved uncle Augie, who went missing fifteen years ago without a trace.

Like. Holy. Shit.

That same evening, as you're trying to work out the new sleeping arrangements now there's three of you in the flat for the night, you pull uncle Augie aside for a moment. You're worried about April, you say. Something has been going on with her, and it's weird.

Uncle Augie looks at you for a long moment. His clothing is ripped, his beard is a growth on his face. There are deep lines on his face that you don't remember, marked not by smiles and laughter, but by sadness and fear. His arms are tree trunks. He smells like he hasn't showered in a month.

Nah, he says. I think April's doing just fine.

[blueeofsl]

Page 17. We see that Donnie is just laughing at the joke now. It might be because it’s right after Leo sobbing for a while and then he just pulls that joke out of nowhere, or the fact that Donnie is exhausted. Or maybe, Donnie just really missed his stupid jokes

But it relaxes Donnie out of whatever caffeine or adrenaline high he’s been in for so long, and he passes out on Leo. Literally laughs himself to sleep.

However for Leo, this was probably really worrying. Because Donnie was active and talking to him and suddenly he’s passed out. (Also is it just me or does it look like Leo’s stump is sorta holding Donnie’s head up?)

~~~~~

In Page 18, Leo gently lays Donnie down on the bed he had woken up from. Staring at Donnie the whole way through with a sort of attentiveness to any sort of discomfort/pain.

He’d probably noticed the eyebags under Donnies eyes too.

In the second panel, Leo’s worry shows through again and seems to need to take a breath before checking Donnie’s pulse in panel three.

The fact that Donnie lets this happen so willingly (even when passed out. I would guess that over the years in the apocalypse, the turtles have learned a way to protect themselves even in their sleep.) shows that he is fully out and probably wont wake up for a while.

~~~~~

In page 19, notice how there wasn’t just one panel being used to show Leo focusing on Donnie’s pulse, but two. We can tell by Leo’s facial expression that he’s still having doubts of seeing Donnie alive again.

Still doubting that things are real in the third panel as he goes to check his own pulse. His own pulse being much quicker than Donnies. This could be because of the fact that Donnie’s asleep while Leo is awake. Or it could be the fact that Leo is very alert now that he’s alone.

In the last panel, Leo finally lets himself say what he’s thinking at the moment “what the fuck”. I don’t think ive ever read those words with so much emotion behind them because yes. Leo is just… so confused on how he got here. He has no clue that they’re in the present timeline, where Donnie can resurrect people. He has no idea if there are other people out there other than him and Donnie. He doesn’t even know that the sky is now free of krang and is blue instead of the apocalyptic red.

The last panel also shows us that Leo is also finally starting to take note of his surroundings, past just trying to reach for Donnie.

~~~~~

Some other theories/notes; I’m guessing that Leo is going to need a lot of guidance/reassurance of the fact that things are real and that he can relax. Like Casey, he probably wont be a fan of the big crowds in NYC and would rather stay hidden.

I’m also guessing that the family will have some sort of “talk” about what has happened overall. The war, the people they’ve lost, everything. Maybe Cass wont add this in, but I think Mikey will try to have everyone at least address the fact that not only are they survivors, but they are also veterans from a long, long war.

~~~~~~~~~~

Phew… that was a lot of writing! Loved checking through all 59 panels and finding the little details/ focusing on the emotion Cass was trying to portray there.

Would like to thank @somerandomdudelmao for the comics and also @tapakah0 and @ryanthel0ser for being wonderful motivators hehe

PART 1

PART 2

PART 3 (here)

[acewithapaintbrush]

@somerandomdudelmao s latest update for the Cass apocalyptic series has given me mental damage so I'll make it everyone's problem

🐢🐢🐢🐢

Donatello remembers falling asleep. It's a generous word for dying, but that's what it felt like. Closing your eyes and just drifting off, just a feeling of contentment and peace. As peaceful as dying can be. 

It was painless at least. That's a plus if you ask him. The constant heaviness in his bones, the itching at the back of his eyes, telling him to close and never open them again, the constant buzzing in the back of his head. It all just went away the moment he let go. 

For a second he'd felt weightless. Free. He'd felt young again, had imagined himself jumping over rooftops with his brothers and feeling the wind on his skin. The battle shell a comforting weight on his back instead of the crushing burden it has become during the last few weeks of his life. He'd imagined himself jumping and landing, jumping and landing, effortlessly. Had imagined himself looking to the left and seeing Leo, keeping pace, grinning and whole. Looking to the right and seeing Mikey and Raph, happy and laughing. He'd imagined looking forward again and seeing April and Dad and so many others, standing there, waving at him, their silhouettes stark against the sun lowering behind New York's skyline. 

He'd thought "Ah. This must be heaven" 

And then nothing. 

And then too much, all at once. Like a computer going into overdrive, a hard drive rewriting and deleting itself over and over. He feels torn apart, his body rearranging itself constantly, nothing but a mist of energy one second and in the next blink of an eye a solid mess. When he has eyes and he can look down, he sees hands and arms glowing and glitching, but before he can panic or make sense of anything, he is gone again, just shadow and clouds, scattered across what his world has turned into. 

This is nothing like what Raph described. Donnie expected some mystical mumbo jumbo, thanks to their ninpo and their connection to their ancestors. But what he'd expected had been Gram-Gram and Dad, waiting for him with open arms. 

Not whatever the shell this is! 

Figures! Even in death this mystical stuff manages to screw him over. Paint him surprised. NOT! 

Time seems to be meaningless here. It feels like forever and it feels like just a second before something changes in his new world. The light changes, the texture of his surroundings solidifies. His body is as stable as it ever is, glitching and oozing with overflowing ninpo, but here and real. 

There is a figure in the distance and Donatello can't make out who it is but he knows, knows as instinctively as he knows himself, as he knows his brothers. 

The figure comes closer and they collide and Donnie feels himself rip apart AGAIN, but this time it's different. This time it's like coming home, like breathing in after years of holding it all in. 

And then there is nothing and then there is a lot again. Not too much this time, just the right amount. But confusing and dizzying. Donatello is still not quite back yet, still feels alien to himself, but he's as whole as one can probably be after dying. 

There are many new sensations pressing down on him. All of it familiar yet unfamiliar. The ninpo of his brothers, but much too young. The familiar energy of Casey Jones surrounding him, in contrast older and much more burdened than it should be. 

But no time to panic. Assess and analyze Donatello, it's what you do best. There will still be time to freak out once you have figured out what the hell is going on. 

"You know, I think I might need to invent a new scale to rate this rescue experience."

[kathaynesart]

What do you take from the Rise movie’s “This isn’t about me,” message? *It’d be interesting to see this become a Tumblr thread cause I’d love to see what others think too.

That's... an important line to decipher. Deep enough to mean so many things but vague enough to be easily taken out of context. I have a lot to say about it, but I'll keep it under the cut to save others the trouble.

TLDR: Future Leo's a dum dum hypocrite

I think... when Leo used the line in the future timeline. He was trying to remind Casey of the harsh reality that they existed in. That this was a world where they sometimes had to set aside their personal wants for the greater good. It's for that reason that Leo was able to ask Mikey to do the unthinkable and sacrifice himself in turn.

What I find fascinating about the movie, is that it both supports and counters this message. It tries to find that healthy middle ground, between present Leo's narcissistic attitude in the beginning and the downright sacrifice he's willing to make by the end. Because him sacrificing himself was NOT the happy ending. And while we get that "ending" for only a moment. We can see that method doesn't feel right either.

In that way, I don't think "it's not about me" isn't actually the "message" of the movie as some might assume at first glance. Merely a gentle reminder to check yourself before you wreck yourself. Because technically, yes, "it's not about me" does apply to many aspects of life. We can get so caught up in our own worries and concerns and perspectives and it just... muddles reality in a way. We need to see how our actions and words affect others and understand that there's so much more out there than our own little bubbles. But we also should understand our own worth within the big tapestry of life and be willing to fight for the things that matter to us.

That's why I think the actual message of the story isn't "it's not about me." It's about balance. It's about the knowing look Leo and Raph share in the end and the fact that Mikey was able to achieve the true, best ending with his brother's help to save Leo, because they know that the world may mean more in the long run, but they mean the world to each other, and I think it's really important to understand.

But that's just my long-winded opinion on the subject and there’s plenty of other interpretations I think I can totally get behind as well. It will be an element within Replica but let's also remember that Future Leo is kind of hypocrite with this line. He's says "It's not about me" but that's coming from someone who the entire resistance has centered around as its leader. He's probably a little tired of the idolization by now and does not like the idea that he's somehow more important than others. I think that's where that line really stems from for Leo. It's obvious that Casey isn't just talking about his importance as a leader, but Leo with the same line is asking him to set those feelings aside even if he is one of the most important people in Casey's life.

And then Leo turns around and throws one of the most important people in his life through the portal. A damn hypocrite (/positive)

EDIT: I was sort of ending it on a silly note but @dandylovesturtles added such a great point that I haven’t been able to put into words but feel in my heart when it comes to future Leo and definitely something I want to show with the healing process he’s been going through in Replica: and that’s the “not all about you” sometimes just means that bad things happen but you can’t just blame yourself for it, and it’s not some cosmic attack for your mistakes. The world did not come to an end because of Leo’s mistake, even if he might have once felt like that. What’s more it means you can’t put the whole world on your shoulder or always try to fix things on your own like how Leo tried to after Raph’s capture. It’s ok to seek the aid and support and ideas of others your trust. It really lines up so well with a lot of the events in the film.

Thank you @dandylovesturtles and everyone else’s amazing comments! I want to hear all of them and take notes.

[luckycharms1701]

*comes sliding into your inbox and excitedly crashes you into a tight bear hug*

OMIGOSH CAPTAIN KIRSTEN YOU’RE BACK! How are you sweet thing!? I’m so glad to hear that your request box is open again! I’m so excited to see what wondrous words you’ll dazzle us with next!

I just had the most splendiferous like EVER, and I can’t believe I hadn’t thought about it sooner. But you like Peepaw Leo right? And I like Peepaw Leo.

So I was thinking like you know…maybe if you’re feeling up for it (if and only if of course) you wouldn’t mind sharing your thoughts on how F!Leo would react to someone who’s generally super amiable and confident with all the other and resistance members, suddenly turns almost painfully polite an awkward around him. (This is legit how I act around people who I think are attractive) It happens so much to the point that he thinks they don’t him when in reality, they like him so much it flusters them to the point they don’t know how to act around them.

Basically I just wanna see how a “mature” Leo would act when he realizes someone likes him so much they can’t function 😆

Once again, this is just an idea to get those creative juices flowing, so please do with it as you so wish and remember that you’re a darling treasure! MWUAH 😘🧡✨

anon-chan!!! hello!!! 🫂🫂🫂 i’m so glad to see you in my inbox!!!

congratulations anon-chan! this is officially the most difficult request that has ever been asked of me. i’ve spent weeks trying to figure this out. started writing a little fic, but it didn’t feel right. so i thought maybe i could do some headcanons, but every time i tried to start i didn’t know where to start!

the problem i’m having is variables. there are so many variables for how this could turn out, mostly depending on timing. when exactly during the resistance does this happen? because i feel like that informs leo’s response. so have some of my unfiltered thoughts. a peek into how i “organize” my writing thoughts, if you will. i’m sorry in advance

Early 20s: This Leo is still confident and optimistic, at least outwardly. He and his brothers defeated Shredder twice, how hard can the Kraang be? Sure, they need some help and it’ll take longer, but it’ll definitely work out in the end and life will resume as normal. Right?

So I imagine that Leo at this age would see you suddenly pulling away and acting formal with him and get upset at first. He thought you were friends, why are you doing this? He would likely reciprocate or get snippy, at least until one of his brothers, probably Mikey but possibly Raph, comes to him and is like “Dude. Come on.” Give the guy a break, there’s a lot going on you know??? So at his brother’s suggestion, he sits back and observes.

When he finally confirms for himself that you do, in fact, have feelings for him and that’s why you’re being standoffish with him, watch out! This little shit is going to make you suffer a bit. He’s going to start flirting with you. Lots of compliments, little winks, soft touches… You will be inundated.

Something changes. Perhaps they lose their biggest battle to date. Perhaps someone close to him dies. Perhaps it is Casey Jr’s birth. Any way it plays out, Leo realizes that life is shorter than it seems, that love is precious and fleeting and should be grasped. He realizes that his teasing may be a little more… genuine on his side than he’d realized.

So he comes to you. Perhaps he goes full ham, arranges a romantic meeting somewhere, plans a dinner. Perhaps you end up in danger, and he goes a little crazy about it. Perhaps it is just a quiet moment that the two of you manage to steal. Either way, he tells you how he feels.

Late 20s/Early 30s: Now here is a Leo who is starting to realize that they might be in over their heads. He’s lost at least one member of his family. He’s watched them steadily lose ground to the Kraang, despite everyone giving their best effort. He is starting to understand that they might not win this fight. At this point he’s probably learned how the Kraang came to our world and that he played a part in their arrival.

This Leo is overwhelmed, but still holding strongly to hope. He’s determined to do everything in his power to keep morale up. That’s why he notices immediately when you seem to start pulling away from him. He takes it a little personally at first. Yeah, maybe he’s not as fun as he used to be, but he’s trying to run a resistance here, that’s no reason to give him the cold shoulder. He resolves to approach you about it.

Something changes. Perhaps he notices you give him a sidelong glance. Perhaps someone teases you and he overhears. Perhaps he sits you down for that talk and you confess. He learns why you are so standoffish, and suddenly he has a choice to make.

Leading a resistance is a 24/7 job. He has no time for anything, especially when he has so much to make up for. Does he even deserve the sliver of happiness you’re offering him? And there’s the niggling thought in the back of his head that everything is futile anyway, that they’re going to lose and you’re going to die.

But if there’s one thing he’s learned out of all of this, it’s that life is short. He doesn’t want to die with regrets, and he knows he would regret not taking this chance. And he wants to give you what happiness he can, you deserve that. Wouldn’t it be a little “fuck you” to the Kraang, to find some peace in the midst of the chaos they (he) created?

He goes for it. He takes the risk, jumps in feet first, and tells you how he feels.

Late 30s: Leon. Oh Leon. He holds onto hope fiercely, with both hands, but he can’t, he won’t, keep any of it for himself. He understands implicitly that even if by some miracle they win, he’s not going to survive this fight.

He’s going to notice immediately when your behavior changes, when you get stiff with him. He keeps his finger on the pulse of everyone close to him, pays attention so that he can help them if they start to flag. It won’t take long for him to pull you aside, to ask you if everything is okay, if you need a break.

He’s going to figure it out, whether because you admit it to him or through context clues. He’s had years to hone his considerable talent in understanding people, his preternatural ability to know what they want with a glance.

He’s going to figure it out, and he’s going to do… nothing. As long as there’s the tiniest chance that you could survive this, he refuses to tie you to a corpse. Besides, he has been thinking up a plan, a last ditch effort, and maybe you could be the one to put it into action…

Your death hits him like a freight train. His own is a relief.

~~~

head bonks: @yorshie @avery73 @justalotoffanfiction @thejudiciousneurotic @writinandcrying @xnorthstar3x @celticvix @donniesgirlie @gornackeaterofworlds @thelaundrybitch @shakeyourtrees

[thatrandomlemononyourcounter1]

The Problems With TMNT 2012 April O'neil (And Why It's The Writer's Fault)

(side note this accidentally low-key turned into an April O'neil defense post, and I apologize.)

Hello everyone! This post was seven pages on google docs so that's fun :D

When I was younger, I thought April O'neil was so cool. She was part Kraang, had multiple guys chasing after her, and was training to be a kunoichi.

As I got older though, and rewatched the show, I realized that while her character was cool, there were a lot of issues with said character.

Now, before I really start, I want to clarify, I do not dislike April! In fact, I still think she's a really cool character with a lot of potential. Unfortunately, said potential has been lost to the grasp of time and space, but that's not her fault.

A lot, and I mean a LOT of people don't like April. The most common complaints I hear about her are as follows. A, she led Donnie and Casey on. B, she's a Mary Sue. C, she got too powerful too fast. D, she's just annoying and two-faced.

Let's start with point number 1.

The Love Triangle between Donnie, April, and Casey is one of the most controversial things in the show. Some people love it, most people hate it, not that I blame them. The biggest point against the love triangle was that it deterred from the characters, and was honestly just kinda gross and cringey.

This could not be more true.

I could make whole other posts on why Donnie and Casey's characters would've been so much better without the love triangle, but this is an April post, so let's talk about April and the first point where the writer's screwed up.

Introducing April as a love interest

If there was one thing that I could take away from TMNT 2012, it would be the fact that they introduced April not as her own character, but a love interest. The fact that they did this set the stage for what April's character was meant to become.

If they had simply introduced April as her own character, then we would've been able to get a better grip on her personality.

But no.

April had never really been a love interest in the iterations before tmnt 2012, and that was because she usually stood in as an older sister figure for the turtles. Yes, some fans shipped April with the turtles, but it was never implied in any of the previous shows that any of the turtles had a crush on April or vice versa.

I don't know why TMNT 2012 decided to change that, but they did.

Making April the same age as the turtles wasn't the problem, and honestly, neither was shipping Donnie and April in the show.

It was how they did it.

In shipping the two of them, they dumbed April's character down to just a love interest, and made her seem bitchy. They wrote her having romantic moments with both Donnie and Casey, and supposedly turning both of them down at other moments.

A Foot Too Big is one of the most controversial episodes in TMNT 2012 period. The episode consists of Donnie rescuing Bigfoot. Bigfoot then proceeds to follow Donnie around like a lost puppy, invade his personal space, touch him without consent, blah, blah, blah. This causes Donnie to realize that just like how Bigfoot is acting is making him uncomfortable, how he's acting around April is probably making her uncomfortable. He then proceeds to tell April that he was going to try and start leaving her alone, and that he understood he was probably making her uncomfortable.

Then, in one of the most controversial moments ever, April grabs him and kisses him, saying "You're my mutant."

Yeah.

Prettttyyyy bad.

I think this incredibly out of character for April, and I think that the entire reason this scene happened was so that they wouldn't lose their most played gag, well tied with making Mikey look stupid after proving him to be smart time and time again, but that's a post for another time.

An excellent point that I've seen made by others was that the whole love triangle was never planned to have a solution, it was there to be played for laughs, which in turn, made April's character suffer for it.

I do believe that April's character would've thrived if not for the love triangle, and I believe that Donnie and Casey's characters would've been better off as well.

Point 2: April's a Mary Sue

Boy oh boy.

First of all, let's look at the definition of a Mary Sue.

"Unrealistically lacking in flaws or weaknesses."

So...people want to call April bitchy, and then call her a Mary Sue, as if being bitchy isn't a character flaw?

This is argumentatively one of my LEAST favorite arguments against April's character, because usually the argue-r defeats themself when they say the statement.

"She's annoying." That's a character flaw.

"She leads people on." That's a character flaw.

"She let herself get controlled by the stupid crystal." That's a character flaw.

April has a lot of flaws, and that's one of the reasons why I think her character could've been really interesting!

Let's take a look at some of the things that build April's character, and therefore make her not a Mary Sue.

April is shown from the very beginning of the show to be more of an action-oriented person, not always thinking things through.

(i.e. in S1 EP6 Metalhead when she went to go investigate the Kraang warehouse by herself or even in S1 EP1 Rise of the Turtles when she tries to come up with a plan to escape the Kraang's holding her hostage)

This is a character flaw, and it's one that we see a lot throughout the show.

April is also shown to be very empathetic. You can see this in multiple instances, such as when Karai admitted that she believe Splinter was her father, and April believed her.

This isn't necessarily a character flaw, but it has gotten her into trouble a few times. Usually her empathetic attitude helps more than harms.

April stands up for what she thinks is right. This is an important piece of her character that ties into her empathetic attitude.

April is sassy sometimes.

April can hold a serious grudge.

But, she can also be forgiving.

April is stubborn.

So, as I've pointed out, April definitely has a personality. It's just that usually, these elements of her character were ignored in favor of the love triangle, dulling down her character overall, and making her sometimes seem like a Mary Sue.

Speaking of the Mary Sue argument, let's take a gander at another requirement for being a Mary Sue, which is "everyone likes them, and people who don't like them are shown to be wrong for not liking them."

This is NOT true for April.

TMNT 2012 had no problems making Karai and April have serious beef, and Karai was never shown to be in the wrong for disliking her, except for when Karai took it a step too far.

Obviously, most of the other characters (who aren't villains) like April, because the other characters that are shown are her friends, or friends of friends.

Another aspect of the Mary Sue argument was that the character was usually too powerful without a reason, or out of nowhere.

This also ties into point number three:

April got too strong too fast/April's too strong

Okay!

So let's get into this point.

When I was a little younger, I used to think that people who argued this had a point, but again, as I've gotten older and applied my critical thinking skills, I realized that this isn't actually true.

Some people didn't like that the show made April half-Kraang, claiming it was too strange, just a way to make a female character seem like a 'girlboss', and of course a variety of sexist comments.

I am among the lovers of half-Kraang April, mostly because I think it was a really interesting take on the character.

But! A lot of people claimed that her "kraang" powers were too strong, making her unlikeable.

You want to know how the writers remedied this?

By making April get possessed by the Aeon crystal! (In my opinion, this was actually a really interesting writing direction)

Whiiichhh...of course a bunch of people also had a problem with.

Look, I can't make you like the Aeon crystal writing choice, and I'm certainly not about to try, but, by making April get possessed, the writers inadvertently added a flaw to their apparent "flawless" glorified love interest.

Now, it's been a hot minute since I watched any of the later seasons of TMNT 2012 (mostly because paramount plus is my mortal enemy (side note if anyone has seasons 3-5 downloaded feel free to DM me wink wink)), but I think I remember April losing some fights.

It wasn't like the narrative made her invincible, is my point.

So yes, April was strong, but she wasn't insufferably strong to the point where it was annoying.

I often see this argument used against Captain Marvel from the MCU as well, and I loathe it with my entire being so.

Now for the "April got too strong too fast" complaint.

I just gotta ask, did we watch the same show? /hj

April was shown to have something strange going on with her since season 1! Her powers were alluded to multiple times, so it wasn't like this was a last minute writing decision.

Her power grew stronger as the seasons went on, and there were a few episodes in each season that showcased this, such as S3 EP7 Eyes of the Chimera.

Yes she was strong in season 5, but that's because it was the last season!

As for her ninjutsu skills, it's the same thing. She'd been training since season 1! She grew as a ninja over time.

Now, for the last point:

April's just annoying.

Yeah, if this is you, I don't know if I can change your mind. Also if this is you, there a many times per season where I agree with you!

But let me tell you dear reader the same thing I tell myself.

It's not the character, it's the writers.

Unless the very idea of April O'neil makes you mad, my guess is that most of the gripes you have with her character are the writers' fault. The not choosing between Donnie and Casey, the 'character trait swaps', all of that was the writers.

None of those things are April's character.

Conclusion:

If you made it all the way down here, and read all of it, I applaud you.

Overall, I can't make you like April, but I can attempt to analyze her character and give you the finished analysis, that is mostly just me blaming all the problems of her character on the writers.

April had the opportunity to be an amazing character, and that opportunity was poured down the drain.

But, there are still some redeeming things about her character, and those things are the things that made me like her.

So, like most things in life, if you focus on the positives, you'll be okay.

This was CJ and her April O'neil analysis, that accidentally turned into a defense post.

Sorry if none of this post made any sense, I wrote it at midnight after a very long day.

[luwritesomething]

HOW DIFFERENT SCREAM CHARACTERS WOULD CUDDLE WITH READER.

hi !!! since i haven't gotten any requests out this weekend due to schoolwork, i decided to make these short headcanons for the main friend group in scream 1 + mickey altieri. i'll soon start writing all your requests !!!

Sidney Prescott

listen i have the feeling that she's great at cuddles for some reason.

we know for a fact that after her mother she started rejecting sexual touches or advances, but she most definetely loves cuddles.

it would be so natural for her to start cuddling if you two are together.

and she truly does enjoy physical touch, especially as a form of intimacy.

i think physical touch might just be her love language.

so she's always touching you lightly, stroking your hair, idk she's always physically there.

sid also leans a lot into you, like she does with billy at the fountain when they're talking about casey and steve

it's just natural for her.

chilling in bed with her arm around you might just be her favorite activity.

Tatum Riley

LISTEN,,, she loves cuddling you !!

she's really cuddle

tatum is very keen to physical contact with everyone, even people she doesn't know that well

so people she loves or is close too??? they're so spoiled with her touch.

probably likes bring the big spoon but doesn't mind to be the center of attention from time to time.

please cuddle her during her vulnerable to moments, all queens break </3

teases you a lot about liking her cuddles, especially if you've told her you do like them.

but in like,,, a loving and fun way.

she always has the widest smile in her face when you two are together, especially if you're alone and cuddling. this girl loves you so much <3

she also looks like someone comfortable to cuddle with

like, the kind of person that is soft and it all feels cozy and right.

Randy Meeks

i love him so much i have to write more for him.

i feel like randy in scream 1 was a bit more shy than he was in scream 2

so like,,, he will not initiate physical contact with you under no circumstances, you're gonna have to be the one

especially if you're in a relationship with him, he's gonna take everything so painfully slow

but that doesn't mean he doesn't want to cuddle you

heck, he's dying to cuddle you, he's just kind of waiting for the perfect moment to introduce it more and more. he's so silly i love him

once you do start cuddling he gets ADDICTED

please don't cuddle him while you guys are watching movies because he'll JUMP --- his body is in tension while watching movies, especially horror ones, so just... don't

but please come cuddle him while you're resting at the fountain with the others

and please come cuddle him when you stay for the night at his place

WILL get flustered if his little sister walks in on you two cuddling bc he just looks like the type

awkward moments are real with him. like, getting too hot because of the proximity and not bearing the heat, accidentally touching what's not to touch, all that stuff no one talks about when cuddling.

"randy, that's my butt."

"SORRY!"

or

"y/n, my arm is falling asleep, move"

Billy Loomis

he's touch starved, that's the starter

but also he's very picky about who he touches, when and how

assholy claims he doesn't cuddle like he's gonna get a fucking price or something

but he's actually a sucker for cuddles

the thing is he only ever cuddles with people he's known for a very very very very very very very long time

so there's that

please don't touch his hair while you guys cuddle, you'll get oil all over your hands

he's that motherfucker that will reject your touch and the next minute have his arm around your waist

because the fact is,,, billy is actually touchy

especially if he wants to get something

but anyways,,,

he'll cuddle you while you two watch movies, but eventually will stop since he'll rather put his whole attention in the movie

fortunately, billy is hyper aware while cuddling. no awkward moments will ever happen because he avoids touching what's not to touch every single time, and he'll do it so subtly too

he fell asleep in ten minutes the first time you guys cuddled.

that's a compliment since he almost never has his guard down, especially not during first times

please rub his back while cuddling !!!

Stu Macher

stu is probably the best one to cuddle

he's a very physical person and he loves cuddles

will beg for them if needed

but truth is, in your relationship cuddles came early and with the intention to stick around.

he just loves dropping anything he's doing to go cuddle you

will get bored soon, though, so shifting positions is a constant, and doing something else is a must.

please let him be the little spoon from time to time

he just wants to be held

please touch his hair while cuddling him !!!!!

whatever it is you're doing, come cuddle him !!!!!

"there's nothing a good cuddling session can't fix, babe"

will smile so brightly, too, because you just look so beautiful in his arms and all relaxed <3

+

Mickey Altieri

he's so smooth about every single move he makes in your relationship duwhdooqiw

will introduce cuddles slowly, but truth is, he has always been touching you

like,,, reassurance touches during classes, or when you guys are out with the others

somehow, he was always touching you

which gives away the fact that he loves physical contact

will cuddle you while watching movies with you, and will end up forgetting about them to instead focus on you

he always feels so calm when he has his arms around you, pulling you closer to him

mickey closes his eyes and smells your scent softly

and the first time he did so he blushed because he had never realized how much he liked you until then

will play with your hands

i don't know how to explain it but fidgeting with each other's hands and fingers is the best feelings ever

especially when cuddling

he laughs a lot when he cuddles you. he's very happy that he gets to do that with you

GOD, HE LOVES YOU SO MUCH

marry the damn killer already

[warningsine]

"Severance" is one of those brillantly structrured shows that rewards the viewers who watch it a second time.

Knowing the major twists recontextualizes so many scenes, e.g., the initial conference room convos between Helly and Mark,

and generally enhances the viewing experience.

An example?

Notice the colors above: Helly's blue shirt, the green chairs.

Haven't read what the cinematographers, designers and decorators said about this, but green is a sign of faith. The different shades of green could have been used because of the way the corporate people deify the founders and formers CEOs.

They could have been used because green and blue are considered soothing colors in graphic design. Lumon is a medical company that wants to keep its innies docile and calm.

They could have been used because a lot of viewers associate green with numbers/computers,

e.g., "Matrix."

By the way, the two hexadecimal values at the bottom represent two different shades of green in RGB format.

Now, Helly-as-Helena-Eagan's dress and jewelry in the finale?

Blue and green.

Just like the Severance prototype James Eagan gave to Helena.

0x15DB4A and 0x0AEAFC aka green and blue.

More blue and green:

Probably belonged to the founder.

MRD and Optics? Green vs. blue.

And of course, Harmony:

Helly chooses "Defiant Jazz" during the MDE scene.

As the episodes go, she starts wearing other colors [moving further away from the company line], e.g., white, brown, but there's always something blue or green on her. The exception to the rule seems to be her MDE moment: a yellow dress.

All the other colors were chosen equally cleverly, but especially the reds.

It's no coincidence that Helena/Helly is a redhead, 'cause it's not the actress's natural hair color.

The complementary color of red? Green.

Green is generally used for the innies' lives. They are livestock after all.

Blue is associated with Lumon.

Red seems to be used for the outside world—or rather the knowledge of it.

There are many instances of red vs. blue imagery throughout the show, which are definitely references to the red/blue pill choice on the "Matrix":

Petey wearing a red/blue nightgown when he begins to hallucinate being in both places at the same time.

We can see that Mark's gray car is parked between a red one and a blue one.

Mark having a red fish and a blue one.

Mark wearing red in his blue-ish house.

While Mark is watching TV, his orange-red (orange is the complementary color of blue) fish is swimming in blue water. The blue-ish walls are contrasting Mark's red couch and one of his fish.

Ricken's book is red, 'cause it contains forbidden stuff. The company's book is blue.

When Dylan has his moment of enlightenment, he's wearing red. When he refuses to go along with the status quo, the screen is red.

Irving wears a lot of blue, because he's very resistant to the truth. When he sees the black paint under his nails, there's the red ball under his chair.

Helena in the gala dressed in blues and greens in contrast to her red hair.

Other significant uses of red:

Ms. Casey wearing red, 'cause she's different from the other innies.

Petey giving Mark a red card.

The ball the innies play with is red.

[clears throat] All that being said, please enjoy all colors and rewatches equally.

[ohhicas]

I love your Aristocat OCs and I was hoping to learn more about Faure's stepdad, Mr. Abraham DeLacey Giuseppe Casey Thomas O'Malley the Alley Cat? He's my favorite from that movie.

For TwstOC purposes, he just goes by Roman! [Other names may exist among those he's Dealt With but, to his wife & the kids, it's just Roman]

A lot of what is "known" about him in the OC-verse is kind of a "well, so I heard," thing, since he's spoken of through the lens of the kids.

Some quick stuff:

He's Completely magicless, and relies on physical strength and "things he learned from his friends on the street, if you can read me." Magic is kind of a 'oh damn!' thing; he's still learning to get used to it as a positive thing since meeting his now-wife. When you grow up magicless, there's a little bit of a bitter feeling, but seeing it in action finally at a personal level has really made him interested. The kittens surprise him near-daily with the things they can do (that he previously just sorta had to. 'Figure out'.)

He's got a lot of friends from his previous life, most of which still exist in his Current Life that the triplets know of as "uncles". While he says that life is behind him, he'd still (probably, with some small hesitation) go to jail to help the guys out.

He'd 100% go to jail without hesitation to protect Eva and the triplets. They may not be biological his, but those are His Kids. He's known them since they were wobbling around and chewing on his tail.

He won't give a straight answer if anyone asks how he and Eva met; he'll leave that one to her. But he will give a very poetic rambling about starlight and The Moment and like finding his soul wandering into his arms until he's gently chided and told to stop.

[ ^- this one is old art ]

There aren't enough words for how in love with Eva he is. They are absolutely That Couple. Honey & Darling have nothing on them. He'd throw himself in front of a moving vehicle if she asked. He'd tear down the world if anything happened to her (or the kids). He'd fight until there was nothing left of him and then still find the strength to keep going should someone hurt one hair on her fluffy head. She thinks his devotion is Quite Charming, and politely requests he not go throwing himself in front of any vehicles on Her Watch, thank you.

Emile (toulouse kitten) looks to him like a role model, and even started taking boxing up as a hobby to try to be closer to him. Faure is fascinated by how many friends and connections he has, and strives to be able to go "Oh, I have a guy for that!" like how Roman can. Antonia thinks of Roman as the 'perfect man', and if any boy interested in her isn't as in love with her as he is with her mom, then she wants no part of it. Roman is forever thankful these kids accepted him so readily as Stepdad, even before he and Eva were married.

[ He was absolutely in a gang before, and while not a pusher, he Was a brawler. He's not super proud of that life, but he wouldn't trade the experiences for anything. He was just freshly 'free' of it and trying to find his next gig when Eva happened into his life. ]

[raphmybeloved]

Rottmnt fic recs: hidden gem edition

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

Garden Variety by BeigeBagels

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

Can I dream for a few months more? By ChipFunk

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

Brickwalls and Backalley Brawls by Flannel_Terrapene

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

I've Got You Under My Skin by Cass_Phoenix

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

In which fate stains by Udbsken

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

And last but certainly not least!

Off Colors: Contrasts by @sibillascribbles08

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

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

[lesbehonestsstuff]

Catholic guilt - part 2

Casey Novak has always been the good catholic girl. Always perfect, always trying to meet high expectations. But she doesn't understand why she feels no interested in the boys who flirted with her, why her eyes instead linger on other girls.

Word count: 2304

Chapter 2/?

After that day in the library, meeting up after school became a routine for Casey and Alex. At first, it was just about the books—an excuse to study together, share notes, or bounce ideas off one another. But soon, it became less about academics and more about being with each other. They were both brilliant and didn’t really need to exhaust themselves to get good grades, but the company of each other, the connection that began forming between them, was enough to make those hours feel necessary.

Casey found herself drawn to Alex in ways she hadn’t expected. On the surface, Alex seemed like she had everything together; she was confident, poised, always in control. Yet, the more time they spent together, the more Casey began to notice the cracks beneath the surface. There was a loneliness to Alex, a quiet hurt that she tried to hide behind smirks and witty comebacks. And though Alex never spoke about it, Casey could see it. She wanted to ask, but didn’t know how.

There were moments when they would sit in silence, each pretending to focus on their books while stealing glances at the other. Casey’s heart would race whenever Alex leaned in to explain something, her hand brushing Casey’s in a way that felt almost intentional. The slight touch was electric, sending a shiver up Casey’s spine, and she would instinctively pull her hand back, unsure if Alex noticed or even meant it the way Casey was starting to hope. It was confusing, this rush of emotions that left her feeling off balance, guilty. Casey didn’t know what to do with the way Alex was beginning to affect her. She wanted to ignore it, to pretend it was nothing, but the more time they spent together, the harder it became.

One day, while they sat in their usual spot in the library, the conversation shifted in a way that felt more personal than usual. Alex was scribbling notes in her perfect handwriting when Casey suddenly found herself speaking, the words slipping out, her curiosity getting the better of her.

“Did you really live in New York before coming here?”

Alex looked up, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips at Casey’s curiosity. “Yeah, I did. My parents still live there... sort of. When they aren’t traveling, or pretending they care enough to spend time here.”

There was a slight edge to Alex’s voice, like she didn’t care whether they were around or not, but Casey could hear the trace of sadness, maybe even resentment. She felt a pang of sympathy.

“I’m sorry about that,” Casey murmured, her eyes searching Alex’s face, trying to gauge how much the words hurt her.

Alex shrugged, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. “It’s fine, honestly. It’s probably better that they’re not here.” Her gaze shifted away, focusing on her book though she wasn’t reading it. “What about your family?”

Casey hesitated, a knot forming in her stomach. Talking about her family wasn’t easy. “Oh, they’re... alright, I guess. My dad’s in the Air Force, so he’s not home much. And my mom—well, she’s my mom.”

Alex raised an eyebrow, at her statement. “That’s... vague.”

Casey let out a half-hearted laugh, trying to downplay the discomfort she felt. “She’s just really strict. Catholic, you know? Wants us to be the perfect family.”

There was a long pause. Alex’s expression softened, her eyes understanding. “Military dad, Catholic mom. That’s a lot of expectations.”

“Yeah,” Casey muttered, feeling the weight of those expectations more heavily now than ever.

They went silent again, the tension between them growing just a bit heavier. Casey wanted to ask Alex more about her family, find out why her parents never seemed to be around, why there was always that sad, distant look in her eyes when she mentioned them, why she had ended up in their town, but she didn’t know how.

Instead, it was Alex who broke the tension. “Can I walk you home?” She asked, closing her book and glancing at the clock.

Casey blinked, surprised by the offer. “Yeah, sure. But isn’t your house the other way?”

Alex shrugged, her lips curving into a faint smile. “It is, but it’s not like I have anyone waiting for me at home.”

There was that same casual dismissal in her voice, but Casey didn’t miss the loneliness hidden beneath it. It made her heart ache, and before she could stop herself, she whispered, “I’m sorry.”

Alex glanced at her, her smile turning into something more playful. “You apologize a lot, you know that?”

Casey ducked her head, heat rising to her cheeks. “Catholic guilt, remember?”

“Mmm.” Alex’s voice was light, teasing. “Well, you’re too cute to be apologizing that much.”

The comment sent a wave of heat crashing through Casey’s body, her face burning with a blush she couldn’t control. She turned away packing her own books and praying that the blush would go away, but her heart was pounding in her chest. Did Alex know what she was doing to her? Did she mean it the way it sounded?

She pushed the questions aside and they walked in silence for a while after that leaving the library and school behind. Casey was desperate to ask more questions, to break through whatever walls Alex had built around herself, but she kept quiet. She liked being around Alex, she wanted to figure her out. And that scared her.

As they approached Casey’s house, Alex glanced at her with a curious expression. “What do you want to do when you get out of here?”

Casey blinked, caught a bit off guard by the question. She hadn’t really thought about it, not in any real way, at least. “I don’t really know,” she admitted, her voice small. “My mom wants me to stay home, find a boy to settle down with.”

“And what do you want?” Alex asked, her gaze steady, almost challenging wanting to break through the plans Casey’s mom had made for her until she found the truth.

Casey hesitated, the answer catching in her throat. “I’d really like to get away from here. I want to be a lawyer.”

Alex’s eyes brightened with surprise, a wide smile tugging at her lips. “A lawyer, huh?”

Casey flushed, feeling suddenly self-conscious. “Why? Is that funny?”

“No, not at all,” Alex said, shaking her head. “It’s just… I want to study law too.”

Casey stared at her, surprised. “Really? Where do you want to go?”

Alex smirked. “Am I too predictable if I say Harvard?”

Casey laughed, the tension between them easing for a moment. “Maybe a little. I’d love to go there too, but I don’t think I’d be able to.”

“Why not?” Alex asked. “You’re smart, and I know you’re involved in a lot of extracurriculars. You could definitely get a scholarship.”

The comment caught her a bit off guard and Casey blinked, startled by how much Alex seemed to know about her. “How do you know that?”

“I know a lot of things, Casey,” Alex replied with a teasing smirk.

Before Casey could respond, they reached her house. She stopped at the gate, feeling an odd reluctance to say goodbye. Alex paused too, her eyes lingering on Casey’s face, like she didn’t want to leave either. Both of them unaware of the eyes looking at them through the window.

“See you tomorrow?” Alex asked, her voice soft.

“Yeah,” Casey nodded. “We can keep studying.”

“Sure,” Alex smiled, her eyes warm. “Bye, Casey.”

“Bye,” Casey echoed, her heart fluttering as she watched Alex walk away.

Casey barely had time to compose herself before stepping through the front door. As soon as she crossed the threshold, the familiar weight of her home’s oppressive atmosphere settled over her. Her body felt stiff, her muscles tensing automatically, as if bracing for an impact she knew was coming.

“Cassandra,” her mother’s sharp voice rang out from the kitchen, the sound slicing through the quiet like a blade.

Casey winced at the use of her full name, her stomach tightening. She dropped her bag by the door, her fingers feeling oddly numb as they let the strap slip from her hand. Slowly, she made her way down the hall, her steps heavy as though each one brought her closer to something inevitable. “Yes, Mom?” she replied, her voice already resigned.

Her mother stood by the counter, wiping her hands on a towel, her eyes narrowing as they locked onto Casey with that familiar judgmental gaze. “Who was that girl I saw you with outside?” she asked, her tone cold and clipped.

A jolt of panic shot through Casey’s chest, her heartbeat quickening. She had hoped to avoid this conversation entirely. “Just a girl from school,” she answered quickly, trying to keep her voice calm, though she could feel her pulse pounding in her throat. Her palms felt damp, and she clasped them together, forcing herself to stay composed.

Her mother’s gaze remained unrelenting, her lips pressing into a thin line. “What’s her name?”

Casey hesitated, the air around her suddenly feeling thick and suffocating. She could sense the tension building, the trap closing in. “Alex,” she mumbled, the name slipping from her mouth like it was a secret she wasn’t meant to reveal.

Her mother’s face twisted in disgust, the reaction immediate. “That Cabot girl,” she spat, her voice dripping with disgust. Casey’s heart sank, her mother had heard the rumors that were certainly circling around town. “I don’t want to see you around her again.”

“Mom—” Casey tried, her voice weak, barely audible, but the rising dread in her chest made it hard to push the words out.

“I mean it,” her mother cut her off, her tone low and dangerous. “That girl is full of sin. She’s not good for you.”

A knot formed in Casey’s stomach, her hands shaking slightly as she clenched them into fists at her sides. “She’s not—” she began to protest, her voice catching in her throat, but her mother’s eyes darkened, cutting her off with a look that was all too familiar.

“Don’t talk back to me,” her mother hissed, her words sharp. “I better not see you around her again, or I’ll tell your father, and we’ll see how he feels about it.”

The mention of her father made Casey’s stomach twist with frustration. How could he have any opinion when he was never around? Before she could stop herself, the words slipped out. “Like he’s ever here to care,” she muttered under her breath.

The slap came faster than she could react, the sharp sting of her mother’s hand connecting with her cheek. The sound echoed through the kitchen, loud and cruel. Casey gasped, her head jerking to the side, her skin burning where her mother’s palm had struck. Tears sprang to her eyes, but she blinked them back, refusing to let them fall. Her heart pounded in her ears, the shock of the hit leaving her frozen in place.

“You better watch your mouth, child,” her mother spat, her voice low and venomous. “Your father may not be here, but I won’t let you disrespect him. Now go upstairs and wash up. Dinner’s almost ready.”

Casey stood there for a moment, her cheek throbbing, her whole body trembling from the force of the slap and the effort of holding back her emotions. She bit her lip, hard, tasting blood as she forced herself to keep quiet. Her throat felt tight, the words of defiance she wanted to scream lodged painfully there, but she knew better than to speak them. “Sorry,” she whispered instead, her voice barely a breath.

Her mother turned away, dismissing her without another glance, and Casey took the opportunity to flee. She hurried up the stairs, her body moving on autopilot, her chest tight with the effort of holding everything in. As soon as she reached her room, she shut the door behind her and collapsed onto the floor, the tension in her body finally breaking free.

She pressed a hand to her stinging cheek, her fingers shaky against her hot skin. Her heart was still racing, her breathing shallow and uneven as she let the tears spill over. Everything felt wrong, her mother’s words, the slap, the fear, and the confusing feelings for Alex that only seemed to grow stronger with every passing day.

The guilt churned in her stomach, twisting and knotting in a way that made her feel nauseous. Her mother’s words echoed in her mind, repeating over and over: "That girl is full of sin."

But Casey didn’t want to believe that. She couldn’t. Being with Alex didn’t feel wrong. The way Alex smiled at her, the way her eyes softened when they talked, the way her hand brushed against Casey’s, it felt... good. And wasn’t it supposed to feel wrong if it was a sin? Shouldn't her body rebel against it instead of yearning for more?

Her pulse quickened again, heat flooding her face as she remembered Alex’s playful comment from earlier. “You’re too cute to apologize that much.”

Casey pressed her hands against her cheeks, trying to stop the rush of warmth that came with the memory, but her heart kept pounding, racing with thoughts she didn’t understand. Was it wrong to feel this way? Her mother, the church, everything she’d been taught, it all said it was. And yet, when she was with Alex, none of that mattered. It was like the world fell away, and all that was left was the two of them, in that quiet space where nothing felt wrong.

Now in her room sitting on the floor knees drawn to her chest all she could think was how could something that she was taught was wrong make her feel so right?

[mysticcollectionbee]

Loki season 2 Ep.5

(SPOILERS)

This just gonna be a list of things I’m obsessing over in the new episode by order of importance to me (I’m sorry):

GOD. OF. STORIES. Buildup. YES!!! From the episode title to Loki specifically mentioning saving their stories (only other time he mentioned stories to represent a person’s life was in the very first episode of this show I think). I’m way too excited.

Mobius…I’m sorry this will be mainly Lokius based. *Ahem* Mobius a single dad who can’t shut up about being single and the only person he talks about stuff that isn’t just Jet-Ski related is Loki. Everyone else he meets he kinda just stays on topic but Loki; “Hey, stranger who might of followed me from work, want a beer? I’m also a single dad.” And two things I feel like I see differently than a lot of the fandom: a) I don’t think Don (Just remembered that’s his name) has a dead wife. Like, who describes your wife being dead as ‘Long gone’ and immediately tries to pawn off a belonging that you used as a couple? b) People saying the kids act like Loki and Thor which means Mobius represents Odin but…Odin kinda sucked as a dad? And Frigga was a MASSIVE part of raising the kids, so an Odin variant being able to step in is. Unrealistic. Oh and Hela? Hi??? Hela exists. So nah, I think they made it that way the same way they made Thor adopt Love, to fix the mistakes of the past generation with the new ones. Thor is raising Love unlike how his father raised him. Loki could raise the brothers to not have the same issues he had with his own brother, and what they both had issues with when raised together by Odin.

(Last one was long) I think I made a theory a long time ago that Casey/Frank was related to the unsolved case of the guys escaping Alcatraz. Could be wrong, if not, hey one of my theories was right!

O.B. my baby boi was a failed Sci-Fi writer that ended up inspiring the god of stories to save all the stories across the multiverse. He’s secretly the most important writer character in the MCU :’)

B-15 being a nurse makes a lot of sense and explains why she became softer and more focused on helping others after she got her memories back. Her true nature of helping others came back to her, which probably ask explains why she really hate the idea of pruning people again.

I want to talk about Sylvie and all the neat stuff about her…But my Bi brain keeps getting distracted by that scene of her without her jacket…She’s- she’s great here too 👍

Final unimportant thing: Any Doctor who fan get time explanation flashback the moment O.B picked up that mug with pens in it? “I’m a pen in a mug?” “Yes you are, Donna Noble.”

[masterthrutimenspace]

Been thinking a lot ab transfem 2012 leo lately,,,,​ :]

I love she. I like to think she secretly wears eye makeup under her mask while still in the closet. She's just happy to know she has it on even if no one else sees it. Sad that she can't put anything on her actual eyelids or she'll get caught :( so she just kinda puts it around her eyes. It still looks good when her eyes are open.

And she's actually like good at it too, making art on her face. She tries it once and suddenly it's her favorite past time hobby (even above Space Heroes), trying out different looks and styles. She searches up color theory and complexions and everything, though she has to learn a lot by herself since she has green skin. She's probably watched a thousand makeup videos. And she keeps this up for months without being caught, being the ninja that she is. It becomes so normal to her to the point that when her mask flies off during a fight with some bad guy she doesn't even realize how big a deal it is at first, lol.

After she does get found out she just says she likes makeup, not mentioning anything about being trans. April is ecstatic about Leo's hobby and buys her all kinds of makeup stuff like fake eyelashes, despite April herself not being that into makeup. Karai joins in too, teaching Leo some edgier looks. Sometimes they wear matching makeup.

Raph and Donnie are a bit weirded out at first but they can see this is, for some reason, important to Leo so they refrain from making any rude comments, even if just jokingly. Mikey loves it, he is fully supportive. Probably asks Leo to do his makeup once or twice. He is a bit jealous that Leo is trying to take his place as the cutest turtle though.

Raph appriciates the artsiness of it and the level of skill it would take to do that. He still thinks it's weird but he warms up to it.

Donnie does not at all get it but it makes his "brother" happy so it it what it is. And he will admit it is pretty cute.

Despite what everyone would have expected, Splinter doesn't make a big deal out of it. He just asks what the occasion is. Leo's new hobby doesn't get in the way of anything and it makes his "son" happy. He can also appriciate the time and effort of the craft. He'd probably be curious to know some of the techniques. Not for any purpose, just pure curiosity.

Casey would randomly walk into the lair one day and think Leo is some new sister of theirs. Which, technically he's not wrong. Leo is silently having a gender moment after Casey calls her a girl while Raph is laughing at Casey's confusion on the situation.

Casey doesn't know shit about makeup (me too fam) but he thinks it's badass that Leo is confidently wearing it. Screw toxic masculinity and all that shit. He goes on a random rant about his sister wanting to try makeup but thinking she's too young for that stuff (does she have a canon age? I imagine her being like 11). Leo tells him he should give his sister a chance to try it out, that it's just a fun activity and doesn't mean anything. Leo gives him like a whole lecture how makeup is about how it makes the person wearing it feel and not looking good for someone else. So Casey ends up deciding he's gonna give his sister some basic makeup stuff for her birthday (or Christmas, whichever comes first). Leo is satisfied.

Later that day Casey would ask Leo to help him decide what to give his sister and Leo is happy to help. What she doesn't expect though is for Casey to just straight up ask if she's trans. She panics. Casey panics at Leo's panic and splutters apologies for asking so suddenly, reassuring her that he's fully supportive if she is trans. So Leo comes out to him. And it feels nice. It's nice to have someone else know, to not carry it alone. Even though she was not at all prepared or ready to come out to anyone yet. She went to sleep feeling lighter that day.

[batsplat]

akdjeklssj ‘bro why is being perceived such an ordeal’ is an all timer for that pic choice…pure misery in Casey’s eyes, Jorge clearly on an entirely different planet in his own mind, Valentino plottin & schemin all hours of the day every day of the week

from here. DELIGHTED to get this ask because I've been bravely resisting adding context notes to the text posts. feels against the spirit of the exercise somehow. but I LOVE this photo... not only is it just evocative in its right, but it also really fits the vibe of that presser and time period more generally. and your interpretation is pretty much spot on

the photo is from the pre-event press conference at sepang 2010. which was of course the race after motegi, where valentino put in a truly generational spite ride to deny jorge a spot on the podium. if anyone reading this for some reason hasn't watched that race, please go do that - just remember to shake your head the whole time to show everyone you don't approve of what you're watching. valentino had been heavily struggling in that stretch of the season with the nasty shoulder injury he should have already gotten surgery for. he's constantly in a lot of pain and he's also watching his irritating young teammate cruise to that year's title and he can't do anything about it... and jorge's closest championship challenger couldn't even start the race in motegi, which essentially ended the title fight then and there. annoying

so valentino does the only sensible thing you can do in that situation and decides he can at the very least least ensure jorge has a bad day. it is just so obvious that valentino would rather crash his teammate out than let him beat valentino in that race. it's some of the most aggressive riding of valentino's career, a duel that goes right to the last lap with quite a bit of contact between the pair of them. obviously it wasn't ever likely to actually cost jorge the title, but oddly enough the yamaha garage did not look thrilled by the show their riders were putting on. after the race in motegi, valentino is delighted as it's probably the most fun he's had in AGES ("was fun" he tells his mechanics the moment he gets off the bike), yamaha is furious at him for repeatedly almost knocking off their soon-to-be title winner... and jorge cannot quite avoid showing just how pissed off he is in the post-race interviews

except jorge's problem is that it doesn't take him long to realise he doesn't actually WANT to start this big drama with valentino - not when he's about to seal his first premier class title. it's effectively diverted all attention away from his first match point race... in the context of this dominant season, everyone's way more excited about this fresh bit of drama. valentino doesn't even really hit back at jorge's comments on this particular occasion. he did his talking on the track this time. quite a lot of talking, all things considered. so he can mostly get away with playing innocent and talking up how much he'd enjoyed that lovely fight with jorge. discussed more here, but these are his immediate post-race comments -

and of course valentino doesn't really NEED to say any more than that, because jorge's comments are enough to set things off. the media furore is such that by the time they land in sepang, jorge is very much in 'oh god please stop talking about this' mode. which leads to one of my all time fave presser moments: jorge straight up pretending like nothing happened at motegi. zero subtlety, beautifully awkward, not the finest moment for his acting abilities... but he commits to it, asks the moderator “what happened in japan?" - and then opts for an exaggerated "AH YES, I signed two more years with yamaha". and it's just. I suppose it does the trick in that he simply refuses to engage with the questions about it, but trust me when I say it's not the smoothest evasion of a question I've seen in my life

and while all this is happening, check out these all timer reaction shots courtesy of valentino and casey, kindly rendered in gif form by @/della46 (gifs here)

you can see jorge's little 'ahhh!!' in the second gif as if he's figured out what the moderator was referring to. I just. love both of their reactions so much. valentino's smirk as he does an exaggerated tip of the head to get a look at his teammate. casey's open grin as he likewise glances over at jorge. like it's just FUN... they both know exactly what jorge's doing and why... they both want to take a look at jorge's expression... they're both enjoying this bit of theatre. jorge is not enjoying this. he just wants to seal the title in peace

in the end, he does just that at sepang - though of course valentino has to steal the limelight once again by coming back from twelfth on the first lap to beat jorge and dovi. also just happens to be valentino's 46th win for yamaha, because of course it is. which leads to quality scenes in parc fermé, where the cordial congratulations between the pair of them gives way to them hamming it up with their celebrations a few feet away with each other. dovi's presence also adds a certain je ne sais quoi to proceedings, with him and valentino just ever so friendly with each other on the podium in a moment of anti-jorge solidarity. two men who simply refused to lose to jorge lorenzo on that particular day

and with that, back to the pre-event presser photo. following on from some proper fun press conference theatrics. features casey, who is at this point just waiting out the rest of his ducati career - he'd recently stumbled upon a rich vein of form, but ducati's decline was still ongoing and he just seemed sick of the whole thing. immediately crashes out of sepang too. valentino, who has been in severe pain since the second race of that season and really, really should be going off to get his shoulder fixed - but as least he's managed to make life just a little more unpleasant for jorge during what should be such a joyous time for him. and jorge, who is about to achieve his biggest dream. who has just spent a press conference trying to play down this stupid drama started by his stupid teammate. this stupid drama which is now the biggest topic of conversation. and will be for the foreseeable future. he just wants to be left alone... please leave him alone