#constructive critism I mean

[arttsuka]

Sherlock doodles

I haven't read any of the books yet but I wanted to try to draw them.

I love the curly hair he had on the bbc series so I'm keeping it, only shorter (I'm pretty sure his hair is straight but who's going to stop me)

Edit: I made a little 'continuation' if you can call it that

[eteledhasanaxe]

It's really long so uhm it's under the cut because yeah (I did this in fifteen minutes so it might not be that great? it was just for an rp starter so)

Beware, here be headcanons and stuff ig

🐏~~~~~~~~~🐏

Sylvester was wandering the museum late at night. He had stayed after closing so that he could observe the various artifacts that everyone during that school field trip would have immediately tried to take. He never really liked it, when he was trying to do his research and kids from around his age from a school he didn't go to suddenly appeared for a field trip. He was looking over an information panel for an item inside of a glass case, deep in thought.

I don't understand why people always act so immature. He thought to himself about the sophomores he saw earlier. Sure, it seems… fun. But they should be focusing on the tour! Even if it's a little boring to some, it's interesting. History is something people should focus on more.

He paused his reading and looked up, crossing his arms. His mind was filled with conflicting thoughts. It looked like those kids were having fun. He was supposed to be a sophomore, but he had skipped a few grades. His parents had never let him be with other kids his age, so he had always wondered what it was like. He usually pushed down that thought, but tonight… it felt different. It wasn't another night that he'd lie awake in bed all night thinking about it. He tried to focus on the artifact in front of him, but he just couldn't push it out of his mind.

He stood in silence for a few minutes, his mind wandering a little until he thought about his parents. His mother and father… they were always quite strict. He always told himself that it was for the best, that they did it because they loved him, but one night, that fateful night two years ago when he left home and never looked back… the memory haunted him. His mother was probably still worried about him. His father, on the other hand, had most likely forgotten about him… He always seemed to do that, even if they had only not talked for an hour. Sylvester has always prayed it was just dementia taking its toll, but after a while, he had noticed that the only thing he ever forgot was Sylvester's name.

Sylvester sighed and put his hands in his pockets, thinking out loud. "Maybe I'm just forgettable. I wouldn't be surprised if anyone would…" He stopped himself before his thoughts got dark and shook his head. "No, no. I can't say that. Other people need me. I'm a psychologist. I'm a therapist. I'm top of my class, I… I've done everything I ever needed to do. All that's left is to graduate from my senior year early, and I'm on my way to college." Sylvester forced himself to smile. "I'll get a degree… I'll get a good job, meet someone who would be logically a perfect match, and I'll-" He paused, his smile fading. "…Logical. That's the only thing I think about, isn't it?"

He started walking again down the empty halls of the museum, looking up at the artifacts and fossils scattered about the place. He stopped walking after hearing something and turned around. He hesitated to call out, the darkness intimidating him. "…Hello?"

[leleyro]

The same way you can’t force people to enter your life, you can’t force them to stay.

Let them go; let yourself heal. You’ll be okay, always have been, and always will be.

[sillypoetproject]

Kitty :3

a cat balled up in soft arms

little claws sink into unmarred flesh

the kitten purrs softly, a pleasant sound

[starrbuggie]

I made this piece almost a week ago and I've been staring at it and I just don't know whats wrong. please help.

[chronicallyari]

i regret posting art on tiktok everyone’s so mean ☹️

[paganinpurple]

AO3 Etiquette -UPDATED

Based on both decent and not so decent replies, I have made some changes to my original post below.

It would seem a whole new kind of AO3 reader/writer is emerging and it is becoming clear not everyone quite understands how the website community works. Here is some basic guidance on how most people expect you to go about using AO3 to keep this a fun community archive that funtions correctly:

As well as likes, kudos is for when the story was interesting enough to make you finish reading. If it sucked or was badly written, you probably left. If you finished it, you liked it - so kudos.

If you really liked it, you should try to comment. It can be long and detailed or a literal keysmash. Writers don't care, we just love comments.

No critisism unless the author has specifically asked or agreed to hear it (so use your notes to say if you want some constructive feedback). Even constructive critisism is a no-no unless an author note tells you it's okay. No, posting it online is not an open invitation for that. Many people write as a fun hobby or a way to cope with, among other things, insecurity and just want to share. Don't ruin that for them. I've seen so many authors just stop writing coz they can't handle the negative emotions the critism brings, and it's only meant to be a fun thing shared for free (pointing out tagging errors is not included in this).

Do not comment to ask the author to write/update something else. It's tacky and off-putting and will probably have the opposite effect than the one you want.

There is no algorithm, it's an archive. Use the search and filter function to add/remove the pairings/characters/tropes etc. you want to read about and it will find you the fics that fit the bill.

For this to work, writers must tag and rate stories. This avoids readers finding the wrong things and missing the stuff they want. I don't care how cringy that trope is in your eyes - it gets tagged.

The tag exception is if you don't want to tag a million things or spoil your story, you can rate it as "chose not to use warnings," and maybe tag the bare minimum.

Don't censor tags. How can someone exclude a tag if the word isn't typed out correctly? There are no content bans for terms so don't censor them.

If the tags are mostly content/trigger warnings, especially if they are things considered very fucked up or graphic, you might want to use "dead dove - do not eat" to ensure people know that you're not messing around with tags and what they get is exactly what you've warned them about.

Character A/Character B means a ROMANTIC or SEXUAL relationship of some kind. Character A&Character B is PLATONIC, like friendship or family.

Nothing is banned. This is an rule because banning one thing is a slipperly slope to banning another and another, until nothing is allowed anymore. Do not expect anyone to censor for you. Because of the tags system, you are responsible for your own reading experience.

People can create new chapters and sequels/fic series any time after they "complete" a story. So it's considered perfectly normal to subscribe, even to a finished story. You can even subscribe to the author instead just to cover your bases.

Do not repost stories or change the publishing date without an extremely good reason (like a complete top to bottom rewrite or an exchange youve written for going public). It's an archive, not social media. No one cares what's the most recent, only what fits their tag needs.

Instead of deleting a story you wrote if you hate it - consider making it anonymous or orphaning it so others can still enjoy it, without it being connected to your name anymore. If you still want to delete it, fair enough.

It's come to my attention that metaworks ARE allowed on AO3, which is something I wasn't aware of. So if you do post an essay or theory, please tag it as such so others can choose to search for it or exclude it. Art is also allowed.

The only reason this archive works is because NON ONE PROFITS. Do not link to your ko-fi or patreon or mention monetary gain in any way or you violate the terms and risk having your account removed. If anyone does link, it leaves the archive open to people claiming it's for profit and having the whole thing removed.

I KNOW there's plenty more I missed but I'm trying to cover most of the basics that people seem to be struggling with.

I invite anyone to add to this, but please explain, don't berate.

[aidynatyourservice]

this is my first time posting my art on here

hope y'all like it!

[strawberrylore]

I said I was going to write a story based on how I just got my heart broken and I’m pulling a fanfic move and moving back to my hometown.

Pairing: Logan Howlett x Reader

Written on phone at 3AM, while heartbroken.

Might suck but feedback and constructive critism is always welcomed. Just be nice.

Possibly might do a part 2. Possible happy ending, depending on the mood I’m feeling.

Song on blast as I’m writing this is August.

You Were Never Mine

You knew it was going to happen. You felt it deep inside, you just chose to ignore it. You held on to false hope, thinking that maybe you were just overthinking it. He had started being distant. You thought that maybe he was just busy, or had a lot on his mind.

But you knew deep down that wasn’t the case. You just hadn’t expected that it had something to do with her.

You thought he had gotten over it, but you were wrong. He was wrong.

But what could you do? You can’t force him to stay. You can’t force him to love you the way you love him. You let him go easily.

But your heart still yearns for him. You hadn’t seen him in a few weeks. He was sent on a mission by Charles. You had planned to tell him that you loved him when he came back. You had wanted to cook him dinner, make something he had always wanted to try.

But when he came back, he didn’t really talk to you. You felt something was off, you had even told your friends back home about it, but you thought it was just that the mission hadn’t gone the way he wanted it to.

But how wrong you were. He had sat you down and told you the heartbreaking news.

“I’m sorry. I thought I was over her, but I was wrong.”

Your world shattered as you heard those words come out of his mouth. Tears instantly clouded your eyes.

“What?”

He looked down and took a deep breath.

“I’m not over her. And I can’t continue on with you if I’m not over her. It’s not fair to you.”

Tears were falling from your eyes. You took a deep breath and putting your head in your hands.

“I’ve been thinking about her. This. For weeks. I’m sorry. I know you didn’t want to hear this but I can’t drag you along.” He tried to take ahold of your hand but you pushed him away. You sat up abruptly.

You didn’t want to face him. You couldn’t, lest you breakdown even further.

“I appreciate your honesty Logan. I really do. Thank you for letting me know before this could’ve turned much more serious.”

In reality, you and Logan had been seeing each other for 4 months. Before that you had feelings for him. But he was with Jean.

They had ended badly. He didn’t date anyone for months but he had asked you out.

You foolishly thought that she wasn’t going to affect him and his relationships anymore.

“In reality Logan. I felt this coming. Just didn’t expect it to be because of her.”

He looked down, he looked guilty.

“I hope you can figure it out Logan. I’m glad you told me. Don’t worry about me. I should’ve been prepared for it.” Your voice failed you, but you didn’t turn to look at Logan’s reaction.

“Again. I’m so sorry.” Logan stood, trying to step closer to you, but you didn’t let him.

“I know. But that’s okay. I can’t force you to be in a relationship when you aren’t in it fully.” You move further, wanting to step out of his room.

“I wish things were different. I really like you, but I know that if we kept going, I’ll only break your heart.” Logan said. He sounded conflicted. But he knew he had to be honest with you.

“I know what you mean. I’m glad you were honest with me.” You started to head out.

“I wish you luck.”

You don’t know why, but that shattered whatever remaining hope that maybe, just maybe, he’ll come to his senses and realize that everything he could ever want was right in front of him. You shake your head, trying to stop yourself from sobbing.

“You as well.”

With that, you stepped out and closed the door behind you.

You went to your room. You didn’t want anyone to see you.

As you got inside, you headed to your bathroom. You turned the sink on and splashed water on your face.

You looked in the mirror, thinking about everything that’s happened. You couldn’t take it anymore and broke down in heavy sobs, falling to the bathroom floor and hugging your knees to your chest.

You wondered why. Why did it always have to be you? You always had the worst of luck finding someone, someone who treated you with respect and love. Then you found the one, only for him to be ripped from you as well.

You couldn’t take it. You needed air.

You got off the floor, you headed to the balcony attached to your room.

You took deep breaths as you tried to calm your crying.

You needed out.

The only reason you had stayed at the mansion was for Logan. You had wanted to go back home, to your friends. To your family. But Logan was the one thing keeping you here.

Now that that’s done, you didn’t have anymore excuses. You had decided right then and there that you were going back home.

[trafficblr-confessions]

I think people are getting a little too comfortable toeing the line between constructive criticism and being a hate-watcher.

Between the policing on how tasks should go and the flack the CCs have gotten for the changes of pace in the series, a lot of us have forgotten that the Life Series is NOT just another show like the ones you see on netflix or hulu, and when you publicly spread hate as a viewer you're not poking holes in corporations, but individual people just trying to have fun playing together.

Constructive critism or ideas or suggestions are all fine, but jesus christ, the lashback especially against Gem? The fact that she ended up tweeting about how stressed she felt about the upcoming sessions due to the amount of badmouthing fans have been doing, it makes me sick! This isn't a scripted, rule-abiding production, it's an improv series with a gimick that a bunch of friends play together on. Hell, wasn't it the rule breaking in the first season that made us all crazy for it to begin with?

It's especially disheartening with this being Gem's first full season, it makes me afraid she may not want to join back next time around.

And yes, I know, Gem and everyone else on the server are grown adults, they can manage their media as needed and it's inevitable people don't like their content and/or say hurtful things. The problem lies in when it's the actual viewers, the people following the series. Again, it's not like hate watching a professional production and leaving reviews that reflect it. It's just haunting people playing together to have fun, and quite frankly, it's dehumanizing. Recieving hate from just anyone is one thing, but receiving hate from regular fans? How do some of y'all genuinely not see how harmful that is?

If you don't like how the series is going, click off. Have mean shit to say about the people in it? Either share it in closed groups or not at all, not places where you Know the CCs can see it! It's different when you're on a largely fandom dominated space such as tumblr or discord, but going on more open platforms such as twitter and even reddit on some degree?

This isn't an issue with constructive criticism. This is an issue with borderline bullying the CCs because the series isn't going how certain fans want it to.

.

[wobblyficwriter]

It's Okay, Little Doll

My second fic, and the first time I've tried writing about agere. I hope it's okay! Constructive critism welcome! Sorry I don't know how to do the cut thing.

Bucky Barnes x Little reader.

You're desperate to regress, but your house mate is home and you try not to. He has other ideas.

Can't think of any trigger warnings. I guess *slightly* forced regression, but in a caring concerned way?

You walked into your apartment with a tired sigh. Work had been awful, your creepy co worker had spent the day hitting on you no matter how many times you had told him you had a boyfriend. You didn’t have a boyfriend, but he had no way to verify that. He did know you lived with Bucky though, so you just let him assume that you were a couple.

You dumped your work bag and the stack of files you’d been carrying onto the table and kicked off your shoes. You just needed to get changed into something comfy, find some snacks and chocolate milk, then you could go to your room and regress. Bucky was on a mission and wouldn’t be home for a few days so you knew that he wouldn’t catch you in your little state.

You were just about to go into the kitchen to get your snacks and chocolate milk when you heard him.

“Hey, doll, you okay?” A soft voice said from behind you, making you jump and drop the packet of goldfish crackers you’d been about to pour into a bowl.

“Bucky!” You spun around, wide eyed and desperately started trying to fight off the regression that had been starting to take over your mind.

He chuckled and held his hands up showing you he meant no harm. “Jeez doll, it’s just me!” He didn’t raise his voice, continuing to speak softly, though amusement was evident on his face. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I thought you heard me coming.”

You shook your head and smiled. Internally you were screaming. “No, no no! I can’t regress in front of Bucky!”  “I’m fine, sorry I must have been in my own world. You’re back early?” You questioned. Maybe he was just back to get something? You needed to regress and it was hard to fight it. Just had to get a snack and retreat to your room.

“Yeah” He nodded. “Turns out they don’t need a full team, Nat and Steve have gone alone” 

You were fighting the need to slip with every ounce of will you had. “Oh.. what are you gonna do now?” You didn’t hear the slightly higher pitch of your voice, or the way you were fiddling anxiously with your sleeves. However it didn’t go unnoticed by Bucky and he tilted his head, concern flashing in his eyes.

“Doll, you okay?” He stepped forward, placing a hand on your shoulder, his eyes widening in surprise when you stepped back fearfully. He removed his hand, the concern now more prominent on his face. “Doll? You know I’d never hurt you, right?”

You nod and wring your hands anxiously. You could feel yourself slipping and were desperately trying to stop it.  “‘M fine” you said, and you wince inwardly, you heard your voice that time and realised you were slipping faster than you thought. You grab the bag of goldfish, deciding to forget about the rest of your snacks and chocolate milk for now, intending to rush to your bedroom and hide in there for the rest of the night. Bucky stops you with another hand on your shoulder as you try to push past him.

“Hey, hey, where’s the fire? What’s wrong?” He was concerned, he’d never seen you act like this, and you had certainly never acted scared of him before. He waited for you to answer him, frowning when you stiffened under his hand. He let go again and let you go with a sigh. He wasn’t going to force you to stay and talk to him when you very clearly didn’t want to. He figured he’d give you a little while to calm down and check on you later. He made his way back to his room and lay on his bed with the book he’d been reading. He would have stayed there if he hadn’t heard you muttering anxiously in your own room. His super soldier senses made it easy for him to hear,  though he usually did his best to block it out. He couldn’t this time though, not when he could hear that you were so worked up about something.

“No no, not in front of Bucky, come on y/n. You can fight this!” You were pacing in your room, desperately trying not to slip. You knew that now Bucky was concerned about you, he wouldn’t leave you alone the whole night. You knew he would come and check on you and you couldn’t afford to be in your littlespace when he did. He couldn’t see you like that, no one could. If you’d known he was going to be home, you would have been more prepared to stop it, having the whole day to work through it. Unfortunately, you hadn’t known he would be home and had been planning for it all day, so now you were home it was getting harder and harder to fight off. 

You’d already put all your little items in the wardrobe so you couldn’t see them, including the plush toy that usually lived on your bed. You were hoping that not being able to see the things that you usually used in your little time would make it easier for you to stop the slip.

You gasped when he knocked on your door, calling out to see if you were okay.

“J-just a minute!” You hastily looked around your room, checking for anything that might give it away before sighing and telling him to come in.

He opened the door and walked in, taking a breath when he saw you. He could see your whole body was tense and you looked on the verge of a panic attack. “Hey, hey what’s wrong?” He moved toward you, careful not to touch you this time. He knew you didn’t like to be touched. You tolerated the occasional short hug from him, but that was all. The hands on your shoulders earlier were normally okay too, but you’d made it clear to him that they weren’t at the moment, so he just kept his hands where you could see them and crouched in front of you to be less intimidating.

“J-just a bad day” you whispered and gasped when you heard your voice. You were still slipping and you couldn’t stop it! This was bad. You quickly looked to the side, trying to look anywhere but at Bucky. This time, Bucky gasped quietly as it clicked in his head. You were regressing! Well, you were trying NOT to regress, but he recognised the signs. He’d never been in the lifestyle himself, but he knew that Steve had had a little at one point and he’d seen them interact a couple of times. Nodded to himself, unseen by you and decided to just treat you like he would a scared child.

“Shh, shh it’s okay, little one.”

He saw you freeze and your breath catch in your throat. “N-not little!” he heard you say frantically, your voice still in that higher pitch but not quite childlike yet. He could see that you desperately needed to regress, and that you were trying not to so he decided to just carry on, hoping to make you feel safe and go into your littlespace. He edged closer to you, still not touching you yet, keeping his movements slow so you could see everything he was doing.

“Oh I know you’re not, not just yet, but you want to be so badly, don’t you little doll?”

You froze again, slowly turning to look at Bucky. “N-no! D-dunno what you’re talking about!” you had to fight the urge to stomp your foot. This was bad, Bucky was going to see! You couldn’t let that happen!

Bucky just smiled at you, slowly reaching out and curling his fingers around your wrist, gently tugging you toward him. “It’s okay little doll, I’m here. You’re safe with me.” his voice was soft, doing his best to sound calming as he pulled you into him, gently wrapping his arms around you. He felt you stiffen but didn’t let you go this time, he simply gently ran his metal hand up and down your back in soothing circles while gently pressing your head into his chest with the other. You stayed stiff, starting to tremble and he worried that he’d pushed you too far. He keeps going though, murmuring softly to you, taking the fact that while you were anxious, you weren’t pulling away as a sign that it was okay to continue. He stops rubbing your back, using that hand to scoop you up into his arms and moving to the bed with you, he sits on it, leaning back against the headboard and pulls you fully onto him, still making soothing noises and starts rubbing your back again.

“That’s it little doll, you just relax here in my arms. Let Bucky take care of you. Just let it happen… everything’s okay”

You keep fighting desperately but you feel yourself losing the fight. You knew for certain that you were going to lose it when you felt yourself relaxing into his touch despite yourself. “There you go… good girl..” when he called you a good girl you could no longer fight it, and just let it take over. You cuddled into him, your thumb sucked into your mouth and closed your eyes. You heard Bucky chuckle quietly.

“There you go little doll, that’s much better isn’t it?” You blinked up at him and saw him smiling softly down at you. You nodded at him shyly, still worried about being little in front of him, but now you’d slipped, you were much more open to accepting the comfort and safety that his presence offered.

“Nothing to worry about little doll, you just relax here in Bucky’s arms. I’ll take care of you.” He started stroking your hair softly and rocking from side to side slowly, smiling gently at you as your eyes started falling closed.

“Shh, that’s it, little one.. Just let yourself drift away. You don’t need to worry about a thing.”

You sighed contentedly and let yourself drift off to sleep. Maybe being little in front of Bucky wasn’t so bad after all.

[jamisonwritestf2trash]

Do you have any Engineer headcanons?👉👈

Engineer Headcanons!

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Hi Lone!!! FINALLY got around to writing these!! I hope you enjoy!

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I personally think a LOT of the mercs knit. Including Engie. I think he, Sniper, and Demo all knit together. It's mainly comprised of Engie and Demo talking away while Sniper listens. I definitely think Engie likes to do big knitting projects. Like this man has spent months on huge blanket just because he likes devoting MANY hours to any project he starts.

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I think Engie collects rocks. It stared because Pyro would always gift Engie cool rocks it found and he just kept them around in a drawer. Then one day Engie found a rock his own and gave it to Pyro. And Pyro started collecting the rocks Engie gave it. So now it's a little back and forth where they collect rocks to gift each other, and now they both have pretty big rock collections.

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I think Engineer has a lot of nightmares. Never the same one twice though. They range from just general fears and your typical nightmares to really haunting ones that tend to stick with him. He doesn't know where they come from or why they happen so often but he's become pretty used to dealing with them. Definitely a reason he stays up working late...

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Speaking of working late. He has and will continue to pass out at his desk after staying up for days on end. But! Inexplicably, he always wakes up back in his room. He doesn't know HOW he wakes up in his room. He always chalks it up to waking up in a daze and stumbling his way back. After all, none of the mercs seem to know either, or at least, they won't admit to anything...

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In the same vein, absolute KING of forgetting to take care of himself. He's just behind Medic and just above Scout in the ranks actually. He gets so focused in on things that he forgets to do those pesky things like, eat...and drink. You know, minor things! He's sure it's no big deal. At least Pyro drops by with snacks to share sometimes.

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For the life of me can't headcanon him as JUST a black coffee drinker even though I want to. You can't convince me this man doesn't like flavored coffee creamers. French vanilla, hazelnut, Italian sweet crème, you can't tell me he doesn't enjoy the occasional seasonal flavor. His love of coffee creamers however, does not stop him from brewing an entire pot of black coffee and only drinking that. Likes his coffee all ways.

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Okay. Hear me out. This man hates criticism. He can't stand it. And not in an arrogant way, like he doesn't think he's above it by any means. I just think a part of him always takes critism to heart because he's trying his hardest and giving things his all, so sometimes hearing he isn't doing enough or good enough, even in the kindest or most constructive way gets to him.

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I think his workshop is actually never necessarily "quiet". I feel like most of the mercs (Scout and Pyro specifically) come and talk his ear off a LOT. Literally telling him about anything and everything because, we'll, he likes to listen to them. Medic has also been known to drop by, but doesn't spend as much time as the other two. But even when he isn't being talked at by someone, he's got music playing, he's humming to himself, I can't imagine him actually ever doing anything in silence.

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And that's all I've got for you. Hope you liked them, and sorry they took so long 😭

[hacked-by-jake]

To be honest, you can disagree with me, of course. And I absolutely don't want to attack anyone.

But there are circling Screenshots of things other studios said about Everbyte.

And while I definitely can understand critism, I don’t like the way they make jokes about them. Very unprofessional.

And whether they like it or not, they are really lucky that Everbyte exists. Because Duskwood was the game that made this scene, indie games, popular in the first place. When I started Duskwood, there were only games that were released after Duskwood came out.

And as we know, there are many games that have been, let's say... "inspired" by Duskwood.

I don’t want to say their games are bad. Absolutely not.

But Duskwood is by far the most popular game in the scene. And the success that Duskwood brought.. try to keep up.

Also... glass house and stones and... You never know what is going to happen in the future. And as other developer studios.. No one thought that this here, the critism, would ever happen. But it happened. And the same can happen to everyone else. Even if you could never imagine this yet.

Okay, I said it before, I don’t want to spread hate here, I just wanted to make my point clear.

This here is about serious criticism. It's not a joke or anything. Give constructive feedback to Everbyte. This is how they can learn. And they deserve this criticism.

But right now, it's a wave of hate and it seems to catch lots of people who just jump in and participate.

I'm sorry. I truly don't want to offend anyone. But this here is not a trend. And for other developers definitely no opportunity to eliminate the competition. As for me, it's makes me even more unwilling to play there games when I see how they talk about other devolpers.

As I said, critism is absolutely fine. But please, keep in mind we're still talking about 3 people here. Real people. Hate is shit and won't make anything better.

And I feel like this flood makes people more and more mad. And I don't know if that's how it should work. If every post you read increases the level of your mood even more negative, maybe you shouldn't read more.

I say this because it really feels like it. People criticised and the more people left their criticism, the angrier some got. And that's not how it should be.

Talk about the problems, post about them, leave your opinion. But stay constructive and especially be careful that you don't fall into the flood of other people's anger. That should not affect you. Your time deserves to be spent better.

As I said, I don’t want to attack anyone with it. And I do understand the frustration and sadness about all of this.

But still, I mean of course I also want to share my opinion. But I also want to try and remind people of the real problem here.

Thank you, once again, for reading. 💚

[daringdaisy]

Tangled Shells

Synopsis: The magically long-haired Michelangelo has spent his entire life trapped in a tower. He seems to be destined to stay there forever without his questions about the world left unanswered until an unlikely team stumbles upon his tower for refuge. Mikey will finally discover the world for the first time and who he really is, but ignorance is bliss. "All the guards look up in horror as they realize what has just happened. One of the guards sprints toward the exit and abruptly pulls down the emergency lever. The entire castle is bathed in a red hue, accompanied by blaring alarms." AN: I do understand that the shogun was in fact the military leader of all of Japan, but for this story, it just means captain. As always, feel free to have an constructive critism for my writing! ˋ°•*⁀➷PREVˏˋ°•*⁀➷ˏMASTERLISTˋ°•*⁀➷NEXT

Chapter 1 - A Big Day ⚠️Mentions of blood and violence⚠️

The new day emerges crisp and clear as the early sun bathes the tower in a rosy, warm hue. A small band of birds chirp their melody on the window's ledge, filling the air with a certain tranquility. Little did they know, an eye was peeking out the window. A flicker of victory ignites in Mikey's mind as he sees an opportunity for new bonds.

In an instant, the window shutters are pulled back harshly. "Hello new friends!", an ecstatic grin on his face with open arms. 

Without sparing a second, the flock takes off into the air. Mikey reaches out towards them as they soar through the air, a look of longing written on his face. Mikey looks up at the sky, knowing that tomorrow the floating lights will appear. All of a sudden, a small Allen Hummingbird roughly crashes onto the ledge. Mikey can't help but notice she's wearing a black, ribbon necktie with a strange-looking pin in the center.

If he had to guess, it resembled a very barren pepperoni pizza with five slices. He couldn't help but feel as if he's seen that symbol somewhere before. He gently cups the small bird, trying to get a better look at the crest as she tries to escape from his grasp. Mikey's breath hitches as he notices something is wrong with her.

His hands tremble as he watches the poor thing helplessly flap her wings, straining her broken wing more by the second. His heart is breaking with each little distressed chirp.

“I can’t take this anymore!” he cries out as rushes into the tower, the hummingbird struggling even more. She begins to feel more relaxed as she enters the cozy atmosphere. Vibrant murals cover the walls from top to bottom. In one corner near the staircase, there are many unfinished projects related to knitting, pottery, and candle-making. The wooden beams are wrapped in vines and flowers that climb all the way up to the skylight, allowing just the right amount of sunlight to shine through. “I know you’re scared but I promise I won't hurt you.” 

Mikey gingerly places her on his pin cushion that's on his desk, her movement becoming less frantic. Mikey grabs a small strand of his hair as he slowly wraps it around her wing. The hummingbird tilts her head slightly, letting out a small tweet. Mikey looks towards her with an awkward smile, "Just trust the process, alright?”

A soft humming emanates from Mikey, his hair fading into a fiery orange. She just stares at him awestruck until his melody comes to an end. She wiggles her wing out of his hair easily, inspecting it for a few moments. Without hesitation, she starts buzzing around Mikey as she chirps nonstop. Mikey can't help but laugh in relief but the moment is cut as she approaches the window.

He lets out a deep sigh as he fiddles with his hair, "I guess you do have to go now. Thanks for staying around." Mikey starts dragging his feet towards the broom closet when he feels the bird perching onto his shoulder.

Mikey immediately brightens up once she realizes she's here to stay for now. "Oh, you will not regret this! Just imagine all the things we could do after we finish my chores like sewing, baking, and painting!" She tweets back towards him, replicating his excitement. This is it, Mikey's first friend. He may still be stuck in the same place but at least he has someone new to share it with.

As Mikey's prayers for a companionship have been answered, elsewhere, Raph's frustrations boil over in his relentless pursuit of answers.

He slammed his fists against his conspiracy board, sending papers and pictures flying around the room, except for the central images. In the center was the only one of the few pictures of the royal family. Donnie and Leo connected to Big Mama, red threads extending from her to highlight her recent crimes. Meanwhile, Mikey was linked to Baron Draxum by a single thread, their side completely empty. He paces back and forth near the board, clutching his helmet as some form of grounding. 

It's been two years since he committed to finding his brothers. He discovered that Baron Draxum's accomplice was Big Mama, the most notorious crime lord in the Hidden Kingdom, and the biggest pain in his ass. She has become increasingly audacious with her heists over the years. She's been been a looming threat over the kingdom for as long as he can remember. Too long if you ask him. It’s his duty to apprehend her, regardless of her connection to his brothers' disappearance.

As for Baron Draxum, he might as well be considered a ghost.

Raph, blinded by frustration, hadn't been watching his step when he heard something crack beneath his foot. His eyes widened in horror as he saw the broken picture frame of his family. He and his brothers were nestled in their father's embrace, and their smiles radiated with pure joy. He berated himself as he picked up the frame, tears threatening to spill. The photograph was riddled with cracks, each one rubbing salt in the wound. The most striking fissure ran boldly between him and his brothers. Just then, there was a knock at the door, nearly causing Raph's heart to jump out of his chest. "My son, may I come in?"

Raph manages to keep his voice steady as he organizes himself, "Give Raph a moment please". He places the broken frame face down on his desk. There is no reason to worry his father, especially for tomorrow. He crouches down as he quickly, grabbing all the fallen evidence and crams it down his drawers.

Splinter saunters into the room, a grin graces his face as he spots Raph. "Oh red, how I've missed you!" He quickly pulls Raph into a tight hug, nearly suffocating him but he manages to let out a huff of amusement, "Pops, I just saw you at breakfast like 10 minutes ago." Splinter laughs heartily as he pulls back from the hug, his hands on Raph's shoulders. "So? I can still miss you in that time". 

Raph's smile falters for a second as he truly looks at his father. He wasn’t questioning his father’s true emotions, but his smile just didn’t quite reach his eyes as always. They looked worn down by time yet were filled with so much wisdom. It was always hard for him to read his own father, except now. Splinter wasn't looking at him anymore, but behind him. Raph's stomach drops as the realization sinks in. Raph tries blocking his view, squeezing his hands as he attempts to redirect his attention. "Dad, I-"

Splinter's whole demeanor falls as he gently pushes Raph to the side. His father gingerly places his hand on the evidence board, his voice uncharacteristically quiet, "What is this?". Before Raph can utter an excuse, he cuts him off, his tone sharper. "No, it doesn't matter. This...this is over". Splinter yanks it off the wall, much to the horror of Raph. His arms instinctively reach for the open end. The duo starts tugging on each end.

"Let go of it, Dad! I still need this!" Using his size to his advantage, he yanks it towards him, pulling his dad along. Splinter keeps his ground strong however, a determined grimace on his face. "But why would you need something that's only causing you more trouble?" "Because it's not fair!", he blurts, his voice raw, "It's not fair that I'm kicking it up in a castle while my brothers are who knows where! I should have been able to protect them!"

Splinter lets go of the boardas if he's been burned, his eyes wide with shock. "Raph...". Raph hugs the board to chest, his breathing labored. "I'm supposed to be the shogun, right? The protector? How am I supposed to protect anyone if I can't save my own family?" For a moment, silence stretches between them. Splinter takes a step closer towards Raph, an unreadable expression on his face. "Raphael, you were only a baby. What happened to your brothers....it's not your burden to carry." Raph tries to cut him off but the words die on his tongue. "You're my only son now" Splinter starts choking on his words, his eyes swelling up with emotions. "I can't lose you too"

Raph's resistance crumbles as he extends the board toward his father. "I'm sorry Pops". The sight of Splinter so distressed tugs at Raph's heart, a sight he hates to witness. Splinter takes the board, his expression softening, "Don't be my son". He makes his way towards the door with a somber demeanor. The words hanging in the air like a fragile truce. The tension was thick, unyielding, and Raph's heart ached with the weight of it all. How was he expected to work in these conditions?

He looks down at his kabuto(helmet), a relic passed down from each generation. He looks towards the mirror as he puts it on. He wasn't exactly sure about the origin of the tradition, but it was a requirement that the firstborn child become shogun to demonstrate their leadership, strategic thinking, adaptability, integrity, and most importantly, courage. Although he doubts his qualifications to be a king, or shogun for that matter, he's determined not to give up. He still needs to reunite his family, even if it costs him his life.

Just as he's about to leave, he notices a pair of goggles staring at him through the window. He quickly turns around but his reflection just stares back at him. Raph grumbles as he reluctantly walks towards the door, grabbing his menpō(faceplate). "Raph's gotta stop staying up so late." 

He looks back towards the window one last time, trying to calm his nerves. Raph reminds himself that nothing or no one can make the upcoming anniversary of his brothers' disappearance worse.

Leo lets out a deep sigh as he takes a moment to appreciate the breathtaking scenery before him. "Wow! I could get used to a view like this, right Dee?". After a brief pause, he glances back at Donnie, who seems to be out of it today? Donnie is fumbling around with the lock a lot more than usual as if he's almost struggling. Donnie mutters something about who locks a skylight in the first place but he’s not really concerned about that. 

Donnie couldn’t shake the intensity of the argument he had just witnessed between the Emperor and the Prince. His mind fell on the evidence board, that photo of the royal family. It felt strangely familiar, but how could that be? Big Mama had unfortunately raised both him and Leo. Yet, the unsettling feeling lingered, pulling him in. 

“Earth to Donnie, you there?" Leo whispers loudly in Donnie's ear, pulling him out of his daze. Donnie tenses up and shoots Leo an annoyed glare before focusing on the lock again.

Despite Donnie's clear lack of interest, Leo continues talking. He places his hands on his twin's shoulders as if he's trying to share his vision. "Just imagine what will happen once we pull off this heist: the world at our fingertips!”. Donnie pulls his shoulders away as he bluntly asks, "How about we focus on getting far away from here before chasing dum dum dreams all half-cocked, willy-nilly, pell-mell?"

Leo gives Donnie a smirk as he teases "Sheesh, you’re such a buzzkill with all that business talk." Donnie grimaces, his hands freezing up ."I can't help it. This is our only way to get away from-" Leo cuts off his brother, his confident facade crumbling. "I know you're not going to talk about the person we talked about never talking about". Donnie lets out an annoyed scoff at his brother's paranoia, "You're acting as if saying her name will summon her from the depths of her web". Leo whips his head all over the place before grabbing him by the collar. "Stop! I can feel the Mud Dogs presence, waiting to stir-!" Donnie smacks his twin right in the face, much to the dismay of Leo. Leo gently touches his cheek, his mouth agape as Donnie goes back to the lock. "That was to smack some sense into you, and I will not hesitate to do it again". Donnie expects to hear Leo's complaining, but he sits down and leans against him instead. Donnie would usually push Leo off but he can tell he needs this right now. They both just sit in silence, giving Donnie the environment to work efficiently and Leo to think clearly. After another couple of tries, the lock pops right open. Donnie stands up, offering a helping hand to Leo. He tries giving Leo a reassuring smile, but it's more awkward than anything. Leo can appreciate the effort though, giving him a grateful smile. "Are you sure you're ready Nardo?" They've been both on edge for this heist. Once they crossed this line, there was no backing out now. Leo lets out a sigh, his nerves starting to get the better of him. He notices Donnie's expression, one of pure dread. One of them had to be strong here and he was not about to throw that burden on Donnie. Leo puts his hands on his hips, the wind blowing the tails of his bandana. "As ready as I'll ever be". Donnie looks at him deadpan, "Who do you think you are, Robin Hood?" Leo slouches at his brother's jab, so much for trying to show face. Donnie shakes his head, a sly smirk on his face. "Actually, no. That's insulting to Robin Hood". Leo gives him a half-assed glare before grumbling, "Just tie the damm rope around me".

Leo slowly descends into the castle, a line of guards in front of a glass box. Inside the box lies the Emperor's benkan(king’s crown), a metal frame resting on an openwork gilt-bronze base. From the edge of the frame hang forty-eight jeweled chains, twelve on each side. At the top of the crown, there is a sun-shaped ornament mounted on a square board. With a swift flick of his hand, he unsheathes one of his daggers. He creates a small portal on top of the box, quickly reaching his hand through it to grab the crown.

One of the guards sneezes and despite knowing better, Leo can't help himself. "Rat flu?" The guard turns around to see Leo smugly leaning against the pedestal with the crown in his hand. "Yeah". He turns back around before having a moment of realization. "Huh?" He turns around and sees Leo escaping through the roof with the help of Donnie. "Wait, what? Hey, wait!". All the guards look up in horror as they realize what has just happened. One of the guards sprints toward the exit and abruptly pulls down the emergency lever. The entire castle is bathed in a red hue, accompanied by blaring alarms.

The disaster twins are rushing down the bridge that leads to Prison Pines, a forest known for harboring criminals on the run. They feel the air brush past them as thunderous footsteps can be heard chasing them. Donnie feels around his utility belt before feeling his smoke grenade. He pulls the safety pin off with his teeth and throws it back without sparing a single glance. In mere seconds, a cloud of purple smoke envelopes the bridge. With a swift motion, Leo conjures a shimmering portal above and below the guards, ensnaring them in a disorienting loop of nausea. A few stragglers continue to pursue them without much difficulty, much to the disappointment of Donnie. 

Donnie clicks his tongue in annoyance as he pulls out a mini cylinder from its holster, "Dammit, that wasn't my Gardyloo Grenade". Leo can't help but laugh at Donnie's words, "What's that supposed to do? Splash dirty water on them?" Donnie rolls his eyes but is more than happy to indulge Leo's ignorance. "Har har but no. It's a powerful irritant and vesicant that can damage the eyes, skin, and respiratory tract. It can cause chemical burns, diarrhea, vomiting, blindness, forms intermediates that react with DNA leading to cell death, and so much more but I'll spare you the gruesome details." Leo's laughter immediately dies down as he just stares at Donnie exasperated, “I thought we agreed not to cause any harm-”

With a swift pivot on his heel, Donnie unleashed a flurry of darts from his staff, striking the guards' legs with pinpoint accuracy. One by one, they crumpled to the ground, their threat neutralized in an instant. The air crackled with tension as Donnie laughed maniacally. He quickly snaps out of it as he notices Leo's stare. "Stop staring at me like I'm crazy Lee". Leo awkwardly clears his throat and grins as he throws his arm around Donnie's shoulder. He never knew whether it was a blessing or curse that his brother was like this. "Oh, the things we've done and it's only eight in the morning. This is a very big day for us Dee!"

Mikey takes a deep breath as he puts away his paints, closing the fireplace curtains. He looks towards his new companion with an excited grin. "This is it. This is a very big day, friend!" She nods ecstatically at his words. "I'm finally going to do it. I'm going to ask him!"

Just right on time, his father calls from below, "Michelangelo, let down your hair!". Mikey covers his mouth to contain all the excitement that's threatening to burst him open, the hummingbird mimicking him. Despite not wanting the small bird to leave, his father wasn't a big fan of visitors. "You have to go now!" She looks up towards him with puppy eyes.

Mikey tries giving his friend a reassuring smile, "Don't worry, you can come back soon. Maybe the next time, you can bring some of your friends with you". With a reluctant nod and chirp, she makes her escape through the skylight.

Mikey hastily makes his way towards the window, throwing his hair on the hook. Once he was sure his father was all set, he pulled him up with ease. When he sees his dad on the ledge, he helps him down and pulls him into a tight embrace. “Hey Dad, welcome home!”. Draxum pats his head affectionately before pulling away. He grabs Mikey’s hand and inspects them for a few seconds. Mikey lets out a disappointed sigh, pulling his hands back. “Before you ask, I still haven’t tapped into my ninpo”.

Draxum nods, a look of understanding written all over my face. He’s been trying to help Mikey, but no matter what he does, his powers refuse to come out. He tries moving on to a different topic for Mikey’s sake, "I must say, my son, how you manage to do that every day is truly a feat of strength."

Mikey seems to brighten up at his father’s praise. Mikey flexes his muscles as a small smirk graces his face, "Psh, it's nothing" Draxum looks back towards him, a hint of amusement in his face. "Then maybe I should increase the intensity of your training" Mikey shakes his head at lightning speed, his eyes filled with terror "Now, I'm not so sure about that!" His father gently pulls Mikey in front of the mirror, Drax's hands on his shoulder as he stands behind him. "You know what I see, Mikey? I see a strong, resilient, determined boy who lets nothing stop him." Mikey can't help but smile at his father's confidence in him, a warm feeling bubbling in his chest. His father was right about everything as always except for one small thing. "Hm, you're close but I'm actually a young man, or at least tomorrow I will be!" He starts pulling his dad towards the fireplace, his nerves slowly getting the better of him. Draxum pretends to think for a quick moment before saying dryly, "Ah, of course, your birthday. How could I possibly forget?" Mikey starts climbing onto the fireplace counter, holding onto the curtains with a bright smile, "And ya know since I'm turning fifteen this year, I really want this for my birthday,". He draws the curtain back to reveal his dream: a flat green hill with a few abstract trees in front of it. A mini Mikey sits atop one of the trees, looking up towards the night sky. The night sky is painted in an ombré blue and littered with glowing lights. “Can you take me to see the floating lights?” An uncomfortable silence settles over the room, an unreadable expression on his father's face. Mikey thinks he's crossed the line but then his father calmly says, "Mikey, you know why we must stay in the tower." Mikey lets out a resigned sigh as he grumbles "Because there are people that want to use me as a weapon".

“And I’m the only one who can help you hone your powers for the greater good”. He lets out a groan as he throws his hands in the air, "But these appear on my birthday every year. And I can't help but feel that...they're for me. I just have to see them in person. I need to know what they are"

"But Mikey, you're not ready. Some way or another, something is bound to go wrong. I mean, are you sure you're ready to face ruffians, thugs, poison ivy, quicksand, cannibals..." The confidence he once had vanished. He's grown up reading or hearing cautionary tales from his father, but he's always tried to keep an open mind. That's easier said than done though.

He swiftly retracts into shell, causing his father to stop in the middle of his rant. Draxum pulls himself onto the ledge of the fireplace. He lets out a deep sigh as he pulls the shell closer to his side. “I’m just doing this for your own good”. Mikey slowly comes out of his shell, but pulls away from his dad's touch. He appreciates the concern and all but sometimes it’s overbearing. I mean, really, he can’t spend his whole life in this tower! 

“This new painting of yours is beautiful”. Mikey is pulled out of his thoughts as he hears his father, looking towards his painting. He looks up towards the skylight, “Not as beautiful as those floating lights though.” 

The older Mikey gets, the harder it was for Draxum to get him under control. He looks towards Mikey, his disappointment radiating right off him. He always was one to wear his heart on his sleeve. Despite knowing that this doesn't benefit his cause, he can’t handle seeing Mikey like this. He jumps off the ledge, quickly making his way towards his cloak. Before Mikey can ask where his dad is going, he proudly exclaims. "I know something that will make you forget all about all those puny laun....lights! Don't let any trouble in while I'm gone!" With a swift flick of his wrist, Draxum conjures a thick, emerald vine cascading from the window. He expertly descends outside, the vine twisting and curling around him. Mikey leans closer to the window, watching his father deftly uncoil the vines at the cave's entrance. With a firm tug, Draxum closes them behind him, sealing off the cavern from prying eyes. 

Mikey eyes narrow towards the mystic vines, resentment blooming in his chest before crushing it. He keeps telling himself this for his safety, but he can't help but wonder when his life will begin. It wouldn’t be so bad up here if he had someone, maybe like brothers or something.

———

The twins are trying to catch their breath after running for an eternity. As Leo leans against a tree, he notices a pair of wanted posters. His eyes widen in horror as he rips off one of the posters, his muttering slowly becoming more distressed. "No, no no. This is bad, this is very, very bad, This is really bad!" Donnie quickly looks up towards Leo, alarm overtaking all his senses. He roughly grabs Leo by the shoulders, staring him down intently. "What's really bad Leo?" "They just can't get my stupendous stripes just right! It completely ruins my face!" Leo shoves the poster right in Donnie's face. Donnie just looks at him deadpanned for a few seconds before asking dryly, "Who cares?". Leo lets out a huff of indigence as he grabs Donnie's poster, pointing towards his eyebrows. "Well, it's easy for you to say. They got your only good attribute right!" Donnie couldn't disagree with that, those artists did do him justice. It takes him a moment but Donnie gives Leo a half-assed glare as he catches the backhanded compliment, "Really Leo?". Leo just gives him a smug smirk as he shrugs.

As soon as they find a moment of peace, it's quickly disrupted. A small, orange hummingbird gets in between the two of them, glaring daggers at them. Leo and Donnie look at each other horrified, realizing that the hidden samurais are hot on their trail.

“Hey Piebald, what’s up besides you?” Leo tries giving her a charming smile but it just irritates her, poking Leo’s eye. Leo rushes to muffle his cry, not wanting to give out their location. Donnie gets in front of Leo with his hands up in surrender, “Let’s be civil about this Piebald! You don’t snitch on us and we uh…”. Donnie struggles to come up with a type of offer before Leo blurts out, “Snitches get stitches and end up in ditches”. Sometimes, scratch that, Donnie wishes all the time that Leo knew when to shut his big mouth up.

With that threat in mind, Piebald flies away and over the small cliff. Leo smiles cockily towards a flabbergasted Donnie, shoving the wanted posters in the satchel. “And this is why I’m the face man”

“Piebald attacked you Nardo” Leo waves his hand dismissively “Who hasn’t?”. Donnie lets out an annoyed sigh as he looks towards Leo unamused. He's about to make some snarky remark but approaching hoofs stops him in his tracks. Stopping at the edge of the cliff, the Shogun stares him down with Piebald perched on his shoulder. With a swift flick of his head, Raph guides his men down the cliff.

The two start running for their freedom, taking all different types of turns to throw the guards off their shell. It doesn’t really help though when you have the shogun’s hummingbird following you from above.

Raph really did jinx himself earlier but he refuses to let that crown out of his grasp. “Do not let that satchel out of your sight!”

A flurry of arrows sliced through the air, their deadly tips aimed at the thieves escaping just ahead. Donnie felt the searing pain shoot through his shoulder as an arrow grazed him, forcing a grunt from his lips. Leo’s heart raced, and he glanced at Raph, who winced at the sight of blood seeping into Donnie's sleeve. Panic surged within Leo as his mind whirled with frantic escape plans, each one darker and more dangerous than the last. But he didn't want to commit mass murder, who did? With time running out and danger closing in, Leo had an idea, a risky one, but the best plan so far. Once he hears another batch of arrows, he unsheathes both of his daggers to create a big portal. All the bows fly right in the vertex, time for the questionable part. Leo stops right in his tracks with his hands up. "Let's negotiate!". Raph yanks his horse's rein, not wanting to trample Primetime so brutally. Donnie didn't even realize what his brother was doing until he heard the horses halting to a stop. He looks horrified as he sees Leo right in front of them, almost tripping himself over. What does this idiot think he's doing?

Leo takes a deep breath, time to put on a show. Leo raises the satchel, which Piebald tries taking away. “We both want the crown but we have to ask ourselves,” Piebald aggressively pecks at his hand, a yelp interrupting him. He shoos the pesky bird away, narrowing his eyes at her as she lands on Raph’s shoulder. “As I was saying before your spawn of hell attacked me, what are we willing to risk here for it?”. Primetime's suggestion for a negotiation actually sounded promising. This was his chance to discover Big Mama's whereabouts and finally capture her. After all, the twins were her right-hand men, so they were bound to know something. Raph reaches for his sais, his expression skeptical. "Get on with it Primetime".

Clicking his tongue in irritation, Leo signs. No one ever lets him have fun. "Since you insist I cut to the chase," he says with feigned annoyance, "you let us go with the crown and I won't send your arrows back to you"

Please let his bluffing work he prays silently.

"And if that's not convincing enough," Leo continues, his grin widening, "Purple Knight over here has been itching to try out his more lethal inventions like the...Grim Reaper"

Donnie interjects immediately, offended as ever, "Do you mean the Gardyloo Grenade?" Leo lets out a small huff, "My beloved brother, I love you but that name is atrocious" Donnie rolls his eyes as he fires back, "Not as atrocious as your outfit". Leo whips his head faster than lightning, his mouth agape.

Without a word, Raph dismounts his horse. His men watch in confusion, exchanging uncertain glances. Raph speaks with quiet authority, his tone steady. “Retreat. I don’t want any of you getting caught in the crossfire if this negotiation goes south.”

Reluctantly, his men nod and ride away on their horses. Raph tries giving Piebald a stern look to fly away, but she gives him a defiant chirp. She may be small but has the courage of a lion. Raph clears his throat obnoxiously loud, grabbing the attention of the brothers. "Raph is willing to negotiate," Leo nudges a very annoyed Donnie with a stupid grin on his face "but we do this fairly". Leo's cocky expression falls at this new revelation, "Eugh boy-"

"Seems easy enough," Donnie side-eyes Leo as he sneers, "for most people". Leo crosses his arms, "Don't act as if you're any more honest than me". "Maybe not but as a man of science, I am more inclined to try new things". Leo quirks an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Does that include welcoming mystic powers with open arms?". Donnie lets out a huff of amusement before saying dryly, "Don't joke like that". "So, let's get one thing straight, I can't let you leave with the crown," Leo puts his arms up in surrender and tries walking away but Donnie yanks him by the collar. "but I can find some way to lighten your sentence".

Donnie looks hesitant at the offer but Leo doesn’t seem swayed in any way. Leo shakes his head, a tense smile on his face. “Thanks but that won’t be necessary. We can't stay here for much longer”.

So that’s their motivation, to flee the kingdom. That raises the question though, what are they trying to escape from? 

“If you don’t mind Raph prying, what are the two of you trying to escape from?” Leo mutters as he looks to the side, “More like who”.

Raph gestures for him to continue, but leo refuses to answer. Donnie is more than willing to answer however. "We're trying to get away from...Big Mama." Leo glares at Donnie, shocked that he revealed that to the man trying to arrest them. Raph furrows his eyebrows at the revelation. "But you're her right hand—" Donnie cuts him off abruptly. "We were her right-hand men. We've..." Donnie struggles to find the right words, but his brother covers it: "fallen out of her grace recently. " Alright, he thought to himself, he can work with this. But should he really be teaming up with Primetime and Purple Knight, though? For years, they've been a thorn in his side, always playing their games, only thinking of themselves. They're everything he stands against. But now? Now, they might be his only way to get to her. To stop her. For the kingdom’s safety. For its survival. For his brothers.

He’d play along for now. He just had to make sure he stayed one step ahead of their tricks. All of a sudden, Piebald tweets in alarm. She tries grabbing Raph's attention but he's ignoring her for the time-being.

"That crown will only help you escape, not solve your issues. You're only making yourself an enemy of the kingdom now. If you help me arrest her though, you’ll be killing two birds with one stone". Piebald lets out an offended chirp at his words

Leo laughs, but it's hollow and tinged with exhaustion. Does the shogun think he beat him at his own game? "How do we know you won't just take what you need and hang us out to dry? You could be just like her for all we know" He points an accusing finger, his eyes turning into slits.

Raph expected this kind of pushback from Primetme but damm, if it made things a lot harder. Leo and Raph go back and forth, struggling to find some common ground. Piebald continues to chirp helplessly, trying to point towards something in the shadow. Admist the chaos, Donnie takes a moment to reevaluate their original plan. The more he mulls over it, the more flaws he unfortunately sees. “I hate to be the voice of reason here, but this might be our best option”.

The arguing stops between the two, looking towards him with surprise. Raph didn’t expect Purple Knight to vouch for him while Leo can’t believe his own brother is going against him.“Give us a moment to discuss this please”. Leo wraps an arm around Donnie’s neck, pulling their backs away from Raph as they whisper to each other.

Donnie lets out a deep sigh, “I know you’re the man with the plan—”

“Then why are you doubting me?” He asked incredulously. Leo frowns towards Donnie, a subtle hint of hurt in his expression. "I'm not doubting you but I'm doubting the plan. It's-". Leo cuts him, patting his chest repeatedly "Then trust me when I say that the plan will work!” “And that’s what I’m so concerned about!” Now that grabbed Leo’s attention, furrowing his eyebrows. Donnie rubs his forehead, a tired sigh leaving his lips, “This crown won’t solve anything. We’ve barely managed to escape Big Mama, so what makes you think we can evade an entire kingdom?”

Leo flinches at the truth of his words, he didn’t want to believe it. Running away was meant to make things easier not harder. Leo only wanted to protect Donnie. What if Donnie was making a mistake placing his trust in the Shogun. They look back towards Raph, the sunlight scattering all over him. Donnie desperately hoped he wasn't making a mistake.

Raph slowly steps towards them, trying to seem friendly. “I know you have no reason trust me,” Raph offers a hand towards them, “But this is your opportunity to do something right for once”.

Leo lets out an amused huff, they were thieves for crying out loud. That was such a bad line, though, he wouldn't be against the approval that would come with it. While Donnie wasn't really brought by that cheesy line, but he was somewhat certain that this was right for them. Donnie looked towards Leo, who shook his head in refusal. The hypocrisy of Leo asking Donnie to trust him when he couldn't even trust him in this situation frustrated Dee.

Suddenly, Piebald lets out this ear-splitting screech, catching them all off-guard. Raph was unsure what had her so worked up until she pointed her wings toward the trees, revealing a pair of eyes watching them. The figure raised something shiny—a blade. Without warning, Raph tackled the brothers to the ground just as a switchblade flew overhead, embedding itself in a tree. Uh oh, the Mud Dogs found them.

They spring to their feet, adrenaline coursing through their veins as they grasp for their weapons. In a seamless movement, the trio arrange themselves into a tight, defensive circle, scanning for any danger. A dismembered voice speaks from the trees, their voice condescending. “Just give us the satchel and we won’t hurt you…much”.

A green hand wearing fingerless gloves reaches for the comb, the figure stepping out from the shadows, Loathsome Leonard. He rushes towards Leo’s throat with frightening speed, catching him off-guard. Leo counters the attack with both of his daggers, pushing the guy right off him. Before the orge can strike again, Raph intervenes right in time. He uppercuts him right in the stomach and then right-crossing him in the face, sending him right to the floor.

He falls to his knees, his breathing ragged. Blood trickles down his face, touching his face gingerly before fainting. Raph looks down at his bloody fist, visibly cringing at the sight. He crouches down to handcuff him, a confused look on his face. “I swear I just arrested Loathsome Leonard and his gang a few days ago”.

Donnie lets out a small, nervous laugh as he asks, “Wait a minute, where's the rest of the gang?”.

With a sudden burst of movement, Malicious Mickey springs from the trees, his slimy tail wrapping around Donnie. Just as the eel prepares to unleash a surge of electricity, Donnie swiftly retracts his bo-staff, sending Mickey crashing to the ground. Gagging in disgust, Donnie frantically tries to wipe the muck off his skin, but Mickey comes right back for him. They wrestle around on the ground, struggling to get the upper hand. “OH, WHY DID I HAVE TO GET STUCK WITH THAT DISGUSTING THING?!”

Leo couldn't help but burst into laughter at his brother's dramatic outburst, the sound bubbling up from deep within him. But his amusement faded as he felt a tug on the satchel. “You need to learn a thing or two from me, you’re still a horrible thief Danny”.

He swiftly does a spin kick on Dastardly Danny, causing him to fall. Just as he‘s about to roundhouse kick him in the face, Danny catches his leg mid-air, plunging his claws into his leg with a sadistic smile. Leo lets out a hiss of pain as he tries to pull back. Danny with great pleasure flings him into a tree, nearly knocking the air out of his lungs.

Raph rushes to help them out but hears rapid footsteps approaching him. Heinous Green savagely uppercuts him in the jaw, the taste of blood flooding his senses. Heinous Green straddles over Raph, beating him senselessly. He falls straight on his back, struggling to fight back. Piebald tries pecking at Henious’ face but he flicks her away, her small cry being heard.

Something snaps in Raph at the unsacred sound.

As Heinous goes for another lethal blow, Raph’s mystic-red fist blocks it. Using all the strength he can muster, he delivers a devastating hit on Henious Green's face, making him stumble backward. Raph rises to his feet, his breathing heavy and labored. Henious Green goes straight for Raph, bracing himself for a rough fight. Unexpectedly, Donnie's bo-staff wraps up Henious's legs in bolas. Raph's grateful for the save, but little did he know that it was a complete accident. Mickey is trying to wrest Donnie's staff out of his hands, pressing all types of buttons. Donnie is struggling to pull his staff back when he notices that Mickey is having difficulty standing his ground due to his mucus, an idea popping into his head. With a calculated thrust, he lets go of his staff, sending Mikey sliding into a tree. Donnie walks over to knock down Mickey, he grabs his staff with a smirk, "Physics, my slimy friend, was not on your side". Meanwhile, Leo is having a harder time subduing his opponent. Leo smirks through the pain, twirling his daggers with a flair that conceals his vulnerability. Danny lunges, claws outstretched, but Leo ducks under his swipe, delivering a sharp elbow to Danny's ribs. Danny counters with a hard blow to his shell, knocking him down to the ground. Leo, seeing an opportunity at this level, slashes at Danny's leg, payback for earlier. "Yikes, Danny, imagine having the upperhand and still losing!". Leo taunts, his voice dripping with mockery. Danny glares at Leo, nursing his leg. "At least I wasn't dumb enough to go behind Big Mama's back”. Leo bristles at his insult, rubbing salt in the freshly open wound. Before Leo can do something he will regret, Raph's shoulder shoves Danny into a pile of bushes. Leo can't stand on his leg for much longer, stumbling onto one knee.

Raph tries offering a helping hand to Primetime but he swats it away, his disdain and distrust of him clear as day. "I don't need your help". Despite the pain in his leg, he tries pushing himself up. After a few futile attempts, Raph effortlessly throws him over his shoulder. Leo tries squirming his way out of it but Raph is having none of it. “Before you say anything, I don’t care”. Leo crosses his arms as he realizes he's not going anywhere, grumbling a half-assed thank you.

Donnie rushes over to the two of them, checking over Leo's injuries. "No, no, no, no! I can fix this!"Before he can attend to any of the wounds, Leo points out in a panic, "Hey guys, we gotta go!". The Mud Dogs group back together, a dangerous aura about them. The two sides stare at each other, a deafening silence falling over them. Leo eventually breaks the silence with a nervous grin, "What if we give the shogun in exchange for our lives?" Raph looks absoulutely offend at the offer of his life, while Donnie seems to contemplate it for a short second before coming to his senses, "They only thing they want is the satchel, not the shogun".

Leo sighs in disappointment, nodding slowly. "If that's the case, try not to quiver!" Like lightning, Leo opens the portal with all the arrows in it. The Mud Dogs scatter to avoid the barrage, letting the trio make a run for it. Raph and Donnie exchanged looks of utter cringe at the words that unfortunately came out of Leo. "Just for that one-liner, Raph should have left your sorry ass behind". Donnie nods in agreement, fist-bumping Raph, "I second that motion". Leo blows a raspberry, a small smirk on his face. "I'm sorry, I can't hear your hate over my...IS THAT A CLIFF?!"

A chill of dread washes over the group as they realize the dead end looming ahead, too close for comfort. Donnie's eyes widen in terror as he loses his footing, his scream slicing through the air like a knife. In a heart-stopping moment, Raph lunges forward, his hand grabbing Donnie just inches from the cliff's edge. The world seems to hold its breath as Raph hauls him back, heart pounding, the gravity of the near-miss hanging heavy in the air. Footsteps thundered closer, echoing through the dimly lit forest. Panic surged as they avoided glancing back, desperately searching for an escape. Suddenly, Raph looks over the cliff's edge ahead and a daring idea sparked in his mind. He scooped up Donnie with one arm and pulled Leo close with the other. "What are you doing? I hate togethness!".

Raph, despite the overwhelming odds stacked against them, takes a daring leap of faith. As they plunge through the air, the cacophony of their screams intertwines with the rush of the wind, creating a wild symphony of fear. "With my dying breath, I knew we shouldn't have trusted you!"

They cling to each other tightly, their hearts racing. Raph channels his energy and forms a glowing exoskeleton around himself, a protective barrier against the dizzying plunge. He turns his back to the ground, ready to face the brunt of the fall.

[dlysthings]

Little crush pt.2

Here you can find pt.1

This is something i don't hink is that good, but i want tolearn how to write so hopefully its not that bad.

PLEASE LEAVE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISM!

That evening Daryl couldn’t fall asleep. Shuffling around in his bed, tossing and turning. He was still thinking of the feeling of your hand on his. Your touch so gentle on his hand. Daryl was hopping you will touch him like that again, someday. Though that was only a dream. You didn’t mean too. Probably not even remembering. For you that was something normal. Nothing special. He wasn’t special.

He needed to understand that. Shouldn’t get his hopes up for nothing. And hopes for what? He was sure you will never look at him again. The smile and the squeeze of his hand was just out of gratuity. No other reason.

But he couldn’t help it, he longed to feel your touch again. The warmth of your skin against his. To affectionately brush your hand through his hair, moving a loose strand of his hair. And God, if you kissed him? He would be a goner. Your soft lips slotting against his and pouring pure affection.

But him? He didn’t know how to properly kiss. He would probably do something wrong and repel you. And the touches? How was he supposed to return them? No doubt his hand is gonna shake, his body buzzing with nerves.

Why is he even thinking about that? There was no way chance of this becoming a reality. Thinking about it was gonna make him feel even more miserable than he already was. No chance she will ever think of ya like that, ya idiot…

Eventually after many hours of tossing and turning, restless sleep found him. His dreams full of a lovely girl with a breath-taking smile and gorgeous eyes.

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The next day Daryl was sitting in class, bored as usual. The teacher obviously didn’t know how to deal with the teenagers sitting in front of him. Just standing in front of the class, talking just loud enough for the person in front of him to hear. That’s why Daryl didn’t like school. Total loss of time. It’s not like he was learning anything.

However, that was the only place he could see you almost every day. And he needed that. You were the light that was keeping him in line. He didn’t want to get into trouble, just for you to know that whatever bad things you were thinking about him were true.

Today you were sitting next to him again, in a cute, light pink dress. A matching color bow was in your hair, making you look beautiful. Daryl looked at you again, but found you already looking at him. A small smile grazing your face. He looked away, crimson painting his cheeks. Why were you looking at him? Was he looking that bad?

He looked at himself. A white thank top, thin jeans from washing them so many times he couldn’t count, beat up shoes that were about ready to just fall apart and leave him barefoot. He looked like a joke next to you. You belonged with some well put guy, living in a nice neighborhood. Not some trailer park white trash like ya, dumbass.

Risking another glance at you, he saw your gaze on him again. With your warm smile and adoring eyes. That look made him feel warm from the inside out. Like someone lit a fire inside his core, the warmth going to every part of his body. He liked that. He wanted you to keep looking at him and at the same time to stop. He didn’t want you to know how much he was enjoying it and the traitorous color of hi cheeks was doing exactly that.

````````````

That evening Daryl was trying to write an essay for one of his classes. He didn’t like going to school, but wanted to graduate. That was the only way he could find a good job later in life.

Alas his head was empty. He didn’t know what to write, just mindlessly doodling something in his notebook. But it wasn’t mindless, he knew what he was writing. Silly combinations of your names together. He has heard of the girls in his school making combinations of a couple’s names together. It sounded silly, even childish, but for him it felt like something intimate.

It was useless. It’s not like you were together, but it filled a hole in his chest he didn’t know needed filling until he did. Every single one of his notebooks was filled with these. Every combination of your names together he could think of, written in his handwriting.

 He wondered how will they look like if written with your handwriting? Neat and cute? Or you also had a messy handwriting? Will he feel the same way he felt like when he heard his name come out of your mouth for the first time? So sweet. Till then he didn’t know his name could sound like that.

I hope she says it more. That was the last thing he thought before falling asleep with his notebook open on his chest, the combinations of your names on display.

AN: If you have an idea on how this can continue please coment it!

Taglist: @marvelcasey05

[naughtynoodle056]

oh wtf did they mean by that like .. your characters are obviously Black - you could post just the lineart and it'd be obvious??

okay first of all I LAUGHED when I read this ask because I literally feel the exact same way, but allow me to take you and the rest of my followers on this journey that has made me decide I'm a villain now. Buckle up, this post will be lengthy xD.

Person (not artist) confused my OC Shay (the girl right next to Leo) for my OC Xander (the boy on the far left). I got really frustrated because I chose Shay to sit next to Leo in this piece SPECIFICALLY to drive home the contrast in weight and that even though Shay is in a baggyish hoodie, you can still tell she's slim compared to Leo.

I asked if I was just going crazy or if these people mixing them up werre either 1) visually impaired somehow or looked at this for 0.2 seconds because these are obviously not the same person?? an IRL said that Xander and Shay looked too similarly because of their hair and body type and SKIN TONE and I was like. First of all, 2000s emo kids often had similar hair, that's kind of the fucking point here. Second of all, Shay is obviously shorter and skinny and Xander is CLEARLY on the chubbier sie, so what the fuck are you yapping about? and FInally. SKIN COLOR??? SKIN COLOR??????

Here is this same exact piece but with the lighting effects turned off. Just loud and wrong as fuck

So aforementioned artist offers their constructive criticism that was this

and like no offense but the longer I thought about it the more pissed off I got because first of all,

I LITERALLY DO????? and second of all and the reason I'm evil now is that they don't. RECENTLY they actually drew a black person, but it was still a frustratingly ambiguously black person.

Like what does this even mean bro my art style is like ALL SHAPES?? Like I'm really glad you said what you said in this ask because you're so right, you CAN tell my characters are black or otherwise POC just by the lineart. You cannot do that with the artist that gave that criticism. and then they doubled down when people called them out on how wack of a criticism it was and that they were wrong. I won't be naming them by name publicly because like I said before, I will look like the smaller bitter artist that can't take criticism from this BIG POPULAR WELL MEANING artist, but it felt like they were throwing stones from a glass house at a BRICK ONE.

I was also told my art "has a lot of potential" which is the polite way of saying "your art is mid", generally speaking lmaO.

At the end of the day, it felt like they were making huge sweeping judgements of my art and offering criticsm that was like?? unwarranted and felt more like them outting themselves as never giving my art more than just a passing glance because I dont draw 800+lb fatties constantly. Which is fine, you don't have to look at my art. But don't fucking give me criticism that not only doesn't apply to me, but you don't even follow yourself. Its kind of like if an abled bodied artist who NEVER draws anyone with visible disabilities told a visibly disabled artist that DOES draw a myriad of disabled folks in a loving way that they aren't doing enough and then doubling down with "All criticism is fair critism".

I don't think I'm the best artist in the world or in this kink community, but I know one thing for sure. I'm one of the most consistent at drawing black people in a way that's obvious and with lots of love, so don't you EVER fucking imply I don't do enough while your black people just look like color pallete swaps. Don't come for me on that regard if you have never drawn afro textured hair. And no, I WON'T just roll over and accept that "most feedists favor white or pale eastern asain people". I'd rather die a niche artist who actually gives a shit about representation than to just grovel to people that would not respect me because of my race.