#fic: i may be invisible but i still look good

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

What do you think/feel about Marinette's parents? I have read fics where they are good people but neflectul parents due to priorizing the bakery, but there also is a bit of salt making them outright bad parents (though not at Gabriel, Audrey nor André's levels) thinking the worst from Marinette.

I think this comes from how Tom, Sabine or both reacts in some chapters: Rogercop has Tom doing nothing at all; Ladybug has both of them not exactly supporting their daugther (until the end). Plus, all the situation regarding Chloe's bullying and their apparent lack of intervention.

In a recent post, I said that I could take almost any character and

pull up an episode that establishes A only to follow it with a later episode that completely ignores A without any real logic to back the change.

Tom and Sabine are not safe from this rule. They may be minor characters, but canon is still happy to yank them around based on what the episode needs. To show you what I mean, let's look Qilin and see how Sabine is written. The episode starts with Sabine doing a bunch of random things like putting a laundry basket at the bottom of the stairs and setting out a sponge.

As the scene progresses, we learn that these actions were all done because she knew her daughter so well that she could predict what Marinette would do when she woke up. For example, Sabine placed the laundry basket on the bottom of the stairs so that Marinette's fall would be cushioned because she knew Marinette was going to trip down the stairs.

This paints Sabine as a good mom who knows her daughter incredibly well. And yet, in Adoration, that characterization goes out the window. Chloé accuses Marinette of stealing a bunch of random items to help make a dress:

Chloé: An akumatized villain? (laughs) And where is this "invisible" akumatized thief? Besides, why would this hypothetical villain use YOUR bag to stash things that, (takes Marinette's sketchbook and starts browsing it) wouldn't you know, look conveniently just like the elements you need for... your dress?? (shoves Marinette's sketch to her face) Which looks utterly ridiculous, by the way. Marinette: What are you talking about? Chloé: Here's proof: these doilies have the initials "TS" on them. You think they stand for Thick Simpleton? No! They stand for Tom and Sabine! Because they come from the Dupain-Cheng bakery, don't they?! (Tom and Sabine nod) See? Her own parents are accusing her, (Marinette facepalms at the back) and they're right! Oh! Look what else I just found! (pulls out Anarka's flag)

And Tom and Sabine's reaction is to believe these accusations.

Denis Damoclès: Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I'm so disappointed in you. Even though we're only a few days away from the end of the school year, all this evidence leaves me no choice but to expel you from school. (Sabine sobs, burying her head in Tom's chest.) Tom: Marinette... what's happened to you?

This makes no sense. If Sabine is as smart and tuned in to her daughter as Qilin implied, then she should have immediately called Chloé out on her obvious lies. Not only should Sabine immediately be suspicious of the situation because she knows that Chloé has bullied Marinette in the past, but Sabine should know that the items Marinette "stole" are not suited to making a dress! What the heck would Marinette do with doilies? Why would she even need to steal them and cart them around town? She lives above the bakery! She could just sneak down and taken them and that's not even getting into the issue that her parents would probably have just given her these items.

Another great example is Sabine's connection to China. This isn't one I can talk to too deeply, but even my surface-level understanding of the topic can see that something is off. Most of the show gives the impression that Sabine has not maintained strong ties to her heritage to the point that one could reasonably assume she was raised in Europe. Then we got the Shanghai special and learned that Sabine is a first generation immigrant who was raised in China for a good chunk of her life. We also got Qilin which randomly paints her as very tied to her culture so how the heck is Marinette so divorced from it? This applies to even the most basic stuff like how has Marinette never met her great uncle before if he's basically desperate to be close to Marinette and Sabine has a good relationship with him? And Sabine has a sister in London??? That means Marinette has relatively close Chinese family once again begging why Marinette knows nothing about her maternal family. None of this makes sense! How did Marinette end up feeling so purely French? (Also, why are Marinette's uncle and Master Fu both named Wang? That just feels lazy.)

The lack of thought in Adrien's backstory is glaring, but Marinette's really isn't any better. You can tell that she sprang to life at 13 and the writers didn't think further than that even though you really need to when you're doing more complex family dynamics. Sabine needed just as much development as Emilie and Gabriel if the writers wanted Marinette to feel like a real person.

All of these issues make this yet another case where there's not a definitive right way to write these characters. I think that Tom and Sabine are supposed to be good parents and I'll give you my logic for why I think that's the "truest" way to write them, but as always, I'm not going to say that the salt has no backing in the text. Miraculous is a god damn salt mine.

When figuring out what canon is trying (and often failing) to do with Tom and Sabine, I don't look to them. I look to Marinette. She's shown to be generally comfortable with her parents and has no issues asking for the things she wants as we see in Qilin:

Marinette: (spots the magazine on the table) Oh, Mom! My shoes are getting too small. Do you think you could buy me a new pair? Sabine: What a good idea, honey! Why don't you meet me right after my painting class? Marinette: Oh! Let's get some dimsum for lunch before we go to the store! Sabine: Of course!

And Animaestro:

Marinette: (gasps) Me, me, me! I can totally help you out with that. (drops plates in excitement) Tom: (catches plates) You mean, as a server? Marinette: Yes. I'll hand the macarons out to Adrien. I mean... (drops plates and knocks over fruit bowl before managing to balance the bowl on top of the plates with a banana and two oranges.) ...to everybody, of course. Not just Adrien 'cause Adrien's not the only one who likes macarons. Sabine: (teasingly) And the fact that Adrien is going to be there has nothing with it, of course. Marinette: Not a thing. Like, not in the slightest. I just want to help out my wonderful sweet parents who I love so much.(drops the balanced bowl and the fruit) (Tom and Sabine look at each other warily) Marinette: (dejectedly) You guys don't trust me. Then again, I'm such a klutz. Even I wouldn't trust me. (picks up oranges) Tom: Of course you're not a klutz, my darling. You're hired. We'll just— Marinette: (hugs Tom) Oh, thank you! You're the best parents in the world! (dances out of the room while singing, and crashes into something) Sabine: We'll just make twice the number of macarons. Just in case.

And the Shanghai special:

Sabine: Marinette, are you saying that... you want to go to Shanghai?! Tom: (excitedly runs up the stairs and back with a cardboard box at full speed) Your mother and I have been waiting for this moment for so long! Sabine: We always thought that one day you'd want to see your ancestors' country to connect with your Chinese family! (Gently holds Marinette's hand.) Tom: (opening the box) We've been putting money aside since the day you were born - enough for a family trip! We were just waiting for you to ask. Sabine: (wiping a year) For you to be ready!.. Still, this is a bit sudden! Tom: We can't close the bakery now. (They look at each other.) Sabine: If you want to give uncle Wang his gift in person... Tom: ... you'll have to go alone. (He closes the box.) Marinette: (gasps and squeals, then hugs her parents) You're the best parents in the whole world!

So long as Marinette's parents aren't involved in a plot that requires them to be bad parents for said plot to work, they're pretty consistently portrayed as loving and generous people who support their daughter in her various endeavors. I have never once considered writing them any other way because, while there is a salt fuel in the text, it's limited to a few bad episodes. To make them bad parents you have to ignore more than you embrace.

There's also the fact that there's no reason to make them bad parents in most situations as the story is already brimming with bad parents. Gabriel, Emilie, Andre, and Aubry give you a lot of options to work with. You even get bonus options in Jagged, Colt, and Amelie depending on how much you want to embrace questionable choices re character backgrounds and such. I don't really see any reason to make both Marinette and Adrien have bad home lives unless you're doing something wildly different from canon.

[dandylovesturtles]

So @untitled-tmnt-blog surprised me with maybe the coolest birthday present I’ve ever gotten:

A hand bound book of my fic!! Full of fanart!

The book is BEAUTIFUL. Untitled did an AMAZING job!! And everyone’s art looks so nice!!

I’m truly touched by this gift. This is one of the nicest and coolest things I’ve ever received, and I will cherish it forever!!

I’ve tagged everyone whose art is in the book under a read more as another thanks!! If anyone would like to see their individual pages, lemme know (I just couldn’t fit pics of all of them in one post |’D). It came out wonderfully!!! Everyone’s art looks so good!

Thank you again, Untitled!! I will cherish this ;A;

Thank you to:

@v-albion

@manga-toons

@azucar-skull

@skcirthinq

@gejnialne-arty

@boxfullaturtles

@javatello

@intotheelliwoods

@wraenata

@rbtlvr

@e-turn

@minkschasijasi

@teainthesnow

@dragon-ducky

@princesskkfish

@ivoryrisuet

@spectra-bear

@reineydraws12

@luxtoony

@disastertwins9000

@lallelol

@thatkoiboi

@sad-leon

@its-the-chicken-nugg

@its-wabby-stuff

@cupcakeslushie

@elishortforelliott

@kirasigncomics

@burdytheoneandonly

@icequeenabby

@burritello3000

@blubun0309

[e-turn]

I’m not putting him down.

I was devastated the moment I read it... Donnie's probably planning his vegneance... On someone who doesn't have a tangible body... but well what does it matter for a genuis like himself, right!?

@dandylovesturtles you shattered my heart. again. thank you so much for this amazing fanfic again!

перевод этой главы!

[lovelyfred]

Let’s gooooo, made another comic!!!

This is based of a fanfic called “I May Be Invisible, But I Still Look Good” by Dandy (@dandylovesturtles), and it was a lot of fun to make ^^

If anyone is confused let me clarify two something’s; Leo’s a “ghost” and Mikey is the only one who can see him so Micheal is copying Leo’s sign so Donnie can translate. Oh and might be good to mention that the boy’s are trying go get Leo’s soul back to his body.

If you are interested I would highly recommend reading the fic, if you haven’t already. I will link the story and to the chapter I took the scene and dialogue from.

If it’s hard to read, here is the dialogue:

Mikey: I can text Barry, he might have heard of them or someone like them.

Raph: Good idea, Mikey. Maybe we can go to Run of the Mill, too? See if there have been any rumors.

Donnie: Draxum… Run of the Mill…. Do we have any other contacts in the Hidden City? Once who don’t want to kill us, anyway.

Leo: Rock, paper, scissors!

Mikey: Pfft

Mikey: Our social circle is mostly full of people who hate us.

Donnie: Okay, well, Mystic Library first. I’ll drive

Leo: Whoa, hey, hey! Slow down!

Mikey: Leo wants to say something.

Leo: The first thing you guys should do is get some sleep and eat some actual food. And not just snacks! I’ve seen how all of you have been treating yourselves!

Yellow bubble: Mikey is copying Leo’s signs

Mikey: What’s he saying, Donnie?

Donnie: He’s being ridiculous.

Mikey: Donnie!

Donnie: Sigh, fine! He’s saying we should all take some time to sleep and eat. And he’s being rude about it.

Leo: Rude!? I’ll show you rude, Bitch

Mikey: Uh, Leo, I don’t think I can repeat that one with Raph here.

[reineydraws12]

Re-read the last few chapters of IMBI by Dandy when the new chapter dropped and I NEEDED to draw this moment in chapter 10.

Unhinged Donnie is best Donnie

Heres the fic!

[gejnialne-arty]

It's hard being a ghost. It's hard and no one understands.

(I May Be Invisible, But I Still Look Good by @dandylovesturtles really has no mercy for Leo, he can't even chill on his own bed after having his soul ripped out of his body, this is the worst thing that happened to him, ever 😔)

[thatkoiboi]

a quick sleepy sketch of the back scritches scene from @dandylovesturtles "I May Be Invisible, But I Still Look Good" cause this part was so soft AND WELL DESERVED!!!!!!!

[luxtoony]

YOU.

@dandylovesturtles YOU. (grabs you by the shoulders and shakes like a maniac) How do you dare make me feel so much?!(should I tag this as spoilers?)

I've read "I may be invisible but I still look good" in one sitting, taking breaks to scream into oblivion about my pain, about how casual and natural the dialogue is, how pacing goes smoothly between the softer and harsher events, and so so so much more.

And so here I am bc I had to make something

This moment was so rough, I keep thinking about it all the time.

It may not be THE favourite moment exactly (that one will be made later) but it is from the disaster twins arc, which I adored and cried through the most (as well as the first two/three chapters) bc I am very very weak (and all the other arcs were made equally as great) . I love the story, the villains,the jokes, the character development and characterization and so so so much! I was so happy with many solutions and ideas because they matched my line of thought and didn't leave any annoying holes in the logic ✧⁠\⁠(⁠>⁠o⁠<⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠✧

So. Can't wait for the next part and in the meantime I humbly ofer this lil comic-y fanart

I will be back and I will ramble more, I'm sorry

[unallamaa]

The best ROTTMNT fic I've ever had the pleasure of reading.

HOLY SHITE, maybe I'm sleep deprived but this is honestly, in my humble opinion, the BEST piece of fiction I have ever read in my life. It may be the best piece of text in the entire world, and again this may be the sleep deprivation talking, but I don't think anything could ever live up to this. If you are at all interested in ROTTMNT whatsoever I implore you to read this right now. DO NOT DELAY. This absolutely fantastic work was written by the one and only @dandylovesturtles

[dandywonderous]

Little... crossover thing between I May Be Invisible But I Still Look Good and little kid with a big death wish by @remedyturtles because uhhhhh yeah

massive spoilers for both IMBI and death wish (especially the most recent chapter (29)).

I'm putting this on my main blog because... it feels a little heavy for the turtle blog haha. it's also under the cut.

cw: suicidal ideation and discussion of suicide

They sit with their feet dangling over the edge.

Leo can see the third rail. It's pretty close; it would be trivial to hop onto the tracks and touch it, exactly what you aren't supposed to do. Of course, in his current state, he could stand on it all day and never get shocked.

Next to him, the one-armed Leo shifts for the first time. His voice is quiet and raspy when he speaks.

"So... you're on the other side of this."

He means recovery from the Krang, or at least, Leo is pretty sure he does. He turns to look, even though the other Leo is pointedly not meeting his eyes.

"I had it a little easier than you." He wiggles his shoulders. "Both arms, no dissociation... the hallucinations were a bitch, though."

The other Leo doesn't pull his eyes away from the tracks. "But then something else bad happened."

"...Yeah. Yeah it did."

His face twists into a deep frown. "So then what's the point?" he asks, voice hollow. "Even if I make it through this... it's just more pain. Just more misery. What do you get out of that?"

"Mm... being alive, I guess."

Leo can tell by the set of the other Leo's shoulders that this isn't a satisfying answer. Which is the whole issue, really.

"...Did you ever think about just... letting go?" the other Leo asks him, and his voice sounds even more worn down.

"...Yeah. Yeah, I did." Leo pulls his feet up onto the platform, shifting around to face the other Leo fully. "I could just let the time run out, be cursed forever. I'd never feel pain or get tired or hungry ever again. I wouldn't be afraid. I wouldn't feel... like I'm failing everyone's expectations. I'd just be done."

"Sounds nice," says the other Leo softly, and he nods.

"Yeah. Can't deny that." He shrugs. "But then I wouldn't get to be with our family, either. And that would be worse than anything."

The other Leo doesn't agree, but he doesn't disagree, either. Leo knows himself, and he can guess that the question is: would it be worse for his family without him?

"Have you told them? That you thought about it," the other Leo asks after a minute or two.

"No. But I'm going to."

"That's gonna suck."

"Oh yeah it is. It's gonna suck massively." He shifts around again, leans back on his arms so his face is more visible in the other Leo's sightline. "But I think it'll be okay afterward."

"They may be mad."

"Maybe."

"They could yell at you."

"Yeah, but I'm kinda hopin' for hugs instead."

"Something else bad could happen."

"Something good could happen."

The other Leo doesn't answer him. He keeps his eyes on the rails.

Far off, Leo hears a train.

[styxbugg]

leo in i may be invisible

ft. the slowly disinigrating dabbing leo sticker on my phone case

[dandylovesturtles]

IT'S DONE!!!!

Thanks again to everyone who has read this fic, who has kudos'd, commented, bookmarked, who has drawn art, who has sent asks, who has interacted with this fic in any way!

You aren't rid of me, Rise fandom. I have more I want to write and I'm starting soon ^^

But for now, my baby is finally finished. I really hope you enjoy the epilogue!

[e-turn]

Leo felt the panic rise to a crescendo. He reached out wildly for Mikey, trying to grab his face, his hands, his arms, anything, anything he could to make him stop.

“Mikey, you don’t have to do this! I’m right here, I never left, you don’t have to go back, I’m here!”

I find it a really good idea that Leo doesn’t have any body fluids in this state. A detail that can be a blessing for someone but turns out as another part of torture for someone else. 

@dandylovesturtles, you are amazing :)

продолжаю выкладывать перевод.

[dandylovesturtles]

ooooh I love this ;; love the way their hands represent the part of the curse each of them broke. And I love the charm itself!!

poor Leo he looks so scared... but they got him

"Soul torn from flesh, nevermore to return"

[gejnialne-arty]

Currently I'm rereading this amazing fic called I May Be Invisible, But I Still Look Good by @dandylovesturtles and it has a looot of amazing moments, but for some reason this one stood out to me- April emanates such Big Sister energy here and I adore how she took Leo's Whole Situation, it's just so sweet to me and then Mikey commenting in the background- I had to draw it!

[dandylovesturtles]

hey there Dandy! I’ve seen you around before, and read some of your one-shots or snippets. I knew you are an amazing writer. But I was curious to read I May Be Invisible But I Still Look Good and

Ogh WHFH WHAT

I binged it in one go, and it was definitely a roller coaster of emotion. I’ve cried multiple times, so easily too. And laughed. You humor isn’t TOP NOTCH, just like the show. I really can’t express how perfect this all is. I feel bad for not reading this earlier!!

im sobbing. I need to draw or animate for this asap. Your’e amazing

Awww, thank you so much! What a lovely message to receive!!

Your art is incredible, so I would be honored if you drew something! No pressure, though. I’m just happy if I gave you any inspiration!! Happy creating!