#i'm implying the splinter problem

[bluescribble]

little miss "I will isolate myself because I think I am too dangerous in nature" vs little miss "all my other selves are inferior and I am the best therefore I will stay with you"

have the uncolored version because I think it looks nice too lol

[punkshort]

Hi! I would be more than happy with a drabble about reader regaining a memory-maybe an important one for her and joel-but if this doesn't really inspire you, please don't feel obligated to write it, as I wouldn't want you to struggle because of me

After all, I'm more than happy to read anything else you decide to write!❤️

PS roommates is so so good, I'm looking forward to the next chapter!

Ahh thank you so much! I'm so glad you answered, I have no problem putting on my thinking cap for this! I think we could all use a little fluff today... I hope you enjoy! And thank you again for all your support the past year ❤️

three words

An I Know Who You Are drabble

Pairing: Joel Miller x f!reader

Summary: You remember another memory, this one more special than the rest.

Warnings: fluff, implied smut, amnesia

WC: 1.2K

"It's getting late," you mumbled, your eyes closed as you breathed deeply into Joel's chest. The very last thing you wanted to do was get dressed and go home, but you had patrol early in the morning and you didn't trust yourself to wake up early enough to go home and clean up beforehand.

You felt his chest vibrate as he hummed, his hand dragging lazily up and down your bare back, holding you close and just as unwilling to let you go.

"Stay."

You groaned but buried your face deeper, now angling it towards his flushed neck. "I don't have any clothes here."

"Then maybe you should keep some clothes here."

"I could, but that doesn't help me now."

Joel sighed and turned onto his side, tugging you into him, molding you to him and filling every crack and splinter the world left before you. "Wear my clothes."

You laughed softly, the image of Joel's flannel hanging five inches past your fingertips as you struggled to ride in his oversized clothes just too amusing.

"As much as I appreciate the offer," you began as you pulled away, meeting some resistance from his arms, "I don't think that would work."

He groaned and rolled onto his back, the longing evident in his eyes as you slowly stood and stretched, your naked body pulling and bending before seeking out your clothes strewn about his room.

"Move in with me."

You stood abruptly, your jeans and socks tucked protectively against your chest as you stared back at him in shock.

"What?"

He sat up in bed and flicked on his lamp. "Move in with me," he repeated. Your eyes trailed down his broad chest, evidence of the love bites you left on him a mere hour earlier already darkening.

"Oh-" you croaked, feeling your face flare with heat. To hide it, you looked back down at the ground to find the rest of your clothes. "Uh, don't you think that's a little fast?"

"No," he answered, watching as you struggled to pull your underwear back on. "I love you 'n I want you here all the time."

You were in the process of pulling your bra strap over your shoulder when his words reached your ears, knocking into you so hard you forgot to breathe. "W-what did you just say?" you whispered, hand frozen on your shoulder, eyes wide and filled with bewilderment.

He shrugged one shoulder and gave you a little smirk. "I love you."

Your lower lip trembled and you dropped your jeans to the floor. "I love you, too," you said softly.

His eyes lit up and his smile grew wider. "Then quit standin' over there 'n get back in bed with me."

You giggled and hastily swiped away a tear that fell before scrambling back into bed, allowing him to tug the comforter over you as you wrapped your arms around his middle. He cupped your jaw and scanned your face once more before pressing a tender kiss to your lips, so soft and sweet that it stole your breath.

"Maybe I'll just end up being sick tomorrow morning," you murmured against his mouth, dragging your lips down his throat and nipping playfully at his Adam's apple. He rolled on top of you, holding himself up on his elbows. He closed his eyes and sighed, reveling in the feel of your skin pressed against his.

"Yeah, that -" he paused and gasped when you wrapped your legs tightly around his waist, grinding into him as your kisses on his neck grew feverish. "That sounds 'bout right."

-

You awoke with a start, eyes flashing wide open as you stared at the white ceiling, replaying the dream over and over in your mind. Was it a dream? Or was it real? It felt real. You were getting better at distinguishing between the two now.

Rolling your head to the side, you smiled when you saw Joel sleeping so peacefully beside you. His lips were parted and he was snoring softly, looking perfectly content. You almost didn't want to wake him, but you knew it would be worth it.

"Joel," you whispered, pulling the sheet against your neck. You rolled onto your side and ran your palm across the sharp planes of his chest. He mumbled in his sleep and his hand slowly came up to engulf yours, his fingers big and thick and calloused compared to your own. You repeated his name a little louder this time and he finally cracked one eye open.

"Mornin'," he said, voice gravelly and thick with sleep. Every time you heard it, it made your lower abdomen pull and a familiar warmth spread between your thighs.

"I had a dream," you told him, excitement bubbling up as you bit down on your lower lip. His eyes opened wider and suddenly he looked much more alert.

"A dream or a memory?"

"Memory, I think."

He grinned and sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "What was it?"

You stretched, a slow smile spreading across your face as you looked up at him. "I think it was when we first said I love you."

He grinned and scratched his chin. "That's a good one."

"I was getting ready to go back home because I had patrol in the morning," you began, and he nodded along. "You told me you wanted me to move in because you loved me. You said it so casually, like it was obvious or something."

"Thought it was obvious," he chuckled.

"It felt like I already knew but I was still surprised to hear you say it."

He gazed down at you warmly. "Then you said it back."

"Yeah," you whispered, threading your fingers with his. "I said it back."

"That was a good day," he told you before leaning forward, gently brushing your lips together.

"So it was real?"

"Yeah," he whispered, then slowly slanted his mouth against yours, his lips leisurely massaging your lips like he had all the time in the world. You took a deep breath and wrapped your arms around his neck, holding him close.

It had been a while since you had a memory come back, but it felt like each time it happened, no matter how big or small, it felt clearer.

"Do you think this means I'll remember everything one day?" you couldn't help but ask as he settled between your legs, his mouth dragging down your chin.

"Don't know, baby," he admitted, his focus clearly shifting towards something else as his hands began to push up the material of your sleep shirt.

Your heart fluttered in your chest as you anxiously chewed the inside of your cheek. "If I don't, that would be okay, right?" you asked, your voice coming out so timid and small that it made him stop in his tracks. He pushed himself up onto his forearms so he could look you in the eye.

"'Course it would."

You nodded and felt a sliver of relief, but he could tell you still held some doubt.

"Hey," he said gently, "it don't matter if you remember everythin'. 'Cause we'll make new memories together, alright?"

You smiled and he watched you visibly relax, your shoulders dropping back and your brow smoothing out. "Yeah."

He grinned and pecked your lips before picking up where he left off on the crook of your neck.

"Good. 'Cause I wanna make a new memory right now."

[callmearcturus]

what do you think about hal is he good evil or just misunderstood thoughts??

Hal as in Whomstve Hal?

Here's my problem: I am, like, the One Person in the fandom who just doesn't find Hal all that interesting. I get what's going on, but I'm not invested, maybe because I spent all my Super Invested points on Jane and Jake when others don't find them as interesting.

Hal is not "evil" though or misunderstood, IMO, because that implies there is a Correct way to interpret him.

That said, I do consider a Litmus Test of Did You Actually Understand Act 6 to be the simple question of: Who orchestrated Synchronize/Unite? Because if you think it was Dirk, then I would recommend rereading the opening three acts of Act 6 again.

The entire Synch/Unite thing is, to me, the one of the two interesting things Hal does. The S/U deal is this ultimate devil's bargain that Dirk strikes to save everyone. Hal will direct him and get everyone back alive again... but in return, Hal is going to kiss Jake first. Which is in of itself a Complicated price, given the animosity between Hal and Jake, and how Jake does understand more than pretty much anyone what Hal truly is... but covers it up with obfuscation to avoid how uncomfortable it makes him.

But I'm also of the opinion that Jake's belief in Dirk, his Hope Bullshit, is partially why the AR project even succeeded, and I find his culpability in it fascinating. Dirk and Jake keep making surrogate children out of their powers, it's hilarious.

Anyway, the other thing Hal does that's interesting is the Suicide Conversation on the rooftop, which to me is fascinating because as Dirk gets angrier and angrier (on some level rightly imo) at Hal's manipulations, the trump card that Hal pulls is "Of course I'm scared of dying, aren't you?"

Because Dirk isn't scared of dying. He categorically proves this so frequently that it's arguably one of his core character traits. He kills himself in Synch-Unite, he considers his dream self hella expendable, he kills himself in the Game Over timeline, he has no problem killing himself on the slabs of Derse but can't bear to hurt Roxy (even when its literally the Right Choice in the moment and impermanent besides), he kills himself in [S] Collide to defeat the Jacks--

Dirk Strider is not afraid of dying. But Hal is, and that is proof that Hal and Dirk are not even remotely the same person, that they diverged long ago. And IMO that's part of why Dirk goes "fuck it" and prototypes Hal, because that's not him. If Hal was just another splinter of Dirk, he'd just kill him(/himself) again, no big deal. But Hal is not a Dirk anymore.

Anyway, I guess to sum up: I unfortunately mostly like Hal in the ways he is Not Dirk. That's the interesting shit.

[thecomicsnexus]

TMNT: 40TH ANNIVERSARY COMICS CELEBRATION

July 2024

By Kevin Eastman, Edgar Alan Poe, Jim Lawson, Tristan Jones, Gary Carlson, Chris Allan, Erik Burnham, Lloyd Goldfine, Ciro Nieli, Andy Suriano, Tom Waltz, Ronda Pattison , Tom Napolitano, Steve Lavigne, Paul Harmon, Frank Fosco, Adam Guzowski, Sarah Myer, Luis Antonio Delgado, Shawn Lee, Khary Randolph, Emilio Lopez, Michael Dialynas, Pablo Tunica, Freddie E. Williams II, David Petersen, Ken Mitchroney, Aaron Hazouri, Dan Duncan, Sophie Campbell, Jodi Nishijima, Stan Sakai, and Emi Fujii.

Come and enjoy stories that will remind you of the 40 years of turtle history.

SCORE: 10 *

* Assuming you are familiar with these iterations.

This is a strange read, and curiously, there are three or four highlights for me, and they are not exactly the ones you would imagine.

Spoilers after the break...

The first story by Kevin Eastman is in the Mirage section of the book but... well... I'll leave at that... I wouldn't call it the Mirage we knew.

There is a story by Lawson and Lavigne with the Rat King that... it's fun. But, you know... I wouldn't even try to fit it in canon... the amount of continuity physics you need to bend to place this story is not worth the time. Just enjoy as a new story by these two iconic Mirage artists.

This other story by Tristan H. Jones and Paul Harmon requires more analysis. I'll revisit it on my gang wars video and try to give it more context... but unfortunately... it's just too vague. All I can say for sure is that it happens in the future of that incomplete saga, but the narrator just takes too many artistic choices to be taken at face value.

Also... I believe this is the first official (frontal) appearance of Agent Bishop (unless I got the character wrong, but Jones already tried to introduce him in this saga). I think he is still holding on to it, and I really hope he gets to tell his story. I wouldn't mind a mini-series... just saying!

The Volume 3 story was... not for me. The dialogue alone felt tired.

The Archie adventure was short, eventful, and funny... and it looks amazing too!

In just four pages a new character was introduced and... a new love story was implied! And it's not just a gratuitous cameo... this is a funny sequence.

The Saturday Morning Adventures (the de facto 87 story) looks amazing as usual, but I didn't find the story that interesting. However, it started a theme that would run across most of the stories in this special after this one: Master Splinter.

The 2003 story is a... loose canon?

Hun is Slash, and Shredder is back... so make of that what you want. All I'm going to say is that this felt a lot like watching the beginning of a 2003 episode, with the narration setting the tone.

The 2012 story was one of the least interesting in the previews, but I have to say... it was probably one of the best. It brought back a villain and it technically serves as an excuse to continue the series?

But to me the best thing about the story is the art. I am surprised Ciro Nieli didn't do more comic book work for the Turtles all these years. In fact, if they somehow decided to continue the 2012 universe in 2D in this style... I'm all in. Well, who am I kidding... I would be in anyway... but this looks amazing.

Andy Suriano did probably the most interesting story in the book. Now, I am not sure if his style doesn't translate well to static panels or what the problem is with the comic format... but it doesn't matter... this small story brought in a lot of things that ended on the editing floor after the show's second season was reduced to a few more episodes. There was a rumor about a female turtle, and not only it is here in all its glory, but there is also a brother?

And come on... it's so Lou Jitsu to die with a cliffhanger.

There are two IDW stories. One is another Splinter story, but the other one is perhaps one of the best in this book.

The Ronda Pattison story takes place just before the Armageddon game, and it shows the five turtles in full sibling dynamic (even Jennika). It was refreshing to see these turtles having fun for a change.

There are no stories by the new team, but... well... that's just starting.

[quirkwizard]

I'm not sure why I made this. I just thought it would be fun to do and now all you have to see the fruits of my labor. So, without further ado, the Pro Hero Parent Tier List. Hope you all enjoy it and try not to take it too seriously.

F Tier: Gran Torino, Recovery Girl, and Yoroi Musha: The simple fact is that these three characters are way too old to be parents. Maybe if this were a grandparent tier list, they'd be higher, but it isn't, so they're all going in the F Tier.

D Tier: Endeavor: Look, do I even need to explain this one? You all know what he did. One of the biggest problems in the story is the result of all the messed up stuff Enji did as a dad. His attempt at redemption was to remove himself from his family. Easy bottom tier.

Nana: While I'm someone who tries to understand Nana's position and decisions in regards to her kid and her role as a "One For All" user, she still didn't seem like a very good parent even when she was around. She herself even admits that, so that is what puts her so low.

Gang Orca: What few interactions we see him having with kids is screaming about their failures and throwing them when he is dissatisfied with their answers. That is bound to cause some trauma later. Like some Pavlovain response when they think of Free Willy.

Hound Dog: He may be a guidance consular that works with kids, implying some understanding of child psychology, but if his first reaction is to yell and growl at any emotional problems in front of him, he probably isn't going to communicate with his own kids.

Thirteen: I get that Thirteen is someone who takes a lot of care and consideration with her power and is quite safe to be around. That being said, I don't think that someone who is at risk of destroying their own child at the atomic level should really be handling children.

C Tier: Edgeshot: There really isn't a lot to say about Edgeshot as we don't get a lot of personality outside of being stoic, which could certainly be an issue for a parent. That being said, being willing to sacrifice yourself for a kid does push him above the bottom of the tier list.

Mount Lady: If we're considering her early in the series, she'd definitely be at the lower tier given how irresponsible and self-centered she is. Though considering her development and how mature she's gotten in general, she barely scrapes by as an average parent.

Kaumi Woods: Kamui Woods is just kind of average. There just isn't a lot going on with him that could give or detract merit from the little hero work he's done. He's here by default. His inability to hug his kids without giving them splinters would certainly be an issue.

Manual: Again, he's average. The most we have is that he seemed to do pretty well with handling Iida's whole situation but didn't seem to notice it in the first place. Otherwise, he's pretty plain. I could see him being the lame dad his kids don't want to talk to or be around.

Miruko: Definite Tiger Mom. She'd be making her kids do all kinds of sports stuff and getting them to exercise all the time. She cares, but she shows it by trying to make her kids excel at what they're doing. Great if they're into that, but I can see it fostering a lot of resentment.

Sir Nighteye: Like Miruko, but at the other end of the spectrum. He would be the kind of dad to make his kid study a lot because that's what he would think would be best for them. Cares and can loosen up when needed, but is emotionally distant most times.

B Tier: Ms. Joke: She is a teacher, meaning she must have some understanding of kids. She'd definitely be the "Fun Mom". She'd always try to keep a smile on her kid's face, even if that meant making terrible mom jokes. Be ready, she has been working on them for years.

Ectoplasm: He seems to be pretty good with kids, but the real clencher is his power. No matter what, he could always be around to be present in his kid's life. And hey, family dynamics are always changing. Who is to say a family can't be just a kid and their thirty-six identical dads?

Ryukyu: She can be hard on herself, but she seems to have a soft spot for children and do well with her wards, given how well they have turned out, being commanding without being harsh. And let's be real: who wouldn't want to have a dragon for a parent? That alone would put her pretty high up here.

Eraserhead: This may be a controversial pick putting him so low, but hear me out. I think Aizawa would try to be a good dad, but he's married to his job, being too tired and absent to really make it work. And did you see what he bought for Eri to wear? What self-respecting father would ever do this his child?

Fourth Kind: A good role model to any kid who tries to foster strong moral foundations and understanding of community in his wards. All around, a pretty stand-up guy to have as a dad. He loses points because punching kids is not a good way to punish them, even if it hurts him more than it hurts them.

Midnight: This could be because I read Vigilantes, but Midnight actually shows quite a few parental traits, like being highly empathic and understanding of those younger than her. Then again, I can only imagine the kind of teasing and general awkwardness that would come from having the R-Rated Heroine as a mom.

A Tier: All Might: If we're counting him without "One For All", otherwise he'd be working too much to be a dad, I think that he'd be a parent. If his students are anything to go by, he'd be a pretty effective parent. We can also tell that he plays favorites with his kids, and that knocks off a few points.

Present Mic: This may be a surprise pick, but I can see him doing pretty well as a parent. He can be the fun, comic dad that plays with his kids and can get on their level, but he can instantly go into serious mode if he needs to. The fact that he can do both so well, which you kind of need as a parent, puts him pretty high on the list.

Best Jeanist: Another stand-up guy, just trying to be a good role model and look amazing while doing it. I mean, the guy had an actual positive impact on early series Bakugou. That has got to count for something. Probably has all kinds of weirdly good life advice if you can understand fashion metaphors.

Rock Lock: One of the few real parents on this list, Rock Lock just seems like a responsible parent. He did try to call out the kids for being on missions, but he was kind of right in that regard and just looking out for them. Probably try to keep his kid from doing stupid stuff. He'd be a good, but restrictive father.

Hawks: Like Present Mic, I could see Hawks being a chill dad who doesn't seem to know what's going on but actually knows everything that happens and always has one eye open when it comes to his kids. He'll give his kids their freedom, but he's going to be there to catch and guide them when they really need him.

S Tier: Mandalay: Another one of the few real parents here, and one with a pretty bad hand. Mandalay not only had to take over as a guardian out of nowhere but had to do it with a heavily traumatized child while trying to lead a team as a pro-hero. The fact that she seems to be doing as well as she is puts her this high without question.

Fat Gum: No one should be surprised that Fat Gum is this high. He's super protective without being overbearing, tries to instill valuable lessons to make them develop, and does his best to encourage his wards to be the best they could be. And could you imagine him giving hugs? That would make any problem vanish.

Tensei: Tensei is just such a good guy. He's a good role model and leader for his team without it being detrimental. He knew Koichi for about a day and he was able to understand Koichi and tried to set him up for success. Imagine how well he'd do with his own kid. Plus, he's an older brother. That's like a being a parent with training wheels.

[ruvviks]

// wip day.

i'm working on a new project that is (for once) not connected to any of my bigger original universes, so i thought i'd share some of the writing i have for it! taglist down below, feel free to take this opportunity to share your own wips (in a separate post of course) if you have any!! the first part is a sort of introduction to the story, from the perspective of main character marshall! the second part is a snippet from a scene much further into the story, to kind of paint a picture (for both you and myself lol) of what the setting and the tone of the story is gonna be like. it's a bit different writing than what you're used to from me so please take a moment to read the warnings first!! warnings >> blood, cult, death, implied cannibalism, gore, religion, violence

God won't speak to me.

He spoke to my sister when we were eleven, her howls echoing through the backyard of our childhood home as the venom of a wasp spread quickly through her veins.

He spoke to my mother the day we buried her oldest son, the hem of her alcohol-stained dress torn where it had caught on the thorns of a blackberry bush she had blankly passed through.

He spoke to my father the day he put the barrel of a .44 in his mouth, reenacting what he had classified a sin for all the wrong reasons, his trembling finger on the trigger strong enough to rip apart the last tendon holding our family together yet not to finish the job.

I was eighteen, when I was found on the river bank near Overture, Louisiana, the sharp end of a jagged knife plunged deep within my side and my bloodied hands clutching the cross necklace of my brother, my breathing akin to the ice cold shallow water grazing at my ankles as I stared up at the star-spotted sky with glazed over eyes, blue chapped lips shaped in the final hum of a prayer.

A black abyss stared back, a strained vacuum without comfort, leaving me with a plea unheard and the metallic taste of blood in my mouth.

And God did not answer.

'Gotta dig… Just gotta dig. Gotta get 'em out of there… Gotta take 'em home…'

The physical distance between Marshall and the grave did not muffle the continuous mumbling, the shaky voice of the young priest clear as day like a whisper directly in his ear as the eerie silence looming over the church's cemetery left him with not much else to focus on. He knew he should turn around and leave, at that hour of the night— get back in his car and return to Posey in the motel, get some sleep while he still could— yet curiosity held him tight within its grasp, and each step he took pushed him closer into the wrong direction.

'Just the bones… Just the bones…'

The man was hunched over, back turned towards Marshall and partially obscured by the few last rows of gravestones stood between the two of them. His neck twitched— a sudden and unexpected movement at an angle Marshall did not hold for possible, yet it had happened entirely too fast for him to clearly see.

'Hey, is everything alright?' he called out; well against his better judgment, hairs on his forearms standing up straight as his feet carried him another few inches closer to the priest.

And the closer he got, the more he wished he had listened to himself.

If he had just turned away, he wouldn't have had to notice the unusual and unplaceable noises bubbling up from the priest's direction. He wouldn't have had to realize the priest was sat next to a coffin, yet to be lowered into an undug grave. (A curious practice, but Marshall was not one to judge— Overture'd had to endure a rather tiresome series of curiosities as of late, and an unburied corpse in the middle of bumfuck Louisiana in the midst of a yet to be explained power cut would be the least of its problems.)

'Just the bones…. Gotta dig… Gotta bring 'em home.'

'Do you need help?' Marshall persistently asked, his voice muffled by the thrumming of his own heart in his eardrums while his eyes trailed over the coffin— splintered and shattered at the lid, the glimmer of the distant church lights barely enough to reveal the outline of an axe resting on the dirt at the priest's ankles.

'Have to do it, there's no other way. Gotta dig, gotta dig, gotta dig—'

'Hey!'

Marshall should have never stayed in town.

He realized that now, as the priest's obsessive muttering came to a sudden stop forcing Marshall to hold still too— yet he had already approached too closely, and realized that no dirt had been dug in at all, and realized that the priest's hands were instead stuck inside the coffin repeatedly plunging deeper and deeper into the rotting remains of the corpse inside, once white vestment covered in blood and gore and he stared up at Marshall with a faint glow in two milky white eyes and with a wide grin exposing bloodied and shattered teeth, much akin to a predator looking at its next prey.

'Just the bones,' he repeated, the nodding of his head nearly belittling— as if to convince Marshall this was how it was supposed to be, as if to convince him the Word of God was not to be neglected and his fate as a sinner was a gift to the Divine Light and as if to convince him as long as he would not struggle it would all be over soon.

'Gotta dig.'

Marshall could not move, lamb to the slaughter as the priest rose to his feet with the axe in his hand.

'Just the bones! Gotta take 'em home.'

taglist (opt in/out)

@velocitic, @deadrlngers, @euryalex, @ordinarymaine, @gurathins;

@mojaves, @shellibisshe, @dickytwister, @mnwlk, @rindemption;

@ncytiri, @calenhads, @noirapocalypto, @florbelles, @radioactiveshitstorm;

@strafethesesinners, @fashionablyfyrdraaca, @aemondtargeryen, @radioactive-synth, @katsigian;

@estevnys, @elgaravel

[ascesabo]

the pjo/omori brainrot have unfortunately come for me at the same time so i'm going to make it everyone else's problem. sorry

soooo... assuming the di angelos were a well-off family (which i think is implied, but don't check me on that), it wouldn't be so far-fetched to believe that bianca would have had the opportunity to learn the piano. and nico, who adores his sister and wants to be closer to her, thinks they can bond if he learns an instrument too, right? but he can't impose on the piano. that's hers. so he takes up the next best thing, something he can play by her side- the violin.

in a hypothetical AU where bianca di angelo doesn't join the hunters, she and her little brother nico spend their time shut inside the big house's piano room, going over the same pieces again and again. to bianca, it's her last connection to her mother, to the life they'd had before the lawyers and the lotus hotel and camp half-blood. to nico, it's a way of desperately trying to bridge the distance he can feel growing between them. to both of them, it's everything.

but it isn't enough.

and so she practices harder and her temper gets shorter and one day she snaps at nico because his violin doesn't sound right, just what aren't you getting, nico? and nico is only ten and just wants to make his sister happy, because everything should be alright as long as they're together- but what was supposed to be a shared hobby has only driven them even farther from each other. you can probably imagine what happens next, right? he storms away from her, maybe to a secluded part of the forest, and relishes in the way his violin shatters against the big rocks when he swings. and bianca is so, so angry and she's coming closer. her face is red and she's shouting at him, and nico does the only thing he can think to do in his panic and frustration- he pushes her. he pushes her into the same rocks that hold the splintered pieces of his instrument and can only freeze in horror as the snap of her neck makes the same sound.

maybe in this universe, he'd also befriended a certain son of apollo a little earlier on. will solace isn't very popular with the other campers- they love pointing out how ironic it is that a son of apollo couldn't play an instrument to save his life and he knows, even if they try to hide it, that his older siblings are embarrassed by him too. but then this enigmatic new demigod shows up, with nothing but his mythomagic cards, his violin, and a big sister who takes will under her wing, and they offer to let him listen to them practice- and all of a sudden, he isn't so lonely anymore.

nico is will's first and closest friend. so when he follows the sound of their argument and sees nico push his sister in a fit of anger, all he can think is nico wouldn't do that to her.

kind, earnest nico, who loved his sister more than anything... couldn't have killed her. it had to be something behind him, and he can't let them punish nico for what SOMETHING else did. will has to help him. everything is going to be okay.

everything is going to be okay, he says when he shakes nico out of his grief-induced stupor.

everything is going to be okay, he tells himself when they steal a coil of rope from the stables.

everything is going to be okay, even as tears blur his vision and he swears that the lifeless body swaying in the wind is looking at them.

he takes nico's cold, shaking hand and lies to himself.

everything is going to be okay.

[corpocyborg]

Secure Your Soul: A Cyberpunk 2077 Fanfiction

This fic was previously published under the title “Before the Event Horizon.”

Summary: Six months ago, V’s boss at Arasaka ordered her to assassinate his rival. Instead, with the reluctant but invaluable help of her old friend Jackie Welles, she pushed them both off their thrones and claimed one for herself. Now the new Director of Arasaka Counter Intel has a problem. She’s uncovered information that indicates that Yorinobu Arasaka, the heir apparent to the Arasaka dynasty, is a traitor. But without solid proof, she’s forced to take matters into her own hands.

An AU in which Corpo!V never leaves Arasaka.

CHAPTER SEVEN: THE BEGINNING IS THE END IS THE BEGINNING

[read on ao3]

SIX MONTHS LATER

"Johnny Silverhand?" Frank Nostra repeated, incredulous. “The old-school rockerboy?”

"That's correct," V confirmed. "His engram, anyway. On one of our Secure Your Soul relics. My source doesn’t know why NetWatch wants it, but he’s sure that’s what they’re purchasing."

Nostra furrowed his brow, his gaze shifting distractedly to the holographic koi fish circling outside the windows of V's office.

V rapped her knuckles quietly against the surface of her desk as she waited for him to speak. She respected Nostra, and their quarterly reviews proved they worked together far more harmoniously than their predecessors had, but the burning knowledge of this particular piece of intel would not allow her to remain inactive for long.

"And you're sure—one hundred percent sure—that the seller is who you think it is?"

"Yorinobu Arasaka," V enunciated the name clearly. "You can say it, you know. My office isn't bugged."

"You'd better hope it's not," Nostra retorted sharply. "That's the emperor's son you're accusing. The heir apparent. If you're wrong—"

"And if I'm right," V interrupted him, "then there's a crack in the very foundation of Arasaka's legacy. If a splinter like that is allowed to spread—"

"Okay, okay," Nostra interrupted her in turn, "Let me think for a minute."

"All right, Frank. I understand your caution completely. But we're on a sensitive time table here."

"So you've mentioned. This source of yours at NetWatch—what did you say his name was?"

"I didn't." V frowned. "And I won't now, either. He’s risking his life by bringing me that intel."

"I'm sure he is, V, but without proof, I don't see how we can go any further up the rungs with this."

"We are, respectively, the Directors of Counter Intel and Spec Ops, and you're telling me there's nothing we can do about intel that indicates that Saburo Arasaka's son is a traitor?"

Nostra winced, and despite her earlier claims of security, V felt a slight twitch in her neck. She had to restrain herself from turning her head to check that they weren't being overheard. 

"I didn't say that," he clarified. "I said we need more proof."

"Nostra, I told you, the deal's supposed to go down tonight."

"Yes. At Konpeki Plaza. I understand." 

“Then you understand why we can’t afford to wait.”

“I’m not telling you to wait, V.” Nostra’s face was thoroughly neutral. “I’m telling you that you need more proof.”

V was silent. Her heart began to beat more rapidly. She realized what he was implying. He wouldn’t officially recommend that she obtain proof on her own, but he was letting her know that that’s what was necessary. It was a risky endeavor, and she wasn’t entirely sure yet how she’d accomplish it. But the idea filled her with eager anticipation. 

“Okay,” she told him, folding her arms neatly on the surface of her desk. “Understood.” 

Nostra nodded. “I hope so.” He stood. “Keep me updated, Director Locke.” He left the room with one last backward glance at V. 

His use of her official title was deliberate, she was sure. Almost everyone she knew at NCHQ called her V. The single letter alias had been assigned to her during her first year at Arasaka Academy as part of a particularly challenging group project—a simulated undercover operation. V’s plan had led her team to victory, and she’d spent a blissful two weeks of fame at the top of the student leaderboard before someone knocked her off it again. Since then, the nickname had just stuck, even though it was an atypical form of address between coworkers. By using her title instead, Nostra reminded her of her position and her responsibility to look out for Arasaka’s best interests.

V swiveled her chair slightly to the right so she had more room to comfortably cross her legs. She leaned back into the cool, supple leather. As always at the start of a new mission, V began by considering what she already knew about her enemy—Yorinobu Arasaka, Saburo Arasaka’s second-born son and presumed heir, since the death of his first-born son way back in the 2020s.

She knew his sordid history, a rebellious youth messing around with Japanese gangs. By all accounts, however, he'd been brought back into the fold since then, becoming leader of the Taka Faction and the most likely of Saburo’s potential heirs to actually take control one day. 

Even as a Department Head, V was far too low-ranking for her viewpoint on the issue to truly matter, but she privately thought that all of Saburo’s potential heirs fell short of him in various ways. His daughter, Hanako Arasaka, was reclusive and cautious—she was unlikely to be able to command respect to the degree that her father could, and her preference for playing the waiting game could result in missed opportunities. On the other hand, Michiko Arasaka—Saburo’s granddaughter via his first-born son—was well-loved by the public, but not so much by high-ranking executives in Arasaka, and the reform policies her faction lobbied for were too restrictive for V’s taste. And Yorinobu himself…

His faction’s namesake was the hawk for a reason: Taka was the most militant faction, and they were also globalist in scope and innovative in approach. All this, V appreciated. Yorinobu himself struck her as quick-tempered and headstrong, qualities that he shared with his father, but overall he seemed to have more passion and less restraint. That was a useful insight, at least. Emotional people were always easier to predict and manipulate.

All right then. That was the gist of what she knew about her enemy, little though it may be. Now onto her goals. Step one: getting into Konpeki Plaza. 

Luckily, as Director of Counter Intel, there were myriad possible excuses she could come up with for her presence at a place like that. She had several upcoming meetings in the pipeline that she could easily reschedule to tonight. What could be more natural than to apologize for the abrupt scheduling change by choosing a highly comfortable meeting venue, like say… Konpeki Plaza, for instance?

But then she'd have to figure out how to sneak into Yorinobu Arasaka’s suite while working around the schedule of the meeting, which might not leave her with sufficient time. And sending a delegate to replace her at the meeting would be suspicious at worst and extremely rude at best, considering she’d be the one who’d demanded the meeting occur on such short notice in the first place. No, that wouldn’t do. She needed an excuse that explained her presence at the hotel, but didn't draw anyone's attention to her specifically. 

Time for another approach. 

She used the optics display on her Kiroshi to pull up a calendar of events at Konpeki Plaza. She scanned through the conferences scheduled for tonight. If she could find one that could function as a realistic cover story, she could purchase a ticket and use it to get into the hotel. Her early exit from a large, crowded event was unlikely to be noted. And, better still, the conference rooms were on the ninety-eighth floor of the Plaza. Yorinobu was almost certainly on the hundredth floor—the penthouse suite. Anything less would be unseemly. She'd only have to find a way to go two extra floors higher.  

She scanned the possibilities. She was hoping to find a talk on something related to her work to buff up her cover story, but no such luck. One event did stand out to her, however. At 8pm in the Sapphire Conference Room, Hideyoshi Oshima, the famous braindance producer, was hosting a conference on the implementation of multifaceted emotional states in next-gen BDs. The timing was perfect, though the content of the meeting was ill-fitting with the type of events V typically attended. It certainly didn’t have much to do with her career. Still, she could plausibly claim a personal interest in the topic. 

She pulled up the event’s seating details and purchased a ticket. They were pricey, but what was the point of that ample Arasaka paycheck if not to spend it? She checked the time. She had about twenty minutes to change into a fresher suit and get to Konpeki Plaza, if she wanted her timing to seem realistic for the event. This called for her fastest ride. 

—

Fifteen minutes later, her Rayfield Excalibur touched down near the Arasaka waterfront, just outside Konpeki Plaza. She exited and was immediately greeted by a young, gold-skinned valet. Literally gold-skinned. One of the requirements of a job at Konpeki Plaza was a uniform you could never take off—you had to replace your natural skin with a shiny coating of metallic, gold Realskinn. V appreciated that level of dedication. 

“Hello, Director Locke,” the valet said. “Welcome to Konpeki Plaza. I’ll take care of your AV for you.”

She didn’t miss the excitement in the kid’s eyes. He may have been accustomed to luxury vehicles, but the Excalibur was the best of the best. V understood his enthusiasm. It was the fastest street-legal vehicle in the world, not to mention safe, comfortable, reliable, and absolutely gorgeous. V’s was off-black in color, exterior embellished with the Arasaka logo, and so polished that it gleamed even in the low lighting of the parking area. She smiled at the valet, waving her right hand in the signal that transferred a generous tip from one of her bank accounts to his. “Take good care of it."

“Of course, Director.” He nodded deferentially.

V made her way through the front doors of Konpeki Plaza, breezed through the security scanners, and walked up to the check-in desk. The receptionist recognized her on sight. “Director Locke,” she said. “Welcome back. Here for another meeting?” 

“Not this time, ” V answered, already placing her hand on the scanner to verify her SID chip. “I’ll be attending a conference tonight.”

“Ah, yes,” she responded. Her eyes lit up momentarily as she received the upload of V’s data. “Hideyoshi Oshima’s talk. He’s very good.” Her eyes faded back to their normal color and focused on V again. “Are you interested in braindance advancements, Director?”

“I am,” V responded, smiling warmly at the receptionist despite the irritation she felt at the question. She always strove to be courteous to the help—they were perfectly placed to overhear a treasure trove of gossip. Besides, she’d rehearsed a point of view on the topic during the AV ride. “I think Oshima has an interesting premise, but I maintain that experiencing a heightened sense of passion is actually a major selling point of BDs, and that therefore complicating that would actually counterintuitively cheapen the experience. His ideas, in my opinion, might not apply as well to the medium as he expects.”

The receptionist nodded earnestly. “I hadn’t thought of it that way. You may be right, Director.”

“Well, we’ll see if his speech impresses me,” V said, leaning towards her over the countertop with a conspiratorial look. “If you see me leaving early, then you’ll know I haven’t changed my initial assessment.”

The receptionist laughed. “Come down to the bar if he bores you. No sense in wasting the evening.”  

“None indeed,” V agreed. “Perhaps I’ll take you up on that offer.” She threw one last smile her way, then turned to leave. “Have a good evening.”

“You as well, Director,” the receptionist responded cheerfully. 

V heard her voice from a distance. She was already halfway towards the elevator. But as she passed the bar, a snippet of conversation caught her ear. 

“You wanna know what a bearer of bad news looks like?” A drunken businessman was gesturing wildly at a disinterested bartender and shouting loud enough for half the bar to overhear. His speech was slurred, and he occasionally interrupted himself with a hiccup. “What’s four hundred yards long, weighs a hundred thousand tons, and is nuclear powered? The answer’s docked in the bay. Hanako Arasaka decided to take a little vacation!”  

Hanako Arasaka was in Night City? V slowed down, her mind reeling. Her source at NetWatch hadn’t mentioned anything about that. It was possible he was unaware of her presence, but the odds of it being merely a coincidence were not great. 

V adjusted her course, heading towards the bar. By now the drunk had calmed down a bit and was staring morosely into a glass of golden liquid the bartender had handed him. V slid up next to him but faced the bartender, who turned his attention to her as well. “Evenin’,” he said. “What can I get you, baby?” 

That was the second time tonight she’d been addressed casually. No wonder the Night City Konpeki Plaza ranked below so many of the others in quality of customer service. “Evenin’,” she responded, mirroring his tone. “A glass of Centzon, please.” 

“Of course,” he said, pulling the appropriate bottle and a lowball glass from the shelf behind him. He poured the tequila and handed it to her. “Enjoy.” 

V took a small sip, savoring the taste. It was her favorite drink, but she wanted her mind to remain clear tonight. She watched the drunk from out of the corner of her eye and plotted her opening line. 

“A word of advice, if I may,” she spoke to him quietly, without turning her head. “Be careful what you broadcast for all the world to hear.”

He jumped slightly, no doubt pulled suddenly out of some private train of thought. A splash of his drink flew towards the floor. He stared at the stain for a moment, then looked up at her with wide, uncomprehending eyes. “What d’ya mean?”

“Your speech earlier, about Hanako Arasaka’s visit,” she reminded him. When he startled again, V explained herself. “You were loud enough that I could hear you from the other side of the room.”

“Was I?” he asked, momentarily abashed. Then a flush of anger returned to face. “Well, good! ‘Cause this affects us all. It’ll slap everyone in the face!”

“I get it,” V said. She propped her elbow up on the bar and placed her hand on the side of her neck, turning her full attention to him. “You’re pissed off. That’s fair. But you’re not gonna fix anything by mouthing off in a bar. You’re just gonna make things worse for yourself.”

At first, he looked angrier, and V feared she’d taken the wrong approach, but then all at once, the anger drained out of him, and he just looked tired. He took a swig from his nearly empty glass. “Why do you care, anyway?” he demanded, his voice a desperate whisper. 

V shrugged. “I guess because I’m in the same boat. I’m a tech specialist with Arasaka Counter Intel. I know how this shit can get.”

“Yeah,” he admitted, a trickle of relief creeping into his tone. “You would, wouldn’t you?” He scratched his head, a thoughtful gleam lighting up his slightly more lucid eyes. “Didn’t you have a big crisis a few months ago? Some psychobitch director shooting up the competition?”

“Something like that, yes.” V looked away from him, fixing her gaze on a point in the distance and letting her eyes glaze over like she’d seen Carter’s do when he’d spoken to her about finding the bodies. “It was terrible. If you’d have seen it… all that blood…”

“Hey, now,” he said, adopting a soothing tone. “You can’t go getting worked up over a little blood. You’re gonna see way worse things if you stay in Counter Intel. You need to be prepared.”

V analyzed his demeanor, checking if he noticed the irony of their role reversal. But he seemed too pleased to care. If only she knew how to cry on command. She took a deep, shaky breath instead. “How do you cope with it?” she asked him. “Is it always like this for you?”

“No, not always,” he reassured her. “I mean, I’m a liaison. That’s a sort of go-between from one branch of Arasaka to another. I represent the Night City branch in negotiations with the Tokyo branch. It can get stressful, but situations that get me this stressed aren’t usual.”

“I feel like things like this happen all the time.” 

“Nah, of course not. I mean, there’s no way something like this happens all the time.”

She looked at him doubtfully.

“No, really,” he insisted. “I mean, Hanako just had to follow her father…” 

He broke off his sentence hastily. V struggled to maintain her composure while she waited for him to resume it. Saburo Arasaka was in Night City??? Did he know about Yorinobu’s plan? Was he trying to stop him? Was he in the building right now? 

But there were some dangers so great that even intoxication and a pretty girl couldn’t make a man walk into them. When he began stuttering and trying to take a sip out of his empty glass, V knew she’d lost him.

“Look,” he said, finally putting his glass off to the side. “I should really get back to my room. It’s getting kinda late, and I’m probably gonna have a killer headache tomorrow.”  

V was far too shaken to try to convince him to stay. “All right,” she said simply. “Be careful.”

He looked at her strangely. It wasn’t until after he’d walked off that V registered why that must have been. Unlike everything else she’d said tonight, that warning had been genuine.

[nerves-nebula]

Knowing that he has memory problems does neglected Raph struggle to trust his own judgment?

Like not even just for things gaps in memories makes sense to hinder. I’m talking even when he knows stuff or when memory doesn’t factor in at all, he knows he can’t trust his mind on some things so he struggles to trust it at all

If so, does he ever recover from all that?

(Side note: it’d be super interesting to see them face a villain like Mother May-Eye from Teen Titans 2003)

here's the thing about raph, Raph doesn't trust ppl other than his brothers, april, and casey, so he wouldn't let someone else fact check him, but that doesn't mean he doesn't doubt his own memories. especially since Donnie has rambled at length about how fallible memories are.

There more than a few times where Raph has a memory of something, but Splinter kind of tweaks it or implies it was just ever so slightly different in away that changes things. and if Raph is like "wait that's not what happened" Splinter would imply he doesn't know what he's talking about. never calling him crazy outright, just saying he's remembering it wrong. but isn't it kind of weird that, for some reason, Raph's memory is always "wrong" in a way that benefits Splinter? (Mom Reference)

so anyway, Raph doesn't like being told he remembered something wrong cuz of that, so that's why he only lets his close friends check him and might get aggro if someone he doesn't know well casually implies he's remembering something wrong. (this includes stuff as small as someone saying "i think you remembered this wrong" or "that's not what I remember" even just really small stuff like that can trigger him)

But his defensiveness is just because he does genuinely worry that since he forgets things so much, there's a chance the solid memories he DOES have aren't real. and if that's true then like what is he even doing, right? like how can he be a person in a meaningful way if the things his internal experiences and emotions are based on aren't real? That's what he thinks, at least.

i watched the mother may-eye episode to answer this ask so im gonna address that under the cut now:

I forgot how good the teen titans theme song is. also i forgot about the hive five they're are so fucking cool i wish i was every character in this show wtf. also why that guy sexually harass starfire. kinda like that starfire appears to swear all the damn time but since it's alien swears no one cares.

and the DAY is SAVED by the power of THATS NOT HOW CONCUSSIONS WORKS <3 my favorite storytelling technique tbh. just hit 'em on the head i'm sure it'll work out fine.

SLUR in early 2000's children media: OBSERVED.

really fucked up that they gave it to the Hive Five not knowing if they were gonna escape or get baked or anything. that's. wild.

there's something about a villain who forcibly makes you regress to a childlike state in order to manipulate you that is so fucking uncomfortable, oh my god. especially when they use, like, overly cutesy language. if i did something like that to the neglected gang it would be really gross. so i might do that later then, idk.

[wtf-a-psychoanalysis]

Leo angst Any TMNT.

Tw: Death ideation, derealization, implied sh

"How do I tell them, I'm going to die"

Leo pondered as the scene around him was warm and familial. His brothers surround him, Michaelangelo cracking jokes, Donatello reflecting on tech performance, Raphael offering suggestions and Splinter listening eagerly to all of them.

All except Leo who fell quiet that night and the nights before. An uneasiness started to consume him, slowly but surely. Any waking moment it catches up to him, training, missions, meditation, and even family dinner. Deafening silence detaches him from his own body.

He lost his appetite a week ago yet he still eats around them so they don't worry, he would have forgotten to eat if it wasn't for them. If it wasn't for them he would have fallen mute too. He had no problem speaking to them on missions, but really having a conversation has been getting more difficult to say the least.

"If it wasn't for me we wouldn't have suffered so much"

"I have dishonored you "

"I don't deserve to live."

"I've been falling behind."

"I don't deserve this."

And more thoughts like that swam through his mind like turtles in a pond, coming up to the surface to bask. And while they bask he finds a way to drown them out, filling the waters of his mind with techniques and training. His body becomes numb to the pain and overexertion, anything to ignore the thought of his own downfall or even speed up the process. Despite all the training and times of relative peace, new scars scatter his body. He kept secret the ones of his own design.

It starts to consume him once more, a cold sensation starting from his center traveling up his spine. It was all he could feel. A feeling worse than pain. "I could stop this, you know" Leo offered to himself. "No, I don't deserve such mercy, yet" he argued back, unconsciously positioning his hands to the kuji-kiri, Rin and Kai.

"Leonardo, my son. Is there anything troubling you"

Splinter's words snap him back to the sewers,

"I'm fine, Sensei" Leo lied

[maxdark158]

Making my own rottmnt timeline (that includes lost episodes) and i think I'm going to start making vent posts instead of finding new friends to harass with my problems until they're exhausted/hj

So far I've put the episodes in a tenuous order. Because they aired out of order (evidence: hypno part deux happens at the same time as repo mantis but airs well after repo mantis AND the appearance of the turtle tank, also the first episode to show hueso is the fast and furriest, NOT the episode they meet him) I've had to basically just. Use context clues to the best of my ability and a lot of pain, suffering, and some tears. Now I'm going to try and make a timeline based on. Ya know. Time. As much as I can anyway with the like 4 dates the series provides

Below the cut is copy pasted woes I've sent to a friend

(These messages are sent to a friend over 24 hours of agony)

Fml btw

I'm trying to figure out a timeline for rottmnt

It is n ot easy

Also... I think I'm going to make my life even more hellish and include the lost episodes

I do actually have a pretty great source for those luckily!

https://turtlepedia.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:Archer.Warrior/The_Lost_ROTTMNT_Episodes

There's a number of episodes that have nothing besides their episode name, some of which one of the creators said could be fake episide names. It's mentioned in this post

https://www.tumblr.com/yujateaandpi/704460357578670080/our-happygirl500-fan-so-ive-been-digging?source=share

these are all the episodes that have NO released stuff besides the episode name. not a description, not any concepts, nothing. some of them i do think are real (april showers and mayhem flowers) but some of them. no idea tbh

the post discusses 2 that person thinks are real based on context clues but yeah idk how many of these ill include in my timeline given i have NOTHING to go off of 😭

April showers mayhem flowers I think is to address mayhem leaving

Maybe splash hogs is something to do with the shell hogs or meat sweats?

In the og battle nexus NY, big mama and shredder were supposed to fall down to the hidden city, her hotel completely crashing down through NY. Maybe spiders web widens was supposed to be them helping big mama, or trying to, something referenced in the aired version of the episode when splinter tried to help her?

Friend: I think that could be likely. Read something awhile a back stating that, season 2 was gonna be more focused on big mama as the villain n so on and that.. would've really fit

Yepp. Cause the funny thing is that battle nexus NY was supposed to happen MID SEASON

And after that, they're basically trying to find her and the shredder cause they both booked it, racing against the foot to do so

Also something I realized since I'm obsessing over rottmnt atm:

It's Mrs. Cuddles

Who the FUCK is she married to??

-later-

I can feel my brain deteriorating

So fast and the furriest, newsworthy, and mascot melee, HAVE to occur before Bug Busters in the timeline. That also means hypno part deux and repo HAVE to occur before then, as well as donnie's gifts and newsworthy. Mascot Melee is the latest to occur in that bunch, because it's the only one post turtle tank debut. The rest are either the debut episode or don't have any turtle tank

So far so good, right?

Thing is timeline wise I'm trying to also follow along mystic power trends, so raphs episodes struggling with mystic powers/not yet doing a full body mode has to also be before bug busters. War and pizza, minotaur maze, and maybe longest fight? If I remember right?

Well longest fight does have to be earlier in the timeline because raph says "the freaky flame guys are back stealing jewelry", kind of implying this is the second time they've seen the foot, so it's def earlier/mid season

Friend: I admire you for how dedicated you are to this- doing what Nick refused to do.

That does sound right!

(Thank you dude that helped a lot)

Not to mention they underestimate the flame guys enough to keep watching skateboarding, cause they got a decently good victory against them the first time

Minotaur maze ALSO has to be pre turtle tank, because that's the episode they discover the mutant pizza place, which they visit when trying to find the turtle tankI think the gumbus happened while donnie was building the turtle tank. It's an introduction episode, so its earlier in the series, but there's 0 donnie (or raph, but raph could also be doing his own thing or helping get materials for don)I do think there should be some episodes between repo and turtle tank, because that was NOT a quick build, but there's only like 3 episodes without donnie and 2 of them have to happen a bit later

You got served has to happen after portal jacked, because portal jacked is when leo went from "annoying ass gremlin" to "begrudgingly my nephew". Why would hueso call for Leo's help pre portal jacked with how he was acting during the start of portal jacked? I think portal jacked is after the fast and the furriest, and cause Leo's been going there a lot he sees hueso as an adult he can get help from even tho hueso is annoyed af by him

And portal jacked should also happen earlier cause leo still doesn't understand how to get to the hidden city on his own, but if it happened after splinter began getting involved again not only would he be able to ask for the doohickey again, he'd probably *go to his dad for help in the first place*

So portal jacked is definitely BEFORE shadows of evil, despite what air dates tell you

Leo's portal powers are also more improved than the start, he's able to make large portals and usually succeeds at making them, but he gets the location wrong. Its probably just before or after late fee, where he also makes a large portal, but seems unsure if it'll work. Probably similar timing to mutant menace too, cause he makes a large portal but doesn't control where it'll go very well

So portal jacked is earlier making you got served later so it can't happen before bug busters

Nothing but truffle is the other no donnie episode, it has to happen AFTER Mrs cuddles though because she's in the episode. It also happens after repo, which does mean it *could* be while donnie is building the tank, but it's kind of implied meat sweats has seen mikey more than once or twice.

Idk, tbh I have a lot of trouble placing nothing but truffle

so far this is the timeline im most sure on. the highlighted episodes I have concrete evidence for their placement. i've inferenced the other two tbh but they make sense

as you can see, i havent even gotten to bug busters yet. it's so confusing rip

i think purple jacket has to be pre turtle tank because if the dragons could steal donnie's leathal weapon filled tank and use it, why would they NOT?? but they only stole his battle shells and tech bo, so i presume the tank wasn't finished yet so they didn't bother stealing it

shell in a cell just has to happen earlier to allow ghost bear to continue being a nuicence, i put it where it makes sense i think? may move it an episode or two higher or lower, but it's definitely within this list somewhere

I just thought this placement made sense cause the raph/leo fight in minotaur maze wasn't really resolved, so that tension could carry over to shell in a cell in which they make up and fight together

Smart lair I think is post bullhop, and bullhop is ABSOLUTELY post pizza pit

Things get more muddled after bug busters

The only things that have to happen a certain way is Pizza Pit -> Bullhop -> Smart Lair -> Mind Meld. There can be episodes between them, but they have to be in that order

-later-

Oh my god

Oh my god

Cloak and swaggart might be WAY EARLIER in the timeline than i ever expected what

There's a potential cameo of the Sandro Brothers pre mutation in it???

I'm losing my mind this would move every sunita episode up by a LOT

Cause this is the last sunita episode!!! But it has to happen pre evil league of mutants??

Oh my god

Now are they wearing cloaking brooches or name tags?

Probably name tags

Cause of the shape. Brooches are. Well. Brooches. Very semicircle. These are flat

But also this fucks with the timeline so badly?? Cause now shelldon has to be moved up, but also splinter is taking them on a training mission?? He didn't begin seriously training them until AFTER shadows of evil!

Fuck it. They're cloaking brooches. They panicked cause "I recognize that pig dude"

-later-

Should mystic library be before or after shadows of evil?

It's definitely later, cause raph uses full form mystic powers and increased size, his mystic powers are very adept. But how late?

Friend: Aftwr

Thank you

-later-

Tbh the biggest wrench in everything is Snow Day

Because Snow Day clearly takes place in *winter*

But there is NO WINTER IN ANY OTHER EPISODE

So it is just. An outlier

-later-

(NO SHAME ON THE PERSON WHO MADE THE INCORRECT TIMELINE BTW, THIS SHIT IS H ARD, I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND MISTAKES)

If you read through all that thank you, you're lovely

[love-killed-the-superstar]

the more i read through issue one, the more i think the stone situation isn't caused by some enemy - i'm more convinced the cause of it is odyn himself.

(i had about half of this typed up before hashing this concept out in a very cool conversation with @last-ronin earlier today... but i fell asleep before posting it last night, lmao.)

these kids are Developing Powers, guys. they can communicate telepathically, not just holding entire conversations but also projecting imagery into each other's minds. it's unclear at this point whether they can all project images psychically or if that is specifically yi's gift, but it does seem to be implied that this makes her retellings different from uno's and favoured by odyn. i'm on the fence about whether uno's colour-changing ability counts as a power or not since it's something other lizard species can do and he's been doing it since he was a baby. moja is also noted as having an 'overactive nose' literally smelling something 'wrong' which is like... either a very odd character quirk or another sign of enhanced abilities. if she has heightened senses in general, that might have been subtly foreshadowed by the times in lost years where she's seen wearing her headphones even when she's not listening to music.

much like casey growing to inherit enhanced strength and reflexes from interacting with mutagen, it seems like the turtles bodies are also starting to get all funky from ooze exposure. hence the title, re-evolution.

at the end of the chapter, when the babies finally get their chance to fight a real fight, odyn clearly doesn't want to. he's very much giving michelangelo in the lost years - it's making me nervous that at some point we're going to get a 'GET UP FOOLISH CHILD' moment with casey and odyn, because as much as she loves her kids, casey marie is a complete hard-ass on the battlefield. i HOPE that we get to see it play out differently if history repeats. that always felt painfully unresolved in lost years and it really made me resent roninverse splinter. if this happens i'd like casey to have to confront the fact that she DID make these kids to fight a war, that was incredibly FUCKED UP and they DON'T have to accept that.

(this scene is so hard to read no matter how many times i come back to it. sincerely, FUCK YOU roninverse splinter.)

anyway. here are just a few moments in that final battle where he hangs back while the other three jump in with weapons swinging:

free my boy. clearly odyn doesn't want to be here rn. he seems rooted to the spot...

...like a statue, wouldn't you say?

so yeah. in a life where he's been raised to fight or fall, this feels very "third option" to me. this poor kid is in an impossible situation so his body gives him an out where he can keep himself safe like his family want without having to experience the horror of fighting lethal opponents. the problem is, if he's completely frozen solid like this, how does he know when the fighting is over? how does he know when or how to snap out of it?

my prediction is the turtles are going to use their telepathic abilities next issue to break through to him and coax him out of this stone state (possibly creating more hijinks if a new power is discovered in the process). i have NO CLUE if april and casey marie know the turtles have these powers, but they sure as shit are going to find out when they catch their babies performing a seance around their brother lmao.

there's also the possibility of this 'insidious foe preparing to spring a trap' from the issue 2 synopsis... i wonder if they have a way of messing with the turtles' new mutations?

much to think about. anyway, VERY hyped for issue 2!

[meatballlady]

Aziraphale

(Vague spoilers ahead)

I'm feeling a lot of big emotions right now. Personally, I see myself in Aziraphale. I immediately related to him. I think there are a lot of queer people with religious trauma out there that do.

My problem is that my personal timeline doesn't line up with when Good Omens has been airing (dramatic pouty face). For all intents and purposes, I feel as though I have made it to the other side in my journey. I'm not sure I'd say I've "healed" or "gotten over my trauma" or whatnot. The older you get, the more you realize that life is just learning to live with yourself more and more. Endings are only for stories - which is a good thing (there is always more to add to your own)

The point here is that, no matter how precious he is to me, it HURTS to see Aziraphale still burdened with all of it.

Season 1 left me bereft. To me, in terms of Aziraphale's journey, it had barely begun. To me, s1 had this sense of Aziraphale only just realizing that what he's always "known" to be the way of the world wasn't the way it needed to be. He knew he was happy with Crowley, but, because of repression, I don't think he truly let himself connect the dots until very late in the game. Yes, he loved Crowley, but it was Wrong with a capital W. Yes, he was belittled and hurt by superiors, but that's just the way things Are.

It's impossible to escape, right? No, not even that, because that would imply that escape even exists. No, his starting point is that life is painful, love is conditional, and he has to hoard happiness, in secret, by the skin of his teeth.

S1 is barely a happy ending. It's the realization that, however improbable, an escape could exist. Happiness is real, what he's been feeling is possible, and that with time, maybe they could figure out a way forward.

After S1, he still struggles with this, massively. Maybe Crowley does love him, but surely it's not because that's normal or allowed - it's just the exception to the rule. And maybe Crowley loves him now, but that's only because Aziraphale hasn't fucked up yet. Maybe they really can live on Earth, but their superiors can still drop by and bother them on a whim.

He's not nearly far enough from his abuse yet.

S2 happens in the span of a week.

It's so painful for me to see this part of his journey. I know what comes next. I've been there. It's trying to contextualize a new worldview with the structure of the old one. It's coming to terms with the fact that the one thing (people) that you tied your own worth to is the same one that's destroying you. It's the self flagellation from participating in the system when you were just trying to do the right thing.

I think S3 will be filled with a ton of (delicious) pining on Aziraphale's side.

He hurt Crowley. Many times. Crowley understands, and still loves him, and wants to work through it, but does Aziraphale know that? I doubt it. I think he'll expect it to be black and white. "I fucked up and now I need to atone." "I need to earn back your love, and I'll suffer if that's what you need." etc.

The blinders are off. No more being in denial (well probably some denial, actually, in the beginning at least). Actively choosing Crowley instead of passively letting Crowley choose him. Discovering his worth. Letting himself choose happiness and defend it. Learning to say no to Heaven. Coming to terms with having supported a damaging system while still having been a victim himself. Moving forward from his trauma. Moving forward, away from his abuse. Moving forward, with Crowley, as equals, as lovers, truly on the same page and on the same side.

So, to recap:

S1: Realizing healing is a possibility that exists

S2: Trying to cut the system off, but it's still poisoning you from the inside

S3: Actually pulling the large, painful, infected splinter out, painfully. With a big dose of pain. (At least this time it's good pain and not Good pain)

I love you, Aziraphale, and I hope you know that you are worthy and loved. It's okay to be who you are, no strings attached, no conditions. It's okay to love and be loved in return, no strings attached, no conditions. Good luck. I can't wait to see you on the other side.

[clanofjones]

I just want to ask how did you and @theosb0rnway come up with the plot for GoOD? Just like the acronym, THAT FIC IS GOOD!

Thanks for the ask!

This... took longer to type than I thought.

I'm pretty sure it started when Oz sent me a YouTube short of That One Episode (TM) of 2012 TMNT Mutant Apocalypse arc, where Casey's skull has been turned into a bomb, implying that Raph kept Casey's skull long after his demise.

Hence the thought, 'What if we flipped the deaths and made them both bi LOL'

Problem- neither of us have decent access to the 2012 series outside of the first two seasons, but enough to know basic plot points.

Hence, after SO MUCH theorizing and throwing concepts at each other like water balloons, we eventually went 'Ok, this is sick as hell, let's make it an actual thing, yk?'

So, among the basic plot points we knew, one was the vague plot points of Splinter's death -- Super Shredder was strong enough to have killed the dude who taught four ninjas, so why not have the injured one get stabbed?

Also these posts were loosely based off some concepts for GoOD- whether or not they'll come to fruition... I have no idea, but they sure were fun to make!

[critter-core]

Super Kappa Bros AU

Major Bullet Points

Woahhh everything’s mario now!

The Hidden City is actually the mario world

The Yokai are actually just mario creatures, as are mutants

Will go into the brothers’ species in quick summary

Baron Draxum made the four brothers to enslave humanity

Same gist, but he used mario world (species) dna

I’m gonna keep most info the same, for the simplicity of it

But there’s definitely changes and alterations

Quick summary:

Firstly, let’s get this out of the way. Speed round!

Splinter is a variant of either mouser or little mouser

Raph is the same species as Bowser, maybe a koopaling?

Leo is a koopa (hear me out)

Donnie is a dry bones (BAM)

Mikey is a yoshi

April’s just a human, and all the other humans are normal-ish

MORE TO BE ADDED AS REFS ARE MADE

The four turtles were born as regular turtles, but got changed when they were given human dna, and the dna of specific ‘yokai’ species we mean mario species, and when this happened, they became members of the Hamato kingdom, and also were given myyyyystic powwwwerssss ooooh how maaaaagicallll!

OH MY GOD I'M GONNA MAKE THE SANDO BROTHERS FIRE & ICE FLOWERS CAUSE THAT IS SUCH A FUN IDEA OMG

April will always have a dangerous amount of hammer power ups on hand, and will literally just pull one out during a fight.

Making up a power up for Baron. A green and yellow daisy-esc flower called Flower Power! Which gives Barry the ability to make flowers rise from the floor as his platforms.

OKAY, I DECIDED that mutants are the only ones with inherited powers, because the Piders, now called Goopiders (which are our oozesquitoes), are what gives the powers.

This means that any non mutants that I specify a power for just happens to have A LOT of that specific power up item.

Hypno will have the Pal Pill ability

Groundhog will have the drill berry ability ofc

I think Honey Badger should actually have the rock mushroom

And then I think Prairie Dog should get a spring mushroom ability

Maybe Repo Mantis gets the pickaxe power up?

(For the simplicity of it, I may be more lenient about making up my own power up ideas for background or lesser known yokai or mutant characters. For instance, I don’t know a good plant power up for Baron Draxum that has to do with flowers :’])

These powers are in the form of mario power ups. The four turtles can’t use other power ups, unless it’s the consumable or touchable object that associates with them. Their body will reject it, and they may even feel dizzy (if they touched it) or sick (if they ate it). If the turtles eat or touch the item associated with their core power up though, it grows much much stronger for a temporary time.

So back on the unfamiliar-power-up thing real quick. The unfamiliar power ups can actually work, but they are INCREDIBLY unreliable for the turtles specifically. Often the power up will glitch, randomly turn off and on, and of course, the dizzy or sick feeling lasts till the power up is over. This is why the turtles try to avoid foreign power ups if possible. 

Also, for another balancing thing, like how mystic magic works, the turtles do channel their powers better with weapons. Though the more magically skilled of the brothers can use powers without weapons. Also, also, while I imply that the turtles can use their powers whenever, it does take significant energy. This won’t be a problem usually, but if the turtles haven’t had lunch yet, or haven’t eaten in a while, they’ll feel more tired each time they use their powers.

Raph’s power up is normally granted by the Mega mushroom, which allows him to turn even bigger than he was before. He turns about half his mystic’s size, and with a Mega Shroom on top of that, he can grow as big as his mystic size too. Thankfully, Mega Shrooms are very common, and Raph runs a little garden to grow these shrooms. Raph was the first to awaken his power.

Leo’s power up is normally granted by the P-Wing (super specific, I know lol), and specifically the one from the game “Super Mario 3D Land”. This allows Leo to teleport anywhere that’s in his eyesight range. This may seem overpowered, but he has to be able to focus on the place he wants to teleport heavily, and can’t get distracted mid teleport, or he may go somewhere else, or teleport into an object. Leo got his power up second to last.

Donnie’s power up is normally granted by the Drill Mushroom, which would turn Donnie into a drill (haha drill out of beta lolol). Donnie took the longest to unlock his powers, partly because of an envious jealousy about not being able to understand the logic behind the innate core-ness of the power ups within them, and also because he was scared of using his power up. We’ll get into that in a bit…

Mikey’s power up is usually granted by Bulb Berries, which usually turn specifically Yoshis very bright, like a light bulb. While it can provide a light source, the bulb power up can also be great for blinding foes, since Mikey can decide how bright he wants to be. That being said, the brighter he makes himself, the more energy it takes. Mikey was the second turtle of the brothers to unlock his power up.

So, as we stated before, Donnie was scared of using his power up. I don’t know exactly how I’m gonna make this work, but Dry Bones can rebuild themselves, and I head-canon that they need to do it themselves, and can only rebuild themselves if they have all their pieces (kind of like the dark armor kettle if you remember). I’m gonna somehow have it that Donnie was missing a few pieces of his shell after an incident.

I think he’d still be okay, as stated, Dry Bones can build up again, but it’s much easier to break his shell, which doesn’t really hurt since it’s not as attached to him as it used to be, but it also makes his unprotected body hidden within the shell a lot more fragile. So yeah, one day he and Mikey (teens) are hanging out, and Donnie accidentally does his drill power when he starts to get a bit too frustrated.

This actually does hurt him quite a bit, and his shell shatters again, likely from the messy bone tornado that Donnie became when his power activated. He and Mikey both panicked, even after he stopped spinning around, and he was rather badly injured, since he probably ran into a wall or two during the mess. I think he would assure Mikey he would be able to take care of himself, and probably plead to his little brother not to mention the power up thing (out of embarrassment). 

Mikey would hesitantly agree, and you know how he hates lying and keeping secrets, so you’d see the stress until Donnie finally comes to terms and tells his brothers about it. I think he would eventually make something like the battle shell, like a stronger, more durable covering that keeps the shell in one piece when he does the drill spin, and eventually he’d learn to stay in one piece and navigate better during the power usage.

Wow, this is getting really long… Uh… I’ll put more info later I guess. We’ll see, lol. I might put more in a fic if people would want to read a fic on this thing. I think it’d be super fun :]

So yeah, I’m still calling them yokai btw for the simplicity of it. I also don’t think it’d be too farfetched either, since the Mario company is Nintendo, and that originated in Japan anyways :’)

Dang, I'm gonna have to reorganize this later, but whatever...

Refs are here

Fanfic Link:

A fic is in the works and will be linked here >:33

[thedawningofthehour]

OK! I really didn't expect this! THE FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!?

We're entering the war arc, SERIOUSLY! Where did this come from! Oh my god, oh my god! I swear I thought it would happen at the end of the arc, you know! Like a big end of season event! The fuck!

Bella in jail, dammit!!! You better set her free, Fai!!! The world needs her!!! Does that mean they arrested Pax too? GOD, I HOPE SO! That boy needs a good chat so he finally understands what his beloved uncle is doing. Besides! Pax is technically Draxum's accomplice!

BTW, I had forgotten until I read BO smell that I remembered this fun fact, the vast majority of east asians have a mutated ABCC11 gene that causes them to lack the bacteria that produces that BO smell. Unless you are near a military base, it is virtually impossible to find deodorant in Japan. What you learn in a Kung Fu Panda video by a Chinese person.

So, unless turtles produce BO, all that odor in the lair is not the BO's fault.

Ahhhh I really don't know what will happen from now on, I hope it won't take you another two weeks for the next chapter, I don't care if they are shorter, just please bring Bella back.

*Fetal position* everything will be fine, everything will be fine, I haven't forgotten that we have a Turtles vs Draxum fight scheduled for the end, please make it hurt him.

'looks up some stuff'

Huh. That's really interesting. I knew East Asian people were frequently lactose intolerant, (it actually looks like lactose intolerance is the baseline and Europeans are the ones who mutated to be able to digest lactose into our adult years, which is linked to extensive dairy farming) but they also don't stink? I legitimately didn't know that.

It does also say that the frequency of this gene is low among the Ainu people, the people indigenous to the Hokkaido region. Which is where I set up the Hamato clan. (most of Hokkaido is pretty rural, so I figured it was a likely place for a clan to set up in the mountains and stay relatively undisturbed while still being close to civilization) I've been writing it as Atsuko was close to 100% Ainu-and somewhat inbred, because small rural communities like that often had everyone related to each other, so there was no way to really avoid marrying your third cousin-while Splinter's father was from Honshu and had a more varied genealogical background. (they met in Sapporo when Atsuko was attending college, and Grandpa Sho hated him even before he dipped) So it kind of depends whether Splints takes after his mother or father. I think it's stated that Splinter also stinks a lot, which implies that he didn't get this gene.

There's also the whole problem of turtles don't have sweat glands, but hey we're working with pseudo-science here, and the boys are definitely seen sweating. Also alligator snappers have scent glands on their asses and I'm pretty sure at least red-eared sliders and box turtles also have scent glands, so the stink might also be partially turtle-based.

In any case, I've made too many comments and jokes about them stinking to turn back now. They're teenage boys. Teenage boys smell awful. That's just a law of the universe.