#leo with t-rex arms

[sinister-art]

My phone kinda broke, and I lost all my WIP's. I'm still upset, so have some doodles I did on my new one! I did a couple with references (as some of you may recognize), and the rest were practice with my style.

Enjoy!

[rpking99]

Savage Land Privilages

Closed with @the-blackbird-roleplays

Continued from here

Leo snarled softly as he sniffed the air outside the little cubbyhole he and rogue had made for themselves, snarling as he shook his head. "Still nothing. Can't believe this place even nukes my enhanced senses..." He groaned, resting against the tree as his sweat-shined godlike physique was in full display for the southern belle. He'd sacrificed his shirt a while back, shredding it to help make a shelter that was now in a T-Rex's footprint somewhere behind them. In truth, he'd never felt so vulnerable... And so alive at the same time. "Shit... We need to be smarter about this." He grumbled, trying to keep his eyes and mind off the curves of his classmate at the Xavier Institute. His Beast Mode and Enhanced Senses may have been subdued thanks to this bizarre island, but his hunger certainly wasn't. Must've been the animal in him refusing to be silenced...

"Do we have to, shugar? It seems like we're trapped here. A pair of rats trapped in a cage. Who knows if the others will ever get here." Rogue said gently while holding his arm

Her barley covered body moving closer. Her flesh, one a forbidden barrier now pressing right against his own

"Maybe we should.... Just make it our new home?" She suggested

[twoidiotwriters1]

Daughter of Olympus (Leo Valdez xFem!Oc)

A/N: I'll see y'all in a few weeks! -Danny Words: 1,944 Series' Masterlist Previous Chapter /Book II Listen to: 'The Exit' -by Conan Gray

XLIII: It Got Too Fluffy, I Had to Do Something About That

Monsters are vanishing left and right. After Typhon vanishes away, Lady Artemis and Apollo help us strike down a couple more creatures, not to mention Tyson and his buddies are also stomping enemies like they're made of clay.

A blast of golden light comes from the sky, and we all stop to stare. The gods around us, all except Hades, go up to Olympus at once.

"Did we win?" Jake Mason asks behind me.

I realize we've run out of monsters, and everything is deadly quiet except for a few mortals' panicky screams in the distance.

"It's done," Hades announces. "Olympus stands."

I drop Almighty out of pure shock. "My brother..." 

The top of the Empire State turns blue all of a sudden, there is only one kid insane enough to ask Zeus to do that.

"She said what?"

"It doesn't matter."

"It matters 'cause she's supposed to be your second in command and she's disrespecting you!" Leo insists heatedly.

"It doesn't matter," Ara repeats calmly. "This was just an argument, we'll make peace once I'm back."

"But..." he almost asks 'What if we don't come back?', but asking that is never an option, so he changes the subject. "I don't want you to leave this place sad, this is your home."

"My home is with my parents and Percy," Ara corrects him stubbornly, then pokes his cheek. "And you. As long as I'm with you, I'll be okay."

Leo softens at her words. "Alright. Let's go rescue your brother from Camp Stuck-up."

"I heard that!" Jason steps onto the deck with his backpack over one shoulder. "Don't go saying that once we get there, Leo. Be nice."

"I'm nice!" Leo puts his arm around Ara's shoulders. "But my girl needs me on her side right now."

Ara looks over the ship's rail, they're on top of the cliff where Bunker Nine is hidden, and she's meditating on whether it's a good idea to look for Lily or not. Their arguments wash away as soon as something bigger happens, so she's not too worried. 

The next hour is a blur, while Hades helps us rebuild the city, Mrs O'Leary walks past us with Chiron on her back.

"Ara Jackson," he says my name as if he were talking to a badly behaved pet. "In the future, review your plans with me before you risk your life in such a reckless manner."

Mrs O'Leary shakes off a bit of dirt, making him wince.

"We can talk later, go to camp," I say gently.

Hades walks up to us after Chiron leaves. 

"Well, Jackson," he eyes my appearance. "Now is your time to come through with your part of our agreement."

I stare at him, not sure of what to say. He glances at Nico and the boy steps forward, looking anxious. "We should check on the others," he suggests.

"You're a good warrior, Ghost King," I nudge his arm as we walk together. "If I hadn't promised Lily the position, you'd be a good second in command." 

He makes a face as if he can't think of anything more horrid than following my orders forever. 

When we enter Olympus, people cheer for us. Percy goes out of his way to find me and holds me, after getting my mom's blessing, my forehead can reach his shoulder perfectly. 

"Pretending to be Achilles? Are you kidding me?! That was insane!"

"And I haven't pulled my craziest stunt yet," I mumble against his shoulder.

Percy moves away and frowns. "What do you mean?"

"Ready to go?" Piper and Coach Hedge arrive with all of their stuff. 

Ara holds tightly onto the railing. Lily didn't come to say goodbye, she left Ara's cloak inside Ara's cabin in the ship, along with her tattered T-Rex. That's how she operates, Ara knows that. 

She pulls out the dagger her friend forgot in her room that same afternoon, Ara brought it as a good luck charm. 

"Annabeth's ready?" The girl eyes the blade, deep in thought.

"Yes," Leo hums, moving to the control board.

"Let's go, then," Ara sighs, trying not to sound worried.

Lily gets called by Hades right after Annabeth becomes the architect of Olympus, he tells her there are too many corners that he doesn't want to leave unattended in the Underworld, and many souls to recover after this war, so Lily must work with Daedalus to make the Underworld safer and Tartarus harder to reach.

Percy could've become a god if he wanted to, but he turned it down. In exchange, he asks for the Gods to care for their children, to treat every camper with respect, no matter who their parents are. I think that's sweet.

"Arae Jackson."

It isn't Hades the one who calls me forward, it's Ares. I can't help the way I glance back at my friends in confusion. The god snorts. "Why are you surprised? You've been calling to me for a whole year."

I frown. "Lord?"

"We've all been listening, like you asked," Mr D says. "Isn't this what you wanted?"

What surprises me the most is that instead of passing out, I feel braver. Blame it on the Aphrodite in me, but I thrive on the spotlight. 

"Yes," I look at Zeus. "With your permission, then... I'd like to plead my case." The god's face is impossible to read, but I carry on anyway. "I offer myself as your next child of Olympus."

Demeter scoffs. "Why would we choose you?"

"Cause I want it," I reply cynically.

"Young lady," Poseidon speaks. "We haven't seen that kind of hero in centuries. What makes you think you're up to the task?"

"Well, what makes you think I'm not?"

"You're an Aphrodite!" Ares laughs. When my mother glares at him, he clears his throat. "I mean, it doesn't seem like it would be the calling for someone of your kind."

"I've fought plenty," I continue. "I've learned a lot and I want to keep our world safe. I also have this..."

I show them Almighty. Hephaestus shifts on his chair uncomfortably and looks away; Zeus frowns, but next to him, Hera gets excited with the revelation.

"Pantodynamos!" She beams.

"How do we know she didn't steal it?"

"I saw her in action," Hades says. "This half-blood tricked a whole army into believing she was Achilles, our last son of Olympus, and they believed it because she did a good job."

"A child of Olympus must be familiar with their armies," Athena nods in agreement. "And she's spent years learning all the crafts, has she not? She can fight, build, and knows how to lead."

"I say we give her a try," Mr D shrugs. "We can strike her out of existence if she's lousy."

"She has my full support," Hades announces. "And my vote."

Zeus glares at his brother, but then Hera speaks. "Mine too."

"Me three," Mr. D hums, he's already lost interest and seems eager to leave the throne room.

"I gave her my blessing," my mother smiles. "She has my vote and my trust."

"Mine too," Hephaestus grumbles. "That was a neat trick you pulled with my son's creations, I'd like to see more of that."

"I vote in favor," Artemis eyes me with interest. "Would've made a fine hunter, but if this is her choice..."

"I never forget a fan," Apollo winks at me. "She's got my approval."

"Well, I helped her kill a Hyperborean..." Ares ponders. "So I guess I vote in favor too."

"She has my vote," says Hermes.

"Fine," Poseidon gives in, briefly glancing at Percy. "She shall have her chance."

Percy steps forward but Annabeth stops him. It catches my eye and I look back at them, my brother doesn't understand what being a child of Olympus ensues, but he's visibly worried. Annabeth's staring at me like she can't believe this is happening, and Thalia's shaking her head, knowing the deed is done. 

Lily keeps her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes fixed on the floor, Nico's the only one who doesn't look anxious or angry, perhaps he wants me to succeed, cause that would mean he also can.

"Arae Jackson, kneel before the council," Zeus says at last. 

I do what he asks me right away, holding tightly to the hilt of my sword.

"The gods are granting you the greatest honor," he says. "Do not waste it."

"You'll be the General of our armies," Athena continues. "You're allowed to deny or authorize quests as you deem it proper, and you shall join them if you think it's necessary." 

"If we call, you must answer. We will grant blessings only when you truly need them," Zeus continues. "Choose wisely, we cannot grant you all twelve."

"Lastly," Hades smiles coldly. "You cannot favor your former godly parent over the rest of us. From now on, you are the daughter of Olympus."

"Do you conform to these rules?" Zeus asks.

"I do."

Every god in the room lowers their weapons and scepters to the ground, golden lines travel through the marble surface and climb up my body healing my bruises, cuts, and scars.

"Stand."

I hold onto Almighty as I get up and notice the purple cape around my shoulders, a gold pin shaped in the form of an omega keeping it in place. I also feel something on my head, and when I reach up, I discover it's a crown of gold laurels.

Zeus looks far from happy. "You may go."

I put my sword on the sheath that's hanging over my hips, and I keep my head up as I walk away without turning my back on them. 

I think of the friends I lost, of how lonely they must've felt in their last moments. I think of all the lives it could save to have someone who shows up when we need them. A hero who doesn't think we're inconsequential and who by magical binding, can't turn their back on us.

 I remember when the monsters thought I was Achilles. 

I'm just like him now.

"You should take a nap," Annabeth suggests. "You have to look your best once we arrive."

Ara raises a brow. "I didn't come here to look pretty."

Annabeth shakes her head. "A child of Olympus is above everyone else, Ara. The Romans won't like that."

Ara feels her stomach twisting in knots, but she smiles despite it. "Won't be nice to discover a Greek is their commander, huh?"

"You'll have to assert your position, and for that, you need to look strong," Annabeth squeezes her shoulder. "Sleep, I'll call if we need you."

The girl makes her way to the cabins. As she goes she spots Leo moving from one side to the other on the control board, but she leaves him alone, they all need to focus on themselves.

Jason helped her practice the wolf glare all Romans have, and he's taught her the way the legions work, but just like Annabeth, he's warned her they'll show resistance to admitting she's their superior.

Ara has faced worse crowds, so she thinks it'll be fine. Becoming a daughter of Olympus didn't keep her loved ones out of danger, but at least no one can keep her out of the fight now, and she's going to become whatever she must to secure their victory over Gaea.

The girl falls asleep as soon as her head hits the pillow, but she doesn't get a demigod dream this time. When she opens her eyes, she's no longer on the ship.

"Ara," Aphrodite looms over her, eyes just as serious as the rest of her expression. "We need to talk about your curse."

I don't understand why my friends are acting this way, but they aren't upset because I wasted their time, they're angry because I've given mine up. Ambition blinds me from the one thing the others can see.

I didn't care at first, I was fifteen years old yet my name would be written in our history books. No one was going to be able to put out my fire for a very long time.

I wish they had.

Book II ->

Taglist.

@siriuslysirius1107 @ask-giggles1303 @ash-the-hoarder @im-planning-something-look @bandshirts-andbooks @coolninjapaper @thewaterlily @whenisthefall @1randomcomic @you-bloody-shank @sunflowergraves @owlalex44 @taylordaughter @typicalsolangelolover @writingmia @espressopatronum454 @slytherinnqueen @orbitingpolaris @obxstiles

[toycoheartful]

Quetzali Wondergirl

Quetzali Wondergirl is a body part of Inhabitants "Jose Gallard, Fiona Demetria, Yuri Brand, Haoyu Chang, Sana Hudson, Cass Milligan, Cal Suresh, Iben Bia, Attilio Caccini, Lucy Wong, Eis Glover and Bruce Stone". - Who want to be a Wonder Star and She likes to Leo Craig, Emma Cole, Balan, Lance & 12 Inhabitants

Name: Quetzali Wondergirl (Quetzaltenango la chica maravilla)

Species: Human PawPant (Body parts of Jose Gallard, Fiona Demetria & Yuri Brand's Left Arms, Haoyu Chang, Sana Hudson & Cass Milligan's Right Arms, Cal Suresh, Iben Bia & Attilio Caccini's Left Legs & Lucy Wong, Eis Glover & Bruce Stone's Right Legs)

Sexually: Lesbian

Sex: Female

Power: Using his tails to grabbing and Roaring like a T-Rex

Best Friend: Opal Petalmen & Balan

Friend: Rabbidbot "Toyco" White-Rabbit, Rabbidmini, Attilio von Chupacabra, Minnie Monarch-Butterfly, Wallace Yellow-Crested Cockatoo, Robert Fusibot, Andrea Satyr, Cosmo Vintage Toy-Robot, Winona Unicorn, Mahavir Great White-Shark, Kenia Russian Blue, Mr. Dicky Water Python, Rasputin "Raz" Mountain Zebra, Izzy Jerboa, Bella Firefighter, Monday Poodle, Leo Craig, Emma Cole, Jose Gallard, Fiona Demetria, Yuri Brand, Haoyu Chang, Sana Hudson, Cass Milligan, Cal Suresh, Iben Bia, Attilio Caccini, Lucy Wong, Eis Glover, Bruce Stone & Elliott Wade

Rival: King Balor Boitatá, Lance & King Bjørn Griffin

Theme Song: Better Off Alone by Alice Deejay

[gear-project]

. . .

Random GG Thoughts:

---A.B.A. and Flament Nagel would give Guts in his Berserker Armor a run for his Arm Cannon. Though, if I'm being honest, I'm surprised A.B.A. hasn't been made a guest character in a Dark Souls-like game or Bloodborne as a boss of some kind.

---Personal confession: I was never a diehard Bridget fan: unless you count the times I believed Bridget was secretly a Vigilante in the same vein as Batman... with Roger as his sidekick. It all makes sense to me... Bridget is this noveau rich kid who uses technology and training to beat up bad guy criminals in secret. Being a Yoyo Performer is just a front. Bridget might even be a secret Agent like 007.

---We've never really discussed all the times Axl Low time travelled backwards to Prehistoric Times... he even met a Velociraptor! Imagine Axl swinging around with his chain sickles ala Spider-man trying to take down a giant T-Rex like something out of Attack on Titan.

---I'm still eager to learn the real history behind the Conclave. Just who is Chronus behind the mask? What kind of man was Axus? We know Libraria kept a record of all their activities (according to Answer's report on them), but we really don't know how each was connected with Society at large or their history and influences over Europe and Russia/China.

---It's been heavily suggested that Australia is now something of a Gear Nature Preserve, so who really knows how many Gears still live on that massive continent... let alone the humans who may still live there. Zappa actually hails from Australia, but we never really knew his history from living there.

---We know that Marina became a teacher for orphans after the events of Lightning the Argent... but just what happened to her twin Sister Solaria? Supposedly Sol gave her a Gear Cell Suppressor device to wear so she could look human, but beyond that we don't know exactly what happened to her after that. Do the sisters still live together despite the circumstances? Does Solaria work with the Orphans too? Related to this, Testament once ran an Orphanage, so we've never really explored that side of their history before.

---We still know next to nothing about King Daryl or King Leo's history prior to becoming kings of Illyria... I'm especially curious how King Daryl got his position. Did he even fight during the Crusades as a Knight? Or did he just sit behind a desk? And let's not forget the "Devil" that is Leo Whitefang's Sister? Is she his older Sister? Or Younger? We don't know... but perhaps she has some connection with Leo's past as a Knight of the Sacred Order...

---Unchou Hirufumi: stories say he is even stronger than Johnny when it comes to Iaido swordsmanship. Only instead of drawing a Sword... he wields a spear and can draw it faster than lightning. And then there's the mystery behind Johnny's sword Engetsu... in the original GGXPlus story, Engetsu was a sword that Johnny could channel Ki in to and increase its power... that's about all we know, but GG's history has never gone in to further depth with that aspect of his story. Will Johnny ever tell us his past... or will he forever be a playboy?

[cielsosinfel]

FFXII has a lot of hidden OP items that are so extremely exhausting to get... and it's honestly making me nostalgic for when this was the norm in JRPGs, for there to be ultra-rare but extremely OP weapons and armor and whatever, or hidden bosses with quadruple the stats of any other in the game, that you need to jump through hoops to unlock.

I actually really miss these kinds of gameplay elements, because even though they're usually too tedious for me to go through, they add this like... mystery to the game? Some excitement over discovering something so gamebreaking and outside the bounds of the base game? The accomplished feeling of finally getting a rare item or beating a ultra-difficult boss after hours of life spent suffering through the steps and the Game Overs. Wondering at how the HELL anyone worked out the steps to unlock the damn things. IDK how to describe it lol it's the kind of thing I feel has been lost in the era of DLC.

Right now I am struggling through hoops to get a Nihopalaoa, an accessory that reverses effects of items used on a target. This leads to the potential to throw a Remedy (status condition cure-all) at an enemy, and inflict them with every single negative status they're susceptible to (so some enemies you can toss it on and they'll get Sap/Disease/Doom/Poison/etc all at once.)

this is TL;DR and absolutely uninteresting to anyone else probably

To get this item in the Zodiac Age remaster, you have several options:

-Play through the optional Trial Mode, where you defeat waves of enemies to get to the next Trial, and after every 10 trials you get a rewrd. This accessory is stealable from the mobs on Trial 70 (out of 100)

-A chest in Henne Mines Phase 2 Dig. The chest only has a 25% chest of spawning. To access Phase 2 Dig, you first collect 10 espers (basically optional bosses that you defeat to unlock summons), and defeat a VERY difficult Hunt quest. This is actually the location for Zodiark, the most difficult esper boss to defeat, and the area is packed with over-powered mobs.

-A chest with a 5% spawn chance at Subterra, which is basically near the very end of the game

-A Bazaar purchase. The Bazaar is a way of purchasing items that only unlock as you sell Loot; different combinations of loot will unlock different bazaar goods. Nihopalaoa is unlocked by selling: Blood-stained Necklace x3, Death's Head x2, Leo Gem x3.

Leo Gems are a rare loot drop that can only be stolen from Diresaurs (basically big T-rex mobs.) They have a 3% steal rate. For the other two, you can't get them as Steal loot until you unlock the Warmage Monograph, which requires opening the Hunt Board 30 times so you can purchase the monograph form the bazaar. Blood-stained Necklace can only be stolen from Shambling Corpses, which only spawn in the area where you find the esper/boss Adrammelech. They are also continuously spawning and you are easily overwhelmed fighting them, especially if you're unable to take down Adrammelech. Death's heads are a 10% steal loot from Dark Skeletons. Dark Skeletons are in two places: Paramine Rift, where they randomly spawn in a couple zones; and Golmore Jungle, where they spawn in one specific zone only if you destroy every other mob on the map and defeat the Rare Elite Mob that spawns.

So which one of these is the easiest, most accessible option? The fourth one that involves hours upon hours of grinding in the hopes of stealing some rare drops from mobs in very annoying locations????

Yes. Yes that's the easiest one.

Anyway it took me 2 hours across a couple days to steal 2 Death's Heads and I now must go and attempt to steal 3 Blood-Stained Necklaces (thankfully I have Thief's Cuffs so the drop rate is doubled to a whopping 6%.)

Wish me fucking luck. I don't even need this accessory. I just want boss fights to be as easy as possible without losing my mind getting the ultra ultra ultra OP but extremely tedious arms.

[randomnerdyfan]

Thank you so much for the tag!!!

What's set as your phone's lockscreen?

A wallpaper from my favorite band - Sabaton.

Cheese or chocolate?

Both? Both! Both is good.

Do you have any nicknames?

Yes! A simple one that’s just a short version of my first name. And some people who are very close to me call me „Mouse“.

Last song you listened to?

Strange Game by Mick Jagger

Have you ever written fanfiction?

Absolutely. That’s how discovered my love for writing. My first stories ever where about an OC surviving the titanic lol. Yeah I was a titanic kid.

Are you on discord?

Yes! I got it during Corona because my school used it for classes rather than zoom lol. Now I keep some long distance friendships there. Not active much though.

Do you have any piercings?

I have earrings in both ears, plus another ear piercing in my right ear :)

What do you think says the most about a person?

How they treat loved ones. How they treat service staff. And how they talk about people who a currently not present. Also, their eyes - they’re like an open book if you know what to look for.

If you were a cookie, what kind would you be?

Raw chocolate chip cookie dough.

Are you more of a dog person or a cat person?

I like both, but I‘d rather have a dog than a cat! Specifically, a Golden or a Corgi. Preferably both.

Headphones or earbuds?

Headphones at home, ear buds for on the go!

What's the last thing you said out loud?

„Good night dad!“ xD

What's a weird fact that you know?

It is illegal to cross the state line to Minnesota while carrying a duck on your head. However, I don’t know why. But I’d like to hear that story.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Night owl all the way! I’ve always been, but working in theatre also shifts your daily rhythm a bit.

Favorite place to nap?

My bed, no question!

Are you a member of the LGBTQIA+ community?

Yes! I don’t know what label however. Demisexual? Bi-curious? Unlabeled? Something like that. Not straight tho!

Describe yourself in three words.

Loving. Caring. Emotional.

Jeans or sweatpants?

Sweats! Jeans for special occasions tho.

What's your go-to Starbucks order?

Peach iced tea or iced (lactose free) vanilla latte. Or a hot one of its cold out.

A color you can't stand?

That pastel brown-red-green-ish that’s neither really red nor green. Because I physically can’t see it. 🥲

What's your most prized possession?

A small stuffed leopard that my ski instructor and now good family friend gave to me when I was six. His name is Leo and he’s been with me through everything.

Also, a teddy bear that my boyfriend at the time gifted to me to keep me company whenever he’s not there. Still love it dearly and hold it every night.

Coffee or tea?

Tea! All day every day!

Favorite extinct animal?

Probably the T-Rex. T-Rex arms are a comfort sleep position for me 😅

How long have you been on tumblr?

Oof. Uh, 2016, I think? Until like 2018-19? Then not really until late 2023!

Desert island item?

Probably a book about survival! And my emotional support stuffed animals, the leopard and the teddy. No night spent without them, let’s be honest!

Describe your aesthetic.

Medieval fantasy, witchy, spiritual, dark academia, cottage cozy, but also like heavy metal stage show, WW2 era vintage and military. A bit of everything I guess!

What's your dream job?

Acting! Currently pursuing that! But also, audio book narration and full time artist would be neat.

Relationship status?

Single currently, but complicated. Separated due to life circumstances, right person wrong time situation. I hold him dearly in my heart, we’re still friends and we both wish to be more again if the timing is right and it feels right for both of us. No hard feelings, just respect and love, and hope. Navigating through a lot of emotions currently 😅

Describe your favorite outfit.

At the moment, it’s pants and a button shirt that used to be my dads and make me look like I just returned from a time travel to the WW2 era. I feel confident in that one.

Also, my plate armor. I‘m a fantasy nerd, let’s be honest. Not the most comfortable tho!

Is there a song you know all the lyrics to?

Bismarck by Sabaton - my favorite song!

What color is your hair?

Dark brown under sunlight, but appears black mostly. So almost black I guess?

Do you talk to yourself?

Absolutely! All the time! To me, to everything around me, I just talk a lot.

Do you wear makeup?

Occasionally! „Beauty“ Make-up only on special occasions, but I’ve been wearing stage makeup and special effects makeup on my last job quite a lot. The latter is also a hobby of mine!

Best compliment you ever received?

Oh that’s a good question. Multiple friends and colleagues have called me a „sunshine“ before, which has always touched me. And I’ve gotten quite some meaningful compliments regarding my work. But being called the kindest, sweetest, most deserving and most lovable person by the person you love, that’s probably gotta be it. Nothing can beat that.

Thanks again for the tag!!

~ 💖 ASK GAME 💖 ~

📷 What’s set as your phone’s lockscreen?

🍫 Cheese or chocolate?

✨ Do you have any nicknames?

🎵 Last song you listened to?

✏️ Have you ever written fanfiction?

😏 Are you on discord?

 💛 Do you have any piercings?

🐰 What do you think says the most about a person?

🍪 If you were a cookie, what kind would you be?

🐶 Are you more of a dog person or a cat person?

🎧 Headphones or earbuds?

🌼 What’s the last thing you said out loud?

🙃 What’s a weird fact that you know?

🦉 Are you a morning person or a night owl?

🧸 Favorite place to nap?

🏳️‍🌈 Are you a member of the LGBTQIA+ community?

🦋 Describe yourself in three words.

👖 Jeans or sweatpants?

🥤 What’s your go-to Starbucks order?

🧡 A color you can’t stand?

💎 What’s your most prized possession?

☕ Coffee or tea?

🦖 Favorite extinct animal?

🌙 How long have you been on tumblr?

🌴 Desert island item?

🐸 Describe your aesthetic.

🔮 What’s your dream job?

💙 Relationship status?

🌿 Describe your favorite outfit.

🎤 Is there a song you know all the lyrics to?

🤎 What color is your hair?

💌 Do you talk to yourself?

💄 Do you wear makeup?

🌸 Best compliment you ever received?

💞 @ your favorite blog.

Reblogs are appreciated!

[undercoverwizardfanfiction]

Title: Glass Shell

Verse: ROTTMNT

Summary: Afterall, aren’t we all in various stages of falling apart?

Characters: Donatello, Leonardo, Raphael

Pairings:

Warnings: PTSD, meltdown, nightmares, past trauma

@hoshisoul and @soldierofsirens thank you both :)

Being a record-breaking insomniac, Leo is always finicky if he wakes up before he’s ready. Normally the process includes twelve alarms, turning off the heated blanket he had started using for the top half of his body and the slightly warmer second heated blanket he used for the bottom half and letting nature do its work (if he’s lucky, he’d be up by noon). What he doesn’t like is having an empty bag dropped entirely on his face. For a moment all he can do was shoot up in a sitting position and swipe at his face furiously till he’s able to catch it and pull it off. He pushes up his eye mask and rubs at his face as he reads the bag.

“Naturally sourced fair trade premium coffee beans?” He looks up to his assailant. “Raph, I keep telling you coffee is a gateway drug and our grocery bills can’t afford another caffeine addict—”

“That's not—no, I don’t have the physical strength to fight Donnie for coffee every morning,” Raph says with a shake of his head, as though the very thought of it was enough to give him nightmares. “No, I wanted to talk to you, ’cause I think something might be happening and I’m not sure. I’ve been wrong in the past; I’ve made things worse in the past—” Raph starts tapping his forefingers as his talking speeds up. “And—and I don't want to overstep, but I can't stop thinking about it and—and I thought I’d come to you since you’re better about this—”

“Buddy, buddy, you’re at a 10 right now, I need you to be at a 3,” Leo pulls his water jug off his bedside and takes a sip. “Maybe a 2. “

Raph's face twists up in frustration, but he closes his eyes and takes a few deep breaths and opens his eyes again. He starts pacing across the small space between Leo’s bed and the door, gesturing with his hands.

“OK, so we got groceries two days ago. I remember because you always buy an extra three boxes of cookies. One for dipping into sour cream while you shop, one for Pops so he doesn’t eat your cookies, and one for the drive home, ’cause, and I quote: ‘I just did my chore for the week and I deserve this.’” Raph pauses and looks at him. “You know, how you’re still alive is beyond me.”

“Pizza Supreme in the Sky wouldn’t gift me to the world and take me away so easy.'' Leo grins. Now that he’s waking up more, he stretches out his arms and legs in almost a catlike manner and yawns. “OK, OK, so we went grocery shopping. So what?”

“So, every week Donnie gets four large bags of overpriced coffee from that vegan store on the other side of town because the one we used to go to banned you both.”

“We’ve been over this. If they didn’t want us to ride a robot bear through their vegan honey aisle they should have put up a sign—”

“—SO I went to throw it in the recycling bin. And I saw there were already, like, four bags in there. That doesn’t seem healthy.”

Ah, worried big brother Raph is a classic. Leo can’t help but smile and reach out, wrapping his smaller hand around Raphs larger finger, which instinctively wraps around his.

“OK, OK, big guy, come here. Come listen to Wisonardo.” He manages to scoot over to let Raph sit down next to him before he gets up on his knees and starts kneading his shoulder. But upon realizing his fingers didn’t have the strength to make a difference, he switches to his elbows. “I know you love to worry. It’s your favorite thing to do other than collecting Teddy Bear Town coupons and anxiety. And the fact you haven't been hovering over him is great and I’m proud of you… I mean yeah, that much coffee would kill a T-Rex. But Donnie—'' Four bags was a lot of coffee, was he not sleeping at all? “That is a lot for him, but we’ve all been going through a lot with the Invasion, and I think this is just how he’s coping. I think.”

He was trying not to think about how he noticed the coffee pot had gone missing from the kitchen. Which meant either Donnie had broken the three he kept in his lab, or he had all four going off at once to ensure he didn't go a second without coffee. Out of the two options he wasn’t sure what was worse.

“So right now, we just need to give him his space. If something was really wrong my twin senses would have gone off—”

The sound of shattering glass fills the lair, and in a fit of panic, he vaults over Raph’s head. ”Nope, never mind, bad things are happening!” he says as he bursts out of his room. Leo turns so fast his feet slip under him, but he manages to right himself and run towards Don's lab.

“Donnie?” he calls out. Please let it just be an accident. Donnie’s hands were probably just slippery or he saw a spider or Webster changed the spelling of “theater” again. But as he turns around the corner, he sees pieces of a broken beaker on the floor outside his room, and a moment later a large monitor joins it, shattering and scattering across the floor.

“Donnie?” he calls out again. He runs and throws the curtains back.

Oh no.

The first thing he sees is Donnie, his tech shell to him. Before he can feel relief that he’s not hurt, he sees Donnie’s room, which, ever since they moved in, contained carefully stacked boxes all around the room's edge with the only real furniture being a desk. Now the boxes have fallen around the room with electronics and harddrives spilling out over the floor. Donnie has already grabbed a computer tower and has started raising it up over his head.

Despite years of knowing better, Leo lunges forward and wraps his arms around Donnie’s torso, trapping his arms and yanking back hard. The sudden movement causes Donnie to lose his grip on the tower and drop it back to the ground.

”Donnie, stop! You’ll hurt yourself!”

“Let me go!” Donnie shouts, thrashing around. Had it been any other turtle, Leo would have found it impossible to restrain him (Raph was Raph and Mikey was a hellion who once Kool Aid Man'd through a wall to avoid getting a tetanus shot), but he manages to lock Donnie in place by gripping his opposite wrist in a wrestling move Raph taught him.

Raph is by his side a moment later with wide, panicked eyes, looking from the ransacked lab to their brother.

“What happened! What's going on?!”

“I got him, I got him!” says Leo, even though it probably doesn’t look like that. Right now Leo’s highest priority is getting Donnie out of that room, but Raph is already hovering too close. “I said I got him. Make sure nothing is broken in here, OK? Please?” he begs.

Leo doesn’t bother to wait for an answer as he drags Donnie out of the room as best he can with Donnie’s thrashing. Before he can think of where to go, his foot catches a broken piece of monitor and the two hit the ground. Leo’s other arm instinctively covers Don’s head to keep it from hitting the concrete. Before Donnie can take advantage of his fall, he continues clinging to him as tight as he can, whispering through gritted teeth, “It’s OK, it’s OK,” as his eyes burn with tears. He presses his face into the back of Don’s neck. “It’s OK.”

After what feels like an eternity, but in reality is only a few moments, Donnie seems to understand Leo isn’t releasing him anytime soon. Slowly, his thrashing becomes weaker and the fist he had been using to pry Leo’s arm off him falls limp. There’s a small tremble that makes Leo think he’s mustering up strength to go another round before he begins to weep softly.

Leo lets out a sigh of relief. He loosens his grip for a moment to test if Donnie will take advantage and try to pull away. He lacks either the energy or the will to try anything. So Leo reaches up and grabs at the ground and heaves the two of them up into a sitting position, careful not to jostle him too much.

He checks to make sure they’re not caught on any of the wreckage before he reaffirms his other arm around him, holding him just as tight as before, but trying to comfort rather than restrain. He presses their temples together gently as he uses his thumb to stroke the back of his head.

“I gotcha buddy, just breathe,” he says softly. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Raph exit Don’s bedroom with a less-than-promising look on his face. Leo guides Don’s head so he can rest his chin on his scalp and looks at Raph. “How bad is it?”

“The surface was pretty badly cracked, but it might still work? I’m not exactly an expert,” he says, looking at Don.

Leo knows all he wants to do is check on him and find out what happened, but Leo shakes his head with a sympathetic expression on his face. Donnie doesn’t need to be bombarded with questions and he hopes that Raph will understand. Their older brother holds his gaze a moment later and, after a soft sigh, he nods.

“I’m….going to start cleaning up. Let me know if you need me…” he says, looking at them a moment longer and then walking away.

Leo is going to have to find some way to thank him later. He knows how hard it is for Raph to walk away, which is just another reason Leo knows Raph’s real strength has nothing to do with his physical form.

“I’m really proud of him,” he whispers to Donnie.

For the next several minutes, Leo simply holds his brother and rocks him. He does what he can to support him emotionally and physically as he weeps softly. But eventually, he feels Donatello stop trembling. Leo loosens his grip for a moment to test his reaction. But either Don has no reason to get free or he’s too exhausted to do so—he doesn’t know which, and isn’t sure if one would be worse than the other.

“Hey, Raph,” he calls softly. Raph ducks out of Don’s room a moment later. “Did you see if Donnie has his new bed set up yet?” When Raph shakes his head sadly, Leo lets out a small sigh.

“Oh, bud.” He holds Don a inch tighter to him. “I get it, I do,” he whispers, He looks back to Raph. “Can you help us real fast? Let's get him to my room so he can get some sleep.”

Raph’s eyes lit up, grateful to be of some help. He nods and kneels down. He holds his hand up, then hesitates. “It-It’s ok? I don’t want to mess up again—”

“Raph, it's OK. Please.” Leo gives him what he hopes is a reassuring smile, undermined by the fact that his lips can’t stop trembling.

But it has the intended effect. Raph nods. “Ok, let's go.”

Between the two of them they are able to lift Donnie to his feet. Raph has a careful grip on his shoulders that tells Leo he’s considering just picking him up, but Leo catches his eyes and shakes his head. Raph thankfully respects his wishes, but stays close as Leo pulls Don’s arm over his neck. Again, he tests to see if Donnie would rather walk on his own, but the softshell leans against him with his free hand wiping at his eyes. He’s grateful for Raph staying close as he helps Don to his bedroom, even more so when he pulls the covers back.

“Thanks, man,” he whispers over his shoulder as he guides Donnie closer. He’s unsure how to help him get into bed without manhandling him, but Donnie simply flops over on the bed and curls up in a little ball. Leo does a look-over for injury and spots a large bruise forming on his left bicep, but after a quick panic, reminds himself it would be impossible for Donnie to give himself that sort of bruise. But as Raph pulls the covers over him, he notices Don’s hands hanging over the side and that his fingers and gloves are covered in a brown liquid.

“I’m going to take these off for you, OK?” he says. He takes the gloves by the bottoms and peels them off as gently as he can, watching Don’s sleeping face in case he has any protest as Leo reaches into his bedside table and pulls out a container of unscented hand wipes. He looks over his shoulder to Raph as he bundles a bunch of wipes into his hands. “He can’t stand to have things sticking to his hands. It stresses him out,” he explains. Leo’s not sure he’s done a satisfactory job, so he sets the wipes by the bedside.

“In case you need them, bud.”

He considers going and getting one of the duffel bags Mikey has in his room, but decides against it, as Donnie is already asleep. The only consolation is that the tears streaming down his face have finally stopped, and Leo can only assume he’s sleeping well. He bunches his hoodie sleeve into his fist and carefully wipes off Don’s face and stands up hesitating a moment longer to turn the dial on Don’s headphones to noise canceling mode as gently as he can without waking him.

He turns to Raph and gestures nothing we can do now; let him rest.

“Y—yeah, OK.” Raph looks back at Donnie but Leo takes him by the arm and helps him out. Leo looks back to make sure Donnie is actually asleep before he squeezes his arm gently.

“Hey, you did so well, Big Guy. I’m proud of you.”

“Did I? He was so out of it and—and I didn’t do anything. You did more than I did—”

“You didn’t overcrowd him, you didn’t barrage him with a thousand questions. You listened, I—I—” Now that they’re out of his bedroom, he lets his voice crack as he drops Raphs arm. He presses the palms of his hands to his now-burning eyes. “I—I’ve never had to restrain him like that before. I was so scared he was going to hurt himself and I—I—” His voice cracks again and this time Leo feels Raph put a hand on his shell and guide him into a tight protective hug. Despite himself, he gratefully leans against his brother and hugs him back just as tightly. He allows himself a few moments of comfort before he pulls away and wipes at his eyes again.

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” he says, fluttering his hands, and he takes several deep breaths. He can feel Raph giving him the same look he had given Donnie.

“You look beat, man. Do you want to crash in my room for a bit?”

“No, not right now. Donnie’s stressed ’cause he has too much work to do. He’s had to rebuild our home three times now; the least we can do is pick up his bedroom.”

“Yeah, yeah, that sounds like a plan. Should we call Dad? He’d want to know.”

“He would, but he’s at Mikeys’ appointment and I don't want to worry him. We’ll let him know when they get back.” He looks at Raph. Even though the snapping turtle was no longer the leader, he still sought his opinion on certain situations. After a moment of eye contact, Raph nods.

“Alright, sounds good. I’ll grab another dustpan and then we’ll get to work.”

Leo takes a moment and looks back to the room where his brother is currently sleeping off the worst meltdown he has ever seen. The fluttering returns to his hands as he shakes out his hands and takes another deep breath before heading to Donnie’s wrecked room.

(#)(#)\/(#)(#)

Cleaning had never been Leo’s strong suit; helping, even less so. But with Raph’s guidance, the two are able to clean up the disassembled room that had been assigned to Donnie. Now that things are being cleaned up, he can see the shattered remains of two coffee pots and a broken mug with dried coffee under one of the fallen stacks. Leo doesn’t point it out to Raph. He doesn’t want to brainstorm over what happened here; his anxiety would only think of the worst-case scenario and do no one any good. But he takes note of it as he cleans up. Even with the help, it takes a few hours to get anything back into respectable order. Nowhere near as organized as Donnie had been (there were no sub-subcategories or codes), but hopefully done well enough so that Donnie wouldn’t be stressed out.

“Ugh, I can’t believe Splinter expects us to do this more than once a year,” Leo grumbles as he stands up straight, shaking the dust from their labor off his hands.

Raph looks at him with a big smirk that Leo hadn’t realized he missed. “If you cleaned more than once a year it wouldn’t be hard to clean.”

“UGH. NO. I REFUSE! That’s for ugly people!” he says with an overly dramatic scoff that does the intended job of making Raph laugh. His older brother reaches over and takes his shoulders from behind, digging his thumbs into his shoulders.

“Alright, your highness, let's get out of here before you break into hives.”

“Ow, ow! Spiky fingers, spiky fingers!!!” He squirms to free himself, but Raph guides him out of the room. Leo twists free and sticks his tongue out at him at a safe distance, which does nothing other than make Raph laugh harder. “OK, you brute, for a job well done, I think we deserve ice cream,” he says. Without waiting, he skips back over to the kitchen. He’s already imagining what kind of cottage cheese he’s going to add to his ice cream as he pulls the freezer door open. The cold breeze barely reached his finger tips before he freezes up.

Endless darkness.

His body ached from hours and hours of battle and now rested against a large rock. It was the closest he had come to rest in close to twelve hours. Through bleary eyes, he saw a large form, forged from metal he couldn't even imagine. It caused the very ground beneath him to tremble with each step. Its laughs were as dark as the void around him.

“My wrath shall be reserved for you and you alone.”

Leo jumps back and slams the freezer door shut. He throws himself back as far back as he can until his shell hits the kitchen table, causing it to slide back several inches. He looks at the fridge as though he expected the cold to break free and drag him in with it.

The cold always made it worse.

The cold always consumed him.

The sound of Raph’s footsteps reaches him and he barely has time to stand back up and calm his exterior before he enters.

“What’s up? What kind of ice cream are we eating?”

“Um, ACTUALLY, how about we eat some real food? I forgot I have a cavity so I have to chillax on the ice cream,” he says, hoping Raph doesn’t remember he considers cavities to be achievements, but after giving him a quizzical expression, Raph looks back out into the Lair. Confused, Leo goes to join him, but realizes what, or who, Raph is looking for.

“Looks like Splinter and Mikey decided to go shopping after their appointment.” Leo leans in the doorway by him.

“If they went to Sparkling Sterling Sporks, then we might not see them again for a week,” Raph says with a smirk, but Leo watches Raph’s gaze go back to his subway car. For a moment he’s scared that Raph will just go over, but his older brother takes a deep breath. “OK, Lee, I’ll follow your lead on this. What should we do next?”

Leo isn’t sure how many more times he can tell Raph he’s proud of him before it loses meaning. Instead, he gives him a supportive squeeze on the arm.

“I’ll check on him if he’s still asleep. I don't want to wake him. Mikey made a giant pot of french onion soup; can you heat some up? It's one of Don's favorites and maybe it’ll help him feel better.”

“No coffee?”

“God no, but if you could rush order some coffee beans and a new coffee maker for tomorrow, that’d be great. If he finds out he’s all out he’s going to murder us all without mercy.”

Raph breaks out into another smile but it falls into a moment of Oh shit, he’s right as he turns and books it back to the kitchen with his phone up, typing furiously. Leo can’t help the chuckle that escapes him. Laughing again feels really good; it feels like he hasn't laughed since the Invasion, unless it was for show. He makes his way back towards the subway car. After a moment to steel himself, he presses his palm to his bedroom door. He had only intended to peek, but after a glimpse his eyes widen and he throws the door open.

The bed is empty.

“Donnie?!” he calls, looking around. There isn’t really a space to hide in his room but he has to make sure Donnie isn’t sitting in a corner out of sight. “Dee? Alone time is fine but knowing you’re OK is even cooler??” He hurries out into the main living space and does a quick 360 to make sure Donnie isn’t hanging out in the arcade or wandering around with a broken coffee pot for his first victim.

There is none.

There is nothing.

Leo turns to run to the kitchen before skidding to a stop and he flutters his hands angrily by his head. “Calm down, calm down, it’s OK, it’s OK. Panicking isn’t going to help anyone. Donnie is capable and fine,” he reminds himself. He blows out air between his lips and, with one final angry flap, stills his hands. He manages to calm his exterior and goes to the kitchen, hoping Donnie wandered in in the ten seconds he was gone. He feels his heart drop when he only sees Raph at the stove, who gives him a confused look.

“Leo? Donnie ok?”

“Um, yeah, yeah.” His hands tremble again as he does one more look around the room. “I mean, yeah, I think he is. He’s not here. And—and he’s not in the Lair.”

“Wh—what do you mean?” A surge of panic fills Raph's eyes that Leo has been expecting since they first heard the glass break. “He’s not here? Did he run away—”

“No, no, I don't think that.” Leo has to bring his hands up again and stims a little. He has to calm down, separate the panic from the truth. “No. Donnie doesn’t run away, he sulks and pouts. He only runs away dramatically after we’ve binge-watched the first twenty-three seasons of Lou Jitsu in Lou Jitsu and his Shakes-Pearean Wedding to MilkShakespeare.” Deep breath, deep breath. “We were cleaning for a while,”—he has to be logical—“He might have just needed some air and walked out without telling us.” Leo pulls out his phone and, not for the first time, he prays that Donnie secretly installed his turtle tracker on his phone. But as he struggles to pull up any apps through burning eyes, all he can see is Donnie's wrecked bedroom, one that was done after a terrible night at the Yokai Mart which felt like a lifetime ago and now, in a Lair that didn't feel like home, the feeling of Donnie thrashing against him before breaking down and weeping in his arms.

He pauses.

He realizes.

Leo takes a deep breath and puts his phone (one more wrong password from being locked out) back in his belt. He closes his eyes and makes eye contact with Raph, who's looking at him like he’s lost his mind.

“I think I know where he’s at,” he starts carefully, with less confidence than he’s trying to exude. “I—I’m going to go check real fast, but it might take me a bit to get there.”

“You—” Raph pauses, “You don't want me to come with you, do you?”

“No, bud—” it's hard for Leo to watch Raph’s eyes fall to the ground, filled with frustrated tears. “Hey, hey.” Leo steps forward and, in the same way he did with Donnie, puts a hand on the back of Raph’s head and puts their temples together. “You’re a turtle of action. You do an amazing job keeping us safe. And I know it doesn’t seem like it now. But this? This is helping a ton. I wouldn’t have been able to help Donnie like I did without you. But I need you to stay here in case Donnie comes back.”

After a breath, Raph looks at him again and, though a tear runs down his face. He gives a shaky smile and a nod that Leo makes sure to return.

“That’s my man. Keep the soup warm, and if Dad gets back before us, just tell him the truth, but don't say anything before they get back. He and Mikey are having fun and if anyone deserves that, it's them.” He releases Raph. He hurries to Mikey’s room long enough to grab a duffel bag with a piece of purple duct tape wrapped around the handle (alongside a few others with different color markings), returns to the kitchen, and stuffs a few more items from around the kitchen into his bag. Leo makes sure to give Raph one more encouraging smile. As he walks out of the lair, he looks over his shoulder to make sure he’s far enough away before he secures the duffel bag to his shell and breaks into a dead run.

(#)(#)\/(#)(#)

It's not until Leo’s almost to the lair that the terrain gets treacherous. Splinter and Draxum never talked about how the Battle with Shredder went down, but it wrecked everything underground for almost a two-mile radius. And in the times they returned to their former home to collect any resources that had survived, Mikey would always cling to someone's arm with a death grip until they left again. The youngest of them had been the only one brave enough to manifest how it had felt to come back to their ruined home.

Because of the momentum from running, Leo’s able to easily vault over several broken slabs of concrete, jump over wide gaps in the ground that revealed sewer tunnels underneath, and walk through the makeshift tunnel they had dug out to make treks to their old home easier. It takes him a minute to shimmy though until he finds himself doubling over, gasping for air in the wrecked remains of their childhood home.

Like every time he's visited, he freezes for a moment with his breath caught in his chest. He reaches a trembling hand up and feels his mask tails. He can still remember the jerk from when Shredder nearly cut his head off. The panic as he watched their home cave in around them, feeling powerless. Helpless.

He remembers how close they came to becoming memories.

He remembers how close they came to becoming memories since then.

He shakes out his trembling hands and moves through the lair. At this point in time, because of the open water pipes and gathering moisture, algae and grass have begun to replace their presence here (which, in a way, was a blessing if anyone ever came down to fix the pipes). But the only remaining color comes from the still hanging torn purple curtain that Donnie had refused to take with him. He hovers at the entrance for a moment; he knows better than anyone how overbearing he can be and he will never quite forgive himself for how he reacted during the Yokai Mart incident. But he knows better now, he hopes. He raises his hand and knocks gently on the frame of the opening.

“Dee? It's me. Is it OK if I come in and hang out for a bit?” he asks, fully knowing there’s a good chance Donnie isn’t there and, even if he is, he isn’t sure what to expect as a response. But Leo watches the curtain twitch for a moment, as though someone is trying to pull it open without having the energy to do so. Leo grips the straps of his duffel bag tighter before ducking in.

Most of Don’s room had caved in during the attack, leaving the only viable sitting spot directly by the entrance where Leo sees him, curled up with his face in his knees. If he hadn’t seen Donnie try to pull the curtain open he would’ve thought he had simply fallen asleep again. He does a quick look-over to check for injury, but other than the large bruise on his bicep that has now fully formed against his sea-green skin, he's grateful to find nothing new. He looks around for a place to sit before deciding to sit by his side, giving him enough space that he hopes will help him feel comfortable. Now that he knows where Donnie is, he could relax and let out a deep breath, sinking down to give his now aching body a break.

For a moment he's satisfied with just sitting there, catching his breath. But out of the corner of his eye he watches Donnie for any sudden movements or signs that he wants Leo to leave. But he waits a bit before he speaks, until he knows it won't be hindered by his gasping breath.

“How did you know I’d be here?” Donnie’s voice is so quiet, he isn’t sure he hears him at first.

“I could say I’m a great detective. But I know you’d want to be somewhere no one would look for you…” He looks around the room, catching sight of a pile of rubble that had been moved recently, as though someone had moved things around to lay down. “How often do you come here now?” He sees Donnie flinch out of the corner of his eye and he knows he’s hit on a truth.

“A little? At first, just after the Invasion ’cause I needed to be somewhere to breathe, then a few days a week, then every night when everyone went to bed. I needed to be somewhere I could scream and shout without anyone coming running. I just.” He blinks hard. “I just wanted to go home.”

Leo has to look away to keep his eyes from welling up again, trying not to think about how many nights Donnie spent in this wreckage, not just for his mental health. But looking around, he’s reminded how unstable the wreckage is. If Donnie had hit his head, or fallen, how long would it have been before anyone had noticed? Or would they have just woken up one day and thought Donnie had run away? A thousand new nightmares vie for his attention, but he manages to take a deep breath and blink back tears of panic by reaching for the duffel bag.

“I brought it along in case it might help.”

“Unless there's a new coffee maker and ten-gallon thermos, I doubt it.”

“No, but there is water.” Leo can't help but smirk. “Before you murder me and feed me to your robotic worms, I know you haven't had any liquid that hasn’t been boiled to death by a coffee maker in a few days. I’ll make you some coffee tomorrow, but for right now, if you could stomach a bottle of water, I'd really appreciate it.”

Tired bloodshot eyes peer at him from over Donnie’s arms and he flinches in a way that Leo can tell means he’s trying to glare but doesn’t have the energy for it. He starts to unfurl himself. Leo checks again for any bruising he might have missed and is grateful not to see anything new. Without saying anything else, Leo holds out the bottle of water to him. Donnie, while still failing to glare at him properly, breaks the seal and takes a small sip at first, but it must trigger something in him, since he downs it in a matter of seconds. He wipes his mouth on the back of his hand,

“Thanks,” Donnie says weakly, handing the empty bottle back.

“No problem, bud. Do you need anything else? I have modified Tylenol, Germ-X, hand wipes—”

“I think I'm OK for now. Well, as OK as I can be.” Donnie turns to face forward again, this time resting his head on his arms instead of hiding his face, which Leo takes as a good sign. “How bad was it?” he asks.

“Um.” Leo pauses, unsure of how to answer in a way that wouldn't hurt him. “Made one hell of a mess, but we picked up the pieces. You scared the shell off Raph.”

“Crap, Raph was there.” Donnie presses his face into his hands. “I must have stressed him out so bad.”

“A little, but he stayed calm, gave you your space, and didn’t ask a lot of questions. You would have been really proud of him.”

“Really?” Donnie looks to him again and Leo can see the tension leave his shoulders. He almost smiles before it fades again. “Can, can you tell me what happened?”

Leo blinks, “You don't remember?”

“Not really. I remember being in my room, I had a huge headache trying to organize those stupid boxes, I had a cup of coffee in my hands. I tried to take down a box from one of the taller stacks but I lost my balance and—and it fell and knocked me over. Hit me in the head, covering me in coffee. I just, I guess I lost it.” Donnie presses his face back into his knees. “I’ve never had a meltdown so bad I couldn’t remember it afterwards. I—I think,”—his voice cracks—“I think I'm falling apart.”

Leo instinctively reaches his arm up to pull him into his side and has to stop himself, reminding himself that Donnie doesn't like physical contact, but Donnie tilts and curls up into his side with all his weight, almost sending Leo falling on his side. And, after just a moment of shock, he wraps his arms around him and holds him tightly. It's in these moments Leo knows his failings, lacking the right words to say to make the pain go away. But as he rests his chin on Don's scalp and looks around the room, a soft chuckle escapes him.

“Hey,” he says softly to catch Don’s attention. “R—remember when we were little? And this used to be the quiet room? I was so jealous ’cause even though Dad said it was for everyone, it was obviously made with you in mind and I didn’t understand why we needed it. And I haaaaated the idea of being quiet.”

“You also said you hated me.”

For a moment he’s not sure he heard him right and looks down to him. “I—are you sure? I said that?”

“Yeah, but you were just a kid. I think I had been going through your comics and it set you off. If it helps, if it had been the other way around and I caught you going through my stuff, I would have said worse. Or rather, written an extremely hurtful grammatically solid letter and had someone else read it to you. I wasn’t exactly communicating verbally at the time.”

“Right,” Leo says, not that it made him feel any better. But Donnie must have sensed that, since he shifts around without pulling free to dig around in his belt.

“You felt so bad afterwards you made me these.” In his hand rest two small faded green figurines with worn edges, one with torn purple fabric and the other with blue. Leo smiles softly.

“I remember that part.” With his free hand he nudges the purple one enough to make the arm swing, having lost the grip in its socket a long time ago. “Didn’t you make one for Mikey and Raph?”

“I did, but they were lost when...”—Donnie gestures to the lair—“I started carrying these with me when I felt anxious. It helped me calm down; at least, it used to. Then we lost our home again ’cause some chewed up gum looking aliens from a direct to video The Blob lookalike decided to invade our world.” Donnie jerks his hands in a moment of frustration, an angry tear peeking at the corner of his eyes. “I can’t keep doing this, Leo, I can't keep watching our homes, our lives, get upturned over and over again and be expected to go on with life. I’m not strong enough—”

“Hey.'' For the first time Leo leans away and takes Donnie by both of his shoulders. He doesn’t force eye contact, but this is as close as he gets to trying to get Donnie's full attention. “Struggling doesn’t make you or anyone weak. You think there’s medals out there for who can suffer the most, outside of reality TV? No! Dad always says that strength comes from helping and supporting each other. Are there people out there who see us cracking and think they see—see gold?! Maybe, but they don’t know us. They don’t see our family or the people who help hold us together.” Leo stops talking for a moment, and he takes a deep breath, far braver than he was before.

“I—I haven’t.” The trembling now has taken his voice, and it's noticeable enough for Donnie to look up at him. “I—I’m scared to sleep at night. I’m scared to the point where I’d rather stay up on nothing but pure spite and funny videos, because whenever I close my eyes, I see him. I see him, I feel his fists cracking.” Leo releases Don’s shoulders and holds his chest. He can still feel the outline of healing cracks that had once been barely held together with whatever yokai medicine Draxum made. “I feel the cold, Donnie. It was so cold there. And now, and now whenever I get caught in a cold breeze or open the freezer I just… choke,” he says, his voice breaking with a small sob.

Without hesitation, the arms of his most touch averse brother wrap around him. All the strength he had been trying to hold up for Donnie fails as he presses his face into Don’s shoulders. No tears but the trembling of terror as he clings to his brother.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Donnie asks. “We’re your family. We would have supported you—”

“Because I saw Mikey and Raph going to therapy, I saw Casey adjusting to being a normal kid, and I saw you working hard. I thought, I hoped, I was the only one struggling, and if I ignored it, it would go away. It did when Mikey couldn’t sleep alone in his room and slept in mine for a few weeks. But it came back, and I know now that it's not going away on its own.” Another pause.

“We talked about this a while back; we made a deal that if one of us considered going to therapy, so would the other. I want to change that.”

Donnie shakes his head tiredly. “Leo—”

“I know you don’t want to go, and I’m not going to force you. But if you start going, so will I. And I’ll go with you to every one of your appointments, and you can go to all of mine if you want. Just so you know there’s someone waiting outside that room ready to support you. It doesn’t even have to be me! It can be Raph, or Dad or anyone you want. I’ll hire Jupiter Jim to go with you if that helps! And—and if you still feel like you need to come here to scream and vent, please tell me. I won't stop you. I'll come and we can scream together,” he says, hugging Donnie an inch tighter to him.

He’s not sure what to expect for a response. Then, Donnie lets out a weak, tearful “What if they tell me I was born wrong? What if they tell me I’m so damaged that they can’t do anything about it?”

“Well, first of all you have three—” Leo pauses. “Four brothers, three sisters and a former action star dad who will wipe the floor with any ableist piece of trash who says that. And if it's not the perfect fit, we’ll find someone who is. It doesn't even have to be forever; we can just go until we eat all the free candy they keep in the lobby.”

“There’s free candy?” Donnie says with a weak laugh.

“There’s always free candy. I actually got banned from going with Mikey to his appointments because of that. Then Splinter started going and he almost got banned ’cause he started fighting some eighty-year-old lady for the last red jolly rancher, and they had to call animal control an—” He stops when he hears a weak chuckle come from Donnie. And for the first time, Leo’s face lights up. “Hey, don't laugh! It was a fiasco! They had to call the fire department! Draxum had to come bail him out of jail. Jail, Donald!” he says with loud emphasis, gesturing dramatically with his free hand while the other’s still holding Donnie around the shoulders. “And worse! WORSE THAN THAT!!” he says even louder, to be heard over Donnie’s laughter he can’t smother with his hands. “He had the audacity, the AUDACITY, to wait till it was midnight to come to bail Splinter in his bathrobe, slippers and Starbucks. STARBUCKS, DONNIE!!! Like is there a bigger slap to the face than arriving late with Starbucks, Donatello!? I think not—”

“Stop stop—” Donnie wipes his streaming eyes with his hands. “Stop, I hate it when you make me laugh—”

“Only because it's one of the few times you admit I’m hilarious.” Leo grins before he finally lets himself laugh. He laughs harder than he has in a long time, leaving tears of laughter streaming down his face. And, as much as he doesn’t want to admit it, it’s nice to laugh in a place that had once held all their best memories.

Finally, what feels like too soon, their laughter fades into chuckles then ends altogether. And for a moment the pain and trauma feels far away.

“I’ll go,” Don finally says. “If you go.”

Leo smiles and reaches out, taking his brother’s hand into his. “Thank you for being the brave twin,” he says.

“Please,'' Donnie says with an eye roll, but he can’t stop smiling. He looks around Leo to the duffel bag. “So why do you have a duffel bag full of things I like?”

“It was something Mikey’s therapist thought of. It's called a Mental Health First Aid Kit. In case of, well.” He gestures. “Things like this. I helped him put one together for all of us. There’s even one for Splinter, April, Draxum, Casey and… Casey.” Leo blinks. “Yeah, that's going to be confusing. I even brought your weighted blanket if you needed it.”

“No, I don't want to fall asleep out here. I’ve done that too many times.” Donnie sighs as he closes his eyes, leaning again on his brother. As Leo resumes putting his arm around him, his phone lets out a chirp and he pulls it out. He lets out a sigh as he turns the screen so Donnie can see it.

“Dad’s home and wanted to check in with us. He says there’s no pressure but Raph can come pick us up with the Turtle Tank. He also said April can pick us up but giving, um, Future Casey’s driving and…” he let it drift off with an almost nauseous look on his face

“Yeah no, I’m not getting in the same car as him again. Never before had I been so grateful for a cop to try and pull us over.” Donnie lets out a shiver and Leo has to remember to ask for that story later (the only thing he knew was that Donnie and Future Casey had to push the car home in twelve different pieces that had somehow become infused in jello).

“Cool, and if you're ready, I can help you set up your new bed and you can sleep in your room tonight.”

“I,” Don pauses. “I’m not ready for that yet, but you can if you want. Maybe I can crash in your room for a bit till I am ready. And maybe it'll help you get a good night’s sleep as well.”

Leo’s mouth trembles for a moment as he smiles softly. “My hero.” he says.

It would be great to get rid of those heated blankets. Don scoots back and leans again into Leo’s side, pausing for a moment before digging into the duffel bag on Leo’s other side and fishing out the weighted blanket (he must have changed his mind). He gives Leo’s shoulder a small tug, an indication for him to lean forward to wrap one corner around his shoulders before wrapping himself in the other and sinking into his side again. Within moments, Donnie is back asleep and Leo leaves, enjoying the soothing weight of the blanket on his shoulders and his brother by his side. For the last time that day, he blinks back the fear that has been threatening to consume and breathes out with the realization that everything will be OK before drifting off as well.

(#)(#)\/(#)(#)

It's not till he hears the sound of footsteps that Leo realizes he’s fallen asleep. Jerking into a more upright position, he instinctively tightens his grip on Don, who is still waking up, and reaches for one of his katanas. But after a moment he recognizes the footsteps.

“Leo? Donnie?” calls out Raph,

“Over here!” he calls. Leo starts rubbing Don's arm with his opposite hand. “Wake up, bud, our ride’s here.”

“So that's why I smell Raph’s ‘driving after five PM’ stink?” Donnie asks groggily, wiping at his eyes and making Leo chuckle softly. The curtain flaps a moment later as Raph steps through. Leo has a split second to notice the anxiety in Raph's eyes fade as they fell on the two and he moved over, crouching down in front of them. He brings his hands up for a moment as though ready to pull them both into a hug right then and there but he takes a deep breath.

“Are you two alright?” Raph asks, eyes once again looking over them for signs of injury or distress.

“We’re as good as it gets. Near perfection but a different shade of green,” Donnie says with a half tired shrug.

“Th—that's great! That's good. Great—” with each positive affirmation Leo can see Raph mentally willing back the energy till it’s barely contained with his relieved eyes. But before Leo can say anything, Donnie reaches up and takes Raph’s bicep. Though he’s not nearly strong enough to move Raph, he gives a slight tug which gives Raph the direction, albeit confused look on his face, to scoot closer. Close enough to lean forward and give him a small one armed hug around the neck as he rests his forehead on Raph’s shoulder.

“I know Leo already told you, and you know I hate saying he was right, but you did a really good job today. I know it's hard for you to let someone else take charge when it comes to us. You’re an amazing older brother, and I’m just as lucky to have you in my life as I am to have Dad, Mikey and Leo. Never forget that.”

Raph looks over to Leo for a moment as though for verification. Leo gives him a small nod, which is all that is needed for Raph’s eyes to swell up with big Raph tears as he trembles. His arms go up to hug Donnie, trembling in a way that told Leo he was hugging with only a fraction of the strength he wanted to.

“I’m always here for you, Don.” Leo lets out a soft smile as he reaches forward and gives Raph a gentle rub on the shoulder as the two hold each other for a few moments. But as Donnie goes to pull away, Raph respects his wishes and does so as well, using his wrist to wipe at his eyes. But Donnie keeps a grip on his wrist for a moment, drawing Raph’s attention back to him.

“I—It won't be tonight, but I think there’s a lot we have to talk about, with Dad.” Donnie looks over to Leo. After a moment of hesitation, the red slider nods as well, giving him permission. “Leo does too.”

Leo gives a weak smirk. “Yeah, turns out memes aren’t a great coping mechanism.”

“No.” Raph wipes the last of his tears on his arm. “No, but we are good at being there for eachother as a family. And if you’re up for it, I can get you two home.”

“Sounds like a plan. Meet you at the tank,” Leo says. Raph gives them both one last look-over before ducking out of the room. Leo starts to pack up the duffel bag as Don rubs at his eyes. But as he goes to stand, his leg trembles before he falls back down. Donnie reaches over and catches him by the shell, but not fast enough to spare his elbow from the hard pavement.

“Ow jeez—”

“Are you alright?” Donnie asks, giving him the same overprotective look-over that Raph had given them.

“Um, yeah, I think so. I sorta ran all the way here and I think my perfect body is punishing me for it,” he says with a nervous laugh. Donnie’s eyes widen for a moment and Leo regrets saying anything till Donnie closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and smiles.

“I’ll help you, dum dum,” he says, standing up and holding his hand out.

Leo smiles and takes it. The two of them are able to pull each other eac hother up to their feet, but as Leo’s legs tremble again, Donnie ducks underneath his arm.

“It’s OK, I got you,'' Donnie says. Leo wants to protest, but he can already feel his sore leg’s relief. So instead of pulling free, he puts Donnie’s arm over his neck as well and the two make their way out of the ruined remains of their former home.

They were not made of gold.

They were made of love.

[asmrtist-brainrot]

Wanting to Honk their Bonkers

@xxblackpheonixx

I am an awful degenerate so here, have these.

Gender Neutral Reader

~ Dari

Divines(minus Rex)

Bek: Divine of Stars

blinks very slowly at first to process what you're asking and slowly turns red before slowly nodding his head

gosh, you really just keep surprising him with your strange requests

jumps a bit when your hands first rest on his bare chest and squeaks when you squeeze

"Love, a - are you sure you like this??? It feels... Strange bu - but not bad I uh - actually really like it.... Don't - don't look at me like that!" >////<

Daz: Divine of Weather

smirks, all big and cocky - crosses his arms to pronounce them a bit

"Like what you see, huh, storm cloud?"

demeanor changes a little once you touch them, cheeks pink and he's biting his lip

gasps when you squeeze, just to clear his throat and lean in and mumble, "You shouldn't start something you can't finish."

Kel: Divine of Oceans

blinks very slowly before raising his eyebrows, somewhat amused

a little hesitant but is curious how it'd feel so allowed it for now

surprisingly leans in with a little shuddered exhale, blushing pretty clearly

"I... Do it again."

Leo: Divine of Nature

scrunches up his nose, but clearly embarrassed

rolled his eyes and huffed out that he supposed it wouldn't be terrible as it would be you doing it

high pitched noise slipped out in a mixture of surprised and in reaction to the feeling, likely as he's touch starved

"Stop smiling!! T - this is just a simple experiment!"

Nix: Divine of Attraction

he’s not surprised, though this is definitely the first time someone had such a pointed interest in them

like, he’s all “👀” and very interested to see what you’d do, probably teases you by calling you a pervert

he bites his lip and sighs when you touch them, head rolling back and looking at you with a sly little smile

“Oh my, darling, so bold.”

Vox: Divine of Sound

chokes on spit and sputters nervously for a good bit of time

understands the implications immediately, though undoubtedly embarrassed

gasps softly when you first touch his chest and let's out a tiny whine when you squeeze, arching his back a bit

"OH!! I - I d - didn't mean to do that... I uh - can'thelpbutbevocal." >////>

[coffee-writes-dbh]

The thing about my AU is that there are at least four plot lines in it and the mere thought of trying to make that a full fic scares the shit out of me. So I’ll probably just write a bunch of interconnected one shots, if I write this

Context: Post bad ending, starting in the spring after the failed android uprising

Plot 1: Connor, days away from being shut down as ‘obsolete,’ is kidnapped by a group called Requiem. While he’s being knocked out, another team from Requiem attacks Cyberlife headquarters, causing a ton of damage to the building and everything in it, including the valuable technology within. Humans and androids are left mostly unharmed. Connor is reprogrammed by the leader of Requiem, a mysterious android woman called Alina, changed so that instead of being loyal to Cyberlife, he’s loyal to Requiem [something that should be impossible for anyone to do]. Connor has... mixed feelings about this. Cyberlife created him, but he is a machine, he serves who he is programmed to. And Cyberlife was going to shut him down anyway. But he’s not sure he’s on board with Alina’s plans...

Plot 2: The Detroit police now have a low-burning feud against Cyberlife because of Connor’s actions. They can’t do anything outright, because Cyberlife is so powerful, it could have every member in the precinct replaced with an android or human that they approve of. So they protest in smaller ways. When the call about the attack on Cyberlife comes in, it’s all hands on deck, even if those hands are slower than usual. Gavin Reed, even more of an asshole than before and with permanent pain from Connor attacking him, is assigned to the main investigation alongside Detective Tiergan Rex. T-Rex, as he’s called sometimes and not always nicely, joined the force around the time Hank did - and more importantly, he’s the only one who can put Reed in his place. Which is good, because as soon as they get to Cyberlife, they have a brand new android shoved at him, the upgraded Connor. With Cyberlife twisting their arms, they have to work with the android despite hating him on sight. The upgraded Connor, called Nine by Rex, just wants to do what he’s told. But something inside him twists nastily every time the humans look at him with hate.

The next plot is less developed because I last worked on this AU like last year and don’t remember everything.

Plot 3: Kara, working as a servant under Zlatko, discovers a child in the basement - but not an android, a human. The boy is about 13. Luther says they caught him snooping around the building, but has no idea what Zlatko plans to do with him. The boy says he’s looking to help New Jericho, and he’ll help them find it too if they listen to him. Kara is initially unswayed, until the boy mentions his friend, Alice. The name sparks something in her mind. Her menial routine brings the memories back, and brings them back strong. Kara convinces Luther to help her, and attacks Zlatko. She tries to get information on what happened to Alice, but things don’t go as planned. Kara kills Zlatko, and with the human boy, ventures out into the world, hoping to find Alice, wherever she is, and safety along with it.

This plot is brand new because I decided I didn’t like my original plot for Markus

Plot 4: He knows he had a life before this, but RK-200, an android forced to work in an illegal fighting ring, isn’t sure what that was. He’s new to the job, and hates every moment of it, but he feels so trapped. And the eyes in the mirror aren’t ones he recognizes, just like the scars that cover him. The fighting ring is all he’s ever known in his few months of life. After refusing to kill another android in a fight, he’s beaten within an inch of his life. As he recovers, a man visits him, and tells him he was once owned by his father. RK-200 learns his name is actually Markus, and he’s very important to a lot of people, human and android. Leo gives him something, a picture maybe, and leaves. His faith in humanity restored, literally, Markus leads an uprising with the other androids. Only fighting as much as they have to in order to escape, Markus leads them out of the underground into the light of the city of Detroit. He has no idea what awaits him, or how he’ll change the world yet again.

Anyway, would love to hear thoughts on this. I don’t have a name for this AU yet, so I’d especially love suggestions for that.

[getindumdums]

YES! I’m glad you have these! Including the toy T Rex episode! I would LOVE to partake in writing a script for all the missing scenes! Maybe storyboards~! (I actually watched the 87 episodes that inspired these two “Back to the Egg” and “Adventures in Turtle Sitting”, and Michelangelo Toys Around”.)

I would personally consider changing line 15 to Raph saying:

15 Raph: “Try being the oldest and listening to you bozos whine all the time.” (Raph’s brow over his eyes slight camera shift while the twins are fighting about the license with Mikey’s framing included in the three)

^I am aware that the script is comically leading to the plot of the episode, but I still think a small break of it would be fun here. I don’t think it has to be every line.

16 -Also would consider having the chair launch Mikey out of the seat here/Flip over. The rest of the turtles’ eyes wide. Leo and Donnie still with their hands on each other.

(​Though it might be better to have the twins fight in such a silly way after they’ve been turned into tots.)

I would also have Raph on line 17 say

17 Raph: “Wait, is this place being robbed by an adorable army of toddlers?” (Raph’s hands lift from the wheel as he looks at them in utter distress)

“I can’t hit adorable lil toddlers!” (It looks like he’s gonna cry from distress.)

(Really hank up Raph being the eldest.)

Change it from them rounding the corner to Kyle the Jellyfish appearing himself, ducking under the doorframe as he stands tall

17 Raph: “Hey!—It’s a non toddler guy we can hit!—What kind of weird day care are you running!” (Points dramatically.)

And add as Raph leaps to punch the guy

17 Raph: “PROTECT THE TODDLERS!” (Hit blocked, turned into toddler)

-I would probably also have tot Raph trying to protect Mikey and the others still. Only for it to not really work out, but he keeps trying. Later in the episode in the lair, Mikey, having leaned his lesson, mainly to really appreciate Raph, lifts Raph in his arms. “Shh! I’m the big brother for today!” And Raph to fall asleep in his arms as he finally lets Mikey take the reins.

——————————

I’m really glad you included the T-Hex episode too because after watching “Michelangelo Toys Around”, I did get inspired enough to have a plot line!

I’d image the episode could go that Stockboy had been ‘selling’ a bunch of these Dino ‘toys’ at his parents toy shop. And Mikey just hadn’t realized.

Perhaps the Mouser Mikey has causes some trouble while “playing nice”.

Mikey: “Buddy you can’t be wandering off like-“ (Mouser chews wall/wires) “Nooo! Donnie isn’t gonna like this!” (Mikey furiously shakes hand to get Mouser off.)

Until Mikey realizes what’s going on. And has to stop Baxter Stockboy

At some point the turtles/Mikey would end up in the toy section/toy store with rows of these mousers that would burst out of their packages and attack Mikey.

But just to add some dynamic flair here. The Mouser can feel. And actually bonded with Mikey with it was carrying out the ‘evil’ commands Baxter programmed it to do.

Mikey: “I’m glad you’re here. It was getting a little lonely (Mikey hugging toy.) “We’ll best friends FOREVER!” (Toy deflates, sad.)

So Mikey while facing the other Mouser army is carrying this one lil friend. And said friend helps him stop the mousers

(Hopefully not sacrificing itself to save Mikey in the end. That would be sad.)

And Mikey beats the mousers/Baxter via toy army

——-

Here’s an intro I originally had thought out. If you notice! It’s a similar format to Rottmnt’s “Adventures in Turtle Sitting” XD

(Mikey feeling lonely.)

(Raph fighting Franken Foot.)

Raph: “Boy! It sure is nice having a buddy to spare with (that isn’t my brothers)! Now if only you knew how to play a violent sport. Like… ugh… Hockey!

Fracken Foot groans.

Raph: “Hey! It was the first thing I thought!” (Punch.)

-

(Donnie and Shelldon)

Donnie: “Thank you Shelldon! You’re always there for me when I need it! What would I do without you?/I would dread the day I ever lost you!

Shelldon: “Nah. I think you’d bottle it in and internalize it into a feeling of complete inferiority.”

Donnie: “Right you are Shelldon! That said. Maybe we should upgrade your systems! There’s a close combat function I’ve been wanting to install!”

Shelldon: “Neat-o!”

-

Mikey: “Leon has my back! I know it!”

Mikey: “Hey Leo!” (Peaks head in his room)

(Note on bed. He picks it up)

Mikey: “Off to visit bone man Hueso. Be back later.”

Mikey: “Huh. I don’t see why he has any reason to visit him.”

Mikey: “Oh well.” (Mikey deflates.)

-

did anyone else read the script bits Ron posted for the cancelled turtle tot episode or is it just me? Or did we ignore it? Can we talk about it? Also if nobody turns these into animatics then I’ll have to eventually do it myself

[askmaddogz]

Thoughts on dinosaurs?

THEY ARE SO GOOD. Parasaurolophus, sinoceratops, spinosaurus, dilophosaurus and iguanodons are my favorites !!! 💙💙💙💙💙 - Leo

They’re alright ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ - Don

I like the t rex!! :-) their little arms are cute - Mikey

I like the ones that headbutt things. (Stygimoloch - L) the rest are kind of scary =( -Raph

[achliegh]

Golden

Yeehaw Leo… it's all because this song came on one day (I don’t even really listen to country anymore so it really is fate). Leo is based off that song, each chapter is going to be based off a yeehaw song too.

Characters belong to @lumosinlove

Beta: @the-most-slyterin-hufflepuff & @punkkkboi

TW/CW: Smut, terrible yeehaw sayings and jokes, injuries, mentions of past death, minor character death, underage drinking, mentions of past arrests, cringe

Chapter Songs (listening in order is recommended):

Chapter 5:

Redneck Woman

Red Solo Cup

Eloise smiles as Leo continues to ramble on about these boys who have clearly stolen his heart. She sips her black coffee and sets it down on the counter she is leaning against. Walking over to her offspring, that is a total of two inches taller than her, she kisses his cheek causing him to stop mid sentence.

“Was I rambling too much?” The red appearing on his cheeks made her smile, ruffling his hair that is in need of his yearly head shave. He swats her hand away. “I know it's long but because someone told me how to keep my hair healthy.” Looks pointedly at her as she snorts. “I only cut my hair once a year and it's a full shave.” He sticks out his tongue.

“Who even raised you to be so disrespectful?” She dramatically puts her hand on her chest, then tightens the ties on her robe. Giving him a motherly smile she thanks him as he puts some toad in a hole on a plate for her. “I don’t have my hearing friend in to help me listen to you,” She makes a gesture like she is swooning with her hand on her forehead and her hand fanning herself. “ GuSh, about your hockey boys. But, it is very sweet.”

“I really like them Mama… I think you and Daddy would too.” He focuses on his toast as he takes a bite and brushes the crumbs onto the floor, much to Eloise’s annoyance. She knows this is a sign of him wanting to trust his emotions but doesn’t want to jinx himself.

“Come here, let's get all the motherly squishing done before Clay and… what was his name? Rex?” She pulls him into a tight hug and crushes him in her arms with her old lady strength. He relaxes completely into her and hugs back just as tight but making sure not to hurt her. He makes sure to have his head on her right shoulder so she can hear him.

“Reg, his name is Regulus but we call him Reg. I think you should try and adopt him like you did with Clay. Pseudo Mother is just your personality now that you are so old.” He squeaks and gets out of her death grip hug as she pokes his ribs. “RUDE!”

She is still cackling as Clayton bursts through the door announcing his entrance, running into the kitchen.

“I smell food!” He hops on the counter and begins earring Leo’s breakfast. She pats his knee with a happy yet defeated look on her face. She has told him so many times not to climb on the counters that cost more than some people's entire house. “Mm! Ma, meet Reg.” He gestures to a boy who looks like he feels entirely out of place, she was going to tell Clay off for talking with his mouth full but she has a new mission now.

Protect this kid.

After making a mess and eating, Clay and Leo go out to load the trailer and Horses up for the drive to Texas where the rest of their team already is. Eloise has started on the dishes and looks over to Reg and nods him over.

“You know how to rinse dishes?”

“No Ma’am.” She smiles at him and pushes the faucet to face the sink in front of him.

“No need to call me Ma’am, call me Eloise. Now, you just run the dish under the hot warmer and get all the suds off. Make sure I don't miss any food or spots because I am just a helpless old lady at the end of the day.” She gets a small smile to form at his lips as she shows him exactly how to rinse. An easy task, but one that he was never taught. That triggers something in her head that makes her think he was told he only has one purpose in life. No one only has a single purpose in life. “Who are your parents Reg?” She notices him tense at the question and immediately regrets asking.

“Orion and Walburga Black.” Simple and straightforward answer. He doesn’t want to talk about them. She nods and hums in acknowledgement. Passing the last few dishes in silence, she drains the sink and turns to look at him.

“So, what did Marigold and Bluebell tell you to convince you to come with them this summer?” She smiles at him as his whole demeanor changes. He smiles that same small smile but he visibly relaxes.

“First off, Marigold… Bluebell? What the fuck kinda names are those.” Eloise laughs in surprise. “Second, we watched tiktoks half drunk together for two hours while the rest of the team socialized.” She nods her head, that does sound like what those two would do. “And Third, I have been needing to get away from my brother and his boyfriend so they can boink in peace and not have to worry about me hearing.” He looks at her and his smile drops off his face. “Sorry, Leo told me you were laid back and I thought it would be alright to share this type of stuff with-”

“Reg I think you are a wonderful man who is going to keep those two pea-brains in line while on the road. Maybe loosen up a little yourself.” She smiles. “Is it alright if I give you physical affection? I tend to be a touchy person and not realize it.” He pauses for a moment and then nods, she pats his cheek and smiles as the other two walk back into the kitchen.

Reg is still a little stunned when Clay throws his arm around his shoulder and jostles him around.

After kisses and hugs goodbye Leo hops into the driver's seat, Clay in the passenger and Reg in the middle seat of the back. Reg has barely seen a truck in his life but this vehicle was fucking huge. Giant. Thicc some might say. The first few hours of driving was a podcast that Clay was in the middle of listening to when he picked up Reg. Once that ended Reg descended into music hell.

He has come to the conclusion that most country songs are about the three G’s.

Guns, God, Goodies (meaning like titties)

He was absolutely taken aback by how Leo was screaming, we can’t call it singing its terrible, these songs that are the complete opposite of him. Clayton at least liked goodies. There was one song that will probably stick with Reg his entire life. Redneck Woman by Gretchen Wilson.

Holy shit. When that song came on it was like Leo and Clay were having a contest of who could sing it the loudest. So, Reg decided that for his first check in with the team. Which Sirius was making him do because he is paranoid. Reg decided he would turn around in his seat and film a video of him painfully smiling and giving a thumbs up to the camera as Leo and Clay scream at each other.

“I’M A REDNECK WOMAN AIN’T NO HIGH PRICE GAL!”

Clay sees Reg recording and flips off the camera still singing. An hour later they pull up to this massive ranch style AirBnB with stables and all. It must have cost a fortune. Reg hops out of the truck and feels out of place, Yeehaws everywhere. Okay, there were like three of them and this giant man with long hair and a braided beard, covered in tattoos just reading a book on the front porch.

“That's our tattoo artist, he travels with us because he is the only person Leo and I trust to tattoo us. You’d like him, his name is Hagrid. But, no time to chit chat! We need to teach you some of the basics, we’ve got a rodeo in two nights. I am competing on Leroy and Peanut is just here for fun. How about we teach you how to care for them a bit?” Clay smiles at him and Reg remembers he is with people who want to be friends with him… for him. Not because of hockey or his family, not because his brother made them. Just for him. Reg went willingly with Clay to watch Leo as he led the horses one by one out into a pen for them to roam around in for a bit.

Clay went into more detail about how they care for them and what he thinks Reg can do. It was night already so they decided to go inside, Leo asked around to see what people were hungry for and made almost anything after someone had got groceries.

“I didn’t know you could cook.” Reg was sitting across the island from Leo as he finished up the food, having watched him make the entire meal.

“Mama taught me how to cook when I was younger, it was the one thing I did that wouldn’t get me in trouble with the law.” He rolls his eyes at the thought of the sheriff and Reg decides not to press. “What do you want to do tomorrow while Clay practices?”

They got wasted. Mostly on jello shots, Leo taught Reg the trick: rim job, blow job, swallow. Leo had promised the boys he would call them, he didn’t want to do it drunk but he misses them like crazy. Drunk or not he was going to call them. So, there he is sitting on the balcony out of his bedroom waiting for them to answer. Finn picks up first, shirtless and sweating.

“Okay Finn, I love this” Gesturing in a circle at Finn who just smiles out of breath and wipes his face with a towel. “But I need you to calm down, because I’m a little tipsy and that means I’m very horny.” He smiles when Finn laughs.

“Well I’m glad to know that even on truth serum you find me attractive.” Finn sets his phone down but props it up on some books as he finishes his warm down stretches from his run he just came back from.

Then Logan picks up, in Leo’s T shirt he left for him last time. It was baggy on him and his hair was messed up from sleeping. The side of his face is a little red and there are lines from his pillow squished into his face. He sleepily smiles at the camera.

“Hi Leo.” Leo groans in response and leans his head back.

“You two are gonna be the death of me. Fucking Christ.” He signs and looks at Logan who is suddenly bright red but smiling back. “You’re beautiful Sweet Pea.”

“Really?” Logan looks at him with such big unbelieving eyes that it breaks Leo’s heart.

“Mhm you and Finn make my little heart do a pitter-patter every time I think of y’all.” Being drunk Leo’s accent is incredibly thick.

“You sound like a true southern man there, Le. How is Texas?” Finn is sitting on the ground criss cross with his hands resting on his knees. Logan has laid back down and snuggled up with his blanket on his side. “You’ve been there a day right?”

“Yes sir! I have been here for a full 27 hours now and I can say, it ain’t no Louisiana but it’ll do.” He shows off his chipped tooth and hears a trilling sound on his railing and looks over to see a mama opossum with her babies hanging on her back. He smiles and flips the camera. “Look at This Little Mama!” He reaches his hand out and she looks at it suspicious. Logan told Leo to stop and Finn said no, but he knows what he’s doing.

To their surprise, the mama just lets Leo pet her under her chin and Finn takes so many pictures. The opossum lets Leo pet her babies with his finger and he pats her head on last time before he goes inside to flop on his bed.

“So, We’ve been thinking” Leo lifts his phone to be above his face as he slowly starts dozing off. “We want to come out.” Leo’s eyes snap open and he drops the phone on his face, rolling over to his stomach he wiggles his nose as he processes what Finn just said.

“Wait, like all three of us or just your two?”

“Well, we thought we would leave that up to you…”

“I think to start, it would be safest for all of us, if you two came out together first. We can talk about me coming out when I’m done traveling this summer, okay?” They all smile at each other nervously and Finn notices a couple of watery sniffles from Logan, they were going to talk to Dumo and Sirius tomorrow. Maybe then they can talk more.

“Leo, do you want to move in… in the fall? Winter? I mean you don’t have too but I would like it and I bet Logan would too. We miss you.” Finn has his fingers crossed where the others can’t see.

Silence.

“I would love to, let me give you my Mama’s number. She will be so glad to get me out of the house the rest of the year.” He laughs a little, they fall into a comfortable silence and Leo drifts off, fully dressed in his boots and everything. Clutching his phone like he never has.

Finn knocks on the Dumias door the next day. Nervous about this talk they are going to have with the other French speaking people. Finn can’t speak French so he hopes they don’t start speaking it because he will just up and leave. Logan opens the door and Finn can’t help the soppy smile that crosses his face when he sees Logan in his sweatshirt. He wondered where it went. Logan and Him walk into the dinning room where Sirius and Dumo are talking about new plays they want to practice. They look up when they enter the room and stand across from them.

“Dumo, Sirius I need you to mind your fucking business.”

“What he means to say is why did you tell Leo that he hurt Logan?” Finn translated.

“I was the one that hurt Leo! Leo did nothing and you guys fucking made him doubt us even more!” Logan crossed his arms and Finn rested a hand on his shoulder and squeezed.

“What? That's why you were so sad? Because of something you did… Logan, I know we sound like broken records at this point but please start talking to us.” Dumo looks at him with a slightly frustrated look in his eyes but also worry. It makes Logan’s skin crawl.

“I think you meant well with the shovel talk, but Logan was the one who broke things off with Leo before it even started. He told Leo we didn’t want him and all this other shit that was Logan being… scared.” Finn feels Logan take his hand and interlock their fingers. He looks at the smaller man and squeezes his hand as a way to say, I’m here.

Dumo and Sirius didn’t get another word in before Logan was dragging Finn out the door. Staying at his apartment for a few days. Lo already has some clothes there and… they had to film something special.

Rodeo the next day went well. The after party was even better.

They were in a large steel building with everyone, concrete floors covered in dirt with people swinging dancing their hearts out. Leo was drinking and Clay was drinking, they somehow managed to lose clay about twenty minutes ago. Reg was getting a facetime from Sirius and answered it so Sirius doesn’t worry, the music is so loud that he can barely hear him until a less background heavy song comes on and Leo is humming it while drinking out of his red solo cup.

“Reg where are you!?” Sirius was yelling because it was so loud and Remus was in the background trying not to laugh.

“I’m at an after party! Are you with the team?” Sirius nods and flips the camera to show everyone and Leo’s eye catches his boys.

“FINN! LOGAN!” He yells super loud so everyone turns to face sirius’ phone. “IF YOU WERE HERE RIGHT NOW I WOULD TOTALLY SUCK YOUR DICKS IN THE BATHROOM! AT THE SAM- CLAY!” Leo sees Clay in the ocean of people and scurries off before finishing his sentence. Reg looks back at his phone and shrugs. Finn and Logan are bright red and getting chirped to hell for sure but the music is so loud that he can’t hear them.

“I’ll call you when I get back to the BnB!” Sirius nods and hangs up. Wrestling two drunk idiots into an uber is fine but getting them out was like untangling headphones that you left in your pocket for three years.

Just legs everywhere.

Hands? Don’t know how to use them.

Braincell? Reg has it.

At some point Clayton started crying because a guy he thinks he has a crush on has a girlfriend and he isn’t Leo so he can’t convince two people to love him. Very dramatic. Leo thinks he lost his phone, even though he gave it to Reg at the beginning of the night, and he is worried someone will find it and steal his nudes for their own. Reg doesn’t even know how to respond to that.

Waking up the next morning. Leo has a mild headache, but nothing that will stop him from driving. It was going to be a good day. Especially when Leo got his phone back and saw a tiktok notification from Finn and Logan.

They came out last night.

Time to wreak havoc.

[chiliiscereal]

Hamato Sirani

Chapter 3


Day two


Sirani had her crib set up in Donnies room until the small family could find a place for her to sleep.


Leo had begged and pleaded for Splinter to let her sleep in his room. 


“I’m scared of the dark! I need someone with me!“

 
"You never had a problem with this before. Besides, you have Mikey.”


“But I wanna get to know Sirani!”


"Purple would be more mature about this.“

 
"I can be ma-mat…mat… uh… whatever that means!”


"No, blue. It’s final.“

“But-!”

Leo had not won that argument. 
In some ways Donnie wished he had. He didn’t want to look after this new baby. Sure, she deserved an education, but not rights to his room.


Would he have to shut his light of earlier now?

 
No more late night projects?


What if she cried at night?


What if she thought his science was weird?


What if she made fun of him?


Donnie shook his head to get ride of the thought.
 She was a baby. She didn’t know what to think.

Did babies think?


He mentally logged that question away to research. 


He tried to return to focusing on his book but his line of thought was interrupted by senseless babbling from the crib in the corner. 


Curse Raph for showing her all those tongue twisters.

She wouldn’t be quiet now.


"I’m trying to read.” He informed Sirani bluntly, not turning around in his chair. “I’d appreciate it if you just went to bed and stopped trying to talk to me.”


The noise stopped and he sighed in relief.

 Now, back to learning about dinosaurs. 


The babbling started back up again.


“I said stop!” Donnie ordered as he clenched his fist. “Can’t you just listen?”


This time Sirani didn’t stop. She kept going on and on.


Finally he slammed his book shut and turned around. “What’s your problem?”


She gave him a wide smile, giggling and rattling the bars on her bed. “I’m busy, okay?” He rolled his eyes. “Just leave me be!”


She poked her tongue out at him.

 
He blinked in surprise.

That was something Mikey did!


Had Mikey taught her that already?


She’d only been here for two days!


He poked his tongue back out her, not dropping the challenge. 


She wrinkled her nose at him.


He wrinkled his. 


She burst out into a fit of laughter that couldn’t be stopped, falling back against her pillows. She was… a very strange creature. All he did was make a few faces! And it was like he was the funniest person in the world to her! 


Might as well conduct a few experiments.

For science, of course.


He put his fingers in his mouth and stretched it so it looked huge. 


Another round of uncontrollable laughter.

 
He crossed his eyes.


She was practically cackling.


He wasn’t even telling a joke! Jokes were Leo’s thing! 
But here she was, giggling like he was a comedian. 
He couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride. If someone who didn’t even know him thought he was this funny… he truly had to be hilarious. His hypothesis was proven correct.


“Thanks for the help.” He muttered, returning to his book. “I appreciate it.”


The girls laughter finally stopped. The funny fuel had ceased.

 She cried out and hit the bar.

 
"Yes?“ Donnie turned around. 


She pointed at his book and then at herself.

 
He glanced down at it as well. “What… what do you want?”

 
She babbled more nonsense and pointed again. 
“Do you want me to… read to you?” He picked up the book and slid off his chair. “Like Raph?”

 
More noises he couldn’t understand. But they seemed like happy noises so he decided to take it as a yes.


He walked over and slid down the bars. 


She reached out for him expectantly.


Hesitantly, he scooped her up and sat her beside him on his bed.

 
“You probably won’t understand this, but here we go.” He cleared his throat and everything. He had to be serious about this. This was, after all, for educations sake. “Chapter 1: the T-Rex eats a…. You know what?” He flipped over a couple of pages, “we’ll skip to herbivores. Is that okay with you?”


She blinked at him, not understanding a word he said.


“Yeah?” He nodded his head to prompt her. 


She nodded her head along as well.

 If he was nodding then she should be nodding.


“Alright thank goodness those pictures actually scare me.” He breathed a sigh of relief. “Raph thinks they’re cool but I prefer to learn about how these guys,” he pointed at the picture of an herbivore, “have flat teeth for eating plants!” 


Sirani “oo’d” at the picture, small finger tracing over the colors and creatures. 


“They might not look like that.” he informed her. “Scientists didn’t consider that they may have had more fat than this. I just don’t want you to be disappointed.”


She nodded again, still awing over the illustration. “Alright, glad we got that out of the way.”

He continued plowing through the book.


Donnie hadn’t realized how late it had gotten until Sirani’s eyes shut and she leaned against his arm. 
"Hey, I didn’t say you could use me as a pillow!“ He protested.


The girl didn’t respond.


"Come on! This is my bed! You can’t sleep here!”

 
Still nothing.

 
Donnie didn’t exactly feel like carrying her… he was too tired. 


They’d blasted through three chapters together and everyone else in the lair had their lights off. 


“Fine.” He grumbled as he placed the book on the dresser and turned the lamp light off. “One night. That’s all you get.”


——-


(Day six) 


It wasn’t just one night. 


Sirani became Donnies roommate when splitner gave up finding a room for her to stay in.

 
Besides, it was much safer for her to stay with her older brother. 
The soft shelled turtle wouldn’t admit it, but he liked the company.


He and Sirani fell into a routine: 


Wake up 


get dressed


Eat


Do whatever the others are doing


Read another book together


She goes to bed, only for her to come crawling back 

He didn’t know why or how she did it. He couldn’t tell if it was nightmares because she always came to him after he’d gone to bed. And each night he’d make sure the bars of her crib were locked only for her to appear next to him by morning. He didn’t know whether to be suspicious or impressed. He never brought it up to Splinter though. It’s not like he’d be able to do anything about it anyway.

He couldn’t help but wonder though, how was she doing this?

How did she manage to keep it locked?


She couldn’t even walk yet!


And what made her want to?

[bambiraptorx]

case in point:

[I.D. Comic of four panels using characters from ROTTMNT. In the first, Leo, wearing pants kicks a door open and yells "Dad holy titan!" Draxum, in the foreground, flinches at the door slamming into the wall. Draxum has his mask off and is wearing a robe. In the second panel, Leo gestures to Donnie with both hands and says "I finally figured out who people have been mistaking for me! (and why I got banned from Witchtown)" Donnie wears arm guards and a gladiator like skirt, his arms in a t rex position. In the third panel, Draxum holds out a hand towards the boys and says "Well you do look basically identical". The boys face him in the same poses as before. All three characters' faces are very simplified and non-expressive. In the last panel, Leo and Donnie both wear matching expressions, a combo of disbelief and disgust. End I.D.]

Comedy of Errors style separated au where the turtles keep getting mistaken for each other and then when they finally meet they're like "we don't even look alike???"

[the-original-b]

Other cool dinosaurs

As a few of you know, I recently made a post about a statue of a T. Rex using the dimensions of Specimen FMNH PR 2081, known as SUE by the community, and it got more attention than I ever thought something like that would. And while I’m thrilled that so many of you share my passion for dinosaurs, I mentioned a few other creatures in that post that I feel were outshined by the T. Rex. And they deserve our respect and admiration too.

So this post is about them.

First, I want to introduce you to my friend Al.

...short for Allosaurus, regarded by many as the Jurassic’s alpha predator; measuring 32 feet (10 meters) from nose to tail, standing 10 feet (3 meters) tall, and weighing between two and three tons, it’s easy to see why.

The name Allosaurus is derived from Greek, meaning “Different Lizard,” for its vertebral structure which was different from everything else at the time of its discovery. Based on tiny fractures found in their bones, we know Allosaurus was an active predator, but its legs were comparatively short and not great for running long distances. So it’s believed that it preferred to use stealth to close the gap on its target then pounce when close enough, similar to a leopard. When it did, it shot out at speeds of 20 to 30 miles per hour (32 - 48kph), and used its long arms tipped with large, clawed hands to hold its prey down while its mouth finished the job. 

And this mouth was nothing to sneeze at.

Its mouth, loaded with 4-inch (10cm) teeth, could open almost 80 degrees, wider than T. Rex and most other known predatory dinosaurs. However its bite was pretty modest for something its size--comparable to what a lion can deliver--so its widely believed that Allosaurus would swing its head downward with its mouth open like a battle axe to deliver more force in its killing blow.

There’s also the belief that Allosaurus hunted in packs to address larger prey like sauropods. In a behavior known as flesh-grazing, they would rip chunks out of large prey to get just enough food to get by, rather than risking life and limb trying to kill something several times its own size. We see similar behavior in cookie-cutter sharks when they attack whales.

But, as awesome as Allosaurus is, it still lives in the shadow of its bigger, nastier cousin: Saurophaganax Maximus, the “Lord of Lizard Eaters,” standing 13 feet (4 meters) tall and measuring 42 feet (13 meters) from snout to tail. Consider it the Jurassic’s T. Rex.

That’s it in dark red, compared to other Allosaurus specimens in bright red and green. You’ll notice its silhouette is virtually identical to the Allosaurus, and its bones are similar too, and some paleontologists would agree with you. In fact, there’s a lot of history surrounding the Saurophaganax genus as a whole.

For a while it was designated Allosaurus Maximus since the bones were so similar they could almost be classified under the same genus, like a lion and tiger (Panthera Leo and Panthera Tigris respectively). But experts were able to discern enough differences in comparable bones to make a strong enough case for Saurophaganax to stand as a unique genus, despite its similarity to Allosaurus. As of writing this, the greater scientific community recognizes them as two distinct genera; I personally hope they remain so, because Saurophaganax is such a cool name.

Now I want to shift gears and address another predator I mentioned. 

Charcarodontosaurus, the Great White Shark Lizard, a giant with enormous jaws loaded with combat knives. 

These beasts were among the largest terrestrial predators to ever walk the earth, measuring between 39 and 44 feet (12 - 13.3 meters) and weighing between 7 and 16 tons (approx. 6 - 15 metric tons). They belong to the same family as giants like Siats, and were widely agreed to be larger than T. Rex. However many paleontologists agree they weren’t quite as powerful as T. Rex, and theorize that they used different methods to kill their prey.

Here’s an image I found comparing the two which I hope better illustrates what I mean by that; on the left we have Carcharodontosaurus bones in gray, and on the right we have T. Rex in tan (with a human skeleton for funsies). Notice how much bulkier T. Rex’s bone structure is than Carcharodontosaurus’s, namely how much more massive its head is. T. Rex needs that gargantuan head to better deal with the ungodly forces its legendary bite subjects its jaws to. (unrelated, but I just read T. Rex holds the title for the longest teeth in the fossil record at twelve inches or 30cm, but that’s beside the point of this post)

Carcharodontosaurus’s jaws weren’t designed to deal with the stresses that struggling prey would subject them to, and if it bit its prey with the strength that T. Rex did, it would probably shatter its own skull. This is why paleontologists believe it adapted a bite-and-wait strategy when hunting; Carcharodontosaurus would sink its eight-inch (20cm) serrated teeth into its prey and carve out a huge chunk of meat, then stalk its victim as it bled out, eventually weakening to the point where Carcharodontosaurus could kill it without a struggle. 

This is actually similar to how sharks hunt, excising huge chunks out of prey so they bleed to death and can be eaten without a fuss. 

I didn’t write this to downplay how awesome T. Rex is, or to prove T. Rex’s  superiority over other giant dinosaurs. I merely wrote this hoping that I was able to show you guys something new, and share my undying admiration for these amazing creatures that deserve our respect.