#mikey is winning the battle I think

[turtleblogatlast]

I think a lot about Leo’s tendency to push his way into the spotlight despite clearly being a natural in the shadows. Hell, you could argue that his worst moments are when he’s forcing himself onstage, and his best are when he does things no one notices until it’s already been done.

[love-killed-the-superstar]

unusual anecdote from pmsing real hard tonight: i just broke down crying rewatching the battle nexus arc because of splinter letting mikey win and saying he doesnt want to stand in the way of his children competing in the tournament

[snnowwpheenix]

Tokyo Revengers men would react when their child innocently (or sassily) says: “Wow… you’re really bad at this.”

🐻 Mikey (Manjiro Sano)

Mikey stares blankly at the math worksheet. “Wait, why are there letters in math?” Your kid sighs dramatically. “Wow… you’re really bad at this, Dad.” Mikey blinks. “EXCUSE me?? I was a gang leader, not a calculator!” Then he drags you in like: “Babe. Come deal with your genius child.”

🐉 Draken (Ken Ryuguji)

He’s been trying to explain division for 20 minutes. Your kid squints at the problem. “Wait, that’s not right… Dad… you’re really bad at this.” Draken raises a brow. “Oh? Wanna handle it yourself, then, little genius?” Then ruffles their hair with a grin. “Talkin’ all that smack for someone who still needs help wiping glue off their fingers.”

🕊️ Takemichi Hanagaki

He looks heartbroken the second they say it. “Y-You think I’m bad at this?” Your kid pats his shoulder. “It’s okay, Dad. You have other skills.” Takemichi: having an identity crisis while Googling 3rd grade math “…I survived time travel. I can survive long division. Right???”

🐯 Kazutora Hanemiya

He’s actually focused… until your kid mumbles: “Wow, you’re not very good at this…” He stops writing. “What’d you just say?” They giggle. “You’re really bad at this, Dad.” He gasps, dramatically slamming the pencil down. “That’s it. Homework battle. First to get the answer wins.” They both lose.

🐥 Chifuyu Matsuno

He blinks at them, genuinely offended. “Excuse me? I’m trying my best here!” Your child grins. “Try harder, Dad.” He pulls out study snacks like he’s cramming for finals. “Okay. Game on. Let’s humble each other, baby genius.”

🐺 Baji Keisuke

Baji: slams book shut “Say that again.” Your kid, unfazed: “You’re really bad at this.” He stares. Then smirks. “Bet I can still beat you at Mario Kart.” They challenge him. He loses again. Now he’s sulking with a pencil stuck in his hair.

🌺 Ran Haitani

Ran doesn’t even try to defend himself. “Yeah, I dropped out early, baby. I don’t do fractions—I do fashion and violence.” Your kid: “Then why are you even helping me?” Ran: texting someone “Yo, Kakucho, help. This tiny human’s roasting me.”

👑 Rindou Haitani

Rin squints at the paper like it’s written in hieroglyphics. “…What even IS this?” Your kid: “It’s multiplication. You’re really bad at this.” He flops onto the table. “Why are you like this?” They pat his back. “You’re still cool. Just not smart.” Rin: offended but can’t argue

🧵 Mitsuya Takashi

He chuckles softly. “Well, I guess I’m better with a sewing machine than a calculator.” Your kid nods seriously. “Yeah. Don’t worry, I’ll teach you math.” He smiles proudly. “That’s my little tutor.” Still kinda embarrassed tho.

👑 Izana Kurokawa

Izana freezes mid-equation. “…What did you just say?” Your kid shrugs. “You’re really bad at this.” He narrows his eyes. “Oh? Try doing it yourself, smartmouth.” Ten minutes later: “Okay maybe I am bad at this. Shut up.”

🖤 Kakucho

He stares down at the worksheet, then at his child. “…Yeah. I am bad at this.” Your kid starts to apologize, but he just ruffles their hair. “Don’t worry. I’ll get better.” Next day? Brings home a stack of math books and tutors like it’s war.

💰 Koko Hajime

Koko stares blankly. “Since when did they teach this in elementary school?” Your kid leans in. “Dad… you’re really bad at this.” He deadpans: “Say that again and I’m buying you ten tutors.” They grin. “Deal.” Koko: regret

🐾 Inupi (Seishu Inui)

Inupi’s trying his best, okay? Your child sighs. “You’re really bad at this.” He frowns. “I’m better with engines than equations.” Then shrugs. “Guess you got your smarts from your mom.” Your kid: “Yup.” Inupi: 😐

😢 Angry (Souya Kawata)

Angry looks genuinely devastated. “…I’m bad at it?” Your child quickly backtracks. “NO! I mean, a little… but you’re trying really hard!” He nods solemnly. “I’ll practice more.” He ends up staying up that night watching math videos.

😈 Smiley (Nahoya Kawata)

“Wow, Dad… you’re bad at this.” Smiley: 😃 evil aura intensifies “Oh? Wanna say that again while tickled into the next dimension?” Cue five-minute giggle war and zero math getting done.

💪 Taiju Shiba

Taiju is trying to be gentle. Then your kid goes: “Wow. You’re really bad at this.” He pauses. Slowly looks up. “…What did you just say?” Your kid gulps. “Nothing!” Taiju sighs. “We’re hiring a tutor. And I’m gonna take math classes, too.”

🧍‍♂️ Hakkai Shiba

Hakkai stares at the numbers, sweating. Your kid giggles. “Dad… you’re really bad at this.” He fake gasps. “You wound me.” Then quietly googles every single math term under the table. Still ends up getting it wrong.

🃏 Hanma Shuji

Hanma cackles. “You’re damn right I’m bad at this. I’m a chaos gremlin, not a mathematician.” Your child: “So… what are you good at?” Hanma: “Breaking things.” Your kid: “That checks out.” They high-five and both give up.

🧠 Kisaki Tetta

He is personally offended. “I am not bad at this. I graduated top of my class.” Your kid: “Then why is the answer wrong?” He adjusts his glasses. “Because I was testing your critical thinking.” Your kid: “Nice try, nerd.”

[dysfunctional-doodle]

TMNT Headcanon #6 (?? I lost count lol):

You do not want to mess with 2003 Mikey. He’s actually insanely protective of his brothers and if he finds out you hurt them, you better run

~

I’ve always been a fan of depth behind the “party dude” persona that Mikey has, especially 2003 Mikey. The dude knows exactly what role he needs to play to keep his brothers happy and positive, so he does so. He is the little brother, the goof- and maybe it’s okay to be something that they all aim to protect and mother sometimes. But behind the act, Mikey is far more mature and fiercely protective.

I like to think (and I wish to write a fanfic one day about this) that Mikey secretly tracks down enemies that hurt his brothers independently in secret, and intimidates/punishes them in ways that he knows his brothers won’t like. He’s a manipulator - his sly tongue often makes him control opponents and win fights due to digging into their insecurities easily (I bring up his and Raph’s battle in the battle nexus arc in particular, he didn’t have to raise a finger, which is actually pretty scary). With the right motivation, this is dangerous.

I just have this vision of Mikey finding out about the mob boss that blinded Raph and his gang, and quietly sneaking out and tracking them all down mercilessly. Here we see a glimpse of the seriousness and maturity he wears in the SAINW universe. He is quiet. He is efficient. He makes sure that they won’t be going near his family for a while, either through threats, manipulation or perhaps something a little darker, because no one should ever hurt his big brothers who have only done good. Every time he thinks to stop he imagines Raph alone and blinded, and it hardens his resolve. Family is his motivator after all. And then, as soon as he returns to the sewers, his shadowed expression lifts into a well rehearsed smile, warmed by the sight of his family safe.

(I really keep meaning to write a fic on this. Nothing ooc - he doesn’t kill the dudes ofc, but…lightly persuades them in a very nice way)

[imagionationstation]

Today on the Mikey Is Not Abused news

Research shows that 78% of the “Poor Mikey” fanclub claims that Mikey is incapable of standing up for himself, whether that be because he fears further abuse, fears his brothers in general, suffers from intense depression, an abuse sort of conditioning, or *insert other incredulous views here* (Statistics may not be entirely accurate and should be used with caution).

Unfortunately for them, Mikey does knows how to stand up for himself and it has been shown that he can speak his mind to even the main abuser, Raphael, and walk away unscathed.

Astonishing claim, I know, but the facts prove themselves.

Mikey has brought up beliefs on several occasions, but his lack of awareness outside his own mind often disproves his own claims.

Years of leprechauns, cream cheese demons, and certainty in cupcake uprisings have worn down his brothers’ trust in his word on many different subjects. This is not his brothers ignoring him out of spite. This is merely because he has proven himself to be an unreliable source when it comes to reality.

His lack of interest in taking most battles and training sessions seriously grate on his brothers’ nerves and often lead them to doubt his prowess and abilities on the field. Mikey being the youngest and earning all of their must protect with life instincts doesn’t exactly help his case. He knowingly brings much of their wrath upon himself- with tauntings, and purposefully infuriating acts, and the constant reappearance of Dr. Prankenstein.

When Mikey doesn’t go gun-hoe or call Raph out for a whack on the head, it’s probably because he’s conscious enough to know he likely said/did something stupid, or because he purposefully did something annoying.

However, if he sees an injustice affect another by his brothers’ hand, he will be the first one to stand up and correct it.

Mikey is proven to be more likely to speak his mind when it comes to others around him getting retribution that he deems underserved.

IN FACT, a few of the only times fans actually see an aggressive argument/challenge poised to a brother is to Raphael, often in regards to his crass judgement.

Take Fourfold Trap as an example:

“I got the answer for you! Karai’s a lost cause!”

“Don’t say that, dude!”

Mikey shoves at Raph’s shoulder to make him face him and they both begin yelling/bickering/roughly gesturing. Mikey is in no way scared of how Raph will react to this and is immediate in getting physically aggressive and speaking his mind.

Not normally how someone who’s been abused all their life would act towards the main abuser, I think. Not convincing enough?

Well, The Curse of Savanti Romero is another:

In it, Renet is seen admitting to her mistake of letting Romero loose. Raph responds by immediately coming down on her for it, even though she understands and regrets her mistake.

Mikey has zero hesitations about jumping into the picture.

“You really are the worst time traveler ever! The worst!”

“Back off, bro! She needs our help!”

Psychology of most abusers would not point to this kind of situation going well. If this were the case- in no universe would Raphael have relented under his brother’s glare and stepped away, especially not after being shoved and yelled at in front of someone outside the family. That would be seen as a calling for punishment.

Moving away would be letting the abused assert dominance and think that they’ve gotten away with a win.

If this were really an abusive relationship, then Raphael would have had a far more violent reaction to his youngest brother butting in.

Instead, he growled, glared, and then relented. He could tell this was not an issue that could be further challenged. Mikey was standing his ground, intensely meeting his glare, and so Raph stepped away.

Now, have there been times where Mikey felt like he was left out or being ignored and that made him feel insecure?

Yes. Absolutely. Mikey Gets Shellacne is a prime example.

But, have the abusers, his older brothers, been made to share similar feelings of being unable to rely on their brothers at one time or another? Perhaps due to his direct or indirect actions? Why, yes.

Because, as hard as it is to believe, every person in that family has made mistakes when dealing with another family member. Relationships are hard. Not one person, or mutant, is perfect, and facing or accepting insecurities is always a fact of growing up.

Is this to say Mikey never stands up for himself?

No. Not even close.

Is it ever portrayed as something big and dramatic as a focal point of an episode? No. Because it doesn’t need to be.

If Mikey holding onto resentment and depression from how his brother abuse him was meant to be part of his character, it would have been a plot point in the episode where they’re literally in his brain. There would have been the slightest hint of something going on somewhere in that chaotic realm.

Instead, Mikey’s brain welcomed all of his brother with open arms.

And the true, inner Mikey runs ecstatically toward his brothers and into Leo’s open arms for snuggles, no more scared of his brothers inside his mind than outside of it.

The only time that he has thoughts of “my brothers are so mean to me I should run away” is the episode The Croaking, where he takes accountability and has the realization that his brothers aren’t the jerks that he thought they were when he ran off…

“Dude. Your brothers sound awesome.”

“Yeah. They are… Even after I trashed the house.”

Mikey doesn’t often react violently to his brother’s teasing because there’s not a reason too. He understands that his brother’s pick on him, but in reality, he picks on them too. It’s not a big enough deal to point out unless an evil planet is letting Angry Mikey consume all of his thoughts and then everything is terrible.

Mikey can stand up for himself. Mikey will always stand up for others.

And that brings this article to an end. Subscribe for more!

Next time, we’ll discuss why Parasitica May or May Not have a worse reputation than it truly deserves. Cowbunga!

[httpvomitello]

Helloooo, can I request something for the 2018 turtles (ROTTMNT)? The reader arrives with the guys to show them the softshell turtle they got as a gift at a school science fair. Since they're not very sure how to take care of it, they go to the guys for help. And the turtle... it looks just like the one from The Amazing World of Gumball. I just think it would be fun to see the turtles (especially Donnie) interacting with the evil turtle haha 😭

OMG NOT THAT FREAKING TURTLE 😭😭 When I learned that Donnie is a softshell turtle, my mind immediately went to that turtle from Gumball. Like... Seriously??? That turtle is the reincarnation of evil, that's for sure. Anyways ~ i hope you like it! ♡♡♡♡

Leo is so pumped when you show up with a turtle

He’s already imagining the epic sibling turtle bonding he’ll all have, and he’s definitely scheming ways to turn your new buddy into his own personal sidekick

But as he leans in to get a better look, he catches the turtle giving him a super intense, villainous stare

"Uh, why is he looking at me like that?" Leo laughs nervously, tapping the glass of its little tank

The turtle does not break eye contact

In fact, it somehow looks like it’s plotting something

After a long, intense staring contest (which Leo loses), Leo's more hyped than ever

“Oh, we’re keeping him. This little guy’s got edge.”

He decides to call it something like "Sidekick Jr", and he tries to train it to glare on command, thinking it’ll be perfect to bring it to battle with him

Obviously you don't let that happen.

Raph’s eyebrows shoot up the second he sees the turtle

“Whoa. That turtle is… cute.”

Lying is not Raph's focus

He is all in for helping you take care of it

But as soon as he leans in, the turtle levels him with a stare so intense that Raph is slightly taken aback

“This guy looks like he could plan a heist,” he jokes, but he’s half-serious

He’s convinced the turtle has some secret agenda and will not let it out of his sight

Raph takes pride in helping you build a “fortified tank” to protect it from any “potential escape attempts.”

He even draws up “exercise drills” to help it “build character.”

He ends up calling it something like “Lil’ Warrior”

The turtle's name is Bob

And he spends a suspicious amount of time training it to recognize commands, because “A turtle like this needs discipline.”

Donnie’s reaction is extreme caution

Like... wtf? How is this turtle so ugly?

(He completely forgot that he is also a softshell turtle)

He’s thrilled you came to him about turtle care, especially because this guy is a fellow softshell

But then he notices the turtle’s… ominous glare

For the next ten minutes, Donnie just stares back, analyzing every detail

The turtle doesn’t blink

It feels like a showdown

"This isn’t just any turtle, you know," he mutters, more to himself

He immediately runs diagnostics on it, pulling out his tools to test its temperament and intelligence level, just in case

Donnie takes the turtle care seriously, sets up the perfect tank, gets the optimal UV lamp, and is constantly researching enrichment activities, but he still doesn’t entirely trust it

You catch him putting up tiny lasers around the tank "just in case."

And he insists on renaming it something like “Professor Menace” because, in his words

“Look at that face—he’s clearly up to something.”

Mikey’s reaction is pure delight. “Aw! Look at the lil’ guy!”

He immediately wants to hold it, but as soon as he picks it up, the turtle gives him a side-eye that could curdle milk

Yes, the turtle is judging Michelangelo

He tries everything

Offering lettuce, sweet-talking it, giving it little pets, but the turtle just stares, expression unreadable but somehow… sinister

“Why does he keep looking at me like that?” Mikey wonders, confused but determined to win the turtle’s affection

He’s convinced it just needs a bit of “good vibes,” so he tries playing calming music, talking to it about his day, and even painting a little flower on the tank

Despite the turtle’s apparent indifference

(And slightly ominous glare)

Mikey’s convinced they’re best friends

He starts calling it “Lil’ Grump,” swearing it’ll warm up eventually.

[mikeysonly]

Losing Dogs - Manjiro (Mikey) Sano

♡ tw: angst, blood, no happy ending for y/n and mikey here sorry.

♡ yes, this is loosely based on the song by Mitski. I was listening to it while writing this. u know it’s getting bad when even my fictional stories have shitty endings. enjoy I guess.

♡♥︎♡♥︎♡

Mikey stood alone, his silhouette illuminated by the neon of a nearby sign. The roar of Kanto Manji’s latest battle was distant now, nothing but a faint echo. The blood on his hands glistened, and he remembered every punch thrown.

She was still there, waiting.

Mikey turned, his gaze landing on her. Y/N leaned against the wall, her arms crossed tightly, her face streaked with dirt and exhaustion. He never dared to ask why she stayed. It was a question he was too afraid to hear the answer to.

“You’re still here,” he muttered.

She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I always bet on losing dogs, don’t I, Mikey?”

He stared at her, trying to decipher the meaning behind her words, but really, he already knew.

“I don’t need saving.”

“I know,” she replied softly.

Mikey Sano, the invincible leader, was nothing but an empty shell of a man. He had lost Draken, Emma, and so many others, and yet here she was, despite knowing he’d only hurt her in the end.

“You should walk away,” he said after a long silence. “I’m not someone you should bet on.”

She pushed off the wall and stepped closer to him. “Maybe I like gambling.”

Mikey’s fists clenched at his sides. He wanted to tell her to stop, to leave before he dragged her down like he had with everyone else, but he couldn’t. He wanted her there. He needed her there.

“I’ll hurt you.”

“I know.”

He wanted to scream in her face, push her away, hit her, do something to make her hate him, but instead, he reached out, his hand trembling as it hovered near her cheek.

“I can’t love you,” he whispered, the words insincere.

“That’s okay. I can love you enough for the two of us,” she replied, her voice steady.

For a moment, Mikey let himself believe it was possible. He let himself think that maybe he wasn’t doomed to destroy every single little thing he touched. But as the moonlight caught the scars on his hands, he pulled back.

“I’ll only let you down,” he said, turning away. “You deserve better than me.”

Y/N didn’t try to stop him. She knew Mikey well enough to understand that chasing him would only make him run further.

“You’re not a losing dog, Mikey. You’re just afraid to win.”

She didn’t realize it then, but as he walked away, he mouthed the words back to himself, hanging on to everything she said.

[shadows-shells]

2k3: the Battle Nexus arc shows that petty egoism/rivalry is not a core motivation for any of the brothers

(because i woke up and chose violence)

(building on some earlier thoughts on the 2k3 portrayal of the Leo&Raph dynamic https://www.tumblr.com/shadows-shells/776163987958185984/normally-i-would-ask-ya-who-your-fav-is-but)

If "competing to be 'better'" is a core motivation for either Leo or Raph, or if it is the emotional core of the Leo&Raph dynamic...the literal BATTLE TOURNAMENT arc would be ENTIRELY about them fighting it out and obsessing abt beating the other. It would be a completely different arc (and series).

If 2k3 Leo&Raph truly are bitter rivals/frenemies: The bros wouldn't find the Battle Nexus out of innocent curiosity abt where their dad is going; it would have been a tense, deliberate public showdown between Leo and Raph.

instead? The biggest emotional beats are Splinter conceding to Mikey without a fight, Raph saving his dad from being framed, and Don viciously defending a downed Leo (boi can flunk out of a battle tournament but also take on the whole world to defend his family!!)

In this whole competition/battle arc, Leo and Raph don't even have a match, nor do either even dream about humiliating each other. They spar everyday at home; they are far more interested in beating up threats to their family. 'Winning/defeating' the other just did not even cross their minds. It would read as egoistic and childish and trivial, compared to all the life-and-death threats of the series and what they all sacrifice for the family. Don worries for Leo and Raph worries for Splinter - NOBODY is thinking about looking better than their brothers.

the only conflict about 'winning' that any of the four has, is hilariously understandable and ultimately played off for laughs: their united common horror at the idea that their insufferable baby bro will NEVER shut up about being BATTLE NEXUS CHAMPION 🤣

notably, when Raph first realises that Mikey might actually win - he fears (correctly) only that Mikey will never let him hear the end of it and will brag for all eternity. There is NOTHING abt 'who is better than whom'. That's just not who Raph is as a person and not what 2k3 is about. If it were truly abt 'beating' one another as martial artists - Raph would've either won/lost because of actual physical conflict and not because Mikey got to him MENTALLY. Raph fully realises he basically lost to HIS OWN TEMPER and in typical teenage melodrama declares he won't be able to live with himself. (He obviously does; he survives the whole series 😂 and in arguably better mental health than Leo and Don)

the 'Leo&Raph as rivals/frenemies' thing is just as FAR as it can get for 2k3 (and i am thankful everyday for that)!

[baby-tini]

I'm really sorry but I'm still slightly confused... could we get a detailed Mikey timeline?

No need to apologize, it's no problem.

So the first timeline for Mikey is Bad Toman!Mikey\OG!Mikey. That was the original timeline in which Mikey and Takemichi never met.

This is why he is regarded as the most dangerous version of Mikey, possibly, because no one knows what he's capable of. The police couldn't touch him and no one could get close enough. In this timeline, Draken dies because he got stabbed by Kiyomasa and therefore, without Draken by his side, Mikey succumbs to his dark impulses especially when he's being manipulated by Kisaki. I also wanna, again, stress that this version of Mikey never met Takemichi

The next timeline is Yakuza!Mikey, now, people do think Yakuza and Bad Toman!Mikey are the same timeline, which I also thought, until I went back and re-watched the whole first season of Tokyo Revengers. Yakuza!Mikey comes along after Manjiro and Takemichi meet.

In this timeline, Takemichi saves Draken after he got stabbed by Kiyomasa, Draken lives therefore changing the timeline from the original. The Yakuza Mikey timeline starts when Mikey meets Takemichi but ends when Baji dies. Also, Draken did still die in this timeline because Draken killed a couple people and was sentenced to death row that's why this version of Mikey also has the dragon tattoo.

Then, we jump to the next timeline, which is Manila!Mikey. This timeline begins after Baji dies, and we know this because Mikey consistently mirrors the hairstyles and tattoos of the people he lost in each timeline.

We know that Mikey killed Draken, Mitsuya, Hakkai and Chifuyu because we get flashbacks plus Mikey himself said that he killed them all. After he does that, he's shown too have long black hair, similar to Bajis and, again, the dragon tattoo on his neck, which both Mitsuya and Draken have. As seen here.

The Manila!Mikey timeline ends after Naoto shoots Mikey.

After the Manila!Mikey timeline and Takemichi returns to the past, we get Kanto!Mikey. Not straight away, but after a couple of scenarios unfold. Like the disbanding of Toman, Emma and Izanas death plus a couple other things.

After Toman fight Tenjiku, Mikey disbanded Toman because he recognized his dark impulses and his knack for violence, so to insure his friends would be safe he leaves. But then, he makes Kanto Manji Gang, by creating a new gang, he aimed to protect his friends by keeping a watchful eye over other gangs. But then, the battles of the Three Deities happen. (Kanto Manji gang, Brahman, and Rokuhara Tandai) which falls into a struggle of control between them. After Kanto Manji win, Mikey forms Bonten.

In this timeline, we get Bonten!Mikey which is when Takemichi goes into the future after the Three Deities arc and finds out that Manjiro made a new gang called Bonten, in which Manjiro is the leader.

This is the worst future according to Takemichi and Naoto. When Takemichi leaves his wedding with Hinata and goes too see Mikey, Mikey shoots Takemichi then proceeds too jump off a building, but Takemichi isn't dead and catches Mikey as he falls, sending them both far back into the past.

The last timeline is the good timeline where some people like it and some people hate it. But, in this timeline, everyone lives and has a good life. Which is where Racer!Mikey comes into play.

This is the final timeline, where everyone is happy and together. Mikey is a Racer and has all his friends and family alive with him. Manjiro isn't a gang leader or a killer in this timeline.

[aleksiej]

does rottmnt donnie dislike touch?

i have rewatched all of rottmnt and am ending this debacle once and for all (at least for me lol)

based on the two seasons, the movie and the comics (tho the comics don't really bring anything to this conversation) i think i have the answer to one of the more controversial topics in this fandom

(no, it's not the yuichi vs usagi debate, usagi obviously wins that no sweat)

so, does donnie dislike touch?

in the series, he is shown being fairly touchy with his siblings throughout the series, with some exceptions i will try to list now, tho not with proper episode names as i am not looking them up, sorry not sorry:

pilot episode, captured by draxum in a cacoon with mikey he's visibly uncomfortable and tries to get away

mikey's solo mission, he doesn't look at any of the and in response to a hug he pats mikey's head with a metal arm from his battle shell.

glued together, he's showing visible discomfort at being forced into close (touching) proximity of his brothers, tho that discomfort is somewhat elevated when they do a second go-round after the sticky foam ball got crushed

that time splinter caught everyone in a trap hanging in the lair (i think it's the forest survival episode?), he's, again, uncomfortable and the first to find a solution to their entrapment, be it on his phone

there's probably more, but that's what i remember from the series and spread out on about 60 episodes it's noticeable, but not a deciding factor, especially since donnie's also seen being fine with touch. now, the movie offers us even more of a look into donnie's relationship with touch. this list will include every instance presented i can think of, in no particular order.

during leo and raph's fight after they lost the key, donnie jumps on raph's back in an attempt to stop him from advancing in the fight, as mikey tries to shield leo. it's a very quick decision and doesn't seem to particularly trouble donnie.

after the kraang come through the portal and the turtles escape-pod out, mikey's panicking and grabbing cj, also causing him distress. donnie grabs mikey under his arms like a plushie and is shown to carry him until leo gets back with a panic attack and news of raph, upon which leo starts at cj with a fight in mind and donnie and mikey keep him away. again, no distress is coming off of donnie, no more than the regular situation call for (although he gets more logic-minded and quiet as the movie goes on with only small donnie moments breaking it up, which seems to be how he reacts to stress, but that'll be in another fever post)

he's touching mikey sometimes during the subway battle, but it's most likely he either didn't notice or didn't care, considering everything else happening in that fight (ps the kraang train is my favorite villainous entity in the franchise, give me more of the kraang train and i will give you my soul)

he's shown very visibly having sensory issues (very relatable) throughout the whole movie because of the kraang. not necessarily to do with touch, oh except for the part when he had to get EATEN BY THE TECHNODROME THROUGH HIS BARELY TOUCHED AT ALL SOFT SHELL which is shown to be a sensory nightmare and awful to touch and yes, i had night terrors if that, thank you very much.

at the very end, they all hug with no visible problems except for the fact that they are on staten island. that is to say, there's one important scene still, it happens before the end, but i wanted to have space to gush about it so here we go.

the famous scene of raph grabbing donnie and mikey flying through the air, yelling "don't worry donnie, it's not a hug, it's a rescue". probably the most important thing said in accordance to donnie's relationship with touch.

in my personal opinion, donnie doesn't mask (i mean look at his behavior) or if he does, he does it, rarely in public and even rarer with just his brothers. so every one of the hamato clan knows at least the most important of donnie's boundaries, especially related to the autism, as it's handled well within their family structure (both donnie's and mikey's autism is) . so, if raph calls out to him to warn about the hug he's giving donnie and treats it like a potential bad thing, there are really only two conclusions we can get to.

one, donnie doesn't like/hates physical contact. disputed by just about everything else in the show, except for the listed above exceptions.

two, donnie being open to touch or not is conditional. and considering the mentioned exceptions and raph's rescue from the movie, there's one similarity we can notice between them.

the touch affecting donnie is happening without his consent and without a form of escape.

(except for when donnie's hugged by mikey in his solo mission episode, but considering he's already kind of detached, i'm assuming he's just not up to it and so he uses his robotic extra arms to give comfort instead of ignoring his little brother which aww)

that's the uncomfortable part, the unpredictability and lack of a way to detach himself. aka, donnie's just like me for real. lmao.

donnie probably doesn't mind touch and welcomes it, but needs to be in control of the process and be able to leave if he gets overwhelmed. and his family knows that, hence raph's words in the movie that led so many people astray...

this might just be another evidence of how well donnie is written as an autistic character, both with his low empathy not being demonized and not preventing him from creating bonds (tho sometimes making it difficult) and the fact that the most common opinion of autistic people (that they hate touch, which is something a psychiatrist brought up as evidence of me not being autistic) doesn't apply to everyone.

as a summary, rottmnt donnie is probably the best version of donnie right now and he doesn't hate touching, he just has to touch on his own terms. extremely valid, extremely relatable.

[cupcakeslushie]

I am really enjoying your Empyrean Weeping AU and am looking forward to the Donnie Arc (the brothers need to save the feral child immediately).

I have a question for you: When it comes to making au how do you know if your going “too far” with an au (if there’s even such a thing) as in that your drifting too far from the canon world, characters and story? Maybe even to the point where you can’t really even say that the au is an au of a preexisting world and not just its own separate thing. How many changes, additions or flat-out rewrites are too many?

I ask this because I’m making my own au for a franchise I really adore but I’m kinda worried about going a little too crazy with my ideas. I know that because it’s an au it doesn’t have to adhere to canon, that’s why it’s called an “alternate universe” in the first place but still.

Like- Your EW characters (and overall world) are pretty different from their canon Rise counterparts and the AU is great! Feeling like it could stand on its own as a completely separate TMNT iteration.

I just don’t know if I’m going about this right with the plans for my au. So I’m looking for a bit of advice I suppose.

Whoa. Sorry that this got so long and ramble-y.

I think….hm. This is a good question. Part of it is, there really is no limit. If you’re fine with going crazy with it…but you do still want some aspects of the characters to shine through, I’ll tell you what I do.

I tend to be really interested in the whole concept of nature vs nurture. So I look at each character individually and pick out which traits I believe are ingrained, which are learned, which grew out of necessity—like coping mechanisms…and I see what new lenses I can show them through.

Like for example, Donnie’s desperate desire to be useful. We saw how panicked he became in Witch Town, when he thought there was a possibility he’d be replaced by mystic powers…if we take that fear—put it through the angle of him being raised Draxum, and being constantly treated as though he was useless…I imagined that would make him even worse at being impulsive and causing chaos in any attempt to prove himself.

Mikey is super competitive, so I figured he would shine if thrown into the battle nexus, and be an adorable little shit about it! He’d take a lot of pride in his wins—at first, but he’s also very empathetic, and those two traits would start to clash.

What if Leo’s coping skill of making everything a joke is totally stripped from him via his strict upbringing with the Foot Clan?

Raph is the one always taking care of his brothers, what would it be like if he got more attention as an only child?

These are really basic questions I started with, and I love sneaking in little ways my boys are similar and ways they’re different to canon (like Leo hating magic instead of loving it, because of what Kitsune did to him)

If you want to keep closer to the source material, but still make it your own, figure out what circumstances call for which changes, and which aspects you think would stay in tact, no matter what they go through.

I hope this made sense!

[untitled-tmnt-blog]

Summary of some answers from today's Q&A with Ron Corcillo!

(July 29, 2023)

Bullet points are below the cut, since it's a pretty long list! Some combine multiple answers, and they're categorized for ease of reading (obviously not every single answer is included, but I tried to get most of the ones I thought people might find interesting!)

Apocalyptic Future

The turtles were fighting side by side with Cassandra when Casey Jr was born, and Leo trained him to be a warrior. Casey Jr only has brief memories of his mother from when he was very young, and he was mostly raised by Leo.

The chips on Leo's plastron are probably battle scars.

Mikey was likely the equivalent of being in his 70's. He was powerful enough that he could unlock almost any mystic ability you could think of, but using them took a toll on him physically. The more powerful the ninpo, the more potential it has to sap your energy.

Mikey can open up portals through all of space and time (as opposed to Leo, who can mostly portal over relatively short distances), but it took him a long time to get to that level of ability.

Mikey probably grew a little taller than seen in the movie, but shrank as the use of his powers depleted him. Donnie would be slightly taller than Leo, and Raph would be at least 6'6".

The characters have obviously taken hits and lost some things from years of fighting the Krang, but Leo still does have his ninpo.

They never worked out the specifics for how Raph and Donnie died, just that they lost their lives in the war against the Krang.

Future Leo was mortally wounded in his bleeding side, and that was why he didn't go with Casey to the past.

If season 2 hadn't been cut short

The sudden declaration of Leo as leader wouldn't have happened, and was more of a joke because of how abruptly the show ended. The original plan was for the transition to be drawn out over much of season 3. Raph and Leo probably would have been co-leaders for a while, and the transfer of leadership wouldn't have caused tension since Raph would like to share the burden. There might have been some situations where Mikey or Donnie took the lead, too. Ron never saw the turtles as a group where there had to be one absolute leader.

Karai would have lived for much longer, and been training the boys in person for a number of episodes.

If there was a season 3 / plans they had for future seasons

They probably wouldn't have ever taken a dark turn with the show, but may have gotten into more of an extended plot line after the movie.

The missing sister who was Big Mama's henchperson would probably have been a very disciplined super serious ninja, to the point where she's actually funny. She was going to be named after a female artist, possibly Frida Kahlo, and the turtles would have had to win her back from Big Mama by helping her to see that she had been brainwashed as a child.

Their other missing sister was going to be trapped in another dimension for years, and might have been "a little kooky" from being there so long. The turtles would have split up to rescue their sisters, but there were no definite plans beyond that.

We would definitely see Casey Jr again. Ron would love to see a spin-off where Casey and Cassandra roam the world and fight the Krang and remnants of the Foot.

It was going to be revealed that a Krang spaceship had crashed into the back of the crying titan in the Hidden City. The ship's fuel was the source of the ooze that gives the Yokai their power, and possibly the origin of the Yokai themselves. The crashed spaceship is what drew the invasion there a thousand years ago.

Mikey's powers could have opened the door to some multiverse episodes.

We might have seen some redemption from Big Mama, but then also seen her relapse to her villainous ways.

The Rat King likely would have been the next big villain. Shredder's story is pretty resolved, so they wouldn't have gone back to him, but maybe they could have revived the dark armor. There were no existing plans for Bishop, but once the turtles became better known heroes, he could be a thorn in their side. They would have done a lot more with the Krang.

Donnie probably thinks he's much smarter than Raph, so it would have been fun to do an episode where he got to see how Raph beats him in common sense and emotional intelligence.

The turtles would probably talk to Karai's Hamato spirit when they need guidance.

Season 3 would pick up where the movie left off. They would have launched a new story right away, but the aftermath would have been in the background. We would have seen how they changed as a result of the movie events, as well as how they deal with now being in the public eye as heroes.

Miscellaneous

The 2012 series was very traditional TMNT, so a big goal of Rise was to mix things up. Making Raph the leader opened up a lot of possibilities for both Leo and Raph: Raph didn't have to be angry all the time about not being the leader, and Leo was free to be cocky and fun-loving. It was a breath of fresh air for writers who had done previous TMNT versions.

As for how the turtles take after Yoshi: Donnie got a lot of his cockiness from him, as did Leo. Mikey senses that Yoshi misses his family, and that's part of the reason he always tries to hold the family together. Raph got his courage and sense of duty from him.

For Halloween, Raph would be a kitten, Mikey would be a lion, Leo would be a rock star, and Donnie would be J. Robert Oppenheimer.

Raph's favorite music is R&B, Leo's is glam rock, Donnie's is techno, and Mikey likes boy bands.

When asked about the turtles "favorite" brothers (obviously they all love each other): Mikey is Raph's favorite. As much as Leo gives Donnie a hard time, he really likes him. Ultimately, the three younger brothers all really look up to Raph.

The turtles all had their mystic powers inherently, but they didn't know it and couldn't unlock them without a little boost. Their mystic weapons acted as a conduit.

Splinter has a lot of power that hasn't been revealed, and there's a good chance he can do anything the boys can do if he really tries (which is how he could use Leo's portals). Their powers all would have grown and expanded over time.

Ron really likes fanart of the turtles, Splinter, and April in emotional family situations, as that is the heart of the show.

They didn't really get into romance in the show, but fans are free to use their imagination.

Hueso would never admit it, but he and Leo do have a close friendship.

While Ron doesn't think the show will be brought back any time soon since Nick's focus is on Mutant Mayhem (which he thinks Rise fans will enjoy, since they seem to have a lot in common), he does think it could be brought back further down the road. The most helpful thing is fans' continued support through watching, posting, and spreading the word!

[local-loudmouth]

->☆ MASTERPOST ☆ <-

Finally remaking this long ass Masterpost-

HEY!! HI!! HELLO!! Welcome to a stupid ass blog, purely made for entertainment and interaction!! My name is JJ, the owner of this blog! You can also call me Mike-!! :D

also gang I have a WIFE!! Insane, right?

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(credit to my bro @schnozzlebozzle for the drawing! Love ya bro :D/p) ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

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Uhhhhh currently questioning my gender but I think bigender may be. Correct. I dunno Honeslty

Sexuality is still a little in the air but I think bisexual and possibly demiromantic

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FANDOMS IM IN:

— TMNT

— LMK

— TOH

— RAMSHACKLE

— TADC

— SWEET TOOTH

— BOBS BURGERS

— TCHS AND CUPHEAD: DONT DEAL WITH THE DEVIL

— BEETLEJUICE

— EPITHET ERASED

— vel and Jay fan club. My own small little world<3

— FOPANW

— Bendy and the ink machine!!

— DEAR EVAN HANSEN

— INANIMATE INSANITY

— LOVE, SIMON

— LOVE, VICTOR

— SQUID GAMES

— WIN OR LOSE

— KREW (iykyk)

— SCHOOL OF ROCK (apparently)

— school bus graveyard

— k-pop demon hunters

And probably more I’m forgetting-

AU’S AND STUFF!!

(ONGOING BUT CURRENTLY ON HOLD!!)

The 4 turtles work peacefully at a competing hotel with the battle nexus, with their beloved father. But one day, everything spirals out of control! And their worlds get flipped upside down! Follow Leo, Donnie, Raph & Mikey on the journey of a life time! And who knows, they might meet some friends along the way, or maybe more…

Chapter one: The beginnings

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Stuff abt this au will be here, and here-!

(This au is currently on hiatus, and might not come back.)

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Cruise OJ au 🚢 🌊🍊

what if oj didn’t invest in a hotel? What if he bought a cruise? What if..things didn’t go as intended?

CRUISE OJ MASTERPOST

Other blogs!

@/ask-olive-huchers, @/ask-miss-maple-leaf, @/ask-christopher-harrison, & @/ask-adi-huchers (ramshackle OCs)

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@/candy-for-the-win, @/no-ditches-no-bitches, @/professionalidolizer (canon ramshackle characters)

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@/neon-of-the-leon, @/antonios-pizza-number1-fan

(TMNT blogs)

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@/emerald-dragon-girl, @/six-eared-shadow

(LMK blogs)

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my personal favourite @/mrfortexdex

(my oc!!)

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@/ yuwenspecialll

(win or lose yuwen blog!)

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@/graand-slamms

(baseball ii blog!)

there are other blogs, but unfortunately they are abandoned bc uh-..they just are lmao.

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(Oh my god I can’t tell you how long this stupid intro took please kill me-)

Also reminder that I am a MINOR. So no nsfw and “spicy” asks and such. They make me extremely uncomfortable.

Also STOP HARASSING MY MOOTS!!!!

[snnowwpheenix]

Part 2: Tokyo Revengers men trying to redeem themselves after their child roasted them with “Wow… you’re really bad at this.”

🐻 Mikey (Manjiro Sano)

Next day, Mikey returns to the table with a math tutor video playing on his phone. He dramatically slides the pencil to his kid. “Check it. I learned how to do fractions in 1 night.” Your kid: “…You still forgot to carry the 1.” Mikey: shoves paper off table “Okay but did I LOOK smarter?”

🐉 Draken (Ken Ryuguji)

Draken shows up with flashcards and a determined look. “I’m gonna prove to you I’m not dumb.” Your kid: “Dad, I never said you were dumb—just bad at math.” Draken: “Same thing.” He gets the answer right this time and does a tiny fist pump. Child: genuinely proud “You did it!” Draken: “Damn right I did.”

🕊️ Takemichi Hanagaki

He shows up wearing reading glasses. You didn’t even know he owned any. He’s done research. He printed practice sheets. He even brought cookies as “study motivation.” Child: “You look like a teacher now.” Takemichi: “I AM the teacher now.” (Still gets the answer wrong but gets an A for effort.)

🐯 Kazutora Hanemiya

He draws all the math problems as angry little cartoons to make it fun. “Now solve for x before x explodes.” Your kid: “Why is math… cool now?” Kazutora smirks: “Because I made it cool.” They both forget the real assignment—but hey, bonding.

🐥 Chifuyu Matsuno

He comes in with a new notebook, matching pens, and printed guides. “I did some research last night. Let’s ace this together.” Kid: “You’re a nerd now.” Chifuyu: “I’ve always been a nerd. Now I’m just a useful one.” Your kid: “Valid.”

🐺 Baji Keisuke

Baji flops into the chair with a massive math textbook. “I hate this. But I hate being wrong more.” Your child: “You’re still gonna mess up.” Baji: “That’s why I brought backup.” Chifuyu appears from the doorway. “Hi. I heard your dad needed brain cells.”

🌺 Ran Haitani

He bribes the kid with ice cream. “Call me dumb again and no dessert tonight.” Your kid: “So you are bad at it?” Ran: “I’m leaving.” Later that night, he secretly studies and aces a math worksheet. Leaves it on the fridge with a note: “Ran: 100%. Suck it.”

👑 Rindou Haitani

Rin walks in like it’s a redemption arc. “I watched 2 hours of YouTube math.” Kid: “What’s 7x8?” Rin: “...Fifty...six?” Kid: claps slowly “You did it, Dad.” He raises his arms like he just won a championship.

🧵 Mitsuya Takashi

Mitsuya brings handmade math flashcards—with cute designs. “Let’s study together again.” Kid: “Did you stay up making these?” Mitsuya smiles. “You caught me.” Child: “You’re not bad anymore. You’re cool math Dad now.” He wins. Effort always wins.

👑 Izana Kurokawa

He redeems himself in the most dramatic way: By solving the entire worksheet before his kid even wakes up. Then leans on the doorframe like: “Still think I’m bad at this?” Your child: jaw drop “You… you learned it??” Izana: “Out of spite, yes.”

🖤 Kakucho

Kakucho asks a teacher friend to tutor him overnight. He comes back confident, calm, and correct. Kid: “You’re not bad at it anymore.” Kakucho smiles: “I wasn’t bad—I was rusty.” Kid: “So… are you the math boss now?” Kakucho: “I’m your math hero.”

💰 Koko Hajime

Koko walks in with a literal tutor trailing behind him. “You said I was bad? This is Kaede-sensei. She’s the best.” Kid: “You cheated.” Koko: “I outsourced. That’s not cheating—it’s rich people strategy.”

🐾 Inupi (Seishu Inui)

He doesn’t say a word. He just hands the completed, correct homework over, then smirks. Child: “You studied?” Inupi: “I care.” Your kid gives him the biggest hug like, “You’re the best even when you weren’t good at it.”

😢 Angry (Souya Kawata)

He shyly walks in with a worksheet he solved himself. “Is this… right?” Your kid checks it. “…Yeah. It is.” Angry: blushes hard “See? I just needed a second chance.” He gets a gold star sticker from his kid. He wears it on his jacket all day.

😈 Smiley (Nahoya Kawata)

He sets the homework down like a battle plan. “Alright. Sit. Watch the master.” Kid: “You gonna mess it up again?” Smiley: “No. I studied.” He proceeds to get everything right, but makes every answer rhyme. Kid: “Okay, you’re chaotic and smart.”

💪 Taiju Shiba

Taiju slams down a perfectly done worksheet. “Boom.” Child: “You got them all right?” Taiju smirks. “Don’t underestimate your old man.” Kid: “You’re scary and smart.” Taiju: “Good. That’s the goal.”

🧍‍♂️ Hakkai Shiba

He nervously asks, “Want me to try helping again?” Kid: “Only if you’re better this time.” Hakkai proudly gets the first question right. Child: “Oh… you learned!” They hug him tight. Hakkai tears up a little. “Thanks for not giving up on me.”

🃏 Hanma Shuji

Hanma struts in with fake glasses and a whiteboard. “Class is in session.” Kid: “No way.” Hanma: “Yes way. I watched three videos and one got it into my skull.” Surprisingly? He actually explains it well. Kid: “You’re scary when smart.” Hanma: “That’s my goal, sweetheart.”

🧠 Kisaki Tetta

Kisaki returns with multiple textbooks and a vengeance. “I have mastered this curriculum.” Kid: “That’s extra.” Kisaki: “You roasted me. This is revenge.” He makes them take a pop quiz. Spoiler: he grades it harshly. They bond over their pettiness.

[kazutora-kurokawa]

reader who is super strong, like very strong you know, opening that jam jar, lifting heavy things, idk, she even lifts her partner as if he didn't weigh anything (can you do it with Rindou, izana, chifuyu, mikey and hanma?)

TokRev x Strong!Reader

♡ SFW, fem reader, reader is strong asf, fluff, starstruck men ♡

Characters: Rindou, Izana, Chifuyu, Mikey, Hanma

note: thanks for requesting anon 🩷

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Rindou

🩵 Is genuinely intrigued when you don't ask him to carry your bags while you're out shopping

🩵 He insists though and he swears you're hiding anvils in the bag because they're so heavy, like how can you carry it like it's nothing?

🩵 Has absolutely no clue how you're so strong, but praises you for it all the time

Izana

🎴 Prepare to be annoyed, he's challenging your strength (physical and mental) everyday

🎴 Tells you to fight the members of Tenjiku at random, he's chaotic asf

🎴 Spars with you and has probably (definitely) kicked you a little too hard once and was refused kisses for the next few days

Chifuyu

😺 Has a love-hate relationship with your strength

😺 He doesn't mind how strong you are, but he hates when you fight his battles for him and he tries his best to keep you out of gang related stuff to ensure your safety

😺 He does like watching you fight though, he thinks you look badass while doing it (y'all remember when he was cheering Nahoya on during his fight with Kakucho, yeah that's him when you're fighting lol)

Mikey

💠 Always asking you to open jars and bottles for him, he just can't be bothered

💠 Loves the fact that you can pick him up, he'll constantly ask you for piggyback rides (Draken is thankful lol)

💠 Play fights with you and let's you win a majority of the time, seeing the smile on your face always makes him overcome his ego

Hanma

🏵️ Thinks it's amusing that you're so strong, he'd ask you to carry him around when he's lazy

🏵️ Threatens other people by saying he's gonna get you to beat their ass

🏵️ Arm wrestles you for fun and acts dramatic when you win

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Taglist

@arlerts-angel @i-literally-cant-with-this @trevengersprincess @giugiette @katshimizuu @happy-trenchcoated-impala @prncessrindou @drunkcheesecake @darkstarlight82 @reiners-milkbiddies

[yellowhollyhock]

03 Raph vs Rise Leo

Wow those fights are really getting more intense, this is so fun

Raph is a powerhouse. He's got good form, observes his surroundings, incredibly strong. He sometimes is too quick to show his hand, but I don't think that factors much into a fight like this, they've both already been watching each other.

Leo is gonna be a really tough opponent for him, though, because he can have, as we just saw in his previous match, a similar fighting style to Mikey.

Mikey beat Raph in the Battle Nexus, and when they sparred in the Meet Casey Jones episode. Using the same tactics, too: just be quick enough to stay out of reach, and taunt him enough to make him spend his energy.

Leo is skilled with hs portals, but his level of training is low compared to Raph. However, the needed skills to win this are his exact specialty, even more so than Mikey with those portals. If he can recognize that weakness (I don't believe it's really shown up in any tournament fights, but he could ask around, or just be observant) he has a really good chance of winning.

Raph does also seem to have the crowd advantage, especially his bros are cheering very loudly. This is the guy who knocked out the first of the 03 bros. Mikey is very dramatically calling on Raph to avenge him.

The Rise brothers.. are trying to seem enthusiastic. They look annoyed. Donnie isn't even trying.

Oh.. Leo is bringing up the Battle Nexus. Asking about Raph not supporting Mikey's win, and whether it bothers him now that Mikey (who he just beat) is clearly his biggest fan. Ah, the annoyed brothers is an angle--he's going for empathy.

03 Raph is, in fact, incredibly empathetic. I guess Leo did ask around