#reticent!donatello

[rainyraisin]

Reticent!Don casually having NO social skills

I really went “omigosh, Sep!Don and Reticent!Don both wear overalls!!!” And then that somehow turned into this jhkjhgjhhkhjb

I want to draw them both properly at some point but I couldn’t think of any poses lmao (and I also don’t want to butcher Sep!Don hijhgjhgj)

@cupcakeslushie ‘s Sep!au has taken over my brain sm over the last 6 months that I subbed to the Patreon and I will never regret that choice cause more Donnie content hehe 💪💪💪

[thenerdy-artist]

Dd and ret donnie :D

Guys, go follow @rainyraisin they're really cool and nice

(Sorry if this looks rushed, I worked on the shading and other stuff when i was on a car ride home)

[tmnt-reticent]

HAPPY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY TO RETICENT‼️‼️

All the sillies whqidhqkdhkd I love them all sm!!!

I think I said everything I could really say in the end notes for Chapter 10 (which is out right now, go read it if you haven’t yet), but once again: Thank you all for supporting Reticent over the past year, whether you’ve only just found out about it or have been here since the beginning. I appreciate every single bit of support I’ve gotten from the bottom of my heart. Especially all the comments on the fic and the fanart I’ve received, I look at it all from time to time whenever I’m down. I’ve never been this motivated for a project before and honestly I owe it all to you guys. Thank you again.

I was just going to post this piece for it since I wasn’t exactly sure what else to do but I thought they all deserved fancy outfits so!!!

I wanted all the anniversary art to be Season 1 compliant but maybe I can draw smth cute with Leo and Donnie soon! (Maybe even write a pre-Reticent fluff piece if I’m feeling nice)

I hope you all have a lovely rest of your Neil banging out the tunes day and here’s to another year of Reticent‼️‼️‼️💖💖💖🫶🫶🫶🌸🌸🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂‼️‼️‼️

P.S that last Ret Leo drawing is the best I’ve drawn him in months idk how I managed to draw his face for once it’s a genuine mystery bdsjgdjwgdj the only thing I can think of is that the art gods have allowed me to draw him well today as a little treat since they haven’t let me draw him well since the day I made him GCJSBXKBSNC

[tmntforeverinmyheart]

@tmnthungergames it begins…

Tw. Blood!

@raisondetre2012 Donnie makes a cameo

@panickedghost Mikey makes a cameo

@falling-from-dawn-au Leo makes a cameo

@rye-enjoying-things R.I.P to your boy, he didn’t deserve to go so early in the games :(

[aquietwritingcorner]

Greetings from the Cabin 9 Craft Fair! Ret Mikey is running a bracelet making workshop and is wondering if you’d be interested in taking part! He has all sorts of beads and bands for you to use!

(This is @tmnt-reticent btw! This is just my main blog!)

(From @tmnt-reticent for @tmnt-fandom-family-reunion for my 2003 Little Don AU)

Eight-year-old Donnie looked up at his father with eager, questioning eyes. It was clear that he wanted to participate in the workshop, he just was waiting for permission from Splinter. Splinter already knew his decision. When else was his son likely to get an opportunity like this? Of course he was going to say yes. But he still had to at least pretend to think it through.

Splinter stroked his muzzle for a moment, making a slight show of thinking it over. "Hm... I suppose it would alright," he said. He smiled down at his son "Just make sure you follow the rules."

Donnie beamed. "I will, Father!" He said, giving his father's had a squeeze before skipping off towards the workshop.

[tmnt-reticent]

He pinned it to his overalls :)

Decided to try practice with limited colour palettes as his usual palette is much darker than this but I thought a pastel theme would be cute :D 🌸

(Little note, he is literally just shades of purple so using different colours for him was so weird gchvcghbvg)

[tmnt-multiverse-election]

Current Nominees

Updated 8/14/24 (if you recieved more nominations, there will be a + showing how many)

I am tagging the creators so they know if they've been nominated. If they wish to retract the nomination, they can let me know.

Donnie @phykoha (Tiny Mutant Feral Turtles) - 1

Future Leo @nani-nonny (Reunion) - 1

Tenoch Oroku @gelu-the-babosa-multiversal (Forgotten Clan) - 1

Donnie @consume6810 - 1

Omega @kathaynesart (Replica) - 15 +14

Mikey @seaghosstt (TMNT: Bay Area) - 1

Reticent Leo @tmnt-reticent (Reticent) - 1

April @theartofeverything (In This Together) - 1

Donnie @kaysdenofchaos (Teenage Mutant Meddling Turtles) - 2 +1

Venus @ (Jumpstart Separated) - 1

Sensei Donatello @theredponcho (Microwave) - 1

Swanattello @tangledinink (Swanattello) - 1

Mikey @ (Deep Water) - 1

Dai @sweeneydino (Paper Scales/Little Dragons) - 6 +5

Hamato Antonello @ants-turquoisewave (Led Astray) - 2

Kasey Jones @caseyjones-junior (Krang Parasite) - 2 +1

Baby Mikey @pezhead (Age Gap) - 1

Mikey's Cat @anomalysstuff (Anomaly) - 1

Splinter @broken-slime-boi (Grayscale) - 2 +1

Yuichi Usagi @azucar-skull (Feral Casey) - 2 +1

Marcelo @irequirealobotomy (Just Around The Corner) - 2 +1

Leonardo @dancingthesambaa (Star Blind) - 1

Cerise Mylene Hamato @fanartmayhem (Mikey's Unplanned Purpose) - 1

Calamari @cokoweee (Quilt) - 1

Glamrock Raph @thejade-forest (RotTMNT x SB)

Ghost @amevello-blue (Ghost In The Shell) - 3 +2

Casey Jones Jr @delicatechildwitch (Old Soul) - 1

Shelldon @mostlyvoid-partiallyturtles (Lifetime Achievement Award) - 1

Donatello @kaysdenofchaos (Battle Scars) - 2 +1 & Leo

Little Leo @misshowdoyoudo (Reminiscing That Old Time) - 1

Maro @eternalleader - 1

Villain Mikey @onionninjasstuff (Villain PB&J) - 3 +2

Future Leo @cosmoscrow (Odd Man Out) - 2 +1

Donnie @jacky_fruit3529 (Deep Water) - 1

Cassandra Jones @gremlinscomics (Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself) - 1

Donatello @cryptidofthecove - 2

Caiji @gornackeaterofworlds (Butterfly Effect) - 4 +1

Mustachello @revitalizationrat (Mustachello) - 4 +1

Poptart @intotheelliwoods (2 Arms Left) - 4

Toast @intotheelliwoods (2 Arms Left) - 5 +2

Liam @fishsticksloser (Last Echoes) - 6 +1

NEW

Krangified Donnie @abbeyofcyn (Krangified Donnie) - 1

Raphael @thegunnsara (Hamato Warriors) - 1

Feral Leo @cupcakeslushie (feral Leo au) - 2

Kid Leo @angelpuns (Kid Leo au) - 1

August Hamato @star-sparkler (August Hamato) - 2

Leo @villainleoau (Villain Leo au) - 1

Raphael @remedyturtles (Firefight) - 1

Hop @nights-flying-fox (Dimention Hopper Leo) - 2

Future Leo @loryska2 (GooseyLeo) - 1

Leo @andistarbee (Extra) - 1

Brook @

Feral Donnie @kittynomore (Snapper Lou) - 2

Mikey @allyheart707 (Little Subjects) - 2

Prince DubbleBubble @sketchiefoxie (Rottmnt x Adventure Time) - 1

Frigid Leon @sketchiefoxie (Rottmnt x Adventure Time) - 1

Mikey @tizeline (Tiz Sep) - 3

Draxum @tizeline (Tiz Sep) - 1

Donnie @tizeline (Tiz Sep) - 1

Leo @nights-flying-fox & @mostlyvoid-partiallyturtles (Gentle Hands I Don't Recall) - 1

Micheal @gingerchickens (Astray) - 1

Leo @kathaynesart (Replica) - 1

Chompy @probably-not-a-rutabaga (Mutant Chompy) - 1

You have until the end of Friday this week to nominate. Show creators some support, ask them questions, and have fun.

[naivesilver]

I'm supposed to be working on the next shaking the latch proper update but all the activity surrounding the @turtle-tot-tournament is making me giddy so here is some 2003 Mikey and aggrieved dad Yoshi/Lou/Rise!Splinter content in preparation :^)

＼(((￣(￣(￣▽￣)￣)￣)))／

"I am still not sure this is a good idea," Yoshi ventured, brow creased as he scanned his surroundings.

Mikey waved him off dismissively - by contrast, he looked impossibly cheerful, as though he were the one who had to compete and not the children in their care. "Relax, Lou, they're gonna be fine. Look, they're having a great time already!"

That was true, at least. Raphael and Leonardo were positively bursting with energy, chasing each other around the grown-ups' legs with their toddling gait - Yoshi was pretty sure either one of them would soon end the game by stumbling down face-first, but for now, nothing seemed able to stop their fun. Michelangelo, too, was giggling and clapping at the sight of his brothers' antics, even if he couldn't join in and was instead tucked safely in his older version's arms.

Donatello was still sniffling suspiciously at the air, yes, burrowed in his father's shoulder under cover of the rat's unkempt hair, but then again, Yoshi's softshell son had always been the most reticent towards visiting new places. Besides, three babies enjoying themselves out of four was not such a bad ratio. They could have done worse. They had done worse, in the past.

Still, that was not the problem at hand, which he had been trying to explain to Mikey for the past half hour or so. "But- look, the first round is a dancing competition."

"Yeah, and?"

"And?! Orange can't even walk! How do you think he is going to dance?"

"Oh, we'll figure something out." Once again the turtle shrugged his companion's worries off, offering him a cheeky grin in return. "These guys love babies, right? They're gonna go crazy for Mini Me here. 'Sides, I bet no one'll complain if he gets some outside help, since he's a baby and all."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean we're basically the same person, you know? Technically it's not cheating if I lend 'em a hand."

As if to sustain his point, he held the tot up close to his face, smiling brightly all the while. Little Michelangelo shrieked in delight, most likely because he loved being lifted and tossed around like a beach ball, but one still couldn't deny the resemblance between the two - despite the different species of turtle and the decade and a half of age difference, the smugness in their expression was shockingly similar, as was their likelihood of winning Yoshi over without even putting in that much effort.

The rat sighed, resisting the urge to bury his head in his hands. This was going to be a long tournament, he could already feel it in his gut.

[non-rise-tmnt-au-competition]

the childrens garden summary: casey and april are childhood friends, who meet four wildly different bugs in their backyard, deciding to them them leonardo, rapheal, michelangelo, and donatello (as they are watching tmnt 2012 together) and they all go on adventures, helping each other and defending them from the footclan, the wasps

tmnt reticent summary: leo, raph, mikey, donnie and their best friend april meet a vigilante named casey jones and aid him in his fight against the foot clan, mostly to keep casey quiet about their existence. however, they start to learn more about their clan and each other as they delve deeper into new york’s criminal underground.

teenage turtle ninja mutants summary: not provided

the childrens garden - @nakanemiya

tmnt reticent - @raisondetre2012

teenage turtle ninja mutants - @idiot-mushroom

[hijinxensues]

The Cloaking Brooch Dilemma - Part 9

RotTMNT Donatello x OC!AFAB 

Synopsis: Donatello considered himself, nay, deemed himself the greatest mind of his generation. He was known for his skills as a scientist, inventor, engineer and was a technological genius. Dare he throw in that he was a damn good brother and held the title of being ¼th ‘Protector of New York City’.

He could barely fathom that he didn’t piece together that the pretty barista he was falling for was simultaneously his gaming buddy (might I add, for the last eight years) and was working for Big Mama.

At this very moment, Donatello was sure of two things in his life. One of them being his life was a joke and the second being that he was fraternizing with the enemy.

All because he decided to run errands whilst donning his cloaking brooch.

Warnings: Aged-Up turtles, fluff, Half-Yokai OC, AFAB OC (does use she/her/they pronouns in writing), swearing

FIRST

NEXT

PREV

Ch 9 – Plum

Donatello was nearly finished with the data collection for the spreadsheet. He had to tweak it at the start to account for the ‘Cute Coffee Shop Barista was Actually just your Best Friend Reveal’, instead of restarting.

The data pointed to a consistent light headedness, shortness of breath, perspiration and arrythmia that only happened when in the presence of Violet. There was fluctuation in when these symptoms happened, but it only happened when he was with Violet, which had him extremely puzzled. Violet herself never said anything of note in terms of her own physical health and he was reticent to think it was something she was doing to him. As far as he was concerned, Violet was not of mystic-nature and if she was, she would most definitely have told him given that they both called each other ‘best friends’. April and he were also best friends, practically siblings, and there was seldom, if anything, that they kept from each other.

Musing over the thought, was he and Violet like siblings? No, that title didn’t fit. Violet and he were very close, but not once had he thought she was like a sister to him. Was ‘best friends’ a tier underneath ‘siblings’ in friendship ranking? Should he think Violet was like a sister to him given how close they were? Was there such thing as ‘friendship ranking’?

Donatello spun in his computer chair going over the ‘friendship’ to ‘sibling’ pipeline and couldn’t quite connect the dots between himself and Violet. Perhaps he should ask Michelangelo? He seemed to be the expert on all things friendship related.

“Heyo!”

Just the brother he wanted to see, go figure.

“Hello, my dearest Angelo. Just the turtle I wanted to see!”

“Really?! You missed me? Oh, Dee! I love you too!” Donatello braces himself for sudden impact as his younger brother flings himself across his shell and wraps his arounds around his neck, snuggling into his cheek. He pats him on the head as to return the sentiment. “Yes, yes Angelo.” Donatello plucks his brother off him and sets him down on a nearby computer chair. Michelangelo sits criss-cross-apple-sauce.

“This is very, very- that’s two ‘verys’, unlike me, but I’m a little lost in my thought process about a friend, and I would admittedly like some help ‘unpacking’, so to speak.”

Michelangelo ‘ooo’s and rests his head in his palms and leans far into Donatello’s space, “A friend? Did something happen between you and April? Or even you and Cass? Or maybe you and Casey? Perhaps-“

“Mikey, it’s none of those people.”

“Okay, well you didn’t let me finish. What about you and Sunita? What other friends we do have?” Michelangelo has run out of fingers and working on counting toes at this point as he lists of anyone they’ve ever met that was in the Hamato family’s inner circle.

Donatello already was regretting his choice to ask for help.

“Michael, it’s still none of those people.”

Michelangelo screws his eyes shut and opens them with a defeated huff, “I got nothing.”

Donatello was surprised everyday with the insurmountable patience he held for the youngest Hamato.

“Right,” he drawls, “It’s not important who the person is, what’s important is the context. You don’t need to know this person to help me ‘unpack’.” He makes air quotes.

“But I want to know who we’re talking about, Dee! It completes the picture. I need all the context if Dr.Feelings is going to help you, baby!”

“I do not think Dr.Feelings would be much help here, I’d prefer to speak to Mikey right now.” Before his younger brother start up his tangent again, Donatello is quick to interrupt, “As I was saying, before I kept being rudely interrupted, and let me finish, Michael,” Donatello holds up a single digit to halt his brother speech.

“I have a friend, and no you don’t know them, and yes, they’re a real person. You’ve actually walked in here with me playing video games with them, to satiate your curiosity.” Donatello pauses, “I expect your secrecy with this moving forward.” The purple turtle squints menacingly and Michelangelo make a motion of closing a zipper across his mouth.

“This friend and I are very close; I would place our friendship in the ‘best friend’ category. However, April and I are also technically in the ‘best friend’ category, but here’s where I find the issue at hand. I would also classify April as an older sister figure, which would boost her up higher on the friendship hierarchy.”

“Go on.”

“Right, so given that perceiving an individual as a sibling is higher up on the friendship hierarchy, above ‘best friend’ category, does that mean me and this friend aren’t actually as close as I think?”

Michelangelo hums in thought, his thumb and finger under his chin, making a ‘v’ shape, “So, you have a ‘best friend’ and you’re confused over why you don’t see them as more than that? Donnie, that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. On top of that, there is no ‘friendship hierarchy’, you just made that up.”

Donatello does a ‘tsk’ and rolls his eyes, “That’s why I’m seeking your help, as this is your area of expertise. And there is a friendship hierarchy! In order, there’s stranger, acquaintance, co-worker if applicable, villain-turned-good-guy and they somehow become a parental figure if applicable, friend, best friend and then sibling-status which is reserved for people where the friendship is so great, they are considered family. Sibling-status is automatically given to family, aka Raph, yourself and Leo.”

“Who’s ‘villain-turned-good-guy and they somehow become a parental figure’?”

“Draxum and Hypno. Warren if you squint but you know his favorite child is April.”

“Ah, yeah, okay.”

Michelangelo pauses and shrugs, conceding his older brothers point, “Huh, okay sure, there is a ‘friendship hierarchy’.” Michael makes air quotes as he says it, “Why don’t they make the cut then for sibling-status? And talk out your thought process so I can help you. Don’t just keep it inside that big brain of yours.”

“I’m not sure,” his face in his hands, “I’m stuck here as well.”

“Okay, well how about you compare April and this person, since you seem to already be doing that.”

Donatello wrings his hands as he processes, “I’ve known April almost my whole life, but I’ve also known my friend for upwards of six years or so. They’re both know an immense amount of knowledge about me and vice versa, I’ve hung out in person with both separately. I enjoy myself when I’m around them and I do trust them. They both indulge me on my scientific rants but also know when to put me in my place. We’ve got tons of common interests and I look forward to seeing them, schedule permitting.”

“You’re not coming up with a lot of differences there, Dee.”

Michelangelo senses Donatello’s hesitancy to continue and prompts him with the good ole’ youngest sibling charm, “Your secrets safe with me, Dee! I promise.”

“I get…ill around my friend.”

“I don’t think I heard you right, Dee. You get sick around them?”

Donatello swallows thickly, “Yes, I get ill. Arrythmia, perspirations and usually some kind of light-headedness due to overheating.”

The purple terrapin has never been good at reading facial expressions and this is one of those times where he can’t tell if Michaels face is just void of an expression or he just can’t read him.

“….Do you know why that might be?” Michael looks leadingly at him, as if he already knows the answer and he’s trying to get him to catch up. How could Michael have an answer to a question he’s been mulling over for ages?

How much was he going to reveal to Michael right now? About the cloaking brooch, about him lying about who he was to Violet.

“I haven’t been able to pinpoint the exact reason why, however, I may potentially be fostering a bit of a white lie around them. The short and long of it is, they met me with a cloaking brooch on and so they think I’m human.”

“Oh! So, you’re guilty for lying! That probably explains why you get sweaty and hot around them.” Michelangelo states like it’s the most obvious answer in the world. “You can’t ascend them to ‘sibling status’ in your made up hierarchy because you haven’t been truly honest with them! When you come clean to them, the sweaty, hot feeling will go and you’ll probably be able to categorize them better.”

Guilt.

It was guilt.

This was an answer that made sense. How could he have been so stupid? He had been lying by omission, essentially the entirely of their friendship. Anyone would clearly equate his ‘illness’ to the feeling of being guilty, so why didn’t the feeling of ‘guilt’ quite fit what he felt around Violet? Perhaps he just felt ‘guilt’ a bit differently towards her because of some other reason? He was never that great at identifying emotions.

Donatello is stunned into silence as he nods, still making sure to let Michael know he was listening with more physical cues.

“Word of advice though, Don? First of all, come clean about you being a mutant! If they don’t like you as a mutant, they were never your friend to begin with. And two, you should just focus on what you feel with them and try not to think too hard on where you might categorize them. It sounds like you two have a really good friendship in general, it shouldn’t matter where they sit on your scale. What’s important is that you make each other happy!”

“Thank you Michael, you were a great help. I think you’ve solved my problem.” Almost. Maybe. Hopefully.

Michelangelo smiles bright and full, his gap tooth showing, “No problem, Dee! I’m always here for you.” He pats him on his shoulder a few times before getting up and reaching for the sky as he stands and stretches. “Anything else from me, Dee?”

He shakes his head and leans back into his computer chair to recline backwards, “No, I don’t think so, Angelo. Thank you again for your assistance.”

“I’m glad we got it figured out, you know, for a second it sounded like you might’ve had a crush on them or something.” Michelangelo chuckles airily and promptly exits the lab and leaves Donatello with a deafening and weighted silence.

A crush.

“A crush!?” Donatello sputters to the silence of his lab, “A crush? No, that’s- that’s absolutely absurd!”

He goes over the friendship pipeline in his brain rapidly, his palms beginning to sweat, his heart pumping so rapidly he could hear it in his ears. The same way it happens when he’s with Violet. He pushes those thoughts away quickly and buries them in a lockbox at the bottom of the metaphorical void of his brain, past all the filing cabinets and boxes filled with information so it can never be found again.

In order: stranger, acquaintance, co-worker if applicable, villain-turned-good-guy and they somehow become a parental figure if applicable, friend, best friend and then sibling-status.

Where does he put romantic interest? Does it have its own tier? Something separate from the friendship hierarchy?! Is there a whole other hierarchy he needs to worry about that he has not accounted for!? How could he have been so blind to another piece of data? While Donatello was no stranger to the intimate intricacies of romantic relationships, he had technically never been in a long standing one that pushed further the boundaries of the physicality portions of it.

Regardless, he did not have…feelings for his best friend. This he was absolutely certain of.

In all the rom-com media Raphael makes the family consume up until this point, the ‘falling in love’ trope seemed to be extremely, explosive, for lack of a better word. The feeling would hit the main characters hard and fast; it would be extremely obvious to the two people and often be a bit messy before they ironed out the kinks. Having a crush in media was like a tidal wave crashing violently into the shore or literal fireworks as it was often described as- it was loud, glaringly obvious and obnoxious if you asked him. He would know, without a doubt, if he harbored romantic feelings towards Violet because it would be loud.

With Violet, it was never like that. It had never once been loud. Being with Violet was like the quiet before the storm, calm and patient. He could compare her to the soft glow of a campfire, bright and comforting, embers making themselves known as they try to spread their warmth as far as they can. The bass of his music when he could hear it from another room, loud enough to hear and feel the thrum of the music, but never loud enough to disturb. Violet lit up a room and commanded presence when needed, she burned so bright it was blinding but he never had an issue looking right at the light or missed an opportunity to bask in her warmth.  

He sees her nose crinkle when she smiles when he closes his eyes and he opens them quickly, looking rapidly over his shoulders almost like he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t have.

He didn’t have a crush on Violet. Why does it feel like he almost has to convince himself of this? He takes another metaphorical lock box and throws that thought in there and makes the key disappear.

He did not have a petulant crush on anyone. He had a ‘bad boy’ image to uphold, of course.

Donatello clears his throat, “I need a coffee.”

The warmth that travels up his neck and to his cheeks is caused by his lab being too warm (he needs to turn down the heat in there) and has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he’s about to go see Violet, hopefully, at her shift.

He’d be sure to impress her this time, in his mutant form. Why was he doing this again? Ah yes, he was doing this to get her used to his mutant form before telling her the truth. Right. Last time did not go as planned, but this time would be better.

He had a script prepared for almost every possible line of dialogue she could throw at him.

He straightens his coat and rights his beanie on his head before then smoothing down his pants with damp palms (he was sweaty because he was guilty of lying, not because of silly little romantic feelings, he reminds himself), he needed to look more than acceptable of course to make a good first (or second) impression as his mutant self. “Here goes.”

--

He curses as he checks the time on his arm band, it’s fifteen minutes before close. He should be able to make it but the chat with Michelangelo had run long and he dawdled a bit on the way into the neighborhood as well which ate up valuable time as well. There would not be much time for pleasantries, given she was on shift today.

A grin makes it onto his face before he can temper it as he sees Violet’s telltale round framed glasses and dark hair at the till, wiping down the counter. She looks up and offers a small smile, “You know it’s rude to come into an establishment right before close right?” Violet slides over a pastry box and a to-go cup, “I had a feeling you’d come in tonight. I mean, if you didn’t, I’d just have a latte a cinnamon bun for breakfast tomorrow.”

“You never cease to amaze me, Violet.” This causes her cheeks to color and he doesn’t miss it, “Has anyone told you that you’re more thoughtful than the average person? I’d reckon any other barista would not have had my order prepped and ready for pick up based on a ‘feeling’.”

Violet chuckles, “Don’t get a big head over it.”

Donatello fumbles with his wallet to try and eat up time as this was not a part of his dialogue chart for things to say next. The bell at the front door chimes to notify him of another customer coming into the coffee shop. He sighs and taps to pay for his order. ‘Beefed it again, Beefatello! Way to go.’ He scolds himself internally as he grabs his order, ready to end the night off on a measly ‘see you next time’.

“Good riddance, these mutants are everywhere.”

It’s not the first, nor will it be the last he hears xenophobia or bigotry in New York, but it always manages to seize his heart hearing the blatant disgust aimed at him.

He hates it but it’s always better to not fight back, Raphael says. It shows more of their character than it does his.

“Excuse me? I’m going to give you one chance to fix your attitude.” It’s Violet who speaks up next.

The older gentleman scoffs and places his grubby little fingers across the counter Violet just wiped down- it made Donatello furious.

“I said, these god-forsaken mutants are fucking everywhere! Taking over our jobs, invading our coffee shops! They’re fucking freaks!” The gentleman faces him completely and jabs a finger into his plastron. Donatello is much larger than he was in his teens, and he doesn’t budge a single millimeter as the mans finger folds under the hard surface of his plastron.

“Listen here you fucking racist, piece of shit- you’re talking to one of the Heroes of New York City,” Violet rounds the corner and shoves the man out of the way to stand in front of him, “you know that alien invasion? Yeah, he took care of that shit. What the fuck were you doing?” Violet reaches behind her and grabs the latte out of Donatello’s hand, “And ‘taking over coffee shops’? You want a coffee that fucking bad? Take it!”

Swiftly she rips the lid off and throws the hot contents of the cup on the man.

Donatello isn’t sure if he imagines Violet in armor and a shield or if he’s got stars in his eyes. There she is, that’s my girl!

The man sputters angrily and wipes at himself rapidly, purple coffee dripping down his arms and clothes, he throws curses at her as he runs towards the door, “I’ll get you back for that, bitch!”

“That’s what they all say! I’ll be waiting!” Breathing heavy, a hand on her chest as she turns to face him. “I’m really sorry-“

“No, no! I should be saying sorry for the mess on the floor. I should be thanking you! So, thank you for that. Not many people come to our rescue.” Donatello smiles earnestly at her and puts his pastry box down, “Do you have a mop and cleaning solution? It’s well passed close now, I’d be delighted to help clean up.”

Violet tilts her head with furrowed brows and for the second time tonight, he’s unable to read a social cue or facial expression. Had he said something wrong? “Unless, of course, you’d like to clean this up yourself, then-“

She shakes her head, “I’ll get a mop, thanks for helping.” She grins and heads to the back, “One second!”

This encounter with Violet as his mutant self was much more successful than he could’ve ever predicted, despite the bigot of course.

Donatello sops up most of the liquid with tissue paper that he discards in a waste basket. He holds his hands out stiffly in front of him and screws his face at the moist texture of the napkins then heads over to the sink to wash up.

Violet comes back out with a mop bucket and goes over the remaining residue, “So, you’ve heard the ‘Heroes of New York’ thing?” he smirks playfully at her and crosses his arms over his puffed chest.

She snorts and rolls her eyes, “For the second time tonight, don’t get a big head about it. I’ve got a Yokai friend I love dearly that mentioned in passing there were a few color-coded vigilante turtles that took care of that craziness a few years back.” She starts to wheel the mop bucket away before locking eyes, “Thanks for yenno, saving the world though. Seriously. The best I could do for you is throw a cup of coffee at your assailant.” She chuckles and throws a wink his way.

If his ego was any bigger, he wouldn’t make it out the door.

“Thank you, loyal citizen! I believe it is my turn to say something for the second time tonight, you never cease to amaze me, Violet. Throwing coffee at my assailant is more than the average barista would do for me anyways.” He raises his voice a bit, so she catches his words from the other room.

His ninja skills kicking in, he jaunts to the front door and does a quick scan for the surrounding areas to try and see if the man was still hanging around to catch Violet by surprise.

“Don’t worry about me, I’ll just take the back entrance and hope for the best. Or I might call a friend of mine to chat on the phone while I walk home, I haven’t heard much from him today.”

Donatello sees her pull her phone out and fusses around with a few buttons before his phone starts to buzz in his pocket. In a panic, he starts coughing to cover up the sounds of the vibration in his pocket and stealthily silences it with a press of a button on his arm band.

“Uh, you okay? You’ve got a nasty cough.”

The terrapin clears his throat, “Ah, yes! Just choked…on my own spit. Briefly.” Real smooth, Donatello, “Um, I insist on walking you home. Take it as my thank you for tonight.” He wrings his hands and sways stiffly as he waits for her to answer.

Donatello feels a few more vibrates on his phone as she texts his phone, and he sighs in relief as she pockets her device, “Sure thing, he’s not answering right now, so I’ll take you up on your offer to be safe.”

The walk home is uneventful and relatively quiet in terms of conversation between the two of you, Donatello has already memorized the way back to Violet’s apartment, but he slows his steps to make it look like he’s following to quell any suspicions.

“Do I get the name of my fearless hero who walked me home?”

Donatello loses his footing and rights himself quickly before he falls face flat on the concrete, “Ah, my name? No can do, nope. A superhero never reveals his secret identity. Haven’t you seen Spider-Man?” He can’t meet her gaze as his eyes dart back and forth looking for something else to focus on instead. It’s too much of a coincidence to tell her his name is ‘Donnie’- he wasn’t ready to come clean!

“Got it. Peter Parker and Spider-Man, no name and Purple Turtle. Got it.”

“Tis I! Purple Turtle is me. Very creative, exquisite name choice on your end.”

Violet stops in front of her building, “Well, thank you to my friendly neighborhood Purple Turtle for getting me home safely.”

The purple turtle clenches his fists in his pockets, his nails digging into his palm, “No probbles, citizen! Would you rate this walking home experience? Satisfactory, very satisfactory or extremely satisfactory?”

Violet laughs, arms over her midsection, “You’re actually kinda funny. I’ll say very satisfactory.” Once the laughter dies down, she chucks a thumb over her shoulder, “I gotta go, but have a good night and stay safe.”

He feels a flutter in his stomach which he diagnoses as indigestion and waves as Violet heads up her apartment.

He pulls up his spreadsheet and marks underneath it ‘Rendezvous, Encounter two, successful’. “New York. What a town!”

--

He’s latte-less and bombarded by Leo when he gets home. He cares little for being without a latte but is annoyed immensely when Leo catches up to him in his lab.

“What is it Nardo? I’m not in the mood.”

“C’mon! I haven’t even done anything yet!”

“That’s your cue to leave then, before you do anything.”

“Don, Donnie, Dontron, Donathon,” his twin says in a sing song voice, “How would you like to come on a trip with me to the Hidden City?”

This mildly piques his curiosity, Leonardo almost never wanted nor needed to go to the Hidden City. “For what purpose?” squinting his eyes, he spins in his chair to eye him up suspiciously. Leonardo leans on the hilt of his sword, “Sight seeing! Yenno, we don’t go down to the Hidden City enough. We should really be embracing that part of our culture.”

“You’ve very literally never been interested in the ‘culture’ of the Hidden City, but I’ll entertain your blatant lie to my face. Where exactly are we sight seeing?”

“Hermano, you ask too many questions. Don’t you trust your fearless leader? Wait, don’t answer that.”

Donatello pinches his brows, “Leo, if you don’t cut straight to the chase, I’m kicking you out. Keep in mind, it’s the dead of night. What could we possibly be ‘sight seeing’?”

Leonardo fiddles with a pen on Donatello’s desk to buy him time to think and it promptly explodes, the ink splattering all over the desk.

“Alright, goodnight Nardo.” Exasperation has long made its home in the purple terrapins tone, “Shelldon, can you please grab a few paper towels and some cleaning spray for this?”

“Okay, okay, you got me! Listen, I need help spying on someone. That rabbit waiter at Huesos’-“

“The clumsy one? The one who’s fallen on their face in front of our table? The one who’s spilled drinks on us more times than I can count? The one who had a grape stuck in his nose for a year? He could take two steps towards us and destroy half the restaurant.”

“Yes, that one. Isn’t he just adorable?” There’s a softness to his gaze that Donatello doesn’t see often in Leo. Why is he not surprised his brother managed to fall in love with the dumbest rabbit?

“He has a ‘friend’, who works front desk at Big Mama’s. Apparently, they’re harmless but I just don’t buy it. They’re not harmless if they work for Big Mama! I don’t trust them.” Leonardo paces around the lab, “I don’t think Yuichi would be lying to me, but perhaps his so-called friend, ‘Intercom Girl’, is bamboozling him! She only refers to him by his surname, which is already a red flag! Who doesn’t refer to their friend by their first name!?”

“As the rational and intelligent twin, Big Mama has plenty of staff that works in the hotel that isn’t directly associated or working with her. You virtually have no evidence, Leo; this is a waste of time.” He swivels his chair around to be met with a clean desk, “Thank you, Shelldon.”

Leonardo round the table and slams his fists on the table, “You’ve left me no choice. Don’t make me tell Raphie that you’ve been missing training to hang out with some girl topside. In your cloaking brooch too.”

Donatello freezes, “How do you know that?”

“How would Raph feel knowing you’ve been lying to him about feeling sick during training?” Leonardo clears his throat and lowers his voice to mimic their eldest brother, “Oh no, Donnie’s not feeling too well? That’s ok, Mad Dogz, lets leave him alone and do practice without him today.” Leonardo straightens himself out with a smug grin, “You’ve gotten sloppy, Donathon.”

Leonardo has got him pinned, and while Donatello hated losing he knew when he was found out.

“Let’s make this quick then.”

--

Both boys situate themselves on a nearby rooftop to survey the general area by the Grand Nexus in an army crawl position, Donatello equipped with his goggles and Leonardo with mystic binoculars, gifted by Draxum for things like stakeouts.

“So, what’s her name?”

“None of your business.”

“I’ll trade you one piece of information about Yuichi and you give me one of your mystery boothang.”

Leonardo is met with silence.

“Perfect, I’ll go first, we’ll go easy. Yuichi is a rabbit Yokai. Your turn.”

Donatello holds steadfast in his silence.

“Yuichi has an apartment topside and in the Hidden City. No, I don’t know how he affords both and only spends time at one of them. And, go.”

Whatever the equivalent of a topside New York pigeon squawks and flies in front of them and obscures their vision momentarily.

“His favorite color is blue. But not my shade of blue, like a slightly different one. Take it away, DonTron!”

The scientist sighs, his tolerance for nonsense already shot from the bigot at the coffee shop.

“Hmm, what else. You already know about the grape thing. Yuichi is a samurai and yes apparently that’s different from being a ninja. Go off and don’t hold out on me!”

The wind whistles past them and picks up their tail masks in the breeze.

“Okay, you’re horrible at this game!” Leonardo whines and rolls onto his shell, “C’mon, give me something to work with! My twin is dating someone and won’t even tell me?! Have you no respect for our sacred twin bond? We shared the womb together!”

“We aren’t dating! That’s also physically not possible, we were hatched as turtles, so there was no ‘womb’.” Donatello faces palms frustratedly, “We’ve been out here for thirty minutes, how long are we going to stakeout for?”

As if on cue a pair of rabbit ears walk out the front entrance of the hotel. Donatello ducks further down as his eyes lock on a head of white hair and rabbit ears, “Wait, her!?”

Leonardo bolts up and is promptly yanked down by the plastron by his brother, “Yes! Yes, that’s her! Do you know her!?”

His fists clench and he can feel his teeth grinding against each other bordering on painful, “No, but she accosted me at ‘Run of the Mill’.”

“Someone assaulted you and you didn’t think to mention it to us!?”  

“She ordered a ham and pineapple pizza and said my forehead was big.”

Leonardo guffaws, “Honestly, I love her now so we can totally call this off. I also love Hawaiian pizza, so she has good taste and can confirm your forehead is ginormous.”

“Nonsense! We follow them, onwards!”

The two color-coded turtles follow rooftop by rooftop stealthily keeping them in eyesight before dropping down to the streets as the pair halted in front of a bank. Perhaps they were going to commit a robbery?

Donatello watches as his rabbit nemesis pulls out an envelope from her jacket pocket and plop it into the return slot by the door. Adrenaline pumping through his veins, he goes over the possibility that there’s something dangerous in the envelope and runs through every scenario if the bank needed to be evacuated or if there needed to send out a perimeter around the block if it was one of Big Mama’s schemes.

“Alright, we’ll head into the bank after she leaves and intercept the envelope to ensure it’s nothing something of malicious intent.” The stretch of silence long enough to be suspicious, Donatello turns expecting to see his brother and does not.

“Intercom Girl, we meet again!”

Ah, there he is.

He groans, “Seriously?”

He’s just out of earshot to hear what she says next, but her hands find her hips and her foot thump rapidly against the ground. Her ears swivel in his direction as he walks out and places himself beside Leonardo. She startles as he comes into view, but her facial expression reads cautious neutrality at seeing him.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that you’re both obsessed with me.”

“Hah! That is the farthest thing from the truth, you villainous cretin!” Donatello pushes a thick digit into her chest which she smacks away instantly.

“Weird, because is this not my third run in with you? I’ve never once sought you out. It’s fifty dollars for a head shot, and I have a pen in my bag if you wanted my autograph.”

Leonardo opens his mouth to interrupt with a quip but swallows it down as his twin steps into her personal bubble.

“Oh, that’s just rich coming from you. My brothers and I are bonafide celebrities around here.”

She rolls her eyes, “Weird flex, but okay.”

“Peculiar boast, but alas.” Leonardo adds with a grin, Donatello picks up in his tone he doesn’t find the half-rabbit much of a threat. She turns to him, “Baffling performance but acceptable nonetheless.”

“Obscure showing off but matters the least.” She chuckles and signals him to continue. The half-rabbit was a temptress! Leonardo was right, she must be bamboozling Yuichi with some type of manipulation mystic something or other and she had his brother under the same spell if he was so willing to continue playful banter with her as if she isn’t trying to bomb a bank!

“What heinous contraption did you put in the mail slot?” Donatello brings it back around to him as he was the only one taking things seriously.

“A night depository from the gift shop.”

“Scoff, do you think us small minded? We will not fall for your tricks, you low rate Bugs Bunny impersonator!”

The fire is back in her eyes as it’s her turn to push her, much tinier in comparison, fingers into his plastron, “Are you calling me a liar!?”

“I certainly do not think you have the capabilities to be honest!”

Donatello towered over her the tinier figure, if he were to guess, she was most likely 5’3 trying to step to his 6’3 body. He would commend her if he didn’t hate her so much. The half rabbit promptly turns around and starts walking the opposite way and makes it to the other side of a freestanding bench that now stood between the two, “I don’t have time for this, tortoise.”

Time was of the essence if he was going to find out the truth about what was in the envelope. “Hah! Of course, someone so uneducated and unsophisticated wouldn’t know that I am, in fact, a soft-shell turtle! Not a tortoise.”

“Whatever you say, lizard looking fool.”

Donatello is fuming, face red and steam practically exiting from both ears, he grips the handle of the bench, “Do you want me to jump across this bench?! Because I do not have all day to deal with petty crimes from the likes of you!”

He sees the corners of her mouth curl upwards in slow motion as her eyes sparkle with a mischievous glint, “Feelin’ froggy, babe? Leap.”

Donatello’s last shred of patience falls apart and is carried off by the wind. A million and one thoughts pass through his mind about what he was going to do next that was rudely interrupted by a heavy weight on his shoulder, “She wasn’t lying, Donathon. It was just a night depository.”

Her head tilts curiously and she murmurs something under her breath before looking back at him, “See?” she folded her arms over her chest, “Can I go home now, narks?”

“Uh, no! We need to take you in for questioning!” The purple turtle tries to salvage the encounter and grab the upper hand, embarrassment flooding his senses.

“Yeah, you can go Intercom Girl.” Leonardo waves her off and she eyes them up suspiciously before walking away, “Have the night you deserve!” she hollers at them her back facing them, one hand in her pocket and the other with a middle finger up to them.  

“Nardo! What was that!?”

“I should be asking you that. I’ve never seen you worked up so quickly over literally nothing. I honestly thought you two were going to kiss, the sexual tension was out of this realm.”

“S-sexual tension!? That was just heat of the moment as we were in the throes of battle!”

“She’s totally your type too, Don. Cute and mean! Don’t tell your topside boothang, they might get jealous.” Hands behind his head, Leonardo starts the walk back to the lair, “You coming, hermano? Or are you still starstruck?”

The way back to the lair is quiet as he stews, his head hot enough to probably fry and egg on it.

“Thanks for coming with me, DonTron! I owe you one. I’m feeling way better about her and Yuichi, anyone that can shut you down like that is good in my books.” Leonardo snickers and he considers himself lucky his tail doesn’t get caught in Donatellos lab doors as they shut with no warning.

’25 Missed Messages’

He feels his heart rate lower, and the irritation melt off him instantly as he opens his and Violet’s text thread. He sighs long and heavy as he skims over the content and types out a response.

donnie: Salutations, did you want to play Smash? I’ll be up for a little longer and need to blow off some steam.

Letty: im going to beat ur ass so fucking hard  

donnie: Do you need me to escort you to the psychiatric ward? Because you’re delusional.

Letty: I’ll hop on Discord for voice chat!!! get ready for some trash talk, ive already warmed up for the day

Donatello smiles to himself, his poor mood entirely forgotten as he sets up his computer. “Shelldon? A clementine, please?”

Shelldon nods, retrieves it and places it on his desk. “One clementine coming right up, Dee!” Donatello thanks his little robot as his gaze fixates on an empty desk beside his he used to keep spare parts and blueprints. He peels the clementine delicately and citrus fills his senses, perhaps he could make the desk beside an extra gaming set up for Violet? Yes, that would be a nice project for him. He would eventually have to invite her over to the lab, of course after he tells her the truth about him. In the meantime, he would work on the spare set up so it would be ready for when she came over.

Popping a piece of the fruit in his mouth he nods in affirmation at his sweet treat. He clicks ‘accept’ on the incoming call.

“Donnie! My fav nerd!”

He can imagine her smile, the way she beams at him followed up with an excited giggle.

His cheeks heat up. It was the guilt, as Mikey suggested. Or maybe he was coming down with a fever.

He wishes she were here with him, to share the clementine with him. As friends, of course.

Donatello never identified with being dishonest, especially with himself, but the tendrils of doubt sow themselves deep as he drinks in her laugh and yearns to see her eyes light up. He blacks out and can barely remember what he says to her next but her next words ground him in reality swiftly.

“You’re my best friend, Dee.”

Best friend, yes. That’s correct. They were best friends, nothing more. He knew that. So, why was he disappointed when hearing it confirmed? He swallows the last piece of the citrus fruit, and it isn’t as sweet as the other pieces.

TBC

[sylvain-writes]

Doors Will Open (Donatello x Reader)

Rated: G

Gender Neutral Reader, pre-relationship, movie night, tenderness, cuddling, supportive brothers

You surprise Donnie with lembas bread for your Lord of the Rings movie night.

for @blancoluna

Donatello is holed up in his laboratory of mischief and oddities when you arrive at the lair bearing treats. But Mikey is there to greet you, jumping out of the Pit to graciously unload the deep tupperware of cookies from your hands. 

His eyes twinkle as he leans in to stage whisper, “You’re my favorite, know that?”

April walks up behind him with a gasp of indignation. “I’m gone five minutes!”

“But, but...” He lifts the box in his defense, “Cookies!”

“Ooh.” April’s eyes go wide and warmth floods your cheeks at their enthusiasm. She rubs her hands together with delight. “Can I grab one for the road?” You nod, of course, encouraging her to take as many as she likes. “You’re my favorite too,” she says with a giddy bounce.

Your laughter draws Raphael and Leonardo from the tunnels, and your excitement for the evening mounts. Rising to your toes hopefully, you try to capture a glimpse of Donatello behind them. The tunnel, however, is otherwise empty. Your heart sinks just a little.

Everyone gathers in the kitchen, welcoming you and trying to convince April to stay, but with each passing minute, the absence of your best friend grows harder to ignore. 

“Wheel of Time is in my bag,” you mention to Leo half-heartedly. It’s a book series he’s been begging to borrow for ages. You’re proud of yourself for remembering to bring it, and you don’t want to get distracted and forget. 

“Thanks!” Leo unlatches your messenger bag immediately, diving into a confession that only serves to prove what a nerd he is. Apparently, he sped through the Lord of the Rings this week in his excitement for the weekend movie marathon. You nod along with an amused smile. You're usually overjoyed to have the fellow bookworm to talk to, but your attention keeps drifting to the empty tunnels. 

A lull in his rambling gives you an opportunity to ask, “Is Donnie coming?” You have trouble meeting Leo's eyes, but you try your best to keep the question sounding casual and light. You don’t want Leo, Raph, Mikey, or April to feel like you don’t value their company, but you brought down supplies for Movie Night under the impression Donatello would be joining in; you don’t want to start without him.

“Oh, I’ll get that knucklehead,” Leo says, stacking the books to carry. “He probably just lost track of time.” 

Turning from Mikey's final, futile plea for April to stay, Leo heads toward his room to drop off the books, then to the workshop to gather their missing brother.

The muted sounds of tools and machinery come through the heavy door in clanks and whirrs. But Leo knows Donnie won't mind the intrusion.  He raps a knuckle against the small frosted window and gives his brother a shout. 

Donatello raises his voice over the buzz of a circular saw to ask, “Emergency?” But the sound of the blade cutting through metal continues without pause.

“No.” Leo won’t lie. He won’t test Donnie’s nerves with trickery, not even when the reveal is something his brother has been looking forward to all week. 

“Password?” Donnie counters next.

Leo screws up his face, searching his memories for the right answer. “I don’t know, dude. There’s cookies? And, like, ten hours of movies, so-”

The saw goes silent before the 'shop door opens with a snap. Leo takes a step back to give his brother room. 

Donnie’s face pops through the gap, his eyes looking unnaturally large through the magnifying lenses perched atop his beak. “What day is it?”

“Uh, Friday.”

“Y/N is here?”

Leo's exasperated answer hisses through the tunnel. "Yes." 

Donatello lets the door swing wide as he pulls off his goggles and hangs them on their hook. “Why didn’t you start with that?” he asks as he tidies up his station. His hands fly over the tables, reorganizing the space for his return. He fumbles his wrenches into their case in his rush. "How long have they been here? Why didn't anyone get me sooner?"

Leo doesn’t hide his grin, so happy to see Donnie this close to admitting his crush. “Oh, so they’re the password, huh?”

Donatello’s blush starts at his neck and rises up to his ears. “That’s not…” He gives a little huff as he rolls his tool cart to its place against the wall. “Shut up, Leo.”

Slinging an arm around Donnie's neck, Leo drags him into the hall. He grinds his knuckles over his little brother's head with a light chuckle.  Though Donnie easily squirms free, Leo knocks him with a shoulder, a tease and a mark of support. 

At first, Leo had been reticent to encourage his brother's feelings for you, but over time it's become obvious that Donnie’s affections are far from one-sided. Being what they are, that came as somewhat of a shock to him, but it was the best kind of surprise.

Donnie's lucky to have you in his life. And Leo hopes that one day soon, the two of you will get your acts together. It's about time you two admit just how happy the other makes you.

*

You're picking at the edge of the countertop, stomach in knots, when you hear the echo of footsteps draw near. Leo and Donnie enter the main living space pushing and shoving, but there's not a hint of anger on their squabble. Laughter stretches their smiles wide. 

You bite your lips together, anticipating the moment when Donatello finds you. There's become a shared second of pause when you meet, though you don't know when that began. You try to prepare yourself for it each time, but it always leaves you breathless. 

When Donatello’s eyes fall on you, his laughter peters out and his smile goes soft. Your lungs ache with the breath you've forgotten to release until Donatello breaks the spell. "I was told there would be cookies?"

You gesture to the box, hoping the slight tremor in your hand isn't obvious. "Lembas, actually." It's silly, your newly developed nervousness around him. Donnie is the person with whom you feel safest, most free to be yourself. He's your best friend in the world. 

Your crush on him shouldn't change that. But it does. It could change everything.

Donatello's eyes slide to the box and his jaw drops comically. "Are you kidding me? How did you-? Why did-?" His long strides bring him to the table before he has a chance to form a full sentence.

"It's our weekend," you say. A blush colors your cheeks as you catch your choice of phrase. "I mean, Lord of the Rings weekend. Remember?" You fiddle with the ring hanging from your neck, your fingers running back and forth over the elvish script. 

"I didn't. I do now! I didn't realize it was Friday until Leo… But Lembas!" He's probably the biggest nerd of you all.

"Go ahead." The mess of crumbs on the counter is evidence Raph and Mikey have grabbed their share. Thankfully, they left some for the rest of you. 

Leo skirts around you to take a cookie for himself while Donatello inspects his square of pastry with care. Turning it over in his hands, Donnie hums. "It smells like citrus and almond."

"There's lavender too," you supply gently. It took a few tries and a few tweaks of the recipe you found to get it just right, but you're quite proud of the end result.

"Yeah," he gives a slow nod. "And lavender. I was getting to that." He looks at you in awe. "This is really… it's so cool."

"You didn't even try it." Your racing heart switches gears from nervousness to anticipation for Donnie to have a taste.

"Oh, right." Donatello takes his first bite, follows it quickly with a second, and the cookie is gone. "Wow." Crumbs fall from his lips and you chuckle at his enthusiasm.

"I can make more," you offer as he reaches for another, "if you guys like them so much."

Donnie nods and drops his gaze as he seems to consider it. "...maybe you can make them here," he says finally. "With me, y'know? Show me how it's done."

Your blush returns at the suggestion and you find yourself hesitant to agree to the plan. 

Donatello's eyes blink wide and his almost pout is irresistible as always. You can't fathom why you'd give up the chance to be the one teaching Donatello something for once. 

With a leap of your heart, you give in. "Yeah, of course. We can swing by my place later and grab the stuff. Could be fun."

"Could be," he agrees quietly.

Donnie meets your eyes again and the moment of stillness between you stretches long--

Until Raphael speaks up from the couch with an exaggerated groan. "Can ya please get over here already? There's a whole mess of movies waitin' for us and you're busy yappin'."

Donatello grabs the box of cookies and rummages through the cabinet for Pop-Tarts while you make your way over to the TV. Of course, not even lembas can fill his appetite for sweet pastry. 

In the Pit, the lighting is dim. Title screen music rises and falls, drawing you into the fantasy world of Middle Earth.

Leo has taken a seat atop the back of the couch to give Raph and Mikey room on the cushions below. At the sight of your approach, Mikey scoots toward his brothers to make you a place by the armrest.

It's a comfortable fit, even for your favorite position, sitting with your legs pulled up, criss cross. But when Donnie comes in, there's no real room for him. He doesn't seem to mind. He places the plate of lembas and box of Pop-Tarts on the coffee table. Then, without hesitation, he takes a seat on the floor in front of you.

Mikey starts up the movie and the epilogue scenes cast the room in shadows and flashes of light. Donatello settles in against your legs and everyone's eyes focus on the screen.

The film plays and the temptation to reach toward Donatello increases with his every shift. Though he hasn't complained, you think he must be uncomfortable down on the floor. If nothing else, the way he rolls his shoulders probably means he's feeling stiff. 

It's dark enough, you could lay your hands on his shoulders, work the knots out of his muscles and neck, without attracting the attention of his brothers. But you don't. As you indulge yourself in fantasy, Donatello shifts once more.  He slides into position between your knees and the tails of his bandana catch on the hem of your jeans. 

You stare for a moment, unsure if you're allowed to touch. Then, Donnie leans back and smiles up at you and you could swear your heart stops. It only lasts a second before his eyes return to the screen, but it fills you with comfort, confidence, and calm.

Careful not to tug, you take the tails of his mask in hand and lay the long strips of cloth over your lap. With steady passes, the fabric runs through your fingers. It's soft and worn. Stained and fraying on the ends. The movie plays on, but as far as you're concerned there's only this. 

You twist the tails of Donnie's mask around your fingers. You tie them into loose knots, losing yourself in the quiet intimacy of having Donatello so close. 

Donnie tips his head to the side as you play, turning his body just enough that he can rest his head on your knee. 

You bend at the waist and drop your voice as quiet as it can go to avoid being overheard by the others. "You OK?"

Donatello nods, nuzzling his cheek against your knee just enough for you to notice. "It's nice," he says, and you drag the tails of his bandana through your fingers again. 

As you sit up, you spare a glance at his brothers. Raph and Leo are sitting forward, elbows on their knees, enraptured by Arwen's race on horseback. But Mikey's watching you through the corner of his eye. He gives you a small, knowing smile before turning his attention back to the screen.

When it's time to switch DVDs, everyone agrees it's time for a stretch. 

Donnie's the first one back to the Pit. And he takes it upon himself to lie across all three cushions of the couch with a lazy grin. Mikey doesn't even bother with him, ducking out to meet up with April and leaving his older brothers to fend for spots on the broken recliner and floor.

Donatello makes grabby hands as you return from the kitchen with a pair of sodas. You think he'll sit up, make some room. But to your surprise, Donatello exaggerates his sprawl. He takes the drinks and places them on the floor, then extends his hands toward you again.

You only have a second to register his request before he takes your hand in his and gently pulls you onto the couch with him. 

Cuddled up between the couch and your back, Donatello gives a little shimmy and a wistful sigh. 

Your heart is racing and you're tingling from your hands to your toes, but fitting against the curves of Donatello's bent knees and soft embrace takes no thought at all. And once you're there, you can't imagine ever wanting to leave.

*

The second Fellowship DVD comes to an end, and Donatello's breath tickles your neck, "One more?"

You shrug into the feeling of his words ghosting over your skin. "I'll fall asleep," you admit regretfully. You're so comfortable in his arms, you don't want to go home. But it's precisely that warmth and safety that are making it so hard to stay awake.

"I won't make fun of you if you snore," Donnie teases. There's soft pressure on your scalp and you're sure that's the feeling of him snuggling into your hair.

"I make no promises," Raph chimes in from the recliner. You'd long since forgotten you had company. The sound of his voice should come as a shock, should have you scrambling out of Donnie's arms. But it's only Raph, and he's picking on you the same as always. And there's a kind of approval in that -- the kind you never dreamed of receiving.

You try to shoot him a scowl, but you're grinning because you can't help it. 

*

You were right about having difficulty staying awake. The film isn't on for five minutes before your eyes drift closed.

"Are you asleep?"

"Still listening," you mumble dreamily. Donatello's arms tighten around you and his chin tucks over your head. It's enough to send you adrift into a deep and peaceful sleep.

You wake up in the morning alone but wrapped in a purple knitted blanket you recognize from Donnie's room. You pull it snug around your shoulders as you sit up to check your phone.  There's a text from your roommate and emails that can be ignored, but one notification stands out. You touch the media message from Raphael. 

Though you roll your eyes at the blurry thumbnail, your curiosity has you pressing play. The video is only 20 seconds, anyway. 

It loads immediately and the image clears. You smile at the closeup of Donatello asleep on the couch. The audio is low but you can clearly make out the snuffling rise and fall of his snores. You allow yourself a little laugh as you watch the video play through again. And you don't miss the way Raphael panned to show you and Donnie together dozing comfortably -- your limbs entangled and your face tucked into the crook of his neck.

You're unsure where you two stand and where your relationship will go, but your stomach is full of butterflies and your heart is content.

"Did you sleep OK?" Donnie asks as he comes in from the kitchen. He's brought tea and toast -- a simple but sweet gesture. 

You take a moment to enjoy the sight of him bringing you breakfast 'in bed' and tuck your phone away with a smile. "I slept great."

[rainyraisin]

I tried pencil brushes hehe (I don’t love using the Derwent brush but I think it looks pretty)

I also tried lineart (it was very /neg but I did it!!!)

[kc-anathema]

I need a favor from tcest fandom

I recently received a flame about...well, it’s easier if you just read it.

Why didn't you keep it leo/mikey why add raph Leo is mikey's and mikey is leo's the fact that you condone cheating is surprising and sad you betrayed all the fans of l/m & m/l pairings out there how dam cry machine fix it so it's only leo/mikey and mikey/leo that's only pairing Besides raph/don & don/raph that matter and to be allow the fact is I am sick to fucking death of thease other pathetic pairings I mean raph/mikey mikey/don leo/don & raph/leo are Nothing but a waste of time and useless energy and those god dam ot4, ot3 are just as dumb I mean seriously come on it doesn't work nor should it.

I won’t be surprised if everyone knows where this is coming from. I will refrain from posting with the name, but it’s not like the flamer is reticent about leaving their insults signed on our fics.

In response, I wrote this:

I believe that you have already been told that fanfic is not a restaurant--you do not get to send a dish back because you don't like it. You sling insults as if you think this will make me change what I'm writing. Or what others are writing--you have consistently insulted anyone who does not write the pairing you like and act like a whining child flailing about in a tantrum. How has that worked for you? Has anyone actually changed what they're doing?

I normally leave flames unanswered now. At this point in life, I'm just too tired to want to engage. However, you clearly need to have this spelled out so that you might--just might--stop embarrassing yourself in front of fandom. Let this be a teachable moment.

Your opinion will not change what we write. The fandom will craft the stories that it wants to write. Your insults gain you nothing. You think the stories are dumb? Then don't read them. Go write what you want to read and leave people alone. Calling names is rude and does not do what you want, in the same way that a baby crying does not make people respect it.

Here--I will prove it to you. You left a flame, so I wrote a Donatello/Leonardo story. And I will not write another Michelangelo/Leonardo piece at all until you have stopped behaving like a rude child. If I see another flame at all, on my fics or anyone else's, I will write another fic that is not of your pairing and put Michelangelo/Leonardo on the backburner, if I don't delete those story fragments at all.

Stop being rude. Stop reading what you don't like. Maybe try writing your own stories. But stop demanding others make you happy.

My writing is mine. How dare you try to lay claim to it.

Of course anyone who knows my past with fandom, particularly TMNT fandom, is going to know that I don’t respond well to being insulted with how and what I write. 

So I need to ask a favor of fandom.

Please let me know if you receive a comment like this on your fics. It should be from this particular flamer--although they might change their name, I think we can agree that their flame style and content is rather particular to them alone--so I can hold good to this promise.

[tmnt-reticent]

THE MULTICOLOUR DONNIE TRIO‼️‼️🗣️🗣️💯💯💥💥‼️‼️

Doodles I did the other day 😈😈💥💥💥‼️ I love them sm 😭😭💖💖💖 Top left is Ret Donnie, top right is Con Donnie ( @cyaneaxo and @mariiilume ‘s silly guy!!! I’ve been brainrotting him so harddddd), and the bottom two are NS Donnie (Who is Starla’s, she doesn’t have tumblr but here’s her insta!!! Go check her out she’s been doing TMayNT and she’s drawn the multicolour sillies for it a few times!!!! The Donnie trio piece is my favourite its what started my brainrot for them wahahahaha)

Also don’t ask me why they’re all so pissed because honestly I don’t know

[tmnt-reticent]

Donatello moment!!!!

The piece I wanted to draw wasn’t working (fighting perspective so much!!!!) so decided to colour this quick little doodle‼️‼️‼️🗣️🗣️💥💯💯💥💥💥‼️‼️‼️Neon is pretty fun to work with ngl, might do it more often!!!

[tmnt-reticent]

—

Part 2 of Don entering the @1v1-tmntiteration-battlenexus ‼️‼️‼️ HE’S REUNITED WITH HIS SISTER FROM ANOTHER DIMENSION (FA!LEO MY LOVE 💖💖‼️‼️‼️) AND NOW HE’S GONNA GET BEATEN UP BY ALL THE OTHER GOOBERS‼️‼️‼️💪💪💪💪

The last two panels with Raph and Karai are the start of a silly little side story I’ll be developing more the further we get into the competition :D it’s not canon but it will heavily feature aspects of canon that won’t come into play for a while).

It took me…SO long to finish that widespread of the participants (that isn’t even everyone, there’s like 90+ apparently but these are the refs I had from the discord and characters I knew are participating since the list of participants isn’t out yet). I’m happy with how it turned out though!! :D Here is everyone that was featured in the widespread from left to right!

@thevoidisscreamingbackatyou - SP!Mikey

@zinovi768 - MS!Mikey

@witchybluedeity - PFA!Donnie

@cruilty-ink - Good Future!Leo

@the-arteest - TMMT!Raph

@teddy-beartv - Insurgent!Raph

@tmnt-pending - Pending!Leo

@13o7billionyearsinthemaking - Senior Year!Raph

@cats-inthe-cradle - Joint Custody!Mikey

@bluegras - Snapdragon!Donnie

@beannary - TLP!Donnie

@ace-of-arrows - Dawn!Donnie

@panickedghost - FA!Leo (also the character featured in the rest of the comic!)

@rubberducky2pointoh - Eon Rewind!Raph and LRS!Leo

@marukissnack - MT!April

@gelu-the-babosa-multiversal - Mutant Ice-cream Kitty

@olibensstuff - TMNTCO!Splinter

@tmnt-project-brutus - PB!Cassius

@aspen-washere - AON!Chompy

@apollothesunrat - KZA!April

@angelcorpse230 - Paris

SO MANY GOOBERS‼️‼️‼️💖💖💖💖🫶🫶🫶🫶 I love all yalls sillies sm‼️‼️‼️💖💖💖🫶🫶🫶 :D I hope I drew them alright!

Part 1 | Part 2