#so thank you to everyone who has waited

[hornetvoid]

"moments like this make me glad to be awake."

[srfiv]

colour study. had to make it about them as always

[rottmnt-residuum]

Hi, I've read the Residuum comic, and I think the characterization of the boys is really good. I was wondering if you have any tips on how to write them? Especially Mikey, please.

I'd actually recommend re-watching the show with one character in mind. All my notes on the turtles come from doing separate re-watches for each of them. The key is to ONLY watch the character you are focusing on.

In the end, you'll probably be happier with your own personal interpretation. As we are with ours lol

TL;DR

Massive post under the cut

To preface: we'll be contrasting (this Mikey) against the fandoms version of Mikey, as our interpretation is very different. Don't worry if you prefer the fandom version, there's nothing… wrong per se with writing him this way. We just find him flat and uninteresting. (Main author: not me, I just hate him, lol).

Every reader or fan comes into a story with their own biases and experiences. A ton of our view of Mikey is based on how our siblings acted. We see Mikey as the young sibling that got preferential treatment from the whole family, simply due to being the youngest, but is now aging out of the privilege. Which all youngest siblings do at some point or another.

The fandoms version of Mikey is empathetic, naive, vulnerable, co-dependent and quite often a door mat who cries at the drop of a hat. And as much as the fandom like to say that people love him… when this particular character archetype is in other media, they seem to attract the most criticism. Mable pines, Bolin from Korra, people rag on Aang all the fucking time, and Steven Universe is a whole other bag. These characters don't deserve it, and yet it happens anyway.

To flatten Mikey to simply 'the baby' is a disservice. We don't see or write Mikey as the fandom “baby” version (cinnamon roll uwu). Part of this comes from having multiple siblings, so we interpret the times when Mikey does the puppy dog eyes as typical younger sibling bullshit, mostly by the way that the other turtles rarely react to it, if at all.

The other turtles traits can also get projected onto Mikey. Mikey being the fandom therapist is in the same category as this. He isn't a therapist, he's a psychology nerd who likes to psychoanalyze people and meddle in their relationships. (Donnie and Shelldons relationship, Splinter and Draxums...) he's not trying to resolve your emotional issues. Of the turtles, the character that cares the most about people's feelings is Raph. And Leo is more of a consoler than Mikey ever is. It flattens all the turtle's characterizations when you start doing this because you are ripping out parts that are integral to another characters' complexity.

Co-author has told me that they've seen people become confused when going into the show after only reading fan fiction or coming from the movie. They see his characterization as inconsistent and become upset when their view of him is contradicted. This also happens when a fandomized version of him becomes the primary characterization that they use. Sometimes when this disconnect happens (or if they just don't like the character), Mikey characterization is swung in the complete opposite direction.

They make him manipulative and abusive, or someone who is hyper violent and avoids being held accountable for anything. This is an uncharitable interpretation of him and can come off as pretty racist depending on the circumstances. (like if someone considers the turtles black or not)

Every version of Mikey is a shithead (affectionate), even this one. Especially this one, really. When Mikey not doing the "baby schtick" hes mean. If you pay attention to what he's saying, and just not his tone of voice, he's consistently saying pretty mean or condescending stuff. (You could take this as simply naïveté, but he still says mean shit pretty often regardless)

The times he does say genuinely nice stuff the turtles don't exactly expect it from him, at least, in the early season. And while he is mean, and seems to find saying mean things to be funny, Mikey isn't cruel. Nor will he ever be.

This shit-headery behavior is found in both 2003 and 18 Mikey. They have a degree of social intelligence that lets them use it to annoy people into doing what they want. 18 just has the advantage of being baby faced and having better tonal control. He's good at using people's perception of him to get what he wants.

Let Mikey have his problematic traits, but don't overexaggerate them. He doesn't revel in fooling people. He loves doing character bits, and the baby faced one just happens to be one of them. However, to infantilize or to deem him incompetent is to piss him off, he wants to be viewed as a competent part of the team and competent as an individual. He's not insecure about being young, he just doesn't want to be treated like he can't do anything.

Mikey above all is an optimistic character, he sees the brighter side quite often and is conscious of the harm his actions have on people. Mostly after the fact, but he consistently attempts to rectify the harm he has personally done to peoples lives. (Todd, Bullhop, Draxum). Food and shelter seems to be a thing that he considers to be a right. He doesn't cross a boundary twice once he learns of it, and he never pushes people too far (if he likes you, that is. if he doesn't know you or doesn't like you, he doesn't give a singular shit. But that is standard to most people.). He doesn't care about people's stuff, though. He breaks things all the time.

Mikey understands boundaries, but he doesn't automatically recognize them. He needs them to verbalized or for there to be a very obvious reaction to the boundary being crossed (unfortunately, for Todd and Donnie). Sometimes people mess up (esp. younger people), and it can take a while for teens to learn where boundary is, but he fully respects the boundaries he does know about. He doesn't act petulant when he's told about boundary, he apologizes, accepts it, and moves on. He doesn't dwell.

Mikey doesn't hold on to distressing emotions. He bounces between emotions quickly, but isn't effected in the long run. One thing Iv'e seen people often conflate is the difference between sensitive and vulnerable. Mikey is sensitive, but I have never seen him vulnerable to others. To be sensitive is to be easily influenced by the current situation. To be vulnerable is to hold that influence for a long time. Characters can have one, both, or neither of these traits. But Mikey is not vulnerable. It is the difference between compressing memory foam and a piece of metal until they deform. One will pop back, the other does not.

Those who are vulnerable but not sensitive will take longer to effect, but once you do, they will hold on to that emotion for a very long time. The vulnerable, are grudge holders. (leo). But like I've said, Mikey bounces back. What a character does has an effect on his emotions, but it doesn't make a lasting impression.

Forgiveness is another thing people like to push on him. It is not that Mikey forgives people easily, it's just that he doesn't hold grudges. He neither forgives nor forgets, but he does not ruminate. He's generally affable, first impressions seem to be a big part of how he views people. He is idealistic, and doesn't assume people are unchanging and/or evil, but he's not a mark.

Mikey isn't so much as naive or overly trusting… it's just that he's inexperienced. He doesn't get fooled by anyone in the series except meat sweats, and that's because Meatsweats is on Todd drugs. Mikey just didn't notice when he started faking. He's not… actually all that aware of people's emotional states, passively. He has to tune in to notice things like that.

Mikey isn't someone who really tries to regulate others emotions, either. The fandom like to make Mikey afraid of his brothers fighting and others being upset, but Mikey doesn't actually care. The most distressed we ever see him in a fight is in the movie, and he's not SCARED, he's just concerned (and then alarmed once it turned physical). If anything, outside extenuating circumstances (like the movie), Mikey actually seems to find their fights annoying.

(Mikey actually seems to have a pretty short fuse, but his bounciness doesn't really let it linger very long, lmao)

(One pet peeve of fandom Mikey is the constant crying, crying at fights, crying at insults, crying for no reason all the time. Sure, he tears up when he gets emotional, but when Mikey is genuinely crying It's when he's desperate, like when he's hungry, or when he's trying to save Leo from certain doom. Same thing, really.)

Mikey respects no one (we love him for this). He admires people, he admires his family: April, the turtles, his dad, Lou Jitsu. He admires Rupert Swaggert, but he respects none of them. No one is sacrosanct to the Mikey.

Above all, the way we write characters is to give them a past that informs how they act now. We view Mikey and the other turtles as teenagers that were kids, and that will be adults. Yes they all have “problematic” traits, but 1) good characters need flaws, and controversial traits are one of the best to use, and 2) they're teenagers, don't expect adult behaviors from them, also don't expect them to be kids. They're minors, not toddlers.

This is getting as long enough as it is, so we'll stop here, but this is a very broad overview of how we characterize him. There's a lot we didn't cover here, but if we even started on hobbies, or the real minutia of his quirks and ticks, or even how he feels about other specific characters... we'd be here all day. So I hope this is good enough lol

If there was something you wanted to know in particular, you'll need to get specific. Feel free to ask again ahahh

[lil-vibes]

Day 31: Fungus

Previous/First

(prompt list here!)

and we are finishing off this wonderful month with my friend's lambsona! + lamb reference and close up down below :3

[officialsporkintheroad]

Some Ao3 Commenters: "I can't believe this fic has been abandoned. So sad. Sometimes, it's almost like I can still hear the author's voice..."

Me, who hasn't updated in 10 months but still working on the next chapter nonetheless: "STOP TELLING PEOPLE I'M DEAD!!!"

[lovelizards]

A bucket-full of freezing cold water splashed her full in the face. She gasped against the shock, inhaling some of the water, and sputtered as she choked on it.

"Disciplining mages is quite tiring," the slender man sighed.

She watched with watery eyes through a wet curtain of hair, as the slender man handed the bucket back, not bothering to look, at the scruffy man behind him.

"Please...I - I don't know what you want from me...I don't understa -"

Another bucket of water hit her with the weight of a fist; her body jolted, and she gasped for breath, coughing and groaning.

"Hot water next, I think, Meres."

"Yes, my lord."

So his name was 'Meres'. She knew from the pronunciation it was a word in the ancient language, the word for 'dog'.

The scruffy man - rather, Meres - was conjuring water into the buckets, and he hadn't once made eye-contact with her. Neither, she noticed, had he dared to look up at the slender man.

"I - I can't give you what you want if you don't tell me what it is!" She yelled, bracing herself for the heat of the water - which burned through her, hotter because her body was already so cold.

"Cold."

"Yes, my lord."

"Please - please st - stop - ah -!" she was interrupted by the cold water, and the painful gasp she couldn't avoid. Her body was overcome by shivers, and the wet ropes bit into the soft of her inner arms, "- stop! Stop - p - please!!"

"Meres, you know, I think I've finally decided on a name for this one. Would you like to know it? Cold, again."

"Yes, my lord." He handed the bucket across, and for the barest of moments, she caught him glancing up at her.

"Iska," he threw another bucket, "It's quite fitting, isn't it? After all, she sings so sweetly when I'm teaching her manners. Hot this time."

"Iska..." Meres repeated.

Iska. It was also the ancient language. It meant 'bird'.

She tried to catch her breath, but each one was shallow and desperate, her heart was beating too fast for her to match the pace. It was the injustice that was the hardest part.

It wasn't even pride.

Or maybe it was - if fury at being treated unjustly was pride, in the end. It ate her up inside, a pressure in her chest that threatened to burst.

"I'm not an animal!" She screamed, tearing up her raw throat, "I'm a human! I'm - I'm - I have a name...you can't..."

The slender man sighed, a short, sharp sound.

Meres handed him the bucket of water, which steamed hot.

"Where in the world do these mages find the gall? Now I have to teach you your name? Very well, repeat after me: My name is Iska."

He threw the bucket of hot water over her, and it burned cold as it dripped over the half-healed wounds on her back.

She stared up at him, her lips pressed together.

"Make it hotter, Meres."

"Yes, my lord."

The water hit her hard, knocking her head back against the beam behind her - so hot it scalded. She struggled wildly, curling against the burning, but - despite the trembling of her chin, and the tears in her eyes - still, she refused to speak.

"Hotter."

"...Y - yes, my lord."

There was no bracing herself for it, it burned cold as if she'd been covered in magma instead of water, and she screamed.

"I - I'm sorry!" Her voice was a weak croak, her eyes wide and staring down at the floor - which shone wet, reflecting her own sad image back at her, "I'm sorry...I'm sorry..."

"Hm..." the slender man paused, "then, tell me your name."

"...I - Iska..." she whispered.

He clicked his tongue and shook his head, gesturing to Meres.

"Cold, this time. Just for good measure."

"No - no please! I'm - I'm sorry -!"

The cold water burned worse than the hot, and made her inhale so sharply that she choked on her own breath. Her throat was on fire, tears mixed with the water that dripped down her face.

She hadn't even noticed the slender man approaching her until he'd grabbed a fist-full of her hair and pulled her head up, looking into her eye, appraising and cruel.

"Your name?"

"I - Iska...my name is Iska..."

He let go of her hair, and gently stroked her cheek. "Must you always make me teach you the hard way? That temper of yours will cost you dearly. Do you understand, sweet Iska?"

"...Y...yes...my lord..."

"You're finally learning. Leave her there for a while - " this, to Meres, who was cleaning up the buckets, " - just to make sure the lesson sticks this time."

Iska went slack against the ropes, her head drooping between her shoulders and eyes closing. Her body trembled, but at least it didn't hurt anymore.

Name, pride, it didn't matter...she couldn't take it...she was so tired...so tired...

『 Previous / Next 』

[justsayapple]

My top surgery is today!!!

[maple-bee]

With there being so little merch of MK fanmade or official it’s nice to see the plushies I hope they succeed cause I’d definitely like to see more of them

Aaah thank you so much!!😭 I didn't really expect these to get much attention - but I'm so glad people are enjoying them 🥺💖

It all depends on specific character interest, but I for sure would love to do more in the future 💜

We're still a few sales away from fully funding - and possibly funding a new sample 👀

Preorders are still open till the 16th!

[shiitanki]

Couple caught outside grocery store, Twin Lakes, Alaska (2005)

[stormyoceans]

LINE READING SO DEVASTATING I NEED TO DIE ABOUT IT

[fryeswiththat]

Consider the "I'm the only one who cares about him" but in reverse. Will just being adamant about helping or protecting Mike

Or realizing with dawning horror that he's the "only" one that cares about Mike

[iniziare]

do you write?

Mel semi-dared me to type: “No, leave me alone.” So I have to include it. But in all seriousness, I'll respond this once, because it does allow me to update people a little bit. Though please know that your notification did have me pause mid-writing. Now, I want to politely, and respectfully direct you to my description on both dash-only and on my blog's theme, I also want to point your attention to my pinned post, and I believe that it's even in my rules, but I could be wrong. Though let me repeat it here:

The depictions you'll find here are canon-strict, and so you can expect many analyses of all kinds here, as dissecting the characters that I write is what I'm passionate about, and what I'm here for (and to write, of course!)

I admit, usually I aim to write more threads/asks consistently even if I'm excessively slow, and though I haven't updated the dash about my circumstances for a while (as I'm decently private about my life), know that writing meta has simply come a lot easier lately when time has permitted me to be on Tumblr. Now, that doesn't mean I don't value people's interest in writing with me, and I will live up to the promises that I've made that I will get to that (as I have occasionally done lately, and was in process of doing again)— but when meta comes easier to me, then I prioritize that as of late, simply because stress' best counter is the distraction that comes the easiest. Now this isn't by any means a waste of time, as it plays into what I quoted above. Because ultimately, here's my thing: I make it exceptionally clear everywhere on my blog that I am canon-strict (or as Tumblr, sadly, disrespectfully seems to call it nowadays: a 'lore purist'), and that this leads me to write a lot of analyses left and right on the characters that I write, but these are fundamental to understanding my portrayals of them. If that isn't your cup of tea, sir, or ma'am, then maybe this isn't the blog for you, and I don't mean that with malice, or in disrespect, but simply as a simple rebuke. In that, I greatly appreciate you checking in on behalf of my writing partners, but I'm also quite certain that they have the capacity to approach me themselves if they have any concerns. Have a nice day or night, wherever you are!

[xxplastic-cubexx]

still thinking of my fave marvel rivals interaction where my jeff and i were hanging on the point after knocking out the other team and lil bro sprays the space in front of me and emotes and we both said thank you at the same time like i fear im never forgetting that ever

[heartofbalemoon]

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU ALL!! 🎄🎊🎉

may you and your f/os celebrate and be silly and jolly together c:

ALSO SHOUTOUT TO THOSE WHO LEFT A MESSAGE ON MY TREE,,, IM GONNA CRY- 😭😭💞💕❤️💗 thank u all so much for being with me this year, supporting me and my oc/canon selfships,,, no words can properly describe how happy i am to be interacting with you all and gushing about my cute handsome sillies :'3 🫶✨️

[wildbasil]

hi everyone! i'm going to close my commission slots next week so i can make sure i get them all done by december 25th!! if you want a commission from me before next year, here's your chance! 🥰💕 i'm currently offering chibis and waist-up character art.

ko-fi.com/dizzypunch/commissions

personal use only

guaranteed by december 25th 2023*

can do: original characters, fanart, furries

payment through ko-fi

*your commission might be delayed if i have to message you for clarification and you don't get back to me quickly. to avoid that happening, please include lots of detail when you order your commission, such as pose references, clothing etc 💖💕

i'm happy drawing humans and furries alike! nsfw is also fine but please send me a message first (not sure if ko-fi is ok with nsfw and i don't wanna get into trouble haha)

thanks everyone!!

p.s. my gwyn ap nudd pin is still open for orders!

[canisalbus]

just a quick ask to tell u it makes me super happy seeing the detail u go into when pointing out stuff u like about other people's art of ur ocs :3 it's so rare to see but it's so so motivating!! <3

Thank you! I don't take any interest for my art for granted, and if someone goes through the trouble of drawing my characters for me, I feel like trying to write a proper response is the least I can do. For a visually oriented person, receiving gift/fan art is a huge deal, it means someone considered my goobers worth their time and effort, they've probably been thinking about them more than a little and found them inspiring in a way or another, and I find that terribly flattering. It's extremely fun and interesting to see other people's takes on them. And I've drawn stuff for people as well, I know how nice and rewarding it feels to receive a response that is longer than a word or two. Positive comments like that can linger in people's minds for a long time, at least for me they do.